With no shoes or boots over $20, this sight was like pure eye candy for me!!!Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Wednesday, April 30
1. Unlike the rest of my other Wednesdays, today I surprisingly woke up so super early. I woke up from the weirdest of dreams but strangely enough, I didn't know it was a dream. I had dreamt that my old coworker was calling me, whining on the phone and telling me to hurry up for my 7am meeting. She had quit her teaching job and had become my full time assistant... not teaching assistant but personal assistant. She did all my cleaning, answered my calls, and kept track of my busy schedule. She said I had a meeting at 7am and then I had to be in Japan by 1pm. Woke up, noticed it was 6:30am and so I panicked. I disregarded my throbbing foot, raced down the stairs, jumped into the shower and got ready by 7am in army style. Then it hit me... it's 7am and all that was just a dream. So, with about an hour and 45 minutes before my bus was to leave for Seoul, I laid down on the couch and passed out.
2. Today we almost finished chapter 8 in my Korean language tutoring and so I am super pumped. With less than half a chapter left, this means that next week I'll be doing the big level test... cool! There's 6 levels to my Korean studies, I'm on level 2 but after next week, I'll be on level 3... awesome!!!
3. Am convinced the best shopping in Korea isn't in Myong-Dong or Insadong, no way! For clothing and shoes, the place to go shopping in Korea is in the Gangnam subway underground shops! Seriously... gotta love Korea shopping in the subway for the very fact that you can bargain prices that are already ridiculously low. Other places have flexible prices, that's true, but I've found that clothes and shoes in the subway underground shops are retardedly low. Thank goodness I only venture near these shops once a week!
4. For $45 Canadian, I got two skirts, two pair of 3/4" pants, and a pair of shorts. Best deal of the day was a cute brown belt I scored as "service" from a lady who said I had to have it because I was pretty... nice... hehehe. One of the skirts that I bought is this beautiful flouncy white skirt that is pretty long... very, very pretty.
5. Q had the day off today and so when I returned to Cheonan, I painted my toes in hot pink nail polish, curled my hair and then got dolled up in my new white skirt. As he pulled up in his truck, he gave me a huge smile and bombarded me with compliments on my new skirt. Honestly, I don't consider myself to be a real girly-girl kind of girl but I love dressing up and I love skirts. I love my earrings, my fake Chanel bracelet that always gets people thinking it's real, my $4 diamond ring that people always question me about, I love pretty flouncy skirts that make me look cute, and don't get me started on my shoes! Today I threw in some silver open-toed heeled sandals with my outfit... I love Korean fashion!
6. Q and I went for an late afternoon lunch and a movie. We watched "Iron Man", not exactly my kind of movie but I liked it cause the cocky leading actor reminded me of a guy I use to date who was richer than rich and had what everyone considered to be everything. He everything.. and nothing at all... no one to come home to, no one in love with him, no one thinking of him. Unlike the guy I dated though, the leading man in "Iron Man" learned his lesson and changed his ways. I can only wish that the guy I dated would change his ways. He still hasn't learned why he has everything, and nothing at all... only materialistic things.
7. Today the weather was so incredibly beautiful and my afternoon with Q was simply perfect. We walked around downtown, hand in hand, with my skirt bouncing in the wind and Q all smiles as his eyes stayed fixated on just me. It's days like this that make me feel so happy. I wish I could bottle up this happiness and store it on my shelf for days when I wake up with puffy eyes and the weight of some stress or another on my shoulders.
8. Q's English class was having a going away dinner party for one of their foreign English teachers, which just happens to be one of my coworker's husband, and so we decided to show up. Honestly though, it was uncomfortable. You know those moments when you're kind of forced to act all friendly and then you're faced with the awkward silence and so you try to stir up a conversation to avoid the silence but then you realize, you really have nothing in common with this person?! Well.. that's what about 2 hours of my evening consisted of, me being obligated to smile and chat with people who I really didn't know. The funny thing is, I think we all felt kind of awkward.
9. I thought playing the "Sorry, I couldn't hear you, what did you say?" card a million times at a dinner table packed with Q's coworkers who all range from being beginner to intermediate English learners would discourage them from talking to me... no such luck. I know they're learning English and teaching English is my job by hey... I was NOT working. I was a guest at the table but I felt like I was at work, if not worse. And honestly, getting asked a million and one random questions, varying from how to spell things to questions even a mathematician fanatic couldn't figure out, made for a really head-throbbing dinner. I heard everything from incredibly choppy English to brutal broken English, and words I don't even think are English. They tried to convince us to go with them to another place after the meal. I turned to Q, gave him one of those "you got to be kidding me" looks and told him that I was not going... no ifs, ands, or buts. I was so outta there.
10. Found out something interesting tonight... one of my coworkers is quitting soon. That's news to me. And with her husband leaving Korea, Q's company is desperately looking for a new English teacher. Q's boss approached me about the position but honestly, yes I do have a lot of free time outside of Dankook but with my boxing, Q, Mi Nam, and my Korean studies, I am pretty busy. Moreover, and this is between you and me... they can't afford me... seriously.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Was it as fun for you as it was for me?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.
-- Jean Houston
2. Today we almost finished chapter 8 in my Korean language tutoring and so I am super pumped. With less than half a chapter left, this means that next week I'll be doing the big level test... cool! There's 6 levels to my Korean studies, I'm on level 2 but after next week, I'll be on level 3... awesome!!!
3. Am convinced the best shopping in Korea isn't in Myong-Dong or Insadong, no way! For clothing and shoes, the place to go shopping in Korea is in the Gangnam subway underground shops! Seriously... gotta love Korea shopping in the subway for the very fact that you can bargain prices that are already ridiculously low. Other places have flexible prices, that's true, but I've found that clothes and shoes in the subway underground shops are retardedly low. Thank goodness I only venture near these shops once a week!
4. For $45 Canadian, I got two skirts, two pair of 3/4" pants, and a pair of shorts. Best deal of the day was a cute brown belt I scored as "service" from a lady who said I had to have it because I was pretty... nice... hehehe. One of the skirts that I bought is this beautiful flouncy white skirt that is pretty long... very, very pretty.
5. Q had the day off today and so when I returned to Cheonan, I painted my toes in hot pink nail polish, curled my hair and then got dolled up in my new white skirt. As he pulled up in his truck, he gave me a huge smile and bombarded me with compliments on my new skirt. Honestly, I don't consider myself to be a real girly-girl kind of girl but I love dressing up and I love skirts. I love my earrings, my fake Chanel bracelet that always gets people thinking it's real, my $4 diamond ring that people always question me about, I love pretty flouncy skirts that make me look cute, and don't get me started on my shoes! Today I threw in some silver open-toed heeled sandals with my outfit... I love Korean fashion!
6. Q and I went for an late afternoon lunch and a movie. We watched "Iron Man", not exactly my kind of movie but I liked it cause the cocky leading actor reminded me of a guy I use to date who was richer than rich and had what everyone considered to be everything. He everything.. and nothing at all... no one to come home to, no one in love with him, no one thinking of him. Unlike the guy I dated though, the leading man in "Iron Man" learned his lesson and changed his ways. I can only wish that the guy I dated would change his ways. He still hasn't learned why he has everything, and nothing at all... only materialistic things.
7. Today the weather was so incredibly beautiful and my afternoon with Q was simply perfect. We walked around downtown, hand in hand, with my skirt bouncing in the wind and Q all smiles as his eyes stayed fixated on just me. It's days like this that make me feel so happy. I wish I could bottle up this happiness and store it on my shelf for days when I wake up with puffy eyes and the weight of some stress or another on my shoulders.
8. Q's English class was having a going away dinner party for one of their foreign English teachers, which just happens to be one of my coworker's husband, and so we decided to show up. Honestly though, it was uncomfortable. You know those moments when you're kind of forced to act all friendly and then you're faced with the awkward silence and so you try to stir up a conversation to avoid the silence but then you realize, you really have nothing in common with this person?! Well.. that's what about 2 hours of my evening consisted of, me being obligated to smile and chat with people who I really didn't know. The funny thing is, I think we all felt kind of awkward.
9. I thought playing the "Sorry, I couldn't hear you, what did you say?" card a million times at a dinner table packed with Q's coworkers who all range from being beginner to intermediate English learners would discourage them from talking to me... no such luck. I know they're learning English and teaching English is my job by hey... I was NOT working. I was a guest at the table but I felt like I was at work, if not worse. And honestly, getting asked a million and one random questions, varying from how to spell things to questions even a mathematician fanatic couldn't figure out, made for a really head-throbbing dinner. I heard everything from incredibly choppy English to brutal broken English, and words I don't even think are English. They tried to convince us to go with them to another place after the meal. I turned to Q, gave him one of those "you got to be kidding me" looks and told him that I was not going... no ifs, ands, or buts. I was so outta there.
10. Found out something interesting tonight... one of my coworkers is quitting soon. That's news to me. And with her husband leaving Korea, Q's company is desperately looking for a new English teacher. Q's boss approached me about the position but honestly, yes I do have a lot of free time outside of Dankook but with my boxing, Q, Mi Nam, and my Korean studies, I am pretty busy. Moreover, and this is between you and me... they can't afford me... seriously.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Was it as fun for you as it was for me?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.
-- Jean Houston
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Tuesday, April 29
1. My morning started off with a meeting with the Cheonan Trump and some "interesting" looks from some of his many employees as they over saw the Cheonan Trump passing me an enevlop that was clearly an envelop of cash. Junior Mint doesn't really like me meeting the Cheonan Trump, claiming that he's a pervert but I joke with Junior Mint, telling him that the Cheonan Trump is my Korean father cause. But today Junior Mint had nothing to say when I told him that the Cheonan Trump gave me money to pay for my Korean language studies.
2. Ok, so I agree, the Cheonan Trump is filthy rich and would probably use money as toliet paper if only he could put it on a roll, but you know what, I like him. He's got this jolly Santa Clause kind of feeling to him that I find so adorable. Minus his occassional flirtatious comment and lecturing me to stay single or run away with him, he is innocent. Sometimes I think he says things just to see my reaction, that and cause I'm basically the only one he can relax and joke around with. His employes have their ties on too tight and are always so robotic acting... not natural. I mean, people are meant to smile and laugh, that's why God gave us facial muscles and a vocal box.
3. It's a Tuesday... oh goodies! Tuesdays mean high-energy classes... oh wait, but who were those students in my first period class??? Turns out some of my students went out last night, which, in Korea that meant they went drinking and probably to a karaoke bar on a Monday night. In Canada we'd point our finger at them, give them a stern look and then think "alcoholic". But this is Korea and at $2 a pop, soju is very access able for even the poorest of poor students and has become quite the "hobby"... hmmm.
4. Bribing my students to participate in class was easier than I thought and, as it turns out, they have a similar weakness to banana milk like I do. I had them work on an intonation activity and then asked for two groups to volunteer and present... a hush filled the room, that is, until I blurted out, "If you win, I'll bring you banana milk next week!" Bingo... a dozen or so of hands went flying into the air as they called out "me.. me... me" and jumped out of their seats... hehehe.
5. I'm totally to blame for the friendly competition that is clearly evident between my two Tuesday classes... hehehe... and I love it. Both classes were all curious today as to how the other class did on their midterm. I guess I shouldn't tell them that one of my Friday classes is slowly but steadily creeping up on them!
6. After class I headed over to the grocery store in Galleria. I love it there! They're got these mini restaurants where you can sit for a quick meal or get take-out. I'm addicted to the chicken fajitas and the guy that works there is so cute. Not cute like "cute-good looking" but cute as in "you act so cute". I visit his chicken fajita shop at least once a week and he must be looking online for English sentences or something cause he keeps on expanding our routine conversation. First, our conversations use to only consist of me talking in Korean and then he blurting out, "Have a good time." But, in the weeks (if not months) that I've been going there, our conversation now goes as follows... note the second sentence he says. Apparently I am delicious... hehehe. He's so proud to have picked up some English but I don't have the heart to tell him his sentence is so cute... hehehe.
He: You like chicken.
Me: Yes. Your chicken is delicious.
He: Thank you, you too.
He: Here you go.
Me: Thank you.
He: Thank you.
Me: Ok, bye.
He: Bye-bye. Have a good time.
Me: You too.
He: See you again.
7. While standing at the stoplight with bags of groceries, a taxi pulled up to the red light and then started honking like crazy. It was my students in that taxi... hehehe. All at once they started yelling at me, "Professor Michelle... I love you!" My reaction, an instant giggle fest... hehehe. Korean students are SO cute! My coworker Robert says I think everything in my "world" is so cute... he's right. My dog is so cute, my boyfriend is ever so cute, and my students, well, they are definitely the cutest among ALL students... hehehe. I love you too.
8. Walked into training today and was given bad news: tomorrow's highly talked about and highly anticipated sparring match has been canceled. Don't know why but it's canceled. Dang.
9. And so on that note, I wasn't impressed. I had pumped myself up so much for this anticipated sparring match. The thing with sparring is that no one really wins, it's just practice. And with sparring this Korean champion, it'd be kind of expected that she'd beat me. She'd get a run for her money and I'd be drowned in high-fights and proud cheers from my team mates for willingly stepping in the ring with her when it's obvious she was well above my league. I'd have nothing to lose and everything to win. Needless to say, I was really disappointed that my sparring got canceled. It's so hard to find a girl here to spar with. It's brutal.
10. Last week Junior Mint gave me new boxing gloves. They're bag gloves and are red... I love them. Today two amateur boxing females gave me socks... apparently they don't understand that my mixed-matched socks ARE my style... hehehe. After training, they approached me and gave me Mickey Mouse socks... thanks girls ;)
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Who wants to spar?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
-- Author Unknown
2. Ok, so I agree, the Cheonan Trump is filthy rich and would probably use money as toliet paper if only he could put it on a roll, but you know what, I like him. He's got this jolly Santa Clause kind of feeling to him that I find so adorable. Minus his occassional flirtatious comment and lecturing me to stay single or run away with him, he is innocent. Sometimes I think he says things just to see my reaction, that and cause I'm basically the only one he can relax and joke around with. His employes have their ties on too tight and are always so robotic acting... not natural. I mean, people are meant to smile and laugh, that's why God gave us facial muscles and a vocal box.
3. It's a Tuesday... oh goodies! Tuesdays mean high-energy classes... oh wait, but who were those students in my first period class??? Turns out some of my students went out last night, which, in Korea that meant they went drinking and probably to a karaoke bar on a Monday night. In Canada we'd point our finger at them, give them a stern look and then think "alcoholic". But this is Korea and at $2 a pop, soju is very access able for even the poorest of poor students and has become quite the "hobby"... hmmm.
4. Bribing my students to participate in class was easier than I thought and, as it turns out, they have a similar weakness to banana milk like I do. I had them work on an intonation activity and then asked for two groups to volunteer and present... a hush filled the room, that is, until I blurted out, "If you win, I'll bring you banana milk next week!" Bingo... a dozen or so of hands went flying into the air as they called out "me.. me... me" and jumped out of their seats... hehehe.
5. I'm totally to blame for the friendly competition that is clearly evident between my two Tuesday classes... hehehe... and I love it. Both classes were all curious today as to how the other class did on their midterm. I guess I shouldn't tell them that one of my Friday classes is slowly but steadily creeping up on them!
6. After class I headed over to the grocery store in Galleria. I love it there! They're got these mini restaurants where you can sit for a quick meal or get take-out. I'm addicted to the chicken fajitas and the guy that works there is so cute. Not cute like "cute-good looking" but cute as in "you act so cute". I visit his chicken fajita shop at least once a week and he must be looking online for English sentences or something cause he keeps on expanding our routine conversation. First, our conversations use to only consist of me talking in Korean and then he blurting out, "Have a good time." But, in the weeks (if not months) that I've been going there, our conversation now goes as follows... note the second sentence he says. Apparently I am delicious... hehehe. He's so proud to have picked up some English but I don't have the heart to tell him his sentence is so cute... hehehe.
He: You like chicken.
Me: Yes. Your chicken is delicious.
He: Thank you, you too.
He: Here you go.
Me: Thank you.
He: Thank you.
Me: Ok, bye.
He: Bye-bye. Have a good time.
Me: You too.
He: See you again.
7. While standing at the stoplight with bags of groceries, a taxi pulled up to the red light and then started honking like crazy. It was my students in that taxi... hehehe. All at once they started yelling at me, "Professor Michelle... I love you!" My reaction, an instant giggle fest... hehehe. Korean students are SO cute! My coworker Robert says I think everything in my "world" is so cute... he's right. My dog is so cute, my boyfriend is ever so cute, and my students, well, they are definitely the cutest among ALL students... hehehe. I love you too.
8. Walked into training today and was given bad news: tomorrow's highly talked about and highly anticipated sparring match has been canceled. Don't know why but it's canceled. Dang.
9. And so on that note, I wasn't impressed. I had pumped myself up so much for this anticipated sparring match. The thing with sparring is that no one really wins, it's just practice. And with sparring this Korean champion, it'd be kind of expected that she'd beat me. She'd get a run for her money and I'd be drowned in high-fights and proud cheers from my team mates for willingly stepping in the ring with her when it's obvious she was well above my league. I'd have nothing to lose and everything to win. Needless to say, I was really disappointed that my sparring got canceled. It's so hard to find a girl here to spar with. It's brutal.
10. Last week Junior Mint gave me new boxing gloves. They're bag gloves and are red... I love them. Today two amateur boxing females gave me socks... apparently they don't understand that my mixed-matched socks ARE my style... hehehe. After training, they approached me and gave me Mickey Mouse socks... thanks girls ;)
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Who wants to spar?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
-- Author Unknown
Monday, April 28, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Monday, April 28
1. With less than a week left to the "Cheonan Marathon", which really isn't a marathon by western standards. It's only 10km but here in Korea, it's a marathon. I think the idea of running in this heat, gasping and choking on the yellow sand is why they called it a marathon... definitely a challenge. Anyway, with less than a week left till the big race (Saturday), I was hoping to wake up at the crack of down and go running.
2. The only crack in my morning today was that of Mi Nam's as he had decided to try a new sleeping position, which meant I woke up to his butt just inches from my face... not a pretty sight!
3. Q, on the other hand, has been trying like a pro star. He's been hitting the gym a lot for treadmill running and weight trying, and has been coming to boxing training now and then.
4. Today I didn't do either... no boxing, no running. I had anticipated boxing tonight but after school I crashed on the couch and so it was lights out for me till about 10pm.
5. As for school today, doing midterms last week was painful, but, handing back the marks today was even more painful... for my first period class that is, where half the class has already failed due to attendance, a quarter of the class has failed because they chose to not do the midterm or presentation, and the other quarter of the class I am ever so thankful to God for giving them to me cause with out them, this class would drive me mental.
6. It's kind of brutal in that my second period Monday class knows that my morning class drains me and stresses me out. I think that's why they're extra sweet to me, give me treats and bombard me wit smiles on a weekly bases. They know my Monday mornings are rough.
7. Mondays at Dankook always leave me drained and tired. The fact that I am still nursing an injured foot only makes me that more tired. It's great that I only have to plan one lecture a week, but having to repeat that same lecture 10 times gets pretty boring, fast. Today I said the same extact things three times (3 classes) and so I can't help but feel deja-vu and like a robot... hehehe... hence the spontaneous robot dances I break-out into during class... hehehe.
8. Feel asleep on the couch. I guess Mi Nam thought he'd help me clean up my packed school bag that I had simply plopped on the floor, of which the contents had sprawled out on the floor.
9. Apparently Mi Nam didn't know how to clean my bag up, but he did however, know how to EAT.... and so, that's what he did.
10. Among the $20 and pair of earrings that Mi Nam ate, he had also eaten one of my Lip Smackers lip balms!!! Oh my gosh... not the lip balm!!! My mom had specifically mailed me that... oh the horror!!!
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Why does Mi Nam insist on eating my stuff instead of his stuff?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
You are what you eat.
-- Author Unknown
2. The only crack in my morning today was that of Mi Nam's as he had decided to try a new sleeping position, which meant I woke up to his butt just inches from my face... not a pretty sight!
3. Q, on the other hand, has been trying like a pro star. He's been hitting the gym a lot for treadmill running and weight trying, and has been coming to boxing training now and then.
4. Today I didn't do either... no boxing, no running. I had anticipated boxing tonight but after school I crashed on the couch and so it was lights out for me till about 10pm.
5. As for school today, doing midterms last week was painful, but, handing back the marks today was even more painful... for my first period class that is, where half the class has already failed due to attendance, a quarter of the class has failed because they chose to not do the midterm or presentation, and the other quarter of the class I am ever so thankful to God for giving them to me cause with out them, this class would drive me mental.
6. It's kind of brutal in that my second period Monday class knows that my morning class drains me and stresses me out. I think that's why they're extra sweet to me, give me treats and bombard me wit smiles on a weekly bases. They know my Monday mornings are rough.
7. Mondays at Dankook always leave me drained and tired. The fact that I am still nursing an injured foot only makes me that more tired. It's great that I only have to plan one lecture a week, but having to repeat that same lecture 10 times gets pretty boring, fast. Today I said the same extact things three times (3 classes) and so I can't help but feel deja-vu and like a robot... hehehe... hence the spontaneous robot dances I break-out into during class... hehehe.
8. Feel asleep on the couch. I guess Mi Nam thought he'd help me clean up my packed school bag that I had simply plopped on the floor, of which the contents had sprawled out on the floor.
9. Apparently Mi Nam didn't know how to clean my bag up, but he did however, know how to EAT.... and so, that's what he did.
10. Among the $20 and pair of earrings that Mi Nam ate, he had also eaten one of my Lip Smackers lip balms!!! Oh my gosh... not the lip balm!!! My mom had specifically mailed me that... oh the horror!!!
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Why does Mi Nam insist on eating my stuff instead of his stuff?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
You are what you eat.
-- Author Unknown
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Sunday, April 27
1. Q's plans to go do some farm work at his grandma's country home were put on hold today and so that meant I had someone to help me add up and enter in all my midterm marks... sweet!
2. Best idea I heard all week came from the mouth of one of my coworkers who mentioned about getting an assistant. Now we already have some assistants in our office but we all share them and their job is more like being the middle man between us professors and the head cheese up stairs, as supposed to marking and doing photocopying for us. But what I really need is someone to help me with all this tedious administration and paperwork stuff that comes with managing 10 classes, 270 students. Stuff like entering in marks, marking quizzes, and other stuff like photocopying... a personal assistant. Right now, Q has been my assistant, basically. His pay has been kisses and food... hehehe. But seriously, I really would love an assistant but who would I ask and how much would I pay them?!... graduate students?... hmmm, maybe.
3. Q ended up babying me all day cause of a freakish cold that must have crept into the window and into my nose last night. I woke up with a sore throat and a plugged nose and so for the rest of the day I sounded like a cross between Kermit the frog and Pee-Wee Herman... not exactly sexy, hehehe...
4. Flopped out on the floor was pretty much where I stayed for the rest of the day.
5. Q happily made me kimchi jjigga... how awesome is he?!!! I had asked him to make it extra spicy, hoping that this would cause me to sweat out my cold. I was all over that kimchi jjigga like a fat kid on a Smartie but still... no luck. Not even one drop of sweat. Q, on the other hand, sat drenched in sweat... hehehe.
6. Today Q turned to me and said something that caught me totally off guard. He said, "I want to see the baby", in which I replied with a million questions, "What baby? The baby? Who's baby?"
7. "Our baby", was his response. I giggled, flicked him on the nose and said, "Hey baby, you marry me and I'll show you our baby". This stirred up quite the conversation... hehehe... and we got talking, what would our baby be like if we had one? This is what we came up with:
Characteristics of our baby:
- short in height
- definitely into sports
- small eyes
- great nose
- would be bilingual
- definitely would love food
- a smiley baby that would laugh a lot
- definitely silly (aka a bit on the immature side)
- great skin
- loves sleeping but only sleeps a lot on Sundays
- hardworking
- would love trucks
- thinks boxing is the greatest sport
- loves fishing
- may not really love dogs but doesn't mind eating them
- a bit pudgy
- may need braces
- in great health, minus the frequent sports injuries
- very passionate about feelings and what they believe in
- well respected
- prefers short hair to long hair
- loves Adidas
- has great manners
- a procrastinator
- very charming (and knows how to use this charm)
8. After spending two full days with Q, it's always so hard to say goodbye to him. Goodbyes always last about 5-10 minutes and are followed up with text messages and a phone call... hehehe.
9. With the evening left to work on my weekly lecture, I decided to go for a stroll around the block first with Mi Nam, before getting down to work. Sunday nights always kill my weekend mood I find. I mean, I love my job but sitting for a couple of hours to type up my Power Point lecture file kind of gets me down in the dumps. I really should plan my lecture on a different day, like Wednesday or Thursday.... but then again, I am a big procrastinator and so last minute has kind of been my thing.
10. Discovered I only have one more NiteQuil... oh gosh! I felt sick tonight but wasn't sure if it was NiteQuil worthy or not so, if in doubt, the answer is probably no. Saving that NiteQuil for a really, really bad sick day.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
How do I go about getting an assistant?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack.
-- Henry Miller
2. Best idea I heard all week came from the mouth of one of my coworkers who mentioned about getting an assistant. Now we already have some assistants in our office but we all share them and their job is more like being the middle man between us professors and the head cheese up stairs, as supposed to marking and doing photocopying for us. But what I really need is someone to help me with all this tedious administration and paperwork stuff that comes with managing 10 classes, 270 students. Stuff like entering in marks, marking quizzes, and other stuff like photocopying... a personal assistant. Right now, Q has been my assistant, basically. His pay has been kisses and food... hehehe. But seriously, I really would love an assistant but who would I ask and how much would I pay them?!... graduate students?... hmmm, maybe.
3. Q ended up babying me all day cause of a freakish cold that must have crept into the window and into my nose last night. I woke up with a sore throat and a plugged nose and so for the rest of the day I sounded like a cross between Kermit the frog and Pee-Wee Herman... not exactly sexy, hehehe...
4. Flopped out on the floor was pretty much where I stayed for the rest of the day.
5. Q happily made me kimchi jjigga... how awesome is he?!!! I had asked him to make it extra spicy, hoping that this would cause me to sweat out my cold. I was all over that kimchi jjigga like a fat kid on a Smartie but still... no luck. Not even one drop of sweat. Q, on the other hand, sat drenched in sweat... hehehe.
6. Today Q turned to me and said something that caught me totally off guard. He said, "I want to see the baby", in which I replied with a million questions, "What baby? The baby? Who's baby?"
7. "Our baby", was his response. I giggled, flicked him on the nose and said, "Hey baby, you marry me and I'll show you our baby". This stirred up quite the conversation... hehehe... and we got talking, what would our baby be like if we had one? This is what we came up with:
Characteristics of our baby:
- short in height
- definitely into sports
- small eyes
- great nose
- would be bilingual
- definitely would love food
- a smiley baby that would laugh a lot
- definitely silly (aka a bit on the immature side)
- great skin
- loves sleeping but only sleeps a lot on Sundays
- hardworking
- would love trucks
- thinks boxing is the greatest sport
- loves fishing
- may not really love dogs but doesn't mind eating them
- a bit pudgy
- may need braces
- in great health, minus the frequent sports injuries
- very passionate about feelings and what they believe in
- well respected
- prefers short hair to long hair
- loves Adidas
- has great manners
- a procrastinator
- very charming (and knows how to use this charm)
8. After spending two full days with Q, it's always so hard to say goodbye to him. Goodbyes always last about 5-10 minutes and are followed up with text messages and a phone call... hehehe.
9. With the evening left to work on my weekly lecture, I decided to go for a stroll around the block first with Mi Nam, before getting down to work. Sunday nights always kill my weekend mood I find. I mean, I love my job but sitting for a couple of hours to type up my Power Point lecture file kind of gets me down in the dumps. I really should plan my lecture on a different day, like Wednesday or Thursday.... but then again, I am a big procrastinator and so last minute has kind of been my thing.
10. Discovered I only have one more NiteQuil... oh gosh! I felt sick tonight but wasn't sure if it was NiteQuil worthy or not so, if in doubt, the answer is probably no. Saving that NiteQuil for a really, really bad sick day.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
How do I go about getting an assistant?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack.
-- Henry Miller
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Saturday, April 26
1. After last night's work fest, I decided I deserved to sleep in late today, and so that's exactly how my day went up until about 1pm.
2. Got my hair cut and so now I officially look a typical Korean school girl... hehehe. With short bangs, dark, dark brown hair that is on the verge of being called black, and my wispy ends, I thought I looked real cute. Q said my hair looked like a wig, "but a cute wig" he added. Nice recovery... not! Hehehe.
3. Headed off to boxing with Q and were greeted by an overly tired and super grumpy Junior Mint. I take it he "partied" too hard last night. He wasn't the only one though. Some of the other boxers looked pretty rough today. I wonder what those who stayed home today look like... ouch!
4. My not-so-secretive admirer wasn't so careful or quiet today with me. I'm not sure if he knows I have a boyfriend, or if he knows my boyfriend is Q for that matter, but today he was overly flirtatious towards me. Whether I was stretching, skipping, or whatnot, he insisted on being all in my face. He repeatedly stuck his foot in my skipping robe, pretended to try punching me, and then made funny faces at me while I was shadow boxing. Now I know Q is by no means a jealous man, if anything actually, he'd quite flattered when other men look at me. Regardless though, I knew Q wasn't liking the scene, nor was I.
5. I let my not-so-secretive admirer's flirtatious behaviour continue up until the point I started working on the heavy bag. There I was, pounding away at the sand bag when my not-so-secretive admirer thought he'd tease me by pulling and pushing the heavy bag away from me. The situation turned from annoying to quite dangerous though when I purposely missed the heavy bag and socked a hard right hook to the side of his head, causing him to lose his balance. He stumbled a bit and then hit his head on the metal beam that holds up the heavy bag. No worries though, he'll have a bump on his head for a couple of days, max, but I think his ego was a bit bruised.
6. The initial plan for tonight for Q and I consisted of studying at Coffee Bean, followed by a late night movie. Plan died at stage 1.
7. Ended up hanging out at the local bookstore before catching an early evening movie. We had bought tickets to go see "Pathology", a strange and disturbing movie about how this one aspiring doctor gets swept into this retarded killing game. The plot line was fairly simple and so I wasn't really amused. The director was smart though by throwing in a pretty famous actress to be the leading man's girlfriend, along with some other good looking leading roles. Two kisses girls, one big make-out scene and lots of skin made for an evening out at the movies not really enjoyable. I "love it" how they substitute in attractive actors and actresses for an intellectually contrived plot. For the most part though, their substitution acted to distract many viewers from the shallow depth of this movie. Mind ya, I counted about 20 people tonight who got up and walked out of the movie... ouch!!!
8. During the movie, I got a somewhat disturbing text message from a friend of mine. The message read, "Was I nothing to you?" I was sure the message wasn't meant for me and so I messaged them back, "What are you talking about? Are you ok?", where upon they responded with, "No, I'm not okay but I will find a way to live.".. and on that note I felt sick. I didn't know whether or not to call my friend, I mean, we're friends but not close friends. Our friendship extends to hi's and bye's, and short chats.
9. Q told me I think too much and told me to disregard the message, but I couldn't. I wanted to call but chose not to on the notion that I was too nervous to know what the heck they were talking about. Moreover, I was pretty sure I wasn't suppose to receive this message and this would only lead to a very uncomfortable and embarrassing conversation.
10. Honestly, if you ask me what I think about the messages.... I think I just caught my friend having an affair. The initial message sounded like it was meant for a lover and by the sounds of it, I think they were having a spat. Throw in the fact that my friend's spouse doesn't speak English and ya... holy awkward moment.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Am I thinking too much?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision.
--Eleanor Roosevelt
2. Got my hair cut and so now I officially look a typical Korean school girl... hehehe. With short bangs, dark, dark brown hair that is on the verge of being called black, and my wispy ends, I thought I looked real cute. Q said my hair looked like a wig, "but a cute wig" he added. Nice recovery... not! Hehehe.
3. Headed off to boxing with Q and were greeted by an overly tired and super grumpy Junior Mint. I take it he "partied" too hard last night. He wasn't the only one though. Some of the other boxers looked pretty rough today. I wonder what those who stayed home today look like... ouch!
4. My not-so-secretive admirer wasn't so careful or quiet today with me. I'm not sure if he knows I have a boyfriend, or if he knows my boyfriend is Q for that matter, but today he was overly flirtatious towards me. Whether I was stretching, skipping, or whatnot, he insisted on being all in my face. He repeatedly stuck his foot in my skipping robe, pretended to try punching me, and then made funny faces at me while I was shadow boxing. Now I know Q is by no means a jealous man, if anything actually, he'd quite flattered when other men look at me. Regardless though, I knew Q wasn't liking the scene, nor was I.
5. I let my not-so-secretive admirer's flirtatious behaviour continue up until the point I started working on the heavy bag. There I was, pounding away at the sand bag when my not-so-secretive admirer thought he'd tease me by pulling and pushing the heavy bag away from me. The situation turned from annoying to quite dangerous though when I purposely missed the heavy bag and socked a hard right hook to the side of his head, causing him to lose his balance. He stumbled a bit and then hit his head on the metal beam that holds up the heavy bag. No worries though, he'll have a bump on his head for a couple of days, max, but I think his ego was a bit bruised.
6. The initial plan for tonight for Q and I consisted of studying at Coffee Bean, followed by a late night movie. Plan died at stage 1.
7. Ended up hanging out at the local bookstore before catching an early evening movie. We had bought tickets to go see "Pathology", a strange and disturbing movie about how this one aspiring doctor gets swept into this retarded killing game. The plot line was fairly simple and so I wasn't really amused. The director was smart though by throwing in a pretty famous actress to be the leading man's girlfriend, along with some other good looking leading roles. Two kisses girls, one big make-out scene and lots of skin made for an evening out at the movies not really enjoyable. I "love it" how they substitute in attractive actors and actresses for an intellectually contrived plot. For the most part though, their substitution acted to distract many viewers from the shallow depth of this movie. Mind ya, I counted about 20 people tonight who got up and walked out of the movie... ouch!!!
8. During the movie, I got a somewhat disturbing text message from a friend of mine. The message read, "Was I nothing to you?" I was sure the message wasn't meant for me and so I messaged them back, "What are you talking about? Are you ok?", where upon they responded with, "No, I'm not okay but I will find a way to live.".. and on that note I felt sick. I didn't know whether or not to call my friend, I mean, we're friends but not close friends. Our friendship extends to hi's and bye's, and short chats.
9. Q told me I think too much and told me to disregard the message, but I couldn't. I wanted to call but chose not to on the notion that I was too nervous to know what the heck they were talking about. Moreover, I was pretty sure I wasn't suppose to receive this message and this would only lead to a very uncomfortable and embarrassing conversation.
10. Honestly, if you ask me what I think about the messages.... I think I just caught my friend having an affair. The initial message sounded like it was meant for a lover and by the sounds of it, I think they were having a spat. Throw in the fact that my friend's spouse doesn't speak English and ya... holy awkward moment.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Am I thinking too much?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision.
--Eleanor Roosevelt
Friday, April 25, 2008
Looks like I'm not the only one fighting... hehehe This chick is flat out wacked, seriously!!! Honestly, I am not really into celebrity news but I've found myself addicted to Pink is the New Blog. It's my daily dose of life outside of my own little box.
Highlights of my Day... Friday, April 25
1. Had a "fat day"... you know. We all have these days, girls AND guys. Days when you just wake up and feel like the Pillsbury Dough Boy, or the Michelin Man, minus the cuteness and popularity they have for being distinctly cute and pudgy. Yup... fat days suck.
2. And if waking up to a "fat day" wasn't bad enough, I had stayed up late last night marking midterms and so my skin, which is already white as it is, seemed extra white today and pasty. And so on that note, my fat day turned into an "ugly day".
3. Last day of midterms... thank you God. My students can't stand the ultra fast talking CD that accompanies their textbook and so I had agreed to not use any kind of recorded dialogues for my listening exam. However, this meant I had to both create and deliver all my listening conversations for all classes. By today I had mastered the dialogues, memorized them off by heart and had even come up with some uniquely "interesting" voices for each part.
4. Midterms finally ended for me act exactly 4:48pm tonight but now I had the "fun" part to deal with... the marking. I had been disciplined this week with doing marking every night but today I had three classes and so I had to mark their exams PLUS calculate their mark for the ePortfolio.
5. Someone at my university, someone higher up, had this great idea, "Why don't give our professors more work during midterm week cause, well, they're not busy enough!" And so, on that note, all us professors had to plug in marks on to the university's website. A website in all Korean and a website that probably only 10% of my students know about. We had till midnight tonight to do this.
6. This extra work from administration kept me at Dankook till about 11pm. Not exactly how I want to spend my Friday night.
7. So much for attending the much anticipated boxing dinner party that I had promised Junior Mint I'd be attending.
8. Was convinced that Q would unexpectedly (well, not so unexpectedly in my head) at my office. I had told him that I'd be working late and I kind of had my heart set on him showing up to cheer me up.
9. He never came.
10. And if working late wasn't enough to kill my evening, I ended up jumping on the wrong bus and by the time I realized that it wouldn't be looping back around, it was too late. Got off the bus and had to walk it home cause I hadn't brought extra cash. It would have been a $5 cab fare but instead, it cost me a 30 minute walk in the cold... with flip flops on... and my sore foot.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Am I getting paid for this?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us.
-- Francois de La Rochefoucauld
2. And if waking up to a "fat day" wasn't bad enough, I had stayed up late last night marking midterms and so my skin, which is already white as it is, seemed extra white today and pasty. And so on that note, my fat day turned into an "ugly day".
3. Last day of midterms... thank you God. My students can't stand the ultra fast talking CD that accompanies their textbook and so I had agreed to not use any kind of recorded dialogues for my listening exam. However, this meant I had to both create and deliver all my listening conversations for all classes. By today I had mastered the dialogues, memorized them off by heart and had even come up with some uniquely "interesting" voices for each part.
4. Midterms finally ended for me act exactly 4:48pm tonight but now I had the "fun" part to deal with... the marking. I had been disciplined this week with doing marking every night but today I had three classes and so I had to mark their exams PLUS calculate their mark for the ePortfolio.
5. Someone at my university, someone higher up, had this great idea, "Why don't give our professors more work during midterm week cause, well, they're not busy enough!" And so, on that note, all us professors had to plug in marks on to the university's website. A website in all Korean and a website that probably only 10% of my students know about. We had till midnight tonight to do this.
6. This extra work from administration kept me at Dankook till about 11pm. Not exactly how I want to spend my Friday night.
7. So much for attending the much anticipated boxing dinner party that I had promised Junior Mint I'd be attending.
8. Was convinced that Q would unexpectedly (well, not so unexpectedly in my head) at my office. I had told him that I'd be working late and I kind of had my heart set on him showing up to cheer me up.
9. He never came.
10. And if working late wasn't enough to kill my evening, I ended up jumping on the wrong bus and by the time I realized that it wouldn't be looping back around, it was too late. Got off the bus and had to walk it home cause I hadn't brought extra cash. It would have been a $5 cab fare but instead, it cost me a 30 minute walk in the cold... with flip flops on... and my sore foot.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Am I getting paid for this?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us.
-- Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Thursday, April 24
1. The other day Q and I went to the bookstore and I happened to buy a book... a book like no other! A book I am now seriously addicted to reading. It's titled, "Why do Men have Nipples?" and as funny as that title sounds, you should take a gander of what's inside... hehehe. Basically, the book addresses all different kinds of questions and old wives tales that you probably once pondered on but didn't really know who to ask.
2. Other questions include:
* Why are yawns contagious?
* Can you drink your own urine?
* Why do beans give you gas?
* Can you get scared to death?
* Can you really explode from eating too much?
* Can you swallow your own tongue?
* Why do you laugh when tickled?
* Does coffe stunt your growth?
3. Ok, so maybe I've never pondered over the whole drinking urine question but needless to say, the book is super interesting and I'm happy to note that NO, it doesn't take 7 years for swallowed gum to be digested... like everyone around me says. I'm notorious for swallowing my gum and here in Korea, that habit has only got worse due to the fact that garbage cans are next to impossible to find!
4. Day 3 of exams and it's really begining to bore me. I have the listening exam script practically memorized.
5. Marking the exams, well, that's another situation. The first half of the exam includes a multiple choice section and marking that started off as tedious and frustration... that is, until I discovered a genious way of marking it!!!
6. "Come c drunk dave balance cute cats, bouncy balls, dolls, and cold beer." That my friends, is my solution to marking the multiple choice. I made a sentence out of it. So, question 1 = c, #2 = 2, #3 = d, #4 = d, #5 = b... and so on.
7. Itching my nose like a mofo today and it's annoying the heck out of me. The yellow sand from China's desert hasn't officially hit Korea yet but I can feel it already. What's brutal is the fact that so many people here are use to it, that's not normal if you ask me. Nothing is normal about mounds of sand blowing in the wind, stinging my eyes, passing through my nose, and filling up my lungs. I miss Canada's clean air.
8. I guess I shouldn't really complain about Korea's spring cause well, Canada doesn't get much of a spring cause their winter is way too long. After the yellow sand season (aka spring) comes monsoon season (aka summer) and that's not much better.
9. Got my butt kicked at boxing... literally, and am sure to wake up tomorrow with a mother-of-a-bruise on it!!!
10. Watching Q spar tonight was awesome. He and another one of my team mates went at it in the ring for about 5 rounds. In the end, both were left all sweaty and exhusted. They were both wearing head gear but Q's face got a bit cut up.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What would you like to know?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
There are two sides to every question.
-- Protagoras
2. Other questions include:
* Why are yawns contagious?
* Can you drink your own urine?
* Why do beans give you gas?
* Can you get scared to death?
* Can you really explode from eating too much?
* Can you swallow your own tongue?
* Why do you laugh when tickled?
* Does coffe stunt your growth?
3. Ok, so maybe I've never pondered over the whole drinking urine question but needless to say, the book is super interesting and I'm happy to note that NO, it doesn't take 7 years for swallowed gum to be digested... like everyone around me says. I'm notorious for swallowing my gum and here in Korea, that habit has only got worse due to the fact that garbage cans are next to impossible to find!
4. Day 3 of exams and it's really begining to bore me. I have the listening exam script practically memorized.
5. Marking the exams, well, that's another situation. The first half of the exam includes a multiple choice section and marking that started off as tedious and frustration... that is, until I discovered a genious way of marking it!!!
6. "Come c drunk dave balance cute cats, bouncy balls, dolls, and cold beer." That my friends, is my solution to marking the multiple choice. I made a sentence out of it. So, question 1 = c, #2 = 2, #3 = d, #4 = d, #5 = b... and so on.
7. Itching my nose like a mofo today and it's annoying the heck out of me. The yellow sand from China's desert hasn't officially hit Korea yet but I can feel it already. What's brutal is the fact that so many people here are use to it, that's not normal if you ask me. Nothing is normal about mounds of sand blowing in the wind, stinging my eyes, passing through my nose, and filling up my lungs. I miss Canada's clean air.
8. I guess I shouldn't really complain about Korea's spring cause well, Canada doesn't get much of a spring cause their winter is way too long. After the yellow sand season (aka spring) comes monsoon season (aka summer) and that's not much better.
9. Got my butt kicked at boxing... literally, and am sure to wake up tomorrow with a mother-of-a-bruise on it!!!
10. Watching Q spar tonight was awesome. He and another one of my team mates went at it in the ring for about 5 rounds. In the end, both were left all sweaty and exhusted. They were both wearing head gear but Q's face got a bit cut up.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What would you like to know?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
There are two sides to every question.
-- Protagoras
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Wednesday, April 23
1. On account of my foot situation, waking up late and jetting out the door is nearly impossible and I found this out the hard way when today, upon waking up at 8:20am and having only 25 minutes to get ready, deal with Mi Nam, and get on the bus, I wiped out. Yup. It was more like skateboarding down the stairs, minus the skateboard. My heels provided a painful board for me to ride on.... not fun.
2. About 10 of those 25 minutes were spent messaging my left foot, which was now throbbing cause of my "skateboard" stunt.... haste makes waste, yup... thanks.
3. Despite the rough morning start, I booted it out the door and made it the bus terminal with exactly 1 minute left before departure time... sweet!
4. More vocab at Korean studies today. I'm on the second last chapter of the unit and what do they decide to do?! Load me up with brutal cooking vocab. Like come on, when am I ever going to really use any kind of cooking vocabulary here in Korea?!!! My cooking here in Korea either consists of watching Q cook, me cooking eggs or sweet potatoes, and call food.
5. In attempts to broaden my horizons and not be so close-minded about cooking, tonight I attempted to cook. Ok, so I cooked eggs, but tonight I tried to cook them differently... hehehe. "Different" was right. Even the gobble monster Mi Nam wouldn't dare to eat them... hehehe. I did however discover some massive hot dog wieners in my freezer from back in the day (my ex had bought them... about 2 years ago) and so I through those in with the eggs.
6. In the end of my ridiculously poor cooking situation, I was left with nothing more than what looked like a grade 8 science experiment gone wrong on my kitchen counter.
7. Have a new friend at the boxing club and he oozes with coolness. I have no idea how old he is, can't even tell you his name (I don't know it) but I spotted him as soon as I walked into the boxing club and instantly knew he was cool. With his black silk boxing shorts, sweaty tank top, jet black shaggy hair and thin face, there was something different about him, I couldn't quite pinpoint it. Turns out he's half Japanese, half Korean, speaks both languages plus some English but everyone at the club, for some reason or another, felt obligated to repeatedly tell me that he is Japanese. Now I know about the history between Japan and Korea but this is the present and I really didn't think it cool of them to totally ostracize him like that. I didn't know what to say at first and so I said "Congratulations!"
8. After about the 7th person blurting out that he was Japanese, I approached him and said, "Oh my gosh... look, it's a Korean!" Upon which, I am pretty sure those in the club got the point. For the rest of training, he pretty much stuck by me.
9. Met up with Q for a late night movie... "Untraceable".
10. The best part in the movie was when one character mentions to the psycho kid that he must like Asian, where upon the psycho kid responds with, "No... only Korea." And on that note, more than half the people in the movie theater started to either clap or cheer.... hehehe. It was so funny.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Why can't some people get over the past?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
History is indeed little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind. -- Edward Gibbon
2. About 10 of those 25 minutes were spent messaging my left foot, which was now throbbing cause of my "skateboard" stunt.... haste makes waste, yup... thanks.
3. Despite the rough morning start, I booted it out the door and made it the bus terminal with exactly 1 minute left before departure time... sweet!
4. More vocab at Korean studies today. I'm on the second last chapter of the unit and what do they decide to do?! Load me up with brutal cooking vocab. Like come on, when am I ever going to really use any kind of cooking vocabulary here in Korea?!!! My cooking here in Korea either consists of watching Q cook, me cooking eggs or sweet potatoes, and call food.
5. In attempts to broaden my horizons and not be so close-minded about cooking, tonight I attempted to cook. Ok, so I cooked eggs, but tonight I tried to cook them differently... hehehe. "Different" was right. Even the gobble monster Mi Nam wouldn't dare to eat them... hehehe. I did however discover some massive hot dog wieners in my freezer from back in the day (my ex had bought them... about 2 years ago) and so I through those in with the eggs.
6. In the end of my ridiculously poor cooking situation, I was left with nothing more than what looked like a grade 8 science experiment gone wrong on my kitchen counter.
7. Have a new friend at the boxing club and he oozes with coolness. I have no idea how old he is, can't even tell you his name (I don't know it) but I spotted him as soon as I walked into the boxing club and instantly knew he was cool. With his black silk boxing shorts, sweaty tank top, jet black shaggy hair and thin face, there was something different about him, I couldn't quite pinpoint it. Turns out he's half Japanese, half Korean, speaks both languages plus some English but everyone at the club, for some reason or another, felt obligated to repeatedly tell me that he is Japanese. Now I know about the history between Japan and Korea but this is the present and I really didn't think it cool of them to totally ostracize him like that. I didn't know what to say at first and so I said "Congratulations!"
8. After about the 7th person blurting out that he was Japanese, I approached him and said, "Oh my gosh... look, it's a Korean!" Upon which, I am pretty sure those in the club got the point. For the rest of training, he pretty much stuck by me.
9. Met up with Q for a late night movie... "Untraceable".
10. The best part in the movie was when one character mentions to the psycho kid that he must like Asian, where upon the psycho kid responds with, "No... only Korea." And on that note, more than half the people in the movie theater started to either clap or cheer.... hehehe. It was so funny.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Why can't some people get over the past?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
History is indeed little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind. -- Edward Gibbon
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Tuesday, April 22
1. One of my students who didn't bring his profile practically begged me to reconsider letting him do the exam. I made him leave the classroom but he snuck into my second class's exam. Between getting kicked out of class and the second exam starting, he had gone and got his picture taken, and filled out his profile. I told him if he could give me one good reason why I should let him do the exam then I'd let him.
2. His reason started off with "i I don't do the exam, my heart will forever break." It was a rather exaggerated but it worked. I let him do the exam.
3. Much to my surprise, six students showed up late to my exam. They walked in and were surprised to see that the exam was in session. They thought they were early. Turns out one of their classmates told them that the exam time had changed. Ironically, that student who said this didn't even show up for the exam. Now given who these students were (3 being top students), I let them join us for the exam and then I redid some questions at the end.
4. Around 12:50am, 2 more students from the same class showed up. By then their classmates had come, written the exam, and had left. They were shocked. Turns out they had the same story as the other 6 and so I let them attend my other class's exam.
5. Lately my left foot has been hurting. It's just the heel of my foot but in the morning it's been so painful that I am forced to limp around in the morning and after training. I've never been one to race off to the hospital for every ache or pain. I just considered it another boxing related injury.
6. My list of boxing physical injuries:
* black eyes
* a bruised jaw
* overly swollen jaw
* bruised kidney (the WORST injury of all!!!)
* bloody, ripped up knuckles
* sprained wrist
* bump on the forehead
* cuts on my face
* bruises on my arms
* swollen knuckles
* and now, plantar fasciitis (foot injury)
7. Q decided that he wasn't going to let me just sit back and not do anything about my sore heel and so he made me go to the hospital. Turns out I have "plantar faciitis" is my left foot. It's a chronic injury that is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia — the tissue along the bottom of your foot that connects your heel bone to your toes. Plantar fasciitis causes stabbing or burning pain that's usually worse in the morning because the fascia tightens (contracts) overnight. Once your foot limbers up, the pain of plantar fasciitis normally decreases, but it may return after long periods of standing or after getting up from a seated position. In most cases, you can overcome the pain of plantar fasciitis without surgery or other invasive treatments. The doctor loaded me up with pain killers, lectured me on treatment procedures, gave me a very stern warning to be careful, and then sent me on my way.
Treatment procedures:
* no more walking around in bare feet
* take daily painkillers
* extensive foot stretching, 3 times a day
* foot massaging
* try not to wear high heels as much
* have to tape up my foot daily
8. Visited my old neck of the woods, where I use to live in Korea. Everything has changed. Kimbab Chunkuk is long gone, so is the bookstore I use to visit. A once vacant building is now booming with activity and it just doesn't feel like it use to. I was all excited to show Q my old area. I wanted to show him my old house and school, but while waiting for the elevator, I decided I rather not. I don't even know if I'd recognize any of the students, or if they'd recognize me for that matter.
9. Met my new sparring partner, supposedly, Min Chung. She's apparently a taekwondo champion which is great but really didn't impress me. I like my current sparring partner, we're like sisters. Anyways, Min Chung arrived at the club with two men, one being her taekwondo coach. All eyes were on her as they stood talking to Junior Mint about her training. She's just starting out at boxing and so I'm really not interested in her. I'll be months before I can even spar with her and so I see no reason why to jump the gun and designate her my sparring partner.
10. After training, Q and I roamed the streets in the rain and in our sweaty clothes... talk about nasty and uncomfortable. We ended up hitting the bookstore and even grabbing dinner at a local restaurant. Two hours later, I finally arrived at home, was able to shower and then studied my Korean.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What's your first priority in life?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Safeguard the health both of body and soul.
-- Cleobulus
2. His reason started off with "i I don't do the exam, my heart will forever break." It was a rather exaggerated but it worked. I let him do the exam.
3. Much to my surprise, six students showed up late to my exam. They walked in and were surprised to see that the exam was in session. They thought they were early. Turns out one of their classmates told them that the exam time had changed. Ironically, that student who said this didn't even show up for the exam. Now given who these students were (3 being top students), I let them join us for the exam and then I redid some questions at the end.
4. Around 12:50am, 2 more students from the same class showed up. By then their classmates had come, written the exam, and had left. They were shocked. Turns out they had the same story as the other 6 and so I let them attend my other class's exam.
5. Lately my left foot has been hurting. It's just the heel of my foot but in the morning it's been so painful that I am forced to limp around in the morning and after training. I've never been one to race off to the hospital for every ache or pain. I just considered it another boxing related injury.
6. My list of boxing physical injuries:
* black eyes
* a bruised jaw
* overly swollen jaw
* bruised kidney (the WORST injury of all!!!)
* bloody, ripped up knuckles
* sprained wrist
* bump on the forehead
* cuts on my face
* bruises on my arms
* swollen knuckles
* and now, plantar fasciitis (foot injury)
7. Q decided that he wasn't going to let me just sit back and not do anything about my sore heel and so he made me go to the hospital. Turns out I have "plantar faciitis" is my left foot. It's a chronic injury that is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia — the tissue along the bottom of your foot that connects your heel bone to your toes. Plantar fasciitis causes stabbing or burning pain that's usually worse in the morning because the fascia tightens (contracts) overnight. Once your foot limbers up, the pain of plantar fasciitis normally decreases, but it may return after long periods of standing or after getting up from a seated position. In most cases, you can overcome the pain of plantar fasciitis without surgery or other invasive treatments. The doctor loaded me up with pain killers, lectured me on treatment procedures, gave me a very stern warning to be careful, and then sent me on my way.
Treatment procedures:
* no more walking around in bare feet
* take daily painkillers
* extensive foot stretching, 3 times a day
* foot massaging
* try not to wear high heels as much
* have to tape up my foot daily
8. Visited my old neck of the woods, where I use to live in Korea. Everything has changed. Kimbab Chunkuk is long gone, so is the bookstore I use to visit. A once vacant building is now booming with activity and it just doesn't feel like it use to. I was all excited to show Q my old area. I wanted to show him my old house and school, but while waiting for the elevator, I decided I rather not. I don't even know if I'd recognize any of the students, or if they'd recognize me for that matter.
9. Met my new sparring partner, supposedly, Min Chung. She's apparently a taekwondo champion which is great but really didn't impress me. I like my current sparring partner, we're like sisters. Anyways, Min Chung arrived at the club with two men, one being her taekwondo coach. All eyes were on her as they stood talking to Junior Mint about her training. She's just starting out at boxing and so I'm really not interested in her. I'll be months before I can even spar with her and so I see no reason why to jump the gun and designate her my sparring partner.
10. After training, Q and I roamed the streets in the rain and in our sweaty clothes... talk about nasty and uncomfortable. We ended up hitting the bookstore and even grabbing dinner at a local restaurant. Two hours later, I finally arrived at home, was able to shower and then studied my Korean.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What's your first priority in life?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Safeguard the health both of body and soul.
-- Cleobulus
Monday, April 21, 2008
I love it how I got strange looks for my 80's headband style from girls at the club who think working up a sweat isn't in line with the look they're going for and insist on wearing padded push-up bras and their long hair down during training... cause it "looks prettier that way".You ask my coach, I hate it when someone calls me pretty at the club. My boyfriend calls me pretty, but at the club, I go there to get stronger... notice the "er".
Highlights of my Day... Monday, April 21
1. Mi Nam had mad gas today and it was killing me. Nothings quite like waking up and gagging to death on puppy gas... nasty!
2. Despite Mi Nam losing a bit of pudge, he has officially grown out of his harness. I've been taking him up to the rooftop to run around but this morning I wanted to walk him... no such luck. The poor little harness looked like it was going to snap as I tried to buckle it around Mi Nam's bulging belly... hehehe.
3. "No profile, no exam" is what I've been telling my university students since week 1 and you'd think that eight weeks later they would have figured it out by now... nope. Having to tell 8 students to go home because of no profile really sucked but rules are rule. Some may say it's a stupid rule... say that to the girl last year who tried to pose as her friend, my student, and I caught her. Not such a stupid rule after all.
4. There's a boy in my first period sports students class that insists he's in my class despite the fact that his name has never been, nor still isn't, on my attendance sheet. Ironically too, he's probably one of the best students in that particular class. He's done all the homework and quizzes. Last week he even did a presentation and today he wrote the exam. After class he stuck around to tell me that he hasn't been getting my weekly emails. "It's because you're not in my class" was my response. It's quite amusing cause we go through this conversation every week. I really wish he were one of my students though cause God knows he'd bring the class average up.
5. I love it how some students insist on trying to pull fast ones over us professors. Need they be reminded that I too, not so long ago, was also a student. Today one of my students tried to give me a long song and dance about why she didn't present last week, I responded with, "Sweety, you can't pull that one over me. You and your friends are reusing the tricks that I and my friends made." and with that I told her to come up with a better excuse. Word of the wise, honestly is the most believable excuse.
6. As I gave the listening exam to my last period class, I watched in awhe as the girl sitting next to my desk blow through the exam and ace it. I think she only got one or two answers wrong. I was relieved to see this cause I was beginning to think I made it too hard.
7. In the evening, I marked all the exams from today. There were drool marks on one paper from the sleeping student, pictures on another, random chicken scratches, but the funniest exam came from a boy who clearly didn't understand the vocab used in the dictation part. I had told them to write down word-for-word what I say: "That's my father-in-law in the park." The boy wrote, "That's my father in the raw in the dark."... hehehe.
8. The other day, upon squeezing the heck out of my ears, Junior Mint discovered that my ears aren't quite like his, or anyone else's in the gym for that matter. You see, when you fold my ears, it hurts. Always has, always win. Junior Mint is convinced this is somehow linked to my kidney. No idea where he got that idea from but tonight a local doctor was training at the club. Next thing I know it, random people are squeezing my ears and Junior Mint has arranged for me to go get my kidney checked out and acupuncture... what?! I'm sure a needle in the bum will accompany the acupuncture.... hehehe.
9. Whenever I go weight training or boxing, I always struggle with how exactly to keep my hair out of my face. At weight training, it's easy, I simply wear a baseball cap. However, at boxing, it's another story. I've been wearing a winter tuk for some time now but with it now being spring, I thought it best I keep the tuk at home and look for a different means. My hair is too short to go in a pony tail with out a million and one clips accompanying it. BUT... today I discovered an Adidas headband at the mall. Viola. I thought it looked kind of retro 80's but that's kind of why I liked it. Not only does it keep my hair out of my face but it also soaks up the sweat and makes my face look very slim. So, I sported my new headband at training... and got lots of mixed looks. One girl commented, saying that I must be using the new "v-line" face tool... hmmm, no. It's called a good diet and retardedly hard training. Others said I looked cute, while some just stared and gave me the "what the heck is that on that girl's head?!!!" look. I bounced out of that situation by blurting out, in Korean, "Oh so funny? I look funny?... my head is smaller than yours... hehehe", and on that note, they couldn't disagree but they all laughed.
10. Got word today that next week (Wednesday) I'll be having a very important sparring match with one of Korea's very own female national champions!!! It'll be 8 rounds, 2 minutes each and I'm sure the club is going to be packed. I'm stoked but a bit nervous. Junior Mint insists that this will be good publicity, wicked for my training, good for my reputation, and it'll keep the sponsors happy. Don't get me wrong, I totally agree, mind ya, for the next week this will mean training will be brutally hard and I'll be nervous all week. That same week, on the Saturday, Q and I will be running a 10km race here in Cheonan. We were originally going to run it together but now we've kind of made it a competition, with free dinner and a massage for the winner. I told Q to prepare himself... I want my feet rubbed... hehehe.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What decade would you want to live in?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.
-- Aldous Huxley
2. Despite Mi Nam losing a bit of pudge, he has officially grown out of his harness. I've been taking him up to the rooftop to run around but this morning I wanted to walk him... no such luck. The poor little harness looked like it was going to snap as I tried to buckle it around Mi Nam's bulging belly... hehehe.
3. "No profile, no exam" is what I've been telling my university students since week 1 and you'd think that eight weeks later they would have figured it out by now... nope. Having to tell 8 students to go home because of no profile really sucked but rules are rule. Some may say it's a stupid rule... say that to the girl last year who tried to pose as her friend, my student, and I caught her. Not such a stupid rule after all.
4. There's a boy in my first period sports students class that insists he's in my class despite the fact that his name has never been, nor still isn't, on my attendance sheet. Ironically too, he's probably one of the best students in that particular class. He's done all the homework and quizzes. Last week he even did a presentation and today he wrote the exam. After class he stuck around to tell me that he hasn't been getting my weekly emails. "It's because you're not in my class" was my response. It's quite amusing cause we go through this conversation every week. I really wish he were one of my students though cause God knows he'd bring the class average up.
5. I love it how some students insist on trying to pull fast ones over us professors. Need they be reminded that I too, not so long ago, was also a student. Today one of my students tried to give me a long song and dance about why she didn't present last week, I responded with, "Sweety, you can't pull that one over me. You and your friends are reusing the tricks that I and my friends made." and with that I told her to come up with a better excuse. Word of the wise, honestly is the most believable excuse.
6. As I gave the listening exam to my last period class, I watched in awhe as the girl sitting next to my desk blow through the exam and ace it. I think she only got one or two answers wrong. I was relieved to see this cause I was beginning to think I made it too hard.
7. In the evening, I marked all the exams from today. There were drool marks on one paper from the sleeping student, pictures on another, random chicken scratches, but the funniest exam came from a boy who clearly didn't understand the vocab used in the dictation part. I had told them to write down word-for-word what I say: "That's my father-in-law in the park." The boy wrote, "That's my father in the raw in the dark."... hehehe.
8. The other day, upon squeezing the heck out of my ears, Junior Mint discovered that my ears aren't quite like his, or anyone else's in the gym for that matter. You see, when you fold my ears, it hurts. Always has, always win. Junior Mint is convinced this is somehow linked to my kidney. No idea where he got that idea from but tonight a local doctor was training at the club. Next thing I know it, random people are squeezing my ears and Junior Mint has arranged for me to go get my kidney checked out and acupuncture... what?! I'm sure a needle in the bum will accompany the acupuncture.... hehehe.
9. Whenever I go weight training or boxing, I always struggle with how exactly to keep my hair out of my face. At weight training, it's easy, I simply wear a baseball cap. However, at boxing, it's another story. I've been wearing a winter tuk for some time now but with it now being spring, I thought it best I keep the tuk at home and look for a different means. My hair is too short to go in a pony tail with out a million and one clips accompanying it. BUT... today I discovered an Adidas headband at the mall. Viola. I thought it looked kind of retro 80's but that's kind of why I liked it. Not only does it keep my hair out of my face but it also soaks up the sweat and makes my face look very slim. So, I sported my new headband at training... and got lots of mixed looks. One girl commented, saying that I must be using the new "v-line" face tool... hmmm, no. It's called a good diet and retardedly hard training. Others said I looked cute, while some just stared and gave me the "what the heck is that on that girl's head?!!!" look. I bounced out of that situation by blurting out, in Korean, "Oh so funny? I look funny?... my head is smaller than yours... hehehe", and on that note, they couldn't disagree but they all laughed.
10. Got word today that next week (Wednesday) I'll be having a very important sparring match with one of Korea's very own female national champions!!! It'll be 8 rounds, 2 minutes each and I'm sure the club is going to be packed. I'm stoked but a bit nervous. Junior Mint insists that this will be good publicity, wicked for my training, good for my reputation, and it'll keep the sponsors happy. Don't get me wrong, I totally agree, mind ya, for the next week this will mean training will be brutally hard and I'll be nervous all week. That same week, on the Saturday, Q and I will be running a 10km race here in Cheonan. We were originally going to run it together but now we've kind of made it a competition, with free dinner and a massage for the winner. I told Q to prepare himself... I want my feet rubbed... hehehe.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What decade would you want to live in?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.
-- Aldous Huxley
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Sunday, April 20
1. With Q off eating lunch with coworkers, I decided to treat myself to probably one of Cheonan's biggest kimbab at a local Kimbab Chunkuk where it seriously feels like I'm exercising when I eat one of their kimbabs. I mean, even after she slices it, the diameter of it is bigger than my mouth and so you can't help but look like a pig when you feast of one of these bad boys... I love it!
2. I'm expecting hard times next week with it being midterm and the fact that I have midterms and presentations to mark, along with a new thing called an "ePortfolio" to do on my school's website.
3. Whined and dined Q at Mainz tonight cause he had agreed to help me mark presentations. We feasted away and relaxed at dinner, knowing that we'll be spending the next couple of hours, if not more, marking presentations.
4. Got fed way too much "stamina" food by Q, which meant I ate a couple mouthfuls of garlic at the restaurant tonight. I doubt I need extra stamina, I'm hyper enough as it is.... take that however you will.
5. Apparently the older man in the next booth was overly fascinated, definitely borderline rude, with the fact that I am a foreigner. Ohhhhhh.... Ahhhhh... a foreigner!!! So what people. You see foreigners all the time on TV. Don't act so ignorant or sheltered. As for this older man though, he kept on turning around to look at me. I tried to ignore him but Q couldn't help but notice me getting all fidgety and sporting a bit of an evil eye. The girl who was with the older man noticed his behaviour too.
6. Had this situation, the rude starring man, happened in Canada, I would have done something drastic like touch my breast or winked at him, thus causing him to be the one to feel uncomfortable. But this is Korea and as much as I know there are ignorant people everywhere, I really didn't want to have to deal with someone at the dinner table. There I was, sitting across from Q, enjoying a beautiful time together. I didn't want to spoil it and so I bit my teeth and kept my mouth shut....
7. ... that is, until Q got up to go to the washroom, where upon leaving I then asked the man if he would like take my picture. He looked puzzled and definitely surprised when I asked him this in Korean. He didn't answer but I think he got my point.
8. It's a Sunday and I dropped by the office to do photocopying... what's wrong with this picture?!
9. You know you've got an awesome boyfriend when he agrees to help you mark presentations, seriously. We sat there for just over two hours, adding up and entering in the marks for some 270 students.
10. Around 11pm we finished marking the presentations... sweet.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Don't people know starring is rude?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
The only difference between you and a pig is two extra legs and better meat.
-- my university friend Mel
2. I'm expecting hard times next week with it being midterm and the fact that I have midterms and presentations to mark, along with a new thing called an "ePortfolio" to do on my school's website.
3. Whined and dined Q at Mainz tonight cause he had agreed to help me mark presentations. We feasted away and relaxed at dinner, knowing that we'll be spending the next couple of hours, if not more, marking presentations.
4. Got fed way too much "stamina" food by Q, which meant I ate a couple mouthfuls of garlic at the restaurant tonight. I doubt I need extra stamina, I'm hyper enough as it is.... take that however you will.
5. Apparently the older man in the next booth was overly fascinated, definitely borderline rude, with the fact that I am a foreigner. Ohhhhhh.... Ahhhhh... a foreigner!!! So what people. You see foreigners all the time on TV. Don't act so ignorant or sheltered. As for this older man though, he kept on turning around to look at me. I tried to ignore him but Q couldn't help but notice me getting all fidgety and sporting a bit of an evil eye. The girl who was with the older man noticed his behaviour too.
6. Had this situation, the rude starring man, happened in Canada, I would have done something drastic like touch my breast or winked at him, thus causing him to be the one to feel uncomfortable. But this is Korea and as much as I know there are ignorant people everywhere, I really didn't want to have to deal with someone at the dinner table. There I was, sitting across from Q, enjoying a beautiful time together. I didn't want to spoil it and so I bit my teeth and kept my mouth shut....
7. ... that is, until Q got up to go to the washroom, where upon leaving I then asked the man if he would like take my picture. He looked puzzled and definitely surprised when I asked him this in Korean. He didn't answer but I think he got my point.
8. It's a Sunday and I dropped by the office to do photocopying... what's wrong with this picture?!
9. You know you've got an awesome boyfriend when he agrees to help you mark presentations, seriously. We sat there for just over two hours, adding up and entering in the marks for some 270 students.
10. Around 11pm we finished marking the presentations... sweet.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Don't people know starring is rude?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
The only difference between you and a pig is two extra legs and better meat.
-- my university friend Mel
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Saturday, April 19
1. Not too sure on how to comment on my Korean studies. I mean, I'm learning the grammar and am working hard at the vocabulary but the vocab that seems to be sticking in my brain ain't exactly the words I should be saying. I've been picking up new words and phrases from random people.
2. I can now say "I want to slap your face" two different ways and "shut up"... like I can really use these phrases. Oddly enough, I hear the first phrase everyday at boxing.
3. Am always a bit freaked out when random people at boxing, whom I've never talked to or have never seen, approach me, say my name, and then ask me questions that they'd have to know a bit about me to ask. Today it was some older man who freaked me out. Now I know given the fact that I am the only foreigner at my club, my name gets tossed around sometimes and sticks out. But today some older man approached me and asked me what days I teach at Dankook. Maybe you think it's no biggie but honestly, it kind of weirds me out... random people knowing about me that is.
4. My not-so-secretive admirer showed up at boxing today and joked around about going to a club together. I can't stand Korean clubs with the talking DJs, flashy stage shows, and "bookings". I declined his offer but he tried to persuade me to go to a dance club with him by spontaneously breaking out into some funky chicken dance moves, which I then asked him, "Do you smell burnt toast?" He of course didn't understand the joke, let alone understand one English word I said, but I was in tears laughing... hehehe.
5. Visited my favourite fruit truck man who always slips some free "service" (extra fruits) into my bag. He's a cute old man who is always so smiley. I take it back in the day he was quite the ladies man. Anyways, I've been visiting his truck for about 2 years now and so now we're pretty comfortable with each other. Whenever I go to boxing, I pass by his truck and he yells out at me, "fighting!". Today he asked me when I was going to get married. "When you ask me" I replied in Korean... hehehe.
6. Mi Nam weighted-in today at 13kgs, that's almost 29lbs... wow, he's lost 2kgs!!!
7. Lately I've been taking him out for walks religiously 2-3 times a day. Old Man Sambu has been slipping me the key in the morning and so I've been leaving Mi Nam up on the rooftop, along with some water and his favorite sweater to sleep on. There's enough shade for him and he loves being outside, but when I come home now, he's totally exhausted.
8. Went out for a late night light dinner with Q. The poor guy has been working long hours these past weeks and has been forced to work 6 days a week.
9. Walked around downtown with Q and couldn't help but notice how younger everyone is who hangs out downtown. Am I getting old?! Oh gosh... I've been thinking about buying a BMX like the one I had in Canada, trick pegs and all, but now... am I too old for it?!
10. I think I am more afraid of getting old than dying... how retarded is that?!
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What are you afraid of?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.
--Lucille Ball
2. I can now say "I want to slap your face" two different ways and "shut up"... like I can really use these phrases. Oddly enough, I hear the first phrase everyday at boxing.
3. Am always a bit freaked out when random people at boxing, whom I've never talked to or have never seen, approach me, say my name, and then ask me questions that they'd have to know a bit about me to ask. Today it was some older man who freaked me out. Now I know given the fact that I am the only foreigner at my club, my name gets tossed around sometimes and sticks out. But today some older man approached me and asked me what days I teach at Dankook. Maybe you think it's no biggie but honestly, it kind of weirds me out... random people knowing about me that is.
4. My not-so-secretive admirer showed up at boxing today and joked around about going to a club together. I can't stand Korean clubs with the talking DJs, flashy stage shows, and "bookings". I declined his offer but he tried to persuade me to go to a dance club with him by spontaneously breaking out into some funky chicken dance moves, which I then asked him, "Do you smell burnt toast?" He of course didn't understand the joke, let alone understand one English word I said, but I was in tears laughing... hehehe.
5. Visited my favourite fruit truck man who always slips some free "service" (extra fruits) into my bag. He's a cute old man who is always so smiley. I take it back in the day he was quite the ladies man. Anyways, I've been visiting his truck for about 2 years now and so now we're pretty comfortable with each other. Whenever I go to boxing, I pass by his truck and he yells out at me, "fighting!". Today he asked me when I was going to get married. "When you ask me" I replied in Korean... hehehe.
6. Mi Nam weighted-in today at 13kgs, that's almost 29lbs... wow, he's lost 2kgs!!!
7. Lately I've been taking him out for walks religiously 2-3 times a day. Old Man Sambu has been slipping me the key in the morning and so I've been leaving Mi Nam up on the rooftop, along with some water and his favorite sweater to sleep on. There's enough shade for him and he loves being outside, but when I come home now, he's totally exhausted.
8. Went out for a late night light dinner with Q. The poor guy has been working long hours these past weeks and has been forced to work 6 days a week.
9. Walked around downtown with Q and couldn't help but notice how younger everyone is who hangs out downtown. Am I getting old?! Oh gosh... I've been thinking about buying a BMX like the one I had in Canada, trick pegs and all, but now... am I too old for it?!
10. I think I am more afraid of getting old than dying... how retarded is that?!
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What are you afraid of?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.
--Lucille Ball
Friday, April 18, 2008
Highlights of my Day... Friday, April 18
1. Curiously showed up to my first period class, wondering if a particular Monday morning sports student had also showed up... nope. Another email from him showed up in my email box. I tell ya... I'm convinced that if some of my students were forced to live in the "real world" and not that of the comfort of mommy and daddy's wing, they'd die. I've said this before and I'll say it again, when I was in university, not only did I hold down my own two-story apartment, I also was a full-time student and worked to cover my butt bartending on the weekends and doing other random jobs, like hair modeling, promotional work for various liquor companies, and being a hired hostess to accompany dancers at stags. I worked my butt off and my professors showed me no slack. They didn't email me their lecture files, nor did they ever email me to tell me I have missed class, and besides my Korean culture professor, I doubt my other professors even knew my name. I was just another number on their attendance sheet, another digit on their pay check, and another seat taken in their class.
2. I can't really complain too much about my university life though. I did what I had to do but I did get some pretty sweet handouts, courtesy of my bartending job. I had my own driver for awhile, paid for courtesy of one of my customers. I flew out to New York to see my brother courtesy of another customer. Jewelery, clothes, numerous rides on souped-up Harleys... I lived quite the life. But, like everything, it came with a price. I paid my price... I showed up every weekend for work, wore the clothes they had bought me, and tried to forget the fact that my family would personally shot me down if they only knew the dirt I had to deal with. I remember the day I told my customers that I was moving to Korea to teach. For the most part, I let them believe I was just another dumb blond bar rat who'd only be known as the girl that loved to throw lemons and limes at her customers and who was notorious for getting into random bar scraps. Most didn't even know I had put my way through university, let along even knew how to spell "university". Reflecting back on my days as a bartender/student, I miss them. Don't get me wrong, it defintely wasn't all glit and glamour. I dealt with rude drunks, corrupted police, brain-dead bouncers who only protected their girlfriends, punks who wouldn't pay or wouldn't leave, perverts who tried to catch a cheap feel, bikers who I knew better than to tick off, and police who wanted to know what had happened but a pocket full of cash and bikers around me that stopped me from opening my mouth. But you know what, I had an awesome boss, Rooster. A boss who treated me like I was his daughter. A boss who I loved and who really kept me sane when insane and retarded things happened, and EVERY night they happened.
3. I miss Rooster.
4. I miss my winter vacation time, when all I had to do was go boxing and weight training. Lately I have felt so under the gun with work. I've got it all under control but I feel like there is no room for error. If only I could just go and teach instead of dealing with all the "behind-the-scenes" stuff like marking quizzes and tests, and dealing with administration stuff.
5. Junior Mint informed me that this new girl at our club is planning to do her pro test soon. If only my last opponent, Mi Ran, was this girl.... seriously. No offense but this girl with her "I like boxing cause of the cute boys" mentality is going to be killed in the ring. She only knows the basics of pad work, doesn't like doing the heavy bag cause she doesn't like working up a sweat, and refuses to have sparring practice. Damn chick.
6. My words of advice for her... don't do it! Don't do your pro test unless you're seriously in love with boxing and all that that includes... the gruelling training, the dieting, black eyes and bloody noses, the feeling like you're going to puke at the end of a hard train, and the realization that this will label you as ugly and unattractive by many people in Korea. Then there's the whole emotional side of boxing, the mental struggle you'll eventually experience, the feeling of being totally emotionally, physically, and mentally drained... and knowing that you'll have to do it all over again. You have to love boxing to be a great boxer. It has to be in your heart cause if it's not, you don't stand a chance.
7. I miss my former boxing coach in Canada, Egerton Marcus.
8. Q was out with some of his coworkers and so he called me up, urging me to come join him and so I got ready and left my apartment, thinking that I'd be there shortly... wrong. Ended up running into the Sambu Hyun Bin in the elevator. I didn't notice him but he over saw me text messaging Junior Mint in Korean. This spurred a conversation. Besides the weekly "Hi" and wink, he never has really talked to me. And if that wasn't surprising enough, him talking to me that is, he offered to drive me to where I was going. I told him a taxi was waiting for me. He followed my taxi. It was like the twighlight zone... I blame my "bum pants", as I call them. They're a pair of cute white 3/4 length cargo pants who's back pocket flaps refuse to go down, thus catching the attention of passerbyers and causing them to look at my bum.... hehehe.
9. The Sambu Hyun Bin liked my pants... and had this been a year ago, I would have been all over the fact that he liked them. He's like a mystery man to me. To be looked at, admired and pondered over, but not to have or touch. With his cigerette hanging out the side of his mouth and his tossed shaggy hair, he strikes me as being incredibly, mysteriously handsome though I am sure, by Korean standards, he's not remotely handsome.
10. I showed up all giggly at where I was supposed to meet Q. I couldn't tell him about the Sambu Hyun. Q's not a jealous guy by any means but I'm sure no guy likes hearing about their girl's fasination with another man. I wouldn't want Q to feel any less than amazing. God knows Q's more than amazing. And so I dropped my thoughts of the Sambu Hyun Bin and resumed my place by Q's side as he proudly introduced me to his coworkers.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Do you know what I mean?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Seize the moment of excited curiosity on any subject to solve your doubts; for if you let it pass, the desire may never return, and you may remain in ignorance.
-- William Wirt
2. I can't really complain too much about my university life though. I did what I had to do but I did get some pretty sweet handouts, courtesy of my bartending job. I had my own driver for awhile, paid for courtesy of one of my customers. I flew out to New York to see my brother courtesy of another customer. Jewelery, clothes, numerous rides on souped-up Harleys... I lived quite the life. But, like everything, it came with a price. I paid my price... I showed up every weekend for work, wore the clothes they had bought me, and tried to forget the fact that my family would personally shot me down if they only knew the dirt I had to deal with. I remember the day I told my customers that I was moving to Korea to teach. For the most part, I let them believe I was just another dumb blond bar rat who'd only be known as the girl that loved to throw lemons and limes at her customers and who was notorious for getting into random bar scraps. Most didn't even know I had put my way through university, let along even knew how to spell "university". Reflecting back on my days as a bartender/student, I miss them. Don't get me wrong, it defintely wasn't all glit and glamour. I dealt with rude drunks, corrupted police, brain-dead bouncers who only protected their girlfriends, punks who wouldn't pay or wouldn't leave, perverts who tried to catch a cheap feel, bikers who I knew better than to tick off, and police who wanted to know what had happened but a pocket full of cash and bikers around me that stopped me from opening my mouth. But you know what, I had an awesome boss, Rooster. A boss who treated me like I was his daughter. A boss who I loved and who really kept me sane when insane and retarded things happened, and EVERY night they happened.
3. I miss Rooster.
4. I miss my winter vacation time, when all I had to do was go boxing and weight training. Lately I have felt so under the gun with work. I've got it all under control but I feel like there is no room for error. If only I could just go and teach instead of dealing with all the "behind-the-scenes" stuff like marking quizzes and tests, and dealing with administration stuff.
5. Junior Mint informed me that this new girl at our club is planning to do her pro test soon. If only my last opponent, Mi Ran, was this girl.... seriously. No offense but this girl with her "I like boxing cause of the cute boys" mentality is going to be killed in the ring. She only knows the basics of pad work, doesn't like doing the heavy bag cause she doesn't like working up a sweat, and refuses to have sparring practice. Damn chick.
6. My words of advice for her... don't do it! Don't do your pro test unless you're seriously in love with boxing and all that that includes... the gruelling training, the dieting, black eyes and bloody noses, the feeling like you're going to puke at the end of a hard train, and the realization that this will label you as ugly and unattractive by many people in Korea. Then there's the whole emotional side of boxing, the mental struggle you'll eventually experience, the feeling of being totally emotionally, physically, and mentally drained... and knowing that you'll have to do it all over again. You have to love boxing to be a great boxer. It has to be in your heart cause if it's not, you don't stand a chance.
7. I miss my former boxing coach in Canada, Egerton Marcus.
8. Q was out with some of his coworkers and so he called me up, urging me to come join him and so I got ready and left my apartment, thinking that I'd be there shortly... wrong. Ended up running into the Sambu Hyun Bin in the elevator. I didn't notice him but he over saw me text messaging Junior Mint in Korean. This spurred a conversation. Besides the weekly "Hi" and wink, he never has really talked to me. And if that wasn't surprising enough, him talking to me that is, he offered to drive me to where I was going. I told him a taxi was waiting for me. He followed my taxi. It was like the twighlight zone... I blame my "bum pants", as I call them. They're a pair of cute white 3/4 length cargo pants who's back pocket flaps refuse to go down, thus catching the attention of passerbyers and causing them to look at my bum.... hehehe.
9. The Sambu Hyun Bin liked my pants... and had this been a year ago, I would have been all over the fact that he liked them. He's like a mystery man to me. To be looked at, admired and pondered over, but not to have or touch. With his cigerette hanging out the side of his mouth and his tossed shaggy hair, he strikes me as being incredibly, mysteriously handsome though I am sure, by Korean standards, he's not remotely handsome.
10. I showed up all giggly at where I was supposed to meet Q. I couldn't tell him about the Sambu Hyun. Q's not a jealous guy by any means but I'm sure no guy likes hearing about their girl's fasination with another man. I wouldn't want Q to feel any less than amazing. God knows Q's more than amazing. And so I dropped my thoughts of the Sambu Hyun Bin and resumed my place by Q's side as he proudly introduced me to his coworkers.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Do you know what I mean?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Seize the moment of excited curiosity on any subject to solve your doubts; for if you let it pass, the desire may never return, and you may remain in ignorance.
-- William Wirt
Thursday, April 17, 2008
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