never more beautiful

"the best part about a picture of a beautiful girl is that she will stay a beautiful girl forever. she can be lovely. she can be cool. she can be anything you want her to be. you will never see her cry, laugh, wrinkle, or age. you will never see her fall in love, give birth, fail, or succeed. you can't save her. and maybe you might want to. but you will say, she was never more beautiful."

lulu and your mom  

boundaries? what boundaries?

"i wanna send you a picture of my penis for reals"
"seriously"
"i wanna know what you think of it"

karen hong, CPI (certified penis inspector)

lua

"but me i'm not a gamble you can count on me to split
the love i sell you in the evening, by the morning won't exist."

become somebody

do you ever get the feeling that maybe you weren't meant to do great things? maybe you weren't meant to be extraordinary. maybe you were just meant to be.

trying to constantly be "somebody" is exhausting.

chicago and grass

blood type "b"

did anyone else notice that you can now add your blood type on your facebook profile? i have a feeling that only korean people went ahead and added this option.

korean people have this crazy belief that your personality is dependent on your blood type. i actually had no idea what my blood type was until i got here. apparently it's a big deal. people freaked out every time i said "i have no idea." true story. i think most of us in the states really don't know/don't care what our blood type is. to decide what kind of person someone is based on their blood type? now, that's just madness! that was then. this is now. after living here for over a year, i'm slowly starting to buy in to this whole "blood type personality" thing. apparently, according to my korean friends, i am so very much your typical blood type "b". i don't know if i should take that as a compliment or an insult. lol oh well. it is what it is.

oh yea, this isn't korean, but i also found this site that even breaks down the different types of food you should eat/avoid, the type of exercises that are best for your blood type, and what makes you "unique." apparently i should avoid chicken (eating it, that is. i can still hang with them if i please).

anyway, without further ado ...

i found these descriptions off some website. take a look for yourself. how do you compare?

Type A: The Farmer

Speaking broadly, it is said that people with Type A Blood are calm, composed, levelheaded, and very serious. They have a firm character, and are reliable, trustworthy, and hardheaded. They are shy, introverted perfectionists. They are considerate to others and don’t easily lie. They are loyal to friends and coworkers. They can be secretive, though, and don’t often share their feelings. They try to suppress their own emotions, and because they have continual practice in doing this, they appear strong, when, in actuality, they have a fragile, nervous side, as well. They tend to be hard on people who are not of the same type, and consequently, tend to be surrounded with people of the same temperament. They also don’t hold their liquor well. Type A’s are the most artistic of the groups. They can be shy, cautious, conscientious, reliable, trustworthy, and sensitive. They can also be overcautious, picky, arrogant, and reckless when drunk.

Type B: The Hunter

People with Type B Blood are curious everything. That may be good, but they also tend to have too many interests and hobbies. They tend to get excited about something suddenly only to drop it again just as quickly. They seem to manage to know which of their many interests or loved ones are truly the most important. B Types tend to excel in things rather than just be average, but they tend to be so involved in their own world that they neglect other things. They have independent spirits with strong personalities. They have the image of being bright and cheerful, full of energy and enthusiasm, but some people think that they are really quite different on the inside. They also don’t really want to have much personal contact with others. While they don’t care what others think of them. They are extremely passionate about the things they hold dear. Type B’s are the individualists of the blood group categories and find their own way in life. Type B personalities can be curious, bright, cheerful, enthusiastic, independent, sensitive, and unpredictable. They can also be superficial, unreliable, selfish, unpredictable, indiscreet, lazy, and impatient.

Type AB: The Humanist

Type-AB people are an unpredictable, distant lot, but tend to use their heads over their hearts. They are good with money. Type AB’s are the split personalities of the blood groups. They are considerate of other people’s feelings and deal with them with care and caution. On the other hand, though, they are strict with themselves and those close to them. They, therefore, seem to have two personalities: one for those “outside,” and another for people on the “inside.” They often become sentimental, and they tend to think too deeply about things. AB Types have a lot of friends, but they need time to be alone and think things through, as well. They can be both outgoing and shy, confident and timid. While responsible, too much responsibility will cause a problem. They are trustworthy and like to help others. Type AB personalities can be sensitive, considerate, careful, and efficient. They can also be strict, moody, easily offended, critical, and standoffish.

