my 31st year, in focus.

my 3rd/31st birthday in korea has come and gone.

it's incredible to think that i've been away from home for this long...and what's more, that i'll be gone for longer still. in my recent memory, things--LIFE!--happen quickly and slowly, simultaneously. years pass in a blink, yet the lessons learned within that time often need to be repeated for it to take hold and grow, to make the necessary impact for change, for focus. i'm learning to concentrate, to not get distracted from my priorities as i have during my first two years in korea. that is my birthday promise to myself, for this year, this is it!

ring ding dong!

to celebrate our last day of intensive classes, my charismatic and hilarious students performed their version of "ring ding dong," a current (annoying yet strangely alluring) kpop song. this makes me so happy!

MVI_5794
Originally uploaded by jisun_chong

bottom's up.

i've developed the nastiest sore throat in recent memory and i'm now indulging in a cocktail of jack, straight up and clean. no rocks. no nothing. last night i woke up three times, disturbed by the incredulously painful task of swallowing my own damn salivia, and tonight, i want a solid night of sleep. thanks jack for your help.

i'm hoping it only gets better from here.

how considerate!

i've been going to my dentist's office frequently this past month--in about a week's time, i'll be fitted with my PERMANENT teeth!--to prepare for the final step in the implant process: permanence.

i went to the bathroom and noticed this sign that i must've overlooked in the past. (interestingly enough, my korean language progression seems to be easily marked by bathroom signage!)

go into any public restroom and you'll see a sign that asks you to please dispose of toilet paper in the toilet paper trashcan. seoul's plumbing system prefers to not get clogged by great wads of t.p. but apparently it can handle great amounts of poo. and poo only.

the first line of this sign, states the mundane, put t.p. in the t.p. bin. the next bit however is lady specific:

is it "that" day? if that day has arrived suddenly and unexpectedly, dentree dental clinic has already thought of and prepared for your needs. please ask the front desk.

poor advertising.

sometimes i pass random signs while meandering around seoul and i think, "this is poor advertising." while walking past the ramada hotel, i saw this:

so basically, ramada's telling me that the "first step to happiness" is catching the bus. really? oh wait. first, get married, then catch the bus. excuse me?!? that's right everyone, get married.

inaccurate translations

my korean is showing progress and i love it! it's an incredible feeling knowing exactly what the korean words i read mean. i've gotten to the point now that for small signs, i can even measure the accuracy of the translations. this one for example, on the paper towel dispenser in the bathroom, is off.
in korean:
한 장씩 사옹해주면 감사하겼습니다.

the literal translation is this:
one sheet when you use, we would thank you.

the better translation:
we thank you for using only one sheet.

but the english says this:
save the earth for your children happier.
SAY WHAT?!? well...okay, sort of. but not really.

in the weeds

"in the weeds" is an expression in the service industry that suddenly popped into my head while i was ruminating my current mood. the key word: weeds. i'm sure you can gather that it's not the most favorable place to be.

to be in the weeds means: 1) to have too much to do. 2) to not be able to keep up or accomplish all the tasks set before you. 3) a feeling or act of being behind in one's work. 4) a very bad place.

oh. a very bad place, indeed.

i'm so in the weeds, it's not even funny. but it is. and then it's not again.

week 2 of work felt twice as intense as week 1. gone are the introductions. they've been replaced with lessons that are literally planned an hour in advance or on the spot as i go. historically, those kinds of preparations make me anxious and nervous. i like to have my shit together. i like to feel like i own the material. it also makes me feel terribly uncertain to teach the things i myself have learned or re-learned just an hour ago.

(on a related note, here's an interesting and illustrative article on what makes a good teacher: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/print/201001/good-teaching)

my brain feels flooded with a random collection of sporadic thoughts and reminders. this bombardment of disorganized tangents gives me a horrible overarching sense of urgency that paralyzes me...and then i remember that these issues are only as big or as small as i allow them to be.

i'm learning (again) how to take things lightheartedly...to not add weight to the things that are rather weightless. it's tricky, but, the more i focus on the weightlessness, the more i find peace within the madness.

glug, glug, glug...

that's me being overwhelmed and on the verge of drowning in schoolwork. that's also me being therapeutically melodramatic. thanks for indulging me.

sleeping with teeth

i've been thinking about time recently. time, duration, longevity. since 1997, i've been sleeping nearly every night without my teeth 7 and 8. some people wear a retainer to bed, i actually took mine out.

since i had my temporary falsies glued to the metal rods poking out of my gums, i've been sleeping with a full set of teeth. it doesn't feel odd at all, but, when i paused to think about how long it's been that i've slept without my teeth (12 years!), it made me re-appreciate the scientific awesomeness of being able to have teeth again.

my latest address!

Seolleung E-Starville (선릉이스타빌) Apt 1012
Gangnam-gu Yeoksam 2-dong
Seoul, South Korea 135-919

a new year...

a new haircut! i went to my FABULOUS stylist, 아영, (pronounced ah-young. her english name is sally.) for just a simple trim, but she suggested more of a layered bob and i complied. my hair feels sleek, stylish and carefree!

it's raining, it's pouring...

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes! happy two thousand and ten. happy twenty-ten.

the actual shift in the marking of date and time in the new year doesn't typically feel very new to me. this year, however, is an exception. it most definitely feels very new, bright and promising. there's a noticeable shift in my life. and i like it!

i've moved...AGAIN! in the last 26 months, i've moved 3 times within seoul. i feel like a turtle. my home is wherever i am. but, seriously...4 homes in the last 2 years is a bit ridiculous, no? still, i am so thankful--my latest and greatest home is amazing. on moving day, before i actually moved (i have way too much crapola--gotta declutter, stat.) i came to my apt for the first time to 1) make sure i actually knew where it was physically, and 2) so i could ch-ch-check it out! as soon as i stepped in the door, i felt this incredibly inviting and welcoming vibe. home. home. home. my OWN space!!!!! pictures, to be posted soon!

a new teaching gig!
my first day of work was monday, but due to the great snow fall of 2010 (and by great i mean just over 9 inches!) and seoul's inability to efficiently clear the snow from the roads, our classes were cancelled! a SNOW day! nice! so, yesterday, tuesday was my first day of actually teaching. and let me tell you...for me, teaching children is like learning how to ride a bicycle...it comes back to you, instantly. thank the sweet baby jesus.

from now until the end of the calendar year, i teach one 3rd grade class and the rest are 4th. the 3rd graders were irresistibly cute! (i had to refrain myself from scooping them up into my arms!) at first they were a bit timid, but within minutes they were eager to please and enthusiastic to learn. i was immediately taken by them. my 4th graders however, were MORE than a handful. jimminy crickets, they were NUTS. since they all know each other, it was like a big party, and i had to be the party pooper. oh well, such is life. they were so rambunctiously loquacious that i had to pull out the death stare and the remain silent until everyone stops talking treament, all within the first 20 minutes! lord, have mercy! but, once i established the whole who's boss and provided the rationale behind it, they were much more cooperative and of course, still HILARIOUS. during class, i realized that i have to be careful not to be too expressive in my facial gestures--they are very reflexive! when a student says something wacky, i make a wacky face...which does not bode well for trying to tame the wild beasts!

oh yes, it's going to be a good year.

the big snow!

my morning view:

you're never to old to play in the snow! the mechanics from the car repair shop, next to the academy where i work:

blanket: