Into the Blue

" The sea was ever-changing, shimmering and seamless to the sky. This was the well at the bottom of the world, and when you looked into it you felt you could see to the end of forever."

"The sea seemed to be trembling with anticipation.
Haumi e, hui e, taiki e.
Let it be done."
- The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

Story of My Life

Lovely

I actually don't like Gohara's look that much. But this picture is l.o.v.e.l.y.

寿司

Yesterday was a busy day.

I lectored for mass and after church, Mom and dad decided that we should go and visit USC's campus, since I've never seen it before. Of course, I got all excited and deliberately chose go to LA instead of studying for the calculus test the next day. Couldn't help myself.. :P

We all got hungry and debated on what we should eat once we reached our destination. I do not know what came over me, but I blurted out that I wanted to try some sushi. From my birth until now I have never properly attempted to eat sushi. Why eat it raw when you can cook it? was my mental reasoning. Which was probably why my dad got all excited from my spontaneous offer.

My mom always calls me 'sushi baby.' A name I earned due to my mother's crazy cravings for sushi while she was pregnant with me. She says that probably 70% of all the nourishment I got in her womb was from Noshi sushi. Maybe that's why I had no desire to eat raw fish..because I got sick of the thing when I was but a fetus..

I present: NOSHI SUSHI

The chef with his back towards us is the chef that my mom always sat with in the past.

I liked Saba, Magura and the Anago the best. :)

Sushi is definately an acquired taste.

After finally trying it out I conclude: Not bad. Not great. Perhaps it'll grow on me.

Yay, now I can cross out that from my Bucket list :)

Friday Night at Borders

I love Colin Firth. Every time I see him in a movie, I am determined to find myself an English bloke to claim as my own.

I went to Borders today to fulfill #7 on my Bucket List.. which says: "Read the back summaries on every book in the Literature section of Barnes/Borders."
Well, I kind of cheated in that I only read the summaries of the books that particularly caught my eye. I'm guilty as charged: I judge books by their covers (&titles) most of the time.
Nevertheless, I went to the whole Literature/Fiction, Historical, Biography etc etc sections. All that straining to see the top shelves rendered my neck in need of a massage. But I digress..

So, my goal in doing this was to find books that actually suited my taste. A few months ago I realized that most of what I read are limited to the great classics or the more celebrated modern novels that receive a lot of attention.

But I was rather disappointed. I found that 90% of literature contains plots infested with adultery, revenge, disfunctional families, and war. Not to say those are bad topics.. just not what I am in the mood for maintenant. I realized that I already have most of the books that I actually would like to read already sitting on my shelf back at home. So, in conclusion, I'll just read whatever I have and feel like reading..classic or random.

So I just settled to buy some of the books that popped out at me for one reason or another - including Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, The Phantom of the Opera, and Best-Loved Folktales of the World. I realized that I had never read Anne Frank before which is positively unacceptable. I can't wait to read Phantom of the Opera and I decided that it would be a good and fun experience to read fairytales from various cultures every night before I go to bed. The version I bought has a total of 200 stories from all over the world. Cool, huh? :)

I also bought the dvd Bridget Jones Diary because I happened to come across it in the sale box. Yay! I absolutely love this movie and its sequel. Darcy, played by Colin Firth practically oozes charm. So sweet, sincere and awkward. Just how I like him. :D

Swell

Today was any other school day...except that there were scattered bits of good happenings all around.

• I got to wear my new sandals to school today. Such a minor thing, but heck it made me feel happy :)
• We had a sub in english today - really put the cherry on top.
• Mr. Hodge postponed our calculus test to Monday. Thank God...or else I would've been dying right about now.
• I cooked some pasta for Hazel and made her girldate date's shirt for her. It looks really nice, if I may say so myself.
• I got complimented a lot by a certain elder. :)
• I got accepted into USC. Not my dream school, but I'm really happy. (SD is no longer my backup after this)
• My parents and I went to celebrate with a nice dinner at Black Angus. A tradition that takes place whenever I accomplish something big.
• My family is proud of me. That's all I can really ask for.

Life is good. 97% good.

Rain in Spain

"The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain."

There. I am officially a lady.

Premonition

Woke up from the earthquake...at 4:04 AM. That was really scary. My mom, Mochi and I bolted out of the house and after waiting a few minutes, decided to park our car outside so that we could have it ready just in case the power goes out and we can't get out of the garage. My dad slept through the whole thing. Amazing.

I think that I had a premonition about this earthquake. Right before falling asleep, the last thought I had was : what if a big earthquake happens and Mochi is alone at home? How will she survive if the house collapses? I prayed that if there will be any earthquake, that it will happen when I am at home so that I can protect her or when my mom sometimes takes her out while I'm at school.

I don't know if that's a premonition..or a prayer answered. But either way..
Thank you, God.

Jeg Elsker Min Faetter

"I love my cousins" in Norwegian.

I have many first cousins all over the place - those near me in California, those in South Korea, the one soon graduating from Yale, and the two that I have never met in Norway.

The 7 in California (mother's side) are the ones that I am closest to, obviously. I am the second eldest of them.

1. Nicole (Suh-Yeun) Kim - 21 yrs old. Currently in Connecticut as a Senior at Yale University. I am so lucky to have her as a role model and older-sister figure. Super lucky. Super blessed.
2. Caitlin (Min-Jee) Song - 17 yrs old. Junior in highschool in La Crescenta. Only six months younger than me, but she still calls me "unnie." We were inseparable as kids... Nicole always talks about how we wouldn't stop laughing like hyenas whenever we were together. I love my Mun-Jee(nickname - means 'dust'). We already have plans to live next to eachother when we are married women with kids. :)
3. Chris (Kyung-Soo) Song - 15 yrs old. Sophomore in highschool. Caitlin's brother. The sweetest boy in the world. Loves Disney movies, swimming, and eating. He knows how to say my name. :)
4. Francis (Sang-Yeun) Kim - 13 yrs old. 8th grade. Nicole's brother. Although he may seem like a taciturn, unamiable ball of grumpiness, he is actually the quite the opposite. He is the cutest boy - loves stuffed animals and said that I was his favorite cousin (it's a secret! :))
5. Julianne (Joo-Eun) Kim - 10 yrs old. 4th grade. My favorite "baby" cousin - although she's not a baby anymore :'[ She is quite a character. Very ambitious and studious for a kid her age. She loves my room and staring at my bookshelf and other little things. She was huge eyes - like those of goldfish. I almost became her godmother, but couldn't because her first communion ceremony was the weekend of my confirmation retreat. So my mom stole her from me...but it's okay, I'll just steal her back in her confirmation. [; She is one of my baby cousins that I cannot live without seeing at least twice a week.
6. Kenneth (Min-sub) Kim - 8 yrs old. 3rd grade. My little prince charming. He is so smart and athletic - he is the top student in his grade and he got into the GATE program with the highest score. He is so so so so sweet. He told me that he will study alot, earn lots of money, and build me a museum to display my art. He said that our whole family can run it, with himself as the president, me as the vice president, and other jobs for our other cousins, aunts, and uncle. He designated grandma to be the head chef of the cafeteria. Haha
7. Eugene (Yu-Jin) Kim - 6 yrs old. 1st grade. Julianne's sister. She is quite different from her sister. My aunt told me that when she wakes up at 6AM in the morning, she finds Julianne reading quietly on the couch and Eugene twirling in circles in front of the mirror with her Halloween princess costume on. Haha. Eugene is the baby and also the beauty of our family - which makes us older females very bitter. Haha jk, but she really is pretty though not vain. She is very observant and insightful for a kid her age.

In Korea, I have four cousins (dad's side), of which I am the youngest. Three oppas and one unnie. I finally get to see them after so many years this summer! Can't wait!

In Norway, I have two cousins (mom's side) who are half-korean and half-norwegian. They are both in elementary and are so beautiful. I have never met them, but hopefully I will soon make a trip to Norway before they grow even more!

Meet my dearest Cordelia and Nicolaus!

Nick playing Wii. So cute.

Embracing their Korean culture through Taekwondo! :)

So European. They're so adorable, they make me melt.

La Pasta Claire

So lately, I've found a new hobby. Turns out, I love to cook.

About two weeks ago, I had this strong urge to try and make Italian pasta. My mom had bought a pasta cookbook about 10 years ago but never got around to actually using it. So I took the abandoned book, post-it marked all the different recipes I wanted to try, bought some essential ingredients, and went at it.

So far, I have successfully made three different pasta recipes! :)

My first pasta: Ali e Olio
Makes your mouth water, no?

Made this one like 20 times already because it's soooo good

I have also recently mastered the gourmet Vongole and Spaghetti with Garlic&Mussels.
My dad came home hungry from work last night. He had to go to a church meeting in an hour, but my mom was still at work and I wasn't very hungry. Usually, I make him some fried rice or ramen, but he asked if I could make some pasta. It felt great to fix up some real food for my dad all on my own. :)

Cooking the noodles - Al Dente and Simmering the mussels, cream, garlic, herbs, etc.

My beautiful Spaghetti with Garlic&Mussels

As they say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach :)
2nd time making this recipe!

