July has brought about so many changes in my life that I haven’t even had the time to sit down and think things through. Aside from all the festivals and places I’ve been to, this month has been marked by the start of one relationship and the end of another. My grandmother, at the age of 86, passed away from lung cancer. She was not a smoker but she was getting somewhat old. It was difficult seeing her lose her strength and having trouble breathing, so I am glad that she is now in a good place. I was also glad to get to know my cousins during the few days I spent at the funeral home. I hadn’t seen my cousins since we were kids in elementary school, so it was interesting to get to know them as adults. It was nice to build that bond with family members as we faced the loss of a grandparent together. Now setting that aside, I’d like to share some of my July favorites with you:
#1. Festivals & concerts – The first festival I went to was the Shinchon Watergun Festival. I had a blast having a streetwide watergun fight and beating the summer heat. The second festival was the Boryeong Mud Festival which is surprisingly known to be one of the top worldwide festivals. This explains why the festival grounds were crammed full of people! It was slightly different from what I had imagined it to be. I had thought that we would be wrestling in ditches full of mud for some reason, but in actuality there were “painting booths” where you could paint yourself with mud before entering the grounds. Once inside there were slides, games, and opportunities to dunk people in water or pour mud over their heads! For me personally, the highlight of the mud festival was the concert that happened in the evening. Psy performed on the stage that was set up right next to the ocean, including his famous hit Gangnam Style. I love the vibe in concert standing areas and with the exception of a couple of songs, I was jumping the entire time I was there. Where I got the energy to jump for hours after spending the day running around at the mud festival? I’m not quite sure but I think it has something to do with the energy of the festival, the buzz of a concert, the ocean breeze, and the night sky.
#2. Lotte Aquarium – The thing about aquariums is that they’re never quite alike. The Seattle Aquarium had a huge octopus, and lovely habitats for the otters and seals. The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium had polar bears! It seems to me that while the schools of fish may fade from memory, its the bigger mammals, sharks, dolphins, and whales that make the strongest impression at an aquarium. This was certainly the case at the Lotte Aquarium where me and my friend sat and stared at the beautiful beluga whales for a good hour or so. When my friend first told me that she wanted to go to the Lotte Aquarium to watch beluga whales and contemplate life, I was somewhat amused and apprehensive. Amused at the thought of contemplating life in an aquarium, and apprehensive because that area was known to have a sinkhole and the last thing I wanted was to be inside an aquarium should the Lotte tower collapse from a sinkhole. I went though, and I was so glad that I did. I sat mesmerized by the graceful movements of the huge beluga whales, and it seemed as though they were telling me that everything was going to be ok.
#3. Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad – Regular caesar salads are fail. Grilled chicken caesar salads are the best thing ever.
#4. Roxy Duffle Bag – I knew I wanted this duffle bag from Roxy the moment I saw it in store, but it was probably my 5th visit to the shop that I bit the bullet pricetag and bought it. The mint color and the summer vibes were right up my alley, but it didn’t really fit into my everyday life to justify the price. I caved when my friend told me that it would give me an excuse to do things that required a duffle bag, and I was fairly amused when I ended up going to two festivals back to back and put the duffle bag to good use. Now if only I had a matching suitcase…
#5. Rummikub – My friend bought a Rummikub set to keep in her car, and since then we’ve been battling our wits with this board game. It is the greatest feeling when you’re able to pull off an amazing play, because it requires you to predict and consider several moves; much in the way of games like chess.
#6. Innisfree No-sebum Powder – I’ve always loved a powdery matte finish, and after half a year of religious use I’ve hit pan on the Make Up For Ever HD pressed powder, and have already repurchased another. The only downside is that it isn’t really portable since the case isn’t exactly small and I apply it with a brush. It’s not so much a problem during the rest of the year, but in the summer my makeup literally melts off my face from all the humidity and sweat so I absolutely need a powder for retouching my make up. The Innisfree No-sebum Powder has fit the bill because I can easily fit it into the mini bags I’ve been rocking all summer, without taking up too much space. Cannot, will not live without this in my bag!
#7. Red pedicure – Since I’ve been sporting sandals and flip-flops all summer, I’ve taken care to give myself a pedicure the past couple months. I tried a sparkly bronze when I went to the mud festival, but since then I’ve been rocking nothing but red. It’s playful, it’s sexy, and it’s bold and confident. What’s not to love about it?
#8. A3 clear file folder – I’m still working on my calligraphy, and since I’ve made the switch to A3 sized paper from A4 sized paper, I’ve had a stack of A3 papers piling up on my desk as they wouldn’t fit in any of my regular file folders. Once I got around to buying A3 sized file folders I was able to keep all my work in a safe place where I wouldn’t have to worry about them getting lost or even worse, bent and crumpled!
Your Turn ♥ What are your July favorites?
