Sick Blog...No, Really.

This week I have been sick. With conjunctivitis in my right eye that eventually became infected, and essentially just gross. Therefore, sorry to anybody who reads this blog and was expecting something more to be posted this week. So, I finally have eye-medicine to make my eye as good as new??? Now, while being sick, I started to think sick-y, insomnia-y, and delusional thoughts. My brain was making weird connections, and my best friend's brain was as well (due to her being sick the same time I was...YAY FOR FRIEND TELEPATHY!!!). These upcoming drawings are just a peek into our sick brains, and not much else. So enjoy!


Come to the story board with me:

Sorry guys, this is all I have got for you right now. Again, these drawings are just the thoughts of sick people. Thank you guys for reading! Also, let me know if you want me to talk about something specific, review any kind of media, or review just Korean media :) Goodbye my friends!


Side-notes:

1) I got best friend and her roommate into "Scent of a Woman" the Korean drama!

2) Monsoon season here! Bring on the wind, rain, and more heat (IT IS RAINING RIGHT NOW)!

3) It is so hot here, my eyelids have become a slip 'n' slide for sweat. Awesome.

Story-Time Tuesdays? Is this a thing?

Story-Time Tuesdays!!! Stop it Gretchen, you can never make "Story-Time Tuesdays" a thing. Mean Girls, anyone? So, little known fact, I am actually a senior in college finishing my undergraduate bachelor's degree in Pre-Medicine (Emphasis in biology). Naturally, my thoughts have been on medical school, and the time, effort, tears, and ridiculous requirements needed to get into medical school. One of the not so outrageous requirements is shadowing a physician. Now, I know a general surgeon who has known me since my Aladar fetus stage in life (Dinosaur anyone? Any '90s kids out there?!?), and he agreed to let me shadow him in the clinic and in the operating room. 

Awesome, right? Haha, not so fast there children. 

It was my first day shadowing this doctor in the operating room, and the first surgery was at 7:30 a.m. (approximately). This is already an ungodly hour of the morning, and on top of being nervous-ecstatic about being in the OR for the first time, I stupidly and irrationally decided not to have breakfast. Yeah, I know you guys sitting behind your laptop screens are snarking, smirking, and giggling at me saying, "Look at this chick, not eating before going in to stand watching surgeries...wait, seriously? Is she serious right now?". Well, shut your faces! I am here to tell you a story, a great and hilarious story that I shall tell you in...CARTOON DRAWINGS! Your favorite, right? I know, I know, calm yourselves. 

Come to the storyboard with me:

Yeah...that was embarrassing. And the fact that I spelled "embarrassment" wrong on the second page is even worse. It is midnight, and I am doing the best I can here, just tell me it will be okay! 

Now the question is: What is your Story-Time Tuesday story?? Share with me in the comments or however you wish. Wait, this is the Internet, so I am going to take that last part back and just say leave it to the comment section for now. Now I'm done. 

FIN. 

Brown Eyed Girls & Met

Brown Eyed Girls - One Summer Night

Met - Trolley

As I sit here stressed, frazzled, and losing my marbles trying to figure out which organization I should go through to teach in South Korea next year, I find myself calmed by these songs. To me, these music videos remind me to put all the effort I can into each moment of life, because when I look back on those moments, I want to happy (Brown Eyed Girls). Not regretful, like with Met (look up the lyrics of the song, they are sad. Also, language warning)! I know it seems utterly ridiculous to make a connection like that with songs, but, I do. I hope you guys enjoyed this small little entry, and let me know what you want me to talk about for the next entry. Also, let me know what you guys find interesting so that I don't ramble on with nonsense. Which I will do, if you couldn't tell already. You can ask me any questions! I will try and answer as best as I can!

P.S.

I have a side project going on about learning how to draw anime/manga characters. So far all I have is an eye, which I will show everyone, just in case anyone cares. Here goes nothing! (Yes, I know this is drawn on lined paper. Sue me!) 

I Wear My Sunglasses on....PSY??

Now before I even begin my little rundown of this music video, I want to thank Simon and Martina for their hilarious videos, and wonderful commentaries on other Korean MVs that they have been doing for YEARS. So, please you guys, if you haven't heard of them, or watched any of their videos...DO SO NOW! 
This is the link to their amazing video rundown of Psy's "Gangnam Style" music video: 


http://www.eatyourkimchi.com/kpop-psy-gangnamstyle/


Anywhore, here is the video for Psy's "Gangnam Style" and then afterward, I will give my commentary on what caught my attention and made me rupture my spleen with laughter.

