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City Sidewalks, Brilliant Sidewalks

12 Feb

Lights 1a

A #Korean Odyssey and the #Chinese Legends that inspires it ~ Princess Iron Fan

10 Feb

Original Chinese Characters and the Korean representations in “A Korean Odyssey”:

Monkey King ~ Son Oh Gong

*The Monkey 🐵King’s Chinese name is Sun WuKong.  Wu is the Chinese word for “5” while “Oh” is the Korean word for “5”  So Son Oh Gong is just a rewrite of Sun WuKong. 😋

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The Monk Xuanzang ~ Jin Seon-mi

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The Bull Demon King ~  Woo Ma-Wang

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Drinks Around! #Alcohol and South #Korea

10 Feb

Glass of wine anyone? 🍷

Thought I’d drop a small Warning about alcohol for Visitors to #Korea during the #Olympics or well, visiting ever. 😀

Don’t get me wrong, the alcohol in Korea is good. But like #Baijiu in #China – you gotta be careful. One really famous Korean #drink is #Soju (소주) which usually ranges between 20% to 40% alcohol, but can be as much as 50%. 😱 VERY strong. You drink it in shot glasses and moderate the intake. The first time I visited #Seoul, two boys in our group drank it like Beer and were deathly ill the next day (and they weren’t lightweights). It’s fun and a great #Cultural experience, but be warned 😋

If you want a Good drink, but prefer something less likely to sterilize your insides, I recommend one of Korea’s Plum Wines. They are sweet and great to sip & enjoy! 🍾

Tip #1- Asian Culture (Including both #China and #Korea in my experience) is often built around the idea that an empty cup or plate is a sign the host did not provide enough. So if you don’t want them to keep pouring you more alcohol later, leave a medium bit in your glass. They are less likely to add to it. If your glass is mostly empty, thery are inclined to fill it back up.

Tip #2 – The more you drink at the beginning of the night, the more they’ll assume you can hold your alcohol and start encouraging you to drink even more through toasts. If you’re moderating, drink less early in the night. They won’t pressure you as much later.

Tip #3 – A lot of culture guides say you cannot refuse alcohol in cultures like this because it is ‘rude.’ That’s not true. In my experience in Korea, they were always understanding if I said I wasn’t drinking tonight. They usually just assume it’s for religious or health reasons and move on. Though it’s easier for women to avoid than for men.

If you are gonna party hearty, drink responsibly! Bring a friend who can make sure you A) get home, B) don’t accidently get in a fight or trouble, and C) don’t accidently offend the locals around you. 😀

Step Out, Take a Chance

8 Feb

“But a planet can also become dark because of “too strong a desire for security … the greatest evil there is.” Meg resists her father’s analysis. What’s wrong with wanting to be safe? Mr. Murry insists that “lust for security” forces false choices and a panicked search for safety and conformity. This reminded me that my grandmother would get very annoyed when anyone would talk about “the power of love.” Love, she insisted, is not power, which she considered always coercive. To love is to be vulnerable; and it is only in vulnerability and risk—not safety and security—that we overcome darkness.” 

** A Wrinkle in Time

Happy #Dog Days!!

8 Feb

Awww, #Starbucks has little #puppy cups for the #Chinese New Year Festival ❤️🐶 This is the year of the dog!! If you were born in 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, or 1958 – this is probably your year!!!!!

BTW – today is the Small Chinese New Year when you clean the house, get rid of last year’s stickers & tokens, and send the kitchen god to heaven to report on the family’s behavior over the past year All in preparation for the big day!. Happy Small Chinese New Year!

Rise Above It

5 Feb

Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it.
**Rene Descartes

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Mr. Jazz the Snowman

5 Feb

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A Cloud of Flowers

2 Feb

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Troubled Times Breeds Both Honor and Cowardice ~ Which Will You Be? #Quotes

1 Feb

“Bran thought about it. ‘Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?’
‘That is the only time a man can be brave,’ his father told him.” 

**George RR Martin

Inappropriate #Art

1 Feb

This was right in front of me at a clothing store. At First, I thought it was a #flower. . . ‘Oh, cute’. Then realized. . . . no those are panties. This is a statue of looking up a woman’s skirt. Exactly what the kids and teenagers walking around need to see in life! It wasn’t even an underwear store!!!