Hello! Welcome to my life. You must learn a lot of pointless things by keeping up to date with my life. Well today, I have a couple more tidbits for you! I love shoes, more than even sweaters and skirts, and cookware. Crate & Barrel is sort of one of my favorite stores, ever. I could spend an eternity looking at different frying pans and lemon squeezers. I get excited at baking pans and salt shakers. I want to live by myself (or with a roommate, lucky girl she'll be) and just indulge in all sorts of interesting cookware. I want to have an apartment in New York that looks out at the city. I love the buzzing environment of a city. I love the fact that you're never alone in a big city, even if you are technically alone sitting in the dark watching a chick flick. The lights are on, the supermarkets are open, and there is a lot to do. This summer, it was the first time I experienced night life in Korea. I have always been scared of being abducted and kidnapped so walking around at night has not been one of my hobbies. Korea is also one large bustling city, no matter where you geographically are. It was some of the most fun I've had walking around boutiques and trying on clothes and eating food. The city has a different vibe at night than it does during the daytime. Nightlife to me always meant clubbing and drunk people but that experience proved me wrong. The day after that, I watched a movie that started at 11 with the people at my church. I really did try a lot of new things this year and I'm not ready to say goodbye.
I feel like time is slipping away. The one thing I've really learned this year is that it's possible to be productive and have fun. I didn't think going to Korea to teach ungrateful kids English would be fun at all, but I had the experience of a lifetime. I learned that hard work is always rewarding although in ways that I didn't imagine. I grew up emotionally during one short year. I watched other people grow up around me. Although I didn't realize at the time, I've made a lot of permanent memories to store away forever. Pictures aren't that terrible after all.
How about 12 facts about me for a happy 2012?
1. I am Korean. Haha. If you don't know this, shame on you. But yes! I am Korean, and I do like being Korean :) I came to the US when I was 3 and a half. I think I've become more Korean/fobby this year though. People in Korea think I've lived in America once upon a time now! It's not so obvious that I'm not from there. Har har har. What a miracle a few lost pounds can make. People here also thought I moved here by myself for high school. I am working hard to improve reading/writing! My Korean has improved a lot after moving to San Fran. I have always been a city girl.
2. I love the color pink. I have almost always loved the color pink. It's a happy color and I enjoy being happy. I enjoy making other people happy via cards and handmade crafts. I mostly stick to cards and drawings though. . . I am really obsessive compulsive too. I can't have more than 50 emails in my inbox. My eraser can't be smudged even slightly. Crumpled paper makes me dismayed and confused about what to do. I hate different fonts one one page in different text size unless it's intentional.
3. I read a lot, of everything. I found a good balance of classics and New York Times bestsellers after a semester with English teacher. My dad still frowns upon my the trashy books I read for fun. I have a lot of favorites: East of Eden, Confessions of a Shopaholic, To Kill a Mockingbird, Empire Falls, Harry Potter, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Fahrenheit 451, The Help, etc. I don't read Young Adult because I find them cliched portrayals of teenagers. They are so ordinary and predictable. The one exception was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
4. I enjoy cooking and baking even if I'm not good at it. I learned how to open a can yesterday with help from WikiHow! I can make fried rice that tastes pretty good though. I can also boil pasta, flip an egg, make waffles from scratch, and make some horrible pasta sauce from scratch.
5. I'd like to think that my fashion sense is cute. I love wearing skirts and dresses and am always looking to combine clothes together into fashionable combinations. My favorite stores would have to be Madewell, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters. I think all things are super adorable when they are small, except bugs. Bugs freak me out. Miniature furniture, food, erasers, cups, anything makes me really excited and happy.
6. I am (secretly) a geek. My friends and I used to be really obsessed with playing Pokemon on our Nintendo DS's. That was what we did for fun. I like Mac computers better than PC. Maybe it's because my old Dell laptop caused me so much grief. It's gone now, thank God. I love my computer, my Macbook Air. It may be my most precious possession. I am not into sci fi anything though, except maybe Lord of the Rings. I'm not obsessed but I did enjoy reading them.
7. I can't fall asleep with socks on unless it's below zero degrees outside. I need a lot of pillows around me when I sleep even though I push them all off in the process. I hate being alone, even when I'm sleeping. I sleep really late all the time.
8. I like sour food! I eat lemons like oranges. I've actually met a lot of people like that so it's not that weird!! I like sour stuff more than sweet stuff and definitely more than chocolate. Although I do love cake, and fro yo. I thrived off ice cream during that one week teaching English. I would never have the appetite for normal food. I actually lost weight though so . . . ice cream is amazing.
9. I enjoy writing, which is why I have a blog. I write for the school paper and the local paper. Through public speaking class, I've been able to write more sarcastic and humorous things in script format. I want to intern at Vogue magazine one day. My favorite journalist might be Joel Stein. He's witty and wry and writes a column for Time Magazine every week. I love Time Magazine as well as the New Yorker.
