Snap Happy

The last two days I have spent time snapping tons of pictures in the hopes of getting a few good shots with my new camera. I have sifted through all 122 of them and bring my favorites to you here.

Around the House

The Cafe Street in Jukjeon

Insadong Market in Seoul

Indian Food in Insadong

Things I Got From My Mom and Dad - Or - New Camera Pictures: Day One

I have really been missing my Dad these past few days, and thankfully, I still have my amazing Mom. Below is a picture of my mom and I, that was taken just today.

I was showing off my new camera.

Anyway, she made these awesome socks for me. Isn't she fabulous?! Go ahead, be jealous.

I know, I have high arches and a slight cankle.

I took a lot of pictures today, playing around with my new camera. One of my subjects became a wedding ring that belonged to my Dad. For some reason he had two identical rings, so my sister and I each have one. We wear it on a chain around our necks. This ring is very important to me and it is one of the few physical belongings that I have left of him. I really miss him today, and I really like how this shot turned out.

A Long Time Coming

In my attempt to create a more positive year filled with exploration and challenges, I have pushed back paying off my debt, and purchased my first DSLR camera. I have wanted to purchase one for several months now, but it was pushed back by tragic circumstances at the end of last year.

This week I found a Nikon on sale and researched it before I made the big plunge. I was too intimidated to open it last night, so this morning when I awoke at the unfortunate hour of 8 AM, I decided to dig into my new gear. There are a lot of features on a DSLR camera so I will be learning for quite a while, but I feel really excited about my future photos.

Below is the VERY FIRST PICTURE ever taken with my new camera. I understand that just about everything about this shot is wrong. Like I said, it is a big learning process.

These People Know How To Accessorize

It is hard to describe the plethora of accessories one can find in this country. There are entire stores dedicated to "hair wear." The other day, one of my second graders had the cutest guitar barrette I have ever seen. She was kind enough to let me take a picture, so I did.

The Beauty Of The Crane

While riding the bus to work one day, I watched a woman fold a small crane out of paper. When we got to her stop, she left the crane on the windowsill for a stranger to find.

Another time at a tea house in Seoul, there were hundreds of tiny, colorful paper cranes pinned to the ceiling.

At work, from time to time, one of my younger students will fold me a tiny paper crane as a small gift.

I decided it was time to research the significance of the crane in Asian culture, and I liked what I found. The crane represents a lasting soaring spirit, health, and happiness. They also symbolize good fortune and longevity.

Absurd Korean Moment #8

I don't know about you, but I get an instant stomach ache when I am driving and see police car lights flashing in my rear view mirror. Heck, I even get a little nervous when I see them flashing in front of my car. Well if I were to drive a car in Korea, I would have a constant stomach ache behind the wheel. Let me explain. I have observed that Korean police cars always have their blue and red lights flashing. Even when they are just driving down the road normally. So how does one know if they have committed a traffic violation? You must listen for the siren. The only way to know that you're being pulled over is to listen for a sound, there is no visual to tell you that you have been caught. I am not quite sure the reasoning for this and couldn't offer any explanation, but I know I would not be a fan of it if I held a drivers license in this country. But hey, if it works, it works, I will leave it alone.

Sorry Bless, I'm Afraid You've Lost Your #1 Spot

No child in Korea is actually named Jenny or Billy. They have chosen those names. More likely their mothers have chosen those names for them to use while at English academy or during interaction with a foreigner. The reason for these English monikers probably stems from the lack of Foreigners who can pronounce some of the sounds in their Korean name and/or maybe a longing to feel westernized for a few hours a day.

Well, many of you have heard me talk about one of my students named Bless. If you are curious, I already asked and, yes, his family loves Jesus. Until today, he held the top spot for strangest English name of all my students. But my new student takes the cake. I even took a picture to prove that I am not making this up.

Do not envy me that I have to keep a straight face every time I call Jewelry for role or to answer a question. This is going to be a big challenge...welcome to 2012.

The Year Of The Dragon and New Beginnings

Happy New Year!

"The year of the dragon is traditionally associated with new beginnings and good fortune. Generally, it's predicted that any new venture may benefit from the outstanding luck often associated with the dragon. Therefore, 2012 will be a very good year to get married, have children, or start a new business."

It's the start of The Year Of The Dragon so I had to ring in the new year with a Dragon shaped ice cream cake. Hopefully I don't get cancer...(if you are confused please reference my last post.)

The new year has allowed me some time for reflection. I had an absolutely tragic end to 2011. Losing my Dad threw me off the wagon of optimism and made me slip back into the comfort of pessimistic thinking. December 2011 was the hardest month I have lived through in all my 26 years of life.

I have now made it my goal to start fresh in 2012. I spent last night with a friend and we discussed our goals for the new year over a dinner of cheeseburgers and wine. Classy, I know. I am in the process of planning adventures in 2012 so that I can continue growing and learning and smiling and challenging myself. The way I see it is that with every new and fun experience, my Dad can live a little through me. I feel like he is with me now, so I have this new-found responsibility to show him things he was never able to see in his lifetime. This gives me motivation to keep going, even though sometimes I don't want to. This gives me motivation to turn my thoughts into actions, even though sometimes it seems too hard.

My battle with pessimism has never been easy and I will continue to fight it. I know I will still be sad sometimes and it's ok to be sad. I just can't let that sadness control my life and how I live it. I will fight hard to find joy where it is easy to find sorrow. Hopefully, I have the luck of the Dragon on my side this year, and hopefully, my new beginning will be filled with good fortune.

  

 Here is to a New Year filled with 

Hope and Luck and Joy and Love

for all my family and friends.