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.

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.

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.)

Sabbatical Day 185 (11.9.16) - A day full of emotions

Every Wednesday I spend 1 hour practicing my asanas and meditating. Today was no different and I started the morning feeling great! And then I started to watch the election coverage. I couldn't stop watching but at about noon I already knew what the result would be. I had to choke back tears but I tried to keep my faith and have hope.

I went to the jjimjilbang to meet my friend as planned and tried to keep my spirits up. But as I walked to the meet my friend, I tried to figure out why I was so upset. What was it that was making me emotional? 

My friend asked me why I was so scared and so sad and I told her that I am afraid of what the future will bring. What I've seen from the campaign is people acting upon fear. Wanting to stop immigration and bring the country "back" to its greatness. Wanting to divide our country and say that people who are living there are not Americans. I'm afraid of where my place and my future children's places will be in that America. I remembered flashbacks of my childhood where I was told to go back to China. Where people still look at me in shock when I speak English without an accent. Where I've been asked "Where are you from?" Despite all this, America and being American is all I know. But from these election results, I realize that these incidents that I've experienced are not just outliers.

California is a bubble and a great bubble, but seeing all the racist acts happen across the country makes me think that the rest of the country doesn't think like we do. My bubble has been burst and I feel devastated.

However, when I tried to explain this to James, he made me think about what is the worst thing that can happen. I told him I was afraid that Donald Trump might take the US troops out of South Korea, that he might put people in internment camps, that he might start WW3. Well, after blurting all that out, I realized that I am saying all this in fear too and I'm just like people who may have voted for Trump in their fear. I cannot let fear dictate my emotions and worry. The best thing I can do is try to help - educate people in compassion, volunteer my time. Although saying all this, I wish I was back in the US in order to do so. What can I do from Korea?

Sabbatical Day 180 (11.4.16) - Seoul Kim Jang Festival

I learned that the Fall is the time to make Kim chi. Every year, Seoul has a large Kim chi making festival. The process of making Kim Chi is called Kim Jang. On Friday our school volunteered to go make Kim Chi at this festival and boy, I had no clue what I was in for. City Hall was very festival with a giant stage, a huge Kim Chi inflatable pot and rows and rows of tables with trays of cabbage. Each volunteer was given a giant plastic bag which had an apron, a head cover, a pair of cloth gloves, rubber gloves, a face mask, shoe covers, and a hand warmer.

The funniest part of the festival was that it was a huge theatrical production. No one was allowed to start until the sponsors of the event were introduced and there was a lot of talking that I didn't understand. There were several dances that happened on stage but there were no instructions on how exactly to make Kim Chi. 

Luckily, we had ajummas at our table that taught us how to make the Kim Chi. However, these ajummas didn't abide by the rule of the festival and just started making Kim Chi immediately. We of course followed because we didn't know, and were scolded by the table next to us and told to stop. 

I also don't know who will receive all of the goodies, but hoping it goes to some homeless, hungry folks.

Sabbatical Day 177 (11.1.16) - Baby, it's cold outside

Well, it's only the beginning of November and it is freezing in Seoul. We thought we'd be leaving in November when we were packing for our trip so that means....I am not prepared! I had to buy a new parka and plan to get some additional winter clothes. After living in NYC I thought I'd never need a parka again, silly me.

The great thing about cold weather is the heated floors. Another thing that needs to be brought to the US, stat. Right now, I'm sitting on the ground typing and my bum is nice and toasty. It reminds me of Saturday mornings when I was in high school. I'd wake up, walk out of my room and into the living room and fall asleep while watching TV and lying on the heating vent with a blanket wrapped around me. So nice and cozy! Now if only I could create a portable heating system to use when I'm walking around outside....