Ok yo....
I wake up late every morning
Mr Joo calling im still yawning
Get up wake up hair and makeups
Waiting for you don't be sawing
This teaching job is important
I don't think I can put my all in
Hold on I was drunk last night
Now its all kicking in and I don't feel right
Gave my number to a breh who wasn't my type
Now my phones on silent im being polite
Now private callers get no love from me
Just let me be...
Oh my gosh my days are getting longer
And there's no turning back im working da 9 to 9
It's in my contract sometimes 9 instead of 1:30
I ain't no early birdy im lazy dats all I can say
So make sure you heard me
And deres no turning back im working a 9 to 9
So you gotta...do...sum...ite... for...kangaroos
Kanga who sorry who im altered for snooze
Oh! Kangaroos those ones ain't my class
My head's messed from Cass
Whoops Im being rude
Wheres my red bull and my sandwich I need food
I cant handle this
Im getting pissd like pampers, working in a school
"Looby loo"
Nah Id actually rather catch my z's and count sheep in my sleep
Lets not wake her up actually looks quite sweet
Oh my gosh my days are getting longer
And there's no turning back im working da 9 to 9
It's in my contract sometimes 9 instead of 1:30
Im no early birdy im lazy dats all dat I can say
So make sure you heard me
I aint no early birdy
don't wanna wake up till 12:30
Couldn't be bothered to plan much ere
Sooooooooo oh dear
Huh where am I man...
This... this aint good... whats going on?!
So puzzlemaker won't change my words
Im a vocabulary chik called dipstick
This aint on my wishlist
Oh shit Im in class reading the wrong story
Next class is really gory
Next a class with lazy Tweenies
It's like presenting C-beebies
Have u seen me?
Never again, am I drinking lambrini
"Its alright Teach it's a dream... jus wake up!"
Oh my gosh my days are getting longer
And there's no turning back im working da 9 to 9
It's in my contract sometimes 9 instead of 1:30
Im no early birdy im lazy I'll say it again
To make sure ya heard me
I aint no early birdy
Don't wanna wake up till 12:30
The Lady Sovereign version is of course much better than my rip off. If you don't listen to her, start now.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Since Thailand
Basically, since I got back from Thailand, I've only had time to work, eat, and sleep. Yay summer camp! Can't wait till it's over. The only good thing is the pay cheque - I am looking forward to that extra cash. After all, I have that expensive juice addiction to feed...
Lindsay and I didn't do too much exploring around Seoul. I took her to Insadong for a little shopping and pizza at Agio's. We went to Ladies' Night at the Loft. I watched her pack and sent her home with some Christmas gifts. We spent a bit of time out on Saturday in Itaewon. On her last day we went to Starbucks, as she wanted a mug with Korean writing on it and then spent a crazy amount of time going to the airport, waiting around for her flight, and then for me trying to take the airport bus home through traffic.
This past weekend I went into Itaewon for some errands on Saturday. It is lovely and sunny here, which I love. I love the sun, it makes me so happy. I think I just lived too many years in places with too much rain and greyness (Edinburgh, Vancouver, even Kingston for large parts of the year). Even in the winter when it is cold it is still usually sunny here. Even during the monsoon. It's lovely. What isn't so lovely is how damn humid it is here. I am dying. Every day on my lunch break I sit around in my underwear with the aircon on. Yep, that is what I'm up to RIGHT NOW!!!
Saturday night Julie, Amber, Laura, and I went to Margarita's for a very late dinner (we didn't even leave our building till 10.15) and then met up with Pedro & Co. at 66. We then moved on to Tin Pan's 1 and 2 and Halaboogies. (That place changed it's name briefly to Hage, but seems to have gone back). Danced up a storm. Danced on the pole. Danced. Made a slightly drunken call to someone who requested it. Went home and slept sometime after 5. Or was it 6?
Sunday wasn't up to much. Either that or I wasn't. Had a long, serious and rather depressing conversation with someone and then decided I couldn't be arsed doing a whole lot else. Was asleep by 9.
Which means I am still stuck wearing my old glasses, the ones I don't like. I have a holiday tomorrow, so maybe I can buy a new pair.
And damn, I write bad poetry!!!
Lindsay and I didn't do too much exploring around Seoul. I took her to Insadong for a little shopping and pizza at Agio's. We went to Ladies' Night at the Loft. I watched her pack and sent her home with some Christmas gifts. We spent a bit of time out on Saturday in Itaewon. On her last day we went to Starbucks, as she wanted a mug with Korean writing on it and then spent a crazy amount of time going to the airport, waiting around for her flight, and then for me trying to take the airport bus home through traffic.
This past weekend I went into Itaewon for some errands on Saturday. It is lovely and sunny here, which I love. I love the sun, it makes me so happy. I think I just lived too many years in places with too much rain and greyness (Edinburgh, Vancouver, even Kingston for large parts of the year). Even in the winter when it is cold it is still usually sunny here. Even during the monsoon. It's lovely. What isn't so lovely is how damn humid it is here. I am dying. Every day on my lunch break I sit around in my underwear with the aircon on. Yep, that is what I'm up to RIGHT NOW!!!
Saturday night Julie, Amber, Laura, and I went to Margarita's for a very late dinner (we didn't even leave our building till 10.15) and then met up with Pedro & Co. at 66. We then moved on to Tin Pan's 1 and 2 and Halaboogies. (That place changed it's name briefly to Hage, but seems to have gone back). Danced up a storm. Danced on the pole. Danced. Made a slightly drunken call to someone who requested it. Went home and slept sometime after 5. Or was it 6?
Sunday wasn't up to much. Either that or I wasn't. Had a long, serious and rather depressing conversation with someone and then decided I couldn't be arsed doing a whole lot else. Was asleep by 9.
Which means I am still stuck wearing my old glasses, the ones I don't like. I have a holiday tomorrow, so maybe I can buy a new pair.
And damn, I write bad poetry!!!
I have expensive taste in juice
I love juice. Love it. Don't care that there are lots of calories and less nutrition than in the fruit itself. Please note: I like juice, not drink. Though sometimes drink can be nice. I often water juices down and I do drink a ton of water too, but basically, I'm never gonna give up my juice.
And in Korea, this means I spend an absurd amount of money to buy juice I like. Ruby Red Grapefruit juice costs a whopping 6,800 won. As does the new apple juice I just tried and is the first decent apple juice I've found in Korea. That's right, folks, I pay about $7 American for 1.89 L of juice. Which is crazy. But I really, really like juice.
And in Korea, this means I spend an absurd amount of money to buy juice I like. Ruby Red Grapefruit juice costs a whopping 6,800 won. As does the new apple juice I just tried and is the first decent apple juice I've found in Korea. That's right, folks, I pay about $7 American for 1.89 L of juice. Which is crazy. But I really, really like juice.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
An Ode to My Favourite Pair of Glasses
Many a time, I have sat on or
stood upon these glasses poor.
But this last time it was too much
No amount of fixing touch
Will repair this pair
Should have taken better care
As now they are in two half
And they have gotten the last laugh.
stood upon these glasses poor.
But this last time it was too much
No amount of fixing touch
Will repair this pair
Should have taken better care
As now they are in two half
And they have gotten the last laugh.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Talking to Americans CBC Special (PART 2) f/ Rick Mercer
One of my students, who has disappeared this month, would ask me every class to sing O Canada. Why he liked it so much, I have no idea. But while the kids were writing things from the board, I always complied. This version, however, would have been funnier!
One of my students, who has disappeared this month, would ask me every class to sing O Canada. Why he liked it so much, I have no idea. But while the kids were writing things from the board, I always complied. This version, however, would have been funnier!
Monday, August 07, 2006
This is why all my students should listen to me very, very carefully!
Bwhahahahahaha!
'A basic rule of punctuation'
GRANT ROBERTSON
From Monday's Globe and Mail
It could be the most costly piece of punctuation in Canada.
A grammatical blunder may force Rogers Communications Inc. to pay an extra $2.13-million to use utility poles in the Maritimes after the placement of a comma in a contract permitted the deal's cancellation.
The controversial comma sent lawyers and telecommunications regulators scrambling for their English textbooks in a bitter 18-month dispute that serves as an expensive reminder of the importance of punctuation.
Rogers thought it had a five-year deal with Aliant Inc. to string Rogers' cable lines across thousands of utility poles in the Maritimes for an annual fee of $9.60 per pole. But early last year, Rogers was informed that the contract was being cancelled and the rates were going up. Impossible, Rogers thought, since its contract was iron-clad until the spring of 2007 and could potentially be renewed for another five years.
Armed with the rules of grammar and punctuation, Aliant disagreed. The construction of a single sentence in the 14-page contract allowed the entire deal to be scrapped with only one-year's notice, the company argued.
Language buffs take note — Page 7 of the contract states: The agreement “shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”
Rogers' intent in 2002 was to lock into a long-term deal of at least five years. But when regulators with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) parsed the wording, they reached another conclusion.
The validity of the contract and the millions of dollars at stake all came down to one point — the second comma in the sentence.
Had it not been there, the right to cancel wouldn't have applied to the first five years of the contract and Rogers would be protected from the higher rates it now faces.
“Based on the rules of punctuation,” the comma in question “allows for the termination of the [contract] at any time, without cause, upon one-year's written notice,” the regulator said.
Rogers was dumbfounded. The company said it never would have signed a contract to use roughly 91,000 utility poles that could be cancelled on such short notice. Its lawyers tried in vain to argue the intent of the deal trumped the significance of a comma. “This is clearly not what the parties intended,” Rogers said in a letter to the CRTC.
But the CRTC disagreed. And the consequences are significant.
The contract would have shielded Rogers from rate increases that will see its costs jump as high as $28.05 per pole. Instead, the company will likely end up paying about $2.13-million more than expected, based on rough calculations.
Despite the victory, Aliant won't reap the bulk of the proceeds. The poles are mostly owned by Fredericton-based utility NB Power, which contracted out the administration of the business to Aliant at the time the contract was signed.
Neither Rogers nor Aliant could be reached for comment on the ruling. In one of several letters to the CRTC, Aliant called the matter “a basic rule of punctuation,” taking a swipe at Rogers' assertion that the comma could be ignored.
“This is a classic case of where the placement of a comma has great importance,” Aliant said.
'A basic rule of punctuation'
GRANT ROBERTSON
From Monday's Globe and Mail
It could be the most costly piece of punctuation in Canada.
A grammatical blunder may force Rogers Communications Inc. to pay an extra $2.13-million to use utility poles in the Maritimes after the placement of a comma in a contract permitted the deal's cancellation.
The controversial comma sent lawyers and telecommunications regulators scrambling for their English textbooks in a bitter 18-month dispute that serves as an expensive reminder of the importance of punctuation.
Rogers thought it had a five-year deal with Aliant Inc. to string Rogers' cable lines across thousands of utility poles in the Maritimes for an annual fee of $9.60 per pole. But early last year, Rogers was informed that the contract was being cancelled and the rates were going up. Impossible, Rogers thought, since its contract was iron-clad until the spring of 2007 and could potentially be renewed for another five years.
Armed with the rules of grammar and punctuation, Aliant disagreed. The construction of a single sentence in the 14-page contract allowed the entire deal to be scrapped with only one-year's notice, the company argued.
Language buffs take note — Page 7 of the contract states: The agreement “shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”
Rogers' intent in 2002 was to lock into a long-term deal of at least five years. But when regulators with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) parsed the wording, they reached another conclusion.
The validity of the contract and the millions of dollars at stake all came down to one point — the second comma in the sentence.
Had it not been there, the right to cancel wouldn't have applied to the first five years of the contract and Rogers would be protected from the higher rates it now faces.
“Based on the rules of punctuation,” the comma in question “allows for the termination of the [contract] at any time, without cause, upon one-year's written notice,” the regulator said.
Rogers was dumbfounded. The company said it never would have signed a contract to use roughly 91,000 utility poles that could be cancelled on such short notice. Its lawyers tried in vain to argue the intent of the deal trumped the significance of a comma. “This is clearly not what the parties intended,” Rogers said in a letter to the CRTC.
But the CRTC disagreed. And the consequences are significant.
The contract would have shielded Rogers from rate increases that will see its costs jump as high as $28.05 per pole. Instead, the company will likely end up paying about $2.13-million more than expected, based on rough calculations.
Despite the victory, Aliant won't reap the bulk of the proceeds. The poles are mostly owned by Fredericton-based utility NB Power, which contracted out the administration of the business to Aliant at the time the contract was signed.
Neither Rogers nor Aliant could be reached for comment on the ruling. In one of several letters to the CRTC, Aliant called the matter “a basic rule of punctuation,” taking a swipe at Rogers' assertion that the comma could be ignored.
“This is a classic case of where the placement of a comma has great importance,” Aliant said.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Thailand
Photos are here.
Thursday
We got to sleep in a bit, as we didn't have to leave the house till 1.30. Left the packing off till the morning, naturally. had a great shower, got all shaved and smooth and ready for the beach.
We had the wonderful experience of getting to walk to the airport bus in a monsoonal downpour. It was crazy. The bags got all wet and so did I. Froze my ass off on the overly air conditioned bus and it occured to me that I was wearing flip flops and didn't have any socks to keep my feet warm on the plane. Ooops. But since it's the law of the universe that you have to forget at least one thing on every trip, at least it was the socks this time!
In the airport we wandered into a gift shop while looking for some socks. They sold these jewellery boxes for $120. I have one that I bought in Insadong, same size and style, for $40. Crazy. Didn't find any socks, so we went off and had some lunch. Lindsay wasn't a fan of curry, apparently it was her first time eating it.
The plane ride was fine, boring as always. I watched Ice Age II and listened to one of the two English radio stations. I missed having my iPod, but didn't want to worry about losing it or having it stolen. Between cameras and passports and airplane tickets, I figured I had enough to keep track of.
At the airport we arranged a hotel room for the night near the airport, with a free transfer over. It was quite a nice place, nicer than I would usually stay in. Had all sorts of little toiletries and stuff, all of which I either used or took. After all, that's why they charge more than hostels, right? ;) We just arrived, slept, showered, and ate breakfast at Ebina House.
Friday
So, Bangkok Airways is posh. Free drinks and snacks, free internet terminals in the departure lounge. Nice. Upon landing, I discovered that the airport has no walls. It is just a collection of thatched roof style buildings, open to the air. Very cool.
After only one day in Ko Samui, i was sooooo burnt. I have some very bizarre
tan lines. very, very bizarre. basically, i've burnt an outline of my bikini into my back. and that with using sunscreen all day, reapplying often, and lying in the shade. could it be any more obvious that i am of British descent? ;) i think "tomato teacher" may well become my next nickname...
Got a pedicure while lying on the beach and swam in the ocean and read a book. we splurged for a bungalow with air con, which wasn't really necessary. while nice and hot and sunny, koh samui lacks the humidity of seoul, so to me it wasn't really that hot. certainly didn't require air con.
had the best thai curry for dinner at our guesthouse and went to wander around the main strip of Lamui. We had a few beers and then went dancing at Bauhaus, the big club. there wass a foam party, which basically was just dancing to house music in a cordonned off area full of soap bubbles. It was fun, but weird, and I wasn't so fond of having gotten dressed up and put on makeup to be covered in foam. Also, there were a lot of children there till fairly late, which is understandable as I can see the appeal for children of the whole thing.
it was sooooo good to be away from 12 hour days at work. (though i kept trying to speak Korean to everyone!!!) Nice to just lie around and chill. We were staying at Lamai beach, which is a little less popular than Chaweng, so a bit more quiet and chilled, but still with some nightlife. Seemed a good balance. As well, it looks like Chaweng doesn't have much in the way of budget accomodation, and as i'm sure you
all know, i'm all about the cheap accomodation!
the beach was minutes from our door, gorgeous white sand and blue water and palm trees. it's wonderful. if teaching in thailand paid better, i'd be here in a
minute. granted, i said that about Cambodia too.
All in all, I went through books on the trip. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb, which I had read before but barely remembered. Local Girls by Alice Hoffman, which was ok. Falling Leaves by Adeline Mah, which was good and I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson, which was my favourite of the lot. I traded a couple in at the used bookstore in Lamai - the selection there was soooo much better than in the used stores here in Korea. I guess it is all that book buying people do in anticipation of beach holidays. Who knew I would go to Thailand and come back with 10 books?
Saturday
Saturday was really relaxing. Had a fantastic Thai massage with oils and then we just lay around all day. Went into Lamai for a meal and to do some souvenir shopping. Lindsay is a shopping queen. We saw some Thai boxing, which was cool. More dance like and with lots of kicking. Didn't look very tiring, but I am sure it is. Ate Magnum ice creams, which i very much miss from Europe. And there were tons of mating frogs on the path back to our bungalow upon our return. Island love ;)
Sunday
we did a jeep tour of Koh Samui. rode on elephants and saw a very touristy elephant/monkey show. rode up the very bumpy and steep road to the top of the mountain for the view, which was fanatastically fun, and went to a statue garden and to see the big buddha temple. lindsay tried thai food for the first time and it made her ill, unfortunately.
my nose ended up bright red, in spite of my sun block efforts. i have also badly burnt the part of my hair. damn all that british blood.
Monday
after a day of snorkeling and kayaking, i was even more red if that is even possible. and i was wearing sunscreen the whole damn time.
We started with a light breakfast and a round of seasickness tablets. After my ferry from Jejudo experience, i am pretty sure I have a stomach of steel. That said, there seemed no reason to be silly and tempt fate. After an hour in a speedboat, being constantly sprayed by sea water, I was drenched and ready to snorkel for the first time. The water was murky but I could see fish, mostly yellow and black stripy ones. However, I had a slight technical hitch. Basically, I could take off my glasses and not really see very well or I could leave them on but then the mask leaked. Alternating between the two, I had a good time. I would love to snorkel somewhere more exciting, which more to see. It is fun.
We then went to an island with a lake (can't recall the name) that Leonardo Di Caprio jumps into in the movie The Beach. In fact, most of the movie was filmed in the national marine park at various locations. The lake was beautiful but the hike up a little tough on the ankle. Then lunch on yet another island with gorgeous white sand.
Finally, the kayaking trip. Open kayaks with rather short poles. On the way over I got to kayak with the very good looking guide. On the way back I was transfered over to help out an Asian couple, as they hadn't a clue. Much better workout being in the back and steering. The photos have a weird light quality to them that i love, but have no idea how i achieved.
Tuesday
We flew out early, in fact got bumped to an earlier flight on our arrival at the airport, to Bangkok. We just had the one day there as our flight back to Korea left at midnight. we went to see the emerald buddha, the grand palace and wat arun. wat arun was my favourite, especially because the decorations where made with things like purposefully broken plates. Very cool. I thought that the grand palace reminded me of a more ornate version of what I saw in Cambodia, and I kinda preferred the Cambodian version. They did have a model of Angkor Wat, for Thai people unable to visit the real thing. We had a long boat ride along the canals, so we got to see houses with lots of washing out and tons of potted plants. There were delapidated shacks, apartment buildings and nice looking houses all crammed together along the water. We were briefly in a market near the dock and then we took a tuktuk to khao san road, home of the backpackers, for some shopping. had a really good pad thai.
it was raining and dull, which at least means i couldn't burn any more!!!
Wednesday
i got back exhausted, with tons of laundry to do, and two bills waiting for me in my mailbox. but it is always nice to come home. Can't wait to hit the road again, of course!
Thursday
We got to sleep in a bit, as we didn't have to leave the house till 1.30. Left the packing off till the morning, naturally. had a great shower, got all shaved and smooth and ready for the beach.
We had the wonderful experience of getting to walk to the airport bus in a monsoonal downpour. It was crazy. The bags got all wet and so did I. Froze my ass off on the overly air conditioned bus and it occured to me that I was wearing flip flops and didn't have any socks to keep my feet warm on the plane. Ooops. But since it's the law of the universe that you have to forget at least one thing on every trip, at least it was the socks this time!
In the airport we wandered into a gift shop while looking for some socks. They sold these jewellery boxes for $120. I have one that I bought in Insadong, same size and style, for $40. Crazy. Didn't find any socks, so we went off and had some lunch. Lindsay wasn't a fan of curry, apparently it was her first time eating it.
The plane ride was fine, boring as always. I watched Ice Age II and listened to one of the two English radio stations. I missed having my iPod, but didn't want to worry about losing it or having it stolen. Between cameras and passports and airplane tickets, I figured I had enough to keep track of.
At the airport we arranged a hotel room for the night near the airport, with a free transfer over. It was quite a nice place, nicer than I would usually stay in. Had all sorts of little toiletries and stuff, all of which I either used or took. After all, that's why they charge more than hostels, right? ;) We just arrived, slept, showered, and ate breakfast at Ebina House.
Friday
So, Bangkok Airways is posh. Free drinks and snacks, free internet terminals in the departure lounge. Nice. Upon landing, I discovered that the airport has no walls. It is just a collection of thatched roof style buildings, open to the air. Very cool.
After only one day in Ko Samui, i was sooooo burnt. I have some very bizarre
tan lines. very, very bizarre. basically, i've burnt an outline of my bikini into my back. and that with using sunscreen all day, reapplying often, and lying in the shade. could it be any more obvious that i am of British descent? ;) i think "tomato teacher" may well become my next nickname...
Got a pedicure while lying on the beach and swam in the ocean and read a book. we splurged for a bungalow with air con, which wasn't really necessary. while nice and hot and sunny, koh samui lacks the humidity of seoul, so to me it wasn't really that hot. certainly didn't require air con.
had the best thai curry for dinner at our guesthouse and went to wander around the main strip of Lamui. We had a few beers and then went dancing at Bauhaus, the big club. there wass a foam party, which basically was just dancing to house music in a cordonned off area full of soap bubbles. It was fun, but weird, and I wasn't so fond of having gotten dressed up and put on makeup to be covered in foam. Also, there were a lot of children there till fairly late, which is understandable as I can see the appeal for children of the whole thing.
it was sooooo good to be away from 12 hour days at work. (though i kept trying to speak Korean to everyone!!!) Nice to just lie around and chill. We were staying at Lamai beach, which is a little less popular than Chaweng, so a bit more quiet and chilled, but still with some nightlife. Seemed a good balance. As well, it looks like Chaweng doesn't have much in the way of budget accomodation, and as i'm sure you
all know, i'm all about the cheap accomodation!
the beach was minutes from our door, gorgeous white sand and blue water and palm trees. it's wonderful. if teaching in thailand paid better, i'd be here in a
minute. granted, i said that about Cambodia too.
All in all, I went through books on the trip. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb, which I had read before but barely remembered. Local Girls by Alice Hoffman, which was ok. Falling Leaves by Adeline Mah, which was good and I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson, which was my favourite of the lot. I traded a couple in at the used bookstore in Lamai - the selection there was soooo much better than in the used stores here in Korea. I guess it is all that book buying people do in anticipation of beach holidays. Who knew I would go to Thailand and come back with 10 books?
Saturday
Saturday was really relaxing. Had a fantastic Thai massage with oils and then we just lay around all day. Went into Lamai for a meal and to do some souvenir shopping. Lindsay is a shopping queen. We saw some Thai boxing, which was cool. More dance like and with lots of kicking. Didn't look very tiring, but I am sure it is. Ate Magnum ice creams, which i very much miss from Europe. And there were tons of mating frogs on the path back to our bungalow upon our return. Island love ;)
Sunday
we did a jeep tour of Koh Samui. rode on elephants and saw a very touristy elephant/monkey show. rode up the very bumpy and steep road to the top of the mountain for the view, which was fanatastically fun, and went to a statue garden and to see the big buddha temple. lindsay tried thai food for the first time and it made her ill, unfortunately.
my nose ended up bright red, in spite of my sun block efforts. i have also badly burnt the part of my hair. damn all that british blood.
Monday
after a day of snorkeling and kayaking, i was even more red if that is even possible. and i was wearing sunscreen the whole damn time.
We started with a light breakfast and a round of seasickness tablets. After my ferry from Jejudo experience, i am pretty sure I have a stomach of steel. That said, there seemed no reason to be silly and tempt fate. After an hour in a speedboat, being constantly sprayed by sea water, I was drenched and ready to snorkel for the first time. The water was murky but I could see fish, mostly yellow and black stripy ones. However, I had a slight technical hitch. Basically, I could take off my glasses and not really see very well or I could leave them on but then the mask leaked. Alternating between the two, I had a good time. I would love to snorkel somewhere more exciting, which more to see. It is fun.
We then went to an island with a lake (can't recall the name) that Leonardo Di Caprio jumps into in the movie The Beach. In fact, most of the movie was filmed in the national marine park at various locations. The lake was beautiful but the hike up a little tough on the ankle. Then lunch on yet another island with gorgeous white sand.
Finally, the kayaking trip. Open kayaks with rather short poles. On the way over I got to kayak with the very good looking guide. On the way back I was transfered over to help out an Asian couple, as they hadn't a clue. Much better workout being in the back and steering. The photos have a weird light quality to them that i love, but have no idea how i achieved.
Tuesday
We flew out early, in fact got bumped to an earlier flight on our arrival at the airport, to Bangkok. We just had the one day there as our flight back to Korea left at midnight. we went to see the emerald buddha, the grand palace and wat arun. wat arun was my favourite, especially because the decorations where made with things like purposefully broken plates. Very cool. I thought that the grand palace reminded me of a more ornate version of what I saw in Cambodia, and I kinda preferred the Cambodian version. They did have a model of Angkor Wat, for Thai people unable to visit the real thing. We had a long boat ride along the canals, so we got to see houses with lots of washing out and tons of potted plants. There were delapidated shacks, apartment buildings and nice looking houses all crammed together along the water. We were briefly in a market near the dock and then we took a tuktuk to khao san road, home of the backpackers, for some shopping. had a really good pad thai.
it was raining and dull, which at least means i couldn't burn any more!!!
Wednesday
i got back exhausted, with tons of laundry to do, and two bills waiting for me in my mailbox. but it is always nice to come home. Can't wait to hit the road again, of course!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
VAYCAY!!!
After three days of summer intensives (and i think I am actually getting more sleep during them than before, cause I realise I have to be careful to sleep enough), it is vacation time! Ignoring the weirdness of taking a vacation from Thursday to Wednesday, I'm off! To Thailand!!! Woohoo!
Today went fine, the usual chaos of camp. Basically, I picked up 4 new classes and lost an hour of my prep time. fun. but so far i'm keeping ahead of it all.
we didn't do much tonight. called a friend for a bit, ordered some pizza hut, and watched Proof. I really, really liked it.
Tomorrow, the fun begins :) And since I got an advance on my pay, it's gonna be even more fun!
Today went fine, the usual chaos of camp. Basically, I picked up 4 new classes and lost an hour of my prep time. fun. but so far i'm keeping ahead of it all.
we didn't do much tonight. called a friend for a bit, ordered some pizza hut, and watched Proof. I really, really liked it.
Tomorrow, the fun begins :) And since I got an advance on my pay, it's gonna be even more fun!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Wherein I Blog about Socks
So, last night Lindsay and I watched The Family Stone. I wasn't particarly impressed. The bit in the kitchen where everyone was falling over was the only funny bit and that scene at the dinner table where Sarah Jessica Parker's character talks about being gay actively made me cringe.
Another long day of work over, I swung by the apartment to pick up Lindsay and then we headed to the notorious Mexican Chicken restaurant for beer and chicken with the gang from Heritage, Sean, and Henry. Good times.
On the way home I bought the most rockin' socks ever. One has an old-fashioned Korean couple on it and it's key feature is that they both appear to be wearing violet lipstick. The other has a 10,000 won bill on it, but the guy is flashing the victory sign. Too cool. I'd post a pic, but Blogger won't let me. Bastards.
Another long day of work over, I swung by the apartment to pick up Lindsay and then we headed to the notorious Mexican Chicken restaurant for beer and chicken with the gang from Heritage, Sean, and Henry. Good times.
On the way home I bought the most rockin' socks ever. One has an old-fashioned Korean couple on it and it's key feature is that they both appear to be wearing violet lipstick. The other has a 10,000 won bill on it, but the guy is flashing the victory sign. Too cool. I'd post a pic, but Blogger won't let me. Bastards.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Real Korea? I think so!
I totally forgot to mention the rest stop on the way home from rafting yesterday. It's when I leave Seoul, and particularly at the rest stops during trips around Korea, that I really feel that I see Korean people out and enjoying themselves. This rest stop was crazy. People were all on their way home after a day of hiking, judging by everyone's clothing, and they were celebrating a day of hiking as only Koreans do - by drinking a ton of soju. The rather tiny bathroom was full of women, all pushing and shoving, and singing and dancing. Outside, the music was blaring away, the ajumas were dancing with each other, and everyone was eating either ice cream or dried squid (as you do). It was a blast.
Today was my first day of summer camp, aka summer intensives. And intensive it is, as I'm at work at 9.10 every morning and leave at 8.40 every night. It is a long day, and frankly, I just don't have that much cheerful perkiness in me. By the last couple of classes my teaching energy is just gone. Add to that the stupidly large number of books lacking ciriculum or books requiring new homework lists, or Harcourt tests needing to be redone, I am just going to be busy, busy, busy for the next month. Thailand will be a much needed break, but it would be nice if it was smack dab in the middle of camp, rather than after only 3 days of it. Should have gone to bed earlier last night too, but Lindsay was asleep and an invitation to hang out came my way... I never turn down some fun :)
Lindsay and I went for galbi tonight. She wasn't as impressed with the whole meat wrapped in lettuce leaves as I am, nor was she a huge fan of the red sauce. But she liked the meat and the pasta salad (one of my favs). I don't think she's likely to become a kimchee addict either, judging by her facial expression as she tried it. So, today, basically she and I have eaten lunch and dinner together and I've worked.
Maybe a movie and then early to bed, cause whether I like it or not, it's early to rise...
Today was my first day of summer camp, aka summer intensives. And intensive it is, as I'm at work at 9.10 every morning and leave at 8.40 every night. It is a long day, and frankly, I just don't have that much cheerful perkiness in me. By the last couple of classes my teaching energy is just gone. Add to that the stupidly large number of books lacking ciriculum or books requiring new homework lists, or Harcourt tests needing to be redone, I am just going to be busy, busy, busy for the next month. Thailand will be a much needed break, but it would be nice if it was smack dab in the middle of camp, rather than after only 3 days of it. Should have gone to bed earlier last night too, but Lindsay was asleep and an invitation to hang out came my way... I never turn down some fun :)
Lindsay and I went for galbi tonight. She wasn't as impressed with the whole meat wrapped in lettuce leaves as I am, nor was she a huge fan of the red sauce. But she liked the meat and the pasta salad (one of my favs). I don't think she's likely to become a kimchee addict either, judging by her facial expression as she tried it. So, today, basically she and I have eaten lunch and dinner together and I've worked.
Maybe a movie and then early to bed, cause whether I like it or not, it's early to rise...
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Life in the Rapids!
Lindsay appears to finally collapsed into sleep. She has been remarkably awake considering...
So, I picked her up yesterday around 8pm. Friday night I went out for "spicy pork" in hongdae, but it was an early evening. I slept in Saturday and then put off tackling the cleaning until the absolute last minute. However, it all got done and off I went to the airport. Just as I met Lindsay, James called drunkenly, which was highly amusing, as I attempted to say hi to her, push the cart, find the correct bus stop, and talk to someone who kept accidentally hanging up on me by dropping the phone. 8 beers, indeed!
We got back to good old Deungcheondong fairly quickly and walked her rather heavy suitcases to my place. Then, it turned out she was wide awake, so we went to Pedro's for drinks, the admiration of his new satellite tv, and my rather amusing attempts to get in and out of a hammock in a skirt. Lindsay liked the lit up bridges in the taxi ride over and the view from Pedro's. And he was kind enough to feed her fruit loops.
So, after only 4 hours sleep, we were up and on our way to meet the Adventure Korea bus at Hongdae. After a rather long bus ride that I sort of napped through, we arrived at a bridge where some people bungy jumped. I had been quite tempted, but don't want to do any more damage to the still-dodgy ankle right before heading to Thailand. So, we sat below and watched the fun.
Then it was on to a Korean buffet-style lunch, which Lindsay quite enjoyed. Pretty easy to handle stuff - bulgogi, some spicy tomatoes, ommelette things, and rice. She made a decent job of the chopsticks too.
Then, the whitewater fun. I must say, I am quite the tomato-red colour as a result of today's adventure. Lindsay and I ended up on "Team Death". We were number 4 you see, which looks like the Chinese character for death (check out Korean elevators, often the 4th floor has a F instead of the number). Seemed a good nickname for some rafting. They had us all get in the water and get wet first. Was concerned it would be cold, but I was fine inspite of my reptilian blood and need for heat! The guide was really funny - his English was basic but good and he told us the names of lots of the rocks and stuff. Instead of being all boring and paddling along to hanna, dul (one, two), we used two syllable words: kimchee, soju, mekju, galbi. Enough to make you both hungry and thirsty! In addition to paddling our way through rapids, we got to float along in the current, use the rafts as slides into the water from a beach, wrestle on the upturned rafts, and do various standing and rocking stunts designed to knock us all into the water. There was also a lot of splashing wars, naturally.
Some amusing points:
* Korean women really do wear high heels everywhere. And I thought sporty flip flops were silly, at least I wasn't sporting stillettos!
* Don't do up the straps that go between your legs tightly! Some poor Korean girl was yelling "My ass! My ass!" as she was hauled back in her raft. Thanks to a lovely Korean girl in our boat for the amusing running translation of the incident.
* Who knew that smoking a cigarette and simultaneously being a lifeguard for children floating along in a river current were allowed?
* Suntan lotion! More!!!
* Yes, Virginia, my ankle is fucked. Dunno what is wrong exactly, but today's activities didn't make it very happy.
So, I picked her up yesterday around 8pm. Friday night I went out for "spicy pork" in hongdae, but it was an early evening. I slept in Saturday and then put off tackling the cleaning until the absolute last minute. However, it all got done and off I went to the airport. Just as I met Lindsay, James called drunkenly, which was highly amusing, as I attempted to say hi to her, push the cart, find the correct bus stop, and talk to someone who kept accidentally hanging up on me by dropping the phone. 8 beers, indeed!
We got back to good old Deungcheondong fairly quickly and walked her rather heavy suitcases to my place. Then, it turned out she was wide awake, so we went to Pedro's for drinks, the admiration of his new satellite tv, and my rather amusing attempts to get in and out of a hammock in a skirt. Lindsay liked the lit up bridges in the taxi ride over and the view from Pedro's. And he was kind enough to feed her fruit loops.
So, after only 4 hours sleep, we were up and on our way to meet the Adventure Korea bus at Hongdae. After a rather long bus ride that I sort of napped through, we arrived at a bridge where some people bungy jumped. I had been quite tempted, but don't want to do any more damage to the still-dodgy ankle right before heading to Thailand. So, we sat below and watched the fun.
Then it was on to a Korean buffet-style lunch, which Lindsay quite enjoyed. Pretty easy to handle stuff - bulgogi, some spicy tomatoes, ommelette things, and rice. She made a decent job of the chopsticks too.
Then, the whitewater fun. I must say, I am quite the tomato-red colour as a result of today's adventure. Lindsay and I ended up on "Team Death". We were number 4 you see, which looks like the Chinese character for death (check out Korean elevators, often the 4th floor has a F instead of the number). Seemed a good nickname for some rafting. They had us all get in the water and get wet first. Was concerned it would be cold, but I was fine inspite of my reptilian blood and need for heat! The guide was really funny - his English was basic but good and he told us the names of lots of the rocks and stuff. Instead of being all boring and paddling along to hanna, dul (one, two), we used two syllable words: kimchee, soju, mekju, galbi. Enough to make you both hungry and thirsty! In addition to paddling our way through rapids, we got to float along in the current, use the rafts as slides into the water from a beach, wrestle on the upturned rafts, and do various standing and rocking stunts designed to knock us all into the water. There was also a lot of splashing wars, naturally.
Some amusing points:
* Korean women really do wear high heels everywhere. And I thought sporty flip flops were silly, at least I wasn't sporting stillettos!
* Don't do up the straps that go between your legs tightly! Some poor Korean girl was yelling "My ass! My ass!" as she was hauled back in her raft. Thanks to a lovely Korean girl in our boat for the amusing running translation of the incident.
* Who knew that smoking a cigarette and simultaneously being a lifeguard for children floating along in a river current were allowed?
* Suntan lotion! More!!!
* Yes, Virginia, my ankle is fucked. Dunno what is wrong exactly, but today's activities didn't make it very happy.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Random Post
Does anyone else ever blog in their head? Like, kinda mentally write a post, but then never get around to actually blogging about whatever? Cause I do it all the time!
So, here is a random collection of things that have been on my mind lately:
* The Hanson Mmm bop song. Bop means rice in Korean. Do you think Korean people were wondering why this boy band was singing a song about rice that made no sense?
* Cab rides. We took a black light cab home last night, which was also decked out with glow in the dark stickers. Should I ever buy a car, I may just have to decorate! Also, took one where I was belting out "I Will Survive" as we drove through the rainy streets of Seoul. And had a doozy of a ride home last weekend, with the bridges all closed and there was tons of backtracking.
* I've named a bunch of my students after friends and family - so far, I have a Lindsay and a Sarah, a Jasmine and a Jenny, a Lisa and a Danny. It is fun. I like giving students English names.
* My watch broke. Which sucks. I use my hand phone now, which is cool a bit in that I sometimes have to read the odd text message when checking the time.
* At school we have a song that plays as a bell. "Here we go Looby Loo" has made for the odd funny joke. If, you know, you are the type to have a dirty mind. Which I am.
* Laura sings a lot. I love that.
* One of my older students, Richard, was listening to Baby Got Back on his hand phone the other day. And he asked me what it meant. "So, Richard, sometimes men in North America think it is good looking when women have big bums." "I don't think so, teacher." No doubt, Richard, no doubt.
* The cute Korean guy at the bank said it was a long time since he had last seen me. Am soooo tempted to ask him out, not really in a dating way, but just out. He is too cute. I actually look forward to paying my next bill.
* It is stressful when a student's mom works in the post office. You have to always be on your best behavior.
* Summer camp is going to suck hugely. I am going to be soooooo fucking busy. But the extra money will be lovely.
* I miss my digital camera, now that it is AWOL.
* I love my hair so much. It is making me vain.
* Eating a meal that consists entirely of pork gives me a stomach ache. But I still do it.
* Eating Songdae, which is apparently intestines and blood, was a bad choice.
* The man who "fixed" my toilet has indeed made it act even more oddly, though the water doesn't constantly run anymore.
* I finally broke my silver earring buying streak by purchasing a necklass. I love that you can shop on the streets after midnight here while out for dinner and drinks.
* It is raining a lot this year. A lot.
* I love the samples at the HomePlus. There are so many. And it means you can shop when hungry here.
* When my boss tells me how great I am before asking me to do extra work it is super annoying.
* We Need to Talk About Kevin is a great book. I loved some of the insights about travelling a lot and deciding if you want to have kids. It is written by a woman named Lionel. What were her parents thinking?
* My sister arrives today! Woohoo!!!
So, here is a random collection of things that have been on my mind lately:
* The Hanson Mmm bop song. Bop means rice in Korean. Do you think Korean people were wondering why this boy band was singing a song about rice that made no sense?
* Cab rides. We took a black light cab home last night, which was also decked out with glow in the dark stickers. Should I ever buy a car, I may just have to decorate! Also, took one where I was belting out "I Will Survive" as we drove through the rainy streets of Seoul. And had a doozy of a ride home last weekend, with the bridges all closed and there was tons of backtracking.
* I've named a bunch of my students after friends and family - so far, I have a Lindsay and a Sarah, a Jasmine and a Jenny, a Lisa and a Danny. It is fun. I like giving students English names.
* My watch broke. Which sucks. I use my hand phone now, which is cool a bit in that I sometimes have to read the odd text message when checking the time.
* At school we have a song that plays as a bell. "Here we go Looby Loo" has made for the odd funny joke. If, you know, you are the type to have a dirty mind. Which I am.
* Laura sings a lot. I love that.
* One of my older students, Richard, was listening to Baby Got Back on his hand phone the other day. And he asked me what it meant. "So, Richard, sometimes men in North America think it is good looking when women have big bums." "I don't think so, teacher." No doubt, Richard, no doubt.
* The cute Korean guy at the bank said it was a long time since he had last seen me. Am soooo tempted to ask him out, not really in a dating way, but just out. He is too cute. I actually look forward to paying my next bill.
* It is stressful when a student's mom works in the post office. You have to always be on your best behavior.
* Summer camp is going to suck hugely. I am going to be soooooo fucking busy. But the extra money will be lovely.
* I miss my digital camera, now that it is AWOL.
* I love my hair so much. It is making me vain.
* Eating a meal that consists entirely of pork gives me a stomach ache. But I still do it.
* Eating Songdae, which is apparently intestines and blood, was a bad choice.
* The man who "fixed" my toilet has indeed made it act even more oddly, though the water doesn't constantly run anymore.
* I finally broke my silver earring buying streak by purchasing a necklass. I love that you can shop on the streets after midnight here while out for dinner and drinks.
* It is raining a lot this year. A lot.
* I love the samples at the HomePlus. There are so many. And it means you can shop when hungry here.
* When my boss tells me how great I am before asking me to do extra work it is super annoying.
* We Need to Talk About Kevin is a great book. I loved some of the insights about travelling a lot and deciding if you want to have kids. It is written by a woman named Lionel. What were her parents thinking?
* My sister arrives today! Woohoo!!!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
It's Magic!!!
So, the most exciting part of my three day weekend happened on Saturday. But we should start with Friday, as chronologicalness makes sense...
Friday night we went to Hongdae to have TGI Friday burgers, but got there to late. Had Freshness Burgers instead and had the greatest onion rings. Then we went to a little coffee/hof place for ice cream. And some dried fish, cause that goes so well with ice cream ;) And then I went to meet up with a friend in a little bar near Noksapyeong. There was karaoke and porn on the TV. Weirdness!
(While I write this I am listening to a Kate Bush cover done by the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain. LimeWire is a wonderful thing.)
So, Saturday. The day of the magic. The magic straight, otherwise known as a straight perm. It took 3 long, boring hours but I love it. After 72 hours of no water (so the grossness of not washing, plus the hell that is trying to keep your head dry during monsoon season), it is still perfectly straight. I didn't even blow dry it this morning! I love it so much. I will do this for the REST OF MY LIFE!!!
Other notable things about Saturday? Bought a couple more books (bad me!), bought a purple umbrella, had a very good coffee, and went out to Carne with the usual gang and then onto Route 66. It was a fun evening. Went home with a different umbrella then I arrived with, but I suppose that is how things go ;)
I spent Sunday watching movies with Pedro. First, Firewall. It was okay, but very silly and we came up with tons of things Harrison Ford could have tried and didn't. Course then the movie would have ended in 20 minutes. Then Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which was very funny and so good. Can't believe I hadn't seen it sooner. And finally, The Village, which I liked very much in spite of expecting a very scary movie.
Monday was a day of relaxing. What with my disgusting hair, still waiting to be washed, i wasn't up for much. And I had been up all night chatting to people on the phone, which was great but lasted till 5am. So, I read a lot and went and did some grocery shopping and chilled.
Friday night we went to Hongdae to have TGI Friday burgers, but got there to late. Had Freshness Burgers instead and had the greatest onion rings. Then we went to a little coffee/hof place for ice cream. And some dried fish, cause that goes so well with ice cream ;) And then I went to meet up with a friend in a little bar near Noksapyeong. There was karaoke and porn on the TV. Weirdness!
(While I write this I am listening to a Kate Bush cover done by the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain. LimeWire is a wonderful thing.)
So, Saturday. The day of the magic. The magic straight, otherwise known as a straight perm. It took 3 long, boring hours but I love it. After 72 hours of no water (so the grossness of not washing, plus the hell that is trying to keep your head dry during monsoon season), it is still perfectly straight. I didn't even blow dry it this morning! I love it so much. I will do this for the REST OF MY LIFE!!!
Other notable things about Saturday? Bought a couple more books (bad me!), bought a purple umbrella, had a very good coffee, and went out to Carne with the usual gang and then onto Route 66. It was a fun evening. Went home with a different umbrella then I arrived with, but I suppose that is how things go ;)
I spent Sunday watching movies with Pedro. First, Firewall. It was okay, but very silly and we came up with tons of things Harrison Ford could have tried and didn't. Course then the movie would have ended in 20 minutes. Then Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which was very funny and so good. Can't believe I hadn't seen it sooner. And finally, The Village, which I liked very much in spite of expecting a very scary movie.
