Just in case you were wondering! 

It's just about my birthday! 

I'm celebrating the last day of my 20's with my korea friends at pizza in Itaewon, Seoul, 

and the first days of my 30s with my american friends and family the week afterwards! 

hooray! 

<3

Some photos from my friday writing class at Samyang Giant English Center

Ichon and the former red light district near yongsan.

Prison fun with Monica from Maryland.

The best kind of house guest is one who will stand upside-down with me! Thanks, Monica! 

 This was the exercise yard at Seodaemun prison. Its amazingly clever architecture allows one guard at the post to supervise twelve (?) isolated prisoners at once.

19th National Cemetery; on May 5th Childrens' Day; Suyu, Seoul

Crazy-Crazy --never lazy--gym week

My week has begun with a fist-pump-worthy start! 
on Sunday, I ran for a total of 46 mins. 
10 min warm up at 7.5speed, and then 
what turned out to be a 22 min (2 xtra for good measure) endurance run at 8~9speed
It's easier on my knees and ankles when I run faster; I notice the pattern in which my feet hit the ground change once I get to 8km/hr, and the pressure on my left ankle find a new stamina again. 

Monday: I am DETERMINED I will get in 2 spin classes this week! and Monday was the first push. I am not a fan of Woodi the spin teacher though! I can tell he feels uneasy not being able to communicate with me, and it makes me feel self-conscious and clunky. On the other hand, knowing I'm being more closely watched and expected to fail makes me feel especially vindictive, and it forces my will to push harder. I was bathed in my own sweat at the end of class. My hair was dripping...sopping...I felt as if I had a fever. 

At 915 I exited the spin class and went immediately to the front counter to sign up for "healing yoga" at 10pm. 
With 45 mins between, I got of my anchor and did some sit-ups,  weight exercises, and picked up those tricep exercises I skipped  on Sunday. 20 mins of Sauna and a pants-change (stretchy pants!) later, and I am contorting myself into all sorts of shapes. 
Ra-ni, the yoga teacher, is not my favorite teacher. I am not sure her motivations in her classes, but she seems to accept me into the classes with a level of indifference to my foreignness, simply allowing me to follow along to her korean instruction, and coming over and adjusting me if I get it terribly wrong. I hear her mention Haw-ri and On-deong-i a lot (hips and butt). Next time I'm in her class I'm going to count how many times I hear butt. The word sounds eerily like a popular Korean street food, or like if Odang and bundaeggi (fishcake and silkworms) merged and turned into a supercouple superfood, that would be their name. Consequently, it would also maybe cause a lot of irritation to the original definition on the on-deongi--the  booty. 

anyway...

Yoga always reminds me why I'm working out like this. 
My body feels stronger, but I still feel broken. 
I am working to heal my body. and it is painful. 
But I want to be STRONG. 
I want to be FIT. 
I want to feel great. 
My kneecaps feel foreign inside my legs
My hips feel wrong. 
Pain in my left hip restricts movement, and with each leg lift/curl, a loud TICK! pop! call it that you want, the sound of bone on bone... it feels awkward--not painful--but awkward, and sounds audible enough that I wonder if everyone in the class can hear my defections. 
I'm still going. I am feeling progresses, and even more determined that I'm going to have to go see a doctor on the weekend. bummer! 
Let the Crazy crazy never lazy week at the gym continue! 
Here we go, Tuesday! 

I am quickly falling in Love with the city

Another pants fatality in the workplace due to tumbling.
Now I get to walk home like this.

I don't Live here Anymore. But What a great view, eh? I sure do miss that bathtub...

From my apartment in Nowon

Three Cheers for couchsurfing!

As many of you will know, I have been in Korea for nearly 5 years. I have not had a visitor from home. hm... sad... :P I get it, so I have instead been taking advantage of the company of people who are already travelling. Lately, since February I have been hosting travellers--backpackers--who are coming through the country.


I get to hear about the adventures, expense Seoul-ful advice and factoids, and such as.... it's great! heres some pics from CS adventures.


Here is Oddur after his first try at a headstand. He was working at a hotel in his home country of Iceland. He will now travel for several months. what a great thing to do, while your country is shrouded in a veil of wintery darkness.


pretty darn good...



