labels

The other night, a friend commented about my dislike of labels. He's right. I do dislike labels, or more accurately, their application to me. It's generally not the label that I dislike, though. It's the group with which I would be affiliated if I am to be considered one of them. I don't like to be considered a Republican nor a Democrat. I don't like to be thought of as uptown or downtown, nor religious or churchy or even artsy or a foodie...even though I like people that would apply each of those labels to themselves. His point, though, was that he could pin me down with a combination of labels that would fairly accurately represent me. My argument is that every single person is too unique to be chiseled out by labels. He has a good point, though. In the meantime, I prefer to be decidedly unlabeled.

Welcome a new blogger

My friend, Jaime, has entered the blogosphere. This is a girl I've been able to cry and scream and rejoice with for a good 8 years. Ladies and gentlemen, Jaime Ehrhardt.

my hiatus

I can't believe it's been a week since I've posted. I feel like such a slacker. On the other hand, though, it's been a busy week and in a bizarre way, it's been good to cut the electronic shackle. I left my phone at home two different days this week, too. On the other hand, none of it was really intentional. I was just less than inspired so I disappeared from the blogosphere. Hoping for witty discourse to come spilling forth soon.

Jet lag

Okay, jet lag is kicking my butt! Check out the time of this post. And, the scary thing is I've already been up for a half-hour. ack. I thought I'd be over it by now.

More pictures!

K, last round of Korea pics are up. Unfortunately, I must not have appeased the camera gods sufficiently because a bunch of them turned out fuzzy. The best ones are here in no particular order.

Thoughts from Mt. Soerak-San

I should warn you... This is a long one.
I always learn something when I travel. Not just the things one would expect to learn, either. I mean, yes, I've learned quite a bit about Korean culture, but that is really just the icing on the cake. I've learned a bit about myself and life in general. I tend to view life as a very linear process of chasing goals, reaching goals, setting new goals and starting all over. These goals aren't necessarily steps in a row leading up to a culminating accomplishment, but more often lots of little accomplishments... hence, the goal cycle. However, they do seem to be more about me and the advancement of me than the advancement of others or even enrichment through the journey. That really saddens me. After all, I believe that wound around the core of it all should be just that: relationship and the journey through life. Perhaps I am ready to reconsider the shape of my life. Perhaps it is possible to have a job that not only pays the rent and allows you to fulfill part of your life-mission, but also gives you the flexibility to enjoy the journey a bit more.
This mini-epiphany also affects the way I approach romantic relationships. I know I don't often broach the subject on here, but this just wants to come pouring it out so here it is. Maybe I'm too linear in those relationships, too. In the past, I've frequently met a guy, dated a guy, evaluated whether or not I would be willing to spend my life with said guy and then promptly ditched him. I feel this incredible social pressure to "hurry up and find someone", but you know what? My life doesn't have to look like everyone else's. I need to stop planning my life for optimal marrying potential and plan my life for optimal growth and relational potential. And, if that means that I spend time traveling or living in places that are curious to me rather than remaining in my safe space waiting for the supposed "right life" to happen to me, then so be it.
So, what's the moral of the story? The mountain air has caused me to consider viewing my life from a slightly different angle. Hmm... we'll see what comes of it. Also, pictures of the gorgeous mountainscape coming soon.

Pictures from Seoul!

Here's a few shots from my first-ever week in Asia. Enjoy.

New Year's Resolution update

At the beginning of the year, I posted a few of my resolutions including reading five non-fiction books about things I wonder about. So, I read one. I guess that puts me vaguely on-track for five. I've got 10 months to go to do the other four. Anyways, I read David McCullough's The Johnstown Flood. I enjoyed it, largely because I grew up in the area and had a pre-existing familiarity of the subject, the area and the names. I suspect that I would have given up halfway through if it was the Portland, OR flood or some such thing. Regardless, though, it gave me reason to think about some things, particularly the importance of being aware of collective repercussions of individual actions. The flood was most likely a preventable tragedy, but no individual had enough conviction about the state of the dam to actually fix it. Of course, if they had known there would be such suffering as a result, then many people would probably have taken a different course of action. Regardless, it is an interesting book. One down...four to go.

I've been tagged

Thanks to Jonathan, I must now enter the next level of chain letters... the tag.

Four Jobs I've Had
Server
Piano Teacher
Trader Joe's Crew Member
Hotel Maid

Four Movies I can watch over and over
Black Sheep
Shawshank Redemption
Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion
Does the Steelers/Indy playoff game count?

Four Places I've Lived
San Francisco
Winona Lake, IN
Des Moines, IA
Philadelphia

Four Shows I like to watch
(Disclaimer: I don't own a tv)
Design on a Dime
West Wing
Will and Grace
NFL

Four Foods I like
Olives
Mozzarella
Couscous (hmm... I'm starting to see a pattern here)
artichokes

Four Websites I visit daily
NYTimes
WPAS
Steelers.com (only during the season, I swear!)
My friends' blogs

Four Things I want to do before I die
Be published
Get a PhD
Be trilingual
Have a closer relationship with my nieces

Four People I'm Tagging
Dennis
Tia
Colleen
Jaime (This is a really good excuse for you to start blogging...don't act like you don't send around those chain e-mails)

Retroactive Valentine post

In Korea, only the girls give boys candy and such on Feb. 14. Then, there is a separate day for the boys to reciprocate (Mar. 14, I think). Anyways, I was on the subway yesterday and there was this little Korean girl, well, woman...she was roughly my age, but I'd like to think of myself as a girl. Regardless, there was a girl carrying a HUGE heart-shaped box covered in red fabric and decorated with beads and bows and other obnoxious items. Then she was carrying it by a ribbon tied around the box. This was a SERIOUS box of chocolates. It was twice as big as her lap! It looked like some sort of prop they would use in a romantic comedy to emphasize the pathetic puppy-dog love of the female protagonist. I really wanted to take a picture. But, I restrained myself.

