Time for an Update

Ok, so what blog-worthy things have happened lately? Let me see..

1. Sometimes I feel like I'm in rural Africa or something.. one of those places where a white person has never ever been. People randomly talk to me (and ask the most personal Q's!), and if it's later at night, then the drunk men are something to watch out for. Maria and I were on the subway last friday coming home around 12ish, and a drunk man was sitting down watching me (we were standing in the middle because the subway was packed). The seat next to him opened up but we were chatting and didn't really want to sit by him anyway. All of a sudden, he tugged on my hand and practically yanked me down into the seat. I just gave him a look and Maria said something in Korean to him. So I sat... and she was making the "awkward bunny" hand motion to me.. haha. And then he snatched my bags from my hands and held them tightly to his chest like they were his lifeline.. Maria stepped in and he said he was being nice because I had so many.. then he started talking to her and she was telling me that he was slurring so bad that he wasn't making any sense.. Good thing Dongnae was only 2-3 stops away.. creepy drunk guy.

2. The two of us were out again last night so Maria could buy some last minute Christmas gifts before she flies back to Canada today. There's this place called the Mini-mall.. it's a really old building, not very big, but 7 storeys high. Each floor is for something different: shoes, cosmetics, jewellery, stationary/pens.. and really really good prices. So we decided to go there so she wouldn't have to spend very much. We made it to the 3rd floor and I smelled something.. like burning hair. Maria was browsing so I started looking around... weellll... there was smoke pouring up the escalator (POURING). So, I told Maria we had to leave... NOW. The building is so old that it's really enclosed, no windows, and the escalators only go up. To get down, there's an old, glass elevator on the outside of the building. So I said.. "How do we get out???" Good thing Maria was there because she knew of a stairwell in the back.. so we went down one floor and the smoke was starting to come up the stairwell.. and the fire.. 2nd floor.. in the heating system. Black smoke and all the employees panicking.. hehe. Fun fun! So that cut back on our shopping trip.

I think that's all for now!

This year I hate Christmas

The closer Christmas gets, the more I realize things about myself...

One, I'm a physical person. This one surprises me slightly. The reason it does is because I don't come across as a touchy type of person.. But I think that's because of our dogs. Whenever I want a hug or affection, I just call one of them (usually Charlie because he's so cuddly!). And considering I cuddled them the moment I woke up, random times during the day, and right before they went to sleep... then yes.. I must be a little deprived. It sucks. I cuddled a random puppy in a store the other day.. it was afraid of me, and I didn't care.. haha.
But yeah.. it totally sucks. This society is no-touch as well as whoa-touch. No-touch is self-explanatory.. whoa-touch means I constantly see guys holding hands, rubbing each others necks, etc. It was really disturbing at the beginning. And school girls walk around holding hands too. I think it's because they separate them in school at the age when they would start noticing the opposite sex... so their affections jump to same-sex for the time being. Lots of time for dating in the late 20's.. mann..

Also, I don't like thinking about Christmas because I've never ever imagined that I'd spend one away from home. It's saddening. I get a little more depressed everyday and I don't like it. I'm trying to keep positive, but so far it's hard. One good thing.. Eric is planning something for Christmas for me.. I have no idea what.. all he said is "I have a plan.." *wink wink* That could be anything on the planet. So I have one thing to look forward to.. oh, and the Christmas musical.. it's awesome. I've gone to all of their practices and it's hilarious. I'll tape it and send it.

The Evil in the Bathroom

So I was coming home last night.. around 9ish.. and as I was walking down the hall towards my apartment door, I heard a scream.. coming from my apartment. And I heard the shower running, so I thought maybe Maria had fallen. I entered the code, and as I opened the door I heard her yelling to me. "Sarah!!! Is that you?????" I answered her carefully... "yesssss". Then she told me that there was a giant cockroach in the bathroom with her.. UGH!!! so she quickly got out and we investigated. It was HUGE! Black, all legs, long wings.. so nasty. So she grabbed the shower head and started spraying hot water at it.. it started running all over the place.. so next best thing.. the bottle of bleach! We emptied it over it.. and it took about 10-15 mins to die. After it was flushed, we went to the store, bought more bleach, and scoured the bathroom. (eggs, you see)

It was an exciting night! *shudder*

- btw, we think it flew in the window -

One New Post - As Requested

Alright.. I'm not sure what to post about so this could be a little choppy/confusing. But you'll live. And I'll attempt to keep it understandable.. NUMBARRRR ONE!