10. I'm good at procrastinating and wasting time, especially by watching movies. I love Pixar movies and Hayao Miyazaki films. I can watch these any time again and again. I have watched Howl's Moving Castle almost five times in the last year. I like watching chick flicks and action movies. I can't deal with horror or sci fi. I'm a sucker for Korean dramas too.
11. Until sixth grade, I had terrible handwriting. Now it's much better through constant practice and hard work. I write in a slightly cursive like way.
12. I have a lot of first world problems but I truly learned a lot from 2012.
Now for part 2! I know I haven't done a review of the media for such a long time. I apologize about that. I watched a couple movies last week and I'd to share them with you!
Pitch Perfect: A pretty good movie to watch alone or in the company of friends. It wasn't that funny but I enjoyed the A Capella performances. There are some really talented singers in the movie. There's not that much of a love story either and you can decide how to feel about that. I was actually refreshed from the emphasis on music and A Capella rather than love. It made it a more enjoyable chick flick.
Legally Blonde: I hope you've watched this movie. It's a great cheer up movie that makes you feel like anything is possible. It's a funny film and Reese Witherspoon does a great job in this role. Some of her movies aren't that great. This is also a movie that can be watched by yourself or with friends. I have watched with both ways and it was great either way.
I need inspiration. I was really honored when my friend asked me to write her peer recommendation for Duke University. It's Duke and I'm writing a peer recommendation! But I've never written something so important in so little time. I'm freaking out while reading Moby Dick and trying to multitask (this means, Facebook and Tumblr are both open). I need my inspiration fast.
My friend showed me this pretty cool link! It tells you your fortune for the day :) try it if you like.
http://acmepeers.com/?u=etyk
And I have a pretty cool announcement to make!!! I'm now a part of a blog called A Lot of Pages. I don't know how many of you are avid readers but it's a community of readers who review all sorts of books. There are tons of guest bloggers (eek! I'm one of them) and so there are all sorts of books out there for you to explore. I've posted my first review on One Fifth Avenue. Check it out if it interests you! There are over 600 book reviews currently. It's definitely worth two minutes of your time.
http://www.alotofpages.com
Well, tomorrow is the last day of 2012. Ahhhhhhhhh, time to make some new year resolutions. What's the best thing you did in 2012?
I feel like time is slipping away. The one thing I've really learned this year is that it's possible to be productive and have fun. I didn't think going to Korea to teach ungrateful kids English would be fun at all, but I had the experience of a lifetime. I learned that hard work is always rewarding although in ways that I didn't imagine. I grew up emotionally during one short year. I watched other people grow up around me. Although I didn't realize at the time, I've made a lot of permanent memories to store away forever. Pictures aren't that terrible after all.
How about 12 facts about me for a happy 2012?
1. I am Korean. Haha. If you don't know this, shame on you. But yes! I am Korean, and I do like being Korean :) I came to the US when I was 3 and a half. I think I've become more Korean/fobby this year though. People in Korea think I've lived in America once upon a time now! It's not so obvious that I'm not from there. Har har har. What a miracle a few lost pounds can make. People here also thought I moved here by myself for high school. I am working hard to improve reading/writing! My Korean has improved a lot after moving to San Fran. I have always been a city girl.
2. I love the color pink. I have almost always loved the color pink. It's a happy color and I enjoy being happy. I enjoy making other people happy via cards and handmade crafts. I mostly stick to cards and drawings though. . . I am really obsessive compulsive too. I can't have more than 50 emails in my inbox. My eraser can't be smudged even slightly. Crumpled paper makes me dismayed and confused about what to do. I hate different fonts one one page in different text size unless it's intentional.
3. I read a lot, of everything. I found a good balance of classics and New York Times bestsellers after a semester with English teacher. My dad still frowns upon my the trashy books I read for fun. I have a lot of favorites: East of Eden, Confessions of a Shopaholic, To Kill a Mockingbird, Empire Falls, Harry Potter, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Fahrenheit 451, The Help, etc. I don't read Young Adult because I find them cliched portrayals of teenagers. They are so ordinary and predictable. The one exception was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
4. I enjoy cooking and baking even if I'm not good at it. I learned how to open a can yesterday with help from WikiHow! I can make fried rice that tastes pretty good though. I can also boil pasta, flip an egg, make waffles from scratch, and make some horrible pasta sauce from scratch.
5. I'd like to think that my fashion sense is cute. I love wearing skirts and dresses and am always looking to combine clothes together into fashionable combinations. My favorite stores would have to be Madewell, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters. I think all things are super adorable when they are small, except bugs. Bugs freak me out. Miniature furniture, food, erasers, cups, anything makes me really excited and happy.
6. I am (secretly) a geek. My friends and I used to be really obsessed with playing Pokemon on our Nintendo DS's. That was what we did for fun. I like Mac computers better than PC. Maybe it's because my old Dell laptop caused me so much grief. It's gone now, thank God. I love my computer, my Macbook Air. It may be my most precious possession. I am not into sci fi anything though, except maybe Lord of the Rings. I'm not obsessed but I did enjoy reading them.
