It is officially monsoon season as of four or five days ago, or so I've been told.  From what I've heard, it is similar to hurricane season, but because I'm not on the coast exactly it won't be quite as devestating.  Just a lot of rain.  It has been raining every day all day for the past week.  I need me some rain boots and a rain coat.  As well as a water proof bag.  Maybe I'll just wrap everything in plastic wrap......

I've been having some really strange dreams about teaching.  Most of them end up with me waking up partially, enough to know that I'm in my PJs, but not enough to know that I'm dreaming.  Hence, I end up feeling very awkward and embarrassed and sometimes end up waking up with more clothing on that I had on when I went to sleep.  It is very, very odd.

I went to see Super 8 yesterday at the theater with caramel corn.  I highly recommend it, both the movie and the caramel corn.  Kelsey and I likened it to Jurassic Park, in that it is scary, but there are some really funny things that go on with the scary.  Basically, we were making comments the whole time and snickering.  All of the child actors did excellent jobs as well which is not always true.

In other news, I may be getting sick again.  DO NOT WANT.

And on a completely unrelated note to anything, has anyone else noticed that the music in Gladiator sounds an awful lot like the music in Pirates of the Caribbean?

Korean character of the day: ㅎ - h sound
Korean word of the day: 여름 (yo-rem) - summer

커피 주세요....

This is longest I've ever been someplace where I don't understand at least a little of the language and it's starting to get to me.  I can sound out all of the words and don't know what they mean, and I miss being able to listen to people's conversations, not to be a creeper or anything.  In any case, I've started pretty much hardcore studying in any free time that I have.  I WANT TO SPEAK A NEW LANGUAGE GAHHH!!

I still haven't quite figured out how to get my me time and take care of myself a midst working 9 hours a day so I find myself quite exhausted when the weekend comes around.  It's 5 in the evening and I haven't even gotten dressed yet.  Maybe I'm just lazy.

I have been making attempts to start going to the gym at 6 in the morning because that seems easier than denying myself food so it's not bouncing around in my tummy when I run after I get home from work and am starving and exhausted. So far I managed to do it on Thursday, we'll see if I can do a couple of days a week.

Apparently I can get a really good hair cut here for $18.  I'm pretty stoked.  I went with Brittany and one of the Korean teachers, Julie, to get Brittany's roots dyed and her hair cut.  It looked freakin gorgeous.  And it was relatively cheap.  All of the service related things are actually really inexpensive here.  Manicures, hair cuts, eating out, taxis, public transportation, etc, it's awesome.  It doesn't make up for $8 peanut butter though.

I bought my ticket for Tokyo yesterday!!!  I'm leaving July 25th and getting back ridiculously early in the morning on the 31st.  I'm so excited.  My coworker, Austin, has been really excited cause he loves Japan so he's been giving me all kinds of materials and advice about it including a list of the best places to people watch in Tokyo.  Lord knows that's up there on my list of things that I like to do.  And I hear the Japanese have crazy hair styles and dress.  On top of that I'm so looking forward to having some Chiaki time. :D

Korean character of the day:  ㅡ - sounds like eu.  We don't have this sound in English, but it exists in French, so if you know French it is like the u sound in 'tu.'  If you don't know French, you can make this sound by pursing your lips into a tight 'o' and saying 'eeeee'
Korean word/phrase of the day: 이쁘다 (ee-bbeu-da)- pretty
Bonus: 나예뻐? (na-yay-bbuh?) - Am I pretty?

slim is the new fat

I am apparently a fat Asian.  I went to the mall yesterday with Brittany, my coworker, and they had this store/area that looked basically like an outlet for foreign designer clothes.  I noticed that they had Guess and, since Guess is one of the few brands of jeans that fit me really well, wanted to go in.  So we went and we found the Guess section, and low and behold, the largest size they had was my size, and they only had one pair of jeans, and they were not pretty.  Guess is an American company right? So why on earth would they only go up to 27?  The lady was showing me shorts and trying to show how they were stretchy and would fit me.  Therefore, I am a fat Asian.  I would like to go more with Asians are anorexic Americans.  In any case, my mind was fairly blown.  My other theory is that Americans have bigger butts proportionally.  But I do tend to wonder as I walk down the street, with my American curvage and all, whether, as I pass people, they are thinking "fatty fat fat fatty," and about how weird that is because in America I am on the small side of average.

I do like the being taller thing though.  I was totally walking behind a girl in 4 inch heels a couple of days ago and I was still at least the same height that she was if not taller.

I am so sore and tired today.  I went to the gym for a solid hour and a half yesterday and then proceeded to go to the mall for a couple of hours and then basically wander around Seoul from 4 until 1 am.  Lots of walking, not very much sitting.  There's this one bridge near where I live that lights up rainbow colors and has fountains coming off of it at night so Brittany and I went to see that and walked along the river park.  It was quite nice.  But very tiring.  And a hell of a long walk.  So today, I feel like I can barely move.  But it's all good.  I think my Korean could use some practicing.

Korean character of the day: ㅋ - hard k sound, like in coffee, aspirated
Korean word/phrase of the day: 코파지마 (ko-pa-gee-ma) - don't pick your nose

Busy, busy, busy

Lately, I have been too busy to even get 2 seconds to myself, much less have time to write any blogs.  There was a period of time where I didn't even get around to checking my email for four days.

I'm settling in reasonably well, although I'm still tired most of the time because I'm not used to full time jobness.  I also have been going out more than I'd like.  Or at least more hardcore than I'd like.  I was promised bowling on Saturday night, so I dressed for and was prepared for bowling.  I also did not have enough energy for anything other than bowling.  The place we went ended up being way to crowded and some how this lead to us going to a club and dancing.  Not what I was hoping for at all.  Especially because I was completely wiped out from my Saturday daytime activities.

During the day I had gone to see 창덕궁 (or Changdeok Palace) and had taken a tour of the "secret garden" for 3 hours in the bright sun and 80 degree whether with two of my coworkers Ashley and Brittany.  It was really beautiful and an enjoyable experience but it was really exhausting.  Oy vey, I need to find activities that don't turn into drinking and clubbing all of the time.

I'm working on planning a trip for the end of July to go see my favorite boo bear, CHIAKIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!  I'm so excited.  But for some reason tickets to Japan cost like $300 roundtrip (if you can find them that cheap) even though Japan is right next door.  I need to work on this.

I am now over whatever issues I had with raw fish.  Last week I went to a huge seafood market with a group of people where we picked out our own fish and gave it to people at a restaurant to cook.  When being presented with still wriggling, uncooked, baby octopus and uncooked mussels, the flounder sashimi seemed like my best bet.  So henceforth, raw fish and I are no longer foes.

Speaking of friends, I am very happy with the arrival of the new teacher Brittany.  I think I have found a kindred Seoul.  Very good for doing things other than going out to clubs every weekend for entertainment.

I'm going to try to keep this up bi-weekly, but by the time I get home from work I feel like I barely have time to eat and sleep and maybe go to the gym if I'm lucky, much less blog.

Korean character of the day: ㅜ - oooo sound, like in moo
Korean word/phrase of the day: 죽을래 ? (jook-eul-lai?) - you want to die? (not literal, more like when someone is doing something annoying)

I have officially been here for more than a month.  So far so good.  Although I wish I was working on my Korean more.  The new teacher got here last week and it's making me feel weird that I'm not new anymore, I feel like I've barely been here!!

I have been so busy and so sleepy for the past couple of weeks so blogging has gone on the back burner.  I had a class on Friday with my Kindergarteners that is basically just a big play for their parents and that has been pretty stressful.  And for some reason people want to go out and get wasted almost every night.  I don't get it.  Needless to say I've been out a lot and have not been getting enough down time.  But at this point I'm going on a drinking only once a week maximum diet.  I really don't need that much booze in my life.

I have a huge desire to be anti social and sit on my ass and watch tv lately so I don't really have that much to write but I thought I'd at least put in a small effort for a blog post.