Crossing My Fingers

I didn't plan on getting political on this blog, but I can't help but release some of the emotions I've been feeling in the past week.

 People are marching on Wall St in NYC with further plans to march across the nation and my heart pangs from wanting to be there with them. I am crossing my fingers that change is really going to happen, the only way that it has successfully in history: through a revolution by the people.

If you want to feel  angered, ashamed, outraged, or sympathetic for 30 minutes, read the posts here:

http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com


While downright depressing, it's empowering to know that so many people are in the same boat (99% of us Americans) and ready to do something about it. While I count my lucky stars every day for my life in Korea, I can relate to so many people who have spoken out on this website. Graduating in spring of 2008 right before the financial crisis, I had no idea how hard it would be to survive. After my first summer of applying to every teaching, ed-teching, and substitute job I could find with no luck, reality set in. It just got worse from there. I struggled to pay my monthly student loan payments on top of my car payments and living expenses, and this was when I was living at home! I have memories of scrounging around in the backseat of my car trying to find spare change to pay for gas to get me to my job cashiering at the grocery store. Many months went by where I was late paying my loans or didn't pay them at all.

The time I spent after college before coming here to Korea was the scariest year and a half of my life. I can't imagine being in that position for years and years on end, with much less.

I respect all of these Americans to the highest degree, who have worked so hard to provide for their families. Many hard-skinned people have the mindset that the majority of those protesting are fat, lazy hippies who want to live off of free government money, and to that I am so disgusted.

Here is a quote from the website I listed above, that speaks out to me:

“This is about people who have done nothing but bust their asses and it has gotten them nowhere because they are busting their asses for a false promise, getting nothing they are told they will get. They have the education, the work ethic, and receive nothing but the bare minimum needed to survive for it, or less. They are indeed slaves to the noble class. You can’t “work your way up” if there is no way up.

But there is. And it requires a lot more bravery and a lot more work and a lot more sacrifice. If everyone in the United States were to turn off their televisions and walk outside today and chant in unison and refuse to comply until a simple demand is met, they would either have to arrest everyone (impossible) or agree to change.

We aren’t lazy hippies asking for handouts. We are tired and sore and beaten down and angry because we do exactly as we’re told, and receive nothing but the minimum amount of money for room and board for it, the very definition of a slave.

Even people with higher powered jobs are losing any hope of retiring, their pensions taken, and any hope to receive what they are entitled to for THEIR HARD WORK is dwindling. The top 1% act with impunity and the 99% are punished for even the slightest infraction, sometimes just for fun or “because we can”.

And most importantly, voting will not and does not work, because they own the politicians too. They fund the campaigns (most of the Dem/Rep campaign funds are from corporations), so you only ever see _their_ picks on TV, and then they buy them off on every important issue through lobbying, and they own the news, so you hear what they want you too. This isn’t even about getting a cut. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE THAT MUCH POWER.

Why do you think this hasn’t been covered by the news hardly at all, while a bullshit tea party protest of half the size with no spread to any other cities with a confused and irrational message was front page shit on just about every rag and news channel in the US?

I’m hopeful because people are starting to realize that freedom is about freedom, not about working forever until you die with a vague promise that you might get to do some cool stuff eventually someday, when you pay off that student loan debt. Which is impossible.

Oh. And you don’t own anything. The bank owns your house, your car, and all of your money in the bank. And now that they have person-hood, they can and will take it all when the coup is ready to go.

And the world banks own them.

In effect by transition, the world banks own you. And they are biding their time. And we are going to lose.

The only time anything has ever changed, ever REALLY changed, it changed with a revolution, and sometimes it was bloody, but it has never, EVER, in the known history of human civilization, when people mostly consented to the establishment for now, biding their time, “busting their asses,” and then losing hope, and then dying that way.

If you don’t act right this second, with God as your witness, justice on your side, and the willing spirit to die for a cause, who will? There has to be a beginning. There has to be a first. And we will be the first. And more are following. I don’t want a handout. I want a life.I am the 99 percent.”

