Watchmen was faithful to the book. The only deviation occurred at the end of the film, but other than that, it was spot on. Many of the characters dialogues were taken EXACTLY as they were from the book.


Satisfied. Thank god.


I will mention that if you HAVEN'T read the graphic novel, you will more than likely be VERY confused. You can still enjoy the film, but a majority of my friends had not read the graphic novel, didn't understand the film, and were disparaging with their comments.

With a little inspiration from lipby I've decided to start a series of reviews of my favorite places to get various types of Asian food in my local area. This will include everything from the more commonly known Chinese food to the lesser known Filipino food. Those of you that know me know that I LOVE food and I love having the chance to try new things (thanks Andrea!) so I am really excited to present this too you. I might even throw in a little information about the dining culture (if I know any about that certain group.)

Look for it in the future!

(This is more of a note to me so I remember that I was very excited to this and will remember tomorrow when I am in a writing mood.)

..I am distributing 1ups!



The tops are mereguine with vanilla frosting.
The bottoms are marshmallow with bakers chocolate!

Thanks to AnnaTheRed for the tutorial!

Tadah! Pete's Nintendo Bento made by yours truly!



Featuring Kirby, Mario mushrooms and stars, and a Yoshi egg!
Special thanks to Anna the Red's tutorials!

Also, I have started a wedding blog on my wedding website.
If you are interested in reading about me losing my mind, please go here:

http://web.mac.com/mishabelle

Wedding Website: http://web.mac.com/mishabelle



Photo Credit: Paul Nash
www.PaulNashPhotography.com

I'm actually going to have quite a few more headshots rolling in-- Mr. Nash was kind of enough to fix up five photos for me on the spot and email them to me. The rest will be coming to me via CD once he touches them up.

On a whim, I decided to look up the agency that my parents had adopted me from. Upon locating information about them, I learned that Eastern Social Welfare (or Eastern Child Welfare as they are also known) offers post-adoption services that help adoptees re-connect with their birth families and homeland. They offer a chance to reunite with foster parents, visit their birthplaces, explore historical sites, and, depending if they are willing, a reunion with birth parents.

Feelings upon discovery: angry, overwhelmed, curious, hurt

I can't believe no one ever told me about this.

I am IN LOVE with Goo Joon Pyo. Like, seriously. I've never had such a big crush on a drama character before.

Anyways, for those of you that have no idea what Kkotboda Namja is, it is the Korean live-action drama version of the popular Japanese manga, Hana Yori Dango. Hana Yori Dango has always been one of my favorite mangas since I was in junior high school.

So far, I LOVE all the casting choices. Jan Di is exactly how I always pictures Tsukushi and the actress does an awesome job portraying her. Hyun Joong as Ji Hoo is the perfect Rui. But we already knew that (atleast those of us who watched him in "We Got Married"). The three girls Sunny, Ginger, and Miranda are hilarious in my opinion. And seeing a Korean Shizuka makes me aspire to be her all the more.

If any of you are looking for a really well done Korean drama, you should definetly watch this! So far, it seems to be very promising.

Kkotboda Namja with English Subs: http://www.viikii.net/channels/goto/hanayoridangokversion

2008 in Review:

School: I was supposed to have finished my undergraduate education at the University of Connecticut in the Spring. However, due to miscommunication and other nonsense, I found myself short ten credits AFTER I had "graduated." This was mortifying and disappointing, however I found out this is not uncommon with large universities and set forth to complete my degree. I enrolled in Manchester Community College to finish my elective credits and found myself working for the music department by chance. For Fall 2008, I worked as a teaching assistant to my choir director and learned valuable insight as to how to run a classroom and how to deal with students that are older than myself. Everyone around me keeps insisting I go to graduate school once I finish my electives, but honestly, I don't know what I would get my masters degree in! How can I go back without any idea of what I want to do?

Work: While working at MCC, I was also working for SoHo Fashions in the mall and learned a good deal about Korean culture. My boss, a middle-aged Korean woman, took me under her wing and welcomed me warmly into her family. While I adored having a mother again (even as it was, a part-time mother), the occupation of "cart girl" did not set well with me. I learned that people immediately thought I was an immigrant that was poorly educated and spoke minimal English. They also demanded a discount from me as if I was working in a stall in Chinatown, no matter how many times I told them it was a franchise and attempted to shame them for their behavior. So, at the end of January 2009, I will be leaving this job and working on furthering my career in the music field. I am working to finish up my music studio and will be accepting new students with the help of my former voice teacher.

