Brain Education English at UBE: Graduation

Congratulations to the graduates of Brain Education English Intermediate: Part Two--Denny, Kay and Chloe (English names). I learned a lot from this small, but mighty, group. I am thankful that they had the courage to take a class with a foreigner and to learn about Brain Education in English. Thank you and all the best with your continued studies!

Living in Cheonan: The Lake at Dankook University

It's pretty busy in the Cheonan downtown area, but thankfully, there are places close by where you can go for a walk and spend time in nature.

Tonight I went for a walk around the lake at the Dankook University Cheonan Campus (about 5 minutes by bus or a half hour walk from downtown). There was a beautiful sunset and there were lots of people out fishing, walking, and doing other kinds of exercise.

Introducing...eatyourkimchi.com

Or should I say...Simon and Martina.

I've wanted to do this for a long time. Simon and Martina are Canadians--a married couple who originally came to Korea to teach English. They started making videos to share about the culture here and it has now developed into a full-time thing for them.

They do v-blogging about K-Pop (Korean pop music), Korean culture and food. Besides me, they've got quite a following, including people from all over the world. They have done videos about all of the interesting things I wanted to write about (see especially eatyourkimchi.com/archives). I think they do a really good job at presenting things in a way that shows their curiosity and humor. They acknowledge the cultural differences and their love for Korea, but also share their opinions.

Anyways, they make me laugh and feel like I'm not alone so I wanted to share. If any "foreigners" (as we're known here) are in or coming to Korea or if you are Korean and want to understand foreigners' experiences in Korea better, there's something for you on their website. If you've never experienced anything Korean, you might wonder what is going on, but if you become familiar with Korean culture, especially pop culture, it will all make sense...trust me. :)

The BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center and the BR Brain Oriental Medical Clinic

On Saturday, I visited the BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center and BR Oriental Medical Clinic in Apgujeong, Seoul.

The BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center provide services for children and adults. Services available to help enhance attention include assessment, neurofeedback, computerized training programs, Brain Education, and play therapy.

Other children's programs include HSP (Heightened Sensory Perception) training, Emotional Stabilization for Academic Achievement, and Global Leadership (offered in English).

Recently, a group of 22 youth from the Global Leadership program attended the annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations.

Adult services offered include assessment, healing, breathing and meditation, and brain relaxation, balancing, emotional releasing, and integration.

The BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center are currently developing offline and online continuing education courses for certified Brain Trainers.

BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center website (in Korean)



The BR Brain Oriental Medical Clinic offers acupressure and oriental medicine services focused on improving brain function and, as a result, physical, emotional and cognitive health.

BR Brain Oriental Medical Clinic website(in korean)

The BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center and the BR Oriental Medical Clinic partner with (KIBS) the Korea Institute of Brain Science, IBREA (the International Brain Education Association), UBE (the University of Brain Education), and GCU (the Global Cyber University) to increase research, awareness, and application of information and tools for enhancing individual and collective brain health and overall well-being.

BR English Korean Spirit Speech Contest

In June, I was honored to be one of the judges for the BR English Korean Spirit Speech Contest. The contest was held on June 6th, which is Memorial Day in Korea, and was sponsored and hosted by the Institute for Traditional Korean Studies (Kukhakwon).

At BR English, students learn English in a way that includes brain-based approaches to learning and learning a language. Students of all ages (the youngest was 5 to high-school) made speeches or presentations about Korean history or culture. Some examples were about Mugunghwa, Korea's national flower; Memorial Day; and Dangun and Gojoseon, the founder and first Korean nation. I learned a lot. The students memorized their speeches, spoke confidently, and used really good presentation skills. I was impressed. Great job, everyone!

A Visit Home to Canada

This month I had a chance to go home to Canada and connect with family, friends, and members at the Energy Yoga center. I am really thankful for the time I could spend with everyone. Because of work and my studies, I didn't have a lot of time to spend with people in the last few years so this time was precious to me.

Here are a few highlights that I have pictures for. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures for others...

Celebrating my husband, Marek's birthday with him by eating some of his favorite Polish food (zupa ogorkowa, kotlet schabowy, ziemnaki, sernik - cucumber soup, pork cutlet, potatoes, and cheescake) and having fun at the cottage.





A 40th birthday party with friends from high-school and their partners and children.







Time at my dad's cottage with my sister Tammy, her husband Steve, our nephew, Gavin, and nephew-to-be :) My beautiful sister is the one in pink in the picture at the top of the page.



Visiting my aunt and uncle at their new home with Judy, my dad's wife.



Spending time with our nephew from Poland, Szymon. He is 15 and will be visiting Canada for five weeks altogether. It was great to see him after such a long time. We had a great breakfast with family (picture at the top of the page) and Szymon did really well at ordering and having conversation with everyone in English. After breakfast, we went to Niagara Falls.




Raw food dinner with Sanja and Srjan. Sanja has learned a lot about how raw food helps to heal the body. We had spaghetti, lasagna, and even ice-cream! It was delicious!



I visited an exotic mushroom farm near my dad's farm that is owned and run by people originally from South Korea. (That's one of the owners in the picture with me). The farm won an "Agri-Food Innovation Excellence Award" from the Ontario government. They produce King Oyster and Enoki mushrooms. Below is a picture of their "Commitment to Customers" in Korean. You can find the English version and more information about the farm here.





Talking and meeting with many more dear family, friends, and center members that, unfortunately, I don't have pictures for. My mom, my dad, my sister, Katie, Kate, Ben, and Sophie, my aunt Jan, Steph, Amy, Lisa, Camino, Lorena, Pam, Gae, and members at the yoga center. I'm thankful for all of you and look forward to keeping in touch and seeing you again.

Living in an Officetel in Korea

In May, my roommate (Jin-yi) and I moved from the university dormitory to an Officetel in downtown Cheonan.

An Officetel (I think it's a combination of "office" and "hotel") is a place where people can work and/or live. Ours is a one-room and includes a kitchen with a fridge/freezer, bathroom, washer/dryer, and storage.

Here's the "kitchen"...



And the hallway, with the fridge/freezer and closets on the left and a bathroom and more closets on the right...



Our Officetel is on the 16th floor with a view of the north part of the city and mountains...





Since the Officetel is downtown, it is easier to shop for food and transportation is really convenient. I also see other foreigners often, which I like. I miss the peaceful quiet of living in the country at the university but I still go there often so I can enjoy it then.

More about living in an Officetel and our surroundings later...