Me trying to relax and enjoy the company of my super cute friend, Hannah. Wow... my silky shirt looks so super shiny... hehehe.

Wow... Hannah, I think we ordered too much food! So much for my watching what we eat.. yikes! So delicious though... gotta love corn with cheese!

Highlights of my Day... Saturday, June 30

1. I so wish I could show you what waking up in my house means... hehehe. Waking up means having to cover my head and hope that Mi Nam doesn't jump on any sensitive spots... hehehe. He gets so hyper when I wake up and so today I tried to fool him by pretending I was asleep... didn't work. It's all fun and games till someone loses an eye, right?! Well, had a close call today with Mi Nam's jumping!!!

2. I've totally switched up my training and started a new routine, so today I literally busted my butt and did legs. Hongik has this super funny looking machine but today I discovered the beauty of it... it gives an awesome butt work-out... good stuff! Mind ya, it meant I spent the rest of the day walking around like I just got off a horse... hehehe!

3. Getting Hannah to do my training routine was quite hilarious and I ended up breaking a part of the machine. Thankfully it was just an inexpensive knob but it made for quite the scene as it popped off and hit some dude in the head... oh gosh.

4. Met up with Corruptive C for dinner. We headed out to that super cheap place Hannah had introduced me to. It's a popular dive where we were able to get three plates of meat, rice, cold noodles, and cider (pop) for the grand total of 8,500 won (about $8.50 CDN). Gotta love that!!!

5. Unfortunately the coffee at Coffee Bean isn't so cheap... actually, it cost more than our meal and went down twice as fast!

6. Some how, Corruptive C convinced me to meet up with a male friend of hers and head out to this guy's father's club. I'm not much of a social bug lately but I had a few hours to kill and I think Corruptive C's pretty cool, so, I went along with her plans.

7. Oh gosh... turns out Corruptive C's friend is the dude Hannah, me and her two friends ditched about a month or so back at MBar. He had approached my table, sat down and then totally took over the conversation, leaving Hannah and her friends not impressed with him. I thought he was pretty cool until he starting naming off some particular foreigners he calls friends... I on the other hand, would like to refer to them as "friendemies"... yup. Needless to say, I was super embarrassed when I saw him tonight. He totally had remembered the whole situation as if it had happened yesterday. Honestly, I'm not a bad person, I'm not a bad person at all, but I know, given his first impression of me... I looked so bad!!! Within the first 5 minutes though, the previous situation had turned into the joke of the evening and so that was cool.

8. The three of us showed up at his father's club.... and wow, what a club it was. Now, given the fact that I've lived in Toronto and worked at a club for 3 years, I'm no stranger to "stuff", in that I've seen a lot of stuff go down, but this... wow, I've NEVER seen a club like this. In short, it was a saloon club with trans genders and other "working girls".... yup, I said trans genders; men who have had an operation to become female. I tried to act cool but in reality I felt so incredibly uncomfortable there.

9. According to Korean law, strip clubs with females stripping is illegal but, considering these "women" at this club are technically men, they're allowed to strip. Now I didn't stick around to see that but I did get the full low-down on what goes on there... how much the girls make, what they do, pay ranges, "after hour service", how much cash rolls into this place every night by the truck load, etc, etc.

10. Despite the generosity and kind manners of the father, I eagerly wanted to leave. The father was nothing but sweet to us and so I knew it was kind of rude of me to leave but I felt sick. I'm not an ignorant nor sheltered person at all but this was way beyond my comfort zone. Two hours later, I left. I had a promise to meet up with Hannah and so I jumped in a cab, rushed home, scrubbed (MADLY scrubbed) all my 2000 and 1 body parts... twice, and then headed out the door again. Now, I'm not saying that Canada and America doesn't have trans genders or what not, actually, I think it's more common in our western culture but I think that stems from the fact that it's more supportive of a diverse population. But, this is Korea. Korea is SO not Canada or America and so I find it rather strange that in a country that prizes men and totally shuns gays, lesbians, and handicap people, that they would spend millions of dollars at a club supporting men who have literally chopped off their manhood to become a woman. And oh please... I can't think of anything more insulting to the female gender than a man thinking that all he has to do is chop off his yin-yang to become one of us. I honestly don't know what to make of all this; it's quite confusing and personally, it made me so sad. Here all this time, my biggest fear with men was the fear of being with a cheating man, now I add the fear of being with a man who likes this kind of... well ... CRAP!!! ... Yet another reason why being single looks SO good right now!!!

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Are there any good, healthy-minded guys still out there?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Different strokes for different folks.
-- Author Unknown

This is my "it's too late to smile cause I've been studying for 3 hours" look.

Hey Iain... what's with the no smile look? This is a first for you.... hehehe. You better miss me!!! (And no, not like a hole in the head... hehehe)

Highlights of my Day... Friday, June 29

1. Oh gosh... is it that obvious that "flying solo" is my style?! I know I'm quite the homebody and much rather stay at home with Mi Nam as oppose to fighting the downtown crowd and meeting up with people. But today, while I was sitting at my MUCH loved Kimbab Nala, the fruit truck man spotted me. He came in, walked right up to me and asked me why I always ate here alone. My response, "That's my style".

2. Considering the obvious fact that Koreans are communal people, I'm sure they think I'm strange for always doing things on my own. Mind ya, now that I have Hannah, she's kind of like my partner in crime and so that's cool.

3. One of the things that I love about Korean people and really respect is how family is such a priority and how they really are communal people. Families eat together, live together, stay together, and many even work together. Well, around the corner from my house is a cute little corner convince store. It's run by one family... father, mother, son and daughter. On most days there's at least two family members there. Usually the father is chilling out on the patio set with his buddies and the son's girlfriend usually hangs around when the son is working.

4. I've made enough visits to this particular convince store to know who's who and every time I go, they ask me some random question. First it was, "Where are you from?" followed by "What is your job?" and (the ever so classic Korean question) "Do you like kimchi?"... hehehe.

5. Hit the gym tonight with Hannah. She did her own thing while I worked on chest. I worked up quite a sweat on the treadmill but I still refuse to shower at the gym. I'm not cool with people looking at my body, even if we're all girls and they could care less; I care. I've only showered once at my gym and it almost sent me home in tears. I mean, they shower together and one lady offered to scrub my back with her sponge cause I didn't have one.... oh gosh.

6. How awesome is Buff Boy... seriously!!! He agreed to come by my building tonight to help me with my Korean studies. Now I realize his English is very limited but I wanted him to read to me and help me with my pronunciation. Mind ya, not only did he show up like 30 minutes early, he also showed up with milk and wafers,... and looked super cute to boot... hehehe.

7. We sat in my building's courtyard but then low and behold, who should show up but the Sambu Hyun Bin! I instantly hid behind my textbook. Buff Boy could tell something was up and so he asked me why the reaction. I told him the deal with the Sambu Hyun Bin and how he's the local gangster eye candy... hehehe. I have no intentions for him though, he's just that... eye candy and nothing more.

