Lotus Latern Festival

We got going pretty early this morning and headed off to Express Bus for breakfast. After we ate we hopped on the subway and headed off for Insadong and the latern festival. We were scheduled to make laterns in the afternoon so we walked around and checked out the sites. There was a lot of things going on. Jen and I put on hanboks and had our photos taken and we checked out several booths showcasing Buddists from all over the world. There were so many beautifully coloured lanterns everywhere! Once we sat down to make our laterns we were joined by the most awesome man..Mr.Paek. Mr.Paek is so fantastic he and I hit it off really well and he gave me his e-mail and we're going to keep in touch. He is teaching Korean to a bunch of Sri Lankin students..perhaps he can teach me too? He stayed with us all day and helped us with our lantern making. Amazing! Jen won in the catagory for excellence *clap* *clap* and I won the top spot..seriously I did! Check out the photo of me being interview for the news :) I won a beautiful piece of art work. Afterwards we went for some yummy soup and then the guys were really tired and jet lagged so we skipped the parade..and came home. Enjoy the photos everyone!

Galbi in the hood

It is 630am and we are all awake..um do I have jet lag too??? Or perhaps it was the crazy people who live below me beating each other and breaking glass at 5am that did us in. Last night we went out for galbi in the hood. I wanted to take them out for some traditional Korean style food. It was their first sit on the floor dinner ever. I'm not sure Dave enjoyed the food very much but Jen and I ate tons of it. Dave loved the kimchi though...I hate kimchi. The lady at the restaurant saw Dave struggling a bit with the chopsticks and she brought him a fork..how sweet. Since we are up sooooo early we are going to get ready and head to Suji's in Itae for breakfast then head out for the lantern fest (hopefully the weather clears up!). Here are a few pics from last night's dinner.

The eagles have landed

The anticipation was KILLING me at the airport. Waiting..waiting...I think they were the last almost to come out of the gate..the waiting was seriously tourture!!! Dave and Jenny have finally arrived! I'm really happy that they are here! Don't wanna blog too much as we are getting ready for dinner but here are a few photos to tie you over! xoxo






I love my friends and my mom! um and Napoleon Dynamite





-- Moms--- Jen and Dave send out a big thank you for the ride to the airport and everything!! xoxoxo

The world looks a little different at 7am

My alarm went off promptly at 7 this morning. I shook myself out of a deep sleep and tried to remember why I had set my alarm for such an early hour. After the daze wore off I remembered I had to telephone home to Ottawa. My wonderful mother invited Jen and Dave over for dinner before they leave for Seoul. She is so great she is even driving them to Ottawa International tommorow morning to make their flight. Mom you're terrific! I pulled myself out of bed and threw myself onto the couch and made the call to speak with everyone. I felt a twinge of sadness that I couldn't be there with them but happiness as well because I will soon be surrounded by some wonderful folks. Now that it is time to get ready for work I'm hit with the reality of things I need to deal with today. My partner teacher and I are having some serious communication issues. Perhaps it is a personality clash..I'm not exactly sure. I have to nip this problem in the bud though before it escalates, as I am going to be with her for another year. I wasn't exactly sure how to deal with the issue but after brief counsel with RL, I realized I needed to sit her down and address the issue in a professional manner A.S.A.P. So I'm currently getting ready to leave for work and hopefully she and I can talk before the day begins. I hope I can communicate effectively, as her English is not top notch, I will make a galliant effort though. I'll keep you all posted. The posts may be infrequent over the next two weeks due to my company but I'll try to post as many photos as I can :) xoxo

UPDATE

I spoke to my partner teacher today as planned. I asked her to come to my classroom before class started and I told her everything I was concerned about and suggested ways that we could communicate better with each other. To be honest I'm not sure if she fully understood what I was talking about because she had a glazed look in her eye. I do know she understood the important parts so I feel better that I made the effort and even took most of the responsibility for us not effectively communicating with each other. Hopefully things will change a little but, who knows really though.



T minus 18 hrs and counting!

It's a sunshine day...

Today was a beautiful day! Sun was shining and the temperature was warm! I took the camera around with me at lunch today and snapped some photos of the neighbourhood as Cam and I were taking a walk. I love the spring time here as the flowers are so lovely and beautiful. I don't really have much of anything to say today because I have a lot on my mind that I don't feel like blogging about as not to bore you all. So here are some photos.







Jen, 43 more hours and you'll be in Seoul..can you stand it?!!!?!!!

Well you readers you must get tired of hearing me talk about this....but...DEAL :)

The last year has really flown by. I can remember a year ago sitting in Jen and Dave's basement chatting about how cool it would be if they could come to Korea and visit me. The what if eventually became a we are coming to see you. I've known about this for so long and the anticipation has really been building. I love the friends I've made here but to have some folks from home come here is really going to be amazing. Jen and Dave are two of the BEST people I know. I started off becoming buds with Jen when we worked together at Beaux Regards Salon...and the friendship blossomed into us hanging out um..like 4 times a week for about two years. The great thing about them is Jen's husband Dave is just as rightous as she is. I treasure the friendship I've developed with both of them. I am just dying for the next two days at work to be over so I can take the bus to the airport Saturday and pick them up!WOOOHOOO!!!!

I am slowly going crazy 1,2,3,4,5,6 switch!

Today I felt like a character from this wonderful program. A puppet having their strings pulled in many directions. It is funny how you can have such awesome days at work and then days you want to scream...today was a screamer for me (well not actually but I would have liked to). Looking at this photo I see characters that have all been there since I was kid watching over 25 years ago..guess things haven't changed that much..comforting.


Jen are you totally going crazy yet?? 2 more sleeps and you're here!!!

It is officially official

I sat down with Jin and Mr.Oh today and signed my contract for the next year. Along with the ticket home and back I got a raise so I'm happy. I was handed my flight schedule as well. For those back home interested...

Travel date July 15th

Leave Seoul at 4:55pm

Arrive in Vancouver at 11:10 am

Leave Vancouver at 3:25pm

Arrive in Ottawa 10:55pm (still on July 15th)


I leave home on the 29th of July and arrive back in Seoul on the 30th.

Jin mentioned in our meeting today that the Ohs are going to be taking all of the teaching staff on a field trip. It will be the last weekend of May. From what I understand they are renting a mansion next to mountains and streams and a park. The plan is to have a BIG BBQ and booze fest. I'm totally down with that. From what RL told me this is the first time the Ohs have ever taken us anywhere...not sure what the change of heart it but I'm not complaining.

RL and I are going to book our paragliding weekend this week which I am sooooo excited for! I'm hoping if she likes the gliding it will be the start of some high flying adventures!!!


Jen and Dave will be arriving in Korea in 3 1/2 days. I'm beyond excited and will find it hard to sleep this Friday night. That's bout it in my life right now. Things are good!

I like efficiency

It has usually been my experience thus far in Korea, that Koreans are procrastinators. I don't blame them I can be myself sometimes, however when the matter is important I prefer promptness. RL had suggested to me last week that perhaps I should remind Jin at some point this week about my flight home for July because a friend of ours had troubles booking her return to Korea due to flights already being booked. As I am flying home and coming back during peak season, I realized I did not want to get stuck and have nothing available when I was planning on leaving. When I approached Jin today regarding my flight she looked at me with a smile and said, "I booked it last week and already have the confirmation". I love Jin. I am so happy to have things booked two months in advance with no worries and I have the gaurantee now that I am definitely having my vacation home paid for. It makes it seem more official now that I will be going home. I have a heck of a long stop over in Vancouver but oh well :) I'm happy it is the most direct flight I can possibly get home. I love my school..I really do.

