Lessons With Papi - Intergalatic Planetary

I'm completely fascinated with our universe. It's incredibly complex and mysterious. And every so often it gives us a little view into its complexities and history (as it takes many millions of Earth years for us to receive the light) into the slow death of our universe.

"Life just like the stars & planets & galaxies is just a temporary structure on the long road from order to disorder." - Brian Cox 'Wonders of the Universe'

This to me, this is so comforting. Religion never eased my sense of placement or purpose, but astronomy, cosmology, particle physics, quantum physics and all the other many sciences that go into discovering and ultimately understanding our existence, comforts me. 

"Our true significance lies in our ability & our desire to understand & explore this beautiful universe." - Brian Cox 'Wonders of the Universe'

I now no longer need a purpose or place on this earth. Sheer existence is enlightening/fulfilling enough for me. As long as the human race continues to learn to understand our universe, the less lonely I feel. 

"We are what the cosmos made conscious. Life is the means by which the universe understands itself." - Brian Cox 'Wonders of the Universe'

Vocab: 

행성 (haengseong) - Planet

달 (dal) - Moon

별 (byeol) - Star

Happy V-Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all you lovers and lucky singles! And!!!! Happy first Fan Art Day to me! Wheee. I've always wanted to do fan art. And what better way to show my love and support than with an inappropriate Valentines Card.  Yes, I went there and it's GLORIOUS! 

Being a Fan-girl is nothing new to me. I've always been in love with celebs and slightly obsessed (not weirdly though) over them and imagined marrying them (I'm looking at you Leonardo Dicaprio, Taylor Hanson, Jonathon Taylor Thomas, JC Chasez, Joel Madden, Gerard Way, Kelly Slater, Gwen Stefani, Zooey Deschanel, Dick Van Dyke, Noel Fielding, Tuxedo Mask)  but it never caught me hooked line and sinker. It never changed my life like Kpop has. And now I'm back again in the world of popular culture.

I might as well be fresh meat in this pop fandom as it's been many years since I followed pop culture. I'm quite clueless about the new faces of pop stardom. I'm still quite oblivious to Kpop stars as well. I just listen to the music and dance, attempt to sing and what nots. 

Anyways, I have a little story on how I became [slightly] obsessed with Kpop.  

I had been introduced to Kpop for many years but it never really perpetuated into anything. I enjoyed it a lot, but you know. Eh.  It wasn't indie enough for me.  But then one fateful day (don't remember when but late 2013) my friend sent me a link to a music vid that would change my life forever. I would discover a whole new world, shining shimmering splendid (my words I swear... Ok I lie but Aladdin is the best, had a crush on him too). This one vivid moment etched into my memory forever. This moment where a man rapped his way into my heart and took my breath away. 

What music vid, you ask? The one and only Fantastic Baby by Big Bang.

At first, I was confused by all the dramatic sets and costume design. Sure the guys were hot but I didn't get it. All the pizazz! All that make up! I just didn't get it. Sure it was fun, but eh. 

But then at around 1.10 mins my world and my perception of men would change forever.

I still to do this day have no idea how TOP was able to take my breath away that made me do my little nervous laugh (I have a nervous laugh, it's awkward) and had to put the phone down for a few moments. But he did. 

Now for those who don't know this video he has bright icy blue hair and more eyeliner/eyeshadow I have ever seen on a man. And it was incredible!!! 

A guy at work has said to me for years that I was asian on the inside and would always say I'd marry an asian man. I scoffed at him. Not that I didn't find asian men attractive, I just noticed they liked certain kinds of girls and I wasn't that interested in the culture (yes, I'm aware there are many many many different asian cultures). 

But TOP changed that perception and I found a culture that I adore. 

There are far too many beautiful and quirky and slightly odd things about Korea that I would love to mention in this post. But this post would go on and on and on. 

The main thing is that finding TOP, Kpop, Korea has really brought out my true self. I never fit in much. And I probably don't fit in Korea either. But I feel I have more similarities there than here. Things western people find odd, I get. It's weird, but I really am similar.

So my Fan-girl-dom isn't of a 'traditional' sense where I obsess and cry and wail and scream and laugh and fall madly in love with an idol (*coughs* I'm telling the truth *coughs*) but it's rather one that opened my eyes to a beautiful and incredible culture that I had previously not known about.

So, thank you TOP for taking my heart and placing it in South Korea. One day, I'll go there and pick it up.

Happy Valentine's Day! *\(^O^)/* 

You can watch the vid here. It's incredible!!! 

Credit: Fan Art by Jessica (me!)

Lessons With Papi - I Pear You

Learning a new language is hard, daunting, and confusing.  As an adult learner, I've had 30 odd years to perfect my first language and even though I've had 30 years of learning and speaking, it's still incredibly difficult to speak my first language. ^.^

I enjoy learning Korean for many reasons.  It's new, the dialect is fairly straight forward (with a few exceptions to the rule) and I find it to sound beautiful. 

