#it's my birthday and i plan to have korean bbq for dinner

[aeoneris]

yay! meat!

[royalarchivist]

YD: Ahh, so adorable. I recorded some stuff, like them trying yukke. [Reading chat] Right? I was flabbergasted when I heard his age! I didn’t know that he was… 20 years old??? He was also shocked when I told him my age. I don’t really ask their ages when I’m talking to foreigners, we’re just friends, ‘cause they don’t have distinct honorific and informal languages like we do. And he guessed I was like, 23? [Laughs] I laughed my ass off.

YD: These kids are polite. They seem very polite, don’t they? Especially after hearing how old I am. It feels like they’re saying, “Yes ma’am, it’s very delightful.” So cute, and they seemed like they really enjoyed their meal.

YD talked about meeting up with Tubbo while he was in Korea and shares two videos of them eating food at a Korean BBQ place!

MASSIVE thank you to @Forgetmelotz on Twitter, who translated and subtitled this video and gave me permission to share it on Tumblr! Please make sure to give the original video a like.

[Full Video and Subtitle Transcript ↓ ]

—

⚠️ This transcript is VERY LONG! ⚠️

—

YD: So I was planning to have a dinner with Kei [a Kpop Idol / Singer], but unexpectedly, there's a foreigner friend I met on QSMP named Tubbo, he's from the UK, and apparently he's visiting Korea. And he posted an Instagram story about it. I saw it and was like "Wait, are you coming to Korea?" and it [Tubbo's post] even says Korea blah blah within the date two days after my birthday. So I sent him a DM and he responded with "Haven't you seen my Twitter DM?"

YD: I recently distanced myself a little from Instagram and Twitter for a while, yeah I didn't check my phone that often, and it turns out he messaged me about 3 - 4 days ago saying "YD, I'm flying to Korea! Blah blah–" so I was like "Oh, oh... I'm sorry I didn't see that!" and I checked the DM the day before he arrived here... I told him that I am so sorry and asked if I can meet him in person.

* [Translation note: this can also mean the other way around, ie: he may have asked her if they could meet in person]

YD: So we ended up seeing [each other] on the 21st. I was supposed to have dinner with Kei, so I told her "but my friend from abroad... is in Korea now... what should I do..." and we rescheduled the dinner to inviting her to come over next week. So um, the, right– Tubbo, Tubbo's friend [Eryn], Seoneng [one of YD's crew members] and Kang-si [YD's husband] the 5 of us had dinner together.

YD: We went to a Korean BBQ place. I was searching through restaurants thinking “Uh… which Korean restaurant should I take these foreigners to so that they would be super impressed?” [YD thanks a dono] Yeah, I was searching hard and so I asked Ryeori. You know the Kwak tori & Ryeori couple? Ryeori the hair designer, I asked him, “Reyori, I’m trying to buy a dinner for my foreigner friend, do you have any recommendations for where I should bring him?” and he started listing up like Michelin star-rated pork gukbap restaurants and stuff. Then he also tells me that it’s really difficult to find an actual Korean restaurant in Hongdae, like it’s difficult to find a decent place. There are mostly fusion Korean food [places]. But then he goes, “Oh, hey, this place looks fine” and recommends me this Korean BBQ restaurant. I decided to bring them there and fed them.

YD: The reason I liked that place was that they sell doenjang-jjigabe, galbi-tang, jeyuk bokkeum, and other dishes as well as their main menu, the beef KBBQ. The banchans [side dishes] were also served neatly, they even had japchae, they sold yukke. Obviously there are better Korean restaurants outside of Hongdae, but their hotel was located there. It wasn’t like he had a car here, so I was trying to meet them somewhere they can just walk to. So Hongdae it was. On top of that, YD 4-cuts is also located in Hongdae.** So I thought it would be the best to just eat out here. And while we were eating, I’ve recorded some videos.

** [Note: This is a photo booth event with custom YD frames, as show in the background of this video]

YD: [Scrolls through to find the videos and laughs] Ahh, so adorable. I recorded some stuff, like them trying yukke. [Reading chat] Right? I was flabbergasted when I heard his age! I didn’t know that he was… 20 years old??? He was also shocked when I told him my age. I don’t really ask their ages when I’m talking to foreigners, we’re just friends, ‘cause they don’t have distinct honorific and informal languages like we do. [She thanks another dono] And he guessed I was like, 23? [Laughs] I laughed my ass off.

[YD plays a video she took of Tubbo and Eryn at the restaurant]

Tubbo: Oh, ok. [?]: You should tell them how to eat it together.  Tubbo: You’re overestimating my chopstick skill.  [?]: Here. [Passes Tubbo some of the meat]  Tubbo: Oh, thank you. [?]: And here, together. Tubbo: Ok. [Takes a bite] Waitress: With this vegetable. Tubbo: Mm, it’s really sweet! [?]: Foreigners quite like it. Eryn: [Reaches over and tries some food too, struggling a bit with his chopsticks] [?]: Unexpected, right? [?]: Oh, they like yukke? [?]: They just need to get used to it. Waitress: I will grill and hand it over to you, so please help yourselves. [?]: Ok, thank you. Eryn: [Tries more food and gives it a thumbs-up] [?]: Hm, good?! Tubbo and Eryn: Yeah! Tubbo: So far 10/10.

[The video ends]

YD: These kids are polite. They seem very polite, don’t they? Especially after hearing how old I am. It feels like they’re saying, “Yes ma’am, it’s very delightful.” So cute, and they seemed like they really enjoyed their meal. They were eating it up. They drank soju, they ate some noodles, and even doenjang-jjigae. I’ve heard foreigners don’t really like the taste of doenjang-jjigae, but they ate pretty much [all] of it. The restaurant also had pot rice, so I made them try that too. They ate that well too.

[YD plays the second video she recorded of them at the restaurant]

Tubbo: Go crazy ok, yeah! Alright.

YD: We ordered naengmyeon for a palate cleanser too. We ordered a lot.

Tubbo: [Struggles to cut the noodles with the scissors that were handed to him]

YD: He’s asking why we cut the noodles.

Tubbo: [Manages to cut the noodles] Kang-si [?]: Ok, and- and– [does chopstick motion] Tubbo: [Laughs] What am I gonna need?  Eryn: Chopsticks? Kang-si [?]: Yeah. YD [?]: Chopsticks, mm. Eryn: [To Tubbo] You go first. Tubbo: [Inaudible] Why is it cold? YD [?]: Oh, because the noodle is cold.

YD: Yeah, he found it interesting that the noodle is cold.

Tubbo: [He struggles with his chopsticks] Oh no, oh no… [Everyone laughs] Kang-si [?]: Very difficult. Ok! Tubbo: [Manages to fish some noodles out and holds his hand under them so they don’t splash everywhere as he transports them to his bowl] Seoneng [?]: Oh, uh, oh! It might be difficult for them to eat that. YD [?]: Hm? Kang-si [?]: Do you want some, Seoneng? Gimme the chopsticks, I’ll share you some. Eryn: [To Tubbo] Slippery. How did you get it?  Kang-si [?]: I’ll give you some, hand me the chopsticks. Seoneng [?]: Can I hand you mine? Just a small amount, please.

YD: They mimicked how Kangseok [Kang-si, YD’s husband] handles the noodles. Like, picking up the noodles like this and moving it to your dish.

Tubbo: That’s why you’re better than me (?).

YD: That’s Seoneng.

Kang-si [?]: Here’s your chopsticks, Seoneng. Eryn: I think this is enough. YD [?]: Oh, he’s taking some to his dish. Seoneng [?]: He learned. Tubbo: Do you like, spin 'em? Seoneng [?]: Scissors? Kang-si [?]: Like– [He holds up his chopsticks and shows them how to do it. Ok. OK! Eryn: [Picks up only a few noodles, which dangle] Seoneng [?]: Good! Tubbo: Maybe I did- I did a sht job of cutting, I'm sorry. Eryn: That's ok. Doing good.

YD: It had a nice atmosphere.

Eryn: Bravo. Tubbo: Oh, thank you. YD [?]: The noodles might be a bit slippery for them to...

YD: They really struggled to pick the noodles up. They asked why we cut the noodles then proceeds to eat like that 'cuz it's too long.

YD [?]: Shall we cut it? Kang-si [?]: Eryn? [He leans forward and cuts Eryn's noodles with scissors]

YD: –So we had to cut it for him like he's a baby.

[Everyone laughs] Eryn: It kept on moving!

[The video ends]

YD: [Laughs] Ah, so cute. It was fun. So we tried various dishes together. And uh, UK– UK– both of them are from the UK, but they didn't know there is a viral series of British students trying Korean food,*** so I told them "Seeing how you react to unfamiliar foods, like... How do I put this? You were very polite trying these out, not making any weird disgusted noises (so you can go viral too)." They didn't refuse anything. Well, they also said that this was the best Korean food they had so far. They might've been just being polite, but still, you know, they were... Hmm, very neat? Yeah. I get why he's so popular.

*** [Note: YT: Korean Englishman]

YD: Anyways, it was a lot of fun. After the meal, I asked them if they wanted to go take a YD 4-cut with us, explaining this is a trending form of birthday event amongst fans of younger generations in Korea where they rent and run a photobooth for their YouTuber / CCs / Influencers. I asked "It's close from here, you wanna go?" and he said yes. That's how we ended up taking a group photo. It wasn't planned beforehand.

YD: We arrived there– [Laughs] I tried, I knew it closes at 10pm, so I tried to visit there around then (to avoid people). So we got there around 9:30? And my fans were sitting there waiting for me. As soon as they spot me they go, "Wooooooo!!! It's so good to see you in person!!!" ...then they started crying, which made Tubbo and Eryn panic a bit. They were like "Wow YD, u a superstar! Whoa." [Laughs]

YD: No, 'cuz I told them that there might be a few fans because it's my birthday event, and they were OK with it. Well, he's also a Youtuber, so he wouldn't be too unfamiliar with this kinda situation I figure. But even though I warned [him] about it, they seemed a bit surprised as people started SOBBING, so Kangseok evacuated them all. He told them, "Let's get out and try some salted butter rolls while she..." The boys leave and get bread, and I go have a short conversation with my fans, take photos, give autographs... [Laughs]

YD: It was a LOT of fun. It was a memorable day.

The original VOD can be found here (please note that the video is only available to VIP members of YD's channel).

Timestamp for this conversation: ~12:30 - 23:00

[pillow-anime-talk]

17. “The princess shouldn’t wait, you know?” with Iori Suiseki from paradox live please?

# tags: scenario; current relationship; light romance; fluff; couple goals; soft!iori; adult!reader; mention of working in a restaurant; kisses; pet names; sfw

includes: female reader ft. iori suiseki {paradox live; akanyatsura}

author’s note: ooo! thank you!

17. “The princess shouldn’t wait, you know?”

It was definitely one of the warmest and at the same time one of the windiest days of August this year. You just finished your morning shift at the restaurant – you were working as a waitress in one of the smaller but very popular sushi bars in the city center. You liked your job, and your co-workers and bosses were really great people; they were helpful, the atmosphere between you was very family and the whole team was so well-coordinated that you often met privately, e.g. as part of one of your birthdays or even during the wedding of another waitress working with you on shift.

However, you were not currently near your workplace, quite the opposite. You took the subway a little bit of the city to get to the club that your partner, Iori, owned. It was lunch time and you wanted to take your loved one for a quick meal and then go home and fulfill your duties, e.g. cleaning the bathroom and kitchen, and then preparing supper for the two of you (you’ve been living together for almost a year and it was a really good decision that strengthened your relationship and love a lot). Iori will certainly stay after hours at his job, which is why a late dinner together was your daily must-have.

The wind started to blow a little stronger. You almost wished you’d brought a thin sweater or a lightweight hoodie today to numb the visible shivers down your both arms.

So you quickly took out your phone with a colorful case on it, searching for your boyfriend’s number with his nickname and a cute red heart emoji.

you; do you want to go to dinner with me? i'd love to eat korean bbq and tofu ramen...

You waited impatiently for a message from your boyfriend, but instead the dark-haired called you. You quickly answered the call, greeting him in a light tone of voice.

“... Honey, you should have texted me earlier that you were coming. I’ll try to be there as soon as possible, because I’m not at work at the moment. I went with the managers to one of the advertising companies... I’ll be there in less than half an hour, okay?” His voice was worried and a bit sad. He didn’t like to let you down, but lets be honest, it wasn’t his fault. You knew that and you didn’t blame him.

But still, you enjoyed teasing him.

“The princess shouldn’t wait, you know?” You said in a serious tone, holding back a laugh. You barely made it.

“But... baby...”

“Just kidding, Iori. I’ll wait for you at the pub and order us some food. Everything will be ready when you arrive. Sounds good? Don’t worry about it, really, it’s my fault that I didn’t tell you about my plans.”

“I should have written that I was going on business.” He admitted. “Zen should be in the building. Find him and ask him to drive you to this restaurant. You won’t be waiting for the bus... It looks like it’s going to rain soon. I don’t want you to get sick, my love.”

A slight smile appeared on your lips.

Korean BBQ is one thing and you really want some fried noodles, mushrooms and sweet corn, but the love your dearest partner gave you was definitely worth the wait and even better than a hot meal accompanied by music, the smell of tons of sweets and cool soda.

[sunsetsimon]

Happy early bday!!! Have any birthday plans??

korean bbq for dinner of course 😋

my sister gifted me a facial appointment so i have that too but otherwise just going to get fucked up and play some games

im a pretty simple gal for my bday

[honeyjets]

Looong Holiday Weekend

Saturday morning @lessjokes and I got up and biked to St. Francis for breakfast and then popped into Beretta for a quick marg before Indy 5 at the Alamo, after which we biked to the friends 'n' fam opening of Jesse's new Enterprise Brewing where we ran into Theresa and Chris and Jane and Dave and Fred. The pilsner is pretty good. I bought some merch from Lauren and made a plan with her to meet up the next day at Stern Grove for Santigold and OGI, then Jess and Jane and I went to dinner at Ryo's new place Kuma on Valencia which was bomb. Then Jess and I went home (me electing to skip the Star Decay show and the Blue Velvet screening in favor of saving up energy for the next day) and she packed up and went to the airport and I watched a movie and went to sleep early. In the morning I caught the 23 out to the concert and hung out with Lauren and her friends on her blanket, and I ran into David and Kaveena and chatted for a bit. Santi was pretty good. Then I caught the M-Ocean or K-Ingleside (first time in a while either way) back to town and grabbed a 12er of Truly to take to Sylvia's backyard birthday BBQ. I arrived at the same time as Dave's friend from Barcelona, so we talked Barcelona for a bit, then I talked to Fred about being teenage punks turned 40ish old guys. I met Rebecca for the first time, she seemed pretty cool. Matt's kid was really funny. I drank a bunch of Trulys and ate a platter of grilled zucchini nobody was touching, and then afternoon turned into a blur. After midnight I walked with Fiona a few blocks, gossiped about the day and then hopped a sharebike home. The next day I took the ferry over to Oakland to meet Jane at the Snail Bar 2-year anniversary party. We had crudite, Colombian hot dogs and shrimp tostadas, all of which were bomb, then I caught a ride back to Jane's place and we caught the sunset on the deck and sobered up and then I drove my car (which I'd left there the previous week after our final dinner at Longbranch before David's retirement) back home and chilled out for an hour before catching the 24 over the hill to the Knockout to meet up with Sylvia, Fiona, Rebecca and Dave for karaoke. I sang "Only You" by Yaz and "When You're Gone" by the Cranberries, thinking of Jess far away, and I ran into my guy @chineseripofff for the first time in years and we hugged a lot and talked about the old days, and we all had to stay til just about closing to see Dave do "The Passenger," which was worth it. Fiona didn't sing but seemed to have the best time out of all of us. Rebecca gave us some cool tips about nightlife in the Excelsior, and then I caught the 49 with her in that direction, forgetting that the 24 I was gonna transfer to didn't run at that time of night, so I ended up walking all the way up Cortland to grab a sharebike. (I wanted this to be one huge paragraph btw but Tumblr is making me break it up...)

The next day was the 4th, so I got up and went Duc Loi to get stuff to bring to @corntard's BBQ. I got a 12er of Topo Chico hard seltzers (which turned out to be not as good as Truly, in my opinion, despite the cooler packaging), King's Hawaiian rolls (because they were out of hot dog buns), two bags of ice, and a coconut water. Mike, Constance and @westerday were there when I arrived, followed by Kate and Sean, Javier and Leti, Dave and Sylvia, and then Sunny and Rebecca and a few others later on. We talked film stuff, the new bike lanes on Valencia, travel, the old days, and probably lots of other topics, ate Korean dogs and taters and a couple big salads, and then the sun was setting and it was time to go. Dave and I strolled by the Make-Out Room but the Healing Gems show hadn't even started yet so we grabbed a booth for two at the LAC and talked about social anxiety and romantic relationships for a while. Upon our return to the Make-Out Room, Stella and Justin and Shannon and Greg were outside smoking and I hadn't seen Stella in a WHILE and she had a bunch of fun news to talk about, so we basically missed the entire Adron set (although we could see it and hear it decently from out front) just catching up. A very well dressed @vicwomg came over to say hi and we talked about the Wednesday night jazz scene briefly. It was cool to have this particular group randomly hanging out after all these years. Stella and Justin had to take off, so I went inside to watch Healing Gems. Sylvia arrived and found me and Dave. Healing Gems were pretty good. Dave and I bought LPs and we sat at a booth and finished our drinks and then I went home. The next day I spent mostly on the couch recovering, but I had a nice FaceTime with Jess and ate some healthy stuff and then went to Doc's to meet up with Dave and Sylvia (yet again) for a drink before Weird Wednesday at the Alamo. Innerspace holds up. Another drink at Doc's after and then home. The next day, another day on the couch, followed by another trip to the Alamo (with Dave and Sylvia again, and Helena) for the premiere of Joy Ride, which fucking RIPS, after which Dave and I caught a car to the Savoy Tivoli for Wesley's 40th birthday party. Mike, Constance, Sunny and a few others I didn't know were there. I talked to Sunny at length about the arc of her special friendship with Veljko, which was pretty entertaining. I met Wesley's friend Rabin who was wearing a kickass hot pink Madonna crewneck. (Hope she's okay.) Then Mike and Constance had to go home, so we took a bunch of photos in the street out front and then they left and the rest of us went to Bow Bow where I sang "Those Were the Days" and "The Wanderer" for Wesley (get it?) and then Wesley did a great performance where he sang "mammas don't let your cowboys grow up to be babies" instead of the real line which was very funny and awfully poignant? Dave (three times I think!) opted to sing songs he didn't know because nobody else wanted to do them. Then a bunch of bros came in and took the place over so we left. Now it's the next day and I'm recharging on the couch (and seeing if my memory still works) before Melanie gets to town in a couple hours and it's time to go out again. Wesley says he's gonna be in the "south Mission" tonight if anybody wants to meet up.

[pbandjesse]

Today was a pretty excellent day off. I am a little anxious about going back to work tomorrow but not for any particular reason. I just feel tired still. But it was still a really nice day.

I was sad that my dad did not come and spend Father's Day with me but he's not at home healing so at least there's that. He'll probably come next week if he's feeling up to it.

But I feel good today. I woke up and just kind of laid here for a bit. Eventually I pulled myself out of bed and went and got cleaned up and dressed. We're comfy clothes for most of the day because I knew I would be cleaning and packing and moving. And that's exactly what I did. I chilled for a while. Had breakfast. And then I got to work.

I packed up some stuff. Move things to the other room. Pull things out of the closet. So right now my bedroom closet just has my clothes in it. The empty trunk that was in there is now being utilized for something else and the new trunk that I just painted also got a couple things but inside of it. I'm getting down to just stuff that I need to survive and live so it's hard to decide what to pack. Next weekend we're going to bring a bunch of stuff over to and that might be one of the last days I actually sleep in this apartment. We'll see.

I'll biked over to James's house. I felt very proud of myself with how much I was carrying today. I'm both times I went over. The first time I had a full basket I was carrying Iraq and I had a picture frame strung over my chest. And on the second time I was carrying a small table. You do what you got to do.

On the first trip I I brought stuff to organize James existing things. Iraq and some baskets. So when I got there I cleaned up. Because his clothes are still all over the ground. He just stands in the middle of the room and I'm dresses and throws it all it was. But it's fine. I think all of his stuff up and cleaned off the counters. I did all the dishes. He's going through some emotional stuff so I decided to make the space nice for him at least. And put away things and organized what I had planned on organizing. I had a snack. And then I was deciding the rest of my day was going to look like.

I knew that they were showing my apartment at 1 and I did not want to be here. So I had to decide if I was going to go back then or wait till later. It was only like 11:30 so I decided to finish eating and at noon I biked back home and got the stuff for the second trip. All of that was mostly art supplies.

I got back to his apartment before 1. I unpacked and then I just chilled too. I play Animal Crossing on my phone and watch videos. And eventually I dozed off.

I woke up and felt very groggy. I have another snack and that help me wake up. I was determined to vacuum at my apartment. So I kept texting James that that's what I was going to do. Eventually I did actually go home.

On the way home I saw three horses, and a pony cart with a bunch of little kids in it. They were playing Old Town Road and it was just so good. Made me laugh. Love seeing horses in downtown Baltimore.

