March thoughts I can't let go of

I can't believe it's already March 2017!  Some things that have been preoccupying my mind or have been prominent this month:

1. Owls - my coworker helped save a baby owl near our office the other day! UCLA is the perfect place to save owls apparently--with some serendipity-- a wild animal advisor, a PhD student studying ornithology, and a facility manager knowing where owls lived on campus, all came together, completely randomly! to return the baby owl to its nest--where a sibling awaited and a mother watched from above. The nest is right outside our office and everyone has been very excited about these owls! 

Momma owl looking down on the babies

Saved baby! 

2. Universal Studios & Harry Potter World- so a few of us had a girl's day at Universal!  I had so much fun!!! I wasn't sure what to expect, but being in a complete make-believe world of movies is a great way to escape.  We got annual passes- so I can't wait to go again!!! The nostalgia of those movies is strong--and I felt like I was in a fairy tale world of Hogsmeade as we walked through HP land. 

3. Beauty and the Beast -  Talking about nostalgia...I didn't think I'd love Beauty and the Beast as much as I did.  I think I loved it so much because it took me right back to my childhood and I was surprised that I knew ALL of the words to the movie...not just the songs, but dialogue throughout the entire movie! Two thoughts- damn Disney, you sure know how to get into our hearts and minds and monetize that, and second, wow they did a good job, but I still stay loyal to the animation of my childhood.   I'm listening to a lot of "Tale as old as time" and am currently banned from singing it in my own home by Chris haha 

 4. Wild flower, Poppies, and Cherry Blossoms! - We got a lot of rain this winter so the wild flowers and poppies are in full bloom! We're planning on taking a trip to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve on Sunday.  Pictures to come soon! Chris and I are also leaving for Japan/Korea next week and we matched our timing to see the cherry blossoms in Japan.  I hope the weather cooperates to make this all happen for us! 

5. Professional development - I'm applying to a professional development program for UCLA staff.  I really really really hope that I get in.  The application requires answering 6 questions and as what happens when I write all applications---I keep thinking, I wish I had done more! Fingers crossed that I get accepted.  

Chef's Table: Season 3, Episode 1 & 3

I love watching Chef's Table. It's so dramatic and beautifully shot and does a good job of taking the viewer on a journey of the chef's life and their philosophy behind their food.

Season 3, Episode 1 and 3 are my favorite, with Episode 4 coming in a close second.

Episode 1 is about Jung Kwan, a monk in Korea. It made me miss home so much! But also, it made me think of my parents and how much I miss them and how thankful I am...also how much more I can do. Jung Kwan devoted her life to thanking her parents and I think her story and her sentiment is incredibly lovely.

Episode 3 is about Nancy Silverton and it was so touching for many reasons. One, she's from LA so we can and have gone to her restaurants, and two, she is one incredibly hard working and independent woman! We've been to Pizzeria Mozza a couple times now and the pizza, the bread, and the ease of the restaurant seems to embody the chef.

I also enjoyed this parody.  --really it reminded me of the scene in Jung Kwan's segment when they display a plate of kimchee with dramatic music and print...but hey, maybe its time kimchee get's elevated?!

February thoughts I can't let go of

February was the month of visiting condos!  But there are a few notable thing  that I want to highlight for this past month:


1. Pod save America

Okay, so listening to this podcast does not lead to minimizing the divide between liberals/conservatives, but it is a lot of fun to feel sane with others and more importantly its very informative.  The podcast with Katie Couric was my favorite...but also, does EVERYONE have a podcast now?

2. Walks on the Beach

My friend Emily was visiting for a day, and she requested we take a walk along the beach.  I recently read an article about why the brain loves the ocean and I 100% agree.  I felt so rested and refreshed after we walked along the beach.  I need to make it a point to do this more often.  I used to think I'd do this every weekend if I moved here, but that has not been true.

3. Apartments/Condos- what's the right thing to do ?

We're searching for a place to buy. It's hard to know what the right thing is to do! So far we've only put down 2 offers, though we have seen over 20 places. Each place is so different and we hesitate to pursue anything unless we both like it a lot, There is also a lot of conflicting advice that we receive from everyone.Some say you have to LOVE it, others say...it doesn't matter as much.  My favorites apartments are ones with high ceilings, a lot of natural light, and air flow,  and I can't see myself in a place without a lot of natural light and some air flow.  In any case, the search continues!

4. American girl doll and my story

Guys! The American Girl doll came out with an Korean-American doll! Why does this matter?  In college, I wrote a story about an American girl doll who was Korean-American for a post-modern/pop culture class. It was loosely based around my life and others whom I know. It's the only paper I kept (its at home in Korea) from college because I had so much fun writing it and I was so proud of it.  And now it's a reality!!  I am not sure why her name is Z. Yang--yes, there are people with the last name Yang, but the name seems more Chinese to me.   In any case, I think its an exciting development!

5. Networking

Networking gets such a bad name, but in reality its really about identifying new opportunities and making friends/acquaintances.  This month I've had quite a few conversations about the art of networking with people looking for jobs and it's reminding me of all the hard work I did when I first graduated from GT and was out to find that perfect first job.

I recommend this book - Knock Em Dead

Wedding 2.0 - The Video

I'm catching up on wedding related posts here, so please bear with me! 

Wedding planning in the 21C is all about online searching, and it can be pretty overwhelming. But I came across a fun quiz that determined whether you are someone who likes to revisit memories via video or photos, based on current media consumption habits.  I like watching videos, according to the quiz. 

This helped us decide, among other things...like aging parents and friends and family that live far away, that we wanted a video!! 

I think our videographer did a great job, and I'm so excited to see that friends and family make an appearance in the video.  I do wish more people, like Chris' extended family were captured as well, but I still think it is a good representation of our day.

Please enjoy! 

Wedding Video

pswd: sc

Caveat: This video was supposed to be 10-15 minutes long, but I think our videographer got overwhelmed with where to cut my dad's speech and ended up leaving the whole speech in. It's about 30 minutes long.  

Music: Above and Beyond, Treasure.