Quest Physics

Eat. Pray. Love.

I've read the book about 7 times. It's the type of novel that has splashes of  wine, folded edges and a weathered cover. Her own journey reminds me so much of my own, just in different ways.  Just watched the film. Not quite the emotional ride one gets from reading the book, but a pretty good job none the less. What matters most is what you take away from the message. The last few frames of the movie sums it up eloquently in what the writer calls Quest Physics. I lived it, and can only believe that it works.

Quest Physics: If you are brave enough  to leave behind everything familiar and comforting which could be anything from your house to bitter old resentments and set out on a truth seeking journey either externally or internally, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue and if you except everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared most of all to face and forgive some very difficult realties about yourself, then the truth will not be held from you.

Namaste. 

Property Virgin?

Everything has been finalized. I dove into the real estate market. I found the place I will call home for the next 30 years (or so says my mortgage). As the builder shook my hand and offered his congratulations; his smile spread from ear to ear. He paused a moment to notice that my facial expression was a little less smiley and a lot more of a panicky.


The plunge was thrilling, but as I signed my name away on the numerous contracts, documents and statements you can’t help but take a moment to truly ask yourself, “ Can I really do this?”.

“I can’t look at this as debt only as an investment”. I repeated this little mantra over and over as a simple reminder to indulge in the excitement. I’m hoping the elation will continue as I watch the dollar signs fly as I go about pricing appliances, furniture and all the stuff I need to actually put in the place. Last August, I freed myself of all my belongings— and now… in hindsight I probably should have kept just a few!

Besides the price tags, I am eager to move in and get settled. With only the notary left to go, I am officially no longer a property virgin.

30 Days Has September

30 Days has September, and before you know it half of October is already gone. I never really realised how fast time really flies. I've been home for exactly I month and 9 days. This is the first opportunity, I've had to sit down to reflect and  write. It's been quite a whirlwind returning home, from the reverse culture shock, to seeing all my friends and family, to eating all the food I missed so much being away. I'm missing Korea and especially my life long friends I made. In the Month and 9 days that I've been back on North American soil-- I returned to work, bought a car... and even bought myself a home.  What better way to arrive home than in style?!

August Rush

August rushed in faster than I ever expected. It's hard to believe that I've been adventuring for a whole year. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to follow my dreams and come half way across the world to teach English. I have tried my best to capture my experiences through my writing along the journey, but find it so difficult to really express everything that I have learned over the past year.  I have met wonderful people and made lifetime friendships. I've been to places I had never dreamed of seeing. I've inspired students to continue learning and to always dream. I've learned a new language (although still a little rusty). I've deepened my understanding of another culture.  I've realized that age really is a state of mind and that no matter where you are in life- it's exactly where you should be.   I've done all the things I love to do-- all on my own. Teaching English in Korea has been the experience of a lifetime, and I will never forget the memories created here.

There are so many things I will miss about Korea, and of course a few things I won't.

Top 5 Things I Will Miss About Living in Korea

1. Anywhere you want to go in the city  is less than a 10$  taxi ride away. From Downtown Daegu, my apartment is a 6 $ cab ride away.  You can't beat that when you're out and about on the town. 

2. Meeting and talking with just about anybody.  All the ex-pats here, are just that... ex-pats. Doesn't matter where you go or who you bump into, there is always a perfect conversation starter for the still singles out there.Making new friendships or skinships is pretty easy.

3. Korean snacks and treats. I'll miss the mandu, and the bibimbap. You'll get a satisfying meal in Korea for under 6$. You'd never find that back home, unless you're doing a drive through.

4. Bars don't close (although this may not be such a good thing). For those of you who know me, I love to dance the night away, and when the music is great-- you'll often have trouble dragging me away. Drinks are cheap, a solid cocktail will run you about 4$ and you can even take them to the street, no questions asked. 

5. Being busy every weekend. Exploring the city and beyond. Learning about Korean culture and experiencing life as close as you can. Korea has a lot of to offer, and I will miss the hustle and bustle of life in the city.

Top 5 Things I Won't Miss About Living in Korea

1. The obvious language barrier. Having to say the same word over and over with a  different pitch, with still no results. Pulling out the cell phone dictionary or pocket translator just to get down the street, gets old really fast.  The obvious, I am a foreigner and do not speak Korean look- and yet the person continues to rant off in Korean as if you understand.

2. The Korean Ajumas (elderly women) who punch and elbow their way through the crowds and have an overall lack of personal space. They will knock you over if you don't stand your ground. 

3. The fishy smells that waft about the city. I don't really have a strong stomach, and absolutely hate fish- but for some reason no matter where you walk it hits you right in the face. 

4. The overall lack of following any speed limits, red lights or pedestrian crosswalks.   I've been nearly killed in a taxi (twice) as the cab exceeded speeds of 80 KM in a residential area. Motorbikes don't stop at red lights, and dodging is just another form of walking around here.Furthermore, people on the street don't hesitate to just walk right into you.

5. The head nodding and cut off conversations. Koreans generally don't close a conversation, so you're left hanging either on the phone or in person. They generally finish with a head nod, or a " Neeeeeeeee", which after a few minutes of standing there, you realize the conversation is over.

The Land of Smiles

Over the past year, I've been on so many adventures. I made it to Korea, to Australia and now I'm making my way to Thailand. They call it the Land of Smiles.

I'm very much looking forward to spending my last few weeks in Thailand. It's been a wild ride here in Korea, and it will sure be nice to relax on the beach, explore and indulge in what Thailand has to offer.  My friend and I are heading out for our last vacation before we both are homeward bound. We don't have much booked, but have some ideas as to what we want to see and do. We're both kind of taking a back seat, and hoping that once we get there we'll let the locals guide us. We'll be flying by the seat of our pants for this one, and hope to enjoy every minute of our last adventure, before our new one begins.  Here's to some happy smiles!

Skinship

"Konglish" is the use of English words in a Korean context. Any foreigner here in Korea has probably heard their fare share of re-interpreted words and expressions.  A new one I heard last week was a colleague telling me she was going "eye shopping". I couldn't help but laugh out loud when it finally dawned on me that she meant "window shopping" as opposed to going out on the hunt for a glass eye.

Expressions like these are all the rage over here, and despite making it at times difficult for English teachers, some of them are frankly quite catchy. One of my new faves is "skinship" and I'll be bringing this one back home with me for sure. It essentially means a relationship that focuses on the exploration of another's skin ( I bet you can see where this is headed).  It's origin comes from the closeness shared between mother and child. Nowadays in Korea, it basically means many forms of intimacy and  sexual contact.

"Skinship" is the new term for casual sex. A non-relationship, based purely on skintimacy. If you're trying to define your "relationship" to a Korean friend, and you use the term casual sex- you'll receive a blank stare, raised eyebrows and utter confusion in return. However, if one uses the "correct" phrase, "skinship"-- you're bound to get a sly smile and head nod instead.

Despite, the idea that most people in this World are looking for a real relationship connection, here in Korea, whether you're an ex-pat or a Korean, skinships appears to be taking hold of the community. Everyone, it seems, is looking for just a little skintimacy.

I wonder if it's because as ex-pats we're moving in and moving out of the country. Really- who has time and energy to devote to establishing a real relationship within a limited amount of time? Maybe it's just easier to share in some skinship and get out. Or, is it that relationships for the younger generation are just evolving... or devolving-- however you wish to see it.  Both (the younger) men and women seem to be searching for skinships rather than relationships. Have we gone back to the 60's era of free love and sex? Are committed relationships a thing of the past?

Whatever the case may be- if we're only here for a short while, why not have a little fun while we're at it? Having a little skinship never hurt anybody, and let me tell you it could just be the end-all cure for culture shock, as long as you're both on the same skintimacy page.

Charley Davidson

I couldn't have asked for a better send off. I said good-bye to two of my guy friends this week, and despite the sadness we took the opportunity to have one last adventure together. My friends happen to live near the mountains in a small town called Yeongcheon. They also have bikes. Not the 5 speed variety, but of the 125 cc kind. The last time I mounted a motorcycle, I burned my leg on the exhaust and my speed demon driver almost ran over a dog... this time round was a completely different experience.

We geared up for the two hour ride, packed with the camera, some smokes, and an i-pod play-list. Besides our helmet's it was just going to be the two bikes and the road.

As we drove through the city and out into the mountains with the wind whipping our faces  the air and the scenery around us was breathtaking.  There was a haze of clouds as we set off to beat the sunset. The cool country air surrounded us as we climbed higher and higher throughout the winding roads. There are no words to describe being out on the open road, flanked by sweeping vistas. It reminds us that there is so much out there.

We made it to the top, just as the sun decided to peak through the burst of clouds. As we scanned the valleys below, you couldn't help but take a moment to appreciate the beauty before us. There was a moment, as the sun's rays glimmered, that I couldn't help but feel a sense of homecoming. That no matter what lay ahead, everything was going to be alright. We never know what life will bring next- and so for just a moment in time, you breathe in the majestic beauty and find solace in the knowing that whatever comes you just keep climbing.

As the sun began to settle in the late afternoon, we headed back down the mountain. Charley Davidson gave us a good ride. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful afternoon with two guys, who have become like family during my adventure in Korea.

With the wind at our backs and the trees zooming by we were free.  The setting sun splintered through the trees as we kept on driving home. You could feel nothing but the dewy air rushing full force against your body. It was the ride of a lifetime, the kind where you want to lift up your arms to the heavens and scream at the top of your lungs. My first choice words were, " my life is beautiful".  Thank you Charles and Blair for the memories. You'll be missed until I can see you again on the road ahead.