with intensity

Signing Off

2011-08-05T01:29:00.002+09:00

This is the last post that I'll write on this blog. I feel like a chapter is closing in my life, and with it, I'd like to close this blog as well. After 3 years in Korea, with a lot of travel and adventure squeezed in the middle, I've landed myself back in the homeland, the good ole U S of A.

To sum up the summer: Ali and I spent a couple of weeks in Malaysia after our final farewell from SoKo, after which we headed to England to spend some time with his family. Malaysia was HOT. And I learned a very important lesson about traveling while bouncing from one dirty hostel to another: I don't like dirty hostels anymore. But it was a country with a lot of beauty and culture, and it was also the last time we'll travel in Asia for awhile, so I soaked up every last temple, shrine, and bowl of rice. Oh, we also spotted a shark just a few feet away from our tiny little kayak in the ocean. Man, I'm gonna miss feeling scared for my life. I soaked that up, too.

England was a welcomed change in climate. Who knew that England in the summer is so awesome? It was cool (I was totally under-prepared with my sundresses and flip-flops...), it was light all the time, and Ali's house is not a dirty hostel. In fact, quite the opposite. I spent 2 weeks there, then said farewell to Ali for the time being and headed to Chicago. After 2 weeks in Chicago of apartment hunting, I'm now back in Iowa visiting my parents. I'll go back to Chicago next week, where I'll meet Ali (student visa approved!) and we'll both start grad school at Columbia College Chicago this fall. It's surreal that we're finally entering a new chapter in our lives. It took 3 1/2 years, but we're finally going to be together in the west. (Happy sigh of relief.)

This blog has logged so many memories of travels, adventures, and life abroad. So although this is my final entry, I'd like to keep the blog up for my own keepsake, and also for those who may find my experiences helpful in their own travels.

Thanks for reading. It's been fun. :)

Carolyn

Hard to Say Goodbye

2011-06-10T19:34:00.004+09:00

I took this picture early in the morning on my way to the DMZ. I think it says more about why I'm sad to leave this country than my words ever could. Korea's so...so...ya know, like, awesome.

Peaking into North Korea

2011-06-10T12:19:00.011+09:00

I spent my first official day of my last week in Korea waking up at 5am and heading into Seoul to join a tour group going to the DMZ (that's the only way you can go.) It was really interesting to take a look into North Korea and learn more about the war and the tensions between the two countries since. It's mind boggling that just feet away from where I was standing was a different country with the same people as the one I live in now, except that they're trapped, poor, and forced to praise an insane leader.

Half way down that blue building, North Korea starts. That big building in the back is guarded by North Korean soldiers.

The train that leads to Pyeongyang, which isn't in use now, but they hope it will be someday.

Beautiful rice fields on my early morning ride north.

Breakfast in Tiffany

2011-06-10T12:02:00.006+09:00

Yes, I know that isn't the title of the movie. But that was the name one of the breakfast dishes at brunch last Monday. Oh, how I'll miss the almost correct English phrases here...

I love brunch. I'm leaving in 4 days. Holy cow.

Oh, and we squeezed in a sneaky little bit of shopping afterward...brunch and shopping! Yay!

Final Hollywood Kids Presentation

2011-05-27T15:55:00.005+09:00

At the crack of dawn tomorrow morning, I'll be boarding a plane to head to Gwangju on the other side of Korea for my last ever Hollywood Kids presentation. I cannot even tell you how excited I am for that moment that I'm finished and never have to have weeks like this one again. I'm presenting first and last at the seminar, which is about the dumbest thing ever. I have to be completely caffeinated up and ready to go at 10am for the Song and Chant presentation and then sit around until 4:30 in the afternoon to do Hollywood Kids, the last presentation of the day, which means that the audience will inevitably be completely not wanting to be there anymore. Sigh. Oh well. It's my last one! Hallelujah!

Here's one of the videos I'm showing tomorrow. It's called the "Hollywood Warm-Up." Gets the kids moving and practicing the lines in a fun way! This is the warm-up I did for my class that has just started "The Frog Prince." Check out the homemade golden ball!

Alphabet Sounds

2011-05-27T15:31:00.004+09:00

This is how Deer Class remembers the sounds of the alphabet:

Ajummas and Ajusshis

2011-05-20T14:24:00.014+09:00

Before I leave Korea, I feel the need to give a shout out to the Ajummas and Ajusshis that rule this country. Yes, it's true, most of the time I feel more like I want to shout at them, but nevertheless, Korea would not function without its Ajummas and Ajusshis. Who would push and shove when getting on the train? Who would buy all of the hiking gear at the endless mountaineering shops? Who would shamelessly spit all over the street? Who would stare at foreigners unflinchingly for hour long train rides?

Yes, Ajummas and Ajusshis are definitely...er...characters. (As my dad would say.) But really, who can blame them? If I had been through a treacherous war and seen my little Asian homeland turned into a Western metropolis overnight, I'd feel like I had the right to do anything I wanted, too.

So, what are they?

An Ajumma is an older Korean woman
who scowls a lot, wears visors or some
form of large hat, never lets an inch of
her skin see the sun, has the right to stare
into any person's shopping cart at the
grocery store to see what they're buying,
will yell at foreigners when they j-walk,
and must be the first one on anything,
everywhere. Don't get in their way.

An Ajusshi is an older Korean man who drinks a lot of soju and may consequently be spotted at all hours of the day stumbling around trying to find his way back home. Or they are very likely stumbling around, avoiding going back home so as not to endure the wrath of their very scary wives (Ajummas). An Ajusshi wears hiking gear most of the time, even if they're not hiking, and has no problem hocking up loogies in places and at times in which one should never hock up a loogie. However, manners are not their top priority.

Ajusshis.

Ajummas.

They're tough, they're crude, and they're definitely a little scary sometimes, but despite their bad rep, I totally admire their bad-assness.

Sleeping Beauty

2011-05-18T12:01:00.005+09:00

Here it is! The final performance you will ever see of Hollywood Kids. (Grab your tissues!) My 6-7 year old class and 8 year old class both performed Sleeping Beauty a couple of weeks ago. I really wanted to show the 6-7 year old class, but there were so many kids in the audience making noise that it's sort of distracting. So I'll show you the 8 year olds. This class is a little smaller, so we had to do some doubling up of characters, as well as rewriting the character of Queen Isabelle to King Ivan. I wish I could say I'm still sad about this being my last performance, but my last few weeks at my school are proving to be incredibly stressful, so at the moment, I'm just ready to be done. :) Enjoy! (And don't worry, all of those heads that are in the way in the beginning move eventually...)

The List: Progress!

2011-05-12T22:10:00.000+09:00

I've been a busy bee, cracking away at that "Must Not Leave Korea Without Doing This" list. I'm impressed with my progress! Here's some of what I've crossed off the list:

Biking through the country roads of Ilsan. Korean farmers
wave to you just like they do in Iowa!

Picnicking in Lake Park.

I climbed to the peak of Bukhansan last Sunday, along with half of Korea. (Busiest national park in the Guiness Book of World Records!) A lot of it at the top was a very narrow, rocky, climb, so I held on tight the whole way up.

I feel the need to explain how I was feeling in this picture. Don't let the smile fool you: I. Was. Terrified. Standing on a tiny stone just a Korean Shove away from death is enough to make me freak out and start screaming that I need to get down. Which I did.

From the peak of Bukhansan! (Taken by Ali. WAY to preoccupied with
potentially falling off the mountain to be taking pictures...)

This was our view at lunch from the balcony at Agio on Saturday -- the temple
in the background is Gyeongbokgeong, where we had visited earlier that day.

Inside Gyeongbukgeong Palace.

Everyone in Korea dresses like this.

Hanging out with friends as much as possible! Like Mary Soo. :)

Walking along the stream through Seoul...lots of festivities
going on with Buddha's Birthday and all this month.

Hanging around Gwanghwamun Square, right in the middle of Seoul.

The Seoul Zoo!

As far as other things I've crossed off the list, not all were captured on camera. Like, for example, the jimjilbang. Hanging out in a hot tub with a bunch of naked Korean women isn't exactly a prime photo op. So you'll just have to trust me.

Kimchi and Things

2011-05-04T15:49:00.010+09:00

Among the many things I will miss about Korea, Kimchi is not one of them! I never quite warmed up to this spicy pickled cabbage that Koreans eat with every meal. And I mean every. single. meal. I wish I liked it because it's been labeled one of the top 5 healthiest foods in the world.

I will, however, miss galby -- Korean barbeque. It's sooooo yummy.

But back to foods I won't miss: like bland noodle soup and dokbooki,
which are chewy rice cakes in, what else, spicy sauce!

And here's a food I will miss, but my poor tummy will not: Neck bone soup. It's neck bone meat with strange vegetables in a spicy broth that for some reason tastes delicious, but never fails to make me spend most of the following morning in the loo. What I will DEFINITELY miss is eating all of this with good friends. Here, Will,
Steph, Ali, and I are eating neck bone soup at the famous joint in Haengsin,
right around the corner from where all three of them live.

Children's Day

2011-05-03T22:50:00.009+09:00

Something totally amazing about Korea is that every May, they have a national "Children's Day!" Why don't we do that? It's not only amazing because kids should most definitely have a day dedicated to celebarting them, but also because everyone gets the day off on Thursday. :) So to celebrate Children's Day at Feinschule, we invited the parents on a field trip to the top of Jangbalsan, the famous (and only) mountain in Ilsan. (In fact, Ilsan actually means "one mountain" in Korean.) Korens call it a mountain, when in actuality, it is a hill. Not even a very big one. But the kids enjoyed the nature walking, the games, the insect searching, the picnic, etc. And it was prime material for my new camera!

The Feinschule Kindergarten!

So proud of the ant Daniel found!

Roy!David showing off all the leaves he found.

Aiden thinks the leaf feels good.

Roy and family.

Jasmine!

Daniel and mom.

Angela and mom.

These were just some of my favorites, but I just uploaded the whole album to facebook, so check it out if you want to see more! It was my last field trip with my kids. Everything is so emotional lately! I'm gonna miss these little kiddos more than you can imagine.

I Just Packed a Box

2011-04-26T23:56:00.004+09:00

It's my first one. Box, that is. I don't know why I thought that would be a good idea. I suppose I thought I was getting a head start on things. You know, start packing things away bit by bit so that I don't feel so overwhelmed at the end.

There was a huge thunderstorm all night, and I opened my window so that I could hear the rain and the thunder while I started a big pile of things on my bed to ship home. Winter coats, sweaters, the bowl we got from Tokyo, some of my Hollywood Kids books, bits and bobs that I won't miss in the next 7 weeks...and I was feeling so organized! I felt so happy! The thunderstorm was pounding outside of my window, and I was all..."Wow, Carolyn, look at you go. So on top of things!"

But now I feel terrible! That lonely little box is just sitting in the middle of my apartment, all packed up and ready to go, the rain is still falling, and I'm all alone in my apartment, staring at the box and the small gaps it made on my shelves and in my closets, and I feel so restless and so...so...blue! I know I said I wasn't going to think about the daunting realization that I'm actually going to leave Korea, but how can I not? That irritating little box is just looking me in the face saying, "Carolyn, it's going to happen. The 'Era of Korea' is ending. It's almost time to say goodbye."

Shut up, stupid box.

Will not be doing any more packing for awhile.

The Final Countdown

2011-04-22T12:56:00.009+09:00

No! I don't want to think about it! Don't make me! Ok, so I'm not thinking about the fact that I'm leaving Korea in (eeeek!) less than 8 weeks. However, what I am thinking about is all the Korea-ness that I want to soak in before I go. So this week, I made my "Must Not Leave Korea Without Doing This" list. It's extensive. It's ambitious. But I'll give it my best shot. And to keep me motivated, I'll try to post my progress.

The "Must Not Leave Korea Without Doing This" List

Hike to the peak of Bukhansan (Bukhan Mountain).
Visit Changdeok Palace.
In one day, visit the contemporary art museum, the zoo, and Seoul Grand Park (they're all really close together).
DMZ!
Do an overnight temple stay.
Spend a weekend in Muiido (an island off the western coast) with as many friends as possible and stay in the little huts on the beach that we fell in love with during Chuseok a year and a half ago.
Hongdae Night Out: hit up our old time favorites--Agio, Misses Mai, Gr8 Hookah, and Club FF.
"Seoul Photo Shoot" -- a one day Seoul "walk-about" to take as many pictures as possible! Ok deep breathe...Gyeongbeokgung Palace, the Blue House, Samcheongdong, Insadong, Jongo Stream, Dongdaemun, and Dinner at Everest (our favorite Nepalese restaurant). Yes, we can do that in a day.
Spend a Sunday night at the Lake Park Musical Fountain, just like Ali and I did almost 3 years ago on Ali's first night in Korea. As we walked up through lake park, we heard music in the distance and started running toward it and suddenly, we broke through the trees and heard "All you Need is Love..." playing as the musical fountain put on a colorful dance routine to the song. We turned to gaze into each other's eyes and knew instantly that...Love really IS all you need! (Cue audience: Awwwwwww!) Yes, that really happened.
And speaking of the musical fountain, spend an afternoon at our little grassy spot we always sit at in the summer and have a picnic.
Bike along the Han river.
Bike around the countryside of Ilsan.
Get a manicure! (Because I won't be getting one for a loooooong time after I leave Korea. Unless the States are now offering top grade manicures for $1o as well...)
Afternoon outing: coffee at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf followed by movie at the CGV (this is for sentimental value.)
Beers at the GS! (The GS is the name of the little corner shops in Korea with plastic chairs and tables outside.)
Go to the Yangsan Electronics Market. I don't know why this is on my list, because I HATE that place. There's nothing I find more agonizing than heckling with a little Korean man for a good deal on an electronic something or other. But I do need a new hard drive, so on the list it stays.
Revisit the top of Namsan Tower, followed by yummy beers at Craftworks Brewery.
Jimjilbong! (Korean Sauna) At least once more.

Cherry Blossom Festival

2011-04-19T09:50:00.013+09:00

Our very exciting camera purchase on Sunday was conveniently made right before we headed to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Yeouido. We headed there in the afternoon, very thrilled to try out our new camera! I've lived in Korea for 3 years and have never managed to make it to this festival, mostly because I never wanted to brave the pushy Korean crowds. But since I may never have a chance to see the Cherry Blossoms in Korea again (sniff, sniff), I thought it would be worth the effort.
It was! The blossoms were beautiful! I LOVE Spring. (Another thing I loved when I was 10 that I still love...that theory is proving to be true of most things, it seems). The cherry blossoms come and go in the blink of an eye -- most of them will be gone by this weekend already -- so I was glad we could catch them in their prime blossomy-ness.

I can't explain why, but I love this picture (below). Our new camera
makes everything look so...cool!As many people as cherry blossoms. Korea's so small that when something cool
is happening, everyone is there.

Our first photo shoot with the new camera was exhilarating! So happy!

DSLR!

2011-04-18T11:46:00.006+09:00

It's happened. My dreams have come true! I bought a DSLR! Well, Ali and I bought a DSLR together, so I guess I bought half of one. I've wanted one of these for so, so long. When I was in college I bought an SLR (film, not digital) before I moved to Alaska for the summer, and unfortunately, just after I bought it, film went "out of style" so to speak, making my poor camera "so last year." We had some good times, it took some amazing pictures, but who uses film anymore? What fun is taking a picture when you can't get immediate gratification? (BTW, if anyone does want a film SLR, it's on the market! It's a Nikon, and it's still very nice if you're into the whole film thing.)

Anyway, I've wanted a nice DSLR ever since my Nikon went out of style, and I've finally taken the plunge and purchased...half of one. It's beautiful and I love it already. It's a Canon 550D -- which in America is called a Canon Rebel T2i. And to confuse matters even more, we bought the Japanese model because it was cheaper, which is called Kiss X4. But they're all the same.

I felt like a different person yesterday as I walked around Seoul with this beautiful camera hanging from my neck. I suddenly felt as though people were looking at me like..."Wow, that girl is serious about pictures." It's the best feeling! I've realized that taking pictures and making photo books is a hobby. When I was little I used to spend hours pouring over my creative memories books, cutting, gluing, sticking, designing. I've recently read a book called The Happiness Project that said the things you enjoyed doing when you're ten are most likely things you would enjoy doing now. I'm pretty sure that's not true for everything (i.e. Making rollerblading routines to Whitney Houston songs), but as for photo-related activities, I'm still a fan. Last fall Sarah Jane told me about a website called www.blurb.com where you can download a program and make your own photo books. It's amazing. I made a book of our Bali Trip for Ali's birthday last December, the book cover is the picture on the left (you can preview the book here) and am currently making our Tokyo book. It's so much fun! And now that I have the goods to back up my hobby, there is no stopping me!

Be prepared for way too many postings of photos in the next while...

Where the Magic Happens

2011-04-12T17:40:00.003+09:00

I thought it was high time I show you where I spend 8 1/2 hours of my life each day. This is my desk, where I work diligently at my computer to write the Hollywood Kids Books.

I work hard. (Yes, that is facebook on my computer.
But don't be fooled, I still work hard.)

This is Yeon-Ju from the design team, who takes everything I write for
Hollywood Kids and turns it into something magical!

Together, we make these!!! This is co-worker Brian!

This is co-worker Jenny!

This is co-worker Mark!

This is the room I sit in -- That's the design team busy...designing things.

It's a place of beauty really. And by beauty I mostly mean stress. :)
But I'll miss it anyway.

Radioactive What?

2011-04-07T16:05:00.006+09:00

It all started with radioactive rain. That just never makes a good start to a day. Then my water bottle spilled all over my bag on my bike ride to work, then I banged my knee twice in a row on the same stupid shelf by my desk, then I had an incredibly long and stressful day of observed and video taped classes. My music class went okay, but by the time Hollywood Kids rolled around, I had lost my gusto and my kids had lost their "musto listen" mind-set. After the evil Fairy Beatrix burst into tears because she’s scared of her own character, I had really reached my final straw. In my second Hollywood Kids class (not observed, thank goodness), I pleaded with my 4 years olds…”Carolyn Teacher is very tired today” to which 13 voices shouted out in response “I’m sad! I’m angry! I’m bathroom!” and so on. I don’t know why I thought I could get sympathy from 4 years olds.

But alas, the day is done. My feet have never been so happy to step into my radioactive-proof rain boots (Target makes them that way, of course) and take me home.

Despite the observations, though, I hardly feel like a teacher anymore! I spend most of my days writing books, writing songs, editing, making power points for upcoming presentations... With only 2 months left here, I have a nice long "Hollywood Kids Stuff To Finish" list hanging over me. I can't wait for that moment when I'm laying on a Malaysian island this June, where the only thing on my To-Do List will be "Drink Another Pina Colada."

Along with radioactive rain (I feel as though I may be freaking some of you out at home with the continued use of that phrase -- fear not, it's highly overrated), it's also that time of year when I spend every moment outdoors scrutinizing every tree, bush, and inch of ground for signs of Spring. I perfectly timed a new resolution to “stop spending money on my lunch break!” with the changing of the seasons. Regarding the resolution: I was finding myself wandering into Starbucks nearly every lunch break recently and walking out with a $5 something-that-I-didn’t-even-want. I had to quit “lunch time money spending” cold turkey. So I stopped taking my wallet out with me all together, and I’ve instead taken to walking around the big square park thing right next to my school, eyeing excitedly the new growth of the day. Today’s recent development: cherry blossom buds on 4 trees, bright green tiny little leaves on 2 bushes, and patches of green starting to pop up through the dead grass. Progress!

2 Hours!

2011-03-25T17:13:00.003+09:00

Tomorrow, I have to give a 2 hour presentation on "teaching English through the arts." It's not the usual presentations I do for Feinschule teachers across Korea. This time, I'm presenting to adult students studying English Education at a University in Suwon, about an 1 1/2 away from where I live. I'll be presenting the Hollywood Kids program, with the emphasis being on how to teach children English through drama and music. I'm excited! This is a topic I really care about! Good thing I have a whoppin' 2 HOURS to talk about it! Seriously, how does one present for 2 hours straight? As Ali said today in disbelief..."2 HOURS!?!? Not even the president talks for 2 hours straight! Do they get a bathroom break?" (Which led me to immediately grab my presentation notes and insert "bathroom break" in the middle.) Let's be honest, I'm not even sure how much they're going to understand me. Apparently, I'm the first foreigner to present to these students. (Immediate bonus points for being blonde! Whoop whoop!) So how does one go about filling 2 hours on one topic? Videos! When in doubt, show a bunch of cute kids doing something...cute! So along with videos of the entire teaching process of Hollywood kids (ya know -- flashcard games, working on their lines, practicing on stage, etc.), I will also end my presentation with the full performances of The Jungle Book and Three Little Pigs that we did in February. Booyah! Immediate time-filler!

Which reminds me, I never showed you Three Little Pigs. So here it is! The first minute and half, nothing happens except trying to get the kids to line up on the stage properly. (Keep in mind, this is Level 1! Some of these kids are only 3 years old!) So feel free to jump ahead. It was pretty chaotic -- this was the first time they had ever worn their costumes...so, ya. There were some interesting moments.

Tokyo: Mt. Awesome, I mean Fuji

2011-03-18T17:08:00.005+09:00

I'll wrap up the Tokyo posts with, what else, Mt. Fuji! We jutted across the city at 6am on our second morning there to catch a bus to a little town called Kawaguchiko, which is famous for having one of the best views of Mt. Fuji. Since Mr. Fuji is renowned for being quite shy, we were worried that we wouldn't get a good view of it...but we SO did, as you can tell by the pictures. :) We strolled along the lake in the morning and spent the early afternoon at an onsen (Japanese spa.) Other than that, there was literally nothing to do in this town, since it was the tourism "off season" so to speak. By early afternoon, the view of Fuji had pretty much disappeared, so it's a good thing we got there so early!

Other than that, there's really not much to say about Mt. Fuji other than...WOWZA!!!

Mid morning snack -- locally grown blueberries were the specialty.

Tokyo: After Dark

2011-03-18T16:50:00.006+09:00

Before it's long gone and out of memory, I wanted to finish up my Tokyo posts! (Perhaps for my keepsake more than anything else...) You can't post Tokyo photos without talking about the nightlife! Tokyo at night is like no city I've ever seen before. Everything lights up, everyone wears even more eccentric clothing than usual, and the city comes alive with energy. The nightlife alone made the trip unforgettable.This was taken from the top of the Tokyo Government building. (Ali did some HDR thing to it, which is why it looks so...POW!)

The busiest intersection in the world doesn't get any less busy at night!

The taxis are SUPER retro-ified in Tokyo. Totally 1970s-esque.

The coolest staircase in the world!

In short, Tokyo at night = awesome.

Rabbit Class: "Doh, A Deer!"

2011-03-11T10:14:00.003+09:00

In case you haven't had your weekly dose of "cute" yet, you will get your fill with Rabbit Class' (remember them?) contribution to the graduation festival. Julie Andrews would be proud.

The Jungle Book

2011-03-08T09:44:00.003+09:00

Here it is! My class performing The Jungle Book at the graduation fesitval! Sorry the quality is not amazing -- I had to compress it BIG TIME in order for it to upload to blogger...

Glorious March!

2011-03-04T16:45:00.001+09:00

I’ll take a brief hiatus from the Tokyo posts (there’s a couple more I want to put up of Mt. Fuji and Tokyo nightlife!) so that I can take a moment to express my extreme joy that March has finally come! Somehow, miraculously, I crawled my way through these past 2 months.

Last week, we had the biggest Feinschule event of the year, the graduation festival. It was a 2 ½ hour long event, complete with singing, dancing, skits, speeches, costume changes, and the like. My Hollywood Kids classes performed Three Little Pigs (level 1 class) and The Jungle Book (Level 3 class). While the entire festival may have seemed smooth-running and glamorous to the audience, the truth of the matter is that the entire day was COMPLETE CHAOS. The kids came 2 hours early and there were several “OHTUKAY!” moments (this Korean word literally means “what are we gonna do!?!?!?”) during the process of putting on this far-too-elaborate-for-kindergarten-kids festival. The biggest panic in the Hollywood Kids department was that 2 hours before the performance, we realized that instead of sending us 6 pig costumes for Three Little Pigs (you may be asking why 6 pig costumes are needed when there are only 3 little pigs, but so it goes when you have 15 kids in a 5-character play) the costume company sent us one, as well as forgetting Sheer Khan and Leela’s costume for the Jungle Book. So after frantic phone calls, some guy made a rushed costume delivery 20 minutes before the performance on a motor bike. However, since they didn’t have enough pig costumes, two of our pigs were rabbits. Which ended up working out fine since one girl refused to go on stage in a pig costume anyway. This combined with the fact that the performance was the first time they had ever stepped foot in their costumes made for some…interesting moments. If only my three little pigs could have remembered their lines instead of playing with their rabbit ears and snouts…

However, The Jungle Book was flawlessly performed by my level 3 class, all of which have now graduated from the kindergarten and moved on to elementary school (sniff, sniff). My favorite moment of The Jungle Book was the last line of the play, after Mowgli ventured into the man village with his new love, Leela, and Baloo proclaims, “Well, I guess he won’t be staying in the jungle after all!” To which Bageera replies, “I guess it’s just you and me, Baloo!” And together they say, “Let’s go have some fun!” End scene? I think not! Over the loud speakers comes Shakira’s She Wolf at which point Baloo and Bagheera, quite possibly the two most enthusiastically un-coordinated kids in the school, do a dance that goes down in the history of “most awesomely awkward moments ever.” They groove their way off the stage, then everyone comes in gettin’ down and dirty to Shakira, at which point Shakira fades and the final song of the play begins. It brought the house down! Well, it brought my house down. I was proud.

