Like Riding a Bike . . .

So here it is. Blog post number 70. I wonder what this one will bring...


It's been quite a while, my dear readers. I've been rather busy with the edits on the book I've been writing. Things are looking really great, I must say. The story is becoming much more cohesive now, which is fab. Today's editing meeting threw me for a loop though. The reason, you ask? Well, one of my main characters has to write a poem.

Now, most of you who truly know me, know that I got my start writing the girliest poetry known to mankind. My first poem was written at the tender age of eleven and it was about a picnic. We went through this unit in fifth grade where we all had to write poems and share them in the class (if we so desired). There was a boy in my class that would always write about war--and it was always wicked graphic and I remember thinking "ew." hahah My, how I've grown since then.

Truth be told, I haven't really written a poem since I've lived in Seoul. That's almost three years, if you're keeping score. I've been so busy with blog entries, short stories, and this particular novel that when I sat down to write the poem, I stared at the blinking cursor for ten minutes.

I'm reminded of a particular scene in Hamlet 2 where Steve Coogan's character acts out the creative process. It's genius. If you haven't seen it, well, just don't ever say I never gave you anything.

Writing is hard, incredibly hard. But what other reason do I have for living? Well, I suppose that's not accurate. But writing is what I love. And it is ultimately what I want to do with my life. So there's that.

So, I know what you're thinking. Come on, Shea. If you got your start in writing poetry, what's the big deal?
Well....

I not only have to write in a form that I haven't been using lately, but I also have to write as if I were a 12 year old girl. And that is proving itself to be a difficult task. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's going to take some time and a whole lot of revisions.

I think it also has be said that I'm a little scared. I haven't written in prose in a while. What if I can't muster anything up? Writing is not like riding a bike. Or, maybe it is. A really scary bike that is willing to fall apart at any moment...and it's filled with reflective mirrors so the world can see your pain. And the mirrors squirt lemon juice in your wounds.

Okay, I'll admit that that particular scene is a bit dramatic. But you're still reading, right? So..yeah.

In other news, I have a wicked cold right now. Or maybe it's allergies. The change in seasons was rather sudden this year. So I'm currently riding this out. My voice is not the same tone at the moment--my register has gone much deeper. Which is cool, but it's not a sultry, husky voice. I just sound like a boy going through puberty. Hooray?

There has been a lot of updates that I have been rather negligent about, so I will do that all soon. I promise.

Until then. This will just have to do. Besides, I have a poem to write. ^^

Respect

Let's take a moment, how ever brief, to consider the human body. Or what you think you know about the human body.

Ok. That's long enough.

You probably thought of a healthy human body--or maybe you didn't. And perhaps you thought of the most beautiful kinds of bodies. Maybe your imagination ventured off to a medical text book with velum overlays of skeletal structures, nervous systems, and muscles. Then again, maybe it was a sketch you did in your period three art class in high school.

How many thought of the limitations the human body can have? What kind of limitations? Well, that all depends on the individual.

I know my own limitations, and I do try to push beyond them by hitting the gym. So this year, when I was given the opportunity to see some amazing athletes and dancers at R16, you better believe I was all about it. R16 Korea took place on July 13th and 14th at Olympic Hall in Seoul.

This is my second year witnessing the awesome power that encompasses R16 Korea. Last year was completely mind blowing, so I knew that this year would be no exception. Foreigners and nationals alike braved the battling rain (hello Monsoon Season...) and were able to become part of a movement that has certainly taken the world by force.

Unfortunately, my camera's memory card has malfunctioned and I cannot seem to upload any of my pictures from the actual event. My friend John did happen to take some pretty amazing shots on the second day (especially one random picture of Jay Park at the after party at Club Able in Itaewon).

So let me break it down for you.

Salah, the world famous popper was there as a judge and he performed during the second day. Jinjo, the winners of last year's best performance award served as an amazing opening act to Leessang's "Hard to be Humble."

There were some amazing individual performances on Day one--most notably that of Bboy Blond, a Korean native who now reps for SKB, an Australian crew.

When the judges came out to oversee the poppin competition...well...that was one of the highlights for me.



