Hi friendos. Should this intro be serious and introspective? Or should it be silly and playful? Oh, I know! Since I've always liked to analyze but have also existentially struggled with the duality of life, I'll let you choose what kind of intro you'd like to experience today. For serious, please read number 1. For silly and lighthearted, please scroll down to number 2.
1) Something I've always enjoyed observing is the contrasts in life. Joy/sorrow, excitement/calm, life/death, tragic/comedic. I think it's why I enjoy dark comedies like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Death at a Funeral; Little Miss Sunshine; and The Good Place. Any piece of fiction that can make you feel something while also reminding you of the absurdity of life is worthwhile. They don't shy away from something serious or uncomfortable, but rather they embrace it. It reminds us all that we're not alone. 2) Should I call you friendos? It sounds like the name of a cereal. Here's your bowl of Friend-Os. But eat it with caution - while some of them are sweet and delicious, some of them are bitter. And the bitter ones stick in your teeth and you'll still be able to taste them, like, months later. If you pour organic almond or soy milk over them, they kind of taste like a fusion of Indie music and farmer's market doughnuts. Let's begin. Play at work: May 3rd was Children's Day, so we played English activities and made arts and crafts with the kids. I wore a paper crown that looked a bit like a blue Native American headdress and the kids wore their own handmade crowns. We were all royalty. Have you ever played the game called Change Chairs? Everyone sits in a circle and one person stands in the middle. She describes things that people are wearing or what they like, and if it's true for anyone sitting down they have to stand up and find a new seat; the person in the middle is trying to sit down. Play it at your next birthday party and thank me later. (: Try new things: May 3 happened to be Friday, so that night I journeyed to Itaewon (the most foreigner-friendly district) with Joseph (the Korean swing dancer, not my co-worker) to try salsa dancing. We briefly stopped at a Turkish restaurant and ate a tzatziki kebab wrap and baklava. It was his first time eating baklava. He liked it. I hope you've had baklava, too, because it's delicious. At the salsa bar, I felt distinctly out of place. Everything from the venue to the people to the music didn't jive with me as much as swing dancing. It was a fairly dark and small venue, there was a lot of alcohol being consumed, and the Latin pop music had the bass mixed a little too loudly. I think I'll always be hopelessly enchanted by the swinging jazz music, the soft lighting, and the bright and bouncy hardwood floor of the swing scene. However, our very last dance was a swing dance to a jazzy remix of "Feel Good Inc". Then I took a taxi home with a Korean man with snow white hair who said it was important to love yourself. Healing Camp: May 4th was a special day - I went outside Seoul to a place called Healing Camp. I'd been invited to Bat Swing's Membership Training (MT) which is where everyone in the community gets together for a weekend to make new friendships and strengthen old ones. I was carpooling with Joseph, Becca, and Iron. We drove alongside sparkling rivers and gorgeous, bright green, rolling mountains. Then we arrived at the place that Bat Swing had rented - something called a "pension". It was a large building with two communal sleeping rooms, a small kitchen, and a large social room with a couch (where we spent most of our time). Outside, there was some turf, some barbecues, and a big tent where we ate dinner. After dinner, we played games like egg, chicken, phoenix. Which I won, once! Then we had free time, with dancing inside and playing outside. Later in the evening, some people started cooking late night snacks in the small indoor kitchen. It was such delicious, authentic Korean food. There were Korean pancakes, egg and carrot omelets, fish cakes, tuna rice, and Japanese yogurt with fruit. And it was so convivial. Everyone was relaxed, chatting, dancing, and playing. As it got darker outside, everyone came in and sat on the floor around some tiny tables. Then the dancing started in earnest. When I went to bed at 3:00 or 4:00 am, the party was still going. The next day, I woke up to a room full of people passed out on the dance floor on little blankets. "Traditional Korean lodgings", haha. Becca and Joseph had left at around 1:00 am, so I carpooled back with different people. We all went to a cafe that was beside a lake and surrounded by a well-maintained flower garden. This was where I learned that the area we were in was called Dumulmeori (two waters meet). It was a quiet, tranquil place and I was sad to leave it behind. Swing in the Park: May 6th. I vividly recall