Monday was a day of relaxing. What with my disgusting hair, still waiting to be washed, i wasn't up for much. And I had been up all night chatting to people on the phone, which was great but lasted till 5am. So, I read a lot and went and did some grocery shopping and chilled.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
What's up, apple juice?
Am I presently drinking the most acidic apple juice in the world? Yeah, I am. I diluted it with half a glass of water and it is still too acidic. This makes me sad. I love apple juice, but apparently Korea doesn't share my love. Instead, Korea has a love of tomato flavoured popsicles. This is a weird country.
So, I was out last night, on a Wednesday. It was Henry's birthday, so we went to Hongdae for some Mexican food (and a margarhita!) and then to Bricxx, where it just so happened to be ladies' night. So I got to have two free gin & tonics with the hookah we smoked. It's been ages since I've had gin & tonic and not only had I forgotten how much I love them, they were free! Score!
So, I was out last night, on a Wednesday. It was Henry's birthday, so we went to Hongdae for some Mexican food (and a margarhita!) and then to Bricxx, where it just so happened to be ladies' night. So I got to have two free gin & tonics with the hookah we smoked. It's been ages since I've had gin & tonic and not only had I forgotten how much I love them, they were free! Score!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
So I won't quite be taking over the world...
| 406,590 descendants - you're more genetically fit than 57% of the current population - | |
  | |
My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:
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| Link: The Genghis Khan Genetic Fitness Test written by gwendolynbooks on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test |
So no more complaining!
S should be happy. Three blogs in one day! In fact, this makes four. Good night, all!
A blog about books
So, I haven't been reading as much as I usually do. Why? Because of my inability to stop reading a book before it is finished combined with how much of a slog I found reading "Women Who Run With the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Most of it annoyed me - the language she used, a lot of the analysis that I just didn't see, just the book in general. That said, there was a bunch of chapters in the middle that did really interest me. I can see that maybe it is one of those books where if you read it at different life stages, you'd get something different out of it each time. However, I won't be reading it again - took me far too damn long the first time!
Then I moved on to "The Heart of Whiteness" by Robert Jensen. It was only 100 pages long, so my conclusion that while it was interesting and well-written, it wasn't very in-depth is not really surprising. The thing is, while it reminded me of things that I don't always focus on, in terms of white priviledge in North American society, I didn't feel it actually taught me anything new. But still worth a read.
I've been borrowing a lot of books from YunJin, including "The Heart of Whiteness" and when I returned that I picked up "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. I had heard all about the drama with it being a very unfactual "memoir" and the confrontation with Oprah and I was interested to read it for myself. I have to say that the dentist scene had me feeling decidedly queasy while reading and I am thankful to know it wasn't real. In general, I really liked it. It is one of those books where perhaps fiction can indeed hold a great deal of truth. I thought his description of addiction was fascinating and I read it in just two days. It brought up one issue I then wondered about - is AA and the 12 steps really all there is? He talks in the book about not being willing to accept God and hence unable to commit to the programme. And should I ever become addicted, I would have the same problem. I mean, give up on a lifetime belief, and a strong and well thought out belief, in the non-existence of God, or don't get cured? I have heard of secular treatments, though I am too lazy to google them and find out more.
I was in need of some lighter reading, so I read "Dancing in my Nuddy-Pants" by Louise Rennison. Yep, a young adult novel. I've read the first of the series, "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging" and I now have to say that I'm hooked.
I am now reading "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown. I am having the same problem that I did with "The Da Vinci Code", which is that I think his writing sucks donkey's bollocks. In both books, I love the basic idea of the plot, but I don't like the books. Thank god it is turning out to be a quick read - only one day in and I'm halfway through.
I think a little bell hooks next.
Then I moved on to "The Heart of Whiteness" by Robert Jensen. It was only 100 pages long, so my conclusion that while it was interesting and well-written, it wasn't very in-depth is not really surprising. The thing is, while it reminded me of things that I don't always focus on, in terms of white priviledge in North American society, I didn't feel it actually taught me anything new. But still worth a read.
I've been borrowing a lot of books from YunJin, including "The Heart of Whiteness" and when I returned that I picked up "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. I had heard all about the drama with it being a very unfactual "memoir" and the confrontation with Oprah and I was interested to read it for myself. I have to say that the dentist scene had me feeling decidedly queasy while reading and I am thankful to know it wasn't real. In general, I really liked it. It is one of those books where perhaps fiction can indeed hold a great deal of truth. I thought his description of addiction was fascinating and I read it in just two days. It brought up one issue I then wondered about - is AA and the 12 steps really all there is? He talks in the book about not being willing to accept God and hence unable to commit to the programme. And should I ever become addicted, I would have the same problem. I mean, give up on a lifetime belief, and a strong and well thought out belief, in the non-existence of God, or don't get cured? I have heard of secular treatments, though I am too lazy to google them and find out more.
I was in need of some lighter reading, so I read "Dancing in my Nuddy-Pants" by Louise Rennison. Yep, a young adult novel. I've read the first of the series, "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging" and I now have to say that I'm hooked.
I am now reading "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown. I am having the same problem that I did with "The Da Vinci Code", which is that I think his writing sucks donkey's bollocks. In both books, I love the basic idea of the plot, but I don't like the books. Thank god it is turning out to be a quick read - only one day in and I'm halfway through.
I think a little bell hooks next.
Funny English
My new body scrub isn't just going to slough away dead skin for me. Just read what it will be doing:
Cacao, as the main ingredient in chocolate, is the messenger of sweet love. It is like a virus of happiness spreading happiness and luck while comforting and providing superior moisturization to dry skin.
So, time to start playing the lottery, falling in love, and getting beautiful skin! Bring it on!!!
Then there is this lovely bag I got when buying used books at Abby's. Sadly, this means I don't know what kind of store it is from, cause now I am curious. But I know I've been in Korea awhile, cause it would all make perfect sense to me if only the word bedspread wasn't there.
Delay of all people who is the possibility of meeting from Korea where the example bedspread. My hobby comes to grip in the person wild hand and the world to go sightseeing. It does always and pretty in order it is loved in the many people and 'CCLONG-GIRLS' to become, it will endeavor to the bedspread. Love do as a favor plentifully.
Cacao, as the main ingredient in chocolate, is the messenger of sweet love. It is like a virus of happiness spreading happiness and luck while comforting and providing superior moisturization to dry skin.
So, time to start playing the lottery, falling in love, and getting beautiful skin! Bring it on!!!
Then there is this lovely bag I got when buying used books at Abby's. Sadly, this means I don't know what kind of store it is from, cause now I am curious. But I know I've been in Korea awhile, cause it would all make perfect sense to me if only the word bedspread wasn't there.
Delay of all people who is the possibility of meeting from Korea where the example bedspread. My hobby comes to grip in the person wild hand and the world to go sightseeing. It does always and pretty in order it is loved in the many people and 'CCLONG-GIRLS' to become, it will endeavor to the bedspread. Love do as a favor plentifully.
Okay then!
I received this email:
blog damn it, BLOG!
s
And since I like to please, here we go!
Last weeeknd was pretty par for the course. On Friday, we had pizza at Julie's, and then the boys took off and the girls watched Project Runway. Saturday I was in Itaewon, sorted out my phone, bought three books from Abbey's and waited to meet up with Laura. We had lunch at Geckos and then went shopping in Insadong, as I have a number of presents I need to send. After a quick trip home to shower, Laura, YunJin and I went to Hongdae. Had a drink at Route 66 and then went to a norae bong and sang for an hour or so. It was fun, regardless of my total lack of singing skills.
Sunday Laura and I decided to try some new food by choosing a random restaurant and pointing to something on the menu. While it wasn't ALL bad, I can't say I'll eat whatever we had ever again. I think the meat was pork and there was this sausage-like thing, except it was filled with rice and noodles. The non-fatty parts of the meat and the saugsage thing were fine. Then the soup. The broth part was fine, some of the meat was okay, but some looked soooooo weird. I have no idea what it was! Wish I had had my camera on me! We went to Starbucks after and then to Yongsan with Julie. Julie bought movies, Laura got a phone, and I was just along for the ride.
Not long till Lindsay arrives and then we head to Thailand!!!
blog damn it, BLOG!
s
And since I like to please, here we go!
Last weeeknd was pretty par for the course. On Friday, we had pizza at Julie's, and then the boys took off and the girls watched Project Runway. Saturday I was in Itaewon, sorted out my phone, bought three books from Abbey's and waited to meet up with Laura. We had lunch at Geckos and then went shopping in Insadong, as I have a number of presents I need to send. After a quick trip home to shower, Laura, YunJin and I went to Hongdae. Had a drink at Route 66 and then went to a norae bong and sang for an hour or so. It was fun, regardless of my total lack of singing skills.
Sunday Laura and I decided to try some new food by choosing a random restaurant and pointing to something on the menu. While it wasn't ALL bad, I can't say I'll eat whatever we had ever again. I think the meat was pork and there was this sausage-like thing, except it was filled with rice and noodles. The non-fatty parts of the meat and the saugsage thing were fine. Then the soup. The broth part was fine, some of the meat was okay, but some looked soooooo weird. I have no idea what it was! Wish I had had my camera on me! We went to Starbucks after and then to Yongsan with Julie. Julie bought movies, Laura got a phone, and I was just along for the ride.
Not long till Lindsay arrives and then we head to Thailand!!!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Rain
I love the sound of raining hitting an umbrella as you walk. What a great way to unwind after a day of work.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Why I love my country...
Link
HALIFAX (CP) - A day before Canada marks its 139th birthday, a young couple will wed in a ceremony that is sure to cast one of the country's most iconic symbols in a whole new light.
Dressed in their distinctive scarlet coats, RCMP constables Jason Tree and David Connors will exchange vows before a justice of the peace and a troop of other Mounties in their fabled red serge.
Reaction to the wedding - the first between two male RCMP officers - has befuddled the couple, who have been overwhelmed by interview requests from reporters and congratulations from well-wishers they've never met.
"We don't see our wedding as anything different or special," Tree, 27, said in an interview from his detachment in Meteghan on Nova Scotia's southwest coast. "Our goal was to get married, not have an international media story.
"I fail to see the big deal."
Tree, who has been an RCMP officer for six years, said he's received about 60 letters from strangers congratulating him on the big event and praising the couple for publicly proclaiming their love - and doing so in uniform.
He's heard the jokes that refer to the couple as the Brokeback Mounties, while headlines blurt out that this Mountie has gotten his man.
Blogs, too, are full of opinions.
"What.
! Neither is wearing white? Who has the garter belt and bouquet? As long as they can catch the bad guys, I don't care who they snuggle down with at night," one blogger wrote recently.
The pair decided in January to set a date for the ceremony, which will be held in a hall in Yarmouth, a town of 8,000 in western Nova Scotia that is best known for its lobster industry. They will recite their own vows before about 100 family members and friends.
Tree said he and Connors, who works in nearby Yarmouth, never intended to make a political statement.
"I don't think there's any difference between us and anyone else who wants to get married," said Tree, who met Connors more than eight years ago at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.
"I'm interested in getting married with David and I guess I'm not interested in engaging in a political debate or anything like that."
Like it or not, the couple's pending nuptials will be held in advance of another heated political debate over the fate of same-sex marriage in Canada, which was recognized by Parliament a year ago.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pledged to hold a free vote in the House of Commons this fall to determine whether the issue should be revisited.
The move infuriated gay rights activists, who seized on the Mountie marriage as a public rebuke of the Tories' agenda.
"I think these Mounties are sending a message to the government that we are not going to let Harper dictate the natural progression of our relationships," Gemma Hickey, president of Egale Canada, said from St. John's, N.L.
"It flies in the face of every negative stereotype about gay men."
Environics Research released a poll last week that suggested a majority of Canadians accept gay marriage and oppose the idea of re-opening the issue in the House of Commons.
The survey, conducted on behalf of Canadians for Equal Marriage, said 62 per cent of respondents felt
the same-sex marriage question was settled. Only 27 per cent wanted it reopened.
Meanwhile, Harper has issued a gag order to his MPs, instructing them not to comment on the Mounties' marriage in a bid to avoid controversy.
However, Tree said the RCMP have been supportive of his relationship since he joined the force.
Sgt. Frank Skidmore, a spokesman for the force in Halifax, said the organization is trying to reflect a broader spectrum of the Canadian community.
"It's the law in this country, so it's accepted by the RCMP," he said. "The RCMP welcomes a workforce that is representative of Canadian society.
"People look at Canadian icons with their own eyes and if it changes it for them then so be it. But it certainly doesn't change anything for us. The RCMP's proud of its ability to be flexible and adaptive to shifting priorities."
In Yarmouth, where Connors has patrolled the streets for the past three years, the locals don't seem to be making much of a fuss over the wedding.
Brian Smith, warden of the area, said he hasn't heard much in the coffee shops or on the streets of the port town since the story first broke in May.
"It isn't a subject that's brought up daily here," he said. "It's just not a topic around here."
HALIFAX (CP) - A day before Canada marks its 139th birthday, a young couple will wed in a ceremony that is sure to cast one of the country's most iconic symbols in a whole new light.
Dressed in their distinctive scarlet coats, RCMP constables Jason Tree and David Connors will exchange vows before a justice of the peace and a troop of other Mounties in their fabled red serge.
Reaction to the wedding - the first between two male RCMP officers - has befuddled the couple, who have been overwhelmed by interview requests from reporters and congratulations from well-wishers they've never met.
"We don't see our wedding as anything different or special," Tree, 27, said in an interview from his detachment in Meteghan on Nova Scotia's southwest coast. "Our goal was to get married, not have an international media story.
"I fail to see the big deal."
Tree, who has been an RCMP officer for six years, said he's received about 60 letters from strangers congratulating him on the big event and praising the couple for publicly proclaiming their love - and doing so in uniform.
He's heard the jokes that refer to the couple as the Brokeback Mounties, while headlines blurt out that this Mountie has gotten his man.
Blogs, too, are full of opinions.
"What.
! Neither is wearing white? Who has the garter belt and bouquet? As long as they can catch the bad guys, I don't care who they snuggle down with at night," one blogger wrote recently.
The pair decided in January to set a date for the ceremony, which will be held in a hall in Yarmouth, a town of 8,000 in western Nova Scotia that is best known for its lobster industry. They will recite their own vows before about 100 family members and friends.
Tree said he and Connors, who works in nearby Yarmouth, never intended to make a political statement.
"I don't think there's any difference between us and anyone else who wants to get married," said Tree, who met Connors more than eight years ago at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.
"I'm interested in getting married with David and I guess I'm not interested in engaging in a political debate or anything like that."
Like it or not, the couple's pending nuptials will be held in advance of another heated political debate over the fate of same-sex marriage in Canada, which was recognized by Parliament a year ago.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pledged to hold a free vote in the House of Commons this fall to determine whether the issue should be revisited.
