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Path of Forgiveness

25 Feb

Good morning to you!  Wherever you are in the world!  It is a quiet Tuesday morning at Gyeonggi English Village and the second day of my “weekend”.  While I regularly teach the young readers of Book Club on Saturdays, on Sundays I now seem to be a “free agent” of sorts for weekend programming.  I never know what I might end up teaching!

This past Sunday was launched with a three and a half hour class teaching cooking to a room of about 30 Korean elementary school students.  And while, for the most part, they were a good bunch… I couldn’t help but think that this situation would be suitable for Jedi training.  You know, learning to keep one’s cool and center in the midst of a great deal of activity, distraction and sometimes… chaos.  It was nothing out of hand… the expected repertoire of elementary classroom behavior.  There was some hair pulling, a little physical fighting, crying… and we can’t forget the ceaseless cries out for “Teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher…”  Yes, that would be me.  And luckily, also the name of my competent co-teacher for the day.

We made cinnamon rolls.  First, we organized the students into tables and gave each student a number.  When their number was called they came up front to get their designated ingredients.  In the spirit of practicing English, each student has to ask for the ingredient in English before we hand it over.  For some students, this is a walk in the park. For these young students, sweet as many of them were, the basics of English were still very new to them.  As I was handing out ingredients, I had to laugh at my reverent nature and bend towards the serious… with the echo of my Catholic upbringing and twelve years of Catholic school.  When I met each student solemnly one by one, I felt like I was giving out communion.

This past week continues to be a defrosting of sorts as winter, while still a bit of a nag, is starting to back off.  I can’t help but notice the sweet return of the birds consoling us that, yes, it is still cold out but it is almost over… we hope! With the thaw out comes the personal desire to lighten up and shed some metaphorical skin!  And so I have been doing a bit of reading.

The book at hand is  The Forgiveness Habit.  It is written by a friend of mine from the Landmark Education community, Jo Anne Rotermund, and has been on my radar for years.  It was only recently, at the suggestion of the friend, that I made the extra effort to download the book and began to take a read.  Now two-thirds into it, I am impressed by its fresh, simple and practical approach to the much traveled topic of forgiveness.ForgivenessHabit

The book begins with a survey of the forgiveness landscape.  What is it that keeps us locked in anger and makes it so darn difficult to simply forgive?  She offers a smart analysis of the paradigms of external and internal power. When we swim in the paradigm of external power, she says, we are locked in the pattern that someone outside of ourselves controls our happiness. She invites us to take note of sneaky little habits like “blaming” and “being right” and to simply notice them.  I couldn’t help but see how these habits perpetuate the dynamic of external power which leaves me feeling… powerless. When we are blaming or being right, we are operating in the paradigm of external power which denies ourselves access to our true strength – internal power. In truth, after years of spiritual reading and exploration, it was the first time I really “got” how these habits perpetuated feeling like a victim.  It is only once we begin to dance in the construct of internal power that God’s grace can take a hand!

As the journey continues, she introduces lovely new habits including gratitude and reverence.  Anyone who has explored their own healing and spiritual journey has likely knocked on the door of gratitude before.  It was a true pleasure to find it again here… in the context of forgiveness.  It was a good reminder to restore an old habit for the benefit of cultivating forgiveness.  Additionally, she introduced the habit of reverence, which she suggests is most easily accessible through quiet daily time with nature and the outdoors.  This was a welcome invitation to come out of my winter hibernation and begin to reconnect with nature again if even for a few minutes a day. These two simple tools feel like stepping-stones that can lead one through any challenge, burden or bitter past.

Jo Anne offered so many rich explanations of the cultural context of forgiveness.  It was truly liberating to read and filled me with a whole mess of “aha!” moments. This book is just one element of the World Forgiveness Initiative supported in part by Reverend Desmond Tutu.  Worth checking out!

As my weekend has already leaked into Tuesday, I look forward to a quiet day of tending to things at home and around Paju before returning to work tomorrow.  Good-bye for now!  Wishing you a warm and wonderful day!

Featured image, the frozen waters and quiet pathways on the grounds of Gyeonggi English Village.

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Adventures in Healing

18 Feb

It’s Tuesday at English Village.  The second day of my new weekday-weekend and my time off is quickly slipping through my fingers. I am spending a little time at home.  Quieting down.  Settling into my bones.  Enjoying a simple meal of a veggie filled omelette with some quinoa on the side.

Now that the Lunar Holiday has passed and I’ve been back to work, my life and job are quite different at English Village.  Gone are my intimate weekday classes with small collections of young English readers as the weekday Bookclub program is no more. The program continues on Saturdays only.  Wednesday through Friday I am back with the masses teaching the often bustling programs of our middle school students (and sometimes elementary, high school, university and adult students) here for just a week or a few days.  It has felt surprisingly good to return to teaching these classes.  While at times the sheer number of students in these programs can be overwhelming to me, it seems my more personal teaching time with a small group of regular young students has brought some benefit to me.  Returning to the older students I have noticed subtle changes in my experience in the classroom.  I feel more present with the students and a bit more at ease and laid back in the classroom. And while I enjoy and appreciate good content, it is clear to me that the first priority is simply to connect with the students.

Positive experiences aside, it was still good to return to teach Bookclub on Saturday.  I appreciate its simple nature of two regular teachers and a small collection of familiar faces. I enjoy the basic lessons we prepare for them newly each week. Two of my Saturday students who used to be in the youngest weekday classes have now “graduated” to the next higher reading level. It is really a delight to see their sparky little faces participating well in the class.

The weekend, now newly located on Mondays and Tuesdays, is of course still a welcome break. Earlier today I used some of my weekend time to take a bit of an adventure in healing with Korean traditional medicine.  I have heard from other expats and locals alike that acupuncture is very affordable here in Korea.  Even better, there is a clinic in Paju just a short taxi ride away.  So, in my earnest continued explorations for healing on all levels, most notably now my long-term pain from an injured ankle and a persistent stiff neck and painful back, I thought I would try it out.

For me, any excursion beyond English Village can turn in to an adventure.  While the clinic was just up the road, I took a taxi just to be sure I could find it.  I asked our security guard to call me a cab and when I hopped in the back seat I showed the driver a map on my smart phone of where I needed to go.  I pointed to it and used one of my small collection of Korean words, “yogi” which means, here.

With ease we skipped down the road and soon arrived at the clinic.  Upon entering I took off my shoes, put them in the cubbies at the door and put on the communal slippers available (which, notably all had “love” printed on them).  I was welcomed by a warm and friendly face greeting me with some basic English.  She asked just a few questions and within minutes I was escorted to the back of the clinic. There were an array of private cots with curtains drawn around them and a mysterious vent of some sort that looked suspiciously like the ones you see at Korean style barbecue restaurants.  I wasn’t quite sure what would happen next.

The doctor at the clinic couldn’t have been more kind and it was a comfort to me that he spoke some basic English.  We talked briefly about my health concerns.  He asked me if I had ever tried… and he used a word I did not recognize, but it wasn’t acupuncture. I smiled and said no and thought perhaps I was in for a bit more than acupuncture today. Shortly thereafter he began his treatment.

He began with needles in just a few points on my arm and my head and then continued later with additional needles focused more directly in the area of my injuries and pain.  It was after the acupuncture, however, that the real fun started. The practitioners removed the needles, pulled the vent overhead closer and then placed some smoldering coils on my ankle.  It was hard for me to see, but … interesting… I thought.  It was warm but didn’t hurt. Upon returning home I did a little google search and I believe the treatment was moxibustion.

When this treatment was complete, they flipped me on my stomach, and began again with acupuncture.  But that wasn’t all! Next they did what I think was cupping, an alternative medicine practice that I have seen but never experienced before. He filled smallish ceramic cups with gas or something and then cupped them on my back.  All over my back.  In truth, while the sensation was a bit odd… it felt pretty good!  And finally, the highlight of the day, they attached four or five suction-cup-like devices to my back that were hooked up to a machine.  When they turned it on it felt like there were tiny little feet running and pressing on pressure points on my back.  It was an odd and unexpected sensation, for sure.  But altogether, not bad.

When my treatment was complete, I was so grateful for the thorough care and experience I had.  All that was left to do was pay.  This was an unbelievable experience in and of itself.  My grand total for the extensive treatment?  Equal to about $10 USD.  Extraordinary. The doctor recommended that I return regularly to treat my concerns.  And so begins my new adventure with traditional Korean medicine!

I am back now at home enjoying the final hours of my weekend before returning to work.  It’s been a good day.  How about you?  Any new experiences or adventures to share?  It’s always good to hear from you!

Bye for now from the quiet winter lands of Paju and Gyeonggi English Village.

Featured image, dwindling snow and lingering winter days at Gyeonggi English Village.

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Meandering in Seoul

3 Feb

It is the last few days of a generous break inspired by the Lunar New Year. While Korean families were busy cooking up a storm for the holiday, I was grateful for an extended vacation.  I took myself on a little outing in Seoul and rented a studio for a few days.

A fresh little spot in Hongdae

A fresh little spot in Hongdae

First, I have to share my excitement at my accommodation find.  As hotel rates in Seoul are typically unfriendly to the budget traveler, I turned to airbnb.com.  It is one of my favorite sites for exploring affordable and interesting places to stay anywhere in the globe.  Airbnb is not your typical accommodation search.  Its listings range from the colorful and decadent to the intimate and affordable. Airbnb hosts are regular people and families from all over the world with some extra space to share with travelers. There are options for any price range plus plenty of personal reviews from past guests to guide you in the right direction.

Located on a quiet artsy street

Located on a quiet artsy street

After some persistent searching, I found a little studio apartment to rent in a charming neighborhood in Seoul called Hongdae.  It was perfect for me.  Private, clean and comfortable, small kitchen, moderate price, plus a great location and a secure building.

To make it even better, I got an amazing deal.  On top of the already fair pricing, I took a chance and did a google search for coupons for airbnb.  You know what I am talking about, the cryptic code you enter at checkout that saves you money. And guess what, I found one!  And even better, it worked! (as sometimes they do… and sometimes they don’t…)  With the coupon, I saved $100 on my three-night booking.  Quite a deal!Airbnb-logo

While the viability of that coupon has already come… and gone, I do want to pass on some airbnb saving to you.  Simply register for airbnb HERE  (at no charge) and on your first booking you will automatically receive $25 OFF your total cost. Not a bad deal!

As the Lunar New Year is a holiday that sends people out of the cities to be with their families, I enjoyed a few days of Seoul a bit more on the quiet side.  It was easier to get a seat on the subway and at least some streets afforded a casual leisurely pace.

Myeong-dong

Myeong-dong

While in Seoul I went to see the well-known and long running show, Nanta.  The theater was in Myeong-dong, a busy shopping district. I had heard good things about the show from friends, but in truth had no idea what to expect. I sat in the intimate theater excited to simply have the treat of a new experience.  As the lights dimmed and the show began, my heart leapt at the pleasure of the dramatic music and seeing bodies move and dance.

