Nongak Dance

Oh, I forgot to post these pictures when I was doing my Strasbourg post.

My mom and I were going into town and this Korean group was just about to do a nongak performance. 'Nongak' or 'pungmul' (also known as a farmer's dance) is a traditional Korean type of  folk music. What was once used for harvest-praying purposes is now enjoyed and practiced for entertaiment. It was surprising to see this performance in the middle of France. It totally caught me off gaurd but I totally enjoyed every minute of it. I thought it was funny how once the performance started all these Koreans came out of nowhere!! Where were they hiding this whole time??

Check it out!

This song has been out since last year, but I had never seen the music video up until lastnight. Anthony pointed out the fact that it was Korean themed so you know I HAD to check it out. :D


I like it. It's cute and innocent. No naked women bouncing around, guns flashing everywhere, bling bling shining each direction. Simple, colorful and eye catching. It can even teach you some new Korean words... :P


You can't really go wrong with Black Eyed Peas and Nicki Minaj. I love her fresh style. She comes out with something different and finally some originality that mainstream music has needed for awhile......

Brrr......

Some days I feel like these pictures------

I can't stand the cold.

Good thing I don't have leather seats in my car.

How am I suppose to live in Korea when I can barely stand 50 degree weather??

I enjoying looking at snow, but not shoveling or walking through it everyday.

I hate when it's so cold your face feels like it's going to fall off...or just freeze still.

I can't enjoy shopping when it's cold. Trying on clothes becomes a hassle with all the layers of clothes that need to be taken off.

I had a habit of leaving the heater on all night. That stopped once our electricity bill was $140!

source

Motivation in a bottle

Korea is right around the corner!! I’m getting so antsy and anxious. The days need to pass by faster!!! I had very good memories of my last visit to Seoul. I stayed with my uncle and aunt last time while my mom was their as well translating everything on the way. I could tell they were sad that I didn’t keep up with my Korean. Fun fact- I was fluent in Korean until about the age of 4. My mom always reminisces on the time my 할아버지 (grandfather) and 할머님 (grandma) could actually hold conversations. Those were the days…… L

On my visit last visit, my cousin and I met up and got to know each other a little bit better. (After all, the last time we had seen each other before this  we weren’t even in grade school yet.) It’s so weird how far my memory takes me. My mom gets the occasional shock whenever I recollect events that have happened many many years ago. Good job, memory! :P

I will never forget the conversations my cousin and I shared. What really stuck to me was how many hours he would study for school. So much effort was put into his studies and classes it was embarrassing for me to even try to compare the amount of hours I put in. I never studied for my classes and definitely never volunteered my time to study just to be better or improve in my subjects. Back then I was grateful for my education here in the states and felt bad for my cousin. Looking back at it now, it  should have been the other way around…….

I ask my mom how my cousin’s doing from time to time. She keeps me informed of his path to the hospitality industry. I think she mentioned that he’s studying to be a sommelier. Ohhh….impressive! I love wine!! :P Me on the other hand, I don’t really have anything to brag about….yet. I wish I would’ve been more focused on my education and started college earlier. I don’t regret my decision really, but just kind of wish there was more dedication put into it in my later teenage years. Moments like these where I wish I was in Korea working on my teaching career, eating Korean food, living the Korean lifestyle, watching kpop all day long, and spending my money on cute stationeries get me sad and remind me of the decisions I’ve made. *siiigh* One day….one day. *patting my shoulder for self reassurance*

Everyday I’m motivated to become that teacher that will help many students on that path to their bright future. :)

In my writing class we read aloud to gain participation points. I would say 95% of my classmates can’t even pronounce the most common words we use on a everyday basis. It’s borderline embarrassing when the teacher has to correct the student when discipline is mispronounced. Come on! Really?? I can understand if we were in middle school or something, but college, you should know how to pronounce that word with ease. This guy stumbled on filet. How can you mess that one up, beats me. Now I can understand difficulties with susceptible, meluminum, or even preposterous. Those can be somewhat tricky to the average person….but not something so simple as cake. My name is Michelle and another reason why I continue to pursue my teaching career-…….to stop apathy. :)

Living in a material world.....but moving on to a simplified one

About 2 years ago~

“We need a bigger place!!”-me whining

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”- Anthony being a little hesitant

“You know, I’m running out of room for my clothes. The kitchen doesn’t fit all the things we need. The living room isn’t as spacious like it was when we first moved in here.”- me still complaining away

“Well, we could just get rid of some of our stuff…….”- Anthony

“What?? Are you crazy? What’s there to get rid of? We need everything that we have! We can’t afford to throw stuff out and then wind up buying it later in the future. We just need a bigger place.”- me thinking this was the solution to my satisfaction.

