Being COMPLETLY Honest

hmm....

So I'm considering turning VEGETARIAN in the year 2010. Growing up as a beef-loving Korean who's world consisted of many different variations of marinated beefs... this is hard.  Here is my reasoning for moving over to the green side:

1. My dad was diagnosed with colon cancer a year ago. He's a fighter (in remission, woot!) but, reflecting on those dark moments, I think avoiding that risk of colon cancer is smart. Enough said.

2. My roommates (aka skinny bitches) are vegetarian. I don't think the switch would be too traumatic when my roommates are also living the meat-less life.

3. "The average sedentary American eats about 50% more than the recommended daily amount" aka that meat is turning into FAT!!!!

4. I barely work out.  I work out about twice a week? And about 30 minutes of the usual 90 minutes is spent lip-syncing and reading magazines while skipping along the treadmill. I know. intense. hahahaha.  I'm hoping being vegetarian will balance that out?

we shall see, we shall see.

Christmas Cheer

Last night, I attended the opening performance of Christmas at DePaul!

St. Vincent DePaul Parish was beautifully decorated and the collective voices filled the room and our hearts with holiday cheer!  While Christmas should be a time to show thanks and religious adoration, I feel more often times, it's a moment to stop think back on what the year had provided and be thankful to the people and events that took place.  I know, that sounds a lot like thanksgiving+new year's meshed into one jumble of things!

Thanksgiving 2009

So, contrary to common belief, today has been an extremely productive work day for me! With less than 10 people in the offices on my floor today, it's been an opportunity for me to BLAST my Taylor Swift songs and sing along while typing and copy-proofing my little heart away.

I wish that I had known THEN (and not now) that one of the directors around the corner from me has been working in his office with the doors closed.  ... I'm praying the doors are sound-proof.

----

On another note,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

2009, with it's ups and downs, has been a year full of joys and sorrows I could not be more thankful for.  All things considered here's my list:

MY FAMILY

They've been there listening and supporting me in all aspects of my life and I feel one of the main reasons I have received any of the success I have today.

S

S has been there through all the crazy with me.  Especially the crazy I could never admit to my family!  While sometimes her words may seem harsh, in hindsight she's always right and has been thinking of my best interest at heart. I know I'm a difficult person to deal with and I hope to change that and become a better friend to you, S! I swear!

CCC Ladies

These are some of the most unique and wonderFULL people I've had the great honor of being friends and roommates with.  I owe you, Sharon, for those obnoxious nights in Budapest! and EDN... words can't even explain! Coming home to you gals have been a blessing!

LOVE past, present and future

I'm thankful for you who loved me, you who showed me to love,

and thank you to the one showing me I can do better

and thank you in advance to whoever can step up to the plate next!

2010 Resolutions?

So I was home the other day for mini m (my little sister michelle)'s birthday when i discovered...

taped to my wall...

my 2009 New Years Resolutions.

Mini M was next to me and snickered... so how much did you get done?

2oo9 in review:

Get an internship (pref. with Field Museum or Adler Planetarium)
mission... accomplished? I ended up getting a b.a. internship at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce as a communications intern, working in areas of web content editing and public relations.  My boss was an awesome guy who really helped mentor me in so many ways until... he left for a better job in D.C.  Which should have turned horribly for me... but it ended up being the most enriching 8 months, where I literally took charge as the interim director of communications. dang.

Graduate on time and GET A JOB

man. This one was the hardest to accomplish, with so many of my peers (and many of my friends) still struggling to find full-time employment.  After endlessly applying for PR internships, I am extremely grateful that.. I did NOT get an internship at a PR agency. I realize (in hindsight) that I still have many more options I would like to pursue which makes my current job perfect.  Looking back on all the wonderful things that happened in 2009, I am most grateful (family and friends aside) that I have landed a career doing what I enjoy while also allowing me to continue pursuing more education. woot!

Lose Weight

This is one I attempt at each year.  I lost about 10 pounds the whole year.. does it still count? hahahaha

Learn Arabic

...  
أصبحت أكثر وأكثر صعبة المنال

Looking back, I guess 3/4 is not too shabby! (well.. more like 2.5/4)

content

ugh. so glad i don't feel the need to constantly validate myself and what I do. More than content just being content with myself.

i'm too crazy

i'm too crazy to date.

as in:  i'm not a right-in-mind trype of person, and therefore am undateable

as well

as in:  there is no way i'm ever going to meet anyone (in)sane enough to put up with me.

...and for once.. i think that's ok.

HAHAHAHAHHAHAA Ö

wind

Like a rapid gust of wind,

potential love enters and leaves.

I'm sad to let this one go.  It's always hard to break up with someone... especially when it's so circumstantial.  The words "a time and place for everything" never rang truer.  I empathize with him, the decision he has to make.  My heart aches, for the sacrifice he's been forced to make.  I wish him a world of happiness and love, and hope that all his future endeavors prove successful and filled with joy.

With heavy heart, I'm going to do "the right thing" and let him walk away.

So quickly did this one enter and leave my life.

So sad it will be to say goodbye.

I think i could understand the feeling now :)

to my NYC other half

Dear S,

It's lovely to hear you're having a wonderful time! I'm so happy for you, this trip seems like an accumulation of what you've been working at for the past four years!

It's hard to believe you didn't pack any warmer clothes, you love fall clothes! hahaha It's wonderful both you and Jman have been keeping us updated on your trip so far! I love reading the reactions of other people when they comment. The people are truly envious!

Have a wonderful time, but remember to take it easy to. You have lots to do once you get back!

M

#@!#%$&*@

Looking for a job is the full-time job I never wanted.

I can only explain that this process is much like running against a brick wall... over, and over, and over, and over again...

It's a difficult time for my recent college graduate peers. It seems all the good jobs are snatched up by the l eeriely similar to the classmate who stole your notes and ideas, while we sit here empty handed with limited options before us. It's panic time for many of us as "summer" has ended and we are hit with the hard realization that, no, we do not have school and NO, we have nothing to sustain us during this tedious job searching time.

I am not like most of my peers. While many, especially the alumnae of DePaul University, have mothers and fathers with successful professional backgrounds and economic security I am way out in the left field, behind the fence, past the scoreboard... in the field of weeds too far to even see from the bleachers.

My parents are immigrants to the U.S. and worked their whole lives telling my sister and I that college would be the key, college means success, college is your only option. Now that the benchmark has been reached, I'm left here thinking "Now what?".

Dear reader, do not be hasty to judge. I am not by any means a lazy or ignorant person. I have known since entering the prose reading contest in junior high that communications is the industry I wanted to be a part of. I have always envisioned my career in communications and worked hard both academically and professionally to obtain the dream. I worked endless jobs (often two at a time) from the time I was 16 until these present times. I had wonderful internship opportunities that in the eyes of any employer would qualify me for a sturdy entry level job.

But then here is where I meet my brick wall. I am no body. I know no one. I am. Just Minna.

I strongly believe that education is the pillar that fosters creativity and individuality. Where before being "my own person" was the goal of my everything, in my career search I am finding that it is now a scrambling game of who knows who. Yes, I've been to networking events and YES, I have sought help from former professors and advisers.

Currently, I hold a wonderful "intern" position at a wonderful organization that I hope to be employed at full time. However, due to THE RECESSION (oh foe i hate) this organization has been faced with a cash flow problem. Some have had their hours cut, certain jobs have not been re-filled and my repetitive requests for a full time position have been left to slide to the wayside.

My stats:
B.A. Communications, June 2009
Cover Letters written June 09 - present: 120 personalized cover letters
Resumes Sent/Jobs applied to June 09 - present: 200


Wall, you almost have me defeated.

wishful thinking

what i had always wanted....

...but could never ask for

re-posted from itwaslovewhen.com

“France...”

We started dating in October but I was leaving to study abroad in France in January. We eventually had “the talk” and he told me he wanted to stay together. I was touched that he didn’t want to break up or try to convince me to stay in the States. When he flew to visit me in March, I told him it was the single greatest gesture anyone had ever made. While he was visiting, he told me he loved me.

—MonPetitChou

Postscript: It’ll be two years this October and he’s still the man of my dreams.

A New Day

I, Minna, promise from this day forward that I will become a more committed, coherent and concise blogger. I am re-dedicating myself to organizing this blog in a manner that is easy and enjoyable to read. I will streamline my blog by choosing a theme and having all consequent posts reflect the new stream-lined vision.

It is... a new day indeed.

Ecclesiastes 3

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Paper Hearts

me! in the CITY OF LOVE, Paris <3>

Last night, I went to see the documentary "Paper Hearts" with actress/comedian Charlyne Yi (and Michael Cera). Such an adorable movie! I loved hearing all those endearing people-stories and how there are so many variations and forms of love!

