Quote of the Day: Don't move too fast

"Don't try to live life in a hurry, the slower the pace the more things you will get to see"

Ever hear the quote "Life isn't a sprint, it's a marathon"? I guess the above is very similar, it just lists the reason. At times, i have envied those that just lived life straight like an arrow. Graduate HS with good grades, then go on to a great College where they finish a year early. Start working right away, get married, and have kids. All of this before they even hit mid 20's.

In some ways, they may have been determined to reach a certain goal, or they were just taught to live like that by their parents, or maybe they were following life's natural flow? Who knows. One thing I am certain of, is that i should not regret the way i have lived my life up till now. I may not be at the point i expected to be, but there were so many memories that enriched my life that i would have otherwise never experienced.

Song of the Day: DJ Masa Kpop In a G6 Mashup

Wow.. i'm impressed. Pretty good job making everything sound in sync.

Difference between liking and loving

Liking someone is being able to live with that person.
Loving someone is not being able to live w/o that person.

SoYeon from SNSD and YongHwa from CNBlue just had their last day as a married couple in the TV Show, "We got Married". One of the questions they had during their part was the question on the title. I thought about it, and the above is my personal answer.

TV Show Review: 나는 가수다 (I'm a Singer) Survival

There is a new TV show out in Korea. I don't know the exact rules, but it's a survival type of show where i believe each week one contestant is voted off the show. There are some really big names that are participating, all of whom i like.

Baek Ji Young
Lena Park
Kim Bum Soo
Kim Gun Mo
Jung Yeop
YB Band

Out of all of these singers, Kim Bum Soo kinda stands out for me because he has made 4 of my all time favorite sad ballads:

1. I want to see you (보고싶다)
2. Memory (매모리)
3. One Day (하루)

Some of the episodes for "I'm a Singer" are on YouTube so go check it out. Also check out the originals by Kim Bum Soo!

Song of the Day: IU - One sided love

She's so young yet so talented! This song is pretty awesome.

Movie Review: Rango

Dumb movie. Went with low expectations, and ended up sleeping through half the movie. DO not watch this. Such a waste of money. Slow paced movie with so so animation.

Rating: 3/10

On another good note, i sold my R1900 Epson printer for $300. As soon as my rebate comes back, i would have gotten my D3100 for $300. Good deal.

3rd Street Promenade Santa Monica, CA

Pae, his gf, and I went to 3rd ST Promenade today for chill. We both took our new DSLR's and took some great shots. DSLR's are so much more fun than point and shoot's! I also found a new fav. store, "Zara" which is a European store. Got myself a new jacket. I now need new pants to match this jacket.. so time to hit up Macy's. I'm also just about to run out of my Ise Miyaki so gotta pick up a new bottle.

We also hit up Moo Dae Po afterward for some Korean BBQ, and found out that place was all hype. The 3 1/2 stars it received on Yelp was right on the money. It's got an interesting atmosphere with dark lighting and loud music, but the food wasn't that spectacular. For $18 per person for all you can eat, it wasn't worth it. Save urself some money and hit up Honey Pig!

Thank to Pae, i have also realized that i need to start taking pics in Raw 12 bit format so that i can change the exposure of pictures i take during post processing. Time to get a larger SD card.

Drama Review: My Princess

I just finished all 16 episodes. Cute drama. I actually liked the fact they dragged out the ending to show the lovey dovey parts. Watching Song Seung Hoon makes me want to get a European fit suit.. time to go check out Zara @ 3rd st.

Kim Tae Hee comes out unbelievably cute in this drama, and plays the sassy part very well. During many of the scenes i just wanted to pinch her cheeks!

Rating: 8/10

Quote of the Day: When it's sunny..

"Even when it's sunny, there are bound to be shadows"

I guess this was better said in Korean. Heard this during "My Princess" k-drama - and it's similar to Yin-Yang beliefs. I liked the expression so i decided to post it. Even when everything goes your way, there are bound to be occasions when things go wrong. So, don't feel sad - just brush it off and move forward! Fighting!

Hello Nikon D3100

So after some contemplation, i decided to sell my Canon Rebel XT and get a new camera. There were a few reasons for this.

1. I bought it for $200 and sold it for $300. So profit = good
2. It was giving sporadic ERROR99 messages - and it was bugging me
3. There was no image stabilization on the lens and it was killing the photos. I also thought the ISO or Aperture of the camera were off..
4. No video recording mode

Now i have the Nikon D3100. So far so good, love the weight and handle of the camera. I think compared to the Canon T2i, the Nikon holds a little better as the handle can be gripped by one hand comfortably. The buttons are also well placed, including the FN and Info button for quick changes to settings.

The overall quality of the camera is solid. The lens also feel heavier, but that's because it has it's own motor inside. Video recordings in 1080p were sharp. The only beef i have with this camera so far is that in Manual modes, it doesn't have AUTO ISO.. which means if i want to do Aperture or Shutter priority modes, i'd have to figure out the correct ISO settings before taking the picture.

