Winter Wonderland

What a fun weekend I just had! At 7:00 pm Friday night I met up with Ryan, a guy I know from the gym, and one of his coworkers. We took the subway to Hannam where we met two more friends and, along with about forty others, boarded a chartered bus bound for Yong Pyong Ski Resort.

Over three hours of listening to tunes, meeting new people, and devouring Jell-O later, we arrived at the ski shop to pick up our rentals. Finally, around 1:30 am, we were the second group to make it to the resort. Since our group consisted of seven people, we assumed we would have a villa all to ourselves; imagine our surprise when we discovered that our three bedroom villa was to house eighteen people! All seven of us shared the large upstairs loft, complete with five Asian floor mats that served as our beds.

After we met some of our housemates, we went to another villa where some DJs were just starting to spin the music. We met some people and danced awhile until Kelly and our friend Steve finally arrived, and we all went back to the house together. We played some cards before hitting the hay (or should I say bed mats) at 4:00 am.

It was difficult, but we managed to wake up, get into our snowboard gear, and hop on the shuttle for the slopes all before 10:00 am. Since we both had only been snowboarding once before, Steve and I gladly took Kelly up on her kind offer of giving us a little lesson. We took a long gondola ride up to the top of the mountain and began our slow descent down a 5 km run. There were lots of classic "wish we had a video camera" wipeouts, and even Steve's knee slamming into the back of my head, but we managed to get down to the bottom all in one piece an hour and a half later. We then decided to have lunch, and I inhaled my first piece of pizza in three months. After lunch, we went back out to the slopes for a couple more runs before the lifts closed at 4:30 pm.

I know I've been very slack about taking pictures lately...I realized today as we were on the bus that I didn't take a single picture all weekend. Therefore, I made Kelly and Steve pose just to give me some color in this long blog!


We were all exhausted, and pretty banged up (I have bruises covering my whole body, a rather large knot on my head, and a bruise the size of Texas on my bum...now that I think about it, though, that injury was probably sustained the night before during a one-on-one soccer match on the slippery floor of our living room), but we resisted the urge to take naps. A few of us went to the resort's common room for a delicious steak dinner prepared by a 5-Star chef and his cronies. Unfortunately, my appetite wasn't what I was expecting it to be...it took just a few bites of my meal for me to start having to take big breaths. I'd have to say the amount I consumed definitely wasn't worth the $25 I spent, but the boys at my table were very excited about receiving the charity!

Saturday night, after recovering from our food comas, we hung out in our villa for a bit before heading to the pajama party. Everyone there was dressed very comfortably in sweat pants and t-shirts, and we danced for hours to some very good music. I danced until I was completely drenched in sweat before calling it a night around 3 am.

This morning I dragged myself out of bed and into an icy cold shower (for some reason, the heater wasn't working...it was so cold I couldn't breathe!). Kelly, Steve, Ryan, and I boarded the bus and were rolling out of Yong Pyong around 1:30 pm. We finally got back into Seoul around 6 or 7 tonight.

This past weekend was definitely one of the best since I've been here. I had such a fabulous time, and it was so nice to finally be in an environment in which you could easily meet lots of other foreigners. Over 350 people in all came on the trip, and about 99% were foreigners. Hopefully tonight I'll have a good rest to refresh me for another week of teaching!

Jan. 24 - Jan. 28: I'm Cute!

As I'm writing this, I just realized that today marks three months since I arrived in Korea. What a milestone! This is the point where, according to what I've read and heard, I should either love it here or hate it here. I guess I'm still on the fence with that one! Overall, though, I am happy here, and each day is definitely a new experience.

Well this week has been not unlike any of the previous few weeks. Each day basically consisted of working, working out, and coming home to dinner and my latest obsession: television. Now, I did not even have cable in the States, but the temptation of satellite TV in a world of Korean speakers is way too much for me to resist. Thus, I come home at night just in time for CSI: Miami, followed by CSI: Las Vegas. I also have a new guilty indulgence in the form of reruns of Fox's "Paradise Hotel." It's another cheezy reality show with no point whatsoever, but it has finally arrived in Korea and made me its newest victim.

I do have one entertaining story from the week: On Tuesday, one of the more rambunctious 6-year-olds, Danny, was following me around class, slapping and poking at my hiney. I finally turned around, sat him down, looked him squarely in the face, and said, "WHY?" He gently laid his hand on my face, leaned in closely, and whispered, "Coz you cute." Now, boys, don't go trying this move on your secretary, but it made me laugh and Danny was instantly forgiven!

