Greetings From Grace

southkoreanfood: 허니 브레드 HONEY BREAD: A common cafe food in...

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:39:31 -0500

허니 브레드 HONEY BREAD: A common cafe food in South Korea! There are many types and versions, which range from sweet to savory (differs for each cafe / maker). Fluffy, thick-cut bread is doused in syrup, ice cream and/or whipped cream. Flavors range from chocolate, honey, fruit, sweet milk, green tea, cheese, garlic, pizza, etc. MEANT TO BE SHARED, SERIOUSLY!!!

SOUTHKOREANFOOD

Note to self: Attempt to make for dinner one...

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:11:52 -0400

Note to self: Attempt to make for dinner one day.

sp00nful:

Spaghetti with Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes

No boy can make me go weak at the knees…This can.

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:02:31 -0400

No boy can make me go weak at the knees…

This can.

ALAKSDJFKLAJFKLASDFJSALKFS. Whoa. thecakebar: 7-Layer Ice...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:15:56 -0400

ALAKSDJFKLAJFKLASDFJSALKFS. Whoa.

thecakebar:

7-Layer Ice Cream Cake

Absolutely breathtaking. my-big-fat-wedding-kitsch: Oscar de...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:01:43 -0400

Absolutely breathtaking.

my-big-fat-wedding-kitsch:

Oscar de la Renta

NOM. americastestkitchen: How To Make Boston Cream...

Thu, 31 May 2012 05:11:23 -0400

NOM.

americastestkitchen:

How To Make Boston Cream Cupcakes

Boston cream pie meets the Hostess cupcake in this delectable sweet. Get the step-by-step instructions here.

I have been a very lazy butt by not updating this as regularly...

Wed, 30 May 2012 20:31:00 -0400

I have been a very lazy butt by not updating this as regularly as I should have been. It makes it extra depressing that I write only after realizing how close we are to the end of this crazy experience…But I guess it never hurts to just begin the recollecting process whether it’d be sorting through the additional countries I’ve visited since my last post or the usual shenanigans in Mannheim.

Since London, I’ve visited: Spain (Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid), Morocco (Marrakech and bits of the Sahara), France (Paris-again), Belgium (Bruxelles), and Norway (Oslo). Every country held a different purpose for us to travel to, whether it was Spring Break or a national holiday. Either way, words simply wouldn’t do justice to the wonderful madness each trip served us little internationals, but pictures actually might…which cues me to direct you to my facebook (if I haven’t already infected your newsfeed within these past 5 months).

I believe the only additional country I’ll be setting foot in is Italy, but that will be in 3 weeks once the big sis arrives for our 1-week adventure before departing for good. I thought I’d have more opportunities to travel and as much as it sucks that I can’t make it to Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Czech Rep., or Turkey this semester, it gives me a reason to come back soon.

More recent updates: The weather in Mannheim has been cooperatively beautiful for the past month, which is a relief. I’m also officially 21, which makes gives me something significantly exciting to look forward to when I go home :). My friends? Still awesome. It blows my mind how we somehow still manage to get closer as each day goes by, but that’s the last thing I’ll ever complain about.

On a different note-I’m very broke haha. Yet surprisingly, I don’t regret a single cent spent here so far. I was confident in having my finances in check before arriving on this exchange, and although I recently hit a few unexpected bumps in the road, everything still managed to work out as it always seems to do so. The key is to not worry and keep living. Be aware enough to not completely lose sight of your priorities, but primarily, learn how to live correctly. Maybe I say this with confidence now because life has been too amazing and surreal for me to stress or complain as often as I used to? All I know is living independently here has shown me in too many ways that the right things always seem to know how to follow through both achievements and mistakes, no matter what kind of a situation you find yourself in. The thought itself is very comforting if you actually take the time to believe in it.

Well, that’s my two cents on philosophical fortune cookie-status life tips. For today at least :).

Maybe I’ll say this about every city I visit in Europe,...

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:04:00 -0400

Maybe I’ll say this about every city I visit in Europe, but one thing I’m certainly positive about is that London is my kind of place to be. This would be the 2nd country outside of Germany I’ve stepped into and pinning its comparison with Paris on the board has already given me a better taste of what this continent has to offer. As a small conclusion, I would say Paris is where I’d settle down after retirement rolls around while London is where I’ll be living up my youth!

Speaking confidently without being given a “what did you just say?” stare down was definitely a highlight during these 6 days, but it did make me somewhat bitter that I don’t possess a British accent. (Maybe that’s subconsciously the bigger reason as to why I want to live here so badly at one point in my life). On a side note-it completely boggles my mind hearing from other exchange students here that American accents are also recognized to be “cool”. That one will always get me haha.

So language, check. Next wonderful encounter would have to be a mash-up of fashion and food. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been to New York as often throughout my 20 years in the states, but I swear I’ve never seen such beautifully dressed people in my life. I guess what really grew on me was the individual expression boldly printed on every stranger’s outfit. Color and confidence were definitely the two common things I observed on the runways of Brick Lane and Oxford St. I’ll admit I didn’t have enough guts to sacrifice being seen as a complete creep by taking any snapshots, so I guess that means you all have to see for yourself. As for food, my facebook album has complete coverage, so check it out if you’re half as obsessed as I am. :)

Hm. Traveling to this city marked a small, but significant, turning point in my life. I’ve always been somewhat of a late bloomer so being able to say that I flew solo on this trip was somewhat of a big deal. I’ve never experienced such an intense amount of city life as the majority of these 20 years has been within the suburbs, but I’m finding that it really doesn’t take much effort to get the hang of navigating around whether it’s Boston, Paris, Mannheim, or London. Baby accomplishments aside, I do feel that my understanding of independence is growing which gives me some reassurance that I’m doing something right.

As overstated and joked about as this phrase was throughout our trip, it holds truth: “You only live once”. Of course it can be used as an excuse to basically do whatever the hell you want, but I like to see it as a sometimes necessary push to act fearlessly and confidently in every aspect of your life. (Let’s hope I remember that…)

Where to, next??

Three words: I. love. Paris. Despite the icy bite of the...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:54:25 -0500

Three words:

I. love. Paris.

Despite the icy bite of the negative degree weather we encountered every day, this city possessed beauty inside and out. Naturally, we took the touristic route and explored mostly all the spots where you know you’ll find a horde of Asians with their cameras going off (yes, myself included). But apart from paying our respectful visits to the lovely Mona Lisa and Eiffel Tower, I would say we managed to make pastry and bread consumption our next form of leisure when we had nothing else to do. Forget going out to clubs and drinking in bars until the morning…Paris slowly turned Andrew, Sarah and me into three old farts who ate dinner at 5pm and went to bed by no later than 11pm. I personally didn’t complain haha. We enjoyed our meals followed by our ritual hours of gossip, video countdowns and Les Simpsons. I think we will officially reserve beer and all other alcohol for Mannheim, as we definitely took its affordability for granted after leaving. And now I am also reunited with my old friends: salad, yogurt, and cereal. Thank you, reality check. haha.

I’ll admit, I think if I stayed a day longer in Paris my enjoyment of it would’ve slowly declined. I recall feeling home-sick (Mannheim home-sick) almost every night and nothing excited me more on our last day than to sleep on the train, knowing that when I open my eyes we’d be back at our familiar Hauptbahnhof. But whether it was resting under the Arc de Triomphe after a day of shopping on Avenue desChamps-Élysées or eating nutella crepes while wandering through the flea markets of Bastille, every day served us three internationals an adventure to remember. Paris, you were unforgettable, and I am assured that I will be revisiting you in the spring when even more of your splendor will blossom to life. Au Revoir until then. :)

“Occupy Bankfurt”Probably one of the coolest things...

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:09:23 -0500

“Occupy Bankfurt”

Probably one of the coolest things I’ve been able to witness so far during this experience. It’s unbelievable how fast this movement keeps growing and seeing it outside of the states has definitely put things into a different perspective.

On a side note/quick update-

I still haven’t had any Korean food and I miss it very much (wah wah) haha. I have stumbled across a few sushi bars, thai, vietnamese, and chinese restaurants downtown so if worst comes to worst, I know I’ll survive.

Sleeping is still slightly troublesome for me. I thought that by now I’d be used to the bed and my room, but I guess my body begs to differ =/. Other than that, I’d say I’m getting used to my life here and it’s still crazy to me that I’ve only been here for 2 weeks. Feels like 2 months!

~~~~~~

Lastly, thinking about what everyone back in Mass will be doing later tonight makes me miss home that much more. Wish I was rich enough to fly back for the day and experience a night of intense football, friends, laughs, and greasy wings. But regardless, Go Pats! :)

"Das Ist Gut!"

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:31:00 -0500

Day 5

Every day and night so far for the past week has been a mix of pure misery as well as wonder beyond anything. I arrived in Mannheim on Monday morning around 7am, lugging around two 50lb+ suitcases, a duffel, and a backpack in a gloomy ice cold downpour. I guess it’s also a good time to mention now that my apartment complex has no elevators and I so happened to be placed at the very top floor…getting to the top was a nice achievement in itself.

I love my room, but I’m not in love with my apartment. My room is fairly spacious, yet cozy, with more than enough room for all my belongings as well as a sink to further convenience my laziness. I however have not stepped into my kitchen upon arrival because I found it to be a complete mess, which I choose to not hold any responsibility over haha. It’s very strange to me that cleanliness isn’t as strictly enforced in these apartments so I guess that’s one thing I took for granted about our college housing systems back in the U.S. It’s also a little odd that I don’t see nor interact with my roommates at all. Everyone seems to keep to themselves pretty well in their own locked rooms so it seems as if I’m the only one here a lot of the time. Gets a tad lonely and creepy sometimes, not going to lie.

But moving onto some already amazing and irreplaceable discoveries:

These past 4 days and nights have consisted of constantly exchanging warm introductions from one face to another, attending sociable excursions from bar crawls to castle touring, while simultaneously soaking in every bit of the German culture one breath at a time. I can say that I’ve attended my very first bar crawl and brewery tour as well as consume my very first glass of “true” German beer. I still have yet to try some sausage here, although, I have had a “dunar” (a yummy Turkish sandwich that is about the equivalent in taste, satisfaction, price, and joy produced as NY chicken and rice).

I can also officially say that I have met and befriended some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met in my life, ranging from the U.S and other countries such as Canada, Norway, France, and even Australia! I’ve been finding that some of my most favorite and memorable moments experienced here so far revolve around how much one can learn about someone else of a different culture. Being surrounded by such a diverse bunch who each have their own individual stories and backgrounds to share has been such an eye opener. It makes me feel truly blessed for who I am and how my story unfolds as a Korean-American.

As busy as this week has been, picture-taking is slowly starting to unfold so I promise I won’t disappoint in that area! For now, here’s something cool to look at I guess:

I attend classes in the second biggest baroque palace in Europe right after Versailles. No biggie! :)

Warm Hugs

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:18:00 -0500

Officially the 1st post of 2012. And what better way to kick of the year than to have the privilege of traveling halfway across the world to ~~study~~ ”study”? :)

From this point on, I officially declare this little blurb of the web to be a home for some of my thoughts and adventures. To all of you who wish to see how I’m doing, this is the spot to check. :) Surprisingly, this reality still has not hit me quite yet. However, I’m assured that it will start to creep in a few hours when I wake up and realize my room will once again be bare and not slept in by its owner for another 6 months. Forward and onward to a new room awaiting in Mannheim!

The first few days/weeks will be rough and I pray to God that what I go through may not be any worse than what I’ve been nervously anticipating. I’ve accepted that I will get homesick, and that is why my stomach has been satiated by an unhealthy overload of korean pood within the past few weeks. As much as I will dearly miss home, my hope is that my mind can tough it out by naturally integrating the different lifestyles I come across into my everyday doings during my stay and upon arrival in June. Who knows, maybe the food, friends, fashion and atmosphere will bring home a largely sophisticated g.kim. Or maybe I’ll just come back fat. (*knock on wood)

I guess it also worries me in the slightest bit that I know and speak absolutely zero German. I’m anxious, yet more curious at the same time, as to how that will fly during this first month of the “Winter Academy” language placement test/course. I promised myself I would not be in shock if I landed in a class with kids the same age as my little sister. A second and somewhat unrealistic goal is to keep a low profile and be the last thing from a tourist. Considering I’m an Asian-American in Europe and this is my first visit alone to this continent makes that slightlyy difficult, so I hope you’re all rooting for me haha.

Well, here goes.

Oh, and this is Reebo. Short for Haribo. He will be accompanying me since a special someone can’t…until April that is. :)

Bye bye, Massachusetts. Hello, Germany!