Let's Get Down to Business Shanghai Style

I can't believe that today was my last full day in Shanghai. Reflecting on my day right now, I couldn't have imagined spending it any other way. As a business student, I'm constantly curious to explore business opportunities anywhere I go. Being in Shanghai doesn't change that. In fact, it only made me even more interested. Shanghai is China's commericial and financial center. The city is FILLED with these tall skyscrapers, especially Pudong where all the businesses are.

Day 3
Exploring Pudong District only made me want to live in Shanghai that much more. It consists of clean streets, modern buildings, cute shopping retailers, China's Wall Street, and the list could go on forever. Madison, Andrea, and I hit up the Shanghai World Financial Center, International Finance Center, as well is Jinmao Tower.

While being surrounded by these buildings, I found myself thinking "THIS is why I became a finance specialization. THIS is why I need to work hard and stick with it." It was just an incredible feeling being there.

The Shanghai World Financial Center was my favorite building. SWFC is the tallest skyscraper in mainland China and is the world's third tallest building. The building is shaped like a handlebar/bottlecap opener.

Such a beautiful building. I WANT TO WORK HERE!

Jinmao Tower. The detailing on this building is absolutely insane in a mesmerizing way.

After falling in love with these financial buildings, we came across a macaroon shop in Pudong. I have never had a macaroon before and have always wanted to. I thought, why not. Let's go! The lady at the shop said that the most popular flavor was Tiramisu so I went with it. It was delicious and I am now officially hooked!



I was extremely tempted to buy one of every kind. Unfortunately, a price tag of 10 kuai for each one was a little out of my price range.

 

With my macaroon in hand, the three of us hopped onto the subway and headed to Shanghai Fudan University. This campus is the complete opposite of my university in Beijing, Peking University. Peking University is one of China's ivy league schools ranked at number 1. The campus has these buildings incorporating China's history and culture. On the other hand, Fudan University is ranked at number 3 and the campus is modern and very open. It reminded me of an American college campus with its quad! Quad-ing anyone?

 

The main attraction at the Fudan University campus: the Two Towers

 

At the gate of Fudan University

 

My three days in Shanghai were incredible! I have a feeling that I will be seeing Shanghai VERY SOON.

 

Next up: Hangzhou!

 

Hanging out at The Bund

There was no way I could write 3 days worth of Shanghai fun in one post. It would be a novel.

Day 2
We woke up the second day refreshed and ready to take on Shanghai. Who cares if it was suppose to rain! One hour into our day we realized that rain wasn't necessarily going to be our main problem of the day. Instead, humidity was our biggest enemy. I was definitely not expecting Shanghai to be this hot or this humid so early! Nevertheless, my roommate Andrea and I braved it and spent the day exploring The Bund. The area is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Shanghai. Historic western buildings, modern skyscrapers, terrific shopping with multiple plazas, and a beautiful Huangpu River waterfront.

Best way to spot The Bund? The Oriental Pearl Tower!

A few snapshots of the day for you!

As much as I love seeing the landmarks of a city, I will admit it's not my favorite part about traveling. In my opinion, the best way to experience a city is through their food. I am a lover of food and the best part of my second day in Shanghai was eating, of course! We stumbled across this great food court where there were desserts everywhere and a few other very interesting food stands. Let's just say, a ton of business ideas were firing away in my brain as I walked through this area. It really brought out the differences between Shanghai and Beijing. Shanghai is a city that loves cute desserts as well as...CUPCAKES.

Not entirely sure what these are, but they looked too beautiful to eat!

Donuts are a HIT in Shanghai.

After browsing the stands for a long time (more like drooling), we finally decided on a french fry stand. The line was long so we figured that was a good sign! Who knew Montenegro knew a thing or two about french fries? There were too many options to choose from! The most popular selection was the Japanese Wasabi one as well as the Honey Mustard one. Unfortunately, they sold out of both flavors! So, Andrea went with the chili on regular fries and I opted for the cheddar/mozzarella on zesty curly fries. We topped the order off with an order of chicken nuggets. BEST DECISION EVER.

I asked this kid for recommendations and he suggested the chicken nuggets. Smart kid!

 

Dreaming of these at this very moment.

