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.

NYC & Chicago randoms

Update: I'm home, Sleeping at Casandra's in Seattle, waiting on paperwork and for an airplane to land in 25 hours

My title said most of it. hi everyone in Seatown! I've missed you! looking forward to catching up!
I'm hoping I will make it to Montana to see my Father and my Dog sometime in August, but as of now I'm unemployed and basically out of money, so.... have to hold that off.
I'm waiting for my diploma to come from WWU, so i can apostille it and send it to korea, and my FBI background check _NEW DEVELOPMENT, freakin korea_and then to send that to get apostilled. 6 or 7 weeks and counting....
ah! I've been advised to call and nag them to get to mine asap, as I'm waiting on a position with the public schools that starts in September. it's rough, and I worry at times, but...well...i am trying to be zen about it. I am trying to relax and take one step at a time. Take the steps I can to assure success, and let the rest come forth at a natural pace. And well, the hurry up and wait game is a frustrating game, let me tell you.

So here I am, sitting in the U-district, in need of pants and shoes. and well i guess i should go out looking for these things! goodbye friends and fam, I'll see you and talk to you later.

13 June Part 2

So when I left the hostel, 3 nights early, the woman behind the counter batted her eyes at me, scoffed, and asked, "ahuh, why?" When I told her about the rudeness of the staff, she blamed me, and when I told her of the mold and the hole in the floor, she offered to move me to a new room. But i had already booked a new hostel. I just wanted to be out of that nightmare, so I have left. Picadilly hostel is more central and cleaner than "Central." I feel like I'm in a hospital...or a large university dormitory hall. it's bright and clean and organized. I neither see nor smell mold. heres hoping nobody gets wierd idesas in the night...

London: Jun 13

Here's what I wrote in my journal after waking up this morning:

This hostel (26 Princes court; Named Central Hostel) is DISGUSTING. This place is Nasty. 1stly, the beds. they are a death trap. There's a bunch of rusty springs holding them to a metal frame, and when someone gets up top, it bends down so low that I have to crawl into my bed, head ducked down to avoid ass-barbs catching me in the face. I mean, literally I had nightmare last night that the bunk would give way, and I'd be scarred forever with scabbed, infected scarrs, head to toe.

There are gigantic mold rings on the walls and down in the corners and at the door jams, and the floor is wet from faulty plumbing. My head is aching. I can literally TASTE the mold in the air. the common room is inthe basement and so stuffy and crowded that I feel uncomfortable being in there. There is only one internet computer, for which they CHARGE a hefty fee, and there is no WIFI!!! seriously?!?!?!? What day in age do we live in here? Also, there are no lockers in the room. Now, for the people. I wake up this morning, to take my...vitamin...by alarm. the guy above me at this time, rolls over and lets out a big, juicy fart. Then he starts to masturbate. I can hear it. the bed is moving and I wonder, am I the only one awake and hearing this. I guess this is his query, too. because seconds later there's a pause in activity, and a head pops over the edge of the top bunk. I am not wearing my glasses, but that was DEFINITELY a head. He thinks I have no clue what he's doing, so he goes back to "business" but the whole bed is shaking, and I am awake--obviously awake. though I am trying to get back to sleep. I even put in my earbuds, that have broken and are only working in one ear....damnit...soooooo gross!

The reception guy was an ass to me last night when I checked in. He didn't have my reservation in front of his face and got annoyed that I only had saved the res number and amt remaining to pay. he should have had this info, this is when i found out that there was no wifi, because I had to lean across the desk and pull up my hostelbooking online. the asshole dude was like, I gotta know what kindof room you booked... Now moving on

I went to use the toilet this morning and theres no sign on the door or anything. but theres BLEACH all over the toilet. WTF? so i cleaned it off; I had to poo.
I lock the door, and do what you do in there, and someone turned off the light and started yelling at me! The cleaning guy wanted to finish up. "did YOU SIT on that toilet?" he asks in a heavy accent, insinuating that I am the ridiculous one. He laughs! "It's COVERED in BLEACH!" I'm not so stupid that I'd sit on a wet toilet, or not notice the smell and texture of bleach. I walked away and sighed. What kind of people treat people like this???

CENTRAL HOSTEL.
26 Princes Square, London

Worse than 'Nam

no literally. I have been to hostels in Vietnam. They are Way nicer, and more friendly. Even the prostitutes are nicer.