happy 2008! my friends and co-workers, diana, amber, chris, dm and i went to the neighboring city of anyang and had a very fun and chill celebration. there were several other bigger celebrations happening in seoul, a big outdoor countdown not unlike nyc, at city hall and the usual hot spots, hongdae and gangnam, i'm sure sported happy go lucky vibes. but honestly, i was super content to keep things local and simple, especially since work ends at 10:30pm, leaving not much time before the clock strikes midnight.
we went to a hip hop club which had good music and a chill, dive bar like atmosphere. oh hellllllllllllyeah! that's what i'm talking about! (for dc-ers, think a dan's cafe, raven and chief ike's combo!) one of the club workers walked around a few minutes before the shift into the new year and handed sparklers (ooh! sparklers! so pretty!) to everyone. then the tv showcased the countdown from city hall and within seconds, we all shouted happy new year! let it be known that i'm not the biggest new year's party fan, but, i was happy to be out (shoot! to even be out was a treat! my sickness is on it's last legs...) with such good company and doing what i love, dancing and watching others have a ball doing the same.
afterwards, we went to mcdonald's. i know right? wtf? did i not watch supersize me? have i not read parts of fast food nation? but, it was late and mickey d's was open. so mickey d's it was. not surprisingly, the portions were appropriate and there was no supersize option in sight. and well, you know how i get around french fries...another bar, and a few drinks later, we went to, of course, norehbang! and sang out new year's little hearts out! we rolled home around 6 am. party like a rockstar, party like a mothereffin rock star. may you all party like rockstars!
Monday, December 31, 2007
overzealous...
so maybe i was a bit overzealous in my assumption that i'd feel 100% better by the weekend. call it the power of wishful thinking. i am, however, feeling much better today. i've been sleeping a lot and in addition to that, taking naps (double sleeping) and drinking plenty of water. i'm coughing less and luckily, the coughs are now "dry." my voice sounds less scratchy or "strange" as my students described it. i am more than ready to be fully healthy again.
Friday, December 28, 2007
magic drugs
the strands of cold over hurrrrrrr in korea are wicked. it's no wonder that nearly every westerner that arrives to k-town gets sick so often in the first few months. these are foreign viruses that our non-native bodies don't know how to f-f-f-fight, just yet anyhoo. now, i'm not one to instantly pop a pill because i've got a sickness, so, i suffered a congested face, body aches, the and the worst cough (ahem, hacking!) that has come our of my mouth in years.
but you know what you gotta do? fight korean colds with korean drugs. i'm thankful my friend and co-worker diana took me to the pharmacy after work and helped me find drugs that are more of the herbal variety. i have to take the meds 3 times a day. one set of pills helps with my runny nose. the other set is more like dried herbal pellets. it feels like sand that melts and becomes a dry paste in your mouth. gross, right? but then you wash it down with a warm ginseng root tasting beverage. i slept like a champ! i already feel much better than i did yesterday, and, if i feel this good within a 24 hour time period, i'm going to feel fantastic by the weekend! radical!
but you know what you gotta do? fight korean colds with korean drugs. i'm thankful my friend and co-worker diana took me to the pharmacy after work and helped me find drugs that are more of the herbal variety. i have to take the meds 3 times a day. one set of pills helps with my runny nose. the other set is more like dried herbal pellets. it feels like sand that melts and becomes a dry paste in your mouth. gross, right? but then you wash it down with a warm ginseng root tasting beverage. i slept like a champ! i already feel much better than i did yesterday, and, if i feel this good within a 24 hour time period, i'm going to feel fantastic by the weekend! radical!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
troublemaker
sometimes, my students are too funny! the other night, we were going over a sentence with the word troublemaker in it. i caught the class clown, won joon, drawing a funny face on the back of his paper. he put another student's name, alice, on it, and teased her with his drawing, completely unsuspecting that i'd look up at that exact moment. so, i wrote his name on the board and made an example of him.
"class," i said, "a troublemaker is someone that makes trouble. now, see what won joon has done? (i held up the drawing for dramatic effect!) yes, this type of thing is what a troublemaker does. so, won joon, is a troublemaker!" the class laughed and i was smiling too.
but the best thing is that won joon had a brilliant comeback. he said, "no teacher, i'm a happymaker!" i lost it and busted out laughing along with all my students.
"class," i said, "a troublemaker is someone that makes trouble. now, see what won joon has done? (i held up the drawing for dramatic effect!) yes, this type of thing is what a troublemaker does. so, won joon, is a troublemaker!" the class laughed and i was smiling too.
but the best thing is that won joon had a brilliant comeback. he said, "no teacher, i'm a happymaker!" i lost it and busted out laughing along with all my students.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
the unexpected
last saturday night, i went out with my p-town coworkers. we suffered a painfully slow and therefore looooooong taxi ride to hongdae from a moron who took us round and round. i wished that i had the vocabulary of a native to creatively backhand and belittle him who was not at all shy about voicing his opinions about us, mostly about the volume of our voices. he was a sexist, authoritative idiot, and yes, i know that there are plenty of those to go around no matter where you are, it's just that this was my first encounter in korea and it was frustrating as f.
to shake shake shake off the ill vibes, we went to a bar, drank and danced! the bar was called tinpan 2. (yes, there's a tinpan 1 and it's across the street.) i hadn't seen this many foreigners in one place before, besides my english speaking cohorts at work, that is. it was both comforting and strange to hear so much english...i felt like i was in any other bar in the states. after 2 long island teas, i was in fine form! i hit the dance the floor and (how embarrassing!) did the drunk man dance, the dance where you creep up behind someone and attempt to "dance" aka, get your freak on. luckily for me, my victim was a bold, dashingly cute, fun-loving korean who was also in the mood to entertain and be entertained. we danced for a while and i was immediately drawn to his energy, his smile, his ability to speak english and understand my korean. in-effin-credible.
i was bummed out when he left with his friend but i very aggressively (and i hope not belligerently!) insisted that he take my number and call me. after he left, in my impatience, i texted him and we began to flirt via handphone. my co-worker, mina, who is mad fluent in korean and english flirted for me in korean and ooh wee, she's a quick one with the coy comebacks!
next thing i know, he's agreed to meet me in front of the bar and when i saw his face again, i was floored at how attractive he is. we spent an hour and 1/2 train ride (the train system opens at 5:30 in the morning...what can i say?! koreans know how to p-p-p-party!) talking, smiling and laughing. his name is ji suhk and he's 27 years old, studying law, preparing to take the exam. he's got this wanderlust, adventurous spirit about him which i find incredibly wonderful and unlike other korean guys i've met, he's laid back, multidimensional, dynamic and hilarious. i had no idea this would happen to me. it was the last thing i expected but i am so happy in this process of opening and discovering more about this boy, and more about myself when i'm with him.
to shake shake shake off the ill vibes, we went to a bar, drank and danced! the bar was called tinpan 2. (yes, there's a tinpan 1 and it's across the street.) i hadn't seen this many foreigners in one place before, besides my english speaking cohorts at work, that is. it was both comforting and strange to hear so much english...i felt like i was in any other bar in the states. after 2 long island teas, i was in fine form! i hit the dance the floor and (how embarrassing!) did the drunk man dance, the dance where you creep up behind someone and attempt to "dance" aka, get your freak on. luckily for me, my victim was a bold, dashingly cute, fun-loving korean who was also in the mood to entertain and be entertained. we danced for a while and i was immediately drawn to his energy, his smile, his ability to speak english and understand my korean. in-effin-credible.
i was bummed out when he left with his friend but i very aggressively (and i hope not belligerently!) insisted that he take my number and call me. after he left, in my impatience, i texted him and we began to flirt via handphone. my co-worker, mina, who is mad fluent in korean and english flirted for me in korean and ooh wee, she's a quick one with the coy comebacks!
next thing i know, he's agreed to meet me in front of the bar and when i saw his face again, i was floored at how attractive he is. we spent an hour and 1/2 train ride (the train system opens at 5:30 in the morning...what can i say?! koreans know how to p-p-p-party!) talking, smiling and laughing. his name is ji suhk and he's 27 years old, studying law, preparing to take the exam. he's got this wanderlust, adventurous spirit about him which i find incredibly wonderful and unlike other korean guys i've met, he's laid back, multidimensional, dynamic and hilarious. i had no idea this would happen to me. it was the last thing i expected but i am so happy in this process of opening and discovering more about this boy, and more about myself when i'm with him.
happy hweshik
in korea, instead of happy hours, companies host hweshiks, aka company sponsored dinners and drinks. yummers! last thursday, the p-town gang went to our hweshik and had a ball eating amazing beef, pork, and whatever else you can toss onto the barbeque: peppers, onions, kimchi, garlic and mushrooms.
now, you can't have a dinner party without drinks! most, if not all of us, got sufficiently liquored, aka, blasted on soju. oh the soj. we have the beginnings of a serious love/hate relationship...after our meal and more than several rounds of soju shots, we went out to, in classic korean fashion, none other than the nohrehbang. there we brought our best american idol-ish attempts. it was a blast. embarrassingly, there are significant chunks missing from my memory. yikes!
the soju drunk is unlike any other...after a few shots, i feel totally fine and it doesn't hit me until of course, i'm way past the buzz. yeah, i know right, you're thinking, uh, that's like everytime your drink more than you can handle...but! the thing about soju is, is that the gauge for drunkenness is in slow-mo. and so you don't ever feel out of control, which is fun, but, the hangover the next day is a wicked doozy.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
merry merry!
there's so much i want to tell, to write, to describe (partying with and getting to know the work crew, meeting randoms at bars, falling completely in enchantment with a special korean guy, making my house a home, feeling much more grounded and continuing to embrace the quirks of korea)...and when i am in better health i'll make the time to do so. but presently, and rather unfortunately, i have caught a cold for the second time this winter (wtf korea?! i haven't been this sick and in such repeated doses, in years!) so my holiday holla will be brief.
it doesn't feel at all like christmas. maybe it's because in korea, things continue as they usually do. no stores are closed, people work (yep, including me) and while people celebrate christmas, it's not nearly to the degree that it's celebrated in the states. i'm glad that it's not christmas crazy materialistic. though, believe me, koreans don't really need a holiday to get people to buy things! for some, i think shopping is like a full time job!
i went to suwon this morning to visit with my aunt and uncle. they are such lovely lovely people and i'll go back to suwon next wednesday to visit with my cousin who will be coming home for a week from japan! i've been re-connecting with family and friends, cultivating solid friendships, so i feel very gifted with such caring beautiful people closeby.
i miss you all stateside, that's FO'SHO! so holla at your girl, and i'll be sure to do the same. merry christmas! xoxoxoxox big love from k-town.
it doesn't feel at all like christmas. maybe it's because in korea, things continue as they usually do. no stores are closed, people work (yep, including me) and while people celebrate christmas, it's not nearly to the degree that it's celebrated in the states. i'm glad that it's not christmas crazy materialistic. though, believe me, koreans don't really need a holiday to get people to buy things! for some, i think shopping is like a full time job!
i went to suwon this morning to visit with my aunt and uncle. they are such lovely lovely people and i'll go back to suwon next wednesday to visit with my cousin who will be coming home for a week from japan! i've been re-connecting with family and friends, cultivating solid friendships, so i feel very gifted with such caring beautiful people closeby.
i miss you all stateside, that's FO'SHO! so holla at your girl, and i'll be sure to do the same. merry christmas! xoxoxoxox big love from k-town.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
over shoulders
whenever i'm on the subway, i like to entertain myself by counting 1) how many people are asleep or on the verge of sleeping (the answer: usually half) 2) how many are reading, playing with their cell phones or nintendo ds or some other techno gadget (answer: the other half) and 3) how many people i see looking over someone else's shoulder to see what they're doing (the rest).
last night after work, i went to itaewon to finally meet my friend reanna, who also knows emi, our mutual friend and connection. on the way, i sat next to a guy who i noticed was reading an english dictionary. i was completely amused by the illustrations which described noses...as in potato nose. huh? what? it also had dimple and cheek and other parts of the face. the illustrations were simple but a bit twisted. sort of like what might happen if keith haring met edward gorey. just not as dark, okay.
i realized that i caught myself as one who looks over shoulders and spontaneously asked him if he wanted to practice speaking english. he accepted my offer and we spoke in combination korenglish and had a really nice chat. he is finishing his last 8 months in the army, and will return to school to finish his studies in english lit. afterwards, he may pursue grad school in the states or find a job in korea. he was fun to talk to and i loved being able to so simply and easily start a conversation with it so well received. he's 26 years old and when i told him i was 28, he was surprised. he thought i was 22! huh? since when did my age keep getting younger? (wink, wink!)
work is going well. my kids amuse me, i amuse my kids and since i made having fun a priority in my classes, i give a lot of energy, which makes me wicked tired but satisfied. tonight our branch is having a hweshik, aka a work paid for happy hour! and you know what that means, drinks on the house, meals on the house and inevitably norehbang afterwards. i may just have to get my alicia keys on...
last night after work, i went to itaewon to finally meet my friend reanna, who also knows emi, our mutual friend and connection. on the way, i sat next to a guy who i noticed was reading an english dictionary. i was completely amused by the illustrations which described noses...as in potato nose. huh? what? it also had dimple and cheek and other parts of the face. the illustrations were simple but a bit twisted. sort of like what might happen if keith haring met edward gorey. just not as dark, okay.
i realized that i caught myself as one who looks over shoulders and spontaneously asked him if he wanted to practice speaking english. he accepted my offer and we spoke in combination korenglish and had a really nice chat. he is finishing his last 8 months in the army, and will return to school to finish his studies in english lit. afterwards, he may pursue grad school in the states or find a job in korea. he was fun to talk to and i loved being able to so simply and easily start a conversation with it so well received. he's 26 years old and when i told him i was 28, he was surprised. he thought i was 22! huh? since when did my age keep getting younger? (wink, wink!)
work is going well. my kids amuse me, i amuse my kids and since i made having fun a priority in my classes, i give a lot of energy, which makes me wicked tired but satisfied. tonight our branch is having a hweshik, aka a work paid for happy hour! and you know what that means, drinks on the house, meals on the house and inevitably norehbang afterwards. i may just have to get my alicia keys on...
Monday, December 17, 2007
wish list
now, i'm not usually the type of person to create wishlists, especially since i am trying to reduce my intake of useless stuff, crapola that you think you like or need or want and then 5 minutes later realize is absolute junk. so, i guess it's not surprising that the majority of my list is actually food items! for family and friends who are feeling particularly generous, i am shameless. i'd love the following:
*quick cook oats--it is hella cheap in the states, but not so much here.
*quinoa--the super protein grain. i love it. i miss it.
*clif bars, all kinds. they would be the perfect class break snack.
*fantastic brand falafel, hummus, fake taco meat packages.
*stove top espresso maker (3 cup kind would rock!) as i'm itching for "REAL" coffee.
*REAL coffee ground beans for stove top real coffee maker.
*tea!!! english breakfast, peppermint, lady grey, other kinds of herbal teas
*buttermilk pancake mix
*brownie mix
*semi sweet chocolate chips
*double bed sheets--i know, it's a bit random, but, sheets are crazy expensive!
*blue sticky tack for putting up wall decorations
*books
*music, oh sweet new music!
*dvd's of tv series and movies
*quick cook oats--it is hella cheap in the states, but not so much here.
*quinoa--the super protein grain. i love it. i miss it.
*clif bars, all kinds. they would be the perfect class break snack.
*fantastic brand falafel, hummus, fake taco meat packages.
*stove top espresso maker (3 cup kind would rock!) as i'm itching for "REAL" coffee.
