Toonie to be Day 1 & 2

EDIT: I meant to post this a long time ago....the beginning of summer 2012, but didn't feel like it....and allowed this post to sit in the draft folder for another 6 months before letting it see the light of day.


What better way to remember my second summer away from home than to blog about it? So begins my saga in Saskatoon.

It started at 5:30am on April 30th, 2012. My "Dream High" alarm on my phone rang and I stumbled drowsily to the bathroom. The day was just beginning as I noted the picturesque sunrise happening outside the window. In just a few hours I would be pushing against time and into a different time zone. Reality was setting in. In all honesty I wasn't ready to leave home after a mere week of lounging and relaxation. I wasn't ready to start work in a new place with hardly a recognizable friend. I hadn't even stepped out of my house and I was already missing home.

After washing up I woke my sister up, she had told me to do so the night before. I cracked one last joke and said my last goodbye to her. Then I went to do the same to my grandma. I had known that starting another four years of school meant hardly seeing my family for those next four years, but the actual process of growing apart is really tough. I guess that is the sort of compromise people make to chase their dreams and happiness. But there are times when I wonder what all this hard work is for and want to just crawl back under my covers at home. I was never one who easily accepted change.

On the car ride to the airport I remembered a past conversation with a friend about how life seemed to have plateaued after high school. Later I had told her that you had to seek out excitement in life to not let it plateau,  and here I was doing exactly that. And that's precisely how I think we should live, especially now at the peak of our youth. We should always be headed to the airport, and ready to take off and soar! There are so many opportunities out there. It's bound to be challenging, but you really have to seize those opportunities when they come knocking.

At the gate, I bade farewell to my parents and navigated my way to boarding the plane. It was a tiny plane, so I was actually surprised to see that there were individual television screens for each seat. Either I hadn't been on a plane in a long time, or this was a surprise perk. The flight would be almost 4 hours long. I resisted the urge to watch television and movies for the first 2 hours because I had work to do. Just some readings to prepare myself for my research project. I'd just like to add here that take off was pretty amazing. I always feel like Charlie as he was in that glass elevator and flying over his hometown. The miniature houses and ploughed fields up in the suburbs look like a model town. It also reminds me of just how small we really are. It's also inconceivable to know that I was going at 724km/h in the air when I'm already squimish at going 100km/h on the highway.

When I landed in Saskatoon it was around 10am, but I was ready to call it a day. I hitched a taxi to see my new place. Saskatoon's city look wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but of course, I hadn't thought too much about the city beyond the university grounds, where I would be spending most of my time. What did surprise me somewhat was the extensive highways, or just really long roads that look like highway with scarce traffic lights.

I was shown around the house and then left to my own devices. I had two house mates and one of them was currently at work. I found out that we would both be starting work together tomorrow.

Also for the record, Saskatoon is not entirely flat. There, the myth is broken. There are in fact some hills.

Movies Watched 2012

46 movies watched last year!! New record to beat =) This year we kick it off with a return to a sequel to an old favourite that re-ignited my love for HK films, and though this sequel pales in comparison to the awesome original, it's a nice trip down nostalgia lane.

• Who's the Woman, Who's the Man (Hong Kong)

