Glued in...

Imagine my confusion when, this morning, I couldn't even put my (apartment) key into the keyhole from the outside. It worked fine from the inside, though. It seemed like something was stuck inside. But I certainly couldn't have broken a key in it?!

Much to my dissatisfaction, I had to leave my place unlocked for the morning till a locksmith came in the afternoon. After putting some oil and trying to maneuver whatever was blocking the keyhole, the locksmith asked me, "Do you have any enemies in the building?" Well - that was enough to shake me up!

He said it appears as though there is super glue in my keyhole.
I was shocked.

Over R400 later - my locks were replaced and I was given a new set of keys.  I looked this up online and the results I got from "super glue, keyhole" was "revenge". Creepy, right?

So let this be a warning to one and all - apparently, some people do it on car door locks as well.
Just be aware...

My un-PC coffee date

Last week, a university friend and I found each other in the same town at the same time so she suggested a coffee date, which of course I agreed to... but it wouldn't just be the two of us. There were a couple of other people, one of whom I also knew from university via my friend.

We met at a coffee shop, and after greeting my friend (I was pretty excited since we hadn't seen each other since graduation) I wanted to hug the friend (of my friend) who I know - although not very well. She sat with her arms crossed and said, "I don't hug people of colour."

"What sh*t is that?" I asked - knowing very well that she was attempting to be humourous.

It was a square table with all four chairs occupied and one pulled up to the corner of the table.

"That chair is for you. It's for people of colour," this girl said.

Taking it with a pinch of salt, I sat down and proceeded to catch up with my friend over this "People-of-Colour" girl. I asked her if we could please swap seats because I didn't want to be talking over all the time.

For the next hour and a half, I tried to elicit conversation with my friend who was sitting to my left, while the girl on my right was continuously making these racist jokes. Now, I know her, but I never knew her that well to make such jokes to/about (?) me. Eventually, I turned a deaf ear and blatantly ignored the little smart-ass chirps that were coming from her direction.

So what do you think? At what point would you think it's just not funny anymore? Kind of annoying and so rude - whether it's a joke or not. Remember, "there's an element of truth in every joke".

Luckily, I had another coffee date to get to so it was time to leave...and oh boy, was I ever so happy to leave their company.

In a limbo

My friend, J says that I'm in a limbo. I think she's right. This also relates to my writing, and what I do need to get is my butt into gear.

Last week I visited a new friend that I've made, Dr Mitra at his home. I was feeling a bit uninspired with my writing and the words seemed to have been blocked. Real writer's block, if you ask me. It's been going on for a few weeks now, though. Dr Mitra is an artist and poet and I couldn't figure out how he finds the time to write, paint and still run a hospital.

He just smiles and says, "That's not a problem!"

So I thought, if a doctor can find the time to do this, surely I can too?!

We all draw inspiration from different people and situations, and last week when I told Dr Mitra that I was battling to write lately, he said to me, "You must write."

I must write.
I need to follow the doctor's orders!

My other inspiration came from another friend, Kojo who also balances a busy lifestyle...editing a magazine, attending social events, fulfills his responsibilities of a husband and father and still manages to run his blog.

So I think about why I've not been writing.

Is anyone reading what I have to say?

Is anyone out there?

I thought about what my writing goal for the new year should be, and I've decided to just: RELEASE THE WORDS and let them mingle and play the way they're meant to.  There are some days that I honestly battle to string sentences together, so from now - even if they're just words, I'm letting 'em out.

I've discovered E-mail > Blogger so actually, I have no excuse to write...anytime, anywhere. As long as the words are coming from my mind (and heart) to my blog!

It's been years since I've written poetry, and perhaps it's something else I'd like to get back into.

'nuff rambling, I need to get myself to sleep. I have to be up early to take my car to Hyundai for licensing.

Good night :)

10:10:10 10-10-10

Yes, I'm a day late. This was yesterday...

10 seconds after 10 minutes after the 10th hour on the 10th day of the 10th month in the 10th year of the century!

Hair Drama - 3rd Attempt

In July 2009, I wrote a blog titled The drama that is my hair and the following month I wrote Good hair days are back again.

This year, I seem to be having more hair drama.

