Korea's Multiculturalism Policy

"The daily feedback she gets from the women converges into one message: none of these programs actually improve our lives in a meaningful way."

This is from an article in Korea Times about Korea's multiculturalism policy based from a Vietnamese married immigrant translator.

Keeping the marriages intact. Pointless.
"comes naturally as long as your way of thinking aligns with your partner."
I beg to disagree. It won't come naturally because of cultural differences. It will take hard work and education for some to be able to come to terms on that.

"And the situation is worse for older couples in their 20th year of marriage or more — around the time when Korean husbands become too old to work."

This is a sad reality for us as well. All because of following my heart.

I have to stop here or I will spiral into another round of depression.

Bags

I don't like shoulder bags. I prefer backpacks, cross body bags or totes in that order. I remember a couple of backpacks that I used to have back in high school. One was a small almost-notebook size one good enough for my afternoon classes or simply hanging out with friends. This was a green one with my nickname sewed on the flap. There was also another dark green that my mom got from a direct selling company. It was a versatile one as it can be a backpack or a shoulder bag if folded and zipped up. I liked those bags. It just dawned on me now that both were green. Well, we used to wear green skirts as our school uniform so it was just blending it in.

Then there was another backpack l, denim brown one this time that I bought when I was in university. I never really realized that I don't exactly like brown at that time and I thought that the color went well with our flesh-colored school uniform. I really liked it at that time but the big buckles and the general weight and bulkiness started to become an issue for me that I found myself hardly using it. Instead, I would end up using a small tote and even exchange that with a close friend's tote at times just to change things up.

Ah! The good times we had just hanging out together. School days were almost always fun. The stories of bags, shoes, clothes and friend from those periods. I was never really the straight A student but I didn't hate school. I enjoyed learning new things and spending time with people I like. Fun simply meant hanging out with friends anywhere, alcohol and smoke-free.

We spent time hanging out on the top floor of the administration building watching the green and blue scenery as well the clouds and people below. I may not have made the best grades but I was doing okay for most subjects. I had a life even though it wasn't a very active one. In every school level that I had been through, I had met at least a friend or two that would be enough to last me a lifetime. I don't know how I ended up with friends to bags but let me just end this post here. It's getting cold out here.

posted from Bloggeroid in the car.

The Plus and Minus in Our Life

I often wondered why is it that a baby comes into a family and someone passes away. I know, there are coincidences and it doesn't happen that way all the time but I always had this slight feeling at the back of my mind that I wouldn't want to bring about a death in the family because of a baby. Absurd, illogical and crazy. Yes. I am totally consciously abandoning that ridiculous idea.

But on the other hand, I just realized today that birth does equate a passing of a loved one. Not totally of course, but it does make us fill in the vacuum of losing someone.  Somehow, it gives us a way to make our grieving less painful. It helps us cope with losing someone dear.

These past two years had been really heart-breaking for my father's side of the family. My father has 2 older sisters and 1 younger sister. Except for the oldest one, all of them live in our hometown. Their relationships had not been perfect all these years with occasional feuds and mishaps but they still manage to pull through together somehow.  After all, family is family with a good sense of value. He is closest to the second older sister and us kids/cousins had grown up with our aunts and uncles around, especially the ones who live near. But now...it's just so sad to think about it.

Last year, the youngest sister's husband was the first one who passed away due to cancer in the internal organ. A few months later, his wife got hit by a vehicle and died. They have a daughter who was married but separated and childless. I hope she finds happiness again in the future; be it a husband, a child, a profession, a calling, --- a place.

October this year, the second older passed away after battling with her kidney. She had been doing dialysis since last January, about the time that I and my son went back to my hometown for a visit. I knew that I might not see her anytime soon again. She was my favorite aunt and it breaks my heart to see her health go just like that. Still, she was not an easy patient to deal with. That will be one pun.

After she died, her husband passed away silently on his chair one early morning. He did have his own health battles to deal with for years already but he was tough. He smoked, he drank and ate anything but vegetables. He still outlived his wife even if only for a few weeks.

Fortunately, I was able to spend some time with them early this year. It is at this point when they are old, unhealthy and needs caregivers that it's just human nature to show them back that we care. Sadly, that is not the usual case for other developed countries anymore.

I had the chance to be with my aunt at the hospital, visit them at home, assist my uncle put meds on his eyes, massage to my aunt's swollen legs, at least be there even for the short time that we were in town.

My uncle will be buried tomorrow, leaving my cousin behind who had already buried her one and only younger brother years ago, and her mom just a few weeks ago. She must have a very strong heart for God to have given here these cards.

How many times I would find tears flowing freely these following days, weeks and months..I don't know. Fall and winter had left me with a sad note this year. I just pray that I will get through this winter with a stronger heart and a hopeful view for the next spring season.

There is a reason why one of my favorite verse is  Eccl. 3:1-8 and a song that I can loop play is Vivaldi's Four Seasons. 

credits to https://jrbpublications.com for the above photo 

Novice Home Baker Series: Combi Oven Trial -- First Week

Scored an almost-new oven through the Carrot App recently so I'm excited to figure out how it works. It cost a bit more than what I planned to spend on a new oven but this one was way fancier at less than half of the original price if bought brand new online. The catch is it didn't come with a manual at all so I just had to try out if it actually works in the first place like simply setting the oven temperature and time. The lady who sold it only showed me the preset functions and almost clueless on how to use it so that was probably the reason why she decided to sell it at that price. The good thing was that my hubby was game enough to foot the bill and help me bring it home.

My first order of trial food was the grilled fish that I had been hankering to eat - my last frozen boneless bangus or milkfish --- or chanos chanos as we had called it back in my university days. I tried out the function for defrosting and grilling. All guesswork but it turned out well-cooked and edible.
 



Now, since this oven is heavier and bigger than the old one, an idea to try the cast iron pan inside came to me. And it does fit! I can try baking some sweet potatoes later on.



But for snacks, I can't resist giving my 10.5(?) cast iron pan a try for baking a pizza in the oven. It can finally fit in this new one unlike in the smaller one I previously had. It looked delish.



Looks like I got a gem with this one. It is multi-function: oven, grill, defrost, dehydrator, odor-removal, and microwave. The only missing one that I haven't seen here is the steam and roundtable features which I've seen in other current ovens of similar style. I wasn't really sold on the steam features of newer ovens but now that I think about it, it would be nice. The thing is those I've seen usually come with the typical "turntable" of microwaves. I just can't imagine how my pans will fit on a limited space like that. Still, I am happy with my new one...with the versatility and at that price! Happy baking days are on the horizon again.

posted from Bloggeroid

The Feeling of Freedom

This isn't anything patriotic or something of that sort. It's simply being able to more conveniently go where or when I want to. I finally got my own little ride today!

This has been another overdue one but there has been really no big need before so here it is. I could have bought it some two years ago when I got enough saved but I was able to put that one in some long-term investment instead. And even this one, my totally last-minute-everything-hubs helped me to get this one. I know I'll still have to pay him in a couple of months for the whole thing and it is still under his name for the sake of convenience and saving some more.

We were at the dealership when I wondered aloud and asked him...
"My insurance credit will still be zero since I am piggybacking on you, right? (I won't be able to build my own insurance credit.)" He answers, "will there be a need for that?" (Or something to that effect.) I had to laugh out loud with his answer. Yes, there isn't really a need nor big advantage in getting some W savings now but there's this tiny feeling of being able to do things on my own in the future. Maybe once I've changed my citz, and have enough dough. Haha!

I will get to that point! In a year or two! Small steps even a bit late in my game. For now, I have to worry about saving for the side expenses on this latest big one. I'm pretty sure, the 3.1 + .7 price tag is just the beginning. I have already made the list of other things I need to add on this one: the sticker, number panel, key holder, snow cover, scraper, etc. Not to mention the annual tax that I need to pay and the fuel of course even though a bit minimal since it's a small one. The annual tax should make up for the longer parking time, and tollway discounts and such. We'll see how it goes.

Ah..one more thing. The process at the center was pretty cool. Hubs called in, we drove in, hopped on the target one, drove around and uphill, checked some more how it works, asked questions, went back to the office, did the paperwork including the insurance and paid. Oops! last-minute-hubs didn't bring his OTP card and his online fund transfer hit a snag. I was almost afraid we won't be driving one back home. Good thing, the trust issue here is pretty high. Hubs managed to cover the insurance and part of the unit cost. There is quite a bit remaining amount that he had to wire the payment after we got home. It was pretty cool how they manage to get the quote and sign up for an insurance through an app downloaded on the phone. Boy oh boy..the secretary also asked if we had kakaobank...That's one thing to note in the future. Look into it as it may come handy at times. So that's about it for today. I can now go back to my lesson prep and other job. One task off my list.  My ride is ready for next week!

Pictures, Videos and Storage Problems

Why do we have to keep photographs, videos, and all these things?

The need to document our lives? Totally a new addition to Maslow's hierarchy of needs? Why?

I try to reason with myself. I really don't take a lot of photos like most people nowadays but my storage still gets full ALL THE TIME. Things that I take photos of: sceneries, moments, interesting random things, practical infos, short-term reference photos like when snapping a shot is faster than writing it down. It is just endless especially with digital technology nowadays. I almost want to go back to the pre-photography period when someone has to sketch or write things in order keep this in memory. Just for a second.

Morning Read: Shoemakers Part 2

This is what got me starting writing earlier only to be sidetracked by something else. The last shoemakers in Korea. Where are they? In Seongsudong. Those fancy shoes Korean made shoes in the department stores or specialty brands are most likely made there. A not-so-very expensively made pair but sold in 5 to 6 digits in the window shops. The irony of life. 

Morning Read: Shoemakers Part 1

This morning article that I've stumbled into is about shoemaking. I love shoes that I often have to be conscious of how often I buy one. That isn't exactly because I follow any or anything like that but simply because I always like my footwear to be comfortable. There are comfy shoes that I would see and think that it might be comfortable than what I am currently using so I will hunt it down. Then there are also days when I really need this kind of shoes, because of an occasion or weather and I just have to buy something available even if it wasn't really what I was looking for. Those are like sad stories for me. I try to avoid buying stuff that I really don't like. Then there are ones that I buy coz I like only to find out some not so good part after I've used it. Ah! Alas! Buyer's remorse.

Right now, I have a few doubles. No, they are not expensive ones, just regular or cheap actually. I hardly buy expensive ones because I cannot afford it, I find it ridiculously priced when I am not even sure if I will wear it to the soles. Too much risk for the price of a pair.

Let me have some sort of inventory of the ones I currently have.
A pair of hiking sandals that I bought with my first paycheck when I was in my mid-teens. This was pretty expensive at that time. It has been to many places, endured river treks and mountains, beach dates, city walks just to name a few. It has seen it's time. I've felt some discomforts like when my sweaty feet slip off. But I love this dearly. It's still sturdy even if I had to put some rugby in between the soles but the band that holds the feet are still intact. I use it a pair of slippers when I go on trips, either to use outdoors or someplace where it can get wet. It dries pretty well anyway. Because of moving a lot, that is the only one that has stayed with me everywhere I live. Other pairs of sneakers gave out after two or three years on average. And those are not exactly the cheap ones. The cheap ones would only last a few months, lucky if it reaches at least a year.

Since moving back here in Korea, I have already gone through quite a handful of shoes. I have two summer sneakers, one is something that my husband just pushed me to buy just for the sake of using a gift card without him really looking at how comfy it is or what not. I had been thinking of throwing that thing for a while now. I'm just waiting for the tipping point.

The other one is something that I really searched and bought for myself online, much to my husband dismay coz he thinks that I buy shoes too often. Anyway, this one has been the most comfy one that I have so far. Sadly, it's only for the summer. I am still looking for something like this comfy that I can wear for every season.

