Jean Youn

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Jean Youn: Happy Mother’s Day!

Have you ever seen broken branches on a gusty day? And then, have you seen a bird nest hanging on that branch? Yes, that’s really amazing. Though branches may be broken by strong wind, bird nests won’t be broken. However, every nest is not always like that. If a nest is built on a windy day, it won’t be broken […]
Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Jean Youn: Is it May or March again?

February this year has 29 days, instead of 28, because it is a leap year which comes every four years. Now, the solar calendar is the one which most of the countries on the globe use. However, there are some countries which use both the solar and the lunar calendar, especially in the Orient. China and Korea are representative among them. The […]
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Jean Youn: A bowl of spring

A plate or a bowl where food is put is called as a “Geu-reut” in Korean. “Geu-reut” has a variety of names. For example, we call it as “Bab (steamed rice) Geu-reut” if a bowl contains steamed rice which is the main staple for Koreans. If it holds soup (“Kook” in Korean), it is called as “Kook-Geu-reut.” Likewise, if bread (“Bbang” […]
Thursday, March 22, 2012

Jean Youn: Music and the sweet sounds of spring

What kind of music do you like? What are your favorite songs? Different people like to listen to different kinds of music. However, there are some songs that many people, across cultures, generations and gender all seem to enjoy.There are certain things that touch sensitivities universally. I think a good example of such a song is Nella Fantasia, it is […]
Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Jean Youn: Electricity, power outages, and spring

Have you ever experienced a sudden power outage? It’s a very frustrating ordeal because it prevents you from cooking, having air conditioning when it’s hot, heating when it’s cold, and these days we might feel helpless without a working computer. Just about everything that operates on electricity would not be working during a power outage. It’s also impossible to do […]
Monday, March 5, 2012

Jean Youn: Spring ahead with a new start

It is now March, meaning that it is almost spring. I like to think of spring as a time of renewal and starting fresh. In Korea, sometimes the beginning of spring is interrupted by unseasonably cold temperatures and sometimes it even snows. When this happens, it is said that the cold weather is jealous of the beauty of the flowers […]
Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Jean Youn: Sun of the heart

 Last week, I read a letter a father wrote to his daughter who is getting married. In the letter he wrote, “Dearest daughter, a long time ago in England, wives were called peace weavers.” It seems to suggest that the father was hoping that his daughter would be able to create peace in the new family she will start with […]
Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Jean Youn: Another meaning for born again?

Does your car have any features that stand out? Sometimes I notice some very interesting accessories on cars. I have seen some pretty interesting vanity license plates and bumper stickers. Among these bumper stickers are some that proclaim the driver is “Born Again,” and I understand that holds a religious message. Quite a while ago, I remember driving on a […]