Family: My family has grown within the past year. I am now engaged to a wonderful man who understands my loyalty to my family and who can accept me for the anxious, sometimes crazy woman that I am. I have also gained a mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, and various aunts and uncles. And of course, cousins. I really feel at home in their family and look forward to family gatherings. I will be meeting my grandparents-in-law in February and am a bit nervous, but they have seemed so warm and loving over the phone that it is probably just my anxiety freaking me out. I have also moved back home to be closer to my daddy and brother, two of the most important people in my life. My fiancee gets along great with both of them and has sunk into a comfortable rhythm living with them.

Wedding: Thank god for Andrea. I have no idea what I am doing with this whole wedding thing. So far I have the dress, the site, the website to order bridesmaids dresses, and a meeting with my caterer. I still need a million more things. Maybe with my time off coming up I will be able to focus on this more.

...I may continue this later.

So I have my US History online final tonight around 7 and then I am donedonedone with that course forever! My concert is tomorrow night and I get to sing two of my favorite songs. Next Tuesday is my Sociology exam (which is cake with sprinkles) and then I AM DONE WITH THIS SEMESTER. My last Fall semester (until I decide to go to grad school)!!! Next semester I've only got one class online and then I can send all my stupid elective credits in and get my diploma. Sheesh. I am almost done with renovating my music studio and I can't wait to get more students!

I've also decided that I love going to the gym, mostly because it's time where i can just zone out, watch tv on my ipod touch and still do something that helps keep me healthier. Yeaaaah. Anyone have any good tv shows I should start watching? Lately, I am obsessed with 30 Rock. Is Arrested Development any good?

So I was doing pretty well with my going to gym three times a week until this week. Last Friday I came down with some godawful flu-like virus and was floored until Sunday afternoon. The rest of the week was filled with writing papers, finishing up projects, working, and just generally feeling like poop. The feeling continues as my throat is still very uncomfortable and the fevers go off and on. My apologies to those of you I was hoping to hang out with this week.

Next week I have my concert with the choir I work with as well as a little solo work (wahoo!) I will be performing. I'm hoping to be healthier by that point as I am singing one of my favorite pieces: Solovey by Alexander Alabiev. I'm also performing Nel Cor Piu non Mi Sento with ornaments. I'm pretty excited, but a little nervous as I have no idea how things are done at this performance and I don't get a chance for a run through.

The day after is my daddy's birthday! I have to try to get the night off so I can celebrate with him.

That's about it for now.

Those of you that know me know that I'm a pretty tough lady. I've worked retail since I was 16 years old and dealt with all sorts of bullshit from the not so bad Macy's to the hell of customer service at GameStop. But tonight is the final straw. I have NEVER been so insulted and disrespected as I was tonight.

The Story:
I typically close the cart I work at around 9:30. It's 9:25 when I get a customer and my boss has been struggling lately, so I figure I will help this customer before I close. The customer is an Indian couple. The lady was looking for a Susan product (retail 69.99) so I found her one that matched her hair color and tried it on her. Then I gave her a little accessory so she could see what it would look like. She ends up liking it and her husband tells me he will give me $25 for it. I calmly and politely explain to him that everything at my cart has a set price and it is part of a franchise-- I do not have the authority to give discounts or allow haggling. He gets very aggressive and keeps demanding I give him a discount. I tell him I do not the authority and I could get fired if I gave him a discount. He keeps going and I tell him, okay, fine, please go somewhere else if you don't want it. He says he will take it for 69.99. His wife then says she wants the accessory for free. I tell her I CAN'T do that and that it is 19.99. They keep picking up more items and saying they want it for free. Finally, I figure since she is spending over 70 dollars (due to the tax) I can give them a standard free gift. I tell them it is $20 value, but since they spent so much money, I can give it as a free gift. They then demand another item that is also $20 instead of the one I gave them. I tell them, no, I can't do that. The man demands to speak to my boss. I tell him he cannot, she is not here, she is at home. He demands her phone number. I try to just give him his money back and he says, ok, he will settle for the other one. He then gets angry that I want to charge him tax (which I HAVE TO) and says I should not charge him tax because he gave me cash. I tell him I HAVE to. I ring up the whole purchase, print a receipt, stamp it with the SoHo stamp and hand it to him with his change. He complains he cannot read the receipt (which is bullshit) and demands a new copy. The register at work doesn't have a print new receipt option. I also think, THIS IS BULLSHIT because he can read it. I ask my neighbor if she knows how to print a new receipt or just cancel the whole damn thing cause I'm sick of this couple's shit. She says she doesn't know, but the receipt is perfectly good and tells the man so. Even she can read it, plain as day. The man still demands a new receipt so she says to call my boss. I call Ajumma at home (I think I woke her up too-- I feel like an asshole) and tell her what is going on. She told me to just ring it up again and she will void the whole thing tomorrow (the extra one). At that point, the man is shouting to me to ask her about the accessory he wants. I'm fed up at the point and say VERY firmly "EXCUSE ME I AM ON THE PHONE TRYING TO HELP YOU. I CANNOT HEAR WITH YOU YELLING IN MY EAR." At this point, I think he understands how angry I am and he backs off. Apparently the item was 29.99 so it couldn't work anyways. I get off the phone with Ajumma and ring up the purchase except the register is fucked up and it rings it up three times. Ajumma has not taught me how to void or return anything (it's against her policy unless she decides it) and so it adds the extra amount on the z tape. Frustrated, I give the man the new receipt and he tells me he wants the other accessory but only for 19.99. At this point, his wife sees how angry I am and she says "It's ok, let's just go."

