tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739712216060824302024-02-19T19:33:02.408+09:00JADEaway.JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-56365684325126572012-04-20T02:53:00.014+09:002012-04-20T22:46:14.726+09:00The Itch.The Itch, The Bug... whatever you wanna call it, I got it. I've gotten a taste and I def need more. Travel, that is.<br /><br />So after re-reading my last post, which seemed to have been a lifetime ago I've made some moves- as one would expect or hope to expect in the given amount of time of 1 half of a year (or more). After spending an amazing Christmas and New Years with friends and family I love to death, Ms. Uhm and I disembarked on our journey cross country as previously aforementioned. In our packed up rental, two times upgraded, for free (thank you nice man at Hertz), we were off. First stop- the US capitol, which was a first for me, and obviously my foreign travel partner as well. Frigid as it was, amazing nonetheless. After a few days in oddly enough, a Korean populated hostel, we continued our journey down the coast eventually arriving in North Carolina to take in the sights and sun, but mainly to visit a long lost and very missed college friend. Brianne and her roommate Erin were wonderful hosts in their cute little town and we were sad to leave them behind as we continued our journey. A very interesting and culturally shocking trip through South Carolina, a flea market, more outlets and many hay barrels later we arrive in Savannah! In a Paula Deen, Homemade Candy and Ghost Tour, Voodoo Bricks, Hanging Tree frenzy... did you know there are no open container laws in Savannah?! Beautiful City. And on and on down, down down, to Palm Beach, South Beach, Miami, Key West SUNNY FLORIDA. Meeting up with a fellow English Teaching expat home from Korea on vaca, nothing beat taking a break from driving and sitting in the passenger seat of a convertible Mustang over the stretch of ocean and islands leading to the Southernmost point- THANK YOU ANDY! After spending time exploring the island on bikes, dodging the rain, eating the most delicious key lime pie everrrr and a few sleepless nights camping on Key West, we head back up the panhandle leaving Andy in Miami to continue his vacation with his fam. We drive through the beautiful and ominous everglades to arrive in Sarasota, reuniting with Diane who had been back in the states for a few weeks at this point and visiting her lovely parents enjoying their winters in FL. We spend the night and meet a childhood friend of my mother's for coffee and stories in the am. Getting a quick breakfast before continuing on, Diane decides (with coaxing) to aboard ship!! Within 15 mins she is packed and we are on our way! Yay for spontaneity!! And we drive, and drive, and drive, and caffinate, and drive. I fall asleep in the backseat and wake up in M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i. After getting some rest we continue on to our next destination... Na'rrleans Louisianna. After slowing down wide eyed through the narrow streets we settle on a cute little hotel in the french quarters, complete with courtyard, pool and complimentary breakfast and newspaper served to your room at the time you request via index card choices left on your doorhandle. Perfect. All I have to say is, food, food, alcohol, mess, mechanical bull, awesome music, dance party, more food, alcohol, a long dirt road, deliverance, trailers, my first ever speeding ticket, and the bayou. New Orleans, I will be back. On to TEXAS! The lone star state is really, really BIG. Like, everything is unnecessarily large, the roads are too wide, the overpasses and underpasses make for an insane confusion, Jane (the GPS) doesn't know up from down, the oil rigs and the grocery stores... but the nature.is.beautiful! "Texas, who knew!?" -Diane<br />We camp on lake Travis just outside of Austin. The winding road to get there was well worth the amazing views and aside from the creepy ex-hippie, liberal landowner who came out to chat us up the second we whipped out the bikinis, it's a paradise. Midweek and nobody is around. We build a campfire, make s'mores (a first for Insun), cook spicy ramen and veggies on our portable stove and eat Texas shaped chips. The Texas BBQ is amazing, I could eat it everyday, but the bar scene in Austin is more hipster and trendy and college-student-like than I expected, you win some you lose some. And we are off to Arizona! Just have to drive through the hill country (real unnerving, think; The Hills Have Eyes), stop in El Paso, debate crossing the boarder, get stopped at a checkpoint leaving New Mexico, freak out a little, drive for many unnecessary hours before finding an affordable place to sleep, end up in the ghetto without knowing it, and pass out. After a much needed good nights sleep we wake to meet my, married in cousin's, and now my own, Aunt Trish :) It is she who informs me to "get the hell out of there" when I tell her where we are. We meet for a beautiful day at the Botanical Gardens, a delicious lunch and shopping before heading up to Sedona. Thank You Aunt Trish! On our not as treacherous as anticipated drive up the weather dramatically changes from dessert climate to snowy mountain tops. Amazing. Somewhat creepy and Shining-esq, the groupon hotel we bunk in for two nights inspires a trip to the local redbox for some scurry movie renting. That was fun. Sedona's red rock mountains are beautiful and breathtaking, even causing that vertigo, dizzy feeling you get while looking at something huge and amazing... it's called something, Diane? We hike, eat fried pickles and check out Montezuma's castle before trekking even further north to the Grandest of Canyons. Let me tell you, it's fucking GRAND. Unreal. And if you go there, stay at the Best Western just outside the park, it's affordable, old western themed and has a hot tub and good food- it's unlike any other Best Western, just saying. And thennnn, to Vegas Baby. It was too dark to see the Hoover Dam, but who really cares about the Hoover Dam anyway? It's driving through the dark, dark nothing nomansland dessert and happening upon a GIANT land of flashing lights is what you want to see! If you drive to Vegas, make sure it's at night. And Vegas is, all that you think it is, right Insun? Diane loved it the most I think though, couldn't pull her away from those slots! ;) Oh and Hash House, go there. After Vegas madness we head back, back to Cali, Cali- well, to Cali. First stop is, interestingly enough, a catholic university dorm room ha. A friend of Diane's from back in East Hampton attends school there and was nice enough to let us crash, albeit a little too old to party with the students. Next we head to beautiful La Jolla, check out the seals at Seal Beach, listen to a crazy activist cream her head off, and then to Encinitas, a cute beach town, to meet my cousin Lindsey for some food and a drankkk! All's well that ends well and it's time to head on back to New Yawk, straight.through.the.middle. and whattaya know? We have to go through Vegas again!! Only stopped to allow just enough time for me to lose the rest of my money and Insun to down some 'free' bloody mary's (at night). Then we drive, and drive, and drive, sleeping in the car in Utah, waking to two busses full of Korean tourists infiltrating the gas station we parked at- what is with Koreans in large groups!? And WHY are they in UTAH! Of all places, Insun wonders this too so, it's not just me. Colorado is gorgeous and mountainous, Nebraska smells like poop and I am followed and harrassed by a young state trooper who is SO bored he has nothing better to do, Iowa and Illinois have the coolest windmills all throughout.If I eat Arby's one more time I'm going to vomit. We stop at Diane's Aunt and Uncles home in Indiana for the night, not realizing the time change and arriving much later than expected, they are super nice and take us to breakfast in the am. Pennsylvania is useless and goes on forever, a short run through dirty Jers and we are arriving in Manhattan in the middle of the night when the song <span style="font-style: italic;">New York</span> comes on and we can see the city skyline. Jane is beyond confused since NYC streets are constantly being worked on and moved around, of all the US cities I have driven in during this trip I am confident in saying NY is the worst and I will never drive there again, Metro North thankyouverymuch. Our 2am ETA turns to 4am, but we make it. Safe and sound, exhausted and dirty.<br />It was the time of my life with my amazing friends who are more like family. I miss the 5 weeks spent on the road, they went by so quickly. Let's do it again, we still have the top 1/2 to see! I've created an album that only begins to capture some of the moments... <a href="http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=dccca3c1f4a2c3c23315f89dbf2f35f7&sid=0AZtmzFi5YsWTkA">here</a>.<div>xo.<br /><div><br /></div></div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-62868150062694059622011-10-12T23:32:00.004+09:002011-10-13T00:15:28.383+09:00JADEishome.Oh hey look, I found my blog! It was buried under the pile of shit I own and have been refusing to unpack since my return to the US. The weather is getting colder tho so I decided it was time to give up and take out the warm stuff, looks like I might be here a while. Eh.<div>It's been almost three months since I've left Asia, I think I was in a bit of a culture shock when I got back on American Soil; especially when I made my first trip to the grocery store. Bigger is not always better people! Holy shit! For real tho, everything is just, HUGE here. I guess I never really realized it. I also never realized that midday Tuesday is the old folks home weekly shortbus trip to Shoprite, note to self. Another thing I didn't see for the first 25 years of my life is just how clean and manicured the streets and lawns are here. Good job, people.</div><div>Anyways... the American awareness phase didn't last too long, before I knew it everything was back to normal and it was like I had never left. Normal being the state of the economy is in a forever downfall and the realization of possibly never getting a job in the field I would like smacking me in the face even harder this time around and kicking me back to reality REAL quick. Bummer. </div><div>So, naturally, I found a cute little Asian family to let me nanny their child ^^ I call it my: "Don't Ever Get Student Loans" job. Keep your fingers crossed that the trusty old Jeep will hold up through the colder months because He is the lively hood of this gig- being Asian and all it wouldn't be right if the girl didn't have a bunch of classes and lessons to go to after her school day, and the Jeep needs to get her there. </div><div>So now it almost feels like the year in Korea, and the fews months traveling through SEA were just a dream. Almost like it never happened. Although I know that's not true, I mean, I have a tattoo and photos to prove it! Right? Anyways, I could not be more grateful for the experience I had in Asia, the amazing things I got to see, the people, the food, the kids, the friends I've made... Hopefully I will be able to make it back in this lifetime. But for now, I'll just wait for it to come to me... in 2 months! My bestsest Korean is coming to the states! I cannot wait! Ms Dori Uhm will be arriving in New York right before Chirstmas, obviously the best place to be for the holidays! The plan then is to shoot down the East Coast (in a rental vehicle of course, the Jeep would most certainly not make it) with another semi-Korean love, Diane, who will be back from <i>her</i> adventure in Korea and then carry on cross the Southern route of the country so that she (and I) can learn more about this mass of land I call my own. </div><div>Until next time, and by next time I mean 5 months from now, adios amigos! </div><div>No, really, maybe I'll pick up the blogging again, maybe I'll fill you in on SEA, or maybe not. We shall see ;)</div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-83491006610818183362011-02-11T22:52:00.038+09:002011-03-29T02:03:07.042+09:00Blue Lips, Blue Veins, the Color of Our Planet From Far, Far Away...It will be nine months in just a few days that I have been living on the other side of this planet... all I keep thinking is DAMN that seems like a long time to bear a child! I mean, although the nine months have gone by fairly quickly- still, all that time with so many restrictions? Don't get me wrong, hopefully I will have one or two before my clock stops but christ! Those crazies that have like 6, or even 4 for that matter, that's like what... 3-5 years of your life being pregnant?! yeah, I just had to whip out my widget calculator for that one. Math isn't my strong point. Whatever.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Anywayyyyy.... </div><div><br /></div><div>So... looks like I started that a MONTH ago... because I am now into my tenth month of living and working in South Korea. TENTH! Seems like I wrote that last week. A very dear friend who I am going to miss terribly told me that the last six months would go by very quickly, I didn't realize how right he was until now. I am excited to embark on my next adventure but it's starting to become bittersweet when I think about leaving. I try not to worry about it since I do still have a few months but it's hard to forget when you are out and your friends get drunk and get the long face and tell you not to go.</div><div>Such is life. Must remain in a forward motion. at.all.times. If not then you are apt to go crazy.</div><div>My sister, Eva, is in the midst of her own Asian Adventure right now... traversing Indian grounds, and will arrive in Korea for the last leg of her trip in just a few short weeks. Very much looking forward to that and have been sitting up till no earlier that 3am every night obsessively and compulsively planning the few weekends I will be able to spend with her. Between planning my last weekends here in Korea and (obsessively and compulsively) planning my upcoming Southeast Asian Adventure I am starting to get the computer eye...</div><div>Spring is trying to arrive but winter keeps getting jealous, which means I think Eva will be getting here just in time to see the cherry blossoms blossom. There will be many a festival to attend, because Korea LOVES their festivals!</div><div>So, there's to planning the near future, but..</div><div><br /></div><div>In this great future, you can't forget your past...</div><div>So let's RECAP</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU_XVjYt1Kcl3jBicATPh-g2nccw3ppL5OWCILpLVToPPrsWTaVN5AV8ULzElGmrsRWCcV8ue8-aFLbfhy09JwEnM0dCe5CA7fRua1JAD-R6dsxmtc5FPoir9rrstAGwN-H8tR_V_tVMI/s200/100_6383.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588818596194597602" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span><br /><div>I was fortunate to be able to spend the holidays with my family and friends from home in New York and although it was WAY to short of a trip, I was grateful and happy to see everyone.</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span><div> Something about Christmas, no matter where in the world I may be during this time of year I WILL make my way home. mark.my.word.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5SG4hTBTjEfdZuox-Nhf3MNACCqE5QaWaeDrvuO_mdXKjUWMHXTjE03ssyez9J98PPNhCoc0ZPIc7OIRRwZ7j2PlFKxTeoKRkiKgnXAXN2wnwG1sxWVN-z-etMSKsLo_O8BVxPWcUQc5/s1600/DSC00285.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5SG4hTBTjEfdZuox-Nhf3MNACCqE5QaWaeDrvuO_mdXKjUWMHXTjE03ssyez9J98PPNhCoc0ZPIc7OIRRwZ7j2PlFKxTeoKRkiKgnXAXN2wnwG1sxWVN-z-etMSKsLo_O8BVxPWcUQc5/s200/DSC00285.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588819075776098978" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><div>A few weeks after returning from my trip home, a piece of home came to me ^^ when my childhood friend Ms. Victoria West came to visit! Not ONLY did she come visit me in Korea, where I was</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JHGOACkSEa9gx2tpL5QzMWdBZX809kGnF9lTqZ2ac_WbBdSzBjU97t8LChQq4ataclcqW_WSA3t8ACYeij5OHvUBFn__Yq2WemSbaNsTpx1LxnLHSeGIHjg9lZy55FPfGBX1Ebz2KNr9/s1600/DSC00135.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JHGOACkSEa9gx2tpL5QzMWdBZX809kGnF9lTqZ2ac_WbBdSzBjU97t8LChQq4ataclcqW_WSA3t8ACYeij5OHvUBFn__Yq2WemSbaNsTpx1LxnLHSeGIHjg9lZy55FPfGBX1Ebz2KNr9/s200/DSC00135.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588819499385646818" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><div> sure to show her a few things such as how to drink soju and makju and soju in makju, somak, stay up all night singing at noreabang followed by Korean bbq at 6am for the second time in 24 hours- BUT we were lucky enough to be able to plan her trip around the Lunar New Year, one of the only small holiday breaks I get from my job.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7nWPsKZvvm7MWwuq7WwLEbucJW8GVb5ASduYf3pHsXdeC-71GbQnniqNJe9q6GIZwdfSAZIBGNPxwtKckMkq1oC5taqHwpv6KNCv90FfFwMmr0QyP5Qu7ks6lbnKvCSDEEbKCs-2KmlU/s1600/IMG_4989.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7nWPsKZvvm7MWwuq7WwLEbucJW8GVb5ASduYf3pHsXdeC-71GbQnniqNJe9q6GIZwdfSAZIBGNPxwtKckMkq1oC5taqHwpv6KNCv90FfFwMmr0QyP5Qu7ks6lbnKvCSDEEbKCs-2KmlU/s200/IMG_4989.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588821915350310402" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></span></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQLGBJmttCk_rM3emZWJ_Wfa_5un4AdacS0zs-nswrPEu_CpC276EvjIPU4t4wLPsJJKieALOPS_wRB8vWUKqttiYT5xA44w6iYUWbRjEJl-nTb0JPdPC01xj6EtTVCpeQ-Zh25p5vXlJ/s1600/IMG_5036.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQLGBJmttCk_rM3emZWJ_Wfa_5un4AdacS0zs-nswrPEu_CpC276EvjIPU4t4wLPsJJKieALOPS_wRB8vWUKqttiYT5xA44w6iYUWbRjEJl-nTb0JPdPC01xj6EtTVCpeQ-Zh25p5vXlJ/s200/IMG_5036.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588826048683666210" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></span></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2JheEFF71tloVmcPt8Hpi_rpUlssvJjPZVXCkva363hEmBt-ElRok2dLfbVEEthFZQgeSLp0-P7FEMxjDtgszFFA5Z0MZqcMqtH8CKyJ4B-OsRY2sKLOtovP_y4bgv7ioxgx-19bjdOU/s1600/IMG_5078.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2JheEFF71tloVmcPt8Hpi_rpUlssvJjPZVXCkva363hEmBt-ElRok2dLfbVEEthFZQgeSLp0-P7FEMxjDtgszFFA5Z0MZqcMqtH8CKyJ4B-OsRY2sKLOtovP_y4bgv7ioxgx-19bjdOU/s200/IMG_5078.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588821019814685810" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7nWPsKZvvm7MWwuq7WwLEbucJW8GVb5ASduYf3pHsXdeC-71GbQnniqNJe9q6GIZwdfSAZIBGNPxwtKckMkq1oC5taqHwpv6KNCv90FfFwMmr0QyP5Qu7ks6lbnKvCSDEEbKCs-2KmlU/s1600/IMG_4989.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span">SO.. ..we took off the to the Philippines for a few days. Bantayan Island. Beautiful, cheap, paradise. I have been trying to convince Rusty and Bob to move out there ever since. </span></span>Open up a small hotel or bar and you are set. All foreigners own the establishments and the native people are friendly and happy. The country survives off of tourism so it's win win. So.feckin.GORGEOUS. It was a sad day upon our departure, and my insides were sure to let me know when I got the violent sickness traveling back. terrible. But I'm alive. Sorta.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguMRiUIu8HWEo4oFDWdifmCR28i_QXNfeO4NSHL4bSo1fL0av2LuhbP2jqAQTEaqsHHYMdFZSZVa_OcGJFZVZTJLLyf29vXujUY8byLFANXh21rkfwRJ0pfh1ftMOSq9ezWYn8YCnmgiA/s1600/DSC00607.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguMRiUIu8HWEo4oFDWdifmCR28i_QXNfeO4NSHL4bSo1fL0av2LuhbP2jqAQTEaqsHHYMdFZSZVa_OcGJFZVZTJLLyf29vXujUY8byLFANXh21rkfwRJ0pfh1ftMOSq9ezWYn8YCnmgiA/s200/DSC00607.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588824426512934914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /></span></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZWaUjPAzDEzgBsnE19WF4wFerVWltQWu1lx4UkQaIu75qUeAJCBjDBO0ctvZPhrl6mpsVWGBP7qxJU7w9arTezIzPydF7SSzoYzdCQ1NydtyncEXHYhn2uNtxMHgYLqsfWVJq0V5bAh-/s1600/IMG_4915.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZWaUjPAzDEzgBsnE19WF4wFerVWltQWu1lx4UkQaIu75qUeAJCBjDBO0ctvZPhrl6mpsVWGBP7qxJU7w9arTezIzPydF7SSzoYzdCQ1NydtyncEXHYhn2uNtxMHgYLqsfWVJq0V5bAh-/s200/IMG_4915.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588823517576715858" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 145px; " /></span></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1xPxgw1Aqm3CWFGS9IxmDKx6uL-cZ9hRwy-zBPiPTzvjsplmlDGwlLgEWfQyIG8lSuWn7xdVdb5qoNQKcG16-x3WagaTewFjT3SvgGSTrvKD3X8EAAXU3Vik9meEWBz8sdSyrS4qV4fj/s1600/DSC00669.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1xPxgw1Aqm3CWFGS9IxmDKx6uL-cZ9hRwy-zBPiPTzvjsplmlDGwlLgEWfQyIG8lSuWn7xdVdb5qoNQKcG16-x3WagaTewFjT3SvgGSTrvKD3X8EAAXU3Vik9meEWBz8sdSyrS4qV4fj/s200/DSC00669.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588823901644069314" style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /></span></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrhdtUy_fKKT0rGmjz_dZ3fIeTfzAY7hVWcTAXKHKJwlm3AEacQHf_FHbMzYmtdOp3MRjbb20k-rJtGywPZjq2UOjx3SDbytmNtvPMofmpeRIgLVioNSFSkwvBof1Ic1A26xKzZBBxJ6B/s1600/DSC00920.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrhdtUy_fKKT0rGmjz_dZ3fIeTfzAY7hVWcTAXKHKJwlm3AEacQHf_FHbMzYmtdOp3MRjbb20k-rJtGywPZjq2UOjx3SDbytmNtvPMofmpeRIgLVioNSFSkwvBof1Ic1A26xKzZBBxJ6B/s400/DSC00920.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588822947141449090" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 88px; " /></span></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><br /><div>Anyway, it was also a sad day when Tori had to leave- and as much as I succeeded in not bawling at the bus terminal, my tear ducts failed me when I returned home to find a note written in Tor's signature all caps xoxo, Tuv under my pillow.</div><div>Very romantic.</div><div>So from when Tori left until now it has been a long stretch of weekends that are too quick and weekdays that are too long, on and off sickness because of a filipino parasite, the yellow dust, being dermatologically overmedicated, or, all of the above.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until next time....</div><div><br /></div></div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-86795387611466364022010-12-15T01:04:00.001+09:002010-12-15T01:06:50.713+09:00ThemeSong.<iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fNy8llTLvuA?fs=1" frameborder="0"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>The lyrics people the lyrics. Just listen. And watch the whole thing. Preferably in full screen.</div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-86213750943787104212010-12-01T15:53:00.003+09:002010-12-01T15:58:47.081+09:00ch-ch-ch-changes<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Being away from everything familiar, everyone I love and care about has put so many things into perspective for me. You really see people for who they are when you are away. Who it is you can depend on and trust, who is there for you when you need them most, and who isn’t. Some people I have always known would be there, some have come as a surprise. But who you can Depend on, capital D. That’s a biggie. You can understand a lot about the nature of a person if they have dependability.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There is also something to be said of all the <i>people</i><span style="font-style:normal"> met along the way. The ones you will retain lifelong relationships with, ones who will become part of your family, plans, your future. The people you </span><i>know </i><span style="font-style:normal">will always be in your life, throughout your whole life, the people you wish will always be in your life, but won’t, some that you wish wouldn’t be a part of your life, but are, and some that might just be part of your life for a certain amount of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The perfect person for that perfect time. EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. True story.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">CHANGE, once my enemy (?) now my… friend? Maybe not enemy so much as this thing I once feared. But why fear things that aren’t known? SOLITUDE. Being alone with myself, also scary. Growing up with a huge family, a sister close in age, friends as close as fam., an open door at all times, I was never alone and I liked it that way. Now, I live alone- I am alone, in a sea of people whose language I can’t speak. I am accepting it, everyday. I prefer companionship, I am a Libra after all… but before that time comes again where I will have solitude no more, I understand that I should cherish this time. So, I am trying. But, I already knew that I felt this way. So as much as I am learning about the nature of others I am also learning about myself. I am an independent person who loves to love to love ya, is there something wrong with that? What is anything if you have no one to share it with? In my eyes, everything is nothing when you can’t share it with someone you love. That’s KINDA the only reason I write these blogs you know. Also why I decided to begin posting photos on facebook since I’ve moved here. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.”<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Happy Day of Birth to my dear beautiful cousin in Heaven, we miss you tremendously. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">To all my friends and family whom I love and cherish so deeply, I am so lucky to have you xo.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">24 days 'til Christmas! <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <!--EndFragment-->JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-79511712930917561292010-11-16T22:36:00.095+09:002010-11-17T02:00:52.890+09:00It's Been a While.<span><span>So alot has happened since the last time I updated. I fell off a bit but, you know, I've just been livin. As much as things are still different and exciting- it has become my norm. It has been exactly six months since I have been living in South Korea, with six more to go.<br /><br /><i>Let's recap the past three...</i></span></span><div><span><i>Jenna arrives</i><span> to live and teach in Pyeongtaek. Her first weekend in Korea,Island bike trip.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFg6dqVsQPD_NoMjUzXjQ5l_ar98rKX8QC2RHaZGqwoCnoYoMbrhGCWF6miFuLXIgE2lCOOAUmdHZFgohZ3OWpXQYbPs1tR3JKroWAkiA_8qxuzfL9tFSRnp4HYvDHDSEgfcfnMLlRA60/s200/100_4411.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540185776050100530" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></span><div><span><span> Perfect way to end the summer and begin a new and exciting adventure- and a more than perfect way to introduce all the safety hazards of Korean life. Pedaling around an island on old bikes in pouring acid rain, down steep hills and hard turns. No helmet, flip flops, lightning cracking through the sky mountains and ocean all while drinking beers out of our cute bike baskets. Totally normal. But it was beautiful, and the sun did come out, once or twice.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><i>Diane visits</i><span> and it is a whirlwind of trying to see AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE in the few days we have to spend with her. Stop one, Penis Park. Yeah, a park full of giant penis sculptures made out of wood and stone. It was a longgg day of travel to get there but </span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SEYYAegb2AHRMUv8SJKNAxsVYaQdsi6p0kfGKAsGsfa4wI9dBt5NBsi2DUoqugfwB-0s1Ib8Us2M2SyEYzCtXjF_sb__MCFwd2tuq66zwpwSjCyULcolPPMCfQKBvAu0aj5zNHdgBZbp/s1600/haesindang-park.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SEYYAegb2AHRMUv8SJKNAxsVYaQdsi6p0kfGKAsGsfa4wI9dBt5NBsi2DUoqugfwB-0s1Ib8Us2M2SyEYzCtXjF_sb__MCFwd2tuq66zwpwSjCyULcolPPMCfQKBvAu0aj5zNHdgBZbp/s200/haesindang-park.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540186063857370530" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px; " /></a><div><span><span>worth the trip considering the next time I'll ever see something like that is in some kind of homosexual underground cult. And that's highly unlikely. I won't even get in to the story of WHY this penis forest was erected. Just know that it's there, and it's not going anywhere. Next stop... THE CAVES. I fucking LOVE caves. Like really, really love them. Can't get enough of them. I'm real happy we decided to wake up at the crack of dawn to go to the</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGOunT2lyIly8Qhiae_5zraxvhI60EFT_gTqtoMSy6CTDliZAJNtIQd3QYHyHxm1jqslIBbiwbFm5P9XDvz64_Bj5EKiTAi093BzjKitmjpw6yykIvNe850Bgqfn-rHBf3u8E_hxJDEn4/s200/100_4878.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540186409181854738" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></span><div><span><span> phallus extravaganza when it wasn't even open to the public yet, oh did I mention that little factor? Oh did I also mention it was raining AND we were dragging around our luggage at 7am? But anyway, if we didn't do that then we </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2ko9rIm7hDpxyoPjwd6b36Q8nN0D2ejLZm-w7xQJ-KXNmfLzZ1C4P3FKfA4Lqz9FMapr7ykCcPiK0pbdbGAObtm3-LCbQXnV2M26JU9440_HBhFQ7FdjvkHxn8wHX7OIVxuzkRDL76Q9/s200/62815_618754993150_27900935_35644084_4081025_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540186587721399970" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /></span><div><span><span>wouldn't have made the CAVES. And I really love caves. Really. We had the most incredible hike just to get to the entrance of the cave. It was epic. Of course by the time we were entering the dark damp hole the sun comes out. But that's typical.So, after our little midweek excursion during one of the only small holidays I get, Chuseok- Korean Thanksgiving (for which I received a gift box of SPAM and cooking oil from my director) we did some sightseeing around Seoul the following weekend.Checked out Seoul Tower again. Went out in Hongdae, had</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvshktrx9qt2nWQoq9sLBKNHpoTiRkV6uMm4N9pgmKShJkgSaeih63PjxePDIqKCwxyz7oEOybcL1xuHDYiLMktqmb0fKzyRYddCwDBgM4st2fneJhXA_7xShsqJXgLnMKHAZBYebbpF9/s200/100_4846.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540186924309009746" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></span><div><span><span> some nice brunch. You know. All in all I guessss she liked it, because SHE'S COMINGBAAACK! Hooked her up with my recruiter and found a job teaching the yiddle ones about 20 mins north of me ^^ She will arrive in about 1 month. Common. Jump on the Korea boat, you know you want to.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qTMfg8XysHr7gC4YQ6oQ6wyXlW0-zXNO0v7bU3-kZQvWjjtPZo3uZD30eL-uv0AfvzDA1BIpFgWDpr-n_M-OZl9XrsDKUo0njBOygfxIXr-tRYkCB9st4Q8rdnKnukJ8nj5Tm6WtU038/s1600/64671_620966506260_27900935_35699837_8214301_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qTMfg8XysHr7gC4YQ6oQ6wyXlW0-zXNO0v7bU3-kZQvWjjtPZo3uZD30eL-uv0AfvzDA1BIpFgWDpr-n_M-OZl9XrsDKUo0njBOygfxIXr-tRYkCB9st4Q8rdnKnukJ8nj5Tm6WtU038/s200/64671_620966506260_27900935_35699837_8214301_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540187115576555522" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><br />And then I went to my first ever </span><i>soccer game</i><span>, not just in Korea, but. Ever. I very much enjoyed it and think I will continue to pretend to be into sports now, just to attend these events.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Then one day when everything went wrong, Jenna and I found</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQFEo54mtbOiG61h5lKvmliaS2X5OEXUSfdL9BpUK3LZFn1dhXUwIUpHJqz7-yA0JTSZNNhehcDzoU8fhUmupUNzdeBUVTJpxBBChJnVuG7JA5E2l9KmvOIkHkpe-6t616VpF8f5E948p/s200/100_5251.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540188367030678962" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></span><div><span><i> Forever 2</i><span>1. A small speck of light. (I'll save the details of this unbelievably ridiculous day for another time, IF I feel like re-living it).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKghXbaXwicjnWqtHdko0vZ9o28nw4OToSuu7O6eIwgJEOd1AERoITHLaG73Z-U6G8SmDEKoljcAqfwVBWq7I47759A3fekRvVbYadgjpGsXY2WTJKs6lwS5pqssDpg2WDRD4sSr2FO0N/s1600/100_5315.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKghXbaXwicjnWqtHdko0vZ9o28nw4OToSuu7O6eIwgJEOd1AERoITHLaG73Z-U6G8SmDEKoljcAqfwVBWq7I47759A3fekRvVbYadgjpGsXY2WTJKs6lwS5pqssDpg2WDRD4sSr2FO0N/s200/100_5315.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540188628901315106" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQFEo54mtbOiG61h5lKvmliaS2X5OEXUSfdL9BpUK3LZFn1dhXUwIUpHJqz7-yA0JTSZNNhehcDzoU8fhUmupUNzdeBUVTJpxBBChJnVuG7JA5E2l9KmvOIkHkpe-6t616VpF8f5E948p/s1600/100_5251.JPG"></a><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>And then... </span><i>My day of birth</i><span>. Celebrated with some new friends and some old :) A nice lil surprise office party! With purdy roses all wrapped up, and a delicious cake we shared with chopsticks. Naturally. It was a</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDe3yf26LIM6-Nzze_Ey2n1PpgaGMixRsntWnxUDNJrrLgDMeVDYfqeG54Vt9FyYFcf_aquZtVxx4KNRqfIL7eUCiWT-kVmBOz5DLEbpFDQ8lJ8L-nbKbPPnaZEXmnWW9tB5dvqI7PKiuU/s400/66682_1423082025008_1471460614_30892396_7468919_s.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540188856943162386" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 98px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">good 26th, even though I was away from my fam and I am now officially past my quarter life.</span></span><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Then another fellow Libra-ians day of birth. Costume party celebrated.PS- I heart Dori Uhm.</div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Wc7weSVKyKgo5VjesiX32RrV839cK7jWBJVHFfmvT5a4hp7jpV4hWSaNmPNHcJ2KkCMNV-qMCVnqG0cQEL4ekcnov8Dx567FJRppJ9_JHLHc2c2VDacAbvtYIT7h4CMq1i2GT4Qk0I6a/s320/100_5521.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540189187262044194" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSzr_wr5V13KUSqQIccbG6PopYKJ52dgkqid1WVvmB4fXD9vgP1GEceZvjAqBk8F6O9HiDT8XJ8TItMvTvyO_VY2izKjkXKOwPKwne7oxdesCHM-_yrufFzzw1NlQJTwWwI7gru-S5LMk/s200/IMG_0041.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540189515213014866" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">The <i>Seoul Lantern Festival</i> was pretty freggin awesome.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And LETS not forget to mention the new acquisition of my first ever gadget...the <i>iTouch</i>. I'm in love. Find me on words free aka words with friends. Jadekimg. I also love the hispta app. Don't hate.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span><div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOrKpxOp_qc-WXOiy86cuv9YbbQpVwhxxcr5BeDKpotvI-iKUCdwnyufgIiubcIbfBNbHBbj9RKoRVZuNzXNgyM6SvjcqDdVbThyRfwYnOKYoJHyeRuP3G_aBC2fDE0NG_U8ljPsfi9Ni/s1600/IMG_0099.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOrKpxOp_qc-WXOiy86cuv9YbbQpVwhxxcr5BeDKpotvI-iKUCdwnyufgIiubcIbfBNbHBbj9RKoRVZuNzXNgyM6SvjcqDdVbThyRfwYnOKYoJHyeRuP3G_aBC2fDE0NG_U8ljPsfi9Ni/s200/IMG_0099.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540189810100280690" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRM-jfvrMDAkVweirsl2uTBKsjv3nyC9vndq4zcr2KgmhuG233dP22OF362_jtaut5G8sTzLA2_aDU_3DIGq2cGFURQ-pN6s5NbBrhePCbJdvM8eyFOsY0g2KeUhCLLnWoB9Q55OfsjRm/s1600/IMG_0130.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRM-jfvrMDAkVweirsl2uTBKsjv3nyC9vndq4zcr2KgmhuG233dP22OF362_jtaut5G8sTzLA2_aDU_3DIGq2cGFURQ-pN6s5NbBrhePCbJdvM8eyFOsY0g2KeUhCLLnWoB9Q55OfsjRm/s200/IMG_0130.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540190011545242610" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /></a></div></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>So... </span></span></div><div><span><span>about 29 days til Diane arrives!</span></span></div><div><span><span>38 days till Christmas. I'll be home for the holidays and I can't wait to see everyone and SQUEEZE my large gray cat!</span></span></div><div><span><span>73 til Ms. Victoria West arrives in Korea to visit moi!!</span></span></div><div><span><span>76 til I am basking on the white beaches on a remote island of the Philippines!<br />xo.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLKjk6Vh2pF3RX_FSBJYMaDORTM6lvsa81P4w1gysKSd9lRhqt29J6aisEpYVxRMlpRaSErPix_s7raAwtRMT8EPQjaGMqxupfrh03Y2nIJzhmAP3N_GxbmgJoK1zupuqoe1dAj4kRFMM/s1600/IMG_0143.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLKjk6Vh2pF3RX_FSBJYMaDORTM6lvsa81P4w1gysKSd9lRhqt29J6aisEpYVxRMlpRaSErPix_s7raAwtRMT8EPQjaGMqxupfrh03Y2nIJzhmAP3N_GxbmgJoK1zupuqoe1dAj4kRFMM/s200/IMG_0143.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540191439778407266" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /></a></div><div><span><span></span></span><br /><div><div><br /></div><div> </div></div></div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-42330559000624643122010-08-22T14:51:00.020+09:002010-08-23T00:36:02.013+09:00Tongyeong<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">At the beginning of this month I had a few days off work, aka, "summer break". 3 days plus the 2 day weekend- yes, they call this summer break. Considering vacation time comes few and far between the opportunity to travel must be taken. We decide to stay within the country limits and explore the Southeast coast where we hear the beaches are cleaner and clearer than the Northwest coast, where we reside. Our first plan was to go to Busan, the city by the sea full of tourists and Korean vacationers, but under the suggestion of our co-worker we go to Tongyeong instead. About an hour from Busan, still on the Southeast coast but less... touristy, and more 'beautiful'. Tongyeong is a peninsula, which is funny because Korea is a peninsula, so Tongyeong is a peninsula off of a peninsula- say that three times fast. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It consists of 41 inhabited and 110 uninhabited islands</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:-webkit-sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongyeong"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongyeong</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. We figure out that if we take a bus to Seoul (even though this is about an hour out of the way) there is a bus that goes straight to Tongyeong. This is our best option so we head up early Sat morning in hopes to catch the 9am to Tongyeong. We make it in time but due to minor differences in pronunciation of cities in Korea we end up with the wrong bus ticket. Thank God we realize this before boarding the wrong bus. This glitch costs us a sold out 9am. We have a few hours to kill and while walking around the station with our heavy bags I make a promise with myself that I will never over pack again. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">During our 4 hour bus ride we meet two men sitting across the aisle- one was the other one's school teacher and they haven't seen each other since until this bus ride. One of the men speaks English very well, he tells us he is living in Hong Kong, Tongyeong is his hometown and he visits every few months because his parents are getting old. He is in awe of that fact that two foreigners are on their way to visit his town. He wants to know how we know about the small place and where we are going to stay and how we are going to manage since, it seems, nobody speaks a word of English where we are going. We tell him that we have not booked a hotel and we are going to find a place when we arrive. He is overly concerned about this. I want to tell him how I read about the love motels-a-plenty and we don't mind staying in one of those for a few nights... but I'm not sure about what he would think so I just tell him it will be okay. He begs to differ. When we arrive and get off the bus he ushers us over to his parents standing by a car who have come to pick him up and introduce us. Next thing we know he is throwing our luggage into the trunk, mom disappears and we are in the car with him and dad. I am trying not to panic, this is not New York. About 20 mins later we pull up to mom and dad's house, I guess. He tells us to stay in the car and he will be right back. Should we run? He comes running back with an armful of bedding. Bedding? I am thinking he is going to help us book a room at a hotel, why does this man have bedding? Is that not included?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">10 mins later we are driving through a cute little harbor town and then we arrive at what looks like an apartment building. Mr. James Kim, as we find out his name during the car ride, grabs our bags, the bedding and leads us into an empty apartment. He turns on the AC, water, lights, shows us how to work the washing machine and stove top and says "rest now, I will be back at 9". He leaves two keys to the apartment, he says he will bring pots for cooking and utensils and some food. He makes sure we will be okay, he keeps saying he worries about us, we try to give him some money but he refuses and then he finally leaves. WTF. We stare at each other, no words. Is this man for real? Is he a kind saint or are our bodies going to end up in pieces in the Pacific? Should we leave now? Or would that be extremely rude. We are not in New York. Maybe this is how they do it. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We shower and head out, eager to explore a bit on our own. By the time we make it into town and start to look for a place to eat Mr. Kim somehow </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">finds</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> us in his car and pulls up along side of us and tells us to get in. He is happy we haven't eaten because he wants to take us for "Hwe", Korean Sashimi. But before we go eat he hurriedly takes us to a few spots as any good tour guide would do. A nice view, perfect photo op, a quick hike up some steep stairs, a quick drink of mountainside mineral water, a statue of some famous Korean man from Tongyeong, a pagoda, another nice view and photo op and then we are back in the car before we know it and driving across a bridge to one of the small connecting islands. Again my mind wanders as I look at the black ocean in the night: am I making it out of Tongyeong alive? Is this a horror movie? Have I watched too many horror movies. If I make it back alive I have to blog about this. My mother would kill me if she knew what was happening right now. Who is this man. Where are we going now!?!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We finally make it to the restaurant that his friend owns, and we sit down to eat a feast for 20 : an entire giant fish plus the 40+ side dishes it came with. Including, but not limited to, still alive and moving sea slugs, Koreans LOVE their food alive. The hwe was delicious but the dinner didn't include nearly enough alcohol to ignore the weirdness.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68zLXDmHccnbnCQk6vR9wCQvCKLo5iUqcvllidFWUpu9nY_VzzXvmZ786lszouUyo8byoC_h1tEh30ErNS8N3onALlchBDWznnVC25afmIZY0Rhl1I6m2Vw_yw-YHRaZUg9pY6aMttIpg/s320/100_4281.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508163049361862418" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Upon dropping us back off at our 'hotel' Mr. Kim says he will pick us up at 9am the next morning. We will be taking a ferry to one of the islands off Tongyeong where he will go fishing with his brother while Lynn and I relax on the beach. Okayyy. But we already booked tickets to the cable car at 9am (during our short excursion out alone). He seems disappointed but he says he will pick us up at the cable car place at 10. The cable car takes ten minutes to bring you almost to the top of a beautiful mountain where once you de-board you can hike to the top, stop off at a temple, eat lunch, visit a flower garden etc. But once WE arrived and almost made it to the top at approx. 9:40am my phone starts ringing like crazy, Mr. Kim is waitingggg. We speed hike to the top on the hottest August day yet, dripping sweat and rushing, jump back on the cable car and ride down to find Mr. Kim IN the terminal waiting to rush us down to the parking lot where a taxi and two pepsis are waiting. woah. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We take the taxi to the ferry terminal because there is no parking and run into the terminal to meet his brother with the fishing gear. He gives us our ferry tickets and ice cream. Again refusing to accept any money. We board the ferry and halfway through he pulls out lunch, for Lynn and I. Is this man for real? I still cannot understand why he is being so nice to us. And what we can possibly do to repay him although he seems genuinely uninterested in any kind of repayment. The Island is GORGEOUS. Two islands actually, connected by one strip of beachy</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5O07MiAoKSa3gMp8gANOr6SDml3Wy2o6ZBZcI95rgD6Y4MHSuI2snibtgE74UygU3Qsc5ZvCIyouXZdCNjwrKkH4PHvXE5YCis3RpeQdtHg9tcNY-tyAiVtJ6kec1pPWeeGiJZ93UwC8/s320/100_4326.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508163359149150306" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> land. Finally, beach and paradise and beers and tubes and freedom. Couldn't ask for better weather, mountains surround the island and the beach. Beautiful. We drop our stuff and run to the water like children. After splashing around a bit we get out, drink a beer and rent some tubes. While lounging in the tubes we think how great it would be to have the beer </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">with</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> us. Aha. We get out, grab another and help each other into our tubes, tipsy and sneaky. We're good. Nobody noticed. 15 mins later over the loudspeaker "tuber with alcohols, tuber with alcohols" all eyes turn and stare at the white girls struggling to quickly paddle and wiggle our way back to shore with beer bottle in hand. Priceless.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As 3:30 rolls around we decide to grab a quick snack before heading back to the last ferry out at 4. We leave our stuff on the beach. After sitting calmly and enjoying our spicy hot ramen noodles in August on the beach, because that is what people eat on the beach, hot soup... no deli sandwiches here, we arrive back at our stuff to find 12 missed calls from a frantic Mr. Kim running at us. we have a good 15 mins before the ferry leaves but this warrants panic in Mr. Kim who couldn't find us when he returned from his fishing trip. We RACE to the docked ferry like it is the only way back to Earth and we are on a deserted planet. Obviously, we make it with time to spare. Mr. Kim tells us how he made an announcement for "Jade and Lynn" over the loudspeaker at the small police station on the island. He was very, very worried. We apologize for scaring him but assure him everything is just fine. So we were addressed over the loudspeaker two times in a total of 4 1/2 hours on an island with about 100 people on it. Stupid American girls. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On the way back Mr. Kim insists we get a watermelon, an entire one, for us to snack on. They love their watermelons here and you can find them being sold out the back of almost any given truck. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The next day, the last day of our mini vacation, we decide to take a bus over to Busan and check out the city and the beaches over there. Mr. Kim picks us up at the apartment in the morning and drives us back to the bus terminal. He won't take a penny, or 'won', from us and we don't know what to possibly get the man, who is also just visiting, to say 'thank you'. We have his business card with his address in China and decide we will send him something once we figure out what's appropriate. The entire time we spend with him he keeps telling us how we are the best people he has ever met, we are good people, we have kind faces... I still don't know how </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">we</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> can be the best people if all we ever did was cause the poor man worry. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">He</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is the best, most kind and giving stranger I have ever met. I am not in New York. But if I learned one thing, its that I watch too many scary movies, there are definitely bad people in the world, but keep the benefit of the doubt that most of them are probably good. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCbNX0HXChj2GVcFHthXf4-5suuk7GMYqmlAPGII5XkH4ljhUb5x0v-_x7O71Hjhc5laJ-Owlusim_Melavr2NXxhQPGgGNyI8HlBb8PZK5pBqxrLzJG67x261Pj95QL3OoAg7hyphenhyphenveJQw/s1600/100_4276.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCbNX0HXChj2GVcFHthXf4-5suuk7GMYqmlAPGII5XkH4ljhUb5x0v-_x7O71Hjhc5laJ-Owlusim_Melavr2NXxhQPGgGNyI8HlBb8PZK5pBqxrLzJG67x261Pj95QL3OoAg7hyphenhyphenveJQw/s400/100_4276.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508162225284719922" style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-7604773543766736452010-08-08T13:33:00.011+09:002010-08-08T14:21:16.492+09:00MudFest.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Internet isn’t working at the moment so I have less distraction and can actually update my blog. Well, falsely update it anyway. Until my Internet ‘miraculously’ comes back on, or at least that is what I am hoping since my phone call to the man on the card didn’t produce anything positive. Ehhhh. Or I could just go to Yeoni cafe, Coffee Cherry or the PC Bang. That's probably what I'll end up doing, let's be realistic, I can't just kick this addiction in a day.</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Oh well. Take ‘em as they come, right? Anyways… I don’t know what to talk about first?! I never mentioned Mudfest- maybe because it is self-explanatory?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Well, to recap: Mudfest is a huge international MUD festival held in Boryeong at Deacheon beach in South Korea for the past 13 years. Thousands of people, mostly foreigners, make their way to this week long festival. I was one of them. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Boryeong mud is famous for its therapeutic properties, it's used to make cosmetics, soaps, lotions, shampoos etc. The Festival is located about a quarter of a mile from the natural source of the mud, and the silt is delivered to the site via hoses and truckloads. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Getting There:</span></b><span style="font-weight:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> We opt to check it out the first weekend it’s in effect and we plan to take the 9am train straight to Boreyeong Saturday morning. Late Friday night we are informed that we might be SOL since everyone seems to book their train tickets in advance and the 9am is sold out, along with every other train after that. After calling the tourist information center (awesomely helpful English speaking, all-knowing gods and goddesses) we find out there are still a few seats left on the 6am train BUT, we have to get to the station earlier than that to make sure we actually GET those seats. With almost no sleep we manage to get on that early train and watch the rain pour down and whip against the windows during the two hour ride. We arrive early and check into our over-priced roach motel. Quickly change out of our soaking wet clothes into dry ones that are about to become soaked as well and head out into the rain and mud. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Day 1:</span></b><span style="font-weight:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Wet, cold, muddy, drunken shit show. 4 broken/lost, wet cell phones, approximately 4 pairs missing shoes, 1 lost flip cam, 1 potential wallet/phone disaster, mud slides, blow up attractions, mud prison, a sweet potato sandwich, color mud, k-pop, cold cheeseburgers, head injuries, blood, sand, salt water, bare feet, an ambulance, fireworks, midnight swimming, 5 showers and a really bad headache.</span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxF0UVzerhg_rmjpwY6pJx_EzwJfve4hhRn6BYb2IOVlw9cZ7EUF_cg3HbKF6loOFMHx9es1xXNfojWicXHoAhat9fOJNATUdfGcHSxUrf72h95dV0UPdIa83d1jx2pEk89dlpqbfyVzm/s1600/100_4169.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxF0UVzerhg_rmjpwY6pJx_EzwJfve4hhRn6BYb2IOVlw9cZ7EUF_cg3HbKF6loOFMHx9es1xXNfojWicXHoAhat9fOJNATUdfGcHSxUrf72h95dV0UPdIa83d1jx2pEk89dlpqbfyVzm/s400/100_4169.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502900798198016546" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Day 2:</span></b><span style="font-weight:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Beautifully sunny day of recovery. Therapeutic mud purged pores, CLAY- beach side, natural mud and wheel. Nap, sunburn and Corona.</span></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEr_T4vH9W09NzAxuM4o1H_EFyzo9QK9LmE13gKuAyf6H5ooTUXdYpuPFKHfS3lMzucaSKRyMNFJBB9fIDrTpSbDCdX1caSP1jNRyNMIBygwpA8nWHgrvj7ZRN_rPtYR0brANJwDjWwnv/s1600/100_4157.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEr_T4vH9W09NzAxuM4o1H_EFyzo9QK9LmE13gKuAyf6H5ooTUXdYpuPFKHfS3lMzucaSKRyMNFJBB9fIDrTpSbDCdX1caSP1jNRyNMIBygwpA8nWHgrvj7ZRN_rPtYR0brANJwDjWwnv/s400/100_4157.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502904254681941698" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></o:p></p><div><br /></div> <p class="MsoNormal">THE END.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Oh and PS- 1 more yoni will be arriving shortly! Yen’s on board, yes she isss, yes she isssss!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 10 days until her arrival (maybe) ^^</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU8PdmlA-_PsBQJexX0gxY_xiR3n5EUu4bxl1AApi2fA4okZ0arVGnkVV8RIWxuQp6DLjey_enTZSC61-RDU7w9ye7fIcYoMhO3W-Wuc0xGD1mB9nOq66uWsBHuM_Kl_G57-v6zy8M1T7/s1600/100_0274.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU8PdmlA-_PsBQJexX0gxY_xiR3n5EUu4bxl1AApi2fA4okZ0arVGnkVV8RIWxuQp6DLjey_enTZSC61-RDU7w9ye7fIcYoMhO3W-Wuc0xGD1mB9nOq66uWsBHuM_Kl_G57-v6zy8M1T7/s200/100_0274.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502902079204992610" style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /></a><br /></p><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-56453716417970825472010-07-22T11:51:00.011+09:002010-07-22T23:40:54.468+09:00HappeningsThe weekends are really turning into my favorite time of the week, but then again- who <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">doesn't</span> love the end of the work week? It's not that I don't like my job, because I do, very much so actually, the weekends are just... more fun. It's been a few weeks so let me begin with my rafting-bungee jumping adventure. Yeah, bungee jumping. Yeah, me. I did it. I don't know <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">how</span> I forced myself off that platform, but I did.<div><br /></div><div>I was highly anticipating this day trip, first time going further out of my realm here in Kr. It was a group event we booked in advanced with promises of transportation, rafting, lunch, some day drinking, and an optional bungee jump if you so choose. Boarding the bus out of Seoul at 7am with very little sleep the night before the prospect of jumping intrigued me, and I so <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">wanted</span> to do it, but deep down I did not think this would be a possible achievement. I concluded I would make the decision the last possible moment I had to make it.</div><div><br /></div><div>After rafting down the beautiful Hantan river, eating a Korean style buffet lunch and downing a few beers to get my nerves up we once again board the bus and are on our way to the bungee site. I get off the bus with the other jumpers and pay the fee, still not 100% sure about this. I watch about 20 people go before me, they all survive. With each jump my stomach drops a bit and my sweat glands are in full action. After waiting for what seemed forever its finally my turn. My ankles are strapped in serious Velcro contraptions and hooked to the bungee with climbing carabiners. I step to the edge and look down. Mistake. oh. my. fucking. god. I can't do it. I really can't. I make up my mind and turn around after my 3-2-1 countdown fail and start asking the nice Korean guy to take these things off my ankles. I don't really recall what happened then, but somewhere in between deciding I can't do it and asking the man to release me, I turn and jump. I did it. It was awesome, fast, and disorienting. After swinging and bouncing and spinning around upside down on the cord I am finally lowered into a small little raft paddled out by a small little Korean man who unhooks my ankles and rows me to shore. Heart pounding. And pounding. It was exhilarating, and I would do it again. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jkBMvWDx3QHE_H8EANJgrJ5JhdkA_na8f6tvB8N3vql6oWSEtMUqGKAkPushyZuPvi10e7BaTxyVBDW9FpKTocXMz_-0iGS3gqIqwVh7cghw1IITijWlMfGe8RXbT3jO-VBadIr7Dicy/s1600/34210_1540720880410_1306576028_31515872_2952826_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jkBMvWDx3QHE_H8EANJgrJ5JhdkA_na8f6tvB8N3vql6oWSEtMUqGKAkPushyZuPvi10e7BaTxyVBDW9FpKTocXMz_-0iGS3gqIqwVh7cghw1IITijWlMfGe8RXbT3jO-VBadIr7Dicy/s400/34210_1540720880410_1306576028_31515872_2952826_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496566903204519586" style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Video still courtesy of Helen. Full video available <a href="http://http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1542354921260&subj=1471460614">Here</a></div><div><br /></div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-82549743781336528122010-07-05T19:23:00.013+09:002010-07-08T01:16:45.814+09:00He Just Like the ShapeI survived my first all nighter out in the city of Seoul. Pretty awesome. We went to a university town so there were many, many bars, places to go, and people <i>everywhere</i>. I haven't seen the sunrise in a setting like that since the Sound Factory circa 2000. Really. Nothing closes. Thought New York didn't sleep... these people don't know the meaning of last call. My legs are still feeling it.<div><br /><div><div>Anyway, at the first place we venture into, which we now know as HoBarIII (because apparently there are 10 of them all numbered and seemingly in competition with each other) we meet the New Zealand Glee Club or, traveling youth choir. Fun. We watch them gay it up for a bit and continue on to the next place.</div><div><br /><div>At our second location we stumble upon this guy right here, dressed like Bob. His friend quickly informs us via text on his phone that "he dont smoke he just like the shape"! Shape of what?! The Marijuana leaf?! Amazing. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1_9KEw1d5oL5dsXJYkAZszaACqER5R5LkfhQ9Ko4JiJns3JulgBi4OtgJxbUzkTkWJvl8kGrSolXw-0GIaLL1iIuFJvCtwWtvqNGyAJud2hHBJBLTwsv471Llx34ReMafUa2sP8WIktp/s1600/100_3868.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1_9KEw1d5oL5dsXJYkAZszaACqER5R5LkfhQ9Ko4JiJns3JulgBi4OtgJxbUzkTkWJvl8kGrSolXw-0GIaLL1iIuFJvCtwWtvqNGyAJud2hHBJBLTwsv471Llx34ReMafUa2sP8WIktp/s320/100_3868.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490831404903315650" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After leaving the second place we proceeded to the fried food stand where <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">I</span> proceeded to shove deep fried mandu (dumplings) into my mouth while they were still frying. Burning the roof of mi boca so badly, three days later it's still bleeding and sore. Typical. We sit in the concrete park for a while watching university students and the like run around, sit in New Paltz style guitar/singing circles, swing on the swings, pass out sitting up..etc. Now and then a man pedaling rice wine on a cart goes by and I notice a makeshift bar set up in the corner selling beer and mixed drinks. </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally we head over to Zen Bar- complete with gangster Buddah paintings all over the wall, Snoop videos playing on a large screen and hip hop blaring. Fitting, very... "Zen". This third location is located below street level, so upon emerging in order to make the first train of the morning back in time I am surprised to find it is broad daylight. Oh hello sun. While riding in our assigned train seats back to Pyeongtaek I fall asleep against my will- thank GOD I wake up in time. On the short subway ride back to our town I am fixated on trying to figure out if the people around me are starting their day or ending their night.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We make it home, fall asleep by 8 and wake up in search of fourth of July fireworks. Our best bet is the US Airbase nearby. We flake out and say we're not going to go, still shot from the night before. But when we start to hear the booming in the distance we quickly change our minds, jump into a cab and find a rooftop bar near the base and caught some 4th of July fireworks in the drizzle. Happy Day of Birth America- from Jade in Korea. xo.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillze04n4lLq1VQCOXVHPwE5z3QE9wyCSYRZcYgohW_Pot5B7Yr9N78onFFTeEyu9alC-TxTu580Bhp9julOM4UVdI55szeYd2JlP2GJUMJcFD8y0Tf1UrbjhZGP8TMCHV3tt3DQBhFySc/s1600/100_3909.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillze04n4lLq1VQCOXVHPwE5z3QE9wyCSYRZcYgohW_Pot5B7Yr9N78onFFTeEyu9alC-TxTu580Bhp9julOM4UVdI55szeYd2JlP2GJUMJcFD8y0Tf1UrbjhZGP8TMCHV3tt3DQBhFySc/s400/100_3909.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490832675656031666" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /></div></div></div></div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-50273918507238995412010-06-29T19:46:00.011+09:002010-06-30T02:14:33.588+09:00Dr. FishOkay, so we have officially entered the start of Monsoon Season- and I have officially witnessed my first "Monsoon". It really wasn't more than massive droplets of liquid pouring down from the sky heavily and steadily; accompanied by an incredibly loud thunderstorm that, when I found myself running toward the door away from the window- heart pounding, I realized had awoken me from my sleep. I don't know if I was running because I thought it was gunfire, or a chopper trying to make it's way into my building to spread an unknown virus of mass destruction into the airways. But what I <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">do</span> know is that I have been watching entirely way too many episodes of 24 before I go to sleep. <div><br /></div><div>So, Monsoon Season created the necessary mission of obtaining rain boots. While on that mission we stopped off at the Dr. Fish tank for a feeding. Very, very interesting, indescribable ticklish, weird, vibration type feeling- picture little tiny toothless fish furiously sucking the dead skin cells off your nasty feet (because that is exactly what was going on there). They definitely did some damage, I just feel like they started something and now they need to finish the job. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggM_HwNwiFlEypVgKm8eCxnOrUtAY7sqLNnEqp__tlPkKtZu-ZeHxZIzq6GdlFAwpwcVmpJohcG4CEBTqXPswBWhHRwINekoFOpNUHPx2CiFUalM3b8PxtDxyQ0W-bO1tmXPOsAbqWPCC2/s1600/100_3800.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggM_HwNwiFlEypVgKm8eCxnOrUtAY7sqLNnEqp__tlPkKtZu-ZeHxZIzq6GdlFAwpwcVmpJohcG4CEBTqXPswBWhHRwINekoFOpNUHPx2CiFUalM3b8PxtDxyQ0W-bO1tmXPOsAbqWPCC2/s400/100_3800.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488243629184678610" style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh and mission accomplished, with polka-dotted colors.</div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-19865545184948326142010-06-17T15:24:00.014+09:002010-06-17T18:35:11.326+09:00One Month<p class="MsoNormal">After one month I finally set up a bank account, with the assistance of Lucas aka Shine aka Avalon Bitch. Poor guy doesn’t even get a break to take a piss, let alone eat. He also helps us research phone plans. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Lynn</st1:place></st1:city>, Shine and I walk from one phone place across the street to another across the street to another to compare non-existent International cell phone plans in the dripping humidity. I can’t take it anymore, I’m about to squander my entire first months pay and purchase the new 4G iphone, or… Giorgio Armani phone, I can’t decide. Instead we just head back to work to do more research on the matter and deal with it later. Turns out, the best deal is to get a cheap Korean plan and use a special code or calling card to call internationally. Or… get a smart phone and download Skype for $5 bucks a month and use that to call home, but then you would have to pay for the smart phone plus an additional fee for Internet. This is what I gather on the phone situation. Tomorrow I will make the purchase and sign the papers. I’ll let you know how it pans out. I guess cell phones are just a pain in the ass all over the world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">As for Internet, it has been one month and I still do not have this wonderful invention available for use within my humble abode. Is it 2010? I don’t <i>care</i> where I am, it’s the <i>Interweb</i> for Christ’s sake, and it goes everywhere. I was blessedly picking up a signal in one spot of my little studio for about two days, but that quickly ended. Internet will come soon though, I am sure of it. One small step at a time.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">As for teaching I think I’m settling into and getting used to the routine… or lack there of.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have one particularly troublesome class of boys who I moved around the other day, I think they hated me for it at first. But then they behaved, so I enforced their positive working habits with candy of course, they will do anything for candy and hangman. ADHD Jenna is so cute I can’t stand it, silly Cindy has taken to patting my butt every time I walk by her, or walking her fingers up my back when I am helping another student. I discovered the “HelloKittee” culprit, writing all over the desk in blue permanent marker… Sally. And I can’t forget Kevin’s story about his last birthday where he made sure to thank his mother for “birthing him hard”. Yup. They close school for almost nothing, but tonight the last class of the evening is cancelled due to the World Cup. HUGE thing Here. Go Red Devils!!</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrSQ6oahsiB2EZzTaDYxuhyphenhyphen4RvKw0rjGTBaEwpp31E2-gwvTKcQ3CzTTaNbHltnXuxK1qKgQnrAGvy2j2AwTXJ4j03EQARy69Qo-6AZemqOhbEx-AO3RJT9fKnOA6dx0OV_K0iuJYep2e/s1600/100_3601.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrSQ6oahsiB2EZzTaDYxuhyphenhyphen4RvKw0rjGTBaEwpp31E2-gwvTKcQ3CzTTaNbHltnXuxK1qKgQnrAGvy2j2AwTXJ4j03EQARy69Qo-6AZemqOhbEx-AO3RJT9fKnOA6dx0OV_K0iuJYep2e/s320/100_3601.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483626266821450882" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 223px; " /></a> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Oh and PS- SPAVIS… you gave me my first ever case of the athlete’s foot. I knew you were too good to be true. Don’t worry though, I am taking care of this lovely fungus. For only 5,000 won- ughhh… first medical ish, in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region>. My epidermis always fails me. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4pqgoB-V1qx3Qmp8LwaoUfduSHwJhWjU5zG3JxKVpAYu33wmCo9WDInsnJ8_GPGnXlTBZwescqBxatp5xeWneOiG1btDmFv8fbfzv_ZMKdxkO__5oI23HDyqPNCUa4l2WS6pNaVT5oyR/s1600/100_3613.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4pqgoB-V1qx3Qmp8LwaoUfduSHwJhWjU5zG3JxKVpAYu33wmCo9WDInsnJ8_GPGnXlTBZwescqBxatp5xeWneOiG1btDmFv8fbfzv_ZMKdxkO__5oI23HDyqPNCUa4l2WS6pNaVT5oyR/s320/100_3613.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483628600915987522" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></p></div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-84358757089807248692010-06-10T18:44:00.019+09:002010-06-11T19:51:13.340+09:00SPAVIS.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGhJZUjtf1JpkWUTOSSZxpJLtGLklwET2xKRFzXY7WZ1LBYB5zcqpiFiWdRgpg81_MWkwCmFsBPlyIcZs0SlL64I6TFmyXJWv6OrI3r2UV8vKf_OTO-b9D4LffZl3J1cekIDZN_g2-UQm/s1600/100_3577.JPG"></a>The I-Chung weather report has been calling for rain for the past week and it has been nothing less than sunny and hot- maybe a few hours of overcast, but still... no rain. I guess that even on the other side of the world the Meteorologists still don't really have to know what they are talking about. <div><br /></div><div>So this past weekend, our first with no work really, we were bummed by the prospect of rain so upon waking on Saturday morning, with our first ever Soju hangover (I am told these can last up to two days) we were really excited to see clear skies. We decide to go on an adventure and explore the area around us. </div><div><br /></div><div>Task#1- Figure out the public transportation system. We decide to go to Asan, famous for it's hot springs, spas, botanical garden, large lake and raw fish restaurants; and only a 25min train ride away. When we get to the station, with an abnormal amount of stairs, we are told to take the subway, it's comes more frequently then the train. A man helps us purchase tickets at the machine and points to the track we need to wait on. We board the very nice, very clean, very spacious subway. Then the one other American in sight comes over to us to make sure we know what we're doing... because I guess from the looks of it we don't at all. He tells us we need to transfer. Thank you, nice man. Anyway, we make it to Asan. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_5lKVLpTWssm08JGkwoZNP52ytKcZEtM15oroW4BeRgv72i9tPlFSoEbN1pFPzGSYZyug28Ir5jn-JZIytmTACKrC5CNtMtMA1uO10qPeZUaPDNY1T-HkkArJo6O8dvr0t1gPhJ23Epm/s1600/100_3573.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_5lKVLpTWssm08JGkwoZNP52ytKcZEtM15oroW4BeRgv72i9tPlFSoEbN1pFPzGSYZyug28Ir5jn-JZIytmTACKrC5CNtMtMA1uO10qPeZUaPDNY1T-HkkArJo6O8dvr0t1gPhJ23Epm/s400/100_3573.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481465144377394354" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Task#2- Where do we go and how do we get there? There is a rather large map with beautiful pictures of all the different tourist destinations; Buddhist temples, hot springs, waterfalls, spas!! I am so excited I want to go to every place on the map. We are bombarded by taxis everywhere we turn. We jump in one with no real plan. We manage to tell the guy, through excessive miming, that we want to swim, I think. He seems to get it and seems to know where we want to go... so, we are on our way. A lake? A hot spring? A spa? We're not quiet sure. But... we did bring our bathing suits! ^^ 20 mins and 20,000 won later we are dropped off, seemingly, in the middle of nowhere. When we look up, we see we are at ... <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">SPAVIS</span></b> spa paradise.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let me just tell you a little bit about this experience: it is... interesting. pretty cool. definitely different. Once we pay our admission fee we are given a bracelet to wear with a number on it. The number will correspond to our locker numbers. A separate locker for our shoes of course, and then the main locker- in the giant locker room. The bracelet is used to scan, to unlock the lockers and we find out later, to charge things. Genius. So... the locker room and attached amenities; indoor spa with a steam room, a hot coal sauna, an even hotter coal sauna, and at least 5 or 6 hot baths filled with different aromatic things, jets or no jets. Of course we don't know exactly what these things are or what they do to you because we can't read what is says on each sign next to the baths. There are showers everywhere, and a massage room. It is very nice, and big, like a very expensive country club.... an expensive, nudist, country club. I always wanted to see what it would be like to experience a nudist colony. Now I know. Except, men and women are separated here, of course. Lynn and I feel modest with our bathing suits on. But outside... you can't have <i>enough</i> clothing on. I don't know if it is because of the sun or because outside men and women roam together. But jees... fully dressed,<i> in</i> the pool. I'm talking long sleeves and all. Not everyone of course, but most women are well covered. Now I need a shirt. </div><div><br /></div><div>Outside there is a wave pool, water slides, more hot baths with minerals in them, a water park for kids, food stands, a lazy river, a bade pool and a fish therapy pool... we don't try this yet, but we definitely will at some point. Everyone MUST wear a life-vest also. We find this out by getting chased by a scantily clad lifeguard into the 4 foot deep wave pool. Common. But, we go with it, we're already here right. We obtain a life-vest <i>and</i> a bathing cap and go play. We looked awesome, sorry no pics- no cams.</div><div><br /></div><div>Task#3- Getting home. We decide to try and catch a bus thinking it will be cheaper than the taxi, plus, we're not really sure how to get a taxi out here. The woman at the front desk kindly writes down the bus times for us and directs us to the nearest stop. After waiting 30mins for the bus to arrive we are promptly told 'no' by the driver. I don't know if there was just a miscommunication, something lost in translation, or if we needed a special card, but we didn't get on the bus. We have a good two hours of sunlight left, so.... we truck it. It was a nice scenic walk</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGhJZUjtf1JpkWUTOSSZxpJLtGLklwET2xKRFzXY7WZ1LBYB5zcqpiFiWdRgpg81_MWkwCmFsBPlyIcZs0SlL64I6TFmyXJWv6OrI3r2UV8vKf_OTO-b9D4LffZl3J1cekIDZN_g2-UQm/s320/100_3577.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481466454671111826" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div> in the country and at times I really felt like I was upstate New York- mountains in the distance, random shacks off the road, piles of tires and roaming chickens... and random roadside chopper/bar establishments. Eventually we hail a cab and get dropped off at the station. We make it back around 10pm missing the 'meet-up' dinner we were planning on attending. I'm pretty much shot anyway and plus, we have a year to meet people, right? Sunday consists of basking on the roof, reading and of course... Jack. xo </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshodHYrYZCGQrq9PtfBWkOiSj5EFwqxR0HTpk8gk5yPaHNVx4ivVbu7azOMW61dddPc9c5T2J_ZU-31K-smeIj7fPFHrAssnXJXbUJqL0zhN7-C48f-8vxUPcUR9XSluPpgixZkMvrTA_/s1600/100_3579.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshodHYrYZCGQrq9PtfBWkOiSj5EFwqxR0HTpk8gk5yPaHNVx4ivVbu7azOMW61dddPc9c5T2J_ZU-31K-smeIj7fPFHrAssnXJXbUJqL0zhN7-C48f-8vxUPcUR9XSluPpgixZkMvrTA_/s400/100_3579.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481465789999241490" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /></div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-57526967036545717702010-06-08T15:33:00.002+09:002010-06-08T15:34:46.654+09:00Jack<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySaAN29hGK-L2Sboglr7mX-SAvwTI5kzjK3mvGOxL29BO6fsKGS777_nSMAoODoHO8z_X-xay6EiMhyphenhyphenCK71D1HKrrdfyyuJBzyzCk4HyIXIgPQlnFDx7Ho0CXdhHdgOTStxuwLAio8awv/s1600/decisions-jack-bauer.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480287379144221714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 394px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 394px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySaAN29hGK-L2Sboglr7mX-SAvwTI5kzjK3mvGOxL29BO6fsKGS777_nSMAoODoHO8z_X-xay6EiMhyphenhyphenCK71D1HKrrdfyyuJBzyzCk4HyIXIgPQlnFDx7Ho0CXdhHdgOTStxuwLAio8awv/s400/decisions-jack-bauer.jpg" border="0" /></a> I am in love with a man named Jack, Jack Bauer.<br /><div></div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-70256594537241988872010-06-04T10:39:00.009+09:002010-06-04T10:56:26.647+09:00Health Check<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mUiwTytiT2b4ke9OK3OjP2W67KnslAbd9xIQ9TWtMQBxKZLcUzOtRjh0a2m6xX5KWgL59e1V_ex1tqXtxdIDnERLZQ7GOlXphksFHDR5R-too2XElzuq9HSxK-fcEGccDDD7wnZ4HjTN/s1600/100_3492.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mUiwTytiT2b4ke9OK3OjP2W67KnslAbd9xIQ9TWtMQBxKZLcUzOtRjh0a2m6xX5KWgL59e1V_ex1tqXtxdIDnERLZQ7GOlXphksFHDR5R-too2XElzuq9HSxK-fcEGccDDD7wnZ4HjTN/s400/100_3492.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478727688187425858" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">This is what happens when you smoke... in Korea.</div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">5.29.10 <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Yesterday we are taken to get our health check. Eyes, ears, chest, blood, urine, height, weight and…. bust measurements?! Odd. No hip or waist measurements, just… bust. I wonder why. The hospital is a tad on the dirty side, but; I guess that is what you get when you aren’t feeding millions into the healthcare system- but guess what, if you are sick and broke someone will <i>actually</i><span style="font-style:normal"> take care of you! AND you won’t have to take out a loan or sell your sister if you happen to break a bone. That’s comforting. There is a porcelain hole in the ground of one of the bathroom stalls, I am told this is common but this is the first one I come across… in <span style="font-style:normal">the hospital. BUT there is an above ground commode as well, and I opt for that one, it is </span></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTkqyj-p1eWxnBkCOt_GrZolGA47eCnA2gfN_J81JxKX6Yz06mB0R2iipWuFUet8BIffLUz3VonLRge_IXgpTkRQlBrODW9GkQW3cTttgHzjYGGpoG3pGIYw4IerF2NMuNeC8b9vRevaX/s1600/100_3493.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTkqyj-p1eWxnBkCOt_GrZolGA47eCnA2gfN_J81JxKX6Yz06mB0R2iipWuFUet8BIffLUz3VonLRge_IXgpTkRQlBrODW9GkQW3cTttgHzjYGGpoG3pGIYw4IerF2NMuNeC8b9vRevaX/s200/100_3493.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478728707272420882" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-style:normal">hard enough aiming into the </span><i>tiny</i><span style="font-style:normal"> cup they give me, but then again, what </span><i>isn’t </i><span style="font-style:normal">tiny? Oh, the needle, the only larger than American item I have come across so far. Abnormally and unnecessarily large. Figures.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTkqyj-p1eWxnBkCOt_GrZolGA47eCnA2gfN_J81JxKX6Yz06mB0R2iipWuFUet8BIffLUz3VonLRge_IXgpTkRQlBrODW9GkQW3cTttgHzjYGGpoG3pGIYw4IerF2NMuNeC8b9vRevaX/s1600/100_3493.JPG">6.02.10</a></span><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have been here two weeks.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The director of our school says that Lynn and I look the same….WE look the same? <i>Really??? </i><span style="font-style:normal">Ha.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We have also begun our first week of teaching. So far so good. We are given the books to teach from and a weekly syllabus so no lesson plans for us! Awesome. My favorite part… we get to give our kids English names if they can’t think of one themselves and don’t already have one! So far I have a few Jenna’s, a Cara, Sara, Jill, Jeff, JoAnna, Lynn, Lindsey, Rocco and Phil. Sorry- Eva and Rusty didn’t work out too well.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They have to like the name I suggest. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">6 Year old Jenna needs some Adderall and Rocco and Phil need to be separated already, JoAnna looks <i>just</i><span style="font-style:normal"> like Dora the Explorer, Sara is super smart, Cara is super stylish and Jeff is cute and nerdy. Oh, and Phil has highlights. And Cara gave me a gift of sweet yogurt nectar.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lynn and I go out for some fried chicken and beer and stumble upon THIS right here. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhux2wM4UJaC0FN3v0dzBCaa45z_AthymQLzKBjNTkw33zY8xHQTrk0VvqodanBZ9Lt0bG-ZeiyUbJN3Rs8ieerUWcTkSvuXHa693oCRfVFofMQqA3D9OlxQOcz5HKuTL4CBANp7WxWa7rt/s1600/100_3547.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhux2wM4UJaC0FN3v0dzBCaa45z_AthymQLzKBjNTkw33zY8xHQTrk0VvqodanBZ9Lt0bG-ZeiyUbJN3Rs8ieerUWcTkSvuXHa693oCRfVFofMQqA3D9OlxQOcz5HKuTL4CBANp7WxWa7rt/s320/100_3547.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478730271244524594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We spend the rest of the night cheers-ing to: Obama, Hip-Hop (Eminem in particular), CSI Miami, American Idol…. and Lynn’s Russian Gangster Jujitsu boyfriend of course. I caaaan’t.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7na9XXRM4w7A-9QHLqguE-0wm5I89TltumccDoXDp0Y_CmE1EiYCda_Hi7ayHkxGIma7PoVGNaO3CDnGeraJGpZ-NeInfpH6E-AAT-opDNx3ED7Ph-gdbuYKCzMiOs6jkZbKh12V9O7zk/s1600/100_3549.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7na9XXRM4w7A-9QHLqguE-0wm5I89TltumccDoXDp0Y_CmE1EiYCda_Hi7ayHkxGIma7PoVGNaO3CDnGeraJGpZ-NeInfpH6E-AAT-opDNx3ED7Ph-gdbuYKCzMiOs6jkZbKh12V9O7zk/s400/100_3549.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478730580069766690" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Oh. I also spot my first gay Korean couple. Very cool hair.<o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-84948955467838288472010-05-30T02:42:00.006+09:002010-05-30T02:57:47.454+09:00Lynn Arrives.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzm1pL8JCGm-K8FFn1Bc8GV5aQdO5jZ6mu9gr6XsgfAX0bDUeA_76pX2m6yzmL0SnFopN_rIEv5m87OzJQek9-xFT3V7x4y-nxP2GEklTbalDsPVThStLLDzZGFJJ9SgxiTwYE_rA7PRx/s1600/100_3502.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzm1pL8JCGm-K8FFn1Bc8GV5aQdO5jZ6mu9gr6XsgfAX0bDUeA_76pX2m6yzmL0SnFopN_rIEv5m87OzJQek9-xFT3V7x4y-nxP2GEklTbalDsPVThStLLDzZGFJJ9SgxiTwYE_rA7PRx/s400/100_3502.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476752687526887410" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />XO.JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-51588384436585043352010-05-30T02:37:00.004+09:002010-05-30T02:42:22.957+09:00NO and then!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_ASxWWzWtMv1O15ZsHA7kT5egmRgaor3CJ9HUpY6LwV3z6xaYeQ8NUduW8sFTRq7Kls3mPz3Tedf8srVfdQV2Ml8bYjOGwYYgRVDHF5nXKgoJ2n5r1M_d2OuQo8j7NHBVS7NlJDbN9f2/s1600/100_3471.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_ASxWWzWtMv1O15ZsHA7kT5egmRgaor3CJ9HUpY6LwV3z6xaYeQ8NUduW8sFTRq7Kls3mPz3Tedf8srVfdQV2Ml8bYjOGwYYgRVDHF5nXKgoJ2n5r1M_d2OuQo8j7NHBVS7NlJDbN9f2/s320/100_3471.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476748373229684290" /></a><br />5.25.10<br />2:30pm<br /><br />Made eggs in a frame this morning, got Subway for lunch (yes, there’s a Subway in my town), gave out some I heart NY tees to my co-workers and headed over to the Pyeongtaek campus again. Received my summer semester schedule today and after about 2 hours of trying to decipher it… I think it’s going to be good. <br /><br />9:50pm<br /><br />Home for the night, the short bus took about 45mins to travel the 20mins it needed to. I rented<span style="font-style:italic;"> The Time Traveler’s Wife</span>, I hope I don’t regret it, it looks like a sad one and it is compared to <span style="font-style:italic;">The Notebook</span> on the back. Eh. Tomorrow. Lynn arrives.JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-32456332708869898322010-05-30T01:46:00.005+09:002010-05-30T01:58:55.972+09:00And Thennnn...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaC8ZhhiHXHGCwsuZ6h1BBk9AMFlTgoJWyovB_juONLZZEnOsDDMOqX979jsmhxYtupiMQggCkWhaugRdY-C-DXquw3AKS_ohjINpRONuw2y-6hrF7WI2x8mvbSO6YWt7IPt9eQ4wF0Xc/s1600/100_3506.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaC8ZhhiHXHGCwsuZ6h1BBk9AMFlTgoJWyovB_juONLZZEnOsDDMOqX979jsmhxYtupiMQggCkWhaugRdY-C-DXquw3AKS_ohjINpRONuw2y-6hrF7WI2x8mvbSO6YWt7IPt9eQ4wF0Xc/s320/100_3506.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476737195993449474" /></a><br /><br />Day 7- Last day of first week Aloneeee in Korea. <br />10:35am<br /><br />I found a Himtoo hair this morning. <br /><br />It is rainy and cold. Somewhere along the lines I missed that I was arriving at the BEGINNING of monsoon season, I thought I was just missing it. I hear something like spring peepers on steroids outside of my apt down by the little park every night, but no matter how hard I try I cannot see a single creature. I am starting to think it’s a sensor system hidden somewhere in the bushes. It is really loud. My hair has been doing something very odd; it has reverted back to when I was about 11 and going through puberty and becomes a big grease-ball within minutes after I wash it. Mean, mean joke. I don’t know if it’s the fancy new shampoo my hairstylist cousin gave me before I left, the water, or both. The water here seems to be really hard and leaves a nice white film on everything it touches. I’ve cleaned the bathroom twice with bleach in the one week I have been here. One week today. It seems like much longer. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad?<br /><br />10:00pm<br /><br />Not much actually occurs during my ‘official’ first day of training at the Pyeongtaek campus. I observe 2 of Andy Teacher’s classes and then Sean Teacher (this is what the students call us) makes me, surprise! Teach his class. I am totally unprepared and feel like a big asshole when I don’t know the answers to the simple reading comprehension questions. I had never even seen the book before! I mean common, not all of us are super quick. Then I get some food with Jessica Teacher and take the Avalon short bus, along with a few students back to my campus. All in all it was a decent first day of “official training”.<br /><br />I am informed that the North has officially declared war on the South, although I don’t know just how credible my source is. I’m wondering if I should be panicking. <br /><br />Approx. 48 hours ‘till Lynn arrives and I am definitely counting!! ^^<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyHvcdiM0t0FFg0Yuocl7msirhkQ3oDNFriY9ddCbTq5k_p9Pma2UWiIzDPPIEKLLxnrIXSzuxNRa58pUzRtd_eIwtDDOHUTvdIvAiVDjGD7BViPAwaBMJS3k2BLBbFcoXxHrxm-h0AFA/s1600/100_3486.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyHvcdiM0t0FFg0Yuocl7msirhkQ3oDNFriY9ddCbTq5k_p9Pma2UWiIzDPPIEKLLxnrIXSzuxNRa58pUzRtd_eIwtDDOHUTvdIvAiVDjGD7BViPAwaBMJS3k2BLBbFcoXxHrxm-h0AFA/s320/100_3486.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476736336918259922" /></a>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-71961103009708556462010-05-24T13:19:00.015+09:002010-05-25T12:11:55.960+09:00And Then...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKOBRvNnU14FD6v-GkDLOEd7aruZXZ3RMTUOW0GxeDWlapBX64zKYkWVDloySg-IHuoQmv_vf7pEQQYbhtEbzjLUrLWdkpLGHfvG7VPcv4bvt9gmjyUzfPc01DT7eIv0OzrJ9PhdD2H2Q/s1600/100_3468.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKOBRvNnU14FD6v-GkDLOEd7aruZXZ3RMTUOW0GxeDWlapBX64zKYkWVDloySg-IHuoQmv_vf7pEQQYbhtEbzjLUrLWdkpLGHfvG7VPcv4bvt9gmjyUzfPc01DT7eIv0OzrJ9PhdD2H2Q/s320/100_3468.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475036793144314482" /></a>
<br />
<br /><div>So... I stumbled upon a public outdoor gym?!? Right next to the playground of course. Gym equipment bolted to the ground. I want to get a plant to welcome Lynn... or, an I Love Drugs tee shirt I found with a skull and cross bones and a little bow on it. I wonder what she would appreciate more. </div>
<br /><div>On Saturday I go into work and for the first time feel somewhat productive there. I tested the new students for placement by asking simple questions and evaluating their conversational speaking ability. I also go out to lunch with all of my Korean co-workers... THAT was an experience. They were all concerned and surprised that I was able to eat the spicy food. They also gave me a fork, I was insulted. I didn't use it. I would have loved to photo document this excursion but considering I had NO IDEA where I was going or what was going on I didn't even have time to grab anything. The food was spicy though. I liked it. Made me sweat.
