"One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever. One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands alone and throws one's head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvelous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange unchanging majesty of the rising of the sun--which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. One knows it then for a moment or so." from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett



Little kindnesses

Sometimes I despair at the rudeness of people in general; sometimes people are in such a hurry for themselves that they forget to show courtesy to others and it can affect the rest of your day for the worse. And then sometimes people are very, very kind.  This morning at the gym, for example, I went into the dance room for my usual yoga stretch. The aerobics instructor was still in there, gathering her stuff up from the session that had just ended. I started to stretch and so she turned on some beautiful yoga music to accompany my routine. I thought at first that she was conducting another speaker test, but she walked out of the room, to let me enjoy some peace and music as I went through my stretches. It's startling, how kind and thoughtful people can be.



The Daejon Concert Hall

My PhD students

And on Monday, the couple that I tutor took me to see the Daejon Philharmonic Orchestra perform a piano concerto and a symphony by Rachmaninov. Can you imagine?! 1) Rachmaninov and a packed concert hall in the middle of Korea and 2)  their thoughtfulness in obtaining a ticket for me because I told them that classical music is my favorite but that I missed hearing it live in Korea. They're both such urbane, tactful people, too, and I spent a happy evening of food and music with them. The piano concerto no. 3 was played by the Orchestra, as well a teacher from Julliard who is Korean. The Orchestra rather faded into the background, but it played the Symphony no. 2 like it was second nature. It was a lovely concert, overall, and a beautiful concert hall that pays homage to traditional Korean architecture with a modern twist.

Lunar New Year

This week coming up is my vacation-- finally! We get a week's vacation in the winter and in the summer, and I chose to wait until the Lunar New Year to take mine, since I thought there might be more things to enjoy at this time. I am desperately glad that it's finally come-- I need a little alone time, and I'm almost tempted to stay holed up in my roo, to try and recover some of the serenity that's been threatened by the constant interaction with students and adults, the constant demand to be "on." I've felt just plain tired the last couple of weeks, so this time is deeply welcome. I'm not anti-social, I'm just introverted.

But I feel like I should knock some to-dos off my list, and  I feel that, even though it's winter, I have no excuse for not taking the time to discover Korea while I have the opportunity to do so. In fact, I'm a little overwhelmed by the possibility of things to do, Busan or Daejon or Seoul (although I've spent so much time in Seoul, there's always more to see. Kind of like L.A.). But I'm not keen about the idea traveling to places by bus and subway, which are really such tiring things to do, and the only drawback to visiting the capital. But no matter, I am determined to see beautiful things in Korea. Even though most of it is covered in snow, there are plenty of cultural sights to see in Insadong (the artist's district in Seoul and where a couple of palaces are located). One of my students told me that there's even a parade as part of the New Year's celebration, and that, as well as the foreigners that will come out of the woodworks, are among the reasons I will be there, camera in hand.

There are so many things that I am learning about Korea, not by asking foreigners, but by asking my adult students. There are so many little ways in which foreigners cope with traveling and being in a country where we can't read to figure out what's what. But my students have taught me so many little things about getting around comfortably and easily in Korea. Thanks goodness  for my time with them!

Anyways, I have a feeling that I will be busier than I would like to be, but hopefully it will all be for the best.

Dawn's contract finally came up and she left us yesterday. Mostly, I didn't really think about it until all of yesterday when she wasn't sitting across the desk from me. She was a great friend here in Korea but I hope that her time in the Phillipines is so much better!