Isn't it weird when people you still think of as babies get engaged?

Still can't believe it, but very very happy.

Congrats to my lil' bro :)

Been a crazy couple of day. Friday was my last day of work yay! Eight weeks have gone by FAST! Left work a little early on Friday, then headed to the airport to pick up baby Sarah, who's visiting the motherland for the first time since 1990. Good times.

We've mainly been hanging out with relatives and trying to stay cooool since Sarah got here. By the way, rainy season has ended and hot as hell season has begun.

Right now, we're staying at my cousin's place. The best part is, my other cousin and my favorite child on the planet (little Eric MinHyuk!) are staying here too. He amuses us endlessly.

More updates and pics to come later. It's too hot in this room. Must escape to the air conditioning!

Happy Anniversary Phil and Jo!

You guys are crazy cool kids, and pretty awesome people to have as a brother and sister.

I'm glad you're married. : )

Have you ever gotten so angry/outraged that tears came to your eyes? I have.

Lord, grant me the wisdom to know that violence is not the answer and the self-control to not punch another in the nose or kick them in the groin. Because I don't want to go to jail. Amen.

This has been pretty much the most unproductive week of my life. Work week started on Tuesday b/c of Constitution Day, and I was supposed to spend the week writing the rough draft of my memo. Instead of writing, I played a lot of crossword puzzle, text twist, bookworm and bounce out. I wrote my rough draft furiously the last three hours of my day, and let me tell you-- it was ROUGH. Next week is my last week, and I must make it productive!!

On a happier note, my cousin came back from the States so now I have company. She also doesn't mind that I'm stealing her room. I feel kind of guilty, because she's sleeping on the floor in her mom's room, but she doesn't seem to mind. She's cool, and pretty dang funny.

On a sadder note, on Wednesday we observed the one year anniversary of my second aunt's passing. It was pretty sad, especially because my second aunt was one of my favorites. Her daughter had a son seven months ago- the adorable EricMinhyuk- and the saddest part is thinking about how much she would have loved him and how happy he would have made her. But as sad as the night was, it was also nice to be with family. I really love all my aunts and cousins on my mom's side.

Other random stuff:
- Tonight was a blast from my NU past as I had dinner with sweet BettyYim! It was really fun to see her and catch up and hear about her life.

- I love riding the subway and seeing all the funny things that happen and people who are on it. Usually the sleepers are the funniest- the people who nod off and then jerk awake and then nod off again. They are endlessly entertaining. And then there are the ladies my foreignor friends call "subway ninjas"- middle aged to elderly Korean women who throw elbows, stare you down and shove you out of their way in order to get places faster and especially to get a seat on a crowded train. Today I sat next to a lady who was gnawing on an ear of corn. It smelled pretty good, but I was under the impression that you couldn't eat or drink on the subway? Hm. Also, I was getting really irritated by the guy next to me. He would fall asleep, and his legs would open wider and wider and wider, squeezing me over and into the guy on my other side. Then he would wake up and sit normally... and then he would fall back asleep and his legs would open wider and wider and wider. ARGH.

- Bunnies are cute. Today a guy was selling these tiny cute adorable bunnies on the street. They were so freakin' cute. But apparantely they grow to be humongous... although I don't think I'll ever see a bunny as big as BeccaTsang's. Does anyone else remember that monster rabbit? Anyways, on the way home my cousin and I were talking about the bunnies, and then the cab driver interjects and tells us about how delicious rabbit tastes, and then how delicious deer meat it. Oh, and he also told us that deer blood is a delicacy and very expensive, but to make sure you put soju in it as well, or else the dear blood will congeal. We actually think he had soju in his water bottle. Or maybe he was just really lonely.

Lastly, is it just me or is the world going bonkers? NorthKorea, Israel and Lebanon, Iraq, India, etc... plus, crazy heat waves, tsunamis, floods. Seriously, how could you not believe global warming exists??? I think it's making everyone nutty.

