Saturday, September 27, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
I'm sitting here and flipping through the pictures from the past year.
And guess what? They're making me nostalgic. Really, really nostalgic.
So my eyes are misting over but it's a mixed bag of feelings. Of course I'm really sad on one hand because I miss you guys and I wish I could relive some of those amazing moments we shared, but I'm happy that I even got these pictures... the pictures of all of the once in a lifetime experiences that I would have never had and of all of the places I never would have been without my chingoos.
"Even if I never see him again, I'll have stories to tell about him forever." I remember someone said that about one of my old co-workers.. and shit, isn't that fitting now?
You guys pushed me to do things that I would have never even thought to do and some things that I never thought I could do. And that made me push myself to really live life and to become a better person. Now I have stories to tell, and hell yeh, I'm grateful.
Shit, that's inspiration.
And guess what? They're making me nostalgic. Really, really nostalgic.
So my eyes are misting over but it's a mixed bag of feelings. Of course I'm really sad on one hand because I miss you guys and I wish I could relive some of those amazing moments we shared, but I'm happy that I even got these pictures... the pictures of all of the once in a lifetime experiences that I would have never had and of all of the places I never would have been without my chingoos.
"Even if I never see him again, I'll have stories to tell about him forever." I remember someone said that about one of my old co-workers.. and shit, isn't that fitting now?
You guys pushed me to do things that I would have never even thought to do and some things that I never thought I could do. And that made me push myself to really live life and to become a better person. Now I have stories to tell, and hell yeh, I'm grateful.
Shit, that's inspiration.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
It's like riding a bicycle..............
Blah blah blah.
I'm typing in between sniffles. No, I'm not crying.. I happen to have caught a cold. 감기 not 강기... any other Korean kids made that mistake? I guess after a week or so of not enough rest and sleeping on couches, it takes a toll on you. I'm pretty sure I might've sent Jason and Elliot off with sore throats as well... er, that sounds really bad but yeh. Sorry guys.
Okay, that was a bad introductory paragraph into this brog.
Anyway, one of my friends from the first semester at Yonsei in Korea, Jason, came to visit me in San Jose/San Francisco for the past 5 days. He brought along one of his friends from high school, Elliot. Jason was the first Korean friend face I've seen since I've been back... I guess that was quick enough considering I made my return on the 3rd of August. But the timing was good and it was definitely great to see him. They stayed with me at my parents' house and Simba went crazy. I guess he never fully trusted them so any time they made a sudden movement(er... ok whenever they got up or ... uhm, laughed... yeh...Simba's crazy) he'd go into a barking fit. Yeh, so I basically got to show them how boring San Jose is. I took them to two bars only to find out that they had both closed for the night. I also took them to one of my favorite restaurants only to find out that that was closed as well. I guess the only place that I took them in San Jose that wasn't closed was the Egyptian Museum which was a big disappointment/embarrassment. We ended up wishing that that place were closed instead. For some reason, I thought that staring at a mummy would be cool but instead, it was actually a quite horrifying experience. I feared that if I breathed in too deeply or yawned or had any sort of intake of breath, the mummy's spirit would overtake my body. There was a small mummified baboon on display... and I envisioned a sort of "The Shaggy Dog" scenario where.... never mind, it's already dumb. (But basically it would have me as Tim Allen and the baboon as the sheepdog).
The highlight, as I'm sure they'd both agree, was going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I'd never been before so I was glad to go along for the ride. The only downside was that the place was an absolute clusterfuck. But I guess that can't be helped. I made my helpful comment on how I wished that we could've been there just by ourselves and wow, how cool would that have been? Yeh, no shit. Anyway, who wants to watch Jacques Cousteau movies with me?
Then for the remainder of the time, I dragged them here and there and everywhere and nowhere.
I seriously never know where to take anyone when they visit me places. It's also strange because I'm trying to find my footing in a place that I'm already supposed to know. The streets I used to have memorized have now been delegated to the back corners of my mind. The dark corners that never do and never will see the light of day... you know the saying that it's like riding a bicycle? Well, that's supposed to be a cliche because that's one of those things that you just never forget how to do. Now let me tell you a story in which I continue to defy all sorts of human rationale. Yes, I thought... it's like riding a bicycle.. when it came to well, riding a bicycle. I guess that doesn't apply to me or my life. When I tried riding a bicycle after a perhaps 7 or 8 year hiatus, I ate shit.. not once, not twice, but thrice. And it was all within one night. One hour, even...
The first time was my first attempt at riding a bike that was admittedly, too tall and too long for me. Whatever, I wanted to laugh in the face of danger and shun any sort of reason that could've helped save me from a bruise or two. I started gliding all wobbly-like down the sidewalk, thinking that yessss.. I'm doing it. I'm doing it! When I hear my friend shout out at me from the distance as I was approaching a hill going downwards, "If you're going to fall, fall towards the grass!" Upon hearing this, my bike stalled as if it had a mind of its own, and without further warning, I just plopped over. Physical comedy can be so fun.
We then decided that maybe the streets were too dangerous.. or maybe that I was too dangerous for the streets. Whichever.. but we then started riding around the empty tennis courts since it was too late in the night for anyone to be playing. It was by far safer choice but I still was prone to falling, running into shit and basically being unable to ride a freaking bicycle. For some reason, I actually thought to myself that if I was going to fall, it would hurt less to crash into a fence and catch myself than to just fall on the ground. Wrong wrong wrong. Actually, the bike was so large for me that I was only barely able to graze my feet against the ground, which is usually how people prevent themselves from falling after clamping down on the brakes. So instead of being able to stop like a normal person, I would just have to slow down and my friend would have to grab the bike for me and hold it steady while I would clamber down.
god sometimes my life can be such a disaster. But you know, even though I ate shit three times and had a new lovely set of bruises and cuts, I said fuck it and refused to give up. You know.. shit hurt, but still it ain't even that bad. Do you see where this is going and how it's going to be a metaphor for MY LIFE ? I actually just figured this out as I wrote this/am writing this. So whatever, I took that cliche, tweaked it, and now am appropriating it as my own. And yeh, I'm clumsy as shit but give me time and I'll be able to do it.
