Over the past few weeks, I have been pondering—in great depth—people who know how to build. This is largely due to the fact that Phil (Felipe) Branch—a friend and colleague from Busan who, with his wife Marta, travelled to the farm for 3 weeks—and I worked to update some dilapidated sections of la casita, or the little abandoned house on la finca. As only fate would have it, both Phil/Marta and Brian/I spent the whole of our summers remodeling our residences in the United States. Ours, a 24 foot, 1993 Gulf Stream Conquest RV dubbed The Sassy Biscuit, needed to be gutted down to the aluminum frame and entirely rebuilt as a result of water damage. To give more context, Brian and I were former home owners for nearly ten years. However, due to the age of our home built in 1900, we found ourselves investing between $5-10K annually for either maintenance or remodeling. The effects of home ownership on our lives were as follows:
Thus, we chose to sell our home and most of our belongings in exchange for a healthier, simpler, debt-free lifestyle that would allow us to travel: international teaching. However, after living abroad and essentially homeless when visiting the US, we decided to by an RV. Upon realizing the enormity of the project we had taken on this summer, we were faced with a choice: either 1) fix the most important problems in the RV and resell it to hopefully recuperate our money or 2) chase the rabbit all the way down the hole and rebuild the RV as was needed. We chose the latter and the rabbit hole led us all the way to the frame, to an overhaul of the engine, and to the reconstruction of our Sassy Biscuit in our loving image of a tiny home (see photo collage). This post, however, was not meant to be about our RV remodel, but rather about construction in general; because, upon finishing our latest rebuild, we lived in it for a mere two weeks before coming to Costa Rica and finding ourselves facing another serious project: la casita abandonada. One aspect of the primal identity that humans have maintained, yet have continued to perfect, is our ability to construct with our hands. In many ways, as a race, we have uprooted from and rejected our connection to the Earth. Yet, through construction, we maintain one aspect of who we once were. The Leaf Cutter Ant constructs an underground community that can reach the size of a basketball court with a depth up to five meters. Birds weave homes and nexts of lichen, natural fibers, wood, and every other material imaginable in diverse and intricate designs in order to raise their young. Spiders sew webs and construct traps from the strongest threads on the planet. I find that while I am a perfectionist in many aspects of my identity, building is the one time when I can be free to create given the time, tools, and materials at hand. I am a self-proclaimed Make-Shift Carpenter, building strong with peaceful imperfection. With this mentality, I am doing my part to bring la casita back to life through metal work, wood work, plumbing, finish carpentry, landscaping, and a deep cleaning. Marta has created two albums on Facebook, complete with her own comments, to document our journey. What photos I remembered to take, I have shared below. I would like to give a shout out, in no particular order, to some of the magnificent people that I know who build with their hands (most of whom possess skills far greater than my own): Felipe Branch, Paupi, Bobo’s Tim, Alicia Spear, Philip Powell, G Funk, Anthony Olinger, Chad White, Bradshaw, Michael Cullen, and my late Papa Erickson.
The eve of our next adventure...
Here we sit, in the Dallas Fort Worth Airport, on the eve of our next adventure. If you have followed my blog, you will recall that we faced a challenging decision last fall between staying in Busan or moving on. We examined the love that we had for Korea and our previous school and the relationships that we cultivated with colleagues, students, and parents. We calculated the phenomenal healthcare and benefits compared to the impact of our being distanced so greatly from our loved ones. Living internationally with a family is not easy because the experience can be so very different for each person involved. While one flourishes, another may falter. We found ourselves in our second year, knitted into an expat culture of international families, strong friendships, and a comfortable lifestyle. Yet, we realized too that Busan was only the beginning of our adventure and of our greater purpose: to explore the world (especially Latin America), to immerse Rosa in language (especially Spanish), and to find a place that we all feel to be "home," meaning that both Brian and I could both work and feel fulfilled mentally, socio-emotionally, and economically. Thus, despite all of the positive aspects, we chose to move on. So, here we sit, in Dallas, awaiting to board the plane which will take us to Costa Rica.
Contemplating Happiness…
Last night I was asked, if the meaning of life is the pursuit of happiness, what does happiness mean to me? To me happiness is that my husband is happy and content in his job, that my family is healthy, that my daughter is learning and growing in positive ways, that I am challenged both mentally and physically, that we are nourished by delicious food, and finally—realizing this just today—that I have the ability to clean myself before bed…be it in a bath, shower, river, or lake. When I posed the same question to my daughter, she replied that happiness is music, sweets, art, swimming, being around animals, reading, Christmas with family, and that she can be warmed up after a cold activity…dried by the sun after an ocean swim, drinking cocoa by a warm fire after playing in the snow, taking a hot shower after a dip in a cold pool. The question of happiness arose as a result of an ongoing strike that is currently consuming the entirety of Costa Rica. Schools have shut down, hospital cleaning crews are refusing to work, the transport of food and fuel has all but stopped, public transportation has been interrupted. While some view the strike as a hindrance and others see it as a necessity, people across the country are uniting in solidarity. They are standing up against the proposed fiscal plan that would create a single tax bracket for all, not taking into account the wealth of the tax payer. People are outraged by a small few who have accumulated the vast majority of the wealth. They are infuriated that through the proposed plan, even the poorest of the working class will pay to finance the luxurious retirement pensions of the rich. No matter how the strike is viewed, the pure truth is that it is powerful and the government has no other choice but to negotiate. Imagine what we could do in the United States if we all stopped bickering and instead united as an entire nation against the unjust and imbalanced distribution of wealth.
Next stop: Costa Rica…
Let’s turn the hands of time back slightly. For those of you who do not know, the route we have chosen has, for a time, veered us slightly off course of international teaching. After spending 6 wonderful weeks working at a friend’s summer camp in Minnesota and 6 more weeks in Colorado renovating an RV from the early 90s, visiting with family, and catching up with friends, we have embarked on a semester-long journey to come to know one single Latin American community. In order to give us the freedom we need to live and work in a remote location—La Finca Solantis in Santa María de Dota, Costa Rica—we are homeschooling Rosa during this first half of 3rd Grade. Thus, I have become a homeroom teacher with my child as my muse, which is a totally new way of life for all of us. In November we will travel to La Cuidad de Panamá, Panamá for my 36th birthday and to attend an international school job fair geared toward Latin America.
Yes...I realize these pix are sideways...I cannot seem to find one with the Tao of Tech in this place...Finding FLOW in a new community…
Although we have been in Costa Rica for only three weeks, I have had neither cell service nor internet until now. Last night we ceremoniously navigated the Kolbï website in order to purchase a cell service plan. Unfortunately, only Brian’s phone is presently connected; so, if you need to contact me, you can do so through him. To make it more complex, the farm, which is to be our home until the end of December, is situated atop the steepest mountain that you can imagine. We had to pay a 4x4 taxi $15 USD to bring us here with our luggage. The nature reserve where the farm is located boasts its own micro-climate (El Congo), is home to pumas, houses innumerable cafetales (coffee plantations) which form a cooperative providing award-winning Tarrazú coffee to the world, and rises high above the small town of Santa María de Dota. The location of the farm is so remote that going to town is something that we will do as little as possible (as it is a 10 mile round trip journey on foot).
