the here and now

the last 2-3 weeks have passed by in a wink, a blink, a sigh. never have i lived someplace where changes occur as quickly and as frequently as they do here in korea. the lonely planet coined seoul "the city that never stops" and now i think i know what they mean.

ch-ch-changes:
this is the last week of the spring term. my students are misbehaving like rugrats and i am exercising patience, grace under fire. i have resorted to making fun of the troublemakers and much to my entertainment, my well-behaved students find it as amusing as i do! i know it's not very mature of me but, my tolerance is quickly dwindling.

i'm playing ultimate frisbee again! i joined a league and am getting to meet new people who seem as outgoing, quirky, slightly socially awkward and fun as the bulk of ultimate players tend to be. i am no exception to this generalization. i have to get my ultimate mojo back--i'm definitely rusty!--so i look forward to reclaiming my disc confidence.

one of my all time favorite people, amber, is leaving, returning to her home state of cali, cali. in 6 months time, we've had countless laughs, amazing conversations, heart to hearts, dance parties, nohrehbang till the break of dawn and culinary feasts. i won't be surprised if i cry when i see her off...it's easy to meet people but very difficult to meet the ones who seem to instantly, warmly "get" you. she's a very special v.i.p.

i've been meeting and quasi-dating a few guys. i waver between completely enjoying my single lifestyle, cooking myself luxurious meals, exercising and finding new pathways to run, making lists of things to do and see to wanting to have a deeper relationship. somedays i'm gungho for a boyfriend, to be a girlfriend. most recently though, i'm having fun getting to know people, allowing myself the time to really get to know them as opposed to lusting after the idea of who i think they are.

i've gone to two private korean language sessions where i've seen dramatic improvements. the lessons are catered specifically to my funny mix and blend of korean. it's been eye-opening to realize exactly what my errors are and so i've been trying to consciously correct them. i know i need to devote more time to self-disciplined studies. i've been meeting with a few of the korean admin staff at work and it's been great to be able to (mostly) carry the conversations in korean! still, i must study, practice, practice and study.

my family will be here soon and it's hard to believe that it's been 6 months since i've left home. simultaneously, it feels like both a shorter and longer amount of time. we'll go to jeju island for a family vacation this weekend and i am more than ready for a break! hoo-ha!

less than 24 hours

in less than 24 hours, i'll see my family again!!!!! they're in transit now, on a flight from nyc to seoul. i'm so excited and thrilled to see them!!! no doubt that i'll squeal with delight and hoot with joy! yay! my family!!!!!!!!

mungyeong tea bowl festival

squeaky clean!

tonight i had the ultimate scrub down. koreans love their saunas. divided by gender, though some places have joint spa areas (you wear a spa uniform!), the jjim jilr bahng (aka the spa) is a 24 hour h2o treat, complete with a full range of pools with various temperatures from wicked hot to calmingly cool. my co-workers, amber, sera and i relaxed and bathed and it was my first time having my entire (oh and i do mean entire!) body scrubbed and exfoliated. my skin feels deliciously soft! it was a bit awkward to have a lady scrub the dead skin cells off of me, especially when she was scrubbing the you know what areas, but, my squeaky clean self thinks i'm sure do it again soon!

the white board

during break times and sometimes even after class ends, my students entertain themselves (and me!) with their ever so cute drawings and illustrations.
a collection for display:
nasty ji sun:

ji sun and her boyfriend:

ji sun, looking very japanese:

alex, thanking me for finding his ipod:

my students pleading for longer break times: