Mediocre...

Its a weird feeling when you're acquainted with people who you enjoy their company and they're good people but in Korea everyone is exactly that. I should say most... that's the ending point. As far as it'll ever go and I find that sad and uninspiring. We are always encouraged to make the best out of anything and lemonade with lemons lol but why can't people not connect when they know there is no future.

... investment...

We've been taught to look for returns, and a one year friendship isn't enough for people to open themselves up. Feels guarded and in turn a bit lacking... of course everyone shares with each other because we need human contact but nothing they say ever makes it really better until you hear from someone at home. Someone you know that will be there when you return, who will stay constant in your life.

Met a few people here I would invest, or is invested in. They keep me sane and happy. Lucky me United States isn't too far out from Canada eh!

This may sound incoherent as I'm running on close to zero sleep this week and lots of pain... exhausted!

T-Minus 2.2 hours til doctors, Korean class, MDream volunteer appreciation night and ice bar (where your cups are made from ice and when you finish your drink, you throw it at a target...lol yay~)

Fight

Next Saturday will be my 4th month in Korea... weird with so much going on I shouldn't be surprised with how fast time has flew...

My third Speech contest (Where they recite a news article and sing a pop song =D) finished today and as I look at the kids with whom I have built a rapport with most and I feel at home. When they stumble during their recital they look at me to remind them of the words... this I do with a feeling of warmth spreading in my heart. They have made me love and enjoy every moment I'm at work, even the bad days (not many) are mere obstacles now. I came to experience and rebuild myself (and my bank account...) these wonderful and equally wacky kids have been so important in the continued strive I have...

I feel blessed for having found the best hagwons among the worst hagwons... Thank you Tanya for squashing my fears and encouraging me to join this family.

Unfortunately not the same positive notes can be used to describe my current savings... as undoubtedly foreseen my Tokyo, Vietnam, and Hong Kong trips have delayed my expected debt free status. BUT there is a plan and with my lovelies at home contributing towards my next biggest expenditure (Nikon D5100 DSLR...drool) I will be back on track as of February!

The latest book I've just finished today was Dream of the Red Chamber- If anyone has some spare time try your mind at this one. Said to be one of the greatest stories and adaptation of Chinese literature, it starts off a little dry and there are well over 100 characters portrayed in the book, it is tragedy done at its best. Reality has never seemed so determined to conquer hope.

I was on a new mission to try as many different foods as I can but that will have to be put on hold for me to allot a food budget for Vietnam and Hong Kong that I will be satisfied with. LOL seriously, this one's gonna get her FOOD ON...yay

Within these four months, to say my life has taken a drastic turn is an understatement... I tend to try and live with no regrets which will float over my death bed. In this case I will have to wait and live to find out... I will face it with the new found strength in myself for myself. I will not let what I sacrificed to prevent me from seeing the light... in other words lets just call it 'optimism'!

I can only hope those dear to me whom have fought with me and by me are still with me. I'm sorry for not having been there the last four months, I greatly appreciate all your love and support, in the many ways it comes about!

Much Love,
Jan

Complicated

Finally read the last book in Larsson's Girl with a Dragon Tattoo series! Very good and recommended... don't read in the middle of the night unless you can sleep with conspiracy and murders in your sleep lol

Onto "Dream of the Red Chamber"

Been thinking about whether to buy a DSLR or not as my christmas present to myself... Korea has really made me love taking pictures, of scenery more than people. Fall here is just amazing, everyone says it is the best time to travel around and I couldn't agree more. I'm looking at a $650 or $850 one... will have to do more research.

On the other hand Hong Kong has been booked for Jan 21st to 24th another 4 day trip lol should be fun, have dreamed of going to Hong Kong since I was a child watching my dramas and can't believe it's actually going to happen.

Overview:
Korea (August arrival)
Tokyo, Japan (September)
Ho Chi Min, Vietnam (December)
Hong Kong (January)
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore (July)

Not bad right? The best part of teaching here is being able to travel and I wouldn't trade my current experiences for anything, hardship or not. I realized I love to teach and I love talking to the kids. Made me want to apply for teacher's college back in Toronto, but I'm not sure I'm done in Asia yet. I want to do everything I can before settling down in Toronto.

My students thought I was 20 years old, I was like is that even possible since I need a undergraduate degree lol I laughed and the next guess was 27.. I'm like you're pushing it buddy lol Not far off the mark I guess, considering in April my asia age will be 27.. ahhhh lol a bit of air gasping there but still here...

got used to the idea of being young and having endless opportunities.. but now I'm feeling like I have to decide on a plan... mmm will have to think about that one a bit more...

What I've been up to for 6 months... update

Update on previous post: accomplished everything but "stop eating fish ice-cream" lol again not gonna happen!

