Turning The Tides

The new year has begun.  Full speed ahead I say.  Last year was a learning experience, this year is the time to put those lessons learned into action.  The first action I am taking this year is to head out to Seoul, several times, and acquire a new tattoo.  I found a place here that has a great reputation and is headed up by an amazing artist named Aerok Kim And is the workplace of many other crazy-awesome artists as well.  Check them out! Tattoo Korea  My particular tattoo is going to be on my right side, down my rib-cage   I am basing it off of the design of a Tradition folk-art Korean tiger.  It will probably take multiple visits to finish so I will update with pictures after it is complete.  I am ridiculously excited.

I am also pushing forward at work, with all new classes and books and a chance to get my own system going.  I have three new sets of books to learn and figure out the best way to get the kids to learn and still like it.  Right now I am keeping the unruly ones at bay with games and candy.  I really love the kids at this new academy.  The little ones, the ones I thought I would hate teaching, are my favorites.  They are just so damn cute.  I get mad at them and when I try to yell, they give me big eyes and I just melt.  All my kids try really hard and are overall much happier to be here then at my last job.  And I finally feel like I am teaching, rather then just answering the questions the book asked the kids the night before.  I am actively engaged with the students rather then someone they put up with for a few minutes a day.

Other areas of my life are also progressing.  The apartment is going well, I am starting up cooking again, I have started writing again... Everything is moving forward.  And the things that need a little push to get them started?  I am giving them the mother of all shoves this year.  Soon I will have lots of pictures to show and then, once it is finally warm enough out that I don't turn into a human Popsicle  I will have lots more trips and stories to share.

Happy New Year

Deoku Spa And Blueberry Pizza

A few weekends ago I braved the big, bad world and went on a trip sponsored by The Daegu Compass on which I knew no one.  This may not seem overly brave, but on a trip with only ten people going, most of which know each other, and you all have to ride in one van and sleep in one room... It was brave.  Trust me.

Turns out, it also happened to be an awesome time.

The plan was to go to Deoku Spa, aka Spa World.  (for those keeping track, this means I have now been to spa land, spa valley, and now spa world)  After the spa we headed to a pension for the night and in the morning learned about the blueberry farm in the area and the local and organic farming that was going on.  We were supposed to be taking a bus, but due to low numbers of people going, it was switched to a big van.  10 adults shoved in one van with overnight bags is a very packed trip, but It was  pretty fun.  We started out the trip playing a little would you rather, which was way way dirtier then I remember and served as a great icebreaker.  After all, if you can tell a person you would rather eat jam that had been shit out of a sheep's ass then clean a peep show floor with your tongue  there isn't much more you need to share.

After naps and a lot of driving through a very foggy Korea, we arrived at the spa.  I will miss few things in Korea as much as I will miss the spa here.  Indoor pools with water jets perfectly positioned to massage each part of your body separately, outdoor pools filled with various mixtures to make your skin as healthy as possible, and saunas that range from basic to sonic.  This place was a little smaller then some I have been to, but it was also my first time going to a spa without a fellow foreign female along to provide back up and a distraction from being the center of attention in the nude baths in the woman's locker room.  I must be getting used to it all though because I barely noticed the looks and the nudity didn't bother me at all this time.

After the spa we hoped back in the van and travelled an hour back the way we came to dinner, and our pension for the night.  The dinner we had was made from all local and organic foods.  It was one of the best meals I have had in Korea. The little old ladies who prepared it were very proud and were thrilled we all loved it as much as we did.  Then it was time for drinks and a little sleep before getting up for some traditional korean breakfast... Soup.  Again, it was amazing.


After breakfast, we went to the blueberry farm to make blueberry pizza.  I know, pizza.  I was not sure how this situation was going to turn out.  but it turned into a contest between guys and girls to make a better pizza, and they were really, really good.  We also got blueberry tea and blueberry juice.  Then we went back to the restaurant to learn the traditional way of making noodles (again with blueberries) from some little old ladies who have been making noodles that way for 60 years.  Let's just say, I was not quite up to their standards, but they still tasted great in the soup they made from them.  Then we headed back to the blueberry farm to makes cookies, and finally headed home.  It was an amazing time.  And it was nice to meet some new people.

The Recap

Well, it's that time of year.  The time when I look back at the previous year and comment on all the crazy shit that has happened to me.  I looked back at the blog and I notice how very little I wrote about. I neglected to mention a lot of what went on in the past year that was important, meaningful, and had a huge effect on my life.  And I am okay with it.  I was busy and I was doing A LOT of growing up as a person.  I learned to use the subway, to travel on my own with confidence, met a lot of interesting people, learned to be okay on my own.  I am completely (mostly) self sufficient. I can spend time with myself and not feel uncomfortable or like I want to run away from me.  I learned I am a kick ass teacher and I actually enjoy it.  I learned more about myself in the last year then I did all through high school and college and all that time before.

But I also had a lot of really shitty times this year.  Times I would love to go back and and request a do-over on to save myself some pain and heartache.  At the same time, I look back at those times and know deep down that, as painful as they were at the time, they were nothing I couldn't handle, and they taught me more then all the good stuff that happened.

I met some cool people I will never forget or stop being friends with, and I also met a lot of people who were completely awful and a waste of my time.  The friendships I have formed are some of the most amazing I have had, and the other people I encountered helped me to just say no.  I don't need other people around to be happy, especially if those people are making my life miserable with stress and drama and judgements made only because they hate themselves.  

Right now, I am sitting in a coffee shop in Seoul drinking coffee and talking to some friends from home.  I just went to talk about my new tattoo design with some amazing tattoo artists here, and to put a considerable down-payment on the design.  It is going to be absolutely incredible when it is done and will be a representation and a memory of the time I spent here and the many things that have made me stronger.  Once it is done I will do a little review of the place.  I am getting ready to head back out into the snowy cold to do some late holiday shopping and to just take some time to breathe and continue to be awed by that fact that I am even here.  Sometimes in the day-to-day, I loose sight of how crazy it is that I am here, living in South Korea.  It all becomes familiar and I forget to be awed and to appreciate how lucky I am to be here and to be able to have this experience.  I guess that is the biggest thing that last year has taught me.  To stop focusing so heavily on the details and daily bits of my life.  All that will work itself out.  I have learned to stop and smell the proverbial roses.  And after 26 years of always rushing and looking forward to the next thing, the next step, that is a big deal.

Happy Holidays Folks!!!

Home And Back Again

I know, I know... It is December.  In my defense, it has been a crazy busy few months.  Let's see... Since my last post, I left Hanvit, found a new job the day before I left Korea, went home for three weeks, visited with a ton of people and did a ton of shopping, got back on a plane and headed back to Korea, visited Busan, moved apartments, started to repaint my apartment, learned a new job and met all my new students, did more shopping, and now... now... I am FINALLY settled in enough to update the blog and all you readers.  Of course, now my internet sucks and I have trouble getting the computer at work to run long enough to do anything effective with it, but I solider on and update the best I can.

I will hopefully be able to add a few before and after pictures of the new apartment on here.  When I moved in it was pretty gross.  It was old, and the paint was stained and chipped, it had ugly decals everywhere, and was just plain dirty.  I started by trying to was the stained woodwork and doors, but the stains just stayed where they were.  I discover an old, rusty, dusty can of paint on a self near my washer and when I opened it up (and accidentally dislodged the dried paint clump sealing a hole in the side of the can) discovered it to be an almost full can of white paint.  After buying some small bottles of paint at the local dollar store, I had my very own paint store at my fingertips.  So I dressed up the apartment by adding bits of color here and there to the doors. It isn't done yet, but It is looking much, much better.  The white paint really freshens up the apartment.

For example, the before, during, and almost done of my bedroom door below:

Also the before and during of the door to my living room (I will add a completed picture when I finish):

I have also discovered the wonderful world of Korean decals.  I used them to add some interest and to cover a door that already had some on it, but the bright red flowers were not really my style...

And in a very, very ugly and falling apart kitchen, which had already been poorly covered in areas with a lovely farmhouse theme stick-on, I again used large decals to freshen it up and to hold the remaining tiles to the wall in some places...

My students will be coming in any moment and that is as far as I have gotten for now.  I will finish up later, and do a post about the area I am living in, a post about the new school, and a post about the Spa Tour I am going on this weekend.  Should be a good, and well deserved, time.

My Little Family In Korea

I think it is time to introduce you all to the little korean family I have put together here.  It consists of me, who you by now already know, Ginger and The Friar.  Lets start with The Friar, as he did come first.

The Friar

This little guy was so cute that I couldn't say no.  I found him when I went with Josh to an exotic pet store near Seoul.  Josh was on a mission to get a snake, which he did, and I was going along to look at all the animals.  When we finally got to the shop, there was rows of tiny turtles in tubs sitting outside the door, as well as a full sized alligator snapping turtle.  We went into the tiny, smelly, dark shop and the first thing I spotted was a raccoon.  Josh walked past it's cage and out shot a little paw to grab his pants.  I was entranced, and when I heard the price amazed.  The little boy who translated for us was just as surprised to hear how common they were back home.  Next to the raccoon was a baby skunk.  I never knew they were so cute.  As Josh looked at the snakes and discussed prices, I wandered the shop looking at the spiders, snakes, lizards, toads, and other creatures.  I went around a tight corner and kicked a tank that was shoved up under the stacks.  And something inside moved.  I pulled it out and inside were 10 little baby hedgies.  

I love hedgehogs, I gave one to a friend once, and these little guys were palm sized and friendly.  I was playing with them when Josh found me.  He had picked out his snake and was getting the tank and other things he needed.... And he took too long.  I was head over heels and missing my pets at home so badly.  The friar was the liveliest and friendliest and tiniest of the bunch.  So I payed the man and brought him back to Josh's where I worried about how I was going to get him back home when the next day meant a four hour bus ride back to Daegu.  Luckily, Hedgehogs don't mind sitting on a bus, and the koreans around me were curious and thrilled with my tiny companion.  

The Friar and I got along great, he ran around my apartment in his bal, ate, and slept, and was actually pretty friendly.  Then he quilled the first time and turned into the grumpiest monster I had ever seen.  But, warm soaking baths and leaving him alone got us through it.    He isn't as tiny now, but is still pretty friendly and loves to poke around the apartment and to tease Ginger.

Ginger

Ginger joined the family kind of suddenly.  A friend of a friend needed to find a home quick for a cat that she was fostering.  This little girl had been living on the streets with her mom and family and was not a fan humans.  The goal was to get her to warm up and to get adopted.  The girl who had her was moving and didn't have the time Ginger needed to get her to open up.  A thirty minute subway ride and Ginger and I met for the first time.  She was huddled in the corner of her cat carrier, unaware of the thirty minute subway ride back to my place she was about to take, or the walk through the rain.

Getting her back to my place, I knew the first thing she would do was hide and not come out for awhile.  I opened up my closet so she would have a place to hide and went to work.  Those first few days were not easy.  She was feral, very.  wanted nothing to do with me and wanted me no where near her.  She would wander the apartment at night crying and begging for affection, but wanted me no where near her.  I waited and stayed away, hoping she would come to me, but after three weeks of this, I had had it.  I opened the closet door and stuck my hand in, holding a very tempting treat... and was shocked when she tentatively took it from my hand and started to purr and even let me scratch her ear a bit before panic took over and she ran.   But, it was a little step that I felt completely thrilled over and brought me back from thinking maybe there was no hope for this little girl.

The next week was a lot of bringing her treats and trying to get her to let me pet her outside of the closet and to come to me on her own.  Then, I made ribs.  She came sniffing around and after a few tastes was rubbing against my legs and begging for pats.  That weekend, she went from not wanting me around to sleeping next to me in bed and since, has been my shadow.  She and the friar still aren't great friends, but she follows him around in his ball and sometimes get brave enough to swat him.  She is still just a foster though and she is still looking for a home of her own.  Next week, she goes in for shots and spaying and a checkup.  While I am back in the states, she will stay with a pet sitter, and so will The Friar.  I am happy to be seeing my own kitties, but I will miss them both a lot.

So that is my new little family.  As I write this, Ginger is snuggled next to me, forcing me to write one-handed because each time I stop petting her she starts to meow.  The Friar is rolling around my feet, fresh from a bath, ready to get back in his cage where his food and some mealworm treats are waiting for him.  All I can saw is, I am very content.