I thought I was safe on the couch, away from Pyen Chi the Pee Master, Beast of Fur but I was wrong.

She seems to have this misconception that I like her flopping her body on me but quite frankly, at the rate that she's growing I don't think my ribs will be able to handle her weight much longer. She may be only four months but dang she's heavy!!!

Back to Pumping Iron... Thursday, June 30

My boxing coach (Junior Mint) claimed I was getting skinny the other day. Skinny as in not thin but skinny as in losing muscle bulk and tone. He said my arms weren't as strong as they used to be so the other day I got back into weight training. I used to do a lot of weight training but ever since I stopped going to Hongik my weight training only consists of whatever weight training I manage to do after a full grueling boxing workout. Then there's the fact that I do a lot of running. All my running and boxing means I do a lot of cardio and am leaning out.

Just this past week I joined a fitness club close to Ggum Guum. It's kind of ghetto and very small but I figured it'd mean I could easily get in, do my workout and then get out. No such luck. Today marked my second day and already I sense myself getting into the very situation that turned me off of Hongik -- people trying to socialize with me.

I just want to train.

Today six people approached me while I was weight training. I didn't mind the counter girl talking to me, afterall it's her job, but I did mind the other four. Three of them were older ladies who randomly wanted to throw a million and one questions at me regarding me living in Korea -- what do I do in Korea, how long have I lived here, do I have a boyfriend, and so on and so on. The last person to approach me was an older man who wanted me let his daughter practice her English with me -- free. I don't work for free, I'm not interested in being friends with a 16 year old, and I'm not interested in socializing at training.

I thought about playing the "I-don't-speak-English" card by speaking only Korean or suggest to him that I don't teach but I wanted to avoid the whole chatting it up at weight training so I popped in my iPod earphones and kept my eyes on the weights and machines I was using.

The sixth person to approach me didn't actually say anything to me. We literally ran into each other out in the hall and then again at the water tower in the gym. Then he motioned to me during training, suggesting I put my iPod earplugs in quickly because that older man looked like he wanted to talk to me again... hahaha.

My new routine:

DAY 1: Upper Body
1. Pec Deck Flyes
2. Rotating Side Lateral Raises
3. Incline Flyes
4. Tricep Dumbbell Kickbacks
5. Seated Rows
6. Alternate Hammer Heads
7. Crunches
8. Reverse Crunches

DAY 2: Lower Body
1. Dumbbell Lunges
2. Plie Dumbbell Squats
3. Leg Curls
4. Leg Extensions
5. Standing Calf Raises
6. Side Bends (with dumbbells)
7. Captain’s Chair

DAY 3: Full Body
1. Plie Dumbbell Squats
2. Upright Rows
3. Bench Press
4. Bent Over Barbell Raise
5. Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
6. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
7. Standing Bicep Curls
8. Tricep Pressdown
9. Bicycle Kicks

Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm home early from work so until I start my new job I'm guessing I'll only be able to get into the gym for weight training three times a week.

Monday -- boxing
Tuesday -- weight training
Wednesday -- boxing
Thursday -- weight training, boxing
Friday -- boxing
Saturday -- weight training

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What percentage of people who go to the gym actually go there solely to train?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Train hard or go home.
-- me

Monsoon season has taken over Korea and though I don't care for wet dogs in the house I do love the rainy weather. Oddly enough, I feel so much happier in the rainy weather.

What also makes me happy too is surprise letters from students ;) Here's one of my afternoon students who decided to write a letter to me for his homework. His letter reads " Dear Amy teacher, Your work hard? Summer has many weather. Today is rainy and very hot. I love you. From, Scott"

Now tell me that's not just so cute!!!

Better Than Expected... Wednesday, June 29

Life is good but it’s just about to get better… much better!

The afternoon class I teach is coming to an end at the end of July, as is my job at the daycare, so I’ll have a clean slate to load up work however and whenever I want. I'm rather excited about the whole not knowing what's next.

I'll really miss my afternoon part time gig at the hagwon. It was a simple job with no complications or drama and I really was allowed and encouraged to have fun with it.

It’s rather ironic to note just how positive the hagwon experience has been though, especially considering hagwons don’t exactly have a good rep in Korea, nor did I really have high expectations of it to start off with.