Another reason to celebrate is that as of about 40 minutes ago, I finished my accounting course! Was it fun? No. But can I now answer any questions you may have regarding income statements, owner’s equity, stock investments, and the amortization of bonds? Ye…No, not really that either. However, I am one step closer in beginning grad school at Columbia next fall – glass half full, people!

Tokyo: A Day in the City

2011-02-28T15:43:00.005+09:00

Around Day 3 of our trip to Tokyo, we wandered through the city, hitting the National Museum of Tokyo, the Imperial Palace, and enjoying the amazing little streets of Tokyo in between.

At the Imperial Palace, where the Emperor and Empress live!

Amazing little alleyway full of old Japanese posters.

Everyone in Tokyo bikes!!! Definitely my kind of city.

At the National Museum of Tokyo. Ali and I got to decorate paper kimonos!

Wandering through the city...

Tokyo: Asakusa's Sensoji Temple

2011-02-22T16:58:00.009+09:00

We stayed in an area in Tokyo called Asakusa and LOVED it. It was the old, traditional Tokyo, full of traditional architecture, shrines, shops, and restaurants. The most famous site in Asakusa is the Sensoji Buddhist Temple, Tokyo's oldest and most famous temple. It was only a few minutes away from our hostel, so we had many opportunities to check it out.

So many people around the temple.

Just a guy chillin' out at his temple food stand.

In the front of the temple was a big basin with steam coming off of the top.
Everyone was waving the steam into their face, so I did, too! When in Rome...

At night, the temple looked amazing!

Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market

2011-02-22T14:07:00.012+09:00

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! This Saturday's big graduation festival is the last Saturday that I have to work for awhile, my accounting course will be finished in 2 weeks, and I got through the presentations I had to give at the seminar last Saturday. It was quite possibly one of the most uninterested crowds I've presented to -- it didn't help that right before my presentation, I had to have a meeting with all of the foreign teachers of the different Feinschule branches (that's what these seminars are for -- the other Feinschule schools) and they expressed their utter DISDAIN of these seminars and how much they hate being there. Trust me, I don't want to be there any more than they do, but I think one person wrote on their comment sheet that the whole experience was "insulting." Needless to say, it didn't exactly give me the positive encouragement I needed to make my presentation sparkle with enthusiasm. Regardless of the fact that all I could see written across every person's face in the crowd was "insulting," I got through my presentation as best I could.

Anyway, who wants to dwell on the stress of the present when they can linger on the joys of the past? I didn't know where to start with my posts on Tokyo, so first up is one of Tokyo's most famous sites: the Tsukiji Fish Market. Every morning starting at about 5:00 am, the tuna auction begins, and the morning is spent throwing around huge fish that are sold all over the world. I was told this is the world's largest fish market. Ali and I didn't quite get there at 5:00am--that was the plan, but due to missed alarm clocks and a serious communication glitch at the bike rental shop, we arrived around 8:00am, and spent the morning bustling through tanks of odd looking sea creatures and dodging the very aggressive scooter-type-things hauling fish from one place to another. And we couldn't leave the fish market without trying some sushi, so we stood in line outside of one of the little sushi joints and enjoyed $40 worth of some of the world's finest sushi by 11am. Definitely a part of Tokyo that can't be missed!

Tuna!

Cutting up the fish.

The hustel and bustle of the market. Don't get in their way!

Waiting in line for the sushi place.The little sushi shop we went to by the fish market.
The old Japanese guys making the sushi.

Our sushi chef!Breakfast is served.Happily full of sushi!

Once Upon a Time, I had a Life

2011-02-11T17:23:00.009+09:00

Ah, life, WHY?!? That's what I’ve been asking myself the last 6 weeks. Since coming back to Korea after Christmas, life has taken a turn for the “OMG I’m Freaking Out!” thanks to a ridiculously busy work schedule and a blissful (ha!) online accounting course that I have to take as a prerequisite for grad school next fall. I was never a big fan of numbers, unless it pertains to the amount of vacation days I get per year, the amount of episodes of Friday Night Lights I manage to watch in a week, the amount of bread rolls I get for free when eating out…but I’m particularly not a fan of numbers when it means entering them into spreadsheets for hours at a time. This is really not the part of my arts management degree that I’m looking forward to. I’m more about the “arts” than the “management”… (and if you’re wondering if this leads me to question whether or not I’m doing the right masters program, the answer is “YES!” Please, oh please, don’t make me do more accounting, arts management degree!)

So I squeeze in my accounting course into mornings (I’ve turned into an “early riser,” readers!), evenings, and weekends, and try to survive the busiest two months of work in my life! Two huge presentations (one finished, one next week), both on Saturdays, a huge graduation festival with two drama performances to prepare for (again, on Saturday! Yes, Feinschule, take away my weekends! Who needs free time?), and trying to keep up with writing all the books and the music for 3 more levels of Hollywood Kids, since the WHOLE curriculum must be finished before I leave in June.

I feel pulled in so many directions! I literally have no down time, I’m racing around work every moment with a “to do” list longer than Barbara Streisand’s nose (a few more Barbara jokes like this and I'll be next in line for the latest member of Glee!) and every day, a new problem arises like...how will we the tiny little 5-year-old Big Bad Wolf in Three Little Pigs blow down the house when he can barely tie his own shoes? And on that note, we have no houses for him to blow down in the first place! Or...what costume will Mowgli where in the Jungle Book since his attire is literally a pair of red undies. Or...why doesn't my mac EVER work when I do a presentation and why doesn't anyone in Korea know anything about macs?!?

March, will you ever arrive?

However, I was given a little “oasis” in the craziness last week, when Ali and I spent 5 days in Tokyo for Lunar New Year! Tokyo = coolest city ever! We also celebrated our "3 years ago we met in Beijing" anniversary while there. More on this to come, but here’s a little sneak peak. Sarah Jane and Reuben let us borrow their SLR camera because we haven’t had time to get one and because they’re awesome. Enjoy the "teaser" pictures!

Christmasing in a Winter Wonderland

2011-01-14T13:26:00.008+09:00

Remember that I went home for Christmas? Well, I did. For those of you who read my blog that aren't part of my immediate family (all 2 of you), here's a little tour of that little farm in Iowa that I call home.

This is my house. We had lots of snow.

This is where we sit in the summer and sip lemonade.

This is our barn. When I was little, we did this in there: raised baby cows, played every game imaginable in the hay mow, and found where the baby kittens were born every spring.

This is my mom and dad. They're great.

Mom mom makes LOTS of food. It's reeeeeeeally yummy.

These are my sisters and brother (plus Grant). I was going to put the "normal" picture of us, but then I decided to do the one where Tricia is grabbing Kristin's boob. Cuz that's just what kind of family we are.

But here's a normal one of us, too, since we're not always doing things like grabbing each others' boobs.

Tricia gave us all pedicures one night -- even dad!

This is Tricia's dog, Chloe. I couldn't leave her out because, she's, well...a presence. Just look at her stand there all queen-of-the-world-esque.

One day, Tricia and I went snowmobiling just like the good ole days. Only this time, we're weren't trying to get out of Saturday cleaning.

This is what it looks like around my house. There's a whole lot of nothing. And it's beautiful.

Everything was really frosty! It was like a winter wonderland.

I love going home!

Monday Music Time

2010-12-22T15:46:00.003+09:00

I'll be in the air, flying home for the first time in a YEAR AND 9 MONTHS, and I think it's safe to say that I am completely incapable of focusing. So I'll grace you all with more videos of my little kiddos that I'll miss so much while I'm gone. These videos were taking from Monday Music Time!

My 6 year olds (American age 5 -- it's annoying that I always have to clarify that, isn't it?) singing their hearts out to "My Bonnie."

My 3 and 4 year olds rockin' out during instrument time!

And my favorite part of music class -- the lullaby! At the end of each class, they all pass out during a sleepy song. And if you're wondering how I get them to all lay still..."NO SLEEPING, NO STICKERS!"

I'll be Home for Christmas

2010-12-21T15:14:00.001+09:00

I leave for America in 2 days! My mind has been in a whirl -- tying up things at work, last minute Christmas shopping, giving Ali a haircut, packing, unpacking, repacking, realizing my suitcase has gone WAY beyond weight limits, unpacking again, packing into two separate suitcases, remembering how much I hate packing...

Why can't Thursday just be here already?!? I had a nice conversation with Alligator Class about Christmas today, that is, after we cleared up that Sam had apparently taken a quick trip Haiti to see dinosaurs on Sunday...

Ali's Birthday

2010-12-09T13:12:00.006+09:00

And just like, I'll be going home for Christmas in 2 weeks. In fact, exactly 2 weeks from this very moment, I'll be on a plane heading to Tokyo, and will just be a hop and a skip through Dallas away from landing in Omaha for the most epic Sybesma family reunion of all time! :)

Last weekend was Ali's birthday, and we celebrated in style. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Firday night, I took Ali to a French restaurant with 7 courses! This was course #6: AMAZING steak! Almost as good as steak from Iowa. :)

The restaurant was called Chez Simon, and was up a little staircase down a little alleyway in an amazing part of Seoul. Great atmosphere, great food, great company! :)

Then Saturday, we roamed the streets of Seoul with Taylor, had coffee from one of the one hundred top espresso machines in the world (the pope has one!0, and then had an afternoon beer.

Saturday evening, we met up with friends at a little Spanish restaurant called Pakito.

Birthday cupcake with crooked candles!

The wine and beer was a flowin'.

Then we went bowling and drank white russians! (Which we brought ourselves.)

Go girls team! Me, Sarah Jane, Mary Soo, and...Olivia! (Olivia is really Oliver, but he very graciously played with the girls to even things out...)

Boys team! Ali, Taylor, Reuben (with a seriously gross mustache for his soccer game the next day), Ross, and...Olivia! I mean Oliver.

Welcome to your 26th year, Ali!!!

Peter Pan Performance

2010-11-24T15:37:00.004+09:00

Another performance! This is my 6 and 7 year olds performing Peter Pan. They did a FANTASTIC job and loved this play more than I could have ever imagined. For the past month, all I've heard in the hallways is lines from Peter Pan, songs from Peter Pan, excitement about performing Peter Pan and so on. A couple of the kids even bought their costumes for Halloween so that they coordinated with their character. (You will notice that Tinkerbell is pretty decked out in full costume -- wand and all!) My favorite part is in Scene 4 when Leo, who was playing Lost Boy 1, says, "He took her to his shit!" instead of, "He took her to his ship!" so keep a look out for that. :) I'm so proud of them! I think this play and the songs from this play are some of my favorite that I've written so far. How will I leave these kids and this program to someone else? I'm getting so attached...

A Small World

2010-11-23T22:14:00.006+09:00

I've been battling one of those colds you get in Korea that hangs on and on and on until you forget you have a cold and start thinking that blowing your nose 29 times a day is normal. I woke up Saturday morning, fully planning to stay bundled up in my covers all day to recover, until I checked facebook and saw that Lisa Duitman, a friend of my mom's and someone I grew up with, wrote on my wall. Apparently, her daughter, Elayna, was on tour in Asia with the Cleveland Orchestra and perhaps I would be able to see it. So I did a little searching on google and lo and behold, Elayna and the Cleveland Orchestra were literally playing a concert 5 minutes from my house that evening. What were the odds! So I promptly biked over to the concert hall and bought myself a ticket. Hooray! An orchestra! And not just any orchestra--the Cleveland Orchestra is currently ranked #1 in America and #7 in the world. It was an absolutely amazing concert, and being the absolutely only white girl in the audience, it felt even more special. What a small world! A girl from my home town playing a concert just minutes away from me in Korea. I caught Elayna after the concert (MUCH to the disapproval of the Korean usher who very plainly told me that I was ABSOLUTELY not allowed to go back stage) and we went for breakfast the next morning at her hotel in downtown Seoul, and then I showed her and a couple of the members from the orchestra to one of Seoul's palaces. (That's where the picture of us was taken.) So random and so fantastic. God bless facebook.

And speaking of facebook, later in the weekend I saw the new movie that just came out about Mark Zuckerberg and the beginning of facebook called "The Social Network." It was one of the best, most engaging movies I've seen in awhile. Everyone who knows anything about facebook should see this movie! And if you don't care about facebook, go for the soundtrack! Trent Reznor does all of the music for the movie, and it is PHENOMENAL.

