~1sT yeAr anniversAry~

one yeAr ago - 10 auG 2008 - i tooK a brAve solitAry 10000-miLe flighT.....froM the islAnd of singApore to bAltimore (chArm citY) of mAryland, U.S.A....:



the vieW froM the domeztic flighT to bAltimore...froM chicAgo i thinK?


oH, i juZ clozed mY eyeZ and recAlled my fAmily (botH blood-relAted and geN beN) and deAr friendZ who cAme to the airporT to bid me fArewell.....of courZe not juZ thoZe who cAme to the airporT @ unGodly hourZ...buT alL who purpozelY stAyed up/woKe up to texT me and cAll me befoRe i enteRed the depArture gAte.....and alL who botheRed to meeT me befoRe i lefT... ;P

and of courZe mY two meimeiZ who tooK the mrT all the wAy froM juronG to bedoK on the afternooN befoRe i lefT to giVe me a liMe greeN collAge booK of alL photoZ they hAve of us/me....surpriZed they eveN scouRed througH alL (literAlly!!) my bloG entrieZ to get photoZ~~~ thAt speciAl fArewell meetinG @ Bedok burgeR kinG iz to avoid teArz @ the airporT.....kudoZ to weN-meI and huA-meI~!!

and...the finAl huG (whicH i wilL alwAyz feeL..) i gAve my nucleAr fAmily memberZ individuAlly - mY pakpAk, makmAk, zikziK, and gokgoK.....

i thAnk and mizZ everyoNe - trulY.



subwAy @ bwI airporT - mY 1sT dinneR eveR in bAltimore on 10 auG 2008...


afteR a yeAr of independeNce (or leArning to be...)....and lotZ of fuN cookinG vAriouz thingZ cuZ i'M the self-touTed alchY cHef....i mAde a fAntaztic dinneR for myseLf tonighT:



mY lovelY dinneR on 10 auG 2009~!!!!


mY anniversAry meAl: the focuZ shouLd be on the rectAngular thingieZ...thoZe are cuboid orgAnic koreAn tofu coAted witH a thiN lAyer of beAten egG (pAn fRied) - theY are amAzing!!! the shrimP flAvored flAt noodleZ (alsO knowN az mee poK) are grAvied witH honeY, oyzteR sAuce, ketchuP, sesAme oiL, and fRied shAllot; the cherrY tomAtoez froM the fArmer'z mArket are awesoMe!!! the resT are juZ itemZ to balAnce my meAl = romAine letTuce + bAby cArrotz + chickeN meAtballz~ strAwberry kiwI juice....and a bottLe of yeunglinG beeR compleTed the meAl~

hAving a wittY lAme nAture...todAy i woRe whAt i woRe exActly one yeAr agO - mY G2blu greeN short sleeVe shirT + sifS dArk browN cArgo + keeN bronX + mY itAlian try-chAnge metAllic glAsses (thougH i usuAlly weAr contActz now).....hmM, witH the additioN of the turtLe necklAce froM lAurie...juZ for fuN~ hahAaa..

adAm juZ texTed me nitez...and i repLied him tellinG hiM thAt one yeAr agO, i 1sT sAid "hi" froM bwI airporT wheN i cAlled hiM to mAke sure he'Z hoMe to receiVe me...and he repLied he rememberZ he juZ returNed froM a recitAl @ the beAutiful nAtional shriNe in D.C. and thuZ he couldn'T fetcH me....theN. enN. eventuAlly hiZ replY sAid it hAz beeN fuN and a pleAsure to knoW me - duH?! obviouzlY righT? hahAaa...

welL....mAny more solitAry independAnt dAyz to go~

hopefullY filLed witH mAny more unexpectAble fuN...?


good lucK to myseLf foR mY solitAry U.S.A. life journeY~ <3
illZ~


p.S.: i seriouzlY need to re-boosT my optimizM whicH leAdz to my cheerfulnezZ...it'Z trulY tougH righT noW buT it'Z all a stAte of miNd - mY miNd....juZ like blooM seArching for the drAgon fiRe withiN heR...hahAaa