Peculiar hobby???

I have always thought that swedish people in general have a beautiful home.
Scandinavian design for buildings and furnitures are indeed a worldsclass.
When I lived in Stockholm which I value as the most beautiful capital in the world
I really enjoyed looking around the shops with home decorating items and chairs etc.
Hong sometimes gets Swedish newpaper from his dear friend
The first thing I look and read carefully is ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Real Estate Advertisement" since it shows really beautiful gorgeous homes in Stockholm.
I see the lights comes through the window in the chiily but sunny winter morning as well as
a warm storke in the summer night. I see how a kitchen is planned and sometimes strangely I know the brand.
They are of course expensive that I maybe never have a chance to be in the apartment but
I imagine myself in a home with a lot of friends and just me and Carin and Hong.
From timg to time I find myself a litte bit pathetic but looking at thouse pictures really amuses me. Of course I found many pictures in the magazines too but those in the ads are somehow available for me if I only had enough money. ^^

New year's resolution Update

The reason why it is so diffucult to achieve the new year's resolution is that, I think that one might set the goal but never review the goals from time to time. In a business it is not possible to just decide the goal and never check the process reviewing and re-making the commitments.
So I will sometimes update the status of my new years resolution...
1. no more starbucks or other luxurious coffee for me
Until now I am quite satisfied with my result. I succeeded in refraining from those brands and made my own coffee at home
2. maintain a frugal life style.
It included cut restaurent visits and taxi riding.
On the taxi's front I am happy
I used buses and subways
but restaurent visit I failed. But what can you do when a good freind calls you and invite to join a hilarious evening with other freinds???? You cannot just say " No. I am sorry My new years resolution is not to go to the restaurents."
3. Powerwalk 5 km every day.
again I failed to do so everyday. I actually did only two days. So I am rearranging this goal to three days in a week. Unless it will not be possible to attain this one. But no more down grading the goal.
4. No taking too much
Well I still talk too much but I think I am doing fine so far
5. read more books
Shame on me. I didn't finish Kite runner yet
6. pass the exams
I do not know if I am going to pass them or not
But preparation has already begun
I have my doubts on taking the driver license.

I have to improve myself....
Darn~~~~

Depressing future

Today I was heading toward HUFS to give lecture on Swedish to Samsung workers. I usually sent there with Hong as he has winter classes as well. But this morning I had some errands early in the morning at Standard chartered so I took the subway line numer1. It was not crowded contrary to my fear. I saw an old lady collecting abandoned newspapers. She must be over 70. I heard that the newspapers were sold in recycling center and if the collectors work really really hard they can earn aroung 600000 won. After she was gone another man came and also collected newspapers. He was also over 70. Suddenly I felt terrible fear that collecting newpapers can be my future since there is no so called social safety net in Korea and even though you are highy educated the labor market is very cruel to the old people. What a depressing day!!!!!!!!!

Believe in Santa

It is so cute that I cannot believe it. My soon-to-be-11 girl still believes in Santa. She had her doubts on Santa two years ago but I convinced her by "proving" the Santa visited us when we were out of town. We were at Hong's father's place in Chooncheon. She asked me whether Santa was coming to Chooncheon or not. I didnot prepare the gift to her so I told her that santa would come to our house in Seoul leaving the present for her. I somehow managed to buy one she wanted, a race car with remote control, and hide it in the trunk of the car. And when we arrived at our place she ran up to see whether Santa was there. Fortunately, I was before her with the present and put it on her desk. As I had serveral things with me so she didnot see the present I was holding. She was very suprised and happy that Santa was listening to her wish. From that moment she believes firmly on Santa. This year she was afraid that she won't get any either becase she again lied to me. However, this year she bravely came to me in advance and apologized for her wrongdoing with real regretful tears. I told her she was doing the right thing and very brave to come clean about it. Yesterday on the eve after saying good night I found a chirstmas card on her desk. It was to Santa ''Dear Santa, I know that you were pretty upset. I know also that you did not come to me last year. It's Ok since I have been a naughty girl. I am sorry. This year I lied again to Mom but I told her truth this time by myself. And I think that Mom can trust me now. I will not lie again. I believe that you are out there even though some of my freinds do not. So if you are going to give me a present this year I would like to have Nintendo DS with one or two game chips. Please write an answer here. But if you are busy it's Ok not to.'' She also unlocked the window for Santa. I placed her present and took the card to keep it for good. This morning as soon as she woke up she ran to the tree but it was nothing there. Her little disappointment truned into overwhelmed happiness finding a present on her desk. Opening the package she got the one she wished. She opened the window and she said to santa ''Thank you''. Jumping up and down filled with joy she came to me and proudly showed the new nintendo and the game chip.

job

I hate to be job interviewed.
But I hate more to not to know anything
what's happening to me.

I so~~~ wish to continue the job I have roght now but
if there is nothing to do I hate just sit aroung do nothing but surfing the Internet...

I already got the message
They do not know how the next project will play out
Therefore they cannot guaratee my extension.
Alright

I hate looking for another job

Shit

Weekend

Weekend is always too short.
I wonder how I could deal with working Saturday in the past.
It is also true that I appreciate more weekends and holidays since I started work full time.
One of my friend said that he is working really hard in his office in order to enjoy "Fika" time, Coffee break.

We were supposed to go to a company dinner on Friday but it was cancelled in the last moment. I was quite looking forward it because it was a good time to get know more of my bosses. Anyway the company was in in the mood for gathering since there were some disputes to be resolved between departments. Furthermore, the woman from Singapore were having trouble for sing off for the project so the mood was not exactly for Friday company dinner.

My weekend schedule includes visit to dentist these days. My painful experience. I am so afraid of needles huuusss sounds and drills... The pain is so distinctive impossible to describe. I would be very surprised that if there is anybody in the world who enjoys going to see a dentist.
My another weekend plan is to go to see Mom. I feel somewhat bad for Hong. Because we do not pay a visit to his father as much as we do for my Mom.

This weekend we headed to Itaewon to have some sweet waffles. But I failed to find the restaurant but on our way back home we found one patisserie who serves very good hot chocolate. Did some shopping for Hong and Carin. Shoe shopping. I tried to but some English checked clothing but could not find one.

Panicked over the fact that there are so many hairs on the floor, carin's school innershoes
were not washed, have to make dinner, iron blouses for tomorrow etcetc....
Sunday evening angst and panic!!!! as usual ....

Cyber Jungle

Now as I have begun "Facebooking", I am really in the jungle of Internet age like everybody.

I have my personal IDs in Hotmail, Gmail, Daum,Cyworld, Naver Blogging, Goggle Blogging, several newspapers and now Facebook. Welcome to the 21st Century's Online Connectivity world.

Most of my Korean friends and colleagues have their own mini-homepage in the site of Cyworld, which is Korean social networking site. So in order to catch up what is going on with them, I have to log in to the site as a member and furthermore I have to be the neighbor to see what is exclusively open to close friends. When I first heard of the Cyworld I was quite skeptical since I thought that my privacy could be wide open to the world. Moreover, I was very surprised over the fact that Koreans really enjoyed sharing not only news and opinion but also feelings, emotions that should be considered as private. I could not understand and still do not see the point of posting the well posed pictures of them. Who on the earth is interested in what they ate and where there have been and what they bought etc... Koreans were too showy, ostentatious, pretentious. I was even shocked over the comments they wrote. "How nice How beautiful Envy you...." So what!!! We were grown up in a society in which express one's emotions is a social taboo and I believe even Korean society has changed dramatically in line with economic development, still it is important to not to show one's feelings. And what freaked me out was the design of the web page. It looked like still it looks like for preschool children.





But I soon found out that without joining cyworld it was very hard to socialize. So I decided to ride the cy-wave. But soon I got a phonecall from someone that I don't want to be know of. Since then I remained as an observer, visiting ny friends homepage, commenting them, keeping myself posted all the time.

However, I started write my blog in Naver Korea's most popular portal site. And got cyber friends there whom I never met, exchanging views on what is going on.
Then I moved to Google blog to communicate with my Swedish friends. I have to be better on posting stories on Google.

And Finally MY Dear Friend Annie invited to join the FaceBook
And VOILA!!!!!

I do not know how I am going to manage my cyber business but wish me a good luck!!!!