Happy Halloween!!

So today is Halloween and what am I dressed as? My favorite person...AviElle' Domoni! Gosh I Love Her! LOL! I suggested that Kory be Barak Obama and I'll be Michelle handling some international affairs in Korea, but he didn't seem to be feeling it. I also heard that my brother is no longer dressing up because Halloween is a Pagan's holiday... WHAT 10 YEAR OLD SAYS THAT?? I think he's being brained washed by his school.
I'm at school right now. I was gonna blog when I got home, but I might go out tonight, and I couldn't keep you waiting.
My thumb is ugh. It throbs every now and then but I just take some Motrin800 and go to LaLa land. I get my stitches taken out on Monday. (They are Hampton Blue, so in a way, I've been "Rocking the Blue and White.") I just hope it doesn't hurt. And I'm glad many of you found my last entry of pain hilarious...I'm glad my thumb hanging off brought tears to your eyes (Mommie...). Maybe next week I'll try to break my leg. Will that leave you rolling on the floor?
Here is something for you. I was in the subway and was walking up the escalator (this is before the thumb incident) and fell. Only I fall walking up the darn steps... I jumped up really quick and power walked my butt outta there. I know everyone saw, but I didn't want to give them time to actually look in my face. I just didn't want to see their smirks cause I may have felt compelled to give them a few choice words.
The last half of the week has been iBT test for the students. I'm glad because I really don't do anything except for proctor the exam and grade their writing and listening. Yea...I grade half of their test. Some of them are wishing that they were a little more nicer and less of the little jerks and A**Holes that has made me despise them (My Tues/Thurs class). Although cussing at them in Spanish has helped a little. And by the look on my face, they know what I'm saying isn't "Oh Franky you're such a great kid." They know its something bad, they just don't know what it is.
I've been trying to find a place where I can go to get my hair done since I can't do it myself for the time being. But it seems as though no one here can answer that simple question. It's not like I'm saying "Hey, where can I find some weed?" So, if you're are reading this blog, and are currently or have been in South Korea recently and know of a place where I can go to get my "ethnic" hair done, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
The Homecoming Bazaar at Hampton is today. I love the Bazaar. I can always get me some fried fish, rice and beans, and plantains (all Caribbean style) and wash it down with a huge lemonade (gosh do I love food). I told Kory to get me some, and he said he would, but will he really no! He's not gonna put it in his freezer and bring it when he comes. So I'll just have to wait until Homecoming 2009 to enjoy it again. By the way, does anyone know where I can find plantains in Korea? I'm sure I can't but maybe I'll just plant a tree and wait.
Don't forget to vote on Tuesday! This is the most important election you may ever participate in and I don't wanna come hunt you down like a rabid dog because you couldn't get off your booty and walk down the street (cause I'm sure it's no farther than that) and cast your ballot. And I am so serious...I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN!
So I put my jeans on this morning and they felt a little tight. These ones have always been tight, but it just reminded me that I CANNOT gain weight while I'm here cause where the H*** am I gonna find clothes that fit. Maybe a shirt here or there, but pants, jeans, and skirts...IMPOSSIBLE! So I will have to turn away from one of my best friends for awhile. So long tasty and delicious food. How i will miss thee.
So I gotta go and give these children this test and watch the panic on their faces. Call me mean, but I think I'm enjoying it...Yea, I am mean. But I am such a nice person...LOL.
Until Next Time!

A BIG Boo Boo and Day 50!!

So, I went to Seoul Global Center to get a new cell phone on Thursday and I didn't have any problems which was great. So my phone is replaced but I'm still looking for my bracelet :(

Friday was pretty much uneventful. I woke up. Ate. Went to school. Came home. Ate. Went to bed...Exciting isn't it.

I woke up Saturday morning and talked to Mommie and Kory. I decided that I was gonna have a bagel for breakfast. I've been keeping my bagels in the freezer so they won't go bad. I've learned from my mistakes :)

So I'm cutting away with this really sharp knife that I bought (can you tell where this is going?) and I put some UMPH in it to get the job done, and all of the sudden, I jump and grab my thumb. I look down and I see no blood, so I figured I just scraped my thumb...WRONG! I opened my hand, and there was a pool of blood that had already began to drip on the floor. My body went into shock. I grabbed my washcloth out of the bathroom to wrap my thumb in and I look at my wound and I can see inside my thumb!!! Now you all know how dramatic I can be, but I knew I had to pull it together since I was by myself and would need some help.

I immediately called Mommie and told her what happened and to call Kory cause he would wonder why I didn't respond to his ims. Mommie told me to call my supervisor and I figured I would need to get to a hospital. After repeated calls to my supervisor without any answer (go figure), I threw on my hoodie and some sneakers, grabbed my purse and my passport and ran out my dungeon to the police station. Luckily on my way there, I was able to flag down a policeman. When I figured out that "help" was not one of those international words that I believe should be the same in every language, I showed him my goodies wrapped in the wash cloth. Yea, he figured out that *ISH really fast.

