Erin is the best.

Erin sent me homemade cookies, cheez-its, pop tarts, granola bars, mix nuts, jelly beans etc.

I could taste the butter in the cookies she made. It was amazing. I realized I haven't used butter 

in months. Everything is cooked with oil here. THANK YOU ERIN!

Text messages.

Text messages sent from my Korean friends.

Gaurd:

God bless you!
beautiful lady have a nice week.

Jinok:

hi! how r u today? I'm sleeply.

because I played with my friends 

yesterday.

Guard:

god bless you!

pretty lady-

(this was sent at 8 am)

Guard:

today is the best day 

because of you.

Guard:

flower is raining!

cherry blossom

flower rain! You could enjoy this

as running

Buddah's bday.

The dentist and face painting. I never thought they really went together, but I guess I was wrong.

They use cartoons drawings for everything.

These men are a little lost.

He was using the shell as a horn.

I like the simplicity of the white lanterns, but there were millions of colorful lanterns everywhere, too.

Silly Buddah, he is climbing a tree.

See what I mean. Cartoons are everywhere.

There was the VIP room I was looking for.

Women weeding .

People dressed up for a mock coronation at the Jongmyo Shrine.

I am starting to wear no socks and the Koreans are noticing my tattoo.

This area is known as the Cheonggyecheon Stream. There are over twenty little bridges along the walk.

Floats that were used in the parade.

That monk is rocking Nikes.

I turned down the most action I was offered in months. (The sign says free hugs if you can't read it.) I love his fake dreads.

Cars covered in lanterns at the start of the parade.

The parade starts with the Buddah's float.

At the start of this parade I positioned my self in front so I could easily take pictures. Then a group of older Korean women came up and started pushing me out of their way. I mean literally bush and shove. What you would get punched in the face for anywhere in the USA is completely acceptable here. At one point a man noticed me snapping pictures and he tried to get me to move to this space in the front. I motioned I was fine and then all of a sudden he grabbed my arm and jerked me into the space. Then moments later he came up with a chair behind me (the city put plastic lawn chairs on the streets for people to sit and watch). He tried to pull me, so I could stand on the chair. I kept saying, "Ani! Ani!", which means no.  I know he was just trying to be helpful, but Koreans are not aware of bubble space at all.

These dragons made sounds, moved, breathed fire and blew smoke. 

Buddah got a red Mercedes for his birthday. The symbol in this photo is blurry, but it  was a Mercedes. 

Dancers.

This past weekend I didn't speak to anyone besides to order food. Well, I did have two small conversations with older Korean men. The first one stopped me and asked if I was a teacher. Then he asked what the difference was between consecutive and susecitive, as well as, clothes and clothing. Then after that asked me where I was going and if I had a boyfriend. The second small comversation took place on the subway on the way home from the festival. A man mumbled something in English and I couldn't understand. Finally, I was able to figure out that he was inquiring about my nationality. He then repeated over and over agian how pretty I was. Then to impress me more he changed his vocabulary word to how attractive I was. 

Oh, myspace.

I actually miss Myspace. I can't delete it. Even though, none of my friends really use it. I prefer it over Facebook. I like that you can put music to you page and decorate it. Facebook is way more invasive, as well. I think it is funny how everyone over thirty made fun of Myspace, but now everyone and their mom (literally) is on Facebook. Whatever though. I guess the good thing about Facebook is you don't get messages like these from strange men. I received about three other ones, but I deleted them before I thought I should post them on here. I get a lot from lonely military men stationed in Korea asking me for casual sex. They are pretty hilarious. (Click on the photo and it will become larger.)

The crib.

My shower shoes. Koreans wear sandals in the bathroom and while they shower. I might take this back with me to the US. The best part bout these, is when you get out of the shower and dry off your feet are still clean. They don't pick up any random dirt. So when you put lotion on after you shower, you can put lotion on your clean feet. One of pet peeves in life is putting lotion on my feet because I feel feet are always dirty. This solves this problem. I can put socks on my feet before they actually touch any floor.

The bars on my window really make my apartment feel like and actual jail cell.

My crazy landlord barged her way into my house one day and put this used pink trash can in my bathroom to use to throw my used toilet paper in. The whole time she is ranting n Korean. I keep saying I don't understand, while she constantly is fidgeting with her waistband on her pants. I just sprayed some bleach on it and moved it all the way under my sink. I never use it, but I know if she comes back and doesn't see it, it will be the end of the world.

All of these magnets are actually take out menus left on the outside of my apartment door. I stuck them on my fridge to decorate a little

My mask and name tag hanging on a random hook left on my wall from a previous renter.

Photos on the fridge. I never use my fridge besides for a bag of dumplings I have in the freezer. I scrubbed my refrigerator with bleach and another cleaner, but I still can't get the foul smell out of it. The smell attaches itself to any food or drinks that are in there. So, I just don't use it at all.

A plant I trash picked and brought back to life.

My office. Notice my water bottle weights I use, when I work out.

Another trash picked item used to decorate my kitchen.

My cabinets stocked with seaweed.

I took the wood, bird thermometer from school, so I can tell the temperature in my apartment. My thermostat is in Celsius. I ripped some lilacs from a bush the other morning, when I was coming home from a late night. No one was around so I could take them.

I have been repurposing water bottles to organize and hold things through out my house. I also have been using the previous renters bowls to store things, as well.

I have been cutting up the previous renters quilt to use as rags. I especially use it to clean the floor almost every other day. My hair is shedding, so bad. I don't know how I am not bald.

My fourteen dollar quilt, little pillow and airplane pillow. Mike's shirt is on the corner of my bed. He gave me his dirty work shirt he wore the night I left.

Bookcase used as a shoe rack. 

Period drawer.