I got back here and I did finally vacuum. I did a little bit more packing but there's not really a ton I can do. So once I felt like I did enough I went and got a shower. I got changed and got ready for Lane's birthday party.

Well birthday Korean BBQ dinner. James came and met me at my apartment when he was done work. And then we biked together to the shopping center where the restaurant was. We were the first ones there and didn't know how many people are in the party and we didn't know if you were doing barbecue. So we had to call Lane and find out. But we got our table and got ready. I was very anxious though because the restaurant didn't have a website so I couldn't look at the menu beforehand and I never had Korean food. So I didn't know what was the vegetarian option. So that stress me out really bad. We ended up getting two BBQ platters. Which had a ton of sides. And then I ordered an Noodle Bowl to share with everyone else that I knew was vegetarian. And that was really good. I enjoyed the sides I try things. The tofu is really good and I don't normally like tofu so that was cool. We got this bottle of what she referred to as beer but was definitely like a wine. It was a grapefruit. I tried a sip of it and it wasn't the worst thing I've ever tried but the grapefruit flavor was very strong.

Dinner was a lot of fun though. Even though James wouldn't stop bugging me about putting salt on watermelon. I understand that it does something to flavor. I don't care. I don't want it. There's only four pieces of watermelon I want to eat them. But he was in a weird head space and so he was putting out a weird energy a few times. But in general I had a really good time. Lanes birthday is on Father's Day so we all had to wear dad mustaches for a bit. But eventually they all ended up on the beer bottle. Which made it very hard to pour. But the food was really good and it was fun being with friends. But then James was tired and wanted to go home.

So we left. The clouds were beautiful. It had apparently rains at some point but I have no idea when. And then we got back to my apartment and we had ice cream and watch some videos and lay down for a bit. And then he went home.

I'm just watching videos and chilling. Trying to decide how I'm going to get to work tomorrow. I think I'm going to try to bike. It's three and a half miles and will take about 25 minutes. If it's raining I will take the bus. I think that would be the deciding factor in the morning. I'm going to leave around 9 either way though just to give me wiggle room. I maybe I'll stop for a bagel. Unsure. I hope you all have a great day tomorrow. Wish me luck going back to work. I'm feeling weird about it but it's fine. Not because of the job just because I'm nervous because there's on sure stuff about who I'm teaching and who I'm dealing with. Send me Good Vibes. Good night.

[angeltriestoblog]

18

Welcome to my first blog post as an 18 year-old! And yes, I am well aware that I can legally drink and could be sent to jail, thank you very much. (Not that I have any plans to, though.)

I reached this milestone in my life last July 5th. As I mentioned in an earlier entry, I decided to not go the traditional route and instead, opted for a trip to Korea last April and a week’s worth of festivities with family and friends.

I kicked off the celebration with lunch at a Korean barbecue place with my parents, then had a feast with my extended family (mother’s side) in Italianni’s.

I even got my cousin, Miguel, to go on with me on the ferris wheel nearby where I tried my best to admire the beautiful view of Manila Bay before us while screaming my head off.

For my actual birthday, I treated my closest friends from high school at yet another K-BBQ place for lunch, and then went to my favorite buffet place with my family for dinner. My friends Junelle, Danna and I also finally pushed through with our months-old plan of dropping by the karaoke bar relatively near to us, which served as a great release for pent-up emotions and a showcase of our non-existent vocal abilities.

This year, I also decided to go out on a limb and hold a project of my own. I was originally planning on giving away some of the old books I had piled up in my room to nearby orphanages, but with the time constraints I had, I couldn’t really afford to execute something so grand. So, with the help of my mom, I decided that it would be best to start small. We bought these tumblers from the nearby grocery and filled them to the brim with candies and chocolate bars, then gave them to the kids selling sampaguita at our church. I was really iffy about writing this part, because I know it’s easy to misconstrue my intentions for doing so: some people will probably just dismiss this as some put-on act of charity posted for clout. But, the experience was just so rewarding for me I had to. The children were all so appreciative, beaming at me, expressing their gratitude through belated birthday greetings and musings of how they could use my little gift for school – it kind of made me feel like my heart was on fire, but in the best way possible.

Anyway, now on to the standard realizations I make sure to include in nine out of ten posts.

This birthday in particular was a big deal for me, for obvious reasons. I had always regarded 18 as the age of independence and freedom: I equated it to having the liberty to do whatever I wanted, go anywhere I pleased with anyone at all, make the big decisions and know the answers to all the questions I’ve been asking my elders since I was a kid. I guess I forgot that I’m not the protagonist of the coming-of-age films I grew up indulging in, but a sheltered kid who has had most things done for her and thus has yet to acquire the basic life skills needed to survive The Real World. My parents said that I’m this way because they wanted to give me a life of convenience, and thus did anything that required me going out of my comfort zone, for me. All these years, I never found myself complaining about it or demanding that something be changed but for some reason, this stage of supposed adulthood has pressured me into thinking that there’s something terribly wrong with this because now, I have so much growing up to do.

Obviously, the biggest life change that I’ll have to deal with would be college: having to balance academics, extracurricular activities and different people in an entirely foreign environment sounded so terrifying for me. People would always tell me that grades have and could never be an issue for me: I was born the Smart Kid™ with a lot of potential, remember? I was generally a star student in all the schools I had attended, and everyone knew about it: I didn’t have to exert any effort to prove myself to those around me, because my grades did the talking. But, suddenly I’m about to enter this prestigious university with a rigorous screening process that takes in the Smart Kids™ from institutions all around the country. How am I expected to stand out in a place like that and get the Latin honors I can’t help but aim for?

Extracurriculars also have a huge bearing and apparently are an essential part of the whole college experience, which is weird to me since I’ve never really committed to a specific club all throughout my grade school and high school life. It seemed like more of a requirement to me than anything else, so deciding which one to join was like playing pin the tail on the donkey with my friends.

And, while I’m on that note: what about making new friends? I do appear to be outgoing and loud—especially if you’ve heard my piercing shrieks in my old Grade 12 classroom—but I’m only like that around those I’m truly comfortable with, and even that number has dwindled over the years. It’s hard to find people with the same interests as I do, and I’m growing more and more unsure of the fact that there are Ateneans who like K-Pop boy groups and laugh at the jeje memes I have in my camera roll. (I will cry if I don’t find anyone who can watch Japer Sniper videos with me.) I haven’t had to introduce myself to a new person in two years both IRL and online and I let them lead the conversation for a long while before I can think of warming up to them.

I also have to learn how to drive, which can come off as a surprise to anyone who’s known me for a while. I’ve always been the type to let go of the steering wheel and cover my eyes when the situation got out of control at the bumper cars. But, once I found out that ADMU isn’t actually the most commuter-friendly of schools, I didn’t really have a choice. On my first day of lessons, I was scared to my very core: my mind couldn’t stop bombarding me with stories of vehicular accidents and picture slideshows of cats that got run over. Although I did pass all four days and am now eligible to have my own license, I still have much work to do before I can take our Civic for a spin along Katipunan: please pray I learn how to parallel park without crashing into anything. I guess it would also be a bonus if I learned how to commute to and from places. I love going out, and I wish I always knew how to get to where I wanted to go and what mode of transportation to take instead of always relying on trikes and taxis all the time.

Since I’m of legal age, I’m also qualified to register to vote. I’ve started immersing myself in current events and politics a few years back, and I witnessed several people my age get shot down by adults when they did so much as express their opinions. “Masyado kang bata,” they’d argue. “Di nga kayo botante eh, wag na kayong makialam!” (But, the indifference of the youth would still be met with biting remarks like, “Wala na ba kayong ibang gagawin kundi mag-Internet? Magkaroon naman kayo ng pakialam sa nangyayari sa paligid!”) So now, I feel a certain kind of satisfaction in finally getting a say in who runs my country. But, at the same time, there’s also an intense kind of pressure since I am expected to discern which candidate serves the people’s best interests and hopefully lead us out of the downward spiral we’re currently making our way through.

It was only very recently—towards the start of the final month of my vacation—that I realized how stagnant I still was a person. Must be surprising for some of you. I feel like I somewhat project this image of being constantly put together. Very rarely do I let myself be vulnerable around other people. This is probably why every time I turn to someone to talk about my problems, I’m always met with reassurance: I, of all people, would have it under control, they say. I have absolutely nothing to worry about.

But, that’s the thing: when we’re on social media, we have this tendency to present only our best selves, turning our accounts into heavily filtered highlight reels. This is not only pretentious but toxic behavior, because of its failure to put things into perspective and show that everyone has their own fair share of both good and bad days. My Instagram feed may be its busy and color-coordinated self at the moment, but it doesn’t show the many nights I’ve spent crying because of how overwhelmed I was by this sudden surge in responsibilities and my inability to handle all of them. I mean, things can seem way beyond your control when your brain refuses to shut up and calm down.

I guess my failure to prepare for everything could be traced back to the beginning of this summer. In hindsight, the goals I had set for my four-month break were all very short-term and not exactly centered on self-improvement. I looked through the bullet journal I was keeping at the time, and found items like “clean my room”, “delete Facebook friends and Twitter followers I don’t interact with” and “buy a new study table” – one word for April 2018 Angel: why? I easily could have used the time to learn a new language or pledge to write 10 posts, maybe even pick up an instrument so I could have started a career as a Soundcloud artist and gotten myself a record deal instead of going to college (Mom, Dad, I’m kidding.) But for some reason, I didn’t even think of setting my standards that high. I spent a lot of time lying on my back, scrolling through the same old timelines several times a day as if the constant refreshing would bring anything of substance in my life.

It's much easier to let the regret paralyze me, to beat myself up for all the mistakes I’ve made and wonder why I didn’t do better. But, we all know that won’t help me get anywhere. As of now, I’m trying my best to be more vocal about my problems with other people so they don’t build up inside of me until I spontaneously combust. I admit I’m also quite the emotional person, so I really want to work on having a rational approach to whatever I’m going through.

I found this thread of healthy coping mechanisms and emergency plans to use during times of distress floating around. In case you guys are too lazy to click on the link, it basically says that you should first identify the trigger thought or whatever is sparking the negative emotions, identify the unhelpful thinking style that you are subscribing to and counter them through coping thoughts and actions to bring your mood back to the center. Twitter user thecolor_teal also says that one important thing to note is that you should never believe in your thoughts without critiquing them.

I’ve been doubling down on the worrying and channeling all that energy on pursuing other interests and planning my life out. I’m on my fifth book in the span of two weeks (I have a post coming up on this, so watch out!) and I just hit the 2k word mark on this post, so I can pretty much say I’m on a roll.  I also came up with three main goals that I want to prioritize as I venture into this new chapter of my life. I read somewhere that publicizing whatever you want to work on, jinxes them in a way but since there’s no scientific evidence to back it up, I’m taking the risk. It could serve as a constant reminder of what I have to do, or pressure me into following through because I’ve put it up here to everyone to see: either way, I win, I guess.

