Thanksgiving break is a trick!!

As I sit here in the library,
missing class to do work for my next class
and wishing I could pass out on my bed,
I get sad thinking about last 3 weeks of the semester :(

Not just because my senior year will be half way over
but because sleepless nights of work await me,
and take up all my time so I can't enjoy time with others!

Everyone's all excited during the time leading up to Thanksgiving break,
for those few days to eat, sleep, and rest...
but when you come back...

BAM!!!

time to turn in final projects & papers and prepare for finals!
Those few days of relaxation
(which aren't really so relaxing since you are running around everywhere w/ family & friends)
give you a tantalizing taste of freedom
only to take it away again :(


I sound like a crazy, paranoid person :/

Stuffing & Thanks

I'm waiting around for my family to come. This year they're coming over at 4 today, we seem to be eating earlier and earlier haha. Our Thanksgiving feast will include two turkeys (one from Giant and one from Whole Foods), three types of stuffing (my mom ordered some from Giant, my one cousin is bringing some from Boston Market, and my other cousin is making it), and an assortment of other American and Korean food :)

The picture above was taken a little over a year ago...man, little did I know what was in store for me for the remainder of 2009. Ah so crazy how much has happened this past year. Time is going so fast now!! I wasn't really looking forward to this school year, but I'm thankful for all the people who have put a :) on my face and given me advice/listened to me stress haha. Most importantly, "I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king” (Daniel 2:23). I am thankful to have peace and direction in this world of chaos and darkness.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Edit: There was actually only one type of stuffing at our feast :( but it was delicious, homemade stuffing!! :)

Working Through a Senior Year Crisis

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight"

Proverbs 3:5

happy mini me

Ah, it felt so good to have a nice long 2+ hour brunch today...haven't had one of those for a while. Us grandma seniors and sophomores sat around talking about elementary & middle school days. Topics included: good books we read (Boxcar children!), cakes & flowers for "becoming a woman" HAHA, using rice instead of glue for our school projects, and for one person, racing not boys, not girls, but men at the track and beating them when she was in middle school hahhahaha. Such good carefree days!! I miss reading for fun, I used to read like crazy when I was younger...

We also talked about looming post-college life :( I've been mad stressed about the future and feeling indecisive, but I'm finally starting to accept that I can't plan everything out right now. I make a schedule every night for what I'm going to do the next day. I don't necessarily stick to it, but I really enjoy making schedules and knowing I have a plan haha. I also really like making lists (hence the name of the blog). I've been trying to schedule the rest of my post-college life b/c I feel like I have to plan everything out right now and know each step, even though I can't really control what's going to happen.

happy & optimistic at my sixth grade graduation

stressed out & getting yogurt pretzels from Subin at 2 am to fuel my thesis proposal writing process :(

I've realized I am way too indecisive and need to trust in God! Life after college is not the end of the world, and I know I'm probably gonna look back on this time 5 years from now and think about how foolish and unnecessarily stressed out I was haha. Until now, I thought I had a set plan for my future, but I realized I have to be flexible and open to other options. These past few weeks definitely made me see that I have a lot of growing up to do. Even though I know things will probably get crazy second semester, I will find my peace in the Lord and trust that He will guide me...

Darn You Bryn Mawr Bubble!

I've watched this at least 4 times now...

I am the naive blond girl in the above video -_-

I was talking to an alum about Bryn Mawr recently, and she was saying how it doesn't prepare you for the real world. Right now, I'm all "I love sociology!" and "It's going to be so nice if I become a professor!" But i'm also going to be poor...working like a slave...having no time...or health benefits.

Ugh. I'm sucha optomistic, naive college students! Whose about to leave the Bryn Mawr bubble! Darn bubble...making me all interested in sociology and not preparing me for the real world (where people don't care about other people and being p.c.). And darn liberal arts education.

Hmm...what to do? Keep studying because I enjoy it and be poor, or just try to get a job so I can get moneyz and not be poor and a slave?

an all too familiar vicious cycle

I forget where I found this, but as I sit here procrastinating and putting off starting a project that is due tomorrow, I decided it was an appropriate time to post this cartoon haha :)

Every New Semester:

After First Week:

After Second Week:

Before the Mid-Term Test:

During the Mid-Term Test:

After the Mid-Term Test:
Before the Final Exams:
Once Get to Know the Final Exam Schedule:
7 Days Before the Final Exam:
6 Days Before the Final Exam:

5 Days Before the Final Exam:
4 Days Before the Final Exam:
3 Days Before the Final Exam:
2 Days Before the Final Exam:
1 Day Before the Final Exam:
The Night Before the Final Exam:
1 Hour Before the Final Exam:
During the Final Exam:
Once Walk Out From the Examination Hall:
After the Final Exam, During the Holiday:

Many things on my mind, but haven't gotten around to sitting and blogging it out haha, but will soon! Anywho, my goal for this semester is to finish a paper before the day its due. Then, I will celebrate. Wahooooo. Okay, I should really get to work now...

but probably won't =/

hello senior year

ah...i thought I had a game plan coming into this year. I was supposed to be on top of all my work, study hard for GREs, prepare for all my future stuff, and be an anti-social hermit. Unfortunately, I'm behind on my work, haven't taken a single GRE practice test, and am not meeting my goals!

post-college life is looming :(

i don't know if i'm cut out for this stuff.

ah.

must. get. this. done.

i like bulldogs

I know most people don't really like bulldogs, but they're so cute! At lease the little ones haha. I decided to start blogging again and this is my first entry in almost 2 months. I will be posting exciting updates about my life as a hermit senior who is tryna stay on top of all her stuff. This entry is probably as exciting as its gonna get haha. Enjoy!

I think this last one is adorable, but some people disagree *ahem. I think this little guy expresses my feelings on getting through senior year and having to leave college :/

these are a few of my favorite things...la la la~

So...

I have one week to translate a 25 page article of academic writing from Korean to English.

-_-

Life is hard.

I must also do many annotated bibs. Its the last week of my internship and my second to last week in Busan. This article has become a large dark cloud following me around. It took me a day to get through 3 pages...I am doomed.

One of the professor's daughters and a 3-week-old baby from her church.

Here's a list of stuff that makes me smile that I made a while back but never got around to posting. I shall try to be positive and focus on the things on the list to ease the suffering of translating this darn article (hm...sounds passive-aggressive haha):

• good weather
• sleeping in
• mini things!
• watching a good movie
• reading a good book
• blueberries
• oatmeal
• dark chocolate
• surprises
• thoughtful gestures
• making someone happy
• sunsets
• sunrises
• late night talks
• finally getting to sleep after being sleep deprived
• baking (and now cooking)
• getting a good deal on something
• free things hehe
  
• extensions
• getting caught in the rain & not minding it
• good hair days
• patbingsoo (i like ice)
• accomplishing something
• spontaneity
  
• brunch
• wandering around cities
• lists
  
• a good laugh :)
• and.....babies!!

I feel like a chameleon moving from place to place, but I'm ready to settle down for senior year. I will miss Busan and the people though :( Btw I shall no longer be posting my blog updates as my facebook status so visit or subscribe for updates! I shall try to blog more regularly...we shall see what happens haha. It's a mystery! So my five (give or take) loyal readers, be alert! ;)

old but young (and Taiwan pictures)

Another day older, and officially another year as well haha. Thank you for the birthday wishes everyone! :) I'm thankful for family and friends who make my birthday special, but honestly, I don't really have much interest in celebrating it anymore. One thing I do like about my birthday is that it is in the middle of the year. Along with New Year's, these are the two occasions that I really sit down and think about the past year. It's only during these times that I realize how much has happened and changed during that time.

When I say I'm (we're) getting old, even though we're still young, I mean old in regards to age and maturity (i.e., responsibilities). If I live to be 80, God willing, I'm already more than a quarter done with my life! Especially with senior year coming up, I feel the responsibilities piling up and need to prepare for the future. As my senior pastor always says, we must lead a 준비인생, a ready life. It seems like people aren't really preparing for anything, but taking life for granted, assuming that there always will be a tomorrow or next time. I sometimes wonder if people really take life seriously (this includes myself). If we live for the moment, living for the world, it will always disappoint us. Instead, we must live for that which is not of this world, the only way to true happiness and peace :)

"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them'" [Ecclesiastes 12:1]

Anywho, I have been enjoying my time in Busan, but before coming here, I stopped by Taipei for 6 days and had a very good time! Taiwan has indeed touched my heart (see MV below) <3>

Here are some of my pictores from the trip :)

My hostel, eight elephants, so hard to find! The address is broken down by street, lane, and then alley! I only took one picture, but i would recommend it! Good location, clean, and friendly staff :)

Cutie cynthiar, my tour guide (and peng you). Milk tea with pearls, aka mini bubbles ^^ (honestly regular size bubbles taste better but o well haha and cyn I like Come Buy better too)

Random street near my hostel. I visited the National Palace Museum because I felt like I should. The visit served to confirm the fact that I do not enjoy going to museums haha.

Students performing at Ximen (cynthia described it as the trendy area where all the teenyboppers hang out). Din Tai Fung for its famous xiao long bao, which was indeed very yummy. The staff (along with most Taiwanese ppl) was really friendly too!

