A Trip to the "Blue House"

First I'd like to congratulate one of my closest friends from Wooster, Ohio, Molly, on now becoming Mrs. Corey Sipos! Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the glorious festivities last evening, however due to mobile text updates from my siblings Rachel and Chris, it almost felt as if I were there. Best of luck to them both as they head to San Juan, Puerto Rico for their honeymoon this week!

Secondly, my flight has been booked and I will return to the rural Ohio parts on September 4th! I couldn't be more excited to see my friends and family! This next week will be very busy, but then I will have a week vacation and will return to Busan with my friend Anna. There are many places in Korea that I'm sure are fabulous to visit, but Anna really wants to see Busan and I am not picky, other than my need for sun rays and a piña colada.

Due to the fact that my previous entry significantly lacked photos, I will attempt to compensate and show you what on earth I've been up to the past month...

Armadillo class took a field trip to the "Dibo" Museum. Dibo is a Korean cartoon dinosaur and I cannot pronounce his name correctly. When we first arrived, my students made crafts at the table as they are nicely seated. After crafts, Dibo has a special dance that he taught the children and they were precious as they shimmied in movements similar to Dibo and Friends.

Armadillo class is precious, yet I welcome the upcoming vacation with open arms. And with even wider arms, I welcome the end of my contract. I have one student in particular who loves to scream at the top of his lungs, punch other students, speak Korean while at English school and ignore my directions. This sweet boy's mother told my Korean co-teacher that her son needs love from the teacher in order for him to behave properly. My health is now declining, I get daily migraines and I am ready to never teach another day of my life :)

While in Seoul, I have made some really great friends! In this photo, I am pictured with my friends Jayoung, Leo and Anna.

I met Jayoung at a yoga class close to when I arrived to Korea. She teaches piano and yoga. Leo is a ship engineer and has been friends with Jayoung for many years. I met him at the same yoga class, as he attended not only for means of physical fitness, but to meet women. Unfortunately, I think Leo's membership expired before he was able to meet his future wife. Anna is a friend that I met while at our mutual friend, Erwin's, birthday party in April. Anna is from Illinois and attended university with several friends of mine. She and I will take a short trip together over break and will do our best to steer clear of kindergarten-aged children while in Busan.

While Seoul is a city located in the extreme eastern parts of the world, Mexico is represented of course! A few weekends ago, Anna and I went to see a mariachi band that plays at events in Seoul. The men immediately became my amigos and so we took a photo together. All of the musicians are from Mexico City and they dedicated a song or two to me. I'm certain that my allegiance to Mexico and working knowledge of Spanish were primary factors.

This weekend, I visited "Cheong Wa Dae," with two American teachers and two Korean teachers. It is the home and office compound of President Lee Myung-bak. As we have the White House, it is also referred to as the "Blue House." Documentation of this adventure is as follows:

This is the main office at Cheong Wa Dae. This building essentially houses the office of the president and an array of function rooms. It was finished in 1991 and due to the blue tiles on the roof, this is the "Blue House" of the presidential compound.
This large gray building is Yeongbingwan. This building holds presidential guest gatherings. Inside, it looks like a large ballroom on the first floor. Prior to this building's existance, the events were held in hotels in Seoul, but there was much "discomfort to the citizens and security hazards," so, this was built.
The building that seems to be covered by trees is the Sang Chun Jae ("Ever Spring") House. In this house, the president hosts unofficial meetings and dinners for small groups and foreign dignitaries.

Next to the Blue House, are shrines to the tablets of concubines for previous rulers. The architecture and details of the buildings are spectacular! Enjoy the photos and have a great week!

I am a Proponent of Privatized Medicine Due to the Following:

Unlike many Saturdays, today was intended for efficient productivity. I awoke this morning at 6:30 am and was on the elliptical trainer at the gym by 7:00. After exercise, I came home to shower and head towards an area called Sinchon. The reason for my adventure to Sinchon early this morn was because through my employer-granted insurance, I was entitled to a free doctor's examination which included blood, urine and x-ray tests. Just to ensure that I am in working order and it was free of charge, I thought it was a good idea to have done. This test was only available at Sinchon Leader's Hospital. What is absolutely hilarious is that the name of the hospital is in English, yet not one of their employees are capable of speaking English. It was the epitomy of what "Leaders" in healthcare should be.

I made it to Sinchon on an old rickety bus by 9:45 a.m. I arrived to the hospital by 10:45 a.m. Completely shank directions to this establishment were given to me and I stopped for directions approximately five times. Now, I was positive this hospital was on a particular street. Each person I asked for directions, or "helpers" told me to walk down (in opposite directions) for 5 minutes. After dealing with those five Koreans who passed along completely false information, I hailed down a cab driver. I showed him my paper with the Korean name of this place. Surprise! I was in the cab for 50 seconds and my total was still $2.40. Whatever. I hopped out of the scam car and found myself in a fairly low-end healthcare facility. Another surprise, 1st floor did not host the reception desk or signs...in English (aka current "Language of the World"). I pressed the "Up" button on the elevator and decided to take a guess and head to the 4th floor. Hand motions and slow talking with employees wearing scrubs directed me to the 2nd floor. The document which had the service I was to receive was crumbled and sad looking. Anyway, I handed that to the receptionist. In return, she gave me another document asking health history and personal information. This was anticipated, the only problem is that I do not read, speak, hear or understand Korean. Excuse me for saying this, but I was entirely prepared to punch someone's face.

I was told to sit down (not escorted nor directed). A woman then summoned me and I followed her to the desk of the meanest, baldest little Korean man I've ever met. He gave me a cup to conduct the urine sample. He scribbled Korean on the cup, and I am positive that it translated to "Stupid girl with orange hair." I went to the restroom and while I took a deep breath and tried to reassure myself that this bizarre "healthcare" situation would be over in 20 minutes, my hands forgot they were holding my pee cup and I dropped it in the toilet.

With my head hung low and troubled because I had no idea how to tell this mean little Korean man that I dropped my pee cup in the toilet, I went back to his desk. He gave me the eye, did not understand a word I had told him and proceeded to stick me with a needle for the blood sample. Next, he scooted me in to have my height and weight measured. After that, he threw me at the woman who took x-rays. After the x-ray, low and behold, this mean little man found an English speaker.

She said, "And where is your urine sample?

I replied "It fell in the toilet."

"Why did you do that?"

"It was completely unintentional. How difficult is it for you to give me another pee cup?"

Seriously. I wanted to find that same cab driver to rip me off again and drive me to the airport with nothing but the clothes on my back.

The woman hurled another pee cup my way and I went to the bathroom. I have never had this problem in my life, but today when I was told to pee on command, it totally wasn't happening. I felt like an abused animal at the circus who was whipped and cursed at (in Korean) and then told to sit, beg, do a somersault and then urinate into a cup.

I finally produced 3 cm. of urine for the mean little bald man and ran out of Sinchon Leader's Hospital like the dancing monkey who escaped the Barnum and Bailey Circus.

This, my friends, is my essay of complete distaste for socialized medicine.

Teaching and Costco...Love or hate?

It has been almost a month since I had my last entry, so I shall recap. Throughout the month of May, highlights have included; having been flowered with gifts for Teacher's Day, I attended an employee retreat with my co-workers, experienced a phenomenal night view along the Han River (Hangang) and ventured to Costco. These experiences have been wonderful to say the least, however I will not stifle my tone of excitement for I have ten work weeks remaining in Seoul!

Teacher's Day happened first amongst the array of events. Teacher's Day was equivalent to...Christmas. Aside from Christ's birth, the amount of gifts I received on this day aroused a tickle of Yuletide cheer inside my heart and made me consider re-signing for an additional year. Then, I came to the realization that such gifts would not be given to me on a daily, or even weekly, basis. Also, I contemplated the crying, whining, bloody noses, tattle-tales and fighting between students that I deal with...therefore no, I'll be home at the end of August. The fabulous items bestowed upon me included soap, shampoo, lotion, pizza, make up and gift certificates. The parents of my students were very generous and of course, I will put forth my best efforts in making fluent English speakers out of their offspring before I depart for the motherland.

The joyous holiday was quickly followed by a retreat provided for all SLP Yongsan and Mapo employees. Mr. and Mrs. Yang transported us on school buses (in seats intended for 20 kilogram students) to an herb farm called Herbnara. En route to this earthy venue, the previous president of South Korea, Roh Moo-hyun had committed suicide by jumping off of a cliff near his home in Bongha. He was under corruption allegations and many of his friends and family members were on trial alongside him. Two friends of mine were strong supporters of President Roh's administration and it has been very interesting speaking with them about the issues of his presidency and suicide.

Anyway, Herbnara was about 3 1/2 hours outside of Seoul. When we arrived, all of the teachers from both schools met in a conference room. Later, the foreign teachers and Korean teachers parted ways to have discussions pertinent to our individual teaching experiences. The owner of Herbnara is a close friend of Mrs. Yang and we were consequently scheduled to stay at this venue the same evening as a very popular music artist, Lee Moon Sae. After plenty of soju that Saturday evening, Mr. Yang proceeded to inform me that the owner attempted to re-schedule the SLP gathering so Lee Moon Sae could stay in our executive lodgings, however Mrs. Yang would not budge. Now, I am very thankful to the Yangs for holding us in such high regards, but tell me, is this Lee Moon Sae character the caliber of say Bruce Springsteen (high) or Nick Lachey (very low)? I'd really like to know. Our time at Herbnara consisted of eating, bonding, drinking and bus riding. I thoroughly enjoy the time with my co-workers, but a weekend of rest and relaxation in my bed (not the floor) is the ultimate.

On a Tuesday evening a couple of weeks ago, my friend Sang Ho took me on a ferry boat ride along the Han River (Hangang). The view was tremendous at night because all of the lights of the city made it amazing! I really need to make it a point to do more Korean things while I'm in Korea...that's why this was a perfect activity. The boat left at 9 p.m. and it ran for approximately an hour. Where I am living is also very close to the river and I enjoy walking or bike riding on the path which runs alongside the river. At this time of the year, the mosquitos are in abundance, but the weather is so nice in the evenings this time of year!

Costco was the most bittersweet experience I've had in South Korea thus far. First, you probably know, I love American things, particularly food. Costco is a haven for people such as myself who have about had it with octopus legs (which I will not eat) and other bizarre cuisine eaten in this land. I hauled my Latina self and my South African friend, Miranda, to Costco last Saturday. My shopping list included: tortillas, cheese, avocados, pineapple, Fiber One bars, V8 and Coke Light. I have ranted about tortillas before, every care package I receive contains tortillas and I cuddle up in my sarape blanket from Mexico every night. I can't shake my Hispanic roots. Cheese and avocados are vital with tortillas and I could live on those three ingredients for the rest of my life. Pineapple is my favorite fruit in the world and I consumed almost a whole pineapple in less than three days. The three remaining items on my list are things that I love and are very convenient when I'm "on the go." Liquor at an acceptable cost is also available at the Costco warehouse if you're curious. I was, so I slipped a little vodka into my cart for the weight of my cart to be balanced. I have finished telling you why Costco fulfilled "sweet" feelings, now I shall go on to describe why it was "bitter" as well.

Saturday is by far the most heinous day in Seoul when it comes to doing shopping or walking in public areas. I will not fib, for there are some weekends when I want to be reclusive in my little American apartment and forget that I am in Asia. That is another reason I went to Costco...I wanted to forget that rice is a staple food and that western items exist. On Sunday, I awoke with bruises because of the amount of shopping carts that slammed into me during my shopping adventure. Just a peek into my cart made my mouth water, so much in fact that I scurried to the check out. Surprise! Cash only! My ability to work under pressure and make instantaneous decisions is strong (just see my cover letter I wrote for job applications). My keen instinct noticed an ATM right outside of the check out so, I omitted the avocados and vodka that had been tightly gripped by my white knuckles, quickly hurled the correct amount of won at the cashier, shimmied to the ATM, did a round-about and low and behold, I was back in line with another pack of avocados and bottle of vodka. Whew. If that doesn't make you sweat, I don't know what would.

That about sums up my most recent Korean experiences. Oh, I also included a night scene of the Han River, but I didn't take it, so please do not feel obligated to "ooh and ahh." I hope all is well and I'll try to blog more often :)

See you soon!

Children's Day Holiday in Busan

Greetings and Salutations!

It is 11 p.m. on a Saturday night and I find myself in the comfort of my own little American haven home, sipping a cup of egg nog (courtesy of a mix provided to me by Carly J. Guy) and listening to the Sex and the City movie in the background. Seoul has had extremely beautiful weather lately! From what I hear, May is the best month of the year and it will progress in a downward heatwave spiral as we approach the summer months. Last weekend, we had a four day weekend because the holiday, "Children's Day," fell on May 5th (ironically my favorite holiday, Cinco de Mayo). As a child, I always asked my parents why there wasn't a day for the children. Korea is on the ball. In addition to Children's Day, May 8th was "Parent's Day" and May 15th is "Teacher's Day (!!!)." For the Children's Day holiday, five friends and I ventured to Busan. The group of beach goers included myself, Miranda and DeWet from South Africa, as well as Steve, Dan and Curtis from Canada. Busan is located in the southern part of the Korean peninsula and it takes approximately six hours to drive by car, however it took us about 2 1/2 hours each way via the KTX fast train. We departed from Seoul at 9 p.m. last Friday night and arrived in Busan at almost midnight.

As the four of us arrived into Busan (Steve and Dan met us the following day), we hailed a cab to take us to our lodging, Orange Motel. We apparently summoned the NASCAR superstar of Busan. The vehicle was moving at 160 km/h (about 100 mph) and it took a mere ten minutes to reach our destination. We made prior reservations, however such establishments are not difficult to find in large cities in Korea (as I hear they are common in much of Asia). I will not beat around the bush, for such establishments are referred to as "love motels." They are intended for rather short stays, they are cheap and in abundance. It was a wise move to pull off our holiday conducive to our economic statuses. Anyway, the four of us got settled in and had a night's sleep before going to the beach the following day.

We spent Saturday on the beach for the day for it was mostly sunny but then turned overcast. We meandered to TGIFriday's for lunch. I had the most delicious grilled chicken Caesar salad I've had in a long time and a piña colada. After lunch, Miranda and I bought black sun hats and canned blueberry vodka drinks at 7-11. I wished everyday could be vacation.

Our friend Curtis's girlfriend (who also teaches English in Seoul) was in Busan for holiday as well with her friends. We met them all on the beach and later on in the evening, we met them near our temporary place of residence for Korean BBQ (grilled beef=bulgogi). The individuals in my party enjoyed ourselves at dinner and we held no qualms when it was time to pay. It had surfaced that a couple of the girls were vegetarians and were rather hissy when the waitress insisted that we each pay 15,000 won (~$15). I really have no idea what the girl who was wearing the hippy head band and peace dress thought when she agreed to this carnivorous dining venue. The minor tiff was remedied when we strongly encouraged that the girls pay what they were told they owed and leave. I have found that when groups get too large, chaos ensues.

We parted ways with the group of girls after dinner and headed to a foreigner hang out called "U2." I didn't find the crowd to have been enticing. The point has been reached by myself where I prefer to attend places where locals go rather than foreigners, who are "dodgy" or "sketchy," the majority of the time. Busan hosts a large number of Russians, who I have been told, have mob ties. The Russian mafia is probably one of the last things I think or care about, but I just wanted to get a look at them after all of this talk. Unfortunately I did not get a glimpse while in Busan. Maybe next time.

Sunday rolled around and we all slept in fairly late because we are worked to the bone (dealing with phonics, peed pants, bloody noses and perpetual sass) and get only 2 weeks of vacation in the whole year (and if you "contemplate" being sick, consider yourself done and back on a flight to your homeland). My Sunday essentially consisted of waking up at 1 p.m.; eating pumpkin soup (so delicious!), a chicken quesadilla and strawberry-ade at Bennigan's at 3:00; massage at 4:30 and then nap at 5:30. I seriously need more vacation days.

On Sunday night we had a late dinner at a place called Miami on 88. It was clear to have been a foreigner bar/restaurant but it had a colorful and glitzy interior and delicious hamburgers. We were there for a couple of hours for dinner and post-dinner refreshments. After that, we ventured onto the beach because the boys had excellent plans of buying and shooting off fireworks.

I am not sure why but I don't seem to have taken to this worldwide fascination of fireworks. They seem to be popular in Wooster, Ohio and very rural areas. ('I gotta pasture, let's go shoot some 'works!' Even boys from Toronto and Johannesburg get a kick out of these potentially dangerous entities. Nonetheless, Miranda and I were merely onlookers that evening, specifically as we witnessed DeWet make multiple purchases of sparklers and fireworks. Ajumas (middle aged Korean women) waltz down the beach with an array of fireworks for sale. When all else fails and a tourist runs out of money, they (DeWet) may attempt to trading fireworks for cigarettes. Such bargains were quite humorous to witness. Miranda and I had a long day of resting, eating and massage so we called in a night before our male counterparts were prepared to head back to "Orange" for the night. We bought convenient store ice cream, watched a Hillary Duff movie and went to sleep.
Monday, the day of departure, rolled around too quickly! We woke up and had brunch at TGIFriday's (really the only restaurant we trusted because we would not be served octopus legs) before taking cabs to the train station. Our train departed from Busan at 2 p.m. and we were all back in Seoul by 5 and ready to rest after a fantastic weekend away from the city! My Tuesday was spent catching up on sleep, making pancakes with Miranda and catching up on laundry and cleaning after the weekend's festivities.

