Changes that came and that are coming.

So here's a quick and short update with the events in my life. Sorry there aren't many elaborate details...may return with some at another point in time.

End of January: Say goodbye to the people at Espirit Institute.

Beginning of February: Say hello to a new apartment. Conveniently located in the center of Itaewon, a very diverse area of Seoul. Have a short get-away girls' weekend to Chuncheon. Popular for it's DakKalbi and the Korean drama Winter Sonata.

February 10th - 17th: Visited the beautiful island, Boracay in the Philippines. I was introduced to some wonderful people and to some beautiful sunsets. Pictures are on facebook and will eventually be added to my Picassa albums online.

February 18th - until: I arrived in Mississippi early in the morning. The tentative plan is to stay until the beginning of March and then return to Korea, where I will be working for an undecided amount of time.

Continuing with my Lists of Ten:

Top 10 Things to do in 2009

1. Go Skydiving.
2. Visit a place in MS that I've never been to and never thought about going to.
3. Continue to eat healthy and be healthy.
4. Go to New York and New Jersey to see family.
5. Go on a picnic and fly a kite.
6. Learn how to cook a new dish and perfect it.
7. Take lessons/classes of some kind (salsa dancing, gymnastics, hapkido or taekwondo).
8. Shoot a gun.
9. Perform on stage.
10. Watch a sunrise (this has been difficult, especially since I'm not a morning person).

Feeling Compassion--Inspired by the Bushisms on CNN.com

Okay. The United States has a new President. There is no doubt we should welcome in the new and hope for the better, a change so many Americans are wishing for. Change can be good, who can deny that?

I can't help but feel sympathy and sadness for President Bush. Gasp!...Sorry, you guys! Some people may say he's uneducated, that he's inarticulate, or look at what he has done to our country over the last eight years!

He's a fallen man. A man who made mistakes. Some big. Some small. Whatever the error, he is still human. As humans, we are imperfect. We make mistakes.

Oh wait a minute, as President, shouldn't he (or she--one day) be held at a different standard? Yes, but should a man be belittled and ridiculed for every mistake? No.

If you said yes, then think about all of the mistakes you have made in the past. Then imagine what it would feel like to have each one replayed for the entire world to see and relive it for every single day that you have breath in your lungs.

Example:

Ouch, right? OKAY, so yeah, some of it IS funny (not the point)... Hopefully, he can find it humorous...but if he's like you or me, it's going to be more painful before he finds it comical (Oh before I forget, I don't like one-sided journalism. I don't like how the media attacks.)

Sure, man should recognize their mistakes, see their imperfections. Accept it, try to change what they can, and move on. Bush can't change anything he has done over the last eight years, neither can you or I.

I'm sure he is wondering what he could have done better for America. Yet, he has millions of people who hate him, who blame him for the state our country is in. Who, possibly, for quite a long time, will not be able to walk outside the comfort of his home without feeling the weight of regret, judgment, and ridicule. Do you think society will let him just forget? Do you think society will let bygones be bygones?

I don't.
It's not right.

We get to move on with our lives. We get to stash our mistakes away in a secret file in our minds. Maybe Bush can too. Maybe he's really strong and the public voice won't bother him. Who knows?

I wonder what Bush is feeling this very moment and what he's thinking. Also, I wonder the same about Obama.

Obama has a big burden on his shoulders. He has to try and repair a country that is in disarray economically, etc. My hope, is that he lives true to his promises of change. My hope is that he doesn't reach the bottom like Bush did. I hope our nation will get stronger and our leader will make the right choices, just as I hope the people of my country will too.


***SIDE NOTE: Please forgive any spelling, grammar, punctuation errors. It is really early in the morning and I'm a little loopy.

Welcoming the new, accepting the old, and hoping for a better "something."

2008 came as quickly as it disappeared. For the majority of this past year I spent it in a new country, or rather, my "motherland." I'm thankful for the people I have met, the places I have seen, and the experiences I was blessed with. If I had stayed within the confines of the Mississippi state line I would never have gone to Thailand, not have been as self-sufficient as I am right now, and possibly be stuck in a rut that I couldn't get out of. Living in South Korea has definitely been a good experience for me, even though I have felt lonely at times.

Hope. That is what I have for the new year. I hope to overcome my weaknesses and turn them into strengths. I hope for forgiveness and for answers.

I don't really have resolutions, but I have goals.

On New Year's Eve, I went to the center of Seoul to "hear the bell" ring. The massive amount of people was overwhelming. We were all squeezed and squished together making it very difficult to breathe. There was a semi-threatening wall of police men as well...the number of them was threatening, not that they had any sort of weapon. I didn't manage to get back to my drafty apartment until five and then slept till sunset.

Happy New Year...Make it the best.

Plans Change

Like my title says, plans change. I'm not on my to China. In fact, I'm in Mississippi staying with my family for the holiday. I'll be heading back on Sunday so I can be ready to teach on Tuesday.

It's hard to believe that another Christmas is here. Time is strange...

Happy Holidays Everyone.
I hope everyone is well and happy.

Oh the food!

Top 10 food items I miss from home:

1. REAL sushi rolls: dynamite, golden triangle, ron roll, and old dynamite
2. Breakfast burritos: the ones my mom makes
3. Lasagna!!
4. Sweet Tea
5. Edy's Fruit Bars
6. Chick Filet nuggets
7. Shrimp quesadilla from Mi Toro
8. Whole wheat bread
9. Wendy's Salads
10. Red Bull

Thanksgiving and Top 10 Subway Stops

Thanksgiving dinner was on Saturday, at Adam's place. It was really stressful to make all the food and clean in such a short amount of time, but once everything was done it was really satisfying. There was so much food for the six of us in the tiny officetel. We had ordered a big turkey dinner from the Marriott that came with a few side dishes. Adam and I also made some extra sides: stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet mashed potatoes, banana bread, and pumpkin bread.

Later in the evening we played a few rounds of charades. It was quite amusing and enjoyed by everyone.

Pictures will be added to Picasa sometime soon. I know I need to update a number of my pictures and when I do I'll post the link.

Top 10 Subway Stations I Use

1. Nambu Bus Terminal
2. Cheolsan
3. Express Bus Terminal
4. Samsung
5. Gangnam
6. Kyodae
7. Seocho
8. Hongdae
9. Jamsil
10. Apgujeong/Itaewon

The 10 Things I...

I was inspired. This concept is not mine to claim, but I'm thankful. Thank you SY!
So my next few blogs will be "10 things I..." They are not in any particular order.

10 Things I dislike about Korea

1. Uneven sidewalks, which lead to ruined shoes.
2. The Korean Princess Mentality
3. The sound that men make when hawking up spit.
4. Packed subway cars: Pushy ajummas and ajossis that smell like soju, garlic, and moth balls.
5. The loud drunken hollering I can hear from the 5th floor in the middle of the night.
6. Not being able to get a taxi late at night, because you are too close to where you want to go.
7. The stares I get when walking and talking with white people.
8. Expensive fruit and veggies or lack of foreign food choices.
9. High prices for low quality clothing.
10.Separating food garbage and paper garbage.

Other things that couldn't fit in the list:

The rotten smells, hot summers, floor heating that doesn't work, the falling won, and the rude mannerisms people tend to have here (cultural thing).

10 Things I like About Korea

1. Cheap Public Transportation
2. Taxi drivers that have limited hesitation to run a red light
3. The 10 minute walk to work.
4. 17 green tea, Melon Ice Cream Bars, Cham Chi Kimbap, banana milk and dokkbokki!
5. Cheap shoes in my size
6. Cheap membership to the gym right across the street from my apartment.
7. Living less than 5 minutes away from grocery store, the subway station, and my new dentist (Oh the convenience!)
8. My precious students
9. $3 Doner Kebabs from street vendors
10. The ladies at the local Kimbap Chonguk and Joes Sandwich (friendly).

Other things that couldn't fit in the list:
The large leaves that have started to fall from the trees.
An outdoor running track 5-10 minutes away from my apartment.
Cheap burned DVDS.
Cool looking buildings.
Having four distinct seasons.


So I didn't get off from work for Thanksgiving, but I will get to eat a nice Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.

I have yet to meet my biological mother. We were suppose to meet this past Wednesday, but she couldn't get to Seoul that early in the day. I told Soohyun to ask what date she is available and I would plan around it. Now, I'm just waiting for a response.