On another note, I am leaving tonight for a weekend snowboarding trip to Yong Pyong ski resort. A Seoul events company has organized this event for over 300 people, bringing in DJs to spin Friday and Saturday nights, not to mention chefs to cater to our every gluttonous need. I am definitely looking forward to some fun! My throat's been killing me all week, so let's hope when I get back Sunday night, I'll still have my voice!

Pita Bread and Spray Butter

Friday night I tried to work off some of my pent-up OCD (I guess I should call it what it is) at the gym, but I only managed to pound away on the treadmill for 20 minutes before giving up and heading home. The pleasure of treating my hair to a day of pampering is going to take a bit longer than expected!

Saturday afternoon I met Kelly in Itaewon to run some errands. Thanks to the former resident of my apartment, I have a working English cell phone, so now I can join every other person in Korea (between the ages of 4 and 99) who have "handphones" glued to their ears. In Korea, you have to buy a prepaid calling card, which seems a bit expensive in comparison with US cell phone plans. However, you are not charged a penny (er...won?) for incoming calls, which is nice. Now if only someone will call me!

After traipsing through some bookstores and sightseeing "Hooker Hill" by day, we stopped in at a local pub for some refreshments before our next destination: Hannam Market. This store is located one subway stop from Itaewon and is well-known among the foreigner circuit as the place to go for treats from home. I don't understand how it happened, but we got confused by the directions (Subway Line 6, Exit 2, walk along the walk for 5 minutes) and got a bit lost, but we finally reached the store. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed...I was hoping to find rows upon rows of granola and brown rice and maybe even wheat tortillas.

Sorry to say, I wasn't able to complete my optimistic shopping list, but I was thrilled to find an economy-sized box of Nature Valley granola bars and pita bread. I almost wet my pants when I discovered a jar of natural peanut butter (the organic kind you have to stir, of course) in the aisles. But the greatest find of all, and I still shake my head at disbelief every time I see it in my fridge, was science's greatest invention of all time: spray butter. I'm talking about the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, God knows what's in it, could this possibly cause cancer? spray butter. I was like a kid in a candy store.

Today I went to the always-dependable Wal-Mart to complete my purchases...I don't know how I do it, but I managed to blow another $100. Guess you can't say I'm not one well-fed sista!

Lookout point atop "Hooker Hill" in Itaewon. 

Jan. 17 - Jan. 21: Organization...or OCD?

This week was another fast and fun one at Swaton. It was also a week of coming to terms with the fact that I just may have a serious mental ailment...which of course I will get to at the end of this blog...

During the morning classes on Tuesday, head teacher Joy poked her head in the door to announce that it was snowing outside. I told my 6-year olds to bundle up, and five minutes later we were all on the roof of the building pelting each other with snowballs. On Thursday we took the kids to a nearby modern art museum. I was a bit skeptical about the field trip since my experiences with modern art have been less than inspirational; however, I was quite impressed with the creativity showcased by the Korean artists. The kids were just happy to have a break from learning that "he's brushing his teeth in the bathroom."

I've begun reading the children's novel "Bridge to Terabithia" with my two private students, Julia and Frank. I was also informed by Julia that her mom thinks we are "having too much fun" in the lessons and they are "not doing enough homework." If the woman wants more work tacked on to these kids' already hectic schedules, then homework she shall have.

Finally, my self-discovery. Ever since I started working at Swaton, I have increasingly felt a great abhorration for the state of despair of the teachers' room. It is a complete disaster area. Boxes are everywhere, and bags and trash completely cover any otherwise useful working spaces. I finally remarked on it to Chris, telling him that for just 50 bucks I would come in for a few hours on a Saturday to organize things. We both laughed at this idea, seeing as our boss is too cheap to even keep the heat on in the building.

So, during my break, I cleaned up as best I could, muttering words under my breath that would make my mother cringe. Of course, it was a completely selfish act...I felt that one more minute in such chaos would find me in a dark corner sucking my thumb. However, instead of feeling relieved at the new and improved teachers' room, I felt a sinking feeling that perhaps I had a problem. Do I just appreciate organization, or do I have a very serious form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Why am I the only one who Windexes my desk every day? Is that normal?