That brings me to the latest suede pair that I got early this year. Gray and red Reebok classic. Color-wise, and season-wise, it's good. But as I found out, there's something off about it. The shape, the fit, I cannot pinpoint exactly.

Then there's another non-winter shoes that I picked up because it was bottom priced and Vans. Don't get me wrong here, I hardly ever shop for branded ones per se but I this one was really out of curiosity. It's black, also with a bit of red, a bit heavy but actually pretty comfy EXCEPT for the annoying tongue that would always go under EVERY TIME I put it on. There is nothing to hold it up. 
Next category, flat moccasin shoes. Why this? It's a slip on, no shoelace, doesn't shout girly, can be work shoes or simply casual. It's pretty flexible. I have decided in my late 20's that this is the kind of shoes that fit my needs and personality. No more loafers for me except for that last buy for a dear cousin's wedding. I have 2 summer ones, and 2 winter ones. Not exactly the best brands but it comes as it goes. The first summer one was bought out of need. I was only wearing sneakers for work until I got this one. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a black 1 cm heel (flat) but can only find blue green 2 cm one which I was willing to pay for. The other one, which is black, was something that really caught my eye and looked like what I had been looking for in terms of color, design and heel height. Sadly, after the impulse buy, the width doesn't seem to fit my wide feet so I just use it when I really need to, not as I planned as using from casual to a bit formal places.

The other winter pairs that I got online, was for a buy one take one. Yeah..I'm that cheap. I got a brown and black pair. Since I realized in my early twenties that I don't like brown, the brown shoes were used more often as casual one from running errands to elevator runs to wear it out. Go figure my logic. I try to save the black one on slightly more different circumstances. Even with that strategy, I already had to fix the black one. Oh well...that was the take 1 free. Nonetheless, I think they will still last for two more winter seasons at least.

For other winter footwear, I got two pairs of boots. One for light winter use and one Sorel for heavy snowy days when I have to clean off the snow from the car. That's about it for the ones I bought. I almost forgot another winter shoes that my dear SIL got for me about two years ago. I might not buy that for myself coz I am not sure if it will be warm enough for me. It's a pair gray padded slip-on shoes. I think it's warm enough on most winter days except on really cold days. I would always dream of wearing the bulky Sorel where my feet are still toasty and warm even in the layers of snow.

To round it off:
summer : 6
winter: 5
year round: 1

Wow. How did I end up with a dozen pairs? Of those 12, only two that I really didn't get for myself. One was a gift, and another one was a summer pair that I bought for my son but he didn't like it. That and many other stuff are reminders that I should make sure that I also like or can also use it for myself whenever I buy stuff for him in case he doesn't like it and I cannot return it anymore. Our size will not be the same for long. His shoes are now as big as his father so not much for me anymore. ^^


Conclusion for this post: I am not going to buy any shoes for the next year or two. My aim is to wear down the stuff that I don't like right now and save for a year-round pair to bring the numbers down to less than ten at least. That is still a long way for a minimalist to keep.

Next possible stop, clothes. Well not everything but generally speaking.

Sinbudong Lib

posted from Bloggeroid

The Korean Job Market for Educated Foreign Married Women

So I had been active on the job hunting market since around the end of August this year and was able to find a free training for the month of September. Another Pinay dragged me along for it and I came willingly. It sounds interesting for me as it is for younger ESL learners, with free training, and possible job prospects in two to three months. It also should pay almost the same rate that I usually charge as a freelancer so I went. We both got an offer to start a few classes around after a month but none panned out well. Mine was about an hour drive to get to, twice a week and since I had no car, and it was really far plus the gas fee will not exactly offset the income. My husband refused to lend his car. End of story.

My friend's assignment was also pushed back for reasons I am not really sure. By this time, I had already looked into other things, namely hagwons. My husband had been really pushing me to find a fulltime job. It wasn't easy. I had sent my resumes to a couple of places and called a few as well. I even showed up unannounced in a nearby one to no avail. I was flat out refused. "We are not looking to hire a foreigner." I am a bit inclined to think that what they meant is "not a non-native one." I am almost getting frustrated at this point so I finally asked a Korean friend to call in for me, to get the feel of the place if the owner will be open to hiring a non-native, with no visa problem, additional accommodation, and stuff. I was told to send in a resume, and a call came through for an interview. I could have started this month but it got pushed back to next month because I still had other commitments and my documents were not really ready. I was the job seeker who just showed up without the required apostilled school papers and such. Fast forward to two weeks later, my docs are almost done and I have just to prepare myself and the household duties for me to start the fulltime job. That, on top of the other offers I got around the same time. That should keep me busy now.

Whew! Going back to the title of this entry, I got caught in the "you don't belong here" dilemma. I am an educated foreign woman who can teach ESL but is not exactly an easy hire because of my nationality. There are possible ones in the factory to do a menial job that can offer at least the same rate as an entry-level white-collar or even more due to paid overtime.

Then I get this chance at a hagwon finally that doesn't need me to be able to speak Korean but the catch is my entry-level rate will be the same as any Korean English teacher. Fair enough. I just hope that the kids' parents won't have that prejudice once they see me around. The owner was open-minded enough and wise (he gets a near-native foreign teacher for the price of a Korean one) to take me on. I just have to shine here and charm my way for a salary increase soon, in a few months. This is the first place that asked for more aside from my resume. That's the deal with an academy. They are required to file documents to the education ministry for regulatory purposes so I do understand that. I wonder about the other places I had a few stints though. Most of which are private, some NGO, and one was a semi-government funded place. I had been blessed thus far. I just hit a few rough spots here and there but I knew in my heart that there's a place for me here, somewhere out there, just waiting for me. 

