just a teensy weensy bit behind on the whole blogging thing. have yet to show you all my pictures from singapore or the most adorable new boy in my life. all in due time. for now ...
Handbook to Life
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don’t have negative thoughts over things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t overdo. Keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. Be grateful for what you have been given.
18. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
21. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away (like algebra class) but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
22. Smile and laugh more.
23. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Society:
24. Call your family often.
25. Each day give something good to others.
26. Forgive.
27. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
28. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
31. Do the right thing!
32. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
33. God heals everything.
34. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
36. The best is yet to come.
37. When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.
38. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
bollocks to adulthood!
hi all.
long time no see.
it's a beautiful saturday afternoon in seoul. it's sunny and warm and it looks like everyone is out enjoying the weather. well, everyone but yours truly. i am currently sitting at my desk, in front of my computer, in my office, and NOT out and about trying to fool myself that it is warm enough to sit outside of my favorite cafe and people watch. i should also mention that one day this week i was at the office till 3am and another night i didn't go home till 8am the next morning. it's just like college but without all your awesome friends to keep you company! what fun! oh adulthood, you suck. a lot. pay attention kiddies, it's not all fun and games, designer shoes, and trips to exotic lands you thought it would be. sad, but true. however, all this hard work is what provides you the resources necessary to fund your trips to fun and exotic places (should you ever get enough vacation days to go). a prime example would be my recent trip to singapore/indonesia!
yes folks, you read right. i ended up going to singapore and indonesia instead of singapore and vietnam. funny story. americans need a visa to get in to the awesomeness that is vietnam. yup, not really a funny story but a story nonetheless. apparently koreans don't need one but americans do. that's where i got confused. i kept telling everyone in korea i was going to vietnam and no one, NO ONE!!!, mentioned that i might need a visa. so, i didn't realize i needed one until i got to singapore and my cousin asked me if i got my visa to get in to vietnam. say what????? uhhhh no ... i had not. i tried to get one last minute but since it was chinese new year the embassy decided it'd take a little holiday for the ENTIRE WEEK!!! those lazy bastards! we only get 1 day off for our stupid new years! apparently asians are not the unrelenting, super-efficient, workaholic robots we thought they were. lame balls.
however, my trip was still awesome. also, korean airlines is awesome. seriously. i've decided that, if given the choice, i will fly the majority of my flights on korean airlines. of course, this is when funds are available. sadly, korean airlines ticket prices match the quality of their impeccable service. it's freaking expensive!!!! however, they were able to reroute my return flight from vietnam-seoul to singapore-seoul free of fees. i only had to pay the $60 dollar ticket fare difference. one word. AWESOME. especially since when i called expedia to inquire about the same thing they said it would be impossible considering i was mid-trip. idiots. bollocks to expedia.com!!
anyway ...
it's almost dinner time and it looks like i actually have some work to do. update on my singapore trip with pictures (yay!) coming soon.
long time no see.
it's a beautiful saturday afternoon in seoul. it's sunny and warm and it looks like everyone is out enjoying the weather. well, everyone but yours truly. i am currently sitting at my desk, in front of my computer, in my office, and NOT out and about trying to fool myself that it is warm enough to sit outside of my favorite cafe and people watch. i should also mention that one day this week i was at the office till 3am and another night i didn't go home till 8am the next morning. it's just like college but without all your awesome friends to keep you company! what fun! oh adulthood, you suck. a lot. pay attention kiddies, it's not all fun and games, designer shoes, and trips to exotic lands you thought it would be. sad, but true. however, all this hard work is what provides you the resources necessary to fund your trips to fun and exotic places (should you ever get enough vacation days to go). a prime example would be my recent trip to singapore/indonesia!
yes folks, you read right. i ended up going to singapore and indonesia instead of singapore and vietnam. funny story. americans need a visa to get in to the awesomeness that is vietnam. yup, not really a funny story but a story nonetheless. apparently koreans don't need one but americans do. that's where i got confused. i kept telling everyone in korea i was going to vietnam and no one, NO ONE!!!, mentioned that i might need a visa. so, i didn't realize i needed one until i got to singapore and my cousin asked me if i got my visa to get in to vietnam. say what????? uhhhh no ... i had not. i tried to get one last minute but since it was chinese new year the embassy decided it'd take a little holiday for the ENTIRE WEEK!!! those lazy bastards! we only get 1 day off for our stupid new years! apparently asians are not the unrelenting, super-efficient, workaholic robots we thought they were. lame balls.