What follows is my effort to paint you a picture of our daily life on the farm. There are two men that permanently live here: "Juven" Juventino and Marvin. Juven, which is a derivative of the Spanish word for youth, is a 78 year old campesino. He is both tough as nails and super mellow, and he absolutely loves Rosa. She follows him around and helps him to collect eggs, feed bunnies, or just sit and watch the fog roll in. He is a master of the cookstove—making rice and beans daily and occasionally meat or other dishes—and a seasoned gardener. Every morning he awakes at 4am to take the 5 sheep and 2 goats down to a pasture on this 30 hectare property. We get up around 6am to work in the main house while Juven is gone: cleaning, starting the fire on the cook stove, cooking breakfast (eggs, potatoes, or oatmeal with some fruit or root from the farm), chopping wood, and beginning our school day. We like to do this work while Juven is absent because, while we enjoy helping, we do not want to be too much of an intrusion. Rosa works on calligraphy, Spanish, or other activities during this time. When Juven returns around 9am, we leave so he can have his space and his kitchen. We are grateful that Costa Rican homes are far from airtight because, while cooking and tending the fire, he smokes cigarettes inside. Marvin is an extremely kind, hard-working, and generous man in his mid-fifties. His youngest daughter of four, Vanessa, found us lost and meandering the village on the day we arrived to help us arrange the taxi to the farm. We have since been to Marvin’s home and met his wife, another daughter, the boyfriends of both daughters, and the six-year-old daughter (Kristen) of Vanessa's boyfriend who has befriended Rosa. While Juven is the shepherd and gardener, Marvin is the main farmer and handyman. The cash crops of the farm are avocado and a fruit called granadilla. He spends most days with a weedwacker attached to his hip, walking up and down the immense steepness of the property, trying to keep the undergrowth in check. We have been grateful for Marvin's company and his way of speaking, of which I understand about 95+%. Juven, on the other hand, mumbles, has few teeth, and speaks an old country dialect that is much harder for me to decipher. However, even in a short few weeks, I am understanding so much more than when we first arrived. Where at first I was hesitant o ask questions because I did not understand the answers, I can now hold longer conversations with Juven while translating for Brian. I am learning to stand close, read his face, ask many questions, and repeat what he says to me to check for understanding. After we leave the house in the morning, we work for about 2-3 hours or so before lunch. I am helping Juven with the weeding, planting, and care of an enormous greenhouse which produces enough for the farm to be fairly self sufficient. Brian has begun fixing small engines, broken water heaters, cleaning stove pipes, repairing creaking doors, and is working to bring life back to an old motorcycle that the original farm owner used to drive. Rosa's main jobs are to collect the eggs, feed the bunnies, herd the cats, and she is also helping a bit in the garden. This past weekend, we also began to work in the small house in which we were supposed to live. However, it has been abandoned for some time and its location on the property means that it does not get much sun, providing the perfect breeding grounds for mildew, mold, and moss. Thus, we have decided that while we will work to clean la casita, we would prefer not live there. As of now, we are living in a handcrafted, artsy lodge which they call las cabinas and is situated just down from the main house. We have cleaned this entire building (and all rooms therein) plus the entire main house, minus the living quarters. We initially set-up a classroom in las cabinas, but we have now moved it to the main house to provide us with more space. We are finding our rhythm with working, school happening throughout the day, living off the land, and this slow-paced, rustic lifestyle: boiling water to do laundry, harvesting what we eat, cooking over a fire, taking time to visit neighbors, etc. One of the most beautiful and rewarding parts of being here has been the absolute disconnect from technology. We are talking so much, playing board games, working through our communication ruts, and enjoying one another in a way we never before have. To conclude this post, I would like to present you with Rosa’s first big project. Over the course of the past 3 weeks, we have been reading books, collecting facts, experiencing this new lifestyle, using our hands, forming opinions, and taking many photographs. Rosa then drafted her first 3-paged essay and worked very hard to create the following video. She greatly hopes that you will enjoy watching it as much as she enjoyed creating it. If you have the time, please leave her a reaction or comment below this blog post. (DUE to copyright laws on YouTube for songs that we used, the video has been banned. I will republish on Vimeo as soon as I am able...Thank you for your patience). We love and miss you all. Give hugs all around, share this post, and seriously consider coming to visit if you have the time. We would love to share this experience with you, and the farm can always use a few more hands. Pura Vida -Sarita Time flies...where have all the blog posts gone?I feel remorseful to say that it has been nearly a year since my last post. Who, what, when, where, why, and how has this happened? Because friends, Life. The rapid rewind reveals: a trip to Seoul over Chuseok, attending our first Korean wedding, experiencing the Lotte Giants play baseball at Sajik Stadium, an amazing first quarter of my 2nd year at BFS nearing completion, Rosa beginning 2nd grade and being awarded Student of the Month for being Socially Conscious, the addition of a Betta fish, "Violet" to our Korean family, the forming of new friendships, two sets of friends awaiting the births of their first children, the recent deaths of both my step parents, Rosa losing many teeth, a journey over the ocean, attending AP training and meeting amazing Spanish teachers from all over the globe, attending a Comprehensible Input language camp and running into some of my favorite colleagues, Rosa getting bangs, passing an amazing summer with family and friends (we love and dearly miss you all), camping, almost bagging our first 14er (14,000 ft peak), and this only gets us back as far as June. Awaiting a cross roads...We now find ourselves in the moment of a crucial decision: should we stay or should we go? One of the most beautiful, yet challenging, aspects of life as an expat family in the international education community is the inevitability of change. Most international teachers sign a two year contract; and thus, all must decide if they are to re-sign or to move on sometime before the half way mark of their second year. This year BFS has given me the gift of a deadline which happens to fall on my 35th birthday.