8. Studying with Buff Boy tonight was a lot of fun and I really did appreciate his help, even if it was hard for me to focus... hehehe. He's a really great guy and I was quite impressed with how encouraging he was. Turns out Buff Boy can read English perfectly and so under all the Korean sentences I wrote the English translations for him.... hmm... this possibility could be the perfect way for him and I to learn each other's language, cool.

9. As we stood for the elevator after finishing studying, Buff Boy turned to me and, in a most serious face, he asked me if I thought he was handsome like the Sambu Hyun Bin. I said no and then told him that he was a cute guy. At first he looked disappointed. He told me guys don't like to be called cute and so I told him that I don't like handsome guys, I like cute guys. It's true. As much as I go on about the Sambu Hyun Bin, he's not my type. There's something about a hot guy that I don't trust. Now a cute guy with pudgy, squeezable cheeks and is a bit bigger, that's my type.

10. Chatted on MSN with my homeboy Iain from Whitby... aka "Boy Toy". I'm always amazed at how positive and energetic he is, I mean, sometimes I think he's got the whole weight of the world on his shoulders and is juggling way too much, but he always does it all with a smile on his face. He use to have this massive dog that looked like a pony, it was awesome... me trying to walk it, now that's a different story. Anyways, we got into a discussion about relationships. He had been single for two years but now has a girlfriend he adores; that's awesome. I, on the other hand, am always bouncing in and out of relationships... or so he says. Well, I wouldn't call them relationships, more like just casual dating. I'm so done with it though and so I think I'll take his advice and just stay single. I mean, I'm not out there looking but what's been coming my way hasn't really impressed me. I figure I've got Mi Nam and that's enough love for me right now. His love is simple and unconditional and as silly as it sounds to talk about my puppy's love for me, I honestly don't think some dude can give me such simple love. My life is beautifully simple, I'd like to keep it that way instead of complicating it with the drama and politics of a relationship. I'd love to have a simple guy... a simple successful guy with pudgy cheeks, awesome manners, cheesy jokes, a laugh that's contagious, mini love handles and a smile that stretches from ear to ear.... but I don't have him and that's perfectly fine with me. If he's all he's cracked up to be, he'll be worth the wait. I can wait.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
How come even dumb girls have boyfriends?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
I'm one not half of two.
-- from Jessica Simpson's song "I Belong to Me"

Here's me with my boyfriend Hyun Bin.... ok, ok, ok... so he's not my boyfriend but a girl can wish right?! Hehehe...

I think this little guy is blushing... hehehe.

Highlights of my Day... Thursday, June 28

1. Headed out to Osan to meet up with Young Chan. We then jumped on a bus and ventured out to Seoul. Today plans were to get my camera screen fixed.

2. Had the ever so classic, always dreaded and uncomfortable chat with Young Chan about why I refuse to date a friend. Anyone who knows me from Canada most likely knows about the whole Lee mishap where one of my best friends from grade school pushed the issue of "couple hood" on me in university. We had been such close friends for the longest time and I didn't want it to change. Risking our friendship wasn't worth it to me... apparently he thought different and so still to this day, like 5 years later, we're still struggling to make amends. And what about Drama Boy too.... point proven. I REFUSE to venture into that again!!!

3. Dating good friends, no thanks,... but dating someone who's more like a casual friend, a not-so-close friend who originally I was attracted to, ... that's different. And as it stands, there's only two people in my life that fit this description. One's in Canada and one's here in Korea.

4. Spent most of the day at the COEX Mall, which is like this massive spider web of interweaving halls, mounds of stores mashed with lots of coffee shops and eateries.... it's so confusing to get any bearings in it though.

5. Got my camera fixed... for a pretty lump sum of $100 CDN. Mind ya, considering the camera is worth about $400 CDN, I figured it was worth it.

6. I was definitely like a kid in a candy store when we walked into this electronics store. The sweet little handheld video cameras caught my eye and so it was sensory overload for me. The guys in the store had a good giggle as I "ohhhed" and "auhhhed"... hehehe.

7. Young Chan is convinced I'm going with him to Lotte World on Tuesday. Lately I've been such a homebody and so the thought of spending all day out in the sun with hyper kids, long lines, and the smell of cotton candy and cheap food, doesn't really interest me. Moreover, the fact that someone was flung off one of the rides this past year and died doesn't really do much for convincing me either. All day today though, I had to listen to him pleading me to go.... correction, he's insisting. I have till Sunday to come up with a legit excuse.... hehehe.

8. After being super silly and goofing around in the mall with Young Chan, it was time for me to head back. Young Chan was convinced I'd get lost and so he was sweet enough to escort me right to the bus terminal... thanks dude.

9. Got mad props at the gym by this older man who was spotting me while I lifted the weights. Buff Boy came over to say hi and then the older man broke out in all these comments and compliments about me... sweet! I understood most of what he said except for the part that made Buff Boy totally blush... hmmm... interesting!

10. My evening plan was to meet up with my coworkers to go see the movie "Transformers". I went not expecting much cause I don't really like animation movies nor do I like far-fetched ideas. I mean, when was the last time my toy grew larger than life and talked to me... come on people!!! Well, I was wrong... it was AWESOME! I was really impressed. It was cute, funny, action-packed, and I really enjoyed it, much to my surprise! I even got a bit emotional when "The guardian" almost died... what's up with that?! He's a robot!!!

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Are they going to make a G.I. Joe movie?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Die Autobots!
-- Megatron (from the movie "Transformers")

Here's a picture I took of myself a couple of months ago. Relax... this is me all pumped up after an arm training. I'm not usually all jacked up like this.

At 5ft 2", Anna and I are both packing more muscle than the average Korean man would know what to do with it (and has... hehehe). She's obviously more hardcore than me but I miss training together back at System's in T.O, Canada.

Good luck with your upcoming bodybuilding competition... I totally wish I could come cheer ya on!

Highlights of my Day... Wednesday, June 27

1. Woke up with just enough time to get to my early morning tea time with the Cheonan Trump. I had to race it all the way to the other side of the city... he was late. Hmm.....

2. Went into the university today to drop off the movie tickets for this Thursday's staff outing. We're going to see the movie "Transformers" and well, I don't expect much from it. I'm not really into far-fetched ideas. I mean, I'll watch it for the cool effects but won't be writing home about it... hehehe. Last movie I saw with my coworkers was "300"... what a flop!!!

3. How ironic is this, I was so eager to start holidays and yet now I can't stop visiting my
school!!! Part of the reason why I dropped by the office today was because I wanted to get Ki Dong to check my Korean homework. I've been studying super hard but was quite disappointed when he started pointing out all my mistakes... silly mistakes... spelling mistakes.

4. Got 2 super funny emails from my students today. The first email came from one of my super sweet students who had asked me to give her an English name and so, after much thought, I emailed her four names and their meanings. Well, she emailed me today saying that she loved all the names I picked and so instead of picking one, she mashed all 4 together.

Here's what she wrote to me:

1. Jolanta = violet flower
2. Alina = bright and beautiful
3. Felcia = lucky
4. Kaylee = pure and innocent

I want to every name~~~ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
But. ,, If i were pick ..i choose...hum..... hum... very difficult...
1.jo 2.na 3.fe 4.lee
ㅋㅋㅋ Finally. ㅋㅋ My English name in "jonafelee"..........ㅋㅋㅋ

5. The second email was from another awesome student (aren't they all though.. totally!) He wrote, "... at first thank u for my grade~ and how are u~ im fine -_-;;but i have some problem because of u... i miss u~^^" I always love getting student emails! They're always so cute and so funny. Last weekend I sent my last weekly email to my students and so many students responded to it. Some told me that they missed me, they wanted to see me, they love me.... hehehe.... so cute.

6. The best email I got from my students came today from a student who's in one of my Tuesday classes. He wrote it to me in Korean. I could understand a good percent of it but ended up getting Sunny to translate it for me. Wow... it was so sweet and I couldn't help but totally feel so touched. He had wrote saying thank you to me for really putting a lot of effort and care into my job. He wrote that he's never had a professor like me who's been so concerned with the students. .... wow, thank you! I was so happy to get this email and so I printed it off and am now using it as my bookmark in my self-study Korean textbook.

7. Hannah and I went shopping in Yawoori and I ended up buying some new workout gear... I love Adidas gear!!! I bought these super sweet 3/4 length training pants that are made of that new "ClimaCool" material... so awesome.. so comfortable! Also bought a cool training tank top. Despite what the tag on the tank top stated, "Asian sizing... designed and constructed for the fit and comfort of the Asian body", it fit me really good.... hehehe.

8. Headed off to training in my new gear. I was dressed from head to toe in Adidas gear but am a faithful Nike Shox shoe lover... hehehe. Gotta have my Shoxs! Buff Boy loved my new gear but honestly, cause of the material being so clinging, I felt like I was working out in a bathing suit, minus the butt wedgies that is... hehehe. (Did I just say that... oh gosh).

9. Well, when I'm not out eating my meals or training, I'm most likely in my house studying. Tonight I studied for about 2 hours and then took a break. A simple break resulted to me passing out on the floor with Mi Nam.... oops.

10. Lately I've been really weighted down with something that I just can't shake. I emailed a couple of friends about it but only one responded. So, here's the email I sent them:

Here's my dilemma...You know how people come from various countries to Canada and how in their home country they're successful and highly educated but when they come to Canada, their degree isn't recognized and so they're stuck working at gas stations and what not?!... well, that's what I'm fearing will happen to me when I go back to Canada. You may think it sounds silly cause my degree was earned in Canada and I am Canadian, but Canada is nothing like Korea. I mean, here in Korea I have an awesome job that earns me SO much respect. I've got people older than me bowing to me when I tell them I'm a professor! Koreans REALLY respect teachers and well, being a professor is all that more highly respected by them. I work awesome hours, get paid really good, have 4 months paid holidays and am having a blast teaching. I really love teaching, more specifically, I love teaching English as a second language. It's really cool to see them having fun with English. And so, I think I have it made in Korea.

BUT... what's going to happen when I come back to Canada?!!!

After experiencing both the Canadian and Korean public school system, I'm really not interested in getting involved in the totally political Canadian school system that doesn't respect teachers and makes them deal with problems way beyond just teaching. Whether it's violence in the schools or parents expecting teachers to be like a second parent to their child, I think teachers have a hard job in Canada. They're over-worked, under paid, and pushed into retarded politics.

So instead, I'd like to work at an ESL center or a language academy... hence the reason why I'm totally pushing my Korean studying! I've been even considering opening up my own home stay program. I'd get a house downtown and have international students stay at it. I'd fully immerse them into the English-speaking world with various activities and outings I'd plan. We'd also have an allotted time in the program for English classes. I think it'd give them a wicked chance to experience western culture and it'd be a lot of fun, not only for them but also for me!

More specifically however, I'd love to work primarily with Korean students cause I
think I'd be able to relate with them. I have a great grasp on the culture and am working diligently to improve my Korean language skills. Not only did I study Korean culture in university but I also have been living in Korea for just under 3 years now.

I think this fear, the fear of having to start all over again and the possibility of not finding another job I love, is what makes me feel so uncomfortable about returning to Canada. What happens if I give up my job here, only to realize too late that it really was the perfect job for me?! Don't get me wrong though please, I really do miss my friends and family. I wish I could spend more time with my parents, eat more of my mom's cooking, be a better aunt to my brother's little girl, and get back into my boxing training with Egerton. I even miss speaking fluent English.

But will Canada be good to me or am I better off in Korea?! Am I just acting spoiled or is the grass really greener on the other side, in Canada?

So... what do you think?

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What's your advice?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Home is where the heart is.
-- Author Unknown

Check out this little dude, his name is Elwood and he just won the "ugliest dog in the world" contest. The fact that he's got no teeth on the left side of his mouth and so his tongue hangs out is simply priceless... hehehe!

Turns out ugly little Elwood isn't the only one who eagerly wanted to win the title... oh gosh.

Highlights of my Day... Tuesday, June 26

1. With absolutely no plans today, I slept in till 1pm.... and loved it!

2. Hooked up with Hannah and headed off to the gym. I've been going pretty hardcore with my training lately cause this summer is all about change... change of mind, change of body, change of heart. I've planned a pretty vigerous training schedule for myself that includes hitting the weights six days a week and doing lots of cardio. The plan is to kick my butt in gear so that I'll be more prepared to deal with the Korean Nazi (boxing trainer in Seoul) in September.

3. Met up again with Hannah in the evening for dinner and she brought along little Soul. Soul has got to be one of the cutest mini Koreans I've ever set eyes on. She's super cute and I love the fact that she always holds my hand and I get to be a big kid with her.

4. After dinner the three of us girls walked around downtown for a bit. Soul kept on yelling out for me to chase her. I'd hide behind the people in the street and then pop out and attack her. I had her giggling so much she ended up literally getting a tummyache... hehehe.

5. Oh ya baby.... I'm proud to say that my Korean studies are way ahead of schedule! The goal is to do 4 chapters a week (that's about 20 hours of studying) so that I can finish the book in 5 weeks. Well, I'm almost done chapter 4 and I my set due date for the first 4 chapters is this Thursday.... cool. Ok, you can say it... I'm a geek... hehehe.

6. While studying in the evening, I was interrupted by numerous text messages from Kwang Min. Supposedly one of his buddies lives in my building and so he was trying to convince me to come outside and join them... and so I did.

7. Kwang Min's a great guy, don't get me wrong, he's a super sweet guy actually but he kind of makes me feel like a "trophy girl". In addition to him repeatedly trying to fix my losely tied up hair, he kept on asking them if they thought I was pretty and then kept on commenting about my clothes, hair, and the ever so strange Korean compliment... my small head.... hehehe. Koreans love telling me that I have a small head. That's got to be the most common compliment I get, by far!

8. I'm glad to see that busting my butt off at university, getting impressive grades WHILE also busting my hump at my bartending job to pay for school and my own house, and scoring a job that I think is so very cool, gets me the ever so cheap "You're pretty" compliment. I mean thanks but no thanks. The dumb nut girl who lives down the hall from me who couldn't change a light bulb if her life depended on it also gets the same compliment. Moreover, in a country that thinks super skinny girls with no bums, no muscle, who dress in some pretty super girly clothes, and whine like 12 year olds are pretty... pretty is something I don't want to be here. (Yup... that's me venting... and I know I totally stereotyped there but hey, you try being a western girl and having to deal with the social norms of what's considered "pretty". Most likely, you won't fit in either!) Apparently, beauty is not universal!!!

9. Kwang Min and his two buddies were pretty funny to talk to. Mind ya, it was really me and his one drunk junior talking, his senior listening in and Kwang Min apologizing for everything his junior said. His junior was pretty cool until he literally grabbed Mi Nam by his ear and yelled into in... upon then I instantly punched him in the thigh. Mi Nam was already uncomfortable being around these big loud guys and so screaming into his ear definitely didn't help. What a punk!

10. Have come to the conclusion that Mi Nam is the most sensitive Korean I know. In addition to him hiding when I have to leave, he's petrified of anyone picking him up, he doesn't like loud people, he's scared of stairs, he hates socializing with other dogs, and he's mastered the whole sad puppy dog eyes and isn't afraid to use this technique to win me over... hehehe.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What's the fascination Koreans have with a small head?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men.
-- Alice Walker

Haven't really been taking my camera around with me and so this was my sad attempt at taking a picture for today... hehehe. Here's my new hair style I was trying... hehehe

Check out "alien eyes" in the background... how freaky does he look?!

Highlights of my Day... Monday, June 25

1. Had an early morning tea with the Cheonan Trump. He's so funny. I made a silly joke, asking him if he had any cute guys working at his office tower and I think he took me seriously... oh gosh. Going on another blind date definitely doesn't interest me. I'm quite content with a good movie and Mi Nam on a Friday night as oppose to.... never mind.

2. Turns out the manager from the KB Bank near my house knows I know the Cheonan Trump, not too sure how he does but apparently he does cause when I went to KB Bank today he approached me and mentioned it. KB Bank downtown is notorious for it's long waits and so I had given myself a good hour to do a simple transaction. However, the manager approached me today, took my bag and then escorted me into the empty VIP lounge where he then made me coffee and called in on of the tellers to help me.... sweet!!! Now that's service... I've upgraded in status apparently. Within 5 minutes, I was done and out the door... how awesome was that?!!!

3. Headed into work today to work on my professional portfolio and to see if any last minute students would come in to discuss their mark. One of my Tuesday night students came in and we had quite a nice chat. He's a quieter student in my class but he's awesome. You know how you just simply click with some people, ya, well, that's how we are. He usually visits me once in a while to say hi and to ask for extra help.... I'm going to miss our run-ins.

4. Well, besides the one student, no other students came in to see me but I did get two phone calls, one of which was on my cellphone as oppose to the office phone and so I wasn't impressed. Only a couple of students have my number but there were reasons for them having it. This particular student who called me today, there's no way I would have agreed to her having my number. She phoned to complain why she got a "C" as oppose to a "B" when her mark is 70. Hello... a 70 is a "C".

5. Not only did this student call me on my cell phone but she then emailed me. How ironic... all semester she could careless about my class and yet there she was now, all about my class. I almost felt like knocking off a percent and giving her a "D" for the annoyance. Truth be known, her mark was 68 but I had given a couple of extra marks on participation cause near the end of the semester her attitude had seemed to changed. (I had mentioned this in an earlier post too... Eve).

6. Well I did it... I printed off the official final marks report, signed them, and then handed them over. It felt so good to be done with them!!!

7. Came home and ended up passing out cause of the temperature of my house... it's so hot in here cause I haven't figured out what's wrong with my AC yet. I know, I know, I could call in the building's repair man but one problem, we're not allowed pets and so I'd have to hide Mi Nam. I really don't want to deal with that.

8. Woke up 15 minutes late for my promise with Giggle Girl. I was so apologetic when I arrived and so she totally forgave me.... cool. Giggle Girl's mom had bought me a huge box of coffee to take home. She said she bought it because it was made in Canada and so she was convinced it was the coffee I use to drink in Canada. She was so proud of herself for buying it and so when she asked me if it was what I drank, I said yes. I'm a huge fan of Tim Horton's coffee though. Honestly, I've never even heard of the coffee she gave me but I didn't want to tell her that.

9. Am convinced Mi Nam has an oral fixation with the color brown... let's see what's brown that he's attempted to eat...

a. my shelf unit... yup, he thinks it's one large bone
b. his bone.. that's ok though
c. the hardwood floor... yup, he likes to lick it
d. my hair... I wake up to him eating it
e. his poop... yup, it's nasty but he's trying to break this gross habit
f. my stairs... he killed the first step
g. my new shoes... guess what color they are, yup... brown
h. his food... that's a given
i. my tree's trunk... he thinks its one large bone
j. my office chair seat pad... he only chews on it when I'm sitting on it

10. Headed to the gym with Hannah. I was rather uncomfortable upon arriving cause I still hadn't seen Buff Boy since my Playboy comment on Friday night. I totally tried to ignore him. I even wore a hat and wore it low but he came up to me, tipped my hat up, and said, "Amy, me no Playboy!", and then walked away. I totally went beat red. Hannah ended up explaining the whole misunderstanding to him but I was still feeling shy when I left.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Did you hear about the western baby with 25 middle names?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
You can only be young once. But you can always be immature.
-- Dave Barry

Here's us at our calmest... for the most part, we were all jokes, pushing, shoving, and all sillies... good times with my good friend Young Chan.

Today I was what the Koreans call a "문재아" (moon-jae-a)... it means "trouble maker". It was all good though. I just was having a little too much fun with testing out my language skills as Young Chan and I strolled the streets. I totally confused Young Chan though by speaking French, throwing in some Italian, Spanish, and Polish words, and then speaking Korean like a Japanese person... it was so funny and I was in tears!

Highlights of my Day... Sunday, June 24

1. Woke up nice and early, did my kamikaze stairs training (haven't done that in a long time) and then headed out to Osan to meet up with Young Chan.

