Last Minute Gathering

So, I leave for Korea on Thursday. I haven't packed at all, not even bothered to think about it. During the four months that I've been here, I've grown accustomed to this place quicker than I have any other places before. Not to say it would have been my preferable lifestyle. But there's a beauty within this country that is nowhere else, and I know my experience here was just too precious to be bidding farewells with. I will be back though, I know that, and when I do I'm making sure every part of it gets lived up without leaving behind a stone unturned. This place has become one of the many but few that I call 'home'. It will always have a special place in my life that I will tell my kids about one day.

These past few days, I've been having many of the father-son quality time and we've been taking drives down to the country side's of France, going to Versailles, Opera, Lafayette and etc. To have my mom's home cooking on top of that, I'm absolutely loving it. I'm looking forward to Korea as well, esp. those pojangmacha dduk bok ggi's, boong uh bbangs, ho dduk...YUM. I def. wanna try some of that boshingtang too, I hear it's good for men's power ;). Other things I'm looking forward to, reuniting with my brother and sister in laws, with cousins and relatives I barely know, and some year 2030 futuristic internet speed!!! No longer have to be living behind in the 1800's no more, lol. It'll be weird, being around everybody who's Korean again, funny how you feel more out of place that way at first.

These are some pics from Medan, France, a countryside where the famous arthur Emilie Zola once resided. BEAUUUTIFUL. Every part of this country is just stunning beauty. Something I'll never forget about.


The countryside drive in the town.

A place with peace & serenity, couldn't hear a thing moving.

Walking through the railroads, pensive.

Trying to balance my life.

Poppers & lockers @ Trocadero. Btw, they are GOOD.

Right by Opera.

Versailles.

Backyard.

Just endless.

Right by my crib. Rue Jean de la Fontaine!!!

New Year, New Challenges

Happy 2 0 0 0 & 9!

I spent my NYE very low key at home, with family, and watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle from my living room right to the moment of countdown with just a few thoughts and sighs I let out the window for what's to come in this coming year.

This New Year is indeed very different from others, because this is the first time I really know what I'm going to be going through the whole year. I'm physically ready, with just a few mental preparation due, but I'll get that equipped very soon.

If anything this year signals change, a change of attitude, change of lifestyle, change of people, change from freedom, change of scenery, change of all changes. Another change in my life, but what can I say, it all looks too familiar to me. How am I going to do it? Just rely on 25 years of experience, I'll be just fine.

I apologize to most of you for being so vague, but I'll let y'all know in time. There's only a very select few that know what I mean. Anyways, it's refreshing to see changes around me as well, when the light of the Eiffel Tower changed for the new beginning. The stars around it representing the Euro Union is gone as well. I know I mention the E.T. so much but it's the closest thing to home, and it just fascinates me, just my way of expressing my appreciation of my time here...So here are some pics:



2008 & 2009

Btw, I'll be in Korea January 8th, so holla at me!

New Year's Resolution

1. Stay healthy and well.
2. Surround myself with more positive people.
3. Keep my faith in God.
4. Read more books and study the way it's written.
5. Write, write and write.
6. Re-establish myself with my family.
7. Thoroughly plan out goals and achievements

I can't help but to recite a lyric again that expresses my exact sentiments going into the New Year. From David Cook's 'Time of My Life'...

I’ve been waiting for my dreams
To turn into something I could believe in
And looking for that magic rainbow
On the horizon, I couldn’t see it
Until I let go, gave into love
And watched all the bitterness burn
Now I’m coming alive, body and soul
And feelin’ my world start to turn...

Holding onto things that vanished
Into the air left me in pieces
But now I’m rising from the ashes
Finding my wings and all that I needed
Was there all along, within my reach
As close as the beat of my heart...

Happy New Years!!!

2008 Recap

And so I did some thinking last night before I went to bed and reflected on my past year. If felt like I was caught in an early thunderstorm, rode the waves and somehow ended up in shore, safe at last. :) Here's a brief synopsis of what occured during the months...

January
My coworker comes over to my place and accidently knocks over my brand new furniture ($6 G's worth), only to leave without an apology, causing an office hoopla.

February
I go to court over a two year long dispute with my ex-landlord on deposit issues, then received only $120 of the $5300 owed.

March
I get convicted of my first ever DWI while still blowing under the limit of .07, when the legal limit is .08. I'm arrested at the spot, then spent a night in Central Booking, oh how lovely that was. Fine + attorney's fees ran about $1500.

April
I get into a horrid car accident while driving on the highway in the Bronx. $5 G's worth of damage with some mental shock in my brain.

May
Parted ways with a partner, things just seem to head straight downhill. So I lean towards moving to Paris, my mind almost made up.

June
Started attending Arcola Church on the regular, thanks to Marie. Went on the retreat, began making minimal changes.

July
I got connected with my trainer Brian through Mikey. Started working out and making lifestyle changes.

August
I announce my move to Paris. Flew down to Miami to see my boy Eric before I left. Threw a farewell party in Jersey and felt like I was on top of the world.

September
Make my move to Paris. Experience a culture shock, transition period. But made a trip to London and the tourist spots here along with several visitors that kept me busy.

October
Spent my 25th birthday with several friends here in Paris. One of the toughest adjusting periods, almost fell through depression.

November
Dusted myself off after a trip to Barcelona and adopted a real positive attitude and outlook on life. Things started to look good, enrolled in classes, had El & Cat visit during Thanksgiving and started playing flag football with the boys down here.

December
The positive outlook continues, everything looks gravy, spent Christmas here with pops, my mom made a return from Korea and plan to spend New Years here with them, which is even more special.

So as you can see, it started out rough, but it had a great ending to it and that's what matters most - how you finish. August was the best month of this year but November is the month that changed me forever. Everything is positive around my life, my family is well and healthy, my close circle of friends are keeping up with their positivity and myself, I'm doing just that - no longer cluttered around negativity nor negative people.

I was talking to my man Chris aka LS, and I was talking to him about how the more positive attitude I try to adapt, it seems to attract more negative people. How the influence doesn't carry over. I actually sat on this thought for days trying to analyze it before speaking to him. He came away with one simple answer that solved my long and complicated riddle:

"You see, the negativity was always there,
it's just that now that you're thinking more positive,
you notice more negativity around you."

Wow, well said.

Food To My Soul

Welcome home, Umma! :)

My whole Paris ordeal wasn't entirely as I mapped it out to be, the way I meant to spend quality time with my parents one last time, when my mom unexpectantly had to go to Korea for three long months to oversee our estate. Yeah, not exactly how they planned it out to be as well when 5 years ago we predicted this new property would be a money maker with the economy booming.

Well, we weren't even planning on renting it out nor selling it in the first place. This was supposed to be the home all of our family would move into afterall being as spacious as it is and brand spanking new. But the way our family had been scattered in different places, timing wasn't so right for that. Timing wasn't right as well when the economy took a plunge and it took as long as it did, well, moreso fortunate that it didn't take any longer to rent it out.

The three months again, I mention. During those times I realized what a family without a mother must be like, or those real families who lost their mothers in the middle of their lives. Though I understood within time, people are all meant to adapt to their surroundings and make up for the loss (just like me and my pops have), it is never to say that her presence was never felt. No one can replace the love, care, affection and tenderness like a mother can give. I couldn't picture my life without her.

Now from here on out, with just more than a week left for me to go to Korea, 97.8% of my time will be dedicated to her. I just hope we both overcome this nasty cold we individually came down with to truly enjoy the last week before take off.

I love you umma, you are very well the food to my soul.

So Sick

No, not the song, like really. It's been a rough, rough few days coming down with a nasty cold. Bahhh.

I never liked the idea of being 'comfortable' in any position, but its hard to avoid it. Like, here's my theory: Once you reach that comfort level in a relationship, that's when you lose them. Once you are comfortable with your wealth, it's gone with a blink of an eye. Once you're comfortable with your health, it'll take one sickness to make you realize how grateful your well being is.

My mama fed me good when I was a kid. Thanks to her I've been truly blessed to have great health all along. But no matter how healthy you are, once you set in your comfort zone, and start to get lazy in taking care of yourself, it'll hit you hard. And I'm the type I'll get sick once in a couple of years but I'll almost be in coma-status.

I'm glad I'm sick now before I face my bid. But just another reminder we should never take our health forgranted...I'll update the things I did on Christmas and so forth later. In the meantime, I can't wait for mama to fix me up a soup...

Joyeux Noël!

Merrry Christmas!

The Lord has blessed us another charming day of sunshine. As I was walking out of my apartment today, I looked up to come across an evolving realization. Considering how monumental Eiffel Tower is, helped by crouched buildings, it's never hard to notice where it stands. And today, it was just that much more fascinating.

It wasn't lit in blue elegant LED lights as it usually does after sunset with sparkling lights every hour of the night. But the way it naturally paints a picture during the day is simply enthralling. Whereby the buildings adjacent to me are so vividly clear infront of my eyes and the Eiffel Tower leaning back blends in with the sky of blur. The way it embodies each other is so natural, yet Eiffel Tower seems as if it's on its own. Such a piece of art this city is. It always makes me think, 'Wow, am I really here?', 'In Paris!?'. Sometimes I can't believe it myself. It seems as though Parisians can't quite grasp it also, as I occasionally get wonderous stares like, 'I never knew this types of human race existed, ah mon Dieu (oh my God)!' Even though I've been halfway around the world I'm always amazed at how you can be in such unique places within couple hours of a plane ride.

It's funny how observant I've become ever since I started this blog, lol.


I'm not sure if the picture depicts my observation but here is the view.

Annnd, as for my other daily activities, I copped me them Jordans!!!!!!!!!! These were the Air Jordans 1 Retro Highs I lost sleep over, then got tired, so I dreamt of it all along. I made it my mission to go get these today, and when I say it was a mission, it was one indeed. I went over to a closer Champs Elysees Nike store and they only had one pair of 11.5s left (with the way my pants are getting tighter each time I buy me some jeans, these days 10.5s are a fit). So I decided to leave them and head over to Chatelet again, thinking my luck will be better there. They had two pairs but only 12.5s and a 13. Ugh. Headed back to Champs Elysees, and this time ran, hoping no one copped the last pair. It was atleast a relief knowing Parisians don't have big feet (wink wink ladies). But still, I hurdled over people to see someone carressing the display sneakers I wanted. Ohhh my, I was about to faint. Dude was a little small so I knew he wasn't going to be taking them 11.5s. So at the end of the day, I became the lucky, happy jolly one coming home with it!!! But so much for Christmas spirit here, nothing is on sale :(. Though I guess this Christmas isn't so bad afterall!




Jeeeeeeeeeeahhh!

Bonus of the day:

When I say everything is small in Paris, once again, it is. This is my shopping cart for the supermarket. Imagine me strolling through the aisles with that, lol.