Crap!!!!

My computer crashed! I am using a friend's. There will be no updates and no email for a while. Here's hoping my hard drive is not complete toast and that I can find an authorized mac repair shop in Yongsan. And quickly. And that I don't have to buy a new hard drive. Ah, well. crap. y'all are going to have to call me until future notice if you want to actually talk to me. And no american tv. argh. no dvd's. argh...only crappy korean tv.

It's official

If I don't worry about the time difference, it's official tomorrow. I've been blogging for a year. I am more consistent here than I am in my journal. Maybe that's bad, but it is nice to have family and friends stop by and let me know they've been checking on me. Feeling the love.......;)

Pix

Two of my new candles

Skully Lives! Actually, I've added about 9 more inches to sleeve #1 since taking the photo

Typical intersection of downtown Wonju.

For my Little Big bro Pat-this is a storefront

Average street corner-ain't it lovely?

The red sign says something pronounced like dahm-pae, but I have no idea what that means.

Bugger

I hate living in the boonies sometimes. Most of the time. I walked a ways for the bus (instead of the closest stopm for extra excercise-why can't I spell that word?), grabbed it for the express purpose to go get a mocha at Bay Wabin (Bae-wah-bean) and I got there and she was there, but closed. Brought stuff so I could hang out and write, which takes some doing for me here. It takes a while before I feel comfortable enough to hang out alone in some places here. Back home, no sweat, but here, people just don't do things on their own. Many restaurants, the minimum order is a double portion. So, some places I feel OK, others not. Not a safety thing, but a social thing. Hard when you only know so many people, and most don't want to come all the way out to your neighborhood. Grrr.

Yesterday I went downtown and bought some candles-chinese style ones with Chinese script on one and some really neat drawings on the other two. I am sure they will look really beautiful as the flame starts to get lower into the candle, backlighting the design. I'll have to send some home, for sure.

In the end, I managed to get the house cleaned up and laundry done, and I ran into Jane: she walked out of the elevator while I was waiting to get on with my clean laundry. It was kinda funny-we looked at eachother kind of suprised for a minute. Then she gives me a big hug. Her closest friend lives in my building, Je-hae, on the sixth floor. Je-hae is very nice, but her English is a lot more limited. So, Jane had to go into Family Mart to get a toothbrush and I was telling her about a funny misunderstanding on my part with the guy working at the counter. But, I say, he's a nice guy, even though we basically don't understand anything the other says. So she apparently told him in Korean that I like him. All I can say is, I hope it doesn't have the same double meaning in Korean as in English. All I need is a 19 year old Halla student thinking I've got the hots for him!......wait, maybe that is all I need...;)

I have pictures. Maybe tomorrow I will be motivated enough to show you. Just some shots of downtown. When you really look, you realize how different, small, thrown together, and often, dirty, it feels. But it is different from home, and that is part of why I left.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of those you who check up on me here. I miss you and I hope you have a great day. I am lazy music filled morning (Jamie Cullum's All at Sea, love it, T,, thanks) and I am about to open my wrappped present from T.,...drumroll please.....yes, it sat in front of me on my desk every day for maybe 10 days and remained wrapped so I could do this TODAY......Dream Angus, by Alexander McCall Smith.....looks good, I think I will enjoy it. Thanks T! Still has a bit of that new book smell you wnated to be sure was still there ;) International post is not good for new book smells.

Later I will goto dinner at Outback with Kristy, her sister Kelly, who came from Bundang last night, and Rhonda. There may be a movie involved, but I am not sure I want to see a holiday romantic comedy....most of those just aren't that great, I find.

Anyway, y'all have a great day.

Recommendation

Thanks, T, for the Jamie Cullum CD. If y'all like like a kind of updated jazzy sound, I recommend his stuff. My favorite song so far on Twenty-something is probably the same as T's: All at Sea. I'm probably going to listen to it until I kill it. :) Fits my mood right now. Wish I was out on the water right now, wish I could leave the obligations and connections behind right now.

I also recommend Jinusean's Telephone number, if you're in the mood to check out some korean rap with English thrown in. No, I don't understand the korean, but it has a good beat. You can check it out on Youtube, but you have to bear with the stupid video that goes with it if you listen there. Basically, take the idea of rap that coems out of the US, especially the materialistic part of it, idealize it, wrap it up out of context and absorb it into another culture. America too has done this, I know. It's just interesting to see it from the other perspective. Maybe because Sweden is western, I did not see it nearly as much or as blatantly as I do here. Anyway, that's the video. Girls in sexy clothes in front of big cars and guys in weird clothes that just look like rap costumes. When against a white background, given no context, it just makes it so obvious. good beat, tho......;)

After much thought and talking to others, I have come to what I can only call my own personal conclusion that Korea is a more materialistic culture than America, and for those of you that know me well, that is saying a lot. It is in a different way, though, too.
- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -
I got really off track with the rest of this post and edited it. I'll have to put my thoughts together in a more structured way to explain what I mean.

Knits and Snowmen

The first photo is a snowman ornament my mum sent to me. The second is a photo of me and most of my second graders. Aren't they cute? Even when they look annoyed, they are cute-that's just what kids are like. When they are annoying, as opposed to annoyed, that's another matter, but.....the third is a shot that I took in Seoul, I think that must be the headquarters for Shinhae Bank. It's about as Christmassy as things get here. Christmas is not a big deal, and the lack of commercialism is refreshing, but the lack of being able to find suitable gifts for those I want to give something to is annoying. Pardon my overuse of the word today. Anyway, I needed another potholdery thing, so I knit one. Simple boring 3X rib that I switched every 11 rows, for a total of three times. I cheated terribly on the handle so I could hang it behind the snowman.

It is nice to be on vacation, though the books for immersion camp sit over in a corner. I won't be able to ignore them entirely. But for now I shall certainly try. And I shall certainly sleep in to a shameful hour-but do so shamelessly!

Vacation

Vacation has begun. I know it will be over before I know it, but for now, I will just enjoy knowing that I can sleep in, take naps, nit keep to a schedule, etc. I will have to create a schedule for camp, but that;s really as simple as dividing the pages in the book by the number of lessons.

Whoo-hoo! Vacation. Three Glorious Weeks. Now, if only I was gong somewhere warm. I will comfort myself by remembering the money I am saving and planning something for February vacation. ;)

Random thoughts

Wow, I just realized I have been blogging for just shy of a year now. I'm getting better at posting more regularly too. I had some pix taken of me with my second graders today, so I will get those on here soon. I haven't looked at them yet, so I hope they came out OK!

Comments part 2

I think I have fixed the comments issue. Please try again so I know for sure. For some reason, I was not getting notification of the comments to be moderated. Probably a typo on my part. So, they have gone off to nowhere land, but hopefully all is well going forward. Went to Seoul today with Rhonda. It was her first trip to Seoul and her first time on a subway. She is fun to hang out with and easy to talk to. It was snowing as we left, there was a bit in Seoul, but it warmed up so it was all gone by the time we got home. It's a cold night, though, and we are supposed to get more tomorrow. It never amounts to much which suits me just fine. I had my fil in Massachussetts, especially with the huge showstorm we had while I was living in New Bedford and working at the cable company. I still remember feeling bad for the guys in the field, digging around for hours because the pedestals weren't even visible. And they had to find 'em to fix 'em. I remember calling people up when the techs called in on the radio, and telling these people, "We can't help you now. Please call us once your street has been plowed. The cable company will not plow to your house-duh (No, I didn't really say the last part;)

We took so long in the stationary store, that we saw Robin just long enough to leave Starbucks and have a beer at The Nashville. Since I hadn't spent much, I treated myself to Guiness. Mmmm, tasty.

Title Schmitle

I am just killin' time until vaca, considering my dinner options, and thinking about having a wisdom tooth removed. It's not overly troublesome, but...yeah, TMI. Cheaper here, but there is the whole Lost in Translation problem. You get used to it in many ways, then BAM, something important comes along and you REALY REALLY wish you could speak the language. The group at family mart seemd impressed (in my estimation, overly impressed) by my ability to give my cell ohone number to them in Korean. Funny stuff, I guess. They were laughing lots, but I didn't get it. But thay are cool people, so I know it wasn't mean spirited laughter. Some of it may have been laughing at themselves, since they were having a hard time communicating with me even though there were three of them and only one me.

OK, y'all where are my comments? You know that that is the only way I know that you are checking in. Come on y'all, let me feel the love.......

No Dice

...on the Mallory thing. I found sn obit that makes me wonder if they are family. I wonder if there is a polite way, using good ettiquette to find out if peop;le area distant relation. I sill consider.

Received 2 pacjkages today. Betreen mom and Teri, I have the motherlode of antacids, so no worries there. Sweet. Teri, thankfully your actual present was wrapped and remains so to heighten anticipation. There appears to have been a last minute substitution in a package. Yarn that I specifically remember giving away has made its way back to me, whilst some lovely much anticipated lace yarn has disappeared into the great yarn black hole. I ave given up on it's ever escaping the velocity and strength of said black hole. Teri, if you do not mind, if my sock yarn, which tends to be thicker, is not a proper substitute (I have been waiting since August with three patterns for said yarn), I will simply reorder it and have it sent to you and you can send it directly, as I do not anticipate a large and import tax alarm bell ringing rate to ensue from said order.

Some purply pinky stuff that I do not recall ordering has also appeared. Maybe they are sending small reminder gifts? Don't know. BTW Teri, please do not send any more knitpick catalogues-they are for the purposes of selling only and od not have any nifty patterns included. I wouldn't want to spend money on a catalogue I can peruse online. But I greatly appreciate the thought. Th antibac gels are appreciated greatly. Since soap and paper towels are so scarce (not even available for teachers at my "prestigous" (tonge-in-cheek) school, antibacs are very nice to have. I try to wash were the foreign teachers keep soap, but since we have only cold water, it is not the most pleasant experience.

On Saturday I hope to go to Namdaemun market and the largest Alpha chain store I have heard of so that my friend Rhonda can get some drawing charcoal, we hope. Since it is but a stop away, I hope to go to Dongdaemun to get blankie and bag yarn. I am so bad, and must knit like my life and livelihiid depend on it over vacation to warrant such expendtitures. Not that I haven't ensured very nice deals and mat share as a after christmas I can never get it to you in time present.

"K, I am tired and had a weird day, so I will sign off for now.

This is sooo silly, but....

OK, so you know how "google" has become a verb, as in, "to google ones' self" (sp?)? Well, months ago I did it with my full name and the only thing that came up was a UW page. My name wasn't on the googled part, either. You had to search for it, and I got bored before I found it. I was relieved, actually, because it is kind of a creepy phenomenon. But I figured, hey, what if I just use my first name? Well, I hit page 7, some youngun's page cam up a lot, and, of course the famous climber, George H. L. Mallory, who disappeared on Mt. Everest. I didn't know that they had found his body until I tried this search. Yep, they found Mr. Mallory in 1999. But, I digress. Wrong Mallory, right? Right! Because I am Miss Mallory Teacher! a.k.a., Mallory-My-Lass (mi-loh-ri-meh-lass, as Dad says, anyway), a.k.a., Mulray, as Teri says. Or, as Pat coined, Telephone Pole.....oh, wait, I digress yet again. Mallory. Yup, that's me. The Mallory that needs to go on a yarn diet Even though the sock yarn that arrived today was sooooo lovely, but until I learn to knit socks, and have some knitted socks, and maybe gift some knitted socks, I need to go a on a sock yarn diet. Worsted and bulky weight are A-OK, since, as per an earlier post, I think I may be knitting a new baby blanket. Oooh, off topic tangent-I am good at that, aren't I?

Were was I? Mallory, that's right! Mallory! So, the entire original point of this post was to write my name: Mallory a post on my blog and see if it makes a difference, even though it is not in the name of my blog. So, l please pardon my momentary vanity. After all, when was the last time you saw me with earrings, a necklace, make up and a skirt-or even a fancy non-skirted get up all at once? Long time, eh? So, I guess I don't think of myself as particularly vain, except maybe in a minor way about being reasonably smart.

So, this is Mallory signing off to see if she can get her big bro Jay's chat handle to work properly, and to, oh, google herself-by first name only, mind you! ;)

Translation and Misc. Stuff

Actually, Bridget, the last post was all good stuff. My Swedish mum, Kerstin, called me last night because she had already received my Christmas card. She is, always has been, and no doubt, ever will be, terrible at snail mail. So, when she hears from me, she inevitably calls to say hello. I can't complain-it's great to hear her voice. Although, she asked if I wanted anything, and I said a letter would be great. I could even pass on the Marabou, as I am hoping to kick the sugar addiction over break. We had a lovely talk and I found out that Jonas and Bettan will have another bay, due in March.

As to other stuff: Yes, Bridge, I guess mom mailed some stuff. She said she tried to remember every thing but was unsure if she did. I hope she remembered the essentials, like the herbal remedy that helps me kick sugar, deodorant, and some of the warm clothes that I asked for, among a few other things. Teri sent me enough cold medicine in her last package for at least two colds. So, other than that, it is indeed a waiting game. I will let you know what she missed.

This afternoon I went to my regular Saturday hangout (Maidu, to do progress reports) and called Rhonda, a new friend who is from Texas. She is a hoot and this is her second go round. After graduating from college (after having and raising a son a bit younger than me, and that's all I'm saying) she decided that she wanted to come to Korea before jumping into the 9-5 grind that would be part and parcel of her new degree. She too is an artist and we have a lot in common and I have enjoyed her company in the couple of times we have hung out. We tried soju (first time for both of us) and I have to say, it basically tastes like very weak vodka. I prefer vodka. Soju has nothing going for it on its own, I have to say. You'd have to mix it to make it worth it. I have tried that too, whilst out with Kristy and Andrew and it was crap. I don't know what kind of brew it was supposed to be, but if you add soju to OJ like any sensible vodka appreciating person might do, you might have an decent drink. The swill we had while the three of us were out, well, let's just say that I switched to a beer-korean beer, at that. Ugh.

Anyway, I was lazy today and got a late start, a late finish, and it is time to call it quits. Besides, my Skully has not made any progress (if this were a spanish sentence, the mere structure of the sentence would blame it on the sweater rather than the knitter, an idea I quite like, so therefore I blame it on the sweater. What do you expect? I always screw up when I have to pick up stiches to knit!). The uruaguayan yarn is still airing out in order to loose the inherent odor that treated wool can often have. So, no knitly news. Will have to make more progress on those 2nd grade progress reports tomorrow. Doing progress reports always reminds me of my 4th grade teacher, who, at the end of the year wrote some nice things, rounded off with, "and come back next year without that Southern accent!" As if it were my fault she couldn't understand me! Imagine if I wrote that the kids should come back next term, "without that Korean accent!" Really, now! ;)

oops-double post

Won't delete due to comment.

Övädade Händelse

Vilken ovädade händeslen hände idag. Vilken fin hädelse hände idag! Telefon ringde klockan halv tio. Jag tänkte känske telmarketer (svensk?). Men de' var Kerstin! Vad fin att hära sin röst. Den var lite som att fa en stor kram från Sverige. Tack och lov hade jag drukit lite vin så var min svenska lite bättre an vanlig. Vi pratade en tid och sä lärde jag att Jonas och Bettan ska ha ett barn til. Kontratulerar! Nu måste jag sköpa garn til en filt (not felted, just blankie) til! Men de' var bara så fin att prata med Kerstin. Jag tänkte inte saga att jag planera besök nästa sommaren, men de' sa jag i allafall. Om jag stannar til in Korea hoppas jag att göra så. Shhhhhhhh.....saga ingeting!

Så avslutade dagen veldig bra. ;)

Comments

Sometimes I just want to leave a post so that people that I miss can leave comments to let me know they are checking up on me. Less than two weeks to vacation. I am looking forward to it VERY much. Teri, I got your package and it had some very cool stuff in it, and thanks. I know there is a lot of stuff that the third graders will go crazy for and the stuff that is too young for them I can give to Miss Won for the second graders market. All in all, I will have some very happy kids. And there was plenty of stuff in there to make me smile, too. I will send an email to answer all of your many questions, and the letter was great and no shortage of laughs. Spin, I got your card, too, and thanks. Yep, I smiled. :)

I'm off to bed. I like 9 hours in bed, which usually translates to about 6 hours of good sleep-maybe more sometimes. No way to be sure, right? More KT problems and I can't get it straightened out because I don't speak korean. They keep screwing up and overcharging me and not lowering my service (they actually cancelled it!), but because I am getting the higher level of service, which I do not want, I can't get my money back. Companies rule the individuals here. You should see the way they rip their own off. But it makes me realize how good we've had it for so long in America-for those who have a bit more than a pot to piss in, anyway. I can't speak for those who really don't have two cents to rub together, even though I have been there.

Ok, nite y'all.

Knitly News

Still working on my Skully sweater that will have no Skullies, so I can wear it whilst teaching. I also finish a no pattern scarf with my Manos Stria cotton, just so I made something with it finally. Nothing terribly impressive, I just did a basketweave with garter on all edges



Top one shows how it looks close up, the patterning, such as it is, and th bottom the overall look. And, yes, that lavendar lushy plushness is a throw blanket I knit from some poly-yes poly-goodness I bought here in Korea. It is sooo soft and nice. Rather thick, too. Not super warm, but, did I say plushy goodness?


















Next up, I hope, finish Skully, some socks (my first, basic pattern ideas welcome-I may try the 2 needle idea on knitty now-does this creat bulkiness or problems where sewn up?), and a blanket with the wool from handpaintedyarn.com. Scroll down for pics of that and of the Seoul SNB.

I've Been Promising Pictures

First, Thanksgiving pictures.

Manuel, Eddie, and Jane (L to R). Manuel lives in Gwanju. He is Eddie's fiance. Eddie is the teacher that came to Sahmyuk after me. They are both mellow, cool people. He's a kiwi, she's from the States. Jane is one of the korean English teachers and she's easy to get along with. She is my standing translotor for the hairstylist, and we always have lots of laughs when we hang out together. She's all good with it when I am goofy and silly.


Kristy, Canadian, teaches at a hagwon in Wonju, in the Lotte Cinema area. For me that is a walk and bus ride or a walk and a cab ride away. We went to Seoul today, actually, and I was with her when she bought this shirt awhile back. Joseph's amazing technicolor coat-can you say drama major, y'all?



Charles, one of the Sahmyuk teachers, looking thoughtful. He has been here for 5 years, has a girlfriend who speaks no English, and is an all around cool guy. Easy to work with and fun to have around.



Ok, finally, me, with straight hair when I actually took the time to make it look nice.



I promised proof that I went to the Seoul Stich and Bitch. Here it is. I was in the same neigborhood today with Kristy during part of our time in town today. I plan to go again this month, at least once.



And, of course, the yarn I ordered from handpaintedyarn.com. Very nice, for the most part. It's basically Manos, only cheaper. If you don't knit, you don't get it, I don't need to explain. It is designated to become a blanket (The multi at the bottom may become part of a pair os felted slippers if I can find a pattern-ideas welcome). The green on the far right was a gift that was thown in with my order. I will order merino for next to the skin stuff. Some of the colors are just amazing. Again, if you are not a knitter (crocheter)......then you must be family and you know I'm crazy. Yarrrrrn. Yum. I confess, I bought sock yarn from Ebay. I haven't even knit a real sock yet! Guess I better bust out the needles, eh?

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas........well, no. But we did have our forst snofall in Wonju yesterday. It's nice to be somewhere where it didn't start a month ago! The kids went nuts. It wasn't enough to stick, and one of my fellow teachers said the average that does stick, once in a while, is an inch. Whoo-hoo! I can deal with that kind of snow! Especially since I am not dispatching cable and don't have to worry about how crazt the weather will make my work day. I don't miss that at all! Of course, even in the rain or even the one monsoon style thuderstorm that happened after I came did not interupt electricity, phone, tv, or internet service to anyine I know.

So. it's cold I have been busting out my korean bought winter coat. I am getting used to it, so now I think it's not that bad (the coat). The fake fur actually feels quite nice if you zip it up that far.

Happy Thanksgiving

So the Sahmyuk English teachers and Jane, one of the Korean English teachers, had our Thanksgiving celebration last night that also included a Canadian (Kristy) and a New Zealander (Manuel). So, there was me, Anna, Ralph and Charles and Edvish-the Americans of the group. I took lots of pics and willpost them up when I am feeling a bit better. It was a fun time, and I learned some interesting things a about people :)

What I really need is my big bro. Thanx for checking in Jay. And my little big bro and my sisters and my mom. I miss you guys something fierce. really and truly, I do.

I need a punching bag. I hate KT. That would be my internet and phone. They suck. I pay about $6 more the Eddie and she lives right next to me-literally the next apartment over, and I pay $10 less than Anna and Ralph. And they set it up for automatic withdrawal without even telling me, then they didn't withdraw last month (I had no idea that they didn't) and there is an extra charge on this month's bill. I need a KT punching bag. This is not the week for this to happen to me either, if you catch my drift.

