a bit of charm

i was surprised at the beginning of the week with a postcard from my dear friend and penpal. i hadn’t received a letter from her in a while, and then i realized that she was in paris, seeing the city of romance. i was beyond thrilled to get this. postcards really have a special charm and it feels like they carry the spirit of wherever they came from. this one is so beautiful, and if you knew her, you’d know that this particular picture she chose really fits her.

on tuesday i met up with a group of friends and went to the famous peking gourmet inn. this particular restaurant has been visited by many celebrities, including president bush’s family and psy, the korean pop star. the duck was so delicious and the fried rice was particularly savory. i’d never had peking duck before, so it was a totally new experience.

national selfie day was this week, and who would i be if i didn’t do something to commemorate that? whenever people tease me for taking a selfie, i always respond with, “it’s important to love yourself.”

for dinner one night i made fettuccine alfredo with broccoli, chicken, and mushrooms. i was really proud of how it turned out – so i snapped a picture. it’s a simple dish, but it’s really delicious.

i got swim shady a few more friends this week, as well. these three guppies were so friendly and adorable, i couldn’t resist. i was able to get them all together for a group picture, though they were very wary of the camera. i fell in love with their bright colors, and the way they swim around.

on saturday, i got the opportunity to explore a house dating to before the civil war. it was absolutely stunning, as you can see. i took a lot of pictures and will be posting about the entire tour, soon. the main hall was my absolute favorite. there’s nothing i love more than beautiful victorian-style furniture, and classic architecture.

there was a pond on the property, too, so even though it was muddy and raining, we fished a little. it was my first time fishing, and it was a lot more fun than i expected. we didn’t catch anything, but we got a few nibbles – which was enough to get me excited. maybe i’ll start fishing as a hobby.

as if i couldn’t get enough, i went back to have soba with my mom to finish off the weekend. cold soba is so delicious, and when you know the amount of effort that goes into making the noodles, the food becomes even more delicious. japanese style food is definitely my favorite – and it has a rich culture to it.

and here comes the next week, perhaps as charming as the last.