et alii

scent americana v.2

2010-08-19T18:13:00.000-04:00

I came back to the States couple days ago, and I once again realized how much I relish aroma of USA. I wrote a poem under a title scent americana last summer. I thought it was the best poem I have ever written, but its unpolished and awkward phrases remind me how I was absorbed in transient high over clean air and brilliant sunlight. I'm a little embarrassed to present version one here, so I'm just going to create version two right now.

scent americana v.2
soapy, fresh, new, just peeled off apple
crumbs of fresh soap bar crushes on my hand
northeast
northwest
loaded green trucks move when slumber rules
yet first impression is too profound to be erased
with sights of murky liquids left from a day's calling

häagen-daz vs. baskin-robbins

2010-08-04T05:36:00.000-04:00

I got my wisdom tooth extracted yesterday, so I got to invest a small amount of money on my favorite food. Ice cream is my love... I had green tea and strawberry cheesecake at Häagen-Daz, then went to Baskin-Robbins for mint chocolate chip. I guess I'm too spoiled from eating too much Häagen-Daz because I don't think I can take in anything other than the latter anymore. Its richness melts in my mouth creating sensational tints in all part of my tongue. Baskin-Robbin's mint chocolate chip doesn't taste the same anymore or it may be just that I became too used to Häagen-Daz.

hunting for new scent

2010-07-24T00:22:00.000-04:00

I feel that I could recreate a scent that I created while daydreaming. I wish I was a chem-genius with a personal lab... I think I've been always hunting for new scents from people and places. Their cultures and tastes are infused in the scent they wear or in the scent they decorate their homes. The process of extracting scent from raw materials can be complicated. There are three major methods: distillation, extraction, and expression. Distillation is the most conventional and economical method of taking out the smell, where you could use distillation machine to proceed with water, steam, or dry distillation. I'm not sure if hobbyist could acquire this kind of professional equipment, but I'm going to try to buy it if I have money. Extraction and expression involve much more complex procedures...

seoul 지리산

2010-07-09T10:51:00.000-04:00

I came back to Seoul with the group! We are staying at Insadong, which is an artsy/traditional area of Seoul... it is like a fantasy world for people who love art and who love art of eating. After a tasteful evening at JiRiSan (traditional Korean food restaurant), I used up all of my energy from all of delightful dishes at kareoke. I highly suggest you to go to JiRiSan if you are ever in Seoul! Check out this link to see the pics: http://blog.naver.com/m1643?Redirect=Log&logNo=140105461134. I already knew that this restaurant was going to be amazing because of the exquisite exterior that instantly drawed me close. One individual course includes 14 healthful side dishes, dwaenjangjigae, and biji (grained pea). It is about $15, and it's so so so worth it.

temple stay

2010-07-08T05:47:00.000-04:00

I'm traveling all over Korea to experience Buddhist culture and traditional food. Vegetarians would be so happy in Korea! As an omnivore, I felt that I didn't have to live with meats for couple of days. Bap (rice) and kimchi (fermented letteuce soaked with pepper paste) are the most well known staple. At a temple named Tongdosa in southern Korea, my favorite time was getting on the line with sunims (monks) to get food... Anyways, I also suffered because I had to go through somethign called Baru Gongyang. Baru Gongyang is a ceremony where we cannot leave anything on our bowls. Starting from unwrapping the neatly stacked bowls, we take out the smallest bowl to the biggest bowl by using our thumbs to not to make any sound. After placing four bowls on right places, we go up and get amount of food that we would like. There is a bowl just for rice, water, side dish 1, and side dish 2. For side dish 2, we have to leave a piece of radish so that we could wipe off the bowls after cleaning our bowls with hot water (we had to drink this). I was disgusted since I dont' eat tiny yellow radish pieces... drinking the remains of kimchi, radish, rice, and other side dishes made me want to puke. It was a good experience though because it made me realize how much I used to throw out foods just because I was greedy about getting a lot.

tiny little samples

2010-06-29T07:26:00.000-04:00

Tiny little food samples are the best! These are what makes Japan an awesome country. Triangle-shaped traditional Kyoto mochi, green tea flavored chocolate, puff bread, and little crisp plumb tip pudding are sort of the food that I can list on the top of my head. Perhaps, the latter may have just come out of a woof because my head is still spinning from everything that I have tried while I was traveling. My love for food is just right below my love for my family/friends and "le dieu." They make me whole as I take pleasure in them. Each taste and each scent is diligently documented on parts of my tongue... while my eyes record these beauties in color. How sad it would be if I were to see only in black and white?

good words

2010-06-16T06:37:00.000-04:00

From Will Write for Food:

How well can you describe food?

Taste & Smell
acrid, bland, buttery, bright, briny, cooling, frosty, herbal, mellow, nutty, peppery, perfumed, piquant, robust

Texture
brittle, foamy, slippery, dewy, gelatinous, velvety, crispy, crisp, silky, watery

Appearance
blanketed, caramelized, crumbled, crusty, crowned, lackluster, leafy, limp, melted, mottled, murky, plump, sheared, shiny, smeared, spice-dusted, sprinkled, stuffed, syrupy, tired, trembling, wet, wimpy

Sound
Bubbling, crackling, tizzy, popping, sizzling, sputtering

Etc
alluring, comforting, complemented, dredged, depth, dispirited, impeccable, liberal, satisfying

cream sauce spaghetti

2010-06-13T03:21:00.000-04:00

Pomodoro is the spaghetti place in Seoul. Line to get into this restaurant is usually really long, but we got in within 15 minutes. Good times good food!

Continental Airlines

2010-06-13T02:49:00.000-04:00

Continental Airlines Newark to Tokyo:

Menu says...

Appetizer Salad

Mixed greens with tomato, cucumber and baby shrimp

Offered with honey Dijon dill vinaigrette dressing

Dinner roll with butter

Main Courses

Beef Yakiniku

Stir-fried beef with steamed rice, broccoli, red bell pepper and sesame seeds

Dessert

Double chocolate crunch brownie

Mid-Flight Refreshment

Häagen-Daz ice cream with frozen enchilada

Pre-Arrival Snack

Fruit appetizer

Roll with butter and strawberry jam

Eggs scrambled with herbs presented with turkey sausage and potato gratin

Almond cookie

... may seem alluring but it was pretty BAD. I transferred to Asiana to go to Seoul, and their fruit appetizer is so MUCH better than Continental's.

Chloé by Chloé

2010-06-09T11:51:00.000-04:00

Chloé by Chloé is my favorite scent ever since I discovered it. I liked how rare the scent was because I haven't smelled anything like that before. I recently started to sense this fresh laundry-like flowery yet sweet smell everywhere. A neighbor on my floor, an anonymous person on the streets of New York City, and a dog whose owner might be a perfumer are all rocking this scent. I guess I wanted to protect this scent from becoming too popular although I stole its rarity from somebody else. Same thing happened to my Bathing Ape sneakers. I found a wonderful pair of yellow and green faux snake-skinned low riser couple years ago in high school. Then, Pharrell got popular and every skater boys in my town were wearing the Bapes! If I were to work on another major, I would be a chemistry major because I love to play around with liquids and scents.

first American recipe for ice cream

2010-06-05T11:20:00.000-04:00

I was flipping through American Food Writing by Molly O'Neill, and I was quite surprised by Thomas Jefferson's ice cream recipe. The Thomas Jefferson! He was actually the first American to write a recipe for ice cream. I will transfer the wealth of knowledge into this entry.

Ice Cream
* 2 bottles of good cream * 6 yolks of eggs * 1/2 lb sugar

mix the yolks and sugar.
put the cream on a fire in a casserole, first putting in a stick of Vanilla.
when near boiling take it off and pour it gently into the mixture of eggs and sugar.
stir it well.
put it on the fire again stirring it thoroughly with a spoon to prevent it's sticking to the casserole.
when near boiling take it off and strain it through a towel.
put it in the Sabottiere. (modern day canister crank, aka ice cream maker)
then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served. put into the ice a handful of salt.
put salt on the coverlid of the Sabottiere and cover the whole with ice.
leave it still half a quarter of an hour.
then turn the Sabottiere in the ice 10 minutes.
open it to loosen with a spatula the ice from the inner sides of the Sabottiere.
shut it and replace it in the ice.
open it from time to time to detach the ice from the sides.
when well taken (prise) stir it well with the Spatula.
put it in moulds, justling (to push, to force by running against, to jostle) it well down on the knee.
then put the mould into the same bucket of ice.
leave it there to the moment of serving it.
to withdraw it, immerse the mould in warm water, turning it well
till it will come out and turn it into a plate.

hot cake, nutella, and banana

2010-06-04T10:03:00.000-04:00

Hot cake is the Korean/Japanese equivalent of American pancake and French crêpe. You can buy any kind of hot cake mix from Japanese grocery stores or Korean H-marts. I went to a Chinatown in Boston two months ago because my friend was craving for this Japanese treat (Chinatown means that you could get anything Asian), but I don't think I remember seeing any hot cake mixes. My mom loves to invent fusion breakfast foods, and she made a steam cake out of hot cake mixes with raisins, walnuts, and sweet pumpkin pieces this morning. If you have a rice cooker, you could pour in hot cake mix in a container and cook as if you would cook rice. Pour in anything you would like... I am not sure about nutella and banana, but they are great to savor with steam cake.

naeng myun

2010-05-30T18:07:00.000-04:00

I haven't been to my favorite restaurant, but my mom made us naeng myun this afternoon. Parts of dark crumpled noodles floated in big white bowl while thinly sliced radish pieces drowned as I tried to pull them away to the side. Naeng myun was slippery and chewy; it was perfect for today.

remember

2010-05-28T22:07:00.000-04:00

You know when it is the time for you to visit your favorite restaurant. Dreams of each crunchy, briny, and nutty bites invade your space and time for a while until you cannot consider those thoughts anymore. I feel that way right now. I see long white noodle dripping high from my chopsticks back into soup as I try to blow the heat off. I will be at that specific restaurant by tomorrow night. I hope...

new beginning

2010-05-12T21:02:00.000-04:00

Hi all. I am happy to announce that I finally found somethings that I want to write about. My blog has been without a focus— url says whatireallylikenow. Fortunately, this url basically goes with everything. From now on, I will focus on personal gastronomy and "olfactonamy." The latter may be new or maybe it has been used before. I do not know exactly. However, I am designating this term as art of scent and enjoyment of pleasures of scent.

Thanks,

JHK

water and grass

2010-05-03T19:45:00.000-04:00

beginning of all...

wayne thiebaud

2010-04-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

I love Wayne Thiebaud's paintings. The colorful cakes and enchanting sweets... run around in my head.

abstractionist?

2010-03-26T14:36:00.001-04:00

Despite all of those artificial additives, I love munching on Trix puffs. I am working on an abstract painting inspired from these little puffs, and I will put them up as soon as I am done. Happy crunchin'!

amniotic environment

2010-02-25T16:59:00.000-05:00

This is a sculpture that I made for my art class last semester. I was always fascinated with transparent materials and I conceived an idea of melting soap blocks to mold into different shapes. "Soap Babies" is a manifestation of the failure vs. success rate in the amniotic environment. Of 100 fertilized eggs, 31 fail to implant and 69 implant in the uterus. Of the 69 implants, there are 14 miscarriages, 0.7 stillborns, and 55 newborns. Of the 55 newborns, 1 has a major congenital defect, 6 have minor congenital defect, leaving with 48 healthy babies. In this project, I wanted to explore the world from the point of fetuses who have reached the age to come out in their mothers' wombs.

olfactory

2010-01-14T09:22:00.000-05:00

The ability to smell is truly fascinating... through the specialized sensory cells of the nasal cavity of vertebrates to the sensory cells of the antennae of invertebrates, they detect volatile chemicals and fluid-phase chemicals (?). Well, that's what Wikipedia says about the sense of smell. However, scents and odors play much profound roles in our lives. Scent is one of the gifts that we acquired as humans, and it creates this astonishing sensation in one's most precious organ- nose.

gutter

2010-01-10T11:04:00.001-05:00

This seems to have multifaceted meanings of a beginning of the

new year...

happy new years

2010-01-01T14:11:00.001-05:00

Roar because it's 2010!

last of 2009

2009-12-31T22:24:00.001-05:00

korean contemporary art

2009-11-07T22:38:00.006-05:00

Oh In-hwan's "Where a Man Meets a Man in Santiago"

Gwon Osang

Do-Ho Suh

reduce, reuse, recycle

2009-11-07T22:35:00.001-05:00

toy asteriod

2009-11-07T22:33:00.001-05:00

just for fun...

2009-09-26T21:44:00.009-04:00

click to see it!

clay motion

2009-09-04T10:44:00.002-04:00

I think this is pretty cool. My bro made it.

mad skillz

2009-09-03T23:37:00.002-04:00

4th grade haunted island

2009-08-22T09:21:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking about this for past 4 days... I loved playing this educational game with my brother. I cannot find it anymore, but I don't want to pay $99 at Amazon for this either.

fish

2009-08-08T13:53:00.002-04:00

A boy in my class drew me a fish yesterday. Teaching is hard, but it feels awesome!

apple shape

2009-07-29T20:21:00.003-04:00

I think my body looks like an apple than a pear. I don't want to look like an apple or a pear! Coke bottle would be perfect actually...

plastic apple project

2009-07-05T12:20:00.010-04:00

I worked on this project called "Plastic Apples" with a graffiti artist friend in May. I had plastic apples and water bottles, and voila! I was originally going to make a huge apple sculpture with little plastic apples, but I didn't have enough of them so we just made eco-friendly center pieces for visual pleasure. Some lucky pedestrians might have recognized these beauties, but the wind blew them away within hours sadly. Do you believe in the positive existence of plastic water bottles?

what is life?

2009-06-10T13:42:00.002-04:00

la petite jérusalem

2009-06-10T12:56:00.004-04:00

I'm on a French movie roll these days. This film is about a Jewish college student living in the suburb of Paris. She explores her sexuality and her wishes of becoming a philosopher.

le ballon rouge (1956)

2009-06-04T08:36:00.003-04:00

I feel like this film is a must-see movie if you like mystical sort of whimsical journey of ordinary things. The red balloon doesn't look the same to me anymore...

home sweet home

2009-06-01T14:17:00.003-04:00

I took this a few days ago, and it kind of reminds me of a secret door to more secrets...

cap

2009-05-25T16:10:00.002-04:00

This looks pretty funny, but functional! Fannypack/hat neon cap.

shampoo

2009-05-18T20:47:00.004-04:00

I was working on a poster with a classmate this afternoon, and I really liked the scent of her shampoo. I'm not being creepy or anything- I just have a sensitive nose and I tend to distinguish people by their scent. Anyway, the issue is that I smelled that scent everywhere on campus after working on the poster. I wonder what kind of shampoo people use in general. I'm disappointed that people did not participate in the "Jeans Survey" at all. Would you guys respond if I put up a shampoo survey?

today

2009-05-14T15:50:00.001-04:00

So, what happened today? ... many things Make your day special!

1264 – Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the de facto ruler of England.
1483 – Coronation of Charles VIII of France ("Charles l'Affable").
1509 – Battle of Agnadello: In northern Italy, French forces defeat the Venetians.
1607 – Jamestown, Virginia is settled as an English colony.
1608 – The Protestant Union is founded in Auhausen.
1610 – Henri IV of France is assassinated bringing Louis XIII to the throne.
1643 – Four-year-old Louis XIV becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Louis XIII.
1747 – A British fleet under Admiral George Anson defeats the French at first battle of Cape Finisterre.
1796 – Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox vaccination.
1804 – The Lewis and Clark Expedition departs from Camp Dubois and begins its historic journey by traveling up the Missouri River.
1811 – Paraguay gains independence from Spain.
1836 – The Treaties of Velasco were signed in Velasco, Texas.
1861 – The Canellas meteorite, an 859-gram chondrite-type meteorite, strikes the earth near Barcelona, Spain.
1863 – American Civil War: The Battle of Jackson takes place.
1868 – Japanese Boshin War: end of the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle, former Shogunate forces withdraw northward to Aizu by way of Nikkō.
1870 – The first game of rugby in New Zealand is played in Nelson between Nelson College and the Nelson Rugby Football Club.
1879 – The first group of 463 Indian indentured labourers arrives in Fiji aboard the Leonidas.
1889 – The children's charity the NSPCC is launched in London.
1913 – New York Governor William Sulzer approves the charter for the Rockefeller Foundation, which begins operations with a $100 million donation from John D. Rockefeller.
1925 – Virginia Woolf's novel Mrs Dalloway is published.
1927 – Cap Arcona is launched at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg.
1927 – The University of Chicago's local collegiate organization, Phi Sigma, becomes incorporated under Illinois law as Eta Sigma Phi, the National Honorary Classical Fraternity.
1929 – Wilfred Rhodes takes his 4000th first-class wicket during a performance of 9 for 39 at Leyton.
1931 – Ådalen shootings: five people are killed in Ådalen, Sweden, as soldiers open fire on an unarmed trade union demonstration.
1935 – The Philippines ratifies an independence agreement.
1935 – Northamptonshire County Cricket Club wins (over Somerset at Taunton by 48 runs) what proves to be their last victory for 99 matches, a record in the County Championship. Their next Championship win was not until May 29, 1939.
1939 – Lina Medina becomes the world's youngest confirmed mother in medical history at the age of five.
1940 – World War II: Rotterdam is bombed by the German Luftwaffe.
1940 – World War II: The Netherlands surrenders to Germany.
1943 – A Japanese submarine sinks AHS Centaur off the coast of Queensland.
1948 – Israel is declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established. Immediately after the declaration, Israel is attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
1955 – Cold War: Eight communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, sign a mutual defense treaty called the Warsaw Pact.
1961 – American civil rights movement: The Freedom Riders bus is fire-bombed near Anniston, Alabama, and the civil rights protesters are beaten by an angry mob.
1961 – Stirling Moss wins the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix.
1970 – The Red Army Faction is established in Germany.

1973 – Human Space Flight: Skylab, the United States' first space station, is launched.
1978 – First round of the presidential elections in Upper Volta.
1986 – Pride of Baltimore is lost at sea.
1988 – Carrollton bus collision: a drunk driver traveling the wrong way on Interstate 71 near Carrollton, Kentucky, United States hits a converted school bus carrying a church youth group. The crash and ensuing fire kill 27.
1998 – The final episode of Seinfeld airs on NBC.
2004 – The Constitutional Court of South Korea overturns the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun.
2005 – The former USS America, a decommissioned supercarrier of the United States Navy, is deliberately sunk in the Atlantic Oceanafter four weeks of live-fire exercises. She is the largest ship ever to be disposed of as a target in a military exercise.

hiroaki umeda

2009-05-06T19:36:00.004-04:00

Mr. Umeda has it all: his minimalistic approach to light, sound, and choreography merge to form a whole new kind of performance. Click here to see a snippet!

jeff koons

2009-05-04T20:24:00.010-04:00

Who is Jeff Koons? I think he is a cool guy. His art makes my dreams come alive (did anyone see Paprika by Satoshi Kon?). His inflatables may seem like kitsch, but there is a special charm that draws me... Plus, they will be a great reminder of current pop culture.

desert solitaire

2009-04-27T20:28:00.006-04:00

Hot delivery: Meditate on the vastness of the desert through photography. My journey at the desert passed by quickly and slowly at the same time. Everything around me seemed too still, but not eerie. Only the clouds seemed to be moving gently along the edges of the mountains. Comparing to the shapes of the clouds that I grew up watching, the clouds of New Mexico was quite different. I wish I was able to take a picture of a night sky (stargazing was phenomenal). It's too bad that my camera is more of a prosumer equipment- I would have to get special lenses to capture the stars.

new mexico

2009-04-17T22:18:00.004-04:00

I won't be posting for a week, because I will be meditating in New Mexico (no electricity, and etc). I'm really excited, and I'm wondering how will I be without internet, cellphone, and laptop. Like Thoreau of the desert, Edward Abbey, I hope to experience similar things... being in tune with nature and keeping a distance from the society in the vastness of the American desert.

