I've Got Seoul

Hello!
So I am sitting here in my apartment waiting for my date to arrive. So I thought, why not write something? I have time. So I started seeing this Korean man a while ago. We met in April and have been on “dates” a handful of times (ok I lie... two official dates) and I like him but the thing that drives me crazy about Korean businessmen is that they are married to their jobs. It can be very frustrating- but it is something I know that will not change because I want it to and will have to either deal with only seeing him when he can, or drop him. I have debated this many times and I think the only way for this thing to work is if we keep it fun and casual and not have expectations of date night to always be when I want (it sucks). So that is the mindset I have had for the past week and it seems to be working. I have made myself less available and so now he planned a date for us. I am not really 100% sure what we are doing- in his words it is “secret”. But I think we are going to Everland or Lotte World (amusement parks).

Everland

So the other day my friend Gina and I tried Dr. Fish in Songtan and wow! What an experience that was.

For someone who freaks out when i see a fish at the lake 20 feet away, this was quite the event!

So Gina, Ashlie and I get to the salon and tell the lady we want to try Dr. Fish (Ashlie had a cut on her foot so she just watched the “Gina and Dallas Show” and laughed). So we are taken to this little pool in the corner of the salon and wash off our feet and then theoretically just stick our feet in- well it is easier said than done. We are sitting on the edge of the pool and the fish are at the surface calling to us, saying “FEED ME... I WANT YOUR FEET!”
After many failed attempts at bravery and some screaming and laughing we took the plunge and stuck our feet in the pool. Oh my gas rangie! Our feet were attacked by little tiny fish! It tickled so much! We couldn’t stop laughing! It felt like 20 cats licking our feet. After a minute or so it didn’t feel so ticklish... until they move to a new spot on your feet!

Dr. Fish

hello my fellow readers. what is going on with you these days? hmm nothing? well life in korea is getting much better and i am really enjoying myself.

so here i am, I made it 3 months in Korea. i have by far exceeded my expectations of myself. who would have thought that the girl who almost failed kindergarten (in my defense , Mrs Demert was secretly a witch) would be teaching English in Korea. even five years ago i wouldn't have pictured myself here.

i have followed the path less traveled than my high school classmates (and university classmates) and i am so grateful for this experience. I was thinking about my 10 year reunion (i know it is three years away... but my sisters is soon) and i was thinking what have i done? i am not married and i don't have kids... but i am in korea- and iwouldn't have been able to do this with a family.

when i originally wrote this up i was in Insadong at STarbucks, just relaxing, listening to Christmas music and getting ready to brace myself for the cold... it was only -3 but i am now a wimp when it comes to cold weather. i have been spoilt with nice weather up until the middle of november. so the other day jacob, brook and i went to beauty and the beast... korean style. it was super fun even though it was all in korean we got the gist of it.

so the past weekend my friend ori from canada decided to make a weekend trip to korea (damn air canada and the cheap flights for workers) so friday i took him to my favorite bar in dongtan and we met up with jacob and tonita and then brandon who also lives in our building showed up and it was a jolly time. i thnk we made itback home by 4am... ykes. then on saturday after a slow start to the day, tonita and ori and i went to insadong for some shopping fun and then we met up with jacob and anna in gangnam and had shabu-shabu buffet. mmmmm. i love shabu shabu- it is soup and has many delicious things in it and yum! then we went to a sticker place and we made goofy stickers that i wil hvae to post somehow...

on sunday ori and jacob and i went to namdaemun market and then to myeongdong and then ori and i went to n. seoul tower and then we went for korean bbq in our building and now it is monday... and i am back to work.

but i should go- i have to get ready for work and i am taking ori to the bus because he is leaving korea.

i will update again

see you soon!!!

xoxo Dal

hello everyone... i am alive... but i am very sick with a cold/flu

i will try to update soon.

miss you all

xoxo
Dal

Sorry sorry sorry! I am a bad blogger. I always intend on typing something but after work and after dinner I am always pooped.

Friday: I am sick. I have a sinus cold/ regular cold. My kids claim I have “influenza” (their words not mine) and I tell them “ya it is from you guys coughing with your mouth open”. That usually shuts them up haha.

So on Saturday I slept in, took my Korean medicine, and then hopped on a train to e met up with these girls and we hung out. We walked around Itaewon and had girl chat. I don’t remember much because I was hopped up on cold meds. But it was fun from what I remember. I also finished reading “Marley and Me” and I cried at Starbucks...
Today (Sunday) I went to Insadong with Jacob. We had fun. Insadong is more of an arts and culture part of Seoul and there is a beautiful market there and many foreigners go there. Anyways... I bought a beautiful scarf from India (go figure) for 3000 won ($3) and some movies. And Jacob and I watched these Korean guys stretching out honey into thin fibers and then they fill it with either peanuts or almonds. It was very cool. They were pretty funny guys and they would sing their little song and ya. It is a little overwhelming there to take it in all in one day... so multiple trips are in order! So then we went walking around downtown Seoul and I took him to the statue of the Hangul creator which is very cool to see. And then we went to Kybo a bookstore and outside the bookstore was this band. They were so cool. I think their name is “Telepathy” It was like electornica/rock/ pop if that makes sense. So Jacob and I both bought the cd and it is fun. Some of it is in English and some is in Korean but it is just fun to listen to. My kids always ask me if I know these different bands and I always tell them I don’t so I have been downloading different bands that they tell me to. So now I can say I have my first Korean CD... they will be so proud. My kids are quite funny.

On the 24th our school is going on a field trip to Suwon castle/ Hwaseong Fortress (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwaseong_Fortress). It should be fun. It will be a good history lesson for the kids as well as for the foreigners. I am very excited and I will take lots of pictures of my kids and the castle. (I will go into detail about the trip in my next update)

I am getting more and more comfortable with my surroundings and getting used to being so far away. There will always be times of homesickness but I keep reminding myself that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and if I give up I will be kicking myself. From the beginning I told myself I will give it 6 months. And if at 6 months I cannot stand it here, then chances are I will not be able to stand it for the remaining 6 months. But so far so good. I have made it a month and a bit and I know I can do this.

Ok I think this should be good for a while. My weekdays are pretty boring because I work and then come home (like a real teacher hey mom!) so my updates are typically what I do during the weekends.
I promice I will get better at updating.
Miss you all! Lots of love!
XOXO Dal