by Nicole Melancon (USA) | Nov 29, 2011 | China, Culture, Human Rights, Third Eye Mom, World Voice
Photo of the author and her father at the Great Wall of China in November.
I landed in China after a thirteen hour non-stop flight from Chicago, feeling elated, excited, tired and uncertain about what to expect. I had been to Asia before with a visit last year to India and Nepal and trip to Japan years ago.
I’ve found these countries fascinating, yet, for some reason, I was unsure what my expectations would be of China. I had heard a lot about it both, good and bad. It was time for me to experience it for myself.
I knew there would be tons of amazing history and culture to see. Not many other places in the world can boast about having a 5,000 year-old civilization. Yet, I also read it would be crowded, polluted, controlled, different, and, perhaps, confusing, given the huge paradox between the old and the new.
As I got off the plane and entered Beijing’s new Terminal 3, one of the largest terminals in the world that was completed just before the 2008 Olympics, my eyes widened. It was so huge, so modern, and so clean. It caught me by surprise. (more…)
Third Eye Mom is a stay-at-home mom living in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her two children Max (6) and Sophia (4). Her children keep her continually busy and she is constantly amazed by the imagination, energy and joy of life that they possess! A world wanderer at heart, she has also been fortunate to have visited over 30 countries by either traveling, working, studying or volunteering and she continues to keep on the traveling path.
A graduate of French and International Relations from the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she met her husband Paul, she has always been a Midwest gal living in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Chicago. This adventurous mom loves to be outside doing anything athletic (hiking, running, biking, skiing, snowshoeing or simply enjoying nature), to travel and volunteer abroad, to write, and to spend time with her beloved family and friends.
Her latest venture involves her dream to raise enough money on her own to build and open a brand-new school in rural Nepal, and to teach her children to live compassionately, open-minded lives that understand different cultures and the importance of giving back to those in need. Third Eye Mom believes strongly in the value of making a difference in the world, no matter how small it may be. If there is a will, there is a way, and that anything is possible (as long as you set your heart and mind to it!).
Visit her on her blog, Thirdeyemom, where she writes about her travels and experiences in other lands!
More Posts
by Ms. V. (South Korea) | Nov 28, 2011 | Motherhood, Sleep and Children, South Korea, World Motherhood
I am, by nature, a champion sleeper. And when I say champion, I really mean it.
If given the opportunity, I can enjoy some epic, luxurious, long sleep. Or at least I could. I stopped sleeping approximately at the beginning of my second trimester of pregnancy, and I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since.
While I was pregnant, I just couldn’t get comfortable at night. Lying on one side just wasn’t for me, and besides, the babe would start his nightly high-kicks routine as soon as I settled into bed. By my final weeks of pregnancy, I was sleeping about 2 solid hours a night, with 5-6 hours of tossing and turning.
And moms, if you can believe this, I kept telling myself: “I’ll get some sleep once the baby comes. Sure, it will be interrupted, but it will at least be real sleep”. Oh how foolish the first-time mom can be. In hindsight, I can remember the few mothers of small children I said this to who simply smiled and nodded in response. I mistook their kind desire to not burst my bubble as reassurance that my delusions were true.
We are now 5 ½ months into my son’s life on the outside, and while I, of course, cannot imagine my life without him, nor would I ever want to, I am still struggling to make peace with the whole sleep deprivation thing. I mean, what becomes of a champion who cannot hone their skills?
As I was discussing this with my husband, I realized that the emotions I’ve been experiencing about sleep and lack of sleep are quite similar to the emotions associated with grief, and so I present to you: The Five Stages of Sleep Deprivation. (more…)
Ms. V returned from a 3-year stint in Seoul, South Korea and is now living in the US in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her partner, their two kids, three ferocious felines, and a dog named Avon Barksdale. She grew up all over the US, mostly along the east coast, but lived in New York City longer than anywhere else, so considers NYC “home.” Her love of travel has taken her all over the world and to all but four of the 50 states.
Ms. V is contemplative and sacred activist, exploring the intersection of yoga, new monasticism, feminism and social change. She is the co-director and co-founder of Samdhana-Karana Yoga: A Healing Arts Center, a non-profit yoga studio and the spiritual director for Hab Community. While not marveling at her beautiful children, she enjoys reading, cooking, and has dreams of one day sleeping again.
More Posts
Follow Me:
by World Moms Blog | Nov 27, 2011 | Japan, South Korea, Tara B., Third Eye Mom, UAE, USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary
We start this week in South Korea with new writer Ms. V. Remember when you were able to get a full night’s sleep? Nope, neither can Ms. V! She takes us on her journey from sleep champion to sleep deprived.
