Buh-Bye! (my fave- Local Kine cards)
Hello all you GRRR’s & BRRR’s,
Winter is still here, but I’m hoping for warm times ahead…and soon!
On a cold note-
I’ve caught one and tomorrow, I will be off to a place which is said to have “stabbing cold” winters. “Stabbing cold”… hmmm… Well, if I come back with black-and-blues and holes in my chest, then we’ll know that’s true. Otherwise, let’s hope tons of Zinc, Vitamin C, a thick coat, thermals and leggings do the trick! (more…)
Attention all travel photographers, tourists and souvenir shoppers… want to spread the spirit of travel around and add some fun to your souvenir gift giving? Inspire others with your travel photos?
Souvenir gifting is often “a hit or miss” practice.
When a friend brings back a travel souvenir for me (and it’s not edible or chosen with my personality in mind), it can sometimes feel like, well,… junk! Likewise, I know there are times that I’m a “souvenir junk” gifter too! Perhaps I might occasionally nail a person’s personality with a souvenir; but most often, my gift souvenirs are (more…)
Sankai Juku from France
Today, I’m going to talk about something I have a passion for and I still consider it travel… DANCE!
Sometimes, I wonder if dancers don’t make the best travelers… Their home is the stage, the bar or the body… there is no color or country; and as a dancers/choreographers, they hold a universal passport and gateway to language! When I watch a dance concert, I feel like I’m watching great birds with wings- it’s inspiring!
So whenever I travel, I check out the Events section of the city I’m in, to see what local/international dance companies are performing; you never know what hidden treasure (more…)
Update on my big move:
Next week I’ll be leaving Hawaii for Korea! It’s a bit stressful for me now and unfortunately, my family is buffering the bitch in me (it’s always the loved ones, who get the short end…). How stressed am I? My body is communicating to me via adverse reactions. My last big move was to New York – I broke out in two months worth of hives on my back legs! Current symptom? Anal retention. My body is tense and only tons of laxatives and cleansers can unlock it; ultimately, leaving my GRRR in an uncomfortable whimper and me, with a sore ass! How’s that for irony- literal and metaphoric?
So last week I had lunch with my warm friend, inspirational coach and local celebrity jazz musician, Jimmy Borges.
We talked about my move into expat life, the unknown of what might result of my year abroad and how the ticking clock of (more…)
Trying to learn a new language or in a rush to learn the language of the country you’ll be moving to? Here are some tips to help you with your memory technique, as well as ideas to help you optimize your speed learning process.
5 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY TECHNIQUE:
1- Practice first thing in the morning.
Did you know that the morning is the best time for learning and memorization? Your mind is fresh, alert (after you’ve had your coffee…), retentive and most permeable to suggestion.
2- Create your own immersive environment.
Dress up in your sari or beret and bombard yourself with the language in various forms- watch films, listen to radio news and music, listen to language tapes, join language groups. The more you surround yourself with a language, you become familiar with its sound and the way it’s spoken. This will help your mind’s receptivity to it- intuitively, rhythmically and tonally.
3- Employ active listening.
Listening to a language doesn’t have to be a passive sport- you can add other activities to it to optimize your lesson and make it fun. Be creative! If (more…)
There it is-E2 Korean Visa!
I just got my E-2 Korean visa this past week – whoop! Looking at it, the fruit of my efforts and travel goals begin sinking in… I feel nervous, weird, most definitely excited and I even begin to feel like I might be a bit Korean! Most of all, this visa stands for the achievement of a goal.
When I applied for this ESL teaching position 5 months ago, I thought it was going to be a breeze- like filling out a long form/questionaire, writing an essay and flashing my passport. Afterall, it’s a popular work-travel choice for many traveler’s and graduate students looking for an expat experience. What I eventually realized was that this process required so much more…
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Attention expats and weary career survivalists…
Not ready to “ditch” your career just yet? Afraid your professional contacts might dry up? Uncertain if your experiences abroad will translate into marketable assets for a CV? What is your next career move?… Undoubtedly, these questions are scary for the expat/traveler returning from spending a year+ of their life abroad. It’s freaking me out and I’ve not even left yet! But ultimately, you will be dealing with these questions upon your return. This is your gap year abroad and you have to ask yourself- Will I gain a year or lose it?
I’ve spoken to friends who have returned from expat life. Like a NASA astronaut re-entering the earth’s atmosphere, they had to deal with the gravity of transitioning back into their old lives. In doing so, they were almost always met (more…)
Gaining a year vs. losing one
Living my dreams to move abroad during a crucial period in my professional life may seem escapist. But I have absolutely no intention of losing a year (or longer) of my life to the squandering road. Well, not up front. I see it as investing in a solid plan to move my life and career… forward! The guiding mantra- Each action must move me forward with time-efficiency. The anti-thesis of sexy and romantic,… right?
1) Choose a resident country
2) Find a job
3) Move abroad
The advantages of living abroad are obvious:
1. Live and work in a foreign country*
2. Travel a new country and become culturally enriched.
3. Learn fluency in a new language.
4. Have travel access to neighboring countries I have always wanted to visit.
5. Develop rich content for travel photography, video (& blogs)
6. Re-discover my creativity and develop ideas for a docu-reality travel show
7. Chillax and gain clarity about my future.
8. Live a quality of life I’ve lacked.
Traveling and exploring a new culture IS moving forward.
Even in its laziest form- observing, communicating and navigating in a foreign country offers a wealth of learning. Living and working in a foreign country offers me 1) free schooling, 2) work experience and 3) gaining skills towards a career or profession. This essentially saves me three (+) years of education fees, cover letters and CV, etc…. In outlining a smart plan to develop my professional toolkit, here are some master goals I aimed for:
Considerations for my choice of country:
1. Interest in Asia
2. Gain fluency in a foreign language
(could be a potential career asset)
3. Possesses strong business models in art, media or technology
(where my personal interests and tastes are)
4. Has a television & film industry
(my industry)
5. The country is between partially “developing” and “developed”
(I would like to experience a little of both as a lifestyle)
6. Growth in medical tourism industry
(* am interested in experiencing advanced & cheap medical care!)
7. Affordable living
(I have mixed reviews on Korea- I thought cost of living was cheap; apparently it’s close to Japan!)
8. Job skills and experience for develops specializing in an Asian market
(Interested in being able to specialize in an Asian market)
At first glance, these aims may seem overly ambitious. It casts a large scope of what could be if I applied myself and it shows me that living and working in Korea might offer me more than I thought.
My Korean Notice of Appointment arrives...FINALLY!
So it’s finally arrived- my work contract for South Korea! (yes, a lit matchstick for my darkness… ) I’m booked to leave for SK mid-February and this week I’ll be picking up my work visa at the Korean Consulate. Good times…
New Home Base: Daegu, South Korea
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