Type O: The Warrior

Type-O people are outgoing, expressive, and passionate. They are highly motivated, natural leaders. Blessed with a strong physical presence, they aren’t afraid to gamble because they are so convinced they’ll win. Type O Blood people are said to set the mood for a group and to take on the role of creating harmony among its members. Their image is one of being peaceful and carefree. They are also thought to be big-hearted and benevolent, and they tend to spend money on others generously.They are natural athletes. They tend to be obsessive in their quest for success, and this can make them boring to others. Type O’s are outgoing, and very social. They are initiators, although they don’t always finish what they start. They appear to be levelheaded and trustworthy, but they often slip and make big blunders inadvertently. That is also the what makes O Types lovable. Creative and popular, they love to be the center of attention and appear very self confident. Type 0 personalities can be carefree, generous, independent, flexible, idealistic, goal-oriented, athletic, competitive, and adaptable. They can also be clumsy, flighty, jealous, greedy, unreliable, obsessive lover, vain loudmouths.

Romatic Compatability by Blood Groups:

A is most compatible with A and AB

B is most compatible with B and AB

AB is most compatible with AB, B, A and O

O is most compatible with O, and AB

moving on up, to the northside

can you believe it?! it's already been a year since i've been able to call a little piece of seoul my own. sadly, i couldn't renew the lease on that piece and had to venture out and claim another. the place i used to live was located south of the river and the new place is located north of the river. let me tell you, that relocation made a huge difference! basically, i moved from a nice downtown, fast-paced neighborhood to a nice suburban, quiet neighborhood. seriously, i used to not be able to sleep due to all the noise coming up from the streets when i lived in cheongdam. now, in ichon, all i hear at night are the sounds of cicadas a-chirpin' and raindrops a-droppin'. it's great! peace and quiet at last!

well, without further ado ...

the living room

the kitchen

the bathroom

the bedroom

the walk-in closet!!!!

and just one more for good measure ...

i think sani's definitely enjoying the new place

bernal heights

free download of jhameel's album, the human condition, here.

gary shteyngart, super sad true love story

"i KNOW you are capable of love, that you cannot hide forever from the truth of being a full emotional human being with a need to connect, with a need to be with someone who can understand you and where you come from, respect you, and take care of you. And that's what i want to do, Eunice, to take care of you, forever and ever."

sisters

missing my sisters. damn. we look good. 

bored at work ... again

i'm a sucker for men's shoes and the men who wear said shoes. yeaaaa ... probably not the guy pictured below. but those shoes! i've always loved those shoes. i love 'em so much i made both peter and patrick (the only men in my life that'll let me shop for them) buy a similar pair. 

image credit: the sartorialist

i love these shoes. i wish i knew more guys in korea who owned these shoes and possessed that certain ... something ... to pull them off. oh, it'd also help if they weren't the brother and the brother-like friend. 

jcrew suede macalister boots

speaking of shoes and men and whatnot ...

how many of you guys would walk (without pretending you don't know me) next to me if i was rocking these bad boys?

isabel marant manly goat leather boots

i'd rock these so hard. i want them so bad, it hurts.

freaks and geeks

nick: "you need to find your reason for living. you gotta find your big, gigantic drum kit. you know?"

lindsay: "maybe i'll buy a clarinet."

peanut butter smores bars

i received a lovely surprise last friday all the way from the good ol' u.s. of a. my sister sent me a care package filled with some of the things i've been missing the most from the states. it wasn't too big but it was filled with exactly what i wanted. i've been desperately craving anything involving smores and this package couldn't have come at a more perfect time. seriously korea, how can you not sell graham crackers?! also, the marshmallows she sent me are these new flat marshmallows they created solely to accommodate smore assembling!!! genius? i think so!

graham crackers, marshmallows, hershey's chocolate, reese's pieces, gummy bears, and homemade cookies (not pictured)

now, what to do with all these ingredients? david and i already made a few smores last night while watching bad boys 2 and being just overall super american. they were delish! i'm seriously considering making this recipe pictured below. however, i'm not sure if i want to waste what little provisions i have on a recipe i'm not too sure about. i could make so many individual smores with the ingredients it takes to make these bars! i assume these bad boys would also disappear in a matter of hours. that would be sad. what to do? what to do?

peanut butter smores bars

side note: i think @wookymonster was right. i really do need some real world problems.

don't judge a book by it's cover

this weekend was a much-needed reminder that one's personality, truly, is what's important.

@wookymonster to @khongster

"Can't sleep. Read your blog. We need to find you some real world problems."

chocolate gooey butter cookies

ash requested i post a picture of cookies. i went one step further and posted the recipe as well. you're welcome. i used to make these cookies all the time in college when i wanted to avoid doing actual work. they're on my list of top 10 favorite cookies of all time. like everything worthwhile in life, they take a little time. however, they're incredibly easy to make. do it. make them. you won't regret it.

chocolate gooey butter cookies

p.s. you can totally rework the recipe and use lemon cake batter and lemon extract to make the perfect lemon gooey butter cookies. they're perfection. i promise.

do opposites really attract?

