Velodi

Back on the Homefront

2008-04-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I made the venture to Korea over a year ago and I made the venture back to familiar territory. I've been back in Canada for about 7 months now and it feels like I've been back for much longer than that.

It took awhile to get back into the groove of things here. It felt different. It was similar to the feeling I felt when I first arrived in Korea. It felt like I was integrating my life into a foreign country even though this is the place I grew up. I came back to my home country and suddenly, even though I've been thinking about and missing home for a year, it doesn't quite feel like what I thought it would feel like. I don't know if that will make sense to anyone. Yes, seeing your family and friends is fantastic. Yes, the food is amazing. Yes, I can hear English all around me. Yes, I can go to the doctor by myself and know that she understands what I'm saying. However, it's like I left a life behind in Korea and that made it difficult to find myself here. So, I spent a couple months moping around and thinking about what I'd left behind.

With all that out of the way, I have found my place again in Canada and I feel 100% better. What makes my journey back to Canada even better was that I was able to bring back this:

Most of you have met him, but for those that haven't. Meet Jong-Sung. I met this great guy in Korea and we've been dating for over a year. Surprise! Despite our difference of citizenship, we have a lot in common including Canada. Jong-Sung spent many years studying in Canada and is continuing his studies in Canada again. Yay!

Diane is going home!

2007-08-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

That's right folks. I'm heading home. My flight is booked and payed for. I'll be flying out August 31st at 9pm and arriving in Toronto August 31st at 9pm. Weirrrrd! Can't wait to see everyone. Can't wait to eat some delicious food!

Hope all is well.

2007-07-15T02:27:00.000-07:00

I was anticipating a good night out in Seoul lastnight. My friend Eun Young, some of her friends, and I were going to go out for drinks and dancing. We decided to get some Spanish food for dinner before heading out and we had to walk down a narrow, car-lined road. I noticed a car coming up behind us so I moved over but I guess Mejeong Poon didn't notice. I tried to pull her out of the way but the car HIT her! You hear of this happening a lot in Seoul but I hadn't experienced it yet! She was bent over crying and holding her ankle. The driver of the car must have been slow or something because he was just standing there. As my friends tried to figure things out with the driver I kinda just stood around and wondered what was going on. haha. The benefits of not speaking any Korean is that you don't have to get involved in situations like this. Her ankle was scraped, bruised, and swollen. They decided she should go to the hospital to get it checked out. We took the dude's phone number and then went to the hospital. She got her ankle x-rayed. The driver of the car was called to come and pay for her hospital bills. He arrived with his boss. Apparently he was a valet parking attendant at a fancy restaurant. Once the hospital bill was paid for the manager of the restaurant invited us back to enjoy some free Chinese food and wine. Sweet. So, after a car accident and 2 hours in the hospital we were able to start our night with some fantastic food.

Smells

2007-07-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that according to a taxi driver I do NOT smell bad. Thank you. In fact, apparently I smell pretty good. So good that he felt the need to spritz himself with some cologne in the car. It's well known in Korea that foreigners usually smell pretty bad to the Korean nose. They say we smell like old cheese. Mmmmm. I don't though. Hurray.

Thank you Mr. Taxi Driver.

Hello...

2007-05-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

I just finished teaching a group of 100 students from the islands surrounding Incheon. They don't have the opportunity to practice their English as much as the kids that live in the city. It was an interesting week. Although their English ability is really low they tried hard. After spending four days with them I can tell you one thing -- they know how to say hello. I heard about a million hellos and their variations this week. Everytime you pass a student in the hall they say hello, hi, or hey. After awhile I can't say hello back anymore. I just smile.

2007-05-25T04:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the comments folks. It's good to hear that people actually read this thing.

Not much is happening in Korea. I've been a little down lately about my job. It's a routine and everyday is the same thing. I either have students at my school for 4 days where I teach the same lessons everytime we have students, or we don't have students for months at a time and I sit around and think about what else I could be doing elsewhere.

My friend, and partner in crime, Jen is leaving Korea on June 17th. In less than a month I will be in a foreign country almost completely alone! It's kinda a scary thought. I'm going to miss Jen being next door to me. I'm going to miss having a familiar person from home that knows me and can relate with me. I will probably have a 55 year old New Zelander move in and really what do I have in common with a person I can't even understand. Seriously, I can understand a kid that barely speaks English but a New Zelander -- I have no clue what they are saying. They speak English but I need a translator. I will be okay though. I've become quite the independent person since moving away. It feels good.