Kudos to these brave people who are fighting the good fight. It makes me want to rush home and march on Washington. If things haven't changed by the time we go home in early 2013, then I certainly will.

I Wanna Live in a Small Town

Here is a new music video by the Mallett Brothers, a local Maine band. The song is not only awesome and inspiring with amazing harmonizing and spot on guitar picking, but my first cousin Nick is the bassist, which makes it that more personal and meaningful to me.

The song talks about moving to a small town, ("far away from the pavement") and about living a simpler life. It's fitting since for the last few months Matt and I have really focused a lot of our what-comes-after-korea conversations around buying an old farmhouse in the countryside. Regardless of whether or not that happens in the first few years of being home, it has become a goal of ours for sometime in the future.

Living in Daejeon, a smallish city of 1.5 million, and weekending in Seoul (a city of 20 million), we've come to have some serious opinions about city living and have realized that city life is not for us. While we appreciate it here in Korea, the public transportation, the proximity of everything, and the ease of travel, we know it's not meant to be for us. We spend our days daydreaming of land, space, flowers, gardens, an old barn to store hay in.  That probably won't change.

We have 17 months before heading home and starting another life, which means we have 17 months to hone in on what our goals and aspirations are, what means a lot to us, and what doesn't. What kind of life do we want to live in Maine, and how do we achieve it? In some respects, having the time here to sort through these topics is a Godsend. I can't imagine being home right now, stressed, planning and wedding and thinking about jobs and affording a loan for our first house. All of it just seems like too much. But thankfully we have time to sift through our thoughts and come up with a loose plan that we can change and adapt throughout the next 17 months.

Fall is Here

Koreans have a saying about fall: "The horses are fat and the sky is high". They say it as a kind of greeting during this time of year, when the horses are fat with summer grass and the sky is vividly blue. Why focus on the blue sky in fall? Because every other time of year the sky here is a drab white. Whether it's haze in the summer or yellow dust from China in the spring, it's true when they say that it's only blue in fall. This was hard to adjust to at first, coming from Maine where the sky is always blue. But once fall arrives, the sky not only appears bright blue, but the weather turns gorgeous and life is good. The first week of fall has rewarded us with cool, crisp mornings, highs midday in the 70's, blue skies, bright sun, dry air and comfortable sleeping weather. Perfection!

What better way to enjoy fall then to jump in head first. Last October we busied ourselves with so many trips we didn't have a single weekend where we weren't off doing something. It appears that we have done the same thing for this year without even trying. The awesome weather and good mood sneaks up on you and all of a sudden you've booked trips for nearly every weekend until Thanksgiving.


So, what's in store for us this coming month?

This coming weekend just so happens to be a nice 3-day weekend due to a national holiday here in Korea. We are taking full advantage and have booked a trip through a foreigner travel company to Seoraksan, Korea's most famous national park. We have been wanting to go since arriving here, but unfortunately Seoraksan is located in the northeastern province of the country and is not as accessible as other places in Korea. Lucky for us,  the Discover Korea group is leading a trip there, and so we finally get to hike one of the most talked about hikes in the country: The Dragon Tooth trail. It's going to be arduous to say the least, but I am so excited for a hard, 2 day hike in the most beautiful park in the country. The bonus is spending the following day at the beach before heading back!

The weekend after that, we are planning our engagement photo shoot. So even though we won't be going far, we'll be busy around Daejeon.

After that is the Daejeon Balloon festival, which we enjoyed last year with our friend Katrina who visited from Seoul. Maybe her and Justin will be able to make it down for this year's festivities?

The weekend of October 22nd is our anniversary weekend and we are headed down to Busan to enjoy the International Fireworks festival. We are excited to explore Korea's second largest city and to hopefully see a great fireworks display over a bridge across the water. A trip to an oceanside temple is also in the plans.

