Update

26. Crazy Stupid Love - I liked it but seemed long
27. Amazing Spiderman - it's okay. Emma Stone is very cute though.
28. Wild Cats (or something along such lines) - a true Disney film about wild cats of Africa. Being an animal enthusiast, I loved it. I have a new love for cheetahs.

Homemade 닭갈비

I made this in less than an hour. Finally I'm getting faster and faster at cooking. It is when you stop caring so much about how it tastes in the making process that the food turns out amazing. I stopped caring. But not all of my food taste great. I thought this one was pretty damn good though.

Art

Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth-- Picasso

Tired

24. The Change Up: Sometime I just crave mindless, annoying, but gratifying comedy.
25. 도둑들: Originality, where is it?

We're slowly getting things figured out. It feels so good to go from totally clueless to actually onto grasping our 3 year plan. Baby steps, we tell each other. I pray that everything works out :)

I've become so tired these days. I sleep late and wake up later than I used to. Maybe it's the heat that is getting to me, because every day that I arrive at work, my body couldn't feel heavier and my eyes more unwilling to focus.

Books continued

4. Sputnik Sweetheart -Haruki Murakami

Loved it.

5. Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea -Chelsea Handler

Never actually laughed out loud while reading until I opened this one.

Wow Summer,

Seriously I don't remember it being THIS hot in Korea last year. The last few days have been deadly sun-strong and I have been walking around with my sun umbrella, sunglasses, SPF 50 BB creme, and another SPF 50 sunscreen underneath that... oh and not to mention SPF 100 on my arms, neck, and feet. (Dark feet is pretty gross when the rest of your body is a fair olive. And mind you, my feet and forehead are the first to turn toasty. Sad but very true) I love and adore sunny days but somehow Korea turned into a whole different animal and I suffer from this beast of summer.

In the past few days, I got to hang out with old church friends... ones that I grew up in since middle school. We all have been apart for so many years across the seas and such, but there wasn't a hint of awkwardness. It reminded me of the fun I had back in the good ole days. We visited my favorite place in the world for the second time in Hong-dae called 밤과 음악사이. 90s music all the way! I'm so happy to be part of this generation. Everytime I go to hongdae, I feel this energy that I can get nowhere else and the day played out perfectly as we all enjoyed ourselves over drinks and M-style dancing. LOVED it.

Family Trip

I went on my first family trip with the in-laws. It was actually way better than expected and fun in a relaxing way. Going there was a drag, for the drive took an hour and a half longer than expected. Anyway we had 막국수 on the way... Um so whatevers. Then we got to the cute pension that 도련님 reserved for us. It was like petit prince and there was a little stream nearby.
We played volleyball in the water and had a bet going on with my father in law. Me, hubby, and dohbby (도련님) against my father in law.

Then we barbecued 삼겹살 and ate all the banchan and jjigae that my mother in law prepared. The meal was absolutely lovely and couldn't have asked for a better night. We ended the day with 신품 haha my dohbby's favorite.

16. Hunger Games: Pretty good.
17. Snow White and the Huntsmen: Horrible waste of time, but beautiful cast. Charlize Theron, you are drop-dead gorgeous.
18. This Means War: I just love Reese. And that is all. haha
19. Kung-fu Panda2: I've shown this movie during break time for three of my classes now. I think I can safely claim that I've watched this.
20. Korea: this screamed CJ entertainment. I hope they stop following the formula because even the way they insinuate 감동 is so mechanical. So now with that said, it was okay good hah. Gawd I'm east.
21. Avengers
22. Unknown
23. Dark Knight Rises: finally saw it! But the second one is way better. Way creepier. And way more lasting.

Simple Things

that make me happy :)

cucumber packs but why am I so swollen?

Compliments of my sweet friend <3

Comfy shoes

Apple crush

Surprises from Europe

My parents-in-law just came back from their vacation trip in eastern Europe. I wanted to hear all about their time there but we got to their house close to midnight. So next time~ but they did bring some gifts for us. (totally yay) and not to mention my 도련님 who contributed to the pile below. I'm so grateful for family.

Birthday Surprise

My husband is such a sweetheart and look at what he did for me on my first birthday as a married girl :)

First thing in the morning, 밥 and 미역국. It is Korean tradition to eat this seaweed soup and white rice on your birthday.  So my dear hubby woke up extra early to make this for me. It actually tasted really good. YUM :9

Then, I come home from work and this is what I find on the table, a custom made Chanel cake.

Up close. Utterly adorable :)

Next, flowers.  I'm so into flowers these days. They make me happy ^^

And last, the grand finale:

I'm such a lucky girl. I absolutely LOVE my bag and my husband. This whole thing makes me giggle like a little 4 year old. hehehehehheheehehheh :D 

백정

하두 페북에 난리가 나서 여길 가봤다. LA 에선 그렇게 난리난 백정. 월요일이라 한가해서 그런지 가로수길의 백정은 조용했다. 하지만 맛은 yum yum! Their 계란찜 idea was impressive but not so sure if I liked the taste.

Familymart

He says we have more variety than our local Familymart. Haha ^^

May

May has been a month of trial-- a time that nurtured both my highest of highs and the lowest pitfalls to ever confront me.  It hasn't ended just yet and every day is as unpredictable as Korea's weather. I can't put into words the thrill and love it brought us all. Each day I woke up to a faithful sunny morning, its warmth reaching the deepest corners. I was on cloud nine waiting to share with the world. I took joy in comforting myself with the best of the best (guilt-free might I add). It was like a simulated music video, the nostalgic type that sings of former happy times in vintage film role.  This strange presence propelled me to a high I couldn't shake off and also, and just as firmly, to a sense of oh it's time, girl.

I don't know what happened since then but I fell off my cloud. It has been a week and I'm still falling, waiting to hit the bottom of the pit. The fall is like an eternal free-fall. No, it doesn't hurt but it feels quite empty. I sometime forget that I'm even falling but each night before I run free to my dreams, the facts faithfully bring me to a dark dark cave. And it is in that dark cave that I hope that my disillusionment would take me away to my slumber.  The thing is, I don't know if I'll ever reach the bottom. The thing about pain is that you can't seem to put your finger on it.  Closure is the easiest answer and if you're lucky you'll get it. But I think for most people, pain crashes onto you hard at the most unpredictable times. Other times, it creeps on you. And it simply is the moment when you think you've overcome it that the pain and memory revisit you, and quite vividly at that. At the end of day, I'm back at square 1 where the series of events on that dreadful Thursday resurface to the edge of my closest memory. I had liked to think that I was all cried out. Time passes too slowly.

Right now, it is too soon to configure God into this whole mix, so please do not rush me, and do not preach to me.  I just need to let it settle and experience it for however long it takes, at least right now. I have been holding onto my other half with greater intensity than ever; I need to, for he brings a calm that I struggle to gain. And I am genuinely thankful of all the loved ones who grieved alongside and supported us from day 1. I didn't realize the bundles of blessings around us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I miss you.

Time

15. We Bought a Zoo - just.. no comment

It is so funny how time changes the boundaries we maintain with people and turns it into a comfort zone, a place uninhibited by propriety and good judgment.

On Friendships

Maybe it's because of my all-time favorite singer on replay (which by the way is Nell), I'm feeling rather emotional and nostalgic. I completely miss my friends. I've been in Korea way too long. Relationships change and it's natural-- even more so when you're physically away from them for such a long time. And as shared experiences become less and less, distance inevitably gets to it and messes with it. To connect with someone without enough substance or experience is actually hard-- no matter how close one may be to another. It is just a matter of time. And in that time, people drift because interests shift and we experience yet another "coming of age" independent of each other. And it is as I revisit my old pictures that have captured our once heydays that I seem to remain with nostalgia at the moment. I miss you besties, our dynamic, and our experiences :)

Jan. 1st 2009

December 2009

Fall 2010

Man, I tried to show the ones that are inconspicuous of our faces and we get our prime jirar roll right here.

