Uh-Oh...MY Bad! ; )

Yes I am slacking in the worst way and no I have no excuse whatsoever!!! Poor me... Anyway, things are good in my life and I really have no complaints. The weather is continuously getting warmer, the Korean kids are still wild as ever, the air in Korea still smells horrid and yes, I am still keepin the wig done!! hehehe!!! Lately, I've been trying out new eating spots and that has worked out great since the food has been scrumptious almost every place I have visited. I ate at this spot called I-Dam and they served Korean dishes that were excellent to the taste. I also tried out the Holy Grill and that menu consists of more westernized food. The other spot is located right here in Gumi and although I knew about it prior to my journey here, I never got the chance to go until a little while ago. Since then, have loved the hell out of it and the people there too!! Luv ya Derrick and Su-ge!!!(spelling...not sure of) Anyway, I'm getting hungry talking about the food spots, so moving on... I'm suppose to be going to Everland and Lotte World before it gets too hot and I'm really excited about that. Kisha, what's that? I'm glad you asked. These are two well known amusement parks located here and many kids go during the summer so I can't wait and i am such a theme park junkie . Check out this website, http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/seoul/403, for more info on Lotte World and this site, http://www.everland.com/htm/MultiLanguage/english/htm/ for Everland. I'm sooooo GEEKED!!!! School is going pretty good also and at this point, we're prepping our kids for a major test they have to take really soon. It's called the PELT exam and I think many of them are in pretty good shape for it but then there are those that really need some extra attention so good luck to them. Hopefully, all of them will do pretty good so keep my kids in your prayers~!!!

Other than that, your word of the day is "kawng-won" and that means "park". Well until next time, be blessed!!!

Life/World Troubles

Hello everyone, I know I've been slacking but I sincerely apologize. Lately I've been thinking about so much stuff to the point where I don't even know what to think, if that makes any sense. First the presidential election, then the recession, then the Olympics and the drama that China is experiencing, the never-ending war, and now my career and individual life!!!! WHEN DOES IT END?!!!!!

As for the election stuff, I'm hoping things start to look up in the near future but of course, who knows how long that will take. Every since BUSH has been in office, it seems as if the economy has gone nowhere but downhill...thanks a lot!!! Oh yeah and thank you sooooo much for the mere $600 to assist. What a crock!!!! I recently returned from China and shortly after, they experienced a devastating earthquake. Talk about scary. The crazy part was, we were actually considering a later date for our trip around the same time the quake took place. I don't know what to even think about that situation right now but my heart goes out to the people. Not only in China, but there was a massive "cyclone" in Myanmar that killed over 22,000 people. What's really going on? I don't know what the world is coming to at this point, but I know it's not good.

I hope the Olympics bring hope to the Asia region and I hope things start to look up for everyone very soon. As for me, I hope when I return to America, things will start looking up my way and I can find a job that will be career status and not something to where I'm starting and finishing as just a gig of some sort.

I know things will start to get better though b/c I serve an awesome God and no matter what, he has all power and he knows what's best for me!!!

As for everybody else, get your house in order b/c tomorrow is not promised and unless you know him for yourself, you can never understand the blessings that he continues to pour upon me and those that he can pour upon you!!! I' m not perfect by far, but I love the Lord and I love the things he does for me!!!!

I truly believe everything happens for a reason and these casualties are a part of the big picture that we need to wake up and see!!!! i do have pics from the China trip, but I've been so desolate at this point that it really didn't bring much joy to talk about them so I'll just post them. Your word of the day is, "para-gonde" and that means "hopeful". God bless!!!

Lately

Ok so I haven't posted in a minute but there really hasn't been anything exciting going on in my world. My kids are crazy as usual but that's nothing new and I've just been studying and working out really. I went to Osan this past weekend and had a great time partying but that's nothing mew either. Just an FYI though, Osan is the place to shop for just about anything foreign related or just for souvenirs. I think that will be where most of my gifts come from. They have lots of clubby spots as well and it's a lot like Yongsan whereas, you don't really have to speak a lot of korean b/c the english is pretty widespread there. On another note, I'm heading to China this weekend. I leave out on Saturday morning and the flight is about an hour and twenty minutes. We're headed to Beijing and the tour includes the Temple of Heaven, the Jade Carving Factory, The Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Pearl Shop, Tianamen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Yashow Market. These are just to name a few and I return on Tuesday so it appears to be pretty jam packed. I'll get more info on this blog for ya when I return. We have a holiday coming up Monday, that's why I get to go on vacation and this day is Children's Day. Check out the link by clicking the title(Lately) for more info on this. This post is brief b/c I have to get ready for work. Your word of the day is, "oreenee" and that means child(ren). Be BLESSED!!!

"BALLIN"...In more ways than one!!!

Hello world out there!!! I'm behind I know but it's all good. Deal wit it!!! So to give you an update on the insane life I'm experiencing out here, listen up:

I last blogged on the 7th and today is the 16th, hmmm, "what has happened?" Ok, so the following weekend I went to Seoul and had a blast!! I went to the Kappa Black and White Ball on the military post and yes I was gorgeous!!! As a matter of fact, gorgeous isn't even the word..I really don't think there is a word...I was "speechless"!!! Ok so I'm a little stuck on myself right now, what can I say...I LOVE ME!!! Anyway, my date was my college classmate and he was pretty handsome too s that made us a great power couple there!!! YEA!!! Anyway, nothing much to that but a great time, an awesome speaker, and great food...Ya girl got steak and chicken!!! No complaints my way!

Moving on, I experienced my first Korean baseball game and talk about excitement!!! You remember how back in the day, the high school football games were all riveting and loud and just straight up crunk when the band was really good?(Well, at my school anyway, back in the day of course) That's how this game was and both teams were pretty good. We cheered for the LG Twins and their opponents were the Doosan Bears. Our team won of course...hehehe!

Anyway, they had the booze, they had the food, they had the mascot, they had the go-go dancers/cheerleaders, and they had us, which made it even better. The pics reveal more. I mean, it was not your typical baseball game in the states. I'v'e been to several Atlanta Braves games and none were as crowd involved as this!!! It was a great time and I was with great people and I plan to go again. As for baseball in Korea, the league is called KBO. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) of South Korea is the country's professional baseball league. It was founded with six teams in 1982 and currently has eight.

The teams are named after the companies or conglomerates which they belong to. They consist of the two I mentioned, Woori Heroes, Kia Tigers, Samsung Lions, Lotte Giants, SK Wyverns, and the Hanwha Eagles. Unlike Major League Baseball in the U.S., but similar to Japan's NPB league, games are limited in the number of extra innings played, and are considered tied if no result eventuates after 12 completed innings. In official standings, tied games are recorded separately, but are not included in the calculation of winning percentages. I found this information pretty interesting so I decided to share. Not only that, but they had the thunder sticks and all!!! I was in rare form at this game and it was the highlight of my trip. So those were my "BALLIN" experiences!!!

Now after all this, we attempted to go on a boat ride...AGAIN on the Han river, but that was unsuccessful once more so we ate dinner and said our good-byes. I did get to experience "pushing" the 63 Building though. Hey Kisha, "what's the 63 Building?" I'm glad you asked. The DLI (Daehan Life Insurance) 63 Building is a skyscraper on Yeouido Island, overlooking the Han River in Seoul. It is the 3rd tallest building in South Korea, the 122nd tallest building worldwide, and is a Korean icon among skyscrapers. 63 of course, refers to the building's 63 official stories, of which 60 are above ground level. In 1985, the 63 Building was the tallest building in Asia; it lost this title to the OUB Centre one year later, but remained the tallest building in South Korea until Mok-dong Hyperion I, Tower A surpassed it in 2002. When I previously said "pushing"I was referring to a way you take the picture that looks as if you're really pushing the building. Check out the pic. Well, that sums up this posting and I'll get back with ya later. As for your word of the day, it's "kawng" and that means ball.

Post Drama=Happiness!!

Yea!!! So this past weekend was a blast and the week went by pretty fast to get there. It began Saturday with me and my girl, Angelica heading up to Seoul. Not for sure if we would even be attending the Ne-Yo concert, we went to get away and just have fun and shop and in the end, it all worked out in our favor..well, maybe except for the boat ride. When we got to Seoul Saturday morning, my intentions were to basically get a dress for a ball I am attending next weekend and finish up some souvenir shopping. The dress encounter was a success and so we continued shopping for everything else. Later that evening, we were suppose to go on a boat ride but unfortunately we missed it and we had to settle for dinner and partying, which kinda balanced out...hehehe!! So we ate dinner at this spot on the street where basically it's set up like hibachi(Japanese) and instead of the workers cooking it, you cook your food yourself and sit around the fire bowl. If you're not familiar with hibachi cooking, LOOK it Up!!! Gain knowledge and try it out if you can!!!!I do!! LOL! I promise you, google is my best friend when it comes to learning about new stuff and old stuff!! Once you learn about it, experience it if you can!!!! WHY?! B/C you only live once...DUUUUHHH!! and why not live life to the fullest?!!

