Sweet Spirit Shine

Teaching English again + bear pyramid of love + keep your ear muffs on!

2012-02-07T00:16:00.000-08:00

It's back to school time for me!

For two weeks I'm back at elementary school teaching English to cute little kids. Then two weeks of vacation. Followed by a brand new semester with shiny new faces and freshly sharpened pencils.

As cute as the little munchkins are, teaching leaves less time and mental energy for other things, so I won't be able to post daily, boo!

But that's okay :-) And look! Who doesn't love a bear pyramid that celebrates Valentine's Day? The most luxurious department store in Daegu is now featuring this lovely display and I can't get enough of it. The bears also move and wave their arms (rather slowly) so it's super festive and fun.

In other news, it's super cold and I almost got swept away by the wind today. Most of the teachers are wearing their coats at school, eek! I really hope spring rolls around soon. I'm sure we're all ready for it!

Of Cabin Fever, Mozart Rock Operas, and Nut Tea

2012-02-04T15:03:00.000-08:00

February is a bit of a funny month for me - from the 6th to the 17th I will go back to work at Youngshin Elementary School. During this time the kids will have a graduation ceremony but besides that there's nothing to really teach so hopefully I can think of some fun activities to do with them. The rest of February is vacation time again (yay!) and then a brand new school year with shiny new students starts in March. I hope it will be awesome.

I've definitely been feeling cabin feverish and restless lately. Vacations are one of the best things ever and I'm super lucky to have such a long winter vacation...but since I didn't really travel anywhere and the weather is quite cold, it's been very much an indoors make your own adventure kind of situation. Even though I am armed with a decent imagination, nothing compares to running around outside, breathing fresh air and feeling freeee!

So, a couple of solutions to this abundance of indoorsy-ness. First, my bf got us tickets to the Mozart Rock Opera, oh yeah! Just looking at those costumes makes me happy. We're going at the end of this month, during Part 2 of my super long vacation.

And when you can't run around outside or watch rock operas, why not relax with a cup of delicious nut tea? I've only seen this in Korea and it is SO GOOD! I love this drink, there are even pieces of nuts and seeds in it. It tastes deliciously nutty and wholesome. It's more substantial and less watery than normal tea, which makes it very satisfying and comforting. Yum!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Baked goods in Korea - tasty bread!

2012-02-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

An interesting example of tasty baked goods in Korea.

This is sweet potato and garlic bread! The outside is so fresh and warm and crispy, and the inside is sweet and soft, and then there's some garlic thrown in for good measure and a bit of a "surprise!".

Yesterday was a bit of a lazy day so these cute little snacks made a perfect addition to the coziness.

I also finished watching the documentary Senna. I know nothing about Formula 1 racing but enjoyed this film simply because this man was extraordinary. He lived so fully, passionately, and without ever compromising. He had amazing charisma, a special kind of energy, and couldn't help but express himself honestly through every action and word, even though his sport was tainted by politics and behind-the-scenes drama. He really lived, and he was an inspiration for so many people.

Lastly, today is the day! The day for submitting my application to grad school. And go! :-)

Books: Cranford

2012-02-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

I've almost finished reading Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford, an immensely delightful and cozy read. This is basically a collection of stories centered around the small-town lives of Cranford's ladies. These ladies are unique and interesting because for one reason or another they haven't married and remain independent (and convinced that women are superior to men).

That makes is sound as though they are grown up Emmas - well to do ladies who govern mansions with the tips of their fingers. In fact, these lovely women are not rich at all and they spend much of their time together, sharing their lives with each other and relying on talk, tea, and card games for entertainment and sparkle. It's almost like a sisterhood, and this closeness makes them seem younger and spunkier than their actual age.

At first I was disappointed that there weren't more younger characters. As I got to know the Cranford ladies better; however, I grew to admire their spirit, humour, and loyalty. With each story, they became more and more interesting to me and I couldn't stop turning the pages.

This is a much lighter read compared to North and South and Wives and Daughters. While Gaskell always provides substance and realistic characters, there is a lot more humour and simple coziness in this book.

Gaskell remains one of my favourite authors and I can't wait to read more of her beautifully written works!

Paper Heart

2012-02-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

Making this little paper heart was so fun! I found a great You Tube instructional video that was super easy to follow and only about 6 minutes long.

Now my mind is on other things - mainly, applying to grad school. I made a last minute decision to apply and have to get everything together efficiently as the deadline is March 1st. It's exciting with a pinch of stressful and a dash of hopeful.

In other news, it's currently -12 degrees outside, eek! A great ~~excuse~~ reason to stay inside and drink hot cocoa. And maybe make some paper hearts.

Craving: nature!

2012-01-31T15:28:00.000-08:00

It's the very first day of February 2012! Unfortunately, it doesn't look anything like this photo (taken on Jeju Island this past summer). It's -3 degrees outside and I'm thankful for my cozy little apartment, which keeps me warm and lets the beautiful sunshine in.

Living in Korea has been incredible, enjoyable, and for the most part very comfortable. One thing that is a little difficult though is being so separate from nature. In Canada, I just had to walk out my door and I was surrounded by flowers, trees, and just five minutes from the ocean. Glorious! I completely took it for granted. These days (and especially in the winter, when it's hard to spend much time outside), I'm craving nature and outdoorsy-ness more and more. There's a kind of peace that only green trees and blue water can provide. Away from cars, concrete, busy shops...a place for rest, rejuvenation, and inspiration.

Cute stationery + paper love

2012-01-30T15:46:00.000-08:00

My favourite stores in Korea are the ones bursting with beautiful stationery, art supplies, gorgeous books, handmade jewelry and accessories, and super cute things. And wow - there are a LOT of stores like this just waiting for me to step inside, heart pounding with excitement. Yes, I get very excited about these things. I don't understand why in North America most things are so plain and boring, when in Korea EVERYTHING features cute and beautiful designs. Even older adults carry around colourful stationery and I have yet to see a boring office supply store. And have I mentioned the socks??

Even though I will be living here for many more months, the fact that I will eventually go back to North America makes me anxiously want to purchase as much as possible - stocking up for the future, oh yes.

These little notebooks are adorable. Notebook paper is always high quality here, another bonus. I paid about 50 cents for each notebook. And about $1 for the socks. I had to restrain myself from buying more. Another time, no doubt.

I also bought some beautiful origami paper. It's so pretty I almost don't want to use it.

I think I'm attracted to all paper-y things (surprise!). Books, notebooks, letter paper, postcards, cute memo paper, origami paper, construction paper, wrapping paper, wallpaper, so on and so forth. Partly, it's beautiful. Also, I think it suggests possibility and creative potential. Using these lovely paper-y things, we can create something new.

I love writing because it's world-building - words literally bring to life the world around us. Using words, I can contribute to my own little world and help to shape it. All of this paper eventually takes shape, absorbs someone's words, becomes a unique form of expression that contributes to the world. It's a kind of transformation that feels amazing and incredibly satisfying. Hooray for creativity! And pretty stationery ;-)

Origami stars + recap of the day

2012-01-29T15:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was both quiet and exciting.

I watched the Australian Open (yay tennis!) final featuring Nadal and Djokovic. They played hardcore tennis for almost six hours, it was insane. Professional tennis players are superheroes. They didn't even have a muffin break or anything.

I made some stars. Today I have to buy some pretty paper so I can keep on origami-ing until the end of time.

I ate fresh crab. That sounds strange, no? But I did, and it was amazingly delicious. Also felt like I was at the beach.

I read a new book on the bus - Prague by Arthur Phillips. I picked it up on a whim when I visited What the Book in Seoul. It's completely different from the old books I usually cling to, but it's good to change things up once in a while. Having said that, I miss the 19th century already, sniff sniff.

I found some awesome + super inspiring crafty blogs such as one sheepish girl. I can't believe how talented she is. Just lovely :-)

Toodle-oo! :-)

Cardigan love

2012-01-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

This is not your ordinary cardigan. Mandy Moore did not wear this in A Walk to Remember (I cried during that movie). It's like a bright pink cheetah with puffed shoulders and those little shiny circle things (what are those called again??). It looks good with ~~artificial~~ pearls and dangly earrings.

But I love ALL cardigans almost indiscriminately (almost/kind of). They're classic, elegant, ladylike, can be old-fashioned, can we worn all throughout the year, can be bright pink and shiny, and go great with skirts. Oh cardigans, how I love you.

Some words sometimes associated with cardigans:

- librarian

- Mandy Moore in A Walk to Remember

- elementary school teacher

- lady from the 1950's

- England

- smartly dressed boy

- Carey Mulligan

All very positive associations, non? Cardigans are exciting! Let's wear one today!

Chandelier earrings and cute teacups...

2012-01-27T16:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received a care package from my awesome parents, lovely! It included necessities such as vitamins, iron supplements, a gorgeous cardigan, and these beautiful earrings.

I adore dangly, sparkly earrings. Especially chandelier earrings. Life is short, and wearing twinkly, gorgeous earrings makes any day more special. Also, your artistic inclinations will undoubtedly strengthen and become forever enhanced by the magical quality of such not so ordinary accessories. It's a glorious transformation that starts at the ears.

What else makes the day more special? Meeting a friend for peppermint tea and drinking out of this cute cup. Cafe Roma is still my favourite. Yesterday, the scent of cinnamon lingered around our table for a full hour...heavenly. I really really hope I will never go to Starbucks again. I've been spoiled here in Korea, spoiled in a wonderful way.

Crafty: Origami!

2012-01-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, origami madness continued. This time with pretty paper. I made two cranes (guess which colours are mine) and it was incredibly fun. Today I will buy some pretty paper and keep practising. Once I master the crane, I will move on to something different, but not the frog. My bf tried making the frog and it looked way too complicated and difficult. He said it looks like a monster but I was pretty impressed with how it turned out. There were at least 4 pages of instructions to make the frog, eek!

I think origami qualifies as a meditative activity. You get so immersed in folding that paper that time flies by and all non-paper-related thoughts melt away. Which feels pretty good.

I think I will try to keep doing artsy things more regularly. Yes, my little paper crane is artsy. The pretty paper enhances the effect ;-)

Cute coffee shops + tactile experiences

2012-01-25T15:45:00.000-08:00

First up, a super adorable teapot filled with loose leaf peppermint tea. Perfect.

Drink #2 is a green tea frappucino. Smooth, sweet, cold, and decadent. Yum.

Cafe Roma is a good place to go.

While waiting for our drinks, we started making boats and fortune tellers out of the receipt paper. Then we got more paper and tea time turned into a full-on origami session. Which will continue today, with proper pretty paper.

I love making things with my hands. It's so satisfying, crafty, fun, and just very tactile. I suppose people used their hands way more in the past to do everyday tasks and just out of necessity. These days, we have technology, kitchen gadgets, appliances, factories, and automatic super fast everything so we don't have to touch a thing. While I do love the dishwasher as much as anyone, I kind of wish some things weren't quite so easy.

Take cooking for example. If I just buy some food and eat it, sure it might be delicious but on a certain level it's not satisfying and I feel a bit disconnected, having no idea what kind of process led to this meal appearing on my plate. But if I buy all the separate ingredients, wash, chop, cook, smell, season, put the food on the plate myself, share, and eat - wow! It's the most satisfying thing ever!

I can only imagine what it would feel like to grow some of my own veggies, to sew and knit some of my clothes, to paint my own picture and hang it on the wall, to play the guitar for musical entertainment rather than pressing 'play', to experience life in a more direct, tactile way that fills the smallest of actions with meaning. I know this would mean a lot more hard work, but I think it would be worth it. Too many things have become too easy, the process of getting there has been erased, and the instant results feel a bit empty.

So, what to do about it?

Today, origami - paper cranes, here I come!

Tomorrow, relearning how to knit.

Near future, growing tomatoes.

It's all about baby steps. And doing what feels right.

5 Comfort Foods...

2012-01-24T15:52:00.000-08:00

Is it still winter? Yes.

Is it still (freezing) cold? Yes.

Do I feel extra hungry? Yes!

When it's cold and dark I definitely want to enjoy some comfort foods. This winter, I'm also in a different country eating mostly very different food so I really really want to enjoy some comfort-food-from-home. Here are 5 things I would love to eat but probably won't (for a few more months):

1. A panini sandwich. Like the gourmet ones at Whole Foods. Sandwiches are not widely available in Korea, and the ones that are...are different. Warm toasted bread filled with colourful roasted veggies, melted cheese, and maybe some pesto - heavenly!

2. Freshly baked crusty bread. The bread available here is usually dessert/snack bread, since rice is eaten at meals, never bread. And it's always soft, never crusty. I still (vaguely) remember the smell of freshly baked bread...and then biting into a delicious chunk - wonderfully crusty and flavourful on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. Sigh!

3. Roasted salmon + smoked salmon. Salmon is not a local fish here so it's incredibly expensive and probably doesn't taste as good or as fresh as in BC. Back home, I used to eat salmon so often I took it for granted. I will never ever view salmon so dismissively again.

4. Pureed soup. Another item I used to cook several times a week and took for granted. Throwing in loads of veggies, a splash of water, pureeing everything with the result of a delicious, creamy soup = amazing!! Here, it's rather impossible. Korean soups are delicious, but the flavours and choice of veggies are totally different. And they are never ever pureed.

5. Vegetable tart. This is my mother's. And it's incredibly, breathtakingly delicious. She makes a super awesome, wholesome crust. The topping is all veggies and a sprinkling of good cheese. Into the oven it goes. A beautiful, perfect vegetable tart comes out. I proceed to eat half of it. Oh, how I want to eat it right now!

It's fascinating how certain foods are connected with specific places, times, people, memories...Food is much more than mere fuel. I can't wait to enjoy some homemade soup and vegetable tart with my family when I go back home :-)

Moonrise Kingdom Preview - woohoo!

2012-01-23T22:59:00.000-08:00

I suspect that I enjoy watching movie trailers even more than movies themselves. Movies are long. No matter how good a movie may be, it must contain a certain amount of people walking around, maybe answering the phone, driving a car, buying a snack, making small talk, drinking tea, playing board games, writing a letter (oops, I think I'm starting to list things I want to do right now). It's hard for an entire movie, from start to finish, to be completely memorable and for each second of its running time to be profound and magical.

A movie trailer, however, can be mesmerizing in its entirety. All of life's precious memorable moments, insights, epiphanies, declarations, times of despair as well as triumph - they are all easily accessible in the form of a tiny little trailer. Feeling down? Just watch a trailer for an inspiring movie. Even if the movie itself is horrendous and not to be watched, the preview will undoubtedly make you feel better. Feeling sad? Watch a trailer for a comedy. Preferably a good one, but since those are hard to find even a poor comedy's trailer should contain at least one bite of hilarity.

There's nothing like a trailer to make life feel especially exciting. If you watch a whole bunch of trailers one after the next, life will seem beyond extraordinary. So many things to experience! So much wisdom to encounter! So many awkward and surprising things to laugh about! So many goblins to defeat!

Whenever I'm bored, you know what I'll be doing. Maybe one day watching so many trailers will inspire me to write my own movie script. But I would prefer to create a trailer - a little taste of neat perfection.

Muju Resort, Korea!

2012-01-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Lunar New Year!

I spent the last three days at this beautiful place in the picture. But not exactly, because here I'm in a gondola at the top of a mountain, and most of the time I was not in a gondola, but in a hotel-like building. At Muju Resort, about two hours from Daegu.

I joined my boyfriend's family and extended family (aunts + uncles + cousins) for a total of 15 people. I'm an only child, so it was quite the experience. And wow, I've never seen so much food in one place before.

It was pretty amazing, at times overwhelming, incredibly cozy and fun, delicious, and confusing. Confusing because everyone was speaking Korean. But because my significant other was off snowboarding most of the time, I got to bond with aunts and uncles...mostly through the medium of shared meals and laughter.

I'm still amazed at how kind and friendly people have been from the moment I arrived (almost a year ago now!). I'm incredibly lucky and grateful to be here and to have these beautiful experiences, shared with such warm and lovely people.

The year of the dragon will be fantabulous! Yay!

Raise your hand if you're a hypochondriac...

2012-01-23T16:02:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I worry about things. Like what to say when meeting a friend's relatives. Or how to find bathrooms when traveling. There's the fear of getting lost. Saying something rude by accident, or mispronouncing something (especially when I attempt to speak a language that is not English). Getting thirsty when I'm in a movie theatre but having nothing to drink. Missing the bus.

And then there's the big one: getting sick. I'm sure I worry too much about my health. This worry in turn leads to actions and anxiety that inevitably result in illness.

Once, I got really sick after eating two persimmons. I thought I had a bezoar. I'm pretty sure I have never in my life had a bezoar, but I haven't touched a persimmon since that incident.

A few times I've been out in extremely snowy and freezing conditions. My feet especially tend to turn into icicles and it takes a long time for them to regain feeling again. So naturally I was scared I'd gotten frostbite and feared for my innocent toes.

And every time I get a cold that doesn't quickly disappear I worry about how long it will take to recover. A lot of scientific research says that laughter and a positive, optimistic attitude strengthen the immune system and speed up recovery time. So I watch comedies (and worry that they are not funny enough to produce sufficiently powerful laughter).

As I try to achieve more balance in my life (and attempt to keep my overactive imagination from overpowering me), I can always count on three things to make everything better:

1. Vitamin C juice in a glass bottle. It's like drinking Pure Sunny Health. Just look at the girl on the bottle, she's never been sick in her life!

2. Eating vegetables, especially green ones. The power of the earth is in each little bite. Amazing. A little olive oil makes it even better.

3. Gilmore Girls Seasons 1 & 2 (and 3). The most comforting show ever. And it's funny, so your immune system benefits too.

Here's to health and happiness :-)

Books: The Mysterious Benedict Society First Thoughts...

2012-01-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

I was in the mood for something a bit lighter, something with a pinch of humour and a dash of cleverness. So I reached for my new copy of The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.

When I was younger, I adored books about clever children who went on amazing adventures and refused to live a dull life. Roald Dahl books were my favourite, later followed by Philip Pullman's wonderful trilogy His Dark Materials. And of course, there's always Harry Potter. Oh, and I also liked the Worst Witch series.

This book follows the tradition of adventure stories that offer a delicious escape from mundane life while featuring spunky, highly intelligent children who band together because they don't fit in anywhere else. So far, it's a real treat.

At the beginning of the novel, there is a series of "mysterious, mind-bending tests" aimed at special children. Those who succeed will receive the challenge of going on "a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete".

The characters are colourful and likeable. Each child is unique, with quirks that are amusing and interesting rather than annoying.

I love stories which emphasize children's intelligence and idealism. While adults can be cynical, limited by their own lack of imagination and hope, and a little dull, children are still electrically alive. Their minds are open and they are able to see the world in a completely different light. A child's world is still magical and full of amazing possibilities.

Books: The House of Mirth Final Thoughts

2012-01-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

It took me longer to finish this book than I initially expected because...it gets really, really sad. I like Lily Bart. I like reading about strong, thoughtful, sensitive, intelligent women and their attempts at finding a place in society. When it turns out there is no place for them, it gets harder to turn the pages.

I think Edith Wharton must have been a brave and brilliant woman. I can't wait to read more of her novels. She allows us to see clearly through Lily's eyes and makes us feel all of her anxiety, dread, hope, and hunger for life. Though Lily doesn't quite grasp this, we realize that there is no place for her. Society is wrong.

It seems like she only has two choices. The nice choice is to marry a rich man who wants to parade her around like a pretty doll and feel super proud of her. He promises to shower her with money, because obviously that's a woman's greatest dream. He likes when she listens to him talk, so sensitive and kind. They can play out dialogues just like in the theatre, except she is conscious that this is just playing. She wants to live.

The not so nice choice is to use her hands and try and work. She was raised to look pretty, say pretty things, and make tea in a pretty way. She struggles with having a real job. For the first time, she feels clumsy and awkward. She fails.

She can't sacrifice her soul, her intelligence, her self and become a mere ornament to be bought and displayed. She has no skills to be able to work. She has no real knowledge of society, of life, of the world, she only knows playacting, performance, pretending. She's different because she's still in touch with her inner self, yearning for real life, following her intuition. Feeling.

What to do with such women?

The ending is heartbreaking.

The book is wonderful.

Shopping Spree - cute skirt edition...

2012-01-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon featured the First Shopping Spree of 2012. These are four of ten items that I purchased, eek! Of course, everything was on sale. For a shopping spree to go successfully and make you feel satisfied and elated, you must stick with the sales - stay tough, smart, and keep your eyes on the pretty prize.

I adore skirts. They're lovely. They're feminine. They're comfortable. Putting on a skirt rather than a pair of jeans makes me feel different, and usually I feel more like a Skirt person than a Trousers/Jeans person.

Winter is super cold this year so I haven't been thinking much about gorgeous outfits. Instead, I've been wearing layers upon layers of my warmest clothes. My winter look = marshmallow yeti.

Trying on beautiful clothes, twirling around giddily, and getting to take some lovely things home felt awesome after all this dreary winter-wear. Now I'm tempted to buy a super warm pair of tights and wear skirts for the rest of the winter, and beyond ;-)

Cafe Roma, Daegu - Cute Coffee Shop Review

2012-01-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

Besides drinking tea, one of my absolute favourite things to do is go to cute coffee shops and while away the hours drinking something warm and tasty, and chatting with a friend. Yesterday I went to a recently renovated coffee shop just a minute's walk from my home.

Name: Cafe Roma

Style: Casual elegance

Ambiance: Excellent. Great modern lighting, cute cups and dishes, instrumental + classical music, warm.

Service: Very good. It took a while to get our drinks, but when they were brought to our table they looked so lovely and the barista was very friendly and kind.

Good for: Couples, group meetings, studying.

Taste: My green tea latte was delicious and not overly sweet. The texture was foamy and perfect and I loved the cute little flowers. They also have cake and muffins and I will definitely try a muffin next time.

Time: My friend and I spent almost two and a half hours there and it would be easy to stay even longer than that - so cozy and comfy and warm :-) Don't forget to stretch your legs.

Stars: 4 out of 5 stars - one star taken off because the music was sometimes too loud, forcing everyone to talk loudly as if we were in a bar rather than a coffee shop. Although this added to the festivity and woke up the lady who had fallen asleep instead of reading her book. I wonder what she was reading.

I'm looking forward to going there again. Daegu has many independent coffee shops, and this one is now one of my favourites. I must say, all the cute + beautiful + atmospheric coffee shops here make the plain, generic ones in North America seem...um, really not good. Maybe I can avoid going to a chain coffee shop for the rest of my life (I probably can't)!!

Have a delicious day :-)

Lady talking time...

2012-01-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a friend came over for Afternoon Tea, which, in my apartment, means lounging on the floor Korean style and eating from a cute little table that I can unfold when required. Usually it stays leaning against the wall, along with my giant pink and blue hula hoop. And my yoga mat. And my clothes drying rack thingybob. My fan is also in the same vicinity. And some books. Storage space is scarce, but that's okay. Coziness all the way!

Whenever I meet this particular friend, we always eat chocolate cake. It's become a wonderful tradition. This time, she also brought honey bread, a popular snack in Korea. Bread (in any shape/form) isn't considered a mealtime food, but only a snack. The word 밥 means 'rice', and it also means 'meal'. Rice is the staple food that forms the foundation of most meals, never bread. I think this is much healthier and better for digestion, but now I'm going off on a tangent. Honey bread is tasty and makes for a nice snack, but anything with chocolate always wins in my world. Mmm, chocolate! :-)

As we talked, I realized (again) how important it is to make time for this kind of get together. Lady talking time is the best way to de-stress, relax, strengthen relationships, laugh a lot, feel awesome, eat some cake, and simply enjoy. No matter what kind of mood I'm in, when I meet a good friend and we chat, I leave feeling incredibly refreshed, lighter, and happier. Even when we're super busy, or it's freezing outside, or there's no chocolate cake to eat, it's necessary to make time for these get togethers.

A Butter Biscuit Conversation

2012-01-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

The Biscuits Before Bed "Challenge" continues!

Yesterday I walked to the nearest supermarket to pick up a few necessities (mainly lettuce, onions, and eggs - not too shabby). I also picked up some butter biscuits.

In Korea, the word 'premium' is often used to advertise products and promote them as being super high quality. It's not just your average biscuit, oh no - it's a premium biscuit! In this case, this statement is further emphasized by the European artwork on the biscuit box. European things are always premium.

Here is the conversation between Mother (With a Hat) and (Glossy Haired) Daughter (also known as Cynthia):

Mother: Cynthia, the air is rather brisk this fine morning. Why didn't you wear your hat?

Daughter: Mumsie, just look at my glossy hair! I simply cannot cover such glorious glossiness with head ornaments. I would get hat hair!

Mother: This is true, my daughter. Sad, but true. But we must fortify ourselves somehow. If you were to catch a chill, I would never forgive myself.

Daughter: Oh, mumsie! I have a marvelous idea! How about fortifying ourselves with a scrumptious biscuit?

Mother: A biscuit?

Daughter: A biscuit!

Mother: Oh, Cynthia...a lady such as I does not dine on mere biscuits. Why, that is food fit for horses, not ladies with large head ornaments and their glossy-haired children! How silly you can be.

Daughter: But, mumsie - this is not just any dry biscuit! This is a PREMIUM biscuit!

Mother: What's that you say? A PREMIUM biscuit? Well, that changes everything.

Daughter: Yes, it does. Shall we eat our biscuits now?

Mother: Oh dear, eating outside like a peasant. And without the servants! Why don't we start our journey back to the castle? We can fortify ourselves in the dining hall. The servants will wait on us.

Daughter: Mumsie, I am a strong and rather independent girl. That's why my hair is so glossy. I can eat a biscuit without the help of the servants.

Mother: No!

Daughter: Yes mumsie, it is true. Also, this is a butter biscuit.

Mother: A butter biscuit?

Daughter: A butter biscuit!

Mother: Why, that is my favourite kind of crunchy, yet melty, treat!

Daughter: Yes, it is.

Mother: This is the only kind of premium biscuit that I would consume while strolling out-of-doors. Its premium-ness fills the act of eating with dignity and a minimum amount of crumbs.

Daughter: Most certainly, dear mumsie. Have a biscuit.

Mother: I am so happy.

Daughter: Me, too mumsie. Me, too. And it is all because of this delicious, yet rather small, premium butter biscuit.

Mother and Daughter share a hug, and then eat more biscuits out-of-doors.

Future luxuries that I would like to enjoy in my life (not the eggs and tofu in the photos, though I like them too, very much)

2012-01-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

So cooking is going well so far. A little home cooking every day makes the world brighter and more nutritious. And actually it makes my apartment feel a lot more like home, nice. Unfortunately, my photos are not of the shiny magazine type. I took them with my iPod. Which people always mistake for an iPhone. I should pretend it's the latest super thin and sleek model and make imaginary calls with it.

By the way, onions + mushrooms + garlic + olive oil = heavenly :-) I love when simple things taste great. I adore mushrooms and they're much cheaper and more common here, especially oyster mushrooms.

Now let's get to the main part of this post - Future Luxuries That I Would Like To Enjoy in My Life

1. A fireplace. It's warm, instant coziness - comforting, atmospheric, pretty, and suggests the feeling of Christmas. Imagine - outside the weather is horrific...freezing rain is beating down, multiple winds are howling in every direction, the darkness of the sky portends doom...but you manage to drag yourself to the safety of home and collapse in front of your lovely fireplace. The flames are warm and comforting. You wrap yourself in a blanket, have a cup of hot cocoa, and suddenly all is alright in the world.

2. A library/study room. Lined with book cases. With a table and some comfy chairs and a sofa because reading while you're lounging around rather than sitting upright is the best. Why sit and suffer when you can luxuriate on your very own sofa? Maybe the sofa is from Versailles...or at least a replica. If it doesn't resemble a sofa from Versailles it's not really a luxury, is it? It's just any old sofa. But this room is about books, not sofas! And how could you not want to study in such a room? Just going inside it will make you smarter - an intellectual with an affinity for antique sofas. Lovely!

3. A samovar. I have vague recollections of giant samovars from the Old Country (Russia) but they remain a little mysterious in my eyes. Yes, they are clearly for tea time. And princesses. And since it's so big you can have a whole tea party, princess style, and make casual samovar references to your friends so they can fully appreciate the amazingness (and mystery) of your samovar. "Masha, would you like another cuppa from my giant samovar? Oh, don't worry, there's still lots of tea left - the samovar is very big".

Afternoon tea

2012-01-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

Mmm, a nice and delicious post today - who doesn't love cake? And biscuits? Two of the best things in life!

But first up - these are my freshly painted nails. Cosmetics shops are abundant here and while I'm not hugely into make-up, I love selecting nail polish and always want to paint my nails a new colour. It's easy to do here due to the previously mentioned abundance and array of choices, and also because nail polish is incredibly cheap in these cute little shops.

Back to cake! And biscuits! One of the many reasons I love England is Afternoon Tea Time. To me, there are few pleasures in life as satisfying as sitting down with a friend, a cup of tea, and something sweet (and preferably chocolatey). It's marvelous. And I think it's more of a lady time thing - when I attempt to have tea time with a boy, the sweet thing gets consumed far too quickly, the tea is not fully appreciated (or declined altogether! gasp!), and the chit chat doesn't really develop to its full potential.

When ladies sit down for afternoon tea, hours may go by without notice, more than one cup of tea may be required, and the sweet thing lasts a little longer (unless one of the ladies happens to be very hungry).

I have also started a new tradition for myself - Biscuits Before Bed. While there is a noticeable absence of chit chat, this is more about quiet time to unwind and prepare for a night of glorious sleep. A bit of reading, some herbal tea, and a biscuit or two (or sometimes even three!) make the evening feel complete.

Possible future "challenges":

1) Tea time every day

2) Trying all the different biscuits available in Korea (or at Home Plus, the supermarket where I go shopping)

I hope you get to enjoy tea time today :-)

Doing something new for 30 days...

2012-01-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

Firstly, I went downtown a few days ago and stumbled upon this book signing outside Kyobo bookstore. I have no idea who the author is but book signings are super exciting and inspirational so I edged my way into the crowd of spectators and snapped a photo.

