After the rain...

"There is no one in this world who can sail through life without any hardships. Unless we take action happiness will not simply come to us. Reality is tough. That’s why, instead of allowing ourselves to be tossed around by our circumstances, we must choose to face reality squarely, using such struggles to strengthen our lives."

-Daisaku Ikeda

I've been in a slump lately. I hate it when I am like this. I know why I am feeling like this, I just couldn't help getting to this point. I do things that are unhealthy and I seriously need to detox my body so I've decided to do a total body cleanse. I don't think I can do the Master Cleanse as the Salt Water Flush would probably kill me :P I'm going to ease my body into it by doing a fruit and vegetable one leading into a fruit/veggie juice diet and easing back into eating solid foods. I give myself a month to complete this and get back into my exercise routine and drink plenty of water. I might do a spiritual cleanse as well and go to a temple stay on a weekend just to clear my head. Wish me luck. I will start today...

My life is in my own hands... I refuse to let anyone take that away from me. I will be strong, I will not give in. "Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy..." I'd like to believe that after the rain, you learn to appreciate the blue skies a little bit more and not take what you have for granted.

"Worth is not found in joy alone. Nor is success the only valuable outcome. Suffering is the mother of realization; worries and failures, so long as we are not defeated by them, become the raw material with which to construct lasting happiness."

-Daisaku Ikeda

I'm also grateful that although I'm not super religious, I am always refreshed when reading the wisdom that Buddhism has brought to my life. I was born into Buddhism and so they call us fortune babies. Whenever I am lost, my faith helps me search for the strength inside and believe that I can get through it, whatever the challenge may be.

Hair and relationships...

"...and then there was nothing."

After every major break up I've always cut my hair. It was getting shorter every time. This time since the relationship was so long, I decided to chop most of it off. I'm just worried one day I'll get into a 10 year relationship, break up and have to shave my head or something :P Those of you who are curious...this is what my new haircut looks like. What do you think?

It's really comfortable and I actually really like it. I'm glad I got my hair cut today. I'm feeling good about the change.

Hopeless Romantics Anonymous

"For a minute there, I lost myself...I lost myself."



Hi everyone, my name is Christine and I'm a hopeless romantic. I have fallen into the pit of fictional Korean drama romance. It's been 4 hours since I've subjected myself to the cheesiness that makes real life seem so vapid.

"Hi Christine..."

I don't know why I do it to myself when I know I get like this from watching fictional happy endings. I got sucked up into another Korean drama. I could feel myself slipping into the pit of despair with every passing minute yet I couldn't stop watching. All I could think about is whether I'd ever feel that kind of cheesy romance again. The kind where reason goes out the window and the only thing you're aware of is the sound of your own heart racing. We've all grown up to the idea of a fairy tale ending. The only problem with that is  we never actually get to see the in between, the real parts that make up a relationship and the real issues that life throws at you. When that bubble pops and reality sinks in you realize why they didn't want to show us what happened in between.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

If my relationship was a Korean drama and not real life then one of us would have said to the other, I'm willing to go anywhere for you and he'd stop me at the airport with a ticket in hand or I would give in and tell him even if we're poor as long as we have each other I'm ok with staying here forever...then we'd kiss and the cameras would pan around us and the credits would come up and everyone would think that it was so sweet that people were willing to give up so much for each other. In reality it doesn't end there. The relationship was over when I realized I wasn't willing to give up my dreams.

"you give me miles and miles of mountains and i'll ask for the sea."

I guess in the end I'm still a hopeless romantic sadly cheering for the spunky awkward girl to find someone who can fully appreciate her for everything that she is and cherish everything she has to offer. The hopeless romantic who still believes that someone might put up with her weird antics and bouts of random jealousy and ridiculously impulsive behavior and love her more because of it. I'm not holding my breath but it is the fate of a hopeless romantic to look up into the sky and believe that someone out there might one day literally stumble into their life and change it for the better. Until then you might pursue your career, travel the world and learn to understand yourself better.

花樣年華

人生是一個很特別的旅程

沒有人是完全相同的

無論抉擇如何 沿路的景緻不盡相同

每個人 終會邁向既定的遠方

花樣年華 就

燦爛得 像 花樣年華

Han River