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Thursday, November 28, 2019·NO. 910
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Thursday, November 28, 2019·NO. 910
10 year wedding anniversary at Cancun Being able to have such a luxurious vacation is something to be thankful for
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ing. So much dancing that it looked like a party.
he beginning of a trip; the excitement, the preparation, and the suffocating amount of things to do before the D-day were all overwhelming, but whether we’re ready or not, the time passed and my wife and I were on the plane flying over all the beautiful blues.
After a long day of attending different activities, we were able to return to our hotel room and head out to the balcony to rest. My wife and I both opened a can of beer and while enjoying the cool breeze of the ocean in the dark, we were able to have a deep conversation of our lives and end the night thanking the opportunities of our luxurious vacation.
We had to pay a little extra to get the nonstop direct flight which took approximately 4 hours of pure air time. Nonetheless, it was well worth the money spent because during the short, but long flight, both our back and hips were already a bit sore by the time we landed. Imagine having to do this over a period of 6 hours or more. A big yikes!
The view of the blue sky and ocean on our beach visit. We stayed at the hotel resort with allinclusive package and we decided to go for the adults-only resort. As soon as we arrived at the hotel for the check-in, we were offered free Champaign. The sparkling drink with fruity taste in the mouth was such a delight. We were able to get an Oceanside view room with a balcony that peeks out to a beautifully wide ocean. We couldn’t help ourselves, but to sit out on the balcony for a good 10 minutes just staring at the blue ocean and listening to the waves hitting the beach sands.
tion. The next day, we started our morning early at the beach. We were greeted by the cool winds of the ocean and a crowd of other tourists enjoying their vacation in the sun. While lying on the beach chair, we ordered some drinks and headed into the ocean water. Surprisingly, the water wasn’t as cold, so it was very pleasing to swim in.
First night at the hotel resort by the pool side-ss. In a hurry to get a picture at the Mayan pyramid. Once we landed at the airport in Cancun, the excitement and the adrenaline made us forget all about the time spent on the plane. The weather wasn’t so great when we arrived, but it was to be expected since our trip was in mid-November. Even so, in comparison to Colorado, the weather in Cancun was much warmer to the skin. My wife felt that it was a bit moist, but we got used to it very quickly.
The pirates performing a show to welcome the guests on Captain Hook cruise. After unpacking our stuff, we went to roam around the hotel. The resort pass is a bracelet that you have to wear for the entire stay. With it, we were able to access any restaurants and lounges within the hotel and any partnering resorts as well. Our first meal at Cancun was an Italian restaurant inside the resort. Our first menus were spaghetti with shrimp for the missus and a rack of lamb for the mister, accompanied by some zinfandel and merlot. There was an appetizer/salad bar that we grabbed and prepared for ourselves before the entrée.
Streets of the hotel zone in Cancun, Mexico.
After a fabulous meal, we headed out to the city and walked around for a good couple of hours. We visited different shopping centers, local taco joints, and flea markets. All in all, it was a busy first night of explora-
We also spent our time in the resort pools and continued to spend our day within the hotel. The extracurricular activities were scheduled for us the following day, so we enjoyed the luxury of the resort and all that it had to provide. At night, we attended at the resort theater which had a musical band playing and finished with a team of Michael Jackson themed show. The activities began the 3rd day for us. We were scheduled for the Jungle Tour as our first activity. The Jungle Tour included speed boat driving, snorkeling, and tacos to snack for the last part. It was our first time doing any of this, so all things were new and exciting. The speed boat driving took us around a block of the ocean and led us to the snorkeling area, where we got off the boats and dived into the ocean water for the snorkeling event. My wife told me that she found Dory from “Finding Dory” while she was swimming, whereas I only saw a few schools of fish at the range of my grasp and no other unique type of fish. We were also able to meet another couple at the event and were informed that the Captain Hook Pirate Show was a cruise of fun. We immediately booked for it and went the same night. It was nearly 4 hours of cruise on a pirate ship with pirate shows and danc-
Cenote Oxman in the Chichen Itza tour. The last activity was the visit to Chichen Itza. It’s the lost city of the Mayan tribes that was left to the world as a mystery. The tour was an all-day event from 7 AM until 8 PM. The city was about a 3 hour drive from Cancun. A long drive, but the time went fast with the tour guide going through the brief history of the Mayan culture and explaining different things to us. When we arrived at the Chichen Itza, we were able learn more about the Mayan history and their culture based on the tour guide’s explanations of different Mayan hieroglyphs and the genius behind the constructions of the structures that still stands. Within the tour, there included a visit to a Cenote, which is an underground cave pool made by a sink hole. The water there was so pure and blue, that we had to go and swim in it. Although the pool being 125 ft. deep was a very scary idea, we were provided with life jackets and were able to go in for a swim and even a jumping dive by a swinging rope. We ended the tour with a shot of tequila with the Mexican way of saluting the drinks; “Esta arriba, esta abajo, al centro, y pa’dentro”. It meant “Glasses up, glasses down, glasses to the front for all of your health, and as the end, drink your tequila!” Overall experience of our visit at the Cancun was a beautiful one. We had planned it about 3 months in advance and budgeting is definitely a must, but considering all the activities and fun, enjoyment, and excitement we were able to experience, both my wife and I felt like this is a once in a lifetime event. Being able to have such a luxurious vacation is something to be thankful for and we hope to visit other new and exciting places on our future vacations.
