Man, I can't believe it's already February. Where did January go? I think I just ended up staying in and trying to avoid the cold weather. It's been really cold and I'm not such a fan.
I told myself that I would study Korean on my own and I've only been able to get through a few lessons. Since I'm visiting home in March, it impacts the language programs I can enroll in, and I'm not able to enroll until June! Luckily Vicky is super motivated and created a Korean studying schedule for us that we will start next week. Very exciting!
I guess I also spent January doing a lot of cooking. I've also been dabbling with making videos to post online. I just wrote a script about cooking and how I want to research produce that it is in season and grown in Korea. This will be my new pet project for the next few days so I'm excited about that as well!
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Sabbatical Day 238 (1.1.17) - New Year
For some reason 2017 doesn't seem as monumental to me as other new years. I think in the past I was much more resolved to make certain changes but right now, I'm currently in the middle of the biggest change for me yet.
So, I actually don't have resolutions. I just want to continue living each day in the manner that I've been - which is doing what I want to do and being open and accepting to new things.
Our celebration was also very different than it has been in the past several years. For the past 10 I think I've celebrated at home with our Cupertino friends. And this is the only year we weren't able to do that....our celebration wasn't bad at all-it was a lot of fun...but just different.
So, I actually don't have resolutions. I just want to continue living each day in the manner that I've been - which is doing what I want to do and being open and accepting to new things.
Our celebration was also very different than it has been in the past several years. For the past 10 I think I've celebrated at home with our Cupertino friends. And this is the only year we weren't able to do that....our celebration wasn't bad at all-it was a lot of fun...but just different.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Sabbatical Day 231 (12.25.16) - Christmas in Korea
This is our first Christmas in Korea and I'm trying to decide if I like it or not. I know that I'm definitely not used to it. It's not a crazy holiday where people are fighting each other over parking spaces and items at the store. (The shops are always just crowded in Korea as it is!) It fell on a Sunday this year and Sundays always seem to be quiet in Seoul.
The weird thing is, while Korea is very festive and they put lights up everywhere along with decorations, there isn't that same Christmas feeling. In the US I feel like people are just in a better mood around Christmas-time because they eat a lot, get to see their families, and get gifts.
Regardless, it's just a surreal experience because I'm used to seeing family on the holiday and ramping up to it. But this year, it's just me and James. He is my family now so I am seeing him!
The weird thing is, while Korea is very festive and they put lights up everywhere along with decorations, there isn't that same Christmas feeling. In the US I feel like people are just in a better mood around Christmas-time because they eat a lot, get to see their families, and get gifts.
Regardless, it's just a surreal experience because I'm used to seeing family on the holiday and ramping up to it. But this year, it's just me and James. He is my family now so I am seeing him!
Sabbatical Day 230 (12.24.16) - Yoga teacher training complete!
Wow, I can't believe the day has finally come! When James and I started our yoga training in August, we thought Christmas Eve was so far away. Now here we are and we just finished our class. It feels surreal. Towards the tail end, I found myself wishing that the class didn't have to end and I wanted it to continue.
We learned a lot of valuable information and I need to take the time to put my notes in order and thoughts down on paper.
While this was a teacher training course, I don't feel ready to teach yoga. This is because I don't want to teach the physical asanas and do not feel that I'm yet in the condition to do so. I want to spread the yoga that we learned and in order to do that, I need to do some major reflection.
Top 3 things from our class that I'd like to remind myself of:
1) The yoga that we know is not fully yoga - the physical poses or asanas are only one of the eight limbs of yoga
2) Don't beat yourself up because you can't get into that perfect pose. They take practice and every day I know I get stronger and more flexible
3) Yoga is a way for me to learn to control my energy. Everything is energy and I don't want to exert my energy on unnecessary things
We learned a lot of valuable information and I need to take the time to put my notes in order and thoughts down on paper.
While this was a teacher training course, I don't feel ready to teach yoga. This is because I don't want to teach the physical asanas and do not feel that I'm yet in the condition to do so. I want to spread the yoga that we learned and in order to do that, I need to do some major reflection.
