[from ddoboja] Celebrating 1000 posts! • Life Update • Current State of Blog

Hi guys!
It's been a while since I've posted a [from ddoboja] post so it's kinda awkward starting this post off LOL
But I wanted to make a personal post since we recently hit 1000 posts on this blog!
Yup, that's right...
ONE THOUSAND POSTS!
Yaaaaaay!

So let's catch up~
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

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A lot has happened in the past few months, first...

< L I F E >

Ya gurl graduated from college!

I'm now a bad b with a bachelor's degree 🎓

Thank you everyone who left me really sweet messages on Twitter and for teaching me what "sama sama" means ♡

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<THE STRUGGLE OF WORKING + POSTING>

So....
Y'all might have noticed the lack of posts during the summer and even a bit now...
I know for sure that I don't post as often as I used to compared to last year

I definitely think that my blog is a community where I can share my honest thoughts with you guys and I'm really grateful to have that.
So I'm going to be a bit real with y'all
#sad_ddoboja LOLOL

I'm sure most of y'all are aware of how confusing life can be once you're no longer a student...

Like many of my peers, I was confused about what I wanted to pursue and was also extremely stressed because I didn't have a job lined up for post-grad...
My parents never burdened me with finding a job, they always told me that the right thing will come up at the right time but I think I was stressing myself out the most...

When I wasn't in class, I was busy applying to a SHIT TON of jobs and it's honestly really disheartening when you don't hear back from any place you applied to.
I got into a negative state of mind where I was doubting myself and my abilities and when I would work on posts for the blog, I would sometimes even think, 'Why are you even working on this? You should be applying to more jobs.'

But thankfully, I was invited to do some summer work at an office I used to work at when I was a student

In the summer, I worked full-time and amazingly, I recently got hired for a full-time position at another place so that basically explains the lack of posts in the past week...
I've been busy going to training orientations and I'm still getting used to that 9 to 5 lifestyle
LOL

I'm still trying to translate as many variety shows and dramas as I can but tbh, it's hard to keep up with every single drama that's airing from start to finish especially when I'm not watching anything... ㅠㅠ
I don't want to give you guys half-assed posts where I don't even understand the references in the comments and the translation ends up being confusing.

So that's why I've been focusing on one at a time (e.g. Search: WWW, Hotel del Luna) rather than during a separate roundup for each day.
I know it's annoying to not see translations for a drama you're interested in but to maintain the quality of my posts and organization of my blog, I know it's best to just do the drama roundups one at a time. 

With variety show roundups, I'm trying to be more consistent with the Sunday variety shows and on the topic of 'Running Man' - like I've said in a previous post, I usually translate things that are trending on the front page of Naver. For example, articles for 'I Live Alone' trend on the front page ranking for hours after the episode airs on Friday and tbh, Running Man hasn't been trending on the front page for a while and when I do go hunt for Running Man-related articles, the comments usually have less than 100 upvotes....

It's kinda hard to keep track of when there's not a lot of activity ㅠㅠ

If y'all want to send me articles of Running Man episodes then I'll go ahead and translate it but in my experience, it's been hard finding popular, trending RM articles and if I do find articles, there's always a lack of comments and upvotes.

I'll try to translate Naver TV comments for 'Running Man' but just wanted to give y'all some insight of what's been going on with that.

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< M I S C >

I know I'm kinda private on this blog - like all y'all know about me is that I'm a recent Korean-American graduate who really enjoys watching 'I Live Alone' and Na PD's variety shows, enjoys listening to Day 6 and IU LOLOL 
But I've been thinking about doing a FAQ/Get to Know Me post or a behind-the-scenes look of what goes into my blogging process because there seems to be some people who want to get to know more. If you guys have some questions you want to ask, you can DM me on Twitter (@ddo_boja) or just leave a comment below! 😊

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As always...

Thank you for always being there for me and for showing me support when I got MIA for a few days LOL
You guys really motivate me to work harder everyday and help me become more confident in my skills

♡

Thank you for reading, commenting, and supporting me.

It really means a lot ㅠㅠ

I hope you all have an amazing week and hope you enjoy the month of October! 
🍃🍂

우리 또 보자~ 

(t/n: let's meet again~; uri ddoboja~) 

(｡•́◡•̀｡)

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Two Years with ddoboja ♡

Hello everyone! *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

I hope you're all doing well and the new year is starting off good for you~ ♡ 

(◍•ᴗ•◍)

I'm so happy to announce that today (January 6) marks my second anniversary of running this blog!

WOWWW!!!

2 whole years of running ddoboja

I started this blog in 2017 and my very first post was about Jung Joon Young coming back to 1N2D

At the start of this blog, I was a bit lost at what I wanted to do and I basically covered anything about the Korean entertainment industry (yes, even KPOP LOLOL) and then I slowly started focusing solely on Korean dramas and variety shows

Fun fact: The first ever drama roundup that I wrote was for 'Prison Playbook'!

It's really interestingcringy and funny to see the changes in how I write the post titles compared to then and now LOL

The post titles used to be soooo messy! (I'm so sorry you guys had to go through that ㅠㅠ)

But it's also nice to see that I was finally able to find my groove

(◍•ᴗ•◍)

In 2017, I finished the year with writing 119 posts

In 2018, I wrote a total of 574 posts ㅠㅠ

Although my posting schedule was a bit sporadic in 2018 due to school, work, and my personal life, I want to thank y'all for continuing to read this blog and for supporting me ♡

I know I always repeat myself but I'm always thankful for each and every comment, email, retweet, and follow I've had the honor of receiving throughout this journey

All of you guys make this journey so much more enjoyable for me, knowing that someone out there in Indonesia, Singapore, Europe, the U.S., etc is enjoying my translations ㅠㅠ

I never expected this blog to grow this much and every little accomplishment really encourages me more and more. Although there has been a few bumps along the way with some people reposting my translations without crediting me, translating my work without my permission, and having a few people being rude to me - y'all always helped me keep my head up and just continue along with this journey.

This blog has really become a part of my daily life. I catch myself checking Naver the moment I wake up and saving interesting articles throughout the day to translate for this blog.

Just like everyone else my age, I'm always updated with my emails because it's connected to my phone and when I visited my sister a few days ago, she asked me why my phone alerts go off at like 3 AM and I had to explain to her that it's because I'm getting notified about the comments that are being left on my blog LOL 

Once again...

Thank you for always being there for me and for supporting me when I go through my rough days

I honestly don't think I would've been able to grow this blog to what it is today without you guys - like if you asked me two years ago if I would've been able to write long ass article translations, I would've scoffed in disbelief LOL 

Because of your support and hilarious comments, I'm able to continue writing posts day after day.

Thank you for being on this journey with me and I can't wait for the years ahead of us

♡

Thank you for reading, commenting, and supporting me.

It really means a lot.

I hope you all have an amazing week and for all my fellow college students, I hope you have an amazing school semester/quarter, don't stress too much!

우리 또 보자~ 

(t/n: let's meet again~; uri ddoboja~) 

(｡•́◡•̀｡)

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[from ddoboja - 12月] ❄ Winter Break ❄ + Goodbye 2018!

Helloooo readers! :･ﾟ
I can't believe December is almost over...
😮

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L I F E

The first two weeks of December was insanely busy for me ㅠㅠ
It was finals week and when people tell you that college gets more relaxing during your final year, they're lying 
(｡•́︿•̀｡)
LOL I'm just kidding~ (kinda)
My birthday always conflicts with finals week so I can never celebrate comfortably ㅠㅠ
But thank you everyone for sending me birthday messages!
It was really sweet ㅠㅠ
♡


After I finished my last exam, I celebrated with my friends and we went to Aminé's concert~
If you're into hip hop and want to check him out, I recommend the songs: Spice Girl, Veggies, Heebie Jeebies, and DR. WHOEVER


We also went to Disneyland~
It was nice to take a break after having a crazy semester~

To all my readers, always remember to take care of yourselves!