Present time

I’ve came to this conclusion that downsizing my lifestyle is much needed. I’ve been dawning on this thought for quite some time now, but never really had the time to fully put it into action. When I did a posting on my shoe collection, I realized how much stuff has been collected over the years that were no longer necessary to have. Why do I need 50 pairs of shoes, 30 handbags, 15 pairs of jeans, 10 jackets…etc? Anthony and I live comfortably in our home, but I feel like we’re not living it up to it’s full potential.

As I was doing the dishes the other night I realized how many pots and pans I had too.  I have like 2 woks, 4 frying pans, 3 pots, 3 cutting boards, 16 knives to accommodate different types of food, and the list goes on and on. Why didn’t I throw any of these things out??  Who needs all these bells and whistles just lying around hogging up my cabinet space? Then I realized that Anthony and I fell into this “thing.” I can’t think of a word at the moment for this “thing” but it’s pretty similar to maybe a mild hoarder. After we got laid off a few years back from our jobs, we felt the need to hold on to almost anything and everything that could potentially help us in the future. Anything would be worth holding onto if it meant saving a dollar or two. Every single penny counts, you know?

Now that we’ve became a lot more responsible financially I’ve became comfortable with realizing that the stuff we’ve accumulated was just merely disguised as necessities and needed to go. It seems weird looking into our current situation and how we’re so much happier now than we were 3-4 years ago. We’ve let go of all the pressure from society to have the best of, latest of, and trendiest of things. That’s just the realization we’ve came to- they’re just things.

So moving forth, I’m on a new mission. This mission is going to be long but well worth it in the end.  I’m on a path to simplify our lives and focus more on the things that are important.

The closet was my first target......It's gotten so much better now. I can actually see the indivudual pieces instead of them all bunched up together.

My Shoe Collection

As women, we all have a collection of guilty pleasure. Mine- perfume and watches. (Judging by my closet however, you would assume it would be shoes and handbags.) Over the years I’ve collected so much “stuff” that I cry inside thinking on how careless I was with my money. Why did I need those shoes that were 50% off but had no where to where them? I always imagined I was investing in my future for that “just in case” scenario. *regret*

Now, to introduce to you my shoes- This is actually ¾ of my shoe collection . The other ¼ were chucked out and given away after being neglected for so long. They deserved a better owner that would show them the attention they needed. :)

BOOTS-

Soda-These Ugg look-alikes finally grew on me and were bought at some Korean-own clothing store for $19.99. Can't say no to that deal. :) 

Soda-I love these boots. I usually wear these on a night out with friends.

TJ Maxx- I've gotten so many compliments for these over the years. Almost as if they're classics or something??

Target- These are the first pair of boots I bought. I remember I thought I was breaking out of my shell and venturing off into being a "young lady" whenever I would wear these.hahaha

Soda- These are so comfortable and I love the wrinkle effect it has on the side.

SANDALS-

 Soda- These sandals are usually worn with my sun dresses or capris.

Forever 21- Thought they were cute, threw them in the closet, and there they still remain...untouched. Maybe I'll break them in this summer.

 Betsy Johnson- I wore these shoes maybe 3 times out of the 4 years I had them. I just "HAD" to get them cuz they were "so cute" and on sale. Now they just sit in my closet as decoration. :P

 TJ Maxx- These are one of my favorite sandals to wear during the hot summer. These were a steal deal at $5! I was so happy when I found them just lying around the store that day.

 India- I just got these in the summer of 2010 from my trip to France. My mom bought them while she was living in India and never really wore them. She gave them to me and I love them. :) Handmade and very well crafted.

 BEBE- Even though I don't wear these now because I feel like chunky wedges are done for awhile, I used to wear these allll the time! These were my everyday shoes 2 years ago. Hey, I'm a sucker for shoes that make me look taller which creates the illusion of slenderness. :)

 Avon- I ordered these through a Avon catalog...............and then only wore these twice.

 Wild Divas-These shoes were given to me as a gift and I definitely got the money's worth out of them. I can't believe I still hold on to this because I've had these since 2003. Haha.

JC Penny's- I bought these "just because." These actually came in handy for a wedding I went to so they got some use out of them. They've been laying in the box ever since.

Tommy Hilfiger- After my BEBE wedge phase I downgraded to a lower wedge and wore these everyday. They are so comfortable and easy to go with any outfit. I always prefer my sandals over shoes anyday.

 Aldo- I'm luck Anthony's mom and I wear the same size. She didn't care for these and tossed them my way. I was quick to catch them. :)

 TJ Maxx- I don't know what I was thinking when I bought these?? I guess for $12 I thought I just had to get them. I only wore them a couple times....*a waste*

Betula- These shoes are probably my one of my favorite pairs. I was so lucky to find these at Ross for under $20! These shoes usually run $100 plus. I loved the zebra design. It reminded me of the BEBE wedges that I adored so much.

HEELS-

BCBG- My boss would always brag about how comfortable these were and encouraged me to buy a pair as well. They were worth it!

 Forever 21- Bought these for a "future occasion" and still haven't worn them........

 Dillard's- These were one of those senseless splurges I did because they were "on sale." *a waste again* I wore them once for half an hour and had to take them off because they were hurting the balls of my feet.

 BEBE- Found these at Marshall's and thought they were a steal deal. But too bad I only wore them once. Now that I look at them......they don't look all that special.....*a waste*

Jessica Simpson- I didn't want to buy these because they were $60 shoes that were only going to be worn for one night (one of my best friend's wedding.) But she requested that everybody wear the same style and color to better coordinate with our dresses. I guess I could wear them whenever I go out to the bar lounge or something.......

SHOES-

Soda- I love how these look like Chuck Taylor's but half the cost....:) And notice the majority of my shoes are Soda brand?? Hahaha. Hey, can't go wrong with cute shoes for good prices.

 Converse Chuck Taylor- I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw these!! So bright and pink. Better yet was the enlarged canvas style and thick laces. I just couldn't pass them up. 

 Dr. Martens- These feel like heavy combat boots compared to my other shoes but very protective and almost invincible.

Diesel- I actually bought these for Korea 3 years ago......but as we all know the story, I didn't wind up going. 

WORK SHOES-

Crocs- Pretty stylish compared to the original style we're all used to, right? I thought so too.

 Chinese Laundry- Just some flats I needed for work.

 Dollhouse- These have lasted me 1 1/2 years and going somewhat strong. I tried looking on their website so I could replace these worn out ones, but they're discontinued of course.

 Clogs- I'm surprised I still had these tucked in my closet. These are the shoes I used to wear when I was a server. Ah, good times. Good times.

 Aldo- I thought I could pull these off when I bought these. After a couple weeks once I realized they weren't really my style it was too late to return them. *a waste*

Mervyn's- The cashier knew my boyfriend and gave me a good employee discount on these- free ninty nine. Hahaha. Those are the best.

JC Penny's- I bought these just so I could have a nice pair of "business attire" shoes. Haha. I guess they came in handy because it got me to my current job after I wore these to my interview. 

Jessica Simpson- Finally found a pair of Jessica shoes that weren't 6 ft high in heels! :P

CLOGS-

 Aeropostale- These clogs kept my feet warm during the cold winter days. I really haven't worn them in the last couple of years though.

Dillard's- The patch style caught my eye and made these clogs really appealing to me. I still get many compliments on these whenever I wear them out.

BLING-

 Kenneth Cole- I planned on wearing these with some type of business casual attire. That lasted only a couple of days.

 Volatile- I originally bought these to wear to my last Korea trip. I was going through some bling bling sandal phase as you can tell.

Guess- These sparkle so much in the sunlight, but the sandal is so flat and hard that it hurts my feet after a couple of hours.

 Romus-Now to the most expensive shoes I own---- I saw these shoes in an upscale boutique store. After going in to find out they were $200 designer shoes from Spain I quickly walked back out. Anthony then surprised me for my birthday and bought them. So sweet, right? Back then, yes. Now, I would kill him!! Who spends $200 on some shoes?? Not I, Sam I am. Times have definitely changed since my "careless" spending days......