Boo to being sick

Christmas was ok this year, but being sick put a damper on it, for sure.  I've been fighting a cold which changed my ever-present minor sinus infection into a full-blown wicked, evil one.  Antibiotics seem to be barely working so I've been hovering in pain on the fringes of all the events going on around me.  How was Christmas day, you might ask?  I wouldn't really know, because I was in a decongestant fog for most of the day.  I have this week off, so I'm annoyed at being sick.  I feel like I should be having fun and doing lots of things, when the reality is that I don't want to get off the couch.  So much for a holiday from work.

Being sick has not, however, stopped me from eating insane amounts of candy and chocolate-covered cherries.  I don't own a scale, so I'm not even sure if I have gained any weight.  Ha!  Not owning a scale is awesome!  No guilt here! :)

 source

Anyway, I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas and are looking forward to New Years! 

Busy busy busy

I have not posted in ages.  Life got super busy.

So, happy early Christmas to everyone :)  Hope you're all enjoying the season, getting bonuses and Christmas dinners from the boss, etc.

Once, my office was told that we didn't deserve a Christmas party.  They had been having money problems due to their inability to stop travelling and keeping up with the Jones' and not bothering to leave some money in the business accounts for the payment of bills.  Which somehow got twisted around and became my coworker and I's fault.  "You sell only when you're in the mood" was what I heard.  So, being told that we didn't deserve a party was an insult.

My coworker ranted one day to me after this all happened.  The boss' son overheard and told his dear daddy, who then decided to have a Christmas lunch for one and all.  Everyone from all the stores was invited..  for sandwiches...  which put everyone in a grump.
I dreaded the sandwich day, and when it arrived, it was funny.  First of all, we had been told that we could close up for an hour to actually have a break.  While we were waiting for the last customer to leave, I was asked to make a sign for the door stating that we were closed due to a holiday lunch and would reopen at 1:30pm.
Wait..  1:30??  But it was 1:17 at this point, so I asked again if 1:30 was what he wanted.  Yes, he insisted that 15 mins was more than enough time to enjoy our sammiches.
We then had a very awkward time standing around our tiny little kitchen and making inane smalltalk..  all the while noting that not one of the bosses bothered to say thank you, or we appreciate you, or anything of the sort.

Nothing puts you more in a holiday mood than that.

Fixed - One Big Toe

So my husband lived, after all.  He was brave, but ended up being put under in the end.  So he woke up funny and nonsensical.  The troupe of nurses were all doting on him, which meant he had a lot of cookies to munch on, as well as tea made the way he likes it:  2 sugar, 1 cream..  not milk.  Spoiled, eh?

He's been hobbling around on crutches, generally making a nuisance of himself.  Suddenly I'M the one that's supposed to fetch things?!  Who's going to get me a glass of water when I've forgotten it and have already gotten comfy in bed??  Me.  That's who. 

I'm not used to having a husband who can't dote on me.  I think I'm the one who's been spoiled.  This whole thing has been an eye opener for me!  I have had it GOOD!  What a sweetie he is :)  Ok, I'm rambling..

With his new friend that he made while I was getting the car

The Dreaded Day

Tomorrow is the day to be dreaded as far as my husband is concerned.  We leave bright and early in the morning to go to the hospital for his surgery.  It's day surgery, but it's nerve-wracking all the same.  And I'm taking a wild guess that he's going to be in some serious pain tomorrow so I feel bad for him. 
He damaged the bone in his big toe a few years ago while playing soccer and it's been going downhill ever since.  So he finally manned up and decided to see a specialist, who sent him to another specialist, who then sent him to a very good surgeon.  Who then told him he may lose his toe.  Then he smiled and asked when would he like the surgery?  I take it that every surgeon looks forward to an interesting surgery.

I hope all goes well!  I'm bringing some books because I have a feeling it'll be a long day.

source

Autumn

I have a love-hate relationship with autumn.  I love the chilly nights where you can curl up under a warm comforter, the leaves that crackle underfoot, the crispness of the air.  I do not love, however, the impending doom that is known as winter.  I get cold very easily, and once I'm cold, I'm done for.  I can take that chill and make it last 24 hours easily. So while fall is fun, it makes me dread winter in a bad way.

The best fall ever would be the one that ended with spring starting ;)

Happy Hallowe'en

I've come to realize in the last few days that a lot of people don't know where Hallowe'en came from.  So here are some "FUN" FACTS for one and all:


1.  Hallowe'en is believed to have first orginated from the Celtic harvest festival Samhain, in Ireland. 
2.  Samhain represented the end of the season of light, and the beginning of the season of darkness.
3.  It was believed that the border between our world and the spririt world was at it's thinnest, resulting in visitations from spirits of both persuasions.  The harmful ones were warded off with carved Jack-o-lantern turnips and costumes that mimicked them.
4.  Bonfires are still considered a part of Hallowe'en in some places.
5.  Going door to door asking for candy is thought to have come from the practice of "souling" on November first, where poor people would beg for food in return for prayers for the dead (on All Saints Day).


Hallowe'en is a holiday that I always looked forward to as a kid.  I knew the family rules..  no witch, ghost, or devil costumes, but I was more interested in other things, anyway.
My mother was especially good at making costumes for us.  One year she made my sister into a blue jay, giant bird feet included.  She could hardly walk in it, but it won her first prize in her class.
Another time I had an interesting costume.. 
Here's a picture:

I'm the one on the bottom left in red and white.  I'm also facing backwards for some reason, so it's difficult to tell.  Can you guess?  No?  I was a tube of Colgate!  Why?  I have no idea!  I don't recall asking for this costume, but looking back it was pretty neat..  and also difficult to walk in due to the wire clothes hanger in the bottom of it.  I don't think I won a prize for this one, either.  That's my mother in the back.  She's the mime in black and white.

Even as an adult, I love dressing up on Hallowe'en.  It's still fun to dress up and be whatever you want to be for one evening.  And the candy helps.  This year is a wash because of it being on a Sunday night, but there's always next year!

Spooky!

Funny story about my husband's lab coat in this picture.  We got ready at my parent's house and he wanted to splash fake blood on the jacket (he was going to be a zombie doctor).  I told him that the only good place to do that would be in the shower or outside.  Since it was dark and cold outside, he chose the bathroom.  We were in a hurry so we ran out the door with the jacket still damp.  A little while later my mother called and said thanks for almost giving her a heart attack when she went to take a shower..  I can always count on him to forget little things like not leaving the bathroom looking like a crime scene!

My doggies

I'm an animal person.  I've always been one.  This is probably because my parents always gave me pets when I was younger.  I've had almost every rodent there is, a variety of birds, cats, and dogs.  (I have not owned any reptiles, however..  maybe because they don't seem very cuddly).

I currently have 2 rats and 2 dogs.  Unfortunately, my dogs live with my parents and sister.  Since they are family pets, I couldn't exactly take them with me when I got married.  Soooo, I have visiting rights.  My hubby and I sometimes come by on a Saturday to pick them up.  They love car rides, so they are very excited when I ask them if they want to come.  Then we'll take them to the petstore, the dog park, or a friend's house.  They aren't too fond of the last one, unfortunately.  My friends have a 4 1/2 month old chocolate lab who was very fond of biting and barking in the beginning, which my middle-aged dogs didn't find too amusing.  My Jack Russell, Gus, has now developed a dislike of all chocolate labs as a result, which makes him kind of racist (oops!)

My Poodle-Chihuahua mix, Charlie, is the older of the two.  He's the mastermind of the operation.  Gus is Pinky and Charlie is definitely the Brain.  If there is some scheming underway, it's always Charlie who is doing it.  He's highly intelligent, and can think out plans from A to Z.  He's never cold because he covers himself with his blankets, only comes if there's something in it for him, and manipulates everyone around him (especially Gus).  But he's a softie, so he gets off with it.

 Charlie Barley

Gus, on the other hand, is a little slow.  We took him to the vet when we got him, and asked her point blank if he was okay.  She told us that there was a chance that he suffered from a lack of oxygen during birth, but not to worry, because he makes up for it in enthusiasm and love.  That pretty much sums him up..  Slow-witted, Enthusiastic, and Loving.  We got him because of Charlie's fear of life in general, hoping that Gus' rambunctiousness would rub off.  And it has!  With the unfortunate side effect of Gus becoming slightly Chihuahua during the transition.