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D R A M A S + M U S I C

I usually like to write about what I've been watching and listening to in these [from ddoboja] posts but to be honest, I haven't been able to keep up with all these new dramas or newly released music ㅠㅠ

How is the new DAY6 EP?

Please share with me some new music recommendations because all I've been listening to are the same songs and my podcasts ㅠㅠ

BUT!

There has been one drama I've been keeping up with...

<SKY CASTLE>

This drama is literally a part of my 2018 favorite drama list 

♡

I'll be posting my list of favorite dramas for 2018 in January! hehe

Some people might not enjoy this because it's not a romcom nor is it a teen romance but it has an amazing ensemble - there's literally no acting hole

Even the child actors are praised for being acting geniuses! 

I definitely recommend this drama for viewers who've enjoyed 'Misty', people who are looking for a Korean drama that's being led by a strong female cast, viewers who are interested in Korean societal issues, and for people who just want to switch it up with their k-dramas!

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G O O D B Y E , 2 0 1 8

Wowwww can you believe that there's only 1 more day of 2018 left??
ㅠㅠ
Looking back at this year, I think it was a really memorable one for me as I was able to experience a lot of things that helped me grow as an individual 

This year, I also started to post seriously with this blog - I got into my groove 😎
Thank you all for entertaining me with your comments, joining me when I fangirl over something, and for helping me grow this blog into what it is right now

Looking back at when I started this blog a year ago, I didn't expect things to get this serious - I never expected myself to fully translate articles (e.g. interviews) or translate articles that were about societal issues

Fun fact: Princess Diaries is one of my favorite movies ♡

 Thank you for always sending me words of support ㅠㅠ
It really means a lot...
When I felt lost at times with what I was doing with this blog, with what I wanted to do with this blog, and when I felt frustrated from the occasional personal attacks, y'all really helped me get through it
And thank you to everyone for sending me birthday wishes as well ㅠㅠ
It really touched my heart~
♡ 
And thanks for being patient when my posting schedule would get wonky during my exam periods LOLOL senior year of college is killing me!
I feel like I said thank you a hundred times but I'm so grateful ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

I can't wait to continue on this blog's journey with you all in 2019
And I'll always work hard to be a better ddoboja (why does this line sound like it came from one of those apology statements LOLOL)

---

Once again...

Thank you always for reading my blog and for being so supportive of me

It really means a lot

♡

Well then... this is the end for this year! 

우리 또 보자~ 

(t/n: let's meet again~; uri ddoboja~) 

(｡•́◡•̀｡)

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[from ddoboja - 9月] ddoboja Goes to Korea! 🇰🇷

Helloooo readers! :･ﾟ
It feels like it's been a really long time since I've done a [from ddoboja] post ㅠㅠ
But for those of y'all who are new to this blog...
Every month I try to upload a [from ddoboja] post where I post things like what I watched, listened to, and did throughout the month.
So let's get started with my September recap!
For those of y'all who didn't know, I went to Korea for a few days during the month of September! :･ﾟ
These are a few of my favorite pictures from my time in Korea~
I hope you enjoy my brief(?) LOL recap! :･ﾟ

On our first day in Korea, my family and I went to Jeju Island for 1 night and 2 days!

This was the sunrise at Gimpo Airport at around 5:45 AM
Look at how beautiful the flag looks with the clouds ㅠㅠ


The flight to Jeju Island experienced a lot of turbulence so it wasn't fun but the clouds looked so pretty ㅠㅠ



Our first meal on the island was 해물라면 (haemool ramyeon, seafood ramyeon) and it was sooooo yummy!!
As you can see, the ramen came with so much seafood (which tasted super fresh) and the noodles were cooked perfectly (I'm really picky about my noodle's texture LOL)
I want to eat it again ㅠㅠ


After our meal we went to the OSULLOC Tea Museum~
If you're a fan of 'I Live Alone' then you might recognize this place! The members visited this green tea field during their 200th episode special!


When you head inside the museum, they have an exhibition and shop area.
In the shop area, they sell tea and they have a cafe.
My family got a couple of green tea drinks and cake rolls and I decided on getting the green tea ice cream!
I looooooveeeee anything that is green tea/matcha-flavored ♡
This was by far my favorite green tea ice cream that I have ever tried because the ice cream tasted entirely like green tea and not creamy which I reaaaally appreciated~
I don't know why but I hate when ice cream tastes super milky/creamy and lacks of the actual flavor that you picked. Like what's the point of eating vanilla ice cream if it only tastes like milk and there's only a hint of vanilla?

Before we headed back to Incheon, our last meal on the island was Japanese food from a restaurant called Nozomi.
The owner was so sweet and she was really interested in my accent and when we told her we came from the U.S., she shared with us that she also used to live in the U.S. for a while but ended up moving back to Korea!




Charcoal-grilled unagi~~~


Admiral Yi Sun Shin



King Sejong the Great


If you go further down the street then there's the Gyeongbokgung!


Oh my... it's me! LOL
Hehehe first time revealing myself on my blog~ 
This is a bit nerve-wracking and embarrassing LOL




After we toured the palace, we started walking towards an area called Samcheongdong and we went to chill at a cafe~
The cafe we went to is called Cafe Breezin
My cousins and I ordered dessert and drinks - I got the mint mojito (the drink in the middle) and to be honest, the food and drinks weren't very tasty LOL
The drinks were super syrupy and the waffle was just basically super hard to eat and tasted like a frozen one you could buy at a marketplace...
It was really mediocre...

BUT!
I fell in love with the cafe's aesthetics ㅠㅠ 
This is the sign you're greeted with when you enter the cafe


*Maya Angelou LOL


The view from where we were sitting ♡
I swear... Korea is so green!
I love it so much ㅠㅠ ♡

One of my cousins wanted to spend time with me before my last day so she took me to her favorite shopping mall so we can walk around, shop, and chat


The mall had a special event going on where they had a little craft fair and wow....
People are so talented! They crated hair accessories, jewelry, wallets, and more!
Right next to this little fair, two guys were busking by the red trees and I seriously got chills when we stepped out into this area... ㅠㅠ

The guys who were busking were singing 'Compass' by Lee Juck which is one of my favorite song of all time ㅠㅠ
The fact that they were performing my favorite song live during my first trip in Korea while I was surrounded by the people I love and the things I like was just really amazing ㅠㅠ
The mood was just perfect... ♡

I mostly spent time on this trip with my family and relatives because I haven't seen many of my relatives and cousins in around 20 years ㅠㅠ
On my last day, I spent the whole day with my grandparents and it was one of the most precious days in my life ㅠㅠ
I think I cherish my time with them even more now because of the fact that they're a lot older now so I honestly don't know how much time I have left with them...

For those who don't know, one of my inspirations for starting this blog was my grandfather.
Every time we would end our monthly phone calls, we would always tell me not to forget how to speak Korean and not to forget the fact that I'm Korean even though my nationality is American.
The fact that I was able to communicate perfectly with my grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins is something I'm really grateful for because I feel like if I wasn't able to speak the amount of Korean I'm able to speak right now, then the trip probably wouldn't have been as enjoyable as it was.




Till next time, Korea.
You were an absolute delight.
From the weather, the people, the food, and the sunrises and sunsets.
I can't wait to come back  :･ﾟ

---

Hehe that's all folks!

I hope you all had an amazing month and if it wasn't that great, keep your head up and try to stay positive - everything will work out.

