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.

The round food diet.

I have lost some weight being in Korea. I have been jogging and doing yoga,  but I like to attribute it to my round food diet. It seems like everything I eat is spherical in shape. Other things I constantly eat that aren't in photographs here (but are in other parts of my blog) are hotteok and mandu. They are both round, too. I am thinking of bringing this diet back with me. Everything though is starch. I really haven't ate a significant amount of vegetables or diary, since being here. Rice is everywhere in every possible form. And is something I hardly ate before I came here.

The best I can describe this as is a cookie, but I believe it is made from rice. The rice cake man gives them to me for free, when Kelly gets her rice cakes. They are delicious. They are not moist and a little chewy with a touch of sweetness.

Tteokbokki, stir fried rice cake, are sold at just about every street vendor. They are slightly spicy and have pieces of fish in it. They are soft and chewy. My description doesn't do justice to the actual texture. It is one of those things you just have to dry. Great late night, drunk food. It can all be mixed with mandu, peppers or sundae (noodles made to look like sausage). An order larger then this is just under two dollars.

These chewy, little mushrooms are everywhere. You see them in beebimbop and soups, especially.

Fun with sweet, street bread.

It looks like a banana.

I get these about three days a week, after work. This woman also sells the best mandu I ever tasted. You get three of these steamed buns filled with bean for less then a dollar. She started giving me and extra one, since I go there so frequently.

Walnut balls: Dough, walnuts and bean puree = deliciousness (especially, if you get them fresh and warm)

Also, there is a chestnut form of these. 

I love the packaging for them. I buy these from a tiny store with one woman making these all day.

Octopus balls topped with dried fish, scallions and a spicy sauce. This is possibly my favorite thing in Korea. This particular order consists of five larger balls. A lady by my house sells smaller ones. She is always there, but I prefer these. Unfortunately, the octopus man (which is what I call him), pulls his little red truck in front of the grocery store sporadically. I don't get these as often. He speaks perfect English and told me he is branching out to other locations. He was training a worker the one day, so maybe someone can be in my location more often.

Mini, spicy seafood and scallion pancakes and little mini egg omelettes. These are my own personal descriptions and not what they are actually called. I get these constantly from a woman right near my apartment. She works all day with I think a woman, who might be here mother. She is constantly mixing larger containers of kimichi. She is really nice because I am there so frequently and she usually makes sure my order is a little bit bigger.

Rice cakes are the same thing that the tteokbokki is made out of. They come in all different flavors and are sometimes filled with things, as well.

 This is Tteokbokki with hard boiled egg, noodles and fish. Also, kimpob is on the left. My Korean friend, Jinok, took me to this little restaurant. Our meal cost less the six dollars for all this food.

Korean hairstyles.

The little girls come to school with some of the craziest, time consuming hairstyles. Usually, they are kept together by a million bows, rubber bands, colorful barrettes and etc. This side pony tail caught my eye today. 

Pros and cons.

Truth be told, I am kind of torn about leaving here. I am really homesick and miss my life. I really had a great life. Friends, boyfriend, a nice apartment and always something to do. Now I am alone a lot and always in my head. So maybe if you read my lists, you can give me some insight on your opinions. Right now I am trying to make it to November. I want to do a lot of traveling, but  monetarily it is hard. I make next to nothing here. I didn't do this for the money, but for the experience. Over the past couple years from freelancing graphic work and restaurant work I was making between $45,000 and $60,000 a year. Now I am down to $18,000 with even more bills (I hate school loans). I defiantly want to go to Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Thailand before I leave, though. However though I really, really want to go to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, while I am here. The only way I can feasibly do that is to stay longer, but I don't want to be depressed and miserable either. When the other English teacher leaves in July, I am worried I am going to be really alone.

First list are reasons I want to leave:

1. My bosses are liars and have cheated me out of money and do not honor everything in my contract (I got screwed out of vacation days).

2. My gas bill is split between all the tenants on the floor I am on (it is a Korean thing). I really don't use it, but it is always a high bill.

3. Korean clean (everything is wiped, but not really disinfected).

4. Mean Korean teachers.

5. Stupid expats (American guys on the search for Korean women, religious losers and dorks that now think they are amazing because they are in the land of misfits).

6. Korean whores all over ever foreigners.

7. No confrontation (sounds like a good thing until you are being avoided by your boss at all cost, so he doesn't have to tell you where your money is).

8. friends (and everything that encompasses: drinking, dinner, talking coffee, pictures, etc.)

