September 2014

It's always, "Wake me up when September ends!" And now...it has!  Can you believe that Christmas is around the corner?   Halloween...Thanksgiving...Christmas and the the most important Holiday of all for us Hmoob,    

                   HMONG NEW YEARS!

September started and I finally got my "magic perm." It's the opposite of a perm, instead of curls, it is to straighten your hair!  I have gotten it before and loved it, this time, I wanted to wait until for someone who would do my highlights, as well.  Due to the coloration, it was impossible and some hairstylist will turn you away.  Finally, I found a local, the same person who did my hair 3 years ago. She started and didn't say much about the highlights until the second step, she wasn't happy.  She asked if it was ok to chop like 5 inches off my hair, I agreed.  She wanted to cut more, if I let.  I didn't because I would be hairless!  (I don't have a before and after because it'll look exactly alike!)  Just think, never of having to straighten your hair again for a few months!

My MOM's Birthday!!!

9-7

OOvOO and SKPYE dates.

Lunch with my Lovely SoYeoun!!! 

Lemon Table in Gwangyang!

Chusok Week (Korean Thanksgiving)

Eating lunch and hanging out with So Yeoun's family for Chusok.  A 2 day event!  Many relatives visited her house and brought gifts.  I got a gift from my Boss' family and gave away a few gifts to my fellow Hangul Friends and their family.

Mini Day Trip to Haeundae Beach with Lin and Youngju!  Renita and Brother Kou met us there! A day in the sun was much needed!  A day full of eating and relaxing!  Our day started at STARBUCKS, lunch at a THAI restarant, and we ended our day with dinner at TGIF! 

 Our Beach Day!

Since we were just on vacation, that work week was super short! And off to BUSAN I go again!  Gotta have my PHO...It never tastes like home, but it makes a little piece of my heart happy!  Off to the LOTTE GIANTS game we go!  4-3 GIANTS dominated!  Korean baseball games are a little different from the STATES.  The game is played the same of course, but it's free for all..meaning we can bring our own food and drinks inside the stadium.  In my opinion, it's way better than paying for over priced beer and food!  The tickets are way way way cheaper! We sat in the front and paid 12 bucks, in the States, I went to a SF Giants game and paid 30 bucks for standing tickets!   Yea, yea...Americans, we over pay for everything especially when it comes to our professional SPORTS team!

The gang and my DIY nails!

BEAUTIFUL GWANGANLI BEACH!

 After an afternoon of BASEBALL, we went to dinner at SHARKY"S!  Oh so gooooood!  They had RANCH!  Korean don't use ranch and it's not easy to ask for ranch with salad.  It also made my tummy happy!

Finally, weekends at home! My little Korean brother Chris came to visit me in Hadong.  Went bowling for Patrick's birthday!  Patrick is one of my Hadong friends!  I don't have any photos from that night!

Then the next weekend was Bren Kennedy's birthday!  We stayed in town and went to our neighborhood park to play beer pong.  The photo doesn't do justice of how beautiful that day was!!!

 Decorations by yours truly, ME!!!

And So Yeoun helped! (She had no choice.) 

Won Chel and I testing out the props before everyone else!

Sunday Funday in NAMHAE!  A short hike and BEACH day again!  I do live in the SOUTH of South KOREA!  SO really really close to the BEACHES.  How lucky we are!  

 Nugee this is the beach that we went to from above!!!

Patrick and I

There will definitely be more hiking this Fall.  It is beginning to get cold here.  But yes, we do get bipolar days, Hot one day, Rain one day and then Cloudy one day! 

The days, weeks and months are going by so fast!!! Only if we can stop time, and make it stop where and when we want to!  These are the moments we are supposed to be living for???  Take it day by day and one day...one day...it'll all be worth something!  

3 months down 9 to go! On a happy happy note, I can't wait to see some beautiful faces this weekend and winter!  I love weekend getaways and trips!  

xoxoxo, 

Phumee

Collect moments, not things!!!

Summer Part II in SK

As June ended, I was headed for South Korea!  I know I know... again, some people wondered why there again?  But there are reasons behind this...No, I am not in love with anyone there, but everyone! haha

One of the EE's (Shengmee) is getting married!!!  I couldn't be happier, since Maychee and I did hook them up.  Let me count, one...two... I think this is couple number 3 or 4 for me! I need to step up my game and become a professional matchmaker already.

I arrived and Youngju picked me up! Sweetest Friend award!  Went to Sheng's place and took it over.  I was super tired!  She gave me things I needed and off we went to dinner.  This was so embarrassing, but I am gonna blog about it anyway.  As I pulled out a chair to sit in, I fell.  Like a complete idiot!  But it's Korea and no one knew me...Plus I was still new.  (Technically not, but o well I had been gone for almost 3 years.)  The chair was like 3 legged...Trust me anyone would have fell in that thing.

Went around Seoul...Things have changed, but yet I remember everything that I was used to.  Sheng's subway station and those massive stairs up like 5 floors...Nugee and I would always ride the elevators up and down, even the elevators were confusing!!! Maychee, remember the first time you picked me up to go to Sheng's...I was tired and out of breath.  I didn't use the elevators then, now I always use them coming up!  Another Friend Award goes to SoYeoun.

At last, I arrived in HADONG again!  Same smell, same scenery and same people!  New buildings and new foreigner friends!  I smiled. I think I even teared up a little.  Why did I come back? What am I doing here again? All these questions going through my brain.  I wiped that little happy sad tear drop and smiled.  12 months, I can do it.  I mean if not, I can just get on a jet plane and leave!

It rained almost everyday after I arrived.  I took this photo after it cleared up and literately an hour late it poured again!  Who doesn't want to live here?

Seems like ages ago, I can't even remember.  It was just over whelming the first few days...weeks...and finally now it has started to feel normal.  The first few weekends were super HOT so we did a lot of swimming in Hawgae (the valley) and went to Namhae Beach.

My River.

The Valley

(where we go swimming)

Another crazy thing happened, I went to Seoul for training and came home, but realized that I had bought the wrong date ticket to come home! My luck, this only happens to new comers! Why me?? Lesson learned. I just took a detour and went to Jinju to meet friends and got a ride home. 

Kou and Sheng came to visit towards the end of July!  Swimming...Singing...Eating and more Eating.

The gang after a day of swimming and eating!

August 23rd

Went to Seoul and then Sheng and I went on the train to visit the Clifton's.  We had dinner on base at Chili's. Didn't get to do much, long story, we missed our train so we were about 2 hours late!  We will make our train next time! I enjoyed being on based.  (An American Army Base.)  Got American toothpaste and chocolate there!

Kimchi!

New Faces.....New Friends.

Hadong isn't the same without the old gang, but the new gang is just as cool!  Sunday fun day with the Hadong friends!! Bren, Soyeoun, Patrick and Barnnard!

A lot has happened, so I shouldn't postpone these blogs...It's almost time to write the September blog...I hope...I will remember to blog sooner so the events and memories are fresh!! I am so excited for FALL, WINTER and MAYCHEE.  I cannot wait for all the crazy events along with the HOLIDAYS!!!  

I wanna end with a quote! 

Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while pursuit of something else. -L 

xoxoxo,

Phumee

Summer 2014 USA

I forgot how important it is to blog once a month!!! As I am getting ready to blog my summer events, I saw my NY posts.  Of course, I went through it and read it like ten times!!!

 I MISS NEW YORK!

I will go back soon and visit.  I met some pretty awesome people.

Plus Cousin XDY is already cool!

 

Summer came and so many things happened!

 

First, My not so little brother GRADUATED COLLEGE!!!

Bachelors of Arts in COMMUNICATION.

This was in MAY.

 

SIBLINGS

 

MY FAMILY.

 

Threw him a big party and he went off to MONTANA.

We all grow up and go our separate ways, but we will all come home eventually.  He will be home after 6 months.

 

A night with my crazy cousins and friends.

 

My cousin PK's After Grad Party!

Congrats PK!!!

 

Carra lost her first tooth!

The Tooth Fairy gave her $20.00

 

 

 

June came around and time for HIGH SCHOOL graduations!!!

My Niece,

 CATALEENA SHIA SHEE THAO,

CEHS C/O 2014.

 

Cat with the AUNTIES!

DREAM BIG...AND GO GET THEM!

 

End of the school year and events after events...MONTEREY BAY with Stone Soup.  I was an Aunt Volunteer!  Always a good time with these kiddos.

 

Fun day, Carra enjoyed STONE SOUP PRESCHOOL a lot. She talked about school everyday and would attend it again if she could!

 

Guess who turned the big 1-6??

BRANDON OCHI THAO

We threw him a surprised WORLD CUP PARTY...The first game aired on his BIRTHDAY!

 

So many birthdays...Leah turned 5!

My friend LINDSAY'S daughter and now Carra's friend!

Great party LINDS!!!

Miss you much!

 

 

OUR WORLD CUUP FIX!!!

 

We must have watched all the SK, Brazil and USA game! Or basically any good teams that we wanted to watch!

 

Hung out with the KIDS and took them places.

 

CHUCK E CHEESE

 

JOJO's

 

The Park.

 

And Maleficent!! Such a great movie. 

Loads of things happened and it was only the end of JUNE.

 

Little did I know, my summer was just about to begin.

 

xoxoxoxo,

 

Phumee

 

TBC Part II IN SOTH KOREA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ♥ NY Part 2

Thursday night was a blast!!!  We couldn't wait til the next outing.

 Recap of THURSDAY night!  Finally found a photo with Zabeth!

Woke up fine due to all the craziness.

(Laughing thinking about it.)

Whatever happens in NEW YORK stays in NEW YORK!

 

TGIF

Finally, FRIDAY comes and it was going to be a CENTRAL PARK kind of DAY!

(By this time, we were almost pooped out.  Felt like we have been there for eternity.)

 So many things that I wanted to see and do because of these movies.

(Home Alone, Vanilla Sky, Serendipity, Breakfast at Tiffany's....etc..) 

Too early in the year for any kind of major events.  

Volleyball, Fishing, Carriage Ride, Baseball and many more are things I will def go back and do there.  Maybe in the warmer weather.  The New Yorkers were telling us that people were inside all winter. It just so happened that the weekend we were there, people were starting to come out! YAY, we brought sunshine all the way from CA.

Had some major street cart food!

 Lee wasn't the only one who ate, I just took pictures of her eating it! 

Can't leave NY without walking down 5th Avenue!

SUPER SHOPS and crazy SHOPPERS from all over.

Tempted to walk in and come out with a nice purse, but nah..that's 4 months of car payments and a vacation overseas to my favorite countries.  Got a birthday gift for Cat and a few chocolate items, we used the bathroom and ATM, off we went to K Town.

Little Brother Mo came to meet us because we are AWESOME.

We told him, he was obligated to due to the fact that he had that FRIDAY off! 

And he did!  HMOOB LOVE hahaha

Soju, Faceshop, Chicken and a little of KOREAN TOWN brings back so many memories! 

FRIDAY  NIGHTS ARE WILD IN THE BIG APPLE!!!

The pre gamers @ HD and Little David's APT.

(Guess who never made it out?)

Good times!  CA over NY any day.  JK 

I love NEW YORK!

And the PEOPLE.

Thank you for making this a night to remember!

(Ten I See, Mo, Pao, D, HD, David's Social Worker Friends, 

and all the awesome New Yorkers that we met.)

Ended with a BANG! 

( A tornado went through Cousin Xai David's bed.)

ONLY Yer will remember that TORNADO!

(Tornado Little David)

LAST official day in the BIG APPLE.

Brunch with the new Friends and it's 5 o'clock somewhere cause those mimosas were delish!

 

 (Highland, Chelsea Market, Hudson River, Jersey, 

and West Village tour!)

Walked all day touring THE WEST VILLAGE.  Saw DVF, next time will walk in and buy a piece of something.  Little Brother Mo is going to own some CONDOS near there, and he offered to let us live in one.  PROMISES have been made and they better be kept! I will keep mine hahaha

Had pho, guac and more drinks!

Last stop, TIME SQUARE!

#CHICKENOVERRICENYC

Don't have a photo of it, but the best street vendor food.

Little Brother came back to the APARTMENT and tried it.  As he was enjoying it, he reviewed it.  Took another bite, reviewed it, took another bite and reviewed it some more like a food critic.  

Farewell NYC.

Until we meet again, it was super fun and exciting.  EAST COAST!

Weekend trips are definitley in the future plans as long as the NEW YORKERS welcome us back!  

Our new BFFs.   

Again, Good Times!

HD and Little David, thank you again!  I hope it is back to normal now for you two!

My gibberish...and what I remember of our trip!  haha 

Didn't need to include everything because it will always be in our memory!

Thank you LADIES (Lee and Yer) for such a great and memorable trip, with many more to come before we all tie the knot! (If we ever.) 

 

EEs Let's go one day PLEASE.

xoxoxoxo, 

Phumee

 

I ♡ NY

Finally, I visited 

New York City!!

Day 1 

I have never been, but always talked about going.  Like I always say, I love love NEW York, but I have never been.  I was in love with New York and it was my favorite city even before going.  ( Blame the media.)

 Landed by myself and went to Cousin Xai David's apartment.  I didn't feel like I was in New York until the subways and the people.  Buildings are definitely just like big cities in CA, but the people are nothing like Californians. 

Went to breakfast with Seinfeld.  Cool little place, super friendly! 

Strolled around Central Park by myself.  The Girls (Lee and Yer) didn't arrive til later in the afternoon and Cousin Xai went to work!  The park was quiet, and boring.  Still cold out so not much to do, everyone was still inside keeping warm and it was in the morning, people were out and about their daily routines.

Not so green,, wrong season, but still all worth going and people watching!