I'm going to a soccer game tomorrow. I have to wake up at 6:30am ON A SATURDAY. It should be fun though.

Oh yeah, watched Blades of Glory tonight - dumb movie. I don't recommend.

Peace!

Cured

2007-05-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

To the two people that read this (Mom and Sarah) -- don't worry! I'm cured. I fought off the last cold. I feel a-ok.

The sun is shining. Summer is on its way.

I have to start teaching next week. That sucks. Really sucks. Have I mentioned that I hate my job right now? Yeah, pointless job.

Anyway. That's all.

Peace.

Death and Dying

2007-04-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

I am heading into my 4th week of being sick. Not the same illnesses. I've had 3 different colds. The first one wasn't bad. I had the sniffles and the sneezes. The second one was not pretty. I had some severe mucus build-up and some sore throat schtuff. Now, just today, I've started to feel a new something happening in my throat. It feels like my throat is on fire. What is this? Does anyone know? Do I need to get my tonsils out? haha. Seriously, I'm just tired of being sick. I went 7 months with only one cold and now I've had 3 in the last month. That's brutal. I guess I need to look after myself a little better and perhaps purchase one of these?

Maybe not.

It's been awile...

2007-03-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't written anything in a long time. There isn't much going on here. We've started working again after having two months without students. This past week was a little tough. I had a cold and had to continue to be my perky self. It's hard to teach English when you can't speak. Oh well.

My parents are coming to visit me on Thursday and I'm pretty excited about that! I hope they enjoy their stopover here.

Anyway. Back to work.

Take care.

Never trust a Korean woman....

2007-03-05T01:50:00.000-08:00

....that only charges you 4,000 won to hem a pair of jeans!
Do you remember the jeans I mentioned in the previous post? Do you remember how excited I was to finally be able to buy some pants? Do you remember how it took only one little Korean lady to RUIN MY LIFE!? No? Ohhhhh, that's because I haven't told you all about it yet. Here is the true tale of my travelling pants.

I bought two pairs of jeans in Beijing. This was amazing because I hadn't really done a lot of shopping in Korea. When I found jeans that fit around my hips I bought them regardless of the cost. I carried them home carefully in my new suitcase and they made it home safely. I took them to the local dry cleaners to have the bottoms hemmed. They were a little long for me. The cost was amazing. For those of you that don't know. 4,000 won = about 4 dollars Canadian. When I heard the price I thought "hmmmm, that's really cheap, I wonder if she does a good job". She told us to come back in 2 hours and they would be finished. (I make this conversation between the lady and I sound so simple but let me tell you -- IT WASN'T. What seemed like 4 hours of extreme body language later and I was on my way home.)

I returned to the dry cleaners to pick up my new pants. I didn't even look at them in the store. I was too excited. Half way home I take a look at my pants and almost had a breakdown in the street. It was no wonder that I had only paid 8,000 won for my two pairs of jeans. All she had done was fold up my jeans and sew a line across the bottom. So yeah, I'm wearing jeans that look like my MOM made them from scrap materials (sorry Mom!).

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

I'm trying not to really think about it. It's not THAT big of a deal. I did only pay 10 dollars for each pair of jeans.

Miss you all.

The Trip

2007-03-03T22:23:00.000-08:00

China was a great experience. I was able to see so many things that you've only seen in pictures. I was able to check out the Great Wall of China, Ming Tombs, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Temple of Heaven. I think my favourite spot in Beijing was the Forbidden City. This gigantic area (about 170 acres) was the palace of emperors in ancient Chinese history (Ming and Qing dynasties). This immense area was filled with tons of elaborately decorated wooden buildings with 10 metre walls surrounding the grounds. It was pretty extravagant.

What else can I say about Beijing? Foreign people in China is an even stranger sight to see than in Korea. We had many stares and gasps which always makes me laugh. My favourite is the request to have our pictures taken with various families from around the world. A group of travellers from Taiwan, Iran, and China all asked us to take pictures with them. Strange but funny. I'm not sure what they'll do with those pictures.

I was reallllllllllllllllllly excited to be able to shop in China. It's difficult to find clothing in Korea so when I was actually able to try on jeans in China I was thrilled. I bought a couple pairs of jeans, some gifts, shoes, and a new suitcase to bring home all my new purchases. It's a cheap place to shop.

China was a great place to visit - the weather was nice, my travel mates were swell, and the destinations were 'wow'. I hope to check out Shanghai someday.

