Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays to all and a prosperous new year!!! All is well my way of the world and grateful to share another Christmas with you. I haven't blogged in a while and so I'm back in full effect today. So what's been going on you might ask....I think my last blog was on the 18th and of course that following day I was off, so I went shopping in Daegu with some friends and it was cool. I bought a scarf that was really cute and that was about it. I did eat good though. We ate at Subway and I had a turkey sandwich and it was great! No complaints there!! I didn't really do anything this weekend except go to dinner with other teachers and we did the routine bowling meet on Sunday which I must say was great b/c I scored over 100 this time and I almost got a turkey!! (for those non-bowlers that's 3 strikes in a row) I am getting ready to head back to Seoul this weekend for New Year's so I'm very excited about that. I'm going to two parties and this candle ceremony prior to the partying. Oh yeah, since one of the teachers are leaving I've found out that it's a little tradition to eat at this buffet place that we all so love and that's what we did this past Saturday and it was really nice, so hopefully I'll be experiencing that in about 10 months...right?!! Since it's cold season in Korea, some of the Koreans have a courtesy method of wearing face masks when they're sick to assist with not spreading illnesses. Being that I was unaware of this at first, I didn't know whether to take offense to it or to accept it. I asked one of the teachers about it and that's what she told me they did. Since Koreans don't believe in staying home when they're sick, this is one way they cope along with drinking plenty of homemade concoctions consisting of some of everything...TRUST ME!! I've tried it. Tea mixed with a whole bunch of other stuff. So finding that out, the more I saw people with the masks on, the more I felt as is they were doing me a courtesy and not trying to make me more sick...WHEW!! At this point, I'll post a few more pics, but if you want to check out more, go to my myspace page at www.myspace.com/anjelcat. Other than that, take care and may God bless!!! Your phrase of the day is, "yojum otdo-ssumneekka" and that means, "How are things?"

"An-nyong haseyo"

hello there viewers of my blog and welcome to another post! Just so you know it's Tuesday here in Korea and tomorrow(Wednesday, December 19th) is a holiday(election day) so yea!!!! I'm off. Another chillaxin day for me. Just to give u a bit of info on Korean holidays, here they officially follow the Gregorian calendar, though some holidays are based on the lunar calendar. During the official holidays, offices and banks are closed but palaces, museums, most restaurants, department stores, and amusement facilities are open. Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) are most important traditional holidays for Koreans. Millions of people visit their hometowns to celebrate with their families during these periods. On Seollal, Koreans hold a memorial service for their ancestors and perform sebae, a formal bow of respect to their elders as a New Year’s greeting. Ok, so that's your education piece for today. On another note, today was my official last day at my other school and I did have my camera this time but no performance. :( It's ok though, we still took pics. I also went bowling on Sunday when i got back from Seoul with some of the foreign teachers and that was a hilarious night. Check out some of the pics on my myspace page. Anyway, I'm about to go do Karaoke so I will c-ya later!!! No word of the day b/c I'm running late!! Bye!

Weekend in Seoul

This past weekend was great! Talk about relaxation and good eatin. I went to Seoul to visit some friends and we ended up doing a lot. When I first got there, I went to Starbucks and got me a caramel macchiato.(it was off the chain by the way!!) While I was there, I met another foreigner and her name was Melissa. She was from Chicago and she was quite friendly so of course I met a new buddy!! YEA! Once my friends arrived, we went and ate at Outback and then tried to find a place to stay b/c none of us lived in Seoul. So we did that and decided to go on the military post(through another one of my friends I've known over 6 years, it's funny how we see each other in Korea!) to pick up some stuff and go bowling. We ended up staying on post all night b/c after bowling, we went to this bar to shoot pool and while we were there, they were having a birthday party and we decided to crash it!! It was cool, drinks were great and I met some new people of course. So we left there around 12:30am and headed in b/c we were tired. The next morning, we got up and went shopping. I was looking for another thicker,winter coat and also a dress b/c there's a new year's eve bash we're going to and I gotta be cute. I also wanted to get my hair done, so another chic put me on this shop there where they could take care of me. I go back in two weeks....Yea!!! I saw several coats that I wanted but I didn't get any that day. I didn't see a dress that stood out gorgeous to me so I have to check on that when I go back. After shopping, we went and looked at the Korean War Memorial and it was amazing. I don't have good pics from that, so I'm gonna go back again and check it out. That was the highlight of the trip b/c if you don't know the history behind the separation of North Korea and South Korea, you should definitely check it out. I have a new found interest in war history now and that's crazy!!! Why can't we all just get along.....? I love PEACE and I love FUN!!! So with that being said, my new adaptation for the world is PEACEFUL FUN!!! Although it will probably never take place, that's my little world that I will live in from time to time... your word of the day is, "ballee" and that means quickly. That's what the taxi drivers tell us when we take forever to get in. LOL!!! "ballee, ballee"

Yea....it's Friday!!!