He told me to get in the car and he would take me to the hospital. Now, mind you, this is a clearly marked police car with all the bells and whistles and he has an emergency case in his passenger seat, but does this fool (pardon my language but there is no other word) use them or bus through traffic??? H*** NO!!!! (And let me tell you, in this city, traffic lights are just a suggestion. That red light up there, that doesn't mean stop, that's just some decorations that the city put up. And I'm so serious. But that's another entry for another day) He has the nerve to do just under the speed limit and wait at the lights! "Umm... excuse me Mr Police Officer, you may not have realized, but my F'n thumb is hanging by a vein!!! No rush, just thought I would give you a heads up!!!"

The one thing he did ask me during our 5 minute (which felt like 50 minutes) ride was "Do you have 'the' money?" WTF!!??! Are you kidding me??! Screw money and get me to the hospital! He got me to the hospital and dropped me off at the door. "Thank you..."

I walk inside and remembering that the people inside might not understand help, I once again revealed my goodies, and by this time, more than blood was coming out. Lovely isn't it. They asked for my cell number (yea, cause you're really gonna call me...) and my ARC card, then a security officer took me to the emergency trauma area. All the while, Mommie and Kory are calling me back to back, but I would have rathered them been with me. I sat down and waited for someone to help me and about three minutes goes by and not a person has shown interest. I was talking to Mommie and I guess the adrenaline began to wear off because the tears started running and I felt like I was gonna die. I wait til I'm in a foreign country to decide that I want to have an emergency situation. Good job AviEllé!

A guess someone noticed my tears because a nurse came over and spoke to me in Korean. After the blank stare I gave her, she realized that that wasn't gonna work and tried some English. Jackpot!! Now you got me. I showed her my thumb and told her what happened. After she asked me if I had money (F money, just put my thumb back together!!), she called a doctor over. Luckily, he too spoke English and began to ask me some questions. I told him I could feel my thumb and attempted to move it for him.

They went away and about five minutes later (and more worried calls from Mommie and Kory in which I told them that I wanted to come home. wouldn't you? but of course out of all the times Kory tells me he wants me to come home, he tells me that I should stay. UGH), the nurse came back with two needles. She tells me one is for Tetanus and the other is for Diphtheria. She walks me behind a curtain and tells me she's gonna inject them into my butt. We'll *AMN! Can I at least know your name before I show you what my momma gave me?? Guess not. I gave her a little hunk of my booty cheek (LOL now, but then, it was far from funny) and she tapped it and stuck it with the first needle (thankfully I didn't have a panic attack because they might have transferred me to the mental ward). After the first needle, she starts to jiggle my booty around. I don't think it was for medical reasons, I think she was just amazed about the size of my "junk in the trunk." She gave me the second needle and proceeded to jiggle it again. I was beginning to feel exploited but the excruciating pain radiating from my thumb didn't allow me voice my concerns. After she played "jiggle it," she told me to have a seat and up walks the doctor. He takes me into the trauma room and has me lay down on a gurney (SP). He told me that he was gonna give me some anesthesia and then stitch me up.

He stuck my thumb five times before I had no feeling in it. He told me to relax but who the H*** can relax in a situation like this??! I decided to focus my attention on something other than him threading me up like he was fixing sock with a hole in it. Unfortunately, where do I focus my attention to?? The dirty A** floors. Now every hospital I have been in, the floors are always clean. Well not here. UGH! It just grossed me out. And I began to wonder if I got those shots to ward off infection from my cut or their facilities. About 15 minutes and 6-8 stitches later, the pool of blood on the gurney (sp) stopped getting bigger and my thumb was all closed up.

After I was done, the doctor informed me that I was going to have to come back in two days so that they could change the dressing, and to see if I had caused any damage to my nerves.

I was escorted to where I had to pay... and since my school is F'n around with my insurance, I don't have any and had to pay out of pocket. The bill wasn't too bad. 110,245 won. And that included my antibiotics. Thank you Jesus that I had the money or I (or should I say the hospital) would have been SOL.

I paid and got my medicine and caught the bus home. The total time of me being there was about an hour. If I was in the states, I would still be waiting...

I went home and got dressed (pretty hard with one hand) and went to work. I politely told my supervisor off after she informed me that she saw the missed calls, but since she didn't know who was calling, she didn't answer or call back...B****! Gimme my D*** insurance! She told me she already put in for it and it'll take 1-2 weeks.

The last hour of class, the anesthesia wore off and I wanted to pass out on the floor. I made it through and Andrea and I went to get something to eat. I took some Motrin that she gave me and was soon in LaLa Land. I went home and waited for Christina to call me because we were supposed to go to a Halloween Party. She called me a couple hours later and I was off to Sinchon.

I described my horrible week to them in which in turn they gave me their sympathies and we headed to the party. When we got there, it reminded me of a house party at HU, but there was no dancing, and no decent spirits.

We decided to go to a lounge that some foreigners recommended and Andrea met us there since she lives in the area. We met some really nice people and I met a girl from Philly who went to the same college my Best Friend went to. What a small world! After a long day and a couple weirdos trying to hit on me (don't worry Kory, I only have eyes for you!) I took a cab home so I could see Hampton play South Carolina. Don't ask about the game...

*Christina and Kara at London Pub (Kara dressed up as the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom... Your potential VP!! I thought it was funny*

*Kara, Andrea and our new buddy Jason from Canada. He's really cool*

*CHEESE*I went to bed around 6am and woke up at 11:30. I had plans to go out with the girls again today. We were gonna go shopping in Dongdaemun. After an hour and a half of me showering and getting dressed with one hand, I finally left and met Christina at the subway. We got to the station and met Andrea and Erica (an American we met last week while in the French Village).

