DEPOSITED.Partake
ICONIC QUOTE:
“For me, I think change is something that's always been part of my life ... I feel like I've always constantly gone through change. So I think it’s kind of like waves.”
B-DAY: 12/24/2001
LOCATION: BOS, MA
OCCUPATION: Software
Developer
Q’S / MO.
OCT - 2024
NOV – 2024
DEC – 2024
JAN – 2025
FEB – 2025
MAR – 2025
01.
what is something that youre looking forward to?
Like not an event but more of a state. I think since I just moved here [Boston post-grad], like, I don't really have a solid community yet. So I'm still building a community, and since I’m home 5,6 days a week, it's hard to meet people.
I still, like, maintain my connections with my friends from my college or high school, but, it's hard to make local friends.I'm going to go see a friend in Seattle in a couple weeks. So. Yeah, I like to do that.
Spending time with my friend in LATomorrow I’m going to New York, seeing my friends and possibly you.Going to Chicago for wedding photoshoot + bridal shower - we have to drive back 16 hours but it’ll be fun.A trip to Taiwan with my two best friends :)02.
do you feel connected to your cultural identity, anything new you’ve discovered recently?
I was born in Korea, but I moved overseas when I was a month old.
So growing up I was in various countries such as Egypt, China, Cambodia and Malaysia, a little bit in the US and in Korea as well. So like a mix of all those places.
But I was mostly in Malaysia middle school and high school.
Even though, that's where I spent most time, I think in general like I'm not tied to one place, I feel like, I could be like anywhere. I don't think I have a strong connection to any one place.
Yeah, I think so. But recently I've been thinking about that more because my sister is getting married, and so we're talking about weddings, and then there’s differences between American weddings and Korean weddings, so thinking about that, I mean, for my sister, but also for the future for myself, I'm like, what would I do?
Would I make it traditional Korean or like... how would i incorporate different cultures? YES. Especially after recent events (martial law), I feel really strongly about my identity as a Korean.
I honestly thought I didn’t care that much what happened in Korea, but I discovered that I do. I’ve been keeping up with the news and praying about the situation in Korea with passion that I haven’t experienced before.
During this time of chaos, I realized that I have more loyalty to my country and care deeply about the well-being of our citizens. It mostly comes from the media I consume – recently I read Human Acts by Han Kang. It’s uncanny how I read it a couple weeks before the president declared marital law. Even though my real life might not fully reflect it, I’ve established my identity in Korean culture because I see myself in the culture depicted by the media I consume.
Yeah. Like, definitely.
With, like, the political stuff in Korea and, Oh, recently I watched this movie, Harbin. And then I felt a little emotional during the movie when he was fighting for independence.
Yeah, I think I’m more interested in Korean history. And just, trying to figure out my roots, I guess. I think before I wasn't interested in history at all. And, like, I never really had the chance to learn it except from, media, because I didn't go to Korean school or anything, but, I think I'm more interested in learning.
Since I’ve been helping out with my sister’s wedding, I realized there’s so many cultural differences in Korean/American weddings. It got me thinking about which traditions I would follow, revealing the cultural values I have.I recently watched When Life Gives You Tangerines and I’ve never cried so much over a drama.
I thought I wouldn’t relate to much of the cultural aspects in the story because my life in Korea was brief, but I discovered that more than the place I live, what matters more is the relationships (community) I form for myself and the media I consume.
03.
what is something that you impressed yourself with?
I can’t really think of one right now.
I think I had a hard time with this last time, too, but,
I think, like, maybe nothing super recent, but I remember I was in a bunch of different groups in school and maintained my GPA and everything, while going in different places.
I think I'm still impressed by how I didn’t miss deadlines, and how even though I had all those things, like going on, I was able to, like, keep a positive attitude about it.
Recently I started this advent calendar – I didn’t think I’d make it this far but so far I have implemented all my ideas. It’s helped me get closer to goal #1!
Oh, definitely like finishing the, the advent calendar, like last month.
I didn't think I would be able to do all 25 days, but somehow I did it! It was like, my first personal project.
160 day duolingo streakI helped my church small group cook a meal for 200 people!04.
what would you title this stage of your life?
Maybe, like settling in.
Yeah. Yeah. I think settling in because I feel like before I always knew when a stage was going to end because, in school, there's graduation, so it's going to end there.
But then after graduation you don't know what the next stage would be for sure. So then it's like settling into this like unknown length. Yeah.This is the same as last time, but, like, settling in. Yeah.Discovering drives
As I shift the focus from other people to myself in this new environment with unprecedented solitude, I’ve been able to connect with myself and learn what drives me.
Finding balance.
worker beePieces coming together
05.
whats something new that you learned about yourself recently?
So I used to think that I was like super independent, growing up away from my family since I was in like sixth grade.
But I think that’s not true about me.
I get affected by the people around me a lot and I try and match their energy. So like when it's just me and my energy, like, I feel like I'm kind of lost sometimes. Yeah, but I didn't know that. I was dependent on other people's energy.
I think I have a really bad posture. I don't know, I think it's more recent, my friends have been sending me stuff about how to straighten your back and the posture correction.
I learned that I have a hard time talking to younger people.I'm like like becoming weaker. I don't know if it's age, but before when I used to like do running or like work out like I never felt like dizzy. But then like recently like I feel a little bit dizzy.
I have to really put in an effort in social settings…I actually like being categorized or labeled, and find satisfaction in having someone recognize a characteristic of mine that I didn’t know about, whether that be good or bad.06.
what is something that you admire about a friend? what is it that you admire about them?
I think one thing I like about some of my friends that I don't have is that they have 눈치.
I feel like I sometimes lack the ability to read the room.
I also sometimes I feel like, I shouldn't have said something or could have put things in a better way.
And so I really admire the people who can choose the right words in a social situation. My friend, Bomee, she is really good at leading group discussion and asking questions and, helping people feel comfortable when they speak. So I really appreciate about her.
My friend Joy can always turn her thoughts into actions.Well, my friend Sheryl, she is shy but then she's also, not afraid to try new things.
And is always looking for ways to expand her world. Yeah. She she also moved to a new city. She’s in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
My friend Emelyn is really good at keeping in touch and staying up to date with people! Sometimes it’s hard to reach out to people you haven’t talked to in a while, but she makes her friends feel cared for.Yunbeen is moved/touched by even the smallest gestures of kindness and she does a lovely job letting people know she is appreciative.
07.
if you had to explain yourself in 3 words at the moment, what would you say and why?
I feel like, like whatever like situation I face or like new, like environment I go into, I'm like confident that I can eventually, adapt to changes.
And then another thing is spontaneous, I guess, this ones a bit new but, I feel like I'm just more spontaneous lately.
The last one is, i’m direct, and this one kind of has pros and cons about me. I’m not very good at hiding my feelings or attitude toward things. And this can be bad because obviously, like when I don't like someone or like what I don't like something like, I really cannot hide it. And the way, I respond to a thing is too transparent.
Hm... Can we come back to this question?
adaptable - Although I’m not certain about my future, I still believe I can be content wherever I am or whatever I do.thrifty - i’ve been more conscious of saving energy and minimizing waste. I’ve always been like this since I was young, but now that I’m at home more, I’m more intentional because there’s more that I can control. reflective - end of the year always makes me think backA dreamer, I don't know, I've been thinking about, like, things I want to do in the future. Like dreaming about it a lot.
Organize. I've been finding more things at home to organize and tidy up. Maybe it's only because it's January 5th. Yeah. So temporary...?
More intentional. Yeah, I think definitely been trying to be more intentional with, like, my friends and keeping in touch.Content,introspective,scatteredGrateful - recently it has been easier to be thankful without trying hard to think of something to be thankful for! Mindful - I’ve also been more careful with my words or choices (but not overthinking) and have been able to make choices that aren’t natural or most comfortable for me. Spark - I have more spark and joy in my life, Spring, new projects, and future plans.
08.
Recent fav photo:
*:ﾟ*｡⋆ฺ(*´◡`)
Found my parents’ wedding photos from ‘96!
Minhwi’s art! Makes me excited for summer.
09.
is there something that you are currently working towards?
I think my goal right now, is like to find, like, a long term goal, like my goal is to find a goal.
I always thought, if i graduate and finish school, I would be set on what I want to do, but I’m still not sure. And some people find it in a short period of time, or they don’t really find out until they're really old.
So It’s okay that I'm not confident in like what I want to do for the rest of my life, but, I think at least maybe not like a super long term goal, but maybe to find, like a mid term, like 2 or 3 year kind of goal.
Still figuring out like what I want to to like long term instead of like, right now. I guess, that includes my career, but also like, where I'm going to live next year. I might not even be here! Like, I might be in Korea or something. So yeah, things like that.
Slowly branching out and opening up to people.Still like career stuff, I guess. Yeah.
Like deciding whether I want to move to Korea... Like what I want to do in the future. Figuring out.Wedding invitation website for my sister! My friend asked me to help her with a class project about sustainability and underconsumption. We want to create an interactive part to her project that encourages people to reconnect with personal items they haven’t used in a while.10.
current favorite flower?lilies
I don't think I have one. Yeah. Right now.Not a flower, but I like my basil plant.
Oh I don't know the name.
But I have a basil plant and it started blooming. Oh. So the, the flower on my basil plant. Okay. Yeah. It's it's white.
acacia flower Magnolia. We have a magnolia tree right outside our church, and it’s the only flowering tree among the dead trees around it.
11.
what is something someone said that stuck with you?
When people look for a type of person (in the context of dating)or, when they like admire people a person, instead of looking for a person that has these perfect qualities, make yourself meet those criteria's first. Like, be the person that you want to be.
It was something along the lines of, “the small things that don't seem like a big deal now can build up over time and turn into something much bigger."
