2009
10.22

David accidentally changed the link for the pictures so we tried to fix it but it doesn’t seem too hopeful. So I would need to upload all the previous pictures again… I will do it as soon as I’m done with Prokofiev. Prokofiev will kill me one day…

I’m writing this today to share a song. I was watching this korean show about a doctor/economist/lecturer/columnist about his hardships and accomplishments and this song played in the background. I found it on youtube and I have been listening to it ever since.

It’s a beautiful song and I hope it fills your heart with love and hope like it did with me.

2009
09.30

IMG_1206
IMG_1204

2009
09.30

Three more days!

I didn’t get the piano that I talked about in the previous post. I realized with the budget I had in mind, it was impossible to find a decent grand piano. So I raised the budget and found couple pianos that I would be interested in. I saw a Yamaha but there were too much work to be done, I saw a Baldwin and that also needed whole new set of keys, I saw a Kimball that was in perfect condition except it had a sound quality of an upright, and I saw couple others that didn’t really stand out to me.

David and I decided to drive down to Rhode Island for the weekend to see this piano repair man. He is a piano technician who have a collection of pianos that he also sells after doing work on them. It was a beautiful drive and I didn’t expect to find a piano that I was so desperately looking for. But boy, was I surprised! I found a beautiful Ivers and Pond baby grand piano and it’s getting delivered on Friday! Only thing I wasn’t sure about was the bass area but the piano technician is going to do work on it until Thursday and delivered it the next day~ I am so so sooooo excited! I can finally play piano!

Okay… besides piano… things have been pretty chill here. The weather is awesome and I have been going to the library and school more and more :) Oh! one day, me and David were walking towards his car to go see this Yamaha grand piano and by the time we got to the garage, his car was nowhere to be found! I freaked out and ran to the house to ask the girl what had happened and she had no idea! I thought it was stolen because I saw the tire marks on the ground. How can this happen?!?!?! This is a pretty safe neighborhood!!! well after couple phone calls, we found out that the car was towed because we didn’t have a parking sticker. Stupid towing company. Parking is very strict in Boston and drivers here have very high chance to get either a parking ticket or get your car towed x/

Okay, pictures so far :D

David's math problem for his work x) My favorite wine of the moment. Pad Kee Mow from Rod Dee Thai Restaurant Duck Pad See Yew Boston's oldest tavern. What to eat, what to eat~? Me and Emily with our Samuel Adams... Yes, I need to lose weight x/ Our food! Chicken wrap We went to JP Licks for dessert Road to Rhode Island Our snack for the road. After picture Rhode Island!!! downtown Rhode Island? confusing intersection... David got all his computers ready for three way video chat with my girls! Phoebe, ON! heh I don't know if you can see but if you want to see ti, look for a blue circle on the monitor ;D Lovely couch I found in Stoneham The couch looks stiff but it's the most comfortable thing ever! Hours before getting the piano and IT'S HERE!!! The leaves are turning yellow and RED! Road to H-MART! Oh how I MISSED YOU! H-mart is right around the corner I was excited to be at h-mart so I didn't take any pictures... but here's the groceries ;) and I made Bi-Bim-Bap!

2009
09.15

minus 1 hour

I think I might have found the grand piano I want. It’s located just .6 miles from where I live and I’m going over at 5:30 to see it. I am so happy that I can’t really think about anything else. Wish me luck!

Here are some pictures from past couple weeks? I live in Brookline now and it’s so beautiful here. I will take more pictures of my new home when I get my piano ;)

at this garden next to Berklee Chillin Geese IKEA with David and Emily heh... We drove by two days later and the sign was gone x) I started volunteering at Perkins School for the Blind last Friday. Road to Perkins. The walk was so beautiful. Howe Building at Perkins, where I had my orientation. Inside the Howe Building Brass band at Perkins in late 1800s. Emily told me about Tufts University's piano practice room, so I decided to check it out. And I got to practice!!! But the pianos seemed to be muted... I miss Chapman's Kawai... Infront of Tuft University Music Building Saw this house on my way back home. Inside Boston Central Public Library Beautiful. Stairs down to the first floor.

2009
08.29

I know Berklee will take a special place in my heart because it’s the reason why I moved 3000 miles away from my family. I wanted to talk to the director of Piano department so I went the other day but there wasn’t anyone at the office. But I met one of the piano professor, Ray Santisi, and he was very helpful. He invited me into his office so that I could play something for him but we just ended up the talking the whole time. I didn’t want to play for anyone before I practiced and I think he knew. So he told me to come by his office anytime and feel free to use his pianos. What a nice man!

