SORRY MOM!!!

Okay... so I promised to call home this weekend, and I forgot. Long weekends and the time difference between here and home always mean that when I get up and ready to call, it's way too late, or ridiculously early back home. Grrr....

But, I had a really nice weekend. I played social butterfly Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so on Sunday and Monday, I just chilled and relaxed at home. I watched a few movies, spent some time with a good friend, and walked around Seoul a bit.

Truth be told, Thursday and Friday were a bit insane actually. On Thursday, we went out for ladies night. We ended up at The Loft in Itaewon with several of our co-workers and one too many free drinks. I got home around 3:30... but luckily, Friday was only a half day.

On Friday, the girls all came over and we polished off a few bottles of red wine, some cheese and crackers, and a ton of North American magazines. Once we were all accounted for, half of us left for Hongdae and the other half for Itaewon. The plan was for Cath and I to just spend an hour or so in Itaewon and then meet up with the others for Club Night in Hongdae, but alas, we were sidetracked. I blame it on the wine... but there were several other factors at play I believe. Either way, I had a blast.

Saturday was an absolutely delicious dinner and some quality time with my friend's new golden retriever puppy. Afterwards, we all met up at the Park Hyatt to hear a terrific jazz singer that one of our group is very close to. I have heard Karen sing before, but it always surprises me how effortlessly she controls an entire room with her voice.

Sunday was spent doing laundry, watching movies and relaxing. It was wonderful! Today I went out for lunch, but otherwise it was another relaxing day. I would probably have liked to hit the gym, but I think it was closed today, as so many things were with it being the Lunar New Year holiday here. Tomorrow I will hit the gym hard, as I've really noticed a change in my body lately and I have sooooo much more energy and am just feeling healthier all around since I started back at it.

Tonight, I'm downloading music and chillling. It's almost 10pm... and if I was smart, I'd go to bed early for the first time this weekend in order to be well rested tommorrow... but it's hard to get back into a normal sleep schedule when you've been up late every night.

Ah well... c'est la vie!

On the list of things to do this week is to buy a new camera. I have the money, and have planned to do it for weeks, but have just never gotten around to it... so I think this week might be the week. I would like to start taking more pictures around Seoul, as I have always been interested in Photography.

Love and miss you all back home... I will try to call this week!

Dating in Seoul: Tips and Talk

My friends and I got to talking about the first date yesterday. You know... the dreaded interview/get to know you situation where you try to act non-chalant, but secretly you are trying to figure out if you are even slightly compatible in about an hour.

Now... there are pros and cons to the different types of first dates. But the truth is that if you have great chemistry with someone, it really doesn't matter what you do together, you'll have a great time. On the other hand, if you have very little chemistry, you can have the best possible date activities planned, but you'll want to slit your wrists with a butterknife half way through... (come on.. you know you've been there!).

I tend to prefer the goofy first dates. The ones where you do something off the wall, like go bowling, to an arcade, go see a strange exhibit, out for ice cream, or to an amusement park. I'm a kid at heart, and I think that these types of first dates help to break down that whole uncomfortable-get-to-know-you-across-the-table sort of thing and lets you just be. And, at the very least, if you have no chemistry at all, at least you get to spend the date doing something fun.

So this of course brings us to the discussion of what there is to do in Seoul for these types of fun dates. The following is just my picks, and I'd love to hear any comments or suggestions anyone else has. However... please be advised that this list is not guaranteed to get you a second date, a first kiss, or laid. That is totally up to you. Even the best planned date can fail if you two end up having no chemistry.

1) Share a chocolate ice cream fondue at Baskin Robbins. The one on Gangnam is cool because it overlooks the street, and the fondue makes for an icebreaker. And let's be honest.. who doesn't love fondue?!

2) Share a bowl of frozen yogurt at RedMango (it is called that right? The chain frozen yogurt place?). This is a fun date because you get to choose a bunch of toppings for the frozen yogurt, which is again an icebreaker.

3) Go to one of Seoul's many amusement parks and hit the gokarts or bumper cars first, then a roller coaster before moving on to the ferris wheel or other side by side relaxing rides. This will give you a great icebreaker. Seeing as it's pretty cold outside now, the indoor amusement park at Lotte World is probably your best bet until the spring.

4) Find an arcade and play some goofy games that let's you play as a team, as well as the ones that let you compete with each other.

Now... my girls and I also discussed some of the major mistakes that guys make on the first date. I'm sure that girls make a ton on dates too (ie: mentioning how they want to be married by the end of the year, or how cute your kids would look... etc., etc.), but since I'm a girl, I can really only explain the things guys should try not to do.

1) Don't get too touchy feely too soon. If she is leaning away or looks uncomfortable... SHE IS!

2) Don't criticize anything about her. She won't find it witty, insightful or enduring. She'll just find it rude.

3) Don't mention ANY ex-girlfriend, ex-lover, ex-anything. If it's in the past... leave it there!

4) Don't answer the cell phone. Would it really kill you to turn it off for the hour or two that you're on the first date? Unless you need it for work (and then you should apologize and explain this in advance).

5) Don't go in for the kiss when the moment doesn't feel right. I know that you think that it would suck to end the date without a first kiss, but if she's not feeling it, it will suck even more if the first kiss sucks... cause it's the last thing in her head, and the first thing she'll remember about the date.

6) Don't expect her to pay for you. Now... everyone has a different opinion on this, but my theory is that whoever suggested the date should pay. I mean, don't expect a girl to split the check if you asked her out knowing she's a teacher or student and then take her to a really expensive restaurant. A little common sense can go a long way here. If you want to look chivalrous, but don't want to pay for everything every time you go out, pick up the check and say something like "I'll get it this time." (with a smile of course). Unless she's a total social idiot, she'll get the hint.

7) Don't try to get her to say if she had a good time or not. Assume that if she did, she will say so. And if you push her on it, she will just lie to keep from hurting your feelings anyway. Let it progress naturally. If she had a good time, she will probably be open to setting up the second date then and there. But if she hums and hahs... you probably aren't going to see her again.

If it doesn't seem like it worked out, then just remember the best line from Sex and the City, "Maybe he's just not that into you." This works for both sexes. There are so many people out there, and just because someone doesn't seem that into you doesn't mean anything other than that the chemistry just isn't there. So don't sweat it.

Good luck on the dating scene! (God knows, we all need it!) :o)

A lazy day...

I love lazy days. Wake up late... have something to eat, watch movies, do laundry, download some new music, clean my apartment...

This last part will probably shock my mom (though she swears that she always knew I had it in me). I used to be an utter mess. I mean, I my apartment back home was often clean... vacumned and dusted... just a mess of clutter. Books, magazine, movies, papers, files from work, textbooks, etc. Piles of things to do, things that had been done... books to be read, cds to be listened to, files to get working on.

But here, I've really simplified things. I've never been a really big shopper, and other than grocery shopping or following Jeril around while she shops, I have made very few purchases here. Instead, I've just been doing more... reading, cooking, going out for dinner, exploring the bookstore, going for long walks, listening to music... etc.

I have to say that I honestly think that not having a television here is AWESOME! I don't just sit down and veg out completely. Even if I decide to watch a movie on my computer, I'm always doing something else while its playing.

Anyway, I think it's time to head out for a walk and maybe grab a chai latte.

Love and miss you all back home.

Don't take advice, but always keep learning...

My little brother is getting married.

Phew! Thank goodness! I figure that by him throwing himself down the isle, it saves me from having to do so for at least the next five to ten years. My theory is that my parents, grandmother, etc., etc., will get all their wedding excitement spent on their upcoming July wedding, and then they'll need a break from it. For at least a decade. ;o)

Anyway, I love my brother to death, and since he met his girlfriend (now fiance) he has just seemed happy. It is not that he was never happy before or that he was always on the lookout for 'the one'... but since they have been together... he has been happy. And I could want nothing for him more than that. (Love you guys!) ;o)

Anyways, with their wedding approaching, it has gotten me thinking about how to have a really successful marriage. I think that anyone that has been a part of any long term relationship knows that it is very hard. It is not just the chemistry and match that is important, but so many outside things; money, jobs, family, etc., etc. can affect your relationship and how you move forward together.

Something I have learned as of late is that you should not take ANYONE's advice. There are so many different ways to live your life and to do things, so you should never take someone else's opinion and form your decisions around that. Instead, I think that you can gain a lot of information by listening to how others felt about the decisions that they have made, and go from there.

For Steven and Zohreh. I wish you two all the happiness I can possibly imagine. Here are some of the things I have learned along the way, through the inevitability of trail and error. I hope that anyone reading this blog will add something that they have learned in the comment area, and you two can take what you can, and leave the rest.

Love you two!! ;o)

"Love must be learned and learned again and again. There is no end to it." (Katherine Ann Porter)

"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
At night, the ice weasels come." (Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons)

"Love each other and you will be happy. It is as simple and as difficult as that." (Unknown)

"True love is when you care enough for another person to allow them the space and time they need to become all they can be." (Christine Northrup, M.D.)

"What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens." (Thaddeus Golas)

"Do not assume that someone knows how you feel about them. Caring words are only a loss when they are not spoken aloud."

"True love is an act of total surrender." (Paulo Coelho)

Kahlil Gibran on marriage (from "The Prophet"):
"You were born together, and together you shall be for evermore...
But let there be spaces in your togetherness.
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous,
but let each one of you be alone.
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

I have also learned, the hard way of course, the importance of simple kindness. It is difficult at times to simply be kind to someone who you wake up in the morning and fall asleep at night with. It is difficult to remember to say 'please' and 'thank-you' when they do something small and kind for you. But it is so important. It isn't the actual words that matter, but the fact that you don't take them for granted. No one wants to be taken for granted. Cooking you dinner or filling the car up with gas for you is not something that they ever HAVE to do. It was not in the marriage contract. And whether they do it once in a while, or every single day does not give you the right to forget that they are doing so because they love you. Plain and simple.

Laughter is also so very, VERY important. Being able to laugh together can help you get through some of the most difficult times. The times when you have no control over what life is throwing at you, and you simply have to hold on and ride it out together.

You two will find and negotiate your own way of being together. Just remember that love is just like life. There are peaks and valleys, and having a bit of direction and a hell of a sense of adventure (and humour) will help you get through almost anything together.

Love you guys sooooo much and can't wait for July!

A long weekend... just what the doctor ordered!

So, it's Thursday at 4:45. I am home and relaxing. I had an awesome day today! I've taught several of my kids to read!

Now, this is obviously my job... so I realize that this news is not all that exciting to some, but I think it's awesome! I mean, they couldn't read... and now they can read. Now they can pick up a book and sound out the words, and they know what it means. How cool is that?!

I love to write, I love to read, I put myself through school by working at a bookstore... so teaching kids halfway across the world to read is pretty damn cool! :o)

Anyway, that small accomplishment aside (though I don't really think that it's all that small), tomorrow will be such an easy day. The kids have several special classes, which mean I get to just sit and watch another teacher teach them science or watch them play in gym. I love sitting back and watching them. They are so interesting. I think that Russell Banks described it best in the book "The Sweet Hereafter":

"By now there was some noise on the bus, the early morning sounds of children practicing at being adults, making themselves known to one another and to themselves in their small voices... the talk of children can be instructive. I guess it's because they play openly at what we grownups do seriously and in secret."

They are feeling their way around their world, and bumping into social walls and ceilings. It's so interesting to see their reaction to something that just simply doesn't makes sense, but of which we simply accept. The social norms that adults don't even question, children almost always do, which I love most about them! The questions they ask that you go to answer... and then realize that you don't have an answer for... cause you never even thought to ask the question to begin with.

For every adult that thinks they have only things to teach children, and nothing to learn from them... Man!! Are you missing out.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand... Our school is done at noon tomorrow. The kids head home and we get a long weekend!! Monday is Chinese New Year so we get the day off. YAY!!!

On the agenda this weekend... ice skating at city hall... lotte world amusement park... hanging out with my favourite teachers that will be leaving in March, and some quality retail therapy with Jeril.

Ahhhh.... yep. Life is tough. :o)

Love and miss you all back home... and I will DEFINITELY call this weekend Mom... I promise!! ;o)

Well, I definitely can't go home to Canada NOW!!!

A Conservative government, eh? Holy @&$%!!! What were you guys thinking?!?!?!

What do you think Shaun? Do you think we should just grab some Canadians on this side of the ocean and start our own liberal Canadian colony? I think we should choose some terrific island in Thailand. Why not get a little sun and surf while we discuss Canada's political landscape?

Well, I think I might just have to travel through Asia and Europe until my fellow Canadians come to their senses. I mean, COME ON NOW! Have we learned nothing from the americans?! A conservative government can do a lot of damage, especially if all you think they want to do is lower your stupid taxes!!!

Love and miss you all back home... well, all of you who voted NDP or Liberal that is!!! :o)

(Okay, yeah, I love you too Ian... despite your evil conservative voting streak)

Favourite quotes

I've been reading a ton lately, and have come across a few quotes that I absolutely love. So here they are:

"...because freedom continues to be the thing I prize most in the world. Of course, this has led me to drink wines I did not like, to do things I should not have done and which I will not do again; it has left scars on my body and on my soul, it has meant hurting certain people, although I have since asked for their forgiveness, when I realised that I could do absolutely anything except force another person to follow me in my madness, in my lust for life. I don't regret the painful times; I bear my scars as if they were medals. I know that freedom has a high price, as high as that of slavery; the only differences is that you pay with pleasure and a smile even when that smile is dimmed with tears." (PAULO COELHO, author of "The Zahir")

"My day was good, let night fall." (PAULO COELHO)

"The heart decides, and what it decides is all that really matters." (PAULO COELHO, author of "By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept")

"True love is an act of total surrender." (PAULO COELHO)

"Nothing had changed except his sense of gratitude, his appreciation of everything he had. It was just as you expect you should feel and what seldom actually happens without ugly little twists." (AMY TAN, author of "Saving Fish From Drowning")

"I killed Cupid in self defence." (Anonymous postcard at POSTSECRET.com)

"Deep is your longing for the land of your memories and the dwelling-place of your greater desires; and our love would not bind you nor our needs hold you." (KAHLIL GIBRAN, author of "The Prophet")

"And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can it be? The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain." (KAHLIL GIBRAN)

Friendship

J. and I have known each other for eleven years at this point. We have been through so much together and changed so much as individuals during that time. Our friendship has changed and grown over the years as well.

Friendship is an amazing thing. It is almost an entity unto itself. When things in your life are going along without any event, it is simply there, along side you, experiencing it and taking it all in. When the road gets a bit rocky, it help you along, and keeps you steady. When you full out fall, flat on your face, it is the only thing that helps you up again.

It stretches across distance and time with an elasticity that seems infinite.

At times, the stress of being so far from where we began and the ones we love makes us a little more raw with each other. We are a little less polite... a little bit quicker to be put on edge. But under all of that, there is this foundation that we stand on, and nothing that happens here will change that.

After this year, our lives will take us in very different directions, and yet we will always have that same bond, even if it has to stretch across an ocean, or years of being caught up in work, and family and all the things that come with an adult life.

I have more respect for her than she will ever know, and I know that every decision she makes will be the right one for her, and she will be happy... and we will always be friends.

I love Sundays!

I had a great night last night, and I got up early, had breakfast, and now I have the whole day to do whatever I please. I love that!!

I'm listening to my global lounge cd (french, spanish songs) and sipping some English Breakfast tea and just chilling. Ahhh.... this is the life.

On the menu today, I think I will take a nap, hit the gym after dinner, and maybe read a book or watch a movie. Perfect. ;o)

I love this city at night. In the dark and neon lights, I can walk the streets for hours just being inside my head and people watching. At night, I blend in a little better. It isn't until they are approaching me on the street that they realize that I'm a foreigner and begin the staring process that I've become so accustomed to. At night, I can pretend that I don't notice and just go about my business.

You would think that after more than four months I would get used to the constant staring and whispering, but I haven't. In fact, I find just the opposite sometimes. When I first arrived here, I expected the staring and took it in stride, but after a while, it began to get under my skin. I don't mind it so much when I am walking on the street, but when I am doing things like grocery shopping, picking out clothes or standing in line at Starbucks, I find that it begins to get under my skin. I feel like just turning around to them and asking them what they find so interesting...

And yet, I can't blame them. When I walk down the street, all I see are Koreans. Men in dark business suits, women in skirts and sweaters. When a foreigner is in they crowd, they simply stand out, and even I am guilty of doing the stare and whisper that I loathe so much.

The social fabric here is so much different from Canada. In a country where over 90% of the population is of one race, I find myself unable to get used to the uniformity of it all.

And yet, in other times, like tonight, I think that my life and my choices have been so wonderful. I decided to walk the streets of Seoul tonight, alone and with my iPod on... lost in my music and thoughts. It's nice, as it almost gives Seoul a film score. A little colour, music, excitement is just what Seoul needs. More and more I think that having different cultures co-existing is what makes a place so colourful. Though I'm not totally sure what about this formula makes this work, I love it.

I love people watching here, because although there are certainly cultural differences, mostly you just come to realize that all people have similar drives. We are all looking for some form of acceptance... from society, our co-workers, our friends, our families, our lovers. We are all looking for our place in the world. We are all looking to blend in but not be forgotten. And most importantly, we are all looking for love. Some of us are looking in all the wrong places... always trying to like ourselves better by loving someone else. Some of us mix up love and sex and seek out the latter thinking it has to be linked to the former... which is not necessarily the case.

Some of us are sure we've got it right, which means of course that we never have gotten it at all. Some of us are too scared to move, to jump, leap, run after them, up to them, and yell at the top of our lungs how much we really care.

Some of us are tiptoeing around... afraid to break through the ice. Others are throwing ourselves against every wall, hoping that one day, we'll stick.

And some of us are just being.

I don't know why I am so calm and zen out here. Seoul has really tried to kick my ass since I've been here, but I've come out of it a person I like even more than the one that began this trip. The woman I am now is not easily rattled, and seems to enjoy the moments leading there more than the completed goal.

The woman I am now is open to falling in love, but isn't desperate to create it when it doesn't exist or search for it once it is gone.

The woman I am becoming is kind and generous, but learning to take time space for herself and not feel like she should be somewhere else, with someone else. I feel like I've finally grabbed my life by the hands and have really begun living my life day to day, from moment to moment.

The woman I am now accepts how things are, changes what she cans, and moves on from the rest. She accepts her mistakes and no longer lets them anchor her down. The woman I am now respects that the woman I was then had to make the decisions she did, and does not hold them against her anymore. Though if made today, the outcome would inevitably be different.

I am so happy in this moment. So content. I cannot imagine a better life for myself right now. I am sitting in a coffee shop, half way around the world from where I began. I am sipping a chai tea and listening to amazing music, and typing away on my computer. The watch that my father gave me is on my wrist and my grandmother's wedding ring is on my right hand. The people I love and left back home are constantly on my mind and what they are to me is the reason why I can be here, so far from them, and still feel so close.

I loved them before. Always. But now I truly understand the bond that unites us. Although I am so far away, I feel like it connects us at all times. I know that if I really need them, I can grab hold of the rope and feel my way back, and they will be there at the end, as they always have been. And in the same moment, I cannot even imagine what it must be like for those who do not have this safety rope. Or who tug on it one day to find that the other end has been dropped. I can't even begin to imagine who I would be if my parents had not set out to do their best, and did even better than that. Although I still think that they don't really understand what an incredibly strong foundation they laid for me. In fact, I think it goes beyond a foundation... I think that they built the ladders right into the ground, so there is no way we could ever go anywhere but up.

I have been so lucky in my life. I have dated some of the most amazing men in the world and they have taught me so much about myself and different ways to see the world. Even when the relationship ended in tears and we knew we would not see each other again, I took something with me that I could not have learned any other way or from anyone else. I have such incredible respect for all of them. Though they are all so different from one another, they all have such compassion, kindness, intelligence, creativity and ability. I wish such positive things for all of them. To find love. To find happiness. To be as content with who they are as I am, here, tonight... sitting in this coffee shop, typing away.

No matter where my life takes me from here, I am grateful for all of the people and experiences that have made an impact on my life. Although some of my experiences have been very difficult to go through, I could not imagine being here, as this person, any other way. This was simply the path that I had to travel. It was not always my choice, as things in life inevitably get thrown at you from time to time, but I am sure that I have learned something from every single experience, which makes it all worthwhile.

I'm not russian dammit!!!

For the last time, to all the Korean middle aged men out there in business suits... I AM NOT RUSSIAN. And if I was, you wouldn't be able to afford me!

I stopped by the corner store near my house tonight to pick up some water and orange juice around 10pm and three middle aged korean men in business suits kind of cornered me near the cash register. In English (sort of), one of them full out points at me (I'm only a foot in front of him) and says in this sneering way, "She's lotion". Well, okay, so that's what I thought he said originally. Leave it up to me not to think the worst of people right off the bat. I ask "what's lotion?" and the guy steps even closer to me in a creepy way and says "Russian... russian". So, naturally, I say: "Russian? I'm f#%king CANADIAN!!!"

Anyway... I really wanted to slap them. You have to understand, it's not that they just think I'm from russia... it's that they think I'm a Russian prostitute, cause most of the pretty, blonde girls here are assumed to be so.

And tonight, it just really bugged me. I've heard men say it under their breath to each other, but these guys were so blatant about it.

Anyway, overall, I just had a bad day. My kids were crazy and hyper today, my phonics class was fighting with each other, and I got stuck in traffic on my way to Itaewon. Then these dumb, ignorant guys!

Ah well... another day, another dollar... or won, as the case may be.

Love and miss you all back home!

Target practice and grey hairs... oh my!

Well, it finally happened... I looked in the mirror the other day and noticed that I have some grey hairs on the top of my head. GREY HAIRS!!!! WHAT THE &$^%!!!!

I'm not sure if these are 'Korea' grey hairs (caused by all my korean adventures thus far) or not, but I can't believe that I have grey hairs at 25 years old!!

Man! That's what I get for deciding that I wasn't going to dye my hair anymore after the age of about 22. I do have a few things going in my favour though. For one, I have fairly light coloured hair to begin with, so it's not totally noticeable. Number 2 is that I am fairly tall, so most people aren't tall enough to notice my new 'mature' hairs. But why oh why?!

Anyway, I'm not really one to fret about that kind of thing... so this will be my one and only freak out about it. Besides, I have rarely seen blonde hair dye here in Korea and I really don't have the interest or patience to go and try to find it. Let alone the fact that I can think of about a hundred things I would rather be doing with my hour, other than dyeing my hair. So, I just hope that the greys don't multiply too quickly.

;o)

J. and I have been playing sniper since we bought bbguns this past weekend. We bought this target too, so we've been doing target practice when we get bored (or just to release a little stress!). Turns out, I'm an awesome shot!! Which is funny, cause I am a very peaceful person who is not at all a gun lover, but I can see why it is a bit addicting. Though, I imagine that shooting a real gun is a very different experience.

I'm sure my parents will be really proud reading this post. I am prematurely aging and becoming a violent assasin in my spare time!! Excellent!!

Okay, time to go hit Gangnam, the gym and then home to bed.

Love and miss you all at home!

My IQ test...

So one weeknight evening, I was goofing around on the internet and did an IQ test. It ended up being one of those annoying ones where after you finish it, they only give you a small bit of information about your results and try to make you buy the full report. Which I didn't of course! Anyway, I checked my email this morning, and they sent me my report for free because I scored really high on the overall test.

Cool!

So here is a little excerpt from my results. If you know me well, let me know if you think it's dead on or not. I scored 129 which put me in the 95% percentile.

Your Intellectual Type Is: INSIGHTFUL LINGUIST

You are gifted with the natural fluency of a writer and the visual and spatial strengths of an artist. Those skills contribute to your creative and expressive mind.

Insightful linguists can take complex concepts and articulate them to just about anyone. You have a gift with words and insight into processes and the way people think. These talents enable you to explain things clearly to people.

You have an uncanny ability to work your way out of sticky situations using your talent with words. Crossword puzzles, debates — you're particularly well equipped to come out on top since you can read people well.

Like Charles Dickens, your verbal skills go far beyond having a good vocabulary. Dickens' genius was in the artful and descriptive way he crafted sentences. Also Dickensian, is your keen eye for detail and your adeptness for identifying the best way to express an idea based on your given surroundings and circumstances.

Your ability to communicate your vision clearly will take you far. So enjoy being perceptive, and make the most of your abilities as an insightful linguist.

Great Jobs For You
Because of the way you process information, these are just some of the many careers in which you could excel:
• Publicist
• Translator
• Graphic designer
• Teacher
• Broadcaster
• Public speaker
• Attorney
• Politician

Some of Your Greatest Talents
You've got tons of strengths. It wouldn't surprise us if you:
• Can clarify complex issues
• Can bring new insight to ideas through their fresh perspective
• Are good at leading teams

_______________________________
Here's how each of your intelligence scores break down:

Mathematical Intelligence
Your Mathematical Percentile

You scored in the 80th percentile on the mathematical intelligence scale.This means that you scored higher than 70% - 80% of people who took the test and that 20% - 30% scored higher than you did. The scale above illustrates this visually.

Your mathematical intelligence score represents your combined ability to reason and calculate. You scored relatively high, which means you're probably the one your friends look to when splitting the lunch bill or calculating your waitresses' tip. You may or may not be known as a math whiz, but number crunching might come a little easier to you than it does others.

Visual-Spatial Intelligence
Your Visual-Spatial Percentile

You scored in the 100th percentile on the visual-spatial intelligence scale.
This means that you scored higher than 90% - 100% of people who took the test and that 0% - 10% scored higher than you did. The scale above illustrates this visually.

The visual-spatial component of intelligence measures your ability to extract a visual pattern and from that envision what should come next in a sequence. Your score was relatively high, which could mean that you're the one navigating the map when you're on an outing with friends. You have, in some capacity, an ability to think in pictures. Maybe this strength comes out in subtle ways, like how you play chess or form metaphors.

Vision Quest
Like anything, keeping or improving visual-spatial talents requires some practice. Here are some everyday mental exercises that will be particularly helpful to you:
• Playing chess, or video games like Tetris
• Studying maps and become the navigator on your next trip
• Sculpting or photography

Linguistic Intelligence
Your Linguistic Percentile

You scored in the 100th percentile on the linguistic intelligence scale.
This means that you scored higher than 90% - 100% of people who took the test and that 0% - 10% scored higher than you did. The scale above illustrates this visually.

Linguistic abilities include reading, writing and communicating with words. Tickle's test measures knowledge of vocabulary, ease in completing word analogies and the ability to think critically about a statement based on its semantic structure. Your score was relatively high, which could mean you know your way around a bookstore and maybe like to bandy about the occasional 25-cent word to impress friends.

Word Power
Like anything, keeping or improving linguistic talents requires some practice. Here are some everyday mental exercises that will be particularly helpful to you:
• Doing crossword puzzles
• Start reading just for fun
• Befriending your dictionary
• The next time something breaks, try reading the instruction book first

Logical Intelligence
Your Logical Percentile

You scored in the 90th percentile on the logical intelligence scale.
This means that you scored higher than 80% - 90% of people who took the test and that 10% - 20% scored higher than you did. The scale above illustrates this visually.

Tickle's logical intelligence questions assess your ability to think things through. The questions determine the extent to which you use reasoning and logic to determine the best solution to a problem. Your logic score was relatively high, which could mean that when the car breaks down, your friends look to you to help figure out not only what's wrong, but how to fix it and how you're going to get to the next gas station.

It's all in how you look at it...

So on one hand, the weather the other day sucked in Seoul. It was foggy, rainy, and just plain miserable.

On the other hand, because the weather was so bad, A. couldn't fly out of Seoul, so we got to spend some time together, which was great!

Things are good. Had (hopefully) one of my last doctor's appointments yesterday and turns out I might almost be healthy again!! I feel really good for the first time in a really long time, which is so nice. I have to admit that I was starting to find Seoul pretty depressing. Between the cloudy winter days, the concrete, the neutral colours everywhere, and not feeling well so much of the time, I was starting to think that maybe jumping on a plane to Thailand, Australia, or even home, might just be the answer ;o) But all is well. The sun is shining, I'm feeling good, and it's the weekend!

I still have a bit of pain in my chest, so I'm still on some drugs, but she said that it is just a small infection that the drugs will clear up. She did say that I needed to watch out to see if I was having any shortness of breath, as that could indicate fluid build-up between my thorax and lung, as a result of the damage the pneumonia did to my lungs. But, we went dancing last night, and I didn't have any shortness of breath. And with my doctors permission, I'll be heading back to the gym this week, so I'm sure all is fine. YEAH!!!!!!!

Raining in January

Well, it's raining in January. Go figure. ;o)

The decoding testing continues with my little ones. Although I think the test is a good one overall, it is still a real mind triop for the kids. I mean, I am sitting there, asking them questions, and writing their answers on my little notepad. There is no way to do this without the kids seeing that, and it has the effect of making them a bit paranoid about what I might be writing. I constantly try to tell them that they are doing well during the test, but I understand why the whole situation freaks them out, seeing as they are only about 5 or 6 years old.

Anyway, things are good otherwise. Although I am dead tired lately, I feel better than I have in a really long time. I have another doctor's appointment on Saturday morning to just make sure that this little lung infection is healing up, but otherwise, I think I am FINALLY on the mend. More than four months of not feeling 'healthy' in Korea, and I don't think I can deny that it has definitely got to do with the pollution in Seoul, as overall, I felt much better while I Thailand. So, I will definitely have to keep that in mind if I decide to teach here another year. I really like my school, but perhaps movng to Pusan to teach might be better for my health. Or maybe moving to Thailand! That would be awesome, but the pay there is just enough to live on... not enough to save any money on the side, so I'll have to take that into consideration. Anyway, it's eight months away, so I have plenty of time to figure it out.

A. is still up north, so I will probably only see him for a few days before he leaves for Iraq. It's strange to meet someone and know from the start that you are soon going to have to say goodbye to them. That is a strange way to fall for someone, but life takes you in many interesting directions, so I guess that this was just another one. The saying goodbye will be really hard, but I have awesome peole around me that will make sure I don't get too down.

Well, time to make some tea and read a book or watch a movie.

Love and miss you all back home!!

Girls Nite - Seoul style!

I'm planning a fun little party for the girls next weekend. We've been dying to play the Sex and the City game, as it gets to be a riot when you add good friends, good food, and good wine. The only problem, is that everyone's apartment is so tiny here. But, I'm not bad at the whole entertaining thing, so I think I can make my place work for the occasion. It's amazing what some good music, food, and ambience can do for a tiny little apartment party.

