Misia

This Japanese singer got my attention when I was watching the Japanese drama Jin and heard the ending song Aitakute ima. The song was so good I had to figure out who sung it. Misia, I figured out sang the song and has a new album out that I would suggest everyone listen to just because this woman has an INCREDIBLE voice!! I never really liked Japanese singers that much besides people like Perfume and Arashi (only Arashi because my sister likes them) so when I heard Misia I thought she was Korean at first LOL!! If you look at my ipod, all I have on there is Korean singers so I was surprised that I actually liked a Japanese singer for a change!



"Just Ballade" Album track:
1)少しずつ大切に
2)逢いたくていま
3)Work it out
4)地平線の向こう側へ
5)Call me Love me (I love this one!)
6)So Beautiful
7)唇と唇
8)バオバヴの木の下で
9)約束の翼
10)僕のきもち
11)Yes Forever
12)星のように
13)銀河
14)いつまでも

Dog cafe and Sachoom

Me and my onni and her friend went to a dog cafe in Seoul. Seeing all those dogs made me miss my own little dog momiji!! But all the dogs were really cute and there was this one little dog that I couldn't stop holding it was like a little baby and it had on a little bow tie it was just so cute I couldn't get enough of her!!

This dogs fur was sooo soft I couldn't stop feeling her and she's even looking like she's winking when I took her picture!! LOL

This is the little dog I was talking about!! Isn't she soo cute! I just scooped her up and she started licking me ^^

After playing around she was so tired she was falling asleep on my lap!!

My onni and her friend, this dog was so big but his fur was so soft LOL

This dog was so skinny but his spots were really cute

Later that day me and my onni went to this musical called Sachoom in Insadong. Sachoom stood for the Korean "If your in love then dance". This musical was soooooooo good! I really enjoyed this and suggests to anyone who visits South Korea to go see these people because they are awesome!! I was laughing from start to finish and talked about it all the time next day. Me and my onni even got the songs they sung stuck in out heads and we were walking down the street singing them LOL

Me at the beginning of the performance! Onni had got us front row seats!!

Some of the performers

This photo is actually funny because all through out the performance my onni was like "OMG he (the person in the picture) is so cool, I think I'm in love!" and after we took this picture my onni said to him "oh oppa you were so cool!" The next day my onni tells me that she went and checked that person's cyworld and saw that everyone was calling him "onni" and she said "OMG, that guy was actually a girl LOL I can't believe it, my love is crushed" LOL I couldn't stop laughing at my onni!!! That was so funny, she was devastated because she figured out that guy was a girl LOL Even though at the performance she did look kind if like a guy......but it was still funnyLOL

Korean anime

Let me first start off by saying that I had noooo idea that Korea had these type of anime convention things LOL! and then my onni goes on to say that this convention goes on every month LOL! Yeah, me and my onni went to this Seoul comic/anime convention one day and I was so surprised at how many people were there. Anime is a truly universal thing LOL. Walking around everyone was dressed up in their cosplay and it was...sooo cute! In America people do these sort of things too but it's kind of scary when you go to conventions like Otakon and see these people because most of them look like they need to be out having jobs or something LOL! But these were just kids dressed up and they all looked so cute! I had fun going to this convention and I brought a lot of cute things (if you couldn't tell I'm addicted to cute stuff)



Yes, I took a picture with the sailor scouts LOL!! These girls are soo cute I couldn't resist!



I have no idea what this anime is...I think he's supose to be dressed up as a raidish (daikon in Japanese....)



OMG when I saw these girls I was like "OMG SNSD!!! Onni I have to take a picture!" They were really nice and was actually surprised when I talked to them in Korean LOL! There English was really good too! This is my favorite picture!! These girls are so cute LOL!! (I'm missing two of the group members though -_-;)


More pictures at the convention

I was so inspired by that convention I actually went home and made my own anime picture of Hyemi onni's family LOL!!! I remember when I was teaching Pyun Goon French, he couldn't say Bien for anything. He would always say, "bi-yeong" and it was so funny because my onni who had never studied french before could say it and he couldn't LOL!! We would always have to practice that and one time Pyun goon got so frustrated he actually pinched his nose and said it trying to get the nasel sound to come out LOL I guess he thought it would help cause that's what one of his friends said LOL!! but now he can produce nasel sounds so he doesn't say bi-yeong!

