"You are my sunshine..."

Color. Whimsy. Excellent message. James McAvoy. Penelope has it all.

What are my favorite scenes, you ask? I really do have several, but my top three are:
1. When Penelope tries to discover Max's instrument.
2. When she finally leaves her house and happens upon a fair. I LOVE the bubbles.
3. The epic kiss at the end. Greatness.

About this time every year I have an urge to watch this wonderful film. Maybe it's because it's set in the fall. Maybe because it features Sigur Ros, which is one of the bands I love listening to at this time. Wait. I know that's why.

Autumn is my favorite.

I love stomping through piles of crunchy leaves, bon fires, sweaters and layers, and the smell of all the goodness. Apple orchards, and pumpkins and corn mazes. I'm getting SO excited for all the possibilities.

Here's to great films, and the best season of them all--AUTUMN!

Happy Weekend!

I have a confession...I'm a geek. Seriously, I am. Do you want to know why? Well, maybe you don't, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

I love K-pop. Korean Pop. And I'm proud of it. I have to admit that listening to K-pop in the morning really makes the rest of my work day bearable. It's a ray of sunshine in my somewhat depressing underground office, no matter how ridiculous that ray may be.

Do you want to know what else? I LOVE Korean dramas. Last week was a tough one:

 crummy work week+ getting hit by a car while riding my bike= unhappy Shannon. 

So I decided to hole up in my room and watch Boys Before Flowers, a fabulous drama that was recommended to me by several friends (really cute guys, a love triangle, rich vs. poor, soul mates --what more could you ask for?). I just could not get enough. I had to know how it ended!

(The guy in the middle is my new celebrity crush. Sorry James McAvoy. Better Luck next time.)

 Luckily, my friends Windy and Kelsey both happened to be watching it that very same week (ironic because we live in 3 different states, and it was completely unplanned), so I was able to voice my frustration to them.

By the way,

 nothing brings

 girls

 closer together 

than a cheesy

 chick flick

 with really

 cute boys!

Anyhow, I dedicate this week's music video to Windy, who just so happened to introduce me to this group, SS501. 

(Oh, and you're possibly wondering what the connection is between Boys Before Flowers  and SS501. Well, one of the lead singers stars in the show, but you couldn't tell because he looks completely different. See if you can spot him. In the picture, he's the one on the far right.)

Yes, Please!

So I was feeling the need tonight to watch one of my favorite movies of all time--The Last of the Mohicans. I've been listening to the soundtrack all week, and realized that I needed to find it somewhere here in Taiwan. Little did I know that the sparse DVD library that we have here at the school does include this amazing film.

I still remember the first time I watched Daniel Day Lewis and Eric Schweig running through the North Carolinian forests. My good friend and roommate, Jenna, was watching it one night in our apartment, and it soon became a favorite. I mean seriously--the music, the scenery...absolute perfection. And of course, who could forget Hawkeye:

or Uncas for that matter:

What woman in her right mind wouldn't want to be stared at with the same intensity that Hawkeye had for Cora? Seriously!

Well, enough said.

Here's to Hawkeye and Uncus, and the glorious film, The Last of the Mohicans.

Taiwan, Horchata, and a mean game o' MASH

I haven't written much about my time in DC, or about the people that surrounded me there. One of my wonderful roomates in DC--Danya--is from Mexico City. She is warm, funny, and absolutely gorgeous! Often she would come home from a long day at work and make Horchata--a refreshing drink on those hot and humid summer nights. Lucky me--she was also incredibly generous with sharing her authentic Mexican food secrets. She knew I was soon going to find myself in the land of rice, and she taught me how to make this delectable treat. Bless her!

Last night was the perfect evening for such a treat. Five of us Berhaners got together for a spiritual thought, an AMAZING game of MASH (flash back to grade school days), and Horchata. The evening could have only been enjoyed by a group of 20-something ex-pats. And it was glorious.

My future is to be spent living in the lap of luxury in a gorgeous mansion, with James McAvoy, who is no longer an adorable actor, but a lawyer. Those are probably the only good things about my proposed future because I am also to work in a sweat shop in Mexico working for 1 cent an hour. I will have 25 children, and have dinosaur as a pet. But I guess another redeeming item is that I spent my honeymoon on the Croatian coast. Lovely.

Overall these are the nights that make memories. I'm excited for much more with this awesome group of people!