1. The train to Seoul is REALLY fast.. at one point it was going 296 km/hr. Whew! It takes 2 hours and 40 minutes to get there. I'm not sure how far away that is, but it's still pretty far. I love fast trains.. woot!

2. Maria and I are thinking of getting another apartment together somewhere else. As a result, all hell MAY be breaking loose.. lol. I don't care! We need a bigger fridge! We have to stop eating out EVERY day! And why does it matter if we get another place?? I think it's a power thing.. I'll keep you posted! :)

3. I've thought of something else for my Christmas list.. my Believer's Hymn Book. It's in my car in the backseat! Thanks!

4. I've gotten gifties for people in my family... ooOOooOOoooOooooo! Wouldn't you like to know!

5. I'm running out of things, and my boss is hanging around. argh

Take care!

True Story: Gatorade-flavoured Toilet Water

So earlier this week, I noticed a flyer in the elevator. It meant nothing to me (being all in Korean) so I made a mental note to ask Maria when I saw her. As usual, my mental notes are usually lost in the mix.
A couple days ago.. we were getting ready for bed and Maria mentioned that she saw the flyer in the elevator. Apparently the water was going to be gone from 8am the next morning to 8am the day after.. 24 hours without water. And she had JUST noticed it when she got home. Soooo.. we did a quick tally of our water supply.. enough spring water for drinking, a couple pots of water for washing our faces and brushing our teeth, we both took a shower.. and that was the extent of our planning. So the next day, we go to work, and come back home. Never thinking about the lack of water at home.
Soooo.. we get home and had one of those "OH YA!!" moments. And I had to go pee. (I was kicking myself for not having gone at the school) So I asked Maria where the nearest public showers were.. she had no idea. So I said "well.. I really have to go, so I'm going to use our last toilet flush". She jumps up.. runs into the bathroom, and FLUSHES THE TOILET! "Watch!" We both watch in silence as the bowl empties.. and stays empty. After a few seconds.. she sheepishly looks at me.. "oops.." lol. She flushed away my toilet water because she thought the water pressure would refill it.. like in a house. I politely reminded her that we were on the 5th floor.. hahahahaha.
What to do??? Why... try to fill the bowl up with a 2L bottle of nasty gatorade, of course. That filled it up about 1/6th of the way.. so.. only one thing left to do. We grabbed a large bag, filled it with a bunch of empty 2L bottles and went to the hospital. We felt like thieves.. we snuck in.. and we stole the water. (and I used the washroom.. evil) Then we ran out with our pilfered water, giggling... and to make the best of it.. it's not even drinkable! ARGH! We stole toilet water!!

Karaoke is EXACTLY like we thought

So karaoke.. we went on Sunday evening. Two hours for $10 (only $2 each!)

I wasn't sure if it would be different than the stereotypical karaoke room that you see on movies and such... wellllll... it was! BUT, they were all really surprised. Most of them are really modern, and we managed to find the sketchiest place in Nampo-dong. (hahaha) We even sent Eric upstairs to scope out the place before we went in.
It had the techno-disco-ball rotating on the ceiling, the leopard print sofas, tiny room.. oh man. GHETTO! But we had a great time. I think you'd love it. The more you dance around, the more fun everyone has. And because it was such a tiny room, we were pretty much bouncing off each other.. a five-person mosh pit. The guys had so much fun, that they want to go next Sunday.. and sing YMCA.. lol. (I informed them of the Village People's "status".. haha.. their expressions were priceless)

So you HAVE to try a karaoke room if you ever come here.. seriously. Much fun to be had.

____________________________________________________

Btw.. keep these pics to family only (Show them, because I'm not getting much of a chance lately). I don't want any potential problems in case karaoke is considered a "bad thing" to do. Trying to make as few waves here as possible!

____________________________________________________

The TV

The guys.. dancing.. lol

Eric LOVES to dance.. then again.. they all do. They know this dance by a Korean all-girls pop band.. it's called "Tell Me" and it's hilarious when 3 guys are doing it because of some very feminine moves.

The disco-globe.. much like the one Shane gave you.

Ghetto sofas!

My Christmas Wishlist

Dear Santa,

I have been a VERY good girl this year. So here is what I want for Christmas:

1 bottle of Montreal Steakspice
1 bag of Cajun spice (from the Bulkbarn)
1 bag of Chicken seasoning (from the same place, the non-MSG one)
1 box of Tetley tea (orange pekoe)
1 Burger King Whopper
1 Spicy Chicken Sandwich (from Wendy's)
1 tupperware container of Fish & Brewis (with scrunchions.. sizzling)

Thank you in advance. :)

Love, Sarah

(the italicized stuff is a fantasy wishlist.. the other stuff I would LOVE to have *hint!*)

I may add to this list.

Korean Food

I knew it.. I just KNEW I would start to really like Korean food. Which means that when I'm back in Canada I'll miss it! No fair!

I've been getting more inventive with what I try. I still don't really like kimchi, but that in no way limits what I eat. Chapch'ae is a noodle dish that is really tasty..mmm. We have it every Sunday lunch at the hall. And lamien is really good here (read: ramen noodles) Much better than the american version. Also, remember that shredded beef dish that Juno made at the Marshalls? A little spicy and you throw it on rice? Well, it seems that I'm constantly having that... and it's sooooo good. Much better than Juno's Canadian-ized version. It's really really spicy.. and the best way to eat it is to get a medium sized lettuce leaf, put some meat, rice, kimchi (I skip this part), and random veggies in it, throw some red pepper paste on top, roll it into a ball, and stuff the whole thing in your mouth. And you don't have to worry about being rude at this point with your cheeks puffed out and struggling to swallow. :) I love it!

You wanna know what else is growing on me? Everyone sharing everything. Everyone has their own rice bowl, and shares the countless side dishes. It's great. And yes, I do remember the whole germ thing.. and for some reason, it just doesn't bother me. It's just really cozy to sit around with friends and share everything, including hilarious jokes in chonglish (the korean version of "engrish" or whatever it's called)

Anyway, I'm off to bed.

Miss u!

Cyber cafes! My new addiction!

Yesterday I was out and about with some friends when they suggested that we go to a PC bang. What's a PC bang? A super-fancy cyber cafe! These things are awesome. First of all... they're really really cheap. We stayed for almost 2 hours and paid $1.80. So it's $1/hr. The chairs are soooo comfy, the computers are fast, and the games are really fun.
Apparently some people live in PC bangs. They just stay there 24 hrs, order in food, and shower in the public showers that are everywhere. Crazy!

So yeah.. my new addiction.. haha

My Life is Sad..

It's friday night... classes are over.. I should have big plans, right? So what am I going to do???
My roommate and I are going to Mega Mart. Woohoo! We're so excited! It's a trip!!

lol

so sad..

Where are the birds?

In my backyard at home in Canada, there are about 4 bird feeders.. so the backyard is always filled with birds. Sparrows, goldfinches, juncos, cardinals, hummingbirds, etc!

Welllll.. here.. I've heard birds only twice. And both times I couldn't see them, so they may have been pets because they were in people's gardens.

BUT, there is one bird here that I really like. I first saw one last week.. I was walking to work and passing a house when I heard a scratching sound. I looked up, and there was this crow-like bird.. only it wasn't just black. It was black, with bluish highlights like a grackel, and a white chest with some white wing feathers. And he was industriously pulling insulation out from around a windowpane.. haha. Gotta love the crow family :)

Anyway, I found out it was a European magpie.. the Pica pica. And I saw one again this morning outside my window.. and again, ripping apart the building across from mine. People must love these birds :)

Update: Oh! These birds are a symbol of luck over here.. so I guess they ARE loved :D

(and black crows are "evil"... very bad sign)

Sell sell sell!

Korea is big on selling! Everyone must sell, sell, sell. They have interesting ways to advertise their products.. not that they seem to be very effective.. but hey!

One of the first things I noticed here were these little vans that drive around really slowly while the driver yells something in korean. "blah blah blah, hamnida... etc etc" (notice that I can't pick out very many words yet.. haha) Anyway, my sister and I thought it would be something interesting like government propoganda.. maybe against the North?? But alas.. it wasn't so. Apparently it's just a guy driving around droning an advertisement for a particular store or product. SIGH. And the worst part... NO ONE listens to him. So there's one method out the window.

Next.. I noticed that people are really really big on their business cards here. I've been handed several. Most in Korean. I usually nod politely and pretend to read it.. then smile at the giver and put it in my purse --> I read that this is the proper way to accept one.. and it seems to work! It would be extremely rude if you folded it up and stuck it in your pocket.. OR (heaven forbid) you threw it on the ground! Heathen! So then why, I asked myself, are there soooooo many business cards all over the ground?? The answer came to me the other day when I was walking to work. A man was driving a motorcycle towards me.. wearing a helmet with a black visor. This struck me as odd, because most people don't care about vehicle safety here. Then suddenly, he threw a business card at the nearest storefront. AH HA! More advertisements. I then saw an old lady sweeping them into the gutter. So again.. useless.

The last one is the most interesting. I heard this music that sounded like a musicbox tune coming from a motorbike being driven by a woman. She pulled right in front of me and stopped. "ANYONG!!!" Umm.. it wasn't a woman. It was a man.. dressed as a woman.. as a creeeeeepy woman, with a white grinning face. I kinda sideskirted him.. really fast. WELL, apparently it's yet another selling technique. If I had spoken to him, he would've tried to sell something to me. And yet again.. it didn't work on me!!

They need to figure out something that works!

Why do so many look the same?????

 When I was waiting around for 4 hours in Incheon airport in Seoul, I sat and watched the airline employees. Think that's weird? :P But anyway.. I think that airline attendants always look all pretty (or handsome) and polished.
Welllll.. the ones in Pearson have nothing on the ones in Incheon. They're all ladies. Very tall, slim, white-skinned, drop-dead gorgeous ladies. That look the same. Not just a little.. but almost like twins. At first it was interesting.. then I started to get a little weirded out. Do they have a factory where they churn out identical fllight attendants??

Well, my roommate informed me today that Korea is famous for plastic surgery. They get their eyes done first.. to look bigger and more "western". Then they get bigger noses, higher cheekbones, and shave down their jawbones. Can anyone say OW? And the result of all this surgery? The Korean version of the Stepford
wives...

Nothing wrong with looking beautiful.. but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. not the latest model on the billboards. (This goes for North America too)

Finally! One good thing!

Ok.. I'm inbetween classes so this will have to be quick.

I didn't think I'd find something good today but lo and behold.. my first class today solved that problem. It was an adult women's class, so I wasn't sure how it would go. But to be honest, they are so much better to teach than the children! They have a genuine desire to learn and are heavy on the compliments.. haha. I was told right away that I had a pretty face and very nice curves (imagine the hand motions for that one :) )
So after my first class, I was feeling much better about everything.
Woo!

My First Day in S. Korea... whew!

The point of this blog is so that everyday I find at least one good thing in S. Korea. (partly, so my sister keeps updated, and partly to keep me thinking positively)

As it's my first day.. I will start with the one good thing (because there is a lot of not-so-good at the moment)

One good thing.... in Pusan there is a store the sells french imported breads.. and they're sooooo cheap. (only about 80 cents to a dollar for a small loaf of sweet bread) I dropped in for a look and bought a pineapple fruit-cicle for 80 cents and it was heavenly. Mmmm.

Well, that's the good thing.. the bad: I'm entirely exhausted. I don't think I've been this tired in my entire life (even the 16 hour car trip doesn't top this) I'm seeing sparkles in my periphery and am feeling queasy.. yet here I am.. at the school. Blahhhh.. They seem to think that I'll run on pure ambition or something. Well, when I faint while teaching a class, they'll finally get it.
In fact, I'm not going to stick around for tonight.. yeah! I'm going to bed! YEAH!
Ok, that's the end of that..