JustNgus

R.I.P Dad (letter 1)

Hey Dad,

How’ve you been?

Things are pretty alright here. I guess? You know mom..she’s being typical. Mel is working hard..Super hard actually! Sorry you couldn’t be here on our birthdays but hey, I know you’re always watching us. Things have been so much harder ever since you left. Hehe, I guess it just shows how much we all depended on you. You really were an amazing father. I really loved how you always had a smile on your face, even if you were sick. I kinda wish I was as strong as you now that I think about it. It’s pretty hard to take care of the family while working and going to school at the same time. I barely have time to hang out with friends now because of it. Being the new man of the house is HARD! But hey…you dealt with me for 19 years along with Mel’s 16. Not to mention you had work as well. I really appreciate what you’ve done for me and I really do think about you from time to time. I really am proud to be your son. You’ve been my inspiration and motivation everyday and always will be. I love you Dad!Be sure to watch me and Mellanie graduate soon tho!

 P.S I know what mom did is uncalled for but please forgive her. Try to watch over and guide her to the right path. Me and Mellanie are worried about her. She is our only mom just like how you are our only father.

Iota Coffee House:

528 S. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90020

Ok there’s this new cafe that opened at Koreatown recently and I absolutely loved it! This definitely left a good first impression when I walked in.I should really put this on my “Top 5 Cafes Post” haha. This place is really bright and vibrant all around. A little opinion of their food and desserts is that it’s really unique. They really do put love and care in your order. The food and drinks doesn’t just taste good but LOOK good to!They somehow make Korean dishes taste like top-notch American food. I can’t really say much because I only been here a few times. The service is pretty good and if they actually make you wait to long, they’ll give you ANY free drink in the menu. That includes coffees, shakes, etc. You should really check this place out whenever you have time. The walls in the roof are filled with projectors and TV’s for your entertainment. The only problem about this place is that there’s way to many colors when it comes to lighting. Also parking can be kind of a b**** not unless you want to pay for valet? There’s a nice little bakery on the side if you’re into a little shopping. There’s outdoor and indoor seating of course! You’ll definitely have that cafe-modern mood once you walk in. I honestly think the owner is the same one from Haus Cafe. They both bring similar vibes so i’m not sure.

Overall Rating 8/10 (7/19/11)

-Might change once I order more items.

“Some people are like waffles, they’re only sweet to you if you give them a topping.”

Did you know this about me? (Survey)

Got tagged and this is my first survey. Thanks Steph for killing my time.

1) How much do you usually spend in a month?

A: err you don’t wanna know.

2) How many friends do you have?

A: Do you honestly think anyone counts friends?

3) How would you rate yourself from a scale of 1-10?

A: 2. 1 for being human and the other for being alive.

5) How much do you weigh?

A: Last time I checked it was 150 something..

6) How many times have you fell truly in love? 

A:Twice.

7) How do you like them apples?

A: All about bananas fool!

8) How many secrets are you currently holding for others?

A: A lot. I’m good at keeping them no matter who I’m with.

9)How many secrets are you holding about yourself?

A: hehe find out :)

10) Your biggest phobia?

A: Styrofoam.

Level 2

11) What is the biggest thing you ever lied about?

A: I would consider this a lie and that is being two-faced.

12) What is the nicest thing you ever did for someone?

A: Flew all the way across the country just to meet that someone.

13) What is one thing society would love about you socially?

A: Your secrets are safe with me. Haha I’ll make you laugh! I hope…

14) One flaw about yourself that you haven’t fixed yet?

A: Being a workaholic

15) The meanest thing you usually do to people?

A: Giving them the benefit of the doubt. Pretty much pretending that I don’t know what you’re thinking or planning.

16) Ever been taken advantage of?

A: Way to many times. Usually because of relationships and financial reasons.

17) How do you view life?

A: Mwahaha I don’t view it. I live through it.

18) Last person that called you?

A: Freakin wake up spam from Jamie…

19) If you were to change your name it would be?

A: ChingChong

20)Things that tick you off the most?

A: Spoiled brats

Level 3

21) How would you like to die?

A: Peacefully.

22) If you were to go the past and fix one thing what would it be?

A: Can’t I just go back and start the whole thing over?

23) If you were to go the future to find out one thing what would it be?

A: Nothing. It’ll fuck with me if I knew.

24) When do you want to get married?

A: Not anytime soon that’s for sure…HAHA

25) Best thing you ever accomplished this year?

A: Getting my goals straight.Now I know where to aim :)

26) Why are there levels in this survey?

A:To make this survey look cool?

27) Your level of shyness  from a scale of 1-10?

A: 5/10. I’ll be the talkative one if everyone else is shy.

