There's nothing like living in a foreign country...
There's nothing like being sick....
There's nothing like feeling out of place....
There's nothing like being single on a national couple's holiday....
There's nothing like teaching a class that doesn't understand me and there's no Korean teacher there to help ....
There's nothing like meeting bad guys....
There's nothing like watching good friends leave Korea....
....to make me feel homesick.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Babbler
I am a reserved person. Well, in some situations, I'm able to put myself out there, but I usually don't talk a lot about myself. It's hard to get to know someone with my personality, unless you're willing to drag things out of me.... I don't know why I'm like that either. I do like talking, but maybe it's the Asian in me that keeps me shushed. On Friday though, I apparently babbled a lot- in a good way though. I remember giving one of my friends a talking to, telling him how he's been really emo and seems depressed lately. I told him, "You're leaving Korea soon when you don't really want to leave, so I think you've been thinking too much lately and it's bringing you down. It's making you act differently." I don't remember our conversation word for word, but my babbling did some good, because he took it to heart! Yesterday, he messaged me to say thank you for what I told him. He told me I am a good friend. This friend absolutely loves Korea- to the point that he put in the effort to learn Korean during the 3 years he lived here. I thought he was the type who would live here for as long as he could, so I can see why he seems confused. When people leave Korea, some are ready to get out of here; some leave with hesitations. I wonder which category I'll fall into come September. I really hope I'm ready and excited to start a new chapter of my life, rather than afraid of what is to come.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Good-byes
With vacation and end-of-the-year activities at school, it's been hard to keep going to yoga regularly, but this week was a new start. I went to yoga on Monday and Wednesday. It was nice to get back into my workout routine. I couldn't run as long on the treadmill nor could I keep my balance during all of the yoga activities. But it shouldn't take too long to be able to rebuild my muscle, as long as I keep going regularly.
On Friday, I went to the school faculty dinner to welcome the new teachers at my school. We ate seafood soup. This Korean dish has everything from king clams to baby clams to live octopus. Literally. I saw them put the octopus in while it was alive. It was squirming while the waiter held it down in our boiling soup. The waiter suggested we eat the octopus first because it just gets too chewy if it sits in the soup for too long. So we each picked up a piece as soon as the waiter left. It was so delicious. The octopus was a perfect amount of chewy and the seasoning of the soup complemented the octopus perfectly. After the dinner, I joined the younger teachers to get come coffee. I missed my Friday yoga class, but I didn't regret it because it was nice to get to know my colleagues better. Hopefully, come Monday, I'll feel more comfortable with them. The teachers at the school talk mostly about school work, but we talked about things I could relate to, too. After coffee, I stopped by home to change and went to The Big Chill for my friend's going away party. Every Friday, this bar has ladies night from 9-11. Girls drink for free. By the time I got there, everyone was merry. After getting a couple drinks, we got some food in Yeongtong and all slept over at a friend's house. We ate homemade rice krispies for dessert there. We were all supposed to wake up at 5 am because the guest of honor had to catch the bus to the airport, but only one of us woke up. She's the second or third Suwoner to leave this month and more will leave in the upcoming weeks. It's a sad time of the year. The friends I make in Korea are like family to me. We talk about the cultural differences we face in Korea. We share stories about our students. We make fun of each other. We go on trips around Korea. Korea would be a lonely place without the friends I find in foreigners here. Today, I feel especially thankful for all of the friendships I've gained in Korea.
On Friday, I went to the school faculty dinner to welcome the new teachers at my school. We ate seafood soup. This Korean dish has everything from king clams to baby clams to live octopus. Literally. I saw them put the octopus in while it was alive. It was squirming while the waiter held it down in our boiling soup. The waiter suggested we eat the octopus first because it just gets too chewy if it sits in the soup for too long. So we each picked up a piece as soon as the waiter left. It was so delicious. The octopus was a perfect amount of chewy and the seasoning of the soup complemented the octopus perfectly. After the dinner, I joined the younger teachers to get come coffee. I missed my Friday yoga class, but I didn't regret it because it was nice to get to know my colleagues better. Hopefully, come Monday, I'll feel more comfortable with them. The teachers at the school talk mostly about school work, but we talked about things I could relate to, too. After coffee, I stopped by home to change and went to The Big Chill for my friend's going away party. Every Friday, this bar has ladies night from 9-11. Girls drink for free. By the time I got there, everyone was merry. After getting a couple drinks, we got some food in Yeongtong and all slept over at a friend's house. We ate homemade rice krispies for dessert there. We were all supposed to wake up at 5 am because the guest of honor had to catch the bus to the airport, but only one of us woke up. She's the second or third Suwoner to leave this month and more will leave in the upcoming weeks. It's a sad time of the year. The friends I make in Korea are like family to me. We talk about the cultural differences we face in Korea. We share stories about our students. We make fun of each other. We go on trips around Korea. Korea would be a lonely place without the friends I find in foreigners here. Today, I feel especially thankful for all of the friendships I've gained in Korea.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
A Mother's Prayer
Listen to this song if you wish to be a godly mother, but know the realities of the world: A Mother's Prayer
I am honestly scared to have children because I know what the world is like. I know of the evils: the temptations, the fears, the anxieties, the anger....I feel I won't be at peace unless I can lock them up. I'm scared they'll wander-too far from me. But, after listening to this song, God reminded me of the power of two things: God's protection and a mother's prayer. The power of a mother's love is strong, bold, courageous, fierce; the power of a mother's prayer is just as mighty. The temptations of the world may be overwhelming, but nothing is impossible with our Father.
"pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
A tip for guys: "Lead Me"
I am honestly scared to have children because I know what the world is like. I know of the evils: the temptations, the fears, the anxieties, the anger....I feel I won't be at peace unless I can lock them up. I'm scared they'll wander-too far from me. But, after listening to this song, God reminded me of the power of two things: God's protection and a mother's prayer. The power of a mother's love is strong, bold, courageous, fierce; the power of a mother's prayer is just as mighty. The temptations of the world may be overwhelming, but nothing is impossible with our Father.
"pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
A tip for guys: "Lead Me"
Monday, March 5, 2012
Fun Weekend
Saturday's weather was beautiful in Korea. I wore my winter coat and a scarf, but ended up carrying my scarf around and was even hot without it. In the morning, my friends and I went to Gangnam for our laser hair removal appointment (so cheap in Korea!). Afterwards, we went to watch This Means War, which I highly recommend. It's an action-packed romantic comedy with plenty of eye candy. It was our first time at the CGV in Gangnam and let me just say....the engineers of that building must have been cuh-ra-zy. In America, escalators are usually next to each other so that it's easy to go from floor to floor, up or down. The escalators in Korea, however, are scattered! It's so confusing because it's hard to find the entrances. The elevator didn't even go to the 6th floor where our movie was playing. We almost missed the beginning because we had to backtrack and couldn't find the right escalator. The movie put us in high spirits though and when we walked out of the theatre, we were blinded by the sun. One of my friends immediately pulled out her sunglasses like a diva.
Some friends went their own ways, but a few of us went to De Chocolate Coffee for some coffee. I really like that cafe! I'm not really a chocolate or a coffee person, but who can pass up chocolate plus coffee?! After coffee, 3 of us decided to spontaneously check out Mie's Container. We've always wanted to eat there, but the line is always ridiculously long. The line is always 98% female, too. It's because this restaurant is also known as the "Hooters for girls." The employees are all supposed to be good-looking guys. We got in line around 3:30 and were seated around 4:45. It was a long wait, but I had good company.
