Looking back at the past year, I’ve encountered many new changes in my life. However, the one thing that truly impacted me and my high school life was my best friend, Albert Joo AKA “JOO”
Although I’ve known him for a little over a year, he is the one that I can go and talk to about …. anything. He’s one of those friends that will actually listen to you and make you feel better, instead of just fooling around all the time when you talk to them (knowing guys). He may be the opposite gender, but he’s always there for me, even when we (rarely) don’t get along. Honestly, I don’t know how I would have survived last year nor this year without him. He’s helped me through all my struggles and was always there during my good days too. He’s like a brother to me, someone I can always lean on.
But, moreover, I wanted to show you who he is. He is a talented musician and artist. Covers, funny videos, his own songs–you name it, he’s got it all. He plays guitar, piano, drums, and probably even the harmonica.
I know that in the future, he will become an inspiring and famous person, whatever he does. I hope you continue to live your dream and be yourself–a gregarious man who knows how to make any situation not awkward. Get well soon. Thanks for everything and never change, best friend.
My life is a roller coaster. Precisely, it looks something like this:
Sorry, that was my lame attempt to make a joke. But apart from all that (which includes SAT, SAT2’s, AP’s, homework, tests, volleyball, cheer), I make a bit of time for writing (of course) and dancing.
Right now, it’s impossible for me to sum up what dance means to me in one word (another reason why blogging > twitter). Dance is my passion, my love, something I’m strong in, and just…a hobby that makes me happy and smile all the time. The ecstatic feeling when you can get on the stage, the nervous rush you get when before you get on, the hardcore practices, the little details you have to focus on–the whole package comes altogether as my favorite hobby and sport. Dance can bring out an endless range of emotions without saying one single word. It’s my passion, and thus, I want to pursue something out of it. Maybe after college, I can actually go up on stage again and show people to follow their dreams.
So, let me show you a bit about the world of dance:
When I was in 1st grade, I did ballet and tap (forced by my mother). We did about something similar to the videos below:
And then in 2nd grade, I entered the world of gymnastics. Tumbling mostly, stretches, walking and tumbling on bars above the ground, tricks on the bars using your hands, etc. We had to wear leotards, but it was an awesome experience (mostly because I had school friends there). Here’s me:
HAH. No, but I did do back handsprings, something I long to do currently. It’s actually my next goal for cheer, after I master my front handspring once again.
And then in 6th grade, I started my actual jazz/hip-hop dancing in Korea. I learned a mixture of songs, but through the songs, I obtained knowledge about the field of dance. I learned that it’s not just technique and skill, it’s the small things that count. The wink of an eye, a little nudge in the shoulder, the placement of one’s fingers–every little action makes a difference.
Currently, I am perfecting my pirouettes and arabesques. An arabesque looks like this:
At first glance, it may look easy, but it’s about perfecting posture, balance, the toes, the hands, the fingers, and mostly, incorporating it into routines.
Pirouettes are a bit more complicated. To explain it in non-dance terms, it’s simply turning once quickly. But right now, I’m trying to perfect my pirouettes to try a triple pirouette later.
Anyway, hopefully I can master both and soon enough, show you guys a video with me doing them! Hoping that will be soon, but I’m guessing with all the school work in junior year…it’s probably going to come during November or so.
Because honestly, I don’t like twitter. I know it’s just because I’m new to it, and I don’t understand the full uses of it. But isn’t it just …limited?
Look here. I wanted to write about what I’m doing currently and my feelings about it BUT…twitter does not allow me to write more than 140 words. WHY, I ask?
Blogging on the other hand, is limitless. You can add pictures, write as much as you want, interact with people about topics that interest one another, and showcase who you are. Twitter may be a fun, little, short message type of thing that you do with friends, but it’s hard getting to know someone when you have a limit of 140 words. I mean, REALLY, what’s the difference between twitter and facebook status updates? Is there much meaning to both of them? Can you have an ongoing conversation in both of them? Can you get to know more people like you?
THEREFORE, BLOGS=WIN.
UNLESS, someone would like to explain to me how to use twitter and what’s so good about it. Everything twitter can do, blogging can do better.
Please, go to my twitter and check it out. And then tell me, do my blog posts or my twitter updates give a better understand of who I am?
Anyway, I’m hoping to update my blogs a bit more–find at least a teensy bit of leisure time apart from school work, SAT’s, AP’s, and sports. It may be junior year, but I can’t escape from my love of writing, can I?
I made a whole blog post about how tiring my life is currently, but after reading it again, it wasn’t the most jubilant blog to read on the planet. So I was thinking back on what my life has been like OUTSIDE of school work, and there hasn’t much besides volleyball and cheer.
Last night, however, I met a friend since we have a national holiday in Korea called “Chusok.” We ate dinner and went to a cafe, talking about our crazy pasts with our ex-boyfriends/girlfriends. And then I began to wonder, what’s the difference between a best friend (that’s a guy) and a boyfriend? I mean really, you talk the same amount, hang out just as much, and are comfortable around each other.
The only difference I would say is being more physical openly and getting that little spark of excitement–in highschool at least. The fact is, in junior year, having a boyfriend is hard. You constantly have to worry about him, talk to him 24/7, meet him every weekend, and ensure that everything is okay all the time. You are always affected by this person greatly, knowing that he is titled the name “BOYFRIEND.” Whenever he’s hyper and happy, you change your mood based on that. Vice versa, when he’s depressed and looks sad, you HAVE to ask him what’s wrong and cheer him up. And when the guy is too lazy to answer, you become all grumpy too. And thus, I decided to take a break from this whole having a boyfriend thing, at least in junior year. I want to have fun, and it’s not even because of all the stress from grades–I’m tired of this whole process. It hinders my emotions way too much. It’s always going to be the same thing every time: like each other, go out, and then later because one person CHANGED, a break up occurs. It’s this whole process in high school that feels like repetition at times.
And this whole title “boyfriend/girlfriend” comes with expectations. Even with just a thing with someone doesn’t come with expectations — meeting, doing things all the time together, and just taking actions that do not deviate from the norm. It’s scary how much labels can mean, and how they affect you and your personality and actions.
Yes, I’ve recently been through this whole process again, but luckily this time, this guy was REALLY my best friend. My best friend turned boyfriend, now my bestie again. We’re slowly becoming our old crazy selves again, and it’s fun just hanging out and being our usual selves. Looking back, I don’t regret it. We had good moments and once a downhill, but for me, it’s all stored as good memories. Not that much drama, we just ended things on a clean slate and now he’s all mean to me again.
For now, I just want to get to know more people. It’s fun hanging out with everyone and not having to fret about anything. So for now, a boyfriend, for me, will be a friend that’s a guy. One who I can talk to about my problems, issues, and anything on my mind. One who I can be comfortable with. One who’s just my …best friend.
As most of you know, I am Korean. SOUTH KOREAN, to clarify. BUT I lived in the states for the majority of my life-span and thus, I was exposed to both cultures. SO I decided to make a Korean stereotype list.
You know you’re Korean when..
1. You take pictures of everything. including your food, hands, and anything you can possibily imagine.
2. You are good at math. You like math. Math is fun and exciting.
3. You are obsessed with competitions. and winning them.
4. You are more obsessed with getting into college. AKA Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. Stanford, MIT, and UPENN aren’t bad either. Any other college “sucks.”
5. You love comic books.
6. You eat a lot but don’t get fat.
7. Kimchi and rice are necessities for every meal–breakfast, lunch, and dinner. and sometimes snacks too.
8. You plan everything. Your day, your week, your yearly goals, and your whole future. or at least your parents do.
9. You live in an apartment.
10. You cannot sleep with the fan on because of FAN DEATH.
11. Apparently, all Korean presidents are not great ones.
12. Apparently, American beef=death. Mad-cow disease…?
13. You ride the subway/bus everywhere.
14. Shorts that come up above your knees are a NO NO.
15. You go to saunas once in a while (AKA a place where everyone showers).
16. Becoming a lawyer or doctor are the only acceptable jobs.
17. You have a “LETS GO REDS!” t-shirt from the Korean world cup years back.
18. You sometimes lie to your friends that you didn’t study…but then you end up with a 100%.
19. Only marry Koreans.
20. Being pale is pretty.
21. Having double eyelids is pretty.
22. You are good at piano.
23. You never sleep in order to finish homework.
24. Ranking is important. You need more than all A’s.
25. You are short.
26. Gaining one kilogram=I gained so much weight.
27. You like to eat ddukbogi (spicy rice cakes) and odeng (fish palet…?)
28. Tofu is good with sauce.
29. Your parents play golf.
30. Your dad often comes home drunk.
31. People stare at you if you speak another language.
32. You wear couple t shirts with your boyfriend.
33. You go to hagwon (academy) right after school.
34. You love wondergirls, girls generation, 2NE1, bigbang, super junior, DBSK, 4 minute, cara, etc.
35. You watch replays of the same old Korean dramas (Flower over boys, Winter story, Full House, etc.) They never seem to get old.
