holiday in busan... a family affair

greetings from Busan! this beach city has a nice vibe. It's big, but slow. the pace here is much more manageable than Seoul, where everyone is so busy all the time. It is Chuseok, the Korean equivalent to Thanksgiving in the States. People are gathered with their families and friends enjoying feasts and relaxing with time off from work. Us included! we took an early early early  KTX train here the other day, certainly the best way to get down here to the very SE corner of the country. The trains travel crazy fast and it takes only two and a half hours to make the trip.

each morning we have had the same Busan soup for breakfast, it is only available in Busan. this particular restaurant near our place is the oldest and most famous for this particular soup. this place has been around for almost 50 years! and it's packed. they cook the broth overnight in these large vats outside, then add rice, meat and veggies... all for about three dollars! 

we are staying in Heundae, a large and pretty busy beach, but so beautiful. in the distance you can see some islands and neighboring high rises tower over the dramatic mountains. near here is Gwanganli, a smaller stretch of sand with more cafes and hangout spots. we spent an evening over there when we arrived, the water was so warm and we shot fireworks on the beach! 

nate, ira, jenya, and klim have a nice rooftop pool at their place, so we decided to check it out. the view was beautiful, but we all opted to head back to the ocean, as the water is warmer and the waves a lot more fun.

for jason's birthday a group of us had a killer dinner out of town high in the mountains. two ducks and a lot of veggies later we had a feast. the woman came and cooked at our table, a beautiful display. they used a little spicy pepper to stop the grease drainage! lovely... after we enjoyed the first two rounds of duck, wrapped in lettuce with all the banchan thrown in we ordered up some rice and seaweed to mix in the pan with the rest of the cooked duck and all that yummy duck fat. so good. 

last night after a nice dinner some of us walked along the boardwalk for a while, admiring the huge waves and strange street art they have up these days. the weather is perfect, hot in the day, enough to not want to leave the ocean, cool at night.

we still have a few days here, so there are wiffle ball games and other new adventures to tell of.... 

until then...adios!

Selected writings....

here are a few pieces i have written recently that i would like to share with my readers. a few things that are on my mind...

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Too many things:

There are too many things wrong with the world- with humanity, our planet, our past, etc. to do any work it seems! I feel all of this intense emotion for the injustice and ugliness that is everywhere, yet what can I do? I think about Africa, that the way of life there is bleak. Sickness and poverty are a normal state for many innocent people. This where all humans came from!

But one day later I will stop thinking about this and I am upset about corporate corruption and cover-ups. About the numbing and dumbing down of the masses.

And still moments later I blame religion for the same thing. I want to influence political involvement in the farm industry, I dream of the end of monoculture farming and more unhealthy and processed food being “engineered” to feed our already overpopulated planet. I want our water clean, save it and in turn all of us who are drinking it from ingesting toxins and chemicals that “maybe” harm us. I dream of communities that trust each other and become self-sustaining.

I wish I could expose the bullshit of war! Fighting for what? Business. Keep that damn economy strong! Keep killing the young men! The war machine is working, and well oiled.

I want there to be an end to rich pharmaceutical companies preying through endless persuasive advertising on weak people who are unhappy, not because of “clinical depression” or “social anxiety” but upset because, damnit things are sad, things are upsetting! I wish that there was a faith in ourselves, not in drugs- which just adds to our sick, sick species. Cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a handful of mental issues, why? Really why? Because of laziness, because of poor diet, and weakness of mind. We are what we eat. A balanced diet leads to a healthy body and healthy mind.

And ahhh! The list goes on and on and I can feel so angry, so worried and even saddened by these realities. But I have to choose, like so many out there, to be happy to live my life, free and happy. Work hard on my life-my people. But it’s not easy. I am very distracted by all the social woes, and there are just so many that I don’t know where to work, where to help, what to do even! If this big wheel is already in motion then I, one person, can’t change it! What an attitude, huh? I hate that downright negativity, but it feels so true. Corporations and politicians kill for their way. They cheat and steal and everyone supports them, that is what makes it so difficult for change. Support comes from everywhere.