The move infuriated gay rights activists, who seized on the Mountie marriage as a public rebuke of the Tories' agenda.
"I think these Mounties are sending a message to the government that we are not going to let Harper dictate the natural progression of our relationships," Gemma Hickey, president of Egale Canada, said from St. John's, N.L.
"It flies in the face of every negative stereotype about gay men."
Environics Research released a poll last week that suggested a majority of Canadians accept gay marriage and oppose the idea of re-opening the issue in the House of Commons.
The survey, conducted on behalf of Canadians for Equal Marriage, said 62 per cent of respondents felt
the same-sex marriage question was settled. Only 27 per cent wanted it reopened.
Meanwhile, Harper has issued a gag order to his MPs, instructing them not to comment on the Mounties' marriage in a bid to avoid controversy.
However, Tree said the RCMP have been supportive of his relationship since he joined the force.
Sgt. Frank Skidmore, a spokesman for the force in Halifax, said the organization is trying to reflect a broader spectrum of the Canadian community.
"It's the law in this country, so it's accepted by the RCMP," he said. "The RCMP welcomes a workforce that is representative of Canadian society.
"People look at Canadian icons with their own eyes and if it changes it for them then so be it. But it certainly doesn't change anything for us. The RCMP's proud of its ability to be flexible and adaptive to shifting priorities."
In Yarmouth, where Connors has patrolled the streets for the past three years, the locals don't seem to be making much of a fuss over the wedding.
Brian Smith, warden of the area, said he hasn't heard much in the coffee shops or on the streets of the port town since the story first broke in May.
"It isn't a subject that's brought up daily here," he said. "It's just not a topic around here."
Oh, and...
North Korea keeps exploding all those missiles. Not that it has impacted my life much. But I have heard about it from some soldiers, mostly mentioning that it is forcing them to stay closer to base, etc.
Movies and more
I just got back from Julie's where we were all (even Sean and Henry) watching The Breakup. It was an interesting movie that totally pressed all my buttons, considering my life recently. First off, it was very uncomfortable watching the fight scenes. Secondly, there was my reaction to the ending contrasted with other people's. They thought it was sweet and indicated they probably would get back together. I thought "Ahhhh. That is what a breakup should be like. A year later, they have learned so much about themselves, and grown and moved on, and they can be friendly and nice and want the best for each other."
Aside from the movie, I haven't been up to much. Canada Day was a blast. Spent it with Natasha, a Canadian, Kelly, a Scot from Glasgow, and some American army guys in Rocky Mountain Tavern. Because the soldiers all had a four day weekend to come from bases outside of Seoul into the city to party, there were actually far more of them around than Canadians, that I saw anyway. We had a drink at RMT, then samgypsal, then went to Gecko's. I saw a group of guys in the subway, and then singing the anthem as the walked down the street in Itaewon. In their matching red Canada T's, short black shorts, and white socks pulled up to the knees with flags sticking out they were certainly both patriotic and interesting!
Sunday I watched American Pie 4. Yes, you heard me. Who knew there EVEN was a 4??? Must hang out with folks with better taste in movies! ;)
Since then it has been work and silliness. I just discovered that the E-Mart (Happy, Happy, Happy E-mart-e!) sells Ocean Spray Ruby Red juice. I am going to spend a small fortune keeping myself in grapefruit juice. I also got bagels and cream cheese and what appears to be a small pecan pie, though I have yet to try it. My bank card seems to work sometimes, and other times not, so I need to get that fixed. Haven't gotten around to it yet, but really should. That and pay my bill and put money on my phone. I hate running errands, even though they are all on my 10 minute walk to work! Yes, I am lazy. I also need to clean my floor... sigh.
Aside from the movie, I haven't been up to much. Canada Day was a blast. Spent it with Natasha, a Canadian, Kelly, a Scot from Glasgow, and some American army guys in Rocky Mountain Tavern. Because the soldiers all had a four day weekend to come from bases outside of Seoul into the city to party, there were actually far more of them around than Canadians, that I saw anyway. We had a drink at RMT, then samgypsal, then went to Gecko's. I saw a group of guys in the subway, and then singing the anthem as the walked down the street in Itaewon. In their matching red Canada T's, short black shorts, and white socks pulled up to the knees with flags sticking out they were certainly both patriotic and interesting!
Sunday I watched American Pie 4. Yes, you heard me. Who knew there EVEN was a 4??? Must hang out with folks with better taste in movies! ;)
Since then it has been work and silliness. I just discovered that the E-Mart (Happy, Happy, Happy E-mart-e!) sells Ocean Spray Ruby Red juice. I am going to spend a small fortune keeping myself in grapefruit juice. I also got bagels and cream cheese and what appears to be a small pecan pie, though I have yet to try it. My bank card seems to work sometimes, and other times not, so I need to get that fixed. Haven't gotten around to it yet, but really should. That and pay my bill and put money on my phone. I hate running errands, even though they are all on my 10 minute walk to work! Yes, I am lazy. I also need to clean my floor... sigh.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Tell Me About Me
I thought this was quite cool. I wish more people had responded, cause some of the answers really brought back memories!
1. Reply and tell me about me.
2. Tell what song/movie reminds you of me.
"let's get it started... you were the first person to tell me it's really 'let's get retarded.'"
"The Snow Walker, purely because it's a Canadian film, I saw it when I was in Canada and Canada is where I met you, and you're Canadian! (Please bear in mind that I'm writing this after a hard morning's brain workout on my dissertation, and should be
drinking coffee not answering weird questions!!)"
"Right now it would have to be Thelma and Louise. But I'm sure that's changing ..."
"I Heart Huckabees"
"Miss Amanda Jones by the Rolling Stones"
"hmmm, this is a toughie. Anything by Sarah Harmer, but that's because you introduced her to me. Anything by Michael Moore, because I can enjoy him best with you. But that's a sucky answer. "Hunter" by Dido"
3. If you were to apply an o'clock to me, it would be...
"3am"
"Probably 4am, as that is when you seem to be most awake judging from your posts!"
"1am. You like to stay up late."
"Happy Hour!"
"9:00 AM because that's what time I read your surveys while I have my morning coffee at my desk"
"well, I think probably 4am. You are definately one of only a couple of
very night owly friends."
4. Name a single word that best describes me.
"adventurous"
"Intelligent."
"Inquisitive"
"Eloquent"
"'Free-spirit' or 'independant'"
5. Tell me the most memorable moment you've had with me.
"gotta go back to 2nd year and AJ's"
""So many to choose from, but the one I'll never forget was the big horned sheep in Jasper, ramming the car, me accelarating and you going flying!"
"I seem to recall us making creative use of Mlle D'Amico's French class. . ."
"So many--times I've read your posts and thought "right on chinook!!""
"oh dear, there've been so many. And yet in some ways so few. Er. geez. Living in that tent in Stymphalos was unquestionably memorable, as was creeping Andrea out with the whole fake 'lesbian lover' thing. Don't come a knockin' if the tent's a'rockin'!! And yet perhaps you telling me how much better it was to masturbate while smoking a joint?"
6. Tell me what animal I remind you of.
"A beluga whale. They're soo amazing and yet rather mysterious and because it reminds me of another Canadian memory, you, Alan and me going to Vancouver Aquarium."
"That's a tough one ... probably a dog - maybe a labrador?"
"Blue Heron"
"A wild horse, because it's wild and free and loves to run free and wander and is beautiful."
7. Tell me something that you've always wondered about me.
"censored!!!"
"Why you never became a campaigner for some cause, politics, charity, greenpeace. You have a lot of passion, cynicism, drive and you are a fighter. You could be the next Hilary Clinton, I was going to say Tony Blair, but that would kinda be an insult now.. Another example of power corrupts perchance?"
"nothing really .. I think I've got you pretty well sussed. "
"What originally inspired and continues to inspire your international travels?"
"if we'll get to meet irl one day."
"Are you truly happy, deep down? (sorry, that's rather serious....)
Also: Where do you find the strength to travel so well all on your
own? (I'm envious)"
1. Reply and tell me about me.
2. Tell what song/movie reminds you of me.
"let's get it started... you were the first person to tell me it's really 'let's get retarded.'"
"The Snow Walker, purely because it's a Canadian film, I saw it when I was in Canada and Canada is where I met you, and you're Canadian! (Please bear in mind that I'm writing this after a hard morning's brain workout on my dissertation, and should be
drinking coffee not answering weird questions!!)"
"Right now it would have to be Thelma and Louise. But I'm sure that's changing ..."
"I Heart Huckabees"
"Miss Amanda Jones by the Rolling Stones"
"hmmm, this is a toughie. Anything by Sarah Harmer, but that's because you introduced her to me. Anything by Michael Moore, because I can enjoy him best with you. But that's a sucky answer. "Hunter" by Dido"
3. If you were to apply an o'clock to me, it would be...
"3am"
"Probably 4am, as that is when you seem to be most awake judging from your posts!"
"1am. You like to stay up late."
"Happy Hour!"
"9:00 AM because that's what time I read your surveys while I have my morning coffee at my desk"
"well, I think probably 4am. You are definately one of only a couple of
very night owly friends."
4. Name a single word that best describes me.
"adventurous"
"Intelligent."
"Inquisitive"
"Eloquent"
"'Free-spirit' or 'independant'"
5. Tell me the most memorable moment you've had with me.
"gotta go back to 2nd year and AJ's"
""So many to choose from, but the one I'll never forget was the big horned sheep in Jasper, ramming the car, me accelarating and you going flying!"
"I seem to recall us making creative use of Mlle D'Amico's French class. . ."
"So many--times I've read your posts and thought "right on chinook!!""
"oh dear, there've been so many. And yet in some ways so few. Er. geez. Living in that tent in Stymphalos was unquestionably memorable, as was creeping Andrea out with the whole fake 'lesbian lover' thing. Don't come a knockin' if the tent's a'rockin'!! And yet perhaps you telling me how much better it was to masturbate while smoking a joint?"
6. Tell me what animal I remind you of.
"A beluga whale. They're soo amazing and yet rather mysterious and because it reminds me of another Canadian memory, you, Alan and me going to Vancouver Aquarium."
"That's a tough one ... probably a dog - maybe a labrador?"
"Blue Heron"
"A wild horse, because it's wild and free and loves to run free and wander and is beautiful."
7. Tell me something that you've always wondered about me.
"censored!!!"
"Why you never became a campaigner for some cause, politics, charity, greenpeace. You have a lot of passion, cynicism, drive and you are a fighter. You could be the next Hilary Clinton, I was going to say Tony Blair, but that would kinda be an insult now.. Another example of power corrupts perchance?"
"nothing really .. I think I've got you pretty well sussed. "
"What originally inspired and continues to inspire your international travels?"
"if we'll get to meet irl one day."
"Are you truly happy, deep down? (sorry, that's rather serious....)
Also: Where do you find the strength to travel so well all on your
own? (I'm envious)"
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
My Big Morning Decisions...
Which of my seven or so work t-shirts will I wear? And do they go better with the blue Nike flip-flops or the pink ones?
I do love my job!
I do love my job!
Bwahahahahaha
Dodgy School Requires Dodgy Teacher: Taiwan
Posted By: Michael's English School
Date: Sunday, 25 June 2006, at 2:57 p.m.
from daveseslcafe.com
Posted By: Michael's English School
Date: Sunday, 25 June 2006, at 2:57 p.m.
from daveseslcafe.com
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
I had best get reading...
Here are the top 100 most banned/challenged books (challenged by various people for various reasons, usually to insist on their removal from school or public libraries). I've underlined all the ones I've read and challenge you to do the same.
Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyde
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
(I don't get it, what's wrong with Where's Waldo???)
Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyde
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
(I don't get it, what's wrong with Where's Waldo???)
Interesting, I thought I was a geek...
Pure Nerd
56 % Nerd, 39% Geek, 34% Dork
For The Record:
A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.
The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.
Congratulations!
Friday night, I went out with Amber, Sean, Henry, and Marisa to see the game at City Hall. We started out in Hongdae, eating Mexican food (there was this jam stuff on my quesadilla was a bit odd, but it was tasty) and then to Bricxx for mojitos and a hookah. From there, we took a fun taxi ride to City Hall and spent about an hour wandering around, crowd gazing and taking in the excitement. There were lots of people in red, flags, firecrackers going off. And we felt like celebrities cause tons of people wanted to take pictures with us. Marisa even got a weird ride of sorts from some Korean guys. We sat down to watch the game, and sadly, it did not go well for Korea, as they lost to Switzerland. The game started at 4am, and I was so tired by the time we hopped on the subway to go home. I slept most of Saturday away, to catch up on my constant sleep deficit.
It being Marisa's last Saturday, we went out. First to Carne Station to meet up with Julie's brothers, and later Pedro met up with us. Then to Route 66 and onward to Tin Pans I & II. I was so hung over the next day - no more mixing whisky and soju. It is not good.
Sunday was the Canada Day Picnic. Held at a new site out near World Cup Stadium, I didn't think the food or the activities were as good. Could have been the hangover though. We pretty much just stayed at our table and hung out, playing cards and chatting.
On the way home we went to watch X-Men 3 at Gimpo Airport. Yes, folks, there is a movie theatre in the airport here. I enjoyed the theatre, not so much the movie. I mean, really, did it have to end that way? They coulda done stuff with the serum, or that boy, rather than do what they did. It annoyed me quite a bit actually. Especially as I have really liked the X-Men movies up until now.
Laura, the new teacher, arrived today and joined us for galbi. She seems really nice. Then I hung out for a bit with YunJin and Julie. The weeks are so much more relaxing than the weekends. And that is in spite of needing to get all my report cards done!
I bought some Green brand crackers today. These folks aren't fucking around either, the crackers are in fact green. It is a bit disconcerting to eat cheese off of something this shade of green. And speaking of cheese, I treated myself ridiculously today by buying some soft cheese thingys with herbs on them that I used to eat in Scotland. They were an expensive treat even there, here... it's best not to think about really!
Yesterday after work we met up with Shawn and Henry to go and check out a restaurant that Henry had noticed called Mexican. Everyone was excited at the prospect of Mexican food in our neighbourhood. We arrived and the menu was all chicken. According to it: "When I think of chicken, I love Mexican." Interesting, as when I think Mexican, I certainly don't think of chicken. However, it was damn fine chicken and we had some beers and watched the Togo-Swiss game. Even had some skittlebrew (Simpsons reference there).
After my trip to the HomePlus (have I ever mentioned it is a Tesco company?) which was prompted by my paltry sticker supply (Heritage runs on stickers), I went for galbi downstairs with the girls. Meat and red sauce in a lettuce leaf never fails to please.
56 % Nerd, 39% Geek, 34% Dork
A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.
The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.
Congratulations!
Another Post-Weekend Post
Friday night, I went out with Amber, Sean, Henry, and Marisa to see the game at City Hall. We started out in Hongdae, eating Mexican food (there was this jam stuff on my quesadilla was a bit odd, but it was tasty) and then to Bricxx for mojitos and a hookah. From there, we took a fun taxi ride to City Hall and spent about an hour wandering around, crowd gazing and taking in the excitement. There were lots of people in red, flags, firecrackers going off. And we felt like celebrities cause tons of people wanted to take pictures with us. Marisa even got a weird ride of sorts from some Korean guys. We sat down to watch the game, and sadly, it did not go well for Korea, as they lost to Switzerland. The game started at 4am, and I was so tired by the time we hopped on the subway to go home. I slept most of Saturday away, to catch up on my constant sleep deficit.
It being Marisa's last Saturday, we went out. First to Carne Station to meet up with Julie's brothers, and later Pedro met up with us. Then to Route 66 and onward to Tin Pans I & II. I was so hung over the next day - no more mixing whisky and soju. It is not good.
Sunday was the Canada Day Picnic. Held at a new site out near World Cup Stadium, I didn't think the food or the activities were as good. Could have been the hangover though. We pretty much just stayed at our table and hung out, playing cards and chatting.
On the way home we went to watch X-Men 3 at Gimpo Airport. Yes, folks, there is a movie theatre in the airport here. I enjoyed the theatre, not so much the movie. I mean, really, did it have to end that way? They coulda done stuff with the serum, or that boy, rather than do what they did. It annoyed me quite a bit actually. Especially as I have really liked the X-Men movies up until now.
Laura, the new teacher, arrived today and joined us for galbi. She seems really nice. Then I hung out for a bit with YunJin and Julie. The weeks are so much more relaxing than the weekends. And that is in spite of needing to get all my report cards done!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
I should visit all of them, of course!
| You Should Visit Brazil |
 If you're looking for an extreme yet chill vacation, Brazil is perfect for you. Go wild at Carnaval, get lost in the Amazon, and relax checking out the beautiful people on the beach. |
Amanda looks like
Google the phrase "(Your first name) looks like" and find the best one from the first page of results. Don't forget to put it in quotes marks when you search, otherwise it won't work.
"Amanda looks like any nerd in school, but she is actually really smart and cool. She is smart because she knows everything about bugs" (I like this one cause I am such a geek!) and "Amanda looks like a tall, masculine version of Kitty the Dance" (cause it's random!)
"Amanda looks like any nerd in school, but she is actually really smart and cool. She is smart because she knows everything about bugs" (I like this one cause I am such a geek!) and "Amanda looks like a tall, masculine version of Kitty the Dance" (cause it's random!)
Bacon is always Best
I am awake early today, have a few things to do. So I went to the HomePlus, bought myself some bread, and made bacon, eggs, toast and a cup of tea. Life is sweet.
Last night I took a cab to Itaewon and had the oddest experience. My cabbie's daughter had spent a year studying English in Calgary, so he called her up and we chatted for the length of my ride. It is a bit ackward to talk to someone I have never met and can't even see, but it is the kind of friendliness that I really like about Korea.
I have been listening to my iPod on my very short walk to work and the other day Julie saw me. Apparently I strut. Damn right! My tunes are fine! :)
Last night I took a cab to Itaewon and had the oddest experience. My cabbie's daughter had spent a year studying English in Calgary, so he called her up and we chatted for the length of my ride. It is a bit ackward to talk to someone I have never met and can't even see, but it is the kind of friendliness that I really like about Korea.
I have been listening to my iPod on my very short walk to work and the other day Julie saw me. Apparently I strut. Damn right! My tunes are fine! :)
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
And now, some words from Badly Drawn Boy
Life is turned upside down
But then maybe it's just
Been put back the right way round
All your dreams realised
There's new fire in your eyes
In spite of its size
You soon realise
That it's alright
Tonight
Feels right
Now there's a cross
That nobody should really have to bear
But then maybe
That's just when life's treating you fair
There are lessons to learn
When you've waited your turn
And things didn't turn out
Quite the way that you dreamt about
But it still feels right
Tonight
Feels right
And it still feels right
But then maybe it's just
Been put back the right way round
All your dreams realised
There's new fire in your eyes
In spite of its size
You soon realise
That it's alright
Tonight
Feels right
Now there's a cross
That nobody should really have to bear
But then maybe
That's just when life's treating you fair
There are lessons to learn
When you've waited your turn
And things didn't turn out
Quite the way that you dreamt about
But it still feels right
Tonight
Feels right
And it still feels right
Green is the colour
I bought some Green brand crackers today. These folks aren't fucking around either, the crackers are in fact green. It is a bit disconcerting to eat cheese off of something this shade of green. And speaking of cheese, I treated myself ridiculously today by buying some soft cheese thingys with herbs on them that I used to eat in Scotland. They were an expensive treat even there, here... it's best not to think about really!
Yesterday after work we met up with Shawn and Henry to go and check out a restaurant that Henry had noticed called Mexican. Everyone was excited at the prospect of Mexican food in our neighbourhood. We arrived and the menu was all chicken. According to it: "When I think of chicken, I love Mexican." Interesting, as when I think Mexican, I certainly don't think of chicken. However, it was damn fine chicken and we had some beers and watched the Togo-Swiss game. Even had some skittlebrew (Simpsons reference there).
After my trip to the HomePlus (have I ever mentioned it is a Tesco company?) which was prompted by my paltry sticker supply (Heritage runs on stickers), I went for galbi downstairs with the girls. Meat and red sauce in a lettuce leaf never fails to please.
Quote of the Day
"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." Lila Watson
Monday, June 19, 2006
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Tae Aming go!
I just saw an Addidas commercial for the World Cup. Apparently, impossible is nothing. I think maybe they got that translation a bit wrong.
In other random English usage, my toliet paper urges me to Be Happy, Stay Healthy, Be Wealthy. It also smells and has flower pictures. It is the most pimped up toilet paper I have ever wiped my arse with.
In other random English usage, my toliet paper urges me to Be Happy, Stay Healthy, Be Wealthy. It also smells and has flower pictures. It is the most pimped up toilet paper I have ever wiped my arse with.
Go Korea! Even if it is 4am!!!
I am sitting here eating eggs on toast and watching the Korea-France game. Unfortunately France is winning 1-0 right now. You might be wondering why I am up so late on a Sunday night (or Monday morning, though I prefer not to think about the fact that it is Monday and the weekend is over!)
The weekend has been good. Watched Hostel with a friend Thursday and I have to say, I hated that movie. It scared me, but more because I couldn't handle the gore than because it was properly scary. And closing my eyes didn't help, as it was the screaming that was getting to me.
Friday night was Lucia's last night in Korea, so I went to Pedro's for her last night. He has just moved into the Trump World Tower and it is the coolest fucking apartment EVER! Amazing view of the city, balcony, big rooms, giant tv, and... hot tub!!! (In fact, I went over tonight to try it out. amazing evening). Met some of Pedro's friends from Osan and went out, first to Geckos, where we met up with Frank, and then to Halabogies (which has been renamed Hage, which I don't like as much as the old name. to make things more complicated, it was one of the Hodge Podges). Saturday I went to the little Italian place that I love in Edae and bought another pair of Nike flipflops, pink flowery ones. I am not sure this month's budget can handle them, but I love them. Then I went to Ruby Tuesday's in Sinchon for Robyn and Amy's last weekend dinner. It was cool. Saw Meghann again and Bethany. Found out that Michelle, my old boss, has left Poly. From there I went to Itaewon and went to Calientes and King's Club with Frank. Calientes is an amazing place, really cool, though I can't salsa, so that sucks. At King's Club, I bumped into Kennedy, who dated one of my friends last time I was in Korea. Then I spent Sunday relaxing, watched Terminator Three and other crap on TV. Bought a pair of fake Addidas shoes. And another pair of $2 earrings.
Tonight I went to Pedro's. Had a great time. Watched Austin Powers on his huge TV. And that is why I am awake at this hour, watching some soccer. I will no doubt need the entire week to catch up on all the sleep I missed this weekend.
The weekend has been good. Watched Hostel with a friend Thursday and I have to say, I hated that movie. It scared me, but more because I couldn't handle the gore than because it was properly scary. And closing my eyes didn't help, as it was the screaming that was getting to me.
Friday night was Lucia's last night in Korea, so I went to Pedro's for her last night. He has just moved into the Trump World Tower and it is the coolest fucking apartment EVER! Amazing view of the city, balcony, big rooms, giant tv, and... hot tub!!! (In fact, I went over tonight to try it out. amazing evening). Met some of Pedro's friends from Osan and went out, first to Geckos, where we met up with Frank, and then to Halabogies (which has been renamed Hage, which I don't like as much as the old name. to make things more complicated, it was one of the Hodge Podges). Saturday I went to the little Italian place that I love in Edae and bought another pair of Nike flipflops, pink flowery ones. I am not sure this month's budget can handle them, but I love them. Then I went to Ruby Tuesday's in Sinchon for Robyn and Amy's last weekend dinner. It was cool. Saw Meghann again and Bethany. Found out that Michelle, my old boss, has left Poly. From there I went to Itaewon and went to Calientes and King's Club with Frank. Calientes is an amazing place, really cool, though I can't salsa, so that sucks. At King's Club, I bumped into Kennedy, who dated one of my friends last time I was in Korea. Then I spent Sunday relaxing, watched Terminator Three and other crap on TV. Bought a pair of fake Addidas shoes. And another pair of $2 earrings.
Tonight I went to Pedro's. Had a great time. Watched Austin Powers on his huge TV. And that is why I am awake at this hour, watching some soccer. I will no doubt need the entire week to catch up on all the sleep I missed this weekend.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
My head won't let this go
The Mercy Of The Fallen
Dar Williams
Oh my fair North Star
I have held to you dearly
I had asked you to steer me
'Til one cloud-scattered night
I got lost in my travels
I met Leo the lion
Met a king and met a giant
With their errant light
There's the wind and the rain
And the mercy of the fallen
Who say they have no claim to know what's right
There's the weak and the strong
And the bets that have no answer
And that's where I may rest my head tonight
I saw all the bright people
In imposing flocks they landed
And they got what they demanded
And they scratched at the ground
Then they flew
And the fear grew as sweetly for the flightless
Who had longing yet despite this
Who could hear every sound
There's the wind and the rain
And the mercy of the fallen
Who say they have no claim to know what's right
And if your sister or your brother
Were stumbling on their last mile
In a self-inflicted exile
You'd wish for them a humble friend
And I hope someday
That the best of Falstaff's planners
Give me seven half-built manors
Where half dreams may dream without end
There's the wind and the rain
And the mercy of the fallen
Who say hey it's not my place to know what's right
There's the weak and the strong
And the many stars that guide us
We have some of them inside us
Dar Williams
Oh my fair North Star
I have held to you dearly
I had asked you to steer me
'Til one cloud-scattered night
I got lost in my travels
I met Leo the lion
Met a king and met a giant
With their errant light
There's the wind and the rain
And the mercy of the fallen
Who say they have no claim to know what's right
There's the weak and the strong
And the bets that have no answer
And that's where I may rest my head tonight
I saw all the bright people
In imposing flocks they landed
And they got what they demanded
And they scratched at the ground
Then they flew
And the fear grew as sweetly for the flightless
Who had longing yet despite this
Who could hear every sound
There's the wind and the rain
And the mercy of the fallen
Who say they have no claim to know what's right
And if your sister or your brother
Were stumbling on their last mile
In a self-inflicted exile
You'd wish for them a humble friend
And I hope someday
That the best of Falstaff's planners
Give me seven half-built manors
Where half dreams may dream without end
There's the wind and the rain
And the mercy of the fallen
Who say hey it's not my place to know what's right
There's the weak and the strong
And the many stars that guide us
We have some of them inside us
Nostalgic
Things that remind me of my childhood
- my siblings
- sandcastles
- smarties
- sledding
- certain books
- meatloaf and apple crisp
- canned beans
- my siblings
- sandcastles
- smarties
- sledding
- certain books
- meatloaf and apple crisp
- canned beans
Timeline Meme
25 years ago: I was three and had only one brother. I don't remember it, but I look pretty happy in the pictures.
20 years ago: I was 8. I still had only the one brother. Still don't really have many memories of it and there are less pictures!
15 Years ago: I was 13. Self-conscious. A Geek.
10 Years ago: I was 18. I hated Bolton, I didn't get along with my parents, I skipped a lot of school. I was just aching to get out and live life.
5 years ago: I was 23. I had graduated university and was living happily in Scotland with Alan, in spite of hating my bank job.
3 years ago: I was 25. Alan and I left Scotland and moved to Vancouver. Took the most amazing trip across Canada with him and Jenni, one which I will never forget and likely compare all future trips against.
1 year ago: I was in Korea, in a long distance relationship. I thought that I knew where I was going to be and what I was going to do for the foreseeable future. I finally discovered a job I liked, met a group of girls who taught me a lot about myself, and enjoyed being an expat.
This year: Has been hard. I turns out I was wrong about that future I thought I was going to have. I am back in Korea, getting lost and finding myself. Or just teaching and drinking.
Yesterday: I taught all day. A friend came over and managed to hook up my DVD player, which I christened by watching a horrible movie, Hostel.
Today: I woke up far too early. I will have to go to the post office on my way to work. I will be tired by the end of the day, I know that already!
Tomorrow: I am meeting someone for the first time. Hope it involves some Italian food.
20 years ago: I was 8. I still had only the one brother. Still don't really have many memories of it and there are less pictures!
15 Years ago: I was 13. Self-conscious. A Geek.
10 Years ago: I was 18. I hated Bolton, I didn't get along with my parents, I skipped a lot of school. I was just aching to get out and live life.
5 years ago: I was 23. I had graduated university and was living happily in Scotland with Alan, in spite of hating my bank job.
3 years ago: I was 25. Alan and I left Scotland and moved to Vancouver. Took the most amazing trip across Canada with him and Jenni, one which I will never forget and likely compare all future trips against.
1 year ago: I was in Korea, in a long distance relationship. I thought that I knew where I was going to be and what I was going to do for the foreseeable future. I finally discovered a job I liked, met a group of girls who taught me a lot about myself, and enjoyed being an expat.
This year: Has been hard. I turns out I was wrong about that future I thought I was going to have. I am back in Korea, getting lost and finding myself. Or just teaching and drinking.
Yesterday: I taught all day. A friend came over and managed to hook up my DVD player, which I christened by watching a horrible movie, Hostel.
Today: I woke up far too early. I will have to go to the post office on my way to work. I will be tired by the end of the day, I know that already!
Tomorrow: I am meeting someone for the first time. Hope it involves some Italian food.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Another Day, Another Dollar
It was a long day at work, mostly cause I stayed up too late and am exhausted. Which made today feel like it was Friday, but it's not. The beauty of my job is that normally I don't feel like I've already worked a full week but it's only Tuesday, usually the week flies by. Need to sleep more! In spite of my lack of sleep, I haven't done much this week. I need to clean and do laundry and mail mom's present. The only thing I did do today was go to the bank to pay my apartment bill and for the Canada Day Picnic.
