Internet Love Affair

The Internet has never shown me so much love in a span of five days!

I won THREE giveaways this week. Two from blogs I love, and one from a great South End restaurant on Twitter. I promise I'm not trying to rub it in your face - I'm just showing you how wonderful networking and social media can be!

Of course I'll be sharing pictures once I receive my goodies in the mail, but thank you so much to the following prime internet real-estate spots!

The talented, lovely Dionne from City of Dionne
The legendary Joanna Goddard from A Cup of Jo
and via Twitter: Myers+Chang in the South End!

Korean Air Travel Photo Contest

Korean Air is holding their 16th Travel Photo Contest. The theme of the contest is "Memorable Travel Moment" and the only prerequisites for applicants are to enjoy traveling and photography. I really think anything can become a travel moment - even if it's just a drive to a city over the bridge!

Applicants can enter up to 5 photos (film or digital) from July 27th to August 31st.

There are various prizes; many of them include free plane tickets, and some include goodies from sponsor Canon. I know that there are some great photographers in the blogosphere - I wouldn't want anyone to miss this opportunity!

More info and details here: http://photo.koreanair.com/

ny color palette

도시마다 다양한 색깔와 문화가 있다는건 늘 신기하다

저번주 주말에는 친구들이랑 뉴욕에 모여서 같이 놀았다 ^_^

아무래도 나는 사람사진찍는게 제일 즐거운것 같아...

사람도 도시처럼 감정, 표현, 색깔이 다를수있다는게 너무나도 재밌구 신나는걸~

My friends and I had a reunion in NYC the past weekend and had a lovely time :)

People, like cities, have their own distinct emotions, expressions, and colors that are always so enticing to photograph.

updating the blog

le sucre bunny

지금부터 이 블로그에는 한국말이랑 영어 둘다 쓰기로 결심했다. 보스톤에 살면서 부모님과 함께 대화를 매일매일 나눌수있는 상황도 아니고, 특별히 친한 유학생인 친구들도 없다. (이번 가을학기에는 한국에서온 유학생들이랑 친해질려나? ㅋㅋ) 나 혼자서라도 공부를해야된다는 생각이 오늘 일 끝나고 집에오면서 떠올랐다. 매일매일 한국말이 쉽게 나오진 않겠지만, 최대한 노력은할거다.

기대하시라~

Starting today, I've decided to blog in both Korean and English. While living in Boston I don't have my parents to have conversations with every day, nor do I have very many Korean international students as friends (perhaps this Fall will bring about changes in that? hehe). I realized on my way home from work on the subway that I have to make the effort to retain and practice my Korean. Although not every post may be bilingual, I will do my very best to do so.

Be excited! :)

dads

When I was visiting my keun ahppa (dad's older brother) he had a huge book collection and told me that a lot of them belonged to my dad. There were a bunch of books with my dad's name on the front page and in one particular book I found a picture of him when he was about my age. I felt like I was peering into his life - it kind of made me understand who he is today a little better. Pretty cool guy if you ask me!

Washington Square Park this afternoon

via mobile

Blogging in NYC

All the twinkling lights in New York City must be fueled by the energy of its people.

I am exhausted! I pulled an all nighter and took the 7:30 a.m. bus from Boston to New York.

Lunch at Dos Caminos in SoHo, shopping - but mostly giving advice in SoHo as well, Central Park to figure out plans for the evening, dinner and dessert in Koreatown, drinks at St. Marks, chicken & rice at 53rd & 6th. I am exhausted but it's been a wonderful weekend thus far thanks to some lovely hosts and the great food that New York always has to offer.

We don't nibble. We rawr.

See, Korea is shaped like a tiger, not a rabbit.

Just like how the body of water in the background is the East Sea.

그리고! 독도는 우리땅이거든?

Strange sculpture park in Homigot (translated into the Tiger's tail) in Gyeongju.

If you look at the first photo and look for the tiger's tail, that's where this place is!

The Korean above simply states my opinion on Dokdo ;)

How to eat and still lose weight IN KOREA.

People usually gain weight during their trips to Korea because of all the tempting food but I somehow managed to return to the states 8 pounds lighter!

I think it was a combination of spacing out all the delicious, aromatic food within 5 months, my daily intake of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (all very important!), completely abandoning processed foods (easy to do because of all the media unwrapping truths about junk food in Korea), and an insignificant amount of cardio (I wish it were a bit more significant though).

I'm happy to say that I've become a more health conscious person - but for the record, I definitely did not skimp out on all the galbi, ddukbokkee, and boong-uh bbang :)

Munching, per usual at the Waterfront in Boston.

Benefits of a Bicycle

I really want one right now... but I don't know how much of a commitment I will make to the bike especially if its starts snowing in the winter...

polarizing vacation

It's easy to forget that South Korea is still a country "at war" and that there are Koreans just across the border living life so differently in North Korea. One of the places that startlingly reminded me of the harsh truth was when I was at a resort on the north-east tip of the ROK called Sol Beach Resort in Yang Yang. The resort was on the coast, and while there was beach access in the daytime, there was also a large fence lining the shore which was locked up by 10 p.m. and patrolled by soldiers with AK-47s at night.

The juxtaposition was overwhelming. Paradise swiftly turned into locked wire fences with soldiers guarding the country. I was so close to the border yet so incredibly far from the country and its people - many of whom share the same ancestry as me.

I imagined this entry to be one of fun and laughter and excitedly sharing that I saw a member of Big Bang at the resort, but as soon as I posted the first photo, the whole entry turned a bit somber.

That is all.

resident alien

It's hard to document every day moments of a place you live in. It takes a visitor's point of view and most often times their point-and-shoot to gain a different perspective on the streets you commute on every day. To live in one place for 5 months is tricky. Long enough to get your own cell-phone, too short to make a new bank account, you still need a visa because it's longer than the allotted 90 days, and your stay is long enough to permanently memorize a new address. In addition to all these vacillations, you feel like a resident and a tourist all at the same time.

Here are some of the every day moments I was able to capture in Korea when I didn't overlook them.

Taking "strip mall" to a whole new level, this is a typical commercial block.

My aunt's apartment that my family has owned since my childhood bears my name! :)

Typical commuters on the subway either sleeping or watching TV on their phones.

Hey America, how about getting some bars on our phones on all subway lines?

Don't they look like friends?

Trying my best not to overlook things in Boston,

SK