So I guess what it boils down to is this. I'm still trying to find my footing. But it's slowly getting better. And I'm finding the comfort of having friends I can safely crash into.
Yeh so I'm fucking riding it. I just have to see where it takes me.
Oy!
I'm typing in between sniffles. No, I'm not crying.. I happen to have caught a cold. 감기 not 강기... any other Korean kids made that mistake? I guess after a week or so of not enough rest and sleeping on couches, it takes a toll on you. I'm pretty sure I might've sent Jason and Elliot off with sore throats as well... er, that sounds really bad but yeh. Sorry guys.
Okay, that was a bad introductory paragraph into this brog.
Anyway, one of my friends from the first semester at Yonsei in Korea, Jason, came to visit me in San Jose/San Francisco for the past 5 days. He brought along one of his friends from high school, Elliot. Jason was the first Korean friend face I've seen since I've been back... I guess that was quick enough considering I made my return on the 3rd of August. But the timing was good and it was definitely great to see him. They stayed with me at my parents' house and Simba went crazy. I guess he never fully trusted them so any time they made a sudden movement(er... ok whenever they got up or ... uhm, laughed... yeh...Simba's crazy) he'd go into a barking fit. Yeh, so I basically got to show them how boring San Jose is. I took them to two bars only to find out that they had both closed for the night. I also took them to one of my favorite restaurants only to find out that that was closed as well. I guess the only place that I took them in San Jose that wasn't closed was the Egyptian Museum which was a big disappointment/embarrassment. We ended up wishing that that place were closed instead. For some reason, I thought that staring at a mummy would be cool but instead, it was actually a quite horrifying experience. I feared that if I breathed in too deeply or yawned or had any sort of intake of breath, the mummy's spirit would overtake my body. There was a small mummified baboon on display... and I envisioned a sort of "The Shaggy Dog" scenario where.... never mind, it's already dumb. (But basically it would have me as Tim Allen and the baboon as the sheepdog).
The highlight, as I'm sure they'd both agree, was going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I'd never been before so I was glad to go along for the ride. The only downside was that the place was an absolute clusterfuck. But I guess that can't be helped. I made my helpful comment on how I wished that we could've been there just by ourselves and wow, how cool would that have been? Yeh, no shit. Anyway, who wants to watch Jacques Cousteau movies with me?
Then for the remainder of the time, I dragged them here and there and everywhere and nowhere.
I seriously never know where to take anyone when they visit me places. It's also strange because I'm trying to find my footing in a place that I'm already supposed to know. The streets I used to have memorized have now been delegated to the back corners of my mind. The dark corners that never do and never will see the light of day... you know the saying that it's like riding a bicycle? Well, that's supposed to be a cliche because that's one of those things that you just never forget how to do. Now let me tell you a story in which I continue to defy all sorts of human rationale. Yes, I thought... it's like riding a bicycle.. when it came to well, riding a bicycle. I guess that doesn't apply to me or my life. When I tried riding a bicycle after a perhaps 7 or 8 year hiatus, I ate shit.. not once, not twice, but thrice. And it was all within one night. One hour, even...
The first time was my first attempt at riding a bike that was admittedly, too tall and too long for me. Whatever, I wanted to laugh in the face of danger and shun any sort of reason that could've helped save me from a bruise or two. I started gliding all wobbly-like down the sidewalk, thinking that yessss.. I'm doing it. I'm doing it! When I hear my friend shout out at me from the distance as I was approaching a hill going downwards, "If you're going to fall, fall towards the grass!" Upon hearing this, my bike stalled as if it had a mind of its own, and without further warning, I just plopped over. Physical comedy can be so fun.
We then decided that maybe the streets were too dangerous.. or maybe that I was too dangerous for the streets. Whichever.. but we then started riding around the empty tennis courts since it was too late in the night for anyone to be playing. It was by far safer choice but I still was prone to falling, running into shit and basically being unable to ride a freaking bicycle. For some reason, I actually thought to myself that if I was going to fall, it would hurt less to crash into a fence and catch myself than to just fall on the ground. Wrong wrong wrong. Actually, the bike was so large for me that I was only barely able to graze my feet against the ground, which is usually how people prevent themselves from falling after clamping down on the brakes. So instead of being able to stop like a normal person, I would just have to slow down and my friend would have to grab the bike for me and hold it steady while I would clamber down.
god sometimes my life can be such a disaster. But you know, even though I ate shit three times and had a new lovely set of bruises and cuts, I said fuck it and refused to give up. You know.. shit hurt, but still it ain't even that bad. Do you see where this is going and how it's going to be a metaphor for MY LIFE ? I actually just figured this out as I wrote this/am writing this. So whatever, I took that cliche, tweaked it, and now am appropriating it as my own. And yeh, I'm clumsy as shit but give me time and I'll be able to do it.
So I guess what it boils down to is this. I'm still trying to find my footing. But it's slowly getting better. And I'm finding the comfort of having friends I can safely crash into.
Yeh so I'm fucking riding it. I just have to see where it takes me.
Oy!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
So...
I haven't been getting much sleep since I've been back from Korea. I guess that I've never been fully used to sleeping in other peoples' homes. I mean, I'm sure everyone understands the satisfaction of sleeping in the comfort of their own bed. But I guess since I've been back, it just feels like I've been sleeping in other peoples' homes which for the most part, I guess I have been.
Even the house I grew up in, I feel like I'm just a temporary guest. My things are still packed and all of my old belongings are in boxes so even the outward appearance looks like everything is in transition. But the transition is weird and I don't know how to get from point A to point B or what point B is supposed to be. All the while, point A is still foggy and vague, and it's becoming harder to remember. It all comes in flashes.. nothing substantial, but enough to keep me from going crazy... for now. It's just all too surreal.
Wow, I'm so melodramatic. But I guess I've always appreciated the theatrics in everything otherwise I'd just be bored bored bored. I'm staying at the place I used to live in San Francisco and it's strange walking in here and looking at my room that's not my room anymore. Her room is much cleaner than mine had ever been, even on its better days. I've been sleeping on the couch. I've laid on this couch so many times before but it's weird how it feels different now. I couldn't sleep the other night so like a crazy person, I just started putting away the dishes and tried to wash the ones that were in the sink. I accidentally woke up the person in the room next door(sorry Mike) and after giving a panicky apology, I retreated back to the couch. I started reading a book of comic book shorts when I heard the doorbell ring. Instantly, I freak out and wake up my friend telling him that someone just rang the doorbell and I'm scared. For some reason, I've been more paranoid these days than ever. I'm just constantly thinking that someone is going to shoot or stab me. The comfort of living in America....
It ended up being my old roommate Ryne who was more than a little drunk. It was about 3 or 4 in the morning and we decided to play Rock Band...much to Anthony's dismay since he was attempting to sleep like a normal person. Sorry Anthony. This game is hilarious because we both blankly stared at the screens in wordless silence, only hearing the noise of us furiously jabbing away at buttons amongst the backdrop of Wave of Mutilation or another..
Gah, well back to the heft of the story..
So I guess right now I feel like I'm hanging out in the disconnect from what was to what is. Oh dear. My life is covered in cheese, isn't it?
I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm tired. But even though I'm tired, it's been hard to fall asleep.
My eyes are bleary right now. And that's not metaphorically speaking. I guess whenever I'm really tired, my vision becomes compromised and everything just looks hazy. So I'm just sitting here, squinting and peering at the screen like a dumbass while spewing out my overblown feelings all over the place.
My writing is so scattered and vague, I realize. But I'm working on trying to not be so obsessively private anymore and to make the things that were vague more concrete. And I guess this blog is a solid example of that.
I don't feel like finishing this entry but I guess it's good enough for now. I'll try to start processing my thoughts and put them into neat little paragraphs to make for better blog entries.
It seems as if I've just instantly jumped back into things so the thoughts are taking time. Mostly because I've been pushing them to the back of my mind, waiting for a better state of mind to make sense of anything.
But yeh... yeh... er... yeh.
I'll leave you with this for now. A video that seems to have made every single person who has watched it cry.... in a good way.
I haven't been getting much sleep since I've been back from Korea. I guess that I've never been fully used to sleeping in other peoples' homes. I mean, I'm sure everyone understands the satisfaction of sleeping in the comfort of their own bed. But I guess since I've been back, it just feels like I've been sleeping in other peoples' homes which for the most part, I guess I have been.
Even the house I grew up in, I feel like I'm just a temporary guest. My things are still packed and all of my old belongings are in boxes so even the outward appearance looks like everything is in transition. But the transition is weird and I don't know how to get from point A to point B or what point B is supposed to be. All the while, point A is still foggy and vague, and it's becoming harder to remember. It all comes in flashes.. nothing substantial, but enough to keep me from going crazy... for now. It's just all too surreal.
Wow, I'm so melodramatic. But I guess I've always appreciated the theatrics in everything otherwise I'd just be bored bored bored. I'm staying at the place I used to live in San Francisco and it's strange walking in here and looking at my room that's not my room anymore. Her room is much cleaner than mine had ever been, even on its better days. I've been sleeping on the couch. I've laid on this couch so many times before but it's weird how it feels different now. I couldn't sleep the other night so like a crazy person, I just started putting away the dishes and tried to wash the ones that were in the sink. I accidentally woke up the person in the room next door(sorry Mike) and after giving a panicky apology, I retreated back to the couch. I started reading a book of comic book shorts when I heard the doorbell ring. Instantly, I freak out and wake up my friend telling him that someone just rang the doorbell and I'm scared. For some reason, I've been more paranoid these days than ever. I'm just constantly thinking that someone is going to shoot or stab me. The comfort of living in America....
It ended up being my old roommate Ryne who was more than a little drunk. It was about 3 or 4 in the morning and we decided to play Rock Band...much to Anthony's dismay since he was attempting to sleep like a normal person. Sorry Anthony. This game is hilarious because we both blankly stared at the screens in wordless silence, only hearing the noise of us furiously jabbing away at buttons amongst the backdrop of Wave of Mutilation or another..
Gah, well back to the heft of the story..
So I guess right now I feel like I'm hanging out in the disconnect from what was to what is. Oh dear. My life is covered in cheese, isn't it?
I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm tired. But even though I'm tired, it's been hard to fall asleep.
My eyes are bleary right now. And that's not metaphorically speaking. I guess whenever I'm really tired, my vision becomes compromised and everything just looks hazy. So I'm just sitting here, squinting and peering at the screen like a dumbass while spewing out my overblown feelings all over the place.
My writing is so scattered and vague, I realize. But I'm working on trying to not be so obsessively private anymore and to make the things that were vague more concrete. And I guess this blog is a solid example of that.
I don't feel like finishing this entry but I guess it's good enough for now. I'll try to start processing my thoughts and put them into neat little paragraphs to make for better blog entries.
It seems as if I've just instantly jumped back into things so the thoughts are taking time. Mostly because I've been pushing them to the back of my mind, waiting for a better state of mind to make sense of anything.
But yeh... yeh... er... yeh.
I'll leave you with this for now. A video that seems to have made every single person who has watched it cry.... in a good way.
Monday, August 4, 2008
This is called the Transformation of Things...
Yeh, I guess it's weird.
I just got home yesterday. It's been a weird transition so far... the airplane ride was annoying, as usual. I always just get so queasy and the man next to me smelled sour. There weren't any good movies except ones that I'd already seen so I just watched bits and pieces of Kung Fu Panda and Iron Man. Landing was strange.. there were American flags everywhere and a bunch of waegookins(foreigners)... I guess it's strange coming from being in a mostly racially homogenous society. Everyone kept greeting me with "welcome back" and I kept wondering, "How did they know I was gone?" and then I thought, "oh yeh, I'm at an airport duh"
Some guy helped me with my bag when the strap RIPPED.. how embarrassing. And I started thanking him profusely in Korean. Then I remembered that I wasn't in Korea.. when is this going to stop being weird?
One of the customs guys was a big jerk. I accidentally rolled my bag over a woman's foot but whatever, her foot had it coming! It was waiting underneath my bag. Just kidding. Sorry random lady. I just couldn't fit all of my luggage onto the cart since it required some tricky maneuvering because the bags were so freaking heavy. And the guy said, "Why didn't you just put all the bags in the cart?" and I said "Yeh, I tried but they didn't fit" and he was like "I bet they would've" in this super annoying mean tone.. and I just retorted "Cool, thanks for the tip" and as I walked away I just mumbled "you fucking asshole" ... geez, so snarky I know. Garr, thanks for the warm welcome U.S.A. Ugh, I'm so impatient.... gross
My friend Anthony came to pick me up from the airport and what was the first thing I ate? We went to La Victoria and ate nachos and I also ordered a super burrito with carnitas. My god, I've missed the food. We then watched Dark Knight which basically had me in panic mode the entire time. It was great though and I'll probably go see it again.
So, I'm not writing in detail. I'm not writing anything deep or introspective. I guess I'm writing this because I want you guys to know that I landed safely and that things are weird. My dog Simba is sitting next to me as I'm typing. I'm happy that he remembered me =) But it's weird because everything is feeling like a dream within a dream within a dream within a .... bLah blah. Being home doesn't feel real and thinking of Korea doesn't feel real either. But I don't even want to start trying to figure shit out. I think I need at least a week of just laying here and letting things just be whatever. I don't want to make sense of things yet.
It's good to see my parents, Simba, and my little brother of course. But everything is still strange because it doesn't feel completely natural yet. My mom made me breakfast today with hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, and sourdough bread. I've missed American breakfast so much. Shit, I'm sorry to say it but I love fat ass American food. But right now I feel like I could also go for some soondubu or samgyupsal with a bottle of soju and the company of some good friends/my best friends.
Fuck, what's going on? I am calling all of you soon. That's one thing that is keeping things in focus right now... I just entered all of your numbers into my phone.... gah
PS, No Peter.. I haven't cried yet. Right now I won't because everything is still too weird. I probably will though... just later.
My brain is so scattered right now. This blog entry sucks. Sorry guys.
I just got home yesterday. It's been a weird transition so far... the airplane ride was annoying, as usual. I always just get so queasy and the man next to me smelled sour. There weren't any good movies except ones that I'd already seen so I just watched bits and pieces of Kung Fu Panda and Iron Man. Landing was strange.. there were American flags everywhere and a bunch of waegookins(foreigners)... I guess it's strange coming from being in a mostly racially homogenous society. Everyone kept greeting me with "welcome back" and I kept wondering, "How did they know I was gone?" and then I thought, "oh yeh, I'm at an airport duh"
Some guy helped me with my bag when the strap RIPPED.. how embarrassing. And I started thanking him profusely in Korean. Then I remembered that I wasn't in Korea.. when is this going to stop being weird?
One of the customs guys was a big jerk. I accidentally rolled my bag over a woman's foot but whatever, her foot had it coming! It was waiting underneath my bag. Just kidding. Sorry random lady. I just couldn't fit all of my luggage onto the cart since it required some tricky maneuvering because the bags were so freaking heavy. And the guy said, "Why didn't you just put all the bags in the cart?" and I said "Yeh, I tried but they didn't fit" and he was like "I bet they would've" in this super annoying mean tone.. and I just retorted "Cool, thanks for the tip" and as I walked away I just mumbled "you fucking asshole" ... geez, so snarky I know. Garr, thanks for the warm welcome U.S.A. Ugh, I'm so impatient.... gross
My friend Anthony came to pick me up from the airport and what was the first thing I ate? We went to La Victoria and ate nachos and I also ordered a super burrito with carnitas. My god, I've missed the food. We then watched Dark Knight which basically had me in panic mode the entire time. It was great though and I'll probably go see it again.
So, I'm not writing in detail. I'm not writing anything deep or introspective. I guess I'm writing this because I want you guys to know that I landed safely and that things are weird. My dog Simba is sitting next to me as I'm typing. I'm happy that he remembered me =) But it's weird because everything is feeling like a dream within a dream within a dream within a .... bLah blah. Being home doesn't feel real and thinking of Korea doesn't feel real either. But I don't even want to start trying to figure shit out. I think I need at least a week of just laying here and letting things just be whatever. I don't want to make sense of things yet.
It's good to see my parents, Simba, and my little brother of course. But everything is still strange because it doesn't feel completely natural yet. My mom made me breakfast today with hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, and sourdough bread. I've missed American breakfast so much. Shit, I'm sorry to say it but I love fat ass American food. But right now I feel like I could also go for some soondubu or samgyupsal with a bottle of soju and the company of some good friends/my best friends.
Fuck, what's going on? I am calling all of you soon. That's one thing that is keeping things in focus right now... I just entered all of your numbers into my phone.... gah
PS, No Peter.. I haven't cried yet. Right now I won't because everything is still too weird. I probably will though... just later.
My brain is so scattered right now. This blog entry sucks. Sorry guys.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
an update of s(h)orts...
So I guess these blog entries have been few and far between, huh. I guess that can be chalked up to a number of reasons: I'm too lazy(and the fucking hot ass humid weather has been making me more lethargic than ever), I've been busy, I don't know what to say, and I don't know how to say that I don't know what to say. Yikes. So every day is different and every day can be assigned one or all of those excuses... I'm guessing you guys are the same way.. yeh I'm looking at you!(except for Ryo and Anna.. you guys have updated recently) None of you guys have been writing on your blogs, and that saddens me greatly because it means that I can't stalk you guys online efficiently. Blarg. It's okay, once I head back to the states you better bet your asses that I'll be calling you day and night.. and yes... "just to say hi" (which used to drive me crazy.. now I'll pass it on)
Okay, well first things first.
I want to wish a happy birthday to one of my favorite people IN THE WORLD!! Miss Amy Delahanty, please raise your hand! You guys(except for the ones that also are lucky enough to know her) have no idea how much I adore this girl. I have so much love, respect, and admiration for you! I miss you lots but hopefully I will be able to see you within a few months! Amy, you're 23 today and don't worry, in a couple of months, I'll be right there with you! 1985 ROCK!
HEART
So, hmm.
What's worth saying? Well, Pat, Peter, Jungyun and I decided to go on a short 2 day trip to Yangpyung. What's in Yangpyung you ask? I asked the very same question to Pat who responded with this classic answer... "Uhm... (shrugs shoulders) beautiful stuff?" Jungyun(who is Korean) planned the whole thing, down to the train tickets and the accommodations. We stayed in this small loft house that was beyond amazing! There was even a porch outside where we drank beer and played hearts. Also, there weren't any nearby restaurants so we had to buy groceries and prepare our own meals. Thankfully we had an aspiring Top Chef with us(Pat) who knew how to cook. If it was left up to me, we would've been eating chips and cookies for breakfast, dinner, and lunch. Hell, I don't even know how to work an oven. I took home economics in middle school but unfortunately, the school was undergoing construction so we did all of our cooking on tiny propane burners and in microwave ovens! We even baked cakes in microwave ovens. Geez, one of our recipes was actually for POPCORN. Can you believe it? So... Kennedy Junior High.. I'm placing all of the blame on you for my lack of homemaking skills.
Yangpyunggggggg was awesome.
There were creeks and creeks.. and creeks... I don't know nature related words. So I guess Pat was right in saying that there was uhhhmmmm, beautiful stuff? I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. But we splashed, we swam, we took pictures... I threw giant rocks that landed with huge thuds into the water.. to my childish delight. And then at night, Pat prepared us a delicious curry. Don't worry. We did the dishes.... that's the usual trade-off right? Anyway, later that night we managed to split 6 bottles of soju and a 40 between us while we played ridiculous Korean drinking games including 3-6-9(sam yoo ku), jeehachul(where we have to take turns listing the different subway stations), baskin robbins 31, dalgi(this game is fucking absurd), and even guessing whether the next card from the stack was going to be black or red... oh, and this other ridiculous game called "bunny" where you had to do a lot of simultaneous chanting and crazy hand gestures. Pat and I took turns telling each other "YOU SUCK AT THESE GAMES!!" meaning.. shit, we had to drink a fuck ton of booze. Needless to say, we were the boozy woozy ones at the end of the night. It's weird how these games work though, usually you want to get drunk as fast as possible... so losing is actually winning.. because you win all the liquor. Anyway, I had an amazingly fun time.. especially because I got to travel with those two mofos again... we even met Jungyun in Laos! How awesome is that? It's weird thinking that pretty soon, I'm going to have to say goodbye to Pat and Peepers(my new nickname for Peter... Peeps for short).. who I've spent entirely too much time with(in the nicest way possible).. I mean, for the two months we went backpacking together, we spent every hour of every day together. That's an obscene amount. I don't know, I guess what I'm trying to say is.. I'm too used to their stupid faces now to not see them everyday.
Gah, I've been trying to tell myself that I won't allow the sadness to wash over me until I hit the 2 week mark.. and that day is quickly approaching. I don't even know what to do. It's weird planning every day as if.. you.. only have a few of them left.. I guess I'll still wait for that day to come to write all of my gushy feelings.
Pat and Jungyun
apparently this is what I look like when I play Mario Kart
Pat behind the glittery veil
canned salty pig bits... a wholehearted YUM!
The Sower
the two assholes
the fountain of life
(photo taken by Peter Kang)
Okay now some random bits....
Moa and I at the PIXAR EXHIBIT IN SEOUL! This exhibit was AMAZING! And Pixar is amazing.. so I don't care what any of you haters say. The level of creative genius and wit and focus that go into these movies is so beyond anything I could even imagine.
Jungyun's mom and Pat cooking... her mom taught us how to make soondubu(spicy soft tofu soup)! And kaeran jeem(steamed egg)... so awesome
I've also been watching a lot of movies.... here's some that I'd recommend.... which I'm sure most of you have seen already since you all are so much better than me about watching movies.. but in case you haven't...
I also read this yesterday...
Anyway, tis all for now... I'll talk to you all soon. Like usual, by the end.. I've run out of steam. I love you and miss you all.
Okay, well first things first.
I want to wish a happy birthday to one of my favorite people IN THE WORLD!! Miss Amy Delahanty, please raise your hand! You guys(except for the ones that also are lucky enough to know her) have no idea how much I adore this girl. I have so much love, respect, and admiration for you! I miss you lots but hopefully I will be able to see you within a few months! Amy, you're 23 today and don't worry, in a couple of months, I'll be right there with you! 1985 ROCK!
