10 Things That Make Me Happy :D

I have been pretty stressed out the last couple of weeks, work and school have been super busy and frustrating. With all this stress and frustration mounting up I decided to stop and take a little break to take care of myself. Here are few little things that make me happy when life isn't going my way. Remember life is short taking care of yourself should always be your number one priority both mentally and physically. 

1.) MUSIC

Music has always been there for me whenever I needed. It calms me and sends me to a little world that is just my own. I pretty much listen to every genre out there even a little country now and then. I post weekly playlists a couple times a month so if you ever interested in what I am currently listening to check them out! 

2.)  COOKING

I am a huge FOODIE. I love to eat so much that I consider it a hobby. I am also very adventurous when it comes to food which led me to learn how to cook. Cooking is an art. There is just something so therapeutic in cooking from the prep to the finish product. It gives you a sense of empowerment and accomplishment (especially if it tastes good).

3.) HANGING W/MY LIL BRO

If you have siblings, you know that there are always moments where you wished you were an only child. I was one of them and sometimes I still do wonder a bit haha just kidding. I have two younger siblings, a 18 year-old little sister and a 10 year old little brother. My parents are one of those couples who wanted to try their luck having a kid past their prime and luckily for them they succeeded. I am 14 years older than my little bro who for the sake of privacy I will call him *Doug. While Doug may be only 10 I don't consider him a child he is a miniature adult. He understands things that most people in their 40s still don't get. He also doesn't act like a kid. He enjoys watching horror movies with me and Chinese soap operas with my grandmother and mom. I left for college when he was around 4 so I didn't get a chance to really watch him grow up but anytime I get a chance to hang out with him I take it. He never judges you and just loves you for who you are. 

4.) POKEMON

I know many of you are probably judging me reading this but I got no fucks to give. I am 23 years old and I still play Pokemon... enough said

5.) HORROR MOVIES

This might be kind of ironic but horror movies make me happy. I don't know if it is the scare or just watching other people's miseries it is just something I enjoyed ever since I was born. I was exposed to horror movies at an early age not on purpose. I hung around my older guy cousins growing up and it came with the territory. I love the Saw series and anything with a giant mutated creature. You name it I probably seen it... then again my life is like a horror movie sometimes...

6.) BOOKS

Yes, I actually read for fun I know that this might be shocking to most of you out there. This is something that I have taken for granted over the years. With the pressures of work and school I cherish any time I can get reading a book that is not educational. Reading like music sucks me away into another world, a world where I don't have to give any fucks. And who doesn't want to do that?

7.) NETFLIX

I wish I could get paid watching Netflix. Every since I signed up for one I have been hooked.... more like obsessed. If there was a Netflix anonymous meeting I would probably be the first person there.

8.) HONKING AT PEOPLE

Now before you call me crazy, I only honk at pretentious asshole drivers who think they are Vin Diesel. I don't know what is wrong with some of the drivers out there today. Is it really that hard to use your turn signal? Did your teacher ever taught you the word STOP? Are you really that selfish or blind that you have to take up 2 parking spaces for your smart car? I mean come on people...

9.) HANGING OUT W/MY FRIENDS

My friends are some of the best people I know especially the ones who have stuck around this long and if you know me believe me that I am not an easy person to be with. Anytime I am with them my worries just go away. They are always there for me no matter what time of the day or how silly of a problem I have. As Jerry McGuire says "You complete me"

10.) CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKES

I am not a big chocolate person, but I am ALWAYS DOWN for a chocolate milkshake. I was deprived of this when I was younger. My grandmother told me that I would be arrested if I ever drank one and my parents told me that they were drugs in them. As I got older and wiser obviously I knew better and drank them whenever I could especially with french fries... god I am so Americanized... 

Si's Life: GET TO KNOW ME 50 RANDOM FACTS

50 RANDOM FACTS

I wanted to take a little break from my beauty reviews and try something new. I wasn't very sure what I wanted to blog about so I went on YouTube to try to find some inspiration. I came across a couple of random fact videos which surprisingly I really enjoyed watching. So I thought why not do a blog post version of it? So here goes! 

1. I have an unhealthy obsession with pandas, llamas and alpacas.

2. If my career path doesn't work out as planned I am going to move to Peru and become a llama farmer.

3. I think doughnuts so be their own food group.

4. I am bilingual. I speak both Mandarin and English fluently English being my second language.

5. I have been 4'11 since high school (I am 23 years old right now)

6. I am missing a bone in each pinky which allows me to bend it really far back and gross people out.

7. I like to eat blueberry muffins with bacon 

8. I hate eating raw blueberries and only like them in muffins and yogurts.

9. I apparently have serious facial expressions which people misinterpret as anger.

10. I once finished a whole pack of colored Goldfish crackers in less than a hour.

11. I love to cook.

12. My chili is out of this world.

13. I am a very fast reader.

14. Netflix is my one true love and no one can really compete against it.

15. I have 4 kidneys, 3 non-functioning and 1 functioning.

16. If I am really hungry I can eat about 5 times my size.

17. With all the makeup I have accumulated over the years I could probably open up my own department store.

18. I own over 30 pairs of jeans.

19. I love high top sneakers.

20. Chachi Mama sweatpants are probably one of the best things ever invented.

21. Over the last year or so I begun to hate pants so I have been wearing leggings almost everyday. 

22. Despite living in Florida for over 10 years I still hate the weather.

23. My favorite food is fried rice.

24. The only time I really eat salmon is when my mom makes it with kewpie mayo which sounds disgusting but is actually delicious.

25. I am Chinese.

26. I think stupidity is contagious.

27. I don't mind spiders but snakes ugh...

28. Growing up I had many interesting pets like giant bullfrogs, tarantulas, a crow, and even grasshoppers,

29. When I was little my best friend was a big white fluffy chicken whom I raised from the egg.

30. On my fourth birthday my chicken friend disappeared. Later that night my grandmother made chicken for dinner. 

31. I loved Grey's Anatomy so much that I finished 10 seasons in less than 2 months.

32. Sometimes I pretend I'm Kevin Spacey's character in House of Cards.

33. While most people love Olivia Pope on Scandal I think she is a whiny little B****. I don't think she is badass at all her job is but not her.

34. I only listen to Taylor Swift songs when other artists sing them.

35. I managed to solve most of the crime on Law and Order: SVU before the episode ends.

36. I have really bad luck with cell phones. One was ran over by a car and another one flew out of my hand when a skateboarder ran into me. 

37. I always intended on being a lawyer but when registering for my major my college messed up and I ended up with psychology instead of English. It was the best mistake of my life. I am currently pursuing a MA degree in Rehab Counseling. 

38. I can eat spicy tunas like no other.

39. I have terrible allergies when I am in the States however as soon as I go back to China my allergies disappear.

40. I have great relationships with many of my former grade school and high school teachers. They are some of the best people I have ever met.

41. I think it is cool when British people lose their accents when they sing.

42. I am a HUGE TV junkie.

43. My Chinese food cooking skills need a little work.

44. My grandmother is the most important person in my life. 

45. I will never get tired reading the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

46. Jerry Springer lives about 20 minutes away from the home I grew up in.

47. My whole life (school, work etc.) revolves around the computer.

48. I collect purses and t-shirts from all around the world.

49. Despite living in Florida I hate the beach.

50. I often have eating competitions with my 10 year old little brother who weighs 5 more pounds than I do. I am 110 pounds. He usually wins. 

Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick

If you guys are familiar with Apple TV, Amazon's Fire TV Stick is pretty much Amazon's version of it. Digital content has significantly increased over the last couple of years especially when it comes to TV shows and movies. The Fire TV Stick is a device that streams your online content directly to your TV.

The Fire TV Stick comes with...

-Fire TV Stick

-Remote

-USB cord + outlet extender

-2 AA batteries

-HDMI port 

The Fire TV Stick takes no time to install and so easy to use. The only issue I had was opening the battery compartment which you will need a small knife or screwdriver to help you open it.

You do have to have good internet connection in order to use this otherwise it will just buffer continuously. 

As you can tell the Fire TV Stick streams many different platforms such as Netflix, hulu+ and etc... Compared to Apple TV this device is much more affordable ($39). It also includes a 30 day Prime Trial. Personally I don't recommend this device if you don't have an Amazon Prime account. (If you don't have an Amazon Prime account you will have to register the device when you receive it. If you directly purchase it from your Amazon account it will be already set up for you. With Apple TV you have to register it yourself no matter what.) Many devices like Apple TV and smart TVs already have digital platforms like Netflix already installed. Amazon Prime is the only digital platform not available to these devices. I really like this device because I prefer streaming my movies and shows from Amazon rather than iTunes. I save a lot more money and don't have to worry about paying extra for storage space which Apple tends to charge. It is also great for gaming (you can purchase a separate gaming remote). It is easy to travel with thanks to its small size.

Fire TV Stick will be available on Amazon.com on January 6, 2015.

