New Blog

I've got a new blog. Blogger has good features, but it also has some that need to be refined.

You can find me here at Skinny Love

I changed the layout, I think it's much cleaner now. I also added a playlist at the very bottom. Just because I like music.

Sometimes I like to have a lot of text and compliment them with pictures, which I can do on Blogger, albeit painstakingly.

Tumblr is a little different, but I'll make it work. I promise.

Bye.

Bringing Back A Classic + Updated Playlist

I couldn't think of a practical way to be "Techno Panda."

Also, nobody would know what I was except maybe 2 people, and neither are going to be remotely close in proximity this Halloween. (Aug & Devin)

I've decided to bring back the Care Bear.

Specifically, Harmony Bear.

The picture to the right is in fact the exact same costume I have, just not in that form. Mine's decapitated.

Oh, and the limbs are chopped off. I did keep that pinwheel of colors intact though.

I ran into a problem today. I still have the head. I looked through my stuff to find the limbs, and I could only find one of the legs.

I guess I could be half care bear, half human?

The costume has only been used FOR REAL on two occasions.

AAA's (Asian American Association @ Ohio State) Halloween party (2006?)

There was a costume party, and EVERYONE loved our costumes (Aug & I).

We lost to some little girl in some ugly mask, and I'm pretty sure she looked better with the mask on.

Okay that last part might have been a lie, but the point is, we should have won that contest.

The second time I only wore the head piece. We were playing flag football and it was cold. It kept my head warm. I also probably played the best game of flag football I've ever played that night. And guess what? I was wearing the head piece the whole time.

For the most part, good things happen when I wear it. Yeah, we didn't win the contest, but people loved the costume. It's like winning the popular vote, but not actually winning the election. I feel you Al Gore.

I'm not expecting great things by wearing this costume. Why?

Because I know something awesome* is going to happen. (please see bottom for *)

I'm excited to celebrate Halloween again and I hope you are too.

If you aren't able to celebrate, go buy some candy and eat it.

Or throw an egg at someone/something.

What ever brings back memories of Halloween.

I hope to take lots of pictures. Maybe some videos.

Anyways, be safe and stay warm! Unless you live by the beach.

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* "Awesome" doesn't necessarily mean that it will be awesome at that given moment. Something awful can happen, but after a certain amount of time it can be remembered as an "awesome" event, which would effectively make it "awesome."

Help!

I need ideas for a Halloween costume! I'm still not 100% where I'll be celebrating it, but if I am, I need a costume.

I've got a couple ideas, both are in the "unlikely" list, but ideas none the less.

-Panda

-Techno Viking

Note: For Techno Viking I would need a body suit, a blonde wig/facial hair, green shorts, and some Scandinavian bling.

A friend sent me this link a while back.

It's fantastic.

Back

I'm back. I've been back for a week and maybe one day now.

I arrived last Wednesday, and then Thursday night went up to New York City.

I had an interview on Friday, then I hung out with friends and family until Sunday.

Those few days were so difficult. Not only because of the interview, but because of jet lag.

I hung out with friends Friday night, and I hit a wall around 6pm. Had a few drinks and we left the bar(s) around 9 or 10pm. Passed out on the subway, but woke up right as the train pulled up to our stop. That's always a surprisingly good feeling.

Got some chicken and rice and went to my friends house. Ate 5 bites and then realized I had no appetite.

I talked with friends for a good hour, and then I started losing it. I had to sleep. So I curled up in fetal position on a couch and closed my eyes while still talking to friends, who were sitting on the adjacent couch.

Next things I remember, it's pitch black, and the clock reads 3:30am.

Since then I've been waking up before or at 10am. Which is great cause now I can enjoy the day.

Now I just have to find something productive to do besides find a job. Which should consume all of my time in theory, but after applying to a few places every couple days, and then having to look for openings, it only takes a few hours a day.

I mean, since I wake up way earlier than I used to, I have a lot of down time.

I've started reading Pandora's Star. A 988 page science fiction book. This should take me a while.

My next update will have multimedia (ie video, photos, or both)

I'm comin' home.

I Think I Might Need A Sleep Aid

I went to bed over an hour ago, but per usual, I can't sleep

I'm so bad at falling asleep. I know the problem. I think too much. I just can't stop.

I can't tell my mind to stop thinking.

I tried to not think as much (don't ask how). I've tried various methods that people have told me to try.

All have failed.

I thought to myself, maybe if I had someone to talk to. But I don't think that would solve anything. I could write in my moleskin everything that goes on in my brain, and then I'd probably have to buy a new moleskin or two.

Every blog entry I have has the potential to be the longest blog entry I've ever typed.

Yeah, sometimes it's nice to have someone to talk to, but I don't have that luxury here (in Korea). At least not anymore. I miss having friends around me all the time.

Life is so mundane when you don't have anything to do.

It's so weird. I used to love being by myself. Being a homebody.

Now I can't stand it. Such a big change, and it happened out of the blue. I don't remember when I started feeling this way.

I just want to hang out all the time, and enjoy the moment. I guess that's sort of a good thing.

But it's also bad because I might lose focus on what's important.

I'm going to Jeju Island in 6.5 hours. I'll have my thoughts and pictures of Jeju up on my Tumblr & Facebook.

Go Buckeyes.

Yonsei KLI summer session has officially ended. Last Thursday.

It was a good experience. I can't say for certain that I felt completely challenged, but I definitely have a lot more to learn with regards to the Korean language.

I guess I didn't really take the course as seriously as I had wanted to. But it doesn't matter now. At least I passed.

I think I need to find a speaking partner when I go back home. I don't care if they're Korean American, or straight up Korean. I just want to have someone to speak Korean with. Family excluded.

I'm not very good at reading in Korean, so I should read some more books too. I don't think my speaking is all that bad, except that I speak with an accent. An accent that I can't even hear. But everyone else seems to be able to hear it. It's not really a problem, in fact, it probably makes me sound more native, but I'd like to hear the difference for myself. How can I change something I don't notice?

And although my speaking is not my biggest weakness, I still find it to be difficult. I don't want to make mistakes when I speak, and I don't know why, because it's not my first language. But my face says otherwise. I have to be fearless in my approach to speaking Korean. And life in general.