That leaves one more fun-filled weekend in October, just when the leaves are starting to change. We'll most likely do our favorite hike close to home: Gapsa Temple to Donghaksa Temple in Gyeryeong National Park. We've done it 4 times now and it never disappoints.

Wow! So much awesomeness coming up, I can't wait! October is going to fly, with all of these fun-packed weekend, midterm exams, school festivals, sports days and field trips. It's my favorite time of year here in Korea for sure.

Honeymoon Talk

Sometimes I feel like I am living a honeymoon. Matt and I have had our fair share of travel, including relaxing beach vacations as well as mountain treks, close encounters with animals, historical tours and long, romantic train rides. So, how does a honeymoon differ from every other trip we've been fortunate enough to take in the last 2 years?

At first we didn't think about having an actual honeymoon. Going home and celebrating our wedding with friends and family seemed to be enough for us. And really, it is. But when we started to map out our plans for after the wedding and our remaining time in Asia, we started to think differently.

One thing we've always known for sure is that we're going to travel when we're done in Korea in early 2013. The amount of travel, as well as the location, has changed off and on since we've been here (more on that later). Along with those travel plans, we have also been talking off and on about going somewhere close during next year's Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). We will most likely get a 5 day weekend, which allows us to leave the country with enough time to sightsee.

So, after realizing we had this opportunity just a month after the wedding, we immediately thought about making it a honeymoon. The very first place that we both thought of was an obvious choice for such a short trip: Japan.

I mean, why not?  We are so close we can almost see it, it's packed with culture, temples, geisha, mountains, sushi, and tradition. We know we'll never go if we don't go while we're living in Korea. So, this is our chance.

So last night I contacted a Japan tours company located in the States for some information. They specialize in putting together independent tours for people who want to do their own thing, and they had information about honeymoon packages. Although I never go this route when planning a trip, I thought I should ask for some advice since this isn't going to be any "normal" trip. We're super excited to stay in some above average places, including traditional Japanese houses: ryokan.

So, no final decisions yet. We still have no idea if we can afford it or not, especially since Japan is an expensive country as it is. I am excited to see if we can make things work!


We're not interested in Tokyo, so we'll most likely be flying into Osaka and staying in the Kyoto area, which is where tourists go to see traditional Japan: temples, geisha and the like.

Some Google goodness:

10lbs Gone.

I can't quite believe it, and don't know if it's 100% true, but the scale says I've lost a total of 10 pounds! I find it hard to believe since I lost 7 before going to Malaysia and have slacked for the past month since coming home. Regardless, the past 2 weeks I have slowly upped my exercise and I am now tracking my food again.

I will take another 3 pounds! This means I am a 5th of my way there :)

Hopefully after another 10 I will look significantly different, but who knows. It shows on people in different ways. Because I have a lot to lose, I figured it would be more than 20lbs before people really noticed.

So with that little tidbit of happy news, I am now really motivated to continue pushing! I have just 6 weeks until my measurements are due for my dress, and just 16 weeks until SouthEast Asia! I can't believe it! Time is flying people!

No matter how hard I push I doubt I will reach my initial goal for the measurements, but no matter. Matt has assured me that it doesn't matter because I am getting fitted and for the dress 10 weeks later and they can make a lot of adjustments. Also, I plan on having someone at home make minor adjustments as well, considering I plan on losing the rest after January.

Yeah! Very exciting!

Taking the Lunch Plunge

So I've been talking about bringing my own lunch to school for a while now, but never got around to actually doing it. Today is the first day I'm trying it out, and so far, so good.

My main co-teacher who sits next to me and eats lunch with me every day is gone for the next 3 weeks at a workshop. So lately I've been going to lunch with whoever is around, whether it's the science teacher who is pretty good at English or another English teacher who has offered to go with me.

Well, not today people! When the science teacher approached me this morning and told me she was busy during lunch time, I told her not to worry because I brought my own lunch and will stay in the teacher's room to eat. She seemed surprised, but when I tried to explain "for my diet" to her she understood, seemingly without question. I'm hoping that if I just bring in lunch every day this week they'll get the hint that this is how things are going to be now, and so I'll be off the lunch hook.

By the time my co-teacher gets back, I'll be in a new routine and it will be easy to explain to her anyways.

As silly as this sounds, I'm so relieved that I finally did this. It's so hard to break from the mold here, especially at school, and for the longest time I didn't want to be rude by eating lunch alone. Now that I've made the step, I know I am going to be much happier. Knowing exactly what I'm eating everyday helps me track my diet and exercise in a way that I couldn't before. Whenever I tried to track my food there would be random question marks come lunch time, with god-knows-what kind of sauces and vegetables and meats that were on the menu.

So now, it's easy peasy. I packed a half of a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with a peach and some veggies to munch on. I had yogurt and granola this morning, which has filled me up until lunchtime, so hopefully this will fill me up until dinner time.

Excited to finally have choice! 

Flower Envy.

Don't these arrangements take your breath away? Maybe it's the gorgeous blue and white flowers, or the rustic pales, or the variety of greens. Whatever the case, they are absolutely beautiful.

gorgeousness.

   This picture was taken from Broadturn Farm's website, a local farm in Scarborough, Maine. I've been following the farm for more than a year now, because of my interest in small farming and CSA (community supported agriculture).

Fortunately for me, Broadturn Farm not only offers a flower CSA during the summer months, they also cater to weddings and events. Stacy at the farm makes the most stunning arrangements I've ever seen, all from blooms from the farm.

Although I plan on getting the flowers for our wedding from a variety of places (re: friends and family's hydrangea plants!), I have been looking for a local farm for the bouquets and possibly some of the other arrangements.

I have inquired  through email and hope to hear back from Broadturn Farm soon. If we could have even one arrangement anything like that picture, I will be so happy.

One more thing I am trying to check off the list!

Here are some more pictures of the farm's flowers:

Mantra

I've been using this mantra for months now, repeating continuously throughout my workouts, and any other time I feel stressed about anything. I know life isn't all about the wedding, but boy, when you stick to a mantra, no matter what it is you're saying, it empowers you like you wouldn't believe! I finally put it into words and made a sign above my desk. When I workout, I am staring at it in the face, just in case I forget what it is :)

are you digging my motivational space? :)

Should We Stay or Should We Go?

This past weekend was Chuseok here in Korea. Although people compare it to Thanksgiving in America, there aren't too many similarities besides families eating a big meal together. Chuseok celebrates the harvest, yes, but more importantly it is a time to honor your ancestors. Koreans dump out of the cities and head to their hometowns, usually the hometown of the husband's family. During the holiday, the women (with the wife of the eldest son in charge) cook for hours on end to make a feast fit for any king. In most living rooms around the country they set up an alter for their ancestors, with framed pictures, and give up offerings on a low lying table, including fruit, rice cakes, meat, sweets, etc. After a lot of bowing, families eat the feast and play a few games associated with Chuseok.

Of course, Matt and I were not doing any of this during our 4 day weekend. Last year we were lucky enough to travel to Jeju Island with my mom and aunt, which was awesome. This year we decided to relax, and didn't plan a single thing. Instead of bowing to ancestors or taking off on a trip to some far fetched island, we spent hours debating something we had never really discussed: the thought of leaving Korea early.

For a little more than 24 hours we had convinced ourselves to pack in the towel early. Why? I'm not quite sure how the discussion came up. Usually when I get a bout of homesickness I will halfheartedly  beg Matt for 5 to 10 minutes to let us go home early, despite knowing in my mind that we can't and that I really am fine.But this time it was different. For the past few weeks Matt has been experiencing homesickness, which he claims is the first real time he has felt such strong emotions. Because of this, a normal not so serious conversation turned into a huge intense day of listing pros and cons, figuring out our finances, and trying to talk each other in/out of it.

The truth is, is that the goals that Matt and I have had now for the past 8 months have almost nothing to do with Korea anymore. When we first came here, our goals were to experience a different culture, learn a new language, travel around the Asian continent, experience independence, etc. Now our goals focus on being at home, getting jobs, buying a house and having a family.For one day we convinced ourselves that going home early (in March) would help us attain our new goals, but in reality, we know this is not the case.

Why are we staying here a third year in the first place? To be frank, it's mostly for the money. Of course there are a few more things we'd like to experience while being here in Korea, but the biggest factor is money and the security that we have from having two steady incomes. With this year's bonus we can pay for our wedding, with next year's bonus we will be able to come home with a large amount of savings to get us off on the right foot. Without a third year, we wouldn't have that cushion of savings. We'd essentially come home with enough money for the wedding and not much else.

The last thing either of us want is to go back to America as if we had never left, with no savings, no jobs, no security, living in our parent's homes.

So the thought of going home early is now void. We are staying put, whether we're into it or not. Another year is a sacrifice we're making for a stable future when we go home. And besides, we really like Korea, we enjoy our jobs, and things are never that bad here. If we had been miserable, it might have swayed our decision a little more, but we're not. We just really want to be home, diving into the next chapter in our lives, but we can't.

Fortunately we have each other, and we know without a doubt that we'll be there for one another whenever we get a little down. We have 17 months left here, and we know how fast time really does fly. Making the best of it is our new goal, and we're aiming high, with lots of plans for travel around Korea.


Other goals this week include getting back into the REAL diet and exercise. I've been doing Turbo Fire off and on since coming back from Malaysia, but it's GO time now! Our fridge is stocked with veggies and meat, and recipes are marked on the calendar. We're ready to get back into a real routine!! :)

Reception site pictures

the entrance to the field

Apologies on my lack of recent posts. A lot has been going on, so I will be posting various entries within days, if not hours of each other, so stay tuned! This past weekend my awesome mom went hiking at Bradbury Mountain State Park with my puppy dog, Samantha. Being the incredible woman that she is, she brought her camera along, and took a bunch of pictures of the reception site so I can get a better visual of how it's going to look. Although I have been to the field at the park a number of times, it's hard being here and not remembering the details. So here are some great pictures of the venue site!

I've been picturing the field in my head for months now, it's so great to see some actual pictures. The last time I was at the park it was during a blizzard on January 18th. After hiking through 2 feet of snow 20 minutes past this field, Matt got down on one knee and proposed to me.Exactly 19 months later, we will come back to celebrate our wedding!

The tent will most likely be in the foreground

 The plan is to have the tent in the foreground, or closer to the entrance and on the flattest part of the field. In the background, barely visible, is a volleyball net. Although we're not going to be playing any volleyball during the reception, we are going to have rackets and birdies for badminton, as well as crochet and bocce ball for guests. Although some people might not think games are appropriate for a wedding, we're going for a more relaxed BBQ feel. And besides, outdoor games have been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings several times, so there! :)

Tent site

In the background of this picture you can make out a road, which is Route 9. Although it's a fast road, it's pretty quiet, considering we're out in the countryside. Cars actually have to slow down right near the park due to a small intersection. Hopefully it won't be too noisy. I'm glad there is a barrier of trees to hopefully block out the noise and the view!

One of the best parts of the park is its history. There are stone walls all along the boundary trail, as well as an old square cattle pound, which should be great for picture taking. I mean, wouldn't you spend a lot of your time daydreaming about photo opportunities after looking at these walls?

stone wall on the boundary trail

Because we're having an afternoon reception, we hope and pray that we'll be able to partake in all of these fun outdoor activities. We're most excited to climb Bradbury and have pictures taken at the top with our wedding party and any other adventurous guests. With a view like this, we're crossing our fingers for good weather! Fortunately the mountain is more of a hill and the shortest trail only takes 10-15 minutes to climb. Easy peasy! With these new pictures, I have gotten excited all over again to plan the layout for the reception. Games, a photo backdrop, mountain hiking and dancing. I can't wait!