I've actually been checking out this terrific website I just found called Digs magazine. I love the way the site is described: "A home and living guide for the post-college, pre-parenthood, quasi-adult generation". Seriously, how dead on and perfect is that?! LOL! Love it!!

Alas, once again, the problem of not having a stove makes the whole party food plannig thing a bit more complicated, but I like a challenge, so I'm sure it won't be too bad. All you really need for a good party is some good wine, some bread and cheese or little sandwiches, a pasta salad and a chocolate fondue with fresh fruit. Super easy and all delicious. And it will even apease the vegetarians among us.

Ahh... all is well in Seoul land. (Though I do miss dinners with my parents a lot as of late. But I will see you in July, and I bet it will sneak up on us faster than we expect!)

;o)

Ben Harper tunes...

I've been listening to some terrific songs lately. Ben Harper's "In Your Eyes" is definitely worth the download if you can find it. Here are a few of my favourite lines:

and each moment is slipping away
but I look to these times with you
to keep me awake and alive

without a noise
without my pride
I reach out from the inside.

In your eyes
the light and the heat
I am complete


"Wild Horses" by Adam Levine and Alicia Keyes is awesome. My favourite lines are:

You know I can't let you
slide through my hands.

I know I dreamed you
I have my freedom
but I don't have much time
Let's do some living
before we die

Just another day...

Today was just a day like any other, except that I gave a 25 page test to six year olds.

Ahh.... the strange practices of Koreans.

The test was complete joke. I mean, imagine you are starting to learn spanish. You only been in the class for about 3 months, and they give you a test almost compltely in spanish... instructions in spanish, actual written answers in spanish... and you are expected to sit there and answer question after question... page after page. Now imagine you are six years old.

Exactly! Crazy isn't it?

Anyway, on top of that I have to test my kids individually in with a phonics 'decoding' test. Again... imagine you have only been taking a foreign language for about 3 or four months... enough said.

I try to make it as fun as possible with stickers and play time after, but seriously, it was just wierd watching my kids sitting... all facing the front of the room with an exam packet and a sharpened HB pencil in front of them. I had to call Jeril over to look... it was just so strange... I mean... THEY ARE SIX YEARS OLD!! ;o)

Anyway, otherwise, things were good today. My laid back look at things now has been teaching 'smarter' and not worrying myself to death. I can only do so much in the time I have with these kids, and the fact that more than half my class has only been in the class for less than a month... well, you'd go crazy if you thought too much about it. I just do what I can at this point, and the kids and I seem pretty content with that. In fact, I think they might be learning even more because I'm working with them one on one even more lately, since they have all been a lot easier to keep quiet and get their work done, which frees me up to teach rather than just do crowd control. We are 20 strong now. Imagine a classroom of 20 six year olds. It's quite a sight. And I am so attached to so many of them.

Anyway, it's just about 6 here, and I've already made myself dinner. Jeril was home sick yesterday, so she's got cabin fever and so I think we'll head out for a couple of hours. I would like to buy some plants for my apartment. I'm hoping that buying plants will keep me from buying a dog. Two of our co-workers have bought puppies recently (both plan on living in seoul for quite some time), and Jeril and I saw the cutest chihuahua in Myeong-dong on the weekend. I had to physcially force myself to walk away, because if I stood and looked a second longer, I knew I would be going home with the little chi. But alas, I just didn't have the heart to take in a dog, fall in love with it, and than have to give it up if I decide to go elsewhere after my term her is up in a year. However, as soon as I am set up somewhere (though I can't imagine living permanently anywhere anymore... the world is just too interesting), I will rush right out to the local shelter and get a dog for sure. I miss having a dog around, but my apartment is super small, so it would have to be a purse pup rather than my favourites... the biggies, like german shepards, labs, retrievers and so on.

Anyway, I should go... I think I will get plants and a new book tonight. Without a tv, I have just been consuming books. I read my last one in three days, and still managed to go out and have a great weekend. Go figure.

My last book was "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien which I would highly recommend to anyone. Also, "Veronika Decides to Die" by Paulo Coehlo and "The Devil and Miss Prim" by the same author. Amy Tan's new book "Saving Fish from Drowning" is also great. Like I said, I've just been consuming books recently! I have two more Paulo Coehlo books on the go, but I am not as into them as the first two that I read. I'll probably be done them both next week.

So it's off to find plants and maybe to Kyobo for a new book.

Ah... life is so tough for me. ;o)

Love and miss you all back home!!

Cooking in Korea

So, I've decided to teach myself to be a better cook. I have been cooking for myself for quite some time now, but I tend to cook out of necessity rather than for fun or enjoyment. However, my take on this has changed as of late, as I have had the worst health of my life since arriving in Korea (pneumonia, bronchitis, etc), so I have decided to start eating even healthier than I have before.

To most people who know me, this might sound a bit nutty, as I am a very healthy eater to begin with. Not because I watch my waistline but because I am actually one of those sick people who actually like broccoli and fruits.

Anyway, my docter here in Korea said I should try to increase my intake of protein, as protein helps to build the immune system up. Anyone here in Korea knows that unless you want Galbi 24/7, Korean food does not include substantial portions of lean meats. So, I have found my local E-Mart (quite the shopping experience) and have decided to load up on salmon, chicken, pork, shrimp, and red meat (when I break down and am willing to pay the ridiculous price for it) ;o)

Anyway, this sounds like a great idea... but I realize that without a stove (we only have gas ranges here with no oven), I actually only know of a few ways to prepare these meats... and I think I will get bored of them pretty early on!!

So, I have decided to take a little of my extra time to learn some new recipes. I don't have a television at my apartment, so I figure that the time I would normally use just vegging out in front of one, I could use to research and test out new recipes.

This new hobby comes out of pure necessity as well. Since my health here has been sub par, I feel the need to try to take control of it again. I don't want to end up having to go home just because I can't seem to get whatever this is under control. Though mind you, I have been feeling a lot better as of late. Thailand did wonders for me I think. It honestly gave me a whole new perspective on things. So I want to get healthy so I can go back there again soon.

The biggest challenge with cooking in Korea is trying to find basic ingredients like spices I'm used to back home and things like that. But, there are also some positives, like the yummy little sprout mushrooms that I love and are always fresh in the supermarket.

Anyway, I will let you know if I come across any recipes that you absolutely must try. In the meantime, Mom, Grandma, Zohreh... if you happend to know of any terrific (and easy) stovetop recipes, please let me know by email. But keep in mind, cheese is pretty expensive, and creams and things are hard to come by. But I can always get create and subsitute!

Still loving and missing you all back home, but no worries... I am doing fine! ;o)

My fear manifests itself in the oddest ways. When I see someone wearing a dog tag as fashion, I want to rip it off of their neck and hold it up to them and scream. I want to ask them if they have no respect. If they have no idea what this piece of medal means.

I hate the sound of them around his neck, because he does not wear it as an accessory, but for necessity. He wears it 'in case'. He wears it for the reason we don't talk about but for what he is always training for. He wears it so they'll know for sure who they've lost. But they won't know. Engraved on the metal is only his name, not all that his is or how much he matters. I hate the sound of the metal on metal. For the rest of my life, I think that sound will make my breath catch in my throat. Until the day that he walks through the door, takes them off his neck, puts them on the dresser and says "It's over. I'm done."

If you are with the person you love and they are safe, don't let them go. Don't hold back the things you need to say. Don't miss out on going to the places you want together. Don't ever go to bed angry. Don't ever leave without saying goodbye.

If you are with the person you love and they are safe, don't for a single moment, not one second, take it for granted. Don't ever let a word of love go unsaid if you feel it.

Don't ever forget how lucky you are and how nothing in love is owed to us. It is earned. And that some of us are still waiting for the one we love to be safe, and back in our arms.

And we are back live!!!

After not having internet for about three or four days (dsl problems), I am back live!! And thank goodness!!!

The fallout from not having internet...? my mom thought I was dead or had eloped with A. LOL... I love moms! Especially mine! ;o) But seriously, I am fine and sooooo glad to have internet back. I get internet newscasts such as CNN (which make a big difference seeing as I opted not to have cable hooked up at my apartment, so I don't watch an ounce of television.)

Of course, I got my internet back just in time to find out that a Black hawk helicopter (same as A. flies) crashed and killed all aboard in Iraq. With A. leaving for Iraq in just a month, the news made me sick to my stomach. It makes it so much more real.

But, this is the way it is, and I can't change it. I will just suck it up because I don't want to make it any harder on him then it already will be.

Everything else is fine... not much to report. It was my friend's birthday on Thursday, so we celebrated that night and on Saturday. Cath has become one of my favourite people in the world. She is an Australian teacher at our school and is simply too fun and too awesome to not keep in touch with for the rest of my life. I am so lucky to have met some really amazing co-workers at our school.

Well, I thought after days away from the internet, I would have something to say... but alas.

Ah well... I'm sure the days to come will still hold many adventures.

Love and miss you all at home!

Feeling very peaceful...

Today was my first day back with the kids and for a full day of teaching, and although I was really tired at the end of the day and even though we had two new kids start today, I felt very much at ease. I now know the ropes a fair bit more in Korea. I know what is expected of me and how the politics work in the school, so I don't feel as much like I am walking on a tightrope anymore. The 'saving face' aspect of Korea can make you completely crazy if you rebel against it or try to fight it, but realistically, I am not going to change the way that things operate. So I have instead decided to just go with the flow. I will play the game and not let things stress me out so much. And as a result, I feel very much at ease now.

I just finished cleaning up my apartment and redecorating a bit. I don't mind living in a one room apartment at all... which surprises me somewhat. But it really just means less to clean, and less need to fill it with useless crap, which makes me buy less and do more in Korea. That was of course part of the point of coming here in the first place. Though it is still a bit odd that the rest of my things are locked in a storage room in Canada. I have a lot of nice furniture... maybe I'll just give my brother the key and he can go crazy? ;o) Hmmm.... there's a thought...

Anyway, I have been missing my family more lately, but I do not think that I will ever live in Winnipeg permanently again. I would go back to visit or to finish my public relations and management program, but I don't think I would ever set up a home there. This surprises me a bit as well, because I am so incredibly close to my family. But the thing is that with MSN messenger, email, the phone, and the chance to fly home and visit fairly easily from anywhere in the world, it makes the distance seem so much less and my family so much more accessible to me out here.

I miss baby Christina the most at this point, simply because I know that at her age (6), she will be changing so much and growing so much this year. I miss my parents and brother and everyone of course, but I can talk to them on email and msn and the phone.... whereas Chris's changes would be something that I would need to be there to see. But, I bought some cute kiddy stationary in Thailand and I'm going to start sending her regular mail. I remember how much fun it was to get mail when I was a kid, so I hope she enjoys it as well.

I miss Thailand. A lot. A place has never settled my soul quite like Thailand did so early on in our trip. I would really like to go back on my own and see some of the temples and countryside and just spend time thinking and exploring. Next Christmas, I will do this for sure I think. I am even considering re-signing at the end of my contract with my school for at least the next six months so that I could be sure to do so during the christmas holidays. Then I could save some more money and maybe spend a full month traveling after I am done with Korea. But who knows... so much can happen between now and then, and maybe I will fall in love with Japan when we visit later this year, and I might go there to teach instead. Either way, for the first time in my life, I am honestly open to going wherever my life wants to take me. It does not mean that I am passively letting things happen to me... I have never been much of one to just sit back and hope things happen... but I have found that whereas I thought I was putting my life on hold in order to come out here, instead I actually only started living it once I decided to leave it all behind.

I wish that my parents could travel and see the things that I have seen, and so much more. They have always been so devoted to my brother's and my happiness and have sacrificed so much for it (though I know that they don't really think of it as sacrificing), and my brother and I are the people we are because of it. But still, I wish that now, they would start to be more selfish and take their time for themselves and do things that they want to do.

I can honestly say that I wouldn't change a single that has happened in my life. I don't necessarily think that everything happens for a reason (cause I think that bad things can and do happen to good people for no reason), but I strongly believe that you can gain meaning from everything that happens. Life is much more like a walk through a forest, rather than a climb up a mountain. There is no peak, no top... there is no end to the learning and the changing if you are lucky. Rather, along the way, you gain knowledge, stumble, learn to find your own way. It doesn't mean you won't get lost sometimes, but hopefully, the things you learn along the way make the trip more interesting.