By Byung Rok Choi
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Thursday, November 28, 2019·NO. 910
You Have No Nunchi!
A Crash Course on “Nunchi” for the Holiday Season
Have you ever heard this from your parents, “Neo neun wae nunchi eobseo? (너는 왜 눈치 없어?)” Why don’t you have nunchi? With the holiday season coming up and family events planned every weekend, you may be dreading hearing this phrase. As a second or third-generation Korean American, you probably hear this phrase from your parents or other older first-generation Koreans. In the U.S., you were taught from a very early age to speak your mind, look
directly at the person you are talking to, and thus, you learned to be autonomous and value individualism. However, when dealing with older Korean people, without nunchi, the elders would probably disapprove of your behavior and may outright tell you that you have no nunchi. Have you tried talking to a Korean elder directly and intently looking at their eyes? Yup, they may have gotten angry with you. In Korea, it is impolite to talk to older people while looking directly in the eye.
What is nunchi? Why does this matter so much for Korean People? Nunchi is a Korean concept of the person’s ability to listen and gauge other people’s moods. It is sort of like having a high EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient). This concept has a significant importance in the lives of every Korean person who lives in Korea and to the first-generation Korean people living in America. The literal translation of the word is, eye-measure. I like to term it as, emotional eye measurement. Having no nunchi is closest to the English expression, “You can’t take a hint!” So, how can you have a lot of tact or fast nunchi?
I think you can help yourself by becoming more aware of your surroundings by observing the unique behaviors and moods of your parents or elder Koreans who are more used to indirect communication. To have nunchi, you must be very perceptive of the other person, including their word intonation and body language. It takes a while to build nunchi, but here are a few quick tips for this holiday season. Try three times when offering something, even if they deny vigorously. Look out for anyone who looks like they need help and start helping without asking. Try and see if there is anything a person is feeling self-conscious or confident about and compliment them. If you notice it become weirdly silent while you are talking, make a quick joke and change the topic! Hopefully, by becoming a more tactful person, you will bring a lot of harmony and peace to your family, and thus, make your life more beautiful. This Thanksgiving try and show more consideration to your family with a humble and observant attitude! By Agnes Park
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Thursday, November 28, 2019·NO. 910
Mystic and Thrilling, ‘Escape Room Experience’
Let’s enjoy [Mission Escapes] for this upcoming Holiday! What is an Escape Room? An escape room is a 60-minute real-life adventure game. You and your team will assemble in a themed room and will have one hour to complete your missions and “escape” from that room. A successful escape will require you to find hidden clues and solve challenging puzzles throughout the room. This game requires teamwork, speed, creativity, and patience.
For Who? Escape rooms are perfect for family vacations, corporate team-building, or just having fun with your close friends.
Escape rooms are definitely amazing experience to share with people, as you work together to discover clues to get out of an escape room, crack puzzles, and accomplish your ultimate goal. Even if you don’t actually get out of the room, the whole team will have a blast and make memories that you will share for a long time. Escape Rooms are mostly busy and very popular during holidays for a family activity too.