however, my trip was still awesome. also, korean airlines is awesome. seriously. i've decided that, if given the choice, i will fly the majority of my flights on korean airlines. of course, this is when funds are available. sadly, korean airlines ticket prices match the quality of their impeccable service. it's freaking expensive!!!! however, they were able to reroute my return flight from vietnam-seoul to singapore-seoul free of fees. i only had to pay the $60 dollar ticket fare difference. one word. AWESOME. especially since when i called expedia to inquire about the same thing they said it would be impossible considering i was mid-trip. idiots. bollocks to expedia.com!!
anyway ...
it's almost dinner time and it looks like i actually have some work to do. update on my singapore trip with pictures (yay!) coming soon.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
restless
just booked my trip to singapore and ho chi minh city, vietnam to visit my cousin, joanie. i leave in a week! it looks like a week break from the frigid cold. i hear it's hot and humid down where i'm headed! yay! updates with pics and stories when i get back!
Friday, January 7, 2011
plan 2012 america
you know what's really fucking annoying?
people (or one person specifically) who come by your desk every 5 seconds and comment how you're not doing work and then walk away. well, buddy, if someone would give me some work to do then maybe i'd do something other than check my facebook and every blog on the internet every 5 seconds. one can only browse the archives of dezeen and archdaily so many times. seriously, they don't give me anything to do and yet they're appalled when i'm sitting here staring at something unrelated to architecture! i've asked! seriously, i've asked! give me work!!!!! i can understand if it's only one day i have nothing on my plate, but it's been one motherf-ing week!!!! give me something to do!!!! if i knew this would have been the case, i'd probably have asked to stay in the states for longer than the one week i was alotted.
oh yea, did i mention that this same person who used to call me fat (refer to previous blog entry) and now he's also the person who comes by and complains that i didn't get him a gift from america while everyone else got one. i don't think he comprehends that a gift is something you get for people you actually like. a gift is not something that is owed to people just because they are of higher rank than you in the office. apparently they don't teach these sort of things here. ridiculous! i'm not wasting my money on people i don't care for. no thank you.
kill me now.
plan 2012 america is officially underway!
there is no freaking way i can survive in korea for more than a year and a half.
see you stateside 2012!!!!
people (or one person specifically) who come by your desk every 5 seconds and comment how you're not doing work and then walk away. well, buddy, if someone would give me some work to do then maybe i'd do something other than check my facebook and every blog on the internet every 5 seconds. one can only browse the archives of dezeen and archdaily so many times. seriously, they don't give me anything to do and yet they're appalled when i'm sitting here staring at something unrelated to architecture! i've asked! seriously, i've asked! give me work!!!!! i can understand if it's only one day i have nothing on my plate, but it's been one motherf-ing week!!!! give me something to do!!!! if i knew this would have been the case, i'd probably have asked to stay in the states for longer than the one week i was alotted.
oh yea, did i mention that this same person who used to call me fat (refer to previous blog entry) and now he's also the person who comes by and complains that i didn't get him a gift from america while everyone else got one. i don't think he comprehends that a gift is something you get for people you actually like. a gift is not something that is owed to people just because they are of higher rank than you in the office. apparently they don't teach these sort of things here. ridiculous! i'm not wasting my money on people i don't care for. no thank you.
kill me now.
plan 2012 america is officially underway!
there is no freaking way i can survive in korea for more than a year and a half.
see you stateside 2012!!!!
Monday, December 20, 2010
is this heaven?
hi all!
so apparently i haven't posted in nearly a month. well, i only really blog when i have interesting things to blog about. i guess i haven't had anything interesting happen to me in the last month. but don't you worry! i finally had a new experience in korea! what could it be you ask?
wait for it ...
wait for it ...
it's ...
the ...
jjim jil bang (essentially a glorified spa)!
my friend from america was in town to visit and we decided that we needed to do something absolutely korean. what luck! none of us had ever been to a jjim jil bang before! believe me, jjim jil bangs are as korean as they get. so, with nothing else to do on a saturday night, we made our way to one of the largest jjim jil bangs in seoul ... the dragon hill spa in yongsan. even the name is super asian! it was absolute madness!!!
jjim jil bangs are open 24 hrs. and typically cost around $10 USD to visit. this particular jjim jil bang cost us 12,000 won (roughly $10 USD). these places are typically frequented by korean ahjummas who have nothing better to do during the day, families, and people who missed the last train/bus home and need somewhere cheap to crash. they are awesome. and like it's name, the dragon hill spa was no joke.