When we finally got inside the sacred doors, I was impressed. The restaurant won a graphic design award in 2011, and I could see why. The theme of the restaurant is "construction site," so everything from the interior to the table numbers reminded me of a construction site. The waiters are always shouting to each other, too, just like at real construction sites. The three of us shared two dishes: a sweet potato pizza and a BBQ chicken set. When they gave us the food, the waiter gave us all high-fives and told us to enjoy our meal. The waiters were mostly good-looking. Sadly, they didn't have muscles, but I still enjoyed myself. The food was really good. The pizza had lots of gooey cheese and the BBQ chicken reminded me of Phil's BBQ in San Diego. The chicken platter came with potato chips, fries, coleslaw, corn salad, and 4 different dips. I'd go back for a second meal. One of my friends started talking about how the girls at Hooters dance, so she called one of the waiters over and asked him, "Do you guys dance? Sexy dance?" The waiter's face turned red and he shyly said, "No." Darn. No dancing is definitely not Hooters-esque.
My friend and I went back to my place so that I could get ready for a night of dancing! We got to Suwon station around 10 and headed to Lao Bar where we were going to meet with 2 other girls. We got some drinks and waited until 12 to go to Club Tao. It was a good night. The dj played a lot of techno for the first 30 minutes we were there, but the music changed to hip-hop/ R&B, which is my favorite. Besides the music, it was just a good night because we were all excited just to be dancing. I got home around 5 am, slept, and went to church. I met a friend for coffee afterwards. The coffee date turned into a dinner date when we called another friend. Then the 3 of us decided to get a drink at Lao. 1 drink turned into 4, but Stephen left us girls after his first drink. We missed the last bus and I accidentally got drunk. Just another fun weekend in Korea.
Some friends went their own ways, but a few of us went to De Chocolate Coffee for some coffee. I really like that cafe! I'm not really a chocolate or a coffee person, but who can pass up chocolate plus coffee?! After coffee, 3 of us decided to spontaneously check out Mie's Container. We've always wanted to eat there, but the line is always ridiculously long. The line is always 98% female, too. It's because this restaurant is also known as the "Hooters for girls." The employees are all supposed to be good-looking guys. We got in line around 3:30 and were seated around 4:45. It was a long wait, but I had good company.
When we finally got inside the sacred doors, I was impressed. The restaurant won a graphic design award in 2011, and I could see why. The theme of the restaurant is "construction site," so everything from the interior to the table numbers reminded me of a construction site. The waiters are always shouting to each other, too, just like at real construction sites. The three of us shared two dishes: a sweet potato pizza and a BBQ chicken set. When they gave us the food, the waiter gave us all high-fives and told us to enjoy our meal. The waiters were mostly good-looking. Sadly, they didn't have muscles, but I still enjoyed myself. The food was really good. The pizza had lots of gooey cheese and the BBQ chicken reminded me of Phil's BBQ in San Diego. The chicken platter came with potato chips, fries, coleslaw, corn salad, and 4 different dips. I'd go back for a second meal. One of my friends started talking about how the girls at Hooters dance, so she called one of the waiters over and asked him, "Do you guys dance? Sexy dance?" The waiter's face turned red and he shyly said, "No." Darn. No dancing is definitely not Hooters-esque.
My friend and I went back to my place so that I could get ready for a night of dancing! We got to Suwon station around 10 and headed to Lao Bar where we were going to meet with 2 other girls. We got some drinks and waited until 12 to go to Club Tao. It was a good night. The dj played a lot of techno for the first 30 minutes we were there, but the music changed to hip-hop/ R&B, which is my favorite. Besides the music, it was just a good night because we were all excited just to be dancing. I got home around 5 am, slept, and went to church. I met a friend for coffee afterwards. The coffee date turned into a dinner date when we called another friend. Then the 3 of us decided to get a drink at Lao. 1 drink turned into 4, but Stephen left us girls after his first drink. We missed the last bus and I accidentally got drunk. Just another fun weekend in Korea.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
"Alive"
I was at work on Friday and Sarah messaged me out of the blue: "Do you want to go to the Big Bang concert tonight?" I had totally forgotten about the concert after we failed at getting tickets when they first went up for sale (sold out in 5 minutes!). My first thought was: Friday is yoga day and I feel fat. I thought again and decided a Big Bang concert is not something I can go to anytime. So after work, I rushed home, changed, and got on a bus to Seoul.
