It has been a good minute since I last posted about life here in Seoul, and for good reason. For the past few months it has been so cold and I tend to stay in if the weather requires more than a light jacket. Honestly, the only time I actually went outside during February was for my bi-weekly Ortho appointments.
Since I haven’t done much exploring I don’t have any pictures this time, sorry. With Spring around the corner I’ll make sure to get out more. I have done few cool things this winter that I think are worth documenting, including my very first live concert, not to be confused with my first K-pop concert which I wrote about last year.
The Winter Olympics
In cased you missed it, the 2018 Winter Olympics were held in PyeongChang this year and the 2018 Paralympics are currently underway. Before I go any further I will like to make it known that I did not in fact physically attend the Olympics. Winter, sports, and I do not go well together and I, along with everyone else in my family, could not justify being outside for that long. Most of the events we showed interest in seeing conflicted with our schedule anyway. I was able to catch a bit on TV, mostly figure skating events, which are my favorite. Three things I took away are:
Winter Olympians are superhuman
via GIPHYImagine having to push yourself past the boundaries of science to perform amazing feats and compete in extreme(-ly dangerous) sports, all for one shot at a medal. Got the picture? Okay, now imagine that all on ice. Watching the different events I couldn’t help but wonder if Olympians weren’t a secret race of super humans. They defied gravity you guys!
Chloe Kim is awesome
via GIPHYSeriously, this girl is amazing. Did you know she won an Olympic gold medal at the age of seventeen?! The same day she won GOLD in snowboarding, I was probably drowning in homework. I have mad respect for her and I would love to have her as a best friend.
Go Team USA!
I always appreciate the enthusiasm and support our national teams receive when taking part of international events. From the World Cup, to the Summer Olympics, and now the Winter Olympics; the level of patriotism is high and it feels nice to be united while cheering on our athletes.
Marvel’s Black Panther
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
The Saturday Black Panther came out I was in the theater with my brother and father. Throughout the movie my brother and I shared excited looks as we watched the first African superhero movie. My father was silent during the whole movie, to the point I thought he didn’t enjoy it, but it turned out he was fully invested in it and didn’t want to miss anything. At first we were speechless. You know that feeling when something is just so great, the only thing you can do is walk around saying things like: ‘wow’, ‘that was so good’, ‘wow’. That was me for the first hour. Even now it is hard to put into words what this movie means to me.
I haven’t mentioned this before, but I am actually second-generation American. Both my parents immigrated to the United States from Liberia and I consider myself to be Liberian-American. Growing up in the Liberian community gave me a very solid foundation in my blackness and I have always felt proud to be from Africa. While watching Black Panther I was in awe of the fictional aspects, such as the technology, but I loved the traditional and very real aspects of Africa they also chose to portray. One of my favorite scenes is the throne room with the elders.
Seeing not only black, but African representation on the big screen was a dream come true. We were the heroes, the rulers. The writers did their research and incorporated different parts of Africa into Wakanda. The women, oh the women, they were spectacular. They were brave, loyal, independent, creative, and determined to do what is right. Marvel hit it out of the park with this one.
Rachel Platten Concert
I have a confession: I didn’t take any pictures at the concert. I know, pictures are great to remember events and everything, but I was too busy taking a video. Even then, the video is mostly me singing the lyrics in an incredibly off-key tune. It was great, I had a blast. She preformed at the Winterfest here, right after Cedric the Entertainer made us all laugh with his comedy. This was my first concert and I was not disappointed.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Rachel before and only knew two of her songs, Fight Song and Stand By You, so the night before I listened to her whole discography on Spotify. I am now a huge Rachel Platten fan and her new album Waves is playing in my ear as I write this. Also, Broken Glass is my jam.
That’s what has been happening to me these past few month’s. Now to you: what did you do this winter? Did you watch the Winter Olympics? Did you watch Black Panther yet? I recommend you do.
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