May 7, 2013

The Sexiest Pair of Boots I'll Ever Own

"Hundreds of thousands of locals and foreign tourists gather at the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula every year for the Jindo Sea-Parting Festival. The event, which this year started on Thursday and runs through Sunday, celebrates a natural phenomenon in which the Jindo Sea—the northern portion of the East China Sea—opens up just enough to reveal a 1.8-mile (2.9-kilometer) pathway connecting South Korea's Jindo Island to the nearby island of Modo."

Above information found here.

The city of Jindo is famous for it's many dog training centers and dog shows but also for its annual Miracle Sea Parting Festival. A chance to participate in a miracle (believed to be caused by tidal harmonics) is something I wasn't about to pass up so a couple friends and I loaded up on a bus early in the morning to make our way to the most Southwestern tip of Korea to join in sea parting along with a good old fashioned dog show.

My friend Mina even managed to spot a star fish along our miraculous walk. It must have been its lucky day because without her amazing eyesight the little fella probably would have been stepped on my the thousands of fellow sea walkers!

We managed to get a head start before the masses began to cross, making their way to a nearby island.

With only a little over an hour to cross you have to hustle across or you'll likely get stuck in the quickly rising tide and need to be rescued by boat while everyone on the shore giggles at you!

May 7, 2013 6:49:09 PM | Korea

April 14, 2013

Video Variety: Just the Way You Are

Each week I start my classes with a video sometimes pertaining to the lesson topic and sometimes just something new & cool.

This week some of my classes were on 'what makes you unique' so I decided to share Bruno Mars song, Just the Way You Are.

Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars OFFICIAL... by asronline

Korea is the leader in cosmetic surgery with a massive cultural pressure to be mainstream beautiful. "Korea is a leading destination for cosmetic surgery tourism. It is valued as a national asset – one that leads thousands of people to a land that is predisposed to aesthetic beauty. It is here that cosmetic surgery is viewed as a practical issue in an extremely competitive world. Many Koreans believe having the right face makes the difference between success and failure."

Info found here.

Along with pressure to be beautiful students are encouraged to fit into a mold, I teach at an all girls middle school where they wear a uniform with a measured skirt length, they are not allowed to have long hair, not allowed to have curly or colored hair, no make up, no jewelry, and no nail polish.

Granted they will try to shorten their skirts, maybe wear a piece of jewelry or two and some wait until they are told to cut they're hair so it isn't quite as harsh as it sounds. Some teachers are stricter than others on enforcing the dress code.

As much as I am here to teach English I also feel I am here to expose them to Western culture and something I like to emphasis is that it is okay to be different, it is okay to be unique and it's okay to be your own version of beautiful.

I originally expected to teach kindergarten age but I instantly fell in love with my middle school girls. It is a unique experience to witness girls at this age, transitioning from girls to young women and in Korea there is extra pressure to handle these changes with grace & beauty. I feel for them and if nothing else I hope they feel my love & compassion for each and every one of them during this confusing chapter of their lives.

*** If you have a unique video you would like to recommend for my class please share them on my facebook page Heather's Harmony. Please keep in mind they need to be age appropriate with little to no provocative scenes, lyrics or adult content. If I choose your video I will send you a thank you note from Korea!

Note from the Editor: This site is my personal insight into the places I've traveled. My opinions are observations and it is not my intent to point out why a location is strange or weird it is to bring light to what makes each place different and unique. Please be respectful of cultural differences and do your own research and draw your own conclusions.

Apr 14, 2013 7:15:02 PM | Video Variety

April 10, 2013

Festival of Colors in Korea

The chilly winter has slowly drifted away and spring is in the air!

Sooo what does that mean? FESTIVALS!

I’ve only been here for 5 months but if there is one thing I know it's that Korea knows how to throw good festivals… all the time over anything!

I suspect that for the next 5 months of weekends I will be venturing out of my own city to discover and explore new ones. These photos are from Holi, the festival of colors which is a Hindu celebration for spring and is one of my favorite festivals ever! I’ve gone several times back home and was very excited to keep up the tradition in Korea!

My friend Carla & I at Festival of colors on Haeundae Beach in Busan, South Korea

The crowd of crazy wagookin (foreigners) covered in colors and dancing to music and notice in the distance a lot of Koreans observing the chaos.

My festive colored nails by my friend Megan, my students absolutely loved them!

The gang covered in colors & lovin' life

Me, Mina, Michele and Ethan

The beautiful view from the rooftop of our hostel overlooking busy Busan.

Happy Holi!

Apr 10, 2013 8:15:25 PM

March 26, 2013

Invest your life into what you love

Maybe this is a morbid admission but it has crossed my mind more than once that if I were to die today I would be okay with that. I certainly don't have a death wish but I am at peace with how I've lived my life and what I have accomplished thus far with the time I have been given.

If I die living the life I want then that is a death I can accept.

So why do I feel the need to bring this up?

I am always on the look out for fun/interesting videos to share in my classes and yesterday my eye was caught by a news article titled "Man Dies on 'World's Biggest Rope Swing'" and I immediately recognized it's location from my home state of Utah in the states.

Within the article was this video which I have been sharing in my classes because they haven't seen anything like it and I want to share new unique things with them. I didn't share with them that a young man died during his attempt but there has been much buzz about this 22 year-olds death both positive and negative.

One comment was,

Awesome way to die.

R.I.P.

I immediatly thought "EXACTLY!" Of course he didn't expect or want to die but he died doing what he loved and in my book that is an 'Awesome way to die'. My condolences to his family & friends but if I die doing what I love all I would want people to remember is that I lived & died with no regrets and made the most of the time I've been given.

This is a well made video & my students love the song, I think it is exciting for them to see a new/different way to live. As much as I am here to teach English I am just as equally here to give them exposure to life outside of Korea.

This post is in honor of Kyle Lee Stocking, his family & friends. I congratulate him for living with passion and will always keep him in my heart.

Live with love and live with passion!

Mar 26, 2013 7:29:10 PM

March 6, 2013

here. I. am.

Welcome to my new home :) Yeosu

Yeosu, South Korea! A 4 1/2 bus ride to Seoul, right along the coast of the South Sea

I've been happy & smiling in this coastal city for 4 months and 12 days now. I knew time would fly in my one year contract and the thought of going home in November sends panic through my body. I'm not ready yet... November is right around the corner! Sooo... as long as my school will have me I intend to extend my contract. After all a lot of appeal to teaching in Korea was just how many people renew their contracts. Obviously there is something to a country when so many people want to stay!

I teach English at an all girls middle school. When I first got this assignment I thought, "Really!? I didn't know an all gender school was an option. I want to teach little kids... ummm... hmmm... well, I guess this will be a totally different experience than I thought it would be!"

Oh how the mighty hath fallen... fallen in love that is! I'm head over heels in love with my girls, my coworkers, my school, the fellow expats in my city, my apartment, my city and Korea! It of course isn't always rainbows and sunshine but more often than not I find myself thinking, "NO ONE should enjoy their job this much!" The pessimist in me says "Surely a storm is ahead and the love will fade"

If that day ever comes, I'll let you know!

Sooo... the blog!? What happened? What have I been doing with all my time? Why haven't I been writing?

Simply. The business of a travel blog got me down. I'm not a tec savvy girl, I'm not competitive and I find marketing is all about being competitive and I was losing 'me' somewhere in all the details so I stopped writing. Decided to stop and was reminded by you, my readers that I shouldn't quit the blog, I should quit the business so that is what I am doing!

Back to me. Back to life. Back to the passion!

The vast majority of my photos are of my girls and I. How many photos can you see of me surrounded by teenage girls holding up peace signs before it gets old?? I don't know so I'll test it out, the rest of this post will be photos, after we all know photos are the best part right!?

Enjoy, its good to be back!

First photo in Korea right off the plane! I live for those surreal moments when you suddenly realize you just started something that you'd only dreamed of before!

Koreans know how to take photos! There are so many posing options as opposed to the boring old 'do I smile with or without showing my teeth?'

The view from my classroom window, I couldn't be luckier! Just to the left I can see the South Sea!

Korea's version of a photo booth. LOTS of costumes and props, snap some photos then add airbrushing and graphics! So much fun!

