SVong-Along

TL;DR - Read Crying in H-Mart if you: love a good mother-daughter/family story, like Asian food/culture, or just in need to cry it out. Crying in H-Mart is a memoir by Michelle Zauner, a bi-racial Korean American who moves to Oregon to help take care of her mom when she is diagnosed with cancer. The story heavily centers on the grief she experiences, but also how she honors her mother with memories of Korean food and cooking.  Like my cool cousins Julie and Tara - I wanted to read Crying in H-Mart to be an "in the know" Asian-American (it debuted at #2 on the NYT and will also be adapted into a movie) but also because even though I'm not Korean, I still have some fond memories shopping at H-Mart (and my non-Asian coworkers have even asked me about it when for example it opened in SF.) My favorite part of the book was Zauner recalling certain Korean recipes with her mom- kimchi, samgyetang, and even when she travels to Seoul the sensory details and ties with emotion really...

I interviewed for Global Entry's Enrollment Upon Arrival after my flight from Tahiti (PPT) to SFO, and the wait+interview was around 30 min total and I got my Global Entry card a week later!  TL;DR - if you want to get Global Entry- instead of waiting months to schedule an interview, you can interview after 1) your application has been conditionally pre-approved, and 2) you fly back from an international destination into an airport listed on the CBP's website. I couldn't schedule a zoom interview for months and didn't want to drive 2 hours from Sac to SF just for the interview- so the enrollment upon arrival was an easy and great alternative!  What is Global Entry?  Global Entry is a trusted traveler program affiliated with the US Custom Border Protection (CBP) that expedites the process when you re-enter the US from an international destination and pass through immigration. Instead of waiting in a long line and going through an interview, you walk to a kiosk, declare...

The Hilton Moorea was one of the coolest hotel experiences in my life: staying in an overwater bungalow and sharing the turquoise ocean backyard with fish, sting rays, and sharks was incredible. While I was fortunate to be upgraded from a land bungalow, we still paid a pretty penny to stay at this property and the Hilton Aspire card helped cover several costs (breakfast, premium wifi, etc.) If you stay, I recommend having at least Hilton gold status (through Amex Platinum or other Hilton Amex card) to maximize covering costs. This Hilton is pricey and not exactly super luxurious, but being in an overwater bungalow for a few days really did feel like paradise. Rates/Booking: There are a few different categories of rooms/bungalows:         On the land – King or twin bungalow, with or without private pool (49 rooms)         Lagoon/Beachside King overwater bungalow (3) – I do not recommend booking these         King Overw...