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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.