ESL jobs are changing for the better

From time to time I like to search the ESL job banks to see what is available. I'm very happy with my currents situation and have just agreed to sign on for another year however I like to plan for the future too. I have my degree in Second Language Teaching and have been teaching for the past 5 years. I'm fence sitting about going back to University and getting my B.ED or just move along to another great country to teach and have another great experience. There isn't a huge longing in me to settle down long term in one locale and my urge to travel is very strong. I think I'll take a stab at applying for school in the fall and see what happens. I really only have my mind set on Ottawa U for school and the competition for the Education program is fierce. If I don't get in then I'll finish my contract in Korea and then move on. I am happy to see that several countries are now offering competitive salaries and airfare. It is always nicer to fly on someone else's dime right? I really want to move to the Middle East, or the UAE, or Egypt. I love the culture, the people and their way of life. I am seeing increasing amounts of jobs available in these areas so if I don't get into school I know there is hope to find a job in a country I really want to be in.

I said burrrr...it's cold in here

What is up with the weather in this country?? Two beautiful days of sunshine and warmth and now it is cloudy, we had a downpour today, and it is freezing right now! I just want some warmth and some sunshine on my white pasty skin!!!

- Jen awesome chatting with you and Dave today! Can't believe we're down to the last few days after talking about this trip for over a year! I'll try to chat with you again before you leave. If not, fly safe and see you at Incheon Airport next Saturday!

Soju smoothies with Saejin

After my mad cleaning yesturday I decided to give myself a facial, take a long hot shower, have a few drinks and watch Munich. Well I got everything done and started to watch the movie when Saejin called. He was at a little bar not far from here and told me to get my ass ready and hop in a cab and come meet him. I hadn't even thought about going out at all last night because everyone is pretty much gone, well Saejin isn't of course. Anyway I got ready and hopped in a cab and went to meet him. We drank a beer at a pub and then headed over to Jonggak station area. I wish I had of had my camera last night because it was so beautiful out and there was some great stuff to see. We ended up in a little seafood bar where we had a delicious fish soup and had some soju smoothies. I don't normally drink soju and neither does Saejin, but they looked good so we ordered it up. We got kiwi and basically it tasted like candy. It was all frothy and kiwi, you couldn't even taste the soju. This turned out to be a little dangerous. We drank a few with his friends and they left because they had to work and Saejin and I sat in the bar and drank until almost 4am. It was really nice hanging out just the two of us. Good times.

Here are some photos from the field trip I never got to post!

Spring cleaning

I woke up bright an early this morning thanks to the really loud movers outside my door dragging things up and down the hall. I'm hoping it is the people at the end of the hall with the yappy dog that moved out. I didn't hear the dog bark the entire time the movers were working and that dog barks when the elevator opens. Perhaps we'll have a little quiet on this floor! It was my plan to clean today and get everything ready for Jen and Dave's arrival next Saturday. I re-arranged all of my furnature, washed the floors, washed my curtain, washed the windows, and pretty much scrubbed everything. I've been working not stop since 1030am this morning and it now 530pm and I'm just about finished. My place looks fantastic, I just hope I can keep it that way until next weekend. The weather is once again beautiful and sunny and I've had the windows open all day. I hope the cold snap and the yellow dust is finally over. Going to make some dinner and finally sit down and watch a movie. Hope everyone is having a great weekend :)

Asian bird flu made for a lacklustre field trip.

As previously mentioned, I woke up to a bright, cloudless, blue sky. After the recent bad weather we've had it was a nice change and it made me a little excited for our field trip to the zoo. All of the teachers pilled into one bus and we met the children at Seoul Grand Park. I was a little disappointed to see that most of the beautiful blossoms from last weekend had left the trees. We rounded up our classes and H class was pumped for a day at the zoo. We had been told prior to leaving not to touch the birds because of bird flu (the only birds I saw there last weekend were turkeys and I don't think anyone would have been interested in petting them). Regardless, we made our way to a nice grassy area to wait for everyone. It was nice because it was in a slightly different area of the park then where we had visited last weekend. After a few minutes, Jin informed us that we would not be going to the zoo (because of the birds) and that we would be visiting the Contemporary Art Gallery on the grounds instead. I will tell you that being in a park that holds Seoul Land (rollercoasters, log rides, and loads of fun stuff), and two zoos, finding out we were going to the gallery left my students less then thrilled. It was such a lovely day, it would have been better spent outside even if we were just playing games. So we brought the kids throughout the gallery, shushing them along the way. The only real interest for H class was a display of about 500 tv's set up in a tower like shape. It actually was pretty cool to look at but I felt bad for the kids because they kept asking when we were going to the zoo.