Heard of [Mission Escapes] https://www.missionescapes.com ? Located on 3000 S Jamaica Ct Suite#390, Aurora, CO 80014, [Mission Escapes] has been welcoming its guests
for more than over 3 years. It is the first escape room that was introduced in Aurora, Colorado. James Moon is the owner/game master of these fantastic escape rooms - his escape rooms are a whole new way of experiencing ‘storytelling’. By combining a social activity with interactive adventures and challenging puzzles, players are immersed in an entirely different world. Most of his customers are so addicted that they bring their coworkers, friends, and family members to experience his other room. Mission Escapes rooms require at least 2 players for Room #1: Treasure Hunt and 3 players for Room #2: Lunar Escape. Both of his rooms definitely require team work as well as an individual input. As the game progresses, participants can experience thrill of solving puzzles together and moving on to a next level. James mentioned in the interview with Colorado Times that he recommends ‘first-timers’ to try ‘Treasure Hunt’ first, since the ‘Treasure Hunt’ is more classic type of escape room games. For reservation, you can always visit [Mission Escapes]’s website https://www.missionescapes.com.
Don’t forget to use Colorado Times’ coupon on the [Mission Escapes] advertisement page!
Ready? So, take a look underneath the rug or sift through the books on the shelves, and take a closer look at all those paintings on the wall. You may find a string of numbers you need for a combination lock or a good old-fashioned key for a padlock. Everywhere you look is a potential clue to get out of an escape room or riddle waiting to be solved. But hurry, the clock starts ticking the moment you enter the escape room! By Rachel Y Cho
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Thursday, November 28, 2019·NO. 910
Thursday, November 28, 2019·NO. 910
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Thursday, November 28, 2019¡NO. 910
Tasty Real Estate News
Column #8: Buy a Home Within 1 Mile of In-N-Out
I focused on serious real estate topics for the past couple of months, but I think we all deserve a little lighter topic this week, especially with the Thanksgiving Holidays surrounding us. I would like for you to enjoy some tasty news instead. On Tuesday, 11/19/19, the Lone Tree City Council voted 5-0 to approve construction for an In-N-Out restaurant near the Park Meadows Mall. If you
grew up with In-N-Out hamburgers and fries, then you are probably salivating just at the thought of going to this store as soon as it open later part of 2020. Instead of salivating, why not move right next to this new store located at 9171 E. Westview Road, Lone Tree, CO 80124? If you go to www.ReColorado.com, you can see all the active homes on the market for yourself. As of 11/23/19, these are 17 active
homes within 1-mile radius of the new In-N-Out store: 6 active condos from $342,000 to $474,900: Built from 2007 to 2015 4 active townhomes from $390,000 to $449,000: Built from 1981 to 2014 7 active single-family homes from $388,000 to $533,900: Built from 1972 to 1981 A typical condo will be priced around
$365,000 and built around 2007 with 2 bedrooms and 2 full baths. This condo will be around 1200 square feet and comes with 1 covered parking space. A typical townhome will be priced around $390,000 and built around 2007 with 2 bedrooms and 2 full baths. The townhome will have around 1500 square feet and comes with 2 car attached garage. A typical single-family home will be priced around $400,000 and built around 1972 with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. The home will have around 1300 square feet and comes with 1 car attached garage. Purchase your ideal home and move less than 1 mile away from your In-NOut burgers, fries, shakes, and more. By Agnes Park Disclaimer: The stories and characters are based on real estate deals experienced by the author. The actual names of characters have been altered to protect the privacy of these individuals. All the numbers and figures are estimated to the best of the author’s knowledge. Colorado Times LLC is not responsible for the accuracy and/or the content of these columns.