1. Be more involved – maintain a firm stance of my own in issues concerning the country, give back to my community, continue to take genuine interest in the lives of those around me and do whatever I can to help them

2. Be more sociable – judge people less; get to know and interact with people from as many different social circles as possible; learn how to make the first move, engage in small talk (!!!) and not end the conversation with an awkward laugh

3. Be more street smart – be confident when on my own in public places, distinguish when I’m being fooled by people, learn how to get out of sticky situations without having to ask for help

I don’t exactly have everything down pat yet but at this point, it’s become somewhat comforting for me to think that I’m not expected to, and that no one my age knows exactly what they’re doing. We’re all clueless kids with no idea what the future holds and if we’re truly capable of handling it – we’re all hanging on to our empty attempts at reassuring ourselves. Anyone who denies this is probably just trying to make themselves feel better and I’d like you lot to know that we see through you! Despite the sheer hopelessness of our situations, I hope you all make amends with your right to not know whatever the heck you’re doing with your life right now and learn to trust the process. You’ve probably been through worse in the past, but here you are: beaten and bruised and still dusting yourself off from the last time life let you down but still alive and valid and fighting and that’s all that matters. We got this, fellow adult-er. And that is not to be mistaken for adulterer, by the way. That’s not something we should strive to be.

[surveysonfleek]

331.

1. Do you have any big plans for November? hmm sensation, a drake concert and my sister’s birthday.

2. What upcoming event are you most looking forward to? i have no idea tbh. i don’t have anything going on for awhile.

3. What was the last song you heard? idk i’m watching netflix atm.

4. Quote something from last night: 'did they fuck?’

5. What time did you wake up today? around 11am. i over slept hard.

6. What does your last incoming text say? hope i win.

7. Is there a vase in the room you’re in? no.

8. Any plans for today/this evening? today is over but i’m working tomorrow.

9. Have you recently been insulted? yeah.

10. What is the radio in your car tuned to at this exact moment? it’s not on radio, last i was in it i had the aux in.

11. Compared to someone else of your age and gender; do you feel that you have a lot to offer someone? not really tbh.

12. How many days a week do you work? 4-5.

13. Are there people you feel more connected to than others? yes definitely. there’s some people i just don’t vibe with even if they’re nice.

14. Is there ONE person you feel more connected to than others? yes.

15. Are you more like your mother or your father? idk i have characteristics from the both of them.

16. Where did your eye color come from? both of my parents have brown eyes.

17. Describe the pants you are wearing: not wearing pants.

18. Have you ever been in a recording studio? nope.

19. The myspace picture you’ve had up the longest? lol i wouldn’t have a clue.

20. Are any of your myspace pictures alcohol related? no..

21. What is your worst relationship quality? idk i get annoyed pretty easily.

22. What was your most recent serious injury? it wasn’t super serious but i had quite a lot of hot oil drip onto my hand while the waitress at korean bbq was changing the grill.

23. What were you most recently happy about? being out yesterday.

24. Are you happy with the way the Yankees are playing? i don’t follow baseball.

25. Are you a fan of cake? yes.

26. What shirt have you not worn in a while that you would like to? hmm idk.

28. When was the last time you were hit on? i don’t remember. how sad.

29. What is the next concert you are going to and where are you seeing it? rnb fridays at olympic park.

30. Name someone you know who is most likely to be found at a bar on Wednesday night? hmm maybe my friends. not to drink but because the bar offers cheap dinners on wednesdays.

[xkaylinh]

Concert Diary: Soccer Mommy at the Teragram Ballroom on October 16, 2018

Since I was passing by my brother’s workplace, we met up to have dinner. We went to a Korean BBQ place in a food court he visits often, about two blocks away. I got something a little spicy, he got something a little sweet. There was a lot of meat on top of a bit of salad, in a bowl stacked on top of another bowl, which had a ton of rice. From the outside, it looked like something you’d get from Yoshinoya or Panda Express, so I was surprised to see that it was actually two bowls you could put side-to-side. It was interesting, and also very tasty.

“So, who are you going to see tonight?” “She’s called Soccer Mommy.” “Is she a soccer mommy?” “No. I think she’s younger than me. It’s probably meant to be ironic.” “She could still be a mom.” “A soccer mom, though?” “Hey, you never know.”

We got drinks at Target. Well, that was the plan, anyway. I got a root beer, he got a jar of peanut butter. I guess they ran out at his place. “You’re not drinking that, are you?” “Heck yeah, I am! Gonna finish this whole thing right here, right now!” “Gross!” “Imagine if this were an eating competition, and you weren’t allowed to drink anything.” “I think you’d die.”

The venue was a few blocks away. I walked over a bridge atop a freeway. I thought of shows and movies in which people would jump. I was glad I got past the point in my life.

It was standing room only. Like, after the lobby, it was literally one huge room with a stage at one end of it and a bar at the other. I remember it being lit with a kind of eerie blue light. And hot. I felt a breeze at one point, noticed there were fans in the ceiling, and kind of just stood there the whole time. I could’ve moved closer to the stage, but it felt nice with that breeze.

The opener was Sasami. I didn’t know anything about her going in, so I was surprised she was Asian. I looked her up in my phone at the time, but misspelled it as “sasimi” and got a bunch of pictures of raw fish on rice.She was pretty cool, had a kind of “no fucks given” vibe going. I was pretty instantly intrigued by her music. It was still pop rock, but something about it just sounded different, unique. Apparently she was in some band I never heard of, before working on solo stuff. She doesn’t have an album out yet, but the two songs on Spotify are pretty nice.

I think Sophie had her hair up. It’s only been a couple months and I already can’t remember. There was just something about her appearance that was a little unexpected, but it was something simple, so it must’ve been her hair. Anyway, she was super chill during the whole thing, like, even more so than Sasami was. I remember there was some banter, some laughs, she might have made jokes about her guitarist. He kind of looked like a grown up Gaten Matarazzo. She didn’t say that, though; that’s just who he reminded me of. I think a couple days later she posted on Instagram wishing him happy birthday. At one point, Sophie mentioned they were serving a cocktail of her own concoction, some mix of alcohol and energy drink. “It’s good, but like, don’t have too much of it. I think you’d die.” They played all my favorite songs from the album, and it was cool to see how effortlessly she switched between the slower and faster songs. At the end, she did a cover song, bringing up Sasami and -gasp!- Phoebe Bridgers onto the stage to join her. (That was technically the first time I saw Phoebe. For one song. I saw her later with boygenius.) Sasami later posted a pic of them on twitter, accompanied by a pic of Alvin and the Chipmunks, which I thought was hilarious.

The merch line for Soccer Mommy was pretty long, almost made its way out the exit doors. The line for Sasami wasn’t. She was out there selling her own merch, which was cool. I almost wanted to walk up to her and be like, “Oh hey, you’re Asian! Me, too!” but that would’ve been super awkward, like, what would I have followed that up with? (Her shirts are almost as funny as Phoebe’s. Band shirts aren’t usually funny, so I thought that was worth mentioning.) I got a CD of Soccer Mommy’s album. I think that might have actually been the first time I got a CD at a show.

Walking out, I saw Phoebe chatting with some peeps on the sidewalk. In that context, she’s just a regular person. I mean, they all are. I just have to remind myself that every once in a while. Cool.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpBJryOD_LB/

[lovemesomesurveys]

The Basics:

Name: Stephanie. Age: 27. School: -- Nationality: American. Hobbies: Tumblring, doing surveys, and reading.

Love Life:

Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?: No. Do you like someone?: Not anyone I know personally. Ya’ll know about my obsession love of Alexander Skarsgård. Does anyone like you?: Nope. Have you ever kissed anyone?: Yes Hugged anyone in the past week?: Yes, but a family member.

Friendships

Who is your best friend(s)?: My mom. Where did you meet them?: At the hospital when I was born. Did you lose any friends this year?: It happened over the course of about a year. Gain any?: No. Meet a special friend?: No. Did you hang out with any friends in the past week?: Nope. I haven’t hung out with any friends (if I still have any) in almost a year.

New Years

Did you do anything at midnight?: No. This past New Year’s wasn’t a time of celebration. Last year was especially rough, but the ending left me heartbroken when my dog, Brandie, passed away the day after Christmas. Who did you spend it with?: My parents and younger brother. Did you have any resolutions?: No.

Valentines Day

Did you have a Valentine?: No. Did you send out any cards/chocolates/etc?: No. Did you have a boyfriend/girlfriend on this day?: N o.

Summer

Did you go on vacation?: I went on one last month, but we may go on another little one sometime this summer. Did you hang out on the beach with friends?: I hung out with my family at the beach. How long was your summer break?: I’m no longer in school. Did you get a tan?: My arms got tanned while on vacation last month. Did you have a boyfriend/girlfriend during the summer?: I didn’t last summer and I won’t this summer either.

Halloween

Did you go trick or treating?: I haven’t gone trick-or-treating in years. I’m too old. If so, who did you go with?: The last time I went it was with a friend. Did you dress up?: I didn’t last year. I don’t plan on dressing up this year either. I’m over that part. Was it fun?: Last year was really lowkey. I just stayed home, ate food, and watched scary movies.

Christmas

Who did you spend it with?: I spent it with my family. Did Santa come to your house?: Yep. Did you stay up until midnight on Christmas Eve? Of course.

Your Birthday

Who did you spend it with?: My birthday last year was also super lowkey. I spent it with my family. On my actual birthday my mom made one of my favorite dinners, we had cake, and I opened presents. The next day we invited my older brother and his boyfriend out to have dinner at my favorite restaurant. What did you do?: Oh, I just answered that. What did you get?: Gift cards, a book, and makeup. When is it?: July 28th.

Have You Evers:

[x ] Kissed someone (anywhere) [x] Hugged someone [ ] Electricuted yourself [] Climbed more than 60 feet [x] Made a Youtube video [x] Lied to a loved one [] Had a nosebleed [ ] Gotten airsick [x] Been so bored, you just ate food [x] Not brushed your teeth for a day [x] Not showered for a day [ ] Eaten Korean BBQ [x] Drank alchohol [x ] Smoked [ ] Tried drugs [x] Had a pet [ ] Ran a marathon [x ] Had a boyfriend/girlfriend [] Punched someone

Name 6 people you can trust with anything My mom and younger brother. 3 things you really want: Good health. Feel well rested. Money.

Name 2 people you’ve known the longest (not counting family): Amanda. Stuart.