After a fairly quick tour through the gallery it was back outside for our picnic lunch. I love when the moms send lunch because there was really nice spred with loads of yummy eats. After eating one of the bus drivers pulled out a bucket of water balloons...and all out war commenced and it was not between the students. Jay Bob and I had it in for each other and we both ended up pretty soaken. After most of the balloons were used up we had a heated tug of war game then headed back for home. The fun was still going on when we arrived back at Kids Club though because we were ambushed by some of the bus drivers who had already arrived with the remaining water balloons. This continued into the school and lets just say it was a wet good time! The album.


Jennifer and Raydon



Kaylee and Serena


Joe showing me the lady bug he found in the bush


infront of the gallery



A sculpture thing



The class (the photographer asked me to pose this way..it looks weird from this angle)




Kevin picked me a flower



Tug of War



RL wasn't happy I was laughing when she was one of the last to finally get soaked with the balloons


There really wasn't bird flu. It was parental paranoia I'm pretty sure.

It's sunny!

I woke up this morning to sunshine and no wind! Today's field trip to the zoo should be a good one!

Dance class fashion

The hot look for spring in our dance class is shiny spandex leggings (usually gold or bronze in colour), leg warmers, and short shorts over top. My favorite look this evening was gold leggings with skin tight red velvet short shorts and an orange sports bra. Very hot! RL and I can't wait to go home this summer and get hot outfits for dance class :)

Also just have to mention that RL and I are going paragliding in June..how freakin awesome is that!!!???

Just want to share these photos of us being silly with the statues last Sunday that I never got around to posting :)

Why things float and what's up with the weather?

Yesturday in Science class the lesson was about buoyancy. In our Science kits there was coloured clay, a popscicle stick, and a plastic glove. It said I needed a float tank filled with water to do the experiment, which I did not have. So I decided we would not do the experiement as we did not have the proper materials. We talked about things that float and things that don't. We took the clay provided and we all created boats, because boats float. As you can see Dylan looks perplexed by the fact we do not have a float tank! I told the kids to take their boats home and see if they floated in the bathtub or sink. They were cool with that.






I would like to know why it was 2 degrees with the wind chill today! Seriously it was like 20 degrees everyday last week and I didn't need a jacket. Today I could have used a scarf and mitts! It was so windy my windows were shaking. I hope it warms up soon because we have a field trip to the zoo tommorow!

I went and signed myself up for something cultural

The day is quickly approaching for the arrival of my two dear friends, Jen and Dave. I've been planning out things to do while they are in Seoul as there are many great things to see and do. It just so happens they arrive the day before the Lotus Lantern Festival next weekend. I've been looking into the events for awhile now and we mutually decided we want to go and make lanterns. They only have 150 spots available so I signed up and got us on the list. There are several events going on next Sunday and for anyone who hasn't checked it out before here is the website to find out all that is going on. We will make lantern and take part in some other things and watch thousands of lanterns float off in the night sky at the end. Should be awesome. (The photos on this post are from the LLF website).

Some people can be so thoughtful

Today I was taking my kids to wash their hands for lunch and Rachel Lynn was coming in from her lunch. While she was on her lunch she stopped at a store and while there she picked me up one of my most favorite Korean drinks, that I have had my eye out for and have not been able to find. The last time I lived in Korea it was sold in the LG 24 in my building and I drank it often. It is called Hi Chu (it is a very delicious alcoholic beverage). RL did not only get me one..she got me a case! I felt that was so thoughtful of her to think of my liver, I really appreciated it. Thank you RL! You are very kind. I had one after work and you're right the peach flavour is very good. I'd only had grape but I must say I now like both. Cheers!

So tired it hurts

I'm not sure what is wrong with me but I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open and it's only 730pm! I've been tired since Saturday and there really isn't a good reason why. I hope I'm not coming down with something. Many of my kids have been out sick so who knows what is going around right now.