 

 

Day 2 in Beijing left me with a full stomach and very satisfied!

Romping Around Shanghai

Spending my last night in Shanghai blogging about my adventures! The lady at the hotel bar was kind enough to let me hole up in a corner, blast my Spotify playlist, and work away on the WIFI. Very grateful!

I have loved every second in Shanghai and am in love with this city. It is completely different than Beijing in that it's very modern and business oriented. Such a bummer that I haven't been able to blog every day but let me catch you up right now.

Day 1
We left Beijing Friday night on an overnight train to Shanghai. The train was MUCH better than what I had envisioned. I thought we were going to be sitting in seats for the entire twelve hours but instead we had these soft sleepers. Each compartment had four beds which was perfect for us. The four of us kindly asked some natives to allow us to all move into one compartment and one of the guys was in a different compartment. We stayed up chatting away, getting to know one another, and playing cards. We woke up early Saturday morning, got off the train and rushed over to the hotel to drop our luggage off. With a 10 minute time limit, we got changed into business casual and jumped into a cab to our first site visit. I'm pretty sure that we scared our cab driver because the five of us squeezed into a tiny cab and forced him to drive. Pretty much, I felt as though I were in America's Next Top Model headed out on a go-see.

After sitting in the cab for an hour we finally reached our first site and it was a marine engineering company. They build ships, yachts, platforms, and all kinds of different structures. It was definitely a good warm-up first site visit to get myself back into the swing of being a business student. The company was so incredibly welcoming to us and even gave us a sneak peek into their 3D simulation program. RAD.

Later on in the day we headed back into the city and hit up Yuyuan Gardens. I've heard great things about the garden and it didn't fail! There were little ponds with fish, pretty archways, and the scenery was beautiful!

Mini photo shoot with my trip-roomies at Yuyuan Gardens

It was a great first day to kick off the Shanghai leg of our study trip. Day 2 coming up in the next post!

Headed Down the Coast of China

I am packed (well somewhat packed) and ready to head down the coast of China for two weeks. Within the next two weeks, I along with 4 other students will be visiting various cities along the coast of China in order to study the economic development of China. These cities include: Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, and finally Guangzhou. Although there will be site visits in each of these cities, there will also be plenty of time to be tourists and adventure around. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the growth of a couple of these cities since I last saw them in 2005.

The two-week adventure will start tonight on an overnight train to Shanghai. I'll have internet access (or at least I hope so) so keep your eyes out for updates on the blog!

ALSO, Happy Birthday to my little brother Michael! I can't believe that the kid is already 19. Is this serious? It's a bit terrifying to say the least. I'm on the hunt for the perfect birthday present for him and I think I've got just the idea!

Birthday boy and I at a Redskins game last season. Can't wait to be back and watch RG3 rock the stadium!

TGIF!

Happy Draft Day!

I finished my semester with my internship today and it was so tough saying goodbye to everyone! But, who knows...maybe I'll be back...VERY soon! The greatest thing though is that all of the interns and I are already planning trips to see one another. So exciting!

Now, it's time to pack. Totally dreading this process. However, I will suck it up and just get it over with. Do you know what I'm excited about though? THE NFL DRAFT. It's one of my most favorite events of the year because it officially kicks off the season. Oh how I miss football during the off-season. Can't wait till the second pick of the draft! REDSKINS WILL BE DRAFTING RG3. They better!!! I absolutely am STOKED for RG3 to grace DMV with his presence and hopefully bring life back to the franchise.

It also means that I am THAT much more excited to get tickets for 'Skins games this fall.

Pure talent right here

BUH-BYE Rex. HELLOOOOOO RG3!

Once it's official, I am TOTALLY getting one of these shirts and will sport it proudly!

SO excited for the draft! I will be up quite early to catch some of the action. I promise I won't live tweet the draft this year (except for the major draft picks of course!).

Happy Draft Day! HTTR!



Finals, Papers, and Presentations? Check, check, and CHECK.

I am officially done with classes for the semester here in Beijing! My brain is dead after a two and a half hour Chinese exam early this morning and a four hour long night class tonight. After presenting my last PowerPoint and handing in that final paper, it felt as though a weight was instantly lifted off my shoulders.

