with intensity

Sunday, November 15, 2009

A few of my favorite things.

Some of my favorite things lately:

Chai Tea Lattes from the Coffee Bean. I can't stop. They're warm, creamy, foamy, spicy, caffeinated...it's everything a fall drink should be. And my new discovery of sprinkling the top with a good layer cinnamon adds to the deliciousness. I almost don't mind that they're over $5 a pop.
Shopping. Another thing I can't stop. I think it's due to 6 months of a steady pay check, and the knowledge that at some point in the near-ish future, I'll be in school, not earning money, but adding money to my already large pile of student loans. I gotta get the shopping in while I can. Today, Joy and I went to Hongdae and each had great success. I bought myself an early Christmas present of the most expensive bag/purse I've ever purchased. I'm not saying how much. I like to think of it as an investment piece. I also bought a long plaid shirt-dress, after months of hesitation about whether or not I wanted to jump on board this new trend. Who woulda thought that plaid would come back in style? And who knew the 90s actually offered a style that could be repeated? I sincerely hope that cargo pants and clunky leather shoes do not follow suit.
My weekends. This one was filled with a seriously cool lantern festival along the stream that runs through Seoul, yummy Japanese food--complete with Sake--with friends, a sleepover at Joy and Rob's place, and strolling through the Hongdae boutiques with Joy.
And at the top of my current list of favorite things is....FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!!!! Oh my! This show was MADE for me! Kristin started watching it, said I would fall in love with it, and I have. OH I have! I'm making my way through season one, and I'm pretty sure there has not been an episode where I haven't shed several tears, several times during the episode. It's just so....GOOD! I'm a sucker for sports movies as it is, but this is so beyond any sports drama I've ever seen. It came at just the right time, b/c I'm still working on getting through the Sopranos (just started season 6!) and finishing before someone gives the ending away. Anyway, after watching a Sopranos episode last Thursday night where one guy hanged himself, one guy got shot, and one guy spiraled into a serious herione addiction, I decided that I'm much more suited to the Friday Night Lights sort of television, where the worst thing that happens is losing the friday night football game. Or getting a serious football injury that paralyzes you from the waste down, diminishing your dreams to go pro and be the best football player that ever lived. (I know that sounds tragic, but Sopranos tragic and Fright Night Lights tragic just don't compare.) Fortunately, Ali has also fallen in love with this show (less dramatically than I have), despite it's super American-ness. (What's more American than a show based on a highs school football team in Texas?) So we can watch it together rather than momentarily breaking up while I become infatuated with this series.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Well, I didn’t go to the dentist, I didn’t find a new winter coat, but I did start grad school applications! One out of three isn’t so bad. We’re back at school today, and only about 6 kids out of 23 are absent, so hopefully swine flu has come and gone at Kookje English Village. Fingers crossed! Many parents are pulling their kids from school for awhile, and a lot of private schools are suffering. My school is already just making it, and a sudden drop in enrollment is the last thing we need.

Yesterday Ali and I met Joy and Rob at church in the morning (an Anglican church with an English service that I really enjoy) for their Remembrance Day Service. Ali and I were 15 minutes late due to our bus getting in a traffic jam because of some festival or cycling race or something downtown, and the service in total was only 30 minutes, so by the time we found Joy and Rob, settled in, got our coats off and caught our breath, we said ‘Amen’ and it was over. Not sure what the rush was, but we made the most of the painfully early start to the day and headed to the flea market, where Ali got a guitar, and I bought some rip-off Fendi sunglasses that could pass as real if one is not looking too closely. We then took Joy and Rob to Everest, our favorite Nepalese restaurant in Seoul. Their garlic naan never dissapoints!

I’m off to go teach Monday morning music class. NOTHING beats loud instruments and obnoxious singing children first thing on a Monday.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Swine flu hits Kookje.

It's happened. Swine flu has hit Kookje English Village. Yesterday 7 kids were out, today we're up to 11, which is a lot considering we have 25 kids in the entire Kindergarten. So we've decided to "shut it down" in true 30-rock form. No school Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. It seems all schools are shutting their doors these days. Ali's has been closed for a week, along with what seems like most other public schools in the area. But I thought our little private school would be safe from the big bad flu. I guess not.

Is it possible to mentally persaude yourself that you're sick? Because I've been feeling a little off my game ever since I showed up to school yesterday and realized that little Sam in my homeroom class who coughs on me, makes me wipe food off his mouth at lunchtime, kisses and hugs me goodbye at the end of every day is at home with the swine flu, I've been having waves of "oh no, I'm sure I've got it too" feelings. I have a really bad headache, I went to bed at 9pm last night because I was so exhausted, and in general, I feel a little space out. I'm hoping it's just paranoia messing with me. Regardless, I'm prepared to fight this battle--I'm drinking about 5 cups of Ginseng tea a day (Korea's ward-off-sickness tea), and way above my daily need of vitamin C. You will not get the best of me swine flu!

The good news is that I now have a 5 day weekend! I don't know if this will affect my vacation time down the road, but I can't say I mind a little time off. I have big plans to go to the dentist, start graduate school applications, find a new winter coat, and make a costco run.

Stay back swine flu!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Good Grief.

It's been a busy month, to say the least, and it's rapidly come to a close. I'm hoping November is a little calmer and a little more relaxing. I made it through parents day this week, with a permanent smile on my face, and even managed to make my reliable cat costume a smashing success on Friday. As the week came to a close, I think I started to realize how tired and worn out I was from all the hustle and bustle of the past while, and I found myself crashing and burning to say the least. We were torn between two different trips to the mountain this weekend, and in true form, we waited to make our decision until 6am Saturday morning--the time we were supposed to be up and running to make it to either destination--which was to not do anything.

