I met Santa Clause

I went to Jin's Patisserie to get some macaroons for some friends for Christmas. I got there right when they opened. There was another customer there with me. He was very Venice looking. Dressed pretty grungy with long curly grey hair and a santa belly. He was buying many boxes of their delicious french chocolates. We had a short conversation about the chocolates and how I never had them. He ended handing me a whole box and said Merry Christmas! A 25 dollar box of chocolate. Who does that?

So I wanted to wish my Santa Clause a happy new year and many blessings for 2010. Time to pay it forward.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

First LA Birthday Celebration!

In the words of Sai: "you are only 28 +2 days"

First I want to thank everyone for a really wonderful birthday. I love birthdays. Everyone should look forward to birthdays. As selfish as it sounds, with all the craziness in every day life, it's so nice to have people pamper you on your birthday. It's just one day out of the year where you are the star of your life. I got so many packages in the mail throughout the week from friends back east and a weekend full of fun fun and more fun. So thank you thank you thank you.

The weekend started off with a nice dinner in ktown of shabu shabu with some of my new small group friends. We celebrated December Birthdays. It was great food, great company, and great conversation. Then we ended the night with a little bit of rockband!

I was a rockstar on my birthday! Presenting...the Chive5!

Then on saturday evening HY, Annie, Linn, and Insun took my to dinner at the Yard near the promenade. I chose this restaurant because it's walking distance and Top Chef contestant CJ is the chef! Yum. But, if you're hungry don't go here. I suggest going for happy hour only.

Thanks for spending time with me!

I wore my boots with thick socks thinking it would be chilly. Turned out it was 70 degrees and I thought I was going to faint from all the heat building up in my body. I was forced to take off my shoes and socks in the restaurant.

Then us 4 girls headed over to the Terrace Theater in Long beach to watch the Nutcracker!

The little angel kiddies were SO cute. The flying big angels were SO freaky.

I chose to watch this Nutcracker because Ade, Melissa, and Jason from SYTYCD were in the ballet! So exciting. They were really good. This is the only good shot of one of the SYTYCD stars Ade.

Then we headed over to Gaam in ktown. Gaam...Our LA ARA.

With my Virginia family right here in LA.

My OC hotties who came all the way to ktown to celebrate with me.

Thanks everyone for making my first birthday in LA a memorable one! See you on your special day!

HELLO TWENY NINE

Happy Birthday to Me. Happy Birthday to Me. Happy Birthday Dear Me. Happy Birthday to Me.

This is what I woke up to this morning.

Sungsill's message. Probably her balcony.

Jungeun's house

Mari's house

Rebecca's house

I was so happy in my delirious state with a big smile on my face. Thinking about snow on my birthday and how it made me so happy. Then I looked out my window and it was 70 degrees. POOP!

But I can't be sad on my birthday. Especially when you hear this!

(More people sent singing VMs but this was the first one. Thanks for your beautiful voices. kaka)

And I got to read THIS from my old roomie and dear friend Annie.

Last night a few friends bbmed me pictures of the start of the blizzard in VA. I was having a wonderful birthday dinner with small group people, where many are from VA and passed around the pictures. Everyone was so excited.

Miriam going somewhere

Mari's front yard. I have parked in that spot so many times

So waking up this morning to awesome snow pictures and then being so disappointed at the sunny weather I almost got up and went to big bear to see snow and go tubing. I was 99% ready to just get in the car and go. But then Hye Young called. She said we need to go to the beautiful beach in Malibu instead. Ok FINNEEE.

Happy Birthday to Me again!

Thank you all for the best wishes! I love you so much!

GOODBYE TWENTY EIGHT

age is just a number age is just a number age is just a number age is just a number age is just a number age is just a number age is just a number age is just a number age is just a number age is just a number

Today is my last day being 28 years old according to the western calendar.  Since my birthday is so close to new years it has always represented a closing of one chapter and opening of another.  A year older and a new year.  I've had a big transition in my life.  And I thought it appropriate to reflect on this past year. 

28 Most Memorable Moments of being 28

1.  Of course I have to start off with my 28th birthday party.  It was my last birthday living in Nova and it was probably the most memorable one.  After a great dinner at heebeen we went off to ARA, annandale's very own korean cheers, where you will always see your "sam, woody, and norm." The next day the girls surprised me by taking me to Dr. Fish for a pedicure. Yes, Dr. Fish.  I think it is so memorable because it was the first time I was ever surprised. 
2.  I did it!  PRK!  (painful corrective eye surgery).  Poor Dina stayed with me while I was drugged out in bed in the most physical pain I think I've ever had in my life.  (But who actually remembers physical pain.) 
3.  Obama's Inaguration!  Right smack in the middle of DC.  Peace Love and Happiness

4.  I've had so many goodbye parties my friends tell me they will never throw me one again.  But sure enough, they did and this was one of the craziest at John's MTV cribs. 
5.   HELLO LOS ANGELES!  Dragging my huge suitcases up the stairs at Oakwood apts in Marina Del Rey to check in for my month long temporary stay.  It was the Italy train station stairs all over again.  Blah!
6.  Driving around LA half blind because of my PRK.  It's amazing how helpless you feel when you lose one of your senses. 
7. Having total painful indigestion problems from who knows what
8.  Living with Annie and Linn for 5 months.  Always coming home to a clean house and dinner on the table.
9.  Miriam's Bachelorette in Las Vegas and still being sick and Jisun trying to "sohn ddah" and slapping my back.  Hahahaha. Have to laugh at that
10.  Miriam's outrageously fun wedding back in Virginia.  Who knew JMU and Tech could get along.

11.  BBQs at Kevin's house and trying on military gear
12.  Annie's beautiful wedding in Hawaii

13.  Seeing an errupting volcano

14.  Swimming with dolphins in the open water

15.   Taking Sora to the dog beaches many times and watching him have so much fun.  And him trying to fight coyotes and then running away.

16.  Kim Gun Mo concert where I saw mom go crazy

17.  First awesome bonfire at hungtington beach which Mike invited us to

18.  All those fun trips to San Diego visiting Susan and Dorothy and SORA of course

19.  First trip to Disneyland as an adult with Dina. Oh those caramel apples

20.  Sharon getting married

21.  Bike riding at venice beach

22.  Sailing at the Marina with Jackie

23.  My mom buying 1000 polos in Fashion District just because she's a korean ajuma that can't help buying "sale" things

24.  Michael Jackson Karaoke night with HY, Ruth, and Brian

25.  Gtown cupcakes at my front door

26.  Spectrum with HY stalking JMU guy

27.  Enormous amount of visitors!  Mari, Lisette, Sungsill, Dina, Michi, Miriam, Jun, Jungeun, Newt, John

28.  And the most memorable for this year is...the crazy talks, venting sessions, brunchcapades, and church hopping with Hye Young.

So thanks for a great year twenty eight.  Goodbye forever. 

2nd December Visitor

Yup...2nd weekend in December = 2nd visitor.  John came to visit this weekend.  Downside, it rained all weekend.  Our tourist accomplishments: the palm tree outside Jean's balcony.  Sean also sort of visited.  Since John was here, he crashed with us all weekend too. 

But look what we DID accomplish!  Well, me and sean accomplished. 

We took a nice stroll through ktown plaza and then gallaria since there was nothing else to really do.  At gallaria these college art students were selling some crafts.  One girl was giving clay lessons for 5 bucks!  So of course...I sat down and made something!  I made John and Sean sit next to me and wait the whole time.  Oops...sorry.  But I freakin' had a blast.  Didn't even know they were there.  Hahaha.  Best moment of the whole clay session was this conversation with my college student teacher:

College Student: "So are you in High School or College?"

Need I say more?! 

In ktown plaza Sean found a gundam Toy.  Hahahaha.  He had to buy it and make it. 

This is how we played with our new friends:

This is what John accomplished.  Threw everything into my room to prepare for the arrival of my new roomie.  I just watched.  Thanks for your labor Johnnie.

And yes their stay was paid for by vacuuming the whole apartment!  Cause well...we all know no one can vacuum better than John.

Even though we did absolutely nothing, I had so much fun. Thanks for visiting!  Another re-union to come in March.

J&N's first visit to the Golden State

It's interesting why California is called the Golden State.  You would think it should be the Sunshine State. But that's Florida.  Florida should be the hurricane state.  I'm assuming it's called the golden state because of the gold rush in the 1800s.  But in modern day society, the only thing I can associate to California and Golden is the golden gate bridge in SF.  Anyways...i digress.

J&N came to visit the first weekend of December.  This post is a little late.  It was good seeing old friends as always.  I took my first ride along Venice beach and my first visit to Zuma beach in Malibu with them.  Thanks for visiting!  I wish you could have stayed longer.  They even cleaned up my living room very nicely, just in time for John's visit.  Warning: If you visit your payment is made in cleaning.

Momofuku in Santa Monica?

source

I love when Michi sends me emails of stuff she will know I would want.  Today's finding...MOMOFUKU COOKBOOK! NICE.  Thank you!  Since Momofuku is no longer near me, I will have to bring it to my own kitchen!  I will have to decide if this is a necessity or not.  Kekeke.

*EDIT: Dina just called frantically (sort of frantically).  She already got me the momofuku book a month ago! Now she is trying to get it autographed.  KEKEKEKE. YAHOO!  Thanks dinals.  Wow someone actually reads my blog!  other than Michi that is.  This actually reminds me of standing inside the momofuku bakery with Dorcas with David Chang standing 10 feet away from me. Dorcas and I were plotting how to make him my husband for about 15 minutes. Outcome: Just walked out the door.

*Edit #2: Yes michi - you have redeemed yourself from the last momofuku scandal.  What was the atrocious email sent to me by Michi?  An article entitled NEW MOMOFUKU something something something.  Of course I instantly assumed Momofuku was opening in LA!  I almost did a layout double twist from my office cubicle.  Until I dove into the article.  New lunch specials at momofuku.  My layout double twist turned into a flop on my bottom with a disgruntled reply back to Michi.