Pretty Fingers...

typing on the keyboard. Buffed, shiny nails and moisturized cuticles. Yes, I gave myself a manicure with a new buffing system (a rectangular buffing block, cuticle oil, scented hand lotion, and a nail file) that I got on special at the mall. It was probably not as amazing a deal as the saleswoman told me, but I’m pleased nonetheless. I can see my reflection in the super-gloss shine. It’s all a part of dressing for success, right? I also got a set for Mom as a birthday gift. I think she’ll really like it. She has the best nails in the family because they are strong and grow very nicely. People ask her if they are real or acrylic. She doesn’t have the patience to paint them regularly and doesn’t like the fact that polish chips after several days. This is an easy to maintain and impossible to ruin option. No waiting for polish to dry or getting sheet imprints if all the layers of varnish (base coat, color, and protective top coat) haven’t dried well enough before you go to sleep. I also won’t be saying any of these phrases, “Can you pick that up for me, I just did my nails?” or, “Arghh, I just ruined my nail!”

I haven’t had the patience for all that for the last couple of years, so I haven’t done anything with them for a while. I have in the past spent lots of time and money on polish to do my own manicures. Other times I have been a regular manicure patron. My favorite manicurist ever was a man at a salon in Korea who gave the best hand massages. One special memory is when my sister and I gave each other pedicures on the night before her wedding. What color did we use? OPI’s “I’m Not Really A Waitress”, a really vivid red with a bit of shimmer. Light bulb flash! I need to get a job writing names for OPI’s colors! I think I just solved my career dilemma! They have the most fun naming their colors. I wonder if they really do have that as a full-time job. Maybe it is just one project that their copywriters do. I would still sign up.  

I thought that I would never get the list of things done that I had to do today. I’ve made big progress on everything, though. Several things needed to be gathered and prepared for Sunday school in the morning. Yes, I’m volunteering this year. I haven’t done Sunday school for a long time, but the week of Vacation Bible School was a lot of fun. I have a teaching partner, which is good because I don’t want to do it alone. It is less work and more fun to have another adult in the room. It is also required for safety reasons.

Yesterday I went to the job fair at the local mall, which was announced in my class last week. I thought it would be a good opportunity to practice interviewing and networking. I spent the morning printing out copies of resumes, reference contacts, and even some writing samples.  It’s best to be prepared because you never know what businesses and schools might be there. It was a bustling event, with a whopping 4 companies participating. There was an insurance company, a toy store, a direct sales (at home parties) company, and one more that I forgot because it was so completely uninteresting. The best part of the 10 minutes that I lingered there was getting a free hand massage with mango lotion at the direct sales table. They sell home spa and skin care products. That mango lotion was luscious, reminding me of the mango body butter that I had several years ago from the Body Shoppe.  I got a catalogue so that when I have a job and money I can place orders when I want to. It was a very fruitful afternoon.  

Assessments, and More Assessments

It’s almost the end of the second week of class. Today we took skill tests and completed a comprehensive career assessment CAPS, COPES, and COPS. My primary work values are orderliness, social and aesthetic. My primary interest areas are communication, service professional and artistic skilled. Pretty obvious, looking at those, why I became a teacher; it was never a problem of not liking the job. Perhaps I just need to adjust the place where I think I fit. Academic advising is something I’ve been looking at. It might be fun to teach a class like the one I’m taking now. Writing and editing are also a good fit with my interests, values and skills. This assessment confirmed what I was thinking and helps me to feel more confident that I’m headed in the right direction. I’m still tired. Last night I fell asleep at 10:15 PM, which is early for me. One thing that has been tough for me in this class is that we have been doing all of these group dynamics exercises. Some of them have been really challenging and gotten fairly chaotic and intense. I considered myself strong in cooperation and teamwork, but this has shown me that there are still weaknesses and things I can improve. Being humbled is a good thing, but not necessarily fun. Between that and the skill tests, this week has been mentally and emotionally tiring.

