10 Ilunga (Tshiluba, Congo): A person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time

11 L’esprit de l’escalier (French): usually translated as “staircase wit,” is the act of thinking of a clever comeback when it is too late to deliver it

…

15 Meraki (pronounced may-rah-kee; Greek): Doing something with soul, creativity, or love. It’s when you put something of yourself into what you’re doing

16 Nunchi (Korean): the subtle art of listening and gauging another’s mood. In Western culture, nunchi could be described as the concept of emotional intelligence. Knowing what to say or do, or what not to say or do, in a given situation. A socially clumsy person can be described as ‘nunchi eoptta’, meaning “absent of nunchi”

25 Handy Words That Simply Don’t Exist In English

living with seoul

Everyone keeps asking how I like Seoul so far or commenting on how much of an adventure I must be having.

Honestly, it’s been wonderful, but I have yet to be forced outside my comfort level. My apartment is great, my neighborhood is safe, public transportation is easy and clean, and the food is incredible. And all that is wonderful when you’re living somewhere longterm. Sure, adventure is what I seek, but at the end of the day I still like to come home to a comfy bed and a hot cup of tea. Still, everything has just been so…easy.

The one thing, however, that I’m reminded of every time I walk into the staff room at work is the beauty I see in the people. The people I work with are from all walks of life and all have their own adventures and destinies to seek and to share. And I’m so grateful for these wonderful people because the human connections are what shape so much of our adventures and travels wherever we are. You can take a thousand photos of buildings and landscapes, but that one photo that captures the expression of a human soul is the one everyone will notice and usually the one with the best story to tell.

So here’s to the human connections that nurture the soul. Cheers.

A definitive list of what I packed in preparation for moving to Seoul. It took a lot of googling to find lists, and even the ones I found were, well, terrible. CANNED SOUP (See below)! 

I only found one definitive list on the web of what other people in my situation were taking along to Korea. I ignored the majority of lists that included a year’s worth of deodorant and certain types of food. One woman wrote she brought canned soup. WHY?! Even if you move somewhere in Korea where there are few grocery stores, why would you assume you’d have a can opener in your apartment?

A week in and Seoul already feels like home. I’ve just moved to teach English at Maple Bear CLI in downtown Seoul. This is most certainly an adventure in every sense of the word;  moving to a new country, learning a new language, and doing something completely new (like educating young minds) is going to be a whirlwind of excitement.

I look forward to all the new experiences coming my way.

First day in Seoul. Found a Paris Baguette for morning coffee. Love that wifi is everywhere, but for some reason I can’t connect on my phone at this cafe. And my apartment is yet to be equipped with Internet, so I have no desire to hang around there.

Also, it’s 10 AM and multiple people have walked in here with PJs still on. And I ate raman noodles for dinner last night. This is just. like. college. 

good:

The planet is undergoing rapid climate change, and precious corners of the earth are being irreversibly environmentally altered. The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” It’s a good time to ask, how does one see the world without contributing to problems of pollution and global warming?

‘Tourist’ doesn’t have to be a dirty word.

The 25 Most Beautiful Public Libraries in the World

The world in six cups

“It plays a central role in both religious rituals and secular ceremonies. It has proven health benefits. It can promote either community and camaraderie or solitude and introspection. It can be calming or invigorating. Tea is arguably the most versatile beverage on Earth.”

I once had a post about the world according to coffee. Well tea is a pretty good follow-up for those of us who enjoy global trekking and warm drinks.

(via summerwithlove)