But the real story is about the winners: Korea's Morning of Owl. When they came out as the last crew in the showcases, I saw so much beauty and art being put forth into their style of dancing. They are so very light on their feet and while other crews are battling in the old school style, there is no way that any crew can compare in their quickness. I was worried each time Japan stepped up to battle, the same way I get nervous when the Yankees play my beloved Red Sox. You know they are good. And there is a lot of pride on the line, even though I am a foreigner living in Korea. You want Korea to win. Whether it's soccer, Dokdo, or a bboy competition.

But Korea brought it. They gave respect and it was given to them in turn.


So if you're ever in Korea, visiting me, or just coming out on your own, you need to check out this scene. It's thriving, much like this peninsula. Korea really is an amazing place to live, work, and above all, enjoy your life.


Respect.

c

A Step-by-Step Guide to Enjoying the Rain in Korea

Hello Rain! No..not that rain...this rain.


So yeah.... The rainy season is upon us in Korea and what have we to show for it but soggy feet because we were unprepared...Well consider this your guide to enjoy the rain while you're in the ROK. 'Tis the season, after all..


Step One: Get the gear.

Korean Monsoon Season survival depends on the best gear. So get the rain boots, for sure. But since you're in Korea, opt for colorful umbrellas. On the sunny days, they double as parasols to keep that pesky sun away.

And yes, get a cute one. Here is one I procured while in Itaewon.

Step Two: Shoes. If it's not rain boots, it's flip flops. **Note: this is my own personal preference. Do what you will.**

Step Three: Leave Early. You're not getting a cab in this weather.

Step Four: Soundtrack.

On the days where the rain is fairly light, I go for the Amelie soundtrack. It can make any drizzly day seem like a walk in Paris.

Step Five: Make it a Parisian Day!


Go to Paris Baguette or Paris Croissant. Get a baguette. Be French for the day. No one is watching. It's cool.

Step Six: Watch where you are going.

If you're not careful, you're going to step into a massive puddle or hit someone else's umbrella. And that's awkward...

Step Seven: Enjoy the rain!

Weather should never dictate how you're going to enjoy the day. So just enjoy everyday you're given! Even if the humidity causes your hair to go a little cray. ^^

On Creating

So living for two and a half years in Korea has stunted my culinary skills. Not that I had much prowess to begin with.... Cooking was much more of my sister's thing. Still, I enjoy creating things in the kitchen and the like, even though my kitchen is teeny weeny. I currently reside in what is known as an officetel.
As you can see from the link, the kitchen is über small. And this is when I first moved in--I have stuff now. Lots of stuff. And while I have grown to really enjoy living in such a small, yet incredibly functional space, being able to only use two burners kinda sucks, or at least puts a limitation upon what I can do. Also you'll notice there wasn't an oven in those pictures. I have since procured a toaster oven and a microwave, but trying to use those in the summer just heats up the entire flat and its just too hot.

So around the first of July, I went to the foreign markets because I was craving some feta cheese. When I lived in Chicago, every night there was feta on the salad--even if it weren't a Greek salad, there it was. I was soooo tired of it and longed for something else. Now feta is all I want. Oh life, how funny you are.
While I was out I actually found some Kalamata olives and some Greek yogurt. I haven't had Greek yogurt in two and a half years.

Plain yogurt in Korea is like vanilla flavored yogurt back home. It is all way too sweet and nothing is as thick as Greek yogurt. My Yia Yis used to make her own yogurt, but I never bothered to ask her how she did it. Anyway. I was ELATED about finding Greek yogurt. I even posted a picture of it on facebook in my excitement. Yes. A Picture. Most people post pictures of their children, their loved ones, their pets...me? Greek yogurt I find in the foreign market.

Anyway. Because I found the yogurt, I was reminded of one of my most favorite recipes from my childhood. Chicken with yogurt. I know it sounds strange--but trust me, it's delicious. I gathered most of the ingredients that I could find (had to get a can of chicken broth, some cayenne pepper, and some chives). Only I couldn't find the chives. ANYWHERE.

So last night I ran to the local mart to grab some green onions because I heard that they could be used as a substitute for chives and ended up getting a bunch of veggies to sauté. But first...first...the chicken with yogurt.

I didn't have the recipe sitting in front of me, so I had to go by my memory of when I last made it, which was over three years ago. And it actually came out to be pretty good. ^^ I was worried for a bit but once I got it on my plate, it tasted just right--at least how it always did.
As it cooled, I began sautéing my veggies (yellow and red bell peppers, button mushroom tops, onions, garlic, and zucchini) and it was glorious. I was happy to be creating something within my cramped kitchen.

Here is a picture of the chicken with yogurt:

And the sautéd veggies:

So I guess having a small kitchen really has nothing to do with what I can create. I have always had everything I've always needed. I was just blinded by a simple notion that what I had wasn't enough. And trust me, I have enough. I am enough.
And the same is for you.


Love and Light,

c

On individualism

As an American, I have been brought up with the notion that Individualism is best even though collectivism works well too. We should strive to do our best, to be self motivated, yadda yadda yadda. I loved Emerson's view point of Self Reliance.

There’s a river flowin’ in my soul and it’s telling me that I’m somebody. Trust thyself. Don’t look to others...look to oneself. You can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.

In college, this helped me get through so many trials of paper writing.

And indeed, it is quite something to be motivated enough by one's own self.

I do see the value in collectivism. But of course, being the American, I looked at it, patted it on it's head and said, "Oh, that's nice dear."

There is a Japane proverb that states, "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down."

And I always found fault with this. As if this brand of thinking was imploring us to be the same, no matter your beliefs. No matter who you are. You are not yourself. You are your family. You are your culture. You are your people. There is no you. There is only we.

Obviously, you can imagine how this bothered me. But I didn't get it. I still could not see.

Then I started reading a different Lois Lowry book, "Number the Stars" where one of the Jewish characters in the story is telling her friend's daughter (a Danish girl) to take a different route to avoid being seen by the same German soldiers that were occupying Copenhagen:

"They will remember your faces," Mrs. Rosen said, turning in the doorway to the hall. "It is important to be one of the crowd, always. Be one of many. Be sure that they never have reason to remember your face."

And then I got it. When you are in a country that is being occupied, you have to remain faceless. It is safer. Korea is no stranger to being occupied. I get it now. And America has never been occupied. But we have been occupiers. That is for certain.

This is not to say that individualism is wrong for any reason, but collectivism isn't wrong either. But it's just funny how things are made to be "wrong" when they are not a value within your own culture.

More on this later.

xox,

c

Think of something clever....doh!

I sneeze in pairs. True story. I know people who sneeze three times in a row, but I'm not one of them. Even if I sneeze 5 times in a row, I know that one more will be coming to even it out.

I haven't the slightest as to why I just gave you that interesting (was it really?) tidbit about me. Maybe so you would feel that you know me a bit more. Maybe so you could find someone else like you. Words, feelings, memories are meant to be shared.

Let that last part sink in.

Words. Feelings. Memories. They are meant. To be. Shared.

I just finished reading Lois Lowry's book "The Giver" because I am teaching it to my highest level student. He is so wonderful to talk with. He is a 6th grader and he loves books. And he loves talking about them. Analyzing them. He isn't afraid to say he doesn't understand something, which I find that many students are. He is probably my favorite student that I teach because we can just sit and talk about books. The concepts of them. The themes. Whatever.

We have read some challenging ones together: "Farhenheit 451," "The Lord of the Flies," and now "The Giver". Next we are reading "The Red Badge of Courage." I remember reading that on my own at the request of my dad. I really enjoyed that one so I hope he will too.

I hope that once I start having children of my own that they will come to find solace in books as I have. I know that some kids just aren't into them...but I will be one of those parents who will avidly read to her children and take them to a magical place called The Library. ^^

As far as book editing is concerned... (yes. Not much of a transition there) it is finished. Hallelujah!!
We finished up the editing last Sunday and sent it off for a proper assessment. The assessment editor will tell us if we have everything ready to go or if we need to edit further. I'm obviously praying for the former but all in all, I just want the book to be perfect. So if it's another round of edits to get it right, then so be it.

