Ah Mah

I've only been here for four and a half days and already, Ah Mah is killing me with her antics. I think that's the only word for it because senility is not quite it. The reason I say this is because she is still as peppy as ever.

Sandy, you'll love this. I really recording this 'cause you'd appreciate it. I'm dying just thinking about this one.

Friday night, we got home from Aunt Winnie's house and we're settling down, unwinding and watching tv. But like always Aunt Amy is calling to see when we got home and how everything is--even though she was there, on the subway with us...

Anyhow, Aunt Iris is talking on the phone and Ah Mah wanted to shower only she thought Aunt Iris was conversing in the bathroom. I stepped in and told her that she wouldn't do that because it's gross to use the bathroom while talking on the phone. But she wouldn't believe. I kept telling her for like 20 minutes only she wouldn't believe me.

Finally after the phone call sounded like it was coming to an end, Aunt Iris emerges from HER ROOM and Ah Mah's like I THOUGHT YOU WERE IN THE BATHROOM! There was a lot of arguing between Ah Mah and Iris over how gross she thought she was and why Ah Mah couldn't hear that she was really talking from her bedroom. I just couldn't stop laughing hahaha

Coffee Prince

Since I've been here, I am catching up on some of my old hobbies...eating non-stop and walking it off down at the gym on the fifth floor...sitting...and sitting until the wee hours watching Korean romantic comedy/dramas. This holiday has been all about the Coffee Prince.

As I watch, I am amazed by how much more I understand the Korean culture. I am really proud of how I have adapted and will most likely continue to love that place. Even though I complain about lack of a lot of what I'm used to...knowing that I am learning and acquiring new life experiences is helping me cope with the fact that professionally, nothing new is happening.

I think I am doing a great job developing that personal growth part of my year...just like Karen says it's important to do--have a professional and personal goal as each new school year approaches.

Personally, I think it's pretty clear. Professionally, I've learned that education is not a business. Enough said.

Anyhoo, back to Coffee Prince...Korean romantic comedies are always hilarious...but it's even more hilarious when you understand what they do and why they do the things that they do. Even all the product placements are friendly reminders of my temporary home. And even though the storylines can be somewhat repetitive with gender roles and class divides...the story reminds truthful to life and romance in Korea. I definitely think you should buy this one Marcie! Check it out with your friend...you two will stay up to watch this for sure...

Until next time...

Hong Kong

Being in Hong Kong brought back a lot of wonderful memories. The smells alone...yeah, well. Here are some photos from last summer:

Christmas present? Hong Kong!!!!

So I am in Hong Kong for Christmas and I am once again in search of words. I keep wanting to utter thank you in Korean and bowing to everyone I meet...even that lady with the mole.

I am thankful that I am not in Korea right now. Here are some reasons.


Ah mah. She supplies me with hilarious stories about my dad. She also keeps calling me by Sandy's name...but that's alright. Sandy stayed here for a long time the last time she was here so she said she got used to saying that name. In my opinion, she can do whatever the hell she wanted and I wouldn't mind that much. She is also eating a lot of snacks. She keeps buying jello for me and then eating it all for herself. It's also pretty funny how she keeps yelling at my aunts for "leaving her behind". All they did was walk three steps faster than she could hahaha

Greetings at the airport. Getting picked up is the best. Immigration also took all of two seconds because of my HK ID card. Way to go duel citizenship!

I don't have to worry about drenching myself at the sink. At home I am constanting worried about that nob being turned the right way, because if it isn't, you get frickin' drenched all over again. On one side. Now, I can just stand there and wash my hands and stay DRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. sheesh.

There is a bathtub here. Bubble bath. Enough said.

Warm weather. It was 21C today. SUCKERRRRSSS!!!!

In a few days, this list will most likely accumulate. I miss Korea only a tiny little...not so much bit.

FIRST SNOWFALL IN PYEONGCHON!!!

Here are the new security cameras. They were installed last weekend and probably caught some of our staff members having a snowball fight late last night. I think it also caught them examining it when it was first put up. I'm not sure what I think of this new "security system" aka spy robot, but the birds sure love it as their new perch thingy.

What a surprise! We do get snow here in Anyang haha

When I walked home last night, I never imagined that it would amount to anything...but here it is (and has gone by 9pm)!

Here, they do not shovel snow, they sweep it, hence; all the sweeping mark.

There was also a really nice old lady that was feeding the birds. She kept waving her hand up and down--kinda like how I psych out the ducks and geese at Toogood Pond--and they flew over to her! And she had rice or something like it to give them! I thought she looked a lot like Cinderella--the aged version haha. Although she did not sing, she certainly captivated the spirit of giving like Cinderella did...

Christmas Maddness

Christmas is a celebratory holiday for my family and I but around here...it's complete maddness. We are currently training our preschoolers to act out and sing to Christmas songs. So far, it's been going well but if we keep going at this rate...I'm afraid to say haha

I hope to get some photos of the Penguins all fancied up in their "Santa is coming to town" outfits...stay tuned.

A first...

I woke up at 6:26am this morning for our run. For those of you that know me, you know three things. One, I do not get up at 6:30 in the morning. Two, I am not coherent/physically coordinated at 6:30am. Three, I do not get up at 6:30 in the morning.

Thanks to Judy and Ellen, I was able to do this run in the morning. There were several things that I think could have done better than usual but considering it was at 6:30 in the morning, I am proud that I woke up. Now that I'm done, I am hungry and really excited for Friday morning because we are going out Friday night.

*We ran this morning also because we are taking the Korean teachers out for dinner for galbi--can't run with stomach full of pork*

More pictures of our scenic run later on...for now look at this:

Birthday dinner with Ruby, Mack, baby, Dean, Hannah, Brain, Angela

I am mocking the photographer, I think.

Hannah and I
Absent: Angela --she had food poisoning

LOOK AT HOW COOL MY CAKE WAS!!!!

Official Huge Announcement for those who care...

I am running the Seoul International Marathon on March 15th, 2009!

The course is as follows...



For a more detailed map, you can visit the site here.

Photo 2, 3 & 4: Weekend with Ruby's in-laws

We spent the weekend at Ruby's in-laws because it was Mack's grandmother's birthday. Here, they are cutting the birthday cake. It was a Black Forest cake with actually cake-like consistency! She reminds me of the grandmas because she dresses like them and sews her own clothes. If you look closely, she stitched her own yellow pocket.

After spending an entire day lounging and sleeping away, Angela and I took a walk with Mack's sister to the nearby fish pond. On the way there, Angela spotted this water tank that was spilling or something. The icicles were pretty cool 'cause it covered up most of the tree branches...something new.

The Dad: For dogs, this guy was pretty shy and scared of people. It loved Mack's father though. His family stays in a dog house next to the house. If I wanted to take care of a dog, this would be the kind I'd like to have...really cute. It reminds me of Ashley's dog...the name I forget.

I spend three hours stalking this girl...waiting for her to do something with the phone. While she never managed to say yubuseyo to anyone, she did pose like this, which resembles a pose that I once held. We both loved phones when we were little...niceh.