Last night was the first really really bad night of insomnia that I have had in a long time. I think a lot of it is stress, and I'm sublimating that into worry about the size of the apartment I'll be moving into. I knew going in that it was small, and it is. Small. But to put it in perspective, the living area is bigger than the horrible studio in Ohio, and it doesn't have the cave-like dark wood, so it could be worse. Also, it has air conditioning. So it isn't horrible. At least I got something good out of the no sleep - I finished unraveling a sweater and untangles the super-slippery silk yarn that was making a mess.

Anyway.

Next week is testing at my school, and then there are only two weeks left in the semester, so basically, I'll have one last lesson here. Because one of the weeks will be over the 4th of July and since the will not likely be another person from the US at this school next year, I am going to make it all about the USA.

I found the Preamble to the Constitution from Schoolhouse Rocks on YouTube, but really, how do you put all of US history into a 45 minute lesson for ESL students at the end of the semester in a stifling classroom?

Beijing

In other news, I think some friends and I will be doing a package tour to Beijing over Chuseok. A great price, considering all that is included, geared towards foreigners, and a bunch of friends have been on this same tour and had a GREAT time. Details are here.

So right now, it is the US in July/August, China in September, and I'm trying to decide on where to go this winter vacation. I'm pretty sure I want to see Ankgor Wat in Cambodia, but I'm not sure what else I want to do. I may try to take the ACE personal trainer certification exam in Bangkok, but where else? There is so much to see and do!!

Okay, so a bit of a poll:
If you could go anywhere in Southeast Asia, where would you go? Why?

Gym

I think I just broke up with my gym.

It wasn't ugly or dramatic or anything, and there was nothing out of the ordinary, except for the fact that I tend to pay three months at a time, and my three months was over. I'll be here until July 21st, then will be home, then will be moving to Mokpo, and really, it is just as cheap to pay the $2.00 a time as to pay for a month (how silly is that?!) So before I decided if I was going to get the month or go day to day, I asked a critical question: DO you have air conditioning down here, and just aren't using it yet?

The answer was no.

Now, outside it isn't that hot. I mean, it is humid as all get out, but really not oppressively hot. Yet. And already, walking into the gym is like walking into a cloud of hot and gross. Every person in the room is drenched, and I'm no longer the only person standing directly under a fan between sets. And in July, it will get worse.

The not-so-well equipped gym I went to at first has air, but I don't know if he is using it yet. The community center has the same per-day rate, and while it is sort of far away, I can bike there or take a taxi.

So I turned in my key.

It really sort of sucks, because I had finally gotten to the point where I wasn't such a sideshow freak there, but today when I went from really really red to really really pale, I knew I wasn't going to be able to deal if it gets any worse in there. So goodbye, Sporex. You saw my first chin up.

Humid

Oh, so THIS is what they meant by rainy season.

I have lived in humid. I've even dealt with a HECK of a lot hotter than this and very humid.

I have never experienced anything like this. Srsly. It is about 95% humidity right now, and I'm not even exaggerating the tiniest bit.

It isn't really hot, yet I sweat all day long. When I came back from my run tonight, it was as if I had taken a shower in my clothes. Gross.

It could be worse. actually, I'm SURE it will be worse before it gets better. Still, gross.

Mokpo!

I just got an email letting me know that I WILL be moving to the town I was hoping for! In August, I will start teaching at an elementary school (!!) in Mokpo.

It seems like so many of my friends are there (or will be moving there) and I'll be able to do a lot of the things I like to do - run, climb, bike - with others. I'm really excited, and think this will be a great move. It will also give me the opportunity to travel a lot more easily, and puts me a lot closer to the folks I would travel to see, anyway.

I will miss being here, and think that I have really benefited from being in such a small neighborhood and I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye to my schools AT ALL, but I'm really excited about this move overall! I've already packed up all my winter clothes, and will start to attack the closet later.

Interesting observation. Well, at least to me.