A divarication arose over how to handle next year's themed party, with one faction arguing for a Hawaiian luau and another proposing a 1950s sock hop. Isn't that the best sentence ever? Or am I just a huge geek?
A divarication arose over how to handle next year's themed party, with one faction arguing for a Hawaiian luau and another proposing a 1950s sock hop. Isn't that the best sentence ever? Or am I just a huge geek?
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Korea Fighting!
Korea just beat Togo 2-1 in a World Cup Soccer match. With my windows open, I can hear the cheers of spectators. I wonder where they are all watching the game? I was at Outback eating dinner and then watched it in YunJin's room. The kids are going to be wild at school tomorrow! Go Red Devils!!!
Sunday, June 11, 2006
This was weird - persued it out of a perverse curiosity
Please note - did not meet this guy. But was curious enough after the odd myspace message to add him to messanger long enough to hear what it was all about!
sean says:
hi
sean says:
this is sean from myspace we talked on myspace a few
weeks ago
sean says:
i talked to you about the $5000
Amanda says:
hey
sean says:
are you still interested?
Amanda says:
in all honesty, no. not into inflicting pain.
Amanda says:
i replied on a bit of an off day
Amanda says:
sorry
Amanda says:
and i suppose i was curious
sean says:
nor do I want pain
sean says:
more control
Amanda says:
ok. well, i don't really know what would be involved
sean says:
are you willing to hear me out or would you prefer I
left you alone?
Amanda says:
i suppose i am curious
sean says:
well basically I just want a woman or group of women
to tie me up and refuses to untie me till they have
the cash
Amanda says:
that's it?
sean says:
i dont want sex or nudity
Amanda says:
and how do we know you have the money?
sean says:
well it would be kind of dumb of me to lie
Amanda says:
well, i guess, as you'd be tied up
sean says:
exactly
Amanda says:
so, why?
Amanda says:
and where do you live?
sean says:
i like the loss of control and the fact I am in the
hands of people that care only about the cash and not
me. i live in ******
Amanda says:
how old are you?
sean says:
30
sean says:
how about you?
Amanda says:
28.
Amanda says:
well, it was a friend of mine that was actually
interested, but i am afraid she is leaving seoul on
wednesday and i wouldn't be willing to do it by myself
sean says:
well I am prepared to do it tonight
Amanda says:
where?
sean says:
in *******
sean says:
I was sposed to do it with someone else but I found
out she lied to me about some thigns
Amanda says:
how many people have you offered this to?
sean says:
a few
Amanda says:
how many is a few?
sean says:
no idea
sean says:
well are you interested
Amanda says:
i am afraid i already have plans for tonight
sean says:
u can tie me and leave
Amanda says:
it all just seems pretty damn strange
Amanda says:
and i don't really trust a guy i've never met to do
all this
sean says:
i understand
sean says:
i will be out later tonight in itaewon if you want to
meet
Amanda says:
i think i will be in hongdae, we're starting at carnae
station
sean says:
great place
sean says:
big fan of that place
Amanda says:
yeah, me too
sean says:
hi
sean says:
this is sean from myspace we talked on myspace a few
weeks ago
sean says:
i talked to you about the $5000
Amanda says:
hey
sean says:
are you still interested?
Amanda says:
in all honesty, no. not into inflicting pain.
Amanda says:
i replied on a bit of an off day
Amanda says:
sorry
Amanda says:
and i suppose i was curious
sean says:
nor do I want pain
sean says:
more control
Amanda says:
ok. well, i don't really know what would be involved
sean says:
are you willing to hear me out or would you prefer I
left you alone?
Amanda says:
i suppose i am curious
sean says:
well basically I just want a woman or group of women
to tie me up and refuses to untie me till they have
the cash
Amanda says:
that's it?
sean says:
i dont want sex or nudity
Amanda says:
and how do we know you have the money?
sean says:
well it would be kind of dumb of me to lie
Amanda says:
well, i guess, as you'd be tied up
sean says:
exactly
Amanda says:
so, why?
Amanda says:
and where do you live?
sean says:
i like the loss of control and the fact I am in the
hands of people that care only about the cash and not
me. i live in ******
Amanda says:
how old are you?
sean says:
30
sean says:
how about you?
Amanda says:
28.
Amanda says:
well, it was a friend of mine that was actually
interested, but i am afraid she is leaving seoul on
wednesday and i wouldn't be willing to do it by myself
sean says:
well I am prepared to do it tonight
Amanda says:
where?
sean says:
in *******
sean says:
I was sposed to do it with someone else but I found
out she lied to me about some thigns
Amanda says:
how many people have you offered this to?
sean says:
a few
Amanda says:
how many is a few?
sean says:
no idea
sean says:
well are you interested
Amanda says:
i am afraid i already have plans for tonight
sean says:
u can tie me and leave
Amanda says:
it all just seems pretty damn strange
Amanda says:
and i don't really trust a guy i've never met to do
all this
sean says:
i understand
sean says:
i will be out later tonight in itaewon if you want to
meet
Amanda says:
i think i will be in hongdae, we're starting at carnae
station
sean says:
great place
sean says:
big fan of that place
Amanda says:
yeah, me too
I am a classic book I haven't read yet
I really must read more!
Which literature classic are you?
Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose. You are a mystery novel dealing with theology, especially with catholic vs liberal issues. You search wisdom and knowledge endlessly, feeling that learning is essential in life.
Take this quiz!
Quizilla |
Join
| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code
Which literature classic are you?
Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose. You are a mystery novel dealing with theology, especially with catholic vs liberal issues. You search wisdom and knowledge endlessly, feeling that learning is essential in life.
Take this quiz!
Quizilla |
Join
| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code
Guilt
I'm feeling really guilty about how much happier I am, now, than I was before. How much peace I feel, now that I am not living in the space i was living in before. How much better able to cope I am than I expected. How guilty I feel about being able to love someone and not want to be with them because it is right for me, even if it isn't right for them.
I know that I shouldn't feel guilty about that. But I do.
I know that I shouldn't feel guilty about that. But I do.
The Best Station in the Nation
A night at Carne Station is always fun. I drank far too much whisky and coke (to maximize my ability to drink all i can, i drink my drink in beer glasses, which certainly helps). And I ate a ton. And had ice cream. The World Cup game was on, so we got to watch England score. There was a weird guy in a taekwondo outfit wandering around and as we left Carne we ended up having photos taken with his group of people on the street. It was bizarre but fun. Went to Bricxx, all in honour of Tom's birthday, and had a hookah, a mojito and a peach margarehita. We attempted to go to Q-Vo, but there was some sort of fuss about ID and so we went to Saab instead, but I got waylaid by Frank, who was out in front of 66.
Had a lazy day watching movies. Date Movie was dire and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada was weird but I liked it a lot in the end.
Had a lazy day watching movies. Date Movie was dire and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada was weird but I liked it a lot in the end.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
This is me
This article here is remarkably like parts of my life.
A Life Between Jobs
By ANNA BAHNEY
Published: June 8, 2006
TAYLOR AIKIN'S new job is across the street from his current one, but he loves to tell people he'll be taking the long way getting there.
Next Wednesday, on his last day as a senior designer at a Manhattan architecture firm, he will roll out of work early on his 2006 Ducati Monster S2R 1000 motorcycle and not stop until he reaches the Virginia state line. Before starting his new position three and a half weeks later, he'll cruise through the South, head to the Rocky Mountains and return across the Great Plains.
Mr. Aikin, 28, who has been with his firm for three years, said this is the first time he is taking a real vacation.
"Talking to the guys who take care of my bike," Mr. Aikin said, "they're jealous, because you can really only do this when you quit your job."
Many young people in the workplace are finding that quitting their job is becoming the satisfying new alternative to the standard, entry-level benefit for vacation. As they found out, the two weeks allowed to most young employees is barely enough time to visit their parents for Christmas, go to a friend's wedding and take a long weekend.
"Normal life," Mr. Aikin said, "maintaining relationships with people who don't live nearby, requires at least two weeks of your life a year."
For others like him, the solution is simple: Stop jockeying with senior employees for the prime vacation weeks. Quit and start again — but first, get away.
"The transition between jobs is just about me," Mr. Aikin said. "It is a trip that I've wanted to do, not something that is going to benefit a bunch of people."
Generations before them, studies have shown, valued tenure and career advancement. But this group sees the chutes in the world as interesting as the ladders.
There are no recent studies of the employment patterns of Generations X and Y by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But it reports that even those born at the tail end of the baby boom held an average of 10.2 jobs between age 18 and 38, from 1978 to 2002. A 2004 study by the Families and Work Institute, a nonprofit research group, polled Generation Y employees and found they were significantly more likely to leave their job than employees who were their comparable ages in 1977 — 70 percent, compared with 52 percent.
Some use quitting as an opportunity for a good, long visit back home, or to spend time with a dying grandparent. Others want the time to embark on real vacations or adventures.
And what's wrong with taking all that ambition and putting it into a bus trip through India? A climb up Kilimanjaro? A month studying Russian in Moscow?
The trend, career experts said, is an outgrowth of today's nomadic job culture, as well as an attitude among many young people open to adventure and big experiences — and, yes, a bit of indulgence.
Why not walk away when you are young, energetic and have the opportunity to camp at the Grand Canyon? Or to visit all the national parks?
That was Jesse Keller's big ambition.
After 10 years as a software engineer for a company in San Diego, Mr. Keller, 32, was ready for a break. He rarely used all of his vacation days. But last year he quit to pursue his goal: to visit all 58 national parks.
On the phone from Montana after crossing off Grand Teton National Park (No. 38), he said there is more than whim behind his expedition.
"As the retirement age pushes farther back and the finances for that time of life are less and less certain, it was almost unconscionable to not take advantage of the opportunity to travel now when I had the money and the health," he said.
He is not afraid of finding another job — believing his skills are in demand — and he is not tied down to any location. What worries him more is keeping from burning out again.
"The trick is finding a job that has the balance built in so that I don't have to go off on a grand adventure to recover from work," he said.
There are some risks to dropping out, career counselors said.
"Gaps in the résumé are still a red flag," said Carol R. Anderson, director of career development and placement at Milano the New School for Management and Urban Policy. But for those who are not following rigid career paths, "the cross-cultural competency that is best gained from living in a different country," for instance, can be a résumé builder, she said.
Employers are more or less at the mercy of those alternative ambitions.
"Gen-X'ers have demographics working for them: there aren't a lot of them," said Judith Gerberg, who has run her own career counseling company in Manhattan since 1985. That's particularly true as baby boomers begin to retire.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Gerberg said, young people "are used to creating wonderful opportunities for themselves."
A study done by the Society for Human Resource Management found that when human resource professionals were asked to select character traits from a list to describe age groups, baby boomers were characterized as "results driven," and "plan to stay with the organization over the long term." Generation X, though, was described as "like informality," and "seeking work/life balance."
So younger professionals, unlike older workers, are more willing to chuck it all away whenever things get to be too much, optimistic that they'll be able to start over.
Valerie Karasz, 33, had been working as a bankruptcy lawyer in New York for three years when she quit last November. After spending a leisurely holiday with family in Washington and Florida, she went to a wedding in New Zealand, then spent four months traveling in Australia, Southeast Asia and central Europe.
She started a new job at a law firm doing compliance work in the alcoholic beverage industry last Monday.
"I'm excited to go back to work and start in this new industry," she said. "I feel cleansed."
And maybe that's what the younger generation gets that their parents didn't: There's always another job. Having grown up in an era of relative prosperity and upward mobility, it's easy to come to that conclusion.
"Less employer loyalty is a product of this age group — watching their parents' lives turned upside down by layoffs, downsizings, plant closings," Ms. Anderson of the New School said. "The children of these parents understand that the 'employment contract' that existed only from the end of World War II has been broken."
So quitting is not such a big deal, as surveys show. While overall worker loyalty has improved slightly in recent years, young people are still highly mobile. According to a 2005 survey by Walker Information, which conducts research on customer and employee loyalty, 50 percent of employees 18 to 24, and 39 percent of employees 25 to 29, reported having a neutral or negative attitude about the employer and did not plan to stay. The study terms this group "high risk."
"The younger group weren't always negative about the company, they may be neutral, but it was clear that they didn't plan to stay for the next two years," said Chris Woolard a research consultant at Walker. "They weren't all that attached to the company and they don't really plan to stick around."
Kimberly Thrush, 35, never thought she was the type to quit and run. But when it all got to be too constricting, she left her job in Japan as a vice president at a large American bank, after working in banking for 13 years, and headed home.
"I am the type of person who would never think of quitting a job without having one to go to," she said, expressing misgivings about finding her next job. In the meantime, she has ambitious plans. "I'm going to look for travel specials and go somewhere different," she said. "Maybe Africa."
J. R. Briggs and his wife, Megan, had six weeks off between jobs. Mr. Briggs, 27, a nondenominational evangelical pastor and Mrs. Briggs, 26, a ministry coordinator and a counselor, recently left their posts at a 5,000-member church in Colorado Springs. Both have jobs at a church in suburban Philadelphia. But before they started last week, they visited family members in Chicago and Ann Arbor, Mich., and also spent 10 days in Costa Rica.
"To be unemployed for six weeks is a healthy thing to help you say 'I am not defined by what I do,' " he said. "It helps to understand who I am, who my wife is, and that our identity is more important than anything we do."
Todd Harvey, 32, found it almost impossible to take vacation time from his job caring for the homeless as director of housing development at a faith-based nonprofit in Berkeley, Calif. He finally quit last July and traveled the country until he stumbled upon the Appalachian Trail and started walking all 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine with his dog, Soren Kierkegaard.
By renting out a duplex he owns in California, he is able to finance his backpacking adventure until he needs to report for graduate school in San Francisco on Aug. 28.
Others sock away money for months or give up expensive apartments so they can, at least temporarily, leave their paycheck behind.
In the end, timing is everything.
"Why now when I'm 28?" said Mr. Aikin, the architect, about his coming motorcycle trip. "Retirement is too far away. And I was too broke in college."
A Life Between Jobs
By ANNA BAHNEY
Published: June 8, 2006
TAYLOR AIKIN'S new job is across the street from his current one, but he loves to tell people he'll be taking the long way getting there.
Next Wednesday, on his last day as a senior designer at a Manhattan architecture firm, he will roll out of work early on his 2006 Ducati Monster S2R 1000 motorcycle and not stop until he reaches the Virginia state line. Before starting his new position three and a half weeks later, he'll cruise through the South, head to the Rocky Mountains and return across the Great Plains.
Mr. Aikin, 28, who has been with his firm for three years, said this is the first time he is taking a real vacation.
"Talking to the guys who take care of my bike," Mr. Aikin said, "they're jealous, because you can really only do this when you quit your job."
Many young people in the workplace are finding that quitting their job is becoming the satisfying new alternative to the standard, entry-level benefit for vacation. As they found out, the two weeks allowed to most young employees is barely enough time to visit their parents for Christmas, go to a friend's wedding and take a long weekend.
"Normal life," Mr. Aikin said, "maintaining relationships with people who don't live nearby, requires at least two weeks of your life a year."
