25 Shades of Grey
This is probably the longest birthday celebration I had. The entire week was divided into a four-part celebration which consisted of different sets of people, different activities and different lessons. But all of them bounded by one feeling: love.
They say women are like wine, they get better with age. I don't know if that's true for me but yeah, I do feel more mature as I ventured into more independent things heading to my 25th year. There's no shame in aging as long as you do it gracefully. I am ready to embrace the complicated period of quarter life.
May 26
I had to work during the morning on the exact day of my birthday, so I only had free time during dinner. Sadly, I couldn't even skip work on my own birthday but it was all worth it since we stayed until morning.
I had dinner at a buffet restaurant with my fabulous friends Kenn and Camille then we tried fishing after. It was my first time to fish and I never imagined myself doing it in Korea since I am clueless about animals. I figured this would be the perfect time to do it since birthdays are a time for trying out new experiences. So yes, I can finally cross fishing off in my bucket list.
Surprisingly, I was able to catch 2 fish, not bad for the first time right? Although it was really embarrassing since I kept screaming and giggling as I panicked when my bait caught the fish. I almost killed my second fish when I swished it through the air and accidentally put it in the ground. You can just imagine how clumsy I am in that scene. I'm not an animal person so please excuse me when I freak out when I touch any kind of animal. Trivia: I never had any pet. I do love animals, but I just can't take care of them. I can only love them from afar in order not to hurt them. Hahaha
Lesson learned:
I learned the reason why I am so afraid when a lot of people say they think I'm going to be a good mom someday. My students' mothers always praise and appreciate me whenever they see the way I teach and interact with their kids. However, I think that being a good mom is different from being a good teacher. I am not confident that I can raise my future kids or other living creatures or whatever animal species well. I am used to being taken cared of that I forgot how to take care of others. But, that's something I am willing to work on. :)
After fishing until 2 am, we headed to noraebang! Time to sing our hearts out! What's funny was we were given the VIP room. It was as if the owner knew it was birthday, I just felt so lucky! The room was for 30 people although there were only 3 of us. It was the biggest noraebang I have ever seen! There's so much space for a dance floor that you can practically do yoga and clubbing all in one. lol
What's more, he gave us a 3-hour service so we were able to have a Filipino concert. We sang all the pop Filipino songs from the 90s! It felt sssooo good to sing in my own language again. It became a running joke among us when I told them "Mag eEnglish pa ba ako sa sarili kong birthday?".
Hahahaha (Stupid love, kung ako nalang sana, dadalhin at lahat na) But of course, we couldn't resist some Katy Perry songs.
May 27
After staying out till morning, I headed to our regular HUFS meeting. I barely had any sleep but of course, I wouldn't miss my bible study. If anything else, attending it makes me feel relieved that I am not forgetting the most important thing in my life- my personal relationship with God. Yes, I know that this may come as a surprise for many of you reading this now. Even my close friends laughed at me when they found out I do bible study. They just couldn't believe that a crazy girl like me actually does pray. I am not very vocal about it since I've always believed that faith should always be personal and private.
Lesson learned:
You can be surrounded by wonderful people, loving family and all good things in life but you would never feel complete unless you have faith. I wouldn't even reach 25 if I wasn't given another chance at life. There's always so much to be thankful for. Also, my bible study is what keeps me sane and grounded when my world just flips around.
Dinner was scheduled at an Indian Restaurant with my Korea University friends. They are the ones who can relate to me most when I vent out about our school system. We just share similar frustrations that other people might not be able to understand. We have our own support system to escape our academic ordeals. Trust me, studying at our University is hard enough to drive people insane. hahaha
It was really a comfort just making plans to spend time together though our schedules are almost always in conflict.
Lesson learned:
Life is always better when you know you have people who share the same hardships with. It makes you feel less alone and gives you more strength as you go through the same things as a group. I'm grateful enough that I have at least three other people whom I can talk similar experiences with.
May 28
This one's one hectic day. I started the day with an interview at Sogang University. The Global Korea Studies Secretariat invited me to be a speaker for a multicultural forum next month. I never liked public speaking but I think it would be a very good avenue to share my thoughts about the sensitive issue of multiculturalism in Korea, so I accepted the unique challenge. Fortunately, I nailed the interview, birthday luck I guess. Hahaha
Right after the interview, I had to rush to my part-time work so basically, I was running around from morning till dawn. Since I promised I wouldn't be late for my own birthday party, I had to go straight from work to dinner with my KGSP peeps. These people would always be a part of my life so celebrating my day with them is always special. Even though we don't spend as much time as we used to, I wouldn't deny that they are one of the reasons for my happiness. What made me appreciate them more is the distance, time and effort they allotted for my day. Seriously, it speaks volume when most of them took the train and took the time-off from their crazy laboratory meetings to grant my invitation.
We were so busy talking and catching up that we forgot to take pictures during dinner so my apologies if most of you guys are not in the photo. :( But I love all of you for coming. :)
Funny part was that instead of surprising me, they ended up being surprised by my outfit. They thought it was "slightly" revealing. It felt liberating to change people's expectations of you somehow. But it was just an experiment so don't worry guys, rest assured I wouldn't normally dress that way. :)
It was a fun night as we danced our way to Mike's cabin. The night can be literally summed up with Katy Perry's lyrics: Yeah, we danced on tabletops, and we took many shots, think we kissed but I forgot. ;)
Even I surprised myself by the things I have done that night. Hahaha
Let's just keep those things as memories of turning 25. What happens in Hongdae, stays in Hongdae.
But relax, it was nothing too extreme, I promise! ;)
Lesson learned:
Friends are like stars, you don't always see them, but you know they're there. Near or far, I'm thankful for each one of them for spending time with me. Life is complicated enough to be taken seriously so sometimes you just need those fun nights as stories to tell your future kids to. Some people might be raising their eyebrows now thinking how contrasting my personality is. They might think I suddenly turn from this cute, sweet little girl to a sassy, crazy lady in a snap. No, both personalities are me. I cannot simply be judged by my dress, my actions and my words. I am a paradox.
They say friends are a reflection of who you are. However, looking at the type of friends I have, I don't think this is true for me. I maintain different kinds of friends and each group are strikingly different that you'd think they belong to different planets. I don't imagine all of them merging into one big group. But that doesn't mean I am not real whenever I'm with any of them. All of my group of friends reflect a different side of me. Nevertheless, each of them are special and important to me. Hence, my 25 shades of grey would remain.
May 29
Since we stayed out all night, we woke up late as expected. I just wanted a lazy Sunday afternoon, simply to relax and chill after those consecutive nights of partying. So we headed to the Rose Festival at the Seoul Grand Park. I've never seen so many roses all in one place, it was just picture-perfect! I love the beauty of that park filled with rows and rows of colorful roses. The festival featured all kinds of roses even exotic ones. As dumb as it might seem, I thought there's only one kind of rose. Hahaha
I don't know if it's true but they say, each color of the rose presents a different meaning. White for purity, red for passion, pink for innocence and yellow for eternal love.
Lesson learned:
Surrounded by those pretty flowers, I was inspired to make a poem.
Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm so beautiful, thanks to you! hahahah (forgive me for being vain)
I just realized that looking at the pictures, no one would ever think I'm 25. I definitely could pass as 5, right? lol Well, age is just a number so the older I get, the younger I look and feel. Hahaha No, this is not a Benjamin Button story.
I would let the pictures speak for themselves. :)
May 30
I was so tired from the weekend that I dreaded Monday more than usual. As soon as I returned home yesterday, I dropped on my bed and slept like a log. And of all days, I had to do a presentation today and I didn't do anything! hahahaha
Well, I'm taking up Masters in Procastination so with an hour left before my class, I started on my readings and prepared my ppt slides. And good thing, my presentation went smoothly. I guess, my birthday magic still hasn't waned off.
Just when I thought that my birthday celebration was over, one of my classmates gave me flowers. It was completely unexpected and I just feel so embarrassed whenever people do sweet things for me. I'm not used to gestures that show feelings. But I am really grateful for the thoughtful gift. I promise I'll take care of the flowers. :)
Lesson learned:
Well to sum up my 25th year, I will be forever thankful for the overwhelming love. I don't know what exactly have I done in my past life to deserve all these love but I hope I would be worthy of it. Thank you for inspiring me to share the love because I believe that to whom much love is given, much is expected. ^^
People come and go, but the ones that remain will prove to be exactly what you need. Stop fighting for people who are not meant to be in your life because the ones who are will find their way to you. :)
It just gets better each year. Cheers!