*A picture from last week. What we saw after our unexpected hike up the mountain*
We or shall I say Andrea did some shopping, we went and got something to eat and did a little more shopping. I bought a cute navy blue sweater. Seeing as though everything was "one size fits all" I was pretty happy.

*Me eating a pastry shaped like a fish which was filled with sweet bean paste... Not a good idea*5:44 pm began my 50th day here in Korea! Can you believe it? I have stuck it out for 50 days despite all of the drama and mishaps. I have approximately 315 days left! Do you think I can make it? We shall see.

This week is IBT testing for the kids at school. This test, along with their grades, decides if they will move to the next level or stay where they are. I don't need a test to tell me which kids should move up. I'm sure half my kids will be remaining where they are because they are either truly unintelligent or lazy as H*** and moving up is nowhere in their immediate future. I have to go back to the hospital tomorrow at 10am and seeing as though it takes me forever to get dressed, I need to be going to bed. Please pray for me because I really need it. Also keep my grandma in your prayers and Jennifer Hudson. My deepest sympathies go out to her and he family as they deal with the loss of her mother and brother. When is all of this violence gonna end? It really makes you think how little some people value life. Make sure you take nothing for granted and thank God for everything you have every day.

Until Next Time!

HAPPY HOMECOMING HAMPTON!!

So this upcoming week is Hampton's Homecoming (My Alma Mater!). Although Hampton is not known for the best Homecomings, they are our Homecomings, and we enjoy them none the less. I remember this time last year, I was running around making sure I got tickets for my family that was coming to celebrate my last Homecoming at HU and getting food so I could make a grand Sunday dinner.

This is my first Homecoming as an Alumna, and I'm missing it, but I look forward to hearing about the parties, the cabs that got shut down, the football game, comedy show, the concerts, the step show and the overall foolishness that goes down during Homecoming week. LOL. And God willing, I will be there next year.
As much as I may have complained about HU, I love it to death and I wouldn't have went anywhere else :)

*Homecoming Game Sophomore Year 2005-2006*

*Homecoming "Q" Cab Sophomore Year 2005-2006**"Q" Cab Cont.*

"Homecoming (Chillin in the Student Center) Junior Year 2006-2007*

*Homecoming Game (sitting on the side of the field) Junior Year 2006-2007*

*After the Game Junior Year 2006-2007*

*Homecoming Masquerade Cab Junior Year 2006-2007*

*Homecoming Masquerade 2006-2007*

*Homecoming Game Senior Year 2007-2008*

If you didn't notice, you never go anywhere without your Hampton "Hata Blockaz." They are a MUST! (And I have no idea where my pictures from Senior Year homecoming are... Imma bout to go on a massive hunt.) I could go on and on about the randomness that I have learned at Hampton and being 8,000+ miles away just makes me miss those random times even more. But I will make many memories while I'm here in Korea.

To my fellow classmates (the class of 2008), ONYX VII, enjoy our first Alumni Homecoming. Do it up BIG! HAPPY HOMECOMING HU!! (Can you tell that I really really really miss my school??)

Until Next Time!

Just One Of Those Days

So I woke up today, and it was just a regular old day. I talked to Mommie and Kory, had breakfast and got dressed. I had plans to help Andrea get her cell phone so I had to leave early. I went to the jewelry store first to see if I could get my bracelet that Kory bought me fixed. So I went in and as soon as I showed him my bracelet he said no. I didn't even get to say a word...Whatever!! So I just turned around and left. I didn't have time for uncooperative people. So I went to the bus stop and waited for the bus. When I got on, I sat down and attempted to fix my bracelet and I thought I did a pretty good job. I tugged at it and it didn't budge. So I did the stupidest thing that I could think of... I put it on. Why I did that, I will never know, because about 30 minutes later when I met up with Andrea, it was gone. I had only went into 2 stores so went backed and looked for it but didn't see it (and while I'm looking, it started to rain and of coarse I have no umbrella). It must have fallen on the bus. I felt and still feel sick. That was the first thing Kory ever bought me, and I always got compliments on it. And now because I didn't want to wait to find someone who could fix it, it's gone. I have that same feeling I had when my stuff got stolen last year :(. I called Kory right away and told him what happened. He kept saying it was ok, but it really isn't.

Andrea and I got on the subway and went to the Seoul Global Center (where I got my phone). It was so easy and stress free and cheap (a brand new phone for 10,000 won. you can't beat that), she wanted to do the same. We went in, she picked the contract, paid for her phone, and was out in about 30 minutes. We went back to the subway and I went back to the stores I had been in earlier to check again for my bracelet. Still no sign of it and I still felt sick. So I got on he bus and she went back home because she only had her 7-10 class and I only had my 4-7 class. After about five minutes into the bus ride, the traffic is ridiculous and even though I left in enough time, I was gonna be late for work. UGH!! This awful day just went on. I got to work 10 minutes late which wasn't bad and I dumped everything out on my desk hoping that maybe my bracelet was in my bag. NOPE. I'm gonna have to accept that it's really gone. I week after my anniversary I decide to lose my bracelet...