Teaching French

So, for the second week I was in Korea I tutored my onni's brother in French. Even though I only studied French for four in high school, I tried to teach him all I knew LOL. He was a good student though and I was glad to help! He wanted to pass this DILF National French Proficiency test and...I think he's already taken it. I talked to my friend on facebook the other day and she said he passed so that's good. OMG Onni's brother is so funny though, he acts like a little spoiled kid around onni LOL! I was amazed at how much onni does for him. He only needs to say "oh noona I'm hungry" and we go out to eat! "oh, noona I need man won" and she gives it to him! It's crazy! I mean if my sisters ask me for that stuff I would be like you better feed yourself the best way you know how and get a job LOL! He's lucky to have onni as a sister because if he was my brother, it be a whole different story LOL. When I asked onni why she was like that with him she said, "it's just Korean culture" I was so shocked because when he were buying ice cream, onni paid for his and he didn't even say thanks sis or anything like that, he just ate it! I mean, if my sister's brought something for me, even food, since it's so rare that they would even do that I would show thanks you know, like oh thanks sis but not with my friend and her brother! LOL I remember one time that pyun goon (that's my onni's brother's name) got his hair cut and he didn't like the cut and said "I man's life is hair gel" LOL! So crazy LOL. Before I even met him though when I was living in Ulsan, Hyemi's dad told me that pyun goon was like the Korean terminator LOL I was like "What?!" but then again Hyemi's dad is so funny I think he'll say anything. But Hyemi did say that when her and her brother were home one day, her brother was like "noona, do I look like Jae Beom" LOL Hyemi's family is so fun!


Onni and Pyun Goon when we went to Norae bang instead of having French class LOL! and afterwards we played Go stop LOL!!


Yeah, I can't believe I tutored someone in French, I don't even think my french is that good LOL

Petit France

So me and my friend Hyemi went to Petite France which is basically a place of worship for Little Prince fanatics (like me). It's also the filming place of the Korean drama Beethoven Virus which I absolutely ADORE!! I was sooo happy to see that place! It was like two of my favorite things rolled up into one place! Who wouldn't like the little prince plus take pictures of the scenes where Beethoven Virus was shoot! To get to this place through was so long! The bus ride was cool and scenery going there was AMAZING but scenery anyway in Korea I think is pretty cool LOL! Anyway, here are some pictures from the trip:


The sun was so bright that day! I could barely open my eyes LOL!

Yes, people you are seeing this correctly! I'm sitting at the conductor Kang Gun Woo's desk LOL! OMG I felt like I should be in that drama LOL!

I'm standing in front of the bus that took us to Petite France and that's my onni with le roi from the Little Prince.

Cute things

When I was in Korea, one of the things I did was make these planner like type things. It was really fun...but the directions were in Korean so my onni had to help me a little LOL!! (I literally just copied everything she did...sometimes I really feel that my friend is like my big sister!) But yeah that was the first time I ever did that before and it was a lot of fun especially since I got to hang out with one of my onni's friends from high school. She didn't really talk that much to me but then again I didn't really talk that much to her either...I think it was because of the language barrier (If only I knew more Korean!!!)

I never thought I could actually make these things,I would always buy them from the store! When my friend told her mom what we did that day she was like "What! Are you three or something!" I laughed when my friend told me because I thought it was fun! I guess it's something you do when your young in Korea but I can see myself making those things everyday...it helps release stress and there soooo cute!!

This is the finished product of my hard work! (Mine is the one on the right in the first picture and the bottom one on the second picture) My onni's looked so much better than mine! Mine looked like a kindergarten had made it! LOL

なにがあっても一生一緒＾＾

Hey! I haven't written a post in so long, I though it was time to write one! Korea was GREAT!! Sorry I only wrote one post on it! Going to Korea was one of the best experiences in my life and I want to go back again sometime (maybe during my study broad time in Japan since it's so close!) But yeah, I can't believe it's over! I owe soo much to my ONNI for making that trip sooo great 언 니정 말고마워!!! Here's some of the pictures I took on my trip:

This is taken from the plane...I think we were flying over Russia when took it! It was really cold on the plane and my feet were freezing!

