Spring Break should be two weeks

Because it takes a week to get into the break mode thing, and once you get used to it, it's back to school. And guess what. No progress.

Immediately back from break and classes our preparing for final projects. Oh boy.

It's gonna be a hella crazy last month. Everything is due in like, five weeks. My brain can't even compute how much work I still need to do.

Spring Break! Spring Forward! And too much sleep.

I spent the entire last weekend just being absolutely lazy and sleeping the days away. It may or may not have been a good thing. And I totally totally forgot that it was Daylight Savings Time on Sunday. Must have thrown off my entire start of the week.

Spring break has started officially yesterday and I spent it working at school most of the day, and taking a nap when I got back, woke up to check emails and play on the internet only to go back to sleep again. How lame.

But now I really have to face the mountainous homework pile that's waiting for me. Homework specifically meaning thesis illustrations.


Wish me luck.

21 year olds

For Lauren's party, we spent the day and night in Japantown. Naturally, friends have to take fun pictures to commemorate a special day. And a special friendship.

Normally, I'd just upload these on facebook, but seeing as how I really shouldn't be on it...

 

  

  

  

 

Thesis updates, and midterm stress...

I remember saying something on a previous (way previous) post that I would explain what my senior thesis project really is but I don't think I ever got around to it....o_O. My bad.

It's midterms still, technically for another couple of weeks, and I still haven't gotten around to explaining the fundamentals of it over and over again.

But basically, the long term assignment is for us to produce ten pieces of works that makes a statement of some sort. The simplest being making 10 spreads to a children's book, illustrating a novel, creating something that is of great importance to you. Some classmates are doing more editorial stuff, like getting articles from The New Yorker, and illustrating important articles, some are doing celebrity portraits in a circus setting, etc etc, you get the gist. We also need to put together our ten images into a book of some sort, as well as compile our preliminary work to make some sort of promo piece that showcases all the thesis illustrations at once. Bit daunting, right?

My proposal is a bit unconventional.

I said I would very much like to produce and illustrate a CD mixtape of ten songs that would also serve as a semi autobiographical project featuring an alter ego. Alter ego being mizMLee.

Not only am I illustrating ten songs, I am also writing respective lyrics to each song, and the lyrics themselves serve as a companion to the illustration. The end result would be a cd with a booklet of lyrics and illustrations.

Interestingly enough, the instrumentals I've chosen and edited to create this mixtape are all from the Asian music industry. I decided then that I might as well go the whole 9 yards and present this thesis project to be as true to me as possible.

Confirmed edited tracks so far, and their respective new titles =D

Meilin (How About Tonight) -- Manifesto ft. bnguh

Son Dambi - Cry Eye -- A.ll R.isk T.aker

Koda Kumi - Taboo -- No Taboos

Utada Hikaru - Prisoner of Love -- Prisoner of Love ft. Utada Hikaru

alan - 天女 ～interlude～ -- Storm ft. alan
Epik High ft. MYK - Heaven -- My Heaven ft. Tablo & MYK
BoA - Eat You Up -- Fresh
Koda Kumi ft. Tohoshinki - Last Angel -- If the World Ends Tonight ft. Fli Guy

I'm hoping to figure out some issues with the last two tracks over spring break. Also, I'm getting behind in completing these pieces....>.<

Midterms are finishing up this week, for now anyways. I have one last presentation on Friday in my poetry class, (wanted to go last week but we ran out of time...) and I've fallen a little behind on website class because I skipped Monday night class in order to finish a project for critique on Tuesday. Hey, it's all about compromising. There's still one big assignment that's waiting for me in middle of March in the poetry class. No idea how to go about that yet.

I'm hoping to catch up before Lauren's birthday party this weekend. Yeah, I can't wait for a good break to just relax and party. But I gotta be good and productive before then.

Redone, Redux Reception

Tried not to look tired for the reception but fail. Just not possible with all those all nighters ^^;;

So after some days of crazy hassling and drama and random bullcrap Sunday, show was finally set up completely by the end of Monday, and the reception went pretty well today. =D

I'm pretty content. I felt nervous and really worried at first because I was super paranoid the work was too last minute/wasn't good/competing right next to Dean's/thesis etc etc, BUT.

