Saturday Stream of Consciousness

It’s a rainy Saturday here in Ulsan, so I decided to spend some time at a cafe and do a little writing. The following is what I penned in my notebook:

It is grey and raining in this cafe where the tables look like Morocco: blue, patterned. I am drinking my iced latte, my favorite simple pleasure. And I want to cry like the rain. Croissants. Scones. Chitter chatter. I’m never alone, even though I feel like I am sometimes.

The barista is bringing out more pastries for display and the music isn’t my favorite,  but it’s pleasant. Cars are driving by on the tiny street and I see my apartment from my seat. Why do I love coffee so much? I used to hate it. This place is filled with bamboo and other big, leafy, green plants. The sign on the door says “coffee is always a good idea” and I agree. And I’m looking at the seafood restaurant across the street, but it’s probably too expensive. But the pictures of the lobster look so good.

The rain is rolling down the windows and drip dropping on the outdoor benches. I’m waiting for a package. I wonder when it will come. I wanted to go for a walk today, but the rain.

MUST. ESPRESSO. BLEND. CODE BLACK. That’s what it says on the card on the saucer that my coffee came on. And I think about how many cafes I’ve been to and how much coffee I’ve had with friends, boyfriends. I love it.

Dark chocolate. Cacao. Cashew nut. Mandarin. Good body. (The other side of the card.)

Balance. Am I balanced? The Lexapro makes me feel like I am. Until I feel overwhelmed. Anxiety. Boom. Fuck. I can’t breathe. I can’t make everyone happy, but I can make me happy. This coffee helps. I’m going to Taipei. That helps. Food and art. Food and art. Probably my most favorite things in the whole wide world. I’m going to eat xiao long bao and bubble tea and beef noodle soup and Taiwanese breakfast. Give me culture. Give me experience. I’m not going to just pay bills and die. I’m going to live. I’m going to do everything I want and more!

Colombia “Narino” Supreme. Guatemala “Fraijanes Palo Alto Azul.” Indonesia “Aceh Gayo.” (More from the card.)

I keep looking at it. I didn’t bring an umbrella. And I’m wearing sandals. I don’t really care. I think the rain’s getting heavier. 종가2길. My Korean should be better after all this time. But it’s not. Is not giving a fuck an art? If not, can it be? A family just walked in. The little boy is in awe over the pastries. Mom is wearing neon green and black striped socks. The boy’s wet shoes are squeaking across the floor. Dad looks tired. I look tired. It’s fine.

Origin. Origin. Origin. Origin.

The croissants are looking mighty good. The espresso machine is beautiful. MUST. Custom? Italian? I’ll have one someday.

Purple poncho. This guy is outside leaning on his motorbike, drenched. Driving away. I don’t miss driving. 가위 바위 보. Rock, paper, scissors. An older couple across the street is playing, smiling. They look happy. I like that. 

Pensive. I like that word. I like a lot of words. History. Defined.

Is this Oasis? Shazam. Yes, it is. “Married with Children.”

Eclectic. Marble. Wood. Brown. Black. Cream. The light is soft.

Do other people scream internally? Because I feel like I do that a lot. Sometimes I look at people and wonder how they’ve made it this far. And they do some stupid fucking shit which makes me open my big, fat Jersey mouth. Whatever. I didn’t used to do that. I think living here has made me more fearless. That sounds cliche. Wow. But seriously. I can’t stay quiet anymore. Is it growing up? I don’t know.

I love myself.

Matt and Tia – A New Blog for Foodies

Hi everyone! I know I’ve been terrible about keeping my blog up-to-date (again). But that’s only because I have a new project to tell you about!

If you like food – eating, cooking, looking at pictures that will make you hungry – please check it out the new blog my boyfriend Matt and I have been working very hard on: Matt and Tia. Matt is a professional chef and I just really like to eat.

We want to bring you reviews, videos, recipes, pictures, and just about anything else you can think of that has to do with food.

We have also set up several other social media pages and we would really appreciate it if you could follow them, as well:

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Thanks so much and looking forward to seeing you all on our pages!

30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 5

Today, I did the fifth day of the DO YOU YOGA 30 Day Challenge. It was called “Yoga for Spine Flexibility.” Like yesterday’s video, it was really good to improve posture and I enjoyed doing the poses. I’m actively focusing on bettering my posture when I’m sitting and standing.

After the video, I had some blueberry oatmeal for breakfast. I also did a load of laundry (which desperately needed to get done). Feeling extra motivated, I also decided to go to the gym and used the elliptical for about 25 minutes.

Now, I’m home and continuing my productivity. I got paid today, so I was able to make an extra payment on one of my student loans, pay my Kohl’s bill in full, and put some money into savings. Woohoo!

I also had some Greek yogurt and a cup of green tea following my workout.

Later, I’m going to run some errands with my mom since I’m off all day.

*Edit*

For lunch, my mom and I ended up going to Red Robin. I love it there because they have so many healthy options. I got a grilled chicken breast sandwich with red onions, avocado, bacon, and tomato (in a lettuce wrap – no bun) and got a side salad instead of fries. The worst part (calorie and fat-wise) was probably the blue cheese dressing on the salad. It was still really delicious, though.

30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 4

Today, I did the fourth day of the DO YOU YOGA 30 Day Challenge. It was called “Yoga for Great Posture” and I really enjoyed it. I admit, my posture is not the best and my back hurts almost all the time (it has since high school). I feel a little better after this session and I think I will start doing these poses and stretches more often, since they seem to help.

Aside from that, I worked from 6 AM until 1 PM today. It was hard dragging myself out of bed so early (and in the cold) to go to work. For breakfast, I had some blueberry oatmeal and a tablespoon of peanut butter. For lunch, I had the peanut butter and jelly box at work (450 calories). We also sampled a new drink at work called the Cascara latte (it was very sweet and I didn’t like it) as well as these new sous-vide eggs (I didn’t like them either and thought they tasted like plastic).

For the rest of the day, I think I’m just going to relax because I don’t feel particularly well. A nap sounds good right about now.

30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 3

Today, I did the third day of the DO YOU YOGA 30 Day Challenge. It was called “Self-Care Core” and focused on core strength. This was a little challenging for me since I essentially have zero core strength, but I got Matt to do the video with me and that made it more fun. He tried to get me to do some pushups (I literally can’t even do one) and we also did some sit-ups.

For breakfast, we had hot and sour soup with pulled pork that Matt made. It was delicious. Then, we went to Michaels together. I was looking for a piece of wood to make a craft for my best friend (I do pyrography sometimes), but they unfortunately didn’t have what I was looking for. Instead, I got a beautiful new set of colored pencils and a food-themed adult coloring book.

After that, Matt and I went to the mall to walk around a bit and check out some stores. We didn’t buy anything, but we checked out some cool sneakers and skateboards. Later, we went to Shop Rite to get some stuff for dinner. Matt bought a piece of salmon and a cucumber.

Back at his house, I colored while he made some really awesome sushi. After we ate, we watched Kung Fu Hustle which was probably the most visually appealing film I’ve seen in a very long time. It was great.

Now, I’m home and have to be at work at 6 AM tomorrow. Boo.

How was your day?

30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 2

Today, I did the second day of the DO YOU YOGA 30 Day Challenge. It was called “Happy Hamstrings” and focused on (you guessed it) hamstring flexibility! This video was also about 12 minutes long. I really like the instructor so far; her name is Jessica Rose. It’s also been a really long time since I’ve actively stretched and I’m feeling very positive this morning.

I don’t have work until 2:30 this afternoon, so I think my mom and I might be going to get new cell phones. I’m really excited because mine keeps shutting down randomly and it’s really frustrating – especially when I need to set my alarm to get up early.

Anyway, here’s some food stuff. I’ll fill in the blanks as the day progresses.

Breakfast: strawberry smoothie with almond milk, small piece of Greek new year’s bread.

Lunch: Leftover chicken stir fry, one oatmeal cookie.

30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 1

Today, I did the first day of the DO YOU YOGA 30 Day Challenge. It was called “Let’s Get Started” and focused on hip openers. The video was only 12 minutes long, but I completed it comfortably and I feel really good about it – especially since I spent 8.5 hours on my feet at work today!

I think I’m also going to use these yoga posts to chronicle my eating habits for the next 30 days as well. So, here’s what I ate today:

Breakfast: Tofu and veggie scramble made with one egg

Lunch: Zesty black bean and chicken salad (from Starbucks)

Snack: Leftover eggroll (no sauce)

Dinner: Chicken stir fry with white rice, Kevita mango/coconut probiotic drink

I also drank two venti iced green teas at work.

