I am a lucky girl.

I love my work.

I love my students, and the paperwork,

the planning, the games.

Man! I love the work that I do!

Today is my Chuseok. What makes YOU thankful?

I am thankful for my new pants!

Yes that--among the obvious ones--is what I am thankful for today.

yes maam n' sir, it is. I can't buy pants in Korea--I haven't in two years--because I just have a different shape than the women who populate this place. So when my friend in the military and I got together and ordered a bunch of stuff from Victoria secret, I was able to buy THREE new pairs of pants. Lately, I've only been able to wear skirts & dresses--and theres not anything wrong with that--except my legs get cold--but it sure does feel nice to wear a crisp pair of well-made pants!

Tom is tracing his hand. He and Jack chose to do that--the other kids got their hand painted and printed it on a piece of paper.

Tom just won 2nd place in the school English speech contest. His speech was about, "How to become popular." and it was thoughtful & well delivered. His was my favorite.

He's a 3rd grader, so this is a big deal.

The boy who won 1st--Taylor, a 5th grade boy--was so excited that when he finished his speech, he gave a fist-pump, and we got another when he found out he got 1st place. He looked around and pointed like, "Yeah I did!" it was funny.

I asked them to write what they were thankful for. Tom is thankful for his parents; Cedrick is thankful for his cellphone. Jenny likes her friends, and charlotte was thankful for her new pants--because she didn't understand the assignment and she just copied my paper.

These WILL become turkeys, but they were all too anxious to get their pictures taken, so here they are.

the adorable Allie.

KIMCHI!

Dinner with the Coworkers

English and Korean names: 김경희 Kim Kyeonghee, 백합 Susan (Me), 박소현 Park Sohyun

After attending Naeyoung Elementary's open class, we had an early dinner together of 딹갈비Ttak Galbi. ooh, my spelling is getting better. They always try to teach me Korean, but I'm bad at doing my homework.

Lately I've been taking joy in the simple things I come by in life.

Like dinner with friends; a night of pizza and Wii; a good beer; or a decent run. I love when I have a whole day filled with successful class sessions. I'm trying my best to smile and notice things, and not take my life too seriously. When I look at my priorities in the classroom, I realize what I want for my students is that they remember elentary school English as soooo much fun! and have a base knowledge that turns to a desire to know more, to be capable of communication.

Today, I was THRILLED to find out that the security guy in front of my school speaks fluent Spanish, and studied in Spain for a while. Although My Korean stinks, and his English is just okay, we can talk together in Spanish quite well. After lunch, our conversation nearly made me late for 5th period! ooops.

My First ascent, descent, ascent, and descent...etc of Surak Mountain

Theres nothing better in Korea that hiking in the Fall. the air is cool, and the sun is high in the sky. The leaves are all sorts of colors, and with good company or solo, you're bound to have a joyous day on the the peaks.

I joined up with the S.unday H.ikers I.nto Trekking Y.et again group; my Favorite group of snooty hikers. This was my first ascent of Surak Mountain, and wow, we sure took the tumultuous route. Of course, from our hike leader, Mamma Mia, I would expect nothing less.

most people were out hiking Seorak mountain (famous for its jagged peaks) so we got to enjoy the company of a smaller number. here we are at our first peak pic point!

I LOVED this! We got to a cliff face and was a line and two massive heavy ropes. what is that chant?

"Can't go under it..."

"Can't go around it...."

"Gotta go over it!"

And that's just what we did.

In front of me, Lindsay was nervous. Well, we were in any case walking up a cliff.

I looked up when we were halfway, hollered joyously, and Lindsay looked toward the rock, panting. "oh Susan! please don't do that!"

Whew! I made it. now for a sip of water, and waiting for everybody else.

It was a bit tricky in some spots

Lovely Suraksan looking out over the city suburbs

We walked up up over, up, down a set of stairs, up a few massive boulders, around a cliff face, and down a sandy rock path. the weather was perfect. people were smiling and helpful

(too helpful sometimes, I think--I like to climb up rocks on my own!)

our group at the top

HALLOWEEN 2010

Hey kids, heres a few highlights of this year's Seoulful Halloween Festivities. I was sick for the second year in a row, but was determined NOT to let it keep me from the fun.

From W~F School Halloween parties, handing out candy to my students, then weekend adult fun, We kept it real, and had a good time.

I'm hanging out with the Man-woman I call Kimmy. It's really just Matt.

As Kids of the 80's, we were both super-psyched to meet a few Ninja turtles at Roofers.
Schoolday shenanegins. I have great coworkers. no one else in the whole school dressed up, but in the English classroom, we went all-out.

Will MADE that head. yay Jack.

Jack-o-lantern class with 4th grade. EXCELLENT!

Ho Chi Minh City--retrospecticus (& pics)

Ho Chi Minh, our first stop in Vietnam!

We were hit heavily with the Viet Cong war education and artifacts of American War Crimes in just two short days. By day three, although the sandwiches were AMAZING, we were anxious to leave. I wrote about it while traveling, feel free to scroll down and read more about it. Overall, I liked Saigon--the "Paris of the East" a lot more than the Northern city of Ha noi, but I will get to that later. Nina and I were still getting to know how the other traveled and little personal quirks, and all in all, I think we did really well together. Like I said, here in HCM, we did a lot of walking and historical sight-seeing, something that would become less and less as the trip went on. We visited the CU-CHI tunnels--built and made famous by the VietCong and stretch across the country and into Cambodia--we saw war museums and learned a little more about Agent Orange after-effects. We ate sanswiches and walked and walked...and walked.

Bridge on the lake at Hoan Kiem

Click the picture to see the whole thing

I sat for two hours sketching this on my last day in Hanoi. It was the most zen experience of my entire trip, and the beginning to a very weird and stressful day. Someone tried to snatch my bag in the park, but I put it in my lap when I realized I was being stalked. Nina and I did a lot of walking, and we realized that if you try to eat during siesta time, you will have to go to a foreigner restaurant, because all the locals take away their food signs and it's impossible to get the good cheap kind of food. While walking the busy sidewalk-less streets of Hanoi, thousands of motorbikes skidded their wheels against our ankles and glared, annoyed. They honked horns and snuck up behind me, shocking me when I let my guard down even for a millisecond. Concerned it may start raining, we started for the Hoan Kiem roundabout, and parked ourselves at a nice little juice shop right on the street. A bookseller came up to us and started to chat.

He showed us books and asked Nina where she's from. Every time I started to look away, he would pull a book out and shove it in my face. Do you see where this is going? Vietnam future travelers: NEVER TAKE YOUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM YOUR VALUABLES! IF YOU ARE TALKING TO SOMEONE, HAVE ONE HAND ON ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT SNATCHED. When we looked back, I was sketching a Cyclo bike, and I hear, "Oh no...no no no. Shit Susan my camera's gone. and my wallet." There was a lot of swearing from the NYC-born Chinese American girl, and the girl behind the counter laughed when she heard that Nina had just been robbed. It was the bookseller. Now I'm sure of it. It was the bookseller and a friend. possibly the girl behind the counter, but my money's on the pudgy man in the red shirt. It makes me so angry, because half our memories are gone for 20 bucks, and expired Drivers' License, and a shitty Cannon PowerShot. All my wonderful headstands, and every time I said, no worries, I don't have to bring my camera. Nina has hers. Well that's too freaking bad. We even went back, asking just give us the card and we won't go to the Police. We'll walk away and if the card is there, no police. He got all insulted like he didn't do it, and said you want me to take you? I will. I took his picture and even checked his Driver's license. Although I bet you it was a fake name.

I am trying not to dwell on this nasty last day. It was a wonderful trip, and fortunately, my memories are for me, and they don't die with a lost camera, they just become great stories.

What day is it today? I really just can't remember. How did I get here and where am I going? What time is it? Well, Vacation time. I'm tired. I have traveled all the way from Saigon (Ho chi minh city) along the spine of the country of Vietnam. I think that I have about three...four....days left before I go home....? Like I said, I really don't remember what day it is. and frankly, I don't care too much.
When we arrived in Hanoi yesterday, we checked into a hostel and crashed. While Will & Nina napped, I walked around the lake nearby. Now I'm going off with Nina, so no more time!
Talk soon!
~Sus

It's much too early for this kind of entry.

I am pretty sure I went to bed wayyy too early last night.
or It's just I couldn't sleep. my bed buddy kept roll, roll rolling and I would wake up nearly pushed off the bed! grrrr. oh, and then the roosters started in with their thing.
Is it like, a rule that every hotel in Vietnam has to have a rooster? gar. I was so tired I just lay there, not interested in getting up even long enough to find my headphones. So now i'm past the threshhold. I'm sitting down in reception at the computers, while a new sleeper bus comes in, and the hotel is trying to accumulate some business off of travel-weary backpackers.
I hope this is my second to last day here in Hoi An. I think my companion wants to be here a little longer~tour the rest of the town, hang out on the beach.... but I may be ready to move on to the North. Haolong bay and Cat Ba Island is where the rock climbing is, and where I may find my rock climbing buddy scaling the cliffs and join him!
That is all for now!

much love,
Sus

It's August 15th and I have very little to say this evening~not because nothing has happened, but because theres so much I have to cover that to write it right now would take too long. (and the mosquitoes are full-out tonight.

So I'll keep it short:
We're in the tailor capital of Vietnam, Hoi An.
Mr Xe is a mean old man who loves men and treats the women who work for him and women who hire him like shit. The guys I'm with had no problems getting suits tailored, but he sucks for womens' stuff.

Yali is amazing. she made me a pair of pants and two dress shirts just for my body and I feel so professional in them! yay, Yali!

I went skinny dipping in the ocean yesterday. There were phosporescents and the beach was PERFECT>I could not resist.

I must go. the mosquitoes are biting.
love, Sus

Nha Trang is pretty cool. -+

It's been a wild day or two in Vietnam!

We left Ho Chi Minh City at 8pm on a train headed North.
We shared a 4 bunk soft-sleeper with an old drunken businessman and an older old lady.
I woke every two hours, and I don't know if it was from the rocking of the train, the constant air conditioner, or the fact that I was anxious about getting off at the right stop, but each time I awoke, my sore throat was so sore, and now it just hasn't gone away. Pollution in this country is extreme.

Did I tell you, there are 5 million motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh alone?

So we arrived at 5am in Nha Trang and that's where we are now.
Our Hostel host walked us up to the 5th floor with sheets and started stripping the bunks of two of the beds in the dorm rooms. he woke everyone up while we were standing there at 5am, apologizing and just wanting to crawl into bed and sleeeeeeeeeep!

Today has been so long I can't believe it's still our first day here. After our morning sleep, and aftert a cat and mouse game of wheres Nina? where's Sus? We went for breakfast at a food stall (18,00 VND for a plate of rice, veg and pork cutlet--thats a little over $1~) and then rented a motorbike.
We decided we would find the mudbath outdoor saunas, and soak a bit. It took a bit of getting used to; driving in Vietnam is tricky business, but once I got going I was ...well...going. It helped to hae Nina talking in my ear on the back of the bike, and crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh was great practice of having to make Left handed turns in a country where no one ever stops ever, you just go. So turning left is this: honk your horn and start to go. cars and bikes will usually slow down. yup. that's it. crazy! it took over 3 hours of driving around to find that darn place! We drove up alleys, dirt roads, and even one time this extremely narrow steep street (which actually turned out to be connected to the one we wanted) that was lined with houses on either side--those houses, incidentally, were covered with barbed wire. yup. I am proud to Say that neither Nina nor I have a single scratch.
We visited the baths as well as a gorgeous confucian temple. like seriously, Crystal, you're gonna love this place. I can't wait to show you pics.

Well I'm tired and there is a dive planned for 730 am tomorrow morning. Music is buzzling all around the hostel from local backpacker hangouts, and a little boy is bringing in everyone's shoes from the patio. It is bedtime.
Lots of love!
Sus

Ho chi minh City!

Hello Friends and Family!

I am currently in Ho Chi Minh City with Nina Fan!
We flew in today and boy are our arms tired...har har har...
nah it was more or less an uneventful flight. we watched the Tooth Fairy with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Ashley Judd featuring Julie Andrews as the head fairy. It was like the Santa Clause meets Arnold Schwartzenagger with Fairies. Hmmm...and some super-dirty clean jokes! Oh that Billy Crystal!

anyway. we arrived and made our way into the city and I'm feeling buzzed!
there are MASSIVE crowds of motorbikes, and they weave around like clowns in a cage, through traffic, on the streets as well as sidewalks. I was so nervous crossing the street today, that I grabbed Nina's hand like a schoolgirl. a nice man sitting at the corner sort of chuckled, held up my umbrella like a crossing guard, and walked us across the busy street. People here are so sweet!
And did I mention it's TYPHOON season? it's hot, it rains and cools, heavy sheets of rain, as thisk as fog and heavy as an evening shower. nd then before you know it, it's sunny and steam is rising from the pavement!
A new culture, language, and all the rain, wow! I am on Susan-vaca-brain!
It's funny, when I travel, it's like I snap right back into the person I was the last time I traveled, and all these memories flood back. Of my cravings for Halal roti with curry for breakfast, and 4am massages, and meeting people. of the drunken Australians with great accents and warm spirits. of staying with Cari in Taiwan over New Years. It's ALL like it happened like, yesterday or so recently. and I'm sitting in a cafe with Nina thinking about all those great memories and they're feeling so much more real than what I'm doing RIGHT NOW, and I think of all the possibilities--and I toast to new adventures, memories, and a continuing story. Welcome back, vaca-sus! I've missed you.

tomorrow we will tour the Cu-chi (yes I said that) tunnels and the war museum, watch a documentary, and visit a night market. Don't worry about me, I'm making good use of my time and attentions. Nina is proving so far to be a good travel buddy. We had some snafoos getting here-thanks to my travel-brain not paying full attention, but it's getting better now :)

goodnight, and See you in the AM!

July (and probably August) book challenge

Below are some of the books I'm reading this summer for my book challenge.
and below THAT are the stipulations of the challenge. it's supposed to be 10 books in July, but i'm going to make it July & August becasue, let's face it, I read slow.
I've always wanted to read a wrinkle in time, Sookie Stackhouse is my guilty pleasure, Matt Recommended the Murakami book, and I am so intrigued by Never Let Me Go; it's so exactly my kind of fantasy book--oddly normal but so twisted. I've read the first ten pages and am so excited to see what's going to happen next. I think I have quite the variety of styles and voices, and I'll fill you in as I work my way through the challenge.
Here's to a great summer, everyone!
Happy reading!
Love, Sus

Of Time:1. Read a book that is set in the past (historical).

2. Read a book that is set in the present (contemporary)

.3. Read a book that is set in the future (futuristic).

4. Read a book that involves time-travel.5. Read a book that was popular on the year that you were born.Official sources for #5:http://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/most-popular/Of place

6. Read a book that is set in a major city (urban)

7. Read a book that is set in a rural setting, small town or country.

8. Read a book that is set in space or off-planet.

9. Read a book that happens in a place that is completely created by the author's imagination or a place that cannot be found in a current world map. (fantasy).10. Read a book set in the city, state or country you currently lived in, or a place, city, state or country you have visited.

Is it Time to Go Home Yet???

I've been sitting at this desk for 8 hours--with a break for lunch and a walk to the coffeeshop down the street with my coworkers. but mostly I've been right here. no classes: Nationwide testing for grade sixers today and tomorrow. So I will be sitting here tomorrow, too. Except I DO...i SHOULD.. be working on my summer camp plan. I WILL. I must. I'm nervous and intimidated about summer camp this year.

The grade threes alone add up to the maximum 20 students, and there are 17 and counting on the waiting list: guaranteeing that there will for sure be a maximum of buzzing little bees in my classroom Monday through Friday of the final week in July.

I plan to do a lot of team building; initiative-type games, station-ify my classroom into a wonderland of camp fun activity. We will be doing cooking class on our final day (YAY!) I am happy each group is only 3 days of 2 hour sessions each.

GOD HELP ME, AUGUST IS ALMOST HERE!

It's STiLL my Birthday!

Well, not really. But here's the highlights reel of my big, beautiful birthday bash~ 3rd and Final Seoulful Sus~day. I made comments ON the pics. so if you want to read them, you have to click on the photo, an it should come up big.

Much love,

Sus

FEED ME...Birthday Cake (you can click any of these to see them in its larger format)

Posting pictures from my brithday party PART ONE

My Mom Says it's STiLL my Birthday.

The best part about having an ex-pat birthday, of course, is that it lasts until the sun goes down in the last place it is your bday--be it home or your residence. I woke up at 12am July 1st, (Korea time) and celebrated until well after July 1st, PST. (sorry mom, It had to be done)
Over polite conversation and after-dinner beers, we wondered...is it STILL my birthday? I decided--drunken logic--if my mom were still asleep, then it was definitely still my birthday.

So, On the morning of July 2nd, PST, I drunk dialed my mom from Liam's Iphone using Skype.
She picked up.
I asked her, "Are you still sleeping?"
"Happy Birthday."
"Hey...Hey you guys...my mom says it's still my birthday."
(dirty jokes and comments are whirling around me...does she notice. If she does, she's pretending no to...)
Mom..Mommm… hey hi I can’t hear you…oh that’s nice…I’m not wearing any underwear…no…yes…no It’s fine…I can’t hear you it’s loud and I’m drunk. I love you good byeeeeeeeee….. ”

Or at least that’s sounds about right.

I will post more pictures when I get them.

Here's me & Kate

A very Gyomun Birthday

Pics From my day of Birthday at school. Some of my students made me an origami flower (how sweet) and other boys lined up and sang a birthday song.
My coworkers and friends bought a cake and gave me the most beautiful necklace, a ballerina hanging from it. I didn't think I could be surprised by a present anymore. I am thankful and happy just for the thought. But I saw this and got ridiculously happy. If you have known me a while, you will have an idea of my affinity for ballerinas.

What a lovely schoolday b-day. everyone brought their books and the classes ran smoothly. We got to platy Jeopardy review and there were no major catastrophes. I am the proud owner of several new and very strange (as in picked out by 4th & 5th graders) pens from the stationary shop next door.

It was a long birthday, since well, I'm living in the 'future'

So... yes I will write more about it in a different post.

Love, Sus

"Korea has robbed me of the ability to speak English"

~a FB quote from someone who worked here, I don't remember who~

Fun Fact!

The War between North and South Korea broke out on July 25th, exactly 60 years from this date. It was a sad and brutal war that tore families apart.

I would like to reccommend to you the film, Taeguki (also known as The two brothers), an amazing drama about two brothers who end up fighting in the war.

It is extremely well done and totally accessible to nonkorean audience.

As everyone knows, Korea is split into two incredibly different countries, and as time goes on, the two Koreas follow separate paths; ever diversifying, changing, separating.

Can you believe it? there are people in this country who honestly really remember before the War? and people whose living family members may or may not be living on the other side. rest assured, most people (if not all) Korean people have some type of relative--however removed--These two countries, dedicated to their culural identities as Korean peoples and predominatedly dedicated to marrying and procreating within it, are bonded by blood closer than anything else someone could imagine.

Days like this remind me--with a resounding boom--that I am living in a foreign world, even three years later. I interact with it, walk around in it, make friends in it--but I'm not a part of it. I can do my best to participate and understand, appreciate, but I will never be more than a weygookin foreigner in this country.

it's summer but it doesn't feel like summer.

school is in session till mid-July.

