Today, I received about 30 packets of pepero! :) I felt very special! Pepero Day is a very commercial thing like most holidays now. It is supposed to be about buying these special pretzel like biscuits covered in chocolate or almond and chocolate if you are going high budget! :)
I had no idea they meant anything as I have been nibbling away at them all year! It supposed be given to someone you like or as a friendship token to say I appreciate your friendship.
So last night I toodled off to Emart to buy some pepero to take to school to give to my teachers and was awe-struck at the crazy selection available- tall ones, small fat cute ones, prettily wrapped ones and crazily shaped ones! I bought my standard box I always do and was chuffed with my cultural awareness of this holiday and joy it would surely bring my teachers.
Needless to say in my haste to make the bus this morning-i forgot them neatly positioned on my table! ARGH!!!
It did however go unnoticed as I was showered in pepero sticks all day long and so were my teachers. Felt real special! :) The cutest was one of my naughtiest students-Ho tae- who shyly stumbled up to me and said -"Teacher this is for you. I like you." It was so so endearing! I just wanted to grab him and give him a huge hug but of course this would have been humiliating for a 5th grade boy, so I didn't and instead I just smiled and said "Wow, Ho-Tae. Thank you so much!"
I wonder if the G20 planned especially to have their conference in Seoul starting today?! Hmmm, well that was a nice thought anyway... :)
Here's to World Friendship!
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
LOST and FOUND
Last weekend, I had the most girls weekend ever with Kirst in Daejeon! We went shopping at Zara and Mango (my fav stores) and spent way too much money-but I am now equipped with a new wardrobe of items mostly in black! Nevertheless the classic black look will never die and so I am rather thrilled! My new jeans are great -I can actually move in them after splitting the other ones rather embarassingly down the bum when I sat down in a restaurant! We also went for Sushi and smoothies and then went to watch the movie "Eat, Pray, Love" which I was intrigued to do with all the controversy surrounding it!
SO my opinion is that it was a poor performance of Julia Roberts and perhaps the wrong actress for the job, some of the places also felt too stereotypical and lost the crude charm those three countries possess and also sometimes the sequence of events in the movie felt too contrived and unrealistic... Although saying that, I was also moved by the movie in small things-such as the interaction she had with the elderly man at the ashram showing how we need be accountable for our actions, hold onto them and them forgive ourselves or let them go. Also, I was moved by the part where the girls eat pizza in Naples and she convinces her friend that she should eat it-just because when men get into a room with you and you start removing your clothing-they dont care how you look and buying new jeans was the just the solution for weight gain-it was such a simple, yet good way of putting it (and perhaps reassuring of my extra 5 kgs I have gained this year)!
But why I enjoyed the movie overall was how she was on this quest to discover things about herself(not find herself)-some might argue most may not have the means to make such a lavish adventure to merely look introspectively and in everyday life-such an experience seems farfetched. I agree to a certain extent that world travel is expensive, but i disagree with this argument as I believe you can find out more about yourself wherever you go and life should be this great experience of self-knowledge. What I also liked about her-was this quest for finding one word that described herself adn she eventually settles on " traversiamo" -to cross over! SO, I began to think about my year and all it has meant to me... And lots has happened I havent had time or energy to capture on my blog as is clearly evident with my minimal poasts in the last 2 months, but know that the clocks have been turning upstairs and I have been thinking about stuff lots.... :)
So, how would I describe my year in a word or a phrase? I have settled on "Lost and Found".
I always love seeing these at airports or train stations-the contradiction of the word makes it somewhat comforting. Some people may find their lost others willl not and others still will help the lost find by bringing in the found. HAHA!
Anyway, I have decided to choose this as my title of my new wave of blog entries as I think it is a good way of descibing what I have lost and found this year.
Particularly in the last 2 months-I have lost many things:
I have learnt:
SO my opinion is that it was a poor performance of Julia Roberts and perhaps the wrong actress for the job, some of the places also felt too stereotypical and lost the crude charm those three countries possess and also sometimes the sequence of events in the movie felt too contrived and unrealistic... Although saying that, I was also moved by the movie in small things-such as the interaction she had with the elderly man at the ashram showing how we need be accountable for our actions, hold onto them and them forgive ourselves or let them go. Also, I was moved by the part where the girls eat pizza in Naples and she convinces her friend that she should eat it-just because when men get into a room with you and you start removing your clothing-they dont care how you look and buying new jeans was the just the solution for weight gain-it was such a simple, yet good way of putting it (and perhaps reassuring of my extra 5 kgs I have gained this year)!
But why I enjoyed the movie overall was how she was on this quest to discover things about herself(not find herself)-some might argue most may not have the means to make such a lavish adventure to merely look introspectively and in everyday life-such an experience seems farfetched. I agree to a certain extent that world travel is expensive, but i disagree with this argument as I believe you can find out more about yourself wherever you go and life should be this great experience of self-knowledge. What I also liked about her-was this quest for finding one word that described herself adn she eventually settles on " traversiamo" -to cross over! SO, I began to think about my year and all it has meant to me... And lots has happened I havent had time or energy to capture on my blog as is clearly evident with my minimal poasts in the last 2 months, but know that the clocks have been turning upstairs and I have been thinking about stuff lots.... :)
So, how would I describe my year in a word or a phrase? I have settled on "Lost and Found".
I always love seeing these at airports or train stations-the contradiction of the word makes it somewhat comforting. Some people may find their lost others willl not and others still will help the lost find by bringing in the found. HAHA!
Anyway, I have decided to choose this as my title of my new wave of blog entries as I think it is a good way of descibing what I have lost and found this year.
Particularly in the last 2 months-I have lost many things:
- My camera lens fell and broke (from an adjuma that pushed me-ARGH! in Jeju island)
- My hard-drive I sent home to be fixed was dead and all my uni photos, work and music is fried!
- My current computer I bought only in March has had some huge melt-down and all my photos that have defined my year have been lost( I think if Bryan can't retrieve them-here's to still hoping)
- My backpack got stolen in the Phillipines with all my favourite summer clothes and dresses and presents for everyone back home.
- My cellphone was in my bag.
- My small camera was misplaced on a crazy night in Sokcho
I have been fortunate that all of these things are material things-but still rather upsetting. As my one friend says: Your luck of losing, breaking and melt-downs of things needs to stop soon!
Agreed! But what I have found this year in terms of lessons is invalubale and any silly camera will never replace that. SO I thought, as an effort to get up and going with my blog again I am going to share with you some of those lessons:I have learnt:
- That there is no place like home, but with a little bit of effort and the right attitude you can create one anywhere in the world.
- Love is wondeful and cruel at te same time and loving somebody means taking the risk that you can lose it all.
- Family is important. Family lifts you up when you are down and smiles with you during the good.
- Passion for anything and everything is a rare quality to have. To be able to have passion about life everyday however seemingly insignificant is a WONDERFUL gift I have learnt.
- Fake it until you make it.
- Sometimes your preferences change: I no longer like Kimchi
- A belly-aching laugh with an old friend is a rare moment in life that should always be cherished
- If you have 5 good friends you are lucky. As the Korean proverb goes: "If you have many friends, you have no friends."
- A note in the post is worth way more than any facebook wallpost.
- Badminton rocks!
- My attitude affects my classes
- Meeting people you connect with instantly is completely refreshing. Meeting Asli and Selma from Turkey was rejuvenating. My birthday was just so much more special!
- If you have friends that will wake you up at 6am spraying cream on your face you are spoilt.
- A good book is never hard to find.
- Bus rides make you appreciate independence!
- You can be lonely on your own or with a million other people around you.
- Humanity is miraculous: Chilean Mine worker rescue-Proof Number 1
- New music, new books and new friends = adventure!
- All experiences define you-good and bad.
- You are who you are and no use fighting it!
- Laughter cures most problems
- Belief in someone can change their world
- You need to know what you want in life-no one will make those decisions for you.
- Make a choice and stick to it, even if it turns out badly in the end. Make a decision with conviction and give it all you got. Thanks dad-that one has stuck with me this year!
- Whatever you do in life, make sure it tests you just a little bit each day! If not, change jobs!
- Complaining never helped anything!
- Cheesecake rocks! Good cheesecake rocks!
- Tea solves all problems! SAY NO TO WAR, SAY YES TO TEA!
- Dance like no one is watching, and if you think they are then close your eyes.
- Diversity is a good thing.
- Experience over Purchase anyday!
- All money should be valued according to the price of a plane ticket
- Try all food -even if just once.
- Small tickets of independence like a rickety scooter can make the world of difference
- Pretending to have a twin birthday with your co-teacher and getting a free glass of wine is fabulous!
- Getting a phone-call from a friend back home in the middle of the night is great!
- Karma will get you. When I miss my bus, I know I haven't been a good teacher.
- The small joys of beautiful sunsets, tweeting birds, cute Korean baby and the underdog team winning a game in class makes life worth it!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Life is a bus-ride
I have been meaning to write about my morning bus-rides that transverse Chuncheon (through Myeong-Dong, passed Soyang-ro, across the Soyang bridge leading to the "other side" of the city-the outskirts) for quite sometime now. However, nothing hit me more this morning than the uncannily likeness of bus-rides to this journey called life.
Getting on a bus for the first time is always a gamble, because although a final destination may be in mind, the exact route and even the end of the journey are generally unknown. So number 37 or number 19 are the ones I look for... just as I am on this life journey in Korea as a teacher-a strange journey choice, but one that I am currently riding...
Everyone waits for the ride to begin as you have to be prepared to jump on-a leap of faith in something- because if you don't, life will carry on without you. My mom has always paid careful attention to people catching buses and gets mightily distressed if someone misses one...I never uderstood this bizarre phenomenon until it happens to you...just as in life-the opportunitie are consistently passing you by and you have got to realise you can't catch all of them, but those you want to grab you need to be prepared-time waits for no man.
We pay-an exchange of sorts-for the journey-either in the form of a digital bus disk that only costs 900 Won and is rechargeable compared to the old fashioned note and coin combo of 1100Won. I guess representing the current situation of technology in our modern world-it helps but is not necessary. Nevertheless, an exchange is made-showing your commitment to this opportunity in life. Despite the consistent price, you are never guaranteed the same situation- your bus may have airconditioning/none, many/few seats, be full of rowdy, pubescent highschool students/peaceful. You get on- not knowing but trusting-trusting that the ride you are on is a safe one- one with a busdriver that has had a decent sleep, hasn't been out drinking the green goodness of Soju, you don't get hold hostage like the horrific incident in Manila yesterday evening and most of all he/she gets you to your destination on time. Constant anxieties that one needs to surpass by trusting the universe-the Big Guy out there-as I believe most things in life should be approached.
You find a position in the bus- the most convenient or comfortable - a seat hopefully-at the back in the shadows or right up in front with all the action of the "anyeonghaseyo" or "Gamsamhamnidas" as the electric machine beeps loudly. Chosen for a specific reason, you try support yourself as the bus sways obscurely from side to side presenting multiple obstructions. Sometimes grabbing at the handles dangling above, sometimes finding support by rooting yourself firmly on the ground, you need to look for support in circumstances otherwise you could end up falling.
Have you ever watched the way everybody's head and body sways in the same motion when on a bus? Everyone moving in synchronisity... as if to the same tune- fashion, trends, culture, social norms, societal pressures-we all get caught up in it and somehow even if we don't agree with it all- we go along swaying back and forth rather amusingly.
You do a great deal of observing on a bus (especially when you don't speak the language-but even so). You watch the world go by from your perspective-your stand-point-nobody else's. Sure you get a glimpse of yourself in the mirror from time to time and realise how others really see you just like how one stumbles upon a blog with vivid descriptions of you or how you overhear people speaking about you or are told by others what their friends think of you... all are perpectives -subjective ones and you quickly realise how you form your own world too through your subjectivity-your consciousness.
The people come and go-just as in life-some as complete strangers -going the same route on thesame bus , but never is your life intertwined with theirs-the elderly constantly lost looking man with a hunky dorey bag and his faded khaki jeans or the cool high school girl with exquisite hair who will sure grow up to be beautiful for a long time or the young professional bank assistant in the same blue and silver ShinHan bank apparel with a "I am living a desperate life of solitude" written on her forehead. You relate to them in some ways and don't in others, but never is a word exchanged. Then, there are some people who you become close to -and even miss when they are no longer on the journey with you-like Seong-my 5th grade student who eats far too much-usually consisting of some bakery delight but is always jovial and happy to see me and so to am I her. We share stories of our lives in simple language- "I went to Seoul this weekend" I say. "hmmm" she says in return. "I go Gongicheon" "I like Zakumi-very cute" And so we take an interest in each other's lives-I give her a Zakumi mascot pen and remember her birthday and in return she gives her most valuable sticker so I can stick it on my phone-an intereaction, a witnessing, a touch of humanity.
You also realise others who have not been there for a long time-and wonder if you will ever meet up with them again-the neatly dressed, middle-aged man who always kindly holds my luggage if I am standing and smiles shyly acknowledging my existence. You saw him at the bank the other day and know more about the gaps in his life- he works as the front desk man directing people who enter the building to obviously far more important seeming individuals than himself. Nevertheless, his absence is missed, just as you realise people enter and leave your life or just change the way you relate to one another, because of circumstances, death (dear Sam Moon) or a fall out.
At some point though, you need to get off -you have reached your destination- where I must say my analogy falls short-you never arrive. Sure you always have the future in front of you and the past behind you as the bus has tarred-road beneath it. However, you never reach a full potential or the end point or the climax of your life... not that I can believe anyway. You only wait for the next bus to jump on, trustingly that the direction and journey it takes you on is an exciting but safe one-one filled with experience of other rides, enough support and protection, friendly faces and some purpose so that your life, as you perceive it has some meaning.
Getting on a bus for the first time is always a gamble, because although a final destination may be in mind, the exact route and even the end of the journey are generally unknown. So number 37 or number 19 are the ones I look for... just as I am on this life journey in Korea as a teacher-a strange journey choice, but one that I am currently riding...
Everyone waits for the ride to begin as you have to be prepared to jump on-a leap of faith in something- because if you don't, life will carry on without you. My mom has always paid careful attention to people catching buses and gets mightily distressed if someone misses one...I never uderstood this bizarre phenomenon until it happens to you...just as in life-the opportunitie are consistently passing you by and you have got to realise you can't catch all of them, but those you want to grab you need to be prepared-time waits for no man.
We pay-an exchange of sorts-for the journey-either in the form of a digital bus disk that only costs 900 Won and is rechargeable compared to the old fashioned note and coin combo of 1100Won. I guess representing the current situation of technology in our modern world-it helps but is not necessary. Nevertheless, an exchange is made-showing your commitment to this opportunity in life. Despite the consistent price, you are never guaranteed the same situation- your bus may have airconditioning/none, many/few seats, be full of rowdy, pubescent highschool students/peaceful. You get on- not knowing but trusting-trusting that the ride you are on is a safe one- one with a busdriver that has had a decent sleep, hasn't been out drinking the green goodness of Soju, you don't get hold hostage like the horrific incident in Manila yesterday evening and most of all he/she gets you to your destination on time. Constant anxieties that one needs to surpass by trusting the universe-the Big Guy out there-as I believe most things in life should be approached.
You find a position in the bus- the most convenient or comfortable - a seat hopefully-at the back in the shadows or right up in front with all the action of the "anyeonghaseyo" or "Gamsamhamnidas" as the electric machine beeps loudly. Chosen for a specific reason, you try support yourself as the bus sways obscurely from side to side presenting multiple obstructions. Sometimes grabbing at the handles dangling above, sometimes finding support by rooting yourself firmly on the ground, you need to look for support in circumstances otherwise you could end up falling.
Have you ever watched the way everybody's head and body sways in the same motion when on a bus? Everyone moving in synchronisity... as if to the same tune- fashion, trends, culture, social norms, societal pressures-we all get caught up in it and somehow even if we don't agree with it all- we go along swaying back and forth rather amusingly.
You do a great deal of observing on a bus (especially when you don't speak the language-but even so). You watch the world go by from your perspective-your stand-point-nobody else's. Sure you get a glimpse of yourself in the mirror from time to time and realise how others really see you just like how one stumbles upon a blog with vivid descriptions of you or how you overhear people speaking about you or are told by others what their friends think of you... all are perpectives -subjective ones and you quickly realise how you form your own world too through your subjectivity-your consciousness.
The people come and go-just as in life-some as complete strangers -going the same route on thesame bus , but never is your life intertwined with theirs-the elderly constantly lost looking man with a hunky dorey bag and his faded khaki jeans or the cool high school girl with exquisite hair who will sure grow up to be beautiful for a long time or the young professional bank assistant in the same blue and silver ShinHan bank apparel with a "I am living a desperate life of solitude" written on her forehead. You relate to them in some ways and don't in others, but never is a word exchanged. Then, there are some people who you become close to -and even miss when they are no longer on the journey with you-like Seong-my 5th grade student who eats far too much-usually consisting of some bakery delight but is always jovial and happy to see me and so to am I her. We share stories of our lives in simple language- "I went to Seoul this weekend" I say. "hmmm" she says in return. "I go Gongicheon" "I like Zakumi-very cute" And so we take an interest in each other's lives-I give her a Zakumi mascot pen and remember her birthday and in return she gives her most valuable sticker so I can stick it on my phone-an intereaction, a witnessing, a touch of humanity.
You also realise others who have not been there for a long time-and wonder if you will ever meet up with them again-the neatly dressed, middle-aged man who always kindly holds my luggage if I am standing and smiles shyly acknowledging my existence. You saw him at the bank the other day and know more about the gaps in his life- he works as the front desk man directing people who enter the building to obviously far more important seeming individuals than himself. Nevertheless, his absence is missed, just as you realise people enter and leave your life or just change the way you relate to one another, because of circumstances, death (dear Sam Moon) or a fall out.
At some point though, you need to get off -you have reached your destination- where I must say my analogy falls short-you never arrive. Sure you always have the future in front of you and the past behind you as the bus has tarred-road beneath it. However, you never reach a full potential or the end point or the climax of your life... not that I can believe anyway. You only wait for the next bus to jump on, trustingly that the direction and journey it takes you on is an exciting but safe one-one filled with experience of other rides, enough support and protection, friendly faces and some purpose so that your life, as you perceive it has some meaning.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
I am not sure if there is something in the beautiful summer air or a magical ray in the neon lights i walked passed tonight, but I am content.
I have and always will be a happy person I think. Sometimes it is just your temperament and I am lucky I have been blessed with this one. My happiness has somehow been doubted often in my life: I was suspected of taking happy pills at high school and some even thought I was high on cocaine in varsity and called me "Cocaine-JO" for a whole year without me realising it. I was even told at a counselling course after I spilled my deepest secrets, that I had no baggage and was mortified. I find it easy to pull myself together and shake things off if I am having a bad day, which I am grateful for, as I know people suffering from clinic illnesses do not have such good fortune.
I have always been mocked by having or sharing "silly" quotes like: "keep your face always towards the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you", or "carpe diem" or " learn from yesterday, dream of tomorrow but Live for today."or "Happiness is an attitude not a consequence". All of these I still truly believe, yet with a rejuvenated and contented approach to life in general.