Nanta, in short, is a theatrical performance running since 1997 inspired by the art of traditional Korean drumming.  As Nanta is set in a comedic kitchen, rather than drums mostly, the performers use knives, and whatever else they can get their hands on for a spectacular drumming display.  The performers were engaging and entertaining as their bodies, faces and percussion lured us in.  It was a sold out show that evening and I’m glad I went to check it out.

I did my best to feed myself while meandering in Seoul for three days.  In earnest, it is not always easy.  I am a sensitive soul and that includes the foods I eat, most notably sugar, which is in most Korean foods. I began with a few favorites. Lunch at Gusto Taco in Sangsu with a friend.  Chicken curry at Khajuraho Indian Cuisine in Hongdae.

Bibimbap

Bibimbap

I was determined to eat some Korean food. I asked for a recommendation at a tourist information booth and made my way to a fresh Korean restaurant.  I tried something simple that I knew I could eat.  Bibimbap.  Traditionally, it’s veggies and an egg served over rice.  If I don’t use the chili paste served with it, filled with sugar, I am good to go.  When my food arrived, while the presentation was lovely, I was sad to see a plate filled with food I couldn’t eat.  Soup, kimchi, and marinated vegetables all filled with sugar and not for me.  What was left?  Some rice, greens and an egg.  While not a unpaletable meal, a bit less than what I had desired.  And so it goes.

I enjoyed my time in Seoul but afterwards was also content to get back to the quiet hills of Paju.  When I returned home I was distraught to discover that I left the charger for my computer at the apartment in Seoul.  I contacted the host of the studio and was relieved to hear it was there.  I needed this right away so I made the unwanted trek back to Seoul to claim my charger.

Korean Home Cookin'!

Korean Home Cookin’!

When I arrived the host was there preparing the room for the next guest.  A young Korean woman working full-time in marketing and running this as a side-business, she couldn’t have been friendlier.  She brought me some traditional Korean food that she and her mom had prepared to ease the pain of my unexpectd return journey.  It looked delicious and lucky for me, most of it was no sugar added. Connecting with her and receiving her gift made the trip back a bright spot in the day.

When I returned to Paju the second time I was surprised to see a parade of people and cars at the cemetery just up the street from English Village.  As is tradition for the Lunar New Year, they were there honoring their ancestors.  It was so crowded that there was a professional in the middle of the road directing traffic.

But I am home now, in my comfy English Village apartment. Soon I will be easing back into work life.  It’s been a great week.  Explorations in Seoul.  Connections with a few friends and new connections.  Plus some laid back time on my own.

How about you?  Any great travel stories, ideas or deals to share?  It’s always good to hear from you! Good-bye for now from the dwindling vacation days at Paju English Village.

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Quiet Endings and Lunar New Year

24 Jan

Well, this is the last week of Book Club at Gyeonggi English Village. After today, the weekday reading classes for young Korean students will be no more.  The program will continue for our Saturday students, but this is the last day we will see our familiar itty-bitty weekday faces.

I have been teaching in the Book Club for just a few months.  While working with young children requires a lot of hands on attention and can sometimes be challenging, I am really glad that I did it.  Even in their most ornery moments, the youngest students have an innocence about them that can’t be replaced.

We had a little party celebrating our last days of Book Club.  We ate food, played some games and then parted with a simple good-bye present.  When it comes to that moment when it is time to say good-bye I often am met with an unexpected surge of emotion.  This time was no different. One of my littlest students left after her last class and then turned around and came back knocking at the door only to say when I let her in, “I’ll miss you!”  Very sweet.

It’s been a good experience working with book club.  It is different from other camp-like programs at English Village. The parents bring their young students to class and then wait for them to be finished.  This gives us an opportunity to interact with them, often about their children or simple questions about the program and learning English.  Many parents are generous and bring treats to the teachers before class ranging from fresh fruit to teas and coffees.

The Saturday program will continue on – a simple day of morning classes and then an afternoon of reading books to visiting students. Last week when reading a story to some of our young afternoon visitors, I had a bit of a reality check.  The story was called Click, Clack Moo:Cows that Type.  A cute story if you’re inclined to check it out.  Often while reading a word or two comes up that needs to be explained in the simplest of English.  In the midst of reading I thought, “Oh no!  They probably don’t even know what a typewriter is!”

Now mind you, I remember the typewriter well. I learned to type on one in high school.  I still remember the feel of clicking the keys and then hitting the lever to make the carriage return.  It was a bit of a shock to notice this familiar but antiquated machinery was like a dinosaur to them.

When it came time to explain, the older brother of the group made it easy for me.  As I pointed to it and asked who knew what a typewriter was, he simply stated, “It is an old computer.”  Sure!  That will work.  An old computer, indeed.

As this week comes to a close we are preparing for a little break at English Village.  Next weekend is the lunar new year, a big holiday in South Korea. Koreans  typically spend the holiday with friends and family leaving city streets quiet and desolate.   The holiday itself is this Thursday and Friday, but English Village teachers are off for the week.

I’m grateful for the break before returning to a different schedule of teaching.  Upon return I will continue to teach the little ones their Saturday classes, continue working the weekend and then teach our Middle School camp-like programs a few days during the week.

It is a quiet day with grey skies as we slowly slip into the weekend.  The last day of book-club has fizzled away with just a Saturday’s work before the long break.  A quiet winter good-bye for now!  And feel free to write… it’s always good to hear from you!