And to my Indonesian readers, I hope you're all safe.

♡

Once again

Thank you always for reading my blog and for writing me supportive comments

They really mean a lot

♡

Well then... this is the end for today! 

우리 또 보자~ 

(t/n: let's meet again~; uri ddoboja~) 

(｡•́◡•̀｡)

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[from ddoboja - 7月] What I've Been Doing This Summer

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all doing well and staying coooool~

Is it also hot at where you're living right now?

This summer has been super HOT and very busy for me ㅠㅠ

As some of you might've noticed, I posted a LOT less these past two months and I missed posting the June edition of 'from ddoboja' ㅠㅠ

It was because I started my new job at my university and that took up almost all of my time...

I barely kept up with any dramas or variety shows except for 'Miss Hammurabi' and 'I Live Alone' and I think because of my crazy work schedule, I just wasn't motivated to update my blog ㅠㅠ

Soooo you're probably wondering what exactly I was doing this summer that kept me so busy from updating y'all!

---

L I F E

 I was an Orientation Advisor at my university!

This picture was taken during our final orientation event ㅠㅠ

I met A LOT of new people this summer, whether it was incoming students and their guests, my coworkers, and the officials at my university, I definitely created a lot of new bonds with people who I would never expect to have talked to during school LOL

I also gained a lot of new skills, especially skills when it came to talking in front of a huge group!

But I got a really bad tan.... ㅠㅠ
Wear sunscreen!!

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R E A D I N G

When I wasn't working, I was doing a lot of reading
The books I read this summer were a part of the 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before'-series.

I first learned about this series after watching the trailer for the Netflix film adaptation and I was really excited to read it!

The author is Korean-American and the main character is half-Korean.

Growing up, most of the YA/teen books I've read didn't have any Korean characters and it was really cool to discover this series because of how it incorporates Korean culture into the story.

The book is an easy read, light hearted, and pretty funny too.

I definitely recommend it!

What books have you been reading lately or what are some of your favorite books?

---

D R A M A S + F I L M S

<BABY DRIVER>

This movie is just absolutely phenomenal...
The soundtrack, the editing, the acting... WOW!
If you appreciate good editing, I would definitely recommend this movie to you.
I never watched the trailer so I didn't know what this movie was about, I just knew that the name was a bit weird and the main actor is like a fan of BTS LOL
But definitely check this out!

<MISS HAMMURABI>

'Miss Hammurabi' was literally the only drama I kept up with during the months of June and July LOL
That's why I wasn't doing any drama roundups because it's hard to keep up with 4 dramas at once ㅠㅠ
But damnnnn this drama really changed my views on Kim Myung Soo (L) as an actor.
I hope they make a second season ㅠㅠ
I wrote a more in-depth review about this drama, you can read it here - X

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N O T E S

(｡•́︿•̀｡)

So I don't know why but I feel like I'm going through a rut these days when it comes to this blog...

I don't know what direction it's heading towards and I feel kind of lost when I'm writing posts.

I understand that I'm posting translated comments about dramas and variety shows but all my posts seem repetitive now even though I mix in my drama reviews and my off-topic [from ddoboja] posts in.

So sometimes I don't know what to post anymore because it's always drama roundups or variety show roundups.

Or maybe it's because it's a slow news day... I don't really know LOL 

Anyways, I just opened up my requests again so y'all can DM me requests through Twitter or email!

But please keep in mind that I'm only human so I don't translate things 24/7 and it's nice to be courteous 😂 and not just DM me with: "Here translate this" (I've had someone do this before LOL)

And if you have any tips or feedback, I would greatly appreciate it.

Once again, thank you always for reading my blog and for writing me supportive comments, they really mean a lot

♡

Well then... this is the end for today! 

우리 또 보자~ 

(t/n: let's meet again~; uri ddoboja~) 

(｡•́◡•̀｡)

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