I have a workshop for Korean English teachers each week. Overall, the level of this group is pretty high, and so I've been able to have some great conversations with them on a pretty wide range of issues. Last week, we started by talking about Bloom's taxonomy and ways they could apply some of the concepts within the confines of the text from which they have to teach (also, it was a good way to review some less-often used verbs).

Anyway, it bled into a conversation about the nature of English education in Korea, and led to a discussion about the relative benefits of having native English speakers in the schools. Essentially, the teachers at my school believe that the people who benefit the most are the teachers, with the students benefiting mostly via the Korean teachers having greater fluency. I was really kind of surprised by this, especially considering the number of people I know who don't teach adult workshops whatsoever, but the teachers mentioned how just having us there to ask questions and talk to on a regular basis can make a huge difference in fluency levels.

This is also colored by the fact that at my main school, I see kids once every two weeks unless a class is pulled, and then it is even less. The teacher from my country school mentioned that his students were lucky because they were able to see me weekly and the student/teacher ratio was so much lower, so they derived more benefit from having me in the school.

Anyway, it was a very different way for me to think of my role here.

UGH. Or how Jessica is becoming even more of a germophobe

It is starting to get pretty hot here, and since there are no water fountains there has been a parade of students getting drinks from the water cooler in the teachers' room.

They are rinsing - not even close to washing - the same 4 or 5 little metal cups. There were at least 30 during the last passing period of the day.

I was teased a little at the volleyball tournament last month because I drank out of my nalgene instead of from the bottles that people were handing around. It was "Jessica's special water," but at least it wasn't the same cup/bottle that everyone else was using. UGH.

Add this to the complete absence of soap in most of the bathrooms.

Very often I am reminded of one of the teachers I worked with when I was in New Orleans who refused to touch a doorknob without a tissue or handkerchief.

I'm thinking she was on to something.

In other news, the last time I was in E-mart I found hand sanitizer, and on the list of things I will be buying in the US are little bottles I can refill and carry around with me.

Doughnuts for breakfast, ice cream for lunch.

Last weekend I went up to Seoul to see my brother and his girlfriend. It was the second time I've been up there to do anything other than just catch a plane, and I was again reminded about how little I know about what touristy things to do in Seoul. My rechargeable batteries are about to bite the dust, so I don't have a ton of photos on my own camera - I'll upload the few I do have and then will get some from Dave and Shannon.

More than anything, it was great to be able to see family, and while I'm still really looking forward to going home in a month, it was great to be with people who have known me for more than a few months.

It was also interesting for me to see Korea again through different eyes, and see how much I've adjusted to being here. The little bits of Korean make a huge difference, as does an overall familiarity with how things work. Though let's just say that I might seriously consider a flight at least one way next time because that is a LOT of time on a bus. As in, about 10 hours all told. YIKES.

Also, I am developing a plan of attack for introducing people to Korean food that hopefully will make things a little more smooth for future guests. I realized that when I go to Seoul, it is usually to eat food other than Korean. Also, when I go out for Korean food here, it is usually with folks who know where to go and what to order or it is a place we go all the time. A plan is being formulated that will hopefully prevent the "ice cream for lunch" because it is easy and familiar. Though I do think the ice cream was a step above the other option, McDonald's...

Knitting geekery

For anyone who thinks I sometime maybe spend too much time with the yarn, here is a l list of the top 10 geekiest yarn creations on the web.

I solemnly swear that I will not knit a yoda hat for anyone. Unless you ask. :)

Seoul

In about an hour, I will get on a bus to Seoul. My step-brother and his girlfriend will be here for the weekend on their way to visit her father in Hong Kong, and so I'm heading up to meet them.

There will be bookstores with books in English, food, and clothing, but most of all, I'll get to see family, something that has happened for about 10 months now.

Also, a BIG plus to my country school - the adjusted the schedule so I can catch the bus from here, letting me get in significantly earlier than I planned. So really, that was two things - letting me leave early without a mountain of paperwork, and adjusting the schedule. (I traded planning periods with another teacher). I really love this school, and I was pretty sad when I realized that I have two more days here if I end up going to a different school next year. (Next week they are camping, two weeks of classes, then exams). I will miss these kids a bunch.

I just sent an email asking to move into the job a friend of mine currently has, so we'll see where that leads. If I end up staying here, it won't be the end of the world, but I would like to have more options for socialization.

clothes

Last night, a friend had a clothing exchange - basically exchanging all the clothes and stuff people don't use anymore.

I don't have a lot of clothes to exchange - I have some sweaters and some things I got here that just don't look or fit right, but they weren't organized in any sort of appreciable way and so I'll haul them to the next one - BUT I was able to benefit from the generosity of everyone else! I left with a TON of clothes, and I was able to get feedback from people about what was flattering and what wasn't, which was the really great part. Simple things like, "THIS cut is really good on you" which is so helpful! I ended up taking some things that I never thought I would be able to wear, but which actually looked pretty good! Yay for new clothes!

I missed that stage of teenage girlhood of going shopping with my friends and talking about what looks good, what doesn't, what is flattering, etc. I never could shop at the stores my friends could, and trying things on was always such a demoralizing experience. I was always stuck with finding things that would fit me first, and which were flattering second (if even really a consideration) and I'm sort of back in that same mindset here. My only experience with shopping for things and not having it be ego-sucking experience was last summer, so last night was pretty great.

Moments of good

Today, my biggest behavior problem was a little boy telling me how beautiful he thinks I am.

I've been rather cranky lately. Nothing major, just kind of... grumpy for lack of a better word. I'm pretty sure it has to do with adjusting to a lower number of calories again, plus my woowoo theory that for me, depression is stored in fat so all the things I covered up with eating I have to deal with when the fat comes off. But then today I had kids telling me how much they love me, students run across the street to walk with me when they saw I didn't have an umbrella, and the regulars at the gym who now bow and grin at me when I come it (the bows I am used to - it's the grins that are new). And today when I felt like I looked kinda chubby, one of the grumpy old men who is always at the gym told me that I looked thiner and that I was strong and doing well. And things are pretty okay.

Usefully to a very small number of people...

While there aren't a lot of folks that this will be useful to, it is easier if I have this somewhere I can access from any computer.

Calories in Korean food.

(on that site is the link to the Korean site she got the info from, but this is a good estimate for macro breakdown.)

Random and assorted musings.

I'm having one of those "gee, I miss home" things. I think in part because I know I will be there soon, and also because I miss not being able to be in Texas with the rest of my step-mom's side of the family.

I want to be able to be there for things.

Anyway.

1. I finally made reservations for my flight home - I had been trying to find a flight that was less than $2000 USD, and found one that was pretty close to that today. I'll be getting to Chicago on July 21, and leaving on August 15.

2. I now need to decide what schools to ask for. I know one that would be a good choice in Mokpo (were I know a ton of people) one in Suncheon (again, where I already have friends) or staying where I am, which, while I like my apartment and the people that I work with, (and I have one of the easiest teaching schedules in the whole entire world) is pretty far away from everyone and everything.

3. This weekend I was knitting on the sleeve on the sweater that will not end, and that is also probably too big for even blocking to help, but sleeves and collar! That's it! Then done! And I was sitting here, lamenting my slow progress, when I tried to buck myself up by saying to myself, "Hey, if you were knitting a hat, you would have almost knit the whole thing tonight!!"

AND then thought, "hey, wait a minute..."

Because my arms are a lot smaller than my head.

DAMNIT.

80 stitches, Lamb's Pride, #6 needle. Yep. Hat.

Fine. I admit it. I'm done. It will be ripped out.

This will be the second entire sweater I've had to rip. Granted, one actually fit when I completed the sweater but now is ridiculously too big (and I was able to save the top part as a shrug), but still.

Jeju run

Last weekend some friends and I traveled to Jeju for the 12th Jeju Marathon Festival. Julia and I ran our first 10k races, and Sloane and Monique ran the half marathon (Monique's first half).

People in Jeju are really nice. Like, going-out-of-their-way-for-you nice, like the taxi driver who didn't charge me when he got confused about where to go and made sure I was in the right place, or the women who ran the hotel we were stayed in, or my friend's boss who drove me to the airport so I didn't have to run to catch the shuttle. Really great folks.

The night before the race:
We decided to make dinner in the hotel since we had a lovely little kitchenette, and there was much silliness.


I laughed a LOT. Like, got to the point where I was laughing because I couldn't stop laughing. Good times.

We woke to cold and gray. There were several muttered "screw-you Jeju!"'s as we got ready to head to the shuttle at 7:30 in the morning (!!!). I blame the early hour and nerves for the bus photos.

Pre-race:

Don't mess with us.


On the shuttle to the race

more bus silliness:



During the pre-race:
Those Canadian girls are tough


The four of us


The field before the race


There was one other Westerner running, and so while there was a Japanese translator (indicating there must have been a pretty big Japanese group there) we were a pretty visible minority. My friend Dan's boss wanted to meet us at the race, and as a way to tell her how to find us I said, "Well, we are a group of 4 tall white women. We should be pretty hard to miss." Indeed.

Race:
Right after the race started, the sun came out. It was a beautiful course, with waves crashing against white beaches and black lava rocks, and clear blue and green water that looked a bit unreal. There was enough of a breeze that although it ended up being hotter than I expected given the start to the day, it wasn't too bad at all.



The run felt good. Every time there was a camera on the course, it was aimed at me, but it was balanced by the kids and other folks cheering as I ran past. At the end, even the police officers lining the entrance to the stadium were clapping and shouting - it was awesome.

Finish:

dork-tastic, but happy

Julia and me after the race


This guy ran the race in this get-up. When we asked him why, he replied "I am Japanese," as if that was reason enough.


Post-race:
I had to leave to get to the airport soon after my friend Dan showed up at the race
,
but I was able to see Monique finish (I think I just missed Sloane's finish - dang it!) and his boss Michelle (popping in behind us) gave me a ride to the airport. I didn't get to see much of Jeju at all, but the race was awesome, I got to hang out with some pretty amazing friends, and I was able to do something I wasn't sure I was going to be able to accomplish.

Car photoshoot

On Saturday morning, Virgina came to rescue me rescue Jakob visit and take her darling baby kitty back to their new home in Mokpo. She also brought presents! (YAY, presents!!)

On the way, she and a rather hungover Stu gave me a ride to the airport in Gwangju. (Getting to see friends + not riding the bus=awesome).

At one point, I decided we needed car photos. Because I love him, I won't post either of the pictures that makes it look like Stu drives with his eyes shut.



If my friends really loved me, they might have said something like, "so Jess, have you thought about doing something about those eyebrows?"


Included only because you can see how pretty our eyes really are.


Stu being a good sport, though the giggling and the photos and the nonsense may have been considered cruel and unusual punishment.


Goodbye Jakob. Please be nice to your mother.

Jeju run!

I am now officially able to race at 10k!

My time was no where near fast, but it was about 5 minutes less than my goal and about 10 minutes faster than my last 10k training run. It was my first chipped race, and they just text messaged me my official time - 1:11.38.

There will be pictures once I get a chance to upload them, but in bullet form:

* Saturday - the only time we had for any sightseeing at all - it was raining.
* Great little hotel set up with a kitchen. We cooked.
* This morning was cold and gray and it looked like it was going to rain again.
* Just after the race started, the sun came out!!
* drank the best orange juice of my whole entire life at the Jeju airport.
* Waves crashing against lava rocks.
* people who are really, really nice.