Arrrghhhhhhhh.........gonna watch some comfort tv on my itty bitty computer screen (don't get me started on the fact that I paid an arm and a leg for the cable install and I can gaurantee that I haven't turned the tv on a dozen times since I got it in late August).

muuuuumblemblembel.....grumble....fi-faaaa....shis.....mar........ship-p'al (closest I know in Korean)............grrrrrrrr..........

p.s.

I cast on a boatload of stiches tofinally make a scarf out of the manos cotton stria I have becasue the majority of clothing here is hideous and outrageously expensive. Koreans seem to think nothing of ripping each other off. Send the same cheaply made stuff to the US and they woulld get half the price...oh, wait, a lot of it just wouldn't sell. Not fashioable where I am from.

Can you say horizontal stripes aren't flattering? Well say it five times fast in Korean!!! Ugh, I hate the clothes here. And they are clearly made poorly and are too thin too keep you warm...especially since heat in the school is too much to ask for, along with soap (I kid you not) a towel or anything to dry just rinsed (can't call 'em washed) hands on, or even toilet paper!


Yes, toilet paper. Ladies, travel in Korea sans toilet paper at your own risk. I hope it doesn't get cold enough for my butt to freeze to the toilet in the unheated bathroom. Don't get me started on the fact the kids think there is "no air" if you close the windows between the bathroom and the unheated hallway. Ugh. I close them, the co-teacher opens them. I will have to tell her that when it is my class, that just won't do. Then have a sceince leson to explain to the kids that they won't asphixiate. The things that I hear.......oh, wait, I was going to bed to sulk!

Hello?.......deleted because I don't think anyone is paying attention.

Browncoats Unite!

Hey Robin, thanks for stopping by. Love the Serenity -ahem-cross stitch (duh). For those of you who don't know, robin is a kick ass chick I met at the Seoul SnB last Sunday (pix to follow) who is quite accomplished and exxxtremely patient at errrr.....cross stich. Not the least of which because supplies are in even shorter supply for her than for us knitters out there. She had a great Serenity (yes, it's....) cross stich which I can not rave about enough. Look forward to seeing you again soon! I will try to make to next weeks SnB if I have the energy for the round trip. By the time I got back to the bus station after our dinner, Robin, it was 8 o'clock and the buses were booked until 9.45! will have to find out if I can buy my return ticket upon arrival and then make sure that I can get there on time.

Glad to hear Steph is getting the help she needs. I have been there, in my own way, and I am glad that she has the support network that she needs. It was more than I had, and Steph, honey, make the most of it. Just because people don't know what you are going through, doesn't mean you don't mean the world to them. Call me whenever, ok? I wish I could be there, for whatever help I might be able to give, or at least understanding. Also, kiddo, remember that just because some people's experience is a bit different, that doesn't mean that they don't have a really good idea about how you feel. It may be for different reasons, but we often end up in the same kind of head space. Be proactive, don't settle, and find the right person for you to help you, Just because they have you see one person, if it doesn't feel right, well it just ain't right. Been there, done that, and found the most wonderful woman to help me. Sometimes I wish I could still talk to her.

Heaven knows, Korea ain't easy and sometimes I could use some guidance. But, it is after midnight here, and I have cast on a scarf out of utter disgust for the prices that koreans will charge each other for items. Labor is cheap here, but stuff is not. If htey sent it to the US they would have to charge LESS in the hopes of getting people to buy it. I really wish I could go to H and M at the mall and get the inexpensive gloves they have-about 3 pairs, and a few scarves at their near unbeatable prices, some of them are pretty stylish too!

Nite y'all, gotta do come garter stich and crash, and mourn the fact that next week is the half season finale for Battlestar Galactica. That show rocks!

Ciao for now,

Mallory a.ka. 'Style

ps, Robin, does your site allow for comments and if so how?

Mood: improved thanks to SnB Seoul. Picturely proof to follow when it is not so late.
Minor frustration: Dongdaemun is closed on Sundays. No new yarn for me.
Cold: Still kicking my ass. Need expectorant and cough medicine, both apparently available from the pharmacy here. Translation unknown.
Wish list: Antiseptic gel. Kristy says she knows where to get it in Seoul. Don't know when that will happen or if it will be in stock.
Productivity: About 20 more rows on the back of the skully sweater at the SnB. finish it up, add the arms, seam it and I'll have a sweater. Not as easy as it sounds. The seaming, anyway. I suck at that.
More later.

Seoul?

Thinking about going to Seoul tomorrow. I have Monday off, so I would have time to recover. It would be just me, I think. I have emailed a friend to tell her I would be in town and if I go I will try to find the Seoul Stitch and Bitch and find some knitters. Hung out with Kristy today and she ended up buying some knitting needles. From listening to her talk I'd say she knows her stuff and can teach me a few things. We get along pretty well and I feel pretty comfortable around her and she still hangs with me after my crappy weekend last weekend, so that's a good sign.

Losts of thoughts running through my head. First, I should get some pix up to make my blog more interesting because that is what most people like. Viola.









































Yes, some one lives there. Maintainence seems to be a foreign concept here. You just use a building until it falls apart, ignore rust, holes, etc, then eventually build a new onw. If it is an apartment building, it looks exactly the same as the old one. Originality is not a big thing here.



Farmers dry their stuff out on the street. It's weird to me. Also, documenting the changes as fall comes. It's a strange fall, though. It is November 4th and I swear it hit at least 55 degrees today. If not warmer. I had a tank top and a light zip sweater on. Which reminds me of the things I wish I brought. More clothes. Anna said it would not be too tough to find wintery stuff here, but I don't like korean styles and I find shopping exhausting and frustrating here, even more so than at home. Wish list: Tums, please send me tums. I get occasional heartburn for reasons I cannot figure out. I wish I had my down comforter, but I bought a soft blanket in the downtown shijang today by Rodeodoree (Rodeo Drive-ain't even close, y'all!) with Kristy. Added it on top of everything else and added the plastic stuff you can cover your windows with that I bought from Costco. I added it last nitght and there is not enough space on top for it to stich, so it came part way off. I just stuck it to the window for now. It'll help some. See, my school put us out where they can save a bundle but it costs us more in bus fare and we have LPG for heat. Propane. It costs a lot more than whatever they use closer to town. Ah well.


I just like this one.

SORRY!

I don't mean to offend. I had no idea some of you were reading my blog-you never told me. I'm lonely, see? I know you get it. But see, here's the thing, no matter where I go, there I am. I can be melancholy in the Mass and make shit for pay and have a boat load of frustrations and barely survive, or I can go somewhere, live with a different but with another set of frustrations and sock away some money. Heaven knows I'd have to work like a bent korean ajumma farmer until I was 95 at home right now because I can't pay bills and save and have yarn back in the States. Besides, here I am exotic. Yes, I get stared at. Yes I hate it sometimes. Sometimes I can ignore it. no, being exotic has not worked in my favor.....yet. Maybe it won't. But I can feel exotic all the same. At least for a little while.

hite is korean beer, previously mentioned as shite. yup.

my cold has returned with a vengeance. sneezing, coughing, painful sinuses, etc. can't blame it on drinking cuz i haven't. i just realised that i have a really really short fuse right now and i don't want to take itout on anyone. so i am avoiding peopple. maybe that's good. maybe not. i went back to bed after i relised that the hike was off. anna called me to confirm while i was on the phone with teri (thanx for calling back, btw) and they said no can do. anna and i have come to the consenses that we are just going to leave it be unless they get in touch with us. so be it.
back to the involved lessonplan that i am trying so hard to avoid.

correcting an error

i wanted to acknowledge that my little big sis does visit my blog and was going to edit my last post, but blogger is having an error nite. Bridget, thanks for stopping by and for letting me know. just to retiterate, if you want to leave a comment, click comments below the particular posts-all can now leave comments and I will only edit or delete offensive ones. please do leave somments, so I know you read up on me, because sometimes I have no idea. I have had the impresion due to the lack of calls or emails that i was out of site out mind. glad to know that is not entirely true. sorry, bridge. love and miss you. sorry i misssed your call tonight-i had a rather crappy trip to seoul.

my travelling companion was rather against the bus even though we could have gotten home at a reasonable hour. some overly long cab rides and rude cab drivers put me in a bad mood. the promised apple pie that was not made when i wwent back bothered me, and it is hard to get used to being disregarded as a foreigner some days, so, Bridget, i mossed your call becsause U had to wait and hour and a half for the long train home instead of heading to the bus terminal. i missed a dinner i was looking forward to for a an unfulfilling trip. bummer. i had good company and got the second book in the eragon (christopher paolini) trilogy and some pepper jack cheese. i was cranky, though, and I hope I did not turn off a new friend by pretending to feel better than i felt. we'll see.

bad days

before reading, be warned that Reason has taken a day trip and left me. we parted amicably for a while. We both needed a break from each other. Ms. Nice Gal went with Reason. Of course, my mom may read this, though I don't think she remembers how to get here, but Ms. NG left a note that she may stop by...but sometimes Ms. Nice Gal doesn't have a clue. oh, yeah, Ms. Nice Gal is the one who doesn't swear. but I never claimed I don't-just not like i did when i made sunrooms with a bunch of guys.

I am having a I hate Korea day. It will pass. it better pass.

don't care if i am an english teacher today. punctuation, spelling, the impulse to correct runon sentences and all that crap can take the back seat on shitty days. hell, they can walk. i do. the three month slump has hit with ha vengeance. PMS is kicking my ass. if you're a guy reading this, too bad. not that it matters. my regular readers are few, but htey are welcome to leave comments-as all can now do by hitting the comments button. that way i know who stops by. (Edited because my little big sis Bridget does stop by, but I didn't know until noe). no one calls. nope, i have to foot the international phone bill if i want to hear a friendly voice. come on people, is that anyway to treat family?

i can't read the bill. the people at the bank are laughing and the companies are ripping me off charging more than they promised. the koreans that i know and can ask for help seem to be such pushovers they don't seem to expect the company to abide by their promises. what the hell? it's cultural. koreans pay more for stuff here than we pay for the same shit back home in walmart. i have no sympathy, and it's my blog so i'll cry if i want to. you know the tune.

dana-i don't think you will ever read this but, i wrote back, but it was carthatic and you lowered yourself below receiving the well considered response that actually took your feelings into consideration. btw, don't ever tell me you love me in christ-christ does not love people like that-he treated people with respect. to him, their feelings and their souls mattered more than his own desires. he did not respond in anger and he knew people made mistakes. i know i do. but your email implies that you don't care what i think. if some one offers you something thinking you will appreciate it, maybe you should appreciate the thought behind it. i appreciated what you did for me, and tried to pay or do something there because i knew it would be harder once i got here. maybe you don't realize that i can't have a real conversation at the post office. hell, it took me 2 months to find out where the closest one was-my friends used to go half way across town. maybe if someone tells you something doesn't exist in a country because an entire people don't want to wear clothes with their own language on it, and maybe, if you haven't spent any real time there, your should accept that some one who, at the time believing she was still your friend was telling you the truth because she cared about you. i could emphasize past tense, but i do hope you find friends that you think are worthy of you and will treat you as you treat them. obviously you don't think i am worthy of you. after that email, i agree. i don't deserve swearing, disrespect, defamation of my character and insults to my family. DO NOT EVER DISRESPECT MY FAMILY LIKE THAT. Anyone who thinks they can be that way about my family can get the frack outta my life.

if there is one thing i have learned in this world, it is the only ones you stand a chance of keeping close, who might love you, and have your best interest at heart your whole life are the family members you work to maintain a relationship with (including the inlaws that are like blood, the adopted swedish ones, the newly discovered ones or others). there are those in my family who don't, but my brothers and sisters an my mom-just don't go there. EVER. I love my family more than anything and everything, myself included. they are more important than anything to me. if you ever read this i'm sure you can infer what i think of your opinion. no one who loves christ or claims they love christ writes opinions in emails like that no matter how bad they are hating. and opinion it is, not fact. you should film yourself when you are drunk and pole dancing and swearing on your phone or at people who thought you were a friend. do that while you proclaim to love jesus. there are reasons i keep my faith intensely private and do not publicly call myself a christian. it's not shame, it's respect. i don't like organized religion. it inevitably screws up and organized religion screwed me up for many years. i don't live my life by scriptures perse, but i remember those that tried to teach me how to be good and true. i know there is something out there bigger than me. i don't know exactly what it is, but i pray to god because it is a good name. maybe he doesn't hear me or care. maybe because i use the wrong label i don't count. no matter what is beyond this, i try to live my life right and i screw up. everybody does. and i don't want anyone to ever look at me and think i am bad representation of the beliefs of an entire group of people, most of whom are good people.

when my frontal lobe kicks in again, this may be edited or deleted. how about a vote for whether honesty should stand in all it's starkness? Bridgett, my dear, that would be you. Ja/Nine? (nien?)

My third graders may soon find themselves strangled (not all of them, just most) or without an auction. possibly both. they refuse to behave like members of the human race despite either rewards or punishment, such as I am allowed to mete out (not much). there are a few repeat offenders that i would like to ban from class. perhaps i will. and tell them that they are still responsible for the material. not that it matters. in this crazy country, children are not held back-even the kids who do not fill out their tests at all! that's right folks, you can get an absolute zero and still pass through to the next grade with all the pomp and circumstance that koreans may see fit to shower there over indulged children with. And yes, overindulged. Insanely expensive ($400) cell phones are treated like toys. A teacher here even said that-that cellphones are like toys for kids. and they are sooo much more expensive than back home. which is why i have stuck with the free korean script only one that a coworker so kindly gave me. I can barely use it at all, but it was free. i may break down eventually,if i can find a place that will bybass the usual descrimination that demands that foreigners not be given anything nice, like cable, cell phones of a certain caliber, etc.

A more balanced post, or one that highlights something good may follow later. Uuh, I am saving more than back in the US. i thought i was going to add cheap killer internet, but even though mine has never gone down, it is just as expensive as back home. well, mine is. Eddie pays less and so do ralph and anna. go figure.

Reason may return later, but a shite stout and a couple of coronas have just stopped in. I wouldn't want to be a bad hostess, so i shall see if i will add anything to my liquid dinner. wish guiness would make an appearance. that would be brilliant. but my digs are pretty low rent for the cristal of beers. i had a brief talk with guiness at U2 bar a while back, but next time i think a nice GI will have to make introductions. It is a true tragedy that Young's Double Chocolate Stout does not even seem to know that South Korea exists. I think I shall introduce the shite stout to bacon and eggs and tabasco, my staple dinner since I can't get good korean delivered in the sticks, and I can't read the labels at the store too well. getting better..

i have an invite to go to costco in seoul tomorrow. i want to go just to check it out. i also have an invite to outback, time TBD, and they may conflict. both are expensive propositions. i also have to do a detailed (read minute by minute) lesson plan for my least favorite 2nd grade class, TIPS, which is based on a really shitty korean book that masquarades as a social studies type book that is (to my misfortune) incorrectly classified as science. this detailed plan is for the benefit of the parents of my little lovelies-2nd grade. Mostly moms come to observe. perhaps i will do everything i planned this weekend and pull one out of you know where sunday nite, since it is a given that it will be wrong and require many do-overs. anyway. you are probably tired of my rant. to be honest though, if I had a tub, some epsom salts, real pizza, and a BIGASS hug, i'd be so much better. but i will be ok. i have been through worse and pulled through it.

hey, somebody in the family, call me, ok? IT'S YOUR TURN. I sent the number, but if you need it again, just email me. and send deoderant-preferably tom's all natural lavendar, assuming mom hasn't. i asked, but i don't know if she remembered. iam trying to order yarn online and i will send it to you teri, if i do, because mom forget's about the packages. and you are closer to the post office. ok, enough rambling. i am going to sign off and see about food. i wish my fucking school wasn't so cheap and left us out here in the sticks so i could get delivery (not to mention the bus fare and higher utilities). food...and drink and knitting and comfort tv. all will be well. I have bigger 'wish list' but the shite is gone now and the corona and i are becoming acquainted. time to go..........

On the needles

Currently on the needles, a blanket in a very soft and plush poly yarn, light purple. I bought it at Dongdaemun. Blue fingerless mitts from Weekend Knitting and the Skully Sweater from SnB that will bear no skulls. Not necessarily in order.

Blah

Fybromyalgia and isolation are getting the best of me this weekend. I tried to make plans with people who did not call back or who cancelled. I ended up not hiking because I was too tired that early-which was not in fact early, but I just couldn't get myself in gear on time. If, in fact, it is the fibro. I know I am hard on myself, but sometimes I am afraid that I am using it as an excuse. But then, I truly don't know how some people can get so much done and have so much energy all the time. People like I used to be. Ugh. The near constant pain in my foot (sometimes both) does not help. I wonder if what kind of orthopedic help I can get in Korea. I may have to look into that. After all, all of my students are the children of doctors and university professors. There may be the occasional lawyer, but this country is not sue happy like the States.

Well, I have a special class test to write and tons of paperwork to create for my second graders to make, too. Miss Won wanted me to do all kinds of stuff this week. The only reason I am OK with it is because I know she works her butt off too. At the moment, I wish Ilived in Seoul so that I could go out and d stuff with out having to have it be a big to-do. I would love to wander around Dongdaemun today, go to a book store and go to Starbucks. Tere is a bookstore here, but it does not have English books. There is nothing remotely like Dongdaemun.

I need to buy some clothes, too. Another shirt was ruined, though I am not sure how and the band of my sweatpants broke. I have tried some stuff on here, but in addition to being very thin, Korean women's bodies are just different. Not only are they smaller from hip to hip, but not so wide from front to back, and tend to have flatter butts. They have tiny shoulders and even smaller busts than I do, but they wear baggy clothes up top for the most part, with strange layers. Shirts are not lowcut, but have what I think of as old lady style frills on the bodice often times, and are made for layering. The layers are made to lay in diffennet places than the layers that are currently common in western clothing. To me it looks rather messy, although I think that a lot of the current western layering looks messy and is unflattering to a woman's figure as well. Anyway, the point of this is that it is hard to go shopping. Most places do not have fitting rooms, so you have to wear a shirt and tank top to try on clothes, and returns are not possible at a lot of places. It is not unusual to not receive a receipt. Of course, I cannot read most things and it is not unusual for the price to not be posted. And then there is the way sales people here hover. I do not like shopping here.

Ok, enough procrastinatng. Maybe if I get done in time I can go downtown and buy a copy of the Economist or something. So I will add some pictures and elaborate later. Wonju Tatto and some other stuff to, if I have time and the patience.

USAF Band, The army band was on the far side of the stage. Unfortunately, the US did not play on the night I went.



Some cool martial arts diplays thanks to Korean performers.



A great fireworks display lasted quite some time at the end of the show.



Did I mention I had my hair straightened? Now I need to grow it out. It is much cheaper to have that done here.

A Few Changes

Several people have told me that they want to leave comments even though they do not use blogger. I have set the settings so that anyone may leave comments in the hopes that people who check my blog regularly will let me know what they think, and I also hope it won't be abused.

Photos from Wonju Tattoo coming soon! Neither of the American bands performed for the opening ceremony (bummer), but the Kiwis had a great perfomrance, as did the Koreans. Some nice martial arts forms were performed, too. They were definitely for show and not for strength, though, but cool. Especially the parts of the staff/spear form that were part of the forms I was learning.

Wonju Tattoo

Ugh. I hate heartburn. And coughing. And colds. But I love my big sis, Teri and it was great to talk to her last night. Thought I was caught up for school and I got loaded with progress reports today. Uh, scary. What do I say??? Frankly, I couldn't tell you if one child is doing well in reading, but not in conversation, not to mention if (s)he did better in the first part of science, as opposed to the 2nd half of the month. I do not take daily or even weekly notes. It took me at least a couple of weeks to get all their names down!

Upside: I am going to Wonju Tattoo tomorrow with Jane. Since Helen and Sherry could not go, they gave me the tickets, so I asked Jane. Wonju Tattoo is all about music, so you know I jumped on that, right? Wonju invites military bands from all over the world to come and play at their art center. I do not know which countries will be playing on the night that I am going. But I can't wait. I hope I don't have heartburn!

As promised, more pictures:

Sports day at school a couple of weeks ago. Good old fashioned tug of war.

Sherry, Helen's daughter. They are hiking buddies. Anna and I go over on Sundays and head up Beberosan (san=mountain)

They let some of the chicks hatch to add to their coop. This chick is about 10 days old.

Bung Bung, or Bunga, is one of their dogs. She is the only off leash dog. She did not trust me at all, but she is getting used to Anna and I and I give her lots of love and she is starting to like it. She really is a sweetie, an always comes along when we hike.

