What's NEW?

Today marks my 1-year anniversary of living and working in South Korea. When I arrived in Korea on February 11, 2010, I hadn't slept in over 24 hours. I was too excited and anxious and curious, and clammering to get on with the next chapter of my life. Everything would be new -- new experiences, new friends, new job and a new place to live. When I awoke this morning, on February 11, 2011, I had slept for only 4 hours. I suppose I am still excited and anxious and curious and clammering to get into this chapter of "news" in my life. So without further ado, may I present the Kristina in Korea "News" Update - Anniversary Edition!

Naturally, as an American, I have celebrated each new year on January 1st, usually by making personal resolutions, setting goals to guide my progress, checking my horoscope to ensure my alignment, and consuming black-eyed peas to bring me prosperity. For me, this is a traditional approach to the only new year holiday I have ever experienced....until coming to Korea. Here, the lunar new year is much more important than the first day of the Gregorian calendar. Seolnal as it is called in Korea, falls on the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice, and despite its winter occurence is actually considered a spring festival. So, on the 1st day of the second new moon after the winter solstice of my second calendar year in Korea, I rang in "my year" -- the Year of the Rabbit, and celebrated by resolving to find and keep a balance in life, aiming for more understanding and experience in the world, learning the ropes of my "rabbithood", and consuming ddok guk (rice cake soup) to bring me luck. Whether you go by the Gregorian calendar or live by the lunar one, the good news is: 2011 is hare!

Unlike the rabbit animal, I do not sleep with my eyes open, and rarely do I ever sleep during the day. However, much like the rabbit, I twitch through slumber and am quick to wake from a resting state. In keeping true to form, this morning's rabbit-like revelry arrived at 3:15am -- time to hop to it, I guess. Periscoping from the pad on the floor of my sleeping loft, I peered into the darkness dotted with colored lights of the city below and groomed myself to greet all the "news" this day holds. As is often done in celebration of new years and special days, I panned the eastern horizon to see the first rays of the sun on my first anniversary of living in Korea. This new perspective was made possible by propping up on the ledge of the picture window of my new penthouse apartment and patiently waiting for the presence of today's new light. Just like last year, landing in Korea a few days before the lunar new year, I landed this luxury loft in downtown Daejeon a few days shy of not only this year's Seolnal ceremonies, but also this first anniversary's sunrise celebration. According to the Chinese horoscope, people born in a rabbit year usually have clutter-free, comfortable homes. They pay attention to every detail from light, space, furniture and arrangement to food and conversation, which is said to make them very hospitable and good hosts. So, on that note, let me share the second bit of "news" of this new year and invite you to please be my guest in viewing the video or seeing the place for yourself.

Perhaps the best news for the new year actually came last year when, in November, I received a phone call from the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education offering me a new job as a Teacher Training Instructor. This type of work is not so new to me, as I have thoroughly enjoyed conducting teacher training sessions here on a regular, part-time basis since April of 2010. However, the actual proposal of this promotion came as a complete surprise and felt much like the only other proposal I have ever received and accepted. That is, with a marriage proposal, the proper protocol is traditionally taken care of by the one proposing, as it was in my particular case. However, once I said "yes" to this professional proposal, it was I who was expected to engage in all kinds of cultural protocol before I would be officially allowed to leave my position in the DFLHS family to join the DJMOE clan. Korea is still very much a man's world and therefore, I was required to arrange a visit with the Daejeon Foreign Language High School principal to whom I should go bearing gifts, clearly state my intentions to take on the new role, and ask for his blessing of my desire to be associated with another 'teaching tribe'. Using not my womanly wiles, but my rabbit-ly wiles of diplomacy, communication skills, and strong-mindedness, I was successful in securing approval to ascend to this new level of academia in Korea, and will officially begin my duties on February 28, 2011.

So within one year, I embraced a new career, fell in love with a new country, engaged in a new way of life, committed to this new relationship, and now celebrate my first anniversary as a blissful bunny. Who (k)new?