Yeah. It's like, that's really bad wording.
But yeah, I think about that more recently because right now I'm not doing anything crazy, but small things I do is helping me grow and be more mature for the future.
Someone told me that a special moment you share with someone is called a lollipop moment.I’ll get back to you on this one!In Genesis, God tells Abraham to leave his family and country to the land that God will show him - not land that he already saw. Abraham didn’t know where he was going to end up, but he still trusted in God’s promise and left his comfort zone in obedience. I heard this message at a church retreat a few weeks ago and this gave me assurance and peace about the uncertainties in my future.Keeping a positive attitude at work is hard when you work for someone, but it’s a lot easier when you give your work to God.😲12.
what’s your current favorite emoji?
🤧
🫧
🎄
🙇🏻♀️
😔(ironic)
😲
13.
since this project is about documenting change, what does the word ‘change’ mean to you?
Change. I think change is something that's always been part of my life.
I feel like, I've never really had a long, state status of time where everything's the same. I feel like I've always constantly gone through change. So I think it’s kind of like waves.
Change, it, like, comes and goes in my life and it's a consistant waves kind of thing.
Change means calm, sometimes violent waves eroding away at shoreline
I thought about this recently, and, I was thinking about it when I was cooking, and I was thinking about water boiling because whenever you're waiting to cook, you always wait for the temperature to change.
Like, if you're boiling water for pasta or, like, for the pan to heat up. And so it's someitmes something gradual like that, and then you don't know until you actually put food in it or actually touch it to see the change.Change is like a new room layout, it can be uncomfortable at first but you get used to it in timeChange is like stepping into a pool, sometimes it’s refreshing and other times it’s unpleasant. But sooner or later you get used to the temperature.14.
What are three (3) things that you would like to see yourself do in the next six months?
001. Explain my faith better to people who don't know Christ because there are still some parts of me that just accept it without fully understanding it. So i want to be able to explain it to people better and be more intentional about knowing how to share.
002. Having healthier ways that I can consume media - because I graduated and since I have more time, I feel like I have like less restrictions. But I also want to stay connected to my friends. But like, it's not the healthiest. And so, just like learning how to balance.003. Last thing I really want to do art more. I haven't like, touched it in so long. And i'm so scared, because it's been so long. I feel like I have expectations for myself and then when things just don't go as you thought it would like, it makes you more scared, but then obviously, like, it's going to be like that. Your skills are not the same.001. Faith, I’ve recently looking at videos of cults and how similar it is to christianity. and it’s so easy to fall into that. so i’ve been doing my own reesarch on what parts of the cults they tweak, like the differences, and that helped me learn more about my theology. i think it’s been helping.
002. I’m trying really hard to not use my phone, but I do have to use it for work, but then I put a strain on my wrist and it hurts, so...
003. I have been doing small little drawings. So I'm very, happy about that.
My project last month, because the theme was for Christmas and waiting for Christ. And I had a section about, what that means to me because there were some of my friends who I sent this to that don't go to church or like, they don't really know. So I like, had to explain that out and like that was really helpful.
And then also like there are parts of the like there were days where like I had to like draw stuff for it. It was small, but, I think in those ways I was able to like, grow a little bit more for sure.
001. In October, I had recently moved to Boston and I had no idea what my community was going to look like.
At church, it was awkward with my small group for quite some time… but one thing that stayed consistent was how everyone was willing to open up and share about their faith.
With everyone at different stages in their walk of faith, I was able to learn from their life and also learned to be comfortable sharing without being close enough to know everything.
002. This is still a struggle, but I definitely saw moderation in my behavior over the last six months, in the frequency and extent of my escape to media.
It wasn’t easy to adjust to a fully remote schedule and the drastic change in the amount of regular socialization. But I found ways to get myself back on track whenever I find myself in the rabbit hole.
At the start of this project, I wouldn’t have been able to confidently say that I could give up webtoons for Lent. But it’s been successful (29 days out of 40!).003.
I found new ways to be creative!
When I set this goal, I was only thinking about the ways I approached art back when I used to do it. But I’ve changed over the years, and so it was inevitable that my art would change as well.
Instead of trying to recover my old skills and doing what I used to do, I’ve come to realize that incorporating my new skills (like coding) is a legitimate progress toward this goal. I think I understand performance art better now, too.
If I’m able to capture meaning and beauty in the way I live life, that’s a practice of art. I do have a specific continuing goal for this – I’ve accumulated a collection of inspirations that I would like to visually represent somehow… I’m not sure how exactly, but I want to work on it for the next 6 months!
Overall, reflecting on my progress and returning to my goals each month was tangibly beneficial to getting closer to them. My goals have stayed the same, which wouldn’t have been the case if it weren’t for this project.
Otherwise, I would have lost track of my goals or wanted to do too many things that I wouldn’t be able to do anything at all. It was helpful to be able to focus on a few big-picture goals. I want to continue this on my own and journal with the same questions each month!
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