NaBloPoMo

Definitely stealing this idea from my BFFFE Kelly. November is National Blog Posting Month. I might be a 26 days late and a dollar short, but I figured I want the challenge of being creative and to have something really cool to look back on when I am old. So my NaBloPoMo will be from November 26th-December 26th. Starting today, I will be accepting any blog ideas you might have for me. I do think that there are things that seem mundane to me, but interesting to everyone else, so ask away!

And thanks to Kelly for inspiring me slash letting me copy you...

South Korean Thanksgiving, The Second

Well Folks, it has been over a year since I first ventured to this great country of South Korea. I must say that these past 6 months have absolutely flown by. I literally blinked and my additional 6 months has already become 5. It is hard to believe that a year ago on this day, my new friend had fashioned a homemade Thanksgiving dinner using nothing but ingenuity, Costco, a toaster oven, and her two bare hands (See "A South Korean Thanksgiving" from October 2010 in the blog archives). At that point I was "Fresh Off The Boat" and I was still a little skeptical as to what I had just gotten myself into. I was only beginning to form relationships with my new coworkers, learning a new job, and enduring a major culture shock. I remember thinking "12 months is a really long time, how will I ever make it?" Yet, here I am on my 13th month in this country, feeling very comfortable with my good friends and with my new found knowledge of a place very different from where I came. I have been able to experience things I never would have dreamed possible. I have also endulged my new found coffee addiction. So, the point of this rambling is to say that I am thankful for:

A. My AMAZING friends and family. The only reason I am here is because my wonderful mother and father paid for me to take my TOEFL online certification class when I didn't have enough money. They were supportive of my decision from the moment I told them I was thinking about teaching English abroad while eating dinner at Olive Garden in Westminster. That's what parent's are for right? Also, every single person in my life, whose opinion I value, supported me 100%. I couldn't ask for better people in my life.

B. This experience. I am learning so much about the world AND myself. I wouldn't trade it for 10.8753 Trillion Dollars.

C. Stories like this one: 8 year old Anna asks "Teacher, are you drinking coffee?" I respond "Yes Anna, I am drinking coffee. I need it to keep up with all the energy you guys have." Anna replies "My mom drinks coffee too. It helps her go to the bathroom."

D. And, Reindeer Sweaters.

I asked my student if I could take a picture of his sweater, then I asked if he wanted his face in the picture. Guess how he replied...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

NEW Bachelorette Pad

Most of you know that I moved into a new apartment at the beginning of November. And, like any good decorator, I have thrown myself into designing this space with gusto. It has taken two weeks and a little bit of money but I love the result. Here are the much anticipated pictures. Enjoy!

My apartment building is called "Bobos Chereville" 

 

The View

My New Bathroom and it has a real shower!

My New Kitchen

My New Dining Room

My New Living Room

My New Bedroom

My New Entertainment Center

My New Plants

Upgrade? I think yes. Thanks to everyone who helped me move and clean. I really love the space that I am in now. Also, I inherited a Black Thumb from my mother, so if anyone has any tips on how to care for my new dependents I would greatly appreciate it!

Goin' to the Jew

Pack your bags, we're goin' to the jew. Before you get angry, let me explain. The Korean language does not have the 'z' sound, so 'zoo' often sounds like 'jew.' It took about 10 minutes of listening to my students talk about jews, to realize they meant zoos.

Anyway, back to the story. The Seoul Zoo is located inside a magical land called Seoul Grand Park. It not only has a zoo, but a museum, amusement park, lake, 2 sky rides, and a rose garden - all located within the gorgeous hills just outside of Seoul. I hadn't expected any of this as my sky ride seat came over the first hill and I was in awe. Que: camera. I always take several pictures of these sorts of views because I like to have options for later...and it turns out that some of my options hold more than just a beautiful view. I managed to capture on film, two things that are very hard for me to describe to people who have never seen it. And I shall share them with you now.


1. The Korean Couple Fight
This sight is not uncommon in the cities of Korea. I have seen several screaming matches late at night when everyone is wandering home from the bars. But more importantly, I have seen these fights happen in broad day light when the couple is (presumably) sober. For reasons unknown to me, coffee shops are a popular place to witness such an event, and these sorts of fights are easy to spot from a mile away. The female is always sitting, tight lipped and arms crossed, as far away as she can be from her boyfriend without being at the next table, in complete and utter silence. The male is usually sitting there trying thinking of the right thing to say. Occasionally he will say something and when it is returned with silence he goes back into the depths of his mind for something else to say. (I know it doesn't sound a whole lot different from the fights American couples have, but I have never seen this frequency of silent fights in all my years in CO.) The following picture is one of the most unfortunate places that I can think of to have one of these fights.

2. The Korean Gawk
As a foreigner in a strange land, it took some time to get used to the stares you can get from some people. Over time, maybe I forgot about it or learned how to ignore it, but either way I don't notice it as often as when I first got here. It is a part of my existence in Korea. There are a wide range of looks you can receive as a foreigner here, but the one you receive the most is the hardest to describe. I guess I would say it is neither angry nor excited or surprised. And the best part about it is that the stare-er doesn't look away, even if caught by the stare-ee. As far as the following picture goes, I guess I should concede that three white girls might have been quite a sight on the sky ride that day, so can you blame them?

I would like to thank the two couples in the pictures for providing me with an unexpected source of blogworthiness and amusement. And I would like to thank you for reading!

Wet, Hot Korean Summer

I have been neglecting my blog for a month now, but trust me, it is not due to lack of material. I am going to blame my absence on a horrible little thing called: Summer Time in Korea. If you have been experiencing laziness, moodiness, dry throat caused  by constant use of the air conditioner, excessive amounts of perspiration in places you didn't know pores existed, arriving to your destination so drenched your clothes look fresh from the wash, crankiness, bile in the throat from the way large groups of people smell on the bus/subway, or irritability; you may be suffering from STK.

This disease has taken over my life for the past month. I have never experienced humidity like this in my life. Being from Colorado, I have been blessed with high summer temperatures with DRY air and amazing thunder storms. Here, the heat and monsoon season coupled with high humidity have made me miserable. This summer has taught me that two things make me a very cranky person: hunger and Summer Weather in Korea. So, needless to say but I shall say it anyway, wherever I choose to move in this world, never again will I put myself through this type of weather. Did ya hear that Florida? I will never be a resident of you.

On a positive note, I have been doing many fun things. I tried a shrimp's brain (I believe I accidentally ate some of the head that was not meant to be eaten), I went to Mud Fest (which is exactly what it sounds like, grown ups covering themselves in mud and pretending to be kids for one afternoon), I have found several local coffee shops I can support, I went ATVing for the first time in my life (and loved it), and last but not least: I have been teaching now for 10 months and I am loving most of my classes! I have decided to resign my contract and stay here until April 2012!

Now, I will leave you with a video of 2 of my favorite little girls. Helen is on the left and Alice is on the right. We all have birthdays in late August, so I decided to make a video to celebrate!