Rock that hanbok, girl!

Me in a traditional Korean dress during orientation April of 2014. 

The traditional dress is called a hanbok. They can cost about $1000 USD.

Most women rent them for weddings and traditional ceremonies.

Hanboks are beautiful and colorful and made me feel connected to the Korean culture.

Goodbye, bring me back some kangaroo steak!

My Korean friend, Julie, is leaving here to live and work in Australia. Last year, her after-school class was right next door to my office. She has been kind to me for two years. We have hung out together and have had fun. I will really miss her but promised her that I would be available for those times when she needs me as she ventures out of So Ko and into a new world. I told her she was very brave since many Koreans do not leave their country, ever.  She told me that I was an inspiration in making her decision to leave. (tears)

There are lots of pretend friends here. Lots of people who want to use you for whatever their needs are but they do not want to give anything back. With Julie, there was always an even exchange. She is a strong young woman who also has a heart of a lion.

I will miss my friend. 

"I REALLY want to buy you clothes."

"I really want to buy you clothes." said my co-teacher.

I blinked as she handed me the birthday cake and colorful blouse as a gift.

WAIT. WHAT?! WTH?
WITCH ,WHAT?!

Did you just slide some slick words in with the birthday cake?

I sighed and reminded her that it is very difficult to buy "giant" clothes in an itty bitty country that worships stick figures. Sigh again. I had so many bad words swimming in my head and it took a lot not to let those bad words spill out.

Thanks for the cake and colorful blouse, but DAMN!

School festival 2015

Here are the pics from the 2015 School Festival. Holly, my co-teacher,  spent many hours working with the kids this year. I took a hands-off approach since I did not want to be bothered and was not required to participate. Initially I thought I wanted to dance with the kids but changed my mind after I saw how elaborate the program was that she created. It turns out that the teachers compete very strongly with each other. Yeah, I was not at all interested. No office politics for me.

Our students did a great job again this year. It was good to see these little future K-stars!

Come over and bring cake kiddies!

My FAVORITE 6th grade girls came to visit me at my apartment today. I had promised them in December that they could visit but I only said it because I thought they would forget. I FORGOT that kids NEVER FORGET ANYTHING YOU PROMISE THEM. EVER. So I get back from vacation on Wednesday and one of the girls texted me and ask to visit this Saturday. I was reluctant at first because I really do not like people in my private space. My apartment is sacred to me. It is my "country" away from So Ko.

But a promise IS A PROMISE.

So I let them come to my building and intended to speak with them in the hallway for a few minutes. You know, catch up on their short week in middle school and send them home. Well, the 3 little sweeties bought chocolate cake and pastries.

Heck, I HAD TO LET THEM IN. 
They bought goodies!

These were my 3 favorite 6th grade girls who graduated last month and started middle school three days ago. Well I hurried and tidied up, then threw my suitcases into my second room, closed the door and let them in.

4 hours later, we had eaten the cake and pastries, taken selfies, braided hair and they had taken a short nap before watching the Korean SNL on the television. Once they got comfortable, they acted like they were home.

Having just come from being home with my family, it felt good to hear giggles and laughter in my house again. It is always so quiet here with just the tv and computer to keep my company.

I finally kicked them out at 5pm after they promised to help me practice my bike riding when it gets warm. 

Don't laugh, You can forget. LOL.
Thanks for the visit, girls.  You are such sweethearts.

Cloudy with a chance of spaghetti

Hey! Do you know if you can freeze cooked spaghetti? How would it taste afterwards?

Huh? 

Why do I want to know?

Umm......no reason....just wondering out of the clear blue sky, that's all.

Okay, so I just came back from vacation and visiting my family. I got used to cooking for a family with leftovers in the fridge for two days. Today I set out to make spaghetti and, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME, but I put TWO PACKS of spaghetti on the fire to boil for little ol' me.

Oh My GOSH.

There was so much spaghetti that I had to go to the supermarket a block away for more spaghetti sauce ($9,000 won for two bottles) and it BARELY MADE A DENT!!

So now I just finished putting the spaghetti in lots of little plastic bags to freeze it because I REFUSE TO WASTE FOOD. I will be eating spaghetti for at least a month.

Sigh.

So....again...do you know if you can freeze cooked spaghetti? and how BAD will it taste after that? LOL.

Update and disclaimer:

The majority of the native english teachers here are given a one room apartment that has a washing machine. The apartment does NOT come with an oven, just a two-burner stove top (four if you are lucky).

If I had an oven, I would have been able to make lasagna and my world-famous brownies! But no, we do not get the luxury of an oven. So I did not freeze the noodles. I just ate spaghetti ALL WEEK LONG.

1st day of school 2016...guess who the hell is my new principal?

Ok, so today is Friday (in S Korea) of the first week of school. I JUST came back from winter vacation on Wednesday morning and went to school straight from the airport. (Oh, Korea.)

Our school has new teachers and a new principal and vice principal.

 Sooooooooooo....I walk into the office and introduce myself to the new vice principal, a woman, YAY!! The principal was not in his office so I thought that I would just meet him later with my co-teacher, so she could interpret.

So right before lunch, Holly calls me downstairs to greet the new principal. I walked down the four flights of stairs and walk over to them in the hallway. I put my hand out to shake his hand and start smiling and then...!! Wait for it....

The new principal is.....the same principal from my countryside school.

SILENCE.

WTH?!

For those who have read my other stories of being in Korea, you will remember the post about the man in the authority position who touched my lovely buttocks at my countryside school. He touched my butt really slick-like on the same day I found out the VP smacked a younger teacher (that is another story)....anyway....SAME GUY!!

My smile froze and then I recovered quickly and said to my co-teacher, "Wow, I know him."  He also recognized me and smiled. While we were standing there, I made sure to keep my rear end turned away from him. Picture my torso leaning forward and my rear end twisted away from him.

LOL!

Anyway, it is ALL GOOD!

I know to keep my physical distance from him. I will greet him each morning and evening out of respect but...Dude, I hope you know that if you go anywhere NEAR MY BUTT, it will be ON!!

I will keep you posted!

UPDATE:
I have kept my distance in the past two months since school has started. But the new Principal has invited himself to my apartment, for tea, I guess. I will make sure my co-teacher will be with him so there will be NO BUTT TOUCHING going on. LOL.