i want a hango oh mah too :(

damnit, wish i had a korean sugar momma too

today, i went mountain hiking-climbing with my boss, his friends, lauren, and her friend, melissa.
It was awesome and a definite change from my other weekends.
We went onto sampeon-san; an easy mountain that's next to dobongsan.
I was definitely not prepared.
I had my timbaland boot...a roots toque...mitts..and my snowboarding jacket...
i was both overdressed and underdressed -_-""

I was DYING going up the ascent.
and my boss' friend, who's also my school's building manager was pawing over me..
and kept on tricking me to go to the more difficult route with him...
which i naively did..
but i did enjoy it b/c i got to mountain climb.
The view was AMAZING and pictures will come up soon once i receive them from my boss.
Also, the descent was great and i wasn't tired at all,
in comparison to my fellow hikers.
The hike took about....4-5 hours.
During the ascent, melissa and i had to pass out on this flat rock,
to the amusement of a korean lady who was resting on the rock.
I literally fell to my back and did not want to get up...telling my fellow climbers to go one without me.
The poor lady was cracking up and saying something in korean..to the likes of:
oh you poor, unhealthy thing. I am amused by your sufferings.
lol (sometimes it's more fun to not know what ppl are saying to you)

During our descent, near the end, we went to this family restaurant that gave us a table right by the mountain stream.
It was amazing.
We had fresh chicken (and i mean FRESH! we picked out the live chicken lol) soup
with rice.
OMG! SOOOO GOOOOD.
it was GREAT!
and i'm definitely going to do it again.
....hopefully with the appropriate equipment.
ALthough the weather today was amazing because it's the beginning of winter...
therefore, no bugs and not too hot and not too cold (for a Canadian)
so in the end, i just hiked with my long sleeved shirt and pants most of the way.
With the occasional putting on my thin coat.
I also love my boss.
During my welcome dinner, my boss and his wife informed all of us that my boss wasn't allowed to smoke
and if we caught him, to take a picture of him and show it to his wife.
Once she left, he informed us that he'll pay 50 dollars for each picture we take of him (and to erase it)
so...i took the opportunity today to take the picture...
as he ran away.
hahaha so funny.
for the rest of the trip, he tried to make a deal with me and to promise him not to show his wife.
hahaha.
so i eventually agreed to erase it for a free dinner (i was just joking anyways)

Also, last night, lauren and i went for some pizza at our neighbourhood pizza place that is a 1 minute walk away from our building.
The pizza guy knows me.
Everytime i walk by, he always says 'hi' to me and if i don't go there for awhile, he probably says in korean that he hasn't seen me for awhile.
Anyways, we ate at the pizza place and there was a tv there.
We decided to change the channels to an Englishchannel (Chicago)
despite being the only English speakers there.
I put the volume really low so that it wouldn't bother anyone.
Later on, the pizza guy turned up the volume up for us b/c he knew we couldn't hear it.
It's so awesome, to have these ppl to be cool with us and be kind.
I'm loving my experience here.
And i think i've become a mountain hiking-climbing fan.
I might go mountain climbing soon...
so stoked.

ANways, tomorrow will be a busy day for me.
I gotta go and pay for my flight ticket for x-mas...
go to yongsan to buy my parents their x-mas present (and maybe get my own..if i can get a good deal...
and i still have to make a test for monday.
Gonna be an expensive and exhausting day.

i hope everyone's having a good day
and i will hopefuly be able to write and send some x-mas cards...
cuz i purchased some awesome and cute holiday cards these past few days.
:)

ho say "whuh?!"

yesterday, I took my pup to the vet...
and to my surprise, they said that they would shave her down.
WHen i returned, I was in shock!
They gave my dog a very asian dog hairstyle...with BOWS on her EARS!!
BOWS!!!
I loved how my dog looked before...
how she resembled an ewok
it was awesome...
but now...she's so.....GIRLY!
it's gonna take some time to get used to
Although she DOES smell much better.

Anyways, I'm trying to avoid office politics as much as possible.
I dislike politics
and thank gawd I don't understand the majority of what they're saying (them speaking korean, that is)
that I can just assume that everything is fine.
Whether it is or not (which is most likely not), I won't know for sure or exactly what.
*ah* ignorance! how i've missed you!

I've finally received package from my family.
It being the 2nd package they've sent me...and it being the first package i've received.
So you do the math.
I'm concerned about the 1st unarrived package because it has some important things i need in it...
i.e. closet organizers and...well...bras.
Really sucks that it's not here yet.
But i'm stoked that i finally did receive a package...or even mail from Canada.
My dad put in some cool snacks and goodies.
I e-mailed my parents immediately after I received the box at work
and my dad responded with the cutest of smug responses:
"You know I know the best!"
oh dad...

It's going to be a full few days ahead of me.
Alotta things happening including going back to Insadong to get my watch batteries in....
mountain hiking with the bosses...
and hopefully having enough time to go to yongsan so I can get a camera for the folks...
and perhaps dongdaemun to get some shoes and a good knock off purse for my mom....
and also a sweater for my now semi-nude dog.
yes, that's right...i've become one of THOSE people.
But i can't help it, these things are so cheap here and have so many designs...
and 2 days ago, it SNOWED!
SNOWW!!!! i was so happy.
it's finally feeling like it's winter
although i'm still wearing my hoodie w/o a winter jacket
cuz dude...i came from Canada, this is *nothing*
(well, it IS something...it dipped to zero degrees celsius...but that's NOTHING!)
also...my jacket's at the dry cleaners (6 bucks! woot!) so i don't really have a choice.

Alright, enough of this entry.
I gotta eventually wake up tomorrow, although it'll be an easy day...
cuz it's my FAVOURITE time of the month!!
*dum dum DUUUUUUM*
TEST DAY!!
which means: handing out tests and doing crosswords/wordsearches/suduku while those poor poor children stress over their tests....
oh..and eventually marking them (which takes so little time for me)
Now I know why my teachers loved giving out tests.
Although at times, it is a tad depressing b/c some of my classes nearly fail the tests,
but it's not due to my inadequacies as a teacher
but b/c they're terrible students!
My other classes who i get along with: EXCELLING!
the terrible ones?!
to HELL!

alright... time to go to bed before the sophster wakes me up

finalement

i apologize for the delayed post.
It seems i've been quite busy and reluctant to post.
In the past week, i've yet again, gotten suckered into going to another "Asian night out" bar/clubbing for Erin's belated b-day celebration.
We went to Hongdae.
I got a sexual proposition by some guy from India
and had to feign being engaged to a man in Canada.
With the help of Marie, the story was complete.
I really didn't want to go that night.
I was actually contemplating ditching the group of people and taking the subway home at around 11pm.
But...it was Erin's celebration and the consequences of my actions would be that Erin and Ange would be peeved.
So i followed...with Erin's korean co-worker in tow, Tee.
She glued herself to me due to the mutual yellow-asian skin.
Despite her being in her...30s.... Both her and I agreed that these type of things were not our "thang" and that we were just too old for this crap...
as we watched sad and desperate attempts of ppl trying to pick other ppl up..and public drunkeness.
At 2am, i REALLY wanted to leave and contemplated taking the taxi back home...
due to the crap music being played...
the terrible sight of desperation and drunkens..
and the need for room and space (being in crowded clubs/bars),
which caused me to just hang outside of the club w/ Tee for a good hour or 2.
I should have left with Jemz and Natalie,
I could've been sharing a posh hotel room with them...
*damn* me.
Anyways, at around 3am ish...the gals were tired of the crap club
and we all decided to go to a noraebong (a karoake place) to sing out our energies until the subway opened (5:30am)
and so we did.
It was great!
and i was amazed by the large selection of good English songs there were.
I eventually lost my voice and could not sing.
So I became the designated song chooser.

I alo enjoyed the complimentary jangles they gave us.
At 5:30am, we headed off.
Poor Ange was going to collapse, so Ange, Erin, Tee and I decided to just split a Taxi.
I was the last person to be dropped off...
and Tee, Ange and I found out from the Taxi driver that he did not know where my stop was....so I said "screw it", due to pure exhaustion,
and stayed at Ange' place for the night.
It's weird, I haven't shared a singles' bed with another person for awhile.
And yet again, I share the bed with a person who hogs the damn blankets.

Anyways, these past 2 weeks, i've been getting quite frustrated with some of my co-workers,
especially the English Speakers.
Mostly b/c i know they dislike me, due to my eccentricity and just trying to make things around less dreary...
and b/c they're bitter and homesick.
But i really don't think they should take it out on me.
It seems the many ppl who are homesick tend to take it out on innocent victims.
And I think that's utterly childish.

Speaking of childish:
Despite the many who are older than me (age-wise)
somehow, i'm still the more mature one.
despite my periodic immaturity (e.g. sexual innuendo).
Sure, i may talk the talk..but i definitely do not act utterly inappropriate.
I also don;t outright offend an entire culture,
just b/c they're different from the culture one is originally from.

These things are just getting to me.
And it's embarassing and causes me to lose respect for these people.

Either way, i'm still happy I chose to come to Korea,
I'm enjoying my financial freedom.
Even today when I woke up and was in my sleepy daze...
i realized:
I'm in Korea! This singles apartment is mine!
and happiness and freedom just crashed upon me.
I just had to have the biggest smile on my face.


Another thing that make me excited is my Hong Kong trip coming soon...
and a possibility that Eva might be coming to Korea for 3-12months next year.
I'd be extremely happy if she did.
I'll have someone who i could really connect with and go shopping with.
In addition, we've been talking about me joining her in China after my Korea stint.
And i definitely would not mind.
I should try to pick up some of my mother tongue.
And it'd be a new experience.
Hell, I have nothing really that concrete waiting for me in Canada.
I can't get a decent job and decent pay...
although i really do miss my collection of friends.

I've weeded out all the crap people and have found wonderful, priceless friends that i can connect with.
and now, being here...i gotta start all over again.
I think that's something that sometimes gets me down:
to have to start all over again with finding quality people to hang with...
and who have the essential quality and traits I need to have a decent friendship.
But I know the friends that i have at home are still there.
And that they do exist.
I know i'll be seeing them again
and I know they understand that my travelling is something that I need.
Even my family understands this.

So there you have it...
hopefully i'll get a camera soon...
so i can post hundreds of pictures on here.
But until then, I will attempt to post more regularly.
Quality posts are not guaranteed

home

currently, i'm watching a program on the discovery channel regarding the JFK assassination.
*ah* brings back memories of my last year of uni
about conspiracy theories..focussing on the JFK assassination conspiracy theories.

Anyways, this past weekend, i finally said some bittersweet words
that i didn't want to say out loud, but I did..b/c it slipped..but:
"I won't be home anytime soon"

It still puts a lil' pang on the ole heart..
but a sense of freedom and happiness as well.
To be honest: I don't know when i will be back in Toronto.
There really is no good reason to go back and to settle.
And i just don't like settling..
especially when i'm no longer shackled down.
I love living out on my own.

To the many who know me and have witnessed the disaster of my room:
My place is immaculately clean.
That's right!
I'm a clean person.
Back in Toronto, my helplessness exuded through how i kept my room.
I just didn't care and i gave up.
But here, i actually care.
I actually care how i live and what i eat.
I care.
And that is something.

One more note:
I am ABSOLUTELY not fit to teach children.
I'm just too easy going and laid back
I just don't care.
Some kid swore?
"What did he/she say? *woah* that was a good one. How do you say it again?"
"He pushed you? so? push him back then, I don't care"

And to teach children (and even puppies...) i would have to be very strict and consistent w/ my punishment,
and i'm not.
I think i can only really get along with a living being that has fully established its own sense of being.
A finished product.

I'll have to keep that in mind.
For future use.

Now I Know why I'm so attracted to this

Artist: Robin Thicke
Song: The Stupid Things

Lyrics :

Just charge it to my account
I hope I haven't gone over my limit
With interest rates so swift
No need to scream and shout
No doubt if women are from Venus now
I'll get to them somehow

All I want to do is please you
Please myself by living my life too

And all the stupid things I do
Have absolutely no reflection on How I feel about you
How I feel about you
All the stupid things I do have absolutely no reflection on
How I feel about you
How I feel about you yeah

Oh yes I recall
Skipping on breakfast to play basketball
Then feeling two feet small
Sometimes you read like William Shakes
Your scent is sweet like Betty Crooker bakes
I'd love to have your cake and eat it too

All I want to do is please you
Please myself by living my life too

And all the stupid things I do
Have absolutely no reflection on How I feel about you
How I feel about
All the stupid things I do have absolutely no reflection on
How I feel about you
How I feel about you yeah

And all the stupid things I do
Have absolutely no reflection on How I feel about you
How I feel about
Oh how I feel about you
How I feel about you yeah

music soothes my soul

I wanted to write an entry,
to inform about my week...
how i informed my mother that I have a pet dog...
about halloween..
about how much i missed the good ol' Church st. halloween party...
about people who are not unnerved by my eccentricity...
and about my thoughts on why perhaps i tend to disappear...
but at the moment, I just want to share this song...
To my surprise, hedwig and the angry inch was playing on t.v.
but then i realized: korea has been, so far, the only place where i've seen so many men in dresses...more than pride.

I've been humming to this tune ever since.