Netflix vs. Amazon Instant Video vs. Hulu Plus- BLOGTOBER OCTOBER 24, 2014

With so many online streaming services out there today which one is really worth all the hype and money? Today I break down the top 3 streaming services out there today and hopefully this will help you guys decide.

Let's start with the most popular one NETFLIX. Netflix has been around for a couple years now and combines movie and tv show streaming. In terms of variety Netflix has done a pretty good job. There is something for every type of genre including foreign movies and has a good combination of old stuff and new stuff. I have noticed more and more that while Netflix has deleted a lot of their popular stuff like the Law and Order: SVU series they have been adding more and more like the entire series of Gilmore Girls plus all the previous seasons of popular shows like Vampire Diaries, Grey's Anatomy and such. Netflix also has their own exclusive shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black which are both amazing. Netflix also has a tendency to take over shows that are no longer on TV like The Killing and Arrested Development.

Pricing: The basic package is $7.99/month which will be raised to about a dollar for new customers. This price allows you unlimited streaming on 2 devices. You will have to pay more if you want the DVD service which is around $15-20 depending on how many DVDS you want to check out. 

Amazon Instant Video has become quite the success in the last few months or so. It is included when you sign up for Amazon Prime and is not available on its own.  The prime package includes free shipping and other various amenities. Amazon Instant Video features a lot more older movies and tv shows like Sabrina the Teenager Witch which I personally enjoy these blasts from the pasts. Only recently it has begun to feature newer stuff as well as shows from HBO which is something Netflix and no other streaming service has yet to achieve. In terms of streaming, Amazon doesn't have little previews when you want to fast forward like Netflix does, however if you are a prime member you can access the Instant Video just through amazon.com and not a separate service like Netflix or Hulu Plus. You can also purchase TV shows and movies kinda like what you do on iTunes. It is available right after purchase and doesn't require any download time like iTunes (although you can choose to download it to your device later on). I only recommend this service to those who use Amazon quite frequently.

Pricing: For students it is $45 a year and non students about $99 a year (however there has been talks that the price will reduce soon).

Hulu Plus comes from the Hulu that we have all grown to love. Hulu allows us to catch up on our TV shows once it has just been aired. Hulu Plus is the next level. Recently some shows have only been available to Hulu Plus which allows users to watch the episode right after it airs and don't have to wait for it. Hulu Plus does have a variety of movies and clips. Personally unless you are a big TV buff I don't recommend this. The streaming quality is so and so and the variety isn't as big as Amazon Instant Video or Netflix. But it is great for TV shows.

Pricing: $7.99/month

Streaming platforms for all 3 include iPad, Smartphones (No for Amazon Instant), and computers.

What I am currently watching #FallTv- BLOGTOBER OCTOBER 3, 2014

Another reason I love fall is that all my favorite TV shows are back and then some. This particular year I have A LOT of shows I been trying to keep up with. Here are just a few of the shows that I am currently obsessed with. Maybe you guys will end up picking up some of the shows and become a TV junkie just like me :D Also tweet me your favorite shows this season with #houseoftherisingsunTV 

1.) GILMORE GIRLS!!!

Explores the life and relationship of a mother and a daughter living in the small fictional town of Stars Hollow.

Can you guys tell by my exclamation marks how excited I am about this show. This is an oldie but a goodie. I pretty much grew up watching this along with my soap operas. There is something in this show for everybody and yes there is A TON of cheesy drama but hey what would life be without a little bit? All the seasons of Gilmore Girls are not available to stream on Netflix.

2.) Black-ish 

An African American family living in the suburbs dealing with the racial aspects of everyday life.

This is a new show just released this season and it was become one of my favorites. Anthony Anderson is hilarious and witty and just all around a good time. Looking for a good comedy check is out on ABC Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30c.

3.) Legend of Korra: Balance (Season 4)

The last season of the epic continuance of the Last Airbender.

Premiering tonight the last season on nick.com and the nick app. I am so incredibly sad that this show has come to an end. It is definitely one of the shortest and fastest shows Nick has ever produced.The only annoying part of the show that I don't like is that it is no longer showing on TV.  I just hope they will make another avatar show later in the future. Withdraw isn't going to be pretty...

4.) How to Get Away With Murder

The title explains it all. I am not going to say anything about this show. Just go watch it and be amazed... Seriously go NOW!!!

Other shows worth checking out: Sleepy Hollow Season 2, Parenthood Season 6, New Girl Season 4, Selfie, Law and Order: SVU Season 16 (yes there is another season but hey this is a classic), and Scandal