Funniechickfg's Xanga

Some Yummy Food...

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:04:59 GMT

Since January, I've been making one new recipe per month using my roommates as guinea pigs. So far, here's what I've made (delicious!):

1. Spaghetti with Olives and Bread Crumbs:

2. Spinach Salad with Orange Vinaigrette:

3. Baked Penne Pasta with Roasted Vegetables:

4. Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto:

5. Steakhouse Style Steak:

They were all finger-lickin' good to eat! Just looking at those photos make my mouth water...

Happy Easter Sunday, everyone!

Work, Harry Potter, and Snow!

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:48:25 GMT

So far I have had two days of database training and find it *very interesting*. Why do I find it interesting? Firstly, it's hands-on training. This training makes me use my mouse and listen to the instructor at all times. If I snooze, I definitely will lose! O_o Secondly, the first two days involved a scenario about HARRY POTTER!!! *GASP* O.o I couldn't believe it! I started reading the sheet and noticed all the characters had names like "Dumbledore" and places like Ministry of Magic! Hahaha...I know...I thought it was silly too, but this exercise kept me awake for the first two days, so hopefully it'll keep me awake for the rest of the week!

Weather Update: It's snowing a lot in Virginia!! WOOHOO! I only wish I brought my gloves so I could make a snowman in the snow. Oh man, I bet my bears would have loved it, too! =( Too bad I didn't bring them. *sniff* *sniff* =( Nevermind and Actually feel a bit hot in Southern California (hey, they have fur, you know), so sometimes they ask if we could ever move to the East coast.

*These pictures were not taken from me. They are from the Internet. :)

Having Fun in DC...

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:36:33 GMT

On Saturday, I had the wonderful opportunity to fly to DC for a few days due to business also meet my wonderful friend Soon-You, too! Man, what great times we had as I spent the night at her house the night of my arrival...she was so gracious to feed me a late dinner and provide tea and vitamin C drops because I felt a cold creeping up on me. After my delicious meal, we had a group of people play Settlers of Catan! Though it is a big complicated and it was my first time playing, I won! Hahaha...okay, maybe it was more fun for me because I won? ;) I'm sure I wouldn't like the game as much if I hadn't won...=oP

On Sunday, after church, I rode the Amtrak to DC and checked into my hotel. Though I didn't know my co-workers very well, we had great stories to share...I couldn't stop laughing during our meals! Hahaha...I still can't stop laughing at some of the stories I heard!!!

Overall, the trip was productive and a success! Met some old co-workers from my training class and met some colleagues I only knew by name, too! WOOHOO! Oh, and did I mention I really enjoyed the weather (I heart cold weather) because I could wear my pretty winter clothes? ;)

Sadly, the more I travel to DC, the more I want to stay and never return to California. *sigh*

Settlers of Catan, a fun board game

A Beautiful View of Washington DC

Over the Weekend...

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:42:37 GMT

So here's the weekend update on what happened in my life:

1. Another Pittsburgh Reunion- On Saturday, I met my coolio friends, Andy and Brian for some finger-lickin' good sushi, Red Mango, and great fellowship!! It was so much fun catching up with them and seeing how the Lord has worked in their lives...Man, after seeing them I also couldn't help but think, "I miss my Pittsburgh friends..." *sniff* Oh yeah, they made me laugh a lot, too. Hahaha...=oP

2. Movies, movies, movies- My mom is definitely a fan of Brad PItt as she loves Legends of the Fall and Meet Joe Black, so on Christmas day, I decided to take her to see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". I saw it again on Sunday since my friends wanted to see it again... The other movie I saw was "The Day the Earth Stood Still" with my buddy Dianna Vo! Hahaha...that girl cracks me up, too! ;)

3. Some Random Thoughts-Some names I like:

A. Tristan - Ever since I watched Legends of the Fall, I've loved the name Tristan. It's also unique...how many Korean kids do you know with the name Tristan? (*caveat: I've debated over the fact that "tristis" and "triste" mean sadness, but it also means bold. =) )

B. Christian - I just like the name and it's different from the normal "Christopher". =)

C. David - I've always liked the name David, though it is very common among the Korean-American population...perhaps I like it because of King David in the Bible? O_o
D. Edmund - No reason...just like the name. It's also in the book "Chronicles of Narnia"...
E. Edward - Just like the name, too...and please don't think I just like the name because of Edward Cullen from Twilight. =oP

E. Bella - I've realized I'm keen on the name "Bella". Not only does it mean "Beautiful" in Italian, but again, it's unique and sounds pretty, too. ;)
F. Belle - I like this name for the same reason above, but it means "Beautiful" in French (not Italian). =oP

Aiight...that's all for now. Looks like January is going to be a busy, busy month for me!

