White Day 화이트데이

My boyfriend lived in Korea for three years and loved it. Consequently, I have learned a lot about Korea in the past couple months. One Korean tradition that I enjoy is their concept of Valentine's day. 

In Korea, Valentine's day is spread across three days: Feb 14 is for the men (women give them chocolate/ presents), Mar 14 is for the women (how we would celebrate Valentine's Day in America) and Apr 14 is for all the singles (they usually all go out to eat on this day).

I really liked this format because I always feel bad about the pressure guys get on Valentine's Day. Plus, no one in the US celebrates March 14, so I really felt special that day when my boyfriend surprised me by assigning each of my friends a "mission" (like mission impossible) to say a key phrase and give me chocolate at scheduled times throughout the day. It was one of the most creative operations I've ever seen. 

As an aside, I would highly recommend doing the "tangled disney movie" paper lanterns for a date. We got the blank white kind and wrote different messages on them for White Day as well (our own tradition, not Korean). 

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

I'd rather...

One of my favorite TV shows to watch (when I have time) is Psych.  On the show, Carlton Lassiter, a police officer, will occasionally say gems like, "I'd rather shower with a bear,"  "I'd rather learn to play the harp," or "I'd rather spend the rest of my life at the Lilith Fair."  While I personally may or may not share Lassiter's opinions (as they reflect things that he would normally despise doing to emphasize his distate for a suggestion) his quotes have inspired me to create my own:

I'd rather...

1. major in chemistry (while I appreciate those who study chemistry--as it means that I don't have to--this is a class that I successfully avoided taking in both high school and college. and will continue to avoid.)
2. sweep up maggots that are all across the kitchen floor (true story, actually. not only are maggots disgusting, but they don't easily sweep up. they are semi sticky and kind of roll into balls once you start sweeping, so you have to sweep them one by one. which can easily take several hours)
3. go clothes shopping (my sister once said, "don't take Rebekah shopping unless you really, really, desperately need her in a bad mood.")
4. abstain from eating chocolate for the rest of my life (no explanation necessary)
5. go on a road trip when I'm not the driver (this means I have no control over my return time, as I'm subject to the driver and other passenger's opinions and decisions. I tend to be non-confrontational, especially in close quarters like a road trip, and so I end doing what everyone else wants to. also, I get car sick)
6. read/ watch a tragedy where everyone DIES (I'm a happy-ending kind of gal. I figure I involuntarily see enough sadness in the world, why seek it out in movies or books? but that's just me)
7. shower with a spider (seriously, though, isn't this the worst? you see a spider anywhere in the shower and you instantly are trying to figure out if you should continue showering and hope it doesn't bug you, or if you should hop out, grab some toilet paper, and dispose of it. assuming, that is, that the spider is small)

We'll stop with lucky number seven. I'm sure there's more. Hopefully this post has inspired you to think of your own "I'd rathers."

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Disneyland

My sister happens to be a Disneyland fanatic. Which I fully support, as I reap the benefits such as going to Disneyland two years in a row. We went right after I got back from my mission in 2012 and again this spring.

My recommendations for a good time at Disneyland:

• Eat at the Blue Bayou restaurant, which is located in the middle of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. it is the most magical eating experience you will ever have. my sister and I went for the first time this year and absolutely LOVED it. 
• While we're on the topic of food, the Jolly Holiday Bakery is also a good place to eat at. Mary Poppins themed, reasonably priced sandwiches with home-made potato chips, great pasteries...it's like the disney version of Kneaders. 
• Also, if you've never tried a beignet before, please do so. They will change your dessert life and give you greater appreciation for the movie, "The Princess and the Frog."
• Watch the parades, the fireworks, and most importantly, "World of Color." World of Color is worth standing in the rain to see. Which we did. And it was epic.
• Moving on to general advice: Do a magic morning. (you get in an hour earlier than everyone else.) Be smart about fast passes. (once you use one, get another--they save you hours in line.) Sleep in the afternoon (the busiest time) and go back in the evening until closing.
• Things to do while waiting in line: the Cute Baby game (spot all the adorable children under the age of 3 who wearing disney paraphernalia); the Mickey Mouse Ears game (seriously, they have so many varieties of ears at disneyland now. see if you can spot every variety--there's easily over 20); Check the disneyland ride app on your phone to see what rides have the shortest lines so you can go there next. 

Also, after you've gone to Disneyland (because after this blog post, who wouldn't want to go?) check out this youtube clip (shamelessly back posting):

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

my new favorite alarm clock

So last month, I discovered the perfect gift to give my boyfriend for valentine's day.
Behold: "gun o'clock"

It's an alarm clock that you can turn off by shooting it with a laser gun. Sleep with the gun under your pillow and you can turn off your clock from across the room! Plus, you can take out all your frustration towards your alarm clock in a healthy, less damaging way (as opposed to throwing it across the room to turn it off).

The gift was well received (both of my siblings were jealous), although it did have some battery problems. There is also a target game setting that comes with it.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Snow Day

Whenever I see this at night:

I always think of this night:

While in DC in 2010, I had the chance to go to Valley Forge with a bunch of other BYU students. We planned to stay the night and continue to Philadelphia in the morning. 

As a friend and I walked outside that night, it was so quiet. It's that silence that makes you feel like you are the only person outside. All sound seemed to be absorbed by falling snow. 

After taking a couple pictures (and secretly wishing we were in Narnia) we went to bed. Only to discover in the morning...it snowed 3 feet. That's right. It was over our knees:

So now every time it snows at night I secretly wish that when I wake up, it'll be super deep again. Even though I know it'll be a hassle later. Technically we were snowed in, and it took us 7 hours to get back to DC...BUT it still turned out to be one of the best days ever. My favorite part was the mini snow war we had. Being knocked to the ground didn't even matter because it was like falling into a foam pit. 

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

New Beginnings

In preparation for the most dreary semester of the year, I purchased scrapbook paper to cheer up my study space!! Now when I zone out while studying I have colorful flowers to look at to motivate me to continue on.

You'll also notice a calendar in the lower left corner. I'm trying to be more organized and scheduled this semester. Which basically sounds like my resolution every semester, but 2013 might be my lucky year.

Renewed Goals from last semester:

• Go to bed by midnight (which consequentially means getting my HW done ahead of time)
• wake up by 8am (so I can study the scriptures in the morning and not at night)
• weekly temple trip (this was the one goal I was good at last year)
• BLOG. :)

Wish me luck!
Here's the poorly lit shot of my adorable carrel (trust me, it's cuter than you think):

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Testimony

So I'm back posting, but it ties together...

In institute this week, the teacher challenged us to share our testimony of Jesus Christ with someone else, and since I didn't share mine on Sunday, I will do so now. We were only given a minute to write things down, so I made the following list:

• Son of God
• Head of the Church
• Atonement
• Jehovah
• Priesthood
• Brother

Most of this ties back to my mission, but I'd like to briefly expound. The message that I shared for 1.5 years was that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. While not the same person as God, He and our Heavenly Father work together to bring about our salvation. Christ's church has been established on the earth today. Through the restoration of priesthood keys (an authority that can be traced back to Christ), we have another witness of Him, the Book of Mormon.  Christ is Jehovah of the Old Testament. All of the scriptures we use come from him. This is His gospel and His church. Through his atonement, we can be healed and return to live with Him.

I feel like this clip sums up the rest of it: 

Jesus Declares: I Am the Light of the World, the Truth Shall Make You Free

Sincerely,
Rebekah