28) What are you looking forward to in this coming weekend?

A: Harry Potter!

29) Your closest friend?

A: Jordan

30) Why did you take this survey?

A: I was forced to and this is a good time-killer before work.

My Top 5 cafe’s in KoreaTown

After all the years I’ve been here,I’m pretty much safe to say that these are my top cafes in the area. This can help give a good idea on where to go if you haven’t even been to Ktown.

Note: This is only my opinion. I’m not speaking for the general public. Everyone has their own tastes. :)

Haus Cafe:

3826 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020

This cafe is pretty well known because of it’s luxurious and cozy environment. I personally have this as my top cafe because they have one of the best milkshakes I ever had. The price can be a little pricey for what they give you but the quality makes up for it. There’s also outdoor tables and really comfortable couches to relax in. Service is alright so far but just warning you that this place is really bumping at night. They play recent recent K-Pop and American music which also makes it teenager-friendly. Every weekend night I go here it’s always crowded but there’s always room. Their menu consists of a unique variety. They don’t just have the typical dessert and coffee choices but dinner as well. They have their own Haus Burger and Pasta as well as other unique sides. I personally just go there for the drinks and cake tho. As a cafe overall it’s definitely a 9/10!

Pros:

• Good service, no matter how crowded it is.
• Quality of the food makes the price so much worth it!
• Cozy and warm environment. (When you walk in, you’ll feel like a celebrity)
• Clean and neat bathrooms. Each bathroom can only hold a 1 person capacity* (I can’t stress this enough but I hate bathrooms that are dirty)
• They’re open pretty late which makes it’s a good after party place. Not super late tho..

Cons:

• Valet Parking( If you have a nice car they put it up in front of the whole store for display)

• Price can be a little pricey if you’re looking for a cheap cafe.
• Maybe it’s just me but even though the bathrooms are really really nice…some people just don’t know how to lock the door.
• Portions for food is a bit smaller than you think. 

Heyri Coffee House:

755 S Hobart Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90005

Ok as an environment it looks really gorgeous at night. The whole establishment looks like a really big house but this place really does shine at night. It really does look like they made this house into a restaurant or something… I definitely recommend this place to go to in order to dazzle or impress your date. As for the food, they have some pretty unique desserts and sides that other cafe’s don’t have. They have some really good waffles with ice cream as well as pretty good coffee. They don’t have much for dinner tho. They apparently have some pretty katsu and omelet fried rice as well.  I only put this as one of my second choices because of the environment and that every friend I took there loved how it looked.Unfortunately there’s valet here as well and some of the call buttons on the tables don’t work. As a date cafe 8/10. Overall cafe 7/10.

Pros:

• Really illuminating and unique environment. Unique as in it looks like a house because most of KoreaTown consists of buildings, apartments, and plazas.
• Classy environment inside the complex.
• Unique desserts.
  
• Pretty good drinks
• Even though their dinner and lunch is limited, the quality is really good for its price.
• They’re up really late compared to other cafes out there. They don’t close till 2am!
  

Cons:

• Kinda ghetto seats and tables outside.( environment makes up for it)
• Service takes quite awhile
• Valet Parking
• A little pricey. (A little cheaper than Haus tho)

Loft Cafe

3882 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020

Ok the only reason why I put this as third is because I only go here for leisure or study time. I have a feeling it’s going to be up there if I go there more. Other than that I would’ve put this second. Their cakes and drinks are definitely top notch and classy. As you can the see, the mood of this place is the definition of artsy and classy. They have their own touch as compared to the rest of the cafes in K-Town. Really cozy and quiet place to study and work in as well. Not much to say because this place really is that great. There’s also an outdoor patio if you want to enjoy the streets of K-Town. Note that this is just my opinion and taste. Service is pretty good as well! I Overall I would give this an 8/10.

Pros:

• No Valet Parking!
• Fancy and warm environment
• Quality of desserts and drinks are exquisite.
• Good Service.
• You get a lot as in quality and quantity compared to other cafes
• They’re always open till 1 am and is a good study environment.

Cons:

• A little pricey
• Hard to find parking sometimes
• Dim environment

Mr. Coffee

537 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90020

This place is pretty underrated but that’s just the beauty of it. As as a typical cafe in k-town, this place really does shine at night. The parking here is free as well! The reason why I put this in my top 5 is because of their desserts and shaved ice. They’re well known for it and I can see why. Hence the name of the place, their coffee is something you can’t compare to. I have no idea why but I love their coffee there. In fact I only go there for their coffee sometimes. Now for the best part about this cafe… They really put their effort into your food. How? They actually make it look and taste good. They make your dessert AND drinks like a work of art. They make drawings out of sugar and make it look that nice that you don’t want to mess it up. They sell crepes and have some really good cookies. Price is actually on the cheaper side compared to the other ones I’ve mention. In addition to that.. Free parking also! Also I forgot to mention, but their milkshakes are almost as good as the ones in Haus.