it was huge. and when i say huge, i mean HUGE!!!!! i could never have imagined such a place to exist. seriously. this place has everything. i am 99.5% positive that i could spend my entire life in this place without ever having to leave for provisions. they have a fitness center, outdoor pool/hot tub, different temperature saunas, a spa for massages and facials and whatnot, an arcade and play area for the kiddies, a restaurant, multiple snack bars (they even sell beer), large tvs, separate sleeping rooms for men and women, locker rooms, shower facilities, a small movie theater, an internet cafe, a nail station, and even pillows and blankets you can rent for when you just can't bring yourself to go home at night. i kid you not. this place seriously exists. i'm convinced this is what heaven would be like. only thing missing is george clooney.
anyway ...
david, eunice, her cousins, and i made our way into the spa. we were given comfortable clothes to change into. they were essentially pajamas, a baggy pair of shorts and a t-shirt. after we changed into our snazzy dragon hill spa gear we were free to roam around and do whatever we pleased. our little crew explored each of the different temperature saunas (including something that looked an awful lot like a large kiln), ate bing-su (shaved ice with fruit and rice cakes), boiled eggs (a jjim jil bang staple), and drank shik-hae (korean rice drink). we basically just laid around, shooting the shit, stuffing our faces, and occasionally got up to sweat our balls off. lazy lazy saturday. the saturday night of champions! eventually eunice and her cousins left and david and i (having missed the trains back home) decided to just crash there in the communal sleeping hall (aka the concentration camp). we woke up around 7 am and made our way home.
a great experience overall. if any of you come to visit me, i'll be sure to take you guys! =)
now, for the good stuff, the pictures ...
eunice's cousins, me, eunice, and david spending a saturday night @ the jjim jil bang
(please note our awesome dragon hill spa gear and princess leia towel headpieces)
the arcade inside the jjim jil bang
me and david looking super duper uber FOB in the kiddies' play area
david snapped this sweet pic when we woke up in the morning
(please note the concentration camp-esque feel of the room and the large kiln in the background)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
gobble gobble
happy thanksgiving!!!!
well, for all of you in the states, happy thanksgiving. this happens to be one of my favorite holidays. blackout wednesday, thanksgiving thursday, black friday, then the weekend! it's the perfect combination of drinking, eating, shopping, and resting! sadly, i won't be able to spend it with my family and friends this year. ahhhhh i can't believe i'm missing out on thanksgiving dinner back home. i miss the candied yams, stuffing, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, ham, and of course the turkey. i'm drooling just thinking about it.
our typical thanksgiving spread at home =(
now now, don't feel too bad for me. i've come up with a solution! a few of my american friends and i are doing our own thanksgiving dinner. sadly, considering i don't have an oven, it won't be in the comfort of my own home. however, there are restaurants in korea that have thanksgiving specials just for all of us ex-pats! yay! we were a little late in making reservations so we weren't able to get a table for tonight, but we're doing it sunday. better late than never! they've promised turkey, mashed potatoes + gravy, green beans, soup, salad, and pumpkin pie! i'm so excited. we'll see how it goes.
now that thanksgiving is taken care of ... moving on to the next holiday ...
christmas!!!!!
i know christmas is still a month away, but i'm freaking out! i have no idea what to get my parents. well, i know what i'm getting my mom but my dad is impossible. i think he has to be the hardest person to shop for. we always just end up getting him clothes or shoes or accessories. i want to get him something he might want rather than something he needs. i was thinking of getting my dad an ipod, stereo dock, and something that'll enable him to listen to it in the car. what do you guys think?
that's my dad to the left. yes, he is lighting his cigarette with one of those lighters you use to light your stove, a barbeque, and not a cigarette. yes, we were all a bit surprised when he pulled that baby out of his pocket after dinner. lol anyway, in case you guys don't know my dad, he is not the most technologically savvy person out there. he pretends to be, but don't let him fool you. he's not! do you think he'd be able to handle an ipod? i figure that i'll get him an ipod classic (160gb), load it up with all of his favorite songs (he doesn't listen to anything new really), teach him how to use it while i'm there, and he should be good (atleast until one of the other hongs come home for break or something). i really can't think of anything else he might want. any other ideas? what's a good gift to get a dad? i really don't want to have to resort to buying him another polo, sweater, scarf, etc. HELP ME!
