Seoul Searching... ^_^.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T13:19:00.002+09:00

It has definitely been a while since I last updated. Not a lot has happened. Some good things and not so good things have happened since last time. But I'll just talk about the good things today~~

Since last time,

I've finished my job~ Yay!
I registered for my online class. woohoo~
I got things worked out with my visa and picking up my new visa on monday~oh yeah!

I'm really excited to be done with work and have some time off. Money is a bit of a stress but in all, I'll be fine. Right now, I'm just waiting for my paperwork to come in and then I can sign the contract with my new employer.

One "not so good" thing that happened last week is that we gave back our cats. Unfortunately, Youngsu had become very allergic to the boys. And because they shed so much, we couldn't keep the house clean enough, fast enough, to keep from affecting Youngsu. He went to the doctor and got medicine but unfortunately that didn't help either. ㅠㅠ

So we made a hard decision to let them go.

We are able to keep Toto because her hair doesn't shed as much. We both felt really bad to have to do that but it was the last resort. We both hope that my boys are doing well and can find a nice permanent home soon.

If you are interested in adopting a cat, please check out Nabiya Cat Shelter on Facebook and they can help you find a new friend.

In all, we hope to start the New Year off on a good note and hope everyone has had a Happy New Year so far~~

I'll update more when there's something to update about~~

Update~

2011-12-10T16:12:00.001+09:00

So the last time I updated, I talked about being let go and what could possibly be the next steps for me.

Well in the last week, I've moved to Nowon, put up a Christmas tree, and figured out a little about what I want to do in the next two months.

Last Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Youngsu and I set out on the hunt for a new apartment. This will be the house that after we get married, Youngsu will be moving into, so we needed something that would be big enough for two people and 3 pets.

well to our luck, the last realtor we talked to happened to have what we were looking for. I'm happy to say that I'm really happy with this place and can see myself living here for some time. At the moment, our contract is for 2 years so it's officially ~~mine~~ ours.

Here's some pictures of how we decorated it and how spacious it can be~~

The kids like it and we're glad~~ More pictures will come as we finish up other places~~

For the future plan, I've decided to take a break. I haven't really had a break since I started working at around 16 or 17 and think a few months to study Korean and just hang out would be nice. I really want to try to focus on studying more and getting better at speaking Korean. The reason that I'm really laid back about not having a job at the moment is because theres a possible job already lined up for March. Just waiting for my paperwork to come in and then I'll be on to sign a contract.

For now, I'll be finishing my contract in two weeks and then dealing with immigration and then the relaxing can begin. Maybe I'll be blogging a lot more then~~

I guess we'll have to wait and see!

Have a good one!

On the search again...

2011-11-27T18:15:00.001+09:00

And so... the search begins again.

It looks like I'll be looking for a new job once again. I was informed on Friday that my school wants to change me and my co-teacher because our program is not doing well. Therefore it's our fault.

So I have to find a new job and a new house by the end of December. Youngsu and I kinda see this as a blessing in disguise cause well... I can move closer to him in Nowon and since this school didn't turn out as I wanted, I can find a better job with higher pay (hopefully~)

At the moment, we're just trying to figure out how things will work because it seems that I won't be getting a few things that I would normally get if I finish my full contract. So we'll see.

Apartment hunting seems to be the most fun at the moment.

As it seems we'll be busy for a while and strained on money... I might not be blogging as much but as soon as we do something fun and get moved and settled... I'll be back!

See you all soon~~

도봉산~ Dobong Mountain~

2011-11-05T18:48:00.004+09:00

Last weekend, after fighting off a bit of a what I thought was a random cold but actually turned out to be a lymph node swelling in my neck, Youngsu and I went hiking with his mom and brother at Dobong Mountain. It was a really great area and although it was one of the easier mountains... I have to admit... it was tough. His mom is an absolute PRO at hiking and I tried my best to keep up with her but alas... it was impossible. So Youngsu and I stayed behind and took our time going up the mountain. A lot of it I think had to do with my problem so I think hopefully next time I'll have an easier time keeping up. Here's some pictures from our mountain trip~

Younger brother, mom, and me~

Youngsu, mom, and me~~

Tomatillo~~

2011-10-24T14:10:00.000+09:00

Last week I had a random day off on Wednesday, 10/19, so I met up with my friend 효진 (Hyojin) and we went to the Gwanghwamun/ Jonggak area to hang out and eat Mexican food~~ Later that night, Youngsu and I went out with her and her husband to eat more food and watch them play billiards~

It was a great day off and I got a new korean book that I hope to put into good use~~ ^^

Comic museum and Seoul Grand Park~

2011-10-24T14:09:00.000+09:00

A few weekends ago on Saturday, October 8th, we met up with Youngsu's friends to eat and hang out. I really like this tradition that they've set up and really loving getting to be a part of it. This particular weekend, we met up to eat shrimp, duck, and samgyapsal. it was all sooooo much and so yummy~~

On the next day, we met up with some of Youngsu's friends again to go to the comic museum and to see the horse races at Seoul Grand Park. Youngsu and I won a few bets and came out even. (We didn't bet much of course but it was fun~~)

We watched a very short 4D movie~ haha

It was a great day~~

Flying Kites~

2011-10-18T00:00:00.000+09:00

On October 3rd, I had a day off and got to enjoy it relaxing at Yeouinaru Park (여의나루 공원) with Youngsu. Our hope was to find duck boats and sail off into the sunset... haha but we couldn't find any and therefore decided to fly kites. It was such nice weather and we had lots of fun. We had a little child come up and try to take our kite cause his parents were too slow to put his together. hahaha!

Check out our pics~

Uijeongbu Cafe

2011-10-17T23:58:00.000+09:00

Sorry~~ I've been a little behind and haven't had much time to update!

A few weekends ago on a late Sunday night (Oct 2nd to be exact), Youngsu took me to a late night cafe in Uijeongbu~ It was a really cute place with a fire to curl around and have some dinner and cocoa~

We took our little dog, Toto, along for the ride and she was definitely cozy in the blanket Youngsu brought me. check out our pictures!!

Birthday dinners and celebrations~

2011-10-01T23:19:00.001+09:00

So last Thursday was my birthday~ yay~ I turned 23.

Youngsu and I met up for dinner in Dongdaemun and just got to hang out and have a nice birthday date~ He surprised me with a new pair of shoes which are couple shoes~ haha!

On Saturday, 9/24, Youngsu and I got haircuts and we think they turned out quite nice~~ haha! After spending the day looking for a birthday present for his dad and getting our hair all nice and pretty, we headed to his house to meet his parents for a birthday dinner for his dad. We headed to a yummy galbi place nearby and ate to our heart's desire~ Afterwards we were presented with free cones of icecream! YUMMY!!

Before~~~~

After! (aren't we cute?! hahaha)

Here's where we went for dinner with his folks~~

This next week is a holiday so Youngsu and I are planning to have some fun going fishing and riding boats~ ^^

Look forward to the next post about fishing in Seoul~~

(here's a cute picture of Toto in her fort while you wait for my next post~~)

license!

2011-09-21T23:04:00.000+09:00

So this morning, Youngsu and I headed out to the Gwanghwamun area to get an affidavit for my license and to get my license. After a little problem because of my visa type, we were rerouted to another location. Tip* (apparently) if you have an E-2 Visa then you'll need to take the written test and need to go to a DMV office and not the Seoul Global Center... otherwise go to the Global center near City Hall station.

So we headed off to Map-gu Office area to the DMV there to get my license. We walked in and headed to the foreigner area... which btw doesn't seem to have an english speaker manning the desk... soooo good thing I had Youngsu with me. (^.^) *Tip2* since I'm from Texas... apparently I didn't have to take the written test (like the woman at the Seoul Global Center informed me... ㅠ.ㅠ) ... just an eye test and I was done.

After we were finished with our paperwork and testing and paying... we took our stuff back to the foreigner desk and were told to wait 1 hour and we could get my license the same day~

I was quite surprised how fast and easy it was to get and it'll last me 9 years! I had to trade in my license and was informed that if I didn't claim it in 3 years, that it'd be disposed of.

Whelp... it expires next year so I think I'm good. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

anyway~~ here you go~~ a preview of my beautiful Korean license that I hope to put into good use soon~!

낙산 Beach- Revisited

2011-09-21T22:50:00.001+09:00

So since Youngsu and I had an extra couple days for our vacation during Chuseok, we decided to go to Naksan Beach (again~~). I'd been really bugging him to go to the beach before the fall weather or winter temperatures set in, so he finally caved in and we went off with our dog, Toto.

We left pretty early on and made it in time for dinner. The roads were empty for most of the trip out of Seoul and back in. After dinner, we walked to the beach with Toto and our fireworks and picked a great spot to set them off. Toto did NOT like this part of the trip. She kept trying to pull away and even after putting her in her bag, she tried to run away (while attached to her bag... >.<). After fireworks, we decided to do some sparklers and unfortunately failed at making shapes... but they were fun anyway!

The next day, Youngsu and I went to the market to pick up some yummy stuffed squid... so yummy! And we also spent some of the day in the sun walking around and finally sitting on the beach. It was nice and sunny (and warm~~). I even got a bit of a sun burn... from just walking around. hahaha!

Afterwards, we headed back to Seoul and had dinner at Youngsu's house. It was a great get-away and we plan to go back a lot in the future~~

check out the pics from our adventure~~

Please put your pet in the right trash can... (ㅡ.ㅡ) lol

Chuseok 추석~

2011-09-12T23:37:00.000+09:00

This year is my 3rd year in Korea to celebrate Chuseok. The first year, I hung out with Foreign/er Joy and we went to the Suwon Folk Village. The second year (last year), I headed back to America to celebrate my birthday with my family and this year I hung out with my boyfriend/ fiance (^.^) and his family for Chuseok~

I didn't really take any pictures but after stuffing our faces with food, Youngsu and I headed to a nearby park to walk it off. So here are some pictures of the park and Youngsu. ^.^ Oh and Toto... too tired to get up~ haha

식혜 Korean Traditional Rice Drink How To~

2011-09-10T22:12:00.002+09:00

Alright~ So on the latest episode of Gabi's adventures to becoming Korean, I decided to try to make a traditional Korean rice drink called Ssikhye 식혜~ It was a pretty easy process that just took a long time as you should wait a lot between steps~ Here's the steps but I have yet to completely perfect the process so please feel free to modify my instructions~~

What you'll need:
Barley Malt Powder 엿기름 가루 1 cup
white rice 1 cup
water 6 cups
2 slices of ginger (10g)
1 tbl sugar
3/4 cup sugar

First, start by soaking 1 cup of Barley Malt Powder (엿기름 가루) in water (6 cups) for 2-3 hours. The malt should sink to the bottom. Once most of the malt has disappeared to the bottom, you should use your hands to squeeze the malt until the water becomes a milky color. Then you can transfer the water to another bowl by running the malt water through a strainer. I used a paper towel so that it wouldn't go through the strainer and squeeze more out of the malt. You can throw the malt away after this step.

You will then leave the water to settle for 2-3 hours. A clear top liquid should form at the end of it. If it's not all clear, don't worry. Then after the time has finished, you should again filter this water and put into the rice cooker with the cup of rice (this time use something on the strainer like a paper towel). At the bottom you'll get a white residue that shouldn't be in the drink (hence the paper towel). If you don't have a rice cooker, you can also put this in a pot and let it sit on low heat for the same time.

You'll turn your rice cooker on warm (NOT COOK!!). we're not cooking rice... just keeping this warm through the process. This part of the process takes up 4-5 hours. You'll add the rice and liquid and 1 tablespoon of sugar and mix the rice, sugar, and liquid together. Then close the lid and wait.

After 4 hours (or 5), you should see several pieces of rice floating at the top of your liquid. You're then going take this out and use a strainer to filter out the rice. You will need to wash the rice with cold water to get out the extra starch. You can store this rice in the refrigerator with a bit of water to later put in your Ssikhae for serving or you can put into the glass serving jar at the end.

You're going to boil the liquid with some slices of ginger (I put too much in my first batch so ignore how many I have here... hahaha... in some recipes it's optional so I don't think it matters how little you put in). You'll also add in your sugar. I used 3/4 cup sugar in my second batch cause the first batch I used 1 full cup and it was tooooooo sweet! but 3/4 cup seems about right or a little less. It's all up to you~~ If it's not sweet enough, you can always add more later. Or if it's too sweet, you can add water~~ ^^

And you can see that some rice went through but that's okay as well. Boil for 10-15 minutes, taking out the white residue (foam-ish stuff) with a spoon. After it's finished you should let it cool down and then place into your jar preference~ With or without the rice~

Here you can see the white stuff I was referring to. You'll want to take that out~ By boiling this, we are stopping the fermenting process.

Voila! Our finished product~~ I hope you'll enjoy this Sikhye as much as I do~~ It's turning out to be a very cheap way to have my favorite drink in the house~~ but it certainly is a long process~~

Friends and Food~~~~

2011-09-10T21:49:00.001+09:00

9.2.2011 Friday

Youngsu and I met with my friends at a meat buffet in the Gangnam area. It was so yummy~ I didn't take many pictures because we ate so much so fast~~

9.3.2011 Saturday

Met up with Youngsu's friends and had a yummy crab and samgyapsal night!~~ I love samgyapsal and it was my first time eating crab so i din't eat much but it was yummy~~ hanging with the boys was a great bonding moment. and of course the night couldn't end without some ramen~~

we went to the dongdaemun area to buy the samgyapsal meat~~

I hope you enjoyed the ~~food~~ pictures~~ hehehe~~

Nami Island~~

2011-08-28T22:44:00.001+09:00

So today, Youngsu and I decided to head out to Nami Island for the first time and spend they day outside~~ Here's a few pictures of our time. Before starting your day on Nami Island, you should first buy a visa (ticket) as the theme of Nami Island is it's a whole 'nother country. Also named Nami-Nara (Nara meaning country). It boasts UNICEF and has a lot of places and information on how to help with the cause. I was quite impressed. Also, you could use a zip-wire to get to the island but this option cost a bit more. We also saw many people bungee jumping... you can see one guy's picture at the end. I bought the tickets and ended up getting us both foreigner priced "visas" at 8,000 won a piece. This deal is only until December so if you want to go, you should check out this price or pay 10,000 after that date (I guess... haha it's not a big difference really). We later used the 2,000 we saved to buy ice-cream >.< We saw lots of couples and families and enjoyed spending the day outdoors and getting some sun~

Hope you enjoy our pictures~

A day at Achasan Children's Park for our 100일~~

2011-08-27T17:26:00.002+09:00

Youngsu and I celebrated our 100 days in Achasan at the Children's Park. We brought along our little yorkie, Toto (even though she really wasn't allowed... haha).

Here's some pictures from our day. we were just lazy and lounged around until we decided to visit some of Youngsu's friends... AND before we decided to call my parents ^.~

At the end of the night, we called my folks cause Youngsu had something to ask my daddy...

Youngsu asked my dad if he could marry me... and of course my daddy said yes~~ I have pictures from our webcam but I think my mom would kill me as it was early in the morning. hahaha~

^^

This blog might turn into a wedding blog... oh my~

수락산!~ Surak Mountain

2011-08-15T21:43:00.001+09:00

Alright... I didn't wait another month to write a post! aren't you proud?!

Well this past weekend, I had the chance to hang out with my boyfriend's best friends in a little valley in a mountain. The valley was really nice and cool. Even though there was no sun to warm the watering hole everyone was jumping in, we all had fun anyway!

I prepared us some lunch~ Which consisted of tuna kimbap, heart-shaped egg rolls, fruit: kiwi and green apple slices, Hoddeok which is sugar-filled korean-style pancake, kimchi, carrots, potatoes and some Sikhae (I call it rice juice~). I definitely felt very Korean housewife but it made me happy to do it and provide for his friends.

They really enjoyed the food. And even asked me to make kimbap again next time!~ hahaha!!

There was seating in a few different spots. You could sit at a table directly in the water or off to the side. We decided (well there wasn't much choice to it... haha) to sit to the side. Even though it was a cloudy day and was raining a bit... there were A LOT of people.

Overall, it was one of the best days I've had in Korea. I can't wait to take more trips like this too~ We swam in the icy waters while it was raining and watched the men wrestle with each other, while being surprised at the young kids who didn't even mind that it was so cold!~ It was the best.

^_____^

After we got tired and changed, we headed back to the nowon-gu area and hung out at his friends house. Then everyone decided they were hungry again and we made it to a yummy meat restaurant... so good!

I can't wait for the next trip!!~~

wow!~~

2011-08-12T22:05:00.001+09:00

It's August! How times flies... seriously!!

Well last month didn't consist of much~

My boyfriend and I celebrated our 100 days (a bit....early) and went to Namsan tower to put up our love locks~

We also have a new little guest in our house~ so precious~

So I'm gonna add some pictures from the fun that we've had so far~

Pre-haircut~~

Little angel, Toto~

Being greeted at the door by my cuties~~ Uyu and Toto~~ side-by-side just sitting and waiting~~ ^^

Happy 2 Years~~~~

2011-07-23T14:28:00.005+09:00

Yesterday was my 2 year Anniversary in Korea~ I landed at Incheon Airport on July 22nd, 2009, sometime in the afternoon. It started my awesome journey in Korea~ I've been here ever since and I hope for a lot more years to come!

I spent the day getting to know this little one and hanging out with her mommy and sister.

It was a nice visit and definitely gave me baby fever... hahaha but that'll have to wait a while! LOL!

Then afterwards, I spent time on a bus just watching Seoul go by on my way home.

Today, I'm just taking some time to rest and clean up my home of all the hairballs MY little ones like to leave around... I think they're enough trouble for me... for now~~ hehe

Itaewon~

2011-07-21T21:55:00.002+09:00

So YoungSu hasn't really BEEN in Itaewon... he thinks he went once before but on the outskirts... So we decided to head on over today after we got the idea from Joy. We met up with Joy after a while to eat some Yummy food at Suji's. I think YoungSu enjoyed being out in a 'newer' area of Seoul and maybe we'll go back at night to show him what Itaewon is all about... lol!~

a day in the sun~

2011-07-21T21:35:00.003+09:00

Well on Monday, Joy, my boyfriend YoungSu, and I met up in Gwanghwamun~ it's starting to become one of my favorite places to be~ Such nice atmosphere and so many families around~

After meeting with Joy and going to Kyobo to look at books that I didn't need~ YoungSu and I headed over to Namdaemun to do some shopping and just walk in the sun. It was a nice day and super hot!

We didn't do much so I'm just gonna post some cutesy pictures of us~~~ ^^

Hongdae~

2011-07-21T21:27:00.001+09:00

So on Saturday, July 16th, I hung out with my friend, Foreign/er Joy, in Hongdae. We met up around lunch time and headed to lunch at Jenny's Bread. To learn more about Jenny's Cafe and how to get there... please visit Joy's blog as I have no idea how to describe how to go there. It's yummy and made with fresh right-out-of-the-oven bread! ^^ So please check out: Jenny's Bread

First, in the morning, I got attacked by some vicious looking clouds in my area. And as I thought by going away from it, that maybe I wouldn't get rained on... I was proven wrong...

The rain got worse as we were walking around Hongdae, but that didn't stop us from finding a board game cafe and a cute little Mustoy Cafe where you can make your own mustoy~ Please click the pictures to check out more information about the Mustoy cafe and to check out Joy's page about the board game cafe! We played Set! My first time playing and I won both games Hehe!!

I can't wait to go back and make one of the Mustoys!! ^^ I also go the application for the Mustoy so you can click the app pictures to go to the Itunes website to get your own anti-stress toy!~

Here's the mustoys that I made~~

And we'll end with rain pictures and Joy taking pictures of rain falling on pretty flowers on trees!~

Look for more pictures soon~~

^^

2011-07-21T20:39:00.000+09:00

How well do you know Korea? Come and meet the charms of Korea at Touch Korea! You are warmly invited!

^^

My friend Foreign/er Joy put this up and I really liked it!~

Gwanghwamun~

2011-07-14T22:25:00.000+09:00

I love getting to spend a day outside... and last weekend, I had one of those days~ Although we wanted it to rain, Foreigner Joy and I explored Gwanghwamun and Samcheong-dong a bit without any rain to keep us cool. I was all prepared too with my snazzy rainboots. Here are just a few pictures that I took but please head on over to Foreigner Joy's site to check out the cool pictures and video she took of our time in Gwanghwamun!

Gwanghwamun Video
Samcheong-dong~

And here's a few of my pics! Enjoy~!!

Children's Park~

2011-06-17T21:01:00.000+09:00

Last week, my bf and I went off to the Children's park to see what Seoul had to offer us on a Sunny (and HOT) Sunday afternoon.

It was really fun and lots of families were out and about! Here's some pictures of our fun time there! If you have some time, go and breath in the fresh air!

Namsan at night~

2011-06-17T20:54:00.000+09:00

So we decided to visit Namsan again but this time at night to experience the night lights of Seoul~

It was really nice and lots of people around! Enjoy the few pics we took!

Namsan~~

2011-06-11T21:06:00.000+09:00

Last weekend, my bf and i went to Namsan Tower. It was my first time going and it was a lot of fun!

The weather was nice and cloudy, and so it wasn't too hot when we had to climb up the hill to the top. We enjoyed looking at all the love locks and love tiles and just the people in general. After leaving there we had some amazing ddeokbeokki at Ewha women's university and enjoyed the rest of the day. I'll put some pictures up so you can enjoy and hopefully visit Namsan soon! (Please click to make the pics bigger... will open in the same window.)

Shoes!

2011-06-11T20:46:00.000+09:00

So last time I wrote about finding a place to buy "big girl" shoes, and I did go to the store to see what I could get!

They had really cute shoes and really good prices.

I restrained myself and finally decided on a cute pair of sandals. The weather is hot so my feet will appreciate the gesture.

Here they are!

My shoe size is 260 in Korean (about 8.5-9) and so these fit almost perfect... actually my feet are a little small but they work for me!!

On a Tuesday morning, I got there a little too early and had to wait around but it was fine. Afterwards, I diddle-daddled around Seoul just seeing what trouble I could get into...

The next post will be about my first time at Namsan Tower...

Big Shoe Store!

2011-06-06T00:09:00.001+09:00

Alright! SO I've been looking for a place to buy shoes since I arrived in Korea... I have about a size 9 shoe and about 8 1/2 is the cut off for korean shoes... but recently my friend mentioned this place... 큰 신발 (Big Shoe). Check out my friend's site! Seoul Kitten

I have yet to visit but tomorrow I'm gonna check it out! So I'll report back then and let you all know how it went!!

I also recently discovered buying "bigger" size clothes on gmarket! Love mine and can't stop myself from buying more!!

^^

complete failure..

2011-05-20T12:07:00.001+09:00

I'm a complete failure at updates recently... it's definitely because I've got a million things going on that sometimes I"m not having time to breathe. haha... my school year has started out great. My students are pretty good and what have I done with my time?! omgoodness... i can't even remember...

I got a couch for my apartment... and my kids approve... hahaha. Coco and Xena... Uyu also likes it but I haven't managed a picture yet!

Went out of town a few weekends ago (not sure of the name... fail)! It was fun!! check out the yummy seafood I ate there!:

And we checked out the nearby beaches and mountains...

It was a fun trip!

Classes have been going alright too. Soon we'll start the next semester so I should be getting busier...
oh joy...

will be back soon!

WOWWWWWW

2011-04-18T22:02:00.000+09:00

Wow it's been since the end of January since I even blogged...

A lot has happened. I started a new job, I moved to a new area, and I have a dog that I'm taking care of, along with the boys (my cats).