It's just been nice to have somewhat of a life back. Not that writing is a terrible waste of one's time. But it is consuming in time, energy, and sometimes sanity. But there is nothing I'd rather do. I love teaching children in Korea but I know it won't last forever. But who knows? Maybe it will.

I will have more time to update the blog now that I'm seemingly done with the edits. So there is that. But if you care to have more of a connection with me, you can always follow me on twitter: @thatsheagirl

Summer is in full swing in Korea, which means it is incredibly humid and hot. Not a fan. I didn't care for it in Florida and I certainly don't like it here. But at least I can have a fall, winter, and spring to look forward to.
So that's something. But to be honest, I'm sitting in Starbucks, admiring the view. And from where I am sitting, all is beautiful. I just won't go outside. ^^

I suppose that's all for now. See you soon.


Love and Light,
c

On Stories...

So we've reached the third round of edits for the book. Everything is so much clearer now, it's rather amazing how one little idea formed into such a massive project. The way that a wink can be ever so subtle and can result in a fifty year marriage with a slew of children and grandchildren. Spring is certainly in the air, here in Seoul. Everything is blossoming with the mind set on fruition.

I should actually be writing the story right now. But I feel I've neglected the blog ever so slightly and you are all in a need of an update.

When last we spoke...or really, I wrote, I was discussing words and their power. Poetic? Absolutely. But true nonetheless. Said blog entry was created on March 10...It's now May 5. (Happy Cinco de Mayo to my Mexican amigos...to my French amis...Well, you can still drink right?)

In Korea, it's also Children's Day...which means I can't go to a park or go by The Han...unless I want to be around a slew of families. I don't have anything against families. I love families. I love my own...most of the time. ^^ I'd rather not venture out today. Which is why I am holed up in a Starbucks, doing some research and some writing. Yes...that's the story I'm sticking with. ^^

Today I do want to talk about something though...I want to talk about stories. And the reasons why they were made up. To entertain? Surely. But let's take mythology for instance.

Mythology was used for explaining things that had no real explanation. Like how a spider was created. Or why wars were waged. This was the case of the Greeks. Hundreds of stories came from the gods they created. When you hear about these stories, especially the ones about Zeus and his conquests, you think "Eww. What a perv." Being that I am of Greek decent, I'm not at all surprised. Years later they did give the world Oedipus, mind you. Democracy too, yes. But Oedipus. And Yanni. Need I say more?
The Romans were no better--they copied their gods from the Greek ones. At least this is what the Greeks are told. "Everybody stole from us." ^^

As children we are told mythologies from Greek and Roman tradition but from other cultures it is a little hard to come by unless you are of a different culture/actually wish to study it. I read Celtic myths on my own and I have done minimal research on the Indian and Norse Gods. Egyptian? I never really heard stories from them. Just how they influenced Egyptian life. So I did some research. And yeah, there were actually some stories. It wasn't just all hieroglyphics and ways to explain their daily lives. I know that sounds really ignorant of me, but I was never taught this back in school. I learned that Egyptians made beer, made paper, and there were tons of crocodiles in the Nile, solidifying that I would NEVER want to take a dip in it (have I ever mentioned I'm deathly afraid of alligators and crocodiles??).

When Neil Gaiman came out with his amazing book American Gods, he sparked my interest again with mythology. But it's taken a long time for this spark to catch fire.

Lately I have been doing a lot of research on Egyptian mythology...all for the book I'm writing. Hint Hint. ^^ Will my mom think it's strange that I'm not using Greek mythology? Probably. Will I be the recipient of the dreaded Greek Guilt Trip? More than likely. But doing this kind of research has really made me miss school. I loved doing research and finding hidden gems that were in sync with what I was writing. I think that is one of my favorite part of the writing process...doing the research. Coming up with ideas. Seeing how the story unfolds... saying, "What if..."

I wonder if that is how myths truly began.

Like a conversation.

"Father, why does ____________ happen?"

"Well, a long time ago...."

And a story was created. Or perpetuated. The dots all connecting between an actual occurrence and an explanation. That moment that all the dots are connecting, yeah. I'm there.