I understand that one has to figure out what works and what doesn't. Find out where there's a need and how you can satisfy that need. If there isn't an obvious need, create it. Be the catalyst for such. Make a niche. It's not an easy path. I am still learning how to go about it. I am just thankful that God sends people as instruments to show me the way. I just hope that there is a more regular program for others like me who are stuck in the middle. I know I have what it takes to find that place where I am needed. Now that I had set my mind to get a more regular job, I have to make the best of this. I am excited to get started. I still like trying out new things, thankfully.

1.5 Hour Driving Log

For the minimum price of 2500.

This post will cover two important things: driving log and the application for naturalization.

I will divert from my usual chronological recount of events and will do the opposite. The drive back home cost me 2500w for the use of the expressway from Daejeon to our place via Daejeon IC-Cheonan JC. Our navigator always takes us through Cheonan which I am really not that fond of. I would prefer to take the Gongju way if I had done my homework of studying the map in advance and not just rely on our car navigation device. Starting off from our place was fairly easy to deviate from it but coming back is another matter unless we study the route in advance. This time, neither me nor my husband did so we had no choice. He also didn't let me play around with his data phone so back to the car GPS.

I had the chance to drive and I am getting a little familiar with it. The route turned out to be a busy one with big trucks plying the road. It was pretty scary to run along with these big boys on the highway but I am slowly gaining confidence and figuring out how to avoid or go past them. They are pretty heavy so they actually go slower than private cars. I just need to watch out for speeding ones if ever. There wasn't a lot of turns but more on lane changes and gauging speed for the whole time I drove. My arms hurt a bit after the hour drive. My mental map of Cheonan area has been slowly expanding, at least the one on the south part of it. More fuel to burn though. 

The other part of our short Daejeon drive was the application. We started off the last documents almost around ten, finished after an hour and was ready to head out around 11:30. We just needed to fill up the tank first. Hubs refueled for 50k which almost half was gone after the day. The whole process of submitting the application will be on another post. This one has been stretched too much already and I am sleepy. 

Marriage. Why do you stay?

Some couple stays together because of kids.
Some couple doesn't stay together because of kids
While some couple stays together even if they don't have kids,
Some couple doesn't stay together because they can't have kids. 

That's the reality of married life that involves offsprings.
The attraction, emotion and all that has been invested in a relationship
can dry out or even die.
Marriage can even be dissolved now. With or without kids.
Sometimes, it's better to just have kids and not be married.
Or better yet, don't even think about getting married at all.
Live alone. Die alone. Or adopt. Or just adapt to the changing times.

(The above thoughts came about after a chat with other women to Korean men. ^^)

Half Documents In

Today is an interesting day even though it started on a chaotic morning. I had the chance to go to Cheonan and also drop off the other documents I needed to submit to my possible new workplace.

Now here is the exciting part for me; I was able to finally find a parking space at the library and had enough time to explore the place. Why is a library always a happy place for me? It's always an exciting feeling whenever I find a new one and it's like a wonderland. I checked out the library near the place from third to first floor and ending up in the English books section.

I was in a good mood as I head back to the car after submitting the documents. I noticed the special plant and I just have to capture the moment. It's the kind of plant that I would see in paintings or some fake-looking flower arrangement. I never realized that it can actually exist in a real setting although one would hardly notice it's beauty.

The weather has been sunny but chilly lately. It's really autumn now.

posted from Bloggeroid

Pensieve on a Cloudy Day

This week after the Chuseok holiday had been pretty full of positive developments. The stuff that I had submitted before the holidays had yielded some callbacks and plus extra. I will have to brace myself for some needed power by next month.

There is a fulltime job waiting, and a couple of parttime ones. All are opportunities that I wanted to do not just for the money but for the idea itself. The first one is an academy job which is a first time for me so this should be interesting. Well, come to think of it, everything is a first, of sorts. I have finally found an academy who is willing to take me on with a Korean pay scale that is.

I remember I once went to another interview but the owner and I weren't on the same page. He asked for my usual rate even already after the interview while I was pulling out of the parking space. I guess he was a bit shocked when I hesitantly gave the figure. I wasn't really keen on an academy job at that time or any solid job I guess.

Going back to the latest one...I always get sidetracked when writing or doing something. I've called a few ones myself but they all either didn't understand or believe me. Well, there was one that said they already hired one, another one flatly refused me because they were looking for a Korean English teacher, not a foreigner. This one, I asked a Korean friend to call and inquire. I think that made a big difference. She got someone who was willing to call me back to schedule an interview and she speaks almost perfect English. I came to the interview, met her and the non-English speaking but cool-looking owner. They mentioned that they didn't expect a foreigner will pick up their ad. Now, let's see how this one will work out. I know it might be a challenging start but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I also signed up for something that was pretty unusual, a blogger/reporter. I will have the chance to check out something, write about it and get a bit of pocket money or at least cover the gas fee. I only need to write one entry a month, attend a meeting at least once and do the actual trip. From my husband's monetary point of view, it's not really worth it. But if I can be smart about it, I might still get enough.

Then there's another gig..which is a short period but will definitely need a lot of prep work. I do have the freedom to do what I want and monetary-wise is good. This my chance...an almost-there dream gig. I will put my efforts into this and hopefully, it will yield to better prospects in the future.

That is the game plan for this month. Prep for this, prep the food supply (hello Traders), and get healthy. I will need extra powers for the full time hours I will have soon.

"There are times when I feel like giving up 
and there's nothing that I can do, 
but I know I can get through
because there's Someone looking out for me." 

~~~~
Extra. My mom asked me when I plan to go back. She tells me that in order to qualify to a government pension as a government employee, I should be in the workforce as early 40s. Thanks for the reminder, I tell her. But if I acquire a different nationality, I don't think I can get into government employment in my country. Husband says, if I had really wanted that, I could have done that when we lived there. I really don't. He tells me something that I already know. I am a free spirit which may possibly work out for me (or not) in the long run. Nobody knows. I know there will always be something for me to do, which will satisfy me emotionally, spiritually, psychologically and financially. I'll have more than enough and still be able to do things and still be able to extend my time and resources for others.  #positive#vibes

Another Driving Milestone

Drove from Hanam to home yesterday!

Hubs drove from home to Gwangju, then Gwangju to Hanam earlier but he keeps saying he was sleepy on the second drive. We managed to take a nap after lunch but I got to drive the whole trip home out on a fly. I was trying to open the trunk and arrange our stuff that they thought I already assumed the role of driver for the trip home. It helped that my SIL was there. haha!

Hubs kept saying that we can switch on one of the rest areas after he does the bathroom stuff. So I waited patiently at the rest area but at the last minute, I ended up driving again since the car beside us parked so close that he can only get in after I drive the car out of the parking space. Then there were other cars following behind so it was pretty tricky to still switch drivers.

The starting part was quite a challenge as I there was a lot of traffic so I had to do a lot of stops and go for a while. Add the unfamiliar route but after we got to the "go straight" part, it was not that bad. It was a bit tiring still, but fun.

Skillet Pizza for d Holidays err..Coming Days

We tried making a quick pizza on the stove using my first cast iron skillet recently and my son is finally eating homemade pizza again.

It's his own style of toppings though...onion and cheese and nothing more. I try to squeeze in a bit of minced garlic if I can. We have this like once or twice a week especially when it's just us for dinner. So since I got my whole wheat flour delivery this week, I got into making dough mode. My oven is partly broken so I cannot bake a decent loaf for almost a few weeks now so I make pizza dough instead. I really like playing around with dough. Its like I never had enough playdough when I was younger so I am just enjoying it now. It used to intimidate me before but now..I'm on a roll when I'm in the mood.



And since the pizza sauce being sold in the local nearest mart is pretty small and pricey...I insisted on going back to making one from scratch again. It's all trial and error though. I only got oregano and basil for herbs so not sure about the consistency of the taste. I also try to add onion powder and garlic with olive oil plus pink salt and pepper now.


The 7 pieces of thin crust I made tonight will only last for like two meals. P eats at least 2 rounds and one for me. Let's see.

I still got a few doughs planned up my sleeve...the burrito wraps. I know I can buy tortilla at the store for a pretty price but I think I can save a bit if I make my own plus it's not gonna be all white flour. I can make a mixed one with more fiber tucked in it. Then I'll also freeze it so it will be handy when I have the fillings already.

Oh..I also tried my third attempt at gluten meat today..using room temp water instead of the hot water initially found in the recipe I got. It was way softer. I will have to marinade it soon as I wasn't able to do it today. A friend has inspired me to look more into it earlier today.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mom Diaries (Teen Years)

We were killing time at the park yesterday and I saw a couple of families with young kids. A thought came to my mind and I asked my son.

Me: Do you have any plans of getting married someday?
Son: Yes, of course.
Me (surprised with the immediate reply): Really? Why?
Son: I like kids. I want also want to know does it feel to raise kids just like how you are doing now.
Me: Wow. What an interesting answer.

Then I started chuckling, itchy throat started and so is my coughing. I had to reach for a sip of water but it went haywire and choked to the point of almost not being able to breathe.

Oh boy. I had better be careful about asking my son questions nowadays. It's always quite amusing to pick his brain and hear what his thoughts are during this phase of his teenage years, 14 at that.

Eats around Sun Moon Uni - Asan Campus

Here are just 2 of the many possible places to grab a bite in the area...not exactly Korean cuisine but meals that can be easily taken out and eaten outdoors for a picnic of sorts.

First one is Dos Mas for burittos -- Korean style. Drinks available are softdrinks so either that have your own water bottle. 

The space is a bit limited with only a few tables cramped inside. Not exactly a place to hang out for a big group unlike the one near Soon Chun Hyang Uni. The owner speaks a bit of English. 

The choices for these burittos are beef, pork, chicken and beans. Take note that the beans used are like the Hunts' pork and beans kind of thing -- not exactly my kind of beans personally speaking. 

The other one is the dosirak kind of place. They have a lot of things one can choose from that it would take a bit of time to pick one from their menu below.  I haven't tried any but I will if I happen to be in the area next time. 

(Note: This post was written  a couple of years ago but got buried in drafts. I'm not sure if these are still as they are as they were back in 2016 or 2017)

Summer 2018

Aug 4

It's August and it 's been sweltering hot for almost 2 or 3 weeks now!
Sweltering is really an apt word for what it is like this year's summer. It wasn't this hot previous years. Even a tropical girl like me finds this weather challenging so that is really something.

We've manage before without hankering for an aircon at home but this one is really something else. And there aren't any rain forecasts coming as it usually does to break the increasing temperatures. Hubs came home early last week trying to find a small aircon that he almost bought but lucked out with the payment system. Ha! He tried to pay sometime in the midnight when all the online banking are off, then when he finally got thru, it was a wrong account number as he realized a few days later. Then he had to first get a refund but got it AFTER the deadline for the payment passed. He lost the on the good deal and reasonably priced unit and I just glad that he didn't get into the desperate mode to splurge just to get through this insanely hot season.

He is now on a 6-day-off from work and won't be able to enjoy the free aircon at the office unless we go to the library, where he now works, and just hang out there even if hes not supposed to be there at all. hahaha! What an irony of life!

I did plan on doing my own adaptation modes like going to church today and maybe hitting the bookstores these following days. I'm also looking at going to other libraries in the nearby town as I had heard that there is a new English library that opened recently. Unless my husband has other plans or actually do some stuff he had planned before instead of just trying to beat the heat and stay home without stepping even a foot outside our door for the following days until he needed to go back to work again. Oh my..

I have to make my own plans even small as it would be more than hell if I just stay home with these Koreanos who wouldn't want to face the kitchen but demand food and stuff. Good thing the kid listens better a bit but they both can be too much. I just wanna get away, really.

House Helper

Episode 13-14
This series has a title that is a bit too bland and not really that exciting. The lead guy, which is the title role, is a good one but the female lead just doesn't match up. Sorry. Good thing there are other supporting female cast which can rightly steal the show.

What made me stick to this is the decluttering aspect. Forget about the shallow love storylines since I have this impression that those were just after thoughts in creating this series. Tongue in cheek here. <sup>The tips and reminders on decluttering sprinkled here and there were one of the things I look forward to. It gives inspiration without overloading the senses. And to have a man actually do that is a big plus! There's less underlying condescending tone as a woman would have plus it's about time that we see men not only cooking but doing chores as well.

I just love the idea that it tries to go against the grain of men doing housechores which is still relatively not the norm in the whole kimchiland. That itself is really worth the airtime it gets. So big step for gender equality!

What got me to write this post is this episode 14, I think. There's this scene in the car with the two leads and a lady after they visited a single-mom-of-two-kids. The lines on the struggles, triumph, reasons, and stigma of being a single parent were rolled into that short scene. Why would a woman choose divorce? What goes inside her to bravely go against everybody's rules and expectations? Sure, it was just a slice of the many probable reasons for such but this is one of the not so controversial and obvious ones. And it kind of ends with that vacuum cleaner. ^^

On that note, I'll end my post with one too! Gotta get the vacuum to work. (albeit an inferior one)</sup>

posted from Bloggeroid

Beat the Heat with Korean Kong Guksu

This one has been on my list for a while and it was just waiting for the perfect chance to try out at home. I've seen this dish in menus along with the other cold noodle Nengmyon before but never got the chance and courage yet to try making one until today.

It so happen that we have the cukes and a bit of leftover watermelon, along with the ever present noodles, that all I need is the bean milk. And I chanced on a store in the downtown market yesterday that sells fresh stuff of everything soy and noodles so it was a no-brainer. I got a 500 ml of unsweetened soymilk at 3000 won that quenched my thirst at that moment and completed my bean noodles today after a day of sweating while doing my batch baking. (Oops! I sure like extending my sentences with conjunctions. ^^)

Oh..on a side note..I tried out my newly acquired pyrex loaf dish with one of the loaves I baked today. It just arrived on time when I was about to punch down the dough for the second rise so after a few moments of hesitation and more minutes of rinsing and drying, the first loaf went in it. The bread rise too much though that it was jard to get it out of the oven without hitting the heating lamps. It will have to be adjusted next time.

The Pyrex came with the Dutch oven and I was almost tempted to try them both today. But no...I would have to save the artisan bread trial for next time. It fits my small oven but I would have to put it in the lowest rack. I may try it with a 3 C loaf next time but that will be a bit later...when the temps gets a bit kinder coz it will need to preheat the pot and not only the oven. Then I need to take it out to slide in the dough and figure out the temperature with only the top heating on.

I will have to think about other stuff that I can use that thing for the time being. It's pretty big to make soups in this sweltering summer but maybe I can try the good old rice and maybe even a decent burnt rice. We'll see when that pot gets tested out in my kitchen.

posted from Bloggeroid

House Chores

Chores and me are not meant to be. I am not that good in an arranging things and keeping them at that so this is really something that I always struggle with. I can deal with people better than things. Truth of matter is my life is full of things. Well, back track on that. It's just hard to let go of things.

One thing hit me today is as I've been brainstorming how to de-clutter and arrange and keep at it, albeit slowly, because it has the problem-solving appeal.

My main task now is the freezer. I really love freezing but hate my freezer. It only has 2 shelves and I've tried to arrange my ziploc bags and whatnot time and again but maintaining it is never easy.  It's really frustrating when I want to buy a few more blocks of cheese and packs of ice cream but I can't coz I'm not sure if I have enough space. hahaha! I cannot plug into making my frozen burritos because of that.

Last week, I managed to experiment making space in the refrigerator area and it has helped a bit. It did cost a bit of extras to buy a few organizing containers but I think that is easier for me than buying a new fridge itself with all those nice drawers and shelves. (Yea, I'm preparing my case now if my husband starts to notice how much I'll be spending in Daiso.)

So onto my next task.

How do I arrange that freezer? Googled and found some hack of using magazine holders but I can't picture out how that will wok unless I use flat freezer containers which is not quite appealing to me. I'm all for flexibility of ziploc bags since they can folded when the contents had decreased or such.

L. First point:
A. What's typically in my freezer?
frozen fruits: tomatoes, strawberries, bananas, chokeberries, and maybe some blueberries?, persimmon juice

1. frozen vegetables: pre-sliced bell peppers, garlic, cucumbers, etc. , mashed sweet potatoes, leftover vegies fo vegie stock come colder days, 
2. meat/mock meat stuff: frozen mushrooms (pre-sliced, and stalks for stock) 
3. dairy: butter, mozzarella block, shredded,
4. frozen bread of all shapes and sizes
5. ice cream and ice cubes since it's summer now

B. How are they stored right now?

Most of these are stored in ziplocs, some in small containers.

The zipbags are again in transparent boxes that opens on top. There's some sort of category going like a box has the frozen fruits, etc.

II. What's the problem now?

• It's hard to get and put stuff back. 
• It's not easy to take out the boxes to open and get some stuff. 
• Not consistent labels. 

III. Possible solutions:

• system/organizer that makes it easy to sort and access each bag
• mini drawers, labels, 
• new set of zipbags to fit the drawers

IV. My course of action:

1. measure my whole freezer space, top and bottom
2. find those mini-drawers that takes up less space -- something that may be flat or tall enough to keep the bags vertical once frozen
3. label each bag on what is it, how much, and when.
4. find a pull out box that can hold irregular sized stuff like bread, etc.

There you are! I've got my plan of action out.
Oops! Before I forget, I must set a budget on how much it should cost me to get this plan in motion. Roughly 20k at Daiso or online soon!

Battling the Rainy Days

"Not a fan of cloudy days coz I'm a solar-powered person by day and moon-powered person by night. #earthfriendly#ecoperson"

This was my facebook status on a cloudy day last week. This week, however, I knew about how depressing rainy days can be so I had mentally prepared my mind on how to combat the sunless day. 

I went out for a walk after my boys left. It was raining, and a little bit windy but I uncharacteristically went ahead with it. Just a short 20 to 30 minutes around the block and I even broke a few sweats. I guess because I was swearing a windbreaker since it was raining. I even had an umbrella on my hand as I trudge through the rainwater cover sidewalk. The route isn't exactly that fancy but a part of it is a small farming field filled with different crops that are being grown in the "illegal" farm area. There were peanuts, green peppers, sweet potatoes, lettuces, and I even spotted a small row of beets. It was really good feeling walking around these things and always makes me wish to be able to secure a small plot for myself one day. I have no idea how though. For the meantime, let me savor the good feeling even just looking at them every step of my morning walk. 

My other plan for the day to combat the gloomy weather is to bake! I got some beets and carrots that are waiting to be used up so my list of kitchen stuff is pretty full now. How am I going to finish all of these, on top of other house chores and teaching on side, not to mention the supposedly prepping for my other goals, I don't know. Well, at least I've got some bread to eat now. And pink at that!

I'll just have to figure out what to prepare for dinner tonight. Sigh*

When you were young....

Honestly, I am always thankful that I don't have a lot if memories of saying how unruly my son was when he was younger. It makes me reflect about it whenever I hear other parents with younger kids "complaining" about how "kulit" their offsprings are.
Don't get me wrong. My son was no angel when he was younger but he generally behaved well more often. There were times that he pushed our patience buttons and boy, did we ever feel helpless. It was during this time that we as parents felt we needed help. We scoured the internet and books for parenting tips and ideas.
One of the books we found was Nanny 911...mostly meant for taming down the little monsters. We tried some and lost some until our son aged-out the book.

Middle elementary flew by quickly without us needing a lot of reference books but adolescent rolled in and we are so in for another transition period to teenage years. This is the period of the battle between the parents and the child.

I try to remember how it was during my time but with the different environment we are in, it is almost impossible to just do how my parents did. How much more if combined with my altogether-different-decade my husband grew up in?

It is a constant struggle to bring together the combination and adaptation of how to raise teenagers in this day and age as one would always have different backgrounds and circumstances.

This is something that I have to be more open to proactively discuss with my husband continuously. I don't want for each of us to struggle alone. This can be pulled off with helping each other by knowing how we view every situation and how to cope or proactively deal with it.

We came to the point of going back to church for our sons sake but we just couldn't agree which one. We still haven't done so though. It's an inner battle for me.

We only have one son and as responsible parents, we just want him to be best that he can be and be a blessing to others. Well..that is what I think. I must actually have the husband state what his own idea though.

Oh well...we still have at least 5 to 8 years to hopefully do our job. There is no such thing as parents training before becoming one specially for the first-borns. It's an on-the-job training --- for life or until one sees that their offsprings can manage on their own..finally. Then, the tables can turn.

posted from Bloggeroid

Behind the Library

Five Minutes!

That's all I have to rapidly write whatever that prompted me to start this post!
Let's just say that this is an speed-writing entry. So what prompted me to do so?

All the behind story of what happens in a library. Yes, that old familiar place filled with books but has also now evolved into the 11st century of going digital and being the place to provide intellectual resources to the public. This is really not the one that will be left behind. Nowadays, it doesn't only provide books in paper but in various forms such as ebooks, audiobooks, and some for specially-abled people like Braille and text-to-speech technology. They even have DVD's that you can watch in the digital media area, along with the free use of computers where you can do your online researches, print and photocopy services to boot! (The last two are charged for the printer paper at the very least though.)

But not only that, they also have various educational and cultural programs that caters to kids to adults: storytelling sessions, debate classes, reading promotional activities and many more. There are study halls, seminar rooms for people to work in. They also have a small auditorium that shows movies regularly and can host other events.

The ancient library has long been the center for intellectual amalgamation of minds, along side schools and university but never has it been this much. If anyone has thought that it will be the thing of the past with the digital generation then it would totally be on the contrary.

Now! That's more that 5 minutes! Fail!

Have A Little Faith

First book I've picked up at the new library.


A lot of people chase happiness. ..

posted from Bloggeroid

Nostalgic Mode

I'm in the middle of reading Young Sherlock, Black Ice when I had this nostalgic feeling of remembering the house I grew up when I was younger before starting school, to late elementary years and high school.

It's the house my father built literally in his own hands. It was a nipa house with a living, kitchen and dining area on right side, and the two bedrooms elevated on the other side. There was an elevated outhouse at the back and charcoal stove just behind the kitchen area. At one point, there were also a small chicken coop where my parent kept some for eggs and meat. Our water was from a deep well right outside the kitchen. We had to boil it all the time in a kettle that has very thick sediments because of the high acidity of the water in the area.

What prompted me to write just now is the memory of my room. It was a functional room next to my parent's room. I can literally climb over and get to the other side. I really don't remember much about that room except that it was the room where I had to stay for days when I caught the chickenpox. I had to spend my time coloring books, eating, sleeping and maybe there was a book that was made available at one point. It would have been a bliss if there were more though. The consolation was that I was able to eat my favorite store-bought bread, Skyflakes and RTO (Royal True Orange). Now that I think of it, most of those might have been on credit from the neighborhood store and that I had already consumed enough sugary drinks back in the days of my youth. The Coca Cola Bottler's company had a very bustling warehouse in our area.

Going back to my room, the bedrooms were just next to each other, with entrances at the opposite end of the small hallway. The wall that connects the two rooms had built-in closets on each side. Mine was a small one. I didn't have a lot of clothes so there were still a lot of space in each shelf. I could clearly remember that it was easy to shove the clothes off at the back of the closet so I can use it as steps to climb up the walls. That pretty fun except the top, which isn't really easy to clean, was a bit dusty. And not only that, there were always some lizard or gecko poops around. Yet, it was still fun to climb and look out at the other room.

The room has two windows, one on the neighbor's side and the other facing the outhouse at the back, along with coconut trees in the woodlands, where my parents would sometime plant cassava.
The window is a typical kubo window. It's basically just a simple opening with a retractable window held by a wood to keep it open and a big nail that one drops in the hole of the window to keep them closed at night or when it rains hard. The window is also made with bamboo mats as most all the walls of the house.

I remember looking at the windows while listening to chirping birds on good weather, listening to the rainfall or thunders during storms. There's this feeling of security inside one's room while at the same time being aware of what is happening outside. There were also mornings when I would wake up and hear my folks already going about the day. Those were the days when I don't have a care in the world, not even having to go to school.

There's this part when I was really younger that I remember that we had a tenant in the house. And a family at that! I don't know what the father does but the mother was a doctor. There were three little girls, younger than me. They occupied the bigger room and now that I think of it, I guess my family stayed in the smaller room which became my own room years later. I guess we shared the rest of the house being that their mom is busy with hospital duties and the kids one of which was still a wee one. How it came about or how long it lasted, I am not sure. They didn't stay that long I guess coz I remember the guy coming home drunk one time and we were spared from the couple's fights after that to say the least.

How they managed to stay in the bigger room was a mystery to me. I mean it is spacious yes, but it's all there was except for the built-in closets and dresser. My parent's closet right by the door had the a-two-door closet and simple three-level shelf with doors. On the left side is a dresser that my father also built-in for my mother. There wasn't much there except for a mirror, a few powders, lipstick, a few others and that ubiquitous blue comb that I remember to have existed until I was all grown up. There were two windows, one looking out of the front lawn and the other facing our neighbors, my cousin's house. We can see each other through the windows and I remember making some can and string telephone to use across the bamboo fence as our toys. There was also a small balcony jutting out at the front corner where a tree can be reached to climb on if one dared to do so.

Hmm..time check. 4:30. I might have been writing for almost an hour by now and I'm getting hungry. It's time for something else.

Before I finish this one off...we lived in that house on and off starting when I was a wee one. We lived at my grandparent's when I was in early elementary (1987/88 to 1991/2) then back there again in 93 or 94. We had to move out to my grandparent's again to live with my grandma after my grandfather passed away. And had stayed there for the longest time til left and got married. So basically, around preschool years and adolescent years were spent in that childhood home. Those were all just good memories. I like the place better than the other one to say the least. The other one felt just ...a house. Cramped room, hardly any window with a decent view, except when my father built the roof deck where I was able to hang out with some friends back in my teenage years. Oops! That's for another post.

Signing off! 

Bail Out

One thing I've learned about some pips here...they often bail out. I think it's a common nationality trait? Is it because we come from the same culture that we take for granted our fellow countrymen? I, myself, is a bit guilty of such sometimes. But not as often as some, I hope. 😉

I must try to develop the integrity of not going back on my word, however light a thing is. It's not a good habit to keep specially if something will take a bit more planning on the other person's part. 

But living outside one's comfort zone does change a person's character or the way he views the world. It helps up weed out the the not-so-good cultures that we grew up in.

 

Well, it just came up again. I really don't mind much about today coz I kind of gotten used to such but there's this feeling of deja vu all over again. 

More interesting ideas on culture here.

MS Mom Diaries

So I just got off the phone with the Korean English teacher and we spoke in Korean. I mean he did. And it's a he. Om..

So the salient points that I understood.
We live in the countryside. Most kids' English level are not really..well..let's just say that it's different from city kids.
Now, how can I give my son a chance to maximize his potential if the environment that we live in is like this without having the need to move? Or paying an academy to teach something that I can teach myself? I've already outsourced the math now and I think I really need to look into handling the writing skills as well as other life skills that he will need. There should be another way. And I don't want the factor of not having enough money to do so.

All I want is to let him be able to hone his skills to be a better student, a better person.

Remnants of the Winter

Be a person like a fallen leaf

in the early morning frost

Amidst the cold and chill

Keep your sparkle until the sun comes out.

I took a quick stroll after dropping my husband off in the morning. I thought that it's already warm enough for morning exercise but I was wrong after one round. It is still cold as evidenced by the frost on the ground which I just noticed as I got to the shady area and saw the frosted leaf.

The leaf is not exactly in its pristine state and there are even holes but it still looked pretty. It managed to keep hold of the sparkle that the winter has left it. It reminded me of people who despite  of "imperfections" in their lives still have the sparkle. There's still something good going for every person. It's just inspiring. 

posted from Bloggeroid

Lunar New Year Duty 2018

Notes:

Youngest DIL here and uses the foreign card most of the time since Korean hubby is not really that keen on attending these at least twice year things (fam structure is a bit complicated to say the least.) Went to the recent lunar new year and heard in the "family meeting" that the oldest son wanted to have everyone do more than the two basic. It seems that they have to do the "ceremonies" like more than twice a year before because they're trying to cover 3 generations of fore-fathers. And because BIL1 has one unwilling and complicated son, and both him and SIL1 are getting old, needs extra help to complete the ceremonies. But instead of doing at least 3x, on top of the regular 2x, he "proposed" to do it all in one. So that means, 2 regular ones plus at least 1 more. Other SILS were like, WHAAT? Me being the youngest and foreigner at that...well...These are all news to me.

That's how the lunar day summarizes. Ah..on another note..Even if I totally don't dig such ceremonies, I do like to be able to help my nice SILS and the entertain the MIL since they were just in the inconvenient culture to be born in. I don't think they expect much from me as I am pretty useless in the kitchen anyway, but I'd be a willing helping hand if available. I just don't like all the drama and the irony of all women doing all the work while the men just sit, talk and bark orders (at times.) The way I see it, the ladies are the power house so if they decide not to do any of those stuff all together, then I doubt if the men can manage all those food. Unless they choose to order-in everything.