Fall Friday

Fall - the autumn kind, not the trip over my feet kind - is definitely here. The humidity suddenly dissipated and the temperatures dropped a good 5-10 degrees in the space of a few days. I've signed up for at least four hiking trips over the next month and a bit to make the most of the weather while I can. Before I know it, it'll be too cold for me to want to walk up a hill outside!

To welcome the cooler weather I went and bought a light down jacket from Uniqlo yesterday. All my jackets that are really warm are also very long, which is not ideal for hiking and stuff. So, I got myself one of these:

In this colour, too.

It's really light and packs away into this tiny little bag - ideal for those days when you want to take something warm, but know you'll also want to take it off but don't want to carry a massive jacket around in your arms. So, happy with that purchase :)

What else is going on? Well, not a whole lot. Jay is crazily busy, so no dates for me. I'm thinking of going to the Dongdaemun market tomorrow to pick up some crafting stuff so I can make my apartment feel a bit more cosy. It feels rather utilitarian right now. And I'm still waiting on that darn bookcase delivery.

Oh! Some excellent news! The article I wrote last year is finally getting published in November! They'll send me a copy of the magazine and... wait for it... are going to pay me for it! Nowhere at all during the process was money mentioned, so I don't know how that came about, but they said they'll pay me or I can have a free subscription to the magazine. How much they pay depends on how many pages it takes up in the magazine, so I have to wait a bit to find out. I'll see how much it is, and how much I'll lose in the currency exchange, and will probably take the subscription, since I've been meaning to get one for about a year anyway. So, that's pretty exciting.

Sore butt Tuesday

Yesterday Bekah and I, with baby Ollie along for the ride, set out for Metapolis shopping mall to visit 'Healing Da'. It's a massage place that had been recommended by Bekah's friend. I watched Ollie for an hour while Bekah had hers, then we switched.

Sexy massage outfit. Must have been size XXXXXXXXL.

Oh. My. God. So much pain. Like, struggle not to cry out kind of pain - especially in my hips, which the guys was jamming hip elbow into. I have bruising this morning and it hurts to touch. I'm not sure if it's because I was particularly tense and the pain would reduce with subsequent visits, or if it is always that bad. Needless to say, it was not the relaxing hour either of us had planned on!

Today, back at work for real this week. I had my first class and they were great. It always feels so good to get back into teaching. I also got a rough draft of a sample chapter for our reading book complete - though it was very rough.

Also, some great news! My article is FINALLY being published in November! What's more (I didn't know this) they are paying me for it! I don't know how much yet, as it depends how many pages of the magazine it takes up, but I should know later in the month. They said I can also have a subscription in lieu of payment, which I might do. I'll wait and see how much they pay first :) If it equals a subscription though, we're talking over $100. *happy dance*. Add to that, we've been told at work that if we get published we get a pay raise or a bonus, so mark me down for that too. All good things :)

The weather is suddenly cooling off - it's cool in the shade a chilly mornings and evenings. I've signed up to go hiking this weekend, out for a group Japanese dinner the next weekend, and some more hiking the weekend after that. Jay is so busy that I need to just get on with stuff and fit him in when he's free, otherwise I'll miss out on everything. I definitely want to make the most of the amazing autumn weather before horrid winter sets in. Fingers crossed for a solid three months of sunny glory.

Five things I'm grateful for today:

1) Unexpected good news

2) Budding friendships

3) Sunshine

4) My job

5) cucumber salad

SHOES Sunday

So, buying shoes my size in Korea is no longer the impossibility I thought it was. With a trip to 'Payless Shoesource' in Myeongdong - I am in love. They had an end of summer sale and I walked out with three pairs of shoes for $45.

(sorry for the photo quality - my lens needs cleaning)

Mostly for work - super comfy

Mostly for fun, they were $10

These were only $5! They are so comfy!

They have this 'comfort' brand they sell there - and man are they soft and cushy! I will definitely be going back in winter. My life in Korea is now complete. I can buy shoes.

What else is new? Well, how have I lived my whole life without curling my eyelashes? I'm going through a phase of being a little more into makeup, and I've just started curling my lashes. I also go this great 'mini-brush' mascara that kind of makes my lashes look insane:

I've been experimenting with eyeshadow colours and have found a real love for coral shades. Also, I can use liquid eyeliner now and not feel like a dick. I have a paintbrush type one in dark brown and after a few youtube vids on how to apply it, I'm really enjoying it.

And, here's some photos of my new apartment before I moved in. The after shots will be along in the next few weeks. I want to get my photos on the wall and the bookcase in before I take the 'afters'.

View from the front door. Main room - to the right is the bathroom.

around the corner to the right. Closet and bathroom.

So clean!

Yeah, I put the TV in the wardrobe :)

My sweet little kitchen.