the weather that day: it was bright and sunny with a light, cool breeze. The weather was extra important that day because I was at Konkuk University to dance outdoors in a park. It was one of those unusually pleasant experiences. There was a moment where I sat very still and tried hard to notice and memorize every detail of the things around me. I was sitting on warm, black marble steps that surrounded the concrete dance area; listening to the musicians play live jazz music; watching everyone dance; feeling the cool wind swirl around me, across my skin and through my hair. I watched the wind move the leaves in the trees and felt peaceful. I had one fun dance with a Korean man that I'd never met before. He had long hair and big, square glasses. Actually, I didn't learn his name that day and we didn't speak at all. But spoilers: next month I meet him again and he becomes my very good friend. I later learn that his name is Joono. Keep your eyes open for his reappearance. :) Then Chang mo and I went to Big Apple for more dancing. Unfortunately, after about an hour, I felt fairly nauseated. It was probably from being outside in the sun dancing for several hours combined with my utter lack of sleep from the MT. At around 9:00 pm, I had to leave Big Apple because my stomach was so upset. But it's part of the journey. Anime: Speaking of journeys, on May 7, I finished A Place Further than the Universe. Unless you've seen a lot of anime and truly have nothing better to do, I can't really recommend it. But I think I watched it at the right time in my life. The next night, I met a Korean man named Yong. When he learned that I was from Canada, he asked if I knew someone from Edmonton named Read. I said, "Hm, I'm not sure..." but then he showed me a picture and I did know him. We actually called Read and Caitlin and chatted for a while. If you two are reading this, we certainly have to go dancing together back in Edmonton. First the bar owner at Sayomi knew Jessie, and now Yong knew Read. The swinging world is so small. Being brave: On Sunday, Evan DeGraff gifted me a game called One Shot, which you shouldn't play if you're prone to paranoia because it breaks the fourth wall very effectively. But if you like short, suspenseful games with pixelated animation styles... give it a "shot". Today was a special day because it was the first time I did slack lining with Mai in Ichon park. While we were doing it, many Korean people were watching us with curiosity, but there were three Korean guys watching us especially intently. I saw them and waved for them to join us, but they didn't come over at first; however, after about an hour, they all managed to build up enough courage to approach us and try it out. One guy said he ran a magazine and wanted to interview us about the activities we do in Seoul (that actually happened - I'll talk about it in June). May 17th. Happy Independence Day, Norway! n_n Look at the World: On May 19th, it was raining. I loved wandering around the rainy Seoul streets. The colours of the red brick buildings and green plants were so vibrant in the rain. Everything was cleaner and fresher, and the air was fragrant. Role models: May 22nd. Amy said that she saw the movie Matilda in school and she said that I was like Miss Honey. ️When I first saw that movie, I desperately wanted to be like Matilda. Actually, I think it's the reason I have so many dreams in which I have (spoiler ahead if you haven't seen the movie): telekinesis. They're my favourite kind of dream. What's your favourite dream? Anyway, now I identify more with the adult character Miss Honey than I do with Matilda. Take notice: On May 24th, I took the bus to Nowon with my boss, Susan. We chatted a little bit about work-related things. And she paid me a great compliment when she said that she likes to listen to what I say because it's careful and clear. I find that good employers are those that can notice the unique strengths of each of their employees. They see what someone is trying to be good at and specifically comment on that. However, you don't need to be an employer to notice other people's efforts and compliment them. Plants are good for your mental health: May 31. At the beginning of the month, my student named Bella gave me a sunflower seed as a present. I somehow remembered to plant it that same day. Well, today is the day that the sunflower seed sprouted! I hope it grows to be big and bright. :3 You know, I hid a secret fun thing on this blog/website thing, but no one seems to have found it yet. Alas. I'll be seeing you later, friendos.
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AuthorAshley is a Canadian teaching English in South Korea. Although between the Korean, swing dancing, and general life skills, she's probably learning more than she's teaching. Archives
June 2019
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