Everything went ok. ^^;; Several people really loved my digital work, which I had initially planned to do for the whole show, but I only had time to do three, which I felt wasn't enough, so I put together the whole redoing illustrations from classes 1-5. Ended up missing a piece from Illustration 1 due to time restraints and printing issues, but no one questioned the concept behind the show. All's well that end's well.

I'm so glad it's done. I talked to several teachers about my thesis today too, and got some really positive feedback about it as well as some "this might be too ambitious here, be realistic." I'm already getting that feeling of some people underestimating me, but hey, I've probably overestimated myself several times in the past.

Not this time, though.

I know this challenge is gonna be a lot of work, but this future portfolio combines illustrations, writing, and music; three parts that make up my art.

I'll go into more detail about my thesis in the next post. Until then, enjoy these pics of some of the work up in the Bruce Galleries at this moment. =)

Senior Show Poster

And still waiting for those damn postcards. Fedex supposedly will have them here by tomorrow afternoon....

Postcards are on the way, and my senior show draws nearer.

*Freaking out*

And I'm feeling more competitive when I heard that a fellow Illustration student who has his show the same week as mine, is presenting twice as much work as I am.

Making last minute changes to the plan here....

Whew, what a week!

This week has been the craziest first week back to school I've ever had in my whole life >.<. So it started quite horribly but things got better as each day progressed.

Today, I did manage to get my friend's wacom tablet back, ohhh thank goodness.

So what happened was that the one girl who supposedly knows me (I have yet to figure out who that is) offered to take the bag from the bus driver to public safety at Webster on Wednesday, but FORGOT. So, she ended up giving the bag BACK to the bus driver who in turn handed it in to the public safety desk in  SAN FRAN.

While I on the other hand, have been calling from the lost and found, to public safety in oakland, to the residential staff at webster, emailing people, EVERYWHERE, hunting that motherfreaking thing down like a madwoman. Spent everyday since Tuesday, freaking out about it.

Whew. You can only manage my relief when public safety black guy came back to me at the desk earlier today carrying that yellow forever 21 bag towards me. I almost cried from relief. Almost, haha.

Anyways. In terms of thesis, I got the go ahead from Bob Ciano, my thesis teacher. He really likes my idea, which is great. Before I can go hardcore on it, I gotta make sure this exhibition is successful. Still have lots of work to do about it, though. Postcards to print out, mat boards to cut out.

It's just gonna get more intense from here on out. FIGHTING!!

Oh yeah and apartment!

No more homeless worries, I'm officially moving in with bnguh by the end of the month. At her old place. The freaking suing thing scares her enough to stay, but would still leave me hanging, so the other girls compromised and are willing to have me stay there for four more months.

It'll be a little cramped with five girls in one apartment, but there are three rooms, and I don't have much to begin with having sent most back to Utah before going to Korea. Plus, I'll be working a lot at school. We'll make it work.

Things are getting better, see? ^^

Everything's gonna be alright~ Everything's gonna be ok~

I feel slightly better today about school.

It's just that I'm going to hate Mondays so bad this whole semester, since I'll be at school from nine in the morning until ten thirty at night.

Anyways, last night, when I was waiting for the bus around 11 pm, my mind was running through all the things that I've been worrying and stressing about; money, school, money, family, MONEY, the possibility of not having a roof over my head, list goes on.

I didn't want to walk home alone so late at night, but waiting for the bus sucks 'cause it never comes on time. I'm looking up, sighing, and I see one bright star in a very black sky. I took a deep breath, and thought, well, it wouldn't hurt to make a wish on this spot now. It's something I don't usually do.

A wish on a star, a note to God. Sounds like praying to me.

I closed my eyes and with all my heart, declared to myself that I want to believe things will always get better as long as my faith holds true and strong. As long as I keep getting up again. Resilient, stubborn, thick-skinned.

Today, I woke up still feeling moody, but less morbid, haha. The morning went well. And I heard some really good news about my living situation just now.

