Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Feed Me: More on Korean School Lunch

I will never stop talking about how much I love school lunches. Over winter break, I like to think of them as the cold lunch version - still fabulous but usually served cold. There are less of us here (about 30-35 students and 7 to 8 teachers), which means two things: more time to eat and I get seconds :D Though, the teachers that make and serve the food have noticed my appetite and load my plate so full of Korean deliciousness, I am usually too full to go up for more. It's been so nice eating and talking with a smaller set of students and teachers -- I am so thankful!

Eating at school always leaves me craving Korean food at home, and I've slowly started incorporating Korean eats into my home life. One of the second grade teachers, my self-proclaimed Korean mom, regularly gives me a batch of homemade kimchi. It is SO good. 


Can you guess which one I made at home? :) 

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Korean Performances

I was incredibly excited to see my second Korean musical, December: The Unfinished Song, which happened to star one of K-pop's biggest stars, Kim Jun Su! I was sudo-fan girling, because I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about k-pop, but that boy can move his hips haha. My friend has been following his career very closely and was completely freaking out with the rest of the Korean peninsula when he appeared on stage. It was such a fun day.

The musical was good... I was pretty confused the entire time, though my friend and I pieced together the basic narrative afterwards. It wasn't just that it was all in Korean but that it was a crazy, Korean narrative, compete with flashbacks, flashforwards, and imagined memories - every angle was explored. It was a love story; there were these great outdoor balcony scenes (essential in any good love story) and scenes of school life, working in the office, street riots, drinking soju into the wee hours of the morning, and this fantastic army scene.

One of my favorite parts of the musical, three soldiers are goofing off as they patrol a fenced area. One of them moves forward as the other two lag behind, still laughing and joking. The first soldier calls back to the two jokesters, his tone different. I've seen The Hurt Locker enough times to prepare myself, but his shouts as his clueless friend carelessly treads forward coupled with the immediate explosion created a riveting, emotional moment. The special effects were amazing, the timing of the sounds and lighting spot on. And from the pitch black stage, a spot light appears as one of the soldiers, standing center stage, belts out this song that ends with this incredible high note. His voice fades as he falls backwards, the spot light stripping the stage of light seconds before he hits the ground. It was well done.

My experiences thus far in Korean theater is that it fittingly uses a lot of technology - video and artificial sound are prominent. Koreans love their screens, and the fact that the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts' theater seats are outfitted with small TV screens just reiterates that. Used throughout the December performance as year markers (that's how we figured all the time changes), the screens would flash on and off throughout the three-hour performance. I'm not sure I liked it, but it was an interesting aspect of the show.

On stage, too, video was projected, showing the silhouettes of the lovers dissolving into flying birds and so on. The first musical I saw in Korea, The Hunchback of Notre Dame: The Musical, was supported by a computerized orchestra and the Cookin' Nanta show I went to, though excellent, disappointed me a smidge with the overwhelming use of electronic medleys when they were drumming.

It's all so Korean -- I love it, truly. The flashiness, over-stimulation, and utilization of technology speaks to the earnestness and perfection that define Korean work ethic. And it makes for performances are that uniquely different from any I've ever seen before. There is a style and knack, or art, for putting on a show that I absolutely respect and continuously crave to see more of.

My soundtrack

I love listening to music. I find a song that I can't get enough of, and I listen to it, on repeat, over and over and over. It relaxes me and gets me excited and thinking. Here are the songs - my soundtrack - from 2013, Korea version:


Thursday, January 23, 2014

Winter Camp 2014

As part of my contract, I am required to teach a two-week English Winter and Summer Camp. What does this mean? Basically, it means anything I want it to mean. No Korean co-teacher and no guidelines whatsoever from the school, I have three hours with 17 to 20 students each day. My camps are divided by grade: the first week I had the 5th and 6th graders and the second week I had the 3rd and 4th graders. 




My main goal for Winter Camp was for the kids to have fun. They are here on their winter break and my perspective on this whole situation is that they will be learning English through the need to communicate with me. I'm really pushing them to speak in complete sentences when asking me for something (bathroom, more tape, teacher snack!). My other goals revolve around trying as many games/activities as I can, seeing what they like. One of my friends blogged that her co-teacher saw games as an opportunity for the students to learn about American culture - what games do they play in America? I liked that a lot. 

When brainstorming ideas for my Winter Camp, I thought back to my elementary school days and legitimately got excited when I remembered: castles. ALL of the kids play minecraft and the new animated film Frozen has been screenshotted on phones like crazy. Theme decided!


Camp Theme: Castles (What is a castle? / Castle Parts / Who lives in a castle?)
Camp Grades: 5th-6th (Week One), 3rd-4th (Week Two)
Camp Schedule:
9:30AM-10:15AM – Warm Up Activity & Intro PPT’s
10:30AM-11:15AM – Snack & Main Project
11:30AM-12:15PM – Game

Main Projects
1. Family Shields
2. Make your own Castle
3. Make you own Catapult
4. Protect the Princess (Egg Drop)

Notes: The level of collaboration on the family shields was amazing. They really worked well together, coming up with shield designs and dishing out who would do what. I started them with, "What to you like?" to give them ideas (favorite animal, color, food, sport, game). We started the castle building making a paper tower together as a class. This got them past the "how" phase and the motivation was impressive. Materials included paper, lightweight cardboard, and other recyclables. The catapults (built from chopsticks, rubber bands, and paper) brought some technical frustrations but they loved shooting things across the room. The egg drop designs were really innovative and a lot of tape was used.




Warm Up Activities
2. Hidden Picture Game
5. Make a Thunderstorm (rub hands together, snap fingers, hit thighs, bang tables)
6. Human Knot (don't hold hands with the person next to you, untangle)
7. Penguin Race (ball between knees, tag-team race)
8. Blind Obstacle Course (giving directions vocab)

Notes: The hidden picture game was a huge success. A powerpoint game (PPT), an image is slowly revealed and they have to guess what it is (vocabulary review). 


Games
1. Touch and Go Game - Two teams start at opposite ends naming vocab; when they meet, "kawi-bawi-bo" or "rock, paper, scissors"! (See below) 
2. Bomb Games
3. Zombie Tag
4. Blind Pictionary - vocab practice (draw without looking)
5. Game board – review (make your own game pieces, roll a dice and move)
6. Scrabble/Bananagrams – spell as many English words as you can
7. 3-6-9 (numbers and counting game

Notes: They went absolutely bananas for the touch and go game and the bomb games.




--
All of the main projects and games (especially the touch and go game -- they didn't want to stop playing) took 20 minutes longer than I thought. I put them to work the first four days, crafting all they did, so I felt like a Friday Movie Day was justified. We went with Disney-Pixar's BraveTeaching them some basic film vocabulary (characters, setting, plot), I was happy with the small discussion. The sixth graders had learned about Scotland during the year ("In Scotland, men wear kilts on special days."), so that was a nice tie in for them. 






Winter Camp 2014

Finished!

Yaju Tea & me

Today was a good day: bibimbap for lunch and adorable, clever students. A few huttled around me while I ate, teaching me how to count and say "clock," "chair," and "spoon" in Korean. I'm getting the Korean numbering system down I may brag. They're good teachers :D

The past few weeks have gone quickly with vacation and winter camp keeping me busy. I've been stressed out more than I like -- about what, I don't even really know. Winter Camp, yes; I've spent hours planning and stressing. Lesson planning is a huge pain that I don't like doing. Even when I'm excited about a game or activity, I worry about how it will go, if the kids will like it, etc., and it just takes me forever to hash things out. One of my friends works at a different school with a different system and she asked me, "What is lesson planning like?" And I'm like I can't even... no.

"What is lesson planning like?"

I've had to tell myself to keep calm, to put it nicely. Other stresses are just those that come with life in general. Past the honeymoon phase of Korea, I'm about four months in and it's a lot of work. But I like living in Korea and I like seeing "all the things." I have a four-day lunar holiday coming up, which will be nice. You gotta love all the built-in holidays Korea has. I'm thinking of heading south to the coastal city of Busan. Seeing the open water would be incredible. My inner-wanna-be-surfer is catching a big wave at the thought.

Perspective. That's what it's all about. NPR has been a life thread and when I think about all the work John Kerry has been doing - geesh. One winter camp and planning vacation is pathetic. It's my life, and my problems and stresses are real, but yeah, there's a busy man. He would've made a heck of a president.