That's what I'm talkin bout and it couldn't have gotten here any faster!!!! Whoo-hoo! Good week, nothing major, and it's still cold to death. Today my kids prepared me a little parting gift and ceremony b/c they're going on winter break from December 21st until February 2nd. Don't trip b/c in the states we get 3 months summer vacation whereas they get about 2 weeks, if that-- so it kinda evens out throughout the year. The bad part is, I didn't take my camera to the school(silly me) this time and my camera phone is a little bootleg. Anywhew, just wanted to tell the world how proud I was and it hasn't even been three months...gotta love me! I have attached some school pics but not any from today...my bad! :( Well I gotta pack b/c I'm heading out tomorrow and I can't wait to see what I get into this weekend...hmmmm!

tired as hell...

Today was very long and I'm drained for the most part. I ordered food in versus cooking b/c I was that tired. I took a brief nap but I felt I needed to post something so of course now I'm up. I dyed my hair last night and it came out ok. Nothing major just a hint of a purplish red tone. It was cute on the box so I just knew it would be cute on me!! LOL! Although I couldn't understand anything on the box for mixing the contents, I took my chance and luckily, my hair hasn't fallen out.(knock on wood!) At this point, I'm trying to extend my network of friends here b/c based on many other blogs, there seems to be many foreigners here and u know me...always being the social butterfly. So that's my goal over the next couple of weeks...meet new people and learn more about Korea. Short post tonight b/c I want to get back in the bed! Your word of the day, "seep-ee-wol" and that means December. Be blessed and good night!

Crazy Day

Ok so yesterday at work the one Korean chic that I am close to and speaks the best english tells me that she is leaving. I'm like ok where are you going? She tells me her last day is the 21st and I'm like "what". She says that our director doesn't need her anymore and she has to leave(of course it's more to it than that, but I left it there). I told her that's crazy and something was up and it didn't seem right. Whatever the case, it scared me and I'm like ok now I have to be on my p's and q's even more. Damn, I thought the states was the only corrupt workforce...NOT!!! We'll keep in touch though b/c she's really cool and she put me on a lot of stuff here so I gotta keep my connects! This was suppose to be posted yesterday but I was pretty busy with other stuff...my bad! this was my drama for yesterday but I didn't think it would be this crazy...but hey, that's LIFE! She's cool with it though and she's very skilled so it's not like it would be hard for her to get on anywhere else. Besides, most Koreans want to learn english and trust...they will pay! On another note, I went grocery shopping and got a lot of chicken and corn. They don't really do the canned veggies here, from what I can tell, so I didn't get lucky there but I did get some fresh veggies like broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini. I love me some zucchini!!! I think I'll cook some chicken stir fry on Thursday!! Well stay tuned for a later update and we'll see what today has in store. Word of the day, "chesaw" and that means vegetables. Holla!

Interesting...

Yesterday was a lazy day, so no new post...yeah, yeah I know disappointing right?! Well it's ok I got good stuff today. So why was I walking to work right, and what I thought may have been an apartment fire was something totally different. I experienced my first "korean apartment move" today. I asked my co teacher about it at work and did you know that Koreans move out of their window versus moving out the front door. I'll let the pic explain. Basically, It's like an extended conveyor belt that transports a majority of the heavy items out the window. Talk about easy access!! This is nothing like what I did in the US when I moved. UHAUL was my best friend along with that thing called a "dolly or handtruck" (I think that's what it's called). Anyway that was my excitement for today. I went shopping earlier and I got a great deal on some winter shirts that I desperately needed. Trust me, my winter attire is not fit for Korea. I had to make some serious adjustments and investments! LOL! I'm still getting over my cold so I'm just taking it easy and not trying to be out as much if I don't have to. Besides, work pretty much wears u out during the week anyway. I think tonight I'm going to microwave some leftover chicken from yesterday, watch CSI and take it in early after some warm tea. Until next time, your word of the day is, "tak-gaw-gee" and that's what I'm eating...chicken!

Amazingly Beautiful!

Today was awesome. Sick and all, I had a great time. The trip was short, the weather was great and the temple was just AMAZING!! If you ever come to Korea you must check this out and be sure to bring your camera. Ok here we go with details and pics...Bulguksa is a Buddhist temple in the North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is home to seven National Treasures, including Dabotap and Seokgatap stone pagodas, Cheongun-gyo (Blue Cloud Bridge), and two gilt-bronze statutes of Buddha. It is currently the head temple of the 11th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. That's just brief info but you can do your own research. Everything was just really sacred-like and if you're not familiar with Buddhism you wouldn't understand how the Koreans(and others who practice) express their faith and their belief in such a coveted affair. There were moments where we couldn't take pics out of respect for the ceremonial prayers and the worship hall itself. I took a lot of pics though so please enlighten yourself. I experienced a moment of prayer also with the stacking of the stones. By this I mean, behind some of the prayer halls were areas where people stack stones in prayer to bring good life, good health, etc. to themselves and others. I thought it it was pretty cool. Prior to the temple visit we had lunch and I had this oven baked spaghetti that tasted like crap...Hard noodles, bland sauce and basically worse than a microwave dinner...and get this, it was like $6. Could've had some eel that tasted better than that. Oh yeah, I also meant to tell you about the mounds. On these pics, these mounds are burials of emperors and rulers that have held previous rule over areas of South Korea. They are all over the different provinces, but this was my first time being able to capture it b/c I'm normally on a bus when I see them. The double mounds are the ruler and the ruler's spouse. Quite cute..eh! After the trip we headed back home and now I'm about the get dinner and read some stuff online. Hopefully next weekend I'll make it to Seoul and do some more touring and shopping of course....stay tuned... In the meantime, your word of the day is "cheecho-ssumneeda". That means I'm exhausted and guess what? I really am. Goodnight! MUAH!

Arrgh!

Ok so it's Friday night and I feel like "ddong"(that means "poop") b/c I'm sick. It's getting colder and I am not up for this weather. The kids did all the talking today b/c I wrote on the board, "Teacher can't talk...she's sick" and they all smiled and said "GAME!!" FYI: Korean kids love to learn and play new english games. Remember that involvement I was telling you about??!! Anyway, so I tell my co-teacher that I'm sick and she suggests that I go to the doctor and get a shot...HA! She must be out her mind....I'll deal with it b/f I let Doc Korea shoot me up the butt! I did go to the market/store and picked up some ginger honey tea and it's off the chain!!! It's not your typical tea though, it's homemade. I snapped a pic of course. (u know me and the pics). Oh yea, the place I shop is like this foreign Wal-mart. It's called Lotte-Mart and you can get everything there. One-stop shop ya dig! :) So far the tea is working wonders for my throat and I'm feeling better already! It(the tea) actually has pieces of ginger in it!!!-Thanks Cabral. Tomorrow I head out to the temple I told you about and the bus ride is about 1 1/2 hrs. (IPOD time!!) I can't wait b/c it's supposedly one of the oldest temples in South Korea and it's like a major birthplace of Buddhism. So I'll update u on that tomorrow night. I'm off Christmas day but I have to work the day before and after which sucks! :( It's ok though b/c the lunar year is what Koreans mostly go by and I will take vacation from the 28th until Jan. 2nd. I'm gonna try to go somewhere but we'll see what happens. That's it for now and I'm gonna get some rest. The word(s) of the day is "Meree Kureesumasu" and of course that means what...Merry Christmas!!!

Colder than a polar bear's toe nails...oh yeah!

Today was very cold and my hands felt as if they would fall off. I don't get it... It's 20-30 degree weather and the kids walk around in flip flops!! Another culture factor! Anyway, to give you more on that, the food of choice is mostly pork as previously stated but if you ever come to Korea, just know at some point you will eat kimchi(spicy pickled vegetables), bap(boiled rice), and pulgogi(barbecued beef w/ rice). Most of it's pretty good if you like spicy food, but as I stated before, you have to be open to new stuff.(VERY) Oh yeah and as far as the food...very cheap and you get a whole lot..Burger King and McDonald's ain't got nothin on the buffet style meals you get for under $4. Take that to the states....! It was so crazy, I even tried a bug...talk about "Fear Factor" in effect! :) I think that's enough on food for now...I'm getting hungry! About my apartment, just to let you know there are no separate showers or tubs in most apartments unless they're more modern. If u look at the pic of my bathroom, I shower right there in front of my sink and there's a drain at the bottom of the floor, That's why the floor is tiled out like that...crazy eh?! Just wanted to throw that in. For the most part when I got here, I thought I would experience a lot of racial tension based on what I was previously told and thus far, everyone has been quite generous and of course if you're unfamiliar with the language, u never know what's being said so besides that, I'm probably being called everything but a child of GOD! LOL! I don't pay it any attention if that's the case but always keep your guard up...u neva know(DON'T DO mE!!!). Needless to say, everybody is not always out to bash the black sista or brotha but it's not just in Korea so keep that in mind before saying things. On to another topic, today I made a word find for my kids and they seemed to love it! The kids enjoy being involved and for the most part if it's just listening and repeating english phrases...give it up...THEY HATE IT! U have to get them involved b/c attention spans are very short, but of course that's with any kid after 8 hours of school prior. Well geesh, I thought my posting today would be shorter but it seems to be just as long...my bad! CSI is about to come on and I need to cook my shrimp so I'm gonna make like a tree and leave....get it! Lame joke I know and I don't even know if I said it right...who cares! Word of the day-"kamsa-ham-needa" It means thank you. Holla Oh yeah a pic of a typical $4 meal attached

the beginning

Okay so today begins my official blogging and no I'm not promising everyday, just mostly adventurous stuff and who knows what else. Let's see where to start...ah the beginning! I arrived in Korea Monday, November 12, 2007 and I left Atlanta, Georgia not really knowing what I was getting myself into. (I'm known to just do stuff and not really think twice about it!) Not a lot of prepping went into this teaching abroad idea but I was dealing with a financial strain and my hustlin was slowly coming to an end. Anyway, that's the background info and here I am. I flew into Incheon Airport(about 15 hours by the way) located in Seoul,where I had to take a connector flight into Daegu(another hour). Once in Daegu I traveled by bus for 30 minutes to my destination. When I got to my apartment I didn't know what to expect but let's just say I was open minded. Yea!!! It wasn't bad at all...very spacious if I might add :) I've attached photos for your viewing pleasure. That was the home aspect and now moving on to work...Tuesday was my day of observation and then it was to the playing field on Wednesday. My class size range from 2 students to 11 at the most. This is at the "hogwan" of course (hogwan being private school) and I also work at two elementary schools in the mornings on M, T, Th, and F. So my schedule for work is 9:20-12:20(elem. schools) and then at the hogwan 3:20-8:30. Not too bad and I must say, I love the money so I'm not complaining. Weekends...Let Loose! This will probably be my longest post since I got a late start but hey, it's good reading....RIGHT! So far on the weekends I go shopping downtown Gumi...Oh my bad, Gumi city is where I'm located...Map it! Anyway, I go shopping and since I've been here to give you some of the culture info, a lot of Koreans practice Buddhism, they don't accept tips b/c they're providing a service to you, the cheapest beer you can get and what most Koreans drink is Soju...I'm not a beer drinker so don't ask. What else, oh there are some gorgeous temples in the area and you will have pictures to come on that, most english teachers pick up private lessons(although they're not suppose to...it's against the law if caught), Koreans love PORK...ewww!, um most of the kids have school from sun up to sundown and I really mean sundown like 9 and 10 o'clock at night, then home. That's CRAZY!!! I'm sure I'll think of more stuff but right now that's all. oh yeah, of course everything is mad cheap for the most part and Seoul is the melting pot for foreigners. They cater to the military people A LOT!!! The Korean money is the won and compared to the US dollar....$1000 won is almost equivalent to $1.00 USD. I'll tell you more about the money also later. Anyway, just wanted to put something in the post to give you an idea so stay tuned....I'm heading to bed now and the word of the day is "an-nyong haseyo" . That means hello and it's basically the standard greeting. Check out my apt. and some of my kids!