My allergies as so bad right now...I couldn't wear my contacts for the past two days.

my eyes are dry and I wake up every morning exhausted and dehydrated.

I teach every day in humid heat and work with a teacher who adamantly believes in fandeath--therefore she never uses the Aircon sitting, and I end up sweating thru head shoulders knees and toes. grrrr. I have a lesson to plan before classes begin. lesson 7 unit 2: Who is She?

In this lesson we watch Minsu perform as Alice in his school production of Wonderland. All the kids think "she" is very beautiful, and guess who they think she is...then the wig falls off and Minsu blushes. Aigu.

have a great day!

Sus

At Dodeuramsan; Hiking, Climbing, Rice Krispie Treats

A few weeks back I went out of the city to Ichon. It's actually not too far away. Mikhail, a friend who I saw on a weekly basis here in Seoul actually lived and taught out there, while his girlfriend lived and taught up here. So anyway, theres this lovely little mountain--which I'd rather more call a "bump" out there that we'd heard of from KOTR (Korea on the Rocks--the waygookin access to rock climbing in Korea site). If you want to know how to get out there, check out http://www.koreaontherocks.com/

The mountain, Dodeuramsan, has three minor peaks, labeled 1,2, and 3...and one major peak. we passed one and two easily and looped way around three to find ourselves at the main peak, asking random Korean hikers for direction to the bolted area of the mountain. They didn't know, but we were offered cucumbers and kimchi and soju along the way--always rely on the kindness of strange mountain-people.

So here's how you ACTUALLY get there:

after you reach the MAIN peak (not 1,2, or 3), pass it and walk along a little ridge. you'll find yourself at a little wooden fence--there is a sign saying that 8 people were injured and one person died in a rock slide. Climb under that sign and you will see one of the most interesting sights I've seen in a boulder-path here in Korea. Shiny metal bars, like ladder rungs you might see coming out of a pool are bolted right into the rocks. So you wedge yourself down and around--we threw our backpacks down ahead of time, as ropes are heavy--then you have two options. KOTR directions tell you to head right down the metal stairs. which will lead you to a GORGEOUS but incredibly eerie tunnel of massive boulders. you can see the wooden steps have been smashed, like in an old-timey western mining tracks ride at some theme-park somewhere. this is where the accident occurred. your other option is to go over the top, hang a right immediately as the path splits off onto dirt trails. Cut right thru the fence just after the barbed wire ends. you'll see the rock-face there, in the shade and overgrown by ferns and bell-shaped purple flowers.

The rock was dusty and there was hardly any chalk to give away an idea of handholds. I did some leading, and it was Fantastic. Lead climbing is not so difficult, but it's the fear that gets me--mind control--as they're always telling me in the gym. I need to work on my mental game. So I took my first real outdoor lead fall. and it was a doozy. The last bit had very few and narrow footholds. I was several feet from my last quick-draw, and the climb was positive (meaning sloping forward, rather than out), so when I fell, it was quick and dirty. I screamed a bit, scraped my arm, and as I was falling I remember telling myself, "This is a part of the leading experience, just chill out and let it happen." and then I was free falling for a millla-second, but it felt like forever. and then I had to go back up, while shaking. and my adrenaline was on a major high. it's why I climb. To beat myself. To "serve" that mountain, make it my mistress.

We explored the folk village, ceramics festival (Ichon is famous for it's ceramics), and generally participated in a bit of goofing off after climbing.

This is us posing next to the city's mascot--a giant block of clay....Seriously.

btw, these are all Liam's pictures. I stole them. Thanks, man!

Sports Day at School

In front of the school on Sports Day. Left to Right: Kyeonghee(my co-teacher), Me, HyoSeon (science teacher)...Sohyeon (other English teacher) is taking the photo. We wore team colors (blue & white) and bet on the two racing teams :)

Traditional stretching routine. If you went to elementary school in Korea, you know this routine. It's based on the fundamentals of Taekwondo, and is actually a little difficult, but fun.

Chasing down and stamping the 1st place winners' hands.