So after I arrived in SA, as per usual - I went for my haircut. I walked out with wet hair and only blow dried the following week (I have it tied up most of the time). After I did that, I realized that my hair wasn't layered as I wanted it.

I go back to have it trimmed. I want the layered look. When I dry and iron it a few days later, I see that it's still not how I want it. The following day, I admire someone's hair and they tell me who they went to.

So I went to this "new" person and told her what I wanted. She cut off a lot - including the dead ends I was really wanting to get rid of.

On Friday, October 1 2010 I had a colour slapped on and had it dried properly. This is the end result. What do you think (Errr, I'm the one on the right...The dude on the left is my brother!) What do you think?

Midnight Ramblings

Sigh. For the past two hours, I've typed, backspaced, deleted and re-typed. Everything I wanted to write is swimming on the surface of my mind. It was a bit hard for me to write a full blog post (or several) and I need to get some sleep, but I needed to write something before I wrap this day up. Perhaps once I see it written down, it will inspire me to elaborate more on them and I will write full-length blogs.

• Everything we do is filled with emotion 

If this wasn't the case, we'd be dead. Very often, we turn a deaf ear to our feelings and don't act accordingly. If you're sad, ask yourself why? Did someone upset you? Did you disappoint yourself? This afternoon I found myself feeling angry about something. I felt irritated. I actually verbalized this to my mum. "I feel angry, but I don't know why." When I hit rewind in my mind, I remembered what struck that feeling. I felt so silly feeling angry over something so trivial. I let it go. The point I'm trying to make is that emotions are that strong, that we can even tend to lose focus on what sparked it in the first place.

• It's not all about you

If someone doesn't reply a message (of any medium), why assume that they're avoiding you or upset with you? I tend to do this from time to time. I wreck my mind thinking of reasons why, and I begin to doubt myself. Speaking from experience, let me say that it's hell. You begin to conjure up conversations - maybe even confrontations - with the other person and strong emotions will overwhelm you. Why? Why have this little conflict in your mind when you don't know what's really going on? When you eventually get to the bottom of it, you may even find that you wasted valuable energy on something that was actually...nothing.

• Take off the boxing gloves

Lisa Nichols (in a section from The Secret) speaks about proverbial "boxing gloves". We all have them and use them to beat ourselves up (figuratively...I hope!) My boxing gloves rarely get taken off. I beat myself up over so many things which in the end mean nothing really.

There's a lot more to write, but I think that's for another post.
Now, I sleep.

Kill with Kindness

Today I saw someone who's upset and angered me over the past few weeks. I could have been dismissive or hostile towards them. Instead, I decided to greet them with a smile. I complimented them and was really kind, which I think confused the hell out of them!

This morning I decided to do a complete 360 on my attitude.

Hatred attracts hatred. I don't want this. Nobody does, I think.

Love your enemies. It'll confuse them, and they may even hate you more, but you will definitely feel better. Guaranteed!

My tip for the day: Kill with Kindness.

Unusual spotting

On my way to work yesterday (Thursday, July 22, 2010) from the corner of my eye, I spotted some fluttering of colour in a gutter. When I looked down, it was this little butterfly. A couple of people stopped to look what I was taking a photo of...but if you know me, my camera is always ready to snap something that catches my attention!

Love...

A nice reminder that I got in an e-mail :)

Pure love has no conditions or boundaries. Love does not restrain itself or hold back. Love gives all the time and doesn't ask for anything in return. Love is a continuous flow without any limits. And all of this is inside you.

My 3am Incident

From Google Images

I was woken up at 3am by a man's voice which I thought was coming from outside my apartment. I sat up in my bed and noticed that the light sensor was on downstairs. The voice was coming from downstairs in my apartment. At 3am.

"Ohmygod, what?" I said.

He was saying that my door was open. Heart racing and not knowing what was going on, I slowly went downstairs saying to him, "Ok, thank you...." He went out and closed the door behind him.

It was like I had no idea what just happened, but after a while, it made sense.

My apartment door works with a chip or password (no key). When I got home yesterday, the door probably didn't shut and lock properly. I didn't spend much time downstairs and went to bed shortly after I went upstairs. So I didn't know that the door was open.

He meant no harm. If anything, he was concerned and was checking that everything was alright. I assume he was just getting in himself because I remember it looked like he had a laptop bag slung over his shoulder. All he said to me was, "The door was open."

Anyway, you can imagine how freaked out I was at the time and about ten minutes after that. Tonight, however I checked twice that my door was closed - and locked.

On another note, I don't recall ever being unsafe since I arrived here in August 2007. I walk around with my camera, cell phone and iPod and have never felt like I'm in danger. Of course, I'm always cautious and alert, but have never felt unsafe.

I'm just very grateful that this is all there is to my 3am incident. :-)
   

Control - Cut it out!

I was sitting with an empty blog post thinking what to write when this email came through from The Secret Scrolls by Rhonda Byrne. It's a gentle reminder that we can't always play God:

"Isn't it great to know that you cannot control your world from the outside? To try and control things on the outside feels impossible because it would take so much work, and in fact it is impossible according to the law of attraction.

To change your world all you have to do is manage your thoughts and feelings on the inside of you, and then your whole world changes."

Needed: Punching Bag

  From Google Images

One of my co-teacher's, who we'll call KH, teaches 3rd and 4th grade with me. A few minutes ago she came to discuss something about our lesson for next week. She laid out a textbook and calender on the desk and was circling some dates and writing things while trying to tell me something. To be honest, I wasn't really functioning.

Before she left, she said, "You look tired."
"Tired" is an understatement to how I'm feeling right now. I feel exhausted.

I taught five classes today, most of them 3rd graders. My head is literally throbbing. If the students weren't behaving like wild animals let loose after months of captivity, then KH was screaming at them. She is known amongst other teachers for her very loud nasal voice, but she screams. Screams!

As I've mentioned somewhere else on my blog, I've recently become very sensitive to noise, so today was really just draining for me. I have more to write on about this, but that's for later.

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle"

I just received this in my e-mail...part of Rhonda Byrne's The Secret Scrolls

"Every single day, no matter who you meet in the day - friends, family, work colleagues, strangers - give joy to them. Give a smile or a compliment or kind words or kind actions, but give joy! Do your best to make sure that every single person you meet has a better day because they saw you. This might sound like it is not connected with you and your life, but believe me it is inseparably connected through cosmic law.

As you give joy to every person you meet, you bring joy to YOU. The more you can give joy to others, the more you will bring the joy back to you."

 

Survival of Boobs, Hips & Thighs in a Skinny Jeans Society

She prances in with pin straight hair. Skinny jeans cling to her bottom half and I wonder if she can really breathe properly with jeans that tight. She's perched on high heels and looks like she could topple over from a strong gust of wind.

She orders a Caramel Machiato and sits at the table next to mine. Her mug is heaped with cream and drizzled with caramel syrup. I feel bilious just looking at it. She sits cross legged as she texts at lightening speed on her pink cellphone.


A few minutes later, she's joined by two other girls. One is wearing a mini skirt also perched on heels while the other is wearing hot pants and sneakers. They also have drinks topped with cream and chocolate or strawberry syrup decorated on top. I can't really hear or understand what they're talking about, but they're giggling and sipping on their drinks. I don't know how many people are taking part in their conversation because even though they're all sitting at the same table, they're all busy on their cellphones.

And here I sit. With my Cafe Mocha ("cream pego" which means "no cream" in Korean). I won't tell you what I'm wearing, but it's not skinny jeans, a mini skirt or hot pants and I'm not trying to balance on killer heels, either.

We all know girls like that - who can eat cream-topped desserts, oily chips (fries) and drink ridiculous amounts of alcohol, but have NO weight issues.

I'm not one of these girls.

I look out the window of the coffee shop and notice the trees covered with pink flowers lining the pavement. Spring is finally here. After months of heavy snowfall and icy weather, people are wearing less layers of clothes and more smiles on their faces. Winter in Korea is beautiful. At the same time, it's also miserable. Roads are covered with thick layers of ice and everyone walks around covered in snow coats and unflattering snow boots.

I'm reminded that summer is just around the corner. My worst season. Ever. I absolutely hate the feeling of being wrapped by the humidity. Going anywhere that requires taking a bus or subway is a pain and I try to avoid it at all costs. Everyone's jammed up against each other. It's hard to avoid people in a crowded space. Especially the girls wearing very little on the bottom half of their body.

Many foreign women have told me that they stay far away from girls on the subway dressed in mini skirts or hot pants. It's damaging to the ego!

Foreigners (men and women) have also told me that Korea makes them feel "fat". In ones home country where you were probably a 'medium' or 'large', you will find that in Korea, you are "big size".

The stereotype about Asian people being small built still exists. This is a gross generalization, but the generalization is pretty accurate. Most of my Korean female friends are flat-chested with no bulging hips, flabby arms or inflated bellies. This is why it's SO easy for them to shop. NOTHING could be small for them, unless they're in the kiddies department - and it won't surprise me if even that fits them!

One of my least favourite things to do is to go clothes shopping (even back in South Africa). When my friend Sarah asked me to go shopping with her a few months ago, I couldn't refuse. She needed a new pair of jeans, boots and some tops. We walked around for about 30 minutes before we found a place that sells jeans. She only had to try on two pairs before she decided to take it, and she wore it out. Same with the boots. The tops? No problem.

A major reason I hate going (clothes) shopping in Korea - with friends - is the looks I get from people working in the store. Even if I take something off the rail and hold it up to just look at it, I feel their eyes scanning me up and down. I feel like they're thinking, "Are you serious?"

A South African friend once asked me if I felt any pressure living in a society where the women look like they've just wrapped up a photo shoot. I'm not even kidding. Late at night, young women on the subway look as fresh as daisies with designer clothes clutching their Louis Vioutton handbags...and of course perched on high heels. It's a mystery to me how women can balance standing on the bus/subway on stilts that high. Anyway, seeing skinny women almost everywhere never really bothered me. Or at least, I didn't let it bother me.

Truth be told, I'm not skinny. I have full breasts - much to the envy of some of my Korean female friends who say I'm "blessed". I have thighs which I would appreciate much less of and hips which I sometimes wish were non-existent.

In my blogs about my trip to Egypt earlier this year, I wrote about the attention I got from the local men there. This is not something I was used to. I was told that Egyptian men [how do I say this] appreciate full figured women. And well, that is what I am. Hey... I'm just being honest!

Needless to say, I left the Land of Pyramids with one hell of an ego boost. Wouldn't you if you were told you were beautiful - boobs, hips, thighs, ass and all?

Over the past few years, I've grown to accept my body the way it is. Not to say I should neglect taking care of it. If I abandon my gym routine and eat junk all day everyday, I'm going to definitely feel the effect on my body. But if I eat (somewhat) healthily and exercise as often as I can, I will feel good, not only with my physical sense of well-being but mentally and spiritually as well. The more I exercise, the more energy I seem to have and I feel like I can take on anything.

After about two weeks of being ill on and off and being swamped with work and deadlines, I made a solemn promise that I would get back into my gym routine again. On Friday evening after work, I wasn't in the best mood, but it was definitely beginning to pick up as I got into my workout.

I went into the studio area of my gym and greeted the two ladies who were already there. One of them works in the kitchen at my school and the other one...we just acknowledge each other when we meet at the gym. She annoys me a bit because she always puts the TV volume on very high when she's on the treadmill without any consideration to those around her.

She was using the thick hula hoop that I wanted to use, so I picked up another thinner one to use until she was finished. She gave me hers and took the thinner one from me. "So sweet," I thought. Ok - I guess I can overlook her annoying habit of having the TV volume on full blast.

Now I'm not fluent in Korean, but I understand enough to know when someone is talking about me - especially right in front of me. And more so when they use body language and bob their head or roll their eyes in my direction. Just because I don't understand the language doesn't automatically make me invisible. She was saying something about me to the other lady (the one who works in my school's kitchen)

In Korean, and putting her hands to her face, she told me that I was beautiful.

Then she pulled her face and looked below my neck and said that my body wasn't beautiful.

No.
Really?
I need confirmation.

She repeated herself saying that my face was beautiful, but that my body was not.

The smile on my face disappeared instantly.

"You're rude," I told her (in English) Clearly, she didn't understand because she went on to tell the other woman (in Korean) that "foreign people have small faces, but big bodies."

I don't know if the other lady picked up that I was irritated by the other ones comment, but she left the studio, followed by the rude woman.

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I know that I don't have a runway model's body. I don't even long for it. I was very irritated and the good mood and energy I picked up from my hour workout suddenly melted away into nothingness.

On my way home, I kept thinking - When are Korean women (especially) going to realize that foreigner's body's are different to theirs? We've grown up on different diets. Different lifestyles. Hell, even shoes don't fit foreigners here!

There are so many cultural differences I've had to learn and accept since living in Korea. At any given opportunity, my Korean colleagues and friends want to share tidbits about what and what not to do to offend others - whether it's at a meal or the manner in which someone older or in authority should be spoken to. I've learned all these things and so far [if I may say so] my manners have been impeccable. No one can fault me for speaking out of turn or being rude.

...but what about people who fail to understand that THEY may be offending ME?

I hate how cliché it sounds, but these are just some of the...ummm...challenges that one has to face when living in a foreign country. What makes it that much harder when people are not English-speaking is that I'm unable to defend myself, making me feel weak at times.

Language is a powerful tool. My Korean colleagues often tell me how they 'envy' me for being able to speak English because it opens up a world of opportunities for me, like travel. On the flip side, however not being able to speak Korean puts me at such a disadvantage.

One of the worst moments (for example) is at lunch time where the principal or vice principal will say something about me. Everyone at the table will chuckle, but it will take my asking at least twice for it to be translated. Whatever is being said is not necessarily bad, but just imagine putting yourself in my position.

I'm not aiming for rock hard abs or twiggy arms. All I want is to be healthy. And part of achieving that is not taking heed to what others have to say to or about me. I can either choose to take it to heart or just simply ignore it. Easier said than done, right?

Let them carry on drinking their Caramel Machiato's (topped with cream) as they bounce around on heels and skinny jeans. And I'll just carry on dragging my non-model and oh-so-curvy body to the gym. Not for anyone else, but me.

I'd love to know your comments / opinions!

  All images from Google Images

Brief Update

I haven't blogged in a few weeks - I've posted random posts, but nothing deep and thoughtful as I've wanted to. Part of my lack of writing has been due to work. April has been a busy month, and every time I meet a deadline and think I can have a breather, something else comes up. Teaching is physically tiring and if I'm not standing before 36 little bodies for 5+ hours a day, I'm sitting at my desk lesson planning or preparing teaching materials.

As always, during spring in Korea, I get sick and I wasn't well for a couple of weeks. Of course, we also had the annual visitor - Yellow Dust. The weather is only very slowly starting to warm up, but it's been really cold and after work all I want to do is get home and hibernate till 8am the following morning.

Every time I think I'll tell myself "I have to blog tonight" after this episode (I've been hooked on Two and a Half Men), I end up falling asleep.

I made a comeback at the gym this week. Just getting there is filled with procrastination, but the after effects are really rewarding. I had a good workout yesterday after work. I usually only gym from Monday to Friday, but this morning I was in the mood to exercise. My body can't seem to comprehend 'sleeping in' over weekends so since I was up, I thought I may as well do something...Also it's a lovely day here today so if anything, that was a good excuse to be out.

I got back home and had a nap, but was rudely woken up by those darn vans with loud speakers roaming the area (I picked up that they were selling spring onions) and then another van, and another. The noise was making my insides churn. It was 1pm. Could I make it for the 1:45pm movie? The only English movie playing at the CGV in my area is Kick-Ass. I guess I wouldn't have been so bored if it didn't drag on for as long as it did. Also, seeing someone's guts being splattered across a room isn't for me. So I either closed my eyes or was texting during those scenes.

I packed my netbook into my handbag - if I was in the mood, I'd go to a coffee shop and try and blog from there. A change of scenery is always good, and all I seem to want to do at home is sleep.

So here I am. Sitting at a coffee shop near my place. My iPod is playing all kinds of songs from Bollywood to Pitbull to Michael Buble. It's such a lovely day to be out. I have a few blog topics that I need to write about - so let me get right to it!
   