Name 1 wish you have for 2017: I wanted to work on bettering myself physically and mentally, but I’ve been saying that for awhile and nothing changes. Largely in part because I’m not doing all that I should/could be doing, but also cause of other things. 5 Do’s 1. Do you play any instruments?: No. 2. Do you play any sports?: No. 3. Do you believe in 2012?: Uh yes, I believe it existed? I was there. I lived through it. 4. Do you like cheese?: Yes. 5. Do you honestly like Obama?: Didn’t always see eye to eye, but he seemed like a nice guy. 4 If’s 1. If you get $1 Million for breaking up with your boyfriend/girlfriend, would you?:  I’m single. I wouldn’t break up with my boyfriend, if I had one, for money. If we were happy, in love, and things were going well I wouldn’t want to end that. 2. If you were to get $50,000 for killing a rat, would you?: I guess I could set a trap, but I physically couldn’t do the killing. 3. If you were to choose between your best friend and your brother/sister, who would you choose?: My best friend is my mom. I love both my mom and my brothers, I couldn’t choose. 4. If you were to choose between coke/pepsi or sprite/7up, which would you choose?:  Coke and Sprite. 3 How’s 1. How old do you want to be when you get married?: I don’t know if I want to get married. I don’t see it happening for me regardless. 2. How many siblings do you have?: Two. 3. How did your Christmas go (2009)? I’m sure it went well. 2 When’s 1. When did you have your first kiss?: 16. 2. When did you last have a piece of cake?: I don’t remember. 1 What 1. What would you say if the guy/girl you like right now kissed you? I wouldn’t say anything, I’d just be enjoying the moment. ;)

[reels-and-reads]

2016

This year had some great new experiences, but overall I’m not sad to see it go one bit. The first was a weird start, there was an incident at work with some sort of gas leak. It’s a problem that went away, but I’m not sure it was actually ever fixed. Me and my roommate had a small addiction to this boba place which eventually went away, but we still go from time to time. We had a lot of boba last year, all different places and kinds. The coachella list came out and me and my family weren’t impressed. In january I used my christmas money, along with my holiday discount, to buy some things I had been wanting for a few months. I ended up getting one of those harvey purses and a lightsaber umbrella. My friend Andrew took me to Umami Burger for the first time and I loved it, I need to go back. He also took me to korean bbq for the first time, Andrew might be more of a foodie than I am. At the end of the month me and Jeff went to Disneyland and got a bunch of photos taken so I could use my discount to buy a disc before they weren’t offered anymore. I got trained to work in the Star Wars area at work, so basically I got to actually dress nice and watch clips from the movies and get paid for it. In february I added a mickey to my filmstrip tattoo for my love of disney and my first job. In march I got a guest compliment at work, it’s cute they give you a nice folder and little certificate and I got my one year pin the same day. Got to see Jeff and his band play a few shows and take pictures for them. My friend Michael visited in April and I went to the cove bar for the second time. Coachella was fun, but there were some rough patches I guess that happens when it’s a family thing. Ellie Goulding, Halsey, and Beach House were the highlights for me. In may I went to my friends 21st birthday had a fun time even though I ended up with a cut on my ankle. Made it to the Motion City Soundtrack farewell tour, did not care for the downtown disney house of blues venue but the show was still great. I got my first passport. In June I got to hang out with my friend Mariah at disney before she moved to Oregon. Also got to hang out with my friend Raquelle before her annual pass expired. My friend David took me to Goofy’s Kitchen for the first time, it end up being one of my favorite character dining locations in the resort. I got to spend my birthday at home which was really nice, we went to my favorite pizza place for dinner and other favorite place for brunch. I went to my first pride in san diego and I had a really fun time. I started my jeffree star collection. I got hurt at work, I’ve seen a bunch of different doctors and I still don’t know what’s wrong it’s been a huge pain. Honestly that’s probably a big part on why I’ve had such a rough year. Also my roommate situation got even worse, but thankfully that lease ended in October. In August I got to take my first trip out of the country. Jeff’s family was awesome enough to invite me along. The trip also pushed me to finally purchase a new camera, I went with a Canon 7D as an upgrade to my Canon t2i which I had for around six years. We flew out of LAX and had a layover in Taiwan and I was immediately in love. The airport was so cute and the food was good, I would love to visit Taipei again. Next stop was the Philippines, I was very tired and we did a lot of driving but it was so cool experiencing a new country. It is so scary to drive there idk how people do it. We went to Guam after that and it was amazing there too. It was so pretty, but I did end up with traveler’s stomach and awful bug bites all over my legs. Now I know for next time only wear (thin, breathable) pants and what medicines to bring and I’ll be more prepared. I had a lot of fun, but the whole trip felt rushed I would have loved more time. When we went back to the Philippines we visited Villa Escudero for a little bit before it closed. On our way back we had another layover in Taipei and I struggled the whole time not buying everything there. I got a cute strainer mug and some Taiwan face masks in the end. I loved traveling and I got some great pictures. Shortly after I got back me and David went to a free Grouplove show at Amoeba. Me and Jeff celebrated halloween early at Mickey’s halloween party since we weren’t able to do anything last year. We went as bob and linda from bob’s burgers. We got a bunch of candy and the fireworks and parade were great. It was expensive so I wasn’t sure if it was worth it but I had a good time. Me and alexa got to eat at PCH grill on the last day to use our dining coupons and we ended up each getting a photo package. On actual halloween I had to move out of my apartment and that was a nightmare, I procrastinated and left too much work until the end. Thanksgiving was on my regular day off so I got to spend it at home. My friend Albert was also visiting, it was really nice to see him since he moved to vegas a while back. In december I got to visit michael and help him with his grad school application. Even though we had stuff to take care of we still had a lot of fun. Mariah also got to visit again for the holidays and it was really nice seeing her and catching up. Me and my family celebrated christmas early because I was supposed to work, but I ended up getting sick and spending a whole week at home. I got to see a little bit of snow in Joshua Tree, it melted really fast but I was still happy I got to see a little bit. Jeff was able to be with me on New Years which was really nice. I still had to work, but I liked coming home to someone. On NYE we went out to eat and then later that night we had pizza, champagne, and watched the office it was really relaxed and nice. This year also held a lot of rejection. The job market is brutal and I didn’t really understand that to it’s full extent until now. I’m still trying to change jobs and I’m hoping this is the year things are going to start happening. I would say that I’m cautiously optimistic. I have some general plans and things I am working on so here’s to 2017 I hope you don’t suck!      

[jencinnamonrolls]

Happy Birthday to me!

My birthday falls on the 12th June but I thought I was not going to be able to celebrate it properly since I have to work until noon and I was living alone. My friend and I planned to celebrate on the 13th instead (virtually, with having to eat the same  food on our respective homes). We decided to prepare samgyupsal (korean bbq) as we did last year kind of starting a tradition.

I did not hesitate to celebrate the 13th since it’s my rest day and I also love taylor and I like the idea of celebrating that way. 

Came the 12th and I was not feeling well so I have to cut my work short and rest. Then, my friend called me up and checked in on me. She asked me what I want to eat since it’s my birthday lunch and it should be something I really love. I ordered my food online which is Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata all for me to enjoy. I really loved it. 

Came 13th. I woke up early to exercise/run to prepare for the main event of eating a lot. everything went according to plan except my food was all burnt but still a little edible. My friend, her husband and I enjoyed a nice lunch (PH time; dinner on theirs in US time). They sang the birthday song and played Taylor’s music on the background I really appreciate it since most of the days they don’t really do it. I loved every moment and I loved celebrating my day as simple as that

Even though they are with me virtually, my family and other friends are not with me, I felt their love and care, and that is what matters the most. I did not feel alone at all. I am just really grateful for all the blessings I had this year. Everything this year was unexpected and lord kept showering me with awesome things. 

I love this life and I hope God will be with me all the ways and always.

Love,

Jen

*PS- My fiance was not present in those celebrations but I felt his care for me always. 

[tempestuous-cosplay]

Flower Asks

Alisons: Sexuality?

Demi-romantic poly-pansexual.

Amaranth: Pronouns/Gender?

They Them non-binary 

Amaryllis: Birthday?

July 20!!!!! Gunna be 25

Anemone: Favorite flower?

Can’t choose. But its something blue, purple, or red. I really like Hydrangeas and Narcissus flowers.  

Angelonia: Favorite t.v. show?

Brooklyn 99, Avatar the Last Airbender, MeatEater

Arum-Lily: What’s the farthest you’d go for a stranger?

Depends on whats needed. 

Aster: What’s one of your favorite quotes?

ah, man, i don’t fuckin know. Probably the line “Change IS nature, dad, the part we can influence. And it all starts when we decide.” from ratatouille 

Aubrieta: Favorite drink?

Water, milk, then sprite. Unless we talkin booze, tequilla.

Baby’s Breath: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

ABSOLUTELY 

Balsam Fir: Have you ever been in love?

Yup. Would love to have that again one day, but not now. 

Baneberries: Favorite song?

Under My Skin by Jukebox the Ghost at the moment, but consistantly its Pierre by Rynn Weaver. 

Basket of Gold: Describe your family.

Better than some but has its issues. 

Beebalm: Do you have a best friend? Who is it?

I have 5 closest friends whom i LOVE and talk to with any regularity. 

Begonia: Favorite color?

PURPLE

Bellflower: Favorite animal?

DRAGON

Bergenia: Are you a morning or night person?

I like being awake in the morning bc then it feels like i have so much time to do stuff, but my sleep schedule always shifts to being a night owl.

Black-Eyed Susan: If you could be any animal for a day, what would it be?

a Kite or a hawk for all that fancy flying.

Bloodroots: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A veterinarian, a puppeteer, or the next david attenborough. 

Bluemink: What are your thoughts on children?

I eventually want ONE, just one, of my own when I’m living with a community who will help me raise them. But really, i think too many people are having children who just should not be parents. 

Blazing Stars: What are you afraid of? Is there a reason why?

Being in love again bc the last times its happened I got traumatized.

Borage: Give a random fact about your childhood.

I always used to say i would never get tattoos and now i have one and plans for more. Ain’t gunna stop till im covered.

Bugleherb: How would you spend your last day on Earth?  

I would travel up to my friend @b-oredzoi and spent the day with her. She ain’t got a choice. 

Buttercup: Relationship Status?

Single but with some FWB situations goin on.

Camelia: If you could visit anywhere, where would you want to go?

anywhere outside continental US. Im not picky. Top choices Kyoto Japan, the french countryside, p much anywhere in africa.

Candytufts: When do you feel most loved?

when im tripping on acid or when my friends are hugging me real tight. 

Canna: Do you have any tattoos?  

YEAH, got one on my thigh. 

Canterbury Bells: Do you have any piercings?  

YUP, lobes and one cartilage 

California Poppy: Height?  

5′4 and hating every second of it. Wish i was taller. 

Cardinal Flower: Do you believe in ghosts?

100%

Carnation: What are you currently wearing?  

skill boxers stolen from an ex-friend and a shirt that im not 100% sure is mine??? but I’ve had it for a year and wear it all the time soooooooooooo. Mine now

Catnip: Have you ever slept with a nightlight?

I used to sleep with the closet light on until i was, like..... 14? 15?

Chives: Who was the last person you hugged?  

myyyyy mom prolly.

Chrysanthemum: Who’s the last person you kissed?

my pal Eli

Cock’s Comb: Favorite font?

something swoopy and pretty. Or the one thats just emojis. 

Columbine: Are you tired?

always

Common Boneset: What are you looking forward to?

getting top surgery and corona being over. 

Coneflower: Dream job?

philanthropist actor/ director. 

Crane’s-Bill: Introvert or extrovert?

ambivert. 

Crocus: Have you ever been in love?

We did this with balsom fir. anyway, yes i have been!!

Crown Imperial: What’s the farthest you would go for someone you care about?

depending on who they are, as far as they needed me to. I don’t THINK i would kill anyone, but there are a few people i would willingly die for. 

Cyclamen: Did you have a favorite stuffed animal as a child? What was it?

A green and purple dragon named Puff, who i still have. He’s always either in my bed or on a shelf in my room. 

Daffodil: What’s your zodiac sign?

Cancer

Dahlia: Have you done anything worth remembering?

Didn’t die. Helped stop my grans house from burning down. 

Daisy: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

so far its getting my associates degree. Either that or dragging myself out of a horrible depressive, self destructive spiral in 2018-2019, getting the help i needed, and doing better for myself and those around me.

Daylily: What would you do if your parents didn’t like your partner(s)?  

figure out why and wither resolve it or dump the partner.

Dendrobium: Who is the last person that you said “I love you” to?

my dad prolly. 

False Goat’s Beard: What is something you are good at?

Crafty stuff. and animal trivia. 

Foxgloves: What’s something you’re bad at?

organizing anything, remembering dates, statistics. 

Freesia: What are three good things that have happened in the past month?

Got okayed for top surgery

got surprise money!

Got a sentimental piece of art from my grandparents (at long last.)

Garden Cosmos: How was your day today?

p solid. Helped my dad with some yard stuff, made a yummy dinner, saw most of the supplies i need for a new project shipped. 

Gardenia: Are you happy with where you’re at in your life?

mmmmmmm not really, but im getting there.

Gladiolus: What is something you hope to do in the next year or two?

Graduate, move out, get a good, fulfilling job. Travel some more. 

Glory-of-the-Snow: What are ten things that make you happy/you’re grateful to have in your life?

The friends who stuck around

my plushie collection

my tarot collection

my print collections from cons

finally having a queen sized bed

books

my pets (wow, almost forgot about them)

my fursuit making skills

my hair

my gently rising self esteem 

Heliotropium: What helps you calm down when you feel stressed?  

petting soft things, reading, watching Ghibli movies. 

Hellebore: How do you show affection?

all them love languages bro. Every single one. I tailor my affection to the individual and what love language they receive most.   Mostly, I cook for people.

Hoary Stock: What are you proudest of?

We’ve done this one too!

Hollyhock: Describe your ideal day.

Its a nice balmy 72 degrees with a nice breeze. The sun is shinning with some clouds here and there. I go to the zoo with some friends/ a friend and we just share random facts about our favorite animals. we get some cute plushies at the gift shop and then go to a wonderful meal, either greek or korean bbq or Pho and we go back to someones house to watch movies and vibe, sleepy, warm, and content. 

Hyacinth: What do you like to do in your free time?

read, craft, organize my room, draw, garden, swim.  

Hydrangea: How long have you known your best friend? How did you meet them?

I dont have a singular “Best friend”. I do have my Inner circle tho!

Laura- we met my freshman year of collage, first day and we click INSTANTLY. She’s my soulmate and I would go to hell and back for her (RIP to Orphius, but im different)

Bly- we met, like, back in 2014/2015 at house parties but didn’t really start getting SUPER close like we are now until, like, 2017/18/19 ish. Really the only person I actively talk to every single day, my mood twin. We share a braincell. 

Syd- we met at, like, Momocon 2014? 2015?? something like that???? bc we roomed together. We started getting close in 2016 by bonding over fursuit stuff. My go to roadtrip partner. I kinda owe my current joy for life to her bc she helped me through my hell time in 2018 but kicking my ass and teaching me how to make fursuits. 

Eli- we met at Dragon-Con through a mutual friend in 2014, but didn’t really get close until may of 2019. Now we’re p much partners in everything but title bc we just don’t have romantic feelings for eachother. We share a therapist and hang out at least 3 times a month.

Shane: We’ve been friends since, like, 2010 but started getting close in 2017 when they helped me get a job. Then we just,,, stuck around. They kick my ass to get out of the house and do stuff, or did before corona 

Sammi : Friends since 2010 when we were in highschool together. Our friendship was super rocky until we were in different schools and smoothed out as we aged and matured. They are the reason i got into conventions  and cosplay as a whole, so they have only themselves to blame for how I am now. 

Irises: Who can you talk to about (almost) everything?

Eli and laura. 

Laceleaf: How many friends do you have?

my inner circle is, like, 6 people, but friends as a whole like.... idk.... 20?

Lantanas: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

“Your gender vibe, is, like, primordial. Its a perfect blend of masculine, feminin and things that are just indescribable.”

Larkspur: What do you think of yourself?

I hate myself, to be perfectly honest. But Im trying my best to be a good person and a good friend, so I don’t have to like me, as long as the people who matter do. 

Lavender: What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

I love my hair. Also how much better at communication i’ve gotten. 

Leather Flower: What’s your least favorite thing about yourself? 

my adhd and the social symptoms of that.  

Lilac: What’s something you liked to do as a child?

i liked swinging and listening to the sounds of shoes on carpet. Good stim time.

Lily: Who was your best friend when you were a kid?

I never really had a best friend for more than 2 years. They would always move away, So i don’t really have a solid “best friend as a kid.” Why yes, I do have abandonment issues. 

Lily of the Incas: What is something you still feel guilty for?

How my last relationship ended. I pulled some STUUUUUUUPID shit and never got to own up to it or hold the other person accountable for the harm they did to me. It was just overall horrible and never got any type of closure. Likely never will. But it be that way sometimes. 

Lily of the Nile: What is something you feel guilty for that you shouldn’t feel guilty about?  

My grandfather died last week and i feel........ almost nothing bc I honestly really did not like the man. He was horrible to me growing up and horrible to my mother while my grandmother was sick and dying. But he did a number of good things too. But I feel guilty for not mourning him more. 

Lupine: What does your name mean? Why is that your name?

I chose Sawyer bc when I was younger, I was very good at wriggling my way out of work and my mom and aunts would call me “Tom Sawyer”. I also just like Mark Twain and the name Sawyer in general. Feels good

Marigold: Where did you grow up? Tell us about it.

In the suberbs of atlanta in a nice house on the Chattahoochee river. I’m actually still living there while I finish school. 

Morning Glory: What was your bedroom like growing up?

Rosey wall paper and gross maroon carpet until 7th grade, when we painted it all blue and put in blue carpet. It was, and is, very VERY blue. Im gunna be painting 2 walls different colors soon.

Mugworts: What was it like for you as a teenager? Did you enjoy your teenage years?  

Miserable, tbh. A lot of shit happened when i was 16 that left me with a lot of trauma and issues that I didn’t really have the maturity or energy to deal with while in highschool on top of being queer and dealing with that. So it was a lot of fighting with parents, self loathing, and struggling in school. It had its beautiful wonderful moments that I love with all my heart, but for the most part it was just kinda rough. 

Norwegian Angelica: Tell us about your mom.

Georgia born and raised. She tries her best and is a wonderful mother, but we clashed a lot growing up bc she’s fairly neurotic and likes everything to be precise and orderly and perfect and im... ADHD so sometimes close enough is all you’re going to get. Growing up, i couldn’t communicate what was going on with me or happening in my head very well at all, and it caused a lot of tension. 

Onions: Tell about your dad.  

Hes from Bogota colombia and im almost a carbon copy of him. That means our issues with ADHD have a happen of blowing up at eachother. He’s horrible and constructive communication, but overall is sweet and funny and very very clever. My relationships with both of them are p okay nowadays with a few spats here and there that I will deal with when I don’t live with them anymore. 

Orchid: Tell about your grandparents.

I never met my paternal grandparents. My maternal grandfather died when I was 6 and i hardly remember him.

My maternal step grandfather was.... not a good man but he was interesting and incredibly smart and fairly liberal. So there was that at least. But, to be honest, I hated the guy.

My maternal grandmother was one of my favorite humans in the world. She spent her whole life a highschool science teacher. She was funny, witty, elegant, a fairly talented cook who always encouraged me in everything I tried. Im still dealing with some emotional stuff regarding her passing, but Im just always so glad i got to spend as much time with her as I did. 

Pansy: What was your most memorable birthday? What made it be so memorable?

haha shit. Maybe my 21? A bunch of friends and i went and hung out at a park then got hammered at my house after. 

Peony: What was your first job?

Working at the summer camp i went to as a kid. Debating going back if I ever can. 

Petunia: If you’re in a relationship, how did you meet your partner(s)? If you’re not in a relationship, how did you meet your crush/how do you hope to meet your future partner(s), if you want any?

I want my future partner to be a friend where things just, grew and blossomed. 

Pincushion: How do you deal with pain?

Emotional? I try to be constructive and communicative about who or what caused it and doing something productive to help deal with it.

Physical, i just ignore it until it goes away. 

Pink: Where is home?

Wherever Im going to sleep that night. 

Plantain Lilies: If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would stop/change?

When my ex broke up with me, I would have cut all ties all together instead of try the whole “we can stay friends” bullshit. I would have just “I don’t hate you, but If we aren’t going to be together, I can’t be friends with you until I’ve had some time to heal.”

Prairie Gentian: Who is someone you look up to? Describe them.

nope

Primrose: Describe your ideal life.

I’ve made my fortune and when I say things people listen, but I can also run away to my beautiful little homestead with my queer friends and wife and all our animals and children living together in a wonder queer commune. I get to travel twice a year and i never have to worry about money. 

Rhodendron: What is something you used to believe in as a child?

hmmmm. No idea.

Ricinus: Who’s the most important in your life?

can’t pick one person.

Rose: What’s your favorite sound?

wind chimes probably.

Rosemallows: What’s your favorite memory?

oh man, too many to choose. I’ve lived a wonderful life so far. 

Sage: What’s your least favorite memory?

Too many to choose. THe night I got dumped, my grandmothers funeral, my friends funeral, some others that I don’t wanna talk about due to triggers. bleah

Snapdragon: At this moment, what do you want?  

I want..... soup dumplings. 

St. John’s Wort: Is it easy or difficult for you to express how you feel about things?

Depends. really intense or personal feelings involving my depression or emotions is almost impossible to talk about. But my feeligns about films and stuff i have 0 issues talking about. 

Sunflower: What is something you don’t want to imagine life without?

Laura

Sweet Pea: How much sleep did you get last night?

idk, like 7 hours?

Tickseed: What’s your main reason to get up every morning?

School

Touch-Me-Not: How do you feel about your current job?

im.... technically self employed/ unemployed. I want a job tho. 

Transvaal Daisy: What’s your favorite item of clothing?

My killstar hoodie. 

Tropical White Morning Glory: Describe your aesthetic.  

Disaster gay.

Tulip: What would be the best present to get you?

A tarot deck

Vervain: What’s stressing you out most right now?

Corona virus. and money. 

Wisteria: How many books have you read in the past few months? What were they called?

The entire Heros Of Olymus series The lightning thief and Sea of monsters The trials of Apollo The last unicorn.

Wolf’s Bane: Where do you want to be in life this time next year?

ideally living with friends and one year away from graduation.

Yarrow: Do you know what vore is?

*sweats* yea

Zinnia: Give a random fact about yourself.

im a witch

[paranormalhousewife]

If you have subscribed to my YouTube channel, you know that my birthday is coming up this week. Jeremy and I decided to celebrate it early because not only would he not be here for my actual birthday (stupid recruiting duty training in St. Louis) but also because he got an extremely rare 72 reward for his hard work last month. For those of y’all not familiar with what that is, a 72 is a three day weekend. He was off Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Since he started recruiting duty, he has only had Sundays off and even then once or twice a month he still has to go in for a few hours on Sunday. Even for Thanksgiving and Christmas, he only got the day of off. So to have three whole days off in a row was really nice.

Before you read too much further I recommend going to see my latest video up on YouTube. It has the adventures we went on for Friday evening and all day on Saturday. If you like cats in kimonos, Medival fighters, metaphysical things you need to go check it out.

On Sunday, Jeremy told me I had another surprise but that we had to go pick up a Marine from the airport in Bloomington first. I was a little grumpy about having to spend one of his days off working. We drove to the airport but instead of picking up a Marine I was surprised to find my mom waiting for us! Jeremy knew I was disappointed about spending my actual birthday alone for the second year in a row. Last year Jeremy had left about a week before my birthday for recruiting school for two and a half months. Since he was going out of town for training on my actual birthday, he conspired with my mom for her to fly out to spend my birthday with me. My husband and mom are awesome!

After we picked her up we took her to our favorite pancake place, The Original Pancake House, for brunch. Jeremy and I love going there. Me because of the yummy food and him because a few of his poolees (high school students interested in joining the Marine Corps) work there. He likes checking up on them to make sure they are doing okay.

I was showing Mom my new camera I use for vlogging and got this picture of her while showing her the selfie mode. 

After brunch, we brought her back to our house. I was excited to show her some of the decluttering that I have been working on. We still have a lot of work we need to do decorating wise but the house is definitely more set up than when she was here from Christmas.

But Mom showing up for my birthday wasn’t my only surprise yesterday. A few weeks ago Jeremy and I had found a Korean BBQ and Hot Pot restaurant in Urbana. It was the closest to yakiniku and shabushabu that we have found since leaving Japan. We hadn’t been yet because it was so expensive. Jeremy had made reservations for the three of us for Hot Pot! I was so excited!

The whole experience was great. The owner helped us figure everything out since hot pots are different than shabushabu. She was really sweet and got us to try new things. I found out that I love Korean peanuts but really don’t like coagulated blood (at least I tried it!). Mom also tried xio long bao (Shanghai soup dumplings) for the first time. Xio long boa is my ultimate favorite food. I will learn how to make them one day.

After dinner, we headed home to watch Game of Thrones. It was better than last weeks episode but I am not emotionally ready next week’s episode. I felt like this episode was just setting us up to say goodbye to so many favorites. Do you have any predictions about who is going to survive the battle?

After Game of Thrones, Jeremy used my new pan to make us taiyaki. Taiyaki is my favorite festival food from Japan. It is a fish-shaped pastry made of pancake batter and stuffed with either custard, pudding, adzuki beans, cheese, or basically anything. Jeremy made homemade pudding for ours and made the pancake batter from the recipe on the back of the taiyaki packaging. It came out so good! I loved them. I am excited to experiment with new flavors in them.

All in all, it was a great way to spend my birthday. I do have somethings planned for Thursday, my real birthday, to do with Mom but I am really happy that three of us were able to celebrate together. I am really blessed to have such amazing people not only in my life but that also love me.

Birthday Adventures And Surprises If you have subscribed to my YouTube channel, you know that my birthday is coming up this week.

[trekwithtaylor]

Country #102 - South Korea

Day 1 – The Myeongdong District

This morning my brother, Edward, and I headed off for our second country of his short trip with me. Instead of dealing with the confusing airport train again we instead took a bus from the Tokyo Central Station. It was much easier and I was able to book online ahead of time! We arrived at the airport in plenty of time for our flight, headed to a lounge where we ate some delicious Japanese cookies for a few hours, bought our dad some crazy Japanese candy for his birthday, and then boarded our flight to South Korea. The flight was fantastic because we were able to see a Japanese highlight out our window: Mount Fuji! We were very lucky, and it was a great way to end our short stay in Japan.

When we landed in Seoul I was immediately like a kid in a candy store. First, we met a robot that I proceeded to play with. We then saw the Olympic mascots everywhere, as the Winter Paralympics were now going on, and I had to take pictures with them as well. We then headed to the train hub where we got our tickets for the local train into Seoul Square Station. From Seoul Station it was a very easy transfer to ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong, our hotel while in Seoul. After a warm welcome we headed to our room with an amazing view out over the Myeongdong district. Thank you so much to ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong for sponsoring my stay in Seoul! The location was absolutely perfect, and we loved the fun yet modern room. And, once again, we had a fun Asian toilet to try and learn how to use.

After settling into our room we then headed out to a meal of Edward’s choosing: Korean BBQ from a restaurant called On the Grill! Neither of us had any real idea what to do so it was quite the entertaining evening. We eventually figured it out and it was quite tasty. After dinner we headed to walk around Myeongdong. Myeongdong is a super busy and unique shopping area in the heart of Seoul. Our first stop was to get some really cool ice cream that was in the shape of a flower. From there we then walked up and down the streets to see all that we could! I bought some fun socks while Edward went for a sweatshirt. We had so much fun walking up and down the streets of Myeongdong – it was such a cool area!

After a busy evening we were so glad to be staying right in the heart of Myeongdong. We wanted to get a good night of sleep before our morning adventure tomorrow to try and get Edward’s Chinese visa. 

Day 2 – The Racoons

We started off the day with a great breakfast at ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong before heading to Seoul Station. We had to visit the Chinese visa processing center to have Edward’s visa expedited as the service we used to get it done before we left the US failed to deliver (it was actually a lot more dramatic than I’m making it sound, but what can you do). Figuring out that the visa center in Seoul existed was a saving grace – without it Edward would have had to fly between Shanghai and Beijing through a third country to reset his visa free periods. But with Chinese visa in hand he could easily ride the bullet train with me as planned. We found the center very user friendly and it was overall a simple process. We left all of his application materials in a process that took about thirty minutes, and we will come back tomorrow to pick up his passport.

With that all taken care of we started off on our full day in Seoul. Our first stop was definitely my choice: the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. It had a mix of modern and traditional Korean art and was such a unique museum in how well it implemented technology. I mean, Samsung is in the name of the museum, so I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Our audio guides would start talking when we walked in front of a new work of art, and there were so many cool pieces throughout the museum! I loved it and Edward tolerated it / pretended to enjoy it for my benefit / I like to think he actually did enjoy it to some extent.

To even the score, though, our next stop was one that I tolerated and Edward thoroughly enjoyed: the War Memorial of Korea. Don’t get me wrong, it was very interesting and I definitely wanted to see it, but Edward is a HUGE World War II buff so I sat and watched while he read every description of every airplane and tank. I found the memorial itself to be very interesting though I wouldn’t have understood in the slightest anything that he was reading.

Our next stop was one that came to us courtesy of Facebook – the Blind Alley Café. While it might sound like a normal café I can assure you that it is not. Blind Alley is situated right in the heart of a university district and is home to many fun animal friends. Namely, the raccoons! While some people may not agree I think that raccoons are adorable and knew as soon as I heard of Blind Alley that we would have to visit. I loved how well taken care of that the raccoons were and I enjoyed seeing the other animals, like the pig and of course the dog, as well. We were both quite surprised when the raccoons were sat on our shoulders and it made for quite the funny photo op! After meeting with the raccoons we had a raccoon shaped shaved ice (of course) and then headed to our next stop, Deoksugung Palace.

Deoksugung Palace used to be home to members of the Korean royal family. We really enjoyed walking around the grounds and also got a glimpse of a traditional procession walking the grounds. It was very cool! We then walked all the way up Sejong-daero (daero means street) to get to Gwanghwamun Gate. Along the way we stopped and took a few pictures, like with Olympic animals (yes, again), the statue of King Sejong, and the U.S. Embassy. Gwanghwamun Gate is the largest gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was the royal palace during the Joseon dynasty and was built all the way back in 1395. There were many people interestingly dressed in traditional Korean clothing, called hanbok, to take pictures inside of the palace.

After the palace we headed right next door to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. There were not many current exhibitions but the ones that were on were quite interesting, including one powerful film on the Korean War. Afterwards we made our way to our last artsy stop of the day, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. It was such a cool building! Inside there were many fun design stores and outside we walked (for too long) to finally find the really cool LED flowers. They were unlike anything that I’ve seen and I was so glad that we found them.

By this point our feet were in a sad state and we started to make our way back towards ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong. Even with our sore feet we were able to enjoy the piano stairs that we happened upon in the metro - they played when you stepped on them! On the way to our hotel stopped in the Myeongdong district once again. I bought one of the adorable Olympic animals (I might have a problem?) at Lotte Department Store before we visited Star Avenue which is basically a walkway celebrating K-Pop. From there we headed to eat some very tasty dumplings for dinner. After dinner we bought some Oreo churros and yes, they were as good as they sound. It was a very long, full, day but it was fantastic from start to finish. We saw so much and I’m looking forward to another day in Seoul tomorrow!

Day 3 – The Palaces

Today we had a few last stops in Seoul before making our way to China. We started the day by heading to the Bukchon Hanok Village. The Bukchon Hanok Village is a preserved traditional village. We then split a tasty grilled cheese in a little spot that we found on our walk before we went to Changdeokgung Palace. Changdeokgung Palace is one of the five Grand Palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty. It was very large and felt even bigger because it connected to the second palace that we visited today, Changgyeonggung Palace. I really enjoyed visiting them both and overall have really enjoyed visiting and learning about all of the palaces in Seoul. They have been unlike anything else that I have seen before and were so interesting!