A little sight seeing with the Ladies!!

Lunch @ Schnipper's

(Time Square, Forever 21, Grand Central Station, Cake Boss Bakery)

Went back to the apartment to get ready for

dinner with the amazing and cool Cousin Xai David!!! His favorite pizza place and all of ours, of course,  after we ate two whole pizzas!!! TWO! By the way, there is only one way of eating pizza in New York.  

And we ate it the New Yorker way!  

 

We got a little of the Brooklyn Bridge and their little lock of loves.

First night out in the BIG APPLE!!! 

3 SHEETS.

(beer pong and a cool bar.)

New York, please have public bathrooms, peoples' bladder cannot hold too much!

I am laughing and thinking about this night, no names shall be named. 

Whatever happens in NY stays in NY!

Who leaves the subway to go back to a bar and use the restroom? 

It was only our first day and the time felt like a week.  Almost, but not quite ready to come back home!

Day 2 was easy, we decided to go to the Bronx Zoo.  Due to NY's cold Spring, the animals were not ready to come out yet.  We saw a few animals, but plenty of PEACOCKS.  They roamed the Zoo freely and was probably one of the best highlight of the day!  

Got on the subway, not really lost, but a few subway mistakes here and there.  Finally got to Chinatown to eat the Famous Vanessa's Dumplings!  Sooo cheap and delish!  We spent like 20 and got meals for days! 

Later that evening was dedicated to a comedy show!  hahaha 

 Walking from Chinatown to Washington Square was an adventure within itself.  Tried to stop at every bar and take a shot...Good or bad idea?  If u ask me, I say good.  It was super cold walking and as we drank more, it got warmer, even too warm at our destination place.  (FOUR FACED LIAR)

The Ladies and I were meeting up with David.  David is Cousin Xai David's Roomate.  I know, I know, confusing, so many DAVIDS...There's more... There is a big David, a medium David and a little David.  That is another story for another time!

We got out $$$ worth of laughing!  The few guys were pretty funny.  Oddly seemed like they were with us the entire trip cause they be capping jokes on us or our conversations.  

(Double Chins, Getting pulled over, Depends)

Leaving the show, it poured and poured.  We were troopers and went at the rain like we owned it!

The DAVIDS were troopers, stayed and chatted until the weeee hours of night time and they both work in the AM.  Good times fellows!

Day 3 with the Statue of Liberty.

Went to do the whole Staten Island and tourist things down south Manhattan. 

Saw Ground Zero.

Finally had time to tour the rest of Chinatown and got some goodies. 

Chinatown = SAME SAME in every city!

Round 3 of outing in the BIG APPLE.

(Gaslight. So much fun, didn't make it anywhere else.)

 Zabeth and Mo came out on a THURSDAY NIGHT.  Officially adopted a little NY brother, Mo.

NY cannot handle us CA Ladies.

To be continued....Part 2.

xoxoxo, 

Phumee

OUT WITH THE OLD...2013

Another year goes by and I am still in FRESNO...just venturing around and deciding what to do...like as in forever or for now?  

2013 was great!  Many good things happened and you live and you learn...Moving forward!

Ended 2013 with a BANG!

DRINKS..AND GOOD COMPANY!

 WHEN SHE SAYS, I NEED A DRINK...SHE NEEDS IT!!! HAHAHA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ONG AND KALINA...ONG MISSED THE SHOUT OUT, BUT I AM SURE SOMEONE CAUGHT IT ON TAPE!

THE SOUNDERS IN CONCERT

GOOD TIMES...GREAT COMPANY AND GOOD LAUGHS...YES WE DID IT AGAIN, LADIES...NO MORE PROMISING TO STAY AWAY FROM CAPTAIN, HENNY, JACK AND JOSE.

COUSINS AND FRIENDS

VIP @ SOUNDERS

                                                      

 AFTER ONG AND I SNUCK IN A PHOTO, KINDA EMBARRASSING, BUT WHO CARES, IN THE END WE ARE ALL FANS.

CAN'T END A YEAR WITHOUT HMONG NEW YEAR DRESS UP DAY!

EVERY YEAR WE LOOK FORWARD TO WHO WILL COME VISIT THIS NEW YEAR? 

COUSIN GARY CAME THIS YEAR!!!

GOOD TIMES AND VISIT MORE YPP FMAILY!

WE NEED A CA MEETS NC MEETS MN!!!

CELEBRATING 28 YEARS YOUNG GARY!

JERRY COME OUT, WE AREN'T THAT SCARY!  OR ARE WE? 

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAVE A GREAT YEAR!!!

BIGGER THINGS HAPPENING IN 2014!

CAN'T WAIT!!!

XOXOXO, 

PHUMEE