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Reiki Break

16 Jan

It’s a quiet day at English Village.  Winter is here, but it’s not making a big fuss. Sure, it’s blowing around some icy cold air. Whispering, “you might want to think twice about that walk outside.”  Overall, it’s being generally well-behaved….but still winter, nonetheless.

The program I have been teaching these past couple of months at English Village is nearing an end.  It’s a book club targeted to blossoming English readers as young as 3 to as old as 8 or 9.  The students are grouped into small classes by age and reading ability and spend some of their time here reading different character stories including Clifford, Nate the Great and Arthur.  There are weekday and Saturday classes but after January 24, the weekday classes will exist no more.  My book club co-teacher and I will likely be relocated to new (or old) pastures, teaching somewhere else in the Gyeonggi English Village landscape.

With the polite, but still cold weather my motivation for venturing out and about continues to slide.  Lately I am doing my best to engage and entertain myself mostly at the home front.  I have started training once a week at the on-campus weight room with one of our English teachers who is also an experienced trainer.  As it’s been perhaps 20 years since I have been in a weight room, mostly occupied with the gentle work of yoga in the interim, it is a bit of an adjustment to my mind, body and being.  While reacquainting myself with the various exercises, I do my best to maintain the balanced attitude and physical stature of yoga while still responding adequately to the heavy (to me!) weights descending upon my body. The intention is to build some strength… but my desire is to do so in a moderate way.

I continue to lead a weekly yoga class for interested teachers at English Village.  This week there was a little twist in the routine as I led a yoga class for elementary and middle school students studying and living here for a month-long program.  Leading yoga for younger people continues to be a new experience for me.  I am still finding my feet or perhaps my wings when teaching yoga to kids. Overall, the class went really well.  While they weren’t exactly hoisting me onto their shoulders and chanting “yoga!  yoga!” when it was finished, I would call it a success.  There were 31 pre-adolescent Korean girls tightly packed in a very cold room at 4pm in the afternoon. They were generally quiet and mostly engaged throughout the entire class.  I say, “Bravo!”

Recently I began offering Reiki treatments to teachers here at English Village. Reiki, as you may know, is a spiritual practice of mine for nearly ten years.  It is a simple but powerful spiritual tool and healing art that originated in Japan.  An intrigued collection of teachers have responded to the call and received a hands on Reiki-treatment.  For some, they share it is their first time trying something “like this…”  It seems their reasons to try Reiki are many – curiosity, health and healing, a need for restoration and relaxation.  I am really grateful to be able to offer to those who are interested here.  Often there is nothing like a Reiki treatment to turn over a new leaf, get past a cold, regain some balance, or just really let go if even for a little bit.

I have heard my Reiki teacher compare taking a Reiki class, typically a two or three-day commitment, to going on a Hawaiian vacation. Indeed, it is truly a restorative break to bask extensively in the practice and energy of Reiki.

I can recall, over 5 years ago, when I traveled to an annual Reiki gathering at a retreat center in the pristine forests of Oregon. Collectively as Reiki students, practitioners and teachers, we spent the whole weekend giving each other Reiki treatments, sharing, and listening to stories from some of the leaders of our Reiki tradition.  After that time away from the city and dipping in Reiki for days, I was amazed to see that a problem that was persistently on my mind prior to the gathering was completely resolved within me.  I felt at ease and wholeheartedly clear as to what I needed to do.  I returned to New Orleans, my home at the time, and fearlessly and easily took action on that insight. Good things naturally flowed afterwards. Self-Reiki-Badge

While I am here with quiet time at English Village, my Reiki practice is one of the things I lean on.  At the foundation of my practice is daily self-treatments.  Part of the beauty of Reiki is that you can easily give it to yourself.  We are taught in classes that Reiki is for self first.  After nearly ten years of practice, daily self-treatments are almost like breathing to me. It’s hard to imagine a day without them.  Reiki Master Pamela Miles has created a badge to bring to light and honor the importance of daily Reiki self-treatments.  Click on the red badge to learn more.

In addition to self-treatment and giving hands-on treatments to people here,  I also send Reiki daily to friends and family all over the world.  As a second degree practitioner, I can do what is known as a distance Reiki treatment and send Reiki to people, places and situations anywhere and at any point in time. An interesting benefit of Reiki is that sending it to others it is actually a way to care for myself. As I send daily to the needs and requests of others, I just feel better.  It’s amazing how while sending Reiki the thoughts and entanglements of the day begin to dismantle.

As a traveler, how lucky I am that no matter where I am in the world, I have Reiki with me.  All I need to do is give myself a treatment to begin to melt away whatever it is… a cold or flu, anxiety, fatigue.

Are you curious about Reiki or perhaps a Reiki practitioner yourself?  Do you have your own Reiki story to share? It would be fun to hear from you!  I am also happy to answer any questions about Reiki.  Ask away. If you’d like to experience Reiki for yourself, you can always request a distant Reiki treatment.  If you are in South Korea, a hands-on treatment may also be an option.  Visit my Services page to learn more.

Here is a simple video introducing Reiki presented by Reiki Master Pamela Miles.  If you would like to learn Reiki for yourself, there are teachers all over the world!  Here is a database of teachers and classes in the Usui Shiki Ryoho system, the traditional system that I know and trust.  I can also recommend my teacher, Elizabeth Ohmer Pellegrin, located in New Orleans but willing to travel for classes anywhere on the planet.

Thanks for reading!  And remember, it’s always great to hear from you!

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Happy New Ear!

3 Jan

Well it seems all too easily 2013 has slipped away with the arrival of 2014.  As is typical here at English Village, we worked right through the holidays.  And so I shared my New Years with a very young assembly of party-goers, our students.  As I did my best in class to communicate about the New Year in very simple English, two of my youngest students liked saying “Happy New Ear”… instead of “Happy New Year”… and so, I pass their amusement on to you.

