A Turkey Feast

A few days ago, one of my friends already talked about turkey meal that cooked by ourselves. Thus, he found the recipe on the Internet, and we went to WinCo bought ingredients last night. Moreover, there were so many people in WinCo which was bustling. I saw that many American bought full foods of a cart with their family members. This circumstance is same as before Chinese New Year because we prepare some traditional food for family reunion dinner. Later this morning, when I went to my friend’s room, I could feel hallway in I.V. that was so cool and empty, but my friend’s room was crowed. We had a turkey feast with soup and pasta, and I had a good time on this big day because we hung out together seeing the movie and chatting. Especially, my friends were very excited to go to Cabazon for shopping at midnight black Friday.

A Temptation of Cheesecake

The story is about my friend’s housemate--Chen, a UCR freshman living in I.V. Last Sunday afternoon, one of my friends, Lily, decided to make cheesecake for us. Thus, we went to my friend’s room together at lunch time, so we invited Chen to join us. He’s fatty and really enjoys eating. In fact, he had lunch with us. Every time we made afternoon tea (seafood snacks), dinner or cheesecake, he was always with us and helped himself to the food or drinks without being invited. He had not only a sweet tooth but a watering mouse. Thus, when eating we asked him, “Are you hungry?” He said, “No,” but he was just wondering around the dishes with his chopsticks and empty bowl. After eating, Lily baked cheesecake and served it on the table. At the same time, I was doing the dishes, and Chen had already divided the cake into several pieces without asking anyone there. I felt so disappointed that I didn’t even have time to take a picture of our delicate home-made dessert. Therefore, we had a plot in common to trick him. We decided not to eat the cake now, so we started chatting. During this period of time, Chen walked in and out from his room to kitchen several times, checking the cake not being eaten yet. In addition, we even went out a while for some drinks. When we were back in, he opened his door again waiting for us to have some cheesecake. Finally, we gave up this game because he was so enthusiastic about food. He picked up a piece of cake quickly, and I saw a satisfying smile on his face.

By the way, while my friend was preparing the dessert, others and I were taking some pictures in the courtyard of I.V., which was very beautiful at sunset.

The Traffic Accident

Last Friday morning, I accompanied with my friend’s roommate to DMV for his first driving test because he was asked to have someone who was over 25, and possessed a driver’s license sitting beside him. When we drove on the freeway for about 10 minutes, we saw the car accident just happening in front of us. The old car overtook us from right lane. Not knowing why, suddenly it was out of control, bumping into a van on its right side and the fierce dash pushed them together to hit the fence. At that time, I heard harsh clatter from the tires rubbing against the ground. Finally, they squized together crashing on the shoulderde lanerd harsh crashed. That accident occurred so abruptly that we could hardly say anything but Yah because we were all shocked. Then I felt my heart beating wildly. We were lucky enough to survive that accident. So I can be here to share this thrilling and unforgettable experience on the freeway with you all.

The Windmills

We went to windmill region between Cabazon and Palm Springs on Veterans’ Day. When we first time went through this area, it was really spectacular. A great number of windmills spread all over the valley. Moreover, some of my friends told me that it was windy there, so you could even jump and move in the air. However, when we arrived there, the wind was not so strong. Though we were somehow frustrated about that, we still felt excited while we were standing under those huge windmills. Of course, we never missed the amazing scenes in front of us. At the same time, we clicked shutter quickly catching the sunset twilight.

Unfortunate weekend

First of all, last Friday evening, when I checked my bank account, I was charged overdraft fee --twenty five dollars twice. Because I almost forgot my I.V. rent check was paid three week ago. And I found I didn’t have enough balance in my checking account, so I transferred some money from my savings account immediately. But ridiculously BOA charged another overdraft fee-seventy dollars again. On seeing that, I was irritated and disappointed.

Even worse, the next morning, before I left for Sea World, something was wrong with my laptop. It didn’t boot any longer. Therefore, I gave up my trip and spent all day fixing and recovering the system. Alas! What a tiring DAY!

On the third day, Sunday, I visited my cousin living in Chino. When I arrived their house, I parked the car into their garage. While I was rolling the window down to listen to my cousin indicating the right parking position, unfortunately, the window got stuck. Then, when I pressed the button and the window pane was all the way down and never went up again. Eventually, I drove a car with open window on the highway. The wind was chilly and harsh. It was a long, cursed and unforgettable weekend for me during my stay here. What a bummer!

New Port Beach

The same with other beaches in California, New Port Beach is an attractive sight-seeing spot, which fascinates people to come over fishing and soaking. I liked the beach weather in fall. Although the sea breeze was a bit cold, the sun brought us a bit warmth . You could listen to the tides or walk on the sands. Once I met friends who was fishing on the dock. Furthermore, it was my first time fishing in the sea water and following my friend’s instruction to cast the line and reel it in. However, it was cruel and no fun for me to see the fish struggling for life. We didn’t leave until the beautiful twilight at sunset faded out of our sight.

Fashion Island

Fashion Island is a hand-out good place. People can not only shop in that area, but spend all day with their family. Furthermore, ladies are going shopping while men are taking care of the kids. There are also some places providing visitors a good chance to enjoy their parent-kid relation such as pond, fountain and carousel. Thus, I would see people walking the dog, taking a stroll, or playing with their children around the pond.

THE j. Paul Getty Museum

We went to Getty Center last Saturday. This museum is located on the hillside near Santa Monica and established by a private foundation. They provide people a prime environment to enjoy visual art. There are some good views from observatory in every building. We could see L.A. downtown and UCAL. The famous oil painting, Irises, was painted by Vincent van Gogh, who revealed really alive Irises in colors. I was so glad to see his authentic work in front of me in person . Moreover, there was a small garden where people could take a break. Many people lay down on the grass, some of whom were reading, sun-bathing and chatting. This is a popular leisure place without any tickets.

Knott’s Scary Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm is the first theme park in America. It’s also a Snoopy amusement park. However it creates different atmosphere in whole October; they call it Knott’s Scary Farm. According to their flyer, people walk in and freak out, so you can perceive that it must be a thriller. Last Thursday night, we visited their ghost town and some ghost houses, such as The Doll Factory, Lost Vegas and 13 Axe Murder Manor. In the ghost town, a variety of scary ghosts popped up unexpectedly on the foggy streets, and they made harsh, grating noise scare you, approaching close to you and tricking you. It was really interesting to see the girls’ reaction of screams. Although it was very dark in there, we still took a few pictures.

The Empire State Building

We had a tour in New York last vocation. Here let me introduce some attractions of scenic spots. The Empire State Building is one of the most impressive spots for me. We bought a delicate brochure providing some information about the well-kown New York landmark. Before going high up to the observatory, we had to climb 8-story stairs. When we got there, we were very excited. We could see everything in New York, and followed the guide map leading us to look for other landmarks. It’s a very special experience look down bustling New York City just beneath me.

Lake Silverwood

My friend and I went to Lake Silverwood last Saturday. It’s as truly as its name. There’s a beautiful lake surrounded by the hills. I remember it was very cold and windy, but the water was warm. I guessed that the sun heated the water. Therefore, many people were playing and sinking in the water. Others were fishing , riding a wet bike, or rowing a boat. I smelled the roasted meat as well. That’s a friendly recreation place worth enjoying and relaxing a whole day.

Lake Hill

We went to Lake Hill last Saturday, which took us about 30 minutes from Riverside. It’s located on a hillside; thus, we could see the splendid night view. We chose some good positions, then we had some good photos before the cruiser gave us a warning. Police officer said, “There is no parallel parking.” However, we left with full satisfactory. I sincerely recommend that is a fabulous place for a couple.

Santa Monica on a Rainy Day

We went to Santa Monica on Saturday. This was my second trip to the 3rd street, but this time we had a bad weather. Visitors were less than last time we were here. Therefore, there were not many performances on the street. We felt a little disappointed about that. I could remember , the street was still hustling and bustling even it was 9 P.M.. We enjoyed the performances from afternoon to night. I thought I only needed a cup of coffee, sitting back and enjoying the fantastic atmosphere. I’m going again because I want to listen to the enchanting melodies from trumpet or saxophone players.

About Steven

Hi, my friend, I’m Steven. I like photography, decorations and movies. This blog is about my stay in America. I’ve been in California for half a year to polish my English. I like the sunny weather here, also I made some good friends from other countries. We went sight-seeing everywhere if time permitting, such as beaches, national parks, museums and amusement parks. I had many special findings during this stay. I cherish the valuable experience in my life and would like to share it with you.