Getting Ready to Fly to Korea

Only 1 day left before my departure for Seoul, Korea. This trip was probably the biggest spontaneous decision I’ve ever taken in my 19 years of life. You have no idea how nervous, yet excited, I am feeling at this very moment. My first trip across the globe by myself. My first time going to a foreign land in which I will be completely oblivious to what people will be saying. It is quite scary when I think about it. Heck, no time to wonder now. It only goes forward from here on!

Have you ever traveled alone? Please do give me some tips.

I’ve always had procastination issues when it comes to packing for trips. 36 hours before my flight, and I still haven’t filled any bags yet. It always gives me a headache to figure out what NOT to bring. Travelling compact is too hard for me, sigh. Airlines with their baggage restrictions aren’t helping me either. On the way back from all my other trips to China, I’ve had overweight issues with my luggage. Korea will be a new challenge indeeed.

Two weeks and a half away from Montreal. I sure think it’ll do me some good to be away for a bit. My only regret is to miss the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Again. Last year, I had missed it because of my summer course in physics. (Talk about frustration.) This year, at least, I’ll be traveling to somewhere new and exciting.

Let the countdown begin.

Update on the Summer To-Do List

I have commitment issues with my blog, doesn’t it seem like it? Haha. It’s alright. There’s nothing like a trip to far far away to give me an urge to constantly keep in touch. For those who don’t know yet, I’m going on a trip for about 2 weeks and a half to Seoul, Korea. I’m leaving on June 30th. Only 6 days to go! I’m so excited. It’s going to be my first official trip going by myself. I take this as a mean to get away from my typical life in my hometown, but also as an opportunity of growth and self discovery. Certainly, this trip will also permit me to finally get closer to the Korean culture that I’ve been admiring from the other side of the planet since so long! Korean BBQ, bulgogi, Kpop, hanbok,  here I come! So if you want to keep up with what I’m doing during my trip, be sure to keep checking in here for updates.

So far, what have you done in your summer? How’s the completion of the to-do list coming along? Here’s an update on mine:

1. Keep blogging. – getting there.
2. Finish playing Kingdom Hearts 2 and start Final Fantasy XII. – still talking about it.
3. Print out all the pictures I’ve taken for the past 2 years. Send them to my friends. – I’ll wait til I come back from Korea.
4. Restart playing piano. – I have done a bit of it!
5. Restart singing. – Not yet.
6. Retake Japanese courses. – Change of plans. I’m crash learning Korean right now, for the convenience of my trip.
7. Learn at least 1 popular Kpop choreography. – Check! I learned Tell Me by the Wonder Girls!
8. Practice doing photography. – Check! Did a bit with Milton. Still need to continue.
9. Spend time with friends and family. – On going. So far, so good.
10. Read books. – Not yet.
11. Study in advance for future courses with Karen. :D – Will start once Karen comes back from her trip. We set August as a target starting point.
12. Clean my ROOM. *most important* – HHHHHMMMMMMM….
13. and of course…. TO SLEEP! – Big fail. Yet again!

I haven’t had a chance to get to so many things. So, what have I actually been doing? I work, dance, work out and watch TV shows. Indeed, it feels soooo good. Work and dance are pretty typical for me, but working out and watching TV?! Indeed, I have started doing a training program called P90X, done by many dancers. The people who have done it all end up being pretty strong. For the sake of dancing better and doing airsteps, heck. I’d do it!

Another of my addictions-distration is that I’ve been watching the TV Show “How I Met Your Mother”. It’s absolutely hilarious. Even sometimes, despite a less amusing day, after watching  an episode or two, it’d be likec omplete brainwash of bad things. :)

Please do share what you have been up to for the first half of summer. Any change of plans?

I am back, after a year!

Hello all who have not lost faith in my blogging!

I am back, after a year of unannounced hiatus! I fell into a life of routine of too many things to do, and simply semi-gave up on blogging. With summer vacation approaching, I am thinking to give a rebirth to my shoeBox. My friends, who have been consistent bloggers, have inspired to me keep going.

A quick update on what I’ve been up to for the past year:

• I’m about to finish my first year of studies at Concordia Universtiy, doing a B.Comm in Marketing.
• I am still a hardcore lindy hopper. I placed 2nd in the intermediate Jack & Jill at the Boston Tea Party Swings 2009!
• I have been to Hong Kong, Guang Zhou, Quebec City, Boston, Danvers and will go to New York City soon.

My friend Jeong-Taek and I dancing at the Boston Tea Party Swings 2009 in Danvers, MA.

