tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22557450861031191322024-03-19T18:40:54.251+07:00Sing Over MeThe journey of a Soul out from the CaveAnne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.comBlogger433125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-9391723254275108092014-03-13T00:32:00.000+07:002014-03-13T00:33:48.860+07:00Cottage Cove - The New JobThe wonderful, beautiful thing about G-d is that His ways are not our ways.<br />
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Sometimes, He does things like take a girl who'd been planning to go into Marine Biology and have her move to Nashville and study Music Business. Sometimes, He'll take that same Music Business Major and have her move to South Korea to teach English. Sometimes, He'll take that English-teaching Music Business Major and have her join an urban-ministries after school program called <a href="http://www.cottagecove.org/index.htm" target="_blank">Cottage Cove</a> and become their newest program manager.<br />
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Cottage Cove is an after school program that focuses on the spiritual, educational, and artistic development of each of our students. (You can find more details about our program at the link above!) Every day, we work with 50-70 students, making sure they get their homework done, feeding them snacks (and dinner on longer days), and giving them opportunities for life skills and fine arts classes. <br />
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If you've paid attention to me at all, you already know that I adore my current job.<br />
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On April 11 of 2014, we are going to be closing on Cottage Cove's second facility in order to expand our reach to Madison, TN of the greater Nashville area. This new facility is going to become my home away from home, and I will be in charge of running the day-to-day program there. This is both exciting and daunting, but the staff here at our Nashville Vine Hill location is working with me and getting me trained. Once I'm at Madison, we're going to be running the daily program and slowly renovating the building as time goes on, hopefully using it as an opportunity to <a href="http://www.cottagecove.org/missions.htm" target="_blank">expand our community</a> (maybe even into yours!) and grow bonds.</div>
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Let me know if you're interested in coming by and seeing what we do, even <a href="http://www.cottagecove.org/volunteers.htm" target="_blank">getting involved</a>! But if you're looking for some immediate ways to make an impact, let me make a couple of suggestions:</div>
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<li>Please pray! Pray for our everyday operations. Pray for the new facility. Pray for the kids we serve and their families. Pray for me and my attempts to return my Spanish-speaking abilities to their pre-Korea level (I'm primarily going to be working with kids from Hispanic backgrounds while I'm in Madison).</li>
<li>Please prayerfully consider <a href="http://www.cottagecove.org/volunteers.htm" target="_blank">donating</a> to our closing costs on the new facility. We are going to need $85,000 on April 11. As of February 26, G-d had provided $40,000. As is frequently His way, monetary things tend to come down to the wire around here, but He's always come through for us, and we know He will again. Your gift of any amount will help a multitude of kids for years to come.</li>
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<img alt="Photo: Cottage Cove is excited to announce that we are purchasing a second property/facility in the Madison area of Nashville – with a goal of serving this very needy area starting in August. As with our existing facility, it is our goal to renovate this new location over time, even while serving through it, so lots of service opportunities will exist in the next few years. We were able to acquire it for $85,000 (which we need for closing on April 11) AND God has already provided commitments of $40,000 toward this!!! Please prayerfully consider helping us with this fantastic opportunity; your gift of any amount will help a multitude of kids for years to come. [FYI, the teen girl holding the banner is the same one featured on it years ago – now a volunteer.] www.CottageCove.org" src="https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1/p526x296/1912296_10152038377006220_1079000261_n.jpg" /></div>
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And, just so you know: The teen girl holding the banner is the same one featured on it years ago – now a volunteer. This is a beautiful program that is really making a difference in the lives of the families it serves and the life of Nashville as a whole.</div>
Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-51144559404610476812014-02-07T12:39:00.000+07:002014-02-07T12:42:15.675+07:00Carpe Diem: The Downloadable EditionRemember <a href="http://anneroyster.blogspot.com/2013/10/carpe-diem-and-nae-soneul-jaba.html" target="_blank">when my students were super awesome and recorded a song</a>?<br />
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Well, now you can watch it, courtesy of the incredible Adam Thomas of <a href="http://www.adamthomasphotography.com/" target="_blank">Adam Thomas Photography</a> :<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="no" src="http://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/3053520938_WtVRzBK?width=640&height=360&albumId=17145463&albumKey=TnfwpG" width="640"></iframe>
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And you can <a href="http://www.noisetrade.com/annenicole/nae-soneul-jaba-hold-my-hand" target="_blank">download</a> it.</div>
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I'm so ridiculously proud of these kids all over again.</div>
<br />Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-5821709497020840422014-01-29T03:06:00.001+07:002014-01-29T03:06:31.166+07:00Home and Life Orphanage FoundationThe destruction caused by the Tsunami on 26th December 2004 still leaves many people and children in southern Thailand homeless, jobless and hopeless. A huge amount of short-term aid has come in from around the world to relieve the immediate physical, psychological and spiritual needs. The present situation is that many remote Tsunami victim families still haven’t received any kind support from any government or other organizations. No work, no jobs and no income has had an enormous effect on families. Their children have difficulty going to school; this problem leads to other social issues such as youth gang culture, criminal cases, love affairs and drug abuse in the Phang Nga area. After getting enough information, and without any delay, Mr. Bhudit (Root) and Mrs. Rasa decided to build their team and establish a home for the orphans called “Home & Life” in Thaimuang district, Phang Nga province.<div>
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“Home & Life” Foundation was officially founded on 15th November 2006. The main purpose of the Foundation was to establish a self-reliant home for the children of some of the survivor families and those who lost their families. There are now 26 children and 6 adult teachers and staff under the Foundation here. Everybody at Home&Life is trying hard to build a home for the children on the rented 1 Rai land. During the daytime the children go to school and after school everybody gathers together to learn entrepreneurial skills, life lessons and participate in normal family activities to help build a solid and stable foundation for the children.<div>
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Since it started, Home & Life has gradually raised the necessary funds to keep building and improving the orphanage. The foundation has been able to increase the number of children it can support and look after. The most significant stages of its growth over the last few years have been raising funds to finance construction and maintenance projects and the development of income generated projects such as the bakery and organic gardens. The foundation receives no government funding and relies entirely on private donations. At present there are 26 children and 6 adult teachers who live at Home & Life. There is also an ongoing volunteer programme where volunteers from all over the world come and stay for various lengths of time, helping in specific projects and the day to day running of the home.</div>
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It has always been Home & Life's idea and intention to provide a family home full of love and learning for the children at Home & Life. When the foundation began we wanted to offer security and an understanding for the children that were coming here and somewhere that the children could feel part of a family. The adult staffs are treated as older family members by the children. The children are given the responsibility to help with jobs around the foundation and are responsible for keeping their rooms clean and tidy, just as they would if they lived with their parents. They are also taught valuable life lessons such as helping other people, looking after and caring for each other and working hard.</div>
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Every child goes to school and Home & Life pays for their school uniforms, books and stationery. The children also have extra English lessons each week with the Teacher Volunteer Centre and are supported if they have other interests such as singing, swimming or boxing. When they grow up and finally leave Home & Life, everyone involved wants them to be able to live successful lives and be valuable members of their communities.</div>
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"We are Thai. We have to teach our children the charm and personality of the Thai heart," says Bhudit 'Root' Maneejak, the home's founder. "We help them in the simple practice of the Thai family where the parents are the children's first teachers."</div>
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Beyond their everyday traditions and culture, the children are also taught about other religions and cultures. Regional variations are explained when teaching traditional dance and meal preparation. "We have to be sensitive to the cultural variations among our children: some are Muslim, for example, and nearly 40% are Moken Chao Lay, or sea people," says Root. "They have a very different culture, which is based on a life of living mostly at sea. Some now live in land communities and even the jungle. "We have to teach them the Moken values, as well as helping them fit into Thai ways, to make their future lives as successful as possible."</div>
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Every child is unique and wonderful - and each needs nurturing in body, mind and spirit. Teaching their cultures and traditions is one way Home & Life does this.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
<u>A Message from Manager, Root:</u></h2>
"Home&Life Sawasdee krap” Month by month there is a struggle for food and operating costs. Together with our self-generated income from the Home&Life Coffee Bakery shop, Crafts, etc.<br /><br />We are trying and hoping to succeed, however are still very far from covering the costs for all expenses; education, food, fuel, medicine, communication, school transportation, pocket money for students, etc. These are the most important targets for the 25 growing children at Home&Life. Eventually it will not be possible without your help.<br /><br />Please support by donating directly to "Home&Life Phang Nga” foundation's saving account.<br /><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Details of Bank account: Siam Commercial Bank, Khok Kloy Branch, Thailand </blockquote>
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Name: Home&Life Phang Nga Foundation (มูลนิธิบ้านเพื่อชีวิต พังงา ) </blockquote>
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Saving Account: 788 -217-213-0 </blockquote>
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SWIFTcode: SICOTHBK </blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.homelifethailand.com/donateco%20ntact-en.html" target="_blank">http://www.homelifethailand.com/donateco ntact-en.html</a></blockquote>
You can be assured that every single baht you donate will directly support the Home&Life children without any administration fees.<br /><br />We hope to meet you soon!<br />
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Words cannot begin to express the place in my heart held by these children. I love them as if they are members of my own family. I'm so thankful for Facebook so that I keep up with their lives. If you'd like to learn more about Home & Life, please click <a href="http://www.homelifethailand.com/home-en.html" target="_blank">here</a>, or feel free to ask me!</div>