well, for all of you in the states, happy thanksgiving. this happens to be one of my favorite holidays. blackout wednesday, thanksgiving thursday, black friday, then the weekend! it's the perfect combination of drinking, eating, shopping, and resting! sadly, i won't be able to spend it with my family and friends this year. ahhhhh i can't believe i'm missing out on thanksgiving dinner back home. i miss the candied yams, stuffing, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, ham, and of course the turkey. i'm drooling just thinking about it.
our typical thanksgiving spread at home =(now now, don't feel too bad for me. i've come up with a solution! a few of my american friends and i are doing our own thanksgiving dinner. sadly, considering i don't have an oven, it won't be in the comfort of my own home. however, there are restaurants in korea that have thanksgiving specials just for all of us ex-pats! yay! we were a little late in making reservations so we weren't able to get a table for tonight, but we're doing it sunday. better late than never! they've promised turkey, mashed potatoes + gravy, green beans, soup, salad, and pumpkin pie! i'm so excited. we'll see how it goes.
now that thanksgiving is taken care of ... moving on to the next holiday ...
christmas!!!!!
i know christmas is still a month away, but i'm freaking out! i have no idea what to get my parents. well, i know what i'm getting my mom but my dad is impossible. i think he has to be the hardest person to shop for. we always just end up getting him clothes or shoes or accessories. i want to get him something he might want rather than something he needs. i was thinking of getting my dad an ipod, stereo dock, and something that'll enable him to listen to it in the car. what do you guys think?
that's my dad to the left. yes, he is lighting his cigarette with one of those lighters you use to light your stove, a barbeque, and not a cigarette. yes, we were all a bit surprised when he pulled that baby out of his pocket after dinner. lol anyway, in case you guys don't know my dad, he is not the most technologically savvy person out there. he pretends to be, but don't let him fool you. he's not! do you think he'd be able to handle an ipod? i figure that i'll get him an ipod classic (160gb), load it up with all of his favorite songs (he doesn't listen to anything new really), teach him how to use it while i'm there, and he should be good (atleast until one of the other hongs come home for break or something). i really can't think of anything else he might want. any other ideas? what's a good gift to get a dad? i really don't want to have to resort to buying him another polo, sweater, scarf, etc. HELP ME!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
i'll be home for christmas
i'm going home!!!!
sadly, not right this minute, but soon enough! i booked my flight outta here! i'll be arriving in chicago on dec, 24th and will stay till jan. 2nd. that's 9 full days in chicago! i'll most likely be busy for a majority of the trip, what with the holidays, family, and whatnot, but i'd like to see everyone at least once during my short stay! i can't wait to go back! i have so many things i want to do, people i want to see, things i want to eat!!! omg i can't wait for some amazing food! i definitely want to go to some of my all-time favorite restaurants with my all-time favorite people! you know who you are!
foods i need to eat:
quartino's
avec
giordano's
portillo's
SUSHI!!!!
kuma's
chipotle
molly's cupcakes
fred's
etc.... (too many to list them all!)
i also can't wait for new year's eve! i'm staying till the 2nd of january so that i can spend new year's eve with you guys! we're going to party all night and then i'll probably have to spend the entire next day getting better for my flight the day after! it'll be short, but sweet! =)
i can't wait to see all of you!
1 month + 1 day and counting till this ...
this is definitely happening again this year ... miss you guys!!!
sadly, not right this minute, but soon enough! i booked my flight outta here! i'll be arriving in chicago on dec, 24th and will stay till jan. 2nd. that's 9 full days in chicago! i'll most likely be busy for a majority of the trip, what with the holidays, family, and whatnot, but i'd like to see everyone at least once during my short stay! i can't wait to go back! i have so many things i want to do, people i want to see, things i want to eat!!! omg i can't wait for some amazing food! i definitely want to go to some of my all-time favorite restaurants with my all-time favorite people! you know who you are!
foods i need to eat:
quartino's
avec
giordano's
portillo's
SUSHI!!!!
kuma's
chipotle
molly's cupcakes
fred's
etc.... (too many to list them all!)
i also can't wait for new year's eve! i'm staying till the 2nd of january so that i can spend new year's eve with you guys! we're going to party all night and then i'll probably have to spend the entire next day getting better for my flight the day after! it'll be short, but sweet! =)
i can't wait to see all of you!
1 month + 1 day and counting till this ...
this is definitely happening again this year ... miss you guys!!!
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