One Cup of Tea

I miss Fly to the Sky

It’s hard to believe it’s been over four years since Fly to the Sky performed in Hawaii. I was fortunate to see them live at Hawaii Theatre Center, which was the first and only real K-pop concert that I attended.

When you look at singers Brian Joo and Hwanhee, you would never guess that their singing would sound the way they do. They have powerful voices and sang numerous ballads, but I also witnessed that they can dance just as well when it comes to performing more upbeat songs.

Joo is a Korean American, so he spoke mostly during the concert, whereas Hwanhee said only a little as his English wasn’t very good. If memory serves me right, Joo has a brother living in Hawaii.

Unfortunately, the duo isn’t together anymore. I think they went separate ways in 2009 in order to pursue individual careers.

Below are two of my favorite Fly to the Sky songs.

Notice something different about the second video? Yup, Hwanhee went under the knife.

I never thought to blog about Korean music, but perhaps I’ll do it more often. After all, I do listen to more songs in Korean than English.

I’m a Clarisonic fan

I’m not obsessed with my looks, but I cannot deny how important skin care is, especially for the face. It’s unfortunate that I didn’t always care about my skin like I do now, thus I have a ton of freckles. What can I say? Live and learn…

Even if you’re not concerned about your appearance, taking care of your skin is also part of taking care of your health. You want to avoid rashes, acne and other problems related to unhealthy skin.

Cleansing is an important step when it comes to skin care. Although this can be done manually, sometimes it’s just not enough. That’s why I purchased the Clarisonic Mia, a device that uses a sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to remove makeup, dirt and oil.

Here’s my Clarisonic Mia. The device comes in a variety of colors, which (thankfully) includes pink.

According to the company website, the Clarisonic Sonic Skin Cleaning:

• Leaves skin feeling and looking healthier
• Removes 6X more makeup than cleansing with hands alone
• Helps skin care products absorb better
• Pores appear smaller
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Reduces oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
• Gentle enough for use twice a day
• Soft, non-abrasive for different skin types

The Mia is waterproof and can be used in the shower. Although it comes with it’s own cleanser, I prefer to use a different brand. You can either rub the cleanser on your face first or into the brush. I find the latter to work best. The device sounds a bit like an electronic toothbrush, so don’t be surprised. You make circular movements around your face with it until the automatic timer shuts off after one minute. Rinse and then follow with your usual skin care routine.

I’ve been using the product for about a month or so and am finding that my skin is less red and my blemishes are lighter. Thankfully, acne was never a much of a problem for me, but I sometimes get the occasional unwanted pimple. I think the Mia is doing a good job with making sure acne never becomes an issue. Another plus is that you can purchase different brush heads to suit your preference.

Clarisonic products can be a bit costly — the Mia is a little over $100, depending on where you purchase it from. However, I think it’s worth it because I won’t spend as much on other skin care products, makeup, facials, etc.

Here’s to healthy skin!

When life hands me lemons…

This blog post is inspired by a blog post titled “When You Have a Bad Day” by Courtney Carver of Be More with Less.

When life hands me lemons, I…

• Vent about it, but try to do it tactfully. Family and friends are always there for me to talk to about the good and the bad, but I don’t want to take advantage of their willingness to listen. It’s important to control my emotions because I don’t want to get them down either.
• Get a green tea latte from Starbucks. Somehow this drink makes everything a little better.
• Go shopping. For me, retail therapy doesn’t mean buying things. I’m perfectly content with wandering around and browsing the racks.
• Get moving. Exercise does wonders for the body. Even a short walk can be incredibly powerful for fighting negative emotions.
• Pamper myself. You can’t go wrong with a pedicure and massage.
• Zone out. A good movie or book helps to take my mind off whatever is bothering me.
• Write. It’s therapeutic, even if I don’t write about what’s bothering me.

What do you do when life hands you lemons?

The end of the Harry Potter journey

Being out of grad school for a little over year motivated me to give reading for pleasure another try. I failed at making reading something enjoyable because I always associated it with school. But thanks to encouragement and author J.K. Rowling, I’m officially cured of the “I hate reading” illness.

I read “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” — the first book in the series — many years ago and for whatever reason, I didn’t continue reading the books that followed. If memory serves me right, I read the first book after several of them had already been released. As you can tell, I operate by the idea of “better late than never.”

The Harry Potter movies caught my attention and I became what I thought was a fan. After telling my friends how much I enjoyed the films, a few of them were quite shocked that I didn’t read all of the books. (I guess I wasn’t a true fan after all).