• My Gangster Boyfriend (Korea)
• Sweet Lies (Korea)
• Petty Romance (Korea)
• The Artist (USA)
• Take Off (Korea)
• The Naked Kitchen (Korea)
• 21 Jump Street (USA)
• Tangled (USA)
• My Girlfriend is an Agent (Korea)
• The King and the Clown (Korea)
• Rules of Dating (Korea) Fast-forward button is my friend =)
• Wandeuki (Korea)
• He's Just Not That Into You (USA)
• Chilling Romance (Korea)
• Yes Man (USA)
• Safe House (USA)
• Something Borrowed (USA) 
• Bully (USA)
• The Whistleblower (USA)
• Chronicle (USA)
• Big (USA)
• The Producers (USA)
• Quick (Korea)
• The Crucible (Korea) Everything a movie can hope to be and more.
• The Classic (Korea)
• 10 Things I Hate About You (USA)
• The Client (Korea)
• Bow, The Ultimate Weapon (Korea)
• Snow White and the Huntsman (USA)
• Midnight FM (Korea)
• Architecture 101 (Korea)
• Fourth Period Mystery (Korea)
• My Dear Enemy (Korea)
• Eastern Condors (Hong Kong)
• The Amazing Spider-Man (USA)
• The Dark Knight Rises (USA)
• District 9 (USA)
• Breakfast at Tiffany's (USA)
• The King's Speech (UK)
• Sophie's Revenge (China) Stupidest movie ever.
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding (USA)
• Secret World of Arrietty (Japan)
• The Prestige (USA)
• The Usual Suspects (USA)
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (USA) Best spoof movie ever. 
• ParaNorman (USA)
• The Bourne Identity (USA)
• The Bourne Supremacy (USA)
• The Bourne Ultimatum (USA) Yeah, I was on a Bourne roll.
• Resident Evil 5: Retribution (USA) Biggest waste of money ever.
• Silimdo (Korea)
• Hotel Transylvania (USA)
• New Police Story (Hong Kong)
• The Silence of the Lambs (USA)
• Dancing Queen (Korea)
• Skyfall (USA)
• Se7en (USA)
• Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog (USA)
• Love Actually (UK)
• Looper (USA)
• The Bourne Legacy (USA)

62 movies new record!!!!

RENAMED: EAST ASIA TRIP (Korea Trip Plan!!! + Thai + Japan + Taiwan)

JAPAN
-Tokyo (? Shibuya?), Japan: Go to East Park Overpass and take a photo of the setting sun just like in Sunao ni Narenakute

KOREA
I gotta write down these places/highlights or I know I'm going to forget. Anywho, the amazing show 1N2D dictates that I have gotta go to:

-Gwanmaedo in Jindo Island (it's got beautiful stone walls & murals in Gwanho village, lovely pine forest in national park, it's an island with some caves on the sea, shiatsu paths on the road, silver magnolia tree also lovely sea view. I could spend 5 days in this place. Please refer to episode 210 for details.)

-Chang Kyung Palace, one of the main palaces built in Koryo Dynasty over 1000 years ago. (see My Name is Kim Sam-Soon episode 13 near start)

-Mt. Halla. This is one of THE places I have to go. It's practically a kdrama addict rite of passage. (see My Name is Kim Sam-Soon episode 12 near end)

-Gochang has a village for visitors to try agricultural life!!! (refer to ep212 of 1N2D) Must try watermelons, black raspberry (fruit & juice!) and peaches and that roasted specialty eel served with black raspberry sauce. Also there's Gochang Dolmens Site which is a UNESCO world heritage site...

-make that go to all UNESCO world heritage sites in Korea...and the world=DDD

-Jeju-do's Eongtto Falls (fall only exists when there's enough rainfall!! so make sure to go on a day after rain or during light rain during the summer) Episode 214 for details!

-There's another waterfall called Jeongbang falls, in case that one doesn't appear, so never fear! (also episode 214) It's the only waterfall that feeds into the ocean. It's located in Seogwipo, the 43rd national treasure. It's south of Hallasan (Is this THE Mount Halla??)

-While at Jeju-do might as well do everything on We Got Married & Boys Over Flower-ish. That is, horse back riding, flower sighting....and I forgot what else, please review prior to going. Walk along the Olle path.

-KBS Station is in Yeouido? Therefore if I hang out there....I'm bound to see a drama production van go somewhere....and that somewhere will lead me to a drama set??=DDDD

-jjimjilbang (public 24hour sauna!!)

-Episode 360...the appearance of Ji Won's new favourite food, one that looks absolutely mouthwatering: crab kimchi. Made with blue crab, famous from the Yellow Sea. In Taean, Chungcheongnam-do. Also try marinated oriental shrimp, it's only in Taean!! While I am here, must also try seasoned raw crab. And live octopus!! Should also try corvina kimchi from Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do.