The basis of the movie is that Charlyne doesn't know if it's possible for her to love. Sometimes I wonder if we all feel that way. How does one KNOW if you're in love? There's the love you have for your family (sometimes to be confused with annoyance) the love you have for your friends (feels like a big bear hug being around them) there's lust (we all know this one...) but.. love?

For me, a straight human girl, it appears it's assumed that I am to find a boy that makes me want to scream for happiness from the rooftops, jump for joy etc etc etc....

As I watched the film, I felt like my heart was breaking along side her. She said "I don't know if I'm in love" and I really did feel like my heart was breaking right alongside hers and Michael's.

I guess I won't know until I know... right? How vague... and ridiculous. I think I might have been in love before, but it's been so long I don't even remember what THAT felt like and if that was indeed.... love.

How complicated.

--update--
Is THIS love???

"A New Zealand man who promised his wife he would find his wedding ring after it fell into the capital's murky harbor has succeeded - 16 months later..."

STRESS

STRESS STRESS STRESS....

why won't my brain move faster and my computer stop acting up?!?!

job jealousy~

I recently got to meet Andrew Zimmern at a Dos Equis "Most Interesting Academy" event. We shared a bite of chicken feet (?) which was actually extremely tasty! I'm so jealous and a big fan of Andrew Zimmern!

He was talking about how much he loves to visit Africa. I have traveled across North Africa, but not enough! And it doesn't seem like.. the REAL Africa. Next trip perhaps?

date-o-rama

eek! I overslept putting me behind schedule for date numero dos. With the same person you ask? no.

hahhahahhaa. What are you supposed to wear when you SHOULD be dressed casual, but want to look cute? oh the dilema....

So.....

We chose ZAD Restaurant for our date. Since we had planned to go to a BYOB my dinner date graciously had picked out a lovely 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon before we met. We headed over to ZAD and had a seat outside. Unfortunately... ZAD is NOT a BYOB, rather an establishment that does not serve alcohol or allow it on their premises (due to religious reasons).

We wanted to stay and check out the food but felt bad letting our wonderful wine go to the way-side, so we walked up the street and stumbled on Adesso, an adorable neighborhood Italian BYOB.

Read my review on YELP!

In other news, I went to "the most interesting academy" inductions last night at the Museum of Science and Industry. I love a good marketing campaign!

more to come....

Chicago FOOD

While Chicagoans may not be the thinnest, prettiest or model-esque of people, we know food. We like food. We try new foods. We are not afraid to let our belt buckles loose and stomachs free to eat food.

Chicago (-land) has some of the most unique restaurants one can think of, and although I've been living in this wonderful city for approximately four years, there are so many more to try!

In preparation of a "date" I have tonight, I have been asked to pick out the restaurant (because my big mouth pretended to be a food and wine connoisseur... much like this entire blog). We decided to meet in Lakeview, a neutral location for both of us northsiders.

I never realized how many cute/quaint (in the best possible way!) restaurants there are in the Lakeview area! Here are a few I have come across.

I blog in hopes that I will hit up all these spots in the near future!

A couple of my choices for the evening:

ZAD Restaurant

3112 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL
I'm excited to try their shwarma and moroccan mint tea!!!
I haven't had mint tea since my short time in Morocco!


Home Bistro, Chicago

3404 N. Halstead
Chicago, IL
I've read and heard too many good things about this place!
I want to try the Baked Grouper Nicoise~


Sapori Trattortia

2701 N. Halsted St
Chicago, IL
The website is more than outdated, but who can hold that against a place with amazing risotti reviews?


Manchu Pichu Restaurant

3856 N. Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL
Ceviche de Camarones sounds amazing!


Casbah Cafe
3151 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL
I miss Moroccan food so much!
Yelpers gave this place a good review. ALWAYS a good sign!


NEW ON THE SCENE
Istanbul Restaurant

3613 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL
droooooool.... no other words needed.

... is it bad that i'm more excited about the food than the date?

i'm in miami beachhhh~

s & i (not so) recently went on a wonderfully relaxing trip down to MIAMI BEACH. Wonderfulness all around. We went at a time when it was before tourist season, yet wonderfully warm weather and not too hot (too much to handle for us Chicagoans!)

While s & I are two totallllllly different people, three things bring us together:

1. FOOD
2. DRINK
3. BOYS

Here's a tasting of what we did there:

uh oh.. wanderlust arises...

For those who know may not know my situation, I am a recent college graduate (yay!) but also part of the massive numbers of unemployed (booooo :( my peers are all struggling!). Thankfully, I have a wonderful internship at an organization I love where they give me plenty of room and guidance to grow professionally (thank you, Jebus!).

All in all, this is the time in my life where I should be focusing on working hard, obtaining that all illusive J.O.B. and more important S.A.L.A.R.Y. This is NOT the right time to come down with another case of... wanderlust.

In this "risky" time of my life, I am planning a return trip to Europe. While I loved Central and Eastern Europe, I think it would be a shame not to visit the wonderful (and delicious!) areas of Western Europe. Thankfully I have gained enough friends to make each stay in each city a wonderfully NEW experience with old friends.

Above are suggested routes.

[sigh] Here I go, now I'm going to be thinking about future travels while working hard for my new marketing campaigns.

...another case of wanderlust



--edit--
TRAVEL DEALS from O'HARE to ...else

RT O'Hare to Miami, FL $128
RT O'Hare to Myrtle Beach, SC $16?!
RT O'Hare to Paris, France $571

volunteering

I recently discovered that I am.. living a quarter-life crisis.

No longer a college kid, but not yet the devoted nine-to-fiver, I feel an empty void of what once was a mission in my life (ie. finish school! good grades! party all day and night! heh heh)

SO... my life makeover begins:

1. Continue to use and abuse my contacts in the process of begging for full time jobs
2. WORK MY FAT ASS OUT!!!! i love food too much to let my body constrict me from this activity...
3. Volunteer

I recently corresponded with the kind people at the Community Nutrition Network and Senior Services Association in the Chicagoland Area. I have a great passion and heart for their mission. I'm not sure where to volunteer yet, but want to keep dabbling my feet in the water and see how things go. Preferably I want to volunteer for a hunger prevention organization on Saturday mornings? I love the Chicago Food Depository, but locale is a bit of a stretch for me. (I know.. although I'm trying to turn over a new leaf... i'm still selfish me. )

beginnings of a recap

So blogger world,

I've been meaning to update on the past travels, but have yet to do such! I'll start from the end and start moving backward. Here we go!

Just a bit north of Seattle, Washington

I had a wonderful time hiking up the hills to visit the Big Four Ice Caves.

It was so amazing, both the drive up the mountain as well as the hike to the Caves. We had gone at, not the most opportune time, as only one cave was really starting to form.

What an amazing reward after sweating the entire hike up to the caves! I sat in front of the freezing billowing winds coming from inside the ice domes for a solid 30 minutes.

On our way down, my talented photog cousin John asked me to stand on a bench and jump as high as I could. I am no model nor expert jumper, but the scenery in the background of this photo is amazing! The views with every turn of the trail was unbelievable. Washington is truly an amazing place to live.


My family!!! I look a bit haggard, but I don't think I was very appropriately dressed for this hike.

Thank GOODNESS no photos of later this day have emerged as I, slipped while crossing a river and fell downstream, for quite a while.
Typical move of mine, to have a wonderful day and then go and make a total ass of myself!

We also parked ourselves next to the stream for a while. Each of us with our feet hanging in the ice cold glacier water waiting for the watermelon chilling downstream to cool. It was definitely one of the most crisp watermelons I have eaten in my life.

Although very impromptu and unorganized, this was one of the best family vacations I have been on in a while. Each individual of my family has such an amazing story to tell!


---update---

So I spent a lot of my time in Seattle helping my grandmother tend to her AMAZING garden. Not only does she have prize winning flowers, but amazing views of the mountains and the bay.

In my time I spent with her, many stories emerged.
It's funny how folkloric the stories of my grandparents sounds! and yet... there's also the appeal of modern love and it's twists. I'm talking SCANDAL!!!

I won't go into the details of WHY my grandfather's family had too flee North Korea (much before the political turmoil which IS N. Korea), but I will say I had no idea that that corner of my family was from N.Korea! I had lived my whole life thinking we were from the south, as my father had grown up in a southwestern Island and my mom from just outside the city of Seoul.

My grandfather (dad's dad) is apparently from a town so north in Korea that it's practically considered Russia? For the townsfolk there, it was seen as pretty normal for Korean people to have Caucasian tendencies because of the close proximity to that border.

I guess this explains my brown hair with blonde strands as well as my sister's freaky green eyes....

LOVE THIS PHOTO:
사실... 우리 가족의 진정한 모습이다 ㅋㅋ

twitter - diction

my life = twittter.

I was one of the many to laugh in the face of twitter, judge them for impractical business forethought and followers for being mindless trend-drones, yet.... it's become me.

There's so much news to be read, facts to be learned and friends to be made on twitter!

#cc #ccoc #ChicChaCom ?!?!?! RT @naiunfq @08jqu3nd @ndiua3h

it's addicting....

follow me on twitter!!!!! @minnaan

San Fran bound

hello all!!

phew. it's been a while since my last update! Kudos to the dedicated blogging community, it's a full-time job keeping these posts updated!

I'm San Francisco bound today! Then off to Seattle before returning home to good ole Chicago.

Plans for San Francisco:
SONOMA!!! I love this wine county.
Horseback riding at sunrise on Half Moon Bay... romantic~
Fabulous diner for FOUR at Foreign Cinema.
mmmm..... bi-rte creamery
It's It ice cream sandwiches galore!!!!

Plans for Seattle:
Celebrate Harmony(my grandma!)'s 80th
SEAFOOD
Sightseeing?

More suggestions needed!

long time no see!

Sorry blogging world, it's been a while, hasn't it?

It's been a hectic past... few months for me!

S & I went on a mini hiatus to Miami (photos!!!!) I graduated (eek! a scary time to be me!) and have been working hard to get hired and/or noticed professionally. I moved into my new apartment in Lincoln Park, and have been so busy reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Chicago is a buzz right now, filled with so much anticipation and activity. Chicago summers are definitley a wonderful time be exploring everything there is to offer. I started becoming a twitter-junkie, and have found so many cool things to do from following other Chicago natives who are re-discovering the city each day.

MIAMI missing.....

San Francisco re-dO?

I cannot believe it has been two years since my last visit to San Francisco! Although I sit here today, brokenhearted, I am optimistic for what San Fran will hold for me this time around!

I will be leaving Chicago in mid-July to visit my cousin who is living in San Francisco and then off to Seattle for the big AN FAMILY reunion as well as celebrating Grandma's 80 birthday.

I'm looking to do something a little more different this time around, less tourist more local. Here's a recap from my month long treks through San Francisco 2007.

Too much eating... but so many wonderful cafes!



MINNA St. .. MY WAY or the highway :)


Obese from all the day's wine tastings and cheese pairings ....


Best host ever! My cousin and I on our trek up Point Reyes~


Crazy Sue!!! Princess Diaries anyone?


Yes, the cliche tourist photo~


Watching Barry Bonds (supposedly) make history....

If you love to travel...

THIS IS THE TIME!!!!

Check out these amazing deals on international flights to some pretty wonderful places:

Belize City, Belize $433 RT
Delhi, India $800 RT
Dublin, Ireland $392 RT
London, UK $482 RT
Nairobi, Kenya $911 RT
Rome, Italy $527 RT
Cancun, Mexico $252 RT

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!

**prices courtesy of Airfare watchdog

Chicago Home

It's often times that I take advantage the wonderfulness that is Chicago. Although having traveled across the globe, Chicago is always my start and my end. With the International Olympic Committee visit, it seems appropriate that today's blog post be dedicated to all the great things that are Chicago; from an INSIDE perspective.


The Field Museum!

The website does not do it Justice. The Field Museum, in my mind, epitomizes all that is Chicago. The history, the landmarks and features. I've had dreams where I'm alone at the Field Museum at night and I have 'challenges' I need to face. Like a cooler more nerdy version of the movie "A night at the museum". hahahhaa. yes. I am nerd.

Olympic Visit: Chicago

One rarely ever believes that home can be an exotic destination. Yet today as I rode the bus to work, I was overcome with an immense overwhelming culture shock.

O.K. I know I'm dramatic. Maybe not immensely overwhelming, but surprising at the least. My daily bus ride to my office building passes Daley Plaza which is overlooked by the MASSIVE CBS screen. We were riding peacefully along when the bus driver says "WHat.. the... HELL?"

People in the masses had crowded into the plaza for.... a free TShirt? Mayhem was a-muck as normally revered business people pushed and shoved to grab at a t-shirt that says Chicago 2016. huh. interesting. what we Americans will do for the enticing "FREE".

March 2007: LA

L.A.
...meh

Sorry all you LA-lovers

Although it IS true... it's the company you're with... not where you are, right?

I did nothing, saw nothing and was criticized for a multitude of things. I got so bored my only photo from LA was essentially... THIS.

HAHAHA thank you to the sister of my host, at least she was present for the most part of it and made an effort to be host-like.

Although... I do have a couple reasons to return.

wow

I can't believe almost a year has passed since my last post. CLEARLY I have not done a superb job in keeping myself and readers alike informed through this blog.

From here on out will be a reflection on:

THE BEST and of course THE WORST

of all my travels. Keep an eye out.