Fading into Grey

I am home. And it's so good to be here, back with family and friends! One of my firsts was to say hello to the Atlantic Ocean, in all its wild and wind-swept beauty. I'd forgotten how cold and bleak Nova Scotia can be in November. There is no snow on the ground yet, and the landscape appears so sad and lonely to me. I already feel like these overcast, wintry skies and the damp, bone-chilling cold are getting under my skin. We haven't had a sunny day yet since I've arrived! But my mother says grey is a beautiful color, and that I need to teach myself to fall in love with its variable shades. So I'm taking her advice to heart, and attempting to seek out some beauty in the season. Hello from Nova Scotia, in shades of grey...

Kings of Convenience

Mmmmmmm... new music! It's been awhile since I've fallen in love with an entire c.d., but the latest album from this Norwegian duo, Kings of Convenience, has me hooked. Released in October, entitled "Declaration of Dependence", it's been on my airwaves non-stop. Like 24-7 repeat. Here's a fun vid of one of the tracks, Boat Behind, too! Hope you like...

Bridging the Gap

A Korean guy approached me in a coffeeshop yesterday afternoon, asking if he could sit down and chat for a few minutes. With the use of a cellphone translator, we were able to have twenty minutes of conversation in broken English and bits 'n' pieces of Korean. To some, this situation would potentially seem very awkward, but I've become quite accustomed to random interactions like these in Korea... where a child or adult decides that meeting me at a bus stop, in an elevator, or on a street corner, is a great opportunity to practice their English!
The craziest part about yesterday's conversation, though, was that at the end of it, this guy confides in me that this is the first time he's ever spoken to a foreigner. He's never traveled, lives in the same town he grew up in, and works as a waiter in a local Korean restaurant. This was the very first time he's ever spoken with an individual outside of his own cultural background and ethnic descent! How cool is that? I felt so privileged that I got to be someone's first.
Do you remember the first time you spoke with someone of another ethnic background? I'm guessing that most of my readers come from such ethnically diverse societies, potentially even within their own multi-generational family histories, that such a "first" is difficult to imagine! How about the first time you attempted conversation with someone whose language was different from your own?

Nervous Toes

Yesterday morning, I had a phone interview with a university in New Zealand. I've applied for a Teacher Training program there, which would start in February, if I'm accepted.
I somehow managed not to stutter and stumble over my answers too much, or bite any remaining fingernails that hadn't already been nibbled off during last week's anticipation. But it was like playing "20 Questions" with a robot... no response, other than "Very good. Next question..." They told me I should hear back within two weeks. So for now, it's the oh-so-familiar, not-so-comfortable waiting game...

(photo shout-out: Nervous Toes by my cousin becki )

Coffee and Cinnamon

My last few Wednesday mornings have been spent studying and sipping frothy coffee with friends and fellow ESL teachers...

Hello Teacher!

Some of my amazing students... the youngest ones I teach this year!

Love, Korea

Autumn beauty gleaned from a weekend wandering.