National Treasures

Bulguksa is a Buddhist Temple up in the mountains in Gyeongju.

I'm just going to let the photos do the talking this time.

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However, note this - I have uncovered the secret to traveling with young children (in this case, my 4 year old cousin): bribery. It sounds horrible but honestly, without that yogurt ice cream in his hand I don't think my aunt and I could have made it to see the temple!

healthy endeavors

I went to church today and decided to walk home because it wasn't raining.

There were two options of walking home: 1) Boylston Street 2) Newbury Street

But it breaks down more like this: 1) get home in 30 minutes with all money intact 2) get home in 3 hours with shopping bags or lusting over unnecessary luxuries

I took route one but still managed to stop by Paper Source (yikes), and saw that there was a Health and Fitness Expo at Hynes and stopped by that as well. I was expecting to go home with some health tips and maybe some pamphlets on nutrition but the place was just a huge carnival of companies promoting their products, pharmaceutical companies offering pens and mugs, random "celebrity" appearances, and dozens of sweepstakes.

It was great that there were booths from organizations that promote awareness of serious diseases, and I also had a nice conversation with a woman from Shriner's Hospital, but I felt like those booths were overlooked by the masses. The longest lines were for the booths that were handing out food and beverage samples! You're at a health and fitness expo people! Sigh...

It made me wonder if the people attending this expo really believed that these companies cared about their health. Maybe I'm a little jaded as a business student, but the expo felt like a really long commercial to me.

In the end, the only person who can care about your health is yourself! Treat your body well!

I am now mobile blogging!

Pretty peonies at a flower store on mass ave :)

When I think of Michael Jackson I think of my Americana loving Grandfather. I remember all the countless MJ cassette tapes that were in his car in Korea... he must be sad to hear about Michael Jackson's death... :/

Beautiful Korea

My visit to 감은사지 삼층석탑 (Gameun Temple) in Gyeongju.

The temple was built by the son of King Munmu, whose underwater tomb in the East Sea is just a few miles away from this temple. King Munmu said he wished to be cremated and have his ashes placed in the sea so that he could be reincarnated and return as a dragon to protect Korea. The temple had a waterway that once had water come in from the nearby sea so that King Munmu could return.

Korea is such a scenic country. It's a shame that so many people only spend time in Seoul.

University life in Seoul

Seoul National University

서울대

The school is kind of up in the mountains and has very big campus. Seoul-dae is the number one university in South Korea.

My dad's cousin showed me around the campus this day.

Korean students lounging (mostly smoking) in front of one of the libraries.

In front of the College of Music, where my mom took classes when she was my age :)

A practice room in one of the music buildings

&

the prettiest basketball hoop ever in front of the art buildings. It would make the sport more enjoyable, no?

Finished the lovely day with dinner with my dad's aunt, who came to visit from China. (영어로 고모할머니를 어떻게 표현할까?)

relief at last

Good news: Macbook saved! Photos from Korea coming soon :)

At my Mom's alma mater

moving on

I've lost count of all the different addresses I've lived in for the past 3 years. Here I am, packing yet again, this time from Los Angeles to Boston so that I can re-enroll in classes and start acting like a student. (Because if I don't, this wonderful aunt named Sallie Mae will be on my ass about paying for loans!)

It's strange to imagine myself holding textbooks and rushing to class again. I haven't taken classes for about a year now. I was on co-op for the last six months of 2008, and then went straight to Korea and now I'm trying to remember what I actually learned a year ago. I suppose my college career has been ever so slightly unconventional, but isn't college where we can be a little unconventional and flexible and open to new things? (Shouldn't we be that way always?) Or is college just a convention of kids who didn't know any better? It looks to me that some of the most successful people today were some of the most unconventional ones back in the day - so what should we do now to avoid just a mediocre life?

Half of 2009 has passed and I think June is a perfect time to reflect and renew. It's a perfect halfway point and 6 months is great for making new, specific goals. As for me, the first half of 2009 was a time for learning and growing. The second half of 2009 will be a time for change and action. It's time to move forward!

What is your goal for the next 3 years and how do you plan on getting there?

Are you drowning, or are you floating?