Orientation Saturday

I had an orientation meeting at work today for the kids' camp that starts on Monday. I'm pleased to say I'm now feeling much more confident about it, and think that it might actually be a lot of fun! It will be a lot of work, and long hours, but not impossible. Plus, the pay plus my regular pay will give me back the savings I'm just about to put down as a bind on the new apartment.

After the orientation, I went out to lunch with a few co-workers and had a good time :)

Today's five things:
1) Getting some good info and feeling more comfortable about the next three weeks.

2) Yummy lunch and getting to know my co-workers better.

3) I squatted 32kg this morning, which is the most I've ever done. Halfway to bodyweight!

4) I was worried about going kayaking tomorrow because I didn't want to start my week of knackered for the first week of camp - but it turns out Monday is only a half day consisting of a welcoming ceremony and placement tests, so I'm all good!

5) Showers are one of the best inventions ever.

Friday's Five

Just a quick one on Friday evening. I've had a lovely week off from work before the intensity of Kids' Camp. I think I've found my new home, so hopefully focussing on that, and moving right after camp ends, will help me through. Plus I need the money from camp. You know, to buy a bed a stuff :)

So, today's five things:

1) Sun! The rain stopped for two whole days, the humidity was lower, and the skies were blue. A lovely reprieve from monsoon.

2) Hopefully finding an apartment! I don't want to jinx it, but it should all be finalised on Monday evening.

3) Mum, Dad, and Matt moved to island paradise today! I'm so happy and excited for them and their adventure (not to mention my potential winter getaway!)

4) Potentially very exciting news involving one of my best friends and Korea. Shhhhhh... but fingers crossed for good news next week!

5) Another excellent date with Jay. That boy is growing on me :)

Shopping in the Rain Tuesday

My lovely mum gave me some money for my birthday (which is in a week and a half). Seeing as I have the week off, and will be too busy around my birthday, I decided to take myself birthday shopping! One problem... it was POURING with rain. I did not give up though! Not even rain can get in the way of shopping :D I wandered into Seoul and spent the day looking, walking, and shopping. It was a really nice day, and by mid-afternoon the rain stopped, so even that didn't ruin it.

The shopping wasn't great, though. I'm totally not into the fashion they have in the proper shops at the moment. I only managed to spend half my money, and most of that was on make-up and jewellery. I found one dress I really liked and got that, but I'm thinking of heading into Gangnam later in the week and doing some shopping in the underground arcade there as they have super cute clothes and there's a cardigan I've had my eye on for ages.

So, here's my loot. I also got some new lipstick (not pictured) and some things like eye-lash curlers, and scary liquid eyeliner.

My new dress. As a side note - how do people live without a full length mirror? The friend's house I'm in doesn't have one... how does she put outfits together?? How can she see if her shoes match?

New hair clip

Just showing off my curly hair

Cute turquoise necklace - I have a thing for turquoise.

Earrings. Duh.

Turquoise bracelet

All of it!

So yes, a lovely day. BUT there will be more shopping :)

Paragliding!

What a weekend!

I started off by having snacks and drink with one of the best classes I've ever taught on Friday afternoon. Myself, a few of the other teachers, and 10 of the students got together and had a lovely time at a bar across the street from work. Awesome students, I had so much fun teaching them!

Then... on Sunday it was time for paragliding! Jon and Brian, who I work with, came with me on the trip and we had a blast! The group was awesome, our guide was a lovely guy, and the whole thing was a lot of fun.

Paragliding gang

First, we had to travel for nearly three hours in the van to get to the mountain, but conversation was easy and fun, so it didn't seem to take too long. We rode up to the top of the mountain in a little truck - which was pretty hairy because it was very high and very steep! We made it to the top, had some brief training (don't fall over, don't sit down, and when the man says run, run), and then flew! It was only scary while I waited to take off, but the actual gliding was peaceful and beautiful.

After we'd all had our glide, we went to a big cave and walked through underground tunnels, rivers, and waterfalls. 

Cave map

It was beautiful and the cooler temperature was lovely. However, when we came back up and out, the air felt to hot and wet that Brian asked if we could go swimming. Turns out we could, in a nearby river! So, much splashing and screaming later, we were all cooled down. 

We got changed in the van and then set off home. After stopping on the way for dinner, it turns out the back of the van turned into a big padded bed area, so we all chilled out in there until we were back in Seoul.

 A quick train and bus ride later, I was back home after an awesome day!

Wet wet wet Wednesday

You guessed it folks! It's raining again! Or still. I guess this is why it's called 'monsoon season'.

Anyway, the final week of summer camp is more than halfway over. I am very much looking forward to my week off. I don't have much planned, but that's sort of the point. I'll probably spend a few days in Seoul, a few days bumming about home, and... I dunno :)

It's been a quite week so far, and here's five things I'm grateful for:

1) Showers. It's so sticky and humid, showering is like  the most awesome thing ever.

2) Weightlifting. It is so much fun and so... empowering. Or something.

3) Bananas. Good raw, good cooked, good frozen... you can bake with them, cook with them, make them into smoothies, and even ice cream. Possibly the best fruit ever.