2. Our schedule for the day was as follows:

1. Tour around Young Chan's old hometown and listen to all his funny childhood
stories.
2. Cruise around in the truck and sing at the top of our lungs.
3. Decide what restaurant to eat at among the million of possibilities.
4. Head to the movies and see what English movies were playing.
5. Squeeze in coffee somewhere among our plans.
6. More singing in the truck, accompanied with some crazy seat-dancing.

3. Got the grand tour of Young Chan's old hometown and honestly, it was quite nice to hear all his stories. As we approached his hometown he got all ency in his seat and so I totally made fun of him... hehehe. He was loving it my jokes. We walked around for a bit, had some ice cream and then listened to some middle school kids practicing an English song... Koreans love Westlife!!!

4. Almost had a major disaster... in addition to fearing that my bladder would burst if we didn't find a bathroom, when we finally did, it was locked... and then there wasn't tissue. Finally, with tissue in hand and the key to the public bathroom, I entered. Almost had a near death experience as I was forced to choke on the nasty smell... oh gosh. I'm only posting this silly story cause well, it was THAT nasty!.. hehehe

5. A day trip out with Young Chan ALWAYS includes silly car-seat dancing and loud singing. We'll have to make another driving video cause we've definitely upgraded our dance moves and have some synchronized moves now... hehehe!!!!!!!!!

6. Gave Young Chan a quick public beating when he couldn't pick what place for us to eat at and made me walk in the rain with no umbrella. I was quite hungry and so I got a bit cranky. He was trying to hunt down some western restaurant but honestly, I was quite relieved when he couldn't find it... western food is so boring to me now. Give me in-your-face spicy food that makes my tongue numb and my mouth water... I love it!

7. In my eagerness to pick up new random Korean words, I ended up picking up quite a rude word today and couldn't get it out of my head. It seemed like the more I tried to forget it, the more I found myself almost letting it slip out. Well, it DID slip out. It slipped out at the movie theater when I went to call Young Chan. Young Chan thought it was funny but those around me definitely gave me quite the "interesting" looks. I don't even swear in English and yet there I was saying the "N" word in Korean... oh gosh! If my mother was here, I'm sure she'd wash my mouth out with soap!

8. Checked out the new movie "Ocean's Thirteen"... awesome! It's definitely a must see! I love the style of writing and all the old skool shots they use in various scenes. Mind ya, unlike the other Ocean's, Julia Roberts wasn't in this one and so I was kind of disappointed with that. They should have kept the cast totally original and had her in it.

9. I'm sure our seating neighbors in the theater were really "loving" us... not only was I sprawled out on two seats, but Young Chan took a couple of pictures of us during the start of the movie, and then we had a heck of a time opening up our snack that couldn't have possibly been in a nosier bag!

10. Came home to an overly excited Mi Nam. Poor little dude must have been so uncomfortable today cause my air conditioner still doesn't work. Curled up on the floor with Mi Nam, my pillow and my Korean textbook. Studied for a couple of hours and then fell asleep on the floor.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Who ever said a guy and girl can't be awesome friends and just that?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.
-- Lord Byron

Gotta love the fact that Korean men aren't afraid to show their sensitive, sweet side!

Here's my friend Sean... thanks Sean for all the help with my student email translations... you're awesome!

I love this picture! As I walked in the rain tonight I just so happen to snap a picture of these two girls walking down the street. This is exactly what friendship is like in Korea... innocent and sincere. Friends are like extended family.

I know, I know... I've added more than my usual two large photos but I couldn't omit Dong Il's picture. He's a cool homeboy at Mbar. It seems like everywhere I go in Cheonan, I always run into him. Cool dude.

Here's Jae Min talking to Dandy-Long-Legs... hehehe. Cute guys.

Highlights of my Day... Saturday, June 23

1. Ok, so honestly, I didn't do much today. I woke up with just enough time to wash my face and head off to the gym with Hannah. But before we headed out, we ended up talking to the dudes who just recently opened up their company in my building. Their company is called "Interpet" but I have no idea what it's about except for the fact that they're building this massive building down the street.

2. The Interpet dudes have three dogs but today we noticed a fourth dog in the corridors. The husky is still my favorite though... such a beautiful dog. Anyway, one of the Interpet dudes started talking to us and next thing I know it, I'm downstairs sitting on the ground petting their dogs and answering some pretty random questions. Turns out their one show dog got hit by a car the other day and so both her legs are all bandaged up, poor thing. Looks like Hannah and I have new friends now... hehehe.

3. Thirty minutes later, we showed up at the gym. I walked in feeling rather uncomfortable cause of my late-late night text messages with Buff Boy. I had spilled my beans to him but now I had to face him... oh gosh.

4. Apparently I'm not the only one that was uncomfortable... Buff Boy didn't show up for work today... this is a first!

5. Hannah chatted up a storm with Newbie trainer while I kicked my own butt on the weights and on the treadmill.

6. Dropped by my dry cleaners to get my clothes that I dropped off the other day for mending. The older man was apologetic; my clothes weren't ready. He offered to drop them off at my house but I told him it was ok, I'd pick them up on Monday. Sweet.... offering to pick them up on Monday scored me my money back, nice!

7. I was suppose to head over to Osan Air Force Base tonight to see a friend of mine that's leaving next week but, at last minute, I bailed. It seems like everyone I know is leaving Korea and so it's rather depressing. So, instead of going to Songtan, I stayed home and studied my Korean.

8. Around 10pm I thought I'd venture out and drop by Mbar to say hi to Jae Min. Didn't see that silly rabbit from the other night but I did get a chance to talk to some of the other staff... like the guy with the supper long legs (and good bum, or "hip" as Koreans call it... hehehe). I call him "Dandy-Long-Legs"... hehehe. Turns out this young pup speaks English, cool. Mind ya, what he says and what he means aren't exactly the same thing. He was quite proud to say that he was the best "waitress"... hmm... I'm sure he meant waiter.. hehehe.

9. Taught Jae Min my newest dance move and totally embarrassed myself. I call my new dance move the "robotic head flip"... hehehe. It's what I consider a mix better something Pee-Wee Herman would do and someone with no shame... hehehe!!!

10. Because of the fact that Jae Min is the front desk guy at Mbar, he's kind of like the greeter for all who walk in. Hanging out with Jae Min means me hanging out at the front desk too and so tonight we got all silly and I acted like I worked there. It was quite funny. A group of people would walk in, I'd give greet them with a little Korean bow, a couple of random sentences, and then tell them to wait for a waiter. I even ended up bringing a few things to a couple of tables. It was definitely amusing.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What, no call back?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
The body says what words cannot.
-- Martha Graham

I have NO idea why this silly rabbit was hanging out at MBar but it made for some pretty funny moments. The poor dude was having problems securing his head on his shoulders and so I was his hero for the night... and his body guard. Silly Jae Min tried drop-kicking the dude... hehehe! Even sillier was the fact that this rabbit thought he could return the drop kick... silly rabbit; tricks are for kids!