My weekend is once again half over but I plan to rest and recuperate tomorrow, as well as call the Denbow clan in Wooster. I hope that everyone is well and I want to a Happy Mother's Day! to all of whom it may apply.

Spring in Seoul

Spring has finally arrived in Seoul and it is absolutely beautiful! Time has been flying by for me lately and I apologize for not having had an entry in nearly three weeks. I suppose I will move in the sequential chain of events in my description of what I have been up to lately.

March 14th is "White Day" in Korea. It is basically round II of Valentine's Day. I thank the Lord on High that I spent this day with friends and was not tangled in any sort of a debacle similar to the one I experienced on February 14th. On Valentine's Day in Korea, it is customary for the females in relationships to shower their significant others with gifts (most notably, chocolate), attention and love. Precious (eyeroll). Exactly one month later is this bizarre notion that this abundance of sweet sweet love must be shouted from the rooftops once more. What was most significant about this day was that one of my favorite dj's of electronic music, Benny Benassi, was in Seoul that day! My friend, Miranda, and I meandered to the upscale area of the city, Gangnam. Benny hobbled out to the stage on crutches but with his macbook and ready to pump some serious jams. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and still have my glow bracelet.

On April 4th, I gathered my nearest and dearest friends as we celebrated my delightful 23rd year of life. I have no idea where the time went and why I am no longer 18 and speeding around Wooster, Ohio in a maroon colored Toyota Previa minivan. Seriously. My birthday fell on a Saturday so I went to dinner with friends of mine to "On the Border." Tortilla soup and [a] margarita[s] were certainly the way to celebrate, particularly given my Hispanic roots. After the birthday, the fiesta continued at "Dos Tacos," the following afternoon for lunch. After about three tasty morsels of my "Nachos Fiesta," Kim Jong Il launched his rocket. I felt it in my bones that it was going to happen that day, what a riot it was and certainly kept my birthday party alive! Now that Kim and his cronies are "condemned" by the U.N. Security Council, it's been interesting to watch from Seoul, especially reading local papers (in English given my lack of Korean language skills). South Koreans did not appear shaken at this event, so I hope that means I'm not going to have to live in a bunker anytime soon.

One week later was my friend Carly's birthday. We had a nice brunch in Itaewon at "The American Diner." I had french toast and it was by far the most delicious thing I've consumed while on the Asian continent. Post-brunch, Carly and I set out to see the famous Korean cherry blossoms. Hoards of Koreans felt the same way on that beautiful Easter Sunday. While on our adventure, a Korean mullet, a dachshund (shout out to my pup, Maxie! ^.^), a giddy baby opposed to seatbelts and drunk bike riders were all spotted. The bike riders had horns that sounded like the circus and almost sawed off my toes about every 90 seconds. They couldn't ride in a straight path if their lives depended on it. Carly and I got claustrophobic and had to duck into a coffee shop to re-group...and then we had to away, it was way too crowded!



After the cherry blossom ruckus, I met my friend Won Yi for tea (not to be confused with the infamous "tea parties" being held in America these days... I fully support blast spending...) in my neighborhood. I like to meet Won because he makes me laugh and I need a Korean friend to ask all the questions about Koreans that I have. Later that evening, I met my friends Kookno Lee and Nam Wang for dinner. They even brought me a birthday cake because they are my awesome [yet, ridiculous] big Korean brothers. I'm so glad that we documented our time together, especially Nam Wang's sweet face.










I hope all is well in your given locations. Peace and love from the East!

How Do Koreans Exercise?

As you live your day to day lifestyles, I am sure that you find yourselves wondering what a Korean fitness class may be like. You are in luck, for today I will describe to you my first encounter with a Korean spinning class.

Back in the day and in the little parts of Wooster, Ohio, I was an avid "spinner." For those of you who are unclear as to what this pastime consists of, it is essentially riding a stationary bicycle at an intense pace for a specified amount of time. I cannot clearly recall my method of thinking, but I loved to exercise in any form that I could. Spinning and kickboxing classes were my ultimate favorites. Since my university days, I have not tortured myself in such a fashion. My gym provides spinning for its members and well...I suppose "the curiosity killed the cat," for I wanted to find out how on earth they do it over here. God have mercy on my soul.