-Episode 370 Winter cuisine. Food to try: oyster rice soup, ppaettegi porridge (dried sweet potato porridge) in Tongyeong (this is the Naples of the East! (ie. good food lives here!!)), anything with cockle clam (it's clam royalty apparently), cockle clam shabu shabu in Chungcheongnam-do, seaweed fulvescens rice cake soup, seaweed pancake in Jangheung, Jeollanam-do (actually I also want to try the birthday type of seaweed soup), Guryyongpo gwamegi (winter fish dish, original way to eat it is to wrap it in kimchi without any sauce. Nowadays, ppl eat it like peking duck style: lettuce, then water parsley, chives, pepper, garlic, seaweed, sauce and gwamegi), steamed hwangtae is Seung-gi's fav dried fish dish & kodari gangjeong that looks like sweet & sour pork (Inje, Gangwon-do). Also in Tongyeong must try: honey bread (kkool bang), u-bean noodles (oo ccha, this is a mixture of udon & jajangmyung) and snail fish stew (mool mae gi tang)

-Pusan: Haeundae beach, PIFF zone (film festival area, check out the hands of famous people!!), Gukje Underground Shopping Centre, Gukje Shopping Market, Cha Gal Chi (world famous fish market, where raw seafood lives!!), Shinsegae Department Store (largest department store in the wooooorld)

-Queen In-hyun's Man filming location: Gyeongbukgung, the palace in Seoul.

-Seoul (seoul much to do, seoul little time):
-63 building, purportedly amazing view
-Mnet/whatever else random kpop concert (call 4 weeks in advance may be able to snag tickets?)
-coex mall (purportedly awesome)
-cool jazz cafe in Myeong Dong, Myeong Dong area is also good for shopping
-Namsan Tower!! Got Cable car ride and love locks!
-La Festa in Ilsan area has shopping & eating
-watch a baseball game!!
-Western Dome (no idea what it is, but a DB-er recommends it)
-pojangmachas (street foods, it's what I live for)
-shopping at Dongdaemun (JB recommends!!! she also says eyeglasses are cheap) lots of bargains, night shopping here is also a must
-around the Bun-dang area (around Yatap) there is a really great seollungtang restaurant called 감미옥 (Gam-Mee-Ok)
-Lotte World

-need to try this potato soup/ gruel in Gangneung that's described as crunchy and chewy, as seen on Episode 363 1N2D...while in the area, should also try Coffee Road located on Anmok Beach & Jung Ang Market Food Alley and add Jumunjin Seafood Market
-Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town in Seoul. Tteokbokki is spicy rice cake.


-in busan, try shaved ice, hotteok, odeng, check out Gwangan Bridge
-40-year+ hangover soup restaurant in Jeongeup, which hasn't changed its design much and only has 3 tables
-also in Jeongeup is a 40+year old theatre where they filmed the last episode of 1N2D. You can't miss it, it's the only theatre here. They still paint the movie posters =D Also, they have projectors still
-7 treasures of the Silla Dynasty in Namsan, Gyeongju (all those Buddhas!!)
-cheonruk (tiger looking sculpture has it's tongue sticking out!) sculpture as you pass the bridge in Gyeongbokgung (best to visit during sudden rainfall as can see stones are designed to let rain flow a certain way)
-iron rings on stone tile floor of Gyeongbokgung were used to set up tents when there were festivities
-seokgyeon (aka rock dog) sculpture on the corner of banister has a puppy!! one of them is suckling milk, keke
-at the top level of the steps there are sculptures of the black tortoise, vermilion bird, azure dragon, white tiger. these are the 4 symbols of the chinese constellation. around here you will also find a foal sculpture. this foal sculpture is at the south part, and in korean "12 o'clock" is jeongo, "o" = horse, as the horse is the most south part in the chinese zodiac.
-deumeu are cast iron containers, they are very rare. deumeu are used to store firefighting water. also to ward off evil fire-causing spirits as they would be frightened when they see their own reflection.
-sajeongjeon is the king's living quarters and office. it's name means to ponder deeply.
-Gangnyeongjeon is where it's comfortable and cozy for the king, aka wife's support...ie. king's sleeping quarters. it has a missing ridge (the white thing that lines the top) in it's roof that makes it unique. Anywhere the queen or king sleeps can't have this ridge because you can't have a king ( a dragon himself) sleep under a symbol of the dragon.
-Gangnyeongjeon's chimney should be where the heating is. The chimney should be behind the hall but it's not. The chimney is an orangey looking column with white bricks that forms writing (written is "long, endless life" & "thousands of years" in chinese characters, you need to look from afar to see) that is attached to the hall beside Gangnyeongjeon that goes underground. Korea's floor heating is the most efficient, much better than the Western chimney that directs heat and smoke out. In Korea, they keep the heat but send the smoke out. The farther the chimney is, the longer you can keep the heat.
-The queen sleeps at Gyotaejeon. The chimneys for this are Amisan ("A"=beauty, "Mi"=eyebrow...so it looks as pretty as beautiful eyebrows) chimney and are hexagonal structures behind the building. On the chimneys are the paintings of the 4 Gracious Plants with plum blossom and the 10 traditional Symbols of Longevity.
-Jagyeongjeon is where the king's grandmother lived. Inside, there's a national treasure (treasure #810), which is Jagyeongjeon's chimney. There are 10 traditional Symbols of Longevity on it.
-You can enjoy Inwangsan & Bugaksan, the 2 mountains that are in view from within the palace.
-Gyeonghoeru (national treasure #224), built in 1412 & refurbished in 1867, is the most beautiful place in Gyeongbokgung. An artificial pond built in Korea's largest wooden palace. The pond is naturally circulated to avoid rotting. Closed in the winter and has restricted public access.
-5 palaces of korea: Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeonghuigung
-Jongmyo in Jongno. This is the 2nd beauty in Seoul. It contains "The Parthenon of the East". It is historic site #125, a shrine where the ancestral tablets of kings, queens are kept. It's a UNESCO heritage site and national treasure #227.
-Inside Jongmyo there is a path of stones. The middle is raised because that is the path tread by spirits. Only gods, king and the crown prince can walk this path.
-Jongmyo Jeongjeon is really grand.

