Back in LA~

I have not realized how sunny and bright LA was. The lovely green palm trees, the crisp blue ocean, flip flops during the winter... Ohhhh how I"ve missed Los Angeles! 

I arrived yesterday afternoon in a bit of a sad mood. I did not realize how deep  of a bond that I have formed while I was at KAIST. Our farewell's was quite an emotional experience for me and my new friends. Will we ever see each other again? That was the lingering, unspoken question as we hugged, kissed and shared our last moments together. So as I boarded the plane to return to the states, I was in an emotional shock as I was really, deeply sad to leave Korea. "How could 4 months go by so fast??" 

But as I landed, still deeply saddened, I was greeted by my family and new tears emerged. But this time around, it was tears of joy! And by phone, emails and MSN, I was greeted from friends welcoming me back to LA. I was flooded with attention and felt the love in LA! So while I am still a bit emotional from my departure from Korea, I am glad I am back. I feel rejuvenated by my stay in Korea. I am ready for 2009 for whatever comes my way.

Skip and a Hop Away~

I am only 3 days away from being done for the Fall Semester~ Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaa!

As I sit in my lab with 3 of my classmates, cramming away for my finals, I cannot help but wish it was Thursday already. Come Thursday, I will have completed all my finals, presentations, and papers. And of course after finals, celebrations are in order... So nothing new to report, except I am studying my time away, but dreaming of Thursday night... D.I.S.C.O 미친 듯이 춤추고~

White December~

It is freezing in Korea and I am so thankful for my Uggs! I have mentioned it before but my Uggs are a necessity to survival rather than a fashion statement. It is snowing in Korea and I cannot believe it will be a white Christmas this year! 

I have been hibernating in the library all week because it's that great time of the year again! Finals week. I have 4 presentations, 3 group papers, 2 finals and a partridge in a pear tree.... Aside from that, the only social interactions I have been experiencing is with my group mates. We literally eat lunch and dinner together. I can't stress the fact that there is so little time to get all this work done! Why did our group procrastinate so much?! As I sit here in my group meeting (I know I should totally be participating, but we have been together for 6 hours and counting..) my mind wonders off to my previous week where I took a little vacation to Tokyo and Bali~ 

Lost in Translation

Tokyo is an amazing, compact city. The people in Tokyo are unapologetic for their fashion choices, friendly, petite and well-mannered. I had a great time in Tokyo except that for a developed country as Japan, I had imagined the city to be more English friendly. The restaurants were all in Japanese and while the local people in Tokyo were always willing to help, very few spoke English. The movie Lost in Translation is a very realistic portrayal of Tokyo. While in Tokyo, we visited the temples, palaces, shopping, eating and a traditional hot springs. Tokyo is one of those cities that's in constant change. I would love to return to the city in a few years~

Bali~

This was by far the best place I had visited this year. I met Rebekah in Bali and we played 2 rounds of golf, took surfing lessons, temples, and threw a Thanksgiving dinner. There were 6 other UCLA MBA students vacationing in Bali at the same time, so we invited them over to our villa at the St. Regis. It was  definitely a memorable Thanksgiving in Bali!

Okay, so looking back at my last couple weeks, maybe I am behind on all this school work because I have been away. Let's just say that I would not take back any of it....

Final Stretch...

I have been sitting in my lonely island for the past 6 hours. (aka my islolated spot in the library at KAIST) But as I sit here working on my HR Strategy case (dealing with NIKE and its once inhumane labor practices), it hits me~ I only have 4 weeks in Korea. Where did the time go? Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that I was complaining about how hot/humid it was in Korea? I have gotten so used to my lifestyle in Korea, I am actually in disbelief 

that I will soon be in LA. Don't get me wrong, I love LA. I miss my life at Pepperdine dearly, but seriously, "Where did the time go?"

One of the hardest decision to make for me when deciding to study abroad was the fact that I would be MIA in my life. MIA in LA, where I have a comfortable life and a routine to follow. I mean, could my friends really handle 4 months without me? Who will my dad eat brunch with if I am going to miss my weekly Sunday brunch with him? I had thought that being MIA for 4 months would be detrimental to my life and my loved ones back home. But I now realize that 4 month is nothing in the whole specturm of things. My friends are actually just fine without me and my parents have developed a Sunday brunch routine prior to church. So in conclusion, life goes on without me in LA. I know, it is quite hard to believe, but life definitely went on without me in LA! ><

And for the most part, my life went on in Seoul as well. Making new friends during my trip and meeting up with my fellow Pepperdine MBA friends throughout Asia. I mean, my life went on so well, that it is actually hard for me to leave here in only 4 short weeks. It will be a bitter sweet leave. So as a tip for those future MBA students, just do it. Study abroad in a city of your choice. I only have the greatest experience here and I am 99.9% that you will too one day. And Pepperdine has one of the top study abroad programs in the US. Want to study in Thailand? Denmark? Beijing? Paris? Brazil? Check, check, check, check and check. Anywhere your heart desires, Pepperdine can accommodate. Trust me when I say this, you're life will not be the same once you have experienced life abroad. .^_^.