the New Do!

Okay.. got it done and here's a pic!
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You like....????

HOLIDAY!

Yes! It is about time... so to speak.. i've been off work for about 5 days now.. it's been good.. I think I've done tons of stuff and my schedule has been crazy even though I wasn't working.
Anyhoo.. for the past several days.. I've been to Busan for 3 days driving down and up again.. did some touring and visited my sick grandpa (he seems to be doing much better, so that's a relief) Have been to the airport to meet someone and get some stuff.. met the same person again a day later.. and now I'm at a hair salon getting waiting for my turn to do my hair...
Thinking of cutting it.. I guess I'll post the before and after pic.. OR NOT!
I will, though, upload my new hairdo.. I think.. I really need to find some time to get things done.. I mean really..
My sweet holidays are soon to be over.. I have 2 days left including today.. darn!
Well, it was sweet while it lasted..
thinking of gettting back to swimming and maybe jogging.. but that, hm.. I'll have to think more of..
Why can't life be simple and relaxing? why does it have to be so complicating..
but I guess that's what makes it interesting..

I'm sitting in front of the comp at the salon and they're playing 'No Promises' by Shayne Ward..
It's GREAT!
Well, my turns up.. so I'll have to get going..
Ciao!

will try to update soon!

November 25th Meeting!

Book : "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov
Attendees : Aaron, Liz, Susan, Catherine, Karen, & moi

Yes, couldn't finish it.. since I got my book about a week before the meeting..
and yes, I just can't stand the work load that my work is giving me.. I mean working there isn't that bad but it's the extra things that I have to do.. Anyhow, that's neither here nor there.

I think most of us didn't like it cus it was hard to get through. After all, it is a Russian literature. I'd have to actually sit down and read it 'cause I do want to read it. I read about 2 chapters or so.. but not more than that... I think it's for the best if I save it for later to finish it. I don't think I'll be reading it any soon..

I think I'm coming down with another flu, and it doesn't feel good at all. I'm so glad that I'll be on a week break starting Friday.. Oh, what a relief.

Women's Murder Club

Ok.. So this is originally James Patterson's series and ABC just recently made a TV series. I watched about 5 episodes and it seems really interesting. So, I thought it'd be nice to get the original story and try reading it.

The series is about four women working together to solve homicide investigations : Lndsay Boxer(Angie Harmon), homicide detective, Jill Bernhardt(Laura Harris), young assistant district attorney, Claire Washburn (Paula Newsome), medical examiner, Cindy Thomas(Aubrey Dollar), newspaper reporter.

It will be a nice relaxing read. However, I'll have to put in a special order since some of them aren't in stores here.. And since I have plenty of books waiting for to be read.. I guess I'm not in any hurry. But it surely is going on my TBR list.

Hoorah! My books came!!!

Yup... they just came!

I thought I'd try piling up some books that I really need to finish reading and the pile went up real high.. so the taller stack definitely needs to be read and be done with hopefully by this year but I'm guessing that won't happen so I'm thinking before the first half of next year.. (finger's crossed) and the shorter pile are the books that came today and that I bought recently on how to read... now why have I suddenly gotten in how to read... well, can't really answer that myself but it kind of did pop in my head. Yes, it'd definitely be nicer to be able to read a little bit faster. I'm not a fast reader nor am I slow- I would think I'm average when it comes to reading but I do get obsessed with my semi-perfectionist personality, that I would have to read every single line and understand every little detail before going further. So, may be, just may be, that's why there was sudden interest. I just hope they will help me in some way.

still waiting for my books to be delivered...

=( so sad~~~~
I am still waiting for my copy of "The Master and the Margarita" to be delivered...
Hopefully I'll get them sometimes next week and still have some time to finish reading it.
Tomorrow I'll be doing nothing staying home and probably sleeping in and catching up on my reading
I might do some studying for the test I need to take since I won't be doing much...

"In Their Shoes" Challenge #2

I think this is my complete list of "In Their Shoes" Challenge

1. "Enchantment:The Life of Audrey Hepburn" by Donald Spoto
2."Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert
3. "A Beautiful Mind:The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash" by Sylvia Nasar
4. "Maria: My Own Story" by Maria von Trapp
5. "The Diary of a Youn girl" by Anne Frank
6. "Farewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese American Experience During and After the World War II Internment" by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
James D. Houston
7."Princess" by Jean P. Sasson
8."Night" by Elie Wiesel
9."Catherine the Great" by Henry Troyat
10."Honeymoon with My Brother: A Memoir" by Franz Wisner
11."The Amityville Horror" by Jay Anson

November 5th Meeting!

Book : "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
Attendees : Liz, Susan, Catherine, Karen, & moi

The attendance was not really what I expected but oh well, it does happen.
I think we'll have more people join us on our next meeting. Seriously, for me it was really hard to get to the meeting since I wasn't feeling all myself that day. Still am a bit under the weather, really. Am feelling really fatigue and worn down. Anyhow, my report on the meeting....

Like I said and as we had promised we met at our usual meeting place, though Liz was so nice and went ahead to the Puffin Cafe and got us a nice big table. I was late, yes AGAIN, though this time it wasn't because I woke up late or was being lazy, though most of the time I'm not, anyway, since I wasn't feeling so good and my vision I guess kind of failed me I took the wrong bus and went in a totally different direction instead of where I was supposed to go. Now, if I had noticed it earlier I guess there might have been a chance for me to go back and get on the right bus, however, it was too late when I realized I was on the wrong bus and I had to take another bus, then go undergound which I don't enjoy too much lately and get to Kangnam Station.
Felt so bad because nobody at the coffee shop knew how to get to Puffin cafe and Liz was waiting for all of us to get there.
Be that as it may, we all got together in one piece and started to order our brunch and discuss about the book.

Owing to the fact that my weeks from late October (and it seems to me my hectic crazy schedue will continue to be so until the beginning of next year) has been so busy, yes I know it's a bad excuse but it is the truth, I could not finish reading the book. =(
I feel terrible. Though, I did get half way through. So, I'll be posting my review a bit later. Like I mentioned, I am a little bit preoccupied lately.

We did have a splendid discussion, I think.(I was abit out of it, but it was still good nonetheless) Sadly, we didn't have any discussion questions, (Should take into consideration that if we don't have any quesitons at the back of the book prepare before hand.. used to do that but forgot this time) Everybody seemed to like the book. Yes, I did too, though I'd like to save my review.

We stayed quite a long time can't remember till what time but we did spend couple of hours there. Then headed to Itaewon and went our own ways. Me, I had a concert to go to. It was the St. Marc Little Boys Choir, the boys who were in the movie 'The Chorus' (2005). It was a French movie and I think they were awarded something, can't quite remember what exactly though. I haven't seen the movie yet, but it is one of the movies that is on my list to watch.

The Concert was superb! The first song, don't know the name of it, made me weep. Ok, it does sound bad, huh? Well, I couldn't help it their voices were so angelic, so pure, and moving. It really touched the core of my heart, squeezed it and made me get goosebumps all over my body. Now, that was not because I was sick. It was really magnificient. They really touched me. And it wasn't just the first one that made me shed tears there were others.. maybe I'm just too sensitive but it was fabulous to go and listen to them sing.

Oh man, oh man, oh man!!!

I'm totally swamped with the work load they are just pouring endlessly on top of all the teachers at the academy. Though, it is a relieve that we finally hired a new teacher so we are actually getting less hours this month, phew! But since we are changing the whole curriculum and getting a whole new students, there's a lot of work to be done. Consulting so many students, about three times a month. It's so overwhelming that I'm going crazy trying to figure out what day it is and when it was the last time I checked my email and went online to write something on my blog..

I still have to figure out the application that I need to fill out sometime soon.. and the test I need to take...
Damn!
I need to figure out something soon or I am going to go cuckoo!

"In the Company of the Courtesan" by Sarah Dunant

Title: In the Company of the Courtesan
Author: Sarah Dunant
Publisher: Random House (Hardcover)
Page: 371

My Rating: 5

Finally finished reading this wonderful book! After reading her other book "The Birth of Venus" I knew this would be another wonderful story and yes, it turned out to be right. It was fantastic, I absolutely loved it!