 Gus "I'm gonna be BAD"

They're loads of fun.  Everyone should have at least one dog to spoil :)

 Scheming & Plotting

Condolences

I used to chat with a bunch of people online when I was back in high school.  They were all from various churches, and we all knew someone who knew the other person (that makes sense, doesn't it??  It's like 6 degrees of separation except more like 2 degrees)

Anyway, there was this one guy that I chatted with who lived in New Brunswick.  Being a Newfoundlander, it was easy to hit it off.  A bunch of us would all chat together in this really old-school homemade chatroom called the Chatterbox.

As time went by, we fell out of communication.  He ended up moving to Newfoundland and attended the same church as my grandparents.  They thought he was the nicest young man, and were always at him to find a wife to match him.  (grandparents do this, if you must know)  Well, this summer he got married.  I saw the pictures come up on my Facebook news-feed and I thought, "good for him".  They looked very happy and all was well.

Fast forward to today.  I got a phone call from my mother telling me that his 24 year old wife had died suddenly of a seizure 1 day before her 25th birthday.

...

That is just scary.  And sad.  And hard to understand.

..

I can't imagine losing my husband.  And I can't imagine if I had lost my husband 4 months after marrying him.  Especially when this guy seemingly waited so long to find the right woman..  and to have her taken away so young and suddenly.

I feel for him.. and I can't even guess how he is feeling today.

source

An orange wonderland

I went to the dog park today with my pups, mother, and sister.  It was loads of fun :)  Because all the trees are changing, the forest was an orange wonderland.

Charlie & Gus are always willing to pose for pictures :)

Hazzy's Photoshoot

Did you know...?

In Korea, I did a photoshoot of sorts right after I first arrived.  Some guys from the church went out for an evening with myself and a girl we all knew.  We were walking in the fashion/shopping district of Busan and there was a huge bus sitting in front of a clothing store called Hazzy's.  They invited us in for a free photoshoot..  so we said yes :)  Wouldn't you??

It was fun :)  And that's my husband in the middle back..  but I didn't know he'd be my husband at the time.  And I'm 100% positive he didn't either.. haha.

Horseback riding vs. ATV'ing

As a little girl, I had an obsession with horses.  I should rephrase that..  I think I still have that obsession.

I remember begging and begging my parents to be allowed to take riding lessons.  Unfortunately, due to a run-in with cancer as a toddler, my doctors had expressly forbade activities which could lead to major falls or blows.  Horseback riding in particular was on the list. 
I don't recall fully understanding the gravity of the situation.  So I'm sure I must have drove my parents crazy.  I remember many trips to petting zoos, as well as an extensive collection of My Little Ponys.  I'm sure now that they were trying to placate me.

As an adult, I finally understand why I'm to be careful...  but I still don't want to.  I want to take riding lessons!  And I want to learn a martial art!  I do have the sense, however, to realize that this is probably just a feeling of "the grass is greener on the other side" syndrome.

When I was in Korea, I got married.  And for our honeymoon we went to Jeju Island.  Our tour offered stops where we could choose out of a couple activities.  One of these choices was between ATV'ing and Horseback riding.  My husband immediately voted ATV'ing.  Now I love ATV'ing.  Having spent part of my childhood in Newfoundland, I had a bit of experience with that.  And my parents (being protective) rarely allowed me to drive.  So I wanted to vote for ATV'ing.  BUT..  why was it up against horseback riding??  My childhood dream vs. my need for speed.  I bugged my hubby enough that he finally asked the tour guide if we could do both..  and threw in that it was our honeymoon.  After a quick vote on the bus, everyone said we could take the extra time.  (yay!)

We went for the horses first.  It was a little bit of a letdown, to be quite honest.  The mares were saddled up and waiting, and they were as wide as they were long.  Considering they had foals following them around, I'd say they recently had babies, or were again pregnant.  I could barely coax a trot out of mine at first..  it didn't speak English, nor did it seem to care for more than a slow, meandering walk.  I finally got it to go a bit faster, whereas it started bolting in the other direction, leaving Eric to fend for himself. 

That over, we went over to go ATV'ing.  The man said that he'd go slow so we'd have no problems.  I told my husband to tell him that I wanted to go fast.  He was a little flabbergasted, but agreed.  My hubby looked a bit nervous because it was his first time, so I said he could go last out of us three.
The leader took off and I made sure to be right on his heels..  He glanced behind with a shocked expression and gave it the gas.  It was loads of fun!  Lots of hills and hairpin turns..  Apparently my husband almost flipped his over a couple times... till he learned to ease off the gas on the turns :)
We had a nice coating of dirt by the end of it, but it was fun.

