Thirty Things About Myself

1. Parents

I thank my parents for never telling me what to do whatsoever. They were always do-as-you-wish type of parents for me. So they only know very little about my school life. I feel respected in a sense that what they care about is not my GPA but myself.

2. Name

My name is for boys. And my mom once told me that it's because she didn't like overly girly names, like those with 'Ye'. I used to be, especially since then, a tomboy. And I think my name played a part.

3. Canada

I lived in Canada for about a year and a half when I was 12. English is one thing I learned in Canada but I think I've learned a lot more from the experience itself. I'm sure that those times are the most diverse moments in my life. Though I missed my family at first, I easily got over it that I never wanted to go back.

4. Reading

I have a habit of reading something before studying. I prefer shorter ones to long novels because I would easily forget anything complicated when I only read 30 minutes a day. My favorites for now are modern Korean poems. I've just finished a book by Kim Haeng Suk '이별의 능력'. I love her poems.

5. White

White is my favorite color. My room, for example, is all whitish from desk to bed. So are my laptop and cell phone. I would get tired of other colors easily but white seems to linger a bit longer.

6. Science

I'm apparently a science student and I would probably major in chemistry and biology. It's because I like things clear and straightforward. The rules and mechanisms all make perfect sense for me. And it's also why I don't like the humanities subjects. They hate me back in grades anyways. (I've never taken any since my junior year)

7. Skin color

I'm a bit pale, but I used to be tan skinned back in Canada. And it turned out to be something a bit serious. My vitamin D level is 8 out of 100 according to a recent blood test (and the safety range is 50 or higher). But there's no way I can get enough of UV light when it wouldn't even pass through transparent windows. So now I take vitamin pills every day for my bones.

8. Animals

I love animals. But mom doesn't. So most of my pets were something slow-moving in cages. But I think my family might buy a dog like 산체 from 삼시세끼. I would love to get a dog, but I don't really mind since I'll live all by myself with three cats when I'm older. It's my life-long fantasy.

9. The very first memory

The earliest memory I can recall is watching my little sister fall out of dad's car. It was a snowy day and we were sitting side by side in the car, both dressed up in pink fluffy clothes. Strangely, the memory isn't frightening or traumatic. It's just clear and vivid. And of course my sister is still alive.

10. Younger sister

I have a little sister two years younger than myself. And she has always been a mess. I still remember when she threatened me with a knife (but then, she only decided to vandalize my dolls by chopping them). Plus, I almost lost my finger during one of our fights. Luckily, she only fights with mom now. When my sister and mom fight, dad and I sneak into an empty room and wait until they're done. I hope she grows up someday.

11. Diet

I have gained ridiculous amount of weight in high school that I just have to be on a diet. Full stomach also gives me weird and unpleasant feelings, so I consciously try not to over eat.

12. Muesli

My dad says muesli tastes like chewing on paper but I disagree. I love muesli and it's my favorite food for now. Having muesli with plain yogurt is my happiest moment of the day. So I always keep several yogurts in the refrigerator up in the cafeteria and a bag of muesli in my room.

13. Myself before and now

I've changed a lot over the years. I used to struggle to behave like a boy. No skirts, no pink, no Barbie dolls before in my life. I still prefer pants to skirts but now I'm perfectly okay with pink stuffs. The AP Psychology book tells me that there should be a crucial moment of twist, from the old me to the new me. But I really don't know why.

14. Moongi...

I used to live a carefree life. No stress at all whatsoever. But then, managing events and dealing with nonsensical problems as a chief of this department really stressed me out. I would rather not talk about this too deeply in this blog.

15. Twilight

I've read the series for five times or even more. I don't think I'll ever read any book as I have read the Twilight series. They were simply most of the reading I've done during my life in Canada. Someday, I really want to visit La Push, Washington (one of the backgrounds).

16. Movies

I love watching movies. I took every film class available and even created one this semester. This time, we decided to pick a director and watch all his/her movies. So now, I'm going through all the movies from Wes Anderson. He is certainly one of my favorites since I fell in love with 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'. Surprisingly, 'The Royal Tenebaums' is even better. So far, I think I've watched about 400 movies in total.

17. Stress

As mentioned above, I'm rarely stressed out. But when I'm extremely stressed out, I deal with it by piercing my ears. Recently, I just had to get another one, so I did. And it really does help me feel a lot better. I think it's better than screaming, yelling or throwing stuffs.

18. Christianity

My mom is a Buddhist and I think my dad is an atheist. So technically, I'm the only Christian in my family and we are perfectly fine with this. I don't go to church on my own but I always keep a bible in my bookshelf.

19. Being alone

I always tried to do everything on my own and I still do. Being alone comforts me. It's not that I don't like being around my friends but I simply feel very happy when I'm doing things alone. I hope I don't accidentally get married to anyone.

20. Underwater

I feel safe and secure underwater (my favorite place maybe). And I think it's somehow related with the upper one because I am perfectly by myself when I dive. I don't get to go diving very often but I really hope I do during summer vacation this year.

21. A 22-year-old doll

I keep a red old doll. It's actually a pillow to be exact but I would never sleep on it. I just always carry it with me. I'm glad that all my family members call the doll by its name (though they first thought it was absurd). I know it sounds silly but I can't sleep without it. It's my favorite non-living object.

22. Countryside

Living in the countryside is painfully boring even suffocating at times. I think I got this from my dad (Though he grew up in a small village which is even more secluded than this place). Life here just seems so vulnerable to darkness. I will never choose to live in a place like this when I grow up.

23. Art

I love making and drawing things with my hands. Once, I was so obsessed with teddy bears that I constantly made teddy bears for months. Though I have absolutely no plan of being an artist, I think I'll be constantly working on something artistic all my life.

24. Insensitive

I'm usually too insensitive to things around me. I can never memorize who my classmates are. I only hope people aren't offended by my forgetfulness.

25. Japan

I'm really attached to Japan because the place I visited in 2010 is now all contaminated by radioactivity. Since the accident, I've only visited Tokyo. So I will go on a long trip around Japan when I graduate and maybe live there for a few years if I can. Japanese is also my favorite language, so I study Japanese with Hyunji and Jinjoo !

26. Health

I know I'm not going to write a college essay about my health problems but still, health issues are a big part of my life. Jaundice almost killed me when I was 3 days old or so. And growing up, I never missed any epidemic diseases from chicken pox to all kinds of flu. I also broke my fingers twice, my wrist once. And I had to get stitches for three times. I think it's time for me to break my leg in the near future.

27. Sleep Paralysis

I don't sleep walk or talk but I often have sleep paralysis. It's manageable once you get used to it. And the things I hear and see are even quite interesting. So I usually don't mind them unless I start to see ghostly stuffs. I'll never get used to those. In the latest one, some ghost kept asking me to give her one of my 'Yakult's. 

28. Rice

Eating rice is a burden for me. It feels like eating something unnecessary. I still don't understand why people eat so much of rice. It doesn't taste like anything.The only rice I enjoy eating is Annam rice.

29. Writing

I like writing because I can organize my disconnected thoughts. It feels like putting puzzle pieces together. When I write an essay, I start by writing down a sentence that first pops up into my mind. And carry on with another that fits the first sentence. It's really like a puzzle, so I can never write an essay on my laptop.

30. Journals

I keep two types of journals, one for my actual life and the other for my dreams. I started writing journals in Canada and I still do everyday. I also try to keep track of my dreams simply because they are hilarious (and maybe meaningful). I keep the journal and a pen beside my pillow so that I can immediately scribble down everything I remember after I wake up.