Gidae

Started playing with the language. This is my name in Korean writing. Each group of symbols represents a syllable. First line is "ju ri we ang ko". Second is in Asian order "we ang ko ju ri". There is no L sound. The r is the most similar in that the tongue is in a similar position. It just moves a little more to make the r sound.

Trying to cook rice porridge. It already has mushrooms in it. I added broccoli that is about done or just past done. Hoping to heat enough where the broccoli actually cooks. These are basically meals in bags. Feels a bit like camping. I dont know if you're suppose to cut the top off but I did. I'm using the piece of seaweed packaging and a Korean chopstick as lids. Below the tongs is a sealed package of chicken breast that was marinated and cooked. Now I'm just basically heating it up. Hope I'm not doing any lasting damage from eating this way. I'm always concerned about chemicals in diet or on the skin. I have been pouring over books and trying to write lesson plans since Monday. (Today is Wednesday.) I received my schedule today. I will be teaching 15 different blocks / 9 different classes. I'm hoping I dont have to prepare 9 different lesson plans each week. Hopefully much lower. Since I will be teaching there grades, it would be nice to have thre...

... the days of isolation during cancer treatment. Late 2012 and for the first 3 months of 2013, I spent mostly alone. I had chemo treatments about every two weeks with immune system boosts the day after. My white blood cell count never dropped, but I still remained vigilant as I didn't want to wind up in the hospital like the only cancer patients I ever knew as a respiratory therapist.  I had internet and Netflix thanks to my family. I had groceries and the means to cook them. My only activities outside of my house were to go and exercise at the hospital gym and to get groceries. These two activities allowed me to interact with others. About 5 years or so later I really realized that these little bits of interaction gave me energy, not just in the sense of keeping the body moving, but also people energy.  Isolation during treatment was a bit easier though because I could go outside. My cats and I explored the woods behind my house. They wound their way through som...

Just received my second grocery order. The lady delivering it seemed happy that I said "thankyou" in Korean. I don't know much but I know thank you. Little things can go a long way.  Groceries for next week were delivered today. If I run out of snacks, I will eat lettuce. I guess I should've been more specific as a I received the equivalency of three salad bags and a smaller individual salad. I might go through one or one and a half in a week. I might not be too hungry for salad after this. Then I have popcorn for movies or just a snack. Good filler if you're hungry and don't want many calories.  Tonight I'm going to mix the precooked white rice with chicken breast, bok choi, and cook together egg to be able to scoop the mixture into seaweed pieces. I love tuna fish and rice and then scoop it into the seaweed and roll it. Kind of like scooping stew with bread and rolling it in together before eating it like a little sandwich.  I hav...

  The days here are up and down as far as weather. It is cloudy most of the time. The mountains beyond the farm fields will have mist rolling over them. At least I thought they were mist and then I saw them rolling towards the university campus with rain falling below.  I woke up this morning and opened the curtains. In the distance, the sun poked through to shine a spotlight on the farm buildings in the valley. The windows sparkled for a few minutes. Then the sun went back to sleep. The day has been cloudy and then overcast. From this point of view, I can see the weather rolling in and that is exactly what just happened. It is now coming down pretty heavy. The valley and the mountains are all in grey. The bugs are silenced by the rainfall. My ears are slightly thankful but then I realize that the sound of the rain is just about the same level as the sound of the bugs without the rain. I've composed this email actually to tell you of a nice tool. Unfortunately, it's a tool onl...

Groceries. First experiences having the limitations of quarantine. Some pictures are of things on the desk because the phone is connected and charging. Started out with processed and packaged foods on Friday, the 7th..  Added in fresh foods thanks to a friend on Monday, the 10th. Normally, I eat about 5, maybe 6 eggs in a week. I have all of these for 11 days. Hard-boiled over half and they froze because of the little refrigerator I have.  My first fresh meal - Combined with the remaining of the processed chicken meal and white rice with two eggs, cherry tomatoes, bok choi, and seaweed (for a little flavor).  - Salad green with cherry tomatoes and ranch dressing. The bottle above is a little hard to deal with. I have to learn the trick. I think I'm conditioned to dump salad dressing on, so the bottle seems small. I will have to investigate as salad is a good option for me being gluten free.  Here are the salad package and the fresh chicken breast meat. The chicken wa...

 Hello from South Korea.   A little long and detailed. Short look - Smooth flights. Arrival was difficult. Hit my head on a metal door. Talked with a couple of people for nice conversations. An angel helped me with translation and bags. Quarantine is not bad. Settling in well. School orientation starts Monday. Classes start on the 17th. Hoping to be in the virtually at first. Praying for transition physically, mentally, and emotionally. Praying for teaching - orienting to the school, grace with English department, grace with students, and ability to plan early and for good planning Praying for food situation - that there would be something to maintain thyroid health and protection for when I might miss something. Praying for family as well Thankful for location, view, balcony, food, Korean friends, friends, prayer warriors, angels, technology, connections (can watch cable website from family - Xfinity), HDMI cable, having a 2nd charging cord for la...