for some odd reason the topic of compatibility and relationships keep being brought up in a number of conversations i've been a part of lately. i've had a bevy of conversations with friends that consist of questions like: "do you think opposites really attract?", "do you have a tendency to like people who are more like you?", so on and so forth. you get the point.

i think the reason why i even have an inkling of interest in this topic may have to do with the fact that lately, i feel i'm ready for something different. something that isn't something akin to one of my many platonic relationships. i've been having these terrible cravings to connect with someone, anyone (well, not ANYONE), and i honestly believe these are all very important questions to consider before you get to that pivotal moment when you say, " hey baby, let's get it on." hah! i kid! i kid! i would never call anyone "baby"!

anyway ...

back to the topic at hand.

i honestly believe that people, companions, friends, etc. who are completely different from each other can have something beautiful together. i think one's personality isn't necessarily the defining factor of whether a relationship works or not. i like to believe that just as long as two beings have similar interests, hobbies, and really make the effort to accommodate the other's needs, they could be perfect for each other. (i keep saying "beings" because i'm totally referring to my current lover, my dog.)

wow. did that statement just make me sound like some naive hopeless romantic? i'm sorry. how uncharacteristic of me.

but yes, i honestly believe it. a prime example is my friend, we'll call him boy. boy happens to be a very old and very good friend of mine. the reason we're such good friends? we are essentially the same person except that i am sans penis. we both are incapable of holding a phone conversation for longer than is necessary. talk on the phone for hours about how your day was? pft! yea right! that's just pure madness! we both have the tendency to practice very little tact when it comes to other's feelings. we both don't seem to really understand the social norms of communication. we're both basically fairly independent people that do as we want, when we want, without really taking others into consideration. well, at least that's how he used to be.

now a little background information on his girlfriend, we'll call her girl. girl happens to be the complete opposite. she's your typical female. she likes to ring him up regularly to see how his day was. she likes to call him a million times in a row if he doesn't pick up the phone right away. she wants to know what he did all day. she likes to see him whenever she can. she is, easily put, emotionally dependent. i'm not saying that's a bad thing. i'm just stating the facts. girl and boy couldn't have started out more different.

i had lunch with them the other day and we got to talking. how do you guys make your relationship work? how does her "neediness" not get on your nerves? how does his inability to talk on the phone and be there whenever you need him not piss you off? after all was said and done, it was quite simple. compromise. typical, i know. but it's what works. after over a year of dating, they have become better people because of each other. boy is now a much more understanding, social person. boy takes into account other people's feelings and needs before his own. boy is on his way to becoming a real human being. girl has also changed for the better. girl has become less needy and demanding. girl has chilled down quite a bit. girl doesn't call 10 times in a row if the boy doesn't pick up the phone right away. girl waits for him to call her back. she now knows he eventually will. easy as that.

what is the point of this long ass story that i'm sure you stopped reading 30 lines ago?

well, let me tell you my kiddies.

it all goes back to proving my statement that no matter how different two people's personalities are, it doesn't matter. if you're willing to put in the time and effort to accommodate the other person and to meet somewhere in the middle, anything can work. also, you may walk away becoming a better person having done so. obviously (in my opinion), having something in common that can become a topic of conversation is also a necessary factor in sustaining a viable relationship, but that seems to be a no-brainer.

basically, i walked away from this conversation with the boy telling me i'm just like him. we need to date someone who's not exactly like us. i need someone like girl. someone who will keep me accountable. someone who will pick up the phone and call me regularly and make me make the effort to see them. someone who is just a little bit "needy". someone who is so unlike myself that it's almost painful in the beginning. this could be my saving grace. obviously, this isn't going to be the game changer when it comes to my issues in the relationship department. however, this post is getting way too long and delving into that would take at least 3 more pages. my problematic love-life is a topic that can addressed at another time. trust me. i won't be rid of these problems anytime soon. after all, as you all know, i am the queen supreme of the friend-zone.

did that post even make sense? did i even address the topic? i don't know what just happened. whatever. doesn't matter. in the end, it's just me thinking out loud. who really cares if it makes any sense to anyone else.

woody allen, the new shelton wet/dry

"Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions."

borrowed from robert's tumblr

blindness

blindness by jose saramago

so good. go read now.

august

it's august already! oh, how time flies! i can't believe summer is already more than half-way over. i can't wait till fall. fall weather in korea is perfection. summer, not so much. well, since we still have a couple months till it starts cooling down a bit here ...

things to look foward to in august:

shin's visit ...

christine's visit ...

doug and irene's visit ...

and of course, my big move north of the river in a couple weeks! it's crazy. NORTH of the river! changes are a-brewin'!

i always love when it when old friends come visit seoul (and me!). after all, if i can't go back to see everyone, the next best option is having everyone come here to see me!

it's going to be a good month. i can feel it in my bones.