MISSING

PINK & SILVER TENNIS BRACELET

(LARGE PINK STONES FOR THE "O's" & SIX SMALL STONES THAT MAKE UP EACH "X")

IN A SILVER SETTING

CLASP IS A PUSH AND CLIP

IF FOUND PLEASE CONTACT AviD

If you're in Seoul and you see anyone with this bracelet. STOP THEM! They know D*** well it isn't theirs!

I did get a computer in my classroom though :/
After class was over, I had plans to meet Christina for dinner. We went to an Indian restaurant which isn't far from either one of us. Kind of the central point. Her coworker John was there too and we had some good conversation. I took the bus home (yes the bus! I'll talk about that a little further down) and decided to do some laundry. I took my jeans off and threw them in the washer with the rest of my stuff started it up and called Mommie. Well, about 20 minutes into our conversation, I hear this clunk in the machine. I stop it and what do I find?? MY CELL PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!! You've got to be kidding me!!!!!!!!!!! Out of all the years I've had a phone I've never!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was just the continuance of my delightful day!! And the "I wanna throw up" feeling got even worse.
So besides this horrible day, things have been going well. I found out why the bus never stopped in front of my house a couple weeks ago. There was construction being done and the street that the bus comes down was closed (I found this out when I had some time on my hands and decided to try the bus again). I took it this evening and I made it home so the construction is over and I can take it from now on without any problems.
I think my school is trying to pull one over on me. They're telling me that if I decide to take insurance (which is obligatory per my contract) all will have to pay taxes up the wahzoo so I don't need to get insurance nor do I need to pay into the Korean pension. Now everyone that I have spoken to and the research that my mother has done says that it is mandatory for EVERYONE to pay into the Korean pension. So what they are talking about, who the H*** knows. But let the Korean IRS or Immigration try and come after me. My hagwon, as well as Seoul will get turned the H*** out. But hopefully, everything will get settled before things get ugly.
This past weekend was good. I went to dinner with Andrea Saturday night. We went to a Chinese Restaurant and after about 30 minutes of the waitress' lack of English speaking and understanding, we received all of the dishes we ordered. Geesh! Sunday, I went to brunch with Christina and Kara and then we hiked up a mountain. YES! I hiked up a friggin mountain with jeans and Pumas on. I definitely don't recommend it. By the time we got to the top, I felt like Fat Albert after running a block behind an ice cream truck. I was wheezing all over the place and guess where my inhaler is??... SOUTH JERSEY! An asthmatic without her inhaler... Great. But I was fine after a while. I think I'm growing out of the whole asthma thing...hopefully. The whole hiking thing brought back bad memories of camp. If you ask my former campers and students, they will all tell you I HATE THE WOODS! I resident camp counselor who hate trees...yea, that makes sense. But they all found it hilarious. I actually miss a lot of my campers.
I'm sorry if this entry wasn't as comical as the others. Just not in the "comedian" mood today. I'm going to go and read a book and then call it a night.

Oh. And before I forget, I want to give a shout out to all of my internationa and US readers (the people that I don't know)!! I hope you all are enjoying my "Seoul Happenings!"
Until Next Time

Welcome Back World!

So this week has been pretty good. I got my diploma back, and my classes went well (except for you know when). Christina and I went to look for cellphones on Wednesday but there was such a big language barrier, we just left frustrated and phone-less.
I still don't have a computer in my classroom, but I did take some pictures of it to show you what it looks like.

I told you it was small. But it's good for me. I can say "My classroom." I also took some pictures of my EC3 class (yea, one of my classes who wants to blow up Japan, do away with Lee Myung-bak and also Bushy (as they call him).

*Them being nosey. Someone was getting yelled at in the hallway**My chicken lover, Pi, drawing you guessed it...a chicken on the board*

I've also been eating quite well. My trips to E-mart and Costco have left me happy. Mommy also sent me brown rice, flavored rice, and tasty kakes so I'm in hog heaven!

Wednesday was my anniversary with Kory. It was really hard being away and there was a problem with communication, but it was worked out. The day was good. We had bagels for breakfast and penne pasta for dinner. I got dressed up and curled my hair. Kory also got my present and he seemed to really like it so I'm happy.

Christina and I decided to give looking for a cell phone another try (3rd times a charm)... and we got them! Yes, I am an official member of LGTelecom (LG...Life's Good!). And my phone only cost 10,000 won, which is about 7 USD. And it's a new phone. I bought a phone number on skype so everyone at home, to call me you won't have to pay the international fee. Just call my skype number and it will be like you're calling me in NJ. I am officially reconnected to the Cell Phone Community! I missed you all.

My grandma is a little sick so please pray for her. She'll be ok, but I don't like it when someone is sick, and now that I'm on the other side of the world and can't do anything, I really don't like it. I'm just glad that she'll be fine.

I went to look for somewhere to take Korean classes but so far, classes have already started and I won't be able to join a class until January. But Christina is taking one so whatever she learns she will pass on to me. I definately need to know how to say more than "thank you." But a good thing is that there is an English-Korean translator on my cell phone. So I will be using that quite often.