It continues to be a quiet winter season.  The snow is periodically melting giving way to dirty streets and icy patches.  English Village is currently entertaining a group of month-long visitors for a program called VIP.  This student body is generally around 11 – 14 years old.  The month of January is a winter holiday for Korean students.  As learning English and studying is a high priority here, around 200 lucky students are spending their winter holiday here.  I am not teaching these students as I am teaching the youngest students at English Village, a program where we read books, do simple english activities, play games and do crafts.  Truly a world apart from the busy adolescent body of VIP.

I continue to be aware of what an odd life I lead here in English Village.  Recently a friend from Germany wished me well in my current adventures in the UK.  “I am not in the UK…” I had to distinguish to him.  “I am at a place called English Village… it’s in South Korea.” True, the architecture of English Village is hardly reminiscent of South Korea… and it’s not intended to be.  This is a place where South Koreans can be immersed in the English language and something like western life… without leaving their country.  It’s the only place where I can feel like a rock stock just for smiling, saying hello and speaking English.

Despite the strangeness of life in English Village, there are many things that I cannot help but be grateful for.  In the simplest of terms it has afforded me a safe and mostly gentle respite in life where I can live, develop and grow.  It is nestled in the un-busy hills of Paju City that always feels like a relief to me after returning home from a day in Seoul.  There are many friendly English-speaking faces here and a whole network of resources for surviving and navigating life in South Korea.  Plus, there is a whole world to discover not far outside our door and easy access to Seoul.

Recently I took myself on a little pre-New Years celebration/adventure to a traditional Korean bath, known as a jjimjibang.  I went to a bath in Seoul called Dragon Hill known for its friendliness and accessibility to foreigners (that’s me…).  It was only my second visit since arriving in Korea.  I have to admit it still takes a little “somethin'” for me to go to a public place where I will be walking around naked in front of strangers.  While it might seem unusual to some Americans, the practice is quite common in Korea. At the Dragon Hill spa, you take the elevator to the women’s sauna floor, find your locker, take off your clothes and you’re on your way!

Entrance to Dragon Hill Spa
Dragon Hill Spa

The sauna itself is filled with a myriad of inviting, warm, herbal baths.  Ah, so nice and invigorating.  It’s sort of fun for me to go there as a foreigner who doesn’t speak or understand Korean.  In some ways I get to be almost invisible as I glide in and out of the tubs surrounded by many Korean faces and bodies.  It’s also a joy to share the innocence of unspoken communication… the simple things that are done to acknowledge someone else in a friendly way – a laugh, a smile when there is something to be said but no words to use.

While at Dragon Hill I gave myself a special New Years treat and signed up for a massage.  This was, as it turns out, no ordinary massage… but 90 minutes of full body acupressure, thai massage, foot massage, facial acupressure, head massage and facial treatment… whew!  Are you feeling relaxed yet?  It was, in fact, one of the most kind and loving things I have ever done for myself.  At one point I just laughed out loud in sheer joy as I had some sort of facial treatment on my face (that felt really cool and refreshing) while my body continued to be coaxed into release and relaxation.  Granted, it wasn’t quite the personal “massage therapist” experience you might have back in the States.  At one point I heard someone call the name of the man who was giving me my message. He responded to the call immediately and just dropped my leg on the table in mid-massage.  Nonetheless, he was very good at what he did and I was grateful.

As this year has come to an end, myself and others are looking to the New Year with some sort of intention or fresh energy. In honor of that I thought I would share a few of the things that really make a difference in my life.  If you know me or read my blog, you are already aware that Reiki and SGI Buddhism are both spiritual pillars in my life.  But here are a few others that I seldom mention that would enhance any New Year.  Enjoy!

  1. Dan Millman’s 4 Minute Workout
    You many know Dan Millman, the well-loved guru whose story is told in the movie Peaceful Warrior. I learned this sweet little workout during a cold, quiet winter in Germany.  It’s great because it moves and addresses every part of the body in only 4 minutes.  It’s a perfect way to bring some movement into your life on daily basis.
  2. Art of Living Sudarshan Kriya
    I stumbled upon the Art of Living in post-hurricane Katrina New Orleans.  Their was something about the organizational name that caught my attention.  I attended an informational session and felt inspired to take their first course which teaches the Sudharshan Kriya.  The Kriya is a simple sequence of breathing and movements.  I have done it regularly for about 7 years now. It’s something I can count on to ease stress, reduce anxiety, bring me back to my body, and help release any physical pains or discomforts.  Click here for more information and to find a course near you.
  3. Radiant Recovery
    Many of us know… on some level… you are what you eat.  For many people, myself included, eating a heathy and appropriate diet is the difference between day and night in health and feeling good.  A friend referred me to this program of eating.  It’s signature book is “Potatoes not Prozac” as part of the ensemble of new eating habits is eating a potato before bed.  It is targeted for people who are “sugar sensitive” and gently unfolds a program backed by science to support health and well-being. Do you think you might be sugar sensitive?  Read here to learn more!

How about you?  What are your plans and inspirations for the New Year?  Any cherished goodies to share to help launch me and others into the New Year?

Wishing you a powerful, happy and transformative New Year!  And as always, thanks for reading!

Photo on top, in class with the little ones we made party hats for our New Years celebration!

