Read :: Lots and lots and lots of newspapers. One daily task I was asked to do at my internship was to read each and every newspaper that came in in the morning to see if any of our clients were mentioned. It was tedious work and took up most of my mornings, but I have never been more informed in my life. 

Ate :: There's this guy at the office who has been getting take-out for lunch everyday and eating at his desk. I had no idea what it was but it smelled frikin' incredible, I had to tag along the next day to get myself some of that too. Somewhere around Dela Rosa and Rufino, I found myself at a food stand on a crowded street corner. Hands down, the BEST pork sisig EVER. I can't remember if the stand had any signage...but lemmetellya, the smell of fried pig bits and vinegar was probably enough to attract swarms of hungry people. It was greasy and looked far from appetizing, but it was life-changingly good (seriously) and soooo satisfying. And it was P50! C'MON!!!

Played :: I mentioned a photoshoot! I was in charge of managing one for a Dove campaign. It was probably the biggest project given to me to handle alone, and it was completely nervewracking. I contacted the girls, the hair, the make-up, the photographer. Made sure the catering, the videographer, the schedule, and the styling were all set. I checked and double-checked and stressed out like I was getting paid for my work (which I wasn't lol), and then come shoot day, everything fell into place. Everyone, including myself, was having a good time, and I felt sincerely proud of myself :) No better feeling than that. 

Loved :: On my last weekend in the Philippines, I put aside some time to do something other than work. It'd be such a shame to spend an entire month in the Philippines and not take some time to see the Philippines. I visited San Pablo in Laguna, and it was the perfect escape. The cell reception is absolutely terrible there. I wouldn't have been able to check my messages even if I wanted to! There, I rode a bike around the Sampaloc Lake. It was such a simple pleasure, but it was probably the most fun I had all month. It was then I realized that this is what I loved. Being outside and doing stuff and eating exotic food and feeling the sun on my face and just having fun.  

Listened :: I was obsessed with all things alternative way back years ago, and this month I'm having a bit of a throwback month. I've been stuck on The Strokes' Spotify station and been spacing out to Arctic Monkeys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Kings of Leon. Can someone please put them back on the radio?

Read :: Lullabies by Lang Leav. I got my first taste of Lang Leav's poetry on Tumblr and they've always got me thinking, and judging by the number of notes they receive, they've touched a great deal of others, too. Her words are quiet and honest and unpretentious, like a fading whisper or a private thought. If you've read her work, you'll know exactly what I mean. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm in no rush. Each one is so beautiful, they should be treasured.

Ate :: Hands down, the yummiest thing I've had to eat this month was the gua bao from Lan Jia Gua Bao by National Taiwan University. It's a steamed bun stuffed with shredded lean pork meat and roughly chopped cilantro. I haven't had many pork buns in my life, but this particular one was seriously good! In second place is the eggplant parmigiana from The Wholesome Table in Manila, Philippines. It's an all-organic restaurant using only in-season produce. It was my first organic food experience and it was nothing short of amazing (and I don't even like eggplant!).

Played :: I was on a 13-day holiday to Taiwan recently, as you're all probably sick of reading about... Everything I did there counts as play. Whenever I go away to a different country or city, I always get such a high from being in a completely foreign environment. If I could have my way, I'd drop everything and just go and travel and eat the most amazing food and just take photos and write. Such a cliche! I've heard of airlines having special promos for around-the-world tickets. Wouldn't that be an absolute dream?

Loved :: Coming back home to the Philippines! Yup, I'm currently in warm and sunny Manila! After leaving Taiwan, I had a layover in Seoul before flying down south. I spent the first week recuperating, vegging out in front of the telly and meeting old high school friends. Now I'm interning at a PR firm, which means lots of errand running, event planning, note taking, and staring at the computer screen. I just can't seem to sit still for a second.

Watched :: Chef, a feel-good film that follows an acclaimed chef as he hits rock bottom in both the kitchen and in the home. Don't expect any wow moments as it's all very predictable, but it's still a greatly enjoyable film to spend a lazy afternoon on, and will leave you in smiles or mouth gaping from all the amazing food porn shots. Seriously, though, I wouldn't skip the popcorn for this one.

Listened :: Hyorin's voice is like butter and my love for her music is eternal. When she released her solo album last year, I set every song on repeat until they were all dead, so you could say I was pretty frikin stoked for her latest drop "Erase" 지워.

Ate :: I went back to Norangjin this month with friends and tried out haggling for myself. I usually go with family, so I never had to worry about what to buy and where to go to eat, but this time around, because there was no one taking the reins for me, I was so lost. It was actually kind of trilling being so out of place.

Played :: M was here this past week during his Thanksgiving break. I didn't plan anything special to keep it as normal as possible. All I wanted was for us to roam around the city, kinda like how we did in New York. After being apart for three months, I was nice to be able to reach out and grab his hand when I felt cold or to just stare at his face while having coffee together. We went to the park, up N Seoul Tower, saw a movie in the cinema, and, most importantly, ate some at some of the most amazing hole-in-the-walls. He left to go back to NYC yesterday, but I'm keeping my head up! We'll be back together again in just a few weeks, but this time in lovely Taipei. Can't wait.

Loved :: Back with another skin care product: Suanbo Spa Rice & Milk Foaming Cleanser. For the most part, I've avoided foaming cleansers because I always thought that they added unnecessary moisture and oiliness to my already oily-combination skin. I'm sure everyone's heard by now that adding moisture to oily skin will help prevent the further production of excess oil, but it never stuck to me that this didn't just mean your moisturizer from cleansers too. This one, made with rice and milk, is from a brand I've never heard of before (this seems to be becoming a trend) but I like how soft yet not uncomfortably tight it leave my face.

I've heard it said that one belongs to New York instantly, as much in five minutes as in five years. And after seven and a half months of living there, I can say that it's absolutely true. 

It's great to be back at "home" in Seoul (and I say that with quotation marks, because where is home really?) but, to tell you the truth, I find myself thinking about New York everyday. I'm not even exaggerating when I say everyday! I think about the cobblestone streets of the West Village, the little coffee shops of the East Village, the late nights I spent at St. Marks, the many, many subway trips I took to and from Morningside Heights during the school semester, Central Park in the winter, Mister Softee trucks in the summer, the smell of halal stands, the shadowy silhouettes of Manhattan's buildings as the sun sets at the end of the day. You can say that letting go of that part of my life wasn't the easiest thing I've ever had to do. 

Sometimes I think I just wait for someone to ask me how my semester abroad was, just so I can talk about how amazing of a place New York is. I could just keep talking and talking until my eyes glaze over, and then I'll always feel kind of glum at the end knowing that it's actually over. I wish that I was still back there. Sigh, one day I suppose.    

Here are some of my favorite moments.