Okay, so I am assuming that you guys have now watched this music video and had one of three responses:

A) Wow. Truly amazing! I have been listening to K-pop for years, and haven't encountered anything  like this!

B) Wow! Amazing! But maybe slightly weird?

C) I have never heard K-pop before and Elyssa, and you have now altered the course of my life forever.

RUNDOWN:

1. The dancing kid in the beginning. Seriously? I wish I had those dance moves, then and now. His little face is hilarious, he looks like I imagined Psy would as a little kid trying to impress all the hot babes on the preschool playground.
2. Please note that from 0:41-0:46 in this video, the lovely ladies on Psy's arms and their facial expression. Also, please note at 0:43 specifically, the girl on the left having spasms of laughter at her counterpart on the right suffocating on the paper cutouts of snow/garbage being blown on them. Psy is keeping a pretty straight face though, and I am impressed!
3. At 1:22 - 1:24 there is a carousel. I was enjoying the video, and then I suddenly realized...they are dancing raunchily on a children's carousel. HILARIOUS!
4. Now, we all love grandmas. They are always that grounded person in our lives that spoils the crap out of us. OR, they are dancing on buses with Psy's thrusting groin area (1:29-1:32 & 3:18). I choose the latter!!
5. Did anyone see the Korean drama "Lie to Me"? No? Well, you while should. The swan paddle boats become 10X more hilarious if you have seen that drama. Oh, I shall be dreaming of swans tonight after watching this video on repeat. Great.
6. The elevator scene from 1:55-2:02 kills me. I have watched this video more than 20 times now, and I cannot get over the guy dressed in all green, wearing a straw hat, '90s sandals, and standing over Psy. His facial expressions make that scene. 
7. So at 2:13 it appears Psy is taking public transportation, like us average folks...whipping his imaginary lasso around his head. And who does he lasso kids? Hyuna, of course (watch her Bubble Pop music video)! Now, I need to comment on Hyuna's outfit. It appears that she raided the bus dancing grandmother's closet and found a cardigan/poncho (carcho?, pondigan?) that Hyuna had to have so badly, that she stole it. And cinched it around her waist. And paired with leather shorts. WHATT?!?
8. At 2:42 in this video, you will notice a quick scene of Psy pony-dancing across a crosswalk in a busy intersection. If I were driving, I probably would have crashed my car from gawking. I LOVE that crosswalk scene. Holy cow. It is so random and awesome....I just...I just can't describe...yes.
9. I am going to give Hyuna some credit now. Despite wearing leather shorts and grandma's pondigan, she manages to be utterly sexy hair-flipping, hip-shaking, and pony-riding Psy from 2:47-2:53. Watch it, and do not tell me that you don't wish that you could look that sexy in a pondigan while imaginary pony-riding a person. DON'T LIE TO ME!!!
10. It kills me that the production crew actually filmed pony-dancing scenes, in an actual horse riding arena. I love how literal they are with matching the pony-dance with a horse riding arena. Please notice this from scenes 2:55-2:59, as well as at 1:24. 
11. Now, does anybody remember the swimming lessons your parents always forced you to take, or is that just me because I live in a desert, and you have to live in a pool during summer? Either way, please notice Psy's flailing in a hot tub (it looks like) at 3:00. I totally did that all the time. Still do that to this day and I'M AN ADULT!!!! It is so much fun. I suggest you all acquire a body of water, and flail. Side note: GOGGLES! 
12. Please note as well, from 3:03-3:04 Psy's sexy pterodactyl dance to Hyuna. There is no other way to describe it other than that. Luckily, I found a blog that can describe pterodactyls better than I can: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/ptero (Please read, they are hilarious)!
13. Toilet time. 3:13-3:17. The toilet is a free, open, non-judgmental space. You can be whatever you want to be in that space. Psy, I salute you.
14. Now, this next point is applicable to anyone who has had a blonde moment. The dude in the yellow suit at 2:03 drives out of the parking through the entrance. He drives OUT the IN. I am not ashamed to say, I have done this myself. And yes, I am perfectly capable of driving...
15. Lastly, the most important note of all. Psy never takes off his sunglasses. Except to put on goggles. Moral of the story: you never see his eyes. What can this mean?!? WHAT ARE YOU HIDING FROM US PSY???? Maybe all of us would be obliterated Indiana Jones and the Ark of the Covenant style if we saw his eyes. I don't know. 

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this rundown! Let me know what you think, if you have any requests for blog topics, or about me, just ask in the comments! Goodbye fellow friends!

BBC and Passion??

Passion. What comes to mind when you think of the word "passion"? Well, scarily enough, I decided to browse the Internets to see what online dictionaries had to say about it, and boy oh boy, the first thing that I happened upon (at dictionary.com, if you care to look up their definitions of "passion" yourself) are mostly about sexual desire, lust, or just ardor. Even at another site (freedictionary.com) the first definition to pop up was about sexual desire, basically everything that has already been aforementioned. Feeling resigned at this point, I thought to myself, "Well, maybe the British will get it right?"
So, I went out on a limb in trusting the Brits (although it isn't hard to when they have beautiful men such as Benedict Cumberbatch on their side), and I was rewarded. Their first definition was just a generic definition of strong, uncontrollable emotions. Yet, the third definition caught my eye, as it read, "an intense desire or enthusiasm for something". Jackpot.
I bring this up because I am slightly perturbed with a mindset that I have encountered through PERSONAL experience as of late. Some individuals I have encountered and had conversations with seem to have lost passion. These individuals seem to be passionately focused on the rewards or benefits that a certain career or life decision will give them in the end. That is not passion to me. Passion is that intense desire to go beyond your own wants, needs, and desires. Passion is seeing a flaw or a injustice in the world and desiring intensely to change whatever said flaw or injustice may be. This passion is without thought of selfish benefits (money-wise, socially, physically) and just about desiring to drive into place the change that desperately needs to happen.
To be honest, right now I am re-evaluating what I thought was my passion for a long time. I am trying to just be honest with myself, and not judge myself as a failure if I find a greater passion in life.
The reason I would judge myself as a failure is because I feel like others have set up expectations for me or my life, and deviating from that path would make me seem...wishy-washy, flaky, or just a flat out failure. That is my own personal problem though, and I need to stop judging myself through other people's minds. Ouch. That was painful to even type.

Now, on a lighter note:

1) Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, BBC): if you want to feel the dictionary.com definition of passion, I will give you a picture in order for you all to do so. (Image from: http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/856136-benedict-cumberbatch-frankenstein-is-about-bad-parenting)

2) Bradley James & Colin Morgan (Merlin, BBC): Also to inspire that dictionary.com passion within everyone's bosom. (Images from: http://fyeahbradleyjames.tumblr.com and http://atrl.net)

Musings & Such

So, it has been quite some time since I have written on this blog, and I am quite sure that no has read this blog in that time frame. However, I am still going to utilize this blog as an outlet for myself, and for anyone who just needs to know that they aren't alone in their frustrations, realizations, and trials in their life. Right now, I am currently about to enter my senior year of college (despite still looking like a 15 year old)! Yet, now I am more unsure about what my purpose is in the future more than ever! I honestly would love to hear if anybody else is feeling that way, or is it just me?? Eh, who knows! Now, time for a confession. I am addicted to Korean media. Korean music, Korean dramas, Korean fashion, the list is never-ending at this moment in time. And I am going to throw out a few Korean songs that I cannot stop listening to, as well as a few dramas that I am watching.

Korean Songs:
-PSY - Gangnam Style
-Junsu - Intoxication (I must warn the ladies, your ovaries will explode listening to this song, ridiculous!)
-Hyuna - Bubble Pop (The music video I wouldn't suggest watching because it kind of ruins the "aegyo" of the song)

Korean Dramas:
-I Do, I Do! (Not sure how I feel about this one yet)
-Scent of a Woman (Just finished watching this, AMAZING!!!)

Basically, right now I am watching anything with Lee Dong-Wook (he was the lead in Scent of a Woman) in it, and just in case you do not know who he is, please refer to the resources below :)

(Images from: http://thedramascenes.com/2011/07/29/k-drama-news-lee-dong-wook-shows-perfect-body-for-scent-of-a-woman/)


Now, I understand that Korean men, are not for everybody, but please, all of you sleep-deprived, going out of your mind, and overworked college women out there, please do not deny yourself the visual experience of this lovely man. Now, I think I should resign from this blog now, or I am going to go on and on about lovely Korean men. Maybe next week (or tomorrow, who knows), a request for a Korean actor eye-candy can be taken? Or a drama or song to review? I am open for requests!!

Good-bye fellow friends!