New Things :)

I just wanted to leave a quick note to say it's lovely to see some more followers...but you really should be doing work instead of following me and my antics over here is South Korea! Where I do 16 hours of work a week, read copious amounts of books, eat, cook, sometimes clean, and watch Gilmore Girls and really bad teenage dramas :p

I promise to try harder, if it wasn't so damn cold outside I would go walking and take pictures, but Monty is practically hibernating so I feel I can too...

And just remember...

8 SLEEPS TIL CHRISTMAS :)

I Heart Postcrossing!

Late last week I went it to work to find these three postcards on my little portion of the desk:

Distance: 8065 km (5011 miles)

Travel Time: 11 days

From: Poland

Distance: 9076 km (5640miles)

Travel Time: 10 days

From: Italy

Distance: 8754km (5439miles)

Travel Time: 9 days

From: Germany

What's Postcrossing?

I won! I won!!!

OK, so I know I haven't posted in a while (and normally I post once a dayish...so I'm very sorry!)

Amazon sent me my books, I went shopping, I got all lesson planned out, and I'll stop with the excuses now! But I logged on tonight, and thought I'd just check into My Very Own Blogs of Note, only to discover that I WON SOMETHING!!! Isn't that wonderful? Little old me, winning something! If you want to see what I've won (and read a truely awesome blog) then head over to Erika Jean: A Self Titled Nonsense Blog.

I'm not keeping the prize, instead I'm sending it to a wonderful friend of mine who's been very kind to me recently (and over the last few years really) and I know she'll appreciate it greatly :)

WOW, what a good way to end my evening.

Now just to sort out the crack that's appearing in the wall...if I wait until morning I might not have an apartment though :s

xXx

Postcrossing Tuesday.

A few weeks ago I joined an online community that involves sending and receiving postcards. I love especially love getting post, and sending it from Korea can be fun - mainly because I haven't yet begun to understand what she's saying to me! But it's all fun, and the lady who sends them always smiles when I walk in the door :) So far I've sent 6 and today I recieved my 1st postcrossing card :)

It totally made my day :) So I thought I would share it with you too:

Distance Travelled: 8,767 km (5,448 miles)

Travel Time: 12 days

From: The Netherlands

Check out the cool map:

What's Postcrossing?

50 Things to be Thankful For: No. 3...

Lessons Learned on a Mountain...

Over the last couple of weeks I have been heading up the mountain that is very close to my house. I walk past the bookshop, the flowershop, down the alley, past the apartment building and the school, past the big western style houses and the orphanage and up.

Along road, along gravel, until finally I get to the rough dirt trail. And then I keep walking.

I walk and I walk. The 1st bit is always the hardest, but I know that if I stop now the rest of the hike will be hell. When I reach the top of the 1st bit I stop.

I take a deep breath and look. I look at the grass tombs, the farm below, the town and the crops. The other mountains close by and the trees. And my body relaxes. My whole body seems to breath. (for my previous blog on hiking and some pictures click here.)

And then I keep going. I walk along the path, past trees and workout areas and benches. Past lovely hiking couples and groups saying 'hello' as I go.

Up and down, round twists and turns, following this trail or that one. Knowing my goal and sticking to it.

I'm trying to find as many different routes as possible on this mountain. Looking for new look out points and hidden areas. New trails that have been walked for years, and some that have almost been forgotten.

And on my walks I think.

I ponder life. Dreams. Goals. Worries. Purchases. The beauty of the world. The wonder of walking and walking and never getting bored. The wonder of how I have begun to love walking. And sometimes, just occasionally I ponder nothing.

But I always learn a new lesson. Always.

So far I've learnt that walking up a mountain means I sleep well at night, especially when I go for my full 2 hours. I've learnt that going off the track means that I WILL get lost. But it also means I will find myself again. And along the way I will see some amazing things I never knew existed. I've learnt that if I leave the mountain for a few days it will be hard to do a big walk the 1st time back, and so I only walk for 40 minutes upwards to get to the pagoda and then sit and look out at the wonderful view. I've learnt that it's the things I never knew I would need so much are the things I use more and more. My fleece. My walking boots. My book bag. I've learnt that I need to tie my hiking boots just right or I will get blisters or they'll just feel wrong. I've learnt that if I'm going to explore I need to take some food and water, because all good explorers take supplies.

But most of all, I've learnt about myself.

I never knew I could walk for a couple of hours and still want to go for more. I never gave myself enough time to ponder the beauty of the world until I moved to Korea and walked those mountains. I've learnt that I CAN walk up that really steep hill and I WILL feel better for it in the end. I'm learning that I can do things alone, and I will be fine.

And I'm still learning. Every walk has become a journey not only up a mountain but deeper into me.

OK, I know that this post sounds a little gay - but it's true. I'm slowly learning all sorts of things about myself and I'm liking what I see. That I'm questioning. That I'm allowing myself the time to progress and think.

I even think that one day I'll walk up Mt. Fuji or along the Great Wall of China. I still have a long way to go, but I've learnt I can do it. If I put the effort in.

ps. I know I just gave you Wiki links - if you want more, feel free to check out other places :p

50 Things to be Thankful For: No. 2...

Impulse Shopping Gone Wrong

Hi, my name is Kathryn and I'm a shopololic!

OK, so I admitted it. That's the 1st step right?

Then it's all about seeking help.

Well I think I truely learnt my lesson yesterday while shopping in Pohang with Natasha.