FYI

For the past two months, I've worked. What was supposed to be part-time became a full time with some overtime. I wanted a part-time job for three reasons: 1) so I get myself out and deal with the world, more precisely, obtain a social life, 2) make a little dough (not a lot-- just a little so I don't feel like I'm wasting time), and 3) a part-time job so I can still do all the household duties. Who am I kidding, my husband pretty much takes care of the house. But I still wanted to come back from work in time to cook him dinner. So this "part-time" job was supposed to be perfect, but big mistake. More than the seriously creepy CEO of the company and the shitty $$ I get, the job demands hours-- long, strenuous hours preparing for the hours paid. Not to mention, the unnecessary bs of parent conference. Anyhow, I've never experienced an employer so unorganized, so flimsy, and so willing to bend over backwards for $$$. The more I work for such an employer, the more I realize how attainable a business can be in Korea.

What this "Korean experience" was to me three years ago is no longer the same now. What was so exciting and new, filled with spasms of youth and spirits of "carpe diem," has now become the complete opposite. It is not a bad thing in the sense. It is different-- radically different. I could see a chapter of my life has closed right before my eyes. And I find myself in the next, a bit familiar of my surroundings yet not completely aware of everything going on.  One thing remains though. I'm excited. :)

Movies:

13. Love Fiction: Cheesy as hell. I hated it.

14. I Don't Know How She Does It: Corny but it comments on a niche that is rarely commented. And with the moms I now deal with-- I found this movie amusing.

Books:


3. #$!% My Dad Says- funny and charming (4/1)

Snowboarding

11. Columbiana

12. 수상한 고객들 - I really liked this one :)

I went snowboarding the past weekend. After my traumatic accident in 2006, I never wanted to attempt to carve, for I was fine with leafing down the mountain a couple times. Thanks to my lovely husband and JHS, I'm slowly grasping the idea of it :) 

맛집 Part I

I'm going to make a list of places, mostly restaurants and cafes, to take my family and friends when they visit ^^  The only problem is I've gone to a lot, and by "a lot" I mean seriously countless, places but I really don't remember the names. Ugh, why!! Anyhow:

1. 차돌집-- Itaewon (best 차돌박이)
2.  Passion 5 -- Itaewon  (bakery, dessert cafe, brunch); the it-place of Itaewon currently
3.  Miel -- Chungdahm-dong (cafe); has been my favorite cafe especially when my husband and I were dating
4. 청담면옥 -- Chungdahm-dong; pretty good 갈비찜 and 냉면 but I don't quite remember if they had 떡 in the 갈비탕 which is a minus. EDIT: They do now and they changed the name.
5. 홍석천 마이타이-- Itaewon; Thai restaurant that is always packed.
6. 문타로 -- Itaewon; good sashimi's and kabobs and 짬뽕; I never entered without standing in line for at least ten minutes.
7. Between -- Itaewon; more hip than tasty
8. 대도식당 -- Samsung-dong; this is a franchise but boasts a history of over 50 years. 한우등심 and after they mix rice and 깍두기 and it is really a unique after-gogi meal for the palette.
9. Dose Coses (sp?) - Hannamdong; Excellent brick oven pizza and it is always full during lunch and dinner times.
10. 청담안 -- Chungdahm-dong; This place is actually a 술집 and very pricey, but they have excellent appetizers. All their food is bombizees :)
11. 무등산 -- Chungdahm-dong; Bomb meat but very pricey. They give seaweed to wrap your meat instead of lettuce and 깻입, but you can ask for it. Supposedly a lot of celebrities go here but the only celebrity, for lack of better word, is .... omg! I totally forgot his name right now! It's the dude from 우결 with 서인영... the hip hop 교포 who got caught for marijuana.
12. Banana Grill -- Hannam-dong; Pretty good burgers and sandwiches near my house. I recommend the Philly's sandwich. YUM.  EDIT: I'm sick of their bread. It's just like the wheat bread from Subway.
13. 라우라우-- Chungdahm-dong; You must make reservations here but best 월남쌈
14. ONL --  Chungdahm-dong (straight into the alley of Butterfingers) Excellent food and ambience
15. The Flying Pan-- (Garosugil and Itaewon) Good for brunch. Their chicken sandwich is YUM :)

