Memories
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Rays of light in the dark
I’m writing this on the darkest day of the year. In Denmark that means less than 6.5 hours of daylight, and this year, December has been unusually dark and gloomy. No snow (which is totally fine) but lots and lots of rain. There were 2 weeks straight where it was so overcast that I couldn’t…
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My Chuseok family trip
This past Chuseok was something else. Chuseok isn’t a holiday that I usually spend much time or energy on. Usually, it’s just a season for some rest and quiet time in a busy city that momentarily slows down. This year was different. To be honest, all holidays have felt odd since my best friend died.…
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The power of memory and memories
I recently finished reading an interesting book about memory and memory techniques called “Moonwalking with Einstein”. It discusses how people can train to improve their memory, and how some people are gifted with an almost photographic memory while others have trouble remembering their own address. This naturally prompted me to think about my own memory.…
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Stress
스트레스는 만병의 근원이다 – Stress is the main cause of all kinds of illnesses. This is a common saying in Korean and something my best friend used to say from time to time if I ever mentioned anything about being stressed. And he was right, stress is truly the root of all evil. Googling the…
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How I became a Korean teacher (feat. an honorary guest post)
I wrote in my previous post that I’m currently teaching Korean to a Danish girl. I greatly enjoy this for several reasons; it provides some structure, it holds me accountable, it’s a challenge, and she speaks Japanese so I can teach her while drawing parallels between Korean and Japanese, which may be one of my…
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Healing?
Many of my readers have been asking me how I’m doing lately. My answer depends on the day and sometimes even on the hour of that day. Sometimes I feel fine, other times completely miserable, and then other times I feel indifferent. However, there’s no doubt that being in Korea has been helpful in my…
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A meaningful day
오늘도 알찬 하루 돼~ oneuldo alchan haru dwae – Have a meaningful day today. This was the content of one of the final texts my best friend sent me only a couple of days before the accident happened. He was also the one who first taught me the meaning of the word 알차다 alchada (meaningful) or 알찬 alchan when…
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49 days
Yesterday marked the 49th day following the passing of my best friend. In Korea, this day is usually marked by a memorial service, which has its roots in Buddhist tradition and is widely practiced across religions all over the country. I attended this memorial for my friend at his resting place yesterday together with his…
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Soulmates
When I lost my best friend a few weeks ago, I lost my soulmate. And when you lose your soulmate, a part of yourself dies with them as well. I don’t subscribe to the idea that your soulmate must necessarily be your life partner or significant other. I believe that your soulmate (and you may…
Sofie to Korea 