At that point, the register is so fucked up I don't know what to do about a deposit so I just take out the major bills and settle the credit cards. By the time I have shut down everything and closed, it is 10 pm, a half an hour later than normal and everything is a fucking mess and I'm ready to cry out of frustration.

I don't care if that man ever comes back again with a million dollars and wants to buy the whole store, he can go fuck himself. He was incredibly rude and was very disrespectful talking to me as if I were dirt. I don't care if I get fired -- I WILL NOT ever help him again.

I have to go in to work tomorrow on my day off and explain what happened to Ajumma so she doesn't freak out about the register.

I don't get paid enough to deal with douchebags like him.

When I first came to this country, my parents were given the option to naturalize me as an American citizen. They decided not to do this process until I was old enough to understand what it meant to be an American and appreciate the privileges it would afford me as I got older.

Well, I am older. And while I have been ashamed of my country (or president) at times, I do appreciate what it means to be a US citizen. I appreciate it everyday when I talk to my neighbors at work who are going through the green card process and still are not allowed to receive scholarships for their children to go to college, even though their GPAs are 3.9 points and their records are pristine. I appreciate it when I talk to friends who grew up in countries where the dictator's word is law and there is no democratic process and bribery is rampant in their government.

And tonight, I appreciate and am PROUD to be an American as I watch our history be written. I appreciate the fact that I live in a country where I CAN vote for whoever I want. And I am PROUD to be part of nation that is constantly changing and reinventing itself in order to "form a more perfect union." I understand that there is still much work to be done and that Barack Obama will not, in fact, heal the country of all its wounds and problems. But, if he does what he says, he will begin the healing process and start the gears of change. It's up to Americans to choose to to aid him, just as they chose to vote for him tonight. Obama is a chance. A chance to come together and unite as one nation, a nation of many colors, a nation of many beliefs, but most of all, a nation of American citizens that dream of that perfect union for their children and grandchildren.

America, this is your history being written. America, this is your chance.

This is what is means to be an American.

Day 2 of my fitness regime.

I talked to Maria last night about wanting to get in shape and she said she would be interested in joining a gym too. Sweet! Now I have a gym buddy and that always helps motivate you. We had a few requirements for our gym:

1. Must be CLEAN. I have nightmares of UConn's Field House still.
2. We want a pool because we like to swim and get our exercise that way.
3. No yearly contract. We only want to work out at the gym during winter months because it's too damn cold to go jogging and crap outside.

With this list in mind, we found that the only gym in the area that fit these qualifications was LA Fitness over in South Windsor. Cringe. We were sure it would be really expensive. Luckily Maria is smart and acted like we were going to look at another gym. The guy gave us a discount and we got a family plan. Instead of $150 registration fee and $45.99 per month each, we got a one time registration fee and $34.99 a month. It's still a bit pricey but the facilities are gorgeous and it's the only place around that has a pool. Plus sauna and hot tub. A nice added bonus.

Other perks are that the classes are never 100% full which means I can get in and get my yoga on. They also offer spinning, kickboxing, Latin Impact (dancing), etc. There is also a full size indoor basketball court that turns into volleyball. They have racquetball courts which sound fun but I'm pretty sure i will end up getting hurt.

I am pretty excited because the gym is 10 minutes away and it's on my way to work and school so I can stop right after and do some laps or run on the elliptical for a while. Pete is considering joining our family plan because it's good for him and we like to do things together.