Thursday, November 28, 2019¡NO. 910
Goo Hara Found Dead in Apartment The Rising Issue of Suicide Goo Hara, or more commonly known as just "Hara," was found dead in her apartment on November 24th, 2019. This is just over a month after the death of Sulli on October 14th. While the cause of death is yet to be confirmed, police investigators suspect that the cause of death was suicide. Hara had a previous suicide attempt on May 26th with her famous "goodbye" message. Goo Hara was a South Korean singer and actress. She was a member of the girl group, Kara, and appeared in the famous TV drama: City Hunter. She also debuted as a solo-Zion.T - Teaser Photo ist in July 2015.for Upcoming Single In 2018, she was surrounded by scandals regarding her lawsuit with her ex-boyfriend, Choi Jong Bum, who was convicted in August for threatening, coercing, injuring, and destroying Goo's property. After her previous suicide attempt, Hara did not give a specific reason for the attempt. She simply said there were many things going on in her life and that she would do her best Goo Hara. to become healthier. Hara's manager disclosed that Hara was fighting with from 12.9 to 20.4 deaths per 100,000 depression. adolescents ages 15-19, according to Sulli was also a South Korean singer, the United Health Foundation news reactress, and model. Sulli and Hara were port. Overall, that rate put Colorado as close friends from the same entertainthe sixth worst state. ment company, SM Entertainment. She The reason for suicide increases resuffered from severe depression, panic mains unclear. Each person has their disorder, and social disorder. Sulli was own reasons and circumstances. Many attacked frequently online for going times, suicide happens unexpectedly. without a bra in several of her videos. Colorado Times hopes that everyone She was labeled as too "feminist" and will take time for themselves and their "forward-thinking" by many Koreans. loved ones to continue spending many She appealed to her company several joyful holiday seasons together. Please times to act against cyber-bullying and reach out to your loved ones to share the malicious comments she received your difficulties and happiness with online. After her passing, many acts By Agnes Park Goo Hara in 2018. each other. were revised, added, and proposed to prevent hate comments from affecting other celebrities. The closely timed deaths of these stars call attention to the severity of mental illness in the Korean community. Korea remains very conservative and this conservative culture is remnant in our own Korean American community. The topic of mental health is not one that is addressed seriously and remains a taboo within the Korean community. Often, those who suffer from mental health issues will be brushed off or told to pull it together. It is important to realize that mental health issues are becoming more and more serious. Suicide is the tenth likely cause of death in America. Colorado had the highest suicide rate increase (58%) in teenagers in the U.S. since 2016. In the past three years, teen suicide in Colorado rose United Health Foundation Data on Adolescent Suicides. Photo: cpr.org
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Thursday, November 28, 2019·NO. 910
Colorado Breaks Record for Travel This Thanksgiving
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raveling this Thanksgiving? Join the near 960,000 state residents that are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home. This number is a 2.9 percent increase from last year and represents Colorado's highest Thanksgiving travel volume ever recorded, according to AAA Colorado. 27,000 more Coloradans will be traveling this year. In Colorado, gas prices have ticked up nearly a dime from this point last year, with a statewide average of $2.80 a gallon. In Colorado, the statewide average runs $2.73 for a gallon of regular, up 18 cents from this time last year. But higher gas prices and the expected heavy traffic hasn’t changed people’s plans. Around 834,000 Coloradans will drive this Thanksgiving, 2.8 percent more than last year. Nearly 62,000 state residents will fly. “Nobody likes getting stuck in traffic, especially around the holidays, but the reason that traffic is on the rise is simple,” Skyler McKin-
Wishing for Safe Travels
Traffic on Interstate 25 in Denver August 2019. Photo: Hart Van Denburg/CPR News. holiday travelers will be making their way home after the long weekend. “Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for road trips, and 2019 will be no different,” McKinley said. “To skip the stress of sitting in traffic, avoid commuting times in major cities altogether or plan alternative routes.” Airports also will be crowded. Nationwide, 4.45 million are expected to fly, causing heavy traffic to airports and long lines through security. Delays to the nation’s busiest airports could be as long as an hour and a half. Those heading to Denver International Airport should expect drive times from downtown to DIA via I-70 East of 55 minutes or more. With the snowstorm expected to hit Monday evening through Tuesday morning, we hope that everyone will stay warm and safe during their holiday travels. Consider keeping an emergency pack in your cars and leaving early to ensure that you arrive on time, and more importantly, that you arrive safely. While traffic can be a pain, we are happy to see that Colorado remains a popular travel destination By Agnes Park
Thanksgiving Travel Outlook as of 11/23/2019. Photo: USA Today.denverpost.com ley, AAA Colorado spokesperson, said in a news release. “We’re where people want to be, and the folks already here have the wages, disposable income, and sunny economic outlook to encourage them to travel.” AAA warns there is no day worse than the Wednesday to travel. Traffic peaks on Wednesday evening with some travel times taking four times longer than usual. The best days to travel will likely be Thanksgiving Day, Friday, or Saturday. Drivers should expect increased travel times on Sunday when most
Busy Security Lines in DIA. Photo: denverpost.com
Thursday, November 28, 2019·NO. 910
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