After a game of hoops I looked out over the mountains and the sea of Kangwha Island in South Korea. Just across the river from this beautiful island lies North Korea. Over the past couple months I got pretty used to the threats of war and just go about my daily life but standing so near the border on the last day of the year makes me wonder about the future. It makes me wonder about my own life. This will be my 20th year in Korea. I can read and write and speak but not like a Korean. After 20 years in the same neighborhood the neighbors grew to respect me and invite me to their homes. Still there is a barrier I feel that I would like to overcome this year but reading and writing and speaking more Korean language. I found a Korean comic book called Daeun. It is the first Korean book I read and really enjoyed. The book is about a first grade elementary school boy named Daeun and his parents. His dad is stressed out from work and comes home late. His mom is exhausted taking care of him and his sister. On the first day of school she feels like she is sending Daeun into outer space but after a few days she discovers mom’s independence. With Daeun gone she can do some of the things she always wanted to do. It really is an adult comic book but kept me laughing for hours. This year I want to read more books like this. I want to laugh my head off and at the same time learn Korean. Laughing for my health is just as important as studying Korean. Nowadays the only time I laugh is when I play ping pong. I will find a few more ways to laugh in the new year not just hahaha or hohoho but a couple of hehees and whaha hark harks.
Last but not least is the internet. 2018 will be the year of smart internet for me. First, I had a data problem this month. Somehow I used 6GB of data on my smart phone 3G. That’s about 20 dollars at my rates. It seems to be a combination of backing up pictures and videos I took at Christmas and also using the blockchain on Steemit. So first resolution is to stop using 3G and only use the phone in a wifi area. The second resolution is never to use my smart phone in front of the kids or in front of friends who want to talk to me. This is the rudest behavior I found myself doing in 2017. From the bathroom I heard my youngest son call, “Dad, the water is too cold.” And my answer was, “Just a minute. I just have to check this.” I also vowed not to blog at home mostly my wife can’t stand it. I will write my posts first on my own time and then post them or schedule the post to be published at a certain time. It seems that Eastern time 6pm and 8am work the best for the audience I am aiming at. So that’s my 2018 as regards to Steemit.
- Read Korean books
- Laugh a lot
- Watch 3G data usage and don’t use the stupid phone in front of kids or in front of people who are trying to talk to me.
Happy New Year to you!!
Do you have any New Year resolution?