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Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-59887546174418238792013-11-24T05:16:00.001+07:002013-11-24T05:20:57.437+07:00Turkey Ginger Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLjLseFVjJ8DcNfqeEVmB0JAqFgW6i9mkn2FCw1nre0JEZ1Iy6ZM113bBOSNXPF-hkWVbBwW_voPKjlzXBvLhBvrt-CgGb-jya9WxFmo7YwnYekx0Y0sPi2i5kc8BlFyvSe3ntDZC0RzA/s640/blogger-image-1794775814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLjLseFVjJ8DcNfqeEVmB0JAqFgW6i9mkn2FCw1nre0JEZ1Iy6ZM113bBOSNXPF-hkWVbBwW_voPKjlzXBvLhBvrt-CgGb-jya9WxFmo7YwnYekx0Y0sPi2i5kc8BlFyvSe3ntDZC0RzA/s640/blogger-image-1794775814.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-3c flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ginger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1/2 teaspoon salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1 medium white sweet potato, peeled, heated, and mashed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1/4c butter, melted and mashed into the sweet potato</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1/2 c dark, wildflower honey</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1c white sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1 Tablespoon lemon juice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1 teaspoon vanilla</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1 egg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-1 bag white chocolate chips</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-handful of blackberries</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Procedure</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato mixture, honey, and white sugar. Blend in lemon juice and vanilla. Beat in egg. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until it forms a dough. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it's around 1/4" thick. Cut into the shape of handprint turkeys. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-Bake at 375F for 5 minutes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-Put chocolate chips in one microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for one minute. Stir. Microwave for another fifteen seconds. Stir. Repeat until all the chocolate is melted. In another bowl, crush the berries and melt the white chocolate into them using the same method. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-Draw lines of the chocolate across the turkey feathers. Drag a toothpick down each feather. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-Let cookies sit out for the chocolate to set. </div>Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-57588082527641418032013-11-21T02:29:00.000+07:002013-11-21T12:06:57.689+07:00Confessions of a Culture-Shocked PansyI'm going to take a break from continuity. I promise I'll finish updating about Thailand when I have my computer back, but right now it's just another stress I don't want to think about.<br>
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I've been settled into my new/old home (What's up, Nashville?!) for about a week now. I've got a great apartment to live in... at least until June, a car that I trust with my new niece (well... cousin's kid, but "1st cousin once removed" is too long), and I'm in the process of finding a job. I have been Stateside for nearly a MONTH now... crazy, and I am officially experiencing "reverse culture shock." As such, I'd like to present you with a list of things that I've noticed (good and bad):<br>
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<ol>
<li><b>Americans, in general, are a lot bigger than the rest of the people in the world</b>... especially the people I met in Asia. Sadly, I don't really mean taller here. As a whole, we're an overweight people. It's kind of overwhelming sometimes. For example, I was sitting at the airport, and I kept feeling like a wall was walking toward me. Yes, there are fewer people in our airports, but they're more dense. It's a whole different kind of claustrophobia.</li>
<li><b>Driving is one of those things that you don't forget. </b>I've been rather nervous about this step, especially considering the <a href="http://anneroyster.blogspot.com/2011/07/lets-talk-about-how-good-g-d-is.html" target="_blank">accident</a> I was in just before I moved to Korea, but I've now driven up and back down the East Coast, into the sunset, in the rain, at night, in the wind, and in decent conditions, and I've not hit anything. To be honest, I'm a bit proud of myself. Though I have noticed that when the niece is in the car, I drive about 20 mph / 30 kph below the speed limit. I've been told that makes me a "pansy"; if that means my niece is more likely to be alive, I'll wear that title with pride.</li>
<li><b>People talk louder here. </b>They really do. I know that's one of those things Americans get tired of hearing, but it's true. It's a little on the obnoxious side. I'll probably slide back into it sooner rather than later, though. And then I'll be irritated with myself whenever I go back abroad.</li>
<li><b>I miss the <a href="http://anneroyster.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-love-affair-with-barrier.html" target="_blank">language barrier</a>.</b> I walked into a coffee shop to have breakfast with a friend, and I could understand everything that everyone was saying. I've so trained myself to listen for English that when I hear it now I can't tune it out. Want to talk about things that are overwhelming? Try that. I also noticed that I so miss speaking in Korean that I was talking to myself in Korean last night. I'm hoping that I can make some Korean friends here and solve that problem... Maybe they'll be willing to do a language exchange or something?</li>
<li><b>I like teaching.</b> Sigh. I mean, we knew that already. I played "school" instead of "house" growing up. Nevertheless, I think tutoring rather than teaching is a better direction for me. I've applied for a couple of tutoring jobs to try and fill the gap that I'm sorely feeling in my life right now.</li>
<li><b>America is really <i>very </i>beautiful. </b>Like I said, I've been doing a lot of driving since I got back. I hit Virginia the first week that the leaves were really changing (or so I was told), and it was breath-taking. Even though I lived there for many years, I never really appreciated how pretty it is. Seriously, of all the places I've been, no where else has done Fall like Virginia (and yes, I've been up to New England to see the leaves in the Fall. Vermont doesn't even come close).</li>
<li><b>American food is ridiculously greasy and heavy. </b>I acknowledge the greasiness of Korean food, especially the "snacks," but American food is greasy in a different way, and I've already gotten sick off of it. Granted, that's not totally the food's fault; I did allow myself some meat. However, until I'm more used to it, I'm cooking almost all my own food. Luckily, there's an Asian market very close to my apartment. I'm going to go later this week (maybe even today?!) and see if I can get my hands on some kimchi and tteokboki. (Yes. I'm craving kimchi. I don't want to talk about it.)</li>
<li><b>People say things that they think are kind that really just aren't.</b> I know people mean well. At least, the people I'm thinking of do. I'm trying to credit people for their intentions rather than their actions. It's not always easy, though. Please bear with me.</li>
<li><b>Americans really like guns. </b>Like. Whoa. Holy cow. Was it always like this?</li>
<li><b>Americans really like nudity. </b>See above.</li>
<li><b>Gas prices are a lot cheaper than I was expecting them to be. </b>Seriously, aside from the way I felt when the man at Immigration welcomed me home, seeing gas below $3.00 (and not having it be a closed gas station) has excited me more than just about anything.</li>
<li>Speaking of which, <b>Hearing the words "Welcome home." feels really good. </b>I can't explain it. America has never felt like my home until now. It's a really weird thing for me, and it's causing a lot of confusion in my life.</li>
<li><b>Reverse culture shock takes its toll on your self-esteem. </b>There's really not much that's more degrading than realizing you're not sure what to do in a social-setting in your home country.</li>
<li><b>Friends who understand are the best thing ever. </b>Those people who will just sit there with no expectations... who show up at your door with pizza in hand... who lay around and watch endless hours of movies even after you fall asleep... They're amazing.</li>
<li><b>It's easy for me to forget that Korea ever happened. </b>I'm back in the same town I was before I went to Korea. I'm doing a lot of the same things I did before I left. The only thing that keeps reminding me that Korea happened is that I recognize far fewer people now than I did before. It's really quite disorienting... to the point of nausea, actually. It's kind of like that feeling that comes along with a strong medication: Everything's a little foggy... as if it could all be a hallucination. It's rather unpleasant.</li>
<li><b>There are at least three different versions of Family Feud that air on a daily basis. </b>I think two of them may be in current syndication??? There is little that's going on that confuses me more than that does.</li>
<li><b>I constantly am afraid that people think I'm showing off when I read things in Korean. </b>I'm not. I read things in Korean for two reasons. 1) It's the only way to get the information I'm looking for, and 2) What I'm reading is different and/or more interesting in Korean (like Harry Potter). I'm not very good at it, and I probably can't translate it word-for-word for you or anything, but I'm getting the gist of it at least. I'm not a poser. I just adopted a second language that I really like and am trying to continue studying.</li>
<li><b>Eating out is expensive in America.</b> And then you add <b>TAX</b> and a <u style="font-weight: bold;">TIP</u>... Actually...<b>You have to tip in America. </b>That and non-included taxes.... gets me every time. I miss being able to eat out for $5 a meal. Kimbap Nara... come back to me!!!</li>
<li><b>Peppero Day and Veteran's Day are the same day. </b>How am I just now realizing this?</li>
<li>Last but not least (for now)... <b>People decorate for holidays... specifically... Halloween??? </b>I was at the airport just before Halloween, and decorations were EVERYWHERE. I didn't realize that was a thing. Or maybe I did and I just forgot. I don't know... but it seems like a little much to me.</li><li>Edit: Bonus-<b>American health insurance has nothing on Korean. </b>I literally just started crying as I realized I can't afford a basic plan that would still bankrupt me if I went to the ER. I miss Korea. </li></ol>
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And there you go. Twenty confessions of a very culture-shocked pansy.</div>
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Do you have anything you'd like me to try while in my culture-shocked state? Let me know in the comments or via any other means of communication you have for me, and I'll see what I can do. And, of course, I'll write about it.</div>
Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-51345593589532263152013-11-08T03:48:00.000+07:002013-11-08T03:50:04.157+07:00Phuket Town<div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
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Though many people pick Phuket, Thailand for their vacation destination, I will be the first person to tell you that if they're in Phuket <i>Town</i> they've probably done it by mistake... like me. However, it's probably one of the best mistakes I've ever made. I loved my time there, and by the end of my week and a half, I didn't want to leave. I was seriously contemplating cancelling my life and staying there to continuing studying Muay Thai (another post entirely). I made some friends, and even had restaurant owners who knew my order and about what time I'd be by. It's a small town, but I - surprisingly - fell quite in love with it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiJ7d9lLpu1v0089realICQbdw_J2HJdEGRaf4bAoZ00ZcwqLO4YsKTy9jz32HGbxfaEYd8rvxbpnLYU8nZMff1z0W_X7l4RLCvUMYxV9yWc2aChSM2AI56-dt4Zd9BxhmkHo4B9lyyyb/s640/IMG_2899.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These little guys lived right next to my favorite restaurant, so we became good friends.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwxVuqiD18OKSXu72IjzzDKkKHhm7rFxkXkgHQdsbkXURHRkaWjyInckcOHU_6iKXQjoDxEFdzqKUEViythA66H_zpzp76SOlX1oDojjrF0vxykMZ_gEbJaC_-Q0mI0j8MLHRp2N5i3Pq/s1600/IMG_2900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwxVuqiD18OKSXu72IjzzDKkKHhm7rFxkXkgHQdsbkXURHRkaWjyInckcOHU_6iKXQjoDxEFdzqKUEViythA66H_zpzp76SOlX1oDojjrF0vxykMZ_gEbJaC_-Q0mI0j8MLHRp2N5i3Pq/s640/IMG_2900.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too cool for school.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjxp5noN3OocRbM-ZUUXT0baELQoZpgWulEVpy6MCFOh8ne97nAwPokofNBtF_u5wC26RPA6-eR1PQSk1ugOlytx4A8SotCS2dLcEO9gbTPZNjzU0l91rgeBICOpMbEPbQnMFXxKv6qr7/s1600/IMG_9734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjxp5noN3OocRbM-ZUUXT0baELQoZpgWulEVpy6MCFOh8ne97nAwPokofNBtF_u5wC26RPA6-eR1PQSk1ugOlytx4A8SotCS2dLcEO9gbTPZNjzU0l91rgeBICOpMbEPbQnMFXxKv6qr7/s640/IMG_9734.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Buddhas seem to be a global phenomenon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgDsZK6ErUQMas_AJWFYyak1W8MURPEXliWYkywaXONUodgI7HY3t1mPkdIGSm8a-d1IUa6nopKnVn6p6hpxB5ZD4Q5XZB2ZL2pHZ2SUxNf1_QQiEkVsTwQ5SxJFwzTY0oaVeBvMPG2oi/s1600/IMG_9738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgDsZK6ErUQMas_AJWFYyak1W8MURPEXliWYkywaXONUodgI7HY3t1mPkdIGSm8a-d1IUa6nopKnVn6p6hpxB5ZD4Q5XZB2ZL2pHZ2SUxNf1_QQiEkVsTwQ5SxJFwzTY0oaVeBvMPG2oi/s640/IMG_9738.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bay</td></tr>
