Showing posts with label thanks giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thanks giving. Show all posts
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Things I'm thankful for -- the list continues.
While I don't celebrate Thanksgiving in the typical American fashion (I'm not having a turkey dinner with family), I do take this time of year to contemplate the things I'm thankful for—a ritual I have been doing now for a handful of years. I'm still pretty much thankful for the all the things I was thankful for on my two previous lists (2009 & 2011), so this year's list is also merely an addition to the lists that preceded it.
81. I'm thankful for my friend Joa. I sent her a text message last night to tell her so.It really is a blessing to have someone to confide in, someone that one really trusts. I'm convinced that God has made our paths cross for we have helped each other through so many issues it's hard to count them all. And I'm terribly thankful to her partner who accepts our friendship.
82. Google Translate has improved my quality of life tremendously. As an expat living in another country and with just lower intermediate Korean ability, Google Translate has made my life here significantly easier. And I don't only use it for Korean either.
83. I was thinking about books that changed my life and I've come to the conclusion that the little booklet Steps to Christ dating from the early 1900s has done more for my worldview and faith than any other book. [Download the PDF.] My religious views have changed a lot since the first time I read this little book, but the framework it established is undeniable. I have returned to this book many times over the years and am always amazed at both the depth and the simplicity with which it outlines the Christian paradigm.
84. Zinc and Vitamin C. I struggle with trouble skin and this mineral and vitamin definitely helps to alleviate the problem. I haven't found a cure yet, but that doesn't make me any less thankful for Zinc and Vitamin C supplements.
85. [Dark] Chocolate. I think most people would agree that the world is a better place because of cacao. It is after all Theobroma, i.e. “food for the gods”.
86. My mothers. When my own mom died over a decade ago, many other older women stepped forward to love me maternally. Of course none of them can replace my real mother, but the love and friendship I've been shown through the years are absolutely heartwarming. I'm awfully blessed.
87. My older brother who takes care of our invalid father—his sacrifice is allowing all us other siblings the luxury of living our lives. It can never be taken for granted and I sure hope my other siblings realize the sacrifice that is being made on our behalf.
88. Self-confidence that comes with age. While I wish I had been more self-assured when I was younger, I'm very happy that growing older has its benefits. With every passing year I'm more confident and just more stable and secure in who I am and what I believe—it's awesome.
89. I'm very thankful for being a man and I'm not saying this in some kind of misogynistic kind of way—I'm too much of a feminist for that. I just really think men got the better end of the stick; for example, we don't get painful, hormonal disrupting cycles and we don't have to stand in endless lines at public restrooms. These are indeed things to be thankful for.
90. A salary.
Thursday, 24 November 2011
20 More Things I'm Thankful For . . .
I cannot believe that it is that time of year again—Thanksgiving. I still remember the list of 51 things I'm thankful for that I made in 2009. In fact, I can actually still remember the bakery where I sat and composed that original list. If I were to make such a list again, I doubt it would differ much from the previous one, since I'm still thankful for practically all of those things. So instead of starting from scratch and repeating things I've said before, I'll just add to it.
52. I love poetry. I love to write it and I love to read it.
53. Nut milk. I used to drink soy milk all the time but then someone told me that too much soy products is not good for you because of the high levels of natural oestrogen in soybeans. This led me to search for other milk alternatives, so I began making my own nut milks. It's wonderful.
54. Basil. I love it fresh or as pesto.
55. Communication programs and apps such as Skype and Whatsapp and KakaoTalk and all the other things I use to communicate with the people I love. I'm excited about the use of Twitter in the Arab Spring revolutions.
56. Smartphones are changing everything. The ability to just quickly look up anything—that constant connection to the Information Highway is terribly satisfying.
57. I've had some great martial arts instructors and martial art friends through the years. I've had some bad ones too, but I'm thankful for the great ones.
58. Ondol, Korea's underfloor heating, is just plain wonderful. Korea is freakin' cold in the winter, but if you have functioning ondol one's apartment is always warm and cozy.