And not doing anything ended up being just the weekend I needed! I slept till 1:30pm on Saturday, got some tea and watched it rain, went to see the Michael Jackson movie that just came out, went out for a wonderful Italian dinner at a new place nearby Saturday evening, and spent Halloween night watching 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.' Charlie Brown just never disappoints! This was the first Halloween that I can remember not dressing up and going to a party. I must be getting old. Today Ali and I went to Lake Park and took pictures of the leaves before they all fall off the trees. I noticed at the park that despite all the people around, it was so quiet. Everything just felt still and hushed and calm. Korea's such a quiet place. I'm pretty sure that the same park scene in American would have been at the very least 5 times as loud.

Speaking of movies (I did speak of a movie somewhere in that last paragraph), I also went to see the movie 'District 9' last week and everyone must go see that movie! It was so nice to see a truly great movie that is beautiful and subtle and everything a movie should be minus the hollywood sheen and dramatization. Go see it! I think I might go again. Also in the movie plans this week is to see Quentin Tarantino's 'Inglourious Basterds.' It just came out in theater here. Has anyone seen it? Thoughts???

I watched Magnolia tonight for the first time in 6 years. I'm not so sure it was the best way to prepare myself for Monday morning. I love that movie, but I kinda forgot that it's a bit of a downer...

Happy November everyone!!!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Retro Rooftop Olympics = Success

I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow it's the end of October. I don't even remember this month starting. It's been a whirlwind.

Last Saturday we had the Adventure Teaching Korea event--the Retro Rooftop Olympics--which Ali and I put on. It was superly duperly fun--water balloon toss, tug-of-war, giant jumprope, dizzy broom, drinks, BBQ, live music--all happening on a rooftop in Seoul. I'm also superly duperly glad it's over. Who knew one little event could be so much work. I got home at about 2:30am Sunday morning, after getting up at 7am, setting up in a frantic frenzy all morning, meeting, greeting, hosting, socializing, networking, and mega-phoning game rules all afternoon and evening, and cleaning up till 12:30. But it was all well worth it, and it looks as if this was the beginning of the annual Adventure Teaching Korea Retro Rooftop Olympics.

So after checking that one off the list, I just have this week to get through--parent's day Wednesday and Thursday (i.e. practice for two weeks so that your classes are perfect and in no way how they are on a normal day, and put on a performance all day with a huge smile, way too much enthusiasm, and high heels--again, something I would never do on a normal day. But Korean moms love high heels) and then Holloween party all day Friday.

Which leads me to my next concern...what to be for holloween this year? I feel too burnt out to be original. I'm really leaning toward wearing all black, throwing some ears on my black headband, and drawing whiskers on my face in eyeliner. Ah the classic cat. It just never dissapoints. But I feel pressure to do more. The last teacher went as Kimbap. (Korean version of sushi.) Her custom made costume is still in the corner of the teacher's room and it's twice the size of me. How do I live up to kimbap?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Conquered: Marathon and Highlights.

My half marathon went great! I went, I conquered, and I pretty much felt full of joy and happiness the entire 2 hours and 6 minutes (faster than I expected!). I know hindsight can be optomistic, but in general, it was a great experience. I was the only blonde in the bunch, ofcourse, which made me somewhat of a celebrity among the curiously toned speedy little Korean dudes, meaning I got about 70 thumbs up and 'GOO JAAA" (good job) along the way. They even pulled me out of the crowd right before the race began to shoot off the little gun that makes the loud noise to start the race. I was confused and scared that I was actually going to shoot someone, or that pulling the gun meant I couldn't actually run the race, but other than that, everything went swimmingly! It was along the Han River that runs through Seoul, it was a beautiful, sunny, cool morning, and with every step I thought to myself..."I've always wanted to do this! Now I'm doing it! Go me!" Ali was my loyal supporter, and had to race to the finish line to take pictures since I got in a good 20 minutes faster than he expected!

What's next? A full perhaps? We'll see...

In other news, I got my hair highlighted last night. Some of you may remember the little predicament I found myself in my first year in Korea where, after asking for subtle highlights, they dyed my entire head of hair the color of neon yellow post-it note. After which it turned a hew of moldy green and stayed that way for a good 6 months until I returned home and got it fixed. So this year, I was not taking any chances. Fortunately, there just so happens to be an Aveda salon right around the corner from me, which I decided would be my reward for completing the half. I was there for a good 3 hours last night, being meticulously worked on by 3 Korean woman at once, all very intense and focused, giving me the impression they were very serious about this and had done blonde highlights many times before. After they finished and I beemed with approval and said, "It's perfect!" they all quite literally breathed a sigh of relief the size of a little fat kid blowing out birthday candles. Turns out they hadn't done this as many times as I thought.

But it is, as I told them, perfect! I was really worried it was going to be either blindingly bright or completely unnoticeable, and it is neither. Just natural, normal highlights. Now it's my turn to take the big sigh of relief! (Especially since I paid more for it than I've ever paid for anything done to my hair before...) They also gave me a free hair treatment, hand massage, and back massage--well about a 30 minute back massage. But I'll take it! I love how Korea dishes out the free stuff.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Muiido makes a mark.

So Chuseok weekend at Muiido Island was absolute hit. Check out the photos below and to see my full album click here. And WISH ME LUCK on my half marathon tomorrow!