*REAL coffee ground beans for stove top real coffee maker.
*tea!!! english breakfast, peppermint, lady grey, other kinds of herbal teas
*buttermilk pancake mix
*brownie mix
*semi sweet chocolate chips
*double bed sheets--i know, it's a bit random, but, sheets are crazy expensive!
*blue sticky tack for putting up wall decorations
*books
*music, oh sweet new music!
*dvd's of tv series and movies
Sunday, December 16, 2007
young guns
i've had quite a bit of solitude this week, so when the weekend arrived, i felt eager to get out, break free from my cabin fever and surround myself with dancing feet beats. my friend, megan and i went to hongdae, an area of seoul that is known for it's nightlife as well as it's student life aka hongdae university. the crowd is typically younger and sometimes, bolder. though, i'll bet their boldness is most likely due to their drunkenness!
megan and i went first went to a "HOF" which is typically a western style bar with an actual bar and bar stools. i say actual because korean bars are usually set up without the bar section, and are more like seated drinking restaurants. this hof was called woodstock, while it wasn't as hippie as it could've been with the given name, it was still a nice chill place. megan and i sat at the bar, of course!, and the bartender handed us a menu...i was trying very hard to pronounce the beer selection and just about laughed my ass off when i came across the quintessential 'merican beer. in korean, it's broken down to each syllable: buh duh wah ee szah. budweiser. oh yes. budfuckinweiser.
afterwards, we went to find NB, a popular dance club. our cute bartender drew us a cute map and while we followed the directions to a t, we couldn't find nb. i asked a random girl on the street who told me to go straight, so we went straight. when we still didn't see the sign for NB, i asked a random guy and then he pointed to a place across the street, that said, "noise basement." OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!! duh! nb is noise basement!
the music was pop hip hop and some randoms (a christmas song...santa claus is coming to town-huh?) and repeats thrown in for good measure. megan and i danced and while the place was packed, found some space away from the main dance floor. (i just wanna dance!) a guy started dancing with me and when i turned to face him, i knew immediately he was a young gun. i'm talking young! we began talking in korenglish and it was fun--his name is yoon, he's 24, and he's sweet. we exchanged numbers and though i doubt that he'll call me, it was fun to flirt!
megan and i went first went to a "HOF" which is typically a western style bar with an actual bar and bar stools. i say actual because korean bars are usually set up without the bar section, and are more like seated drinking restaurants. this hof was called woodstock, while it wasn't as hippie as it could've been with the given name, it was still a nice chill place. megan and i sat at the bar, of course!, and the bartender handed us a menu...i was trying very hard to pronounce the beer selection and just about laughed my ass off when i came across the quintessential 'merican beer. in korean, it's broken down to each syllable: buh duh wah ee szah. budweiser. oh yes. budfuckinweiser.
afterwards, we went to find NB, a popular dance club. our cute bartender drew us a cute map and while we followed the directions to a t, we couldn't find nb. i asked a random girl on the street who told me to go straight, so we went straight. when we still didn't see the sign for NB, i asked a random guy and then he pointed to a place across the street, that said, "noise basement." OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!! duh! nb is noise basement!
the music was pop hip hop and some randoms (a christmas song...santa claus is coming to town-huh?) and repeats thrown in for good measure. megan and i danced and while the place was packed, found some space away from the main dance floor. (i just wanna dance!) a guy started dancing with me and when i turned to face him, i knew immediately he was a young gun. i'm talking young! we began talking in korenglish and it was fun--his name is yoon, he's 24, and he's sweet. we exchanged numbers and though i doubt that he'll call me, it was fun to flirt!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
proactivity
i'm attempting to be very self disciplined and learn korean on my own. i found a textbook that has cd's so i've been listening, completing los ejercicios and correcting my mistakes. since one of my most important goals while i'm in korea is to frickin learn korean--as in i want to tell elaborate stories in korean, begin dreaming in korean, flirt continuously in korean!--i'm trying to do a chapter once a week, then up it up (once i get into my work groove) to twice a week and shooooot, maybe even three times a week! well, let's not get too carried away now, baby steps ji sun, baby steps.
i wondered the other day that if my english skills are already showing signs of slight deterioration, whether that means my korean is improving?! oh man, that's not a good sign if an english teacher don't speak english too good. i'll have to sign up for classes at the Derek Zoolander Center For Children Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too.
i also bought a kiddie dictionary with funny pictures (ooh! pictures!) and examples of how the word is used in a sentence. nice. my co-worker chris and i want to take classes together after january. during january, i'll be working even more hours for a period called "intensives." korean students will be on winter break and get this, take even more english classes. the school system here takes no prisoners. hard core. but healthy? meh...i don't think so. welcome to the place that never stops.
i wondered the other day that if my english skills are already showing signs of slight deterioration, whether that means my korean is improving?! oh man, that's not a good sign if an english teacher don't speak english too good. i'll have to sign up for classes at the Derek Zoolander Center For Children Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too.
i also bought a kiddie dictionary with funny pictures (ooh! pictures!) and examples of how the word is used in a sentence. nice. my co-worker chris and i want to take classes together after january. during january, i'll be working even more hours for a period called "intensives." korean students will be on winter break and get this, take even more english classes. the school system here takes no prisoners. hard core. but healthy? meh...i don't think so. welcome to the place that never stops.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
costco
my friend greg has a costco membership from the states. there happens to be a costco here in seoul and tonight theresa, megan and i were his costco guests. (why does everything gotta be so frickin exclusive?!?) we went nuts on the bulk items. since i had to subway it back home to p-town, i had to keep things on tabs, but, i am happy with my "american" purchases: bagels, annie's mac and cheese, skippy creamy peanut butter--i prefer the all natural variety, but, damn, skippy will be just fine--and newman's blueberry almond crunch cereal. who went all out on the carbs? oh yeah. you know that's right!
ongoings...
i heart red mango:
they're not lying, it IS the yummiest fruit yogurt in the world:
devoured by the spoonful:
my new bedroom! (bed to arrive soon...)
my new hair cut...the curls were temporary:
they're not lying, it IS the yummiest fruit yogurt in the world:
devoured by the spoonful:
my new bedroom! (bed to arrive soon...)
my new hair cut...the curls were temporary:
Monday, December 10, 2007
a word about soju
there's this liquor made from rice called soju, aka, "soj." on saturday night, after a week of ups and downs, i joined my co-workers and their friends for a night out in gangnam. we drank a few beers, drank a few more beers, then began playing this game called titanic. you take a beer mug, half filled with beer then place a shot glass inside the mug and everyone takes turns pouring as little or as much soju as they want without, WITHOUT, sinking the shotglass. guess who had to chug 2 of those bad boys. guess who got crunk (cuhrazy drunk!) on saturday night and woke up with a silly hangover and cloudy memories of a hella good night out. yup. me.
my days are beginning to feel a bit less frantic (yay!) and i think i'm finally getting into the swing of things and figuring out what i need/want to do. i was approached today by some relgious people on my way to school. not christians, not buddhists, but some other sect that i didn't recognize. i think they wanted me to join them, but, i said, no thank you! it was interesting, and yet another reminder of how i want to become better disciplined and learn korean, for the time being, on my own. i bought a textbook and dictionary and have been reading a few pages every night. it's good, but, i think i need to up up the frequency.
i don't have internet right now at home and after my first pay check, i'm about to get a little crazy on the home furnishings and what not. internet, couch, bed, tv, dvd player. and maybe a few other things here and there...ooh! i did, however, get a haircut. it's pretty much the same style as before, only shorter. i'm telling you, the koreans love the 80's rocker do's.
my days are beginning to feel a bit less frantic (yay!) and i think i'm finally getting into the swing of things and figuring out what i need/want to do. i was approached today by some relgious people on my way to school. not christians, not buddhists, but some other sect that i didn't recognize. i think they wanted me to join them, but, i said, no thank you! it was interesting, and yet another reminder of how i want to become better disciplined and learn korean, for the time being, on my own. i bought a textbook and dictionary and have been reading a few pages every night. it's good, but, i think i need to up up the frequency.
i don't have internet right now at home and after my first pay check, i'm about to get a little crazy on the home furnishings and what not. internet, couch, bed, tv, dvd player. and maybe a few other things here and there...ooh! i did, however, get a haircut. it's pretty much the same style as before, only shorter. i'm telling you, the koreans love the 80's rocker do's.
