Moving!!!

Same blog but different location.  I've had a few issues publishing my blog using blogger so I have decided to move the blog over to tumblr.com.  You can find this same blog at http://mystiobservations.tumblr.com/

I hope you continue to like what you read on the new site.

Reflections on my work history

The longer people get to know me the more they realize in my life I have had a LOT of jobs.  When I think about all the jobs I have had I start to wonder if I have some form of ADD, but I've come to realize that it isn't a lack of concentration it's just more of a desire to do and see and experience as much out of life as possible and if I can get paid for that experience all the better.  So for my friends out there that want to know what jobs (gonna include paid and non-paid) I've actually had here it goes... in no particular order:

1. Amusement park ride operator
2. Costumed character at Chuck E Cheeses
3. Costumed character at amusement park
4. EMT (really more of an intern before I took the exam)
5. Certified phelbotomist (also helped certify others)
6. In-N-Out burger
7. business to business sales person selling frame posters
8. pizza delivery driver
9. photographer and make up artist for mall photos
10. Cast member at Disney Store (2x)
11. Student staff assistant (basic office stuff)
12. Theatre electrician
13. Stage actor (not paid but gave me experience for other acting jobs)
14. TV/Movie extra
15. Theatre lighting designer
16. Theatre electrics shop assistant
17. Costco membership
18. Executive assistant for wine rack design company
19. Investment banking (job description is a bit long and complex but not a trader)
20. Bartender
21. Waitress (at a country club and at a restaurant)
22. Receptionist (for a wealth management firm and escrow office)
23. Office manager for structural engineering firm
24. Improv contract performer for Halloween at Sea World
25. Contract performer for Halloween at Magic Mountain
26. Volunteer for National Park Service in the Natural Resource Science
27. Intern horse trainer
28. Lab assistant in biogeochemistry lab
29. Research assistant in geology soils lab
30. Wildlife Assistant (got paid to go hiking and survey animals AWESOME)
31. Barista at Starbucks
32. Native English Teacher in Korea

I think that's it. I might be leaving a couple out but if I am they're repeats of something else like the two retail stores I've worked in (The Gap and Gottchalks).

When I return to the USA, I'll be a graduate student and a TA as well as hopefully return to Starbucks during my studies.  After that who knows where the job search will take me... kinda hoping for South America doing some research... but I'm not gonna plan on anything.

Up next ... 2 months left in Korea!

Back to the USA: 2 MONTHS!!!!

On June 24th I hit the exact 2 month mark in which I will leave Korea.  I was at that point that everything started to hit me.  In a very short time I will be leaving a job, friends, and a country that have in some ways altered my perspective of the world.  While there are many things I am looking forward to when I get back there are SO many things I am going to miss about this place.  In some moments the 2 months can't go by fast enough, but for the most part, they seem to be zooming past me in nanoseconds.

This past weekend I got to hang out with some of my dearest friends I have made while being here.  We had a fantastically Wicked weekend doing and sharing some quality girl time; from checking out the horse races in our dresses and hats to dinner to being memorized by Wicked to dancing the night away.  If these women stay in my life I will truly consider myself blessed. (Angie is a given as our bonds are unbreakable.)

As my time here in Korea winds down and my time with friends grows short I wanted to reflect on some of the highlights of my time here.

1.   Orientation - where lots of friends were made and many Korean firsts were experienced such as drinking soju, hanging outside a mini-mart openly drinking, Korean fried chicken, Korean pork cutlets, and norebang.

2.   Daejeon - climbing the mountain in Daejeon with my sister Angie.  We were not as prepared as we normally are and we were exhausted and a bit cold on the way down but the views from the peak were amazing.

3.   Daegu - My first trip to Daegu where I met all my wonderful Korean friends that I have seen far to little of while being here. I have never laughed so much with new friends than I did that night. And it was one of the best rock shows I went to and where I entered my first beer chugging contest thanks to my friend Jin.

4.   DMZ, the first trip - It was on the first trip to the DMZ that I met some of the people I now consider among my dearest friends and sneaking a picture in the 3rd tunnel was priceless.

5.   Holidays at the pension - Holidays spent with awesome friends made me forget some of the things I was missing during that time.  One of the best holidays I ever experienced.

6.   Kim visiting - Kim's visit came at just the right time. She brought a little bit of home and it having Angie, Kim and I together just always makes life better.

7.   Trips to Costco - always an adventure and usually gives me time to hang out with a good friend over samples and hot dogs and sodas.

8.   All other friends visiting from USA - Who knew Korea would be such a draw. It was amazing to share my Korea experience with friends and reconnect with friends I haven't seen in years.

       

9.   This past Wicked weekend - I pretty much said it at the beginning but I'll say it again. I have a dear fondness and affection for the women I spent last weekend with; they have truly made my Korea experience amazing.

And of course...    

Notes from my students

10. Teaching – I love, love, love teaching these kids. Every day I am surprised and amazed. While every job has its shares of ups and downs, and this job is no exception, the highs definitely outweigh the lows.  There is not one, ok there is one, of these kids that I would not go to the mattresses for in a heartbeat.  They are the hardest part about leaving Korea.  The notes, stickers, drawings, etc. they have made for me I will treasure for the rest of my life.

"Drinking" our tropical cupcakes pre-Wicked

Not too bad after not showering.

Back to the USA

I finally did it. I booked my flight back to the USA and when people ask if I am excited to be heading home there is a part of me that says yes but another part that wonders where the heck home is anymore.

I suppose when it comes down to it most recently Colorado is my home, although I never really considered it home per say.  I will be heading back to Colorado when I make my way back, but  I will only be in Colorado for about 5 1/2 days before I head east to New Hampshire to begin the next phase of my life as a graduate student.  Those days are going to be a whirlwind of getting everything together I need to make the journey east including a phone, a car, and my stuff from the storage unit.  I'm also hoping to squeeze in catching up with as many folks back in Colorado as I can before I head east.

As this idea of heading back to the USA and people around me talking about heading home, I'm left wondering if I actually have a physical home anymore.  Honestly, I don't think I do.  I grew up in California and I do have family there but that is my old home, when I left California I can honestly say I don't foresee ever living there again (but you never know).  So California is a part of who I am and I will always have ties there but it's definitely not home.  My parents don't live in a house in my childhood house or anything so I don't consider their house my home.  I spent the last four years in Colorado living, schooling, and working on my own.  I have amazing friends and I did some really cool stuff when I was there but there was always something missing that made it feel like I could stay in Colorado on any permanent basis.  For the past 9 1/2 months I have lived in Korea and well I always knew my time here was temporary whether it was for 1 year or more, so Korea definitely isn't my home.  So where is home? Does this concept actually exist or is it just a relic notion from childhood?

I think I'm still working on that part.  The short answer is home is where my dog, Dunkin', is, so for now I suppose that is technically Colorado.  As I begin yet another phase in my life I'm not sure where exactly I'll wind up or where the road will take me and I kinda like that idea.  As my life progresses the idea of home and the answer to, "Where are you from?" becomes increasingly difficult to answer in one word and I'm beginning to think I like it that way.

Cheongju: Buddha's Birthday

Why just celebrate your birthday on one day when you can make the celebration last for about a month? And when you happy a Buddha I say let the festivities ring, especially when I get a day off.  So for the weekend of Buddha's Birthday (which coincided with Memorial Day back in the USA) Angie and I, along with ALL of our out of town guests (Terri, Kelly and Katie) headed to Cheongju which is where Angie and Terri's mom spent her childhood and where was once pretty much the center of Buddhism in Korea (don't quote me on that last bit, but I'm pretty sure it's right).

First day was spent exploring the city and with some help from the locals who sent us in the wrong direction then caught up with us to help us find the right direction we managed to find a beautiful temple near-ish the center of the city.  We also explored the market there which is one of the larger old markets in Korea.  In the market you definitely know you are in a smaller city.  Most of the markets IN my city basically just have fish for sale and you go to a grocery for pork, beef, chicken, etc.  In this market you pick the animal out yourself and they kill it right there for you... it doesn't get any fresher.  If you're not used to seeing your dinner's last moments before you take it home to the pot it can be a little upsetting.  I have seen my fair share of chickens, and turkeys (no turkeys in Korea but they have ducks a plenty) lose their lives for a meal, however that didn't prepare me for seeing the dogs.

I know, I know, I know! They eat dog here! No I don't care that they eat dog, who the heck am I to judge them.  Most of the dogs that are food are raised in much the same way we raise cattle or pigs back in the USA.  It's part of their culture, livelihood and survival.  However, when I saw whole dog carcasses in the refrigerated unit, it was all I could do to stop from crying and it broke my heart.  Having been raised with dogs as companions and not food, seeing these animals ready for the pot (well actually they would still need some butchering since they were whole) bothered me.  I grew up knowing full well that cultures, even in Los Angeles, ate dog.  While it is a small percentage of the Korean population that still consumes dog on a regular basis it does happen.  The majority of the population seems to be moving away from dogs as food and definitely more and more dogs are being treated as members of the family the same way we do in the West.  However,  no amount of knowing this fact prepared me for seeing it; all I could see was my own Nala or Dunkin being served on a platter.  That said.  This brief encounter definitely opened my eyes, but it didn't ruin my weekend.

The next day we went and explored the printing museum.  Where they have a moveable block printing press (well the actual thing is over in the Louvre I think but parts of it are here) that pre-dates the Guttenburg printing press by about 100 years.  Angie and I totally geeked out at this museum.  I have to say I really LOVE Korean museums.  They pretty much do everything with dioramas which make it all so much more fun and a little cheesy as well as educational.  After the museum we explored the Fortress where we hiked around, ate some lunch, took some pictures and enjoyed the day.

As always traveling around Korea I continue to develop a love and respect for this country and it's people.  I may not always agree or like what happens but they've captured my heart anyway.  I've put together a quick slide show of the trip that I hope you will enjoy.  Until next time....

9 Months In - 3 Months Out: The little things I miss

Where is this year going?  What the heck have I been doing?  What is left on my Korea to-do list?  As my time here in Korea draws to a close, I am starting to think about everything I am going to miss about Korea, things I miss about back home, what I'm NOT going to miss about Korea and definitely what I don't miss about home.  For some of my friends that are only staying in Korea for 1 year the remaining 3 months can't go by fast enough.  While I definitely have my days in which I totally empathize with that idea, I feel these next 3 months will go by far too quickly.  That said there are some things that I do miss about home that I am looking forward to when I return.  Now of course I miss my dog, my friends and my family, not necessarily in that order but well let's face it dog will almost always get top billing (she says with a wink and a smile).  Here is a list of some things I miss about home.

1. Mexican food. Seriously finding decent Mexican food here in Korea is akin to searching for some ancient relic in the bottom of the sea.  You know it exists, you find something that is ever so close to what you remember but there almost always seems to be something not quite the same about it.  Also forget out $2 tacos.  The food you find satiates the craving for the time being but getting back home where decent Mexican food is relatively easy to find will be a nice welcome.  Also easily finding the ingredients to make Mexican at home will be lovely. Although I'm not sure how good the Mexican food in New Hampshire will be compared to San Diego, but we'll see.

2. Diners. There is nothing I love more than a decent greasy, hole in the wall, diner and from my experience there are no diners in Korea.  There might be some Korean equivalents that serve what might be considered Korean diner food, but I'm talking breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, waffles, steak and eggs, big burgers, club sandwiches, BLTs, monte cristos, sides of fries, onion rings and even some fish tacos or breakfast burritos.  I'm currently trying to make a list of diners that I need to hit on my road trip from Colorado to New Hampshire.

