Get Crackin'

I tried a K-restaurant in Richmond yesterday (today). Supposedly the best in Richmond (but there are only a few anyway). Anyway, the restaurant is called Kimchi Nara. On dinehere.ca, M and I learned that it's owned by a couple - Korean wife and white husband. The husband serves and the wife cooks -- but when we went, there was a young-ish Korean lady serving. Her service was alright.... not very amiable. Small restaurant but a lot nicer than I expected. We ordered BBQ Beef Kalbi Ribs (quite expensive at $15 for like 8 bites) and Kimchi Jjigae which was served hot and bubbly ($10). I enjoyed the Beef Kalbi Ribs - it had pretty good flavour, but M and I both agreed that they needed to change the grill. The Kimchi Jjigae tasted like the one from Submore xept it was saltier... a little disappointing 'cause Submore charges half the price! It came with (really yummy) seaweed soup and 2 bowls of rice and the usual 4 side dishes (super glazed potato that was a tad overcooked, seaweed/kelp (little salty), garlicy... green things, and kimchi). The menu was pretty impressive - it had a lot for such a small restaurant that probably only fits 30 people max... and it had almost all the Kfood I love!
So to conclude, we learned to stick to restaurants where Koreans flock: Downtown Vancouver, Coquitlam, and North Vancouver.

Daiso has a lot of stuff ne? I like it, but when you actually think of it, $2 is pretty darn expensive to pay for most of the stuff there. I bought a thin-ish laptop case - fits my giant laptop perfectly! Now I don't HAVE to bring a big bag to carry it around. I only really care for some of their stationary, their plates/bowls, and makeup (fake eyelashes anyone?).

I learned that it really depends on what you order in a restaurant -- you shouldn't judge from your 1st experience (though it's natural to). B, M, and I have been to a small, cabin-like tea house across from Jang Mo Jib in Richmond for Asian-type drinks a few times in the past. We've all really like what we ordered... but today, M and I tried a couple of drinks that were not even close to the standard they serve. If we had ordered those drinks in our first visit there, I don't think we'd ever go back! But it was just for this case - sometimes the food/drinks are really all that way haha

I learned/re-learned some Japanese --> Korean from DBSK's Big East Station Radio show:
CUTE is kawaii in Japanese, and guiyeowo (said like kgyowo) in Korean
WEIRD is hen in Japanese, and isanghae (said eesahnghay) in Korean
COOL/GOOD-LOOKING is kakkoii in Japanese, and meot jyol (said motte jeol) in Korean
INTERESTING is omoshiroi in Japanese, and jaemitseo in Korean

Wonder Girls' style is so much nicer these days. Just a month ago, they wore these clashing "what-were-you-thinking??" outfits.

I rest my case. I did read that they were very reluctant to wear those types of outfits at first, but now they think it's fun. I'm actually getting quite used to it - the clash of their outfits do make them young, fun, and quite unique!

NOW:

All dressed in Fendi.I usually don't like girl groups... or I take a while to like them. So many of them can't sing - they just look alright, and their dancing is mediocre. I don't enjoy their voices as much as I like guys' voices... and girl groups usually don't last very long (or leave the greatest legacy...). I guess now I'm getting used to some of these girl groups and am even starting to like them!
There were 4 or 5 Korean girl groups that all debuted within months of each other. Such competition! There's SNSD (aka Girls' Generation - a 9-member group under SM entertainment.. same label as DBSK), Wonder Girls (JYP), Kara (Daesung Entertainment), Black Pearl... uhh forgot the other one at the moment. I think SNSD and Wonder Girls are probably the most popular right now -- probably because their labels are most well-known so they are marketed the best. It's neat to see the concepts for girl groups these days. They're all pretty distinctive. SNSD has a super girlie + young image (crowns/doll-like)... Wonder Girls is more different and sexyish... Black Pearl seems more mature and classy:
Kara has been pretty typical and none of their members stand out appearance-wise. They've been pretty well dressed from the start.