On Tuesday, we travel back to the United States. We will be in Minnesota with Nicole at Third Eye Mom, who is doing a human rights post on censorship in China.
On Wednesday, we are off globe-trotting again. We will go to Japan, where Melanie Oda reflects on the upcoming New Year and what 2011 has held for her and her family. It has been an eventful year for sure.
On Thursday, we will be back in the United States, this time in Texas. Diana at Hormonal Imbalances talks about how she is introducing her young daughter to an activity that she herself loves – and how her daughter seems to be interested!
And on Friday, we will be in Washington with Tara B. You know how, as kids, our parents said things to us that we vowed we would never say to our kids? In this post, Tara tells us how that has worked out for her!
We have another new writer, from a new corner of the world! Come read about Deborah from United Arab Emirates in Tuesday’s writer interview!
On Saturday, check out the Saturday Sidebar with Eva Fannon, where the World Moms give their thoughts on an important topic, and chime in with your answers to the week’s question!
— World Moms Blog
Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
More Posts
by World Moms Blog | Nov 26, 2011 | Canada, Motherhood, Parent Care, Parenting, Ruth Wong, Saturday Sidebar, Singapore, South Africa, The Alchemist, Third Eye Mom, USA, WMB Saturday Layover, World Moms Blog, World Motherhood
This week’s Saturday Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Maggie Ellison. She asked our writers,
“What has been the best part of parenting so far?”
Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…
Dr. Lanham of Arizona, USA writes:
“The best part of parenting for me has been to hear my boys tell me they appreciate HOW I’ve raised them. Let’s me know they were listening! 🙂 ”
Maggie Ellison of South Carolina, USA writes: (more…)
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
More Posts
by Maureen | Nov 25, 2011 | Eye on Culture, Indonesia, Scoops of Joy, Toys
The November 19th Saturday Sidebar question was so interesting I couldn’t help but take a deeper look into the whole gender issue, especially from an Indonesian mother’s point of view.
(Disclaimer: it is not easy to characterize the existing patriarchy in Indonesia, as there are more than 200 ethnic groups organized along patrilineal and matrilineal lines. Also, I have no experience raising a girl here in Indonesia–-in fact, I had no experience in child rearing before my son was born. And finally, before I became a mother myself, I never paid much attention to how people raise children here.)
About two years ago, when my son was a toddler, who dearly loved stuffed animals, I took him to a store here in Jakarta. He immediately grabbed a stuffed pig off a bottom shelf and started loving it. The store attendant quickly made a comment that caused my defensive mama-bear mode to jump into action: (more…)
by Ms. V. (South Korea) | Nov 22, 2011 | Motherhood, Parenting, Relocating, South Korea, Technology, World Interviews, World Moms Blog Writer Interview, World Motherhood, Writing
Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?
I live in Seoul, South Korea currently, but I am from The States. My husband and I moved here for his job in May of 2011.
What language(s) do you speak?
English is my native tongue. I am also fluent in Spanish, and I am learning Korean. So far I have a grip on the basics: hello, goodbye, please, thank you, I’m sorry, excuse me, and (most importantly since it pertains to food) vegetarian. They say that Korean is the easiest of the Asian languages to learn due to its simple alphabet, Hangul. I have learned to read Hangul, which sounds more impressive than it is because I have no idea what any of it means. And, just to make things really interesting, Korean/Hangul sentences are written in syllables not words, so trying to figure out where one word ends and another begins feels impossible. It’s all very humbling.
When did you first become a mother?
I became a mother to our beautiful son in June 2011
Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you work?
I currently do not work outside of the home though that is set to change within the next few months. I am a Yoga teacher, (more…)
Ms. V returned from a 3-year stint in Seoul, South Korea and is now living in the US in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her partner, their two kids, three ferocious felines, and a dog named Avon Barksdale. She grew up all over the US, mostly along the east coast, but lived in New York City longer than anywhere else, so considers NYC “home.” Her love of travel has taken her all over the world and to all but four of the 50 states.
Ms. V is contemplative and sacred activist, exploring the intersection of yoga, new monasticism, feminism and social change. She is the co-director and co-founder of Samdhana-Karana Yoga: A Healing Arts Center, a non-profit yoga studio and the spiritual director for Hab Community. While not marveling at her beautiful children, she enjoys reading, cooking, and has dreams of one day sleeping again.
More Posts
Follow Me:
