#TurkishAirlinesSaveSomalia

Often times, I watch the media and the kinds of atrocities that happen, but for some reason, I always can't help but feel helpless, for there isn't something I can do that will provide immediate & full relief to those affected.

But this morning when I woke up and was flipping through Instagram, I saw this one post with the hashtag #TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia and I was wondering what it was. So I Googled it, here was what I found:

As of this morning, nothing was up..

I had to get out of bed so I shrugged and went about my day.
Then in my effort to procrastinate, I went through a group on FB for travelers and landed on this video:

For those of you who are kinda lazy to watch it, it's by one of the most well known humans on the interweb, Jerome Jarre. In this video, he's speaking in French, clearly upset.

He's talking about how a friend of his sent him a video of a little girl who was dying of dehydration after having to walk 90 miles for water. After expressing his disbelief at the situation, he goes on to talk about how this issue can be easily resolved:

Using an airlines to fly all the food and water to Somalia.

He mentions that everyone is on social media, from food corporations, drink corporations, to airlines. So he suggested that we all play a role and fill up the planes with food supplies to Somalia. 

He then explained that Turkish Airlines is ONE airlines that flies there, and invited everyone to get Turkish Airlines to respond with an answer. So when I started this post, I looked it up again and it seems like things have changed.

this looks promising.

Even Ben Stiller has shown his support 

It's cool to see that people are posting these hashtags, and I see lots of people sending out tons of ideas. Someone also said "why don't we buy out the seats and just fill them with food?" I think it's a cool idea and I'm excited for that to happen. 

The reason why I'm talking about this is because I'm reminded of something my father once told me about lending money. Lots of people will ask you for money, but don't give them money. Instead, ask them if they're hungry and buy/make them food. 

Thus why I'm talking about it and want to do something about it. 

I've done my hashtag #TurkishAirlinesSaveSomalia here and want to encourage you to do the same, on all of your social media. 

Throw in ways that you think will be inclusive of all donors & donations, the airlines, and most importantly those deprived of human's most basic needs. 

Hello, It's Me.

Alright.

I've been meaning to sit down and face my laptop as I update you on what's occurred in my life since my last post in September. That was when I posted about how proud I was of myself for applying to a job in Google.

Lots and lots have moved, changed, and moved out since then. So I've rounded them up into 10 things:

1. My plans in Korea have shifted due to some unfortunate circumstances and I have relocated back to my home in Malaysia. Lucky for me, I've had to move out of my place in Korea so I don't have any outstanding bills to deal with.
2. Since the end of my school semester, I have been applying for jobs, going to interviews, and then getting rejection after rejection. At one point, my bank account was so low, I had to take up a job busting tables at a nightclub. 
3. My colleagues & boss at the club had taken very good care of me, but after my last job hunting stint, which resulted in me remaining in Malaysia, I told myself that as much as I enjoyed being in Korea, I do not want to risk my stay by working without the appropriate paperwork. 
4. With that said, my family has had the misfortune of having to bare the brunt from my Airbnb rental (which sadly, is still unresolved), and the upgrade fee that went through the day before my flight (you're welcome, MAS haha jk)
5. Slamming the breaks to all of the employment mess, all the traveling & Chinese New Year celebrations, I am now pursuing a career in the field that I am most passionate about: performing arts. I've begun my process of going for auditions and to casting houses for potential jobs. One of which you may or may not have seen on my Facebook (if we're friends). 
6. While I'm in the process of doing so, I'm also doing some other work on the side to feel productive & to earn money. With a new determination to write more & to practice my craft. 
7. I miss Korea loads & I wish that I was there. But I am still feeling pretty stoked about what the future holds now that I've made the decision to start pursuing something locally and moving outwards.
8. I am friends with the person I was seeing previously, and it's been a pretty weird adjustment. But all in good vibes. I've let go and was given the opportunity to speak my mind, so there's no bad blood at least on my part.
9. I'm kinda nervous about saying this next bit cuz I don't usually announce things like this, but I am really excited to say that I've been seeing someone and I am over the moon about it. 
10. Last but not least, my hair is back to black again.

In a nutshell, that is what's up with my life. 

For those of you who've been checking in on me, from the bottom of my heart, thank you thank you thank you. 

For those of you who are still religiously swinging by for updates, I'm sorry. But thank you for your kind kind patience. I have been experiencing life, accumulating stories, and compiling them to retell them to you in time to come. 

Please bare with me while I seek balance of my footing in this new & exciting journey. 