보름날

I've been so sick the past couple days that we wasted our weekend suffering and watching garbage "Spartacus." (It is so sexually explicit that I can't take it. I feel disgusting afterwards) Anyhow, we did manage to go to church and then to his family's house to celebrate 보름날, which means the 15th day of the lunar year. It is actually tomorrow but because it is Sunday, we decided today would be best. On this day, we're supposed to eat 나물 and 오곡밥 as a sign of replenishing our health for the next year. (오곡밥 is rice with five different types of beans) The 나물 and 오곡밥 are supposed to provide nutrition to recover from the harsh season of winter.  This year, however, winter has been especially brutal as it is still freezing. My mother-in-law made 9 different types of 나물, 오곡밥, and 감자탕.  It was yummers :9

This is a picture of the 나물 that she packed for us.. Yum~

Disney Merriment

credits: polyvore.com and Donte as seen on the watermark

Disney has never looked so good with their all star cast in the covers of Vogue. I love love love this picture. Ariel has always been my favorite. In my childhood, I would swim with legs crossed at the ankles and pretend I was her. I also thought Prince Eric was the most handsome of them all. :) Check out Belle! She is fierce!!

Housewarming

Oh have I neglected you once again. Ugh.. so sorry ㅠㅠ. Anyways, this past weekend, I did a housewarming party with all of his aunts. We already did a housewarming party with all of my relatives actually before we got married so we figured it was their turn. I prepared 무쌈, 고기, 낚지복음, 미역국, and salad. My mother-in-law who came three hours before to help me brought a whole buffet of food. I literally did maybe 10% of the entire menu. It was a party of 13 people including ourselves. I think my 시어머니 felt very proud as the relatives complimented me for arranging such a gathering. Of course they knew I didn't prepare most of it, but I did play the part with the 압치마 and the 겸손한 며느리 attitude. Anyways, doing good to the in-laws can be rewarding--Why do I say that? Because you don't know how much happiness you bring them with a simple phone call, let alone a housewarming party with the mother-in-laws siblings and spouses who are, by the way, much older than my mother-in-law, and are grandmothers and grandfathers themselves. Especially because in my husband's family, there are no girls, I feel like they treat me so well.  Anyway, we feasted. And we feasted well.

On another note:

10. Just Go With It: Finally on On-Demand. Oh by the way, "On-Demand" is a monthly based option that is added on you cable bill. It has a list of movies that you can watch whenever you want, albeit, limited in selection of course.  Indeed the movie is a stupid featherweight but it takes you away to Hawaii. I know Hawaii is so ordinary but I'll always love it there. It is simple and polar opposite to a product done by a mastermind filmmaker, but such are my guilty pleasures. A similar type being Mean Girls and such. ㅋ

credits: teaser-trailer.com

I miss my family a lot. I miss being home home. Skyping with them only makes me want to go there more, not to mention sunny Cali winter weather. Seoul is so cold these days. News reports say that it reached an all-time low in 55 years in the month of February. Went down to -24 degrees Celsius. The b****, or the inevitable winters of Korea, is here to stay.

설

The past 5 days were Chinese New Year break. 1/23 Monday being the official holiday.  Though I don't need a break from anything mainly because I am currently on a hiatus, this break was refreshing and relaxing.  Usually according the Korean tradition, my husband and I have to go to his family's house for the entire break; I'd have to make my way to their hometown located hours away from Seoul, sleep over, make food, and have 제사 with the relatives which includes my father-in-law's brothers and their families. (제사 as in both the in house ceremony as well as the ceremony at the burial site in the mountains.) In other words, a prolonged period of awkward smiles and moments of self-"don't just stand there, do something!" (though I know the superior females of the family would never scream at me in such way, I feel so dumb at times. It's like a typical first day at a new job) Either way, the supposed holiday is actually a period of work at least for the 며느리. But thank the Lord that my husband's family is not really like this. First, his family lives in Seoul which means that we don't have to go to their house for the entire break, and we save hours in traffic. We only needed to go on the day of. Besides, we see them on a weekly basis. Second, we didn't have to go up to the mountains. We were salvaged from the freezing mountain temperatures as well as the quadrupled traffic time as the burial site often becomes crowded. Instead, we were granted to go visit my grandmother in Suji. We took the new subway there to avoid holiday traffic. It took only 16 minutes from Kangnam to Suji. Now that is bullet fast, because the it would have taken us approximately 50 minutes on a normal subway. The hard part was getting a cab. There were very few to be seen and most were snobby enough to pick and choose their customers. We were denied a few times. What should have taken just 5 minutes if we had gotten a cab right away took 30 minutes. Nonetheless, we had a glorious meal at my grandma's.

