Happy New Year!

December 31, 2008

I am currently sitting at Nigi Nigi Nu Noos, a bar on the white beaches of Boracay (Philippines), jotting down a little note for later publication. I am sipping on a mango daquari and I’m not at all concerned with my lack of wifi. Instead, I am taking a timeout from all of the group activities for a little “Dore Time.”

This last year, 2008, has been so amazing and I could only hope for an equally stellar year in 2009. Thinking back on everything I have seen and done this last year overwhelms me with gratitude for all of the blessings in my life. My health, family, friends and good fortune have always been and will contine to be the things I’m most grateful for.

As a tribute to the last, unforgettable year, I have composed a list of the top 10 things I am most prod of. So, before 2008 slips away like all of those years before, here are the moments and achievements that brought me to this amazing beach and tasty cocktail:

 

10 Things I’m Most Proud of in 2008

1. Quitting my job to pursue my dream of living overseas.

2. Traveling to South Africa, alone and meeting new, great friends there.

3. Surviving and learning from a broken heart.

4. Finding my voice and using it, even at the cost of a good friend.

5. Making it to work, alone - via public transport, on my first day teaching in South Korea.

6. Cage diving with blood thirsty Great Whites in Gaansbaai, South Africa.

7. Jumping from the world’s highest commercial bungee jump.

8. Adding 3 new stamps to my passport:  South Africa, South Korea, the Philippines

9. “Dore the Explorer” – I love writing it and I think people enjoy reading it! (Plus, I feel much more computer savvy, a former New Year’s “resolution”)

10. Surviving over four months without my parents within a 2-hour radius. I miss them, but my independence and confidence are growing in their absence.

 

In addition to reflecting on previous accomplishments, New Years is a time for setting benchmarks and goals for the upcoming year. If all goes according to plan, 2009 will be equally memorable. For this reason, my New Years goals (I don’t like resolutions) are ambitions and lengthy. With any luck, I’ll be 25/25 by this time next year. For the sake of full disclousure, some of these goals are repeats from the last year either because I didn’t get the opportunity to see it through or it is just a good goal that should permanently be on the list.

2009 Goals

Make one new, good friend

Train for high altitude hiking

Learn to scuba dive

Write a childrens book

Start a novel

Go rock climbing outdoors

See the Taj Mahal

Lay on a beach in Goa (India)

Learn more about Buddhism

Make it home for Christmas

Teach English at a Buddhist monastery in Nepal

Ride a camel in India

Do more yoga!

Learn to make and edit videos on the computer

Learn to create a webpage

Take a Korean calligraphy class

Learn to cook some Korean dishes

See the lantern festival in Thailand

Go to the mud festival in Korea

Take part in a winter retreat at a Buddhist monastery (one week of silence)

Ride an elephant in Thailand

Take a Korean quilting class

Be open to falling in love again

Make it to the base camp of Mt. Everest

Determine my next step…

On that note, I think everyone should take a moment to think about what they want to accomplish over the next year and then go do it! Gook luck and best wishes for a new year!

Happy 2009! 

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

As you might have guessed, Christmas is not a big deal in Korea like it is back in the states. I wanted to take a moment to share all of the winter and holiday scenes that I’ve encountered here. 

First of all, on Christmas Eve we stayed at school late to tear down the fake tree and decorations. Obviously, since there was a tree to tear down, people DO decorate here; however, based on everything I’ve seen it seems as though Christmas in Korea was created at the 99 Cent store. Imagine tacky garland, tinsel and plastic jingle bells…

One of my favorite tributes to the season has been the properly deemed “party bus” that is decked out from the bus driver’s head to toe.

  

Another highlight was running into the man himself, standing outside the Samsung store (hopefully picking up presents). The rule is, if you see Santa on the street you have to stop and take a picture. He is not like one of those snobby celebrities who run from the paparazzi… he uses magic to disappear when he doesn’t want his picture taken, duh!

 

Seoul has done a beautiful job getting into the spirit of things with a great display of white lights (LED = planet friendly) outside of city hall. There is even an ice skating rink!   

 

Finally, around the city and even in Paju there are sprinkles of lights. There has even been a bit of snow and heavy packages to really get me in the spirit.

   

   

As for the holiday itself, on Christmas Eve we played games with the kids and had Santa come hand out gifts to everyone. I got a ton of incredible pictures… unfortunately, in my Christmas daze, I left a bag that contained my camera on the bus last night. The silver lining is that I HAVE to buy a new camera before I leave for the Philippines ;) Long story short, the photos I would have shared are gone with the camera… but I did take a few on another memory card that was safely stowed in my purse.

  

 

Right now it is actually “Boxing Day” (which if you don’t speak Canadian or British, it means the day after Christmas).  The parade of expats just left my apartment after a fun day of pot luck, charades and Christmas Vacation. We even had a little Secret Santa action going on!

Overall, not a terrible Christmas away from home… but since it was my first one away from home EVER, it did have some difficult moments. I am planning on being home next year at this time, so mark it on your calendars and get excited!

 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.  

Ketchup

  Since giving thanks a few weeks ago, time has flown by and I am dumbfounded that Christmas is tomorrow! Even more shocking is that I have already been here for nearly four months! I have spent the last few weeks branching out and trying to meet some new people. As much as I appreciate the clan of foreigners that adopted me upon arrival, some new blood is necessary to keep things new and interesting. I now have my bearings and feel confident going out on my own to explore my own interests.

With the holidays approaching, I spent the last few weekends roaming the streets and markets of Seoul for the perfect gifts. Insadong has been my favorite destination since my first visit. It is a street of little shops and street vendors with everything from beautiful pieces of art to kitschy Korean souvenirs.

 I found this tiny flower bud stand for my mom that I thought was unique!  

In addition to shopping, I have been trying to get more involved in the Buddhist community in Seoul. I am really curious about Buddhism and look forward to learning anything I can. There are a few study groups that I have visited and last weekend I attended a winter solstice party! An added bonus is that I’m meeting some interesting and welcoming people. My favorite part so far is that the philosophies seem similar to things a therapist would tell you. So, it is basically like free therapy (remember, no health insurance in Korea). Here is a snippet from a book we are reading. It jumped out at me due to all of the good friends I have:

Do not choose bad friends. Do not choose persons of low habits. Select good friends. Be discriminating. Choose the best.

During one of my day trips of spiritual enlightenment and kitsch browsing, I happened to ask a group of American girls if the had seen a Tom N’ Tom’s around the area (this is a chain of coffee shops that I have fallen in love with due to their free internet and soft pretzels). Before I knew it the four of us were having dinner at a cute Italian restaurant. They are all teachers living in Seoul, out for the night to see Jump – a Korean martial arts comedy show. We ended up going to the show and having a fun ladies night out on the town.

 

From exploring Seoul to becoming familiar with my new turf in Paju city, I have met a number of other teachers living in my area. One girl is actually from Phoenix and lived about 15 minutes from me back home - small world. Wednesday is open mic night at the Frog & Toad, a foreigners hang out in Illsan. I have only made it there once since it is on a school night, but I had fun and plan to return.

    

Other than that, I have not been on any big excursions… laying low in preparation for the Philippines! I leave Saturday after Christmas and will not return until the next year! 

90-Days Probation

When I worked in banking, a wise man once advised me to keep interactions with newcomers to a minimum and never associate with them in a friendly manner until the 90-day probationary period has elapsed. While teaching in Korea I find this practice a bit unreasonable, considering the one-year expiration date on our contracts and visas. Instead, I gave the two new teachers an abbreviated 30-day trial period. It was hit or miss for a while… but now I am proud to introduce the two newest members of Team Oedae!

 

Heather was the first to arrive, to fill the void left by Sean Teacher (Sean has upgraded from Illsan to teaching on Jeju island – a visit will be on the agenda as soon as the weather improves). Heather is from Massachusetts, where she previously worked with Kate. Despite the insider information, she still made the journey here and I am excited that she did! Since I was still living in Illsan when she arrived, I offered to show her around. It turns out we share an obsession for shoes, art and liberal politics! She is a mere 4’10” but makes up for her height with cute shoes and a sparkling, outgoing personality. If you are interested in her take on Korea, check out her blog, Heather in Korea.

 

Elizabeth, from Texas (again, I’m trying not to hold that against her), was the next to arrive. Coincidentally, Heather and Elizabeth went to the same university in Florida but never new each other. Since college, Elizabeth moved around a bit and settled in Dallas near her family. The Texan in her is evident in her love for Jesus and GW Bush. She doesn’t let a little karaoke until 5am keep her from church the following Sunday morning, so I can respect that. Elizabeth has had a challenging start here in Korea. A few weeks after arriving, she was taken to the hospital for kidney stones. With a little painkillers and rest she was back in the classroom, but just this week she came down with the Korean Flu. It is inevitable that you will get sick within the first few months here due to germy little kids, but an especially nasty bug bit her. Now, because it is a cool thing to do, Elizabeth also has a blog called Krunk in Korea. 

Check it out and let me know if you have any idea what Krunk means because I’m still a little fuzzy (both blogs are accessible via the sidebar to the right).

 

Kate and Sean are missed, but Kate will be returning after a visit with her family over Christmas and Sean is a short plane ride away! 

What time is it?

Pie Time!!!

In a crowded little town, thousands of miles away from home, a number of foreigners gathered together to celebrate Thanksgiving and kick off the holiday season. Weeks earlier a frozen turkey was purchased at a the local Cost Co. for a whopping 60,000 won and care packages were sent from distant places filled with rarities such as candy corn and Stove Top stuffing mix…

When you are in a foreign city it is important to embrace the surrounding culture, but when the holidays arrive it can be very depressing without the familiar traditions and faces. To alleviate this gloom, the expat group collectively decided to throw a semi-traditionalThanksgiving dinner (on Saturday, since all of us had to work on Thursday). 

