Writing Letters

I love writing letters. Not just because it puts a smile on the receiver's face but also because it's a very pleasant ritual to me. While writing one to someone, I usually go through some of our best memories together, what the person means to me, and what I like our relationship to be in the future. Obviously the letter usually turns out very honest, nostalgic, and almost always cheesy, but it is a good exercise for me to become more appreciative and loving, especially when I am feeling upset or disappointed by the person.

I've written more letters this summer than I have in the past ten years .. mostly because I want to keep in touch with the important people in my life in more meaningful, caring ways, and also because I've been nostalgic often looking back on college days, which puts me in a letter-writing mood. If you haven't gotten one, it should be on the way, heh.

Fall Is Coming

It has cooled down quite a bit since Monday. It was almost chilly walking to work this morning. Can't wait to see leaves turn color! Beautiful fall in Korea - maybe someone should visit me again then ;)

Reminders of Love

Matt visited me in Seoul for a week - it was a great time. Got to know each other and bonded even more (more updates and pictures later on this week).

Now I'm back to my regular routine - up at 7am, breakfast at 7:40am, out of the house by 8am, work from 9am to 6pm (lunch at noon, haha), back home by 7pm, Chinese, web browsing, in bed by midnight .. It always takes me a few days to get back in the full swing after such a fun week.

This morning wasn't easy either. I still felt somewhat empty and wanted to snuggle up with Juni in bed all morning. But mom fixed up some breakfast for me (very unusual) since she knew I was feeling a little down, and I got a nice large cup of coffee on the way to work. Besides its usual job of waking me up, the warm cup of coffee in my hands really comforted me. I suppose it was a perfect reminder of holding hands with someone who loves coffee in the morning.

I also got a few emails this morning that put me at a great start of the day. Billy sent me a link to Staple's new stapler that doesn't use staples which supposedly make it environmentally friendly, saying that it reminded him of me. As I've said to someone before, I love getting such emails that show that someone thought of me when I wasn't around (maybe I secretly crave attention). I finally got the Rubik's cube gift on the facebook as well.

It's been hard to have no close friends around to take a walk, grab a quick dinner, sip wine and get snobby, or laugh over nothing, but the past two months in Seoul have helped me realize how fortunate I am to have friends who still make me feel loved from 6,000 miles away. I have also established closer relationships with my parents that feel more like a friendship. And Juni makes me happy too - Matt can attest how much I love him, haha.

Focusing on good things in life ..

<3

Walking Home at 6AM

A bunch of us went out on Saturday night. There's this bar called "What's Sub" that has bottled beers and mixed drinks at $4-4.50! Almost impossible to find that price in downtown Seoul. Then we went to check out this currently the hottest club in Seoul called "The Circle". I had "too" much fun and walked home at 6am .. watching the sunrise. The contrast between brightly lit buildings and neon signs with people in dress shirts and heels sobering up on the streets and the beautiful--almost holy--sky filled with orange and pink clouds felt very surreal. It was actually the most memorable moment of the night out.

Still hungover at work though.....Ugh.

(no subject)

I just felt obliged to keep this up. Don't have too much on my mind right now. Just a full day at work ahead! I've been meeting a lot of new people, not working out as much as I had planned, eating very well, dealing with this crazy rainy season (it was pouring half an hour ago; now it's blazing sunny), etc. Currently I'm working as a staff at the English cafe, but starting on Sept. 3, I'll be teaching AP Psychology (what?) to high school students studying in the States. The institute is asking if I could cover everything in 4-5 weeks. Um ... time to steal materials from Dr. Maas ;)

My Cubicle

A Quick Note on the Taliban Situation

After two deaths, there has been a great emotional response among a number of Koreans here. It is really heartbreaking to grab a paper every morning and find no hopeful news. I can't even imagine what the families must be going through at this moment.

But it's also frustrating to hear all these comments around me that we should send our troops, rescue the hostages, and wipe them out. Wipe them out?! Taliban? In Afghanistan? Give me a break. We have absolutely no information or necessary equipment. The U.S. doesn't seem like they plan on helping out Korea much either.

It is definitely an extremely tricky situation - I do realize that Korean government feels like they cannot just sit there and watch their citizens getting killed. Who sent them over there though? They went ahead, in spite of all the warnings. Korea is stuck in this situation because some people were ignorant of the extent of the risk they were putting themselves in, and sending troops is only going to end up in far more casualties than "just" 22.

Korea has nothing to prove by sending its army over. It is only going to kill more people, and perhaps create very unnecessary motivation for them to do anything further.