Did I ever tell you about that time I went to North Korea?

I was filled with joy when I heard about Laura Ling and Euna Lee’s release from North Korea.  I may or may not have literally yelled “YES!” while I was walking through the mall shopping when I recieved the tweet from CNN about the great news.

As you all may know Korea, specifically South Korea, is just one of the many places I call home (If you didn’t know, you can read more about that here).You see, I know how it feels to be back on free land after stepping foot in North Korea. Yes I have been to North Korea. More than once.  Maybe not for 5 months as in the case of the journalists, but the hour or so I have collectively spent there, with guns held up to my head, was enough for me.

North Korea is one of the hardest countries to legally step foot in. But if you know the right people and literally are willing to sign that you know you are putting your life in danger, and you realize you may never return, you can visit.  Upon entering the rules are simple: Don’t laugh, don’t smile, no sudden movements, no jeans, no T-shirts, don’t talk to the guards on either side.   And going there is just one of those things that make you more appreciative of living in a free country.

Here are some of the few pictures I took behind enemy lines in 2005, sorry for the poor quality:

The Highlight of My Day

So I’m sure you noticed: I’m busy. Life has handed me a few lemons, so I’m busy making lemonade!  I haven’t been publishing posts like I use to, and I don’t have time to visit blogs like I once did. I’m hoping that this will change fairly soon, but that is not promised. So for now I am recycling one of my posts from when my blog was brand-spanking new. Lame? Yes. Do I care? Nope!

I know I am making a big deal about this. But every time I get a sandwich with mayonnaise it goes over board. The cafeteria ladies grab a spatula and literally scoop the mayo out of a 5 gallon tub and slap it on both pieces of bread. Seriously what are they thinking? Can you say gross? I normally get a paper towel to wipe off the excess.

So today,after eating 1000 over-mayo-ed sandwiches (I don’t even think I’m exaggerating unfortunately), for the first time the lady asked if I wanted mayonnaise on one side or two. That made my day! This sandwich had the perfect amount of mayonnaise .

Too bad the fries were inedible and hard enough to make a pagoda.

Hard Fries + Boredom = Pagoda

A Virgin?

Its true, I have hit the halfway milestone to a movie made about me. I am a virgin. I have never conducted any sexual activity of any type.

Funny?

Shocking?

I decided when I was young that I wanted to wait for sex until I fell in love. The problem is, I am very picky person. Oh, I’ve dated, but that isn’t going very well. I’ve meet a lot of men who I really like, who I enjoy hanging out with and chatting to, but when I ask myself, “Can I picture myself in bed with this person?” the answer is “NO”.

So even though I’m 20something years old — though not due to lack of opportunities — I am still a virgin.

For me, it is a combination of not landing the right guy and the religion in which I was raised. I certainly don’t go around preaching abstinence; it’s just something I practice personally. I’m one of those girls who realizes I have to be over the moon for a guy before I can fathom him seeing me naked. And the truth is, I’ve never really wanted a guy bad enough to sleep with him.

But now as time goes on and I’m not getting any younger, I am facing a dilemma. I’ve put far too much time and effort and occasionally tears into trying to figure out why I’m so picky. Is it biological? Is it a mental problem? An emotional problem? Do I have commitment issues? Do I just come up with reasons for the unsuitability of the opposite sex because I’m just not ready? Are all my reasons for never seriously dating just lame excuses?

Logically, it’s hard trying to stand up to my personal morals when no one else seems to be standing up for their own. As a Christian how can I say I’ll practice abstinence when I am certain that well over 80% of unmarried Christians my age are having sex? Also, I’m not a religious fanatic. I don’t go to church on any sort of regular basis, and there are a lot of other “non Christian” things. Why do I even bother?

I am coming to terms that I am as an individual is not defined by my virginity. It’s part of me, but still I l fret and fuss over it. Sometimes I feel all alone on this path as a 20something year old virgin.

Sorry, but I just can’t say “I do”

Facebook.

That’s where a lot of drama seems to be starting nowadays.

I don’t like taking pictures. I’m guessing you’ve already figured that out.  That’s why you don’t see many pictures of myself floating around my blog. So for over a year my facebook profile picture was that of a comic.   Finally, at the end of April, I changed it to a picture of “me”. I would swear (except I don’t swear) I wasn’t  posing provocatively, and my boobs weren’t even showing!!  But, I kid you not, on that very same night I got  a bunch of  wall posts, tons of private messages, and half a dozen phone calls and the next day I even received a marriage proposal.  And unfortunately, the dude was sober. And he was so not joking.