Next time I'll vote for ATV'ing unless the horses aren't pregnant :)

Laptop Woes

 source

My hangul (Korean) lessons are suffering..

I have (had) a program on my laptop that helps with learning pronunciation and sentence structure, but I had to put my laptop in for repairs about 3 weeks ago.  And here I wait...

There is more to the story.  In fact, it has turned out to be a fiasco with the repair.  My laptop was ready for pickup after a week and I refused to pick it up because it had a large crack down the center and the side was gouged.  Needless to say, I did not want to take it home in that condition.  It was sent back for assessment, after which I received a phone call stating that the bill would be $288 for a new cover.  I had to explain my situation seeing as there was no documentation for the poor girl on the phone to go by.
Anyway, to make a long story short, she's calling the store today for me and will tell them that if the laptop was damaged anytime between when I dropped it off and came to pick it up, then they are responsible.

*fingers crossed!*

The Preciousness of RICE

I've been watching Muhan Dojeon lately (as some of you know).  The last couple episodes that I've seen have gone over a 1 year project that the cast had been involved in.

They apparently rented a farmer's field, planted rice plants, and harvested them in the fall.  Afterward, they packaged it and donated it.  Isn't that nice!

After watching these episodes, all I can say is that from now on I will treat every grain of rice as precious.  A LOT of work goes into rice farming, and each plant does not have that much rice on it!

An old Korean proverb is...
"You need to know the preciousness of rice, in order to raise your children well."

I believe it!

Coolest little dog ever!

This made me chuckle :)

 

source 

Ah, the frustrations

I wish I could understand Korean.  It's getting frustrating.


One of my favourite Korean shows is getting really, really good and I can't even watch it!!  Instead I have to listen to my husband laughing at the latest episode while I have to make do with my subbed version of a 6-8 mth old episode.

So unfair :(

My Love/Hate Relationship with Dean Koontz

I read my first Dean Koontz novel when I was in high school.  It was one of his older releases from the 80's and I was hooked.  I don't remember the storyline, but I remember not being able to guess the ending, and for that reason, I loved it.  I also loved the wittiness of the narrator.  Koontz has the ability to weave words and create a dreamscape in my imagination.
From that point forward, I started to read all of his novels.  I loved many of his older ones.  Not all, but most.  Then I ran into Christopher Snow.  Chris is a character in two books..  Fear Nothing & Seize the Night.  I can honestly say that I love these books.  The characters are fun and even flawed.
The next character I fell in love with is Odd Thomas.  He's too humble for his own good.  He saves people's lives, for goodness sake!  And he's a sweetie to boot. :)
Well, as of late, I have noticed a decrease in quality that has actually made me confused.  Sometimes I flip the novel over to check and see if Dean & Trixie are indeed on the back cover.  Is this Dean's less-than-amazing brother and his dog, Misty??  I have no idea. 
Sometimes I think business contracts have a way of squashing creativity.  I wonder if Dean had more time to give to just one novel, would it be better?  I'm gonna say yes.

Anyway, before I get flamed on this, I do realize that it takes a certain kind of person to churn out novels on a regular basis.  I have yet to write one.  So clearly it's not as easy as he makes it look. :)

Telemarketers

I got one of my daily telemarketing calls today.  Usually it's a marketing company calling on behalf of a bank or some other institution, but today's call took a new approach.
The lady who called sounded exactly like a recording, to the point that I didn't answer her first question because I hadn't realized that she was really talking to me.  When I did answer her, she gave me some scripted small talk about it being refreshing to talk to a real person since all she's gotten all day is answering machines.  I gave her a little bit of silence on that one.  Then she went on and ON about some police foundation for needy and starving children and wouldn't I like to help out these poor children?  I declined, knowing that it's probably a scam (there are a few going around right now).  Then she asked if she could ask one more question before she hung up.  I said ok.  She then went on a sob story about how these children are abused physically and sexually and would I donate just $25 to help out the abused children?
Wow..  talk about laying it on thick.  I can't believe that they would use tactics like that.  And I can't help but wonder how many people fall for it.

Bloodwork - The Bane of my Existence

I hate bloodwork.  Due to a run-in with cancer as a child, I have given a LOT of blood over the years.  If only it had been given as a donation to needy people, eh?  But instead it was all given in the name of science and tests.

I invariably forget to drink the morning of my blood test.  I dunno why.  I do know that I lose my appetite when I'm nervous, so maybe it's kinda the same thing.

I have fainted after bloodwork.  This was not my shining moment to say the least.  Now my doctor give me a hard stare before sending me off.  I don't know if it's a certain shade of gray that she occasionally perceives but sometimes she tells me to lie down, suck this lollypop, and for heaven's sake, don't look at the needle.

Once, I even hallucinated.  I'm not sure what I might have looked like when this happened, but my mom didn't notice me being any different.  I remember being very nervous that day about having to get a needle, so my mom said she'd go first to show me how it was done.  The nurse took a vial and let me hold it.  I told her it was very warm and mom said something about her warm heart.  They gave her a green, shiny pencil for her efforts.  I then had my blood test with little fanfare.
Later on the subway when I asked to see the pencil, she gave me a confused look.  After a couple moments, we figured out that I had hallucinated the whole thing.

Does anyone else have a harder time giving blood from their stronger arm?  It makes me more nervous to give from my right arm.  I'm not sure why.

Well, today's test didn't go well.  I forgot to drink.  I gave everything I had.  And it wasn't enough.

I feel like a pincushion.

Babies, babies, and more babies

My friend's wife just had a baby a couple weeks ago.  She's beautiful.  And I don't say that lightly.  I think most newborns are squashy and slightly non-human looking.  So I'll usually exclaim, "Oh, wow, she's so small!" or "Look at those tiny little feet!  How precious!".  So for me to say this baby is beautiful means that it's the truth.

I was looking at pictures of her online, and noticed that I don't have that hard-to-ignore type of yearning that a woman my age is "supposed" to feel.  That's not to say that I don't want kids.  But all things have their time, right?  And right now is not the time for children for me.

I was again creeping online and saw some wedding anniversary congratulations for a girl I've met.  Two years today!  That's nice news :)  But the last congratulatory note had this tacked onto it: "It's been long enough now!  Time for babies!"

um..

I know that it's an age-old practice for older women to tease younger brides about having children, but in today's day and age you should be a little more careful about doing that.  I can think of several friends of mine, some even younger than me, and also myself included who have medical conditions which may or may not hinder future fertility.  I'm sure they get teased often about not procreating fast enough because heaven knows they've been married long enough!  What if they're already trying to start their fairytale family and and feeling heartbreak month after month?  Why rub salt into the wound?  I mean, society has always dictated that all women are happiest when they are bearing and raising children.  And let's not forget that biological clock that keeps on ticking whether you've already conceived or not.

Have a little courtesy, people.

Fishing trip planned

We're planning on going fishing this coming Canada Day. Only 3 more days!

I don't know why I love fishing so much. I think part of it is the sense of accomplishment that I can go and get a meal or two without negatively impacting the environment. Recently I watched "Food Inc." and ever since then I have a bad feeling about meats and vegetables in the grocery stores. I've been trying to only buy seafood that is maintaining it's population levels, such as pollock. Also, I'm thinking of getting my veggies & fruits from a farmer's market nearby on Fridays. As for red meat.. I can only wonder where it's been.
But anyway, back to the fishing. A couple friends of ours are coming with us this time. They haven't really had any experience with fishing, so we're going to rent a boat for the day. Should be loads of fun! :) Watch out largemouths, here I come!

Note to self: Gotta remember my sunblock!

Last year!

G20 in Toronto - June 26th

Wow.

That's all I can say after a day like today.

Is it really worth it to destroy other people's property for the sake of making a point? I wonder at the logic of people when I see store windows being smashed and cars being torched on the streets of my hometown. I suppose that it's all just to get a reaction, but still. We're just coming out of a recession and those stores are people's livelihoods. It's unfair to attack others just to make sure that everyone knows you're annoyed. :( This does not help your cause in any way.

I wanted to see the peaceful protests downtown, but now I'm afraid of going and getting tear-gassed when some guy behind me throws a hatchet through a bank window.

What is this world coming to?


Check out this amazing Flickr set by jen: G20 Toronto 2010
Her pictures say it all.

Soccer fever has abated

So Korea lost to Uruguay today. Score was 2-1 in Uruguay's favour.

My husband is not having a very happy day as a result. Poor guy.

Buying a new car - The Horror!

So I've had my eye on a Toyota Yaris for the last year. I think they look like a nice little car.. the sedan still has a spacey backseat as well as a nice trunk. And the price can't be beat. Unless you're looking at a Neon.. hehe.

Anyway, I found a couple good 2008 ones on the Toyota website, called the applicable dealership and made an appointment for today. It was a little out of my way.. well, more than a little. I drove almost 60 kms to get to my appointment today.. with no air conditioning.. in 30+ weather..

So I get there 20 minutes early. The guy I had my appointment with isn't there, which is fine. I tell them I'll wait. Then, past my appointment time, another guy comes out and explains that he'll help me today instead. I think nothing of this. Happens all the time.

I test drove a couple Yaris'. One had black smoke coming out of the tailpipe. I was told this was normal when you first start it up. What I do NOT think is normal is black smoke coming out the whole time while he drives away and around the building.
The next one had a hesitation when you hit the gas pedal. He claims to have not felt it. At this point, I'm losing whatever trust I might have had.

Later, we're sitting in his office and I'm assured that any mechanical problems will be taken care of, and that there is a warranty to cover these things for 30 days. I'm feeling a little more trusting than I was in the parking lot.
So I want to discuss price. Any possible deals that could be wrangled and all that. I'm told that deals can be made.. but the guy who handles financial things has stepped out. Alright. I'm a touch annoyed now. I'm then told to go have lunch somewhere and come back in the afternoon. Maybe the guy will be there then. Maybe.
At this point I'm sure that I'm not buying today or maybe not ever. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the finances to be taken care of while I'm there. After all, I DID make an appointment after all. So I ask for a written quote to see if I could shop around. He then prints off the exact car from the Toyota website. It clearly states the price as $300 cheaper than the price on the car itself. So I ask him if that's the price that will be honoured, since it's their official website after all. But no. He can't do this at this point. Sorry.

So I left. And drove home almost 60 kms in the sweltering heat. That's a total of 120 wasted kms. Thanks.

Honestly. I did not feel as if I was being taken seriously at any point during my visit. And this is coming from an actual dealership.

Oh, and did I mention that my t-shirt was on backwards the entire time? Cause it was.

Sigh.

Edit (Aug. 9/10):  I ended up getting a Corolla after all.  And I must say, it does drive much better than the Yaris!  Good job, me!  :)

Buying a new car

So it's that time again..

My old Sunfire has decided that it's not going to be good to me anymore. After almost 6 years of awesomeness on it's part, I feel like it just wants to be retired already.
I bought my '99 Sunfire from my Aunt in 2004. It was my first car! You have no idea what kind of feeling it gave me to have freedom. I was able to go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. And since I was still living at home.. that was a good thing. I didn't have to ask for a ride anymore or take the bus :) My sister and I road-tripped in it one summer all across eastern Canada.My little blue Sunfire was perfect for quite a few years, but lately I've been taking it in a lot for random repairs: signal light clicker, throttle position sensor, etc. The air conditioning is broken, as well as the CD player, so it's not as fun to drive anymore, either. And now I'm afraid to take it anywhere far because I sense that there is a transmission problem in the making.

So it's a sad, sad day.. but I've decided to replace the old dear. :(
I will miss you!
Let us remember the good times:

Running out of gas in the middle of nowhere on the NB/NS border

Meh.. it was worth a try

Second time in the ditch is the charm? No?

:)

I love picnics!

Saturday was our annual Sunday school picnic. I had to work :P but I still went in the evening for a potluck dinner and some games. It was a lot of fun!

Have you ever played the donut eating game?
You hang up powdered jelly donuts and everyone has to race to eat them.. with no hands!

Lots of fun, and it makes for some hilarious photos :)















Another game we played was water balloon volleyball. Both teams have a bedsheet, and basically you launch overfilled water balloons over the net at each other.

Wow, we got soaked.

Ah, I love camping

Did you know...

Hammocks are not made for two ;)

photos courtesy of my sister - bonjourstacy

Love

My internet connection has been down for almost a week. Hopefully it will be fixed this week.

In the meantime, remember to love!

1 sparkler + 1 open-shuttered camera = LOVE :)

Black bean noodles!

MMmm.. these are tasty.

Ja-jang-myeon is Korean Chinese food. They are fat, soft noodles, onions and other veggies, with black bean sauce. And the portions are HUGE. I honestly don't know how ANYONE can finish a full bowl. Sometimes the portions in Korea confuse me because how can so many skinny people be eating such large amounts of food??

But anyway..

On black day, my husband took me out for seafood black bean noodles. And they came with these little biscuits that tasted inbetween a croissant and a fortune cookie. Weird, eh?

Sorry for everything being half-eaten in the photo.. we were starving!

Learning Hangul

image source

That's it! I've decided that I'm going to give Hangul a better try than I've previously done. My husband is going to talk to me as much as possible in Korean, and I'm going to learn online as well.

Fingers crossed! It would be nice to actually talk to some of his family members once in awhile!

Gulf Oil Leak

I honestly think this oil spill in unbelievable. I have a few things that make me angry.

1. Who puts into place something that has the potential to damage the environment on a colossal scale with no proper safety measures in place??? I mean, honestly?? If you don't know how to fix a potential oil leak, then why are you drilling in the ocean in the first place? I think this should be a wake up call for the large drilling companies.

2. Who approved off-shore drilling with no proper safety precautions in place? Whoever signed the dotted line and allowed this company to drill in a healthy, well-established ecosystem should be held accountable for the damage thus far.

I personally think that this company should pay for all the clean-ups, plus fines, and possibly criminal charges. The buck is not more important than our world, people.

Check out the live footage of their latest attempt to stop this leak.. btw, I just want to point out that this is 5 1/2 weeks after it started to leak AND this method may make it worse......

Chicka-dee-dee-dee

I love going to the local conservation area on a nice day and feeding the chickadees. They're naturally friendly and will never say no to crushed walnuts!

Isn't he cute?

Kimbap

Korean sushi is good. At first taste, I thought it was pretty plain.. but it's actually very filling and good for you.

Regular kimbap is composed of seaweed, rice, and various vegetables: spinach, carrot, cooked egg, and picked radish. You can get other variations of it such as tuna.

It's also very cheap. Most places will sell you a roll for 1000 won. Because of this amazing price, I ended up eating it quite often :)

What blood type are you?

Prepare to be asked this when you meet people in Korea. Everyone here knows what their blood type is and will be very confused if you say you don't know. I mean, WHY DON'T YOU KNOW??

hehe. I had to call my Dr's office and find out.

There is still a little bit of superstition surrounding blood types. I believe the practice originated in Japan but it has a firm holding in Korea as well. It is believed that your blood type controls your personality to some extent.

For example: I am "A". Therefore I am a worrier. I also let little things get under my skin. The smallest slight is not forgotten for a long time. I am conscientious and get easily stressed. But, I am also artistic and creative. I am shy and seek harmony with others.. preferring to avoid confrontations.
Whether this is all true.. well.. ok, most of it fits really really well. But I'm not saying I believe it!
As for my husband, he is a "B". B's are relaxed and go with the flow. They like adventure and are often travelers. They are ruled by their impulses, love to solve problems, and are specialists in what they do.
This kinda fits too. Hmm..

So, what are you??

Who loves makeup?!

I do! :D

I just found this awesome online makeup store called "A Pop of Kawaii". AND, they're having a draw for 6 winners!! Who doesn't like being kawaii?!? :)

Check it out here!!

North America is so far behind..

well, technologically, anyway.
Honestly.
It's very annoying to look in the newspaper and see a combination washer/dryer for just under $5000. That is sooooo expensive. AND, it's not even new technology!!

I remember being shocked and amazed when I got my first apartment in Korea. I thought it was unbelievably amazing to have a combo machine.. until I realized that everyone had one.

I personally think that greed is the reason for our technology delay. The companies wish to bleed every penny from the older models before switching to a "newer" model. How sad!
I might not be correct in this thinking, but I can't think of any other reason to wait forever to release newer machines.

Oh, and don't even get me started on cellphones......

Happy Victoria Day!

I know I'm a few minutes late but I just got in.

Can you say "Happy Victoria Day!"? Is that something you say to people??

We bought a bunch of fireworks tonight with some friends. And a paper lantern. All legal. We even brought a bucket and shovel to bury them in to make sure they wouldn't tip over.

Well, the lantern caught fire soon after it took off. We were a little afraid that it would cause some damage. Why are those things legal???

The fireworks were going well until we got to a couple small cakes. The fuses were on the bottom so they couldn't be buried. Well, the first one tipped over and started shooting all over the place. So, we decided to try to bury the second one. That one tipped over too!!

Then the police showed up.

But we weren't doing anything bad, so all was well :)

All in all, a good night.

:)

Fishing

Today was such a beautiful day that my husband and I decided to go fishing. It's early in the season so we didn't expect to catch much. But, on the second cast we pulled in a largemouth bass! Being out of season, we had to throw it back, but I really really wish I could've kept it. They're super tasty :)

Looking forward to many more days spent fishing :)

A blast from the past - aicha aicha

I remember when I thought this video was the coolest thing ever :)

Yellow Smog

Those are mountains in the background.. yeah, behind the first one :)

A warning to all those who are new to Korea. Every spring brings yellow smog. Smog, you say? I can handle smog. Ah, but no. This is different.

I was getting ready to go to work a couple years ago in the spring when my husband called to warn me that it was a smog day. He told me to wear a good mask and only go outside to get to work.. no shopping, etc.
I had heard about this yellow cloud, but hadn't seen it for myself.

This cloud of smog travels over from China on the wind currents. As it travels, it picks up pollutants from cities and factories, dust from the desert, and grows it's own brand of bacteria along the way. People that carelessly breathe it in can develop respiratory problems. As I'm asthmatic, I thought the mask would be a good idea.

Fortunately, masks are considered a fashion item as well as a necessity in Korea. So if you don't want to look like you just escaped from a hospital, you can find a funny one to wear instead :)

An "aww" moment

Charlie is the cutest thing ever :)
Did you know that owning a dog lowers your blood pressure?

Jejudo - Honeymoon Central

If you have a weekend off and don't want to leave the country, then consider Jeju island as a place to visit.

Jejudo, "do" meaning "island", is a volcanic island located south of the mainland. It has a semi-tropical climate, so it's a lot warmer and more humid than the rest of Korea. At the centre of the island is Halla-san (mountain), a dormant volcano and also the highest peak in the entire country.

The Jeju people lived in relative isolation for many years, resulting in a unique culture and dialect. Even Koreans sometimes have a hard time understanding them! Women have traditionally been the heads of their families, passing on generations worth of knowledge to their daughters. The "sea women" of Jeju went diving in all seasons for the family's food and income, diving for abalone, shellfish, and various other sea life.

One thing you'll notice all over the island is the presence of "stone grandfathers". These carved men are dotted all over the island. Miniature grandfathers carved from volcanic rock can be purchased virtually anywhere for souveniers (I know.. I have several.. hehe) There are several theories as to the purpose of these statues, but no one knows their real origin. ooOOOoo.. I love a good mystery!

Jeju island is also famous for it's oranges. The jeju orange is a type of mandarin orange. They are very pricey, but make a nice gift for someone you wish to impress!

My husband and I went here for our honeymoon and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We took a tour that let us experience many things such as horseback riding, ATV'ing, a submarine ride, visiting orange and ginseng farms, visiting a few Jeju island history museums, a botanical garden, and much more. It was a fairly inexpensive way to see the whole island in a few days.

I highly suggest it!

Love is in the air

We were hiking up the mountain near Beomeosa when we found this :)

Perfect photo opportunity? Or really just a chance to catch my breath? hehe.

Green Tea Farms

If you have nothing to do on a beautiful, sunny day.. then I suggest taking a day trip to a green tea farm.
We went to Beoseong and it was absolutely wonderful. The farms are immaculate, with well manicured lawns, and winding tree paths. You can hike to the top of one of the hills to get a glimpse of the view.
Also, I would stock up on the tea, because I don't think I've ever tasted better! It has a really nice nutty flavour and keeps fresh for a long time. They sell both the tea packets and the loose leaves.

Ahh.. wish I was there right now :)

Go fly a kite!

My husband said that all Korean kids grow up with a kite in their hands. They can construct them, and then fly them all in the same day. Smart little guys. I remember making them in elementary school, but I don't remember any of them actually flying..

The other day my friends and I went kite flying. We were going to build out own, but ended up buying some cheap ones from the dollarstore.

I felt like a kid again :)