Top 3 things from our class that I'd like to remind myself of:
1) The yoga that we know is not fully yoga - the physical poses or asanas are only one of the eight limbs of yoga
2) Don't beat yourself up because you can't get into that perfect pose. They take practice and every day I know I get stronger and more flexible
3) Yoga is a way for me to learn to control my energy. Everything is energy and I don't want to exert my energy on unnecessary things
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Sabbatical Day 200 (11.24.16) - Thanksgiving
Our first Thanksgiving abroad was hectic. I coincidentally had a test in my Korean class on the day of and felt completely dejected afterwards. Luckily, we had two parties to attend and I headed shortly after to our friend's house on base. I really felt like I was back at home because it was in an actual house, there was vegetarian food, and there was a TON of food. The next stop was James' boss' house who also had access to the base commissary. There was even more food and tons of dessert. So because of all the festivities, I didn't really miss being home for Thanksgiving.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Sabbatical Day 195 (11.19.16) - Pay It Forward...I hope
Tonight we went to a club in Itaewon. It's been a long time since I went dancing and it was so much fun! It did really make me miss our friends, though. Anyways, we had to take a cab home because the subways stop at midnight. After the cab dropped us off near our house, we saw a caucasian lady and her son walk up to a cab window and show them an address card. Then we saw them walk away from the cab and another person took the cab and it drove away.
I felt so bad for the lady because he son was young and it was past midnight! So we walked over there and offered to help her get a cab. Her husband was actually across the street and they ended up flagging one down, but we were able to offer her some advice on how to deal with cabs in Korea: they are obligated to take you, but you just need to get inside the cab first.
With all the things I read about in the news happening, I find some solace in a FB group that I was invited to called "Pantsuit Nation". There's been some real heartwarming stories of random acts of kindness and I hope that tonight we might have been able to participate in a random act of kindness as well. I know we didn't help too much in the long run for them, but hopefully us offering to assist when they were in distress was enough for that family to want to pay a random act of kindness forward to someone else who may be in need in the future.
I felt so bad for the lady because he son was young and it was past midnight! So we walked over there and offered to help her get a cab. Her husband was actually across the street and they ended up flagging one down, but we were able to offer her some advice on how to deal with cabs in Korea: they are obligated to take you, but you just need to get inside the cab first.
With all the things I read about in the news happening, I find some solace in a FB group that I was invited to called "Pantsuit Nation". There's been some real heartwarming stories of random acts of kindness and I hope that tonight we might have been able to participate in a random act of kindness as well. I know we didn't help too much in the long run for them, but hopefully us offering to assist when they were in distress was enough for that family to want to pay a random act of kindness forward to someone else who may be in need in the future.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Sabbatical Day 189 (11.13.16) - Election Update
So it's been a few days since the election and I have a few observations to make:
1. I need to get educated on Donald Trump's policies - What were his original ideas regarding immigration, Muslims, foreign policy and Obamacare, among others?
2. There are acts of racism happening in the US which is really crazy - I keep seeing posts on FB and this Pantsuit Nation FB group that I was invited to about acts of both love and racism. People being told to go back to some country, swastikas being painted on buildings, the KKK marching in full hood? WTF?
3. I realized that I don't believe in the protests that are going on in the US - What I've learned through yoga is that everything is energy. If your energy is being diverted towards protesting, it could be used more efficiently towards an organization that you are aligned with or towards working directly with your community. What is a protest actually going to? Maybe this also includes my fear of crowds given Korea has had its own fair share of protests lately. (Side note, there was a protest of 200,000 people in Gwanghwamun yesterday to protest the South Korean president.)
1. I need to get educated on Donald Trump's policies - What were his original ideas regarding immigration, Muslims, foreign policy and Obamacare, among others?
2. There are acts of racism happening in the US which is really crazy - I keep seeing posts on FB and this Pantsuit Nation FB group that I was invited to about acts of both love and racism. People being told to go back to some country, swastikas being painted on buildings, the KKK marching in full hood? WTF?
3. I realized that I don't believe in the protests that are going on in the US - What I've learned through yoga is that everything is energy. If your energy is being diverted towards protesting, it could be used more efficiently towards an organization that you are aligned with or towards working directly with your community. What is a protest actually going to? Maybe this also includes my fear of crowds given Korea has had its own fair share of protests lately. (Side note, there was a protest of 200,000 people in Gwanghwamun yesterday to protest the South Korean president.)
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