There is some hope. Oh, how He works in mysterious ways...

T_T

School could be the death of many of us.

If it's not at school trying to make it through all your classes and pass, it's definitely after school when you're at a loss for how to pay it all off and survive.

*****************

If I were to go nerd mode and use a quote from FMA to describe things right now, equivalent exchange exists. To gain, something of equal value should be lost.

I've noticed that trend a lot since I've started college, and it's definitely has hold true when I was overseas. I gained so much more this past semester that I suppose this time around it's time to lose just as much.

My mom has always scolded me for thinking like this. She tells me God doesn't punish you after something good has happened, etc etc, He doesn't work like that. I don't think God works much like that either, but it's definitely how LIFE works.

You can't be happy all the time. You have to be sad half the time. There's a balance, there's a warped sense of equivalency.

Reconciled and Art

My soon to be ex roomy and I finally talked last night. Feeling better about our whole situation, and we're on good terms. =)

Still stressing out about money. It's definitely gonna have to be two work study jobs at school.

Anyways, I have three out of five art concepts ready to go into painting now.

Lil' Red Riding Hood, RC1
Mrs. Peacock in the Conservatory with the Candlestick, AM2
Kiss from a Rose by Seal, CK3
OS4
Schizophrenia, RH5


Those are the titles/concepts I've settled on to represent each Illustration class ever since I've been at CCA. I still have to figure out what to do from Illustration 4, though....apparently there was no assignment there that really appealed to me....

Four months left in California

My last semester at California College of the Arts begins next Monday.

And before I can really absorb the fact that these are the last five college classes I'll take for the rest of my life, I gotta make sure I have a place to stay by the end of January with my good friend bnguh. 


I can't believe one of her roommates' parents want to sue her for moving out early. Eff that shiz.

I've been doing lots of traveling as of late. Flying and driving to places. It does get a little tiring but it's better than staying in one spot feeling unproductive. Well, this is a flourishing way to describe procrastination for me, so. ^^;;

Merry Christmas~

This year's Christmas holiday, I accumulated the lowest number of presents ever, found out I can no longer live at my apartment in California, but found a great Asian Hip Hop blog site, and stressed about my upcoming exhibition that I have yet to start on the actual artwork.

Merry Christmas, peoples. ^^;;

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BNGUH BABY~~!!!!!!

She turns twenty-one today. OFFICIALLY LEGAL.





I would have done a new rap birthday video for her, but alas....I'm actually thinking about getting a mac now. Cricky should be happy xD

Anyways. bnguh, hope you had a blast at Disneyland. Can't wait to see you soon in Seoul. =D

Epikness

 

I have a chance to go see Epik High at Olympic Park next Saturday after all!

Here's a story I have yet to mention: While I was still studying Korean at Berkeley this past summer, I met this Korean girl on the bus. Her Korean name is Kwon Dongjin and her English name is Gina. The way we met seems way coincidental like, meant to be or something.

It was on one of those days on the bus in the morning on my way to Berkeley, and I was studying my Korean daily vocabulary as usual. Gina noticed my notebook with all my Korean writing and practicing in it, but she hesitated talking to me at first because, usually people really keep to themselves on the buses, and in my case, I was just really concentrating on studying for the next vocab quiz.

Here's the thing: we both got off at the same stop, and because we seemed to be walking towards the same direction, she decided to ask me about my learning Korean. I figured she was a native Korean since she has an accent, and she seemed really curious and friendly, so I decided to hold that five minute conversation with her.

Turns out Gina is a nurse doing an English abroad program for six months at Berkeley. She was to go back to Korea in September. I told her I was taking Korean because I was going to Hongik University this fall semester. She was really impressed, for some reason, haha, and the more we learned about each other, the more eager she was to talk more later. We exchanged emails that same day.

Since then, we only saw other one or two other times on the bus. We had class around the same time, but we kept missing each other from taking the bus at different times. However, she started emailing me and we've kept in touch since. She gave me tips on what clothes to bring to Korea for the fall semester, how excited she was to show me around in Seoul when she got back, and all sorts of stuff. I figured, hey, this is good, I have one other person to look forward to meeting with in Korea.

