tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13366338849644617732024-02-20T11:13:30.788-08:00Hold the KimcheeGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-20461513398099115702011-12-25T08:41:00.000-08:002011-12-25T08:44:37.087-08:00Happy Holidays!Just popping in to say I haven't forgotten this blog! I'm still planning to write a top 10 things I miss (and don't miss) about Korea list, and put a comprehensive photo slide show on here (as soon as I figure out how to make one).<br /><br />Enjoy your holiday season, and have a happy new year!<br /><br /><3<br /><br />-Maria<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/xmas2011b.jpg" />Gypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-81939113787048340182011-08-30T08:00:00.001-07:002011-08-30T08:13:22.849-07:00Going Home Early...but this time not because I'm sick! Not that I wound up going home from that, after all, but that's another story.
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<br />Turns out, the school doesn't want to file for visa extensions so that we native English teachers can finish out our contracts. So they're sending us home about five days early. Now, some schools do this with the express intent of shafting their teachers out of severance pay due to a legal loophole that lets them say, "YOU DIDN'T FINISH YOUR CONTRACT SO NOW WE KEEP YOUR MONEY HAHAHAHA SUCKERS!" But as we've been told, expressly, that we WILL be getting severance along with our last month's pay, and the school has mostly operated in good faith with us up to this point, I have confidence they will follow through.
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<br />If not, I know some numbers and people to call that will get them in a lot of trouble with the Labor Board. :|
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<br />We'll also be filing for our pension refunds, which is another nice chunk of change, so I'll be coming home with a decent cushion of money even though I was unable to save much. Between living expenses and paying off debts at home, I have managed to save... essentially nothing. But, hey! I was paying off student loans that were otherwise going into default, so that's something. Also I paid off the computer that I'm currently using to blog, so that's another tick off the to-do list. It's progress. I'm not complaining.
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<br />If all goes as planned, I should be getting a flight home on September 24th, which is on a Saturday. Meaning my boyfriend Chris won't have to take time off work to get me from the airport and spend some quality snuggle time with me. Bonus!
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<br />As promised, I will continue to update this blog with photos and whatnot from Korea even after I return home, until I run out of things to post. And then it will sit here, gathering dust, an archive to a time in my life when I lived all by myself on the other side of the planet for a year, teaching English to children in a country where I am a minority and my language is not the most commonly spoken. I've learned as much (if not more) than I've taught in my time here. I've learned about myself. I've learned about dealing with people I wouldn't necessarily choose to associate with, given a choice. I've learned some perspective. I've learned a little bit about being a functional adult with a steady job. I've learned so much, and yet so distressingly little, about this fascinating country and its language and people and culture. I've learned how hard it is to be away from the people and places and things that I love from home, and how surprisingly (and simultaneously) strong and weak I can be when it comes to homesickness.
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<br />I have learned that I still have a lot to learn.
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<br />But it's a good start.
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<br />See you soon,
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<br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-75590468326340679952011-08-23T06:30:00.000-07:002011-08-23T07:02:55.181-07:00Oh, hello, what's this? A blog? MY blog?!*trips over blog*
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<br />Oh! There you are. I was wondering where I'd left you. Seems I've gone and... not posted in you for a few months. Again. Sorry about that.
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<br />*dusts off the layer of neglect*
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<br />Right. So, stuff has been happening. A lot of stuff. Let me break it down in little bite-sized portions.
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<br />First off, I have WAY too many photographs to post here, and it's not an easy thing to do, so I'm going to have to find a better alternative than uploading to my Photobucket and linking here. Something a little easier to navigate and not so hard on those of you with ancient computron machines. Thus why you haven't been getting my massively picspammy posts since... well, that last one. With all the cherry blossoms. Sorry, guys. I promise, photos will be up somehow, someday, just not now or here. I'll for sure do some slideshow stuff at my welcome-back party or whatever winds up happening upon my return.
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<br />Next, a shout-out to my new friends here in Korea.
<br />-Kevan, who has excellent taste in restaurants and beer, and who is happy to provide an extra stomach to feed when I feel like cooking. Thank you for introducing me to Frypan and that shabu-shabu place. You are a godsend.
<br />-Jonna, Ben, Wally, Raph, Tim, Scott, and Julio of my D&D/Savage Worlds gaming group, you guys are great, I don't think I would have made it through the past few months without your wonderful company. What an incredibly satisfying game of 4e D&D we played! I am sad to see it end so soon. Also, you guys have the best snacks of any gaming group I've ever played with. THE BEST SNACKS. :|
<br />-Michele and Sam, who have adopted me (along with their mad dog Choco) and fed me and kept me sane here in Korealand. You two are the best. So much love and kisses. XOXOXOXOXO <3
<br />I'm going to miss you all when I go home!
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<br />So, Chris was here back at the end of April/first bit of May, and that was wonderful. Three weeks didn't seem like any time at all, though, and before I knew it I was alone in my apartment (with Gus the rabbit, but he's not really much company), missing him all over again. We spent some time with Michele and Sam, including Passover dinner on Chris' first full day in Korea, and had a bit of a jaunt in Busan (which is GORGEOUS and I wish I'd been stationed there instead), and did the touristy thing in Seoul. TONS OF PHOTOS WERE TAKEN. Not posting them here, though. Like I said, later and elsewhere. Be patient!
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<br />More recently, my good friends Hayden and Monica came to visit as well, just at the end of third semester. It was great to see them, and we did YET MORE touristy things on a budget, including visits to such must-see attractions as the Seoul Chicken Art Museum. I'm not even joking. There is photographic evidence. Their visit was more brief but nearly as action-packed as Chris'! An exhausting but wonderful time.
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<br />Regarding that fainting issue I was mentioning before, right now the best guess anyone has (including the doctors) is "it's stress-related". Awesome. Anyway, after getting on some low-dose medication to help me sleep better and reduce my stress/anxiety levels overall, the fainting seems to be under control. Hooray! Good thing such prescriptions are cheap in Korea!
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<br />(I dread returning to my lack of health insurance options in Minnesota... I'd better find a job fast, I guess.)
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<br />On the topic of jobs, I've already started applying for a few. Updated my resume and everything, even if it is a bit spartan. Hopefully, I can at the very least sniff up a few leads before I set foot on American soil once again. I'm considering applying to be a substitute teacher, since that's the only kind of teaching I'm actually qualified for in the US, and maybe working my student loans off until I can go back to school again for a proper teaching degree of some sort.
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<br />I currently have about five weeks left on my contract. Blimey, where did the time go? Feels like I just started this blog. Also feels like I just stepped off the plane, and yet at the same time, it feels I've been here far too long. I'm so very ready to come home.
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<br />Does anybody want a rabbit? Sadly, I cannot bring Gus home with me. Rabbits don't do so well on airplanes, according to my research, and that's IF I could find an airline that would allow me to take him on an international flight in-cabin with me. But since I don't have control over my flight booking, that's out of the question. It's either re-home my fuzzy little friend, or off to a shelter, and the latter idea breaks my heart.
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<br />Going to start selling off some of my things here, mostly the appliances that the school didn't provide for me. Clothes are being sorted into Keep, Ship Home, and Donate to Clothing Swap piles. Last month of classes are being planned and prepped, and I am gearing up for Mid-Terms and Evaluations which will be happening during my final week of work. It'll be jolly good fun, I'm sure.
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<br />Right before I leave, however, I get a mini-holiday. Chuseok is a major Korean holiday, and my school has decided to take that entire week off because they're awesome like that. So, I've got September 10-18th off, which is incredible. I fully intend to use that time to catch up on my sight-seeing, photography, souvenir buying, and maybe do a temple stay. I'll also probably be cleaning out the apartment as much as I can so I don't have as much to do during my final week of work.
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<br />Not sure of the exact day they'll be shipping me home, but be assured, you folks on the internets will be the first to know. And don't worry: I will continue to update this blog even after I return home, especially regarding all those photographs I'm not posting right now, and lists of things I will/won't miss about Korea. So stay tuned!
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<br />Annyooooooong!
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<br />-Maria
<br />Gypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-49771529102656970922011-06-13T05:26:00.000-07:002011-06-13T05:53:21.859-07:00A Belated Cherry Blossom PostAll right, so I've decided, since I have about three metric tons of photographs (which is quite a feat, as digital files don't weigh very much) that I will just start posting short, image-heavy entries in this blog until I get caught up. So, have some cherry blossoms!<br /><br />You can see cherry trees blooming all over Korea from early April to about the first week or so of May. The trees themselves only bloom for a couple weeks each before all the flowers fall off, but different trees in different regions bloom at different times, stretching the cherry blossom season out to about a month. Or at least, that's how it was this year. And man, it was gorgeous. <br /><br />Cherry blossoms have a very delicate, sweet scent, and in such high concentrations it was like a soft perfume hanging in the air all the time. When the flowers fell to the ground at season's end, they created an even stronger but not unpleasant aroma as they rapidly decomposed. <br /><br />Walking down the street, it was as though the trees were supporting great, sweet-smelling clouds of pinkish white. Absolutely breathtaking. <br /><br />Anyway, on to the photos. Some of these I took with my iPod, most with the good camera. <br /><br />Taken with iPod near my school and apartment:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0826.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0823.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0821.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0820.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0819.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0818.jpg"><br /><br />Night time:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5127.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5128.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5129.jpg"><br /><br />View from my apartment roof:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5130.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5131.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5132.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5133.jpg"><br /><br />Down my alley/street:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5134.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5135.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5136.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5137.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5138.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5140.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5141.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5142.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5143.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5144.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5145.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5146.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5148.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5149.jpg"><br /><br />That's my apartment building there.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5150.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5151.jpg"><br /><br />Sick of these yet?<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5152.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5153.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5154.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5155.jpg"><br /><br />Have some close-ups!<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5156.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5157.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5158.jpg"><br /><br />The local park puts up lanterns around this time of year to decorate for Festival Season (which is, apparently, every weekend between April once the cherry blossoms come out and whenever it gets cold again). <br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5159.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5160.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5161.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5164.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5167.jpg"><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5170.jpg"><br /><br />And that's pretty much it. Next post, I'll start in on Chris' visit. There will be a few more cherry blossom pics, I'm sure, but Chris will be in some of them this time. <br /><br />Enjoy your mountain of picspam. Hopefully it won't crash the blog (or your computer). <br /><br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-36984747938492446572011-06-11T05:25:00.000-07:002011-06-11T05:34:33.788-07:00Still AliveNot quite a Portal reference (okay, it was), but just a quick post here to let you all know I'm still alive. It's just been a bit hectic lately. Every time I've sat down to write a new blog post, I've either been stumped as to where I should begin, or just so cripplingly homesick and stressed that everything comes out as a long-winded whinefest. So, now I've put off posting for about two months.<br /><br />I'm not sure I'm up for writing a full post even now, but I figured I should give you guys a preview of what I'm meant to be writing. <br /><br />So, in our next episode(s?) of Hold the Kimchee:<br /><br />-I will post about the cherry blossoms, pictures included!<br />-I will post an outline and photos of my boyfriend Chris' visit to Korea.<br />-I will post various other random photos I've taken lately and the stories that go with them. I don't even remember everything that's happened lately offhand, but the pictures and videos will jog my memory. <br />-I will discuss fainting and associated problems.<br />-I will give a shout out to my new friends.<br /><br />And that should get me caught up. I intend to get this blog post up by next weekend. Because other stuff will be happening next weekend, so I'll want to blog about that as well. <br /><br />All right, I think that's all I've got steam to write for now, so signing off.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-59827825608366088012011-04-10T05:10:00.001-07:002011-04-10T06:34:11.498-07:00Q&A Session #1, Jimjilbang, Spring UpdateLots to cover this time around, guys. I slacked off on the blog way longer than I planned, mostly due to being INSANELY busy and stressed with work. Writing was too much like a chore with everything else going on, so I put it off. But! I am caught up on household chores and I no longer want to break down and sob every time something new lands on my plate at work, so I'd better get this taken care of before life gets crazy again.<br /><br />FIRST THE QUESTIONS! These are YOUR questions, dear readers! If you didn't get around to asking me a question about Korea last time, you can go ahead and post new ones in the comments, and I'll answer them in my next Q&A. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Q: What do you like most about South Korea? </span><br /><br />A: That's a tough one. I like a lot of the food (fried chicken and Korean BBQ are AMAZING), the heated floors, the transit system, the insanely inexpensive medical care (USA YOU COULD LEARN A THING OR TWO YES I AM LOOKING AT YOU). I've had mostly positive interactions with the Korean people, and the language is beautiful even if I am struggling to learn more than a handful of phrases. I love the little shops and the weird socks and the cute clothes you can buy in the endless warrens of underground subway station malls.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Q: What will you miss most when/if you come back?</span> <br /><br />A: Okay, first of all, I AM coming back. In late September/early October, most likely. I am not staying for more than the one year my contract outlines, but barring any mishaps, I shouldn't be returning earlier than that. But just to make that clear. <br /><br />As for what I'll miss, I'm probably going to have a list. Mostly the aforementioned stuff I like about South Korea. I think I'll compile such a list right before I leave the country as part of my final post in this blog. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Q: How many people are bilingual over there? </span> <br />A: A lot of Koreans speak English to some degree of proficiency or another, though not as many as I had expected. Koreans also commonly learn Chinese, and sometimes Japanese, as second languages. I'd have to say that overall, they are more likely to speak a second language than Americans, though I don't know if I'd go so far as to say bilingual. A few of my students were raised at some point in the US or Canada, however, so they might count, as their English was learned from a very young age, even if they aren't quite fluent.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Q: What are the public bathrooms like? what are public spaces like in general? tidy? littered? gummy sidewalks? well-kept greenery? a little wild? in good repair? </span><br /><br />A: Ok, that's actually a lot of questions, but I'll address it as though it were one. <br />The city I live in, Anyang, and the city where I work, Uiwang, are both fairly clean. You get your share of nasty smells from sewers and garbage in spots, but that's how it is in any large metropolitan area in the world. Some parts of Seoul are less clean *coughcoughItaewoncough*, but Korea has definitely moved into the modern era in terms of maintaining their cities, and they are comparable if not cleaner than most cities I've seen in America or even Spain. Not a ton of litter or gum on the sidewalks. Trees and so forth are maintained. The pollution is pretty bad, though.<br /><br />Public restrooms are another matter. They can really vary from place to place, and while most of the ones I've been in are all right, I've run into a few really nasty restrooms here. It's a mixed bag, like anywhere you go in the US. You'll generally find cleaner restrooms in/near chain restaurants, and some of the major subway stations have well-maintained restrooms, but the ones near bars are pretty scummy. Also, you need to make sure you bring your own tissues, because not all restrooms will provide you with toilet paper. I've found the ones that do, as a rule of thumb, are usually cleaner and in better repair than the ones that do not. Also, some of the restrooms have Eastern-style toilets only, which means you have to squat over a trench in the floor. It was awkward, as a Westerner, to use this style of toilet at first, but I've gotten pretty good at not pissing on my own shoes. <br /><br />ALL RIGHT. So, that covers that. End of the first Hold the Kimchee Q&A session.<br /><br />Now on to my comprehensive jimjilbang report!<br /><br />A jimjilbang, for the uninitiated, literally means "sauna room" in Korean. It's a bath house, basically. First, you check in at the counter. You pay the entry fee, which covers access to the facilities, a locker key, towels, and pajamas.<br /><br />The jimjilbang my friend Michele and I went to was pretty nice, 8,000 won per person on a Sunday afternoon. We got our towels and headed downstairs to the shoe lockers. Leaving our shoes in the little lockers there, we continued on to the bathing area, which is separated by gender. After collecting a set of simple pajamas each, we headed to more lockers to strip and stow the rest of our belongings. There's a concessions counter in the bathing area where you can buy toiletries if you didn't bring your own, but we did, so once we were naked we headed into the baths.<br /><br />First, we showered. There's an option of getting scrubbed down really thoroughly with exfoliating towels, but it costs extra, so we decided to wait until next time to try that. Once we were all clean, we headed to one of the hot pools. The hot pools are just how I like a good, hot bath. After a relaxing soak, we took a dip in the cold pool, then tried one of the sauna rooms. I endured the sauna for a few minutes before breathing the hot air started to bother me, and moved back to the hot pool. <br /><br />Meanwhile, all the other women and girls around us are naked. No bathing suits. The towels are small, what we would call "hand towels", so no real chance at covering up. And <span style="font-style:italic;">nobody cares.</span> Nobody's really looking at you, and if they are, it's the sort of open, casual curiosity you get from people who like to sit on park benches and "people watch". It's surprisingly not at all uncomfortable, or at least it wasn't for me. Of course, I'd left my glasses in my locker so everything was a bit blurry, and I didn't have to really notice if someone was looking at me. <br /><br />Obviously, I don't have pictures, because... well, that's not allowed. Not in the bathing area, anyway.<br /><br />After the dipping and soaking, we toweled off and put on the provided pajamas, which are just simple cotton shorts and t-shirts. Very comfortable, one-size-fits-all things. We headed upstairs where we had the option of getting massages, foot soaks, and various other services. The foot soak was another 3,000 won and came with scented salts. I got lavender. As we were soaking our feet, a girl from Michele's school, Sejin, came by to visit with us. She didn't speak much English, but she was adorable and very sweet, bringing us water to drink while we sat with our feet in brightly colored, scented, bubbling hot water. <br /><br />After the soak, we tried to curl up in one of the "cooler" saunas, which was still too warm for me to feel comfortable sleeping in. So, that idea abandoned, we sat for awhile in the Cold Room, which had ice on the walls and was pretty much like walking into a giant refrigerator. Sejin was so excited to hang out with us, and eventually brought us upstairs to another lounge area to meet her family.<br /><br />The lounge areas were mixed-gender, had mats on the floor for napping or just relaxing, televisions, and snack bars for refreshments. It was very low-key and pleasant, with an overall sense of comfort and community. Probably the most "cultural" experience I've had since I arrived in Korea. We hung out on mats, snacked, and chatted with Sejin's mom and sister and grandmother. I DID get some pictures of that. <br /><br />Michele and Sejin, who is showing off her "handeu-pon" (cellphone).<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0766.jpg"><br /><br />Me with my towel turban.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0768.jpg"><br /><br />Group shots!<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0769.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0770.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0771.jpg"><br /><br />I felt amazingly relaxed and at peace with the world after this experience. I want to do a jimjilbang trip every month! It's incredible, recharges the body and the spirit, and is just a wonderful way to spend time and bond with friends. Not to mention making new friends!<br /><br />IN OTHER NEWS...<br /><br />One of our Korean teachers, Amy, had to leave due to her baby being in the hospital. We were all very sad to see her go. Amy is a wonderful, sweet lady, and I hope that her baby gets better. The school hired on a new teacher to take her classes: Lynn. Lynn is very friendly and cute, and we get along quite well. <br /><br />Look at her. Don't you just want to put her in your pocket? =^3^=<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0776.jpg"><br /><br />The new kindergarten class, despite a few last-minute changes and some stress, is going pretty well. The kids are all very young, and thus sometimes difficult to keep focused, but they're super cute and most of them seem enthusiastic about the classes. I took a few photos as my seven-year-old class left for the day. Aren't they adorable?<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0778.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0780.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0783.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0786.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0789.jpg"><br /><br />Today, I saw the first cherry blossoms on the trees as I walked to the Lotte Mart for groceries. Spring is finally here. I expect I'll be seeing a lot more of them in the next week or so, and I promise to get out the good camera for some better photos. In the meantime, here are a few iPod photos:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0792.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0793.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0794.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0796.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0799.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0800.jpg"><br /><br /><br />Before I hit the grocery shopping, I broke down and went into a Dunkin' Donuts for the first time since arriving in Korea, which is quite a feat considering you can't throw a stone without hitting a Dunkin' Donuts or Paris Baguette here. I had a green tea latte iced bubble tea, which was fabulous, and picked out a selection of donuts including a glutinous rice cake custard-filled donut and a red bean/walnut filled donut, which I ate in the shop with my bubble tea. The other donuts I brought home, and... I'm not sure if I really want to eat them, but the novelty was too much to resist.<br /><br />Here they are:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0801.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0802.jpg"><br /><br />Top left is a raspberry donut. So far, so good. Below that is a fried tofu donut, which I did eat after taking this photo, and it was pretty tasty. Not sure what made it a tofu donut, but I guess tofu is a pretty mild flavor when it's buried in sugar glazing. To the right of that we have a carrot donut. Not... TOO weird, I guess. I mean, we have carrot cake, right? <br /><br />Then the <span style="font-style:italic;">pièce de résistance</span>, a spinach donut. Yes, spinach. I'm a little afraid to eat that one, really. I mean, I like spinach, and I like donuts, but this seems like an unholy union of wrongness to me.<br /><br />On a final note, Chris will be here for his visit in slightly less than two weeks. I am steadily growing more giddy with every passing day. I still need to plan how I'm getting to the airport and getting us back home to my apartment. Then I need to figure out how we're getting to Busan and/or Jeju during my vacation week. Not to mention where we'll be staying. *flails*<br /><br />I AM SO EXCITED YOU GUYS I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE WORDS.<br /><br />Okay. I'd best get ready for bed. Good night, world, and I will have an update again... probably when Chris gets here, or maybe slightly before that if I get some good cherry blossom photos to share.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-33604154438261279222011-03-24T04:53:00.000-07:002011-03-24T05:15:10.236-07:00Maria's Recipe Corner #2: Cole Slaw Fritatta = Frislawtta?No, this isn't the Q&A or jimjilbang post I promised you. Instead, it's time for another interlude of MARIA'S RECIPE CORNER. (Imagine some echo and dramatic orchestra music there.) Fear not, I will return you to your regularly scheduled posts sometime this weekend.<br /><br />Until then...<br /><br />Do you like cole slaw?<br /><br />Do you like eggs? <br /><br />Then, by all means, READ ON!<br /><br />Living on a very tight grocery budget here in Korea has brought me back to my culinary experimentation roots: college. Ah, those were the days. I'd just throw whatever I had left in the fridge or the cupboards together and hope that it turned out edible. While I created a few massive gastronomical disasters, I also invented a few really fabulous recipes. Today, I have returned to this tried and true method of making interesting edibles, and have soundly landed in the latter category.<br /><br />I'm surprised nobody has done this before.<br /><br />Okay, first, I suppose I should give you my cole slaw recipe. LOOK AT THAT! TWO RECIPES! Aren't you guys spoiled? It's super simple:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Creamy Cole Slaw (Maria style)</span><br />-half a head of cabbage, chopped<br />-one large carrot (Korean carrots are apparently HUGE, so you may need two or three regular-sized American carrots), shredded or chopped fine<br />-Vinegar (except I had none, so I used a creamy onion dressing that had vinegar in it)<br />-Mayonaise<br />-salt<br />-sugar<br />-olive oil<br /><br />Toss chopped veggies together. In another bowl, mix enough mayo to coat your veggies (just eyeball it) with the other ingredients to taste. You don't need a lot of any of it, probably less than a tablespoon or two of oil and vinegar and just a pinch of salt and sugar. Pour mayo mix over cabbage and carrots. Toss to coat. <br /><br />Now, I made WAY TOO MUCH of this stuff. It turned out friggin' delicious, but I just couldn't eat it all fast enough, even eating it EVERY DAY for lunch for a week. It was starting to look a little wilty in my tupperware container. So, I improvised.