Pandas on our heads :) Second pic is from the Shida night market. I love night markets! The cheap yummy food, gajillion stores, people watching...its mad crowded though as you can see from the picture.

Chillin by Bitan bridge at night and Danshui on a drizzly day <3

On a random note, when I started this blog, I meant to update pretty regularly (every few days) with short fun updates about my travels and my life, and maybe a 2-3 pictures per post. I did not not want to have looong entries that were more analytical (some may call this "boring") and took time to scroll through, since I'm usually too lazy to look at those kind entries myself haha. But...thats what my blog has become. Ah well! Hope y'all enjoy it anyway :)

Florence-Chianti-Rome

Ciao! I feel refreshed after a wonderful 12 days at home, family, friends, and food! Too much eating out -_- It was good to catch up with people though. I feel like the people themselves didn't change, but circumstances did, if that makes sense. We're all getting older! Everyone's starting to finish college, start working, crazy! :O It was nice hanging out, strolling around Philly, graduations, busy busy!

For now, I'm back in London, jet lagged and putting off studying for my last final tomorrow (I guess not everything has changed haha). But once I'm done, I'm freeee! Then I shall fly off to Taiwan on Friday to join Cynthia and her mosquito friends and try to stay cool in the hot hot heat while eating yummy cheap food :P Then off to Busan to research with a professor and live with his family! Wahoo!!

Now...here are some very late Italy pictures haha. They're from the second half of April, just a little late...I shall try to keep this blog better updated in the summer. I wonder if I will keep blogging when my travels stop...we'll see!

Florence (Firenze):

Owls! As I was walking through the market, Vendor: You need something? Bag? Jacket? Boyfriend? Italian lover? Another vendor reading my shirt that said "work hard love hard": "work hard f*** hard?"Ah yes...harassment all over the world. Isn't it sad that its kinda expected now just walking down a street?

Near one of the famous bridges in Florence. Mozzarella and tomato sandwich!

This picture cracks me up haha the way our heads stick out :) Random neighborhood in Florence

Eunice the photographer. One of our dishes at a nice restaurant we ate at. I like how they don't rush you out after you eat, Italians are so chill!

The Korean hostel I stayed at. The ahjooma woke us up at 7 am and made sure we all ate breakfast -_- It was a lot cleaner than regular hostels, and I met interesting people including an unni from Busan who was gonna go to London soon, so we exchanged tips :) The Duomo (i always pronounced the name wrong -_-)...the spot everyone meets in Florence.

Chianti (region in Tuscany):

Little did we know what awaited us that day...

We went on a 2.5 hour hike all over these hills. The scenery was nice but the group was strugglin haha. Oh we were with a bunch of ppl btw, but we kept lagging behind and taking pictures hehe

It rained the day before and our shoes got crazy muddy! You can't really see from the pictures, but those shoes were spotted brown like a cow after haha

The Italian villa (from the 1600s) we ate at for lunch! It was really nice, except it was mad cold and there was a big crazy dog that attacked a smaller one, as in literally attacked, it was biting its neck and outta control! :(

Tuscan bread has no salt (read mad bland) but the meat (salami, prosciutto, etc.) is saltier to balance it. Pesto pasta.

Rome (Roma):

I was tired and wanted an espresso, but was also craving gelato. Then I found this!! It's like a gourmet gelati, layered whip cream and frozen espresso (as in strong espresso, not just flavored). Perfect! And the second picture is a random lil band playing music at a piazza hehe

Cannolis! Mini ones! Eunice cooked us a yummy pasta dinner at her apartment :P

I walked around in circles looking for this bakery to buy get this famous pistachio cookie I read about in some guide books, only to realize I had passed it multiple times an hour ago -_- O well...the cookie was good haha but mad expensive! The second picture is the top of the pantheon, which has a big ol' hole. You can't really tell how huge it is, but I guess you can see the sunlight at least haha.

The Colosseum is smack dab in the middle of a street haha so random! Espressos...tiny but dangerous.

Being classy at a cute restaurant in Trastevere (those are breaded olives she's holding btw). Trastevere neighborhoods at night.

I didn't do much in Italy in terms of siteseeing, just walked around and people watched mostly haha. But I enjoyed my time, it was relaxing. I know most people think I wasted my time by not going to all the historic/famous spots and they want to go see it, but if you're going for the sake of going or to have said you've gone, is it really worth it?

Okie dokies must get some much needed sleep and get this sucker (final) over with. Then pack and ahhh blur blur. Life is a blur. Okie dokes...Ciao for now!