End-of-year Roundup & Surviving Holiday Blues abroad

How did the year end up. Let me see

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Volunteering - soup for the soul

My Kiddies






Last fall, I decided I want to do something good with my life, so I signed up for a volunteer program my school had. It was according to the information, an opportunity for a large company such as ours, to give back to the less fortunate.

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All Hallows' Eve - Seoul Edition

I'd been excitedly planning for Halloween for over a month now. My costume idea all began when I was out with my friend in MyeongDong and I saw a bright pink wig. I just had to have it

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The Idiot's Guide to Learning Korean

Learning the Korean language is no easy task. And, if you never talk to native Koreans, then you'll never need it, as the only Koreans who will be willing to talk to you are the ones who can hold a conversation in English, most of the others will giggle and run away in shame. Still, it only helps when you know the language, and I think it is at least courteous to know something in the language of the country you live in. The only downside I can see is that you easily know all the bad things people say about you, but often you have to smile and pretend you do not. You can often find language exchange partners or sign up for a class, or if you are truly diligent, learn on your own. I can have some general conversation now, So lets start with the basics

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Quick Weekend Getaway (Hong Kong and Macau)

I was getting a little bit stressed out by work in general, so my friend and I decided I needed a break. We tried to think of a place where is would be easy to explore most of it in just a few days, and came up with Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. I wanted to stay away from Singapore because it will eventually be on my south east Asia backpacking extravaganza.

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Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)

My school didn't really give a chuseok holiday because it fell on a Saturday. That had a lot of kids cranky and ruined any plans of taking any fun and exciting trips outside the country. Instead I planned to meet up with my girls a little bit later the next day. Unfortunately when I got off work that Friday, we went drinking so I was a little hung over the next day.

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The end of summer

Summer has come to its end. A term has passed and gone by. Life is still the same, minor glitches here and there. I think I will stay in Korea another year. I love the life I life here, lots of fun parties, people all around, some of my only qualms are that as big as Seoul is, the foreign community is minuscule... every weekend you will run into somebody you know or someone who knows someone you know. Also, sometimes partying all the time can get strenuous.

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Another Day in Paradise

I had a chance to go to the Philippines, and it was tons of fun, while I hated Manila, I absolutely love Boracay.

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Lets Get DIRRTY: Boryeong Mudfestival

The Boryeong Mud Festival is a festival that grew out of a need to sell pharmaceautical products made of mud. Well, there is more to it but I will let the web and this video tell you more about it.

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Movie theaters in Korea

Going to the movies in Korea is an exciting experience.

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Another Ladies Night

Every Thursday night is ladies night in Itaewon. I've heard that there is a ladies night in Hongdae but I don't know when or where (bar names). In itaewon usually we go to bricx first because they are free until midnight and then we go to the Loft.

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July 4th Weekend in Korea

I wasn't sure how spending J4 in another country would play out especially as half my friends here aren't even American

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Hweshik to kick the summer off right

I am in awe and fear of this bottle of soju in my hands

So at last June is over and July is here. It hasn't really felt like summer, until now. Maybe because i think its still cold here. I decided to suspend my Korean classes until September so I could focus on work and travel. I got my korean teacher a thank you gift. I think she was touched.

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Hello Kitty and Me

Eventually, a post was going to have to happen about HK. Ok, so I am a little bit obsessed with Hello Kitty . I mean my house is beginning to look like a walking shrine.

Some HK goodies I own

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6 months gone: still loving life in Seoul

accurate depiction

6 months have gone by so quickly and suddenly its time to start thinking that in maybe another 6 months I will either be out of here or staying on for another year. I don't want to think too much into it but I have to start planning. You think you have so much time, but one year is not enough to experience anything properly. Especially when you've fallen in love...

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Shakha's Epic Run

So, a coworker of mine, Shakha, had been talking about getting us all together for a baseball game for a while. I'd been dying to go, but there was always one thing or the other going on. Finally, one day, Shakha let us know he'd be leaving soon so we knew we had to be there. There were rumors that before he left he would run the field. I didn't know whether to believe it or not but I would never forgive myself if I missed it.

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New Term begins... sort of

We all went in to work, but got sent home

Quarantine: Just when you think you have it all figured out, something new happens. This time it was a very surprising and unexpected suspension of the start of the term due to Swine flu.

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Surviving my first term

I made it through a term. I survived teaching on Saturdays. When I arrived in the middle of the winter term I was a bumbling idiot. Teach? huh? I was nervous, I was disinterested and I was unchallenged. While the latter hasn't changed very much, I found that this new term I got to be more comfortable being in front of people, and here's a secret, the kids who like you will make fun of you, will wonder about your life, will follow you around, so get used to it.

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its getting hot in here

>

Summer is here at last...

