Cheaper By The Dozen, Not So Cheap

Normally, I don't watch kiddie family movies. Like about that princess who wants to have a normal life, or that president's daughter who wants to escape from the White House, or about some dogs who are finding their way home or something. It's just not my thing. I also don't do chick flicks, as you all know, although I have given in to my chickly urges now and then. So when I saw that this movie, Cheaper By The Dozen came out, I wouldn't have been too thrilled to watch it. So here's the segue that leads to a "but" or "however."

Steve Martin. I love that man. If I could choose my father, it would be Steve Martin. If I were to raise children, I would choose to be Mrs. Martin. I love that white-haired, nearly balding man. He's so funny, but underneath all that humor, you can tell that there's a real warm hearted human inside. So I watched the film. At this time, I would like to mention that I didn't not watch the film because Ashton Kutcher and Tom Welling are just about the cutest hotties in Hollywood. Although they are.

The film is just adorable. I don't know if I'm just really hormonal for some reason (gets my usually-stoic emotions in an uproar) but I was just craving for a warm, fuzzy, happy ending. And I got it. It was hilarious, I loved all dozen of the kids, as well as the parents. It made me want to buy a mansion with 13 rooms and get a dozen kids myself. Of course, there is no way I am going to spend a dozen years (at the minimum) popping out little rascals. I'd need a house staff. But somehow, there are amazing women who can do that, and then write a book. I guess I am not so amazing in that sense.

You know, some movies are great. Schindler's List, one of my favs of all time, is a great film. So is The Godfather. So is The Exorcist. But some movies truly let you unwind and just let you have a good time. It may not have the most original plot, or the most developed characters, but sometimes, you need to watch a movie for fun. You can't relax, when you're watching a movie about the holocaust. Sure, it is an important part of history that we all must remember, and learn the value of tolerance. However, if you just came home from a hectic workday and really need a reason to procrastinate from doing the laundry, you need something simple and classic. That's where this movie came in.

It's not something I'd buy. And that says a lot. I'm not one of those DVD rats, who buys and collects everything on disc, or heavens forbid, VCR tape. I'd buy Gone With The Wind. I'd buy the Exorcist (ooh, I mentioned it twice -- those keeping track: it is one of my favorite movies EVER). I wouldn't buy CBTD (that officially makes me LAZY). But I'd definitely watch it again.

Naver

I have just taken a photo of my driver license and sent it to Naver.com to open an account. Naver is much like Yahoo! It is a search engine, email host, and also has a variety of other functions such as games, blogs, cafes (which are like clubs). The interesting thing about many of these Korean sites is that they provide hosting service for blogs at no charge! They have different regulations, but I found Naver to be best; they give you an unlimited space for storage. However, they do ask (for security and other purposes, I suppose) that uploads be limited to 5 MB/day and 1 MB per post. It's a fabulous deal, considering Blogger, Typepad, Diaryland and so on, makes you pay for storage.

The reason why I wanted to start yet another blog, is that I wanted to target a different audience. I am a Korean person, living in California. I speak (fairly) good English, and I think I can make a rather helpful blog, since even more Koreans are learning English these days. The economy has somewhat recovered from the IMF situation, and more people are heading overseas for studies. Although I can't give my expertise on living abroad in, say, London, but I think I can give a pretty good set of information for people wanting to learn English, and wanting to spend some time in the US.

Since I don't have the national number (much like a social securities number in Korea) in Korea, I had to sign up as a foreign national. Many sites don't have options for foreign nationals, or Koreans living abroad to sign up for services, but Naver does. Naver required me to send a copy of a foreign identification -- passport, ID, driver's license, etc. to sign up. And that is what I did. I'll have to figure out how I want to set up the blog -- I don't want it to be a disorganized chaos, a hodge-podge of random information. I want to start on this one before May. I have also signed up for another blog, a US blog, which will feature my writing, separate from my blog. I'm hoping to produce some fiction, but due to an overload of work and school, I won't start on it until June. I already have too much on my plate! (Which reminds me, I didn't go work out yesterday like I was supposed to... hopefully I can get around to it this evening!)

Aftermath of The Apprentice

After watching the entire season of The Apprentice, I've changed. I want to be rich. I want to be business savvy. I don't want to be a starving writer or, worse yet, a starving humanitarian with malaria. I want to make 6 figure incomes and drive a fancy car and take a yoga class from a celebrity instructor. I want to play golf. I want to drink dirty martinis and cosmos at fancy parties. I want to own several "little black dresses." I am sick of living so near poverty. Truth is, I'm not living in poverty. However, when you're working damn near full time and yet cannot afford your own apartment, there's just something wrong. Ugh. Maybe I'll just get a masters in nurse anesthegiology (if I can ever spell it right). I hear they have the boringest (actual word?) job, but make a starting salary darn close to 6 figs.