So since KLI has ended, and for the most part I have said my goodbyes, I'm back to being a bum.

I have no reason to wake up early. But that's fine. I like sleeping in while I can. I just don't want to make it a habit.

I've been starting to walk around parts of Seoul again. I wish I had a friend here with me in Korea from the beginning. Someone to explore the city with, someone to take trips with. I think that's what I've been missing since December.

Life is a balance of random and constants. I feel as if my life is a little out of balance.

I need to hurry and settle down somewhere (not permanently), so I can restore the balance of my life. Normally I'm not in a hurry to do things, but this is different. I think 9 months out of college is long enough. I can't do this for more than a year. Granted, it might not be my choice, but for everything that is my choice, I want to make the right ones and move on.

Korea has been good to me. I lost roughly 20 pounds while still eating delicious food.

I'm going to miss the people that I met, and I'm going to hope that all our paths cross in the future.

I'm going to try and blog more during my last few weeks in Korea.

I have a blog?!

So it's been a while.

I'm too lazy to update my playlist, and I haven't been listening to much new music anyways.

My stay in Korea is coming to an end. In about a month.

I'm done with the Yonsei KLI program this Thursday though. It was a good experience. It could have been better. But what's the point in talking about that? I didn't get stellar grades. I didn't even get good grades. But I passed, and right now, that's all I really care about. I passed the final by playing more arcade games, pool, and singing at karaoke than studying the days before the test(s).

The weather in Korea is starting to cool down. I guess I'm a little sad that I won't be able to experience Fall in Korea. Or, at least all of it.

I want to go back home though. But I'm not sure why. I have no friends in Virginia and I have no job. I don't even necessarily like being at "home." I don't even have a car.

On the flip side, everything here in Korea will change within 2 weeks. Almost everyone I have come to know will be gone. Cecil might come and visit, and I really hope he does, cause it would be great to see some other MAIPers in another country.

So basically I'm going from "no life" to "no life."

But of course when I get home, I'm going to resume my job search full force. I will visit people in New York, and hopefully in other states (depending on how much money I have).

Maybe I should have just stayed in Ohio. At least I would probably still have a car, and be living by myself (maybe). I'd know the roads. I'd have friends, sort of. I could always make new friends, or so I'd like to think.

Life in Ohio was so easy. Life in Virginia has the potential to be like that, but there are too many things I don't know about it. It's foreign to me.

Seoul is more home to me than Fairfax, Virginia.

I do miss Five Guys though...

Although I'm trying to be more health conscious these days. I know my family has a history of heart problems, and I'm at the point in life where my body starts to slow down. I haven't been to the gym in over a month, so maybe I'll start running when I get back. (How many times do you think I've said that in the past?)

There are still so many things I want to do in Korea. I just haven't been able to find people to do them with. I've never been to Insa-dong, Namsan Tower, the COEX mall aquarium, and probably a bunch of other things. Maybe I just set the itinerary for when Cecil comes to visit. Cecil, if you read this, we're doing this. Plus eating a ton of food.

Anywho. I probably won't update for at least a week.

Until then, stay classy.

Blogging used to be so easy.

August already?

Time is flying by.

I like being in Korea. But at times I want out.

I'm at the point where I don't know what I want.

I finally updated the July Playlist.

I don't have any major updates. Except that I'm going to Japan this Sunday till Tuesday. I have to leave the country cause I don't have a visa.

US citizens can stay in Korea w/o a visa for 90 days, but my 90 days are almost up, so I'm gonna go out and then come back. I'll ruin my perfect attendance, but it's going to be worth it.

I've never been to Japan, and I've wanted to go real bad for the past 5 years.

I'll be in Tokyo and exploring the city with my dad for 3 days. It should be great!

Life update

I'm sick.

My voice is gone (sore throat + talking a lot).

I'm tired.

I don't know where my money goes, because when I get home, and check my wallet the next day, the money's not there. Nobody took it, I just can't remember where and how much of it I used.

My memory gets blurry at times. Mostly cause of late nights.

I wouldn't do it any other way.

No regrets, except maybe the "spending too much money" part.

Considering not drinking for a long time.

1) red face is not a good look for me (and isn't good for my health)

2) my wallet.

I really want to go to the Valley Rock Festival here in Korea. I can't decide which days to go.

Well I'm going the first day (Friday) for sure, cause Weezer's headlining. I heard Priscilla Ahn is playing on Saturday, so I'd like to see that, although I don't know what time she's performing. The Airborne Toxic Event is also playing on Saturday. Maybe Sunday, cause I'd like to see Oasis.

I also want to go to the Mud Festival, but there is some rash that people are getting from the mud... messed up right?

I want to maximize EACH DAY.

Augustine's in town! The room mates are reunited again! We're both a little busy the next 2 weeks (or at least he is, my plans are all tentative) but afterwards, hilarity will ensue.

I'm meeting great people. And I'm pretty happy with life right now.

Incase you are interested, I update my Tumblr blog a little more regularly. Most of my pics will be posted there, along with random things about Korea, or how I feel about Korea. And again, check my facebook for ALL my pictures.

I have to change my playlist for July...

I'll get to that asap...next week.

Tired

I'm so tired these days! I can fall asleep ANYWHERE.

I'm kinda of sick of clubbing at the moment.

I went to the same club three nights in a row. Each time with different people.

It was all fun, but now I just want to relax. See stuff during the day you know?

I enjoy the nights, but I'm not trying to live a life of monotony. I don't want to go drinking every night, and I don't want to go to the same pubs and clubs (unintentional rhyme). I mean, I like having a nice "go-to" place, but why limit oneself?

Korea has so much to offer. I just have to seek it.

I'm totally down to drink and club while in Korea, but I'm not in a rush. I have so much time.

Maybe I'm just getting old. It takes me way longer to recover from a long night than it used to, that's for sure.

There is this rock festival that a friend told me about, and I did some research. It's at the end of the month, and there are going to be some awesome bands performing. It's a 3 day event, and all the big bands are split up during the 3 days. I have to see Priscilla Ahn. Again. I'm not obsessed with her anymore, but she's still a personal favorite. Saw her in Cleveland, Hoboken, and I would love to add Seoul to that list.