I guess practice is needed. I also bought this camera using the strategy i posted a few days ago, and i've already sent in my rebate forms. I need to wait 8 weeks for that to come back, and sell the R1900 printer sitting in my living room. I still need to buy a few things:

1. Tripod
2. Side holster bag
3. Larger SD card

How To: Make a simple Kimchi fried rice!

Hungry? Here is a quick way to make sum Kimchi fried rice Bronx's style.

Ingredients:
1. Rice
2. Kimchi
3. Sesame Oil

Optional:
1. Beef, chicken or pork
2. Sesame Seed
3. Eggs
4. Salt

Cook the rice over night, and let it sit to cool. This will harden it a little and make it crunchier.

For the Kimchi, i prefer mine sliced and diced into tiny pieces because that way you can have some kimchi with every bite you take. So use a knife and cut up the kimchi until it's nicely shredded.

Mix the rice with the kimchi and add some sesame oil and seed. About 3-4 table spoons is enough depending on the amount of rice you are using.

From here, you can just use a frying pan, or a wok to stir cook everything with light olive oil. If you want to take it up a notch, you can cook some meat and eggs. Depending on the kimchi, you may need to sprinkle some salt while stir fying.

That's it! You are done. Takes about 10 minutes to make and it's pretty damn good!

Song of the Day: K Will - Heart is Racing

IU is in it.. so it's win no matter what.

Sense of smell

I think out of all 5 senses, the sense of smell never ends to amaze me. Being able to recollect memories, just by smelling something familiar.

Violent dreams

Yesterday I had one of those fight club dreams.  Very violent and involved a lot of face smashing.. I've been pretty mellow these days.. I wonder where all the rage came from. 

Deals on Nikon and Canon DSLR's

I have had my Canon Rebel XT for about 2 months now, and already felt like an upgrade. I ended up doing some research on possible new deals out on the net and found two which i'd like to share in case any of you are in the market for one.

Nikon D3100 with 18-55mm lens kit for ~$350:

Original price is $699. BHphotovideo is having a sale for $549 here. But it doesn't end there because currently until 4/2/11, Epson is having a ridiculous sale on their R1900 printer. You can buy it for $464 here.

When you buy both the DSLR and the Printer, you can get a $400 mail in rebate from Epson. Make sure you read the fine print though, both items must be purchased from the same vendor, and must show on ONE invoice. Rebate redemption must be made within 30 days of purchase.

So how does this all calculate?

Nikon D3100: $549
Epson R1900: $464
Total: $1,013

Epson Rebate: -$400
Sell R1900 on eBay or Craigslist: -$250 - $300

The final result ends up being that you can buy the Nikon for $300 - $350. That's a pretty sick deal. The downside to all this is that you will have to wait 8 weeks to get the rebate check back, and the time it takes to sell the printer.


Refurbished Canon T2i DSLR with 18-55mm Lens kit: $550

This deal applies more to those of you who have a broken or unused Canon camera and want to move up to a DSLR. Canon current has a Customer Loyalty Program which accepts ANY Canon camera in exchange for another refurbished camera from their store + 20% off.

Here's how it works, you call 1-866-443-8002 and tell the rep that you want to take part in the customer loyalty program. They may ask you for the serial number of the broken Canon camera you are going to be sending in. Then they will give you 20% off any camera from their refurbished website located here.

The T2i with 18-55mm lens is listed as $639. Take 20% off and it becomes $511. Tax is applied so depending on your state will vary. This is a great way to upgrade if you have any old Canon camera's laying around the house.

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My Nikon should be here in the next week, so i'm stoked!

Song of the Day: Bruno Mars - Grenade

My cousin posted this on his FB the other day. Pretty sweet.

Overall Year Summary since 02'

So, when i first started this blog, Blogger didn't have all the options it has now. Specifically the "Title" for each blog. I figured this was a good time to read over all of

my blogs since 2002 and input a title to each one. This process took a very long time.. i didn't realize how long it takes to read over 600 blog posts!

Brief run down on what happened to me these past 8 years since i started blogging here.

2002 - Moved to LA and it seems like i did not get much sleep.  This could explain why i like to sleep so much now. The theme's were pretty straight forward:
• School
• Work
• Tapioca Express
• Out till morning with friends

2003 - LA is now home and the fun times continue
• School + Work
• Disgruntled about going to LA to party
• Had to bail out a friend after he got arrested
• Computer i had for less than 2 years had problems
• Trips to SF, SD, LA
• Stopped going clubbin

2004 - This was a big year for me. Lots of things happened. Met Sunny, quit a job, got a new job, graduated College, etc.
• 23 Years old, and first time i mentioned wanting a DSLR
• Lost my wallet
• My savings were depleated
• First time regretting moving to LA
• Lost my digicam
• Lost my Cal/Federal grant
• Continuously kept using the words Jot Det Dah and ROAR
• Bjunkyard 3.0 goes live
• Got a Gmail account
• Quit Banana Republic
• Got a job at Motor Impact

2005 - One of the best years of my life. Got into a serious relationship and also got to work with Pae in the same warehouse.
• Was planning on Moving but didn't
• My cousin Romina passed away
• Had the most enjoyable weekend at Big Bear. Rented a cabin for about 13 people
• Finally tired of manual transmission and want an automatic
• Break up.. then make up.. then break up.. then make up again
• Learned to play golf

2006 - Moved back to Norcal
• Went to big bear again, it's always fun there
• 5 stitches on my finger cuz of a deep cut
• After a year at working in Fullerton, we moved to LA to open Southwest Roofing
• Kevin and Ofra got married. I was the best man
• Quit work at SWR and MI and moved back to SJ with parents. Now that i think about it, i only worked with Adam for 2 years. But it feels like i've known him forever
• Was serious about opening a Subway but eventually never happened
• Started working for my parents 4plex in San Jose as a property manager

2007 - Started working for Fox Newscorp.
• New job
• Got addicted to WoW
• I was not living a healthy lifestyle. Too much beer and fatty foods.
• Got a navigation deck on my lude
• Played a part in the district convention drama
• Bjunkyard dead. Too busy to update it

2008 - Moved to NY
• Soon after i moved to NY, my life was in hell. The first few months were great, but then Sunny and I broke up - and life there seemed meaningless. I was stuck there because of my job, and lease agreement
• My post count on this blog diminished to a halt, so i can't recollect everything that happened there
• Got a 42" LCD TV
• Built my first HTPC
• Sold my beloved Honda Prelude

2009 - Hell continues
• Life sucks. Miserable in NY. Home sick. Missing old friends back home
• The only thing that kept me alive in NY was probably video games. I made some cool friends online and that pretty much was enough to keep my head together
• Finally decided to revive bjunkyard

2010 - Quit job and moved back to LA
• After 2 years of Hell in NY, i gained enough courage to just quit work, and move back to Los Angeles
• Got a 24HR fitness membership and became serious about getting fit
• Bought a GS430
• Close friend Nancy F. passed away
• Started playing soccer and basketball every week
• Went to Redondo Beach and finally let go of a few things
• Started using Picasa
• Bought my first Smart Phone, Motorola Droid X

Movie Review: The Next Three Days

What a sigh of relief after watching mediocre movies! I loves action thrillers. Specially prison related, or escapes by innocent ppl.

The movie is about a wife that is incarcerated for murder and her husband trying to find ways to free her so that they can be a family again. The first half of the movie is a bit dragged, but the second half keeps you on your toes.

Rating: 8/10

On a side note, i watched "The Warrior's Way" and it's not even worth putting it on a separate entry. The movie sucked, which is a good reason it flopped in theaters. Don't waste your time on it.

Movie Review: The Fighter

How would you like this movie sir? Medium rare please. Was this even a boxing movie? It was soooo clique and tacky that i urked as i watched this. The Fighter was a bad remake of Rocky. The cinematography during the fight sequences sucked, and the storyline was way too obvious. It actually started out okay.. then just kept getting worse and worse.

Rating: 6/10

Movie Review: 127 Hours

I think imbd gave this movie a 8/10 rating. Just as my previous blog entry regarding The King's Speech, this movie was highly recommended.

The plot is about a man that is trapped in the canyons because his arm was wedged between rocks during a fall. He was trapped there for 127 hours, hence the title of the movie. I think everybody knows how he got out.. (he cut his arm off), it was all over the news.

The majority of the movie was exactly as I imagined. A film based on a man stuck between two rocks. They tried to add some storyline by going into his past, his love life, and his family. They failed in that regard, because i felt it was overdone.

The best part of the movie is when his free from the rock, and runs for help. But the movie ends soon afterwards. Was this even worth watching once? I honestly can't even answer that question. I watched it to satisfy my curiosity.. and i will certainly not watch it again.

Rating: 6/10

Movie Review: The King's Speech

Why did this movie get such high ratings and awards? I thought it was good, but not to the extent that critics are raving about.

The plot of the story is about the king of England who has a stuttering problem, meets a doctor to help him correct it. The acting was very well done, and the story telling was good - but i still think it was a bit boring at times and there wasn't any "umph" to make me say, "wow.. that was a great movie".

There was a part where the king is told to wear an earphone playing loud music and to read a book. He was able to do so w/o a stutter. I don't see why this method wasn't used during any of his private speeches done by radio.

In any case, it was worth watching once - but i will not watch it again.

Rating: 7/10

Working out > all u can eat bbq

Had another invite to korean bbq that I passed up to work out.  Its only march 3rd ...  arg.  Stop with the temptations!

Haircut

Last time i got a haircut was @ the end of November 2010. I haven't gone since.. at first it was because the lady totally f'ed my hair and cut it too short. I needed time to grow it back to proper length. After 3 months, what i think about now is that i saved $75. Hah!

To cut it.. or not.. that is the question. I can't decide. I'll just be lazy and not go until i get a pony tail.