The new apartment is much better! I love the area I'm in and things seem to be going well in life. As best as they can with new jobs and new learning experiences...

The cherry blossoms have started blooming and I don't need to go anywhere, as they are right outside of my apartment.

Take a look for yourself! (The path next to my house)

Soon, I'll update with more details of what I'm doing and how I'm doing! Maybe even some apartment pics for those that need to believe there is something better out there than some of the shoe-boxes we live in.

Sorry for such delay in everything!!

Love to all!

*^^*

Pics from School ^^

2011-01-30T14:23:00.000+09:00

My kids are graduating in February so they got all cute last week for school pictures. There are some random pics of some of the other kiddos in the school too!

We're a bunch of dorks! I'm going to miss them!!

Bubble Show Field Trip for January

2011-01-30T14:15:00.001+09:00

This month we went to a Bubble show... I'm not sure of the characters names... but if you recognize them... then good for you!... weirdo... lol jk! no the show was cute and actually a bit interesting and all the kids that went had a great time!

Dog Cafe

2011-01-30T14:07:00.001+09:00

Karrin and I visited a dog cafe a few weeks ago with Zeus... here's just a few pics!
It was located in Hongdae and called the Bau Haus

Name that Price game...

2011-01-17T19:33:00.000+09:00

Now... if you've arrived from my facebook... good for you! I went shopping today and was so surprised by the price of my fruit and a few other things... so I decided I'd play a game with you to see if you can name that price! *game show voice*... ^^

Check your answers below and tell me how you did!!

Post Granola and Coconut Cereal.

did you guess...

5,300 won?

Pomegranate scented dish soap...

4,800 won

Apples (10)...

7,800 won (EEEKKKKK!!!!!)

Tangerines/ baby oranges (?) (18)...

3,900won (that's better...)

Broccoli and Mushrooms (2)...

.
.

Broccoli- 1,800

Mushrooms- 1,200

Tio Peach Tea...

3,500won

Kiwi (13)...

4,500 won

Strawberries...

5,000 won.

How'd you do?! Did you cheat?! Fruit is expensive...

talk about having a hard time staying healthy!!

Total came up to:..... 37, 840 won... wowza... including 2 plastic bags at 20won a bag...

Thanks for playing... stay tuned for pictures from our field trip last week!

YAY!

2011-01-17T19:15:00.000+09:00

Hey all! So to update!

I have a job! YAY! Well, currently I have a job that I'm working at and will be completing at the end of February. I will be starting the new one, officially March 7th and start teaching classes March 14th. Woot!

I'll be working at the COMPLETE opposite side of where I am now but living in between there and here. I'm doing an elementary after-school program and am super excited about it!

I've never done after-school so it should be a new experience to blog about! Soon, I'll be packing up again and hopefully moving to a better apartment. It's near Seoul University station and the area seems nice so hopefully the apartment will be too... I'll be seeing it Wednesday so I can't wait!!

Yay... now to pack 1.5 years of my life back up and move once again... still waiting for the complete LAST time i have to move...

oh stay tuned for the next post... it's going to be a good one! ^^

at least i hope you think so...

Actual Update!

2011-01-02T11:17:00.000+09:00

It's quite sad that I actually have to look at my calendar to figure out what I've been doing since November 26th... hahaha!

Well on the 27th, I had Thanksgiving with Kelsey at her apartment. It was really delicious! Kelsey made everything and we watched movies and just hung out.

November ended and we started up December. I love Christmas so December was all about getting ready for Christmas. I decorated my classroom and got plans ready to have fun! Kelsey and I saw Swan Lake on the 11th. I really enjoyed it. It was my first time to see a ballet and it was a good one! Around this time, I also found out that I would be finishing my contract earlier than expected and so I've been looking for a new job. Thankfully it's not like my last job and things aren't bad with my school. I love my school and I look forward to finishing up but since I'm finishing up at a strange time to be looking for jobs, they asked me if I wanted to finish early. It's really nice of them and I appreciate them for doing that.

So the last few weeks have been about getting all my ducks in a row and getting ready to start thinking about moving again.

On the 19th, I was super busy. I met up with my friend for a vegan lunch buffet in Seolleung and then ran all the way to Hyehwa for some shopping. Later on, I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 with Kelsey. It was really good and I can't wait for the 2nd one to finally come out!!

On the 24th, I was supposed to see The Nutcracker Ballet but unfortunately I was really sick and couldn't even think about trying to sit without coughing, sneezing, or sniffling. So I stayed home to recover before heading to Jeju on the 25th.

The big thing of the year is heading to Jeju for Christmas day and the 26th. It was such a fun trip! We started off, meeting our group at the airport. We got tickets and a travel pack through AdventureKorea.com. So check it out if you want travel ideas! After getting on the 1 hour flight to Jeju, we got on a bus and started off with an all-you-can eat pork lunch. Afterwards we headed to our first stop of the day. We went to the Trick Art Museum. They had lots of cool paintings and illusion art around so you could just play for as long as you wanted. Outside they had lots of fun things to do as well. After that, we headed to ride horses. This is the first time I've ridden a horse in my adult life. Yes, I'm from Texas but we don't just ride horses whenever we want. haha! So riding a horse was a little scary for me. haha and funny! I had fun overall though!

After the horses, we headed to Sunrise Peak. At this point, I'm still sick and didn't want to risk running up the side of a mountain... it just was not happening! So we rested at a GS25 and talked with an ahjussi for a bit. he was super nice. Once everyone got the chance to go up and down the mountain, we got back on the bus and headed to our hotel to rest and get some dinner. After getting settled, we had a Christmas dinner with turkey and kimchi side dishes. LOL! After dinner, we played a huge game of White Elephant gift exchanging. It was quite interesting!! Then there was karoake and fun to be had by all!

Kelsey and I headed back to rest up for the next day of events. Day 2: We did many more things. Started out with breakfast and heading out to see the Chinese Acrobats show. It was actually really fun and interesting! and at one point, they scared you and everyone in the audience flipped out. hahaha! After the show, we headed to the O'sulloc tea museum. We walked around after the snow settled a little and took some pictures! After our fun here, we headed to a Hallim Forest to check out the caves and garden. It was definitely a good relaxing end to the day before heading back to the airport to wait forever for a flight back to Seoul.

This week, I've been on vacation and havent done much. I've done an interview, visited friends at work, and set Kelsey off to America. She'll hopefully be back soon as I'll miss her tons!

whelp... i better be off... time to clean my apartment... tomorrow I'm going back to school and although there wasn't much to do this week, I let my apartment go into shambles... hahaha!!

thanx for reading and I hope I'll get back on track soon!!

^^

Jeju Island

2010-12-31T12:46:00.002+09:00

Christmas and Birthday parties

2010-12-31T09:29:00.000+09:00

oops!

2010-12-31T09:18:00.000+09:00

SO I meant to post something the other day but I haven't had a breath! So now I will try...

In the last week, I've been to Jeju-do for Christmas with Kelsey and just had some time off from school. I haven't done much but be lazy and wonder around Seoul, but it's so relaxing and nice not having to work. On Monday, I will be going back in so refreshed! lol!

last week, before the vacation, we had a Christmas party at school and a birthday party for our student. So I'm going to upload a few pictures from that and then another post will be all about Jeju-do!

^^

hola!

2010-12-19T22:26:00.001+09:00

Hola! long time no... write. SORRY! tons of things to write up and put pictures up but been so busy! i will make time tomorrow or tuesday to write, upload, and adjust everything on blogger!!

sorry i'm such a bad blogger now... so much to write!

don't hate me!

Update!

2010-11-26T16:01:00.001+09:00

I didn't even realize it's been over a month since I'd last updated! Not much has happened. Just another field trip, a shopping trip, work, went to the Paper Lantern Festival a few weeks ago, and Halloween!
Here are just random pictures of these events!!

New Shoes!

New Coat and Shoes! in Dongdaemun on 11/24

Victoria!

My class at the Robot Museum on 11/25

Robot Museum

David

Robot Fascination

Paper Lantern Festival

Fall Colors

Having a cute time with my kiddos

Kelsey's Birthday fun!

Halloween!

Sarah's Scary face...

Allie's cute face!! lol!

Sarah and Me

Emily and me

Everything together!

G20 concert and random firework pictures!

2010-10-24T17:04:00.000+09:00

It was lots of fun and hopefully we can do something like this again soon!!!! ^^

Recently!

2010-10-24T17:00:00.003+09:00

Last week, our school took the kids to dig for sweet potatoes! In the fall, it seems that this is the thing to do, as there were other schools that previously did this activity as well. Also, there was another school present when we arrived. First, we searched for chestnuts with the kids then off we went to find some yummy sweet potatoes. We got in on the fun and dug around with them. lol! The kids had so much fun and we were all exhausted afterward!

Yesterday was Saturday, and Kelsey and I went off to the G20 concert. Kelsey found out about it through EatYourKimchi.com so we just had to go! It was lots of fun and pictures are coming right up next of a few of the artists. I didn't get many great pictures because my camera died right before I could take any! so sad but that's alright! I'll steal Kelsey's and upload them as soon as possible!
Well this week is Halloween week and we're putting on a fun day for the kids on Friday so expect some pictures really soon!
^^-Gabi (plus Uyu below! hehe!!)

Digging Sweet Potatoes... (October Field Trip!)

2010-10-24T16:56:00.001+09:00

English Village (September Field Trip!)

2010-10-24T16:56:00.000+09:00

Got Kindy? Part 2!

2010-10-24T16:34:00.000+09:00

Field Trips

2010-10-13T22:08:00.001+09:00

It always takes me a long time to upload pictures but not much new has happened except a field trip and a fireworks festival. these pictures will come soon!

please be patient with me. my weekdays are full up so the weekends will bring exciting new photos...

hopefully!

birthday parties

2010-10-03T13:07:00.000+09:00

Got kindy?

2010-10-03T12:52:00.001+09:00

We are learning about milk in our kindergarten project classes on Fridays... so my kids did a Got Milk Ad. Check them out!:

whelp...

2010-10-03T12:45:00.000+09:00

I'm back in the ROK after a week in the U.S.A.

It was fun to be home! I loved seeing my family and everyone looked so so so different!
I'm going to add some pics here a minute of the b-day parties and random ones that I can find.

Our school went to the Gyeonggi English Village in Paju. It was interesting adventure especially with the youngest of our kids! They are so funny and just want to run around! Their energy was spent wisely! hahaha!! We saw a few musicals and got to walk around and have some fun with them. This weekend, I hung out with some friends and had fun being back in Seoul. I definitely missed being able to get out and about! The Fall weather is settling in too. It's actually coming quicker than I anticipated. I didn't think I'd need to start using my heater so quickly! But I guess that's okay! hehe! My cats are doing well and Uyu is starting to ask to go under the covers like old times... silly cat. hahaha!

well I dont have much of an update but I'll try to do something exciting soon!! ^^

a week

2010-09-22T04:13:00.001+09:00

it's been a week since i arrived back in the states! it's been fun being with the family! i've had 2 surprise birthday parties and seen most of my family (if not all!). now i'm just chilling at ome having just some relaxing times at home. I'm settling down now to study some korean in hopes that i can get back on top! i'm excited to be heading back at the end of the week cause i'm starting to miss my kiddos and my cats! lol! plus my friends and can't wait to be back in my single apartment! hahaha! I am having a lot of fun and glad to have a mini vacation for now!

well i better run! have a good day all!!

being home.

2010-09-18T03:55:00.000+09:00

Alright. So all I've done lately is get ready for my trip. I am now home with the family. Had a few issues at the airport but I'm loving being home. It's definitely nice to be home with the family. We haven't done much but I've been shopping a few times to get clothes and essentials for when i get back. it's been nice. I'm not sure what else to write but don't worry! I'll be back in Korea! ^^

so...

2010-09-05T23:15:00.000+09:00

I know I didnt give much info about each of the places I went to or provided photos for but turns out my friend, Kelsey, wrote about it on HER blog...So here are her takes on the SM Concert and Everland... you can also see pictures from SM Concert as well!

SM Concert
Everland

random

2010-09-04T23:56:00.000+09:00

Random pictures... from Taco Bell, Gangnam, my keychain, and classroom!

Royal Milk Tea at Dr. Fish in Gangnam

Poop from my student...and some sign that is always in the subway... i find it hilarious and true... (for whatever it is... haha!)

I want to go to this noraebang (노래방/singing room)... it's Every Sing that is owned by SM Entertainment... ^^

I live by the bridge they used in Iris... ^^

Just taking a walk on the Olympic Park bridge... ^^

Taco Bell in Itaewon...

SM Town 2010 in Seoul

2010-09-04T23:40:00.002+09:00

YUP! Finally! I am posting SOME pics (hehe) of the concert at the Olympic Stadium concert... SMTown 2010... it was seriously over 6 hours... with some minor technical difficulties... but whatever... it was totally great! Unfortunately, my camera is not all that great at zooming in so we have a few good and bad pics... enjoy anyway! k!? ;] (BTW I hate blogger and the way my pictures come up... so sorry too)

Everland... just a few!

2010-09-04T22:50:00.000+09:00

Went to Everland and had a blast! Made me feel like a kid! hehe!! You can take a bus to Everland from Gangbyeon station (that's where I got off at... haha... it's a destination bus... Gangbyeon station to Everland...)

Gyeongbok Palace

2010-09-04T22:24:00.001+09:00

Gyeongbok Palace (I've been before and have pictures here up so I dont want to post too many! haha!)
Recommended to go to be a tourist! You can take the subway straight there... it's near Anguk... just get out at the Gyeonbokgung Stop and follow the exit signs out!

SMTown

2010-08-29T21:21:00.000+09:00

I went to the SMtown concert last weekend and it was AMAZING!!!

Pictures to come!

Also went to the first and only Taco Bell in Korea that weekend... and just work since.

I've bought a carry-on suitcase and some things for my family this last weekend. My trip is becoming a little more real! about 2 weeks to go!!

^^

hola!

2010-08-19T16:39:00.001+09:00

Nothing much going on lately... BUT... i bought plane tickets to go home!!!! woohooo!!!!

for those that are in my home town... the following information is for you!

I'm arriving late in Dallas on the 14th of September and traveling home... then staying till the 25th to when i have to return to my lovely Korea...

I'm super excited to be heading out to Texas and being with family... now that it's been over a year! hahaha!

I also got a new hair-do, which I'm super excited about! lol!

and i went to everland last weekend with my friend Kelsey! I'll post pictures soon!!

THIS weekend, I am going to be watching a 6-hour concert in a little place near me! I'm so excited! Seeing some of my favorite groups... which include: SHINee!!! others are: SNSD (Girl's Generation) and Super Junior

Can't wait! I'm at school currently so I can't post any pics but once I get a chance!! Expect a ton!

This week.

2010-08-01T00:51:00.000+09:00

So I didnt get to the swimming pool. I've been sick on and off this week... which sucks with being on vacation! So I rested Thursday and met up with Kelsey on Friday to go to Gyeonbok Palace. I've been there before but it's sill super awesome! pics will come soon! Today, I was going to attempt to walk around Achasan and maybe climb the mountain a little but it was cloudy while threatening to rain... which I didnt want to risk. But tomorrow I plan to go out and see what the world has to offer!

Look forward to pics of Gyeonbok Palace and Achasan area!

Traffic Center

2010-07-29T21:29:00.000+09:00

Went to the traffic center to teach the kids about traffic safety!

BTW 119 is the emergency number for an ambulance or the fire station... and 112 is for the police station... just a fact that maybe you should know if you're in korea!

Coex Aquarium

2010-07-29T20:55:00.000+09:00

Here are pictures from the Coex Aquarium...

1 year!

2010-07-29T00:23:00.000+09:00

So LAST Thursday was my 1 year in Korea! WOOT! Now I can say I've been here for a year! I plan to stay so much longer but it's nice not to be so new! ^^ I had dinner with my friend/coworker and her friend as a mini-celebration! hehe!!

I haven't done too much lately, just working and saving money!

The week before I went with my kindergarten to a traffic center to teach the kids about traffic safety... which is great since my accident... haha!

BUT last weekend I went to the Coex Aquarium and had a great time! Hopefully I can upload pictures soon... once I sift through them all!

Then Last Friday, Kelsey and I went out for dinner in Nowon and hoped to watch Avatar: The Last Airbender, but unfortunately it was sold out... I guess next time... hopefully!

This week, I've only had to work 2 days 2 classes each on Monday and Wednesday... So yesterday I had off. I met up with Kelsey and another friend in Itaewon to do some shopping and eat at Gecko's in Itaewon... so yummy!! Then headed out to Myeongdong for more shopping. I hadn't been to Itaewon and Myeongdong since before my accident in February so it was definitely interesting to see these places again. I, also, randomly fell upon a noraebang that I've been looking for since arriving. It's called Every Sing by SM Entertainment and it's supposed to be pretty awesome! I found it in Myeongdong, so I hope to be able to go there soon! After shopping, we got a drink at a random bar that was opened at 6 in the afternoon, then all headed home.

Today, I had work and just rested for the day. Tomorrow, I'm heading out to a swimming pool at Ttukseom with a friend. I'm so excited! I havent been to a swimming since first arriving in Korea. I'll be sure to take pics! I dont really have any plans for the week but rest and not spend much money! On Friday, I may go with Kelsey to a free park with a lot of awesome things in Ilsan!

And then in August, we have scheduled to go to a concert... SMTown 2010 concert that will include: SuperJunior, SNSD (Girl's Generation), and Shinee! I'm so excited!!!!

and i found out this week that I won't go home in December after all (tickets are super expensive!)... but I will go home a lot earlier! I'll be going home in September around Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving-type holiday) and around my birthday! I'm excited and can't wait to make it real by buying tickets! ^^

Can't wait to add pictures soon!! Sorry I'm so boring lately but hopefully soon I can have more exciting posts!! Parks, Pools, Noraebangs, Concerts, etc!!

4th of July

2010-07-15T20:37:00.000+09:00

Pictures Galore: weekend at Insadong and River

2010-07-15T20:23:00.000+09:00

Weekend Fun.

2010-07-06T15:59:00.000+09:00

So we didn't go to Everland again BUT K and I had some fun around Seoul.

Friday night, we met up to go to Hyehwa and just eat Subway and visit the Flair.

Saturday we met up and went to Jonggak to the bookstore. After visiting Bandi and Luni's bookstore at exit 3-1. We headed out to Insadong, we walked around (A LOT!) and visit the mall there. (i need to upload pics next!) after that, we decided to eat some traditional food in Insadong. We ate some ssamgyapsal (thick bacon ;]) and beef with some yummy sides. After eating, we headed out to have some tea and dessert at the traditional tea house there in Insadong. Afterwards we tried to walk to the Cheongyecheon but got a bit lost... we took a taxi to the river and proceeded to walk around. we jumped onto a horse and buggy because they looked so fun! we took pictures and threw our tired feet into the river.

afterwards we took the bus as close to our next destination as possible and took the subway the rest of the way to nowon. after walking a bit more to find my bus stop, we split ways at around 12pm... haha and slept well that night too.

the next day, i slept for most of the day and met up with K in Nowon to do some sparklers for the 4th of July celebrations. After eating dinner, we headed to a park nearby and set off some sparklers! SO FUN!!!!

and now the week has started again... this weekend there isn't much plan... just resting and meeting up with some friends.

pics will come later tonight when i get home!

^^

No Everland!

2010-06-27T18:06:00.000+09:00

Everland was canceled due to the weather... so kelsey and i decided to hang out anyway! we were already up at 8:00 (BAHHH... so sad!!)... we headed to the bookstore in Jonggak Station near Jongno and got some books as well as dvds and cds. definitely shouldnt have spent any money but inevitable sometimes... hahaha!!

then headed over to hongdae to walk around and see what it had to offer. we got here just in time to eat at Dos Tacos for lunch and do a bit of shopping. it's been a pretty productive day but I cant believe i have to be back at work tomorrow... lol i feel tired and in need of a nap!!

Hopefully next weekend brings about a more fun-filled adventure!

It's been a while...lol

2010-06-24T16:45:00.000+09:00

yes it's time for a mini-update... last time i posted...umm.... june 13th... i had just gone to see the world cup at coex and since then Kelsey and I have been to the one at City Hall and missed the last game. I'm hoping we can go to see it somewhere where we wont DIE...LOL!
check out this really cool video from eatyourkimchi.com:

it's pretty awesome and definitely captures the fans of korea!

I have officially been in Korea for 11 months! 1 more and it'll be 1 year! so exciting! Time has flown by a great deal and I'm glad to not be a newbie... haha! My mom had her birthday on my 11 month anniversary and sunday is my sister's birthday.

today, we took our students to watch "The Little Dragon" the musical near Gangnam... it was a pretty cute story but now I'm super exhausted! LOL!

I havent dgone out very much...Just hanging out with friends and stuff... and the occasional visit to Flair.

This sunday I'm going to Everland with Kelsey and am super excited! there will be lots of pictures!

well i better make sure i have all my work done!
^^

2-0 Korea

2010-06-13T20:11:00.002+09:00

Last Night... pretty much all of Korea watched the World Cup Game... Korea vs. Greece

After getting ourselves pumped and ready, Kelsey and I headed out to Coex to watch the game with hundreds of Korea Red Devil Fans. we stood and sat in rain, puddles, and gross stuff...lol. It was so worth it all! (even if I'm getting more sick...lol!)

It was so great to be in the middle of it all. Koreans and Foreigners cheering together for Korea and seeing just how much pride this country has for their team. It was so so so AWESOME to see how everyone celebrated together. Although there was lots of pushing and annoying times before the game... after the game started it was all forgotten!

2-0

대한민국 (Dae-Han-Min-Guk!!)= Korea
Korean cheer: 대한민국 *clap*clap*clap*clap*clap*대한민국*clap*clap*clap*clap*
The spirit of Korea stayed alive for the whole game and definitely continued on through the night!

After the game, Kelsey and I headed to the Flair bar to celebrate with our friends and later watch the American vs. England game at 3AM.

It was a good night and I can't wait to continue watching throughout the week!

대한민국 화이팅!! ^^

Definitely expresses the happiness felt by all of Korea!

Time for a mini-update!

2010-06-08T16:45:00.000+09:00

...while at work bored out of my mind... It's Tuesday... June 8th and I have no afternoon classes so I'm just chilling after having planned for the week...

Nothings really happened since my last update... hmm... I've definitely been busy with studies though! LOL! I've been keeping my outings on hold for a bit because I tend to spend lots of money and I'm starting to get low on my money tree... This week is pay week though so i'm super excited! I've seen a few movies before my tree started to wither... I saw How to Train Your Dragon in 3D... I want to see it in 4D since I live near TechnoMart which has it in 4D here in Gangbyeon! WOOT!!!! I also have seen Prince of Persia (which I didn't pay for! double woot!)

And then last Sunday, I visited a church with my Korean Friend, Sunny. It was really nice and everyone was really great about trying to speak English to me. I even spoke Korean and everyone was so impressed... unfortunately my skills aren't too great so it could only go so far. But it was still really fun and I'll visit again soon when I have some time. I made some pretty cool friends so I'm hoping to visit with them soon too.

Last Saturday, I went to Samgakji to pick up a new cat to foster. I dropped off my adoption papers for 우유, my cat, Milk, and will have officially adopted him on Thursday. I'm excited! I really love having Uyu and am happy to be making him part of my family! This new cat has been officially named Coco and didn't do so well on Saturday with Uyu and me but after some time alone overnight and some loving the next morning, he's been doing great! He's taking some time to get used to actually sleeping at night, as opposed to "meow"ing the whole night through... I think Uyu must have had a talk with him because last night was better... it's so funny how i can tell that Uyu is seriously annoyed with this new noisy 1 year old cat... who steals his food and sometimes his bed spots... but he's handling it quite well... haha!

This next Saturday I have a doctor's appointment that I've been meaning to go to... I'm hoping to get good news... only thing I'm worried about with my foot is the part where it's swollen a lot after a long day... I'm hoping it's nothing and just standard after being on bed rest for almost 2 months.

Other than those small things... nothing big!

I'm ready to get paid and go out and have fun! My first check was smaller than expected because I didn't work a full month before... but this month should be just right! YAY!

Uyu is on the Right and Coco is on the left... ^^

Vote!

2010-05-30T00:57:00.001+09:00

So this is my coworker, Courtney's Photography contest application... so please get on and vote! You don't have to register... just check out her pics and go to the bottom and rate the picture! She's really good so I want to do this for her! You can vote once every 24 hours! ^^ Click the pics!!

Massages and Relaxation...

2010-05-25T22:14:00.000+09:00

So last weekend, Kelsey and I got foot massages. We had wanted to get face massages but unfortunately they were all booked up for the weekend so we couldn't get them done. So we decided to book some back massages for Monday... while we were getting set-up we were asked if we wanted to add on a face massage... of course we couldn't pass it up. So we got a back massage and a face massage yesterday and let's just say it was great! It was a bit painful but only because of the amount of stress literally on my shoulders...
My Korean coteachers/ friends recommended this place in my area and I would like to just throw it out there too... Check it out... it's unfortunately all in Korean but if you could get someone to help you then I bet you can find one in YOUR area too! It's cheap and great! For the leg massages it was \14000 on discount for May and for the back massage... 35 minutes for \35,000 and the face massage was 40 minutes for 22,000... ^^ They even through in a service face mask: mineral mask with peel away something or another... it was amazing!!
I had open class today so it definitely helped me to be a bit relaxed... LOL...

It's called Mipl... and here's the site... just click the pic!

Seoul Forest

2010-05-24T00:16:00.000+09:00

On Saturday, I really wanted to have a picnic, to fly kites, and just be outside!

Well 2 of the 3 happened! Several friends and I went to Seoul Forest (Tteuksom Exit 8) to have a picnic and be outside. It sprinkled for most of the day but it was really nice to be out. I'm hoping to be able to fly a kite soon! that would be so fun! We walked around for a bit and looked around. Unfortunately, the deer and animals were put away for now so we couldn't see them but we saw a lot of cool things around... I didn't take many pics though cause I kept getting distracted... that's a good thing right??... lol!

It's a big park and we barely put a dent in it when viewing so I know I'll be heading back to try to look at everything again... lol! ^^ I recommend it for a nice day out!!

Cyworld

2010-05-24T00:02:00.000+09:00

WOOHOO!!! Guess who just got a Cyworld!

Cyworld is a Korean "Facebook" or "Myspace". Many (mostly all...) Koreans have a Cyworld and now Foreigners are allowed to have one. My Korean friend/coworker made it for me last week and I find that it's really cool and addicting, especially to set up and upload stuff. I am now more connected to my Korean friends and hope to use it to work on my Korean... which I need to study so much harder on... lol!

Dr. Fish and Gangnam

2010-05-23T23:54:00.000+09:00

YAY for long weekends. This weekend was pretty lazy but productive. Because it was Buddha's Birthday on Friday, we had Friday off for holiday. So Friday, Kelsey and I met to go to Gangnam for some fun. We started out eating at Dos Tacos... so yummy! After our meal, we headed over to a Dr. Fish Cafe. I really enjoy doing Dr. Fish. This is only my 2nd time going but I think it's so fun and it always makes me laugh tremendously!! LOL! Laughing is good for you! ^^ Afterwards, we walked around a bit and did a bit of shopping. Then we decided that we'd head back to my area and get some foot massages. After circling my area a few times... we finally found the place at the exact place that our taxi driver dropped us at... he didnt know we were looking for that place but we didnt know either where it would be... lol! Because of my accident, I've been meaning to get a massage to help out the muscles in my foot. The massage was only 14,000 won for a deal this month and it was more leg than foot but felt nice! The ladies did a gentle massage for us because of my accident... didnt want to mess up anything... at least not anymore than it already is.

After our massages, we decided to grab dinner at Pizza School and head back to my place to watch Personal Taste! ^^ It was a fun day and nice and relaxing! we scheduled for ourselves some back massages at the same place for tomorrow. I'm super excited! super cheap and for a good period of time! It's always nice to pamper yourself sometimes!!

짱구 Jjanggu Adventure Park!

2010-05-20T16:55:00.000+09:00

We had a field trip today with the kids to 짱구 Jjangu Adventure Park... it wasn't very big but it was fun for the kids. It was a pretty fun day. We stayed there for most of the day and bonded with our kiddos... lol! I only have 5 students so I thought it was pretty sweet that they actually wanted to hang out with me and hold my hands... made me miss my younger siblings but I know soon I'll see them and hope they'll want to hold my hands too (...jk... ages 7 to 13 year olds probably dont want that... but maybe i'll force the 7 year old ;]). Right now I'm at school... supposed to be productive but since I'm exhausted from the day and have a holiday tomorrow... I don't have much I can do... LOL! I am caught up on pretty much everything and if I find that there is something I should do... well... I'll catch up on it on Monday or Tuesday. Right now, I'm just exhausted and a bit sick. Just a small bit... it started yesterday in the middle of the day so I know I must have caught something from one of the kids... but I have a strong immune system so I should be okay.

I got a cyworld today! YAY! so exciting! Cyworld is like a Korean Facebook! It's got more design and what-not to it... so maybe like Myspace... I got to play with it a little but can't do much till I get home and actually upload pics...

I'll also try to upload pictures from the fun day out! Hopefully that won't take long either!
^^

Well I better run... I need to talk to my principal about something in hopes that he'll agree... I'll update about that later!!

^^

random pictures...

2010-05-13T21:52:00.000+09:00

I would put captions... but blogger is absolutely a headache to try to align the pictures AND try to add where they were taken... the first few were from the Art Museum... the Park was on the way home from Cheongdam... the Shoe is a statue in my area... pictures of my cat, 우유, pictures from children's day celebration at school... cotton candy and all (i'll put more when i've rotated them all...lol), pictures from our field trip to the Disaster Museum... I'll add videos of the Earthquake and Wind rooms!, and just some views from the top of TechnoMart in Gangbyeon!

I'll try to add more later! This was too much already for me!

미안해요...I'm sorry!

2010-05-13T16:34:00.000+09:00

I'm sorry that I haven't really written much here since my start. I've been busy and doing nothing all at the same time. I recently got my first pay but because I wasn't here for the beginning of the month, I didn't get very much. But no worries! I plan to do lots of low-budget activities soon! I need to upload pictures because I went to the Seoul Art Museum in City Hall with some friends. It was interesting and it was nice to get out... it only cost 900 won (less than 90 cents)... lol! We didn't go to the main exhibit but from what we did see, it looked interesting. This week at work is filled with Final Exams for the Elementary and finishing up our books for the month.

I really enjoy my work here and can't stress enough how much I love it and know it's a blessing from God to actually have gotten the opportunity to work here. It's so much better than my last job and as I would like to not really bash them online... but... I'm glad I'm not working there any more. This is a much better opportunity for me in a much better area.. although, I wish i was still super close to Hyehwa and not 30 mins away... but it's not bad in all...

It's been pretty easy getting used to everything and the kids are used to me now. I've been here 1 month but it definitely feels much longer... it's so funny to me to try to explain to people that I've been at my school for 1 month but have been in korea for 10 months... I can't believe I'm approaching my 1 year mark so fast!! I'm excited! I love Korea and am working slowly on my Korean! I have already set up with my new school to head home in December for a visit to my family!! I'm not homesick and really haven't been as far as my stay here has gone. I've had my moments around my birthday, Christmas, and a few times during my accident when I was stuck in bed for a month and a half, but overall, I'm glad I've moved over and have decided to stay for so much longer. (but...) all this to still say that I CAN'T WAIT TO VISIT MY FAMILY!! It's still a few months away (obviously)... but I'm glad to have the plans panning out!