First Week of Class (as a student again)

It was a busy and eventful week. I learned about my personality color, group dynamics and teambuilding. Very warm, fuzzy stuff, but sort of fun. I look at this like a support group, and that’s partly what it is. I will also learn more computer skills with Office, which should prove useful. It is kind of strange for me to be a student in this class, since I was recently teaching adults myself. The other students are interesting and I’m making some new friends. My homework is to take a couple of career interest assessments. I took one today and was having a little trouble over-analyzing my answers. They ask basically the same few questions 20 different ways with just slightly different wording. “Well, I thought I meant it when I chose the answer last time.” The biggest tensions were between practical or aesthetic and leadership/setting my own course or following others. I like to have it both ways. I want to include both aesthetic and practical values in my work, hopefully an equal amount of each. I don’t want to have to order people about and be the only leader, but I want room to control my own work and be involved in decisions. It is very clear that I want to work with people and like enjoy working in a collaborative, somewhat relaxed environment. I have known that all along. Those have been my best work experiences. We’ll see if the results come back weird. It has been a good, busy weekend. I went to the Western Washington State Fair, which opened yesterday. Highlights were the draft horse exhibition and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I resisted the urge to buy things from the commercial vendors. There was some pretty silver jewelry, but I was strong. I learned about a rare breed of sheep, the only spotted one, as I walked through the barns. They are called Jacob Sheep, after the Biblical patriarch who watched Laban's flocks and bred his own herd of spotted sheep. See the website at Bide a Wee Farm.

Sunday Afternoon Matinee

I saw The Constant Gardener this afternoon with my father and brother-in-law. Based on the John Le Carre novel, it definitely has a political message and agenda. That said, the message never overtook the story in the way that sometimes happens, turning a well-intentioned film into a preachy bore. Equal parts nail-biting thriller and unconventional love story, I found myself mesmerized. The cast is wonderful! Well, I have admired Ralph Feinnes since Schindler's List, so I'm not objective about him. Rachel Weisz was fantastic in a brave and dynamic role. There were excellent veteran character actors in supporting roles, and I'd list some names, but they are more recognizable by face. Go to the IMDB if you really must know who they are.

I also finally checked out Technorati to find out what it was. I wish I had gone there earlier. It's a great way to search through the blogosphere for the latest posts on whatever topics you are interested in. You can also put tags on your entries and have your entries searchable in their topical database.

Technorati tags: Movies, cinema

The Week is Finally Over

Yesterday I wanted to stay home and breathe a little easier. I ended up getting a call in the morning and going to an unexpected meeting. At the mandatory orientation I went to on Tuesday, I found out about a training program that I could attend for free and get lots of support in my career transition (aptitude tests, personality tests, career exploration). I can even learn some new computer skills (PowerPoint and Excel). I know a bit about Excel, but I have just scratched the surface. I will get more help with my resume as well as interview and job search skills. I could probably do OK without it, but I find the support encouraging and helpful. I hope to discover some new career ideas, or at least confirm that I am going in the right direction. It is a seven week program with classes all day (8:30 AM -5:00 PM) from Monday through Thursday. Yesterday I had to go to the site to register. It isn’t far from my house, so that is very convenient. I took the bus, which means I walked a lot yesterday. Can I count that as a workout?

Today I stayed home all day. Mom and Dad went away for the long weekend, so I have the whole house to myself. I enjoy the peace and quiet of a day alone. I have puttered around, getting some housework and organizing done- all at my own pace. This morning I watched CNN for a long time, which allowed me to witness the arrival of the first caravan of food, water and supplies arrive at the Superdome. That is the first hopeful thing I’ve seen in days. I don’t even have words for the things I’ve heard and read. The Interdictor is blogging a chronicle of the chaos as he is fighting to survive and help others do the same in New Orleans.

Tonight my brother-in-law and I may go out to eat and see a movie (The Constant Gardener). It depends on how tired he is after work. They have been offering extra hours and he has been working very hard. If we stay home I’ll grill hamburgers. We have pepper jack slices and barbeque sauce.

