They say it gets worse before it gets better...Who's "they" again??

So; It's officially been 2 months and 5 days since my arrival in S. Korea. You can guess how it's going by the fact that I'm counting days (hours too). LOL.

Don't get me wrong, S. Korea is beautiful. I really wish I could see more of it. However, the routine of doing the SAME THING everyday of the week is killing me! I feel creatively and socially stifled. For those of you who know me...this is worse for me than being physically restrained. I might as well be at a desk job in the U.S. Let me give you a picture of what I mean. MTWTHF 9am-12pm: Kindergarten kids; we sing songs, and learn a little bit. I love these kids!! They actually bring a smile to my face. 2pm-7pm: Hagwon kids; they learn English for 50 mins in a very controlled setting; following a strict guideline from a book. Not a bad book, but doesn't leave much room for spontaneity or creativity, since we must stay on schedule. 7:05pm-end of the day: Nothingness. LOL. No, foreal, maybe a movie, or a book. Definitely Facebook, and email checking time. At the end of the day, I only have the next workday to look forward to. Saturdays: Free Sundays: Must return to town for church (really...must) Sunday evenings: Nothingness

S/N: The good thing is, my late evening schedules will change tomorrow! I've joined a gym around the corner from me, and my subscription starts on November 1st (2mrw). Guess how much my monthly fee is? 10,000 won!! Equivalent to about $8.50/month. This should shake up my schedule a bit. I'm very excited to focus on something that's good for me...like exercise. I have this picture of what I want to look like that I will tape to my ceiling. LOL. Gotta keep your goals in view right? So I'm excited about this fact.

Back to my concerns...I didn't expect my life to be so mundane in such a short time here. The people that I would prefer to hang out with; whom it seems have similar cultures with me, only like to party and get drunk on the weekends. No one says; "hey, let's go see the museums," or "hey, wanna learn Korean together?" I have been so dependent on others for a social life in the past, that the mere thought of exploring by myself makes me cringe. I will do it though. And I plan to do just that next weekend. (Weekends are my only times to do so). I'm just the type of person that believes most things are more fun with a friend or two tagging along. So...although my sister is here, we don't or can't always hang out.

I'm ready to go home...where I know where my friends are. Where every year, we take at least one trip together, and where every other weekend there is something or another to do. I know these times (feelings) will come and go. I'm a realist. So, bear with me while I get through this time...

Until next time...Nothingness (LOL)

Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum...I smell the blood of a drunken bum...

Work has settled down. I did what I do best, communicated, and it seems most things are back to normal. I'll be getting a new roomie in a week. Sigh. I don't expect the worst, but I am bracing myself for it nonetheless.

On an entirely different note, I am so sick and tired of the drunk men outside of my window! Korean men like to get drunk during the week, which is pretty opposite of Americans who get drunk on the weekend. LOL. Or at least keep it in doors during the week. These men; every night; are heard loudly and abrasively talking outside of my window. Then--it never fails--20 mins later, someone is urling! Ugh. I do not have a strong stomach when it comes to throw up! Think I'm going to buy me some ear plugs. I just hope that it doesn't prevent me from hearing my alarm clock...lol...now that's desperately needed!

With the weather getting colder, my body is automatically going into hibernation mode! I do not want to get out of the covers in the morning, and I do not want to be out after the sun goes down--both of which I currently have to do. LOL. It's all good though. I'll take the good with the bad. Hopefully my working out will help fight against the winter blues and pounds! Ugh, especially the pounds. :-)

I got up this AM and walked around the lake. You've heard me refer to it as Asan Lake, well it's really called Sinchang Hole (pronouced Shinchong). It was a nice day to do so...and I feel excellent! Man, you walk differently when you do something to take care of yourself...you just feel better.

Until next time, don't wait for others to do for you, do for yourself!

It's Cooling Down...yet Heating Up

Well, it's been a few days since my last post, and SO much has happened. I think I mentioned how cool it was getting so soon before however, yesterday I had to wear a scarf around my neck! If you're wondering, yes; I am cold natured. So for me, 65 degrees is a little chilly. At night, the temperatures drop down into the mid 50's, and to me, that's freezing!

Anywho...the good thing about all this, is that my hair is doing what I want it to do for now! This past Saturday, my sister straightened it for me, and I've made it all the way to Wednesday without re-flatironing it! Whoa....not even a professional job, and it's stayed this long!! If you're not natural, you wouldn't understand. LOL. Here's some pictures of my hair:

Alright, well on to the juicy part! Unfortunately, there will be some changes coming sooner than I expected! My roomie is going home at the end of the month....WAAAAAA! I am very sad about this, and the way the whole situation was handled by the school was straight BOGUS! I won't go into detail, but to say...this doesn't give me a good feeling, especially after what happened with me.

Since I am on the world-wide web, I won't share specific details, but I will say that recent events have shown that this particular school is not all it cracks up to be. I am still enjoying  my job, but the lack of  straightforward communication is driving me completely up the wall! I have to try and figure out what the school's administrators are thinking half the time, and then, when I do voice a specific concern or valid question, it is made to look like I'm either not doing all I can do (which I'm working on), or that my concern is just unsubstantiated. 