Celebrating the start of summer holidays and Jae Min getting out of the hospital... doing it Korean style, with all the veggie side dishes, cidar, and Korean BBQ. I love it!

Highlights of my Day... Friday, June 22

1. The other day I got an interesting email from a long-time, far away friend who's actually the parent of one of my former students. She and I have been talking off and on about relationships. She's now married with children and her children are now married with children. We're at polar opposites. Anyway, she had mentioned an interesting point to me the other day, she wrote, "that someone could be right in front of your face but because they are so there you can't see them. Like you can't see the trees because of the forest". That comment stuck with me all day.

2. Sat on my couch and pondered her comment for quite some time. She totally had me thinking... maybe I've already met "him". After all, how was I expecting to know when I've met "him" anyways?... did I expect fireworks or something so obvious like a sign that read "This is him"... hmmm. Having said that, who has crossed my path so far that I'd consider to be "him"..... ???

3. Based on this thought alone, I was thinking about canceling my lunch date today but, because he was coming in from Seoul, I didn't. I was flattered by his efforts and so I met up with him. To be brutally honest here, even though I'm sure he'll read this, I spotted him and hid. He stood there looking for me and when I saw him I totally was flooded with doubt and so I popped into the store.

4. Realizing how silly I was being, I came out of hiding and off we went for lunch. Yet again, I have found another person who talks more than my mom! I sat and listened to his stories about work, the promiscuous Japanese man, books he's read, the ugly fish Koreans love but Chileans don't, and so forth. I didn't speak much but instead told him I don't like to talk.

5. We ate at TGIF and I don't particularly like Western food anymore but it was nice to get out of the heat. I haven't been here since Ryan and I broke up but it was relieving to see that the staff had all changed and so no one knew me.

6. My date was a nice guy but not my type. Apparently I'm not his type either cause after he called me skinny he then said he didn't like skinny girls... is he really Korean?!! This is a first. I thought he was sweet but a bit strange. He told me that he wanted to be a dog, more specifically, he wanted to be Mi Nam because Mi Nam gets to sleep with me... wow, how blunt and too the point was that!!! Anyway, I tried to take it as a compliment, it was a strange compliment nonetheless. Things were ok but then he totally killed it when leaned forward and said that I had a huge wall up. He said that this huge wall I created around myself makes it really hard for someone to get into my heart. Well, considering I've been called cold hearted in the past, I guess it was a compliment?! If having some "wall", as he puts it, means I'm not easy, than good! Let me put up another layer... oh ya!!! I'd rather be picky with who I let into my heart thanks. I know we all think we're different but, truth be known, we are and so I'll keep up my wall and guard myself because I think love is special and it shouldn't be easily given out or acquired. I don't give my heart up easily not because I don't want to get hurt but because I don't think every guy is worth having my heart. But, when I do give my heart over to someone, I give it to them entirely, no strings attached.

7. Left my date feeling a bit discouraged and so I went into work to see Ki Dong and say hi to some people. I had promised him I'd drop by. Ki Dong's always up for a good story and he's always got something to say... I needed a good laugh.

8. Later in the day, I still had my friend's comment about "the trees and the forest" on my mind and so I made a long distance phone call to Canada. He and I haven't talked in quite a long time but he is someone that I care a lot about and it's strange cause I've never really thought about this before. I mean, I cried my eyes out when he suddenly disappeared. Hmm... Anyway, I won't get into the details of it all but will say that it was great to talk to this particular person again and I'm hoping that in one year our paths will cross again... here, in Korea!

9. Dinner celebration with Hannah and Jae Min at Mainz. Big props to me on taking them to Mainz! They loved it! Hannah showed up looking super cute in her new outfit... wow... my friend is so pretty! After dinner we all separated our different ways. Jae Min had to go to work and Hannah had a birthday party to go to. She ended up text messaging me to tell me Buff Boy was where she and her friends were. I don't know why I did this but I ended up changing back into my outfit and heading off to quickly drop by. Yup, he was there. He was there with two girls, one of which is "notoriously known" at my gym... yup, I shouldn't have gone there. I arrived just minutes before he was about to leave. I acted all surprised when I saw him. He walked up to me and then told me that we have to go eat together one day again... I said ok but in my mind I was screaming, "Ya right... what, so I can be another one of your 'girls'?"

10. Around 2am, hours after I had already gone to bed, I got a text message. It was Buff Boy... he's never texted me before. Getting a text from him meant I had to turn the lights on and get out my Korean dictionary. I'm such a girl... I told him that I went to Khan cause Hannah told me he was there. I shouldn't have said that. Regardless, I was in a weird mood and so I called him Playboy. Text messages continued till after 3am.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Do you understand what I mean?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Diarrhea of the mouth.
-- my favorite word today...hehehe.

Look at the feast we had!!! Here's Ki Dong taking an "intermission" from eating... hehehe

Look at my little pig... hehehe. With my air conditioner not working, Mi Nam's really been working on his two favorite hobbies: sleeping and eating. Here he is lying right beside my fan. My house is now officially a sauna :(

Highlights of my Day... Thursday, June 21

1. Strolled into work today for our last day of the semester staff meeting.... guess who else showed up.... my craft students, go figure!!! I showed up with like 5 minutes to boggiemy butt up the stairs to the fifth floor where the meeting was but I had stopped by the office first. I walked in and was shocked to see one of my craft students there. I wasn't impressed. She had been waiting for me and so Sunny was talking to her.

2. Sunny asked me if I could discuss the student's mark with her after the meeting but I came flat out said "no". Considering the fact that her exam was Monday and I went TOTALLY out of my way to have it marked and all the grades ready by the next day, I really thought she had some nerve to come into my office two days late. Apparently she wasn't the only craft student that had come in today to talk to me. And so, on that note, I told her to go home. I think I'm a great professor but getting walked on and being taken on a ride is NOT in my job description. I know I'm a lot more lenient than other professors but this was too much, even for me.

3. The meeting was short and sweet. We discussed various issues and then headed back down to the office for lunch. My director is a Korean man in love with Chinese food and so, yet again, we feasted out on Chinese food. Two delivery men came carrying mounds of food for us. It was awesome!

4. It seems like I'm the only professor here that's not leaving the country for their summer plans, that's cool. I can't remember the last summer vacation when I was just able to do nothing but relax. Last summer I had two months off but spent that time working at English camps. The year prior to that, I worked at a hagwan and so I only had 1 week off and then before that, I was a university student working to support myself and so I really had no time off.

5. Sad news... Ki Dong won't be with our staff next semester and so this was our last official time together as one big group. Someone had the "brilliant" idea to crack open the sparkling wine that had been sitting in the fridge supposedly for the past two years. It smelt like a mix between nail polish removal, cough syrup and apples. Held my breath, toasted Ki Dong and my co-workers, and then hoped for the best as I downed a bit of it.... hehehe.