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Looking Back

19 Dec

It’s hard to believe it… but its been a year since I first arrived at Gyeonggi English Village!  It was July of 2012 when I first saw the posting for the job on Dave’s ESL Cafe.  I was in France at the time doing a work exchange at a bed and breakfast.  I knew that I wanted to keep traveling. A friend encouraged me to explore jobs teaching ESL (English as a Second Language).  I perused many jobs on the internet and I applied for one. The job here at English Village.  And here I am.

After I applied, it was a month or so until I heard from them.  I happily had a brief Skype interview at 4am my time. Shortly after I was offered the job and then began the quick rearranging of my world and life in the direction of South Korea.  This needed to include a return to the States for the lengthy Korean visa process. I quickly needed a new place to go as my current arrangement in France was nearing the end.  Thankfully and luckily, I made plans to do a work exchange with a family in the States through the website helpx.net.  I booked a cheap last minute flight with a German airline called Condor and within what seemed like the blink of an eye I was back in the States.  And so began the process of getting a Korean visa, which took me in total nearly 4 months.

When the visa finally came through it was almost a shock… so many months of preparation and planning and then… suddenly… I actually needed to BOOK a ticket to Korea!  I was exhilarated and nervous all at the same time!  As some friends and family know, I am not one of those laid back, calm, cool and collected travelers.  I get nervous. Really nervous.  And while my heart, mind and spirit truly love the excitement, adventure and experience of going to new places… the journey for me often comes with good helping of anxiety.

I can still remember the night before I was to leave for Korea.  I was at my parent’s house where I had been visiting for a few days prior to my departure.  Suddenly I had this thought that going to Korea was just a crazy notion.  I called my friend, Reiki teacher and often co-pilot on this journey and asked… “am I crazy?  Is this a crazy idea?” Her response, as it often is, was, “what does you gut say” and truth be told… my gut was really okay with it.  And so the next day I got on a plane and flew to Korea.

When I arrived I was also really nervous.  Happily for me the school arranged for me to be picked up by taxi at the airport to drive me the hour or so journey to English Village in Paju City.  At the airport the taxi driver held a sign with my name on it and took my hand as he led me to the taxi.  He was a friendly older man and I was grateful for his parent-like support.

My beginning at English Village was cold and  a little rocky.  My first day of work there was a major ice storm and I spent my day carefully walking up and down icy steps waiting for the HR staff to return to the office and direct me where to go.  But in time, slowly, I began to find my way and collect the people, places and things I needed to be warmer and more at home.

As I began teaching in the classroom I was also… really nervous.  With a background in higher education and professional experience leading students and workshops, I knew I was a good teacher.  But it had been over ten years since I had done that.  In the wake of that was a decade of personal challenges that had my confidence and nerves more than a little shaky.  In the beginning I did my best, I showed up, and I did the work even though I was scared.

In a short amount of time my confidence increased and I felt more satisfied and capable in the classroom.  I did my best to pay attention to the teachers I thought were good and adapted my technique accordingly.  In time I took on some additional projects creating curriculum for the program and continued to develop myself personally and professionally.

This past year has also been a big year for me in my spiritual development.  About three years ago I became a member of a Buddhist organization called SGI (Soka Gakkai International).  I discovered the practice when I still lived in New Orleans.  A Buddhist friend there introduced me to the practice and suggested that I explore chanting “nam myoho renge kyo” for things that I wanted.  Surprisingly, as I began to chant I found the things I was chanting for gently appeared in my life.  When I became a member, my life began to change quickly and within a few months I left New Orleans and had a ticket to Europe. I took this new practice with me on the road living in Germany and France.  I connected with a few local SGI groups while in Europe, but it wasn’t until I came to South Korea that I found an SGI group where I became a regular member.

With the support of English-speaking expat leaders in South Korea, I have learned a great deal more about the practice and about myself.  I have been inspired to increase my regular chanting, the foundation of the practice.  I see now more clearly that regular chanting is a bedrock I can rest on to continue to meet and overcome challenges in my life and to usher in new and good things for myself.  In my life as it is, with so much opportunity but also challenges and uncertainty, the foundation of a good spiritual practice makes all the difference in the world.  It makes the impossible… possible.

Here are a few photos from the year:

Traditional Korean Village in Seoul, South Korea.

And so, a year has come and gone.  And now the question that beckons is… what’s next?  Well, as you can see, I am still at English Village!  I have learned on this journey that it is best to be open to and take action for new possibilities and then be prepared… for the unexpected.  Sometimes things stay the same but sometimes when you least expect it they have a way of changing on a dime.

Thanks for being a part of this journey in whatever way you may be… a friend or a family member, a curious reader or fellow traveler.

I am writing from my cold office in English Village, hesitant to take off my gloves to type on the keys as there is an icy cold lingering in the room. The snowy weather has quieted down the campus with fewer teachers, fewer students and less activity.  As the holidays grow closer, they will nearly be missed at English Village.  We will be working through it all.

Good bye for now from the cold and frozen land of Paju English Village.  Sending warm holiday thoughts your way!

Featured image at top, a snowy bouquet of flowers outside a Seoul subway station.

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Winter Fun

12 Dec

Well, it seems winter has come to Paju.  And I have to say, I find myself greeting it with a bit of child-like enthusiasm.  For the most part, I am prepared for the winter.  I have warm clothes.  My refrigerator and freezer and filled with food.  I have delicious herbal teas, some good movies, a book or two, and a strange life living and working at English Village that is (mostly) easily sustained even in the midst of the winter snow and cold.  As I, and all foreign teachers, live right here on the English Village campus, even with a few inches of snow… it’s an easy commute to work.