I think now I'm rambling but it's a lot better than complaining! LOL!

In the last month, I've been walking a lot and working hard! Meeting and making new friends and being able to visit old friends too!

Anyway... I'm at work and probably should be somewhat productive... ^^

Thanx for sticking with me and I'm sorry I'm so boring!!

Flair Fun!

2010-05-03T20:16:00.002+09:00

This is from the Flair Bar in Hyehwa. I really love going there. I've been going there since my birthday in September. I know everyone who works there... and definitely friends with them... in a non-alcoholic way...

This is Ranka...

This is Luigi...♥

YAY!

2010-05-03T20:12:00.000+09:00

Yay! I finally have internet but unfortunately nothing big has happened the Cherry Blossom Festival... I'm watching 2 new Dramas (well 1 New and 1 Old)... I'm watching: Personal Taste (newer) and Full House (older)... I'm glad to be back on my feet but unfortunately right now I haven't done much. I don't have any money because of starting my new job... but I get paid on Monday!! YAY! This Wednesday are plans to go to an art museum and mexican food to celebrate Cinco De Mayo... ^^ cause I'm Mexican... hehe! (lol sorry just had to throw that out there!)... plans to call home soon are in the works cause i havent had internet (lol!)
well a better update is sure to come soon!!

Cherry Blossom Festival

2010-04-25T20:01:00.001+09:00

It's been almost 2 weeks since the last time I posted. I'll blame it on the internet cause I haven't gotten it hooked up yet! In 2 weeks, I've started my new job (which I love!), visited the doctor and been scared of being put back in the hospital, finding out that i'm okay, and going to the cherry blossom festival. I went to the doctor the 17th and because of a wound on my foot from the accident, they thought I had a worse infection, so I was asked to return the following Tuesday to see my main doctor. After seeing him, he believes that it's healing much better and I should return again this next Saturday just to see if it's completely healed. I also went to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Yeouido with Kelsey and had so much fun! It was definitely really nice and warm out! We met up with our friend Rena in Yeouido and new Friend Hosu in Hyehwa afterward. The Cherry Blossoms were really nice and felt great to be outside! (especially being cooped up for the last month or so!)... I really have been enjoying the nice weather! I haven't had much opportunity to explore my area but I will SOON!! I'm going to post some pics up of the festival and hope to update again soon!!

Some Pics for now!

2010-04-13T23:59:00.002+09:00

here are some pics that I could find for now! the internet is horrid and it took forever just to get these! lol! I'm in the Gwangnaru/ Gangbyeon area so it's pretty nice... at least to me it is! ^^ Enjoy!

Random Konglish... hehe

My New Home!

2010-04-13T23:33:00.000+09:00

So, although, I should be sleeping... I'm waiting for my laundry to finish...

I got moved in Sunday afternoon and spent most of the day unpacking. Everything is coming together pretty nicely... It's definitely smaller here, however... it's very cozy! ^^

The cold is not my friend because I'm getting sick... please make up your mind!!

Soon I'll try to get pictures up... right now I haven't really taken any but I want to put some up of my area and my apartment. Plus... my internet is horrid so I'm doing everything cautiously just in case I lose my work on blogger. I'll probably start using my desk at school to do more blogging.

As far as school goes... today was my 2nd day and so far so good! My class is small and very smart. All the students are learning to follow my rules and getting used to having me around. Actually, one of my co-teachers was really sweet and said that she could tell that the students listen to me and really like me. ^^ I look forward to actually being at work. It's definitely a blessing to work here, because so far, I enjoy working with my co-workers and the students. Of course, there are the frustrating students, however, I'm learning to take it in stride and just work with them to show I care and am not there to work against them. lol!

My elementary are also pretty good. They're super impressed with my korean skills and actually think I'm fluent... hehe I'll let them keep thinking that too.... I know enough to understand maybe half of what they say to me and enough to scold them and tell them to get out of my class... which I hope I don't have to do cause I think I'm pretty scary... hehehe! I even think sometimes I sound like a Korean teacher... ^^

Overall, it's been a great experience and I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings...

My foot is doing pretty good, too. The outside wounds have healed up pretty nicely and my foot only has 1 would to heal on the outside. It's becoming pretty again! woohoo! and then my ankle is the only thing swollen cause I think it's not used to me walking so darn much. I sorta walk with a limp too so I'm working on trying to walk normal without over doing it. This weekend, I go back to meet my doctor for hopefully a last check up... I can't really afford anything else at the moment!

well... i better go... sounds like my laundry may actually be done!

Nights!!
^^

P.S. bear with me... pics will come A.S.A.P!!

^^

2010-04-09T00:11:00.001+09:00

It's shaping up to be a good week! I, of course, haven't had much time or energy to pack up but I'll end up doing it tomorrow night sometime... hahaha!!

Today, I went to work in Gangbyeon... was a little late cause I didn't have cash and couldn't get my bank card to work with the ATM so I had to use my international card ㅠ.ㅠ! And then I had a ton of walking to do in the Nowon subway... my foot is not happy... I finally got on the subway and made the trek.

Once at work, I observed several Kindy classes and met some of the classes I'll be teaching. They're so cute! ^^. My class has 5 students and the others have up to 8 students. They're all on the same floor and in my home room class, I have my own desk where I can keep stuff and do work... however without a computer so I'll probably just use my private classroom with the computer. I had kindy from 9:30-3:20pm (no real break except lunch... but that's okay cause of what's next!). On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I teach 9:30 to 2:15ish... and then I start my Elementary classes at 3:20 and have 2 classes... 3:20 to 5:05... and then I'm done... allowed to prep for other classes and what-not! On Tuesday and Thursdays, I have kindergarten from 9:30-3:20ish and then I am done... I don't have ANY Elementary classes and am allowed to prep or maybe even go home... ^^. I, also, found out that I don't have really any korean co-teachers. Hahaha!

Forget the crappy apartment... I have an awesome schedule, pay, and area! WOOT!!

^^

Seoul Searching... ^_^.

Happy New Year!

Update~

On the search again...

도봉산~ Dobong Mountain~

Tomatillo~~

Comic museum and Seoul Grand Park~

Flying Kites~

Uijeongbu Cafe

Birthday dinners and celebrations~

license!

낙산 Beach- Revisited

Chuseok 추석~

식혜~~ Korean Traditional Rice Drink~~ How To~

Friends and Food~~~~

Nami Island~~

A day at Achasan Children's Park for our 100일~~

수락산!~ Surak Mountain

wow!~~

Happy 2 Years~~~~

Itaewon~

a day in the sun~

Hongdae~

Gwanghwamun~

Children's Park~

Namsan at night~

Namsan~~

Shoes!

Big Shoe Store!

complete failure..

WOWWWWWW

Pics from School ^^

Bubble Show Field Trip for January

Dog Cafe

Name that Price game...

YAY!

Actual Update!

Jeju Island

Christmas and Birthday parties

oops!

hola!

Update!

G20 concert and random firework pictures!

Recently!

Digging Sweet Potatoes... (October Field Trip!)

English Village (September Field Trip!)

Got Kindy? Part 2!

Field Trips

birthday parties

Got kindy?

whelp...

a week

being home.

so...

random

SM Town 2010 in Seoul

Everland... just a few!

Gyeongbok Palace

SMTown

hola!

This week.

Traffic Center

Coex Aquarium

1 year!

4th of July

Pictures Galore: weekend at Insadong and River

Weekend Fun.

No Everland!

It's been a while...lol

2-0 Korea

Time for a mini-update!

Vote!

Massages and Relaxation...

Seoul Forest

Cyworld

Dr. Fish and Gangnam

짱구 Jjanggu Adventure Park!

random pictures...

미안해요...I'm sorry!

Flair Fun!

식혜 Korean Traditional Rice Drink How To~