Theres only one word to describe this weekend: RAIN. A lot of rain. It rained a lot. So much rain. Rain.

Friday was a bit rainy. I got taken out for lunch yay and hung out with one of my cousins later in the evening. The rain started on Saturday afternoon, beginning as a light drizzle as I walked with my aunt from the subway to the hotel where my mom's cousin's daughter got married. (BTW- my mom's cousin's daughter married a Spanish guy. As in, from Spain. So I tried to practice my Spanish. It was pretty terrible. hahah.) The light rain contined through the afternoon and early evening. And then, while I was in apgujeongdong having drinks with friends (apple soju served in carved out apples! pineapple soju served in a carved out pineapple! yogurt soju served in a normal carafe!) the rain started coming down in sheets. With thunder and lightening. It was crazy.

This crazy rain sheets of rain thing continued throught the night, and allllll day Sunday. It kept raining on Monday, save for perhaps a three hour block in the afternoon. It was raining when I woke up this morning. All in all, I feel soggy.

I'm really bored today.

Some tidbits:

Riot Police!
This week the US and Korea had FTA negotiations, and there were huge protests. On Wednesday, the biggest one was held at KwangHaMun, about five minutes away from my building. Also, ther was a smaller protest earlier in the day at the Ministry of Fisheries by the fisherman's group, about two blocks from my building. I guess in Korea protests usually equal violence, so the riot police were out in full force. And by riot police I mean guys who look like they're 17 years old who happen to be wearing bulletproof vests and carrying shields. When I left my building, I noticed that were no cars on the street in front. Why? Because the riot police had blocked the entire street with their buses, and were lined up on either end of the street. They were also a ton in the subway station. It was pretty craaaazy. I took pictures, will post later.

Excuse me, your shoes are on backwards
The other day, I was walking in the subway and I saw a girl walking towards me. I thought her shoes were a little funny, until i got close and realized that she was walking with one of her feet completely facing back. She had on bright pink sneakers, and one foot was facing forwards while the other was facing back. I was literally looking at the toes of her shoe one foot, and the back of the shoe on the other. And she was walking fine, with just a bit of a limp. I'venever seen anything like it. And, her bright pink sneakers were hot.

My slacker ways continue
I'm supposed to be doing research for the research officer here, and instead I'm blogging. I'm such a slacker. I need some motivation. Help!

Latest obsessions:
- Yogurt bing soo at RedMango. Shaved ice with frozen yogurt and fruit on top. Delicious.
- YouTube. Endless hours of enjoyment.
- Old Korean dramas. My cousin burned me a cd with all the episodes of this old Korean drama/comedy, called Jealousy. It's really funny. And it' kind of dated, so their outfits are hilarious!

Happy Birthday to Me.

Yesterday was my birthday, and it went by quite uneventfully. My aunt made me some mee yuk gook, and then we had cake and wine. And she bought me eye cream, because I've been freaking out lately about the wrinkles and lines that have formed underneath my eyes.

The weirdest thing about turning 25 is that I'm now actually 25. It seems like a very grown up age, where my peers are getting married without comments about how young they are, and I can now rent a car without paying the extra fee. But I feel like any day people are going to catch on that I'm just faking it!! I'm not really an adult! I fooled you all! I'm really just a goofy kid, who thinks boys are gross, gel pens are neat, and myspace rulez. You get the picture.

The funny thing about being in Korea is that my birthday has extended into two days. Yesterday was my birthday in Korea, but it's still the 13th in the States. So I've been getting emails for the past two days. Pretty neato.

A year ago I moved from DC to Sunnyvale. I had the worst flight ever, partially because of the five hour delay, partially because I left my ipod on the plane. Things are a little better this year. Yay me.

Been an interesting couple of days. Well actually, not interesting so much as uninteresting. Heh. Anyways, Friday was our last day of the human rights seminar. It was such an awesome seminar, I had such a wonderful time. The lecturers were all so great. After class me and some girls went to a hof (small restaurant/bar kind of place) and had 3 big ass bottles of beer, chicken and fruit... all for about $22. I love Korea!

On Saturday I went to MyungDong, walked around and then watched PiratesoftheCaribbean with my SantaClara crew. It was ok. The special effects were good, JohnnyDepp was good, and the special effects were good. But KieraKnightley is still one of my least favorite actresses, OrlandoBloom still only has two facial expressions, and the movie ended before the story did. I mean, I understand the whole sequel thing, but the ending was just too abrupt, and too unresolved. Not a fan. Also, it was too long. But, if you're looking for some mind candy summer viewing, not a bad way to go.

Sunday after church I watched SupermanReturns with cousins. It was also another movie I thought was toooo long. I thought BrandonRouth was not bad as Superman, but not great as Clark. I mean, I always thought that even if Lois didn't really like Clark, she respected him as a reporter. They didn't have Clark do anything but stand around and pretend not to listen. Also, I've never been a KateBosworth fan (she has two different colored eyes! she's a witch!) and I'm still not a KateBosworth fan. And I just didn't believe that she was old enough to be the mother of a five year old. Oh, and I hated the way they ended things with Lex. Lame. But on the bright side, the special effects were fun. And the FortressofSolitude is still badass.

Funny thing about watching movies here: a lot of times, I would laugh (or during Caribbean, my friends and I would laugh) and I (we) would be the only ones laughing. I think a lot of things are lost in translation, and the subtitles just don't pick up everything. People must have thought I was crazy.

Oh, and I was talking with my cousin in law, and he was saying how when he was little he got hurt pretending he was Superman. And then my cousin chimed in that another guy cousin of mine hurt himself and broke a bone when he pretended he was Superman and tried to fly. I think perhaps there are many, many guys out there who have grandeurs of being Superman and tried to fly, with a towel as a cape. Dumb boys. Girls don't do stuff like that.

Random notes:

FAN DEATH!!!
In Korea, everyone believes that if you leave a room fan on at night, with your door and window closed, you'll DIE. Apparentely it has to do with your body temperature lowering until you DIE, although some say the fan sucks the oxygen out of the room, Except that make absolutely no sense. I would say it's urban legend here, except that EVERYONE believes it to be true. In fact, most room fans don't even have the option to keep a fan on all night, they all have timers that turn the fan off automatically. I just think it's nuts.

Gradumacation
I was perusing random people's xangas, and I saw that NU graduation was a couple weeks ago. The kids who were freshman when I was a senior graduated. That. Is. Crazy. Those little ones were big babies, and now they're all growns up. Another thing that's making me feel oooold.

Xanga Stalk Much?
Speaking of xangas, there are certain xanga's that I stalk. I don't know these people, but I know their xangas. So I kind of feel like I do know them. In particular, there's this one xanga that I see through a good chingoo (friend) of mine. I've been watching her baby grow over xanga, and I'm in love with this kid even though I've never met him. He used to be small and cute, and now he's incredibly chubby and cute. If I ever meet her and her family, I'll greet them like old friends. And they'll get freaked out and run away.

I was on Cloud 9
Last night I had drinks at Cloud 9, the skybar atop of JongNo Tower in Seoul. It was pretty sweet. The view was awesome, the lounge was super swanky, and I had a good time. The beer was excellent as well. But I think we were paying for the view-- it cost $15!!! Thank goodness I'm a girl and I didn't pay :)

Weddings
Last summer was my summer of weddings. You'd think I'd find it less weird that my friends are getting married, that I'd be used to it by now. Um, not quite yet. I just sent a wedding gift to a girl I've known since 7th grade, and I just saw pictures of a college friend's wedding, who was one of the first people I met in college. It's just still too weird for me to think that I'm at an age where getting married is normal. Aren't I still a kid? No? Boo.

Last, jane/su/lin's grandmother passed away on Friday. I'm so bummed I couldn't make it to the memorial service. Grandma Kim was 97, and for as long as I remember she's been there with that big smile. Seeing her always made me remember my own grandmother. But even though I'm sad, I know Grandma Kim is with the Lord, because this was a woman who really really loved Jesus. So here's to her.

And so ends week 1 of my internship. This week, I pretty much did NOTHING. I read a lot about the constitutional court and it's history... and that's about it. I got a research assignment yesterday though, and it's very interesting. One week down, three to go.

Hey Bethel people-- I intern with a guy who looks like a grown up version of TonyCho. It's exactly how I imagine TonyCho will look like at age 35. Similar build, similar face, short neck, very tan. I wish I had a picture of both of them so I could do a side by side comparison.

So things have been a little nutty here... Let's just say I'll be very unhappy if North Korea decides to, say, bomb the US or bomb Seoul. I'll also be very unhappy if the US bombs KimJongIl's house (which is what one of the interns said he heard we would do. which i seriusly doubt).

One thing I've noticed here is the style of Korean girls, clothes and accessories wise. The thing is, it seems to me like they've all got some kind of personal style. They are all going for some kind of look with their clothes. Some of the girls are tacky, some cute, some cookie cutter, some odd, but they all are going for something. It makes it really fun to look around and people watch here. Some of the popular trends here are similar to those in America-- skinny jeans, really long tops, flats-- that whole NicoleRichie/LindseyLohan look. A lot of girls are wearing really pretty, feminene dresses, usually always covered by a little bolero or shrug (confession: i bought a cute litte bolero. only 10 bucks! and so good to wear over little tank tops, cause they disapprove of the revealing clothing here.) But I think the most common outfit is the school uniform. Those poor high school girls-- never have I seen more unflattering, uncomfortable looking clothes. Oy.

I got a mosquito bite the other night, and now it's swelled, circumfrence-wise, to the size of a grapefruit. It's HUGE. And unbearably itchy. Not only am I unbelievably prone to mosquito bites, I also have really terrible reactions to them.

Speaking of mosquitos, I'm not always sure what they look like. So last night when I saw a bug flying around the room, I decided to smoosh it. I grabbed a little white notebook, aimed, and smooshed it against the wall. Satisfied that the sucker was well and truly smooshed, I pulled the little white notebook away to see a disgusting red blood stain on it! And a dead smooshed bloody mosquito on the wall. GROSS. I think it was the first time I've ever seen something like that. It was so nasty. But now I'm a little satisfied, thinking that maybe I got revenge on the exact little bastard mosquito that is giving me so much pain right now. That's right. Your ass is grass little mosquito!

Have you noticed I like the word smoosh?

Thank goodness it's Friday. I'm going to try to catch PiratesoftheCaribbean tomorrow, and maybe hang out with cousins on Sunday.

Today was the first day of my internship. It was pretty chill-- orientation, tour, lunch, more orientation, then they let us leave at 3. I think it'll be a pretty low key time, just researching, writing, etc. As opposed to my classmates at law firms, who were assigned to write affadavits, translate documents etc. on their very first day. I guess working for the government is easier, no matter where you are. Of course, they're getting paid. I guess working for the corporate machine is more lucrative, no matter where you are!!

Today was also the first day of my human rights seminar. It's meeting all week, from 7pm to either 9pm or 10pm. Oy. But today's discucssion was really interesting, it is only for a week, and I'm getting a unit of credit. Woo!

Last night I met up with a bunch of relatives for a celebration dinner for my cousin, who finished his military service. A lot of seafood, a lot of beer, and A LOT of soju. Also, they served bbon-dae-gi aka toasted caterpillar larvae. Needless to say, I didn't partake. There are two foods that are on my absolutely will not eat ever list-- bbon dae gi and po jhing tang (dog stew). I just don't think I can get over the mental aspect of it.

Oh, and I'm at my aunt's place now for the next two weeks, then it's off to another cousin's. I don't think I'll be able to upload any pictures on this computer, so you'll have to just use your imagination.