New Years Eve

2009 was supposed to be the tannest year ever..... I had some really tan moments, so maybe I achieved that bronzed goal.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, not much is going on to be honest. It's the same daily grind, same routine, same everything. I don't have anything new or exciting to share. Christmas came and went without much notice. I got a kitten (Jack) who has made me totally sleep deprived, but he is pretty damn cute.

So it's New Years Eve..... 2009 is toast. I did a lot this year. It was a pretty good one. It had it's wonderful moments and it's shitty moments. I feel like 2010 wont really count.... I'll be in Korean 90% of it. If I'm not with my friends and family.... it doesn't really count. Sure, I'll have some new experiences, I'll see some stuff.... but mostly I'll be working in a job that my heart isn't in, to pay for my student loans. I will be a year older, but still not totally sure what I want to do with my "life."

Every time I think I've got it all figured out...... life throws me a curve ball.

I realized recently when I get back to the states I'll be 26, with a college degree that doesn't help me much in the real world, with not a lot of real job experience. I think ASU did a pretty crappy job preparing me for a real career..... and I have many other friends that went there who feel the same way. I went and saw a career counselor, and you know what he told me? Follow my dreams, open a business. Who tells someone that is almost 30k in student loan debt to open a business in a terrible economy, that has no business knowledge? With a brilliant idea like that he probably went to ASU himself. Don't get me wrong, I loved my time at ASU, I learned a lot about a lot...... just not a lot about what to do with the skill set I paid for.

sorry to end the year on such a moody note...... but I don't feel like 2010 will really be the "best year ever."

My plan is to make a plan so I go back to AZ with some new goals and a lot more research under my belt about career options.
Is it awful I paid over 30k for a degree, but I'd really love to be a cosmetologist? or go back to confectionary school and learn to be a baker? Maybe college should start in your 20s..... when I started at 17 I had NO idea what I wanted out of my life.

Well, Happy New Year my friends..... I promise my next entry will be more uplifting. Maybe I'll even make some resolutions that I won't stick to hahaha.

Changdeokgung and Jogyesa (Insadong)

So, it was a pretty quiet week around here. Super busy at work.... and getting back into a routine at home with an additional person here. I think we've got a nice little schedule going. It's good that I get home an hour before Nick, it gives me time to start dinner, pick up around the house, throw in some laundry if needed... and unwind from work! Quiet time is good. :-)

This weekend however, was not quiet!! We kicked off the weekend with a work party. This entailed going to a restaurant that had food Alicia and I hated, so we proceeded to go shot for shot/beer for beer with everyone.... with no food in our stomaches. This set the pace for a long night haha. After the work party we went over to Kondae with the other teachers to get some more drinks. It was really fun! Nick showed up after a while and had a few beers at Miller Time (an "American" bar) with us. We played some Korean and some American drinking games, which never fails to be amazing entertainment. After quite a few beers we decided to go to bar Yuki, our favorite bar in Kondae. It started off normal enough, Alicias friend Matt being funny and making friends with Nick, while us girls chattered and hung out. Before long, DJ MissMissy took over my body, and I decided I was going to be the guest DJ for the night. It started out me just telling them what to play, but before long I took the controls and was making playlists. What does good music, drunk people, and good times equal?,,,, a dance party!!! We programmed some awesome music and danced out booties off!! We got the whole bar dancing, including the bartenders and the stuffy looking koreans. Around 3am we decided to call it a night.... and walked home. On the way home Matt (awesome Korean guy) decided to jump the barrier on the road and run to a taxi.... we were so busy watching him and laughing we all failed to notice the giant puddle of vomit on the sidewalk. I then proceeded to slip in said vomit. It only got on my shoe, but I hyperventilated and frrrrreaked out over it. We then thought it would be fun to chant about my "dirty boot" which I took off and made Nick carry. We were quite the sight heading home..... I can only imagine what all the Koreans thought about the spectacle we were making haha. This "dirty boot" thing is going to haunt me for a while I'm sure haha. Thank goodness for good friends like Alicia who cleaned my dirty boot and brought it back to me today! Not only did I get my boot dirty from falling, I took all the skin off my knee and left a grapefruit sized bruise. It hurts! Boo for vomit on the sidewalk!

Saturday we had plans to head out with Alicia to Insadong to see Changdeokgung Palace (the Palace of Prospering Virtue) which is the oldest palace in Korea. It was absolutely breathtaking. I was shocked at just how huge the palace grounds were. We literally had to hike to different parts of the palace. They had buildings for raing silk worms, eating, sleeping, making babies, sitting, entertaining.... and so on. It was so rich in history and culture, I love it. The tour was in English and the tour guide was so funny, but she wasn't trying to be. She kept getting flustered and saying things like "why am I getting so defensive?" hahah. It cracked us up.









After we went to the Palace we all wanted to see the Jogyesa buddhist temple. It was equally as breath taking. It was nice on the outside, but the inside (we only saw through the glass wall because service was going on) was like nothing I'd ever seen. I can't do it justice, but I'll post a picture that gives a little idea what it was like. The temple grounds were really nice, lots of statues and an area where the monks were drumming and chanting. They also had an area that had hundreds of lanterns hung, it sounded beautiful in the wind. I want to go back there for sure. We were interviewed by a newspaper while we were visiting. They wanted to know what we thought about the temple, and what we know about temple stays. I really want to do a temple stay, but i've heard it's the hardest thing many people have done in their entire lives. I think I would be worth it for the experience though, ya know? Hmm, I'll think that one over some more.
Our last stop of the day was Insadong where the streets are lined with stores and restaurants and whatnot. I found where I am doing all my shopping for souvenirs for myself and other people. So much beautiful handmade Korean stuff. They have some amazing antique stores (out of my price range!) as well. I was very impressed by the whole experience. The day reminded me how rich the culture is here, and how much there is to learn about Korean history. I'm looking forward to experiencing more temples and palaces.











Today was my typical mellow sunday! We started off the day by going to emart to pick up our groceries for the week. After shopping the three of us went to eat some Korean sushi for lunch, then went to the local little coffee shop to sip some carmel macchiato and reading our books. Two hours had passed before we knew it so we all headed our separate ways. Nick and I cleaned the house, which needed it! Things get sooo dusty here. If I dont sweep and mop 2-3 times a week we get a rather large dust bunny population in every corner of the house. It's gross. I also have to dust and clean every surface in the house a few times a week or it looks like no one has inhabited this place in years. Annoying! I miss my mopping and dusting once a week routine. Once the house was clean I cooked my first American style meal (and first time cooking meat in the two months I've been here). It was SOOO good! I made sauteed chicken breast, mashed potatoes, corn, and stove top. I'm not typically a Stove Top fan, but it tasted sooooo good! Yummy! It was worth the premium cost. Oh, I also took off the whole corner of my pinky with the new potato peeler. It was not my weekend!! I had a little first aid kit, but hours later my finger is still throbbing. Ouch, again!

For anyone interested in Korean Costco, I'll post the link. They deliver everything, but it's really expensive! check out the prices!!! Keep in mind these prices aren't for American size costco things, it's for one box/can/unit of each thing unless specified that there are two units. I am ordering the tortillas, but not sure about anything else on there. I am finding a lot of produce/veggies/meats I can cook meals out of once my mom ships me the box of seasonings and spices.

Finally a quiet moment...

Sorry for the blog absence, it's been a whirlwind since Nick got here. Getting him unpacked, settled, and everything he needed from various stores has been a full time job. I didn't expect us to go right back to normal as quickly as we did. It's like no time passed in some ways, but a lot of time in other ways. I got really used to my little routine. I got used to having everything clean and put away where I like it. I got used to living alone. I'm adjusting to having another body (and all the luggage that comes along with another body) in the apartment, but it's hard not to have my house clean and orderly.... to my standards. Considering he hasn't even been here a week I think we have things pretty well unpacked and stuff, it's just a matter of finding a little more storage space so things are lying around.

Anyway, the weekend was wonderrrrful. I attended my first Korean wedding on Saturday. I feel badly for Korean brides. I felt more like I was watching some crazy Asian reality TV show than a wedding. First of all ,you invite EVERYONE you've ever met to you wedding, which results in half of your guests standing out in the doorway. The wedding, from start to everyone finishing the meal and leaving takes well under 2 hours. You pretty much HAVE to rent out a wedding hall, Koreans don't see it as optional... which costs at a bare minimum 40,000 dollars. So the ceremony starts, there are lighting effects and music going. After the quick vows we hear singing.... yes, the groom was SINGING (very poorly) to the bride. It was painful to watch. The sining stops and we hear cheering...... the groom was doing pushups with the bride sitting on his back!!! WTF! Meanwhile, people are coming and going from the wedding hall, everyone is talking and socializing, and half the guests are on cell phones. I felt like there was nothing sacred or special about the day. If I were a bride I would feel a little shafted as far as having that "special day.

After the mess they call a wedding, we (Nick, Alicia, and myself) took a cab over to Technomart. Technomart is any geeks HEAVEN. It's a huge building.... 8 floors of nothing but electronics. Each floor has a theme... 8th floor computers, 3rd floor cameras, 2nd floor cell phones, 5th floor navigation and other car electronics.... and other floors full of other electronics. It was a little overwhelming.... it's hard to tell where to start! I found some GREAT cameras, and now I can't decide if I want thing amazing little camera called the Mirror, it has a touch screen, HD video recording, and a screen on the front so you can take pictures of yourself. :-) I found some DSLR's for a great price as well. I'm really torn between a nice smaller camera, and the DSLR of my dreams! Eeep! I have some bills I want to pay off first, but maybe I can leave Korea with both in the end.

Once we finished the madness of Technomart we stopped at a few street vendors (it was sooo cold out, well below freezing) then hopped on a bus to Kondae. I couldn't wait to show nick Kondae, and I'm happy he was impressed. First we went and got some dalk galbi for dinner, which is probably my favorite Korean food. That's the dish I put pictures up of a few entries ago. He loved it as well! After dinner we decided to head down to the hookah bar, since it had been a long time since Nick and I got to smoke hookah together. He loved the hookah bar as well, and we all agreed it was delicious. A few beers and a cashed hookah later we ventured back out into the freezing and did a little bar hopping. We walked into Bar Yuki (my fav bar) right as they were starting the fire show. This is comprised of bottle of booze being tossed and juggled, table being set on fire, and fire breathing. All this while they turn up the music and turn on the strobe lights and such. Nick liked it all, but I think it was a bit much to absorb for one day haha.

By this time we had been out and about for like 7 hours, and we wanted to call it a night..... but not before going to emart, my korean favorite! What started out as a quick trip turned into almost 3 hours of shopping. There was so much to show nick! He bought a dapper new winter coat, and various other things. I was happy finding some new western foods... they tend to rotate things in and out. I didn't pick up the peanut butter pretzels, so I hope they have them next time!

Yesterday (sunday) Alicia and I took nick down to the open air market, which if you've been following you know is my favorite Korean place so far (well.... maybe a tie with emart). It was really cold, so we only stayed out maybe an hour... but he got to see a lot of the vendors and shops. We bought a few other things we needed for the house, then spent the rest of the day cleaning and relaxing around the house. It was a wonderful weekend indeed. I have big plans already brewing for next weekend, so hopefully it isn't as FREEZING as this weekend so we can venture further from home!

Mwah.

Best day in Korea so far...

Today was awesome. We first took the bus over to where Technomart (Best Buy on steroids) area to buy some bootleg DVDs. The guy has a little open air store, with walls covered in DVDs, and a book you can pick from. Thousand choices! I picked up a few, and ordered some he said he will have next week. Yay cheap movies! After we got the movies we hopped on the subway to head to COEX mall. COEX mall is the largest mall in Asia. I don't think I saw even half of it today. We were planning on going to a movie, but they were all sold out. COEX has the largest theater in Korea, but Koreans really love movies, they typically always sell out. New ones anyway. After we were shot down at the movie we popped into some stores. I bought charms that go on cell phones that you put money on to ride the bus and subway. Mine is Hello Kitty and I got nick a black one. I figured he wouldn't like the pink one, ahah. I also went to the big department store because Alicia informed me there is a Mac (cosmetics) counter. I was soooo happy to see some Mac! Those of you who know me well know my weaknesses are the Macs.... computers and makeup. haha. I spent over 100 bucks on just a few things, prices are a lot higher here, but it was sooo worth it! It was the best thing I've bought so far, vanity wise. :-)

After shopping for a while we went to On The Border for dinner. As I was explaining to my students a few weeks ago, franchises/chains are both evil and wonderful. It's really great to be able to go somewhere and know exactly what you're going to get... and that was the case! After the giant let down with Mexican food on our last outing I wasn't really holding my breath, but it was EXACTLY the same as home!! Woo! I love mexican food! We even had margaritas and queso dip! Why not? lol. After dinner we decided to hop in a taxi to head back to our neighborhood, but not before stopping in the book store. I was realllly impressed with the book selection here. They had a ton of my favs, and a lot that are on my "to read" list. I didn't buy any, but I did buy some amazing holiday cards. I will wait for Nick to get here so we can go pick out books we will both enjoy. They are too expensive here to buy something unless I realllly want it, or we will both read it. I loved the book store!

After escaping the crowds of the mall (picture Black Friday type crowds, EVERY day... thats the mall) we got a taxi. We stopped at the coffee shop around the corner from my house (I can't wait to take nick there!) and decided we would hit up the open air market tonight instead of tomorrow. I had heard of this market, but thought it was maybe like 10 vendors selling fruits and vegetables. Oh no, boy was I wrong. This market is probably half a mile long, packed full of stores, street vendors, people cooking on the street, fish being flung around, ladies trying to sell you blankets, rip off Polo clothes, even some pharmacies and salons! It was wild... anything you could imagine. This market is directly behind my house and I had no idea!! I'm so sad I didn't find this sooner. The market was by far the coolest thing we have done so far. I know I should probably be more impressed by the giant mall with the fancy stores and food, but I was far more excited to see the market. I was like nothing I've ever seen before, and totally Korean style. I love that in korea you can pick your dinner out of a fish tank, they will catch it, cook it up on the street for you, then you walk away chomping on dinner. It's so cool! I will be going back there soon and taking pics to post. I can't give this place justice, but I don't think pictures could do it either. It's the smell of the seafood, sweet smells of the fruit stands, sounds of koreans trying to make a deal, sounds of korean kids running around.... those things you can't capture in picture.

so yeah.... that was my day.... shopping shopping. I bought a ton of stuff, and I'm happy about it! I feel bad buying things for the house, we will only be here a year.... but it's impossible for me to live somewhere and not want to make it a home. Luckily things aren't too expensive here, so it's not like I'm spending thousands of dollars on all this furniture I'll only use for 11 more months.

Can you believe I've already been here about 6 weeks?? Time is flying by. Some days it feels like I'm still in shock that I'm even here, other days I feel like it's been 6 months already.

Oh, Nick will be here in 4 days!! :-) He booked his ticket, no more guessing when he will FINALLY arrive. I'm excited, can't wait to show him all the cools things I've learned. I'm kind of happy I got to come first (although I wish it wasn't SO far ahead of him) because I got to take my time trying the food and navigating around. He is far more adventurous with food than I am, so he would have been ready to try everything, and I would have been crying ahah. Now I found things I like that I can introduce him to. :-)

Well, thats it for now. Tomorrow will be spent cleaning, doing laundry, going to the grocery store to stock up on stuff before Nick gets here, and watching movies. I love productive yet partially lazy sundays! It will probably be cold and rainy, perfect for cleaning then snuggling up in bed with a new flick!

xo

I'm better now

Happy to report I'm better today. Sorry for the freak out. I'm not due for another freak out for 3-6 months so.... so don't say I didn't warn you, haha.

So, things are better with me, emotionally. I am still sad I missed Thanksgiving with the family, but now I'm that much closer to kicking off the holiday season with them next year.

Woo.

I'm looking forward to the weekend. Exploring COEX mall tomorrow, eating some American food, and going to see a movie. Probably finish the night of with some cocktails. It will be a fun day. I need it.

I'm also nesting for the boy to get here. Cleaning, organizing, shopping, more cleaning, stocking up on stuff. The norm.

xoxo

Bitch-fest 2009

If you don't care to hear me bitching about things beyond my control, hit X now. I won't blame you.

I feel like I'm being punished in a sense for being a better employee than the other American teacher here. We got our new schedules for next semester. Most of my classes have twice as many kids as hers. I just feel like since I prepare more, can handle a classroom better, and just because I'm a better teacher basically that I have different expectations from my bosses. I may be totally off base, but it just feels like my new schedule and classes suck. Fingers crossed I don't loathe work for the next three months until a new term. Gah.

Next thing I wanna bitch about: vacation time. I was told by my boss that I can't take vacation time around Holidays, because those are already paid days off. Low and behold the other American teacher is going home for Christmas. wtf. She was just home 2 months ago. Why can she go home for a holiday, but I can't take any of my vacation days near a holiday?

Biggest bitch of the day: I know for a FACT my bosses assistant is coming in my house when I'm not home. 3 or 4 times it has been to fix stuff, or take a bed apart, but I KNOW he has been there other times. I leave my light on in the bathroom EVERY day, because it's dark when i get home. The one time I didnt leave the light on, i tripped and almost broke my face. So, EVERY day before I leave, I double check the bathroom door is left open, and the light is on. Twice I've come home to the light being off. Now, my glasses are missing. I only wear my glasses to watch TV at night (or at the movie theater) and then I put them on the bedside table so I know where they are. Well, three days ago my glasses went missing. I haven't gone to the movies, or anywhere but work. I don't wear my glasses at work. I can't say that I know 100% it was him, weirder things have happened, but it's just weird. I HATE the idea of someone being in my home when I'm not there. Maybe this stems back to my house being broken into 3 Christmases ago. Its a major violation. I dont know what he is doing when I'm not there. My mom didn't help by saying she knows he is going through my panty drawer. Ugh.

mini-bitch: korean table manners. Close your damn mouth when you chew. I dont want to hear what you're eating, or see it. Gross.


I really wanna bitch about my boyfriend, but I know he is a good guy and I'm just frustrated with the whole visa process. I'm totally resenting that he is home with his family for Thanksgiving, and I'm stuck here alone. It's not fair. I know life isn't fair, but I was totally delt a shitty hand this week.

Good news is, it's almost the weekend. I don't really know if that's good news, but being at home seems like a good alternative to being at work today.




this is how i feel today..... METAL!!!

Worky work work....

I know work is stressing me out when I dream about it! I totally woke up, wrote down something for work, then went back to bed. I can't wait for next week to be here so my new classes will start and I can see how bad it actually is. I'm not impressed with my schedule. While I'm not technically working a lot more hours than I currently am, they are laid out weird so it feels like LONGGG days. Bah! . ;-)

I'm SO excited my super awesome boyfriend will be here in DAYS! Not WEEKS! It's been 7 weeks since we've seen each other, by FAR the longest I've gone without seeing a boyfriend. I never thought it would be harder to keep a relationship going strong from a distance, than it is from the same room. My momma said it's because you have all of the work of a relationship, without any of the benefits. It's true. I need some benefits. I thought we wouldn't fight and everything would be smooth sailing.... I mean, how can we piss each other off from a couple continents away? Pfft, little did I know! Haha. It's a good thing he loves me so much, because if I were him I would have told myself to go take a hike on a few seperate occasions!

Anyway, I have two hours until work is over. My student evaluations are done. My testing is graded. My lesson plans are made until March. I literally have NOTHING to do! It's not all it's cracked up to be, I promise. I need something to stimulate my brain before it starts turning to mush. Maybe I'll run across to the grocery store and pick up some fruit. I love fruit. I'm getting brave with my food selections now. I ate fruit at the bar the other night and didn't die. I heard a few times it's not good to eat fruit with skin in new places. Alas, I'm ok.


Bye bye. xo

Oh yeah, Sarah got the wedding pictures back..... they are really nice. Sneak peak!





and of course me being bratty with the boyfriend! haha

A night out in Seoul...

So, I've talked a lot about the food, the people, and the weird stuff I see..... now on to something a little more exciting... nights out!

Before coming to Korea I spoke to a few friends that had lived here, or were already living here. They all said the exact same thing, "Those Koreans really know how to party!" It's SO true haha.

Our night started at 7pm, Alicia and I met Yoo and her guy friend on a busy street near the party district. I mentioned (while waiting for the 4th member of our party) that I feel like my blonde hair is a beacon for attention, to which someone replies, "Yeah, it's like bright flashing lights." Thanks, haha. At least Alicia blends in with her dark hair. haha.

So after we had the troops assembled we headed into the party district(Kondae) to find some dinner. After much deliberation they asked about some food I had never seen/heard of before. Feeling brave I said I was in, hoping I wouldn't regret it haha. On the table was the grill, kind of like the Korean BBQ, but instead of meat to grill, they brought out a huge pan filled with chicken, cabbage, red pepper sauce, sweet potatoes, other random veggies, and these giant rice noodles that kind of look like ziti noodles.
So every 5 mins or so someone from the wait staff comes over and stirs all the food.... it slowly turns into this red stew looking stuff, then the water evaporates and it look like... food? haha. So Cho serves us some in a small dish, and I take a bite... with everyone watching for my reaction. It was realllly good! Yum. So we sat and talked, ate, and drank soju for quite a while. Good times.





After dinner we decided to go a bar we had all gone to together before... knowing it's always busy and fun. Most bars (only 1 hasn't so far) make you order food when you go drinking, which may contribute to their long nights! We ordered a pitcher of beer, and a fruit plate. turns out Koreans put honey mustard on everything, including fruit. I tried to wipe it off, haha. Icky. At this point our friend that owns the Indian restaurant shows up, so we begin to play drinking games. I learned some fun Korean games, but once we were bored with those I decided to teach them some American drinking games. Somewhere around this time a magician shows up and does some magic tricks... haha. It's NEVER boring going out here. After another few pitchers of beer we decide to go find a hookah bar. Lucky for us the Indian guy (we think he is from Nepal) knows of one just around the corner!






After braving the COLD, we arrive at the hookah bar and head down a flight of stairs. When you reach the bottom, you take off your shoes and head down another flight of stairs. This place was amazing. Dimly lit, floor seating, candles, curtains everywhere so you have privacy for your group, and it's just lavish and beautiful decorating. I was happy instantly! After we are all situated we order some more beer, and watermelon/cherry hookah. It was sooo good! We discovered that the bar has a cat (VERY rare for Korea, they hate cats) so of course I fell in love with it. Eventually I got the cat out of hiding and into my lap. It took a little nap on the pillows beside me, then ran off when I tried to feed it chicken haha. Oh yeah, after an hour of so Yoo decided she was hungry (no idea how these tiny Korean chicks put away so much food) and ordered chicken nachos. I'm not sure what they served us, but it sure as hell wasn't chicken nachos haha. I think it was a nacho pizza or something? It had like ketchup on it or something.



So, after the shisha ran out, the beers were consumed, and the food was gone, we decided to call it a night (although Alicia was trying to talk us all into another bar).

So, that's a fairly typical night out in Seoul. :-)

Routine...

I've finally fallen into a routine, and it's so nice! I wake up early to chat with the boyfriend. I finally make my way out of the cold bed and shower for work. I spend my day at work.... I've figured out the ropes, things are smooth sailing there. I either come home or go get dinner/drinks with friends. I come home, change, turn on the TV, fire up the computer, and decided what to try and pass off as dinner. I then watch some TV, grade papers, and wait for the boy to wake up so we can chat before bed. Lather, rinse, repeat. Its nice. One of the things I missed over the summer was not having a day job and a routine. It's nice to be back in a normal swing of things. :-)

About a week until the boy gets here... I'm so excited I could pee. I won't though, because that'd be gross. Finally the waiting game will pay off. We have SO earned this. Being away from each other for 6 weeks has NOT been easy.... on more than one level. I can't wait to hug and kiss him!!! ahh!

not much else is going on.... just working, dealing with the cold, and waiting for the weekend. Hopefully I have fun things to write about over the weekend. Maybe I'll tackle my views on the Korean education system. I'm going to COEX mall (maybe) and for dinner and cocktails with some Koreans I met.... so it should be a fun and relaxing weekend!