Slightly too small fridge and totally over sized washer.

Yeah, so that's all good. I had a great day yesterday. I had a really good session at the gym - I'm now squatting 42kg and deadlifting 60kg. Benchpress is lagging behind, but it's supposed to, at 32kg. After the gym, I had a lazy morning and then wambled into Seoul for lunch with Jay (which was awesome), and show shopping. All in all, totally great day :)

Also, the temperatures are cooling. Both morning and evening yesterday it was almost cool enough to wear a light cardigan. Not quite though - my new sandles still have a couple of months of wear left :)

Why a new blog? Friday

So, this is the same as the old blog, just... new. Why? Because of boys. What the hell is wrong with some men? Ok, and women, but I've only got man problems right now. Why do ex-boyfriends periodically contact me? And why do they seem to do it almost all at the same time? Within the last 5 days I've had messages from Brook, Andy, and now Luke. Brook's fine - I wrote on his Facebook for his birthday and he wrote to find out how I am, and has been acting like a totally normal human being. Andy messaged me after me having ignored EVERY SINGLE text message for over two months saying how he was happy now and doing fun things. I still ignored him. And now, today, I get a message from creepy Luke.

He's the reason I moved my blog. He's the reason I sort of stopped writing in the first place. He reads it and then emails me like he knows me and is my best friend. It's so weird. So, today he emailed wanting to know why I never replied to him three months ago when he emailed me asking if he could come and stay with me in Korea. He also wanted to give me relationship advice... WTF? I decided to be brutally honest and told him it was totally inappropriate and made me feel creeped out. Well, he got all shitty and told me that he "expected better behaviour from me", and that "ignoring him wasn't acceptable". I lol'd :D What a fruitcake! Direct quote from me:

"Ok, I am going to try and make this clear to you. I am not ignoring you out of spite, or games, or any reason other than I have no real desire to talk to you, and you, without fail, creep me out every time I think 'Oh, he just wants to reconnect and be friends'. You write in an insultingly intimate tone, act like you know every little quirk of my personality, and repeatedly inform me of how you think I should behave and think. I find it condescending and just plain weird. We knew each other briefly about 6 years ago. I find it very strange that you choose to contact me, even when I repeatedly make it clear I'm not who I was. 

I am ignoring you not to make you feel bad, but to protect myself from you. Whatever it is you think I can give you or make you feel, you are wrong."

He's all like "That's so hurtful, why would you say that? You are unkind and thoughtless... blah blah blah". So, back to ignoring him. Seriously dude, get yourself a life!

Then, I made a new blog and am only giving the address to people I want to read it. All the old stuff is here as well.

And yay! It's the weekend! Plans? Shoe shopping tomorrow (and maybe a quick lunch with Jay, if he's free), Sunday I want to do some cooking, and Monday I'm going with Bekah (friend from work) and her gorgeous baby, Ollie, to get a massage in Dongtan. I've got my camera out so I can remember to take some photos and post them here. I've been so slack (but also haven't wanted to share with creepy creeper Luke).

Today's 5 things:

1) Great skype with Amy this morning

2) Pineapple!

3) I'm making paleo hamburgers for dinner (baked in my new oven!)

4) It's a lifting day tomorrow. I'm going for 42kg on my squats and a 60kg deadlift!

5) I love my apartment :)

Thunderstorm Thursday

It is totally bucketing down. And my lovely silver sandles are falling apart as a result. They might be salvageable with some care and some superglue, but I need new dress sandles, stat! Which is a problem when you're feet are size 9.5-10 and Korean women's shoes only go up o a smallish size 8. However! I have just been informed by google that there is a three story American shoe store in Myeongdong selling a variety of women's shoes up to size 10. So, this Saturday, that's where I'm heading. I'm hopeful they'll have some winter boots too, as the fashion season is just changing. I'd love some boots. But, mostly I need some sandles to wear to work that don't look like casual going to the beach or hiking shoes.

In other news, I've moved into my own apartment.It's lovely! I'll post some pictures as soon as it's finished.

Work's back to normal, new semester, new students, but pretty much the same. In a good way.

The end :)

Phew it's Friday!

Wow, what a week! Kid's camp isn't as bad as I had feared, but it sure is a lot of time with pretty young children. I'm not totally exhausted yet, but I am in danger of losing my voice. Haha, I could try teaching using the silent method? Probably not the best idea.

Tomorrow is my birthday! Amy sent me a package, which I'm saving to open :) The suspense!

This week's five things:
1) I signed for my new apartment on Tuesday night! Woohoo! it's going to be awesome.

2) The food at camp ranges from acceptable to pretty tasty. Plus, it's three free meals a day.

3) It's nearly my birthday.

4) Nearly one week done of camp.

5) Today is Friday! Two lovely days off in which I can eat whatever I want!

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.