Sandalwood & Chamomile

Tracey over at iPost therefore I am sent me my first 2008 postcard. Yay!

Look at those boats dotting the water in the background!

Left: American Kestrel
Right: Florida Panther

I used to belong to a Philately club when I was in grade school. My collection was kick-ass because I inherited old stamps from my godmother. Stamps from places I've never heard of. When I moved away for high school, my sister inherited my collection.

This newly discovered hobby (future addiction?) makes me happy in two ways: I get to "travel" through my postcards, and I get to meet new stamps. Long live postcards!

Thank you for the treat, Tracey!

Written by Gail T. at 11:49 PM | 8 comments Links to this post    
Filed under hobbies, life in the US, pictured, postcards

I signed up for Postcrossing. Didn't know sign up is that easy... o_O

I have no self-control. :(

Written by Gail T. at 12:58 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Filed under 101/1001, as it is, hobbies, postcards

Have you ever felt like you were watching a real-life romantic love story unfold right before your eyes? Sometimes, I look around and see my friends going through their relationships and heartbreaks. I wonder, what if this guy sending some well-wishes on the web page of my newly attached friend is actually the ONE for her? I get this funny kilig feeling. It makes me feel like I am sitting near the Master Author, who allows me to read parts of the grand story He is writing.

Written by Gail T. at 12:43 PM | 5 comments Links to this post    
Filed under friends

I finally made my own photo postcards! This photograph has notes. Click on it to go to its Flickr page.

I added index card backing to my photos. Hopefully, these will survive their transcontinental or transpacific journeys. :D This photo also has notes, so click, click.

These are all ready for mailing, which I just did. I wish I was able to photograph the stamps because those were also pretty. :D
I just realized that a by-product of doing this 101/1001 project is my renewed energy to take pictures, upload and post online. Yay.




***
Seattle-Seattle: arrived on May 22, 2008 (1 day)
Seattle-Lake Forest Park: arrived on ?? (1+ days)
Seattle-Norwalk, CA: arrived on May 23, 2008 (2 days)
Seattle-Japan: arrived on May 26, 2008 (5 days) -- so quick!
Seattle-MD: arrived on May 28, 2008 (7 days)
Seattle-Thailand: arrived on June 4, 2008 (14 days)
Seattle-Rizal, Philippines: arrived on June 4, 2008 (14 days)

Written by Gail T. at 3:40 PM | 10 comments Links to this post    
Filed under 101/1001, hobbies, pictured, postcards

I had some left-over rice, scrambled egg, boiled mung bean sprouts, sautéed zucchini and carrots, pan-fried ground beef and roasted sesame in my bibimbap. I even made seasoned gochujang from someone's recipe. It had sugar, vinegar and water in it. While I like the consistency, I didn't like the sourness. Next time, I will not use vinegar.

My first time at bibimbap wasn't as yummy as I wanted it to be. :( But I'll try again some other time.

I got a souvenir for my troubles. I got an owwie on my left pointer finger. Now, it's hard to type. Boo.



So, item #98 done! May 15, 2008.

Written by Gail T. at 6:48 PM | 6 comments Links to this post    
Filed under 101/1001, food, pictured

I really, really want to join Postcrossing, a project that facilitates exchange of real postcards with its members around the world. But seeing that I'm tightly holding onto my limited moolah, I am hesitating. If you are from the US, you are limited to exchange with countries other than the US. So that means each postcard will cost about a dollar ($0.94) in postage. If I buy a postcard at 50 cents each, and send 5 postcards at a time, that will cost me $2.50. For each maximum mailing of 5 cards, I will spend about $7.50. Ehh, that's a bit too much. :(

But the fun of getting postcards in the mail (which will happen because as soon as one of my cards get registered, my address gets assigned to someone, who will then send me a postcard) is enticing. And trying out postcrossing is on my 101/1001 (#9).

Decisions, decisions. Should I try it now or wait until I get a job? Please share your thoughts, dear friends. ^_^

Written by Gail T. at 3:54 PM | 11 comments Links to this post    
Filed under 101/1001, hobbies, on the web, postcards

I didn't realize scrap booking was hard and time consuming, but it was. I had been building on the memory book that my co-workers gave me on my last day of work. It was a very special gift because it contains pictures and messages from most of my children.

In any case, this happens to be one of the items on my 101 things for 1001 days list -- #53. So, with its completion today, I ticked one off the list.
Yahoo! This is so empowering. I can't wait for the day I'll check off the travel items, especially the one about having a perfect day (#39).

Also, I managed to knock off another one (#93, update resume). Not my favorite item to do, but a necessary one. Hopefully, this one will help me knock off plenty more... like the travel items. (Can you tell which ones are my favorites?)

***More pictures***

Written by Gail T. at 8:57 PM | 4 comments Links to this post    
Filed under 101/1001, pictured, update

I've seen a couple of bloggers do this one. But I was finally moved to do it after seeing the list of one of the team members in Postcrossing.com

the goal: to complete the following 101 things within 1001 days. Since I began compiling this list on Tuesday May 13, 2008, this list should hopefully be completely checked off by Tuesday February 8, 2011 (calculated by TimeandDate.com)

SAVE

1. Clear family credit card debt. done March 2009. Woohoo!
2. Clear student loans.
3. Fully fund my emergency stash.
4. Save up for the house.
5. Start retirement fund.
6. Save enough for to travel for the 2012 Olympics.