<br /><br />I thought, "Why has nobody put cole slaw in a fritatta? This bears investigation." Because lo! Not a single cole slaw fritatta recipe on the internet. (Google wouldn't lie to me.) UNTIL NOW. I am breaking new ground here. <br /><br />So, without further ado, I present to you:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Frislawtta</span><br /><br />-leftover cole slaw, about 1 1/2 cups<br />-6 eggs<br />-salt and pepper to taste<br />-1 small chopped onion<br /><br />Now, I probably should have added onion to the slaw in the first place, but I was stupid and didn't think of it. Also the basic cole slaw recipe I looked at for inspiration didn't call for onion. I figured onion was good in eggs, though, and I had a ton of them in my fridge waiting to get used, so I tossed that in as well.<br /><br />Anyway. Beat your eggs in a medium-to-large bowl until frothy (yeah, baby), add salt and pepper. Fold in your onions and cole slaw GENTLY (you want those eggs fluffy) until just combined. Pour into a greased pan (I used an 8x8 square brownie pan) and bake in the oven at 390 F (200 C) for about half an hour, or until the top is golden brown and it's not all jiggly in the middle. You may have to adjust oven temp or baking time, as I did mine in a toaster oven. <br /><br />Eat it while it's hot. It's fan-flippin'-tastic. <br /><br />Ate half for dinner, I'm going to have the rest of this for lunch tomorrow. <br /><br />Here's a picture to get your mouths watering:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0772.jpg"><br /><br />That's been our recipe corner segment! Enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Next post:</span><br />-Your questions, ANSWERED!<br />-The secrets of the Korean jimjilbang, REVEALED!<br />-The acting chops of my Book Club 2 students, TESTED!<br />-More footage of Gus the rabbit, EXPOSED!<br />-And possibly some coverage of the PSNAP SNAPS art festival thingy in Hongdae this Sunday, if I can afford metro fare to go. <br /><br />UNTIL NEXT TIME! <br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-8462455042382162192011-03-12T03:52:00.000-08:002011-03-12T04:36:02.220-08:00Shaking Things Up...It's a terrible title, I know. (At least I didn't make the Godzilla comment again.) But it encompasses the theme of this particular blog update. Namely, the earthquakes in Japan, and the more metaphorical way my life's been shaken up lately.<br /><br />First of all, don't worry, I didn't even feel a tremor over here in Korea. All the earthquakes seem to be moving eastward, and since I'm west of Japan, no problems here so far. I'm donating some money to the relief fund like I did for Haiti, but I couldn't send one of those fancy texts. So, there's a Paypal option at www.globalgiving.org, and I've donated $10 there. <br /><br />As for the metaphorical shaking, it's not a super big deal, but it's adding a bit of stress to my life right now. A couple weeks ago, my co-teacher Nana and I were told we'd be teaching morning Kindergarten classes. Brand new curriculum and materials, completely separate of the things we're teaching in Library Program or even the regular Global Star curriculum the other teachers are doing. We only just received those materials a few days ago, and due to being busy with my other classes, I hadn't had much time to look them over (and I forgot to take them home this weekend). <br /><br />On top of that, this morning I got a text message saying that the classes would start an <i>hour earlier</i> than we were previously told, which means I'll have an hour less prep time than I thought on Monday morning. This means I'll have about thirty minutes to plan a brand new lesson for twelve kindergarten kids using materials I've never used before. <br /><br />Not only <i>that</i>, but Monday is my busiest class prep day, making sure I have all of my materials ready for the week's classes, and this new class is going to cut into at least an hour of that prep time (the half hour of prep and the 30 minutes of class itself). So, needless to say, Monday is going to be an incredibly busy and stressful day for me. If we manage to get everything ready on time and the class goes off without a hitch, it should be fine, but that's going to take some serious ass-busting on our parts and a heaping helping of luck. <br /><br />In other news...<br /><br />It appears that people DO read this blog after all. Thanks to everyone who commented! It's nice to see some of the lurkers come out of the woodwork. ;)<br /><br />Gus is doing well. I just got paid, so that meant Gus got fresh food, litter, and hay this weekend, which made him a very happy bunny. He's currently napping in his cage. <br /><br />Here's a video:<br /><br /><embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvidmg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv129%2Fpsycocatgirl%2FGus%2520the%2520Rabbit%2FIMG_0765.mp4"><br /><br />I think I'm going to do a Q&A post next time. So, here's your chance!<br /><br /><size=7><b>ASK MARIA ABOUT KOREA!</b></size><br /><br />Got a question you've been dying to ask me about Korea? Ask me a question before that never got answered? Well, here's your chance! Any questions I get in the comments here will be answered in next week's blog post. So you have until I start working on the new post to get those questions in! <br /><br />That's it for now. <br /><br />Bai bai,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-80511747178976079832011-03-02T01:42:00.000-08:002011-03-02T01:59:06.077-08:00Incheon (or "Is This Thing On?")Does anyone actually read this? I get so few comments, that I wonder sometimes if it's worth updating, or if it's pretty much just ignored. This isn't some desperate cry for attention or anything, it would just be nice to know if there's an audience out there. It's the internet, so I can't even hear the crickets chirping. ;) So, if you're reading this, please comment. Even if it's just to say, "Hi, I read this!" <br /><br />Not a lot of news, really. Yesterday was a national holiday, Korean Independence Day (a.k.a. "Up Yours, Japan!" Day). No fireworks or festivals. Just a day off work that's going to screw up my Tuesday lesson plans for the rest of the semester (since they'll all be a week behind the rest of my classes). It was nice to get caught up on laundry and other chores, though, so I'm not really complaining.<br /><br />I did go to Incheon to visit Michele and Sam last weekend. We met in Itaewon, had some marvelous Chinese-American cuisine at Ho Lee Chao (read it out loud, it's cute), and I discovered that I like eggplant. Who knew! We headed back to Incheon for the weekend, made bread dough for calzones and, well, bread, and basically just bummed around watching movies and such. I slept on a floor mat called a "yo", which was surprisingly comfortable for how thin it was. <br /><br />Michele is a wonderful person. She sure knows how to feed her guests! We had a good time, and I left with a blender and a backpack she wasn't using, so that was cool. I can now make smoothies and I have a better way to transport my laptop to and from work. <br /><br />We, unfortunately, did not go to the jimjilbang (Korean sauna/bath house), or the fish market, or Chinatown. It was raining like crazy on Sunday, so we stayed in and watched Steve Martin flicks. Next time, though, well will attempt to do at least two of the three, and I will make homemade cinnamon rolls (with the magical Ceylon cinnamon that does NOT kill me via allergic reaction). <br /><br />In other news... <br /><br />I had to get my toilet replaced. Ouch. Expensive. Apparently you're not supposed to flush toilet paper or q-tips down the can. Oops. <br /><br />On a happier note, my fantastic boyfriend Chris has his passport and a plane ticket booked for the end of April! He'll be landing Friday afternoon on April 22nd, so I'll still be at work when he gets here, but I should be able to get to the airport within a few hours after he arrives. He'll have time to grab some food and maybe a bath at the airport jimjilbang in the meantime. I'M SO EXCITED! \o/<br /><br />No photos this time 'round. Just a general update. I'm trying to post more often, even though it feels like nothing really interesting is happening around here. It's probably at least somewhat interesting to you folks back home, right? <br /><br />Well, either way.<br /><br />Peace,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-29152226471382918462011-02-23T03:05:00.000-08:002011-02-23T04:10:20.658-08:00New FriendsInstead of writing a general catch up post (though I'll give you a quick recap), I thought I'd start writing according to theme. This post will be about friends. <br /><br />Now, I like the people that I work with. Korean, Canadian, Welsh, they're all decent folk and I get along with them for the most part. But outside of work, I don't spend a lot of time with any of them, even the Canadians who live in the same little apartment building. So I've been trying to branch out, make friends in other places. I've succeeded in three different social arenas.<br /><br />I went to a clothing swap in Seoul a couple of weeks ago. No pics, but I got a lot of neat stuff that was new to me in exchange for getting rid of some clothes that didn't fit me anymore (due to losing all this weight). I met a cool chick named Jonna (pronounced yawn-ah) and some other really awesome ladies, and we had a fun time chatting, trying on each others' old clothes, giving our unbiased opinions on who looked good in what, and munching on snacks.<br /><br />I frequent a <a href="http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/">forum</a> at Dave's ESL Cafe where lots of Korea and ESL teaching-related discussions happen, as well as the more random forum fare, and threads for folks who want to buy/sell/trade things. I've met a few folks by buying things from them on the forum and meeting up in various parts of Seoul to swap cash and goods. It was a random thread on weight loss, however, that led me to meet my friend Michele. She offered to help me with a diet plan and acted as a cheerleader to keep me on it. I lost a good 6 or 7 pounds with her help! We've hung out a couple of times now, once in Itaewon and once at her place up in Incheon, and I'll be visiting her again this weekend for homemade pizzas and jimjilbang (Korean sauna/bath house). More on that next weekend.<br /><br />Anyway, here's Michele and her wonderful boyfriend British!Sam (not to be confused with Canadian!Sam):<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0681.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0679.jpg"><br /><br />My school is set up a bit differently than most Korean private academies (known as "hagwon"). It's a government-funded English center, with a full library on the third floor, our school on the second floor, and a daycare center on the first. Though I technically work for the school, I teach my Library Program classes on the third floor in one of the two library classrooms. As such, I've had more interaction with the library staff than some of the other teachers. <br /><br />Hae Young and I met when I was volunteering at the library Christmas program one weekend. She said she would show me around Seoul sometime, and we've been trying to get together for a day to hang out ever since! Our first several weekend plans fell through completely. Then, for my birthday, she got as far as meeting me for a nice ride on the subways before getting called into work. It turned out okay, but we both felt we should try for another time. <br /><br />FINALLY, last weekend, we met up for a Sunday movie. I'd suggested Tangled, but it was sold out, so we wound up seeing Sanctum instead. We were joined by another library staffer, whose name I mangled so badly he said I could just call him "Dog." Or maybe it was "Doug." I'm not sure. <br /><br />Hae Young bought me an adorable head band (which I should really take pictures of sometime) with a little bunny on it, and after the movie we went out for melt-your-freakin'-face-off spicy chicken. It was delicious, but so hot I couldn't eat very much. <br /><br />Here's me with my new Korean friends:<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0752.jpg"><br /><br />SPICY!<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0754.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0757.jpg"><br /><br />HOLD THE KIMCHI, PLEASE!<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0755.jpg"><br /><br />NO DON'T EAT IT!<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0756.jpg"><br /><br />So, there you have it. New friends.<br /><br />IN OTHER NEWS...<br /><br />Itaewon is my new favorite place on the weekends since Michele showed me where the foreign food markets are. I can now buy Cheetohs, ginger ale, Pop Tarts, oatmeal, instant mashed potatoes, and any number of other dubiously healthy Western foods. She also introduced me to Tartine bakery, which does this amazing Romanian peasant bread and their own (expensive!) butter. <br /><br />Itaewon also had this red panda hat, which I HAD to buy, because... come on. Red panda. <br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0738.jpg"><br /><br />It has little feets!<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0741.jpg"><br /><br />AND A TAIL!<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0742.jpg"><br /><br />That little street-crossing tunnel near my apartment had more art in it last time I went through. A whole design school's art show, actually. I walked through about a block's worth of amazing paper sculpture and other works. I also took a bajillion photos with my iPod, which I'm not going to post here because it would make this post a mile long. Instead, have some links.<br /><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0693.jpg">1</a>|<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0694.jpg">2</a>|<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0695.jpg">3</a>|<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0696.jpg">4</a>|<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0697.jpg">5</a>|<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0698.jpg">6</a>|<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0699.jpg">7</a>|<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0700.jpg">8</a>|<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0701.jpg">9</a>|<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0702.jpg">10</a><br /><br />Argh, that's taking forever, too. I'll figure out a better way to post these. Maybe I'll just stick them on Facebook. :P<br /><br />Magpies are really common here, like crows are in Minnesota, but magpies are prettier. Now, I love me some spooky black birds, but magpies have a certain dignity with their long tails, crisp black and white markings, and that glossy iridescent sheen of blue-green-purple to their dark feathers. Canadian!Sam calls them "majestic" and I can't really argue the term. They are. They're majestic. I finally got a (not very good) shot of one. They're pretty bold birds, but oddly camera shy. I'll see if I can't get a better shot with the good camera, now that the weather is warming up.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0748.jpg"><br /><br />I took a picture of this random sign in the subway station because I thought the little dude looked like a chibi Castiel from Supernatural, and that amused me.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0736.jpg"><br /><br />I also took a picture of this sign in the bathroom where I work. <br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0692.jpg"><br /><br />As you may have noticed from previous posts, I've lost a lot of weight since I got here. Still flabby in the middle, but that could be cured with a bit more exercise to tone up the muscles. I appear to be losing weight at an average of a pound a week, which is nice and healthy. I could probably be losing more if I laid off the sweets entirely, but hey, don't expect miracles from me. The rate I'm going at is just fine. <br /><br />Here's a recent pic. I'm barely sucking it in! Ignore my double chin there. XD<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Just%20Me/IMG_0685.jpg"><br /><br />This was a reference shot for my Valentine's gift to Chris:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Just%20Me/IMG_0688.jpg"><br /><br />Gus is doing much better lately as well. He had some kind of scab on his nose, but I think that's because he scratched himself. I really need to take him to a vet and learn how to trim his nails. He has a swanky new cage and gets lots of fresh veggies in addition to his hay and pellets, and as much free time to run around the apartment as I can possibly allow him. Essentially, if I am awake, at home, and not cleaning, he has the run of the place.<br /><br />Edit: I had some Gus videos up, but they weren't working properly, so I took them down. Will try to fix the problem and re-post later. :(<br /><br />And that's it for now. Next weekend I should have plenty of great stuff to share about bath houses, Incheon, and making pizzas. <br /><br />Love,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-13205061560332108592011-02-16T05:18:00.000-08:002011-02-16T05:23:51.489-08:00Maria's Recipe Corner #1: AMAZEBALLS!<p>So, I decided to start writing down some of my experiments-gone-right in the kitchen, since I might want to attempt reproducing the results later. Or, hey, you never know-- someone ELSE might want to try the recipes I cobble together mostly by luck and sheer stubbornness. <br /></p><p>I'll probably write a proper post (with more Gus videos and some funny photos) this weekend, but for now, have a recipe. Let's start with something easy.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">ZOMG AMAZEBALLS!</span><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>That's the official name for this recipe. It's simple, but it takes awhile to make. </p><p> </p><p>Ingredients:</p><p>About 2-3 cups of leftover mashed potatoes (at least chill in the fridge for an hour before making AMAZEBALLS)</p><p>1 or 2 eggs</p><p>Cheese of choice, cubed</p><p>Salt & pepper and other seasonings as desired</p><p>Frying oil of choice</p><p>Potato starch (optional) or panko crumbs (I haven't tried this one yet, but I saw another similar recipe that used it and it sounds YUMMY). You don't necessarily need to dip your balls in anything. I'm sure naked balls fry up just as well.</p><p> </p><p>Mix potatoes (seasoned as desired) and eggs in a large bowl until eggs are totally incorporated. You might want to just squish your hands in there to be sure. Scoop generous spoonfuls into your palm and flatten the potato mixture, then stick a piece of cheese in the middle and fold the potatoes around it until it's all tucked in. Make into a ball and flatten slightly (but not so much that the cheese pokes out). Dip in optional potato starch or panko crumbs for extra crispiness on the outside. The potato starch is also nice because it keeps the raw balls from sticking to each other in the bowl. Nobody likes sticky balls.</p><p> </p><p>I fried mine in my wok in about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of canola oil, medium heat. Oil should be hot enough to cook the balls quickly without soaking into the potato too much, but not so hot that you get scorching or spattering. You don't want burned or soggy balls. Flip them when they're golden brown on one side, scoop out with a little strainer or wooden spoon, drain on napkins. </p><p> </p><p>I KNOW THEY'RE SUPER EXCITING AND YOU WILL WANT TO EAT THEM IMMEDIATELY BUT JUST WAIT A SEC! THEY WILL BE MOLTEN LAVA HOT.</p><p> </p><p>Great side dish, or eaten on their own. I inhaled like five of the damn things (with blisters in my throat to prove it) before they were done sizzling. The burning never tasted so good. I am full now.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/RECIPE%20WIN/IMG_0747.jpg" /><br /></p><p> </p><p>ENJOY! </p>Gypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-30622825944513746922011-02-03T03:35:00.000-08:002011-02-03T04:47:25.038-08:00Lunar New Year Break Massive Update Part #2There was so much picspam in the last post that I felt the need to break this up into smaller posts, lest I overload your poor computers with AWESOME. ;)<br /><br />On Monday after the semester ended, we came into work, did a bit of lesson planning, some teachers swapped rooms, and so on. Then, after lunch, we piled onto one of our shuttle buses and headed up to Paju where Woongjin headquarters are located. <br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5045.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5046.jpg" /><br /><br />We got a tour of the building, met a bunch of people WAY higher on the pay scale, and basically got to... not work all afternoon. <br /><br />We got to see the roof of the building, too!<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5047.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5048.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5049.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5050.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5051.jpg" /><br /><br />After the tour, we got to check out a secondhand book store, and the company let us pick a complimentary book, CD, or DVD. I wound up picking up a box set of Hana Yori Dango on DVD for less than $6. Nice! The bookstore itself was fun to explore. It was small, but labyrinthine.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5052.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5053.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5054.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5055.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5056.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5057.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5059.jpg" /><br /><br />After the book store, we went to dinner at a really nice place in town. Mmmm, galbi! I love Korean BBQ! The restaurant had really quaint decor.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5060.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5061.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5062.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5063.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5064.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5065.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5066.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5068.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5069.jpg" /><br /><br />That guy I'm sitting next to was really nice. The way he explained it, I think he was on the same level as Steven in terms of the company hierarchy. We were also joined by Steven's boss, so that was pretty cool.<br /><br />After Tuesday, vacation officially began. I haven't really done much since it started, to be honest. I haven't really gone out to take pictures much or anything. Well, here's some of me in a subway station with a cool bench sculpture:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4976.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4975.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4977.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4978.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4981.jpg" /><br /><br />I'm so classy.<br /><br />Otherwise, I've been just keeping up with household chores, buying groceries, bonding with Gus, watching movies, drawing, reading, sleeping a LOT, and... being lazy in general. I did go visit a friend in Incheon a few days ago, and we're going to get together in Itaewon tomorrow for some shopping and whatnot. Mostly, though, I've been at home.<br /><br />In other news!<br /><br />I've lost 3 kilos (about 6.6 pounds) since I started my new diet. That puts me at 70 kilos or about 154 pounds. I haven't weighed in that low for a few years now, so that feels pretty darn good! I look better, too! Check me out! I'm barely even sucking it in. ;)<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Just%20Me/DSCN5106.jpg" /><br /><br />So, yeah, I guess this low-carb thing works. I'm going to do it a few weeks more, but I'm going to start introducing more fruit and whole grains pretty soon. I miss bread and fruit. TT_TT<br /><br />Still looking for a good taekwondo/hapkido place in Anyang. Itaewon is really too much of a commute (and an expense) to bother with. On my budget, anyway. It's too bad, as I liked the place in Itaewon, but only being able to go once a week really didn't appeal.<br /><br />News about Gus! So, apparently the poor guy hadn't had his cage cleaned in ages when I'd first gotten him, so he had a crusty nose, watery eyes, and a respiratory infection. I don't know HOW I missed this when I picked him up, but I only got a peek at him under a towel in a dim subway station, so I suppose I can be excused for my lack of observational skills. After thoroughly cleaning his cage, giving him a better diet with fresh veggies as well as pellets and hay, and spending some heartbreaking days trying to clean the crust off his nose with a warm wet rag, he started to recover. <br />This is how he looked before:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/IMG_0664.jpg" /><br /><br />Getting better: <br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN4995.jpg" /><br /><br />And how he looks now:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN5079.jpg" /> <br />I know that it's hard to see the improvement in that last pic, but he doesn't pose well for close-ups. Trust me, it's MUCH better. His eyes are no longer watery, and his nose looks healthy and pink! Also, he seems to enjoy hanging out in the bathroom.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN5078.jpg" /><br /><br />Apparently, he's forgiven me for the washcloth treatment, because he likes to run circles around my legs and do this little shimmy-jump called a "binky. These are expressions of pure bunny joy, as you can see in the below videos.<br /><br />Failed attempt to capture the happy: <br /><embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvidmg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv129%2Fpsycocatgirl%2FGus%2520the%2520Rabbit%2FIMG_0674.mp4"></embed><br /><br />Binky (with bonus Chris on iChat!)<br /><embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvidmg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv129%2Fpsycocatgirl%2FGus%2520the%2520Rabbit%2FIMG_0675.mp4"></embed><br /><br />Happy dance!<br /><embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvidmg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv129%2Fpsycocatgirl%2FGus%2520the%2520Rabbit%2FIMG_0677.mp4"></embed><br /><br />Well, it is now officially Lunar New Year, also known as Seollal in Korean. Year of the Metal Rabbit, 2011. Let's hope it's a good one!<br /><br />Here, have an adorable non-Gus bunny pic:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/wabbit.jpg" /><br /><br />Sorry for being so lazy on updates. I'll do my best to post more often. <3<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-3606076027824619522011-02-01T02:32:00.000-08:002011-02-03T03:53:50.847-08:00Lunar New Year Break Massive UpdateI've got a great big whopping bunch of stuff that's happened since the last blog post, so I'm going to break it down into chunks here. And yes, I've FINALLY gotten off my lazy bum to write all of it!<br /><br />I made it through my first semester (which is about 3 months here) as a teacher. During the last week of classes, I brought in treats for the kids and had them all making class posters to hold up for class photos. It was a lot of fun, and the kids seemed to enjoy it, even the older ones. So, here are my students! <br /><br />Ready? PICSPAM AHOY!<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4931.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4932.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4935.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4940.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4942.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4945.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4946.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4910.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4913.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4915.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4916.jpg" /><br /><br />Poor Joseph. My class of one! He made me a pretty origami rose. <3<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4917.jpg" /><br /><br />My co-teacher Nana and one of our favorite girls, Ella.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4918.jpg" /><br /><br />Hard at work on those posters!<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4920.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4921.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4922.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4924.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4926.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4927.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4946-1.jpg" /><br /><br />My Book Nanny kids are so charming.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4948.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4949.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4953.jpg" /><br /><br />One of my favorite Book Club 2 classes, Sunny and Lisa!<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4955.jpg" /><br /><br />They are also very charming. XD<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4956.jpg" /><br /><br />All of my Monday through Thursday posters!<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4957.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4958.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4959.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4960.jpg" /><br /><br />Friday's classes!<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4962.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4964.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4965.jpg" /><br /><br />My hilarious Book Club 3 kids!<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4969.jpg" /><br /><br />Last class of the day!<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4970.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4971.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Uiwang%20EPC%201st%20Semester%20Class%20Photos/DSCN4974.jpg" /><br /><br />And that was the end of classes! I'm currently on the tail end of our 2 week break, which was actually more of a week and a half break since we had to come in on Monday and Tuesday, but those were pretty easy-going days. Some lesson planning, a visit to headquarters (more on that in the next post!) and classroom clean-up. <br /><br />Next topic!<br /><br />I turned 27 on January 22nd. I am a perfect cube! (3x3x3=27) I guess that's better than being a square. ;P<br /><br />For my birthday, I got... no cake. Apparently the folks at work finally decided to take my diet seriously and didn't get me one. Which was fine. We went out for lunch as an end-of-the-semester treat, and they gave everyone two bottles of nice red wine as a Lunar New Year gift, so I wasn't actually bothered. Even though I'd told myself I would allow myself to eat cake for my birthday. I got a Toblerone bar instead. Yum!<br /><br />The following Sunday, I met up with my friend Hae Young from the library. We met in Anyang station, then headed up to Insadong via the subways. After a nice chat on the train, she asked if we could meet up with a friend. I was fine with that. We got to the station, met up with her friend Jun, and then... she had to leave! Since she is a government worker, she got texted and called in for a snow emergency! After a quick introduction and apologies, she left me in Jun's capable (if confused) hands.<br /><br />We both felt a bit awkward about the situation but decided to make the best of it. He showed me around Insadong for a bit, which has a lot of traditional tea and ceramics shops. It was pretty neat, though everything in the shops was SUPER expensive. Then he showed me one of the royal palaces. I, of course, took a bunch of pictures.<br /><br />Ready?<br /><br />Picspam time.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5004.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5005.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5006.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5007.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5008.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5009.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5010.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5011.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5012.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5013.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5014.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5015.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5019.jpg" /><br /><br />After checking out the castle, we headed through some underground subway-connected <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5021.jpg">tunnels</a> to get out of the snow for a bit, then caught a cab to a movie theater to meet up with some of Jun's friends.<br /><br />Jun introduced me to I Kyun (also known as "Ikuro") and a few other friends (that I have, I am ashamed to admit, forgotten their names). We watched "The Last Godfather", which was a really goofy comedy spoofing on the Mafia, starring a famous Korean comedian. I thought it was fun, even if it wasn't the most amazing film ever, but most of all it just felt good to get out of my apartment and go see a movie with some nice people. We had pretty much the whole theater to ourselves, and Ikuro joked that he'd rented it out just for my birthday. How sweet!<br /><br />After the movie, I figured I should get back to my rabbit, Gus, and make sure he was fed. His water bottle is so tiny that I worry about him during the day. Ikuro and Jun walked me back to the subway station, being the kind gentlemen they were. I took a few more pictures along the way.<br /><br />Me and Ikuro:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5022.jpg" /><br /><br />Jun and Ikuro:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5023.jpg" /><br /><br />Insadong (I think?) at night:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5024.jpg" /><br /><br />Satellite dish or sideways Ferris wheel?<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5025.jpg" /><br /><br />Ikuro and I taking pictures of each other:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5026.jpg" /><br /><br />Me being my cool self:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN5027.jpg" /><br /><br />They made sure I got on the right train, and wished me a good night. Despite plans not working out as expected, having cold wet boots, and not getting to spend time with Hae Young, I'd had a pretty awesome time in Insadong. What a great birthday! I have my new Korean friends to thank for that.<br /><br />Well, now that I've picspammed the heck out of this post, I'd better continue the rest of my update in the next one!<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-31712486693320157672011-01-16T02:28:00.000-08:002011-01-16T02:48:18.900-08:00Enter the Rabbit: GusI got a rabbit today!<br /><br />After taking the subway all the way to Seokchon station (a little over an hour away), I met Jennifer near the station exit. She'd brought the cage with her, covered in a towel to protect him against the bitter cold, and she gave me a couple bags of food. I finally learned his name: Gus. All I needed to do was find a cab and take him home. <br /><br />Easier said than done! The first cab wouldn't go all the way back to Anyang, and the second cab driver didn't speak any English, so we had to figure things out using an interpreter service via cell phone. Once he understood where I wanted to go, we were off! Gus was very quiet, though he seemed fine when I peeked under the towel at him. I decided, at some point during the ride, that Gus must be short for something. So, his full name is Augustus St. John Carbuncle III. But he finds it a bit pretentious and too much of a mouthful besides, so we're sticking with "Gus", at least among friends.<br /><br />The driver got us all the way to Anyang, but then there was some confusion about where my apartment building was. We drove around in circles until he finally drove past an area that was familiar to me, and I used my extremely limited Korean to direct him to the right neighborhood. Finally, home! Safe and sound.<br /><br />I set his cage down in a cozy corner and took the towel off his cage so he could get used to the sounds and smells around him. I didn't let him out right away, not wanting to overwhelm the little guy. His water bottle was empty, so I filled it, and he chugged down the whole bottle so I filled it again. Instead of giving him more pellets, I gave him some celery and sprouts and a cardboard tube to gnaw. He seemed to enjoy playing with the tube, picking it up and banging it around the cage.<br /><br />After awhile, I left his cage door open so he could explore. So far, he seems most comfortable staying near his cage. I spread the towel out in front of the cage so he has a warm, safe area that gives his little paws plenty of traction (my floor is apparently very slippery for bunnies). I set out a shallow cardboard box with more scraps of cardboard for him to play with, and he took to it quite happily. <br /><br />Right now, he's alternating between cautious little exploratory ventures outside the cage, and just chilling out inside the cage itself. I can't tell if he's just resting or actually sleeping, as apparently rabbits can sleep with their eyes open (third eyelid and all). He's incredibly cute, very laid back, well-socialized and friendly. He doesn't seem to mind being petted, though he's still a bit nervous about sudden motion or sounds. I haven't tried to pick him up yet, not wanting to stress him out more than necessary. Overall, he seems pretty calm and content with his little bunny self.<br /><br />What a nice way to start off the Year of the Rabbit. Maybe Gus will be my lucky charm! I'm already a little bit in love with the guy, I've got to admit. He's pretty sweet.<br /><br />Okay, so here's the part you're all waiting for: PICTURES! Warning: Massive picspam below. Enjoy.<br /><br />Bunny butt! Gus seems a bit camera shy.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN4890.jpg" /><br /><br />Chillin' like a villain.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN4901.jpg" /><br /><br />His little "safe" area.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN4899.jpg" /><br /><br />Venturing out, finally.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN4897.jpg" /><br /><br />What's over here?<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN4896.jpg" /><br /><br />Or here?<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN4895.jpg" /><br /><br />O HAI I R CUTE BUNNEH<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN4893.jpg" /><br /><br />What's over there?<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/Gus%20the%20Rabbit/DSCN4891.jpg" /><br /><br />So, there you have it. I'm sure I'll spam you all with more of Gus' adorable antics as time goes on. Now pardon me, I need to prevent him from crawling behind the fridge...<br /><br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-36006104171794827672011-01-09T03:13:00.000-08:002011-01-09T04:18:41.343-08:00Plan for the WeekSo, this week, I am going to 1) buy a bathroom scale, 2) take a sample hapkido class at the TMAS center in Itaewon, 3) start a diet, 4) save up for my birthday present to me, and 5) maybe... get a bunny? o_o<br /><br />I get paid tomorrow afternoon. Once my local bills and debts are paid off, I'm going to send home my allotted amount of money to take care of US bills and debts (student loans, my old cell phone, money owed to boyfriend, etc).<br /><br />I'm also going to send home a little extra so I can save up for my birthday present to myself. I'm not going to tell you what it is here, because it's entirely frivolous, but I think I earned ONE big frivolous purchase after 4 months of being pretty good about not doing that.<br /><br />May send home even more so that I can shop online for a few things like multi-vitamins and such to help with this diet thing. www.iherb.com has cheap flat-rate shipping to Korea, and very rarely gets tagged for customs fees, and they have stuff I want.<br /><br />I've got a lovely person on Dave's ESL Cafe helping me make a meal plan. It's going to cut down on my carbohydrate intake a bit, but I'm not willing to give up ALL carbs. I like fruit and bread too much, though I suppose I can give up bread for a month or two just to kickstart this diet thing. SO not giving up fruit, though. I don't care. It keeps me from craving refined sugar. I need fruit.<br /><br />Buying a bathroom scale and taking regular waistline measurements will help me keep track of my progress. I'm not going to do it every day, though. That way, as they say, lies madness. I'm going to do it once a week at a certain time and day every week, and mark the results down. I've got a small note pad all ready for this purpose. I may hang it on the wall over the scale. I'm also going to be using the note pad to keep track of my food intake and write down recipes, daily meal plan, etc.<br /><br />I may also post my results here, with pictures. Here are my current "Now" pictures, courtesy of the bathroom mirror:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/IMG_0642.jpg" /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/IMG_0640.jpg" /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/IMG_0646.jpg" /><br />(At least I still look good in that black dress!)<br /><br />I'm going to check out TMAS (Total Martial Arts System) in Itaewon and check out the taekwondo and hapkido lessons on Saturday. I'm pretty sure hapkido is more my speed, as it's closer to aikido, which is what I used to take back in MN before I became unemployed. For 60,000W/month (a little under $60), I can train for an hour every Saturday and use the open training time on Sundays. Not quite as good a deal as I was getting for aikido, but still very reasonable, and they have discounts if you pay in advance for 3 or 6 month packages.<br /><br />Now, about this bunny. Someone on Dave's ESL Cafe, not too far from where I am, is giving away a rabbit. She's going to be finishing her contract soon, and needs to find a new home for this guy. He's pretty cute, extremely laid back (doesn't bite or scratch, not nervous or jumpy), appears to be in good health, and is at least litter trained as far as going in his cage instead of outside it. As there wasn't a lot of interest, I asked her a few questions about the rabbit, and finally agreed to take him. Of course, if I get there and it turns out the rabbit isn't as she said, or if he's sickly, I'll walk away. But I think this is legit. I've been reading up on the care and feeding of rabbits, and while I was iffy about getting a rabbit, getting one for free with a bunch of equipment to start seems a much less risky venture. Worse comes to worst, I have to find another home for him when I leave and I'm out a bit of cash for feeding him, or he winds up dying on me because I'm incompetent at keeping a pet (unlikely). I think I can manage.<br /><br />Anyway, look at him. D'aww! And it's the Year of the Rabbit, too.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaI051.jpg" /><br /><br />Okay, what else do I need to do this week... Ah. Sort through all the classroom handouts and materials from 1st semester and get them organized into files. *stares guiltily at the bag full of papers and file folders lying on the apartment floor* Since I didn't get that done THIS weekend... I also need to start up some lesson plans for at LEAST the first 4 weeks of next semester, as I don't want to be doing that over my vacation.<br /><br />Also, I discovered that my digital camera is a decent replacement for a scanner. I can post artwork again! It takes some editing in Photoshop to clean it up, but I had to do that with a scanner anyway, so no big deal. I'm going to attempt to get through this stack of sketches and marker drawings this week sometime.<br /><br />Okay, on to other news.<br /><br />Korean baking soda/powder sucks. It made my pancakes smell like ammonia! Apparently, instead of sodium bicarbonate, they use ammonium carbonate. Works the same way, but is better for cookies because by the time cookies are done the ammonia smell has baked out of them. Not so with pancakes! Ugh. They were edible, as long as I didn't sniff them, but I'm going to be sticking to crepes from now on. Less flour, anyway, so I can probably get away with having them once in awhile even on a diet.<br /><br />Did I mention before that some Korean couples do this thing where they dress alike? I'm pretty sure I did. Anyway, this time, it was my turn with Sam. We accidentally bought the same sweater vest at eMart (because I like to shop in the men's clothing section like that), and wound up wearing them on the same day. This got a lot of laughs from our coworkers and some of the students when they saw us together. Nathan was kind enough to take this photo on my iPod of Sam and me looking extra classy.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/IMG_0638.jpg" /><br /><br />I had one more bout with this throat infection/cold thing this weekend, but I think chugging water and sleeping FOREVER helped me get over it. I also took extra vitamin C and D. Feeling much better now, and looking forward to the new week. Only two left before vacation time!<br /><br />I'll come up with another post later about my plans for Lunar New Year break. So far, it's going to include a lot of cheap travel (buses and subways), exploring more of Seoul, and trying to find some good Lunar New Year festivals that are okay with foreigners poking around. :P<br /><br />As for my other New Year resolutions, I'm working on them. I've written some stuff, drawn a few things (though not every day, because I'm TERRIBLE), and I'm starting to look around for Korean lessons. Signed up for a few websites already, but I'd like to learn from a native Korean speaker if I can.<br /><br />I think that's it for now.<br /><br />Over and out,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-15755644448073278752010-12-31T19:25:00.000-08:002010-12-31T19:59:10.760-08:00즐거운 성탄절 보내시고 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (jeulgeoun seongtanjeol bonaesigo saehae bok manhi bateusaeyo)Here's how that sounds: http://www.omniglot.com/soundfiles/korean/christmas_kr.mp3<br /><br />Here's what it means: Happy New Year!