Korea. You win. I am throwing up the white flag. And I would also like to add a FUCK YOU. Wish I could think of stronger words to curse you, but I am exhausted from fighting for what I believe is morally right and what I rightfully deserve after signing my life away. But Toto, we're not in America anymore.
For anyone who wants to work in South Korea as an English teacher, make sure you seal all the cracks so that your employer can't find loopholes to screw you over. Even when you think you've got it all covered, always keep your guard up. Teaching in Korea was definitely a wake up call.
When I worked as an English teacher at an Eikaiwa in Japan, the contract was straight forward and perfect. All i's were dotted and t's were crossed. But of course, being the paranoid person that I am, I was still very cautious and made sure that when I got sucked into an interview during my break time, I was given extra time the next day or I was able to leave work early even if it was just 10 minutes. They were straight forward about paid vacations and sick days. There were no ifs ands or buts about any of it. That is how it should be. Korea needs to get over Takeshima/Dokdo and learn a thing or two from Japan.
Well, those of you were willing to lend an ear while I worked at the hagwon in Seoul, you know that I practically got fucked in the ass. I'm sorry. That's gross, but that's pretty much what it was. Every chance that my director got, she took money from me. Not only that, but where I lived for a year was embarrassing, and she should be ashamed of herself for taking advantage of foreigners. And the nerve of her crying about where her daughter lived whiled she went to school in Canada. There was no front yard for her to play in? I'd like to be able to take a shower separated and away from my toilet, please. If this was America and she ran that business of hers, she would be accused of human trafficking. Instead of sex, she worked us as English speaking slaves.
When it came to family who came to visit, I got "Well, Korean teachers don't have family days." Well, no shit Sherlock. Their family fucking lives in Korea!!! If you say I get personal days, then give me my fucking personal days. Japan wouldn't pull shit out of their asses to coerce us to work and never get personal days.
And to top off my oh so wonderful experience there, she decides to take some of my deposit money for the typhoon day that I didn't make up for because the make up day was AFTER my contract was over. I didn't care anymore. She can scrounge up and take 100 bucks from me. As long as that bitch leaves me alone and doesn't fuck with me anymore, I just honestly didn't care what money she tried to scam from me. Kharma is a bitch. I love visiting the school just to see how shitty it has gotten since I left.
And now, the reason why I raise the white flag to Korea... I didn't want to give up just yet after the hagwon. I thought since I worked at a hagwon, it's practically centered on making money instead of educating the kids, that's why it's so corrupt and ridiculous. But then I thought, well, that's how it is for eikaiwas in Japan. The more students the more money. And in order to get more students the quality of teaching has to show improvements and has to show them quick. So, then I thought maybe it's just this lady who is money hungry and doesn't give a shit about her employees. BUT NOW, what I think is, Korea only thinks about Korea. And Korea wants to excel and be an awesome, smart, rich country. And because I am a foreigner, who gives a fuck. I am disposable. Changeable. Replaceable. Thanks Korea for making me feel this way.
Well, Korea. In order to be awesome, smart and rich, you gotta quit cutting corners. Quality over quantity. Gotta build a good foundation because if you build shit over more shit... All you're left with is a big pile of shit.
I am currently at a public school, which I love. I love my coworkers and students. I love the curriculum a lot more than the hagwon I taught at. I don't have to drill things into these kids' heads over and over again and zoom through it quickly. I just have to make English fun and entertaining, so that I can trick them into liking and registering English into their brains. There is no pressure, and I can enjoy teaching the students. I would even stay another year at this school if it weren't for personal reasons that are calling me home.
But the problem, the reason why I can't stay at this public school is the contract. I feel that because it changes so often and that it's so vague, there is so much gray area that it could confuse your employer and in the end screw you over. That's if you are lucky like me and get hired by honest hard working people who just like you can't decipher the contract after reading it the first hundred times. There are some situations where people aren't as lucky as me, and it just brings me back to Korea self-centered and all about face.
Korea, it's not okay to use the contract to your own benefit. It is a mutual agreement between two parties. And this might sound too rainbow and butterflies, I am not delusional! I just don't get what's so hard about being honest hard workers. You do your job. We do our job. Don't twist the words in order to beat us down with it. It's not nice! And I really don't think you can grow as a country if you keep this up! I believe in karma. And once upon your ancestors, y'all did, too!
The issue I am having now is pertaining to my paid leave. I get a total of 20 days, but 15 days were magically used. The school was unsure on how to process certain days, and because the system is in Korean, I trusted the school in processing it accordingly to what I thought was supposed to happen. Which is another thing I'd like to bring up to Korea... Maybe it should be in ENGLISH for the ENGLISH teachers. I wouldn't be in the predicament that I am in now if it was in English, and I could fill out the leave form myself.
Well, now, it's too late to turn back time and fix the problem. Cause that's the only way to fix it. Even though it was an honest mistake on their part, they can't fix it now. Which leaves me with two choices. Rescheduling my flight and pay a fee for it OR paying for my vacation days that were rightfully mine to begin with.
I am so thankful for my coteacher and vice-principal who tried to figure out different ways to fix the problem. And I'm sorry that I brought up the issue again and brought my GEPIK coordinator into this. I had to try everything I can.
However, I would like to say FUCK YOU to the former principal and current principal for not having a heart and fixing the mistake that the former principal made. Why would the former principal care anyways? He got the fuck out of this old fashioned school and moved on just like majority of the staff in this school. Who does he care about? Himself.
Korea is filled with too many selfish people. Too many that I can't stay here any longer because it doesn't make me feel good to be around people like that. I like the neighbor friendly Japanese or the southern hospitality in Texas. There is only a handful that I've met personally that I feel like are good-hearted folk. Men here are awful unfaithful assholes. Directors who own schools that teach little children are selfish money hungry assholes. People on the buses and trains are pushy, bitchy assholes. People trying to sell you things in markets are also pushy, bitchy assholes. Taxi cab drivers are lying cheating assholes who take you on the scenic route. I get the picture Korea. You are not welcoming at all towards foreigners. Well, then quit trying to BE foreign by wearing foreign brands, driving foreign cars, watching foreign films, learning foreign languages, vacationing in foreign countries and getting plastic surgery to look foreign with straight pointy noses and big eyes. You can TRY to look pretty and classy on the outside, but if you're not like that on the inside then what's the point?
I feel horrible for badmouthing Korea because it's home to friends I have made and have grown to really like but this is from the point of view of a foreigner who has lived in Korea for a year and eight months who has had an open mind and an open heart, and a girl can take so much.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
네! 네! 선생님!
Sigh. Warning. There will be some sappiness in this entry.
Today, I had surprise visitors at my school today. They were two boys I used to teach last year when they were in the sixth grade. It was a major surprise. Because if you saw these rugrats that I taught last year, you would never think that they would come with a smile on their face and some sort of Korean vitamin drink in their hand.
Let's flash back a bit. I came to this elementary school in the middle of the school year. How bad can it be? Well, it was pretty bad. Teaching these sixth graders was extremely stressful! I don't know if it's because of ME or my coteacher or the students and their I'm-too-cool-to-be-in-school attitudes, but I dreaded Wednesdays and Thursdays. I would actually do a happy dance when I found out class was cancelled. ME!!! I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVE TEACHING! I was so ashamed of myself for feeling such feelings. It's just... I was stumped. The kids wouldn't participate. They would half ass all their worksheets. I tried making fun and engaging games and activities, and they all flopped. They just didn't give a damn about learning English. Not all of them felt that way, but if the cool kids in class felt that way, you wouldn't hold a flag saying "I LOVE ENGLISH!"and parade around the class. Thirteen is a rough age. So, I didn't take it to heart. Goodness. It was like pulling teeth to finish their English textbook, but we got there! Overall, the students were good at doing the work that was needed to be done. They were definitely not overachievers.
However, it was different outside of class. The girls were fun to talk to. They always kept me up to date with what was cool (I'm still not into Teen Top... BIG BANG FTW!!!) and they even let me in on gossip. Teehee. They would actually defend me when the boys were mean to me. These boys are GIANTS! Some are taller than me! Some are bigger than me! The boys would always pick on me and call me names. They would gang up on me! Attack me with SNOW! I felt like I was in middle school all over again!!! BUT the girls let me in on their secret. They told me that the boys actually like me and they think I'm perdy! HAHAHA! But still. NOT COOL!
So, why am I surprised that these two boys from my living nightmare came to visit me even though they think I'm perdy? Well, I felt like I failed as a teacher to these kids. I could have done so much more for them, but I just couldn't figure it out. I have girls that I used to teach come and visit me quite a few times since they started middle school, but the girls are nicer and understanding. The boys were like a wall. A BRICK ONE!
But today, today was a good day. One of the students that came was actually one of the boys who yelled at his friends for being punks when they kept trying to throw snow at my face. I could always count on him to answer my questions when their were crickets in the classroom. These sixth graders were a tough crowd. The second kid... MAN. He was one of the tough kids. Didn't know a lick of English. He had one of the worst tempers in the classroom. But I will always remember his super cute alligator pencil bag that he had tied and dragged around like a pet. I would confiscate when he played with it, but it was only because I wanted to play with it. Muahaha!
And to top off the day of wonderfulness was another former student I saw. I turned the corner to walk towards the bus stop and felt a tap on my shoulder. I thought it was a stranger who picked up something I dropped, but it wasn't. It was another boy that I used to teach in one of the four nightmarish classes from last year. Usually, when I run into a former student they pretend like they don't know me. But this one went out of his way and had the courage to tap me on the shoulder and talk to me. Just small talk. Catching up on life. Which is pretty impressive. And when I waved goodbye, he wanted a high five! It was a nice a high five. That really got to me.
I am so thankful for all the amazing experiences I have had so far here in Korea. And I don't know if it's because I feel like it's almost the end to this chapter or maybe it's these girly hormones, but I am so happy today that it has brought me to tears. I have made an impact in these kids' lives. I don't know how big... but some sort of impact that gets these kids coming back to talk to me when they don't have to. And THAT is what I've always wanted... still want... will always want... when I decided to become a teacher. I want to be a teacher that makes a difference in a kid's life. I just didn't know if I could do it. And I think I have. And it feels great.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Once Upon a Time
[[Image stolen from: maily_tran. Hope you don't mind. ;)]]
I'm no princess, and there wasn't a prince who asked me to marry him. Let's just say I ran away from the typical dating scene back home because I am not emotionally available for any of that. And to be honest it scares the living shit out of me. So, I guess in a way by packing up my things and moving abroad I am saying "no" to all the potential boys. 미안!~
Am I living happily every after running away from home? Hell the fuck yeah! Living abroad in Japan and Korea have been such great experiences. I've traveled around the two countries and to other countries and talk about culture shocks. I've met such amazing people throughout the past couple of years. Being away from my family who cradle me in their arms, I've learned to deal and live on my own (for the most part). Oh, but Facebook and video chatting with family and friends at home sure did help keep me sane on this side of the world.
"She hooked up with some cute guys and nobody thought she was a slut." Uhhh... Well, let's just say I had my fair share of hotties with bodies here in Korea. ㅋㅋㅋ. Korea definitely has my vote for cuties versus Japan. Sorry, Japan. However, dating in Korea is very challenging as a foreigner. From all the trial-and-errors, the results have been the same. They're all 씨발놈s. I probably just have bad luck. So, I've come to realize that I need to go back home to do the whole dating thing... when I'm ready that is.
My motto (or Rocko's): You just do you and Umma do me! Hahaha! I've been teaching and preaching to friends who stress out about silly boys that they need to take care of their number one and that is themselves. In the far future, there will be a husband and possible children to take care of... It's hard to put yourself first then. Might as well be shellfish now. :3 (or find a man who puts you first... whatever...)
This image I found on instagram (thanks to Lily) made me happy. I've been all about fairy tales and happily ever afters, but I'm not really down with the whole damsel in distress and prince charming coming to the rescue. I'm tired of waiting, and plus I'm a bit of a control freak who likes to take care of things myself. I like this more realistic "once upon a time." I feel like this one was written for me. Except that I've went to Kpop concerts instead of rock concerts. And making tons of money? My teacher salary is somewhat enough to fund my travels and shopping habits... I could use more... And I don't know if my family and friends think I'm fucking cool as hell. Teehee!
Just wanted to share this picture and my thoughts because ladies... You don't need to make him a damn sandwich.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Baby, it's cold outside... but I got my electric blanket. So... GO HOME..
Although the snow has melted away, it is still way too cold for this Texas girl. I'm spending the rest of this evening nestled nicely in my bed with my electric blanket I purchased from Don Quijote in Tokyo last winter. And perhaps... the warmth will make the icy cold blues go away. What is it with winters? And yet, it's still my favorite season. I'm seriously a masochist.
Today has got me thinking about life.
It's election day in South Korea, and I didn't have work. I didn't know what to do with myself. I had things planned, but what does a girl do when plans don't follow through? Especially plans that I have been anxiously anticipating. What did I learn from this? Don't depend on anyone but myself. It's not the first time. It's not the first person. It's the worst when it's not the first time with the same person. And that's when you wonder, is it not meant to be? I know. A bit dramatic.
But it's ok. Time is precious, and I always have something planned that I can be in complete control of. Well, as much as possible of course. Control freak? Perhaps. But what I've learned in the past is that you can't always depend on others. The only person you can always count on is yourself. So, you do you, and Imma do me.
So, what is it that I did today? If you didn't already see my FB pictures I posted, I went back to my old hagwon that I worked at. I knew it was going to happen. I had to fight back tears when I saw my little ones. I walked upstairs to the classrooms, and the first stop was D class. And I got the exact reaction I wanted... and needed. Hugs and kisses and "I love you"s. But, C class didn't react how I wanted. I felt a little betrayed. And a few minutes later, I was ambushed. It's a such a comforting feeling, and I really needed it. As a teacher, you know you're doing something right when four months of not seeing each other doesn't change anything. You can feel the love and appreciation from your students.
My favorite was the little girls coming to me as if they had a big secret to whisper to me. And what is their secret? "I love you, Mimi Teacher." My heart melted. The way the girls linked arms with me and rested their heads on my arm to tell me "I miss you, Mimi Teacher" just broke my heart. Mister boogies clung onto me with his surprising death grip. Every picture I took had him photo bombing, and he was the one who never smiled and hated taking pictures before! And my future little Kpop star, troublemaker scurrying out of special class every five minutes to sit with me... I told him it is okay, but only for one minute. He tells me, "No, 100 minutes. I want to be with Mimi Teacher." My little spazz who I didn't get a chance to say good-bye to came back with his parents in the afternoon for a parent-teacher conference. While his parents were in a conference, we played Angry Birds Space. He got comfortable in my arms, and rested his foot on my leg that's crossed over my other leg. Lots of emotions today.
I didn't just get love from my students, but I got love from all the other students who I taught activities class and students I've never even taught. I also got love from the group of helper teachers. Asking if I lost weight of course... Telling me I am "예뻐요" and in return, I tell them they are pretty, too. There's the one helper teacher fighting off the other teachers who try to hug me... And she tells them "내꺼야." They are like my mothers away from home.
Do I regret leaving the hagwon I worked at my first year here in South Korea? Sometimes.
Would I change my decision? NO.
Would I go back to work there again? Maybe, if the director wasn't such a swindler.
What is the point of this blog entry? I just want to express my appreciation for the love and care from the students and teachers at the previous school I worked at. I've always felt like I kind of abandoned them since I left them in the middle of the school year, but I refuse to work for someone who I cannot trust. I kept doubting myself this morning when I woke up. Do I have work? Election day? I felt like the current public school I am working at was tricking me and could possibly stab me in the back and dock my pay. Scarred? Yeap. By the director of the hagwon.
Do I not love the students and coworkers I work with now? Of course I love them, but it's different. The hugs and kisses I get from the babies are wonderful and give me warm and fuzzy feelings. Third, fourth, fifth and definitely sixth graders don't give me hugs and kisses. They're the tough love crowd. But I absolutely love it when they burst into song and serenade me with 2NE1's "I Love You" song. However, it does get lonely in the coworker department. I don't have the group of native English teachers and Korean teachers who speak English. And that's what brings me back to me expressing my appreciation for the hagwon I worked for.
To get flaked on repeatedly by someone who I thought was a friend is not a good feeling. And what's worse? Having something that took a lot of preparation and not being able to do what was planned. And being the control freak that I am... I freaked out. And this is where I draw the line. I do not feel appreciated for the effort, the thought, the sincerity, the feelings... I have put into this one person. And there it goes. The realization that I am putting my eggs into a basket that has a hole in it. I've been skeptical for the past 16 months here and thought this time it was going to be different. I need to not be such a hopeless romantic. Someone recently told me something that I have been thinking about a lot. "Learning to love someone good for you is better than loving someone who is bad for you." 나쁜 놈.
Today has got me thinking about life.
It's election day in South Korea, and I didn't have work. I didn't know what to do with myself. I had things planned, but what does a girl do when plans don't follow through? Especially plans that I have been anxiously anticipating. What did I learn from this? Don't depend on anyone but myself. It's not the first time. It's not the first person. It's the worst when it's not the first time with the same person. And that's when you wonder, is it not meant to be? I know. A bit dramatic.
But it's ok. Time is precious, and I always have something planned that I can be in complete control of. Well, as much as possible of course. Control freak? Perhaps. But what I've learned in the past is that you can't always depend on others. The only person you can always count on is yourself. So, you do you, and Imma do me.
So, what is it that I did today? If you didn't already see my FB pictures I posted, I went back to my old hagwon that I worked at. I knew it was going to happen. I had to fight back tears when I saw my little ones. I walked upstairs to the classrooms, and the first stop was D class. And I got the exact reaction I wanted... and needed. Hugs and kisses and "I love you"s. But, C class didn't react how I wanted. I felt a little betrayed. And a few minutes later, I was ambushed. It's a such a comforting feeling, and I really needed it. As a teacher, you know you're doing something right when four months of not seeing each other doesn't change anything. You can feel the love and appreciation from your students.
My favorite was the little girls coming to me as if they had a big secret to whisper to me. And what is their secret? "I love you, Mimi Teacher." My heart melted. The way the girls linked arms with me and rested their heads on my arm to tell me "I miss you, Mimi Teacher" just broke my heart. Mister boogies clung onto me with his surprising death grip. Every picture I took had him photo bombing, and he was the one who never smiled and hated taking pictures before! And my future little Kpop star, troublemaker scurrying out of special class every five minutes to sit with me... I told him it is okay, but only for one minute. He tells me, "No, 100 minutes. I want to be with Mimi Teacher." My little spazz who I didn't get a chance to say good-bye to came back with his parents in the afternoon for a parent-teacher conference. While his parents were in a conference, we played Angry Birds Space. He got comfortable in my arms, and rested his foot on my leg that's crossed over my other leg. Lots of emotions today.
I didn't just get love from my students, but I got love from all the other students who I taught activities class and students I've never even taught. I also got love from the group of helper teachers. Asking if I lost weight of course... Telling me I am "예뻐요" and in return, I tell them they are pretty, too. There's the one helper teacher fighting off the other teachers who try to hug me... And she tells them "내꺼야." They are like my mothers away from home.
Do I regret leaving the hagwon I worked at my first year here in South Korea? Sometimes.
Would I change my decision? NO.
Would I go back to work there again? Maybe, if the director wasn't such a swindler.
What is the point of this blog entry? I just want to express my appreciation for the love and care from the students and teachers at the previous school I worked at. I've always felt like I kind of abandoned them since I left them in the middle of the school year, but I refuse to work for someone who I cannot trust. I kept doubting myself this morning when I woke up. Do I have work? Election day? I felt like the current public school I am working at was tricking me and could possibly stab me in the back and dock my pay. Scarred? Yeap. By the director of the hagwon.
Do I not love the students and coworkers I work with now? Of course I love them, but it's different. The hugs and kisses I get from the babies are wonderful and give me warm and fuzzy feelings. Third, fourth, fifth and definitely sixth graders don't give me hugs and kisses. They're the tough love crowd. But I absolutely love it when they burst into song and serenade me with 2NE1's "I Love You" song. However, it does get lonely in the coworker department. I don't have the group of native English teachers and Korean teachers who speak English. And that's what brings me back to me expressing my appreciation for the hagwon I worked for.
To get flaked on repeatedly by someone who I thought was a friend is not a good feeling. And what's worse? Having something that took a lot of preparation and not being able to do what was planned. And being the control freak that I am... I freaked out. And this is where I draw the line. I do not feel appreciated for the effort, the thought, the sincerity, the feelings... I have put into this one person. And there it goes. The realization that I am putting my eggs into a basket that has a hole in it. I've been skeptical for the past 16 months here and thought this time it was going to be different. I need to not be such a hopeless romantic. Someone recently told me something that I have been thinking about a lot. "Learning to love someone good for you is better than loving someone who is bad for you." 나쁜 놈.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Runaways and Evil Cutlery
Ok friends. So, I had another strange dream I'd like to share. Two actually. One from Sunday night and one I had just a few hours ago. FYI: It is about 5 am here in Korea.
On Sunday night, September 23rd, I had another dream about a runaway. I don't know why people keep running from something in my dreams, but they do it.
This time it was an action slash love story type of dream. This guy was running away from the government or some sort of people with high authority? I don't know. He wasn't running away alone. He was with his lady. They climb into a dump truck that was driving away and finally get away from the people chasing him. Then this dump truck morphs into a plane! It was kind of like a plane that the Wright brothers flew that looks like it's made of sticks? And he tells her to let go before the plane lifts up into the air, but she hesitates. She knew if she lets go, she won't see him again. But he knew that if she doesn't let go, that she is going to get hurt because of him. Typical kdrama-like scenario. Right? Finally, she realized that she has to let him go. She let's go and is running after the plane while she watches him take off into the sky that was shades of pink and orange. He doesn't look back and flies away into the sky. Of course, he's still not alone! The man who was driving the dump truck was flying the plane! Right when they reach an area above tall trees, the plane blows up!
Obviously, the man who was driving the dump truck and flying the plane worked for the people who were chasing after the guy. The whole thing was planned. They knew he would get cornered and would have to jump into the dump truck. That was why they stopped chasing after him.
That one was a little short. There was some chasing at the beginning, but I forgot what happened exactly. Sorry friends.
But this dream that I just had tonight was SO STRANGE. I'm never taking naps that turn into sleeps EVER again.
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I fell asleep again right before work. No dream. Kinda relieved. Now, back to my strange dream...
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I was in the dining room slash kitchen area of a house I've never been to or seen in real life. I walked toward the drawers where the silverware were. For some strange reason, I felt like they were not the silverware my family uses. My mom then tells me that she just bought new ones. They were very modern. They were silver with lime green handles. Something my mom would never buy in real life. My mom would get classic silverware with hints of gold in it in real life. So, I thought how strange of my mom to get these hip type of cutlery. Then a weird tune started playing. It kind of sounded like dolphins? The silverware started shaking. The forks, spoons, and knives come to life when the tune is playing! The tune stops, and no one gets hurt. SO WEIRD.
Then a flash of what these cutlery do starts showing. I saw images of people eating with these forks and spoons, and when the music starts, the silverware starts darting in the direction away from the handles. So, if you are in the middle of eating.... It's not a pretty picture to see. The image never appeared in my dreams, but I could still feel the damage that these people were getting.
I grab a hold of the lime green ones in the drawer waiting for that weird melody to play again, and it does! The lime green handles start heating up... Then I start tearing the metal into pieces so that it can't stab and hurt anyone. After tearing it into pieces, the silverware pieces stop moving. So, then I scream and tell my family that we need to make sure we get all of the "special" cutlery and get rid of them! I remember clearly screaming in my dream,"The cutlery! The cutlery! WE NEED TO GET ALL OF THE CUTLERY!!!" I ask my mom where the rest of it is. I ask my siblings if they've used any of it recently. I am running around the house looking for all of it before the tune starts playing!
I find some in the dish washer. They are stuck underneath the bottom rack, and I struggle to get them. The tune starts playing again, I look up and I noticed the ceiling was embedded with the cutlery!!! The house changed! It looked like we were in a cave of some sort. Maybe we were in the basement. I'm not sure, but in Texas, we don't have basements.... Where we were standing was very dim and brown. The ceiling looked rough like the inside of a cave. There were groups of these cutlery moving around in different directions. None of them came darting down from the ceiling. They were just shifting around in the ceiling in groups like a school of fish.
My four siblings and I collect all of the cutlery. We grab ahold of all of them and tear them into pieces as they are heating up. Did we get all of them and tear them all into pieces? We sure did! WE WIN!
And then I wake up.
I find it so strange that I can remember these dreams so vividly. I don't do scary, gory or suspense types of movies or anything. I'm a romcom or melodram type of girl. I don't really like sci-fi. So, I don't really know where the shrunken boy and mind controlling gum came from. I don't do too much action. So, I don't know why people are always on the run from weird men in black. I don't do mysteries either. So, I don't know where cracking a case of where the boy I am searching for is. Why does my subconscious like to create these types of scenarios?? Who knows??
On Sunday night, September 23rd, I had another dream about a runaway. I don't know why people keep running from something in my dreams, but they do it.
This time it was an action slash love story type of dream. This guy was running away from the government or some sort of people with high authority? I don't know. He wasn't running away alone. He was with his lady. They climb into a dump truck that was driving away and finally get away from the people chasing him. Then this dump truck morphs into a plane! It was kind of like a plane that the Wright brothers flew that looks like it's made of sticks? And he tells her to let go before the plane lifts up into the air, but she hesitates. She knew if she lets go, she won't see him again. But he knew that if she doesn't let go, that she is going to get hurt because of him. Typical kdrama-like scenario. Right? Finally, she realized that she has to let him go. She let's go and is running after the plane while she watches him take off into the sky that was shades of pink and orange. He doesn't look back and flies away into the sky. Of course, he's still not alone! The man who was driving the dump truck was flying the plane! Right when they reach an area above tall trees, the plane blows up!
Obviously, the man who was driving the dump truck and flying the plane worked for the people who were chasing after the guy. The whole thing was planned. They knew he would get cornered and would have to jump into the dump truck. That was why they stopped chasing after him.
That one was a little short. There was some chasing at the beginning, but I forgot what happened exactly. Sorry friends.
But this dream that I just had tonight was SO STRANGE. I'm never taking naps that turn into sleeps EVER again.
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I fell asleep again right before work. No dream. Kinda relieved. Now, back to my strange dream...
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I was in the dining room slash kitchen area of a house I've never been to or seen in real life. I walked toward the drawers where the silverware were. For some strange reason, I felt like they were not the silverware my family uses. My mom then tells me that she just bought new ones. They were very modern. They were silver with lime green handles. Something my mom would never buy in real life. My mom would get classic silverware with hints of gold in it in real life. So, I thought how strange of my mom to get these hip type of cutlery. Then a weird tune started playing. It kind of sounded like dolphins? The silverware started shaking. The forks, spoons, and knives come to life when the tune is playing! The tune stops, and no one gets hurt. SO WEIRD.
Then a flash of what these cutlery do starts showing. I saw images of people eating with these forks and spoons, and when the music starts, the silverware starts darting in the direction away from the handles. So, if you are in the middle of eating.... It's not a pretty picture to see. The image never appeared in my dreams, but I could still feel the damage that these people were getting.
I grab a hold of the lime green ones in the drawer waiting for that weird melody to play again, and it does! The lime green handles start heating up... Then I start tearing the metal into pieces so that it can't stab and hurt anyone. After tearing it into pieces, the silverware pieces stop moving. So, then I scream and tell my family that we need to make sure we get all of the "special" cutlery and get rid of them! I remember clearly screaming in my dream,"The cutlery! The cutlery! WE NEED TO GET ALL OF THE CUTLERY!!!" I ask my mom where the rest of it is. I ask my siblings if they've used any of it recently. I am running around the house looking for all of it before the tune starts playing!
I find some in the dish washer. They are stuck underneath the bottom rack, and I struggle to get them. The tune starts playing again, I look up and I noticed the ceiling was embedded with the cutlery!!! The house changed! It looked like we were in a cave of some sort. Maybe we were in the basement. I'm not sure, but in Texas, we don't have basements.... Where we were standing was very dim and brown. The ceiling looked rough like the inside of a cave. There were groups of these cutlery moving around in different directions. None of them came darting down from the ceiling. They were just shifting around in the ceiling in groups like a school of fish.
My four siblings and I collect all of the cutlery. We grab ahold of all of them and tear them into pieces as they are heating up. Did we get all of them and tear them all into pieces? We sure did! WE WIN!
And then I wake up.
I find it so strange that I can remember these dreams so vividly. I don't do scary, gory or suspense types of movies or anything. I'm a romcom or melodram type of girl. I don't really like sci-fi. So, I don't really know where the shrunken boy and mind controlling gum came from. I don't do too much action. So, I don't know why people are always on the run from weird men in black. I don't do mysteries either. So, I don't know where cracking a case of where the boy I am searching for is. Why does my subconscious like to create these types of scenarios?? Who knows??
Monday, September 17, 2012
Unknown Boy
I'd like to share the dreams, borderline nightmares, I had last night. There are two in particular that cannot seem to leave my head. You know how there are dreams where you remember so vividly as if it was reality, and once you wake up, it takes you a few minutes to gather yourself together and realize that it's not real. Well, that happened to me.
These two dreams actually made me wake up feeling very uneasy. The first one made me feel really uncomfortable, and it was hard for me to fall back asleep. It was 5:40 am, and I forced myself back to sleep. The second dream had me waking up in a sweat. This one was worse than the first one that woke me up. I was so afraid to go back to sleep and have another not so happy dream. I've never had such disturbing dreams in my life. Well, from the dreams that I can remember when I wake up.
Before I tell you what my dreams were, I'd like to add how satirical the weather is today in Seongnam, South Korea. There's a typhoon that is going through the east side of South Korea. The skies are gloomy, and the rain hasn't stopped since it started.
The first dream that I can recall from last night is very blurry at the beginning. All I remember was feeling the sense of panic, and I was rushing to go some place to make sure everything was okay. I'm not sure where I was or why I felt like something was wrong. I do remember that I came back to a place that felt like home and was searching for someone. I was making sure everything was okay and everyone was safe and sound.
