Mega post; summertime and the zoo

I haven't blogged in a while, I know. I have a lot to update on. This post is probably going to take me a while to complete. *cough*
Okay so I've been lazy a bit...sometimes it's difficult to update twice a week! It's much easier to blog when there are interesting things going on in your life [obviously].




School is out for the summer! I am so thrilled for this summer, because besides the fact that I was dying to get away from all that school-related stress, I just want to kick back and have fun for a while. But most importantly, this summer I plan to lose weight. I'm actually not as heavy as I thought I was, which is a good thing! But I have a general goal area in mind, and I have about 10 weeks to do it. I plan on losing at least 7 kilos/14 pounds, but I'll also just see where I feel comfortable.


Now that summer is here, that means it's time to finally get out of the house a bit [on the days where it's not boiling hot outside]! I went to the zoo last Sunday for Father's Day with my parents, and I had a great time. It wasn't that big of a zoo, so we went around the entire place in a little under 3 hours. There were all different kinds of animals there! I took a ton of photos but I don't want to overload this post with too many, so I'll just pick my favorites.

this one is my favorite.

I didn't expect the photo of the wolf to come out that great, but it did! You can't even tell there's glass in the way. 

you think Clydesdale horses are big on TV? they're huge in person! My head barely reached her neck! they're soooo beautiful though, such majestic horses!

I took that picture at the perfect moment, LOL. I think this was a panther. it was giving all of us this total bitchface, kind of like "why are you staring and taking pictures of me?!" Lame joke I know. 

okay animal photo break! I saw these flowers there and just had to take a picture. look at how bright the pastels are! I love it! 


I think I'm done with photos for this entry. There were a lot more but I don't want to stuff this post with them! 


There's a nice self-serve cafe at the zoo, too. I had this yummy pizza and some french fries. I know it's fattening but it's not like they had anything healthy there! I also got some frozen yogurt, and before all that I had a hot dog. yeah I ate a lot. There's this treetop obstacle course there, too, and I really wanted to go on it, but we couldn't find the entrance. maybe next time i'll do it.


Oh, yesterday I finally got my contact lenses in!!! I was so proud of myself. I was able to bring them home. taking them out is a bit of a process, but I find it easier than putting them in. it takes me a while to put the lenses in. but this morning I tried putting one in, and it ripped. :( I have to go back to the eye doctor tomorrow and get another lens. boo.


Next Saturday I'm headed out to a theme park! super excited! the last time I was there was when I was 6, so yeah, it was a very long time ago. I can't wait!

Reunion...and cupcakes

I went to a little family reunion today. It was my mom and her sister, along with their father, my mom's sister's (aunt) mother, and a girl they used to play with when they were kids before they were split up. Prior to today, the last time my mother had seen her father was 3 years ago, and before that, over 35 years. Oh, and my mom's brother was there, too. I played piano for my 'grandfather'. I think he liked it. It wasn't easy talking to him, though, so I mostly stayed quiet.


I decided to dress up nice for the occasion, and here's a little photo I took.

nice makeup, ah? i finally pulled off a cateye. finally!

It was a little uncomfortable for me, because I don't really know any of the people on my mom's side of the family. But they're definitely great people, and the food was good, too!  I only had the chicken (which was surprisingly store-bought...), but it was damn tasty. I watched soccer with my aunt's husband for a little while, too. That was fun.


After all that, we went to a wonderful bakery called Crumbs Bake Shop. If you've never been to the place, I highly highly highly recommend it! They have the most delicious cupcakes you've ever had, and I feel bad for you if you haven't had one. LOL. I got red velvet and a cupcake called "Good Boy" (I think that was the name). 

you should be jealous. it's okay.

The Good Boy cupcake was a yellow cupcake with a rainbow sprinkle/frosting shell and buttercream frosting and frosting in the middle along with rainbow melted sprinkled all through the cupcake. Major damn yum. And the red velvet...it's a bestseller for a reason! Just look up the place, you'll love it.

look at it! 

Also, I've decided to stop tagging my posts. I just think it's a bit pointless. I'll probably go back and delete the labels. 

Vanity vs. Modesty

Ohh boy. First 'serious' post incoming.


I was on StumbleUpon and came across this photo of a girl [it was on her blog I think] and she said she was pretty. Then there were comments saying she was vain and self-centered. 


What the hell?


People just can't seem to win. No matter what we do or how we feel, there's always someone there to criticise you. This is so ridiculous, because despite the unnatural standards of beauty that society sets for us, there are people who tell us to "love ourselves". But when we do, we get called vain? Unacceptable.


There is nothing wrong with having pride in your appearance. I believe that thinking you look super gorgeous and feel beautiful is better than feeling ugly. But of course people will disagree. Because this is how society looks at it...


"I'm pretty!" = Vanity
"I'm ugly." = Modesty


So you're in safe territory if you call yourself ugly and put yourself down, but if you actually think you're good looking, you get called vain? Ridiculous. Outright vanity is narcissism. You think you're better and better looking than everyone else. You don't give a damn about anyone except yourself. I actually really can't stand narcissistic people. They need to get off their high horse and smell the roses.


Feeling/saying you are pretty is not vanity. It is self-confidence. There is a serious difference between the two. Some people like to blur the lines between vanity and self-confidence, which can be okay depending on how they use it. In the general context, vanity just means you have high pride in your appearance. That's perfectly okay to some people, including me. It is perfectly okay to think you are hot and sexy and gorgeous, as long as you don't step on other people and put them down because you think you're the hottest thing walking around.