<br /><br />Resolutions. I have them. <br /><br />1. Get fit. I don't care if I lose 10 pounds or 50, or none at all, but I want to be able to take a flight of stairs without getting winded. I want to fit into a pair of nice trousers without having a huge roll over the sides. I want to be rid of this "back cleavage". <br />Steps to take: Don't take the elevator unless absolutely necessary. Try that Hapkido place in Itaewon. Get a bicycle in the spring and bike to work if possible, or at least get off a bus stop early and walk the rest of the way. Do try hiking again, at my own pace. Get the yoga mat out more and practice those leg lifts and such. Do Aikido stretches daily.<br /><br />2. Revise the 2009 NaNoWriMo novel. It's not great literature, but there are niche publishers out there who will take it-- though it needs to be polished within an inch of its life first. <br />Steps to take: Get feedback from people I trust and respect as writers. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.<br /><br />3. Write something new. Fanfic, novel, short stories, poetry, whatever. Do it, and do it more often. I used to fill up notebooks in high school with the crap I wrote. I need to do that now, and not worry so much about the final product. <br />Steps to take: Just write.<br /><br />4. Draw every day. I've been slipping on this in the past couple of years. Time to buckle down and change that. <br />Steps to take: Just draw. Start with that New Year's picture.<br /><br />5. Be honest with myself. I'm not going to uphold all, maybe not any of these goals, 100%. But I need to try. I also need to get better at recognizing when I'm being ridiculous, selfish, unreasonable, and contrary, and just knock that nonsense off.<br />Steps to take: When upset or angry, take a moment to step away from the situation. Go to the bathroom. Breathe. Stop thinking for a little bit. Then, REALLY think. <br /><br />6. Manage my money better. <br />Steps to take: Write up a reasonable budget, and really stick to it. Write down every expense, even those little trips to the convenience store in the morning for breakfast on the run and purchases on iTunes. Decide what can be reduced, what can be cut out entirely. Stay on top of paying off debts. Start putting more money into savings.<br /><br />7. Be a better teacher.<br />Steps to take: Keep reading the articles. Implement new techniques. Find out what works, what doesn't, and only keep the stuff that works. GET ORGANIZED. Get more sleep. Find non-candy prizes to reward students and start using a points system instead of instant gratification. Don't let them smell fear, don't let them see frustration. <br /><br />8. Learn Korean.<br />Steps to take: Find a place to take lessons. Start practicing things like numbers and such from the books I already have. Memorize one new Korean word or phrase per day, and use it in an actual conversation with a Korean person. Learn more useful phrases, like how to give directions to a cab driver, and how to order a pizza, and what to say if a kid is doing something entirely inappropriate in class and I can't call in my co-teacher for backup.<br /><br />9. Read more. The mind atrophies without stimulation. Audiobooks are nice, but they're not reading.<br />Steps to take: Find out if the English-language library has anything worth checking out. Do hang around What the Book more. See about finding free or cheap Kindle books and putting them on the iPod (since I have a free Kindle app now). Read or re-read the books I already have on hand. They're THERE, for goodness sake, READ THEM!<br /><br />10. Start comicking again. It doesn't matter what, just as long as it's comics.<br />Steps to take: Doodle comics about crazy life in Korea, re-work the FTLY storyline, do that ESPers comic with Geoffrey Corsier, or just do one-shots. Anything. And then post them online by whatever means available.<br /><br />That should do me for now. Happy New Year, everyone, and I hope the Year of the Rabbit treats all of you gently and with great prosperity!Gypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-30306808420963135062010-12-22T05:00:00.000-08:002010-12-22T05:19:01.156-08:00A mid-week post? Surely not!It is, in fact, a Wednesday post. And don't call me Shirley. (RIP, Mister Nielsen.)<br /><br />No pictures this time, sorry. Just figured since I wasn't ridiculously tired, I'd put something up here for you folks back home to read. <br /><br />Christmas is coming up fast. We just passed Solstice, and it's a gorgeous full moon right now. Korea got a pile of snow last week, but it melted in the oddly warm temperatures following it. As a born and bred MinneSNOWtan, it feels odd to be this deep in December with no snow on the ground. The temperatures have been hovering mostly in the 20-40 F degree range (I still haven't converted to Celsius, because I'm a stubborn, arrogant American like that). I can sometimes get away with my thick hoodie and a scarf, which is nice. The lack of ten bazillion layers of winter gear is refreshing. I am starting to wonder why, exactly, I choose to continue living in Minnesota? Oh, right. All my people are there.<br /><br />Which brings me to my holiday rant. Or, ramble. Or whatever. I'm bored and I just ran out of Dresden Files audiobooks to listen to (except for Side Jobs, but I'm limiting myself to one short story a day, to make them last awhile). <br /><br />I never really got into the holiday spirit once I hit adulthood. I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas shopping. I find the perfect gifts for some people, sometimes people I'm not even particularly close to, but then I hem and haw forever over what I should get everyone else, like my family members and my nearest and dearest friends. Or, I'm broke, and wind up drawing homemade cards with "commission vouchers" for free custom art (which always feel like a cop out, because nobody ever cashes them in). Either way, I always feel guilty about it, and I wonder if that's just part of my Catholic upbringing or if I really am just that lousy of a gift-giver. <br /><br />And now I have friends who have kids. Lots of friends with kids. And I remember when I was a kid, and the coolest thing ever was getting a present in the mail from someone I might not even remember very well. And I always wanted to be that mysterious, benevolent Santa figure in some kid's life. Again, lack of funding has thwarted this dream.<br /><br />But this year, I have a job. A job that pays way more than any other job I've ever had. Unfortunately, I'm in Korea, so shipping gifts is not only expensive, but takes forever. And I was a putz and put off Christmas shopping until, like, THIS WEEK. So, guess what, kids? You get to celebrate Lunar New Year instead! I'll be shipping a box home in January, with instructions and individually-wrapped gifts for Chris to toss in the mail for me. <br /><br />Which means I'd like ALL of my friends who have kids (and if you're reading this, and you have kids, you probably count) to email me their mailing addresses, kids' ages, clothing sizes, favorite colors, favorite animals, hobbies, and whatever else might be helpful. I'm playing overseas Lunar New Year Santa this year, and darn it, I want to do it right!<br /><br />I guess there was a point in there after all. Awesome.<br /><br />That's it for me, then. Going to hit the hay early tonight. If anything interesting happens, I'll be sure to write a new post sometime during the next month or so. <br /><br />Ciao,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-66511127683912638952010-12-12T05:06:00.000-08:002010-12-12T05:38:19.672-08:00I promised pictures. Here you go.I even figured out how to upload videos onto Youtube. Apparently all I had to do was switch my location setting from South Korea to "Worldwide". Clever.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j3U4bB0-xSs?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j3U4bB0-xSs?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />So. There's my unscripted, unedited apartment tour for your viewing pleasure. <br /><br />Right. Moving on.<br /><br />I got new boots in Itaewon awhile back, but I don't think I posted any pictures of them. Here they are. They're that adorably clunky style that is so popular right now, even though they're all Ugg Boots knock-offs. These are faux fur and moleskin, I'm pretty sure, so they're not waterproof or as well made as proper Ugg Boots, but they're warm enough, they fit me, and they look good with most of my clothes. Best of all, they were cheap.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0581.jpg" /><br /><br />It does snow here in Korea, though not as much as Minnesota by a long shot. We got a light dusting the other day, and if I hadn't been so sick with this stupid yo-yo of a cold, I might have enjoyed it more. As it was, I did have the presence of mind to take a few pics with my iPod.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0570.jpg" /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0571.jpg" /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0572.jpg" /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0573.jpg" /><br /><br />Here's my desk at home for those of you curious as to how my workstation looks:<br /> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0585.jpg" /><br /><br />I'm also taking pictures of all of the teachers and staff at Uiwang EPC for my not-so-secret Christmas project. I'll post the pictures up here, maybe next time, but I still have a few elusive people to hunt down while I have my iPod handy. I'm going to be drawing each of them in a cartoony style. I won't be using this one here, but as you can see, some of my coworkers were less excited about this project than others:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0579-1.jpg" /><br /><br />Classes have been going well. After the fiasco with the text books for the Book Club classes, the problem was corrected, and now I have a fairly predictable and formulaic syllabus to work from with our current books. It makes my job easier, the students are happier, and we're not getting any more angry phone calls from parents (at least not about the material). I feel like less of a failure, and the stress is no longer making me want to curl into a ball and die. Everyone wins.<br /><br />This weekend, I volunteered to work for an extra half hour or so with a Saturday program that the library in our building was doing for Christmas. I wasn't sure exactly what I was supposed to be doing at first. In typical Korean fashion, they kept changing the plan right up until the last minute. I was a little worried and frazzled about it, but when I got there, things went pretty smoothly. <br /><br />Hea Young from the library, a really nice lady who may be a new friend, gave me some options for what I could do. I agreed to lead the 30-40 some families in a few rounds of Jingle Bells (with printed lyric sheets to share), talk a little about American-style Christmas and my own experiences with the holiday, and then to hang around to help everyone write Christmas Wish cards which they would then hang on the Christmas tree in the lobby. I mostly just mingled, talking to the kids and their parents, asking them what their wishes were for Christmas and so on. Only one person actually asked for my advice on spelling or grammar, though that was supposedly what I was there for (though I wouldn't be surprised if nobody had been told this).<br /><br />After card-making, Hea Young asked if I wanted to make a craft, and I said sure. She gave me a little plastic snowman to decorate with markers, and I sat right down at the table with a bunch of mystified and amused kids and started coloring my snowman with great care. I had some fun conversations with the kids as we worked, and then we had our snowmen shrunk down to the size of cell phone charms in a toaster oven. In fact, they WERE cell phone charms. Perfect for my brand-new Korean cell phone. (If you want the number, btw, you can email me or contact me on the Facebook and I'll send it to you privately.)<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/IMG_0593.jpg" /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/IMG_0594.jpg" /><br /><br />It was hardly like working at all. I had a lot of fun, and for the first time in many years, I was really feeling the Christmas spirit. This was a community of families all having fun together and enjoying a holiday through song and art. It was a good feeling. Even as someone who doesn't necessarily identify as Christian anymore, I felt honored to be part of that.<br /><br />See? I even put on the antler headband.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0587.jpg" /><br /><br />Our wonderful Cindy is getting married next Saturday, and all of the teachers have been invited to the wedding. If I'm able to go, I will be sure to take some pictures (with Cindy's permission, of course) to share with all of you. I've never seen a Korean wedding before! I've heard they're dreadfully boring, but I think that could describe most Western weddings I've seen, too (with a few notable exceptions). Anyway, I hope I can go, if only to show my support to Cindy who has been so helpful to me and the other foreign teachers. She was the one who first met us when we arrived in Korea, after all, and took us on our first Lotte Mart run, got us our cell phones, bus cards, etc. <br /><br />I think that's really all there is to report. I could get into the minutiae of lesson planning, classroom stories, etc, but nothing is really standing out right now. Things are getting better, anyway. Even my most difficult classes are becoming more manageable as I gain experience as a teacher, and as my students learn to respect and understand my expectations of them. Someday, I'll sit down and write up some of my funniest and most horrifying moments in the classroom, but not today.<br /><br />I hope the pictures and video were satisfactory. I promise to dust off the good camera for the wedding, and if I do any other proper getting-out-of-the-apartment on the weekends, but that's what I've got for now. Until next time!<br /><br />Annyoung hi keseyo,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-81369962528379187762010-11-28T00:41:00.000-08:002010-11-28T00:52:33.783-08:00Your Yet Again Late UpdateIt's been a rough couple of weeks.<br /><br />Once again, I sum up:<br /><br />-Got my right ring finger stomped on. It was only a sprain and some bruising, but it HURT.<br /><br />-The books I've been using for the Book Club level classes are apparently too hard. These are, of course, the books I was given and told to use for the classes, but it's my fault anyway because I didn't realize that the students didn't understand the material. Even though I don't speak enough Korean to understand when kids say things like "I don't get it!" :P<br /><br />-Month 2 is coming up, and over half of my classes need different lesson plans than I'd originally made. Thankfully, we don't need to submit the written lesson plans anymore. We just give the office a monthly syllabus with the materials and some of the main activities we'll cover, and then submit a "lesson summary" at the end of the week containing anything we did in the class. Sort of like writing the lesson plan after the fact. Sort of. I still feel like I'm going to be scrambling around a lot until I find my feet with this new system.<br /><br />-Got poked in the eye by the same class that stomped on my finger. With the sharp corner of a flashcard. I have learned to round all the corners on my flashcards now. No lasting damage, thankfully.<br /><br />-Didn't get any sort of proper dinner on Thanksgiving, much less a turkey dinner, and wound up paying 7,000 won for a couple bites of rice, a small piece of chicken, and a piece of pork from a dish that I realized belatedly contained cinnamon. Was violently ill afterward from allergies and probably food poisoning. <br /><br />-Bought some new boots and a couple of warmer winter outfits for reasonable prices. Clothes from eMart and boots from a little shop in Itaewon that carried my size. Win!<br /><br />-Got enough bedding and household items to probably last me the rest of the year. Only need a small saucepan now and I'm pretty well set. <br /><br />-Made my first student loan payment today! Feels good to be able to start paying those off again.<br /><br />That pretty much covers it. Off to make something for dinner now. <br /><br /><br />Toodles,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-50325589955877490122010-11-13T22:08:00.000-08:002010-11-13T22:47:46.536-08:00Long Overdue PostIt's been a crazy couple of weeks. Let me 'splain... No, there is too much. Let me sum up. (Cookies to whomever catches the reference.)<br /><br />I started my first day of Library Program classes and NaNoWriMo on the same day, November 1st. This, naturally, ate up all of my free time, so I haven't really had the time or energy to write a blog post. Here are the main highlights from the past couple of weeks:<br /><br />-I teach 5 different levels of classes (it'll be 6 next semester). Book Buddy, Book Nanny, Book Coach (which I don't teach yet), Book Club 1, Book Club 2, and Book Club 3, in order from lowest to highest level. So, I've got kids from tiny kindergartners to middle school kids with a pretty decent grasp of English.<br /><br />-My classroom has no phone, and the computer is not networked to the rest of our school's computers, because I'm working out of one of the library rooms on the 3rd floor rather than the 2nd floor with the rest of the school. This makes contacting the office for problems like missing students (I've had a class where nobody showed up, and a few where only one student showed up), naughty students (I've been punched in the crotch by a 5-year-old), or parents with questions (I don't speak more than a handful of words in Korean) very difficult to deal with. I lean on my co-teacher, Nana, for a lot of it, but she has her own classes to teach so I always hate to bother her.<br /><br />-Most of the kids are pretty good. Some are way below the level of English they need to be in the class, a very few are too advanced, but most are just about right. I've had some real sweethearts that brought me Pepero (it's like Korean Pocky) on Pepero Day (November 11th is a marketing holiday-- it's like Valentine's Day, but in November, because 11-11 looks like sticks of Pepero). I have kids that say "Hello, Teacher!" when they see me outside of class.<br /><br />-On the other hand, I've had a couple of rough patches. First week was chaos, with students arriving so late to classes it almost wasn't worth checking them off the attendance sheet. A few misunderstandings with the lesson plans tripped me up, and the lack of communications with the office made my job infinitely more difficult. I've also had a few problem students. A pair of brothers in my Book Club 2 class that aren't even remotely good enough at English to be in that class and disrupt the rest of the students by yakking loudly in Korean the entire time; a little girl in my Book Buddy class that thinks it's funny to hit me and the other kids; and several little boys in Book Buddy that aren't actually old enough to be in my class, but their mothers signed them up anyway, and they have no concept of respecting a teacher (especially a female one, as Megan from the office explained to me, and THAT pissed me off even more than their other behavior problems) because they should still be in daycare or preschool, NOT a kindergarten-level English class.<br /><br />-Second week of classes was much smoother. I've got a good idea of how to use my time better for lesson planning and materials preparation. I know where I'm supposed to be and when most of the time. I've got a better handle on what does and does not work in the classroom. I'm starting to remember some names.<br /><br />-PAYDAY FINALLY HAPPENED. I have money now. I can stop living off of instant soups and rice. I bought a clothing rack for drying clothes in the winter, more kitchenware, a winter coat, and more bedding. I'm going to pick up a table and chairs this evening. I can even send money home to start paying off my student loans! YAY!<br /><br />-I finally took the subway today. I went to Itaewon, met a couple of different people from Dave's ESL cafe to pick up a winter coat and bedding set, and bought the new Stephen King book from the great English language book store there. Itaewon also has footwear in my size! I'll definitely be going back for rain boots, unless I can find some around here. I might fit men's boots...<br /><br />That's about it for now. Going to go pick up my dining set shortly here, then bust my hump writing up lesson plans for the next 2 weeks. Then, if I have time tonight, I can work on my novel, which is falling woefully behind. I'll probably do a 5-6k-words, 3 hour writing stint tonight if I've got time for it.<br /><br />BUSY BUSY BUSY!<br /><br />-Maria<br /><br />P.S. There are these little underground tunnels in Anyang you can use to cross the streets. I went down one today by mistake, thinking it was a subway station. Durp. XD Anyway, they had some neat artwork there. Here's me as an angel! (Click the pic to see the original version.)<br /><br /><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0574.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/IMG_0574-1.jpg" /></a>Gypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-17036808649639534372010-10-30T04:29:00.001-07:002010-10-30T04:52:17.815-07:00Photos of Anyang, Lesson Planning, and Halloween PreparationsI finally did go out last Sunday and take some pictures around Anyang with the good camera, but I was too busy to upload them until now. Photobucket is being kind of a dinkus, however, so I've put them up on Facebook. I'll try to post some here another time, for those of you who either aren't on the Facebook or don't have me friended (my albums are always friends-only, sorry).<br /><br />I spent the past week working on lesson plans for the Library Program with my co-teacher, Nana. Because we are super awesome and lucky, we have to plan for 10 different classes per week. That's 40 different lessons per month, and 120 lesson plans per semester. I might add that we don't get a textbook for this. We have certain assigned library books and a few pre-chosen topics, and some of the higher levels even come with already made worksheets, but we're expected to fill in all the blanks ourselves. I'm not complaining, mind, but I'm just pointing out that this is a lot of work to get done in one week. We've got crafts, flash-cards, worksheets, PowerPoint presentations, videos and songs to queue, and a slew of other things to create and/or find.<br /><br />Realizing there was no way we were going to do a semester's worth of lesson planning in the space of a week, we decided to focus on planning the first month. Then, we set about creating the materials for the first week. After much hump-busting, we're most of the way finished, though we still have a few more things to do Monday morning before the first kids arrive around noonish. Oh, and I'll normally be teaching classes between the hours of 10:30am and (I think) 5:45pm. So, not a lot of morning prep time for me, but a couple hours at the end of the day for clean-up and prepping for the next day. Whew!<br /><br />Things are a little tight right now, money-wise, but I should have enough food to last me the week. Our manager put in a request for us to get our first paychecks a little early, so I should have money by Friday if all goes well. If not, well... I think I have enough pancake ingredients, rice, and eggs to last me until November 10th. It's a good thing I make decent pancakes.<br /><br />In the meantime, I'm taking it easy this weekend. Just a bit of sweeping and laundry to stay on top of my household chores, but no excursions into the mountains or even much walking about town. Nana was nursing a cold all week, and I think I caught it, so I spent most of today sleeping in late and guzzling water and OJ. I feel a lot better now, though there is still a suspicious tickle in my throat and a bit of a cough. Please, PLEASE don't let me get sick for my first week of classes. That's all I need. T_T<br /><br />Tomorrow is my favorite day of the year, of course: Halloween! If you haven't heard about it, Neil Gaiman has started a new tradition called <a href="http://www.allhallowsread.com/">"All Hallow's Read"</a>, where you give scary books to your loved ones (or even strangers) for Halloween. Lacking many books or money to buy them at the moment (and most of the ones I could get around here would be in Korean), I am instead running a game called Dread for my fellow FTs. There will also be scary movies, and presumably a little bit of drinking (but hopefully not a lot, as it is a work night, and some of us actually need to be at work in the morning).<br /><br />What is Dread, you may ask? It's probably the most perfect blend of a role-playing game and a party game. It's a game about survival horror, and instead of using dice or cards, you use a Jenga tower. When the tower falls, somebody dies. It's an absolutely elegant game, and the only one I've ever been able to run with any success. My friend Rhianna and I came up with a pretty spiffy scenario for it, too, which I will be running for the FTs. I can't wait. Pictures and full report to come later this week. <br /><br />Now to marathon one of the many TV shows I've got sitting around on my computer. Have a happy and safe Halloween, everyone!<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-28047147219540740942010-10-23T06:54:00.000-07:002010-10-23T06:59:43.557-07:00Some Useful WebsitesThis post is mostly for the benefit of myself and anyone else living in/visiting Korea, but even if you aren't, feel free to have a look.<br /><br />Korea Public Transportation Guide:<br /><a href="http://traffic.visitkorea.or.kr/Lang/en/">http://traffic.visitkorea.or.kr/Lang/en/</a><br /><br />Gyeonggi-do Bus Routes<br /><a href="http://traffic.visitkorea.or.kr/Lang/en/Bus/index.asp?CID=1&SMenu=1">http://traffic.visitkorea.or.kr/Lang/en/Bus/index.asp?CID=1&SMenu=1</a><br /><br />ATEK: Association for Teachers of English in Korea-- they have a really great PDF called the "English Teacher's Guide to Living in Korea" that's super useful and FREE to download!<br /><a href="http://atek.or.kr/">http://atek.or.kr/</a><br /><br />I may add to this post with updates and more links, or just make posts like this periodically with the same tag: useful links.<br /><br />Tomorrow's agenda: Explore parts of Anyang I have not previously visited, take pictures with the good camera.<br /><br />That's it for now.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-16181681239062764272010-10-22T20:54:00.000-07:002010-10-22T21:52:42.881-07:00Week 3 ReportNot a whole lot to report this week.<br /><br />I taught Math Class on Monday with Stella, then Culture Class on Wednesday with Stella. We had the same group of kids both days, which was kind of nice, because I'd started to remember some of their names. They were pretty rowdy, but I prefer energetic kids to the apathetic or painfully shy ones. At least that energy can be redirected. Classes went pretty well, we didn't run out of things to do, and the kids seemed to have fun with it.<br /><br />Tuesday and Thursday were pretty much just lesson planning days for me, though I went home early on Thursday with some stomach troubles. I've been eating rice, cup noodles, instant soup, and not much else for the past week or so, with a similar diet awaiting me for the next few weeks until payday. Apparently $750 USD doesn't stretch over 6 weeks of living expenses very well, especially when one has a lot of start up costs, like groceries, bedding, small appliances, cleaning supplies, toiletries, a bus card, etc... So, I'm broke. <br /><br />But don't worry too much. I've got basic staples, so I won't starve, and I just got a bit of cash loaned to me so I can buy other groceries like fruits and veggies to avoid malnourishment. It's going to be tight until payday, but I've had worse. <br /><br />We got our class schedules and lesson plan outlines for the upcoming semester on Friday. I'll be co-teaching the library program with Nana, which is going to be perhaps more work lesson planning-wise than the teachers who are working mainly in the experience rooms, but I don't mind. It's 12 weeks per semester, and this upcoming one starts on November 1st, so I've got all of next week to work out the lesson plans for five different levels of students for the next three months. That includes finding songs, games, crafts, and other activities for each lesson. It's going to be a challenge, but I think we'll manage.<br /><br />My first proper break will come at the end of January/early February. Chris may be coming out to visit then, or we might wait until the weather is nicer, near the end of April. Nothing's set in stone just yet.<br /><br />This weekend is mostly going to be spent doing laundry, cleaning my apartment, and maybe doing a bit of grocery shopping. I may also attempt to use my Wacom and actually make some art. Or write on some of my many unfinished projects. On top of that, I'm gearing up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and even though I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up this year (since classes proper start the same day as NaNo), I'm going to give it a go. I'm also going to attempt to make it to one of the meetups, maybe make some new friends. <br /><br />Of course, that means my blog posts will be sort of scarce throughout November, but I'm fairly certain there won't be anything super interesting to talk about anyway, outside of NaNo and classes. I'll be sure to let you know if there is.<br /><br />No pictures this week; haven't been taking any. Maybe Sunday I'll walk around with my camera and explore Anyang a bit. That sounds nice.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-15093331626832170882010-10-18T21:24:00.000-07:002010-10-18T21:26:31.821-07:00Skype?Hey folks,<br /><br />I've had a few people offer to Skype with me, but I don't have anyone's Skype handle! Mine is gypsymaria84, so feel free to add me. I may not be on during what most people would consider normal waking hours (at least on that side of the hemisphere), but if you're a major night owl or a really early bird, you might catch me. :)<br /><br />That's all for now. <3<br /><br />-MariaGypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1336633884964461773.post-15453945389892166112010-10-18T05:20:00.000-07:002010-10-18T05:52:11.639-07:00Mountain Hiking and a Word (or Several) on Culture ShockSo, for the past couple of weekends, the other FTs (Foreign Teachers) and I have been talking about hiking one of the many nearby mountains in the area. This seemed like a good, cheap form of exercise and weekend entertainment, which didn't involve drinking in smoky bars, so I was all for it. Especially as it meant I got to bust out my shiny new camera (thanks again, Ramon!). I tested it out on my apartment, first.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4656.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4657.jpg" /><br /><br />(I also tested it on <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4660.jpg">Julia</a> and <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4661.jpg">Sam</a>.)<br /><br />Of course, I come from the Midwestern United States, which aside from a few hills and bluffs is pretty flat. The last time I was anywhere near a proper mountain, I was five years old, and in a car seat. I'd envisioned a nice, zig-zagging trail up the mountain side at an easy slope, with open areas for picnicking along the way, and convenient bushes for potty breaks.