10 Things That You Probably Didn't Know (About Yours Truly Because She's Egotistical)

   Yes, the title is rather narcissistic, but in all honesty, it's been nearly a year since I have moved from Oklahoma, and it feels like things have changed a lot, for better or worse. But in retrospect, trying to gather inventory of all the numerous changes that have altered this strange thing you call 'identity', it's hard to find exactly where I've diverged from my previous self. Perhaps that's the thing about change--you never notice it happening. So without further ado, here are 10 new things about me, from the weird, to the random, to the plain out mundane.

1) I Like Math:

DA has made me grow in more ways than one, but the most notable one would be my newfound love of mathematics. Yes I am Grace, and no this is not a prank. Also, no, I'm not inebriated.

But in all seriousness (and I know I sound bipolar over here), I not only like math, I've found that I'm good at it. This, I can say with absolute certainty, is all due to my wonderful math teacher, Mr. C. with his great sense of humor (or his horrible sense of humor, they're all the same), his willingness to argue about tangent lines for half an hour with his class*, and his dedication to teaching us about multiple ways to skin a cat without spoon feeding. Math is a new joy in my life (well...geometry at least. Let's see what happens when I go head to head with my ancient nemesis, algebra), and its added a new dimension to my identity as well.

2) I am Now Addicted to Big Bang and SNSD:

Dad has told me several times in the past that technically my nationality is Korean, not Chinese-Korean or Korean-Chinese, etc, due to the obscure rules of tradition. All I can say is that I'm embracing this whole heartedly, because Korea is friggin' cool.

My two favorite bands, Big Bang and SNSD (Girl's Generation) are both Korean (and also interestingly, my favorite fingerstyle guitarist, Sungha Jung is korean as well!)

Girl's Generation, AKA SNSD

Big Bang!

 Not to be racist here or anything--it's just that Korean culture is super cool. Not only are there really addicting dramas (I think I've dedicated an entire blog post to one in the past), but their music is really fun as well. Maybe it's something about the slightly hyper peppy style that attracts me, but K-Pop is becoming my next addition to my fav-music repertoire, and rom the way I've begun to listen to it over and over (and over and over and over and...) again, a considerable factor in the way I identify myself as well. Big Bang and Girl's Generation, fighting! It doesn't matter that I don't understand a word that they say (besides the ocasional interjections of English phrases), K-pop music is just plain cool...

3) My Hair Is Now Brown:

I suppose this is in line with the whole "Grace....you ARE Korean" deal, but now my hair can no longer be called black, it's brown. In the past, Mom has been fond of making me stand next to her and showing friends and relatives just how different our hair color is--and lemme just tell it to you---it's not turning black again. In fact, I've begun to pull out the ocasiona blond hair as well. My goodness. The madness this is descending into. If I start to turn blond, I'm going to call a doctor.

But in all honesty, I like my brown hair. Sure, it's a little weird that there's the ocasional blond strand, but it makes me look unique and I think it looks pretty cool as well. Brown hair is pretty Korean.

       


4) I Like Having Facials

It's a new trend for me, a sudden emphasis on...being 'girly-girly'? But to my defense, facials make me feel better about not wearing makeup (nothing to cover up), and they also feel really good for my face. Haha, sounding like a total teen girl here, so I'll be quick to not bore you. Most of the 'facials' are really just a bunch of homemade ingredients thrown together. Bubzbeauty (on youtube and bubzbeauty.com) is my favorite source.

5) I Have Started Playing Guitar:

Thanks to Nix, a DA friend of mine who lent me her guitar over the summer (without whom this would not be possible), and Sungha Jung, the super awesome fingerstyle guitarist who 'inspires' me**, I've started trying to pick up guitar. What with Chinese cramming (the trip is less than a week away!!! Ahhhh!!!) and minimalist OCD (to be discussed below), there hasn't been a lot of time to pick up the guitar, but I've been playing for the beginning of summer break, and for the rest of it. Let me just tell you, guitar is a pretty sweet instrument. Though it does chop up your fingers something awful.

6) I Am Now A (Wanna-Be) Minimalist:

You may or may not be acquainted with my family's anti-materialistic move towards 'slimming down', but ever since the U-Box affair, it's been a major priority. Well, maybe not a major priority, but it certainly has been one, though mostly only on Dad's list. Recently, though, he sent us an article (http://zenhabits.net/a-guide-to-creating-a-minimalist-home/) and I realized that he was really serious about this minimalist deal.

Since we've already gotten rid of most of our furniture during the first inquisition (...uh that is, the U-box episode. More and more, I'm starting to feel like this push towards minimalism is a crusade against clutter), now our major target has become clutter. Which, unfortunately, is very abundant. Recently, I've been waging a war against clutter--with my bathroom as the epicenter of cleanliness. Being neat is against my nature--but suprisingly, and happily, it feels more and more natural and more and more relaxed. Minimalism is good for your mental health (:P) and in fact, ever since I've converted to the dark (and very sparse) side, I've started to feel a lot calmer and less frenzied.

7) I Have Started Doing Yoga:

This year, Yoga was my 2nd period elective, and Eastern Philosophy 5th and 6th block, so it's no big surprise that Yoga has become my new big thing. Not only is Yoga a great form of exercise (ok, so you  may be thinking, you hold a pose for a long time--how does that work out? But if you've ever tried yin yoga, you'll know what I'm talking about), it also has great philosophical aspects as well. Plus, it's just plain cool. Not only does Yoga work out your muscles, but it increases flexibility as well and gives a great stretch in some hard to reach places.

8) I Am Now Into Jung

On our last day of Neurophilosophy (another Friday elective), our class gave (the coolest teacher ever) Carmen The Red Book, a documentation by the psychologist Jung of his own madness.

(Illustration from the Red Book)

As superficial as this sounds, the beautiful handwriting (yes. I'm commenting on a psychologists' handwriting) and the illustrations by Jung, documenting his visions really cemented a growing interest in him that had been sparked by a copy of 'Man and His Symbols' that a Neuro classmate had lent me. Let me just say, Jung is pretty cool. I don't understand half of what he says, or necessarily accept half of the half that I do understand, but as I read more and more about his theories and works, I find that my mind becomes more and more open, and my ideas about well....existence, identity, intelligence, life...become more and more diversified.

9) I Can't Really Speak Chinese:

...Yeah, it's pretty unusual for a (1/2 Chinese) girl who has been studying the language for over 5 years, but it is true, I'm not fluent in Chinese. Not the best thing to lack when you're heading to China in less than a week. There has been a lot of pressure, for me personally, since a) everyone kinda sorta expects me to know Chinese (and don't get me wrong, I can talk some, but no way am I fluent) b) I'm probably going to have to do a bit of translating along the way c) Mom won't be with me, so I'm going to have to tough it out on my own.

Still, despite slight fear concerning communication issues, I am totally looking forward to this trip to Guangzhou. I'll be sure to blog faithfully, and take plenty of pictures. (of the food! and the scenery! and me! and more me!) Wish me luck! This is going to be sooooo cool!

10) I Like Coconut Milk:

Lactose (kinda-sorta-maybe-ishy) intolerant means that I've never drunk milk (well...just me personally. Not like all lactose intolerant people don't drink milk and hate it), although I'd never say no to pizza, or a grilled cheese sandwich, or green tea ice-cream.

No offense to those who like it, but soya milk and almond milk both taste kinda funny. Not like coconut milk doesn't, but it's....less...funny...tasting (?) if you get my drift. Rice milk though. Rice milk is the best.

Anyways, this is the anticlimatic end to my 10 things new about me.

Why mention Coconut Milk? No particular reason. But it's new.


-Shhh....

*there is a good story behind this, by the way. And yours truly led the charge, which mostly consisted of screaming "BUT HOW DOES IT WORK" at Mr. Carter with a bunch of my classmates.

**by which I mean, makes me go "0.o.....so....jealous....must...be...able...to..do...that....too"..