"At First Sight" by Nicholas Sparks
"The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
Something Blue by Emily Griffith
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (Thanks Phil)
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Mikale Kundera
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, The Happy Prince, The Birthday of the Infanta by Oscar Wilde
Hitler's Peace by Philip Kerr
 The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
20000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks
Message in A Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks
Farewell of Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Game of Thrones by George R. R Martin

Reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens




LOL been busy =D

Back on track..

LIST OF GOALS
1. Start P90 as soon as I'm done being sick
2. Stop eating fish ice cream LOL (not gonna happen)
3. Start actively doing yoga at least 3 times a week
4. Cook again during the week and make Beef curry sandwiches and cass red fried chicken LOL
5. Read to kill a mockingbird, reread the color purple
6. Start level two in Korean class, possibly set up a Korean language exchange
7. Start sleeping 8 hours a night again
8. Stop buying shoes in Korea

That's good for now... and Sta Te (korean lol)

Fuckkkkkkkkkk

That will be all...

Sudden breakthrough...

As I sat down and said to myself (after having a good night) I'm going to have lunch at our beloved kimbap nara tomorrow by myself. Making it my first meal by myself... then it donned on me... 2 weeks ago after work before heading to yoga, I had a sudden lazy moment and decided I didn't want to go home and make a meal in 10 minutes and gobble it up. So i headed over to kimbap nara and ordered kimbap to stay, got my soup and kimchi and sat there for 20 minutes eating.


It was so non eventful and no feeling of nervousness rushed over me that I barely remember it until this moment... kinda of sad something I have worked towards for so long passed without a mention. But that tells me that although no milestones have passed with my moving to Korea, I have learned on some level to be by myself.

The invisible rock that didn't seem so heavy until it was lifted has been plaguing my life through my everyday decisions and controlling my activities in reflection of the fear i felt inside suddenly seems so trivial.

That is truly all...

Sometimes it lasts in love and sometimes it hurts instead...

Why does everything seem like its falling on me, what do you do now? What do you want? What do you need? Whats your next move? Figure it out...
If I knew how to get myself out of this situation I would have not allowed the journey down this road to happen. If I was able to make black and white decisions when it comes to love I would be inhuman. Not everything is 1+1=2 not everything can be reasoned and logically worked out. Sometimes you just don't know
I DON'T KNOW
I DON'T KNOW
I DON'T KNOW
Everything else is trivial at this point... I just want to feel without hurting...
please if it can be fix.. fix me, take it all away and let me smile without wanting to put forth a strong front and just let me cry without trying to stop myself...
feeling on the brink of destruction and the target is me... I've always shown myself to be resilient, committed, and loving. I'm tired of being that person, someone come and be my rock. I need a rock so I can just stop...

lead me through this darkness, give me strength, give me hope...

Maisan Road Trip

Maisan Temple in Jinan South Korea

Laying down by the stream

Quality alone time =D

Maisan Temple's Mountains (from left to right "Peanut and Boob") Lol

<3

Old Memories...

Staying in tonight trying to make some progress in spiffying up the apartment and doing some good gourmet cooking lol

These two popped up on my itunes (my memory is still good with the britney songs lol)

"From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart"

"Never look back," we said
How was I to know I'd miss you so?
Loneliness up ahead, emptiness behind
Where do I go?

And you didn't hear
All my joy through my tears
All my hopes through my fears
Did you know, still I miss you somehow

[CHORUS:]
From the bottom of my broken heart
There's just a thing or two I'd like you to know
You were my first love, you were my true love
From the first kisses to the very last rose
From the bottom of my broken heart
Even though time may find me somebody new
You were my real love, I never knew love
'Til there was you
From the bottom of my broken heart

"Baby," I said, "please stay.
Give our love a chance for one more day"
We could have worked things out
Taking time is what love's all about

But you put a dart
Through my dreams through my heart
And I'm back where I started again
Never thought it would end

[Repeat CHORUS]

You promised yourself
But to somebody else
And you made it so perfectly clear
Still I wish you were here

[Repeat CHORUS]

"Never look back," we said
How was I to know I'd miss you so?

