How To Keep a Healthy Lifestyle In SoKo

WARNING: You WILL be hungry after reading this entry:

Moving to a foreign country will absolutely test your body, your willpower, and your drive to keep the lifestyle you deserve. When I came to Korea 14 months ago, I was at my healthiest. Bikram yoga became my life. Talk to anyone who regularly practices Bikram.. they'll tell you it IS a lifestyle. I was in that studio 4-5 days/week. I have always been a health-conscious eater, so nothing new there. However a few months into my life in Korea I was quite noticeably gaining some weight. At first I didn't understand what it was. I stayed away from the white rice the second I stepped foot in this country. I wasn't overeating. I was being semi-active, though no where near when I was at home. I had worked so hard for the past year on reshaping my body, so it took an emotional toll. What I realized is that it was a combination of many things including, the lack of Bikram and less active lifestyle in general, the alcohol consumption similar to that of my freshman year of college, the salty Korean food, the bakeries on every corner, the coffee, and the change of environment and the stress that comes along with it.

Some advice on staying healthy in Korea

1. Stop eating the school lunches.

    Or at least cut back. Yes, they are absolutely delicious. Yes, it's a great money and time saver, cutting back on food prep on your part. Yes, it's going to be somewhat of an internal struggle on the whole is this the "culturally appropriate" thing to do thing. In Korean schools, everyone (teachers and students) eat the school lunch and it is the time of day where the school community is brought together. However, your lunch at school alone will most likely exceed your daily salt intake. This is what I didn't realize until way later. That red pepper paste is filled with salt, and boy do those Koreans LOVE their red pepper paste. It's in soup, tofu, noodles, chicken, pork, veggies, and yes... even broccoli. Their meat is not lean, so you're going to get the fat in all its glory when you're served beef and pork. Most of their chicken is fried and/or breaded. The majority of the soups contain a good amount of oil, and the white rice.. well that speaks for itself. On some days your tray will contain noodles, rice, rice cakes, and a mini fruit filled croissant all in the same meal. Talk about carb and starch overload. So, this is where you should start. This is an entire meal- You are in charge of your own body and what goes into it.

*The only problem here is the culture aspect. It is considered rude to not eat with your co-teachers at school. Most will find it offensive. Some schools let teachers serve themselves (which helps with portion control. My school however- we are served by the lunch ladies, so even though I am constantly, kindly, telling them "jogeum juseyo" ("please give me a little") it is still hard for them to understand why I am wanting so little food. I admit I have yet to tell my school I am not eating their lunch anymore. Every time I go and try to tell them, I get anxiety and can't go through with it for this exact cultural reason. What I do do, is kindly refuse the rice (I mean I don't eat it anyway so why waste it), and choose very carefully what I eat. I waste a lot of food, but until I can decide to tell them I am no longer eating their lunches, this is okay with me for now. If you go this route- make sure you're bringing something for protein to school. I personally bring either hard boiled eggs, baked or boiled sweet potato, and/or nuts. **A piece of advice, Koreans know what "diet" means. Even though you're not dieting, you're living a healthy lifestyle, if you are getting looks and comments from co-workers as to why you're not eating certain things, just say "Moshisoyo! But I am on a diet." Personally, I've done the whole "Moshisoyo!! But makes me fat." Followed by a sad face and bringing my hand to my stomach and making a fat gesture. They'll laugh, and continue on with their day. In the end, it's just easier. 

2. Cut back on Korean snacks.

    I, unlike a lot of foreigners here, really enjoy rice cakes (tteok). I'm not talking about the ones in tteokbokki. I'm talking about the fancy ones filled with red bean or pumpkin. But they are not very healthy and so I've definitely had to put those on the back-burner. Accepting the occasional rice cake at a teacher's meeting will make everyone happy without seeming rude. Most meetings will have fruit. If I eat enough of that, they won't notice I haven't touched a rice cake. You need to just use your common sense, and living here for a year has taught me to see the difference between if I need to be accepting food even if I don't want to and when I can simply decline it with a smile. The quick rubbing of your stomach expressing you are "full" will aid in this.

3. Western Food Cravings
     Of course you're going to have cravings for your comfort food from home. Completely normal. After eating Korean food all week long, it's nice to spend your weekends indulging in some western-style food. However if you come from a small city like mine, you're not going to have the pleasure of sandwich places or restaurants with a nice salad that doesn't contain fried chicken. Instead you're going to get what Koreans think westerners eat... which is: spaghetti, fried chicken and pizza. That's all folks. You will find Mr. Pizza; Pizza Hut; Italian restaurants serving pilaf, pizza, and spaghetti combinations; 7 different kinds of Take-Out Fried Chicken places.

And that's pretty much it. Now coming from NY, Mr. Pizza does NOTHING for me. Actually pizza in general in Korea does nothing for me. I wasn't brought up eating fried chicken, so thank you mom. And as for the Italian restaurants... well there's nothing like some Long Island Italians... they know how to cook man. What I do like is my Mexican, Greek, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian food.. and where do you find all of that... none other than the big cities. I'm talking Seoul, Daegu, and Busan. I've come to love a few favorites. And I make it a point to indulge in western food only when I go there. You should see me and my friends the second we arrive off that bus. Immediately there's a beeline for the nearest Starbucks. What are we having for lunch! And we're discussing our dinner plans while still sitting at lunch. Oh and did I mention Starbucks for the second or third time before we leave for back home.

A couple of my favorites:

Seoul:
The Flying Pan Blue- western-style brunch, organic sandwiches, salads, soups,  beautiful presentation, (Get there EARLY. Can't say that enough. This will forever go down as my top favorite.)- (Itaewon)
Buddha's Belly- Thai, romantic atmosphere, Vegan options (Itaewon)
Braii Republic- South African Have yet to go here =/ but have heard GREAT things from my SA friends (Itaewon)
Butterfinger Panckakes- western-style brunch, HUGE menu, amazing panckakes! (Gangnam)
Santorini- Greek, It's unbelievable that I haven't yet made it here, but it has definintely been recommended by friends. (Itaewon)

Daegu:
Dos Tacos- Mexican, delicious!!
Caliente- Mexican, great bar atmosphere at night, great drinks, a bit expensive but worth it
Berkeley- Italian, light salads, etc.
Mies Container- comfort food, huge salads, huge cheese dishes (like a cheese panini without the bread. Just the filling. Talk about heart attack- but soo good!) fun atmosphere, perfect for a hungover Daegu morning (minus the upbeat shouts from the Korean chefs every time someone puts in an order)

Busan:
Namaste- Indian, always has seating, dark/intimate setting, (Haeundae Beach)

4. Stay Active!
     Most of us who are employed with EPIK have a lot of downtime. (Can't say the same for hagwon teachers.) This means I am sitting on my ass for a good half of the day. Korea has great hiking trails. They also have many gyms- you just need to look for them. I always say if you're living in a city, don't forget to look up! There's so much you miss on the top floors of these buildings. I joined a great gym in my city.

A break from my run at our Nakdong River track

The owner and his right hand man (one of my friend's former HS students) are great and so friendly. Gyms in Korea are a daily comedy show. Most Koreans will walk the treadmill, do a few stretches, play around on a weight machine, and then go straight for the vibrating belt machine. Unlike the big cities, you will most likely have free range of everything being that you're probably going to be one of the only ones in there.
There have been many days where I have the gym completely to myself. Oh, and you think you're a celebrity on the street.. walk into the gym.. ALL eyes are going to be on you. But like everything, you will quickly become old news. Pheww. My gym has a few regulars, and they don't even blink an eye at me anymore. If anything, it's nice to feel like a part of the community when you walk into the gym and exchange smiles with the Koreans in there who see you everyday. Being that the weather is getting warmer, I stopped my membership for this month. I've been training for a 10k coming up next Sunday, so I've switched to our beautiful track at the river. But I'm already missing my weight training so I'll be back there soon! For right now, the warmth and the water is perfect =)

5. H20!
     This is a given. If you've been living in Korea, you will quickly realize that they don't drink a lot of water. At all. I still don't understand it. No one really does. If you're still eating a ton of Korean food during the week... make sure you're staying hydrated. The abundant amount of salt in your system takes a toll. I personally have an issue with drinking enough water, so I labeled my water bottle with time-increments to keep me on track. It really helps.

6. Gmarket & iHerb
     Korea does not have a lot of the supplements and health foods that are readily available back home. I would kill for a Trader Joe's or a Whole Foods, but I've learned to deal with what I have here. These two websites are amazing. Gmarket is extremely cheap. I bought myself a blender for around $20 USD and a mini-oven for around $34 USD. iHerb is a website based out of the States that ships internationally for cheap! I recently bought chia seeds, quinoa, whole wheat flour, sucanat, and whey protein powder. My next order will consist of coconut oil and raw honey. You name it.. they got it! Best part- they ship ridiculously fast. Especially Gmarket. I ordered my oven- two days later I was baking my chicken. BAM!

I think a big part of my problem was that I thought living in this country meant me having to change my lifestyle to make it fit theirs. But moving abroad doesn't mean you should throw away everything you've worked so hard for; everything you know. That's really not the right way to go about assimilating  If you have the resources- use them! I know that now. South Korea has resources, you just need to do a bit of research. Hopefully this blog will help some of you out. Explore! My friend just recently found an Asian market around the corner from my apartment.. literally a 2 1/2 minute bike ride from my front door. There, I found chick peas, cilantro, mung beans, and a bunch of other goodies. I also have one cheat meal a week, where I let myself eat whatever meal I've been craving.

The last piece of advice I have is don't get too crazy. You're in a foreign country for godsakes! Enjoy their food! Try new things! Take it in.. because before you know it, before I know it, I'm going to be back home craving dakgalbi and bulgogi. So let yourself go a bit. That should be a given with anyone living a healthy lifestyle. Know your neighborhood. Know its markets. Know its specialty foods. Know your body. Know its limits. Experiment. Explore.

Some things I enjoy in my city of Andong:
> The most delicious carrot cake I've ever had (Cafe Life in Shinae)
> Delicious dakgalbi (in downtown Shinae)
> Andong jjimdak (Jjimdak Street in Shinae)
> Frozen yogurt (Yoger Presso across from Sungso Hospital)
> Vietnamese Shabu Shabu (in Okdong)
> Japanese (Katsura in Okdong)
> Fresh-brewed coffee (Zelkova in Shiane)
> Jajangmyeon (Chinese restaurant in Dangbukdong)

Kimchi Jiggae: my favorite take-out meal ($5 USD) 

Andong Jjimdak

Shabu Shabu (Photo credit: Leandi Pienaar)

Something I've been trying to do recently is stay present-minded- something that clicked with me when I read it off a friends' status. (She is finishing up her last few days in the Peace Corps, where she has been living in Zambia for the past 2+ years.) So as much as I have been working my ass off for the body I had before I came to Korea, I am remembering to enjoy every minute of my life here. I am on one hell of an incredible journey and decided to embark on it for another 12 months. Two months have already passed since I've been home and it WILL be all over before I know it. I'm staying present-minded, cherishing and making mental notes of everything I experience, see, hear, do, and to get back on track of this post- eat.

This weekend has turned into quite the cooking and baking frenzy. I'm leaving you with some recent goodies I've experimented with. Enjoy!

I was on a smoothie kick all last week thanks to my delicious french vanilla whey protein. (This one had blueberries, walnuts, chia, flax, almond milk, and FV whey protein,)

Baked sweet potatoes, red split lentils, onions, greens, carrots 

Blueberry Oatmeal Bake. Inspired by FitFoodieFinds 

Chickpea Breakfast. (chickpeas, egg whites, yellow peppers, tomatoes, kale, chia seeds)

Homemade Tahini (sesame seeds & olive oil)

Almond Butter (DIdn't come out right. Unfortunately my small blender does not have the power of a food processor or Vitamix) But I'll find something to do with what I did get out of it! haha

Chickpea Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (flour free, oil free, egg free, sugar free)

Clean Homemade Hummus: Kimchi Anyone? 

Mung Bean Ball Salad- Inspired by Scandifoodie

Korea has some delicious foods- enjoy them! But don't forget what your body needs. =)

Korean Culture and Education System

I’m going to let you in on a few things I have learned about Korean culture and the Korean education system. thus far. I hope you’re ready for some of this..

Throughout the rest of this blog, I want you to keep an open-mind. The most important part of experiencing and learning about different cultures, is having an open mind. The things I will talk about are not weird, they are simply…different. Although many are quite comical, even to Koreans themselves, still keep in mind that if you judge these differences, what you are really doing is closing your mind to the world around you and keeping yourself in that little bubble you call SAFE. And trust me, this world is a MASSIVE, GREAT world full of amazing, interesting, life-changing, people. 

Last minute Culture:

I am putting this at the top, because it is something that I was not expecting and I am still having a hard time getting used to it. Koreans do not experience stress like most of the western world does. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is done, decided on, etc. last minute. I experienced this all throughout orientation. But now that I have left, I am now experiencing it directly. They may act like they know what they are doing, but they don’t. Their culture is simply to not stress about things that shouldn’t be stressed about. For example, my host (landlord) knew I was arriving and still... my apartment was not ready, so the apartment I had to stay in had no bed. (Although, the kindest man I have met thus far- gave me blankets, comforters and a pillow to sleep on, as well as taking me out to dinner… more about my first few days in Andong in a later blog.) At orientation, plans, events, would get changed in a matter of seconds, without telling the people that actually needed to know about the change of plans… aka us, and our teachers. My motto has become “Just roll with it.” And it is something I tell myself at least 5 times every day to keep myself sane.

  

Average day of a Korean student:

1.   1.  “Pre school” (before school): for an hour or two for private lessons or extra help.

2.   2.  Regular school: 8/8:30am- 3/3:30am.

3.   3.  After school classes: (I teach these as well. No curriculum for these, more lenient, more hands-on, fun activities. Relaxed, informal environment. The equivalent of enrichment classes) Most often English classes. Students often take up to two of these. After school classes are 40-50mins long each.

4.   4.  Students go to “hagwons” (private schools) Parents pay for hagwons, hence they care more about the work done at these schools than at thei regular public schools.

5.   5.  Dinner?

6.   6.  Private lessons/Tutoring: These are sometimes held in a student’s home or at a tutoring center.

7.   7.  Extracurricular Lessons/Activities: example: Violin, Tae Kwan Do, etc.

8.   8.  Computer time! StarCraft (Korean children are obsessed with this game!) Cyworld (Facebook equivalent). Although Facebook is becoming more and more popular over Cyworld. KaoKao Talk- Korean im-ing/messaging system on cell phones.

9.   9.  Sleep? – One lecturer asked my class where Korean students get their sleep? We didn’t have an answer, so he proceeded to tell us… Your English Class.- Unfortunately… he’s right.

Bullying:

“Wank-da” is the name for a bullied Korean child. These students are picked on because they are shy and introverted. These children are excluded from their peers. They are forced to carry others’ books and belongings. I had asked about this during one of the lectures in Orientation, and one of the other Korean staff members who is no more than two years older than me, repsonded with, “It’s much worse than that.” And then he said nothing more. Bullying is an increasing problem in Korea, and not a lot is being done to prevent it. Every school I have been in, in the States, has a Zero Tolerance Policy for bullying. Of course no teacher here encourages bullying, but the difference is that the consequences are not enforced. Consequently there has been a recent increase in teenage suicides.  This is a major problem in Korean schools and I intend to enforce rules involving bullying in my classroom.

Special Needs Students/No Failing of Classes:

Only in the recent years, schools have begun to implement services for special needs students, including resource push-ins and pull-outs. There are no self-contained classrooms in Korean schools. Just a few years ago, children who were considered severely disabled, simply did not go to school. Presently, special needs students are placed in inclusion classes, but most of them are not even classified, therefore they are not getting the services they need. This is mainly relative to culture. Most parents would be severely humiliated to admit that their child has a disability, so they just ignore it. The problem with that is, and every single teacher can agree with me here, is that these students now “slip through the cracks” as we call it. This happens to regular-ed students as well, for Korea has a policy where students cannot fail a class in Elementary Schools, which means that students cannot be held back a grade, even when it is clear that they need it. During student teaching, I was in a situation where I saw this first hand. If this particular student didn’t get left back, he would be sure to become increasingly more behind when he moved up. This would follow him and he would, for the rest of his academic career, most likely be one step behind all of his classmates. The primary grades are when students learn the foundations of language, and being that I am now an ESL teacher, I am speaking from an ESL perspective. How is that eighth grader going to start conversing in English with more and more mature English vocabulary and writing essays in English when they missed those basic steps in third grade when everyone else was grasping the concept of simple English and introductions?

Koreans bow.. A LOT. But please.. DO NOT keep eye contact during the bow:

It is a simple sign of respect. The lower the bow, the older, more respected the recipient. We really need to implement this in the States. It was odd at first having children bow to me. Though bowing has now become second nature to me, and most Koreans are surprised when foreigners bow to them, as they do not always expect we know to do that

Sip Coffee Slooooowly!

Koreans recently have started to become obsessed with coffee. Which is awesome! But beware… you better be a slow drinker. When accompanying someone for coffee, there are a few rules to keep in mind. The slower you drink it, the better. If not, your Korean friend will take this as a sign that you don’t enjoy their company, and that is hurtful to them.  If you are naturally a fast drinker, it is best to stress that you WILL BE getting another cup when you are done. (This shows that you DO enjoy their company, and you are not trying to make a quick escape.) When my lecturer told us this, he said he interviewed some college-aged girls and boys about this. Every single girl expressed this same feeling. But the boys… haha they had no idea girls felt this way. (We all agreed that these boys will think twice when they go meet a girl for a coffee date.)

Paris Baguette: 

They are EVERYWHERE. And delicious.

I am really 24:

Koreans are born 1 year old. Then they hit the Lunar New Year (January 1^st) and they turn another year. So babies born on December 31^st, are 2 years-old within 24 hours. Pretty cool.

E-Mart:  

Every foreigner’s heaven. Basically, a Wal-Mart, Target, supermarket, put together. They have EVERYTHING and they’re fabulous.

Business cards:

When receiving one, here is the protocol- Study it for a while, smiling, visibly admiring it, and place it on the table for the rest of the meeting/meal. Then at the end, put it in your wallet, but visible to its giver. For example, in that little window where you usually put your license/ID. Yeha you know hat I’m talking about. After placing it in there, admire it one last time. Whatever you do, don’t stick it in your back pocket. When you finally leave the man/woman, then is when you can throw it out or fold it up and put it behind that blockbuster card you clearly haven’t used in 2 years.

Always make sure to have socks:

Koreans take their shoes off before entering every home, school, restaurant, etc. So if you don’t want to show your bare feet, bring slippers or socks. Students carry a pair that they keep at school. There is usually a long hallway right at the entrance, filled with cupboards holding faculty, staff, and students’ slippers.

Anyone who knows me even a tiny bit… will know why this one is the hardest for me- Do NOT blow your nose in Public:

Wiping is okay. Every lecturer has said that they have never seen a Korean blow their nose in public except for one single time… He and his Korean female co-teacher were lesson planning. She was in a swivel desk chair. She had been wiping her nose the whole time (away from him of course), but suddenly she swiveled around to a 180 and blew her nose. She then continued her 360 back to face him, and continued on speaking, acting like the blowing of her nose never happened. That has got to be one of my favorite stories from orientation! SO remember, sneeze and cough away from people/the table. And leave the room to blow your nose.

Train Etiquette:

Subways in Seoul and Daegu are apparently always extremely quiet. I’ve got to say, NYC trains are similar. People really do keep to themselves. But if you are a foreigner, they will expect you to be loud, so please… give us a good name. Hold your phone conversations until you get off. Waiting for people to get off, before you step on, does not exist as much here.) Also watch where you sit. There are specific seats for the elderly, injured, and pregnant. They are clearly labeled. If you sit there, people will go out of their way to leave their seat and walk over to you, so that they can simply stand and give you the dirtiest stare you have ever received. And yes, these will probably surpass middle school dirty looks. Also, no eating on trains. Try telling that to the 6 million plus New Yorkers who eat a slice with no plate on the train at least once a day…

“Ajuma”:

Ajumas are elderly woman, who are often known, even to Koreans, as pushers and shovers. They are ALWAYS on a mission, and if it means elbowing you out of their way, well… they will do it. In our culture it is deemed rude, but Korean culture does not put much emphasis on those types of manners that we think are more important.

Manners:

Saying “god bless you” when someone sneezes, is not said here. And shoving your way through is more effective I guess, than saying “excuse me.” Also, there is also really no need to apologize to someone if you bump into them by accident. It’s actually really interesting, because Koreans just feel as though, for lack of a better phrase, “shit happens.” People will bump into each other, who cares? You don’t need to apologize for it every single time. Let’s bring this thinking into Times Square…Ready, set, go!

Gambling- Illegal:

If you’re thinking about playing a simple game of LCR in a bar, be ready for the bartender to call up the cops within minutes to arrest you. (I’m guessing playing LCR using chips is okay? I guess my family’s use of 20’s would not go over that well..)

College students get ready: Open Container Policy- LEGAL in Korea.

However: you might want to think twice, because there is a clear stigma that goes along with it. You are drinking on the street- you ARE an alcoholic.

Drunk Business Men:

Take a look on the street around 8-10pm You will probably see about 8-10 different business men, still in suits, literally falling over in the street and laughing at each other. Public drunkenness is considered a comedy act around here. And is completely accepted.

The Toilet Spectrum:

Oh yes- I have encountered my first squat toilet. And my first surprise of no toilet paper. It did teach me to not go anywhere without toilet paper in my bag. But that’s not all on Korean toilets! Don’t forget the other end of the spectrum… the best invention ever! HEATED TOILET SEATS. That’s right. Heated. That is all I have to say about that.

Germaphobes: Not Allowed

Well there’s a lot I can say about Korean food. First of all, I LOVE it. I can honestly say, that there is not one thing I haven’t tried yet, except for these tiny, silver, fish with their eyeballs still in and everything… but other than that. Awesome! We all know about kimchi, but I’ll explain it one more time… Kimchi is fermented cabbage, and Korean’s staple at every meal. Yes, breakfast too. You can have kimchi stew, kimchi rice, etc. But usually just regular kimchi is always, ALWAYS at the table. I finally saw first hand a kimchi refrigerator. Most every home has one. Try putting kimchi in your regular refrigerator- you will have kimchi chicken, kimchi milk, kimchi butter, kimchi yogurt, kimchi cheese… you get the point. Oh and if you’re visiting Korea, I hope you’re not a germaphobe. Korean meals are meant to share. The main meal and all of its side dishes are in the middle, and every person gets an empty plate/bowl. Chopsticks are going in and out of everything. Just roll with it.

Koreans are NOT dogs:

When beckoning a student or anyone for that matter- palm down. And wave your fingers underneath your palm. The other way around, like the way we are used to it, reminds Koreans of beckoning animals, and they are not animals.

Negation vs. Affirmation:

Instead of nodding or shaking their heads, Koreans use their arms for saying yes or no. To say no, cross your arms in front of you in an “X.” For yes, simply raise arms above your head, bringing fingertips together.

REALLY think twice about doing that “I’ve got your nose!” children’s joke in public:

We all know that game, where you squeeze a child’s nose, and put your thumb in between your index and middle finger and pretending it’s their nose. That pose is the equivalent of giving the middle finger in Korea. It was actually done to me the other night, by this over-served Korean friend we met. When we told her we knew what that meant and that it wasn’t okay, she went on to give us the middle finger. Then she started cracking up, saying, “joking, joking!”. We’re not taking it too seriously.

“Dong Shim”- Poop Needle:

Do me a favor and put your hands together, as if in prayer, then cross all your fingers except for your index fingers (Charlie’s Angel’s gun pose). Now imagine a student doing that (Elementary students) and either sneaking up to you or running full force, when your back is turned to them, yelling or whispering (depending on if they’re sneaking up or not) “Dong Shim!!!!”… and yep you know where I’m going with this. This is a very popular move among Elementary students (boys and girls) against teachers, so let’s just say my reflexes will always be ready, eyes open EVERYWHERE.

You’re not cool if you don’t have a dangling cell phone charm.

“Nunchi”- The Art of knowing/Relationships:

I was warned that I would not walk into my classroom the first day and be told what my job description is and what I was really expected to do. They were right. It is exactly the same outside of the school walls. In Korea, having that common sense of how to act in a given situation is KEY to surviving here. Of course, in doing this, you are most likely going to offend someone along the way without meaning to do so. Having nunchi is knowing how to carry yourself, what to say, and what place on the hierarchy to place yourself so you can act accordingly.

Do not write someone’s name in red ink. Their name is now connected to hell in some way.

Unlucky #4:

Apartments, business buildings, etc do not have a 4^th floor. In Tae Kwan Do, they skip the number 4 while chanting. If your favorite number is 4… do yourself a favor and just keep that one a secret.

When giving a gift or passing a food dish/drink at the table, pass with two hands.

Don’t just pour your elder a drink with one hand:

Pour with right hand, while left hand is supporting your right arm from underneath. I am still becoming used to this.

Yin-Yang:

Everything in life compliments each other and works together through a greater whole.