Thank you once again. 

I Applied for a Job at Google

I applied for a job at Google.

This just happened a second before I began writing this.

But today, after a renewed confidence, I decided it was time to really push myself to get the job I really want so I am able to stay in Seoul with a job that fits every single criteria.

I started by fixing up my résumé. After writing up my Korean résumé (CV, more like), I was beginning to feel as if there was a lack of something. I wasn't putting in as much information as I should and I had limited myself to keeping my résumé at only 1 page. As a fresh college grad, that seemed acceptable. But now that it has been a good 3 years, it was time for a revamp. So I did a quick Google search:

My god. This whole time I was wondering WHY NO ONE WANTED TO HIRE ME. 

Silly Billy. 

So there I was. I saw the job at Google that finally fit my abilities: language. 

And sat there revamping my résumé. Afterwards, in the bottom most section of the application there was a Cover Letter section stating that there was no need for one. But I still felt the need to write one so here it goes:

While one's work experiences and success stories are a positive indicator of one's success, a bigger, more significant but forgotten trait is one's daily practices. In a society where work has become a sole index of one's success, many have become blinded to only one's financial stability as a means of achieving success. Upon achieving financial stability or status, many become cold and inattentive towards their contributions as a member of society. Enthused neither by the need to make small contributions such as helping an elderly member cross the street, nor bigger contributions such as fighting for equal rights. Many have become blindsided by the need for comfort and status, thus becoming mere observers instead of taking a stance and helping others. "To create a steady stream of global citizens that contribute to society" was the motto of Soka University of America (SUA), my alma mater of four years. A university founded upon Buddhist principles, Soka means to create value in Japanese. As a result, the students who attended SUA were constantly encouraged to seek the bigger pictures in daily life. Students were challenged on a daily basis to apply all the learnt knowledge towards their daily lives, and in the long run, towards contributing towards causes for an equal and peaceful society. Despite my initial negativity and rejection, by the end my four years at SUA, I carried a heart overflowing with appreciation and gratitude for the four marvelous and life altering years. The four years at SUA were challenging to say the least as it was a balancing act between two athletic sport practices, extra-curriculum activities, a part-time job, while overloading on classes. On the flip side, never having obtained a good grades throughout all my academic years, SUA made a once pessimistic student enthusiastic about learning through their interactive and integrative environment. All the classes offered many room for personal and academic growth by nurturing students' innate curiosity and drive. For example, Physics lessons were not about how well one could do the calculations. Instead, students were told to put themselves in the shoes of the first scientists by asking the question "what can I do to find the solutions to these questions?". Then, after seeking out the solutions, students were asked how they were able to transfer these skills toward understanding culture, society, and systems. Then, through comprehension, to revisit and revise methods in improving the justice systems, education, the environment, and ultimately, society. As a proud alumni of SUA, I believe that the invaluable education and lessons I have obtained during my four years serves as a beneficial addition to my experiences. Keeping my alma mater's motto close at heart, I am confident that I will serve as a valuable addition to Google as a Language Specialist team.

But really, Google, if you're reading this (since blogspot IS under Google and I'm sure you have access of this), I felt the strong need to talk about SUA and how that has shaped me as who I am today. And to SUA, I want to say a big fat 

for playing such a magnanimously beautiful part of my formative years (I am a late bloomer you see). 

Thank you for having so much faith in me and for pushing me while teaching me all I need to learn. 

Regardless of whether I get this job, I am truly proud to have been able to apply for this job and the process it took for me to also share my appreciation for my alma mater and all those who were, and still are a part of this amazing institution. 

I tilt my head off to you and to Google, I say, thank you as well for opening up this opportunity for 

me.

Good evening.

3 Months in a Nutshell

Wow crocodiles.

I can't believe it has been 3 months since my last update. So much has happened since I thanked my beloved father for his endless dedication to making our family's lives a happier, healthier, and more comfortable one. Once again, thanks dad! In real life though, I had JUST gotten off the phone with our family man too so I'm feeling extra filial atm.

Any Hooters. 

As I was saying, a shit ton has happened since my last post. And after what happened today, I think it was most definitely due time for a much much anticipated & needed update.

So Kim, what happened today?

Glad you asked, Chip!
But before I go into that, let me just really quickly run through what has occurred over the last 3 months:

1. For starters, yours truly had so much fun in Level 6. Oh man. The workload sure was something! My classmates, fellow Level 6-ers, and I were bombarded with Power Point presentations (which I always made extra effort for, even if we only got 1 damn point for it), group presentations, prep work, or some sort of extra point big presentation (where we took up certain roles or did something big like have an official interview with video/audio recordings), not to mention, the workbook exercise that seems to come too quickly on top of our essays, readings, and well, you get the picture.