Many people don’t know or understand.

I feel frustrated. I love the world. I want goodness. Real, honest, careful goodness. And simplicity. And there isn’t that.

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These are a few of my favorite things:

The way the sun reflecting off the clouds turns the sky into a glowing apocalyptic red or a cotton candy pink.

The many shades of green, seen specifically in contrast to the blue sky when looking up.

Getting lost in a world I don’t know, ready for the knowledge it will unload to me.

Young or old or middle aged lovers openly displaying affection in the streets.

The honesty of feeling sadness when sadness is appropriate.

Leaving my home in search of adventure. Returning home when I am done.

Drinking red wine on a balcony late into the night with jazz.

Contemplating stars and space and leaves of grass and how to be happy and when to say no.

Sharing it all with those who I love and trust.

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Mourning myself:

It is early in the morning on this misty, cool, comfortable fall day. I woke with a heaviness of heart that must be explored, documented, and accepted. In life I do believe we are always changing, often in small, subtle ways that even we do not detect in ourselves perhaps. I think this is good, or rather can be good, and is just part of life, of the growing and learning experience. There are times also when this changing is strongly felt, rather than being subtle and going unnoticed. I think this is what weighs heavy on my chest today. This change is good, often best. To be specific I know that this type of growth, at this period in my life is what I need and also what I want. So why the heavy heart? Sometimes with a glaring apparent change, a growing, done by cognitive choice, no matter how deep the desire for it and necessary it may be, there also comes a sort of death. A death of the self that was, the selves that I have been before. Or rather a shrinking back of that self. Yes, I am me, I was and always will be shaped by my decisions and my past experiences, but I may not get that version of me back ever again. Those confusing early twenties, the passion and lust for life, for experience. The wreckless abandon and wild adventurous energy. The bad decisions, so fun, that made me sick and heartsick. The music, all the late nights, the mystery and possibility in every relationship. Being single. I think now and meditate on what I want. I want to be healthy, to always grow and learn, to be a positive and responsible and conscious member of my circles and this human race. I want to raise bees and have a garden, learn languages and have a child. Cultivate honest, lasting friendships and be a happy woman! The moments, years, and everything in-between that I have spent leading up to where i am now have all be so real! So wonderful and real. I think that as my relationship with Josh grows deeper-more intense, my normal, my world, that I realize the reality of this growing up- growing new, changing from the party-girl, down-for-whatever, changing and noticing the change-choosing the change. Knowing that there will not be turning back, no final conversation with past loves, no explaining why I had to. No last glimpse of the scene. Just done. Laid to rest is that version of me. I have cleared the space now and am open to the universe, to what will be shown to me. What new emotions and experiences will fill me and become me. Where my undying passions and lust for life will lead me this time….

Only this time I think I know. This time I have control, this makes me powerful. Power over myself, control of my life. Open, yet aware. Eager, yet cautious. To think before I act, consideration before compulsion. And with this my heart does not feel lighter, not today. For the mourning period sometimes lasts. A goodbye like this one is deep and must be accepted over time.

an international affair....

this weekend we made a stop in at the middle-eastern family run international market to grab some key items for our mexican feast we cooked up at Nathan and Irina's house. while purchasing cilantro (what a treat to find!) i got the idea to make up some spicy thai peanut stir fry. my first attempt at this dish was so fun to make and turned out delicious. broccoli,  baby bok choi, onion, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, lemon, and of course cilantro, made this dish complete. 

i cleaned and cut all the fresh veggies and made up a peanut sauce from crunchy peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, grated ginger (which i then squeezed for all the yummy juice), the juice and zest from a large lemon, and some crushed red pepper.

after sautéing up a couple chicken breasts with the cut veggies i added more garlic, more cilantro and the cooked thin rice noodles, along with the peanut sauce and viola! our super tasty thai style stir fry! one that will surely be added to our regular rotation of dinner dishes. 

