Enter the Dragon

2012 is the Year of the Dragon and it’s about to rear its head! I, myself, am a dragon baby, so I have high hopes for the year ahead. 2011 wasn’t the worst of times (unless you ask Clark), but I can’t really say I’m sorry to see it go. 

Looking back at blog posts past, I'm reminded that I made some resolutions at the start of the year and, interestingly enough, managed to keep all of them! I resolved to travel, see my sister, be a good mom, rejoin the workforce, cook more, and study.

I succeeded in killing the first two proverbial birds with one stone by spending my vacation back home in Canada this summer. I spent a month visiting with relatives and friends, and finally got some quality time with my sister. My only regret now is that I won’t be able to attend her wedding this spring and I really hope another six years don’t go by before I see her again or get the chance to meet her “Jiminy”. In other news, Logan is alive and well, so I think it would be fair to say that I met the challenge of being a good mother. The little dude is 16 months old tomorrow and rambunctious as ever. I have to admit though, that it’s probably his father who is to thank for his upbringing.  I haven’t been around much this year because I've been diligently tending to my fourth and sixth resolutions: work and study. And, I’m not shy about reporting the fact that I have been a good little study-er; receiving grades of ‘Distinction’ for my first two major research papers. Lastly, ‘tis true that 2011 saw me in the kitchen a little more often. I taught myself to make quite a few Korean dishes and experimented with some baking. I was also a good mother/wife and packed a lot of lunch boxes for my boys this past year.  

So what’s in store for 2012? Honestly, I have no idea…but I resolve to do one thing:

Lose weight. Though not on last year’s list, I shed 15kg in 2011, dropping 2 clothing sizes. With Blogger as my witness, I shall lose another 15kg this year…starting…right . after . I . finish . all . of . the . Christmas . chocolate . and . goodies…

Happy New Year everyone! J

My 2011 Resolutions

It’s probably not a good idea to resolve to do too much. If I write down everything I hope to accomplish  this year, I’m likely to disappoint or embarrass myself, so I’m keeping my list modest.

Travel. It’s very depressing to look back on last year and realize we didn’t go anywhere (because I was pregnant?). Very regrettable. We’ve definitely got to go somewhere this year.

See my sister. It’s been so long I don’t even remember the last time; 6 years at least (think more). Clark's never even met her!

Be a good mother. This year is going to be chock-full of important milestones and I imagine that with proper parenting skills, I can help Logan reach all of them: sitting up, eating solids, crawling, walking, talking, etc.

Rejoin the workforce. I haven’t had a ‘regular’ job in six months and I miss it. I like working. I’ve done my fair share of temping in the last couple of months, but I want to contribute more to our household income and get back into full-time teaching. I’m looking forward to my new job starting in March.

Cook more. My mother cooked 2-3 meals a day for us when she was here last fall. I average about 1. I’m pretty good about making Clark’s lunchboxes (he loves pastas & stir-frys), but I haven’t been cooking as many ‘family’ meals as I probably should. I want to bake more, too (easier said than done in Korea, where baking supplies & ingredients aren’t what one would call 'abundant').

Study. 2011 is the year to start working toward my MA. It's been a LONG time coming.

Hello 2011

It’s probably better to say that I’ve matured rather than admit that I’m now just plain boring. When I returned to Korea in 2006, I did this:

Here I am (behind the camera) downtown at Boshingak “bell pavilion” with a few good friends in a manic crowd of several hundred thousand, no doubt drunk, and secretly praying I don’t catch on fire.

Now fast forward 4 years to this New Year’s Eve. After eating at a (very crowded) shabu-shabu restaurant, we put Logan to bed, gobbled up a freshly baked apple crisp, cracked open a bottle of champagne (my first taste of alcohol in over a year) and watched “When Harry Met Sally”. Things certainly do change ~ *sigh*.

We had visitors on New Year’s Day. Clark’s parents, grandmother & aunt (on his mother’s side) came over with a ton of mandu “dumplings”. For those who haven’t read my Favourite Winter Food post, eating mandu is a New Year’s (both Solar & Lunar) tradition in Korea. According to popular superstition, a person does not become a year older until they’ve eaten mandu in some form or another; usually served in beef broth soup. Regardless of actual birthday, everyone turns a year older on January 1.

Does this look like a 2 year-old?

Koreans (and a few other East Asian countries, I think) count a person’s age differently from the rest of the world whereby a newborn is considered 1 year-old at the time of birth and each passing of a new year adds another year. Thus, Logan (who is 4 months-old) is now magically 2 years-old!

Logan with his Grandmother, Aunt, & Great-Grandmother



Happy 2011!