Opportunity vs Obligation

Yesterday I got a call from the editor of an online Korean publication that I sometimes contribute to. I was introduced to him a few weeks after I arrived here in 2007. When I met him, I initially thought I'd be freelancing and contributing articles every now and then - if and when I was able to. His demands were too great and wanted me to attend meetings, which would be on an early Saturday morning. It would take nearly two hours to get there from where I lived.

I told him that I could not commit to his requests. I was in Korea for the purpose of teaching, and writing for his publication would just be an extra thing to do. If I can't give 100% effort to a project, I'd rather not take it on at all. I was really not impressed with his attitude when I told him that. I decided to keep our relationship strictly on e-mail and would submit stories to him if and when I wrote them.

Yesterday, I appreciated that he called me with a very good Journ opportunity. A Korean TV station wanted to cover an event through the eyes of a foreign journalist. The assignment date: Friday, February 26 2010.

That's the day all teachers are meant to go to school. Even though classes only commence next week, teachers have to prepare their lessons and classes. I tell him how I'd love to, but I have to work that day.

"Sheetal, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity," he says.

I know it is, but I'm torn. I wondered what my dad would suggest.
I'm guessing: Work comes first and Don't you dare lie!

He lowers his voice and says, "Just call in sick."

I've just had many days vacation, and I can't risk faking being sick to do a TV stint ... I mean, what if I get caught? Everyone here watches TV, especially this particular channel in question.

He made me feel really guilty about turning it down, but my first obligation is to my work. Right?

  

A Waste of Eyeliner

When I woke up this morning, I felt fresh and rejuvenated. I was ready to take on the day. It was going to be my first day back at work after Spring Vacation. It felt like a good hair and make-up day.

Classes only commence on Tuesday, March 2, but various teachers have to come to school for some paperwork (which I don't do) Each grade's teachers come on a particular day.

I was also going to meet my co-teacher who's been on sabbatical for the past few months. I arrived at school on time, went to the English classroom and waited for the other teachers - who are all meant to be at work by 08:40.

By 09:00, no one was there. At 09:10, I called my friend in the admin office asking which teachers are coming in today. She told me 5th grade. I belong to 6th grade staff.

At 09:20, I begin to think it's a mistake that I came to work. I called my co-teacher to ask if she's coming in. She said she wasn't.  So why was I there?

The principal wanted me to come in, so it's been marked as my working day. But - no one else was there and there was no work to be done. How can I prepare lessons for students and classes that are only starting next week? And besides, this is my third year teaching - I have all that already!

So I went to the second floor teachers room where the vice principal sits. He told me to sit at the computer under the heater. I scanned some documents for the secretary in about 5 minutes flat, and then had to occupy myself after that. I'm never bored. I always have something to do, but why I had to be there, when no one else was and when there's no work is just beyond me.

The vice principal started walking around, then came to me and pointed at my bling ring on my middle finger and said in Korean that I need to get a ring 'here' [pointing to the ring finger]. Sigh... This irritated me since the bindi incident.

Lunch time came and went. Usually, if teachers come to school when the students aren't there (and the kitchen's closed), we order in. Well, today the principal and vice went out to have their lunch. I went downstairs to the admin office and they were surprised I hadn't had lunch so they gave me some snacks.  They also couldn't understand why I was there and it felt like I was a display piece for the day.

One of the ladies said I should go to the janitor's room and watch the Ladies' Figure Skating (Olympics). So I did. I sat there for about 2 hours...half watching. Listening to music. Writing on my iPod. If I knew this was going to be the case, I'd have taken my book or my netbook to school.

I went back to the admin office. One hour left till home time. They told me to just go home. They wouldn't tell anyone. So I did.

I have a sneaky suspicion that my principal is punishing me for something. As much as she tells me how beautiful my eyes are or how well I put my eye make up on, or as much as she tells me she likes my jewelry, I know she doesn't like me. She's got a reputation for sweet-talking people with sugar-coated words, and then upsetting people afterwards.

At her previous school, she had three foreign teachers. I know she categorizes me as "just another foreign teacher". She's not known me as long as others at the school do to know my personality and style of working.

This all comes with living and working in a foreign country. No one will understand how hard it can be. No one stands up to authority here. When you've been raised to challenge authority, this is very difficult. You just have to suck it up. This is one of the reasons people are so stressed at work. They have no say. At all.

The day's over...and I'm putting it down as just another lesson to be learned about living and working in a foreign country with a different culture.

...and that was my rant for the day.

  

Minor Shake, Rattle & Roll

Image taken from Google Images

On Tuesday evening, just after 6pm I was sitting downstairs working on my netbook. For a second, my walls rattled. At first, I thought my my neighbour dropped something heavy. Our walls are pretty thin, so I thought that was the sound I heard. But then a strange sensation happened. It felt like my apartment moved.

I was busy emailing and was about to update my Twitter status with a message along the lines of, "My apartment moved. Should I climb under my table?" But I got distracted doing something else and didn't update it. I didn't think too much about it, but and decided to watch a movie.

A few minutes later, my friend Joo-hyeon calls me saying, "I'm in Seoul, but I heard there was an earthquake in Siheung, so... are you OK?"

I couldn't believe it! I was really afraid to sleep that night. What if something happens while I'm asleep? Should I sleep downstairs rather? In my apartment, I have stairs leading up to a landing - my TV, desk and bed are up there. Anyways, of course I eventually fell asleep and was very relieved and grateful to wake up the following morning!


Even though it was 'only' a 3.0 magnitude, it was still strong enough to be felt.

This story ran in the Korea Times

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake occurred with its epicenter located just outside western Seoul, Tuesday evening. Some citizens, apparently alarmed by a recent major tremor that hit Haiti, called fire stations and media outlets for confirmation of the temblor, although no injuries or serious property damage were reported.



According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the earthquake occurred at 6:08 p.m. in an area about 8 kilometers north of Siheung, a satellite town in Gyeonggi Province on the outskirts of the capital.



``The tremor continued for two or three seconds,’’ the administration said in a briefing. Residents especially in western Seoul reported that the quake was strong enough for them to feel the buildings they were in shaking.


The tremor was felt as far away as Yongin, Suwon and Goyang.



It was the strongest tremor out of three recorded in the bustling capital city of 12 million since 1987, when the administration began to monitor earthquakes in Korea. The other two occurred on Sept. 15, 2004 and June 14, 1990, but again they caused no damage.



A 31-year-old man, who was working at an Internet start-up in Siheung, about 40 km southwest of Seoul, told The Korea Times, ``I was startled, when the windows of the building I was in were trembling and I also heard some noise.’’

The quake was the seventh to hit the Korean peninsula this year alone, the KMA added.

    

Today, my planets were anything, but aligned

Image taken from Google Images

As this day draws to a close, I realize how strange it was. I felt completely out of balance all day.

This is my third winter in Korea and I still can't get used to wearing leggings and layers of clothing. It's necessary though, because temperatures drop to below freezing. You only really feel the cold when you're outside, but everywhere else - including buses and subways are heated. Still - it's the kind of cold that nearly numbs you.

I KNOW this, yet I still opted to wear a fairly thin long-sleeve top under my jacket. When I got to work, I couldn't figure out why I didn't wear my grey waistcoat that I usually wear with this particular top.

My classes were just average, but my first class of the day, 5-1 were almost non-responsive. They're usually pretty active, but today was just ... blah...


It was grey outside and I had a feeling it was going to snow. Apparently it snowed a lot in Seoul, and some students told me it snowed a little bit during lunch, but I didn't see it.

I can't find my gloves that I bought last winter, and I figured that if I was going to buy new gloves I'd buy leather ones.I decided to go to Bucheon after school to do some winter shopping.

So not dressing appropriately was my first little blunder of the day. And then...  

• After work I stopped at the ATM and couldn't make up my mind about how much cash I wanted.
  
  
• My bus chip that's attached to my phone snapped off, but it's still useable. I passed a booth where a lady sells these little chips and you can load money (credit) on it to use the bus/subway. There was a pretty orange one that I saw for 5,000 Won. I bought it and loaded 5, 000 Won credit. That's 10,000 spent before I even started my shopping. My co-teacher was with me and told me after I bought it that it was a bit expensive.  On the bus, I remembered that I have another chip at home (brand new). I really regretted buying the new orange one.
  
  
• In Bucheon, I went to the underground shopping mall at the subway station. I knew exactly where I wanted to go to buy what I wanted and needed. First thing - gloves. I didn't get the leather ones I wanted, but I spent 10, 000 Won on a new pair - quite pretty, I thought.
  
  
• Next thing: Leggings / Socks. The poor ajuma (Korean lady) dug around for a new unopened package of leggings, but I decided not to take it. So I chose 3 pairs of knee-high socks. At the last minute, I took another pair. As I dug in my bag for money, I saw the bus chip I'd bought. Would this ajuma maybe buy it from me?! Waaahhaahaa! She looked at me as if to say "yeah right!" Well, it was worth a try!
  
  
• Next stop - buy a scarf. There were a few pretty colours that I saw, and I couldn't decide which one to buy. I settled for a black. Thankful for the man being so patient with me
  
  
• I went upstairs to E-Mart and saw the exact gloves that I wanted. They were 12, 000 Won. I really wanted them, but I'd already bought a pair downstairs. I bought it anyway and figured I'd return the other one.
  
  
• When I went downstairs, the man thought I wanted to exchange it for something, but I said now I wanted to return it. I HATE doing that... but... he did!
  
  
• Then it's time to go home. There are various queues to stand in to catch a bus to my stop. Which one should I stand in? 31-3? 38? I can't make up my mind. I settle for 38.
  
  
• After I arrive at my stop, I decide to try my luck if the lady will take back my bus chip. After all, I already loaded money on it. I speak to her in broken Korean and ask her if she'd take it back from me. She does it with a smile :)  Daaaamn... I'm good!
  
  
• Time to head home. I haven't eaten yet. Should I buy gim-bap (rice/veggies rolled in seaweed)? I can't decide if I'm hungry or not. I leave it and walk home.
  

• At home, I notice an un-opened pack of cosmetic powder pads.  And I bought a new pack today - forgetting I already had one.

Even while writing this blog, I battled forming sentences. While writing it, my friend Sarah called to ask if I can go shopping with her tomorrow. Here's hoping tomorrow will be a better, balanced day for me.  I'm wrapping up today and calling it a night. Love x

I'll whip your a** if you diss mine!

Image from Google Images

I had a long day of screaming, shrieking, crying, whiny 4th graders today. My ears were so sensitive and my voice was going - AGAIN! I left work around 5pm with my co-worker, Soon-hwa. We were going out after school and we were taking our usual shortcuts through alleys. As I took a corner, there were a group of middle school boys just hanging around. One of them, who was my student last year greeted me.

Another boy, who I don't know, said abruptly, "Hello - where are you from?" I continued walking and said "South Africa". He said something in Korean, which I didn't understand. I ignored it, but Soon-hwa told me that he said something rude.

OF COURSE, I wanted to know what he said. But Soon-hwa said, "It's Friday - you shouldn't get upset." We continued walking. And then I said, "Please tell me now what he said?"

Apparently the little dim wit said in Korean "You have a big butt"

So guess what I did? I turned right around and marched back in my heels and all to him and his friends. I didn't know who said it. I asked the 2 boys who I know (my former students). Clearly, these little boys don't have each other's backs 'cause when they realized I was p*ssed off, they all pointed to one boy.

I was fierce! I stood in front of him and demanded to know if he knew that I was a teacher. Teachers are highly respected here in Korea, and I don't think I should be treated any differently just because I'm a foreigner. So I asked him if he talks to his Korean teachers like that.

"Don't you dare talk to anyone like that again... and don't ever talk about them in another language - do you understand?" And at this point, just imagine my big eyes doubling in size 8-) If I could read his mind, he was thinking - "Damn you biatch...why are you dissing me in front of my friends?"

(Soon-hwa had to translate some things for me.)

He bowed down to apologize to me, and the other boys around him were forcing him to apologize more.

I looked at him again. "I'll remember your face!" I said.
And I walked off.

I was surprised that he wasn't even scared of Soon-hwa (being a Korean...and she'd understand him). Little confused adolescent idiot ... I'm sure he'll never forget me!