I'm about to head back to Seoul, but it was yet another wonderful and relaxing trip to Busan. Even though I was only here for 2 1/2 days, it's always so nice spending time with my dad (and soaking in the rays along the beach ain't too bad either!).

The photo below was taken during a morning jog along the beach. Although I'm a week too early to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom, there are still buds just waiting to pop.

It's so beautiful to see the change of seasons so clearly. Yes, I've been anticipating the arrival of spring for many months now, but there's no question that it's finally here. New leaves, new flowers, new weather, new opportunities...Happy Spring everybody!

Tuesday Smoozeday

I've come to the conclusion that Tuesdays are the new Mondays. For some reason, I always get the Tuesday blues!

Well, I have a solution for it this morning. Watch this, and I'm sure it will cheer up the saddest of souls:

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Welp...

...it looks like I jinxed it.

It's snowing!

Gr.

[Feeling defeated...]

I think...but I don't want to jinx it.

Shhhhhhhhhh...I don't want Mr. Korean Weather to hear me...but I think the time has come....I think, I hope, I pray... Spring is here.

And I think it's lifting my spirits more than I ever thought possible. Because when it's Spring, I get to do this:

Instead of this:

[This was taken in February, at the peak of my delirium from being indoors all day]

I have about three weeks until I visit home for two weeks. I've picked up two people with tutoring, so most of my week is taken up with one- or two-hour sessions. I've also started a new show for TBS. The host I worked with on the Evening Show moved to a morning weekend show, so he invited me to do the in-depth news for both days. Last weekend was the first and although there were a few bumps in the road, I was fairly pleased with the outcome. Hopefully, I get around to posting another sound clip for you guys. Everyone was so encouraging last time, so maybe I'll do it when I need a boost in morale ;)

I'm extremely excited about my visit home! But I have so many things to do before then, I doubt I'll have much time to think about it until I'm actually on the plane. Until April 12, I have two articles to turn in, the weekend shows, tutoring in between, family time in Busan and showing Mark's visiting friends a good time at the beginning of the month. Phew! It makes me tired just thinking about it...

Regardless, life is good and I'm really beginning to feel like Korea is home. My six-month mark is this Saturday and I can't believe how much growth I've experienced already. Living on my own, making career decisions, having financial responsibilities are all part of growing up, but I'm really enjoying every part of it. It's not easy and I'll be the first to tell you that I have my days (a lot of bad ones too), but I'm learning to embrace the bad with the good because in the end, what I cherish most is the journey, the growth and the struggles it took to get from point A to point B.

The language barrier is still an issue but oddly, after my mom's visit, my confidence grew and I've found myself taking more risks with it. If I'm with friends who are better than me, I still depend on them completely. But when I'm with Mark or by myself, I'll venture into the unknown--asking questions, trying new phrases, etc. It's rewarding too because when they see you opening up, they're sure to open up as well.

As I said (quietly), Spring is here and I've got a really good feeling about it. It's the season of change, warm weather, new flowers and smiling people...what's not to love?!

I hope you're all having a beautiful week so far and that it's filled with many blessings. Until next time...

Priscilla Ahn

One of my favorite artists, Priscilla Ahn, wrote and dedicated this song to all the people of Japan and around the world, who have been affected by this great tragedy. I've had the opportunity to meet and see her live, and she's incredibly poised & down-to-earth, not to mention her voice is simply angelic.

I hope you're touched just like I was.

Have a beautiful day!

The worst disaster since WWII.

It seems as though everyone around the world has been fixed in front of their T.V. or computer as more information regarding Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami continues to be released. The pictures are horrifying, the articles are depressing and it seems as though the bad news never stops.

My heart breaks for the victims. Every news site has a photo slide that reveals absolute devastation. The pictures say it all: cold hands belonging to dead bodies are desperately reaching for help under layers upon layers of rubble, displaced children are frantically searching for their parents, old women who should be retired and resting are mourning over their families and flattened homes.

But what hurts more is the increasing lack of character and sympathy I'm observing from a community who should be standing together to pray, to help and to encourage. In the last two days, as the news continues to deliver more horrific photos of devastation, our attention is directed to an ignorant female from UCLA who "rants" about Asians in the library. During a time when everyone should be joined together to encourage Japan (regardless if it's finals week or not), we have to listen to an embarrassing video that promotes stereotypes and racism.

Further, I've seen numerous examples where Christians are taking this opportunity to say that the end times are near. However, if that's you, I urge you to choose your words wisely before you say something, post something or Tweet something because grieving people do not want to hear, nor will they understand, people praising the devastation because it's a sign of the end times. It sounds insensitive and it furthers people's pain.

In a society where social media is becoming the way of life--to gather news, to communicate, to spend free time, to protest, to complain, etc--I'm saddened by the growing lack of discretion. Facebook, YouTube, blogs and the like are not journals. They're not private. They're accessible to virtually anyone and it's important to remember that stupidity has consequences.

If you're like me, you'd love to drop everything and fly over to Japan to help out in anyway possible. Unfortunately, for many of us, that's just unfeasible right now. But do remember that there are ways to help, even from the comfort of your own home.

- American Red Cross: those who want to help can go to www.redcross.org and donate to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami. People can text REDCROSS to 90999 and make a $10 donation to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

- Global Giving: Global Giving is working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children and other organizations on the ground. Go to www.globalgiving.org to make a one-time or monthly donation.

- Salvation Army: go to donate.salvationarmyusa.org to donate online or text the words "Japan" or "Quake" to 80888 to make a $10 donation.

- Go to the NY Times page for more ways to donate.


Thanks for listening and I'm sorry for taking such a serious tone today. But these issues were really pressing at me and I thought it was important to share. Hope you all have a beautiful day.
Bisous xoxo

Mom, Part II

And just like that, it's over! After 9 days of endless fun and bonding, I'm longing for more. You see, naturally, I'm an independent, always-on-the move type of person. But her visit here forced me to stop and appreciate everything Seoul has to offer that I often take for granted--the food, the convenience, the people, the transportation, the buildings, everything. Her excitement for me and my life in Korea rubbed off on me, making me view Korea in an entirely different light.

I also got to act like her child again. She totally stepped into mom-mode the moment she stepped off that plane, helping me clean my apartment, cooking, doing my laundry, grocery shopping, signing me up for a cash-back point card and the like. She's just an awesome mom...I'm sure if you've met her even once, you'd agree.

When I dropped her off at the train station, I started to feel that lump in my throat, so I quickly said, "Thanks, love you, see you later" and ran off. I think she felt it too because her "goodbye" was equally short ;-) But there's no reason to be sad because I'm returning to California for a couple of weeks in April, so it really is a see-you-later kind of thing.

Anyway, enough with the mushy gushy, let's get to the fun stuff...pictures! I believe Mom, Part I ended with Monday. So on Tuesday, we spent most of our day walking around in Samcheong-dong and Bukcheon-dong. It was a little cold but the sun was out, making it a beautiful day to be outside. We spent a lot of time weaving in and out of the cute little alleys with even cuter shops and walking up and down the quiet hills of Bukcheon filled with hanoks (old traditional Korean homes). What we noticed about Bukcheon is that even though it is known for its old, traditional homes, it's really a town of contrasts (old hanoks next to new buildings, or a Mercedes Benz, or with a modern concrete garage). For lunch, we went to this mom-and-pop shop that had delicious sujebi (soup w/ wide, flat noodles) and pajeon (savory pancake thingy).

[Looks like a little street in Europe, doesn't it?]


[Hanoks]


[Here's what I mean by contrasts]


[One of my favorites...the pine trees were beautiful]


[Another contrast]




[Itty bitty doors!]




[Self-timer shot haha]


[Isn't it funny how the backdrop of these hanoks is Seoul's towering skyline?]






[Ending the night with dessert!]

The following day, we met up with my cousins for lunch and some coffee in Gangnam. It was really relaxing but unfortunately, my cousin Jimmy had to go to work at 1, so we had to cut it short. After we said our goodbyes (and made them promise to visit the U.S.), mom and I walked to Express Bus Terminal, which is an underground mall filled to the ceiling with everything you can imagine--clothes, shoes, kitchenware, plants, furniture, the list goes on. After mom purchased a few souvenirs, we headed back to my apartment for some r&r.

[Jimmy, Ji-hye and me]




[On the subway]


[This is what we spent the entire subway ride talking about:
how 7 out of 10 Korean women get plastic surgery]

Around 6 pm, we headed out again to meet up with Jamie and Mark for dinner. After stuffing our faces with Korean BBQ, we stuffed our faces with papingsoo (red bean and shaved ice and fruit) at Ti Amo Cafe. There, we laughed and laughed as Mark recounted his experiences teaching English to 3-year-olds ("It's like herding cattle. They'll pay attention for a second and slowly, they start looking at other things and moving to the walls" hahaha).