Paju is in a strange pocket of weather in South Korea.  With a full spectrum of four seasons, it is known for having a surprising dive into seasonal extremes.  It is unexpectedly hot and humid in the summer (but in truth it ain’t got nothin’ on New Orleans!) and the winters are long…long… and cold.  The winters here are cold even compared to our neighbor just an hour to the South, the grand city of Seoul.  Paju has a biting humidity with a cold winter wind that can chill you to the bones and an exorbitant amount of snow.

So today, with a healthy blanket of snow already on the ground and a fresh batch of snow scattering in the skies, I am staying inside.  I am already well-underway with my winter hibernation activities.  I have been busy cooking healthy, yummy food, practicing yoga and reiki, reading books and watching movies.  I have even broken out the watercolors and started a little light painting.  Winter fun.  What more could a girl ask for?

Alas, this is just the beginning of the winter season.  It is possible my lighthearted winter attitude will fade as winter and the snow drifts grow deeper.  The winters here are extraordinarily long.  Last December when I first arrived here in Paju and South Korea, my first day of life and work was met with a was a terrible ice storm.  I wore my long down coat doing my best to keep my frozen New Orleans body warm, still in shock from the cold weather.  I didn’t take that coat off again until April…. we will see how I and the weather fair this year.

This past weekend I made two very yummy dishes that helped keep me warm, happy and satisfied.  The first was spinach polenta lasagna.  I followed a very simple recipe I found online, modified it a bit to suit my tastes and cupboard, and easily assembled layers of gooey wonderfulness.  What a treat it was.  It tasted delicious and is an easy way to eat Lasagna gluten free!  I also made some carrot soup.  I basically followed a recipe from the foodnetwork.  It is a very easy carrot soup enhanced with fresh chopped onions, garlic and I added some fresh ginger.  It is sautéed in a curry paste and then cooked up with some stock with a hint of cayenne pepper.  About an hour later with a little help from my immersion blender and a dollop of greek yogurt on top, it was a smooth and satisfying winter treat.  Delicious!

I continue to lead a weekly yoga class for interested teachers at English Village.  The winter weather provides a few challenges as we begin our yoga class in the early evening bundled up and huddled up feeling at first unable to move.  We practice in a nice size room with a heater that doesn’t come close to heating the room.  I begin the practice with my wool scarf tied around my neck, in layers and two pairs of wool socks on.  Slowly as we warm up it gets a little bit easier… and in truth I get so interested in the yoga I forget that I am cold.  But it is still cold nonetheless.  At any rate, it is a really nice mid-week diversion particularly as we are coming into the sometimes isolating land of English Village in winter.

I sang Christmas carols with my students this week.  It wasn’t a planned thing.  But in one of my younger classes a few of the girls started singing the carols they knew.  So I jumped on the boat, wrote the words on the board to perhaps help them with their English, and we sang a few songs.  In truth I find I like singing with the students.  I like it perhaps… more than they do…  Lately I have had some fun teaching my youngest students songs from my (and most americans’) childhood.  My repertoire includes the hokey pokey, the itsy-bitsy spider, and of course… “head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes…)”… you know the one.

I suppose Christmas is just around the corner now.  Even though there is a bit of Christmas energy on the EV campus, its easy to forget being here in South Korea.  As best as I can tell, many people in South Korea celebrate Christmas but it’s not the all-encompassing seasonal experience it can be in the States.  I am told that many folks in South Korea simply go out to dinner to celebrate, much like we would on New Years Eve.

Good-bye for now from the newly frozen and snow-covered land of English Village in Paju City South Korea.  Doing my best to keep it simple and stay warm!

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Happy Birthday and Other Stories

25 Nov

It’s early evening on a Monday night at English Village.  Monday is basically my “Sunday” as I work Saturdays and am off Sunday and Monday.  There is a new crop of students bustling through English Village this week.  I can hear their enthusiasm and giggles outside my window.  They are likely shopping at the EV Mart located just below my new apartment.

It’s been a simple yet satisfying Monday.  It’s already dark outside and the day has turned into night… and I am still in my pajamas.  It’s been one of those kind of days.  A day where playing around in the kitchen led to cleaning the kitchen which led to making some lentils which led to working on my computer.  This led to chatting with a friend on Facebook which led to a string of many other miscellaneous activities, interests and obligations.  Starring just me… in my pajamas.  In my new apartment.  A while ago my sister saw a skit by a comedian who was cleaning up his office.  This simple act led to a barrage of fun and exciting games in his comic skit, playfully discovering new things in the process.  She said that he reminded her of me as when I was a child cleaning out my closet turned into a playful adventure of discovery and a day long event!  It’s been one of those kind of days.

The weather is turning colder and we are all taking refuge in our warmer coats and scarves.  We even had a few snow flurries earlier this week.  With the cold weather brings fewer little students braving the cold and attending the bookclub program that I teach.  Those that do arrive have cold bodies and runny noses.

This week with the itty bitties has been pretty basic as we investigate the world of reading in English.  I continue to explore new ways to engage them as their energetic bodies enter the classroom not quite yet ready to be seated and listen and read.  Sometimes I play with them a little bit with yoga having some physical fun until they can slowly come to a place of a bit… more… focus.

I tried playing Mad Libs with some of my older students this week.  You remember that, right?  You make a random list of nouns, adjectives and words and then fill in the blanks to reveal your silly story.  At first as we approached this in class, it was an adventure in clarifying what exactly is a verb, and adverb, and adjective.  And once we had traversed that landscape, it was their turn to make their list.  And then, at last when we filled in the words for their silly story, the response was a little bit… unexpected.  While they did chuckle a bit, they were not totally delighted.  In some ways there was some embarrassment and a desire to change the words to make it fit better in the story.  Not quite the Mad Lib joy I remembered.

