Blogging from my little corner of Seoul, Korea, where I’ll be until next fall as a Fulbrighter. My stated research project concerns the experiences of young North Korean defectors in South Korea, but my personal goal is to eat my way through every type of street food. Also, I’d like to personally meet a couple that match-dresses. Say hi! —-Lilian lilee27 — gmail var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-12120932-2"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}Tumblr (3.0; @lilianlee)http://www.lilianilee.com/<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz9vnym2RY1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>À table, garcons and filles!</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479667469http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479667469Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:59:57 +0900Dinner party<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz9vjmL21G1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Last time you saw silver napkin rings on place settings?</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479612762http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479612762Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:57:22 +0900Dinner party<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz9vh7mzV31qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Side: Tuscan beans slowly cooked for five hours</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479580053http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479580053Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:55:55 +0900Dinner party<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz9vfei39I1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Usually, winter means losing-weight season, not because I deliberately diet but because I’m too uninspired to cook or leave the house or anything. But lately, the amount of good food I have been sharing with people is unreal. </p> <p>Last night’s main dish: Johanna’s stuffed zucchinis. </p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479556716http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479556716Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:54:49 +0900Dinner party<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz9v7oo0Rd1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>The lotus is a man of substance, and the ____ is a man of no substance.  Fill in the blank!</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479454868http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479454868Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:50:11 +0900seoul arts centertemplebuddhismlotus flowers<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz9v5idWO61qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Seoul Arts Center.  Yesterday, I was interviewed for a book on women in Korean society.  Afterwards, we went for a walk to the temple in the hills but stopped to take in the views as it was just in time for sunset. </p> <p>Do you see the Korean men’s hat shape of the roof?</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479425801http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479425801Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:48:53 +0900seoul arts center<p>As he left the bar with Christine at his side, Dixon felt like a special agent, a picaroon, a Chicago war lord, a hidalgo, an oil baron, a Mohock.  — Lucky Jim</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479241722http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17479241722Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:40:54 +0900kingsley amislucky jimyes yes yes<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lywftpTYFD1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>It is possible to eat too much cheese, as I discovered last night.</p> <p>Turkey sandwich and ricotta salad at Mama’s in Seoul.</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17068162313http://www.lilianilee.com/post/17068162313Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:49:01 +0900<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lylsqxSjc51qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Feel cold, tired, and gray.  Kind of like this day in Pyongyang last July. </p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16753732574http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16753732574Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:54:32 +0900north korea<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyhp9yd7kO1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>A sandman.  I know, it’s been exactly a month since I’ve been back in Seoul, and I wish I could stop posting my California pictures, but it’s proving impossible. </p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16616547325http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16616547325Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:49:09 +0900sandmanLaguna Beach<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lycqhw5VtS1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Veggie curry for cold snowy nights</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16460263154http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16460263154Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:27:32 +0900<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyc78mNkaE1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Minestrone + French cheese + pate?  Why not? </p> <p>Nutty bread + focacia + homemade apricot jam?  Why not? </p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16450154811http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16450154811Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:31:34 +0900Last night's dinner party<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyc73stjyM1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Been eating some variation of this meal for the past week.  With heaps of Sriracha sauce. </p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16450004702http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16450004702Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:28:40 +0900dinner for one<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyakonn6hK1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>The LA Times has an <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prom-invite-20120123,0,3261796.story">article on teens</a> inviting dates to school dances in creative, elaborate ways.  Don’t they know that this has been going on for yeeeears?  Like, since I was in high school ten years ago? </p> <p>In 2002, a boy asked my friend to prom by giving her a big fish tank filled with fish.  “Out of all the fish in the sea, you’re the only one for me,” the accompanying note said.  Another friend made lots of enormous cookies that spelled out the question: Will you go to prom with me? </p> <p>When I was in the 11th grade, I went to Santa Clara with my school’s Future Business Leaders of America for a national conference.  On the second day, our faculty adviser pulled Gloria, one of my hotel roommates, out of a session.  Later that evening, when I went back to our room, I noticed that it was a lot cleaner than we had left it that morning.  I also saw the trail of rose petals that led up to my bed, where there were more roses.  Sitting in the middle of all the flowers was a teddy bear and a note.  It was one of those Build-A-Bear teddies, the one where you squeeze a body part and a recorded message plays out.  The fact that I didn’t know what was going on until I opened the note shows how oblivious I was to such things.  I was also mortified to discover, all of a sudden, that there were lots of people in the hotel room by this time, including the senior boy who had devised the whole thing and the teacher who had helped him. </p> <p>The card said something really sweet about wanting to go to prom with me.  And the bear — the bear’s message I’ve completely blocked from my memory.  (I couldn’t bear to throw it away though, so it stayed in the corner of my closet for years).</p> <p>If I had had time to think about it, I would have said yes and gone to prom with this boy, who was so nice and smart and obviously thoughtful.  But I was shocked and taken aback and embarrassed to be in the spotlight like that.  I felt duped (by the faculty adviser and my friend) rather than cheerfully surprised.  Later, I heard that the boy ended up skipping the dance.</p> <p>But karma has its ways, though, because by the time my own senior prom rolled around, I was in for it.  I went with someone I absolutely did not care for, had a fight with a girlfriend that left us not speaking to each other for years, and went home early and sad.</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16399515289http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16399515289Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:26:47 +0900high school<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly7k05Nrtz1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Furthest thing from it</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16292128850http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16292128850Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:19:17 +0900<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly4udmSpqW1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Little things, like pretty blue tiles. </p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16212098387http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16212098387Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:10:33 +0900intelligentsia coffelos angeles<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly4u3lEaRw1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>I have the beginnings of a cold now. My goal is to stay warm and cozy all day and kick it away.  I bet if I could have some tacos, I’d be okay. </p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16211805929http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16211805929Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:04:32 +0900pinches tacosSunset BLVD<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly4twpR1Kc1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Stairway to heaven</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16211599133http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16211599133Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:00:24 +0900Laguna Beach<blockquote> <p>As one grows older one becomes more silent.  In one’s youth one is ready to pour oneself out to the world; one feels an intense fellowship with other people, one wants to throw oneself in their arms and one feels that they will receive one. (42)</p> </blockquote> <p>*As according to Maugham</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16160050271http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16160050271Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:43:49 +0900The month of Maugham<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly1fxrffBj1qzruzmo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>How fun is life?</p>http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16137262498http://www.lilianilee.com/post/16137262498Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:02:06 +0900fun fun fun