I performed my civic duty today! I received my absentee ballot in the mail on Tuesday. Because I am in an Asian country, I was able to FedEx my ballot back for free!! Now, don't ask me what an Asian country has to do with American voting...I don't know. It was free and the Board of Elections will have it tomorrow. So who cares!? I also watched the last presidential debate Thursday morning. I'm very happy that Obama didn't talk about past administration, just about his plans which was good. And I dunno, maybe I'm being biased, but McCain can't hear. Every time Obama answered a claim he made, he would respond as if Obama never spoke on the topic. And this is who some people want for president?? An old fogy who needs to change his hearing aid battery? (And please, I am not dissing people with hearing aids, I need one at times)

Him and his pit bull need to go enter the Kentucky Derby because all they're good for is running their mouth.

Anyway... I know I've been jumping from one thing to the other in this entry. I've been having a little trouble focusing lately. I figure I just need a little more sleep.

I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you very much. I'm bout to go eat and watch some Gilmore Girls.

Until Next Time!

HAPPT 1ST ANNIVERSARY!!

So today is Kory and I's first anniversary!! So sorry readers, this entry is only for one person...

Happy Anniversary my Sweet Love!
For you, I thank the Lord above
You’ve given me hope, inspiration and truth
Because of you I feel never-ending youth
When heavy storms have come our way
Your love has always made me stay
Each morning I wish I could see your face
I know in you, I’ve found my place
Our bond is extraordinary, beautiful, and real
It’s remarkable how wonderful you make me feel
We belong together, you and I
That, the world cannot deny
Never in my life will I find another guy
Who could ever fulfill me the way you can
The times we’ve shared this past year
Has proved forever it shall persevere
I will love you forever in every way
That will remain constant until my dying day.



Happy First Anniversary Kory!!
It's the First of Many <3

<3one>

My Weekend

So this weekend went pretty well. I went to school on Saturday and then met up with Christina later on that evening. We went to Itaewon to have dinner and look for cell phones. We ate at a Thai restaurant and I had red curry with beef. I Love Curry! I love spicy food so me and curry go hand and hand. Let me stop... I LOVE FOOD. PERIOD! Food and I have always been very close.
We decided to get a prepaid phone instead of a phone plan, so after dinner we went looking. I guess we went too late because there was only one store open. He had a lot of used phones, but he wanted 180,000 thousand won!! Not for a USED phone. So we are going to go to the techno mart Wednesday morning and hopefully we have better luck.
I went to E-mart this morning to do a little food shopping. It was a lot less chaotic and I was able to find what I wanted without people running over my heels and being pushed and shoved every which way. I found the right kind of pasta this time so hopefully, I want have a glob of yuck on my plate again and I also found 'Pasta Sauce." I also got some steak, rotisserie chicken, and snacks and things.
After I came, home and put my groceries away, I went and met up with Andrea. We went to lunch at On The Border (yea, I came to Korea to go to a Mexican restaurant...) and I must say I was actually full when we were done. The we went to Costco. There are some things there that I can't find at E-mart. I got hash browns, muffins, stuffed pasta, and chicken fingers.
After we finished our shopping (which was a lot more chaotic than my morning), I decided to take the bus home. Someone at the store told me that I could catch the bus and go right home and since I had a little bit of stuff, it sounded like a good idea. Andrea caught a cab and I headed for the bus stop. Well, every time my bus came and I told them the stop (in Korean mind you), they would shake their head and tell me no. That should have been a sign for me to walk my butt back to the train station and take the subway, but I was convinced that I was gonna learn how to navigate the bus system. While looking at the map, I noticed that another bus that serviced the stop went to my neighborhood so I decided to get on that. The bus came and I got on and about four stops later, things weren't looking right. I saw a huge mountain in front of me and I had crossed the Han River. Now, I know I live by a lot of mountains, but that one just didn't look familiar, and I live on the other side of the Han...Da Da DAAAA!!!! I'M GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!!! I ended up back by Andrea's house (where we went for lunch)! I was quite upset, but I didn't let it get to me. The man at Costco took me to the bus stop and told me to get on the bus there...WRONG...I needed to be across the street. So I just got off the bus and took the subway. I KNOW how to get home from the subway. So as a result, I am through with the Seoul bus system. Two bad encounters is enough to tell me that I need to stick with what I know...the subway.
So I made it home, reorganized my refrigerator so everything would fit and started to wash my hair. I love the feeling of clean hair. So I washed it, combed it out and talked to Mommie. I decided to blow dry it and call her back. So I plug my blow dryer into my converter and set it on high (what I normally do because my hair is so thick), but high was sounding and feeling like low. I tried adjusting the settings and still it wasn't working right. I just figured it would take me a little longer to get the job done, but I would manage. NOT!! Next thing I know, my dryer blows out and my converter started smoking...The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire! We don't need no water let the M'nFer burn! Burn Burn! Burn baby burn...OK, I'm back (LOL). Yea, so that's two converters gone. And of coarse they are the ones that I paid 13,000 won a piece for. So now, I am sitting here letting my hair air dry and it is just poofing up. I look like a poodle...
So what did you think of the VP and Presidential debates?? I wish I was in school. Being a poli sci major, any election can be very exciting. I just want to be able to discuss politics and what not but I haven't found a buddy for that yet. Still looking. But that Palin... she can't seem to answer a question! 'Question: Gov Palin, what do you think of alternative ways of energy? Answer: Well, being the governor of a great energy producing state, I just love to drill for oil. DRILL BABY DRILL! And I love this country. And the Maverick, Senator McCain, is such a great man and I can't wait to be VP of this great nation. And I wanna give a shout out to all my Hill Billy friends. And if I don't like you, you will be fired! Thank you. Audience: WTF??!!!?' And this is who the Republicans put their faith in?? I'm sorry, but I think I would prefer Shamu... but that's just my opinion. Really though, IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE!!! GO OBIDEN!! And my kids feel the same way. Maybe I can finagle a way to get them some ballots...any suggestions?
I would love to keep writing but I need to figure out something to do with this Diana Ross doo I have going on... man I miss Shavanni!! Anyone wanna come do my hair? I give you a couple thousand won!
Until Next Time!

What A Week!

I know this entry comes very late but I've been really busy and haven't had adequate time to write an entry that would make you proud.
So the last time I wrote I told you about my demon children from H***. Well, when I went to school, i looked at the class list and they had cut my class in half. I was so thrilled, but I noticed I had one of the worst MFers in the class and one other like jerk. I also had the majority of the girls. And you know how preteen/early teenage girls can be. (its the same in every country). But whatever, the class was half the size and with only two really bad kids, it wasn't going to be too bad. And it wasn't.
Saturday I went out with Christina and Kara (another girl from training). We went to Itaewon and found this little French restaurant. Christina and I shared a couples meal...Soup, bread, salad, appetizer (salmon), salami pizza, pasta, sorbet, and then our main course (that's right we didn't even have the main dish yet!) muro steak something or another. Now we both thought it was beef. Something should have told me otherwise when they asked Kara how she wanted her NY Strip steak cooked and didn't glance our away. I was so preoccupied with all the food. If you don't know, I LOVE FOOD! But anyway, it turned out that our Muro steak was actually fish. Whatever, I didn't care. At least it wasn't chicken!! We also had a glass of wine with our meal. After we finished the main course, we had dessert, creme brulet (I know I can't spell so I don't need you to point it out), and our choice of hot or iced coffee or green tea. And the grand total for this dinner...$42,000 won (21,000 each so about 19 USD)! Yea, so you know my greedy self will be going back!
After dinner, we met up with one ok Kara's Korean friends (and two of his friends) that she was teaching English to. We went to an American bar and I had a strawberry banana daiquiri. I saw someone order french fries and I promise you they were calling my name...Avi, Avi, Avi (or maybe that was my conscience telling me not to eat another D*** thing). I couldn't help it. They looked so good. And if you know me, I love french fries. I think that was probably the only thing I ever ate in the cafe in high school and college... that and ice cream. So what did greedy Avi do??? That's right I ordered those french fries. OMG They were delicious!
So after we talked and watched the Korean people dance to Ja Rule and other Hip Hop music (that in itself was hilarious) Christina, Kara and I left because we didn't want to miss the last subway train. On our way to the station what did greedy Avi see??? COLDSTONE! Yup, I went and got some ice cream. I need to be shamed. The amount of food I consumed was ridiculous (but in my defense, none of it was American portions. Go to a restaurant in the States and cut the dinner plate in half. that's about how much I had).
So after our stop at Coldstone, we went to the subway and Kara accidentally got on the wrong train! We were supposed to be on that train and she was supposed to be on the train going in the opposite direction...OOPPS! I did find out she made it home safely thank goodness.
I hurried home because I was looking forward to watching the HU vs DSU game on the internet. Yea, Hampton is supposed to be on there ISH. But I was thinking that it was 1pm at home but it was actually 11am. so I had two hours to sit up and wait for the game to start so I prepped my lessons for Mon-Wed. And then came time for the game... I thought Hampton had its ISH together but clearly I was mistaken. Why would they change now?? They were having some technical difficulties but promised to have them worked out for the next away game on Oct. 25. FU Hampton! Not really though. I love my Alma Mater. So what did I do instead? I watched the scoreboard on ESPNU.com. It wasn't much, but I was getting real time updates. Around 6:45am my time, Hampton had one the game 17-14. It was way too close if you ask me, but hey they won so I was happy.
Sunday, I went to E-mart with Andrea. I was so excited because I was going to get food other than chicken! We caught the bus outside of school and it took us about 15 minutes to get there. We walked in on the clothing level and went downstairs with our carts and it was just as packed as it was the last time but we were able to navigate the isles to get the things we needed. There were a lot of people throughout the store offering us things to try. "No thank you, I don't care for squid" and "Umm, that dried fish crap sure does look tasty, but I'm a landatarian." Were things I found myself saying. But the sweet potato bread was good. I would have gotten it but they have it at the Paris Bagget around the corner from me. At the end of our shopping trip, I had beef, pork, CHICKEN (can't seem to let it go), salad and salad dressing, corn and pepper salad, swweet potato salad, limeade, lemonade, and grapefruit juice, chip, cheese tortillas and nacho cheese dip, tomato sauce, pineapples, shredded cheese, soup, peach ice tea mix, cinnamon raisin bagels, ziploc bags and containers and some other little things. total $78,000 won. Not bad I think. And if you don't have something to carry your food home it, you have to buy bags. That seems to be the case everywhere here, but we were prepared. We got back on the bus and after a couple stops went our separate ways. I went to Paris Bagget to get some bread, milk and popsicles. They were cheaper there and the bread is really fresh. I then walked home, put my food away (had to squeeze most of it in the fridge since the darn thing is so tiny) and went to my little corner store to get butter. It was 6,000 won at E-mart and I'll be you know what if I pay that much for some animal fat. Three little stores later I finally found some (I'm telling you there is nothing in my neighborhood)! GEESH! I also got some fresh peaches from the fruit stand and went back home. I'm soo excited! I have real food to eat now...and choices other than chicken. I didn't do much else on Sunday. Just relaxed.
I woke up to an unusual sound on Monday. It sounded like a doorbell but I don't have one. I laid in the bed for a couple of minutes and decided to go and see what it was. I went out to the main door and saw the mail man's scooter outside but no mail man. A couple minutes later he came walking down the steps and told me he had left a box with one of my neighbors. I ran upstairs to get it and it was a package from mommie! She sent me some seasonings, brown sugar, and dvds. YAY! I made breakfast and had to leave my apt. early because I had to go to the stationary store which is two subway trains away from my house. There were some things that I had to pick up so I did that and then headed for school. When I got there, I found that two of the classrooms had been remodeled and there was a new one... random, seeing as though it was not like that on Saturday. I guess in Korea, they work fast. I didn't pay it too much mind because I was upstairs on Monday. Since I am a new teacher and came late, I don't have my own classroom so everyday I'm in a different classroom. Since one of the teachers was still on vacation, I had to sub for his class and another teacher took mine. I had to sub for him on Friday too. But I'm kind of fond of my classes on Monday/Friday so I was a little upset, and the class I subbed for was blah. They didn't really care about anything.
I went to school on Tuesday and since my Tuesday/Thursday Classrooms are always different, I went to the secretary to ask which classroom I was supposed to be in and she took me to the new classroom that was built. It's MY classroom!! No more changing!I finally have my own room. Its small but that just means that a lot of my classes have to be cut down cause all of the kids won't fit. And yes... my Tues/Thurs demons will be demons no more. The cut they made last week is permanent!! The little jerks are gone (except for one but you don't see me complaining)!!!
Wednesday, I woke up to the same "doorbell" I heard on Monday. Turns out, its my intercom phone ringing. It was the mail man. He had another package for me! This time it was from Kory! I opened it and he sent me a yoga ball with the dvd. I had been putting off buying it when I was home but really did want it and I've really been wanting to do some exercising but since I can't use my Wii Fit, I've kinda been inactive. He always knows what I need. was my 1/2 day so I worked for 3 hours and went home to make some spaghetti. Well, the meat turned out great, the tomato sauce was really tomato paste, and the noodles melted into a big glob (obviously, those weren't the noodles I wanted). I picked out the noodles that hadn't melted and threw the rest in the trash, mixed it together with my meat and paste and it wasn't too bad. I had that with some salad and garlic bread. Yup, since E-mart, I've been moving on up!
I made breakfast this morning (something that I've been doing every morning) and had to leave early to go to immigration. I applied for my Alien Registration Card 3 weeks ago and didn't get it back. So Janice called them yesterday and they told me to come in today. Andrea had told me about her horror stories there and how she still hasn't been able to apply and I was all ready to go "Medea" on those people.
I went in and took a number and surprisingly, it was the next number to be called. So I went up there, told the under dressed woman in the simplest English I could think of my situation and a couple minutes another girl comes over and shows me the slip I filled out 3 weeks ago with my address telling them to mail the card to me. I tell her that was three weeks ago and she says "It was September 19th." Yes ho! THAT WAS THREE WEEKS AGO!! Where the H*** is my card and passport (immigration keeps your passport to process your paperwork so I've been without international id for 3 weeks!!)!!??! She tells me she's going to go track it with the number and to have a seat.
Five minutes later she tells me that no one was home for the mail man to deliver it so they sent it back to immigration. BOOTY!!! But whatever. She tells me to go upstairs to get it from the delivery office. I go up there and no one speaks English!! How the H*** do you work at an immigration office and don't speak English!!? UGH!! I went back downstairs and told that BS'n woman that no one speaks English so she sent someone up there who came back with an unmarked envelope.
I looked at my ARC and it had Sept. 29th as the issue date. "So you gonna tell me that this was mailed on the 29th, the mail man tried to deliver it three times, sent it back to you, and its been sitting here since at least Tuesday!!?" She just looked at me like I was crazy. "Yea, I bet you don't speak any English now." 1. her story is BS. mail doesn't work that fast. 2. If that is true they had my number. Did they think to call me? But thankfully, its done and over with.
I went to school and didn't have too bad of a class. I found out that if you threaten to make the boys sit next to the girls and vise versa, they shut up real quick. But I did yell shut up at one boy and slam my hand on the desk. Then 2 seconds later I was all nice and pleasant so I think I scared them a little. They also wanted to see a picture of my boyfriend. So I showed it to them... they didn't didn't know he was a football player. I told them he would fight whoever didn't be quiet when he came and I'm pretty sure they think I'm serious. I think that's another reason why they shut up. Or maybe its just my imagination.
So I think I caught you up on my "Seoul Happenings." The reason why I've been so delinquent in my writings is because I'm preparing Kory's anniversary present. In less than one week, we will have been together for a year. We had a lot of ups, some downs, and major tests along the way but with God's help, we made it our first year! I can't tell you what I'm getting him because he is reading, but I'll let you know next week.
So as you can tell, my expansion is continuing and the trough is clearly over. I haven't peaked yet but this is pretty darn good!
I'm thinking about making a video for one of my entries. What do you think? Yes or No?? Put your answer in a comment and I'll go from there.
I forgot to tell you, I saw a girl wearing a shirt that said "My Mexican works harder than your Mexican." I was floored when I saw that!! Wear that in the States and you A** will get jacked! I asked someone about it and they said that Korean buy anything with English written on it even when they don't know what it means!! All I know is let me see something with N***** on it, English or no English, someone will lose their life!!
Until Next Time!
BTW...I got my cell phone bill. I'm setting up PayPal on my blog and sending around that internet plate. So pass the plate! LOL! (I'm playing)