OK so enough with the geek route...after dinner we went to this club called the UN and it's basically a club/bar where foreigners are welcomed with open arms but of course if you're in the military, welcome to hoochie heaven!!! Let's just say some single military men go back home husbands and fathers once visiting here! Not all...Just some! LOL! And this is just one spot of many where this takes place. Overall the night, was great and we past out watching movies at the crib. Sunday morning we woke up hungry so of course that meant lunch/brunch and then more shopping. The concert began at 7:30 so we headed out for that. In route, I managed to to see the Olympic Stadium and other venues associated with the Summer Olympics (1988) in South Korea.

I did a little research on this and found out more info on it and it was actually pretty interesting. I think i'm gonna go back and take more pics at some point to get the full effect b/c I got roadside feedback. We got to the concert and I was in Ne-Yo heaven at that point.

It was great and the performances by him and Sean Kingston were well worth the trip. Check out pics on FaceBook if you have access to my page. Well, to end off the posting I have to provide you with more knowledge and that being your word of the day! It's going to be, "yonjoo-hwe-jang" and that means concert (hall). PEACE!!!!

Drama!!!

Ok so since the last time I posted, I threatened to leave my school, I attempted to go home, and I cried myself to sleep. It was rough this past week and a half. I'll be brief with details but still informative. Just a little background on my school: We have less than 100 students/the students are from a more reserved community/ their parents aren't the richest/there are 5 teachers total(4 english and 1 math and of course, I'm the only foreigner)/ we are limited to school supplies and sometimes I have to make my own purchases for school...no biggy! Anyway, I said that to say these kids sometimes get little attention at home b/c they're never there and they take it out on us, well me of course being that I'm a foreigner. They're in school from sun up to sun down and sometimes it can be pretty rough. That's no excuse for behavior in my opinion but hey, it happens. The reason for my explaining is because I tried to punish a student last week and he hit and kicked me and left me with bruises on my leg. He was being very disrespectful and he tried to defend himself when I put him out my class. It was crazy and that made me very mad. I told the staff I was leaving and I was heading home that next day. That was just unnecessary and the child had no respect for authority. The other crazy part was that his mom came to the school that night and apologized profusely and cried and said she has a hard time controlling him at home as well. I told my co-teacher that's serious and maybe she needs to beat his A$#!!!(that's how we get right anyway!!)She laughed and thought I was joking but I told her I was so serious. Their way of punishing is making the kid stand in the corner, pinching their cheeks, or pulling their ears.....NOT!!! So anyway, the past couple of days were crazy b/c they begged me to stay and they said they didn't want me to go to another school, b/c that would've made them look bad and they really liked me. I talked it over with my boss and he agreed to make some changes so we'll see how these next 30 days go. If no improvement...I'm OUT!!! I've never experienced anything like that in my time of teaching here and in America, but hey, the unexpected happens everyday right?!!! I'm past it now and since then, things have gotten better so hopefully it will continue. Other than that, things have been good socially. There's a concert in Seoul this weekend with Ne-Yo and Sean Kingston but I don't think I'm going. I don't know exactly what I'm doing this weekend but of course I'll find something to get in to. This past weekend I went to Seoul again and hung out with my friends but we just chilled and went to dinner. Oh yeah, I met this guy that's an actor on Korean TV and he's in this drama show that comes on daily. I forgot his name but he was really cute.

Just an FYI to anyone considering teaching overseas: Do your homework, research your company(recruiter) before signing or agreeing to anything, make sure all your contract needs and requests are met and don't settle for stuff that's not accurate, check out other blogs from other teachers' experiences in foreign countries, talk to other foreigners at the school(if any) before you leave, check the stats of the area you're going to be in to ensure safety, and make sure there are no changes to your contract after you arrive. These are just a few pointers, but there is info all on the internet to assist with this. I just thought I'd share some of my dealings. To end the night, your word of the day is, "taw-wa jooseyo" and that means HELP!!!

Pisces Love

An-nyong haseyo!! I just want to spread a little PISCES love to everyone celebrating their birthday around this time. I must admit, I've had my share of gatherings this month for birthdays and it feels great. It's been a pretty good week and my kids seem to be coming along more with their english. I'm heading to Daegu tomorrow to celebrate my soror's birthday so I'm looking forward to that. Just so you know I made the purchase of a lifetime and the gift that I really wanted for my birthday was my guitar. It's a six string acoustic guitar with the electrical option w/ amplifier. I'm so psyched!!!!! I don't really know how to play that well, but before I came to Korea I was working on it so we'll see how much I progress.

Thanks to you tube and other sites, there are videos and other learning material to help me along the way.

The weather is warming up and the Koreans are getting crazier so we'll see what the spring has in store. Maybe I'll get out more and try to open me a bar-b-q spot!! I'll have this place on lock when it comes to good eaten!!! Anyway, your word of the day is, "dwejee gaw-gee" and that means pork. EWWWW!!!!! Holla!!

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!

Life is good and I have no complaints! I recently celebrated my birthday and I must admit, I had more fun then I ever would have imagined. Before I go into all the birthday festivities I have to tell you what happened last week at school and this will be brief...I promise. To begin, one of my co-teachers received a package and it was this little plate that had her phone number on it. I asked her what was she going to do with it and she said she was putting it in her car. Of course I asked why and she responded, "because Korea has such limited parking, when you park somewhere and that spot is reserved, they call you from this number and you have to go move your car. That's why you see all the cars with some sort of contact info in them." I told her, we don't do that where I live. At least I don't and that's why we get towed or booted. She said here, they don't really do that unless it's like really major and the car doesn't have any info in it, but for the most part, they are required to have it and I just found that quite interesting. Ok enough of that.....MY SPECIAL DAY CELEBRATING ME ENTERING THE WORLD!!!! First off, I left to go to Seoul on Thursday night and we began by going to this club called Helio's located in Itaewon. It was great and there were so many people there, of course half of them being military. It was me and and a few of my friends and after that we left to go over a friend's house and the partying continued from there until everyone was too tired to do anything else. On Friday, I had a get together on post in Yongsan and it was even better. All my girls were there and I had this awesome cake that one of my frat brothers got me and we danced and drank the night away, but it didn't stop there either. Keep in mind, I'm being brief with details b/c I would have to write a lot to tell all and I'm not up for it at this point. So Saturday, I went shopping and I bought the birthday gift that I wanted, which was an acoustic guitar and it is so gorgeous. It was purchased with the money I made Friday night, so no complaints there!!! LOL! After shopping, I attended another Mardi Gras party and it was cool. I had lots of fun and it's not even over b/c My sorority sister's birthday is Thursday so we're getting together for that also and I can't wait. I love the month of March!!!! Anyway, all was well and hopefully this weekend will be even better! Pics are on facebook and myspace so email me if you want to check them out. Until next time, your word of the day is, "Seng-eel chooka ham-needa" and of course that means Happy Birthday!!. God bless!

Better Days...

So the last time I wrote I was upset with the weather just a bit, but I must admit it has changed drastically. The days are pretty and the sun is shining, while the nights are a little chilly but soft as ever!!! It's great and I'm feeling better. YEAH!!!! Not only that but my birthday is coming up of course and I don't know if I'm excited at this point or a little homesick. Last year around this time, I was surrounded by the best of people(Ayana, Eboni, Kelli, Nichole, Cabral, and Raven) and I so miss them dearly. This birthday won't be the same without them but I'll make it work. It's actually off to a good start b/c some of my students decided to surprise me and they really got me b/c I started crying!!! I was so happy tonight and they were just shocked at how emotional I was. If they only knew how much I wanted to be home in America!!! It's all good though b/c they are such great kids and they really, really , really made me feel good today, especially w/ the chocolate cake. . .em, em good!!! Let's see now, last week I was a little angry at some of the rug-rats b/c they broke my glasses. That's one thing about Korean kids, they are always playing and they think everything is funny, no matter how serious it is. The little boy that broke my glasses literally just said, "Teacher, teacher, sorry, sorry" and then he went right back to playing like nothing had happened. Of course the Korean teacher had to scold him and call his mom and then she had to have them fixed. It was nothing that major, but still he could have seriously injured me or himself. It's all good at this point and I have new glasses so no worries. I found out recently that Koreans have another special day and it's actually on my birthday.(March 14th) This day in Korea is known as "White Day" and this is when the Korean guys give the girls gifts and candy. So to sum it all up, on Valentine's Day, that's when the GIRLS technically give the gifts and on White day, which is a month later, is when the guys reciprocate and give their gifts and they tend to be more expensive of course.(By all means, merchants love this day as well as Valentine's day!!!) Not only that, but in Korea, they even have a designated date for the single folks, which of course is exactly a month after White day falling on April 14th, and I'll bet you'll never know the name of this day...."Black Day". So if you had love, got love, and then lost love all in a three months time frame between February and April, then you hit the jackpot with all those Korean holidays. Now I don't think that these days originated here(maybe Japan I think), but they sure have been adopted!! Good Luck Lovers!!! As for your word of the day, it's "ke-ee-ku" and that's cake. Peace!