This was taken in Ulsan when I went with my friend's family to a fish market and to the Ulsan National Park...LOL the lady behind me said "let her take a picture holding a fish!" LOL

When I was in Ulsan Park my friend's mom took a picture with one of the lady's that go down and get sea shells from the ocean...I forget the name for her in Korean...

This is when my friend and I went to this temple or something in Ulsan...I forget the name (we went here maybe a day after I arrived in Korea and the jet lag was catching up with me so I don't really remember much from that week LOL)

A Rainy day in Suwon

Today me and my friend went shopping in Dongdeamun on a rainy day which wasn't the best day at all to go shopping since we had to take the bus and subway to get there. By the time we got there, our feet were sooo wet and we were so tired that we didn't even have the energy to look around a lot. I brought a couple of things but the funniest thing that happened was on the way to dongdeamun. Me and my friend got off the subway and we were looking for our connecting train and me and my friend were kind of lost (but just a little, I think my onni had an idea of where we were going) but this Korean guy comes up to us and asks us in English " Were are you trying to go" I was so surprised because this was the first time a Korean actually spoke English to me and tried to help. However, the funny part is that my friend speaks Korean and he was going on speaking in English when my friend Hyemi could understand him in Korean LOL!! When he finally asked what station we were from and Hyemi answered in Korean he was like "oh you speak Korean??" (in Korean) and me and Hyemi just started laughing since it was so funny, make it so bad, Hyemi had the same phone function to look at the subway map on her phone as the guy did LOL!!! but he was really nice and we took a picture together to remember his kindness !^_^!

First week in South Korea

Well, I finally made it to South Korea and I have to say I think it's one of the scariest things I've done in my life!! Traveling alone can have some perks because you only have to worry about yourself but for the most part it's scary and I would rather have had someone travel with me...make it so bad this was my first time on a plane too so it was like double the scary LOL!! On the first plane I took which was a connecting flight to Atlanta, I must have had the craziest look on my face when we took off because the lady sitting next to me was like "honey are you okay?" LOL!!! and then I answered her in the most shaky of voices "This is my first time" LOL!!! Now that I think back on it I can laugh!! When I got here though, it was still a hassle because I only speak a little Korean so when I was on my own until I could find my friend it was rough. When I was at the passport check the guy was asking me short worded questions (which were in English) that I really didn't understand like " Do you have sponsor?" I was like "what, a sponsor...no I'm staying with a friend and I don't know her address"....which I think he understood that but then I think he was asking what port or something I came out of and really didn't understand so I said " Sorry I don't know what you mean" and he just look at me with this blank stare and wrote something down LOL!!!!

When I found my friend though after running around like a chicken with its head chopped off it was O.K!!I owe so much to my onni, with out her this trip would have been a disaster!! I can't thank her and her parents enough for being so kind to me. When I found her at the airport she was with her cousins holding pretty signs with my name on them...they were soooooo cute, I wish I took a picture of them but I was so tired I just wanted to sit down and go to the bathroom!! I was sitting in a window sit on the plane and both the people siting next to me would have had to get up if I had gone to the bathroom on the plane. On of the people I was sittitng next to though was an American guy that was going in the army and I guess he was stationed over in South Korea. Anyways, the signs that my friend and her cousins were holding up were cute and I could kick myself because when we were riding the bus to go to her Aunt's house, I left them there on the bus -___-; My friends' family were the nicest people I've ever met!! Her aunt, her uncle and her mom and dad, her grandma everyone was so nice to me I just felt like I belonged in their family and I wasn't just some foreigner from America. My friends' dad though is the FUNNIEST person I've met in Korea so far. He doesn't know English that well, you can say his English is as good as my Korean so I had the greatest time trying to figure out what he was saying!! 

I'll never forgot some of the English phrases he put together like "My body heating!!" when we was trying to say he was angry LOL!!!! Let's see, oh yeah "No fighting!!" when he was trying to say that he and his wife weren't arguing, the list goes on and on but my onni's dad is like my second dad now!! My friends mom though is so pretty and looks so young, she spoke better English than her husband and it was so much fun getting to know her, I can see where my friend gets her personality and pretty looks from LOL!!!