On the last day of the break, my parents-in-law invited us to go eat 두부전골 at a well known restaurant located in the outskirts of Seoul. The five of us- the parents, the brother, the husband and I got in one car. I believe it was our first time. Though I see them every week and we've reached a certain level of comfort, there was something different about this experience. It was rather intimate and warm. I sat between my husband and brother-in-law, and we gossiped and enjoyed my loquacious proclamation of the type of person the next 며느리 should be: 1. 우리 시부모님께 잘하는 사람. 2. 나한테 잘하는 사람. ㅋㅋ  That is it ;P  And for the latter followed an elaborate description as to how she would fulfill the purpose. We both agreed that chances are she'd be older than me, but lo and behold, according to Korean tradition, she'd have to submit  and call me 형님.  Kind of 부담스러워 on my part but anyhow. I told them she couldn't compete for our 시부모님's love and do 여우질 like those you see in Korean dramas. Instead of a competitive relationship between the 며느리s,  I want a 사이좋게 지내는 relationship with my 동서 (HAHAHAHHA 동서래~~) Wondering who the new addition to our family would be... haha.

We saw a number of horrific movies during this break that I'm beginning to feel if it is even worth documenting every single movie I watch. Let's try this a bit more and I'll determine the life span of this list then. Anyhow:

6) 50/50- This is the best movie from this list and one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen as of late. It was realistic and engaging in different levels. Well-made :) I appreciated the subtlety of this film; It could have easily been dramatized because of the subject of the film, but it strayed away from it. Thank you.

7) The Girl with a Pearl Earring- I remember back in the day this film was acclaimed for some reason. Much like the previous, it had a lot of subtlety but no hint of oomph. Disappointing ending.

8) Drive- I don't know. I thought it was a pretentious attempt. At the end, no message was effectively delivered. I feel that a lot of good movies can be twisted and complex with a level of subtlety and a "good" movie always inspires me so much that I'm compelled to immediately write an essay about it-- gather the themes/messages and derive from it a thesis, then support it with plot, characterization, mise-en-scene, etc, or vice versa. A good movie always leaves me thinking. However, this film was not inspiring whatsoever.

9) Contagion- I fell asleep. Twice. And I never finished the movie. Enough said.

잔소리

Based on several accounts of my recent upheavals with close affiliates, I realized that personally, I place more value on loyalty than fairness when it comes to friendships. I found that loyalty is practiced by a much tighter demographic than I had thought. And rather coldly I faced a lot of conflicting views. Don't get me wrong; I welcome different perspectives and learn a lot from them. But when unmet expectations and sour appreciation take their toll on relationships, it really destroys the dynamic amongst people. Words have been exchanged and maybe when people hear an apology, they see a green light to throw words without restraint, without ever considering whether they are necessary or not. Some will remain self-righteous and never understand that an apology also comes with great humility-- an apology declared mainly as a consequence of 정, and an attempt to blanket any hurt that has been interchanged, (and not necessarily an admittance of fault.) But from the receiving end, I heard no regret.  Maybe it is yet again another coming of age phase that I'm in or another wake up call to evaluate the different aspects of my life.  Either way, it turns out that what my mother had been telling me all along-- the 잔소리 or what I'd now like to refer to as 'wisdom' -- is true and always has been.

2012 Reading check list:
1) Justice by Michael J. Sandel (done 1/16)
2) Superfreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner (done 1/20)

Watched another disappointing movie last night:

5) Feast of Love. c-o-r-n-y and the slow fade outs after every scene couldn't have been louder in tackiness. Oh, and the entire script-- I cringed.

Gawd, my selection of movies is just so limited in my Catch On Demand. Oh well.

