3rd time's the charm

It's been a while since I've posted my pictures. Sorry. I'll get right on that but first I wanted to share my commute. I missed the first bus because I was taking a picture, it pulled up while I was half way down the block. No worries, I don't care when I roll into work and the picture was worth it. Enjoying the wait for whoever rolls up next, surveying my neighborhood and loving it in all it's gory glory. The bus goes past the stop without even slowing down. I chased it for half a block. It started to slow down, I put in a burst of speed and so did it. Stupid bus. I swear sometimes the bus drivers are just laughing at us. Then a much longer wait. At last the bus arrived and even stopped right in front of me.
I'm looking forward to Skype date with some of my good friends.

22-26

When Jen and I were in Dongdaemun we saw a guy painting names! and we each got mine. It took me long enough but I finally got mine hung up!



I like how dark and shadowy this picture turned out. It's a tree I'm going to try and take a lot of pictures of so we can all see how it changes over the year



Stairs! 'nuff said



Same tree, different day. I took several pictures of it but I liked this one the best. I'm not sure what I did to make it so great but Wow!



I love this building. It's pink. It's ugly. It's strangely shaped. It doesn't belong with anything else. It strikes a chord in my heart. I'm sure you'll see it several times from a variety of angles. This one is from a third floor window in my school

Happy Sean's Birthday

a.k.a. Valentine's Day

I've always wanted an unforgetably romantic Valentine's Day. I've been creating them for myself on an doff for a couple years. This year I planned a most romantic trip through Seoul. I was going to meet Jen at her door with flowers and chocolates. I was going to take her to a palace with a 'couples garden' and then to Insadong for to the Flying Bird Cafe, something dinner-y, and then to Namsan Tower to watch the lights turn on over the city. Then bring her back to my place for a romantic dinner of western food from Costco...Not the way things turned out. Not one of those things happend but it was even better.

In the morning I went to the Moran Market to try and find some flowers (I waited until the last minute because she'd already gotten a really nice bouquet from her school and I was really really tired saturday evening). Now, the Market is open on days ending with 4 or 9. I went before noon and there was only a handful of stalls, now I don't know if it's because it was before noon (a lot of things open late) or because it was Lunar New Years, but there were no flowers. Not a one. I tried. I walked the collection of stalls and nada, what I did find was almost better. I found a solar powered perpetual motion bumblebee. Very cute.
I made it to her door with chocolates and a bee and it was wonderful. Then we met up with Veronica(who also got some chocolates) (quite the powerful triumverate the three of us!) and rode the subway coming up with cultural differences for our incredibly inapropriate drinking game.
We arrived in time to see the tail end of the changing of the guards at a nearby palace and then headed to Gwanghamun Plaza and all the amazingness there. We saw things like this:















Then we had lunch at KFC followed by a little more wandering around and headed to the next hot spot. A traditional Hanok village. Old style Korean houses. Good stuff. We went to see wrestling but did a good job of getting lost and saw a Popeyes. Popeyes is a fried chicken chain that Veronica has been looking for since she got here. Every time she's seen it it's been right after she's eaten. Even worse this time it was right after she'd eaten chicken! Oh no! Eventually we found the village but alas we could not find the wrestling. We meandered our way through the place but everything was closed down. Here's some of what we saw:








After that we went and enjoyed ourselves the movie Valentine's Day. A cutesy chick flick.

Dongdaemun Market

So saturday I celebrated Lunar New Year by going to Dongdaemun with Jen! We started with a most excellent ride on our reliable 302 blue bus. Every day we ride to work on the 302 and Saturday we rode it...THE OTHER DIRECTION...It wasn't a perfectly smooth start. I, in my brilliance, left my SD card in the computer...so we had to go back and I had to grab it so my card would work. Then we go on the bus...AGAIN!!! Whoa! We live life on the edge! I sat next to the window and took pictures when we stopped. It was good fun. I finally got some good shots of Korean faces, it's hard to take pics of Koreans especially without seeming like a creeper.
There was some indecision about where to get off finally but once we did how lovely it was! Unfortunately Dongdaemun Market was closed, what with it being Lunar New Year and all, but that's okay. We saw some other markets and Jen got a great Konglish Shirt. We wandered a bit more and found ourselves a nice...GATE!!! An ancient fotress gate! The number 1 historical treasure! While exploring we found a painter and bought our names in all sorts of glorious decorations.

Here are some pictures:

back log! 13-20

Mostly it's pictures of my class and head shots of some students who want to be English Reporters next year. The group of three Koreans, that was a day at COEX with Jen. We went to the Kimchi Museum and Quizno's and ran into these three missionaries. They were friendly but scared Jen off. I have a lot of photos from this weekend and they'll get their own post.

Day 12 and The Case of the Extra Camera

I saw this sign while I was in Moran yesterday. It made me laugh and laugh. Where I come from "The British are coming!" is a warning...not something to get excited about...Using that exact phrase announcing a new school...it was funny to me.

Yeah...Sorry it's blurry. I couldn't get the camera to focus just right.

