tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70809625852608332932024-02-21T08:42:46.369-08:00KoreaI'll write about Korea at times and other times I'll just write about what's on my mind.21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-21934453947965268452014-10-14T16:55:00.002-07:002014-10-14T16:55:49.894-07:00It's been a long time.It's been a long time.<br />
I shouldn't have left you without a dope beat to step to. <br />
<br />
I'm going to make more of an effort to jot somethings down from now on. <br />
It seems like time flies and schedules rule the day. <br />
<br />
No time left for you. <br />
On my way to better things. <br />
I'll find myself some wings.<br />
Distant roads are calling me.<br />
<br />
Some days it's just easier than others to reflect upon the day, the week.<br />
Not that the days are bad, I have no place to complain. Quite the opposite<br />
actually. My castles aren't made of sand and I'm not drifting into the sea.<br />
<br />
I'm blessed beyond belief.<br />
My beautiful, caring, thoughtful wife has made me happier than I could imagine. Being apart of her family has just added to that happiness. <br />
<br />
My heart, mind, and being are all in a good place.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/rahultiwari3190/rahultiwari31901105/rahultiwari3190110500088/9543047-a-musician-man-playing-a-guitar-with-musical-notes-background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/rahultiwari3190/rahultiwari31901105/rahultiwari3190110500088/9543047-a-musician-man-playing-a-guitar-with-musical-notes-background.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-2696594708231223782012-12-31T13:25:00.000-08:002012-12-31T13:28:47.393-08:00How We Met... the short version<style>
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>HOW WE MET</u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finding
a teaching job in 2010 was not an easy task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Trying to distinguish yourself from two hundred applicants was difficult
when you all had the same qualifications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My plan to set myself apart was to teach overseas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>South Korea wasn’t my first choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was planning on going to China but those
plans fell through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How different my
life would’ve been had those plans not changed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>August
2010, my flight touched down at Incheon airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hours later I was being shown the school I
would be teaching at for the next year, LCI Academy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was handed a pamphlet that introduced the
school’s mission statement and staff biographies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the bottom were pictures of all ten
English teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a picture of
myself and the other eight teachers I met earlier that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly enough, one of the faces I
didn’t recognize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mined you, this was a
face you wouldn’t forget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To say the
least I very much wanted to meet this Kate Terry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To
officially welcome all the new teachers our school had a dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entire staff was there except Kate; her
flight arrived after mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dinner began
and everyone joined in conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>About thirty minutes had passed when I saw her walk into the
restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was more than her
picture revealed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over
the next year we became inseparable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
classrooms were next door to each other and I was greeted with her infectious
smile every morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shared in the
excitement of exploring our new surrounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Walks, subways, buses and bike rides were vehicles for our blossoming
friendship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She became my best
friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was easy to follow in love
with her.</div>
21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-67785970464851689492012-12-29T16:52:00.001-08:002012-12-29T16:52:41.963-08:00The Proposal<span lang="EN"><div align="CENTER">
THE PROPOSAL</div>
</span><br />
<div align="CENTER">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
By,</div>
<br />
<div align="CENTER">
Joshua Niehues</div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><div align="CENTER">
<br /></div>
</span><br />
A proposal takes time. Well, the proposal itself has a lifespan which seems to last a flicker of a lit candle. The pre-proposal is where the planning and covert operations happen. Back in August I was trying to get all my ducks in a row and all without Kate finding out about my master plan. At times I felt like a secret agent handling sensitive material.<br />
<br />
I knew the information I would need. Some would be easy to get (ring size) others would be more difficult (what type of ring). Also, where do I propose? When do I propose? How do I ask her dad? These questions seem to have reasonable and logical answers, but logic and reason give way to the frightening feeling that you need to be perfect. The proposal, the ring, the position of the sun and moon, everything needs to be perfect.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to early December. Operation Proposal was nearing completion.<br />
<br />
1. Ask Father <span style="font-family: Symbol;">Ö</span>
<br />
<br />
2. Purchase the perfect ring <span style="font-family: Symbol;">Ö</span>
<br />
<br />
3. Rehearse my lines <span style="font-family: Symbol;">Ö</span>
<br />
<br />
4. Practice my knee bend <span style="font-family: Symbol;">Ö</span>
<br />
<br />
Now all I needed to do was decide on when and where. Kate and I owe a lot to who we are because of our families. We both love and respect our parents very much. I knew it would be very important and exciting for her to be able to celebrate with her family. Since we live in California and her family is in Ohio I knew I would wait until we arrived for the holidays.<br />
<br />
We flew into Columbus ahead of the first winter storm. I was happy that we missed flying through it. I was also eager to see if there would be a blanket of snow on the ground for the Christmas Eve proposal in a few days time.<br />
<br />
The house was alive with activity on the morning of the 24<sup>th</sup>. Kate’s parents were packing up the car and her brothers were loading up presents to take to grandma and grandpa’s house. I was becoming anxious because I didn’t know how I was going to get Kate alone. Though her parents knew I was going to ask during the holidays I didn’t tell them when or where. I wanted them to share in the surprise.<br />
<br />
As we were packing our overnight bags I whispered to Kate that I had a two-part gift that needed to be opened in our company only. She gave me a puzzled look. I told her it would all make sense shortly. We grabbed our bags and walked to the car. The timing couldn’t have been better. Everyone else had gone inside for a minute. This was my chance. Operation proposal was a go!<br />
<br />
We put our bags in the car and standing in the snow of her parents front yard I said, “Ok, this is the first part of your gift.”<br />
<br />
Then I handed her a crudely wrapped piece of red tissue paper. As she opened it she saw four sequential pictures of me. Later she would tell me she thought it was a bookmark. It was a photo booth strip of me using elementary sign language saying, I… Love… You. The final picture was of me presenting the ring. I watched her eyes and as she was trying to process the final picture I bent down on one knee and said with welling tears in my eyes, “Kate, will you make me the happiest man in the world? Will you marry me?”<br />
<br />
The emotions on her face embraced my heart. Her bottom lip began to curl down, her chin began to wrinkle up and tears cascaded down her olive cheeks. At this moment I’m waiting for that one word. My left knee, buried in the snow, I’m waiting for conformation.<br />
<br />
“D-Did you ask my dad?” came the emotionally drenched response.<br />
<br />
“Yes I asked him. He said yes.” as I stood to embrace her.<br />
<br />
“YES!” Kate tearfully replied. “YES!”<br />
<br />
I was elated with joy! We kissed and I held her tightly. In the excitement I forgot to slip the ring on her finger.<br />
<br />
“You need to put the ring on my finger.” she said with enthusiasm and a voice still chocked up with emotion. <br />
<br />
Just then her dad came out. He was walking down the drive towards us, but he saw tears in Kate’s eyes and did a 180<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">°</span>
back to the house. He thought we were fighting. Once Kate got his attention he realized everything was more than ok. <br />
<br />
The next thirty minutes consisted of tearful hugs, laughs, photo-ops and phone calls. I gave myself a few seconds, has the delicate flakes of snow melted into cool drops of water on my face, to think about how our paths crossed. No one could have written a more beautiful story. Two people from opposite ends of the United States move to South Korea and fall in love. But that is a whole other story.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
5. Kate says Yes <span style="font-family: Symbol;">Ö</span>
<br />
<br />
Mission Accomplished.<br />
21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-23568782354571873862011-12-14T17:45:00.000-08:002011-12-14T17:45:40.475-08:00California<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAx762jW79tA0_IUBjyS_1cLgwmeRIAG7-VFFFU_eW46ZLPrhyuBTRZjIaRh7JeMBD9rFLu4rSBQqskSO7MROa_ORkXWPliEjAFicXLtNHb2_d9r5_S0uBjKVRByDhHIeDnCQl8AGEmViX/s1600/San+Francisco+338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAx762jW79tA0_IUBjyS_1cLgwmeRIAG7-VFFFU_eW46ZLPrhyuBTRZjIaRh7JeMBD9rFLu4rSBQqskSO7MROa_ORkXWPliEjAFicXLtNHb2_d9r5_S0uBjKVRByDhHIeDnCQl8AGEmViX/s320/San+Francisco+338.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Exploring the streets of San Francisco</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">even the crooked one!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Trolley car rides, eating our tomato soup out of sourdough bread bowls,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">sampling decadent chocolate and cruising the bay at night.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ah and let us not forget AT&T Park and the Giants dugout store!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That was just the half of it and in only two days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kate and I had a wonderful time in San Francisco. The weather couldn't have been any better!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The rest of Kate's trip was spent between visiting with my family, walking the wide streets of Willows, visiting more family, and my old college town of Chico.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It never really dawned on me how wide the streets of Willows are until Kate pointed it out. But one thing I always knew, I have a big family. During the Willows Christmas parade Kate was introduced to a merid of my relatives. She was pleased to meet them and was lucky enough to spend time with some of them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We made sweet rolls with my Grandma Louie and sister and built one of Kate's creations with my Grandpa John. It was great to finally have her meet all the people I had talked about over the year in Korea. And I was glad to have her here with me... but two weeks wasn't enough ;)</div>21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-75579636777741904442011-11-09T20:02:00.000-08:002011-11-09T20:02:43.301-08:00Ohio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxobwXQPcvSMiB8Z06fMmqJF5FNpwayqI3HQjOzTGHi8a0FI5IcHZ0oDJb0FunB1_8o91K7dXYJkiN8vQZS8_U2InCQVkiDt2i7FBPrbEpq2Jt-Wmf8RfgkmmCpJwOXKvV6cqH4mw_Cv8-/s1600/Kate+and+Josh+857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxobwXQPcvSMiB8Z06fMmqJF5FNpwayqI3HQjOzTGHi8a0FI5IcHZ0oDJb0FunB1_8o91K7dXYJkiN8vQZS8_U2InCQVkiDt2i7FBPrbEpq2Jt-Wmf8RfgkmmCpJwOXKvV6cqH4mw_Cv8-/s320/Kate+and+Josh+857.