Everybody: please look forward to a more thought provoking entries upon my return!

piet mondrian

2009-04-15T16:11:00.003-04:00

I discovered something cool today... which I really liked. I noticed that one of our school building is decorated in Piet Mondrian theme. The art of primary colors rocks my world! Piet Mondrian is an abstract artist who is well known for his horizontal lines and use of three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. If you go to my school, you probably have been there. Hint: it's one of the Mac labs.

dali's elephant

2009-04-10T12:39:00.004-04:00

So, this is a picture of Dali's elephant taken by a student at some institution in some country. Anyways, I really like it and I thought it described my confused state. I think I lived in my own world of confusion ever since I became a bilingual. I always thought I thought in English, but recently I have discovered that I was actually thinking in Korean. Thinking what you are thinking right now can be a painful process, but sometimes it can give you insights on where you are in terms of how your brain works.

the ainu people

2009-04-08T20:56:00.006-04:00

This entry should be interesting if you are into anthropology. So, I have been pondering about this question for a while: "Why do some Japanese look like westerners?" You would probably wonder too if you have flipped through Japanese magazines or have seen clips of Japanese movies and dramas. The answer is that modern Japanese who have western features such as heavy facial hair, light complexion, straight nose, large eyes (for Asians), height, and etc. are the descendants of the Ainu people (ancestors of Jomon Japanese) in Hokkaido(an island right below Sakhalin, Russia), Japan. Historically, Ainu people were despised for their foreign appearance, because the rest of the Japanese looked like "typical" Asians. However, it is ironic that the Ainu racial influence is evident in the Japanese upper classes, especially the royalties. The origin of Ainu people is still a mystery, but researchers have shown that there is no direct link between the Ainu people and the Caucasians. Here are some images of the Ainu people/Jomon Japanese:

Prince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa

Prince Takehito

Foreign Minister Munemitsu's wife Ryouko

Admiral Heihachiro

Ainu chief and his wife

mischievous boys

2009-04-04T11:26:00.003-04:00

I'm sure that you all have experienced this kind of situation.

(the satisfaction of guilty accomplishment, excitement, or pure fun)

robert doisneau

2009-04-02T18:32:00.003-04:00

Monsieur Doisneau is on my top five favorite photographers list. Please enjoy... real Spring is near!

adidas hoodie

2009-03-24T17:33:00.003-04:00

I really like this hoodie! I have been in this hip-hop mood lately... all of a sudden, I'm having daydreams of rapping with Missy Elliot and Lady Sovereign. I loved Missy Elliot's music as a kid, I still do, but it got stronger lately. I was really upset one night, and following tight lyrics on Youtube helped me to calm down. Although I'm bad at rapping, I'm happy that I found another passion.

trident tropical twist

2009-03-23T23:18:00.004-04:00

This is my favorite gum besides the original Wrigley's spearmint. Orbit has a similar flavor, but it's blah... mediocre. Gum carries lots of memories for me- since I was a kid. I remember trying to blow a huge bubble with my gum, my bubble got really big and it got stuck on my hair. Still, I love blowing bubbles... with caution. Did you know that chewing gum helps you to think better during exams?

3.20.09

2009-03-20T20:08:00.003-04:00

3.20.09

I think today is a significant day, plus I'm really liking the numbers... You can see both March 2009 and March 20th, 2009. According to Wikipedia, March 20th is the usual date of the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, and the autumnal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere when both day and night are of equal length, therefore it is frequently the date of traditional Iranian holiday Nourouz ("New Day") in many countries.

P.S. I would like to dedicate this entry for a dear friend/classmate/French buddy Mademoiselle S. Thanks for giving me ideas!

my list

2009-03-17T18:10:00.003-04:00

Do you guys like making lists? I like making lists of all sorts. A couple days ago, I made a list of the people whom I thought were cool (starting from first grade)- including my crushes and teachers of life. I couldn't remember all the names, so I just wrote down their descriptions and the reason why I felt that way. Maybe I wanted to see how my preferences changed over the years. Or, was just motivated to remember things from the past at that moment.

I think I was at a church retreat or something when I was in 7th grade... and I saw this gorgeous man pushing a stroller with his wife. I felt crushed, and I couldn't take my eyes off him for the longest time...

keith and the bulldog

2009-03-16T16:53:00.006-04:00

To my dearest readers, I'm really sorry that I didn't update it for a week. I was in this mood where I couldn't think of things that I like for a week, you know what I'm talking about... Anyways, please enjoy Keith Haring's "Amazing Babies" on the golden bulldog in Paris! You guys probably have seen the squarish dog below the golden bulldog if you like to roam around in Soho.

friend

2009-03-09T08:55:00.004-04:00

My grandma sent me an e-mail a few days ago. I think she always knows what I need. This time, she sent me a poem about friendship along with beautiful landscape photos, but I felt like putting up a picture of Centre Pompidou.