It's a story taking place in 16th century (Renaissance), first in Rome then to Venice... this was an intriguing book since I haven't read any book, well at least to my knowledge, on courtesans. I think I have seen movies but that also could be a mix-up. Anyhow, loved how the story was outlined. I loved the two main characters though I have to say I loved the narrator much more. It had it's twist and turns.

A partnership that does go so well like needle and string, however they do have their ups and downs. And La Draga a very interesting character in the novel, it would have been very different without her part.

The language that is used in the book is somewhat confusing since sometimes it's a bit to modern and somewhat vulgar at times and it does make me wonder if they really did use such language back in those days.

However, all in all, it was an excellent book and I did love the story that she laid out for us to picture in our minds.

I'm actually thinking of getting her other books, I think it's the private investigator Hannah Wolfe series. We'll see about that.


Some excerpt from the book
"... the more successful they are, the greater the danger: for, once life is comfortable, there is nothing to fear, nothing to fight for. Which means in turn that there is nothing to look forward to. Which, in a strange way, can make one think more keenly of death and yearn for some way of standing out against it, some hunge for an extravagance of feeling bigger even than death itself."

"... all fever has exhilaration inside its delirium, and fire consumes more than it warms. In the end there will be only ashes..."

"It is not what you might find there that scares you. You are too clever to enjoy the contempt that is shown toward you here and your appetite is, I think, too big to be agraid of new things. No. I think it is the sadness of who you would leave behind that stops you."

October 14th Meeting!

Book : "In the Company of the Courtesan" by Sarah Dunant
Attendees : Liz, Kasia, Susan, Aaron, Catherine, Karen, Maggie, & moi

We had an excellent meeting yesterday, even though there were people that didn't finish the book completely.
4 new members(Aaron, Catherine, Karen, & Maggie) joined us on that day and our discussions were very dynamic, also thanks to Liz reading out the discussion questions. Since this book was our last book we also decided upon our next few books and couple of dates to go along with it.

The books we've decided on for our next meeting, which will be held on November 4th, is "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer. The next meeting after that will be on November 25th and the book we'll be discussing is "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov. And the book after that is "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. We haven't come up with a date for this book yet, but it will be sometime early December.

After the discussion we went down to Kyobo bookstore, did some book shopping and went to grab something to eat at Dos Tacos. It was a wonderful meeting and I hope everyone will show up on the next as well!

a day at "What the Book"

October 3rd, 2007
I met up with Liz to have lunch at Buddha's Belly and after we satisfied our appetite we headed for 'What the Book'. Now, since I forgot to organize my books and sort out the ones that I didn't want and bring in for the trade.. I just went up and put our new ad up on the board!!! Whoopy! Doesn't it look great? Well, had to shift some ads around since the original ad was just a piece of paper from my notepad and it didn't take as much space as this one.. but it looked good..
Anyhow, you all should have seen the original. It was printed out on a glossy paper so it looked all professional. Hehe~
Well, So there it is.. whoever is interested in the club will hopefully see it and have the courage and enough interest to contact.

Delicious Library~!!!

I have finally completed uploading my books on the computer. Yuppie!!!!
Yes, I bought this program called the 'Delicious Library' and scanned the bar codes of all the books I own.. (well, almost all of it) and organized it. It's just so superduper!
It really makes my work a whole lot easier... I had catalogued all the books that I owned on an excel file and somehow it got erased some while back. I was planning to do that again but since it was so time consuming I had to wait till I actually had the time to organize it.. now, I don't even have to bother but just scan the book and voila! it's already done!
Thank goodness for whoever thought of this the first time!

Back to WORK!

Yikes!!!
My second day back to work.. and I'm so swamped!!!
They still weren't able to hire new teachers so we're the ones who take the burden.
It felt so great to be able to have the whole week to do things that I wanted to do and not care about the work.. but all that's done with and now it's time to get back to work..