We very much value our time at BFS. I am absolutely in love with my job. I have creative freedom which is rooted in high standards for the ultimate success of my students and the Spanish language program. I have collaborative, intelligent, and supportive colleagues and administration. The student work ethic at BFS is the highest I have ever seen anywhere in the world. Rosa is thriving in the second grade; and, she has developed true friendships. Each day we integrate deeper into our lives here, most recently having discovered an affordable swimming program for kids at our local Recreation Center. Korean healthcare is abundant and affordable. Public transportation is inexpensive and nationally integrated. Most importantly, and contrary to global opinion, we feel extremely safe here. To be proactive, we have cast our search net into the waters of schools and organizations which may place us in Latin America or some other Spanish-speaking culture; because, despite all of the Korean positives, we miss and long for the intimacy, the passion, and familial connections of these aforementioned places. Professionally, I am extremely interested in cultivating my experience in the fields of Bilingual Education and ESL. Also, while Rosa speaks Spanish at a basic level and understands more each day, she has yet to be fully immersed in the Spanish speaking world. Thus, here we sit at one of the crossroads which could change what this experience is and means for our family. Please send us good vibes as we make this crucial decision. Holiday in the Philippines...One goal for living our life abroad is to travel whenever the opportunity arises, spending our money on experiences instead of on possessions. For our first 3.5 week holiday vacation, we chose to venture to the Philippines, visiting Cebu, Mactan, Bohol, Panglao, and Pamilacan (5 of the 7,000+ islands in the archipelago). After many nights of reflection and discussion, we would rate the trip 3.5/5, with the good winning over the bad. We saw very old monuments. Cebu is the oldest city in the Philippines and is famous for housing the original cross planted by Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century and the relic of the Santo Niño. The latter was a gift given to Juana, the wife of the chief of the indigenous tribe on Mactan island, by Magellan. The doll, which is said to have walked at night and to have offered rain during times of drought, is now encased in glass and its replicas exist on nearly every altar and in every business and home that we visited. We took a boat ride to the tiny island of Pamilican where we enjoyed a Filipino barbecue, built sand castles, and found sea stars. We visted nature reserves for tarsiers and butterflies. We ventured out in Carmen, Bohol and discovered vast acres of magical Christmas lights in public spaces which few foreign travellers ever see. We learned how to cut a mango Filipino style and how to navigate every form of public transit (tricycles, multicabs, jeepneys, busses, motor bikes) and do it without getting over charged. We twice swam in an underground cavern fed by fresh and salt water. We met amazing people and Rosa experienced the intensity of 3 brief but beautiful friendships. I rested my brain and was able to read 2 whole books and not think about work. We revisited and pondered what we value in life and what we feel is essential as a family. Yet, due to the impact of man, the islands were overcrowded and polluted. The public transportation was very busy and we spent almost as many days in traffic, in transit, or waiting for transport as we did venturing out and exploring. As there is no public infrastructure for waste management, every beach was litered with trash and on more than one occasion we found poop when searching for shells. Seeing the trash drove home the importance of reducing and reusing plastic, as it swims in the ocean, rides the tides, swells up in the soil, and can be seen everywhere you look. Our last 3 nights were spent at Natura Vista on Panglao Isand which is an eco-tourism retreat seeking to find solutions to such problems through composting, growing and promoting organic farming, and repurposing trash through decor, planters, and lighting. As western-looking tourists, we felt as if we were walking pesos. Everywhere we went people tried to sell us goods and services and absolutely everything had a price tag (from the helpful guidance of the young boy who showed us the way to the short hike to a beautiful Chocolate Hill vista). While the motive is completely understandable, it impeded our ability to make true human connections and was frusterating to deal with. But all in all, our vacation was more good than bad because it made us reexamine what we value. It reiterated the beauty hidden within the imperfection. It made us confront the effects that humans have on the planet.
