the cold is worth it

i am back in charlottesville. and although i am thankful for the warmth (despite the rain), i do miss ann arbor. maybe it's the wonderful company i had over the few days - jaime. i have come to appreciate the snow for all its glorious whiteness, and it gets very pretty when you spot an open field blanketed in fluffy snow.

the university of michigan, ann arbor reminds me of northwestern university in chicago. they both have the grey/maroon, stoic and gothic feel to their buildings. they feel regal though. downtown ann arbor is a sizeable area with eateries, chocolate/ice-cream parlours, antique shops, trinket-y stores, and best of all, URBAN FAIRY DOORS. i strongly encourage you to google it (btw, did you know that ann arbor is the home of google?).

i tasted the best french toast in zingerman's deli, a world-renowned bakery/deli/restaurant. they make excellent bread. i can testify to this because jaime and i made a dulce de leche bread pudding using zingerman's challah bread (it's got egg in it). AND the final product was brilliant! i may be biased but i think the bon appetit-reciped-bread-pudding we made is shop-worthy. of course, i ate a lot over the week. and the fact that the gym across my room is NOT open adds to my helplessness. i had delicious breadsticks in a place called tomato brothers in howell, a town 30 minutes away from ann arbor. great italian restaurant! serves ribs too.

ah the yumminess.

sheena loves blackie (vlad's dog). she requested for pictures with blackie. and not with me.


waldenwood drive, ann arbor...
our award-winning bread pudding...
a very warm welcome. :) wearing navy obviously does not hide the love handles when you're in snowyland.
fairy doors!



the university!


legendary zingerman's.

ice-cream while it's snowing. oh yeah!