2. I had the usual work of tutoring my 6 year old student. Which has been fun as usual.

3. Level 6 ended finally! And while all my examination points (which included the Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening section) added up to give me a pretty good grade in total, I was unfortunately not given a "graduation certificate". The reason being, for each section, there was a minimum grade to be achieved. Sadly for Kim, her Reading grade was not met. Thus, making Kim unworthy of the certificate. To which I was rather disappointed (let's be real, who wouldn't be, right?), but came to terms with. I've accepted it, and I also have come to understand that I don't need a piece of paper to prove that I know Korean because...

4. I translated 2 whole experiences from Korean to English all on my own. With literally no help. Only for certain words that were absolutely foreign (specific terminology that they don't really teach you in school) so yay! See what I told you?

5. Telling people (especially my parents) about me not passing Level 6 was not very fun because for my parents... Wait, funny story actually, my dad was under the impression that I was in grad school or something T_T (aww..) but of course I explained it to him and he was REALLY sweet about it. He understood it and, like many of my concerned friends asked: "well, are you gonna take the exams again?" The answer is, no. Simple: If I were to do so, I'd have to retake the classes. Do EVERYTHING (in Level 6) all over again, all the presentations, group work, etc, AND THEN take the exams again. Nah. Not worth the time, money, not effort. So instead...

6. When my roommate (who is now in Level 3) started classes, I got her to buy me the reference book for Level 6 to help me understand what I still struggle with. Self help. Yas.

7. But of course, now that Level 6 is over, I have begun to live on my savings and have been job hunting like a mad woman. The initial hunt was dreadful. There were too many jobs that rejected me from the get go with conditions stating "NO SPONSORSHIP WILL BE PROVIDED" or they were jobs I had ZERO expertise in such as engineering.

my sentiments exactly.

8. When I did finally find jobs I could work, it was either unpaid (yeah, cuz I feed my hungry tummy with rays from the sun), or strictly no visa sponsorships will be provided

9. I celebrated my birthday! YAY! I'm out of the quarter life mark, aka no more crisis.. Maybe..?

10. Until one day when I was going to meet a friend to discuss some potential YouTube stuff, she led me to the company on the pretense that I was going to work for them & had an impromptu interview. Then after an hour listening to the CEO tell me what my process was going to be (which was 3 month probation then full time job with visa sponsorship), I was honored the privilege of hearing him yap away about the potential and how he would love to help me grow, I applied to that company after taking a full day trying to figure out what to say for my "cover letter" which was basically answering a ton of questions which leads me to today

11. I got called in for a 2nd interview today, and I showed up on time (remembering how the CEO said his BIGGEST pet peeve was tardiness), actually I showed up early to avoid all that, but for starters, he wasn't even in (oookay). So instead the "Team Manager" interviewed me. He was a lot less friendlier than our first meeting (which included ALL three company heads ie Mr Team Manager) which should have been a tell tale sign. Next, he seemed to be in a rush for something but was patient enough to give me the time of day by asking me if I had any questions. Which I did and fired away. The answers I got back were all starting to match my criterion about my job hunt. They're pretty straightforward: 

• Visa sponsorship
• A job in the field I was passionate about (which is entertainment and they WERE an entertainment company)
• One that'll develop my skills, knowledge & experience 
• Friendly, equal, healthy, happy work environment
• Good pay

Of these 5 conditions, most of them were met. Maybe not so much the pay for now, but being in a 3 month probation period, you don't wanna overcompensate, I get it. The money should last me for those 3 months. So, of course, there was a part of me that was like "NEHHHH too good to be true". But off I was, looking for the right visas to apply for to begin this process. However, I came to an impasse. I would either apply for a 3 month temp work visa (for the probation period), or if I already have an annual contract, to just get a full employment one. That's when I found out that my probation period was not 3 months as stated in the 1st impromptu interview and the interview today, but was FIVE months. Confused I corrected him only to get a firm denial stating that they said FIVE months. Still confused, I messaged the CEO in the group chat, recounting the ENTIRE thing from our impromptu till the very last message. 

The response I got from the CEO was: "Well, I believe that I said our probation period was FIVE months." But my friend having been there during our impromptu, chimed in and vouched that he DID say 3 months. Only for him to say "well, looks like there has been a miscommunication between the speaker and the listener. But let me say this. In Korea (IN KOREA), the probation period for workers is 3 to 10 months (man, no wonder Korea has a high rate of suicide), and for our company, the probation period is 5 months. So after all the back and forth, my friend called me and said, Kim, just let it go. They're not being fair. So just thank them for the opportunity, explain that 3 months would've worked (realistically speaking) but 5 months is just too much of a strain. So I explained just that and thanked them for the opportunity and left the group chat. 

So obviously this news had to go to my parents. 

After listening, mom's advice was:

"ALWAYS write it down. Then at the end of the thing, repeat it so you're both in the same understanding"

Dad called me separately to remind me that this wasn't the end of the world. He reminded me that there are always better things out there that are waiting for the perfect timing. He reminded me not to despair and to keep my head up as tomorrow is a new day. Them being in Europe, he still kept his child in mind and told me to call it a night so I am fueled for the next day. 

Needless to say, this was a valuable lesson. Both mom and dad have their valid points. But tomorrow is a new day. So I shall just focus on that. But I hope that my situation has also shed some light on your own experiences and life. I hope that you don't do the same mistakes I do. Or, DO. Because it is through these mistakes that we remember and when have something to laugh about, as a reminder of how far we have come. 

Looking at today, I can say that I am blessed to have parents that are so kind and understanding. Patient in listening to their daughter while also being encouraging without pressuring me. An experience I truly admire, and appreciate. Thus, I felt the strong urge to share it with you, my fellow readers & comrades in life. 

To that, I say cheers. On to bigger, better things. 

Good night. 

12. Oh I'm also cat sitting and am starting to get the hunch that the owner doesn't really want it anymore..? HAHA

To My Superman, Dad

One of my earliest memories I've had was me in my little red pinafore around the age of 4/5 going to a Chinese kindergarten. Then, the uniform was as such that little girls had to wear red pinafores to school. And the only thing that I can recall about that dark dark time (in my opinion pretty darn dark because I could speak zero Mandarin then), besides peeing my pants in front of everyone, was my dad in his necktie, carrying me as I cried and said I didn't wanna go to school.

Another memory I have (though I can honestly say with full conviction that I have ZERO memories of this) of my dad and I is this one photo of me when I was a tiny little baby. He was holding baby me by the back of my neck while propping me up by my bum.

I remember seeing that photo for the first time when I was about 11 or 12 years old. It's actually my dad's favorite photo of me. For as long as I can remember, my dad has always talked about it. He must really like that photo haha.

But enough about all these little snippets of memories. As I write this, looking back today in retrospect, I can't quite recall my dad being very vocal about things. When it came to punishing us, mom was always the one in charge. Whenever it came to us asking the parents for permission, it was always/ mostly through mom's approval. Dad seldom got mad, but instead would get impatient. He'd get impatient when we would get ready to go out to eat. He was always (even till this very day) the first to be downstairs and ready to head out. It's as if his insatiable love and passion about food motivates him to be on his toes, ready for his feast. He wouldn't say it but I guess deep down we all knew that dad was just tremendously excited to be trying out the new restaurants that he had heard about (especially since it was all word-of-mouth then). Needless to say, dad's true love, besides mom, was food. But that love was also translated in the fantastically amazing yet simple cooking. Both my parents are amazing cooks and I've learnt so much from the both of them. Growing up, I always remember dad in his apron & his top off, cooking for us but also calling out to me to make sure I'm standing next to him so I could "learn how to cook". He used to follow it by saying "I tell you ah, next time it'll come in handy when you go to university". And actually, it was my dad who taught me how to cook for the first time in my life. The first thing I learnt how to cook (instant noodles do not count) was fried eggs.

I was about 8 years old. It was a Sunday morning, and the night before, dad had told me that he was going to teach me how to fry an egg. Then, we lived in a house where our "wet" kitchen was actually not within the house. But sorta adjacent to the kitchen door (we had 2 entrances to the house, one the main door, which was used when guests came/ late at night, the other, the kitchen door). I used what felt like a giant kuali and fried my first ever egg. I remember that morning, I was so excited to learn it that I sprinted down to fry the egg and started without my dad (I had seen the adults do it so many times I figured it was a piece of cake to do it myself. And of course, SUCCESS!) then as I was almost done frying my first egg, he appeared and said that it looked good! I could remember the overwhelming feeling I got from a successful fried egg + dad's approval + most importantly, not killing myself haha. Right afterwards, he got me to fry 4 more & I was more than happy to do so. Possibly one of the best days of my life, etched in my memory for the rest of my life. 

Dad was always excited about food. He taught my brother and I how to eat steak, salmon, to use cutlery properly, and even why it's important to know how to use chopsticks. Since we (my brother and I) were young, he and mom had always done everything in their power to make sure that we were well exposed to various kinds of tastes, cultures, and backgrounds. If you know me well enough, you'd know that I'm always super down to try new things. Be it foods, books, activities, or even fashion styles, I'm always down. And it's all thanks to my parents. My parents also made it a point to get both of us to learn how to do menial tasks. From whistling (this is also another one of my favorite memories! But I'll save that for another time), to changing a light bulb, dad (& mom) taught us to how to buy newspaper from the uncle downstairs without being scared. Now you know where I learnt how to do so many things.

So today, I honor not only my father, but both my parents for being supportive of one another, and for teaching me that both mom and dad are equal. What mom can do, dad can as well. Vice versa. Growing up, I never saw the binary of what men should only do, etc. Instead, I saw both my parents on equal playing fields as men & women and I'm tremendously grateful for having such fantabulous parents like these two individuals (although like every human being, they have their flaws and I can't stand them sometimes -They, me too, I'm sure-) but both of them have taught my brother and I ample things that many seem to take for granted.

So thank you, mom & dad. Thank you for being such superheroes!


Love ya!

Cookie Monster Cleans

It is official crunch crunch Cookie Monster on a binge crunch time for Kim.

I have completed week 1 of my final quarter/ semester of Korean classes and the search for a job has become more urgent than ever.

And so, if you haven't already done so, you'll know that if you type my name in on Facebook, you'll see my beautiful face. Annnddd before you ask "wait, Kim, didn't you...?" to which I shall respond. HOLD YOUR HORSES. It's on for a reason. I needed to contact humans urgently and so had it on. But I also remembered that my previous self had joined groups for non-teaching job seekers and had been browsing for potential jobs. That and only that reason. I use it neither to stalk, post, nor scroll newsfeed at all. NADA.

And in my search for jobs, I found this company that said they were constantly looking for people to write for them. And so I emailed them with my samples from my previous job alongside my Twitter & blog. After 3 days of back and forth emailing, this came...

Needless to say, I am rather excited. In one of the emails, the said person had informed me that they're launching a new magazine that is looking to explore an area of luxury in Korea. This gets me excited, not only because I get to continue working on my craft, but I get to do some work that I really really enjoy. It's been a while since I got to go out and do work like this, and so this gives me immense joy. I really hope that things work out.

But despite all this excitement, the hunt is still on. I still need a work that'll provide me with a visa to stay in Korea for the long haul. So before I strap on my invisible I shall be undefeated! bandana, excuse me while I go deep clean my bathroom.

A Bizarre Spiritual Encounter

I had the most bizarre event happen to me today.

It was a nice, cool day out, with winds, and some soft sunlight that greeted me as I waiting for my student to arrive home from school for her English tutoring (I did this outside the building, the waiting, I mean).

As I listened to the husky, caressing, sweet voice of Adele, I stood basking in the sun, taking in the soft tinge that was accompanies by the gentle breeze that made me feel like I was meant to be on the cover of a magazine. In that moment, I was lost. My mind empty, filled only with the voice of Adele, my senses that welcomed the flapping dark teal cloth that made up my pants, and the soft rays. But in that moment, as I admired the welcoming warmth of the sun, I somehow felt this pull towards it. As if my spirit was nudging it's way out of my body toward the sun, following the wind, up up away towards the warmth.

It was a strange feeling, as if my spirit wants to be removed from my body (naturally, of course, not from any freak accidents or any of that sort), into another state of tranquility. I'm not sure if this was my first time, in my accounts, I remember that I'm rather poor at recounting certain events that have occurred in my life. But today, in my blue/green attire, I felt my spirit move, like an unclear signal on 80s colored television sets, nudging in and out of frame.

It was at that moment that I recalled and perhaps had a slightly better comprehension of the saying "died of a broken heart". In my opinion, it's not the broken heart that's caused the death, but more like the sudden immense appreciation of nature and the environment around one that has been channeled from the pain that causes one's spirit to leave this concurrent world. As if signaling for the ethereal.

Afterwards, I was very tired physically, and somehow was at a loss for words. As if that episode drew all the energy I had left for the day.