Also, my cousin asked why kittens are a thing to fear in Korea.... so here goes trying to explain it. Remember in Gremlins when the cute little Mogwai turns into a nasty Gremlin?! Well, thats what happens if you try to approach a kitten here. Animals suffer a lot of abuse, and street animals more than most... so they are pretty much terrified of humans and freakkkk out (convulsion freaky style). I only had to learn that lesson twice... once wasn't enough. :-)

The difference between hungry and satisfied...

In the last 4 weeks in Korea Ive learned the difference between being hungry, and satisfying my taste buds. I haven't been really hungry since I got to Korea (except the two times I went 2-3 days without eating.... because I couldn't find anything I would eat).. but I also haven't had my tastes satisfied... until today. I didn't realize a large part of being homesick isn't only for the people, or the comforts of your home... it's also the want for familiar tastes and smells. I miss the smell of American cooking just as much, if not more than the actual food.

This morning I discovered my toaster works. I didn't think much of it at first... but then I remembered I had eggs! So, I made some toast, fried an egg... and made a sandwich. Back home I don't even really like egg sandwiches... but this morning it was the most delicious thing I had tasted in over a month. The smell of an egg cooking and bread toasting made me feel so warm and... at home. My mom used to make toast sometimes for a late snack, so the smell of toast has always brought me to a happy place. This morning my tastes were satisfied. It was a good day.

I picked up some pasta at the store this weekend, and some pasta sauce. I can't eat anymore rice or ramen for a while... I'm burnt out!! I splurged on butter as well (suppper expensive) because I'm going to make mashed potatoes for our pseudo Thanksgiving next week. So far I have Stove Top, corn, mashed potatoes, and chicken breast on the menu. I can't wait :-) I'm also excited to do Thanksgiving activities with the kiddos at work. Next Friday is the last day of the term, so it'll be a busy week. We have the monthly testing and the monthly spelling test... so the rest of the week will be activities and fun stuff, as long as we finish our texts books this week.

Well, not much to talk about since my last post. I'm happy we have a lighter work load this week, it'll give me time to look over our new text books and make lesson plans. Other than work, I'll just be counting down the days until my boy gets here. And counting down the days until I go with some friends to COEX mall to go shopping! :-)

P.S. If anyone is planning on sending me gifts for the holidays, I'll make it cheap and easy on you... I just want McCormick flavorings!! (Taco seasoning, ranch dip, garlic potatoes..etc..). I found a lot of ingredients I can work with over here, I just need the spices/flavoring! I found a few pouches at the black market, but I'm not paying 8 times the retail value! For 2-3 bucks you could make me a happy girl. :-) End shameless wish-list advertisement now!

I am ashamed!

I paid almost 10 dollars today for a box of Stove Top. It was my only purchase at the black market. I couldn't bring myself to pay those prices for anything else. We are talking MAJOOOOR highway robbery! A packet of taco seasoning (which is like what... a dollar, max?) was over 6 bucks! A can of cake frosting 9 bucks! Cheezits.... 12 bucks! A box of powder style mac and cheese... 7 bucks!!! I reallllly wanted some mac and cheese, but I couldn't talk myself into paying 14 times the price it is at home. I just can't do it!!!

Ok, enough ranting about the black market. Itaewon wasn't what I expected. You know how in San Fran and NYC they have China Town... Little Italy... stuff like that? Well, it's little America. Haha. Seriously. Most of the signs are in English, tons of foreign restaurants and shopping, and you can hear English all over the place! It was strange to see more foreign people than Koreans. I've grown so used to being the only white person walking down the street. I was almost uncomfortable, in a strange way. I can't really explain it.

We ended up deciding on Mexican food for dinner. I was really excited, it looked JUST like any Mexican joint back in the US. After some margaritas and corona the food showed up, it looked amazing.... I took a bite... and it was SOOO bad! I kind of expected it, but it looked so good! They put like spaghetti sauce on the burrito instead of enchilada sauce! Inside, they put ground beef type stuff that had korean flavors on it, and instead of mexican rice... it had like the chicken and herb rice-a-roni. FAIL!! Total bummer! I ate like at least half of it though, because it wasn't Korean food. Anything other than Korean was winning for me!




After Itaewon we took the subway back to Kondae to get some drinks. On the Subway I made some friends. This Korean police looking guy (maybe military) was staring at me HARDCORE, After getting chatted up/smiled at/goosed/ and crazy eye contact all day I was feeling a bit ballsy. So I smiled, stared, and made some funny faces. He smirked a few times, but never broke his serious stern face. Finally, after a 30 mins awkward subway ride (mind you I was squished between two other Korean dudes, one who put on his face mask after I looked at him) it was time to get off. I gave the man a HUGE smile and wave (which doesn't happen here) and I got a nod back! It's a breakthrough. I will will Korea over, I will I tell you!

Kondae was same as it every other time we've been there. Tons of crowds, street food, weird people, guys asking me where a bank is (in English) as an excuse to talk to me, and bars! Went to two bars, had some drinks and munchies... then called it a night.

All in all it was a good adventure. I'll go back to Itaewon when I'm in dire need for black market goods.... but other than that, I like my little corner of Seoul we call Gwangjin-Gu! :-)



Tomorrow.... maybe I'll be up for another adventure. Alicia and I are going to emart (food shopping) and I need to clean the apartment. Things are sooo dusty!!

Ni-ni

Only in Korea....

Went and saw "2012" after work tonight with a friend. It was really good. It had lots of action and loud noises, and of course the love story so the ladies aren't bored. :-)


I want to start a list of "Only in Korea" things. Sometimes I hear whities say "ohhh Korea!" and it got me thinking. Some things you will only see in Korea....

Only in Korea..... can I drink wine in the movie theater.

Only in Korea.... can two straight men walk down the street holding hands, and it's totally normal.

Only in Korea..... can you get a large meal, with sides, delivered and served to you at work, then the dishes picked back up, for under 4 bucks.

Only in Korea.... are traffic laws mere suggestions, not to be taken seriously.

Only in Korea.... is a 15 pound dog considered a giant beast, and people cross the street to escape it's wrath.

Only in Korea.... are kittens something to fear.

Only in Korea.... do the kids go to school and extra classes 12-14 hours a day.

Only in Korea... can an American try and stop a man from beating his wife on the street, and get arrested for "fighting."


That's all for now. I'll add to the list later. :-)

going to Iteawon tomorrow for dinner, drinks, and hopefully finding American food to buy!

I want Turkey!!

Thanksgiving is coming up. The first real event I'll be missing back home (if you don't count Halloween). I hope my boy makes it here before then, it'll make things better for me. Thanksgiving isn't as big in my family as Christmas, I've missed a few before. It is still special, though.

No Thanksgiving in Korea, obviously. My friend Alicia and I are going to look for Stove Top in Itaewon this weekend. It's the mecca for finding all things foreign. I'm going to enjoy shopping there, if we can find a place to buy American food. Wish we luck.


Work is going well. I've got the hang of things now.... for the most part. I don't think the kids have had a teacher like me before. They are learning my teaching style and jokes now. I have a few unruly boys, but I'm figuring out how to DO WHAT I WANT!! hahahah.

There is a writing class. They are my FAVORITE. They are using an American text book, not an English learner book. They are really advanced, and one of the only classes that can carry on conversations and ask about American culture. They are so curious, it's awesome. Today we took a field trip. The text book called for the class to write directions on how to get to the lunch room from the classroom. So, I decided we would all split up and write directions on different ways to get out of the building. It was really fun. Kids running up and down stairs, kids in elevators giggling, kids freezing their butts off waiting at the bottom floor. Then we switched papers and tested how accurate the directions were. I was proud that most of the directions successfully got us out of the building. We ended up in a bathroom once. Oops. Gotta learn the difference between right and left!

