Author: kaleenamq

An American Expat Thanksgiving in Korea

I love the feeling of a home once the last guest has left a party.   The air is warm and cozy and an energy clings to the air, echoes of laughter still ringing from the walls. The few remaining dishes and scattered chairs don’t bother me; they’re a sign of the life lived and… Continue reading An American Expat Thanksgiving in Korea

This. Is. SPARTA! Conquering the Reebok Spartan Race in Seoul

Have you ever dreamed of crawling through mud and under barbed wire, scaling 10 foot walls, carrying sandbags up and down hills, throwing a javelin, or climbing a 20ft rope out of a pool of freezing water? No? But I thought that was everyone’s idea of a good time! Well, I suppose I always have… Continue reading This. Is. SPARTA! Conquering the Reebok Spartan Race in Seoul

Mommy, Where Do Ajummas Come From?

This story first appeared in Platform, Daegu’s newest magazine aimed at “reconnecting the people living here with the everyday highlights the city has to offer”. Read the November issue HERE. All illustrations done by the talented Stephen Elliott. Koreans have a saying that there are three sexes: Men, Women, and Ajummas. It’s not hard a hard claim… Continue reading Mommy, Where Do Ajummas Come From?

Lessons from Dragonflies

Yesterday, a dragonfly flew through the window into my classroom.   I’ve always liked dragonflies and thought of them as sort of mystical creatures, so I didn’t understand why my entire classroom of 30 students erupted into hysteria at its appearance. As it buzzed across the ceiling, occasionally dipping down near students’ heads, the girls… Continue reading Lessons from Dragonflies

Bali’s Magic and How I Got My Groove Back

A new chapter in life. Oh how I love symbolism.

The taxi driver occasionally glanced at the road as he swerved around the hairpin turns and played chicken with oncoming traffic on the narrow highway; most of the time his eyes were fixed in the rearview mirror at my face, while he waved an arm about, emphatically describing to me Balinese life.   He pointed… Continue reading Bali’s Magic and How I Got My Groove Back

A Chuseok Stay-Cation with the Sis and Only One Disaster

While everyone and their mom were off in Japan acquiring radioactive super powers during the five-day Korean holiday of Chuseok, my sister and I were rocking a stay-cation in the good ol’ ROK. I suppose it wasn’t quite a stay-cation for my sister, considering it took her a 13 hour flight to get here. But… Continue reading A Chuseok Stay-Cation with the Sis and Only One Disaster

Fatty McFatterson Goes to a Korean Weight Loss Clinic

This story first appeared in Platform, Daegu’s newest magazine aimed at “reconnecting the people living here with the everyday highlights the city has to offer”. Read the first issue HERE! All illustrations done by the talented Stephen Elliott.    Before I came to Korea I was fairly certain the only food they ate here was… Continue reading Fatty McFatterson Goes to a Korean Weight Loss Clinic

Fatty McFatterson Takes a Korean Swim Class

You may have read about the time I joined a Korean gym (if not, I highly recommend you do, if only for your own pure entertainment). I decided to let my gym membership lapse recently, though,  not because of the belly poking–he was smart enough not to try any of those shenanigans again–but more because… Continue reading Fatty McFatterson Takes a Korean Swim Class

A Day at Suseong Pond–I Mean Lake

I’d been hearing all about this amazing place, Suseong Lake. “A beautiful lakeside getaway”, they’d said. I pictured a sprawling waterfront, nestled at the base of a lush mountain, with tendrils of water wrapping their way around it’s tree shaded base. I envisioned boats motoring their way across, casting out a small wake and shaking… Continue reading A Day at Suseong Pond–I Mean Lake

Cucina Kaleena: Cooking in an Expat’s Kitchen

The very first thing I baked in my new oven. Looks like it works!

In recent months I have sprained my ankle, burned my leg in the second degree, nearly chopped off the top of my thumb, and fallen down the stairs on more than one occasion. “A right walking disaster you are”, is how one friend described me. And it’s true, I really am my own greatest health… Continue reading Cucina Kaleena: Cooking in an Expat’s Kitchen

Tentacles, Rice, and Nudity: The Truth About Culture Shock

This blog has been conspicuously uninhabited lately; logging in today feels like walking down a dark and dusty corridor, brushing off the cobwebs and trying to find the light switch. Usually, my excuse for absence is a lack of time. It’s true that my life lately has been operating at lightning speed with hardly a… Continue reading Tentacles, Rice, and Nudity: The Truth About Culture Shock