I asked a male friend about the sudden influx of interest by the opposite sex and he graciously explained the situation to me:

Male friend: If a guy hasn’t seen you in a while, they may take a look at the new you and like the changes.
Me: *laughing* You’re kidding me right?
Male friend:  No, I’m being serious. I’m guilty of that, especially through the magic of facebook

Nice. I love hearing how the male brains work.

Oh and if you are wondering if I accepted that marriage proposal…heck no! So girls,  changing a facebook picture can change your life. You have been warned.

Home sick…

When winter break and summer break rolls around, most college students go back to their hometown, filled with familiarity, filled with friends. I don’t. I never have. And sometimes I wonder if I ever will.

Two years ago on this very same day I started packing to move from a country that I like to call home.  Korea.

I found some old pictures of that day. Here is my life room being packed away. I am glad my parents decided to move to the US with me, but I’m sure they will be leaving to some other far off land soon enough.

I remember all the fun I had

All the friends I made

I found this old English project while rummaging through my things a few months ago. How awesome it was to grow up as an expat. How awesome it was to live in such a vibrant culture.

I’m not saying life isn’t great right now. It is!

It’s just that some days, I want to go home.

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Donkatsu (Fried Pork Cutlet)

I’ve been noticing a lot of my posts have been about food…I don’t see that changing any time soon.

Before:

After:

A Taste of Chicago

I didn’t think blue water existed above Florida. But Chicago has taught me otherwise. Apparently lake Michigan has some fine BLUE drinking water. Who would have known? (click on the pictures for a closer view)

Yup, I went to Chicago for my very first time, and it is a beautiful city!

With good pizza

With good food

And with beautiful architecture

I even got to see a line up of people auditioning for the show “Biggest Loser”. And no I’m not trying to be funny, I’m dead serious.

I love Chicago.

Even if I’m going to hell.

Jackson’s death almost takes the internet with him

How many people does it take to break the Internet? one — if that one is Michael Jackson. Micheal Jackson’s untimely passing has been causing some whale-sized problems for a lot of websites.

Unsurprisingly, Twitter struggled as thousands of tweets came in about the devastating news. Reports of fail whales were high. While I didn’t get any fail whales, the tweets to my phone were delayed by hours. I finally texted “off” and then “on” at around 4pm and sometime between 2am and 8am the tweets went through and my cellphone was back in sync.

The site that first confirmed his death, TMZ, was down several times throughout the last 24 hours. Even google was struggling to keep up with the huge surge of searches in relation to Michael’s death, and yes I am partially responsible. I googled it. So what? I have no TV. Popular blog sites, such as Perez Hilton’s, experienced problems as well.

The CNN website, which also is my source of this information, faired well during the ordeal. Probably because they were the last to confirm his death, and they had many of their facts out of whack. Initially CNN reported that Jackson was alive but in a coma, only to affirm his death several hours after TMZ.

For a guy who had so many fans, Michael only told a select few people that he was very lonely despite being a global icon. Whether or not his criminal allegations were true, it seems many wanted to bring him down for his money and for their fifteen minutes of fame, and not just be a true friend. This is probably why he had a connection with kids who just enjoyed life and didn’t worry about fame and fortune. As much as he was liked, it’s sad to see that no one really loved him as much as he loved others.

RIP MJ.

Red Line and the DC Metro: Too close for comfort.

I heard about the crash on the red line, a line I am too familiar with. My mom rides the red line, and so do countless friends.  I immediately went to the metro map to see exactly where on the red line the accident occurred. It was definitely the route my mom took to and from work.  And the route to my friends’s apartment.

My mom was the first person I called, her phone was off, but she picked up the house phone. Apparently she had driven in to work.

A friend of mine wrote on twitter “I’m in the train, HELP!” I tweeted them back, but I guess he had no service, and I didn’t get a reply  for almost 3 hours.  Apparently he wasn’t on the collided train, he didn’t know what had happened, but he had been stuck in a tunnel for hours. He apologized for almost giving me, and countless others heart attacks.

A lot of my friends happened to be on the train behind the one that actually collided, and I refreshed my facebook status filter 1000 times, making sure that everyone was indeed okay. I have never been so thankful for social networking before in my life.

I still have not gotten in touch with everyone I know in the area. But it’s impossible for me to do so. I just feel incredibly blessed that my mom drove instead of taking the metro, and my friends didn’t decide to go home 5 minutes earlier.

If I weren’t spending my summer in Indiana I would definitely be spending it in DC. That’s where I work…and I’d be taking the red line. Yes, too close for comfort, I agree.

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