Mandumania 2.0: The Reboot!

It's been 8 years since I last posted something on the blog.

I hadn't forgotten about it,  I guess I just didn't have much to say (if you can believe that)!

Over the upcoming weeks, I'll be adding more content (though I'm not sure what that content will be as of yet) MAYBE my photographs, a few recipes, my musing on the current state of the world, who knows, but please stick around!


The WingedTraveler78

Follow me on Instagram: wingedtraveler78

I am.

I'm a believer.

Trippin' over China

Hey fam. Last week I had the opportunity of a life time. I walked,climbed the Great Wall of China. Amazing right? It seriously was! It was awe inspiring! In all my life I never fathomed that I would have the adventurous opportunity to step foot upon one of the ancient wonders of the world. Stuff dreams are made of. Those who know me,know my beliefs and so I would not be me if I could not openly thank God for His continually blessings -- making my dreams my realities. You can enjoy more pictures of Beijing, China here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150902&id=506033346&l=1fc3c1c1c9




Peace,
Derek

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE!

Hey Fam,

So this week I've been teaching the Beatles' song All You Need is Love to the fourth graders, and originally I selected the song for its repetition, and its sheer simplicity not knowing that after listening to it for the umpteenth time it would really, really grow on me. I can't stop humming this tune. It's an endearing song. And it speak volumes through its very simplistic message, truly all you need is love!

Click below to hear the song and read the lyrics.

Enjoy,

Derek

Materialism, Luxury...What happens when they're gone?

Hey fam, friends and new readers:

So for the last couple of days I've been wondering how to broach the next subject - materialism; and its been taxing because honestly I don't know how much of me I really wanna share or moreover how honest I'm ready to be with myself (right,right d-e-e-p!)!


Materials

1. Consisting of matter; not spiritual; corporeal; physical; as, material substance or bodies. [1913 Webster]


On New Year's Eve I missed my flight back to Korea due to an ice storm and my inability to properly navigate my way through it to Dulles Airport and I don't know about you but there's so many route on which to get to Dulles that I swear every time I go there it seems as if I'm using a different route each time. So after missing my flight and spending an hour or so with three ticket agents playing find Derek an available seat I had a new itinerary in-hand.

I had just dropped off a rental at Alamo so I had to go right back and pick up another; I picked up the car and made my way back to my cousin's place.

A's house was full with her sister's kids, my adorable yet rambunctious little cousins who had come for a visit and a New Year Eve celebration. We had lunch together and I played a few games with them but after such a disorienting day I seriously needed a nap. Hours passed and I didn't want to get out of bed but I needed to. I prepared the kids some snacks and then rang my friend Antoine to ensure we were still on for New Year's Eve Church Service.

Now in all my years, 31 to be exact, I don't think I've ever spent a NYE in church, and if I did, I don't remember it. I have always considered it a bit lame and slightly immoral to go to church and then directly afterwards head off to the nightclub and throw back cocktails. But this year, I felt an overwhelming desire to go to the House of the Lord (church) and share in thankfulness with others. In the month of December alone I was blessed beyond measure so, how could I not go.

Around 8 o'clock I went out to the rental car, it was cold out and a bit damp but I had a warm tingly feeling going on in me,I was filled with an air of happiness; as I reached the car, I noticed the trunk was slight ajar, and sadly in a millisecond my tingly sensation vanished and the cold in the air filled my lungs and an air of concern and dread engulf me. I opened the trunk and my Louie duffel bag, filled with my possessions and recently purchased items I had bought for my friends in Korea were gone.

Talk about the straw breaking the camel's back!

Or at least it should have been, but surprisingly I was calm. I did indeed call the police and made a report however I knew deep down there was next to no chance that I would ever see my items again. So, I sucked it up, dressed and went to church.

On my drive into the district, I broke down, I'm not sure if it was because my items were stolen, or I was happy that even with all I had been through that day, everything was still okay. I had my health, my sanity, a loving family and a Champagne Toast to attend after church so... why cry over split milk?

My thoughts were as such, life has always been good to me, so why in this moment should I not see the brighter side. I've always found it is best to be thankful - even during the bleakest hours.

At times it's a daunting task but its a task worth taking.

One month later and Life is good:

My cousin is in the process of posting me a coat and I have not been without true necessities (housing, warmth, nutrition, friendship, love..) so even if I don't have my Louie duffel bag, Ralph Lauren winter coat, Antik denim jeans or my favorite brown sugar flavored instant oatmeal packets - life is still DAMN GOOD!

Thus I've been meditating on this: When did I decide that material things were overly important to my life and when did I decide to let that notion go?

As I think back, I grew up in a middle class household, at times we had and others times we did not, yet I don't ever truly remember going without. My mom never put emphasis on material possession that's just not who she is. She was all about sharing and giving. My grandmother is a very giving woman, who places emphasis on hard work and saving. (She always say, "Dee if you just put away five - ten dollars a week you're saving something.") yet she also believed that if you're going to buy something it should be of the highest quality.

These two women are key to how I view material possessions, how I relate to them, how important they are to me, etc.

I'm a hedonist but I'm also giving.

I like finery, but I don't mind purchasing at a consignment shop (as long as it vintage labeled).

I like luxury hotels and trips, but I been on bus trip and stayed in a few love motels and eh, they're not all that bad.

I love brand new convertibles yet public transportation gets the job done.

I love gourmet foods, but do I mind eating at a hole in the wall, hell nawl -- I love to eat.


So does all this make me materialistic? Sorta.

Is that a bad thing? I don't think so.

Do I believe the items I own define who I am? To an extent yes.


A few things I've learned about myself in my journey thus far as I relate to material possessions.

I can definitely do without the creature comforts and be okay.

Less is more.

I'm always willing to help those who have less than I.

I can willingly lavish myself with items of my own choosing and not feel wrong for doing so, I'm deserving.

I'm no gilded lily, and there's no self-loathing tucked away


I just like what I like.


PEACE

Derek

You can't choose your family...

Hey Fam, Friends and New readers (if there are any of those, hello).

Okay! So it's officially or unofficially a new decade. 2010 is here and so say the Mayans we have only two more years "to make it work!" Ha,Ha,Ha!

It has been entirely too long since I've updated my blog and as such tons have transpired and so I will now return to fill you in on what's going on with D! I figured the best way for me to update you all is by compartmentalizing all the going-ons in a small series of blogs about the ending days of 2009.


Today I'll begin with Family.


Family

Dec 1st, seven days before my b-day (I turned the ripe age of 31 in 2-double 0 - 9), I received a call from my cousin Adrienne, informing me that my granny was deathly ill. First, let me say that, my granny is the fabric, no the thread, no the molecules that make up the thread, which make up the fabric, which hold my family together. She is an important woman not only to my family but her community and the very thought of her leaving this earthly place anytime soon is quite hard to fathom. So, when I learned that doctors thought her light was shortly to be extinguished I was in complete and total shock.

To be so far away home and have the threat of loosing a loved one, is unexplainable and inexplicably difficult.

Let me say, that I'm a big believer that God speaks to his people in many ways, and to me he speaks via my dreams. Months previous to the telephone call I had a reoccurring dream that I'd lost my granny. I would wake up after this horrible dream in tears and praying for the enemy to leave me alone and for God to take this dream away, because in my mind God surely, would not deliver such a message to me. Right? Wrong! In hindsight this dream was nothing but God attempting to prepare me for what was to come and I failed to take heed or notice. Therefore needless to say on the morning I received the telephone call I was completely unprepared for the news and spent two days literally in tears and distress. I had to put a plan of action into play and find a way to get back state side, which was not as easy task considering I was halfway around the globe and in the middle of the semester.But be it for the kindness and encouragement of strangers, co-workers, family and friends I was on a plane flying back to the USA in less than four days. I was going home to what I thought were going to be my farewells to my beloved.

BUT what I thought was to be and what actually took place is all but a B-L-E-S-S-I-N-G, BLESSING! When I arrived my granny was in such a state, she was in the intensive care unit, she had tubes and other medical apparatuses keeping her alive and comfortable. My granny is a trooper and though her state was sad, I could tell she was still present and holding on. I walked into her room, picked up her hand and said "Granny, ol' woman you had Dee (that's what she calls me) worried, I had to fly all the way from South Korea to check up on you" and in that moment, my granny opened her eyes for me (the only other time she had opened her eyes since she's had her heart attack and after returning to consciousness was for my cousin Adrienne), I'm certain she thought she was dreaming to have heard my voice but I was ecstatic that she just opened her eyes, it was as if to say Dee I'm still here, granny ain't gone nowhere!

Throughout the next couple of days life was simple and complex, amazing and frightening and any other descriptive word you can think of. It was long regimental visit to the ICU with relatives and family friends coming from near and far; we sat by my granny's bedside reflecting on how great and strong of a woman my granny is. We shared pleasant and often funny memories of her, we encouraged one another and mostly we sat not knowing if this was going to be the end of her life's journey or the beginning of a new chapter, and more importantly what would life be like for her after this ordeal.

Days turned into nights and nights into a week. There shortly on 31st birthday, I received the best birthday present ever my granny was removed from ICU and the tubes which were assisting her lungs with breathing were removed, she had made it through the worst. And was shortly thereafter moved to a regular wing of the hospital. It was seriously hard to bare witness to seeing my grandmother in such shape (and some days I could hardly bare it and didn't want to go to the hospital to see her in such pain) but she made it through. God granted her the gift of life for another day. What a birthday gift!

Those days after were hard and I know difficult for my granny. The road to recovery is still taking place, but my Granny is determined. And last news I received she was now home and taking it one step at a time.

You know family is an amazing institution, it is certainly not without its faults and imperfections - my family certainly is not, but then what family is?

I shared this with my mother and thus I will share it with you'll.

God give us opportunities to build a new; to make our wrongs, right. He puts us in situations were we have to rely upon one another and sometimes we have to rely upon those who we have the most contempt or difficulties with. In certain moments he will utilize those we love dearly to gain our attention. He is all about second chances. And a second chance is just that a chance. A chance to recollect and re-do what you didn't do right the first time.

He's definitely given my family a second chance and I hope we all recognize it.

As my mom always says "Derek, you can't choose your family..." And you know I wouldn't want to choose if I could. I'm a proud member of my family and I'm glad to have been blessed with them all.

PEACE!

My First Korean Wedding... Eh.

Hey all,
I know its been a minute since I updated the blog. I guess these past few weeks have just been ordinary, nothing major to share. However this weekend I'm heading off to fly a plane and do some kayaking -- and I'll be ready to share those pictures and my experience as soon as I get back.

I'm back at school now and the kids are cool. Its seem like a lot of them spent the summer break studying at English camps, or the last semester paid off. I not sure which it is just yet.

My work load has been increase and I'm now teaching grades 1 - 6. It amazes me how first and second graders have a grasp of the English language and speak with almost a native child's ability whereas their third and fourth grade counterparts, have major difficulties forming simple sentences or saying the word banana.

Imagine that, and there's like what, a 2 year age difference if that! I don't know if it just me but I think young a child is the more intelligent he or she will be, maybe there's something in the new baby formulas.

Anywho, the Korean wedding this weekend; well the reception because we missed the wedding, due to traffic jams in Seoul.

It was nothing like I imagine it would be. TV and movies overly romanticize ceremonies throughout the world's cultures. I had an idea set in my mind of large banquet tables overflowing with foods and flowers, people dressed in their best traditional garb, music from tinny traditional instruments and a display that would leave me spellbound and mesmerized. Instead there was an adequate yet tasty buffet, an announcement of the newlywed couple, a symbolic cake cutting which included fireworks and a sword and plenty of bows and smiles from the new couple.

The wedding party then disappeared and I later found out that in Korean culture the newlywed's greets family and close friends and then they go away to have a private feast with even closer friends and relatives. Its also rumored that Korean sometimes pay guest to attend their wedding and deliver their wedding day speeches, however I don't think it was the case at this particular wedding because I later consulted with my co-teacher ('a Korean cultural authority') and she insisted that from what I described this wedding was small compare to normal standards and that I quote "wouldn't happen there".

I must admit I was a little let down but I'm quite happy for the new couple and I wish them fruitfulness and happiness. The company I traveled to the wedding with made up for what the wedding lacked. And so I left pleased.


Another inside look into Korean culture -- done!

Until next time.

Peace n luve

Derek

p.s. i'm studying Korean. how's it going you ask. It's going... blaaahahaha!