Title: Eminem - Stan lyrics Chorus: Dido My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why I.. got out of bed at all The morning rain clouds up my window.. and I can't see at all And even if I could it'd all be gray, but your picture on my wall It reminds me, that it's not so bad, it's not so bad.. 1st Chorus: volume gradually grows over raindrop background 2nd Chorus: full volume with beat right after "thunder" noise [Eminem as 'Stan'] Dear Slim, I wrote but you still ain't callin I left my cell, my pager, and my home phone at the bottom I sent two letters back in autumn, you must not-a got him There probably was a problem at the post office or something Sometimes I scribble addresses too sloppy when I jot him but anyways; fuck it, what's been up? Man how's your daughter? My girlfriend's pregnant too, I'm bout to be a father If I have a daughter, guess what I'ma call her? I'ma name her Bonnie I read about your Uncle Ronnie too I'm sorry I had a friend kill himself over some bitch who didn't want him I know you probably hear this everyday, but I'm your biggest fan I even got the underground shit that you did with Skam I got a room full of your posters and your pictures man I like the shit you did with Ruckus too, that shit was phat Anyways, I hope you get this man, hit me back, just to chat, truly yours, your biggest fan This is Stan {Chorus: Dido [Eminem as 'Stan'] Dear Slim, you still ain't called or wrote, I hope you have a chance I ain't mad - I just think it's FUCKED UP you don't answer fans If you didn't wanna talk to me outside your concert you didn't have to, but you coulda signed an autograph for Matthew That's my little brother man, he's only six years old We waited in the blistering cold for you, four hours and you just said, "No." That's pretty shitty man - you're like his fucking idol He wants to be just like you man, he likes you more than I do I ain't that mad though, I just don't like being lied to Remember when we met in Denver - you said if I'd write you you would write back - see I'm just like you in a way I never knew my father neither; he used to always cheat on my mom and beat her I can relate to what you're saying in your songs so when I have a shitty day, I drift away and put 'em on cause I don't really got shit else so that shit helps when I'm depressed I even got a tattoo of your name across the chest Sometimes I even cut myself to see how much it bleeds It's like adrenaline, the pain is such a sudden rush for me See everything you say is real, and I respect you cause you tell it My girlfriend's jealous cause I talk about you 24/7 But she don't know you like I know you Slim, no one does She don't know what it was like for people like us growin up You gotta call me man, I'll be the biggest fan you'll ever lose Sincerely yours, Stan -- P.S. We should be together too {Chorus: Dido [Eminem as 'Stan'] Dear Mister-I'm-Too-Good-To-Call-Or-Write-My-Fans, this'll be the last package I ever send your ass It's been six months and still no word - I don't deserve it? I know you got my last two letters; I wrote the addresses on 'em perfect So this is my cassette I'm sending you, I hope you hear it I'm in the car right now, I'm doing 90 on the freeway Hey Slim, I drank a fifth of vodka, you dare me to drive? You know the song by Phil Collins, "In the Air of the Night" about that guy who coulda saved that other guy from drowning but didn't, then Phil saw it all, then at a show he found him? That's kinda how this is, you coulda rescued me from drowning Now it's too late - I'm on a 1000 downers now, I'm drowsy and all I wanted was a lousy letter or a call I hope you know I ripped ALL of your pictures off the wall I love you Slim, we coulda been together, think about it You ruined it now, I hope you can't sleep and you dream about it And when you dream I hope you can't sleep and you SCREAM about it I hope your conscience EATS AT YOU and you can't BREATHE without me See Slim; {*screaming* Shut up bitch! I'm trying to talk! Hey Slim, that's my girlfriend screamin in the trunk but I didn't slit her throat, I just tied her up, see I ain't like you cause if she suffocates she'll suffer more, and then she'll die too Well, gotta go, I'm almost at the bridge now Oh shit, I forgot, how am I supposed to send this shit out? {Chorus: Dido [Eminem] Dear Stan, I meant to write you sooner but I just been busy You said your girlfriend's pregnant now, how far along is she? Look, I'm really flattered you would call your daughter that and here's an autograph for your brother, I wrote it on the Starter cap I'm sorry I didn't see you at the show, I musta missed you Don't think I did that shit intentionally just to diss you But what's this shit you said about you like to cut your wrists too? I say that shit just clowning dog, c'mon - how fucked up is you? You got some issues Stan, I think you need some counseling to help your ass from bouncing off the walls when you get down some And what's this shit about us meant to be together? That type of shit'll make me not want us to meet each other I really think you and your girlfriend need each other or maybe you just need to treat her better I hope you get to read this letter, I just hope it reaches you in time before you hurt yourself, I think that you'll be doin just fine if you relax a little, I'm glad I inspire you but Stan why are you so mad? Try to understand, that I do want you as a fan I just don't want you to do some crazy shit I seen this one shit on the news a couple weeks ago that made me sick Some dude was drunk and drove his car over a bridge and had his girlfriend in the trunk, and she was pregnant with his kid and in the car they found a tape, but they didn't say who it was to Come to think about, his name was.. it was you Damn!

Japan and more adventures to come...

Back from Japan for about a week now and it seemed like a long time ago.
First Tokyo was awesome, I loved the buildings, the culture, the food and especially the subway lol very efficient compared to Gwangju's `1 line. It was an extra plus that many things were posted in English and I can read Chinese. A few highlights:

Tokyo Metropolitan Government building
- One of the most amazing views I've seen, you feel small when you're up there and really looking at the big picture
- I would say it was my second favorite sites

Meiji Shrine
-Was my favorite site from the trip, I loved the nature, the culture and customs (we got to see a wedding party). There were so many traditions reflecting the Chinese culture that it was nostalgic being there during the "Lunar Moon Festival" I normally would spend with my family.

Imperial Palace
-Was also filled with great trails to walk (more shaped by man though which was a little disappointing) Some of the ancient ruins were filled in with land but the basic idea was still there.

