Sunday 5 June 2011

A Room of My Own

“So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters.” ~Virginia Woolf

I have been living and working abroad since I was twenty-five. When people ask how I got started, I draw a blank, because honestly I did not really set out to have this sort-of-gypsy life. The opportunity to work abroad just presented itself and at twenty –five all I could think of was, Yay! Adventure!

So seven years and three foreign lands later, I am still a nomad with my feet currently planted in good ole Seoul.

If I were to advise younger people at all, it is for them to take the chance to work away from their comfort zones. To really try to have a life or a place of their own. It does not have to mean going overseas to work. What I mean is that one must experience a life without the conveniences we so often take for granted, in my case, family and helpers. Striking on one's own teaches one a lot about who you are, what you really want and what you can’t stand.

While we’re young, now is the most opportune time to get out into the wild and build ourselves. To know what it is that we really want to write.

Cheesy? Maybe, but I say this with the hindsight of someone who transformed from being such a shy, meek and pretty scared person into someone who knows what she wants in life ;-)


Pretty heavy, huh? Now to make this a bit more fun (and admittedly self-absorbed haha!), here are snapshots of my teeny weeny flat in Korea. It’s a small studio flat provided by the company I work for. The built-in closets and cooking-washing areas are included in the flat ☺ All other cheesy and yellow accoutrements are my own.


The Sitting Area


My cheap find: Candy Ball Centerpiece



My little book nook



Big yellow bed


My work area



A cheap and cool buy: The green circular cabinet holding my perfumes and knick knacks



My disorganized dresser



The tiny breakfast nook and kitchen area

10 comments:

  1. I'm so inggit. I want a place of my own too. :) And I love your washing machine girl :)

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  2. super cute place Joeanne! :) Super love!

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  3. Chew On This: Thanks, sis! I love the washing machine too only because it's automatic and I am the most tamad labandera I know!

    BabyJap: Thanks Sis!! Yellow kung yellow talaga ang color scheme ko haha! :-D

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  4. nice place ms. joeanne..so inspiring piece of advice too to all singles out there^^

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  5. CollectivEarth: Thanks sis! I really just want to write my own truths in the hopes of touching people who also think the same thoughts and if it inspires other people then that's an added bonus! Thanks for you great comments, girls! Makes me want to write better posts!

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  6. I Know that the laminated wood floor you have in your flat is somewhat common in you part of the world but THAT is my my DREAM floor material for my Dream house, babaw noh?

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  7. @Timmy: Haha! We have this in Davao too, I am sure, Haha!It's actually faux wood, I think haha definitely not the wooden parquet floors we have in Pinas. But madali syang linisin in fairness, wipe/mop and go lang :-)

    @Doc Grace: Thank you! :-)

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  8. very inspiring :* thanks for this :)

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