I haven’t updated my blog for a while, but that means I’ve been busy out and about enjoying this summer. Sorry Mum!!

Post-beach Korean with dear friends!

A visit to Hastings racecourse! I kept picking the winning horses until I started actually betting on them. Pfft. There were also weiner dog races in between the horse races, and it had a certain country-fair charm to it that I enjoyed. All this is just a bike ride away——Vancouver really is awesome, isn’t it?!

My not-even-close-to-winning tickets. Good bye $4, it was fun while it lasted

Some of the things I look forward to this summer:

- The long row of blackberry bushes behind our office being ripen
- Making a blue-ribbon-winning pie with the berries
- Sharing the pie with whoever wants a piece and making their day
- Then moving on to making blackberry jam, sorbet, and possibly scones
- An impromptu trip to the prairies and mountains with a close pal
- Lovely conversations by the sea
- Reorganize my abode
- Playing tennis
- Being mysweetestself again

x

New pair of Vans my brother’s sent me. Thanks, Egan!

The book I’m dying to start reading! I’ve just received in the mail yesterday. Few days ago, I had a strong craving for a history book for some reason, and I was extremely satisfied to have found this book. This is (apparently) a really non-committal book about the history of the world written for young readers, and it sounds like a perfect place for me to start. Thanks, Ernst!

Update!

I am here in Vancouver, meaning that I have been lucky enough to experience this amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (unless I move to Sochi by 2014) that is also known as: Hello, The winter Olympics is coming to your city! It’s incredible to be here, and I am a HUGE fan of the Olympics, especially the Winter ones—I really do like the fact that it brings people together. And it’s just oodles of fun to watch most of the time.

Growing up in Korea, where the rest of the world believes that it is a small country somewhere in Asia between China and Japan, that is (probably) tropical with its people never having the chance to experience things like “snow” or “ski” or “mountain sports,” (all of the rumors are wrong by the way) the winter Olympics has always kept my patriotism in its most basic form as Korean athletes skaters bring home gold medals. When you are a kid, any excuse to stay up late is a winner, so naturally I have very fond memories of building a fort of blankets with my brother in front of the TV in our living room as we watch Korean skaters (favourite being the short track relays) at obscure hours. Since then I suppose I’ve moved to Canada, and have sort of stuck between which country I should choose, should there be any matches that concern both Korea and Canada (ie: short track), but then there’s a fond memory of watching the 2002 final with a bunch of friends in McDonald’s and how appropriate was that location for an Olympic hockey final!

If you are a Vancouverite who was born in Calgary or moved there before ‘88, you probably were lucky enough to be the person to experience two winter Olympics in your lifetime, though you may or may not recall anything. I, also, was lucky enough to be in Seoul in 1988, where the summer Olympics took place. I clearly have no recollection of it, and it will be quite strange if I did because I would’ve been only 1.5 years old. So this year I have given the chance to be capable of remembering being in Vancouver during the 2010 winter Olympics and I feel pretty darn lucky. I had no idea it was so much more than just providing the facilities for the athletes to compete. And I am glad to have learned that it is more than that!

On the other sports related news, I just registered for tennis lessons starting in 2 weeks, and the inner athlete in me is quite excited.

St. Valentine’s day is coming up! Why don’t you send your loved one a secret note.

I’ve never been a huge Valentine’s day person but it gives me a perfect reason to make cards so I’ve always made little notes to give to friends and families every year. One year I gave friends a sweet comic strip from The Peanuts, another year the card from The Simpsons, “I choo-choo-choose you!.”

I’ve initially made these for friends then I decided to stock a few on my Etsy shop! I will be actually sending this card to your lover/friend/family for you, completed with your oh-so-secretive message! I like the idea of being the messenger, sending the love note on behalf of someone. It’s always nice to spread the goodness around.

hoot hoot!

I have a horrible eating habit and I want to fix it as everyone does every summer. I am proud to say that I did a pretty good job today!

This is what I’ve decided today:

1. Never cook just white rice
I mixed my white rice with California long grains (tastes like rubber tires unless soaked for 6+ hours) and pearl barley today, and it was nice!

2. Have lots of miso soup
Miso is so great! You can make a bowl o’ soup, salad dressings and marinades! It’s protein-rich and it tastes so good. If you buy a container and it probably won’t go bad until you are finished with it, since it’s super salty. I made a bowl of miso soup with tons of tiny tofu bits, bok choys and green onions. You will get full eating healthy stuff and it is a perfect post-running dish for me!

3. Have lots of greens and make your own blended salad dressing!
I actually prefer having my salad naked, because I hate having salad to only taste the dressing! But I made this dressing and I think I like it! I put ginger, carrot, shallot, olive oil, sesame oil and (ever great) miso paste and…kiwi! in my blender and the dressing was done before I know it! It’s extra nice because it’s like I am eating carrots without eating it, haha!

4. Drink lots of water
Water = good!

5. Go for seafood instead of red meat other times
I always say that I have to live near ocean, because I love love love seafood. I used to think that it’s out of my price range to eat seafood all the time, but now that I think about it, I barely buy any meat, so when I do, I might as well get a nice filet o’ wild salmon. Besides, there are a lot of cheaper fish like sole, not to mention a can of tuna!

I had a really satisfying but kind of odd dinner today.
• one corn on the cob with butter and chili powder
• one baked thin-skinned potato
• two crispy bacon strips
• baby carrots and sliced mushroom with ranch dip

A bit of everything. I think I will call it my “sampler” dinner.

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La photo du jour: I’ve started a mini garden in my living room,
and this deserves a picture taken from a non-mobile cam.

When I found a cute vessel from my recent visit to the nearby thrift store (99 cents!), I thought I would plant something low-maintainance in it. I’ve found a good fit on my way home from the beach—I love how the plant looks in it! The one on the back left is the plant called rue that I have picked up from Safeway today. You can’t really tell, but it’s really rooty, which is kind of fascinating/gross. The one on the back right is Edgar. I got him when I visited Home Depot about a year and a half ago, when he was even smaller than my palm, for a mere 59 cents. Since then it has been my only plant companion until today. I have no idea what this plant is called (anyone?), but it has the strongest will to survive! I once forgot to water it for about a week and a half and it was only a bit wilty. I hope the other two are just as easygoing as Edgar. I’m going to slowly expand my little forest, I’ll keep you up to date time to time.

La Photo du jour: My nook in the livingroom!

Recently set up a little working area in the corner of my (rather huge) living room and it’s been great! I like corners.

When I spotted cherries (at an affordable price) at Safeway last night, I knew that summer was here. It’s been great! Really enjoying the weather favourable to bike riding, though my bike’s been a huge attention-seeker these days. I’ve been performing a roadside repair rather often (four times and counting). But then as soon as it’s fixed, my bike just gifts me with such a lovely and smooth ride (until it breaks down again I suppose) and I enjoy it so much.
Also, today was the first day of swimming in the Pacific ocean, and the Last day of French class today. I think it is quite odd for someone as young as I am to take a French night school class, at least in Canada, because everyone has to learn at least a bit of French in school! Well, I have never gotten a chance to learn French in highschool, and I thought it’d be a good time to learn a new language. It’s been confusing, challenging and truly horrible-sounding, but I’ve enjoyed being back to note-taking and sitting on a chair-fused-to-desk thing in front of a blackboard. I am even considering taking the next level class where I would be asked to make up a rather complicated sentence, like “I went to Antonio’s pizzeria for dinner last night and I bumped into Steve, whom I haven’t seen for 7 years!” Haha. The class had a potluck party, and everyone brought really delicious food (avec vin rouge!). The dishes were seriously not mediocre at all. Then we watched this really nice movie called Les Choriste.

The wonderful sewing machine turned out to be missing a power cord and a foot control, darn! I was really excited to sew something today. I’m debating whether I want to pay for the missing part or just return the sewing machine and look for another second-hand sewing machine with no missing parts.