Hope all is well.

Forbidden City

The Great Wall of China

Tiananmen Square

Delay

2007-02-26T16:17:00.000-08:00

It is a good thing we arrived at the airport early....

Our flight was at 1pm. We arrived at the airport at 9am in order to pick up our tickets and eat that delicious breakfast at the Hyatt. We checked in our luggage at 11am. We're still excited to leave for China UNTIL....the report that there was a heavy fog hovering over Beijing. Our flight was delayed until 2pm, then 4pm, then 6:30pm, then 10pm. *Side note: During this incredibly LONG time I ate a lot of free KFC and Subway. I have never eaten so much in my entire life.*

Finally, we heard an announcement saying that the fog had lifted in Beijing and we would be boarding the plane. YES! It was time. We gathered our belongings and started to board the plane at around 11pm. We step on the plane and look out the window to see the thickest fog EVER. The fog has lifted in China, made it's way towards Korea and landed in Incheon International Airport. Sooooooooooooooo, we sat on the plane for 4 hours which was brutal. I was sitting near a Korean tour group and they were all drunk on serious amounts of soju. The smell in the plane was a mix between kimchi and soju. As you can imagine, the four hour wait on the airplane was wonderful. Finally after those long four hours there was an announcement in Chinese and then in Korean. Everyone started to stand up and get their things ready. We were getting off the plane. WHAT? I asked a flight attendant what was going on and she said the fog wasn't lifting and we had to get off the plane. They said they would try to take off at 6am so I found a nice hard bench to rest on and fell asleep immediately.

The next day the delays continued. The flight didn't take off at 6am due to the heavy fog. Emmanuella, Jen, and I were started to get annoyed with waiting. We had taken an unnecessary day off work. Instead of sitting around our office all day we had to sit around the airport all day. We decided that if the weather conditions didn't change soon we were going to cancel our trip. 10am rolled around and it was still foggy outside. We decided to go home. The airport employees took us to the customer service desk. We stood around waiting for a half hour. The representative said that the plane would probably be taking off at noon. I had faith. I wanted to wait until noon. I had a feeling we would be able to take off.

We waited, and at 1pm we were boarding the plane for the second time in 24 hours! We were actually leaving.

We spent a total of 28 hours in the airport. A day of our trip vanished. I'm lucky that I can sleep just about anywhere. I felt quite rested for the beginning of my trip to Beijing.

Holiday Begins....

2007-02-20T04:44:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow!

We are heading to the airport a bit earlier than needed tomorrow for a couple of reasons:

1. We have to pick up our flight tickets because our travel agent is a MORON!

2. The most important reason being BREAKFAST AT THE HYATT. Mmmmm....eggs, bacon, homefries, delicious things that I don't get to eat very often here. Very excited about that. The breakfast could be the highlight of my trip and I haven't even left Korea yet.

So yes, I'm taking off for Beijing, China tomorrow. I'm excited more than I was about Thailand. Beaches are nice but they aren't really my style -- bad for my skin and all that stuff.

I look forward to updating you on my travels when I return.

Take care,

Diane

Top Secret

2007-02-19T05:35:00.000-08:00

I am heading off school grounds tomorrow on some business related 'stuff'. Since arriving in Korea I have been involved in many top secret missions in the name of education. My place of business takes me to random locations in South Korea and we do stuff and we are told to keep it hush hush. For tomorrow's rendez-vous I have been told that "you are required to keep saying nothing about it to anyone". That's all I'm allowed to say. In fact, I think I've said too much. Sorta creepy, eh?

Musical Taste

2007-02-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

As a lot of you know, my favourite 'band' in high school was Backstreet Boys with N'Sync following closely behind. Yes, I was 17 and in love with Brian Littrel of BSB fame. Yes, I would crank All I Have to Give in my car. And yes, I know all the lyrics to their songs. I remember my high school friends used to shake their head at me when I would walk across the street from my high school to purchase my Backstreet Boys stickers. I didn't care though. I was a true fan.

I don't listen to boy band music too often anymore. I think I've outgrown the teen heart throb stage and I'm ready to move on to music with more sophistication, class, and musical talent. I made such a purchase last weekend when I was at the COEX Mall in Seoul. I was skimming the shelves when I came upon.................

Score!

China Bound

2007-02-06T02:22:00.000-08:00

I'm going to China! Yes, you heard it right. I'll be going to Beijing for a mini-vacation on February 21st. I'm pretty excited. I'm going with Jen and Emmanuella. We'll be hitting all the main attractions on this touristy vacation. The Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square to name a few.

This year has been pretty amazing so far on the travelling front. I have arrived on a new continent. I have visited a couple countries and I plan to visit as many as I can before I head back to Canada. I always knew I wanted to see the world but this year has confirmed that.

It's strange. I'm living in a foreign country. I'm learning new things everyday about myself, and about Korea and it's people. People from home, and even here, keep telling me to update my blog more often and even though I am experiencing something new everyday I find it hard to find things to write about. It's just become daily grind, you know. I'm trying to get into the habit of updating more often. I have more time at work now and I'll try to keep everyone updated on a regular basis.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

2007-02-05T02:42:00.000-08:00

To those that love me and send me things (haha),

I've said it before - the food in Korea is...............different, to say the least. It wouldn't be so bad if you could find some of your comfort foods in the grocery store. However, it's impossible. Kimchi, fish, jiggly tofu, and giant radishes are everywhere and I just can't do it. I won't eat it. I tried and I just can't.

So, you can imagine how excited I was when my FAVOURITE Korean friend in the whole wide world, Jong Sung, gave me a bag containing cans of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. Yum! I had it for dinner lastnight and I'm thinking of having it for dinner again tonight. Thanks Jong Sung!

Also, I'd like to thank some of the folks in Canada. I've received some pretty wicked packages from Canada in the last 5 months that have helped me out in the Kraft Dinner and maple syrup department. THANK YOU!

Take care,

Diane

Teacher Training Complete

2007-01-26T04:30:00.000-08:00

I have just completed my first teacher training course. It is sad to see my students go but a relief at the same time. We had 100 English teachers attend this camp. It was such a change from teaching middle and high school students. The teachers had an excellent grasp of the English language - probably why they are English teachers. hehe. The ages of the teacher trainees varied (24-65). They had great senses of humour and a desire to learn even if this professional development was cutting in on a month of their winter vacations!

My homeroom class was a lot of fun. Nine women and one lucky man. They were all in their 30's. Most of them were married and had children but we just clicked. They were able to handle my thunder-loud voice and my sarcastic sense of humour. On one of our last days of school they took me out to enjoy some food. That was the idea I thought. I understand now that it was just to get me drunk. A good time was had by all. I got to know them outside of the classroom and I can't wait to hang out with them again. IFTC is pretty quiet now. The trainees are enjoying the rest of their winter vacation in their first language and we are left with no students to teach. What does that mean? Back to the same old, same old.

Today was a little different though - Jason, Jen, Trevor and I were trasnported to a hotel in Incheon. We were there to edit some national tests. These tests are pretty important to the Ministry of Education because apparently they are the tests that will dictate whether a student will move on to the next grade. It wasn't the most exciting day but I don't mind the extra 70,000 won in my bank account.

Pictures of my last month.

At the Lovre exhibition at a museum in Seoul.

My class on our final day of classes.

Dinner with my class!

Fatty McFatterson

2007-01-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

How many times does it take for one white girl in Korea to hear that she is overweight before starving herself?

Well, let's do the math. These numbers are, of course, approximate. They could be higher or lower depending on the mood of the people involved. The fat calls are as follows:

2 times a day at school by students,
2 times a day at school by adminstration and other teachers,
2 times on the way into her apartment building,
3 times on msn messenger each day and,
2 times on the street by random Korean men.
= 11 times a day, on a good day.

+ weekends at 3 times a night in Seoul x 2 for Saturday and Sunday = 6.

11x5+6 = 61 fat calls/week.
61x52 = 3172 fat calls for a year.

3172 times during an ordinary year! There goes my self-esteem.

Okay, this is a bit of an exaggeration but COME ON! Just stop telling me to eat kimchi because it will make me thin. I don't like it, I'll never like it, move on.

Nothing is going on in Korea at the moment but I AM alive and DEFINITELY not starving myself!

Cheers,

Diane

12 Million People in a Square

2007-01-01T00:28:00.000-08:00

Seoul has a population over 12 million and I'm pretty sure all of us were at Jongno to bring in the new year. It was INSANE. I have never been somewhere with so many people before. The crowds would pull you with them leaving your friends behind. It was well worth the struggle though. To see thousands of happy people and thousands of fireworks at the strike of 12 was something I'll never forget.

Some pictures. I don't know how to put a video in this thing or I'd show you one.