I finally began my Korean lessons. Let me tell you about the process

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my cinco de mayo in korea

So this mexican restaurant in Seoul decided to host a cinco de mayo affair. Since Koreans have no idea what Cinco de Mayo is (In fairness most Americans only know it because as a day to drink tequila, margaritas and mexican beers such as coronas, dos equis and the like or think its Mexicos independence day, and we're right next to them tsk tsk. Its actually the day that Mexicon won an important battle (here for more) Anyways in Korea this was actually a holiday called Children's day which is celebrated in many asian countries (here) part of a series of holidays including Labor day and Buddha's birthday. In Japan they call it golden week.

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and trip to african cultural center..

I woke up after an insane Saturday night that included Itaewon and getting lost in Hongdae before partying in Hongdae, to an unusual email. Feeling flustered about it I decided I couldn't go back to sleep so instead I decided to head out on this trip that I had read about online on facebook.

It was a trip to the African Cultural center.

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buddha lantern fest

In many Asian countries for obvious reasons, Buddhas birthday(석가탄신일) is a big deal celebrated with fireworks and dancing and Lanterns. Even though Korea is one of the most Christian Asian nations, it was still no exception since 63% of the population is Buddhist. The birthday is a national holiday (well except at my school) but on Sunday I got to experience the beauty of the lotus lantern festival.

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Welcome to the Good Life

It feels like Atlanta, it feels like NY, summertime Chi, ...and Seoul.

I am having a great time here. I can't believe I almost didn't come and for the most asinine reasons. I realize its been a long time since I wrote, so I am going to try to catch you up...

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doing it and doing it and doing it well

Wow. long time no write. Crazy shenanigans...
Out and about


My hourly situation was worked out, I got an apology and I have been told that this is really only due to the term I joined CDI in. We'll see. People were disgruntled enough to leave, but if I leave I'd have to well, go back. Not Yet. I LOVE IT HERE. Two months and I feel like I've been here all my life. I have great friends, an insane lifestyle that involved not working until 4pm and then drinking our lives away. I don't leave for work until 2.30... plenty of time to recover... and of course, I live in Seoul

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Drank Dat Soju Boy

This video is hilarious, and I know some of the people in it. Enjoy

They tried to make me go to rehab and i said

no, no, no. and flashed them a... smile. yeah that's what i did ;)


i think i need therapy. dude. rough week. but you know what? i am proud of myself because i am learning to do so many things i used to have a hard time doing... open up when i am hurting and well... JUST DANCE. that's my therapy. Always. I love it (and the song)

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Random observations of a stranger in Seoul:

First of all, another fun weekend was had, this time with less sickness/more hijinks. Friday hit up the regular spot in itty - Gecko's with the usual crew (below). Saturday I hit up this fun club called Monkey Beach in apgu, ran into some peeps from training. I'm beginning to realise that huge as Seoul is, there are only so many foreigners. keep going to the same spots and you're going to start running into the same people over, and over, and over...

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oh the trouble i cause...

So far so good on the Korea front. the one month mark is past and i still like it. some drama on the home front made me wish i was home but i can't save everyone. cheap liquor here is the bane of my existence. i never start out with the intent of consuming that much, but it's sooo cheap...

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Obamanation!!!

My biggest regret coming here was the timing. I knew that in coming now I would be unable to watch the inauguration. I would have made the trek to D.C. in the freezing cold to watch history in the making. Some things need to be seen as they occur.

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My life so far

So I'll give you a brief update on me. I am settling well into life here in Seoul. Apparently I am adapting really well for someone who just got here 3 weeks ago. I guess being outgoing, gregarious, and will to try new things never hurt anyone.

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Teach-uh are you mixed race?

Huh?
first of all, it took some getting used to, being called teacher. At first i was like, why don't the kids call you by your name, first or last doesn't matter. turns out its a korean (maybe asian but i'm not going to make generalizations i'm unsure about) thing. Teacher is a sign of respect. I think it Confucianism based, but I could just be b-sing out my derriere... Except it doesn't sound like teacher, it sounds like teach-uh.... Yeah...

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Kamsahanida very much

So I woke up on my birthday morning to a call from the parents… I thought that was rather sweet of them. I went back to sleep and then go ready to go to work. I heading on the train full of apprehension. It wasn't a short trip.

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I can have whatever I like ;)

It takes a different kind of person to decide to just up and leave everything they've known to relocate to a new country. Sometime I get homesick. But my kind of homesick is not craving for home, but rather wishing that things I miss could come here.

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Cheers to new beginnings

I don't even know where to begin. I love this city. Plain and simple. Is that normal? will it all wear off soon. It's like living in Manhattan, i always wanted to live in Manhattan. I couldn't afford it though. I live in Seoul. Wow. I still have to pinch myself that can say that...

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