Friday, December 7, 2007
a quickie
i'm starting to feel the drain of excitement from my daily routine. it's exhausting, depressing, depleting and frustrating to try to find furniture and make a home, when a lot of the comforts i enjoy in the states, are not readily available here. i'm not trying to be all kinds of debbie downer, but, i've certainly hit some rough patches recently.
i feel a bit like i'm squatting in my own home. i like my place, it's cute and clean--i had to scrub the bathroom twice!--but man, i'd really love to have a comfy couch, a sweet bed, a tv and dvd player, magically appear. this weekend, on my day off, i'll be going nuts online, trying to get it all figured out. in the meantime, i'm catching up on my sleep...
i feel a bit like i'm squatting in my own home. i like my place, it's cute and clean--i had to scrub the bathroom twice!--but man, i'd really love to have a comfy couch, a sweet bed, a tv and dvd player, magically appear. this weekend, on my day off, i'll be going nuts online, trying to get it all figured out. in the meantime, i'm catching up on my sleep...
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
welcome home
this past sunday i moved into my new home in pyeongchun, a 25 minute walk away from work. right now, it's feels very empty. all this space and no furniture. but, i luckily have wireless access and speakers so at least i'm able to blog while dancing and singing to my heart's content. and, bonus! several other instructors live very close by: amber lives across the hall, while sha and jason live in the next building. the four of us chilled in sha's place after work tonight. (how nice to be so close to home, tres convenient.) we feasted on pizza--mmm!!!! pizza!!!--and shared stories, did the chitty chitty chat chat. good times. at first, i was a bit worried i'd be super lonely as i'd gotten comfortable with theresa and clara's company, so i'm relieved that the transition is already smooth.
on sunday night, i met with my dad's friends from his school days, and i was so touched by their kindness. now, i unfortunately don't know the exact story of how they met, as my comprehension of korean doesn't go beyond age 3 these days. (grr! it's a frustrating reminder to get my korean vocab shit together, STAT!) but regardless, they were sweet and dear and treated me to a feast of korean beef, which is quickly becoming my fave. they told me not to worry, to "not live with a headache" was the literal translation and if i needed anything, to call them. i was so moved that i had to swallow my tears of gratitude.
the kiddies are still super but keeping animated for 6 hours is hard work. shiiiit. i'm not a treasure trove of energy, i've been relying on the instant coffee packets as speedy pick me ups. my students, for as much as they zap me of my energy, also replenish it. and i'm secretly delighted that one of my classes has begun imitating my pop/hip-hop exclamations: YEEEE-AAAAH! (usher, holllllaaaaaaa!)
on sunday night, i met with my dad's friends from his school days, and i was so touched by their kindness. now, i unfortunately don't know the exact story of how they met, as my comprehension of korean doesn't go beyond age 3 these days. (grr! it's a frustrating reminder to get my korean vocab shit together, STAT!) but regardless, they were sweet and dear and treated me to a feast of korean beef, which is quickly becoming my fave. they told me not to worry, to "not live with a headache" was the literal translation and if i needed anything, to call them. i was so moved that i had to swallow my tears of gratitude.
the kiddies are still super but keeping animated for 6 hours is hard work. shiiiit. i'm not a treasure trove of energy, i've been relying on the instant coffee packets as speedy pick me ups. my students, for as much as they zap me of my energy, also replenish it. and i'm secretly delighted that one of my classes has begun imitating my pop/hip-hop exclamations: YEEEE-AAAAH! (usher, holllllaaaaaaa!)
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