Earlier this year, I decided to give the books another try. A friend loaned me his set, which coincidentally is missing the first book. I probably started reading the books in late January or early February and finished the last book yesterday.

The journey was absolutely amazing. While the movies are well-done, I must say that the books are so much better, especially in terms of detail. I loved reading the series so much that I noticed myself slowing down as I read the last book because I felt sad that the end was coming. I know it’s cheesy, but avid Harry Potter fans will admit that the story is so engaging and the books really become a part of you. One of my friends said she grew up reading Harry Potter, which is true for many individuals and makes Harry Potter a part of life.

Rowling did a superb job engaging readers and allowing them to enter the entirely new world that she created.

To all who haven’t read the books yet, I highly recommend giving them a try, even if you don’t care for the movies. And if you’re like me — one who got a wand from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter before reading the books — I think you’ll feel like you’ve earned the wand once you finish the series.

What’s next? Save $350 for the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection and then save even more to travel to the theme park (locations at Universal Studios Hollywood and in Osaka, Japan are in the works). As for my next read, I’m going to give the Twilight series a try.

P.S. If you’re a diehard Harry Potter fan, don’t forget to check out Pottermore.

Money management tips

Ah, money. It’s the thing we need in order to survive and often it’s the root of many problems. And no matter what, there never seems to be enough of it.

I’m no money expert, but below are some things that work for me. Everyone’s situation is different, so I don’t think everyone can or should do any of these things if it doesn’t suit their needs. I simply offer the following as things to consider.

• Save a little, save a lot. If your employer offers direct deposit, find out if you can split your paycheck into separate accounts. You may be able to set a certain amount or percentage to go in a savings account. This way, you’re almost forced to save.
• Define what your savings is for. I don’t consider my savings as money to be spent on regular bills, unless there is an unexpected expense. A good example was when I needed new tires and a new battery for my car last year. Savings could be for a trip, downpayment on a home, computer, etc., but it’s not for cell phone bills, rent, utilities and other fixed expenses.
• IOUs are not extra income. Say you went to the store and a friend asked you to pick up something along with your items. He or she pays you back in cash. If you charged your purchase, immediately apply the cash that your friend gave you to the account. You can opt to deposit the cash in your checking account or treat it as if you had gone to the ATM. The cash, however, is not extra income.
• Do the debt snowball. In a nutshell, this method involves sorting balances you have on credit cards, loans and the like from lowest to highest. Take the debt with the lowest balance and start throwing whatever extra money you can at it. Watch the balance go down, eliminate that debt and use that to motivate you with the next balance. Meanwhile, make minimum payments on everything else.
• Plan, plan, plan. Keep a calendar to remind yourself of what’s coming up. Expenses may come up for birthdays, holidays, graduations, tax season, etc. and you want to be prepared for them.

Got any money-saving tips? Feel free to share them as a comment. I’m always more than interested in learning new, creative ways to manage my money better.

I love Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley has become one of my favorite brands. Two of my former coworkers sported those pretty floral prints at work and made me want one too. It took me a while to actually get one (Ryan bought it for me for Girls’ Day), and believe me, it’s not easy choosing a print because they’re all nice.

I settled for this bag called “Mandy” in the Mocha Rouge print. It’s such a convenient handbag that fits everything - wallet, checkbook, pens, bus pass, sunglasses, etc. Another added bonus is how lightweight Vera Bradley products are because of the type of fabric. The bag is also machine washable.

About the brand:

• The brand is named after Veronica Bradley, mother of co-founder Barbara Baekgaard, who worked at the company as a sales representative until she passed away in the early 1990s. 
• Baekgaard and co-founder Patricia R. Miller got the idea for the company when they were waiting for a flight and noticed a lack of feminine-looking luggage.
• The two friends created Vera Bradley in 1982 with just $500 and operating out of Miller’s garage.
• The demand for the unique handbags and luggage items led to Vera Bradley being a multi-million dollar company within three years.
• The company is based in Fort Wayne, Ind.
• There are over 3,500 retailers of Vera Bradley and standalone Vera Bradley stores that provide jobs for over 900 people through subcontracting and direct employment.
• Vera Bradley’s community involvement includes support for Habitat for Humanity, YMCA, Fort Wayne Women’s Bureau and golf and tennis classics fundraisers for cancer research.
• In 1988, the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer was founded and sales from specific prints go to breast cancer research with contributions totaling over $23 million.

I also went a little nuts when I was shopping for Mother’s Day gifts. Practically everyone on my list got something from Vera Bradley. The salesperson was really helpful as I kept asking her to bring out different prints. She removed all the prices for me, printed and taped gift receipts to every item and gave me extra bags and tissue paper. Vera Bradley sales associates provide excellent customer service. They’re always willing to go to the stock room to bring out other prints as well as make suggestions.