At Berklee School of Music, Inside the building of piano and music therapy department. Outside the building Entrance I think this is the performance center. This disabled man was walking down the street picking up all the trash. Playing the guitar on a beautiful, sunny day. Library for Humanity. Quote in the garden. It was very nice to just sit on the bench and hear him play. Berklee administration building America's first sports bar, right next to Berklee. Irish bar with stairs :) In the middle of the plaza I took this picture because I thought David would like it.

2009
08.29

Lately…

I haven’t been doing much= enjoying life in Boston. I’ve been itching to play piano again but there are no professors at school right now so I have to wait until Monday. Phoebe visited from New York last week and it made us both realize we’re only 4 hours and 15 dollars away. I am very excited to visit her in New York but I think I should get a part time job first in order to enjoy the new york lifestyle… even if it’s just for few days ;)

The weather in Boston is perfect right now. I barely used air conditioning unit last week and it’s raining today. It’s so beautiful outside. I almost think I should just go for a quick run to Harvard yard. Pack ya cah in Havud Yad hehe. I’m still in my pajamas watching Bravo and catching up on korean entertainment shows. It’s so relaxing.

I miss Joe. It feels like he went to get a hot dog… for a very long time… DARNIT JOE! HURRY BACK WITH THE HOT DOGS!!!

Joseph at Boston Public Library. He ran into this sign and the whole thing fell to the ground... Inside the Library We got a new air conditioning unit!!! I don't know what Joe is holding... Boys working hard. David's pasta from YoMa, Burmese restaurant. Joe's curry My Burmese salad. Yummy! but too much flavor... This is a better picture of David's pasta Our favorite Bagel place, Bagel Rising. Turkey Avocado Bagel Sandwich My favorite bacon cream cheese bagel sandwich! Me and Phoebe's another set of jumping pictures :) We were trying to look like we were swimming... We're just laughing... ;) Walking towards Newbury Street... We were driving by and found this lovely park on a Brookline hill. Great place to go for a sleigh ride during winter. Date night at the Union Oyster House Awesome corn bread Clam Chowder was pretty good but the oysters were the reason why I was there! BIB!!!!! Lobster! yummy~ Mmmmmmm He dropped his lobster meat in the puddle of butter! :P Oldest oyster house and restaurant in America!!! I want to sit at the bar next time :)

2009
08.24

Missing you…

It has been four days since Joseph went back to California. I miss him so much and I’m starting to feel homesick. COME BACK, JOE!!!

David's stir-fry yummm~ Dunkin Donuts Driving by... Sam Adams Brewery quick lunch before the tour Lunching Turkey avocado bacon sandwich :) The Brewery was next to Bikes Not Bombs headquarter. We accidently walked in thinking it was the store. Mmm beer~ our tour guide with his beer. They get to start drinking beer in the morning! Finally! some beer tastin' Joe loves his beer~ Waiting for the next round of beer. I think this was Summer Ale... not as good as their other beers Most expensive beer! I think it's like 200 dollars?

2009
08.11

Running in the rain~

We finally got our refrigerator today so we’ve been stocking up on food. We went to Trader Joe’s when we were out to sign the lease, Joe and I went to korean market down the street, and we all drove to Whole Foods to get rest of the stuff we need. We parked our car in the parking spot and when we opened the door, it started to pour. We had to run to the house, which is about two or three blocks away from where we park. We were each holding one grocery bag and I was falling behind because my sandals kept slipping off. So Joe helped me carry it and by the time we got to our building, we were all soaking wet. Our feet were all wet and dirty but we had fun :)

Here are some more pictures of food and the place we’re going to live in three weeks.

We went to Whole Foods for brunch Joe went down the street one night to get late night snack. Spike's Junkyard Dogs :) I can't remember the name of the place but we came here for breakfast and it was delicious! Oh! I remember now! It's called Zaftigs :D Grace's Empire Eggs. Two poached eggs, spianch, smoked salmon on potato pancakes, Hollandaise. David's Chocolate French Toast. Joe's Mediteranean Omelete. It was so delicious~ Chinese version of Jja-Jang-Myun. It was... different x) Boys with their hot noodles Scallion pancakes, my favorite~ We got lot of food... David with his WoW, Joe with his Youtube or sports site... We went to Hanmaru for dinner. It's so nice to have korean restaurants down the street from the house :) Thai Iced Tea, David figured out how to make the rose from the straw wrapper. Gam-Ja-Tang! IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD!!! man bib? The boys always wear white shirts when we go eat Korean food... We couldn't finish it all so we took it home and had it for dinner. I added ramen noodles and it was so awesome... I can't wait to have this when it snows here~ OBEY poster Entrance of the place we will be living in :) Side of the apartment. Our place is the first floor on the left. Yes, this one. It's very quiet and pretty. I think I'm going to love Brookline. The train stops right infront of the place! Flowers~ On our way back from Trader Joe's. That's David in the back, carrying Thule xD

