Sunburn Sunday

I went for a big walk this morning and explored the other side of the Osan river. It was awesome over there! My side of the river is a big ugly and scrubby, but that side is all landscaped with flower gardens and stuff. What's more, I found a lovely new (to me) exercise park totally shaded by trees. So, I stopped for a while and did some bodyweight exercises before continuing my walk. I walked for well over an hour and managed to totally sunburn my shoulders. Doh! After my walk I stopped in at a coffee shop and picked up a peppermint iced tea, which was so nice because I was ridiculously hot!

Also, today I went to the Osan market and picked up some lunch (kimchi pancakes) and some delicious plums and apricots.

Ok, to tired to update further. More weekend update tomorrow!

Today's five:

1) Fresh plums and apricots

2) Lovely walk in the sun

3) Flower gardens

4) Yummy bbq dinner

5) Today is my 7th day with no sugar! Goal complete :)

Quick Five on Saturday

1) Gorgeous weather!

2) Sushi train for lunch (photos to come)

3) Great company

4) Slept in

5) One more day of weekend, still :)

Look on the bright side Friday

It's only 11am, and already today is awful!

This morning at 1am, my buildings fire alarm went off for 15 minutes. Again, no one paid any attention, but it's still worrying and stressful. I didn't get back to sleep for over an hour.

Which meant I over-slept this morning, so had to catch the later bus to work. So, I got in at 9am, which means I have to work until 5 :(

It's also steadily pouring with rain, so my feet are wet. But, it's warm, so I'm wet and sticky.

Also, on the walk up the hill from the bus to school, my skirt felt loose. When I checked, it had come apart at the seam right up the back. Not quite to my undies, but pretty darn close. So, goodness knows how many Korean people have seen more of me than I bargained for. Luckily, one of the admin ladies had a needle and thread, so I went into the bathroom and sewed my skirt back together.

Then, Mr. B tells me he'll teach alone today, so I have yet another day of nothing to do.

And he also informed me that he thought it was unlikely that the school would have the funding to re-new my contract for another year. He said the office would call him sometime. I asked when, he said "I dunno, maybe next week?". I take this to mean he's just waiting for a general phone call and is going to make no effort to find out what's going on for me. Super.

So: tired, hot, wet, broken skirt, bored, and now a little stressed about next year.

Not cool.

I was doing ok and laughing it off until Mr B got in on the game too. Now I'm just grumpy. And hungry. If lunch is bony fish, I might cry.

Going to have to dig deep for five things today:

1) If I don't get to re-sign at my school, it'll be an opportunity to try something new and expand my teaching skills (Look on the bright side, right?). I could teach kindergarten - apparently they're adorable. And little kids like doing art, and I love class art projects.

2) It's really lucky that the admin lady had a sewing kit. And that I know how to sew. Ok, the whole 'flashing my bum to a bus load of Koreans' is kind of funny :)

3) It is very rainy and wet, but at least it's not rainy and wet and cold, right?

4) Cute animal photos with funny captions make my day better. Thank you, Lolcats.

5) The weather forecast for tomorrow is 'mostly sunny', so hopefully I can finally make it to the Garden of the Morning Calm.

And yeah, I'm sure you've already guessed - lunch was indeed bony fish. Sucks.

But, I found a bright side to the whole fire alarm thing. Because I was awake from the alarm, I slept in and had to catch the 8.30 bus instead of the 7.30 bus. So, none of the kids or teachers from school were on the bus with me, so no one I actually know saw my ripped skirt and probably undie exposure. So, maybe the alarm was a good thing? In a roundabout way.

It was surprisingly easy Thursday

So, I mentioned to Mr. B this morning that I might want to stay at the school for another year. He seemed mildly surprised and *possibly* pleased. He said just to think about it and let him know next week or the week after and that in the meantime he'd contact the provincial office to find out if they'd have the funding to keep me. I was dreading this conversation, and no doubt there is much confusing dialogue to come, but for now it was suspiciously simple.

 I had to sit through one class today before Mr B decided he'd just do it alone, but during that time I made a pro/con/fix list for staying in Korea. All of the pros are good, and all of the cons can be easily fixed, so I'll tell Mr B tomorrow that I do want to stay and now I just have to wait and see if they have the money. Haha, bummer if they don't! I have a few options if that happens, but I'll just wait and see before really looking into any of them.

Here's my list:

Also, my quality of life here in Korea is awesome! So, hoping this goes my way. Otherwise it'll be either a hagwon job (which will remove probably two of the 'pros') or go somewhere else entirely. But, we'll see.

Anyway, I just organised to go to the 63 building in Seoul with my friend Amy next weekend, so that will be fun. She's really nice and although I haven't spent much time with her, we seem to get on really well.

I was going to go for a big walk this afternoon after work. I'm feeling pretty cranky again, and I thought it might help. But, it's pouring with rain. It's a bit hard to tell how bad it is from inside the teacher's room. I might be able to use and umbrella and be fine, or it might just be disgusting. Maybe I'll just crawl into bed and try to sleep it off - kind of a more tempting option that slogging through the rain, but probably not as effective.

Ok. today's five things:

1) There is a game called 'Creationary', it's like 'Pictionary' only you play it with Lego. I love pictionary and I love Lego, so I can only imagine that this game would be Amazing with a capital 'A'.

2) I've made it nearly 4 days with absolutely no sugar.

3) The Osan sports center does offer Kpop dance classes, but this months class is full. I'll go back later in the month to find out about classes for August.

4) I've decided to try and stay another year at my school in Korea.

5) It's raining and I like it :)

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.