[Jamie's not mad, I promise you haha]

We kept Thursday pretty mellow since my mom's flight was later that afternoon. She bought me some necessary items for my house (like paper towels, an extension cord, trash bags...you know, the stuff you don't want to spend your money on but you just have to). For our last meal together, we ate delicious bibimpap and chachang myeon. By the way, the reason I'm describing each meal is because my mom's visit could also be called "The Korean Food Tour." Most of our time was spent eating or thinking about our next meal. The times we didn't think about food, we were sleeping.

The last couple of days since her departure have been a little sad. I've had random bouts of homesickness but thankfully, I have a wonderful boyfriend and best friend to bring me up! Plus, how can I stay sad when Spring is right around the corner (today was 50 degrees...wowza!)?

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I know I will...my plans are to rest, read and enjoy the sun. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? :-)

Mom, Part I

As you may know, my mom is visiting me for 9 days. Tonight is the end of day 6 and it makes me sad to think that our time together will be ending shortly. I'm sure many of you have experienced the fun yet exhausting task of being a host/entertainer to a visitor. You always have to be "on" and energetic.

BUT with my mom, she is so easy-going and mellow that no part of her visit has been a burden to me. We wake up leisurely, drink our cups of coffee, read some of our books, watch a couple movies and then, when we feel ready, we head out. There's no pressure to do all the touristy things (she has seen it all...or most), so we just walk around, talk, eat, talk some more and continue walking around.

[Walking along the Han River]

[Getting some street mandoo]


[Dessert time in Itaewon!]




[@ What the Book in Itaewon]

That's not to say we haven't been tourists though :) Over the weekend, we went to Busan and stayed at a very nice beachfront hotel. We napped to our hearts' content and went to the hotel's natural springs, hot tubs and pool for the rest of the afternoon. We ate like kings (or shall I say queens)--Korean BBQ, grilled fish, international cuisine buffet, etc. And then, on Saturday night, we headed back to Seoul.

[Our view during Friday brunch]

[Reading as we listened to the crashing waves and felt the nice cool breeze flow
into our oceanfront room at Paradise Hotel in Busan]


[Drying her hands so she can take a picture of me haha]

As much as I would've loved to drop all my commitments to play with my mom, that's just impossible. But instead of feeling bad for leaving my mom at home while I work, she has been more than happy to tag along and even help me out! Last Thursday, she came to the station with me and snapped photos during my entire segment (how embarrassing...kidding!) and on Sunday, while I was tutoring a kid, she was helping the kid's mom with her conversational English. How awesome is that?!

Today was a pretty action-packed day. We woke up, drank some coffee, ate some breakfast, watched True Grit and finally stepped out of the house around 11. We went to Myeong-dong, where she did a little souvenir shopping for the family and then we walked to Namdaemun Market, where we had some yummy kalguksu. After that, we headed to the iPark Electronics Mall, where my mom stepped into total mom-mode and bought me a much needed microwave. By the way, she bought one for Mark too. I'm telling you, she never ceases to amaze me :)

[First stop of the day: Myeong-dong. Mom's face: I'll smile for the camera but get me out of here]

[Kalguksu!]


[A woman delivering food at Namdaemun Market]


[As we wait for the subway...]




[Looking very stylish in Gangnam]




[A cafe with tons of delicious-looking pastries. I didn't get to try any. Oh well. Next time...]

Soon after, we headed to Gangnam, where we walked around Kyobo bookstore and purchased 3 of the 4 GQ Anniversary magazines that my aunt specifically requested (don't worry, Aunt Mary, we're still on the hunt for the 4th one!). We ended the night with some cheap yet delicious tofu soup and kimbap.

Now, I'm here, mom's snoring in the back (shhhh, don't tell her I said that!) and I'm hoping that the next couple days with her go by verrrryyy slowly :) Although unrealistic, that would be absolutely ideal! I probably won't have a chance to blog until after she leaves, so until then, ciao!

Sorry but...

My mom's visiting and I'm having the time of my life.

Updates will come soon, I promise! For now, here are a few pics of what we've been up to (which looks like a whole lotta nothing but believe me, it's amazing!):

[@ the radio station]

[Street food :)]


[Some R&R in Busan]

More to come later :) Enjoy...