The story....

I've wanted a DOG for a very long time, and was thinking of getting one while I was in Korea. But the more I've been here the more I'm torn. My apartment is the perfect size for just me. No one or nothing else. I would love to go running with the little beauty and cuddle and all that, but I know it's a big commitment. Adding to that the thought of taking her back to England and putting her through months of isolation and prodding and poking. Also, I'm not thinking of settling on one spot for too long, so the poor thing would either be left at home with my parents (who would love a dog, but they want more space) or have to come around with me to different countries and all that jazz. So I'd almost given up on an animal, apart from maybe a fish.

Natasha and I were in HomePlus in Pohang doing some home shopping when we popped over to see the animals (because you can't have a home store without animals right!?) We were looking, and Natasha planted a seed of longing for an animal - it was going to be a beta fish, but they didn't have any. The tortoise was too expensive and I don't have enough space in my apartment. The turtles were sooo cute, but they'd need a lot of investment. The odds were against me. I was going to give up.

And then we saw them.

The cutest little critters I've seen in a while.

White. Black. Yellow.

It was colourful. Beautiful.

They were so small and cute.

"Go on." Natasha said.

So, an even longer blog post story short, I decided to get one.

ONE!

"But they look so cute cuddling, and one'll get lonely!" Came the cute little Canadian voice that seemed so right.

So at 4,000 won each I got two, and all the bits that go with them. Happily we were on our way home.

We thought up names on the way home, and watched them snuggle in their new home.

Cute as can be.

HA!

Cute and cuddly that was until they settled.

And then, you ask....

And then they attacked each other (ok, more one attacked the other one repeatedly) until we separated them!

So this morning I had to travel all the way back to Pohang to get the naughty one a cage. So that I don't have a dead hamster and a bully. Because how could I live with that?

So, meet the newest member of my little Korean Family:

Luigi Macaroni Montgomery (or L.M.Montgomery or just Monty!)

Isn't he cute? OK, I'll try and get a better picture for you all soon :) And when the other one arrives I'll show you him too.

So, as you can see impulsive shopping doesn't always pay. But all in all I am very happy with my two little boys. They'll keep me company with their cute squeaks and fun in the ball!

BUT, and it is a BIG BUT (don't laugh :P) I will think thrice before impulsively purchasing next time.

My mother will be proud :)

A Truely Random Moment in Korea...

Today was game day in the hogwan. We played board games, jenga, and top trumps (LOVE!!!).

At the end of one of my classes on of the girls stormed out (everything was fine up until this point) went outside and then 2 minutes later came back upstairs.

She was fine again.

And just as suddenly as she smiled, she sat down in the middle of the floor, hugged herself and started crying like a little babay. This was nothing new the 1st couple of weeks of teaching. I made sure she was alright, while her friends made to leave (nice!) and she just sat there.

Crying. A cry that comes from deep within. It was a little scary. She's only little, but the noise was big.

After a few minutes I was still there, when my co teacher tells me "You have to put yourself in her shoes, she's the youngest in her family."

I almost fell over.

So, because she's the youngest in her family she can behave like this?

I wanted to scream "But I'm the youngest in my family. And if I behaved like this I would be slapped!" But I help my tongue.

I just don't get it sometimes. I swear!

Oh well, another day at the hogwan. And another week over! Isn't that insane! I've pretty much lost count of the weeks now! But I know I still have a fair few to go before I go home :) glad to have time to enjoy life!

50 Things to be Thankful For: No. 1...

So, I was going to tell you about my little trip up the mountain today were I got a little lost and almost panicked, before turning round and finding a more worn path and then the main path (note to self: don't stray from the path!).

But, when I got back into town and made my way towards my apartment, I spotted my boss. We had a little chat before he proclaimed that I had post.

That 4 letter word I love to hear! It brightens me up completely. Makes me want to run up and down the street proclaiming I am not alone.

I HAVE POST!

Someone remembered me!

This week has seen the arrival of postcards from Chris, 5 wonderful books from Amazon, a postcard from my parent's holiday earlier this month and now...

A letter, discs, chocolate and a candle.

I unwrapped it all and just sat there. That's right. I just sat there.

Smelling the candle.

Reading the letter.

Feeling the love that came with making the effort to post something to me.

And only 1 of the items was what I 'needed' (ok, so I don't actually need Neighbours discs, but they make me happy!).

But you'll be surprised to hear that it wasn't this that made me the happiest, and nor was it the chocolate.

It was the letter. A very short loving letter from my mum. Just a small note to say a few things. Nothing too special or different to what she might have written if she was leaving me a note at home.

Maybe that's why that's the most special part of the package! Maybe having a little bit of family and love around me in a very far away place made all the difference.

I think so!

And I've just remembered it's Thanksgiving today, so Happy Thanksgiving everyone :)

For the Love of Tea...

Just a small post to remind you all of the wonder of tea. Being British I love tea. I drink it when I wake up, with breakfast, at lunch, dinner, before bed, if I'm stressed, if I'm happy, if I'm excited or bleugh, if I'm gossiping or reading a book, scouring the internet or just because!

I love tea.

I think it might be my one true vice.

So when I moved to South Korea I knew there was little chance of getting my favourite English brand of tea at any cost. But thanks to my dearest mother I left the UK with a bag full of about 100 teabags.

