Tae Guk il Jang: Shi-Jak! (Lesson one: Start!)

Did you ever do that experiment in kindergarten where you place a sheet of colored paper in the sun, with various objects on top of it? The paper fades, but retaines bright spots where a stone or a maple leaf had protected it from the light. In my mind, details grow similarly pale, unless I do something deliberate to anchor them.

I intend Seoul Kiss to be a blog where I can organize and retain my thoughts. Of course, Korea is my central focus, but I will also attempt to spring board into broader topics, such as what it means to live and love in a world where people are electronically connected, but seem so emotionally splintered. Also, through exploring Korean culture, I hope to make discoveries about my own cultural identity as an American.

Although writing and publishing novels is one of my dreams, presenting my thoughts publicly makes me feel vulnerable. Actually, I have had several blogs before, but they have always been disorganized and private, or at least, limited to a small number of select readers. This time, by linking my blog to facebook, I am actively inviting my family, my friends (both Western and Korean), my boyfriend, my ex-boyfriends, my coworkers, the girl I used to sit in the library with in jr high reading choose your own adventure books, the guy who always wore a top hat and saved his cat's bones after it died, etc. Its a little terrifying, but that makes me feel all the more strongly that it'll be worth it. Whoever you are, I'm glad you have become a part of this process. Welcome.

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