36. You are good with computers.
37. You need your cellphone 24/7. Literally.
38. You liked to catch cascadas when you were younger.
39. You like to go to the PC bang (a place where they have computers). You play starcraft, warcraft, sudden attack, crazy arcade, or some sort.
40. Kareoke rooms bring you great pleasure.
Those are 40 I just thought of right now, even though it’s 1:20 AM. I guess I was bored writing my essay and decided to write this. Sadly many of them don’t apply to me. Oh yeah one more.
41. You LOVE cup noodles, Ramyun.
which I want right now. Maybe I’ll cook some.
ANYWAY, I may be adding to this list later, so check for updates! I shall not procrastinate my time and actually FINISH my summer homework (4 essays & AP pyschology test). and THEN I shall write another, more thoughtful blog post.
TATA FOR NOW
P.S. In no way is this post supposed to be harmful, racist, or offending of any kind. Just some fun facts I observed.
I am an odd person. I do things that most “normal” people don’t do on a daily basis.
I act crazy around my friends–making weird faces and noises that others can’t make. At home, I’m the quiet one, sitting at home in front of the computer. I love the smell of chlorine and I love the water, but I hate swimming in it. I’ll do carthwheels anywhere, anytime. I’m a laid back, chill kind of girl BUT can be a bit sensitive to harsh comments at times. I’ll dance in my seat. I love fruit but hate veggies. I want to order soft icecream and only put watermelon and mandarin oranges on it. I think people care way too much about college instead of actually pursuing their dreams and what they want to do to be happy. I’ve been obsessed with mint chocolate chip icecream since kindergarten–I’m the only person in my family that actually likes the flavor. Yes, I’m a “weirdo.” BUT hey, that’s me. I deviate from the norm. I’m different from the usual teenager, but I mean, WHO CARES?
Credits to Billy Park who sent me this video just now. I LOVE IT. I want my wedding to be like this. A wedding that’s actually chill, fun, and a memory of a lifetime. Everyone looks so happy, especially because everyone is participating in the whole jubilant atmosphere. It’s AWESOME. I mean, that’s what marriage is all about, isn’t it? The whole “finding your true love and staying for him/her for the rest of your life because you are HAPPY.” But ANYWAY, here’s the video. I suggest you watch the whole thing.
I love watching people do weird things–actions that deviate from the norm. AND I love them too. As long as it’s fun and it makes you and your close ones happy, WHY NOT?
They say humans usually fight for power and resources.
And this is true.
BUT do we really need to fight for power? Is it really that important? The only one you should fight against is yourself. Know who you are, what you love/love to do, and what makes you happy. Is “beating” someone in sports bring you into tears of joy? Does going into a better college than your friend matter? No. Maybe they do bring you happiness, but competition amongst others can’t fulfill your life. It’s what YOUR dreams are and what you want to do. If you want to get into a state college and it happens, you might be happier than one that’s going to Harvard. You never know.
So why be mean? Are we really fighting against each other? The only person you’re fighting against is yourself. So make the right choices. Give a helping hand to someone with needs, whether its someone with a disease, giving your seat up for an elder, helping one upload homework, or even just smiling at one. These are the little aspects that can even make a difference in YOUR life.
These days all we think about is ourselves. Community service…for college and it makes us feel good. Studying…for college. Sports…for college. Helping an elder…people stare at you. Everything is for the benefit for us–is there true altruism that is innate? We shall stop thinking about the words “ME” and “I” for once and help others. That’s what true happiness is about, isn’t it?
Don’t satisfy yourself for others or to make it easier to live life in the future. It’s fun taking risks instead of going “the easy way.” You’re not trying to stand out amongst an audience; you’re only competition is you and what you’re capable of.
We, humans, have become spoiled. And I mean MAJOR.
So my new project is to help the ones that need it. Today I told a friend that I’ll help him upload his English paragraphs on a website with my i.d., since he didn’t make one and is going to America soon.
These little things you do for people make the biggest differences. These are the things we should focus on.
While carrying my heavy load of SAT books in one hand and my umbrella in the other, I rapidly rush down the elevator to catch a cab outside. It’s 8 AM on a gloomy summer day in the middle of July. Before I step outside, I notice the pouring rain and the various shapes and sizes of puddles. “Again?” I think to myself. I slowly place my black flip flops on the concrete floor, the few milliseconds feeling like hours. As I notice the time on my cellphone, I decide to quickly avoid all the puddles and ride the first taxi I see. Flip-flop, flip-flop, and suddenly,
SPLASH.
My shoes are soaked in water, and whenever I move my foot, it makes a little squeaky sound. Not AGAIN.
I always thought of summer as a season of joy, happiness, sunshine, and well, the beach. Those creative dot-to-dot coloring sheets as a first grader exemplified all the seasons and their characteristics. However, in Korea, it’s a lot different. Instead of going to the beach, it rains about 3 or 4 days out of the week. Almost all students go to academies (hagwons) and study for extra help on particular subjects OR the SAT’s. I never thought one summer could be so stressful: AP study on my own, SAT 2 bio alone, SAT reading, SAT writing & math alone, AND summer reading. SO, my mom and I decided that I need a break from all this. I’m quitting my academy next week to focus on just relaxing and reading for once.
As for the rain, well, I can’t do anything about that. As I turn on my IPOD in the cab, I click the button “shuffle.” AND guess what comes out? Songs such as Hometown Glory by Adele, On Your Own by Green River Ordinance, and My Love by Westlife–songs that simply bring the whole mood down. As I’m trying to concentrate on my SAT teacher’s words, the distracting noise the rain makes won’t disappear. That’s when I get into a grumpy mood and just feel lifeless, like the rain has sucked the energy out of me. As I come back home into my room, where the lights are all on and the cool breeze of the air conditioner touches my cheek, I become my usual self again, all extroverted and ecstatic to take on my daily tasks. That’s when I realize how the weather can make everything just seem worse, even if they’re the same things one does everyday. I mean, think about it. The song My Love, by Westlife isn’t supposed to be a depressing song. Plus, I could have just clicked the next button instead of feeling all dreary inside.
We have to face it–the weather does, in fact, affect our mood. Let’s just hope that the weather does clear up soon to make me all jubilant again…especially when I’m at the beach next week.
1:00 P.M: met my friend Kristie to eat lunch, but ended talking about the word “COOL.”
Now, how do we actually define this word? According to dictionary.com, it means “fashionably attractive or impressive.” That’s weird, because then I would be classified as cool (haha joking). But as a teenager myself, this word only applies to one if one either drinks, smokes, or stays out at night dancing (…and other illegal stuff that I don’t know about). Many people believe that this stuff only happens in the states where drugs can be bought just around the corner. However, Korea is NO different. Drugs may be illegal, but smoking and drinking are JUST as illegal too. I’ve seen these people, many of which happen to be my friends, fall into this trap of going out in order to be “cool.”
Honestly, I don’t understand. It may be more FUN, but otherwise, there’s so many more consequences that arise. I don’t understand how people fall into this world of drinking to look cool. How are people going to actually make true friends, if their friends were made by drinking? It’s starting to annoy me: people giving up what they actually like to do for their reputation. Yeah, high school may be a place to look cool and have fun before stepping out to the REAL WORLD, but it’s also a place to LEARN…studying (BLEH ), social skills, friends and family, and mostly about oneself.
High school IS a roller coaster, BUT the thing is, it isn’t getting any easier.
Sorry I haven’t been writing. I’ve been EXHAUSTED and STRESSED these days. I should be doing my homework due tomorrow too, but I need a break. I’ve been going to hagwon everyday for SAT reading and pre-calc. The SAT reading teacher makes us memorize 150 words a day. It was actually 200 to 150 until I complained again and went down to 100. This lasted for about 2 days, and then I argued in my favor saying that the words just float out of my brain in about 5 seconds. SOOOO just for me, I only have to memorize 50 words a day, but I get a test on Saturdays testing all the words of the week, so I don’t forget them later. So much more efficient.
Anyway, I’ve still been hanging around with my friends at times too, so break isn’t so torturing. And I’m meeting my friend from America, JAE WON, that I haven’t met in like 5 years? SO EXCITED.
I also forgot to mention in my last blog: don’t forget to check out my best friend and husband’s (haha it’s a joke) youtube account. www.youtube.com/mylastnameisjoo <— click has some mad performing skills
ANYWAY, I’ll write another real blog post soon–when I’m not so overwhelmed or lax.
Hoping that will be soon, but I’m guessing with all the school work in junior year…it’s probably going to come during November or so.
), social skills, friends and family, and mostly about oneself.