As I walked home tonight from my friend Ashley's house, filled(actually stuffed) with pizza and coke, the fresh smell of the summer grass wafted around me. The neon lights cast a beautiful light for the men hurrying off on their scooters-probably home or to their second jobs. A man spits beside me as he clears his throat. A woman sits tentatively, yet half excitedly on a salon stool, as the hairdresser cuts away and chatters away about nonsense of boyfriends, work or the latest movie, I assume. An adjuma lovingly yet painstakingly stirs her broth in the backroom kitchen as the middle-aged couple wait agitated in the front of the restaurant for their Tang or Guk (soup) to arrive. I pass by a fluorescent coloured beauty shop and a family mart lures my attention with the startling signs, comical posters and jocker-blocked shelves resembling something like that of a funfair and not your local quick spar. I pass by the of the Wedding Shops with magnificent and kitch dresses taking a place perfectly in the centre of the window frames- frumpy, cake-like-layered ones, glitsy chic ones, slinky high neck dresses but sultry all the same, horrid lacy ones with frills that could make betty boop blush with embarrassment. I stop, stare, and study the immaculate detail of one's beading. I pass the "HOME"( my favourite Western restaurant) and wonder if the cool waiter- Key Moon- is there. His English is pretty good as he spent a month working in Dublin of all places. I wait- not agitatedly -but patiently at my five way intersection, for the green man to flash and I admire the Korean's obedience of laws.
Many good things have and are happening-yesterday I went on a picnic with my teachers to the most exquisite country side for lunch and a hike up to a temple. I sweated so much i was dripping. I decided on the weekend to buy myself a SLR camera-that cost half of my salary and has more gadgets and even more jargon than my entirety of my car back home. My friend Bryan has so kindly been my camera coach and I will soon be snapping away those national geographic masterpieces. I decided enough was enough and if I was ever to actually run a 10km race I would have to start somewhere and so I signed up at the gym and have been good about going. I have for the first time in my life actually enjoyed reading-which may be a surprise to most of you-but I am entranced with "Mao's last dancer" by Li Cunxin. Born a Chinese peasant, he tells his story of being a ballet dancer under Mao's communist society and eventually ending up in Houston America where is will, determination and passion for dancing turns him into a world-class dancer, despite the odds. I am enthralled by his honesty and humility and concern for his family's well-being and pride. He has just met his future wife-Mary (an Aussie) and I cannot seem to put it down. I do hope this inspires a love for reading! I too have just managed to finalise flights today for September over the Korean holiday "Chuseok" to see one of my best friends in the whole world-Lissy Lau- in the snazzy location of Japan darling! I am also busy at school as summer camp is round the corner and lessons need to have even more excitement, jam-packed with more English culture and filled to the brim with FUN! I am playing badminton still and even take part in Ultimate Frisbee even though I am officially the most useless player. I am officially broke now and will be eating rice and seaweed every night for the month-but oh seaweed is delightful!
Chen has recently left on his whirlwind adventure of Europe before he heads to Divinity School in September. I really thought I would be miserable when he left, as he taught me so much about appreciating life, truly living in the moment, being non-judgmental of people or customs, encouraging me to believe in a higher being-whatever i think that may be- and showed me what it means to experience all of life-even the not so great times. I do miss him, but am filled with a new sense of contentedness from learning and sharing from him. I really do think people come into your life for a special reason and I will always look back fondly on our time spent together. I do hope I will be able to see him someday again-it will make my heart very happy.
As for now, I am filled with a sense of LIFE! I feel like I have experienced some of it here in Korea- happiness, sadness, loneliness, confusion, ridicule, pride, obsession, nervousness, racism, praise, love, warmth, hostility, growth, paranoia, irritation, disappointment and joy. I am not sure why, but I am content with all of that. For a person accused often of glazing over the bad parts and only focusing on the good_ I can honestly say that has not been the case in the past four months here in Korea... Sure every now and then, but I have experienced LIFE-all of it! And by doing so I feel I have grown to know myself better, to understand and tolerate others better and to appreciate the world as it is-in all it's splendour and suffering-the many layers of this bizarre thing we call LIFE.
I remember my first taste of independence when I was 16 and went to France for summer school for 2 weeks under the supervision of a host of people staying in a boarding establishment. I even referred to myself as "miss independent"! HAHA! And here I am at age 22 living and teaching in Korea truly being independent of my family, friends and home- I can only laugh at my naivety of life back then. Now, I believe I could quite easily label myself as "miss independent" and I would not be a fool. Although, my "miss" of choice these days would most probably suit " miss contented" far better.
Jon- one of my best friends- sent me Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson- and the final line "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" caught my eye. It captures the very essence of my feeling at this moment. I guess that throughout life we continue to look back on our naivety and chuckle at our ignorance. Wisdom I think does not come with age but rather a life-long journey or quest for self-knowledge and meaning in what can be -so often- called a meaningless life.
Tomorrow I have school off as my students are off on a field trip, so I will read my book, take pictures, plan some lessons and LIVE!
Bisous
JO
xxx
Friday, May 14, 2010
"Life is beautiful"
If you haven't seen this movie-then dash, jump, run, catch a taxi, get to your computer or any other means possible to get a copy of this movie and FAST! I think it is my favourite of all time!
I watched it again this week-and BOY o BOY! It is marvellous, sad, uplifting, incredible and life changing!
I will not give the plot away, but it is all about life and how a certain attitude towards it can make all the difference!
I met one of my student's in the bus the morning and boy o boy did we have a laugh! She is in 5th grade and was helping me with my Korean-learning all the vocab for fruit. She giggled as if I was talking goobildigook=more practice is needed. life is beautiful!
Streets are filled with beautiful pink and violet and white joyous flowers! Life is beautiful!
My boys at school are ferociously full of energy ie talkative and rowdy that my teacher got them to do 10 jumping jacks saying "I'm sorry teacher-I will do better next time" for each jump! Life is beautiful!
There is sunshine and I am sweating! YAY! Life is beautiful!
Badminton was crazy fun! Getting the hang of it now! The shuttle cock is a fascinating little device=very different to a normal ball: bouncing and rolling are not options. Life is beautiful!
Cheesecake and tea with my teachers in my new flat for a house warming! Life is beautiful!
I am going to Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival this weekend! Life is beautiful!
tto mannayo! (see you later)
Bisous
JO!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
It's the small things in life that count....
A small chocolate ice-cream is all it took yesterday to make my grade 6s' day!
Because we were doing seasons and one of the vocab words for summer was ICE-CREAM, I decided to take my 60 grade 6s a small tiny little chocolate bar ice-cream thingy that cost me about R60 in total. And wow-how excited they all were-as if it were Christmas!
It seriously got me thinking about the small- almost insignificant-things in life, that if never occurred would never have really been missed.
Yet, these actions or moments or exchanges or whatever small thing it is, makes life so real, so bizarre, so absurd, so extraordinary and so wonderful!
For me...
Yesterday and today...
It was walking into a Travel Agent yesterday with Chen and just booking a flight to China! It is probably rationally a stupid idea, but the rush and absolute delight of it all in the moment-seemed so invigorating and exciting that it is done! We are going! Tickets booked and paid for! Dalian here we come!
It was not about being invited by surprise to a full-on buffet by the Chuncheon district office last night (*which was unbelievably generous), but rather how much delight the chocolate fountain gave everyone -as if it was a new puppy! Everyone was immediately drawn to it-and before we were even seated-my fellow teachers were grabbing marsh-mellow sticks and dunking them as if their lives depended on it!
Another moment was while watching a very famous Korean orchestra and opera singer yesterday evening at the Seoul Art Centre and what really stuck out was watching the exact precision that the conductor of the orchestra moved as if almost in a trans-like dance-but a dance that only half of the steps were being shown to the audience with his right hand and the left hand concealed behind his body showing his true intentions of anguish or urgency for the cellos to give him more oomph!
It's the glimpse of the first beautiful cherry blossom tree in full bloom from a speeding taxi window...
Or receiving an e-mail from a friend back home to tell you-just because they thought you would care-that the project you ran 3 years ago is being cancelled once and for all. And that it wasn't great, but life happens...
Or it's a moment like having one of your best friends tell you, that they are angry with you, even though it is difficult. And that caring so much about someone has the fragile risk of losing that person because you do something that upsets them so or hits so close to home or hurts them, that the relationship seems like it is at it's end. But you continue fighting for it anyway, because the relationship means something in your life. And you try hard to re-patch it-even if you don't know how- because you truly do care!
Or having a friend read to you about life from her latest book- The guide book to atheism! And sharing each other's thoughts on the topic of "religion as an opium for individuals in life", even though it is a sensitive topic.
It's the small things in life that count! Life is too precious to let them pass you by...
bisous
JO
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
It's all about the people and sharing a common humanity in everyday life!
Is life not all about the people? When one gets down to the nitty gritty of life-its the people that make it or break it? For me- it is -anyway. Funny enough-I feel like that even more so now that I am away from home-not because I am awfully homesick or I am longing to see family and friends back in SA. But rather, because I have come to realise that despite cultural,ethnic,racial,gendered differences (feel free to add more to this list that makes us so very different -because there are many!), we are so very similar-this species we call humans!
OH HUMANITY with it's trials and tribulations, ups and downs,smiles and frowns, love and happiness! :)
Today, my world seemed filled, as it is everyday with interesting people whom I somehow despite the differences can relate to! Let me illustrate how:
I woke up this morning feeling exhausted-late night skype calls and emo, but not too far away-in the next room in fact- the lovely Canadian Ashley whom I am currently squatting with- was also exhausted after late night chats!
Exhaustion and unenthusiastic for work: humanitarian similarity no 1!
