Welcome back from our “Spring” Break! I know it started off more like a winter break, but it did get warmer. 
I hope everyone is doing well, now that we have to get back to our school mode. I can actually say that my break was pretty good. Of course, I worked the whole week but got to hang out with my siblings on the first Monday, then hung out with my sister and two friends yesterday.
My two friends were Kim Dang and Nga Tran, and they’re both international (Vietnamese) students at Fontbonne. Mary (my sister) and I are St. Louis residents so we hung out with Kim and Nga to show them around. We were planning for a tour of downtown St. Louis, but time didn’t work out. Anyways, our first trip was to Bubble Tea, a little Asian cafe in the Delmar Loop. It’s one of our favorite places. We ordered their popular boba drinks and ate some food, too. Yummy!
Afterwards, we just took a tour down the loop. We wanted to check out Craft Alliance but they’re closed on Mondays. Ha ha. So we stopped by Star Clipper, a comic book store. The main area we looked at was the Japanese manga section. We’re so Asian for that! And because we’re big fans of manga and anime. I found the new editions of Sailor Moon and decided to buy the first two volumes. Mary and I actually used to own the old versions of Sailor Moon, but we threw them away because they were torn (what a waste!). However, I’m going to start collecting them again, slowly. I also found the Bone series! Not the scary drama series, but the ones with the cartoon guys who are going on adventures and such. I’m planning to collect those as well! So excited!
Mary chose a Soul Eater manga book’s first volume. When we were about to check out, we saw little phone links at the front desk. They have Hello Kitty, the Chinese Lucky Kittens, a cow head, etc. They were so cute! We all looked at them and wanted to buy them, too. Mary and I asked Kim and Nga which ones they like, so we bought those for them. A meaningful friendship has begun! 
After that, we continued to tour. Soon, we reached the end of the loop so we turned back to head to the mall! At the first light, we crossed to the other side (the motivation was because of the sun). As we walked, Kim and I noticed a store that also sells art work. As you may already guessed, we went in! Wow, what a beautiful store of work. So many pretty things made by local artists. I thought we were only going to look around, but Mary and I bought something: she bought a necklace for herself, and I bought presents for my friends’ birthdays that are coming up. If you’re wondering, the store is called Componere (with a ^ above the o). We’re definitely coming back.
Finally, we’re back to the car! Then headed off to the Galleria Mall. We visited a few stores, like Hot Topic, Love Couture, Wet Seal, and Victoria’s Secret. Mary and Nga actually bought some things at Wet Seal. Their prices are very affordable. I’m still waiting patiently before buying anything else (need to save up!).
We continued to stroll then stopped by the American Cookies spot and Mary bought red velvet brownies for us. We ate and chatted then headed back out. Mary and I dropped Nga and Kim off at Fontbonne, then headed home.
It was such a fun day before going back to school. Again, I hope you all had a great break! Don’t forget to register for classes this week! ^_^
Tagged as:
Delmar Loop,
Friends,
Register for classes,
Spring Break,
The Galleria Mall,
The Loop,
Touring St. Louis
One of the great things about Fontbonne is the area where it’s located. Forest Park is usually the first thing people think of – art museum, zoo, paddle boats, etc. – but The Loop might be a close second. For the unfamiliar, “The Loop” is the nickname given to the fun, diverse neighborhood that follows Delmar Boulevard through University City. I’ve always been a fan of The Loop because of all the unique stores and restaurants. Sushi joints, local artisans, Avalon Exchange second-hand clothing store, Thai cafes, Vintage Vinyl records – all part of the atmosphere on Delmar. There is also the Pageant, where you can find both indie and mainstream artists playing, and Blueberry Hill, where I’m told that Chuck Berry still occasionally returns.
Delmar can get a reputation as a rather “hipster” place to hang out, but truth be told it is welcoming to anyone, and the eclectic/cool vibe is pretty genuine. So if you’re ever looking for a shopping or eating experience that is a little out of the ordinary, give The Loop a try!
Tagged as:
Bluberry Hill,
Delmar Loop,
Eclectic vibe,
Hister scene,
The Loop,
Vintage Vinyl Records
Have you ever awoken with the question, “What am I going to do today?” Of course you have! I have on numerous occasions wondered what is there to do in St. Louis. Several spots have kept my attention for a longtime; U-City and the Central West End. I am not the clubbing type so I cannot vouch for the hottest clubs in the Lou. I love scenery and food; U-City and the C.W.E take care of both. The best season to cruise on the strips are well on the way. Going in and out of the locally owned businesses allow you to have a taste of unique clothing, gear and food. I enjoy Blueberry Hill and Fitz’s in the U-city loop and relaxing at Coffee Cartel in the C.W.E. The great thing about these locations are the easy accessibility from the Metrolink station and the other nearby amenities like Forest Park and everything that comes with it, such as the art museum, zoo and science center. I hope that you have a chance to visit these locations this weekend or when the weather is feeling great. Have a wonderful week FBU community!
Tagged as:
Central West End,
St. Louis,
The Loop
Picking a college is never an easy choice. You can decide by the area it’s in, the curriculum it has, or you can even decide on a college by it’s school colors! Seriously, I have heard of people who picked a college based on the school colors. Websites even exist that tell you which college is the most like Hogwarts! I did not pick Fontbonne because my favorite color is purple, and, despite my love of Harry Potter, I did not use Hogwarts as part of my searches. Fontbonne, to me, was a very open, friendly place right from the start. I immediately felt already part of the Fontbonne community. Also, Fontbonne’s education program really appealed to my major, which is Special Education, if anyone would like to know. Plus, being from a small school, Fontbonne’s close-knit campus wouldn’t be as overwhelming as, say, Mizzou. Fontbonne is right by the Loop, which has plenty of fun places to go to, like Bubble Tea, Fritz’s, or Cheeseology. I like being able to say “Hi” to anyone and everyone. Fontbonne provides plenty of activities that help anyone who is shy meet new people in a fun, carefree atmosphere. One big thing that peaked my interest were all the ways that Fontbonne helps the ENVIRONMENT! They have paper recycling, recycling for plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Fontbonne also has something called Terracycling, which is anything from ink cartiridges to chip bags to makeup and tooth care products. I love doing anything I can to help the earth, and Fontbonne makes it easy to do just that. Overall, I probably just said “Fontbonne” a good ten times, and I hope that conveys how much I enjoy being a Fontbonne student. So really, look no further if any of these qualities are what you are looking for. Fontbonne is always welcoming new people!
Tagged as:
College,
environment,
recycling,
The Loop
