I remember after I used to have late-night workout sessions with some of my GNC brothers, I would come home and ask them if I really had to shower. I hated showering so late at night, especially after being so worn-out from exercising. Plus, I didn't even sweat that much. They thought I was disgusting and rebuked me for this.
I know this is going to sound gross, but I'm not a big showering kind of person in general. I mean I shower daily out of obligation and because it's a cultural norm, but I don't understand those people who can take 30+ minute showers... I get so antsy in there. I remember when I used to dorm with Joyce at Yonsei, and after every time I'd come back from showering in our communal showers, she would be a lil' taken aback and say "that was fast." EVERY time. I sometimes purposely tried to stay in a little longer, conditioning my hair an extra 2 minutes or so just to get her to stop saying that.
I guess the reasoning behind not wanting to shower (unless its really hot, humid subtropic weather and I'm sweating buckets) is that the feeling is so temporal. We shower daily just so we can get dirty and shower again. And the same thing goes for food. I think the main reason why I'm not a hardcore foodie is that the joy one gets from eating food is so fleeting that sometimes it doesn't feel like it's worth it. 10 minutes of pleasure... for what? A hole in your wallet and possibly a stomach-ache or bad indigestion.
That's why I think I enjoy books so much. Reading a book is something that is a long, time-consuming process (a labor of love) where you feel emotionally attached and invested. Also, once you're done with a book, you don't just forget about it. The feelings, emotions, ideas, and application of a good story could resonate with you permanently.
I think that's one of the characteristics that I love about God. That He's timeless and the promise that He offers is an eternal one.
Quote from Dostoevsky from Tim Keller's The Reason for God (I just have to say how happy I am that he quoted Dostoevsky- Kudos to Tim!):
"I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify all that has happened."
And C.S. Lewis:
"They say of some temporal suffering,'No future bliss can make up for it,' not knowing that Heaven, once attained will work backwards and turn even that agony into glory."
9.30.2010
cravings pt. deux
I am not like normal pre-menstrual women who have cravings for cookies or chinese food. I have these weird cravings for a specific type of food... like an avocado or a piece of provolone cheese. Recently, I keep having cravings for kimchi. No not kimchi chigae or kimchi bokkeumbab. Just kimchi. I come home every night, feening for some spicy, stinky, and crunchy cabbage.
Just right now, I took out my kimchi tub from my fridge and ate like 10 pieces of kimchi by itself.
So delicious.
I am so Korean right now.
Just right now, I took out my kimchi tub from my fridge and ate like 10 pieces of kimchi by itself.
So delicious.
I am so Korean right now.
9.28.2010
the scent of a man
I realized that a person's scent plays a huge factor in how attracted I am or can be to him.
When a guy smells nice, I can't help but close my eyes and just breathe in his aroma. I don't particularly like the smell of cologne (especially the nauseating kind that high school boys douse on themselves), but I love it when guys smell fresh out of the shower... zestfully clean, you could say~ I love it so much that I even got a "shower" scent air freshener for my car (not quite the same).
There used to be a boy that I had the hugest crush on (I can say this now very openly because I am millions of miles away from him and he will never see this blog), because he smelled like soap. In fact, I even donned him the nickname "Soapboy." I mean he had other admirable qualities (lighthearted wit, easygoing nature, overall likable personality), but his fresh scent just put him over the edge. Every time, I'd see him (err I guess smell him), it would kinda drive me nuts(pls don't think I'm creepy).
I can't wait to have a baby, so I could just smell him/her all the time. I love the smell of babies. My brother kind of smells like a baby, but a grown up baby that smokes cigarettes; he has this naturally milky scent (pls don't think I'm weird).
On a related note, isn't "olfactory" such a weird word? Totally doesn't sound like what it means, does it? Words like "whimsy" or "cacophonous" sound like what they mean. But olfactory? It just sounds like you're saying an old factory. In fact, that's how I would memorize the term for SAT's. I couldn't stand the smell of the old factory. Olfactory.
When a guy smells nice, I can't help but close my eyes and just breathe in his aroma. I don't particularly like the smell of cologne (especially the nauseating kind that high school boys douse on themselves), but I love it when guys smell fresh out of the shower... zestfully clean, you could say~ I love it so much that I even got a "shower" scent air freshener for my car (not quite the same).
There used to be a boy that I had the hugest crush on (I can say this now very openly because I am millions of miles away from him and he will never see this blog), because he smelled like soap. In fact, I even donned him the nickname "Soapboy." I mean he had other admirable qualities (lighthearted wit, easygoing nature, overall likable personality), but his fresh scent just put him over the edge. Every time, I'd see him (err I guess smell him), it would kinda drive me nuts(pls don't think I'm creepy).
I can't wait to have a baby, so I could just smell him/her all the time. I love the smell of babies. My brother kind of smells like a baby, but a grown up baby that smokes cigarettes; he has this naturally milky scent (pls don't think I'm weird).
On a related note, isn't "olfactory" such a weird word? Totally doesn't sound like what it means, does it? Words like "whimsy" or "cacophonous" sound like what they mean. But olfactory? It just sounds like you're saying an old factory. In fact, that's how I would memorize the term for SAT's. I couldn't stand the smell of the old factory. Olfactory.
simpsons kid @ heart
i love fat homer. he's the one who got me into muumuu's.
^wish the video wasn't such crappy quality, but still one of my fave pam/jim moments... makes... my... heart... flutter...
9.24.2010
you better get your move on (woah-oh), or all the good ones will have gone....
Funny incident today at work:
A pretty blonde lady strolls into our office.
"Oh I'm looking for Scott Randall."*
I look up Scott Randall in our directory and see a photo of a frumpy, curly-haired dude (kind of like the grown-up version of those Superbad guys).
"Oh, are you a vendor or a client?" I ask.
She smiles sheepishly and replies, "Neither. A girlfriend."
And right then before my jaw dropped, Scott Randall comes out and they greet each other with a kiss and walk into the office together.
Diva coworker next to me says, "Ooh. That Scott Randall is one lucky mofo."
I laughed, but I couldn't help thinking he must have a lot of money, which he probably does since most of the employees (at least the males) at my office do. (That's a very cruel thought to have, isn't it?)
But its a weird thing I noticed while living and people-watching in New York. There are extremely mis-matched couples, especially the homely (plain, at best) men with their gorgeous girlfriends. Either the women in this city are really not superficial (with looks) or extremely superficial (with money).
But I always thought if I was extremely beautiful and modelesque, I think I would care less about my beau being physically attractive. It's like since I'm so good-looking, I'd get sick of seeing too many good-looking people all the time. Does that make any sense?
Then I thought maybe I need to lower my standards a bit when it comes to outer beauty. Maybe the only path to happiness (apparently from the New York girls I've been observing) is that girls just need to be with guys that are 3-4 notches less attractive than them. That's the only way a girl can be truly adored and secure in a relationship. But then again, how could you be with someone without being even a little bit physically attracted to him? How would you wake up to their face EVERY morning of your whole life if you didn't like that face? But then again, sometimes even a good-looking face could get tiring to look at if you had to look at it every morning.
My cousin said her standards have been changing as she gets older. First, she says she was all about the face (very handsome with good features and structure)... then she realized she can't be that picky anymore and just asked for good height (5'10"+)... but then she realized the pool is too small, so then she just settled for a decent body (not fat and not too skinny). I realized that more than being strictly handsome, it's all about having a good (warning: gona turn a lil fobby here) 인상, which basically means "impression/vibe." Yep... and everything else is just a bonus.
*name has been changed to protect identity.
A pretty blonde lady strolls into our office.
"Oh I'm looking for Scott Randall."*
I look up Scott Randall in our directory and see a photo of a frumpy, curly-haired dude (kind of like the grown-up version of those Superbad guys).
"Oh, are you a vendor or a client?" I ask.
She smiles sheepishly and replies, "Neither. A girlfriend."
And right then before my jaw dropped, Scott Randall comes out and they greet each other with a kiss and walk into the office together.
Diva coworker next to me says, "Ooh. That Scott Randall is one lucky mofo."
I laughed, but I couldn't help thinking he must have a lot of money, which he probably does since most of the employees (at least the males) at my office do. (That's a very cruel thought to have, isn't it?)
But its a weird thing I noticed while living and people-watching in New York. There are extremely mis-matched couples, especially the homely (plain, at best) men with their gorgeous girlfriends. Either the women in this city are really not superficial (with looks) or extremely superficial (with money).
But I always thought if I was extremely beautiful and modelesque, I think I would care less about my beau being physically attractive. It's like since I'm so good-looking, I'd get sick of seeing too many good-looking people all the time. Does that make any sense?
Then I thought maybe I need to lower my standards a bit when it comes to outer beauty. Maybe the only path to happiness (apparently from the New York girls I've been observing) is that girls just need to be with guys that are 3-4 notches less attractive than them. That's the only way a girl can be truly adored and secure in a relationship. But then again, how could you be with someone without being even a little bit physically attracted to him? How would you wake up to their face EVERY morning of your whole life if you didn't like that face? But then again, sometimes even a good-looking face could get tiring to look at if you had to look at it every morning.
My cousin said her standards have been changing as she gets older. First, she says she was all about the face (very handsome with good features and structure)... then she realized she can't be that picky anymore and just asked for good height (5'10"+)... but then she realized the pool is too small, so then she just settled for a decent body (not fat and not too skinny). I realized that more than being strictly handsome, it's all about having a good (warning: gona turn a lil fobby here) 인상, which basically means "impression/vibe." Yep... and everything else is just a bonus.
*name has been changed to protect identity.
9.22.2010
9.15.2010
good news
So this morning at work, there was a handyman who was fixing our front door of our office (because it kept squeaking and not closing all the way).
One of our security guys goes up to him and asks, "So any good news?"
And the handyman goes, "Yes, that Jesus Christ is Lord."
The security guy laughs and says "I'm talking about the door."
Handyman goes "What better news is there than that?"
One of our security guys goes up to him and asks, "So any good news?"
And the handyman goes, "Yes, that Jesus Christ is Lord."
The security guy laughs and says "I'm talking about the door."
Handyman goes "What better news is there than that?"
9.11.2010
f.n.o.
Going to Fashion Night Out in the city last night brought it home again that NYC is a place where there is a huuuuge gap between the have's and have-not's. Maybe it's because I'm always in the grungier parts of town, but I always seem to forget that there are millionaires and billionaires in the midst of us.
lovely lines
real live ken dolls!
this little girl is way too precocious for her own good.As I strolled around, getting free cocktails and hor d'oeuvres from Tiffany's, Mikimoto's, and Bergdorf & Goodman- I was constantly surrounded by modelesque beauties and rich socialites schmoozing it up as they gave each other thoughtless pecks on the cheek and paraded around in their chichi outfits. And there I was- with my disheveled hair and ill-clad in my Forever 21 jacket and Steve Madden shoes. I felt like the epitome of the "small-town girl" as I was wide-eyed and in-awe by the glitz and glamour of it all. I even found myself subconsciously "ooh-ing" & "aah-ing" at the pretty brand-name trinkets & treasures that I wouldn't have given a second thought to a month ago. (Just last week, I was poking fun at every pretentiously ridiculous item at the Commes des Garcons store.) Afterwards, while all the fancy folks went to their Michelin star restaurants and private parties, we went to Subway for some fine dining.
But don't all Cinderella stories start off this way?
(In the words of Wilco, what would we be without wishful thinking?)
9.10.2010
hip! hip! hooray!
I can buy TOTAL cereal now. The expensive one with nuts and clusters! (I actually want some right this minute...)
I'm thankful for many things. But mostly for my friends & family who love and adore me.
hehe.
Ooh and it's fashion weeeeeek. Hope I run into coco rocha~
I should be doing my work, yet my eyes keep wandering to clothes sites... bad! bad! bad!
Mammon, stop distracting me!
I'm thankful for many things. But mostly for my friends & family who love and adore me.
hehe.
Ooh and it's fashion weeeeeek. Hope I run into coco rocha~
I should be doing my work, yet my eyes keep wandering to clothes sites... bad! bad! bad!
Mammon, stop distracting me!
9.07.2010
if i were a rich girl...
My cousin and I are making a list of things we're going to buy/do once we land jobs.
1.
On our weekly Walmart runs, we always have the hardest time picking cereal, and one day we just picked this cereal at random. It is sooo yummy! I think we literally ate it all in two sittings. Unfortunately, it's super tiny (it's like half the size of other cereal boxes), and for some reason, it's the most expensive. For the time being, we'll have to stick with the discounted cocoa puffs and honey bunches. One day, we'll come back for you.
2.
The last time I ate Korean bbq was the little sliver of a piece I had when we went as a group on 4th of July weekend to eat neng myun (only one guy ordered galbi... the rest of us were too cheap). But that little piece was sooo juicy and delicious... I still dream about it...
3.
I never used to like jjim jil bang (korean saunas) until maybe a week or two before I came to the east coast. But during that week, I got addicted. It is so relaxing and therapeutic just lying there and sweating it out. I even got used to the communal bathing. Unfortunately, I hear they're more expensive over here. (isn't everything?) I miss it so.
4.
Okay this one is kinda lofty... but we really, really want to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, Orlando. I am not even a huuge Harry Potter fan (I haven't even read all the books or watched the movies), but I love this fictional world created by J.K. Rowling. Ever since, I first read the book, I always thought they should turn it into a ride at a theme park...
One day, one day.
1.
On our weekly Walmart runs, we always have the hardest time picking cereal, and one day we just picked this cereal at random. It is sooo yummy! I think we literally ate it all in two sittings. Unfortunately, it's super tiny (it's like half the size of other cereal boxes), and for some reason, it's the most expensive. For the time being, we'll have to stick with the discounted cocoa puffs and honey bunches. One day, we'll come back for you.
2.
The last time I ate Korean bbq was the little sliver of a piece I had when we went as a group on 4th of July weekend to eat neng myun (only one guy ordered galbi... the rest of us were too cheap). But that little piece was sooo juicy and delicious... I still dream about it...
3.
I never used to like jjim jil bang (korean saunas) until maybe a week or two before I came to the east coast. But during that week, I got addicted. It is so relaxing and therapeutic just lying there and sweating it out. I even got used to the communal bathing. Unfortunately, I hear they're more expensive over here. (isn't everything?) I miss it so.
4.
Okay this one is kinda lofty... but we really, really want to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, Orlando. I am not even a huuge Harry Potter fan (I haven't even read all the books or watched the movies), but I love this fictional world created by J.K. Rowling. Ever since, I first read the book, I always thought they should turn it into a ride at a theme park...
One day, one day.
9.04.2010
snafu
Isn't it funny that church service lands on Sunday's- the last day of the weekend stretch? Somehow, I find that it's hardly arbitrary and seems almost like a well thought-out, calculated arrangement. In Manhattan, it seems as though services (especially in churches where there's a thriving population of young adult church-goers) are even pushed back until the last tether of the weekend... usually in the late afternoon or evening.
I guess it offers us the option of having wild, unadulterated nights of drunken debauchery and promiscuity (usually starting from Thursdays) and the safe claim of being able to come to church for a thorough purging/repenting session.
I know this isn't what Christians are supposed to do. (As in living a completely double life and being a weekly prodigal son.) And church isn't designed for these purposes. But I wonder what it would be like if church was on Friday or Saturday instead. I think us heathens would benefit from it. With the sermon ringing freshly in our ears, I think we'd be just a tad bit more reluctant to engage in "unbiblical" acts and maybe think twice about indulging ourselves in the seductive NY nightlife. Who knows...
I guess it offers us the option of having wild, unadulterated nights of drunken debauchery and promiscuity (usually starting from Thursdays) and the safe claim of being able to come to church for a thorough purging/repenting session.
I know this isn't what Christians are supposed to do. (As in living a completely double life and being a weekly prodigal son.) And church isn't designed for these purposes. But I wonder what it would be like if church was on Friday or Saturday instead. I think us heathens would benefit from it. With the sermon ringing freshly in our ears, I think we'd be just a tad bit more reluctant to engage in "unbiblical" acts and maybe think twice about indulging ourselves in the seductive NY nightlife. Who knows...
9.02.2010
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