josh and i were finished slurping up our savory noodles when we realized what an international day we have had. we used the key ingredient (cilantro) in our mexican feast from the other day, which was purchased at the middle eastern market to cook our thai style dinner while listening to san francisco jazz, we then purchased airline tickets for our christmas trip to japan and immediately following that josh hopped on his computer to study french and i reflected on my spanish lesson from earlier. all of this in the comforts of our little studio apartment on a hill in seoul, south korea. 

weekend update...seoul perfect summer...family dinners

in search or a nice place to drink our much desired bottle of champagne, a rarity in korea, we set out into the perfect summer evening. it was a busy friday evening in gangnam, traffic buzzing by as usual, and lovers walking on the crowded streets. fifty story buildings housing big businesses, still lit up with middle-aged men working like dogs well past eight pm. the usual. we found a beautiful park, adjacent to a children's library. a good place to pop that bottle of cheap champagne, to drink from our paper cups acquired from the mini mart by our house. 

where we found ourselves spending the evening. this spot is so close to our house, but it feels like a world away, it's tucked back off the main streets, quiet, calm, with a good view and cheap wine. asah!

the weekend was easy. just a relaxing time, no cares, no plans, no needs. we ventured to the edge of seoul, to ryan's neighborhood, and noted the freshness of the air and the nice ability to see the horizon, unobscured by skyscrapers. we walked to the very edge of the last region of the city and found a beautiful mountain and hiked and explored the dozens of trails. the air was fresh and we felt cool relaxing by a small stream in the shade. 

so there we are hiking along and there along the trail hanging in the tree are what? hula hoops! 

as we were descending the mountain we came upon a group of korean hikers who had set up a table, yes a table, in the middle of nowhere, and they had snacks and coolers full of makgoli, a tasty rice wine, strong and cold. they offered us some bowls of makgoli, which we gladly accepted and even had another! we made fast friends with these folks, they were kind and we all laughed and enjoyed the sound of the wind violently shaking the large trees all around us. 

this guy was a trip! he was howling with laughter as he carried a train load of empty bottles.

after a long evening under a bridge, dangling out feet above a stream of water coming from the mountain, drinking cold beer and watching the sky turn a multitude of pretty colors and eventually revealing some stars... we headed to hanamdong to meet up with some family for a sit down meal of japanese ramen and asahi beer on draft. 

the evening led us further to roofs, the gorgeous bar/cafe that nathan and irina got married at. the weather was perfect! we talked and joked and drank the strongest gin and tonics that this city can serve up, with a splash of campari to boot! 

after staying the night at nate and iras we woke up and made breakfast together, lounged around and went grocery shopping. then we made a mexican food feast! it was so delicious. we talked about all the restaurants that we will want to visit when we get back to portland. easy living. 

and i got a new dress! hooray. so this is my latest update. i miss my friends and family! hope summer is treating you all well. xoxo. nicole.

Returning to normalcy:

Returning to normalcy:

We have now been home for more than a week from our long, wonderful adventure in Vietnam. Life has returned slowly to some level of normal. Now that this is normal, anyway. It is a little strange to have that familiar sigh of relief at being “home” when I return to Seoul now, but well, home is wherever me and Josh return to I guess.

We have been getting settled into a new semester of school, planning lessons and getting an idea of how the next few months will unfold at work. If all goes according to plan, and who really knows around here if it will, then this should be a breeze of a few months at school. Some random days off, lots of testing, students having limited schedules due to graduation, things like this. No complaints here. This job can be challenging at acute moments, but all in all, it’s really easy….

Josh is recovering from a cold and I am trying hard not to get it, so we’ve been holing up in our little apartment cooking, listening to music, and watching movies, lots of good movies, old and new. Thanks to some recommendations and loads of free time on my hands and the internet.

Dinner last week with Nathan and Irina was good, with the good news of their baby boy on the way the reason to celebrate. It is an exciting time in life!

It in nice to have this mellow time, a short time it is, between vacations. Time to save some money, lay low, catch up, and do the daily grind thing that we must do. It’s only ten days until we head off again, for more travels!

I have no new photos of my own to share today, I had to give my shutter finger a break after Vietnam. So I will leave you with some random classy images of pretty ladies: