More Books I've Read! Yahooo!

So here's a new vlog for you guys! Sorry to have been absent for so long. I quit my job on Friday, and I've been hiking and reading and hiking some more. Oh, and eating! But with this whole unemployment thing going on, I should be able to post more often! So, here's what I've done with my free time so far:

I'd also like to draw your attention to some other videos. My sister recently started song sparrow, a duo composed of Holly (the sisda) and her friend Amy. They sing! And they're pretty fantastic! Here's one of their most recent covers, sung amazingly well by MY SISTER. If you love them, go show your support by leaving a lovely comment on their YouTube channel or their Facebook page. Or heck, leave a comment here if you can't be bothered to click on the link. (For shame!) I can't tell you how proud I am of my little sister! I love to listen to that girl sing.

Everyone Likes Ice Cream, Especially Me

I found some footage of an ice cream run from my first year in Korea. I believe I posted it on this blog earlier, but it was an ugly piece of editing and uploaded through blogger, so basically it was crap. Welcome to the new and improved version of this video! (And if you haven't seen it before, feel free to leave a million and one comments about how you choose your ice cream!) Also, if you haven't already, go subscribe to my YouTube channel. Enjoy!

Inside My Head

What we think about ourselves is dangerous territory. And talking about what we think about ourselves with others is like sticking dynamite in your mouth and hoping it doesn't go off. I find when we begin to have a genuine conversation, an authentic dialogue about who we really believe ourselves to be, we discover that we're not so alone in our neuroses.

But it takes a certain kind of person to get to that place. Usually, if you try to talk about what you think about yourself, you will be bombarded with comments like, "How could you think that?" or "Don't be so negative." "Don't be so hard on yourself." "No, you're not ___________!" (Fill in the blank with whatever your current body/self-related obsession happens to be). And I find discussions like this to be stupid and somewhat pointless. When I tell you what I think about myself in my head, I don't need you to tell me that I'm wrong to think that. If I'm telling you about it, I probably already know it's way off course. And that's the thing about self-image. How can we ever be certain about what others think of us? And honestly, they're probably too busy going over their own list of flaws in their head to care too much about yours.

But VEDA? VEDAers, as I've taken to calling the participants, are not like this. They are listeners. They are willing to open up authentic dialogues. They are willing to hear the most horrible things you have to say about yourself and respond with sympathy, not trite platitudes about how you should love yourself. Because we all know we should love ourselves. Sometimes, what we really need to hear is, "Yeah. Me too."

I was really blown away by the response to my own VEDA video, and definitely moved by many others' honest and vulnerable videos. I thought I would share some of that here. I also want to send you over to read this post from Kerri, who is sadly not participating in VEDA, but has ended up writing a beautiful and inspiring post on body image at the same time!

These are the stories we're telling ourselves about who we are. These are the dialogues we're running in our heads. These are the words informing our esteem, determining our worth. They are not perfect, but they are honest. And they are real.

Good Morning, Good Morning

The only way I think the morning is great is if I stay up late and meet the next day in front of the computer, reading a book, or talking with the HubbO. Kind of like this: (Sorry for the subtitles at the bottom. The rest of the videos had disabled embedding.)

That was one of my favorite scenes from Singing in the Rain and it's still the only way I like to have anything to do with morning times. It's a happy song that only makes me happy after the morning is over. Because basically, nothing can cheer me up or pull me out of a funk before 11 am.

Today's topic was "Mornings" for VEDA. So, here it is.

VEDA: Vlog Every Day in August

Today is the first of August (I have 6 minutes of this day left!) and it is also the beginning of Ashley and Pham's collaboration: VEDA. Which stands for Vlog Every Day in August. Apparently in is too short to ride this ride. Poor guy. Maybe next year.

Anyway, I am participating in this huge video blogging extravaganza. And let me tell you, I do NOT feel like figuring out all the editing stuff for my videos. So, most of it will be uncut and unedited. Except for the fact that I took like 15 takes and said a lot of bad words. So, the final product is okay. It's a little longer than I had planned, but for me to talk to myself for less than at least 10 minutes is rough. Anyway, it's not all fancy pants or anything. 

Another note, before you watch it (because you are going to watch it, right?), we do not have air conditioning. Have I told you this before? And I had to turn off the office fan in order to be heard on the video. So, it gets a little messy there, what with the sweat mustache and all. Forgive my perspiration.  Also, I had to change my freaking location because Korea doesn't allow people to upload videos due to their "real name/ID" policy. Yeah, that's right. No anonymity on the Korean Internets. Luckily, it was easy to fix. 

AND you can find all the participants' blogs, YouTube channels, and Twitters here. You can find my YouTube Channel here and my Twitter here. I'll post the first couple videos here, but most likely will turn out just posting links here, as well as Twitter and Facebook. 

Not only is this week the first week in August, it's the first week of a 10 day cleanse I'm doing. So, if I'm all cranky and crappy in the next few videos, you'll know why! Enjoy the videos and make sure you leave lots of comments. Because I'm off the coffee and donuts for the next 10 days. Feeeeed me with your looooooove. Okay? Okay!

Open House

Well, I'm officially a Wonju Wife! We are so pleased with our new apartment. We still have a few finishing touches to tend to, and after I took this video Kenny put up some cute shelves in the living room over the couch. Our home is coming together slowly, but it's simple and we love it! I wish I could invite you all over for some sweet tea!

Enjoy the tour!!

Pool Side!

About time for one of these, no?

New exclamation, taking the place of "Oh my God": "Oh my dread!"

Weekend Wedding Update

Hello all. This is a little video for you, just detailing a bit of my preparations for the upcoming wedding ceremony. I didn't edit it at all, number one because I'm freaking tired and number two because I pretty much crack myself up at the end. I have created enough videos with iMovie that I should remember how to do it, but every time is like the first time. Eh, what can you do? I wish you all a beautiful weekend, wherever in the world you are. 


Wedding Hair Rage from danielle buckley on Vimeo.

You Can Thank Me Later

for the awesome linkage I'm about to bestow upon you. 

Today was the first Sunday of Advent and I got to participate in it by being part of the group that lit the first candle. I wanted to write something about Advent tonight, but after reading something a friend had written, everything I wrote seemed to be echoing his piece. So, instead, I offer you the original. This is a link to one of my buddy's posts on Advent a few years ago that he was so kind to share with me. You can find it here: Part I, and Part II. I believe that everything he says is spot on and that we waste so much time in our lives by refusing to live expectantly, refusing to feel everything thoroughly. We refuse to do the waiting as the waiting should be done. And I think we're missing things. At least, I think I'm missing things. I just want things to be here and to be now. But this Advent season, as I stood in front of the congregation this morning and sang The First Noel, I allowed myself to be overwhelmed with anticipation... things are coming toward us, sometimes in slow motion. And so many times the slow motion is an opportunity. I plan on taking those opportunities. 

Also, Thanksgiving has come and gone and everyone has posted their mandatory list of things they're thankful for. Well, my favorite blogger of all time (who often makes me late to meetings, to work, to appointments, to church, to wherever I'm supposed to be but can't get there on time because I'm reading her blog and can't seem to pull myself away) posted something that seemed so true and I thought that I would share it with you. 

On a completely unrelated note, Roboseyo (who seems to be taking over my blog at the moment- was this your plan, Rob? To charm me into plugging your blog ceaselessly?) has done some incredible editing to the stupid video Kenny and I made about ordering food in Korean. He has made it watch-able, entertaining, and actually helpful and informative. So, watch it again because it only gets better! We tried to record me actually ordering the food, but the first place was closing and wouldn't take my order and the second place was no longer serving what I ordered, so both calls were aborted. The next time I order something, I'll try to remember to turn the camera on first. It's much easier to remember all the Korean when you're sitting in your apartment with your boyfriend. It's much harder and incredibly nerve-wracking to actually speak to someone on the other end of the line!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the linked love I'm sending you this holiday season. 

Let's wait in eager anticipation together!

I'm HUNGRY.

Because I'm a total nerd and because I'm a little bit overexcited about.... well, most things, the boyfriend and I have made a video! I was inspired by this awesome video that Roboseyo so kindly posted on his blog along with more extremely helpful hints. I don't know how many expats read this blog, so this might simply be entertaining my friends and family back home. And in that case, I'm totally quizzing you guys next week. That's right, mom, so listen carefully and watch twice! 

No, really, it's just for fun and because I thought that perhaps it would be cool to hear both sides of the conversation when you're ordering food in Korea. I'm not sure why I haven't raved about the take out service here before, but it's fantastic. You can get food delivered to anywhere. Let's say you're down by the river side sitting on a bench and you feel those familiar, wonderful fuzzies down in your tummy. Some people call them hunger pains, but whatev. I love to eat, but I love to eat even more when I'm hungry. So, you're starved all of a sudden and you're on this random bench and you are convinced that you will die if you do not have jjah-jang-myun (짜장면) immediately. You make a call, you give your approximate location, and a few minutes later, a guy on a motorbike calls you and says, "The third bench underneath the tree on the right after the toilets, or the bench under the third tree?" Seriously, delivery is no problem. And it's free. And, as Otto notes in his video, there are no dishes to be done. There's actually nothing to be done but the eating.

However, before you can enjoy this delicious meal on the third bench, you must order your food. And that might be a bit difficult. So to make it easier (or extremely difficult but rather funny), enjoy our first language lesson experiment! 

[EDIT: Actually, upon review, we have come to the conclusion that our video totally sucks. A remake is in the works that is much simpler and slower and less chatty. So, this is pretty much just for kicks. It was done in a hurry and we didn't practice. And we didn't ever sum up and like have the entire conversation again just in Korean without the explanation. In other words, we know it sucked, you don't have to tell us. But you could tell us how much you love us, instead.]

Friday Treat

An abbreviated installment of ChubbO Pushes Play and Words Come Out. Lots of words. But not quite so many as last time. 

Happy Halloween. Less than a week before I leave for the States to attend my sisda's wedding. What do you think about these video things? Like? Loathe Entirely? 

No Longer a Video Virgin!

So, in addition to this lovely gem of video blogging, I'm also "starring" over at Sarah's blog with a guest post about... you guessed it! The Seoul Metro. 

Let me know what you guys think about the video blog. I might try it out because it doesn't take as long to run my mouth as it does to write carefully and rewrite 5 times. 

Go have a donut, you deserve it.