Running on the Treadmill

That is what I feel like I'm doing now as I try to relax at the end of a long, tiring week. But it's only Wednesday night, almost Thursday morning. Ahhh! Not sure if I've really accomplished all that much either. The wrenching stories of Katrina's destruction and the plight of the people who were in her path are so tragic. I'll never forget the short spot that I saw of a news reporter trying to interview one of the refugees who was wandering around. He recounted how his family was on top of the roof and their house had split in half. He had tried to hold on to his wife, who had fallen into the water. He couldn't. She told him to take care of their children and grandchildren just before she was lost in the flood waters. He had no idea if she had managed to survive or where she might be. If I had a job, I would donate money. What can I do but pray? I haven't done that, either, because I've been maddly working on getting that application in for the copywriting job and finishing the writing sample to go with it. I faxed it tonight shortly before 10:00 PM. I had a mandatory class all morning at WorkSource. This afternoon I edited it and proofread it over and over, but I found a questionable capitalization and a missing comma after I was scanning the copy that I faxed. Hopefully they won't notice. I made the corrections to the file on the computer. At least I'll be ready with a good sample for the next copywriting job that I find. I also did some editing of yesterday's post because the sentences were choppy and I found some errors. I tried to rush it yesterday because I was excited and wanted to get it posted. I was also more focused on getting all of the links in. My mind has been racing like this all day and doesn't seem to be slowing down. I was in such a zone last night that I totally forgot that I was supposed to go to worship team practice. I am scheduled to sing this Sunday. It would be easier if I had to go to the practice every week, but when it's every-other week (or depending on whatever Sundays you are scheduled for) I don't get into a routine. I'm in my room with the light low and the radio turned to one of my favorite stations, Classical King FM, 98.1, hoping that I'll start to relax. I haven't had more caffeine than usual, but it almost feels like it.

Tacoma, a City Reborn

Last night my aunt was in town and stayed with us. She came to Washington for a few days to see Grandpa and then drove over here to spend the night with us before flying back to Colorado. We went out for a drive and some sightseeing in Tacoma, which used to be a dying industrial pit with a decaying downtown. Other than the crime rate, the city was know for the “Tacoma Aroma” because of the noxious spewings from a paper mill that is now closed. There has been a great effort to revitalize the city. In 1990 the University of Washington opened a satellite campus near downtown and has restored many old buildings. Union Station, a brick building in Beaux Arts style that served as the train depot, has been rescued from demolition and made into the courthouse. Next to Union Station, a new brick building was built to house the Washington State History Museum. On the other side is the very modern styled Tacoma Art Museum. Dale Chihuly, an internationally famous local glass artist, is the driving force behind the The Museum of Glass, which includes a glass blowing workshop and school. They are renovating housing and building new apartment buildings downtown so that people can move into the area, making it more active and encouraging business. It hasn’t all been smooth. Tacoma Actors Guild, the only professional theater in the region, outside of Seattle, had great financial difficulties last year and closed down temporarily. With fundraising and the partnership of Bellevue Civic Theatre, they opened their doors again to finish the season. They will open the 2005-2006 season in September with Noises Off. The transformation of the city’s atmosphere is dramatic! Now I would enjoy living downtown or in North Tacoma. There are still bad areas, like Hilltop. That has been an infamously crime ridden area for many years. There is one area of Tacoma that has really nice old homes. Some of them need work and others have been well-maintained or lovingly restored. There are several old apartment buildings with names like “The Whitman” and brick or stone exteriors. The architecture ranges from Victorian to Neo Classical, Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival. We drove around looking at them. It reminds me of Browns Edition in Spokane, where my mother grew up. Her family inherited an uncle’s Victorian house with all the furniture. In fact, I sleep on an antique brass bed that came from that house. Anyway, all of those houses have so much character and distinction. None of them is alike. Just the opposite of boring suburban houses and apartment complexes. We had dinner at a tavern, The Harmon, in the university district. It brews its own tasty ales and has great food. Monday happens to be $3.00 steak night. We didn’t realize that until we had already ordered our meals, though. Dad had fish and chips and everyone else ordered one of their specialty burgers. Mine had blue cheese and mushrooms. We all had a great time on our little tour. My aunt had never been to Tacoma before.

It has been a busy couple of days. I had an appointment this morning at WorkSource. This afternoon has been busy updating and revising some more. Since I am looking to start in a new field, I have to work hard at effectively marketing my transferable skills. I found an opening for a copywriter, but they want a portfolio sample along with the resume. I guess I’ll just have to start a portfolio. Perhaps a short article about one of the development projects in Tacoma!

Still haven’t gotten back to exercising. It’s been quite a while, now.

Auld Lang Syne

Friends have played a very important role in my life because they have often acted as a family. For single people especially, friends are form of family. But over the tough times of this transition, I have sometimes gone into a shell when I felt depressed and frustrated. That made it hard to reach out and communicate with anyone. I have several friends living very far away, as in out of the country. I kept in contact for a while, but it has been so long since I’ve sent them an e-mail. I feel bad, which makes me less likely to start writing to them. A vicious cycle begins. I miss them. I am sorry about neglecting them. Of course they are free to write me at any time and haven’t done so. It is somewhat mutual, the neglect. I have lost track of who technically owes the next e-mail. Does it matter? Philosophically I understand that people go in and out of each other’s lives and very few friendships can last a lifetime. But the cost of that reality is sometimes painful. I find myself developing new friendships and enlarging my community. That is good and exciting. Then I find myself thinking that I could or should be spending that time or energy reaching out to dear people from the past. Of course, it doesn’t have to be either or. There isn't a black and white choice here. I can embrace new friends and do my best to keep in touch with and honor old friendships. That is naturally what people do. “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other’s gold” as the old lyrics say. Why am I feeling so nostalgic and guilty recently? I need to just write to them, regardless of my guilt or angst. I made a list of them a couple of weeks ago. There are about eight people on that list that I haven't brought myself to write to yet. That is about 2/3 of the total list. Not all of them are overseas.

Master List

All the jobs and significant volunteer activities that I’ve ever done in my life:

Babysitting
High School Concert Choir (1984-1987)
Sunday School Teacher- Pre-school (1985-1987)
Chorus Member in the High School Musical (Fall 1996)
University Concert Choir- (1987-1989)
Receptionist (Summer 1987)
Dishwasher (Fall Quarter 1987)
Day-Camp Counselor (Summer 1988 and Summer 1989)
Market Research (Summer 1990)
English Teacher and Church Ministry Volunteer in Mexico (Summer 1991)
Pro-Life Book Table Volunteer (1987-1988)
Pro-Life Book Table Coordinator (1988-1989)
Elderly Ministry Volunteer (1990-1991)
Elderly Ministry Coordinator (1991-1992)
Writing Tutor (Winter 1993)
ESL Teaching Assistant (Winter 1993)
Jewelry Sales Associate at a mall kiosk (February 1993)
ESL Teacher (April 1993 - April 1994)
ESL Teacher (June 1994 – May 1996)
Co-leader: Pioneer Girls, 5th and 6th Grade Group (1994 – 1996)
Worship Team (1994 - 1996)
Teaching Assistant (Fall 1996)
ESL Instructor (June 1997 – December 1998)
Editor for a student’s Master’s Thesis (1998)
ESL Coordinator and Instructor for a vocational program (February 1999 – August 2000)
Human Service’s Relief Staff (February 1999 – February 2000)
Personal Care Assistant/Home Health Care (February 2000 – June 2001)
English Instructor (August 2001 – August 2003)
Church Choir Member (August 2001 – January 2003)
Church Choir Leader (February 2003 – August 2003)
Bible Study Leader (February 2003 – August 2003)
Tutor/Substitute ESL Instructor (November 2003 – March 2004)
Scorer for standardized writing tests (March 2004 – July 2004)
Seasonal Sales Associate for a clothing store (November 2004 – December 2004)
English Instructor (January 2005 – March 2005)
English Instructor (January 2005 – June 2005)
Worship Team (June 2003 – Present)

More Recipes

I’ve been researching some recipes on the Internet after Mom and I watched Tyler cook one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Since we had Masala last night, I was also reminded of another Indian favorite, saag. Saag means spinach and there is a lovely Indian spinach sauce that goes well with lamb or chicken. I have also had similar spinach sauce with chunks of potato as a vegetarian dish. Here are the recipes that I found and where I found them.