If you're wondering how I chose the words for Lessons With Papi- it's far more simple than you think.  I chose words that I can draw. Drawing doesn't come easily to me.  So I have to keep everything fairly simple. 

Vocab:

사과 (sagwa) - Apple

복숭아 (bogsung-a) - Peach 

배 (bae) - Pear 

Happy Lunar New Year

Hello my internet friends!!  Welcome to 2016.  Yes, we are well into 2016 and I made this illustration for 2015 New Years Eve.  But for the logical people the Lunar New Year has just happened, so HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Every year as this time of year rolls around we want to change what we felt was wrong or what we could do better.  We make a resolution and try to stick to it for at least a month. 

As for me, I didn't make any this year.  I'm holding on to hope that this year will be the year my luck comes back to me and I can move forward. These past 6 years have been hard to deal with and for some reason this relentless negative life just won't let go. 

But here I am posting a blog post hoping that maybe one day someone will read it and like it and want to follow it. This is my hope. 

A hope that one thing will lead to another and then to another and then to the road I'm meant to be taking. 

Here's to 2016 being the year that leads to me to my better future.  One filled with real joy. 

Note:  Image was illustrated by myself. Esther Loves You stickers (cute bunnies and whatnots) were added through Aillis app (so amazing!  Get on it!)

Gurrrl

When I was 18, I assumed that I had my whole life ahead of me. That the dreams and hopes and aspirations and success would come to me in time. But more so, that I would know what it is that I'm good at - even mediocre at.

Something that would pave my life on the right direction towards those dreams/hopes/aspirations/success. 

Little did I realise - actually lets face it, I never acknowledged hat I had been told a billion times by my elders. That life was gonna kick me hard and all those dreams/hopes/aspirations would just stay that way, a figment of my imagination. 

I wanted to prove them wrong. What did they know! I was in a different generation. The world had changed. It's not the same and goals can be achieved. 

Oh dear! How I was so wrong. And now I'm that elder I've taken on that duty of crushing the leaders of tomorrow's dreams. 

Reality is brutal. An absolutely unforgiving bitch that will slap for years on end. Ans without fail, you'll wake up everyday to a big old bitch slap. 

I used to watch my elders turn 30 and notice the look of despair in their eyes as they exclaimed '30s are the new 20s'.  They knew it was bullshit as much as I did. 

There's a certain kind of sadness that comes with that milestone. It's hard to describe but it's like glimpse into your death. 

The body changes, you notice puffy eyes, lines and rolls, and fat and jiggles you'd never felt or seen before. You notice that running up a flight of stairs can really feel like your death is right there in front of you. 

Recently, a friend and I discussed what we would tell our 18 year old selves. Our answers were simple, no fluff no bullshit. For him, sit up straight. For me, stretch every day. 

How is that the most important advice to give to the youth of today. Well, when your back seizes from getting out of the car or bending slightly to pick something up and you're hoveling around the house like a 90 year old, you realise your body is the most important possession you'll ever own. 

But then again, what would old people know! 

At the ripe old age of 30 and 4 months, I feel that life did slap me- and hard too. For a very long time. And I guess with my imminent death - in 40-50 years time - looming in the foreground I feel like I need to make those years count more so than these last 30 years. 

What does my future hold for me? Back to university? New job? A house? 

I've always said this and I always will, I don't care where I am or who I am or what I did, as long as I'm happy. I want that peace. Unfortunately to get that peace, I have to find a job that doesn't make me want to blow my brains out every day. When I find that job... I'm on the road to a long and successful golden years. 

In the meantime, this is dedicated to all my friends out there who are in their 30s (or fast approaching) who still and probably will never know what they want to be when they grow up. There is a little bit hope though, you see, we are not just our careers or marital status, but we are so much more.  And there is one tiny little thing out there that will make life so sweet for you. You know what it is.  It follows us everywhere, every day, and will never leave.

For me, it's to be able to have a simple life. Potter in my garden, fall asleep in the sun, read a book, snuggle with Papi. I don't need a fancy life. Just a simple one. I loathe people who complicate my life so that those little things pass me by.

Hold onto those little things. They are what makes life ever so sweet.




Illustration by Jessica (me) - copyright

Lessons With Papi - Fruits of Papi

First Papi comic for the year.  I was hoping to start my Korean studies again this year in Feb, but my finances have no room to allow it- naturally this makes me incredibly sad. T.T

But I'm definitely going to have to get better at my self study. 

I enjoy making Lessons with Papi and hopefully I can still find the motivation to continue posting them.  The aim is for once a week (day to still be determined).  

I hope all you internet peeps enjoy them as much as I do ^.^

Vocab:

딸기 (ttalgi) - Strawberry

수박  (subak) - Watermelon

버찌 (beojji) - Cherry