59. Kurt Vonnegut.
60. Torrents and Miro.
61. While I'm looking forward to teleportation one day, in the mean time I'm really thankful for airplanes.
62. Nice plants in my apartment.
63. Providence.
64. I'm really thankful for Pastor Dan Smith's grace centred sermons.
65. Lemons.
66. Long holidays. Although my annual vacation time is fixed, it is nonetheless wonderful having such long vacations—about three months of paid vacation per year! You can't beat that.
67. I'm constantly reminded what a great privilege it is to be bilingual. It makes life richer. It expands your horizons.
68. Blogging and bloggers.
69. Mandu, or Korean dumplings, is one of my favourite Korean foods. You can buy them frozen and then just steam them. I don't eat mandu that often, but today, when I had nothing to eat, I quickly took some frozen mandu from my fridge, steamed it and it was ready within five minutes.
70. I live in an apartment on campus, where I work. It takes just five minutes from my house to my office.
71. From my apartment to the closest bus stop takes 15 minutes by foot and then another 15-20 minutes by bus to the closest subway station. I'm exceedingly thankful for the campus bus that runs from campus to the subway station. It is during the vacation times or on weekends when the campus buses do not run that I realise how much I appreciate them.
72. That ice drifts, rather than sink, is something I'm thankful for.
73. I don't use it every day, but I'm really happy that I have an oven.
74. Antjie Krog.
75. My first, and so far only, schrink—Okkert Kotze, I think that's his name, it's been a while—(and probably his supervisor under whom he practised) helped a lot!
76. My X for reminding me that I'm a man.
77. Ludolf Bezuidenhout, a childhood friend, who befriended me when I had no friends, and later saved my life. I'm sorry I couldn't save his.
78. Those ladies with their sexy voices that I love so much: Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Ella Fitzgerald, Penny Sue, Sarah Vaughan, Tori Amos, Mahalia Jackson, Reana Nel, Fiona Apple, Edith Piaf, Dido, Amy Winehouse, Alison Krauss, Diana Krall, Amanda Strydom, and the list goes on.
79. Having a friendly dojang (martial art gym) here in Korea where I can train and teach, with a very accepting and caring kwanjangnim (gym owner) that values me.
80. Clean drinking water.
53. Nut milk. I used to drink soy milk all the time but then someone told me that too much soy products is not good for you because of the high levels of natural oestrogen in soybeans. This led me to search for other milk alternatives, so I began making my own nut milks. It's wonderful.
54. Basil. I love it fresh or as pesto.
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| A Samsung Galaxy Tab smartphone, like the one I have. |
56. Smartphones are changing everything. The ability to just quickly look up anything—that constant connection to the Information Highway is terribly satisfying.
57. I've had some great martial arts instructors and martial art friends through the years. I've had some bad ones too, but I'm thankful for the great ones.
58. Ondol, Korea's underfloor heating, is just plain wonderful. Korea is freakin' cold in the winter, but if you have functioning ondol one's apartment is always warm and cozy.
 |
| Kurt Vonnegut, Sci-Fi Author and Thinker |
60. Torrents and Miro.
61. While I'm looking forward to teleportation one day, in the mean time I'm really thankful for airplanes.
62. Nice plants in my apartment.
63. Providence.
64. I'm really thankful for Pastor Dan Smith's grace centred sermons.
65. Lemons.
66. Long holidays. Although my annual vacation time is fixed, it is nonetheless wonderful having such long vacations—about three months of paid vacation per year! You can't beat that. 67. I'm constantly reminded what a great privilege it is to be bilingual. It makes life richer. It expands your horizons.
68. Blogging and bloggers.
69. Mandu, or Korean dumplings, is one of my favourite Korean foods. You can buy them frozen and then just steam them. I don't eat mandu that often, but today, when I had nothing to eat, I quickly took some frozen mandu from my fridge, steamed it and it was ready within five minutes.
70. I live in an apartment on campus, where I work. It takes just five minutes from my house to my office.
71. From my apartment to the closest bus stop takes 15 minutes by foot and then another 15-20 minutes by bus to the closest subway station. I'm exceedingly thankful for the campus bus that runs from campus to the subway station. It is during the vacation times or on weekends when the campus buses do not run that I realise how much I appreciate them.
72. That ice drifts, rather than sink, is something I'm thankful for.
73. I don't use it every day, but I'm really happy that I have an oven.
 |
| Antjie Krog, South African Poet and Author |
75. My first, and so far only, schrink—Okkert Kotze, I think that's his name, it's been a while—(and probably his supervisor under whom he practised) helped a lot!
76. My X for reminding me that I'm a man.
77. Ludolf Bezuidenhout, a childhood friend, who befriended me when I had no friends, and later saved my life. I'm sorry I couldn't save his.
78. Those ladies with their sexy voices that I love so much: Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Ella Fitzgerald, Penny Sue, Sarah Vaughan, Tori Amos, Mahalia Jackson, Reana Nel, Fiona Apple, Edith Piaf, Dido, Amy Winehouse, Alison Krauss, Diana Krall, Amanda Strydom, and the list goes on.
79. Having a friendly dojang (martial art gym) here in Korea where I can train and teach, with a very accepting and caring kwanjangnim (gym owner) that values me.
80. Clean drinking water.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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| Image Source |
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
Friday, 30 April 2010
To Accept a (Sincere) Gift
Last night something strange—uncomfortable—happened. My instructor paid me.
When I joined the ITF Taekwon-Do school in Seoul in 2008 I introduced myself to my instructor, sharing with him my Taekwon-Do history. When he heard that I have my own Taekwon-Do dojang in South Africa, and furthermore, that I am on the board of directors for the national governing body of Taekwon-Do in South Africa, he adamantly refused that I pay class fees. I tried to pay, but he would not accept my money.
So I decided to be an active member of the gym, “paying” through my service. I would occasionally teach a class and act as an assistant instructor. In the meantime I’ve become a regular instructor teaching a designated class once a week (focusing on self-defence). Sometimes I’m also approached to help with a little translation work and editing of material in English. I have also been appointed International Liaison Officer (the Korean title is: "International Cultural Exchange Officer") for ITF-Korea; basically, I help with correspondences that require a high degree of fluency in English on behalf of ITF-Korea. All of this I’ve done gladly; considering it my way of compensating for the luxury of getting quality instruction and training at the gym. These exertions have always been a small price to pay. Some might argue that I ought to at least get paid for the regular class I teach. After all, there are other outside instructors at the gym who teach grappling classes and whom are paid for their services by the gym, why shouldn’t I get paid? Well, while these outside instructors teach at the gym, they do not also train at the gym like me. Since I train there, I ought also to pay the approximate $100 per month, but I don’t. I train for free. Teaching, I’ve always believed, is my way of paying. In any case, I’m very passionate about teaching martial arts and would probably have begged him to teach a class in any case. Actually, if my normal workload was not so heavy, I would probably have insisted on teaching two weekly classes, instead of just one. (I've been teaching martial arts for over a decade. It has become such a part of my identity, that not to teach would just feel bizarre.) Besides, acting as an assistant instructor is the normal duty of any active black belt. In most martial arts it is expected of all senior ranks to willingly share their knowledge with lower ranks when training together.
Last night on our way home my instructor handed me an envelope. I peeked inside and saw that it contained money. I was shocked and refused to take it, explaining to him that since I do not pay class fees it is not necessary for me to be paid anything. He insisted and refused to take it back. Eventually I reluctantly conceded.
Sometimes, even if it makes you uncomfortable, one needs to accept gifts that are given sincerely. Not so much for your own sake, but for the sake of the other person who wishes to express their gratitude. By refusing the gift you are actually robbing them of the genuine joy of giving. The money still makes me feel unfomfortable and I haven't even checked how much is in the envelope. Yet I understand that my instructor wished to show his appreciation, and my heart is warmed by it.
When I joined the ITF Taekwon-Do school in Seoul in 2008 I introduced myself to my instructor, sharing with him my Taekwon-Do history. When he heard that I have my own Taekwon-Do dojang in South Africa, and furthermore, that I am on the board of directors for the national governing body of Taekwon-Do in South Africa, he adamantly refused that I pay class fees. I tried to pay, but he would not accept my money.
So I decided to be an active member of the gym, “paying” through my service. I would occasionally teach a class and act as an assistant instructor. In the meantime I’ve become a regular instructor teaching a designated class once a week (focusing on self-defence). Sometimes I’m also approached to help with a little translation work and editing of material in English. I have also been appointed International Liaison Officer (the Korean title is: "International Cultural Exchange Officer") for ITF-Korea; basically, I help with correspondences that require a high degree of fluency in English on behalf of ITF-Korea. All of this I’ve done gladly; considering it my way of compensating for the luxury of getting quality instruction and training at the gym. These exertions have always been a small price to pay. Some might argue that I ought to at least get paid for the regular class I teach. After all, there are other outside instructors at the gym who teach grappling classes and whom are paid for their services by the gym, why shouldn’t I get paid? Well, while these outside instructors teach at the gym, they do not also train at the gym like me. Since I train there, I ought also to pay the approximate $100 per month, but I don’t. I train for free. Teaching, I’ve always believed, is my way of paying. In any case, I’m very passionate about teaching martial arts and would probably have begged him to teach a class in any case. Actually, if my normal workload was not so heavy, I would probably have insisted on teaching two weekly classes, instead of just one. (I've been teaching martial arts for over a decade. It has become such a part of my identity, that not to teach would just feel bizarre.) Besides, acting as an assistant instructor is the normal duty of any active black belt. In most martial arts it is expected of all senior ranks to willingly share their knowledge with lower ranks when training together.
Last night on our way home my instructor handed me an envelope. I peeked inside and saw that it contained money. I was shocked and refused to take it, explaining to him that since I do not pay class fees it is not necessary for me to be paid anything. He insisted and refused to take it back. Eventually I reluctantly conceded.
Sometimes, even if it makes you uncomfortable, one needs to accept gifts that are given sincerely. Not so much for your own sake, but for the sake of the other person who wishes to express their gratitude. By refusing the gift you are actually robbing them of the genuine joy of giving. The money still makes me feel unfomfortable and I haven't even checked how much is in the envelope. Yet I understand that my instructor wished to show his appreciation, and my heart is warmed by it.
Friday, 28 November 2008
Taekwon-Do Year-End Function
A photo of everyone sitting on the floor (Korean style) and dining together. It was a candid photo, so almost everyone is chewing away, oblivious to my paparazzi-activity. Thursday evening our ITF Taekwon-Do dojang here in Seoul had a farewell and year-end function. It happened to also coincide with Thanks Giving.
We gathered at the home of a medical doctor and his wife who started with Taekwon-Do a while ago. The hostess prepared a lovely Korean dinner for us and we had a great time eating and socializing in English, Korean and some other languages. It was quite a cultural extravaganza – attending the dinner were five nationalities: Korean, British, Brazilian, Swedish and South African. Even odder was the way we communicated. It turns out that one of the other guests lived in the Netherlands for three years and so the two of us started speaking Dutch to each other. Well actually, he was speaking broken Dutch and I was speaking Afrikaans with a Dutch accent; but we had a grand time communicating in a third language, a European one, and that in an Oriental country, of all places!
The farewell was for the Brazilian family and Swedish lady who will be leaving Korea sometime in December.
It was a splendid evening, but I got home rather late and to bed even later than usual. As a result, today felt very long and I feel quite pooped at the moment. I might even get to fall asleep earlier tonight!
The photo in this post is not a Creative Commons-image.
'n Skuldige gewete beloon
Gister het ek ’n vreemde ervaring gehad. Deur die loop van die dag het dit aansienlik kouer geraak, soveel so dat die klere wat ek aangehad het nie meer gehelp het nie. Gevolglik, toe my laaste klas om 16:00 eindig toe haas ek huistoe net om weer te ontdooi. ’n Halfuur later bel die akademiese dekaan my by my huis en vra dat ek hom onmiddelik moet kom sien by sy kantoor.
Dadelik begin ek stres en wonder wat ek verkeerd gedoen het. Die feit dat hy my by die huis bel, beteken dat hy eerstens my by my kantoor moes gaan soek het. My afwesigheid daar lei hom toe om my by die huis te soek. Soos ek moontlik al genoem het, is ek teoreties veronderstel om op kantoor te wees tussen 9:00 en 17:00, maar dis baie ontspanne met niemand wat oor ’n mens se skouer loer nie, so om bietjie vroeër huistoe te gaan is nie ’n kwelling nie. Nietemin, toe die akademiese dekaan my bel met só ’n dringende versoek toe wonder ek of ek nie dalk in die verknorsing is hieroor nie.
