New Year Comin Up

Yes, the Asian or Lunar new year is this Monday here in Korea. This morning I got to work, and the director said, "Wendy, come here." Of course I'm so silly to think, okay what did I do, and he brought me into the 'office' and pointed to a 'group' of bags on the floor, and said "Happy New Year!!!" How sweet was that. So it was what I thought it would be.

Apparently the gifts that are given are either a gift set of no less than two or four tubes of toothpaste and at Least 4 bars of soap, and 3 plus body washes. Yep. Happy New year!
But then the other alternative is an alcohol set of some sort. One BIG bottle, or 3 or so bottles of nice Korean rice or berry wine or someting complete with little 'tea' cups. The cups are NEVER in groups of four, only three or two or maybe five. Yep. Four is a BAD number. Doesnt matter if you have 2 couples coming over....hmm that's a thought. I wonder if Koreans do invite 2 couples cuz the number. Huh.

The New year here is just like Christmas here. They told us at school today that a lot of Korean women work so hard that afterwards they have to go to the hospital or take medication!! As in cooking and serving and entertaining, etc... Wowzers!

Anyway....I wonder if Sex and the City is really a good show for me to watch. Its about one of the only tv shows i really enjoy because yes, I can identify. But my gosh!

Well, I wanted to go to Seoul for New Years, but I thik I'll have to stay home. Maybe go to the coast or something would be fun. Yah, I might just do that. A trip by myself perhaps. One to do some artwork. Yah, i think it's about time I do that. And I can maybe afford sometime to get an EASEL! Wooohooo! I can hardly wait.

So taekwondo is going well. I'm so glad that I'm taking it. It's moving along quite fast considering. Apparently in Korea the levels go along quite a lot faster than in the 'Americas'. I'll be hopefully getting my yellow belt next month. Yay! But i've got a lot to learn though. I'm so glad to be exercising though. A new obsession...

So I've finished reading "Memoirs of a Geisha" and I can hardly wait to go see it in the theatres this weekend. Yep, its just opening here this weekend. What is that, at least a month later than Canada? I think so.

Cats *the Broadway play* is coming at the beginning of Feb too. I hope I can go and see that. We'll see.

Well, time to go to bed. Talk soon....

Monoculturalism

Yep. I think that's the biggest thing about being here in Korea. The MONO culturalism. Everyone looks the same, dresses the same, acts the same...eats the same.... and I wonder if they think of doing anything different. And actually I'm somewhat appreciative. But I wouldnt trade it for the opportunity of knowing the things about different cultures and the people in them like I do...and that's what I love about life. And the fact that after all of that...we're all the same: humans. We all feel the same things generally, and act the same way generally, and love, and cry, and eat, and sleep...yep. We might think and act differently in some ways, like personal space or our methods of speaking or reacting or presenting ourselves to the world, or behaviours towards our family and friends and the outside world...but really, we're all the same species. Just different shades.

So, now that I've been in another far off land for almost 2 and a half months, coming on 3 already, its so interesting to observe what I've learned, and how I've become comfortable walking outside, and reminding myself that I am indeed in another country, and I love it. I can explore new things, and practice and learn another language on the basis of survival, and not just pure interest or to brag. ;) heh heh.

It's so much fun to see our differences too. Sure, they might not be quite what I'm used to, but that's the beauty of it. As far as I'm concerned, God has a great sense of humor! Mr. Creative Himself.

So, it was John's birthday today. He's 25. What a great age to be teaching English in a foreign country. Man, I wish I could have done this at his age. Anyway, I made him wear the crown that they have the kids wear when they have their birthdays. The staff at school sang him happy birthday...and tonight we went out to a place called Miller Time and they all sang him happy birthday in a Korean way of doing it, and they got Liz up with John 'on stage' to dance for the whole place! Ha! All the koreans watching the birthday boy dance! They gave us hats to put on so we could all get a Polaroid taken, and of course I wore the big a** fro! Woohooo!
Koreans are such hospitable and wonderful people.

Oh, which reminds me, they have a TV program here where a guy has one rose....no, it's not 'the bachelor', and about 10-15 girls have to dance as sexy as they can for him, and then he gives the rose to the sexiest dancer! haha! It's quite fun and entertaining to watch...and yes, sometimes embarrasing.

So without further adieu, I'm going to have to go to bed. I have volunteered to help at church tomorrow. Yep, I'm the English teacher there as well! Ha ha.

I hope I can get the movie of John on here....if not, I'll ahve to find another way of sharing a Korean style birthday with y'all.

Later!

Today

I get off work at 2 on Fridays which makes it quite a lovely weekend and Friday! Soooo glad. But then I dont know what to do. I'm scared to go shopping or 'eye shopping' as they call it here because U know how I am. Too much to buy! So, here I am at home. I guess it's good, so I can clean up my place once in a while. You really have to be on top of that here, cuz all these little itsy bitsy scurrying ants just find EVERY crumb you've got in a minute if you're not careful. So it's good...it's teaching me to be cleaner which is a good thing. Good thing I have a small space then!

It's John's birthday today, and we all sang him happy birthday and I went and made him wear the crown that they put on all the kids when they ahve a birthday. IT was hilarious! Heh heh.

I gotta run downtown in a minute. I will be meeting Rachel, *a girl from work* and looking for a present for John.

Last night I had to do some taekwondo again. They told us that we had to come for 'exercise', and just how nicely they do it, you cant refuse. And I dont really mind. I can learn more Taekwondo! It's so beautiful, really. I just see it as choreography that is really useful if you need it!

The moves he showed us last night are getting a bit more complicated...its fun, and I'm soooo glad I'm doing it.

K, I gotta run. Later!

What a day

Well, I had the second lesson in Taekwondo. It's kinda funny cuz John and I are the only white belts there. White is the beginning belt color. So we get called up in front of about 30 kids that are black belt to learn our white belt lessons! Great. Yep, we get the initial giggles, but overall I think they're just amused at two whities that are foreigners learning the ropes!
We start the class by doing some warm ups, and part of that are the basic kicks and punches. I can hardly wait till I can do the spin around one. It's the first time i've tried to do it, and i think i really like the feeling. Wow...I cant' believe I"m learning Taekwondo in Korea! Wowzers!
So, we learned the basic punches today, so I think I got it. It's easy..but it's choreography. I love it.
I'l finish this later. Gotta sleep

Pinnochio

The kids called me Pinnochio today! Lmao!!! I never thought of what it would be like in in reverse! Ha ha! I suppose it could look like that to a Korean! Ha ha.
That's about it really. I gotta get some sleep. I keep staying up super late cuz I cant seem to sleep. hmmmm.....
G'nite.

Breakthrough!

Well, I say breakthrough because I had the worst and best class today. In one of the classes called the 'orange' class that I was teaching... I went in with a little white board and was getting them to write their name and speak certain English phrases along with it; like, "can i have the marker please?" We were all doing fine, and I had all of their attention when all of a sudden I noticed one of the girls that is usually really good and just sits there without causing any kind of trubble giving one of the other girls a really huge scolding, and so much that she started bawling her eyes out. They all started coutning to 10, and then by the end of it she was a mess! (Mike, if you're reading this it was Ella and Becky). So Ella just kept on yelling right at Becky and Becky just kept on bawling. And then all the rest of the kids joined in. It was horrible! But it turned out to be a good thing only in terms of English, cuz I was asking Ella why she was so angry, and I heard most of the class speak more English that I thought they were capable of! Wowzers. Strange how that happens.

Anyhoo...in regards to my ailment of feeling really spaced out..today I really feel much much better and more myself. I guess it was just a phase. It's not quite over yet, but I feel better at least.

I"m on a longer break than normal right now because two classes are out doing something else. That's fine with me! So- I went downstairs to the piano school, and tinkered around on the piano for half hour. Man, I am SOOOO in need of practice. The piano teacher likes me enough to let me come in and play whenever, which I really like. Maybe I'll get back on track with piano, and who knows, maybe I'll take piano lessons too!

I'm on such a high right now. Just can't believe how easy my life is here. I have less stress in a way than i ever have in my life. I love my job, I like where I live, I like the friends I have made here, I have a constant challenge to learn Korean (the language), and I'm earning more than I have ever earned in my life, AND I can pay my bills at home off! My Mastercard has been in arrears for a few years now, even though my account is cancelled, but now i can finally pay the 500 that i owe! How pathetic is that? And my lawyer from my divorce years ago who has died in the process...poor guy. What a relief to feel like I can pay that stuff off. Wow.

AND I can afford to save a bit up for a new digital camera and a laptop hopefully. We'll see. I'd really like to come home for my girlfriend Alison's wedding in June though...Hmmm.... We'll see.

Kay I gotta run to class. Here goes!

MAN I love Korea!!

Yah, you heard me! I had such a good day today! It was so much fun. Well, I went to church to hang out with my Korean friends. THey are sooo super sweet. So hospitable. I got there just as church was out...and everyone was eating in the 'cafeteria'. They invited me in, and I got to eat lunch Korean potluck style. YUM. Rice and veggies, and Korean radish soup, that I thought was potatoes, but apparently not! And I think one of the best things about Korean food that I like is the bean or pepper paste. It's so yummy with veggies and stuff. With anything, really.

Anyway....it just so happened that there was a wedding after! So we went upstairs, and after a few minutes of people singing some hymns, the bride and groom walked up the aisle hand in hand, and 15 mins later it was all done! The only decorations were balloons in flower formations on the aisles! Oh, and the prettiest flower arrangements in the front. I'll try to add a picture. It was quite casual, really. The groom wore white gloves, and so the the bride in her traditional Korean dress in bright yellow and magenta. Afterwards one of the kids went up and gave her a bouquet of roses, and that was that. Everyone paraded by to congratulate them, and then the pictures. One of the girls there grabbed my hand, and sat me right beside the pastor and the bride, and everyone else sat behind. Wow...that was cool. I felt just like I could report that on National Geographic or something. It was just like some stories I've read there, except I'd have to sharpen up my writing A LOT! Ha ha. Then they brought in a cake, and moved the pulpit to the front in the middle, and put the cake up on it for a cake cutting picture- and that was that.

Then we had our meeting for next weekends camp at the church. I will help out with the kids and English stuff. Sounds allright to me. It was interesting sitting in on a meeting in Korean! Everyone sitting on the 'ondol' or heated floor.

Then later in the afternoon I went for a walk down Art street. I stopped in my favorite store that has gorgous tea pots and cups and everything you'll want for a tea party! I talked to the lady there, and I was talking to her (she had surprisingly good English) about tea ceremonies, and it turns out that she teaches it! Apparently it takes a year to learn! Wowzers! I wonder what it all involves! So now I've got a really good contact to see a real tea ceremony! Woohoo!

Then I went and decided to really get some paper that I saw before. It turns out that a sheet of paper that is approx 3.5 feet by 30" is a little more than a dollar! The fancy stuff too. So I got 6 of them for 8000 won. Woohooo! I walked out feeling like I just got gold or something. So now they're up on my wall cuz I didnt have anything on the walls, and I was feeling like I needed something. And now I have something that feels authentic too. It's so gorgeous!

Then I went by a shoe store, and so far I've been just pretty much ignoring them because the largest size is 250 (or 250 mm) and I'm 255. GRRRR. But I just thought, I'm gonna try these boots on for the fun of it to see if I can possibly fit into them, and I really didnt expect them to fit but GUESS WHAT? They DID! So I got a really cool pair of boots for so-called half price for 40,000 won. Man I love this! I think that just made my whole month! I found shoes that Fit me in Korea!

Then I met up with the ppl from church again, and we went to see Narnia. That was a good movie! It was just as I hoped it would be. What a symbolic story. The graphics were great. Sometimes I feel like I'm in Narnia here in Korea! Like a wonderland that I cant believe I'm really living here! I'm soooo grateful for the opportunity to finally experience another culture in another country altogether.

Oh, before we went to the movie, we went into a sticker picture store. Yep, they have stores here so you can go and dress up and take your picture with your friends. I've been wanting to for a long time, so I finally did. Yay!!! It was so much fun! I'll try and post that sometime too.

Okay, I really gotta sleep now. It's 3 am! I just cant seem to sleep at normal times lately. I think I need some really good exercise. I can hardly wait to start taekwondo on Monday!
Goodnight!

a letter to a friend

a letter to a friend in korea....thought i'd share it....
oh, and you'll have to excuse the 'no caps, poor grammar, etc' here...but i love being lazy online. it's just more fun that way.

