KOREA

This week's princess on the blog is Dohee from KOREA. Dohee and I met when she was a student and I was working at Webster University in St. Louis. We had many mutual friends, but it took a while for us to actually meet. However, when we became neighbors our friendship rapidly blossomed into something very special. We now consider ourselves sisters. We can do anything and everything together and always have an amazing time. So my dear sister, take it away: 

Do you have a favorite inspirational quote and if so, what is it? I have so many! “Everything happens for a reason.” This endures me at hardships I am going through and will benefit me somehow in the future. It doesn’t make everything okay nor make me get up and dust off right away but it helps. “People will judge you no matter what; you do you.” “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking because her trust is not in the branch, but in her own wings.”“Time decides who you meet in life, your heart decides who you want in your life, and your behavior decides who stays in your life.”

 

Drinking plenty of water is considered healthy, but not always easy to remember to do. Any advice on how to get enough water throughout the day? Bringing the water bottle definitely helps. When I had more time during summer, I drew five cups in the calendar and colored it blue every time I drank a cup of water. During school year, I put drinking water as my daily to-do list.

What is the “weirdest” advice, health wise, you have heard from someone in your home country? Did it work? When you have a stomachache, you let your mom rub your belly. I don’t know if it’s scientific, but amazingly it works.

A famous quote from “Aung San Suu Kyi is:” If you are feeling helpless, help someone.” Do you have a suggestion on how to brighten up someone’s day? You know we used to text each other every morning and day saying “have a great day!”, “Thanks for being you”-kind of cheesy stuff. I don’t know about you but it never fails to brighten up my day :) Or I love hugging too! I think it conveys the warmth, caring, love and all kind of good vibes.

Any healthy food that is a staple in people’s diet in your home country? All kinds of fermented food like Kimchi, salted fish, red pepper paste, and soybean paste.

What is the biggest challenge in today’s society (in your home country or where you live now) to staying fit and how can we change that? In Korea, people pay too much attention on appearance. So staying “in shape” is socially important. I think it might be great to staying fit but it does not embrace the variety of body shapes. In America, people take too much supplement tablets instead of taking actual nutrition. I think that causes weak immune systems. Also, the price of healthy food like vegetables and fruits is more expensive than meat or bread.

Any guilty pleasures (food wise) you have? And do you have a healthy variety/spin on that? For me, eating food is not a guilty pleasure. It is pure pleasure no matter how unhealthy it is. 

Where would you go for a chilled vacation in your home country? There is also an amazing island called Jeju Island. It is so beautiful! It has tons of good food, friendly people, warm weather and the ocean!

Thank you Dohee for sharing your thoughts with us! No distance will ever keep us apart and we will party together again somewhere in the world and also have deep, meaningful conversations. Maybe on Jeju Island?!