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<img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsGsUCSPSNyhJpHwy3Ol3VUqWIevj1Jq-dTSfah6HRf75jtZal3oXQvfZbMrKx3ofiymgwPKnYqbqp-dr80U7FuLWDEJOm-2OhkfufGRzf7TmvsOscpqEGWp6_Ie6RFdLXV8XkUD9TTYQ/s400/IMG_9748.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcm7wZXJjWBw_kZ27pdke0V9j7TzOA7FD5cjpg_LqCFMVglK2-elu6-c6A-I1Fq9Qss8n66CNz0lHyn0s2N__-44-i884X5vK0Kih21HJPIcEk-vxWI0esOKQBnXMKMhECcQa4PwNCyZV/s1600/IMG_9745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcm7wZXJjWBw_kZ27pdke0V9j7TzOA7FD5cjpg_LqCFMVglK2-elu6-c6A-I1Fq9Qss8n66CNz0lHyn0s2N__-44-i884X5vK0Kih21HJPIcEk-vxWI0esOKQBnXMKMhECcQa4PwNCyZV/s400/IMG_9745.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This man and boy were too cute, out fishing. The man was happy to bait
the line and pass it off to the boy to real in a fish. Between the two
of them, they had a pretty good system going. The man also was more
than willing to teach some other young men who looked like they were on a
tour of the area. He was incredibly friendly about letting me take
photos, too.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flags in front of a temple at the bay</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8NSVK1oKhTb_4UMr7bMEG0rr9BAnt7M6pZ6y5RS9v2akkeEn36LsJFIPaLVcYvNQmkqCiUCAYixujvsrwqwz_XridSss84-MawwaQDggVSX_bh8HojTp5xHoS6q1NLZ77_19cW-NIeI6/s640/IMG_9790.JPG" width="640" /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZQIC6cUWGa0Fr4UpRr88qtZtDEzobPKy3HVReQxiJnqv6fwQXMLqG1tS0BXAwqTVmtPofxcHAqvUHHY0fqL0F4jwXw-9fRiueFL1H9on1JDHUa-9Sr9KS3rg9iN-2DNRcqNDyezjuIDD/s1600/IMG_9826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZQIC6cUWGa0Fr4UpRr88qtZtDEzobPKy3HVReQxiJnqv6fwQXMLqG1tS0BXAwqTVmtPofxcHAqvUHHY0fqL0F4jwXw-9fRiueFL1H9on1JDHUa-9Sr9KS3rg9iN-2DNRcqNDyezjuIDD/s400/IMG_9826.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE1zvjnIzTWGGxY4akiCnuTDlBtiBk-Cc0HKPKwyeVBVA4iYke1kTtf8fazPq0JuL_n0OOb6cY4_lWV2YPOcHeqCll_dIC01GCnSmVs-l6kUPjGkAYZNjsIRsUzCEk7rXm-0ghoRcVkqz/s1600/IMG_9827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE1zvjnIzTWGGxY4akiCnuTDlBtiBk-Cc0HKPKwyeVBVA4iYke1kTtf8fazPq0JuL_n0OOb6cY4_lWV2YPOcHeqCll_dIC01GCnSmVs-l6kUPjGkAYZNjsIRsUzCEk7rXm-0ghoRcVkqz/s400/IMG_9827.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind the gym where I had my Muay Thai classes, there was a fair going on every night, so I usually ate my dinner there and people-watched. One thing I realized: kids are kids all over the world.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZQIC6cUWGa0Fr4UpRr88qtZtDEzobPKy3HVReQxiJnqv6fwQXMLqG1tS0BXAwqTVmtPofxcHAqvUHHY0fqL0F4jwXw-9fRiueFL1H9on1JDHUa-9Sr9KS3rg9iN-2DNRcqNDyezjuIDD/s1600/IMG_9826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE1zvjnIzTWGGxY4akiCnuTDlBtiBk-Cc0HKPKwyeVBVA4iYke1kTtf8fazPq0JuL_n0OOb6cY4_lWV2YPOcHeqCll_dIC01GCnSmVs-l6kUPjGkAYZNjsIRsUzCEk7rXm-0ghoRcVkqz/s1600/IMG_9827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the motorbike I rented. Let me tell you, nothing keeps your prayer life in tact better than renting a vehicle you've never before driven and trying to drive on the other side of the road.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some friends from the hostel and I went to a party at a beach in the woods. (Actually, the hostel manager went too...) We had a lot of fun, dancing quite literally all night.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food. So good.</td></tr>
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<br />Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-80211273759060192522013-10-26T08:08:00.001+07:002013-10-26T08:08:41.721+07:00We'll be backI had all these grandiose plans of posting every day while in Thailand. Well, that turned out well... I leave Thailand tonight. Just so you know, my computer finally died. There's a plan to fix it in the works, but no guarantees. I do plan on updating soon, but please bear with me while I try to get settled in. In not even 72 hours I'll be back in the States! Crazy! I'll be seeing you soon!Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-54158300837543973942013-10-14T23:34:00.003+07:002013-10-15T00:31:00.849+07:00Carpe Diem and “Nae Soneul Jaba (내 손을 잡아)” I want to take a moment to jump back to Korea. I've been sitting on a secret for a few months now, and I can finally tell you: My music students partnered with new, Philadelphia-based record label, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/feedbackloopme?directed_target_id=0" target="_blank">FeedbackLoop</a> to write and release an original song. It's out this month, obtainable only by <a href="http://www.feedbackloop.me/" target="_blank">subscription</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5HhAwuSY2FS5oSmWVCeMXxKyKt2Hxu88G6PLbg3CkjjHPpHPhALq6r5vRqPxlJlmM1TTre3xQbpf119h-VnlZwjiiH66vzIFw4UlxuYqllVgyjNvhl5iXhWrMN_ebB9YMsgnh2Rrd_ek/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-10-15+at+12.12.23+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5HhAwuSY2FS5oSmWVCeMXxKyKt2Hxu88G6PLbg3CkjjHPpHPhALq6r5vRqPxlJlmM1TTre3xQbpf119h-VnlZwjiiH66vzIFw4UlxuYqllVgyjNvhl5iXhWrMN_ebB9YMsgnh2Rrd_ek/s640/Screen+shot+2013-10-15+at+12.12.23+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign that adorns my music students' practice space also declares the name of their band.</td></tr>
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It’s confusing, I know - What was I, an English teacher, doing with music students? Sometimes, it hits <br />
me all over again, and I chuckle all the harder. When I originally came to Korea from Nashville two years ago, I thought I had left the music industry behind me. But, as the old saying goes, you can take the girl out of the industry, but you can’t take the industry out of the girl.<br />
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Every day, I’d sit at my desk waiting for it. I’d dread it. I tried to love it, but it wasn’t happening. I mean, there’s only so many times a girl can take hearing <a href="http://anneroyster.blogspot.com/2012/09/good-better-best.html" target="_blank">Gangnam Style</a> wafting up through the floorboards. The school cover band met every day in the room immediately below mine, and I was starting to lose my mind. Winter break came and went all too quickly, and I soon found myself back at my desk, tensing for the opening notes of Psy’s hit that I knew would inevitably come… but was greeting instead by the opening strains of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” For a couple of weeks, I listened through the floor, and then I contacted Justin.<br />
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<span id="goog_1747755885"></span><span id="goog_1747755886"></span><span style="font-size: 13px;">The moment that started it all</span></div>
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The kids couldn’t believe what I was telling them when I explained to them that I, their English teacher, had worked in artist management before coming to Korea, and that I, their ENGLISH teacher, wanted to help them write and record a song to be put on a label in America. I’m still not convinced they believe me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1UfrPr_GC9AqMetZzF2FPtncPhzbxJILf-QfRjk18ydah-aD9TyT59bgl-JuqBAPiyuKuc7PbacwMgcL9i2LWScOCN5pNf1oFk1duBjIldp27eEOvTMngpl0jNostKNid9TN6a7-bFOw/s1600/IMG_2069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1UfrPr_GC9AqMetZzF2FPtncPhzbxJILf-QfRjk18ydah-aD9TyT59bgl-JuqBAPiyuKuc7PbacwMgcL9i2LWScOCN5pNf1oFk1duBjIldp27eEOvTMngpl0jNostKNid9TN6a7-bFOw/s400/IMG_2069.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim (right) collaborated with another girl in the band, Ji-Hye Lee (left),<br />
who quickly proved her musical worth as well.</td></tr>
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Over the course of the semester, we practiced various songwriting techniques, and then we got down to business. One girl in particular, 김주향 (Ju-Hyang Kim), showed a particular interest in the project and came to me with half a song in nearly flawless English. I brought in a fellow Nashvillian-turned-English-teacher <a href="http://www.youtube.com/breakaway2020" target="_blank">Ashley Harden</a> to help guide her in the process (sadly, I have never been much of a lyricist) and sound engineer (also turned English teacher) <a href="http://www.adamthomasphotography.com/" target="_blank">Adam Thomas</a> for engineer consultation and to direct and shoot the music video, and the rest is history.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtJPBGFAW8MFL33kInYSVtZJ-9MSDHH_3tnR-ALzgtMH2OlwweGFUprLnsUqBG9ESs3k9HgxkDV-OKmnm52Daj6NIn1-0bZ5Cdr2flMEwOF6hERctCPK46FYEWHgeJXm7vDW_OmnPU7c-/s1600/IMG_9246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtJPBGFAW8MFL33kInYSVtZJ-9MSDHH_3tnR-ALzgtMH2OlwweGFUprLnsUqBG9ESs3k9HgxkDV-OKmnm52Daj6NIn1-0bZ5Cdr2flMEwOF6hERctCPK46FYEWHgeJXm7vDW_OmnPU7c-/s320/IMG_9246.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Kim taught each player his or her part, down to the last<br />
detail. No chord bend or slide was there without her<br />
having intended it to be.</td></tr>
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Kim quickly proved her musical prowess, writing not just the lyrics but going on to also collaborate with 이지혜 (Ji-Hye Lee) in writing parts for each instrument. They made my job much easier than I thought it was going to be, leaving me with only a couple vocal coaching sessions and the recording process to do. Of course, I also had quite the job to do in refocusing the band, from time-to-time. After all, it is made entirely of 14-to-16-year-olds. The kids have exceeded every expectation I had of them, and I couldn’t be more proud.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt8gC6aunH4csqYNlezfDJzWApcVy-bTVUD_RYk9o_fvKW9hDzrmLc_RWLVoOhNnMr2fkWfVZ3zVPAYzjpUfO7tEJOzzCnpzhL-hCtzRE1gkP9tu2MxvMaVa2Xk-FyvSCBnAVVoIqAUv0/s1600/IMG_2599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt8gC6aunH4csqYNlezfDJzWApcVy-bTVUD_RYk9o_fvKW9hDzrmLc_RWLVoOhNnMr2fkWfVZ3zVPAYzjpUfO7tEJOzzCnpzhL-hCtzRE1gkP9tu2MxvMaVa2Xk-FyvSCBnAVVoIqAUv0/s640/IMG_2599.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carpe Diem is a band comprised of and led by middle schoolers in South Korea.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read more about what provoked my long-time friend <a href="http://blog.feedbackloop.me/post/62199421952/a-special-project" target="_blank">Justin</a> to take us on and bring you </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Nae Soneul Jaba (내 손을 잡아)” - </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and how you can get your very own copy of it </i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- </span><a href="http://blog.feedbackloop.me/post/62199421952/a-special-project" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></span></div>
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Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-64125341835235146102013-10-09T00:51:00.000+07:002013-10-09T00:57:24.883+07:00Nine Hours in ShanghaiRecently, I came across some <a href="http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-72hour/" target="_blank">interesting information</a>, announcing that China had decided to allow international travels up to 72 hours within Shanghai and/or Beijing absolutely cost and Visa-free. Thrilled at the prospect of saving $200 on the Visa, I jumped on the bandwagon, booking myself, as I so often do, a long layover in Shanghai. My anticipation of my time behind the Silk Curtain alternated between excitement and trepidation, as all I had in my head was this very Americanized idea of iron-fisted communism, very wealthy upper classes, very poor lower classes, and a superiority complex. Despite my efforts to have no opinions on things I've never actually experienced, China and all the stories I've heard about it has grown some ideas for me. I knew this was just a stereotype, so I tried to put it aside, and succeeded to for the most part. However, a few things still managed to surprise me. My friend warned me that Shanghai is rather Westernized, so I'm a bit reluctant to form any opinions (or even completely toss out my stereotypes) about China, but this is what I saw.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1p7xaNmBrxE48qtwzHry3jcjLfX2b3UHlLX4YPJ0BH3mnKc7ElK4lDbqKtx6t6B0Rpj014bdY2kn5lebNcykiaYcV1EjZqHrIMP2yvjkUgNGwfC1h1SBFpE9tktNsKpZ2SRG8hSDyAsw/s1600/IMG_2885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1p7xaNmBrxE48qtwzHry3jcjLfX2b3UHlLX4YPJ0BH3mnKc7ElK4lDbqKtx6t6B0Rpj014bdY2kn5lebNcykiaYcV1EjZqHrIMP2yvjkUgNGwfC1h1SBFpE9tktNsKpZ2SRG8hSDyAsw/s320/IMG_2885.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Big Three of the Far East are conveniently now<br />
stamped on adjoining pages in my passport.</td></tr>
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Getting through customs was surprisingly easy. I expected people to know less English than they did and to know less about the 72-hour Visa than they did. There was a moment when I was pulled off to the side and I worried that I was going to be detailed for questioning of some sort, but it didn't happen. They just apparently needed a little more time for processing, since the 72-hour Visa isn't approved in advance or anything. I was incredibly impressed that they had no problem with inspecting my itinerary off of my iPhone (Somehow, my printouts had gotten lost). Everyone who worked at the airport, from the desk attendants to the security guards were incredibly helpful. Way to win, Shanghai.<br />