7. I can't fall asleep with socks on unless it's below zero degrees outside. I need a lot of pillows around me when I sleep even though I push them all off in the process. I hate being alone, even when I'm sleeping. I sleep really late all the time.
8. I like sour food! I eat lemons like oranges. I've actually met a lot of people like that so it's not that weird!! I like sour stuff more than sweet stuff and definitely more than chocolate. Although I do love cake, and fro yo. I thrived off ice cream during that one week teaching English. I would never have the appetite for normal food. I actually lost weight though so . . . ice cream is amazing.
9. I enjoy writing, which is why I have a blog. I write for the school paper and the local paper. Through public speaking class, I've been able to write more sarcastic and humorous things in script format. I want to intern at Vogue magazine one day. My favorite journalist might be Joel Stein. He's witty and wry and writes a column for Time Magazine every week. I love Time Magazine as well as the New Yorker.
10. I'm good at procrastinating and wasting time, especially by watching movies. I love Pixar movies and Hayao Miyazaki films. I can watch these any time again and again. I have watched Howl's Moving Castle almost five times in the last year. I like watching chick flicks and action movies. I can't deal with horror or sci fi. I'm a sucker for Korean dramas too.
11. Until sixth grade, I had terrible handwriting. Now it's much better through constant practice and hard work. I write in a slightly cursive like way.
12. I have a lot of first world problems but I truly learned a lot from 2012.
Now for part 2! I know I haven't done a review of the media for such a long time. I apologize about that. I watched a couple movies last week and I'd to share them with you!
Pitch Perfect: A pretty good movie to watch alone or in the company of friends. It wasn't that funny but I enjoyed the A Capella performances. There are some really talented singers in the movie. There's not that much of a love story either and you can decide how to feel about that. I was actually refreshed from the emphasis on music and A Capella rather than love. It made it a more enjoyable chick flick.
Legally Blonde: I hope you've watched this movie. It's a great cheer up movie that makes you feel like anything is possible. It's a funny film and Reese Witherspoon does a great job in this role. Some of her movies aren't that great. This is also a movie that can be watched by yourself or with friends. I have watched with both ways and it was great either way.
I need inspiration. I was really honored when my friend asked me to write her peer recommendation for Duke University. It's Duke and I'm writing a peer recommendation! But I've never written something so important in so little time. I'm freaking out while reading Moby Dick and trying to multitask (this means, Facebook and Tumblr are both open). I need my inspiration fast.
My friend showed me this pretty cool link! It tells you your fortune for the day :) try it if you like.
http://acmepeers.com/?u=etyk
And I have a pretty cool announcement to make!!! I'm now a part of a blog called A Lot of Pages. I don't know how many of you are avid readers but it's a community of readers who review all sorts of books. There are tons of guest bloggers (eek! I'm one of them) and so there are all sorts of books out there for you to explore. I've posted my first review on One Fifth Avenue. Check it out if it interests you! There are over 600 book reviews currently. It's definitely worth two minutes of your time.
http://www.alotofpages.com
Well, tomorrow is the last day of 2012. Ahhhhhhhhh, time to make some new year resolutions. What's the best thing you did in 2012?
Please don't use the term 'fobby' so loosely. You don't know what experiences the actual people who were "fresh off the boat" have faced, so please don't use "fobby" as an adjective; it's stereotypical. It's like if I told you that Korean pop-stars are the epitome of Korea -- everyone is just obsessed with falling in love or getting over someone, and I'm sure you'd disagree.
ReplyDeleteHello! I'm sorry if my use of the word "fobby" has offended you. I don't mean in it as the "fresh off the boat" kind of term but rather to describe East Asian fashion and products. It's definitely lost a lot of its negative connotation in my opinion. In the Korean community (I'm not sure what ethnicity you are), "fobby" has become a term to describe people who bring/retain all their style from Korea. I don't mean to be racist or stereotypical at all and I sincerely apologize if you felt that way!
DeletePerhaps I haven't experienced what people "fresh off the boat" have faced but I have faced experiences "fresh off the airplane." My great grandmother came to the US in a boat actually some fifty years ago. She has told me a lot about her experiences so in a way I do know.
Korean pop stars are not the epitome of Korea but they do reflect a lot of society's values. Underneath their nonsense lyrics and cliched (sorry no accent over the e) songs, they show that Korean society cares a lot about appearance and trends. They also show the competitive nature of a dog-eat-dog world.
Thank you for your sincere apology. If you don't mean "fobby" with reference of boats, then please say so in the future. Others may interpret it differently and dislike your use of the term.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you do know, but hearing something is never the same as experiencing it firsthand. It's like hearing a breakup story and consoling a friend to help him/her get through it. It never affects us right to the core, and it always sounds so easy to get over someone, but you don't really KNOW that until you go through it yourself. Happy New Year. =)
:) you are so welcome and I'm glad we cleared that up. I guess I'm just too used to saying "fobby" in terms of fashion and culture.
DeleteYou do mention a good point and I'm glad we had this discussion :)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!