Has it already been a week since finals? I’m writing this on Christmas morning with a fresh cup of coffee and not much on the agenda.
The past week has been a lovely relaxation sesh here in Jacksonville with my parents. My partner and I arrived Wednesday afternoon after cleaning up our Tampa apartment and delivering our green babies to a friend’s house for safe-keeping and regular watering. My brother arrived a few days ago and my sister will be flying in later tonight. On Tuesday, my partner and I will head back to Tampa in order to fly out early Wednesday. Our destination? Northern California to enjoy New Year’s with her family.
Yesterday, my father participated in a lovely baptismal ceremony with two other members of the church while my mother played piano. Next to my father, a tiny Korean grandmother-type with a wispy mop of white hair and a tall middle-to-late-aged fellow with intense eyes. The Father held the ceremony in Korean so that my brother, partner, and I couldn’t follow the proceedings, but we did enjoy the tasty rice cakes afterwards.
This afternoon, we’ll attend Korean Catholic services for the holy day. The Father will be speaking in Korean again, so unfortunately I cannot look forward to his sermon; though my parents tell me they are quite nice. Instead, I’m anticipating the buffet of Korean food after the service such as galbi, kimchi, and other homemade dishes.
Other than eating, I’ve managed to generally adhere to a study plan over this break. A few review questions, some flashcards, and occasionally a video. I know I could do more. I’m still brain-dumping from finals week and the holiday season has me in a slight holidaze.
Mostly, I’m proud of myself for maintaining a physical movement practice while eating all of the food I can see. After the baptismal ceremony yesterday, I grappled with my partner and taught her the triangle choke effectively enough that I popped a small capillary in my left eye!
Break is flying by. Next week’s reflection will be published in 2017 while romping around California. In about two weeks, Course Seven and the final countdown for Step One begins.
As this wacky year comes to a close, I’m thankful for the family time and absurd amounts of food. Soon, the days will stretch and lengthen like tired limbs and when that happens, I’ll need to be ready for a season of growth and significant change. Until then, lazy nights and days of planning will have to suffice.
Long Form Sundays
- On a well-deserved break (or Course Six: a post-mortem)
- On practicing while hurt
- On the end of a long month
Eugene H Kim 
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