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I was amused, I may note that the first thing I saw in China (not counting the airport, of course) was a McDonald's. My word, they're everywhere. I technically wasn't even off airport property, yet. In fact, I was following a very "Secret Garden"-esque path to find the subway (note the green arrows on the road directing me to the line I needed). I didn't stop because, anymore, even the thought of McDonald's turns my stomach (though I do partake in it occasionally if the right friend asks me to go). I did notice that their menu seemed incredibly different from the rest of the McDonald'ses that I've seen in other places in the world, but I expected that after doing a case study on the franchise for international marketing. (Just a tidbit worth noting if you actually do like McDonald's: Every region in the world has a unique McDonald's menu, catering to the specific preferences of the people there.)<br />
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I opted to take the subway (line 2) through Shanghai, as both airports are on it, and I needed to make an airport change. I had read that you could pay a shuttle to take you across in about an hour, but I found the subway first, it was cheaper, and I figured I'd get a feel for the culture better on the subway than in a van. So I put my Shanghai Subway Map app to work. Not that I really needed it... like I said, both stops were on the same line. In fact, everything I wanted to do was on that line. But it was comforting to have nonetheless.<br />
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Things worth knowing if you ever decide to do this on your own: You cannot change from the 10 line to the 2 line at Hongqiao Airport T2 without paying again. You must go one stop past T2 to do this. Somewhere in the middle of the Line 2 (I don't remember exactly which stop), I had to change trains. It wasn't hard at all. I just got out and hopped on the next one going the same direction. Everyone has to do it at that point, so just go with the flow.</div>
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While I was spending time on the subway (maybe about an hour and a half, give or take 15 minutes), I was surprised to run into a goodly number of German people. Well... I guess that's relative. I think I saw maybe 5 non-Asian people the whole day. I struck up a conversation with one man that was pretty interesting. He gave me some good tips on what to see. I kept wanting to use my Korean to talk to people, though I knew it would do me no good, and I only know two words in Mandarin, though I doubt my tonality is correct. Nevertheless, I used my two words. For everything else, I smiled and bowed a lot. This, however, seemed to go over well, and an older couple on the subway adopted me, praising my ability to get a seat in spite of being foreign and lugging some pretty serious luggage with me. When we switched trains, they took up extra space on the bench to save me a seat. It blew my mind that they would do that for me. In my experience, that kind of kindness to a stranger is nearly unheard of in the East. Let me emphasize <i>nearly </i>unheard of. It's not that people are being mean or anything... it's just a cultural thing. The two were so sweet. We spent a lot of time smiling at each other, and the grandmother (I want to call her <a href="http://translate.google.com/#auto/en/%EC%95%84%EC%A4%8C%EB%A7%88" target="_blank">아줌마</a>, or <a href="http://translate.google.com/#auto/en/%ED%95%A0%EB%A8%B8%EB%8B%88" target="_blank">할머니</a>, though neither of those are really appropriate as, once again, she was not Korean) made sure I saw that there were white people on the TV at one point (They were German, but it's the thought that counts). Seriously, they just melted my heart and made my day.</div>
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Skipping forward, as this is already getting long, and I haven't even begun to talk about my sightseeing yet, I decided to go ahead and check in for my flight as soon as I got to the other airport. It seemed like the easiest way to ditch most of my luggage, and, since the line was gigantic, I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Asia never leaves you room to doubt where you are. My word, there are PEOPLE in Asia. </span></td></tr>
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It actually moved faster than I feared it would, so I was able to grab a locker for my carry-on stuff and hit the Mag Lev train within an hour of my arrival. In case you don't know what the Mag Lev train is, it does this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, super excited about how fast we were traveling.</td></tr>
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As a result, I was able to chop about half an hour from my travel time. Maybe more. I didn't pay enough attention on the way in.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyVeSEoR_jLK1RCgiSqT3ZiQiVqOIjLxFEaQRTNExSee0W7ccShnUSDxoBydQ84N8kpezmOW3NzbnM20-Lu3jTQXRg9ye1QsUUeaHa-hgTtCm78vBeeBJLK_ATH1WeZQIFsCNg52jvXh4/s1600/IMG_9669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyVeSEoR_jLK1RCgiSqT3ZiQiVqOIjLxFEaQRTNExSee0W7ccShnUSDxoBydQ84N8kpezmOW3NzbnM20-Lu3jTQXRg9ye1QsUUeaHa-hgTtCm78vBeeBJLK_ATH1WeZQIFsCNg52jvXh4/s320/IMG_9669.jpg" width="240" /></a>I had thought about going to see the infamous Bund at E. Nanjing Road, but I wasn't really feeling it by the time Lujiazui Street came up, so I hopped off on a whim and figured I'd look around. It turned out to be a good choice, because the Oriental Pearl Tower was right outside the exit. It is my opinion that the Pearl is on of the coolest looking pieces of architecture out there, and it's certainly one of the most distinctive buildings in Shanghai, so I was thrilled with my choice. I was so thrilled, in fact, that I dropped most of my spending money on a ticket to the very top of the thing. That turned out to be okay, though, because it was incredibly time-consuming. I didn't have a chance to go anywhere else, and I somewhat wish I'd had more time to spend within the Pearl. Nevertheless, I'm very glad that was where I chose to spend my time in Shanghai, mostly because it felt like I could see the whole city from the top, but also because of all the cool things that I kept finding on each level. I do wish I had realized they were there so I could have paced myself better. I ended up getting so frustrated as I was having to bypass things on the way out to make it back to the airport on time to catch my flight. I did make time for a quick peek at the various observation decks, though. Each one had a different view worth seeing.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I still got to see The Bund... just from a different angle than people had suggested.</td></tr>
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The downward-facing observation deck was somewhat panic-inducing, to the point that I saw several people flat out lay down on the glass once they looked down, but I am proud to announce that I stayed upright (though I did walk incredibly slowly and lightly to get my way back to opaque ground). I'm not sure why people don't really think about how high up they are until you put glass under them, but that seems to be the norm. I suppose that's why we're always advised to "don't look down"... not that that ever stops anyone, but it at least makes a little more sense now.</div>
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I had thought ahead enough to make sure I grabbed a dumpling (For those who know what it is, this was definitely a 왕만두 and not anything remotely resembling what I imagined a Chinese dumpling to be.) and my customary new country Coke (another company that changes its recipe from region to region) to eat as I waited to get into the Pearl. This turned out to be excellent planning, as I ended up needed to be one of those obnoxious people who asked if they could cut in front of everyone to make it back to the airport. There was definitely some self-loathing that happened then, but I sucked it up and did what I had to.</div>
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Outside the Pearl, there were taxis waiting, just as I'd read there would be. Even though I was positive (and I'm still pretty sure I was right) that the subway would be faster, my anxiety about the potential to miss my flight had me jump into the nearest mode of transportation I could find. I was proud of myself for the ease with which I haggled with the driver over the price. I didn't even stop to think about it. It's not like I haggle all that much in Korea, but I guess living there has just made me more confident with the idea of doing it. Once in the cab, I managed to convince myself to relax, and the driver and I had a nice chat about how awesome he thinks President Obama and Americans in general are. I smiled and thanked him, then spent the next few minutes trying to figure out what America could have possibly done for China to make this man think our country is all that cool, but gave up on it when I realized that I could be taking advantage of the fact that I was now above ground for a part of the city that I'd only seen below ground and film my cab ride. One incredibly close call between my hand and the front end of a bus later, we got this:</div>
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Welcome to China friends.</div>
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Getting back on the Mag Lev was amazingly easy, especially since my driver literally pulled up to the station stairs for me, proclaiming his love for Americans the whole time. Getting through security at the airport was only marginally more difficult. My customs security man was very chatty and curious about what I was doing in Korea and Thailand, but I just kept on smiling and answering. I didn't even check my watch once (which, after estimating the time wrong in London and missing out on the London Eye during my first ever long layover, I had set for China time before I ever left Seoul). Be proud of me. I ended up having enough time to shop for a couple little people who are in my life before feeling the need to go wait by my gate. Sadly, you have to have access to texting in China to get the airports free WiFi, but I can survive unplugged (usually), so it wasn't that bad of a wait.</div>
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Incidentally, I noticed a family with what looked like twin young girls on the Mag Lev the second time. I actually noticed several families throughout the day that were clearly Chinese and clearly had multiple children. I had been under the impression that Chinese families were only allowed one child, but now I'm starting to wonder if that also was a misconception.</div>
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I will say, however, my experience with my airline, China Eastern, was not one that I ever intend on repeating. A weight debacle that ended up costing me $200 and a lovely reinterpretation of the definition of "special vegetarian meal that you ordered" (confiscation of the main meat dish without replacing it with anything else) was enough to make me add them to my airline blacklist. (Also on that list are Delta and Virgin, in case you were wondering. Airports that made the list are Bangor, ME; Sofia, Bulgaria; and Jakarta, Indonesia... not that you can completely vow off an airport, but I'd like to avoid them as much as possible. Incidentally, Turkish Air and American Airlines have made what I'd call a graylist for various reasons... Just proceed in booking with them with caution.)</div>
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All in all, for the traveler with the short attention span like me, I think this 72-hour Visa is definitely worth while. I fully intend on taking advantage of it to see Beijing when I get the chance, especially now that I know how to anticipate things (though, let me tell you, it may take the full 72-hours just to navigate the Beijing airport, from what I hear...) and feel more confident that I'm not going to get arrested for simply thinking Western thoughts in China. Hopefully this new Visa policy is going to be around for a good while, because I'm really liking it. </div>
Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-9776634903973861112013-10-05T22:18:00.002+07:002013-10-05T22:18:20.753+07:00Korea: Two Years in Four Minutes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And just in case you wanted to watch this on your phone, too:<br />
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Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-64496358507765695372013-10-04T00:49:00.000+07:002013-10-04T01:11:02.444+07:00The last bite of Korea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So remember how I said I made a quick trip to America? </div>
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Well, I got off the plane and got on a bus.</div>
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I got off the bus and got in a taxi.</div>
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I got out of the taxi and did this. (So please excuse how tired and unmade I look.)</div>
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<br />Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-10461538688275697392013-09-25T18:13:00.000+07:002013-09-25T18:13:56.165+07:00Goodbye, KoreaIt's so hard to believe that two years (and one month) have come to an end. It's crazy to think that in that short of a time I would have come to identify myself with a culture so distinctly different from the one into which I was born. However, at the same time, I don't really fit there either. <br />
<br />
Ever since I got my passport, I've felt my culture slipping away from me. But never have I felt more like a cultural island than I do now. I don't really find this to be a bad thing; I like the culture I've created for myself, gleaning from all of those that I've visited. But it's going to be interesting when I enter back into America, where people will be expecting me to pick back up the American culture. See, one of the joys of being waygookin is that there isn't very much that's expected of me. For the most part, I'm free to be whatever I want. I'm not sure how I'm going to react to being back in the States when that is gone.<br />
<br />
Because here's the thing.<br />
<br />
The plan has changed. <br />
<br />
This doesn't surprise me, because the plan was based on Korean culture, in which things are likely to change drastically, even in the middle of implementation, but it will probably surprise those of you who are unused to Korean culture.<br />
<br />
A couple of weeks ago, I found out that, due to governmental reasons in India, I would be unable to take up my position there. At the same time, I was offered a missionary position in Australia, working with Aboriginal children. As my pastor explained it to me, I became more and more disheartened by the prospect. They're a group of children that have grown up in an environment that puts no emphasis on education, due to government hand-outs. The stipends are actually large enough that the people don't really need to value education. The community is also riddled with drug and alcohol abuse. My pastor asked me to go and join the effort to convince this community of the value of education, a feat that has been attempted by many and successful by none, save the minimal progress our church has made. In short, it sounded like all the things I like least about teaching.<br />
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With a clenched stomach, I asked my pastor for time to pray about it, and he gave me two weeks.<br />
<br />
As many of you probably know by now, during that time, I made a quick trip back to the US. I was overwhelmed by a desire to be there before I had to make the choice. In the past, I have always felt trapped in the US, to the point that my family and I have assumed for many years that I would be spending all of my adult life living outside of the States. Nevertheless, in the past months, I have been growing increasingly homesick. I didn't mention it, chalking it up to this factor or that factor, but it didn't go away. I wanted to see if it would if I stepped foot in the mother country, and all the opportunities lined up for me to do just that. I found an incredibly cheap plane ticket. Appointments got canceled (without my doing so). Schedules were rearranged. And I found myself on a flight back to Nashville.<br />
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As soon as I saw the city unfurl beneath the plane, I had my answer. I've never felt like I had a home before, but seeing that city... I knew I finally had one. I was so giddy I started giggling and bouncing my legs in excitement. But I was reluctant to admit I had my answer. I knew what I wanted, but I needed to make sure it lined up with what G-d wanted. So I waited and prayed.<br />
<br />
As much as everything went right in preparation for the trip, everything went wrong while I was there. And yet, I was still overwhelmed with peace and excitement when I thought about moving back. In the end, I gave into it, and though I felt frustrated with many things happening around me, I could center myself in knowing that I was on the right path in my decision to return to the States.<br />
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Upon my return to Korea, I spent the greater part of my first morning back in bed, mulling over my trip and my decision... and praying. Oh, how I prayed! And, suddenly, a plan washed over me... It was like it was being shown to me in its completeness rather than developing as I laid there.<br />
<br />
It is now my intention to go to graduate school to pursue a masters in Music Therapy with the ultimate goal of opening the Jim Foglesong Center for Fine Arts, which will be both a fine arts school and therapy center. I have so many ideas for it that I could write and write about it, but I think I'd overwhelm you all, so I'll save that for another time.<br />
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The moral of the story is this: I'm coming back, and I know that I am on G-d's path. I don't know if that path will end where I think it will right now, but I do know that it's the right one.<br />
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Incidentally, this also means that I will have to make severe cuts to my travel plans, as I need to be preparing for an audition on December 7.<br />
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Thank you for all of your love and support.Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-22545379025479027722013-09-20T14:41:00.000+07:002013-09-20T14:41:42.852+07:00Foredated: September 11, 2013I really wanted to post this on September 11 at 8:45 am EST, but life prevented me from being able to do that. I suppose I should have typed it up in advance, but it wasn't a possibility; I'm sorry. But these thoughts seemed poignant enough to me to type up and post for you anyway.<br />
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On September 11, 2013, 8:44am something monumental happened. As the clock ticked down, Americans my age - arguably the youngest people on the planet to remember a pre-9/11 life - lived the last minute that they would while still having lived the majority of their lives in relative safety.<br />
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I'd like to say that we felt ourselves untouchable until 9/11, but that's a lie. We weren't, and only the naïve believed otherwise. Peal Harbor, Oklahoma City, Columbine... We knew better. But it was something about September 11 that felt so different. I think it may be because our own assets were used against us. Whatever it was, America changed drastically afterward; rather than doubling down and coming up stronger, we signed away our rights hand-over-fist and reacted in fear. I was with everyone else at the time, though... we may want to ask ourselves if it should really be considered an achievement to have a 12-year-old agree with the action our government took. I remember my mother warning me against it all, and I replied that we'd deal with any problems that arose when we came to them. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we've come to them (Read: Syria), but that's another story for another time.<br />
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My point is this:<br />
I've no longer lived the majority of my life in a pre-Septemeber-Eleventh World.<br />
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I've no longer lived the majority of my life in a world where I can accompany my loved ones to their airplane.<br />
I've no longer lived the majority of my life not having to worry about how complicated my shoes are before going to the airport.<br />
I've no longer lived the majority of my life being able to be fully hydrated on a plane.<br />
I've no longer lived the majority of my life in a country where Aladdin wouldn't be feared if he lived in it.<br />
I've no longer lived the majority of my life in a time when I didn't have to worry if the person next to me started playing with their shoes.<br />
I've no longer lived the majority of my life being unable to ask a flight attendant if the small person next to me (or, heck, I myself) could meet the pilot.<br />
I've no longer lived the majority of my life without double, triple, quadruple checking everything I say while traveling.<br />
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I've no longer lived the majority of my life in a country that wasn't dominated by manipulation playing off people's fear.<br />
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And I'm not sure how to react to that.Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-37686906498079346952013-09-08T19:56:00.000+07:002013-09-08T19:56:36.313+07:00New beginnings...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-13953725746489284082013-09-06T13:10:00.000+07:002013-09-06T13:34:01.474+07:00The EndIt's been one week since I finished at my school...and I've gone back there three times anyway for various reasons. Clearly I'm not good at this not working there anymore thing. My kids get excited/upset every time they see me. "Byeee, Teachah! I miss you! You miss me? You sad, Teachah?" And... the most uncomfortable of the encounters: "Teachah, you know my name?" I totally missed the mark on that goal.<br />
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I've spent the majority of this week finishing up a project that I promise you will hear more about in the coming days. Stay tuned, because this is a big big deal, but I'll give you a hint:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">You're going to want to do <a href="https://www.feedbackloop.me/" target="_blank">this</a>.</span></div>
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I now have two weeks before I head to Thailand, which means it's a month and a half before I hit the States. Within that time, I still need to pack, sell most of my possessions, sing one more time at churhc, move out of my apartment (and crash at friends' homes for a week), send directions to my school to my boss, attend/tech a friend's wedding, and manage to get a goodbye event in there somewhere. It is going to be a packed couple of weeks.</div>
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To be honest, this all seems a bit anti-climatic. I think that's mostly because I was just on vacation, doing a lot of the same stuff I'm doing right now. I'm not sure it's really hit me yet that I'm leaving... I'm not sure it ever will. Life does that sometimes... smooth transitions, I mean. I've had two legitimate job offers to keep me in this city, though, which are somewhat tempting, but only in the sense that change is scary. Who knows? Maybe I'll come back some day, but, for now, I know that it is definitely time to move forward. I'm looking forward to the adventures on the horizon, and will, as always, keep you informed.</div>
Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-59509619550309470292013-08-19T13:06:00.000+07:002013-08-19T13:09:06.919+07:00Serials kill me.I've been learning something about myself recently (though, by recently, I'm pretty sure I mean the past year and a half): I really don't like suspense/guessing. Surprises are cool; since I don't know they're coming, there's nothing to guess about. But I really don't like trying to guess what other people are thinking or waiting to see what's going to happen next. If there's one thing I don't like, it's waiting. People tell me all the time how patient I am, but I just can't see it, because I HATE waiting.<br />
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Anyway, I bring this up because I've spent my 4 empty hours at work (Anyone remember when I was so stressed about not having big enough chunks of time to lesson plan? Not a problem anymore... too bad I don't really need it anymore) reading up on an experiment that was taking place this Spring. Basically, these two friends decided to try and get past their extremely opposite dating issues by agreeing to date each other for 40 days. I started reading it thinking that they had already posted everything, that they had actually been posting daily and I'm just really late to the game. As it turns out, I'm only slightly late to the game. They've been posting weekly since the beginning of the summer.</div>
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<a href="http://fortydaysofdating.com/" target="_blank">40 Days of Dating</a></div>
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This is incredibly irritating to me. Usually, I plan to start something I think I'll really like after it's all finished. For example, while all of you were out watching LOST every week, making sure nothing interfered with that sacred hour of your life, I was at handbell practice (work, as I got older). Then, that night that you all got upset over the ending, I started on episode one and powered my way through them over the course of three weeks. Overall, I don't really think it's a healthy habit. I get addicted to whatever I'm doing, to the point that it affects my dreams. I once even had trouble remembering which was real and which wasn't. At least I have that as a cut-off line: Now, if I start dreaming about what I'm doing, I know it's time to pull back.</div>
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Anyway, the point of that rather disturbing paragraph is that I'm rather annoyed that I have to wait a couple more weeks to get the end of this encounter.</div>
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Have I mentioned that I don't like waiting for things? Or guessing what's going on?</div>
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Yeah. Serial TV shows were not made for me (or they were... depending on how you look at it). <br />
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P.S. <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20131027T1130&p0=137&fg1=ea0606&fg2=176db3&msg=I+set+foot+in+America+in&csz=1" target="_blank">69 Days.</a></div>
Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-86215847192292236502013-08-16T11:07:00.000+07:002013-09-06T20:47:09.427+07:00And we're back!School is back on... for two weeks. And then I'm done teaching (at least in Korea... for now). Crazy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The child standing on the chair was the sweet baby who<br />
had to spend the rest of the day with plastic in his ear.<br />
We weren't allowed to send the poor kid home, but that's<br />
how it falls sometimes.</td></tr>
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Vacation was pretty straight-forward. I stayed in Cheonan after the unfortunate need to<a href="http://anneroyster.blogspot.kr/2013/07/bummer.html" target="_blank"> cancel Italy</a>, and taught a week of extra classes at my old Saturday School. The kids were cute, but - oh man - I'm so glad I normally teach middle school. I had one first grader (American kindergartner) shove a straw wrapper so far down his ear that I couldn't see it anymore by the time I got to him to try and stop him. Those little babies cannot and <i>should not</i> sit still for two hours. Good grief, planning team. I promptly disregarded my instructions to give them lots of worksheets and planned a lot of games and songs. We also read some books, which I borrowed from my first school, and made some great projects, like our very own Big, Green Monsters. (I really like <a href="http://books.google.co.kr/books/about/Go_Away_Big_Green_Monster.html?id=PzCrSQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y" target="_blank">this book</a> for teaching. It's good with the littles for <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRSxt-_e8GTXO7oIO3RfPmUvPs6Anthq5uies_Axk_5KGR-jpKigjd2KQOndmb3OG5ntoVwtXyMfIRR6vp59PP4CQy1Tn-koqEIILjSgNOGMAh3r8-qgrD2n6rYylgqeQTRjjkS3bnBdk/s1600/IMG_2528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRSxt-_e8GTXO7oIO3RfPmUvPs6Anthq5uies_Axk_5KGR-jpKigjd2KQOndmb3OG5ntoVwtXyMfIRR6vp59PP4CQy1Tn-koqEIILjSgNOGMAh3r8-qgrD2n6rYylgqeQTRjjkS3bnBdk/s320/IMG_2528.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids bigger than her were allowed to<br />
use scissors to cut out their body parts.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
body parts and colors, and it's made even better, because you revive it when they get older to teach other adjectives. Every page follows this form: He has [adjective], [color] body part. Each series is stated twice in the book; the reinforcement is really nice.)<br />
<br />
Hanging around Cheonan turned out to be a better break than I expected. It was nice to not have to deal with the stress of planning everything and getting to the airport on time. I also got to sleep in without worrying about wasting my time in the country... Since this is the country I live in (Wow... I just started typing <i>this is my country</i>) and all. I do have a couple more places I think I <i>should</i> see before I leave, but I won't be too fussed if I don't.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
One of the perks of <i>greatly</i> preferring running with her over running alone. She makes me wish I had a dog of my own, though I know that's not feasible right now, what will <a href="http://anneroyster.blogspot.kr/2013/07/the-plan.html" target="_blank">all the moving around I'm getting ready to do</a>. (Also, I feel really irresponsible saying this, but it's awfully nice being able to sleep in on my non-running mornings, and I couldn't really do that if I had a dog... So I'll just borrow them for now. Hehe)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIWjnhQJ005biQ2wow9-wy8jqIIIcrVh7YVNbgm1cnf6ZzDOI0HJVJJtsFr-5iOEx4FOHzrmInNVYvYqvfffsDEPr1bNmsWowe3qvSWWPCAz1ePQBA2X-sKdujogQ8J0n9je_LGAcm3A4/s1600/IMG_2553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIWjnhQJ005biQ2wow9-wy8jqIIIcrVh7YVNbgm1cnf6ZzDOI0HJVJJtsFr-5iOEx4FOHzrmInNVYvYqvfffsDEPr1bNmsWowe3qvSWWPCAz1ePQBA2X-sKdujogQ8J0n9je_LGAcm3A4/s320/IMG_2553.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
staying home is that I could pet sit for my friend. I've felt bad having people pet sit for Bunny, but never being able to return the favor for them, but now I've at least been able to pay it forward. Not to mention, I loved getting to spend time with sweet Uma. Uma has proved very helpful in my recent endeavor into running. She only has three legs, but she has managed to keep up with me pretty decently. I'm not sure if that's more of a testament to her running ability or my lack thereof, but I do know that I <br />
<br />
As for the running commitment, I know that many of you are probably checking outside for other signs of the apocalypse, but I promise you I'm serious. I chased down a bus a couple of weeks ago and liked it so much that I thought I'd give it a serious go, using the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/5k-runner-0-to-5k-run-training/id448357306?mt=8" target="_blank">0-5K app</a> my friend showed me for my iPhone. Another friend recently turned me on to a site that helps people get serious about the goals they set for themselves. I'm not sure this is actually the site she was meaning, but I ended up making a contract on stickK.com. Basically, I and a sponsor report my progress each week, and if I miss my goal, I pay money to an anti-charity of my choosing. Sadly, Westboro Baptist wasn't an option on that list. I really wish it was, because I'm pretty sure every person I know would get on me to make sure I don't give them any money. If you want to keep tabs on my progress and offer me encouragement along the way, please join my commitment as a Supporter by clicking <a href="http://bit.ly/14strNT" target="_blank">here</a>. I'm already feeling so much better and confident because of this, and it's only been a week. The program suggests taking break days from working out, but I hate the thought of that... partially because I have a hard time with gray zones and partially because I really like how I feel after the work-outs. Sooooo I do what I want. Haha.<br />
<br />
Finally, the heat wave through Korea has been so bad that my school is started 30 minutes earlier each day and classes are 5 minutes shorter. People have been using so much air conditioning that the government is warning about impending national blackouts. Now, personally, I think that turning the AC on at school, where a bunch of people are all in one room would use less electricity than sending everyone home and having them turn it on in their private homes, but perhaps I'm wrong. Nevertheless, it's a very welcome change for me from the frigid winters here. I'll take heatwave over ice storm any day of the year.<br />
<br />
For now, I think that constitutes an adequate update. I'll see you (America friends) in <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20131027T1130&p0=137&fg1=ea0606&fg2=176db3&msg=I+set+foot+in+America+in&csz=1" target="_blank">72 days</a>. :)Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-28730402357946711212013-08-03T09:49:00.000+07:002013-08-16T10:44:39.553+07:00My Love Affair with the BarrierOne thing I've noticed is how much my friends and I talk about the frustrations of living with a daily language barrier in our lives, and, even if we're not talking about it, we're basically always thinking about it. You never realize what a big deal it is until you try to live in another country. For example, try ordering food off a menu that looks like this:<br />
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You may be fairly sure you know what you're getting, but if you have any dietary restrictions, it gets pretty stressful. Or maybe you want to find things after a store rearranges its shelves Heaven help you if you want someone's opinion about an item or if you want to convince a doctor you'd prefer a natural remedy to medicine. The language barrier changes our lives in drastic ways here, and we frequently find ourselves discontent with those changes.</div>
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As my two-year anniversary with Korea has been drawing closer and my time here wrapping down, I've found myself growing increasingly nostalgic and analytical (those may seem like strange bedfellows to you, but I feel confident that anyone with a background in philosophy or psychology will make the connection). I've been thinking over all my time here, and I've come to a conclusion: For better or for worse, I'm in love with the language barrier. Certainly, we have our bad moments, our arguments, but, overall, I think it's a pretty good relationship, full of give and take. I already drew a picture of how frustrating the barrier can be, but let me show you some of its more wonderful qualities.</div>
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<ul>
<li>I think one of my most (selfishly) favorite parts of the barrier is it's ability to hide me when I don't want to talk to people. Thanks to the culture of my city and its particular barrier, I don't have to talk to <i>anyone</i> if I don't want to. There are, of course, Korean-speakers here, and there are a good amount of English-speakers, but what you don't know is that there is a decent-sized Russian-speaking population here as well. As a result, I can sit around and ignore all language that comes past me, and people will just assume I don't speak whatever language they've got going. It's an introvert's heaven (well... in that aspect, at least).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I am now much better at charades.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Not being able to find things / communicate what I'm trying to find has helped me learn to prioritize: Do I really need this? Would it be that big of a deal if I can't find it? I've learned to let go of things that aren't so important and be persistent about that which is.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>But the absolute best part of the language barrier is this: I have built friendships that are not based on knowing the trivia of each other's lives. We are friends because we care about each other. We see each other on a regular basis and we've learned to read each others' body language. We cobble together our own language for communication, but that's not the core of the relationship. Smiles, waves, and laughter; frowns, sighs, and even tears - This is the foundation of these relationships. These people have actively and repeatedly looked out for my best interests. I may not be able to tell you their favorite food or type of movie, but I can tell you when they're having a good day, and <i>that</i>, I think, is much more important. </li>
</ul>
Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-82411404005948604182013-07-23T19:39:00.000+07:002013-07-24T13:55:57.672+07:00If you never read anything else I write, read this.I may have had the biggest revelation of my life today - just now, in fact - and I'm verbalizing it here for the first time, because I wish I had come to realize this sooner. So I want to share it with everyone as soon as I possibly can in the hopes that it will click with them and help them not to dismiss things as antiquated rules simply because we don't understand them.<br />
<br />
In fact, everything in the Bible just took on new, deeper meaning in light of this. As soon as I finish here, I'm going back to reread as much of it as I can before I fall asleep. The more I think about it all, the more excited I get.<br />
<br />
It really all makes perfect, simple sense.<br />
<br />
Once you can fully (well, as close to fully as possible) wrap your mind around this one fact:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">G-d is not a linear being.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
Don't get intimidated by the science/math speak and click away. This is important to understand.<br />
<br />
To reach a bigger audience, I want to also reference Madeleine L'Engle's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wrinkle-Time-Madeleine-LEngles-Quintet/dp/0312367546/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1" target="_blank">A Wrinkle in Time</a>. </i>In the book, the characters utilize something called a Tesseract. L'Engle's explanation of this (below) has helped me to understand G-d a bit more.<br />
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<br />
<br />
We, like all things on this planet, exist in a linear fashion, with a definite beginning and a definite end (at least while we're on Earth). We currently exist in the same state as the insect was originally. We have never known anything outside of that state and cannot fathom anything outside of that state, much like a fetus cannot fathom anything so otherworldly as breathing air. The latter state, the simplest explanation of a Tesseract, is so far outside of a line, that linear beings cannot really comprehend it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.log24.com/log/pix08A/081201-Dimensions.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="http://www.log24.com/log/pix08A/081201-Dimensions.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, I'm not so audacious as to claim that G-d exists in a state of Tesseract. Personally, I believe He exists in a plane beyond that somewhere. My point is that, G-d exists in a state that encompasses our own so completely that we cannot comprehend it; it could never fit into our understanding. This also means that He encompasses our entire state of being at all times.<br />