  

Instead of Pilgrims and Indians, Americans, Canadians, Brits and Koreans alike shared this feast. Furthermore, in lieu of Plymouth Rock we congregated at my residence in Paju (a decision made solely on the basis that we have an oven… most apartments are ill-equipped to roast a turkey).

       

Thanks to Zach, the turkey turned out golden and delicious! We had everything from mashed potatoes with gravy to pumpkin pie. Despite the close quarters and lack of seating, I do believe that all 19 attendees enjoyed the festivities and left with very full bellies!

 

For those of you paying attention, "my residence in Paju" means that I have made the move from Illsan! I am now living with Zach an Abueng. You can get an idea of our place from some of the pics above. My room is on the other side of the wall that the yellow couch is on :) and here are some pics from the street. There's no place like home!

    

Thanksgiving Tribute

Despite what Canadians and retailers believe, Thanksgiving occurs in November (not October or earlier). Likewise, Koreans also have no idea when Thanksgiving occurs or what it actually entails based on traditional American standards. That said, I have had a difficult time getting into the spirit of this holiday without the premature Christmas decorations lining store aisles and the staple French’s French Fried Onions and evaporated milk stacked high enough to make the aisle impassable.

 

To help me feel more at home, I have decided to blog about my family in a Thanksgiving Tribute!

 

My family means the world to me. Being so far away has, hands down, been the most difficult part about this adventure. Luckily, Skype has been able to keep me connected. I am able to call home at any time and my mom has even mastered video conferencing! Despite the amazing technology, until my teleporter is delivered (Santa has me on a waiting list), I am still going to miss out on family dinners and other get-togethers.

 

One of my many observations since coming to Korea is that I have quite a unique relationship with my family – we actually get along for extended periods of time and to go more than a few days without checking in means something has gone terribly wrong. Before I came here, I was dead set on moving to Seattle upon my return... but now I am seriously reconsidering. I feel overly blessed to have such amazing people in my life. To distance myself from them for this year is challenging enough.

 

On a lighter note, I thought I would share a little bit about my prior Thanksgivings. Jump into my time machine with me (stupid time machine works…still waiting on the teleporter!) to twenty years ago…

 

Do-doo-do-do   Doo-doo-do-do   Doo-doo-do-do

 

Since the beginning of my time (as far back as I can remember at least), my parents used to pack up the tents, then tent trailers and eventually the Airstream (those tin can-looking campers) for Thanksgiving in Rocky Point. This is the closest beach destination for us desert dwellers, and nothing kicks off the holidays like margaritas and a tan. Although unconventional, we always had a fantastic time with our friends that were our extended family before the real family started migrating to Arizona. Thinking back, I am AMAZED that my mom was able to pull a Thanksgiving dinner out of the Airstream’s kitchen (it was very small).

    

Thanksgiving in Mexico lasted until I went to college and the Airstream was sold…

 

Since then, Thanksgiving has taken on a more traditional itinerary. My mom and her sisters share the hostess title and the dinner location is revolving.

 

Now, back to the time machine to one year ago…

Do-doo-do-do   Doo-doo-do-do   Doo-doo-do-do

 Last year sticks in my head because, compared to the prior Mexico Thanksgivings with many friends and little family, I had so much family that I ended up having 4 dinners! I started the day by booking my trip to South Africa, something I had been brewing over for the last month or so. The first dinner was at my younger sister’s house, which I normally don’t make it to due to other family obligations. Recent news regarding my biological father’s health prompted the decision to go. I figured it would be good to spend some time with that side of the family and I’m grateful that I did. Dinner was delish and after a few hours of gossip I was back on the road to my aunt’s house (on the other side of the valley).

Leading up to this day, there had been a lot of drama over the guest list and tensions were a little high. My parents were absent from this particular dinner because my dad had come down with shingles and the family blackballed him in fear of catching something (even though he was on medication and no longer contagious – drama, drama, drama). Anyways, I had a few great hours with my adorable cousins, grandma, aunts and uncles and then I was off again!

 

By the time I got to my sister’s house, dessert was being served and I was greeted with ANOTHER piece of pie. Incase you were keeping count it was my 3^rd slice of the day… not that I’m complaining, I love pumpkin pie! I spent a few hours playing with my beautiful, brilliant nieces and relaxing on the porch discussing the upcoming excursion to South Africa. Finally, I was on my way to my parents for an evening dinner AND more pie!

     

It was a hectic day of traveling, but the pie and company made every mile worth it. Like I said, my family means everything to me. I wouldn’t be who I am without them and I while I am half a world away, I want them to know they are in my thoughts and I am there in spirit!

     

  

Save a slice for me!

For those of you who are curious, my Skype name is doreab. Check out their website and say hello sometime! It is free to make calls computer to computer, all you need is an account!