A few Seoul-ful thoughts

Hardy, harr, harr. I know it's cheesy...go ahead and groan. Here are some random things I saw and things I thought as I roamed about Namdaemun yesterday. Namdaemun is a giant indoor/outdoor market within walking distance of Colleen and Nathaniel's apt.
- I saw a young boy lopping off fish heads. I don't believe I've ever seen fish head lopping before.
- I saw some awesome displays of kimchi and chili peppers. That orangish-red color is so attractive to me. I don't know why. I wanted to ask the woman about the different kinds of chili, but alas, I don't speak any Korean.
- Apparently, it is perfectly acceptable for older women to push you out of the way here. I have a hard time accepting this.
- I also had an unidentified fried substance on a stick. It tasted kind of fishy. I think it was some sort of fish paste something with veggies.
Gee... that sounded really exciting, didn't it? Maybe I'll have something more exciting for you tomorrow.
Until then...

Hello from Korea!

I've finally crawled out from under my jetlag-induced haze enough to say "Helloooo from Korea!" The trip was, well, let's say... LONG!!! It was about 27 hours of travel from door to door and I got a little bonus layover in Tokyo that wasn't on my itinerary. I don't know how you can say it's one flight when it stops in Tokyo for 2 hours, but whatever. Regardless, after 4 flights, 3 states, 3 countries, and 1 district, I arrived safely in Seoul where my dear friends greeted me with welcoming signs. (In case I didn't recognize them after 6 transformational months in Seoul.) So, after some extreme sleepiness in the middle of the day, I think I am ready to go conquer Seoul on my own. I know absolutely no Korean so there will be a lot of pointing and grunting and smiling, I am sure.
Also, I've included a picture of some of the many kinds of kimchi... we went to the kimchi museum yesterday! I'm fairly certain that i will never be in another kimchi museum in all my life so it was totally worth it.

Redesign

I'm supposed to be packing, but I'm not. Shocker. Instead, I did a little redesign on the blog. Thoughts anyone?

I hereby promise to be less obsessed with football and my precious Steelers and return to the artsy, deep-thinking and frivolously-commenting girl you all know and love. At least until August.
Also, there may a brief hiatus in posting. I'm headed to Asia for a little R&R, but I'll post pics and such once I get there. But, for now, I MUST pack!!

More pictures and season confusion

As I was walking home tonight, I noticed crocuses as well as little-itty-bitty leave on a tree. DC is so confused. It's February!

Also, my pics are up on Flickr now.
More crazy pics from the Super bowl

Fun, fun, fun. We've decided that as responsible grown-ups, we should not drive to Pittsburgh for the Super Bowl. There is a big part of me that is sad that I am that responsible.

ONE FOR THE THUMB!!

I'm sure I'll blather on about this more tomorrow, but for now, I am completely exhausted so I will keep this to the essentials. This is the first time the Steelers won the Super Bowl since I've been old enough to remember. I've promised people all over the world pictures and I will post a link to all of them tomorrow, but for now two pics will have to do.
Congrats Steelers!!

Terrible towel update

I've just finished the shirt. It's lookin' good! Time to pack for tomorrow! Enjoy the game, yell loud and check back here for pics post-Super Bowl!

Go Steelers!!

Two interesting thoughts from the Post

- A cartoon picturing a psychiatry session has the following quote:
"So, you're saying I can either gouge out my soul and face my demons or keep havig short, passionate affairs with attractive, volatile women. Tough One."
funny
- In the review of Music from the Inside Out, the reviewer says this of music:
"It demands from those who make it essentially the same bargain that religious people must make with God: You submit and serve, in return for a deeper sense of participation in the sublime."
hmm... I need to let that steep for a while...perhaps I'll comment further later.

Even Phil is a Steelers fan

Today is a great Pennsylvania holiday - groundhog day. All Germans and Pennsylvanians unite for this tradition. (stop criticizing...just come along for the ride) What else do the citizens of Western PA have pride for? Why, the Pittsburgh Steelers, of course! Apparently, Knob Hill (Phil's home and observance spot) turned into a giant Steelers rally. Sweet! I love it!
Catch the fever!

Just in case you're not in the mood yet...or if you need to learn the lyrics... whichever!

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It's time!

Well, it's about time I get some Black and gold spirit! This is officially the Steelers version as you will note by the addition of pertinent links to the side. I've resisted the urge to add every site I want to read. However, a few random notes:

• The super bowl will be held in Detroit, Bettis' hometown, on the 36th day of the year - Bettis' number. Nice.
• Bettis got a key to Detroit today. This is the pic from the ceremony. Does anyone else find it odd that the mayor seems to dwarf Jerome? I mean, I know he's not all that tall, but he's a big dude. They must breed 'em big in Michigan.
  
• If you can overlook the serious error of mispronouncing his name, this is a fun Polamalu video.
• On a more personal note, the terrible towels arrived today. Super Bowl preparations are right on schedule!