I just wanted to mention to Jenny B that it is only 10 more sleeps and then you will be coming to Seoul! Seriously I can't believe it is almost here since we've been planning this for a year now! Maybe while you are here you might want to try a yummy Korean treat. Silk work larvae or in Korean - Bondaegi (totally wrong spelling but it sounds like that). You think..hmm these look like nuts of some kind...but really they are bugs!!! You should eat em! I saw many ladies selling them yesturday and you can get some in my neighbourhood. Just another thing to look forward to :)



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Here are some more photos from our trip to Seoul Grand Park yesturday




Blogger will only let me load two cause it is sucking right now..more will come eventually.

Picnic in the park

I woke up this morning fully intending to head over to the Shinsagae and buy some groceries and make a yummy vindaloo chicken dinner. I spoke with RL and she said she wanted to come along. When I finished getting ready RL called and said Cam had invited us on a picnic at Seoul Grand Park. So we ditched the idea of a day in an underground mall and opted for the picnic in the park. This was the first time I'd been to Seoul Grand Park and we picked an awesome day to go. It was EXTREMELY packed but we had a great time none the less. The cherry blossoms were so beautiful and the sky was clear. I'd have to say a perfect day. We walked around then found a spot to have our picnic. After we ate we thought we'd go to Seoul Land which is an amusement park in Seoul Grand Park but we changed our minds as it was late. Here are some of the photos and there are a ton more in the album . Enjoy!


Walking in the park.






Picnic on the hill, interesting statues, and some fun!

Free drinks made for an interesting full moon Friday night out

Cam had the brilliant idea of going out Friday night so we had two days left of the weekend to recover (smart thinking on his part). Everyone left from work but I hate doing that..I like to come home and shower and pretty myself up and stuff. So I met up with everyone later at this nice little lounge type club called Above in Itaewon. They had fancy cocktails and really nice decor. I arrived and everyone was half in the bag already so we went to a bar to get our drink on. We started off in this tiny little place that was completely empty. We danced our butts off and drank shots and other yummy alcoholic beverages. We got tired of that place and we WERE going to go to Hongdae but someone decided to go to the club above the bar we were in. I wasn't thrilled about it cause the bar looked dodgy, however, I ordered a rum and coke and went to give the guy some money and he said no it's free tonight. So I asked him if all the drinks were free and he said it was ladies night and it was free until 4am. Well that changed the plan a little bit. We got wasted.

After we had drank about all we could handle we moved on. I know for sure we lost RL because she made a new friend and well they left. Much to my dismay someone stole my freakin hoodie!!! Good thing it was warm but seriously all of our purses and stuff were there and someone takes me hoodie? Now I have to go buy a new one this weekend. I do remember Polly's Kettle and yummy drinks that we left on the sidewalk? I can't remember if that was before or after the free drinks bar. Then I ended up with Cam and Saejin at a club that was empty...and then I remember we ordered yummy egg sandwiches from a street vendor and hopped in a cab..I think I ate mine and then Cam's cause he passed out the second we got in the cab. Enjoy the photos :)















I know I was drunk because I got home and called everyone back home. Earlier in the night I had met an Egyptian guy and impressed him with my Arabic (which isn't fantastic). Meeting him made me miss Samaa..so the second I got home I opened my new phone card and called Cairo. She laughed at me cause I was toasted. We talked and then we hung up..and I called her again cause I wanted to keep talking with her..good thing she loves me cause I think I sounded mental. Then I called Andree and Jen and Dave..got answering machines and left some funny messages according to Jen's e-mail I got when I woke up..ahh fun times. I'm supposed to go out with Joel and RL tonight for some more fun times..I hope I can do it :)

UPDATE Turns out Cam had my hoodie in his bag? I have no recollection of asking him to put it in there..but anyway I'm happy I have it..but saddened to hear that Saejin lost his beautiful and expensive jacket :( I'm hoping he will find it as I don't remember him wearing it after the first bar..fingers crossed.

Momma I'm comin home........