Hundreds of police lined the streets.

The subway station after midnight.

Nicole, Emmanuella, Jen and me.

Safe and Sound

2006-12-28T03:05:00.000-08:00

I made it home from Thailand. My back is cured. Korean drugs are a dream come true. I was hurting pretty bad for the first 4 days of my vacation but the drugs seemed to ease the intense pain.

I'm sure there is lots I could say about Thailand. It was relaxing. Jennifer and I spent day after day on the beach or by the pool, as well as experiencing the local culture and scenery. The landscape is beautiful. The people are incredibly friendly. I don't know if I would return but it was definitely a worthwhile visit.

I've been thrown back into a busy schedule at work (very unusual at my job). We are teaching about 100 Korean English teachers. It's an intensive English program for selected English teachers in Korean middle and highschools. My class is killer. Their English is at a fairly high level and they have a great sense of humour. I'm looking forward to the training program. They are also excited about the professional development, but mostly a break from their students.

My thoughts are all over the place lately. I've come to terms with living in Korea. I'm over that "what am I doing here" hump. It's still hard to come home from a vacation to a home that doesn't always feel like home.

This was a bad blog. Sorry. I promise to return with something not so scrambled.

Folks, there is a moral to this story

2006-12-17T02:47:00.000-08:00

I cannot move today. My back is in bad shape.

The ladies from the office decided it was time to celebrate our Merry Christmas in Korea before Jen and I took off to Thailand. We went out to my favourite bar in Seoul lastnight. The bar is Tinpan. It's small, a tad dirty, lots of bar space and a small dance floor -- but most importantly you can have a shot of tequila for 2000 won (2 dollars). It's the type of bar where after a couple weekends of being there it seems everyone knows your name. Is that a good thing? I don't know.

As a lot of you know, I love to dance. I'm not that great but I still enjoy a good night out for dancing. We met up with some of our friends at Tinpan and the night began to pick up. I was dancing with my Korean friend when he decided it would be a good idea to pick me up while we were dancing. So, being the moron that I am, I thought it would be a good idea to pick him up. BIG MISTAKE. By the time Jen, Emmanuella and I made it back to Yeongjeongdo (at 6:15AM) I was hunched over in pain. By the time I got up to the ninth floor I could barely move. And today, even after a full 12 hours of sleep I am having trouble moving around.

So, the moral of the story is:

Do not pick up your friends on the dance floor.

Jen and I leave tomorrow. I hope I'm able to board the plane without too many problems.

P.S. It snowed lastnight! It really felt like a Merry Christmas in Korea.

Holiday Season

2006-12-14T04:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Thailand? I think so.

This Christmas will be very different. I know I'm not a big fan of this holiday season but I think it may be a tough one being away from family and friends. Jen and I decided to forget it was Christmas and head to Thailand for a little rest and relaxation. We leave December 18th and return December 26th. It's bound to be exciting.

As you all know I am quite pale. I haven't been on a sunny vacation since I was 18 (Bermuda) so you may be worried about my ivory complexion. Don't worry I will be wearing my sunscreen and 5 layers of clothing that cover every inch of my precious skin!

Take care and have a fantastic holiday season. See you when I return -- oh wait, I'll still be in Korea. Weird.

Our Home and Native Land

2006-12-11T03:13:00.000-08:00

Go Canada!

The Canadians in the office miss home from time-to-time. We found a map of the world and couldn't resist the urge to kiss the best country on earth.

I miss you all.

You can't always make it to 6am.

2006-12-10T04:37:00.000-08:00

Seoul's public transportation begins at 6AM.

This is me at 4:30AM - in a bar, resting on a friend's shoulder. I swear I was just taking a quick catnap so I could get back up on the dancefloor.

We didn't last until 6AM. Maybe next time.

WOW

2006-12-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like to enjoy old episodes of America's Funniest Home Video's in Korea? Especially when they are hosted by the one and only............. Bob Saget!

Mountain

2006-11-23T16:05:00.000-08:00

See that little mountain in the back -- that's Mount Halla. I just finished climbing it in that picture! Yeehaw!

Emmanuella, me, and Jason - post climb

Jeju Island

2006-11-22T01:23:00.000-08:00

SO, not only do I have the easiest job on the face of this planet. BUT, my school decided to send us all to Jejudo (do = island) for a working vacation. Jeju is known as the "Hawaii of Korea". I don't know if it was quite like Hawaii -- but I saw a palm tree or two.

The trip was a success. We did the whole 60 year old tour bus activities --we visited some botanical gardens, climbed a mountain (worst 2 hours of my life, but the view was nice), rode some horses (looked more like ponies to me), went to a sex park (whoa, that's not a 60 year old tour bus activity), and ate the local cuisine (and you all know how I feel about Korean food). Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Yes, I said pleasure and now I'm showing you a picture of a gigantic penis (I'm sorry Mom!).

Loveland!

Mount Halla (hooollllaaa!)

Who doesn't love a penis statue?

Jason, Trevor and Mr. Jeong

The work portion of the trip was visiting a couple institutions that are similar to IFTC (my school). One school had a pretty neat airport simulation room. They love dialogues and simulations in Korea. They think it is important for children to learn about travelling in an airport, going to hospital, and making reservations at a hotel - I guess in case their mom and dad aren't around. I don't know.

It was nice to get to know the Korean teachers in a non-work environment. They are a fun crowd and love to share soju with the international teachers. Soju is Korea's alcohol and they drink it like water here.

Anyway, it's just about time to eat.

I hope all is well, wherever you are.

TGIF @ IFTC

2006-11-16T18:54:00.000-08:00

My job.

What can I say about my job?

We do not have any students for the month of December. Our next batch of "students" will arrive in January. They are a group of 100 teacher trainees.

What does this mean for me? It means EVERYDAY IS FRIDAY!

Below I have included a flexible schedule for my "Fridays" at IFTC (Incheon Foreign Language Training CentEr).

8:45AM - Arrive at IFTC by van.
8:50AM - Walk to the International Teacher's office.
8:55AM - Set up my laptop.
8:57AM - Start surfing the internet (checking e-mail, myspace, blogging, etc).
12:00PM - Lunch time!! After 3 hours of internet, I'm HUNGRY!
1:30PM - After lunch nap.
2:25PM - Wake to the sound of satellite TV and watch some of our favourite shows from home.
4:00PM - Thinking about going home. It's not time yet though.
4:01PM - Read some of my current book.
4:30PM - Play an office round of internet Family Feud.
5:00PM - Start to pack up my area in the office.
5:05PM - Sit outside waiting for the van to arrive.
5:15PM - Depart for our apartments.

I know, it's a tough life I lead.

I want...

2006-10-31T19:41:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I'm sorry to my Korean friends who may read this entry. It is probably best to not read from this point on!

Today's topic of choice: FOOD

The food in Korea is delicious and there are an endless amount of choices. Oh wait, no it isn't. I know I'm a picky eater. Okay, I'm more than picky -- I just started eating vegetables last year and I still won't go near devilled egg. I'm working hard to try new things. I really am. I've tried octopus, I've eaten a portion of a squid patty, I tried the hottest/spiciest soup EVER, and I even tried dog soup (yes, I felt the way you are feeling now as I was eating it/her/him). However, the food in Korea is probably the worst food I have ever eaten!

I'm eating this:

I want to be eating:

Ohhhhhh fattening food. How I miss you!

Family and friends: feel free to send me the Canadian staples at any point this year (Kraft Dinner, chicken noodle soup, stuffing, pasta sauces, etc.) I'm wasting away to nothing!

I've moved on...

2006-10-30T23:18:00.000-08:00

I have decided to write a blog. Many people have been asking me to keep them updated on my experiences in Korea. What better way to inform those you love than a blog that millions of people can read and enjoy?! So here goes...

I arrived in Korea a couple months ago. I've settled and become aquainted with some of the Korean culture. What else can I say? It's different, different from anything I have ever experienced. The people are kind. They have provided me with everything I need to survive. A nice little apartment. A good job. The necessities are met. I won't go into too much detail about that because I wrote about it all in my first e-mail.

So yes...this is my first blog. I will write more as it comes to me. Wacky things happen on a daily basis here. I will write more soon.

-- Diane

A break...

2006-10-30T23:11:00.000-08:00

I've just finished three straight weeks of teaching. I endured several 12 hour days, some horrible food days in the cafeteria, and some tired, overworked students. After finishing three weeks of students, the next week is a welcome break. I look forward to taking it easy for a couple days to get over this cold that I caught last week.

Speaking of taking it easy, I had a pretty heavy night lastnight involving a few cocktails. Two of my coworkers were celebrating their birthdays so we went out to a couple bars and a nori bang. It was a good time.

One of the birthday boys. Let me tell you, this kid knew how to play a tambourine.