Wouldn't it be amazing to have written your very own shiny book and to be able to share it with people like this? And they actually want to read it? Seriously amazing.

Also, Korean books are way prettier than North American ones, and the pages are made from high quality paper rather than newsprint.

In other news, I watched a super short and sweet TED Talk yesterday about doing something new for 30 days and found it very inspiring. The thing that stood out most was when he said that time goes by so quickly and usually it seems to slip away from us...where did the time go? time is flying by! and such...but if you try doing something new for 30 days, suddenly your time gains meaning and becomes more memorable. I totally agree with this.

If we just follow the same routine, it's so easy to get stuck in a rut and feel like time is running away from you, but if we choose to mark that time and do something new with it, well, that changes everything. And I like feeling productive, inspired, doing new things, so on and so forth. Who doesn't really?

Some of his examples: taking a photo everyday, riding a bike to work, writing a postcard...

It's an exciting idea. My first new thing is writing in this blog EVERY day for 30 days. I've been doing well for a while now and will try to keep it up. Writing makes me feel good. Even after 30 days when I am back at work with hyper kids, I hope I will take the time to write something regularly.

Let's make our time memorable ;-)

Summer Camp ~ Down

2012-01-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

As much as I love feeling cozy, indoorsy, and wrapped up in books (and sometimes YouTube) in the winter, occasionally I also feel a bit cabin fever-ish and desperately want to run and jump around in a field outside or have a snowball fight or play tennis (gosh, I miss tennis).

I think large outdoor spaces are conducive to good mental health. Maybe that's partly why Europe feels so perfect - all those city squares are brilliant. And then there's the lovely countryside.

I want to go outside!

But it's cold, and I am a wimp when it comes to cold weather. So I will continue drinking green tea and eventually stumble out of my chair to exercise (indoors).

Hope your day is sunny and awesome! :-)

Good things - salad and notebooks!

2012-01-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

Martha Stewart has her "good things" so why not share a couple of mine? As you can see by glancing at the photos, my "good things" are a little less refined (but only a little).

First up, the previously mentioned cute notebooks! I think this is actually becoming a problem for me. I keep buying notebooks even though I have more than enough already. Usually I a) fill out a few pages and then use a different notebook (because obviously each topic deserves its very own set of pages) or b) have trouble writing anything at all in the notebook because it's so pretty and I don't want to wreck it. Another conundrum: the inability to choose between different cover designs...resulting in the purchase of multiple notebooks. I'm so bad...one more notebook and I just may fall off the edge.

Next up - salad! I had a hard time adjusting to food shopping here at the beginning but it's gotten a lot easier and it's always super fun. I constantly see new things (sometimes I don't know what they are) and try lots of samples (usually I know what these are). Anywho, this is about salad, not grocery shopping. This is an example of "good cooking" - throwing together some romaine lettuce, baby greens, lemon juice, olive oil, and sesame seeds. Clean, delicious, simple and it makes me feel like a superhero, woohoo! Best followed by a mug of hot chocolate :-) And also the rest of your meal, because salad just isn't enough.

Here's to the good things in life :-)

Some things I've learned in Korea...

2012-01-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

1. When you discover the most delicious waffle in existence, you should return the following weekend and surrender once again to its extra-ordinariness. But wait to take a photo before eating it.

2. Being surrounded by cute things (hair accessories, clothes, jewelry, stationery (oh, the stationery!!!), pictures, advertisements, wallpaper, etc) greatly improves one's quality of life. I love cute things!!

3. Sweet potatoes can be eaten in a vast variety of ways (including cake and in pizza crust) but one thing remains the same - it is ALWAYS delicious and comforting.

4. You can never have too many coupon/stamp/points cards. Even as your wallet starts to buckle and break at the seams, there is no way you will ever give up even one of your cards - one day you will get that free coffee, and boy will you enjoy it!

5. There is such a thing as too much studying.

6. Eating rice everyday forms a nice secure foundation for one's life. No matter what happens, you can count on your rice.

7. Actually, it's not unusual to use a parasol in summertime. And then you can also pretend you're in a Jane Austen novel!

8. You should change your cell phone as often as possible, preferably upgrading to the latest, shiniest model. (This is one rule I cannot follow).

9. Eating out without having to pay extra taxes and tips is amazing and liberating.

10. There's never a bad time to eat ramyen.

Lily Bart in The House of Mirth

2012-01-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

I'm about halfway though The House of Mirth but I have to write something about Lily Bart. I think she's a fascinating character...I'm always interested in female characters who are trapped in stifling outward roles despite possessing a beautiful inner world full of original, interesting thoughts and a desperate desire to be free and to live a life independent of society's norms and restrictions.

Lily Bart is a beautiful woman with no parents and no money. She was born into the upper classes and made her debut in society, but at 29 she remains unmarried and reliant on her aunt's charity. She has a natural affinity for beauty and luxury...to me, her desire for a luxurious life does not seem superficial. I think Lily is very sensitive to the beauty in life and finds fulfillment, inspiration, and a kind of joie de vivre in lovely things. The world that fits her is a beautiful world in which dowdiness, passivity, and unimaginative day to day drudgery are unacceptable. Unfortunately, the only way that she can inhabit this world permanently is to marry rich.

I guess it could be said that one of the sad things in the novel is how Lily has many chances to change her life, but she never succeeds in doing this. If she can just (finally) make a choice and commit herself to a man, she can live comfortably for the rest of her life. But to do this would also be completely against her character. On the one hand, Lily wants an exquisite life in high society...but her strong sense of self, her desire to live freely, her repugnance at being possessed by a man like a brainless doll get in the way of her plans to marry rich. She cannot help but rebel, even when she is incredibly close to success.

To me this seems really amazing actually. Lily is very aware of her poverty and such a life of insecurity would cause most people to jump at the first opportunity of a comfortable, secure future. However, Lily is so resistant to having her sense of self, her identity, her freedom be swept away, tainted, bought that she refuses to bend even in the most dire times.

It's also interesting to note how most men in the novel are presented as oily, ignorant buffoons. They are easily manipulated by women and possess very narrow and shallow minds. The one exception is the man Lily genuinely loves but cannot marry because he is a lawyer (in this world lawyers are not rich enough - and they actually have to work - gasp!). He is an outsider who sees the high society world for the ridiculous theatrical performance that it truly is. He reads books, says witty things, and thinks his own thoughts. He seems to be a perfect match for Lily. He appreciates and admires her mind...he only becomes attracted to her after becoming the first person to enter her inner world and getting acquainted with her real thoughts and ideas. If this was a Hollywood movie, they would totally end up together...eating a candlelit dinner in his modest but comfortable apartment and having a witty conversation reflective of their equality. Alas, Lily needs luxury. And while that makes her sound selfish and shallow, Edith Wharton makes her so easy to sympathize with. I really hope the ending won't be too sad.

And now, more reading! And tea!

It's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with youuu...

2012-01-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

The Bracebridge Dinner episode of Gilmore Girls is one of my favourites. So cozy, magical, featuring a feast (who doesn't love a feast? especially with those awesome costumes and candles, I'm pretty sure there were candles, right?), sleigh rides that bring people together, and it basically captures the feeling of Christmas for me.

Yesterday I found out about Grey Gardens - how did I not know about this before?? A mother and daughter living in a crumbling house for decades...seemingly living in the past and depending on each other to hang on to their identities. It reminds me of Miss Havisham in Great Expectations - but it's real life! Truth is stranger than fiction indeed. Fascinating and also creepy.

Cooking has been going pretty well. My bf's favourite dish so far is tomato + shrimp pasta - it's so simple and fast to make and he loves it. I'm not sure what to try next - I think I will have to experiment with different vegetables since the staples I used before are either nonexistent or expensive luxury items in Korea (like carrots and broccoli! I will never take them for granted again!). The crackers and brie in the photo were a delicious snack yesterday. I warmed up the brie in a pan so it was soft and a little melty - delicious!

St. Vincent!

2012-01-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

The song is gorgeous...the video freaks me out...Annie Clark is a musical genius who resembles an angel but is way more interesting than that.

New Favourite Song

2012-01-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

I still like buying CDs, but I can't really do that in Korea (too expensive and no space in my one room apartment...not that that stopped me from buying too many books and collecting bunny and sheep soft toys won at the arcade).

But I really want this album. Sigh.

A Day Out in Seoul

2012-01-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to Seoul with the help of my sweet bf in order to renew my passport. Now, the things that stress me out most are form-filling, paperwork, bureaucratic, governmental, official type business transactions such as this one. I don't know why, but forms make me feel panic-y.

The day started off well as we got to the train station in time to change our tickets to an earlier train. This would prove to be extremely fortunate in the near future. It was very cold so early on a January morning so I was thankful to have brought a hot pack thingy that you shake to create instant heat and comfort. I don't remember seeing these in Canada but here they're everywhere.

When we arrived in Seoul the temperature dropped down several more degrees, my sinuses felt frozen. Luckily, we didn't have to go far to reach the downtown area where the Canadian Consulate lives. Office buildings in Canada seem pretty boring and dark to me, closed off from the outside world and ready to trap you inside (and make you fill out forms forever and ever until you forget your real identity and lose your mind). The Canadian Consulate is on the ground floor of a lovely building and the wall is basically all glass, so while you're sitting in a comfortable chair, waiting for your number to be called, sunshine pours into the room and makes you forget that this is a government office and not a lovely, bright room in which it's okay to talk above a whisper and even laugh occasionally.

Anywho, I soon realized that I had forgotten to bring my passport photos. This is like my worst nightmare, I'm sure I've dreamt of this exact situation sometime in the past. Thankfully my bf is not a bundle of nerves as I ~~sometimes~~ often am. Right away he found out where the nearest photo studio was and we marched out into the cold and walked around until we found it. He even asked for directions. He never asks for directions but I guess the situation was dire enough. Thank goodness we'd taken the earlier train. So we walked into the studio and my face was red from the cold and I also had hat hair - perfect for a passport photo! While we were waiting for the photo to be ~~photoshopped~~ developed, I filled out another form.

We got back to the consulate with plenty of time to spare, I filled out more information (because what you bring is never enough...never!). The ladies working there were actually very kind and their interrogation was gentle, sometimes even accompanied by a smile. Finally, my forms were adequate enough to be accepted, I paid my money, said thank you many times (and told the lady how stressed this process had been for me. Why? Sigh, I'm still a child.) and ran out of there, feeling free and able to breathe again.

We walked around the neighbourhood for a while - the weather had warmed up and the area is actually very beautiful and peaceful. We walked into an art gallery and looked at some modern abstract art (the free part of the gallery). I still prefer the old stuff. Give me Impressionism any day. Dots and splashes of paint will never cease to perplex me and make me wonder about the definition of art.

The photo is my lunch at Le Pul Sandwich Bar. BF ate a panini with ham and cheese. I think my shrimp salad was better and far more colourful. A good meal must feature some colour.

The best part of the day was going to a big(ish) English bookstore in the Itaewon neighbourhood. I haven't seen more than a couple of book cases of English books in one place for almost a year now. When we walked into a store selling exclusively English books (and mostly literature) I started to shake (with excitement rather than panic this time) and got happy float-y euphoric feelings. My bf sat down while I toured the store and inhaled all the books, smiling and feeling nourished and peaceful again. I bought four books and had to tear myself away. Once again, I thought how wonderful it would be to live in a bookstore. Bf laughed, thinking I was being humorous, but really...

We took a limousine bus home (so comfy! why don't we have these in Canada?) and I started reading The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. It's so good!!! We also ate walnut cakes - sooo delicious! I continue to be amazed by the street food here (along with all other food also). Some of the most delicious things I've eaten are dirt cheap and taken for granted (it's just ordinary street food) but to me they are like little bites of heaven. Anywho, I had to stop reading when it got dark (so sad!) and watched TV instead (limousine buses always have a big TV hanging at the front). The programming was about traditional food and showed three ladies visiting various countryside locations and eating the special local dishes there. It made me hungry. I also think that would be an awesome job to have.

But why am I still writing? This is getting super long and it's time to get back to the The House of Mirth, I'm already addicted to this book. All I want to do is drink tea (or hot chocolate), maybe treat myself to a biscuit, and READ!

And I do hope my passport makes it back to me someday soon.

Sustenance...

2012-01-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday it finally snowed! While we didn't have a White Christmas this year, it was a pleasant surprise to look out the window yesterday and see big fluffy snowflakes dancing around. Today the sky is blue, clear, and bright but you never never - maybe I will get snowed in and be forced to drink hot chocolate and watch movies all day. Hey, I'm on vacation - I can do that anyway gwahaha :-)

This delicious, super fresh salad is from Seoga & Cook, one of my favourite restaurants in my area. It is accompanied by garlic-y shrimp fried rice - enough rice to be shared by two or even three (very small) people. One of my goals is to cook shrimp fried rice at home and have it taste 1/3rd as good as this. My bf and I have made the attempt a couple of times but it's harder than it seems. And the salad? It is miiine, aaaaall mine...and my bf usually eats the corn. Corn is extremely popular here. Even on pizza.

Other sustenance - books! I want to mention a couple of books that I read in 2011. These were page turners that I couldn't tear my eyes from. First up - North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. After reading Wives and Daughters I couldn't wait to read more by this fabulous author. Her writing is lovely - elegant, full of truth, and all about everyday life and relationships though never mundane or predictable. Her characters are fully formed and they sparkle with life and their own independent thoughts. Her female characters are especially interesting - intelligent, thoughtful, sensitive, and full of deep feeling. And of course I fell in love with Mr. John Thornton...I think he is similar to Mr. Darcy in some ways but much more interesting, intelligent, and admirable. Gaskell also manages to present major societal issues, such as the clashes between different classes and the desperation of the poor in a human way that gives us a close-up view of the goings on rather than discussing the issue theoretically. Does that make sense? When I read books, what I care about most are the characters and their personalities and relationships and feelings. Gaskell's characters are simply brilliant. You can't help but feel along with them.

The other book I'll mention is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This one did not have real flesh and blood characters, but it did have magic and an incredible atmosphere. This book transported me to a beautiful, fascinating, stylish place and I was very happy to go along. Hooray for magic!

2012 = reading more books!!! I only read a handful last year since I was adjusting to a new country and a new job and now I am sooo hungry for books!

Old-fashioned me...

2012-01-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

I often wish that I could travel back in time...the 1800s, 1920s (flappers!!), 1960s, 1980s...basically any time before now. I think it would be quite lovely. And not like Pleasantville at all, of course not! More like Midnight in Paris - definitely!

When I think of the rich culture, traditions, slower pace of everyday life, face to face relationships and vibrant conversations, textural music (textural is a word right?), less screen time, and obviously higher quality of life back in those days (yes, I tend to exaggerate and romanticize), boy do I ever want to go there :-)

Of course many would argue that now is the best time of all. Smart phones + the internet + digital everything are so incredible, groundbreaking and communication is so astounding, soon people will be bionic and Monsanto will own all our food so on and so forth but I think my energy just doesn't quite fit with modern energy.