For the first day I was in Korea, I slept over my friends' aunt's house and the next morning my friend, her parents and I would go to their hometown which is Ulsan. Ulsan is the town of the whale and it's a very beautiful city. I really enjoyed my stay there and hope I can go back again some time. When I was there we went the friends family and I went to the Ulsan park which was VERY beautiful and I went to the public bath!!! I loved that!!

It was sooo nice especially the hot sauna room I could stay in there forever LOL!!! We went to see historical landmarks and I met my friends dad's side of the family. Now when I was doing all this stuff don't think that I fit in oh so perfectly because if I counted how many time everybody and I mean EVERYBODY stopped and stared at me I think I would be rich right now. I swear,everybody stops and does double takes when I walk on the street LOL!! but I just smile and some of them smile back while other's just have a face of amazement or sometimes disgust...it might have been fatigue too but I'm not sure.

Georgetown University

Well it's decided, I'm going to Georgetown in the fall for the 2009-2010 school year. I'm a little sad because I did make a lot of good friends at Washington College and it makes me really sad to think I'm not going to see them anymore. I guess I'll make new friends at Georgetown but I'm such a shy person...it takes me a while to talk to people. Anyway, I got financial aid at Georgetown and I can afford to go and it's actually a little cheaper than Washington College. Wow I just can't believe my life is changing so fast. I got a totally different hair cut, I'm leaving the country for the first time, I'm going to a different college and maybe studying abroad in the spring...I just can't believe all this stuff is happening. I feel like for the first time after my parents got divorced that my life is actually going pretty well. If I said I'd be leaving Washington College with no regrets I'd be lying to myself. I wish that at Washington College I had more courage to tell my feelings to people and be more assertive. But I guess no use dwelling on what I wish I could have done, let's just look toward the future and see what it holds for me, wish me luck everyone!!

New Hair

Okay so I finally did it. I cut my hair so now it's just new growth, no perm or relaxed hair. Surprisingly I didn't cry when the lady was cutting it off, probably because my dad was there and he literally shows NO emotion about mostly anything but yeah, it's all gone. My younger sister said I looked okay and I haven't shown my middle sister yet because she will probably hate it. I still think it was a good idea and I guess I would do it over again if I had the chance to. I don't really compare myself to other people and I never really did so I guess seeing people with long hair won't really bother me because I've already had that you know, been there done that, but I do have to say I regret it a little but that's only because I've had my hair for so long and it just feels weird not having it. I think it's about time though because now I can't hide behind my hair anymore and I can see who will really accept me for the real me, hair and all. My mom says I look just like her when she got her hair cut off and I couldn't say that I disagree with her because I look like EXACTLY like her. Next weekend I'm going to get some hair accessories for my hair to make it look more girly LOL!!! But all that's left is to go to Korea this summer, hopefully the people there won't judge me so much just because of my hair. Oh did I mention that I go into Georgetown!!!!!!!!! YES!! I know, I was so excited when I got the acceptance letter that I ran all the way back to my dorm and was screaming at my roommate out of joy LOL!!! But the excitement went away when I saw how much the room deposit was....$900, yes people you read right 900 dollars so if I go to Georgetown, I can't go to the school in Korea this summer which is okay since I can still go to Korea and just stay with my friend. However, going to Georgetown depends on how much aid they give me. If they pay for at least half of the tuition like the school I'm going to now I can go but if they don't then I can't go because my parents just can't afford it......but I know my dad could come up with the money some how if I really wanted to go but I don't want to put my dad through all that debt when I can just go to a cheaper school.

Plane Ticket

So yesterday I bought my plane ticket to go to Korea for the summer so I guess I'm really going!!!! I can't even believe it, and what's even more unbelievable is that the ticket only cost $880 dollars. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it because usually tickets cost around $1000~1700 dollars for a round way trip like that so I got a REALLY good deal. I guess my dad was right to say that the best fairs are maybe four months before you go on the trip, I'll have to remember that. Anyway, I asked my friend that's already in Korea if she could pick me up that day and she said that she could and that she would also try to get her dad to pick me up so he could drive me to Yonsei University. So, all in all it looks like I'm going to Korea this summer, at first I had doubts because I didn't have anything done, I just had the thought in my mind saying "oh yeah, I want to go to Korea this summer" but now that I actually have the plane ticket and someone is actually going to pick me up from the airport, it just seems surreal to me!!! I kind of feel like I'm dreaming!!!

Passport

Hey!! I finally applied to get a passport to go to Korea. I'm so excited to be going, there is so much stuff I'm going to do. I'm learning more Korean before I go so the class won't be so hard for me, and so I'll have more time to do other stuff besides study!! Anyway, I can't wait until August!! I think this is going to be the most active summer I've had in a while. I can't even believe I'm going abroad, it still just hasn't hit me yet!!

Spring Break

So, it's spring break at my school and this is the sucky part about saving your money, you can't my do anything with your friends!! I wanted to do so many things with my friends during spring break but I have to save my money for the Korea trip I'm taking this summer. It really sucks because I could have went to Boston with my friends or somewhere else over break!! But I just have to remember the long term benefits I guess. Anyway, it's not all bad, my roommate is staying on campus with me too so it's not so bad!! At least I'm not completely alone for a week. I like to tell myself that this is practice for when I go abroad and can't go home or see my family. SO yeah, this is what's happening right now. Sometime this week I have to go to the postal office and get a passport and then go to the bank so I can send the money for the application fee to the school in Korea I want to go to...but hopefully I'll get that done before the week is up.

My Computer

Well everyone, I know I haven't told the whole story or even any of the story of how my laptop broke, but this morning I got a call from OIT (my school's repair computer service) and they said that after buying a new display screen and switch board which I have to pay for, the computer is still not working, in fact, the computer isn't even turning on!!!!! O_O!!!! So the OIT people call me about my laptop and I go to them and ask what was the problem. They then tell me all of what I told you just now and then the guy goes on to say that HP has a recall for the same problems I'm having. Now, if I would have known this shit, or if HP would have told me this shit when I called them, my computer would already have been fixed by now but NOOOO, when I call these assholes, all they tell me is that I need to pay $50 to talk to a technician because my warranty is up and that's all they could do. So now, the OIT guy at my school is telling me that I now have to send my computer in to HP but it shouldn't cost me anything because HP has a recall on the defects I'm having. Right now, I don't even know what to do, but I do know I can't do anything else except wait.

Update

Hey everyone!!! Just to let you know, I moved out of my old roommates' dorm and now live with the coolest person EVER!!! She's Korean and so nice!!! I knew her even before I moved in with her so she was nice enough to take me in!! Now, I'm finally enjoying my semester, which might be my last semester at this school!! I applied to two other schools because I think they have a better language program than the school I go to now. I really want to get into Georgetown because I think the school is perfect for me, but I don't know if I can get in or not. Hopefully, the admissions committee will see that I'm a dedicated person and willing to work really hard for anything, that they'll accept me but, who knows. I told my dad and he just said to stop worrying about things that I couldn't control...but that's easier said than done. I don't want to worry I just do, because I really want to get into this school. So, now I'm just waiting for the results to come in. I do have a backup school, which is Maryland and they have a pretty good language program but the school is so big that I'm kind of rethinking about going there because I like the small size school I'm going to now.....but Maryland has a study abroad program with Keio, and I REALLY want to go to that school!!! I don't know though, it's so hard to make decisions and figure out what will benefit you in the long run. Anyway, on the positive side, I applied to the three week Korean program and sent in my transcript. All I need to do is send my passport and application fee which I need to get/do this weekend. But, if all goes well, I'm going to Korean this summer for three weeks to learn Korean!!! It'll be my first time abroad and I'm sooo excited!!! I can't wait to hang out with all my friends in Korea. Before I go, I'm also thinking about cutting my hair and having it natural......that pretty means I'm going to have an Afro.....I don't know how people will take it. I mean, I've permed my hair for most of my life to fit in with all the other kids, primarily white kids around me, so I don't know how this change is going to effect people's image of me, but I do think this is a good decision because it'll be easier to manage my hair when I'm abroad. Well that's all I have for right now, thanks to all the people who read this blog...even though I don't really talk about anything really important!!