<br /></div>
<br /><div></div>
<br /><div>I made a friend! The guy from the airport, after facebooking back and forth for a while we discover that we live RIGHT next to each other. Weird coincidence. We meet up and he explains the whole public transportation system to me, where the train station is located, where I'M located and the bus and subway stops and where I can find the schedules. Awesome. He ALSO shows me where America is located- in Korea- aka the Osan Airbase (or right outside the gates anyway). I was in awe, all my displaced people, in one spot! But this is good to know about, I was able to obtain an an International phone card, in English, while there. Only $12 bucks for 3 hours and 20 mins, and they prefer the USD. I notice entire families walking around, apparently there is a school inside the base for all the kids.</div><div> </div>
<br /><div>When I get home I make myself some dumplings then run down to the baby blue pay phones in front of 7/11. So nice to hear voices from home! I am on the phone so long I consider dragging one of the plastic 7/11 chairs over to the booth. But then decide against it, I don't want to draw any more attention to myself, I already am the only foreigner in this town.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYum9PDgWAYwGwwzBuUuX48ok4c3WCRpT5lZqrCq1LBF1vMc-p8wGsPvB9di9ZNdYxXPtEf5IdxHtMVvVleGI61UXrzO8jh_9aYMqozWorD4yseTzwFmq42PHWz5nY9BT4frdE4BhVFT8C/s1600/100_3479.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYum9PDgWAYwGwwzBuUuX48ok4c3WCRpT5lZqrCq1LBF1vMc-p8wGsPvB9di9ZNdYxXPtEf5IdxHtMVvVleGI61UXrzO8jh_9aYMqozWorD4yseTzwFmq42PHWz5nY9BT4frdE4BhVFT8C/s320/100_3479.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475036289085091362" style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a>
<br /></div></div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-79730479231457484102010-05-22T15:24:00.002+09:002010-05-22T15:28:10.088+09:00Day 4<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL7eTd_BN0tGSF_3EV84TbUxkj-3VOaIa70KxMGLLr41SYOg6jSV2Clb60j_4MKOE6yO3w1iPZhs250G4xblFbTXWMceBJev4eCpCkgEDtuzzgdjv0nScSY9rEq_NqiYW4x1xyZ-FqeR4/s1600/100_3463.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL7eTd_BN0tGSF_3EV84TbUxkj-3VOaIa70KxMGLLr41SYOg6jSV2Clb60j_4MKOE6yO3w1iPZhs250G4xblFbTXWMceBJev4eCpCkgEDtuzzgdjv0nScSY9rEq_NqiYW4x1xyZ-FqeR4/s320/100_3463.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473977173626826754" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Day 4</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">11:45am</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think the jet lag is laggin’.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Happy Day of Birth Buddha!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Oh Jesus I love you, and I love Buddha too.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">3pm</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Found a new area today. Fun. The sun was HOT and I wore a tank, I’m not sure if that is acceptable, I was feeling some looks. But that could also be because it seems as though I am THE only foreigner in this town. Came upon a small ceramic studio where an old lady was giving a woman a lesson on the wheel and a young girl was playing with some clay in the back… I tried very hard to communicate with her but no luck. Nothing in my translation book about it either. I’ll have to figure something out and go back. I love Clay. Saw some street vendors, bought some lettuce, a tomato, an onion and a rather skinny cucumber from an old man farmer- he didn’t seem too happy about it either. I don’t think he was a happy person in general; none of the farmer vendors seemed too happy. Oh, and I also somehow managed to set up an account to rent DVDs! Although it seems like I can probably watch all the English movies they have in about a week. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stopped at the supermarket to pick up some more hangers and some salad dressing and when I was in there something strange occurred, all of a sudden all the employees in the entire place started chanting in unison. One would yell something then they all stopped and said something back. This went on for about 5 mins. I really, really would like to know what that was all about.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-32898013098689710412010-05-22T12:33:00.003+09:002010-05-22T14:58:45.557+09:00Day 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdAQ1BGIaoeGHZ9Z-pPUf39B5NuvCYCLMdFZjz3cmuVMurnTrUaEpl_50B9C-AqMYZkeZ3ivDTWI0CbtRzHATT_B2YlXmav7YxM1VRqwr4Iw-orOrL1fHie2Sw7svk0xJ6O7SyItAC8wc/s1600/100_3458.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdAQ1BGIaoeGHZ9Z-pPUf39B5NuvCYCLMdFZjz3cmuVMurnTrUaEpl_50B9C-AqMYZkeZ3ivDTWI0CbtRzHATT_B2YlXmav7YxM1VRqwr4Iw-orOrL1fHie2Sw7svk0xJ6O7SyItAC8wc/s320/100_3458.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473933278099926818" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Day 3</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">5.20.10</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Soon I will stop with the days… things are still new, I must document accordingly. Happy Day of Birth Dad!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I miss everyone.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Today I am going to Avalon Pyeongtaek- where I <i>thought</i><span style="font-style:normal"> I was?? Tomorrow is a holiday but I don’t know what that means. I feel like I am in college again with my hot pot and ramen noodles, although the ramen noodles I’ve eaten here are spicy and better. I see lots of women gardening. Walking around with their big hats and rakes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Midnight:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Tomorrow is Buddha’s birthday, a Korean National holiday, no work. I found this out from the teachers at the other campus. They didn’t know I was coming. I met the head teacher, Andy from Scotland; he explained how things work to me. Usually you don’t know what’s going on until it’s happening, so, it was okay that he didn’t know I was coming. I observed some classes and then went to my first real Korean dinner… in Korea. It was pretty much giant pieces of thick bacon that you cook yourself, naturally. I went with Andy and his girlfriend Jessica, who is from Florida and teaches at a different Hagwan (private English language school). They are leaving in August and going to Taiwan. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> I also learned that PyeongTaek is about 300,000 people, not 10,000, like Madeline, my recruiter told me. Way off there, Maddy. AND the beach is pretty far- about an hour away, I won’t tell Lynn that ‘til she gets here ^^</p> <!--EndFragment-->JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-79098227569836434372010-05-22T12:25:00.001+09:002010-05-22T15:00:52.400+09:00Day 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CIzXgkuTrIezdYw4CA7jQpbdayEqOpfLFa9VWSA8Um8N0F2Q8nxfnS1W2Mvdb_HxADCa-WD7HCyDvNjhjW9qS_XAIxfk2-25vuEJspOwFaifIIE_jtaPx56YNZcLp6GzbvfNt8aLjeco/s1600/100_3427.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CIzXgkuTrIezdYw4CA7jQpbdayEqOpfLFa9VWSA8Um8N0F2Q8nxfnS1W2Mvdb_HxADCa-WD7HCyDvNjhjW9qS_XAIxfk2-25vuEJspOwFaifIIE_jtaPx56YNZcLp6GzbvfNt8aLjeco/s200/100_3427.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473931032660145410" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Day 2</p> <p class="MsoNormal">5.19.10</p> <p class="MsoNormal">12:45pm</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Slept 13 hours. Woke up with severe anxiety and headache. Took a klonopin and some Advil and ventured out. I went to Dunkin Donuts because it was the only place open at 8:30am, the guy made me sit down so he can serve me my bagel and cream cheese… and instant coffee ‘Americano’. I ate and then proceeded back to the PC Bang armed with my phrase translation book, thank you Sara! I get on a computer for only 800 won/hr, under 1USD, F-you Kinko’s. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I found out the name of the card I need- Alien Registration. I won’t get it until I get a physical and I won’t get that until Lynn gets here so we can be brought together. Great. I also need that card to get Internet in my apt.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Next mission: Supermarket. Wowwwww. There is milk and cheese here too, who said they didn’t have milk?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Oh and GREAT NEWS!! Lynn is going to be here sooner than expected, she got her visa issuance number today!! The sun’s out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">10:15pm</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Got home from my first day at work to find my cool sliding kitchen doors dividers missing, a table, 2 chairs and a closet in my apt. Of course being the New Yorker that I am I panic and quickly check to make sure everything is in place. Obviously someone other than myself knows the code to my door and I don’t really like that. Also, Lynn’s code must have been mysteriously changed because I went to go put her dishes away and couldn’t get in with the code on the paper I was given. Odd.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Work was uneventful because there was nothing for me to do. They are waiting for Lynn to get here so we can go over to the other school for orientation together; why did I have to come here first again? Anyway, my co-workers were all very nice and friendly. As a welcoming present I was given Starbucks and Dominos pizza. Ha. Oh and ‘cock’ aka coke.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">On the way home I stop to buy some CHOCO wheatmeal natural biscuits. Delish.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-473971221606082430.post-63850019456271228852010-05-21T17:09:00.003+09:002010-05-22T12:16:06.781+09:00Day 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpmIibTvc18MhfyXPStL4TT5GO-y5BR_NlJoaZfZSjYSi15xqYLegFspusJiSq3PhpLdmFXgVsWEyWsIFDXa4VOGajj6ctCyp6BLNj28yDf71SiNichEPx1gOATh_rm-D3tL5gKaz2de6/s1600/100_3396.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpmIibTvc18MhfyXPStL4TT5GO-y5BR_NlJoaZfZSjYSi15xqYLegFspusJiSq3PhpLdmFXgVsWEyWsIFDXa4VOGajj6ctCyp6BLNj28yDf71SiNichEPx1gOATh_rm-D3tL5gKaz2de6/s200/100_3396.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473927685310552898" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Day 1 </span> 5.18.10<div>6:30am</div><div><br /></div><div>The flight was long but I slept most of the way so it really wasn't that bad at all.</div><div><br /></div><div>BiBimBop for dinner and kimchi, broccoli, rice for breakfast, and yogurt of course. Oh and fruit with both meals. </div><div><br /></div><div>I sat next to a Korean-American guy, Steve, I think? Moved to the U.S. when he was 7 and hasn't been back since. From NJ, quit his job to come here and teach English. Actually, I think his name was Kevin, not Steve.</div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Customs line was long, and hot. I met an American guy from Ohio who is in the military; he went to school in Syracuse and has been here since August. He gives me his name and tells me to find him on facebook; he likes to host BBQ’s. He is the only foreigner I notice in the airport.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I finally get my luggage, change some money and I see him- a man holding a sign “Jade Giorgi… Welcome to Korea” wowwww. I’m here. I started to laugh, I’m not sure why. When I identify myself as Jade he grabs a bag and starts running, literally, out of the airport and to his car. I mean, I know I am slow, but he was FAST.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It is raining and dark and approx 4:30am by the time we leave Seoul Incheon International airport. I can’t see too much out of the windows during the hour-long drive. A young couple meet me in front of my new apartment building and take me up an entire 3 flights- so much for that high rise I was dreading, so that’s good. They tell me to choose a door, 301 or 304- I go with 301 on instinct. I don’t need a key to get into my apartment, only a code that I hope I don’t forget. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I am left to ‘rest’, and the woman tells me she will come back around 2 or 3pm. I can’t figure out how to change the time on my watch. I turn on my laptop and change the time zone before they leave.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My apartment is super cute and super Asian and super… wallpapered! Everything is brand new, the entire building is brand new and I am the first person to live here. That’s cool. Except, I have no food and I am hungry. Oh, and I have no toilet paper or soap. I am sad.</p><p class="MsoNormal">10:00am</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I decide to take a shower, but quickly notice there is no hot water. Eh. I take a short nap, wake up, don’t know where I am. It is almost 9am so I throw on some jeans and sneakers, mission#1: Umbrella. Found. Along with soap, a bottle of water and some toilet paper- at a convenience store. Mission#2: Contact home. Tried 2 places for calling cards, no luck, all writing is in Korean. Then I proceed to follow “PC” sins up 5 flights in a random building, kind of creepy. I come upon a room with rows and rows of computers but can’t communicate my want to use one, I will come back with my book, I need food now anyway. Places are just beginning to open. I end up in a bakery type place, lots and lots of different sweet breads and pastries and things with hot dogs embedded in them?? The guy working speaks a little English and is happy to try and speak to me! I ask him about the Internet and he lets me use the lone computer in the corner that is playing music! Yes! Mission#2 accomplished. I write a short email home, I wish I can sit and write more but I feel like I shouldn’t be on the computer so I get off and buy a DELISH little sweet bread with yogurt and cream cheese in it and almond flakes on top. First thing I eat in Korea… BREAD. Who said there was no bread here!?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Oh, and I didn’t lock myself out. When I get back to my apt and shut the door behind me the lock plays a little song. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">1:10pm</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The woman should be here soon. It feels late already, I wonder if I am jet lagged. I’m very hungry but I don’t want to leave because I am scared I might miss her. I don’t think I have ever been alone this long in my entire life. The wallpaper pattern looks like Lynn’s curtains that Himmy scratched. I love you Himtoo, oh yes I dooo, you’re not near me and I’m very blueee. (I’m pretending the panda travel pillow is youuuu).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">1:45pm</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think I might be in purgatory. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">6:30pm</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I lay on my bed for hours reading <i>Loose Girl</i><span style="font-style:normal"> waiting for the woman to come back. By 4:30 I realize the only thing I ate all day was that tiny pastry. I figure the Internet café I noticed earlier would be open so I leave with email/facebook/food mission. I complete all three and end up with a box of fried chicken take out, mmm. Of course, she is here when I return. She is unloading kitchen stuff: utensils, a pot, a pan, giant scissor and knife I can’t open because I need a giant scissor or knife to open, electric hot pot and a rice cooker of course. Lynn, 304 IS your apartment! Awesome! Like on Friends, the show, except, we’ll need more friends!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anyway… she tells me the Internet will take a while. And I can’t get a cell phone without a card nobody seems to know the name of in English. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">But… I saw the school I will be working at and got my desk and found out that Lynn and I are going to be the only American, or, native English speaking teachers at our school. Innnnteresting. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Oh, and the hot water situation has been solved, I have to press a button, duh. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">And I saw a pig hanging in the street. And I saw a small car accident. It seems as though there are little or no traffic laws and people park where they please- on sidewalks mostly. Lynn, are you on your way yet?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>JadeKim.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10074805742106370529noreply@blogger.com7