Some Yummy Projects...

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:11:47 GMT

For the last couple of months, I've decided to watch the Food Network while I work out at the company's gym. I know it's an odd thing to do, but the Food Network gives me good ideas! Anyways, so at first the guys (co-workers) at first were a little reluctant to watch it with me, but after a few episodes of Everyday Italian with Giada de Laurentis, they were won over. ;) Sometimes, on days I don't watch Giada, I will turn the channel to Everybody Loves Raymond...the guys like that, too. =oP

So here are a few things I've learned how to make from Giada:

1. Baked Caprese Salad: Hmm...this is my favorite so far. Giada has introduced me to the wonderful world of fresh mozzarella and basil. The warm bread topped with roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and drizzled with olive oil has a delectable taste when it touches your mouth!!

2. Fresh Baked Pita Chips: Who would have known oven baked pita chips tasted so good?? I surely didn't! Actually, I have to admit that I never really ate pita chips until now. After watching how simple it was, I decided it would be a delicious accommodation to my daily hummus intake. Therefore, now I make my own pita chips.

3. Sweet Pea Crostini: I didn't know what prosciutto was until I attempted to make this dish...hmm...it was good! ;)

Stay tuned for more yummy projects! =)

WOOHOO!!! ^_^

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:17:16 GMT

Yesterday, I received the best news of the day! An all employee e-mail was distributed with the news that President Bush declared December 26th a Federal holiday!~ That means I get December 25th and 26th off!!!! WOOHOO!!! Man, I love my job!!!

I couldn't help but feel like I was in school again and they just declared it a snow day or something. Hahaha...I know, I'm a silly gal, but I do enjoy early releases (again, I feel like I'm in school again on those days) and spontaneous declarations of federal holidays.

The Day I Felt Like Bella Swan...

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:41:55 GMT

*sigh* I hate to admit it, but I think I'm as uncoordinated as Bella Swan. On Tuesday morning the office had a *scheduled* fire drill at 10 AM. Everything was fine...I exited the building in a timely manner. I even made sure I had my purse with me in case there was a problem and we wouldn't be able to return after half an hour or so. When we were allowed to return to the office, I started to step in between two speed bumps and the moment I placed my right foot on the pavement, my ankle gave away and *kerplunk* I went!!! Two women behind me helped me to my feet and while doing so one said, "Are you okay??" The other one kindly pointed out, "Yeah, are you going to be okay because there are some rocks over there too..." Oh my...boy, did the Lord humble me at that moment.

The good news is that I'm okay. Praise the Lord for that. The bad news is that I scratched my knee and now it's going to have a scab on it (eww). There was indeed some neosporin and band aid action happenin' immediately after my return to my cubicle, too. Thankfully, my skirt was really long, so it covered my bandage. My left wrist (it broke my fall) hurts a little, too, but it'll be okay after tonight.

So my initial thought when all this happened was, "Did Bella ever shed blood when she fell? Why do I keep falling like this?" Hahaha!~

Into the Twilight: A Review of the Twilight Saga

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:35:00 GMT

For the past two to three weeks I've read the Twilight series and have to admit though it is cute, it isn't as good as Harry Potter. Here's the rating breakdown of each book on a scale of 1 through 10 (10 being the highest): Please do not continue to read if you plan to read the books for yourself

1. Twilight: 6.5 I have to admit that I am being generous by giving it a 6.5, but this book is by far the *best* book out of the four in the series. Immediately, I was trapped in Bella's world wanting to know Edward's next move and wanting to solve the mystery of who he was, too!~ Eh, maybe that is why I'm an analyst? I like to solve puzzles and piece things together? I'm a curious creature, too. O_o Hahaha... There were times when I thought to myself "eh?!" because I just didn't understand how the author would write something like that. For instance, when Bella told Edward that she loves him only two days after dating, I thought to myself, "Uh...she's only 17. Does she really know what love is? They've only been dating for two days!!" However, overall, the plot was cute and I did enjoy the read.

2. New Moon: 3 This book was almost impossible to finish! Though it was cute to see Edward being a gentleman and honoring Bella in every way possible, this only lasted in the first few chapters of the book before Jacob Black appeared in the storyline. =( Not only was Jacob really annoying throughout the 500 pages, I found myself wishing that he would just disappear from the depths of the book world! As you can see, I could not empathize with Jacob and I will never be a part of his fan club...

3. Eclipse: 2 This book was also almost impossible to finish. I kept thinking, "Man, will this get better?" *sigh* I was utterly *disappointed* with the plot and again, with Jacob Black's character. The parts that made the book fun (though rare) was with Alice, Bella, and Edward. Hahaha...I was laughing when I came across the funny moments. Oh, and I have to admit that Edward's character is very charming. =) The reader sees that Edward is extremely *disciplined* and has a *teachable* and *humble* heart all throughout the novels. Edward is also very *patient and reveals his mature nature to those around him...Hmm...maybe because he's 108 years old?

4. Breaking Dawn: 5.5 Finally, there is resolution in the end! I was happy to finish the book, but have to admit that the last two hundred pages were a bit unnecessary. The fourth and last of the series was the longest of them all, being 700-something odd pages when it should have been only 500. However, what I predicted came true and I am happy with the outcome.

4. Midnight Sun: 7 This is the author's abandoned project which encompasses Twilight from Edward Cullen's perspective. (The unfinished book was leaked onto the Internet, so the author abandoned the project) I have to admit, I was really intrigued to delve into the mind of Edward and to see how complex he is. Edward strives to do the right thing (by not pursuing Bella), but he is *conflicted* in his heart. For nearly 100 years he has lived life with his family, and has never found a companion, though the rest of his family has...when he finally meets Bella, he torments and agonizes over whether he should pursue her and tries to fight his emotions as he feels the relationship will never work. Overall, it was delightful read and I enjoyed it. =)

Twilight, the Movie: 5 I saw it about a week ago and just have to say it does not do the book any justice. =( There were some *cheesy* lines here and there and *not enough character development*. Further, the overall production of the movie looked like it was a low-budget film wanting to look like a major production. I couldn't actually "enjoy" the movie because I kept comparing the movie to the book. After awhile, my head started hurting and I just had to stop myself from thinking any further. =oP

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson do have chemistry though...I can see how they were chosen to play the parts of Bella and Edward and am glad they were cast. It wasn't the acting that was bad, it was just a horribly written script. What was funny was to see a fellow Yonsei classmate in the movie. Hahaha...I kept thinking, "He was in my Korean class!"

Operation Snickerdoodle

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:57:32 GMT

So Nevermind and Actually were *determined* to see if these two ABC.inc bears were working for another company by implementing Operation Snickerdoodle in the midst of their day. WHEW! Thankfully, it turns out that the ABC.inc bears were not employed by another company and so no need for any more work. However, during the investigation N and A realized their new furry little friends weren't Christian!!! O_O So what did Nevermind and Actually do? They shared the gospel message, of course!!! Awww...dang, my bears are so smart. They live for the Lord all the time--what Godly bears!

This is Nevermind and Actually reading the Bible and finding verses to share with the other bears.

Other Updates

1. Virginia: WOW! I have to say that the last two weeks were great as I was able to learn so much and meet so many people and friends! During that time, my body guards (Nevermind and Actually) decided to do some reading while I was at work...Here are some photos...

They had their own bed to sleep while I slept in the other one...

I came in one day and house keeping moved my bears to this position! (They are usually sitting on one bed...together)

Hmm...I don't think they liked to be separated, so I moved Nevermind to be with Actually, again.

An Interesting (but sad) Trend...

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:09:08 GMT

Since 2005, I've noticed a slew of tragic suicides by actors and actresses in Korea. I can't help but think this is so sad as they (most likely) were not Christian. So here's the list of people I can think of off the top of my head:

1. Lee Eun-joo: LEE started it all, shocking the world with her sudden death in February 2005. She was known to be a beautiful woman who starred in popular Korean soap operas and Korean movies. However, it was reported she had been struggling with depression and insomnia. She ended her life by hanging herself with her brother's neck tie in her closet. A suicide note was left.

Lee Eun-joo

2. Jung Da-bin: On the morning of Saturday, February 10, 2007, Jung committed suicide in the apartment of her boyfriend in Seoul. She was found by her boyfriend hanging in his bathroom with a towel wrapped around her neck. While no apparent suicide note was left behind, an entry in her on-line blog shortly before her death indicated she was suffering from depression.

Jung Da-bin

3. Ahn Jae-hwan: Ahn Jae Hwan (36) was found dead on September 8, 2008 in his car. His death was speculated to be suicide and investigations to his death reveals he suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. It was rumored that Ahn owed money to actress Choi Jin-shil and Choi was pressuring Ahn to repay the debt. However, Choi has adamantly denied claims of any loans and an employee of a security firm who spread this rumor has been arrested.

Ahn Jae-hwan

4. Choi Jin-shil: Choi was found dead in her bathroom on October 2, 2008. It is reported Choi was suffering from depression after her divorce from baseball player Jo Sung-min and always worried about financial security. A rumor also implicated her in the death of Ahn Jae-hwan (no. 3). For more information, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/02/choi-jin-sil-south-korean_n_131124.html

Choi Jin-shil