I'm a plus-size now.

This is why...People actually laugh out loud when I tell them my shoe size. I don't even think about telling them my dress size.

The Lovely Bones

I just finished this book. I'll leave the book blogging to Big Dalene, but I definitely want to recommend this one. It is about a family grieving the death of a child. It is told from heaven by the child who was murdered. Amazing writing. Touching story. Have some tissues close.

My Visit to Seoul

Last weekend I went with Keith, Megan and some of their co-workers to visit Seoul. We got to visit a palace/park, which was gorgeous.



We ate at a 50's style diner. It was really cute to see the Korean girls serving us cheeseburgers, shakes and Dr. Pepper in roller skates. I was trying to get a picture of the Korean man eating there, but I thought this one of Megan turned out better.

We also saw a man-boy (I can't decide his age) giving out Free Hugs. He looked so happy every time someone wanted one. He likes his job.

Keith couldn't resist. Seriously, look how happy that man-boy is giving Keith a hug.


I gave him a side-hug. He even smiles for pictures. What a great guy!


We saw lots of other interesting people in Seoul.


And I even got stuck in the subway. I promise I paid for it. The computer system was messed up and wouldn't let me out. Keith jumped , but I was in a skirt.

Why You Should Visit Korea: Reason #1

Last week Noelle, Molly (other teachers) and I went downtown to get facials. It was 18,000 won, which is a little less than $18 US. I think the last and only time I had a facial was when Nikki and I went through a two-week cosmetology school at Tri-County Tech. As you can probably predict, my expectations weren't very high.
This was so much better! It lasted about an hour and a half. I felt a little bad about it being so cheap. They don't even tip here. The only bad part about it was the mask. Towards the end, they put a mask all over your face, including your eyes. They tell you, "Eyes [pointing at eyes]...no [making an x with their fingers] ...open." I got the point. I was scared I was going to accidentally open my eyes. I wasn't sure what would happen, but I didn't want to find out. I finished first and looked over at Noelle and Molly with their masks. They looked like zombies.
Anyway, overall it was an amazing experience. They massaged my shoulders so hard they were sore for the next two days! If any of you are planning on visiting me, you can expect a visit to Skincare 5000. I think the $18 facial could be worth buying the $2000 plane ticket!

This is us in our lovely pink wraps. Noelle is doing the typical Korean pose. She's from Colorado.

I love my mom.

She is great. She always gives the same advice: take Zyrtec.

"Mom, I have a stomachache."
"Did you take your Zyrtec?"

"Mom, I cut my leg."
"Did you take your Zyrtec?"

It doesn't matter what is wrong with me, the answer is always Zyrtec. I love it, and it always makes me laugh.

This is handy.

My friend Molly and I went to a burger place downtown called Kraze Burgers. It was good, but my favorite part of the restaurant was the bathroom. They had a mouthwash dispenser. How cool is that? Little disposable cups on the side and everything... these Koreans are smart people!

For Julie and Megan...

I saw this in downtown Daegu. It made me think of you girls. :)

Random Man Sleeping Off Friday Night/Saturday Morning in My School Building

Korean Cooking

This meal isn't even slightly Korean. I bought all the ingredients in Korea and made it here though. That counts as Korean cooking, right? Big Dalene wants me to create a cookbook with her. I am definitely not a good enough cook to be published, but I thought this meal was really pretty. What do you think Dalene...you cook, I "style" and photograph the food? We could make it work...

Socks, anyone?

Sunday Megan came to visit me. It was so good to see here! We had a great time just talking and hanging out, but we also had a great time at Costco. I'm not going to lie--it was pretty expensive, but it was SO worth it. I was able to get ground beef, chicken breasts, bagels and even my favorite Chocolate & Oats Fiber One bars. I also bought wet Swiffer cloths for my fake Swiffer. I have never been so happy to find a cleaning product. My floor is happy now too.

As I have mentioned previously, there are lots of random vendors on my street. Megan and I were walking and laughed when we saw this...


It is the biggest pile of socks I've ever seen. A lot of them were "Fila" socks. Does that brand even exist anymore? Gina and Nikki, you can come here to shop for your new store. You would be in heaven!