9.  food (restaurants, specific available foods, coffee, etc.) also I am getting tired of the food options here

10. Mike (and everything we do that I won't list like pho, squeezes, sleeping, going out to eat, ritz milkshakes, etc.)

11. going out to eat 

12. Olive and the other dogs

13. beach

14. the feeling of summer

15. casual American style

16. family

17. working in a restaurant (language, energy and cash)

18. not being able to interview for graphic jobs)

19. the amount of time I am alone here and in my head

20. can't really be myself (I can't talk about things or do things that I do in America with my Korean friends, they just wouldn't get it cause of cultural differences)

21. North Korea

22. generally missing my life (my friends keep telling me I am not missing anything, but I am)

23. homesickness

24. the American movies they show in Korea are Harry Potter, anything with Mel Gibson, Will Smith, Steven Segal, Jean Claude Van Dam or Milla Jovovich)

25. American TV (Gossip Girls, Grey's Anatomy, all the CSI's and the Hills) I really only watch House, Sex & the City and the Simpsons (but if course they are all on at odd times or really late)

26. I figured out a lot of things I want to get done, when I get home and I am just waiting to start them

27. I just generally feel like I am waiting to go home 

28. the schools food

29. I have no real breaks anymore at school and talk for hours straight

30. I get stared at, when I jog

31. the school is completely unorganized

32. not really talking to anyone for days

33. not being able to make my full student loan payment (I had to reduce the amount I pay)

34. the ever fluctuating won (Korean currency)

35. the only people I really like here are leaving soon

36. being paid late and never the correct amount

37. the shower/ bathroom combo

38. small apartment/ jail cell

39. smelly refrigerator I can't get clean

40. there are no bars, just restaurants and clubs

41. feeling like I am always under dressed

42. gma

Reasons to stay:

1. traveling

2. being alone and able to do all the stuff I never had time for (reading, working on my portfolio, drawing, etc)

3. teaching (I like the kids)

4. a guaranteed job

5. the local food

6. seeing new things all the time

7. meeting a few cool people here and there

8. being outside my element

9. the experience as a whole

10. being even more independent

11. learning to live simply

12. learning to live on a budget

13. inexpensive to live here (food, traveling, site seeing)

14. hair removal

15. packaging, art and design

16. going to clubs (something I never wanted to do again)

17. can really do whatever 

18. can talk about anything, anywhere in English cause no one really understands you

19. Korean teenagers calling you beautiful American

20. Korean pop music

21. Korean style (everyone dresses up here, people really wear jeans because they take so much pride in their appearance)

22. Korean friends

23. blogging

24. talking to people I haven't talk to in forever

25. stories

26. people keep telling me they are so proud of me for being here, which I kind of find ridiculous, but I think people

are kind of vicariously living through me for this experience

Poo and more.

Today I noticed during class that one of my little girls kept running to the bathroom and asking me for toilet paper (teachers hand out the toilet paper). I had her for an after school class, as well. When I walked in the classroom she was standing by the teacher's desk wiping her leg with toilet paper. There were kids running around from the previous and current class, yet to start, and the other English teacher was in the room. We were conversating about school, when we both smelled the odor of poo. We thought it was one of the gaseous kids, but I then saw the little girl put dirty toilet paper on the teacher's desk, after wiping her leg. We both looked in horror and I became slightly nauseous, when we realized it was shit not gas. She wasn't going to take care of it, so I had to clean up the little girl. I took her to the bathroom and began wiping the shit off her. It was pretty gross. I have never even changed a dirty diaper. After awhile though, it didn't even bother me. I think it brought out maternal instincts in me. It's kind of like when I got a dog and then realized I was going to have to pick her shit up off the sidewalk. Now shit is just shit.

Shit though is a reoccurring theme at my work. Both the literal and metaphorical form. The amount of shit I put up with some of the mean Korean teachers and my horrible boss and the amount of shit I see. Like in the photo below is a typical trash can in a Korean bathroom. Full of shitty toilet paper.

This photo is great, too. I sat down to pee and turned to my right and noticed fecal smears on the bathroom wall. They have been there nearly three weeks and they will probably always be there.

Various other school things:

Sometimes I play with the kids toys, when I am bored.

Great English grammar printed in the work books I use.

Since I have been at school (just less the three months) six Korean teachers have left because my school sucks. We have a piano room, but unfortunately the piano teacher is one of the instructors that left. She was the worst though. Her room was filthy and I barely heard any music coming from the room. Inside the room There are smaller closet like rooms with pianos. The one below is the cleanest and gets the most light. When I do have a break, I go there to read, sleep and generally just escape from everyone.

This is Author. He is a sweet little boy. I don't have him in any classes anymore, but I always past him, when he is leaving the bathroom. He always runs out with his pants undone just to say hello to me.

Funny kid's names (the Korean teachers name them):

Gisele

Pinky

Adjella

Den

Minky

Brain (they all pronounce it Brian)

Nicole (for a boy and I told them it is a girl's name and they didn't change it)

Nikita (who is a gorgeous little girl)

Luna

Ziki (a boy)

Berry

Cherry

Hera

Neison

Roy

Risa

Sammay

Rookie