2009
08.09

Life in Boston

It has been a week and five days (week and four days in Grace’s time) since we arrived in Allston, Boston. It was very hot and humid for the first couple days but now the weather is PERFECT. The refrigerator is broken so we have been eating out everyday. It’s been awesome because we’re trying out new restaurants but I miss home cooked meal. We walked around Brookline, which is only couple blocks away from Allston. If I have to compare the two cities to cities in LA… Allston is a combo of WeHo and K-town, Brookline is nicer area in Santa Monica…? I love Brookline because even though it’s very clean and quiet, there are lot of boutique shops, restaurants, and Peet’s Coffee!!! We looked at many places in Brookline and finally found a place to live last week. Grace signed her first leasing paper today!!!

We went to the house where JFK was born, went window shopping on Newbury Street for 20 minutes, had a very good dim sum, followed freedom trail, went to the oldest tavern in America, visited Berklee School of Music, and Joe even saw Paul McCartney and heard him rehearse outside the Fenway Park! I have been procrastinating with this post so I will post pictures now :)

Our first breakfast in Boston x) David had to buy a parking space for a month while we stay in Allston. My favorite place in the world! Standing infront of Coolidge Corner First apartment we looked at. The tenant decided to stay so we had to keep looking... Talking about how close it is to Coolidge Corner Upper Crust Pizza for lunch Joe, taking video of the place. He loves his iPhone... Picture 1 of the kitchen Picture 2 of the kitchen Our pizza!!! It was sooooo delicious~ On the walk back home, we decided to stop by JFK's old house ;) The House! Backyard of JFK's house Joe is running around in the backyard like JFK did back in the day... hehe Walking back home Joe's first train ride in Boston. Hai La Moon in Chinatown. Their dim sum was so good~ A store in Chinatown... where they sell live chicken x/ One of David's favorite store, Petagonia. Train Station in Hynes Convention Center, where Berklee is ;) Hotel lobby, quick restroom stop in downtown Boston. so cute hehe Super 88 food court... I will never go there again.

Joe and I decided to go on the Freedom Trail. David was working and he has been there before so he stayed home. It was very hot and humid, the trail was super long, and we did not have our first meal of the day until we finished around 3 in the afternoon. I wanted to give up at the end and almost cried but I DID IT! Word of advice? Do NOT wear sandals and don’t forget to eat before you go on the trail ;)

Map of Boston. Joseph :) Paul Revere's house... Joe was excited to see this... nerd... Chillin and thinkin... like Paul Revere Buildings next to Paul Revere's house Peace Garden, I thought Mommy would like to see this ;) Holiday decoration in August? Feeding time! Among the pigeons, I saw this one little bird... so cute! Pose, pose! I knew Joe was taking a picture so I quickly got into my relaxing/thinking/looking pose Memorial Garden for lives lost in Iraq resting... Bunker Hill Monument... I almost cried on the way to this tower. Not because I was sad... but I was extremely tired and Joe said he would leave me if I stopped x( Joe went up, I waited on the bottom of the monument. I remember someone saying it's like walking up a 21 story building xP Everyone looked so exhausted, I thought Joe would start crying but he didn't heh Mommy would be proud!!! Joe was actually reading about the monument!!! Museum Beer was so refreshing! Potato skin as our first meal of the day Where the oldest tavern in America is We went to Oyster bar for more beer and oysters. I didn't like the clams... too fishy~ We went to Buk Kyoung, a Korean restaurant down the street, for dinner.

2009
07.31

Boston we are here!

We had a short drive today for about 4 hours. It poured while we drove through upstate New York. A nice wash for the bug covered bikes and car. When we got to Boston, luckily the rain subsided and we had just enough time to unpack in the hot humidity and park the car down the street without getting wet.

We walked down the street to a korean bbq place for dinner, and had plenty of soju/sake. The food was ok, I think we’re spoiled with good ktown food. Grace out early, so she won’t be able to comment on the photos of the day. She’ll probably update it soon! Check back later!