To be honest, I can't believe classes are finally over. It flew by way too fast! And it really hit me today that I am leaving Beijing...in 2 days. Is this serious?? Where has this semester gone!?

So, classes are done. All that's left is one more day of interning. Once again, I can't believe tomorrow is my last day interning at Octagon. The goodbyes will be tough. I will be savoring every moment of it!

PS. In a couple of hours, it will be the 26th in Beijing. Tweet @johnisner and wish the guy a happy birthday!

...Club La Bamba???

I AM STILL ALIVE.

Finals has got me in a completely crazy state of mind. I never would have thought finals abroad would be stressful but let me tell you, I definitely underestimated Beijing. I have been swamped with papers, presentations, and studying for those finals. The amount of time that I've logged at Starbucks is quite impressive and the baristas all know me now (I do spend about 7-10 hours a day in there).

What my days have been looking like since last Friday.



Tomorrow night. 10pm. I will officially be done with finals! One more day of interning on Thursday and then I'm off for a two-week study trip down the coast of China. Unfortunately I still have a paper due a week after the trip but we'll push that aside for now. I'm qutie excited for this two-week trip because it pretty much equates to two-week time of relaxation and site visits. Not sure how I'm going to pack my entire room up though. ...I guess I should think about that now...

As we're getting ready to wrap up this semester, I realized that it's time to start saying goodbyes. I absolutely hate this part. Some of the greatest friendships have been created in the past few months with a couple of people outside of the CSI program. Tonight we decided to get together one last time for dinner! We headed to this fabulous place called La Bamba. My chimichanga was divine but the music was...questionable. We were having a great time eating and chatting away when all of a sudden the music was cranked up and the lights completely dimmed down. Oh hey, Club La Bamba?

But nevertheless, I had a fabulous time with my roommate Andrea and our friends Marcus and Leah. (Just realized we didn't take pictures!) It was a well deserved study break. I love the fact that we can have such a deep and meaningful conversation one minute and the next we're talking about Carly Rae Jepsen and other things that have us dying from laughter. I'm going to miss those two so much! Saying goodbye was too tough BUT we already have plans for a DC trip as well as trip to visit Leah and learn how to wind surf.

Alright, BACK TO STUDYING.

Pinterest Wednesday

Linking up with super cute blogger Michelle over at The Vintage Apple today for Pinteresting Wednesday!

I miss my bed. I'm not going to lie, I miss the comfort of being in my own, comfy bed. I will also not lie about my slight infactuation (but really, it's an obsession) with bedding. Bedding is one way that a person can express their personality in their room. It's also, in my main opinion, the focal point in a bedroom. So, I'm always on the hunt for new and cute bedding!

My bed in Beijing isn't too exciting, unfortunately. It's too sad looking to even post!

Some Bedding Pinterest finds that I'm loving this week. Can we replace what I have in Beijing with these? No? Well, I guess I'll just have to wait until June when I get back to the States!

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I'm always a fan of the grey and yellow duo.

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RUF-RUF-RUFFLES!! I squeal everytime I see this bedding. Doesn't it look super comfortable? PLUS ruffles and TEAL? You can't beat that.

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Very classy, Tiffany's, Audrey inspired bedroom. The contrast between turquoise and black is always mad cute.

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LOVING the chevron of course. So many patterns going on but they all complement one another so well!

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Wouldn't typically go for something like this but it's growing on me. I think it's the polka-dot comforter!

All this bedding pinning makes me want to take a nap! No time though, too many papers to write!

Following me on Pinterest yet?

Tuesday Tunes

One of my most favorite artists is Ben Rector. Behind Dave Barnes, he is the most played artist on the iTunes library. I am the proud owner of each of his albums and I gotta admit, each one is a piece of true art. So well written and produced. Listening to them, I feel like I'm walking through a story. His voice is insanely mesmerizing and soothing all at the same time. Now, that's a very good sign that he is just simply THAT good.

Ben Rector is one amazing live performer. What I love most though are his Youtube videos. I could watch the same video over and over and over again and never feel bored. Hello, he plays close to a million (clearly an exaggeration) instruments in these videos! How would I describe Ben Rector? One amazingly talented, incredibly gifted genius/artist.