Who else is making an effort to be healthier in 2017? Feel free to share!

Return of the Wanderlust

Recently, I’ve had the overwhelming desire to go abroad again. The more I think about it, the more depressed I become about staying in this country. I don’t exactly speak openly about my political beliefs (especially on the internet), but I am truly worried about the future of America; and I feel like I will never have a future here.

I am 26 years old, working hourly as a barista to pay my bills. Overall, I enjoy my job right now, but I don’t feel like it is sustainable even if I pursue a management position. I see that the managers don’t really have lives outside the company. They are always on call, coming in earlier and staying in later than they have to. I don’t want that.

I want to leave work at work and enjoy my life. I want to travel and experience new cultures.

Obviously, I don’t have nearly enough money to make this a reality anytime in the near future. However, it is constantly on my mind. I don’t know where I want to go. Everywhere?

I had a very complicated experience in Korea, but it was mostly due to my particular hagwon. I met so many amazing people and got to see so many amazing things. Compared to what it is right now, my lifestyle was much better in the regard that it felt more financially stable.

Have you been in a similar situation? What have you done/are doing to make your dreams come true?

Foodies in New York

I celebrated my birthday on November 6 and my boyfriend, Matt, celebrated his on October 25. Since we both had off yesterday, we decided to spend the day in Manhattan to do a little more birthday celebrating. I was very lucky to have been able to spend a lot of time in NYC growing up. However, Matt hadn’t visited in about ten years, so I was extremely excited to show him around.

We woke up bright and early to head up to Jersey City to take the PATH. We may or may not have gotten into a car accident (everyone is okay) which set us back a few hours, but we were able to take care of everything and get a rental car to continue on our adventure.

We took the PATH to 14th Street and headed to Chelsea Market. The two of us were overwhelmed by mounds of colorful spices, fresh fish, pickles, and other delights. We walked around, sampling anything we could and talking about what else we would eat. After, we headed up to the Highline for a nice walk on a beautiful day. There were so many people enjoying the weather, as well as taking pictures of some protest art posted on one of the large walls.

Next, we made our way to Momofuku Noodle Bar, which was absolutely the highlight of our itinerary. There was no wait and we were seated at a bar with a view of the kitchen. I ordered an apricot soju slushie and Matt ordered a spicy lychee one. For our appetizer, we had shrimp buns and for our entrees, we shared a bowl of Momofuku ramen and a bowl of chicken pho. Everything was superb and I want to go back already.

Then, we walked around a bit and made our way to the Pour House across from Webster Hall. They had $6 Don Julio margaritas! Delicious. Times Square was next. All the buildings, lights, and masses of people were overwhelming, but the energy was exhilarating. We also made a stop at Rockefeller Center and admired Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.

After that, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was next. It is one of my favorite museums in the world, but Matt had never been. I couldn’t wait to experience it with him. We explored Egyptian art, arms and armor, Japanese art, and so much more. My friend Candice from college was also in the City yesterday, and she ended up meeting us at the Museum. So that was a really nice surprise.

The three of us walked from 81st street and found ourselves at Milk Bar on 56th Street and 5th Avenue. Candice and I got cereal milk milkshakes and I split a piece of their signature crack pie with Matt. We continued down to 42nd Street where Candice left us to head back to Grand Central Station. Matt and I stopped at the Bryant Park Holiday Market before walking down to 33rd Street to take the PATH back to Jersey City.

We were exhausted by the time we got home, but it was a truly wonderful day.

What did you do today?

 

30 Day Challenge: Day 22

Put Your Music on Shuffle and Post the First Ten Songs

1. The Smiths – Suffer Little Children
2. AFI – Open Your Eyes
3. Blaqk Audio – The Love Letter
4. Voltaire – The Happy Song
5. All-American Rejects – Dirty Little Secret
6. Queen – I Want It All
7. The Beatles – A Day In The Life
8. The Clash – London’s Burning
9. Paulson – Window Frames
10. RuPaul – Cover Girl

I have enough music in my digital library to play for nearly 13 days straight. This is such a small sampling, but I’m happy with the songs that came up!

Also, if anyone would like to do this challenge with me, it can be found here.