So don't think that because you think you're gorgeous means that you're vain. It means that  unlike a lot of other people, who feel like they're never good enough, that you are confident and comfortable with your appearance. 


And there's nothing wrong with that.

Sex Bomb Hair

...which is hair that I unfortunately do not have.

Six years ago I had CRAZY long hair, and it was so damn gorgeous and down to my hips. My hair had been naturally curly, with curls so tight that you could barely even comb it. Plus, it was up to my shoulders. But after I got it relaxed, it was so long and sexy and unbelievable. 

But me, being the stupid young person I was, decided to chop it off to my shoulders, complaining that "long hair is too difficult to manage lah!"

...So I got it cut, and donated it. I was in LOVE at first, even proceeding to cut it up to my ears at one point because I loved short hair. Only within the last two years have I realized just how badly I regret doing that! *puff* I haven't cut my hair (except to trim the ends and keep them nice) in almost a year in the hopes of getting it all nice and long again. I've been using this thing called DuGrow that's supposed to help it grow faster. You spray it on your hair after you've washed it and towel-dried it until your hair is damp. I've seen a noticeable difference, considering that in October my hair was just above my shoulders and now it's to the top of the underarm. 

"Why does Sinseong want such long hair?" you ask? Well, let's see.

-You can do so many different hairstyles when your hair is long.

-You don't have to worry about looking like a clown because your hair is short and frizzy. (My hair tends to frizz, even worse when it's short!)

-Because it's flat out sexy.

Let's look at an example.

Japanese model Rui Hoshikawa. 

Do you see those curls and that sexy, bouncy-looking hair?! Okay maybe I sound ridiculous, but just look! I'd give a toe to have hair like that. Hell, I would let someone slap me with a brick just to have hair like that. I'm going to by this shampoo/conditioner that has rave reviews about making the hair grow faster. I'm willing to try anything at this point.

Maybe in a few years I'll have hair that nice? I hope so...I also plan on dyeing my hair soon, but I'm still not sure on what colour. I was thinking of cherry red, platinum blonde, or dark purple. I'm pretty sure that I'll end up with the dark purple, because I think it would look best. Once my hair is longer, of course. argh!

Contacts and Movies

Before I get to the fun part about this entry--the drive-ins--I must bitch about my contact lenses. Or, the ones I was supposed to get.


I've been going back and forth to the eye doctor for the past month, because they won't let me take the contact lenses home unless I can put them in and take them out 3 times. The problem? I can't get them in! I've gone 7 times and I can't do it. At first it was just being unable to get the contact even near my eye, now it's that the contact keeps burning and falling out when I get it on. wtf?!
so...yesterday I think I found out the reason why it's burning. It's some cheap-ass brand they're using instead of a well-known one like Acuvue. that's so fucking stupid. plus, the solution the lenses is resting in is some shit brand, too. I have to talk to the doctor about seeing if I can try on Acuvue lenses.


okay, now for the exciting part!






Yesterday night I went to the drive-ins with my parents, godparents, and their kids. I hadn't been to a drive-in in about 6 years, so I was pretty thrilled! I did my hair and makeup all nice, too.

went on a total camwhoring spree. i think all the photos came out damn chio.

The drive there was about an hour, but suuuper scenic. Lots of rolling mountains, forests, and plains. Gorgeous!

took this once we got to the drive-ins. look how pretty the sky is!

Once we found our spot (which was the second row from the huge screen!), we got out our chairs and whatnot. My godparents and kids finally came, and it was so awesome seeing them. I love spending time with them, we always have a blast. They smuggled in these tins of potato salad and empanadas along with some candy. We brought chips and candy... 
Management apparently doesn't like it if you bring in food because they want you to spend money at the concession stands. Forget that! I didn't even have a lot of money to spare. 
...Though I did buy some french fries and they were amazingly delicious. My dad bought popcorn, but it wasn't all that great. Oh, and halfway through the movie I bought an ice cream bar. yum!


We saw 'Snow White and the Huntsman'. Honestly, it was a good movie, but long and drawn out. I don't think I'd care to see it again. It was filmed beautifully and the acting was excellent, not the mention the storyline, too. (I love me some twisted fairytale movies.) But it was just a bit too drawn-out for me.


Once the movie was over and we parted ways, I crashed as soon as I got home. I was totally exhausted. We didn't even get home until around midnight. But all in all it was a pretty great night. I had forgotten how fun (yet crowded) the drive-ins were!

"Kindness the Movie" winner!

I'm writing this entry feeling super happy on the inside, because I've been selected as one of the winners for the "Kindness - The Movie" project!! 


In school today, I was called down during second period to the main office, where one of the ladies told me to check my student e-mail when I got the chance, because it was really happy news. I was already really anxious to see it, because I had no idea what could be so good. So during fifth period, I checked my e-mail and saw a new message from the Kindness - The Movie people. That's when I instantly remembered the movie I had made in my multimedia class last year about kindness, its importance, and spreading it. In my video I focused on homelessness, the elderly, and children all around the world who have poor living conditions. 


So I open the e-mail...
And what it said?
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.
.
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"Your video has been selected for an $100 prize, and an Award of Merit. Congratulations!"


I totally freaked out in my seat because I was so thrilled! Seriously, I've never won anything, no matter how much effort I put into it. But I did put effort into this video, and I'm so happy I'm one of the winners! I'm definitely going to save this money for when I need it. This really means a lot to me! I honestly didn't think my video was that good, or that I would win. In fact, I thought I would be waaaay out of the running. This was such a nice surprise! I'm quite proud of myself, and this helps me to believe that if I just try, I can succeed.