Some shots from the field trip to the gardens. More later, ok? I promise.

Some of my second graders, a traditional korean farm house, part of a whole valley of pagodas, amd an interior shot of one of the rooms in the traditional house.

Ok, my apologies. I told a lot of people that I would update my blog while on Chusok vacation but I have thus far failed to due so. My excuse, pitiful as it is, is that I am still sick and also (not an excuse) being more than a little lazy. I woke up with a horrible migraine today. So bad that I did not hear the phone ring when Anna said she called. I tried to eat around 1 pm, but failed and took some daytime cold medicine. Daytime or not, it knocked me out unitl 4 pm. I managed to get up and take a very slow walk before it got dark. I should eat something, but seeing as how I live in the middle of nowhere, no restaurants witha na appetizing menu deliver to where I am am. Cook, you say? Ha-and I thought you knew me.

Actually, wuth any luck, I will manage a grilled cheese sandwich before the headache takes over again. In the meanwhile, since I can't really think straight, I am not going to try to construct a third grade test, but watch comfort tv on my computer, and, if I am not too wiped, knit. I did manage to get 8 skeins of a lovely soft poly yarn in a light purple from Dongdaemun while in Seoul on Sun-Tues with Desi this week. I also met some of the ultimate frisbee players and had fun and hoisted a few brews with them. I was invited to go camping this weekend with them, but as I am not big on camping (if you know and love me, you know I love handy facilities), and that much of the talk was all about hooking up (and as yet, I've no one one the horizon in that regard), I decided to pass. Plus, I lived out of my bags for 3 days whilst in Seoul and did not want to do that again. I have lived out of bags quite a bit in the last 2 1/2 months and it;s not something I really enjoy. I always misplace things I really need. Like that pesky wallet. Imageine that. At least I have no keys here. Have I mentioned that you don't need keys for my door? You enter a four digit code. Viola. Varsagod.

Ok, pictures. yep. I know that's what you really wnat, and that's the part that takes forever.

It blows my mind

It blows my mind that people I have never met in real life, people I have only met over the internet, are more willing (and to make a point to) keep in touch with me than many (not quite all) of the people that I sat next to day after day after day.


Oh, and BTW, random blog-thought I wish I could share with the entire world: if you are not under contract with them now, don't ever use T-Mobile. Their customer service sucks and is condescending. They claim not to have an address that you can mail documentation to (because their fax will not work with yours, half way around the world) unless you ask them for a supervisor. Only then will they pony up with an address, and any documentation you send must include a letter as to why you are mailing them something.

To: Unknown person (because your reps do not take mail and won't tell me your name)
From: Check to postmark-it's from Korea, just like I said in both faxes I sent before I left the States!
Re: The bills you keep sending me for a charge T-Mobile keeps levying that is not theirs-legally.

HI,
I AM MAILING YOU BECAUSE YOUR COMPANY SUCKS.
Here is the proof you wnated that I moved. A bill, It is in korean, so you have no proof of anythin!
Hahahahahahaha. Your company sucks. Please note, that as a former customer service rep, I am NOT saying you suck. I know the difference. But, please tell Delores whose real name is Sharon that she it is inappropraite to be condescending. If I wasn't half way around the world, I would tell her myself. But, you are customer relations, so you tell her, ok?

Thanks. BTW, bill me again and I will report you to the better business bureau. Not that you care, but I will.

Have a nice day when you get out of work. If you are not happy, leave CubicleLand ASAP. I wasted 2 1/2 years more than I should have. (the first 6 months were ok, then I knew my job so well I was bored silly).

Mallory


End rant. Please excuse mistakes. Too ripped to check.

Dongdaemun is Calling

Dongdaemun is calling. Oh, that lovely yarn from the bottom floor of that building outside 424 blueline (lite blue, that is) stop is calling me.

"Come back! Buy me! Make something soft and cuddly and wonderful with me! I may be polyester, but I am the best darn polyester you have ever seen!"

It's calling loudly, too, because I can hear it over all the stupid racket the uni kids are making outside the building. I want to move to Musildong! There is nothing here except for uni students who throw up on the stairs! Ergh! Disgusting. Ok, I am too tired (and probably sick, basedont he way my throat hurts) to post the pics from my field trip tonote. That was Monday. It was a long long long day. Pretty scenery, though. Long.

A shout out to Sade in Spain for her help in figuring out the Skully pattern. I hope my mini tweak is ok. You will now see that she is linked to my blog. She knew who I was too! Must have seen my posts (or Spinn's) about coming to Korea. So, check out her blog too, if you have stopped by!

Ah the LUV

My oldest big sissy loves me looooooots. She sent me my first care package with lot o' goodies. Teri, keep the fake American dollars coming so I can have an auction with my third graders. I need something to motivate them to act like good doobies. I know they get a lot more work starting in the third grade, so they are getting tempermental and they are no longer think of school as fun. But it is so important that to me that they pay attention and learn and hopefully have a good semester with me so I am working hard to figure out how best to work with them.

I got my Sox hat as requested and that made me sooooooooooo very happy that was dancing aroung my shoebox (a.k.a. my apartment) to The Devil Went Down to Georgia, even though it skips. I was so happy to hear a song like that that makes me think of my family. I love you and miss you lots. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Teri. My big sis' rocks!

No, Really, Seriously Y'all

How am I supposed to take a cop shop seriously if they have this picture on the outside? No, really, no joke. Can you believe this?

Downside: it smells like gimchi central outside my apartment right now. Ick. Ugh. All Gimchi, All the Time! College kids have moved in en masse over the last couple of days. It's getting loud and messy. Grrrr.

Say What?

Some how this just doesn't seem right!

I'm getting there. I am ready for this week, and even partially ready for next week. Tomorrow I will meet with my co-teacher to go over the plan for grade 2 for next week. I compile that into something in English for her for Wednesday. Should be interesting, since Mr. Hong decided that we are doing a welcoming dinner for the new teachers (Edvish and me) tomorrow evening. Hopefully it won't take too long. I'd like to get things to the point that I am getting all my prep done during my free periods at school.

Tomorrow the second graders have some sort of practice, so I do not have 1st period. I will only teach the lesson once, and I get to go in late since I do not start until second period. Sweet!

These photos are from a trip to Seoul a couple of weeks ago. Anna and and I met up with Desi, who was fresh off the boat from Georgia a mere week before me. The first is Desi looking proud of her new hat and then one of Anna and me where we had lunch. I can't remember what the food is called at the moment. It is meat, gimchi, garlic and veggies cooked on a dome shaped grill like thing so that the fat rolls down and away from the food. It was tasty, though not something I am crazy about.

There is a place downstairs in my building that serves the same thing, I think. Fattening if eaten too much. Pork, too, which many people I know here don't eat. SDA's are often vegetarian, and even those that do eat meat usually don't eat pork.





Maybe I'll add pics from my trip this past saturday next time.

