Space Age Crystal Growing Kit

During my last visit to the Museum of Natural History, I saw some interesting things in the exhibits and found some intriguing items at the gift shop. Among those items was the Space Age Crystal Growing Kit. After walking around the museum and seeing the exhibit that had many sparkly gems in it, I was interested in trying to create some of my own. It's true that I probably could have created a sugar crystal (aka. rock candy), but I wanted to try something else. Instead, I tried to grow crystals using this kit that I found at the California Science Center. Unfortunately, the results were not great.

The first crystal I attempted to grow was an "aquamarine" cluster. The instructions seemed simple although I can't say I followed them exactly. First, I found a large rock that fit the requirements and a container to put it in. Next, I added the correct amount of boiling water and the blue crystal powder that was in the kit into the container with the rock. Admittedly, what happened was that the first container I tried was too big, so I had to re-pour the solution into a smaller container. After that, I continued to follow the instructions that included steps such as covering and uncovering the solution and adding seed crystals to it. After a week, I ended up with a strange set of crystals if I could even call it that. The rock didn't have anything on it that I could have called a crystal. However, on the bottom of it, there was a layer of crystal that had tiny crystals on it. I ended up parting the two pieces and throwing away the rock. The result was not what I expected at all, and I considered it a failure.

The next crystal I tried to grow was a "diamond" cluster. Like before, I followed the instructions that were similar to the first set of instructions except with different amounts of ingredients. I suppose the results of the second set of crystals was more successful but still far from my expectations. When the experiment was finished, I ended up with a lot of moist globs of powder that was neither here nor there. From that mess, I was able to locate a couple of crystals that actually looked like, well, crystals.

There are still two more crystals to grow, but I can't start them yet until I find an old saucepan that will never be used again. However, I'm not exactly eager to be trying to grow crystals again after the first two failures. The first time, I admit that it was probably my fault that it failed because of the transfer of the solution, but the second time should have worked. Now, I'm not sure if it is me that is the problem or the kit. I really tried but to no avail. So far, I believe that the crystals that I saw on display at the gift shop were misleading. Perhaps it was because I wasn't exact enough, but I can't be exact down to the last drop of water. It could also be that I heated the water first and then poured it into the container with the crystal powder since I did not have a saucepan that would never to used again to mix the powder into the water while boiling. I don't know for sure. I just know that this kit isn't working for me and was in some ways not worth it to me.

(Pictures to come)

Alondra Hot Wings - Alhambra, CA

Since we had a minimum day on a Friday, my friends and I felt there was no better way to end the week than to grab a bite to eat to Alondra Hot Wings in Alhambra on Main Street. When you first enter the restaurant, you will notice that there are pictures of mobsters covering the walls. Also, you will notice that it is has a very lively and enjoyable atmosphere with televisions aimed at every angle, and you can hear the buzz of conversations. From the moment you step inside, you can pretty much tell what it is about with the smell of hot wings in the air. The wait time to get a table wasn't bad considering we entered with a party of about sixteen. After perhaps twenty minutes to a half hour, we were seated at three connected tables. 

Since there were so many people, we decided that each table would get their own food. We were all hungry, so we didn't really hesitate to order. Of course, since Alondra Hot Wings is known for its name, we all ordered wings. The table I sat at decided to get the Cajun Hot Wings and Gotti Pizza which was topped with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and black olives. I quite enjoyed our pizza even though I am not a big fan of olives. The Cajun Hot Wings were decent. It was not quite what we expected, but we still ate a lot of them. My friends and I assumed that the Cajun would be more of a seasoning, but it actually packed quite a punch as it was spicy. I guess it was probably nothing compared to the Atomic Hot Wing which some of my friends dared to try. I heard that it wasn't as bad this time because they allowed the hot wings to cool down a bit before eating, but they were still dying afterwards. The table next to ours decided to order both the Lemon Pepper Wings and BBQ Wings. These were not spicy unlike our wings. I sampled a couple of the BBQ Wings, and we really enjoyed the sweet flavor. If I come here again, I'll probably stick with what their table got. It was quite a pleasurable experience even though it certainly was different than my first time there, but it was different in a good way. At the end of the meal, we all had our fair share of wings. It was just a great day, and we all left with the smell of wings on our clothes. I will probably be back again.

Alondra Hot Wings

515 W. Main Street

Alhambra, CA 91802

(626) 576-7119

Pulciano's Deli and Caffe - San Gabriel, CA

So what do you do when you have a couple hours before a football game starts? You go out to eat with your friends of course! Just kidding. Well, that is just what I happened to be doing yesterday. I had been really stressed out yesterday because of tests being thrown at me left and right, so it was fun hanging out with my friends. We had originally intended to go to Factory Tea Bar for a tennis fundraiser, but they obviously didn't need us, seeing how long the line was. Therefore, we decided to go to Pulciano's Deli And Caffe for a few sandwiches. I had never had anything from here before, but I had always heard that their sandwiches were excellent. It is a small, family owned place, and the people who work there are really nice. Some of my friends go there often enough that they are recognized when they walk in. Also, their bread and meatballs are freshly made everyday. When we entered, it suddenly became quite warm. I'm a very bad photographer and didn't bring my camera, so I'm borrowing some photos from Yelp.

A couple of my friends ordered the meatball sandwich. It looked and smelled quite yummy. Perhaps I'll try it sometime.

My other vegetarian friend ordered a sandwich which looked like had mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and perhaps some other stuff I couldn't see. She also ordered a hot coffee.

One of my other friends and I didn't want to order anything, but my upperclassman insisted on getting us something, so she ordered us an Italian roast beef sandwich. (I apologize for not having a photo.) It was warm and quite tasty. It felt like comfort food since it was roast beef with marinara sauce on a french roll. It was a nice sandwich to have a cloudy and chilly day. I will probably be back here again sometime.


Pulciano's Deli and Caffe
327 S Mission Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 458-9928