Lots of work actually..
Damn.. these contact lenses are really bugging me.
It's giving me a major headache and I didn't bring my case and glasses with me.. =(

4 AM!!!

and I'm still awake..
yup... I just can't seem to get to bed early..
seriously, how can I change this around so that I'll actually sleep a little earlier and get some more sleep.
Good thing it's a holiday tomorrow.. and good thing I have this whole week off to try change my time table around..

ok Really got to go and get some sleep...

being awake won't change anything!

"In Their Shoes" Challenge

I got to know about this challenge called "In Their Shoes" through Bybee. It starts beginning of next year until the end of that year and the challenge is to make a list of books related to memoirs, biographies and autobiographies and read it.

It's something different to do.
And it's also a good thing since I don't read that much biographies unless it's absolutely necessary.
So I've been thinking about what to read.. which ones to choose.. Because I'm not a fast reader even though I'd definitely love to be one I think it's safe to choose between 5~10 books..

Here are some that I'm thinking of... (for now)
1. "Song of Survival" by Hellen Colijn
2."Jane Austen: Her Life and Letters" by William and Richard Austen-Leigh
3."Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert
4. "A Beautiful Mind:The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash" by Sylvia Nasar
5. "Maria: My Own Story" by Maria von Trapp

I also want to read something on Audrey Hepburn but I can't choose which book to read... any suggestion?

2nd September 30th Meeting!

Book: "Comfort Woman" by Nora Okja Keller
Attendees: Liz, Kasia, Susan, Leonie & moi

The meeting was held at the same place as usual with the usual members and a new member, Leonie. Welcome to the group, by the way. I was expecting more people to show but I guess they had other things to do. It was great to have the meeting just for the sake of meeting everyone, like always, plus we had a great discussion.

We first waited awhile for more people to show but no show so we started with our discussion.

I'm hoping that we'll have more people next time.

"Comfort Woman" by Nora Okja Keller

"Comfort Woman" is a story about a mother(Akiko, aka Soon-Hyo) who has a past she wants to keep hidden from her daughter,Beccah(Baek-hab), their relationship, and their struggle to survive.

I liked how the author used different aspect of culture within the story. Even though I'm not that familiar with Korean folklores and the customs, while reading the book it reminded me of what my mother used to tell me when I was little. I remember my mother telling me about the story of the frog, which did everything the opposite, when I didn't obey or did what my mother told me to.

It reminded me of the time how my mother seemed so angry and in pain at the same time when she talked about her mother being so obsessed with the shaman belief because she had lost so many children through miscarriages and at childbirth. Furthermore, her first born daughter was mute and deaf, my mother almost died from a dreadful fever and my uncle, the youngest and the only son, suffered from polio and as a result was crippled. My grandmother, may her soul rest in peace, was told by a shaman that she would have no luck in raising a child, that she was destined not to have one at all, did everything she could possibly do to have children and raise them healthy. Hence, my mother had to live all kinds of shaman rituals performed in the house and was dragged from temple to temple giving offerings to the gods.

The love a mother has towards her children and how protective she can become is portrayed in this book.

The hard part of reading this book was me trying to figure out all the Korean words that were written in italics, trying to make sense of everything knowing Korean. Also, the topic being on comfort woman, it did have some disturbing imagery that you just couldn't blot out. She described the awful part very vividly and she does that in ther other book "Fox Girl" as well. "Fox Girl" is a story of a girl who becomes a prostitute in a military camp town in the 1960s.

A Week of Freedom

Yes, I am really getting a week off from work.
But no, I won't be going anywhere.
Partly because I do need to save up and partly because there are plenty of things for me to do.
So many things to look into..

As I'm starting to actually form a plan..
well, it's still ain't that definite nor concrete but it's starting to form something.
And that is driving me to get things done.. which is good.

So, yes it'll be good to have a week off doing nothing but ME-stuff.
And actually not having to prepare for classes.
I'll be able to spend some quality time for myself!!

I've been Tagged....

Well, after Susan's been tagged.. she tagged me.. so here goes my answers...

1. Hardcover or paperback, and why?
- Absolutely paperback! Hardcovers do look great on the shelf but since I read everywhere and sometimes carry around more than one book, I'd have to go with paperback.

2. If I were to own a book shop I would call it…
- I'm so bad with names... it took me ages to come up with the book club name(even had a friend helping out).. but if I were to name it, it would be "... with a cup of coffee..." just has a relaxing ring to it.. don't you think?

3. My favorite quote from a book (mention the title) is…
- Now, this is a difficult one... since I don't really take notes when I'm reading...

4. The author (alive or diseased) I would love to have lunch with would be ….
- Well, actually there are several authors that I'd like to have lunch with but if I were to pick one... um... well, I'd pick Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I would really like to as him what his inspiration to writing "The Shadow of the Wind" was, among other things.. and absolutely would have to ask him why he hadn't had any of his other books translated into English..

5. If I was going to a deserted island and could only bring one book, except from the SAS survival guide, it would be…
- I really hate these kinds of questions.. couldn't I have the whole bookshelf delivered??!! OR!!! what about FEDEX!!! Anyhow, one book you said... so... um... a never-ending book...? Seriously, I think if I can just pick one it'd be "The Shadow of the Wind"

6. I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that….
- Hey How about a gadget that sorts your bookshelves AND your data in your computer! Now that'd be FANTASTIC!!

7. The smell of an old book reminds me of….
- the library that I used to go to every weekend(and the occasional weekdays) during high school.

8. If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be….
- I'd like to be Emma in Jane Austen's book "Emma" Not so much because of the character but because of the era.

9. The most overestimated book of all times is….
- The Bible.

10. I hate it when a book….
- starts and ends with not real point to it. It's just a waste of time for the reader AND the writer.


Hoorah!!! I've done it...now my victims...

TAG~! You're it!
- Anna Scrapbook
- Chitra the Tao of Chi
- Lia
- Liz
- Kasia
- Aisha

Well, since I don't know the blog of the last four.. I guess I'll let them know.. and have them write it up on their facebook or something.. =) OR on our group site!

1st September 16th Meeting

Book: "You Remind Me of Me" by Dan Chaon
Attendees: Liz, Kasia, & moi (Susan, unfortunately, couldn't make it)

The process of getting there was so frustrating because the traffic was so bad and when I got off the bus to transfer to another one, I accidently got on the wrong one and ended up somewhere else totally and had to figure out to get to the meeting place.. But I did finally get there and it was so great to see Liz and Kasia already settled down. (Sorry for being almost an hour late ladies!!! will try to be punctual) After meeting the girls we went to Quiznos, the joint next door, to get a bite to eat. AND we followed our routine of going down to the bookstore and look at some books that were on the shelves... or should we say stacked...

Our meeting, even though there were only 3 of us, went nicely, I think we did have a good discussion.
We all finished the book (I did mostly and had to skim through the last bits..) but it was great. Liz seem to love the book, me, it ain't my favorite but it was a good read. I will definitely go back and reread the section that I skimmed through. Done that, I'll write a proper review of it.

waiting for the bus...

I'm sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus that my sister's on..
it should take her about 20 minutes to get here and since I was waiting and had my mac with me..
Thought I'd turn it on and see if I could get any wireless internet connection.. and voila! it works!!

Ain't modern technology just grand!!!

anyhow, today's work was better than the day before.
Yesterday, I had to stay until 1:30am supervising the study hall.
I have one more day left of that which is coming up soon (next week Friday, I think).

The more I think, I feel like I'm beginning to have no life, which is why I'm thinking of finding another hobby..
Or something worthwhile.. OR waking up earlier.. Now that's an idea...

Should try doing it...

"The Witch of Portobello" by Paulo Coelho

The title of the book was very catchy and aroused my curiosity in wanting to read the book.
And that's probably why I had recommended reading it for bookleaves in the frist place. Also, the fact that the 2 books I've read of him was pretty good, I did expect it to be interesting. My final feeling on the book is I guess somewhat disappointing.

The first book that I've read by Paulo Coelho was the well known bestseller "The Alchemist". It was a very good story, a very good teaching and philosophy to be learned from the book. But something that people, or at least I, already knew of. The story was well told but there wasn't any surprise that really sparked my attention. It pretty much ended in how I thought the story would end. However, I do like this way of storytelling. That, I admire a lot and am very jealous of it.

The second book was "11 Minutes". This was very different from the first. It was a little less philosophical than the first and it felt more like reading fiction. (The first felt more like reading a story from the Bible, but that's just me) It was fascinating how he had set up the storyline and the character.

The third, which was "The Witch of Portobello" was much like the first, very philosophical and spiritual. A woman trying to find herself. A very mysterious woman by the name of Athena trying very hard to find the higher being.. Maybe even the purpose of life and being? I did like it overall, but it really irritated me at some point and I can't really pin point the reason of why it made me feel so. Perhaps it's because it didn't really give me a direct answer in what she, the heroine of the book, or me the reader was searching for. Or perhaps it was because it made me think more and question more. I did like the narrative style. The way he used different people to tell the story of the protagonist. It held my interest...

I do like his books (though there may be some disappointing aspects) and I don't think that I've ruled him out of my reading list yet. There still are couple of books that I do want to read by him, "The Zahir" and "Veronika Decides to Die" to be exact.
Though I don't think it will be soon... I know I will read it but not just yet...

Bookleaves

What is bookleaves, you ask?
It's the name of my treasured book club.

When I first came to Korea in 1998, everything was so different and alien: people, places, custom and culture. Being a Korean and looking like one but not having lived in it does make a huge difference. Making friends and meeting people, probably was one of the hardest thing to do. Fortunately though, I did start attending a school and tried to get involved. So for a while the urgency of being in a book club wasn't that important, since I was reading on my own time and was busy sorting out some troublesome part of my life (there were some personal issues to be handled back then).

Anyhow, when I finally brought myself to look for a group, and yes there was one that I did find, I didn't get a single reply for months. That really got me worked up and decided 'heck, I'll make my own, surely there must be people out there who'd be interested in joining a book club'. And YES! there was. After putting the ad for some months out in the classified section I finally started getting emails from people who were interested and we decided to meet up to talk about making it real. Our first meeting was in June 2005.

The meeting was great there were about 6 people to start off with and we first decided on a book and the next meeting date. Then we made a group in Yahoo! in order to get in touch with people easily. I constantly got emails from people who were interested and some came, some never showed up. Many of our members have left Korea and our little club after completing their contract and at the same time many have joined.

Our group is practically open to everyone and anyone. The only thing that we ask for is that the person who joins must love to read and discuss about it. Yes, it has been my experience that some people join for the purpose of practicing English and that does irritate me a lot and sometimes I feel like I'm discriminating my own race. However, the whole purpose of this group, the reason I made this group is to get people who enjoy reading and discussing about books together. As well as meeting people from all walks of life and share thoughts and talk about everyday life. A club where you can relax and be comfortable in.

It has been over 2 years since the group's been active and I think we're doing pretty good with it. There has been a lot of change in members but still I think the groups doing great. If any of you out there who live in Korea, near Seoul to be exact, please don't hesitate to come by our group. We usually meet once a month, sometimes twice, depending on the book, and people's schedule. It's always a Sunday and we're pretty flexible on time, though we tend to lean towards the earlier hours of the afternoon. At the meeting we usually hang around at a coffee shop talk about the book of the meeting and other books that we'd like to share. Then depending on the time and how hungry everyone is we get a bite to eat. The decision on what to read depends on the members, sometimes we take turns and at other times we talk about it think of a whole bunch of books we're interested in and choose from that pile. We always decide about 3 or 4 books and the date respectively so that we don't make plans on those dates and we can all be there.

To find out more about the group, just write to bookleaves@gmail.com

Le Festin

This song became one of my favorite this year...
It just makes you want to waltz away...



- Le Festin -
sung by: Camille
lyrics by: Camille
music by: Michael Giacchino
album: Ratatouille OST (2007)

Les reves des amoureux sont comme le bon vin
Ils donnent de la joie ou bien du chagrin
Affaibli par la faim je suis malheureux
Volant en chemin tout ce que je peux
Car rien n'est gratuit dans la vie.

L'espoir est un plat bien trop vite consomme
A sauter les repas je suis habitue
Un voleur, solitaire, est triste a nourrir
A nous, je suis amer, je veux reussir
Car rien n'est gratuit dans la vie.

Jamais on ne me dira que la course aux etoiles, ca n'est pas pour moi
Laissez-moi vous emerveiller, prendre mon envol
Nous allons enfin nous rega...ler

La fete va enfin commencer
Et sortez les bouteilles, finis les ennuis
Je dresse la table, demain nouvelle vie
Je suis heureux a l'idee de ce nouveau destin
Une vie a me cacher, et puis libre enfin
Le festin est sur mon chemin
Une vie a me cacher et puis libre enfin
Le festin est sur mon chemin. . . .


The dreams of lovers are like good wine
They give joy or even sorrow
Weakened by hunger, I am unhappy
Stealing on my way everything I can
Because nothing in life is free.

Hope is a dish too soon finished
I am accustomed to skipping meals
A thief alone and hungry is sad enough to die
As for us, I am bitter, I want to succeed
Because nothing in life is free.

Never will they tell me that I cannot shoot for the stars
Let me fill you with wonder, let me take flight
We will finally fea...st

The party will finally start
And bring out the bottles, the troubles are over
I'm setting the table; tomorrow is a new life
I am happy at the idea of this new destiny
A life spent in hiding, and now I'm finally free
The feast is on my path
A life spent in hiding, and now I'm finally free
The feast is on my path. . .

So Behind.... no relaxation....

This past several weeks were really dreadful. No time to relax and I'm so behind in reading..
I practically had no time to sit down and open up my book and flip through pages..
Though, finally, this crazy schedule of 40 hours a week working has officially ended. I can get back to relaxing and leaf through some books that I had had to put down for a whole month. And yes, because of that and other things we practically skipped two of our book meetings and I think we're behind 2 books or is it 3?

Anyhow, it's good to be back to the original schedule and actually get things done like cleaning and cooking and just getting around the house organizing stuff that's been all over the place for a complete full month.
There still are things that I haven't been able to take care of today but then again, one day won't really cover up for a full month of chaos, right?

July 25 '07 4:42pm (from my notes)

Night and Day merges to one and time just seem to fade away.
Floating in space and time without destination.
Seconds, minutes, and hours just undistinguishable.
Like being stuck in a room full of clocks and watches that are all pointing in their own different direction.
Like visiting the clock smith and seeing all those watches he’s trying to fix.

The fear of being lost and fear of inability to find the way just sucks me into this tiny room where I can barely breathe. All these ticking sound pushing, rushing, ushering me to be quick. And me just standing there, just pacing back and forth unable to make a decision. So, the problem…
Yes, it feels like I’m stuck in that tunnel again.. that I keep coming back to.. and that tunnel is like a shape shifter who changes its shape every single time as it sees fit – preventing me from escape… freedom.

So, it’s that tunnel again..
that hopeless feeling just flooding back…
The Insecurity!

Hooked on MacBook & iPod Nano

So excited with my new gadgets... I'm still struggling with the 'How' though.
I am very accustomed to the window system that mac is just gibberish to me. However, I am having fun familiarizing myself with my newest devices.

I don't know why, but I always find myself attracted to electronic appliances...
and always wanting to buy... =( It's like me with books... can't have enough...
Oooohhhhh! Hopefully all this excitement and this phase of endless wanting will soon end..

Birthdays

I found myself celebrating birthdays every year one way or the other - with family or friends.. But also realize that I do forget to count and always have to do a simple arithmetic to figure out the age.. It isn't that it's hard to keep up with the count. I mean how hard is adding one to every year. It's only that the idea of age and number is completely disregarded and forgotten.

Another thing about birthdays are presents. No one hates receiving presents.. yes, I too like to receive them and am happy to receive them and appreciate them. But what is it's meaning? Do we have to get them? Can't we just enjoy the time we spend together?

While writing this.. the "Happy Unbirthday to me" song popped into my head... You know, the one the rabbits(?) sing at the tea party that Alice (Alice in Wonderland) walks into.. Can't we celebrate 364 days of unbirthdays plus the 1 birthday?
Wouldn't that make everyday.. joyous.. and celebratory?

B-day Present

A wonderful, delicious, chocolaty browny!!
Something that I got for my birthday from my sister's lovely friend, Young-eun, who's currently running an on-line delicatessen delivery shop. It's really good.. Just melts in your mouth... You will not be able to resist the rich chocolaty flavour!!

the Awesome Gym

So this is our little gym at HOAM center.. I usually have this place to myself because no one uses it at 5pm (that's when all the trainees are studying) So I have the whole place to myself.

And as you can see below...

I tooks some snap shots of our lovely locker room plus the shower room..

it really has everything enven though it's little.

my favorite is the sauna and the jacuzzi.. it does massage your back real good..

should try it sometime.. if you get the chance... ;)

on my way to work

So here are some pictures of my way to work..
The way the sun shines and paints the sky is very pretty and every morning has a distinct color

▼This is on Yongdong expressway

after passing through Masung toll gate... So this is the path to Everland & Hoam center ▲

◁◀◁ There's a valley (you can't really see it from the picture.. sometimes you'll only see a sea of fog.. it's really beautiful)

Yes, I'm closing in ... You'll be able to spot HOAM after that curve. ▲

▲ Okay... do you see that square figure in the middle of the picture..
that's HOAM center.. where I WORK!

▼ You'll be able to see the building hiding behind the trees and the drivway to the center is absolutely fabulous.
Plus, you'll see peacocks EVERYWHERE!

Hooray!

Thank God for the Weekend!

Could you imagine having no weekend...
That'll probably kill people...

Anyway, I do need a break from work.
Not that I don't like it but because I do need some rest.

This weekend I'm hoping it'll be relaxing cus I don't really have any plans but to go see a movie..
I don't think my Saturday will be very busy... I do have a class to teach..
but it's just a 2-hour class in the morning..
I'm hoping i'll have some time to myself to read...

There are tons of papers that's waiting for me to be graded...
I don't know if I'll do any of them over the weekend but..
let's hope I do.. cus if I don't that means more work next week..
but then again.. I do like staying late at the office..
it's very quiet... sometimes scary since I'm the only one in the office..
and it's a huge space to be alone in...

Oh, well, back to work.....
have loads to do before class..

SKIING @ Yong Pyong

Our little drive to Yong Pyong..
We Absolutely had a fantastic time there. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!!!

Very cute couple we met that day... Rachael and James. Hope to see you guys soon!
Don't forget about our February outing!

And at last.. our group picture.

Didn't think it'd turn out this big of a group but it did and LOVED it.
We should do it again!

the Drive Home

So it's late and dark out...

and I'm driving home..

it was very peaceful and a bit scary to drive alone at night..

I'm pretty sure this was over 10pm.

I've been staying at work late last week, all week, except for Friday.

It was great though, got lots of work done.

That was good.

We got ALL PRETTY!

← Mitzi and moi!
After we got a make-over!


Saturday All-Girls-Day-OUT!!
YES!
We had a BLAST!
We had delicioso lunch at Pasha, though we couldn't finish everything we had ordered, it's still good.

Then we were off to get Mitz's phone and to a camera shop.

After our major makeover we went to Costco and did shopping.
We should have done something more exciting since we were looking all so PRETTY!
Anyhow, that was fun!
We should totally do it again...
And I'm psyched!
I'll say more about that later though....

Next Saturday's ski trips gonna be FUN!!!

← Mitzi & Liz @ Costco eating pizza and hotdog.

↓ Liz after her makeover...
Girl~ you're looking GOOD!

So here's another year!

Another year has just gone and a new year is here..
Well, I think I did have a good year though, considering everything.
I started work at Samsung teaching Samsung employees English.
And met so many nice people.

Saw lots of musicals and concerts and movies.
Which was all exciting..

Next weekend I'm planning to go skiing with some friends and friend of a friend..
Looks good too... so you won't see me complain..

I started to exercise again..
and it's tiring but refreshing..
Let's do hope that I will keep it up!