So I, a creature with orange hair and white skin who appears as though I have never gotten a kiss of sunlight, lurked into the room where spinning is conducted. Of course I do not speak the language so I just smiled and hopped on a two-wheeled devil. An array of souls filled up the class, low and behold, I was not the only foreigner. A small and very serious looking spinner man with a decorative rainbow tattoo on his leg shimmied his way onto a bike about two away from where I was stationed. The lights cut out, the multi-colored disco began to flash and 'oh shoot, here we go!' I thought.

The bass began to boom at an increasingly rapid pace and the lyrics were a complete mystery to me. All of a sudden, I had drawn the perfect parallel. My feet were peddling to the max but I felt as though I were at a rave club in the middle of an unknown (but still Asian) land. The words of the instructor befuddled me as well, but I can take a fitness class in any tongue because all you have to do is watch the limbs of fellow classmates. The weekend prior to this Monday evening, I attended a concert of one of my favorite electronic dj's of all time, Benny Benassi. From the concert, I still had a hot pink glow bracelet in my freezer at home. I really wish somebody would have let me know to bring it to the gym that night.

The instructor was a hoot and was certainly the star of the show on his bike elevated above the rest of us. He knew every word to every song and he had some serious swivel hips as he shook it to the beat without a bead of perspiration. I anticipated glitter, whistles and angel dust to flutter down from the disco ball. We just kept peddling and peddling and all of a sudden, the cool down was upon us. The class got off of the bikes and then the instructor had us doing stretches that I have only seen middle-aged, Korean men and women do. The first of these "Korean stretches" are to place both hands on the waist and move the waist in a circular motion. The second stretch is to hunker down in an almost-squat position and then bounce on the knee caps...to keep them limber or something perhaps. I really have no idea what either of these Korean stretches do, but try them sometime and let me know.

All in all, that was a hilarious Korean experience. That being said, I'm ready to mount the bike again next Monday night at 8 p.m.

Mexico Meets Korea...y Dice Queeee?

If you are not aware, I had my first visitor last weekend!!! Of course, it was no other than my lovely friend Jonathan from Monterrey, Mexico! Approximately two weeks prior to our overdue rendezvous (it had been about seven months), Jon contacted me to let me know that he was headed my way to attend expositions in both Tokyo and Seoul pertinent to his family business. After chatting with Jon while he was in Tokyo, it was apparent that he had already developed a disdain for the abundance of rice in the East and small amount of English spoken. He got into Seoul on Thursday afternoon and got extremely lost in taxis while searching for the exposition (per my directions and the extreme language barrier). After Jon's Korean escapades all over the city, I found one of my favorite people in the mundo passed out in the dark on my bed when I got home from work. It was then that I knew all was right with the world.

Jon and I had tons to discuss as we galloped out of the J-Castle (my apartment building...full name: "The House of the Lord") to feast on scrumptious Korean style nachos, burritos and quesadillas at Dos Tacos. We were like lost Chihuahua puppies trying to find any morsel that hinted at similarities to our comfortable Mexican surroundings. On Friday, Jon and I left The House of the Lord to pursue our livelihoods (mine: 6 months left and counting).

Friday night was the first night I had ever been to Outback Steakhouse in Korea! I had been craving one of their salads (and to balance it out, we had a "Bloomin' Onion") for the longest time. We met up with my co-workers Carly and Sue. It was a big night out to dinner and was topped off with watching season 5 episodes of The Office for Kindergarten graduation ceremonies followed bright and early on Saturday morning. To this day, I am so thankful for Jon's timely visit because I had my own personal photographer at graduation! I have included a video taken by Jon of my baby Armadillos. Please pay special attention to Sally Cho (the pee-er) and her lack of interest in our performance. I made the costumes myself and I plan to add it to my resume so employers flock to me upon my return.

After the ceremony and dance performances, we all went to lunch together and then Jon and I peeled out in a cab to get home and watch The Office with Jon's mimosa-like concoctions. I cannot get enough of the top American drama and I am so thankful that my visitor a) brought the show and b) shares the same enthusiasm...we quoted it almost all day, everyday... even as we went souvenir shopping and sightseeing at the Seoul Tower, the highest point in the city and a large tourist attraction. As we hustled to the top (via cable car of course), I reminded Jonathan of Ariel rushing with Flounder and the barrels of oil to crash the wedding before sunset. We were able to strategically place ourselves at the tower before sunset
and made it just in time for the spectacular view.

After the awesome weekend, Jonathan had to leave for Mexico and I had to resume my Korean life and return to being a kindergarten teacher.

'Six months.' Inhale... exhale.