why korea? oh i will tell you...

so you say you are interested 

in teaching abroad?

and you are thinking about coming to Korea?

let me tell you right now,

teaching abroad is not for everyone.

and Korea is probably not for everyone either...

but if your on the fence

about plans for your future,

you should consider this burst of

persuasion.

at least think about it.

number one: 

i teach some of the

cutest kids you've 

ever seen.

number two:

Koreans grow massive amount of their produce

in country.

and let me tell you...

whatever comes with the season...

will take your breath away. 

number three: the old men.

sometimes these lovely old men

 might invite

you to drink a little beer

and eat a little squid with them

because you just happened to be

sitting in their favorite spot 

in the park.

the spot where they have

 sat,

drank,

and munched on squid together

for the past...

the past forever.

number four: rice fields.

because they are just actually so awesome.

so foreign to me.

and so breathtakingly beautiful.

number five:

you get to wear amazing shoes like this...

at work.

typically with socks

showcasing the most popular 

cartoon characters.

and if it's winter...

you get to wear slippers.

number six: 

mogyoktangs. 

i.e. 

korean bath houses.

with separate bathing areas for

men and women

[yes you will be naked throughout this whole experience]

you will discover

something so wonderful

you'll wonder how you ever lived without

such pure

bliss.

picture from this fun blog.

number seven:

Korean co-teachers.

if you are fortunate enough to have them

they will make your life better.

and completely

worth it.

all you must do

is take the time to get to know them.

they've changed my life.

that's for sure.

and i will never be the same again.

number eight: 

after the long winter color emerges in the form of...

cherry blossoms.

and it's just as magical as it sounds.

number nine:

Korean baseball.

best.sporting.event.i've.ever.been.to.

no.question.

number ten:

the special coffee drinks.

best latte i'll ever drink.

made to perfection

each and every time!

and i've only just begun...

are you teaching and living abroad in

Korea?

tell me why you love it.

letters and the post office.

it's faster to type.

you'll get it momentarily, 

if not instantly.

i can

:::skype you.

IM you.

email you.

facebook you.

facebook chat you.

gchat you.

tweet you.:::

did i miss any?

in a world of utter connection 

:::exchange of pictures.exclamations.words.memories.news::: 

staying in the loop 

with the happenings of, 

well just about anyone, 

is a breeze.

:::the president of Yemen.my sister living in India.my girlfriend country hopping from Egypt to Saudi with her family.my little cousin's latest soccer game.and my friend's hot date last friday:::

but there is something to be said

about receiving [and sending] mail 

that cannot be matched.

i'm talking about mail, 

the kind embraced in an envelop. 

the kind you lick to close...

[hoping you don't cut your tongue]. 

the kind where you have to look up 

the other's postal address.

 the kind dropped into the little 

red [or blue] box on the corner.

 the kind that is still 

a complete mystery of how it goes 

from that little red[or blue] 

box on the corner, 

over highways and under bridges, 

to airports and over 

rivers and oceans, 

trucks to little vehicles, 

to the small satchel the man 

with blue pants 

[who sincerely hopes the receiver owns

no canine to speak of] 

to...you.

the kind when the little PO Box lid 

is lifted in mindless routine. 

the kind that catches something 

in the gut, 

something like small sparks 

igniting from the eyes to the

 stomach and back again 

when that little-traveled-envelop 

catches your attention

in the mail slot

and you know that little message.

is intended 

for you.

so here i am.

living in the land of stationary stores 

literally around every curve and bend. 

and with unbelievable graphics 

and English-tag lines like this...

HAPPY DAY! ! !

when your feeling down, take a bath. you'll look better and feel cleaner too.

how can you you not stock up, 

buying stationary for 

everyone you know?

[INSERT PICTURE HERE].

Korean post offices

think of everything.

i mean really.

there's the packaging and addressing station 

complete with four different 

kinds of tape, 

various markers with which 

to address your mail, 

spectacles 

[in case you forgot your glasses at home], 

a choice of 20 different sizes 

of boxes and envelops.

i waited in the international line,

with all the ladies.

assumedly mothers. 

clutching their varying sized parcels

 of gimchi, 

the Korean national food.

a few letters and 

small birthday package

in hand.

packed and ready to go.

i gave them one last look

and a wish for safe traveling.

i tried to imagine the moment when 

my friends,

my grandmother,

my cousin,

would pull the lid to that mailbox.

i wondered if the butterflies, 

the catch in the throat

would come.

until next post office visit.

watch your postbox!

easter: tradition

i was on the phone

with my mom

just the other day.

we talked of the upcoming

holiday:

easter.

being far away from

family and friends,

i asked what festivities

would be taking place at home

without me.

the easter egg hunt?

the egg dying?

the visiting easter bunny?

lunch?

brunch?

family photos?

no, she replied.

the usual easter festivities

are on pause

until another year, she said.

because

this year my family finds itself

stationed in various

locations

around the globe.

we are not together.

and so the usual is not

the usual this year.

before i knew what was happening.

i was .... angry.

at my mom.

my mom?

whose children have traveled far

from her by their own accord.

whose children are not filling

her house this holiday.

i was angry at

my mom.

because when you are not home.

you imagine that home still goes on.

in fact, you need it to.

because it is home.

it's your culture.

it's your traditions.

it has made you

who you are.

but what i sometimes forget...

is that MY CHOICES

affect the whole.

MY CHOICES, 

not to be classified as

good

or

bad.

but just as MY CHOICES.

they affect my mom,

they affect home.

my irrational anger

turned to simple disappointment,

all the while giving me 

greater understanding

of myself

of what i want

and what i desire in life.

i realized that i needed

the traditions.

the remembrance of the traditions

when i find myself

a long way from home.

because it is the traditions

that serve as a reminder of

who i am

of who i want to be

and of where i come from.

because sometimes it takes 

distance for you

realize that you need

reminders.

reminders 

of who you are.

who you want to be.

and where it is you came from.

so, dear friends,

make the traditions.

remind your family, your friends, 

your sisters, 

your children, your aunties

and cousins.

 remind them to mark the days.

because someday

you might find that your little girl

has traveled a long way

from home.

and you might find that you miss her on

the special days.

but you can be sure...

you can be sure that the traditions,

the way you marked the days,

while they might have

seemed foolish,

so much work and effort 

at the time.

you can be sure,

that she now holds onto them.

perhaps clings to them

as she is out there

in the world.

as she walks confidently out into

the world,

she holds within her

bits of you

that you gave her

steadily over the years.

she might never acknowledge it.

to you

or even herself.

but it matters.

the traditions,

they matter.

mark the days.

so when distance separates,

you can be reminded.

that is...

if you need a reminder

which, sometimes we do.

this is how my mom celebrated her easter day this year.

with a small red pot of tea, the afternoon sun, along the mississippi river...

this is how i celebrated my easter day this year.

with some friends, a blanket, the afternoon sun, along the river...

happy easter.