My boss trusted me enough to let me do my own thing and run my class accordingly. With only a couple of textbooks being what I had to teach, I was free to be as creative and wild as I wanted to. I replaced their tedious topic writing sheets with fill-in-the-bubble cartoons and other silly writing sheets I made. I made an activity called Vocab Builders to incorporate everyday slang, idioms and random daily words into their learning. We had held song competitions in class, did a lot of role-playing activities, had show and tell, and every day a Star Student Helper was picked among them as a kind of classroom assistant.

They loved the whole idea of having a Star Student Helper so we really went far with it, coming up with a list of Star Student Helper responsibilities and even allowing their classmates to “fire them”. If three students said “I want [name] fired” on any given day, the Star Student Helper for the day would be fired, meaning they would lose their “pay” of two extra stars for the job and they would no longer be the classroom assistant that day.

Moreover, I loved the fact that I was allowed to use Korean in the classroom. It sure came in handy for those hard to explain English words or when taking a child out of the room to talk to them privately about their behavior.

Today Snickers surprised me by picking me up at the hagwon. It was rainy pretty bad and he thought he’d be sweet by making sure I got home safe and dry. Both he and Pyen Chi came to get me.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What makes or breaks a job for you?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
I want her fired!
-- yelled out in class today by one of my students... hahaha

MAC in Korea... I love it!!! MAC arriving at my door... definitely love it!
Going by only my first name in Korea, like Madonna and Cher, too funny and I love it too.
"에이미 귀하" = to Amy

Pick a Name... Tuesday, June 28

In Korea I usually get away with just using my first name for things. For example, my housing contract and boxing license are registered with just "Amy". Using "Amy Kim" often gets me labeled as a Korean girl or a Korean-Canadian so instead of having to explain or risk missing out on part time gigs or whatnot, I often hypenate my last name. Many of my Korean friends address me by my Korean name, Jo Su Hyun, but I've taken a kind of fusion spin on it by changing my Korean last name "Jo" to that of my husband's, "Kim". Korean women don't actually change their last name though, but then again I'm not a Korean woman.

The names I go by here in Korea
1. Amy
2. Amy Teacher
3. Amy Sun-su ("Professional althele Amy")
4. Amy Bere....ski
5. Amy Bere...ski-Kim
6. Amy Kim
7. Jo Su Hyun
8. Kim Su Hyun

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What do you go by?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Call me whatever you want but don't call me stupid.
-- a high school friend of mine

After submitting my letter today at work -- holy stress -- it was nice to come home to Mi Nam and Pyen Chi. Here's me doing some "natural weight training" squats with Pyen Chi. She's now 18kgs, that's almost 40lbs.

Letter of Resignation... Monday, June 27

I can explain why the MIA from me on my homepage... been dealing with a situation at work.

As you know, a couple of weeks ago I had pink eye. The doctor told me to stay home for 2 weeks but I only took 3 days off work. Three days off of work followed an earlier sick day and one day off when I had to go to Daejon Immigration to deal with my F2 visa.

My work contract says I get five paid days off in the summer. It also states I get a X-amount cash bonus after successfully completing 6 months. The other week I was told that if I go visit my ill mother in Canada during my assigned vacation I won't get my due cash bonus. Apparently I'm being penalized for having taken off five days cause of sickness and immigration. Obviously I was shocked but after picking apart my contract word-for-word with my director, and coworker I was even more shocked. Shocked at the realization that the company is going against their very own contract. And despite the countless hours, countless emails, countless phone calls, and countless meetings, nothing but disappointment has come from all this, so today I sent this letter to those involved.

Dear [name],

As discussed, I have decided to leave [company's name], so this is my letter of resignation. Tuesday, June 26, 2011 will mark my last day working at the Bundang company].

I would like to add a personal thank you to not only my director at the Bundang [company] for being very supportive of me but also my co-teachers who I admire, my fellow foreign teacher who has been great generating ideas with, my fellow Bundang staff, and the children who made my job worth the effort. I am very sad to leave these people but due to the unfair and unjustifiable stance [company's name] took with regard to my sick days and pay, I no longer feel respected as a professional by this company.

I am leaving very disappointed at the situation but am sorry to my director, co-teachers, Bundang coworkers, and children who really made such an awesome working environment and experience for me. I know they will be affected by my leave just as I will be by the absence of them in my daily life.


Sincerely,

Amy B-Kim

Today they recieved this letter but next week they'll be dealing with the labor board knocking on their door. I didn't want it to come to this, I really did like my job, but what they're doing is totally unfair and despite what they say, the contract typed up by their very own hands protects me from nonscense like this.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Am I the only one who sees the irony of this all?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
-- Robert McCloskey

I bought this book a few years ago, one summer when I was visiting Canada. It's a list of random things, ranging from past lovers to things you're proud of. Today I picked it up off my shelf and had a good laugh at some of the silly things I wrote.

If there was a list for people you'd like to head-kick, Kim Jong Il would be at the top of that list too.

... more random lists.

Strangely enough one of my top fears had to do with getting married -- note, this was written down before I met Snickers. I'm not too sure why I always use to fear this because my father was quite the respectable male figure in my life, as were my uncles and friend's parents. I was cheated on by my first boyfriend and I guess that's where it stemmed from. And as for the second past fear, no worries now, now that I've met Snickers that is.

Life in Lists... Monday, June 20

Sometimes I think it's funny I'm living here in Korea.

I remember when I first arrived. I met this girl who noted to me that she's been living in Korea for 5 years, to which I laughed and responded with "Why?!". Yet here I am, past 5 years now and well into my sixth year.

After I broke up with The Ex, back in 2006, I swore that I'd return to Canada, but then I scored a sweet university position so I thought I'd give it a year. Then I sore a few years ago that I'd be returning again, but by then I was fully into my boxing; it consumed my time, effort and thoughts. And then via my boxing I met Snickers, got married and the rest is well, not history but is the present day situation.

Sometimes I wonder if I knew then what I now know would I have done things differently... possibly but oh where to start. For starters, I never would have died my hair black... hahaha. Boy was that like going to hell and back... hahaha. Seriously though, I'm sure I would consider the notion but when you consider everything is connect and one thing leads to another, I doubt I'd be in the same situation today if that were the case.

So it got me thinking, what am I doing today to make a better tomorrow for myself... for Snickers, for my family?! Everything I do today builds my tomorrow.

Ahhh... I sense this is going to dive too deep for a Monday... hahaha. Catch ya later.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Is it really only Monday?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.
-- Maria Robinson

A look back...

Sadly enough, I'm the only one in this picture who still trains at UP Boxing Club from this picture. Motor Cross is so busy trying to juggle his army duties and professional motorcycle racing. Milk Dud has since got married, had a baby, got divorced, and just finished his 2 years in the Korean army. Panty Boy Jr. reigned as the Korean Welter Weight Champion but has since stepped down from his thrown after pressure to "get a real job" from both his parents and Korea in general, and one of my ameteur boxing buddies committed suicide.

But since the above piecture was taken, a lot of good has happened too... the best being of course that I met Snickers. We took this picture a little while after we moved into Ggum Guum. I was actually trying to do a short video when all of a sudden what should happen but in slide Snickers, up the back of my shirt.

Hello Sunday... Sunday, June 19

Had a pretty chill day today, didn’t do much.

With Snickers off in Suwon I was left to find off our two four-legged creatures at Ggum Guum to relax. Unless Pyen Chi is sleeping, if you can’t hear her then it’s expected that she’s getting into some kind of trouble so my attempts at relaxing weren’t so relaxing. Figured out a perfect plan though – take them for a nice, long walk. Pyen Chi hates walks but you can’t really blame her considering the massive fur coat she’s sporting 24/7. Five minutes into the walk and she flopped down in the grass, ready to call it a day. And on that note, I took her inside and she slept straight for the next 2 hours. Relaxing time for me!!!

Headed out in the deep heat of the mid-day blazing sun and then I too joined Mi Nam and Pyen Chi past out on the floor. Got in a good 13km run though.

Met up with Cat from some good chatting. We checked out a coffee shop tucked away on one of the side streets I take to boxing. Turns out Snickers says it’s not even really a coffee shop but instead is a beer and coffee shop, aka a bar that just happens to have coffee. Regardless, it was really nice and I was loving the fact that we were the only one in this tiny side street hotspot.

As for the rest of my day, Snickers and I took a long walk in the evening to my old neighborhood – I say that as if it’s been so long ago, hahaha. Despite Sambu being a simple couple of streets over and around the corner, I haven’t been there since I moved here to Ggum Guum. Ran into the couple that runs the IGA and chatted with them about what I’ve been up to. I don’t think they’ll ever forget the time I paid them to send over their son with fifty or so bottles of Pepsi – for Snickers. Next, we ran into the dry cleaner man and his wife; they still have their annoying dog…. and my blanket apparently, hahaha.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Do you ever revisit your good old days?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
-- Author Unknown

He's back!!!!

Yup, Mi Nam's back... and apparently exhausted from the excitment of his return.

After a week long hospital stay Mi Nam was more than ready to jump back into my arms and head back to Ggum Guum.

And by the way Pyen Chi, the Pee Master Beast of Fur, reacted to his return I think she was more than happy to see Mi Nam back too.

Reunited Four-Legged Friends... Saturday, June 18

At exactly 12:33pm I scooped Mi Nam up into my arms, bowed and said thank you to his vet, and made my way to the car with Snickers. Mi Nam had just spent a full week at the vet, a $1000 bill that someone else picked up. He got around the clock attention at the 24 hour vet but with an IV tube stuck in his left front leg and a cage surrounded by yappy little annoying mutts, he had had a hard week. He lost 2.5kgs this week because of the whole ordeal.

Mi Nam lost 2.5kgs this week, bringing his weight down to 9kgs.
Pyen gained 1kg this week, bringing her weight up to 16kgs.

At the animal hospital, Mi Nam slept with his nose pressed against the cage glass door so now he's sporting a very red and aggitated nose. But despite the minor consequences of his stay, I am super thrilled to note that Mi Nam is able to walk again!!! Mind ya, he kind of looks like a drunk old man when he walks. His back two legs wobble a bit and he looses his footing easily so we have to still carry him up and down the stairs. Mi Nam still is very much in love with going out for a walk. He'd sprint the whole river path if I'd let him but the vet says he's not to be allowed to run anymore. Back to the leash for Mi Nam. Wearing the leash is the only way to stop him from running.

I'm not too sure who was more excited, Mi Nam or Pyen Chi but both couldn't stop jumping around Ggum Guum. Snickers calmed them down by giving them both a due shower.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
How deep does a dog really think?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
My dog, she looks at me sometimes with that look, and I think maybe deep down inside she must know exactly how I feel. But then maybe she just wants the food off my plate.
-- Author Unknown

Attention Smart Phone users... check out the application called "Noom" for your own little personal trainer at the palm of your hand! It'll help you keep track of your weight, help you monitor your clean eating, and it''ll even remind you when to workout. I took mine for a run the other day and tracked the distance I ran with it's timer and map function... very handy!

Looking for Suggestions... Friday, June 17

I’m thinking about changing my homepage, taking a new spin on it but I’m not sure.

I’m not too sure who even reads my homepage nor am I sure why various people do. I initially made this homepage for my friends and family back in Canada as a means of keeping in touch and avoiding the whole overly-asked “What’s new Amy?” question.

I was thinking about making my homepage more focused on a specific topic, like fitness and boxing, life in Korea, or whatnot but the more and more I try to pinpoint a topic I’d like to solely write about the more and more uninterested I become in narrowing down my writing.

I was also thinking about doing a kind of video-blog diary as opposed to just typing out my thoughts but being the perfectionist that I too often try to fight off being, videos take a long time to gather up ideas and edit.

Any suggestions?

I’d like my homepage to be more interactive and less of a one-sided account of things because I find that those who do comment on my homepage or email me personally about it are in fact not the family and friends I initially intended my homepage for but are people whom I’ve never meet.

So, my question to you is what would you like to see on my homepage and do you have any other comments or suggestions?

P.S. High fives to those of you who are faithful readers and yes, I’m sorry about my delay on responding to comments.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Why do you read my homepage?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas.
-- Author Unknown

Maybe he's funny looking and maybe he's more than just strange, but I think this silly, funny-face cracking, hug monster is pretty awesome.

And he's able to crack a smile from me any day, any time, and any where... even on days like this.

Marriage Isn't Bliss, it's FREAKIN' AWESOME... Thursday, June 16

I could have married the retired pro soccer player; he wanted to show me the world.

I could have married the TV broadcasting senior execuitive; he wanted to buy me the world.

But I didn't. I married Snickers.

Before we got married, he had only his two feet to take him around so any hopes of showing me the world consisted of where ever our feet could get us. He bought me corner store coffee on our first date cause he couldn't afford Coffeebean coffee, so he couldn't buy me the world.

He made me his world, something no one else has ever made me feel close to being.

Marrying Snickers was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.

Marriage life isn’t all bliss but my marriage life is definitely more amazing than I ever expected.
And I think my marriage is more stable than so many I know… scary but true. I say scary cause when you consider the fact that most of my friends married someone from their own country and own language, you’d expect them to have less bumps in the road than Snickers and I – we’re from two different countries, cultures, and we didn’t even speak the same language when we first dated. Our first date consisted of us sitting on a bench in the park, using our cell phone dictionaries to translate random words.