im at school on a break. thought i'd leave u a message. im doing fine...feeling quite happy now, andwondering how in the heck i got myself a job that i really like. i was calculating my money and thinking...wowzers! i can really do this! all i really have to do is show up and talk to the kids! craziness! play games and stuff. and think of them!
and guess what. i signed up for takwondo and john and i wil be starting on monday night! Wierd! i can harldy wait. it's a block away from my house which makes it super convenient, and for two nights a week it's only 40 000! plus 30 000 for the uniform. ya i can do that! i am going to be wondering if im going to do well in it, or if i'm going to want to do it more. they said somethingn like 70 000 for every day of the week, or maybe it was just that they were giving us a deal from 70 to 40. dunno. who cares. im gonna live the kill bill dream! lmao.
my only complaint at the momment is that i cant get rid of this kink in my neck. grrrr. i keep sleeping wierd, or maybe its the hardness of the mattress. dunno.
and i went into Puma store last night and tried on some clothes. man..i can get a whole track suit for 150 000. sounds like fun to me. and i'm losing alot of weight...so i have a hope of getting into some super large korean pants! haha. i did go to home plus the other day, and found that i can fit into some clothes there. woohoo. some were really cute too.
i've lost 10 lbs so far. man this is great!

i've been doin that korean book i got with the cd. man it's really good. i can recognize a lot more than i thought. i think i'll do that every time i think of it...listen to the cd and do a lesson or two...and i'll be speaking in no time. yayy.
kay. gotta run

Guess what?

I just signed up for Taekwondo last night!! John and I are going up for battle I guess...unless there are other students in the class. Ha ha! I'm actually going to do it! The instructor is a 'master' of taekwondo, and he had quite a few medals on his wall. He is also in university for takwondo. I gotta figure out how to spell that right. We met the head instructor as well. They take takwondo very seriously it seems. But lightly as well. We went in with our slippers into the office, and they sat us down and were very hospitable. The price is really good too. 40,000 won for a month of classes 2x a week. Apparently its usually 70,000 won for classes every day a week I think, or its that price usually for what we are going to take. Either one. We start next Monday night, and we get our uniforms then too. Woohoo! I cant' believe I'm really goign to learn it in Korea!

The younger master said it will be hard. I'm not sure if that's physically hard or hard because of our language differences. Apparently they will teach us mostly in Korean, and I hope so because that means I'll learn words in Korean for things faster. Yayyy.

I'm excited because I have wanted to do this for a long time, but it was always too much. And also to get into shape. I have lost a bit of weight because of walking and all the stairs here. Probably because I was sick too. So I feel stronger to start doing something like this.

It's funny seeing how the kids all of a sudden whip out takwondo moves. Some of them are pretty good at it and could probably really hurt you if they wanted to!

I'm reading the book 'Memoirs of a Geisha' that I got in Seoul. I've been wanting to read it for a couple years, so I'm finally doing it. Especially because the movie is coming out. I'm learning a lot about geishas and its interesting now that I've been to Japan, and I'm learning the customs of Korean and Asian culture by living here, and understanding things about the story that I wouldnt completely if I wasnt here. It's interesting that I'm living here and happen to be reading this book here.

Well, gotta run to get ready for the next class. Later!

Land of Slippers

Ha ha, that title cracks me up. Its so true though...and I'm really liking it. Makes you feel so much cleaner. Anyway...
This weekend was quite uneventful. Stayed home all day Saturday. Did nothing. Was quite nice. EVer since I've come back from Seoul, I've been feeling really quite strange- like I'm in a daze or something. Its a combination of everything I suppose. Grandma passing on, and it feels so disconnected from the whole situation. Not sure how to deal with it, or how to make it feel real. Not that I really want it to feel real, but its just part of dealing with it generally I suppose.

Also, I've been dealing with the fact that it's time to work again. I like working with the kids, and I'm glad I'm doing it. It's such a learning experience. One, working with kids, and two, working with the Korean culture and ways of doing things. All the unspokens, and the things spoken, and the read between the lines kindof stuff. In a way, I really like the fact that I dont understand Korean. It just helps me not to worry about stuff I really dont need to, or dont need to know. If it was in Canada, I'd probably be all stressed about things I dont really need to....so there!

Also, I am just realizing that I'm really here, and I'm living my life in Korea for the rest of the year. It's going by fast, but it's going to be a while too. There's some important people that are in Canada that I was wondering, how on earth am I going to do this? Another 10 months? But then I talk to them, and I get all the encouragement I need to go through with it. Its funny. I knwo I've come here for a reason, and I'm so glad I have. I look at the whole world so much differently. Especially the people who have immigrated to another country such as Canada, and have uprooted their whole lives to start in another one. Wow...its hard, and I have respect for them.

I really gotta sleep soon, it's almost 2 am...but I slept in so much this morning, that I think it's going to balance out.

The other thing is, I really need to learn Korean. I need to buckle down and take the time to learn it. And I have to determine what is the best way to do that. I got a few books in Seoul that are helping a lot. (Mike, I did get that one by Stephen Revere, so we'll see-thanx for the reference). I also got the book Memoirs of a Geisha, and I'm enjoying getting into a book that I really like to read. That hasnt happened in a long time. And I can hardly wait to see the movie when it comes out.

Okay, here goes another week. Hopefully I'll feel more grounded and more myself soon. I think I have to go and exercise more is the deal. Tone up and everything. SO glad I'm losing weight...and today I found some pants that will fit me! WHew!

Gnite!

Another day

Today marks some new changes at Kids Club. Mr. Shim came in to explain them to us a little more. We teach 50 min classes now, and we have to have them memorize a statement or sentence. Then at the end of the class, they have to line up and tell the teacher what that sentence was. They also have to do their homework that we have to give them everyday, and report this to their parents. And, and and. I'm trying to keep it all together, and remember it all myself at this point!
My schedule changes too. Not a lot, but I start at either 10 or 11. I will miss coming in at 1:30 on Tues and Thurs. Oh well. I think I'll like this change, because it feels that I have something to follow to keep the kids and my thoughts on track. Like we're really accomplishing something. Also, there is the other school that we will be teaching at on every other Thursday. I'm not sure if I'm going there yet or not. I thought so, but we'll see. Doesnt really matter to me. It is a nice school, though. I feel bad that I couldnt meet the rest of the teachers before Christmas when they had an opening dinner. I was so sick that day.
My computer isn't working again. I'm dumb and didnt put a virus checker on it when I redid Windows, and was surfing around and got myself some nasty viruses. Dumb, dumb, dumb! Urgh. So, I'll have to get someone in to see what they can do. I wonder how much that is going to be. Hmmmmm. I think I should save up for a laptop. And I would like another camera too.
Oh man, in Seoul there was a huge dept store for just electronics. Woohooo.....the whole first floor was cameras. I found a really cool one that I would love to get sometime. It's very small and fast. It's a Lexis I think it's called, and it had a Leica lens. Yep...sounds good. The salesman said it's a very good 'number one' camera as well. I do know that a Leica lens is top of the line, if I understand that right. It's only 275! The one Canon camera that I would like, which the salesman said was "very expensive' was only 500! Wooooo! I can handle that expensive! That included a battery, warranty, and I'm sure I could get them to include a tripod too, and a better memory card, and a case too. Ya, that would be nice! So when I save enuff, if I actually do that, I'll have to get one.
Man, I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm all stressed out or worried about stuff I guess. Not sure exactly why. It's like I've unwound. I gotta wind back up somehow!! I dont like being bla.
So apparently I've lost weight, cuz YuJin noticed it today. Some other people have said that too. Well I'm not complaining! But the only thing is that I'm going to have to find a sewing machine and some fabric to make myself some better clothes to fit me! Not sure how that will happen, or if it will. My pants are driving me nuts falling off me all the time! Horrible! Ha ha!

Well, that's the news for now. THere's so much more I want to write, but then when I sit down here, I can't remember it all! Allrighty.....later! Till next time.....

Trying

Today is Tuesday, the second day back at work. I'm having a real hard time staying awake today, and I'm feeling quite sad and maybe a bit depressed. So much has been happening, and it didnt help that I had a nightmare last night. Dreams are wierd here it seems. I wonder if I've really had a good dream that I remember. Why is it that it's so much easier to remember the bad ones?!! Well I suppose it's because I wake up fast with the bad ones and that means I remember them cuz they were interrupted.

Anyway, I'm feeling much better lately. The 'flu' shot I got here really helped. Quite interesting really. Got the shot on the butt. Why do they work there anyway? The nurse gave quite a good shot, really. I didnt even feel it, and she was slapping my butt and she gave it (sorry for the graphic!)...which I always want...I mean, I always ask them to pinch me while I get a shot. It makes it so much easier to deal with. A distraction...and that was!

I still have a cough from my lungs getting used to or rid of the bronchitis. I sure hope that goes soon. But I'm not too terribly worried. Oh, I gotta run...oops....will write more later. Got someone super important online to chat to;)