It's almost May and my contract is finished in early July. I figured it was time to talk to Jin about holiday time and such as I am resigning with my school. I had worries about the holiday time I wanted and some other things and I expected some sort of struggle in our meeting. I sat down and she looked at me and said, " You can have the two weeks off in July that you want and we are going to fly you home and fly you back." Seriously I was shocked..I was very happy about the holiday time and shocked because they offered to fly me home and back. As far as I know that is not the standard at my school. They give a certain amount of money as compensation when you resign for the flight. So I asked her about 10 times if they were actually paying for the entire round trip for my vacation home and she said yes! So I have two weights off my shoulders..I don't have to save for a plane ticket home..and I get to go home when I want too. I resign my new contract tommorow and then I'm all set for another year in Seoul!

Things I want when I get home

- a huge turkey dinner with all the trimmins
- the longest bubble bath in the history of ever
- a manicure, pedicure, and facial from Andree
- I want to sit in the backyard and drink beer with my dad
- do something totally girly with my mom
- chill on the couch in Jen and Dave's basement and watch CSI
- I want Greek on Wheels so bad I can taste it
- I want to go to the mall and just go crazy
- I want to drive for an entire day
- I want to sleep in my bed
- I want to gourge myself for 1 day on Canadian junk food..I want Smarties!!!!
- I want a BBQ steak
- I want to sit on Andree's balcony and ..... ...
- Spend loads of time with my bro

I wonder why?

Today was an absolutely spectacular day. The weather was beautiful (considering we had a huge dust warning), the sun was shining, and it was really warm. At lunch today Cam and I had decided on Japanese but since the restaurant had a line up out the door we kept on walking. We decided on a little cafe with patio tables set up outside. The menu was sandwiches so that's what we had. I chose the tuna and Cam ordered the ham. I have to say it was the strangest tuna sandwich I have ever eaten. I should know better than to expect something familiar by now in this country but I had tuna with chopped up celery in my mind with some mayo. Boy was I wrong! This is what was in my sandwich...tuna, lettuce, cheese, mustard, mayo, corn nibblets, black olives, relish, sweet pickles, green peppers, and tomatoes. I have to say I am still undecided about the flavor combination. Why ruin a perfectly yummy sandwich with all the extra stuff?

The other day I bought a huge pack of toilet paper (24 rolls - I usually buy singles cause I live alone and they take up less space but seeing as I will be having two guests for two weeks I thought I should think big). I opened the package up today and the toilet paper was scented!! What is that point of that really considering toilet paper really doesn't go anywhere near your nose? I just don't know the answer...

The final confusing thing of the day is the science lesson we had. It required sewing..and who did most of the sewing do you ask? ME! We had to make these frogs. There were 3 pieces that had to be sewn together. I'm not the most domestic of females (except when it comes to cooking and cleaning) sewing and knitting are a little like a foreign language to me. My mom would have been proud though..and I'm impressed I didn't rip all of my hair out. I am still not sure what exactly the scientific purpose of the activity was..but I guess it is not for me to know.

Jenny B..no need to worry your liver will be fine.

Tonight after work Cam, JayBob, and I went over to Costco. I had a HUGE list and got everything and spent like 100 dollars less then expected so I'm happy about that. I am totally ready for Jen and Dave's visit in two weeks. Between the 3 of us we spent almost 600 dollars! All money well spent though. It was the most cramed taxi ride of our lives and I spent most of it worrying about being impailed by JayBob's new curtains, but I made it. Jen if you are reading this I just want you to know that you have nothing to worry about. There will be Gin and Tonic a plenty for you when you come here (I also picked up some rum for me and some pre-mixed Sex on a Beach!). Good times ahead..good times ahead!

Something I haven't seen in awhile..

Tonight on my way home there was a beautiful sunset. The weather is warm and the days are getting longer. It's great! Had a typical Monday at work but the day seemed to drag. By some miracle I won one of the bonuses this month! I never get my hopes up because it is so random and you can never predict (it is all about numbers). I won 2nd place so that meant an extra 200 on my pay cheque. Can't really complain about that really. I could use it that's for sure as I have to stock up on things before my friends come.