Oppad na sy kantoor probeer ek dink wat ek moontlik verkeerd gedoen het. ’n Ander moontlikheid behels die Internet. Buiten dat Suid-Korea sekere webbladsye blokkeer, blokkeer die kampus se Internetbediener ook sekere webbladsy. Nou, ek rebelleer onmiddelik wanneer dit by dinge soos sensorskap kom, en daarom wil ek júís die inligting bekom wat van my weerhou word. Gevolglik gebruik ek maniere om die blokkasies te omseil. Niks onwettigs nie, maar tog berade. Oppad na die akademiese hoof toe wonder ek of hulle nie dalk my Internetaktiwiteite dophou nie en sien dat ek hulle inligtingshindernisse systap. Ek verbeel my hoedat hy vir my gaan sê dat ek droogmaak en dat hulle my in die pad steek.
By sy kantoor kom ek aan en hy groet my heel vriendelik en maak my sit. Hy begin die gesprek deur te noem dat dit die eerste keer is wat ek en hy amptelik gesels (ons het al vinnig ontmoet, maar my direkte hoof is die Engelse departementshoof, so ek het selde met die akademiese- / administratiewe kantoor te doen). Hy vra my uit oor my werksomstandighede, hoeveel klasse ek aanbied, my ure, of ek gelukkig is. Al die tyd klop my hart vinnig en wag ek vir een of ander obskure gebeurlikheid, ’n mistrap wat ek gemaak het, ’n oortreding (willens-en-wetens óf onkundig), wat die rede is dat die akademiese hoof my so dringend wil sien.
Dan begin hy gesels oor die ekonomiese krisis in die wêreld en hoedat uitlanders veral daardeur geaffekteer word. Omdat die Koreaanse geldeenheid verswak het teenoor die (reeds verswakte) Amerikaanse Dollar, verduidelik hy, kry ons uitlanderpersoneel moontlik swaar wanneer ons geldwissel en terug stuur na ons tuislande. En toe haal hy ’n koevertjie uit. Die rektor het voorgestel dat ons uitlanderpersoneel ’n bonusvergoedingtjie moet kry as ’n teken van die universiteit se waardeuring van ons. Die geskenk val ook te same met Thanks Giving Day (die Amerikaanse vakansie dag wat gister plaasgevind het), om sodoende dubbel spesiaal te wees. Hy handig aan my die koevert met 500 000 Won. Dis omtrent US$337 en sowat R3400 teen die huidige wisselkoerse.
En so word my skuldige gewete beloon.
Ek dink toe aan Adam nadat hy gesondig het. God roep hom, maar Adam wil vlug uit vrees vir God. God kom, en in plaas daarvan om Adam die doodstraf toe te ken, gee God aan Adam die Goeie Nuus – ja, jy gaan sterwe want dis die natuurlike gevolg van keuses wat in disharmonie met die Bron van Lewe is, maar Ek gaan ’n manier voorberei om jou weer tot My te versoen. Ons sondig en weet dit, tog kom God en in plaas van straf, beloon God ons. Nie vir ons sondes of goeie werke nie, maar bloot omdat God God is.
Ns. In ’n vorige inskrywing het ek genoem hoedat my werk baie goedgunstig met geskenke teenoor ons personeel is.
Nns. Hierdie ervaring spreek luidkeels uit teenoor die sogenaamde The Secret-fenomeen wat die wêreldoorspoel het en beweer dat ons kry die dinge wat ons verwag om te kry. Nou ja, ek was oortuig dat ek in die moeilikheid is vir iets, maar in plaas van moeilikheid, is ek beloon met geld en waardering vir my werk. So much for The Secret.
