Before I officially left the U.S.

I made my way to IFT Annual Expo in Orlando, FL. Apart from the great networking in the Division Sensory Dinner, one of the highlights worth mentioning is my success in meeting my Food Network Hero, Alton Brown and obtaining his signature!! XD *dances* It took almost 2 hours of lining up before I reached him and he was still friendly and pleasant to talk to. He chuckled when I said, Signatures for 3 fangirls, please sir. :D

It was particularly amusing to note that there was a section set aside for the viewing of World Cup 2006 matches in the middle of the exhibition, complimented with a comfy couch. It goes to show that food science professionals still know how to appreciate the awesomeness of soccer. I totally dig this community. XD

After Florida, it was off to Boston, MA. Among the highlights of this trip was purchasing a cute stuffed toy lobster aptly named ‘Boston’ (lest I forget where I obtained him from) and visiting the campus of great universities such as Harvard and MIT. Just for the record, I am a little smarter now that I have physically touched the foot of Mr. Harvard. Hehehehe.

Next on the list: New York. While I admired how fast-paced this city is and how impressive its skyscrapers are, I have also noticed how dirty some streets are (particularly Chinatown) and secondly, how frightening-looking the underground subway stations could be. Nevertheless, I went to New York with a mission in mind: Find the building where Law & Order lawyers are often filmed leaving from. Yes, I like Law & Order -that- much. :P

On the grounds of World Trade Center, I solemnly wished I had seen the two buildings before Sept 11^th.

After returning to the Midwest, I scurried off to hang out with my buddy, Princess in the land of the Cheeseheads. I had the opportunity to check out U.S. top party school, Uni. of WI, Madison. Apart from having a quick glimpse of two hot guys smiling and openly holding hands (0_0 that is one liberal campus), I had to admit that the campus occasionally brings the impression of tourist resort, rather than academic grounds. Hehehehe....no wonder, a fellow intern from UWM always complained about how boring a certain tiny town in Michigan is. And, on a totally random note, we had the time to stop for some sushi. XD

Thanks to the United States of America for blessing me with education, working experience, opportunities to meet different people, cultural learnings, fresh perspectives and spiritual growth!