Icelander and his first green beer.



With Michelle from Berlin atop the pagoda at Acha Mountain.


Kiss the face in the mountain.
This is Michelle; she is an Art teacher from Berlin. She took a year off and decided to travel--see the world while she had fewer responsibilities.

Then there was another girl. I can't remember her name. she had recently finished med school and was on a stopover visit from Bangladesh to the states to find out where she'd be getting her internship. She asked me to stay 2 days, but bailed after a night, opting to sleep at the airport, and leaving me a note when i got home.

It's been hit or miss. But I think that's sort of the point. It grows a person, to meet people who are different from you. Sometimes I make friends, but I'm not expecting to bond to every person i meet. That would make the extra special ones not as extraordinary. It's about civility, understanding, and respect. When you don't have the same personality as a person, there can still be something to be gained by interacting with them, and learning to understand the perspective by which they view the world.

lots of love to you.
Hope you enjoy the photos!

I'm Diving! I'm a Diver!

This Photo was taken by some friends from Japan, who we went diving with in Tioman!

I'm so glad--this was my...um...11th dive in my life. I'm up to 15 now--but this is my first photo I have of me underwater! I think that's Erik in the background there--It was his FIRST dive. He is now PADI open water certified. Diving is such a mix of interesting feelings for me. There's definitely a sense of fear and adrenaline there, and claustrophobia. There's also the amazing feeling of weightlessness, of discovering a whole new world...ha ha...I did a lot of swim-throughs, saw barraccudas and and sting rays; this time, saw my divemaster get attacked by a trigger fish who was protecting its nest, I experienced some choppy seas, and got to share diving with someone I love a lot. so, hey, life's pretty good i think... I'm indeed a lucky girl.

New life...again...

I've moved!

again!

and I'm so happy. I feel free of the sad, overworked, depressive school I've been a part of.

I feel free of the freezing apartment with a deadbolt that won't lock.

I am free of Mr Lee, I am free of the hallways that haunted me.

I am free of Nowon.

I'm not too far away, but this neighborhood seems a lot more urban. There are fewer families, and more officetels (studio apts). There is a decent produce department in the local grocery shop, and there's even a rock climbing gym not too far from my apartment. I just saw that there is a HOT yoga studio directly across from my place, too. So i'm going to have to check that out.

As there is a lot of transition this month, there is also a lot of stress. I'm losing my climbing buddy, my best friend, and at the end of this month, my boyfriend leaves. It's kindof a sad time, with lots of change, but I think I'm also starting to have things to look forward to. Like spring weather, and gym access, and Beth visiting from Hong Kong in a few months.

I have no more to write now.

Soon I will write to you more about my travels.

xoxo

Sus

Seoul Christmas Bus

Oh Christmas bus! oh Christmas bus! It's January 19th...

It's never tooooo-late for your cheer

oh Christmas Bus, pick me up here

Oh Christmas bus! oh Christmas bus! How lovely is your tinsel...

Oh Christmas bus! oh Christmas bus! You picked me up in Gangnam.

with passengers packed in so tight

admiring the dazzling lights

Oh Christmas oh Christmas bus...the driver is distracted.

Oh Christmas bus! oh Christmas bus! for twenty minutes standing

though joys of Chris-a-mas have passed

this Christmas bus is sure to last

Oh Christmas bus! oh Christmas bus! You are the one most lov-ed!

Winter walks; three pairs of pants, and my striped mittens

Ever wonder What KIMCHI is made of? Well I will tell you now--it's Kimchi is PEOPLE.

It's cold. So very very cold. I walk to along the river wearing three pairs of pants.

I am still cold. The world is quiet on cold days, and for this I am thankful. Children are kept indoors and young/middle aged adults keep to major roads, bus routes, and metro tunnels. THe world is quiet in the parks, along the rivers. I spy elderly couples. Aggoshi and Ajjuma walk side-by-side. Head to toe they are covered. white gloves, white face mask, sunglasses. The only skin I see is perhaps a small bit of cheek...if that. No sun exposure, and no cold exposure, but the fresh air and the exercise is good for your health.

,,,and also for your stamina...nudge*nudge*