Far Far Away

i am alive

2011-11-01T22:37:00.001+09:00

Just to tell my random visitors that i am alive.

Not so good, not so bad.

Normal days...

Nothing special, nothing dramatic

Nothing miserable, nothing terrible

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New seat, new work, new students

2011-02-24T01:34:00.003+09:00

From this March, the new school year begins. I am going to be a ninth graders' homeroom teacher. The half of them are my old homeroom students but they are growing so fast that they will be a lot different from what they were last year. My seat in the faculty office changes. I will be next to the head teacher. And my seat is open to the vice principal. That is not good.
Anyway... a new beginning is something. I am looking forward to energy and hope as well as dramas and hectic days.

Asian New Year

2011-02-02T17:27:00.002+09:00

Tomorrow is Asian New Year's Day. Happy New Year!
And I can't believe January has gone alreay.

No need to go out? Need to go out!

2011-01-31T22:19:00.004+09:00

As communication and information technologies improve, many people have more than one technology to communicate with others. There are five in my family. Each has a pc or laptop computer and their own cell phone. This is not just about my family. Almost all my friends have cell phones that make internet available anywhere and anytime. We are always online on twitter or instant message services, so whenever I want and they are awake at least, I can talk to them.

But ironically I feel after I purchased the new cell phone, I can feel I am losing real human contact. Well... as a matter of fact, I go out less than before. I don't know exactly why but I am definately less active. I can list some probable reasons:
1) It is too cold in this winter. Actually it is the coldest winter I've ever had.
2) I am getting older than I was younger. (This sentence does not grammtically make sense but I bet you should know what I mean that I am still young but I am not too young likee early 20s.)
3) I don't need to go out to communicate with others.

The first two reasons seem reasonable but when it comes to considering the point when I started to turn less active, I can weigh more on the third reason: I don't need to go out to communicate with others.

Anyway... the reason why I am writing this is to make myself more motivated to go out!

the sunset of 2010

2010-12-06T22:00:00.002+09:00

@Busan, Korea

I have less than 2o days in 2010. I can't believe that. This year was special to me. I could start a new begining of my career and my sister got married. In addition, I am turning to 30s in two weeks. I am happy to go into 3os. My 20s was hard and I was too immature.

Well, I can feel I grew metally bigger this year.

testing

2010-11-07T01:44:00.001+09:00

I am testing for posting using phone.

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Women: the enemy of women

2010-05-24T22:22:00.004+09:00

I met a group of friends who used to go to university together. All of them are around early 30s or late 20s and half of them are married. We are not best friends. However as we shared the best season of life together - early 20s, we always have a lot things to talk about though we see together twice a year or so.
I found interesting that the topic we talked about has changed. Even last year, we talked about career development or dating. But now as many of them are gettting married, they were talking about thier family.
I consider that the most interesting topic of what married girls talk about is mothers-in-law. I can group the types of mothers-in-law into three categories.

1. Princess type
This is the most annoying type. She is so girly that she is so jealous of daughters-in-law. Also they feel like daughters-in-law take away thier sons. They want to be treated like their son's girl friends. They want to compete with their daughters-in-law.

2. Queen type
The queen type mothers-in-law are usally strong and they want to rule everything about family. Actually this type could be annoying type or not depending on the situations.
The good thing about them is they are so mentally strong that they do not want to be cared as babies. Especailly when they are economically stable, the queen type could be okay as they tend to be indepenent. The bad thing is that it is likely that their son could be mama's boys and they tend to be stuborn. When their daughter-in-law is also a queen type wannabe, it is possible the conflict between them would be sharp.

3. An Old Lady Type
This is the best type for me. They are neither a princess to take care of nor a queen to obey. They are like a nice old lady who lives next door. It is good to see her once a while, when both the daughters-in-law and them do their best to maintain good relationship, not invading the their own spheres each other.

When I look back on my friends' stories, the most problem are rooted in the fact that many of mothers-in-law in Korea do not consider their son's family as an independant family. In other words, they have hard time to seperate their sons from them and accept that their sons belong to a new family.
The girls who backbite their mothers-in-law will be mother-in-laws in the future too. I am sure that they will not be able to be free of belonging to the three categories.

Twitter

2010-05-22T00:38:00.002+09:00

Did you sign up for Twitter? I don't have an iphone but I was just curious about Twitter so I have an account.
To say somthing in less than 140 words is not difficult because sometimes I am reluctant to write something long or I don't have anything interesting to write on.
However, I am not that into Twitter. First I am not an iphone user. That will be the major reason. And second, I feel like I am yelling something meaningless in the air. What I say dosen't stay but flies away in Twitter. While blogging is more like writing than speaking, twitter is the opposite.
Without followers' instant comments or replies, the voice of the message gets weaker, meaningless, and swllow. It turns to be a notice of one's status. When I read the tweets from the people I am following, I find that some of them post messages not for two-way communication but for one-way communication.

Time Flies

2010-05-19T22:34:00.002+09:00

Time flies. It's already the mid of May. It's getting hot and humid in Korea. It's nearly summer here.
I almost abandoned this blog and all that I do with this is just checking about four times a year. But I am not planning to close this blog because it contains my stories that have been written for about 6 years. 6 YEARS! I can't believe time flies so fast.
This year is my last year of 20s. But I think I am a child. Is this called Peterpan symdrome? When I dated with guys who feel like children, I found them unattractive. For now I am really worried that I might be not attracive as they did.
Anyway, though six years have gone and I went through some major changes of life, I feel the same, still unstable, wondering and wandering.

It's difficult to be a good teacher.

2010-03-06T23:31:00.003+09:00

In Korea, a new school year begins in March.
March is the busiest month and it is even chaotic with new students and new teachers.
All of them have to adjust to the new circumstance and it requires much energy.

I have my first homeroom this year.
I am not sure how to position me in my students' mind as their homeroom teacher.
I am learning a lot.

Happy New Lunar Year!

2010-02-13T15:56:00.003+09:00

Happy New Lunar Year and I have some news.

1. I got tenure as an English teacher for the board of Education in Korea.

2. I bought a car. It's very small but I like it.

3. I am located at a middle school in a very small town where there are lesss than 150 students.

The First Post in 2010

2010-01-17T23:33:00.003+09:00

The year 2010... it sounds like a movie title.
Even though the new years has begun, I don't feel anything new or different.

I made a few resoulutions though because it is the begnning of the new year. Making a resolution is a kind of a yearly ritual.

1. I would part my hair diffrently to avoid hair loss.
2. I would be more selfish and bitch!
3. I would try to improve my look. (I think I have been too generous about my look. )

I have an important interview in a few days which will make a change on my life.
Wish me a good luck!

Upcoming Summer Vacation

2009-07-01T08:34:00.003+09:00

Actually my vacation starts in two weeks. And it is a 4 week vacation. I will have a plenty of free time. Last week, I went to Phuket, where I could enjoy beaches, foods, massages, and clubbing. I am thinking of going somewhere too. I want to be relaxed and enjoy good food.

Working as a teacher ends at the end of August because my contract will be expired. I am not extending my contract. For now, I am not sure what to do next. Actullay I have two options:

1. going back to the publishing company where I had been for 3 years.
Working there is fun. Work itself is challengeable and I can be paid more. I think I have potential to be a capable editor. But working conditions are not good. I will not have long vacation anymore. At most, I can one week vacation all through the year. I will have to overwork, especially when it is the time for deadline. And I cannot be teaching anymore.

2. studying for an exam to be a regular teacher
I have been working as a substitute teacher for 2 and half years. I work by contract, not engaged as a regular goverment offical. In order to be a regular, I have to pass an exam, which is very hard to pass. For example, there are 150 applicants but only 1o of them can cut the line. The exam takes place only once a year. I tried two times. I failed at the end, interview at the both times. Teachers in Korea are not paid much but they are guarenteed to work until 60 years old and are given two long vacations and training sessions to have their teaching skills improve. I have a nightmare where I fail the exam again this year and I don't want to study now. I am sick of preparing for the exam.

Life....sucks

Monday

2009-06-22T10:32:00.002+09:00

I feel like a zombie every Monday morning. To wake myself up, I have coffee, which does not work at all.
I have a lot of work to do within this week. I hope this week goes fast.

Checked my old posts

2009-06-17T23:00:00.002+09:00

I read my old post. I started blogging in 2004 and this blog is almost five years old.
I found that while I abandoned the blog, some people left comments on my old posts and I could not notice their comment at all.
Some people visited here because they are interested in Korea and some in totally different areas and we have different mother tongues.
I'd like to say hello and thank you for giving me comments even though it is too late. ;)

the sensitive

2009-06-16T18:48:00.006+09:00

My school has departments as most companies do. (Teachers in Korea do a lot of paper work concerning administration of school and out-of-classroom educational activities as well as teach their subject matters. ) My my department has five people. One of them is my supervisor teaching English. And the rest is a school librarian, Ethics teacher, a English-native speaker teacher who is from Canada, and me. Among them, Ethics teacher, who is junior to me by two years hangs out with me and other teachers of our age from time to time. We share a hobby: he likes drinking and I like drinking too.

I did not know why but unfortunately I did not feel comfortable with him last week because I could feel he was angry with me though we did not have any explicit trouble. So I decided to ask what was wrong with us by treating soju ( a kind of Korea liquor and it is powerful always...) . It turned out that he had been burdened with his work but I did not notice that and ask him whether he was okay with the work. And he seemed to think that he has much more work of our department than I do. It was quite understandable. Anyways it was good to solve the subtle conflict, which I consider it nothing now.

While having soju together, I could find he is very sensitive to other people's feelings. He told me when I looked uncomfortable, sick, crazy, and happy by glimpsing my face. (Well... I am listener type rahter than a talker, so some people sometimes tell me that I don't unveil myself easily. And usually we don't have much conversation at work. ) It was quite striking because his assumption was 100% correct.

I came across him today while going upstairs to my class and we had a talk for about 2 minutes. He asked me if I am sick today and said I looked pale. I was shocked again because my period began today. I decide to watch him. He is very interesting.

need a listener

2009-06-15T23:16:00.005+09:00

I was reminded by MJ that I have a blog! Thanks!

My life in June?
Actually I got to have many friends at work at the beginning of this year, which was good at first, because I could talk behind my principal and some evil teachers and share nasty secrets about people we hate.
But now I feel sick of talking with them somtimes because some of them rely on me too much. Whenever they have trouble with work, they run to me. Whever they have a problem with other teachers, they come over to my office to talk, talk, and talk.
I've realized that I am more a listener than a talker. But it is not always good to listen to other complaints. I need a listener too.
I don't know who is reading my post. My friends who know me offline do not know the existence of this blog. Anyway, thank you for listening.

Too much free time

2009-01-16T18:01:00.003+09:00

What do you do when you have enough free time?

I am on vacation now. I don't have to work until the beginning of Feb.
I sleep in everyday and waste time without doing anything meaningful.
That's one of the reasons why I made my mind to start blogging again.
I feel bored during vacation. I prefer working to being dull.

Don't be strong

2009-01-15T21:03:00.002+09:00

I happened to know I should not look strong and smart to marry in Korea when my friend and I were talking .
The friend really wants to marry in 1 year or so and she has been doing blind dates since last year. Recently she had 3 or 4 dates and while doing so, she came to know that guys tend to prefer girls who look mentally and socially fragile. That is they avoid girls who have strong tastes and social status.
The followings are reported by my friend.

1. Their faces turn stiff when girls say, "In my opinion," "I think..." "The politician is doing wrong..."
2. They do not welcome professional girls. Guys think the girls are beyond their capacity and they cannot control them because the girls make more money than they do.
3. The less girls talk, the more boys ask for the second date.

Alas!

Happy New Year Again!

2009-01-06T21:07:00.003+09:00

I found I had posted quite a few last year.
It's because my life was so boring and comfortable and I did not have many things to complain.
And it's weird that the access to blogger.com is not stable here. I don't know why. When I try to log in, only white screen comes out instead of my dashboard.
I don't know who visit my blog because I don't have many net friends here. I know sometimes MJ come across here to say hello. (Thanks, MJ! I saw the message left on msn messenger. Happy New Year too! )
I hope my life would be more interesting so that I can post good or bad news here.

Nail Color

2008-08-04T01:04:00.002+09:00

One of my hobbies is polishing my nails.
The color vaires from time to time.
Nowadays I am enjoying very vivid colors.
For my vacation to Phuket, I chose a hot color, Dark Red. I decided to call this color Vampire Red. hahaha. I don't have a sexy look, so I wear a sexy color on my nails instead.
I guess selecting a color might reflect one's state of mind. If it is true, I must be crazy and at least want to be crazy when referring to the color list as follows.

Dark Red
Dark Wine
Bright Yellow
Light Purple
Swampy Green
Hot Orange
....

Sleepless in Korea

2008-07-30T01:57:00.003+09:00

I should get some sleep.
However, sometimes I cannot easily go to bed because private time now is very precious.
In 5 hours I am going to return to the hetic and boring everyday routine.

I wonder who visits this blog. Whoever you are, good night! :)

Where am I Heading?

2008-03-14T08:20:00.002+09:00

The first unit I am tecahing to my students is "Laws of Life."
This unit contains 4 different stories each of which has a lesson for your life.
This is just a few lines in a textbook but I was impressed. (I am so geek to be impressed by a textbook.)

"Am I fitter, healthier, happier, and better than I was last year?"
"Where am I heading?"
"Do you have a target to strive for?"
"You can start on ANY positive path such as a goal list or a fitness program."

I have been working out since the beginning of this year.
I was a little lazy in Feburary but I started to burn my fat eagerly again in March.
Though my life was devastated in January and Feburary for some reasons: failing an exam, and breaking up with ex-boyfriend, I feel refreshed now because I am working out very hard!!! HaHaHa

Bad Guy Fever

2008-01-16T20:47:00.000+09:00

Whenever I watch a movie where a girl is into a bad guy, I would say, "She is crazy. She does not know how to respect herself!"

Poor girls, I am sorry that I have a bad guy fever too. I cannot help it.

I have a guy. I have known him for seven years. SEVEN YEARS!!!!!!
We had dates six years ago. Now we just talk on messenger or send text messages to each other.
I feel I have a crush on him. Sometimes I think he could be my Mr. Right. But it's funny how I can have such a nonsense because I don't see him in reality and we are not serious at all. Just killing time on the internet by talking silly things.

Actually there are some reasons that made me feel this way.
1. It is really fun to talk him. We talk about silly things but some of the things are very concerned about our real life. He does not talk too much but he is so sensible that he can catch my feelings very well. It's like a pingpong match. I toss a subject and he send it back to me in a jolly, balanced way.

2. He is not gay.

3. He adores me like a little sister. (I hate this part!) But sometimes I feel different, which makes me suspicious of his position about how he likes me.

4. I am sure he likes me but not sure if it is a kind of chemistry. That's the problem. I cannot be sure 100% about his attitude towards me. It is vague, tickling, or awkward somtimes.

5. So I think he is a bad guy. He might have many girls around him. He is tall, intelligent, making money with a secured job.

6. Therfore I cannot ask for him a date. I don't want to date with a bad guy. I don't want to play a game like that.

7. He wants to see me sometime. He never tells me exact time, just saying, "See you soon. I have to hang out in this winter."

HE IS BAD! BAD BAD BAD!

The Biggest Problem

2008-01-03T23:44:00.000+09:00

Wonhee: What is the biggest problem? Why are we alone? We are cool, right? Guys have prblems, not us, I am sure.

Juhee: No... we have problems. It is not possible every guy has the same problem. The problem is in us.

WH: What do you think is the problem then?

JH: We don't know how to rely on guys and we don't need to do so. That is even worse.

WH: Right. I haven't tried to depend on guys. I want to hang out, have a good time, share good ideas, or impower each other like a good friends. It is called a soul mate? It is totally different from relying on somebody. I am just an indivisual. Not one of a pair.

JH: Yeah. Your idea does not work in a relationship. You have to be the one of a pair.

WH: Sometimes I don't know what I want in a relationship. Actually I am almost always happy with my family and friends. And I like my work and life.

JH: But sometimes you feel empty. Right?

WH: Yes... Happy but not enough. It's weird.

JH: What should you expect in a relationship?

WH: I dunno!

Korean Age Sucks

2008-01-03T00:49:00.000+09:00

I know the title looks somewhat violent but I have to tell this.

As you know, the new year came and I got older again.

In Korea, a new-born baby is one year old when he or she is born. Then when a new year comes, the baby has another age. So Koreans have one year or two years more than western people. That's why I hate Korean age.

My birthday is in December. It is even mid-December. I was one year old when I just came out of my mom. And two weeks later, I got one year to my age. I am very sorry that I had been two year old in two weeks after I was born.

So with this reason, is it okay to ignore Korean age?

Merry Christmas

2007-12-23T23:41:00.000+09:00

This blog is nearly abandoned but I'd like to say, "Merry Christmas!"

I am quite satisfied with this year. Though I could not post many things on this blog.

Whoever visits here, I hope you guys happily review this year and welcome the new year!!!

XOXO

Boring Weekend

2007-09-16T20:14:00.000+09:00

It was a boring weekend. I took a rest enough and had a good time with my family but it was not enough.
I am sure that I have to hang out next weekend!!!!
Going clubing or drinking something....whatever....

Bridget

2007-08-17T17:06:00.000+09:00

Where's my Marc Darcy?

Colorful Korea

2007-08-11T23:22:00.000+09:00

taken at Chungpyung Temple, Chunchon

Quiz!

2007-08-10T00:56:00.000+09:00

My coworker, Julie has a dog named Roxy. I have a native speaker English teacher as a co-teacher. We teach students together. By the way, her dog is awesome. I am Roxy's godmother. She is my favorite dog. I had never been fond of a dog, but I am falling in love with her. (Oh, god. I have to be in an appropriat relationship. She is...HER! hehe)
Anyway...when I went walking to a park with Julie and her dog, Roxy, I found Roxy eat grass. I was curious why she ate grass and asked Julie. Julie answered Roxy sometimes eat grass when she is thirsty.

Now... QUIZ!

There is a proverb: You make a sound as a dog eats grass.

Can you guess what it is?

I have one week more

2007-08-10T00:44:00.000+09:00

I was given about one month vacation but now there is only one week left.
Sad...

Tickle and Run Away

2007-06-12T08:23:00.001+09:00

Tickle and Run Away

Tickle and run away,
Not straight forward

On his own way,
Stick to be secured

Just say 'hey,'
without any reward

Want to ask why,
I have no sword

Summer & Beer

2007-06-11T12:44:00.000+09:00

It's summer in Korea. Now it's the season of beer.
I had beer with nachos yesterday, which was really fantastic.

A friend of mine got pregnant, so she cannot drink beer until October.
It's very terrible!

I am going on a diet from this week, so I have to quit drinking beer for a while.
It's very very terrble!

The Most Difficult Thing

2007-05-15T23:41:00.000+09:00

The most difficult thing is to deal with people.
Teaching is the very job that needs the technique for being with people. I think it is more tricky that delivering knowlege to students.
I have been considered myself as a normal person who live with others in society and I am okay with others.
As I start teaching, sometimes it is very hard to cope with the problems with students. I know I am new in this field and I have to learn more about teaching. But I feel like myself an idiot when I am helpless.

Weekend

2007-05-05T21:59:00.000+09:00

I have wasted my valuable weekend.
:(

I will have a exam tomorrow but I am not prepared well I guess.

Weirdo

2007-04-27T11:10:00.000+09:00

Whenver I belong to some groups, more than a weirdo exists. (Is it grammatically correct? I am very sensitive with my grammar these days as I am teaching reading and grammar to students. )
Is it happening to you? For me, unfortunately, I always face many kinds of weirdos.
And most of them hate me because I am not generous to them.

In my school, especially in my department, the head of department is crazy. She is not mean and she is not evil but she is really horrible. I think she might have been educated in the very traditional strict Korean way. She tend to obey authority without any exception and she is a "dictator" as well though she does not seem to be at all. She does not listen to anyone carefully and makes mistakes not considering the all circumstances well.

She drives me a nut sometimes due to theses reasons. However, she makes me smile because she is too silly and I cannot understand her intention. Certainly, she is a character!

The second post this year and news

2007-04-27T10:52:00.000+09:00

It's the second post this year. What did I do so far this year?
Here is some news you might be intersted.

I left my previous job and started new kind of work: I am teaching students in a public high school.
This is new to me and I was not famillar with it but I am doing well so far, I guess.
Teaching was what is left for me to do and I decided to do it before I am too old to start a new kind of job. I know it is possible to begin a new sphere of job in 30s or 40s, which is but I don't start teaching so late.
The best thing is it takes only 15 minutes to commute. I walk to school everyday.
I loved my job in the publishing company and I am keep in tough with my collegues.
Actually, it's a challenge as there are many things to do to be a perfect good teacher.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2007-01-01T20:42:00.000+09:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL!

This year, 2007 is the year of Lucky Pig!

Top ten news

2006-12-24T01:32:00.000+09:00

At the end of every year, I find top issues of the year on TV. Who sequences the issues? Journalists or politicians??? Who knows? Actually the issues or news are not mine. (Some of them are related to my own interests though.)

Okay, then... In 2006, what happened to me? What was my top ten issues?
What made me happy and what made me annoyed?

Oh, the sequence is random. Ranking is impossible as it is too hard to value each news.

1. Graduation
I got a new degree of English education.

2. New books published
Listening and reading books were published. As an editor in charge, I directed all procedures of reading books. I am happy to end the project before new year comes.

3. Two business trips
It was a challenge - having meetings and dealing with strangers who know about publishing and sales more than me. I have learned how to negociate and make a deal. Business trips made me have more opportunities to me. However they gave me more work as well.

4. Broke up with a long distance relationship
At that time, I thougt it was a relationship. But now I just feel empty with it. haha. I learned what works for me and what does not work for me at all. Some problems were the causes: he thought be a very very kind and tamed girl; he lived very far from me; he was not confident with his future and career while I was heading to my better career with much confidence; and after all we did not love each other as much as we could.

5. Marriages around me
Some of my friends married. I started thinking of marriage practically. But I don't have a good answer about marriage so far. I don't convince whether I am a marriage type girl or not.

6. Discovery of skirts
I had been not that into skirts. I used to wear jeans almost every day. But this year I found skirts are more practical items and easy to wear, and I look better on skirts or dresses.

7. Druken
I had not been drunken even though I drank much liquior. Two times this year, I was flat because of liquior: soju(korean vodka) and Chinese vodka. I was embrassed when I woke up the next morning. I could not remember clearly what I did last night. Fortunately I was with my good friends and they helped me go back to my place. I realized that nobody could be free from stong vodka. I decided not to have much vodka.

8. Two miserable blind dates
OMG... I don't rememebr the guys. They made me look back my life. I felt myself very trifle and life empty if I valued myself with one I was dating.

9. Good bye to a friend
She was one of my best friends. We were in the same high school. We used to talk on the phone for several hours and I felt connected to each other. I shared many things for ten years. However we were too different. I know everyone is unique and different. But I was not generous enough to hug the big differences. I think friendship is what does not ask for generousity and understading comes naturally if the friendship is real. Naturally we were apart though we did not have a serios problem. I don't know what will happen to us next year but I guess I won't see her in the near future.

10. (wow...it's tough to think of ten items...) Trip to Japan
It was the first visit to Japan though it takes only 90 minutes to get to Japan. (I spend 180 minutes on week days commuting.) My friend and I met my another friend living in Japan and I had a great time with them. Traveling is so much fun. I love it. I do not envy millionaires about thier fortune and luxurious life. However sometimes I envy the people who can travels whenever they want to. What if I have enough money and time to go aound the world any time? Hmm... Are they worth and memorable travles? I don't think so.

More bad things did exist in 2006, but I forgot most of them. Really I cannot remember well or I don't remember at least. I wish a happy new year to me and my blog buddies!

Preference

2006-12-18T10:25:00.000+09:00

Which do you prefer, working out at a gym alone or hanging out with your friends?

I gain many things relating my work but I lost my health instead. My bio rhythme is broken. I don't know what I call bio rhythme is actullay is but I feel some rhythme that controls human being exists and it plays an important role, especially for women.

I was very confident in my health because I was okay even though I spent several days and nights over-working. However I am not. I am not confident. I am not okay with overworking.
I am still in 20s but I can foresee my miserable unhealthy 30s if I don't arrange my life.

I am thinking of sports: yoga, squash, or just exersicing at a gym. I am given 24 hours a day and I work from 9 am to 6 pm and more. It takes about 90 minutes to commute. I have friends to talk and eat together after work or on weekends. For these reasons, it is not easy to allot enough time for working out. I know it is an excuse. If I feel that I need exercise desperately than hanging out with my friends and having wonderful dinner with them, there would be no problem.

Long time no see

2006-12-08T10:08:00.000+09:00

Wow...
I found my blog abandoned. It's my fault!
I've been very very busy. Everyday overworking made me very sick mentally and physically.

I finished one-year project last week. (I published 6 books and 6 CDs!!!) And I finalized a very important contract with a U.K. publisher. It is a positive ending of this year.

To make my year end more meaningful, I am planning a special even for me and people around me. I am listing people who helped me this year. I counted them. They were about 20 people. They were co-workers and colleagues. When I work with them, I mostly use email to communicate with them. It is very rare to write a handwriting letter. I decided to write a hard copy letter to show my gratitudes. I am happy to have good people to write a thank you letter to.

Frankfurt Book Fair

2006-09-23T22:45:00.000+09:00

I am attending the Frankfurt Book Fair next month.
I am in charge of international copyright and importing goods from overseas while I am developing a reading program.
So...I am going to stay in some cities: Frankfurt, Paris, and London.

As I am doing some kinds of works. Each of them needs a differnt thinking mode, which makes me tired. I am stuck in piles of works and projects that is hard to organize at the same time.
My creativity runs out and I am feeling some shortage of animation at work.

It must be a tight business trip, I guess but I am longing that November 4th to come fast.
It's my slump season these days. I want to view things in a different way by stepping far way from my desk in the office.

Wedding, wedding

2006-09-23T09:41:00.000+09:00

This fall is full of weddings.
My weekends are occupied with the weddings.

Money runs out of my pocket.
though I don't know who will get a bouget.

Lovely weather, today
I got up from chatting noise from the livingroom on Saturday.

DMB Phone

2006-09-18T17:37:00.000+09:00

I got an mail as follows.

--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Flowerful,

I read your blog and I have a (maybe) strange question: I work for a newspaper in The Netherlands and I'm writing an article on DMB. For this paper, I'd like to interview a Korean guy or girl who has a DMB-receiver or a mobile phone that can receive DMB. I have questions like: why did you buy one? When do you watch television on your mobile phone or DMB receiver? And what do you watch?

(omission)

My deadline is tomorrow, so I hope you can mail me back as soon as possible. Then I can call you (or your friend) for the interview. It will take maybe ten minutes. I'll include some information on my newspaper at the end of this mail, so that you can see for what kind of newspaper it is. And if you have more questions, please let me know!

--------------------------------------------------------

I sent a reply as I saw the message. "I am very glad to be offered an interesting chance but I am sorry that I have no DMB phone and my friend don't enjoy using it though they have DMB phones." I was really sorry that I could not help him because it is an interest topic.

I know many Korean young people enjoy wireless internet, watching programs on the bus, and sending image based message with cell phones. Many manufacturers allot thier budget to advertise their products or services such as DMB phones, wireless internet service, PDAs and they are acturally popular in Korea.

I am enjoying web browsing and online communication but I don't feel like reading or watching something through a small screen like a computer monitor and a cell phone screen. I even hate listening to music with a MP3 player when I am moving. Many people are ignorant with licking sound through their ear phones. I cannot stand the sound.

And I spend many hours in front of computers. I want to rest my eyes when I am moving by just enjoying walking or looking around. I don't want to make my eyes overworking. So I rather decide to take a nap or just think about lousy things when I am on the bus or subway.

It is the time for Ubiquitous? Not for me. So far, I prefer paper books, watching TV in the livingroom with my family, and surfing the net in my cozy room.

Reality Show

2006-09-11T20:07:00.000+09:00

I have mentioned about a reality show called The Biggest Loser.
I've watched many kinds or reality show that made in the U.S.A or the U.K.

The Survivor
Project Runway
The Biggest Loser
Two tickets to Paradise (I cannot remember the title exactly.)
Bachelor
The beauty and Geek
The Simple Life
America's Next Top Model
Ambush Makeover
Queer Eyes
Extreme Makeover
The Swan Project (I also cannot remember the title. Each season of this show ends with a pageant show. )
...

WOW! Those are too many. I did not count the number of the shows but the numbers strike! I did not realize how many.

I really enjoyed some shows but other shows were bad.
But I think today that the most interesting reality show is my life. It is still full of challenges and uncertainty, isn’t it?

Lovely Day

2006-09-07T17:32:00.000+09:00

Today's weather is amazing. Neither cold nor hot. It is just cool and shiny.
I want to get out of the office and go on a picnic or take a sun bath.

If this weather continues, I might lie that I have a broken leg and ask for a short vacation.

The Biggest Loser

2006-09-03T23:58:00.000+09:00

Have you seen a reality show called The Biggest Loser?
Yes, I have. I saw it several times. Whenever I saw it, I was surprised to see the difference between the apreances before and after they worked out.

Even I was curious about top survivors out of the show and I checked the NBC homepage to see the winners who have changed a lot. That was not merely done to entertain my curiosuty but it was good to see the healthy people who changed themselves with passion. The show inspired me to think, 'Oh, I have to work out too!'

Two days ago, I met a busimess acquaintance. (I assume that he is about 40 years old.) When he bumped into me in front of the door of the office, he said to me, "You seem that you gained some weight, don't you?" I was frightened to hear that and I could not make a straight face. Then he added, "So...you look great today!" I said, "You are a liar!"

I like him very much as a business acquaintance. He is much older than I am but he was always sweet and kind to me, treating me with respect. It is not easy for an older man to be kind to younger women with respect and intimacy in Korean culture.

But this time it was too much. It is not about a kindess or intimacy. (But I still like him. Am I crazy?)

Anway...I was shocked but I decided to think that it would a good chance to be a biggest loser. I am choosing which exercise will do for me. Okay start working out!!!!

wishlist

2006-08-30T23:30:00.000+09:00

a pair of nice black suit
a black leather jacket
a Dior lipstick (orange color. I cannot remember the product number.)
a pink banded watch
comfortable but chic shoes
boyfriend (hahaha)

Monday, sick of meetings, sick jaws

2006-08-21T23:01:00.000+09:00

Today was a dreadfully busy day. One meeting in the morning and two meetings in the afternoon made me exhausted. Starting a week with meetings makes me sick of work! In addition, two crazy colleagues made some troubles that I really hated.

I stretched myself with a big yawn. I felt something weird. My right year was ringing and my jaw hurt whenever I opened my mouth. I made a call to my friend, who is a dentist and explained my sympytons. She told me that my jaws were wrenched and asked me not to open my mouth wide and relieve it with an ice bag.

Monday should be a fresh start of a week. Won hee, calm down. Don't get mad at crazy people. Don't open my mouth too wide. Have a sound sleep for you, Won hee.

+plus+A Good Healthy News I opened an installment savings for the first time. I am trying to be rich. Well begun is half done, huh?

ㅜ.ㅜ

2006-08-21T22:59:00.000+09:00

I was writing a pretty long post about traveling in Japan in the morning.
Suddenly the window of Explore was shut and I lost all.
ㅜ.ㅜ

Start working again

2006-08-11T14:01:00.000+09:00

I started working yesterday.
It was not easy for me to adjust to the office life.
I want to get out of here and walk around here and there.
It is stupid and dull of me to sit calm on a chair for 7 hours in front of a screen.
I am feeling my hip getting fatter.

Argh
It's an "after vacation" syndrome.

2006-08-10T10:50:00.000+09:00

After experiencing Ninja. It was like a haunted house.
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2006-08-10T10:49:00.000+09:00

I am cutting Okonomiyaki.
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2006-08-10T10:46:00.000+09:00

Tenogi area. The port is the enteracne to Osaka.
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2006-08-10T10:45:00.001+09:00

Don't count the dishes! We ate sushi!
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2006-08-10T10:45:00.000+09:00

Ramen. We keep eating foods at Osaka. Ramen, okonomiyaki, dakoyaki...
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2006-08-10T10:44:00.000+09:00

Night of Kyoto. You can see Kyoto Tower over there.
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2006-08-10T10:43:00.000+09:00

Kinkaguchi temple. Do you see the gold coated temple?
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2006-08-10T10:42:00.000+09:00

At an unknown street at Kyoto. It was very very quiet.
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2006-08-10T10:41:00.000+09:00

Nijo-temple. That's the garden of Nijo temple. The wooden tiles in the building of temple are moving with birds' sound.
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2006-08-10T10:40:00.000+09:00

Sajo, the center of Kyoto. In from of Hankyu department store
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2006-08-10T10:39:00.000+09:00

Gion with beatiful shops
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2006-08-10T10:38:00.000+09:00

down to Gion
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2006-08-10T10:37:00.000+09:00

I am back!
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Is it okay to talk about this?

2006-07-28T16:41:00.000+09:00

I am telling about English native speakers or foreigners in Korea.
This can be a rather controversial issue. But it is how I am feeling today.... so please understand me.
If you feel uncomfortable, don't read this entry.

As I am engaged in English language teaching industry, sometimes I need to ask help English native speakers to do our jobs as follows.

recording (voice actor)
modeling (photo shooting)
proofreading
writing
training teachers by demonstrating model teaching

Some of them are engaged in agencies. They do recording or modeling arranged by thier agency.
Others do these as a part time job. Some of them work for language institutions.

Anyway... I was fooled by two foreigners these days. My company is now looking for a presenter who can train teachers by demonstrating model teaching. I interviewed some and asked them to give a trial presentation.

One was a Canadian who get married to a Korean girl. He was very confident with the job but the day when we were supposed to have a trial presentation, he did not come without any notice. He even did not answer my phone. I was very mad! It happned a week ago.

The other was an African American (as he told). But later it turned out that he was a Nigerian and had lied about all of his private information and career stuff. I was very very pissed off again. It happned today.

I don't want judge English native speakers in Korea but I can not help thinking that many of them are not responsible and they underestimate me, my company, and even my country.

JAPAN!

2006-07-24T21:04:00.000+09:00

I am going to Japan in August! I never have spent full a yearly vacation since I started to work. In addition, it's my first visit to Japan. I am very excited!

I decided to go on a vacation this time though it will cost much. The reason is I want to escape from my routine and I am wandering as if I am in puberty. It's ridiculous but really I am!
Hopefully this attempt will refresh my life. The more stressed I am, the more money I am spending. :( Anyway I decided to take a risk of being flat broke.

My friend and her husband live in Kyoto. I am planning to stay with them and visit Kyoto and Osaka. If you have a tip about traveling in Japan, let me know it.

Why marriage?

2006-07-03T23:58:00.000+09:00

I am not sure whether I will be able to marry or not.
Vaguely I decided to marry someone someday.

1) Most of all, the reason why I made my decision is to try not to be lonely.
Well...now... I am a beloved daughter of my parents.
I am an employee of a company.
I am a friend of my friends.
..... like these I play several roles in the society around me.

But what if I get older?

My parents will pass away. (It is very heart breaking only if I imagine it.) The family that my parents made is my family. I am secured in the family now but if the family is broken naturally, I am sure I will be in panic and I must feel very hard.

My parents have not drove my to marry. As they get older, I can feel they tend to depend on me. Frankly speaking, it is a burden. I sometimes want to run away from it. This is a very selfish idea....Argh...but it's true for me.

I could be fired or could resign my job. If I lose my job and there's no one around me, it would be very hard to identify myself.

My friends will be engaged in their new society that I cannot belong to. This problem even happens now, in my 20s. You can agree with it easily.

Then...where do I have to go into?

It is very selfish of myself to consider marriage for only these reasons. But these really count! And there is another reason.

2) I think I have to develop myself through marriage. I should encounter many challenges that I can do meet up in my life. The relationship created by marriage is the very thing that would constitute other perspective of myself. I want to take the challenge to develop my self.

Third reason is the simplest one.

3) I want to be loved by one person and to love someone. I want to make a new life with the person I want.

Marriage

2006-06-28T14:05:00.000+09:00

I decide to marry someday.
*SOMEDAY*, not now.

I was not motivated to marry.
Now I can understand most people get married.

Cope with criticism

2006-06-27T22:27:00.000+09:00

Before new books come out, I try to meet target readers/customers as many as I can.
It is exciting to show the new titles made by me to others. However at the same time, it is harsh to take criticism from them. Of course, many of them are satisfied with the titles. Aside by the commendation, a few criticisms bother me very much.
Someone says, "Wow, it is very good. You, publisher could be a millionaire."
But another says, "I can point out some problems even if I glance it for a minute."
I smile and say, "Thank you very much for giving us precious advice."

I can understand how an unknown artist might feel when he meet a big dealer. Even though he tries his best, the dealer can judge not knowing the artist's intention.

The reason I review the new books before releasing them is to accept the criticism and to make better books. At the free market, it is most important to meet customers' needs. I know it is MARKETING!

As time goes by, I am learning how to cope with the criticism. Sometimes it remains a scar inside me though.

wine

2006-06-24T23:51:00.000+09:00

I am addicted to wine.
The heavier, the better!

Meeting PD. Han

2006-06-18T12:09:00.000+09:00

If you are a Korean, you probably know Mr. Han, Hak-soo(한학수).
He is a PD who work for MBC(문화방송). He gave a big shock about the secrets of Dr. Hawng's research on embryonic stem cell.
As a PD, he tried to seek for the truth beneath, the truth veiled tells many facts. The distorted patriotism blames him and his program, PD Note(PD 수첩). However I think he is the real professional.

He was writing a book about Dr. Hwnag's plot and his career. My company is going to publish his writing. Though I am not an editor in charge, I happen to meet him and drink beer with other colleagues.

He was a normal person, not a hero who just to try his best on his work. I learn his professionalism.

Too cruel

2006-06-18T11:57:00.000+09:00

I saw a movie, "The Cruel Street" (비정한 거리 in Korean).
As one of my friends works for a film company, sometimes I see movie for free! This time was the case.
Now Korea crowd is crazy about WORLD CUP. Korean movie professionals are very negative to release thier new ones in June.
In general, about 20 movies come out in a month, but in this June only 6 moives are going to meet thier viewers, which makes people have less choices to good movies. I don't like that. (Because I am not that into WORLD CUP. Korea press and commercials are too much about WORLD CUP. They make people dumb. Everybody should watch the games and the red waves though they don't want to.)

Anyway...I saw "The Cruel Street" that was a sort of ganster movies. Jo, In-sung was starred in it. He was too sweet and handsome to be a ganster. I liked the casting that break the streotype of Korean gangs.
As the title of the movie, some scenes were too cruel that I could not peek out the screen. I don't know why the movies were made so cruel though there is no art of the cruelty because it is too much!

Audible Frequency

2006-06-02T20:41:00.000+09:00

People can hear between an audible frequency. So do I. But I think I have narrow frequency band.

I cannot stand noise of girl's high frequncy chatting;
moaning sound;
groaning;
abstract explanations; and
a sentence without subject.

I want to be a good listner. It's hard to stand the sound out of my audible frequency band.

2006-05-26T18:15:00.000+09:00

On the last day of BEA Washington D.C. I had great meetings there.
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2006-05-26T18:14:00.000+09:00

It's Ruppert, the Survivor! I look very very small. :(
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2006-05-26T18:13:00.000+09:00

On the top of the Rockefeller Center. You can see the Empire States Buiding.
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2006-05-26T18:12:00.000+09:00

In front of the U.N. Building in New York
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BookExpo America 2006

2006-05-09T13:16:00.000+09:00

I am going to States this month.
It's a business trip. In Washington D.C., BookExpo America 2006 is held from May 19th to 21st.
I am busy preparing the trip. I am exicited!

Caught a cold

2006-04-27T15:54:00.000+09:00

I caught a cold! Ears are ringing. I am caughing a lot.
I took some medicine. I think it works.

It's spring but it is still cold. What on the earth is it going?
I think two weeks later summer will come soon.

April is the cruelest month

2006-04-18T10:40:00.000+09:00

How are you? I guess I am doing well.
Yesterday I was under pressure. (Argh... these days I had weird dreams everyday.)
However I consider it's normal for me, isn't it?

You know April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.........

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Speical Occasion

2006-04-18T10:39:00.000+09:00

April Fool's Party
Life can be boring of exciting as you do.
Elight mid-twenty girls had a party on April Fool's Day just to have fun.
We said truth more than lies. haha
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Hit by a strange guy

2006-03-31T20:01:00.000+09:00

It happaned yesterday.
On my way home, I got off from a subway. The station was located in the very central of Seoul, City Hall. Talking with my colleague, I headed to a way out.

Suddeny, I could not help screaming, "ACK~~~~~~~~~~~~!"(I think 'Oh!' is a correct English expressions but I want to describe my scremaing vividly)
I was hit on my head by something thick.
And I found a guy running toward a way out, when I was awake from odds.
He looked young and normal. I have not seen such a man.
He peeked hind while running away. I even remember his face and look. What a PSYCHO!

Furiously I started to chase him but he sneaked out. I missed him. Nobody helped me. That was too much.

With a pounding heart, I dialed '112', a Korean police station. Police came in 10 minutes. I explalined the happening and his look. The policemen looked puzzled too.

I realized how many insane people in Seoul and the World.

Be alert to psychos!

What do you do when you're sleepy?

2006-03-22T13:28:00.000+09:00

What do you do when you're sleep?I know when I need some sleep, it is the best way to get some sleep. However I am at work and I can't sleep on keyboard.
I have coffee twice or three times a day. Sometimes I drink it because I want to but otherwise I need it to be clear out of sleep.
Drinking too much coffee is not good for my health, I think. How can I go over it??

Lack of concentration

2006-03-16T10:43:00.000+09:00

Argh-
:(

2006-03-03T10:39:00.000+09:00

In a blue gown. School color is blue. The symbol of school is a snowflake. The hat shapes like a snowflake. It's a hexagon.
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2006-03-03T10:36:00.000+09:00

Nobody did this. We did!
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Graduation!

2006-02-24T01:22:00.000+09:00

hehe
I will graduate school tommorow. I am happy and sorry at the same time. Happy to quit working on school work anymore including thesis and get a degree. Sorry that I am not a student anymore.

Both breaking up and graduating make my real new start of 2006.
I am looking forward to welcoming spring.

He was not that into me

2006-02-22T23:36:00.000+09:00

Did you read the book, "He is not that into me"?
It looks like a stupid garbage in which girl manipulator rambles. However, I found it interesting and helpful though I am a kinda cynical person who does not like to listen to what others say about dos and don'ts.

Argh..

