my grandma died today a little after 4pm. this was unexpected. I just got home to PA last night and was ready to go and visit her tomorrow. i can't believe i just missed her. i'll never see or talk to her again. in a lot of ways i was closer to her than anyone else in my family. who will take my side now that grandma is gone? there isn't even going to be a viewing or anything so i really never will see her again. I'm trying so hard to remember what we talked about last time we talked (oct. 14th). The last Netflix movie she watched was Letters to Juliet. thinking of that alone makes me want to cry. I couldn't bare to cancel her netflix so I just put her account on hold. maybe i can let go in january.
tomorrow I'm going to help my aunt clear out her room at the nursing home. i feel so crazy and numb that i can't even think. more later. just had to get that out there for now
me, cooking?
Last night I went to an Italian cooking class that was being put on by the department I work for. I invited my Turkish teacher to come with me. Way to be a team player, eh?
The woman in charge of these events sent me these pictures this morning. Here I am next to my teacher trying to dice some leeks. That was a first! We made these tarts, kinda like a quiche. It was amazing!
While I am really, really good at enjoying a lot of food, I'm not so great in the preparation of food. meh, that's why I married a chef.
I have some pictures of the finished product, but alas, my camera is already packed....
.... for Ohio this weekend! I don't know which I have more anxiety over, seeing my exes on Sunday at the wedding or seeing my mom, dad, and brother (maybe) on Monday. yikes. Well, first one and then the other.
I've really been working hard at the office and at Turkish this week. Good thing I'm about to meet up with friends for beer in about 90 minutes... let the countdown begin!
I don't know whether to laugh or cry about this story right here. On one hand, NorKor is super scary sending out spies to kill defectors. On the other hand, they couldn't manage to pull it off before the guy died of natural causes. I guess if you are going to be evil it works out pretty well for the rest of us if you are also incompetent.
N.Korean spy 'held for plot to kill top defector in S.Korea'
SEOUL (AFP) - – A North Korean agent was arrested Tuesday for plotting to assassinate a top-ranking defector who died earlier this month from natural causes, South Korean prosecutors said.
The 46-year-old is accused of planning to murder Hwang Jang-Yop on orders from the North's Reconnaissance Bureau which oversees espionage operations against the South, the Yonhap news agency quoted prosecutors as saying.
Hwang, a former secretary of the North's ruling party and tutor to current leader Kim Jong-Il, defected in 1997 during a visit to China.
He lived in Seoul under police guard at an undisclosed address and became a bitter critic of the regime he once served, resulting in several death threats.
The 87-year-old was found dead in his bathtub on October 10. Police said earlier Tuesday that an autopsy showed he had suffered heart failure the day before, and that they did not suspect foul play.
The spy -- identified only as Lee -- entered South Korea via Thailand in August posing as an ordinary refugee, prosecutors said.
His mission was disclosed during an interrogation by security officials about his motives for fleeing the hardline communist state.
In July, two North Korean spies were sentenced to 10 years in prison in Seoul for plotting to murder Hwang.
Hwang "suffered heart failure while he was bathing. A lot of bathwater was found in his lungs," the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said in a statement, citing the autopsy report.
"No traces of any drug or poison were found in his body," police said, adding that footage from surveillance cameras showed no signs of forced entry.
"There was no foul play involved in his death," the statement added. "We are closing the investigation since there are no grounds to suspect a homicide."
Hwang had been on medication to treat heart problems, police said.
He was found dead on the day the North staged a huge military parade watched by Kim Jong-Il and his youngest son and heir apparent Jong-Un.
In April the North's official website threatened Hwang with death for his criticism of the regime during trips to the United States and Japan, calling him a "traitor and human scum" and warning he would "not be safe anywhere".
Sanibel Island
As it happens, my host family (from my college days in Japan) were visiting the States to go to another one of their many host daughter's wedding. I was #4, they are on #22 right now.... wow! They have another daughter, Michelle (#15) who lives with her family in Sanibel Island, Fl. Kyohei and I took Tuesday and Wednesday off last week and drove down to see them. Once we got to our hotel and realized it was right on the beach, we immediately headed outside.
Kyohei looks so happy. He should really try and get to the beach more often.
The cool thing about Sanibel, is that the beach is covered in shells. I collected a few of them myself.
We headed over to Michelle's house for dinner where my host family was waiting.
Michelle and her family were super nice and cool and their house was beautiful! They had some fun pets too
We were there for a long time, catching up, reminiscing about Japan and drinking lots of beer and sake. The next morning, Kyohei and I took a walk on the beach. aahhhhwww. It was so nice!
cool bird This is what Florida looks like
This is also what Florida looks like. We went back over to Michelle's for brunch. Then we all went on this speed boat tour.
It was beautiful outside, so being on the water was icing on the cake
We're on a boat!
My host dad, Koji and host mom, Kumiko (no, not everyone in Japan's name starts with a 'K', just most of the people I am close to )
The highlight of the tour was that we came across all these pods of dolphins.
I took a video! They like to swim and play in the wake of the boat.
back on the beach
the lighthouse
bah! washed-up jellyfish
When we got back, Kumiko and Kyohei decided to whip up some Okonomiyaki
We all went to Doc Ford's in Ft. Myers. It was awesome, the food was great, there was live music and of course, it was right on the water.
We had a great time! When we finally started our drive home, they gave us t-shirts and hotsauce from the restaurant--how nice! It was a perfect couple days after such a crap-tastic week. I'm so lucky to have such a great host family to keep in touch with. I always seem to get to meet to coolest people too.
good times
looks like the apple does not fall far from the tree. Unfortunately, if this is true, Un might be just as much of an asshole (if not more-so) than Il. Isn't that always the case with these royals?
By Peter Foster, The Daily TelegraphOctober 13, 2010
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Aides loyal to North Korea's heir apparent, Kim Jong-Un, planned to attack the exiled eldest son of Kim Jong-il last year in retaliation for his comments about the need for reform in the Stalinist dictatorship, it has been reported.
The attack on Kim Jong-Nam, 39, the brother of Kim Jong-Un, was foiled after China warned the North Koreans not to attack him on its soil, a South Korean official has claimed.
Kim Jong-Un's aides tried "to do something to Jong Nam, who has a loose tongue abroad", the official said, but added that the plot had been firmly scotched by China.
The plan to move against Jong-Nam, a father of two who lives in self-imposed exile in Beijing and Macao, was allegedly fuelled by rumours that he might be employed as a Chinese puppet ruler in the event of a regime collapse.
A South Korean paper added that Jong-Nam had close ties with China's "princelings", the children of senior Chinese officials who have powerful business interests and political connections in China.
In the 1990s, Jong-Nam seemed on track to succeed his father after being made head of foreign counter-intelligence, but fell spectacularly from grace in 2001 after he was caught trying to enter Japan on a forged passport to visit Tokyo Disneyland.
Since then, Jong-Nam has lived with his wife and two children, moving between the gambling hub of Macao and Beijing, where he maintains a second property, on a reported pounds 500,000 annual allowance.
He has given interviews to the Japanese and South Korean media, often speaking with a frankness and informality not in step with his father's secretive regime.
Last weekend, Jong-Nam said on Beijing television that he had no plans to return to North Korea, but he was "opposed" to hereditary succession and hinted at the need for economic reforms to raise living standards.
In related news, it looks like NorKor has printed photos of Kim Jong Un-- another strong signal that he will succeed his father. Since all North Koreans are required to keep a photo of Kim Jong Il in their houses, I wonder if some won't be clipping this from the newspaper and tacking it up on the wall. It's not like anyone can afford to frame the damn thing, right? There's no more glass anyway.
NK, cake, cake and other things
First things first. Brother update. Mom and Dad brought him home from the hospital last night. Turns out he couldn't find a good vein to inject the melted down patch, so he just ate it. What a freakin' great idea, right? Despite being about 30 minutes from death, there is no permanent damage (unless you count the collective psyche of our family) Today he will talk with this probation officer. I don't even know what to hope for at this point. All I can think about is how badly I want to punch him in the face.
Today, though, I feel like I can function again. Enough to enjoy the other good things about my weekend. Look! Look! They are coming out with a KimjonUNium begonia to add to North Korea's national flowers! he he he.. I love this stuff, you know.
Speaking of flowers.... I officiated my first wedding on Friday! As a notary I have the legal authority to join people together in marriage in the state of Florida. The bride is cousins with my friend Ed, who used to work with me a the flowershop.
Ed is awesome. Some pre-wedding decoration going on.
Cappy! Another bff from the flowershop showed up with the bouquets.
Way to work the autumn arrangements, Ed!
Me, ready to say "Husband and Wife!"
Sweet-looking bouquet and happy bride. (good work, Keli!)
Getting down to business... me with my notary stamp!
will notarize for cake!
Flowershop crew with bride (she is due this month!)
I love Spanish moss
Me, being a jackass. What can you expect though... they were greyhound statues!
We all went back to the shop to hang out. Ed started making something out of the weeds in the back of the store.
And it was really cool
Sunday, was my friends, T & A's youngest daughter's 4th birthday party!
More cake for me!!!
I got her a Barbie. I know... I know... but she wanted one!
So... even though it was a total crap weekend, there were some really good parts. Right now, after I go to Turkish class, Kyohei and I are heading down to Sanibel Island, FL to visit with my host family from Japan! I can't wait to see them!!!!
fall fashion
Ok, here is the look I've completed. Now I feel kinda nervous putting this out there... I guess that just goes to show you, fashion & style are artistic extensions of yourself.
Dress, JCPenney $32.65 (originally $60)
I've never been a big department store fan, but all of a sudden its like JCPenney is the shit. The sales are ridiculous too. I am so tired of going to the mall and seeing poorly made clothes from cheap material in China going for like $59 for a t-shirt. Am I right? I am definitely getting old (and I've always been cheap).
Coat, JCPenny, 54.43 (originally $100, on sale plus I used the 15% off coupon for buying the dress a week earlier) Notice the ruffles on coat mirror ruffles on shoes... just sayin' Bag, Craigslist $25
tights, JCPenny $14
I still have to decide on necklace and earrings. Here I have some "chocolate" pearls on. I have matching earrings, so I might just go with that.
I wasn't trying to have Chitah in the photos, but just try and keep her out! She is running around so fast, so almost looks like a streak.
But, hey, if Micheal Kors can have a whippet in his fashion shoot then....
justgotspaid can have her Italian Greyhound in her's.
--photography by Kyohei
Awesome
I love this. The best parts
1) all the dogs have been rescued 2) this was shot in one continuous take (according to TIME magazine)-- which is beyond impressive.
"White Knuckles" by OK Go
What do you think?
Happy Birthday!
It was my Turkish Teacher's birthday this weekend, so I took the liberty of organizing a surprise party for her on Monday. Hooray for eating sweets and watching Turkish YouTube videos. No class for us!
I really love cake.
I also contributed this little cultural wonder to the list of videos:
Yes, I am a jackass, but a fun jackass.
Dog Race
This past Saturday, Kyohei, Mimi, Chitah and I participated in the Annual Dog Days Run. It is put on my the Vet school to raise money for rabies prevention. Now that we have two dogs, both Kyohei and I had a dog to race.
Amazingly, it was cool enough in the morning to wear long sleeves. The family portrait (plus car)
Kyohei has been excited about racing with Chitah since she is so fast.
Mimi and I
High expectations
grumpy Mimi is NOT a morning-dog.
Pre-race pep talk
Chitah and Kyohei at the start
They took off, leaving me to try to get Mimi to walk. Impossible. I ended up carrying her. She refuses to walk around other people and dogs. She would have won if she could have run the race in reverse.
About half-way into the mile race, Kyohei and Chitah were waiting on the corner. It seems that Kyohei got discouraged when little Chitah could not push herself in front of the big dogs so he gave up and waited for us. How wimpy. When I started to walk with Chitah, Mimi actually started walking. She doesn't like to be away from me and will follow. I raced Chitah to the finish and then went back to walk with Kyohei and Mimi.
Mimi's efforts paid off in the end! She got another medal!
ha ha ha ha! This is her 3rd slowest award. We are so proud.
we got t-shirts too
and the satisfaction of finally tiring Chitah out. She was so laid-back the rest of the morning.
)
The family portrait (plus car)
