No, not really Wednesday

As I was walking into school this morning, Mr B passed me on the driveway in his car. He stopped long enough to say "Hi. Are you ok?", because I took the day off 'sick' yesterday. Just to see what would happen I replied, "No, not really". He just goes "Oh, ok" and drove off. Seriously, what is the point of asking if you're not even going to listen? I think it's possible for me to have less respect for him, but not by too much.

It's wicked humid today, and I'm pretty grumpy! I've got a headache, I'm hot, I'm sticky, and I'm bored. Not really a winning combination. All I want to do is go home and shower and watch a funny movie. Well, only two and a bit hours to go... I can make it.

Today's five things:

1) Andy brought over some cheesecake last night when I cooked him dinner. I managed not to eat it (I'm going 7 days totally sugar free). Also, this morning another teacher made me take a biscuit, which I almost ate without thinking about it, but at the last moment I stopped and hid it in my draw until I could get rid of it without anyone seeing. It was one of my favourite Korean biscuits, too.

2) I cooked Andy dinner last night - I made salad, mushrooms, and walnut crusted pork loin (I know, a bit flash, right?). It was yummy.

3) Tonight I'm going to go to the Osan Sports Centre to find out about their dance classes. I want to start learning something new.

4) Might finally make it to the Garden of the Morning Calm this weekend.

5) I learned to make Korean steamed egg yesterday. I bought the cutest little dish to make it in. It's like a mini ceramic Dutch oven. I made it with salmon in it this morning for breakfast, and it was so good!

Mental health day Tuesday

So partly because I slept pretty badly and mostly because I couldn't face another day of sitting at my desk doing nothing, I called in sick today. I did spend the morning sleeping, then worked out, and I'm feeling much better now. My work out was actually great - I think it really helped pick me up.

Anyway, I have some more photos from my weekend by the sea as well as a few shots of the food at Andy's dad's birthday lunch. Andy took them on his phone, so the quality isn't amazing, but you get the idea.
(note to mum - if you click on a picture, you can cycle through them bigger so you can save them to you computer if you want).

Saturday's breakfast - mussel soup and octopus pancakes

Me on the edge of the mountain

look, a squirrel!

Me by a little pond.

Ok, birthday lunch - l-r: pork belly, gross bean paste thing, spring roll thing, salad with VERY purple dressing that just tasted a bit fruity.

Selection of salads, tempura fish, pumpkin mash, and prawns with caviare.

Ttteok, chicken soup, buckwheat noodles, chilli squid, beef salad, abalone with caviare.

Last course: spicy soup, whole fish, kimchi (assorted), and this rice in a stone bowl that you take out into a regular bowl (bottom) and then pour water into the stone bowl and all the burnt rice comes off into the water and you eat it like a soup. It tastes like watery burnt rice and I don't really understand it.

And now, today's five things:

1) It's been nearly two days without sugar. I'm feeling better already.

2) I got a work out in.

3) It's my brother's birthday today! Happy birthday, Bro!!

4) I'm going to cook something nice for dinner. I'm not sure what yet, but it will be good.

5) Bacon.

Friday through to Monday

Right, another update spanning a few days. This likely will not be a long update, as I forgot to bring my glasses to work today, and staring at the computer is giving me a headache.

Friday:

Mr B. comes to me second period and tells me we have to record the listening section of the English exam that I wrote weeks ago. Exams start on Monday and this is his last free period of the week. Why he left it so late, I don't know, but needless to say, we did not get finished. He said we could finish up after school, so I waited around for him, but he never showed up, so I went home at 4pm. 

Andy came and picked me up at 5 and we set off for Seoul. He had to deliver something to one of his sisters and then we were going for dinner in the city. Turns out his sister didn't want the thing (why someone didn't call and ask her before hand - again, don't know), but we did have a really nice dinner, and hung out for a while with Andy's nephew who was about 9ish and pretty cute. However, the kid then threw the biggest fit I've ever seen when his dad said something he didn't like, and we had to leave amid much screaming and crying. Haha, awkward. But, I didn't really mind. It was sort of interesting seeing the complete lack of discipline. I've read that Korean people are really lenient with younger kids and then as they get older discipline gets hardcore. I haven't asked Andy, but this seems true from what I've seen.

Anyway, while we're headed into Seoul, (about 7.30pm by now) Mr B started calling my cell frantically. I say 'frantic' because he called four or five times, one right after the other. I knew he was calling about recording the exams and would most likely want me to come to work on Saturday or something. So, I didn't answer. I didn't feel bad because it was totally his own fault for leaving things so late, and it's my weekend, and I'm busy. So, anyway, Friday was a nice night in Seoul.