And the best part is, Weezer's gonna be there! Yeah, so they aren't as great as in the past, but w/e they're Weezer! and I love my late 90's alternative!

Shifting Gears

I'm moving my "BlogKorea" to my tumblr account.

AdamInKorea.tumblr.com.

I will continue to update this blog too, but for the purpose of blogging about Korea, tumblr is way easier.

Besides, nobody wants to read about me complain about thing anyways. But if you do (which you don't) I'll still be updating this blog, like I said earlier.

I guess I'll have to change the name again.

Big Day Tomorrow...

Not really, but sometimes I like to think I'm special.

I'm really confused as to why they had to cancel orientation, which was scheduled to happen earlier today (6/24). Their main concern is the H1N1 virus, aka Swine Flu. They were worried that someone might have it, and it might spread during orientation...

So they do away with orientation and go straight to starting school the very next day (6/25). So isn't the "threat" still the same? We are going to meet in the same building everyday anyways.

It's pretty stupid if you ask me. But nobody is.

Oh I forgot to mention, we were supposed to find out what level we placed into during orientation, now we all have to do it before class starts at 9am. There are a ton of kids. I half expect to be waiting in a long ass line at 8:59am.

I guess I should sleep soon. I have to wake up early and get in line!

I hope you enjoy my random picture of a watermelon flavor popsicle. It was delicious.

Back To School

I took my placement test on Monday (6/22).

I wish I brought my camera with me that day. When I got to the front entrance of the KLI building, I was stopped by a woman with a list of names. She asked me my name, and I told her, then she checked me off, and let me through. I was then stopped again at the actual door. This time, a woman in a white mask asks me to come to her, and lean forward a little. She sticks a thermometer in my ear (with plastic cover of course). She messes up the first time, and then has to stick the thing back in my ear. FINALLY I get inside.

I head downstairs to room 121, which I thought was funny because usually when room numbers start with 1xx, they are on the first floor. I see a ton of people of all ages. Mostly asian of course, but I saw several Caucasians, and a few Hispanics. There were a ton of Japanese and Chinese people.

We all sat in this lecture hall, and then the program coordinator went over a few things in Korean, then English. Then another lady came on stage and said the same speech in Japanese, then another lady does it in Chinese.

It was rather boring. We then received slips of paper with random room numbers. Those were our testing rooms. The placement test consisted of two tests. There was a written exam, and a speaking portion, which they called an interview. The written exam wasn't too bad, we were instructed to go as far as we could, which I did. But the interview was a little tricky.

My main problem with speaking Korean is vocabulary. This lady was asking me simple questions at first, but as the interview progressed, she started busting out words that were probably very simple, but baffled me.

There is supposed to be an orientation today, but because of the "H1N1 virus," it has been cancelled. Classes still begin on Thursday, June 25. I'll know what level I'm in when I go to school that day.

Hopefully I learn a lot.

A Little Over A Month

That's how long I've been in Korea. Seems a lot longer though.

Let it be known that I have been working out every (week)day since May 18. That's like a personal best.

Lately though I've been eating like crap. I had burger and fries last Friday, a HUGE brunch meal on Saturday, burgers again on Monday, and today I had a decent sized roast chicken omurice for lunch, and dinner I had pizza and pasta, 2 macaroons, some "Bibim Myun," a noodle dish (my dad ate 1/2), and samples at E-Mart. You can never say no to a free sample...especially if it's a potsticker.

But I think with my workouts, I'm balancing it out? I need to not do that though, and tip the scale in favor of health. It's a shame that most delicious foods are bad for you.

I've been more social as of late. I've hung out with a few friends, and I've been going to my friend's church. It's a little far, as in it takes a long time, to get there. But, I think it's a good way to meet people. And I'm more active on Sundays again.

I'm getting anxious for classes to start. I wonder what level I'll be in. I wonder what my class will be like. I wonder if I'll be that quiet kid, or if I'll be more of a social butterfly. (past evidence puts the former at a higher possibility)

Guess I'll just have to wait and see! I take my placement test this coming Monday (6/22) then the following Wednesday (6/24) is orientation.

Now this is my minor (but kinda major) dilemma. I usually start my workouts between 10am-12pm. But my classes start at 9am till 1pm. I don't want to make it a habit of going to the gym after class, cause that's the time I want to spend hanging out with friends/making new friends.

I spend about 2 hours at the gym (workout+shower). The gym opens at 6am. Duh, there's my solution. But that's much easier said than done. The earliest I've gone is 8:30am, and that was damn hard. I can't imagine myself going to the gym at 6am, getting done by 8am, then going home to drop off my gym bag, pick up my book bag, then take the bus or subway near campus and walk up a hill by 9am. If I did that, I'd accomplish more in 3 hours, than I would in one day.

But, maybe I should start going at 6. Supposedly working out in the morning is better for you.

I can just imagine dropping a weight on myself cause I'm so tired. Or falling asleep while using the treadmill. I hope nothing like that happens.

That's my life so far. I guess I didn't really update about Korea.

Here are some things you need to know:

-Korean's (from Korea) are the most unapologetic people.

-Not everything in Korea is cheaper. I'd rather shop at a mall in the U.S. than a mall here in Korea.

-Popsicles, are WAY better here.

-So is Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut in Korea PWNS Pizza Hut in America, except it's way more expensive too.

-You don't need to hold doors for people, cause they won't hold em for you.

-You don't have to tip.

-If you're under the age of 40, sitting down in the subway car, and some grandma or grandpa is standing around, you give your seat to them. I'd hope you'd do that anywhere though.

Earlier today, I was thinking about random things that I couldn't resist.

Here are the top-5 things I cannot resist (in no particular order):

1) an itch

2) watching/reading up on cleveland professional sports

3) a delicious burger

4) checking my email and social networks

5) hanging out with friends

That was harder than I thought.

Must Look Forward (or Up)

It's been a a year since MAIP 2008. The summer that put things into perspective for me. The summer where I discovered where I wanted to be.

Now MAIP 2009 has started, and people, just like me, are embarking on a summer of a lifetime.

I hear news of friends getting internships, jobs, and getting into grad school. I couldn't be more happy for each and every one of them. But I can't help but ask myself, "When is it my turn? When do I move on?" I hate missing out on fun, exciting times. I feel like things always get more interesting when I leave. But it's up to me where I end up. Lets hope I'm SUPERDUPER motivated when I get back.

But I think that all the time, so it's nothing special...

It's starting to heat up here, but the past couple days have been surprisingly cool, probably because it's been cloudy...

I'm starting to get a little bored here to be honest. I know a few people out here, but we all have our own schedules. Or rather, they have their schedules, and I have mine (or lack there of).

I was a little busy the past couple weeks just applying to the program and seeing family and touring random folk villages with my cousin's parents-in-law.

But now I'm totally free. I just work out everyday. I'll be trying to schedule meetings soon with people. But not now. Now it's time for bed.

Before I go, I just want to let everyone know that I miss them very much.

More, serious, update on Korea later.

June Jamboree

I've been in Korea for a month. Almost.

So when I joined my gym last month, I also signed up for a "semi personal training" program.

It started yesterday, and goes on till June 30. So basically I get 3 weeks of "semi P.T."

The trainer just shows me how to do certain work outs, then goes to work with other members, then comes back to check up. It seems like a waste of money. It also seems as if it's their job to do that for ALL members. But people have to make money right? Might as well find ways to charge customers for something that should otherwise be free. If it's not 1 on 1 training, you shouldn't have to pay for it. Unless you think otherwise. Anyways, I'm working out regularly, and my goal is to lose 10 kg, or approximately 20.05 lbs, in 3 months. My gym membership expires in a little over 3 months.

Last time I was out here, I lost 14 pounds in 3 weeks, but I was basically starving myself (drinking this powder with water for every meal). The majority of the 14 pounds I lost was muscle. Despite the fact that I worked out every weekday during that time. I had no energy. It was basically one of the worst 3 weeks of my life. Didn't help that I'm in Korea, land of delicious food. So this time I'm taking a slower approach. I don't know if I'll be able to reach my goal, just because I don't know how my body will respond. But I will try my best. I hope.

The past two Fridays I've visited the dentist. He's an old family friend, so he hooks us up. I haven't been to the dentist in years, so I was glad I went. Sort of. I had 4 cavities, and had them cleaned out. I also got my one wisdom tooth pulled out. It was a bit of a surprise though, cause I didn't find out he was taking it out until I sat down in that awfully uncomfortable chair.

My teeth are still a little sore, but the pain is manageable without painkillers, but I have them just incase. To my surprise, I don't have swollen cheeks. Or rather, cheek. This disappointed a few friends. I was a little disappointed too. I was ready to take a lot of self portraits.

Something I don't like doing. You know, like holding the camera out and taking a picture of yourself, usually from an angle, whether up or down, depending on your mood?

I don't care if other people do it. I mean, I do, but whatever I'm not them. People can do what every they want to do, as long as it makes them happy, regardless of what I or others think. But if it doesn't make you happy, don't do it, cause it's counterproductive.

BUT there is one time you shouldn't be taking self portraits. That's when you're in the car.

Specifically the driver seat. In the middle of traffic.

I saw this girl doing exactly that. She must have taken like 10 pictures of herself. I think 1-3 is fine. But 10? That's borderline narcissism.

I'm almost done applying to Yonsei's KLI program. The website's a piece of shit, so I have to go in for scheduling. I also have to submit my transcript. I'm also not sure if they got my essay or not, cause the website is worthless.

Once I start classes, I should be pretty busy, and things should start to be more fun. Not that I'm not having a great time now. I am, but it's more of a, "I'm doing nothing" kind of fun. I need more "experience new things" kind of fun.

It's a new month, so that means new playlist.

I like this playlist. I mixed in a few oldies but goodies.

Again, I upload all my pictures onto Facebook. It's easier that way, unless someone has a better idea. Then tell me!

Korea Thus Far

I've been in Korea for about a week and a half. Seems like I've been here much longer though.

I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Lets hope it's good.

This past weekend I went down to Daegu, which I thought was my hometown. My parents both grew up there. I was even born there. But I recently found out that my mom was pregnant with me in Seoul most of the time, and when I was due, my parents went to Daegu to some catholic hospital. They mainly went to Daegu so that my grandparents could be there when I was born.

But after that, we moved back up to Seoul. This whole time I though my parents lived in Daegu, had both my sister and me, then moved to Seoul. Not the case.

Not a big deal though.

I really like Seoul's mass transit system. The subway system is super clean. It's just as clean, if not cleaner than DC's Metro. I'm not sure about Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), cause I've never seen it, but Seoul's subway system is very very clean. I noticed the subway cars are wider too, which means more standing room, and room for people to exit the car without having to crawl over people.

Look at all that space!

Me going through the gate to catch a train. (you can hear the beep of the sensor as it reads the card in my wallet)

Although not installed at all stations, some stops have automatic sliding doors that open up once the train stops and train doors open. Creating a barrier between the platform and the track. Suicide prevention? I think it looks neat, regardless of it's purpose. Here's a video to show you visually.

The buses look pretty old, but they work just fine. Not much to say about the bus, cause it's a bus.

The subway system in New York uses the Metro card, where you slide it at the turnstile. In Seoul, most people (like 95%) use an equivalent of a Metro card, except you put the card on a sensor and it beeps. It's much more eco-friendly. It can read through your wallet and some bags (purses) too.

They utilize the same system on the buses too. The cool thing is, when you get off the bus and scan your card at the sensor (they have sensors at the back of the bus too), you can ride the buses for free for an hour. So say you are transferring to another bus, you don't have to pay twice.

Despite the massive amounts of people who use public transit, the roads are always packed.

Taxis aren't yellow, but they are easy to spot.

And as always, the food is great. I'm not in a huge rush to eat everything now though. I'm taking my time cause I know I'm gonna be here for a while. Regardless, I've eaten quite well since I've been here, and have gained a little weight.

I recently joined a fitness club to try and get into shape. (keyword: try)

I'm practically obese here in Korea. I'm going on 3 days in a row (of working out). Starting June 1 till July 1 I'll have a semi-personal trainer. Whatever that means. It's so hard to lose weight when all you want to do is eat food. Especially in Korea.

I still haven't applied for Yonsei University's KLI Program yet. I should soon though. I need to send them my transcript, which I now have to airmail from Columbus, OH to Seoul, S. Korea.

There goes $40 bucks.

Assuming I get into the program, I start at the end of June, and it lasts 10 weeks. Which is cool with me cause I was on 10 week quarters at Ohio State.

I went to the office at Yonsei to get registration forms and such with my mom. The people at the office were so unhelpful it was rather frustrating. They said that we HAD to apply online.

Which in all honesty is fine with me. But, you can do it by hand if you wanted, which was what we wanted to do that day. The girl was just being lazy. I should have given her an evil eye.

Anyways, when I went to Daegu, I said that I'd be without my computer for 3 days. That won't be the case anymore. My iPod found a signal, so next time I go down, which might be soon, I will have Internet access.

If there's anything you are curious about regarding Seoul, or Korea in general, let me know.

Hopefully I know, if not, I'll investigate. Or if there's anything you want me to talk about, let me know. It will give me things to do, besides working out, before classes start.

Bye.

I've been in Korea for 6 days now, and it's everything I expected it to be. And I didn't come to Korea with lots of expectations. Mainly because I've been here many times in the past.

I do come to Korea more mature, so to speak. I'm a little more perceptive now too. Everyday since my arrival I've ventured into Seoul, taken many pictures and ate delicious food. Except today. I realize that I'm going to be here for 3 - 6 months, so I have plenty of time to explore later too.

Seoul isn't like New York City. New York City is actually really simple to navigate in comparison to Seoul. NYC is a giant grid. Seoul is just a mess in comparison. This is all my perspective of the city. Don't get me wrong. Seoul's great, but I have no sense of direction here.

I don't know when I'm going north, south, east or west. Also, I don't know where things are.

Thankfully the subway/bus system is great. There are a ton of stops, but you should be able to go where ever you need to go via subway or bus. But again, you just have to know the general area of where you're going.

People are a little rude, but I've always known that. One thing bothered me though. I was standing at the subway stop, waiting for the train, and the stop was pretty empty. I'm standing there and this dude shoulders me in the back. This usually happens in a crowded street and people can't help but make contact. This was not the case. I looked at the guy as he walked away, and I looked around me. There wasn't a single person or object within 5 feet of me.

Dude was major dick status.

Anywho, gotta go.

Blogger frustration

I hate uploading photos onto Blogger. I'll probably post 2-3 pictures per post from here on out.

Blogger needs a better way to upload photos into blogs. Make it more painless. And less time consuming.

I'm uploading all my photos onto my Facebook page.

Korean Air Flight 094

My life, packed in 3 bags, for the next 3 - 6 months. This was taken in my garage, while I was waiting for my uncle to pick me up. My uncle's car, a Lexus hybrid SUV, has got to be the most quiet car I've ever been in. When the car is idle, it's as if it's off, but I guess it runs on electricity then. I don't know much about hybrids, except that I'd want one if I had a car.

I get to the airport, say thanks and goodbye to my uncle and I make my way to the Korean Airline check-in desks. I was told to go in the "Morning Calm" line. I think Morning Calm is for members of Korean Air? I used to be, I still might be, but I'm not sure. I have a Morning Calm Skypass card (for milage). Anywho, I get to the desk and I'm told that I have access to the Korean Air (KAL) Lounge. Holler.This is a terrible picture of the lounge, but I didn't want to sit there and take pictures of the place because I wanted to sit there and eat...
Everything I ate was good, even the two cookies I ate that I didn't take a picture of because I devoured them so fast. At this point it was around noon. At 12:45 the lady at the gate desk made an announcement that Morning Calm passengers were allowed to board at that time.

I got in line and when it was my turn to go, the lady looks at my ticket and says I'm just a "regular" passenger. I said (in english) "I checked in Morning Calm." Then after a few seconds of awkward silence, she lets me in. Holler.
My seat was 28A(window), which is the first row of the economy section. Which is actually really nice, cause I had a ton of leg room, and nobody in front of me to recline their seat in my face. I can't say that I didn't do that to someone.

Normally we have screens behind the headrest of the seat in front, but because my row had no seats in front, we had screens that could be stowed away in between the seats. They were pretty nice, being touch screen and all. And the movie selection was pretty good, not for quality, but quantity. There were some good movies, but I didn't want to watch all of them.

This was my view:
Besides that engine, the view was decent. I didn't mind though. I like looking at parts of the aircraft. So after napping for a little bit, I decided to watch a movie. I never saw Bolt, and I sort of wanted to see it cause I like animated movies. Puppy Bolt is cute. Bolt, is not. Mainly because the voice actor for Bolt is John Travolta. Let it be known that I think Scientology is one of the worst ideas ever.
Because our flight was early in the afternoon, lunch was served fairly quickly after takeoff. Of course for lunch, KAL offers Bibim Baap. It's not the best bibim baap I've ever had, not even close, but for airline food, it's pretty bomb. I forgot what else they were serving. I didn't even listen, I just asked for bibim baap.
After eating, and then sleeping for a few hours, reading/writing a little, and watching a movie (Paul Blart: Mall Cop)

It was time for dinner. "Chicken over rice or pasta" they asked. I responded, "pasta."

Stewardess comes back. "I'm sorry but we only have chicken now.."

So, chicken it is. Chicken was flavorless, even with the "gravy." Veggies and rice were okay.

The potato salad was decent and the smoked salmon (top left-hand corner) was pretty good.

The cake wasn't too bad either, a little too sweet (I LOVE sweets btw) though.
While eating, I wanted to watch a movie, so I selected Transporter 3. The movie was just, meh.
By this time, we're getting close to Korea. As you can see below, we traveled 6383 miles, and the outside temp. was a nasty -60*F.
The Captain told us we were preparing to land, so I took a photo outside. There's no land in sight...
But rest assure, I got there.