Seomun Market

Last week a couple of friends and I went to Seomun Market. It is one of the largest markets in Korea. They sell all kinds of clothes, fabric, shoes and other cheap things...I can't remember it all. There are multiple buildings connected by walkways. You can also walk around the ground level. All the people were a little overwhelming, but I survived.


Roxy wanted to buy fabric. She picked a pattern that was in the middle of the stack though. We tried for a while to get it out, but eventually a stranger helped us out. I would think it happens often to the lady who owns the booth, but she thought we were hilarious. What do you expect when you stack the fabric five feet high?


When you are finished shopping you can have intestines for lunch. I'm not positive that those are intestines, but it looks a lot like it...doesn't it?

English Skits

My listening class is given a scenario each week, and then they create a skit based on what they heard. This last scenario was a criminal trying to get through immigration with a fake passport.
The boys inevitably turn it violent, no matter what the scenario. This time they made paper guns that read "made in taliban." They made a paper bomb with the numerical keypad drawn on it. Then they pulled out an actual razor blade. If I was anywhere else I would have been concerned, but I just laughed. Apparently, they all carry them to cut paper in school. I tried to ask one kid why he doesn't just carry scissors. He said, "They are too heavy. They weigh me down and then they make me short." He's pretty funny.
The girls went up to do their skit and started drawing on the whiteboard. They wrote "Duty-Free, Welcome to JFK Airport." Then they lined the board with expensive purses. It was too funny. I don't ever remember being this creative in school.

My Kitchen

I have absolutely NO counter tops. I am wanting to get a small table just so I have somewhere to prepare food.


This is the cabinet I bought from the "Korean Ikea" website. It's the perfect size for my toaster!


I love these dishes. Daiso is one of my favorite stores here. It reminds me of the Dollar Tree...but better! Each dish was $1-$3.

Walking to Work

I have to walk about 15-20 minutes every day to work. Sometimes I get lazy and take a $2 taxi, but most of the time I enjoy my walk. I pass tons of street vendors. My favorite is the fish markets that have live eels--I think. I never stop long enough to look because it kind of freaks me out. I tried to inconspicuously film part of the walk. It didn't turn out very well, but here it is...

"Teacher, you have a long leg."

I really hope she meant to say, "Teacher, you have long legs."

My kids are so cute...most of them. I teach seven classes; three of them are twice a week and the other four only come once a week. I am not sure my total amount of students, but I know it is a lot. And a lot of names to remember! Almost every class has a Luke, June (always a boy), Kate and Susan. The American names they choose crack me up. One girl wants to be called James. My first elementary class I called a boy Billy. He said, "It's Billy BOB!" Apparently, he wants to be from the South. I even have a Jude--just like my cousin.

I am getting pretty good at understanding Konglish. I think some kids actually have a hard time, while others are just being lazy. For example, they say "yes-u" instead of "yes." It is hard to tell who is just being lazy though. I have one elementary student who is smart, but so lazy when he speaks. I have the hardest time understanding him. I always tell him to speak clearly and then he screams, "TEACHER." He gets mad that I can't understand him. Sometimes I say what I think he said. Usually it is very, very wrong because the entire class can't stop laughing. I am glad someone thinks I am funny though. I try to tell jokes to my older kids and they just stare at me. They make me feel old!

My Bathroom

I don't want to post pictures of my apartment until I am finished decorating. I am finished with the bathroom, so you can have a preview.

There isn't too much you can do with this bathroom, but I think it looks okay. I am slowly getting used to the "shower." I practically have to crawl in the sink to get under it (I'm exaggerating). I don't like how it gets everything wet though. I guess it will grow on me.

I'm amused easily.

I realize it's not that exciting because we have these in the States, but I LOVE the shopping cart escalator. I'm not sure if that's the official name, but I just get excited every time I get on one. I also really like the moving sidewalks at airports. Your luggage doesn't lock into the grooves, so it's not quite as cool. However, you can go super-woman fast on the sidewalks though. I always feel sorry for the losers walking next to me because they're going SO slow!

Thanks Megan!

Megan introduced me to the Korean Ikea. Apparently there is a guy who buys a bunch of stuff from Ikea and then sells it in Korea. The best part is the website is in English! I ordered a small shelf for my kitchen and pillowcases. It is all reasonably priced, but I could see myself getting addicted. Maybe it wasn't the best idea for you to show me that Megan...