All New.

I left Korea....
flew to Florida....
drove to Georgia...
drove to Kentucky...
drove to Illinois...
rode to Michigan...
rode back to Illinois...
then came back to Korea to a whole new area of Seoul and a whole new school.

Therefore, I feel it's necessary to start a whole new blog. Keep checking back for the link....it'll be posted soon.

xoxo

선생님... Teacher... Amond Teacher...Supermanda Teacher...

Student: Teacher, do you have a boyfriend?

Me: No, I don't have a boyfriend.

Student: Teacher, do you know what I think? This is just what I think. I think boys all over the world like you... and I think that you have a lot of boyfriends and you go and kiss them all.


Being called a whore by a 9-year-old isn't exactly a compliment, so I smiled, said "No way" and changed the subject to pizza. Pizza is always a good distraction for kids, they know what it is... all over the world... and they like it.


Ch-ch-changes.

Along with some obnoxious staff changes and stress inducing schedule additions, I've found myself placed with the new 5-year-olds again. I can't deny, I love the babies... even if they don't speak any English, whatsoever.

These new babies think I'm Korean and that I speak Korean, which most of the new students at least semi-think. Even one little girl who is terrified of, well, everything... clings on to me whenever I try and leave the classroom. I find her adorable, as well as her classmates, including Jaehoon, AKA Ryan.

This little guy wasn't scared of me at all from the beginning. Despite speaking no English, he's tried to feed me an eraser that I taught him looked like chocolate...colored a picture of me as a green Seonsaengnim (teacher)... and actually colored me green by chasing me with a green colored pencil, which I was unaware can actually color skin.  He has to be the cutest student yet, but as always, I like the little misbehaved misfits.


Tequila... soju...

Somehow, the word burrito is uncommon here, and people generally haven't any idea what one is, so I've had to explain this wonderful food many times while I've been in Korea. Without much insight to what a burrito is, one of my students did know about tequila and when I didn't understand his accent, he showed me how to take a shot (luckily, he only threw his head back with an imaginary shotglass in hand). He is, 10.. maybe?

My 8-year-olds talk about the drink "father" likes and comes home red faced and dizzy after drinking. Soju.

How cute, my future little AA leaders of the world.


Fail.

Well, I'm pretty sure I just washed a jacket I wasn't supposed to, my cleaned apartment still looks like a disaster and there's more dishes in the sink even after my unintended company secretly washed them for me Saturday night. I'm disgusting. I'm calling it a night for now, but I'll hopefully bring more tales soon~



Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country. ~Anais Nin

2011 comeback?.. eh, maybe.

My one year anniversary in Korea came and went, and yes, I'm still holding strong. My new contract ends December of this year... so I'm thinking about making a comeback. Until I decide which topic to cover first (Since I have a good 4 or 5 months worth to debate over)... I found this picture I thought was hilariously accurate.

If you live in Korea, are coming to Korea, or want a humorous idea of how living in Korea is as a foreigner .. check out that website. (Roketship.com)

I'll try to update again soon (I  know.. I say that everytime, but I'm serious).



"I think it happens to everyone as they grow up. You find out who you are and what you want, and then you realize that people you've known forever don't see things the same way you do. And so you keep the wonderful memories but find yourself moving on. It's perfectly normal." - Nicholas Sparks

335 days later.

I'm starting to realize that in reality, anyone can do anything they want in life. Dreams don't have to be imaginary. Money and fear are the only two things that really stand in the way of being exactly who you want to be and going exactly where you want to go. I understand it's not always easy. Life loves to throw obstacles our way, testing our strength and determination, and not everyone can handle the failures it takes to finally succeed.

One month from today I'll have been in Korea exactly one year. I remember stepping off the airplane last October absolutely terrified. I didn't know what I was doing or what I expected. I didn't know the language, the food, the culture. Most of all, I had no idea who I was, the real me. I hoped my year would go by quickly, and I could return home without anything ever changing.

Last Friday, I extended my contract for another 6 months.

I'm still not positive I know exactly who I am, but every day I take one step closer to figuring it all out. I absolutely love this country, although I'm not entirely sure I wouldn't say that about anywhere I happened to find myself living. However, the people, the food, the customs and traditions, they all amaze me here and there's nothing I take for granted. I feel like I've done a lot--DJ Fest, Lantern Fest, Mud Fest, trip to Busan, palaces and temples, aquariums and museums, bars and restaurants, shopping, etc.-- but I also feel like there are so many things I haven't gotten to do yet, and I can't wait to see where the next 6 months takes me.

My newest idea is to get a TEFL certificate in another country for a month after my contract ends in February. Possibly Spain or Greece... or somewhere in South America.. Peru? I feel lucky, but at the same time I'm really just doing what I want to do. The world is an amazing place, why shouldn't I try to turn my dream of exploring it into a reality?

"You were given life; it is your duty to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight." --Elizabeth Gilbert

Sometimes I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

I've almost let another two months go by without writing. Time is nothing here. I feel like I must fall asleep sometimes wearing sparkling, red shoes, only to wake up in a completely different week or month. My weeks go from Monday to Friday without blinking, and the weekends are filled with friends and usually some random adventure that makes Sunday night come just as quickly as the last.

The summer has come, and I spend most of my weeknights wondering how much my air conditioning will cost since it's incessantly running. On...off..on...off...on....sleep. That's how it goes. I remember a few months back when I refused to believe the weather would ever change from cold. Supposedly the rainy season was supposed to start the past couple weekends, but luckily it was sunny today which gave me brief memories of being at the beach and sitting outside in the sun. My countdown has begun, however, and Mudfest is right around the corner along with a trip to England and then a trip to somewhere in the southern parts of Korea.

Well, I realize this is short but it's late here, and since I've grown accustomed to sleeping until as late as possible every morning and making it to work barely on time, I should probably get some sleep in an attempt to change my stubborn ways. Hopefully, I'll write again soon as I have a lot to say and will undoubtedly have more by the end of the month.

"Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering." --Ida Scott Taylor

Flying Purple People Eater

I really enjoy meeting new people. Granted, rarely am I one to initiate a conversation with someone new, but there must be something about me that welcomes people to come and talk to me... and I really like that about myself. Otherwise, it's just boredom or curiousity that draws people to me, but either way, it's usually pretty cool. I've met a lot of really cool and interesting people so far.

However, I've also had my share of interesting (in a not so good way) and somewhat creepy characters who've introduced themselves to me.

Yesterday, for example, I met a nice looking guy who attends one of the top universities here in Seoul as an engineering student (this was confirmed by a folder and paper he showed me to emphasize his point, since I couldn't quite understand the name of the university he was saying in broken English). He came off as a nice guy who just wanted to meet foreigners, telling me about his military stint and how he was going to a party. He even invited me to eat Kimchi and rice with him, which seemed innocent enough even though I told him it'd have to be another night. Then, he pushed the barrier a bit. He told me how beautiful I am, which I get told a lot in this country and have learned to be flattered by rather than creeped out, but he also told me he "literally" loved me.

"I love you. Literally. I love you."

This is another common phrase Koreans learn, but I always become a little nervous when I hear it because I know the conversation could quickly turn. However, lately I've learned to smile politely, say some small form of "thank you" in return and change the subject if at all possible, which I somewhat managed to do.

He went on to tell me I have a small face... another conversational repeat I often hear, which is why Korean men supposedly find me beautiful. Then, he went on to tell me he had a large face (which he didn't) and large other areas, err, if you know what I mean and continued to ask me if that was a good thing...

First of all, doubtful... second of all, it was completely inappropriate and awkward. This was the point when every escape plan I could possibly conjur up came into play.

Long story short, he followed me off the train to my transfer point then, luckily, I had to pay more to take the express train so he didn't follow me past the pay point. I also had a similiar taxi driver a few weekends back, but he was a bit less creepy. He pulled the "I love you" too though.

This being said, I know my mom is probably going to freak out now, after reading this, about me going anywhere alone, etc. etc. but really, I couldn't be in a country I'm less afraid of. I never once thought anyone was going to hurt me, and there are always people outside at all times of night, so coming home alone late at night isn't an issue. Plus, these funny/creepy people make for interesting stories and are usually really nice people who have social issues. Plus, the amazing people I meet make up for the weird ones.

It's also become a goal of mine to learn another language during my lifetime. It's amazing to me how people can speak so many... I'm jealous of their capacity to learn so easily.
til next time.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. " -Ralph Waldo Emerson

4th World DJ Festival

                                 

The 4th World DJ Festival was held in Nanji Park near the Han River. It was a day full of... well... awesomeness. Add me on Facebook to see the rest of my pictures and a couple videos. Good music, good beer, good people... it was great. Definitely check it out if you ever have the chance.

"Tonight's the night the world begins again."