Too many people settle and too many people know they’ve settled too; that’s even more scary. Everyone has the right to be happily head-over-heels in love but I don’t think everyone lets themselves be so happily in love, or in love for that matter.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to move back to Canada anytime soon because of Snickers’ past legal runs in with the law but you know what, I kind of have come to terms with it. I may be living in his country but just like me he too has sacrificed a lot to be in this relationship. And I know sometimes I’m not a very easy person to ride along with. Everything I think I’ve “given up” to be with him doesn’t come close to all that I’ve gained from being with him.

Sure I miss my family and friends, I regret missing out so much in their life. I am sad that they’ve missed out so much in my life but I’m more than happy with Snickers, and if being stuck in Korea means being by his side always then so be it. As for our marriage, it isn’t perfect, we’ve got a broken down bathroom door to vouch for that but even after two years of being together, we’re still very much the attached-at-the-hips couple that romance novels are made upon.

This year my brother Bobby-B is getting married and I can only wish that he’s found his “Snickers”, so to speak that is, in his fiancé cause if he has than he’s one of the blessed ones.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Are you one of the blessed ones?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Love with all your heart or don't love at all.
-- Author Unknown

Add your favourite veggies to these two and you're bound for a magically delish meal!!!

It makes for a great meal on the go. Today I went for the chicken curry but I usually go for the beef curry with my tuna and mushrooms.

Kickin' Curry Recipe... Wednesday, June 15

Ingredients:
1. One package (or can) of tuna packed in water.
2. One package of curry --> I prefer either the Beef Demi or Chicken Vindaloo curry
3. Veggies of your choice --> I usually go for mushrooms or cucumbers.

Method:
1. Chop up your veggies.
2. Drain your canned tuna.
3. Add your chopped veggies, drained tuna and curry into a pot and cook it on low.
4. Cook according to how soft you prefer your veggies to be.
5. Enjoy and then thank me later for the delish recipe.

Meal Breakdown:
[Side note: Breakdown is for Kickin' Curry made with the beef demi curry and mushrooms. It makes for a large meal I often can't finish and end up with leftovers for another meal.)

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What's great protein-packed meal on the go you favor?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
You are what you eat.
-- Author Unknown

Field Trip to KBS Suwon Drama Studio!!!

Entered one of the set studios and instantly we were bombarded with lights galore!

KBS, being the huge TV production company that it is, films plenty of dramas in the very studio we toured in so my mini-Koreans had a field day exporing the various sets... so cool!


Large posters of the various celebrities that come in and out of the KBS studios were on display. I just had to jump in for a shot... hahaha.

Next it was off to the outdoor sets, numerous streets with mock buildings and stores... and even mock bricks! The wall in the right shot was spongy and soft.

It was definitely cool to be at the very set where so many movies and dramas have been filmed.

One of the outdoor sets housed a couple of goats. They weren't really meant to be highlighted on the tour but my mini-Koreans loved them. Some of them even offered the goats their muffin snacks.

I'm sure the goats loved my mini-Koreans just as much as my mini-Koreans loved them... hahaha.

Today's field trip... huge, HUGE success. They absolutely loved it... as did I.

Mini-Koreans Take Over KBS Studio... Tuesday, June 14

Back in the day, when I was a three-foot-nothing and sporting G.I. Joes in my back pocket, school field trips consisted of the usual trip to the zoo, science center, or museum. Field trips for my mini-Koreans however kick my old skool trip to the zoo's butt!

Today's field trip took us to the KBS Studio in Suwon and it rocked. I'm talking about a testing out the visual effects in the blue room, exploring the multiple sets used for scenes we've all seen on TV, and running around in the streets of the outdoor sets.

I'm not too sure who had more fun though -- me or my mini-Koreans... hahaha.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Who ever said growing up had to mean maturing and losing out on fun?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
I don't want to grow up, I'm a ToysRus kid.
-- ToysRus slogan

Say Hello to my Purple Friend... Monday, June 13

Today was a blur so I thought I'd take you on a little ride instead of bogging you down with the craziness of my day.

[Note: this was filmed on Tuesday... tomorrow in the homepage world]

Snickers decided he wanted to buy Pyen Chi the Pee Master Beast of Fur a comb but what does he do... he tests it out on me first. Nice guy. So there I stood, in the middle of the animal hospital talking seriously to the vet when all of a sudden my hair gets yanked.

Never a boring moment with Snickers!

A couple of months ago we sold Maximus but driving around on Gotti just isn't as fun anymore so tonight we adopted Kaito. She's no Maximus but she's definitely very cool.

Bye-Bye Green... Sunday, June 12

Did lots of shopping today but all I really got out of it was some spinach, tuna and a bunch of veggies. Regardless, it was a very expensive day.

First drop of cash --> shopping for Mi Nam and Pyen Chi.

When I first agreed to let Pyen Chi the Pee Master Beast of Fur live at Ggum Guum with us, Snickers and I made a deal. The deal was that if she peed, pooped, or made any kind of mess in the house Snickers would have to clean it up. Another catch was that he’d be responsible for walking both Pyen Chi and Mi Nam every morning. The last catch was that he’d have to buy Mi Nam a cute t-shirt to make him look more inviting for people to pet and would have to toughen up Pyen Chi’s look. You see, when we’re out with Pyen Chi and Mi Nam, Pyen Chi gets all the attention. The totally ignore Mi Nam. Today what started off as us simply looking for a leash for Pyen Chi turned into us going into about eight different pet stores and buying about a dozen different things.

Second drop of cash --> grocery shopping.

Third drop of cash --> bought a month’s worth of bus tickets

Fourth drop of cash --> hello Kaito

The newest addition to our fushion family of machines, a newer and supped up version of our former Maximus, is Kaito. She’s a pretty pimped up piece of machine. With a navigation screen, side speakers to blast some tunes, and hydrolics that take her from being a normal height scooter to that of a low-rider, these are just some of the custom touches her previous person added to her. Today we discovered her online, tonight we decided to jump on a bus to get her and late, late this night she finally arrived here to Cheonan.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Are you a saver or a spender?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Easy come, easy go.
-- Author Unknown

Snickers went to the hospital today

and I got my hair dyed.

So Much Time and So Much to Do... Saturday, June 11

Things I did today…

1. Got Internet TV hooked up and now I have what feels like a billion and one channels. Am stoked that I now have two different National Geographic channels but what channel is my boxing and UFC on?!

2. Discovered the wonderful world of Internet TV movies that allow you to pick and chose which movie you want to see, when you want to see it and they even let you pause, fast forward and rewind… this could be dangerous… hahaha.

3. Visited Mi Nam at the hospital and saw him stand up on all fours by himself. He hasn't been able to do this since the start of this week. I was so happy but it was rotten having to leave him there.

4. Took Pyen Chi the Pee Master Beast of Fur for her first set of shots.

5. Went for a 14km run in the scorching 28 degree mid-day sun.

6. Got my hair dyed… hello Blondie!

7. Vented to a new found friend. As it turns out the spouse of someone I “employ” knows someone on my “I-don’t-like-you” list, a list that I must say is short but the spots are oh-so appropriate and deserving spots by the few that are on it. Sooo…. ya, it felt good to vent. Sometimes I think we vent not to hear what the other person has to say but just to get it out. Today I needed both though and this new found friend provided exactly that. They don’t know this person too well so they were kind of like a third party listening to me go on about the problematic situation this particular person and I are currently in. I wish we could just do “rock-paper-scissors” like most Koreans and get it over with. Maybe we could go “out back like real men”, as they say, and duke it out. Or maybe I could introduce this person to the wonderful world of Canadian hockey and just jersey him…. ya, maybe. If only it were that simple, I tell ya.

8. Was treated out for dinner by my man.

9. Hung out at the hospital for a bit with Snickers for the sake of the insurance man.

10. Got bit on the butt by Pyen Chi the Pee Master Beast of Fur and dropped like a sack of potatoes!!!

11. Heard Pyen Chi bark for the first time.

12. Spent part of the evening teaching Pyen Chi to get over her fear of walking down stairs. Mission completed!

13. Curled up with my beautiful man and watched “The Green Hornet”. I can't stand Cameron Diaz or that Seth dude but I love, love, love Jay Chou as the character Kato!!! Gotta love those Asian boys, they're so darn cool... hahaha.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What kind of lists do you keep in your head?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
You’re a human Swiss army knife.
-- from the movie "The Green Hornet", said to Kato by the Green Hornet

This is how my day started, with me doing nothing but sleeping on the floor and my two four-legged friends off in La-La Land with me.Mi Nam has his little designated sleeping spot where he likes to lay with his little Canada buddy, Junebug the one-eyed teddy dog, and it's is Pyen Chi free.
And then there's Pyen Chi, the Pee Master Beast of Fur, who prefers to sleep on our shoes. I canceled out this option today by lining the shoe area with those empty egg crates.
Spent the afternoon doing stuff on the computer with my two little four-legged buddies at my feet.