Well, prayer does change things, and I plan to pray until God reveals to me more about myself, and reveals a solution. And I know He will. Until then, I have separated myself: body; soul; and spirit. I am guarding my heart, and am keeping a positive outlook. Things won't always be this way; and when I'm looking back from the other side, I will be much wiser, stronger, and more stable. I know that all my steps are ordered by the Lord, so I cannot go wrong! (Yes, this is me encouraging myself--Like David!)

So, I'll be getting a new roomie in less than a month. I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time. I'm sure things will be fine. I'm easy enough to get along with right? (don't say a word!)  LOL

Oh, SN: One of my students is a collector of many things. He asked me for an American stamp, and he gave me a Korean stamp. He allowed me to take a picture of his Japanese and Chinese currency today. Below are pictures.

Until next time, Love your neighbor as yourself!

The Locs that almost were...

Alright, well....many of you didn't know that 3 weeks ago, I decided to begin a journey of dred locking my hair! Well, that thought has since passed, and I've decided, I don't want to do it. LOL.

I started the 2-strand twists 3 weeks ago, and my good friend gave me all the advice she could...she even said "Maybe you're not ready to lock your hair..." for various reasons. At the time, I was contemplating covering my starter locs with a wig...

Fast forward to 3 weeks later. I am SO tired of looking at these 2-strand twists, and I miss my fro!! So, for entirely different reasons than going through the ugly stage, I have decided to untwist my hair, and recapture my fro!

I miss the versatility of my hair. Although locs are SO beautiful, I really am not at a point where I'm through exploring my hair in it's natural fro state. I want to be able to straighten it...get a sew in; things like that. And I realize now, that with locs, I would be able to have some beautiful styles, but not the above. :-( Ho hum...back to my fro journey. :-)

Enjoy the pics of the locs that "almost were." (or not)

Getting cool.....

Well, the weekend before my birthday my sister and her friend took me out! We had a great time in Osan--no pics to share. LOL. However, the day of my birthday (that following Tuesday) I was like very depressed! Wow, I had to shake myself a couple of times, and recognize that I am so blessed to see another birthday--I needed to denounce those feelings.

So I did, after a good long cry. LOL. So emotional. I'm actually right at the 30 day mark of being here, and I miss my friends, my family--my life. I truly just miss the normalcy of everything back in the US. Okay, so once I got over that feeling, and got it all out, I felt much better. I embraced my 28th birthday, and made a resolution that it's no looking back from here!

I'm going all the way--through my 1 year contract, that is. :-) I am even considering another year...if the conditions are right, and if my year here doesn't get much worse.

Some days, like today, I just want to push over every Korean I see!! I almost got hit by a car, and the driver looked at me as if she really didn't care!! It took God not to say what I wanted to say to her and every other Korean within earshot. So then, I walk down the street some more--and hey, whatdya know...a Korean family pretty much takes up the whole sidewalk with no regard that I need to walk past them. So when their freaking little kid almost runs into me, of course, nothing is said. I'm just looked at as if I have an elephant trunk in the middle of my face! Hilarious...lol.

So, I'm ranting. But I truly think that today is just one of those days...It takes a lot of praying and self-reflection to make it through the week. Then when the weekend gets here, you feel as if everything you stressed about, isn't all that bad at all! LOL.

So, this Friday, may be "bad movie night" with a bunch of the Foreign teachers. "Bad movie night" is pretty much what it says; we all cram into one small apartment and watch a couple of badly made movies for entertainment. LOL. This will be my first time, if it comes through. Also got some other things lined up for the weekend; so I believe I'll have a good time.

Until next time, Here's to Peace, Love, and Sanity!!

So, I ate dog meat....

Up until now, I have really avoided eating anything weird...well, that all changed today. My boss took us to lunch, and we had dog meat...yup, I said it, DOG MEAT!

It was very interesting...pretty good, but I don't think I will opt to have it again...it's a little too tough for me...maybe if it were stewed a bit more...hmmm.

Better hide your dogs! LMBO

Check out my pics here: View Pictures Here

It is what it is...

So....I'm nearing my 1 month mark here in the lovely South Korea. I believe I will be just fine. I love the food, so all of those who thought it would be an automatic recipe for weight loss--think again. LOL. I'm actually going to inquire about the gym right up the street. This will give me a positive way to spend some of my free time.

Although, I'm venturing out a little on my own, I still realize the necessity of having company! It's been a short while, but I haven't met anyone yet that I just instantly clicked with....sure, I have a few acquaintances, but no one yet that I'd just call up on a whim and say, Hey you wanna do so and so, and they actually say, Sure, why not? Foreigners, for the most part, are few and far in between. Even the local foreign teachers are so embedded in their own interwoven fabric of culture, that it's hard for me to mesh. Once again, it has only been a month, but sometimes it's just easier to wait on that instant connection feeling. No forced conversations. Just a kindred spirit.

So, in the meantime, I will continue to do me, and experience being with me...an author friend of mine, says, the most romantic date I'll ever go on is with myself...we shall see!! LOL. Not literally looking for romance (I always welcome the idea), but more so looking for a few cool people to hang out with and explore all of Asia.

I'll definitely keep you posted once I find what I'm looking for. :-) Hey, enjoy the pictures of my recent ongoings in Itaewon, Seoul (S. Korea). It's the tourist (foreign) shopping area. Also, have random pictures I've taken with my phone of my class and other items. ;-) View Pictures Here