<br />
Let me break down what this means a little bit.<br />
<br />
<b>G-d is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.</b> Yes. Of course. Because all of those times exist simultaneously for Him. It's not so much that He's unchanging as He's omnipresent. Those are all the same thing. A=A. It's like thinking, "Wow, this bite of doughnut that I'm chewing still happens to taste good!" - It's ridiculous to think anything else. All of those are subpar explanations, but I hope you were expecting that, because, as I said, we're dealing with something outside of our scope of experience.<br />
<br />
<b>Everything the Bible says about sex and marriage that we don't really like... Yeah, G-d knew what He was talking about. </b>Of course. Of course it's cheating on your future spouse to sleep with anyone else (<a href="http://biblehub.com/hebrews/13-4.htm" target="_blank">Hebrews 13:4</a>, among many others). In fact, the much debated (even taboo) verse in the Bible that says not to divorce and not to remarry if you do (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+7%3A10-11&version=NIV" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 7:10-11</a>) makes sense in light of this. G-d is in all of our moments at the same time, so, to Him, we are too. To us it feels like it's all unfolding slowly: things end; other things start. But not to G-d. To Him, I was just as married to my (hopefully existent) husband the day I was born as I will be on our 50th wedding anniversary. Anything I do "before" or "after" I meet him is just the same to G-d.<br />
<br />
<b>Sin really does irrevocably separate us from G-d.</b> And nothing, NOTHING we ever do can change that. It's not that He wants that. It's devastating for Him. But that's simply the plain, honest truth. Think about the magnitude of this thing: If all moments are actually one moment, then we are <i>constantly</i> committing each and every sin in our lives. There is nothing we can do. <i>Nothing.</i><br />
<br />
<b>The magnitude of what Christ did on the cross is heart-stopping.</b> Every moment for all of eternity in every direction and every plane of existence, Christ is being tortured to death to atone for those sins that also exist on that spectrum. Every sin we could possible commit is erased the moment we do it, because Christ takes it on in that moment. We are constantly clean. We are constantly made new. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All praise to G-d, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. (<a href="http://biblehub.com/ephesians/1-3.htm">Eph. 1:3 NLT</a>)</span>Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-38400212946407213022013-07-16T13:02:00.000+07:002013-07-16T14:24:50.895+07:00BummerWell, yesterday was a bummer.<br />
<br />
Due to personal reasons, my vacation to Italy is being called off. :(<br />
<br />
BUT! Somehow, an overwhelming peace has washed over me about the whole thing. It's awesome how that happens.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the airline hit me with a pretty hefty fee, so I'm not going to be able to go abroad for this vacation, but I've been incredibly tired. It will probably be good for me to relax at home and get some sleep. I'm going to <strike>see if I can get some</strike> work *<b>edit: </b>at my old Saturday School* to make up for that fee as well, so it'll all end up okay. Plus, I haven't explored too much of Korea, so I might go do that; we'll see how I feel. :)<br />
<br />
In the words of Homer:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Endure my heart, for you have endured worse than this." (The Odyssey, book XX)</blockquote>
It's true. <br />
<br />
I found myself wanting to write about how yesterday was "the worst day ever," but it wasn't. Those of you who know me can wager a guess as to what my worst day was. I don't really care to detail it again, so if you don't know, just think about your own. In a way, it's a blessing that I have had such a horrible experience in my life. Every time something happens that I don't like, I can always think of Homer's quote and that day, and I have something against which to gauge myself: Have I endured worse than this? Did I survive? Did it help me in some way? I have yet to not be able to answer "yes" to those questions.<br />
<br />
There's that silver lining, my friends. I knew there had to be one somewhere...<br />
<br />
Lots of love to you. I'll try to post about my staycation when (if) I do something interesting. :)Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-52105491306997692732013-07-11T14:01:00.000+07:002013-07-11T14:01:42.400+07:00Goodbye Time Again<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFHYPX3z_EEKQae_attc-EHjnes_xmbhppZsj_gb9n3cAAsEL09X5XnDuwZqxa3ufBxFdsUNB-Ol_ln1ADNgtIkoTwG9-YR4nJO7x1ZPKZ5XK8iea6S3RgmeyeSzP0h7OEcUWb79T_j9K/s1600/IMG_2037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFHYPX3z_EEKQae_attc-EHjnes_xmbhppZsj_gb9n3cAAsEL09X5XnDuwZqxa3ufBxFdsUNB-Ol_ln1ADNgtIkoTwG9-YR4nJO7x1ZPKZ5XK8iea6S3RgmeyeSzP0h7OEcUWb79T_j9K/s200/IMG_2037.JPG" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are growing outside of<br />my school. It must be a sign<br />(seeing as how they're my<br />favorites).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've been saying goodbye to a lot of my kids today, and it was so hard! I'm sure I'll see them around after summer break, but I won't teach them anymore, because it's a new semester after the summer. Today, my last class was full of all of my favorites, who I've taught the whole time I've been at this school (simply by luck of the draw). I suddenly am realizing how hard it's going to be for me to leave Korea. I love these kids (and this school) so much. <div>
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<div>
Let me show you a snippet of what's been going on today.<div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw5cwUgJWL-Bn_iz-2k0HT0GoCGRv8fQaBl-J0C8IlTHINdMKn5MsxaE68eDi-sK58U8TXiUJxSFfoiazukmg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I've been teaching a music class during my lunchtime recently.</div>
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Today, the schedule switched up a bit, and we got done early, so I popped in next door.</div>
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There, I found several of the students I had taught for the last time in the class before lunch.</div>
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They also are students I've had for a whole year now.</div>
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They played me the song "Payphone" by Maroon 5, mostly because I told them I liked it so much, but a bit because it was a little fitting.</div>
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It was at this moment that it became impossible for me to get through my next class without crying.</div>
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Luckily, the kids in my next class got a bit crazy, making it easier for me to keep my cool (after I lost it trying to start class).</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwusOm06H9fFl3xIRDclyekBRWt1qrUuwZwn5f_2FKdtm1xi3WDX0labXSEBF4rxtIYj7es0k9m36vR6dQOsw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is what it looks like when I'm teaching my kids how to order food in English.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzcWUNe1v7fNS1Qk7li_i2a9ak0Ys8xomv48I5ykM0Gg4naANFos578iGDCjedfgB2TSdrJzlOwlaG0suciWQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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But this kid, he put a smile back on my face.</div>
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He's crazy, but I love him, and he knows that.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's hard for me to leave them, but if I can be smiling as I do so, well, then I'll feel I did a good job. Unless I'm smiling out of relief... that wouldn't be a good feeling. But I really don't think that's how it's going to be. I think it's going to be one of those bittersweet smiles, where I'm leaving, but I'm happy, because I know that I somehow managed to make these kids' lives better because I was there. That's what I hope.</div>
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Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-68653719372795149452013-07-10T09:14:00.005+07:002013-07-10T09:20:11.916+07:00Even when you know it's coming (A eulogy for Jim Foglesong)Last night while I was sleeping, the man who laid the framework for everything I know about the music industry breathed his last. Today, there is a sadness in my heart, even though lately there had been no doubt in my mind that this day was coming and coming soon.<br />
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I met Jim Foglesong, whom I and many of my friends refer to as JFo (He smiled the biggest smile I'd ever seen from him when I asked if he minded us calling him that.), in the Fall of 2007. He taught my Survey of Music Business class at Trevecca, a class that held the vast majority of the people who star in my fondest memories of my college years. It took me a whole two weeks to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Foglesong" target="_blank">look the man up on Wikipedia</a>, and the results led me to do the same for each and every one of my professors. You see, what I didn't realize was that I was basically being taught Music Business by the man who made the Business what it is today. Let me just give you a brief overview of what he did for the Industry (as quoted from Wikipedia):<br />
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Foglesong helped lay the foundation for the new country music boom in the 1990s. As president of Dot, ABC, Capitol Records and MCA, he signed popular artists, among them Barbara Mandrell, Don Williams, Garth Brooks, Donna Fargo, Reba McEntire, the Oak Ridge Boys, Con Hunley, George Strait, Tanya Tucker, Sawyer Brown, Suzy Bogguss, Kevin Morris. Foglesong was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004.</blockquote>
My class found the late afternoon (read: directly preceding dinner) scheduling of Professor Foglesong's Tuesday/Thursday class difficult to focus through, despite his amazing credentials. As a result, we spent a good deal of time chatting with each other over instant messenger, but our classroom was always full of laughter, and I think that's how he liked it. I never once kidded myself into thinking that he didn't know what was going on in his classroom, but he never mentioned it. Instead, he threw anecdotes into his lectures to keep us on our toes and pop our heads up from the glow of our computer screens. He'd talk about his life in his younger days, and we suddenly realized that he wasn't just the grandfatherly gentleman we saw in front of us, who dressed up for class and encouraged us to do the same. He was a real person who really <i>lived.</i><br />
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Though I knew Jim was the former president of many record labels, the only time that really affected our relationship was when I was applying for internships and jobs. All the other times, he was simply JFo, and I was Miss Royster (sometimes Anne). We'd always stop and talk to each other when we crossed paths in the hallways of the music building. He always had time for me, and that taught me to always have time for him.<br />
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When I went to ask him if it would be okay if I came to our Survey of Music Business II class a bit late on Thursdays, though, I was still nervous. I didn't want to disrespect him, but I was in a bit of a pickle. I worked at my internship (which he helped me to get, by the way) until closing time; in other words: until 10 minutes before class started. With most of the record labels actually being in the next suburb over, it was impossible for me to safely make it back to class on time, and I felt even less comfortable asking my boss to let me leave early. So I approached JFo. I don't remember exactly what he said to me after hearing my well-rehearsed plea, but I do know it went something like this:<br />
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JFo: So, you're asking if you can come to my class late?<br />
Me: Yes, sir. But just on Thursdays. I hate to ask it, but I don't know what else to do.<br />
JFo: Miss Royster, I trust you. You're a hard-worker, and I know you'll get the notes.<br />
Me: Thank you.<br />
JFo: Furthermore, wouldn't it be a bit silly for me to penalize you for going out and doing what I'm teaching you to do?</blockquote>
I love that man.<br />
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<a href="http://news.vanderbilt.edu/files/Jim_Foglesong_fi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://news.vanderbilt.edu/files/Jim_Foglesong_fi.jpg" /></a></div>
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Foglesong, on being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame</div>