* From Food Network

Chiles Rellenos with Picadillo
Show: Food 911
Much too much work for me to have patience for, so I'll not be trying this one. They looked delicious though. It was interesting to learn how they made one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Most restaurants around here don't do them very well, but there is one I found. I would decrease the amount of chipotles in the picadillo filling. The ranchero sauce sounds simple enough and versatile; it can be used for Huevos Rancheros or burritos or whatever you like. I plan on trying it.

Huevos Rancheros
Show: Emeril Live

Chilaquiles con Pollo: Tortilla Casserole with Chicken Breast
Chef: Priscilla Satcoff
There were several recipes on the site for this delicious Mexican brunch favorite. This one had fewer specialized (read: probably hard to find) Mexican cheeses.

Green Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole
Written by: M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger
This one has more ingredients but also gets rave reviews and is easy to prepare.

Lamb with Spinach Sauce (Saag Gosht)
Show: Chef Du Jour

Spinach with Tomato (Saag)
Recipe courtesy of Madhur Jaffrey, World Vegetarian, Clarkson Potter, 1999


* From YumYum.com

California Style Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros #2

Visiting

On Monday Mom, my brother-in-law, and I went to visit my grandfather. Between driving, running a few errands for him, and visiting, it took most of the day. He was in good spirits and the visit was pleasant. His health has been pretty stable for almost a year since he had a really bad crisis that lasted for 6 months, so we are very glad. I haven’t always had a good relationship or good attitude about him. He has said and done hurtful things over the years. But he has mellowed and I have learned to forgive and let go. In the last two years since I’ve seen him I see things that I didn’t see in him before. He showed amazing fortitude and resilience during his recurring bouts of illness last year. I personally didn’t think he could fight through it. He did and kept a positive attitude throughout. I gained a new respect for him. Yesterday was the second time he has seen my brother-in-law. Grandpa is impressed with him. He told me so a couple of weeks ago when Dad and I went up for a Saturday special event- the annual Luau. We are glad because He has very strong opinions, so if he takes a dislike to someone, then he isn’t likely to change his view.

On the way home we stopped at Trader Joe’s, a specialty grocery shop that also has great prices. I guess since they are a regional chain they can buy in bulk. They carry a lot of unique gourmet and healthy (organic, whole foods) items. What a fun place to shop! We don’t go there a lot because there isn’t one very close. I bought some ginger snaps, a couple bottles of cheap wine, and some ready-to-eat sushi (which I ate in the car for a late lunch). Mom got a couple of jars of simmer sauces to cook with chicken (masala and Thai green curry), some nan (Indian flat bread) and other things that I’ve forgotten. We ate the masala sauce and the nan tonight for dinner. Delicious.

Tuesday I applied for another job as a student advisor for an online university. I also started my “Master Application”. This is basically a reference document for me to catalog information about all of the jobs (volunteer or paid) that I’ve had in my lifetime. It is a good exercise for me to remember all of the things I’ve done and then reflect back on the specific skills, knowledge, and tools that I’ve used. When I finish, I’ll post a list of all the jobs I’ve ever had.

Tuesday night I watched Miami Ink, one of my favorite new shows. I don’t have any tattoos, but I like to see other people’s tattoos and the stories behind the designs they choose are interesting. I also like the artists’ personalities on the show. It seems like they have a lot of fun and really love the art of what they do. The work they do is beautiful. There was only one time I was ever tempted to get a tattoo. I knew exactly what design I wanted. I have a ring with the Chinese character for love. It is a very sentimental piece of jewelry and I wear it a lot. One day I lost it. I had become so accustomed to wearing it and felt so personally attached to the symbol. The specific character was chosen because it matches the meaning of my name. (Cheryl=beloved, dear one) I thought that if I tattooed the symbol on myself that I would never lose it. The idea comforted me. Later that day, I found the ring. All thought of getting the tattoo disappeared. The biggest thing that stops me is my low tolerance for pain. I also don’t like the idea of having it for the rest of my entire life. Friends who have them tell me that you don’t stop at one; you always want more. I don’t need another thing to obsess over like a permanently unfinished project.

We are planning another family visit to my great aunt on Friday. She had a fall and broke her hip a couple of months ago. She returned home recently and we haven’t seen her since we visited her at the hospital.

Typical Sunday

Another typical Sunday. I enjoy the USA lineup, The 4400 and Dead Zone. I remember Anthony Michael Hall from Sixteen Candles and then as one of the youngest cast members ever on Saturday Night Live. Unfortunately it wasn’t a good year for the show and Anthony wasn’t a strong member of the cast. Who can believe he was so skinny and lanky then. He barely has a neck now with his broad, athletic build. Anyway, I like Dead Zone because the story is good, not for him. Both shows are tense, dramatic science-fiction with conspiracy overtones. Good fun.

I filed for my second week of unemployment over the Internet tonight.

The scripture readings in the lectionary this week really encouraged me about my life and my situation. Here is a bit from the Old Testament reading.

Isaiah 51:1-3, 6

Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
and who seek the LORD :
Look to the rock from which you were cut
and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
look to Abraham, your father,
and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was but one,
and I blessed him and made him many.

The LORD will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing...

Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment
and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
my righteousness will never fail.


It reminds me of another favorite verse in Isaiah that I've been thinking about and reading over the last few months.

Isaiah 55:1-3

Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.

Wu Xia

Wu Xia movies (martial arts swordplay, often with a fantasy element). Why do I like them? Because the flying and fight choreography are graceful and powerful. The costumes, settings, and colors are very expressive. They can be fanciful, historical, imaginative, scary. The themes of honor, friendship, strength, and good vs. evil are universal and inspiring. I am by no means an expert. I only really started watching them after I saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But here are a couple of lists.

My 3 favorite:
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Hero
A Chinese Ghost Story

I did like House of Flying Daggers, but not nearly as much as Hero. I felt the story was not as strong. It was too convoluted, but predictably so. There was an amazing scene in the early part of the movie, though. I would almost buy the DVD just for that. Almost.

I haven’t seen yet, but really want to:
Green Snake
The Bride with White Hair
Iron Monkey
The Shaolin Temple
The Legend

Now this is not a swordplay movie, but Stephen Chow mixes Kung Fu and comedy with genius. Shaolin Soccer had me howling with laughter. The premise is that a group of Kung Fu trained monks form a soccer team and use their special skills on the field. He has a new one that I haven’t seen yet. It’s called Kung Fu Hustle.

I was inspired today because I caught part of “The Art of Action: Martial Arts in Motion Pictures”, a 2002 TV documentary hosted by Samuel L. Jackson.

Great News!

My brother-in-law got a contract job upgrading and replacing computers for a large aerospace company. It will last for several months. We are so happy for him. It is a good start and takes some pressure off of him. We went out to dinner tonight to celebrate! I brought half home, which is unusual. I don't usually let being full stop me from finishing everything on my plate when I'm enjoying it. This was an alfredo, so it was very cheesy and rich. I'll enjoy it again tomorrow. Today was the last workshop at WorkSource. They have been a helpful resource and I enjoyed the other job seekers. We had a good group this week and today especially was a lot of fun. I will write more tomorrow, What Not To Wear is starting in 5 minutes.

Worship Songs

Today has been busy. We have a new music director at my church and tonight was the first rehearsal of our worship team with the new leader. He is a great musician and I'm so excited. It is also the first time I've been to a mid-week practice in about 8 months because I started teaching evenings in January. The job has been over for a couple of months, but I was so out of the habit that I never started going again. It was also a good time to worship God. I love worship music. The words to several songs especially spoke to me this week. Here are the lyrics to one of them.