Today we went on our two mile jog together and he is WAY more in shape than I am. Of course, he also has a ridiculously large stride which gives him the advantage. We felt really good afterwards though and we looked at houses and talked about what we would want when we get one.

I am also doing well on my fooding:

Breakfast: Two egg omelette with pepper jack cheese and two cups of orange juice
Lunch: Tomato soup (the entire can) and tea
Dinner: Baked pollock fish with peas and parmesan rice with iced tea

And I had a peanut butter cup. It was delicious. XD Drank a lot of tea today-- reminded me how much I enjoy a nice cup of tea. I think I want to get chai tea next time I am at the market. Mmmm.

So I've decided that starting today, I am going to try to at least jog/walk once a day (my 2 mile route unless I'm really short on time) and drink only water/tea in between meals. The only exception to this rule is the occasional Panera Bread low fat smoothie because, let's be honest, some days it's the only thing that makes going to work bearable.

The reason for this healthy new change is because my boss, in the way only a loving Korean parent can, told me that I was getting fat and grabbed my belly while shaking it.

x.x

My boss isn't trying to be mean. Those of you who have Korean parents are all too familiar with this. However, I've been sensitive about my weight lately as I have been struggling with some stress and low confidence issues so this wasn't the greatest thing for me right now. On top of that, I HAVE had an eating disorder in the past.

My first response to this was, okay I'm not going to eat anymore. Or maybe I will get some of those diet pills. Then I smacked myself a few times and realized my eating habits were okay-- I just needed to cut out the extra junk (soda, chips) and late night meals (I get home really late from work some nights and I don't think my body can cope with my dinner after 9:30 pm). Exercise couldn't hurt and it was a good way to get some extra UV which can help battle my stress and depression.

I just got back from jogging and I'm pooped. I don't really feel healthy-- in fact, I feel pretty unhealthy considering I had to walk most of the jog. But it's a start. If I keep it up, I'm sure I will improve until i can jog the whole thing.

The trick is to keep it up. Before the snow and ice comes and I have to decide whether to spend money on a gym. x.x

I'm not a Palin supporter, although I will admit, I am beginning to be a Palin fan.

Give me a moment to explain myself.

These past few weeks, Palin has catapulted herself to celebrity status. Every time you look in the newspaper or turn on the tv, chances are you will see something to do with Sarah Palin. From her zingy quotes to photoshopped images, to the Palin inspired porn (Nailin' Palin), Sarah has infiltrated the American society at every level.

She has recently been on SNL, portraying herself. And I have to admit, it takes balls to show up on a show that has been poking fun at you. However, I think she handled it well and let the nation know that she's okay with making fun of herself. Which is something to her credit, as she is making herself appear more human and down to earth (although she beat the whole hockey-mom, neighbor next door thing to death already.)

So while I am not going to vote McCain/Palin for 2008, I will say-- thank Sarah Palin. You have made this election so much more interesting and fun for us to follow.

K Reality/Variety:
We Got Married!

We Got Married is fantastic! It's a wedding variety show in which star couples get matched up and pretend to be a married couple. They are then given missions that range anywhere from going grocery shopping to working on a dairy farm together. My favorite couple is Hwang Buin and Hyun Joong! And I'm totally in love with Alex!

K Drama:
Beethoven Virus

Beethoven Virus is Korea's version of Japanese popular show, Nodame Cantabile. It's very different from Nodame, but I think it's cute and a good time killer. The music is also fun!

Love Marriage

Love Marriage is one of those dramas I just sort of stumbled on one day. Another good time killer.

http://www.wnbc.com/news/17539627/detail.html

Think of all the health problems this would cause...

In other news, has anyone seen my missing bridesmaid? Laurie, where did you go? I think you're in CT now but I have no way to contact you.... ;.;

Good and bad night at work.

Good news: I sold my first sale today!
Bad news: Register decided it hated me and wouldn't open for me.
Really grimey guy was making me really uncomfortable.

The register isn't a HUGE deal. Ajumma (my boss) said that we can just figure it out tomorrow and that I should go home. What really upset me was this guy kept getting really close to me and whispering things like "You are the hottest Asian I have ever seen" and kept walking back and forth in front of me with his boys the whole night. I can handle some flirting, but when a guy gets so close to me that I can feel him breathing on the back on my neck, it's just way too creepy and scary. He kept trying to sneak up really close to me behind my back. At one point, he did that and my boss was still there. I went and told her that some guy was too close and making me uncomfortable but when she went to chase him away he was gone. He had also snuck up behind me so I didn't see him until after she had left for the night.


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