Next Time: Landing in Korea

Peace

It's my last night at home. I'm all packed. I just have to put away my toiletries, but I'll do that in the morning.

I'm watching the Cavs playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks. We're dominating. As expected.

I'm really tired. Probably because I've been going to bed real late the past week. I guess that's good for me now. I'll go to bed earlier than usual and wake up early.

I haven't travelled long distance in a long time, so the plane ride will probably suck.

I'll try and update my blog weekly. I'll have to think of a new title...

I'll figure it out at the airport.

Till we meet again.

Countdown: 5 days

I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I think it's because I stay up so late...

I'm thinking about staying up all night and staying up till it's night again to sleep, because then I'll be exhausted. Or I might just fall asleep really late again.

I feel like I have so much free time that sleep isn't even necessary. We sleep because we need to rest for the next day. But all I do is rest. I don't have to get up early and go to work. I don't have to study (although I could find something to study). The past few weeks I've put the job search on hold. My fate was decided weeks ago. I'm off to Korea this Friday. No looking back. Unless I all of a sudden get a job offer within the next two days, I'm gone.

I'm excited, but I'm also not. I know my trip to Korea this time will be different from my visits in the past. I'm not there on vacation anymore. Although, I could sorta treat it like one...

I'm not taking this whole, "learning Korean" thing very seriously yet. I will though. I hope.

The hardest thing for me is knowing what I'm leaving behind. I hate to miss out on good times with the people I love. But I forget that I have a rare opportunity to experience something that not many people have.

I hope to make lots of new friends in Korea. I'm just not sure how it's gonna happen. I'm the kind of guy that always thinks of the "worst case scenario." Honestly, I think it's better than the guy who always thinks of the "best case scenario." I like to prepare for the worst, but that also makes me a little pessimistic. I wish I could find a balance. I'll have to work on that.

I'm bummed about many things, but two in particular.

1) I'm going to miss the last few episodes of 24. UGH it kills me. I heard abc.com doesn't work in Korea, which leads me to believe fox.com won't work either. We'll see. Maybe hulu will have it.

2) I can't watch my Cleveland Cavaliers play! This kills me too. I think a little more than #1. I mean I love 24. I love Jack Bauer. But I LOVE the Cavs, LeBron James, Mo Williams, and Z!

We have a great chance to win it all this year. Most people predict the Cavaliers to play against the Lakers in the finals. I hope so too. And I hope the Cavs win the series. I trust the coaches and players. Let this be the year!!!

I guess it's May now, which means I have to update my playlist. But I don't know if anybody actually presses "play." No pressure. Although I do try to put good stuff on there.

I had this idea last week. I have this Moleskin journal (mini one), that I wanted to use to jot down ideas. I didn't use it up until last week though. I guess you could say I wrote in my "journal." I did recap the day. Which sounds incredibly lame, but you don't see me judging you. Keyword "see."

I only wrote on one side (the right), but I didn't want to waste the journal and leave the left side blank, so I had this idea to draw some (awful) illustrations of the entry, or at least the "theme" of the entry. I don't think I'm gonna hold back on the drawings either. Although I am severely limited by my drawing abilities. Which might be on par with a 6 year olds. And not the ones that are good at art. I mean the ones that are "slow" to "normal."

Everyone's perception of normal seems to be a little different though. When I think normal, I envision myself. And I don't mean that in a way to say that I'm not weird. What's normal to me, is generally based off the things that I do or think.

I don't expect to update daily for this countdown. I just couldn't think of a title...

I have gone off topic a million times. I have no transitions. But I think that's acceptable, because I didn't transition any of my thoughts in my head. I just started typing whatever came to mind.

I'm going to end on that.

Review: Fast & Furious (and the whole series in general)

I admit that I was really excited to watch this movie. On my computer.

When I heard that another Fast and Furious movie, with the original cast, was coming out, I almost peed my pants.

So they came out in this order:

-The Fast and the Furious, directed by Rob Cohen (xXx, Stealth,...)

-2 Fast 2 Furious, directed by John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood, Four Brothers,...)

-The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift, directed by Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow,...)

-Fast & Furious, directed by Justin Lin (Movie poster at the very top)

In my personal opinion, both 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift never happened. Neither were adequate sequels to The Fast and The Furious. A lot of people actually liked Tokyo Drift.

I don't know why. Was it the cars? Was it the girl? Was it the "drifting?" Or was it cause Brad Taylor from Home Improvement (Zachery Ty Bryan) was in it? I don't know. I can't figure out why people like Tokyo Drift so much.

I don't even remember what 2 Fast 2 Furious was about. All I remember is Paul Walker's car getting shot at by the FBI with some weird futuristic power draining gun, and then monster trucks coming out of a warehouse followed by a bunch of souped up rice burners. Oh yea, and Jin...

I'd also like to forget that Eva Mendes was ever in that movie.

After careful "analysis" I've come to realize that my love for the original, The Fast and The Furious, is primarily based off of hilarious quotes. Can you recall any lines from 2 Fast 2 Furious or Tokyo Drift? Actually I do remember a line from Tokyo Drift. When Lucus Black says, "I ain't no gaijin" with that ridiculous hillbilly accent. "Gaijin" is Japanese for foreigner.

So he says in the movie, "I ain't no foreigner." If you haven't seen Tokyo Drift, the majority of the movie takes place in TOKYO, JAPAN. Yes, he is a foreigner. I don't know why they threw that line in there...

The newest installment of The Fast and Furious series, cleverly (not really) titled, Fast & Furious, is in between TERRIBLE and AWESOME. But definitely more towards terrible than awesome.

I'm glad that the original gang got back together. Dom, Letty, Mia, and Brian. These guys are always getting into crazy shenanigans! They definitely got props for going with the O.G. gang.

Basically this movie takes place in between the first movie and Tokyo Drift. We know this because Han (who dies in Tokyo Drift) is in it.

You can definitely tell that Fast & Furious (from now on called F&F), had a bigger budget.