Speaking of camera, here's a litle something for you:

Today while waiting patiently for class proper to start, sipping my green tea and reading there came a timid *knock* at the door. "Come in" I said, I know that chances are the student has no idea what I said, but hearing a voice let's them enter. Expecting perhaps the daily delivery of milk or some memos from the office I am intrigued by the two packages precariously balanced in the little boys arms. I take them from him with a "thank you" and hand them to Helen. "ABN?" I ask as the only other packages we've ever received were either books we'd ordered or from ABN. "Yes," She replied trying to open the larger of the two boxes. Now I'm getting excited. Last time ABN had sent something it had been prizes for placing in the English Newscast contest. The students and I were given BlueQ Media players. What delights were in store for us this time? Helen struggled with the package and I handed her a pair of scissors. Still muttering to herself I overheard "Digital Camera" "Digital Camera?" I ask, really excited now, "In the other box" she answered. Finally the box reveals its contents, blindingly white paper, elegant calligraphy, gold embossed peacocks and trim, followed by four blue velvet folders, obviously to display the awards in. They are gorgeous, one for each student...The camera box remains. "And the Camera?" I press Helen. "For the school." "So just the students get certificates?" "No, I have certificate. At Official Government meeting. Special certificate for ABN and for open class. Native Speaker."
I am ashamed to admit jealousy reared it's ugly head in me. I wanted an award. I'd like a certificate. Sure the kids deserved something, after all it had been their performance, but I wrote the script. I spent hours practicing with the Girls, correcting their pronunciation, making sure when they memorized it they didn't make any mistakes. Grrr...All Helen did was tell me what the topic was and tell the students to see me. I'm better now, but I was a little hurt at the time. I felt a wee bit bitter...I do a lot and Helen gets the recognition. I don't mind too much because it's her career and just a pit stop for me. AND when the s*** hits the fan she has to deal with it not me...but still...I'd like a certificate of recognition. Or a new camera.

So, I realize my posts of late haven't been very verbose but that doesn't mean a lot hasn't been going on. New friends are leaving, old friends are coming, experiences are being had! Starting from now and working backwards...I've been working on my snail mail correspondences and filling out Valentine Day Cards. Apparently Monday was supposed to be a vacation day for me but no one told me so I came to school blissfully unaware and when the mistake was recognized yesterday I was promptly sent home and spent the day catching up on Dexter with an interlude to the library. I finally finished Saving Charlie.../cry/...Monday and Tuesday I had to be at school but there were no students and precious few teachers. I spent the mornings tweaking my classroom and dinking around on the internet. Now, Sunday. Sunday was a grand day! I took my good friend and building buddy to Gangnam Station and showed her how to get to both the Dr. Fish Cafe and the Mexican Food Place. Delicious! She had a meat and avacado burrito (what I normally have) and I had nachos. We both also had a Margarita, woowoo! Next we went to the Dr. Fish Cafe. It's real name has something to do with a tree but it's in Korean and I can't remember or translate it. If you go to this place and buy a drink for 2,000 won you get 20 minutes of dangling your feet in a fish tank where specially bred and raised fish will nibble away at your dead skin. I've done it before and am a fair hand at controlling myself despite the tickling sensation. It was Jen's first time. Here is her reaction:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOz-f1jFsI0

(I tried to embed the video but it wouldn't load properly...alas...I'll try some othertime)

You can tell she was having a good time! I was able to take many photos of our time in Gangnam. We saw dancing logo's! She drank from a statues Margarita! We saw amazing baked goods! etc, etc, etc...We tried to find a movie that we both were willing to see in the theater, alas...no luck. I'm sure the Korean movies were more than delightful but I have a hard time finding where the movies will be playing with English Subtitles. We then indulged ourselves in the luxury of sunday grocery shopping. What a treat. NOT! I think I need to change what day I do my shopping... I'm sad to report that I did not go to Trivia that evening. I never heard back from my regular partner and didn't feel quite up to going on my own as I was quite comfortable what with the sitting I was already doing. Monday morning I told my bus stop mate about my dreams and she told me about her itching feet. I was suprised! I too had had itching feet! Quite itchy! and up to my knees! We came to the decision that either the spray that the attendant uses on us afterwards, or perhaps Dr. Fish saliva itself caused this delayed itching sensation and that a thorough cleansing and lotioning of our legs shall have to follow any more trips to the cafe.

And, in case this post wasn't long enough...I just heard sad news...My beloved Vice Principal will be going to a new school at the start of the new semester (March). A lot of the teachers are saddened and more than a little worried by this turn of events. It's a well known fact that 99% of female VP's are controlling bitches, and about 76% of males are either jaded, or to strict. This VP was funny, kind, giving...everything that you want in a boss. He's the reason I have half days during winter and summer break...Now...who know's what will happen. I doubt we could possibly have a better one, so here's hoping his replacement isn't to terrible.

Day 9, 10, 11

Teddy Bears in my classroom



I forgot my camera and didn't get to take advantage of the photo-op of the construction going on at my school. Instead you get a pic of...dare I say it...ME!!!



What's harder to make out in the picture than in the light of day is the kimchi pots ont the deck. Kimchi pots are every where in Korea. EVERYWHERE