I love the Edith Wharton quote:
"If we only stop trying to be happy, we'd have a pretty good time."

When I decided to come here, I did so because I wanted to stop making my life the way I thought it was supposed to be, and start living it the way it could be. Does that make any sense? Hmmm... maybe I should leave the philosophical talk for another day and just head to bed ;o)

Love and miss you all back home!

Back home and feeling the pain... ah, I mean the cold.

Well, we are back in Seoul. It is cold, but still not snowy like Winnipeg and probably not quite as cold either, though I hear that they had a pretty warm Christmas.

It is nice to be in one place for a while, but I know that Seoul is still a place that I will not set up in for more than a year or two. Our taxi driver last night put it just perfectly actually. He said that Seoul is an interesting hell and Canada is an uninteresting heaven. I'm not sure where he got that from, but I don't think it could possibly be put any better or be any more true.

Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed this adventure and my time here, and it's not that I'm homesick or bittered by some of the bad luck I've had while in Korea. Actually, quite the opposite I think... I have the travelling bug now and think even more positively when I have good luck. But all in all, you must remember that Korea was (and still is in many ways) a closed society. Very few mainstream Koreans have been outside of Korea, though the younger generation is changing this dramatically. Foreigners are still relatively few and view with great suspicion. Due to my height, fairly slim build and blondish hair, it is often assumed that I am either a model, or a russian prosititute... or possibly both!

But Seoul is not a beautiful city, and Koreans are very reserved and 'functional'. For example... there are many many cars in Seoul... but I can probably count on one hand the amount that I have seen in colour. Korean cars are either black, navy, or dark grey. I have seen a white car here and there, but yellow, light blue, red... no no no. And that really sums up much of Seoul I think. It's not necessarily that it's bland... but the functionality always wins out over beauty... art... vibrance.

This has become so much more apparent to me after being in Thailand for 10 days. I love the colour and the artistry of the food, the art, the music. I don't think that Korea holds as much for me as Thailand could... but I am willing to find out if there is more to this place than I have seen thus far.

Actually, since my DMZ tour, I've become greatly interested in the North/south relations and learning more about Kim Jong-Il and North Korea. A. got me a great book written by an American Journalist who has lived in Seoul for over 20 years, about the North Korean dictator, and I've already begun to dig into it.

I would still totally recommend taking the leap and moving to Korea, or Japan, or China, or anywhere in the world to teach english, or take a job for a year or a few. It is an amazing adventure that truely tests your endurance, creativity, resilience, patience, and perseverance. It gives you a much greater understanding and appreciation for what it is like for people from other countries to try to live and assimilate themselves into your home country, and helps you realize that people are very similar all over the world... and the difference that seperate us are interesting and sometimes difficult, but not impossible to understand or accept.

I have so many stories and have changed so much in my time here so far, and I know that I will continue to travel and see other parts of the world after. Life is just too short, and the world is far too interesting not to see what's on the other side of it.

Heading home...

Well, we are finally on our way home and I'm just about ready for my own bed in Seoul. I have to say that although I love to travel, I don't really love to travel... lol What I mean is that I love the being in new places part, but I'm not a big fan of aiport security, layovers in Taipei, and a million grumpy tourists and passengers looking for any reason to let our their frustration. Ah.... travel during the christmas season truly does bring out the best in people. :o)

I am sitting in the Bangkok airport, waiting for my flight to Seoul. We got to the aiport at 5am and our flight leaves at 7am... but we just found out that we have a stop in Taipei that will add two hours to a five hour flight, so we'll be in the plane for seven hours before we get to Seoul. Then we have a 45 minute drive into Gangnam to our apartments. Grr..... All I really want is my bed and my computer.

It's funny though, how much I have missed my little Mac laptop. I am glad I didn't bring it because it would have been another thing to lug around, but next time, I know I will pack much fewer clothes and 'things' and bring my laptop with me because I love to write and I've gotten so used to doing it on the Mac that I can't seem to write fast enough by hand anymore.

I have loved Thailand... but Bangkok is not my favourite place. The blatant rawness of the sex trade here is hard to take. We had a good New Year's, as we went to Kaohsan Road which is much like Itaewon in Seoul but is probably the only place in Thailand where there is no sex trade allowed openly. It is a very different atmosphere, but still so crowded. We took pics and some video, and had a great New Year's eve, but I'm ready for a little quiet time and some solitude.

Jeril and I have been great travel partners, but it's hard to spend 24/7 with anyone, but we managed pretty well. Still, it will be nice to sleep alone in my room tonight, and listen to some music, finish my book, and just sprawl out in bed.

It's back to school tomorrow... but just to prep the classroom and to set up my lesson plan for the next week, so it will not be a stressful day at all. Then it's back to the grind on Tuesday, with the kids coming back from break. I have another new kid, which now means that my class size doubled more than halfway through the school year. This has been incredibly stressful, as new kids always change the classroom dynamics drastically. In fact, it is like a whole new class since they added 8 (yes, you read that right... 8 kids at once!) to my class just before christmas. We finally had the kids in a certain routine, but it changed drastically, and it has been hard to get them back into it, as the new kids have no english experience and the kids that were already in the class have been reverting back to using korean only much of the class time in order to communicate with the new kids. This makes the 'no speaking korean in class' rule hard to enforce. But my co-teacher and I are surviving. We have two more months with these kids and then it is on to a new class for the new school year.

I am hoping I will get to teach a slightly older class next term, as I think I have paid my dues with the 'crazy class' as so many of my colleagues have deemed my class because of the serious characters I have in it (though I am crazy attached to each of them) and because our director seems to keep adding large amounts of kids to my class to see when my co-teacher and I will finally crack! ;o) Just kidding, it's not so bad...

Anyway, I'm ready to get back to Seoul and to a more 'normal' life, but I can't wait to visit Thailand again. Next I would like to see Ko Samui, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai, as I hear all are quite beautiful and interesting places. It's too bad that I didn't get to run into Ian, as I was looking forward to seeing him after all this time, but I understand his reason for staying in Pattaya and hope that all is well with him there.

Love and kisses to all back home!