Sympathy for the four eyes

     I've been lucky to have good eyes my whole life. I have 20/20 vision and see everything perfectly even though I abuse my eyes and probably look at a computer screen for about 40 hours a week. I feel sort of sorry for people that need to wear glasses, doesn't look fun at all. There's so many disadvantages to having to wear glasses. Even if you wear contact lenses you still gottta put them in everyday which looks like a pain in the ass. The only advantage to wearing glasses is that they make you look smart (?) They are a pair of pain. Get it? Pair? Right and left lenses.

Dieting...

  With lifting weights, comes a strict diet. Exercising is nothing, it's actually pretty fun, dieting is the hard part that's like hell... Especially when you live in Korea that has food that has a bazillion calories, but none of your friends gain weight because they all have ultra super fast metabolisms. I try to stay on my diet but I'm always seeming to get off track some how, I need to shape up fast because summer came out of nowhere and smacked me right in the face and told me to stop stuffing my face.

  What I eat when I'm on my diet usually consists of these things:

• Chicken Breast
• Lean beef
• Fish
• Rice
• Vegetables with lots of fibers like broccoli 
• Omega-3
• Whey Protein 
• Creatine
• Multi-vitamin

Living in a box

     Is it just me, or does life get harder and harder. Life has been pretty stressful lately probably because finals are coming around the corner and probably because I have about 5 more blog posts I need to do. 
I found an article I think somewhere in the internet and I thought it was really interesting:

Every morning, you wake up in a box to the sound of the loud beeping coming from another box. You sleepily attack the noisy box and slowly sit up in your box, rubbing your eyes (which hopefully are not boxes as well...). You sleepwalk into another box, hit the lights, and spend about 10 minutes washing your face and brushing your teeth with the help of another box. Then you walk to yet another box, and find your clothes. When you're done with that box, you go downstairs and open a box to find objects of interest for your breakfast. You use another box to heat the objects you found in the box, and then you sit down at a box to eat. When you're done, you clean up and put all the dirty dishes in a box, then walk out your door. You go outside and get into a box, and spend the next 3 and a half hours stuck in a stream of boxes, where you exercise your complete vocabulary of rude and un-innocent words.

Sound familiar?

Happy it's summer (?)

     I'm always changing my mind. I always want what I can't have, I'm the person that thinks the grass is always greener on another person's lawn. In my previous posts I talked about how it would be great if it was summer. Well, summer has come...and I'm already sick of it -.-. I miss the nice winter breeze, miss all the layers of clothes I have to wear when going outside, miss not having to worry about the sticky humidity and being able to breathe the air, and what I miss the most is running in the cold and trying to get to the next warm destination and finally getting there, possibly with some hot coffee.

Weight Lifting

   For the past couple of months I've stopped kickboxing and have only been lifting weights, because of my schedule and because I needed to get read for the summer. I've lifted weights before, but have never really gotten that much into it. After lifting weights for a few months not only is it great seeing the physical results but I feel much better too. I have more energy throughout the day, I feel more happy, and I have better concentration.

  I personally think everyone should start lifting weights, I've never really liked to until recently after realizing how much fun it can be, I wish I could have started earlier. Lifting 100 pounds and then moving up to about 150 pounds about a month later gives a great sense of accomplishment.

Dear School

     So, I'm graduating in about a week and a half, and I decided to write a letter to the love of my life that has been with me for thirteen consecutive years now, school.

   Dear School,

          Thank you for implicating so much stress in my life. I love the way you make me wake up 5 days a week early in the morning and then force me to sleep early to repeat the cycle all over again. For the other 2 days you give me a sliver of hope that life is good until Sunday night where I just can't get to sleep thinking about seeing your pretty little face the next day. Thank you for taking away most of my freedoms that I regularly have in the outside world and punishing me for not following all the great and obviously purposeful rules. Thank giving me lots of homework so I can think about you all the time even when I'm not with you. And most of all thank you for being so difficult I think my tiny little brain will burst.

Lots of Love,
Kevin

Scissor dream

    Have you ever "woken up" and can see everything in front of you but can't move no matter how hard you try? That's a scissor dream. In Korean superstition it is believed that a ghost is literally pressing down on you so you can't move, or that there is a ghost inside of you.

    The thing is, I've been having alot of these lately, it happens in waves, and happens about ten times a night, so I haven't been getting alot of sleep lately. What's even more scary is that it gets intenser every time, and longer. It starts off with me waking up inside the dream and not being able to move, and knowing that the scissor dream is happening but there's nothing I can do about it. I wake up from the scissor dream and doze back off a a few seconds later again and after a few scissor dreams I hear a voice behind me, usually the voice of somebody I'm acquaintances with. In the next waves of scissor dreams the voice gets closer and louder behind me, that's when it really starts to get scary.

   If anybody knows how to get in touch with an exorcist, please let me know.

Don't take compliments for granted

      I never really thought much about compliments until recently, it can really change your whole day maybe even week around.

      I was at a cafe with a friend and one of my friend's friend's tells me all of a sudden something rougly translated from Korean to English "Kevin, you have really pretty eyes." At first, I thought "Where the hell did this come from?" But I just gave an awkward smile and said "Haha thanks." with the double combo of the five second awkward silence that comes after it.

     Maybe it was because the comment came from a female but after I was given this comment my coffee tasted better, the weather looked nicer, and I felt physically and mentally better.

    So the moral of my blog post is to not underestimate compliments, it could really change someones whole day, week, month, year, life(?)

Past Pets

      Because my parents owns a company that sells pet products I have had many pets growing up. I've had a frog, hamster, a dog, and a snake. I currently have two dogs and two birds. Pets are great for company, you can train them, take care of them, and they teach great responsibility, pets are great. They are companions for life.


     My first pet was a frog that I got from my uncle, I don't remember much about him/her except that I got it in a pickle jar. I don't remember exactly but I think it died when I left it outside in the sun for too long.

    After my pet frog I had a hamster, I actually had my hamster for a while, until she had babies and ate them all. my mom made me give it back to the pet store.

 My next pet was a pet dog a maltiz mix. I think I named him William because I liked that name. Didn't have him for too long either he died of a stomach disesase after only having him for a couple of weeks. After William I sort of gave up on having pets for a while.

After William I had a pet corn snake. Probably my most favorite pet and the one I would reccomend for most people. You only have to feed them once a week; and feeding them is the best part...mice..ummmm delicious.



Rainy weather

      So the weather has been pretty good recently until today....rain. It's funny how rain can effect our whole day. We can't go outside and do activities like riding your bike, going for a walk, or maybe shooting some hoops. It also sucks that you gotta carry an umbrella around wherever you go or else you get wet. Not only does rain effect us physically it also effects us mentally, when it rains I'm usually in a more calm, relaxed, sort of depressed mood; I don't think I'm the only one, I think most people have mildly changed moods when it rains. For example when I'm with my friends on weekends and it rains I notice we all go home earlier and talk about more serious sort of things.

Like I said ealier, you have less options when it rains, I personally like to sit down in a cafe with a couple of friends and drink some coffee. Just talk about what has been going on with everyone lately or what's the latest new feed about other people, anything that's on our minds.

I think rain's a good thing one in a while, it calms us down from the busy crazy week and helps us get our thoughts together. The only time it sucks is when it rains in the summer, it's humid, and humidity sucks; it's like just coming out of a hot shower but permanently.

Five Guilty Pleasures

1. Sleeping in... I don't just sleep in, I effing hibernate. I remember sleeping one day  at around 6am and waking up the next day at around the same time and wondering why it was getting so bright ouside.

2. Watching Korean dramas. I love these shows, you can call me girly all you want but it won't stop me from watching these shows and their awesome formulas for making an addicting show: Male A likes Female A While Male B likes Female A and Female B likes Male A and in the end Male A and Female B ends up together.

3.Sports, I love the feeling  of going through all that hard work and coming up with the sense of accomplishment. You feel great the next day, and also don't look half bad either. My friends think im perverted or something with the time I put into sports.

4.Listening to songs people don't know about, I don't know I guess I'm just a hipster and like to be unique, but I always try to find music people don't know. Maybe something from a couple decades ago or maybe an indie band. Something about music that I find that becomes MY music I treasure

5. And probably my most guilty pleasure....Korean pop idol IU (아이유)....I love you...hahahhaha.
I guess that's not to odd if your a Korean male around my age, I mean how can you not like her? She's cute and has a great singing voice. She's like the little cute puppy you wished you had as a child.

Yellowdust

       So the weather's starting to get alot better after months of cold harsh weather here in Korea. The sun is shining as you wake up with a smile knowing it's going to be a good day. One problem, yellow dust or "hwangsa". I didn't know what it was until I could actually physically see it, it sucks. Yellow dust comes from the Golbi Desert in Northern China. The intense sandstorms blows east towards South Korea and even towards Japan.

The Yellow dust carries pollutants from industrializing China

that can cause respiratory problems. It's advised to stay indoors when yellow dust get's really bad like this:

   On some days it's even considered hazardous to go outside when it gets really bad. There has been alot of controversy with China opening up alot more nuclear power plants around the Gobi Desert. If one of them explodes its nuclear yellow dust. We'll be wearing gas masks with nuclear protectant suits.

If you really need to go out when the yellow dust is really bad you should invest in a surgical mask that you see people wearing around in Korea. I've never worn one personally but I hear it actually helps.






Heres a video of when it gets really bad:

Vaction spots to go to in Korea.

Summer is near and almost time to wear t-shirts, shorts, and slippers. Korea I think is alot better in the summer than it is in the winter besides the humidity, and typhoons. There's also many place to go to have a mini-vacation. Time to hit the beach.


 Haeundae, probably the most popular place to visit in the summer for most Korean's is located in Busan. There's many things to do like eat sashimi, jet skiing, riding the "banana boat." People around their 20's would probably enjoy Haeundae. The only downfall is that it's overcrowded,

You don't always have to get out of Seoul to go on a vacation, Namsan Tower over by Yongsan is a great and beautiful experience getting to the top, especially during the evening right before the sun sets. As you take the cable car up and get to the observation area of the tower you can see all of Seoul. As you make your way down you can find many delicious restaurants.

The last and probably the most recommended place to go on vacation by me is......drum roll....Jeju-do. Jeju-do is Korea's largest island. There are many things to do like go to the beach, or go to the famous "Hallim Park", climb the famous halla mountain. Jeju-do is probably the most beautiful and most exotic place you can go in Korea.

The Prestige

The Prestige is the film that Christopher Nolan made with his Brother Jonathan in between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, starring Hugh Jackman and his Batman stars Christian Bale and Michael Caine. It concerns a bitter rivalry between two stage magicians, Rupert Angier, aka The Great Danton (Jackman) and Alfred Borden, aka The Professor (Bale), at the turn of the 20th Century.

The performances all around are nothing short of superb, with Jackman the best he’s ever been, before or since. The myopic, destructive fire of vengeance burns deep within Angier, a fire that eventually consumes him, and it is brilliantly realised by Jackman. Bale is equally great as Borden, whose complex, determined character cannot be fully comprehended until the last moments of the film. What is interesting about the rivalry between the two is that there is never any doubt but that Borden is the better magician, but equally that Angier is the better showman. It is in wishing to possess the others skill that is the undoing of both.

The supreme achievement of The Prestige is to be a film with lots of magic tricks, but the film is not about the tricks. But while you’re focused on trying to figure out the trick over here, the film is performing the real trick over there. The film is not about the tricks, the film is the trick. (If that makes no sense, go watch the film and re-read it – it should fall into place.)

It can be a little difficult to follow the shifting timelines at first, but stick with it and you will be rewarded with one of the most underrated gems of the decade. Simply superb. A+.

Soju: The Drink of Choice

        
      Although probably most of the student's at this school are too young to legally have a sip of alcohol, I think it would be good for them to learn the drinking etiquette in Korea. After a long hard week at college or a company party after work, most people are gonna be in a situation to drink at sometime in there lives in Korea.

• Soju is usually drunk in group gatherings.
• It is against traditional manners in Korea to fill one's own glass. They wait for someone else to fill their empty glass. Others are expected to fill the glass and are eager to do so as soon as they spot an empty glass. A sign of respect when pouring someone a glass.
• A glass should not be filled unless completely empty.
• If your glass is going to be filled by a superior, you should hold the glass using two hands. When pouring soju for a superior, you should hold the bottle with two hands.
• If a senior gives an empty soju shotglass (usually his/hers) to you, it means that the person is going to fill the glass and wants you to drink it. You do not have to drink it bottoms up, but at least you have to act like you are drinking it (sipping is okay). And if you drink "the glass" and make it empty, then turn the glass back to the senior who gave it to you. You are not supposed to turn it back soon, but holding it for a long time is considered rude.
• Koreans say "one shot", a challenge to down your glass in one gulp.
• When drinking in front of elders (people older than you), you should always turn away from the elder and then consume. Drinking the shot while facing the elder is disrespectful.
• When drinking among friends of equal social stature, it is often considered overly formal to use two hands when pouring or receiving a drink. 
• While drinking many people play "games" if you lose the game you drink the punishing drink the last person to lost has made

Starcraft? Starcraft.... Starcraft!

In South Korea, if you're an avid Stcraft fan, you might ask your fellow mates "did you play Star today?" Since its release in 1998, Starcraft has become a massive hit in South Korea--the following is almost cult-like. I've even had students write their essays about Starcraft and the World Cyber Games (WCG).

Just how computer game crazy is South Korea? Well, for starters there are two game channels on TV here, Ongamenet and MBCGame, where two Starcraft pros go at it against each other (it's quite the feeling to watch the Starcraft battles while I'm running on the treadmill), a Starcraft Pro League, and the KeSPA (Korean e-Sports Players Association) just to name the major players. The most popular and legendary Starcraft gamer is Lim Yo-Hwan (known to many as SlayerS_`BoxeR` or better yet, Mr. Starcraft how does a 600,000+ member fan club sound to you?), a 27 year old who needs bodyguards to keep away screaming female fans (and boys) from him. Even his mandatory military service (every Korean male needs to complete 27 months of military service) couldn't stop him from gaming, as the Air Force formed its own gaming team led by Lim to compete against the Starcraft elite in Korea.

