New York I Love

My first visit to NY wasn't so pleasant - someone broke into our car at night and stole everything, including my #1 possession at the time... my CD player. So why exactly did I fall in love with this city? I don't know. It was like love at first sight.

Because I had landed a summer internship on Wall Street, New York for me was a symbol of my years of hard-working and also of my parents' pride in me. But after a couple of days of carrying the company badge that looked too cool to be true at first, New York became more than the city of finance for me. It created a place of its own in the corner of my heart.

People called me a New Yorker but I never quite figured out what that meant. Yes I lived in New York, I enjoyed the city night life, and explored countless corners with my Nikon camera but I guess 3 months wasn't enough for me to be completely immersed into the city life. Yes, the city life looks so fancy in movies and TV shows like Sex and the City but New York in my heart means more than a closet full of brand-name shoes and fancy Sunday morning brunches (although I do plan on keeping up with this tradition when I finally settle down next month).

New York is extraordinary because you can never stay the same in this city. New York fits me because the life THE CITY closely resembles one of my favorite quotes, and my motto, "When you are finished changing, you are finished" by Benjamin Franklin.  New York is also awesome because you get to create something of your own and call it your HOME.


So there, that's why I'm going on this 7-hour bus ride to find a perfect room where I can dream my dream for the next... who knows how many years. Yes, I might complain about the city and run away to a different city for a couple of days sometime. And I will change for sure during my years as a "New Yorker." But one thing is for sure: I'm following my heart.

New York, New York
August, 2011

Finally getting a perm

Now that I have two hours to kill here at a hair salon, I decided to write a blogpost since all these korean salons are kind enough to provide wifi.
For those of you not familiar with the korean beauty culture, almost all hair salons and beauty related shops have a seperate space for free web browsing on netbooks or ipads (which is usually prepared for boyfriends that come to the salon for their girlfriends and have nothing to do).
In some respect, the korean culture is TOO advanced. Seoul is really a sin city where if you have money you really have something to do at any hour of the day. Yeah its great for those in their 20s that are looking to have some crazy time and meet new people but if they were to look back on their experience 20, 30 years from now, what would they say?
Damn, that was some crazy times I wish I could go back
Or...
Damn, I wish I had done something more meaningful, something more than just drinking until I blacked out.
These stories can only be determined many years from now on but all I can say now is that whatever I decide to do, or YOU decide to do, never regret the decision bc life is too short to cry about what already happened.
Back to the point of this post... MY HAIR!!!
I havent done anything to my hair for almost a year now and those around me have been nagging me about it.
I didnt feel like doing anything else today anyway so here I am, sitting at a hair salon at 7pm on Friday at such a prime time.
The designer told me hes trying digital perm on my hair where you use the machine you see in my pic to heat up the rollers (thats why it belongs to the heat perm category).
I will put up an after photo after everything is done. (I am a bit worried that they are leaving these rollers on my hair for too long cux this place is so crowded and all the designers are super busy right now. Oh well its Korea I have every right to fight back about a shi**y service).
To be updated.....




I loved the hair so much that I tipped the hair designer (in Korea, we call them designers) 5 bucks which made him incredibly happy. Tipping in the States is customary while it is pretty much unthinkable in Korea. As someone who's worked before in the service industry, I know how much such a small amount means to someone who's been standing all day, working on other people's hair. The perm itself was incredibly cheap to begin with so the 5 bucks I gladly gave him was definitely worth it as it made my day as well.

............... AFTER................

(Having fun on photobooth in the middle of cleaning, blog updating, chatting etc...)

Hope this lasts.... lol

Being ready and seizing the opportunities

Today, I met a CEO and a consultant who's been my mentor since high school. During our 3-hour long conversation, I not only shared my concerns and asked for his advice but he also walked me through a huge project he's been preparing for awhile and will be launching this year. While I can't talk about the nature of this project here, I am very much considering joining the team later on, which is an exciting idea for me to consider as I start my career at PwC because I always wanted to be part of something that's growing and in this project, I see some immense potentials.

During our talk, he told me that people maybe have 3 opportunities (or lucks) during their lives and it is up to them to seize them. But these opportunities don't come to anyone and not everyone is prepared to take it and succeed when they come around.

In the past couple of months, I've been struggling to determine my plans; both academic and professional plans (which actually go hand-in-hand). Talking to my friends who seemed to have at least their 20's figured out, I honestly couldn't (and still can't) say how I planned to achieve my dream.

Wait, what is my dream anyway? what am I trying to do here? Yes, I want to own my own company someday but what company? and is MBA the only way to go? Do I really want to give up going to law school? what about the passion I had when I was young that I will devote my life to improving the living conditions of those that are less privileged? All these questions ate away the small bit of confidence I had and I seemed to fall deeper and deeper into a black hole I named, useless worries.

My mentor told me that I don't have to be so aggressive at picturing my dreams and figuring out every step to get there. I just need to prepare myself for when the time is right; because when it is, opportunities will come and I will be equip to seize those opportunities.


carpe diem  <3

My future? MY future.

I always had a plan.

When I was in high school, I knew exactly what I had to get done on a given day and how to get it done. I had plans and goals for the school year as well as for the summer. I thought I was in total control and liked my life that way. Because of this type A student deal, I walked a straight path, a smooth one I must say. I liked knowing where I was heading and understood my responsibilities.

I was responsible, but not passionate.

My college years have been an interesting journey to actually give myself a break to listen to my heart. I don't know what the future holds but I at least know one thing for sure: I will be passionate - about my job, family and friends, faith, goals... etc.

I am already 23. It seems like just yesterday when I turned 21 and thought ANYTHING was possible. While I am still young and there are so many opportunities, I am reminded everyday that there is no time to waste. There are so many things I want to accomplish in the next 5 years, 10 years, 20 years and so on.

Why so philosophical all of a sudden?

Well, I had a fabulous opportunity to chat with a good friend of mine today for good 4 hours and it got me thinking about what kind of plans I have for my future: right now, nothing really to be quite honest. I told myself that I will be spontaneous this summer to enjoy what I have not been able to enjoy during college but this thought turned into a shameful excuse to allow myself to live everyday without using a single brain cell for the last couple of days (actually I wouldn't be surprised if I lost some).

My friend and I talked through our plans for the future and why we are at where we are now. There are millions of other ways to spend my summer and the next two years, but what I know for sure is that now I have a PURPOSE for what I am doing. The exact activities on my planner don't really matter because I now have a clear purpose, and there are so many ways (other than what I myself assessed as the way to do it).

I won't make the same mistake of evaluating my life by others' standards. My future is MINE, whatever the consequence.

In August, I will have become a different person - both physically and mentally. I may not have a roadmap right now but I like it that way. I will let life happen. Well, at least for now ;)

3 down 3 more to go

This pretty much sums up how I feel right now...

1 exam/2.5 papers away from GRADUATING

May 8, 2011

I know I'm sexy, don't judge ;)

Hello :)

My official hello :)

MoMA, April 2011

New York, NY