You Only Get One Chance | Typography

Words to live by my friends. Years ago when Markus and I lived in Florida, we used to watch heaps of Man vs Wild. We spent many afternoons following Bear Grylls and his adventures, hoping that one day we would do the same. One of my favorite episodes featured Iceland and we dreamed about visiting. I can't believe that years later we would have our own adventure in Iceland just like him!

Oh Korea Quote #3

Despite the fact that I don't live in Korea anymore, I still have heaps of material for my "Oh Korea" series. I took a little break, but now they're back!

I really miss hearing all the random things that Korean people said. It was definitely a highlight of my life in Busan. For the third installment of "Oh Korea", I chose a really strange one. I've had loads of weird conversations, but this one was really out there. I was talking with a male coworker and I we were talking about health and sickness. Basically the conversation went like this:

Me: I get sick really easily.
Him: Oh really? You didn't drink mother's milk?
Me: ..... I'm pretty sure I did.
Him: Until when?
Me: I don't know, until I was 1?
Him: I drank mother's milk till I was 13. Plus I really like... * he put his hands in front of his chest.*
Me: Oh.....

At first I thought he was joking, but after a few more minutes of conversation I realized he wasn't. He was dead serious. I don't even think it's possible for someone to drink breast milk until that age, but I could be dead wrong. I asked a few of my Korean friends if this could happen. They said that because he grew up in the countryside, anything was possible. Apparently things are really different in the country. Either way, I'll always remember when a grown man told me he drank mother's milk until he was a teenager. Oh Korea, how much I miss you. 

You're My Favorite Destination | Valentine's Day 2014

Last year, I made Markus a super geeky Valentine's day card about time travel. For this year's card, I wracked my brain for something awesome. I started a few and they were awful. I was about to give up when a burst of inspiration hit me. As you know, Markus and I love to travel and have been to so many amazing places. I have to warn you, I'm about to get a bit mushy and cheesy. So if you cannot handle that sort of thing, just skip on ahead or admire my handiwork.

Markus and I have lived in South Korea. We explored the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. We walked the streets of Kyoto as a geisha and samurai. We've ridden emaciated horses to the top of Taal, an extinct volcano in the Philippines. We've walked the halls of Pemberley in England. We've traveled to so many places and experienced so many wonderful things together, but when it comes down to it, my favorite place in all the world is wherever Markus is. I know you're all cringing now, but it's the truth. We could be in the crappiest place, which has happened, but it's still worthwhile because Markus is with me. My life is so much better because of him and I can't wait to spend the rest of our years going on adventures and traveling to faraway lands.

Ganda-Ganda 3.0

Ganda-Ganda v1.0

I can't believe that I've been consistently blogging since 2010. Looking back, I wish that I started on Blogger and not Tumblr, but it's okay. Tumblr was good to me, it just didn't fit my needs. I've been on Blogger for a year and it's been a wonderful one at that. So much has happened in the past 12 months. We finished our final year in Korea, we traveled to Cambodia and Japan and we finally moved back to the States. It's been a crazy year, but I wouldn't have changed a thing. 

Markus and I have decided that we wouldn't move back to Florida and instead we'll start the next chapter of our lives in Chicago. I wanted to commemorate all the changes in my life. So, I decided to completely re-design Ganda-Ganda. When I created Ganda-Ganda 2.0 and launched it on Blogger, I always had the intention of re-designing, but life took over. It happens, but I'm surprised that I found the time to do this in the past few months. It only proves that if you put your mind to it, you can do anything!

For this new site design, I created all the graphics on my own. Everything was written, sketched and inked by me. By no means am I an artist, but my dear and talented hubby is and he helped me a great deal. He encouraged all of my ideas and steered me in all the right directions. I'm actually quite proud of what I produced and I hope you do too! I hope to keep this new design for quite some time and look forward to creating more personalized graphics for future posts. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the new layout!

Ganda-Ganda v2.0

Ganda-Ganda v2.0 buttons

Oh Korea Quote #2

Most of the time in Korea, I can understand or figure out what people say to me. It's like I have a sort of sixth sense in translating Konglish. What can I say? It's a gift. Although, there are still moments where I just can't figure out what the other person means. No matter how much Korean I use or English the other person uses, the meaning is just lost.

One shining example would be this quote, "Nothing is beautiful, unless you are beautiful." I'm not really sure what this person meant. Did they mean that since I am not beautiful, nothing is beautiful? Could he have meant that I am beautiful and because of that, everything is beautiful? Before I could ask, he ran off.  When I saw him again, the moment had passed and so I will never know what he meant. Either way this is definitely an "Oh Korea" moment that left me confused.