On Saturday it was Andy's dad's birthday party (his actual birthday was Friday), and Andy invited me to his house to join in. It was cool and the whole family (Mum, dad, Andy, two of the four sisters, with their husbands and a few kids) went out for a fancy Korean lunch. We went to a traditional restaurant out in the countryside. There were lots of different dished served with just food for each person to have a mouth-full or two of each thing, and it was served in three or four courses. Some of it I loved, and some of it was just ok. I had some different salads, jellyfish, prawns, beef, pork, fish, and abalone (paua - which I'd never had before, it was  nice) among other things. It was great!

Then Andy took me and two of his nieces to choose an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins for his dad, which we went home and ate. It was really good! The girls chose a cake that had a different flavour of ice cream for each slice - it was like my idea of awesome in a cake!

After that, we just hung out at his house for a while, then went back to Osan for dinner.

On Sunday I talked to both mum and Jenni, which was great! Then, I was going into Seoul and Andy wanted to come too. Yeah, we spend a lot of time together. Maybe too much? I'm not sure what the rules are. Anyway, we caught the train in Hongdae and had a walk around, had Taco Bell for lunch, and visited the art market. There was a guy making the most amazingly detailed metal jewellery - it really was awesome, but I wasn't sure I'd ever wear it, so I didn't get any. It was so cool though, like really intricate birds and flowers and leaves.

After that we went over to Myeongdong, which wasn't as crazy busy as it normally is and just looked around. Nothing very exciting, but it was a nice day. Andy kept falling asleep on the train home, which was really funny to me :) Small things, you know. 

Anyway, I figured I'd better get in touch with Mr B and make sure he wasn't dying from stress, so I texted him. But, but the time he called me back, I was out at dinner. He wanted to come over to my house, with his wife, to finish recording for the exams! I was like "Ah, no. I'm out". YOU leave something until the last minute, and then don't show up to do it, and then you want to come to my house on a Sunday evening to finish work that should have been done a week ago? Nah, bro. Haha. So, I told him no, but I was happy to come into work early the next morning to get it done. He asked how early and I said I could be there by 7am, no worries. He was like "Um, how about 8 or 8.30?". HAHAHAHAHA... seriously!? SERIOUSLY??? That's not me getting to work early, that's what time I get to work EVERY DAY. So, yeah sure, I'll come in to work 'early' to finish the recording :) Retard.  So, I arrive at work at my usual time, we do the recording and all is well.

And that's all the work I have to do today. Exam are on, so all the students leave after lunch, so most of the teachers leave early too, but I have to sit here doing nothing like every other day. Ah well, I am researching things to see and do in Japan. Rather sweetly, Andy has been too, and has been showing me photos on Korean blogs of food and places to go in Osaka.

It's a good thing I like him so much as he seems to have sneakily obtained an entire drawer at my house. It started out when he bought a pair of swimming shorts to take to the East coast the other weekend. Somehow they ended up staying at my place, so I put them away in an empty drawer. Somehow this draw now holds a small assortment of Andy things. Better keep an eye on him, I still need my own house! Actually, I might tell him I need some 'Sam' time tomorrow. I have the first season of 'Revenge' to finish watching!

OK, today's five things:

1) I had a super awesome salmon mushroom omelette for breakfast.

2) I have resolve to eat absolutely NO sugar based food for seven days or suffer dire consequences. 

3) Japan is less than a month away!

4) No bony fish for lunch again. This is a great record, but also bad because it must be coming soon.

5) I'm going to read my book for the afternoon.

Feeling sorry for myself Thursday

Aw, poor Sam is feeling sorry for herself. And writing in the 3rd person, apparently :)

You know, it's not all new food and romantic holidays by the sea when you move overseas. Today I am lonely. I have emailed ALL my friends, and no one has time to reply :( which = me being dumb and feeling sad. Well, actually I was feeling a bit sad anyway, so I think I'm projecting it into loneliness. Ah, the ups and downs of expat life! What's worse is I have all day at my desk to minutely examine my mental state in every single tiny detail. I think I'll put on my running shoes after work and see if I can't exercise myself out of it. But you know what I'm NOT going to do?

Eat myself out of it. Oh no, not this time. There will be no chocolate. There will be no cake. I can have a peppermint tea and a banana if it comes down to it. That's it!

1) Only 45 minutes until home time!

2) I've been listening to some good music at my desk today.

3) I'm going to go for a run and watch my favourite TV show tonight. Also, on Sunday I'm going to do one of my favourite regular trips into Seoul - the Hongdae art market and Myeongdong clothes shopping! Retail therapy ftw!

4) I want steak bbq for dinner. Or jokbal. Either way, I will have meat!

5) I love my mum.

Some photos from the weekend

Click the pictures to see them bigger.

The view from the hotel room.

Walking along a... pier? Groin? Not sure.

Fishing boats.

A small fish full of eggs. You just pull out the eggs and eat them.

Raw fish and raw fish ice soup.