I broke up with my long distance relationship whom I mentioned before. The reason why I decided to do so is that he was not that into me and I was not that into him either.

When we could not meet frequently, it was hard for me to figure out what I am thinking about him. A few days before, he got a 4 day-leave from work and stayed in Seoul. Then we met two sucessive days, when I concluded that I was not interested in him as much as I had imagined.

Though it was a bitchy thing to notify my one-sided decision but I did so. And he agreed with me with ease. There was no arguing and insisting.

This left me with a sense of futility.

Lunch

2006-02-21T12:01:00.000+09:00

Every lunch time, I have to decide what I will have.
That's easy or not.

Every decision making is easy or not like a lunch choice.

Charlie's and the Chocolate Factory

2006-02-17T17:54:00.000+09:00

Charlie's and the Chocolate Factory is one of my favorite stories. I cannot forget the first impression I got when I read it for the first time about 17 year ago. Sure, it was written in Korean.

I like the words and expressions used to describe smell and taste of chocolate, candy bars, chewing gums. Imagine that you chew the stake favored gum for a meal or lick a chocolate that never melt. Is it fantastic?

Anyway I ordered original English version of the book and I am reading it. It's much more fun than Korean one and the movie that was released last year. (That's because the details of the movie were somewhat different from my imagination. I felt as if he chocolate river in the movie is plastic flavored. The movie was good but the book of the story is the better!)

I wanna see Wonka and his chocolate factory! ;)

Blue Sky

2006-02-13T14:52:00.000+09:00

Wow...today's weather is awesome!
I'd like to show you the clear blue sky in Korea.

Today I bought a box of chocolate. -_- You know, tomorrow is St. Valentine Day. It's silly to give chocolate to guys. I feel like being manupulated by chocolate manufactuers.

However if I don't prepare chocolate, someone will be disappointed with it. What a shame!

Be productive

2006-02-06T09:58:00.000+09:00

I am getting tired of consuming feelings.
Since December, I have been idle without any reason. Neither working hard nor chilling much.
That made me more tired phisically and mentally. I felt helpless.
I am a kind of person who have to move and act. Otherwise I really get to be gloomy.

Meaningful overwork is welcomed. But killing time? No!
I am going to avoid drinking so that I talk to someone. Rather I will choose to read or write in a quite place with coffee.
Studying is important to me. Though I graduate this month, I will keep studying my major area.
I will organize my idea and thought whenver I am inspired. Watching movies and performances are also good coz they help me think new ways.
I will shop whatever I really want. Not only the inner things construct me but also materials around me also count.

!!!!!

Restless

2006-01-26T10:26:00.000+09:00

I missed my identity card again. So I brought my passport instead. sigh-
I am rather restless. It's likely to lose my belongins. This characteristc made my job hard.

When it come to my work, I research for english education and market flow, make sample drafts, direct designing, DO EDITING, and managing manufacturing. What's the problem is editing. I make errors or overlook errors such as mispells or layout disorder.

Can I go on his job???

My boss does not scold me but when I see the revised draft almost in red(we made revising with a red pen) by her, I am ashamed of myself.

Reunion

2006-01-24T09:45:00.000+09:00

It's about high school reunion? NO. hehe
Today I have an appointment to meet my previous collegues. They left my company last year when the company was under reconstructing. Then half of collegues was cut or left.
I was left and there was a conflict between those who left and are left. However it's happy to see them again.

Holiday

2006-01-23T15:20:00.000+09:00

From this Saturday, New Year's Day will start again. This New Year's Day is called "Gu-jung(which means old New Year's day)" according to lunar calendar. On Gu-jung days, we have three sucessive holidays. If the holidays follow weekend or is followed by weekend, we have luckily five successive holidays.
However this year, Gu-jung is stuck in weekend, so we get to have only one more day holiday. I am sad... :(

Woman movie lost.

2006-01-17T11:40:00.001+09:00

I like watching movies. These days many good Korean movies are coming out. I am happy to have wider movie choices.
I cannot remember exactly when Korean movies got more popular than American movies in Korea. 1999? or 1998? Early Korean box-office movies were manly movies such as Chingu or romantic comedy like My Sassy Girl(is this title correct in English?). I also enjoyed the movies but it was pity that there was no woman movies. (I like many kinds of movies. Among all, I prefer the movies in which a woman get changed or empowered such as Reality Bites, Joyluck Club, Murielle’s Wedding, and so on.) I am not a feminist but a humanist. haha...
However as I am a woman, I wanted to see the movies that reflected my inner feelings. Some girl movies came out but it was not popular and a one-top actress did not appear. In movies, women tended to be so weak and troublesome that they interfere men's heroic life. Or there was movies in which a married woman are cheating, which was a trial to figure out woman psychology but it was not enough.
Finally "Chong-yoen" was released in December 2005. It was the best Korean woman movie ever. It was about first woman pilot in Korea and her life. I thought it portrayed woman's mentality very well and movie technology itself was great. However it did attract less viewers than the production had expected. On the other side, another movie, "King's Man" is very popular now. It is about a clown's life who manipulated King Yeon-san. The clown is a woman like man. He was loved by the king mentally and physically. I guess I can say it is homosexuality. The movie was interesting too. The plot was not that shocking but unique.I did not mean homosexuality movie is bad and woman movie should be preferred. What I want to say it's happy to see good woman movie and it's interesting to see a great woman movie defeated by new type relation movie in Korea. Koreans' sexually cultural barrier seems to be lowered.

Out of sight, out of mind

2006-01-13T11:12:00.000+09:00

Ten days have passed since I met the long distance relationship.
I was despressed for a week as I could not see him. However it's okay. I am adapted to this situation.
Out of sight, out of mind or Am I satisfied with this situation?

Jack pot

2006-01-05T14:00:00.000+09:00

As an editor, I want to make a jack pot before I quit this job.
I am developing two items now. They are going to be published in April.
There's blue print and I am wondering if this project will works well and make me happy.

A best selling book makes money. This is good for me and my company.
A good book makes readers happy. I want to make best selling good books.

Happy New Year

2006-01-02T09:04:00.000+09:00

I hope you have a fantastic new year!
It's Monday. I feel today is the real start of 2006.
Before this January go away, I have to decide on many things.
As soon as I figure themout , I will post refined my 2006 plans.