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Friday, August 16, 2013

I never finished this!

Well, I decided not to stay in South Korea. I loved it there, there were many great moments, but in the end I felt it was more a temporary stopping point in my life, and I had a lot of family responsibilities that popped up when I was gone to go back too.
So I went home. Started my life back here. I miss South Korea a lot. I am happy with my choice to go home though.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

First in from Japan

tldr: I went to Japan. I had a bad flight, felt sick went to quarantine briefly where they said I did not have a fever. Got questied by immegration and then search with full pat down by customs. Got out of airport late missed shuttle to hotel took train long walk very tired. Sleep and miss shuttle to train short walk to closer train station. nothing open very hungry wait until Grocery store open go by food. I liked the hotel it is good. Go visit shrines, have horrible cough. Get to airport early. Go home.

For those who wish to read :

RANDOM WITH NO REAL POINT
      Sometimes, I think this cough I have is an alien lifeform residing inside me using the cough as a means to communicate with other lifeforms that have also taken hosts to reside in. That`s also why it won`t go away.

     Also, I thought it was a little hard to adjust to typing in English on a Korean keyboard. I now know it is way harder on a Japanese keyboard. So many keys! Also they buttons are in different places. The place I`m at has a no picture policy. But for example, the ` key and the @ key are the same key, and neither of them are where they should be. They are next to the P.

     So my trip is done I would say, once you hit the airport its no longer fun trip and just you know... waiting to get on the plane to go home. Not that you can`t have fun at the airport (by the way the : is where my ` key normally is so I might make a mistake when I make a contraction. Maybe I should not make contractions?) You defiantly can have fun. I am currently updating my blog at the KIX Lounge area. I also keep hitting something that switching the language to type in Japanese characters and then I have to keep hitting other buttons, and seeing which results in me getting back to English. At least when I am trying to figure out stuff I can read what I am doing. Hint do not use the caplocks key. I have no idea why it is changing things.

     Ok, so really this is just an update from the airport, because I happen to still have 2 hours left at the start of writing this before I can even check in. The check in desk does not open until 3pm. My flight is at 5:30pm so I have time. 


    Now, maybe you are still here and reading? really? you are? this massive block of text? Are you ok?

JAPAN TRIP START

     First I set out all happy to be going, all packed and ready. Then, after my nice Hour and a half train ride, was a little tired, still on time. Ran all around the airport to get my ticket because I am not the most airport savvey and I did not realize that though my plane was Asiana I was going through ANA instead. Got that sorted out, onto the plane. Got a massive headache flying over and my stupid cough persists no matter what I do.
Everyone looks at me with horror as I continue to cough, lady next to me (who is reading 50 Shades of Grey in English, but pretends to not understand me when I tried to talk to her ) complaigns and asks to move. Ok, I know I am coughing, it isn't that bad. Not like back when I had whooping cough! Anyhoodles, she wasn:t moved heheh. Then we get off, and I hear something about reporting if you have a fever or have had contact with birds. I haven:t had a fever in over a week and just had the cough, felt fine except for a light headache airplanes give me. So I did not go to the quarentine thing, but then I was made to go when I tried to go through the area because they heard that dratted cough.

     It really was not that bad, they just had me wait with some other people and checked me temperature and stuff, then let me through. Then I had to wait in line at immigration, and why I got to the person they kept asking me question after question. Like repeating the same questions too. It was stupid. Then I got through that and got down to customs where they wanted to do a check of my bags. I said sure, I had a list of all items I had packed, I always make one to help with  customs stuff.

     I have no problem with them checking. Then they checked my bags, then put me into a room for a pat down. The lady was very nice and professional and helped me tie my shoes afterwords. I was so damn tired. It sucks that people have to go through stuff like this, but I know its for security. I want it to be known that I am perfectly fine with having to go through this for security and they did a good job and in no way did I feel like I should have been excluded from having to do this, it is routine to search people. Everyone was very professional and did their job and that's all it was.

    However, for my hotel you are suppose to get a shuttle and I had scheduled the shuttle assuming about an hour and a half after my flights arrival which it was way later so I had to take a train and then walk to get to the hotel. Thankfully I printed maps in advance. Thankfully Google maps gives subway and walking directions! I crawled into the hotel and died in my bed. Somehow I arose the next day to wander off into the city and explore, forgetting my camera along the way.

    I went to little shrines, around the area, and one big shrine that I don:t know the name of. The hotel staff at the Sun Plus Yutaka Hotel was super friendly, and helpful, and knew enough English to help me with everything I needed. Except food, because their restaurant was closed, and everything around was closed cause of the New Year.










    I was so hungry! Eventually I just got some stuff to drink out of vending machines and kept walking around. I found a grocery store about 20 minutes away that was going to open later so I went back to the hotel and had a nap, then went out shopping at the grocery store. It was interesting to shop and see the prices, and the food at the cafe there was very good. I got a Parfait.

    The next day I headed out to the Rinko outlets and there still was a lot of stuff not open but there was this spa/bathouse I got to check out (thankfully I did remember to bring the bandages to cover my tattoo) and that was weird to be stared at while bathing. probably never do that again. However I have once! Then I ate at a real ramen place and boy that was delicious.

    Then I went back to my hotel again, and watched horrible movies and then got up, and off to the airport! I mailed of postcards, and packaged all the stuff I had bought to share with others and had bought as presents for others. I have decided to just exchange my money when I get back to South Korea in case I want to buy anything on the other side of the gate.

   So I reviewed all the video I took and... no. I'm not sharing that. I was obviously deranged when I took that video. Maybe I'll share that someday, but with a couple people who can laugh at me not all of the internet to laugh at me. 

So I'm now at home, updating this, fixing it. I am leaving some of the mistakes just cause it shows how I had trouble writing for one with that dratted keyboard, and also how out of my mind I was when I got on that flight. Like... I don't think I should travel alone. 

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

My Christmas Day!

Hello All!

So I don't have a bunch of presents but I did have a good adventure out in Korea today.  Hopped on the subway with my friend Angelica and we traveled about. I don't do very well with constant walking, so I'm super super tired!

Went out early in the morning to Hongdae and got my hair cut at Juno Hair.

Juno Hair is a place many foreigners all said "if you get your hair done you MUST GO here!!" Back home, to get a haircut can be pretty expensive. Here in Korea, it can be super cheap (like 8,000) or super expensive. At Juno I got a free drink (lemon tea soooo good) consultation with a stylist, shampoo, head massage, cut, and style, for 25,000. That would have cost me WAY more back home. Also, you can't tip. So there is not an extra cost to this, that was the cost.

The exact location I went to was
Mapo-gu, Seoul, Seogyo 358-2 brisket Building 3rd floor Juno Hair
Now, they didn't speak the best English at this location, but they were very nice and took good care of me. You may want to look at the site to check out different locations (helps if you read Korean, or look up a translation of city names) and call them to check if they have someone who speaks English if you want something very detailed.



We stopped briefly at a coffee shop afterwords, I needed to relax. Getting my hair cut makes me tense cause I can't see without my glasses on. 

Next we went out and got a very good soup! I really liked it. Sadly, while I would recognize the name if I saw it again, I cannot for the life of me remember exactly what it was called. Started with an S.


After that we headed out to Myeong-dong.  Here we visited the Myeong-dong Cathedral. There are different ways to get there, we got off at Euljiro Ipgu Subway station and followed the signs, it was labeled in the subway. There are more directions listed on the Korea Tourism Website. It was a beautiful Gothic church, I enjoyed the simple Gothic architecture and its Latin cross from. The detail work in the glass windows was beautiful. The brickwork is very well done as well. The floor tiles are ugly and don't match, I assume there must have been an update too them. They are hideous. However, It is a beautiful place to worship. They have an English mass at 9am on Sundays I read on a pamphlet while I was there. However, that could change so if you want to find out more you should go to their website .

After that it was more subway, another coffee shop, a ride out to Apojong and then seeing some Christmas lights. I also broke my Ipod touch! soo... yeah that sucked a little. I knew I should have got a new case, but... it is too late. So I am looking into getting that repaired.

here is a small video I made, and everyone, have yourselves a happy holiday of your own!






Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Eve in South Korea

Hello everyone!

Christmas in South Korea isn't the same as Christmas back home. A lot of Koreans don't celebrate Christmas. While it is celebrated in Schools like mine which focus on learning about foreign cultures and languages, it isn't everywhere. That said, it is still marketed and there are sales and decorations for the holidays. Just not to the degree I am used to back home.

The Christmas season so far hasn't really been a huge season, not a lot of build up. So it felt like it just sprang upon me in the middle of work. I knew the holiday was almost here, but BAM here it is.

This makes me feel bad because all my presents are still sitting down on my windowsill and not... in boxes shipping to or already with my friends back home.  However I blame the postal office for only being open exactly when I am at work. Also my lack of desire to skip lunch. I like lunch.

We had a lot of fun at school today, taking pictures, having "Santa" visit, giving gifts, a music contest. Sadly, I don't even have one picture because I was too busy the entire day to use my camera. I didn't have one break, hardly even ate my precious lunch. Just go go go. Then it went strait into Elementry which still had full classes plus we had to squeeze in time for a snack party so that was also just go go go.

Afterwhich, I treated my lovely friends to delicious, delicious Galbi as a christmas present, and then we all went out to Noribang and sang Christmas Carols. It was super fun, and relaxing. Especially after all the hard work of the day!

So now I snuggle into bed, refusing to turn on my heater because it costs too much (woot 3 plankets and sleeping in pants and 2 sweaters.)

I have plans to have a great Christmas tomorrow, and will bring you more pictures!


Merry Christmas! Or happy holidays. 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Catch up on everything!

what I've done since I last posted

Halloween:

For halloween in South Korea, they don't really celebrate it for kids. It's more like a giant party out at all the bars and clubs. However, I did dress up in costumes and go tricker treating at some of the kids homes, which was work!

I was a fairy godmother, and my kids where a bunch of different things

Couple of picks, Album Link









Nami Island: 

Album
Nami Island is a really fun, cultural place to go. It has fun events, when I went it was a music festival. The entire island had music being pumped through a speaker system. There was both live and non live music. My favorite part was a picnic listening to the full Orchestra play underneath the turning leaves. Well... maybe my favorite part was the squirrels. Boy was it nice to see something approaching wildlife.










I've had more friends birthdays, and Students birthdays, and we've had drawing events out in the park
We had Pepero day, which is 11/11 and you give Pepero.
Assorted stuff album of misc adventures (ASAMA)


Annnnddd My awesome super amazing friend Jess came to visit me! Strangely I took almost no pictures though. I think its cause we just kept walking and walking and doing things.
We did get pictures in Hanbock though, traditional Korean clothes.

I was in a Royal gown, and she was in a traditional wedding gown.






Two of my students moved so I'm down to 10 students.
And today there was a bunch of snow and we all went outside and had a snowball fight!




And that catches you guys up.