6. Today marks the first official day of my summer holidays and so I went home and cracked open my much anticipated new Korean writing textbook.... yes, you can say it, I'm such a geek.... hehehe. I've been waiting three weeks to be able to start this book but I was too busy and I held back cause I was waiting for summer. I'm predicting that this summer is going to be awesome, for sure!!!

7. You know you're a SUPER GEEK when you get excited about studying and lose yourself in your studies for about 5 hours... yup, that was me tonight! There's 20 chapters in my new self-study Korean textbook. Each chapter is about 14-16 pages and, according to the textbook author, he says each chapter should take you about 5 hours. Having said this, my plan is to do 4 chapters a week and thus complete the textbook in 5 weeks.

8. Meet up with Hannah today and headed off to the gym. Ahhhhh.... I missed the gym so much and so I got so excited and hyper putting on my sweats and getting ready. I had anticipated training Hannah, she's new to training, and so today, before we headed off to the gym, I sat down for about 2 hours and planned out a wicked work-out plan, with tips on diet, work-out gear, training schedule and an exercise routine plan. No sooner had we arrived at the gym and put on our runners, then Newbie came and TOTALLY took over training Hannah. Ok.... hmmm..... ya, don't know what to say here... whatever.

9. Wow... looks like Buff Boy has definitely been hitting the weights hard since I last was here. He was wearing this old-skool work-out shirt that only added attention to his bulging chest... hehehe. I joked around with him and said he's making most of the women jealous cause of the fact that his chest is bigger than theirs.... hehehe. Hannah thinks Buff Boy is too big but I think differently.... Buff Boy won #1st prize in my mind tonight for best body in Korea.... wow.

10. Stayed up too late studying Korean. Finished off the first two chapters... awesome.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
When is big too big?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
The mind is like a parachute, it works best when it is opened.
-- Author Unknown

Even after missing 3 weeks of training, look at how strong I am!!!.. hehehe.

Hehehe.. ok, so Hannah and I aren't that strong, but it makes for a pretty funny picture! What you're looking at is the new advertising display for the highly anticipated, upcoming movie "Die Hard 4.0"

Highlights of my Day... Wednesday, June 20

1. Am seriously considering resorting to violence with these craft students... I've been going super hardcore at work lately.... doing work on the weekends, sending countless emails to students (most of which I am getting translated into Korean to help them out), going into work extra early and leaving extra late. And what did I do today, on my day off... I went to work. I went to work so that my craft students from Monday's class could come do their interviews with me, get their presentations back, presentation marks, exam marks and so on. Today was ALL about THEM!

2. NO craft student showed up... not even one! Ki Dong was quite disappointed cause he said he wanted to see my class of craft girls. He says craft students and dance students are the hottest, I beg to differ. All looks and no brains isn't exactly what I consider beautiful. Looks fade, intelligence doesn't and when we're old and gray, we all look the same anyways. Trust me, when they're 80 and swinging in their rocker, no one's going to care that she wore hot pants and had perfect skin cause by then her skin is going to be winkled and she's going to look just like the ugly girl in class... old. I'm looking forward to getting old though for the very fact that I won't be expected to wear high heels, make-up, and skirts I can't even sit down in. Seniors have all the freedom and all the benefits... it's true. In addition to discounts at stores, "Senior's Day"at various places, seats set aside for them on public transit, and retirement, no one expects a 70 year old woman to be wearing the latest in fashion or to have her make-up always picture perfect. She's not even expected to wear make-up! She doesn't have to wear uncomfortable high heels and have a slim bodyline... nope. When I'm 70, I'm going to wear my pjs to the store and totally milk my senior citizen discounts... and then get the cute grocery boy to carry home my food... hehehe. Maybe I'll tip him with a good pinch on the bum.... just joking, about the pinch part that is ;)

3. And so, with no students showing up for interviews, I resorted to punching in the marks into Dankook University's website. I was planning to do this after completing all interviews but then I thought, hey, this is my day off, I came in for them and they did nothing for me. I'm sure any other professor would not go this far for a class that's already given me enough grief. So, I put in ALL the marks! The university requires us to use the school's website to post the marks but it's all in Korean. After a couple trials and errors, I was working the Korean site like a pro... no English... no problem!

4. Stayed at work till about 5pm and worked on my professional portfolio. It's looking good baby and if I wasn't me, I'd hire me.... hehehe.

5. Well the inside joke among my friends and I is that Hannah and me are a couple cause she's the one I hang out with most and she is apparently the only one who's able to get a hold of me. I am notoriously known for hiding away in my downtown pad and ignoring my phone. Plus, because we're both single girls who can't stand seeing couples, we felt kind of out of the loop. Everyone we know is a couple... so, we're a couple: a couple of good friends. Today we went on a "date"... hehehe.... dinner and a movie.

6. Before we headed off to supper, I convinced Hannah to go check out my fitness gym. She says she wants to workout with me this summer and so I really wanted her to see the gym... mind ya, I really wanted to see Jae Phil, my buddy. I took about three weeks off the gym to deal with my end of the school year stuff and so my body is desperately wanting to get back into the gym and I was really starting to miss Jae Phil. He's a simple guy but that's what makes him such an awesome person. I miss our Konglish chats and training.

7. Got the double-look from Jae Phil when I walked into the gym. He was all smiles and so shocked to see me all dressed up. Only once has he seen me without sweats on but today I was wearing my favorite stilettos, a cute white jacket and tank top, and a pair of my "hot pants" (shorts).

8. Hannah took me to this new restaurant downtown where the food is retardedly cheap but oh so good... I'm telling ya, eating a plate full of meat for only $3 CDN is a bit suspicious for me. I was almost afraid to ask what animal it was. We ended up ordering a bowl of cool noodle... grand total for the two of us, $5 CDN. I love it!

9. We had planned to see a movie but we had time to kill and so we strolled around downtown and did lots of window shopping. Hannah shares my love of shoes and so we must have tried on a couple dozen of shoes each.

10. We ended up watching "Love and Other Disasters".. it was a cute movie but that's about it. Anyway, after the movie Hannah walked me home and we had a rather "interesting" walk. First there was this dude who was starring us down. Then, as I passed by these two young guys, one said hi to me and so I said hi back. I thought it was cute but then he stopped and asked me if I want a drink. Hannah was laughing so hard and we ended up taking off, ignoring the red light and running into traffic, so that we could get away from them... they had started to follow us. It was so funny. Then, after Hannah left to go home, I ran into this one older man I had met a couple of nights ago when Jae Min, Hannah and I were sitting outside. He was quite blunt in asking me if I had a "lover"... hehehe. I love it... Koreans call their girl/boyfriends lovers... sounds so funny to me. Anyway, I saw this man again and again he asked me if I had a lover.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Who asks those kind of questions?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
If there's one thing I know it's God does love a good joke.
-- Hugh Elliott

After a long, hard day's work, I then came home and found out that my air conditioner isn't working. I much prefer opening the windows but lately I've been the main course late-night meal for a gang of mosquitoes and so I thought I'd use my air con.... nope!

... this really had nothing to do with my day but I liked the quote.

Highlights of my Day... Tuesday, June 19

1. Guess who's back in the dating scene... me! I don't know too much about him except for what he's told me on the phone... this is totally a blind date! His name is Tae Gyo and he's an intelligent successful business man who lives in Seoul. He speaks English fairly well, is quite sweet to me on the phone, and he envies Mi Nam... hehehe.

2. On Friday he'll be coming to Cheonan to meet me for coffee. It's going to be a short, sweet, simple coffee date.

3. Well, back to work for me today. Yesterday I interviewed a bunch of students, last Tuesday night I interviewed 33 but today I knew I'd be getting tons of students... and, just as expected, I did.

4. Student interviews started around noon and when straight till about 7pm. No sooner had I stepped out for lunch but then I had to go back. I never did get in lunch. Ki Dong was sweet enough to set up a kind of doctor's office waiting area.... candy and chairs for the waiting students.

5. One-by-one the students sat with me to discuss their marks. Most of them were so nervous and so I couldn't help but giggle. They looked so cute sitting nervously in the "hot chair"... hehehe. Handing out "A's" to various students felt so good! Most students who got "As" were overwhelmed with shock and happiness. Most "A" students gave a little scream followed by a giggle and a huge grin. I felt as if I was the one getting the "A" and so I was so happy too.

6. In one of my classes there's a girl named Seo Kyung. She sat with me for quite some time discussing her mark. She was one point away from getting an "A" but I was convinced something was wrong with the mark. Sure enough, we found a minor error in the marking and so she got her much deserved "A". She was SO happy and so she bought me ice cream to share her happiness. We then sat around and tried to work on an English name for her. I told her that I'd have to think of a special name with a special meaning to it. My first name, Amy, means "beloved" and my middle name, "Michelle", means "gift of God". Now my Korean name, "Su Hyun" means "most clever"... cool.

7. Of course there were a lot of students who I really wanted to give higher grades to but couldn't cause of their marks. They either bombed on the exam, flopped on the homework checks or got low quiz marks. There were a couple of guys in my Thursday class that I really felt deserved higher grades but the just didn't produce the numbers needed. I knew they were a bit disappointed, so was I. Nonetheless, it was a lot of fun telling the students their marks and having one last chance to sit and talk with them. I will miss them.... I will even miss those annoying students from my craft class!!!

8. By 7pm I was exhausted. I had interviewed 115 students and was starving beyond belief. I had told Ki Dong that I wanted to have a pizza party after the interviews... my treat. And so, around 7:30pm we sat down for pizza. I wanted to treat Ki Dong and the others to pizza as a small token of my appreciation for all their continual help, new friendship, and to celebrate a great first semester at Dankook. I now have one semester under my belt as a professor and wow, it feels SOOOOOOOOOOO good!

9. Hannah came out and joined us in the office for pizza. After pizza, we left together. I was so hyper and so excited to have finished my marking and all those interviews and so I started jumping up and down in the parking lot. Some students saw me and I'm sure they thought I was crazy... I didn't care. I felt like a million bucks!

10. Came home super pumped and full of energy. Ended up putting together my video from Sunday and finally updating my homepage. Ended up capping my night off on a frustrating note though after a friend of mine annoyed the heck out of me on msn. He had asked me what I was doing and so I replied, "I'm busy". I was trying to work on my video but the program kept on crashing and so I was too busy and preoccupied to talk. Well, he then continued to ask me random questions and write random comments, none of which I was really paying attention to cause, well, I was busy. I must have wrote like a million times that I was busy and so, after having to deal with his messages popping up on my screen and interrupting me, I finally sent him a note saying that I'm blocking him... and that's exactly what I did.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What part of "I'm busy" don't you understand?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Talk is cheap; the supply exceeds the demand.
-- Author Unknown

I got this picture of PostSecrets.com. It totally reminds me of my dad who is notorious for calling me my mom's name, and worse yet... my brother's name.... hehehe. I think he's only called me by the cat's name a few times. I always thought it was a Polish thing.

I hear ya girl.... it's SO true!

Highlights of my Day... Monday, June 18

1. As if I wasn't already burning the candle at both ends of the stick, today I had plans with the Cheonan Trump. I was going on about 4 hours of sleep and so I was roughing it. Was definitely pushing the time and so I had to boot it down the street in my stiletto heels... hehehe.

2. Arrived with exactly one minute spare. Sat and waited for him. He never came, instead, one of his workers came and told me that the Cheonan Trump can't make it for our morning tea today because he was running late. Would have been nice to know this about 30 minutes ago but ok... at least he sent in his cutest workers to tell me.

3. Totally awkward moment at the elevator. There I stood with the Cheonan Trump's worker, a young successful man with cute glasses and one dimple, when he turned to me and randomly asked me for my number. With out even thinking I gave it to him but then, of course when it was too late, I started questioning why I ever gave him my number. Certainly a man at this level of success has numerous women after him or one on the go. The Cheonan Trump already knows my number... hmmm.... so strange. Whatever.

4. Gave my final exam today... the last one. And who better to give it to then my craft major students :( Oh the "joys" of my craft students. Getting them to talk and use English is like pulling teeth and quite frankly, I rather get all my teeth pulled.

5. Ok, ok, ok... so they're not THAT bad but they are my most stressed over class and I've never met a bigger group of lazier students.

6. Today one of my students thought it was funny to sleep through the listening part of the exam while all her friends giggled. I didn't find it too funny and, after trying to do some serious encouraging on my behalf and trying to help her along with the exam, I finally kicked her out. Oh, she didn't go out willingly, let me tell you that! She thought it was a joke until I opened the classroom door and told her she could either walk out or be carried out... and trust me, I HAVE carried out a student before... Tony from Eumbong Middle School. I took my heels off, scooped him up in my arms, kicked open the classroom door and literally threw him out dragging and whining.

7. Thankfully for HER sake, she decided to walk out. She tried to act all innocent and cute... doesn't work with me. I'm not into cute girls, nor am I into rude foolish students.

8. Am finally seeing the much anticipated light at the end of the tunnel... this time tomorrow I'll be done all my marking and interviews!!! Until then, I'm a slave to the marking... ahhhh.

9. Finally finished marking my student exams and presentations.... wow, it feels SO good to say that. I feel like I've overdosed on marking and am convinced that if I see another exam I'll be sick!

10. Four more days until I can breath.... crunch time baby!!!

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What's that that I smell... is it my brain frying?

Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get.
-- from the movie "Forrest Gump"