SPEND

7. Throw a party when we become debt-free. done April 2009
8. Send my own photo postcards to several friends. 5/21/08 4-US 4-int'l (Link to entry)
9. Try out postcrossing. 5/25/08 -1st postcard sent
10. Enroll in a Korean language class.
11. Buy another pair of Havaianas. 7/14/08
12. Spend one day with Lolo Ben. done may 27, 2008
13. Buy a nice pair of sunglasses.
14. Get Papa a suit or a Barong.
15. Get Fergus a suit or a Barong.
16. Print pictures and complete shower album.
17. Buy Mama her sewing machine.
18. Buy a yukata. done Oct 10, 2008 in Asakusa, Japan
19. Buy a parol for Unnie and Hyeongbu.
20. Learn to print in Walgreens. internet printing may 18, 2008
21. Get a full body massage.
22. Maintain groomed eyebrows for at least 2 months. Nov 2008 - July 2009 and continuing...
23. Get new battery for Blu, my mini.

GO

24. Collect at least six country stamps on my passport. (1/6) -- Japan
25. Get a country stamp from a country that I didn't know about until recently.
26. Visit Issa in Japan. done Oct 8-14, 2008 brought along Satchmo and Alaska (Link to entry)
27. Visit Ecuador, preferably to see Ruth A.
28. Visit Korea.
29. Drive across 7-mile bridge in Florida.
30. Go to Camiguin.
31. Visit Leenard at Barner's.
32. Go to Palawan.
33. Travel to Morocco.
34. Go to Norway.
35. Go on a missions trip.
36. Travel light.
37. Go up the top of Space Needle. done may 28, 2008 with my mama (Link to entry)
38. Go see a Broadway show in NYC.
39. Have a perfect day. "My perfect day would be a day at the beach, swimming to my heart's content. A hammock under the cool shade would complete the picture-perfect day."
40. Go and see a doctor.
41. Have Annie Lyn come visit.
42. Have Issa come visit.
43. Have Madz come visit.
44. Have Mandy come visit.
45. Have Satchmo come visit. -- received Sept 8, 2008 sent back November 2008
46. Watch a Filipino singer in concert, preferably Lea Salonga.
47. Go karaoke with Madz.
48. Eat some unripe mangoes.
49. Enjoy a mango shake. shake made from not quite ripe export mangoes. :( may 25, 2008
50. Enjoy buko juice.

ORGANIZE

51. Transcribe family Reunion updates. (2/2) done may 22, 2008
52. Transcribe Lolo Ben-Lola Deding love story.
53. Complete the mermaids lagoon memory book. done may 13, 2008 (Link to entry)
54. Record ISBNs of all books to be given away.
55. Give away text books.
56. Drop off MCAT-related books to Liane. done june 23, 2008 (Link to Twitter status)
57. Sort through inbox, which is supposed to be cleaned out every Saturday. (Link to entry)
58. Sort through and clean out big blue box of papers. done june 7, 2008 (Link to entry)
59. Start the travel blog.
60. Print travel pictures for memory book.
61. List The Amazing Race destinations.
62. Concoct the Ultimate TAR itinerary.
63. Update contact book/birthday reminders in PDA. done june 4, 2008 (Link to twitter status)
64. Catalog all books to be kept on Libary Thing.
65. Compile Philippine island-hopping list.
66. Complete the online version of my family tree. done may 23, 2008
67. Get a new design for my blog Sandalwood & Chamomile. done july 12, 2009 (Link to entry)
68. Keep my paper journals in one place.
69. Clean and update songs on Blu. done june 17, 2008 (Link to entry)

LEARN and TEST

70. Figure out what I want to do as a career.
71. Take the JLPT Level 4 and pass.
72. Take the FSOT.
73. Finish Pimsleur Korean Comprehensive I.
74. Learn Answer the Phone dance steps.
75. Learn a complete song in Korean (read, write, sing)
76. Take the GRE.
77. Apply for ISO. May 14, 2008 test was on may 29, 2008
78. Learn to use the sewing machine.
79. Learn the basics of photoshop.

READ and WRITE

80. Write my will.
81. Work on, publish and distribute bimonthly KBLP Newsletter. (1/16)
82. Finish the 3 books borrowed from the public library. (3/3) - finished Aug. 16, 2008 (Link to entry)
83. Write a short story in English.
84. Write a short story in Korean.
85. Write a short story in Japanese.
86. Start a journal in Japanese. on ２００９年１月８日
87. Finish Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. done Sept 8, 2008
88. Complete my 25th fansubbing job. done by July 11, 2009 with City Hall ep16
89. Finish Edith Hamilton's Mythology. done Jan 6, 2009
90. Read all works in the The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics. (2/7)

JUST DO IT

91. Build dream Animal Crossing house.
92. Keep travel memory book current.
93. Update resume. done may 13, 2008 (Link to entry)
94. Apply for job. materials sent on may 14, 2008
95. Make a case for my hotdog pillow.
96. Create a laptop case.
97. Keep a plant living past February 8, 2011
98. Make my own bibimbap. first try on may 15, 2008 (Link to entry)
99. Keep my hair long for six months. (8/6) done December 11, 2008 (Link to entry)
100. Run.
101. Celebrate the completion of this list.

If you would like to do a project such as this one and need more information, head on to Day Zero, the home of this project.

Edit: I have seen some of the lists of other 101/1001'ers, and I'm encouraged to sort my list into categories. I know doing that would help me focus. So that will be item #102 (color change means task is done!)

Progress:

Tasks Done: 32
Tasks Left: 69

Most recent completed items: #67 - Get a new design for the blog. It's no longer the lighthouse theme, but a bluebird minimalist theme. Yay.

Written by Gail T. at 12:47 AM | 21 comments Links to this post    
Filed under 101/1001, future reference, on the web, travel

I found a gem of an advice in a list full of junk a while ago. Instantly, I loved it and over time I've been toying with the idea in my head.

Collect at least six country stamps on your passport, including one from a place that until recently you didn't even know existed.

I need new country stamps on my new passport, and this is definitely one of my life-long goals. But I thought it might be hard to find a country that I "didn't even know existed" since I've always enjoyed reading the atlas.

Well, I just found one! San Marino is a landlocked country in the Appenine Mountains. Its Italian official name is translated to "Most Serene Republic of San Marino." I sure want to visit this "serene republic" to find, what else? Serenity.

Written by Gail T. at 9:58 PM | 0 comments Links to this post    
Filed under 101/1001, future reference, travel

It's been quite some time since I last cried at a movie or TV series. So long that I wondered if I have begun to get desensitized to the recycled plots of Asian dramas. I still enjoy watching them, but it has been a long time since my heart strings were tugged enough for tears to roll down my cheeks. I'm usually a crybaby, so this is not quite myself.

Well, it happened tonight. Fat tears just fell from both eyes with some sipon peek-a-booing from my nostrils for good measure. I was sad and angry and hurt for the heroine in one scene in the drama Fated To Love You. (You can view the clip through here, FTLY ep 8 pt 2 of 6)

For a bit of a back story, Chen Xin Yi (the girl, from here on, "C") and Ji Cun Xi (the boy; "J") have an unintentional one-night-stand that results in a pregnancy. Eventually, they decide to marry and stay together up until the birth of the child, who is heir to the Ji family business. Coincidentally, C and J share the same birthday. In the previous two years, J got to celebrate it with his ballet dancer girlfriend while C, who has a history of being an afterthought, has always been forgotten. J's wish is to spend the day with his gf. C's wish, we later learn, is to handpick and personally present a present for J so she can observe his reaction.

Since the gf is MIA, both agree to spend the day together. But when gf calls that she can spare a few hours for J, he bails out on C, although he arranges plenty of entertainment for C by herself.

In the middle of the clip is the heartbreaking scene. (Can you tell I'm biased towards C?) She is visibly crushed, but J does not notice. A guilty heart, perhaps? But she pulls herself together and tells him cheerfully that his wish will be granted. I really applauded C here. All along, we are made to believe that C is a sticky-note girl with no backbone and resolve. But here she shows how much restraint and selflessness she has. It is in this scene that is clear that C's maturity is worth far more than the gf's selfish wishy-washiness. The question is when J will finally see and appreciate this.

One thing is sure, I would love to see and appreciate some major groveling and penance when that happens. For the rest of his life sounds really good.

It is very interesting to me how some viewers who blog seem to be giving up on this series. Yes, it is hitting all the stereotypical plot points but the draw for me remains to be C. I hate weak-willed martyr heroines (most especially the dumb ones) but C is proving to be strong, pragmatic and sensitive in spite of her circumstance. Also, I identify with her, especially in this scene; she appears to speak in the love language of quality time. All she wants is to spend time with J. Her spirits were lifted when she got to spend time with a good friend exploring an art gallery. I wish for her to find happiness. So unless she is going to keep repeating her mistakes, lose her spunk and act dumb, I am willing to see this drama till its end.

Written by Gail T. at 3:48 AM | 42 comments Links to this post    
Filed under kolog

A song lyric sums up where I am right now. It is an English translation of a Japanese song that has yet to be released as a single, but is familiar to Japanese drama audiences. Song: Okaeri Artist: Ayaka Drama: Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend)

by carrying [these] feelings i can move on

Moving on does not always mean a completely blank slate. When something gripped tightly in one's hand is let go, the hand is not wiped clean. When someone realizes that living on is possible, the burden does not immediately fall away. Often, one is forced to crawl, stagger, walk and move on.

***
I may be jobless, but I'm not work-free, that is until my money runs out. Kids, a rainy day fund is a MUST.

Written by Gail T. at 11:29 PM | 8 comments Links to this post    
Filed under as it is, kolog, on the web