I want money. Who am I kidding? I just want enough money to pay for the next few semesters at school and an iPod. I know it isn't right to want something I haven't earned or deserve. It's just something about the crisp green tender that is so tantalizing today.

What's On The News?

Get a load of this: click here. If my cat ate that many golf balls, I won't be keeping balls as souvenirs. What sort of dumb animal swallows golf balls? Sometimes, the strangest things get on the news.

I Thought I was an Uber-Geek...

But Apparently, I was wrong.

ScratchingtheItch.com now has a metric clock, in addition to the binary clock. How cool is that? I never understood why the heck a minute has 60 seconds and an hour has 60 minutes, and yet there are 24 hours in a day. I was supposed to have learned to add and subtract time (e.g. if Sally has 5 hours left until bed time. She spends 1 hour and 38 minutes doing her laundry and 2 hours and 16 minutes reading. How much time does she have to finish an on-line course on brain surgery?) in the 2nd grade, but I just couldn't do it. I was always a fabulous student at math (until Calculus II hit me like a brick wall) but that was difficult. It still takes a while for me to figure out times -- sometimes I have to do it for eBay, to check when the auction ends, and how much time I have until it does. And I can never calculate that without a clock. It also took me months to figure out, if every other month has 31 days, how come July AND August have 31 days? I remember my mom getting extremely frustrated, even though she is as patient and kind as Mother Teresa, because it took me so long to understand the concept of time. I suppose some things are still beyond my capacity to understand. I'll have to retract my self-proclaimed uber-geek status.

In my Wednesday evening English Literature class, we were supposed to have a quiz. I got to class about 5 minutes late or so, and we were watching a film (normally, quizzes are done first thing in class). I asked the guy behind me if we are still having the quiz. He said that the instructor had postponed it. I asked him, "is it postponed till Thursday or next Tuesday?" He gave me a very puzzled look and asked, "what?" I repeated what I said several times, and he said in a very confused tone, "we only have this class on Wednesday." Then I slapped my forehead. It was a Wednesday night class, once a week. I had confused it with my other Tues. Thurs. classes -- I've been out of touch with reality. I don't know if it is stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, too much work, or a combination of those things, but I've been walking around like a zombie. I've also made a fool out of myself on several occasion because of my zombie condition.

I was reading this month's Cosmopolitan. There was a lil section about how women have so much stress. One example gave a woman who puts in 50 hours of work a week, as a model example for stress. Ha! I said. Per week, I spend 35 hours at work. I also spend 15 hours a week in class. Then I put in even more hours doing school work. I also work out three times a week, and keep a rather active blog. And I still watch a lot of TV. Please. 50 hours of work is like vacation! My current schedule is toned down from my previous insane situations, where I used to work 30 hours as a waitress, and 40 hours a week as a secretary, and took evening courses part time. Now that was busy. That was stressful.

Overworking myself always seem to expand my potential as a human being. It is like squeezing a 25 hour activity into a 24 hour day, and just that extra hour I squeezed in somehow makes me a super being. When I think about going to graduate school, or working as a medical resident, I'm not worried. 60-80 hour work week schedules don't scare me one bit. Just give me enough time to do my laundry, and I should be fine. Plus, there are always vacations and off days and holidays. I can rest when I die. But sometimes, like all this month, I just crave a vacation. Not even a super long one, but just something like a three day weekend would do. I don't ask for much. Oh well. Perhaps I'll get Memorial Day off. Well, this supergal is finally ready to turn in for the night.

The Inevitable Attraction to Sales

I am a sucker for sales. I see a sale, and even if it is something I would never need, I'll buy it. I'm a sucker for a good deal, that's what it is. The only thing I like more than a good bargain is getting it free.

So when my local supermarket, ahem Ralphs, started posting these signs left and right, I wanted to pull out my hair and scream! 10/$10, it says, which I am assuming would mean 10 pieces for 10 bucks. 10 bottles of ketchup for 10 bucks. 10 bottles of shampoo for 10 bucks. 10 bottles of hair gel for 10 bucks. It was driving me crazy. I am serious when I say that I am lucky to have made it out alive!

I just kept on reciting to myself, get a hold of yourself woman! Come on! You don't need this. Just grab the coffee and RUN the to registar. RUN, dammit, RUN! And ran I did. It was one of the deadliest sales I've faced in my lifetime. At the height of my stingy, frugal living, I could have written a sequel to Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal, because I was the ultimate bargain shopper. If I used the Sunday edition of the LA Times for one thing, it was for the coupons. I've bought everything in my life cheap. But my life ain't cheap, I tell you.

Through much finaggling and rummaging, I have done some successful transactions on eBay, which has allowed me quite a sum of money. I am, by no means, rich. At least, not in "the Donald's" sense. However, I was able to afford this: MAX™ Maximum Performance Massager. A beautiful piece of machinery -- not one of those white plastic massagers. This is beautiful.

Maximum power, control and performance for maximum relief -- our most powerful percussion massager reaches deep muscle and tissue layers for tension relief and health benefits you can feel throughout your entire body. Five speeds and three massage programs customize your massage for maximum relief. Dual ergonomic handles make it easy to apply even pressure and isolate specific muscle groups -- a massage from MAX™ feels just like the real thing.

And of course, who deserves a massage that "feels just like the real thing" more than my loving mother? Since Mommy's day is only two or so weeks away, I just went ahead and got it today. She's been extra-tired these days, with my grandmother hospitalized -- now she has another job in addition to being our mother and a worker and a student; she is a care-provider for her mother. It's difficult to sincerely thank a woman who does so much that it is too much. With the MAX™ Maximum Performance Massager, I'm chipping away at it, little by little. I guess this was an early Mother's Day tribute. (Raises mug full of coke on the rocks)A toast for the woman who taught me the thrill of a sale and the joy of a good bargain!

A Rose By Any Other Name?

I once had a friend named John. John is probably the plainest name ever. So while I could only call him John, he called me numerous things: Pansy, Lilac, Rose, Daffodil, Venus Fly Trap, you name it. My American name is Daisy. I guess that should be English name, rather than American. It was given to be my mom, when I was 10 (shortly after my arrival to the States). It suited me very well then -- I was a little girl (although I didn't think so at the time). Although it doesn't state that name anywhere on my records, I used the name "Daisy" as a nickname all through out my school years.

After high school, when I jumped into Koreatown to the workforce, I started to use my Korean name, Haemi, because Daisy, although it may not seem like it, is hard to pronounce for Koreans. When they do say it, it also sounds very similar to the Korean word for "pig." Not wanting to be a Korean Miss Piggy, I casted off my former label. But I always assumed that when I become citizen, I'd officially change my name to my English name, Daisy. It's a pretty name. Most Koreans name their kids after Biblical figures, so there's a plethora of Esthers and Rebecca, and Ruth. Also Jennifer. So Daisy, is pretty unique.

Lately, I've been thinking. If I were to become older, and become something more serious than a frivolous college student, would the name, Daisy, suit me? As a nurse, I think it would be alright. Nurse Daisy has a nice ring to it. Ditzy, yes, but not too bad. But if I were to become something else, which is very probable, since I am adamant that I do not want to be a nurse for a lengthy period of time, what then? If I got myself an MBA and applied for managing positions at a large firm or corporation... would my resume still seem strong and competent, despite the name Daisy? As shallow as I am, if I were a company executive and received a resume with a name like Daisy on top, I'd assume that she was some blonde (no offense!) hussy from Texas (no offense, but it's not my favorite state) whose resume got lost. First impressions are important, and names are part of that too. You wouldn't want your family physician's name to be Billy Bob Thorton, or John W. Booth.

So I've been thinking. Maybe I should just keep my Korean name. It's unique, it's short and easy to remember. It's feminine, but it doesn't sound like a name that belongs to a barnyard animal, like Daisy, which, for some reason, is always the name of some cow. But my Korean name, is currently Hae M. Lee. Or Hae Mi Lee. I've had too many people botch it up. I've been called, Hay Lee, Ha Lee, Jaime (like the Spanish name), Hai Lee, etc.. So I would probably alter the spelling to Hemi -- most people seem to spell it that way. I actually like the spelling and all, but there's two problems. Perhaps not so much problems, as they are issues.

First, the prefix hemi means half. Hemisphere, means half a sphere. So when I say that my name is Hemi -- would that in any way connotate that I am not fully competent -- that I am half, not full?

Also, recently the automobile company, Dodge, has launched advertisements stressing on the "Hemi" which is in their trucks' engines. I don't exactly know what it is, this Hemi thing. If anyone knows what this is, please let me know. But it sounds powerful. I mean, it's got to be something good for Dodge to promote it, right? From what I've seen, it appears to be something in the engine that evidently makes the truck/SUV more powerful. I'm not a fan of Dodge, and this Hemi thing has left me with mixed feelings about my name. For one thing, everytime I hear that commercial on the radio or TV, I get paranoid and feel like someone's calling me.

Evidently, I have a lot of time to think about this. If neither Daisy nor Haemi/Hemi work out, I could always name myself after someone I respect and admire, but I really don't know if Hillary, Teresa, or Lisa (Simpson) do me justice. And I hear Condoleeza is already taken.

Living Vicariously

I wish my life was glamorous. I know I was made to enjoy the spot light -- there was a time when I denounced astrological signs, because I'm supposed to be a Leo and yet I am such an introvert. But it turns out, I suck in the spot light like a baby sucks in milk. I love it. I love being admired -- when complimented on their intelligence, all the other kids would wave and say, "no I'm not" in sincere modesty (so it seems) I often replied, "Thank you, I know." And why not? I am intelligent. I am tall. I have flawless skin. I have fab personality. I work hard, and have ambition. I'm not being conceited -- I like to say that I am being honest.

So it is increasingly frustrating for someone who should be globetrotting around the world, to wittle her thumb, waiting for nursing applications to get processed, immigration status to be resolved, instead of getting a move on in life. I'm pretty sure that whatever hardships that come my way, I can kick it in the groin (really hard!) and claim victory, and I have been doing so in the past. But I know, that I am meant for something bigger, something greater, influential and important. But I'm stuck.

Imagine: You are going on a trip around the world. You are going to see the Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Eiffel Tower, the beaches in Cancun, a bonzai garden in Japan, the Buckingham Palace, and the Great Wall of China. You packed your bags, and you get to the airport, to find that your plane has been delayed indefinitely. Hours later, all you see on the flight detail screen is the acronym TBA. My plane is being delayed, indefinitely. After getting stuck at the O'Hare Int'l Airport for 11 hours due to a snow storm, that imagery alone is horrid enough for me.

So what am I doing in the mean time? I'm renovating myself. One of the toughest things to do is to wait. I am very well-known for my patience, but even that is running out. So to keep myself focused, I always do things to update myself: learn French (conversational -- haven't had the time to get past the audio CD's yet), take different classes from different fields, learn html by doing, read the manual for my digital camera, etc. etc.. So when the spot light comes, I'll be ready to get this show on stage.

Ooh, Googly!

I have been specially invited by Blogger to open up a Gmail account -- E-mail by Google. True, I am subjecting myself for a bombardment of advertisement, but the extra space is bound to be worth it! And I always hated signing up new e-mail accounts with Yahoo! or Hotmail, because all ID's are already taken, it seems. I have to make something so incredibly original, or get something like haemi49287@yahoo.com or something like that. Since Gmail is relatively new, I got the exact address I wanted! Yay! I'm going to save it for a while before I officially start using it.

Je Suis Americaine

I have been discussing many things with my lawyer, regarding my immigration status. As luck would have it, or actually, not have it, things are looking dim. Which happens to me all the time, so I don't expect luck to start shining down on me.

I need options. I have a plethora of people, offering me advice, laymen's advice, I might add. That does absolutely no good, and has me explaining to these caring people why their plan isn't going to work. It's hard not to get sarcastic about it, but I have to remain genuine, because these people sincerely care for me, and want to help. I say, that unless you are an immigration attorney, please don't.

Let's unfoil some common questions, shall we?
Why don't you apply for a green card?
Believe me, I get this question quite a bit. If I could apply for a green card, why do you think there are a growing population of undocumented aliens? Please don't underestimate my ability to deduce logic. I am a highly intelligent individual. If it were as simple as that, it would have been done. And it's not just a matter of "easier said than done."
You should marry a citizen. Why don't you?
First of all, that is violating the sanctity of marriage. Secondly, I'll need an accomplice, which is hard to find. It's hard to find a man who wants to get married quick and is willing to do a quickie divorce, oh, in three years or so. Also, it's deceiving U.S. immigration.
Come on, you can tell a little lie.
Yes, as deceiving as I do seem, I probably can. However, I want to live in the US because it is a country that guarantees freedom and rights and celebrates independence, among other great things (no matter what y'all cynics say. I know y'all would have to agree, the US is at worst, the lesser of many evils). I don't want to take my first step as a legal resident by doing something fraudulent.
Why can't your boss sponsor you?
There are many regulations and qualifications regarding that. The company has to have so many employees, and unfilled spaces, and the candidate has to posess some sort of remarkable talent or ability, for example, an Olympic quality gymnast. You all know I can barely touch my toes. Under normal circumstances, the applicant must have a bachelor's degree at the very least, and demonstrate special skills.
What about the shortage of nurses in the US? If there is such a great need for nurses, why has it been so difficult for you to get accepted into a nursing program?
Well, nursing shortage isn't just in the hospital. It's a nationwide shortage of all sorts of nurses, which means that nursing instructors are also hard to find. The shortage of nursing facilities with qualified nursing instructors are one of the things that are clogging up the system. I can't do anything about that.