Blue Shoes and Snowflakes

Friday night I ended my workday at 7:30 pm, proceeded to the gym for a 2-hour workout fest (I am one determined chica!), then trodded through freezing temperatures to my apartment. As soon as I walked in the door, I was greeted with my ringing phone. A quick shower, a granola bar and peanut butter shoved down my throat, and a splash of makeup later, I was back out in the elements for an unplanned rendezvous with my two fellow English teachers Chris, Andrew, and Andrew's wife at the local "foreigner" dive. We shared a few laughs, I ate an apple I had stowed in my pocket (in addition to some birthday cake we stole from some Koreans), and called it a night.

Saturday night I met up with some friends in Gangnam at another "All-You-Can-Eat-and-Drink" restaurant to celebrate the birthday of some girl I've never met (and didn't meet that night, either, come to think of it!) The food was not nearly as good as the place we went last time, but they did have a sad attempt at flour tortillas and Mexican taco-makings...they definitely scored a few points with that one.

No surprises here: after we finished gorging ourselves, we hopped into a taxi and headed to Gecko's in Itaewon. I've decided that the place is definitely what you make of it, and I've never really been in the mood for it before. However, I was feeling quite spunky that night, so therefore my time spent there wasn't miserable at all. I actually met a few decent people this time! We ended up back at Polly's Kettle, which is probably the most unclassy place in Seoul, but when I've got my dancing shoes on (the blue ones, of course!), there's no stopping me.

As we left Polly's in search of a taxi that night, a light snow was falling. It was so beautiful, and so perfect! I must have been a sight to see, happily skipping through Seoul with my pants rolled up to my knees and my flourescent blue shoes sparkling through the glistening white snow. Nights like those actually make me kind of like the winter...just a bit.

Blue Shoes and Snowflakes 

Jan. 8 - Jan. 14: All Blogged Out!

Okay, so I knew that I was completely "Templed Out" from my eight days in Japan, but in the eternity since my last blog, I realized I needed a serious break from the internet. I know it's only been just over a week, but I had gotten so used to popping these bad boys out every few days. But oh, how rejuvenated I feel from my break.

Other than "Girls' Night In" at Kelly's, last weekend was completely spent in my pajamas, trying to rejuvenate from my travels. This past week was another fast and uneventful one in Korea. I suppose my only daily excitement involved planning how I'm going to fit going to the gym into my schedule and what body part I'm going to abuse that day. Pretty exciting, huh?

Actually, my 2005 New Year's Resolution (which I just decided on last week)is to take advantage of my year here without the stresses caused by work, relationships, driving in rush hour, etc. and use it to get myself into "Tip-Top" shape. I suppose my five-pound weight loss, resulting from a combination of both puking and subsisting on peanut butter and oatmeal, kick-started this plan. Anyway, my first goal is to lose another few pounds, and when I do, I am rewarding myself with going back blonde. Hey, I'm easy to please, okay?

Moving right along to the weekend...

A view of my little suburb of Seoul: Pyeongchon. 

Jan. 3 - Jan. 7: Back to School

Waking up Monday morning was, as you can imagine, a very difficult task. But imagine my complete surprise and excitement to discover, upon arriving to work, my desk piled high with packages and Christmas cards! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone (Jill, Nic, Jeff, Jo, Johnny, Charlotte, and Laura) for making my week! It's amazing how much love I feel all the way over here in Korea! And now I can keep up with all the latest celebrity gossip, thanks to the People and US Weekly magazines...I was starting to feel lost without the latest on Nick and Jessica and Julia's new twins!

Fortunately for me, this past week flew by. The kids were on very good behavior and were feeling quite refreshed after a week of holiday, as was I. Tuesday night, I held my first private English lesson with two twelve-year-olds. Julia and Frank are both native Koreans who have spent time studying in New Zealand, so it's quite refreshing to hear them speak with a Kiwi accent. We will be meeting at Julia's house every Tuesday and Thursday night for the next three months. I was a bit apprehensive about taking on the lessons since I am so selfish with my free time, but the kids' English skills are superb and the hour flies by...plus, the extra income sure doesn't hurt, either.

Another first for this week is that, in order to save money (seeing as I spent $500 more than I had anticipated in Japan...Yikes!), I have begun eating the school lunch. We have a cook that comes every morning and prepares lunch for the tots. So now she's making just a bit more so that I may eat, too! The food is as Korean as you can get, but I really enjoy it...and it sure beats money-saving ham sandwiches! I also got all my Japan pictures developed, so it was nice to be able to finally post them to the blog. I am very excited at how well they turned out, but it's been a bit of a nightmare trying to remember the details of each picture. I suppose I'm still "templed out," but eventually I'll be able to look through them without feeling drained.

By Friday, I was very much looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend at home to finally recover from my trip. Last night I went over to Kelly's house after work to peruse the Japan pictures and, of course, hold our weekly girl-talk session. Today I spent two wonderful, sweaty hours in the gym before coming home to an apartment that has been calmly waiting to be cleaned. (It also snowed and stuck for the first time this afternoon! It was nice to view from my window...thank God I didn't have any sightseeing to do!) Nothing else planned for the weekend but some good, old fashioned R&R! I deserve it!

Japan, Day 9: Farewell!

Oh, I am so sad! My week in Japan has finally come to an end! This morning I woke up bright and early, and Kelly and I bid adieu to our lovely hotel. Kelly had an early flight, so I walked her to the subway station and said goodbye before heading to the nearby district of Asakusa for a quick walk around.


The entrance to the Asakusa district. 

Asakusa is a very retro area also known as "Old Edo," since the area hasn't changed at all in the many years since Tokyo was once called Edo. I loved it here, and it was so nice to get away from the neon lights of the city and see the true backstreets of Tokyo. In my week in Japan, I hadn't bought one single souvenir for myself, so in the short time I was wandering through Asakusa, I found what I'd been looking for...a lovely little Japanese robe and a red paper lantern. I also managed to complete my Christmas shopping...for 2005, of course! Always have to be one step ahead!


The Asakusa ("Old Edo") shopping district. 

An hour later, I hopped on the Tokyo Monorail and headed for Haneda airport for my 2:00 pm flight. I arrived in Seoul around 4:15 pm, took the subway, walked the mile home from my subway station, and finally fell into my apartment around 6:00 pm.

Whew...what a week! I feel like I have been gone for years, but at the same time I feel like my vacation wasn't quite long enough. I really loved Japan...the people are so friendly, the fashions are awe-inspiring, and the temples and shrines left me speechless at times. I know Japan is not on everyone's "Must See" list, but it should be. I will surely go back again, probably not to Tokyo, but definitely to Kyoto.

I can't believe I have to go to work in the morning! I need another vacation!!!

Japan, Day 8: Nikko

A huge stone torri marks the entrance to the Tosho-gu Shrine grounds. 

I awoke this morning feeling much less nauseous, but seeing as I hadn't really consumed any food since my nightmare lunch yesterday, I was feeling quite weak. Eating was the last thing I wanted to do, but I managed to eat a slice of plain white bread before Kelly and I set off for the train station. Since I had two days left on my train pass, we decided to take advantage of it and head up to Nikko, a small mountain village north of Tokyo full of temples, shrines, and a national forest. Fortunately, the day was gorgeous with no clouds to be seen, and the blazing sun kept us warm. Two hours later we arrived, heading to a little restaurant for lunch, where I did my best to eat a few bites of steamed rice.


Intricate detailing on a building on the Rinno-ji temple grounds. 

Kelly and I proceeded through the little town of shops and homes, admiring the beauty of the surrounding mountains and trees blanketed in snow. Upon climbing a wide staircase up a snowy hill, we entered the torii gate of the Rinno-ji temple and Tosho-gu shrine area. There were hundreds of people crawling the grounds; New Year's Day is the time when families get together and head to temples and shrines throughout Japan to say their prayers and make wishes for the coming year. We first walked by a huge five-story pagoda before wandering through an incredible garden and the Treasure Hall. We then walked through the temple and the shrine, which has a huge white dragon painted on the ceiling.


Instead of a foundation, this 5-story pagoda is held in place by a long pendulum. 

By this time, it was around 4:00 pm, and I was famished...they don't call it the 24-hour bug for nothing! We grabbed snacks from a street vendor, wandered back through the town, and finally settled back on the train bound for Tokyo. By the time we arrived in Tokyo, I was back in perfect Tiffany form, so we went to the Roppongi area for sushi. I ordered quite a feast, but my eyes were definitely too big for my poor little shrunken stomach. Nonetheless, I ate slowly, took lots of deep breaths, and managed to eat most of my meal. Let me tell you, words cannot describe the sushi in Japan! The tuna sashimi literally melted in my mouth!

A real sushi dinner = HEAVEN!! 

When we got back to the hotel around 11:30 pm, Kelly and I threw on our robes and headed to the public bath on the top floor...we wanted to take advantage of the last 30 minutes of "Women's Only" bath time. We had to experience the traditional Japanese bath, which is this huge square tub about 3 feet deep filled with super-hot water. You are supposed to get in completely naked, but we opted for undies and climbed in...it was so amazing, and the perfect, relaxing end to a long week.