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">It was a long trek across the country, starting at four in the morning in Oakland, hopping on connecting flights in L.A. and Detroit to finally arrive in Columbus just after 7 at night. I would've traveled infinite distances for the one who was waiting for me at the airport.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">With bags in hand I walked out of the Columbus airport into the autumn night and there she was sitting in her car waving with enthusiasm. As I approached the car she met me with that infectious smile. She wore her black windbreaker jacket and black tights. Her hair was in a side braid and her olive colred skin shone with a radiance that suggested she'd been in the sun. There wasn't a place in creation I'd rather have been. I was back with my girl. I was back with Kate.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;"></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">I throughly enjoyed Ohio. I met many of Kate's relatives and friends all of whom were very warm and welcoming. Kate's parents, Lori and Howard, made me feel comfortable and welcomed in their home. Lori makes an amazing pizza and rice krispy treats!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">Kate's Aunt Karen and Uncle Jack were the consumate hosts. I had a great time driving through the countryside and checking out the Amish stores. Great pancakes Jack!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">I now have pictures in my head of Ohio. now when Kate talks about the 'Short North' I can travel there in my mind's eye. The places of Columbus, German Village, Tiger Tree, and Buckeye Donuts; The hometown feel of Utica, Kenton, and Lima; Circleville's World Famous Pumpkin Festival had me wondering if Norman Rockwell ever had that town in mind when he painted; the colors of the leaves and the proceived eb and flow of the rolling hills, all have become real to me.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">I enjoyed Kate's Ohio and I can't wait to share my California with her.</span></div></span>21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-82292469658758186422011-09-02T16:54:00.000-07:002011-09-02T16:54:50.543-07:00One Year<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One Year</span></span></u></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My year in Korea is nearing the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s only natural to look back and reflect on such an experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In more ways than one this has been a life changing experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not using that phrase lightly, I have changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The core of who I knew I was is breathing new life on its own reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like a dream that comes to existence, I’m no longer dreaming of who I want to become, I am.</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve become more confident and this confidence has also made me more humble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s okay to not know all the answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s okay to make mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same words of advice I tell my students are finally finding my own ears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my 32 years I am finally understanding lessons I was taught when I was younger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I’m a work in progress and I hope it’s a life of progression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve found an extremely loving and patient woman that has come to mean so much to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kate was and is that person I was able to be myself with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked a lot about everything under the sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has helped me become a better person.</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Professionally I’m continually evolving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m learning new methods of teaching and classroom management while putting those ideas and theories to the test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m learning more about the way young students learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m no longer just reading about Piaget’s cognitive development or Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development, I’m actively engaged in it firsthand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an amazing feeling to be a part in a child’s growth and development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t begin to fathom the joy a parent must feel when their child takes their first steps and speaks their first words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think to myself, even on the tough days, “I’m in the right profession.”</span></span></div>21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-48167634661955539562011-07-09T06:01:00.000-07:002011-07-09T06:01:43.937-07:00Miso the PlayI went to see the Korean play 'Miso' today at the Chongdong Theater with Kate. It's a Romeo and Juliet type play, but they don't die at the end. It was really cool to watch and listen to traditional music and dance. I'm a big fan of the drums... (Erik if you read this... you know what I'm talking about... "Drumline ya dig?")<br />
It was almost entirely free of speech... The musical was full of choreographed dances and rhythmic beats. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l4HX9k1pe4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l4HX9k1pe4</a><br />
<br />
We thought it was gonna be a perfect day to watch go to the matinee, since the weather report was all rain all day... But when we got out of the theater the sun was poking out a bit. It was a bit muggy but once the sun went down it began to cool off a bit. It was a good Saturday all around. <br />
<br />
Now I'm relaxing to some Otis Redding... good Saturday all around indeed.21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-31920385929754837042011-07-02T22:23:00.000-07:002011-07-02T22:23:05.463-07:00America is a Salad Korea is a Soup<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">America is a Salad <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Korea is a Soup</span></span></u></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By, Josh Niehues</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My title may not make since in the way it initially reads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may think, “Oh, this post is going to have something to do with the cultural differences between the U.S. and Korea.</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s not what this post is really about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s about smell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now before you start thinking about all of your favorite soups, Creamy Potato, Tomato with Ricotta cheese, and Chicken Noodle, let me define what I mean when I say, “America is a Salad” and then describe this soup that is Korea.</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">America is a salad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>America has a smell to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all its smells are lilacs and lavender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are areas for sure, that produce pungent odors, back alleys, dingy night clubs and gas station toilets to name a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there are the areas that are fresh like a salad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are the expansive fields of fresh cut alfalfa, the crisp ocean breeze of the Pacific North Coast and the fragrances of fall in the Mid-West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These smells are the better side of America.</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Korea is a soup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Korea has a smell to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the smells are comparable to those of America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The coast has a sweet smell when the wind rushes across the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fall, the fallen leaves give off an aromatic scent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also has its unpleasant smells as well and in these days of summer an undesirable smell beings to emanate from every building, street and crammed subway entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The summer air becomes stagnate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The humidity seems to trap in every smell and coat you in it; similar to dumping soup on your head.</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Garbage is picked up on a regular basis, but there are no trash cans only pink and yellow plastic bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pastel colored waste piles up next to the buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday’s dinner becomes a furry creature’s treat that is scattered into the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no street sweepers in Korea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The garbage that is not collected is washed into shallow gutters.</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The summer rains are hot and sticky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It liquefies the contents of the soup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Red peeper paste, kimchee, spicy noodle soup and a marred of other condiments and edibles mix into an odor frenzy crescendo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sprinkle in the occasional dash of urine and you have the pungent aromas of my part of Korea.</span></span></div>21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-23296685753437583552011-06-28T21:17:00.000-07:002011-06-28T21:17:12.890-07:00Day 75 or something like thatThe Missy Elliot remix of the Tina Turner song "I Can't Stand the Rain" is playing over and over again in my head. You know, that part;<br />
Me I'm supa fly (uh-huh) <br />
Supa dupa fly (uh-huh) <br />
Supa dupa fly <br />
{singing I can't stand the rain! <br />
<br />
It must be the 75 days of straight rain! Or something like that. I hear it rained in California yesterday. You can have some of Korea's if you want... and the muggy, greasy feeling the air produces. <br />
<br />
Note to self: I couldn't live in a perpetual muggy place for an extended period of time. Sweatbox central!21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-55994907811721196402011-06-24T22:58:00.000-07:002011-06-24T22:58:16.683-07:00The Grand Scale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4lSad5YPpj-bWTCfg-0NRjnVKZiIKwA3Oi-9MjuW3z-fhr5HtRRLcryFFfe2Ii9SHZwzavDBKMUvWu0DfdhqSTTtoKDEXGgKduC8W4aNRrbqO9WOp3eDJ0uLY7c1u-RpqJa_cZ3_ApT5/s1600/Korea+pt.+23+158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4lSad5YPpj-bWTCfg-0NRjnVKZiIKwA3Oi-9MjuW3z-fhr5HtRRLcryFFfe2Ii9SHZwzavDBKMUvWu0DfdhqSTTtoKDEXGgKduC8W4aNRrbqO9WOp3eDJ0uLY7c1u-RpqJa_cZ3_ApT5/s320/Korea+pt.+23+158.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">He was staring at himself yet there was no mirror. It wasn't an out of body experience. </div><div style="text-align: center;"> He touched his own face for the reassurance. </div><div style="text-align: center;">"Who are you?" he said to himself.</div><div style="text-align: center;">"I am you." replied the other.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Baffled, dumbfounded, struck utterly speechless.</div><div style="text-align: center;">"B... B... But how?"</div><div style="text-align: center;">"I am you the same way that you are me. The same way that we are more than each other. </div><div style="text-align: center;"> The same way that we are everything. Everything is us, thus we are one.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We are inside a universe encapsulated inside an even larger universe inside an infinitly larger universe underneath the thumbnail of an unsuspecting woman.</div><div style="text-align: center;">You yourself have an infinite amount of universes hidden inside your being, each unaware of </div><div style="text-align: center;">the grand scale of things.</div>21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-81293381672289892512011-05-04T00:06:00.000-07:002011-05-04T00:06:48.973-07:00Internet Woes...<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕;">Where Are You Internet?</span></span></u></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕;">The Saga of the LCI Network</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕;">By, Josh Niehues</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕; font-size: x-small;">5/3/11</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕;">I’m wondering why the internet here doesn’t start to work until 9am?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to be a reoccurring pattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last Thursday and Friday I was on this very computer around 8:30am and there was no connectivity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then by some miraculous act of God the internet blockage was parted like the Red Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I sit here and wait for that holy number like a Mesoamerican Shaman waiting for the summer rains to decree his peoples crops will grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will my crops grow or are my fields to lay fallow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕; font-size: x-small;">Oh internet how I beseech you to do what you were designed to do… Hmmm… maybe PS ( our computer technician and all around go-to guy) has a secret switch that he flips in the morning releasing all that is the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should I pay homage to the mighty PS, for he is the one with the all knowing all encompassing knowledge? I had a piece of toast this morning for breakfast… was that an image of PS?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8:45am… no internet………………….</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕; font-size: x-small;">How will the children ever receive their report cards?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How will their parents ever be able to find out how they’re doing in class?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are only a handful of questions that may never be answered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8:49am… no internet.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕; font-size: x-small;">8:55am the time approaches!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕; font-size: x-small;">9:00am where is the miracle?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕;">9:10am I have lost my faith! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕; font-size: x-small;">5/4/11</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕;">Day four of a saga that has only been chronicled for two days, but those two days tells the story just the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Previous assumptions about a secret button and PS holding the key to our internet woes seems to be unfounded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than likely it’s either the North Koreans or the Chinese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps a collaboration of both to hinder the children of South Korea from learning English?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, they obviously don’t think very highly of the teachers here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The internet can be a great tool in adding diversity in instruction but it is not the only tool or the best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So block my internet and make my life a little less convenient you rapscallions!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I shall teach these children English and tell them not to buy anything made in China!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕;">*Internet came on at 9am! The Prophecy was fulfilled!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-215498635078099712011-03-17T21:04:00.000-07:002011-03-17T21:04:07.389-07:00What I Miss... It doesn't get easier the longer I'm away but I wouldn't say it gets any worse either. The longer I'm away from family and friends the more I think about the details of what makes me happy when I'm around them.<br />
<br />
Going for a ride with my dad... with no particular place to go.<br />
Talking with my mom... and disagreeing about politics.<br />
Punching my sister... not very hard. Brotherly love.<br />
Stopping by Grandma's unexpectedly... just to visit. And hoping she has some sweetbread.<br />
The Amaro's barn... no matter what kind of mood I was in I left with a smile and a helping of happiness.<br />
Throwing horseshoes with the boys... just wish they could beat me once in awhile.<br />
<br />
I miss the comradre of my friends. I miss the ease of a summer night and the smell of fresh cut grass. You're all never more than just a skype call away and it's always great to hear your voices. I miss you.21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-38544140235999248922011-02-22T04:39:00.000-08:002011-02-22T04:39:50.897-08:00Drove My Chevy to the Levee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTMp7EFERPMLWyyZcF2ikxUg-_kB64qalaIpPxVFBBOSezJJLCHppPsV2sn0hivJ64eOxxnJTDPXVNZld_fEE-0RKrSmQ8SfVB90Yvl5ja5xYq1vOylCocWRdv5XBzhj-qP83b8t80MfJ/s1600/Korea+pt.+23+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTMp7EFERPMLWyyZcF2ikxUg-_kB64qalaIpPxVFBBOSezJJLCHppPsV2sn0hivJ64eOxxnJTDPXVNZld_fEE-0RKrSmQ8SfVB90Yvl5ja5xYq1vOylCocWRdv5XBzhj-qP83b8t80MfJ/s320/Korea+pt.+23+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> A month just dissipated before my very eyes. Like the exhale on a frost covered morning. The month floated off, twisitng in the winter silence.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> February has brought a lot for me to contemplate. I guess it's just like any other day or month. Everyday brings new experiences, fresh views, and complex questions. But unlike what Don McLean sang in his song 'American Pie', February didn't make me shiver. It brought me closer to my center, closer to my contentment. But I still have many mountains to climb. </div><div style="text-align: center;"> To sum up my February in a few words... We all should be aware of the future and the inevitable change it will bring and the lessons of the past. But living and life happen now. I will prepare myself for tomorrow by embracing today. </div>21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-65864033135050668512011-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:002011-01-31T07:00:04.225-08:00Waiting At times I feel like i'm waiting for Godot.21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-78721391301411527322011-01-29T01:42:00.000-08:002011-01-29T01:42:26.861-08:00The Weather I phoned myself today and had a great conversation about tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Most Californians understand that they're spoiled in the winter months. The mercury seldom drops below freezing. There are periods of spring like conditions in the middle of January. It can even trick the trees into an early bloom. <br />
In most parts of California there is a reprieve from winter. Not so much in Korea. When the sun is out, the air still stings. Gloves are a necessity, not just a comfort. If you're caught outside for an extended period with uncovered ears... expect an ache. Well insulated footwear is a must. (and something I should invest in.)<br />
These are no secrets to the multitudes of people who actually experience a true winter year after year. Even myself, a native Californian, could grasp the idea of what a four month winter could feel like. But now here I am in month number 3 and I'm ready for my reprieve. And just think, this weather is mild compared to what friends of mine from Alaska, Colorado, and Ohio have to put up with.21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-90128628674695048982011-01-15T05:08:00.000-08:002011-01-15T05:08:38.800-08:00The Corner I stand at the corner. The man flashes red. The low dull rays of the winter sun do little to warm my face against the stinging winds. I'm bombarded with crystalized water. Every swirling seige impales my face. Cars zoom by, their cargo protected from the chill for the time being. Delivery boys on their scooters cut through the traffic, but the cold cuts through them.<br />
I stand at the corner. The man still flashes red. The mighty sun has lost this battle. It can not excite the atoms. The frigid grip of old man winter has slowed time itself. Pain is emanated from the creeking and screeching of every turning vehicle. Their brake pads sound brittle and controted. Buses lumber along like aging old men.<br />
Red lights never use to be so cold when you were standing next to me. Your body pressed against mine did what the sun tried in vain. As much as I may have wanted time to stand still... as tight as winter squeezed... we couldn't stop the red man from flashing green.21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-35493985987254351682011-01-14T17:19:00.000-08:002011-01-14T17:19:39.111-08:00Older What is it about getting older? I assume most people begin to reminisce about past achievements and failures and how they wish they could go back and change a thing here or there. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about that once in awhile. But then it isn't very constructive second guessing your decisions and living in the past. Plus, I have a different bone to pick with getting older.<br />
Why can I not sleep in anymore? Seriously! What chemical in my brain decided to switch on within the last few months that has disabled my slumber mode? Today for instance. It's a Saturday morning, right around ten. This would've been a perfect time to wake up after falling asleep around 1am. (Had to watch 6 episodes of the Inbetweeners! Good show)<br />
But instead, I've been tossing and turning in my bed since 5:30am. And the only reason I haven't gotten out of bed yet is because I have principles! But now I'm just getting bored and I guess I need to get outside and make something of my weekend. I can already hear my dad's voice, "Quit sleeping your life away!" <br />
No chance in that happening. I haven't been able to sleep my life away since I got here. Maybe it's a gene from our prehistoric ancestors? Something to do with survival? At 32 I'd have been an elder statesman in my band of hairy, stone-tooled, hunch-backed relatives. I would've needed the ability to wake up earlier then my younger counterparts in order to secure my food for the day. That has to be it!<br />
"Quit sleeping your life away!" That reminds me of another saying my dad had. "Wake up and meet the sun half-way." As a teenager, needing copious amounts of sleep, I would point-out to my dad, at 6am, that meeting the sun half way, could actually mean meeting the sun when it was halfway done with its day. Noon. He didn't by it, but it made perfect sense to me. I don't wanna sleep my life away or even meet the sun half way, but I would like the ability, again, to enjoy a few extra hours of sleep on a weekend. <br />
I don't mind getting older. If approached correctly, you'll actually mature and grow as a person and become less of an egocentric twat. I just hope the change in personal and worldviews doesn't go hand in hand with hearing loss and bed wetting. 21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-33797724534795699212010-12-21T07:34:00.000-08:002010-12-21T07:34:39.859-08:00DecemberDecember has rushed by faster than a Brian Wilson four seam fastball (WORLD SERIES CHAMPS!)<br />
<br />
*Yea, I'm still excited about that one!<br />
<br />
Work is a continuous joy and so are my students. Don't get me wrong... there are days that they drive me batty, but that's to be expected. Work really doesn't feel so much like work. I enjoy preparing my lessons... I enjoy helping my students develop a second language. I've said it before, but I know that teaching is what I need to do. Whether it's in Korea, the States, or anywhere else. <br />
<br />
My birthday came and went in a flash. I spent it with a few friends. We went to what we thought was going to be a huge German festival, but it turned out to be five tents, a skinny santa, some sausages, and hot wine. Not even saurkraut?! What kind of German festival is that? I had half a mind to start a book burning party. Ok, yes, that joke may be in bad taste...<br />
Nonetheless it was a good time with friends huddled around a propane heater sharing a drink and a powdered sugar sprinkled waffle.<br />
<br />
Thailand! Christmas! It's only three days away! I'm looking forward to Bangkok and exploring the city, temples and local fare. But my heart and mind are really set on Phuket and Naki Island! Away from the hustle and bustle I will slip into a blissful state in which I will not want to return from. <br />