4) Umbrellas. I'd be awfully wet without it.

5) Steak. That's dinner tonight and I'm looking forward to it.

Five for the Weekend

And that pretty much sums up the weather this weekend.

That's the rainy street in Gangnam as I waited for my bus home on Saturday evening. Today (Sunday) it's been a big thunder storm and pouring rain all day. I was going to do my week's grocery shopping, but decided to just ration what's in the fridge until tomorrow.

So, I've had a really nice weekend. I spent lots of time with Jay on Sturday, which was fun. We ended up watching a very long and rather bizarre Indian film, which was weird, but funny. The film was weird, not us watching it. We also went to a, I guess, kind of speciality Korean BBQ place where they give you three different types of pork to eat. It was so good! It was, as you might have guessed, raining mos of the time, so we didn't really get up to much. Next weekend though...

Next weekend I'm going paragliding (fingers crossed the weather improves). I've been wanting to try it for years, and then a meetup popped up last week and I signed up right away! I am really, really excited about it. It's on Sunday, and I'd better remember to charge up my camera. The trip also involves exploring some nearby caves - I think it's going to be really awesome!

Then, the Sunday after that I've signed up to go kayaking down a river with a meetup group. I actually singed up and paid for two people to go, but haven't decided who I want to invite. I'm not sure Jay is into outdoor type things - but I'll probably ask him anyway. If not, Jon from work is always mentioning he wants to get out and try new things. He and I have hung out for dinner a couple of times after work in the past couple of weeks (no, mum, just friends), so I'll probably invite him.

In other news, my protein powder arrived! I've always been kind of leery of it, and kind of thought it was pointless, but man - trying to eat enough protein when weightlifting when your appetite (and budget) are as small as mine? It's tricky. Well, this stuff is a big protein boost and is absolutely delicious! Seriously, I'm limiting myself to only one protein shake and only after a workout, otherwise I'm just going to eat the whole thing! Coconut milk, water, a frozen banana, and a scoop of chocolate fudge flavoured protein powder for breakfast after a workout - so, so good.

As for my workouts - want to see some progress? I've been lifting for three months now. I just got my first bodyweight lift and have started a new program, which will hopefully one day have me squatting my bodyweight too (that day will be epic). Here's three months of tummy progress:

April, before I started lifting; May, six weeks in; July, 12 weeks in

My weight is within 2kg of where I started, but you can definitely see more definition, and I slimmed down a good couple of centimetres on my hips. And, that's just the results you can see - the ones I can feel are even better. I love it - and it's good for me too :)

Ok, and now for the weekend's top five things:
1) Nice date with handsome, interesting guy.

2) I skyped with Jenni and IM'd with Amy - I love those two!

3) I'm having chicken and chips for dinner. Well, baked chicken wings and kumara wedges :D

4) Next week is the last week of camp and then I get a week's vacation! (and I'm buying myself a birthday present)

5) Paragliding and kayaking coming up!

Five on Thursday

Guess what? I've signed up to go paragliding in a couple of week! I've been wanting to try it for years, and now I can! I'm pretty damn excited :)

Also, it's Thursday - making tomorrow Friday! I only have a half day of work tomorrow - so the weekend will start early. Awesome!

Today's five things:

1) I did deadlift reps at my own bodyweight!! Yup, I lifted 60kg! It's been a goal for a little while and I hit it today, so I', really happy! Now I just have to get the rest of my lifts as strong.

2) This song:

3) Kumara oven wedges with mayonnaise...mmmmmm.

4) Relaxing evenings listening to music and reading a good book and knowing I can do whatever I like whenever I want to.

5) Nearly the weekend!

Five on a Tuesday

Yes, I'm still alive. No, I haven't blogged in a while. I just lost the urge there. I'm not sure if I'll start up again consistently or not. So, things have changed a bit since I've been gone! I'm currently living (though it feels more like 'perching' in my co-workers house while she is away for the summer. it's great because the house is lovely, rent free, and I can walk to work. It's not so great because it's not mine and I feel quite unsettled. However, I have joined a local gym and am making friends at work (like, outside of work), so life is good. Due to reasons I won't go into, I've had to cut Andy completely out of my life, and I think that's for the best.

One major drawback to my current living situation is that there is no air conditioning. It's not so much that it's brutally hot, but the humidity is horrible. My snacking behaviour is also getting a bit out of control, and I'm starting to feel the effects of eating processed food. So, feeling unsettled and sticky, and a tad 'out of sorts', I've decided to update with five things that I am grateful for, or that made me happy today:

1) My best friend, Amy. We manage to crack each other up even via text message. She is one first class human being!

2) Work! It's currently summer camp time, and I'm teaching two of the most wonderful classes. The students are so much fun, so motivated, curios, and interesting.

3) My co-workers. They are just as bizarre as me, and never a day goes by where I don't laugh out loud at something or someone. They are also kind, considerate, and helpful.

4) I can make it on my own. I've been without Andy (aka my Korean helper) for over two weeks and have managed to do everything I need without him.

5) I am grateful for flipflops. They are quick, easy, and comfortable. Not to mention they keep your feet cool and it doesn't matter if they get soaked in the monsoon.