Life in the Dojang

So most people know I'm doing taekwondo, but many don't know what that exactly means.  I've decided to participate in a SNS project (Social Networking Services) and create video blogs to document my progress in taekwondo.  I think this will be an excellent opportunity for friends and family to see what I"m really doing after work 7 hours a week. I'm still not used to editing video well, but I'll hope to improve. Enjoy~

Re-Cycling my Seoul

Since the weather warmed up in mid-April, I've been back on my bike.  I ride 15 minutes to work almost everyday, except when it rains.  I've done two longer rides too, about 30~40 km. I enjoy getting outside of Seoul for a bit of fresh -well, fresher air. There is a subway line called the Jungang line that you take your bike on the train.  The first time I ride my bike from my house outside of Seoul and took the subway back.  The second time I took the subway out  an hour and a half and then rode back into Seoul.  I think I like the second method, since I can get to the quiet river town of Yangpyeong quickly. The road is really flat for most of the way so it's easy to cover distance quickly.  My legs are slowly getting stronger so that even on slightly steeper inclines, I can just shift downgear and keep petaling.  

When I was in middle school, I REALLY hated exercise.  I like riding my bike, but after I got into that car accident when I was 14, I didn't ride a bike for several years.  I realize how much I've missed it.  I think riding a bike is much more fun than other forms of transportation. Your speed is totally dependent on your effort and physical fitness. I like the personal challenge - no one is forcing me to keep going. I keep petaling because I WANT TO. 

I want to keep getting into better shape, so someday I can ride for a week or more.  

stopping for a photo op, just outside of Seoul

South Han River, where 3 river forks meet

Lifescape - the future's landscape

This week I have accomplished a major goal for my life in Korea:  I finally earned my black belt in taekwondo.  I want to analyze more deeply in another post about what this means to me, but I was also thinking about my larger goals in Life... now that this main reason for coming to Korea is complete, what do I want to do next?

Moving to Japan is high on my list... I keep looking at Dave's ESL cafe's job postings...

So~  I was browsing a job board looking from jobs in Japan when I saw this :

http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=24979

http://www.sfusd.edu/en/employment/certificated-careers/teaching-careers/certification-pathways.html

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl622.pdf

It's a job posting for bilingual teachers in SF.  

I think about it and I would feel proud to be serving the SF community... I have no small amount of pride to declare that I'm from such a city as San Francisco, so I feel like it would be a worthy duty to work there again... 

It got me thinking about what you asked me before... the "Me in Five years" or maybe my "Bucket List" (things to accomplish before I kick the bucket)

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Here's my list:

- work as a costume designer for film/TV/plays

-draw my fantasy comic and get it published

-draw concept art for video games/ film / TV

-translate anime Japanese ---> English

-translate English to Korean or English

-Event producer for Fanime/ Anime Expo (anime conventions) like work with the special guests or help with logistics

- cosplay/ perform on stage at Tokyo game show 

-study Kung Fu or other martial arts in a beautiful surrounding (like a remote temple in China or Taiwan)

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That's why I think are my true hearts desires..... sure, I could be happy working as a teacher back in the US... but not for 3 or 5 years... I don't think I'm ready to move back and if I get my MA it would be to move into a job in the US, I think... because to get an MA, that would be a 1 to 2 year time commitment so if I move to the US for study, it would be better to think about moving back to "settle down"... at this point, it seems that way.... though life changes so much, it's hard to tell what the picture of my lifescape will look like in even 2 years.... Isn't it enough to think "I want to move to Japan, travel Japan, study Japanese, get my credential in translating Japanese to English and do something more with that later. "  ? 

Just a thought...