<br /><br />Naturally, my expectations were shattered as soon as we started up the mountain proper. <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4668.jpg">There was</a> a <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4666.jpg">cool temple</a> or <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4667.jpg">shrine</a> at the base of the mountain, and a <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4669.jpg">pretty</a> <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4670.jpg">park-like</a> area with a <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4671.jpg">mostly dry</a> <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4672.jpg">stream</a> bed and a few little restaurants. I also got a photo of this <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4664.jpg">awesome praying mantis</a> on a sign telling us to stretch <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4675.jpg">before climbing</a>.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4673.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4674.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />Pro Tip: mountains are STEEP. Also, the trails are not necessarily even, often full of rocks and tree roots, and you have to watch every step you take to avoid twisting an ankle or falling on your tuckus (as Melissa and I discovered the hard way). There were some wider areas, usually on relatively flat rocks with <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4703.jpg">really</a> <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4704.jpg">nice</a> views, so we did have opportunities to take <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4700.jpg">water and rest</a> breaks. It was kind of fun and exhilarating at first; however, I was already gasping for air, muscles burning, by the time we were less than halfway through our ascending hike. Climbing those hilly streets in Uiwang and all those staircases did bupkiss to prepare me for this!<br /><br />Picspam ahead:<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4676.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4677.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4679.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4681.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4685.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4686.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4687.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4688.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4691.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4692.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4693.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4694.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4695.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4696.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4697.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4699.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4706.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4707.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4710.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4713.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4721.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4722.jpg" /><br /><br />The more we climbed, the more I hurt, and the crankier I got. I'm not proud to admit that I was pretty snippy with <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4726.jpg">my fellow FTs</a> by the time we finally decided to turn around to go back. First, though, we stopped for a bit of lunch, and this <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4725.jpg">really nice guy</a> and his wife sat with us and shared their amazing <i>kim bahp</i> tuna rolls, as well as some cloudy rice wine. I shared half of my peanut butter sandwich in return, lacking anything else to give them.<br /><br />Despite my grouchiness, I had to admit that the weather was gorgeous, and the view was spectacular. We could see in the <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4729.jpg">distance</a> the <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4727.jpg">little red temple</a> at the <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4728.jpg">top</a> of the mountain, where we'd wanted to go, but there didn't seem to be any way we could make it there and back that day. We vowed to try again another weekend, starting earlier in the day and packing more food and water for the journey. It seemed it would be at least a 6 hour hike to get there and back.<br /><br />On the way down, I managed to turn my ankle during an unexpected, uncontrolled sprint down a very steep slope, but thankfully it wasn't a serious sprain or anything. I wasn't even limping very badly, though it twinged something awful for a few hours, adding to my already bitchy mood.<br /><br />Anyway, despite the fact that strenuous exercise obviously does not agree with me, it was a pretty good hike. I feel somewhat accomplished for getting as far as we did.<br /><br />Among other deep revelations such as "Maria shouldn't try to hike mountains without a proper backpack," I realized something surprising: I was dealing with some serious culture shock.<br /><br />I wasn't expecting that, to be honest. I mean, I'm very open and adaptable when it comes to other cultures. I did some research before coming to Korea to prepare me for some of the things I might encounter, and one of our guest speakers during orientation gave us even more good information. I was ready to try new foods, fumble about with social niceties, learn enough Korean to get by (and maybe more if I could find some proper classes), and generally adapt to my new home for the next year or two. But no, here I was, globe-trotting culture and language nerd, suffering from some grade A culture shock.<br /><br />But not from the Koreans. From the other FTs.<br /><br />Let me pause and just make it clear that I am not blaming anyone but myself for this. I was, for awhile, but when I finally sat down and analyzed <i>why</i> I was feeling so frustrated, well… I felt like a complete idiot. And I know they're probably going to read this before I can talk about it with them in person, but that's fine, because I organize my thoughts better this way: in writing. When I try to translate anything involving my emotions into words, I only prove how socially awkward I really am when I try to speak on the matter.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock">Culture shock</a>, simply put, is caused when what we experience in a different cultural setting does not match up with our expectations and what we're accustomed to in our own culture. Much like my expectations for mountain hiking, the experience of associating with my fellow FTs has not always gone the way I imagined.<br /><br />I'd already mentally and emotionally buffered myself for some serious differences in the Korean way of life, and I think I'm adapting to those fairly well. I've learned a handful of useful words and phrases already, I've found out what kinds of food I like here and which ones I should generally avoid, I know to be careful of the traffic here, and I'm picking up on some of the etiquette. I may still be in the "Honeymoon" phase, but I'm being fairly realistic about it. There are things I really dislike about this country, but I'm willing to tolerate them for the sake of getting along with my hosts. Because yes, I consider myself a guest in this country, and I've been trying to act accordingly.<br /><br />With how well I was dealing with Korean culture, I was completely blindsided by the differences between myself and the other FTs. Three of them-- Melissa, Julia, and Sam-- are from Canada, which even shares a border with my home state of Minnesota. Nathan is from Wales, a country I am admittedly only familiar with through Doctor Who and Torchwood. They all speak English, and the Canadians even speak with an accent that's almost indistinguishable from my own (although I catch them saying "eh?" a lot). So why was I dealing with culture shock around <i>them</i>, of all people?<br /><br />It all came down-- say it with me if you know the answer already-- to expectations. Because they look and talk more like me than anyone else I know in this country, I wrongly assumed they were more like me in every other way. But over the past few weeks, I've discovered that their interests, lifestyles, and even certain social customs were different enough from my own to cause a bit of a cultural divide between us. Everything from alcohol consumption, behavior in public, money matters, and entertainment preferences incited surprise, frustration, and in some cases, anger.<br /><br />This was not, as I stated earlier, their faults. It was my own. Their choices in lifestyle and interests are just as valid as my own, and I was failing to recognize that, which was only hurting myself and my new friends. At first, I thought that it was worth some discomfort to try to "fit in," to try to go along with the things they found enjoyable, but I only wound up either bored, disgusted, upset, or all of the above. Again, not their faults. I was throwing myself at a brick wall, and thought that I would get a different result by throwing myself at it from different directions.<br /><br />I couldn't figure out what was wrong right away. Back home, I make friends pretty easily, get along with just about everyone I know, and even the people I don't like much I'm very good at tolerating (at least for short periods of time). And I did, and still <i>do</i> like my new FT friends. So what was the big deal? My first instinct was to try to find the fault in myself, as I often do. Usually, one of my friends will tell me that I shouldn't blame myself, that it really is someone else in the wrong, but I didn't have that in this situation. Which was good. Because this time, I was right. It <i>was</i> me. The problem was with me and the way I was approaching the situation. And when I finally realized that, and could analyze my feelings and identify them as culture shock, it was a huge relief. Okay. Problem identified. Now to solve it.<br /><br />It's not easy being in a foreign country, far from friends and family. It's lonely. Naturally, I wanted to latch onto the other FTs, adopt them as my "new" family. I'm a social creature, awkward as I am about it sometimes, and I'm used to having lots of friends around. But if I am going to live, work, and <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/psycocatgirl/KoreaTravel/DSCN4732.jpg">have fun</a> with my fellow FTs for the year or so we're in this country together, I need to acknowledge and accept their differences, be sensitive to them, to minimize conflict and frustration in the future. I hope that they can do the same for me. Because despite those differences, we really are all in this together.<br /><br />Not to make any excuses about my own potentially culture-shock inducing behavior, I thought a bullet-point guide to my own idiosyncrasies might be a good place to start:<br /><br />Self-deprecating humor: I use it. It started in high school as a preemptive self-defense mechanism. Poking fun at myself first makes it hurt less than when others do it without my prompting. Now, it's more a force of habit than anything. Yeah, I'm insecure about some things, I don't like everything about myself, but I'm honestly not trying to fish for compliments or make people uncomfortable when I joke about my shortcomings. They're just facts, which I try to present in a humorous light. Laughter is generally an appropriate response.<br /><br />Sarcasm: I'm terrible at it. I can't always tell when others are being sarcastic, and when I try to use it myself it never seems to come out right. Part of that social awkwardness thing. Bear with me.<br /><br />Physical limitations: I am a nerd, a geek, a pasty glasses-wearing lump that would rather sit behind a computer screen or curled up with a book or a sketchpad than go out and enjoy the fresh air. Sunlight is abhorrent to me. Exercise is to be taken in daily walks and maybe the occasional set of sit-ups, or a gentle session of aikido. I have allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances (cinnamon, shellfish, cigarette smoke, some kinds of dust/mold/pollen, morphine, malted liquor, lactose [milk]). I'm anemic. I have scoliosis (curved spine-- I was an inch taller last year! T_T). I've been known to faint without warning. Also, I'm kind of pudgy. Please understand when I can't keep up with you, or decline to go somewhere entirely. It's not because I don't like you, or because I don't want to go, but because it'll take me a lot longer to get there.<br /><br />Worrying: I do it. A lot. I care about people very easily, and I worry about the people I care about. I worry about being on time, about how I present myself to my employers and my host country, how I perform on a job. I worry about everything, especially… wait for it…<br /><br />Money: (Did you like that segue there?) I worry about this a lot. I grew up poor, and have never held a job for much longer than a year. Sometimes I have trouble finding work at all, and I haven't always known where my next meal or rent check was coming from. When I'm in enough money to relax, I am a very generous person and don't always budget very carefully--- but fair warning, I can be pretty stingy when I'm stretching my last few thousand won to last me a month. I will, sometimes obsessively, keep track of every coin borrowed, lent, and spent. Don't take it personally. It's just a survival tactic.<br /><br />Emotions: I suck at dealing with them. My usual response to negative emotions like stress, anger, sadness, loneliness, or just tiredness, is I either get really quiet, or I cry. I don't like to cry in front of people, though. So, I might be quiet a lot. This is my way of sparing myself and everyone around me from having to deal with my crap mood, whatever it may be. You don't have to ask if I'm okay. I may just say I'm tired (which is likely true), or I might be brutally honest with you, and nobody <i>really</i> wants my honest answer when I'm having a crap day. If something is really, <i>really</i> wrong, you can be sure I will say something about it (there will be much kibitzing). I also suck at talking about my feelings, unless I can first sit down and dissect them in a logical manner and write them out on paper or a computer screen-- and even then, I'm no psychologist. Also, if someone upsets me, I might not say or do anything about it right away, because it takes me awhile to process the emotion and decide whether I'm upset <i>enough</i> to say or do anything (conflict gives me too much anxiety to bother most of the time), and whether it's my own fault I'm upset or someone else is at fault, and… well, you get the idea. On the flip side, you will ALWAYS know when I'm in a good mood. I don't bother to hide that at all. ;)<br /><br />I'm sure there are plenty more that I haven't even thought of. But this is my blog about teaching in Korea, not in-depth self-analysis. I'm only including this section because I think it's somewhat relevant. And maybe because I sometimes enjoy rambling on about myself, and it IS my blog, gosh darn it. :P<br /><br />To sum up: We're all different. We deal with stress and culture shock and other people in different ways. I'm going to make an effort, henceforth, to do better at both dealing with my own culture shock, as well as recognize when others are doing the same, and maybe I can do a better job of making this situation easier on myself and everyone around me.<br /><br /><br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br /><br />-Maria<br /><br />P.S. I'll have my weekly report on classes and whatnot up sometime this upcoming weekend. <3Gypsy-Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18391496178424002140noreply@blogger.com7