And, when all was said and done, we returned to Korea with love and gratitude for the abundant hikes, the free public beaches, parks, and activities, the diverse and healthy cuisine, and the excellent and efficient public transportation. Fall is my favorite season...What can I say? Despite the fact that my happiest happy place is on the river, that live, outdoor music is normally available only in the summer, and that skiing and riding are rooted in the winter, fall is hands down my favorite season. To me fall has always represented closure, introspection, gratitude, and family. I am the most balanced and at peace in the fall. I look forward to sweaters and leggings, to chilly hikes, and early morning coffee. Fall is peace and serenity, love and wisdom. This fall we have made one amazing soul friend, Amy. She is a kindred spirit and I can honestly say that each member of my family cherishes her equally. With her we are able to find home because she shares our humor, our love for being outdoors, and she is genuinely just freakin´ rad. So thank you new friend for taking us to the top of the tallest mountain in Busan, for staking out the best spot on Jangsan, for inviting us to the Dragon Ridge, for inspiring love within our family, and for being you.
Finally, since we cannot be home for Thanksgiving, we have decided to embark Korea´s most challenging hike which summits 5 granite peaks and traverses an entire island: The Jagged Ridge Trail (or as Rosa likes to say, The Dragon Ridge):-) ¡Qué viva!
Why on earth do we choose the labor of love that is being an educator?This week has been a mental hurricane. In the brief span of 7 days, I have felt exhausted to the core of my being, stretched so thin that my mind seemed as if it was sewn together only by the finest of threads, found myself weeping *without any intention of doing so* at the desk of an administrator, yet also felt energized and elated after a great lesson or a stellar day, felt loved and important, and felt perfectly in sync with the universal river from which springs forth creativity and drive. I have felt less productive than I have ever been and more productive than I could ever have hoped to be. I experienced a minor, yet monumental success, but was shortly after slapped down because, without meaning or knowing, made a student feel trivial. I have felt both confident and incompetent, both balanced and out of WAC (yup, Will, been thinking about you all week). Yet, despite it all, I am in love with my job and I wake up every morning ready to juggle it all professionally, look my fears in the tonsils, and do it all over again. Maybe I just enjoy the battle. We have never lived so waste free...I have been wanting to post about this for a while, but have repeatedly forgotten. Korea is a peninsula in which the majority of the food is shipped or freighted in and the ultimate goal of waste disposal is to keep reusable trash out of the garbage. In the 2.5 months that we have lived here, we have produced approximately one Walmart size plastic bag of actual garbage, maybe not even that much. Almost everything is recyclable: from the piece of plastic you remove from the top of the yogurt container to the plastic stem of your Q tip. All food waste (be it bone, peel, or grind) is compostable for a very small fee which is calculated by the kilo and worked into your monthly utility bill. With all this in mind, we have made a conscious effort to only buy produce (our largest expense) from the local street markets. Although almost any type of produce can be found at the E Mart or Costco, we have decided to only purchase what is abundant (which is obvious because it is what every corner street vendor is selling that week) and to consume it before it goes bad. Since we live in a temperate and humid climate, food goes bad fast; thus, we must choose wisely. Our main staples consist of carrots, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, eggs, and brown rice. We alternate between Asian pears (I think they are just called pears here), bananas, and apples. Occasionally we buy cheese and yogurt as well. For seasoning, we use small quantities of salt and sesame oil and little to no sugar. For a treat we buy seaweed and nuts, and subtly-sweet, sticky rice goodies from local vendors. I am now very surprised at how flavorful food tastes. I can drink coffee with no sugar and just a touch of cinnamon. When we eat out, I can distinguish between (although not identify) the array of spices used to flavor the food. With every meal, our collective gratitude for what we consume is growing. All you need is love...As Rosa and I walked to school on Friday, we pondered our new experience. We both agree that we are beginning to feel something new for this place...happiness, belonging, baby roots, maybe even love? Love may or may not be all you need, but from love stems for gratitude. Gratitude is a pretty cool emotion.
An overview of the past 2 weeks...I recognize that I have not written a post for 2 or 3 weeks; thus, I will begin with a summary. In this span of time, I have experienced the following firsts:
2. I attended my first Pre K-12th grade Pep-Rally which reinforced the true uniqueness of this small, community driven, and culturally diverse school. 3. On a Sunday outing, where we once again tried but failed to make it to the top of Jangsan Mountain, we saw some of our first Korean flowers in full bloom and a black butterfly that was the size of a small bird. Here is a view from Jangsan Mountain, approximately 35 minutes from our apartment. 4. I experienced my first Earthquake, which registered 5.4 at its epicenter and was the largest in recorded Korean history (sorry, I have no pic, but here is a link). While some experienced violent shaking which lasted nearly 15 seconds, I was at Jiu Jitsu in a darkly painted and padded room, thus only experienced swinging lamps and swaying walls. I think that my naivety in the face of earthquakes kept me from processing the event or feeling any emotion: negative, positive or otherwise. Yes, Mom, Nana, Papa, Jodi, Pat, Bobo, Dad, and Barb, we are fine and Rosa packed a ¨Go Bag¨ for any future emergency events.
5. Chuseok, Korea´s largest holiday which resembles Thanksgiving mixed with Día de los Muertos, has arrived. We have been given 5 days off of school. Our goal was to take a 2 hour bus ride to the town of Tongyeong, then take an hour ferry ride to an island to traverse the Jagged Ridge Trail. This trail is one of the hardest yet most beautiful in Korea. It summits 5 peaks, traverses an entire island, and contains many sections which are outright bouldering. However, we learned that it can be impossible to make last minute travel plans over a holiday in a country in which everyone is on the move. We will try again at Thanksgiving (with a bit more planning, preparation, and probably training). In honor of this sacred holiday, gift boxes of body care products, fruits, and spam have lined the streets. On Tuesday I was given a box of tea and a black beaded/jeweled necklace from two of my high school students. I was astounded and so very grateful. What do you say when you realize a student has just given you perhaps the most beautiful gift you have every received? Tomorrow boasts a full moon lunar eclipse. How very perfect that we live just a short walk from Dalmaji (Moon View) Hill. Seems like a night for a lunar picnic. The power of words...It is very exciting and humbling that I now find myself on the same literary path as my 6 year old daughter (she is reading English and I am learning Hongul). Although I must state that her flow, rate, and comprehension are much much higher than mine, we are both enjoying the super power that is literacy. While riding the metro across the city, Rosa began to sound out the words to her Humetro Ticket. Her face lit up when the letter sounds joined and became words that she understood. She then proceeded to read my entire United Blood Services Donor card. With more practice, her speed, confidence, and accuracy increased. Being aware of the empowerment she experienced, I set forth on our Saturday family excursion hoping to do the same. I can now identify and pronounce each of characters in Hongul (written Korean). I am not reading very fast which limits what I am able to read; however, last night I identified words like Busan, paper, poker, citizen, and many words in Hongul that I could read but do not understand. On our bus ride home, while Rosa slept in my lap and Brian and I were talking, my face lit up as I identified words like, Busan taxi and Domino´s Picha! The highlights of my week (see photos below)...
Craft Club (This week: Mexican flowers, Up next: stained tin art)Our Saturday adventureWhen you need more time, time expands...When I was in the beginning stages of motherhood, one of my dearest friends always told me that, so long as I was taking care of my being, if I needed more time, time would expand. This week I turned to her wisdom as the school year is now in full force. With my current job, I have 4 separate preps. This means that I plan and prepare to teach 4 different classes/day. The scope ranges from kindergarten students having never been exposed to Spanish all the way to level 5 native or near native-fluent in the upper high school level who are preparing to take the AP exam. Needless to say, thinking and planning within these different levels is a mental marathon. I have never had such a challenging workload in my life; thus, I foresee being easily driven into a cycle of stress. Guided by the aforementioned words of my wise friend, I have realized how essential it now is to take care of my being (mind, body, and soul). The mind/body connection...With this mentality in mind, I have experienced and embodied the following over the course of 1 week: taking time to connect with (through reading, conversing, questioning, and observing) the culture around me, swimming in the ocean with my family, starting a love affair with Jiu Jitsu, attending a free outdoor movie on a school night, and dancing salsa in the heart of the city. This week I accomplished all of the above and had time to plan and create my classes. The result was that I felt more focussed at school, was able to (by Friday) connect with each of my students and find flow in my classes, was more present at home (thus giving my family more love and attention), and I receive almost an adequate amount of sleep in order to continue on with this crazy new life. Say, "kimchee!" In celebration...In celebration of a successful week, we decided to try for a pizza and movie night (our Friday night ritual in Colorado). Thanks to another new friend, we have not only acquired enough furniture to all veg out in the living room, but have also been blessed with a library of digital movies. As I have alergies and Domino's is not an option for me, I discovered that it is possible to make pizza dough out of nothing but rice flour, eggs, and cheese (in a skillet). The toppings of this first masterpiece included salsa (as pizza sauce), roasted garlic, chicken, and American cheese. I know it doesn't sound very good, but we thoroughly enjoyed it!!
Understanding culture...We have entered week 3 of our new lives and are beginning to find our groove. We are meeting new people, becoming acquainted with the city, and are understanding this culture more and more. We recognize that some cultural assumptions we made upon arrival are not what they appear to be. For example, many people, especially woman, walk around almost entirely covered: arms, shoulders, faces, heads, and sometimes legs. Initially we believed this to be an act of modesty (which I still think to be true to an extent). However, what we are now learning is that it is more an act of skin preservation. If you do not expose your skin to the elements, then your skin will remain youthful for much longer. Indeed, many individuals appear ageless for lack of wrinkles and beautifully smooth skin. Thus I have been recently pondering cultural notions of beauty. For, what is beautiful to one culture may be unattractive to another. In my culture, bronzed skin is seen as healthy and beautiful (even though we all recognized UVs to be harmful...hmm?). Some cultures see beauty as the length of one's neck, the size of one's lips, or the width of one's hips. In many latin cultures, skin color is compared to milk and coffee, with one extreme (leche) holding an opposing value to the opposite extreme (café). Many Koreans, that I have met and have observed, have very fair complexions. This leads me to believe that olive skin sets the standard of what is beautiful. I confront and question if this is wisdom or another side of white privilege and power. The reason we are here...This past Monday, I began my job at Busan Foreign School (BFS!! Go Sharks!). This long-awaited beginning reaffirmed (once again) my feeling that we made the right choice with our move. I feel supported by our leadership team; I feel at home with my Specialists team; and I feel inspired by my colleagues. I have set up my room and the energy is good. I am understanding our student management systems and the expectations placed on my roles within the greater school community. Further, despite all initial fears that I was taking on too much, I have realized that I can do this and that it is possible to do it well. Now comes the part where I dig deep into creativity, planning, and intrinsic motivation (motivation which comes from within). Up next (on Wednesday to be precise), I will finally meet my students and begin the process of co-creation, relationship sculpting, and the cycle of learning which flows both ways (as they will inevitably teach me as much or more than I will teach them). The minutia of daily life...
|
AuthorHi, I'm Sarah, or Sarita as called by many. In an effort to cultivate multicultural empathy and deep respect in our daughter (Rosa), my husband (Brian) and I sold everything in order to embarked on a journey through life. Archives
November 2018
Categories |