There were a group of people who just returned from having a good time somewhere. I don't really know who these people were. They were faceless, and their voices weren't anything I recognized. All I do know is that I was very upset with these people. That because of these people, whatever it was I was worrying about was directly effected by them.
Finally, someone returned from some place. This person was the bearer of bad news. This person found out what happened to the one person I was still looking for. I remember thinking "please, let him be okay" over and over again. And this person tells me he is dead.
I wake up.
I lay there in panic. For some reason, during the dream no one ever said who this person who died was, but it felt like it was someone I know in real life. In the dream he was a kid who was a few years old maybe, but in real life, he's not even one. It was really strange, and I didn't like how I was feeling so I forced myself back to sleep after checking the time.
The second dream is what disturbs me the most. The first thing I remember from this dream was a town/neighborhood type of meeting. There was a man dressed in black searching for a boy. I don't know why he was looking for this boy, but this boy has been on the run for awhile. The boy's family was at the meeting. I remember his mom's expression on her face, and she was feeling very worried and was scared they would find him. She was trying so hard to protect and cover for her son. The setting of the dream changed a bit, and the boy appears. Everyone gets riled up! I forgot what it was, but something the boy took or something happened to the boy and he shrank!!! He was maybe 6 inches tall. Then, he started running. The people were shocked and looked around the room.
The setting of the dream changes a few times. I just remember the places looked very dim and brown. It kind of felt like the movie "The Indian in the Cupboard." (HAHAHA!) The boy was in a shelf or something. No one noticed him for awhile. It felt like he got pretty far from the place where the meeting was. There was blue paint that spilled, and the shrunken boy stepped in the paint. He made little foot prints that caught the eye of a person from the meeting. The shrunken boy kept running and running. He was almost to the door that was wide open. The sun was shining from the door so brightly. I remember the way the opened door looked so clearly with the light shining through feeling so comforting.
I'm not exactly sure what happened next, but someone who was in the room with the opened door was not an enemy to the shrunken boy. Or so it felt that way. Because of this person, I think that is how he was able to escape. No one chased after him once he left through the door.
Then the next part I remember was the shrunken boy climbing into a vent. I remember seeing very green grass, and the vent was connected to his house. This was how the boy got into his house.
Then the dream jumps to the inside of the house. The boy's mom was in the kitchen doing some cooking. The kitchen is opened to the living room type of area. I remember everything feeling very calm and serene. Then, I remember thinking in my dream that it was too calm. It was so calm that there was an eerie sort of feeling that crept and overtook the calm. The mom was faced towards the boy's sister who was in the living room. She was sitting down by a window having a conversation with her mom.
The boy hops his way into the living room to an area on the floor by his sister. The boy is still tiny. And he opens the boombox in front of him to put his CD in. He then begins to read his magazine. It was like he was in hiding for awhile and had all these materials ready in case as if he knew someone would be looking for him. The shrunken boy gets so excited about this article he was reading, and he shares with his sister and mom. The article was about a gun that you can control with your mind. I remember seeing a picture from the magazine. It was of a person's head with long cords connected and falling on the sides of the head. The boy thought it was so cool and exciting, and yelled how he would want to try it! While the boy was sharing this article, his sister's expression abruptly changed from warm to cold. I could tell that there was something up. A creepy something. She was feeling nervous and uneasy. Finally, she told her brother in a regretful type of tone that controlling a gun with your mind is not all that great. In fact, in order to control a gun with your brain, you end up getting all your blood drained from you body. The boy disregards what she says. She then says in a nervous tone how it has already been 30 minutes.
Sister then morphs into something. Her face wasn't her original face. It looked somewhat metallic and fake. The boy's sister was actually kidnapped by the man in black from the beginning of the dream. She had this mind-controlled gun programmed inside of her. No one in the dream noticed until finally the shrunken boy looks at her. She then shoots a bullet through her brother's head. Then she turns to her mother and shoots her mother. And because the gun drains all your blood in your body when you use it, his sister also dies.
I wake up.
Well, damn. WOOO. And after that dream. I did NOT want to go back to sleep again. What are the chances of having two dreams about people dying in the same night. Scary! Right?
So, I'm on my way to work, and I can't stop thinking about it. Dreams mean something. Something more metaphorical than literal. Like the time I had dreams over and over again while I was living in Japan about my teeth being really brittle and falling out. I looked up death and people dying in my dreams. And here is what I got...
http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/d.htm
"To smell death in your dream refers to a situation that has long been dead. It is time to stop dwelling on the past and move on."
Of course the first thing that pops into mind is the events that happened in the worst year of my life. I remember and feel the year 2008 as if it just happened. I was deeply hurt by people who I thought cared about me as much as I cared about them. It's has long been dead. I've moved on physically, but emotionally, still a little scarred. And I'm sure none of those people realize it. That hurts.
Then, I thought of more recent events in my life: how my first year in South Korea was the worst experience living abroad. Living in Japan was magical. Japan is just a magical place. That is why I still wanted to teach abroad. South Korea seemed perfect. It's a kpop/kdrama fangirls dream AND it's so close to Japan and other Asian countries I want to visit. My first year was in Seoul teaching at an SLP. I'm not saying that it is the worst in the world, but the worst experience I personally have had living and teaching abroad. I am currently living in Seongnam and teaching at a public school instead, and I am enjoying my time a lot more. I have these deep negative feelings toward the private school, but I've moved on. There's many things I wanted to share about the private school during and right after I left, but I want to let it go and I have. There are quite a few blogs with me blowing up that have not been posted and will not be posted.
http://www.dream.net.au/library/death_dreams.cfm
"Death in dreams is symbolic of things that are coming to a close, or ending, in your life. These are usually necessary to clear the way for new things to come into your life. Death dreams are about change. For change to happen, we need to end old attitudes, old ways of being or old beliefs because otherwise these old ways are in the way of the new. How can you develop a new attitude if you are still clinging to the old?"
http://sueb.hubpages.com/hub/Dreaming-of-Death-and-Dying-The-Meaning-of-Death-Dreams
"Most dreams of death and dying symbolize the end of something old and the start of something new. This dream could be positive or negative depending upon the thoughts and feelings the dreamer has about the dream and the context of the dream. Dreaming of death is most common in people experiencing a major life change or a rite of passage- entering adulthood, graduating, marriage, changing a career, retiring, etc.
If the dream feels negative an the ending of something old is emphasized, this may indicate the dreamer is either too fixated on the past and needs to move forward, the dreamer is ending something premature that still needs his/her attention, or, in the case of dreaming of a death of someone still alive, may reflect I feelings of jealousy, hatred, and resentment towards that person."
So, I'm not exactly sure what this dream is trying to tell me. Whether it's about my love-life, relationships with friends, work, or something I may be in denial about and I don't even know!
I forgot the websites. I skimmed through so many before I decided to control c and control v onto this blog. I read that the people who are dead or dying in the dream symbolizes a characteristic of myself. They portray a personality of mine.
So, in both dreams, there is a boy who seems to be the most important in each dream.
The boy in the first dream felt like he was my baby nephew. I have never met this nephew of mine. So, maybe it is a sense of guilt that I've been pushing away since I have been on my adventures abroad? I don't really know what personality he represents because I was looking for him and he was found dead. There was no prominent characteristic that comes to mind. Since I was looking for him, does he represent some sort of search for myself??? MY HEAD HURTS! And another factor is he was a few years old, but in reality he is about nine months old. I read in another article that dreaming of a child dying can mean something else. Depending on the age, it can represent something that happened that many years ago, which brings me back to the experiences four years ago in 2008. WHO KNOWS!?