I greatly enjoy walking, the sound of turning pages, writing things by hand, mix tapes, lady-like things of various kinds, cooking and eating real food, things that have shape and weight, eating meals with my family, discussing all sorts of things with a sense of romanticism rather than cynicism, fresh air, green spaces, taking time rather than instant everything, unique textures + designs + places, and just the sense that my life is associated with a certain time and influenced by the unique colours, smells, feelings, pictures, things of that time rather than being suspended in a digital, shapeless, ageless, black and white plastic nothingness. Oops, am I exaggerating again?

So another one of my goals for 2012 will be to add texture, colour, and shape to my everyday life rather than whining about this. It's up to us to make our lives into whatever we want them to be and, really, what is there to stop me? No one is saying I have to live a certain way. I can light candles, read musty old books, play board games, and listen to records if I want to and there's nothing wrong with that. Gwa ha ha! :-)

I'd like to say more about how fascinating it is to live in Korea - a land of the latest technology (home of Samsung and LG! and soooo many cell phones!) as well as being a land of tradition and Confucianism...but I will save that post for another time methinks :-)

Have a marvelous day :-)

Comfort...from the screen

2012-01-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

There are some movies, TV shows, songs, books, other various media whatsits that never fail to cheer me up, or bring forth oodles of nostalgia, or make me feel intensely happy to be alive. Instant coziness and comfort! Here are some of the aforementioned whatsits:

Movies:

- Almost Famous
- Roman Holiday
- Pretty in Pink/Sixteen Candles/The Breakfast Club/Say Anything...
- Elf
- Little Women
- Edward Scissorhands
- Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were Rabbit
- Sense and Sensibility
- Only You
- The Shop Around the Corner

Television

Gilmore Girls
Arrested Development
Freaks and Geeks
Rugrats
Frasier
The Vampire Diaries (hehe)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Seinfeld

Music

- Simon and Garfunkel
- Queen
- The National
- Cat Stevens
- Bat for Lashes
- Silverchair
- 80s music in general
- Christmas music
- old soft rock that gets played on the radio
- movie soundtrack songs and TV theme songs....ex) Time of My Liiiife or I Don't Want to Wait

Books

- His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman
- Roald Dahl - especially Matilda and The Witches
- Jane Austen
- Elizabeth Gaskell
- Tamora Pierce (the Lioness Quartet, Immortals Quartet)
- Victorian lit (especially by female authors) in general, fantasy (esp by female authors) not quite in general
- Agatha Christie
- Sherlock Holmes stories
- Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen
- Hamish Macbeth series by M.C. Beaton

And now to wind things up as it is time to refuel and watch some Gilmore Girls! Hooray for vacations!!!

Taking a deep breath...

2011-12-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

I've now been in Korea for almost a year and in not too many hours we'll be counting down to 2012 - amazing! After the school semester finished, I felt pretty frazzled and ready to collapse and take a looong rest. Now I'm getting excited for the new year. Moving to a different country, starting a new job, looking after children, and throwing my old routine out the window has been tremendously liberating, fun, and adventurous. It was quite a shake up and now I am ready to settle down a bit more and get centered again. This seems like a good time to reflect on the past year and figure out what I want to fit into the new one.

1. Meditating
I used to think meditation was some exotic, unapproachable, mysterious activity that appeared humorous and soundly unnecessary. Then I tried it and felt incredibly good. Taking a few minutes in the morning to clear my head, consciously relax, and slow down my overly busy and cluttered thoughts is one of the healthiest and most energizing things that I can do. If I feel grumpy, stressed, overwhelmed, etc. I know this is what helps me most, but during most of this year I've neglected to take that time. The last few days I've gotten back into it and I feel sooo much better. It's like taking a luxurious bath for my mind haha...ahem, moving on now.

2. Cooking
Before I left Canada, I got pretty comfortable in the kitchen and really enjoyed cooking soups, stews, stir-fries, and dabbling in baking. The last few months have featured very little cooking by me. I have a cute, brand new kitchen and though it is small, there's no reason for it to go unused. It's time for me reclaim the lead role in the kitchen and let the rice cooker step down to an assisting position. I had lots of excuses not to cook much - lack of energy after work, unfamiliarity with the ingredients here, living in an apartment surrounded by lovely and cheap restaurants - but the truth is I love cooking and I miss it a lot. It gives me energy, grounds me, and makes me feel nourished and healthy. It's also just fun!

3. Studying Korean
This is something I must do. I'm no longer a beginner but I'm far from being at a conversational level and I really really want to understand what people are saying all around me. I want to communicate and feel at ease and be more independent. So, my goal is to study every day, even if it's only for a few minutes. One day, I want to have an actual conversation with my boyfriend's parents.

4. Spending time in nature
Living in a big city here is very different from living by the ocean, surrounded by trees and natural beauty. I realize now that I took nature for granted. I could just step outside and breathe fresh air and feel inspired by beautiful ocean views. Parks and gardens and hiking trails were everywhere, so easily accessible. There is plenty of natural beauty in Korea and hiking in the mountains here can be breathtaking. However, it takes more effort to get to the mountains or the countryside. I haven't made enough of an effort this past year and I'm craving nature badly. I live quite close to some beautiful mountains so I will try to actually pay them a visit at least once a month.

5. Exercising
So this is a boring one, but I do feel a lot better when I exercise regularly. During vacation it's not a problem, but it's hard to get motivated after a tiring day at work. So, even if I just hula hoop for ten minutes, do some jumping jacks, or pretend to execute some ballet moves, I will try to fit more conscious movement into each day.

The new year is just around the corner, and I feel excited, energized, and ready to celebrate! Hooray! :-)

Have a holly jolly cozy Christmas!

2011-12-25T21:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

In my corner of the world, Christmas was a little strange this year. I kept looking forward to it, yearning and dreaming of magic, perfection, shiny trees, roaring fireplaces, snowflakes, warm hugs, and freshly baked cookies. Then I realized that I was in a different country that doesn't really celebrate Christmas and that my family was on the other side of the world. Then I eventually figured out that half of that sentence mattered but that the first half did not.

Being here has made me think about what Christmas means to me, why I always make it out to be the most important, eagerly anticipated, obsessed over day of the year. A month ago I started looking out for Christmas trees, dreaming of cups of hot chocolate, straining my ears trying to hear Christmas carols everywhere I went. I pointed out decorations whenever I saw them and examined festive looking food at the supermarket. I dreamt of enjoying the perfect, romantic Christmas with my boyfriend. Somehow, none of this felt good or happy or joyful or merry or fun.

So what makes Christmas Christmas? It seems obvious to point out that it's not about the presents, fancy decorations, or department store Santas. It's not the turkey or the mistletoe either, although I do heartily enjoy those things when they are available. It also seems obvious to point out that Christmas is all about being with the people we love - appreciating them, laughing together, eating together, and feeling grateful to have such love and togetherness during the darkest, coldest part of the year.

I couldn't be with my family this year and this made Christmas less Christmas-y. Thank goodness for Skype.

My boyfriend and I are now on vacation and we spent Christmas together, eating donuts and pizza, watching movies, staying warm and cozy, and feeling grateful to have found each other. We didn't have a super exciting, colourful, extraordinary celebration...but I finally realized (and I feel ashamed that this is something I had to realize in the first place) that being able to spend a quiet evening together with the person I love is a gift, and it is all that I want.

Why wait for something extraordinarily perfect to happen when it's already hitting me on the head in this very moment? Why yearn for magic when simply holding someone's hand feels like the loveliest thing in the world? I hope I never take the people I love for granted. I want to appreciate them and enjoy our lives together without ever forgetting how precious and important that is.

Cue hugging time!

Cue the music - All I Want for Christmas is Youuuuuuuu!

A Very Warm November

2011-11-11T17:07:00.001-08:00

So this clearly isn't a November photo - rather it's a blurry little shot of a gorgeous view found on beautiful Jeju Island. I've been neglecting my autumnal photo taking duties which is not so smart because the autumn season here is incredibly lovely - the leaves change colour and the soft rolling mountains become blanketed with bright orange, yellow, and red leaves. When the sun lights everything up it looks like paradise. But now it's mid November so the leaves are drying up and falling down. I'm afraid I've missed my chance!

I've been spending more time indoors lately, feeling cozy and watching movies while the days get darker and darker. Last night I watched Rise of Planet of the Apes and found it to be surprisingly moving and powerful. It's pretty amazing when a big blockbuster movie that features expensive, flashy special effects can also tell a good story and sometimes even deliver a thought-provoking message. I thought the same thing about Avatar actually and was disappointed that so many critics said great things about the movie's stunning special effects while dismissing the story as derivative and nothing special. Just because we've heard something before, doesn't mean it's no longer a valuable, meaningful message. Sometimes we become so hardened and cynical, we can't even be touched by the simplest, most deeply human emotions and instincts. I think this kind of numbness to life is really terrifying and hope that we can regain some of our innocence and earnestness.

Anywho, as usual I'm going off on tangents. It's time for me to head out and meet some co-teachers for a delicious lunch at a salad bar buffet, yum!! I will continue my ramblings soon :-)

Cheerio!

Reading, eating, writing...

2011-10-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

Another weekend is here (and it feels very fleeting as usual!) and I am cozy inside, drinking tea and trying to refrain from eating chocolate. Yesterday was a very rainy day and today is just as gloomy and cloudy but without the rain. It's nice for staying indoors.

Yesterday's downtown adventures (of course I ventured outside despite the weather!) included eating delicious chocolate cake at a lovely cake shop downtown. It was my first visit there and it took ten minutes just to choose what kind of cake we wanted - there were so many tempting options! We ate the cake at a cafe above the shop and chatted the time away. Today's photo is obviously not of chocolate cake but cream pasta from dinner out a few weeks ago. Oh well, it still looks interesting haha.

I also bought two new books as I'm almost through The Woman in White. Wilkie Collins' mysteries are so atmospheric and intriguing...I get completely wrapped up in them and cannot stop turning the pages...and reading just a little bit more...and more :-) Anywho, the two new books I bought are Howards End, which I've been meaning to read for ages, and also The Night Circus. I wasn't planning on buying anything contemporary but this sounds like such an imaginative, magical, theatrical book that I couldn't resist. I'm hoping it will transport me to an exciting new world and stir my fancy :-) The cover is pretty at least ;-)

Well, time to pull my eyes away from the computer and point them at a book instead.
Cheerio!

Sniff sniff...it's cold season!

2011-10-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

After avoiding and fighting off the ailment seemingly every other teacher at school had fallen prey too, I too have finally surrendered. I have a cold. Which means staying indoors, drinking copious amounts of tea, reading, and watching The Great British Bake Off. Things could be worse I guess ;-)

This past week I've been quite busy, rarely spending time at home and having lots of adventures outside while the weather is still good. I had lots of fun, but sadly I neglected to get enough quiet, recharging time and now I'm paying for it.

Whenever I get sick I think it's a good reminder to get more rest, eat and drink a little more carefully, and take some time out for myself. Some people can be super busy all day long, sleep for just a few hours, and be able to repeat the cycle again and again. I think they also get energy from the people around them. I can only do this for a very very short time. Even though I am still young, I need my eight hours of sleep, some peaceful time alone, and healthy food and drinks. It is easy to feel when I am a little off balance, but sometimes it's hard to find that balance again when life tempts us with adventure, sunshine, and chocolate brownies ;-)

Today I will delve more deeply into The Woman in White (which has flourished into a page turner just a few pages in). Thank goodness for books - even when we can't explore the real world outside, we can always transport ourselves to a different place just by picking up a book :-D

Cozy Day Ramblings

2011-10-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I started watching the Great British Bake Off. The weather had suddenly changed so it was surprisingly cold and rainy compared to the summer-like weather we've been enjoying here for so long. I curled up in my blanket with a hot cup of tea and some roasted almonds and enjoyed a fun hour of entertaining Britishness. I can't wait to go back to England (for a visit) - the accent, architecture, people, history, tradition, culture, arts, literature, humour, style....I feel very attached to it all :-)

Anywho, watching a British program about baking is the epitome of coziness in autumn, ahhh. So lovely!

I also started reading The Woman in White at long last. It's my first Victorian novel in many months which seems utterly crazy. I don't know how I survived for so long without reading one. The unique language, style, and tone of Victorian novels soothes and inspires me. I love language in all its dimensions and nothing peaks my interest and passion as much as Victorian novels. Each sentence is a lovely, thought out gem. Each page sparkles with colour and wit. There is never a plain or bland sentence.

And now, getting back to everyday life - Korea still feels like a wonderful place to live and I continue to enjoy it here. I keep discovering new places and trying new things but the best part is definitely the people I have met here. The friends I've made are incredibly kind, warm, funny, kindred spirits and I feel grateful to have them in my life. Yay! It's a very sparkly life indeed :-)

And now it's time for tea!

Happy October!

2011-10-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Autumn here is so incredibly beautiful - I cannot get used to it! In Vancouver, Fall means big fat rainclouds and weeks of ongoing darkness and dampness. Here, Fall is a celebration of changing colours, crisp air, and gorgeous sunshine. Yesterday I even ate ice cream after a day of walking around downtown :-) And I also bought two pairs of flat shoes for the new season. There are lots of stores downtown that only sell flat shoes and nothing else. Prices are very reasonable, so far I've been pleased with the quality, and the stores themselves are cute and cozy. The shoes are so pretty and unique :-)

I think I haven't really mentioned the street food here before. There are lots of delicious things you can easily buy on the street but my favourites by far are Fall/Winter treats such as roasted chestnuts, 붕어빵 and 국화빵 - the last two are little bread things with a red bean filling. They are so warm and soft and just perfect on a crisp day.

Lastly, these photos are from my trip to Jeju Island. Sometimes people call it the Korean Hawaii and it used to be Korea's #1 honeymoon destination. The island is stunningly beautiful. It really feels like you're getting away from normal, everyday city life when you go there. The natural beauty of the island, the colour of the water, the waterfalls and caves...it's all breathtaking! I could easily have stayed there for a longer time but even four days was rejuvenating and delightful :-)

Ah, and on a rather different note, I've been racking my brain trying to think of which university to go to for my Masters degree and I recently discovered that many universities in England offer a TESOL Masters program (this kind of program is not common in Canada). So - maybe I can combine two dreams and go to England for postgraduate school! I've been looking at the University of Bath...could it really happen? I really really hope so! So I should stop buying shoes and save money for life and education in England :-)

Cheerio!

Autumn Leaves

2011-09-29T02:02:00.001-07:00

Oh dear, it's autumn already! Oops! I had a long summer vacation full of sunshine, patbingsu (shaved ice with ice cream, red beans, and fruit), cute cafes, lazy days, exciting days, and carefree fun :-D

I feel very settled now and everything seems to be going smoothly, although my Korean skills are still very basic and not as good as I would like. I'm afraid I haven't been a very diligent student!

I actually miss writing a lot. In university I was forced to do it regularly. Even though writing essays was challenging and hard work, it still provided a great creative outlet and I felt so good whenever I finished an essay, printed it out, and held the warm paper in my hands - hot off the presses! It's great to make something seemingly out of air - especially when you're dealing with words rather than something more tangible. Spinning words and carefully placing them together is like magic in a way. I miss making that magic happen :-) Blogs are so great at providing people with a splendid creative outlet - even if they are not professional writers or publishing geniuses. Everyone has a voice and it's lovely to get a little glimpse of other people's worlds through their writing.

Anywho, enough babbling! Today I'd like to mention three things: my trip to Seoul for Chuseok weekend, a gayageum performance that I attended recently, and returning back to school (work). Wow, that's a lot!

Chuseok is similar to Thanksgiving. Families get together, perform special ceremonies to honour their ancestors, and cook and eat lots of delicious food. One of these foods is songpyeon - rice cakes with various fillings like sesame seeds and honey. This year I got the chance to go to Seoul for Chuseok weekend - my very first visit there! It's a big city with lots to see and do. We didn't have a lot of time, so we saw some of the major sights like the biggest palace, Han River, some famous statues and a museum, city hall, the 63 building (with a great view from the top), and a traditional folk village. It's impossible to convey the beauty and uniqueness of these places using words alone - they're meant to be seen and experienced. That whole weekend I felt very excited and energized. It was so fun to explore a new place and do everything spontaneously rather than following the same everyday routine. Traveling makes it possible to really live in the moment. Eating lots of delicious food is great too!

Next up, one Friday evening after work I got the chance to see a gayageum ensemble. A gayageum is a traditional Korean instrument with a very unique sound that I love. At this performance, three young ladies played the gayageum and they were sometimes accompanied by other instruments such as the drums, bass guitar, and jazz piano for a kind of fusion-y modern, really fantabulous sound! I enjoyed it from start to finish and would love to see something like this again!

Lastly, I've been back at work for over a month now and once again the semester is flying by! Recently the kids took part in an English contest and memorized and recited stories or poems, or performed a play depending on their grade. It was so much fun to watch them! I feel incredibly lucky to have the chance to teach such sweet, lovely, cheerful students :-D

My goals now are to keep improving as a teacher, to explore more of Korea, to study Korean and become a more diligent student!!!, and to keep living in the moment and enjoying each day! Living here still feels like a dream! Woohoo!

Cheerio!

KOREA!

2011-06-07T06:10:00.001-07:00

Well, what can I say? I'm here! I arrived in Korea on February 17th and it is now June - wow. Time has flown by and to be honest it's almost scary how quickly the months are passing by. But the important thing is - I'm really here! And still pinching myself haha...especially during the first month everything just felt like a dream and I couldn't believe I was really living here.

So far, my experiences have been super positive, fun, warm, and occasionally breathtaking. Some things, like the garbage system and my sometimes noisy neighbour, can be frustrating, but overall I feel incredibly lucky, thankful, and happy :-)

I live in a lively area right by a university, so there are lots of cute restaurants, coffee shops, and entertainment places just a few steps outside the door. I love going to 노래방 - a singing (karaoke) room, the arcade, eating ice cream (Baskin Robbins is very popular and common here), chatting in coffee shops, and eating delicious food in my neighbourhood.

I don't even know where to start since I've been absent from my poor dusty blog for such a long time - my elementary school...adventures in the mountains...everyday life in Korea...festivals....there's too much, agh! So I guess I'll just start at the point where I am now.

Ah, but now it's time for some precious sleep :-) Actually, I have a cold now and I lost my voice after teaching all day while fighting previously mentioned cold...I'm hoping a good eight hours of wonderful rest will help to transform my croaking into something resembling the English language.

Starting with the next post, I will actually try to express something about life in Korea :-) Yay!

Cheerio with a cherry on top! :-)

PS. The photo is from a flower festival I went to a few weeks ago. I never saw so many lovely little flowers in one place before :-)

First Snow!

2010-11-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

Hooray, yesterday night brought the first snowfall of the year and it was gorgeous! It felt like a real snowstorm, with howling wind and swirling snowflakes galore :-) Waking up to fresh, untouched snow on the ground is quite lovely and makes up for the less enjoyable consequences.

There's more snow on the way apparently, so I'll make sure to take some photos later. Today I was mostly inside and only ventured out to return a library book and buy some food, including a roasted barley drink that I'm trying out in place of coffee. I've always been more of a tea person, but lately I've been wanting coffee for some reason. Maybe it's the aroma and comforting richness :-)

Yikes, it's only 9.30 and I'm falling asleep already! Ever since the sun started setting so much earlier, I've been unable to resist sleep at ridiculously early hours. Oh well, sleep is good. But I also want to eat more in the evenings, so I feel a little like a hibernating bear.

I have a couple more weeks of work left and then I'm taking a long vacation before (hopefully!!!) flying off to Korea. It will feel amazing to have oodles of free time - cooking, exercising, meeting friends, making Christmas cards (or at least writing messages in them) - there will be time for everything! I'll miss the students a lot though :-(

Alrighty, my comfy bed is calling me :-) Sleep is utterly irresistible :-)

Have a fantabulous winter-y weekend!

Cozy winter-y mornings...

2010-11-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

...oh how I love them :-) It's so great to get up when it's still a little dark and completely peaceful, make some oatmeal and hot tea, and have a leisurely breakfast by the fireplace. It's quite cold here so I've been forced to sit by the fireplace a lot :-) It's a hard life :-)

November is suddenly pretty much half over, wow! When I went shopping there were Christmas decorations everywhere and there was already a festive feel in the air, but no Christmas music yet thank goodness. All the delicious Christmas chocolate is so tempting though :-) Yum yum!

Instead of chocolate, I ate a seafood pancake at the Korean store downtown and bought some kimchi, ramyun, gim (a roasted seaweed snack), and oyster mushrooms. Most purchases were healthy...the ramyun not so much but it brings back lots of great memories :-) Food is amazing that way - it's not just about momentary taste but rather it's right at the centre of people coming together and sharing good times and connecting...nice.

I'm hoping the weather will be cooperative today so that I can go for a long, refreshing walk. Winter walks are so much fun when it's not windy and/or rainy. Especially if you have a hot beverage in your hand, a warm hat on your head, and a friend beside you :-)

Have a terrific weekend!

'Tis November...oooh, darkness!

2010-11-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

It's 7am but it feels like the middle of the night! Daylight Savings Time ends tomorrow and I'm looking forward to having some light in the morning!

Aaaaand, it's November already! That means Christmas lights and decorations will soon make the cold winter much more enjoyable and cozy :-) I never put up any decorations before late December but I certainly enjoy admiring them and feeling immersed in a Winter Wonderland :-) For me it's still the most magical time of the year :-)

Well, I had my EPIK interview at the Korean Consulate and it went well! Suddenly, it feels like going to Korea is more of a reality and not just a vapour-y dream. It's exciting...and hard to believe! Maybe soon my life will change so much I won't be able to recognize it anymore :-) It's amazing how quickly things have changed already in the past few months...in a natural, flow-y kind of way :-) Going with the flow feels great :-)

Happy First November Weekend! Stay warm and cozy :-)

Kim Yoo Kyung - Starlight Tears (Fan-Made MV)

2010-10-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

This is a song from the Korean drama I'm currently watching (Boys Before Flowers). It's a lot funnier than it appears in this video :-) But yes, full of romantic intrigue also :-)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

Agh, wow, it's November next week, when did that happen? Not that I'm complaining - I can't wait for the holiday season :-)

Yesterday we celebrated Halloween at school and it was oodles of fun. Most of the students don't have this holiday in their countries so they were taking photos of each other's costumes all day with great enthusiasm. Of course I forgot my camera, eek!

But there was a reason for that! I found out that my EPIK application had never been received after I'd e-mailed it so I spent Thursday evening preparing all my documents and handed them in to the Korean Consulate right after school on Friday. STRESS!!! I hope everything goes more smoothly now. I should have known by now - it's always better to do things in person.

This is a photo from a traditional Korean restaurant in downtown Daegu. It was sooooooo good. The mandu in the middle tasted pretty much the same as Russian dumplings, I was so surprised. Mmmm, delicious :-) And because there were five of us we got plenty of side dishes :-)

Okay, time to get the weekend started! Have a spectacular day!

So Happy!

2010-10-24T21:22:00.001-07:00

This weekend was so beautiful...maybe not weather wise but in other ways...this Fall everything seems to be clicking into place and flowing in a wonderful way! I really feel like I'm on the right path and every day is fulfilling and exciting and different and eye-opening and full of joy :-) Well, most days at least :-)

I still haven't heard from EPIK but I talked to some people who have taught in Korea or have some knowledge of it and they said the process is usually quite slow so it's not surprising or abnormal. In any case, I feel like one way or another I'll be wherever I need to be at the right time :-)

In the meantime, Vancouver is gorgeous in its own glorious way. The ocean looks amazing and I love the freshness in the air. I've also been enjoying cappuccinos, homemade pita pizza, butternut squash soup, pumpkin seeds, shopping for boots (and buying some really awesome ones!), trying on headbands and hats, feeling cozy by the fireplace, eating spicy noodles with noodle loving friends, watching hilarious Korean dramas (that also feature great fashion!), listening to 90's music, watching Ghostbusters, planning my Winter vacation (my friend from Korea is coming to visit!), and watching leaves fall to the ground (it's more interesting than it sounds).

Here's to a wonderful Autumn! I hope it brings everyone joy, energy, and strength to carpe diem!

Happy Autumn!

2010-10-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

And it really does feel like Autumn now - crisp air, some colourful trees (but very few in my corner of the world - most of the ones here stay green year round), layered clothing and cozy boots, and I've even turned on the fireplace a few times. Oh, and all those tasty cups of warming tea and bowls of comforting soup - yay!

I sent my application to EPIK so all I can do now is wait and hope that I will get an interview soon. It's hard when you can't actually DO anything - you just have to wait and wait and try to be patient.

This is a beautiful traditional house on the campus of my friend's university (in Daegu). It was amazing to see - the architecture is so completely different and so soft and gentle on your eyes, I really liked it. It would be great to have a luxury house that looks like an old traditional house on the outside but has modern comforts on the inside. :-)

I miss Korean food! I had delicious seafood rice porridge when I first arrived there and I've been craving it so badly but I don't know exactly how to make it, and it wouldn't be the same anyway. Agh, I miss everything! Must remind self - accept and enjoy the present moment and make the most of every second :-)

Have a beautiful October weekend!

Korea's Awesome Cafes

2010-10-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

One thing I really loved about Korea was that it had so many cozy and unique cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants. It was so great to get away from endless chains and see and experience something way more unique and special. My friend took me to Succa Cafe, where you get your own little room (with a cute curtain for a door) in which you can chat, watch TV/movies, look at magazines, play video games, and eat as many snacks and drink as much as you want within the time you pay for. We paid $6 per person for 3 hours and ate ice cream, pop corn, and chips and drank herbal tea (so really it was totally balanced and healthy ;-)). I noticed they also had limitless alcohol that you could drink but we stuck to the tea, thank you very much :-)

I'd never been to a place like that before so it was really fun and interesting. It was perfect for catching up and having a nice long chat. I think some guys would maybe refuse to come here (pink! so cute!), but in Korea it was normal for couples to go there - so sweet! Did I mention they also enjoy wearing matching outfits and feeding each other? It's delightful :-) You can buy couple T-shirts, hoodies, shoes, socks, etc. and it's totally common to see couples wearing these matching things. So cute! And uniquely Korean :-)

Right now I'm drinking Korean ginseng tea (something else Korea is very famous for) - an energizing way to start the day! I might head downtown for a bit of shopping. Yesterday I bought two awesome pairs of boots but I still need some winter appropriate clothing to go with them. And I have to get ready for work - it's back to class tomorrow! And I'll be teaching the elementary level for the first time, eeeek! It's good to be able to teach all the different levels though.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Weekend!

2010-10-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm - this is a delicious GIANT waffle I had in Korea...it ended up being dinner for two :-) There were even a couple of tomatoes somewhere in there so overall it was pretty balanced, no?

Today I started off the long weekend with a trip downtown. It was fun to walk around, go to the beach, eat some Korean food for lunch (hooray for downtown Vancouver's Korean gems), drink a hot beverage in the rain...nice. Relaxing :-) I also picked up some kimchi ha ha. I'm totally addicted :-)

I'm still working on the EPIK application and it's causing me STRESS. It's sooo long and complicated and on top of it all they keep stressing how everything should be submitted ASAP because hiring is done on a first come, first served basis. I don't like these kind of rushed, competitive affairs. Oh well, I'm very motivated to do this so I will most definitely do my best and keep on hoping :-)

My lunch consisted of a seafood pancake (Korean pancakes are delicious!!) that was like a light, fluffy pizza and I also had a pork and veggie dumpling (mandu), yum yum. Good fuel for a day of walking in chilly weather :-)

Okay, time to feed before returning to my application. Have a fantastic day!!

I'm Back! And, oooh, I miss Korea already!

2010-10-08T17:09:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe I'm back in Canada already - it feels like I just left! Korea was a whirlwind of fun, adventure, excitement, beauty, delicious food, neon signs, Samsung TVs, culture, gorgeousness, green, mountains, laughter, warmth, friendliness, and all things wonderful!!! I really really really didn't want to leave, and I've already started the process of applying to teach there next year through the EPIK program. I can't wait to go back!!!

Honestly, I've given up on trying to plan anything in my life. Things just seem to happen on their own and I'm happy to surrender and go with the flow. I never thought I'd ever travel to Asia and now all I want is to go and live there! Crazy! But it feels so right and natural and wonderful - resistance is futile :-) I love Korean culture, so many people that I met are incredibly warm, kind, group-oriented and full of life and passion. Their traditions and even everyday interactions are steeped in meaning and respect. It was amazing to experience!

I will write more later and give a full run down of the places I visited but right now I have to work a bit on my application :-)

Lastly, I have to add that I LOVE Korean stationary. Well, I love all their cute, colourful things in general but I have a thing for stationary so getting cute pens and notebooks was heavenly :-)

Happy Weekend!

Tegan and Sara - Alligator

2010-09-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is a fun video for a catchy song that tends to get stuck in my head. Hooray for knitwear!

Last Weekend before Korea!!!

2010-09-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

Good morning! It's still dark outside and I feel nice and cozy, sitting in a loft :-) I love mornings - so peaceful and rejuvenating and energizing! It's great to have some stillness and quiet before the day gets busy.

This is a Korean dish called 'japchae', which I've eaten a couple of times now. It's potato noodles with meat, veggies, sesame oil, and sesame seeds, oh and lots of garlic too - and it's sooo delicious! Good party food :-)

I've also been eating kimchi everyday. It started as a way of getting more accustomed to Korean food, but now I'm completely and utterly addicted to it and eat some every single day. There's a Korean specialty food store near my school so it's easy to pick some up before I head home. It reminds me a little bit of sauerkraut, which is also fermented cabbage, but kimchi contains more ingredients and it's pretty spicy! Yum yum!

This weekend will be all about packing and preparing for the big trip. I'm excited and also nervous...but at this point it's still not quite sinking in that in just a few days I'll be on a plane to Korea. I'll try to squeeze some extra language practice in as well - it's the language barrier that I find to be most intimidating.

I keep thinking how important it is to step outside of your comfort zone and take leaps - try new things, go to new places, meet new people, shake up old ways of doing things. It's the only way to grow and experience life fully I think. Otherwise, you're just stuck - stagnant and uninspired. I like feeling safe and comfortable, but all the greatest times in my life happened because of change and going beyond the familiar. Lately, there have been a lot of changes in my life and in some ways it's felt like waking up and feeling so much more alive! So yes, I hope I am learning to embrace change and to go with the flow, without resisting or running away from things. Carpe diem ;-)

Cheerio!

Rainy Weekend

2010-09-18T06:59:00.001-07:00

Wow - is it dark or what! It's after 7am but still feels like night time. For some reason I woke up early and didn't feel like staying in bed, so here I am, listening to rainy day music and getting ready to enjoy the weekend, weeee!

Lately I've been reading quite a few books about the mind-body connection and how it applies to health. I've always been interested in this topic and I'm trying to learn as much as possible about it. In my case, somehow I'm ultra sensitive and my mental state, stress response, feelings, etc. have a huge effect on my physical well-being. I would like to learn how to create more harmony and balance so that this connection can work in a positive way. While everyone seems to prescribe meditation, I find it quite challenging and often fall asleep, eek. But I will keep trying :-) I wish there was a forest in my backyard, being surrounded by trees and nature is the best thing!

This weekend I'm having another potluck so I'll be tasting some Korean and Vietnamese food that I've never tried before, mmm! I love potlucks. The good thing about dark, rainy weather - it makes cooking even more enjoyable!

Have a fantastic weekend!

She & Him - In The Sun

2010-09-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

Zooey Deschanel is absolutely delightful and when I first heard She & Him's music I was pleasantly surprised - it's actually really good and she has a lovely voice. It also has an old-fashioned sound, and all things old-fashioned appeal to me :-) This is a fun video, and since it's raining outside it's a good way to bring some sunshine into the day.

Belle and Sebastian - Wrapped Up In Books

2010-09-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

For some reason, crisp Autumn days always make me think of this song. It's lovely and the video is lots of fun too :-)

Happy September Weekend!

2010-09-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

Woohoo, another gorgeous sort of summery weekend is here again, ready to be fully enjoyed :-) I had a lovely short week at school. The theme of my afternoon classes was 'Movies' so we all had a good time talking about our favourite films. I'm amazed at how many Hollywood films the students have seen, even though their own countries produce wonderful movies themselves. I guess there's no escape from American culture. But there's nothing wrong with having a strong affinity for Johnny Depp ;-)

I also found it interesting that horror movies seem to be extremely popular in Korea and Japan, especially amongst women. And everyone seems to love action movies.

Yesterday we had a potluck in my morning class - everyone brought a dish from their country, yum! I had some delicious Korean japchae and I would definitely recommend this dish. It's great party food and lots of fun to share :)

Today I'm hosting a mini potluck at my house so I'll be tasting more new dishes and (hopefully) serving up something Russian. I still haven't decided what to cook, agh! Let the countdown begin!

This photo is from Whistler, yay! This was the view after taking the gondola up to the top of the mountain - it was breathtaking!

Well, the sun is calling me! It was supposed to rain all weekend but right now the sky is blue, the sunshine is brilliant, and I'm ready to play some tennis!

Have a splendid weekend!

Rainy Labour Day

2010-09-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow everyone is heading back to school and getting back into a different cycle now that summer is pretty much officially over. Saturday and Sunday were beautiful here and I played loads of tennis and went to Van Dusen Gardens - where I saw an owl! Actually, I saw two. One was sitting high up in a tree and another one flew over (very close to my head!) - it was pretty magical. They were so huge and almost mystical looking. I've always wanted to see an owl in the wild so another one of my dreams has now come true :-) I tried to take photos but the zoom on my camera isn't very good...blurriness does not good pictures make :-)

Today, however, it's raining and cooold! The only tennis available to me is the U.S. Open on TV. That's okay, a cozy day filled with hot tea, relaxation, and attempting to learn Korean is always welcome. Speaking of learning Korean, I highly recommend this hilarious romantic comedy adventure TV series: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. There are English subtitles of course. A gumiho is a nine-tailed fox originally featured in Korean folk tales. No knowledge of this is required to enjoy the show though - you can just sit back and enjoy an entertaining, original, and absolutely delightful story :-)

This photo was taken at a Korean restaurant near my school. This dish is bibimbap - rice with assorted vegetables, a little beef, and egg on top. Oh, and spicy sauce of course! I've gone to this restaurant a couple of times and will probably go again. The food is like real, homemade food and there are loads of great, healthy choices. The only problem is that they give you sooo much, including many side dishes. It's wonderful to share and go for a long walk afterwards :-)

I feel like I'm becoming more and more interested in Korean culture. Who knew that getting this job would open a door into a completely new world? It's all so rich and fascinating and just a joy to experience directly.

I also have to admit that in North America, it feels to me like people are kind of drifting without much of a culture or community or traditions to ground us and connect us and give more meaning and pleasure to our lives. I really miss that about Russia - I still have so many memories of community, family gatherings, feasts, togetherness, and connectedness and I haven't found that anywhere else yet. I think it's amazing that in Korea they still uphold so many ancient traditions, ceremonies, and that people really take care of each other and have more of a group-oriented rather than individual-centred society.

Well, I'm going to do a little bit of lesson planning - it's back to school tomorrow for me as well after three lovely days off.

Cheerio!

There and back again...

2010-09-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, I missed August altogether, how did that happen?? I guess that's what vacation time is all about though - slipping into the present moment and forgetting about time completely :-) I feel so much better now - reenergized, refreshed, rested, and ready for whatever comes next. I also started meditating regularly again - in the evenings by candlelight - nice!

It definitely feels like transition time right now - the sun is setting earlier, the weather is changing, there's a crispness in the air, I'm eating apples again, and lots of people around me are moving/starting new jobs/going back to university/etc. It's an exciting time for sure!

My big news is that I'm travelling to Korea for the first time ever at the end of this month. I'm only going for one week, but since I've never been to Asia before it's going to be a huge, brand new experience for me. Hopefully a positive one :-) Learning about Korean culture from my students has been so incredible - I never predicted when I first started my job that I would have such an enriching and deep experience, but now I understand that the whole beauty of the school comes from the bonds that are made between everyone there. We are all sharing this experience of coming together, learning together, laughing together, and learning about each other in a very positive and supportive environment. It's absolutely wonderful!

Photo time - this one was taken in Whistler. I went there once before in the wintertime but going in the summer was completely different and so much fun! This was the amazing view from my lakeside hotel. The best part of the trip was doing the Peak to Peak - going to the top of Whistler mountain on a gondola, then taking a chairlift even higher up, then taking a gondola from the top of Whistler to the top of Blackcomb mountain, and then taking a chairlift all the way down. It was incredibly exhilarating and I'd love to do it again! We ate our lunch at the top of a mountain, ahhh, so nice.

And now for the last thing I cooked. Simple fare: a brown rice black bean risotto. In one pot I cooked brown rice with sauteed onions and garlic. I used extra water to make it really soft and creamy. In another pan, I sauteed lots of veggies including red bell pepper, onion, celery, and lots of mushrooms. When the rice was ready I added it to the pan, along with some black beans.

Now it's time to enjoy the long weekend! Three days off, woohoo! It's important to soak up the last bit of Summer :-)

Cheerio!

I Looove Summer!

2010-07-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

The Summer heat continues so I've been enjoying plenty of days at the beach, eating gelato, and strolling around wearing my big sunglasses. Even school feels less like work and more like Summer camp...with lots of grammar.

This morning I went raspberry picking and contributed to the baking of delicious banana brownies. I can smell them right now, yuuuummy! They're for a potluck, so this time I'll be admiring their fragrance rather than their taste.

I will start posting more regularly in a few weeks, but right now is uber busy enjoy-Summer-while-it-lasts and play with your friends until the sun sets season, so I'm trying to avoid my computer. I love the ridiculously long, warm days of Summer - it's paradise!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Summer Hotness

2010-07-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back! My internet connection has been very wonky and frustratingly inconsistent and slow lately, but only on my main computer, my laptop works fine. Technology continues to perplex me :) Yesterday I was walking around in Vancouver and I saw a store selling beautiful old typewriters - now that's more like it :) I stopped and admired them for a full minute :)

In other news, Vancouver is experiencing a heatwave - I guess the weather has to balance itself out :) I'm enjoying it - being able to wear sandals, flowy skirts, and tank tops after months spent bundled up in jackets and scarves is sooo liberating and wonderful! I can finally feel the sunshine on my skin :)

As for food, I recently tried some delicious Korean tea. There are many interesting flavours but so far my favourite is a nut blend. It comes as a powder packaged in individual little pouches. Just add hot water and you get a rich, creamy, nutty, extremely tasty cup of tea, mmmm. This particular tea was given to me so now I'll definitely have to go and try to find a place in Vancouver that sells it.

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy middle of July (aghhh!)!!

Happy Canada Day!

2010-07-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, I love holidays! Especially happy and festive ones like Canada Day :) It's grey, it's gloomy, and it's raining, but the celebrations will continue nonetheless and we can enjoy some lovely time off to relax, recharge, and do something Canadian. Maybe I will eat some maple syrup :)

This kind of weather always makes me want to listen to Jeff Buckley. I'm like the dog who hears Pavlov's Bell :) Soon I'll have to stop though - because I'm going to get my hair cut this morning!! Eek, this time I will ask to keep it as long as possible, I don't want it too scary, military short!

Have a wonderful holiday day :)

Jazz is always good

2010-06-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Yup, the Vancouver Jazz Festival kicked off last Thursday and on Saturday I headed over to Gastown for some lovely music, food, and festival-y fun. It's such a great atmosphere, I always enjoy it. This is a picture of (part of) a fantastic Swedish/Nordic band that played a very unique blend of rocky, spacey jazz. They were definitely my favourite, but unfortunately I've just forgotten their name, eek.

What else? The weather is still weird and unsummery, sigh. It's difficult to get beyond this fact. Thankfully, my birthday day was full of sunshine (and wine and cheese on a rooftop!) and there's still hope for July and August.

Carpe diem (rain or shine)!!!

Yay Summer(ish)!

2010-06-23T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well, it's officially Summer - we've even passed the Summer Solstice now, ooh la la! I marked this stupendous occasion by wearing a skirt with sandals rather than tights and boots, hooray!

The school week is flying by as usual. We have a professional development day this Friday (my birthday!) so it will be nice to relax and slip back into the role of a (lazy???) student, aaahhh.

Today I tried some delicious, homemade (not by me but by a lovely Korean lady) Korean food. I started with seaweed soup and then there was rice with oyster mushrooms, cucumber, carrot, sprouts, a little ground meat, egg, seaweed, and SPICY red sauce. Everything was very tasty and I loved the sauce but it was deceptively spicy (it kicks in a few seconds after it's been in your mouth) so I couldn't eat all of it. But yes - utterly delicious, I was very impressed :) I can't wait to try more Korean food.

Cheerio!

Summer days...

2010-06-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

...well, yesterday was a Summer day. Today is a bit sketchy but I'm sure we will persevere nonetheless :) Yesterday was a perfect Summer day - beautiful, sunny, warm, and filled with good friends, tennis, cake, hiking, and berry farm visiting :) So my birthday celebrations (agh!) are off to a good start :)

As usual, I went to Krause Farm for berries as it is the ultimate berry destination. They just opened their doors last Monday and the strawberries are flying out fast! And for good reason - they're not bland and watery but bright red, delicious, sweet, and fragrant.

Today is dark and gloomy, but I think my batteries were pretty much fully recharged yesterday so I'm ready to face the greyness and carpe diem :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Nice...

2010-06-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining, birds are chirping, music's playing and I feel so happy! Yesterday was the definition of a Friday - games played in class, cupcakes, field trips, all finished off with a lovely outing to Granville Island. G.I. is one of my favourite places in Vancouver - there's always something to see, live music to enjoy, good food to eat, and a gorgeous view to gaze at. I've also gone to see a few plays at some of the small theatres there and they were absolutely fantastic.

Today will be a day of tennis and cake :) My birthday is next week so this weekend will mark the beginning of my celebration :) But really it's about relaxing, playing tennis, and forgetting that I'm getting older. Especially since I don't really feel like it...at all. I feel like I'll never really grow up in some ways. I want to feel completely alive and to laugh and play forever :)

I'm also trying to compile a list of things to do in the Vancouver area this Summer. I've lived in the area for, oh, six years now?! And yet I still haven't really been anywhere. I want to do the Grouse Grind, go to Lynn Valley (for the suspension bridge), and also go to Lighthouse Park and the Cleveland Dam. So exciting!

Alright, time to get this beautiful day started :) Cheerio!!

Radiant!

2010-06-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh, how I love sunsets at the beach! Another plus that comes with all the loveliness of Summer. The weather's still topsy turvy around here, but that just makes sunsets like this all the more special and precious I suppose :)

I had some delicious red pepper soup today, along with salmon and brown rice - delicious and nutritious :) Dark and gloomy weather makes me want to eat more, but this dinner was wonderfully satisfying :)

Enjoy the sunset!

Please send the clouds away...

2010-06-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

...after another week of mostly gloomy weather, yesterday brought glorious sunshine, warm temperatures, and a bounce to my step. After getting my teeth cleaned and checked out (all is good, hooray), I headed to the beach with a friend and it was goooorgeous! Everyone was out and about, playing volleyball, throwing frisbees, flying kites, and smiling giant summery smiles. I was even inspired to buy a few summery items of clothing :)

Well, let's get back to today. I woke up to sunshine peeking through my blinds. Nice. Two hours later and it's cloudy, dark, and sort of depressing again :( Sigh. Going from light to dark makes me realize just how huge of an effect the weather has on me. I don't know how much more gloominess I can take! What to do, what to do...

In other news, I'm reading this book right now: Women Who Run with the Wolves, and it's absolutely fantastic. It's all about reconnecting with our wild, natural selves and learning to trust and follow our own bodies, our intuition, and our souls, rather than trying to conform to the limiting expectations and conventions of the outer world. The writing is quite poetic at times, and I love how the author uses old folk tales and archetypes to explore these issues.

Well, I will try not to let the weather get me down. Tis haaaaaard.

Cheerio!

Happy Saturday!

2010-06-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm still a little out of sync with the seasons - the gloomy weather is making it feel like winter rather than summer so everything's a bit topsy turvy. I hear the sun is supposed to make a comeback soon though :)

Since it's not raining at the moment, I'll be playing lots of tennis today - a friendly tournament of sorts :) I haven't played in a week so I'm certainly looking forward to it :)

In other sports news, we're having a World Cup theme at school next week so I better try to find out something - anything! - about it. I know there is a ball. The ball gets kicked a lot. Agh, I'm so ignorant :) It will be fun to learn loads more and get into the spirit of it all.

Ahhh, life is beautiful, even on the grey days. The sun is always there, whether it's hiding or dancing for everyone to see :)

Happy June!

2010-06-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

Bizarro Weather Alert! Well, it's June 2nd but it feels more like January - dark, cold, and rainy! It doesn't feel like Summer at all so I still can't catch up to the present moment :)

This is a photo taken at Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver - some lovely pink flowers to brighten up a gloomy day.

Many of my students are actually feeling quite blue because of this weather. Some don't even come to school, or they come late. I really hope the sun comes back to visit us soon, for the sake of everyone's health and well-being :)

In the meantime, I'm drinking lots of hot tea, eating soup, and listening to The Magnetic Fields :)

A little piece of the sun is always burning inside of us :)

End of May

2010-05-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

The sun has set, it's peaceful and beautifully mysterious outside. The perfect night for some slow music and a glass of something tasty and sweet.

Time has been flying by lately...it's important to slow down sometimes and treasure these precious little moments. And to feel so amazingly alive... :)

Bon nuit...

Rainy Saturday

2010-05-29T12:24:00.001-07:00

The Time of the Big Rain continues, so here's a little bit of California sunshine to lighten things up a bit.

This morning was filled with relative clauses for me, and now I'm just waiting for some guests to arrive so we can be cozy and have a warming, tasty lunch :) It's the ideal day for coziness and relaxation - so there are some positive things that come with the rain too!

It's also good weather for music and, uh, general reflection. Although it can be hard to have overly positive reflections when it's so dreary. That's why you need some upbeat, inspiring music to go along with all the reflecting :)

Alrighty, I smell something delicious! It's a vegetable tart, yum yum. Nothing like healthy, carbohydrate-y food to comfort us in the dreary month of May (slight sarcasm can be inserted here :) ).

Cheerio with a bell pepper on top!

Foggy Misty Fog

2010-05-28T19:31:00.001-07:00

I feel like I should post a poem...the weather outside is misty, mysterious, and definitely not Spring-y. It's poetry weather :) But I will refrain from spurting out my silly musings and stick with a brief recap of the past...week? Has it been a week already? The long weekend was lovely, relaxing, and occasionally gorgeous. I went to Van Dusen Gardens and felt completely inspired and rejuvenated. It's still one of my favourite spots to visit - all those beautiful flowers, the waterfall, cute birds, so many different walks, and there's always a new discovery around the corner.

This week was a little bit stressful, especially at the beginning. I'm now teaching Mid-Intermediate rather than Low-Intermediate English in the mornings and it's quite a jump. I did lots of grammar research and preparation so that I'd be able to teach modal verbs properly but it was challenging nonetheless. Also, the students in my class changed as well so it was quite a juggling act with too many moving parts. Thankfully, things are settling down a bit now and I'm getting back into a good rhythm. I hope :)

There's been absolutely no tennis this week due to rainy weather and many people are feeling a bit down. It's almost June! I really hope the sun comes back soon-ish. We need those happy rays and some more Vitamin D :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Time for the Long Weekend!

2010-05-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

This week the weather has been absolutely CRAZY! Sun, wind, rain, storminess, sunniness, mugginess, everything rolled into one...and it changes about fifty times a day, or more. Yesterday we had Sports Day for half of the school day and we went to a lovely park by False Creek. We had lots of sports to choose from - soccer, football, basketball, badminton, bocce, croquet, dodgeball, and other improvised Korean games :) Good times were had by all, despite the bizarro, occasionally freezing weather.

Attempting to play soccer reminded me how much I enjoy kicking things. Maybe that's another sport I should throw into the mix :) Hitting balls with a racquet is pretty fun, but power kicking is also highly enjoyable and strangely satisfying :) I wish we had more sports days at school :)

And now it's time for some tennis! I haven't played in a week and I'm hoping I'll be able to play lots this weekend, without rain getting in the way.

Cheerio!

Stunning!

2010-05-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, another glorious weekend! Yesterday I headed to the beach and sat on the grass for hours, just enjoying the view, relaxation, and some good conversation. I also enjoyed a delicious scoop of straciatella gelato - yummy! Just like in Italy :) There was a bit of trouble when I got home though - I looked in the mirror and realized that my face was totally sunburned, except for the area where my sunglasses had been. Not a pretty sight! I hadn't expected the sun to be so strong! So I've been applying various creams and trying to even things out my wrapping the red parts of my face with a scarf and exposing the pasty parts to the sun. I think it helped a bit but the outline of my glasses can still be seen. And I'm still red, sigh.

I took this photo yesterday. It may not look like much, but in real life it was extraordinary - the sun was circled completely by a full on rainbow! I couldn't believe it, it was so magical! So that's the bottom half of the rainbow, as seen from my blanket.

I've been eating delicious spicy broccoli soup the last couple of days. Even when the weather's warm I still like to have a bowl of soup with my dinner :) I've also been eating apples, bananas, and juicy grapes, mmm. I think I need to find some new snacks though, I've been edging towards my jar of peanut butter moreso than usual.

Have you ever gotten a bad sunburn? Did you do anything special to counteract the damage? This is yet another example of prevention being the key :)

Halfway through May?!

2010-05-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

Already?! Really?! Alrighty then, I have no problems with frolicking in these gorgeous May sunshine. This morning I actually left the house without a jacket, gasp!

It's been quite a lovely week so far - good lessons, great weather, and now the aroma of freshly baked cookies. On Tuesday I took a group of students to see Iron Man 2 and they seemed to enjoy it, although some felt bad about not understanding much of the dialogue. I keep telling them that it's all about practice - after all, we learn by exposing ourselves to the language as much as possible, but of course it's not very encouraging to watch something and not understand what people are saying.

Tomorrow will be a day full of field trips, hooray! I need to come up with more field trip ideas as well...too bad I don't actually live in Vancouver so I don't know all the good spots. Since the weather's so good tomorrow, I'm taking one of my classes on a picnic. I haven't gone on a picnic in aaages so hopefully it will a pleasantly relaxing and highly enjoyable experience :)

Hmmm, it seems all I ever talk about anymore is school! That's what my life revolves around at the moment, ha ha.

Oh, and the photo was taken in Venice - a magical, unreal, fantastical place! I'd love to go there again someday, it was absolutely gorgeous. A floating city, oh my!

Cheerio!

Alrighty, maybe I'll

An ounce of cuteness

2010-05-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

Life is bursting with unexpected moments of tenderness (and extreme cuteness!!). I took this picture while out on a field trip with my class on Friday. We were walking along the water, surrounded by flowers, greenery, and basking in the sunshine, when these darlings came along.

This weekend felt like full-on Summer! So glorious, so warm, so energizing! I feel very refreshed and ready for a brand new week.

Do you ever feel like you need sunshine to recharge your batteries? I think I must have been reptilian in a previous lifetime :)

And now back to regularly scheduled lesson planning :)

Beautiful Day!

2010-05-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

So this photo isn't a realistic depiction of what it's like outside...since it's a picture of Verona back in Autumn :) But, oh, isn't it a beautiful old place? So romantic! I was actually considering going to see the new movie Letters to Juliet, starring Amanda Seyfried, but the reviews have been sort of horrible so far so perhaps I'll opt for something else :)

I'm currently recovering from a cold (yuck!) - lots of people at school have been sick and unfortunately I succumbed to the ickiness. I still played tennis with some of the students on Thursday and then felt sooo exhausted and sore afterwards...but it was totally worth it :) Tennis is so much fun. I'm still sore today, and a little bit sick, but I can't resist tennis in this gorgeous Summerlike weather - lots of sunshine, blue skies, birds chirping, no wind...ahhhh, paradise :)

Lastly, I have to mention Glee (again!) because this week's episode was SO GOOD! Seriously, this show continues to impress me. Here's a good song from this week to check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yelF5xnXnuQ&feature=related I recommend listening from start to finish :)

Okay, time to get organized and start the day with some tennis (and coughing)!!

Happy May!!!

2010-05-02T11:13:00.001-07:00

Tennis all weekend long!

2010-05-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

I took this picture yesterday - and what a glorious day it was! Perfect for a walk on the beach - my shoes got deliciously muddy :)

Some of my students have been asking about White Rock and are possibly interested in visiting. Too bad it's so far away, otherwise it would be such a great field trip. A bunch of them have bought tennis rackets and I'm starting an after-school tennis club/activity thing next week. Hopefully it won't rain all week...that's what the weather forecast is saying but it's often wrong. It doesn't really feel like May at the moment - it's windy, dark, and cold. Oh well, it's not raining so I still got to play tennis :) Yesterday AND today, what a treat :)

Is there anything that you're addicted to buying? For some people it's shoes, maybe clothes, maybe even some particular food items. For me, it's definitely books. Lately I've been buying ESL books (in the hope that this would improve my lessons and give me lots of material to present). At first it was all perfectly fine and useful, but now my entire "office area" is overflowing with books and it's a bit ridiculous. And I still want to keep buying more, ha ha :)

I finally uploaded my photos and figured out how to use iPhoto - it's so handy!! And the slide show feature is fantabulous - it even plays music and gives you several options of how you want the slides to appear (sort of like the options in Power Point I suppose). Awesome.

Some Russian family friends gave me cute little traditional Russian mushroom rolls. I haven't tried them but the plump dough-i-ness looks very inviting indeed. Soon the White Rock Farmer's market will start up again and I'll probably buy more than a few Russian cabbage rolls at the European bakery booth. But I digress.

Time to go and buy a new kettle. I had a relatively new Cuisinart stainless steel kettle that cost almost $100 and it broke two days ago - it's not doing anything. I don't think it was more than a year old so I'm not sure how that happened - it's a pretty straightforward device, right? Not a lot of crazy complicated parts. In any case, I need my nice hot water for tea and oatmeal and such, so off I go - kettle-hunting!

Have a lovely weekend!

Photos will be back...soonish

2010-04-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Agh, my blog is suffering from lack of visual..ness again! Why? Because I'm using my brand new computer and I haven't uploaded any photos as of yet. Plus, I want to take some new photos displaying the beauty of Spring 2010 and put them up.

Dine Out Vancouver is happening right now and I really want to go and eat some tasty food! All three (well-priced) courses of it :) Vancouver is full of some fantastic restaurants, some of them in obvious locations and others hidden away, just waiting to be discovered. I don't eat out very often so when I do, I like to go for something special - flavourful, properly cooked, and made of high quality ingredients. Mmmm, thinking of food is making me want to eat a second dinner :) Speaking of flavourful, high quality ingredients - today I ate pita pizza for dinner for the third day in a row, eek! On the plus side, I had some healthy zucchini soup along with it...but really, three days of pizza (even if it's homemade) is a bit much.

Are there any foods that you could eat every single day without ever getting sick of them? I never get tired of my delicious oatmeal. I also like nuts, bread, brie, and soup ever so much :)

Mmmm, yummy food... :)

Cheerio!

An addition has been made...

2010-04-25T20:45:00.001-07:00

...and it happens to be a gorgeous new computer! It was definitely time for the old one to gracefully retire (before exploding completely...or just crawling to a permanent stop). Now I have a lovely Mac with a ginormous screen (and it's the smaller of the two options!!) and way more desk space.

This weekend was chock full of chores. Mostly shopping-type chores. And hopping on over to the bakery :) I got more ESL books so now my resource collection is almost completely complete. Oh, and I indulged and got the first volume of the Glee soundtrack. Not the kind of music I normally listen to but, kind of surprisingly, I've really been enjoying the show and I like all the theatricality and modern choir sounds. Plus, it's just oodles of fun and I can use it in class. Yup, for educational purposes.

It was quite sunny and warm today, so I strolled around admiring all the flowers that are blooming so beautifully right now. My neighbourhood is bursting with gorgeous colours - it's such a treat!

Well, hopefully I can figure out a lot of the fantastic features on this lovely computer. I'm sure it's very useful in addition to being pretty :)

Cheerio!

It's Friday?!

2010-04-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Wowza, time has flown by like a hummingbird this week!! It was a really fun week, filled with laughs and surprises and (hopefully) some learning and a field trip to Whole Foods :) The students seemed to like it and they completed their shopping list + write down some new foods you'd like to try assignments but they agreed that it's uber expensive (as everything tends to be in Vancouver). I also showed a couple of DVDs at the end of the week - one class watched a hilarious episode of Fawlty Towers (such a great show! John Cleese always makes me laugh with enthusiasm :) ) and another class watched a bit of Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, a lovely and also hilarious film.

So I've been teaching for a month now! Crazy! It feels good, I'm really loving it. And I haven't laughed quite this hard in a long time - it's beautiful how even when a bunch of people come from different places and don't really understand each other easily they can come together and bond and laugh...a lot :) Hooray :) Seriously, the students in my classes are so sweet and funny and wonderful it makes it seem like this isn't really work at all - it's too fun to be work :)

In other news, I might buy a new desktop computer this weekend. The one I have now is, oh, a decade old. It's pretty ancient and getting to be completely un-usable. So I want to buy a nice Mac :) I've done some research on the internet and will head on over to an Apple store tomorrow. Eek.

Do you enjoy buying technological gadgets and things or is it something that you avoid?

Happy weekend!!

Weekend over...

2010-04-18T21:40:00.001-07:00

...and it was oodles of fun :) I went to Vancouver and found a neat little Russian store (filled with sooo much chocolate!), also bought some good ESL resource books for 30% off. I love buying books on sale. Well, I just love buying books in general, but getting them on sale brings an extra layer of satisfaction :)

Today I got to soak up lots of sunshine and I finally played tennis, hooray! The tennis courts were packed with eager players, it was awesome. I tried to go to the beach later but there were no parking spaces and it was just way too busy - no room to walk!

Alrighty, it's time for some sleeep. Oh, I tried homemade pizza baked on panini bread today - it was delicious! Lots of mushrooms and red onion, yum yum.

Sweet dreams!

Hooray for the Weekend!!

2010-04-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh. How splendid to sleep in, relax, and have a leisurely day. It's dark and gloomy at the moment...and I think it will probably rain...but that doesn't put a stop to a fun day :)

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous and summery. I took my D block class on a bit of a field trip. We had a lovely walk by the water, surrounded by magnolia trees, flowers, and boats (and people walking their dogs!). The last stop was Granville Island but we didn't have enough time to explore it much, which was fine by me because I'm directionally challenged and would have gotten us lost :)

After school, I met up with a friend who just recently returned from Panama. She was there for many months and I missed her a lot, so it was wonderful to catch up over tea and share our adventures.

The best part of dinner last night was a creamy zucchini soup. There was no cream in it - just the magic of an immersion blender. I looove soups with a thick texture. Watery soups just don't do anything for me :)

Cheerio and have a magical weekend!

A Gorgeous Spring Day

2010-04-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, I need to whip out my camera and take some photos - it is sooo beautiful outside! After all the recent storms, wind, hail, coldness, power outages all this sunshine feels fantastic!

The week is flying by - a blur of textbooks, photocopies, classrooms, sandwiches, mountain views, buses, newspapers, and students' bright faces :) Seriously though, I can't believe how quickly time goes by these days! Perhaps I need to do some grounding exercises :)

Today at lunch time one of the teachers was telling us about a class he used to teach called the Book Club class. He would choose a simple novel (like a Roald Dahl book, or other children's books such as Charlotte's Web, Anne of Green Gables, etc.) and each student would be assigned a character. So everyday they would read the book aloud, with every single student playing one of the parts. That sounds like my dream class! Teaching + reading + acting + children's literature = oodles of fun! I hope one day I get to teach a class like that :) Well, at this point I'm just hoping I'll be given the chance to keep teaching for a long time :)

Today I also learned something interesting from my Korean students - April 14 is Black Day in South Korea. Traditionally, people who are single (as in they have not found their other half just yet :) ) eat noodles with black bean sauce on this day and it's kind of sad. On Wikipedia it says that single people get together and celebrate their singledom, but my students made it sound like a less-than-happy event. It sounds like everyone wants to get married :)

Do people in North America celebrate their singledom? I think for the most part people prefer not to be single, but we do have a lot of individual freedom and it's okay to be single as well. Although men are seen as attractive bachelors while women quickly become old maids. Anywho, time for me to eat a nice, juicy orange :)

Cheerio!

A Little Bit of Procrastination...

2010-04-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

Here I am, sitting on the edge of my seat...ready to type up some lesson plans but not really delving in just yet :) The past weekend was glorious - so warm, sunny, and wonderfully relaxing! I went to the beach and it was absolutely packed. I didn't mind, I love seeing people enjoying themselves outdoors and I'm glad to be part of the fresh air bunch :) It's much more fun than being a TV watching mole person :) Not that I don't watch my share of quality television sometimes...

Monday mornings can feel a bit rusty since it's all about getting back into the swing of things - the routine of your regular work. I feel so lucky to have lovely teachers around me. Hanging out in the teachers' lounge and chatting away while admiring a gorgeous ocean + mountain view = loads of good fun and laughs :) I also take my breaks there and it helps so much to take that breather between classes, connect with other teachers, and re-focus for the next class. I find that just about any experience is way better when you share it with somebody. Treading a new path on your own can be difficult, but going on an adventure with lots of friends beside you feels much better. Of course, there are some tasks that we have to tackle on our own. Like making a perfect sandwich :) But really, independence and self-sufficiency are super important too.

Ramble, ramble, ramble...see what procrastination can do?! I'm in need of some focus right now, methinks!

Do you find Mondays to be more difficult than other work days? Or is it all pretty much the same?

Happy Monday!

Ready for the Weekend!

2010-04-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

Whew, I got threw my first 5-day working week at IH (after last week's long weekend) and it looks like I've survived :) It was actually quite enjoyable and stress-free for the most part. Three of my four classes are a delight to teach, and my timing/pacing/planning of various activities seems to be working fine so far. The fourth class I teach is a bit of a struggle though - it's a bigger room, hot, many of the students are tired, it's the lowest level that I teach so basic communication is more challenging, there's no structure/guide for me to follow....so yes, just lots of things that add up to the messiest, least smooth class of my day. I have to figure out how to keep them engaged and focused and motivated and positive.

There was also some pretty crazy weather this week - howling winds and cold temperatures galore. On Wednesday night I woke up to the sound of hail against my window - it sounded like the window would break! When I left the house, the ground was covered in hail and actually looked quite magical. I didn't have time to admire it though, as I was too busy trying to run to catch the bus while wearing heels :)

Food food food. I've been eating lots of green soup, legumes (mostly chickpeas), onions, zucchini, apples, oranges...and brie :) Amongst other things :) Yesterday I went to an Indian restaurant on the beach (gorgeous view of the ocean!) and had chana masala with naan. Very tasty (especially eaten outside on the patio under the glow of sunshine!), but later on I ate an orange and after that my stomach rebelled. It still feels a bit funny but I'm hoping it will get better as the day goes on :)

Well, it's time to get some things done! It feels so good to have a day off - freedom! Time to recharge those batteries :)

April showers...

2010-04-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

...bring May flowers! And, oooh, I can't wait! April has been pretty stormy so far - we've had howling wind, heavy rain, intense gloomy darkness, (very) occasional bursts of sunshine - and it will be so lovely to see flowers, vibrant colours, glorious sunshine, butterflies...someday in the near future I hope :)

I had a three day weekend and on Monday it was back to work, work, work! I didn't mind, it was good to get back into the swing of things. I find that it's MUCH easier to learn new things when you're completely immersed in those new things, rather than dabbling in them occasionally. My week is going great so far. I feel incredibly lucky to have such wonderful, funny, sweet students :) Of course, classroom management and discipline and all that school-y jazz is still a must, but for the most part (mostly) everyone is quite well behaved :)

I've been eating some delectable halibut lately. Well, I've eaten it two or three times within a couple of weeks :) And of course I went for options that supported sustainable seafood, overfishing is a huge problem and it's super important for us to stay informed and make earth friendly choices :)

And now it's time for a very hot cup of tea.

My hair is VERY (boyishly) short so I need hot beverages to keep me warm, unprotected as I am by long flowing locks of luscious hair :)

Happy April!

2010-04-02T07:39:00.001-07:00

These flamingos at San Diego Zoo are probably frolicking in the sun right now :) Boy, do I wish I was frolicking in the sun too! It's so dark I have the lights turned on and I think everyone must still be sleeping due to this strange, dark weather (cue thunder and lightning...).

Hooray for the long weekend! Time for rest, relaxation, and reflection. And maybe even some exercise! My feet hurt from walking around in heels all week and I feel a bit stiff, so some stretching and moving would do a world of good.

Looking back on this week, I must say it was a blast! Now that I know what to expect and no longer feel like I'm stepping into a mysterious black hole, I can actually enjoy it and work on making my lessons a whole lot better. Especially the afternoon ones, which we have to plan ourselves using various books and audio tracks...right now it still seems quite challenging to put together a really good lesson at the appropriate level for all the students. I'm hoping this will get easier with time and experience.

In about an hour I'll be getting a haircut! So my hair will be super short again - just the way I like it. My hair is very thick and right now it's sticking out in all directions...it has a life of its own :)

Do you like to experiment with different hairstyles? Or keep it simple and stick with the same length most of the time?

I'm back!

2010-03-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

Wowza, this week has been INTENSE! Monday was my first day of teaching and I was quite terrified beforehand. I didn't really enjoy the weekend as I kept thinking about the unknown territory I was about to enter :) It actually went decently well. In the mornings I teach General English - the core curriculum which includes grammar, vocabulary, listening, various exercises all out of a lovely textbook that I simply have to follow. The structure's all there so it's stress-free. My students in that class are so lovely, funny, and sweet that it's a pleasure to teach them :) The afternoon is a bit trickier as it's less structured and focuses more on conversation, and I have different students in both of the afternoon classes so it's a bit all over the place. It takes more planning to teach the afternoon lessons, but there's more freedom/room for creativity and the students get to talk a lot more (after a morning full of grammar!).

So yes, today was my third day, whew! The first couple of days I felt a bit like I was acting and pretending to do something I didn't really know how to do. Today I felt a lot better...even though I still haven't had that much experience! Hopefully now that I know what to expect and now that I feel more at ease I will keep improving as a teacher.

April starts tomorrow! How exciting! The sun was shining so brightly today, I even took off my jacket on the way home. This is the perfect time of year for big changes, the fruition of goals and dreams, and making room for new experiences and adventures!

Do you feel different when Spring rolls around? Energized, refreshed, more active perhaps?

Cheerio!

Eek!

2010-03-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

This is part of a mural at the San Diego Zoo. There was a whole wall of the cutest and funniest pictures of pandas and this was one of my favourite segments :) I'm looking for lots of smiles today as I am incredibly anxious about next week!!

Here's what happened: I found out earlier this week that International House (where I was doing the ESL teacher training) had hired me to teach. I was supposed to come in on Friday to find out the details. Somehow, I'd thought that I would be eased into the whole thing gradually as I pretty much have zero real experience. Instead, I was handed over a full time schedule, pointed in the direction of some useful resources, given a photocopy code, and that was pretty much it. So I'll be teaching four classes starting on Monday, from 9-3.45, and I don't really know what I'm doing. Hence the high anxiety level, agh!

It's funny, because when I was observing classes I was thinking, 'Wow, I really hope I have the opportunity to teach here, it's fantastic blah blah blah and I can totally do this" but now that I actually have to start teaching for real I'm scared. I'm hoping that after the first week I'll get into the swing of things and feel like I know what I'm doing. Anything brand new that you've never tried before is outside the comfort zone and takes time getting used to I guess, I just wish I wasn't quite this nervous :)

So this weekend will be all about lesson planning and trying to get well prepared. As prepared as possible :) Eek.

Have you ever felt anxious about jumping outside of your comfort zone?

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Drizzly Thursday

2010-03-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a grey drizzly day today so I'm summoning some California sunshine...through this photo :) I actually live very close to the ocean here in Canada, but it's a protected patch so it feels more like a peaceful lake - no giant waves or ocean views that appear absolutely infinite. Even my quiet little patch is extraordinary though, I could go there every single day and still look forward to it every single time :) So peaceful, therapeutic, energizing, stimulating, and many other wondrous things :)

Today I taught my last one hour lesson, it went quite well. I'm going to miss those students, they're so incredibly lovely and funny and sweet and sincere :) I might have some exciting news on the topic of teaching, but I won't say anything just yet.

My brain feels all melt-y again. I think it needs to rest and recover after lots of mental exercise :) That, and I think I put way too much pressure on myself. Of course we can't be perfect at everything all of the time, and worrying about things doesn't improve one's performance :) I'm trying to just relax and enjoy things in the moment, but that kind of going with the flow and not obsessing over every little detail skill seems to be escaping me :) Maybe these kind of character traits are just part of our constitution and can't really be changed. I'm not sure...because my brain is melting :)

I've definitely been trying to support myself nutritionally. Besides eating possibly rancid granola bars, I've been eating salmon, walnuts, spinach, brown rice, various seeds, various fruits and veggies, oats, nut butter, etc. in good amounts. Of course it's tasty items like salmon and walnuts and flax seeds that give me boosts of brain-friendly Omega 3 EFA's - yum! I have a relatively large head too (finding hats that fit is hard) so I make sure I get good amounts of these things :) The brain also requires glucose for fuel so I eat plenty of whole grains everyday. Really, it all goes back to a healthy, balanced, whole foods diet and I'm always happy with that.

Do you have any foods that you use to boost brain health and enhance magical brain powers?

March Monday

2010-03-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

This is a picture from an old town by Lake Garda in Italy...it's called Sirmione and it's quite stunning there! There's a castle from the 13th century and the whole town is surrounded by water so the views are gorgeous. This is actually an odd choice of photo as there are much prettier ones, but I like this one too :) Just check out the link for more lovely pictures :)

I wanted to share more, but it's another busy day today so I will post again later :)

Today's first one hour class went well for the most part and I'm looking forward to the next one...which will happen on Thursday. Plus, it's sunny - so inspiring and energizing!!

Oh, I ate a Nature's Path apricot and coconut granola bar today and it tasted oddly spicy, I hope it wasn't rancid!! I should really get on that whole 'make your own bar at home' concept :)

Cheerio!!

Last Day of Winter!

2010-03-19T17:29:00.001-07:00

Hooray, today is the final day of Winter and tomorrow we get to experience the official beginning of Spring :) At least that's what my bus driver announced this morning :)

Today was a looong day of classes. It was so gorgeous outside, and it's Friday, and inside it was stuffy. I still enjoyed everything we got to talk about and all the great learning, but I feel like I've reached my limit for the week - a little break is needed at this point :) Thank goodness for the weekend! Do you ever feel that you just cannot take in any more information, no matter how fascinating it is? Those mental batteries need to be recharged :)

Oh, this picture is another one from Paris. Just a random gorgeous curvy old building - one of oh so many.

Tonight I'm going out for dinner to a restaurant on the beach. It's called Pearl and I don't remember going there in the past but I've heard good things. It looks a bit contemporary (I tend to prefer traditional coziness) but of course I will try it out :)

Some of my classmates are from Korea/Japan and others have visited these countries and really love them. We're all planning on going for some Japanese food next week to celebrate the (almost) end of the program, but I have only eaten this kind of cuisine a couple of times in my entire life! I feel like I should do some research or something so that I know what I'm eating :) Vancouver is bursting with all sorts of Asian cuisine and yet I am so very ignorant :) Are there any types of cuisine that you haven't tried before and wish to get a taste of? It's amazing how basic ingredients can be used so differently all around the world!

Happy almost Spring!

Catching Up Mid-March

2010-03-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

This was taken in beautiful Paris, somewhere near Luxembourg Palace, ooh la la :)

Whew, Wednesday already!! This week has been as intense as the last, but in the best of ways :) On Monday I taught a vocabulary lesson (all about describing people) and today I taught a 45 minute reading lesson. Both were really fun and I'm immensely grateful to have such friendly, eager, lovely students to teach! It kind of eases you into it...I can only imagine how much harder it would be if the first people I tried to teach weren't very eager or responsive.

Next week I'll be teach two 1-hour long lessons and I have to choose them myself from a book I just got. I think I'm ready to try it but of course it's a bit daunting!

The film I watched last Saturday is called 'Century of the Self'. Here's a little blurb:

'This documentary shows how we have been guided towards the belief that we should all have what we want, as well as what we need.

The Era of Modernism, where we have all been entrenched in the 20th Century, has been about how the standard of living of the masses could be increased, solving a myriad of social, political, philosophical, and material problems for the governments of our time.

If:
a) Social unrest is decreased when the population is well fed. and
b) Business is good when people spend disposable income on more goods and services than they actually need.

Then government feels more secure in its role of administrating what they politely refer to as “mass democracy”.

This film shows how the cycle of invention, production, and consumption has been enhanced in the 20th century by the discovery of how psychological processes can be manipulated to increase our desire for more, and more, and more goods and services than we need.

In this analysis Sigmund Freud, and his nephew Edward Bernays figure prominently as agents of change who made American capitalism shift into high gear, creating the consumer society we are living with today.'

I've always been interested in psychology, especially when it comes to explaining group behaviour, so this was an intriguing film to watch. Some parts that really stuck out included how people's subconscious drives were tapped into and exploited during Hitler's time (surprisingly, the focus was on people's need to love and to feel loved). Another huge issue was how due to increased production of goods as a result of the industrial revolution, companies needed a way to make people keep buying things, even when they already had all that they needed. While in previous times people based their purchases on factors such as good quality, durability, their need for the item, etc., suddenly products became something that you had an irrational desire for. How did companies achieve this? They hired psychologists to figure out how to make people want these things. The answer seems pretty obvious - to link the product with people's emotions. It wasn't the thing itself that mattered, but what it symbolized. For example, they got women to smoke by linking cigarettes with power and independence (plus, this was at a time when men had a lot more agency than women).

Yikes, this is getting long. I just have to mention one more theme. In the 50s, psychoanalysis became really popular and fashionable. At the time, psychoanalysts believed that people would be happy if they could just follow social norms and conform as much as possible. This segment of the film was really disturbing. This was the time when people were given electroshock "therapy" and lobotomies. Even if they weren't subjected to that, they tried to perform the whole happy suburban nuclear family routine, which left so many people depressed and miserable and, ironically, the very opposite of happy and mentally healthy. There was a great clip of Arthur Miller at this point, and I have to sure his quote with you:

‘My argument with so much of psychoanalysis, is the preconception that suffering is a mistake, or a sign of weakness, or a sign even of illness. When in fact, possibly the greatest truths we know, have come out of people’s suffering. The problem is not to undo suffering, or to wipe it off the face of the earth, but to make it inform our lives, instead of trying to “cure” ourselves of it constantly, and avoid it, and avoid anything but that lobotomized sense of what they call “happiness”. There’s too much of an attempt, it seems to me, to think in terms of controlling man, rather than freeing him – of defining him, rather than letting him go! It’s part of the whole ideology of this age, which is power-mad!’

I absolutely love this quote!

Sorry for the length of this post - there was a lot to fit in :)

Cheerio!