Overall 8.5/10

Some ex’s of what I mean:

Pros:

• Free but limited parking
• (Best part) Free refills on most coffee and tea! WOOT WOOT!
• Cheaper than the usual cafe
• Unique and creative food and coffee.
• Open until 3 am!

Cons:

• A little darker than usual when it’s at night
• Only 1 bathroom.
• Seats look nice but pretty uncomfortable. Few couches but at least they have them.
• Small area and can be a bit cramped.

Cafe Jak

508 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90020

Unique huh. One of the reasons why this is up there in my list. Their desserts and coffee are just as good! They also sell unique dinner items such as kimchi steak and pasta. This is just one of those places that you have to visit once in awhile otherwise you might end up missing out. Somewhere on the bottom of the ship there’s a nice hallway of lights that you can eat in. They really know how to decorate a ship! I do think their food and drinks aren’t worth the price tho.

Overall: 7/10

Pros:

• Free private parking
• You’re eating in a ship!
• Bomb ass coffee
• Has both a bright and dim environment for you to choose from
• Food will make you drool.
• Quiet most of the time but they still do play music for you.
• They’re open until 3-4am.
  

Cons:

• Can be a bit hard to find because it’s cramped between two other buildings.
• They’re understaffed so service can be kinda slow.
• Food and drinks here are a little more pricey than usual.

Summer to do list:

• Move out to a new condo/apartment/townhouse.
• Contact with future roommates if I even move
• Visit cousins in San Francisco
• Pack for it^
• Perform in whitney and cerritos high school.
• Watch Harry Potter
• Watch Super 8
• Pack for business trip to New York and Stanford. Research Assistant.
• Call work for future vacation
• A bunch to do with twinnie!(Incomplete)
• Youtube Videos
• Order more T-Shirts
• Watch 5 korean dramas (Incomplete)
• Visit Family
• Start working out.
• Growing out my hair
• Manage Six Flags hangout(2) Got one done.
• Help out my aunt’s hagwon.
• Need mic screw for my at2020
• Beach Hangout with the crew.
• Maybe sell my civic or Z?
• Sell Ps3
• Buy sister a mac book air.
• Mail Jeff his money +interest.
• Search for new restaurants and sightseeing spots.
  
• Shopping for new outfits.
• Avoid drama
• Give Kim, kyunghyun, and Elaine K-town tour.
• Meet up with old friends.

I just realized that I get drunk to a certain “non-alcoholic” drink. It’s actually more like a drink-coma but whatever… I confirmed it when I was at an after-party get together thingy with a couple of friends…man I feel sorry for them having to deal with me. If you haven’t guessed already, it’s vanilla and coffee milk tea boba. I have no idea why but those drinks really make me feel a bit fuzzy inside. Maybe the boba stores I go to put some magic dust in it or something… So if you guys want to see a fucked up or different me then give me some of that vanilla and coffee boba! It has to be those specific flavors if you really want to see the magic happen. I’ll be laughing a lot to the most littlest things…I mean it! I’ll mention whatever god-knows what comes to my head and think it’s the biggest news in the world. There’s probably more to it but I’m the victim here. I’m actually just lazy since it’s 2am at the moment…

Dear Dad,

I know you’ll never read this but I just wanted to let this out of my chest. Thanks for always working so hard and thinking about me. I remember back in Korea you would always bring me the best 호떡 in the world. You would only bring one..even though I wanted more. ): You never even told me where you would buy it from! Remember when you would always put me in between next to you and umma and I would still fall off the bed? We had so many great memories together so thanks for shaping me as the person I am today. I know you never acted liked the best dad but to me you still were. Your criticism, discipline, and harsh words helped me a much stronger person. I promise I’ll do my best to be a successful son to be proud of. Don’t worry..school comes first..I know I know. I remember after umma left you said to me..” Better get your degree! Girls can leave you but education supports you forever.” I still remember that and I’m living by it! You’ve done so much for me but I’m so sorry our family had to end up this way.  It hurts to see you suffer and struggle these past few years but just know that I’m still worrying about you. Finals are coming up yet you still come up! I don’t want to bring up umma but thanks for sticking by her. I know she’s not the best but she’s still part of the family. Take care of sis for me and hang in there. If you still manage to be living by the time I get married then I’ll treat you to a vacation back home! You’ve worked hard so take it easy. I’ll be successful and rich by then so don’t worry! Thanks again for everything.

- Sincerely Sung Jiyun