happy birthday to mika!! and evvveryone was out to celebrate~ what a spectacle to see so many guys at once working to make her day perfect! she's a maaaaan eater

on the night of the new year, we celebrated by visiting each of changdi's family members in sort of a trick-or-treat round~ we went to each house, bowed to their new year's alter (check out ours above!) and received coins and candy in return! changdi's brother and her cousin made homemade fireworks and set them off at midnight, the perfect end to a really special night

new years 2008 in manhattan! and we celebrated with korean karaoke on 32nd street. however, some of us handled our soju better than others...

every year for years and years my friend michelle has graciously hosted christmish, connecticut's favorite christmas party and my one opportunity of the year to see all my old friends in the same place. it's so nice to be home for the holidays and with the ones who know me best :)

seasons greetings from seoul! the city is all lit up and i swear, it almost rivals new york with it's decorations! and there is no one i'd rather spend these beautiful winter days with than my best friend in the whole world, jan ^^ in any case, i'll be home in the states soon and hope to see you there.

lucky night for me, jan, and meme~ grae's boyfriend jun invited us to eat at his restaurant, hirokawa! he cooks the japanese food that the foriegners have never heard of~ forget sushi, think fried crab and tofu, tomato skewers wrapped in bacon, amazing noodles... best of all he's open reeeaal late, so keep the sake coming!!

it's thanksgiving in seoul and though i am so so far away from the land of the free, with not a turkey in sight, i am here with my family of friends and my sweetest cousin austin, and no girl in the world is more thankful than me tonight. thank you, my friends, for making my life so so complete :)

having a visitor in town is the best excuse to get out and see all of those sights that i've been putting off, so today austin and i went to the palace by city hall to check out some ancient korean history. my favorite part of these palaces are the hand-painted designs on every building~ just being in those plazas makes you feel like you've gone back in time...

my best cousin austin is visiting me for the week!!! and it is sooo lovely to be with family at this time of year. our first stop in the touristy sight-seeing was namsan tower, to get a great overview of the city! the han river looks so great with a sunset...

there is simply no better way to end a vacation than with a massage, especially in thailand!! the method seems harsh, but i swear i fell asleep while being twisted and pulled in every direction, and woke up feeling toooo perfect. i wouldn't think to waste my money on a massage in the states, but for $10 US for a THREE HOUR massage, who can possibly say no? all luxury should be so available...