They say women are like wine, they get better with age. I don't know if that's true for me but yeah, I do feel more mature as I ventured into more independent things heading to my 25th year. There's no shame in aging as long as you do it gracefully. I am ready to embrace the complicated period of quarter life.
May 26
I had to work during the morning on the exact day of my birthday, so I only had free time during dinner. Sadly, I couldn't even skip work on my own birthday but it was all worth it since we stayed until morning.
I had dinner at a buffet restaurant with my fabulous friends Kenn and Camille then we tried fishing after. It was my first time to fish and I never imagined myself doing it in Korea since I am clueless about animals. I figured this would be the perfect time to do it since birthdays are a time for trying out new experiences. So yes, I can finally cross fishing off in my bucket list.
Surprisingly, I was able to catch 2 fish, not bad for the first time right? Although it was really embarrassing since I kept screaming and giggling as I panicked when my bait caught the fish. I almost killed my second fish when I swished it through the air and accidentally put it in the ground. You can just imagine how clumsy I am in that scene. I'm not an animal person so please excuse me when I freak out when I touch any kind of animal. Trivia: I never had any pet. I do love animals, but I just can't take care of them. I can only love them from afar in order not to hurt them. Hahaha
Lesson learned:
I learned the reason why I am so afraid when a lot of people say they think I'm going to be a good mom someday. My students' mothers always praise and appreciate me whenever they see the way I teach and interact with their kids. However, I think that being a good mom is different from being a good teacher. I am not confident that I can raise my future kids or other living creatures or whatever animal species well. I am used to being taken cared of that I forgot how to take care of others. But, that's something I am willing to work on. :)
After fishing until 2 am, we headed to noraebang! Time to sing our hearts out! What's funny was we were given the VIP room. It was as if the owner knew it was birthday, I just felt so lucky! The room was for 30 people although there were only 3 of us. It was the biggest noraebang I have ever seen! There's so much space for a dance floor that you can practically do yoga and clubbing all in one. lol
What's more, he gave us a 3-hour service so we were able to have a Filipino concert. We sang all the pop Filipino songs from the 90s! It felt sssooo good to sing in my own language again. It became a running joke among us when I told them "Mag eEnglish pa ba ako sa sarili kong birthday?".
Hahahaha (Stupid love, kung ako nalang sana, dadalhin at lahat na) But of course, we couldn't resist some Katy Perry songs.
May 27
After staying out till morning, I headed to our regular HUFS meeting. I barely had any sleep but of course, I wouldn't miss my bible study. If anything else, attending it makes me feel relieved that I am not forgetting the most important thing in my life- my personal relationship with God. Yes, I know that this may come as a surprise for many of you reading this now. Even my close friends laughed at me when they found out I do bible study. They just couldn't believe that a crazy girl like me actually does pray. I am not very vocal about it since I've always believed that faith should always be personal and private.
Lesson learned:
You can be surrounded by wonderful people, loving family and all good things in life but you would never feel complete unless you have faith. I wouldn't even reach 25 if I wasn't given another chance at life. There's always so much to be thankful for. Also, my bible study is what keeps me sane and grounded when my world just flips around.
Dinner was scheduled at an Indian Restaurant with my Korea University friends. They are the ones who can relate to me most when I vent out about our school system. We just share similar frustrations that other people might not be able to understand. We have our own support system to escape our academic ordeals. Trust me, studying at our University is hard enough to drive people insane. hahaha
It was really a comfort just making plans to spend time together though our schedules are almost always in conflict.
Lesson learned:
Life is always better when you know you have people who share the same hardships with. It makes you feel less alone and gives you more strength as you go through the same things as a group. I'm grateful enough that I have at least three other people whom I can talk similar experiences with.
May 28
This one's one hectic day. I started the day with an interview at Sogang University. The Global Korea Studies Secretariat invited me to be a speaker for a multicultural forum next month. I never liked public speaking but I think it would be a very good avenue to share my thoughts about the sensitive issue of multiculturalism in Korea, so I accepted the unique challenge. Fortunately, I nailed the interview, birthday luck I guess. Hahaha
Right after the interview, I had to rush to my part-time work so basically, I was running around from morning till dawn. Since I promised I wouldn't be late for my own birthday party, I had to go straight from work to dinner with my KGSP peeps. These people would always be a part of my life so celebrating my day with them is always special. Even though we don't spend as much time as we used to, I wouldn't deny that they are one of the reasons for my happiness. What made me appreciate them more is the distance, time and effort they allotted for my day. Seriously, it speaks volume when most of them took the train and took the time-off from their crazy laboratory meetings to grant my invitation.
We were so busy talking and catching up that we forgot to take pictures during dinner so my apologies if most of you guys are not in the photo. :( But I love all of you for coming. :)
Funny part was that instead of surprising me, they ended up being surprised by my outfit. They thought it was "slightly" revealing. It felt liberating to change people's expectations of you somehow. But it was just an experiment so don't worry guys, rest assured I wouldn't normally dress that way. :)
It was a fun night as we danced our way to Mike's cabin. The night can be literally summed up with Katy Perry's lyrics: Yeah, we danced on tabletops, and we took many shots, think we kissed but I forgot. ;)
Even I surprised myself by the things I have done that night. Hahaha
Let's just keep those things as memories of turning 25. What happens in Hongdae, stays in Hongdae.
But relax, it was nothing too extreme, I promise! ;)
Lesson learned:
Friends are like stars, you don't always see them, but you know they're there. Near or far, I'm thankful for each one of them for spending time with me. Life is complicated enough to be taken seriously so sometimes you just need those fun nights as stories to tell your future kids to. Some people might be raising their eyebrows now thinking how contrasting my personality is. They might think I suddenly turn from this cute, sweet little girl to a sassy, crazy lady in a snap. No, both personalities are me. I cannot simply be judged by my dress, my actions and my words. I am a paradox.
They say friends are a reflection of who you are. However, looking at the type of friends I have, I don't think this is true for me. I maintain different kinds of friends and each group are strikingly different that you'd think they belong to different planets. I don't imagine all of them merging into one big group. But that doesn't mean I am not real whenever I'm with any of them. All of my group of friends reflect a different side of me. Nevertheless, each of them are special and important to me. Hence, my 25 shades of grey would remain.
May 29
Since we stayed out all night, we woke up late as expected. I just wanted a lazy Sunday afternoon, simply to relax and chill after those consecutive nights of partying. So we headed to the Rose Festival at the Seoul Grand Park. I've never seen so many roses all in one place, it was just picture-perfect! I love the beauty of that park filled with rows and rows of colorful roses. The festival featured all kinds of roses even exotic ones. As dumb as it might seem, I thought there's only one kind of rose. Hahaha
I don't know if it's true but they say, each color of the rose presents a different meaning. White for purity, red for passion, pink for innocence and yellow for eternal love.
Lesson learned:
Surrounded by those pretty flowers, I was inspired to make a poem.
Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm so beautiful, thanks to you! hahahah (forgive me for being vain)
I just realized that looking at the pictures, no one would ever think I'm 25. I definitely could pass as 5, right? lol Well, age is just a number so the older I get, the younger I look and feel. Hahaha No, this is not a Benjamin Button story.
I would let the pictures speak for themselves. :)
May 30
I was so tired from the weekend that I dreaded Monday more than usual. As soon as I returned home yesterday, I dropped on my bed and slept like a log. And of all days, I had to do a presentation today and I didn't do anything! hahahaha
Well, I'm taking up Masters in Procastination so with an hour left before my class, I started on my readings and prepared my ppt slides. And good thing, my presentation went smoothly. I guess, my birthday magic still hasn't waned off.
Just when I thought that my birthday celebration was over, one of my classmates gave me flowers. It was completely unexpected and I just feel so embarrassed whenever people do sweet things for me. I'm not used to gestures that show feelings. But I am really grateful for the thoughtful gift. I promise I'll take care of the flowers. :)
Lesson learned:
Well to sum up my 25th year, I will be forever thankful for the overwhelming love. I don't know what exactly have I done in my past life to deserve all these love but I hope I would be worthy of it. Thank you for inspiring me to share the love because I believe that to whom much love is given, much is expected. ^^
People come and go, but the ones that remain will prove to be exactly what you need. Stop fighting for people who are not meant to be in your life because the ones who are will find their way to you. :)
It just gets better each year. Cheers!
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