Perspective. I like my students, and the teachers here at Doam Elementary are so kind and generous. After lunch today, the head teacher gave me a jar of homemade yaju tea. He was cute about giving it me - he doesn't speak much English and is pretty professional most of the time - so the whole charades form of communication was really endearing. And this tea is amazing. Basically a citrus concentration, one spoonful stirred into a cup of boiling hot water is the definition of comfortable happiness. 

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Really Enjoyed Japan

Japan was immediately awesome. Like California, a general "good feeling" washed over me. The high from the train ride (very comfortable N'EX, complete with a food cart just like in Harry Potter, "Anything off the carts, dears?") alone solidified the good vibes. I do have a thing for trains. I rode a train once with my mom and sister, through Colorado I think, when I was around 7 or 8 years old. My pink lambie blanket in hand, I remember being very excited (the trip was probably but rightfully hyped up by my mother, traveling with two youngsters and wanting to instill adventure). I got the window seat and thus have never been the same -- rolling landscapes and the sounds of the tracks will forever be my obsession.




I'm not exactly sure what I expected of Japan. To me, it was one of those places, as clear as continents, that I should visit someday. I was also curious how it would compare to South Korea, both being major Asian countries. The "college rivalry" or "hatred" for Japan displayed by many of the Koreans I have met has historical merits and I suppose fed into my view of the country. My co-teacher was jokingly mad at me for taking my vacation in Japan, or for choosing to spend my money there and not in Korea. There was a lot of curiosity leading up to our trip to Japan, but curiosity aside, I had the best time talking with people, eating good food, drinking tea, walking, and taking photos. 

The People

Let me take a moment to gush about the people in Japan. They are the friendliest, most plainly happy people I have ever met. So sincere and excitable, I felt as though I was making life-long friends. When the ladies at Ryokan Ohanabo, the traditional Japanese inn we stayed at in Kyoto, wished us to come back, I can say that I really meant it when I said I would. I believe she might have been the "head manager" who called out, "Three people! Three people!" when we started leaving, walking down the street towards the train station. She wanted a picture! One of the downsides of speaking different languages, names are often left unsaid.

Outside Ohanabo, Kyoto, Japan

On the Hikari train ride to Tokyo, I sat next to a mother and her two kids, around 3 and 6 years old. There's not a lot to specifically say about our conversations, but it was downright pleasant sitting next to them. The daughter was fiercely independent, expertly reading her sticker book and munching on train snacks. Traveling with their grandparents, it was fun to see a family so close and generational. We all gasped at the clear view of Mount Fuji and we waved good bye as I hopped off the train at Shinjuku Station.

Lastly, I could dedicate my whole trip to Japan to Kuwano, a gentleman I met at the sushi bar. The sushi bar was on the fifth floor of a building in the Ginza area of Tokyo. Steph spotted a picture with good-looking sushi and better yet, good-looking prices. We luckily snagged three seats, as the restaurant seated around fifteen people at a time. I awkwardly made eye contact with Kuwano as I sat down and we politely bowed to each other. Situated around the sushi chef's work area, much like the Japanese sushi place I went in the Twin Cities, we ordered the lunch special, which gave us an array of different types of delicious sushi, all prepared before our eyes. The ginger was some of the best I've ever had, too. 

I noticed that Kuwano and his daughter had folded their chopstick paper wrappers into a chopstick rest or stand. As I have learned to, I quickly followed suit. He and his daughter applauded me and gave a tip to add an extra fold down the center to better secure the chopsticks. The rest is history haha -- asking me where I was from, learning that he and his daughter live in Tokyo, teaching me how to properly eat the sushi ("with your hands!"), and offering me and then Steph and Alex glass after glass of sake ("Please?" he would say before pouring us glasses). He showed me how to order more tea - the exact words I have forgotten, but essentially he would call out to our sushi chef who would then shout out for the "waitresses" to hear. He commented on my reddening face, as does happen when I drink, and I pointed to the sake, commenting on how very good it was. We laughed and I'm glad I asked him his name, because he was awesome. I liked meeting him and his daughter very much. 

Good Food & Tea

The food in Japan was fantastic, so fresh and well-prepared. One of the cameras I worked with in La Crosse had done some filming in Japan, and he spoke about 7-eleven sushi in Japan rivaling the finest sushi anywhere in the U.S. And it was good. And yes, 7-eleven sushi was on my list of foods to try.

We were lucky to have breakfast every morning at our Ryokan Ohanabo. Each morning we headed down to the dining room, and our places were set. Three-tiered trays displayed some of the most beautifully crafted foods I have ever eaten - leaf salads, fish, fruits, and so many other small bites I couldn't name. Served with rice, tea, and miso soup, we started each day with bright, full bellies. The dishware was an aspect I also really enjoyed -- so delicate and pretty; it took me back to my childhood tea party days.

Eleven-course dinner at Kodaiji Doi
Furthering my love for the staff at Ohanabo, they helped set up a "fancy" traditional dinner at a place called Kodaiji Doi, which is near the Kodaiji Temple. Costing around 125 USD per person, it was by far the "fanciest" dinner I have paid for. Eleven courses of pure bliss, our server was crazy-good at what she did, quickly and efficiently setting out each course. We all agreed we have never tasted radish so fine or sake so smooth. 

I was surprised to see so many boulangeries, or french bakeries, in Japan. I think it was Steph that first commented on all the french-inspired restaurants. On our last night in Kyoto, after a full day of sight seeing and walking, we ate at one of these french-Japanese restaurants. I got this really delicious seafood chowder, Steph had a wasabi spaghetti pasta, and Alex a beef stew. 

The street food in Japan was as mouth-watering as the street food in Korea. I love street food!! Nothing left unfried, a happy addition from my experiences in Korea was all the candy. They had candied everything haha. "No touching!" Come on, man, they're freakin candied fruits! I also had two of the tastiest cookies - the first was a sweet potato cookie, the second a light, rice wafer. Extremely satisftying.
fruits! Like, whole fruits that were candied - a hard candy shell encompassing the fruit. I was awestruck and got yelled at for touching

We had a lot of fun exploring all the Japanese snacks available at the local convenient stores. We must  have spent a good 45 minutes marveling and squealing over the different foods and in-your-face packaging. Family, look out for a box of goodies :) I sent home some of the best! 

Lastly, the tea was a delight. The ladies at Ohanabo brought us tea when we first arrived and when we'd return from a day of exploring Kyoto. Tea is a huge part of every day life in Korea and Japan and is something I have started to incorporate into my every day life as well. We attended a traditional tea ceremony at En Teahouse in Kyoto, which tested our tea knowledge and ability to sit on the floor for an hour. Shortly, tea is much more than simply drinking. It's about respect, zen, and the small sounds of the tea utensils and bowls. Some bits of knowledge I found to be cool were resting ones elbows on the ground to inspect and admire the tea bowls, facing the "best-side" of the tea bowl away from your body when drinking (to respect the bowl and show the host your appreciation), and the tradition of eating a sweet before drinking unsweetened tea. After watching the tea ceremony, we were allowed to mix our own green tea, from a green tea powder, with bamboo whisks. 

"New York is my boyfriend"


A quote I have repinned to my "quotes" board, Japan proved to be something special. There was so much to see and to do. The Kinkaku or Golden Pavilion was one of the more stunning structures I have ever seen. And the area surrounding the gold-leafed temple was itself gorgeous - trees, small bodies of water, and the sounds of nature. Ah, to hear the birds. The Kyoto Tower reminded me of the Needle in Seattle and was a nice addition to the skyline, much like seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Imperial Palace grounds were immense but welcoming. A pack of school kids ran and played games, a man sat on a bench eating his lunch, and three friends rode their bikes, passing those on foot. And finally the lights and skyscrapers in Tokyo -- there's something about skyscrapers and city lights, isn't there?

It's important to see everything you can; wake up early and stay up late. But I also think a lot of people underestimate slowing down and simply walking the streets of a new city. On my last night in Japan, after sushi and saying our goodbyes, I went back to my hotel, showered, dressed up, and hit the streets with my camera. Date night with Tokyo. 

And beyond the unique sights, a city in a new place is so interesting to me. Here are the things I observed and delighted about in Japan:

1. The lines. I haven't witnessed a line since I've arrived in Korea. But people line-up to board trains and the subway and miraculously don't push but wait in line to pay at the grocery store in Japan.
2. The money trays. When paying, place your card or money in the money tray on the counter. Laced with a rubber-comb pad, it is much easier to pick up change and avoids physical contact with the cashier. 
3. Left-handed. Well, left-sided. I suppose it's because the Japanese operate right-sided cars that this is true. I found myself drifting every so often back to the right side. 
4. Diagonal crosswalks. That's right. No need to j-walk, just use the diagonal crosswalk! 
5. Bike culture. Very true in Kyoto, every one seemed to own a bike. Casually parked everywhere, there appeared to be no fear of bike thefts. Bike lanes were off street, next to the sidewalk. 
6. Urban upkeep. The taxis were these great old cars in pristine condition. The whole city (Kyoto ad Tokyo) had a similar feel. It looked old but a very fit, timeless old.
7. Mount Fuji craze. The Japanese were just as excited and shutter-happy as I was to see Mount Fuji.
8. The climate. Oh hello, sun and blue skies. Korea is notoriously overcast on the clearest of days. It was a nice vacation to visit a land with open skies and a warmer climate.


Japan was an all around good experience. The temples, the parks, the food, the markets, and the landscape - beautissimo. I would love to go back some time soon, ideally for work. I find that I increasingly like getting a working-living view of a city. 

As far as how Japan compared to Korea, it was different. The Japanese are more process-oriented, strict if you will, but are also more open and enthusiastic about speaking English. Being in contact with the people was one of my favorite and most rewarding parts of my trip, which I didn't expect. I practically became besties with the girl from the Family Mart who gave me directions to my hotel in Tokyo and I won't ever forget Kuwano from the sushi bar. But having been to Japan and living in Korea, it's not really a difference between Korean or Japanese -- it's just regional, similar to how Wisconsin is different from California. We're all just people, man. There's my hippie statement of the month. Anyway, I really enjoyed Japan and I hope to return soon!

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Traveling in Japan: The JR Pass + Other Transportation Options

I really enjoyed Japan. I was there for three full days, two days in Kyoto and one day in Tokyo. I believe in "passes" of every kind, having been spoiled in Madison with the Student Bus Pass, taking pride in my Paris Metro Pass, and refilling my t-money card every two weeks in Korea. Hence, getting and using the Japan Rail Pass was automatically a smart and exciting feature of my trip. 

Costing about 269 USD, the ordinary 7-day Japan Rail or JR Pass, paid for itself traveling to Kyoto alone.

Getting the JR Pass, Preliminary:

If you decide it is worth the money to buy a JR Pass, buy it online at least a week in advance to your trip, keeping in mind that a "JR Pass Voucher" will be Fed Ex-ed to you within two business days (watch out for holidays). Choose a reliable address to have the voucher sent to, as you will need to sign for it and will need it in order to get the actual pass once you land in Japan. 

Coming from Korea, I read that you may be able to get the actual JR Pass from various locations within Korea before traveling to Japan, the Busan International Ferry Terminal for one. I didn't research past that name-drop however. Also, if you prefer to pick up the voucher in person, checking with Japan Airline Travel agencies in Seoul is an option my friends took and were happy with. 

When landed in Japan, take your voucher to the nearest JR Pass Office (look for green) to exchange it for your very own JR Pass (hooray!). 

Getting to Kyoto with the JR Pass:

We flew into Narita International Airport; the JR Pass Office was easy enough to find and the personal there were excellent. I was really impressed with how pleasant public transportation in Japan was with a huge language barrier. There were bi-tri-perhaps-quad-lingual workers stationed everywhere to help guide in the right direction. I traveled through some pretty popular stations, Narita Intn'l Airport, Tokyo-Shinagawa, Kyoto Station, and Shinjuku Station. 

At the Office, I was asked for my voucher and passport. I filled out a small information card that was then sealed onto my JR Pass. The worker asked my destination and after printing out the tickets for my trip to Kyoto, she handed it all - pass and tickets - to me. So much power in one hand! I was really grateful and a bit surprised at how smoothly it all went. Explaining using the "manned ticket gates," where an actual JR worker okays your passage when entering or transferring stations, and small tips for the trains, I could have kissed the woman she was so nice. 

Going from Narita Airport to Kyoto required two trains and two tickets. First, we took the Narita Express Train (N'EX) from the Narita Airport to Tokyo-Shinagawa (55 minutes). From Shinagawa, we took the Shinkansen-Hikari train directly to Kyoto Station (161 minutes). 

Getting to Tokyo and then "Home" with the JR Pass: 

From Kyoto Station to Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, we stopped by the Kyoto Station JR Pass Office and again got our tickets for Shinjuku directly from the JR Pass worker. I also asked to reserve a seat on the N'EX from Shinjuku Station to Narita Airport for my flight the next day (70 minutes). Narita Airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 and 2. I just checked online for the terminal number of my flight. 

