CONGRATULATIONS LAKERS! We won! :) After a grueling, gut-wrenching, hair-pulling four quarters in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Lakers overcame a 13-point deficit and beat the Celtics, 83 – 79, earning their Sweet 16 NBA Championship. The night before Game 7, Bebe Dada looked me in the eye and said, “We’re going to win. The Lakers are going to take it.” In my heart, I believed this too, and told him that I felt...

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  Lakers ROCK!!!  The Lakers took Game 6 of the Finals against the Celtics, 89 – 67, and tied the series 3 – 3, keeping the dream alive and getting us to Game 7 on home court.  Thank you, Lakers!  Thank you SO much for not letting us down!!!!! I must also thank the Lakers for maintaining a significant lead during the entirety of the game because this kept my stress level at a minimum.  This was a HUGE relief after an anguishing...

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  Game 5 of the Lakers vs. Celtics NBA Finals series was a complete disappointment with the Lakers losing, 92 – 86.  The series is now 3 – 2 with the Celtics leading.  Kobe showed-up to the game in the 2nd half with over 30 points, but the rest of the Lakers team didn’t “bring it”, and with the Celtics shooting at roughly 66%, we were doomed.  If the Lakers can’t play championship-grade basketball, they...

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  Oh well, the Lakers lost 96 – 89 and the series against the Celtics is now tied 2-2.  :( For Game 4 of the Lakers vs. Celtics NBA Finals, I decided to do a little Googling regarding the rivalry between these two teams since I wasn’t familiar with the historical details.  Apparently, this rivalry goes back many years, ever since the NBA was founded in 1946.  (That’s a long time!)  Since then, the Lakers and Celtics have...

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  Edamame gohan (brown rice with soybeans) is a simple mixed rice dish of edamame, nametake (Japanese mushrooms) and seaweed. This combination of ingredients really brings plain ol’ rice to life. It’s the perfect alternative for folks such as myself who don’t really like rice. (Photo Credit: Hideki Ueha) As a child, my parents made me sit at the dinner table until I finished my rice, but I was a stubborn child. I would just...

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  This weekend I overindulged in food, some of it was really bad for me – like the Hamburger Doritos and fried wontons. Saturday night we celebrated three of my best girlfriends’ birthdays and we ate crab and temaki sushi.  I love these girls – they REALLY know how to eat.  :)  I forgot to take pictures of the crab but here’s our temaki spread.   Sunday night we watched the Lakers game with Yin-yin and Pa-paw (Bebe...

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What are your most vivid childhood summer memories? My most vivid memories include swimming, spending time with my mom and brother on lazy days, tennis and art classes with my BFF (yes it’s the same “best friend forever” since I was 6 that lives across the street from me today), trips to Japan, and somen.  Somen is a very thin, white noodle made of wheat flour, and is typically served cold with a dipping sauce. As a child,...

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  What can I say… our Lakers ROCK!  Congrats to our Western Conference Champions!  Yay!!!  :) Saturday night’s Game 6 of the Lakers vs. Suns Western Conference Finals had my nerves on edge, especially in the 4th quarter!  The Lakers looked good opening up the 1st quarter with a few quick shots from Andrew, Kobe and Ron, but it wasn’t until late in the 3rd quarter that I really started to get nervous. With a 17-point lead...

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