Happy White Day!

Wait... you don't know what White Day is?? Oh you crazy American :)

If you are as confused as we were last year you can read all about White Day HERE!

In honor of White day chocolates and flowers are usually given to some extent. Even the students give a little something to the teachers, and one of my sweetest students, Sophia, gave me this little thing. It was soooo cute I just had to take some pictures (and of course get in some practice with the macro lens)

Whatever can it be!?
Awwwww... look at that bow...
I know, I know, way to many pictures but it was just so fun!

And so absolutely tiny! That and the chocolate inside was AMAZING. ahhh the perks of being a teacher :)

So to all of you have a fantastic White day!

Pogs: The Comeback

First off, thanks to those who commented :) Even if it wasn't biological family, I've been close to all of you (some more than others and different points in life) but you know enough about me that you are most assuredly considered family... so thank for the comments. It just makes me feel more connected to home, I can't really explain why, it just does!

Any who, the name of the post... POGS!!! These things were EVERYWHERE when I was in grade school. And they are making their way back in Korea land. I caught like 6 students with bulging bags of POGS, I couldn't believe it!

I'm sorry but how absolutely fantastic is this picture!? Are they trying to show how multi-cultural pogs are? That they can bring the kids of the world together? That World peace would somehow be achieved with POGS? because that's the vibe I'm getting. Who needs nuclear weapons... all the world leaders just need to challenge each other to a game of POGS, whoever wins... rules the world. Simple.
I remember everyone having these things, except for me. I believe POGS were a little too frivolous for this single mom family. But I DO remember going to my friend Michelle Zander's house almost everyday after school to play. She had millions of these things and she would beat the pants off of me everytime we played.

I have to wonder if they made their way to Korea a long time ago and this is just a fad coming back, or if they are just hitting here... 15 years later. And will they ever come back Stateside? I sure hope so... because why wouldn't I want to spend a bunch of money on cardboard circles for my kids?

Did any of you have POGS? What was your favorite design? And more importantly were you any good?

Are ya achin'? For some bacon? you can be a big pig to oi!

First off, if you can name that movie you deserve a high five... and if you can't... well you were certainly deprived during childhood. So let's see who can name it?? any takers? And I promise despite it's appearance it really does have something to do with this post.

Tuesday afternoon my gym teacher kept telling me about a "pig festival" uhhhh... what? He was very excited about it, but I really had no clue what was goin' on. Finally my teacher explained that they were having a pig bbq that night. I'm always up for some pork and a bbq so I quickly agreed. The day was sunny and nice, but that all change very rapidly.

So what do you do when you can't be outside anymore??

You move to the unfinished gym and all huddle in a corner.

All huddled around the fire to be exact. Who's that dashing young man staring at me... with those rakish good looks?

because why wouldn't you stir up the fire with a piece of wood you found with rusty nails. And why wouldn't you cook the meat on a metal lid of some sort, that you are almost positive was not intended for cooking and are praying it doesn't make you sick.

Hmmmmmm look at all that deliciousness... seriously this stuff is so freakin' good. It's a little thing I like to call Samgyeopsal, and it'll rock your face off.

What better way to put out a fire, than with a lettuce leaf??
And when the fire gets to be too much, then you watch the Korean teacher try to grab a flaming piece of wood between a thin wire thing and the rusty nail board, and then run it over to the puddle in the middle of the yard. I'm just disappointed I wasn't able to get a shot of him accidentally dropping it on his foot and freaking out. Seriously so great.
ahhhhh sooooooo gooooooood. sorry for all the meat pictures, but dang it's good! Like glorified bacon... and I was a pig eating it... hence the name of the post.

here is the process, you cook it with a bit of salt and then put it in a lettuce leaf with some soybean paste, garlic, onion, and whatever else you fancy...

And you get this. Then you wrap it up and shove it all in your mouth! yummy goodness right there.
And what would a Korean teacher party be without some soju. Thankfully, this is a male thing. This is their culture. So Jon gets forced to drink a little at every party.
Which means he touches it to his lips and inwardly grimaces.
Then they gave us some yummy plum juice and decided it would be a good idea for us to drink it like this. Go figure, but that juice was dang good.
Me and my fabulous co-teacher Joanne... seriously we'd be dead, laying in a ditch without this woman. I will miss her greatly when we leave, I'm just glad I have a few more months to spend in her company!

And that folks is a Korean bbq with the teachers. I'm told that my school has them quite frequently especially in the spring/ summer which I'm excited about, because I really enjoy my school and they are like family :)

Speaking of which... if you are one of my family members and you are reading this, pretty please leave a comment, let me know. I know you are all busy people but c'mon... (can you tell I'm the youngest and in need of a little love and attention?) :) And thanks to those who do comment. It's so appreciated you don't even know!

K- pop a little something to get you goin'!

I had hopes of writing a long blog tonight about my school, buuuuuuut I got tired, am addicted to Lost, and thought this would be fun :)
So here is a little K- pop (korean pop music) to get you goin!

Physical Therapy: Not for the self-conscious individual

For those of you who don't know, I've been having issues with my shoulder lately. Something with my rotator cuff and apparently my spine doesn't have a "C" curve... it is straightening and if I don't get it fixed I need surgery... ok Korea... whatever you say.

So I've been visiting the physical therapy. I've been 4 times now and it just keeps getting better. It all starts with me being able to leave my school at 3 in the afternoon, and then hopping into my car and (the first time I went) changing my shirt in the car... because it's up on a hill secluded (I thought), all the students and teachers were in class.. and I don't have a lot of modesty... and it ends with the maintenance man for the school seeing me in my bra.... needless to say that only happened once. Every subsequent visit I have worn the appropriate shirt right off the bat...

Anyway... that's an embarrassing story for another time. I hop in the car fully clothed and staying that way and showing up here.

It's on the first floor. I walk in and the receptionists all freak out that there is a waegookin (foreigner) there. There's giggling, pointing, and staring. It's a treat.

I walk into the physical therapy room and lay down on a heated table. Now... I've never been to a physical therapist in the States but I somehow assume that you are usually in your own room, not in a room with 20 other beds, that on the first day I went were occupied by 20 old men and women staring and pointing at me.

This is my view from my little heated table. On the other side of that couch is the massage table... I'll fill you in on that later. Those three men in the back are the "therapists" although so far one of them has only touched the heating pads that they lay on my shoulder and back, one attaches the suction cups (more on those later), and the other pokes and prods at me. So physical therapist... glorified poker and prodder... your guess is as good as mine.

And sometimes, like today, they do fun things like this and talk about their abs (while lifting their shirt), and doing crunch thingy's while lying on the massage table.


Then ab boy comes over and hooks me up to this guy... some sort of electromagnetic thing. All I know is it pulses my muscle and like constricts it really tight then lets it go... it's an odd although not horrible feeling.

These are the lovely suction cups... they are a treat.

After the suction cup treatment the poker prodder guy has me lay down on the afore mentioned massage table. (And let me say the first time was a lot of guessing games with the language barrier, which just adds to the fun) He then starts pulling on my neck, hard, telling me to relax... kind of hard under the circumstances. He then tells me to lie down with my face down, and then he .... straddles me. Yeah on the massage table in the middle of the room with 20 other people all staring, and talking, about me. And I know it's about me because there is pointing, and I hear the word waegookin repeated numerous times. Talk about feeling self-conscious and awkward, and a million other things. So he's straddling me, pounding on my back, etc. Then I sit up and he shoves his knee in my back and pulls my shoulders back, then wraps his arms around my shoulder and starts twisting it all funky. Seriously I've never had so much fun.

Then he gets out this guy... the iron vibrator. It's this huge iron like thing that intensely vibrates and they move it all over you, or if you are like the ab guy today you leave it on my back for 5 minutes while you flirt with the receptionist...seriously quality work. And while my face is down and staring at the floor, I see the dust layered on the bars of the table, I see the dust bunnies, I see part of a blue straw, and what looks like the cap of a needle... and yes, it's still there a week later. Sanitation isn't high on the Koreans list of things to do.

And when it's all done you have marks that look like this on your shoulder... again what is with me and pulling my shirt off in my car!?
And you have lovely lines like this on your forehead from the massage table. And the look in your eyes says " I have no idea why I keep going back, but somehow I hope they fix my shoulder. But if they don't... at least I have another Crazy Korea story to tell."

The End

Don't ya'll wish you were here experiencing it too??? and please let me know if this is anything like an American physical therapists office I'd love to know... although it make make me feel depressed.

Back to School

I've meant to be a lot better at blogging lately since its been almost a week, but since I've been at school and this site is blocked it's been harder to blog during the day.

We have officially begun a new school year in Korea. All the students are back, there are new teachers, and as usual it's kicking off with a lot of randomness. The first day back started with a opening ceremony. 5 parents came (at least to mine) and then some students won scholarships, and the teachers were introduced. All of this took at least an hour, as a bunch of random songs, bowing, and talking were thrown in the mix.

I am extremely lucky this year, my co-teacher from last year stayed! We weren't sure if she was going too, but she did and for this I'm eternally grateful. If she hadn't come back I'm not quite sure how I would've made it through the rest of this contract. So far I haven't taught... at all. It's is apparently happening this week, but I doubt it. Last year in Haenam I don't think I had a class until the third week in March, because it is just that disorganized.

Jon isn't as lucky. Is old co-teacher left and in her place there is a brand new teacher. As in just passed her test a week ago, never taught before, we have more experience kind of new teacher. So far she barely talks to Jon and hasn't done much to help with scheduling, so it'll be a bit interesting for Jon's main school.

Other than meeting some new teachers and saying hello to all of our old students it's been a really low key week. It's been rainy, cloudy, and overcast. And quite honestly I'm ready for some sun! We have been able to keep up a good work out schedule which has been good for both of us. I've been training for a half-marathon, that I made up and am hosting out here on the islands, and Jon has started the p90x and it...is...intense! I did one work-out with him and i was sore for the next few days. I'm so proud of him for really pushing through and workin' it!

Tomorrow I'll fill you in on my lovely adventures at the physical therapist... it's been a treat to say the least.

Scrapbooking

I love pictures.

I love taking them, looking at them, and putting them up all over my home.

I do not love organizing them... I'm not good at it. And that is why I do not scrapbook.

I don't have organizational skills for it, nor do I have that type of creative streak in me. And quite frankly I don't have the patience.

I am however doing online digital scrapbooks of all our travels... that is my kind of scrapbook. Just drag and click.

Amanda and I recently had a girls afternoon/night. Amanda loves to scrapbook, she's great at it, and I always marvel at what she creates.

The suitcase it all came over in...
Amanda working her scrapbook magic

So I started out helping Amanda cut little circles using this special cutter and stencil. Needless to say after about 5 "practice papers" I was just not getting it. So I cut the hanguel paper and pasted it onto a page... And that was all I was good for. I believe the quote of the day was...

Me: I just don't think I'm getting it

Amanda: Hmmmm (surveying my shoddy craftsmanship) Why don't we find you something else to do?

And ya know what I don't blame her a bit, I wouldn't want me screwing the beautiful scrapbook up either.


So I banished myself to the computer and blogged while we watched about 7 episodes of Private Practice.

So things I realized....

I am not good at scrapbooking

I have the ability of a 5 year old at scrapbooking

I am much better with computers

The End....

Speaking of Pictures I just uploaded a gazillion photos on Facebook. If you don't have facebook check them out!

Christmas in Alaska

Home

Stainbrook Family Vacation

Joel and Miia visit!