why blog?

March of the Penguins... the longest library request/hold list I've ever added myself to... #145 in line :-/

I'm usually more of a observer and listener in a group conversation rather than the talker. This weekend there was a mini conversation about blogs and someone mentioned having a blog would be too stressful... either too much work to upkeep or afraid of not having anything interesting to say. I didn't say much (if anything) during the conversation itself, but it did make me think back to when I first started writing here. Why did I start this?

It was pretty much on a whim, like just about every other thing I start. I had already been in my regular routine "stalking" of my friends' blogs and other random interesting people ^_~ And randomly out of that I started my own. Of course, I did very carefully select *where* it was to be and had fallback accounts in other random places, just in case ^o^... just as carefully as I had selected my past handwritten journals... but aside from that, it was a whim. See if I would actually write; see what I'd do with it.

Ever since my first journal from way back when, I've loved to write to keep my memories and thoughts alive *somewhere*, and this is more convenient than getting out the pen and journal (so sad for the lost years... the ones in which I never wrote anything anywhere). And when I do write, I try not to think that just about anyone out there could come across this and read it. There is that aspect, isn't there? I suppose it was an odd thought at first (what if ___ reads this post?)... and maybe somewhat pressure-filled (aaah! I haven't written in __ days, I better write something!), but that peak phase went away fairly quickly. Maybe I *did* want to be found by at least *someone* in the beginning. But someone did and that was the end of that.

Everyone writes for different reasons... it's easy for me because I'm not writing for anyone else in particular but rather for *myself* (and yes, just clogging up the internet). Heck, anyone else reading this would probably find it boring anyways.

boom boom

Going into winter... bye bye yummy chestnuts =(

My chestnuts were merrily roasting away (tho not over an open fire, and no jack frost nipping at my nose either... this is California)... when I heard a 'boom' from the oven. I stroll over to discover one of my happy chestnuts decided it had had enough of the heat and exploded. And explosion *IS* the right word... itty bitty fragments of chestnut all over the place!

Of course, the greedy palate of mine decided no way was I going to let one chestnut deter me from my yummy goal. Shortly thereafter, another 'boom'... chestnut #2 met its end. Thankfully, there were no more after that (tho having them all explode might have been exciting). I'm not sure what went wrong. Of course, I did make the x's in each chestnut to let steam out. And I've roasted chestnuts many times before without any drama... guess they were just too impatient this time :-/

How could something so small (walnut-size) make such a big mess?! Certainly can't put off cleaning my oven anymore...

bulsae, eragon

What has the world become if simply holding open a door for someone results in a "you have exceptionally good manners... thank you"?

Bul Sae aka Firebird/Phoenix
Started Nov 27, finished Dec 18th.
MBC 2004, 26 episodes
Cast... Lee Eun Joo (as Lee Ji-eun), Lee Suh Jin (as Jang Sae-hoon), Eric Moon (as Suh Jung-min), Jung Hye Young (as Yoon Mi-ran)
After getting past the first two painful and seemingly pointless/random episodes, the rest was much much better. It's one of those where you feel for every one of the characters, no matter how much you want to hate one.

While I'm at it, might as well write down somewhere K's ratings for the Korean dramas we've watched thus far...
Bul Sae - 5/5
Love Story in Harvard - 2/5
All In - 5/5
Beautiful Days - 3/5
Attic Cat - 1/5
Autumn Tale / Endless Love - 3/5
Summer Scent - 4/5

Eragon  [by Christopher Paolini]
One of those... must keep reading, even while eating. For a fantasy story lover (which I am), this is a definite read. Eragon can be the end, but of course, there's a sequel, too. I put my name on the library's list for Eldest... but impatient me, I found another source to keep me occupied until my name comes up on the list. Afterall, ebooks just don't do a good book justice.