Ready

10:15 P.M. For the first time, I actually feel ready for the next day. I managed to pick p some supplies so that I could feel organized. I have everything ready so that I I know what I am doing tomorrow. I feel like I have enough material to keep my kids busy. The third graders are starting to realize that I will not put up with BS and they are starting to realize that if they tow the line, they will get rewarded. Group A got rewarded today for good behavior for the last 2 days, and for getting their work done. Group B did not. I am counting on one group telling the other, so that they realize that they can earn it. I hope this works.

On a side note, I am glad Isabelle lost all her power on the 4400. I couldn't stand her! Hehehe. Also, Edvish, the new teacher, seems pretty cool. I must admit to being a bit jealous of her schedule. She only has about 20 hours of class time. She is already prepped for about a month for the classes for which they have given her her books. That's not many. Welcome to Korea.

Everything here seems to take me 3 times longer than it should. I screwed up my computer. Did I mention that I hate it anyway? I am miserable right now and I can't help but wonder WTF I have done. I don't want to be here now, but even if I was going to leave (hypothetical-I don't want to give up), I don't have a home. I am so isolated and lonely and unhappy right now.

*******edited for the worst of my pissy attitude**********

2 Hours, 1 walk, and 5 minutes of online research later, I used a piece of cardboard to get the stupid disc stuck in the drive out. Now, if I can just get the Office suite to stop giving me so many problems!

Just some Updates

Ok, so, the important stuff....

I am not too keen on Korean food so far. Their veggies are very different from home.

As you can see from the picture, some dishes come with some rice and LOTS of veggies. I do not recognize 90% of them. Radishes are popular here, frequently yellow, and I do not know how they are made, but they are sweet. Not bad. For me, preferable to others. Sometimes used in a nice cold soup.

So far I like dagalbi, which is very spicy chicken with thick rice noodles and cabbage, shabba shabba (something like that, anyway) which is beef cooked at the table in a broth with veggies, and tang sa man du, which is a plate of sweet and sour pork dumplings. Lunch is available for free at school, but it is straight up cafeteria food. Occasionally not bad, but rarely good.












Ms. Wan, Ms. Lee, Anna and I (right to left) went to Woljeogsa Temple over vacation. Beautiful scenery, beautiful buildings. No photos in the museum, and I did not take pictures of the Buddha out of respect. It was a story tall, beautifully made and housed (in an ornately painted building like the others). There were candles with Chinese script on them that glows as they melt down, I will have to remember to ask Anna where I can get some of those.

I finally got cable, which was my first experience of descrimination here. They did not want to install it because too many foreigners leave without paying the bill. Mr. Lee, the school administrator, called and arranged it for me. After all that, I barely turn it on, thanks to Korea's killer internet service. It really is very fast and very reliable, and there is plenty to download online.

I had a bit of a delay getting my plane ticket refund. It took a while and 3 of us explaining that when you buy a ticket online in the US, you only get an online receipt. The school did not want to accept that, but as I had nothing else (except my baording pass, which, thankfully, I had not yet tossed) eventually, I got my money.

Even with Ralph and Anna, I am still feeling isolated. Basically, I can barely communicate. It sucks. I am overthinking things at work, putting too much into it, and driving myself crazy as a result. As some one told me, aptly, you can not be an over acheiver here. Extra work is not seen as extra, nor appreciated as such, and may come to be expected as the norm, as has happened with some of the things that the foreign teachers have done as a courtesy. However, being new, I had a LOT dumped on me and expected of me. Even Anna said she thought it was a lot, which made me feel better. I was afraid it was just me.

After I kind of lost it a bit and had to leave the room (only Mr Hong and Ron were there) to compose myself, I think people started to realize that asking me to change up entire plans and expecting me to whip up schedules when I didn't even know the number of lessons in the semester was unrealistic. And it clearly got around, because I found out from another teacher that my co-teacher had heard. She hoped she was not to blame, which she was not, though I was feeling overwhelmed by everyone. If you want a certain lesson planned, tell me that first, before I make a lesson plan from where the kids left off! If you need a plan for the semester, you have to give me a schedule.....you get my drift. It is very Korean. I knew to expect this, but it doesn't make it any easier when I am emotionally overwhelmed. My last job was good training, though, because Adelphia changed their policies every 5 minutes, and if I did not know that, I got blamed for it. Even if the policy change was announced before my shift, on my day off and was never emailed. For a communications company, Adelphia was an epitome of miscommunication. But I digress, as so many people love to say these days.

I have a coffee shop that I like, called Maidu. They are very friendly, upbeat, and it has a nice atmosphere. I guess there is one closer to home, but I do not know where it is, so I take the bus or taxi to the one by Lotte Cinema. I was sitting there looking out the window about 3 weekes ago when I figured out my first Konglish, using one of my books to help me with the words. Lots of things are written in Konglish, which means that if you sound out the Korean letters, they sound like ( or are SUPPOSED to sound like) words in English. I do not have Korean letters set up on my computer, but suffice to say that after many consultations of my book, I deciphered: ALL TIME GAHM RENTA (no "L") which I surmised to mean 24 hour game rental, A.K.A. PC Bang (pronounced bahng). Of course, the graphics were obvious, but I was proud of myself nonetheless! I also heard my first K-rap. It is......upbeat K-style. Ralph and Anna have seen some videos and understand some of the words, and had a good laugh while telling me about it. Ralph thinks is is hilarious that the girls in the videos prance around in one piece bathing suits and that the rappers are in old schools style American cars that you never see on the roads here. They sing about how hard life is at home with mommy and daddy, I guess. I don't think there are many ghetto hardened gangsters here that have to worry about drive by shootings, even from a scooter.

I have tried to get furniture, but there is way too much orange pleather here. Koreans love leather and pleather and orange is big. So is a fluffy purple. I don't think pleather is at all comfy, so thus far the only furniture I have added is my Swedish Poang chair that cost about 30% more than at Ikea in the States. And I had the shopkeeper knock $15 off the price. Ah well. So, want to see my apartment? I am not cleaning it up especially for you!






I've included a shot the road outside the school as well as a shot of the school itself.

I love my second graders-they are excited, happy, and friendly as can be. I am learning their English names quickly. I had 2nd grade Science today, albeit from the Korean "Tips for Daily Life" which is a book that I hate. It is useless, as far as books go. They might as well say, this is your topic, now go figure out what you are going to do, because this book is only the roughest of outlines, a mere suggestion. Besides which, Tips is a social studies type book, not science. Grrrr. Science went well, today, though. Anna sent me some stuff that helped a lot, though I guess they had seen the presentations last year, although I thought they were geared specifically for second grade.

The third graders are a tough bunch. Everyone acknowledges that the third grader immersion class this year is tough. The kids are unruly and don't want to talk to the teacher, pay attention, or keep quiet with each other. I am going to have to get tough on them right away. That's hard to do, because you really have to watch your back. You have to use the other kids as witnesses, kind of, to show that you gave kids a chance, and you have to make them keep each other in line to keep from getting punished. I have been told that you need witnesses, because if a student complains about you, the school will believe the child over a foreign teacher. That is going to be strange for me. We shall see.

Ok all, it is 9 o'clock and time for me to veg on tv or a movie or book or something. Maybe tomorrow I will write about getting caught out in the storm and the cell phone drama :)