Nothing Much...

So nothing exciting has been going on. My voice is still hoarse and some mosquitoes tore my hands up last night. Its been pretty warm here. Yesterday was beautiful. 80 degrees and its supposed to be like that until Friday. Then the rain comes.
Anywho, today is Thursday (ugh!). I hate Tuesdays and Thursdays with I passion. I have my worst class on these days. Memory English Mega (the 7th - 9th graders). On Tuesday, they were out of control, and one boy put hiss foot in another boy's face. I yelled and asked him if he wanted me to put my foot in his face. He just looked at me. And I had to catch myself a couple times. I almost told them to SHUT THE F*** AND SIT THE H*** DOWN!!! Maybe I should have. I think I'm going to try cussing at them in Spanish. Maybe it will relieve the stress. I'm sure they're doing it in Korean. Yea. I think that's what I'll do. Every time I get the urge to smack one of those little A*SHOLES I'll just say "budah" (sp) or another choice word that I learned back in elementary school. And I'm sure that my English Chip class at 4pm will put me in a good mood. Enough so that I'll be able to cuss with a smile :)
My English Chip class are one of my classes that want to punch Lee Muyng-bak, blow up Japan, and get rid of Bush. They are so funny. There is also a girl, Pi, who loves chicken. Every time I ask her to make a sentence using one of our vocabulary words, she talks about chicken. How she likes it in her mouth. How it runs across her lips and in her stomach. Chicken, chicken, chicken. She is funny.
Oh, and my Monday/Friday Memory English Mega class wanted to know if I was from South Africa because we were studying the apartheid. After I told them no and showed them where I was from on the map, they still asked if I spoke Afrikcaans, if I was allowed to play with white kids, and if I knew Nelson Mandela. Geesh. I should have told them not all Black people live in Africa like all Asians don't live in Korea. Well, I'm sure it will come up again and I'll use my analogy.
I had some McDonald's yesterday. I had to go to the stationary store and there's a McDonald's a couple feet from there. I figured it was ok since I don't eat it often. It's my luxury since there isn't one anywhere close to where I live. I had chicken strips which are extremely spicy, fries, and a vanilla milkshake. Oh it was so good. I think my eyes rolled up into the back of my head as I was eating. I've been wanting sweet stuff and since my refrigerator is practically bare, I think it is time for me to go on a grocery run and sweets will be on the top of my list. Mommie sent me some stuff last week and this week she is sending me Tasty Kakes, sticky buns and cookies. I probably won't get until next week but I am so looking forward to it. And three of my bagels and my last muffin started to mold. I was so upset. It never dawned on me to put it in the fridge. I never had to at home, but I guess now I know.
I haven't gotten a good nights sleep since I've been here. I keeping waking up multiple times in the middle of the night. Why? I have no idea. And I don't want to become a slave to Tylenol PM but that's what it looks like it will come too. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm welcome to anything... almost anything.
My first Anniversary is in a week and six days. It's a bitter sweet feeling because Kory and I have been together for a year and are still going strong but I can't be with him on that day. So it's exciting and a little depressing at the same time.
Have I told you about the lack of non-matching people I've seen during my 25 days here??!! I'm not talking about not matching your underwear to what you are wearing (that would just be asking way too much), and I know its OK to wear plum nail polish on your toes and red on your finger nails (Katt Williams told me so), but WHO TOLD THESE PEOPLE THAT FLORAL AND STRIPES MATCH!!!!!????!!!!! Are you kidding me?? Polk-a-dot and plaid, purple and orange, socks and heels!!! And some of them have the nerve to look at me on the subway with a stank face. Ho, have you looked in the mirror today?! WHAT YOU ARE WEARING IS STANK!! I think I need to make a color coded chart. Better yet, I'm going to report these people to TLC's "What Not To Wear." Clearly non of them have been to Seoul's Fashion Week.
OK...I'm sorry. I just really needed to vent about that for a minute. I'm not a shallow person, but I'm use to seeing people who take time and pick out their outfit in the morning or even the night before (I went to Hampton remember. Wearing pj's to class was against the "Standards of Excellence." And I'm sure so was Polk-a-dot and floral patterns on the same person at the same time).
Wow, I said I didn't have much to talk about but it seems as though I've found a couple things. I have to go now and get ready for school...UGH! Please pray that the 7-10 o'clock hours pass me by in haste.
And can someone please let me know if I can watch the VP debates anywhere online. That is something not to be missed.
Until Next Time!