The boy in the second dream was on the run. AND for some odd reason he was shrunken to a miniature size. WHY?! I don't really know. The attitude of this boy was very carefree, and he had no worries in life really because he had his mommy. And in an article read, it says maybe this characteristic is what is changing or needs to be changed in my life. Am I carefree and living with no worries? So, then I am thinking, well, I do feel like I am running away right now. Living and teaching abroad to travel and meet new people, and I don't have to really worry about real life things. I feel like living and teaching abroad is not real. I'm not sure if that makes sense to a lot of you reading this. It's like an alternate reality. Is this dream telling me it's time to stop running away and go back home?
Lots of deep thinking going on today. I always over analyze and stress and worry and get paranoid! I think after contemplating all day and blogging my thoughts today, I am going to continue living life. Day by day.
PLEASE, let me know your thoughts or interpretation on the dreams. If you have any. OH! And thank you if you actually read this far.^^
These two dreams actually made me wake up feeling very uneasy. The first one made me feel really uncomfortable, and it was hard for me to fall back asleep. It was 5:40 am, and I forced myself back to sleep. The second dream had me waking up in a sweat. This one was worse than the first one that woke me up. I was so afraid to go back to sleep and have another not so happy dream. I've never had such disturbing dreams in my life. Well, from the dreams that I can remember when I wake up.
Before I tell you what my dreams were, I'd like to add how satirical the weather is today in Seongnam, South Korea. There's a typhoon that is going through the east side of South Korea. The skies are gloomy, and the rain hasn't stopped since it started.
The first dream that I can recall from last night is very blurry at the beginning. All I remember was feeling the sense of panic, and I was rushing to go some place to make sure everything was okay. I'm not sure where I was or why I felt like something was wrong. I do remember that I came back to a place that felt like home and was searching for someone. I was making sure everything was okay and everyone was safe and sound.
There were a group of people who just returned from having a good time somewhere. I don't really know who these people were. They were faceless, and their voices weren't anything I recognized. All I do know is that I was very upset with these people. That because of these people, whatever it was I was worrying about was directly effected by them.
Finally, someone returned from some place. This person was the bearer of bad news. This person found out what happened to the one person I was still looking for. I remember thinking "please, let him be okay" over and over again. And this person tells me he is dead.
I wake up.
I lay there in panic. For some reason, during the dream no one ever said who this person who died was, but it felt like it was someone I know in real life. In the dream he was a kid who was a few years old maybe, but in real life, he's not even one. It was really strange, and I didn't like how I was feeling so I forced myself back to sleep after checking the time.
The second dream is what disturbs me the most. The first thing I remember from this dream was a town/neighborhood type of meeting. There was a man dressed in black searching for a boy. I don't know why he was looking for this boy, but this boy has been on the run for awhile. The boy's family was at the meeting. I remember his mom's expression on her face, and she was feeling very worried and was scared they would find him. She was trying so hard to protect and cover for her son. The setting of the dream changed a bit, and the boy appears. Everyone gets riled up! I forgot what it was, but something the boy took or something happened to the boy and he shrank!!! He was maybe 6 inches tall. Then, he started running. The people were shocked and looked around the room.
The setting of the dream changes a few times. I just remember the places looked very dim and brown. It kind of felt like the movie "The Indian in the Cupboard." (HAHAHA!) The boy was in a shelf or something. No one noticed him for awhile. It felt like he got pretty far from the place where the meeting was. There was blue paint that spilled, and the shrunken boy stepped in the paint. He made little foot prints that caught the eye of a person from the meeting. The shrunken boy kept running and running. He was almost to the door that was wide open. The sun was shining from the door so brightly. I remember the way the opened door looked so clearly with the light shining through feeling so comforting.
I'm not exactly sure what happened next, but someone who was in the room with the opened door was not an enemy to the shrunken boy. Or so it felt that way. Because of this person, I think that is how he was able to escape. No one chased after him once he left through the door.
Then the next part I remember was the shrunken boy climbing into a vent. I remember seeing very green grass, and the vent was connected to his house. This was how the boy got into his house.
Then the dream jumps to the inside of the house. The boy's mom was in the kitchen doing some cooking. The kitchen is opened to the living room type of area. I remember everything feeling very calm and serene. Then, I remember thinking in my dream that it was too calm. It was so calm that there was an eerie sort of feeling that crept and overtook the calm. The mom was faced towards the boy's sister who was in the living room. She was sitting down by a window having a conversation with her mom.
The boy hops his way into the living room to an area on the floor by his sister. The boy is still tiny. And he opens the boombox in front of him to put his CD in. He then begins to read his magazine. It was like he was in hiding for awhile and had all these materials ready in case as if he knew someone would be looking for him. The shrunken boy gets so excited about this article he was reading, and he shares with his sister and mom. The article was about a gun that you can control with your mind. I remember seeing a picture from the magazine. It was of a person's head with long cords connected and falling on the sides of the head. The boy thought it was so cool and exciting, and yelled how he would want to try it! While the boy was sharing this article, his sister's expression abruptly changed from warm to cold. I could tell that there was something up. A creepy something. She was feeling nervous and uneasy. Finally, she told her brother in a regretful type of tone that controlling a gun with your mind is not all that great. In fact, in order to control a gun with your brain, you end up getting all your blood drained from you body. The boy disregards what she says. She then says in a nervous tone how it has already been 30 minutes.
Sister then morphs into something. Her face wasn't her original face. It looked somewhat metallic and fake. The boy's sister was actually kidnapped by the man in black from the beginning of the dream. She had this mind-controlled gun programmed inside of her. No one in the dream noticed until finally the shrunken boy looks at her. She then shoots a bullet through her brother's head. Then she turns to her mother and shoots her mother. And because the gun drains all your blood in your body when you use it, his sister also dies.
I wake up.
Well, damn. WOOO. And after that dream. I did NOT want to go back to sleep again. What are the chances of having two dreams about people dying in the same night. Scary! Right?
So, I'm on my way to work, and I can't stop thinking about it. Dreams mean something. Something more metaphorical than literal. Like the time I had dreams over and over again while I was living in Japan about my teeth being really brittle and falling out. I looked up death and people dying in my dreams. And here is what I got...
http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/d.htm
"To smell death in your dream refers to a situation that has long been dead. It is time to stop dwelling on the past and move on."
Of course the first thing that pops into mind is the events that happened in the worst year of my life. I remember and feel the year 2008 as if it just happened. I was deeply hurt by people who I thought cared about me as much as I cared about them. It's has long been dead. I've moved on physically, but emotionally, still a little scarred. And I'm sure none of those people realize it. That hurts.
Then, I thought of more recent events in my life: how my first year in South Korea was the worst experience living abroad. Living in Japan was magical. Japan is just a magical place. That is why I still wanted to teach abroad. South Korea seemed perfect. It's a kpop/kdrama fangirls dream AND it's so close to Japan and other Asian countries I want to visit. My first year was in Seoul teaching at an SLP. I'm not saying that it is the worst in the world, but the worst experience I personally have had living and teaching abroad. I am currently living in Seongnam and teaching at a public school instead, and I am enjoying my time a lot more. I have these deep negative feelings toward the private school, but I've moved on. There's many things I wanted to share about the private school during and right after I left, but I want to let it go and I have. There are quite a few blogs with me blowing up that have not been posted and will not be posted.
http://www.dream.net.au/library/death_dreams.cfm
"Death in dreams is symbolic of things that are coming to a close, or ending, in your life. These are usually necessary to clear the way for new things to come into your life. Death dreams are about change. For change to happen, we need to end old attitudes, old ways of being or old beliefs because otherwise these old ways are in the way of the new. How can you develop a new attitude if you are still clinging to the old?"
http://sueb.hubpages.com/hub/Dreaming-of-Death-and-Dying-The-Meaning-of-Death-Dreams
"Most dreams of death and dying symbolize the end of something old and the start of something new. This dream could be positive or negative depending upon the thoughts and feelings the dreamer has about the dream and the context of the dream. Dreaming of death is most common in people experiencing a major life change or a rite of passage- entering adulthood, graduating, marriage, changing a career, retiring, etc.