You can't really see it, but the girl on the left is wearing (really nice) short-alls. I like her outfit.
Before the trip, when I think of short-alls, I think of the ones Nad and I used to wear in elementary school. I had a jean material pair and a navy Winnie The Pooh pair that I wore so often.... oh gosh. Anyway, these are totally different. They were quite popular when B and I were in Taiwan this past summer. I wanted a pair! Should have got one. Why didn't I again? There was one pair I saw that I really liked - I think it was the jean short-alls with gold chain straps.

I wanna write more but I need to sleep.
Zzz,
N

Tick Tock

lolll so I didn't end up going up to school. This time it was out of laziness. I stayed home and worked on a few chapters of Accounting instead... 'cause it's my 1st final (6th). Hmm I'm all caught up in that class textbook-wise and did well on the online assignments but I don't feel like I know the material at all. Guess I gotta actually study now.

I just came back from The Keg -- family went there for my dad's bday (wouldn't usually choose this place.. had a gift card). Being 50 doesn't faze my dad - he's still young at heart and looks younger so I guess it's really just a number! Happy 50th Birthday Daddy!! Love ya
Anyway, you know I can't go to these types of restaurants without some sort of review so here it is:
This location just opened up 3 months ago so everything looked really new. Dimly light and warm atmosphere. It was yum 'cause we got to pick whatever we wanted from the menu. My family picked 3 entrees and 3 appies (I chose it: escargot, ahi tuna, and bacon wrapped scallops) and I got my Italian Pear cocktail yay They really like beans and mushrooms there... steak was great as expected. Portion sizes were pretty good. 3 of us got large Caesar Salads in the beginning, then our appies came (which were very appetizer-like portion-wise... but I had a little bit of each so I was pretty full by the time my parents & brother got their entrees). Service was pretty good. Waiter was friendly and outgoing, but seemed fake... like he has said the same jokes/lines all day.

30% off Guess
GUESS? is re-opening in Richmond Centre soon. It's going to be the largest Guess? mall location in Canada at 7,000sq feet! There's a "party" (well, it's not really a party I don't think.. more like a family and friends event) on December 1st and 2nd (Sat and Sun) from 9:30AM to 9:00PM. All you gotta do is, when you pay, mention the Facebook Invitation and you'll receive an exclusive 30% off your purchase!
I'm looking to see if I desperately want anything from there, but no. In the store, I like a few pieces once in a while, but not enough to buy it with my own money... so I think - what if I got a shopping spree - then it's fun to look through the website haha I don't really enjoy looking at it though. Who really has the models' silhouette? I don't even think most of the clothes look good on their models. Maybe that's why I like the store better - easier to think of how it'd look on me or other regular people.
As for their handbags and wallets, I don't really like their cut out G logo so that eliminates a lot of the ones I'd choose. I do like their Guess stamped metal plates though. Ok I really don't see anything I like on their site that's in season haha I'd probably just get a pair of jeans and/or plain black pants. I need black work pants... everyone does. I don't like them.

I wanna be a ballerina.

Yesterday I decided that I want to take ballet lessons (and no, B, it wasn't from those scarily amazing ballerinas on Star King haha.. if anything, they've sort of turned off ballet for me). I've always loved how tall, flexible, and elegant they look so this is my attempt to become graceful and improve my flexibility and posture...... and to own a pair of those ballet flats :D haha
Okaaaayy. I'll admit - the real reason is because I'm "insanely jealous of these precious little darlings":

(from PINK is the new Blog)

If you can't beat them, join 'em!

Anyway, I can just imagine my clumsy self knocking down a whole line of ballerina wannabes...
Anyone who's anyone is welcome to join me! Doesn't have to be for my reasons, of course, but I totally understand why if you do ;)

Hmmmm I've got a 7 hour cashier training session for the UBC Bookstore on December 7th..... smack in the middle of my finals. And that night, I'm babysitting my cousins, Erin and Kyle. Priorities a bit mixed up? Maybe. Well, my next final is on the 10th.

Spring 2008 plans:
- School (3 or 4 classes)
- Driving lessons - get N before I leave for Japan and Korea
- Ballet Lessons (workshop) once a week?
- Bikram's Yoga once or twice a month
- WORK galore (2-3 days/week) to save up for the trips

OK back to studying.
You too!
N

P.S. Is Gossip Girl affected by the Hollwood writer's strike too??? The site hasn't updated their episode for 2 weeks now! I think I might need to find a new site...