To end on a less upbeat note, today at 2:30pm North Korea shot artillery shells at a South Korean border island called Yeonpyeong Island. Two marines were killed, sixteen were wounded, and three civilians were wounded as well. South Korea then fired back, and they're saying this is one of the worst clashes between the North and South since the Korean War. As one person who commented on the BBC website put it, "North Korea is like a spoilt child. You can issue empty threats of retaliation all you want but it won't learn." This incident is a bit unnerving, especially after the Cheonan naval ship was sunk (presumably by the North Koreans) just last March! But don't fret, friends and family, Yeonpyeong Island is a couple of hours away from here. Also, it seems as though South Korea may have been conducting some military exercises near the border, so perhaps the attack from North Korea wasn't because they're completely crazy and there is fault from both sides? For some reason, that seems slightly more reassuring. If you haven't read about it already, click here for the article from the BBC.

Success!

2010-11-15T11:54:00.005+09:00

Ali and I ran the Sports Seoul Half Marathon on Sunday! It was cold, it was early, and there was a shockingly fierce wind when we turned around for the second half of the race, but we survived! The han river was a nice place to run. I ran it in 2 hrs 7 minutes, similiar to my first half marathon, but not as good as my last one (which I did in 2 hrs.) I blame it on the wind! :) Ali did it in 1 hr 43 minutes, which is a KILLER time, especially since it's only his first one! That's under an 8 minute mile! I was proud. :)

We spent the rest of the day in recovery, and I'm afraid that my knees still haven't forgiven me. How people do a full marathon, I don't know. Every time I've done a half, just as I'm about to cross the finish line, I think..."Imagine if I had to do that all over again right now..." and I shutter at the thought of doing a full marathon. 13.1 miles is enough for me. :)

Nervous smiles before the race...

Ali showing off his form!

World Cup Stadium in the background, where the race started.

Kissing our medals!

Goodbye, Korean Fall

2010-11-11T13:16:00.006+09:00

Fall has almost already come and gone. The leaves are barely hanging on to the trees. So before my final fall in Korea says goodbye, I'd like to give a little shout out to Korean Fall. Hollah!!!! I took these shots in the big square near my house on Sunday evening. I love Fall in Korea and I'm sad that I may not ever see it again. So, Korean Fall, I just want you to know how much you've meant to me and how much I've loved seeing you after the long, oppressive Korean Summers. Just between you and me, you are my favorite of all seasons in Korea. But don't tell the others. (I don't want Korean Winter finding out and lashing out at me like last year...)

And a Happy BOOOOlated Halloween to everyone! I went as a Geisha Girl (very appropriate given my surroundings) an Ali and company went as zombies.

Third Time's a Charm

2010-11-10T12:56:00.003+09:00

This Sunday, I'll be running my 3rd half marathon. This one feels different for a few reasons. First, I'm running it with someone, that someone being Ali. After 2 1/2 years of being together, I think we've finally nailed down the very fragile art of running together. There were some tears along the way, some furious stomping (that would be me), some full out yelling battles that consisted of sentences like "EITHER RUN WITH ME, OR DON'T RUN WITH ME!" (also me, but in my defense Ali was doing this thing where he runs at my same pace, but about 2 meters ahead of me...INFURIATING). So the system we worked out is that we run in the same time frame, I leave about 15 minutes before him, we usually go different directions around the lake, give each other a high five here and there if we pass each other, and wallah--the perfect running buddy system.

Secondly, this is my first half that I'll be running and not sweating my face off. Oh, the joy of running 13.1 miles in November! The forecast say 57 degrees and partly sunny. PERFECTO! And finally, the race I'm doing is called the Seoul Sports Marathon and it's HUGE! There's thousands of people participating, which is a big change from my previous two races that were all small and intimate. (This will also mean more foreigners--anyone remember the "Where's Waldo?" picture from my last half?) Thousands of people running along the Han River through Seoul is a bit intense!

Wish us luck!

Feinschule Field Day

2010-10-28T13:34:00.004+09:00

Last Saturday, our school rented out the sporting grounds of a nearby public school and had a full-on field day. We spent the morning playing games, and I'm happy to report that I have not, in any way, lost my competitive edge. I literally terrified my team, along with their parents, into making sure we took gold. There wasn't gold to take, unfortunately, but we had our (my) pride to keep intact! Other than a fierce game of tug-of-war in which half of the kids were injured/sobbing and one teacher was left with a sprained ankle, we had a blast! After lunch, I taught them all a completely professional line dancing routine, as well as the good ole macarena. We finished off the day with a Halloween costume contest.

My favorite Korean family! All with matching homemade costumes that say, "Roy! I love Feinschule!"

All the fun and games makes for some sleepy children...

Best costume ever! I think he's a joker of some sort...

ROY!!!

Getting ready for some 3-legged racing...

Mother and daughter!

"When I grow up, I want to be a Princess!"

Rabbit Class

2010-10-19T09:39:00.002+09:00

Most days of the week, before I have to bury my head in writing, editing, and re-editing drama curriculum, I get to teach my favorite class in the whole world. They're 4 yrs old (American age 3), they're adorable, and even though one of them hasn't stopped crying the entire month that she's been here (you'll see what I mean), I love them to death. I introduce to you: Rabbit Class.

V-V-V...

2010-10-13T15:48:00.003+09:00

You know how in the Harry Potter Books everyone is afraid to say the word “Voldemort” and they’re all like, “V…V…V…he who should not be named” because they’re so terrified of him they don’t even want to say his name? I, too, have a “v” word that gives me such a feeling.

V-V-Visa. (I just gave a terrifying shutter.) I don’t want to say it, I don’t want to think it, I don’t want to hear any one else say it, I don’t want to see it written down…I want to take the word, rip it into a million pieces, stomp on it, throw it against a cactus a few times, let the sick kid in school vomit all over it, then tie a massive anchor to it and throw it into that spot on the ocean that covers the deepest hole on earth and let it sink, sink, sink into oblivion until it gets eaten, digested, and excreted into nothingness by a giant squid.

Get my drift?

Yet again, this malicious little word has made my life full of stress and complications as Korea changes all of their rules concerning v-v-v-oh, you know what I mean. I need an FBI Criminal background check! Me! Accused of being a criminal! (I realize that I shouldn’t take it personally, but it’s so intrusive!) And it can take 3 months to get it! So I have consequently spent my week frantically getting my application for a federal background check in (which included a lovely trip to the police station to get my fingerprints taken), and then making calls, searching websites, and desperately finding a loophole in the new rules so that I can get back into the country after Christmas. And I may have cracked the case! I'll keep you posted.

I think it’s to the sauna for me tonight…

Baby, I've Got a Plan

2010-10-07T13:48:00.002+09:00

Anyone catch the Kanye West reference in my subject? Last night, my entire bike ride to and from Ali's place (yes, I got a bike!) I was shouting out his new song "Runaway" like the good ole days of shouting out Alanis Morissette on the lawn mower back on the farm. What is it about Kanye that always makes me want to where a bright orange suit, where a crown, and dance with a bunch of ballerinas? (SNL last week anyone?)

But, reference or not...I do have a plan! I had a nice long meeting with my boss this week about my future in Korea. And I'm coming home for Christmas, people! It'll have been about a year and nine months since being home. I've just paid for my tickets and there is nothing stopping me now! Step away Korean children, Carolyn Teacher is going home! I'll be landing in Omaha on Thursday, December 23rd and coming back to Seoul on January 8. A little over 2 weeks to eat as much oatmeal, cheese, licorice, and guacamole as possible. Ah, it will be grand.

And as for further life plans, my last day of work in Korea will be June 3rd. Then the plan is to do some traveling this summer and gear myself up for grad school at Columbia College next fall. It's so strange to have an end date to living in Korea. I'm always wondering what I'm going to do next, when I'm going to leave, and now that I know, I have this overwhelmingly sad feeling inside just thinking about it. Last night on my bike ride through the back streets of Ilsan, I was just taking everything in -- the same blue trucks everyone seems to have here, the GS marts on every corner, the Korean kids out playing WAY past a normal bedtime, the friendly building guard who always give me a huge smile and "ANYONG HASEYO" every time I come home -- I'll have lived here 3 years by the time I leave and I feel like this is just what I know now. This is my life. It's comfortable and it's mine. Despite the fact that I've spent so much time wondering what's next, I'm just not ready to go yet. Hopefully I will be in 8 months.

Chuseok O'Clock!

2010-09-28T12:04:00.007+09:00

People, Sweater Weather has come! (*Note: I capitalize because, to me, Sweater Weather is something in the vicinity of sacred.) I was told today, as I proudly wore a brand new sweater to school, that I looked "coozy." I think they meant cozy.

So, Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving has come and gone. So what better way to explain my holiday than in pictures. Here goes:

We spent a couple of days out east in Seoraksan -- Korea's biggest mountain.

Where we stayed, Osaek, there are famous springs there that were discovered by a Buddhist Monk many a year ago. This water tasted so much like iron, I felt like a vampire. (Cuz, you know, iron tastes like blood? Not funny? Shoot.)

We took a long stroll (the front desk Korean guy at the resort said it was a "hike," and despite the fact that all of the Koreans on the trail with us were in full-on hiking gear, complete with boots and sticks, this most definitely, just a stroll) through the mountains for a few hours one morning. Lots of pretty water falls.

Don't worry, mom. If I had fallen into the water fall, the life ring would have saved me.

Then, we went to the beach! We gazed at the ocean and tried to see Japan. We didn't.

Sokcho, the city on the eastern coast of Korea, is famous for dried squid and sting ray. Both equally disgusting and smelly.

After we returned from the east, we spent a day at Everland, Korea's best amusement park. We battled Korean crowds all day, but the T-Express 70 degree drop roller coaster made it all worth while.

So scared to ride the roller coaster...

Ali in the map, where he spends most of his life.

We made friends with a polar bear! For being the most ferocious of all bears, they sure look cute and cuddly.

If you can't read the first point on this sign, it says: "The drunken, pregnant, old are not permitted in this ride." Gotta watch out for those pregnant drunk old people. They're a serious problem here.

Ali tried to win me a stuffed animal, in true "date at an amusement park" style, but he didn't. I love him anyway.

And we even got to spend a day in Hongdae at a little hand-made arts market, enjoying the fall weather and gazing at all of the beautiful pieces of art that we would never be able to fit home in our suitcase. Someday, someday.

So, to sum it up, a fantabulous Korean Thanksgiving. So much to be thankful for, and so grateful I could spend another (and VERY likely my last) Chuseok in this country.

Sweater Weather? Not Yet.

2010-09-09T13:12:00.002+09:00

Yesterday was the first day since last spring that the high was less than 80 degrees. It was a crisp, chilly 77! But it was enough for me to run home after school and immediately scrounge through the depths of my big pink suitcase for the winter clothes I packed away last April. I realize that I may be getting ahead of myself – 77 degrees is not exactly wool sweater weather, but after the never-ending heat and humidity this summer, I am ready to jump, head first, into a change in seasons.

So, I did my bi-annual sorting of the clothes and hesitantly parted ways with those that have been hibernating in my drawers for too long to justify another season of non-use. Then, I promptly headed to my favorite (and only) clothing store nearby that has cool clothes that actually FIT. They’ve finally started carrying jeans above a size 27. YA! My intentions were great – there was now so much space in my closet for all of the new fall clothes that were calling my name! After an hour and about 17 in-and-outs of the dressing room, I left with a new bag. Better luck next time.

I also made an excursion to the dentist yesterday to get a much-needed cleaning. Or as they call it in Korea, “scaling.” Why can’t they just call it cleaning? Scaling sounds like something you do to a fish when trying to separate the skin from the bone. So anyway, they “scaled” my teeth, which basically consisted of the dental assistant taking a malicious looking little drill and voyaging farther into my gums than any dentist has ever explored. My poor gums. So vulnerable. So exposed! Fortunately, it only lasted 15 minutes. Which left me with the same feeling that I had last time I went to the dentist and had a cavity filled in 2 minutes flat -- Is that it? Are you sure you did everything? Wouldn’t you just like to fiddle around in my mouth a bit longer just to make me feel like I’m getting my money’s worth? But I’m not complaining. The less time I have to spend with gadgets and drills exploiting the privacy of my mouth, the better.

Pinocchio

2010-09-01T16:12:00.004+09:00

So, for your viewing pleasure and to give you an idea of what I do, here is a portion of the Pinocchio Performance we did last month. These kids are age 7 in Korea (which means Age 6 in America), and are my oldest Kindergarten class. Keep in mind that they've only been learning English for a couple of years at most. The video includes scenes 1, 2, and 5 (I edited parts of it so that it's not so long.) The drama and music were written by yours truly. :)

Catching Up with August

2010-08-31T15:55:00.005+09:00

Since I've basically (not basically...totally) spent this month reminiscing about Bali and blissfully extending my summer vacation via blog posts, it's probably time I move on and live in the present. It's the last day of August, and, as per usual for this time of year, I've suddenly realized that summer is nearing it's close and my response is..."What the WHAT!?!?!" It's been a busy summer that's felt like one big un-ending goodbye party. And it's been an especially busy August. Let me break it down for you:

The weekend after we got back from Bali, we said goodbye to Joy and Rob. It was great spending this past year with my old college roommate and friend...and her fantastic Australian man.

Then, the next weekend I said goodbye to Amanda as she began her travels to southeast Asia. So to wrap it up, I'm surprised I have any friends left.

However, there was one 'hello' in August, which was to Ali's parents!!! His mom and dad just left last Thursday after spending about 8 days here in Seoul with us. They did it all: the temples, the museums, the food, the dmz, the outdoor expeditions...any exploring that there was to be done in this city, they did! It was nice seeing people from the 'real world,' and remembering that there is life outside of Korea. Now if only I could see my own family. :) It's been 15 months and counting...

My Bali Trip: The People

2010-08-17T17:30:00.007+09:00

And finally, to finish off my blogs on Bali, I'd like to do a post on the people because I found them full of beauty and tradition.

This is a woman walking in a traditional Hindu parade to one of the temples.

A shy looking girl walking out of the temple after making her daily sacrifice.

On our bike ride, we stopped to see this man doing his wood carving. It was crazily intricate and detailed. His kids were all sitting close, learning the trade.

This woman was in one of the temples in Ubud, making her sacrifice.

In the traditional Hindu home, a woman weaving.

Woman chatting at the market.

The Grandma and Grandpa of the Hindu home we visited.

A woman working at the market trying to sell her things.

Women walking to the Hindu cremation ceremony, where they believe that their relatives' spirits can be set free.

My Bali Trip: Ubud

2010-08-17T17:16:00.010+09:00

Our last stop at a little village in the heart of Bali called Ubud. We spent 3 nights here, and I loved every minute of it. It's the center of arts and culture in Bali. On our last day there, we took a bike trip starting at the top of a volcano and making our way 25 kilometers down. (And then tacked on an extra 10k all uphill!)

Here we are eating breakfast at the top of the volcano.

A view from our breakfast table

The volcano.

So many beautiful rice terraces.

Not quite like they do farming in the flat fields of Iowa...

An old building next to some rice fields.

The little town of Ubud.

We also made a trip to the monkey forest! This little monkey stole all of our bananas. They really are cheeky!

Mama Monkey and baby monkey.

My own monkey.

Eating lunch overlooking the rice fields.

My Bali Trip: Padang Bai

2010-08-14T12:57:00.007+09:00

After Nusa Lembongan, we took a tiny little boat from the island back to the coast of Bali, where we stayed for one night in a small harbor town called Padang Bai. Padang Bai was full of tourists and people getting in your face trying to sell you stuff, so it was a bit of a transition coming from the quiet, calm, and undeveloped Nusa Lembongan. However, despite more people and a little more hustle and bustle, Padang Bai had some beautiful scenery.

This is the blue lagoon, something that Padang Bai is famous for. It boasts of fantastic snorkeling. I would have enjoyed it more did I not have a huge blister on my toe from diving that prevented me from being able to wear flippers, and if there was also less trash in the water. This is often the downfall of too many tourists. Oh, and I heard once that sharks live in lagoons, so that didn't help either.

Not exactly a mode of transportation I've used much in my lifetime...

The evening we were in Padang Bai, we went for dinner for some yummy fresh Mahi Mahi...

...and finished off our meal with the most disgusting dessert I've ever had in my life.

On our way down to white sand beach...

...and the sand was, in fact, pretty white!

Balinese boys have attitude just like the rest of the world. These little dudes posed like pros for me, and then wanted me to pay them for letting me take their picture. "Gi me muhneee! Gi me muhneee!"

My Bali Trip: Scuba Diving!

2010-08-11T16:20:00.010+09:00

We did 4 dives near Nusa Lembongan over the course of 2 days. The last diving I had done was in Thailand 2 years before, so needless to say, I was a little rusty. And by rusty, I mean terrified. The first day we went out, it was pouring rain, the waves were crashing, and I spent the entire 45 minute boat ride to the dive spot clutching the edge of the boat like my life depended on it. If I didn't think my life was nearly over on the rocky ride there, I definitely thought it was when we arrived. We anchored the boat in the thrashing waves right next to huge rocky cliffs that, in the dark and stormy weather, jutted out like they were death itself. To make things even better, the location we were diving at that morning was called ‘Manta Point,’ for the obvious reason that there are often Manta Ray swimming beneath the surface. Now, this may sound exciting to most divers, but to me, it sounded like I was about to dive 30 meters under water with a massive sea creature that is big enough to eat me. I don’t care if it’s a vegetarian. If it lives in the sea and is bigger than the size of Nemo, it’s a threat in my book. I so wish I could be one of those divers who’s main goal in their diving escapades is to see as many terrifying creatures as possible, but really my main goal in diving is to stay as far away from any sign of danger as possible. I put on a pretty good show... "You saw a shark on your last dive!?! COOL! I'm SOOOO jealous! Oh, to see a shark someday..." but let's be honest, coming face to face with a shark is my most greatest of fears. After the fact it’s all cool and exciting, but when I’m under the water, am desperately trying to control my buoyancy while flailing my arms around ungracefully, and, oh ya, can’t BREATHE without a tank, I’ll stick with the clown fish and colorful coral, thank you.

However, my fear eased slightly as we went below the surface. For some reason, I’m less terrified when I’m part of the underwater environment than when I’m hovering between my world and theirs. When half of my body is above water, and the other half is dangling below, I can’t help but feel like I am prime shark bait.

Manta Point lived up to its’ name, and we saw a Manta. No, the picture of the Manta Ray here was NOT taken by me (I wish!), but hopefully it will give you an idea of what it’s like to swim with a Manta. They’re really beautiful. Like a giant bird flying through the water.

The other highlight of our 4 dives was seeing the Mola Mola. The Mola Mola is the famous Balinese sunfish. Apparently, if you see the Mola Mola you are VERY lucky. This sunfish is HUGE. The size of a shark! And very oddly shaped, as you can see by the picture. (Again, not mine, just an example!) Unfortunately, I was too panicked to calm down and really take it all in. This is something I’m hoping to work on.

My favorite part was all the beautiful coral and the crazily colored fish. I can’t believe how every fish is a different color, shape, size, and design. I know that people are all different, but for the most part, we all have the same general layout. Head, ears, eyes, mouth, hair – it’s all in the same place. But not with fish! There are some WILD looking fish out there! I can’t help but feel like God put all of his creativity energies into life under the sea.

My Bali Trip: Dream Beach

2010-08-06T11:55:00.007+09:00

If there is one place in the world that I would dare to call my 'happy place,' Dream Beach might be it. We strolled up to this secluded beach on our motor bike our first day on Nusa Lembongan, and I had such a surge of happiness and pure glee (glee!), that I nearly broke my leg scurrying down the rocks to the beach. I never wanted to leave!

I've never swam in such huge waves!

Caught Ali mid-jump...

The way the waves slammed against the rocks was mesmerizing...

Pretty...

The view from the hill...

We had the yummiest food ever looking over the beach. Shrimp with coconut milk and Indonesian spices steamed in a banana leaf. Yum!

Too many pictures of the rocks?

My Bali Trip: Nusa Lembongan

2010-08-05T16:16:00.003+09:00

After the long and exhausting journey, we were finally in Bali. Hooray! We spent the first night at Sanur beach, on the eastern coast of Bali. I’ve never been so happy to take a shower in my life!

The next morning, we headed to an island not far off the coast of Bali called Nusa Lembongan. Nusa Lembongan blew my mind! It’s a small island, full of Hindu culture, and completely untarnished by tourism. It feels like this magical untouched place with beautiful people, beautiful traditions, and seriously beautiful beaches. The pace was slow, the mood was calm, and best of all, nobody was pulling on my skirt trying to sell me stuff. (This may be my biggest pet peeve of traveling…)

We stayed in a little bungalow on the beach, attached to World Diving, the scuba diving joint that we had signed up for some dives with. Everything there was super cheap, the food was super delicious (despite the ‘Bali Belly’ it gave me a few days in…more on this later…), and the island was ours to explore.

So explore we did! We had barely thrown down our bags and changed into our swimsuits before we had a motor bike rented and were flying through the little dirt roads of the island. We were speechless! It was like we had gone back in time—old Balinese rooftops, temples in every home, and Hindu tradition oozing from every corner. All of the woman wore brightly colored traditional skirts and carried gigantic baskets on their heads, the children ran around barefoot (and sometimes bare naked), and one day we even caught all of the people of the island in their traditional Hindu garb marching to the temple on the corner of the island for one of their annual Hindu rituals. I would describe the feeling of the island as mystical. I kept asking myself…”does this place really exist?”

Right next to this island were two other islands: Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida. Seaweed farming is a big source of income for a lot of people on the islands. Every evening, you could see the farmers bringing in big baskets of seaweed from the water.

So yes, we fell in love with Nusa Lembongan. We spent 3 nights there diving, exploring, beaching, and inhaling as much yummy Indonesian food as possible –I’ve never eaten so much tuna fish in my life (FRESH, mind you -- and it's true what the can says: It really does taste like the chicken of the sea!) or been served every single meal on a banana leaf.

More on the diving and beaches at Nusa Lembongan to come…

The view from my bungalow.

Seaweed farmer taking in his seaweed at the end of the day.

The parade of Hindus marching to the temple.

Almost as many stray dogs as people...

A Balinese woman making her daily offering outside of her home.

My Bali Trip: Getting There

2010-08-02T15:39:00.004+09:00

So I've decided that rather than trying to squeeze all of my Indonesian adventures into one long, overwhelming, over-detailed, over-flowing-with-pictures blog, it would be more fun to split it up into a little 'blog series.' This also lets me draw out the lingering bliss of being on vacation for as long as possible.

I would like to dedicate this first blog to our treacherous journey of actually getting to Bali. After my terribly long and exhausting week, I ran home on Friday afternoon and we headed to the airport where we left for Hong Kong at about 8. We got there a few hours later and proceeded to have an 11 hour overnight layover in the Hong Kong airport. Which we spent attempting to sleep on the airport chairs. I would like to write a letter to the dear authorities of the Hong Kong airport and ask them, why, oh why, must they place a bar after every 2 chairs. It makes sleeping near impossible: Who can curl up and get comfy when you only have 2 seats to work with? I'll tell you who: NO ONE. I had a realization as I stuffed myself onto those two chairs and tried to talk myself out of a hysterical meltdown: cheaper tickets with unbearable layovers are not worth it.

We finally boarded our flight to Bali the next morning and arrived at Denpassar Airport in the early afternoon exhausted, sweaty, dirty, and eager to catch our boat to Nusa Lembongan, an island off of Bali. We did not, I tell you, DID NOT catch that boat. The airport in Bali may be one of the stupidest, most unorganized, stupidest...stupidest airports I've ever been in. About 5 flights came in at once, everyone raced to the immigration lines where you had to first line up to buy your visa, then turn around and attempt to find a line to get through immigration. I say 'line' as if there were any lines, but there weren't. There was just an un-airconditioned room of about 2,000 hot, angry, jet-legged travelers, all peering above the mass of people at the desks of immigration officers wondering..."why isn't this ****ing line moving!?!?!?" (Pardon the language, but emotions were running high...) We stood there for 2 hours with our heavy bags, sweating like pigs shoved into a barn awaiting slaughter. (Does it sound like I'm making it more dramatic than it was? I'm not. It was that bad.)

But we arrived. And the adventures began. Adventures of which will be described in upcoming blog posts. :)

And a quick note on my return: we arrived at Incheon airport this morning at 5 am, got home by 7, and had to be up for work by 8:30. I would like to reiterate the statement I made earlier: cheaper tickets with unbearable layovers are not worth it.

Please, oh please, self, remember this when I book my next excursion...

Burnout

2010-07-22T16:12:00.005+09:00

For once in my life, I'd like to go into vacation feeling refreshed, well-slept, and healthy. Instead, I'm always burned-out, seriously sleep deprived, and have spent the past week surviving on vanilla lattes and m&ms. Which basically sums up my week. I had big plans of staying on top of things, running every day, being all packed-up and ready to go to Bali with toes freshly painted, and I feel like I'm barely staying afloat. I've been teaching my private lesson student every morning this week before work to get in extra lessons before I leave, went to visit friends in Seoul last night an hour and a half away, visited with a prospective new private student's family on Tuesday (my current one is moving to Hawaii!), and spent every day dodging all the drama that's taking place at work (just found out my boss is quitting because she's tired of doing 3 jobs in 1, and they aren't going to replace her -- so logical!). Perhaps I took on too much?

I just keep chanting in my head "Bali...Bali...Bali..." In 24 hours I'll be on a bus to the airport. We're spending the night in the Hong Kong airport (cheaper tickets with terrible lay-overs always seem like a good idea months before the vacation), and will be in Bali on Saturday afternoon.

"Bali...Bali...Bali..."

Monsoon Season

2010-07-16T15:29:00.009+09:00

Today was one of those summer days in Korea when the only thing it does all day is pour and pour...

...and pour.

So what is there to do but take refuge in the little coffee shop downstairs. Which is exactly what me and my boss, Jenny, did.

I am in serious pain due to the yoga class I attended this week. I haven't been to a yoga class since my first year in Korea. And I wanted to prove that I could still keep up with the little Korean gumby girls in my class. I say 'still' as if I actually could keep up with them at one point. I couldn't before. I can't now. And my heroic effort to bend, twist, and down-dog-it like the rest of them has cost me the use of upper body. Oh, competitiveness, why must you always get the best of me?

Bali Bound

2010-07-14T14:15:00.005+09:00

I go to Bali in one week and 2 days!!! Ali and I are heading to this beautiful island in Indonesia next Friday and spending 10 days there. The itinerary is as follows (I've attached links to all the places for your reading pleasure!):

We're spending the first few days in a small island off of Bali called Nusa Lembongan to do some scuba diving (apparently the diving around Bali is INCREDIBLE!) and watch some killer sunsets and do all of those sorts of things that people do on magical islandy places. Then, we're heading to Padang Bai to spend a couple of nights at The Marco Inn, a little beach house on the water that has a 360 degree rooftop with daily YOGA CLASSES! (I am much more thrilled about this than Ali is...) Here we're hoping to make the most of the Blue Lagooon that everyone claims spectacular and perhaps take a day trip to Mount Agung, the highest mountain (and active volcano!) in Bali.

And then, we're going to Ubud! This is the heart of Bali and supposedly the center of Balinese art and culture. We're staying in a place called the Ubud Inn, which is where...brace yourself...this place is where...where...ELIZABETH GILBERT STAYED IN EAT PRAY LOVE!!! (Again, I am far more thrilled about this than Ali is...) To stay in the place that Elizabeth Gilbert (who could quite possibly be titled 'my favorite person-I've-never-met ever') stayed in my all time favorite book is almost too much for me. Maybe I can also find that guru fortune teller guy that she befriended there. Anyway, Ubud will be the last leg of our journey, so we're hoping to take in as much of the Balinese culture as possible, including renting motor bikes for the day to explore the Balinese country side, rice paddies, and life outside of the city. And THIS, people, is the one thing that Ali is much more thrilled about than I am. I have a deathly fear of motor bikes ever since I crashed both Nathan Van Kley's and Tim Van Vugt's mopeds in the 8th grade. One I crashed into the wall of an alley (in my defense, I had just planned to sit on the moped but my friend told me I had to spin the handle to keep the engine running and the next thing I knew, BOOM, straight into the wall.) And the next time I was trying to turn a corner and ended up driving straight onto someone's front yard. It is HARD turning corners on mopeds. I was 13 and have never driven any moped-ish vehicle since.

This will be the first time that Ali and I ride a plane together. We've lived in three different countries together and have said 'hello' or 'goodbye' nearly 20 times to each other in airports, and yet we have not managed to actually get on a plane at the same time. What if we're completely incompatible in the air? This plane ride could make or break us.

Hollywood Kids Goes Global

2010-07-07T15:51:00.005+09:00

Yesterday, my 6 year old Kindergarten class and my Primary class both performed Pinocchio for their families. They did so well! I am seriously amazed at how well they can memorize lines in the 8 weeks we spend on each play. They know the lines better than I do. And they're 6. And they're KOREAN. Even the kids who had no idea what their lines meant, no idea where one word ended and the next began (wheredidyougetthosegoldcoinspinocchio?), and no idea if their character was supposed to sound happy or angry (my 'sly' fox was about as chipper and friendly as Barney) got smiles from the audience and absolutely beaming parents.

That is, every one had beaming parents except Dora. Dora's poor mother sat in her chair with a look of despair, sympathy, and embarrassment as her poor 7-year-old daughter sobbed through the ENTIRE play. Dora, the only girl in my Primary Pinocchio class and therefore by default has the part of the Blue Fairy, has had her lines memorized for weeks. No problems. Until yesterday. From the moment the parents walked in the door, Dora's bottom lip started quivering and her eyes started welling up. During their individual introductions ("My name is Robert. I am 8 years old. I am Pinocchio. Welcome to play, everybody. Enjoy the show!), I noticed that she could barely get out a word and I frantically turned to Jenny, my boss, and said "What's the matter with Dora!?!?!?" To which Jenny replied, "I think she's a little nervous." A little? A LITTLE!?!?!? Apparently, Dora has some serious stage fright issues, as from that point on she spent the entire 5 scenes sobbing, arms shaking, unable to function. I bravely stepped in to help the poor girl out. (And I mean it when I say 'bravely.' I can see why Dora had a break down. The look in the eyes of those expecting parents is enough pressure to make me, a 26 year old EXTROVERT, get shaky in the knees.) She stood next to me, wand in hand, and didn't manage to murmur one word. She stood on the stage for each song, did all the actions in hysterical weeping despair, but did not open her mouth. I guess we'll need to work on that.

I have now proudly completed 8 Dramas--all of which include a story book, a drama book, a song (lyrics and melody by yours truly) to go with each scene of each drama (meaning I've written 36 songs thus far), a 20-page workbook filled with fantastical activities, and a teacher's guide giving line-by-line detailed instruction on what the character should be doing, where they should be standing, and how they should be sounding. We have 4 more dramas to go to finish up levels one and three, and then we move on to levels two and four. Each level has 6 dramas -- enough to last one year if you follow the 8-week program that I have laid out. I found out yesterday that my Hollywood Kids program (have I mentioned that I did NOT pick out the name 'Hollywood Kids'? Just to be clear...) will now not only be used in all of the 40 Feinschule schools across Korea, but will also start being sold in Korean bookstores and will be exported to China and Japan and possibly Germany. My books are going global! I feel seriously proud of the program that I'm creating. And to think that it all starts on my little Mac at my little desk in Ilsan.

Why Can't Life Be One Big Birthday?

2010-06-30T13:38:00.006+09:00

Last Saturday was my friend Amanda's birthday! It was a fantastical day of girlie activities, yummy food, and watching Korea's World Cup game...see for youself:

First, we got an actual, real, just-like-home cupcake. YUM! I haven't had a cupcake since...(when you can't complete that sentence you know it's been too long). It was an adorable little place called Life is Just a Cup of Cake. In fact, it may have been the most dainty, delightful little shop of sugary goodness that I've ever stepped foot in.

Mmmmmmm.

Then, we saw the coolest little dog in the world. In case you didn't know, I plan to own a pug someday because I think they're the funniest, cutest dogs on earth. This little guy was no exception.

Then, we got a manicure and got our hair done!

Then, we got wine and talked about how pretty our nails and hair looked.

Then, we ate over-priced Greek food! (But we didn't notice because the company was good and the wine was a-flowin')!

Then, we went to a pub and watched Korea play Uruguay in the World Cup (which they lost, but our mood was too great to be dampered). Go Red Devils! Mary Soo rocked the red horns.

I wish every day was a birthday.

Together

2010-06-23T16:35:00.009+09:00

I've been battling through 'open class' all week, which is the Korean name for 'parents get to sit in on their kid's classes and tell the school what they're unsatisfied with.' In my mind, I like to call these days...'Carolyn gets to analyze parenting skills and figure out the reason behind the terrible-ness in my least favorite kids.' Seriously, when the worst kid in the school's mom is video-taping her kid scream in other kids faces and try to swallow his egg shaker and then goes ahead smiling and calls him 'special,' you stop blaming the kid.

In more uplifting news, Ali and I celebrated 2 years of together-ness last week. Two years ago on June 15th, Ali landed at the Seoul airport and, after not seeing each other since our one day romance in Beijing 4 months earlier, we officially fell in love. (Insert 'awwwww' from the audience...) I have to say, it feels like a lot longer than 2 years. I guess that's what happens when you've lived in 3 different countries. But it's been the best 2 years of my life! This picture was taken one of the first days Ali and I were together in Korea 2 years ago. Don't we look like 2 people who had just fallen in love? (Insert another 'awwwwwww'...)

And finally, 2 of our best friends here in Korea--Jason and Natalie--are leaving for home this Friday. It feels like it's been a non-stop 'good-bye' party for weeks (so tired!), but we will definitely miss them after they've gone. This is the problem with living in such a transitional place--nobody stays!

Where's Carolyn

2010-06-14T13:51:00.005+09:00

Half Marathon #2: Check! The rain quit right when the race was about to start, which made for a muggy, hot, sticky run...but I finished! I even managed to shave off 6 minutes from my last half. My time was 2 hours and 55 seconds. I was the only foreigner out of at least 200 people at the race and one of 2 girls that ran the half. Talk about feeling like a minority. I felt like Waldo. You know, like in Where's Waldo.

Everybody lined up for back rubs before the race started. Nobody wanted to give the white girl a back rub, so I stood amongst them all feeling awkward and getting stared at.

Just a blonde girls and a whole bunch of Koreans...

Wohooo!!! This old guy finally included me in the back rubbing session.

Off we go!

And 2 hours later, I came in for my final lap!

Crossing the finish line at 2 hours and 55 seconds!

I even got a medal! Right after this picture, I got stung by a bee on my thumb. My first ever bee sting. I definitely had a harder time dealing with that than the 21 kilometers I had just run. Bee stings HURT.

Favorite part of the race: a few miles in, some old Korean dude wanted to be my running buddy. At least that's what I gathered because he came up running next to me and I translated the words "together" and "same" in his conversation with me. We ran together for most of the race. After all these years of running solo, who knew it would take an old Korean guy to make me realize a running buddy isn't so bad after all.

See the entire album by clicking here.

Running in the Rain

2010-06-11T16:40:00.008+09:00

This is the forecast for my second half marathon this Sunday. A few days ago, it was supposed to be 87 degrees and sunny. I'm not sure what's worse. Potential-passing-out-weather or a torrential downpour and the possibility of getting struck by lightening. I guess I'll find out what it feels like to run 13.1 miles soaking wet!

Here's the trail I'm running! It starts at the tip of Ilsan, goes to the Han River, and then back around again. Maybe I'll get washed away into the river. Ha!

Wish me luck!!!

Say CHEESE

2010-06-09T17:40:00.004+09:00

A couple of weeks ago, we ventured on another field trip. This one was an hour and a half away, tucked away in the country side. What did we do? We made CHEESE! It was super cool. (I was as excited as the kids.) I didn't think enough Koreans ate cheese to make a cheese-making business worthwhile. Apparently it is.

2010-06-07T17:03:00.006+09:00

My weekend was packed of fantasticness. Friday night, we had a girls night out, which included dinner on an outdoor patio that felt like we were in Italy, margaritas, drinks in a bag, hookah, and of course...dancing! I'm gonna miss my girls when they all start trickling back home. :(

Just two girls from Iowa who found themselves in Korea...

Then on Sunday, Ali and I went to the War Memorial Museum. Ali had to ride / try / shoot / climb on every single war item. I waited patiently like a good person-who-gets-bored-at-museums ought. No but seriously, it was a really cool exhibit.

This is the symbol of the Korean War. It's a younger brother and older brother fighting on two different sides who see each other in the middle of battle and embrace in love, forgiveness, and sorrow.

P.S. For those of you interested in a cyst update...IT POPPED!!!! It was quite possibly the funnest most exhilarating popping session of my life. I'll spare you the details...no I won't! It oozed out like yolk from a cracked egg. Seriously, there was a lot of disgusting crap in that bad boy.

I've got this thing on my face...

2010-06-01T13:14:00.003+09:00

I think it's a cyst. I've had it for over a year. It suddenly grew on my face below my left ear, but for most of the time that it's inhabited on my face, it's just been this painless lump that refuses to leave. No biggy. Then last week it lashed out and became this huge, bright red, painful thing sticking out of my face. It was like a whole other body part had suddenly been attached under my ear. Anyway, I went to the doctor yesterday, had a VERY EXPENSIVE 2 minute ultra sound to make sure it wasn't connected to my saliva glands (it wasn't), and then had a needle prodded into it and a bunch of disgusting puss pulled out. (Insert vomit face here.) Surgery may be inevitable, but the doc is trying to calm the beast with syringes and pills first to see if we can avoid a scar. The lump will not get the best of me or my face!

Obama on the North Korean Attack

2010-05-24T22:54:00.002+09:00

Oh no! If only Ilsan weren't so close to the North Korean border. I'm registering at the US Embassy pronto...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100524/ts_nm/us_korea_north_obama

Flower Festival Field Trip

2010-05-20T11:04:00.007+09:00

I survived my second seminar (despite finding out that I couldn't use my mac 2 minutes before it started and frantically transfering everything onto the Korean PC, preventing all of the videos I had edited and formatted for my computer all week to open in my presentation...), and I couldn't be happier that it's over!

I have lost all function of my right hand due to over-use of my computer mouse. Anytime I move my index finger, or brush the top of my hand, it sends a shooting electric shock all through my hand and arm. :( So rather than carrying on with my attempt to write this blog solely with my left hand, I will post pictures of the field trip we went on with our kids a few weeks ago to the Ilsan Flower Festival.

Nothing like a tooth falling out somewhere in the park to make for an interesting day.

This is my school!

All of the kindergartners from Feinschule...

Seminar #2

2010-05-14T13:35:00.004+09:00

It's one of those weeks when I can't help but wonder if my job is worth the stress. It's seminar week. Which means that Saturday morning, I have to wake up at 5:30am and head to Daechon (a city a few hours south of Seoul), and give my hour long presentation on the drama program I'm creating to over 100 people who want to be entertained. It's not really a presentation so much as a performance. I sort of feel like I go up there, smile really big, do a little dance, sing a little song, pull up volunteers who so totally don't want to be on stage, and try to make them as un-bored as possible.

It's also one of those weeks where I feel really conflicted with how I feel about my work. I like the responsibility and being important and I really love that I'm creating and purposeful. I hate the stress that comes with it at times, and I hate that I'm creating and placed with all of this responsibility in such an unorganized, anxiety-filled environment.

Mostly, I'll just be glad when I open the door to my apartment Saturday evening, throw on my yoga pants, pour myself a glass of wine, and take a deep breathe knowing that another seminar is over.

The Girls Take On Ganghwa Island

2010-04-30T16:05:00.006+09:00

Last weekend, us girls headed west to Ganghwa Island for a weekend of grilling, seaside gazing, raw fish eating, noraebong belting, and attempted hiking. It was refreshing, it was peaceful, it was great to be with the girls, and it was a seriously sweet little corner of Korea. See my full album here.

The ocean.

Natalie, Joy, Amanda, Mary Soo, and me.

We spent the afternoon walking along the ocean.

We were right in the middle of the Korean countrside.

Cherry Blossoms!

Magnolia trees.

So much raw fish we didn't know where to start...

Rockin' out the noraebong.

Old Tea Shop

2010-04-23T17:35:00.006+09:00

I was writing a post for our Adventure Teaching blog today, and I thought I'd share it on mine as well.

A couple of weeks ago, we were strolling through the shops of Insadong when we stumbled down a small alley and came across a small place called ‘The Old Tea Shop.’ We made our way up the winding staircase (possibly the creakiest little staircase I’ve ever walked up), and entered into a haven of tea and birds. Yes, birds! This little tea shop is filled with the aroma of wonderful tea, antique furniture, and the sounds of birds chirping from every corner.

I’ve really never experienced anything like it. I was so mesmerized by the countless little colorful birds flying around the shop, resting on the windowsill, and proudly parading little strands of toilet paper to their secret hiding places, that I nearly forgot to order my tea. I’m glad I didn’t! I ordered the Quince, which was wonderfully sweet, citrus, and refreshing. Ali got the Jujube, which was strong and bitter and definitely not for the faint of heart! They had an extensive tea menu (almost as extensive as their collection of birds!) and it all seemed to be made with love and care.

The whole shop, from the birds to the antique rickety wooden benches, is glowing with vibrancy and eccentricity. As the sun warmed us while we drank our tea and the birds commanded the room with their incessant chirping, I looked out as the light was hitting the old Korean rooftops and thought... “Now this is Korea.”

Observe My Class

2010-04-22T17:30:00.006+09:00

I don't think there's anything more awkward and unnatural than trying to teach while a group of 'observers' watch your every move taking notes. One of the many privileges (because there's so many...ha!) of being the head branch of a 40 school franchise is all of the many schools that come watch our classes with the hopes of learning how to teach the curriculum. It. Sucks. They sit in the back of the classroom staring at me the entire time. Meanwhile, I'm trying to act 'normal' and 'natural' which, let's face it, just doesn't happen when other teachers are observing everything you do.

Here's what a normal class for me looks like: I spend a good chunk of it yelling and using fear as a tactic of discipline (you're not allowed to judge until you try to put on a play with a class of 4 year olds who don't speak your language), and using bribery in the form of stickers to get kids to do what I say. These sorts of things just don't fly when teachers have flown all the way from the south coast of Korea to get useful teaching tips.

This, along with the non-stop video taping of classes (which are then uploaded to the website and has in turn made me famous in the world of Feinschule) has really turned me into a much less effective teacher. How am I supposed to get kids to learn when I can't yell and give them the glare of death when they aren't listening?

Seriously.

Good Morning, Seoul!

2010-04-14T15:18:00.004+09:00

Nothing starts my day off like the moment I turn onto the little side street that my school lies on, and I hear, yelled from the sidewalk..."Good morning, Seoul!" Never fails. Every morning. The source is a jolly old Korean man, in a bright yellow vest, riding his bike on the small side street back and forth all day, giving out parking tickets. I'm pretty sure that the "Good morning, Seoul" comes from a radio show he hears in the morning, because he doesn't really seem to understand that the 'Seoul' part doesn't work with people. He makes me laugh every morning. I've now also started saying, "Have a good night!" at the end of the day on my way home, which he now says to me as well...usually in the morning.

Last weekend, a bunch of us went bungee jumping and paintballing, all in one day. I had already done the bungee jump, so I geared myself up for my first ever paintballing experience. It was in the woods. It was intense, colorful, and competitive--what could be better? (Winning could be better--we lost 4 out of 5 games...) I still have the memory etched into my brain and the bruises etched into my skin. Fortunately, the shot that nailed me in the face, somehow managing to hit the only spot on my face slightly uncovered by the mask, didn't leave a welt.

Trololo Cat

2010-04-08T22:54:00.004+09:00

This video nearly made me pee my pants. Watch it. Then watch it again. Then spend your entire Thursday night watching it over and over, laughing equally hard each time, like I did.

Jump

2010-04-08T13:40:00.001+09:00

Anytime I take a little blogging hiatus, I have such a hard time jumping back in. But what else if there to do, other than to jump. So here I go.

Spring is finally here, just barely. It’s not exactly ‘pack away your coats and socks’ weather, but there’s definitely hints of life around—both in nature and in people’s spirits. The other day, I went running around lake park and was very carefully scrutinizing every branch and square inch of earth for signs of green. Or any color for that matter. It seems to be coming a lot slower than I remember from living here a couple of years ago…

Things have been a little rough here the past while as I’ve been battling with upcoming decisions and figuring out, YET AGAIN, what we’re going to do next. I was accepted into grad school at Columbia College in Chicago (I’m going back for a Master in Arts Adminstration), which has led Ali and I to be forced with the very dreaded and avoided process of making another decision about our futures. I’ve been in Korea for a month short of a year already, and was supposed to be ending my contract at the end of May. But with my school closing right before Christmas and me frantically and necessarily finding a new job, my contract now ends next Christmas. So unless I want to break that and unless Ali and I are actually going to figure something out and be ready to live in Chicago in 4 months, I think grad school in the fall is something I just need to put out of my mind for now. I just don’t think it’s gonna happen. Lately, I’ve been reminded of how vulnerable our situation is. Korea is like this happy little bubble, where you so easily forget what things are like in the real world. We’re now looking at a program in Brisbane Australia and the Queensland University of Technology, where we could both get a Master in our individual artistic fields. But as with EVERYTHING, it’s not just as easy as it seems. I’m now working on hiring an evaluation service so that we can ensure this masters degree is the equivalent of a masters degree back home. What’s the point of moving half way across the world for a degree that means nothing where we actually want to live?

I love traveling. I love adventure. I love new things and new places. But I would also, so so so love to have some roots and something not so…temporary. But I suppose this is what your 20s are for. (I think Carrie Bradshaw said something like that…)

26

2010-03-22T17:28:00.005+09:00

The entrance to my 26^th year of life has come and gone. Yes, it was my birthday last Saturday. I spent most the cold, dark, and dreary day bundled up inside with friends—eating, drinking, charade-playing—but did manage to get out with some girlfriends for my first ever manicure!!! I loooooooved it! I got a bright green sparkly color. It was a low key day, apart from when I walked into the apartment to see fireworks being set off and nearly burning the place down. The ‘happy birthday’ song to follow was cut short by panicked birthday suprisers trying to manage the flaming sparkles. Other than the fact that we set off the building’s fire alarm on my floor (much to the dismay of my neighbors), it was the perfect birthday surprise!

Here’s some pics from the day. To see a few more, click here for my latest album I've uploaded to facebook.

Pretttttyyyy...

Joy, Amanda, and I showing off our new colors.

Digging in first. It's my birthday after all.

The same fireworks Ali set off in my apartment as I walked in the door. As you can see, definitely meant for outdoor usage...

Raw Meat in a Lion's Den

2010-03-08T22:39:00.002+09:00

I found myself flipping through channels on the treadmill tonight, and I suddenly stumbled on an episode of Glee. I've never seen more than a few youtube clips of Glee (notably, the one where the football team does 'Single Ladies'--thank you, sisters), and I was more than pleasantly surprised to have something to watch while getting through my Monday 5K. It wasn't on my list of 'occasionally have stuff in English' channels, and I totally felt like it was a real find. Who knew that 20 minutes of TV filled with pop tunes could be...so...GOOD. I cried on minute 26, all the way to minute 28 1/2. (Which did not go unnoticed by the glaring, suspicious old woman on my right) It was the one where some blonde girl was pregnant and some brunette girl sang Jordan Sparks' 'Breathe.' I have totally found a new show to download.

I also found myself at the dentist recently, and let me tell you, Korean's know how to do teeth. I went in, got checked, had a cavity, got said cavity filled, and paid less than $8. The best part was that the dreaded filling of the cavity took...prepare yourself...2 MINUTES!!!! It went something like this: Dentist: "Ok, time. Raise left hand when pain." Me: "Wait! Where's my novacaine shot! WHERE'S MY NOVACAINE SHOT!!!!" And believe it or not, that dude had me in and out of the chair in 2 minutes flat. I guess it's this new technology where they cut out the cavity with laser drills or something. I made him give me a mirror and show me exactly where he had done the filling afterward. I was in disbelief. But sure enough, 8$ later, I had a happy tooth. Adding 'Korean Dentist Bills' to my list of things I like about Korea...

I had the music class from hell today. I kid you not. You know it's bad when you find yourself yelling things like.."Celine! Stop unbuttoning my shirt!" and "Yoony! DO NOT EAT THE EGG SHAKER!" and "Irene! Do not poke out Chuck's eye with the triangle stick!!!!" and "Dear Jesus, save me...SAVE ME!!!" I finally gave up as I looked around and realized that this had gone from struggling music class to feeding time in a lion's den. Me being the raw meat. 12 kids, not one who understood "sit in a circle," and not one who felt scared by my usually effective yelling of "3...2...1..." Clearly, they are smart enough to know that after I finish the "1", nothing really happens. It was chaos. It was worse than chaos. It was mad anarchy. Next time, I will be fully armed...with sticker sheets and candy.

Graduation and A Movie About Monks

2010-03-02T23:13:00.004+09:00

Last Saturday, we had the graduation festival at my school. It was time to say goodbye to my seven year olds (well, I guess they're considered 8 now) that I've taught since I started last May. They all followed me to this school after my last school closed, and it was sad to say goodbye on Saturday. There were a lot of hugs, a lot of flowers, a lot of nodding and smiling at parents who tried to say "thank you for teaching my kid" in about 12 different ways...it was nice.

It was also nice to get the festival over with. We've done nothing but practice for this 2-hour long performance for the past month, and I was glad to have it over with already. I have to say, there were hilarious and adorable moments as my 7 year olds put on Cinderella--the best being the fire drill that set off right between scene 4 and 5, and also as my 6 year olds put on The Gingerbread Man after having never even practiced on the stage. I think Cinderella was the hit of the night, and I'm pretty proud to have pulled it off considering we have 10 boys and 4 girls in the class--have you realized how many boy parts there are NOT in Cinderella? To compensate, we had a step sister and step brother (had to change a few of the lines--for example "shine my shoes" instead of "fix my dress" and "Ooooh, I hope the Prince will want to be my friend!" instead of "Ooooooh, I hope the Prince falls in love with me!" -- I didn't really think a gay step brother would go down so well with the Korean parents...), two fairy godfathers, two princes, a male cat and 2 male mice. It was a very testosterone-filled version of Cinderella. (That is, as much testosterone 7 year old little boys can muster.)

After the festival, Ali and I headed to Hongdae for mexican and margaritas with Sarah Jane and Reuben, and then to Club Ta to watch our friend Simon play. It was a really nice night. I felt really happy as I looked around and found myself surrounded with really wonderful people and really wonderful friends. I've been pulling out of my winter blues lately, I think, as the weather gets a little warmer, and I have more motivation to be out and about. Sunday, we ate the worst Indian food EVER with Joy and Rob for Joy's birthday, but didn't let it spoil the night as we bowled and ate dessert from one of my favorite dessert places in Seoul.