Sunday I congregated with some friends in my Buddhist SGI group in Seoul.  We met at a local Korean chapter meetings as we were one of the featured entertainers at their annual meeting.  It was quite a hoot as we did a simple Zumba dance with flashing lights making us look fancier than we really were.  Despite my resistance to the whole things it was indeed… fun!

Afterward we were treated to a Korean style pork dinner known as Samgyeopsal.  It is a local favorite and pretty simple really. Tables receive uncooked cuts of pork that you cook on the barbecue on your table.  It’s served with an assortment of sides, most of which were off-limits to me with my sensitivity to sugar, a staple additive to most Korean dishes. Before the meal we were all offered a large plastic bag to put our coats and belongings in.  I was told the purpose of the bags  is to keep your coat and personal items from smelling from the thick aroma of  barbecue.  How is that for service? As the meal arrived, everyone busily prepared the food and cut… using kitchen scissors as it the custom in Korea.  No knives here!  And before you know it, our food was ready to eat.

At the end of the meal was a little  celebration to honor my birthday courtesy of the lovely people in my Seoul SGI district.  The night before I received a cryptic text message asking (knowing that I can’t eat refined sugar)… can I eat honey?  What about maple syrup?… “not really, I replied.”  Alas I dampened an earnest attempt to bake a cake for my birthday I could actually eat.  And so, defeated, they presented me with an ordinary birthday cake, beautiful  in style and intact with a candle to blow out.  It was a lovely gesture even though… I couldn’t eat it…  So I took it in visually, cut it up equally and distributed it to the guests.  And I didn’t even lick the icing off my fingers.

When it was time to leave the weather outside had turned to wind and rain.  As this was unexpected, none of us were armed with an umbrella.  In elegant SGI style, the Korean woman’s district leader who was dining with us had someone go out and fetch umbrellas for all of the over a dozen guests.  Happily we received our new umbrellas and headed out into the rain content to be dry.  Soon after I made my return to Paju.

The weekend is coming to a close and I have a few more hours of play before night turns to day and a new week begin.  Please write if you like and tell me what is up in your world.  It’s always good to hear from you!

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New Nest

14 Nov

It’s a chilly day in Paju, South Korea.  I am taking a little break hovered around the electric heater like a campfire.  While true, it is not yet winter, the icy cool Paju weather has begun to make an appearance. The long cold winter is just around the corner.

My big English Village news this week is that I have moved into a larger apartment.  This is not a small event for me.  As someone who has been traveling for the past three years, often living in the grace and space of other people’s homes in a variety of situations (the most unexpected of which was a mattress lovingly placed on top of a table in an extra storage room)… my two-room apartment (an upgrade from my one-room space of the last ten months) feels like a castle.  I could hardly hide my joy as I was moving in.  So much room.

I have a tub in my new apartment.  It is a most loved addition as it seems I am part fish and need a regular immersion in water.  This is, however, no ordinary tub.  It is a Korean size tub.  Quite simply it means… it is small. No room for long “western” sized legs.  No room to expand and relax or even move side to side.  But it does have a cumfy built-in head rest. The best part is that it holds hot water just the same and, thankfully, at least I can fit in.

I continue to teach, entertain and negotiate my relationships with my new young students. Mostly… they are so cute.  This week I explored doing a little yoga with them to try to focus some of their endless spritely energy.  Their willing nimble bodies moved and grooved happily into a variety of child-friendly yoga poses.

One student who I teach one-on-one I am learning is a bit of a joker and likes to play games with me.  She will often say a different name from what something actually is in the spirit of her own little fun.  The other day she decided when reading a book about a variety of creatures, that I was the octopus and she was, of course, the princess.  Alas, who can argue with that!

One of my student’s loves to play the game hangman.  You know how it goes – you guess a letter and if that letter is not in the word you get a body part drawn on the classic hangman post resembling the number 7. When she plays she adds her own twist.  She draws the hangman in typical Korean cute fashion –  a delicate girl head and body, with fancy hair,  bow and dress.  Too funny. Another student recently showed up for class in a sweatshirt with a Ninja face hood complete with see through eyes on the hood.  I was pretty impressed and very cool as far as kids things go.  And still, another student when drawing a picture of a turtle had to include the much loved Korean ponytail often drawn by little girls in pictures and drawings.

Earlier this week I attended the local Korean chapter of my Buddhist group, Soka Gakkai International.  It is quite a system we have established to negotiate connecting with our obvious language barriers.  There is one young member who went to college in the United States and speaks excellent English.  We begin the journey with her contacting me via text. She lets me know when the meeting is and what time to be ready.  Then a different Korean member picks me up at English Village and takes me to the meeting.  The ride is friendly but often quiet with little to communicate.  A few stops are made along the way, picking up other women SGI members.

Arriving at the meeting, its always a joy to experience the excitement and love I feel from this group even though we can’t communicate.  Often young members are excited to see me and I wonder if some of them have ever seen someone who isn’t Korean before.  And so I listen to the meeting, with the help of my friendly translator who meets me there.  In no time at all the meeting is over and once again I am whisked back safely to English Village.

As the weather turns cooler and with my new big apartment, I find myself more inclined to nesting and staying warm at home. Cooking soups.  Feeling somehow like I want to prepare myself for the winter.

But for now, it’s an afternoon of classes.  It’s just another day at English Village.

Photo: The bright Fall lights on the English Village Campus.

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