tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82287390526924115522024-03-14T05:58:57.731-07:00The little engine that couldDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-54365326368746947072010-12-05T19:57:00.000-08:002010-12-05T21:01:36.948-08:00Time Out<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNS_Y1IKttc5oMl3WmFKvqD4wCBsD-zmed79WckbRxVn40XdTMVg_tPuu9Wuc8y9vsh_necbCHONOGVxOSVPhz1uMXD0EeX3QzNN_41Yz3hbQ2-xdQikBa9CTwSip97vUrGXOgk8e4lo9M/s1600/IMG_0020.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNS_Y1IKttc5oMl3WmFKvqD4wCBsD-zmed79WckbRxVn40XdTMVg_tPuu9Wuc8y9vsh_necbCHONOGVxOSVPhz1uMXD0EeX3QzNN_41Yz3hbQ2-xdQikBa9CTwSip97vUrGXOgk8e4lo9M/s320/IMG_0020.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547424830490045634" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mDnvZeVNtcIb0WSfA-nNyXaFCMOs9SjsXChDlMiA3SYQZN0ExVKab64NA08esWdcskYvnrC2F5p-C_jtqdUQSYLgNYsuEnsGJR5of0rCXequC0tFIPqhFmtAY43K2mHxseVj8ZQj-D3p/s1600/IMG_0020.jpg"></a>I've been up for six hours now and I'm still in my pajamas. I've got a full cup of coffee, a fuzzy green blanket, and no desire in the world to move. I should move. I should buy groceries, mail christmas presents, wash dishes, do laundry, and find dinner. But in actuality, I don't really HAVE to do anything. Everything can wait. That's the beauty and curse of living in Korea- Few responsibilities, lots of free time, and no pressure to conform. No one expects any of the foreigners to be anything but different. And those, are easy shoes to fill...</div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-32825436850687337242010-11-29T05:57:00.000-08:002010-11-29T17:03:39.468-08:00As most of you probably know, things are pretty tense in Korea right now. North Korea and South Korea are on the brink of war, and no one can predict what will happen next. Everyone seems to have a different way of coping with the situation- some of my friends are completely ignoring the news, and others are planning their escape routes. I feel like I'm somewhere in the middle. I've started carrying a copy of my passport in my bag, and looking for places to go if I must leave Korea. I say the word, "BOMB," several times a day and think of the word, "BOMB," several times more. On the flip side, I've also been contemplating going back to school next year in Daegu, and moving to another branch. That's right, I've been thinking of staying even longer! But what will happen next? Only Kim Jong-il know the answer to that. Hold on to your hats!Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-39458561236765251362010-11-03T22:32:00.000-07:002010-11-07T05:42:02.387-08:00Tricks and Treats<div>Halloween this year was very exciting, and it was probably the silliest I've had since I was a kid. Sometimes it seems like the longer I stay in Korea, the younger I get! ;)</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJF3N3017ntTJv2NuW-rYuhIQnkHyJQ2I5RzbZKGADFURIDzVhnzWjoPYmkDpeV-BfvljhW2MEUBBFU3obXOf-3n1f1QhabWhfVngqfylju3Rw6A9rkbPm-9Lep_f3HhZehOTJ3zu2yLS/s1600/minni3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJF3N3017ntTJv2NuW-rYuhIQnkHyJQ2I5RzbZKGADFURIDzVhnzWjoPYmkDpeV-BfvljhW2MEUBBFU3obXOf-3n1f1QhabWhfVngqfylju3Rw6A9rkbPm-9Lep_f3HhZehOTJ3zu2yLS/s320/minni3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535566090494824930" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7WYSjaYUcqgm-g-3uq5aO-Gn2zhErCKCvwuzqcBufeO3Ly4cjZBvo2cksZQJr9EP8maR2lQ0uxZblFx-aWHTsvUkEqGk3FVw-fUpG0gqG0s8E9EU58l5nGuKvYCPquCETnd_EwWeX2sD/s1600/minni2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7WYSjaYUcqgm-g-3uq5aO-Gn2zhErCKCvwuzqcBufeO3Ly4cjZBvo2cksZQJr9EP8maR2lQ0uxZblFx-aWHTsvUkEqGk3FVw-fUpG0gqG0s8E9EU58l5nGuKvYCPquCETnd_EwWeX2sD/s320/minni2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535566086829155362" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TBkaMWkV-EZ3jiDAQfDY6Lwj4U-WTIIAHAsN11GOH1kYd1wUk_mKgwGFKddnVGJIVzKNhLmYFwOoJm-Zao38SW3m741ytRORlDjee3L4DKFO-XeJRBMUonsrbfB64qQSFW6dSsUVJXBm/s1600/minnie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TBkaMWkV-EZ3jiDAQfDY6Lwj4U-WTIIAHAsN11GOH1kYd1wUk_mKgwGFKddnVGJIVzKNhLmYFwOoJm-Zao38SW3m741ytRORlDjee3L4DKFO-XeJRBMUonsrbfB64qQSFW6dSsUVJXBm/s320/minnie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535566075533097570" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-59483926174165398262010-10-12T20:31:00.000-07:002010-10-12T23:03:06.072-07:00Thinking Pink<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSqnrSiDGUYYmRJokyDxtix57C6MOR2N0HWbR_bDhz3RDfu2vwF0NKDSIbfxPE7_4n41t-3UmmEQpawuLdJMWOulZwNsI7XGnDz8fPgWzIxz4F9t3hicrSgloSQP7EmfYLJ3YPuHBChOv/s1600/bc.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 391px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSqnrSiDGUYYmRJokyDxtix57C6MOR2N0HWbR_bDhz3RDfu2vwF0NKDSIbfxPE7_4n41t-3UmmEQpawuLdJMWOulZwNsI7XGnDz8fPgWzIxz4F9t3hicrSgloSQP7EmfYLJ3YPuHBChOv/s400/bc.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527386056919225618" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It is breast cancer awareness month, and I've never been more aware! My mother is now in complete remission, but my own health has me concerned. My grandmother, cousin and mom have all been diagnosed, and the doctor says I am at high risk. He also said I need to get a mammogram as soon as possible. I don't think I would feel so bad about this if I was in Canada, but trying to deal with my health in Korea is very stressful. Tomorrow I will venture into a women's health clinic, where I'll awkwardly ask, "Do you speak English?" This will probably be followed by, "Doctor? ENGLISHEE?" What will happen after that is anyone's bet.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">There are lots of little things to think about too: Does birth control effect my chances of getting estrogen based cancer? What about drinking soya milk? Should I give it up just in case? And how many other things should I be avoiding? No, this is not the time to tell me some quote about living your life in the NOW. Yes, I know that stress causes cancer too..</span></div><div><br /></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-32460590936930733602010-10-11T16:29:00.000-07:002010-10-12T20:26:04.731-07:00When I was a kid, I was totally obsessed with singing the "Hi, My Name is Joe" song. I recently taught it to one of my classes, and they too fell in love with the button factory. Here is one of my favorite classes performing one of my favorite childhood chants:<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyNn-eV9b-oRkVvPiWyQHBmBvDt0hofnihQLbTDDsIFuj0ly2J9Aum6KY8GO6T-92swKz-JPINVxq3RIsws7A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-18591737565768403322010-10-05T07:09:00.000-07:002010-10-05T08:18:10.925-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Today I had a student salute Hitler in my class. for some reason he thought it was going to be hilarious, and I think he was quite surprised when I threatened to kick him out. When I asked the kid why he thought Hitler was so funny, he said, "Hitler made war!" Why do boys daydream about going to war? What makes them think that blood and death are such awesome subjects? I obviously don't understand, and that's probably a good thing-wanting to be a princess is far more sensible anyways. My classroom will continue to be a war free zone as long as I'm a teacher. I might even install an invisible metal detector for all the invisible guns my students like to carry. And as for Hitler? He'll have to learn English somewhere else. </span>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-15642090717414877182010-09-30T20:31:00.000-07:002010-09-30T21:05:15.226-07:00Today at Taekwondo, one of the ladies said, "Diana, how do I spell Wednesday?" After I told her the answer, she responded with, "Diana, how do I spell Porno?" Obviously her Wednesdays are more exciting than mine!Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-78718374559884752862010-09-16T20:46:00.000-07:002010-09-16T20:48:28.552-07:00Quote of the Day<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Teacher, you are a small tower."</span>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-59637114375020680632010-09-13T22:51:00.000-07:002010-09-13T23:05:36.881-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4merqIeFMTr377AFg1Ie9IqnkozWCZMRfpRAU5XERbKzp-n-4rR-HxSZ9pjEKIpKT7BQB9F3i_zqycXbKKPDUOHzjDJxD9z8FJw5YMCrW9HTsthV4CilLnP98nXzG3fP8ABG0mmhBaqAg/s1600/WaltDisneyWallpaper1024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4merqIeFMTr377AFg1Ie9IqnkozWCZMRfpRAU5XERbKzp-n-4rR-HxSZ9pjEKIpKT7BQB9F3i_zqycXbKKPDUOHzjDJxD9z8FJw5YMCrW9HTsthV4CilLnP98nXzG3fP8ABG0mmhBaqAg/s320/WaltDisneyWallpaper1024.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516644810264646898" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><table cellspacing="0" width="100%" style=" margin-top: 5px; font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><p style="padding-top: 3px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"Crowded classrooms and half-day sessions are a tragic waste of our greatest national resource-the minds of our children." ~Walt Disney</span></p><p style="padding-top: 3px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I wonder what Walt would think of the Korean education system? </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></span>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-52181962261171574972010-09-07T07:00:00.001-07:002010-09-17T22:01:04.497-07:00Grub<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqgTQUcB7AdzlXyUCh188w8h9sqEMXidkvXQp0sZCiwBqGNuHDfyjn38WK5yELSa4a9fSqRYB830qhF2gDQq3rG5u1AyiBapVATkhwuSU5qH21HVkFqGlgi9RwxkKmApP6DcHj53ezVPk/s1600/IMG_2006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqgTQUcB7AdzlXyUCh188w8h9sqEMXidkvXQp0sZCiwBqGNuHDfyjn38WK5yELSa4a9fSqRYB830qhF2gDQq3rG5u1AyiBapVATkhwuSU5qH21HVkFqGlgi9RwxkKmApP6DcHj53ezVPk/s400/IMG_2006.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518113860258926850" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bnzVQFqo685R2Op0snyUIggz6OlD_DVlf2P_fp9B4xaMHuMZxNeHPSl6O1gGgTSWmtX6PvovJPtja1_p2s2KtDai9WKe4sRqj79EAzIPERFRvVqbfv0NxBl9I8zvmjvAvWYmRHQXEpH0/s1600/IMG_0080.JPG"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">How many bugs have I eaten since moving to Korea? That is a question I ask myself far too often. I seem to be fighting a constant battle against insects. First, I have a colony of little red ants who live in my apartment. They crawl across my keyboard, they sit in my chair, and they eat all of my porridge! It's actually come to the point where all of the food I own is either in the fridge, or has never been opened. Yet as hard as I try to keep the bugs from getting into my dinner, they make their way in before I've even gotten the groceries home. Today, when I was cutting up a new head of lettuce, I had a little red worm slither out of the leaves. And it wasn't too long ago that I found slugs napping on my celery. As happy as I am that I found these creepy-crawlies before I put them in my mouth, I can only imagine how many I missed! Yuck! I hope they were high in protein..</span>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-25925760663526330822010-07-28T09:04:00.000-07:002010-07-28T09:28:57.933-07:00Packing for Canada<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Day 1:</span></span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1) Spent an hour downloading music from 1995.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2) Counted the amount of carrots I have left in the fridge.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3) Pulled out a suitcase.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4) Stuffed all of my old taekwondo belts into the suitcase.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5) Exchanged some money.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6) Tidied my desk at work.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">7) Printed my itinerary. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">8) Bought candy and alcohol. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">9) Made a little pile of important papers.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">10) Confirmed with my Mother that I want Nachos on saturday night.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">11) Wrote a blog. </span></div></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-51562808990116005992010-07-23T07:46:00.000-07:002010-07-23T09:18:03.184-07:00Girl Talk<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I have one class of all girls, and they usually want to talk about boys. They tell me all about their school crushes, and their future rock star husbands. Yesterday, I decided to ask them what kind of guys they would actually want to date, and this is what I got:</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span><br /><div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxPVpes6uht898SkwCshp1tmeoRCw4Illv5iq77w0POIwMgs-rrgGOZCgztSyeD8rfyf6aTyBCfr1yUE1JJMw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-1238482540324213812010-07-13T07:15:00.000-07:002010-07-19T18:50:03.490-07:00A Month of Good News<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdyvtQCccgcvaN5aVPk6xCmBCuhfwbhkG1rYSOeB6_UKdWREUDmJWrtGdHNVJPmJG0QNi3e7x29okbjFgnd1Nf9PzdlBcD3-Ux-WuIRdFqyf9FPqM6pj5bBaTgGejiRsCRNG8pl3_EVSh/s1600/IMG_1709.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdyvtQCccgcvaN5aVPk6xCmBCuhfwbhkG1rYSOeB6_UKdWREUDmJWrtGdHNVJPmJG0QNi3e7x29okbjFgnd1Nf9PzdlBcD3-Ux-WuIRdFqyf9FPqM6pj5bBaTgGejiRsCRNG8pl3_EVSh/s320/IMG_1709.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495639733176631698" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">I just passed my black belt test in Taekwondo, and I couldn't be prouder of myself than I am today. A lot of this has to do with how difficult the month of June was for me. I was so stressed out with my personal life that I almost convinced myself not to take the test. Tired, sad, and worried, it took everything I had to get up in the morning and go to class. While training, my mind was constantly drifting to my problems at home, and on more than one occasion, I bit my lip to keep myself from crying. It was one of those times in my life that I'm not exactly sure how I persevered, but I did, and it worked! To make this moment even more rewarding, my mother has gone into complete remission. At the time I took this test, we were still waiting for the results, and she had asked me to drop-kick cancer's ass on her behalf. So that's exactly what I tried to do; I punched an invisible disease around a large auditorium while my Mother tackled the real thing at home. Together, my Mom and I fought like ninjas, and together we passed our tests. In receiving my black belt, I feel that I have both fulfilled and old dream and won an epic battle. This belt will forever signify the potential to achieve any goal, the power of endurance, and the courage to get through anything..Even on the other side of the world.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYTbRPndtDJROs-E8lDASmts-q2kkwoXjEZUQtV_VS-BbMAK3t8dZcU0OcvtvwHsytlH6ufqYMGir5uyqBislkFlTVWNgzxWakOSKaAbX6XijRjCIKbert6ohThUiK6oZzqIE4gr8vEWg/s320/IMG_1692.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495638003893486338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwoHDeEfo_zErZJJWvTtoZNt8z6m6h45dFIz6GpCWzIukJ2StgVkIWoL8yTU86oGiCy2AgdYerqemCQj-sWlsWg0Ahb8n5rPcWg8CL1ooh44h0eKyEm0e2WsBP5U8vJ43KL1ktp16fib1f/s1600/IMG_1697.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwoHDeEfo_zErZJJWvTtoZNt8z6m6h45dFIz6GpCWzIukJ2StgVkIWoL8yTU86oGiCy2AgdYerqemCQj-sWlsWg0Ahb8n5rPcWg8CL1ooh44h0eKyEm0e2WsBP5U8vJ43KL1ktp16fib1f/s320/IMG_1697.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495636047075931522" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-5004368535583710252010-06-24T18:00:00.000-07:002010-06-24T18:53:30.986-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZ5N12f02pRNDYbqdwHWL1Fp_uFqPbOuAVz2YjLQJ8v2-8qH2RZdz2Q9tHWDGIk5aLYuG-IsxYNfC3PvIJM5Z39rY-kYN5XnuGlFCpcOWGyhJa11NxNIbDwPfEgTKhrsf-IW94ADpuR3A/s1600/IMG_1411.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZ5N12f02pRNDYbqdwHWL1Fp_uFqPbOuAVz2YjLQJ8v2-8qH2RZdz2Q9tHWDGIk5aLYuG-IsxYNfC3PvIJM5Z39rY-kYN5XnuGlFCpcOWGyhJa11NxNIbDwPfEgTKhrsf-IW94ADpuR3A/s200/IMG_1411.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486511548206053522" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Student: Teacher, how old are you?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Me: I am twenty-eight. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Student: Oh, you look thirty-one. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Me: Awesome. </span></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-22254396758112451662010-05-26T08:07:00.000-07:002010-05-26T09:05:11.005-07:00NoticeDiana, her thoughts, and this blog are temporarily out of order. Please email for updates instead. Thank-you. <div><br /></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-22229652551699229142010-05-09T08:29:00.000-07:002010-05-09T09:28:31.624-07:00어머니<div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPWMztrJHdze6STop2u0z3XaQejdwYyh6aRIaz26wCnnM0Dwwi1YH4wJ2v8GhVmhyphenhyphenOvk3Eqf1WoghEKTcDe6r0RJXLhCashx6ZZbpMkSd4Mdqq46K_8f_709m-ft__q-zAalN1Wizk605/s1600/mom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPWMztrJHdze6STop2u0z3XaQejdwYyh6aRIaz26wCnnM0Dwwi1YH4wJ2v8GhVmhyphenhyphenOvk3Eqf1WoghEKTcDe6r0RJXLhCashx6ZZbpMkSd4Mdqq46K_8f_709m-ft__q-zAalN1Wizk605/s320/mom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469306559427176722" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If the apple doesn't fall far from the tree,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And I get to be like my Mother,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Then I'm luckier than I thought I'd ever be,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And I wouldn't change my life for any other. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Happy Mother's day. I love you! </span></div><div><br /></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-89843030367600163722010-05-05T18:22:00.001-07:002010-05-05T18:27:01.186-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A watermelon costs sixteen dollars in Korea!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLeKDd-zvkCrkUjDX_OGIhbUcBz_wP3aDktUmAmB_Ehyphenhyphen35h8O2uxx18CHOyEtNHKSrjvC1RbqZ-RNw8Nc9bW4x8DmChTJ12KwsxGzIR3DdplP-zDQSMawqhGe1M6WLr_JC2VxF9ksLUGY/s1600/watermelon.gif"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLeKDd-zvkCrkUjDX_OGIhbUcBz_wP3aDktUmAmB_Ehyphenhyphen35h8O2uxx18CHOyEtNHKSrjvC1RbqZ-RNw8Nc9bW4x8DmChTJ12KwsxGzIR3DdplP-zDQSMawqhGe1M6WLr_JC2VxF9ksLUGY/s200/watermelon.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467962100394978338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 200px; " /></a></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-1652299396957118222010-05-04T21:39:00.001-07:002010-05-05T18:20:29.389-07:00어린이날<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HBzgdcaJKklAhw3VLpKieU0_evE3YY6oqmoOzdT_BB3p-tnQJZgBFHHRqUD_rNjP8KrP-qJfBxqRrnMTQkCUV7cqU3skLY-IZXrMhq-CuUqHeeackjAIz768-Wcqj85NmtSzGU0wA60W/s1600/IMG_0118.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HBzgdcaJKklAhw3VLpKieU0_evE3YY6oqmoOzdT_BB3p-tnQJZgBFHHRqUD_rNjP8KrP-qJfBxqRrnMTQkCUV7cqU3skLY-IZXrMhq-CuUqHeeackjAIz768-Wcqj85NmtSzGU0wA60W/s320/IMG_0118.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467662594925168930" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Today is Children's Day- Which is a public holiday in Korea and a time to celebrate kids. This means, most people get the day off to have fun. Luckily for them, the weather is perfect for playing outside! However, some schools are still open and mine happens to be one of them. I already know that the kids will be hounding me to play games and I haven't decided what I will do yet. I don't blame them for wanting to have fun and I definitely understand why they don't want to be at school. I don't want to be at school either! I have a feeling my inner child will win this round.. ;)</span><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUH4OkMjhOcH32x6aabWKV86vjbGaBmcV_7I57tq08tkMDZ9J-e86Chqw48rLFJ7ysQuT9JczS7au43eaMg0Sp81TP937TUYDIZ8mWag41BDWdm_BUAjqHZ6gROec2hgOK0oRYsbp5kBe/s1600/IMG_0122.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUH4OkMjhOcH32x6aabWKV86vjbGaBmcV_7I57tq08tkMDZ9J-e86Chqw48rLFJ7ysQuT9JczS7au43eaMg0Sp81TP937TUYDIZ8mWag41BDWdm_BUAjqHZ6gROec2hgOK0oRYsbp5kBe/s320/IMG_0122.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467662605884498370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PHYw2Gv5x3pDi6kKcM8IFEoSZAbLSnbmY8x7XNDf6wDb7tpm2ZKiRl8M2pgqOR8moMYoccZ0WWeQzBQ1AQCfuqzcoq_NT64bMDG22zOy3tAyMUoy8uzW19CGTJZjffV8euPMxCIvsm5G/s1600/IMG_0099.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PHYw2Gv5x3pDi6kKcM8IFEoSZAbLSnbmY8x7XNDf6wDb7tpm2ZKiRl8M2pgqOR8moMYoccZ0WWeQzBQ1AQCfuqzcoq_NT64bMDG22zOy3tAyMUoy8uzW19CGTJZjffV8euPMxCIvsm5G/s320/IMG_0099.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467662607926640146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-75235744231086459182010-05-02T06:40:00.000-07:002010-05-02T18:08:38.764-07:00빨간 띠<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhYDdDkdbt5rk-xliLIOZl1IwoZ7hNm_OB6vddmYb9aLKLFWggxuwWOvnJmB5dLfCJuHhhxRFadD4VBHATUoAQzYdMkezT_tHDONHpSItrdoUbdIfwUx67i5wYkDEOKnpsomv-W84xBpM/s1600/IMG_1263.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhYDdDkdbt5rk-xliLIOZl1IwoZ7hNm_OB6vddmYb9aLKLFWggxuwWOvnJmB5dLfCJuHhhxRFadD4VBHATUoAQzYdMkezT_tHDONHpSItrdoUbdIfwUx67i5wYkDEOKnpsomv-W84xBpM/s320/IMG_1263.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466681385422585874" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Since the last time that I wrote about Taekwondo, I have graduated from a blue belt to a brown and then on to a red. If you are thinking that this seems incredibly fast, I would totally agree with your assumption. I am not sure why we are moving at such a quick pace, and I wish we were advancing through the ranks a little slower. I don't want to rush into getting my black belt. What's the point?! The process has always been far more rewarding than receiving a new belt.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpco6Ek4h-r82Lm9oIxnd6sjI9888_DOy28JkyNxiJ6CWI1SebQp8MIT0N9miGx-2n23twFlNiBBCMDa-ooQtUXXW1lJQb36jlYapwO8hkbU8lquSN_dKqvs_8Jca6lbwG2c6OXPYzzPG/s320/IMG_1283.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466681378130344082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Nonetheless, we have started mentally preparing for our black belt test. The first step in getting ready was watching a group of other students take the exam. I certainly underestimated what a huge production this is going to be. There are hundreds of participants, 10 examiners and an audience of parents. I know I'm going to be exceptionally nervous! Here are some photos of the stadium where we will be taking the test, and a video I made of the opening acts: </span></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1PnrD_SnVUIZS66ujDt0rwOicjfGH8FRl2SoEQsfbfQ7eZB4fAMTbEwxu7dcFAtVLuRpI9r8Eu4zX6mpMTy2DS3DCTIsnwC6z0glveC-mGLnktkdCezToa6YLi-V9wWUDjFN6ERQ__Bl/s1600/IMG_1267.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1PnrD_SnVUIZS66ujDt0rwOicjfGH8FRl2SoEQsfbfQ7eZB4fAMTbEwxu7dcFAtVLuRpI9r8Eu4zX6mpMTy2DS3DCTIsnwC6z0glveC-mGLnktkdCezToa6YLi-V9wWUDjFN6ERQ__Bl/s320/IMG_1267.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466681686292039058" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /><div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EzrN55DqFB8PqHIOh-CzNuvo-8nybpgv8kRWOCpwKFGttPlRwwFPxZNOnoV5Dbc0k6I3u7GkY6Dt2h9NbdTOUkphXgGc_yAePDeP68Ccx_37RegiNBAHcucpDBBFqysFWY7ZH1bAakmQ/s1600/IMG_1275.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EzrN55DqFB8PqHIOh-CzNuvo-8nybpgv8kRWOCpwKFGttPlRwwFPxZNOnoV5Dbc0k6I3u7GkY6Dt2h9NbdTOUkphXgGc_yAePDeP68Ccx_37RegiNBAHcucpDBBFqysFWY7ZH1bAakmQ/s320/IMG_1275.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466682721598038178" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzSXBVUplB-0e9HbQ4fJ_kJOi-R7wyh7Qc4PwvORqpqwdpwp06WSwyXkYIa-PhNqHkGVKxU9hQJv1VyAnqCWQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-75920019224013729852010-04-29T07:45:00.000-07:002010-05-02T18:11:40.898-07:00Home as a Holiday<span><span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Did I mention that I re-signed my contract? As long as everything goes as planned, I will be staying in Korea until August 2011. However, I am still going home this summer, and I'm already daydreaming of Halifax..</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Here are the top 10 things I'm anxious to do, see and taste:</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1) I want to hug my Mother!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2) I want to sleep in the spare bedroom and cuddle with my cat.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3) I want to drink my Mom's filtered coffee with a spoonful of vanilla flavored sugar.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4) I want to visit my friends.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5) I want to swim in Long Lake with Chareen and then go for a beer at Tom's. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6) I want to eat a home cooked meal with my family.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">7) I want to go to Cape Split.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">8) I want to go shopping for shoes.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">9) I want to speak in full sentences everywhere I go.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">10) I want to take A BATH!</span></div></div></div></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-42812198344795197702010-04-22T08:23:00.000-07:002010-04-22T18:06:47.678-07:00<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In March, my Korean friends took me to a place to make pottery. It was a great day in the country, and I really enjoyed doing something different. I also appreciated the chance to be creative, even though my imagination was strictly monitored. I think they were afraid that since I am a foreigner, I wouldn’t know how to successfully do something Korean. As soon as I accepted the supervision, I realized it was more beneficial than not. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Even with all the coaching, I did manage to screw up my mug! When I went to put the date on the side, I wrote May instead of March. I didn’t know how to fix the mistake, so I decided to change the incorrect month into a word. Now my mug says, “May your cup always be full!” It is a rather corny quote but it did make us laugh. On the other side of the mug, my friend Cindy wrote the saying in Korean. We thought it kind of balanced out my mistake and made it more special. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After our masterpieces were finished, Cindy cooked us sweet potatoes over a fire. My hands were freezing and it was delightful to warm them up with a tasty treat. They were by far, the best potatoes I’ve ever eaten. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Yesterday I got my mug back and it turned out better than I expected. You can’t really see what we wrote on the sides but I still think it’s lovely. The sentimental value definitely improves its beauty.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Here is a photo of my newest cup and matching spoon:</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-yXhDOIuwiZAx4Wn0KPFwBeaGAdsk_-h7N9zSKHed-l1lXU81kWgdPVs5r4qu5HxyFwM15Pc-LYOyrfb1fMNxKITNZALpwrCRahVmxJGF_9uC94ECILwiaMbOIrHH8obdE3JAhvyW5Cx/s1600/IMG_1240.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-yXhDOIuwiZAx4Wn0KPFwBeaGAdsk_-h7N9zSKHed-l1lXU81kWgdPVs5r4qu5HxyFwM15Pc-LYOyrfb1fMNxKITNZALpwrCRahVmxJGF_9uC94ECILwiaMbOIrHH8obdE3JAhvyW5Cx/s400/IMG_1240.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462983229534955282" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></span></span></span></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-20240219818826515522010-04-10T20:34:00.000-07:002010-04-09T22:45:06.848-07:00Smooth Talk<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">One of yesterday's discussion questions was, “when you are hurt, what makes you feel better?" A geeky boy in the back of the class raised his hand and said, “Diana teacher makes me feel better.” If this kid was trying to get me to like him, it worked. </span></span></p>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-75965393374835599802010-04-04T19:51:00.000-07:002010-04-22T08:55:27.508-07:00A Hot Cup of Choices<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDawtP1JqGGHrOcJDSxBIoak-FrF1bs7-ptCetZUEbkdKXqU18cUy37n003Hmnp8FUocTHbIOu4ZU7gvUdc04Vzt9357JQj7d7HkC642wg0N3EHnE4o-XqE7CldkpXEPMOlxe4GDGPXGJ/s1600/teacups.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDawtP1JqGGHrOcJDSxBIoak-FrF1bs7-ptCetZUEbkdKXqU18cUy37n003Hmnp8FUocTHbIOu4ZU7gvUdc04Vzt9357JQj7d7HkC642wg0N3EHnE4o-XqE7CldkpXEPMOlxe4GDGPXGJ/s400/teacups.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456485298081450898" /></a><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This week I have to decide if I want to sign another year contract or not. I have been flopping back and forth with my decision for quite some time. A part of me wants to stay and another part of me wants to leave. I feel like staying in Korea is a practical choice and that there has been no real reason to go home. I kept thinking to myself that life would be, “</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">so much easier</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> if I had a reason to return to Canada.”</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Now it turns out, I may need to go home, and it’s ironically </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">so much harder</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> than staying put. It is all especially daunting since my decision is now partly based on a family member’s health. Of course, family is more important than anything else. It is amazing how trivial ones problems become when something of real significance actually presents itself. Or even the possibility of something significant presents itself! I don’t actually care about much other than this right now.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I will know by the end of the week, what my next move will be. Until then, I will probably occupy my mind with some sheet music and a good book. Hopefully this will make the time move faster and ease my anxiety. Everything works out the way it’s supposed to, right????</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Today’s poem. I’ll stop doing this soon. Maybe.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You are a teacup,</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">and I’m your matching saucer.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Without you, I’m only a little plate. </span></span></p><p></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-90911718146523404162010-04-04T08:10:00.000-07:002010-04-04T20:12:18.895-07:00An Easter Away<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGqUX0KnZOo79cm3qnT5IViOMLPqh0nRmXtn8qkutk59rVk8CZoKJeo-JdYUsw4jNvL3CCyWGWczvoC_ocLQbTsziNbzUmekKgSs_9bEzftJUSzqPGGnLG0c5v3lMNtpYZMDXXFDNygr9/s1600/IMG_1133.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGqUX0KnZOo79cm3qnT5IViOMLPqh0nRmXtn8qkutk59rVk8CZoKJeo-JdYUsw4jNvL3CCyWGWczvoC_ocLQbTsziNbzUmekKgSs_9bEzftJUSzqPGGnLG0c5v3lMNtpYZMDXXFDNygr9/s320/IMG_1133.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456300433224877650" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It is Easter Sunday and the weather is beautiful. To celebrate all things good, I went for a bike ride around town. Actually, my plan was to get OUT of town but this turned out to be much more difficult than I expected. I also didn’t anticipate the amount of construction and traffic lights that would interrupt my ride. I spent a good chunk of my adventure with one foot on the ground, and another chunk of it having starring contests with Koreans. Even though I won each stare down, I was irritated that they were gawking at me in the first place. Yes, I am foreign. Yes, I can ride a bike. Perhaps I sound like a jerk, but it isn’t fun being watched every day. Obviously today, I was feeling defiant. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">On a brighter note, I spent some time investigating spring’s latest arrivals. It is really exciting watching flowers I’ve never seen before come into bloom. I also attended an Easter party at a friend’s house. We painted eggs and ate chocolate until we were all too tired to paint or eat anymore. I’m really happy someone took the initiative to make Easter special. I think a little home away from home was just what we all needed. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; ">An Easter Haiku:</p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br /></p> <p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; ">You are much sweeter,</p> <p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">than a bowl of mini eggs,</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">but both I can’t reach. ;P</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_VXtczJxxPhUUOfY1ganX4mwgwnVs21zxuPV6lVncsA22uqzT2I6SL10H4h6SB0HuYc2Ut_qHSYtY1oZbplGICBKtPPayROjJGOqX9FRHoPZ4_mZc_SVIrztkjb3AuFQsmiA5581lTu1/s1600/IMG_1126.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_VXtczJxxPhUUOfY1ganX4mwgwnVs21zxuPV6lVncsA22uqzT2I6SL10H4h6SB0HuYc2Ut_qHSYtY1oZbplGICBKtPPayROjJGOqX9FRHoPZ4_mZc_SVIrztkjb3AuFQsmiA5581lTu1/s320/IMG_1126.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456302743608992098" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRRAb4vAIafxQ78dHaP0-r3hpxkyRBFXsc_1Caytm4tf7HY0eWgIjxRUtAptyeykUlJcoSuU_aoM_lvDGHxZU1nPsqGULzl0V5hSB-O-TnNHIRSNSHXsyySLtRp-0DSWc7mEX3ppBsBZv/s1600/IMG_1172.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRRAb4vAIafxQ78dHaP0-r3hpxkyRBFXsc_1Caytm4tf7HY0eWgIjxRUtAptyeykUlJcoSuU_aoM_lvDGHxZU1nPsqGULzl0V5hSB-O-TnNHIRSNSHXsyySLtRp-0DSWc7mEX3ppBsBZv/s320/IMG_1172.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456301605835931762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></span></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8228739052692411552.post-31001293173536662532010-03-26T21:59:00.000-07:002010-03-27T01:09:31.365-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjes3_YMPh2J3K3ls_ufz768cjbC2iClUgyBw-wHvGst0Uj2R_KK1PBxfK29e2rbw4GAySnCssW4CWWReNYNmQ_XZxwpOwNG5JZsyOZ5GRWCi6-J7lUcDP_YJc5tRAb8eqJMJSJOdwK7lK4/s1600/cat.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjes3_YMPh2J3K3ls_ufz768cjbC2iClUgyBw-wHvGst0Uj2R_KK1PBxfK29e2rbw4GAySnCssW4CWWReNYNmQ_XZxwpOwNG5JZsyOZ5GRWCi6-J7lUcDP_YJc5tRAb8eqJMJSJOdwK7lK4/s320/cat.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453174135243186338" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I like words that begin with the letter C. Here is a list of some of my favorites: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;">c</span>ircumstantial, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33FF33;">c</span>oincidence, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FF99;">c</span>onvenient, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#00CCCC;">c</span>ontrol, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#009900;">c</span>omfort, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6600CC;">c</span>hoice, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC33CC;">c</span>uriosity, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;">c</span>onsideration, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33FF33;">c</span>onsume, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#66FFFF;">c</span>ompassion, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6600CC;">c</span>ompromise, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#00CCCC;">c</span>ommunication, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF99FF;">c</span>onfidence, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6666CC;">c</span>ourage, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;">c</span>ommit, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#009900;">c</span>ontinue, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;">c</span>reate, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF6666;">c</span>hange. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ahh! Aren’t they strong and beautiful?! And each word holds such meaning! It is possible that these are the most important words in the world. At least in my world! </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The letter C <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC33CC;">r</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#00CCCC;">o</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC33CC;">c</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">k</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC33CC;">s</span>.</span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04125330186519903808noreply@blogger.com0