Tomorrow the older kids graduate and move down to the 4th floor for middle school. I'm having a pizza and movie party for one of my classes. They are the other really advanced class I have. They can be giant pains in the asses, as most teenagers are.... but they are really curious about other cultures and were really willing to talk and be expressive. Korean kids have such structured and strict lives it's a real challenge to get them to express themselves. I'm finally to the point now my classes don't say "Fine. Thanks" when I ask them how they are. We add a new feeling to our vocabulary almost every day, and I only allow them to use our new descriptive words. Turns out one student tried to go above and beyond and googled a few American phrases. So, today, he told me he "feels like shit." Hmmmm, I didn't teach him that haha. Thanks google.

Next two weeks will be quiet. I'm only teaching 19.5 hours each week. That will be a nice break! We still have to be at work those hours, but I'll have time to look at our new text books and make some lesson plans. I'm sad all the classes are being broken up and moved around for the new term. C'est la vie. 40 more names to learn. Gah.

I need to blog about the Korean education system sometime. Its the best education system in the world, but they are making some huge sacrifices in other areas to be number one. I have very mixed feelings.

Ok, thats enough for tonight. It's after 1 in the morning.

I have to wake up early to go to the post office and mail pen pal letters. That writing class I was talking about wrote penpal letters to my old class from last year. I'm super excited about this.

xo

Korean Holidays....

I'm currently exploring Korean Holidays. Tomorrow is a holiday here.... Pepero Day!

For most of the world, November 11 is known as Veteran's Day, celebrating the date in 1911 when the first World War ended. In Korea they have their own sweet day, Pepero Day! I was told it's on 11/11 because that date looks like a bunch of Pepero. Pepero are long pencil sized cookies that are dipped in chocolate. You are supposed to give these cookies to people you care about (family, lovers, teachers, friends). It's often thought of as a "lovers holiday" like Valentine's Day. I'll have to explain Valentine's Day later, it's really interesting!

So, eat cookies and think of me here in Korea :-)

Edit: I got a TON of pepero from all my students today. Everyone at work is consuming it like it's crack.

I don't wanna die!!

Have you ever heard of "death by fan?" No, I don't mean falling into a giant fan blade at a factory or something. Or some crazy person attaching razors to a fan... haha.

Koreans believe you can die just by sleeping in a room with a fan turned on. I thought this was a joke or one of those "my mothers friend believes this" kind of things, but nope, people my age, doctors, educated people, old people, young people.... believe this! Of course not everyone believes this, but when I asked a girl if she bought into this, she paused, then replied, "Well, I'm not sure.... maybe not... but why test it?!"

To this day there can be up to 10 reports a summer of "death by fan" on the news. Doctors even perpetuate this story! I read on some forums that this story may be just a way to cover up the extremely high suicide rate here.

The phenomenon of fan death is accepted by many Korean doctors. In summer, mainstream Korean news regularly report on cases of fan death. An example is this excerpt from the July 28, 1997, edition of The Korea Herald, an English-language newspaper:
The heat wave which has encompassed Korea for about a week, has generated various heat-related accidents and deaths. At least 10 people died from the effects of electric fans which can remove oxygen from the air and lower body temperatures...
On Friday in eastern Seoul, a 16-year-old girl died from suffocation after she fell asleep in her room with an electric fan in motion. The death toll from fan-related incidents reached 10 during the past week. Medical experts say that this type of death occurs when one is exposed to electric fan breezes for long hours in a sealed area. "Excessive exposure to such a condition lowers one's temperature and hampers blood circulation. And it eventually leads to the paralysis of heart and lungs," says a medical expert.
"To prevent such an accident, one should keep the windows open and not expose oneself directly to fan air," he advised.


I hate to admit this, as a person that sleeps with the fan turned on 9 months out of the year, and I had a twinge of "well maybe Korean buildings have different ventilation systems, or maybe their fans work differently" for a moment. Will this urban legend keep me from sleeping with a fan on when it's like a sauna here this summer? Probably not. Will I crack my window the slightest bit? Perhaps.

for more info check this link

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/medical/a/fan_death.htm

Hangang Park and Korean sushi

Went to Hangang park with Alicia and her puppy Louise today. We thought we wouldn't make it due to a big storm, but magically, at noon (when we planned to go) the clouds parted, rain stopped, and the sun came out. Yay. So off we went to Hangang Park on the Han River. It's a really nice walking path along the river, Swan Boats, basketball courts, a wedding boat and bar, playgrounds, rock climbing wall, playgrounds, fountains, gardens, skate park, a new public pool complete with lazy river, among other things. It was a nice walk, only sprinkled for a few minutes when we stopped to let her dog rest. There were people bike riding along the bath, walking with their lover, and families out enjoying one of the last warm Sundays until spring. I'm glad we got to go, the view was amazing, directly across the river is the olympic stadium. good times.

I also tried a bite of Alicia's korean style sushi. It had rice, veggies, egg, and tuna, all wrapped in seaweed. It was good, I may eat it again.

Now I'm going to spend a few hours at home, watching TV, playing online, and bumming around before I meet Alicia for dinner.

It was a good weekend. Relaxing, with some fun thrown in. I could have used a cocktail over the weekend though!

take it day by day....

Things are looking up here in Korea. My boyfriend found a job. That's the best news I've heard in so long. He still needs to make sure it's a good job (they pay on time and treat employees ok), but it seems like everything is falling into place. It's amazing what this did for my morale. I felt like a new person walking through the streets of Seoul. I saw so many things I never noticed before because I was so busy in my own head all the time. It's been exhausting spending so many hours of my day looking for jobs for him, emailing him, worrying about him, and focusing on being miserable. It's like a huge weight was lifted. I really enjoyed Korea today. I just kind of soaked in the busy street, the noises, the smells, the faces of the people. It was enjoyable. I need a camera. So many little moments I want to record.

Alicia and I went to the movies tonight. We saw Time Travelers Wife. It was really good. Cried my eyes out as expected. I am really glad I took the boyfriends advice and read the book first. It must have been foreigners night out. We saw so many white folk. haha. I have figured out the "foreigner nod." When you walk past another person it's weird to strike up a conversation (it doesn't happen) but it's polite to nod. Just kind of like "hey man, I see you, I know how you feel" haha. I wonder if other cultures in America do the same thing. Like the Asian nod when they see another Asian person. Hmmm. Food for thought. We went to a starbucks tonight. It's amazingly like stepping back into the US. The lighting is the same, the smell, the furniture, the food. It was amazing. That was one of my perks for the day.

I want to start taking notes on the funny things I see.

I love examining other cultures. I've done it a little bit since I've been here, but I havent gone out too much, so my contact has been kind of limited. When I do go out it's just interesting to see how Koreans interact with each other, and how they respond to me. I need a notebook or something along with the camera. I want to be able to have a record of some sort of the feelings I experienced, what I saw, and how the world felt to me at that moment.

So, in conclusion. Things are looking brighter and better today.

I have a bad habit (well, I have a lot...) that I'm not sure what to do about. I hate explaining things to people. But not all people, just certain ones. Mostly people I'm closest to. Maybe from always working with children and I always have to explain every little thing. Maybe I'm burnt out on it, or maybe I'm just not a patient person. I hate explaining to people things going on in my life though. i'm not really a guarded person, I'll divulge just about anything. I get annoyed at all the questions that go along with explaining things I think. I want to paint a picture for someone, and I want them to understand what I'm trying to say. Or sometimes I just want to give certain information about something so I don't want to have the person dig deeper. I'm not sure if I should try and be more forthcoming, or avoid situations where I have to explain things.

I've been avoiding talking to a few people because I don't want to tell them whats going on over here. I don't really know why. I feel like I'm seeing so much I couldn't properly paint the picture for them. I feel like I'd explain things in a way they wouldn't understand. I dunno. I'm weird.

10 things I've learned in Korea...

1. Some plants for my apartment were the best investment ever.

2. Koreans think I'm so strange for "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing over the tanks of animals that they plan to eat.

3. Koreans, though poor, have way better clothing and shoes than Americans.

4. No matter how little food you order at a restaurant they will no doubt bring you 10 side dishes.

5. Koreans are friendly. We made best friends with an old Korean lady and 5 of her friends at the bus stop.

6. Korea is supposed to have a way more advanced cell phone network, but everyone has crappy phones, some without caller ID even, and no one has an internet browser. I call shenanigans, Americans have WAY better phones and service!

7. There are always new and awesome movies on TV. I'm catching all kinds of movies I missed in the theater recently!

8. You can get vitamins and cans of air from the "claw" machines on the street. Weird.

9. Koreans LOVE to dress their dogs up and give them fancy hair designs and color.

10. Though the language is much harder, it's much easier to find comforts from home than when I lived in Europe.

Korea, the first days

This is where I live... on the left


So, Korea has been a wild ride so far..... here's how it went down.


After I arrived at the airport I went easily through immigration, gathering luggage and loading it on to a cart, and exchanging my US dollars for Korean won. When I excited the terminal much to my surprise was Yun, from my school, with a giant sign saying "Welcome to Korea MELISSA!!!!" It was sooo nice, i was really worried about navigating the bus situation on my own with so many bags. So he took all my luggage loaded it up into the super nice car, and off we went towards Seoul. I must say Korean navigation systems are WAY more fun than American ones. They sing to you, and have little kid voices telling you when to slow down or turn. I was pleased! After we arrived in Gwangjin-Gu we stopped by the school for me to meet everyone after we dropped off my luggage at the apartment. I wasn't really happy about this, as I had been awake for over 24 hours and just wanted to sleep. It was quick and painless though. Alicia took me to buy water and some snacks, and took me to an internet cafe to check my email, because my internet at the apartment wasn't turned on yet. We chatted and hung out for a bit, then I really needed some sleep! When I got back to the apartment I did have a mini meltdown about the bed (it's a twin size and HARD as a rock). But I eventually calmed down and crashed out.

Thursday morning I woke up SUPER early, 5am. That gave me plenty of time to unpack and get things around the house cleaned and organized. It was a quiet morning, much to my liking. Thursday was my first day at work, and instead of any training they just kind of told me my schedule and to have fun. ACK. I spent most of the day tired and in a daze. It was fun with the kids, they were very helpful and adorable. They loved all the pictures of Arizona and my life, and to my surprised asked questions about the desert and my family. During our "dinner" break (15 mins in the evening) went to the grocery store across the street from the school so I could get a few things. I was happy to buy some fruit, fruit loops, peanut butter and jelly, and some noodles. I came home after work and went to bed at a reasonable hour, because I had a feeling I'd be up early, haha.

Not to my surprise, I woke up around 6am on Friday. Jet lag is a bitch! Emily and I had made plans to go to Star City, one of the big malls near the house. We hopped on a bus and arrived at the mall 4 short stops later. I was really happy to see Starbucks, Baskin Robins, burger King, and Cold Stone in the mall. You never know when you need a comfort from home. When I was living in Europe they had NO comforts from home and sometimes I got really homesick for something as small as food I recognized. We went into Emart, which is like the target/wal mart of Korean. They have EVERYTHING under one roof. I got to pet hedgehogs, shop for groceries, try on hats, ooh and ahh over the beautiful electronics and rugs, and everything in between! It will be my favorite place I think!

After our Star City adventure we had time to run home to put away our finds and get to work. Work was much more stressful the second day. I came in during their testing period, so apparently I have to write and administer oral and written exams for 80 students that I have never met. Gah. The day went pretty quickly though, and then it was time to go out with all my coworkers and boss for a night out! We went to the Korean BBQ place near work. They cook all the meat on grills in the middle of the table, and we had lots of sides to go with it. I loved the salad, it looked like a mix between grass and green onions. I'll have to find out what it was. We drank LOTS of soju and beer. I was surprised how much Koreans drink! Everyone in the restaurant was putting away shot after shot of soju! Woo woo! I thought my Boss, Brian, was kidding when he said "What next?!" but he wasnt! We all went to the Karaoke bar across the street. They have tambourines, flashing disco lights, more alcohol, and snacks! We all sang some classic American songs, and they sang a lot of Korean op songs as well! It was a fun night, they seem like a great bunch of people to work with... so far! I went to bed later than I had been, hoping to sleep in a little!

Much to my surprise, I actually did sleep in today! Until 8am! yay!! Today was the day to explore Seoul a little further away. Emily, Alicia and myself decided to go to the Art Fair over by the art school. It was about a 45 min subway ride away. I was totally grabbed and smacked on the legs by this old Korean guy who kept telling us he had visited Kentucky. The subways are VERYYYY crowded, so you cant really escape being felt up. Something to adjust to! I was happy when we finally got off the subway, and I saw white people! Woo woo!

We spent the next hours exploring the area, getting Smoothie King (YAYYYY!) and buying cute jewelry, art, and odds and ends. The stores were all cool, and the streets were just lined with vendors, food, clothes, people, music.... it was unreal! I was impressed, for sure. We left the street vendor area and went into the art fair area. I saw TONS of stuff I would love to buy, but some was expensive! I ended up buying a clock thats also a painting. It's dark background with a red outline of a tree. I really like it and cant wait to hang it up. We then walked around a little more and decided to head back to our part of town to go to the mall and get food.

After another 45 mins subway ride we made it back to our neighborhood. We crossed over to the mall, and looked for food! We decided on this really cool looking place that had lots of types of food. I got some fried rice (which isnt normal Korean fare) and I was pretty happy with it. Once our tummy's were full and happy we headed over to Emart to do some shopping for our houses! I found a lot of stuff I needed, and made a wishlist! It was a successful trip, so once we had our fill of shopping we hopped a bus back to the apartment. It's actually close enough to walk (we walked over this morning) but since our hands were full we crammed onto a full bus anyway.

Now I'm home debating about what furniture I should buy, considering we will only be here a year most likely. I'll think about it and decide another day!

Sooo thats been the highlights of Korea so far. I've left out a lot.... but I only have so much time to type! I'm exhausted!

Getting to korea....

It's a good thing I've memorized blogger's layout, because when I clicked on the site it's all in korean!!

I’m on the plane to Korea. I got through the airport with a lot less tears this time, thank God. The plane ride only has about 2 hours left. The flight has been uneventful, which is always a good thing. I must say, I absolutely love the planes with personal entertainment systems. I’ve watched 4 movies I missed in theaters, what good luck!

I’m excited and nervous to land in Korea. Once I land it’s final. I’m there… no turning back. Deep down I know everything will be ok, but the fear of the unknown is always scary. The fear of being lonely in a strange place is terrifying. I hope I like my apartment, I hope I like the school, I hope I can find something I like to eat, I hope my cable has CNN. CNN was my savior when I lived in Europe; it was the only English channel on TV.

I really miss my boyfriend. I can’t wait for him to get to Korea. I want to hang out in bed reading and watching movies, just like we used to. I want to wander around the streets of Korea, exploring our new home. I want to adopt little fuzzy kittens and argue over the names. I want to cuddle, damn it! Our relationship has changed drastically in the past month. While I believe we were in love before, its different now. I think we are both starting to think of the long run, not just living in the moment side by side. When a lot of my future plans start with “we” instead of “I”…. well, that’s when I’m in deep! They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder. I don’t know if that’s true, but I know life isn’t as shiny and colorful without him by my side.

So I’m going to spend my last 2 hours watching movies and playing games on the plane. It’s not a bad way to pass 12 hours. I just wish I could sleep on planes!!!

Stay tuned, I’ll be updating a lot in the new few weeks I’m sure. I’ll be home alone a lot, and that leads to boredom!

L is for the way you look at me....

I’m not sure what time it is, I forgot to change the time on the DS before I boarded the plane and I obviously can’t turn my cell phone on to check. The entire plane is dark and quiet; there are maybe 3 or 4 other little lights glowing away like mine. I’m guessing we are over an hour or two into the flight. I read some more of my book but couldn’t stop crying (damn you sappy love stories) so I played the DS for a few minutes. I’m antsy and just want to be in his arms, so ill do what I do whenever my heart is hurting…. write.

We had a movie script ending, all tears and the wave goodbye as I ascended the escalator. I sat on the plane and cried like I was a teenager again, with my first high school heartache, but this pain was a little more substantial.

This man has caused me plenty of heartache before, but never quite like this. My heart aches for his warm hugs, understanding eyes, and soft kisses. I am wrapping my head around the fact I will not wake up to his handsome face, not go to sleep safe in his arms. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes, but for my neighbors sake I’ll stifle the cry that will surely follow at some point soon. I’ve grown accustomed to these routines. We prop ourselves in bed to watch TV while I read and he plays video games. After the sleepy medicine has kicked in we pick our “sleepy time” movie and wrap ourselves up in blankets and each other. It’s not long before I’m fast asleep, probably with my mouth hanging open, or my arm curled up around the pillow, and he is engrossed in whatever movie was supposed to put us to sleep, and will remain that way for a while before he passes out along. Yes, this is a much different hurt. This hurt, instead of making me bitter, angry, or confused, has made me realize how hard it will be to live without him for the next month. Only a month, right? A month feels like an eternity when you are used to spending the majority of your waking hours together. A month feels way too long, when you’ve just discovered so many new things about him, and you realize you love him through and through. Not the fleeting love I once felt for him, which could be squashed so easily by some dumb actions. This love resonates deep in my heart. This is the love that sticks with you for a long time, willing or not.

These new discoveries helped me really get to know him. Yes, we’ve told stories, we’ve shared pictures, and we’ve tried to paint these visual images for each other about that growing up was like… but it’s always hard to understand without seeing. He has spent so much time with my family, learning about me, seeing me with them, that it was really wonderful to be able to do the same for him. His mother is ten times better than I ever could have imagined. Warmth and love just radiates from this woman like you wouldn’t believe. She is sometimes very quiet, but won’t hesitate to interject a witty remark when it’s needed. She has a profound wisdom to her that only comes from a mixture of book smarts and a heavy dose of life experience. You can tell just by how she talks to her children how much she loves them. There is never any doubt she was meant to mother. She reminds me a lot of my own mother; maybe that’s why I felt an instant yearn to be close to her. I miss my mom SO much and it’s nearly impossible to find someone that reminds me of her, so when I do, I realize what a rare gem that person is.

I don’t think there was a single person in his family that I didn’t like. I think his sisters are just great, and his grandpa could easily become one of my favorite people. His grandparents were so endearing I just never wanted to leave their house! He told me he knew when she walked into a movie theater when she was 10 that she was the woman he would marry. They started dating at 14, and the ring on her finger was not far behind. He still blushed while looking at her! That’s the kind of love movies are made about, books are written about, and girls like me spend their youths searching for. I sleep better at night knowing some people get their “happily ever after.”

While meeting his mother was a great part of visiting Maine, it was just a small portion of the magic we shared last week. Watching him watch the ocean was quite an experience. I know he has spoken off his love for the ocean before, but I never quite understood it until I saw it first hand. He had a calm about him, something about the rhythmic crashing of the waves, the stability of it, the magic of it…. it was a calm I have never seen in him before. While most times he is the calm when I am the storm, there is always that hushed turmoil deep inside him, and for the first time I believe that deep inner turmoil was quieted by the lapping of the water and sand under his feet. There is no doubt in my mind that this man belongs near the ocean. It brought peace to me to see him so tranquil.

The trip wasn’t all unearthing of my deeper feelings for him, we did have some fun and games as well. We spent a day in Salem with his sister and mother and it was a magnificent day. We started out by going to a Witch Museum to learn about the Salem Witch Trials and all the fervor surrounding it. I was very amazed to re-learn about the incidents, as it had been so long since we covered that in school. We also visited the Memorial for the people who died during that time. A really old cemetery with some famous names adjoined the memorial; some of the graves were dated as far back as the 1600s! We looked at a lot of the cute shops, had some amazing pizza at The Upper Crust, and even got to see a parade of the little ones dressed up in their costumes, trick or treating down the main street. I was least impressed by a haunted house we visited…. that’s something Ill have to do when I get back to AZ, I LOVE being scared in haunted houses!

Another really fun day was the day we went to the orchard to go apple picking! I’ve never been apple picking, but now I wish I had an apple tree of my own! So delicious! I enjoyed visiting the little farm just down the street, which I think was run by Quakers. Either way they had an amazing garden and some delectable apple cider. I picked out a pumpkin that I never got to carve, kind of sad about that! Boo! Old Orchard Beach was another one of my favorite sites, but I will need to see it in all its summer glory to appreciate it fully, I think. I used my imagination to picture what the pier would look like, jammed with tourists, families, and lovebirds, but my scene would probably pale in comparison to the real thing.

Last night was the perfect ended to my trip. We drove out to New Hampshire to visit a corn maze. The corn maze was fun, but not as impressive as the others that have visited I hear. So while I wasn’t completely blown away by the experience that all changed when we stumbled upon the animals! Nick’s sister made the pig fart, we got to pet the donkey, and watched the goats bound around on the rocks in their habitat. It was enchanting! We followed up the adorable animals with probably one of the best ice cream sundaes I’ve ever had! Yummm! Of course going home and snuggling all night was just adding to the enchantment of my night.

I could write all night and never capture the magic I felt while in New England. Not only the magic of the place, the rich history, and beautiful weather…. but the magic between my love and I. It’s something I treasure and will keep me sane until we meet again in Korea.

I’m out of tissue so I’m going to sign off for the night, but I’ll be back with tales of our cross-country road trip soon!

I'm yours...

I can honestly say I'm head-over-heels in love for the first time in a very long time. Things have fallen into place, no where near what I had in mind, but better. I am in the process of officially moving in with the boyfriend and I've decided to let go of all these fears I have and just enjoy it. You can't beat falling asleep in the arms of someone who loves you, and waking up to their kisses every morning. So we have a shitty history, who doesn't, right? It's time to embrace the good for how good it is, and start letting go of the bad. So I'm giving him the power to hurt me... and its scary..... but the high of falling more in love every time I see him is better than the emotional fence I tend to put around myself when shit gets too real. We are moving to Korea together, we are starting a new chapter together, and I'm ecstatic. I'm not perfect (by a long shot) and neither is he, but he gives me butterflies so I'm just gonna run with it. There, it's all out in the open now. I'm in love and all the mushy gushy things that go along with it. Woo.

Now, on not such a happy note I still loathe my job. I was starting to warm up to it, but yeah, I'm over it once again. I'm going back to my old work (the school I taught at) tomorrow and I'm so afraid to see what I'm missing out on this year. Yeah, Korea is great but I'd rather be there with my friends and kids I adore. I'm sure I'll adore new kids over there.... but.... I love the familiar. Maybe my old boss will remember how amazing I am when she sees me and give me a job doing something (anything!) until I leave for Korea. I know it's a long shot but a girl can dream, right? Meep.

Well, thats about all I have in me tonight friends. I'll try and blog again more.... it's been hard to get online alone to blog.... for some reason I like blogging alone. I'm weird. smoochies.

Ghosty!

I'm leaving in the morning to go ghost hunting in Jerome! Kristin and I are going away for a couple days for her birthday. It should be really fun, we are going GHOST HUNTING at an old mental hospital. I LOVE ghosts and anything paranormal. I doubt we will see/hear/feel anything but it's a fun experience anyway, ya know? We will be freaking each other out, I'm sure.

Anyway, plans are moving forward for the Korea move. Have I mentioned that yet? Can't remember. Yeah, Im planning on moving to Korea to teach, the first week of November. I'm super excited and nervous all at the same time. It's the fear of the unknown that gets me. I know how hard it can be living abroad, so I'm not too worried about that part, I'm mentally prepared for it. I'm worried I wont like the job, though. I like kids, I like teaching, I like asian babies, but..... I'm not sure about the combo haha. We'll see. A lot of people do it, so it can't be all bad. Fingers crossed.

easy like sunday morning...

Life is pretty good. Haven't been home in like a week, hence the lack of blogging. Plans are still moving forward with korea. I have been talking to my friend that is already there and she is getting me excited about the possibilities. I feel like I'm in a sort of limbo though... Which sucks. I have to kill three months before we are leaving.. It seems like such wasted time. I'm bored, I guess. Meh.

Have I mentioned I loathe my new job? I think that's why I'm so anxious to leave. I don't really want to get another new job just to quit in 2 months... But I hate working where I am... Ick!

Also, things are going pretty well with the boy. My mom thinks since the good outweighs the bad right now I should just let it ride. I'm feeling that feeling again that things aren't right though. Certain things just don't add up. Maybe I'm just having trust issues... Who knows. Time will tell, but I hope it tells soon considering I'm thinking about moving in with him... And moving across the world.

I'm a slacker!

Yeah, I'm slacking on the blog posts. I havent really been home.... and haven't had any "Alone" time to write. Oh well.... I'm here now!


So, life feels like it did about a month ago, only more real. I think I'm moving in the right direction. I'm digesting things, processing them, and going from there. It's a good thing I'm pretty sure. I'm going to have some blind faith for things to progress, I think. That's really scary. It involves a lot of trust and hope. DEEP BREATH, I can do it.

Sooooo I don't know if it's 100% sure yet.... but I think I'm going to Korea. Yeah, you heard me. My friend Alicia is already there (going on 2 years) and loves it. I have asked all the questions, done a ton of research, and discussed it with the family. Everyone is on board, everything looks like it'll fall into place. The November jobs (our goal date) aren't posted until Sept so until then I'm in limbo, but continuing research. Everyone I've told thinks it's a good idea..... so I must be thinking straight for once. Or people just expect that kind of stuff from me, haha.

Well, I've been packing boxes (no, I'm not moving, someone else is) for a few hours and I'm tired. I think this is all I have in me for tonight.

Just wanted to say life is good right now. Everything is evening out. I'm still looking for a decent job to keep me occupied until the Korea move.

xoxo

with a feather...

I realize why I never blogged on work days now.... they are busy.... and make me tired.

I'm listening to the worst music ever, someone should stop me.

I need a cowboy hat.

I need a vacation from AZ.

I'm making big plans and it's scaring the shit out of me.

I'm trying to bite my tongue more, blurt things out less.

I keep thinking about things that upset me, but not thinking about them feels impossible.

I feel like I need to know everything, even when no good will come of it.

I've never been so careless with those words before.

I like hot glue guns, even though I'm careless and hurt myself.

I need this adventure.

I need to decide if I should trust my friends, or my heart. Who has my best interest in mind?

I hate lying.

who needs a snack??

It's FREAKIN' hot out!! Just saying.

So I absolutely hate my new job. I know it's temporary so I'll try and keep my chin up, but I want to pull my hair out!!!

I'll keep looking and maybe schedule another visit to the career counselor now that I have a better idea of my goals.

I'm brewing up a few blog ideas, but I don't really have time to write right now, soooo I'll keep the ideas coming and try and blog tomorrow! :-)

Now off to Kinkos to print my resume!

who likes whiskey...

All day hangovers can kiss it! I have hit the age where I can't drink whatever I want. Ouch.

Monday turned around for me. Went to see matty and becca. Went shopping. Grouted a stone fireplace. Had dinner... And a lot of cocktails.

I'm sleepy.

Mondays....

The high of the weekend has been replaced by the Monday blues. Today is probably the hardest day I've had..... all summer. I'm totally bumming, and I can't really talk about it because people read my blog that don't need to know what's going on in my head today. Blah. I've decided to use blogger to update about my comings and goings instead of facebook. There are people I just don't want to know what I'm doing, how I'm feeling, or where I'm headed. Blogger is safer. I gave the link to people I want to know whats going on with me, everyone else can go away. Facebook feels like a cancer in my life right now.... I'd delete it, but I love keeping in touch and seeing what certain people are up to. Its a sickness I tell you.

I'm excited to see some of my favorite kiddos from school tomorrow. I'm taking them to lunch and shopping. It'll be good times. Then on Wed. I start the new jobby job. I keep reminding myself it's just until I find my dream job. Doesn't make it easier I think. It wont be that bad. Just not my ideal situation. eh.

Amy thinks I should bring a hard copy of my resume to that dream job I've been applying for. The lady said they are still accepting resumes via internet, so i cant decide if bringing one in to them is annoying or shows how driven I am? Hmmmmm.

Gina Kelly says I need to let myself miss people that I want to miss. And allow them to miss me. I've just never been good at going cold turkey with people I still care about. I guess sometimes as much as I want to completely emotionally check out, I just cant. She says I need to put on makeup, do my hair, and head out into the world. Lately that has just ended with me getting super drunk and texting people I shouldn't be texting. Especially since most of those people are on a three hour time difference and I end up texting them in the middle of the night.

She says the "missing" people part will fade when I want it to. Am I really such a masochist I'm putting myself through more bullshit than I actually need to? Probably. ha. I need to start moving forward again (according to the great Gina Kelly).... I was doing so great until a couple days ago.... wtf!

Adventure!

Yesterday morning Amy and I were sitting around the house debating what to do with our day (I had a promising day of laundry ahead) when we decided to go on an ADVENTURE! We debated over Tucson and a few other places before deciding on Slide Rock (and all the other tourist crap in Sedona). So we call Becca, throw on swim suits and cut offs, fill the cooler with beer... and head out! The best quote of the morning was by Amy: "Let's hurry up and take these clothes off so we can cut them up!" Yeehaw. Oh, and don't forget the pigtails and trucker hats as well.

The trip up there was fun, we gambled (dont ask), had sing a longs, and made fun of Amy, haha. Good times. My cousin Alyssa met us up there then we discovered Slide Rock was totally full so we found another spot. We had to venture down the side of the mountain type cliff to get down to the water, then cross many very slippery rocks to get to the other side where we wanted to set up camp. It took us like half an hour to swim/jump/rock step our way across. ack. Some guys even offered amy help because she was stuck haha. We spent the day meeting other people escaping the heat, swimming, enjoying good company, and drinking beer. It was what we all needed. After the sun started to set we went into downtown Sedona and shopped, walked around, and had a yummy dinner. It was a perfect day and we headed home happy. Got back into town at like 11pm and stopped by the Surfside IV show to say hi to friends, but came home pretty early because we were all dirty and exhausted!

Already planning our next adventure. I was telling the girls about this place I used to go when I was a kid called Fossil Creek, but that may be too rugged for a group of girls, haha. We are going to scout out some options and start going on adventures as often as we can. My friend from England messaged me today when I said I want to plan another adventure and invited me to South America in early 2010. I'm seriously debating saying YESSS and going for it. I do love me some international travel. I've never done South america.

Anyway, my other topic of the day is how much media can influence people (yeah, me). There is that line from.... I think it's "High Fidelity" where he says "are we sad because we listen to pop music? or do we listen to pop music because we are sad?'
Man, what a question. I know for myself, my moods can be very easily changed my music, literature, or cinema. Last night I came home just happy as a clam (the only down part of the whole day was everyone bitching about their crappy sex lives with ex's, and me realizing how much I loved mine, hahahaha) and settled into bed for the night around 1am. I turn on my TV to find something to fall asleep to and The Holiday was coming on. I end up watching the whole thing and it's like an emotional roller coaster. First, I'm really sad because of all the heart ache different characters are going through, I mean I can totally relate, so I was bummed out. Then it ends on a really great note of everyone finding their true loves.... which made me really happy they found love, but bummed I'm in bed alone at the same time, haha.
Same thing goes with this great book I finished this morning, I get really bummed out when bad things happened for the protagonist, especially since I related to well to her, but then I am feeling great that she got everything she wanted and all was ok.
Music is even worse. When I'm having a crappy day I can blast some party favorites, clean my house, and forget all about whatever crap was bugging me! But I can also feel really blue for no apparent reason after listening to sad love songs..... which sucks, because I love sad love songs, but hate that I get cranky!

Well, I need to shower and get out of here..... gonna go hang with my favorite short people in Cave Creek tonight.

Oh yeah, I also got a new job. It's not exactly what I'm looking for, so I'm going to kind of continue my search, but this will at least be something to occupy my time and make some money in the mean time.