But there were still a number of things that I had a problem with. Each movie has at least one race scene. In one of the race scenes in F&F, they all use GPS systems. But for some reason, half of the race was shown in the perspective of the GPS. These GPS systems aren't like the ones we are used to seeing. They were in 3D, and had graphical representation of the other racers on the screen. Totally stupid.

Another thing that bothered me was that F&F stopped a trend. If you recall in The Fast and The Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Tokyo Drift, there was a rapper in the movie.

Ja Rule

Ludacris

(Lil') Bow Wow

THERE WAS NO RAPPER IN F&F! Why break the trend? Why? I'm sure it would have helped with ticket sales too. Not that they really needed the help. But why mess with "tradition?"

Like I said before, the movie was OK. There weren't any hilarious/powerful quotes like in The Fast and The Furious. They used cool looking cars. I think. I don't know too much about cars. I know what a decent car is, but I couldn't tell you why a Honda Accord is better than a Toyota Camry, or vice versa.

Overall, I wasn't that impressed with F&F. I had really high expectations. Especially because of the cast. I was expecting some AWESOME lines. I won't even bother typing out the quotes here because they just aren't as awesome when you read them.

I was expecting epic scenes. Something to surpass one of the most iconic scenes of our generation:

(Rick Yune as Johnny Tran in The Fast and The Furious)

I know most of you know what happens after this picture...ONLY THE BEST SCENE IN THE MOVIE. (HINT: "TORRETO! SWAT, CAME INTO MY HOUSE...")

Don't get me wrong. I still think F&F is the only true sequel to the first movie.

But nothing can beat the original:

My final verdict is: 2.75 Pandas

**Which is pretty good since it's a scale from 1 to 5.

I'm being a little more forgiving for F&F though, simply because it's the only REAL sequel to one of the greatest movies of all time. And when I say "greatest movies of all time," I mean that it was so bad, that it was amazing. Unlike Dragonball Evolution. Which was so bad, I wanted to forget my childhood.

Review: Dragonball Evolution

I remember when I was in middle school to early high school when I would come home after school, turn on the television, and go straight to Cartoon Network to watch Toonami. I didn't really watch the other programs on Toonami, just Gundam Wing, and of course, Dragonball Z.

I grew up watching this show, sort of. And I admit, that during the time I was watching Dragonball Z, I wished for a live action movie.

Luckily, or unluckily for us, a live action Dragonball movie came out under the moniker "Dragonball Evolution" on April 10, 2009 (aka 6 days ago)

The movie is roughly based on the original Dragonball series. Not to be mistaken for Dragonball Z. Although both Dragonball and Dragonball Z were written by Akira Toriyama.

Dragonball Evolution was directed by James Wong (Final Destination, The One, Final Destination 3). The Screenplay was written by Ben Ramsey (The Big Hit) and James Wong, and it was produced by Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle) and James Wong.

I don't want to ruin the plot for those of you who have yet to see this movie, and still plan on watching it. Although, I'm willing to bet that most of the people who actually watched this movie, are/were fans of Dragonball/Dragonball Z. And If you haven't seen the movie, and you are a fan, nothing should be a surprise to you in the movie...or should it?

Lets start with some of the characters:

In the original Dragonball, the story in which this movie was based off

of, Goku was a little boy, but for Dragonball Evolution, they made Goku, and everyone else his age (Chi-Chi), 18 year-old high school students.

GOKU

Goku, the main protagonist of the Dragonball series, is played by Justin Chatwin (War of the Worlds, The Invisible). I honestly know nothing about this guy. He looks like he should be in a Green Day tribute band. I haven't seen War of the Worlds, and I haven't seen The Invisible either. But judging from his performance in Dragonball Evolution, he's an average actor, at best. I don't think this role was for him for several reasons. I'm not going to name all of them, but I will name two:

1) The original Goku (Manga/Anime) is very naive, and not cocky at all. Goku is in fact, good natured. Justin Chatwin's Goku is slightly emo, and socially awkward (in the worst way possible).

2) He's WHITE.

BULMA

Bulma is played by Emmy Rossum (The Phantom of the Opera, The Day After Tomorrow).

Much like in the original story, Bulma and Goku team up to collect all

seven dragonballs. I have not seen The Phantom of the Opera, but I did see The Day After Tomorrow. Honestly, I hated The Day After Tomorrow. She's a very attractive girl, and plays the part of Bulma well enough. Bulma is very adventurous and temperamental, and Emmy Rossum portrays those traits very well.

YAMCHA

Yamcha is played by Joon Park. Joon Park is a Korean singer/actor. He used to be in, the now disbanded K-Pop group, g.o.d.. He actually graduated high school in California, so his english is very good. He had a cameo in Speed Racer, but other than that, he's a nobody in the US.

Much like in the manga, Yamcha is a thief. Joon plays Yamcha decently, but I never really liked Yamcha, so he isn't going to get much love from me. I have one problem with Joon as Yamcha though. I know it's not his fault, or decision, but Joon's Yamcha has blond highlights. Joon is Korean. He has black hair. Yamcha has black hair. They couldn't just give Joon's Yamcha black hair? Whatever. At least he's asian.

MASTER ROSHI

Master Roshi, played by Chow Yun-Fat (Hard-Boiled, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), is a wise martial arts master. He's also a perv. Let me just say, I like Chow Yun-Fat as an actor.

Yes. He's had some questionable roles (i.e. Bulletproof Monk), but I've enjoyed almost all the movies I've seen with him in them. Chow Yun-Fat played the "old, wise martial arts master" part well. He's had roles like this before, duh. Play the part of a pervert though, is a whole new ball game. When an anime character is perverted, it's not much of a surprise. I mean come on, no offense, but lots of weird stuff has come from Japan. But when live action Roshi starts acting perverted, it's just weird. Roshi is also supposed to be really old. Chow Yun-Fat is old, but he doesn't look like an "OLD, wise martial arts master."

GRANDPA GOHAN

*SPOILER ALERT*

Grandpa Gohan is played by Randall Duk Kim (The Matrix Reloaded, Kung Fu Panda). Much like in the manga/anime, Grandpa Gohan, finds Goku, and adopts him. Although, in the original story, he doesn't really train him to fight. Also, Grandpa Gohan is killed by Goku in the original story, when Goku turns into a giant ape (Oozaru), although this is not the case in Dragonball Evolution. I like Randall Duk Kim, so seeing him as Grandpa Gohan wasn't too bad. I don't know much about Grandpa Gohan anyways, besides the fact that Goku names his first son after him.

PICCOLO

Piccolo is played by James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). I don't know anything about this dude, except that he played Spike on Buffy. I was very curious as to how they were going to portray/cast Piccolo. Basically Piccolo is your typical villain. He's hell bent on destroying the world. I hated Dragonball Evolution's version of Piccolo. He looks like a villain from Star Trek. Also, this Piccolo should not be confused with the Piccolo from Dragonball Z. The DBZ one is Piccolo Jr., and eventually becomes a good guy.

CHI-CHI

Last but not least, Chi-Chi, who is played by Jamie Chung (Real World: San Diego). I guess she really wants to get into acting. Chi-Chi is Goku's love interest and I guess she plays that part well? I have to apologize for the picture above. The picture of Anime Chi-Chi is inaccurate. This picture is from Dragonball Z. The Chi-Chi from Dragonball, is supposed to be a kid. I don't really have much to say for Jamie Chung's Chi-Chi. She's hot?

She's not bad.

So we covered most of the characters in the movie. Overall, there were no Oscar worthy performances. But that was to be expected.

I did not enjoy this movie. I thought Goku was annoying, and found Piccolo to be very stale, and not menacing at all. I understand it's very difficult to cover a whole manga/anime series into 84 minutes, but I think they could have put more effort into making this story more true to the manga/anime then they did.

After watching this movie, I took back my wish for a live action Dragonball movie. Too late for that though, right?

I have created an "official" rating system. A panda scale of 1 to 5. 1 being AWFUL and 5 being AWESOME.

I rate Dragonball Evolution 1.5 pandas:

Critique

On my next few posts, I will be reviewing recent movies that I have seen.

Dragonball Evolution: Best. Movie. Ever? We shall see.

Yay, now I have more reasons to watch movies!

Tough Times

Life is lame right now. I'm stuck at home, and I still don't have a job.

I had a phone interview with OMD today. I can't say that it went great.

Honestly, I was WAY more nervous on the phone, than any other in-person interview. At least if I'm in front of someone, I can see how they react to what I say. Or I can change how I speak, or how I act, accordingly. Over the phone, it's so impersonal, and I'd like to think that my speaking skills are okay, but at times I felt like I had no idea what I was talking about (referring to my phone interview earlier).

I know that it's just a screening process. They pick out candidates, interview them over the phone, weed em out, then schedule in-person interviews for candidates that they prefer.

I really hope I'm a candidate. I would like to at least prove my worth to them in person.

The position is in Los Angeles. I can't say LA is my number one choice. Every one knows that my number one city of choice is New York City. Who knows, LA could be great. I bet it is. But for different reasons. Reasons I don't know because I haven't really experienced life in California. I've been there, yes. On vacation. But never have I lived there.

At least I know what life is like in New York. I've lived there, albeit a short 3 months, but I was working, and exploring, and meeting people, and having a good time. Just the thought of California, right now, is not 100% appealing to me, simply because it's so far. Although in the future, like more than 10 years from now, I'd like to live on the west coast. And maybe if things work out now, and I do get an interview at OMD, and I do get offered a position, I might just take that chance and move out there.

You stop getting opportunities the moment you stop taking them.

But if this all doesn't work out, what do I do? I'll keep searching of course. But, I have an opportunity to go to Korea, for say, 6 months. Do the Yonsei KLI program. I could spend valuable time with my family, and perhaps travel a little. All while getting better at Korean.

I don't know. I hope that I find a job. But I also want to go to Korea. I can't have both. Although my situation has a time table. If I go to Korea, I would go to June. So, if I don't have a job by June, I'd go to Korea.

I feel so little in this world. Not like how I felt during MAIP.

Twitter is getting annoying now. Servers are always backed up, and I get images of the "fail whale," which I love, but get annoyed with. Twitter is going through a BOOM.

Slowly, a few Facebook friends were joining Twitter, and then all of a sudden, a large chunk of them starting joining Twitter, and now people are saying how cool Twitter is, and how much they hate Facebook because it copied Twitter.

Please. Facebook may have a similar micro-blogging format, but Facebook is SO different. In fact, I'm still more of a Facebook fan than Twitter DESPITE how UGLY Facebook has become.

Don't get me wrong, I still like Twitter, and reading people's posts and I like the links they put up and pictures, but there is this one thing. Some people have Twitter apps on Facebook, so that when they update their Twitter, it shows up on their Facebook.

That application isn't appealing to me. Mainly because those tweets show up on people's Facebook as status updates. I don't update my status as frequently as my post on my Twitter. I like to treat them both as two different things.

I don't think Twitter will surpass Facebook. That's just my opinion.

April Angst

I kinda hate the word "angst", but I like alliteration.

I just finished my April Playlist. It's a little late, and a little rushed, but am satisfied with the collection of music. I made things interesting and added two Korean songs.

For those of you who have never listened to Korean music, I would encourage you to listen to these two songs:

-One by Epik High

-Fly by Epik High

The songs won't play in order. I made it so that the songs shuffled. Sorry if that bothers you.

You can always just click on the song you want to play.

I don't know much about Korean music, and to be honest, I don't like the majority of Korean music. I hate the whole gender band thing. Think boy bands and girl bands (N'Sync, BSB, Spice Girls, Pussycat Dolls, etc...) Although I have been known to sing a BSB and/or Spice Girl song at Karaoke.

Epik High is just two guys who rap. Yes. Rap. In Korean. It gets a little getting used to, but I think Epik High's raps are pretty catchy and good. I like their beats, and the songs are just well made. They always have guests to sing in their songs, like female singers.

I am feeling more and more confident with my almost complete album. I am listening to my songs in iTunes over and over, to see what I like and don't like about em, and I've sort of gotten used to the sound of my own voice. It still bothers me at times. Like when you hear yourself talk in a video and you go, "Ugh, I sound like that?"

No?

That's what I do...