And then this is how I ended the evening, with a visit to the vet.

Going back to Ggum Guum Mi Nam-free wasn't very fun and I'm already anticipating visiting him tomorrow.

Going to Option B... Friday, June 10

“I’m sitting here in a boring room, it’s just another rainy Sunday afternoon. I’m wasting my time, I got nothing to do. I’m hanging around, I’m waiting for you, but nothing ever happens and I wonder…”

I wonder… I wonder why the lyrics to Lemon Tree by Fool’s Garden are so strongly stuck in my head. I suppose it’s only so appropriate considering.

Things to do today:
… stay away from people – check, stuck to hanging out with Mi Nam and Pyen Chi.
… don’t go to work, I’m still contagious – check, though it made for a boring day
… continue to nurse Mi Nam back to health – check

Spent the first half of my day with my eyes literally stuck shut. Despite all the eye drops and meds I’m popping, my eyes get eye-crust invaded very fast so a night of eight hours of sleep definitely adds up to a lot of nasty crustiness. Snickers got a good kick out of it though, telling me to kiss him before he goes to work but sticking Pyen Chi the Pee Master Beast of Fur’s face in front of me to kiss. Scored a big wet kiss from Pyen Chi, great. Nice guy that husband of mine… hahaha.

Sat down by the river with Mi Nam today. He’s slowly regaining the use of his back legs which is exciting but it’s still very heartbreaking to see him struggle. He must be so frustrated. I can’t help but view me having to be home dealing with my pink-eye as a blessing in disguise because it’s meant I’ve been able to really look after Mi Nam and Pyen Chi. Because Mi Nam can’t walk on his own right now, he’s required to be carried outside twice a day for bathroom breaks.

Today Mi Nam started to be able to regain the ability to stand on his own but for the past couple of days we’ve had to hold him up while he does his business and then wipe him down. Last night I guess because of how I cradled him under my arm Mi Nam ended up peeing on me. My sweater and shorts were drenched. I’d be one thing if I had to do this for someone else’s dog but Mi Nam is my little buddy and it’s the very least I can do for him considering all that he’s given to me.

As for Pyen Chi, she doesn’t particularly like walks or being outside for that matter so no sooner does she poop but then she turns around to go back home. Oh, and though she’s clued into the fact that she’s suppose to poop outside, she seems to think that our kitchen floor is the perfect place to pee… ya, sounds funny but waking up and stepping in it isn’t so funny.

Got word that apparently Snickers and Pyen Chi were in a car accident last night. I like how he tells me these shocking stories after the fact – that’s me being overly sarcastic there. This isn’t the first time this has happened either. He says he does this intentionally so not to scare me but it doesn’t really help and if anything it just ticks me off. So anyways, last night apparently he was sitting at a red light when he looked in his rear view mirror and spotted another car quickly approaching him with what looked like no intentions of stopping, so Snickers braced himself and waited for the hit.

He got hit at about 40 clicks and though he says he’s ok and Goldie (Goldie being our car) only suffered a scratched up bumper, Pyen Chi went flying in the front seat and landed on the floor. Tonight both Snickers and Pyen Chi got checked out at the hospital.

The hospital Snickers went to is the same one I went to when I had my scooter accident with Gotti. They all remembered me so that was super sweet of them. As for Pyen Chi, she headed over to the vet but we took Mi Nam along with us.

Pyen Chi got a big OK from the vet but Mi Nam ended up getting checked in. He’s been taking to his meds nicely and the doctor is quite pleased with his progress but considering the turn of events that happened in the past 24 hours, we’ve decided to test out the second of the two options the doctor initially gave us. Option B is quite expensive, to say the very least.

Option B costs just short of a grand… ouch, but not ouch for me so that’s sweet!

They hooked him up to an IV tube and for the next week Mi Nam will be living at the pet hospital get his doctor’s care around the clock. Only the best for my little guy.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Does Pyen Chi miss Mi Nam?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
One day your life will flash before your eyes, make sure it is worth watching.
-- Author Unknown

So I've been pretty brutal with updating my homepage... no excuses, I know. Oh I know. I'm sorry but hopefully I can make it up to you by posting more videos and less written ramblings.

A Quick Update... Thursday, June 9

My social life is pretty much non-existent with the exception of those I train with at boxing, random delivery dudes on scooters who comment to me when I go running, and the Polack I work with at the daycare.

My job at the daycare is a lot of fun... tiresome but fun... but I'm not allowed to let my mini Koreans know I speak Korean so its quite frustrating at times, though I must admit I've slipped at times and have told one of my prized kids that I speak her language.

As for my academy part time position, one of my classes has been canceled so boo to that, but I’m having a lot of fun with my elementary class. I’ve started an activity called Vocab. Builders where upon I teach them everyday slang. They love learning slang but after being MIA from the English speaking word for over 6 years now “stoked” and “bling-bling” are all I got. I'm brainstorming words like “far out” and “narly”, words that the 80’s teenage ninja turtles threw around but would roll their eyes at if they heard me using. I find myself sometimes tuning into the show “Three and a Half Men” on TV for English language updates... ya, thats pretty bad.

I crave English and Crest toothpaste, both of which are limited in supply but both of which a trip to Canada could surely solve.

I use to crave hugs but my mini Koreans at the daycare willingly give me a daily overdose of.

I am finally back to living ONLY in Ggum Guum, as opposed to juggling my stuff in three separate apartments. Ggum Guum has never looked better -- new massive kitchen sink and cupboards, new doors, a new screen window on it's way, fresh wallpapered walls, all new drywalling, new lights, wood paneling, and a floor that doesn't constantly lift up like a huge sticker losing it's stickyness.

Purple flowered wallpaper in two of the rooms… ya. I don't care for the bombardment of flowers and I hate the color purple. I've always associated the color purple with a sign of getting older -- every Korean ajjuma wears purple! And you know those pictures where you have to cross your eyes to understand what you're seeing... ya... I feel the same way about this wallpaper. Thankfully the other rooms have more “sane” paper.

I'm suffering from pink-eye. Am pretty sure I scored it from one of my daycare mini-Koreans but apparently none of them show evident signs of having it. I'm on doctor's orders to stay home for the next two weeks.

I've been home two days and am itching to go back to work so I'll return tomorrow.

Mi Nam's suffering from a displaced disc in his back so he can't use his two hind legs. It's heartbreaking to see him trying to move around the house so we're watching him like a hawk and trying to keep him confined in his little sleeping area. We carry him outside for bathroom breaks, being sure to hold him up so he can pee, and we watch over him while he eats in his bed. Today he peed on me as I was taking him down the stairs to go pee and I just about cried at the thought of how uncomfortable he must be.

Pyen Chi -- the Pee Master Beast of Fur -- officially lives at Ggum Guum with us all now. I gave in and said yes to Snickers' repeatedly said "can she live with us?" questioning. I personally find her annoying but that comes with the fact that she's still just a baby; I find all babies to be rather annoying. Anyways, now we have Mi Nam that's French/Korean, Snickers who is 100% Korean, me who is Polish/Canadian with a dash of Austrian, and Pyen Chi who is from Tibet, China.

We're now a fusion family of four and I don't plan on adding to our number.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
How could I really say no to him?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own.
-- H. Jackson Brown

They say it's better to be late than never and I'm hoping I can lean on this to dismiss my total disregard for updating my homepage... sorry. Here it is though... finally.. a video I made of my wedding.

Top This... Thursday, June 2

When my husband and I first got engaged he asked me what kind of wedding I wanted. “I don’t want a wedding” I said, “Just give me a really, really great honeymoon”, and that’s exactly what he did. We had a two week breath-taking honeymoon where no expense was spared and where we pretty much dropped enough cash to pay for a wedding.

The main reason why we didn’t have a wedding was because with me being from Canada but living in Korea and my husband being from Korea, it made it pretty much impossible to have a wedding with all those we’d want present in attendance, let alone pick which country – Canada or Korea – to have it in. So we decided on no wedding and though I was never a girl to dream about her wedding day I must admit it hurt when I sat at my daycare and was asked by the 21 mini-Koreans I adore about my wedding. They wanted me to bring in wedding day photos and tell me all about it. I had nothing to tell though. I got married at city hall.

That’s when something amazing happened, the power of 21 little children saved the day and, totally unknown to me that they were scheming such a plan, they gave me a wedding.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What surprise has made you smile lately?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Be ready to be surprised.
-- Marleen Loesje