3. Dark beer.  Delicious, dark, micro-brewed beer that doesn't cost me $9 for a pint.  I can't wait to be able to find my favorite beers at a reasonable price.  While I don't drink that much with the summer months coming on a nice cold beer and a BBQ with friends just seems too perfect.

4. Wine. Yes, kids there is wine here in Korea but it is often very limited and expensive.  Most shops you're limited to a cabernet sauvignon or merlot for red and well I don't really drink white often so I don't really know.  If you ever find yourself in Korea expect to pay approximately double the price of what you would pay for a comparable wine in back in USA.  So you can find a drinkable wine for about $12 it's probably on about $6 back home.

5. Dryers.  Most days I don't really care that I have to hang my clothes to dry.  Heck I'm just grateful I have a washing machine IN my apartment, however since I only have 1 set of bedding and during the winter my laundry can take a couple of days to dry I do miss dryers.  Having fluffy warm bedding  and towels is a wonderful luxury.  Is it a big deal not to have a dryer, no of course not, but there are just some days when ..........

6. No smoking in bars.  Since I lived in California for most of my life I sort of took it for granted when by the time I turned 21 you could no longer smoke in a club or bar.  For me going outside to have a cigarette during the brief periods in my 20's when I was an on and off smoker, it just seemed natural to go outside.  Even when visiting Boston and they still allowed smoking, my friend and I went outside to smoke in freezing cold because smoking inside just felt wrong.  Now as a full non-smoker, the smoking inside bars and clubs sorta ruins the whole experience for me.  Which in some ways has helped me to save money.

7. Cheese. I'm talking real cheese and a variety of cheeses at my local markets.  Yes you can get some cheese here, but you either pay an exorbitant amount for it or you travel to Costco.  At Costco you will find cheese that will allow you to make your mac and cheese, but the selection is significantly smaller than back at home and the prices are well more.  Also if you don't live near a Costco the travel to get there might be double the price of the cheese.  At the local store you can buy processed cheese but let's face it, processed cheese is not cheese.

8. Ovens.  Oh how I miss my oven.  Most of Korean cooking can be done on the stove top so chances are if you come to Korea your apartment will not have an oven.  I miss baking which is one of the things I like to do most when I am stressed out.  Plus I love to share what I bake.  So many times I have wanted to share with my Co-teacher and Korean colleagues some cookies or scones or cup cakes or cakes like we would make back home and I can't because I have no oven.  While I could've bought a small oven for my apartment the price for the length of time I was staying here didn't seem to make sense.  If I was to stay in Korea for even 1 more year I would definitely have bought an oven.

9. Stars. I miss looking up and seeing stars and constellations.  Even when I lived in Los Angeles I could look up and see Orion's belt at the very least.  Here in the cities, you definitely can't.  There are so many neon signs flashing and blinking everywhere that even on a perfectly clear night it is impossible to see a star unless you get well away from the city.

and because I thought I should end with an even number

10.  Junk food.  While Korea has a ton of junk food just like the USA I miss some of my favorites that I can't find easily here like Doritos and Reese's Peanut Butter cups.  Again, thank goodness for Costco but I also don't necessarily want to buy a giant box of them and those two items I can't seem to locate.  Also, while I still think I make some of the best mac and cheese out there sometimes you want that kinda crappy Kraft stuff with the cheesy sauce.

Now probably most of the stuff on this list might be easier to get if I lived in Seoul.  Primarily the thing about these items that I miss is the convenience to acquire or visit them.  For the most part I don't really have a strong desire for these things very often but when I do it will be so nice to satisfy that hankering rather than feeling like to obtain each item you're on a quest initiated by some evil witch to break a spell.

Coming soon... the little things I will miss about Korea.

Beautiful South Korea!

Do You Know South Korea?

Click the above link.  This video was posted on one of my Facebook groups and I liked it so much that I decided to share.  It shows just how beautiful S. Korea really is and is a much better video than what I can probably put together.  This video also reminds me of what I need to do before I leave Korea in August!

I hope you enjoy.