Friend

There is nothing more beautiful than the name friend

When you are having troubles, I want to be there for you

One who can talk about love to each other, without burden

A friend who can cheer you up,

when you are surrounded by darkness

Although we might not be together all the time,

I want to be a friend who will be there in your heart

If you lack happiness, we will find it together

And, if you are unhappy, we will find a solution together

Rather than temporary happiness and laughter,

happiness that can be in depth is more valuable

pink dolphin

2009-03-07T23:37:00.004-05:00

Pink dolphin appears in Lake Calcacieu, Louisiana! The world's only pink Bottlenose dolphin...a biologist said, "while this animal looks pink, it is an albino which you can notice in the pink eyes." Pink dolphin sighting seemed pretty cool, and I needed some kind of a diversion from life like this to keep myself calm.

fashion house: tuleh

2009-03-05T17:51:00.003-05:00

How do I come up with things that I like everyday? I'm not like "oh, I had these images in my dream last night..." But, I guess I do like many things. I'm glad that the title of this blog is called "What I Really Like Now," which could either mean that I like certain things exactly at that moment or forever. Right now, I'm really digging these illustrations. Tuleh

inspirational words

2009-03-02T23:28:00.007-05:00

My grandma sends me inspirational e-mails from time to time. I'm always impressed by my grandma's e-mail decorating skills- I think she knows more about html than me! This time she put astounding landscape photos of Marc Adamus with inspirational words. I will try my best to translate in English.

Although with dignity, politeness and lifelong learning attitude will bring happiness.

How wonderful would it be if people live with open-mind perspective?

The experienced ones are prudent and shrewd, but those experiences may create solidified minds.

Getting older may seem like losing passion. You may be curious about many things and upset about little things. You may also become more talkative because of aging.

A poet said, "One who experienced the cold knows the warmth of the sun, and one who experienced the misfortunes of life knows the gratefulness of life."

andy goldsworthy

2009-02-28T17:57:00.004-05:00

Andy Goldsworthy is a brilliant naturalist photographer. I admire his experimental approach to photography. Thanks EK!

lookbook

2009-02-27T12:08:00.003-05:00

I was introduced to this cool fashion blog by Miss Reed. This website features the street fashion around. It's a great source of inspiration for what to wear if you don't have any ideas. They also show how to wear certain designer brands according to their philosophies. For example, Miu Miu is all about nonchalance à la mode.

lookbook.nu

pierre et gilles

2009-02-26T22:03:00.005-05:00

Pierre et Gilles are one of my favorite photographartists. They are a couple who strives to create surreal and imaginative photographs usually featuring naked men. This photo defines the beauty of a human body through a mystical approach. I personally like Hermes of all the Greek gods just because I think his winged cap is stylish. Pierre et Gilles' incorporation of historical art and popular culture reinvents the "photo-art" of today.
Pierre et Gilles

banana lovers united

2009-02-25T10:37:00.004-05:00

This *hi* is bananas B-A-N-A-N-A-S... I'm seriously thinking about creating a club called B.L.U. (Banana Lovers United). My African brother came up with this amazing idea, and I just really liked it. I love bananas! Banana is the common name for a fruit and it is the herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. Bananas are likely to have been first domesticated in Papua New Guinea. The most interesting fact is that they come in variety of sizes and colors when ripe.

occasional gray hair

2009-02-24T20:32:00.004-05:00

My favorite favor was asking my brother to pluck out my occasional gray hair strands after school. I think I asked him at least three times a week when I was in high school. So, we had an intensive hair beauty clinic over the month long break. I sometimes see people on campus who has many strands of gray hair, and I feel an impulse to do something. The thing that I'm most concerned is that how am I going to pluck my own gray strands at a college environment. I would creep out people if I ask them for service, but I don't really know if I have any right now. I probably have some because of midterms.

the chronicles of narnia

2009-02-23T12:17:00.003-05:00

I was walking to the dining hall this morning and heard someone saying how our campus looks like a winter wonderland from Narnia. Yes, the paths exactly look like this picture. The roads are very slippery, so be careful everyone! Yaktrax (ice traction device) will be incredibly useful. I should've got one when there was a sale... slipped several times.

blood type

2009-02-22T21:25:00.004-05:00

Hello Class! We are going to learn about popular culture in Asian countries tonight. Blood cells are very interesting in general, but the "hype" concerning the blood types especially in Korea is more interesting. Plus, asking "What's your blood type?" may help you to make a Korean friend. Most of the younger generation in Korea categorizes themselves among blood type A,B,O, and AB personality wise. So, let's begin!
Blood type A: cautious, well-balanced, secure, analytical, persistent, diligent, earns favorable impression through mysterious charm, introvert, sensitive
Blood type B: optimistic, individualist, adventurous, dislikes restriction, flexible, creative, frank, free-spirited, talkative but enjoys silence when thinking
Blood type O: outgoing, active, leader, good memory, very talkative, financial luck, social, strong sense of purpose, treasures dignity, giver
Blood type AB: critical, realistic, sensible, stylish, logical, rational, overreacts, social, helper, not usually overweight, sincere, environmentalist
*Of course this is not proven, but if you want to know more about your blood type, please e-mail! I only listed the general ideas because I had to translate from a Korean website.

oren lavie

2009-02-20T18:06:00.006-05:00

I'm very thankful that Flo introduced me to Oren Lavie's music. Oren Lavie is an amazing musician whose work shows excellent composition and good balance between voice and instruments. Oren Lavie was born in Tel Aviv and spent his youth in Israel. His unique style features mainly of piano, guitar, and string arrangements to enrich his soulful voice. Check out: Her Morning Elegance

anna sui fall 2009

2009-02-19T11:43:00.004-05:00

Anna Sui says that her inspiration for Fall 2009 came from La Belle Époque, which was a "golden age" for the upper classes that began during the late 19th century and lasted until WWI. Anna Sui's La Belle Époque styling is seen through the free Bohemian spirit that highlights on poofed shoulders, lots of laces, ruffles, cameos, boots, and hats. I love Anna Sui's designs because I like stars and purple (purple is the Anna Sui brand color). The color purple is also called Tyrian purple that may have been discovered as early as the time of the Minoan civilization (2700 to 1450 BCE).

sewing machine

2009-02-18T15:50:00.004-05:00

Seriously, I wish I had serious sewing skills. I work at the costume shop, and there is a really cool senior designer who has been designing since she was an 8-year-old creative child. At least I'm practicing to get better by starting from the beginning. I'm also thinking about making my first dress for the gala in the spring. That's just a wishful thinking.

korean electro pop

2009-02-17T17:25:00.005-05:00

I'm in love with Korean electro pop right now. Some people call K-Pop music trash, but they don't know what they are talking about if they didn't hear about Korean electro pop or indie music. The bands that represent new wave of Korean music include Clazziquai, Humming Urban Stereo, Donawhale, and Fanny Fink. I'm taking a music course named Computer, Music, and the Arts and I thought listening to these songs would give me inspirations to create good raw electronic music. I remember wanting to become a DJ when I was in high school, so I was looking for DJ equipments at Sam Ash. I still have that dream, but I'm also thinking about opening a cafe/club in Paris. I'm willing to offer musical and artistic services to my friends and Batesies when I actually get to open electronica musica café artistique. Anyways, I highly recommend you guys to check these bands on Youtube and Myspace!

oakley frogskin

2009-02-16T20:10:00.002-05:00

I used to be obsessed about Oakley x Colette's special edition Frogskin for like three months. I wanted to match my Onitsuka sky blue star sneaker... but I thought this sunglass wasn't worth 200 euros (I went to the Oakley flagship store to get the special edition, but the sunglass was the crap itself- plasticky without workmanship). I might want to keep it as part of my sunglass collection, but I'm afraid that I would break it within a week. I noticed that there was Oakley and Ray-Ban revival in 2008 Spring, and I think it's pretty cool that the trend is still going strong. If I were to get one, I would get the Ray-Ban, Superfuture, Moscot, or Ksubi.

smoke

2009-02-15T13:07:00.003-05:00

The art of smoking depends on the shape of the smoke that one is creating without trying too hard. Just kidding. I don't see how the act of smoking can be a form of an art if it's not for the sake of performing arts. However, the shape of the smoke is a whole different story. Smoke is a collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates emitted when a material undergoes combustion.

joe hisaishi

2009-02-14T12:18:00.005-05:00

Joe Hisaishi is one of my favorite composers. He was the one who wrote scores for Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and more. His exquisite blending of soulful melodramatic but exciting music is truly the wonders of life. His minimalistic narrative approach of writing music make the listener get really into the music featured in the films and the music itself. I recommend our readers to check out Mr. Hisaishi's pieces on Youtube! Howl's Moving Castle main theme

rosette nebula

2009-02-12T17:57:00.004-05:00

Rosette Nebula is a star forming region far far away from us, in the constellation Monoceros. I feel like I would need a rose of some kind, because I am sure that I would not get a real rose. I used to be surrounded by flowers, and I miss it. It's amazing how stars know how to form these with or without intention. Anyways, I wish everyone an early Happy Valentines because I am going to post something different on the real Valentines Day. XOXO~

l'éléphant

2009-02-11T20:36:00.007-05:00

I have a friend whose favorite animal is elephant, and I would like to dedicate this blog entry to the oh so special elephant lover. She might not be a V.P.R. (Very Passionate Reader) like Miss Reed at this moment, but I hope she gets into reading "What I Really Like Now" in the future. I just thought about how cool elephants are just a few minutes ago. Maybe because I fell in love with Rembrandt's elephant sketches this morning in my drawing class. Elephants always make me think of the beginning scene of "Le Petit Prince." Like him, I have goal of traveling around planets to to ponder about my rose. I think I too had a friend like the Little Prince's rose... an imaginary one. But now, I don't really remember.

miu miu

2009-02-11T20:01:00.008-05:00

I really had a good day even though I only slept for 4 hours including an hour nap that I took in the afternoon! Why? I found out that my fellow fashionista is a fervent reader of this blog! Yes, I am talking about you Miss Reed. You made my day, so I dedicate this entry for you. Miu Miu always comes up with innovate designs that create nonchalance à la mode. Only if I can afford them with my own financial ability...

happy therapy

2009-02-09T21:27:00.003-05:00

I just thought of this while studying for midterm exams. I feel miserable- internet connection wasn't working in my dorm so I walked to the library in many layers of heavy clothing. I have chills mixed with stuffy nose, sore throat, stomach uncomfortableness, mental stress, and etc. I wish I had this right now! It's not a drug, just an innovative aromatherapy. I have an "emoish" friend... maybe he will appreciate life if I sprayed some on the air. Readers: I will update on my experience of this fascinating product when I get the chance to purchase it. Life is good! Not all the time though, so let's keep it up!

479º popcorn

2009-02-04T20:37:00.003-05:00

These kernels look really good... lovely photography! I crave gourmet popcorns. Each kernel is so exquisite that it looks like some kind of an artwork.

slip+slide=cut

2009-02-04T19:53:00.002-05:00

Today was very significant. Not just because many unexpected events happened in a series, but because I got a cut. I slipped and fell, which resulted a few scrapes within the region of one square inch on my right palm. This is very exciting and hurtful at the same time- I haven't had a "real" cut for several months and it reminds me of the days where I had cuts and bruises all the time (I was not abused, but I loved to play at the playground). I excluded paper cuts and needle plucks because I think I get them at least once a week. Also, it reminds me that I am here... alive and breathing. I wish I had pickle bandages right now to cover over my palm. I'm allergic to cucumber facials, so putting a pickle bandage would work perfectly.

green tea ice cream

2009-01-31T14:46:00.005-05:00

Seriously, Haagen-Dazs green tea ice cream is the best! I have tried many many kinds of green tea ice creams, but Haagen-Dazs is the best. I miss it a lot. The green tea flavor seems to be the most popular item in Japan, but it was a limited flavor in America. I still enjoy ice cream, but not as much as before, but if I had a Haagen-Dazs green tea ice cream right now, I would be really happy. Its richness melts away like a swift sweet breeze condensed in ice and milk. I had many dreams... including becoming an ice-creamologist. I wanted to be a DJ/ club owner too. Also, sneaker designer, circus stage designer, cosmetic chemist, and a professional glass designer.

"I wish, I wish, with all my heart, to fly with dragons in a land apart; I wish, I wish, to use this rhyme to go back home until next time."

-Dragon Tales

elizabeth peyton

2009-01-30T11:53:00.004-05:00

Elizabeth Peyton is one of my favorite contemporary artists. Her intense color makes me feel like I am in another dimension sometimes. She usually painted musicians and rockers... that might be the reason why I feel a little high when I see her works. There was an exhibition called "Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton" at New Museum until 1/11/2009. Sadly, I missed it. Once was because I didn't check the museum opening dates and the other when I was too tired to travel to downtown. Anyways, I am really glad that her legacy lives on and continues to inspire young artists.

unearthen

2009-01-29T22:25:00.005-05:00

What if there really is a magical pendant or a charm that could give us special power to do anything? Perhaps there is such a thing named magical crystal or maybe our superhuman power is innate within our deep consciousness... I have discovered this crystal jewelry a year ago, but I recently feel that I really want one- especially black tourmaline + kyanite.

waghora river

2009-01-28T17:36:00.003-05:00

I am taking an art history course called "Rock-Cut Temples in Asia" this semester. I have been always interested in hidden caves and temples. It is just amazing to see the architecture of ancient India... there is a series of 29 caves along the deep gouged in the high Deccan plains by the Waghora River (spectacular U shaped ravine in a spur of the Sadhaydri Hills). Waghora River was an ideal place to excavate various caves due to its rock quality and geographical setting.

erik bergstrom

2009-01-27T16:50:00.004-05:00

I would like to make a shout out to Mr. Erik Bergstrom. I first met him on the streets of Soho or Union Square in New York. He probably wouldn't remember me, but his artwork will always be part of my inspiration. I have used this particular image to work in my etching class. I think street artists are very interesting... but they need more publicity to let the people know about their works. To all the street artists: keep going and there are always people out there who cherish your works!

voracious eater

2009-01-27T12:46:00.004-05:00

Sorry! The last time I posted something was last year- the sign of an amateur blogger blaming school work for an excuse. Anyways, I would like to have a fresh start from... now! I love eating ice cream, and I have been an ice cream maniac for trying many kinds of flavors. However, I prefer the old-school ice cream flavors due to our school's cafeteria these days. You know, the usual- soft ice cream machine with the "three" (vanilla, mix, and chocolate). But there are the occasional peanut butter, pomegranate (pomegranate?!), strawberry, and french vanilla. Most of all, I enjoy the process of heating the brownie in the microwave and putting the soft vanilla ice cream on the steamy brownie. Imagine the ice cream melting as you scoop up a nice little morsel of brownie.......

time

2008-12-28T21:36:00.005-05:00

Seeing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button made me ponder about the concept of time (It's a great movie by the way). Time passes by so quickly. It really feels like I just came home yesterday not two weeks ago. The uncertainty of time is what makes me afraid of the life that I might live on my own in a few years. But, I know that I will recognize my right time when I am ready.

visual impairement

2008-12-20T16:18:00.006-05:00

"Emerson" Oliver Peoples

I have lost clear sight for a while... it's time to change my eyeglasses. Sometimes I just enjoy the blurriness that makes me feel like Degas at a ballerina studio. I will go for the owl style since LASIK is still too risky.