Whenever someone asks me for a new recommendation I always say Ben Rector. Not one person has ever said anything negative about my recommendation. They're simply hooked! So, do yourself a favor and give Ben Rector a listen. You honestly will not regret it.

Ben Rector covering Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"

Happy Listening!

Closing the Book on a Chapter of My Life

A few weeks ago, we said goodbye to One Tree Hill. Y'all are probably thinking: Is this girl really blogging about One Tree Hill? Yes, yes I am. The show was so much more than a teen television show. It may have started out that way but through the years, it morphed into something we couldn't even have imagined when the show first premiered. It's a story about family, friendship, love, and growing up. But more importantly, it was a story about grace, belief, dreams, forgiveness, hope, and redemption.

I can't believe that after nine years, this show has come to an end. Within the past nine years, I've grown to love each and every one of these characters. As Peyton, Haley, Brooke, Nathan, and Lucas changed through the years, I did too. It was sad to see the show end, but it brought me to a reality. I have to close the book on this one chapter of my life and begin writing the next chapter.

My teenage years are officially over. In a few months, I will be twenty-one years old. Terrifying thought, right? As much as I want to hold onto the life of being a teenager, it's time to let go. If One Tree Hill taught me anything, it's the lesson that as happy as you think you are now, things change. People change, circumstances change. You're not always going to love high school or college. We're meant to keep moving through these different chapters of life.

I've seen the characters on the show change so much. From high school, to post college graduation, to adulthood. Life doesn't promise to be an easy road for you to breeze by. I truly don't think it's meant to be. Only through challenges will we become stronger and better.

I'm terrified of the future. I know that there are tough times to come, but I'm ready for that. With challenges will growth come. At the same time, I'm not afraid to dream big. Dreams are what push us to become better.

The series finale of One Tree Hill was so much more than what I could have ever asked for. We saw who each of them were nine years ago and who they are now. Gavin DeGraw even came on the show and performed. Needless to say, my heart melted into a big puddle of sappiness. My favorite part was the ending voiceover where each of the characters pitched in.

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So yes, I did blog about One Tree Hill. There may be more posts to come about the show. I don't know. But what I do want to leave y'all with is that, don't let your fears hold you back. Fear is normal but that should only light that desire even more. No matter how bad the circumstances may be, it's never the end. Never lose hope.

Alpha Kappa Psi Lovin'

Hardcore procrastination currently taking place. Instead of writing/studying/creating the 5 papers, 2 presentations, and 2 exams that I have due within the next 2 weeks, I am creeping on Facebook and Twitter soaking in pictures and updates about initiation.

Congratulations to Beta Nu for their hardwork and WELCOME to the best Brotherhood on campus: Alpha Kappa Psi--Lambda Nu chapter. Wear those letters proudly because you all deserve them!

While stalking all the statuses and pictures, I couldn't help but feel nostalgic! I miss my Strong Family and line so much. My life feels a bit less exciting without them around me. There's never a dull moment when with the Strong Fam ladies!

My line! Big, Me, Little (cMm), and GLittle

LOVE my Big! (why is my hand awkwardly bent? i'm not sure)

Entire extension of our line. Pretty sure I've posted this picture before but I'm in love with it, so it's going up again!

Miss the Brotherhood but I especially miss my family members! Can't wait to be reunited with these ladies VERY soon.

Back to paper-writing I go...

***Totally aware I haven't blogged in almost a week! I've been swamped. Double-post later tonight?***



Goodbye Beach, Hello School

Waking up early Monday morning and doing homework before class was rough. I already miss the beach!

Qingdao Day #2

The day started off early as we wanted to take advantage of our last few hours in Qingdao. Did we really go to the Tsingtao brewery at 9am? Yes, yes we did. It was really cool to see the history of Tsingtao beer as well as seeing the current manufacturing and packaging system. There were cans and bottles of Tsingtao beer being filled, labeled, and packaged. I can't even imagine having a job that requires me to stand all day and stare at cans and bottles! My favorite part of the brewery would have to be seeing the marketing and PR of the company through the years. I gotta admit, it could use some work. The funniest part though would have to be the Drunk House. It was this interactive/optical illusion building and it definitely threw me off balance as I walked through. Definitely an attractive spot of brewery tour.

After our ridiculous 9am tour of the Tsingtao brewery, we took a mini tour of the city while sitting in a cab en route to the beach. The city is quite beautiful with its Western influenced buildings. Back in the day Qingdao was controlled by Germany so the city is filled with German influences. It was so pleasant to see pretty single family homes in China. The little things that I miss!

Day 2 on the beach was even more fabulous than day 1. We were on a true, legitimate beach (not the pier) and it was sunny and balmy out. I had an absolute blast sitting around, baby watching, and spending time journaling. I swear, I was made for the water. There are very few things that beat the sound of waves crashing, the smell of saltwater, the satisfaction of sinking my feet in sand, and the feeling of sun-kissed skin.

Appropriately, we ended our Qingdao trip with a seafood feast! Qingdao was fabulous and a great de-stressing weekend.

Tsingtao Brewery

too many wedding photo shoots on the beach

riding first class on our way back to Beijing! ...not worth it. seriously.



Basking in the....Cold?

Qingdao Day #1.

So I guess we were VERY wrong about the weather? How is it possible that it is warmer by approximately 20 degrees in Beijing than it is here in Qingdao. I'm slightly concerned. After hauling our tire selves to the train station at 5:00am on Saturday we FINALLY arrived to Qingdao by noon. Checked in to the hostel, dropped our bags off, and immediately went exploring.

We stumbled across a busy food street by accident and basically gorged on seafood the entire afternoon. After getting our fix of clams, shrimp, and grilled squid on sticks, we finally hit up the beach. Oh how cold it was!! After trying to bear the cold for awhile, we finally gave in and purchased the cheesiest fleece blanket to bundle ourselves up in. Best RMB 29 I've spent. Bundled up, we began to do what we do best: PEOPLE WATCH. Children are simply too adorable here.

The beach, while GORGEOUS, was not particularly the cleanest. Trash everywhere, people spit and do their personal business on the sand, and in general I don't even want to think about what I stepped in. As we packed our belongings up and headed off the sand, people were so fascinated by the fact that Rachael and I were Americans. A few conversations were struck and we made a couple of new "friends." We actually met the smartest girl ever. She was five years old and spoke Chinese, Spanish, and English. Talk about impressive.

What did we end our night with? More seafood and fresh brewed beer. Both exhausted, we headed back to the hostel and hung out in the cafe. Old souls...or I just am.

Driving through the country-side

Rachael and I gorging on seafood while visiting Food Street

Sunset at the beach

Dinner!

love this



Worst Trip Planners Ever

So Rachael and I had the BIGGEST fail of our lives yesterday (Friday). After her Chinese class, we threw everything into a bag and RAN to the train station...only to find out that there were no more tickets available for the day. Seriously? Who's going to Qingdao?? We ended up booking tickets for the next morning (Saturday morning) for a 7:10am train. Waking up at 4:30 was not pleasant whatsoever.

In order to redeem ourselves last night from our poor trip planning, we wound up embracing the "freebird status." I'm quite in love with this term that my Little cMm created while she's abroad in London. "Freebird status" is pretty self-explanatory: doing things for the heck of it because you only live once. So last night, Rachael, Andrea (my roommate), and I decided to adventure around the city. The first task on the list was to hit up a bookstore to find some beach reads. After walking out of the store empty-handed, we hopped onto the metro and headed out to find a Russian restaurant.

Russian restaurants in China? Interesting. The entire restaurant was mainly Chinese and was owned by a Chinese native. The funniest moment of the night would have to be our little sour cream debacle. Rachael had asked for some sour cream for our potato pancakes and guess what the waiter brought out. ...cream. We all burst out laughing because it was COMPLETELY off target but we survived without the sour cream. At the end of the meal the sour cream came back into the hilarity of the entire night. The waiter wound up charging us RMB 5 for the tablespoon of "sour cream." We honestly could not believe it.

All in all, I'm glad we missed the train on Friday night and had our little Russian dinner adventure.

***Poor Internet connection means no pictures available right now***

I'm currently in Qingdao right now typing up this post. It's been a great first day! However, it has now been affirmed that I am not a hostel-type of gal. My friend Sam is 100% correct whenever he calls me high-maintenanced.

Headed out for the Weekend!

TGIF! Registration was a success! I was able to get into all of the sections I wanted. Next semester will most likely be my toughest semester: Private Wealth Management, Export/Import Management, International Marketing, Investment Analysis, and Business Policy and Strategy. It's a bit terrifying!

Just one more class and then my friends and I will be booking it to the train station to catch a train to Qingdao. Can't wait for this trip. All I can say is, beach, sunshine, endless amounts of seafood, and a brewery. Sounds like the most relaxing trip ever.

I'm not sure of the wifi situation in the hostel but if I can't connect onto the internet, see you all on Monday!

Fall Semester Planning

One of my favorite things about college is registration! It can be insanely stressful but after a couple of semesters' experience, I have it down to a science...kind of. But, I do like the planning aspect of it and I'm certain that I like the planning part more than the actual being in class part.

My fall schedule planning has been especially difficult. Being abroad doesn't make it easier because I can't easily swing by an advisor's office and have my questions answered. There are so many classes that I want to take (i.e. Entertainment Communications) but unfortunately, I don't meet the prerequisites since I am not a Communications major. Seriously now? I totally think I have the work experience to make up for it. Other than that, it seems as though all of the classes I want to take are offered at the same time. What makes it even more difficult is that most of the specialization courses only have one single block. It's been frustrating to say the least.

One of the biggest decisions that I needed to make was whether or not I wanted to intern next semester. I have been interning or working every semester since my first semester of freshman year. So, the idea of not interning has brought this uneasy feeling into my mind. I don't want my future employers to think that I've been slacking off! But, with a "Swiss-Cheese" schedule and a heavy course load next semester, not taking on an internship is the wisest decision for me. So, please don't judge me! I'm still volunteering all the time!!

Well, wish me luck as I register tomorrow.

Tuesday Tunes

It's a national holiday here in Beijing today so that means I have a day off from work. I'm beyond excited about a free day as this allows me to have time to breathe and catch up on some school work. I will totally be taking advantage of this day to finish at least one of my five papers that need to be completed. Setting up shop in a Starbucks, working, and listening to some great tunes. Sounds marvelous.

One of the artists I will definitely be working to is: Cary Brothers. These guys are great and I have been a fan of theirs for quite some time now. They released a new single back in November that I'm in love with, "Free Like You Make Me." It was featured on last week's One Tree Hill episode and it was so well placed in the episode that I started to tear up. Don't laugh. The lyrics are so sad, yet so great. These guys are superb and talented songwriters and performers. Give it a listen!

I'll take your place when the world ends
And you take mine
I'll break us out of this
Jail and get you high
'Cause when it all ends,
I want you to be free
Free like you make me


Happy Listening!

April and Cake Place

Happy April!

Can y'all believe it's April already? The first quarter of the year is already done. Where is 2012 going!? April is also the last month that I will be at Peking University. One more month of classes, just one more month.

My friend Rachael and I celebrated the first day of April by having a laid back day. We headed over to our favorite little cafe/study nook. After a delicious brunch, we planned out our traveling plans and hit the books for awhile. While heading back to the bus stop we saw this massive line of people waiting at a food stand. Every day, all day there is always a line in front of this food stand. Being the spontaneous individuals that we are, we got in line and decided we wanted to see what the craze was all about. All we knew about the food stand was that it sold some kind of cake but we figured that if so many people were in line for this every day, it MUST be good. (Later on a friend pointed out how it's ridiculous that we waited for something we didn't even know.)

After waiting in line for an hour and a half, we FINALLY got to the window. Rachael and I dubbed this place the "Georgetown Cupcake of Beijing." Long lines and people taking pictures as they passed by. We paid 10 kuai for a bag full of cake and immediately dug into the bag of cake. IT WAS DELICIOUS! It was made with some kind of fruit and the cake was amazing. So moist (yes, I hate this word but it perfectly describes the cake) and not too sweet.

Top (L): The "Georgetown Cupcake of Beijing" cake stand

Top (R): Rachael and I "patiently" waiting in line

Bottom (L): Happily eating our long-awaited cake

Bottom (R): Yummy cake in bag

It was a perfect cake-filled day to celebrate the start of April!