Hiking

The Korean adoptee who went up a hill but came down a… hill.

Cramming

The school that holds the Korean language classes that I’ve been going to is on spring break right now, so there was no Korean class this week. I was actually really disappointed, because in some ways I feel like I’m cramming for a test by trying to learn as much Korean as possible before we leave. I think I know more Korean than when I went last time — but really,

Protected: Why I Don’t Talk About Adoption With My Family

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Password Info

On a previous post, I mentioned something about passwords.

I am not planning on posting under a password very frequently — honestly. However, sometimes there are things that I’d like to share, but not with the thousand or so complete strangers who are only here to look for that damn c@t post (which I took down, in case that’s why you’re here too).

So if you’ve commented here before and would like to request a password, please leave me a comment on THIS post. When I get a little more organized, I’ll send out an email with more details. (N.B. I have no idea how well this is going to work, so it’s really just an experiment at this point.)

Thanks for playing!

p.s. If you already raised your hand for a password on the previous post, or if we’ve been e-mailing regularly, no need to leave a comment — you’re already on my list.

Where Is Your Favorite Place in Korea?

We’re leaving for Korea in just over two weeks, and will be there until the end of April. I’ve done a bit of planning already, but would be interested in ideas and recommendations from readers.

For those of you who have ever been to (or are currently in) Korea, where are your favorite places to go? Are there any activities or destinations that you’d especially recommend — and why?

Full Disclosure

Recently I found myself skimming an article that talked about hidden social identities — groups or statuses that we identify with in ways that are not as obvious as gender or belonging to a single race usually are.

The authors talked about people’s ability and decision to “pass” as a member of a different group than the one they usually identify with, and cited the examples of sexual orientation, certain disabilities, and being of mixed race. Although I do think that being adopted is different from (and sometimes additive to) these examples, I’ve been intrigued by

O Fortuna

I am hardly superstitious and don’t believe in much, and that includes fortune-telling.

However, I have to admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for those hard little fortune cookies. Whenever possible I try and take the one that is “pointing” at me, and while adding “in bed” at the end is a humorous distraction, I find myself secretly looking for a hidden meaning that transcends mere amusement.

Last night we went out for Chinese food (and yes, I did read the recent NYT article that argues fortune cookies are actually of Japanese, rather than Chinese, origin). After our meal I eagerly grabbed my cookie, and this is what my fortune said:

“Sometimes traveling to a new place leads to great transformation.”

And on the back, where they do that learn-a-Chinese-word thing, the word was “Daughter” (don’t know how to type in the characters, but the pinyin looked somewhat like “nu” and “er”). I thought that particular fortune together with the word “daughter” was an auspicious combination, for obvious reasons.

I hope that this is a good omen for our upcoming trip to Korea!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I know, I’m just as Irish as this guy:

But Happy St. Patrick’s Day anyway.

Blog Service Announcement

Just wanted to let folks know that things are even less calm than usual here at the Land of the Not-So-Calm — something to do with the Ides of March, perhaps?

As such, this blogging break might be a little bit longer than I had originally anticipated, and when I do return I may be invoking my right to password-protect. [Edited to clarify: this would probably just be for some, not all, of the posts -- not sure yet.]

Details to follow.

A Letter From My Life

Dear Sang-Shil,

I like you a lot. You know I do, even if you don’t always like me. We go through a lot together, you and I, and along with the bad times we definitely have some good ones.

So I’m writing to say that I miss you. Please stop spending SO MUCH time online, just for a few days, and instead spend some time with ME, your lovely, friendly, LIFE. If you pay attention to me for a little bit, I’ll try to return the favor and send good things your way.

Just take care of some of the necessities and then you can go back to your little online world, I promise. And remember, 화이팅!

Sincerely,

Your Life

***************************

Dear Life,

I’m sorry to hear that you feel neglected. However, I find that I simply can’t escape the siren call of all those blogs written by people who have such fascinating lives and interesting things to say.

I’ll take your request under advisement and see what I can do.

Sincerely,

Sang-Shil