AFTER A YEAR IN KOREA - WEEK 1 RETURN

MY 1ST WEEK BACK IN A NUTSHELL
COMING BACK FROM TEACHING AND LIVING IN KOREA FOR A YEAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT EAT, SLEEP, YOUTUBE BINGING AND CATCHING UP WITH SOME K PEEPS AND SOME K BRATZ VIA KAKAO. SLOWLY CATCHING UP WITH MY HOMIES HERE VIA REAL TIME.

MISSED A FEW EVENTS WITH MY CAR NOT WORKING AND BODY STILL IN KOREAN TIME ZONE.

 I HAVE LONGED FOR THESE DAYS TO COME EVER SINCE THE LACK OF SLEEP WHILE PLANNING AND TRAVELING DURING MY LAST 2 WEEKS AFTER MY TEACHING CONTRACT WAS OVER.

AT LAST, THIS IS A TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR: A TIME OF TRANQUILITY ALONG WITH A HUGE TASK LIST TO TACKLE. HOWEVER, UNLIKE THE LIST I HAD DURING MY LAST MONTH IN KOREA, THIS LIST DOESN'T REALLY HAVE A DEADLINE.  

BODY MODE STILL IN KOREA TIME:
MY HOURS SINCE I'VE GOTTEN BACK HAS BEEN:

5:00AM EASTERN STANDARD TIME OF COURSE, EYES WIDE OPEN. CATCHING UP ON YOUTUBE AND SOCIAL MEDIA OR ANYTHING THAT INVOLVES THE INTERNET VIA CELL PHONE. THIS ALSO INCLUDES CATCHING UP WITH MY #KPEEPS VIA KAKAO, AKA THE KOREAN INSTANT MESSAGING SYSTEM.

6:00AM GET UP
SCARFING LEFT OVERS OR WHATEVER MUNCHIES I COULD CONJURE UP IN THE FRIDGE OR PANTRY.

#BEINGACOUCHPOTATO CATCHING UP WITH MY HONG KONG TELEVISION SERIES (SPECIFICALLY TVB) WHILE EATING.

9:00AM INTERNET STUFF

1:00PM GOING OUT SOMEWHERE. ERRAND RUNS

4:00PM CHOW DOWN, START TO GET SLEEPY

4:30PM AND ON, SLEEPY TIME.

I NEVER DID BREAKFAST.....UNTIL NOW:
CHANGING IT UP, I STARTED TO EAT BREAKFAST SINCE I'VE GOTTEN BACK TO THE STATES. EATING BREAKFAST IS A RARE THING FOR ME. BUT SINCE MY SLEEPING HOURS ARE ALL JACKED UP, I'VE STARTED TO GAIN AN APPETITE AFTER WAKING UP.

YEP BREAKFAST WITH TURKEY MEATBALLS

CATCHING UP ON MY CEREALS:

ALTHOUGH I’VE NEVER BEEN MUCH OF A CEREAL PERSON, NOR A BREAKFAST PERSON, THIS IS WHAT IS CURRENTLY AT MY CRIB. HENCE, TRYING TO MIX IT UP A LITTLE BY COMBINING MY CEREALS WITH A BANANA. #STAYINGHEALTHY

IN KOREA, THEY TREAT CEREAL MORE LIKE A SNACK. IT IS ALSO HELLA-EXPENSIVE AND THE OPTIONS ARE LIMITED.

I THINK I SPOTTED THE AVERAGE BOX OF CEREAL WERE AROUND $6 AND UP. I ONLY GOT IT OVER THERE WHEN THERE WAS A SALE. I ALSO THINK THAT THEY STARTED MARKETING MILK AND CEREAL TO PARENTS. IN KOREA, I MAINLY GOT THE KOREAN VERSION OF FROSTED FLAKES AND THEIR CHOCOLATE VERSION OF CHEERIOS.

EVENTS: HELLO KITTY AND ART AND CRAFT SHOW
WITH MY FIRST WEEK BACK IN THE STATES, I WENT TO SOME RARE EVENTS THAT WERE GOING ON THIS WEEK. 

HELLO KITTY TRUCK WAS IN TOWN FROM CALIFORNIA. IT WAS AT THE FLORIDA MALL AND WAS ONLY GOING TO BE THERE UNTIL 8PM. I MADE IT THERE A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THEIR CLOSING TIME. THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE FROM CALIFORNIA AND THAT THEIR NEXT STOP WAS GOING TO BE TEXAS.

THINGS WERE MEGA EXPENSIVE OF COURSE. I GOT THE $13 MUG THAT CAME WITH A STICKER AND PIN! YAY! 

             



FIESTA IN THE PARK @LAKE EOLA
I ALSO DROPPED BY CARR’S ART EVENT AT THE ORLANDO’S FIESTA IN THE PARK ART SHOW THAT WAS HELD AT LAKE EOLA.

LAKE EOLA, ORLANDO

HE HAD A KILLER SPOT AND THE LAKE SERVED A GREAT SILHOUETTE BACKDROP FOR HIS BOOTH.

QUICK RUNS FOR MY CRAVINGS: HUBBLY BUBBLY, KFC, TACO BELL
ON ONE OF MY DAYS DURING MY ERRAND RUNS, I ALSO MADE A QUICK STOP TO HUBBLY BUBBLY’S.  I WENT A YEAR WITHOUT HUMMUS AND FALAFEL. ALTHOUGH, THEY SOLD FALAFEL IN ITAEWON, I WASN’T GOING TO PAY AN ARM AND A LEG FOR SOMETHING THAT I COULD FIND AT HOME.

@ EDGEWATER / ORLANDO
Address: 3405 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, FL 32804

I ORDERED THE CHICKEN PITA AND AN ORDER OF FALAFEL.

DURING MY FIRST WEEK BEING BACK IN THE STATES, I ALSO HAD TO SATISFY MY CRAVINGS. THIS INCLUDED THE MASH POTATOES THAT WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND IN KOREA. I WAS ALSO TOO LAZY TO MAKE THEM MYSELF FROM SCRATCH WITH THE LACK OF “ME” TIME.

ALTHOUGH THERE WERE PLENTY OF TACO BELLS IN SEOUL, MY CRAVINGS INCLUDED TACOS. AND I DEFINITELY NEEDED SOMETHING CHEAP. BUT, 
5 TACOS AND 2 ROLLS OF ROLLED CHICKEN TACOS LEAD TO A $10 BILL! #THINGSADDUP

WEIGHT LOST FROM BEING ABROAD FOR A YEAR.

I'M ABLE TO FIT INTO LOTS OF MY CLOTHES FROM THE PAST! BEING WITHOUT A CAR AND HAVING TO RELY ON TRANSPORTATION HAS MADE ME WALK MY BUTT OFF FOR THE YEAR IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE MOUNTAIN CLIMBING.
MY INCREASED APPETITE HAS MADE MY MOM WHIPPING OUT STUFF IN THE KITCHEN.

DINNER FROM MY MADRE:
1ST MEAL FROM MI MADRE AND A SIDE SCOOP OF KFC’S MASH POTATOES:

2ND MEAL FROM MI MADRE. SHE NOTED THAT THIS WAS MORE OF A WELCOME BACK DINNER. OH KAY!  I DO HOWEVER, MISS THE SWEET SOY SAUCE THAT SHE MAKES.

3RD DINNER FROM MADRE = HALLOWEEN DINNER:

DINNER ON 4TH DAY BACK IN USA:

THAT'S MY 1ST WEEK BACK IN A NUTSHELL!

~ your Photo Princess

2013 01 31 MY CHINESE NEW YEAR'S EVE IN ORLANDO

Guang Ming Buddhist Temple                      

6555 Hoffner Ave, Orlando, FL 32822

(407) 281-8482

PERKS TO BEING ASIAN?

WE TEND TO CELEBRATE THINGS TWICE, SUCH AS BIRTHDAYS AND NEW YEARS!

ALTHOUGH I DON'T REALLY CELEBRATE ANY HOLIDAYS THESE DAYS, I WAS SUMMONED (BY MY PARENTS) TO THE GUANG MING TEMPLE ON HOFFNER AVENUE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE.  

THIS HOLIDAY USUALLY LASTS FOR 15 DAYS AND THE DAYS ARE DICTATED BY THE LUNAR CALENDAR.  YES, WE GO BY A DIFFERENT CALENDAR AS WELL.

FOR 2014, THIS HOLIDAY FALLS UNDER JAN 31 - FEB 14.  

WITHIN THESE 15 DAYS,  YOU TYPICALLY CELEBRATE IT BY GOING OVER PEOPLE'S HOUSES AND EATING LARGE FEASTS (LIKE A THANKSGIVING FEAST), WISHING EVERYONE YOU ENCOUNTER ALL THE POSITIVES THAT YOU CAN THINK OF, AND IN RETURN, COLLECTING "LUCKY MONEY" THAT ARE USUALLY DISTRIBUTED BY MARRIED COUPLES WHO ARE OLDER THAN YOU. SO IF YOU ARE SINGLE, IN THE NON-MARRIED SENSE, THIS HOLIDAY IS IN YOUR BENEFIT! LOL!

IT IS JUST PLAINLY TRADITIONAL CUSTOMS WHERE THE IDEA IS FOR KIDS AND YOUNG ADULTS TO START OUT THE NEW YEAR WITH SOME SORT OF WEALTH.  SINCE THIS IS A HUGE HOLIDAY IN ASIA, I FOUND OUT THAT SOME PLACES SUCH AS TAIWAN STRETCH IT TO A 4-DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY.

EVEN THOUGH MY VISITS TO THE TEMPLE ARE RANDOM, I LIKE LOOKING AT THE SET UPS CATERED TO THE DIFFERENT HOLIDAY THEMES. 

OVERALL, I ENJOYED THE FESTIVE DECORS.

THIS SET UP WAS NICE WHERE PAINTED GOLD BRANCHES WERE PLACED BEHIND THE STATUE AND VASE FOUNTAIN ON THE GROUND.

I WAS WONDERING IF THE GOLD DECORS ON THE GROUND WERE CHOCOLATE......

2014 12 31 TYPICAL FLORIDA RESIDENTIAL VIEW OF NEW YEARS EVE

THIS IS THE OCCASIONAL, TYPICAL VIEW LIVING IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

FIREWORKS IN YOUR FRONT YARD OR BACK YARD.

DISNEY IS IN FRONT OF US (NOT LITERALLY), WHILE SEA WORLD IS BEHIND US (LITERALLY).

ITS USUALLY EASIER TO VIEW IN OUR FRONT PORCH.

NEIGHBORS TEND TO RUN OUT AND STAND IN FRONT OF THE SUB-DIVISION TO GET A CLEAR VIEW.  I'M JUST TOO LAZY TO WALK AND WOULD RATHER JUST OPEN THE DOOR.

THE NUMBER 4 FOR ASIANS IS NOT ONE OF THE LUCKY NUMBERS, I WONDER WHAT 2014 WILL SHOW US......

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

2012 05 12 SNAP ORLANDO EVENT

CANT WAIT TO GET MORE VISUALS AT TONIGHT'S EVENT. 

Fashion tonight by Fused fashion... plus MyVerse, TamTam Africa, DJ Nigel, and Andrew Spear live art on wall.  AND MORE !