I caught a taxi to Myeong dong then waited for a bus-which took so long coming that I decided to get out of the nasty weather and caught another taxi. The driver couldnt understand my pronunciation of "Anime go-deung hak-kyo" (Animation high school) very well and so was confused about which way to go and so frantically on his GPS we both maneuvered the screen until i could show him where my school was! When we arrived at my school (11000 won) later- we both felt satisfied knowing that despite a language barrier-basic communication with the help of a GPS-anything is possible!
Confused, lost and non-verbal communication: humanitarian similarity no 2!
Arrived at school, and my lovely co-teacher, JOY, I could see immediately was not herself-she had finally caught the jolly flu! and a bad doze of it. Somehow a week later after having the Korean flu,I could still feel the ache and pains in my body just looking at her. There is nothing worse than feeling under the weather especially with a sore throat!
Sick and down: humanitarian similarity no 3!
Mr Choi (who is my uncle John in Korea) offered me a rice bread treat with red beans (not my favourite to be honest), but the gesture was very kind. He heated it up in the microwave and didn't wait until it had cooled, so in the transferring of it to me, we both managed to burn our hands! OUCH!
Sharing and feel the sensitive burning feeling for a few days afterwards: humanitarian similarity no 4!
Jung-in the other English teacher who is just great ended up discussing LOVE and how do you really know when you have met the one! Oh the dilemma of love and heartbreak and marriage! She is 28 so I guess I have a few more years than her to figure that out!
Love. (fullstop) Humanitarian similarity no 5!
I dressed up today for the tv game show we played in class, with wonderful red tinsel, used the thick koki pen as my microphone and adopted a rather cheesy, overly enthusiastic game show host accent! The laughter and absolute hysterics my kids displayed reminded me of previous teachers who had jumped on desks or gone dancing around the classroom in my school years. The complete idiotic nature of it all-all in the name of "learning"!
Laughter at a ridiculous teacher: Humanitarian similarity no 6!
I decided to catch a hot chocolate down in Kangdae Humoon after Joy dropped me off in town! I popped into a place called "11:19"- opens at 11:19am and closes at 11:19pm- loved the quirkiness of it all! Exactly what i felt like-warm creamy delicious goodness of hot chocolate in my belly! It definitely beat being in the chilly wind outside! On my way out, I managed to signal to the owner that his coffee shop and hot chocolate was fabulous. He got a great big grin on his face that made me smile!
Pride and joy of one's achievements: Humanitarian similarity no 7!
Then, after walking around town with Chen (my Chinese-American friend) in the ice-cold looking for travel agents to book flights for shanghai/dalian for the weekend of Buddha's birthday, we finally decided to call it quits and headed to the lovely restaurant place we first met- soot-bul dakgalbi! Super yum! We had a great discussion about taking responsibility of your life, Americans, the changing world of China, our adventure to China, South Africa, the Argentinean footballer who kicks about with Jesus (considered amazingly good) and FOMO! And then we also had silences- the silences that are not awkward but just a quiet time to absorb and digest thoughts. Only a few people I have found do not feel awkward by such moments-but it was super!
Raging discussions and contemplative silences: Humanitarian similarity no 8!
As supper came t an end- we both noticed a Korean woman and a wae-gook that entered- I overheard french being spoken! Ah, I just love it- decided to test my luck and see if I could still wing it- and bien sur, I could start a conversation. Turns out they met at an international French conference in Seoul. The Frenchman comes from Nice and travels back and forth while doing work at Seoul University. How crazy-out of all the places in France, I have only spent 2 weeks in Nice while I was in grade 11. I love coincidences!
It's a small world after all: Humanitarian similarity no 9!
On the way home, I got picked up by a very young taxi driver, who flirted with me all the way back to Ashley's place. The pinnacle of the exchange was when he handed me his business card and said: call me! This guy could barely string any sentences in english together-how on earth was he expecting to speak to me on the phone-but it was really endearing! Kind of how I imagine being if I met a drop dead gorgeous french man-haha!
Gutsy and brave, yet so sweet: Humanitarian similarity no 10!
When I got back to Ashley's apartment, I got on skype to Jen in Cape Town and Bash in Bangladesh! The connection line was so awful-it was literally like playing broken telephone-all of us were in fits of giggles that all we could hear between the GGGGGG and BLLLLL was laughter. Not much discussion was had but there is nothing better than hearing a familiar laugh!
Laughing so hard you tummy aches: Humanitarian similarity no 11!
Today was good; this wonderful world never ceases to amaze me! Among the cruelty of discrimination, racism, war, hurt and violence, we all share so many similarities that bind us! JUST GOT TO OPEN YOUR EYES and see that:
HUMANITY IS EXTRAORDINARY!
OH HUMANITY with it's trials and tribulations, ups and downs,smiles and frowns, love and happiness! :)
Today, my world seemed filled, as it is everyday with interesting people whom I somehow despite the differences can relate to! Let me illustrate how:
I woke up this morning feeling exhausted-late night skype calls and emo, but not too far away-in the next room in fact- the lovely Canadian Ashley whom I am currently squatting with- was also exhausted after late night chats!
Exhaustion and unenthusiastic for work: humanitarian similarity no 1!
I caught a taxi to Myeong dong then waited for a bus-which took so long coming that I decided to get out of the nasty weather and caught another taxi. The driver couldnt understand my pronunciation of "Anime go-deung hak-kyo" (Animation high school) very well and so was confused about which way to go and so frantically on his GPS we both maneuvered the screen until i could show him where my school was! When we arrived at my school (11000 won) later- we both felt satisfied knowing that despite a language barrier-basic communication with the help of a GPS-anything is possible!
Confused, lost and non-verbal communication: humanitarian similarity no 2!
Arrived at school, and my lovely co-teacher, JOY, I could see immediately was not herself-she had finally caught the jolly flu! and a bad doze of it. Somehow a week later after having the Korean flu,I could still feel the ache and pains in my body just looking at her. There is nothing worse than feeling under the weather especially with a sore throat!
Sick and down: humanitarian similarity no 3!
Mr Choi (who is my uncle John in Korea) offered me a rice bread treat with red beans (not my favourite to be honest), but the gesture was very kind. He heated it up in the microwave and didn't wait until it had cooled, so in the transferring of it to me, we both managed to burn our hands! OUCH!
Sharing and feel the sensitive burning feeling for a few days afterwards: humanitarian similarity no 4!
Jung-in the other English teacher who is just great ended up discussing LOVE and how do you really know when you have met the one! Oh the dilemma of love and heartbreak and marriage! She is 28 so I guess I have a few more years than her to figure that out!
Love. (fullstop) Humanitarian similarity no 5!
I dressed up today for the tv game show we played in class, with wonderful red tinsel, used the thick koki pen as my microphone and adopted a rather cheesy, overly enthusiastic game show host accent! The laughter and absolute hysterics my kids displayed reminded me of previous teachers who had jumped on desks or gone dancing around the classroom in my school years. The complete idiotic nature of it all-all in the name of "learning"!
Laughter at a ridiculous teacher: Humanitarian similarity no 6!
I decided to catch a hot chocolate down in Kangdae Humoon after Joy dropped me off in town! I popped into a place called "11:19"- opens at 11:19am and closes at 11:19pm- loved the quirkiness of it all! Exactly what i felt like-warm creamy delicious goodness of hot chocolate in my belly! It definitely beat being in the chilly wind outside! On my way out, I managed to signal to the owner that his coffee shop and hot chocolate was fabulous. He got a great big grin on his face that made me smile!
Pride and joy of one's achievements: Humanitarian similarity no 7!
Then, after walking around town with Chen (my Chinese-American friend) in the ice-cold looking for travel agents to book flights for shanghai/dalian for the weekend of Buddha's birthday, we finally decided to call it quits and headed to the lovely restaurant place we first met- soot-bul dakgalbi! Super yum! We had a great discussion about taking responsibility of your life, Americans, the changing world of China, our adventure to China, South Africa, the Argentinean footballer who kicks about with Jesus (considered amazingly good) and FOMO! And then we also had silences- the silences that are not awkward but just a quiet time to absorb and digest thoughts. Only a few people I have found do not feel awkward by such moments-but it was super!
Raging discussions and contemplative silences: Humanitarian similarity no 8!
As supper came t an end- we both noticed a Korean woman and a wae-gook that entered- I overheard french being spoken! Ah, I just love it- decided to test my luck and see if I could still wing it- and bien sur, I could start a conversation. Turns out they met at an international French conference in Seoul. The Frenchman comes from Nice and travels back and forth while doing work at Seoul University. How crazy-out of all the places in France, I have only spent 2 weeks in Nice while I was in grade 11. I love coincidences!
It's a small world after all: Humanitarian similarity no 9!
On the way home, I got picked up by a very young taxi driver, who flirted with me all the way back to Ashley's place. The pinnacle of the exchange was when he handed me his business card and said: call me! This guy could barely string any sentences in english together-how on earth was he expecting to speak to me on the phone-but it was really endearing! Kind of how I imagine being if I met a drop dead gorgeous french man-haha!
Gutsy and brave, yet so sweet: Humanitarian similarity no 10!
When I got back to Ashley's apartment, I got on skype to Jen in Cape Town and Bash in Bangladesh! The connection line was so awful-it was literally like playing broken telephone-all of us were in fits of giggles that all we could hear between the GGGGGG and BLLLLL was laughter. Not much discussion was had but there is nothing better than hearing a familiar laugh!
Laughing so hard you tummy aches: Humanitarian similarity no 11!
Today was good; this wonderful world never ceases to amaze me! Among the cruelty of discrimination, racism, war, hurt and violence, we all share so many similarities that bind us! JUST GOT TO OPEN YOUR EYES and see that:
HUMANITY IS EXTRAORDINARY!
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