"Cars cars cars, cars I do adore." (Quoted from a song by Jay-z)

         Vroom vroom vroom. I've been growing up around cars my whole life, my dad owns several auto-body shops around The Bay Area. You could ask me anything about any car and I'll probably know about it.                                                                             
                                                                  My first car.

.

.

.

I wish =(

     Car's can just be a means for transportation, or for people like me thrill, fun, a mini steel-enforced sanctuary. I remember before I got my license when I was in California and I would go out to Lucas Valley ( George Lucas's property) and drive around the slopes up the hills speeding back and forth thinking I was some kind of Formula 1 racer. Luckily I never got caught because I probably wouldn't be writing this blog post because I would have never got my license. When I finally got my license I remember just go out to San Francisco and drive around at night thinking about what's on my mind. Passing the Golden Gate Bridge through Van Ness Ave. around Fisherman's Wharf.

My realistic dream car.

I LOVE HOUSE MUSIC

  
If you've ever seen my in the halls after school or outside before school starts you'll probably see me with my headphones, it's because I LOVE music. I like all types music but the genre of music I'm really into is called house.

 So you're probably wondering what house music is right? Well........house music is basically the music that goes " DOOSH DOOSH DOOSH DOOSH DOOSH" over and over again. No, but really, house music is a style of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s it usually doesn't have any lyrics that are meaningful just a catchy beat.

     Many people think House is mindless and you don't need any brains to listen to it but this is my take on it: music is made to be danced to. if you want lyrics and meanings read a book or listen to poetry. Mozart didn't need lyrics as it is suppose to be the music that tells the story. lyrics are just there to explain what the music means to those who lack imagination. House music is about emotions and the feeling of the Moment. Think of it like a piece of classical music or art it can mean different things to everyone but they all just appreciate the beauty of it.

Just for laughs:

Fit & Healthy

      It's almost scary what some people especially the kids at this school put in their body's with almost no physical activity. I've only recently started taking care of my health, I'm still not that old, but I've started to feel the results of years of abusing my body. After some personal research these are some tips I can give you:

NUTRITION

#1 Change the white rice you eat to brown rice

#2 Switch to leaner meats.( No more samgyeopsal!)

#3 Balance the food you eat

#4 Take a multivitamin and Omega-3 fatty fish oil

#5 Look at the nutrition facts on the back of packaged foods

#6 If your on a budget, eat at home, don't eat that  ramen or ddukbokgi that has nothing but empty calories( alot of empty calories)

#7 WATER!!!!! drink lots of water. 2 litres of water a day is the recomended healthy amount.

#8 Don't skip meals and try to eat 3 meals a day.

                  EXCERCISE

#1 Join a sport's team, fitness center, take private lessons

#2 Make a schedule, on how many days to go a week and the amount of hours

#3 Don't break the habit

#4 Get a friend to join you!

#5 Make it fun

#6 Measure your progress, how much weight you loss, how much muscle you gained.

                      Hygeine

#1 Shower daily, you may not smell yourself but others can

#2  Wear clean clothes

#3 Try to brush your teeth after everytime you eat

#4 Keep nails trimmed and clean

#5 Wash your face and use a good toner and lotion

        After using these tips you will look and feel better!

            

               My favorite thing to do in my free time like I said in my previous post is martial arts, particularly kickboxing. Many people consider it dangerous and barbaric but I personally think its the most spiritual sport out there.I've tried alot of sports in my life and theres nothing that gets my adrenaline pumping, and sweating like kickboxing. Two guys standing in a ring taking hits back and forth. A connection of the mind, body, and soul.

               To give a little information about the origins of my favorite sport: People have been kicking and punching each other since the beginning of time. But, the more refined and disciplined martial art originated from Thailand. It's called Muay Thai and it was brought over to Japan where they named the sport "Kickboxing" and then brought over to the US where it caught the worlds attention.

Brief summary of my life.

            For my first blog post I think it would be appropriate for me to first introduce a little about myself. I have an older sister living in New York City and a Mom and Dad. My full names Kevin Hyunwoo Lee, I was born in Alamogordo, New Mexico on an Air Force base. I'm 17 years old and about to turn 18. (Adult!!!) I grew up around the outskirts of Seattle, Washington until I was about 13 and moved to Seoul, I went back to the states for a year and a half the second half of my Sophmore year to Marin County which is right across the Golden Gate bridge from San Francisco, California, and came back to Seoul and attend  Saint Paul's Prepatory Academy finishing my Senior year. My interests are in sports, and martial arts. I've been active in sports for almost my whole life. I played American Football around my neighborhood since I was about 7 and played for teams a little later until I moved to Seoul in 6th grade. I started Boxing and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu when I was in 8th grade and was on and off from it until I moved to San Francisco where I started Kickboxing and have been on and off ever since.