If the dream feels negative an the ending of something old is emphasized, this may indicate the dreamer is either too fixated on the past and needs to move forward, the dreamer is ending something premature that still needs his/her attention, or, in the case of dreaming of a death of someone still alive, may reflect I feelings of jealousy, hatred, and resentment towards that person."
So, I'm not exactly sure what this dream is trying to tell me. Whether it's about my love-life, relationships with friends, work, or something I may be in denial about and I don't even know!
I forgot the websites. I skimmed through so many before I decided to control c and control v onto this blog. I read that the people who are dead or dying in the dream symbolizes a characteristic of myself. They portray a personality of mine.
So, in both dreams, there is a boy who seems to be the most important in each dream.
The boy in the first dream felt like he was my baby nephew. I have never met this nephew of mine. So, maybe it is a sense of guilt that I've been pushing away since I have been on my adventures abroad? I don't really know what personality he represents because I was looking for him and he was found dead. There was no prominent characteristic that comes to mind. Since I was looking for him, does he represent some sort of search for myself??? MY HEAD HURTS! And another factor is he was a few years old, but in reality he is about nine months old. I read in another article that dreaming of a child dying can mean something else. Depending on the age, it can represent something that happened that many years ago, which brings me back to the experiences four years ago in 2008. WHO KNOWS!?
The boy in the second dream was on the run. AND for some odd reason he was shrunken to a miniature size. WHY?! I don't really know. The attitude of this boy was very carefree, and he had no worries in life really because he had his mommy. And in an article read, it says maybe this characteristic is what is changing or needs to be changed in my life. Am I carefree and living with no worries? So, then I am thinking, well, I do feel like I am running away right now. Living and teaching abroad to travel and meet new people, and I don't have to really worry about real life things. I feel like living and teaching abroad is not real. I'm not sure if that makes sense to a lot of you reading this. It's like an alternate reality. Is this dream telling me it's time to stop running away and go back home?
Lots of deep thinking going on today. I always over analyze and stress and worry and get paranoid! I think after contemplating all day and blogging my thoughts today, I am going to continue living life. Day by day.
PLEASE, let me know your thoughts or interpretation on the dreams. If you have any. OH! And thank you if you actually read this far.^^
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Anyeongs!~
Well, I attempted to blog but that didn't happen. I got distracted with something I guess. So, it's been over a month since I've been here in Seoul. Living. Teaching. Exploring. It's great. I love new adventures. I know everyone has been waiting for me to blog, but I've been lazy. My bad. I am lazy so I am just going to copy and paste the blog I started writing on Word while I was staying in my wonderful love motel.
August 26, 2011 7:56 AM
Anyeongs! I am now in Seoul, SKorea. I have been here for 6 days so far. I am chilling in a love motel down the street from the apartments I will be moving into. I’m just waiting for the teacher I am replacing to move out to move in. It’s a little strange living out of my suitcases and at a place where weird things happen, but I’m loving the huge LG flat screen I can watch MTV and Kdramas on.
Let’s go back to the first night I got here. I got here Sunday night. It took me forever. My flight to San Francisco was delayed and made me freak out about missing my connecting flight, but I was a ok. The only thing I didn’t like about Singapore airlines is the 50 lb limit for my two check-ins. Whatever. So, I arrived in my new hood and met my new coworkers. We went for Korean BBQ! YUMMERS!~ Then I crashed.
The first few days of work were pretty interesting. It is a lot different than the school I worked for in Japan. It’s an actual preschool/kindergarten type of classes. I have two sets of ten little kiddos I teach in the morning. We have snack and lunch. There are events and field trips, which the other school didn’t have. We actually have one today! Yay! It’s at the Digital Pavilion. I don’t know what that means, but we will see!
The highlights of this week:
On Wednesday, I had lunch with the director and a couple coworkers. We went to a mandu place that looked like a house. I think it used to be. I’m not sure, but it had a GREAT view. It was up in the mountain area. On our way there, we got a nice view of downtown. AND… we went to a coffee shop where COFFEE PRINCE WAS FILMED!!!~ I was squealing like a fangirl. I took SEVERAL pictures.
Yesterday was a bit of a drag with long PowerPoints at the training I went to in Sinchon, but I was able to explore the area afterward. I went to a few department stores in seach for H&M and UNIQLO. I failed up until I started wandering around the streets and found a stand alone UNIQLO. It was in the buildings. I walked around some more and stumbled on a HELLO KITTY CAFÉ!!~ It is right across from a pho place called Pho Roi. Hahaha! I walked around some more and heard live music down the street. That was where I listened to Romantic Punch for the first time. I watched them finish their performance and bought a CD, which I got signed by all the members of the band. Exciting.
I was a little nervous about how I would feel in Seoul, but these are the things I love about living in a foreign place. Accidentally finding things is awesome, and now I am going to find more places where my favorite Kdramas were filmed.
Quick food pics:
August 28, 2011 1:25 PM
Well, after trying to connect to the “free wifi” at Ediya Coffee for the past half hour, I gave up. I am going to be writing this on Word first.
Happy birthday to one of my new friends I made here! Happy Birthday Jacky!~
Flashback to Friday. It was a field trip day with the kiddos. We went to the Digital Pavillion. It was pretty interesting with all the futuristic gadgets they had. Too bad I couldn’t understand anything that was going on. My favorite part of the trip was lunchtime. The kids brought extra kimbap and shared with me! There were some pretty tasty kimbaps. I need to learn how to make it.
That night we went out for Jacky’s birthday. I picked up two bottles of fresh soju before heading to the apartments. It tasted like water at first, but then it didn’t. I needed my dried squid fix. After fueling up, we took a taxi to Hongdae. There were so many pretty lights. I loved it. I felt like I was in Shinjuku for a minute. Went to an izakaya and had omu rice with no rice. It was filled with bulgogi. It was tasty, but I needed my carbs for the night. After a snack, we headed to the club. We went to NB1. It was pretty happening. The best thing about the club was when BIGBANG was playing. It was pretty awesome when TOP and GD came on, too. I was super excited. Teehee. The guys are as nasty as the ones in Japan, but just a bigger build. Well, a select few were a bit bigger. Guys are very passive and quiet during the day, but when the sun goes down, it’s a whole different story, especially after they liquor up. I definitely need to hit up another club in Hongdae.
Saturday morning did not exist for me. I slept until 2 PM. Teehee. I met up the girlies at 3 PM. We went to Hyewha and had a late lunch. We went to Kraze Burger, and the KG burger I got was gosh dern good. I would definitely go there again. I want to try something else. I also go the chili fries, and it wasn’t Korean modified chili. Thank goodness. Note to everyone who likes sour pickles: pickles in Korea are SWEET! I need to go to the store to get some real pickles. After Kraze Burger we went to… HELLO KITTY CAFÉ! We had to go there twice because the first round the place was full. This Hello Kitty Café was pretty cute. It was a different layout. I liked the interior a lot more. I got green tea and tiramisu, and they were both good, but I think I like the waffle and sweet potato latte more.