HEARTSo, hmm.
What's worth saying? Well, Pat, Peter, Jungyun and I decided to go on a short 2 day trip to Yangpyung. What's in Yangpyung you ask? I asked the very same question to Pat who responded with this classic answer... "Uhm... (shrugs shoulders) beautiful stuff?" Jungyun(who is Korean) planned the whole thing, down to the train tickets and the accommodations. We stayed in this small loft house that was beyond amazing! There was even a porch outside where we drank beer and played hearts. Also, there weren't any nearby restaurants so we had to buy groceries and prepare our own meals. Thankfully we had an aspiring Top Chef with us(Pat) who knew how to cook. If it was left up to me, we would've been eating chips and cookies for breakfast, dinner, and lunch. Hell, I don't even know how to work an oven. I took home economics in middle school but unfortunately, the school was undergoing construction so we did all of our cooking on tiny propane burners and in microwave ovens! We even baked cakes in microwave ovens. Geez, one of our recipes was actually for POPCORN. Can you believe it? So... Kennedy Junior High.. I'm placing all of the blame on you for my lack of homemaking skills.
Yangpyunggggggg was awesome.
There were creeks and creeks.. and creeks... I don't know nature related words. So I guess Pat was right in saying that there was uhhhmmmm, beautiful stuff? I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. But we splashed, we swam, we took pictures... I threw giant rocks that landed with huge thuds into the water.. to my childish delight. And then at night, Pat prepared us a delicious curry. Don't worry. We did the dishes.... that's the usual trade-off right? Anyway, later that night we managed to split 6 bottles of soju and a 40 between us while we played ridiculous Korean drinking games including 3-6-9(sam yoo ku), jeehachul(where we have to take turns listing the different subway stations), baskin robbins 31, dalgi(this game is fucking absurd), and even guessing whether the next card from the stack was going to be black or red... oh, and this other ridiculous game called "bunny" where you had to do a lot of simultaneous chanting and crazy hand gestures. Pat and I took turns telling each other "YOU SUCK AT THESE GAMES!!" meaning.. shit, we had to drink a fuck ton of booze. Needless to say, we were the boozy woozy ones at the end of the night. It's weird how these games work though, usually you want to get drunk as fast as possible... so losing is actually winning.. because you win all the liquor. Anyway, I had an amazingly fun time.. especially because I got to travel with those two mofos again... we even met Jungyun in Laos! How awesome is that? It's weird thinking that pretty soon, I'm going to have to say goodbye to Pat and Peepers(my new nickname for Peter... Peeps for short).. who I've spent entirely too much time with(in the nicest way possible).. I mean, for the two months we went backpacking together, we spent every hour of every day together. That's an obscene amount. I don't know, I guess what I'm trying to say is.. I'm too used to their stupid faces now to not see them everyday.
Gah, I've been trying to tell myself that I won't allow the sadness to wash over me until I hit the 2 week mark.. and that day is quickly approaching. I don't even know what to do. It's weird planning every day as if.. you.. only have a few of them left.. I guess I'll still wait for that day to come to write all of my gushy feelings.
Pat and Jungyun
apparently this is what I look like when I play Mario Kart
Pat behind the glittery veil
canned salty pig bits... a wholehearted YUM!
The Sower
the two assholes
the fountain of life
(photo taken by Peter Kang)Okay now some random bits....
Moa and I at the PIXAR EXHIBIT IN SEOUL! This exhibit was AMAZING! And Pixar is amazing.. so I don't care what any of you haters say. The level of creative genius and wit and focus that go into these movies is so beyond anything I could even imagine. 
Jungyun's mom and Pat cooking... her mom taught us how to make soondubu(spicy soft tofu soup)! And kaeran jeem(steamed egg)... so awesomeI've also been watching a lot of movies.... here's some that I'd recommend.... which I'm sure most of you have seen already since you all are so much better than me about watching movies.. but in case you haven't...
I also read this yesterday...
Anyway, tis all for now... I'll talk to you all soon. Like usual, by the end.. I've run out of steam. I love you and miss you all.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
...and that's when it hits you
Gah, so the other day I was at Grand Mart shopping for this and that and whatevers.
And I stopped in front of the toilet paper selection and contemplated which pack I should buy... and usually the debate is between which one is both of reasonable quality and at the best price.. but I stopped myself and started to wonder.. do I really even need this much toilet paper? I only need enough to last me through the end of July.. and with that thought, it really hit me.. through the most mundane of activities.. it really signified the end to me. Gahhh, so what did I do? I didn't buy any toilet paper at all and have been buying individually packed rolls for the time being... only seemed sensible.. ugh.. who knew sensibility could be so depressing?
It's still too early to reflect on the entire year in Korea overall.. but I guess I do have some things to say until it comes to that time.. until I can make peace with it. So in lieu of dopey and cliche reflections(for now, I still have a lot up my sleeve..), I'll tell a story. I don't really know if this will be of interest to anyone since it's just regarding my Korean class but whatever, this is for my own personal reference first and foremost anyways.
If anyone can remember my blog entry from far back, it wasn't too long ago when I transferred into the class and instantly resented everyone. I resented Jessica for speaking Korean really well even though she claimed that she couldn't write or spell very well. Sorry Jess, but now I believe you.^^ I resented Mark for using a word that the teacher deemed difficult.. although I was slightly relieved and delighted when he didn't know the word for getting married.(Yeah yeah, I know I'm horrible) I resented everyone for knowing what the Korean words for trading company and stock exchange were. I was scared shitless of 선생님 and I remember taking notes with my head down with a certain amount of fervor, anything to keep him from calling on me during class... I almost had an aneurism when he decided to give us an impromptu speaking quiz in front of the entire class (!!).. I remember the cold sweat collecting on my forehead as I received the questions he asked in terror.... holy shit, how am I going to explain the plot of Old Boy?!