I don't consider myself a Big Bang fan. I like their music though and feel that they're one of the few musicians in the K pop industry. They're also really good performers, so I was excited to see them perform live! My friend and I got to the stadium and looked out for "the ahjussis." They're at every performance to sell tickets and to buy leftover ones from you. I knew we couldn't talk to them too early because they'll just overcharge us. If timed right, I can usually get tickets for the original price or even less. We got lucky because we ended up by the ticket booth and they had tickets left. We bought standing tickets and were really excited for a full concert experience.
The concert was so much fun! Everyone stood up to dance throughout the whole concert (even people who had seats). Big Bang fans are cool and know how to enjoy music by their favorite singers. I had a good time dancing, jumping, and watching Taeyang take his shirt off- twice. My friend and I are the only ones who didn't have an official yellow Big Bang flash light, but it's cool. I like to think we stood out with our multi-colored glow stars. They performed a lot of their new songs, but also some of their classics. (I wish JYJ could perform some old songs....) During "거짓말" and "하루하루," Big Bang asked the fans to sing with them. They wanted "거짓말" to be the fans' love song to them. And fans sang "하루하루" because at an old concert, the sound wasn't working, but fans improvised and sang along with them. Big Bang wanted to thank them for that; Fan-singer interaction is pretty awesome.
As usual, Seungri had fun hogging the mic and doing most of the talking. Taeyang was the shy one and only talked twice: once when he introduced himself and the second when the members made him. G-Dragon is a funny guy! When he introduced himself, he said that it was just in case some people didn't know who he was (like anyone who was there wouldn't know). Everyone giggled. TOP apologized because his condition wasn't good. Daesung flew through the stadium with angel wings during his solo. That was pretty awesome. I bet he got cool photos.
Overall, I had a good time. I like JYJ, but I'd like more Big Bang-type fans to go to JYJ concerts. Our favorite singers are on stage! Let's party with them, ya know?
I don't consider myself a Big Bang fan. I like their music though and feel that they're one of the few musicians in the K pop industry. They're also really good performers, so I was excited to see them perform live! My friend and I got to the stadium and looked out for "the ahjussis." They're at every performance to sell tickets and to buy leftover ones from you. I knew we couldn't talk to them too early because they'll just overcharge us. If timed right, I can usually get tickets for the original price or even less. We got lucky because we ended up by the ticket booth and they had tickets left. We bought standing tickets and were really excited for a full concert experience.
The concert was so much fun! Everyone stood up to dance throughout the whole concert (even people who had seats). Big Bang fans are cool and know how to enjoy music by their favorite singers. I had a good time dancing, jumping, and watching Taeyang take his shirt off- twice. My friend and I are the only ones who didn't have an official yellow Big Bang flash light, but it's cool. I like to think we stood out with our multi-colored glow stars. They performed a lot of their new songs, but also some of their classics. (I wish JYJ could perform some old songs....) During "거짓말" and "하루하루," Big Bang asked the fans to sing with them. They wanted "거짓말" to be the fans' love song to them. And fans sang "하루하루" because at an old concert, the sound wasn't working, but fans improvised and sang along with them. Big Bang wanted to thank them for that; Fan-singer interaction is pretty awesome.
As usual, Seungri had fun hogging the mic and doing most of the talking. Taeyang was the shy one and only talked twice: once when he introduced himself and the second when the members made him. G-Dragon is a funny guy! When he introduced himself, he said that it was just in case some people didn't know who he was (like anyone who was there wouldn't know). Everyone giggled. TOP apologized because his condition wasn't good. Daesung flew through the stadium with angel wings during his solo. That was pretty awesome. I bet he got cool photos.
Overall, I had a good time. I like JYJ, but I'd like more Big Bang-type fans to go to JYJ concerts. Our favorite singers are on stage! Let's party with them, ya know?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)