A well-fed dad is a happy dad. No better compliment to a chef than an empty plate...although he verbally drowned me with compliments.


Couple hours later (10pm), Hannah came to sleep over. In the morning, I made her some of the same Spaghetti w/Garlic&Mussels I made for dad last night.

Aww, nothing like filling the tummies of my loved ones to make my day :)

Wonderland

Yesterday was a good day. Mostly.
I...woke up early, went to church for the St. Thomas Ministry Leaders meeting at 8:30 am, slipped out of the mtg to lector for mass, ate lunch with my cousin Nicole who is currently a senior at Yale University, went to Borders to study, and met up with the cuz again to watch Alice in Wonderland in 3D.

I personally do not like the books Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, but wow this movie was amazing. The casting, the acting, the soundtrack, the visuals, everything was to my liking.

• Johnny Depp - CUTE as ever. My eternal love for him was dwindling but this rekindled it once again. I love you Johnny!
• Helena Bonham Carter was the perfect Queen of Hearts.
• Anne Hathaway was so...fluffy and comical. Just how I imagined the White Queen.
• Mia Wasikowska -I love her hair and outfits. I am jealous.

Soundtrack was awesome:
1. Avril Lavigne - "Alice (Underground)"
2. The All-American Rejects - "The Poison"
3. Owl City - "The Technicolor Phase"
4. Shinedown - "Her Name Is Alice"
5. All Time Low - "Painting Flowers"
6. Metro Station - "Where's My Angel"
7. Tokio Hotel and Kerli - "Strange"
8. 3OH!3 featuring Neon Hitch - "Follow Me Down"
9. Robert Smith - "Very Good Advice"
10. Mark Hoppus with Pete Wentz - "In Transit"
11. Plain White T's - "Welcome to Mystery"
12. Kerli - "Tea Party"
13. Franz Ferdinand - "The Lobster Quadrille"
14. Motion City Soundtrack - "Running Out of Time"
15. Wolfmother - "Fell Down a Hole"
16. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - "White Rabbit"

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

Difference

These past few days, I've been doing some things differently.
Well for starters, I spent all day Saturday at Borders, studying for my Euro, Calc, and Physics test. I like this one big square table they have but I always feel awkward sitting there alone. I feel like I should take one of the small tables since I'm sitting by myself anyway.

So, as usual, I walked into Borders at 10 am, settled in on my favorite table, asked Jared for my small Tazo Calm tea, and went about my business for a good five hours. When it was about 30 minutes before my scheduled pick-up time, I let my eyes wander from my calculus homework to the people sitting around me. I caught sight of a high school girl who was carrying an enormous Juicy tote that seemed weigh as much as her. She was looking for a seat, but with the early afternoon being the busiest time at the cafe, she was inevitably disappointed. After a few minutes, she gave up, turned around, and trudged to the back of the book store - probably to find a small couch or stool to sit on.

After a few seconds, I got up, ran after her, tapped her on the shoulder, and asked her if she would like to sit with me since I was leaving soon anyway. She was really happy and thanked me for offering. I know it's nothing close to being a good semaritan, but hey, this small good deed on my part made my day.


To top off my good day with a cherry, I wanted to make Ali e Olio pasta for dinner, so I asked my mom if we could stop by at Rite Aid to buy some light virgin olive oil. It was really cold out - enough to make me shudder even with my coat on.

As I made my way to the entrance, I saw a homeless man that I recognized since I see him often in the streets. I could tell it was him because this man always wears shorts - and by shorts, I mean the horrendously short ones that basketball teams in the 50's would wear. Yes, the ones that cover about half the thigh. But I digress...
I saw him jogging in place, trying to keep himself warm. It was uncomfortable looking at him and his exposed legs, not because of the usual reason (short shorts), but because his legs were pale blue from the cold.
Back at home, I made my mom some pasta and asked her if we could take some to him. I live right next to RiteAid, so I could get it to him when it was still piping hot. So, I made another serving of my amazing 5 star Ali e Olio, got a bottle of water, and grabbed a pink wool blanket that we only use for camping trips. When I got there, he was lying down on some news papers and a jacket facing the wall. We tapped him on the shoulder and asked him if he would like some pasta and a blanket. He had such a surprised look on his face when he turned around...as if this was the first time someone had talked to him in years. He accepted and thanked me.

I don't know if I can help the people in Haiti or Chile, but I know that even though it's small, I can start by helping those around me. When he thanked me, I saw for the first time how clear and pure his eyes were. Those eyes made me feel like I got more out of this than he did.

"You must be the difference you wish to see in the world."