굴비 versus 조기

As I waved my "good-byes" to 2011, I had a conviction to keep everything that happened in 2011-- in 2011. But some thoughts and experiences often creep upon me and haunt me when I least expected them. They've become so familiar that I've come to terms with it. And I realize now that is sometimes better to wrestle with it and let it toil instead of burying it in the deep. Time will tell.

On another note, we went to church today-- to the 11:30 a.m. service.  Not a lazy Sunday today and we're very glad of it. We went to a 보리굴비정식 place in Yangjae. I was so excited to eat, for I'm a fan of  정식 and all of its beautiful 반찬. To my dismay, however, I learned after getting the anticipated main menu that the 보리굴비 is actually fish dried in wheat. It was like fish jerky-- completely dry and salty. 굴비 is the fish they dry out in the sun to be seasoned and cooked and 조기 refers to the fish undried. I was hoping for the latter with all the white fluff of fish straight out of the oven. Never again 굴비, never again.

EDIT: I was hating on 굴비 but I found out it's not really 굴비 that tastes like fish jerky. It is 보리굴비 that is super salty and dry. Regular 굴비 is actually tastes really good ^^ 

Current favorite flavor at Jamba Juice (because we all know favorites are subject to time) is banana berry. YUM. 

Uneventful Weekend

3. The Tourist-- Angelina Jolie has aged. Period.  The movie is utterly forgettable (except for its gorgeous scenes of Venice), cheesy, and predictable. The music-- oh gawd. I'm not even going to go there.

4. The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo-- This was the first film we had seen in the theater in such a long time. We've become such couch potatoes and I blame the weather. It is so cold that my bones are too brittle to move. Anyhow, I see David Fincher all over this movie, but I don't know.  I see both pros and cons. It is stylish and high-paced, and I was completely drawn in. The editing was remarkably done-- We were in a rollercoaster and Fincher was controlling our every reaction, I feel like. It is thrilling and without a dull moment. However, I thought some themes could have been better communicated in other ways. For one example, the incessant scenes of fornication representative of Lisbeth's experience with actual love and acceptance is tritely overdone. Once is enough and it could have been delivered in other ways. I just think it needed to be more precisely put together, overall.

It is Saturday night, actually Sunday morning 12:34 here in Seoul.  I feel like my cooking has gotten better ^^ I actually am experimenting with different flavors and methods. Today, I attempted gochujang jjigae with slices of beef. I know in Korean custom, for any spicy soup, the appropriate meat is pork. But the beef broth allowed for a heartier flavor, kind of like soul food. For side dishes, I made 오댕 and 오징어채. It takes a long time to make everything and I wish he appreciated my efforts and presentation despite my PMS driven quarrels that I initiated during my preparation.. oh whatever. Anyways, I feel SO much better that we now have some 반찬.  For lunch, I made 미역국 and 계란말이. So much cooking in one day. Is it strawberry season by the way? They are like candy. YUM YUM.

Recluse and Regret.

I feel like I've totally deserted my blog--and everything else for that matter, hence the title. So I'm back-- this time ready to pour out my thoughts, interests, experiences, and documents of my hobbies. Hopefully, I persist.  Anyways, after coming back from the honeymoon, I've invested countless hours in researching my career opportunities. After much deliberation with my husband :) and many fickle rounds of convictions, I have come to a decision. Hopefully, if it is God's will, everything will work out.

On a totally different note, I wanted to document all the movies I've seen in 2012. Because I'm not an avid movie-goer, the list won't be too long nor current, for I absolutely adore the thought of being wrapped up in a blanket and watching my "catch on demand" series of movies on my TV.

Anyway, here goes:

1. Morning Glory-- Rachel McAdams is so darn cute in the movie. It is a bit long, but for a romantic comedy, it is okay-- enjoyable. Romantic comedies are so limited in my view, so with that taken into consideration, it was "cute." And when movies are referred to as "cute," there are so many alternate connotations. If you want to watch an easy, "cute" movie, I think this is the one.

2. I Am Number 4-- Um, stupid. Bad acting, immature plot, simple and unimaginative overall.

Bible Emergency

For all of my moments.