Lord Reign In Me
by Brenton Brown, Copyright 1998

Over all the earth
You reign on high
Every mountain stream
Every sunset sky
But my one request
Lord my only aim
Is that You’d reign in me again

Lord reign in me
Reign in Your power
Over all my dreams
In my darkest hour
You are the Lord
Of all I am
So won’t You reign in me again

Over every thought
Over every word
May my life reflect
The beauty of myLord
‘Cause you mean more to me
Than any earthly thing
So won’t You reign in me again

This song is not where I am living every day right now, but it is where I need to be. This song is my prayer. My eyes have been looking down again and I've been too occupied with myself and my concerns. Lord, give me your vision for my days, my week, my life. Take my goals and put them in the correct order. Just like the exercise, I have also gotten lax again about spending time in prayer and studying the Bible. I have been so frustrated because I'm having trouble focusing on what kind of career to focus on and where my skills and temperament fit the best. God, help me to see clearly and give me a vision for a purposeful and satisfying vocation. Take my frustration and cover me in your peace. Thank You!

I'm Writing Again.

I have been unable to write anything for the last several days unless it was whiny tripe. I've been feeling discouraged and blah. I'm writing tonight before I go to sleep because I want to get over this bump. It has been over a week since I have exercised. Today I went to another insurance interview. Those seem to be the only companies that are showing any interest. I need to get a focused vision of what I really want to do so that I can take effective steps and know where to look. I guess that is my agenda for this week. My sister has been having a terrible time in Oklahoma. Today we got the news that her car engine is deceased. One good thing happened today. I met a friend and we had a great Thai dinner. I ordered asparagus in a yellow curry (but dry, without the coconut milk) with chicken. It was delicious. We had a great talk about life. She is about my age and also single. We have a lot of things in common as far as challenges and how we feel about things. For example, we both set ages for ourselves to adopt children if we found ourselves still single. I gave myself until 35, she chose 40. I have passed my deadline, but had already changed my mind about volunteering for single parenthood after seeing several friends raise newborns and toddlers. They had husbands as active fathers, but even two people are stretched thin with small children. It truly takes a village. I enjoyed being "Aunty Cheryl" and helping out; I also enjoyed going home. I am totally over that biological clock thing.

One more day until the two-year anniversary of my return from Korea. No specific plans how to mark the occasion.

Friday!

Yeah! It's Friday. Yesterday was the big job interview. I was kind of worked up and nervous on Wednesday. Surprise! When I took the company name down over the phone, I spelled it wrong by a couple of letters. Remember, I was barely awake when I got the call and did the short phone interview. He didn't offer the spelling of the name and I wasn't thinking clearly enough to ask. Besides, I thought it sounded simple enough. So it was not an aerospace company that offered language training to pilots and traffic control workers. It was an insurance company and they are looking for sales people. I got through the first in-person interview and then they asked me to return in half-an-hour to sit in on an informational meeting about the company and fill out a candidate profile test. The profile test was questions about what motivates me, would I lie, would I steal, what are my strengths and weaknesses, etc. I decided that it wasn't the opportunity for me and told them so later in the evening when they called me back to see if I would come back for a final interview.

Today I applied online for two more positions- a Marketing Specialist- Writer, and a Merchant Investigator. The second job is for an online retail company, so I'd be checking out the merchants that are participating to make sure they are serving the customers properly and checking for fraud. It sounds like it could be challenging and fun. I don't expect to hear back from them because I don't have all the experience that they want in retail and don't know anything about fraud prevention. I made my quota to file for unemployment, so that is the most important thing. Next week I'll finish the series of workshops. I hope I'll learn more good stuff and really get prepared to market myself in some new areas and make this a successful career change.

August 18th, next Thursday, will be the two-year anniversary of my return to the United States to start my new life. I should find some way to mark the occasion. My life here is still under construction, but I am full of hope. God has good plans, and I'm trying to follow His path.