THAILAND
-this movie alone was enough to garner a Thai portion for my trip, so here's to the bridge (name still unknown... but if I really wanted to know I guess I could call up the production company "Sahamongkol Film International", haha...the lengths I'm about to go for this trip) in "A Little Thing Called Love"

News-News

So... I thought I'd just casually mention that it's been almost 3 weeks (tomorrow!) since I've found out that I got accepted into vet school. Y'know, nothing to brag about=P But yeah, still desperate to know how I'll fund this whole investing in my future business, otherwise I'm quite content. So you know, I was super ecstatic when I found out, like skipping-down-the-street-smiling-at-random-strangers-with-tears-of-joy happy. Now that the notion has settled, I'm getting into the groove of being excited for a new chapter of my life. Cliche, I know. Yet that's exactly what it is, though I'm having an inkling that it'll be more like a whole new volume of my life than just a chapter. The knowledge and the experiences that are just waiting for me to cross the threshold of.

Many people have since asked whether I'm excited about it, and being the suave fellow that I am, have given quite the nonchalant answer. Poker face, 'tis my middlename. It's just the same principle that I apply to dramas: keeping expectations low and in check help break the fall if (or when) the letdown happens. I'm petrified of living away from home. I know I sometimes secretly wish to have a place of my own if only to have multiple pets, but this is living away-away from home. Shameful to admit this, but I'm friggin useless for matters pertaining to household management. I can barely feed and keep up the hygiene when I'm left to my own devices. And without other likeminded people to talk to or to joke with, I get so miserable. OMG, just thinking about it makes me cringe in fear. And yet, I'm so excited to be doing vet school. Like finally getting to learn the stuff because by golly-gee I've always wanted to learn this stuff and doing such sparse volunteer/clinic stuff the knowledge rarely sticks and I always feel slightly stupid for forgetting things... So you see, I'm really on both sides of the coin for vet school at the present situation. Of course I want to do it!! But at the same time I'm so prone to homesickness and whatnot that I'm just a ball of nerves.

Did I also mention my stark surrender of drama watching for the next 4 years? Yes, I am committed to no drama watching for 4 long years..... Deserted from any dramas, not even specials, not even holidays, no siree.... (though I'm going to at least read about it... I mean, only if and when I'm done studying/need a break. Movies, I'm going to allow as a treat...I need to survive somehow...) So in this short summer that remains, I've selected my last dramas:
-Sunao ni Narenakute
-Hyena
-Hotaru no Hikari
-Alone in Love
-and whatever else I need to attempt to wrap up on, though we all know they're pretty much lost causes...

Currently Watching

I have a lot to get through this summer. Having pent up my drama watching obsession throughout most of the school year has driven me near insane. To be withheld from gushing alongside others while the latest trendies air has been very difficult, especially considering my spoiler phobia. As well as 2011 turning out to be an awesome year of offering. At this moment I'm caught up on the following along with short thoughts, in order of preference:

1) 49 Days (Kdrama)- Argh, I'm late on the bandwagon, but this drama is picking it up and burning on fiiiyah! I was ready to drop it after the first episode if it weren't for the blogospheres gushings and drama frenzy. Now that I'm at ep 12, I really can't wait to see how the fantasy-mystery-revenge plot will unfold.

2) Drunken to Love You (TWdrama)- It's been slowing down as of late. OTP is awesome, but the others aren't so much. Avril and the wooden acting that is Ricki are eating too much OTP time. More cute, less angst!!

3) Best Love (Kdrama)- Ah, I haven't watched a currently airing kdrama in so long. Matter of fact, since You're Beautiful, so yeah it's another Hong Sisters drama. Unfortunately, this one and I just don't connect. I like Ae Jung just fine, but Dokko Jin is so annoying and deranged. I am trying to really see the appeal but I'm drawing a blank. My laughs per episode ratio is also very low as compared to other Hong Sisters dramas, hmmmm... watching it for the sake of watching it at the moment.

4) Tokyo Dogs (Jdorama)- Yeah, I'm only watching this because of Oguri Shun. He's certified as the best looking man in a suit EVER. So perfect *drools* And that ending credit showcase of him, clean-cut in a suit, posing in the rain, yeah huh I totally watch and rewind that in its entirety.

Then I have my list of to finish from Christmas. I'm just not feeling a lot of them so they are in the backburner. I may just end up watching more Shun dramas...
-I'm Sorry, I Love You
-What's Up Fox?
-Secret Garden
-Joseon X Files
-Last Scandal of My Life
-Nobuta wo Produce

Dreaming Big

*cracks typing fingers* Man, this blog feels so neglected. Last night I was just thinking about the 3 ways of communication and I haven't really been doing much (any) writing as of late. I can talk til the cows come home, though 90% may be gibberish, but writing, m'dears, is a crafty thing for me. I struggle so hard to construct moderately coherent sentences and then I scrutinize every word choice until I throw my hands up in surrender. Because as it is, I was never excellent at bullshitting, so I tend to either drop the whole piece altogether or end in a very dissatisfying note. And now that I'm reading Shakespeare, the more inadequate I feel.

How can I write like Shakespeare? I'll settle for 30% of his talent. I should probably aim higher in life, but I also need to acknowledge real-life shortcomings. Obviously not being well-read as him is a big hurdle that I will need to overcome. But whenever I'm faced with the option of free time my mind immediately thinks of dramas. In addition, one can only really write about what one knows, and as it stands, my personal experiences are quite limited. Is this veering into self-pity?

Nope, just complaining about what's within a girl's reach. Half the time I'm not even sure what there is beyond my reach, so there. It takes courage and curiosity to try to go over those boundaries. I've got curiosity aplenty, but often times my heart wavers at the thought of doing something outside of my norm. And when this happens I look upon my favourite characters to steady my will. I know those characters are mere figments of other's imaginations, but that doesn't mean that they can't inspire. As a matter of fact, I believe fictional characters are a wellspring of inspiration because of their extraordinary adventures. And because they are created by someone based on what he/she knows, I am sure there are many real-life characters who have wonderful tales to tell as well. So in a roundabout way, I mean to say that I am going to become one of those amazing real-life characters who will go on to live an extraordinary life and then go on to inspire others.

I'll close with my favourite Kdrama quote from My Name is Kim Sam-soon.

Dance, like no one is watching you.

Love, like you've never been hurt before.

Sing, like no one can hear you.

Work, like you dno't need money.

Live, like heaven is on earth.

How the mighty havs fallen...

That is, if I'm egotistical enough to have considered myself mighty...in which case, I am. Anyway, I'm experiencing serious school fatigue. I'm so done with it and pretty sure it's done with me too. The feelings are mutual. I wish it weren't so, but my grades are diving and there's no second chances as we see it. It's best to just suck it up and pray. Pray really hard. In my opinion, interest in the subject really does make a giant difference. In the first half of the year, I was in knowledge heaven, but during the second half I felt like a lot of it was... meh and I was just drudging through for the sake of doing a full course load. I'm looking at you protein biosynthesis.