Harajuku
-The one main street I walked down was filled with girls filling the reputation of harajuku girls, loved the outfits and make up.

Tokyo Tower
-Was great and exciting but because we have the CN Tower back home it was a little less exciting. Also we saw it during the day but I'm sure at night it would be as amazing as the Tokyo Met

Akihabara
Brought out my childhood in me... This area is where anime, cartoons, fantasy, games and anything to do with comic books lives. It made me want to know who all the characters are and feel the way I did when I used to record Sailor Moon on vhs and rewatch episodes a million times! Picked up a few special items here :D

Shinjuku
This is where we decided to stay because it is suppose to be the party and transit center of Tokyo. The transit part we thoroughly enjoyed but the party part we didn't figure out until the last night when we went walking in the neighborhood. So much was missed when we went right on the subway in the morning instead of exploring. Next time I go back I want to hit this part of town, so many sushi bars and clubs missed!

Food:

Had Beef (mmmm) udon the first night which was the best udon I have ever had. Canada.Korea's don't even come close. I miss beef so much I went and bought a few slices for $9 in Korea.

Ramen was also exactly what Japan should be famous for, soft not chewy noodles. The clear hot soup was not over salted, it was perfect to warm your stomach with.

I had sashimi twice in Japan (expensive as hell) the fresh texture of the octopus, red tuna, salmon, snapper and white fish was obvious from the first bite. I didn't require soy sauce to hide the fishy taste from some of them (like Canada). Made me want to order another order right off the bat lol

We had some sort of fried balls (sorry for the description) with some very thinly shaved tuna on top with a yummy, sticky thick sauce (similar to black bean for me) on top. Think street food style- on a stick. They were really delicious and fell apart and melted in your mouth.

Loved the drinking on the streets law of Japan!

So back to reality...

Finished reading "The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" recently which surprised me. I really enjoyed it, even the gruesome parts. I can't wait to get my hands on the film with english subtitles :D

I joined the Gwangju International Center (GIC) here for my Korean classes, which started last week and I love it so far. Since I know how to read the alphabet already I can only hope my Korean will progress faster after this class. GIC also has a pretty decent library of English books (8 bookshelves worth) which I got a few books from. I can tell with the way work is going I will be reading tons of books this year. Which is all for the better anyways, I somehow stopped doing that as much back in Canada. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Our orphanage volunteering started last week, we met up with Kang (the social worker who runs the organization) and set up a schedule of some sort and will start this Saturday with the kids. We're going to call it The Crazy Silly Club (drama club makes it nerve wracking lol) so CSC from now on. Excited and nervous about meeting the kids. I hope the language barrier wont be too great.

we'll have to see...

This weekend sounds awesome, going to Naju for a friend's (Kat) house warming. Its more country side so sounds like a nice time. I realized that Gwangju is actually really noisy with many motor bikes running around throughout the night.

Then Sunday is my first trip with Pedro Kim (Gwangju's personal tour guide for foreigners <3) we're going to visit two temples. Bringing my walking shoes and hopefully it would be an experience totally different from Japan's temples. Will post about it later. Next weekend I'm thinking about heading to Seoul (finally meeting up with Deshane) yay! Can't wait, I will always remember that I went to Tokyo before Seoul lol

I had half of my dinner tonight by myself, I'm going to take that as progress. But eventually I will feel more comfortable by myself. I've begun reading "tuesday with Morrie" again, I love that reading this book now is a totally different experience then reading it in high school or university. I have a different outlook on life and its as if this book could be related to through every stage in life. It just goes to further prove what a truly aspiring and amazing book this is.

The one thing that stood out the most was how Morrie dealt with emotions, he worked through his fear, self pity and hate by facing them and recognizing them for only that and then detaching from it. Seems so simple but not many of us do it when we are overwhelmed with the emotions... this is my new challenge. I think it will help with my paranoia and anxiety, along with Yoga I'm hoping I will be medication free soon. (Thanks to my b-i-l Phil for this wonderful inspiring gift I almost forgot existed)

Next little bit will be tough but I really hope to work through it and know myself better on the other side. Like my little calender said: with every ending is a new beginning...

The travelling begins... and other little things

SO I said last post that I joined the gym and Marisa P and I started doing hot yoga! So much fun, although I was worried about the language barrier because others have complained about not being able to follow along but it actually poses no problem except for maybe having to position ourselves to be able to view others. This is our first week and it has been good so far but I can't communicate my back issues to the instructor so she tries to help me with certain parts where I can feel my back hurting so I just lay there and wait for the next pose. But Koreans are very helpful people :D she came over and tried to do this to me:

                                                                            LOL

We are going again tomorrow night and hopefully 3-4 times a week for a little bit. We also want to do some cardio because it just doesn't feel like you have worked out without some huffing and puffing lol besides I want to get into hiking (real hiking, not walking in Canadian forests behind the community center type lol) this year and will need to get into shape for that and massive amount of stairs leading to temples :D

Kat and I officially signed up for Saturday Korean classes!!! Really excited about learning a new language and being given the opportunity to fully be immersed into it with no choice but to practice!

Oooh so we also booked for Tokyo Japan as of Tuesday, we are flying out next Friday for Chu Seouk (Korean Thanksgiving) It will be 4 days 3 nights and we are in the heart of the action: Shinjuku. I've always wanted to go to Japan and honestly never would have thought it would become true within 1 month of coming here. I'm over the moon excited and will post pics when I get back.

One of my Korean coworker's last day was today and it was sad to see her go because I felt like I connected well with her. She also helped me with my bank account and random teaching things. It was always cute to hear her say no worries in response to my millions of thank yous. I won't get into the reason she quit but it definitely makes it difficult to still respect some people at my work. I will leave it at this: It has become overtly obvious to me that Korean Labor Law and Canada's Labor Laws (which I have honestly taken for granted until now) is very different and in Korea it is hard to find compassion in normalized behaviour when it comes to treatment of "employees". May my coworker spend more amazing time with her 2 month old new born and find the right road for her and her family.

Sadly it places a dark smudge over the otherwise high respect I had towards Korean culture... 

Adjusted

This week so far has been pretty good in the sense of feeling at home. I cook and eat at home alone yet I haven't felt lonely. I'll credit that to having skype though and sometimes being able to share my meal  internationally. Love when I'm having dinner and my companions are having oatmeal.

Teaching has definitely become much more for me than just a job, I'm enjoying my time with the kids (although I might have predicted that, seeing how my closest friends and family all work with kids) much more than I thought I would. I was worried about the middle schoolers but even they are not too bad. Especially because I don't yell when they choose not to respond, maybe out of rebellion or just boredom. Instead I like to find topics they like because lets face it I can't stand boring teachers or some of the lessons I have been asked to teach. Things that honestly would not be of use to these kids and it doesn't even come with fun activities, just repitition after repitition. I'm 2 and a half weeks in and loving the process of getting to know the 80 or so students we have and its been a great experience. I feel lucky for having landed this hagwon, even if they are denying me my pension I feel that the kids I got at this school makes it worth it. *side note: this may change after a few more months of being a teacher, so don't hold me to this positive outlook!

I have yet to eat a meal out by myself but lets just do the baby steps for now. I am trying more Korean dishes and galbi (meaning ribs and not beef ribs which is pul-galbi) was a good experience, very similar to Vietnamese pork and lettuce wraps but there was onions/garlic/radishes mmm, is definitely a must try. But next time I would double up the order because its cheap for $6 but it is not all you can eat and I was a little hungry still after some beers. Overall a nice interactive eating experience, but that is standard in Korea, not often will you see a person having dinners by themselves. The quantity of an individual order is evidence enough that eating in Korea is meant to be enjoyed with companions. Kimchi Jiggae is officially my comfort food :D have failed in locating any GamJaTang (pork bone soup) apparently it is big in Busan (another city about 2 hours away from Gwang Ju) LOL can you see the drool on my face!

Joined the gym this morning for a 3 month contract: $100 000 won (roughly $33/ month) BUT it comes with hot yoga, all the classes, leg massage chairs and big clean change rooms :D so excited, it is right beside my grocery store (3 minute walk from home) and I have a gym partner, Marisa (who lives across the street from me). We will motivate each other because my plan of becoming depressed for the first few months and losing weight (not that I'm complaining) has not worked. The food is just too good and except for the first three days in that seedy dark and lonely motel I haven't felt down often. There is just too much "How I Met Your Mother" to keep me busy lol. Caught up to season 3 now and can't believe in another 3 weeks I won't have that to fill my time. Vampire Diaries next? Because I'm refusing to watch the "Big Bang Theory" JAY lol
In case you're wondering about how my Korean is coming along, I officialy started yesterday and I used several phrases today and since MOST people think I'm Korean anyway it only further pushes them to only try and communicate with me. But its fun so far, everything has gotten across one way or another and I haven't had to walk away empty handed yet.

On the plus side, got my ARC (Alien Registration Card) and Bank card today :D yay I'm officially a foriegner working in Korea lol should have my internet by this weekend or Monday, should make planning Thailand a lot easier.

K, early day tomorrow so my weekly update should end now, but definitely with a quote:
"Matthew Manzano: a thousand mile journey begins with a single step"

A flurry of a week

A flurry of a week flew by with work being hateful on Tuesday, picked up and went smoothly on Wednesday and straight down the shit hole on Thursday back up to smooth sailing on Friday lol… did I lose some of you there? Let's just say this will be a pattern for the next few weeks… challenge accepted :D My friend Kat stayed over for a few nights and it was really nice having company and great conversations. We clicked nicely and comfortably so I am grateful, even if she doesn't know it, for helping me settle in and create some routine. It definitely helped a ton!
Friday again, passed my 1 week mark without much celebration. Still don't have my internet, or back account (apparently by next Friday I should be set up for both) BUT I do have my phoneeeee or should I call it a banana lol will try to upload a picture later but this phone is about 3 inches longer than my face. But I shouldn't complain because a week and 2 days without a phone can really make you realize how much you rely on technology, if I could I would ban it and escape from technological slavery but sadly I crawled back into the comfort zone.

I instantly started the painful process of texting and adding people, lets just say Korean phones may appear in English settings but will always be Korean when you need that application that most. Instantly made my day better, and I was so grateful for my co worker Betty who helped me translate. Kicked myself in the ass for being greedy and trying to wait it out for a blackberry/iphone… not happening on a one year contract. Should have ordered the phone before arriving and it would have been here when I arrived.  Should have, would have but…. didn't!

Being downtown today was different, somehow last weekend everything was upside down to me… I kept wondering where is the directional me? This weekend things started to gel a bit better, although I have to give credit to Brad (another friend) and his "water map" that saved me the trouble of fulfilling a foreigner's worse nightmare of being lost in an unknown city without their language on hand. I hope this is a sign that the Jan I know and counted on to get me through the next year is somewhere close by… I miss my family and friends back home but it helps to see that there are a few amazing people on this side of the world. The whole door close window open cliché will have to work for this adventure!

****Little excerpt on food in Gwangju South Korea: Never buy spicy looking chicken from 7 eleven, it will turn out to be VERY spicy pig feet :s

Food is extremely cheap in Gwangju (except foreigner places… of course) kimbap (rice/veggies or tuna wrapped in salted seaweed.. not sushi) is $2 and a nice blend of flavors no matter what you put in it. It is a great quick, inexpensive snack that could be eaten on the go. It is shaped like a triangle and the rice could be white or mixed in spicy red sauce, could be bugolgi.

Bibimbap is also super cheap, $4 a stone bowl with rice topped with vegetables, seaweed, a fried egg and covered in red pepper paste. Mmm the best part is if it is done right, the crispy rice on the bottom of the bowl… no luck yet.

Mun do (chinese dumplings, japanese gyoza) are also a really good and inexpensive choice for lunch, $2.50 for 10 and they come in different variations, as well as in soup.

Korean Fried Chicken, $15 for a full meal for two and then some. We got a nice sweet sauced chicken and another plate of straight up Korean style and both were so delicious.








                                                                   MORE FOOD PICS

                                            Bugolgi Hot Dog

                                           This really good baked puff with hot custard inside :D

  

          One of the many fish ice cream sandwiches I have had, filled with red bean paste as well :D

                                           Kat and my home cooked dumplings and noodles :D

                                                       Very cute rice cake mascot lol

        Very yummy fried balls dusted in sugar (have a hard time not commenting on that girls lol)

                                           Bibimbap (dul sot- or stone bowl is definitely better!

                                                                                 LOL

                                                    Tiramisu Cheesecake @ Tom Toms

                                Kim Chi Jiggae (stew)and grilled fish. Traditional dining style :D

                                Pap Ping Su- Essentially Halo Halo with some healthier toppings

                                                       Another variation of Pap Ping Su

                                                        Fish Stew- Wish I knew the name

                                                Spicy Cheesy Chicken (again nameless lol)

Galbi- (did not realize that galbi actually means "ribs" not specifically beef ribs as Canada knows them as. Really expensive to get Pul Galbi- beef Ribs because Korean land isn't prime cow "farming" land so beef is imported from good old Canada :D This picture above and below are pork galbi. Which was still good the Korean way (eating wrapped in lettuce with grilled garlic, onions, and kim chi-only one of the many variations)

                                                         Octopus Bokeumbap (Fried Rice)

                                                                               =D
Finally the BIG one: The dish that Gwangju is most famous for- KIMCHI! Pickled cabbage, love love love it! Canada's can't even begin to do it justice, it is fresh, not bitter, not overly salted here. There is still a crisp sound when biting into the stem of the cabbage, a sour from the fresh vinegar still marinating. Not massed produced and just enough red pepper paste that gives it a bit of a kick but doesn't over power the sour distinct taste of all 3 flavors blending. Gwangju is rightfully known as the Kimchi capital of Korea. In November there is a kimchi festival..hello heartburn lol

P.S. Planning a September Thailand/Taiwan getaway… stay tuned :D

Jet lagged

Saturday was a major turning point for my appetite and sleeping habits because I moved into my apartment =D Actually that turning point actually happened Sunday because I knocked OUT on Saturday after enjoying some free internet after 4 days (which seemed quite long- especially with no phone/television either) I slept from 12pm to 1030pm before waking to a ring at my door. Luckily I somehow heard it or I would have slept my Saturday night away… instead we went to this place "nevermind", just learned the name recently and heard some awesome mix of indie music from local performers. Haven't been to one of these concerts since "walk off the earth" days (btw look them up on you tube…AWESOME!

New Beginnings

 Lemon Table




There was a good-bye dinner for Tanya  and a sort of welcome dinner for me on Thursday night @ Lemon Table, one of the only Italian restaurants in Korea. 

Go figure my first meal was hamburgers (lotteria= McDonalds style) and Italian food X_x  The food was good, better than East Side Marios :D and it was nice, but for the first half of dinner I was with one Korean teacher who spoke English and 3 who did not so it was definitely conversation... more smiling and nodding lol

I feel that my week altering night happened Friday night when I was invited to Tanya's going away, which I debated going to or not but decided I should jump at any chance not to go back to that motel. Also I realized that Tanya is quite likable, almost instantly so it was kind of sad to see her go. I ended up meeting some great people that night, definitely a few who I enjoy good times with. I'll leave that up to you to decide who "a few" might be.



We went to First Nepal (one of the only Indian places in town) lol my lamb vindaloo tasted like generic curry with pieces of questionable meat but with my appetite (non existent at this point) I wouldn't be a fair judge.








It was like I had entered a dream, where I spoke and people understood, when they spoke I didn't have to try and read their facial expressions... ENGLISH HEAVEN not that I don't want to fully immerse myself into Korean culture, I do but the past few days by that point were utterly draining! I was ready to speak in my native tongue and feel comfortably relaxed for once=I LOVE Foreigners LOL

Technology, where art thou?

Spent my first three nights in a motel, SURPRISE factor for sure but Tanya (the teacher I was replacing) was still at the apartment for the next 4 days which makes sense since everyone was waiting for my visa to come in and it arrived a week later than everyone thought!

                                                           Motel Milano =D aka Love Motel

That first night was memorable in my mind because I got to experience the low of accommodations in Korea (which made my apartment seem much nicer in comparison) and after checking me in and loading my luggage into my room we went around the neighborhood to familiarize me with my surroundings. I could have probably ate at the rest stop on the bus ride or at this point but my mind was in locked up mode (as in can't eat because I'm too busy being in denial) and I just couldn't stomach a meal. We went into a super market where I picked up Vitamin water, never had this stuff in Canada but thought it would help with me not eating and all... and my boss starts picking up three ice cream bars (red bean) he pays for them and we start eating and walking back to the motel, it was just a very nice experience that soften this Korean Man I was afraid to meet, made him human with a great family. He claimed in somewhat broken English that he absolutely LOVE ice cream, and that's when I knew we would get along fine =D

The next 2 days were a blur with the hospital health test (they check literally everything, any and all liquids that can dispense from your body will be tested and my heart, hearing and eye sight were all stops along the way. Then there was a short training day where I felt overwhelmed with the information and found out for the first time that the all "girl" school  I had heard the director say was actually NOT, he meant all girl teachers... BOOM I didn't expect to have to deal with little boys, from mischievous elementary to nasty middle schoolers... first bump in the road. (This opinion has changed since the first day, there are definitely mischievous/nasty children from both genders, but the cute and eager ones outshine the negative.

The Arrival

So I have officially been in Korea for 1 week and it has been a very longggg one. The week started off rough, the flight was actually not as bad as I thought. Watched movies during the flight and ate, couldn't sleep, cause I realized even with a neck pillow, sleeping on a plane will never EVER be comfortable. I officially respect those that fly as part of their living... LOL (<3 Nisha) and really funny experience with two Filipino ladies flying home and our synced peeing schedule during the flight... let your imagination run with that one =P
 Saw Patrick Chan on the flight (in first class) which was pretty cool, he was better looking in person because dressed down he looked more down to earth and realistic LOL stalled him for a bit when exiting customs because my customs officer didn't give me any paper to leave with lol but he was very friendly and didn't mind until I finished determining that the officer definitely did not give me any paper and the officer scoffed and told me to keep exiting?!?!? I don't understand the point of security that stands down when faced with a little mix up, if that was the case why enforce it to begin with?

Lifting the my two huge check bags and 3 carry-on items seemed daunting when I was packing and hence my down grade of 3 checked bags to two... and I was willingly forced to by my sis in law who is inarguably the best "filter" to my packing process :) Anyways I managed, with sore shoulders and a half pulled thigh muscle I got everything on a cart smoothly, then realized pushing the cart was much worse than putting them on. Uneven grounds results in triceps/bicep work out for free, especially since my bus stop was on the other side of the terminal.

The bus ride to Gwangju, Jeollanam-Do was 4 hours and I slept more than I did on my 13 and 1/2 hour flight! Was picked up by my Director and Nama (his daughter) had a really nice first impression of his family, this was probably the moment where I knew I had picked a "good one".  This is in reference to hagwons (private schools) in Korea, where apparently for every 1 decent one there are 20 horrible ones to compare with. I guarantee I got lucky because JC is a bad franchise overall and has a shit reputation but what most don't realize is that there are gazillion branches in South Korea and each branch is run by a different director, so Yang San Dong's JC was my "good" one. Of course we can compare Korea  with Western labor laws but that's like comparing "apples" who have rights and "oranges" who need money LOL

T Minus 9 hours

Freaking the fuck out! Not really, more like really sad+excited+nervous...=ya actually freaking the fuck out! LOL

Packed (crammed most of the additional clothes I found in the laundry :p) all medications I "might" possily need!