Oh Korea Quote #1

Even though I will be leaving the beautiful land of Korea, there are many things that will always stay with me, even when I'm gone. I will always remember all the weird and strange things that people have said to me over the past two years. I've tried my best to document them, but I thought the best way to remember them forever is to create typographic images of them.

I decided to start out strong with one of the most memorable things anyone has ever said to me. It was both horrifying and fascinating that anyone would ever say something like this to me. This is one of my most favorite Oh Korea moments and one that I always tell my friends. This is how the conversation went down:

Me: Oh my golly, it's so hot in here.
Him: You're always hot.
Me: Yea, I get hot really easily.
Him: Is your body hot?
Me: Um... yes...
Him: You are so hot I could boil a hot dog on your body.

Summers in Korea are a bit unbearable. They use the air conditioning really sparingly. Even though I'm from the Philippines and grew up in Florida, I cannot stand hot weather. My body runs hot, so I'm always uncomfortable. At least in the U.S. there was central air conditioning. In Korea, I feel like I'm always melting and forever in a sauna. I guess on this day, my co-worker wanted to comment on the level of heat my body exudes or he was talking about something else. Actually, this guy has a bit of a weird sense of humor, so I know what he really meant. Either way, it has to be one the weirdest and greatest things anyone has ever said to me.

Life of an Ex-Pat | Discovery

Living and working in another country is not only a time of adventure, but also a time of discovery. You'll discover new foods and cultures. You'll experience things you've only read about in books or seen on TV. Every single day of your life becomes an adventure. There are things that you'll learn about yourself that you never knew existed. It's more than just seeing the wonders of the world, even though that's exciting as well. You'll learn how much you can take. You'll be challenged to see how far you can step out of your comfort zone. You'll experience things that are beyond imagination.

Life in Korea has been both a blessing and a curse.  Things that would be simple back home become difficult and challenging. Sometimes leaving the house, you have to mentally prepare yourself for what the day will be like. I find myself having pretend conversations in Korean in my head so that when I do speak to a Korean I don't sound ridiculous. It's the little things that begin to take its toll after a while, but with the bad, there is always good. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be living in such a beautiful country. Many people end up leaving Korea bitter and resentful, but I know that I won't feel that way.  My dreams of living in a far off land would not have come true. I would have lived a life of regret and now that I know what it's like, I can move on.

I discovered so much about myself in the past 18 months. I've learned that here is so much more going on in the world than what happens in my tiny little existence. The work ethic in Korea is unreal. The kids are always studying. Their days start at 7am and they don't end until close to 11pm. The adults are always working, trying to strive for more, trying to reach the next level. Koreans work themselves to exhaustion, but it's ingrained in them to have the best life possible. They are a resilient people and that is something that I can truly admire.

I've also learned that there is so much to see and experience. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful world. America is a diverse and amazing country, but it only scratches the surface of what is out there. Being an ex-pat has given me the opportunity to explore countries that I never would have been able to afford or thought of. Last year, I was able to finally travel to the Philippines. I finally saw the land of my people and the home of my parents. It was a moving experience and one I might have missed out on.

The most important thing I learned about myself is that I can conquer my fears. When I was younger, I was always known to be a spoiled brat. I never finished anything and I'm pretty sure that all my family and friends thought I would never amount to anything. I took all of their doubts and negativity and used that to fuel my determination to make something of myself. I've been blessed with a wonderful husband and a job that I love. After moving abroad, I used that same determination to succeed in Korea as well. 

Before coming here, I was worried that it wasn't going to work out. I went through all the scenarios in my head. They ranged from naughty children, horrible co-workers and nasty living conditions. Despite all these possibilities, I was determined to make it work. Thankfully, none of my scenarios came to fruition. I wake every day with the hope that this day will be better than the last and to make the most of my situation. Having this sort of attitude has taught me one important lesson. As long as I strive to do my best and always be optimistic, I can truly do anything and conquer any fears. 

My time in Korea is coming to a close soon, but the lessons I've learned and the challenges I've faced have made me a better person. I've become a better version of myself. I've grown into a stronger woman. I've discovered how much I can handle and how far I can go. I've discovered that anything is really and truly possible. 

Typography and Publications | Harry Potter Studio Tour 3 of 6

Lately, I've found myself drawn to typography and graphic design. I've found that it's very inspiring and it helps my writing. I know it's a bit strange that looking at book covers and calligraphy can spark ideas, but it does. So at this point, whatever works right? 

While on the Harry Potter Studio Tour, there was a small little section in the first studio. It wasn't one of the highlights, and it was right before the exit. In a huge glass display they showcased of all the publications created for the films. It was probably my favorite part of the tour. I took heaps of photos and was so excited to see the actual letters and newspapers. They always look amazing on camera, but up close they were gorgeous. The production crew spared no detail and everything was beautiful. Now if I could only create something just as awesome.

Daily Prophet and Wanted Posters

3D Quibbler

The Daily Prophet

From Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

From Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

Deathly Hallows Necklace

Letter from Lily Potter to Sirius Black

Dark Arts textbooks

Life of an Ex-pat | Sacrifices

Now that I've been away from home for over a year, I can say that I'm a true ex-pat. My feet haven't touched American soil in over 17 months. At first, I was really excited to finally be living in another country. My whole life, I dreamed of the day where I could say that I lived in some far off distant land. Recently, I've started to get a little homesick. 

Before we left for Korea, I was ready to go. I lived my whole life in Florida and always wanted to travel to some far off land. I spent so much of my life daydreaming about the day that I would be on a plane headed for those lands. However I think when we let our dreams and aspirations take over, we only focus on the big picture and forget the little things.

When I first arrived in Korea, it felt like coming home. It felt right. It never felt weird or awkward. It was perfect. Sure, there are days that I get annoyed because of the language barrier or because I can't eat at Chipotle, but it isn't anything I can't handle or overcome. I love living in Korea and thinking about the day that I have to leave makes me ridiculously sad.

Despite all of this, I've started to really miss parts of my old life. I still have no desire to return to Florida. That part of my life is over and has run its course. I spent 27 years there, I don't want to spend any more, but I still miss a lot of my previous life. All my dear friends and family have moved on. In the beginning, everyone was really interested in my new adventure. Now that it's been over a year, the interest has definitely lessened. Not just on their end, but on mine as well. Life definitely goes on, and just because I'm off having adventures doesn't mean that everyone's life stops and waits for my return.

As an expat, I've had to make huge sacrifices. I gave up the security of living in my own country. I gave up my home and my job. I gave up the ability to communicate in my own language. Most of all, I gave up time with my beloved family and friends. I can't even describe how many birthdays, graduations, births, and weddings I've missed in the past 17 months. At first, I understood that I would miss those milestones. Now, I'm starting to feel the loss of those memories I could've had, and I mourn the moments that I missed. Sometimes, I skip photo albums on Facebook because I feel a pinch in my heart. I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true.

Despite my sadness for moments missed, I'm very thankful for the last 17 months. I feel that this has been an experience that has been vital to my growth, and I've learned so much about myself. If I was given this opportunity again, I would and will always say, "Yes." It's true that there are times where I miss aspects of where my life could've gone, but I will never ever regret the decisions that I've made.

Credits: 
Frame and Paper Texture/ Mellowmint 
Typography/ Handwritten by me

The Future

Currently, I'm in this strange limbo period of my life. Recently, I started to think about what was next. Where would Markus and I be this time time next year? We decided not to renew for a third year in Korea. It's been an amazing experience living and working here, but it was never meant to be permanent. It was a hard decision to make, but it just didn't feel right staying here for another year. So with that decision made, Markus and I are embarking on another adventure in 2013.

It would be easy to continue teaching in Korea, but where's the fun in that? For me, two years is perfect. One year would've been too short. I would've felt like it was just a small taste of living in another country. With the extra year, I've felt like a real ex-pat. Not just someone pretending to be one, if that makes sense. Life in Korea is really easy. Being an ESL teacher has been a big challenge, but it's not hard to assimilate. There are difficult days, but they are few and far between.

In fact, thinking about life after Korea is much more scary than thinking about moving to Korea. When we were preparing to move here, most things were taken care of. We had a job, a home, and health insurance. I definitely felt safe and secure. Thinking about going home freaks me out. Markus and I have no jobs, no home and definitely no health insurance. Luckily, we are free to go anywhere. We aren't obligated to return to Florida. We can literally move to any of the 50 states. It's liberating and terrifying at the same time. All of these random scenarios have started running through my mind: Like what happens if we move somewhere and I hate it? What if we can't find jobs? What if we don't make any friends? Anything could happen!

I hate making bad decisions, and I really hate when things don't go according to plan. I'm the type of person that likes everything figured out. When Markus and I go on trips, I create these ridiculously detailed itineraries with almost every minute planned. It's just the way I am. I like to have a plan. The thought of starting this new phase of my life and not having a plan started freaking me out. It wasn't just the lack of a plan, but also the thought of really settling down that freaks me out. Things like buying a home, having a mortgage and having a baby are such foreign concepts to me now. Thoughts like these started to weigh down on me, but then I realized something. Just because we're not living in a foreign country or traveling to an exotic place doesn't mean that life isn't an adventure anymore. Adventure is all about the unknown, and that's what awaits Markus and I at the end of our contract. 

We have a completely clean slate, just like when we moved here. Our future is open to what we make it out to be. We can literally do anything. We can live out all and any dream that we have. We can go anywhere. There is nothing holding us back and I'm looking forward to this next phase of our life.