Thankfully customs didn't take them away from me. Could you imagine the scene at Incheon Airport, the single white girl with blond hair and blue eyes spread eagle on the cold clean airport floor, crying, screaming, making such a fuss the only thing they can do is shoot her. Ok, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but you get the picture.

But I did ration myself. It took me a week to find milk, so I didn't have tea for a whole week. And then when I finally found some I only allowed myself one teabag a day. And I am most definitely not a teabag recycler.

A teabag is to be used only once to get the full effects of it's loveliness!

So, I tried and I tried not to use them too much, but slowly I got back into my old routine (well, by far not as much!) and I was drinking about 3 cups a day. Especially after getting in from the gym or to calm my nerves before The Monster's class on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

Imagine my delight when on Saturday, while in Pohang, I stubble across this...

OK, so it's not my favourite, but 7 weeks in I can't be complaining about anything. And it is TESCO Finest! And dang it tastes sooo good. I'm trying to replace my normal favourite tea with this and only use them in emergencies.

Oh, how I love tea!

I should have bought a few boxes, I'm sure I'm almost 1/4 way through this one - and it's only been 4 days :s

Love....

ps please note that I couldn't even wait to take a picture before I opened it up!!! That's desperation! And if anyone suggests I give up tea for lent I might cry! In Korea I've given up so much yummy home made food I just need one comfort, something of normalcy in a very random South Korea :)

Last Week's Fun and Frollicks...

So, I promised last night to get you all up to speed. And if you're still alive after reading the epic post then well done, and I promise to make tonight's a quick one.

I really love how truely random living in Korea is! I've shed my super organised life (I laughed when I said organised - if you did too, you know me well. BUT...when it came to knowing when I had to be somewhere and what I needed to do that day I was spot on!) and do things as I do them. This frees me up for meeting up with friends at the last minute and just enjoying life! Whooop!

After semi decorating my apartment (I know I'm early, but I just couldn't wait!) on Sunday night I collapsed into bed to catch up on some long needed sleep. I wasn't sleeping very well the week before Busan, but the weekend really sorted that out for me :)

Monday saw catching up with a couple of friends, and telling them about the weekend, lesson planning, which partially involved making a scrabble board out of the vocabulary words one of my class was using!

I even drew all the pictures from the book myself! I was quite pleased with my effort, and the kids loved it :D

Then as I settled down with my home made stew on Tuesdat night I got a phone call inviting my out to Beer Bank (the one and only place to drink in Yeonghae) so I put everything away and went along to meet two lovely Korean teachers and one of the Canadians. I was 'encouraged' to try Hite and Soju bombs, which were definitely not as bad as I thought they'd be. I actually think putting them together might have improved their flavour!! And maybe improved my singing (?) as we went to the Noribang for some karaoke! It was funny, and the lads definitely got into it! As you can see from Terry's expression!

After that it was home to bed. But not before putting up a bookshelf (I promise I'll start uploading pictures of my apartment soon!!)

Thursday saw one of the American's birthdays, so off to Beer Bank we went, where we met his mum (she was lovely!) and partook in singing and eating Oreo birthday cake! And I didn't heave at the taste of the Orea, in fact I almost liked it! Hehehe...I hope you like the action shot of the blowing out of the candles!

Friday was uneventful for most of the day, until the American couple's house failed. They had no heat and no gas (both are needed in Korea at this time of year!) so after class a few of us huddled waiting for the repairman with cups of tea and hot chocolate made in the microwave! They were pretty tasty! After everything had been restored we went to dinner and then Beer Bank to chat away the night.

As a little side note, I've found learning about the American and Canadian culture as interesting as learning about Korean culture! I'll try and remember to write something about it one day :D

Love you all xx

A small catch up in the world of catching up...

So, I have a lot to tell you all I think. There's Busan last weekend, Pohang this weekend, the bit in between, my kids, my new package, my running, umm...so where would you like me to start? I surely can't tell you about all that in one post, you'd die of lack of food and water if you didn't move, and you might miss something good :p

I was thinking of going all the way back to last weekend, but then I thought that you'd miss this weekend, or even today, but then I really want to write about last weekend before I forget. So which would you like?

Last weekend it is then.

Last weekend I went along to Busan with a couple of Canadians, one of whom was running in the Busan marathon - OK slight lie, she ran the 10k with someone else in the group and then 2 others in the group ran the 1/2! We trekked down there, sitting on buses, enjoying the views as we passed them, chatting about their impending month long holiday to the Philippines (so jealous!!)and what they're planning to do while they're there. I can't wait for winter vacation! Only 2 month away!

Anyway, we got to the bus station, disembarked and got on the subway. An easy feat you might hope, except I made a complete fool of myself by trying to do something with the ticket gate and holding a whole bunch of people up, and made people laugh! Silly English girl, silly blondie! Aaaw! But we got on the subway - so much bigger and cleaner than the Underground in London. We sat there for almost an hour, changing a couple of times, but we got to the stop we needed (I found a cash machine that I could actually use my UK card in, yay!) and we walked to the hostel.

Now, when I say hostel, what do you think of? A small, probably slightly run down sort of a place. The beds are 'clean', the room 'fresh', etc? That's what I thought, because most of my hostel experiences have been roughly that. This place was HUGE!!! Gigantic even, and the room was really nice :) there were 11 of us staying in total, and there was room for a couple more if we wanted.

When a couple of others arrived we took a walk to the beach, Haeundea Beach (there was a film made about it once, look it up!) which was good. There were slide rides, an Hawaiian man in a thong, Korean 'sunbathing' and all sorts.

Then at Burger King (because there are only a few times I'm going to be able to eat Western food while I'm here - big cities.) I showed how British I was by getting confused by lever pushing for straw dispensing. OK, so maybe more blond than British, but you get my point. I don't think I've ever been somewhere where I have to push a lever to get a straw! Have you?

Then we wondered round before dinner at TGIs and the we all went to the cinema to watch 2012. IT was so bad it was funny. I wish they would make an end of the world film where the world actually ends. Then I might not laugh. Then I might be caught out! Go on, I dare you!

We got back to the hostel late and then tried to settle down for the night. We all had to be up early to get to the race, which started at 9. So we attempted to go to sleep while a bunch of Korean's were partying down the hall. For a quiet and conservative bunch, the Korean's know how to party, and party hard! At about 2:30am we'd had enough and so one of the guys went out and shouted so loud and scarily that they left. All I can say is sorry and thank goodness!

Waking up at 6:30am after a major lack of sleep wasn't anyone's idea of fun, but we did it. No one spoke, zombies roamed the halls between the dorm and the bathrooms. Until it was time to leave. Then rush and panic ensued.

At the race a couple of us looked after the bags while the runners got ready and then started the race. It was bitterly cold, but the atmosphere was warm and bubbly. I think I fell in love with competition meets. I only wish I'd run is all. Joining in would have been awesome! Instead we valiantly cheered while the runners ran, and jumped for joy when everyone had finished their race! All of them beating previous times and the times they wanted.

On the way home a nice Korean guy helped up to the subway terminal and then we were on our way to Pohang (where we change to get back home). We stopped off in HomeMart for some well needed house supplies and Christmas stuff. I was a little overwhelmed by all the stuff - it seems that being away from CMK for only a short while has almost quashed my shopping habit. But fear not trusty reader. I bought some nice things for the house and all are being used so I don't feel one iota of guilt :D So neeeer :p

Getting it all back to mine was a mission thought, and I had to ask a nice Korean gentleman to help me with the bookcases to the taxi. After the taxi driver helped me back at mine, I thought it only right to tip him, and that made him smile :) Everyone was happy!

I was glad to be home, in my own apartment, safe and sound. After a long but very good weekend!

Isn't it funny how at home I feel? I mean 6 weeks ago I looked around and wanted to cry and get on the 1st plane home. So, looks can be deceiving, I'm happy and smitten in my own little apartment, with my new stuff and friends to bring the place to life!

So, I hope you've made it this far. But aren't you glad I didn't tell you everything all at once?

I am nice to you, I promise!

A first in a long time...

I'm sorry I've been so long in posting this, but I'm here now. It's not going to be a long on - I'll post all about school, Busan and other things at some point - maybe the weekend!

But this post is a quick post to say, today I received my 1st pay check! Nothing new you might shout at this - but it's the first time in a long time that I have really enjoyed working hard to get it. If I didn't need to pay for food and save some cash I would say I'd be pretty happy working for free! It feels like I'm just volunteering most of the time anyway!

But I thought I'd just announce that to all of you :)

xx

Can you believe it?

Can you believe that I have been living in this little apartment for a month now? Or that I have been teaching for nearly 4 weeks? Or that I have settled into a life of a nonwatch wearing, reading for hours on end, enjoying the occasional walk up a mountain, jogging kind of a girl? A girl that replies to emails in long and detailed paragraphs, maybe even on the same day she is emailed?

No?

Nor could I, if that wasn't me! So I don't blame you!

Today is my 1 month anniversary of living in South Korea, and because of this I thought it only right to tell you what I love about being here, and a few of the things I miss about home...so enjoy:

I love:

• The randomness of Korea - from gifts to baseball nets at services, watching two people play catch in a fill up station to luxury buses!
• The friendliness of most people!
• The variety of food, and especially Gimbap (sushi).
• The dark, quiet nights. Feeling cosy in my little apartment, reading or writing.
• Learning Korean, and making up silly memories to associate to each word!
• The fact that I'm never more than 5 minutes from the country side.
• That the beach is a 40 minute walk, along padifields and a river.
• That when I walk up the mountain I can see Yeonghae and beyond.
• That when I get to the top of the mountain, take my shoes off and look out, I can see the seaside, the fishing villages and more mountains.
• The time I seem to have gained. Lazy mornings, relaxed evenings.
• Meeting new people who are different but we all share the fact that we're in South Korea and generally like travelling.
• Teaching the children (most of the time) and finding new challenges and games to keep them interesting. Also, I love trying to find how each class dynamic works and how I can help them to learn even more and enjoy it more!

I miss:

• My mum (I know, but I miss chatting to her all the time, and the luxury of just ringing her and telling her some exciting news or just to talk!)
• My friends - but thankfully Facebook and email is a great way to stay in touch
• An oven - we take it for granted, but if is so useful! I could bake, or cook, or stick my head in it when I was bored!
• Shopping - not too much, but a little bit. In Yeonghae there are restaurants, supermarkets and schools...no lie! i think there may be two places to buy cool things, and even then not things like shoes or postcards, or cards :(
• The run up to Christmas...I know I'm a Scrooge - and very year I complain about the run up to Christmas, but I think I've been converted and I am missing not being able to decorate my house, and make it all warm and cozy!
• Hugs!

I know I love more, and miss more too, but a month on and these are all the things that I miss the most - some of the things I could never have dreamed of loving or missing, and others I thought I would miss, but they seem to have disappeared. I know that soon it'll be December and the time when families come together to celebrate (whatever it is we're meant to be calling Christmas these days!!) and that's when I'll probably miss everything a whole lot more! But until then, lets enjoy this moment!

xx

HAPPY PEPPERO DAY!!

Today, the 11th of November is Peppero day in South Korea. While the English are remembering WWII and sparing a minute of their morning and for some a tear or two, South Korea children hand out peppero! We call them Milkado in England, and I love them!

So, us British always complain that there are too many special days made up by companies to make us spend money - some of us even refuse to get involved - others embrace the day whole heartedly and others still embrace it with something between embarrassment and loathing! Korean's on the other hand seem to embrace this holiday (invented by Lotte for the making of money) so much so, that I ended up with handfuls of boxes of Peppero from my students, and a bow of chocolates from my boss. The picture I took above isn't even of all of them, I shared some out with my students!

When I left hogwan a minute ago, there were three students sat on the floor making some sort of Peppero montage, laughing and arguing how they should do it. On of the girls had even taped up her boxes into the shape of a heart! It's so cute.

I'm all chocolated out now, and I need some real food...gibap here I come :)

My humble abode.

As the wind whips everything outside of my little four walls, I thought tonight might be the night I tell you about what's inside. I've talked about a few things on the outside, but nothing on the inside as of yet. But first I must tell you of the monster class...remember them?

Today was debate day - I asked them to listen to a question and then decide if they agreed or disagreed, and to think of just one reason why. Not a mean feat you might think, but this class of mine have struggled with even their names before (and they speak pretty good English, even if they aren't confident with it!) So last week I changed their desk layout around - hoping for a new mindset and a more inclusive atmosphere. It worked last week, but before every lesson I have my doubts as to it working again. But so far so good. So, the tables laid out in a horseshoe, Agree - Disagree on the board, and a couple of handy starter sentences for each student. I explain, in simple terms, and wait for the look of confusion. It comes...but to as much as in previous weeks.

I start with a question. They almost grasp it - giving me two or three reasons why homework is bad. We talk about school, TV, friends, girlfriends, then more TV...Samsung vs. LG...that got them talking - they were alive with debate - and almost all of it in English! It was stunning! And then a few more questions and they were all joining in and laughing and TALKING mainly in ENGLISH!!! My heart swelled with pride for them - and I tried, yet again, to explain that when I'm their teacher making mistakes is ok, as long as they are trying to speak English. I think I love the little guys!

In other school news, I think one of my lads in my middle class might have left. It really makes me sad because he might have been one of my favourites (I know we're not meant to have favs!) but he was so good at English and he was a rebel, and always made me laugh! I'll be so sad if it' s true :(

OK, so maybe I should write about my school...hahaha, I've started on the house thing now, the school thing can wait! Just giving you a little glimpse into some more of my world!

So, my apartment. Where I am sat at the moment I is a rectangle room, of a nice size. I have a 3/4 bed in the corner, with a hanging rail at the end and a bedside table next to the bed. This consists of my sleeping area - quite small, but perfectly formed. To split my sleepign area from my living area I have a 3 seater sofa (which I am sat on at the moment). In front of me I have two tables, one with my teaching bits, and where my laptop lives, flush against the wall, and the other one has the TV and some storage space. This is flush against the other wall. I hope you're getting a picture! Next to the TV is a door, and then on my right under the window is an armchair. Through the door is the rest of the house. So immediately on my right I have my entrance area, with a HUGE cupboard for shoes - it's amazing, and I might never want to change that again!! On my left is my nice big bathroom. It's more of a wet room, so I don't have a separate cubicle for showering - making it a nice big shower :) and if I were to carry on from the hall and go straight I have my kitchen. I would say that my kitch is the same size as my parents (for those of you who know how big that is) but it seems much bigger. I have a huge sink - again I LOVE this! And the usuals.

I bought an electric kettle and it's made all the difference - I just need to buy a couple of other things now too, and then I'll be much happier!

The décor is a white with pink swirly flowers (small enough to look like inch wide dots) with silvery, squiggly stems linking the together. The sofas are a terracotta colour and the throws are a dark pinky purple. Most of my house is pinky purple!

I'm not going to post pictures just yet, as I want to sort it all out so it looks beautiful and just how I want it! Basically I've been nesting and making it my own, but there is still some way to go :) but when I'm there, or there abouts I'll start posting some pictures for you! But in the mean time I'll leave you with a picture of a little bit of wall paper...imagine this (it's a little more pink!!) all over your walls and ceiling!!! Enjoy :)

My fight with a mosquito...

Last night, just when I was settling down in a nice, comfortable position in bed, I heard it. The clear 'buzz buzz buzz' of my arch enemy, the Mosquito. It was close. I contemplated simply closing my eyes and being done with it - but then I remembered how tasty I am to those retched things. I think I'm their heroin. They just can't leave me alone! I turn on my light, to find nothing. Silence. And then...I spot it, less than a metre away, silently perched on my bed head. I go to squish it - for it's the right thing to do with mossies! It flies away, too slow. Then I try again, and then a third time. Each with less success. This means war! There is no way I was going to let a small destructive insect ruin my nights sleep. I put on the mosquito repeller, almost knowing that it's too late for that. I hear nothing for a while, so I turn off my light. Just as I've settled down once more, I hear it. And then 'dam' it flies into my head. I swipe for it, but miss - all goes silent. 'I've got it' I think. Phew, I settle down again, but no, there it is again. Blasted thing. This went on for a while. Until I remembered I had bug spray in my kitchen. I whole can of it - and even if it meant killing myself with the poisonous fumes, I would do it!

I sprayed the whole of the bedroom/living room, and then lay very still until the bug can close. It took a while because the light was still on - but I was a woman with a mission. And when it came near - shhhhhhhhhhhhhtt I sprayed it like my life depended on it - which it almost certainly did! And then it just disappeared. Seriously! No writhing around trying to get the stuff off itself, no painful buzz, no nothing. I was almost disappointed. But I waited, just to make sure, and sure enough there was nothing but the sound of a bit of dripping water, far off in the distance.

I snuggled up and felt asleep soundly, all thanks to the orange flavoured bug juice!! I have paid homage to it below, as only a life saver sound be....

Enjoy your day and remember to stay say, from dangerous animals like the mosquito!

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside!

Outside is cold and rainy, and I can hear the heavy drops of collected rain dripping onto some plastic bottles while the rain beats the corrugated plastic roof of my awning. The air smells fresh, in only the way rain can smell, and although it's not hot, the cool breeze filtering through my open kitchen window seems like heaven. I think of home for a moment. Rain would never stop up from doing anything, but today I plan to stay in the house and enjoy being rained in!

At home, right now, with this amount of rain, the water would be collecting around the front of the house, creating a little reservoir that is nigh on impossible to pass without getting soaking feet. It's funny what you miss when you're about 5700 miles (9200km) away from home. But it's a good feeling, like my rare cups of tea.

Instead of reminiscing of days gone by in rainy England, I thought that I would take you through a sunny day in South Korea, so here goes:

Yesterday (Saturday, 7th November) Natasha and I decided to go to Daejin Beach in Yeonghae, so we got some Gimbop, water and our cameras and started along the road towards the beach. It was a really nice stroll, the weather was warm, but not too hot, the views were a little hazy, mystifying the surrounding mountains and the area was quiet apart from the two white foreigners chatting and the occasional passing car. The view above is of the river on the way to the beach, with the mountains behind.

We made it to the beach in just over 30 minutes, and when we got there it was so quiet. The only things around us were the sand, the sea, some oujima's and the seagulls. This is Natasha walking onto the beach. Check out her amazing camera :)

The picture on the left doesn't do the beach justice - it is so blue, with the little fishing towns far in the distance, and then mountains after mountains after mountains behind them. The sand is the slightly glassy kind, that's abrasive but in a very soft way, so walking around barefoot meant my feet felt so smooth last night and this morning. See...look at the beautiful sand...

Once we sat down, I opened up the gimbop (sushi) - I picked up the tuna

variety, it tastes sooo good! And I thought I'd share with you the joy of the gimbop! It starts with the layer of seaweed and then rice, then mint leaves, followed by a splodge of tuna, some pickle, crab, omlette, and a couple of other things, rolled together and cut into slices...mmm!

See, it's Natasha's favourite too! We sat for a while, and then played about in the sand (ok I played and build a sand castle while Natasha took pictures!) and then sat about some more. When it started getting a little cold at 5pm we decided to walk back to Yeonghae to meet up with the guys for some pizza. But not before we saw the unthinkable...

KOREANS ON THE BEACH OUTSIDE OF BEACH SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!! Shocking, but so cute! They had a few kids with them and they were just taking pictures and chasing after them. It was so lovely to watch.

And just because I think it's only fair to remind you of what I did on a delightful November day, check out my local beach one last time....

Love you guys and I hope you're all well! Keep in touch by leaving a comment, writing to me, or emailing me! I love letters and stickers and hearing about all the things you're up to!

Love, Me x

The joy of Shabu Shabu and friends!

Last night was the night for celebrating Keba's birthday, so we decided to go out in Yeongdeok. And the only thing better than Lotteria (the 'fast food' place) is Shabu Shabu, and we all heart Shabu Shabu!So, in the picture above, you have the hot broth on the left, and the fish broth on the right. We add a whole load of veg and then dip chicken bits into it, let them cook for about 5 or 10 seconds and then eat them. It's such a good, wholehearted sharing experience. Add to this shrieks of laughter, good humour, general chatting and some noodles, and you get an evening of fun and frollicks at in small town Yeongdeok. There was Jay and his need to put all the chicken in at once, Natasha and her choking from laughing too much, noodle burning, and general laughter, Keba just sitting taking it all in, poor thing! And me, laughing so much I hurt. Oh and whistling accidently because of the hot broth.

Back at Natasha and Rob's, there was a whole gallon of chocolate icecream on offer, that we all just dipped into, then chatting and laughing more, a small chocolate icecream related spitting from laughter incident (not me!) and then Team America, before Jay and I traipsed back to Yeonghae for sleep!

Good times :D

The Sun Only Shines on Market Day!

Well, what can I say? I have complained about the bad weather and suddenly it's sunny and a little bit warm today. I feel like I'm in England in Summer, one minute warm, the next freezing cold. The only difference is there's very little rain! Yay!

I have no curtains in my house. This doesn't seem unusual - and so when I woke up today to the sun beaming through my window I thought "It can't be true, it's 9am and the sun is shining, but it's officially winter. I'm wearing my ski jacket and hat out, just in case!" Well we all know what that means right...it was hotter than I thought. My ski jacket was unzipped and I was glad to get to the gym to take off my extra layers. That'll teach me!

My point is - it's market day. The day when Yeonghae turns from the sleepy little town it is into this packed, bustling, rowdy town. This happens every 5 days. There is no parking to be found, no peace or quiet, no point leaving your house unless you either want an octopus bargain or one of the many varieties of Kimchi. Today, I desire neither! So, back home I plodded where I plan to read journals, books, and maybe watch a bit more of my movie.

Today's classes involve reading about Harry the Hair and playing a game, maybe tic tac toe esl style. And then my disaster class, where I plan to teach them the joys of 20 questions, fingers crossed and lollipop brides are the way forward!

A little disclaimer: You can buy more than just octopus and kimchi at the market, like shoes and clothes and squid (dried and live), dogs, cats, rabbits, hedgehogs, coat hangers (ok, so you're getting the picture :D) I'll try and get down there one day and take loads of pictures for everyone! Oh! And the picture in this blog is in Seoul, not Yeonghae, but I think that almost every blog should have at least one picture, just to make it pretty :)

Something I noticed on the way back from the gym today: The Korean's love their road signs, and as I was walking back home (about a 5 minute walk) I looked up at the sign, which told me to turn right to go to Yeonghae. My point is this: I was already in Yeonghae, silly sign!!!

My mind, one big bubble!

You read right! Today my mind is one big bubble, I got up late (no time for the gym), felt dizzy and sick. How bizarre! Ate a banana. Had a shower. Still feeling a bit dizzy and sick. Strange I think to my self. But I plod on. I log onto my computer. Shower. Make myself human. Make a cup of tea. Exciting blog for you all :p try and research some exciting topics for my kids. If they do well today they get a kind of games day on Friday (ultimate treat!!) No joy prevails. This is my most exciting part of my teaching day. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but this is the part of the day where I get to think of the perfect lesson plans that provide just the right amount of fun and learning. But we all know my lessons are perfect anyway :p I wouldn't change them, apart from using more speaking in the classroom. Lunch with Denice. Good! Chicken tenders and coke. Then school to see where she works. Such a cute office and so neat! Come up with topic ideas and then come home. Still feel bleeeugh. Can't wait to go to bed tonight. No partying for me! Have a nice Wednesday - and remember you're almost at the half way mark to the weekend!

ps...you think you're cold, this is me in my wee little house, sporting a woolly hat:

And suddenly the tide changed!

I know I haven't really told you about my school or classes or anything, mainly because I'm still figuring them out But these last two weeks have been a nightmare for me in regards to one class. They are rude, cocky, annoying teenagers who don't want to be in the class. On Thursday, after class I decided that it wasn't necessarily my fault that they didn't want to learn English, but as I'm here I'm going to try my best to make it fun for them. Queue me sitting in front of my laptop searching the internet for answers (I've come to understand that the Internet is where I now learn most things!) I stubble across a game on an ESL website telling that if I try this I will most definitely succeed....hahaha I laugh out loud at the statement, thinking I have to try this just to prove them wrong.

What can I say? It worked. I wasn't even sure the kids knew any English, or how to speak for that matter...but I realised that they can, and they were awesome. I just need to keep this up, oh no! Now comes the fun part of searching for more answers! I love my kids...and bribing them with Candy :D but man it tastes good :D

It's official...winter has arrived...

Well, I woke up this morning, turned over and promptly felt grumpy. Not just because it was a morning, and a Monday morning at that. I seemed to feel something in the air! After not sleeping very well and then having to wrap myself in my duvet when I woke up, I just knew something was a miss. What was it you ask...well my friends I just experienced my first day of winter. And it's not even winter yet! It's only going to get colder :( Denice came over so we could get the bus to Yeongdeok for lunch, and she warned me to put on something warm - now generally this means wear a jumper or a scarf, not really wear your ski jacket and gloves and maybe a hat that covers your ears because it's link a wind tunnel out there. I froze! Actually froze. Even my school kids were cold. They were cowering round the space heater in the Hogwan doing their homework. How cute! Poor things. And then most of them sat in their little puffer jackets during class! Seriously, it's cold! And as I said, it's only going to get colder.

On a more positive note, this means that the possibility of going skiing is increasing, and with a ski resort only about 2 hours away from Yeongdeok I can ski on weekends! Oooh, so excited by that prospect :) And I also get to feel fine about sitting in my little cosy house watching tv and reading interesting yet irrelevant things on line and just reading in general. Oh, if only I had a log fire burning away in the corner :P

Well, that's all for the moment, posts to come include information about the hogwan, the kids, the little town, bus rides, friends, maybe Costco, TOPIK and things I miss from the West! It's 3 been 3 weeks now without so many things and people, find out what I'm missing and what I'm loving being without :)

Have a good Monday all x

I love it when something truely unexpected happens!

Well I'm just sat here minding my own business (which means flitting between my Korean lesson and looking on the Internet). I'm also listening to Dev on Radio 1, who I've started listening to before I go to work - which starts at 4pm today :D And I decided to email in for his little feature on people living in different parts of the world listening in. I totally didn't think I would hear my name!

OK so I know this is sad...but it just brightened up my day and then 'You're not alone' by Tinchy Stryder came on. Today is going to be a good day!