<br />
December tried to sneak past me... but it didn't go unnoticed. It's been an amazing month. One that will be with me for the rest of my days. The days and nights may be bitterly cold but the snow still melts underneath my every step.21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-29155328578244136322010-12-01T06:39:00.000-08:002010-12-01T06:39:34.336-08:00A CulminationNo matter how hard you try to remain unflappable and centered, a day will come along that just sort of pushes you around a bit. I've had time to go through the day and think about this and that and I feel centered again. My day began like any other day. Walked to work, clocked in, and started preparing last minute items.<br />
<br />
Within ten minutes of being at work I inadvertently upset one of my close friends. Realizing my error I quickly apologized... but that feeling of disappointment in myself would hangover my head the rest of the day.<br />
<br />
Twenty minutes later I was told I was to have a parent meeting with a concerned parent. That had my mind racing about what the concerns were. I began to question my teaching... was I doing a good job? I pressed on.<br />
<br />
The meeting went well and the conversation was very productive. But I still didn't feel like I was doing a good job, although the director and immediate boss reassured me I was. I guess everyone can have doubts from time to time... and I try to take those times as opportunities to better myself and focus new found energy on the task at hand. But inturn it can be unwanted stress and distract my mind from clear thoughts.<br />
<br />
After work I was able to unwind at the gym and focus on non-work related issues. As I walked home I stopped by Kate's place to say hello to her and her friend Leslie. In less than twenty minutes I was walking out the door feeling a meriad of emotions... Irritability, frustration, embarrassment, and pretty much down right foolishness. What I thought was turning into an arguement was a total misunderstanding... And by the time Kate and I cleared the air on Skype I felt like the biggest shmuck in Korea.<br />
<br />
It's funny, I tell myself all the time to think before I speak... choose my words and have meaning and purpose behind them... but it's inevitable... my mouth must like the taste of my foot. Nothing terrible happened today. No catostrophic event... I wasn't fired, wasn't even talked to sternly... it was just a parents meeting that I was nervous about... I didn't get in a knockdown dragout fight with my friend, it was just a misunderstanding... <br />
<br />
Today was just a day that flicked me in the nose and said, "Pay attention!"<br />
Message received.21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-90846161128589814892010-11-27T20:00:00.000-08:002010-11-27T20:00:10.640-08:00A Cup of Coffee pt. 2 "Good morning! Can I help you with anything? Our coffee is freshly ground and brewed every morning.", she said in an unrehearsed tone.<br />
He replied with a hint of hesitation in his voice.<br />
"Yea, that sounds like a good way to start my day."<br />
His attention was else where, she could tell. He was still finishing his fleeting visions of the robust crowd engulfed in smoke, song, and dance.<br />
"Is it a daydream?" as she look directly into his overted eyes.<br />
"Uh... sorry, it's just the counter here just made me think of another time and place."<br />
"I get that a lot. Before I bought this place it was a local watering hole. The bar was something I just couldn't part with. I've researched the company that made it and it seems this was shipped all the way from London around the early 1920s."<br />
"That's really interesting. If I owned this place I would've probably had to find out where it came from to."<br />
"Here's your coffee. Why not have a seat. No sense in just standing next to the bar."<br />
"Good idea."<br />
"You know you look kinda familiar. But I don't think I've seen you here before."<br />
"No, you probably haven't. Actually I know you haven't. This is the first time I've ever been to Torry Lake."<br />
He took his first sip of his black coffee and looked at her with tired eyes. He tried to hide his weariness, but his unkept hair and wrinkled collared dress shirt reeked of a red-eye flight and a two hour drive from the airport.<br />
"Hmmmm... I'll think of it before you finish that cup of coffee."<br />
She stared intently for a moment studying his face. An uncomfortable silence fell across their little corner of the shop as he glanced up from his cup. There she stood a foot away while the corners of her mouth began to rise in heart felt recognition. She knew why he was here. He felt she knew. He felt somewhat foolish but knew he couldn't leave. He needed to see this through no matter the end result.<br />
21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-81997097724211613162010-11-23T03:21:00.000-08:002010-11-23T03:21:22.762-08:00InwardThe downtrodden man rises from the ashes of despair.<br />
The chains of social acceptance no longer restrain his imagination.<br />
They no longer control his movements. <br />
The black-rimmed glasses of third party perceptions are calmly, yet forcibly smashed in the presence of ordinaries.<br />
<br />
He does not claim to be extraordinary.<br />
He is just a man.<br />
But he refuses to fall in rank and file.<br />
He will no longer model himself in the eyes of others.<br />
His vision of himself will shine through.<br />
It will blind some with enlightenment and leave him unrecognizable to others.<br />
<br />
Today and forever more he lives with purpose.<br />
Those who can not except his metamorphosis matter less and less.<br />
The focus becomes inward... <br />
Life becomes more meaningful when he strips away the superfical, social posturing.<br />
Contentment is followed by peace... relaxation... bliss...21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-25451769815861555462010-11-19T07:09:00.000-08:002010-11-19T07:09:54.249-08:00A Cup of CoffeeThe brass bell attached to the top corner of the old oak door rang as he pushed his way into the quiant coffee shop. The smell of freshly roasted coffee and sandal wood incense made an aromatic refreshing pair. <br />
<br />
Buried in their books, laptops, and writings, the patrons barely acknowledged his presence. He made his way to the counter which was situated against a very old and worn brick wall. As he approached he noticed the counter didn't belong in a coffee shop. The polished mahogany stretched almost the entire span of the wall. It brought an image forward he only had read about and saw in movies. A 1930s speakeasy. That's where this handcrafted bar would have been more suited. <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just as he began to invision the burly doorman, the brass band playing some swinging toon as the women in their flapper dresses danced with reckless abandon; a woman popped up from behind the expansive bar. She was easily twenty years his senior but the years had been extremely kind to her. The contours of her face and neck blended sentually with the golden brown color of her shoulders. Her dark auburn hair was cut short to show off the nape of her neck. He was struck by this unexpected and pleasant feeling. She radiated a warming auroa, her smile said everything he needed to hear. Little did he know, that cup of coffee would change his life.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Fm12QZ9CkuVsivKI_ZIL70L3fDim2aNQUxkY4OWFVWmBzr0-HD5BmP3FD9qX6fwNkDr1aJhGCECaznq8dKqWgpyUhlOoB7hAsFmG_0_R48ncqg2HekG_aVVB77EuFO9fz6J12gJ9_YNj/s1600/Korea+pt.+14+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Fm12QZ9CkuVsivKI_ZIL70L3fDim2aNQUxkY4OWFVWmBzr0-HD5BmP3FD9qX6fwNkDr1aJhGCECaznq8dKqWgpyUhlOoB7hAsFmG_0_R48ncqg2HekG_aVVB77EuFO9fz6J12gJ9_YNj/s320/Korea+pt.+14+098.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-6461227447986792592010-11-12T06:34:00.000-08:002010-11-12T06:34:09.673-08:00My Routine There is a fine line between being stuck in a rut and becoming comfortable and content with a routine. I'm definitely in the latter. The honeymoon phase of Korea is over, but there is still excitement that lurks around every corner. I still venture out through the subways, connecting cities, and meandoring trails along the river. But my day to day life has become the foundation of my happiness. I like waking up every morning with a purpose... I like the fact I'm doing what I love... teaching. I get to walk to work, I don't have to drive. I like going down stairs at lunch and eating with my fellow teachers. I usually just sit back, eat and listen to them talk about their day. I'll add to the conversation once in awhile but I like listening... I like getting off work at night, going home, throwing on my gym clothes and walking with my friend to the gym. When does a routine become a rut? Well I'll let you know. But for now, I'm happy and content and living in the moment.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOXmTZQ-Spt3qQrwuK_RcGDbAj6MCTD_YPRONAFM6REqtW-74ZKoHHm5Ou3VyxwmF_tUebJuyHzErokTkD_OxwUq57eJG-qFaXtNivQnit4vAMpIP_Pc0mLIeA-R4lD4nFmYbrsy39khe/s1600/Korea+pt.+13+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOXmTZQ-Spt3qQrwuK_RcGDbAj6MCTD_YPRONAFM6REqtW-74ZKoHHm5Ou3VyxwmF_tUebJuyHzErokTkD_OxwUq57eJG-qFaXtNivQnit4vAMpIP_Pc0mLIeA-R4lD4nFmYbrsy39khe/s320/Korea+pt.+13+002.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-89462359560619737362010-11-01T21:19:00.000-07:002010-11-01T21:19:42.544-07:00Addiction Emotions are a very strong thing. They can be a great motivator or a crippling hindrance. The funny thing is, all emotions are, are chemical reactions in our brain. When you start to really think about that the more we just might view ourselves as addicts. Is it a long leap in thought to go from a heroin addict to a person addicted to the feeling falling in love gives them? Does it cheapen the thought of love or any of our other emotions by looking at it in such a matter-of-fact way? Does it make it any less wonderful? I still like the feeling, but some of the mystery and wonder of it all are lost. Sometimes not thinking or understanding how things work can be a blessing in disguise. I wish someone would come along and become addicted to me.21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080962585260833293.post-13527674540821926162010-10-31T01:49:00.000-07:002010-10-31T01:49:41.434-07:00Stayin' In...Last night a few of use went to the college area of Seoul near Hongik University. It was a good time filled with music, drinks, dancing and rubbing elbows with some locals. Today, though I felt fine from the activities of the previous night, I was what you'd call a slug. I left my apartment for about an hour to go on a walk... but other than that I've been inside fiddling around with some chores and the computer. I'm now starting to get a little bit of cabin fever! I would have to guess this maybe only the 2nd time since being in Korea that I vegged out all day... I mean I still woke up at 7:30am and here it is almost 6pm! Aggghhh! I guess sometimes the body and mind just don't need outside stimulus... sometimes they need to turn off and go on autopilot. <br />
<br />
I can't believe it's going to be November already! It's moving so fast I need to really get organized and have a clear vision of what I'm doing next... Obviously it's been on my mind a lot... I've listened to advice from family and friends and I hear a reoccurring theme... Things will work themselves out... I believe that... but they will only work themselves out if I pursue that in which I want... Sometimes I don't think I'm as actively involved in my own life. My attitude was one of, "Oh well... maybe next time" "No big deal" "Something will come along" and I see the laziness in that attitude now... I understand I can't control every aspect of my being... but I need to start controling those things in which I can.<br />
<br />
Alright I gotta get out of this cave!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7O0ZJJGah1l_EwzJaJ-6D06WvNBe41Ak7mvK_Nupr8skQRxPsQGIgvPWkmaRTwP1xB0jTfT3NDnHvDu9tJD-iltO9_iwwzsVn5jlI6OAl1UP14L6y2w26hMh6V0sxLnvXSs37CiQTClz/s1600/Korea+pt.+12+061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7O0ZJJGah1l_EwzJaJ-6D06WvNBe41Ak7mvK_Nupr8skQRxPsQGIgvPWkmaRTwP1xB0jTfT3NDnHvDu9tJD-iltO9_iwwzsVn5jlI6OAl1UP14L6y2w26hMh6V0sxLnvXSs37CiQTClz/s320/Korea+pt.+12+061.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>21stCenturyTeacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09446550439292176712noreply@blogger.com0