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*

Just Another Rush Hour Commute

no photoshop.

no color selection

no kidding.

really

At last, I feel I can breathe, now that finals are on their way to the printers....right??? right?!?!?!!?

Aw, Shucks...

Well, yes aside from that, next to come are oral exams, homework, paper grading, recording, report cards....that's just before Xmas. then, and let's not forget about Camp! dum-dum-dum. I used to love that word. It has come to mean something else. and it makes me a little sad.

If that's not enough, before I go on vacation in February, I will have to prepare entry-level exams for the incoming second graders who will start the new year in March. Yes, people. I am talking about children who are in the 1st and 2nds grades. all this work--and they work (oh so hard!)--and they are 7, 8, and 9 years old! holy moly!

Currently, My work is exhausting me, I'm constantly tired, I teach all the time, and in my 10 min breaks between classes, I am shouted at from a distance of centimeters by my students who sometimes sit on the edge of my chair or shove papers in my face, of holler Teacher! Teacher! I want to be your HELPER TODAY!!!! and meanwhile I am expected to prepare quality lessons

With little-to-no prep time, and I am getting paid less than I did while working public school. BUT! It's more work, so.... there's that. I don't mind the work...I wouldn't even mind the lower pay...if I only felt like my work ethic or ...something... was being noticed, appreciated by the administration. I don't care to get into details, but I feel a bit invisible. I am a talking moving monkey who spurts english and "can't read" but teaches your children. "can't read" means I can't handle the completely korean software installed on my computer that causes me to take two hours longer than normal to try and convert it from A4-B4 paper and I'm SORRY but I am not stupid because I can't find the hidden 한글 margins or even how to change the FONT, so just do it the way I know and I have to say it looks pretty damned good, if I do say so myself.

I'm a stellar teacher, you guys...

you guys...

I am stressed and wondering why did I quit my relatively stress-free job to go to this one? Well I know at least why I came back. Is it worth being back here? Yeah I think so :) and well, I feel That through struggle and sometimes B+ outcomes means I am reaching out and trying my damnedest. It's tough because I am doing it all new. I'm putting myself out there and trying to better myself professionally. Sometimes I cherish the B-plusses more than the A's. It depends on where I came from, really. And this one....well, it's a doozy.

I got no pics of school. SO I'lll show some other stuff.

I'm sorry for not calling or writing lately.

it's my stress, it's that I'm busy, it's that I don't have internet and my house is disorderly...

but it's no excuse.

I love my friends and family and I'm so lucky to have you people.

Thank you.

I miss everyone.

You're in my thoughts daily.

Keep in touch.

Love, Sus

You've got to S-M-I-L-E, to be H-A-double P-Y!

Sus n' Kate have a date <3

Acha & Bulam: Two days, two very different hikes

Day ONE: ACHA Mt.

The weather was grey and misty. It rained a bit, and the peak was windy, windy.

Achasan has all sorts of interesting sites atop it, like rock piles, traditional gazebos, electrical towers, stump fields...etc, etc. The wind was strong and you could see low hanging clouds stretch across the city.

DAY two: Sunny, Sunny BulamSan.

The sun shone brightly, the sky was blue. The weather was hot and people were friendly.

Unlike Saturday, everyone seemed to be in a chatty mood. Although, it seems, the temperature of the day has less to do with what someone chooses to wear than does the time of year. I got crazy looks for wearing a tank top, even though I was boiling. I couldn't understand how anyone could stand to wear a jacket in that heat!

Class is about to start, and I am not so much looking forward to it today. We have simply beed practising lines for a drama festival, and it's eating at my brain. Trigger words set me singing or quoting lines, and driving those in my social life to roll their eyes and smile politely. but really I know they wish I'd stop. Sorry, kids, I can't.

Sangmyeon, Sangmyeong, my new school.