**Not sure where this came from – kind of how I’ve been feeling this week. Been trying to organize my future and every time it seems like I’m on the right track, something else goes wrong. It’s like the world is sending me mixed signals on where I’m supposed to go from here. A bunch of my friends are experiencing the same feeling. Still, it’s the little moments of hope that keep us moving on, trying again and again no matter how often life shuts us down.**DB
Tag Archives: deceptivelyblonde
Mixed Signals
13 DecHighs and the lows
Back and then forth
Kissing and fightin’
Forcing each win.
Not Looking Back
Kissing and fightin’
Differences in Taste
9 May
Kelly Dobkin, a writer on Zagat, recently posted an interesting article “Hooked on Acid – Has the American Palate Changed Forever?” While I found interesting her article on the American taste changing from the creamy French to spicier/more acidic flavors in their food, what caught my eye was the fact that she suggests these spicier flavors are predominantly Asian in nature.
As most of my readers know, I have traveled and eaten in several Asian countries ~ China, Korea, and Japan to be exact. The lack of cooking utensils (and a determination to thoroughly enjoy ourselves) led me and my fellow students to local restaurants most nights. Asia is awesome for many reasons, but the cheap food at restaurants is a real draw.
One of the things that I kept running into were warnings about the spiciness of their food. Having been raised on Mexican and South American food, I have always had a preference for the spicier side of cuisine; and I generally order hotter dishes when I eat out. Asia was no different, and I frequently was drawn towards dishes with the cute little jalapeno pepper symbol next to it. Repeatedly, the waiters/waitresses would stop and ask if I was quite sure I wanted something that hot. Over and over, they would warn “very hot. I think that in America you must not eat food this hot.” And just as often, I would reassure them that if they didn’t hand over the beef dish immediately, they were losing a hand to my fork. Continue reading
Bringing Light to the World: A Little Drop of Kindness At A Time
1 DecIt’s summer, and I’m flying out of Chicago to visit South Korea for the first time. Chicago is the same as it always is. People rushing about, bumping into one another, everyone too hurried to stop and think about those around them. The experience is horrid, the flight via American Airlines not particularly fun. The attendants are rude and have no time to get me the requested drink, my query as to its location an hour later answered solely with a huff and impatient “just wait a minute.” Arriving at LAX is no more enjoyable; no one will stop so I can ask for directions, the check-in attendants ignore all my questions. Getting slammed into and having people walk all over my stuff as I tried picking it up doesn’t help any.
But everything changes once I move in Korean Air’s territory.
Image
Best Camera?
1 Dec
I’m looking for a camera that is moderately priced (I’m a student more than $100,000 in debt and counting), but that will take decent photos when travelling. This is what I took with me over the summer, but it takes horrid moving photos. Anything like water that doesn’t stand still is junk, as are half my photos. It blurs at the slightest movement of your hands. What would y’all recommend?
The Thinker: Pondering Deep Thoughts Since 1880
29 NovAuguste Rodin’s “The Thinker”
Through me one goes into the town of woe, Through me one goes into eternal pain, Through me among the people that are lost. …………………………………………………………… ALL HOPE ABANDON, YE THAT ENTER HERE! –Dante Alighieri, “Inferno” Canto III, Langdon Trans.
To me, maintaining his famous pose throughout history, “The Thinker” lives on as one of the most inspirational works of art the world has ever seen. Just looking at him makes me want to sit down and come up with great thoughts. Or as Winnie the Pooh so wisely says, “Think, Think, Think.” However, I had never really examined this great work’s history until recently, when I learned The Thinker is only a small part of a far greater and even more amazing sculpture.
Link
Some Awesome Waves
28 NovThese pictures are amazing; what a fascinating sight! Wish I could visit, bet there are some awesome things to see there 🙂
Law Gone Wild
28 NovGoodbye world, Goodbye television, Goodbye Facebook.
That time has come, that dreaded moment that comes twice every year. Yes, finals have arrived. As each day passes, more and more students seem to drop off the face of the earth. Social media collapses, Gas stations and 24-hour food marts see swells in sales, and stress level shoot through the roof. Life is now simply a move from notes to outlines to Powerpoints to practice tests. This is a particularly dreaded time for law students. There is so little to find humorous when studying the law that our sense of humor is highly twisted by graduation, but hey! we can still be funny! So in the spirit of loosening up before exams begin, I thought I’d share one of my favorite poems for law students. So without further adieu, I present G. K. Chesterton’s “The Horrible History of Jones.” This is why we study law–to keep it from becoming like this. Sadly we seem to have failed in regards to the abbreviations; they are just this bad. I counted 21 in one of my courses!
Jones had a dog; it had a chain;
Not often worn, not causing pain;
But, as the I. K. L. had passed
Their ‘Unleashed Cousins Act’ at last,
Continue reading
Coex Mall & Aquarium
27 Nov
Gangnam Style!
This past summer, a Korean song artist, Psy, produced what would become almost an instant hit–“Gangnam Style.” Snappy, Fast-paced, Easy to listen to, the song captured the world’s hearts and minds (literally, that song is stuck in your brain once you hear it).
As the song professes, Gangnam (a district in Seoul located on the south side of the Han River) has a life all of its own. Well known for its particularly high level of wealth and standard of living, Gangnam is basically the Korean version of Beverly Hills or upper-class NYC. It houses many of the financial centers of the world economy, as well as the central offices for several international companies. Naturally, the attractions are as amazing as the rest of the area; it is definitely one of the best places to wander around if you are a visitor.
Mata Hari: Seductress, Social Shocker, and Spy (II)
26 NovPostcard of Mata Hari in Paris
Seduction. Deception. Beauty. Destruction.
Thus continues the tale of the stunning, but tragic, figure remembered as Mata Hari. When last we left her, Mata was at the peak of her career as one of the most famous courtesans the world has ever seen. Her risqué dancing and exotic appearance were only part of her appeal. As with the stars of today, scandal only made her more popular; such as her role in a love triangle that resulted in one of her lovers killing another lover (1). Yes, Mata had a string of men falling at her feet; her affairs would stretch across France, Holland, Russia, and Germany. She gave them her attention and body; in return, she received jewels, clothes, expensive housing, and other such elaborate gifts (2,1). It seemed a blessed life to Mata, whose love of presents and shopping was matched solely by her need for attention.
Tragedy & Success in the Kitchen
26 NovToday, Ladies and Gentlemen, I come bearing both bad news and good news.
“She was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belonged to no man and to no city” ~ Roman Payne
Social Media
My Websites
Traveler’s Loadstone
Language Translation
Deceptively Blonde 