Ever wonder what Korean children eat for breakfast? Owen came in today with a big bag of popcorn at 10am! I asked him if it was his breakfast and he said yes. I asked him if he ate popcorn regularly for breakfast and he said sometimes. Seriously have people become so lazy that breakfast for a growing child is a microwavable bag of popcorn? He gave me some so that was cool. :)

Welcome to my neighbourhood.

It is like 20 degrees outside and sunny. It is so warm I actually turned on the aircon for the first time this year. Since my camera is fixed and my household chores are finished, I decided to take a walk around my neighbourhood and take some photos. I haven't taken any photos of where I live and I'm sure the folks back home are curious to see. I realized that I don't get out in my neck of the woods enough because I discovered the most beautiful place. It is a cemetary with beautiful buildings. You can't really go inside but there are paths that lead up a tall hill and you can look around. So I did! The trees are in bloom, the sun is out..what an amazing day! Jen and Dave, I'm sorry you will miss the cherry blossoms but hopefully these photos will give you a good idea of how beautiful they are!













Finally this is my home, the wonderful Dream EZ. Where dreaming isn't always so easy when you have loud neighbours like I do, but I like it!

Sometimes I impress myself!

Last weekend when I went out with the girls I bumped my camera on a table and messed up the shutter. It would only open half way and I was so angry at myself for breaking my camera. Well today I gingerly took off the lens cover and put it back on and PRESTO! My camera was fixed! I'm so happy it is fixed because now I can take photos of the beautiful cherry blossoms (and I saved myself a trip to Yongsan to fix it). Here is the view from Dream EZ today. If you look close you can see the pretty cherry blossom tree. Expect loads more of the beautiful foliage now that I have my camera in working order again!!!

Get ur ass over here already! :)

Jenny B, 19 more sleeps, can you stand it?????!!!!!

Could the dust be any worse today?

I hate yellow dust. It fills the air and makes everything look hazy and it's just yucky. Today the dust is terrible (in my end of Seoul anyway). I've had a pretty productive Saturday considering I'm still in my pjs and it's 4 in the afternoon. I cleaned out my fridge, my freezer, re-arranged all my cupboards, and cleaned all the drains in my apartment. I'm trying to get things ready for my guests that are coming soon. Now I have to haul like 6 garbage bags full of stuff downstairs but I feel like I accomplished something today. I think I'll go get some beer and chill now.

A few months old but new to me

I'm putting together a little something for my friends, Jen and Dave, who are arriving in Seoul in a little over two weeks from now to see me! It required getting some photos of my kids in Hanboks (I won't say what it is because it is a suprise for them and they read my blog!). I've been trying to get the cd from our Korean Manners class for 2 months now and it was nowhere to be found at school. May, my partner teacher, actually did something thoughtful for me and called the photographer and asked him to bring a copy of the cd to school. She brought me the cd today so I could take it home and download the pics. There are some AWESOME photos of my kids. For those who didn't see the blog when I posted my photos of the day I'll explain. It was Lunar New Year here in Korea. My kids learned how to bow, make these little sugar cookies, and hold a tea cup and sip tea. Here are some of the NEW pics I got today. The photographer even took photos of me taking pictures and the kids taking photos! He didn't miss anything!













What can I say I love teaching kindergarten and I love my kids :)

I'm gonna get braces!

For over a year now I've been thinking of getting braces. My teeth aren't horrible but I would love to have perfect teeth. A friend of mine back home got Invisalign. Basically they are molds the orthodontist makes and you wear them all day and night for a year. You can take them out to eat and stuff (no metal or wire but the same effect). Back home this procedure costs about 5k. I have medical insurance here and back home I don't. Well I found a dentist in Korea that does the procedure. The only one in Seoul from what I can find. I'm going to get one of the Korean staff to call the medical centre for me and find out if I need a referal and all that stuff. I won't be able to afford it until late summer but I'm stoked to know I can get it done! The good thing about Invisalign is that nobody can tell you are wearing them...I know people don't normally get excited about the idea of braces but if I can get this done for a better price and hopefully orthodontics is covered under my insurance (gotta check but I'm pretty sure) this could be great!

I am gimpy

I have mentioned before on how I am having problems with my right knee. It started about a month and a half ago and really is not getting better. It is stopping me from going to dance class because the next morning I can't even bend without my knee being in horrible pain. Yesturday I bent down in class and all I heard was a loud crack and popping sound..loud enough that my kids asked what the heck it was. It was my knee. If I am sitting and put my hand on my knee and extend my leg and bend it you can feel a weird pop everytime. I decided that I should get it checked out...so Jin is going to check into getting me an appointment with a specialist. Right now I feel gimpy :(

Jin told me today she wanted to find me a boyfriend because she thinks I need one..and it's funny because today I got an e-mail from one of those things like Hi5 but it wasn't..some other one I haven't heard of..from a guy I used to date (if you want to call it that) that I haven't seen in 6 years...asking me to join his group or whatever...it was not a relationship I treasure or even like to remember..those are the kind of men that I find..so boyfriend seems scary to me. I told her she could try though...

I could never be a raw vegan

So it is the end of day 3 of my raw diet. I can't say I'm loving it but my stomache sure feels better. It is very strange but I am noticing food smells A LOT more then ever! I'll continue for the rest of the week but next week that's it! I'll do one raw meal and one cooked meal a day. I don't know how raw vegans do it?!

Got 30 minutes?

Today in gym class Cam, Justin and I were shooting the shit about shows we watch and such. Justin told us about this show that he watched with Jack Black and Owen Wilson called Heat Vision. I don't want to tell you what it is about because it is so freaking funny you have to see for yourself. If you have 30 minutes give this shot.

Heat Vision and Jack

Out with the girls and the curse of the Nikon camera!

It POURED rain yesturday pretty much non-stop. I spent the day cleaning and napping and being lazy. The plan was to meet up with RL, Emily, and Jenny after they went to some percusion show (I would have gone but the computer purchase has left me more impoverished then usual). I left home at 1030pm to go meet the girls at Tin Pan. It had been a long while since I'd been to Tin Pin so I was looking forward to it. I had the craziest cab ride of my life though. My cabbie drove soooooo fast I held on to the door and shut my eyes. We made it from my house in South Seoul to Hongdae in like 15 minutes which is pretty amazing. At least he dropped me off right at the door of the bar.

The girls had a head start on the beers so I had to catch up. We requested lots of favs which is the great thing about Tin Pin. There was a problem with beer spillage at our table. I'm not sure if it was RL's gimp wrists or not but it happened about four times. I think she got tired of wipping up beer after awhile. We started our usual beside our table dancing and ass shaking and before we knew almost the entire bar had congregated around us and started a make shift dance floor.
It was great they followed our lead but it made getting to the bar and the bathroom very difficult. Since the night out was pretty much a late 30th birthday celebration for Jenny (welcome to the dirties girl!). She was calling the shots. Jenny has a passion for the noraebang (karaoke room for those not familiar).

We went to a luxary noraebang that had themed rooms. We chose the seasons room. It was super classy and we got free icecream. Jenny and I were impressed with the clean bathrooms (a rariety in this country). The interesting signs above the sinks were also photo worthy. We sang tons of great ones and took some photos. This was when my camera broke...AGAIN!!!! Really I only bumped it on the table by accident. Not major damage but the shutter over the lense won't open all the way. Everything else is fine. So I'm going to take it back to the guys at Space 9 who fixed it the last time and see if they can do something. I'm sure it is a fixable problem but a pain in the ass because I have to wait for 2 weeks before I can get there. So this will be a photoless blog once again for awhile. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. I didn't get upset about it really because this time I was the one that broke it. I put it away and we kept singing our little hearts out. In the noraebang they give you scores for your singing (probably just how loud you are) I was pretty happy that I won a few times! I really am probably the worst singer ever but when you are in a room with 3 other bad singers you start to all sound pretty fantastic!





I totally swipped this photo from Emily's blog so she gets the credit but I liked it and I had to take it :)



After our hour at the noreabang we decided to call it a night. The mission of getting blitzed was not accomplished however I had a fun time. After payday RL and I are going to get our groove on at a proper dance club. I'm looking forward to that. I hope everyone had a good weekend! xoxox

Just want to pass this along...RL sent me t