So that's just some of the many questions I face. I hope you liked my brief FAQ. I know so much about the immigration system in the US, that I can probably work as a legal secretary without any more education.

Since my dad left, which was shortly after I turned 18, I have been taking care of my family's immigration situation. That's for the last 5 years. Of course, I had a lot of help, from my uncle and my mom, but it was no easy process. I have successfully obtained a student visa for my mom and submitted an application for her green card process. Just this month, I got notice from my lawyer that my brother's student visa had been approved. So all I worry about is my situation. How did mine get so screwed up? Well, I try to blame it on the school. I let the school handle the process, instead of my lawyer, and some papers went missing, and a lot of things started to roll downhill. It's going to be a rough, uphill road. I hope I make it.

One of the most distressing questions of all time is this: Why can't you just go back to Korea? That is actually very hard to answer, but to put it shortly, I don't fit there. I have been too Americanized. I have tasted total independence and freedom and abundant opportunities to have it all censored. In the US, if a woman in her 40's decides to get an MBA, or even an AA, or JD, or whatever, it's usually pretty simple. In fact, there is little discrimination. Some schools welcome that she has more experience than the traditional student, and thus can bring more into the classroom. In Korea, it would be extremely difficult. While many older men and women in the US are going back to school and finding second careers or just advancing in one -- people in other nations can't be as fortunate. That's just one example. Of course, nothing is impossible. If I were a woman in Korea and I decided to go to college (mind you, I am already too old to start college by Korean's standards) it would be possible, but I would face a tidal wave coming against me. I just can't do that.

I know it's just so vain to say so, but I honestly believe that I can be great, and I will be great. Whatever I become, I will grow into a person who will be beneficial to society, to a relatively important degree. I don't know if that will hold true, if I were to live in another place. How can I leave, knowing that I may miss out on so much greatness? How can I spend the rest of my life, knowing that just a slight turn of fate would have made me a great human being, that would have helped so many along the way, and alter the way life is for many?

Because of my current, dire situation, I know one thing. If this all pass as I wish, I can't just stop with myself. I plan on making some sort of change for the immigrant population. I am not in a situation to do so yet, nor do I have enough education and the information that I need. But social reform, here I come. Watch out.

Just Another Blog Entry

For once I am sitting in front of a computer with nothing to blog about. Perhaps it is because my own computer is still being flushed out by my brother, or at least supposed to be cleaned out -- he took the liberty of moving my computer to his room but hasn't done anything all week. Sitting in front of my mom's computer, with her fancy wireless mouse and wireless natural keyboard, it feels very odd. For one thing, this natural keyboard is something to get used to -- I was always in habit of typing the letter "Y" with my left hand... the natural keyboard demands that I use my right.

After much consultation with my brother, whom I give credit for being knowledgeable in the electrical machinery area, I decided to purchase a portable discman that can read MP3. For one thing, I didn't know that when I "burned" CD's, they were somehow being coded to be read as an audio CD. If I were to burn MP3's as they are, I would be able to fit many more than just 20 on one CD, but would need an MP3 compatible CD player.

As you see on your left, I have absolutely fallen in love with Apple's new Mini-iPods. I do believe it has 10 gigs of space (or some other number very very large) and are just SO darn tiny! And they come in such lovable, fruity colors. They make statements, those lil' things. I had a hard time choosing what color I would want, if I could afford it -- I love the blue, I adore the green, and I am mesmerized by the pink. After much dilemma, I decided upon the pink. That is, if I can ever afford to buy one. So for the time being, since purchasing a portable CD player that's MP3 compatible is a lot cheaper, that is what I have decided to do.

So I did. In another recent eBay transaction, I bought a model by Panasonic. Looks good enough, and it was brand new. So finally, I could resume those French lessons. That is the first and foremost reason why I am purchasing this unit -- I realized that burning the whole "Learn French" series would take more than a few CD's -- Nearly 50 CD's would be required, while I would need two or three at most, if I burned them as MP3. Also, I could use them to listen to many of my old and forgotten MP3's.