Dadelik begin ek stres en wonder wat ek verkeerd gedoen het. Die feit dat hy my by die huis bel, beteken dat hy eerstens my by my kantoor moes gaan soek het. My afwesigheid daar lei hom toe om my by die huis te soek. Soos ek moontlik al genoem het, is ek teoreties veronderstel om op kantoor te wees tussen 9:00 en 17:00, maar dis baie ontspanne met niemand wat oor ’n mens se skouer loer nie, so om bietjie vroeër huistoe te gaan is nie ’n kwelling nie. Nietemin, toe die akademiese dekaan my bel met só ’n dringende versoek toe wonder ek of ek nie dalk in die verknorsing is hieroor nie.
Oppad na sy kantoor probeer ek dink wat ek moontlik verkeerd gedoen het. ’n Ander moontlikheid behels die Internet. Buiten dat Suid-Korea sekere webbladsye blokkeer, blokkeer die kampus se Internetbediener ook sekere webbladsy. Nou, ek rebelleer onmiddelik wanneer dit by dinge soos sensorskap kom, en daarom wil ek júís die inligting bekom wat van my weerhou word. Gevolglik gebruik ek maniere om die blokkasies te omseil. Niks onwettigs nie, maar tog berade. Oppad na die akademiese hoof toe wonder ek of hulle nie dalk my Internetaktiwiteite dophou nie en sien dat ek hulle inligtingshindernisse systap. Ek verbeel my hoedat hy vir my gaan sê dat ek droogmaak en dat hulle my in die pad steek.
By sy kantoor kom ek aan en hy groet my heel vriendelik en maak my sit. Hy begin die gesprek deur te noem dat dit die eerste keer is wat ek en hy amptelik gesels (ons het al vinnig ontmoet, maar my direkte hoof is die Engelse departementshoof, so ek het selde met die akademiese- / administratiewe kantoor te doen). Hy vra my uit oor my werksomstandighede, hoeveel klasse ek aanbied, my ure, of ek gelukkig is. Al die tyd klop my hart vinnig en wag ek vir een of ander obskure gebeurlikheid, ’n mistrap wat ek gemaak het, ’n oortreding (willens-en-wetens óf onkundig), wat die rede is dat die akademiese hoof my so dringend wil sien.
Dan begin hy gesels oor die ekonomiese krisis in die wêreld en hoedat uitlanders veral daardeur geaffekteer word. Omdat die Koreaanse geldeenheid verswak het teenoor die (reeds verswakte) Amerikaanse Dollar, verduidelik hy, kry ons uitlanderpersoneel moontlik swaar wanneer ons geldwissel en terug stuur na ons tuislande. En toe haal hy ’n koevertjie uit. Die rektor het voorgestel dat ons uitlanderpersoneel ’n bonusvergoedingtjie moet kry as ’n teken van die universiteit se waardeuring van ons. Die geskenk val ook te same met Thanks Giving Day (die Amerikaanse vakansie dag wat gister plaasgevind het), om sodoende dubbel spesiaal te wees. Hy handig aan my die koevert met 500 000 Won. Dis omtrent US$337 en sowat R3400 teen die huidige wisselkoerse.
En so word my skuldige gewete beloon.
Ek dink toe aan Adam nadat hy gesondig het. God roep hom, maar Adam wil vlug uit vrees vir God. God kom, en in plaas daarvan om Adam die doodstraf toe te ken, gee God aan Adam die Goeie Nuus – ja, jy gaan sterwe want dis die natuurlike gevolg van keuses wat in disharmonie met die Bron van Lewe is, maar Ek gaan ’n manier voorberei om jou weer tot My te versoen. Ons sondig en weet dit, tog kom God en in plaas van straf, beloon God ons. Nie vir ons sondes of goeie werke nie, maar bloot omdat God God is.
Ns. In ’n vorige inskrywing het ek genoem hoedat my werk baie goedgunstig met geskenke teenoor ons personeel is.
Nns. Hierdie ervaring spreek luidkeels uit teenoor die sogenaamde The Secret-fenomeen wat die wêreldoorspoel het en beweer dat ons kry die dinge wat ons verwag om te kry. Nou ja, ek was oortuig dat ek in die moeilikheid is vir iets, maar in plaas van moeilikheid, is ek beloon met geld en waardering vir my werk. So much for The Secret.
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