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In the years to come, I'd find myself missing classes with Prof. Foglesong. I missed the regular contact with him and learning about his life. I missed the familial atmosphere that came from spending so much time there with people all intent on the same goal (becoming big-shots in the Music Industry). I missed the subtle dousing of invincibility he gave us. Of course we could conquer the Business. He was teaching us; he believed in us; he was for us. How could we fail?</div>
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When Foglesong began retiring from teaching at Trevecca, I felt it sorely. No more were the days of hallway conversations. Though he did still attend most of my concerts and recitals, it wasn't quite the same. We knew why he wasn't at Trevecca anymore. His health was becoming an issue, and it was showing. That didn't stop me from secretly hoping he'd come good on his promise from Survey I: That'd we'd all gather for our 50th reunion in that room, and he'd come in and tell us what a wonderful job we were doing (despite being in his mid-80's when he started teaching us). Basically, he promised to be our Mr. Feeny. I really wanted that to be true, silly as it was.</div>
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There came a time when I no longer believed I belonged in Music Business. I began to doubt myself and my abilities in the field. I saw my friends around me heading for stardom, and I felt nothing more than mediocre, acing the tests, but failing in the practical application. It was in that season that I got a call from Prof. Foglesong: a call of encouragement. He was calling to tell me he'd personally nominated me for an award in his name for excellence in the field of Music Business. He believed in me enough to forever have my name associated with his. Even typing that now, the levity of his action brings me to tears.</div>
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But I do not cry for Jim. No. Not at all. Jim Foglesong was a man of G-d in every thing that he did. His faith was at the core of who he was, and it radiated out from him. He was forever loving on everyone he met, forever thinking of the people around him, forever reminding people to be honorable simply by his actions (and occasionally in word for the particularly stubborn case).</div>
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No, I cry for me. I cry that I will not see his smiling face again for a long time. I cry for the world, for how many people will never have the chance to be personally blessed by him. I cry for his wife, for her monumental loss. But I do not cry for Jim. He is in Heaven now, and I have no doubt that he's singing his heart out.</div>
Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-55346048883797649912013-07-09T08:40:00.000+07:002013-07-09T08:42:18.400+07:00The PlanIt's about time I told you this. <br />
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I have a PLAN!!! <br />
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We're still hammering out some details, but I should tell you about it before it becomes so commonplace in my head that I forget to tell you. Here it goes:<br />
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I'm leaving Korea on September 23.<br />
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I will be in Thailand, volunteering with <a href="http://www.homelifethailand.com/" target="_blank">Home & Life Orphanage Foundation</a> until the 23rd of October. But I will leave Thailand on the 27th.<br />
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From Thailand, I'll head back to the States (with a 6 hour layover in Incheon, so, Korea friends, help me pass that time!!!), ultimately ending up in Atlanta. I've got a lot of people I'd like to visit, and I'm thinking about following this path:<br />
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<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Barnesville,+GA,+United+States&daddr=Chattanooga,+TN,+United+States+to:Wilmore,+KY,+United+States+to:Nashville,+TN,+United+States+to:Tallahassee,+FL,+United+States+to:Tampa,+FL,+United+States+to:Duke+University,+Durham,+NC,+United+States+to:Colonial+Heights,+VA,+United+States+to:Columbia,+MD,+United+States+to:Philadelphia,+PA,+United+States+to:Goshen,+IN,+United+States+to:Chesterton,+IN,+United+States+to:Chicago,+IL,+United+States+to:Oskaloosa,+IA,+United+States+to:Lincoln,+NE,+United+States+to:Colorado+Springs,+CO,+United+States+to:Overland+Park,+KS,+United+States+to:Parsons,+KS,+United+States+to:Longview,+TX,+United+States&hl=en&ll=37.926868,-100.019531&spn=18.064499,33.881836&sll=34.928076,-90.019461&sspn=18.765121,33.881836&geocode=FWtf-AEdmuL7-in7Ksg-xnv0iDHZIuVpr-pIJA%3BFf7AFgIdEEfq-imF54OKQGBgiDGqKIeJHyZxJA%3BFYe6QQIdlir0-ilFlxqwz2FCiDHQfzIcsh4OBw%3BFQvcJwIdm8rT-ik9kOsTMuxkiDGg2umh0Lk_fQ%3BFXBz0AEdY_r5-ilTSxKHUYrsiDH4sf3Uegfu6w%3BFe99qgEdps0V-ynh0bmzgrfCiDFjtJaviRNfpw%3BFb63JQIdxuFI-ynD3aEce9ysiTHnXgym9jfftg%3BFYdMOAIdK9Bi-ynpp4JBTAixiTGrcOGidGNSoA%3BFYIzVgIdijFr-ylRoGljsN-3iTFdY4e2Zb3W8A%3BFc-fYQIdcxeF-ynrS7XU2LfGiTHBWD6M2BT1iQ%3BFcB-egIdOkXi-ilRcnrXCuwWiDHeO_rIEEWVBg%3BFWLtegIdeYHP-imXwqmH1qIRiDFOFgukgy-QyA%3BFWICfwIdGuDG-inty_TQPCwOiDEAwMAJrabgrw%3BFZkPdgIdcEh6-in7WEFRoE3vhzFm4X_5Gf3iOg%3BFc6pbgIdMcE8-illElbKWb6WhzG53tUfm4U6Yw%3BFdqOUAIdjY3A-Skr0uahLkEThzETa-j1kuuOQQ%3BFVTSUgIdOHBb-inTOCanUZXAhzHI-UQ460_OJA%3BFbLEOQIdZG5S-inPnVinfhq4hzHEt4Rg8JLRVg%3BFeDr7wEd919a-ilRM9-X_zU2hjEzWRl09_APsw&oq=kno&mra=pr&t=m&z=5" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;" target="_blank">View in Google Maps</a></div>
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If you recognize yourself on that map, or if you're not on that map and you should be, let's talk. I'm going to be needing help with transportation as well, so I'm really, really hoping that you can assist there. </div>
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I'm thinking of trying to fit this all into November and December (ending by Christmas).</div>
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Currently, it's looking like I'll be heading back out in February. My Korean church has asked me to go join their missionaries in India, working at a school that focuses on working with children from the slums. Currently, we have not set an end date for that. I will be needing to raise ALL of my own support for that, so, not to worry, you'll definitely be hearing more from me on that. I may not have definite details until December for that, so I'll probably have a very short time to raise a considerable amount of money. I'm not stressed about it (yet), though, because I know that if G-d wants me there, He will bring the money in. I've never had a problem with that before, and I don't think that I will start now. (Please pray!)</div>
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I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, and I'm looking forward to reporting on my upcoming adventures.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">111 Days until I touch down in the U.S. of A.</span></div>
<br />Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-29118102004623675362013-07-04T13:46:00.000+07:002013-07-04T13:46:08.570+07:00Independence Day<div style="color: #463e3e; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.</div>
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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. . .</div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.</span></div>
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Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.</div>
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We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.</div>
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I sincerely hope you read those words. I realized today that I'd never read the Declaration of Independence in its entirety. (This isn't the entirety, either, by there way.) It's such a passionate document. It's empowering to read. I'm incredibly proud of the history that comes with this document, and yet I am troubled.<br />
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The same blood that flowed through the veins of several great men and women in our nation's history flows through my own veins. I feel it my duty, therefore, to follow in their footsteps, paying them honor by enhancing the legacy they left for me. They fought for the ideals that have come to define what it means to be a part of American culture. I am incredibly grateful to them, because I strongly agree that they were right: All of us were born equal. ALL of us.</div>
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George Orwell astutely pointed out in his well known <i>Animal Farm</i>, that many of us operate under the delusion that "Some are more equal than others." I would like to point out that this is inherently untrue. Our Declaration of Independence does not state that one race is more equal than another, that one language is more equal than another, even that one country is more equal than another. It simply says that all men (and I firmly believe that they are referring to humanity in this instance) are created equal.</div>
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Though today is America's Independence Day, I think it is a day for all to celebrate It is a day that the world triumphed, gaining leaders to whom we could all aspire to emulate. As I told my students, these men believed so adamantly in what was written here that they were willing to risk their own and even their families' lives in order to secure it as truth. Even those who do not admire what these people were trying to do (though why anyone wouldn't admire an attempt at establishing a certain grounds for the respect and dignity of all humanity I do not know) must admire the ardent passion that goes with making a commitment of that magnitude. My last class today was moved to radiant pride as I described this situation to them, though none of them has even seen America.</div>
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The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not. (The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family, 1762-1784,Harvard University Press, 1975, 142).</blockquote>
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This is the legacy we have been given. It is our job to carry it on, uniting all humanity under <i>that </i>banner, ignoring any other differences. We are brothers and sisters. In this day and age, we are more connected than ever before. We should be uniting, moving together as one, loving each other as a global family.<br />
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"Mankind." That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. - President Thomas Whitmore, Independence Day</blockquote>
I write with a certain urgency to you today. We do not know what is ahead of our world, but across the globe people are feeling something coming. Egypt is in turmoil, the Koreas are on edge, Bulgaria is at a stand-still (literarlly), The United States are in an uproar: The world is in a state of growing global agitation. I do not know what is coming, but I feel it in the core of my person: Globally united we can stand, but divided we will fall. We are only one race; we are humanity. We are so much more connected than we know.Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2255745086103119132.post-88362089070895053092013-06-28T12:03:00.000+07:002013-06-28T12:03:19.863+07:00Everything palesI've been happy this week. I've been incredibly happy this week - more happy than I remember being for this long in my life, including the trip to Disney World when I was on Codeine the whole time (although, as I'm allergic to the stuff and it makes it nearly impossible for me to create long-term memories, I could just not be able to remember how happy I was then). I've got a couple guesses as to what the root cause of this could be, but, to be honest, they're just that: guesses. They're not even theories - educated guesses - they're just guesses, so I don't even feel like they're worth sharing. The point is that I'm really happy.<br />
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This morning, as I was happily walking to school, grinning from ear to ear, I was thinking to myself about how I really don't know anything at all, and that was pretty cool. Think about it. Maybe I get upset because thus and such isn't going to happen... well, I mean... I don't know that. I can't know that. Even if I got a time machine and went to the future, I wouldn't know what was going to happen, because, hey - I can always do something different from whatever I did to make that future happen. <br />
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But then I realized that I do know something. I love G-d, and that's pretty cool. But what blew me away was that I also know that G-d loves me. When I realized that, everything around me literally paled; it all faded into the background. Really, the only thing that truly matters is that G-d loves me and I love Him.<br />
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It sounds cliche until you really get it, and then it feels like your mind just exploded.Anne Nicole Roysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04145978844008098348noreply@blogger.com0