Japan, Day 7: New Year's Eve...and Food Poisoning!

This was the one day from my Japan trip I would like to forget! Kelly and I woke up to a cloudy day, deciding to set out to check out the sights around Tokyo. Our first stop was the Meiji-Jingu Shrine. Unfortunately, the shrine itself was closed off due to the preparation for the evening's expected 1-million visitors. As we were walking around, a light snow began to fall. We then looked for a place to have lunch, but with little luck. The snow began to fall even harder, so we gladly got back on the subway bound for Shibuya, a major entertainment district in Tokyo. By the time we got off on our stop, the snow was blanketing the city and the winds were howling. Now, keep in mind that the only time this southern girl has been in snow is at the top of the mountain with the warmth of ski clothes and a snowboard strapped to my feet.


The Meiji-Jingu shrine in the snow.

Needless to say, I was not taking very well to the cold and the snow, so thank goodness we finally found a warm restaurant with a legible menu. I had a meal of dodgy chicken, rice, and soup before getting back on the subway. We then headed to the Imperial Palace, home of Japan's emperor. Upon arriving, the snow had turned to rain, so we basically ran through the slush, snapped a few photos, and hopped back on the train heading to the hotel.


Outside the Imperial Palace on a rainy, snowy day.

When we got to the hotel, we sat around a bit trying to decide what we wanted to do for the evening's festivities. We had originally planned on visiting a temple or a shrine, which is the first stop for many of the Japanese ringing in the New Year. However, the thought of standing in line in the cold, wind, and snow for over an hour just did not appeal to us. We decided to head back to Shibuya to a club...as we were sitting there, my body began to shiver and feel nauseous. I blew it off, but by the time we left the hotel around 9:15 pm, I was feeling awful. When we got to Shibuya, we found a sushi restaurant, but I could not even look at the food. I tried to order some soup, but as soon as the smell hit me, I had to run out of the restuarant. I sprinted to the first alley I could find and literally lost my lunch. I went back to the restaurant, Kelly finished and paid for her meal, and back outside we went. We then walked into a nearby bar, I ordered a small $5 bottle of water, using every bit of willpower I had to remain standing.


It's c-c-c-c-c-old!

Unfortunately, I ran out of the bar a few times, but they were all false alarms. Finally, Kelly graciously walked around with me outside so that I could get some fresh air. It was freezing cold, so we stepped into a Starbucks to warm up a bit...big mistake! Within minutes I had to run out, but this time I didn't make it to a hidden alley, but instead to a closed storefront right on the main street. Of course, seeing someone puking at 3:00 am on New Year's morning is quite a common and expected occurance; however, it is not normal to see someone doing it at 11:00 pm, and the passersby were sure to make a big deal out of it. As I was wretchedly bent over, feeling like my world was ending, people were laughing and pointing, but I honestly did not care. There's no room for pride when you feel as crappy as I did.


One of the corner buildings in the main square in Shibuya.

Kelly found me and like any good girlfriend patted my back and helped me wipe the tears from my face. I decided to be a trooper for her sake, lied that I felt much better, and together we went to another club where they were hosting a huge New Year's Party. We stood in line for about 30 minutes before I finally told her that I didn't think I could tough it out anymore. So then we went to the main square, where supposedly they were closing off the streets for a Times Square-ish countdown. Everyone was screaming and yelling (while I was doing my darndest to take as many gulps of fresh air that I could) until I looked at my watch and realized it was 12:03 am...there wasn't even a countdown!!! We were so disappointed! I turned to Kelly, gave her a half-hearted "Happy New Year," and together we walked back to the subway. I was in my hotel bed, with a "just-in-case" trash can beside my bed, by 1:30 am.

Of all the days in my life that I would have to get food poisoning, it would have to be on New Year's Eve in Tokyo. I felt so miserable, but more so for poor Kelly than for myself. I am so grateful that she took care of me with no complaints, and I felt terrible for ruining her New Year's in Tokyo, too! Note to self: no matter how hungry you are, if the chicken tastes funky, don't eat it!!!

Even though it was a restless sleep, I managed to get through the night without needing my trashcan. And finally, after living in L.A. for a year without feeling so much as a tremor, I awoke at 5:15 am to the whole building shaking! It was my first earthquake! I was so tired and weak that I just laid there and let it shake me for awhile before going back to sleep.