Our next stop was Jongmyo Shrine, but it was unfortunately closed so we instead made our way back to the hotel to pick up our bags and then headed to the Chinese visa center. Our fingers were crossed, and we were quite anxious to see how Edward’s visa predicament would turn out. Luckily, we got there and were given his passport, visa inside, straight away! It was so easy to do and saved us a huge hassle in China. From the visa center we crossed the street to Seoul Station and reluctantly made our way towards the airport. We did not want to leave Seoul!

Luckily, Seoul wasn’t done impressing us yet. When we arrived at the airport there was a full on K-Pop performance going on, because of course there was, so we watched that for a bit. We then headed to a lounge where we had a full meal. On our way there we passed a nap zone which made me wish that every other airport in the world were that thoughtful. Our last fun Seoul Airport encounter was the string quartet playing in the middle of the terminal. They were even playing the Frozen soundtrack as we boarded our train to out gate! South Korea definitely went out with a bang and I already cannot wait to come back. It was one of my favorite stops so far and I absolutely loved it!

102 countries down, 93 to go.

To learn more about ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong click here.

[ifeelyou-johanna]

Girlfriend tag 1-80

1. Describe how you met each other. I was working for a magazine. A friend of mine asked me to write a preview for this theatre program she was directing and invited me to sit in on a rehearsal. Lo and behold, Hana walks in and I’m completely smitten. Afterward, we grab Korean BBQ and find out we actually matched on Tinder a couple of months earlier and just never messaged each other2. What did you first notice about each other? I don’t exactly know her answer, but I first noticed her presence (aura, if you want to use that word). She commanded the room through her contagious laugh and smile, her bouncing energy, her attention to the person with whom she was speaking to. Also her style was cute as fuck. ALSO she was the most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing person I’ve ever laid my eyes on3. Who first asked the other out? Hana sort of did through Tinder when she was standing right next to me haha but then I was like “no seriously, want to get dinner some time?”4. Where was your first date? At a restaurant near the theatre called Lunch & Supper. We then grabbed ice pops from my former work place and then I saw her performance. After that, we got tacos with her cast5. Who was first to verbally say “I love you”? I was6. How did your first kiss happen? Who initiated it? We were at an art museum, and since she knows ASL, I learned how to say “Can I kiss you” in ASL. Apparently, I learned it incorrectly, so she was confused at first, but then I did it again and she put the pieces together7. When is your anniversary? June 19, 20178. How long have you been together? 3 months9. What made you realize you were in love with her? I could write volumes about that. But for now, I’ll keep it short and sweet: Hana is the epitome of what a girlfriend, a partner, a friend, should be. She is supportive, caring, attentive, loving, affectionate, hilarious, tender, adventurous, and forgiving. She is everything I need in a girlfriend and so much more10. Where you friends before you became lovers? Not really actually haha we kind of just went in head first11. Were either of you out before getting with your girlfriend? Yes, both of us were12. Have either of you dated a girl before getting with your girlfriend or is she your first? I was the only one who had actually dated other women before we started dating. So technically I’m her first official girlfriend13. When is your girlfriend’s birthday? Who is older? March 1. I’m older by almost a year and a half14. Do you live together? No, we’re not at that point yet haha also we go to different colleges so that makes it tricky15. Have you met your girlfriend’s parents? If so, what was that like? I have! I spend so much time at her house that her parents are used to me being there. Meeting them was nerve-wracking for me. I really wanted to show them that I wasn’t just a temporary thing, and that I care very deeply for their daughter16. How many people are in your girlfriend’s family? She’s an only child, but her extended family isn’t too terribly large17. Whose family do you hang out with more? I think I went to her house more frequently this summer?...she’s met both of my siblings AND my parents, which is more than any partner I’ve had in the past18. What is a typical date night like for you and your girlfriend? The best part is that it is never the same. We don’t really have a “typical date night.” It can be anything from a night drive to getting Taco Bell at 1am to dressing up and going to dinner to going to a drag bar. However, we always end the night in bed together19. How do you usually spend your time together? We love adventures. Every day is a new and exciting adventure. We’re exploring, we’re discovering, we’re driving or walking or swimming. However, we also love to nap together. Often times she’ll nap and I’ll be laying next to her and just be while she sleeps. But I love that20. Have you ever been mistaken for sisters? No, since we have very different features (I have curly strawberry blonde hair, she has straight brown hair), but we’ve been mistaken for best friends many times21. Have you ever worn your girlfriend’s clothes? I’m currently wearing her shorts. I have quite a few of her clothes, and she does too22. Have you ever experienced any discrimination or prejudice because you are a same sex couple? There have been a couple of occasions where people have made comments, fetishizing our relationship. Additionally, we’ve had requests for threesomes and nudes and have been sent dick picks. But no one has been outrightly like “oh look at those two LESBIANS”23. Does anyone you know disapprove of your relationship? Not that I’m aware of24. How much PDA do you do? I would say a decent amount. If it’s not too hot and we feel good, we’re at least holding hands. But for the most part, we like physical contact and PDA25. Do you have any pet names for each other? A few. My love, my girl, my peach, sweetheart, babe26. Does your girlfriend have any pets? She has two dogs27. Who is more likely to cook a meal? I would only say me ?28. What is your girlfriend’s favorite food? Least favorite food? Apples. She loves apples. In terms of least favorite, I know she doesn’t like raw onions or tomatoes29. Who is more likely to cry for no reason? Ha probably me30. Have you ever been on your periods together? Oh yeah. We synced pretty quickly31. Can your girlfriend play any musical instruments? She used to play piano32. Who is your girlfriend’s favorite musical artist? I don’t think she has like a top favorite (edit: upon asking her, she actually doesn’t have one, so I’m right)

33. What is your girlfriend’s current favorite song? I’m not entirely sure about her top favorite, but I can name several that she loves!34. Do you have a couple song? Peach by The Front Bottoms, along with many more. But definitely Peach35. Do you have a couple name? No one has given us one yet!36. Who is more likely to forget where they put things? Honestly both of us are very prone to doing that hahaha37. Which side of the bed do you each sleep on? I usually sleep on the left side of the bed, so she’ll be on the right38. Does your girlfriend have a job? She used to work as a swim instructor, lifeguard, and kid zone/day care person39. What do you argue/fight about the most? I don’t know if there’s really something we always argue/fight about...probably something petty40. How do you usually get over a argument/fight? We talk it through. Feelings are addressed and then we try and work on a plan from that point on. We always end with I love yous and asking if we’re good41. Who is more likely to refuse sex? I’d say it’s pretty even, but we both really like having sex with each other, so it’s not really an issue haha42. What nationality is your girlfriend? American43. Does your girlfriend play any sports? Not as of right now44. Does your girlfriend root for any sports teams? I think New York since she has family from there ?45. Does your girlfriend have any quirky habits? I mean, don’t we all? I love all of her habits. It’s in the way she laughs or drives or sleeps46. What is one thing your girlfriend does that you don’t like? She picks at her zits and scars and such even though I tell her not to. It causes scarring!!47. Who is more likely to remember an important day (i.e. birthday, anniversary, etc.)? She has a good memory of like random things that I won’t really remember, but I think I might remember other types of things ? Idk48. What is your girlfriend’s eye color? Bluish green49. What is your girlfriend’s shoe size? She’s an 8 I think?50. What is your girlfriend’s dress size? Small, that’s all I know haha51. What is your girlfriend’s favorite TV show? I’m not entirely sure. She definitely has favorite YouTube shows/series52. What is your girlfriend’s favorite movie? She likes comedies, but I can’t recall a favorite as of right now53. Who hogs the covers more when sleeping together? We both do it tbh54. What is one item on your girlfriend’s bucket list? I’m not entirely sure. I think travel to certain countries is on there55. Who is your girlfriend’s #1 celebrity crush? FUCK I don’t know off the top of my head damn56. Is your girlfriend more likely to save or spend money? She definitely likes to save it, but she’ll occasionally treat herself or me :)57. Who squashes the bugs? If they’re in the shower, I’ll get them. But she likes them when they’re not in the shower with her58. Who is more likely to forget to turn the lights off? Me59. What is your girlfriend’s favorite color? Black60. What is your girlfriend’s middle name? Danielle61. Who is more likely to randomly burst out into a song? Both of us tbh. Probably her more so62 Who is more likely to randomly start dancing? Her, for sure63 Who usually pays when you go out to eat? Me hahaaaaa but that’s because I’m faster64. Have you ever taken a vacation together? If so, where to? We did! Blue Ridge Mountains and it was SO great65. How tall is your girlfriend? 5′5″ maybe? I know she’s taller than me66. What is your girlfriend’s number labeled as in your cell phone? Her name haha I have a cute picture as her contact name67. Is your girlfriend religious at all? She’s Jewish! Her family is Jewish, and she’s done BBYO in the past. She actually just wished me a happy Rosh Hashanah!68. Who is more likely to spontaneously be romantic? I think it’s equally split tbh69. Whose laugh is cuter? Hers70. Who is the better driver? She’s a pretty good driver, I’m pretty decent. I’m not sure if someone is better than the other tbh71. Who is the better singer? Hahaha she definitely loves singing in the car and in her room, but she likes listening to me72. Who is the better dancer? Her. Without hesitation or thought73. Who is better at math? We both hate math fuck haha74. Whose handwriting is better? Hers without a doubt75. Who is more likely to sign a card or a note from the both of you? I don’t think we’ve had to do it yet, but I definitely think we’d both do it76. Have you ever discussed marriage? Yes!!77. Have you ever discussed having children? We haven’t necessarily discussed the ones we want together, but we’ve talked about what we think about having kids as individuals78. What is one thing about your girlfriend you think most people don’t know? There’s definitely stuff I know that she doesn’t share very often with people, but this really isn’t the platform to share it. There’s a reason why she hasn’t told many people haha but on a less serious note, she has a condition where one of her thumbs is shorter than the other. She’ll gladly show you, but most people don’t know it until she shows them!79. Choose one word to describe your girlfriend. Why that word? Warmth. She is my ray of sunshine. She spreads warmth and light wherever she goes, no matter the mood she’s in. She brightens up my day and makes me feel like I can grow and flourish and blossom, just as the sun does for flowers and trees80. Pass on one piece of relationship advice. Communication. Hana and I have been pretty good at this, but from a personal standpoint, my biggest piece of advice is to communicate. People aren’t mindreaders. So if something is bothering you, say it. Along that same line, don’t keep things from each other. It will just fester and end up hurting more than helping. So that goes along the same line on communication.