Other Transportation in Kyoto & Tokyo:

The All Day Subway Pass in Kyoto cost around 7 USD and came in handy; you all know how I feel about passes but money really well spent. We did a lot of walking, too, which was fantastic. Kyoto is an excellent city to walk around in and stumble upon the many parks and temples (it was stumbling for me following the more directionally gifted members of our party). BUT, totally accessible city by foot. 

The sheer number of bikes available for rent (around 1,000 yen or about 10 USD a day) was something I loved about Kyoto. People biking everywhere on really great-looking bicycles with baskets attached to the fronts. My dad, mobility manager and biker extraordinaire, would have been rightfully geeking out. We talked about renting some bikes, but the cold got the better of us. 

We took a taxi to our traditional Japanese dinner at Kodaiji Doi, which is near the Kodaiji Temple. The amazing staff at our inn Ohanabo Ryokan set up everything. They called and made arrangements for our pick up and return home. It cost around 10 USD one way.

I was only in Tokyo for a day and bought two single-ride subway tickets for 190 yen each, or about 1.90 USD. The One-Day Subway Pass would have cost around 6 USD. The JR Pass would be valid only on trains operated by Japan Rail (there are several railway companies), so definitely check if your JR Pass can get you where you want to go. There are different types of single-ride and transfer tickets (varying prices), which depend on how far you need to go. We ended up going to the Ginza area from Shinjuku.

--

Perhaps my dad is rubbing off on me or perhaps it's just the fact that all this was continuously running through my head as I checked maps and train schedules; either way, "respect," good public transportation. You're wonderful. More personal accounts of Japan to follow ::

Some helpful sites:

Japan Rail Pass via Japan Guide 
Hyperdia: searching Japan's train & aviation timetable

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Hellooo January

Supper with Sin Hyeon Gyeong
& ddeokbokki people
As 2013 came to an end, so did my time with my co-teacher Sin Hyeon Gyeong 신현경. I was glad we could enjoy some particularly spicy cheuk seok ddeokbokki after our visit to the bank where the teller was "too happy" Sin Hyeon Gyeong declared. I like to think he had a little crush on me or something because the transactions I required were a pain in the ass. The games I make up in my head haha. I'm extremely sad to see her go but we live in the same neighborhood and I'm hopeful we can still get together to shop, eat, and dance to N'SYNC. It's strange that one person can so quickly become an everyday part of your life and then she's suddenly not. I will miss her. The ddeokbokki cleared out my sinuses as Sin Hyeon Gyeong mentioned that there was a better cheuk seok ddeobokki place in Seoul, somewhere on Subway Line 2 she thinks.

I was thrilled to ring in the new year with friends visiting from Wisco. I met Steph and Alex in Seoul at their hostel in Insadong, which is one of the artsiest areas of Seoul I've been to yet. Close to Gyeongbokgung Palace, galleries and specialty boutiques compliment the quirky architecture and winter-reinforced trees. Lots of walking, it was unbelievable how amazing it was to talk English with old friends.

And despite both Steph and Alex getting food poisoning, probably from a restaurant by the Express Bus Terminal (damn you, Gram Gram!!), it was a good new year. Their good humor ("It's happening") and finding small silver linings kept things light. I feel terrible and somewhat responsible that it happened, but it happened. Hello, 2014. Toilet christened and system cleaned out (for Steph and Alex at least). It couldn't make 2014 look bad at all. I'm very excited for our upcoming trip to Japan, and I am optimistic for the upcoming year.

Some resolutions ::

- Quality time at the Icheon market; buy some squid
- More day-weekend trips (Seoul, Suwon, Busan)
- Take more photos; stop "holding off"
- Take advantage of the built-in days off from work (Malaysia, Vietnam?)
- Wow, internet! Take some time to look up things and learn
- Just sketching something awesome
- Read via transport 
- Be less judgemental and more willing to educate/share thoughts without the intention of being condescending 
- Make a book; book cloth, get in my belly!
- Develop a "Personal Budget"
- Feng shui the apartment; reorganize and rearrange (EXCITED for this one) 
- What is raku firing?
- More podcasts
- Acknowledge people 

Okay,  2014. Lezdothis.

Happiest of new years to you!