Hmm what else can I take that will prepare me... My whole life! BUT since that really isn't the point of this venture I think I will say that really isn't feasible at this moment.

Family/Friends/Hubby has been amazing so far, very supportive! Everyone except BAILEY whose snoring away next to me, butt in my face lol go figure... Will miss him a lot! In about 24 hours I will be landing in Korea...=D =S =( lol

Let this adventure begin!

P.S. There will be minimal internet/no phone for the first month so I am still alive and will continue to post about adventures I will force in Korea. Until then take care Canada and Korea brace yourself! Loud little Chinese is coming your way =D

<3 Jan
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

By Myself

I have a goal, to overcome a fear that has long been controlling my basic everyday activities. A fear of being by myself, whether with eating a meal, shopping, driving or even being on the subway. I've taken a willed step towards overcoming this. Although its a bit forced because in about 3 days I will be by myself whether I'm okay with it or not. So its not so much willed as acceptance of the situation or should I say opportunity I have provided for myself.

Two days ago I did a lot of driving on my own, normally if I'm in mississauga late I will stay at Matts and I contemplated it for a while but I decided against it, on the way home I played music from my playlist on matts iphone (my new ipod for korea) and through the 10 songs on there I felt a lot of emotions. Encouraged, determined, sad and scared through each song. Talk about music being influential lol

I can only "try" so much before the real thing hits but practice is practice I guess...
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Check List

So.... Visa was finally picked up today! YAY!!!

This little sticker in my passport that I have been working towards for the past 2 and a 1/2 months. My flight has been changed to a direct Korean Air flight :D which I am really excited about because honestly I was not looking forward to a 24 hour travelling itinerary :s so now with my 13.5 hour flight plus 4 hour bus ride i will be in my own city by about 8pm on Wednesday (7am in Toronto time :D)

So now that I have my plane tickets, Korean visa, luggage packed and passport in hand its finalized... I'M GOING TO SOUTH KOREA FOR A YEAR!!!

Lol I think I needed that for myself... I feel ready but can't help this nervous feeling of unfamiliarity... Can't help but wonder how long it will take me to adjust, find my way around, hold a conversation? Go shopping for the first time, have my first meal by myself in Korea. Also how will my first grocery trip be like, my walk to my school, my new apartment, and how will my co-workers take it me?

All this and more are both keeping me on my toes with excitement and nerve wracking fears, the feeling is more intense than a first day at work or the day of my wedding... LOL never thought anything would be as intense as our wedding day!

I think it's normal to feel this way, knowing my past history it will hit me the hardest on the plane and my first night in Korea. Hopefully my books, snacks, music and free movies on flight will keep me busy busy busy :D

So here comes my last weekend in Canada filled with family, friends and more intense stuffing of my luggage LOL

KOREA HERE I COME!!!

TICKETS BOOKED

Its Official, after 2.5 months of paper work, nerve wracking waiting for phone calls, paperwork, emails, passports, visas, tickets, interviews and a whole lot more I am booked to officially leave Canada on Tuesday August 9th 7.55am!!!

Whoa now what...

I guess more waiting until the actual day comes LOL

I was slotted to leave mid July when i first started this adventure in the beginning of June which i thought was pretty quick and now it has been delayed for almost another month I'm kind of ready to go! But like I said 1 more week...

I have packed thanks to the very determined and helpful Kathleen :) (Matt helped with gathering but Kathleen helped with the much needed filtering LOL) Along the process of packing I have discarded 15/66 pairs of shoes X_x I gave away 4 bags of clothing :D and discovered a whole lot of garbage that needed sorting! So lets just say I have been busy busy busy while waiting waiting waiting lol

Have also used the last two months to get my eating on!

Finally tried:

Kachi=YUM (still have to try the kensington market one)

Mitzi's= Expensive but the variety in their food is worth the extra

La Bruschetta= Started off well, but service lacked as the end came near- food was a saviour

Max's Chicken= The Famous Filipino Franchise held up its name for its famous fried chicken (halo halo was great too)

Grazie= Only had their pizza which was ok but heard vecchio down the street is better)

Fire on the East Side= Must try (will be back for their brunch... next year lol)

Open Cork Eatery= Cheap and Large Portions

Nandos= Spicyyyy

On a side note: Will hopefully be joining a foodie blog with a few fellow food lovers sometime soon so I'll update on that!!!

For now I will concentrate on not adding any more items to my luggage, picking up my visa, FEARING MY FIRST FLIGHT OVER 6 HOURS(17hrs), seeing the important peeps who i love veryyyyy much and will definitely miss dearly and last but not least spend huge amounts of time eating non Asian cuisine with my family and hubby =D

Biting my lips until next post...