Laters taters! x

Thoughts of a lone thinker.

Yesterday was a bit of a bum day. I found myself sulking for no reason, maybe even pouting a little bit. I know, I know, I'm juts being silly. But sometimes 'just being silly' is just what the doctor ordered I've decided. I have come to decide that I'm in a very small place in the world, slightly isolated from these wonderful Korean people, who chat to me as I walk past, but all I know is 'Hello', 'Thank you', 'Goodbye', and a few other phrases. Ask me a question and I panic! Tell me something and I cringe. I can't go around not understanding these people for as long as I'm here right? So last night I decide to visit livemocha, a website designed to help people learn different languages. I sit there, listening, watching, writing, thinking...I should be able to get this, come on, come on. If only there was a language school nearby that I could go to and learn the wonders of the Korean language. By no, where I live, in the middle of nowhere, there is no need for a big language school or even class to be set up. I know it'll take time, but I plan to learn it - I need to learn it. I feel a bit of a deep underlying need to understand and be understood.

I really can't complain! I've been here 2 weeks now, and I can read Hangeul (the Korean alphabet) for the most part. I have picked up words here and there. I just need more. I think that's why I was feeling all sulky last night. I think that's why I sit at home of an evening, not knowing what to do (thank God for Grey's).

I feel a need to clean. Is this normal? It's like I'm nesting. Waiting. And then I remember that this week a box should arrive. A box full of joy. This sounds silly, but it's true. Since I've been here, I've been living on clothes, a small stash of chocolate, my laptop and one or two other luxuries. I'm in need of my teddy, my books, DVDs, clothes and whatever else is in that box. Well, I don't need them, but it'd be so nice to have them.

Anyway, this is a pointless blog entry, but sometimes these are ok, right!?

Love, Kat x

School is a wonderful thing...

...and somewhat strange. I find it hard to believe that life is fair when my favourite class gets cancelled, when I would have enjoyed having the class before off - for no other reason but I actually don't like that class. I think that maybe they pick up on my frustration when I teach, or maybe they are just typical teenagers who see no need in learning English. If they're anything like me they'll do the lessons (ok so maybe I enjoyed languages) but won't take much in, or forget what they learn, and don't see much point in learning.

So, my point is that my job at Junchul Hogwan is to teach and encourage speaking English. Since I started, just over a week ago, they've been bored and uninterested - I was told they were amazing and the best of the students! Instead of enjoying laughing and enjoying playing games, they sit there sulking. At the end of class I ask them what they want to do, so that I don't spend my time thinking of new games and ideas to make learning fun. Do you know what they said? And I quote "Study, study." I said, "What tests and learning, with books?", "Yes teacher, this book, we want study". Well, I'm pretty happy to let them read a book and study it, no games. No games. Did I mention: No games? I was speechless...

Anyway, good night!

Love, Kat x

Walking, running, sightseeing and chatting...

So yesterday Denice and I trekked up to the top of a small mountain that we're going to start walking up and trekking down everyday from now on. I really enjoyed myself and enjoyed hearing all sorts of stories from Denice. I'm not even sure how long it took to get up there but the views were amazing. The picture on the left is the beginning of the trail. As you can see it's uphill (duuur!) but this isn't the steepest bit.

We take the trail at a medium pace. We knew that if we took it too slowly we wouldn't be looking forward to our morning walks when it got harder. Along the way I grabbed a few snapshots of what we can see from the trail.

So, for you to either enjoy or envy or hate...here you go:

Once we got to a pretty high point we saw a work out area - probably better than most indoor gyms I've ever been to, you can see those pictures of facebook, or let me know and I'll post them on here! The picture above is of two hula-hoops suspended by a branch. These are always here and people actually use them. The big black one is HUGE, and on the way down we saw a lady using it. Not if I could hula I would love that thing! Apparently it gives you bruises! Think I'll give that a miss!

A bit further up and a view between the trees shows the difference between Yeonghae and the fields. It's crazy to think that Yeonghae is such a cluttered place, with building everywhere and not enough room to swing a fat cat, but if you walk 5 or 10 minutes down the road you're in quiet countryside, and the views are fantastic!

So we make it to the top, a little out of breath, hot and slightly sweaty, but when we sit down and look out at the views, I know it was totally worth the walk! I am slightly speechless - and not just because we trekked up a really steep bit! It was the 1st time I've seen the sea in Yeonghae and it's making me itch to pop to the beach, in time I know I will :)

A bit more of the view from the top! It's awesome.

So, this morning Denice and I woke up early and met at our point of meeting at 6:30am, ready for a hike and jog. Fast paced music and a few minutes later we're at the bottom of the mountain, hyped up for a good walk. The sun is up and there's a breeze. Arms swinging, saying hello to all the people walking up and down the mountain, we work our way up. It was so refreshing! We got much further than either of us thought we'd get, had a minute break before jogging back down. It was so invigorating. Denice said "You never regret getting up for a walk." And I truely believe that. Granted I went back to bed for a couple of hours when I got home, but that won't stop me from going tomorrow!!!

Here starts my 30 day hiking challenge! I'm going to try and hike everyday for the next 30 days and see how I feel. It's getting colder and soon it'll be getting darker in the mornings, so this is a proper challenge :) bring it on. Some mornings I'll try and take my camera, especially when we make it back up to the top, so you can all see the amazing views from the top!

Right, last lesson planning bits to prepare so I'd better go.

Love Kat xx