For others like him, the solution is simple: Stop jockeying with senior employees for the prime vacation weeks. Quit and start again — but first, get away.
"The transition between jobs is just about me," Mr. Aikin said. "It is a trip that I've wanted to do, not something that is going to benefit a bunch of people."
Generations before them, studies have shown, valued tenure and career advancement. But this group sees the chutes in the world as interesting as the ladders.
There are no recent studies of the employment patterns of Generations X and Y by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But it reports that even those born at the tail end of the baby boom held an average of 10.2 jobs between age 18 and 38, from 1978 to 2002. A 2004 study by the Families and Work Institute, a nonprofit research group, polled Generation Y employees and found they were significantly more likely to leave their job than employees who were their comparable ages in 1977 — 70 percent, compared with 52 percent.
Some use quitting as an opportunity for a good, long visit back home, or to spend time with a dying grandparent. Others want the time to embark on real vacations or adventures.
And what's wrong with taking all that ambition and putting it into a bus trip through India? A climb up Kilimanjaro? A month studying Russian in Moscow?
The trend, career experts said, is an outgrowth of today's nomadic job culture, as well as an attitude among many young people open to adventure and big experiences — and, yes, a bit of indulgence.
Why not walk away when you are young, energetic and have the opportunity to camp at the Grand Canyon? Or to visit all the national parks?
That was Jesse Keller's big ambition.
After 10 years as a software engineer for a company in San Diego, Mr. Keller, 32, was ready for a break. He rarely used all of his vacation days. But last year he quit to pursue his goal: to visit all 58 national parks.
On the phone from Montana after crossing off Grand Teton National Park (No. 38), he said there is more than whim behind his expedition.
"As the retirement age pushes farther back and the finances for that time of life are less and less certain, it was almost unconscionable to not take advantage of the opportunity to travel now when I had the money and the health," he said.
He is not afraid of finding another job — believing his skills are in demand — and he is not tied down to any location. What worries him more is keeping from burning out again.
"The trick is finding a job that has the balance built in so that I don't have to go off on a grand adventure to recover from work," he said.
There are some risks to dropping out, career counselors said.
"Gaps in the résumé are still a red flag," said Carol R. Anderson, director of career development and placement at Milano the New School for Management and Urban Policy. But for those who are not following rigid career paths, "the cross-cultural competency that is best gained from living in a different country," for instance, can be a résumé builder, she said.
Employers are more or less at the mercy of those alternative ambitions.
"Gen-X'ers have demographics working for them: there aren't a lot of them," said Judith Gerberg, who has run her own career counseling company in Manhattan since 1985. That's particularly true as baby boomers begin to retire.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Gerberg said, young people "are used to creating wonderful opportunities for themselves."
A study done by the Society for Human Resource Management found that when human resource professionals were asked to select character traits from a list to describe age groups, baby boomers were characterized as "results driven," and "plan to stay with the organization over the long term." Generation X, though, was described as "like informality," and "seeking work/life balance."
So younger professionals, unlike older workers, are more willing to chuck it all away whenever things get to be too much, optimistic that they'll be able to start over.
Valerie Karasz, 33, had been working as a bankruptcy lawyer in New York for three years when she quit last November. After spending a leisurely holiday with family in Washington and Florida, she went to a wedding in New Zealand, then spent four months traveling in Australia, Southeast Asia and central Europe.
She started a new job at a law firm doing compliance work in the alcoholic beverage industry last Monday.
"I'm excited to go back to work and start in this new industry," she said. "I feel cleansed."
And maybe that's what the younger generation gets that their parents didn't: There's always another job. Having grown up in an era of relative prosperity and upward mobility, it's easy to come to that conclusion.
"Less employer loyalty is a product of this age group — watching their parents' lives turned upside down by layoffs, downsizings, plant closings," Ms. Anderson of the New School said. "The children of these parents understand that the 'employment contract' that existed only from the end of World War II has been broken."
So quitting is not such a big deal, as surveys show. While overall worker loyalty has improved slightly in recent years, young people are still highly mobile. According to a 2005 survey by Walker Information, which conducts research on customer and employee loyalty, 50 percent of employees 18 to 24, and 39 percent of employees 25 to 29, reported having a neutral or negative attitude about the employer and did not plan to stay. The study terms this group "high risk."
"The younger group weren't always negative about the company, they may be neutral, but it was clear that they didn't plan to stay for the next two years," said Chris Woolard a research consultant at Walker. "They weren't all that attached to the company and they don't really plan to stick around."
Kimberly Thrush, 35, never thought she was the type to quit and run. But when it all got to be too constricting, she left her job in Japan as a vice president at a large American bank, after working in banking for 13 years, and headed home.
"I am the type of person who would never think of quitting a job without having one to go to," she said, expressing misgivings about finding her next job. In the meantime, she has ambitious plans. "I'm going to look for travel specials and go somewhere different," she said. "Maybe Africa."
J. R. Briggs and his wife, Megan, had six weeks off between jobs. Mr. Briggs, 27, a nondenominational evangelical pastor and Mrs. Briggs, 26, a ministry coordinator and a counselor, recently left their posts at a 5,000-member church in Colorado Springs. Both have jobs at a church in suburban Philadelphia. But before they started last week, they visited family members in Chicago and Ann Arbor, Mich., and also spent 10 days in Costa Rica.
"To be unemployed for six weeks is a healthy thing to help you say 'I am not defined by what I do,' " he said. "It helps to understand who I am, who my wife is, and that our identity is more important than anything we do."
Todd Harvey, 32, found it almost impossible to take vacation time from his job caring for the homeless as director of housing development at a faith-based nonprofit in Berkeley, Calif. He finally quit last July and traveled the country until he stumbled upon the Appalachian Trail and started walking all 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine with his dog, Soren Kierkegaard.
By renting out a duplex he owns in California, he is able to finance his backpacking adventure until he needs to report for graduate school in San Francisco on Aug. 28.
Others sock away money for months or give up expensive apartments so they can, at least temporarily, leave their paycheck behind.
In the end, timing is everything.
"Why now when I'm 28?" said Mr. Aikin, the architect, about his coming motorcycle trip. "Retirement is too far away. And I was too broke in college."
Pyeongteak
I went to hangout in Pyeongteak last night and all I can say is damn, is it far away! Almost a three hour subway ride. But I had a great time in spite of the mammoth journey. It's funny to see such a small town kind of place is attached to the Seoul subway system. There were so few neon lights compared to what I am used to.
All day today there have been thunder storms and rain. I love it, especially as I have been happy and dry in my apartment.
I am headed to Carne Station, the best station in the nation, for Tom's birthday party tonight. Should be fun.
All day today there have been thunder storms and rain. I love it, especially as I have been happy and dry in my apartment.
I am headed to Carne Station, the best station in the nation, for Tom's birthday party tonight. Should be fun.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
I must blog more often...
...cause when I wait this long, my early onset alzheimers kicks in and I can't really remember what happened last weekend...
So, going back two weeks, I went out with Athena for her last ladies' night at the Loft and had fun. We had an interesting lunch with our boss the next day, a goodbye/hello sort of thing, where everyone was hungover except the new guy and Athena was late for her own goodbye party! Matthew is very, very tall was my first thought on meeting him.
After my lazy Saturday of my last post, I did indeed go to Carne and made the mistake of maximizing my all-you-can-drink potential but not my all-you-can-eat potential. made for a drunken, but fun, night. Went for a couple of hours of norae bang, cause you can never do enough singing, really, and then we met up with Athena and Lucia in Stompers. I love dancing.
Since last Sunday was memorial day, the Americans all had a long weekend. Athena, Lucia and I went and did a bit of shopping in Itaewon (where I bought Mom a birthday present that is going to be extremely late!) and then went home. We left only for both of us to get texts from people saying they were in Itaewon drinking. So after a brief rest at home, we went back to Geckos and hung out with Amber, Marisa, and crew. Met a helicopter pilot named Brian who tells the dirtiest jokes, and Marcel and his friends. Athena and I ended up in Hongdae until 4.30 in the morning on a SUNDAY!!! Craziness. But fun.
Then Alan arrived to visit. I wish I could say it went well, but it didn't. It was ackward and we fought and I asked him to stay in a hotel because of those things. He was pretty upset by that. We saw each other a bit, but really, it was just far too painful and uncomfortable. I don't really know what else to say about the whole thing.
He came with us for galbi and amused us by stabbing his chopstick through the garlic container, releasing oil all over the grill. Julie was all for putting water on it to try and improve the situation, which would likely have been very amusing. Watch the foreigners burn down the galbi restaurant!!! We went to Insadong and the temple Saturday and then we went out Saturday evening to Geckos. I went on to Hongdae with my friends and we met a bunch of new people, including a guy YunJin went to university with and Frank and his cowboy-hatted friend.
I have spent a lot of this week watching scary movies - The Exorcism of Emily Rose and the remake of the Amityville Horrors - and commuting in and out of Itaewon. I made the mistake of going into What the Book on our day off and spent $30. It was a relaxing day off - mostly I ate and drank all day!
I have some weekend plans, though nothing too solid yet. Will have to wait and see what comes up!
So, going back two weeks, I went out with Athena for her last ladies' night at the Loft and had fun. We had an interesting lunch with our boss the next day, a goodbye/hello sort of thing, where everyone was hungover except the new guy and Athena was late for her own goodbye party! Matthew is very, very tall was my first thought on meeting him.
After my lazy Saturday of my last post, I did indeed go to Carne and made the mistake of maximizing my all-you-can-drink potential but not my all-you-can-eat potential. made for a drunken, but fun, night. Went for a couple of hours of norae bang, cause you can never do enough singing, really, and then we met up with Athena and Lucia in Stompers. I love dancing.
Since last Sunday was memorial day, the Americans all had a long weekend. Athena, Lucia and I went and did a bit of shopping in Itaewon (where I bought Mom a birthday present that is going to be extremely late!) and then went home. We left only for both of us to get texts from people saying they were in Itaewon drinking. So after a brief rest at home, we went back to Geckos and hung out with Amber, Marisa, and crew. Met a helicopter pilot named Brian who tells the dirtiest jokes, and Marcel and his friends. Athena and I ended up in Hongdae until 4.30 in the morning on a SUNDAY!!! Craziness. But fun.
Then Alan arrived to visit. I wish I could say it went well, but it didn't. It was ackward and we fought and I asked him to stay in a hotel because of those things. He was pretty upset by that. We saw each other a bit, but really, it was just far too painful and uncomfortable. I don't really know what else to say about the whole thing.
He came with us for galbi and amused us by stabbing his chopstick through the garlic container, releasing oil all over the grill. Julie was all for putting water on it to try and improve the situation, which would likely have been very amusing. Watch the foreigners burn down the galbi restaurant!!! We went to Insadong and the temple Saturday and then we went out Saturday evening to Geckos. I went on to Hongdae with my friends and we met a bunch of new people, including a guy YunJin went to university with and Frank and his cowboy-hatted friend.
I have spent a lot of this week watching scary movies - The Exorcism of Emily Rose and the remake of the Amityville Horrors - and commuting in and out of Itaewon. I made the mistake of going into What the Book on our day off and spent $30. It was a relaxing day off - mostly I ate and drank all day!
I have some weekend plans, though nothing too solid yet. Will have to wait and see what comes up!
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Woohoo!
The rain has now become a crazy big storm! Lightening! Thunder! I love storms!
This is the second big one since I moved back to Seoul. The last was at night, which is when I like them best, though it always makes me think of Lucky and how scared she was of storms. Which makes me a bit sad.
This is the second big one since I moved back to Seoul. The last was at night, which is when I like them best, though it always makes me think of Lucky and how scared she was of storms. Which makes me a bit sad.
Contentment
It is a rainy Saturday in Seoul. And it is 5 pm. All I have done today is slept in and surfed the net. I am sitting here reading blogs, eating chips with salsa and drinking coke in my undies. And I am content.
I have more ambitious plans for the evening and tomorrow. And I did go out to the Loft Thursday and played the Sex in the City trivia game with the girls at Amber's last night (and I suck!). We watched the last episode of Season 1 of the L Word, which gives me hope that Season 2 might start next week. Carnae Station tonight is in the plans and undoubtably some dancing. Lindsay's ticket has been purchased, so summer plans are shaping up nicely. I will be eating Italian food tomorrow for lunch.
Life is good. It is funny to think that these sorts of lazy, nothing going on days used to be depressing for me. Now, they are perfect. It's all in my state of mind, I guess, and just now my state of mind is pretty damn good. Thanks to everyone who has been helping me get to where I am now. I appreciate you all more than I can say.
I have more ambitious plans for the evening and tomorrow. And I did go out to the Loft Thursday and played the Sex in the City trivia game with the girls at Amber's last night (and I suck!). We watched the last episode of Season 1 of the L Word, which gives me hope that Season 2 might start next week. Carnae Station tonight is in the plans and undoubtably some dancing. Lindsay's ticket has been purchased, so summer plans are shaping up nicely. I will be eating Italian food tomorrow for lunch.
Life is good. It is funny to think that these sorts of lazy, nothing going on days used to be depressing for me. Now, they are perfect. It's all in my state of mind, I guess, and just now my state of mind is pretty damn good. Thanks to everyone who has been helping me get to where I am now. I appreciate you all more than I can say.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Why I was right not to clean
So, I moved into an apartment that had been on fire only a week before. It had been professionally cleaned, but still, there was a ton of fine black soot in weird places (for example, I had to wash my hangers before I could use them). So, I did a ton of cleaning but the bathroom was more of a prefuntory clean at the time and I hadn't gotten around to anything better. I took a brief glance under the washing machine and saw how badly the drains drained and I knew these things had to be dealt with but I had been ignoring it. This morning, I decided it was time.
And I buggered my ankle fairly comprehensively. Lying on the bed in pain wondering how I was going to teach comprehensively. I sprained it originally two weeks ago tomorrow, after a night at the Loft. That's right, I am admitting to a drinking injury. That said, in a country of sidewalks that are anything but straight and weak ankles, this was bound to happen. I am a klutz. But it was healing until I stood on it in just the wrong way at the end up my cleaning session.
So now I am wearing an extremely sexy ace bandage. But I wanted to wear a skirt out dancing on Saturday, so I am not pleased. I doubt dancing will occur without the bandage on though. Sigh.
Apparently I shouldn't have cleaned...
And I buggered my ankle fairly comprehensively. Lying on the bed in pain wondering how I was going to teach comprehensively. I sprained it originally two weeks ago tomorrow, after a night at the Loft. That's right, I am admitting to a drinking injury. That said, in a country of sidewalks that are anything but straight and weak ankles, this was bound to happen. I am a klutz. But it was healing until I stood on it in just the wrong way at the end up my cleaning session.
So now I am wearing an extremely sexy ace bandage. But I wanted to wear a skirt out dancing on Saturday, so I am not pleased. I doubt dancing will occur without the bandage on though. Sigh.
Apparently I shouldn't have cleaned...
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