To motivate myself to finish my exams quickly, I will now list a (want)-to-do list for the upcoming summer. Did you know that by simply listing what you have to do, you are already more likely to actually get them done? I’m going to give it a try, and I challenge to you to share your summer 2009 to-do list too!

My summer 2009 to-do list in no particular order:

1. Keep blogging.
2. Finish playing Kingdom Hearts 2 and start Final Fantasy XII.
3. Print out all the pictures I’ve taken for the past 2 years. Send them to my friends.
4. Restart playing piano.
5. Restart singing.
6. Retake Japanese courses.
7. Learn at least 1 popular Kpop choreography.
8. Practice doing photography.
9. Spend time with friends and family.
10. Read books.
11. Study in advance for future courses with Karen. :D
12. Clean my ROOM. *most important*
13. and of course…. TO SLEEP!

I think that’s what I have in mind so far, but considering I have endless interest in everything, I will most likely be adding more. So what’s on your summer 2009 to-do list?

Go Habs Go! 2-1, Habs vs Devils on March 1rst

On Saturday night, I was invited to go to Cage aux Sports with Alain and his brother Oscar to eat supper and watch the hockey game of the Habs vs the New Jersey Devils. It’s been a good almost 10 years since I’ve watched a complete hockey game like that, and to my great surprise, I really enjoyed it!

The last time I watched hockey, I had a really bad experience which just made me leave that realm for good. I was still in elementary school back then. One night, my dad brought me to a hockey game at the Molson Center (now called the Bell Center) to watch the Habs versus the Boston team. Somehow, watching the game live seemed 10 million times longer than watching it at home on television and I soon started to be impatient. The fact that the crazy woman sitting in back of me kept stridently screaming “GO HABS GO!” non stop really annoyed me too. We lost that game 9 to 2. By the end of the game, that crazy woman was cheering for Boston instead because the Habs were just doing too bad. As for me, I had lost interest in hockey since then.

Showing off a little bit of Montrealer pride! Go Habs Go!
(Logo of the Habs taken from Habs.com)

Watching the Habs winning 2 to 1 against the Devils on Saturday night sort of reawakened my interest in hockey. The Habs’ first goal was spectacular!~ It was a great experience to watch a lot of people gather up and cheer together. It was funny to see the table sitting behind us with a huge tank of beer as well; they were already so drunk at half of their tank emptied!

Lesson of day: what you gave you gave long time ago might deserve a second chance! It’s nice to always keep your doors open for new things, but also for old things! I use to hate tomatoes when I was a kid; now, I can’t get enough of them! And didn’t we all once, as kids, feared cooties from the opposite sex, and then grow up to find them damn fine? ;)

What happened to the good Samaritan?

It is not the first time I witness someone refusing to help another in need; but this time, I just need to share it with the world to at least lessen my frustration.

I was just coming back home about 10 minutes ago, and encountered a desperate old lady with a parked car on the road asking for directions. She asked the car that passed by for help, and they just left her there. Then, she stopped me and asked me if I knew where such and such streets were. With my absolutely great (not) sense of direction, I tried my best to guide her. Sadly, she obviously found my directions more confusing than ever so thanked me and let me go. Then another car came by, and the brave old lady walked in front of it to stop it. (Kind of crazy, buuut…) The man in the car barely slowed down , snobbishly scanned the old lady from head to toe and sped away. Seriously, what on EARTH is that sort of reaction? It’s cold outside; it’s dark; an old lady is lost. Can you believe that the man just drove away heartlessly like that!?

It is all great that more and more humanitarians organizations and volunteers come in help to those who need it. However, it’s horrifying to see that some people (and they are still quite numerous sadly) are still not willing to lend a helping hand and are still so selfish. Never mind the Christian parable of the Good Samaritan, you don’t need to be religious to help and to love those around you. It doesn’t take much, just a heart and a bit of your time.

And so, another attempt at blogging

Hello world!

I’m Amanda (aka Amz to those who know me) and welcome to my shoeBox! This is my third attempt at blogging and this time, I’m going to be committed. The reason I called the blog “my shoeBox” (notice the special spelling) is because I have a habit to store memory-rich things in shoe boxes. Thus, posts in my blog will be worth remembering for me, and hopefully for you as well. :)

I will mostly write about dance, music, fashion, world news and cultures, but my blog will not only be limited to those topics, because I may occasionally run off and talk about myself as well (of course). As this world is so huge, so many many things can be of interest! If there are three things you should know about me, it would be: I am a passionate swing dancer; I love singing; and I dream to travel around the world.

I wish good luck to all those who are in their final exams! Ne lâchez pas la patate!

Cheers! :)