A few other foreign teachers and I attend yoga at a gym here, we can't understand most of what the instructor says but she smiles and is kind enough to throw in the English words she knows for us!

On the last day of school all the staff took a trip to a near by city where we walk in the mountains before having dinner together. They are so sweet, using as much English as they know and always smile at me!

I loooove Korean food! (with the exception of Kimchi which is spicy pickled cabbage, I like cabbage and I like spicy but I dislike all things pickled!) I look forward to lunch everyday since I don't know how to cook pretty much anything Korean, school lunch is always good. Typically we have Kimchi, a couple sides (typically spicy and meant to be eaten as you eat your rice), a meat choice, my school is closest to the fish market so we eat a lot of seafood items, something special in this case a fried potato that tastes like chips and soup which I usually love because its so healthy and simple. The soup in this photo is my favorite of all of them, seaweed, tofu, chopped peanuts, onions and cabbage.

My girls love and like me :) Such a sweet message to find as I walk into class!

Some of my favorite students who have since graduated to high school, I miss them very much!

hope you enjoyed! until next time I hope you are smiling wherever today finds you!

Mar 6, 2013 7:15:44 PM | Korea

July 18, 2012

Goodbye America & Hello Europe!

I have travelers sense. It's similar to Spiderman's spideysense but rather than climbing walls, swinging from woven webs and fighting evil I'm hyper sensitive to the everyday beauty that surrounds me, aware of each movement I make and open to each new memory in this new life of continuous travel and discovery.

As I enjoy the view from my friend Janne's flat noticing the beautiful sound of rain pouring on the oh-so colorful European rooftops, I hear the beauty of serenading church bells in the distance and the lush green trees against the deep grey sky. Janne greets me with a smile and apologizes for the gloomy rain and wishes Hamburg would pour sunshine instead. I tell her the difference of what we see & that this is exactly what I love about traveling. Rain or shine, silence or sound I appreciate the uniqueness of each new destination because every observation is new and I am like a child learning the beauty of the world for the first time. Note: I will be back soon with more but for a little while my posts my be sporadic. Don't worry all is wonderful in the brand new life of becoming an expat just enjoying the company of my dear friend Janne while I can and don't want to spend our few days together on the computer indoors.

Jul 18, 2012 12:00:00 AM | Europe, Expat Life

July 14, 2012

Saturday Snapshot: I have been ninja ' d by travel!

2 suitcases, 1 backpack and one laptop fronting as a purse.

I've slowly been downsizing for years and learning how to re-train my spending habits. I actually pride myself on living simple, not being a crazy consumer. When I sold my condo and moved into a one bedroom apartment in March the downsizing was difficult but manageable. This time around... disaster! I have been shifting, sorting and re-shifting and re-sorting through all my belongings and each round of elimination gets me closer to filling up just 2 suitcases, 1 backpack and one laptop bag.

As you can see, it is going really well! I have one day to get all my shit in an orderly fashion and within a limited weight and space... I can do this! Next time you hear from me on this blog I will be on a plane, any suggestions for keeping myself entertained?

Jul 14, 2012 12:00:00 AM | Europe, Expat Life, snapshot saturday

June 21, 2012

Intuitive Travel: It ’s NOT all about You

We've all been there. The moment you realize that some cosmic interference has affected you. We all hope it isn’t something terrible like getting in a car accident pulling into the Wal-Mart parking lot just as we’re heading out on a 2 week road trip picking up some last minute items (Deodorant & a cheap pair of shoes). But that’s the genius of intuition; it’s NOT ALL ABOUT YOU. It’s not about your wants, your agenda or your schedule. It’s about what the universe has in store, something you could have never planned. Yes, even a car accident at a seemingly inconvenient time. In the midst of a panic reaction we cease to remember that everything is how it should be.

Really.

How is your car going to be fixed in time? What if it’s totaled and you’re S.O.L ? Is now really the best time to test out hitchhiking? So we stress. Playing out all the possible scenarios, wondering, hoping, philosophizing and worrying until the universe shows your next move. A super sexy, classy and way better mode of transportation than you driving before!

Damn! The universe sure had you fooled!

5 synonyms for Intuition are: Inkling, sense, feeling, notion and impression.

I have an inkling that several fellow travelers sense when they are out in the world a feeling or notion to follow their intuition which leads them to something different than they were looking for; these events leave an impression on how we interact with the universe. (See what I did there?)

This is how I travel. I have guidelines, ideas of things I’d like to do, places I’d like to see & people I’d like to meet but for the most part I anticipate the signs of something I could have never planned for. Much like I could have never planned to drive a sexy beast of a car (Chrysler 200) across 2 states, multiple national parks, from big cities to remote back roads over mountains and through the blazing desert all in the name of intuition. Give in a little & see what the universe has in store. It’s never what you expect, seldom what you thought you wanted and almost always what you needed! First it was educational intuition & next up its intuitive travel.

What has intuition done for you?

On a completely hypocritical side note: I booked excursions for my 19 hour layover in Iceland tonight & have I got some exciting updates for our (you & I) journey to the country with the northernmost national capital in the world.

Jun 21, 2012 12:00:00 AM

June 16, 2012

Saturday Snapshot: Life Upside Down

"Sometimes you have to let life turn you upside down so you can learn how to live right side up."

~ Not easily Broken

Photo by: Cynthia Chucay

In less than four months my entire life has turned upside down. I sold my condo, graduated from college, got laid off my job and in less than a month (29 days to be exact) I will be on a plane beginning my life as an expat.

expat - a person who is voluntarily absent from home or country.

I leave Sunday July 15th, 2012 with NO RETURN DATE. That's right I am leaving without ever knowing if I will return to live in the United States. There once was a time in my life that every day was planned, I knew what I would be doing in 1 month or 5 years... it was suffocating. Having NO plans is scary, I imagine through my blog it seems that I'm confident in my plans to travel.

I'm not.

I want to share this side of my life with you so you know that while I LOVE my life and I love my dream to travel (the reason for my existence) that I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING.

I might travel through Europe solo and be disappointed, I might live in South Korea and wish I'd done something different BUT I am trying. I am living my dream!

Some call it brave, sometimes I think it's the chickens way out from the 9-5 and "regular" lifestyle. I don't have to go to work, I don't have to answer to anyone, it is like a vacation? It is also important to note that I work (very hard) to write for my blog, not just to keep my writing real & interesting but to market myself. To remind others that your dreams are merely waiting for your dedication. If you commit yourself to something, it WILL happen. This life is a dream and a very large leap of faith but if I don't try and I don't give it my all.... I've done nothing. So as my departure date approaches I hope to live up to your expectations (and mine) I hope you will share my blog, my facebook page and my twitter with friends who are waiting to be inspired. As I begin my greatest adventure to date I hope I can live up to your expectations and can represent your inner dreams. While the vision and logistics may change from person to person, the dedication, sacrifice and commitment never change.

Jun 16, 2012 12:00:00 AM | Europe, Expat Life, snapshot saturday

June 15, 2012

It ' s not the Biblical version of Noah ' s Ark but the Cruise Ships still give it a Try!

You've heard of Noah and the Ark right?

Well, this is my version of that story... much easier to clean up after and far less tragic when you consider how many people & animals perished at the end!

We were a little unclear at first if this was a bear or a pig. It's a pig!

We were even more uncertain which of the Noah's animals this was. What's your guess?

This is a monkey, not to be confused with what is clearly a gorilla below. I think our towel artist was a little offended when we mentioned that we didn't know which was which. oops!

My personal favorite is the scorpion! How awesome is that!?! Granted this is the only time I could ever see a scorpion and use the word awesome to describe it!

Who doesn't love a little penguin welcoming you after a day playing the sunshine?

Our poor bunny rabbit was a little disassembled before I could capture his portrait but I think we did pretty good at recreating him.

Have you been on a cruise and had any of these or other animals visit you?

Jun 15, 2012 12:00:00 AM

Heather's Harmony

My life and the pursuit of travel. Living by intuition and following the signs and opportunities the universe provides. Currently living in Yeosu, South Korea teaching English to middle school girls & loving every minute!