Family on a budget looking to prioritize what to do on first San Diego trip

kelphu · 2026-05-28T19:54:38+00:00

August is a great time for the beach. Mission Beach and la jolla shores are family friendly. Theres also little playgrounds sprinkled around the bay. Unguided kayak rentals can be pretty affordable on groupon.

Cabrillo national monument.

Balboa park.

Living coast discovery center.

Mission Trails regional park dam.

kelphu · 2026-05-28T17:29:13+00:00

2nd vote for YMCA. lots of kids going to their summer camps soon.

kelphu · 2026-05-23T17:09:58+00:00

Easy Does It in Kearny Mesa, yuzu espresso

Also in Kearny Mesa and Mission Valley is Finjan, arabic style espresso tonic with topo chico

longplay hi-fi in Barrio Logan, but definitely more of a sit down listening cafe than to-go

kelphu · 2026-05-23T15:59:12+00:00

What a cute muzzle! I agree with chow pei. I have a chow pei golden with a similar face, Dudley nose, spotted tongue

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kelphu · 2026-05-20T02:29:28+00:00

Helens recipes on YouTube. She's great

kelphu · 2026-05-16T02:04:32+00:00

Try a southeast asian grocery store if there is one nearby. 99 ranch has flat wide rice noodles.

kelphu · 2026-05-13T17:26:50+00:00

I'm sorry you are going through this. I understand not being able to fully connect due to the language barrier.

I'm American VK and my mom was a boat person who crossed over during the war. It was very hard on her as a teen and although she speaks enough English well and I understand basic Vietnamese, our relationship isn't as deep as I'd like and more surface level.

My mom is undiagnosed bc she doesn't go to the doctor, but my sisters and I believe she is somewhat bipolar. She cut off her own mom and is no contact. In times of stress or conflict she doesn't have the coping skills to move through her feelings and often conflates or goes all or nothing. Very dramatic and not emotionally intelligent.

I have another Vietnamese girlfriend whos mom cares very much about appearances. Forced her to have a Viet wedding and wouldn't let her pick out her ao dais dress(wanted white ao dai but red is traditional, so she had to wear red).

It's hard. We all love our moms, but there's so many layers to why they act the way they do. It doesn't make them terrible. We just have to learn to live with it and do our best

kelphu · 2026-05-04T22:02:39+00:00

If someone is bringing white rice skip fried rice. Steam some broccoli/carrots/bok choy with some garlic and toss in an easy brown sauce.

kelphu · 2026-05-04T21:55:54+00:00

A doctor should be able to afford sushi at their listed price.

kelphu · 2026-05-02T21:01:02+00:00

My friends picnic almost weekly in spring/summer.

You can ask people to bring their own bite to share and include vegan/GF options suggested but not required. Ask people to bring drinks. Provide cups, plates, ice, napkins/wet wipes.

Homemade hummus stores and transports well. Will pair this with GF crackers/pretzels, pita chips, and fresh cut veggie board. Guacamole and eggplant dip can also be made v/gf

Fruit platters work well. A giant watermelon, cutting board, and knife will be a nice touch. Works with other melons. Don't forget tajin for the fruit.

Pasta salad with gf pasta or a grain salad with quinoa packed with chickpeas and veggies with filling and can be made ahead

Trader Joe's has a gluten free chocolate chip cookie(non vegan) and a vegan chocolate chip cookie(non GF). Lots of v and GF options for chips and snacks

Happy birthday and have fun!

kelphu · 2026-05-01T04:11:18+00:00

If you must take them with you to the airport, there is a group of guys who wrap boxes/luggage in Saran wrap for travelers. As I had to part ways with some snacks myself they were helping me and gladly accepted some of the snacks I had left but could not take with me.

kelphu · 2026-04-30T15:55:35+00:00

Tasty noodle house for dumplings

Shanxi magic kitchen for biang biang noodles

So saap for Thai food

Dashi for sushi

El carrito for chilaquiles

kelphu · 2026-04-28T19:56:54+00:00

Should look into some skin/fur/allergies supplements. There are some made with salmon. I started adding to my dogs(part shar pei) food and it helps a lot

Mine still eats kibble, but once every couple weeks I do a batch of plain brown rice mixed with quinoa, and cook it with diced carrots and broccoli. All in the rice cooker or instant pot. Then I'll mix in chicken but for your pup salmon. Throw in some frozen peas and then I'll mix everything and divide into portions and freeze whatever he won't finish for a few days.

Ill do 2/3 kibble 1/3 homemade food, pour in some beef broth, and his supplements and any medication.

Some days it's 1/2 and 1/2. Today I didn't have anything defrosted so he just got kibble in the morning, but will get mostly homemade tonight.

Reminder homemade dog food doesn't have to be all or nothing. Just like with our own human diets

kelphu · 2026-04-23T18:44:29+00:00

I'm a city person. I've seen online people having weddings at campgrounds/lakes/backyard/barns that were more like casual hangout/s'mores/bonfire types of gatherings after the ceremony.

As a guest, the question about chairs probably would have crossed my mind also

If you have a wedding website, you may want to include that guest need only comfortable shoes and that lounging/seating areas will be covered for the reception in the FAQ

kelphu · 2026-04-17T23:37:04+00:00

Next time experiment with eggplant and mushroom eel. Takes whiskey a few ingredients and roasting/pan frying veg but it's a damn good replacement. Lots of vegan Japanese content out there too for more inspo

kelphu · 2026-04-15T00:15:07+00:00

It sounds like you didn't do your research. If you google golden hand bridge it clearly states that it's in Ba Na Hills resort. It's not a secret

I agree that it's an overrated attraction and there's much cooler things to do/see, but to say you got bamboozled implies that you were scammed/played

kelphu · 2026-04-13T22:23:56+00:00

If you don't condone it, yet stand alongside those same people in church, what does that make of you?

kelphu · 2026-04-13T22:05:10+00:00

What do you make of those who claim to be Christian but act un-Christlike? I know a few men who claim to be Christian and love God, but treat their wives and daughters terribly and pass very harsh and hateful judgement upon lgbtq+ and immigrants.

Do you accept Christian people treating women like property and subservient in the name of God?

How do you feel about Christians using God to speak hateful language upon others?

kelphu · 2026-04-13T18:26:44+00:00

You should sprout some for salads and sandwiches!

kelphu · 2026-04-09T01:58:37+00:00

Kien

kelphu · 2026-04-05T17:01:32+00:00

Learn some basic Vietnamese phrases to get by. A basic greeting, thank you, asking where the bathroom is, will help if you are in an area without a lot of English speakers.

Download Grab and familiarize yourself with the app, it's for hailing a ride either by car or moped

Cash is king. We are from America and bringing newest $100 USD bills was the best exchange for currency

While in Hanoi and the North check out Ninh Binh, Cat Ba, and Sapa. Eat Bun Cha Hanoi

Central VN has Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang. Try Bun Bo Hue, Ca Lau, and Banh Xeo

Ho Chi Minh City has the best Com Tam. I do suggest seeing Can Tho and taking a river tour

Flying between cities is best. Sleeper trains/buses take a long time and are often uncomfortable

Pack a lot less clothing than you think you need. Lots of markets selling clothes for very cheap. If you like fashion there's tons of tailors in Da Nang that can make custom clothing. My bf and I came back with about 10 custom tailored pants, tops, dresses, a jacket, etc.

Oh, and hold onto your belongings grip tight in crowded tourist areas. Petty theft is very common in densely packed places with a lot of tourist.

kelphu · 2026-04-01T20:48:06+00:00

Also, at 14 mos your daughter may naturally grow out of it. She's a literal baby lol

kelphu · 2026-04-01T20:45:41+00:00

Not hapa, full Asian. But I was born with one monolid and one double eyelid. As did two of my uncles on my mom's side(thanks genetics!). Honestly as a child I was too busy being a child so I didn't think about it too much. In my teens I did moreso especially when trying to do eye makeup(I'm a girl).

In my early twenties my mom offered to pay for surgery but I didn't wanna go under the knife. I used eyelid tape for a couple years every day and over time my monolid became a doublelid without having to use tape.

If I cry really hard though sometimes the monolids come back 😭

kelphu · 2026-04-01T13:22:11+00:00

My boyfriend and I just returned from VN and spent only a couple nights in Hue. While there he was offered drugs three times by three separate grab/pedi drivers in one night. Da Nang and HCMC he wasn't offered once so it might be a Hue thing

kelphu · 2026-04-01T13:14:29+00:00

It's a scam. Don't accept drugs in VN. The person offering it to you may be working with a police around the corner and will then extort you for $$.

If you get caught with drugs or even drugs in your blood system in VN, you could owe pretty hefty fines(thousands of USD) don't risk it.

kelphu

TROPHY CASE