Sick of the weather!!!!!

Ok at some point I would love to be able to wear a t-shirt or or at least a light jacket, but it doesn't appear as if that's happening anytime soon here. This weather is the craziest and I can never determine what to wear b/c of it!!! It's CRAZY!!! At this point, I'm sick and congested to death!! My ears are stopped up, my nose won't stop running, and my vision is slightly blurred....Talk about issues. It could always be worse, so I must stay positive. On another note, all is well at school. The kids are back in public school from a long winter break and hopefully at this point we'll be getting more in the afterschool program now. (which is of course where I work) To help us promote, before school and after school, we pass out packets with our info and the programs we teach.

The kids and parents look over the info of course and then decide whether being a part of our program is something they want to pursue. This is the crazy part though; so we're outside by the school right and Annie says, "Kisha more kids are going to come now b/c they see your pretty face." Then I tell her, "They only see me when I'm at school or walking back and forth to my apartment. Other than that, these kids don't even know what hogwan(private school) I work at." Then she points up and I see this big poster advertisement with a picture of me and some of the kids on it. I couldn't believe it!!! I was cute of course, but I'm thinking we were just taking pictures with the kids b/c we all were in the photos that day. She said she wanted it to be a surprise and it definitely was. I told her I wanted the banner when they took it down. HEHEHE!!! So that was the excitement of my day and I felt very special. It' s good when you have such a positive impact on people and you're doing good things in life. What more can a girl ask for?!! Oh yeah, except for a great birthday present!!! This of course is my birthday month, so hopefully it will be splentastic!!!(new word) It's the 14th and I can't wait...We'll see what's in store! Your phrase of the day is, "odee ka-seemneekka" and that's "where are you going?". Until next time, c-ya!!!

Party Hardy!!!

Ok so I didn't make the K-1 fighting event this past wknd b/c: (1. My girl got sick and we had to babysit her (2. I had so much fun Saturday night, that all I wanted to do was be lazy on Sunday. What a life!!! Anyway, I didn't leave for Seoul until Saturday morning b/c I had to take care of some stuff here in Gumi. I headed to the train station around 12:20 and arrived in Seoul a couple hours later. I had to get my hair done also, so now ya girl has micros and they are so cute!!! I love me some me!! Saturday was a great day b/c we(me and other friends and teachers) were celebrating Lu's bday. Happy bday girlie!!! We had dinner at this nice restaurant in Itaewon called Villa Sortino and I was lucky enough to meet the president of the establishment. It's an Italian joint with lots of great food and wine and the ambiance just provides that extra ounce of romance and warmth any hopeless romantic is looking for. I give it a 4+. Check it out online. www.sortinos-seoul.com. Ok, so after dinner we went to a wine spot called Na-bi's and it was great as well. Very cozy atmosphere also and good CHEAP drinks. The owner there is Carmen and she's a great gal. I had one drink to many, but it didn't stop there. We then went to Monkey Beach which is in Apuchyeong (i think i spelled it right) and it was CRAZY!!! Lot's of people, lots of drinks, lots of dancing. You name it, there was lots of it. hehehe!!! I've provided a small glimpse. So as you can tell, I was not in the best of shape for Sunday afternoon and probably would not have made it the whole night. Your word of the day is "chupta" and that means cold.