just blink

fresh

gradients

flashing

...

sketches

going along

Girl behind the counter stuffing her face with ramen.  

She looked like a kid caught with her hand in a candy jar when I asked her if she had any hot pads for shoes.  With her chubby checks stuffed with food, she answered, projecting little bits of ramen onto the counter.

Little boy in big, floppy yellow shirt.

He came hopping out of an 어린이 집 like a wild steer at a rodeo.  His one boot crunched in the snow as he held his other bootless foot with one hand.  Tongue out, eyes big, he hopped like a professional - narrowly escaping the lady who was holding his other boot...until the ice took him down.

Watching everyone outside in a panic as we woke up to a morning knee high in snow.

The biggest snowfall in over 40 years in Seoul.  Old men were out on my street scooping the snow away with shovels, wooden boards, and big rice paddles.  My usual 20 minute commute to work took 10 as the deserted, snow covered streets made me feel like I was in a winter setting of Seoul in war time.

Sitting on the floor of Kyobo Bookstore and reading the first chapters of 3 books.

A kid tripped over my legs as he was reading a book. In one fluid motion without even looking up from his reading, he found a way to land on his bottom in a comfortable position with his back to the bookcase.    

~

still drying

spiraling decline
struggling to rewind,
with the sound of the screeching tape;
replaying with no sound.
no pictures.
no sound.
no pictures.
just...just.

~

echoing vibrations haunt a shallow cavity,
longing to be filled.
only phantoms take the time anymore.
fantastic fantasy.
fluttering like the tail of a kite.
no direction,
no cares,
just fluttering...free,
or so it seems.
maybe it's trying to run away?

it's been real 2009

just as i felt it was beginning, it ended.
love hate relationship with 2009 is over.
2010, whatchu got?!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

express bus terminal

autonomous 

                              reverie

                        in

        stop

                                            motion

<3

thankful

December.

It's almost over.  

The moment you stop appreciating things is the moment you slip into a fast spiral of self pitying delusions about how horrible your life is.  It's always a little tough to see all the goodness that fills your life when work keeps you pumping at a monotonous rhythm or crisis strikes, then, strikes again, and then, one more time.  Or when you mess up and can't do anything but just watch you're mistake saunter down the street and stare you up and down as it passes.  Fortunately, that's why friends are so key.  Especially when any of the above are mixed in with the winter doldrums (I am not made for cold weather, it's super depressing and hard to appreciate when you're constantly trying to fight off hypothermia!).    

Things in Korea have been business as usual.  I'm starting to get pretty adjusted to my work.  Although it's always nice when you get past the "acclimating" point, I find every time I cross that threshold, I start getting really bored.  Luckily, there's a few projects that I'm working on so I'm hoping they will liven up the pace at work a smidgen.  Aside from work, my free time has been spent mostly with Jungle and Phil.  I'm so, so, so grateful that they're here in Korea.  Well, to be honest, it's pretty cool that there's so many UCI kids out here in general.  

Since my blogging hiatus, I've made some other progress.  I LOVE Korea.  I truly love it here.  Maybe having some Donuts here has aided in that, but I feel like I've finally been able to break under the veneer just a bit.  There's so many little quirks that have stolen my heart.  Lately I've been thinking about my "next step."  These ruminations are always followed by a slight feeling of dolefulness knowing that my days here are numbered.  It wont be too long before Mister Change is going to jingle jangle me right back over the Pacific to my sunny state.  With this in mind, I've been compiling a list.  It's mostly in my head, but some of it is written down.  Jungle and I are supposed to sit down to make one soon and I'm very driven to complete each task we put in ink.  We'll keep ya'll posted ^^ 

Be grateful in all things.

Here's some things I've been grateful for this week! <3...

...knowing that no matter what time it is, it's not to late

...being able to buy delicious ice cream in 5 degree weather

...and then having a friend crazy enough to eat it with you

...stumbling across a giant lantern building made with drawings that you can walk inside of

...nikons 

actually, friends with nikons

...picking random stations to get off at, only to get back on the train

...stumbling across dank food on Christmas night after getting off at a random station to hear interesting facts about budaechiggae while having a picture taking showdown

...snow

...using an umbrella when it snows

...stumbling across a cute cafe while slowly inching down a steep, slippery road

...jungle!

...phil!

...P&J <3

Now I gotta get to bed.  It's 4:15am!!!  

Happy blogging <3