The best part of life right now is that I'm on vacation! Yesterday was a national holiday, and today and tomorrow my school gave me off b/c I worked 3 Saturdays this month. I am not wasting my days off--tomorrow morning, I'm heading to...get ready...H&M!!!!!!! It opened in Seoul! Apparently, there was a line 2 blocks long last Saturday (opening day) just to get IN to the store. So, I'm getting there right as it opens tomorrow morning to be the crowds. How many people could be there on a Wednesday morning???

Ali and I nearly wasted our day off yesterday as we encountered what was probably one of the worst movie experiences of my life. We headed all the way into the city to see a movie at the Apugjeong Theatre called "Into Great Silence.' It's a documentary about the Carthusian monks who live high in a remote corner of the French Alps. They live a hermit lifestyle of solitude, and we thought it'd be a really interesting documentary to see. And it got 89% on Rotten Tomatoes...what could go wrong? I'll tell you what could go wrong: nearly 3 hours of NO talking! The entire documentary was pretty much void of any speaking whatsover. And it was sooooo....LOOOOONG! We literally just watched the monks do the same thing, over and over and over again. Praying. Ringing the bell. Chanting. Praying. Ringing the bell. Chanting. Praying. Ok, obviously I know that this was the point: to experience the solitude and very remote lives of the monks. And ok, it was beautiful and all. But 3 hours of sitting in a theater where absolutely NOTHING happened. I knew it was bad when the nun sitting next to us in the theater fell asleep. I thought she was praying until her head started nodding off. Ali and I finally walked out after being there over 2 and a half hours and marched directly the nearest place that sold beer so we could, as soon as possible, feel part of the real world again. There's something about those monks that made me feel a desperate need to be very, very, VERY part of society.

P90what?

2010-02-23T17:26:00.000+09:00

I’ve packed a lot into the past week. Baking cookies with Korean friends who had never made cookies before (GASP!), having a co-worker over for gin and tonics to vent about…you guessed it, work. And then came spa day with Joy on Saturday for her birthday, which included massages from the foot shop and a day at the jimjilbang in the mountains bathing, scrubbing, and generally detoxifying and getting good ole fashion girl time.

The other night, Ali and I tried the P90X ab workout. Apparently, my abs are not the rock hard bricks of steel I thought they were. (I didn’t think they were.) I nearly died. What is this whole P90X thing anyway. I’m way not caught up on the latest and greatest workouts because everyone seems to know about this but me. I thought I was doing pretty good with my regular sit-up regime, and they made me feel like my tummy was made of cotton candy. Jerks.

We have graduation this Saturday. Whooopeee! My kids are performing Gingerbread Man and Cinderella. Both written and directed by yours truly. And by directed, I mean “shouted at and put in the thinking corner those who were not getting into the spirit of acting.” I think it was pretty effective.

Yong Pyeong

2010-02-17T15:51:00.008+09:00

Happy New Year!!!! Again! Korea celebrated the Lunar New Year last weekend, and while all the Koreans went home to their families, Ali and I headed to the mountains in Gangwang-do to Yong Pyeong Ski Resort. We heard that this was the best place to ski in Korea and it was, people, IT WAS!!!!

We got picked up by the bus at 5:25 Saturday morning, promptly fell asleep, and woke up just outside of ther resort to at least 2 feet of snow. It was like falling asleep and waking up to a magical winter wonderland. The resort was equally as magical, with little rustic cottages and lodges tucked in the mountain, pine trees draped with a snowy lining, rolling hills covered in white, and ski slopes running all through the mountain.

I’m definitely getting better at skiing, but definitely not getting better at staying un-sore. Wow. After day one, I felt like I had been crushed by a giant snow plow, and after day 2 I was afraid I had done irreparable damage. Seriously in pain. But I managed a few runs down some blacks (this sounds like the highest level, but there were, in fact, double blacks, so don’t over-estimate my ability) and learned to carve to the right with something that I would almost call confidence. (For some reason, I have the hardest time turning right....) And I only cried once. Ok, twice. First as I stood at the very edge of a very scary black, with Ali a few meters down telling me to take the plunge and me getting more and more paralyzed with each passing second. And then one more time on our last day when Ali spent the afternoon attempting to snow board, and I felt like I was physically incapable of putting my body through any more pain. And I cried because I felt like Ali was getting a head start and I didn’t think it was fair. It made a lot of sense at the time to be angry. I guess you had to be there.

Probably one of the coolest places I’ve ever been in Korea!!! To see the complete album, click here.

#1 on the List.

2010-02-10T12:00:00.005+09:00

The other day my co-worker was adding to her list of "things I like about Korea." I think she was trying to find ways to stay positive and remember the good amidst the ever-present frustrations we bump into on a daily basis. (Because there is so much good, and it's so easy to forget.)

Here's something that may be on the very top of my "things I like about Korea" list: KOREAN MASSAGES!

I stumbled on a place called The Foot Shop sometime last summer, and despite what the name indicates, it does oh-so-much-more than just feet. I think I've had just about every little Korean man and woman who works there, and they are all...equally...amazing. I've never had such purely blissful back rubs. Seriously. They dig, they elbow, they get on the table and use their entire bodies...it's perfect. Every time.

So last night I had completed my little sticker card (after 10 back rubs you get 50% off!), and I've been in EXCRUCIATING pain ever since my presentation on Saturday and my lack of stretching after the gym last week, so I decided to splurge for the 80 minute full body Sports massage. I've always gotten the 40 minute, which is mostly just the upper half of my body. This little Korean woman seriously find places in my legs that I never realized hurt. I was writhing in pain and it was WONDERFUL!

And it's so cheap! Less than $20 for 40 minutes.

Thank you, Korea, for having such perfectly wonderful, stress-relieving, inexpensive massages.

A View from the Top.

2010-02-08T13:37:00.009+09:00

The presentation came and more importantly, it went! I'm finisheeeee! (As the Koreans would say...it is my own personal mission in life to teach Koreans not to put an extra long 'eeeee' at the end of everything. Orangeeeeee. Marcheeeeee. Finisheeeeee. ENOUGH WITH THE EEEE!) It went well-- they laughed when they were supposed to laugh, they volunteered when the were supposed to volunteer--or more I made them volunteer when they were supposed to volunteer--and I think it was a good time had by all, which is really all you can hope for when you're giving a presentation at a conference that nobody wants to be at. And now I'm finished and I can FINALLY relax. Probably not for long, but for now. :)

Saturday night, Ali and I went to Namsan Tower at the top of Namsan mountain in the middle of Seoul. I’ve been up once before, but only during the day, and there was a big harvest festival going on on the top. This time, we went up during the evening to watch the sunset and try out N Grill–the revolving restaurant at the top of the tower.

We got our tickets to the cable car around 5:30, just in time to catch the sun nearing sunset over the Seoul horizon. The cable car was cool…and quick! We were up in about 2 minutes time! It was a beautiful time of day to be up above Seoul–we stood bundled up with our cameras, as everyone quietly watched the sun dip down over the buildings. It was a serene and magical experience watching the city turn from day to night as all the lights from the buildings, bridges, and cars came to life against the night sky.

Dinner at the top of the tower was cool--the view was amazing (Seoul is so huge!!!), the food was average, and price was astronomical. But I guess you pay for the view. And the VERY overly-priced bottles of wine.

After dinner, we bought a padlock and added ours to the thousands of others that people added to the fence lining the top of the mountain. Was a nice way to spend our '2-years-ago-we-met' anniversary. I can't believe it's been 2 years since that afternoon in Beijing when we locked eyes as Ali came in from a day of biking and I was 5 minutes away from a 12-hour round of throwing-up-from-the-Chinese- flu! Oh the memories. :)

Ali leaving our mark on Seoul.

Our lock is in there somewhere!

A view from the hole in the big stone wall surrounding the hill.

Drowning? Almost.

2010-02-02T16:51:00.003+09:00

It's a busy time, people, a busy time. Last week I worked 6 days, filling my beloved Saturday with a school opening performance thingy where I taught kids and parents what to do at a market 9 time throughout the day. If I have to teach kids how to say "how much is it?" one more time, I may never be able to step foot in a grocery store again. Fortunately my Saturday was saved by a wonderful evening at Sarah Jane and Reuben's place in Bundang, which just so happened to be right next to the school opening I was working out. We drank wine, gin and tonics, and did personality testings until 2:30am. I'm an ENFJ, according to myers briggs, just like Ronald Reagen. :)

Unfortunately, this week is bringing even more stress than last. I am looking at another 6-day work week, but this Saturday I have to give my big presentation on the drama program I'm creating to people from 40 Feinschule schools around Korea. I've been working on it all week, and am battling my way through power point. I'm finding it a challenge to give the philosophy and program layout of something I have just started creating and haven't even taught yet. I have to teach everyone how to teach it, and I have no experiences to pull from. Should be interesting! I feel like I'm getting ready for a big game or something.

It's weeks like this that I really wish I had a bathtub.

Ski Pro

2010-01-25T09:38:00.007+09:00

I finally learned how to ski!

We went yesterday to a place called Vivaldi Ski resort. Or as the Koreans would say it...Bibadi. (I'd really like to know why they would choose a name that requires so many letters that do not exist in the Korean alphabet.) The free shuttle bus picked us up near us at 6:20am, and we were there by 8, where we sipped a latte in the underground shopping mall while waiting for our friends John and Amanda. If I could have injected caffeine directly into my blood stream, I would have, but the latte did what it could to get me out of me 'woke-up-at-5:45am' stuper.

After a good hour or more of battling the Korean panic that always sets in when any crowds or lines materialize (which is ALL the time), we got our gear, our skis, our determination, and we were ready to roll. That is, we were ready to stand in line for 20 minutes for the lift to the bunny slope.

But the lines did not stop our fun. After about two hours of struggling and wedging and reaching my limit of frustration, I finally got it! I was carving like a pro by the end of the day. Unfortunately, my poor legs were a pile of jelly by the afternoon and my good form disappeared the last few runs, but I managed to get a few blues in before the day was out, and more than anything, I had fun! Skiing is way better when you don't totally suck.

Vivaldi was pretty cool. Other than the fact that it blasted K-pop (Korean pop music) from the loud speakers just like the resort we went to at Christmas. I seriously wonder why they think that's a good idea--they completely ruin the serene environment of being out of the city doing 'outdoorsy' stuff with loud, off-tune, aesthetically un-pleasing Korean ballades and poppy dance tunes that sound like a terrible Asian impression of Lady Gaga. Nobody wants to hear that stuff on their way up the ski lift.

But regardless, I would totally go back.

Kevin is 12 Years Old

2010-01-19T21:38:00.003+09:00

Ok, so I think it's accurate to say that I'm experiencing a little bit of the "mid-winter" blues. It's cold, it's dreary, and there is a significant lack of color to be seen outside. I'm trying to cope, but life just feels a bit glum these days.

So I'm doing what I can. Yesterday, on my way home from the gym, I stopped at the flower shop around the corner from my building and bought myself flowers. I got 2 white daisies, a big bright orange flower, and a hot pink flower. They seemed like the cheeriest flowers in the shop. I did have a few problems with the shop owner, who could simply NOT comprehend that a person could by flowers for themself. He continued to shove the gift card in my face, and I continued to refuse, and when I said a polite "no thank you" to all the ribbon, he persistently said over and over "plesent! plesent!" and i persistently replied "no present! no present! me home! me home!" He finally gave me the flowers, shaking his head.

I found out today that my all time favorite childhood show "The Wonder Years" is called, here in Korea, "Kevin is 12 Years Old." I had a good laugh at that one. Especially since the show ran for several years, so Kevin, undoubtedly, could not have been 12 years old that entire time. I also found out that the Korean equivalent for the show "Ugly Betty" is called "Ugly Woody." He he.

Brrrrrrr.

2010-01-12T23:21:00.007+09:00

I feel like I'm finally starting to get back on top of things in my life. The period after Christmas is over always tends to be a bit of a slump. It's cold, there are no Christmas carols to be heard in the stores, no Christmas gifts to shop for, no Christmas festivals to give you a reason to leave the house on the weekend, it's cold...

Yes, it's VERY cold here lately. Last week Monday, Korea got pounded with snow--the most they've had in a decade! Seems like everywhere in the world is having the most 'something' this winter. Most snow, most snow days, most days so cold you start looking for jobs near the equator...

Things at Feinschule are going well so far. I'm excited for the opportunities this school is bringing me. On February 6 there's a big conference with all 40 of their schools in Korea, where I have to do a big presentation (it's about time I finally cracked into the world of power point) on the drama curriculum that I'm creating. Eeeeek! (But let's be honest--presenting to a group of mostly Koreans with a ranging ability of English really eases the intimidation factor...)

Here's some photos from a couple weekends ago when Ali and I walked on Lake Park. (That's right--on. It should really be called 'Block-of-Ice Park' this winter.)

Ilsan from the park.

"Quack Quack. We're the only 2 ducks left. Doh."

The beloved block of ice, which Ali took great pride in finding.

And then proceeded to throw the entire way home until it was not so much a block, but rather a tiny chip of ice.