I give up. I see no point in living if I can't be beautiful.

Hey there folks!

I'm quite a bit under the weather this week. I haven't been feeling great since Monday and despite my best efforts, a twenty degree drop in temperature seemed to coincide with my illness getting worse. Hopefully I have my voice for tomorrow!

I had a really up and down week. I had a terrible Korean class on Tuesday to the point where I was like why am I even studying this language I know nothing, but I had an awesome one on Thursday so I got out of my funk pretty quickly. My classes were fun but tiring this week since it's harder to keep the kids focused when it's so close to the end of the school year. We did a "newspaper" project about movies, books, people, and songs where the 6th graders had to give their opinions on various things and make a newspaper, and my worst 6th grade class was so adorable and wonderful that I almost started crying. Only one more week til the end of the semester!

Anyway, I'm glad I'm sick now since next weekend we're going to Japan!! Ahhhh!

Friday night consisted of dinner and watching Secret Garden with Tina. I didn't actually watch the show, but Hyun Bin from Hyde, Jekyll, Me is in it and damn is that boy fine. If the story of the show wasn't so terrible I might consider it, but Secret Garden just doesn't have enough besides Hyun Bin to keep me interested for 20 episodes. It's a typical "Guy is rich and the literal worst human ever but somehow he and the poorer but exceptional specimen of humanity Female lead will end up together despite him being a dick for 14 of 20 episodes (complete with Body-switching, coma, and amnesia plots)" drama that I find difficult to stomach. I couldn't watch Boys Over Flowers for the same reason, even though I love Lee Min Ho too. Alas, handsome and awesome male actors do not a good drama make. I did see the highlights of Secret Garden, though, so I feel less inclined to suffer through the whole thing.

Saturday was our big day of the weekend, as usual. This time we were getting ready for our trip to Japan by visiting an exhibit we had been longing to see but hadn't had the time yet: the Ghibli Studios Exhibit! You may know Ghilbi studios because of the famous and amazing Hayao Miyazaki of Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, The Wind Rises, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, and others fame. It't the cool Japanese studio, and the exhibit was cool. The lighting was weird and it was hard to take good pictures, but Sarah, Janell, Tina and I managed. 

There were 5 movies featured, and when we walked in I almost started crying because Howl's Moving Castle (My favorite!!!! Also the movie my blog post title comes from) was first, and when i heard the music it made me really emotional. 

Excuse me while I cry because I got to see the moving castle move.

Heatin' things up with Calcifer. "May all your bacon burn."

The details in the exhibit were awesome! See the ants on the table?

Trippy scene from the magical door.

After Howl's room it was on to the Princess Mononoke room! I love this movie too, but it has been a long time since I saw it.

The details were pretty awesome though.

There was the cool projection screen then the movie would give way for this guy.

The princess and her wolves.

I don't remember the next movie, but the one after was MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this movie so much though I also must confess I cannot remember the last time I watched it. Still, this one was so cute!

There was a giant tree with little windows you could look into to see more of the scene.

LOOK AT THE CUTE LITTLE BUNS

The famous scene.

Again, the next room was a movie I wasn't super familiar with, then there was an exhibit of an upcoming movie, which I also know nothing about.

We wondered at the lack of people at the exhibit. Usually in Korea, these things are packed. We soon found out why there was no one at the rest of the exhibit and where everyone was: The Spirited Away room.

Spirited Away is probably regarded as the best Miyazaki film, and when you ask people what their favorite one is, Spirited Away is the answer I've heard most. I really do love it so much, but I like Howl's Moving Castle better. Haku is one of my favorite characters though, along with No Face. I also really love Miyazaki's idea about the film that you can have a boy and a girl on an adventure together and it doesn't have to be a romantic love story. It makes me feel like there are so many different kinds of love worth exploring in the world, and Miyazaki nails it.

Ready to cross the bridge? I hope so!

Chillin with No Face

I had the Koreans cracking up.

People at these things are sometimes annoying. Parents use their kids to shove in front of you so they can get pictures with every bit of the exhibit. Everyone is standing in a line but some group of teenagers or parents think they're the only people who thought of going to the front of the line. People walk in front of your camera (why do you think I'm holding it up like that?) and other nonsense. And Koreans also comment on the number of foreigners there. 

Thankfully it was a small exhibit and not that crowded, so we got through with our tempers in tact, and we got some awesome pictures. I cannot wait to go to Japan!

Afterwards, Tina, Sarah and I headed to this cool little cafe called Il Gattino near Itaewon. There we did some Korean homework, planned some things for Japan, and had awesome food. I had beef chili and it was so good I am tempted to go back like right now. We hung out and watched people bring in their cats and dogs, and it was just a relaxing time.

Found some cool street art and decided to make it look even cooler.

Tina and I headed back to Hongdae to spend some time with my friends at Gusto Taco, introducing some of them to the joys of it for the first time. Those margaritas are awesome. God bless this restaurant. I've been there like 3 of 4 weekends in the last month, but I don't care. It's awesome.

We got some ice cream for round two from Fell + Cole (I think that's the name?) gastronomic ice cream, where they have such strange flavors as Caramel Popcorn and Grapefruit Champagne. It was awesome. I've been in a real ice cream mood lately, perhaps in an effort to imagine warmer times. Sigh.

For round three we went to a luxury Noraebang, where we all got to sing and have a good time. TIna got to practice "Gee" by SNSD (Girl's Generation in English) for her teacher trip, and we brought down the house with mostly Tina's Fantastic Baby skills. We had a good time singing Beyonce and Enrique Iglesias and all the other strange classics we know. Too bad it was so busy! We usually get extended times at noraebangs, but it was so busy that we couldn't. Alas.

We went to one more bar before Tina and I tapped out and got some ddeokbokki before heading home. We enjoyed our spicy treat while watching another episode of Secret Garden (while I played with Tina's hair), then slept for like ever.

Tina has trouble braiding her hair, and I like to play with it so we all win here.

My attempt at a french braid.

Dutch braid! Instead of crossing the hair over you cross it under.

So yeah when girls had sleepovers they eat spicy food, watch shitty but entertaining tv, ad play with each others hair (and of course talk about boys duhhhh). 

I woke up with a very stuff nose and no voice, feeling worse than I had all week, so I laid in bed for most of the day while Tina skyped her friend Liz and finished her show. I finally felt better enough to meander on home, and here I am now drinking honey tea and feeling mostly fine, if a little fuzzy. I hope I feel better for my last week of the semester!

I'm getting really sad about mising my little 6th grade nuggets. I've gotten very attached to them over this semester so I will be sad to see them go. Anyway, I will be sure to have a good time with them this week!

Wish me a speedy recovery!

Here's Gee by Girl's Generation (SNSD). It's pretty much what you think of when you think of Kpop (if you know nothing about Kpop) since it's a bunch of cute girls in bright colors singing a bubblegummy pop song. But I love it so much! GG is such a big group and I love them a lot.

Aaaaaaaaand Fantastic Baby! It's another one where if you know nothing about Kpopo you're like whaaat. This music video is so strange but I really love it and the song. Too bad T.O.P. raps so fast! Tina nails it when she sings it though.

And since Big Bang hasn't had a comeback in 3 years they sing this song for everything. The running joke is like "2030: Anyway, here's Fantastic Baby."

Wishing everyone health and happiness! No blog post next week, but be prepared for a long one when I get back from Japan!