The Vera Bradley store in Hawaii is located on the top level of the Nordstrom wing in Ala Moana Center. It has a very welcoming design to it and everything is arranged nicely. Japanese tourists absolutely love this store, so you’ll definitely find at least one sales associate on the floor who is fluent in Japanese. (They’ve spoken to me in Japanese on several occasions). I encourage you to visit if you’re looking for a handbags, luggage, accessories and other unique gifts.

Vera Bradley at Ala Moana Center
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
942-1757
www.verabradley.com 

Making Mother’s Day meaningful

I just read this article that states that Mother’s Day spending is expected to reach $18.6 billion, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation.

Some snippets from the survey: (click here for the full survey)

• About 87 percent expect to celebrate the holiday.
• Greeting cards are No. 1 when it comes to what consumers plan to buy followed by flowers, special outing (dinner or brunch), gift cards/gift certificates, clothing or clothing accessories, jewelry, other, books or CDs, personal service (day spa, facial, massage, etc.), housewares or gardening tools, and consumer electronics or computer related goods.
• When it comes to the average amount expected to be spent in a category, electronics comes in first at $104.
• Consumers will spend an average of $152 on mom.

I’m not sure how I feel about the commercialization of Mother’s Day. In some ways, it seems like Valentine’s Day all over again. Ryan made a good point that Valentine’s Day is a bit more of a “Hallmark holiday” because you probably see your significant other quite often, so you could do something special anytime. However, folks may not always live with or nearby their parents, so Mother’s Day and Father’s Day offer a moment to celebrate them and show your appreciation.

While I’m all for remembering mothers, grandmothers, aunts, etc., I don’t think I ever went to the extent of spending a lot of money for their gifts or dinner. Depending on how I feel, I might decide to get flowers, gift cards, snacks, stationery or other small gifts, and we usually have a family dinner at a restaurant or at home. The amount spent on gifts or dinner isn’t a reflection of how much you love, appreciation and care about them. 

I’ve heard some mothers say they’d like a day to themselves where they don’t have to cook, clean, run errands, do laundry and the like. Good gifts dont have to be expensive either. You might consider a nice, framed family portrait, a special outing, homemade crafts, a home-cooked meal or eating out. A meaningful Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be costly. In fact, it’s often the simpler, inexpensive things that are more special. Why do moms save artwork and other random stuff their kids made in pre-school and elementary school for Mother’s Day? Well, moms are sentimental and there’s nothing worth keeping more than gifts that their children made.

To all the wonderful moms out there, thank you for being such wonderful people who are do so much so selflessly. And I believe being a mom doesn’t require being a child’s biological mother. There are many who adopt kids, while others, like grandmothers and aunts, may provide time, energy and financial support for kids and their parents. I know I was raised not only by my parents, but also my sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives. I’m living proof that it does take a village to raise a child.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Thank you, teachers!

National Teacher Day was Tuesday, so I’m a bit late with this post. However, teachers are so important that I wanted to write this anyway.

I don’t think there are many jobs that are as vital and rewarding as that of an educator. What better way to do meaningful work than bring up the next generation? Every year, teachers devote countless hours in and out of the classroom as they prepare and deliver lessons, grade assignments and spend time with students who need extra help. They also talk to parents, counselors, administrators and other professionals to ensure children succeed in school and, more importantly, in life.

There is also a monetary cost to being in this position. Besides investing in their education to earn the appropriate degrees, teachers also attend professional development classes, workshops and other functions to improve themselves. Many use their own money to pay for school and classroom supplies as budgets may not cover always cover such expenses. Some students and their families also face economic hardships that make it difficult for them to pay for basic supplies, like pens, pencils and paper.

All teachers are important whether they work at public or private schools. While I understand why parents decide to send their children to private schools, I’ve always been a huge supporter of public education and there’s no doubt that public education needs support from all of us.

Top 10 Reasons to Support Public Education

10. An educated population is the cornerstone of democracy. This nation’s well-being depends on the decisions of its educated, informed citizens.

9. Education reduces costs to taxpayers. For every dollar spent to keep a child in school, the future costs of welfare, prison, and intervention services are reduced. It can cost less to educate a child now than to support a teenage parent or a repeat offender in the future. Education monies help to secure the future of all citizens.

8. Public schools are the only schools that must meet the needs of all students. They do not turn children or families away. Public schools serve children with physical, emotional, and mental disabilities, those who are extremely gifted and those who are learning challenged, right along with children without special needs.

7. Public schools foster interactions and understanding among people of different ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

6. “Education is the best provision for old age”— Aristotle. The future support of our aging population depends on strong public schools. In 1954, there were 17 workers to pay the Social Security cost for each retiree. By 1995, there will be only three for each retiree. It is likely that the productivity of these three workers per retiree will depend on the strength of our public school systems.

5. More than 95 percent of our future jobs will require at least a high school education. There is no question about the need for an educated work force.

4. The nation pays a high price for poorly educated workers. When retraining and remediation are needed to prepare a worker to do even simple tasks, the cost is paid by both employers and consumers. This process raises the price of American products and makes it more difficult for this nation to compete in the world marketplace.

3. The cost of dropouts affects us all. This nation loses more than $240 billion per year in earnings and taxes that dropouts would have generated over their lifetimes. Well-supported public schools can engage all students in learning and graduate productive and competent citizens.

2. Children are our nation’s future. Their development affects all of us. Good education is not cheap, but ignorance costs far more.

And the Number One reason to support public education…

1. Public education is a worthy investment for public funds. We can invest now, or we can pay later.

(from the Illinois Coalition for Public Education, June 1994)

Many thanks to all the teachers out there!

Is it Boys’ Day or Children’s Day?

I like to think that May 5 is Boys’ Day. After all, girls have their own “day” on March 3, so boys should have a day of their own too. So is May 5 Boys’ Day or Children’s Day?

Traditionally, May 5 was Tango no Sekku (literally “First Day of the Horse”) in Japan and was celebrated as Boys’ Day. Girls had their own festival called Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival). But in 1948, May 5 became a national holiday in Japan to recognize children — boys and girls — and is called Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day).

Despite the change, many Japanese still recognize Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day and continue traditions from centuries ago.

On May 5, families may:

• Fly koinobori (carp-shaped streamers) outside homes if the family has boys. The carp symbolizes strength and success.
• Display warrior dolls inside the house as a symbol of strength and bravery.
• Partake in chimaki (sweet rice dumplings wrapped in iris or bamboo leaves) and kashiwa mochi (rice cakes with sweet bean paste wrapped in oak leaves). Shobu is the name for the iris leaf, and although written differently, it implies striving for success.
• Steep iris leaves in hot water to enjoy shobu yu (iris hot bath), which is believed to be a prophylactic against sickness.
• Mix chopped iris leaves with sake (alcoholic drink made from fermented rice) to create shobu sake.

Meanwhile, others may also be celebrating Cinco de Mayo today. But no matter what you celebrate (or don’t celebrate), it’s always good to be kind to one another and show appreciation for the wonderful people we have in our lives.

Happy May 5th!

Walking with my Fitbit

It’s difficult to determine how active you’ve been throughout the day. If you’re like me, majority of your time is probably spent in front of a computer. But thanks to the Fitbit device, I’m able to track my activity throughout the day, like steps taken, floors climbed, miles traveled and calories burned.

His and hers Fitbits ($99.95 each) along with the band that you attach it to and wear when you go to sleep.

That’s right, this tiny device that you can wear just like a pedometer does all that. It syncs wirelessly to a web-based dashboard that displays all of the information in an easy-to-read format. You can also check how activity on the device by just pressing the button. It’s helped me to understand my movement and, most importantly, it encourages me to be more active.

I try very hard to meet my daily goal of 10,000 steps. It’s not always easy because there are times when I just don’t want to move, but it’s rewarding to watch the numbers go up and that good feeling is a huge motivator. Fitbit also allows you to add others who have the Fitbit as a friends and it conveniently ranks everyone based on steps, distance and time spent as “very active.” You can also track your weight, food, activities, heart rate, blood pressure and glucose.

The Fitbit has motivated me to go walking practically every day in order to do my best to reach my steps goal. Why is it important to walk? Well, it’s because the human body was built to move.

Walking is great because:

• There are no crazy movements involved for uncoordinated people like myself.
• You don’t need fancy equipment or gym membership.
• It relieves stress by releasing “feel-good” brain chemicals.
• It fights health problems, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
• It helps with weight management and weight loss.
• It helps with lower back pain.
• You can easily split up a mile or two throughout the day by doing short walks during breaks or lunch. 
• It’s nice to get out and walk around — you see others doing the same thing, get a little bit of sunshine, enjoy the scenery and use hills to add intensity.

The key for me right now is to continue walking so that it becomes a habit. I want it to be something I do as part of my every day schedule because I know it’s beneficial from a holistic standpoint. I need to walk to keep all aspects — mind, body and spirit – healthy and strong.