So, we've come a long way. Slowly we learned to be more comfortable around each other and my resentment subsided. 선생님 became less terrifying and I actually began to really like him despite his initial scary appearance. I don't exactly remember when but we started the tradition of bringing snacks every Friday... Snack Friday we called it.. original, I know. Everyone came to class on a pretty regular basis... especially Alisa who managed to make it every day!(Although some days she would be 20 minutes late.. and other days, she'd be sleeping throughout class)... anyway, fast forward to......
My class and I deciding that we wanted to chip in and get our 선생님 a present so that he would hopefully never forget us and more importantly, so that we could show our appreciation for him being such a great teacher. We all chipped in some money and decided to create a "fun bag" consisting mostly of items that were kind of inside jokes for us throughout the semester. Like an energy drink with all of the fruit in the world(stolen from our cheesy Korean reading book) or bananas for the oh-so-secret banana game... Alisa and I also went shopping for the perfect tie for him.. blue and with diagonal stripes(just like he mentioned to us one day in class).. we also printed out the only picture we had of all of us and put it in a frame. Fast forward again to the last day of class.
We sat in our regular seats and presented the fun bag to our teacher. He looked pretty shocked that we had gotten him so many presents. We forced him to take out each item one at a time so that we could "ooh" and "aww" and laugh at all of the appropriate places and times. Finally, he reached for the class picture which was wrapped... and as he slowly began to unwrap it, I began squealing at a ridiculously high pitch. It was really beyond any sort of control I had over my body... I just began squealing my head off in nervous anticipation. And I couldn't stop..... he finally saw the picture and took a long pause.. he looked down for a while and then looked up at us and told us that this was his favorite of the presents. It looked like he was going to cry.. Me being completely emotionally awkward and not being able to handle the tension, decided to attempt to cut through it with this little gem "What?? You like it better than the energy drink??" The class laughed uncomfortably as again, I was unable to have any sort of control over my bodily actions. Yes, I never take the high road.. because dignity is a concept that has always eluded me. The high road has always been blocked with too many road blocks and obstacles... ah, and here I am with cheesy ass metaphors again. I can never seem to banish them from my life.... I don't know. I don't know how to properly end this story.. so I guess I'll stick with simplicity. Alisa, Peter, Mark, Jessica, Zhiyuan, Yao Yao, Nicole, Nicole Marie, Angela, and 선생님... I'm going to miss you all so much. Korean class was certainly one of the highlights of this relatively quiet(in comparison with last semester) semester. Keep in touch 반친구들
So now here's where I've also been preparing for the way back home.
Sigur Ros is fucking coming to Berkeley!! I recently bought 3 tickets(one for me, my older brother Aaron, and the younger brother Joseph) and am fucking PSYCHED!! This is the concert I've been waiting entirely too long for... and I'm only all too certain that it will be one of the greatest days of my life. How's that for pressure? Fuck prom, fuck graduation, fuck the wedding day.. THIS is it. I've also got tickets to go see Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine, and Bonnie "Prince" Billy is set to headline the free annual bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park(with a possible appearance by Robert Plant & Allison Krauss although they might've dropped out).. Additionally, my brother is going to be DJ-ing for an event held for Irvine Welsh(who wrote Trainspotting).. what the heck? So I'm giving myself things to look forward to... because I know I'm going to need a lot of positive things in my life to help adjust to being back in the states.
And last but not least, a fucking reunion is in the works for August. Ever see An American Tail: Fievel Goes West? Well, it's like... a fucking Korean Tale: Chingoos Go West... (btw, did anyone know that James Stewart was Wylie Burp in that movie? wild....) Any chingoos reading this, we really gotta start planning dates for this! Anna and I have a tentative road trip planned to go up the west coast through Portland(to see our friend Tom) and then finally up to Seattle to see James(b/c Ryo you'll be in DC.. booooo) Gelly and Amy and Jake, I'm hoping that you guys can make it out here. And Jason, who is the only one who seems to have finalized any sort of plans... I'm excited to see all of you!! Okay Okay Okay... this post ended up being a lot longer than anticipated.. but anyway, this was me just spewing out everything all over the place.. again. Take care everyone and love and talk to you all soon.
PS, Peter and I went to this pretty cool art store in Hongdae the other day and I ended up buying a book bag there. It's plain and meant to be designed by the person buying it so I decided to cut apart my previously bought Jay McCarroll bag(GASP, right?) and sew the patterns onto this bag. Don't make fun of me for buying the Jay bag.. Project Runway or no Project Runway, I am convinced that I would have bought the bag anyway as the patterns are really nifty. So I spent practically all night sewing these bitches onto the bag since apparently, I don't really know how to sew. Well, makeshift sewing turned out to be okay and I think the bag turned out pretty well.... if I do say so myself. What do you think? All this while marathon watching the Gilmore Girls... ah, life is good.
And I stopped in front of the toilet paper selection and contemplated which pack I should buy... and usually the debate is between which one is both of reasonable quality and at the best price.. but I stopped myself and started to wonder.. do I really even need this much toilet paper? I only need enough to last me through the end of July.. and with that thought, it really hit me.. through the most mundane of activities.. it really signified the end to me. Gahhh, so what did I do? I didn't buy any toilet paper at all and have been buying individually packed rolls for the time being... only seemed sensible.. ugh.. who knew sensibility could be so depressing?
It's still too early to reflect on the entire year in Korea overall.. but I guess I do have some things to say until it comes to that time.. until I can make peace with it. So in lieu of dopey and cliche reflections(for now, I still have a lot up my sleeve..), I'll tell a story. I don't really know if this will be of interest to anyone since it's just regarding my Korean class but whatever, this is for my own personal reference first and foremost anyways.
If anyone can remember my blog entry from far back, it wasn't too long ago when I transferred into the class and instantly resented everyone. I resented Jessica for speaking Korean really well even though she claimed that she couldn't write or spell very well. Sorry Jess, but now I believe you.^^ I resented Mark for using a word that the teacher deemed difficult.. although I was slightly relieved and delighted when he didn't know the word for getting married.(Yeah yeah, I know I'm horrible) I resented everyone for knowing what the Korean words for trading company and stock exchange were. I was scared shitless of 선생님 and I remember taking notes with my head down with a certain amount of fervor, anything to keep him from calling on me during class... I almost had an aneurism when he decided to give us an impromptu speaking quiz in front of the entire class (!!).. I remember the cold sweat collecting on my forehead as I received the questions he asked in terror.... holy shit, how am I going to explain the plot of Old Boy?!
So, we've come a long way. Slowly we learned to be more comfortable around each other and my resentment subsided. 선생님 became less terrifying and I actually began to really like him despite his initial scary appearance. I don't exactly remember when but we started the tradition of bringing snacks every Friday... Snack Friday we called it.. original, I know. Everyone came to class on a pretty regular basis... especially Alisa who managed to make it every day!(Although some days she would be 20 minutes late.. and other days, she'd be sleeping throughout class)... anyway, fast forward to......
My class and I deciding that we wanted to chip in and get our 선생님 a present so that he would hopefully never forget us and more importantly, so that we could show our appreciation for him being such a great teacher. We all chipped in some money and decided to create a "fun bag" consisting mostly of items that were kind of inside jokes for us throughout the semester. Like an energy drink with all of the fruit in the world(stolen from our cheesy Korean reading book) or bananas for the oh-so-secret banana game... Alisa and I also went shopping for the perfect tie for him.. blue and with diagonal stripes(just like he mentioned to us one day in class).. we also printed out the only picture we had of all of us and put it in a frame. Fast forward again to the last day of class.
We sat in our regular seats and presented the fun bag to our teacher. He looked pretty shocked that we had gotten him so many presents. We forced him to take out each item one at a time so that we could "ooh" and "aww" and laugh at all of the appropriate places and times. Finally, he reached for the class picture which was wrapped... and as he slowly began to unwrap it, I began squealing at a ridiculously high pitch. It was really beyond any sort of control I had over my body... I just began squealing my head off in nervous anticipation. And I couldn't stop..... he finally saw the picture and took a long pause.. he looked down for a while and then looked up at us and told us that this was his favorite of the presents. It looked like he was going to cry.. Me being completely emotionally awkward and not being able to handle the tension, decided to attempt to cut through it with this little gem "What?? You like it better than the energy drink??" The class laughed uncomfortably as again, I was unable to have any sort of control over my bodily actions. Yes, I never take the high road.. because dignity is a concept that has always eluded me. The high road has always been blocked with too many road blocks and obstacles... ah, and here I am with cheesy ass metaphors again. I can never seem to banish them from my life.... I don't know. I don't know how to properly end this story.. so I guess I'll stick with simplicity. Alisa, Peter, Mark, Jessica, Zhiyuan, Yao Yao, Nicole, Nicole Marie, Angela, and 선생님... I'm going to miss you all so much. Korean class was certainly one of the highlights of this relatively quiet(in comparison with last semester) semester. Keep in touch 반친구들
So now here's where I've also been preparing for the way back home.
Sigur Ros is fucking coming to Berkeley!! I recently bought 3 tickets(one for me, my older brother Aaron, and the younger brother Joseph) and am fucking PSYCHED!! This is the concert I've been waiting entirely too long for... and I'm only all too certain that it will be one of the greatest days of my life. How's that for pressure? Fuck prom, fuck graduation, fuck the wedding day.. THIS is it. I've also got tickets to go see Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine, and Bonnie "Prince" Billy is set to headline the free annual bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park(with a possible appearance by Robert Plant & Allison Krauss although they might've dropped out).. Additionally, my brother is going to be DJ-ing for an event held for Irvine Welsh(who wrote Trainspotting).. what the heck? So I'm giving myself things to look forward to... because I know I'm going to need a lot of positive things in my life to help adjust to being back in the states.
And last but not least, a fucking reunion is in the works for August. Ever see An American Tail: Fievel Goes West? Well, it's like... a fucking Korean Tale: Chingoos Go West... (btw, did anyone know that James Stewart was Wylie Burp in that movie? wild....) Any chingoos reading this, we really gotta start planning dates for this! Anna and I have a tentative road trip planned to go up the west coast through Portland(to see our friend Tom) and then finally up to Seattle to see James(b/c Ryo you'll be in DC.. booooo) Gelly and Amy and Jake, I'm hoping that you guys can make it out here. And Jason, who is the only one who seems to have finalized any sort of plans... I'm excited to see all of you!! Okay Okay Okay... this post ended up being a lot longer than anticipated.. but anyway, this was me just spewing out everything all over the place.. again. Take care everyone and love and talk to you all soon.
PS, Peter and I went to this pretty cool art store in Hongdae the other day and I ended up buying a book bag there. It's plain and meant to be designed by the person buying it so I decided to cut apart my previously bought Jay McCarroll bag(GASP, right?) and sew the patterns onto this bag. Don't make fun of me for buying the Jay bag.. Project Runway or no Project Runway, I am convinced that I would have bought the bag anyway as the patterns are really nifty. So I spent practically all night sewing these bitches onto the bag since apparently, I don't really know how to sew. Well, makeshift sewing turned out to be okay and I think the bag turned out pretty well.... if I do say so myself. What do you think? All this while marathon watching the Gilmore Girls... ah, life is good.
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