Admission was free for a day at the Portland Japanese Garden. The Japanese Garden is adjacent to the Rose Gardens on Washington Park, near downtown Portland, where you can get a good view of the city with snowy Mt. Hood right in the middle of your sights. I’ve been to the Rose Garden many times since childhood but never the Japanese Garden. The $9.50 adult fee just seemed ridiculous when there are countless events and sights to see in Portland for free or next to it. Now that I’ve seen what the Japanese Garden has to offer… I still wouldn’t pay, haha.
For this occasion, I wore Dao’s Formula D mineral eyeshadow in Golden Bear. I’ve been wearing this and Miss Olive a lot lately. The colors are so rich with such lustrous shimmer. Plus, the texture is like soft, creamy velvet and adheres so well to the brush and skin. There is hardly any fallout, even though I don’t use a mixing medium or eyelid primer.
I was tired of fussing with lip color so I just wore Aquaphor lip balm that day. Maybe I should have opted for a pale lip color.
Truthfully, I was not impressed with the gardens. Maybe it’s because there were so many people that day and this place is supposed to be a sanctuary for meditation and tranquility. Maybe it’s because it just felt artificial, like I was in some rich guy’s immaculately manicured backyard. Maybe it’s because I knew I’d have to pay ten bucks on any other day to see this place, while far better parks and recreation sites are free all the time.
The boyfriend’s pictures came out quite nicely, though, and I’m glad we went if just to take pictures.
View the rest of the Japanese Garden pictures here.
Later that week, we attended the OMSI After Dark, a 21+ evening event held at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). This place is usually a popular place to bring kids because they can interact with all the exhibits, watch laser shows and IMAX movies. It’s a lot of fun and it’s educational. OMSI After Dark is probably one of the greatest ideas ever. A kid’s museum with no kids. Plus, they had free food and beer samples from local restaurants and breweries. The highlight of this night was seeing a bunch of tipsy fully grown adults playing with rubber ball machines. They do this once a month.
The boyfriend was pretty excited to see actual gem-cutting in process.
I am a weatherman. Behind me is a green wall. When it rains, we say it is Portlanding.
I WEEL EE CHOO.
When the boyfriend saw that his glasses appeared dark in the heat sensor exhibit, he started posing like some douche in sunglasses. I could not stop laughing. Holy crap, I'm laughing as I'm recalling this.
I'm not ashamed to tell you I stood in line like 5 times to eat the fondue sample.
The sausage and fondue is from Rheinlander/Gustav’s, a local german restaurant and pub. It’s been years since I’ve been there. Tasting their swiss cheese fondue makes me realize I need to go back there.
OM NOM NOM NOM. Free beer and Kettle Chips. Embrace gluttony! At this rate, I'm never going back to Korea. Actually, maybe I should, SO I CAN EAT THE SKINNY KOREANS.
That guy is the love of my life...
I'm supposed to look like I'm walking in thin atmosphere and low gravity. Don't judge me.
I TOCH ERF.
We stood in line to ride this thing where you sit back and pedal. Then, we realized we were standing in line to ride THIS thing, where you sit back and PEDAL. The pedal doesn't even do anything. We skipped the ride.
I let some old man give me this hair-raising experience. The boyfriend watched.
I'm sure the old man enjoyed the look on my face. You can't tell but I was holding a stack of pie tins and the static was making them fly off. It's not like I was holding that thing to shoot a mini pie commercial.
Towards the end of the night. Standing in line to see the laser light show! The theme was Laser Pink Floyd. I put on my best Joker smile.
Hope you enjoyed the pictures!!
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You guys are so cute! Portland is a fun place to hang out!!
Looking gorgeous as usual
Glad to see you having some fun!
Ahhhhhhhhhhh even though you said the winter is suicidal, I’m like 60% leaning towards Portland for grad school!!!!!
More Portland porn posts plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!
and food cause I’m a fatty.
The captions always make me LOL.
I died a little inside when you said the Japanese garden was $9 and was expensive. We have a chinese garden here and I think admission is $20.
This is why I never leave my house, living in Vancouver :*(
I love the museum idea. Reminds me of the movie “Night at the Museum” especially the dino.
Your space photo looks very high-fashion
PS. glad you got the package! i was beginning to fear that it had been lost in the mail!
The colors stayed without primer???? I guess it’s time for me to mix my own base since this seems to work well. I laughed so hard at the pictures, esp. the one Z posed Jersey Shore style
the garden actually looks pretty interesting!!! (but i wouldn’t pay the $10 entrance fee either)
Looks like you had fun! Man that Japanese garden looks so beautiful! I wish they had something like that here. Though that $10 fee is pretty high…
Loving those pictures! But yea, as beautiful as the garden looks I wouldn’t pay for it either. (starving college/art student) I should put Portland on my list of places to visit when I’ve gotten my life and career together…or if I just get a car and enough gas money. You and your boyfriend are just too cute together! ♥
Wow I am in love with the lighting in the third garden photo… gorgeous.
Mmm sausage + fondue…
You guys are always love! Looks like you had tons of fun at the science museum! I love when they have hands on exhibits like that! Makes it so much more entertaining and interesting! Haha!! Flying pie tin from Twinstar’s static power!
Pretty FOTD!! I love when you cam whore for us!
hehe… creepy sounding huh! Even though the gardens were’t entirely “peaceful” the BF sure captured it that way! It looks so serene and gorgeous! Just sit there and listen to your iPod! 
Mmm.. share that cup o chips!! LOL While you eat the skinny Korean girls, I’ll check out the hot Korean guys… Hopefully they have HOT non celebrities! LOL!
omgggg, the photo of him sticking his face in the astronaut cutout made me burst into laughter. i just looked at it again and tried not to laugh, but i couldn’t do it. i can’t wait to hang out with you again soon!
Glad you enjoyed the pictures, everyone
Stay tuned for the food cart edition!
LOL I’m glad I don’t sound too cheap when I say I wouldn’t pay for the garden.
laura: When exactly do I get to see you? I have brunch with some Redditors tomorrow and I’d love for you to join us. I want you to meet these great people!
tiffany: If you don’t let the rain stop you from enjoying yourself, I think you’ll do just fine
There are tons of great bars and good cheap food in Portland. I’m looking forward to checking out the local music scene, too.