Victory Conditions

I've stopped calling my daily 'must do' lists 'To Do ...' lists. Now I head them up with 'Victory Conditions!' This list is the list of things I want to accomplish in the day! Just love the sound of the words and concepts they inspire in my mind. Try saying them out loud - 'Victory Conditions,' makes you feel energised and successful just to say them. And crossing something off the list - is so much more fulfilling - turns a common task into a winning strategy.

Last Sunday I set out with a mission. A destination on my mind. This morning I set out with the same mission and destination beckoning me. Last week I got lost and had an adventure! This week I was successful and luxuriated in my favourite things!!

I've discovered that as long as I can find a subway station then Seoul is my oyster and I can go anywhere. Also if you go to a shop like Starbucks or Subway or another American franchise there is normally someone behind the counter with enough English to point you in the direction of the closest subway station - and seeing as I'm on foot I never get too far away from them anyway.

So for the last two Sundays Victory Conditions have been: Find Lush (my favourite bath supply shop in the entire world), and find that book store! On the middle Sunday of orientation we went to a book store and I saw a Lush - but saddly was not allowed to visit it. Was determined to find them again. Last week I looked at the map - tried to figure out approximately where I thought Lush was and aimed my steps in that direction from the nearest Subway stop. Took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in Insadong by accident. Insadong is a place that lots of people have told me I must visit - kind of a Tourist Market type place. Totally enjoyed my adventure - pictures and stories to be posted in my Facebook 'Korea' album/s.

Today I decide to take another approach - figured out how to get to the station closest to the giant shell and then retraced our steps from that Sunday. Only got distracted a few time. Just as I got to the point where I was realising that I actually had no idea where we had gone from there on that Sunday (probably because I was either talking or trying to take photo's while following everybody and not getting lost all at the same time, or something) I got distracted again and by happy serendipity my distraction ended right across the road from a Subway sandwich shop. The same Subway sandwich shop from which I had seen Lush on that Sunday. 'Ah ha' says I, and turning a full 360 degree circle I discovered Lush only a few metres from where I was standing.

Spent a wonderful 5 mins in the shop smelling everything I could lay my hands on. And didn't spend too much money. Would have stayed longer and possibly spent more money but the sales girl insisted on following me around and telling me about every product I touched or looked at. Even though I told her I was very familiar with Lush and it's products.

Then the boy at Starbucks pointed me in the direction of the Bookshop - 'turn right at the end of the lane go down to the underground shopping centre and walk the short distance to shop!' Following his very accurate directions resulted in me spending a wonderful hour and a half dipping into all sorts of books in the English language section while trying to decide which ones to buy. Was very controlled - only bought two. So many good books and so little room in my suitcase. And remember I can justify my reading as professional development!!!!! :-D And not a single sales assistant came anywhere near me - even though I was sitting on the ground luxuriating in the printed word.

Since I've gotten home I have been making an impressive use of gravity and read several chapters of the first book. "The Other Wes Moore" is a biography/autobiography of two Wes Moore's. Young men with the same name, who are only months different in ages, who grew up in very similar homes, only streets apart but did not know each other. One is now a highly successful scholar and author. The other is in prison for life for murder. What made the difference?

Am currently forcing myself to take a break from the book - don't want to use up all the words on the first day :-)

The other book I got is "Tuesdays with Morrie." Been wanting to read that for a while. Again an autobiography type book about a young man who visits an old man who knows he is dying every Tuesday for a number of weeks leading up to his death. The book is about the insights the young man receives as a result of these visits.

Not sure what I shall do with these when I've finished - would love to keep them but the suitcase problem is a very real issue - if I can't lift the suitcase then it's not going to get on the plane - darn that weight allowance!! Wonder if there is some kind of book club where people donate a book or two to a common pool and then get to swap reading material - if there is I wonder how I would find it? And if not then how to start one?? Something to think about - professional development remember :-D

Turns out that last week I was only one block away from my desired destination, lol, but I'm actually glad I got lost. Wouldn't have missed last weeks adventures for anything.

Now I'm going to go use up a few more of those words, before heading off to bed. Night all!!!! XOXOX