h o p e

i'm such a bum at this. i didn't used to be - at least for awhile.
oh well.

i'm not particularly concerned about my aptitude for blogging or any of the implications.

Although I said I didn't want a full-time job, I somehow managed to get a 9-6 salaried, full-benefited position with a translation company. Jose always sends me e-roses, and I have a lawyer-friend lady in Argentina. I work in an office full of fun girls and we drink lots of tea and eat lots of chocolate.

I don't think me and the office life have a life-long relationship, but ish okay for now. Good professional experience and all that.

For the new year I have decided to take my shiny new moleskin (tank you braddah sean) (ting shen, can you believe i've used all the pages in the one you gave me?) and using it as a daily inspir-journal (still working on the name).

I picked a word to represent my year. A word to drive me and inspire my actions (Thanks for inspiring this action, K.Chun)

hope.

Simple, overrated, underrated, and intricate.

Hope embodies happy feelings, the anticipation of good things, the best of the gospel (gospel means "good news." read: hope embodies the best of good news. i like that.), and zest for life.

Hope is active.

Hope is not hesitant uncertainty. Hope is looking forward and acting expectantly.

Hope is me not being idle, taking some risks, looking forward to the results, and (hopefully) having a great year.

six things

Well, after graduating college, spending a third of my savings on rent while I tried to find a job, finding a part-time job at an intermediate school, not working all summer, going to Canada, going to Iowa (with Trav!), coming home and still not finding a full-time job and returning to the intermediate school, getting accepted into a grad program and deciding not to go, I have come to a few conclusions:

1. I don't really want a full-time job right now. I just want to save money. This can be done in other ways besides stressing myself out over a job I can't find.

2. Having free time is really nice. Getting bored is a sign of my laziness, and I should cherish this time to do what I please.

3. I don't want to go to grad school.

4. I want to go to Korea.

5. I want to go to culinary art school, specifically, this one.

6. I am interested in a lot of things, but not particularly passionate about much besides my family, Travis, purikura, Korean drama, and Harry Potter. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly, depending on who you are), I love baking. I am passionate about baking. For days I have been reading a recipe book Trav bought me just for fun whenever I have a free minute. I dream about cake pops and chocolate pumpkin bars and the perfect ganache. Baking has always been my release. It relieves my stress, provides an outlet for my creativity, allows me to give to others, and it is delicious and makes me feel very satisfied and happy. I want to be a baker.

fall = new beginnings

Dear Blog,

I don't really have anything to say right now, other than I fully intend on writing more regularly soon.

I've taken a break from many things I used to do (and sometimes enjoy doing) that became "supposed" to do things. Like exercising. And writing. And keeping in touch with my friends.

For some reason those things became wearisome and not as much fun as they should be.

So, after about a nine or ten month hiatus, I have decided to jump back in.

For this week, I exercised by jumping up and down in my room to music for a few minutes, and doing some sit-ups.

I talked on the phone with Collette, Nicole, my parents, and I text messaged a couple others.

And I wrote this blog post.

I'm going to take my time jumping back into these things, and try to relish the time spent doing them.

See you soon. (I think.)

Sunday Afternoon

Sunday afternoon my mother and I rented bicycles and rode for a few hours along the canal. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon. We came back to the hotel to cool off, and my mom opened up our windows. While we had hoped to have a room facing the river, our room faces the back streets - which has turned out to be perfect! We have a view of all the little shops and restaurants and we can hear the street musicians through our window. We’ve spent a good amount of time at night just sitting on the window sill and watching everyone pass.

Well, Mother was watching a couple at a restaurant below our window. She thought the man had lasagna, but perhaps it wasn’t lasagna. She kept staring and talking about their meal and had me come and see if I thought it was lasagna. She thought lasagna sounded rather tasty and watched this couple eat. After about ten minutes, the couple looked up, right at my mother. She felt embarrassed for watching them eat and ran away from the window.

As soon as they finished their meal, we went down and took their table and ordered the same: lasagna. (A very tasty one.)
(Oh, and of course we ended the night with some gelato. Probably my favorite yet.)

I Am My Mother's Daughter

Saturday after Cirque du Soleil we decided to try out a Traditional French restaurant, complete with table d’hote (or something) - fixed rate, four course meals.

Mother ordered baked cod with cabbage and rice. I ordered smoked salmon on toast.
And it was pretty good.

We took our time and ate very, very slowly.

We left quietly, and a few blocks later my mom says, “I’ve got to admit: French food is not my favorite.”

To which I replied, “Me neither.”

Mom, “We don’t have to eat French food anymore.”

And since we have eaten pizza, cheeseburgers, and lasagna. Oh, and gelato.
I’ve had a chocolate gelato every evening after dinner.
Mmmm.

French food may be elegant, but it is mild, and (to me) tasteless. I figured maybe that’s why they serve wine with everything - to bring out the flavors. I feel no shame in sticking to what I love and just soaking in the atmosphere. We’ve got plans for Thai, Chinese, and reservations at an Indian place on Wednesday.

More updates soon!

TOTEM

After escaping the pouring rain on Friday to the Underground City for shopping (and Bodies!), Mother and I surfaced on Saturday and saw Cirque du Soleil! In their home venue! A real circus tent! This was their last weekend of shows here in Montreal, so we were very very lucky to find tickets. Needless to say, the performance was incredible. I’d never seen anything like it. I think my mouth hung open in awe the entire time. I also felt a bit anxious though - I was so scared they would fall and die!

But, all made it through alive.

And all was well.

Thank you, Skype