I gave Gina my Korean phone number after I got it on one of the emails I sent her. Earlier this week, she texted me, said she recently returned to Seoul, and we should meet up for lunch on the weekend. Today, I met Gina for the first time in Seoul since we last saw each other in Oakland. At the Hongdae subway station, she announced that she's taking me to see 창경궁 (Changgyeong Palace), one of the five palace areas left from the Chosun dynasty.

It was really cool, and fun to chat with her again. Despte what she says, her English is pretty good, and I'd say better than my Korean as we had conversed mostly in English today. After lunch and during the crazy rain that plagued as soon afterwards, we kind of took the liberty to talk more about the differences between English and Korean and apparently, she's talked about me to a lot of her roommates (while she was living in Oakland) and her friends in Seoul. A Vietnamese-American girl learning Korean to study abroad at a prestigious art college. I don't understand how they find that so fascinating, but apparently her friends all want to meet me at some point. They called Gina a couple times and all times Gina said she was with me and we were waiting for the rain to stop so we could go to Changgyeong Palace. We also did a lot of Korean/English 101 with each other, haha. She'd ask me some things about English, and I'd ask her some things about Korean. Totally mutually beneficial, this meeting, and future ones to come.

It was like something from a sitcom or some feel good Asian drama, haha. We got caught in the rain, soaked despite the umbrellas while rushing to a nearby cafe, and just sitting there sipping our milk tea and coffee waiting for the rain to subside, talking about all sorts of things, and in awe of how we've come to meet under such circumstances.

It was great that it rained before going to the Palace, too, because when we got there, everything smelled fresh, and looked greener. I took so many pictures, just wait till I upload them soon. After the rap video is up, of course. I recorded a first take already, and depsite how I like the way I looked in the video, I need to uh, practice more and then record a final version....>.<. Sorry for the long wait!

But anyway. We had lots of fun today. And she helped me a lot too. (I'm just getting all sorts of help from people these days. I suppose God's way of sending me help xD). When she asked me about what I usually do on weekends, I tell her sometimes I go out to do errands, and sometimes I go out for events (I think Gina was also indirectly asking so that maybe we can make it a weekly thing to meet up since she wants to introduce me to her friends too). Then I mentioned that I really wanted to go to the Epik High concert that's going down next Saturday, but I don't know how to buy the ticket and I joked about sneaking in.

Amazingly, Gina said she would buy the ticket for me online, and that I could pay her back later. OMG. Just out of blue, no beating around the bush, she just said it.

I was, like, no way. Am I really getting the chance to see Epik High again?? Too good to be true. Well, I didn't want to get my hopes up too high, so I joked again and said, I bet the tickets are totally sold out by now, and there's only a week left before the concert, so I would just call you (Gina) up and plan to hang out, or something, lol.

Well, after our day of fun, and we parted, and I got back to my dorm room, Gina texted me not too long ago, and confirmed that there were still tickets left for the concert. ohmygeeeeeeeeeeee. xD

And, I guess you can just figure out the rest. We decided to get a ticket in the standing section of the concert hall. You know. The spots that are IN FRONT of the stage.

This, is going to be my first ever standing concert. First ever concert in another country. Second time seeing Epik High ever, within a year.

Don't try to wake me up from this dream. I'm already living it.

"Oh My Friend"s, Phan Phan and Red Striped Sketcher

When I was having that writing slump since Thursday, it was after reading their most recent blog posts that motivated me to finish my previous post.

I tell people that humans get more personal and intimate when they write then they ever do when they talk. I view handwriting as a one on one moment with oneself. Handwriting is also great for notes and letters to other people. On the other hand, writing in cyberworld can be cold, and not as intimate, but it's enough to share thoughts, feelings, and emotions with people when they can't do it face to face. Face to face with my friends, we're all happy enough to reunite and catch up that we don't often have the time or the willingness to talk about deep stuff, much less share our sorrows and burdens of pain. No, we want to laugh and smile and have fun with each other.