What Not to Wear will be on soon. Better go now.

Garden at Gyungbok Palace 

Teaching in Korea

A couple of people have asked what it was like teaching in Korea. They were thinking of going there and teaching themselves. I thought I'd post my answer in case more people were interested in hearing what it was like.

I had a great time in Korea. As long as you have a bachelor's degree (in any subject) you should be able to get a job. The language schools really want native-speakers who can teach conversation and listening. Research your school before you go because there are lots of bad ones that don't treat people fairly and aren't honest. Try looking in the forums at Dave's ESL Cafe. Ask the representative of any school you are considering if you can have the e-mail of a foreign teacher working there who can vouch for the school and give you information about the local life. I recommend the experience of teaching overseas. The culture shock will be substantial and you will have lots of challenges. Any kind of teaching training you can get before you go would be helpful. The university jobs are better (fewer teaching hours, better pay, and better working conditions) but you generally need a master's degree. Most schools in Korea pay for your housing and the wages are fair, so you can save money or pay down debt. I made good progress on my student loans while I was there.

Seoul is a large, very crowded, fast-paced city. It was both exciting and stressful. When things got really overwhelming, I would go to Gyungbok Palace and walk around. It is a spacious, tranquil oasis in the middle of urban mayhem. Walking through the gate, I could breathe deeply again. For interesting reading on this palace, Minsoo Kang wrote a very descriptive though scholarly essay on its long history.

I also lived in Kwangju, which is far South of Seoul. It was very interesting to see another part of Korea. Seoul is the business and population center of the whole country. Literally almost 1/3 of the total population lives in the city or in the surrounding suburbs. Kwangju is a small, provincial city that has a history of being a conservative holdout. It was the site of famous labor protests. The pace was slower and the people more relaxed and friendly. There was traffic, but it was still easier to get around. After you had been there a while, it felt like a small community; you recognized many faces when you walked around the downtown area. The surrounding countryside is very pretty. About 50 minutes away are the Bosung Green Tea Plantations, neat rows of tea bushes terraced into the mountainside. Just outside the city is a Confucian scholar's garden, Sosoewon, which is about 600 years old.

As far as the experience of being a foreigner, it was both fun and difficult. I didn't know any Korean language before I went. It was hard to adjust to being helpless in some situations, but I had people at my school helping me. The most basic, necessary things you learn pretty quickly. Thankfully, the writing system is very easy to learn, so you can sound things out and start to read subway stops and things. A lot of those signs are also written in Roman alphabet, which helps. The Korean culture sometimes keeps foreigners at a distance, but they are also hospitable and kind. Occasionally bouts of anti-Americanism break out because of political things, but I never felt unsafe.

It was a hard decision to make, leaving Korea. I was torn because I had become so comfortable there, liked my job and had good friends. At the same time I had been living far away from my family for a long time. I finally decided that it was time to return to Washington State and live near my family. The longer I stayed in Korea, the harder it would have been to leave.

Interview Preparations

Tomorow I have an interview for a teaching related position. It may actually be teaching, but I won't find out any details until tomorrow. Preparations for the interview: printing out fresh copies of my resume and contact information of past employers. I also bought a new top to wear to the interview. I'm also going to use some notecards and write down some important things that I want to include in my answers to those delightfully fun interview questions. My personal favorite, "What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?". My answer to that one is, "My strengths are listening to people, thinking creatively to solve problems, and cooperating with others as a member of a team. My weaknesses are being particular about details and putting pressure on myself to meet other people's expectations." The company is over an hour away. If I get the job, who knows how I'll get there. I don't have a car and can't afford one. But that's getting too far ahead, since I don't actually have the job yet. Dad is really excited for me. He wants to know that I have a good job and I am well provided for. Well, I wouldn't mind that, either.

I had a good night's sleep last night, so I have some energy back. Haven't done any exercise this week, though. Not good. Tomorrow afternoon I will do the walking tape.