An Old Soul.

After a tiring day, watching The Ellen Show is, hands down, one of the best way to unwind.  It's sweet, heartwarming, funny, and best of all, the clips are at most five minutes long.  Perfect for a student's schedule.

When I was in San Francisco a few weeks ago, I was so surprised and excited to see Gabriel Angelo, an extremely talented boy who tap-dances and plays the trumpet, simultaneously.  I was first introduced to him while exploring Ellen clips a while ago.  You can see the clip here.

I was struck by how professional this dapper, trumpet-playing young man was.  No matter what happens around him, he doesn't miss a beat and just keeps on playing.  Besides his awesome talent, I was so impressed by his dress style.  I think he coordinates his outfits better than I do!

Anyways, I want to thank everyone for entering my first giveaway!  It was encouraging to see the response, and I am ever so grateful to everyone who visits my humble little corner of the internet.  The 6 winners are listed below:

Beginning of Spring.

Finally. It feels like spring. The mentally and physically exhausting week of midterms is over, and I could not be more grateful. Thank goodness it only lasts for a week - I don't think my I could handle any more days of barely sleeping, hahah.

banchan (반찬). sautéed mushrooms, kimchi, & spicy cucumbers.

In celebration of finishing with all of our exams, my friends and I made the short trek over to a local Korean and Japanese restaurant: Nassau Sushi. Sharing a meal with close friends is one of those simple pleasures in life that never gets old.

bibimbap (비빔밥).

all mixed up!

Bibimbap is staple of Korean cuisine and is simply rice topped with a variety of vegetables and chili pepper paste. The word itself literally means "mixed rice." Two of my friends ordered the dolsot bibimbap (돌솥 비빔밥), which is bibimbap served in a hot stone bowl. It's my favorite preparation of the dish: the hot bowl crisps up the edges of the rice and cooks the nearly-raw egg that frequently tops the vegetables.

jjamppong (짬뽕).

Someone else ordered the jjamppong, which is spicy seafood noodle soup. We all "ooh"ed and "ahh"ed when the waiter brought out the dish. Doesn't the bowl look like a pearl?

soon doo boo (순두부찌개).

I ended up trying something new: the seafood soon doo boo, which is a spicy stew with plenty of tofu (yummm), scallions, shrimp, and clams. Due to my impatience, I ended up burning my tongue from the delicious chili soup. But oh my goodness, it was worth it.

How has everyone been this March? Does it feel like spring yet for you?

p.s.

if you haven't already, be sure to take a break, if you can, from school or the job! they're a perfect way to de-stress and thus vital to your health. read more here.

Watch These: March.

Did anyone watch the Oscars? To say the least, I was so tremendously satisfied by the winners chosen. My personal favorites were "Paperman" for Animated Short, Brave for Animated Film (go Brenda Chapman!), Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor, Ang Lee for Best Director, Argo for Best Film, and of course, Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress.

Now it's time to move on and look forward to the new films that may become contenders for next year's Oscars. I believe one or two of this month's films will make it to that prestigious award show.

march

stoker

release date: march 1st, 2013.

starring: mia wasikowska, nicole kidman, & matthew goode.

director: chan-wook park.

storyline: After India's father dies, her Uncle Charlie, who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her unstable mother. She comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives and becomes increasingly infatuated with him (from imdb).

let me preface this by saying i hate horror movies. really. i had my eyes closed for the majority of all horror movies i've seen (which are only three), and each experience was one i hope to never repeat again. so why do i want to watch stoker? the premise, cast, and director all have immense aesthetic appeal to me. park chan-wook is one of the most critically-acclaimed directors in not just south korea, but the world, and the script was lauded as one of the best in 2010, before it was picked up. is it wrong to want to watch a movie just to see the style in which it will be filmed and portrayed? here's hoping that the film won't be too terrifying (hahah, this may just be wishful thinking).

why watch it: just check out this trailer.

jack the giant slayer

release date: march 1st, 2013.

starring: nicholas hoult, stanley tucci, & ewan mcgregor.

director: bryan singer.

storyline: The ancient war between humans and a race of giants is reignited when Jack, a young farmhand fighting for a kingdom and the love of a princess, opens a gateway between the two worlds (from imdb).

while i'm glad that nicholas hoult is headlining this film (have you watched x-men: first class? he was wonderful in it), i'm more excited by the presence of stanley tucci and bryan singer. there's just something about tucci - i swear he has a golden touch with movies. more often than not, he plays a side character, but the ones that he plays are always so memorable and well done, that i constantly wish i could see more of his character instead of the main ones. and then there's bryan singer, of x-men and x2 fame. he may not be the most respected director, but i find all of his films enjoyable, and isn't that what movies are for?

why watch it: a fun spin on a classic story.

The First Giveaway!

How is your eyesight?

Sadly, I am not one of those people with 20/20 vision - haven't been since I left elementary school - so I have been wearing glasses for almost a decade now...! Even after I had discovered the existence of contacts, I couldn't kick the habit of wearing my glasses. There's something comforting about seeing the world behind a frame. Maybe I'm hiding from something.

Glasses are now an extension of me, and thus, I am so pleased to announce my collaboration with Firmoo to host this giveaway!

bd33001 /// bd33009 /// sd2383

An SFO Valentine.

It's time to get off campus.

I am so grateful to be given an opportunity to fly to San Francisco to visit a start up. It almost feels like the city and the tech company are my valentines this year ♥.

How is everyone spending their Valentine's Day? I sincerely hope it will be a day filled with love and warmth!

p.s.

i feel like i hit the pause button on this blog these past few days, due to prepping and schoolwork. but i'm ready to resume soon (and with a giveaway to boot!) so stay tuned. (: