One Shot: Sandara Park Should Marry Nick Khun!

On “We Got Married”, that is! I’m a REALLY big fan of WGM, been watching it from day one.  But I stopped watching after Hwang Bo and Hyun Joong left the show.  It went downhill from there lol.  But now they have actual known idols on the show like Jo Kwon and Ga In (Adam Couple) and Seo Hyun and Yong Hwa (Sweet Potato Couple), and they literally make my Saturday hahaha.
But I came across an article on AllKpop.com, saying that Sandara Park isn’t dating.  If you guys are fans of 2Ne1, then you will know that Sandara Park is like 26 or 27 years old (and she looks GOOOOD! I hope to look 18 until i’m 33 hahaha).  And I had an awesome idea! YG should let Dara on We Got Married! Then I had an even better idea! Her 남편 (husband) should be Nick Khun!

We're Dead Longer Than We Are Alive...How Are We Going To Leave Our Mark?

I'm turning 22 in 2 months, getting my BA next year, and want to start a whole new life at 23 years old. I come from a military family that was used to moving every 2-3 years. Now I feel like every place I live has an expiration date.

One of my favorite books is about a woman who gets in her car and drives until she ends up in a little seafront island of the coast of Mass. I want that. That's my dream, to get in a car and drive until my heart says to stop. Then live in a litte 2 bedroom cottage with a garden, my cat Ha Neul, and a golden retriever (cliche I know). Then I want to open a bookstore/bistro. Find a nice man to marry, give him 3 children, and live my life happily. What a dream lol.

When I Cook, I Even Shock Myself Sometimes

The one other thing that I love almost as much as Asian Studies is cooking. I LOVE to cook.  The cutting, the dicing, the boiling, the marinading, it's all so much fun to me.  Earlier this week, I finally found some gochujang here in Miami and bought many other items like dduk, a chili garlic sauce, pancit noodle, and other things like these really addicting coconut milk rice crackers that I think I ate to fast (it's almost gone!)

So today, with some of the ingrediants I bought, I decided to make Singapore Hainanese Chicken or as Anthony Bourdain called it Singapore Chicken and Rice.  I wanted to try out my cooking skills again since I haven't cooked a GOOD meal since moving to Miami, and also, I'm in love with Anthony Bourdain.  I might as well learn how to cook one of his favorite dishes just in case he asks me to marry him (lol j/k).

Have to start at Square 1

So, I learned Korean for a year when living in LA.  Now that I live in Florida, the korean language is almost nonexistant where I live. I haven't used my korean in almost a year and have basically forgotten everything.  But now, i'm teaching myself all over, and hopefully I can get back to the level I was at before.

I've decided that for each lesson I learn, I'm going to put my "homework" so you can see how much i've approved over time.  I will also be putting up videos of my practices so you guys can correct my speaking and pronunciation. 

I hope to be doing this also with Chinese and Japanese. So here is my tasks ("homework") for lesson 1.

Vlog: To Asia or Bust Ep 1: Jaebeom/2pm Controversy

First episode is up!

My New Car!!!!

I got a CAR! I got a CAR! This isn't mine, but it this same year and model. 1994 Ford Explorer, 133,000 miles.  I wanted a car that would last me until I graduate and MAYBE through graduate school. I heard this car drives like a beast, even for being 16 years old.  Once this car is a goner after I get my MA (you like how i put that wishful thinking in there), I'm getting a Jeep Liberty. A NEW one lol. But i love my car. I can't wait to get it next week!

Test Week Over and No No China

My head feels like it was going to split right in half.  I can't believe how this week went.

• Monday: Marine Bio test and study for Philosophy
• Tuesday: Find and turn in research paper topics and study for Philosophy
• Wednesday: Chinese Lesson 4 test and study for Philosophy
• Thursday: Marine Bio Lab Midterm and Philosophy chapter 4 and 5 homework (a total of 120 questions)
• Friday: Philosophy First Exam

I was so lucky that my English class was cancelled on Thursday.  It gave me a chance to study my butt off for that Midterm and Philosophy exam.

Oh, and I can't go to China.....Yea.

Singapore: The True Reason I Want To Go

Ever since I saw Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservation" episode about Singapore, i've made it my one of my priorities to go.  I had also watched a random Singapore drama called "Tiramisu" which I LOVED.  The accents Singaporeans have when speaking English is really fun to listen to.  But it wasn't just scenery and accents that got this place to be in my Top 5.  Oooohhhh Noooo...

It Was The Food.

Chicken and Rice and my favorite (which I have yet to taste) Sup Tulang.  Literally transalted "bone soup" this bright red dish is made with what I think is mutton bones, tomato, and i think chili paste.  I can just picture myself picking up those bones and the glowing red sauce seeping down my fingers towards my elbows. Sucking the end of the bone for that meaty marrow.

But also, Singapore seems like one of the most westernized countries in Asia. I would love to go there and learn why. Is it based on history? Because of trade? Also the fact that even though this country is almost 70% Chinese from what I heard, English is their main language. When they're not speaking English, they are speaking Malay. Malaysia? How did that happen? Another thing i'd love to dive into to.
So as present from me to you, here is the episode of Singapore on Travel Channel's No Reservations credit to ArcApex.

小笼包: Shanghai Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

                          

I love to cook.  I really love to cook. I would say that my signature dish is Chinese dumplings.  Everytime I make it for myself when I lived in Jacksonville, I would get reprimanded by my brother and mother because I didn't invite them over to my apartment to give them some.

The only thing I didn't like about my dumplings were the fact that when I made the skin, it always came out thick. I was never able to make a thin, delicate, fragile dumpling skin.  I realized this while watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation Shanghai episode. Watching the soup dumplings being made had my mouth watering so much. To see them bite into the dumpling and the soup just spilling out and down their chins...

Oh, God....my heart hurts from jealousy...

Me? Going to China? CHINA!!!!!

Oooohhhh Yeeeaaaahhh!
FIU is offering a study abroad trip to Hangzhou, China at Zhejiang University for the summer from May 9th to June 5th. When it came to visiting countries, this was always my list:
1) Seoul, Korea
2) Tokyo, Japan
3) Taipei, Taiwan
4) Singapore city, Singapore
5) Shanghai, China

Even though China is on my top 5 list of place I MUST visit before I turn 30, China has always been the last on my list. Not that i have anything against China lol.

But now, China is so close that I'm actually able to go for the summer! I'm hoping my Financial aid and scholarships will cover it lol. I'm so excited about this, i'm just thinking of the possibilities. Beautiful scenery, culture, traditions, soup dumplings, chinese men lol (i hope to find a man that looks like Joe Cheng lol). Ooo, i'm getting goosebumps.

A Toast to My Future

It took me a year and a half into college to figure out what I wanted to do. From going in as a zoology major to political science to International Relations to Asian Studies. It took me a year and half to figure out that my hobby of reading and learning about Asian culture and languages can actually be a job I can hold for the rest of my life.

Which is why I made this blog. This blog will be here, following my last two years as I try to get my Bachelor's in Asian Studies. It will cover my life, my activities, and study abroad experiences. I'm hoping that everyone (whether you are an Asian Studies major yourself or a person who loves Asia) can get something for this blog.

So I'll introduce myself! My name is Diandra. I'm 21 (soon 22) and live in Miami attending FIU as an Asian Studies (hopefuly English) major. I am African American and YES I want to live in Asia or travel back and forth to Asia as an Interpreter/Translator. My goal after college is to be a conference interpreter while working for major publishing houses translating books.
I lived in LA for a year to learn Korean and Japanese. I learned up to an intermediate level of Korean and beginners Japanese. Now in Florida, Korean isn't offered, so i've replaced it with Chinese. I still know how to speak Korean and will be teaching myself up to an advance level while I take Chinese and Japanese simultaneously.

I'm not one for anime, so i'm not one of those kids going on and on about Naruto or Pokemon. I actually started to watch anime late last year to help with my Japanese. It actually helped. Now, I watch an episode of anime here and there when I'm bored or when I feel like my listening skills have decided to die on me.

I am more interested in Asia's culture and society. Their way of life. Traditions. Asia, whenever you think of it, is covered in this glowing light of mysticism. It's a country that seems to be extremely magical. Add the fact that Asia is such a secluded country from the western world, you have a recipe for fascination.

Plus their economy is about to kick America's butt, so I need to step in there and get a job before somebody else gets it from me hahaha.

So, this is my blog. My diary.

My Journey...