I've done that quite regularly with my friends in Utah, ever since I left to California for college. They only see me twice a year at the most. I realized just now the only times I've discussed serious topics with them is through the internet. Through writing.

Right now I'm getting a little more self conscious about certain things. I have always shared my troubles with them, and most likely had expressed my pain with them, but when was the last time they really came to me just to have someone who will listen? My Utahn friends had each other, and while I also had them, I made good friends in California too. Basically, on both sides, we first seek out the friends who are closest in geographic distance to us. It's practical, and it's easier.

RSS's recent blog entry clutched me at the heart. I really was able to feel her frustration and her pain that I don't often do when we actually see each other. Phanny, I was never fully aware of the depths of her depression and confusion back then, even though she confided in me a little about it, and I wonder if she would ever share those feelings of hers had I physically been there for her. And I can go on and on with other friends and even family. Is it easier to talk about these things behind a computer screen?

On a different note, during all those years in California, experiencing new life and maturing further, I wasn't there in Utah to see my old friends mature too.With this maturity comes the biggest thing that cause us girls much grief. Interest in the male race.

Haha, it's true. High school's got nothing on this. We're more mature now, but we are still young. We want to find a special someone now or else it could be too late. We think we're ready. Maybe? But then, there's ineveitably many inner conflicts of emotions that drive us all to the brink of insanity, and we only want it to stop but we don't know how. Would we have to stop caring? Yes, and no.

We have to let go of our mistakes, embarrassing and regretful they may be, if we want to move on. Otherwise, how can we be prepared enough for the next opportunity that comes our way? How would we recognize our next happiness if we still hold on to an old sadness? I say (to no one in particular, really) that these battles of emotions are perfectly normal for us all. Yes, the cases are different for each person, but essentially this is really what all human beings are capable of. Being able to feel. That means all of the good and bad. Yes, that includes boys, too. =P

Huh. I'm not quite sure what I'm really trying to say here, because this post was actually meant to be about how much I love my friends, but, uh...

Well, I'm just really glad that I decided to do this blog thing. Even though I'm away during the usual semester and the only difference is that I'm in another country this time, it led us to create this deeper connection between us. I hope we all continue to write about our life for as long as we can.

And on that note, I present you this:




Yeah. It pretty much says everything I want to say, but better. =) The actual youtube page has English subs. On my facebook, I dedicated this song to everybody I care for, but here it's really for you two.

<3

One thing I meant to do awhile ago...

was to show everyone I know on the internet a Korean drama parody the boys in my Korean class did this summer.

It was a boys vs girls deal since there were only eight of us total in the class, evenly divided between the genders. We all meant to surprise the class with our presentation, but ironically we all ended up presenting the same topic: Korean dramas and their cliches.

While us girls did a powerpoint and a skit, the boys took it up a notch and filmed their story, edited it, and showed it in class via laptop.

It was amazing. SOOO funny. I have to admit, they won one against us. There are no subs, but you should definitely watch this video anyways. It'll give you a good laugh, and you can kind of figure out the basic premise.

the best korean drama ever

On another note, for anyone who does read this blog, and haven't been able to comment, I'm sorry! I had my settings on registered users, but now it's open to anyone. Please do comment, I love reading them, and knowing that people out there are keeping up with my experiences =D

One last video from the sunny state

our voices aren't really like that, haha. we just sped up the video a little for the heck of it.

Swimming and a subtle new haircut cut

Started packing my stuff for the trip back to Utah this weekend. The parental unit will be here tomorrow, so I need to have all my clothes put away by then. So far, the packing is going smoothly, but I can't seem to find those huge ziploc storage backs to put my clothes in. Hmm.

I've been meaning to get my hair styled again before I go to Korea, by one of my good friends Erica. Want to start the semester in another country fresh with a new style, lol. It's still pretty much the same length, but the top layers of hair are thinner and shorter now. I was expecting something edgier, but I still like it. Think of BoA's current US hairstyle but a soft tamer version. That's what my hair is like now.

After Erica cut my hair, we decided to hit the pool. Now that we're done, I'm wondering if I want to take another shower, or if I just want a quick wash....