Andy and I at the Buddhist temple.

Temple by the sea.

Me getting a drink

At the festival

Mmmm, pig!

Me eating the pig

Andy in the fish market

All different anchovies (I think)

Crabby!

Killing crabby

Ready to eat

Mmmmm....

The cable car

Up in the clouds

Andy and a bridge

Cool rock carving

Andy and another bridge

Me at the pathetic excuse for a waterfall we walked all the way to!

There are more pictures, but that's the highlights :)

Smell of pine needles Wednesday

To offset the truly horrible school lunch today, I had a lovely and relaxing sit outside underneath some trees. The smell of the pine needles drying in the sun was so nice.

Lunch, on the other hand...

Well, I've been eating mostly well for the past couple of weeks, but not *as* well as before, and now it's caught up with me. My feet, ankles, and tummy are swollen and I feel tired and unmotivated and just not as good as before. So, obviously, the answer is to clean up my food. Well, breakfast was a delicious combo of salmon, seaweed, and avocado - which was amazing and kept me really full. However, come lunch time I found cabbage and unknown meat salad smothered in unknown-but-probably-almost-certainly-sugar-laden-sauce, bean-sprout soup (I don't eat bean sprouts), rice (didn't even take any), and a battered hotdog. I tried an experimental bite of the hotdog to find it was a small REALLY processed sausage-like meat-like thing covered in what tasted like vanilla sponge cake, dipped in sweet tomato sauce. It was like disgusting, wrapped in weird, then dipped in yuck. So I ate the salad and drank the soup sans-sprouts. I think my co-workers probably think I have an eating disorder. And I might be a tad hungry by the time I get home! Ah well, with any luck I can un-swell myself and get back to that uber-awesome happy state I'd managed to obtain.

I've talked to Andy about it too, and he seems to understand. I just told him I thought flour and sugar are bad for me and don't make me feel good. He said he doesn't feel well after eating bread and stuff either, so with any luck my eating a little strangely won't be much of a problem. He actually doesn't even eat that much rice, so me skipping it 90% of the time hasn't caused much comment. I'm cooking dinner for us both tonight, so at least I know that'll be fine. I'm planning on garlic-rosemary grilled chicken, a lettuce-bacon-almond salad, and mashed kumara. Yum!

Speaking of Andy, I'm really enjoying (among other things) how our conversations are slower than I'm used to. It's partly because English is his second language, and mostly due to him thinking hard before he speaks. It means our conversations have a much slower pace, and I like it. Sometimes I'll ask him something and he takes so long to reply I think he's not going to, but he's actually just considering his answer thoroughly. It's actually a quality I'd like to have more of myself.

And I didn't end up cooking at home last night. I had octopus! But, I did try to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I turned it off after maybe 20 minutes though, it was so crappy! Not even Johnny could save that one.

OK, today's five:

1) Smell of warm pine needles in the sun.

2) The sound of cicadas. 

3) Salmon and avocado for breakfast - doesn't get much better than that!

4) I get to cook for someone, which is always nice :)

5) I finished planning Summer Camp.

Lacklustre Tuesday

So, last night for dinner I had Vietnamese shabu-shabu. It's similar to Korean shabu-shabu, but tastes a little different, doesn't have a noodle or rice course, and you use the meat and stuff you boil to make rice paper spring rolls. Courtney would have loved it - so sad she's back home now :( I'm going to try and cook dinner at home tonight. In the past 18 days I've cooked dinner once. Yeah, one time in two and a half weeks. I don't really miss it or anything, but sort of feel like I should. Plus, I have an avocado to use. I suppose I'll have it for breakfast if I end up being out, though.

I'm feeling a bit lacklustre today. I think I need to do some exercise! My diets been fairly good, but not as good as I'd like, so I'm going to work on cleaning that up and do a strength workout and some sprinting this evening. And maybe a quick nap - I'm sleepy. Though, exercise will help with that too.

I've got no teaching again today. I've been hard at work designing English summer camp, though. I'm nearly done, and it's looking good. I think I've got a good mix of writing, movies, speaking, crafty art type stuff, role-plays, etc. It's not as ambitious as I'd originally envisioned, but I think that's probably good. I don't know how many/which students are signed up (I don't think they are yet), so I need the plan to be really flexible with regards to class size, level, and how much freedom I can give the groups to do their own thing. But, so far, it's looking good.

And tonight I feel like watching a movie. I might finally get around to watching the latest Pirate of the Caribbean. Johnny Depp is always good for lacklustre recovery :)

Today's 5:

1) It's warm, but breezy today - it's quite lovely.

2) Dinner and a movie at home, sounds good to me!

3) I've got most of Summer camp planned. That means I can concentrate on getting ready to go to Japan.

4) I've bought some Korean plums to try - yummy hopefully

5) I have super chocolate cravings and I'm not giving in.