Giving Thanks worked for me

Researchers are recently saying that giving thanks is good for your emotions. Oprah has been encouraging us to have an attitude of gratitude for years. But the Bible and other ancient religious texts have been telling us the same thing for thousands of years.

For example, Psalm 100 encourages believers to make a joyful noise to God and to acknowledge He is good.

Was He requesting that praise as an ego boost? I'm thinking not.

Does this spirit of gratitude actually change our present, or just the awareness of it?

Several years ago when I was feeling perpetually gloomy I did a little "thankfullness experiment." Every day as I was walking to work I would only think about things I was grateful for, not the things that were lacking in my life.

Several weeks into the experiment I noticed that my outlook on life was MUCH better. It wasn't scientific and I wasn't following a doctor's prescription, but it worked for me.

Either way, Buddha was indeed right when he said:

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him."

What are you thankful for today?

International Flavor Creeping In

I live a few miles above the Beltway where most people look like me. But I work in Montgomery Village, a suburb with a growing diverse immigrant population.

Some of the longtime locals don't like the new additions to the community, but I enjoy the local flavor (literally) they're bringing.

Check out my latest Montgomery Village Patch article about the newest international grocery store in the Village.

Anyone have any good recipes for Spiny Chayote Squash?

Black Friday Blues

Black Friday provides a fun, festive kick-start to holiday shopping in America. Call me crazy, but I love the hustle and bustle of shopping in a packed store.

This past Black Friday, as the Bernards' always do, we headed up to the Arnott Mall in Horseheads, NY.


A lonely 7th Street in Chinatown, Washington DC.

Of course the holiday sales are nice and the Christmas music loud. But, what really makes the day special is the business of it all.

I recently realized that a shopping trip in Seoul on any day of the year makes Black Friday look boring.

I still get sentimental thinking about my time in South Korea and often find it hard to articulate why I loved it so much. But, Black Friday 2010 helped me put those feelings into words.

Shopping in Korea, and life in general, are always busy. Myeongdong, one of the busiest areas in Seoul, is always crowded with teenagers, Japanese tourists and ex-pats looking for a good deal, eating tasty street food, and enjoying the activity of it all.

Even in my little neighborhood in Seoul I could grab coffee, Indian food, buy produce, hike up a mountain, and hit a karaoke room.

I wish that more shopping areas in America had that kind of energy and connectedness, and a solid stream of shoppers-- as do the business owners. Yes, some malls in the city are busy, but it feels so contained.

Get in your car, drive to the mall, shop, go home-- done.

Even in my beloved DC it's hard to find a busy area downtown at night (minus Georgetown, of course).

Maybe it's time for a trip to New York City.

Spicing Things Up (not the Kimchi)

I was lucky to have a diverse group of friends in South Korea.

I've been back in the states for almost two months now and am still excited at our diversity, and my ability to easily blend in with the crowd. But, I'm not exploring my community like I did when living in Asia.

One of the first things I noticed in Korea is the ethic homogeneity. It goes without saying that foreigners are easily noticed.

On one of my first weekends living in Gwangju, a city in the southern part of the country, several of my African American friends came to visit. After going out for dinner we caught a seemingly dull cab ride home.

But, for the cab driver, our trip was an exciting event.

She had never seen a black person.

She cranked her head around and stared at Fabrice and Natacha. She began to brush their cheeks to see if the color came off, and kept on pointing to the black ceiling.

We eventually understood that she was excited about their different colored skin.

Not happy about the event, my friends couldn’t believe what had happened.

That cab driver was excited/curious/nosey/ and even rude towards my friends because they were different. (I’m white, something not as exotic in South Korea.) Excited and curious about are obviously good things. I’ll leave the rest alone.

But, her behavior got me wondering how much more would I notice if I was more curious, got more excited when I learned or saw something new? I hope I wouldn’t try to remove the color of people’s skin, but would want to delve deeper into my environment and community.

I don't want to get complacent now that I'm back with my friends and family in America.

This week's goal will be to rediscover my community.

Does anyone know of hidden treasures in the D.C. area I should check out?

"Konglished" Again

Am I brown-headed or a brunette? Sometimes it's hard to remember.



The waiter was finally ready to take my order. I wanted "low hot" Panang Curry.

My boyfriend had to tell the waiter that I meant mild.

I'm the one that normally translated Konglish into English, not the one that needed a translator!

How had my English slipped so much that I couldn't even remember "mild"? I barely even spoke any Korean. (Shameful, yes indeed.)

Many English teachers in South Korea, and I'm guessing across the globe, have a funny way of coming home with a slightly lower level of English. It becomes easy to summarize and simplify your vocabulary after talking with novice-level English speakers for months. I must fight the urge to speak in Konglish!

Has anyone else found themselves speaking in Konglish (or another combination of languages) after returning home from another country?

My Busan Summer

A bleak Saturday on Haeundae Beach. Not a glimpse into my summer to come.

I'll admit it. I was thoroughly annoyed when I found out that I'd be placed in Busan for the summer. I'd just finished my master's and wanted a summer full of fun. Of course, the "obvious" place for that was Seoul, not Busan.

My new city was five hours from the center of the Korean universe (as I saw it). It didn't help that my first weekend was bleak and dreary. Maybe I had some sort of weird inter-Korean culture shock, switching from my past home to the new salty-aired, ocean-filled, laid back Busan?

I think my problem was that I just wanted to cling to the security of the old (Seoul) and wasn't really open to the new experiences another city held. Similar symptoms to culture shock?

Fast forward past my whining stage and I had some of the best Korean months ever in Busan. I also had a great schedule, awesome students, and lived in a good neighborhood, Seomyeon. I even got to see the infamous Busan Thong Man.


Here are a couple of my favorite spots from my wonderful Busan Summer:


Nampo-dong has streets full of clothing shops, food, books, ANYTHING you could want.




My friend Ryan and I.
Beomeosa Temple was one of the most relaxing places I've ever visited. (pictured above)



Yonggunsa Temple didn't have the calm of Beomeosa, but made up for it with an ocean view.


This little alter at Yonggunsa is a popular spot for mother's to come and pray for their children while they are taking the SAT's.


I never got tired of the constant activities at Jalgachi Market. You could find a fish, eel, turtle (yes, turtle) and have it cooked right there.

Busan has so much to do. The Korean government's tourism site is one of the best resources to find it all.

Reverse Culture-Shocked Again!

My home for the summer, Busan. Pictured is Haeundae Beach.

I thought that for sure I was over the reverse culture shock last spring. Well, technically I was at the time.

But, I couldn't resist and went back to South Korea for 1 last(?) summer. So, Battling Reverse Culture Shock is back in business! I'll soon be posting some memories from the summer, and more importantly blogs about my (and others') return to the States.