After Hello Kitty Café, we walked around. I checked out some cute shops. I think I’ve fallen in love with Artbox. I need to remind myself to buy small household items that I can pack back home. I found a super cute panda table that I can use when I eat. There are so many Morning Glory shops here. I remember when we used to have one in Houston near Memorial City Mall. They logo is the same, so I’m pretty sure it’s the same same. The one I went to in Hyewha was pretty ghetto. I felt like I was in an overpriced dollar store. OMG. Speaking of dollar stores, Korea has Daiso!!!~
That evening, the girls and I went to a self-service beer place. It was pretty awesome. Very laid back and chill. After that we headed to Itaewon for another coworkers birthday shingdig. We hung out at his apartment, and I spaced out. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. Everyone was speaking English in an apartment that was decently sized. I didn’t like I was in Korea anymore, Toto. After that we went to a place called Craftsmen I think… And there were loads of foreigners. Itaewon was infested with foreigners. I think I want to hit up something more hip and happening in Itaewon.
And now it’s Sunday. I am going to a different part of Seoul today, Gangnam. I’m pretty stoked. It’s the baller side of Seoul. I only know this because of Kdramas. I guess we will see how it is.
------------
Well, that was a lot of writing.
So, Gangnam was pretty cool. Little fishes at dead skin off my fit after I ate a Belgian waffle and latte. I walked around Seoul a little at night. Saw a few palaces and statues. There is a little romantic area where couples walk at, which was really nice. I saw so many things in the month of August, and I was only in Seoul for a week and a half in August.
August 26, 2011 7:56 AM
Anyeongs! I am now in Seoul, SKorea. I have been here for 6 days so far. I am chilling in a love motel down the street from the apartments I will be moving into. I’m just waiting for the teacher I am replacing to move out to move in. It’s a little strange living out of my suitcases and at a place where weird things happen, but I’m loving the huge LG flat screen I can watch MTV and Kdramas on.
Let’s go back to the first night I got here. I got here Sunday night. It took me forever. My flight to San Francisco was delayed and made me freak out about missing my connecting flight, but I was a ok. The only thing I didn’t like about Singapore airlines is the 50 lb limit for my two check-ins. Whatever. So, I arrived in my new hood and met my new coworkers. We went for Korean BBQ! YUMMERS!~ Then I crashed.
The first few days of work were pretty interesting. It is a lot different than the school I worked for in Japan. It’s an actual preschool/kindergarten type of classes. I have two sets of ten little kiddos I teach in the morning. We have snack and lunch. There are events and field trips, which the other school didn’t have. We actually have one today! Yay! It’s at the Digital Pavilion. I don’t know what that means, but we will see!
The highlights of this week:
On Wednesday, I had lunch with the director and a couple coworkers. We went to a mandu place that looked like a house. I think it used to be. I’m not sure, but it had a GREAT view. It was up in the mountain area. On our way there, we got a nice view of downtown. AND… we went to a coffee shop where COFFEE PRINCE WAS FILMED!!!~ I was squealing like a fangirl. I took SEVERAL pictures.
Yesterday was a bit of a drag with long PowerPoints at the training I went to in Sinchon, but I was able to explore the area afterward. I went to a few department stores in seach for H&M and UNIQLO. I failed up until I started wandering around the streets and found a stand alone UNIQLO. It was in the buildings. I walked around some more and stumbled on a HELLO KITTY CAFÉ!!~ It is right across from a pho place called Pho Roi. Hahaha! I walked around some more and heard live music down the street. That was where I listened to Romantic Punch for the first time. I watched them finish their performance and bought a CD, which I got signed by all the members of the band. Exciting.
I was a little nervous about how I would feel in Seoul, but these are the things I love about living in a foreign place. Accidentally finding things is awesome, and now I am going to find more places where my favorite Kdramas were filmed.
Quick food pics:
Korean BBQ + Cass = <3
Kimchi Fried Rice at kimbap lady’s place
Clear noodles with yummy chicken in Insadong: Jimdak?
Skewers at this food stall. The man new my name before I got there. Scary!
@the coffee prince café
Waffle and Sweet Potato Latte
August 28, 2011 1:25 PM
Well, after trying to connect to the “free wifi” at Ediya Coffee for the past half hour, I gave up. I am going to be writing this on Word first.
Happy birthday to one of my new friends I made here! Happy Birthday Jacky!~
Flashback to Friday. It was a field trip day with the kiddos. We went to the Digital Pavillion. It was pretty interesting with all the futuristic gadgets they had. Too bad I couldn’t understand anything that was going on. My favorite part of the trip was lunchtime. The kids brought extra kimbap and shared with me! There were some pretty tasty kimbaps. I need to learn how to make it.
That night we went out for Jacky’s birthday. I picked up two bottles of fresh soju before heading to the apartments. It tasted like water at first, but then it didn’t. I needed my dried squid fix. After fueling up, we took a taxi to Hongdae. There were so many pretty lights. I loved it. I felt like I was in Shinjuku for a minute. Went to an izakaya and had omu rice with no rice. It was filled with bulgogi. It was tasty, but I needed my carbs for the night. After a snack, we headed to the club. We went to NB1. It was pretty happening. The best thing about the club was when BIGBANG was playing. It was pretty awesome when TOP and GD came on, too. I was super excited. Teehee. The guys are as nasty as the ones in Japan, but just a bigger build. Well, a select few were a bit bigger. Guys are very passive and quiet during the day, but when the sun goes down, it’s a whole different story, especially after they liquor up. I definitely need to hit up another club in Hongdae.
Saturday morning did not exist for me. I slept until 2 PM. Teehee. I met up the girlies at 3 PM. We went to Hyewha and had a late lunch. We went to Kraze Burger, and the KG burger I got was gosh dern good. I would definitely go there again. I want to try something else. I also go the chili fries, and it wasn’t Korean modified chili. Thank goodness. Note to everyone who likes sour pickles: pickles in Korea are SWEET! I need to go to the store to get some real pickles. After Kraze Burger we went to… HELLO KITTY CAFÉ! We had to go there twice because the first round the place was full. This Hello Kitty Café was pretty cute. It was a different layout. I liked the interior a lot more. I got green tea and tiramisu, and they were both good, but I think I like the waffle and sweet potato latte more.
After Hello Kitty Café, we walked around. I checked out some cute shops. I think I’ve fallen in love with Artbox. I need to remind myself to buy small household items that I can pack back home. I found a super cute panda table that I can use when I eat. There are so many Morning Glory shops here. I remember when we used to have one in Houston near Memorial City Mall. They logo is the same, so I’m pretty sure it’s the same same. The one I went to in Hyewha was pretty ghetto. I felt like I was in an overpriced dollar store. OMG. Speaking of dollar stores, Korea has Daiso!!!~
That evening, the girls and I went to a self-service beer place. It was pretty awesome. Very laid back and chill. After that we headed to Itaewon for another coworkers birthday shingdig. We hung out at his apartment, and I spaced out. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. Everyone was speaking English in an apartment that was decently sized. I didn’t like I was in Korea anymore, Toto. After that we went to a place called Craftsmen I think… And there were loads of foreigners. Itaewon was infested with foreigners. I think I want to hit up something more hip and happening in Itaewon.
And now it’s Sunday. I am going to a different part of Seoul today, Gangnam. I’m pretty stoked. It’s the baller side of Seoul. I only know this because of Kdramas. I guess we will see how it is.
------------
Well, that was a lot of writing.
So, Gangnam was pretty cool. Little fishes at dead skin off my fit after I ate a Belgian waffle and latte. I walked around Seoul a little at night. Saw a few palaces and statues. There is a little romantic area where couples walk at, which was really nice. I saw so many things in the month of August, and I was only in Seoul for a week and a half in August.
I'm sure this is enough for now. In the month of September so far, I've seen so many more places and even went on a weekend vacation to Jeju Island. But I will share another time.
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