A life...that's ordinary?

the fastest catch-up EVER

2008-10-14T10:34:00.002+09:00

Krista's life since the last post in Malaysia:

I forgot to mention in my blog that BEFORE Malaysia I went to Nepal...and trekked to Everest Base Camp. That was hard, amazing, but hard and fun and I'd do it again in a second.

Now...after Nepal I went to Kuala Lumpur...wrote the last blog post...and THEN

Got PADI Dive ticket in the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia...dove lots there

Went to Singapore for less than 24 hours. It was sufficient.

Went to Greece, met parents for two weeks, sun tanned a lot, dove some more, fell in love with Santorini

Went to London for the weekend, met some awesome girls on exchange from North American Unis to a Uni in Sweden...on vacation in London for the weekend as well. Hung out with them, saw the sights, watched England crush France at Rugby...experienced the party thereafter...had far too much fun in such a short period of time.

Flew into Halifax (October 15, 2007 - yes, i've been back in Canada for a year!!). Met Cousin Shelley Anne who i hadn't seen in FOREVER. Crashed with her, met up with a J-Flo and Lyndsay (from Korea), partied Halifax style. Said goodbye to Lynds (sad).

Met up with Dave and Brooks and drove to Sydney, Nova Scotia. Stayed there. Met Danielle's Mom (awesome!) and Brooks' parents (explained it all).

Went on a roadtrip with Brooks and Jen to NEWFOUNDLAND! Stayed with Jen's family in Grand Falls/Windsor for awhile, drove to St. Johns, met up with Shaun B'y and Dawne!!! Partied a lot. Became an honourary Newfoundlander. Took pictures at the eastern-most point in North America.

Flew for 16 hours...domestic flight. St. Johns - Halifax - Toronto - Winnipeg - Calgary - Comox
GROSS...p.s. also the MOST EXPENSIVE FLIGHT of my trip. just saying.

Tara (bestest friend EVER) picks me up at the airport and drives me home in time to surprise my mom for her birthday (November 5, 2007)

I start working at the KOREAN SCHOOL in Campbell River (whoa random) on November 6. Amazingly...or i guess not so much, it's the same working for a Korean boss in Canada as it is in Korea. Only difference is the rest of the teachers aren't used to being screwed around quite so much and the...shall we say, discipline measures...utilized by Koreans so it makes for much more drama and explanations. It's all good for me though. I teach kids for 4 hours in my own classroom, i have only 7 students, i eat korean food every night and speak korean to the korean staff. BEST PART IS: I still get to go back to my parents and watch Canadian TV, eat Timmy Hoes and oh...buy shoes that fit. Best of both worlds.

Danielle Hiscock (SE Asia travelling partner!!!) did a cross-canada road trip after traveling wtih me. She hit Tofino (on Vancouver Island) and never left. She comes and visits me for my birthday!! YAY Korea in my life!!

I apply for a position with Victoria Police Department and the Saanich Police Department. This has been the goal all the long. Yay going to be a Police Officer. I'm going to the gym a ridiculous amount. Both police forces express intense interest in me "i am a very competitive applicant." This is great!! Huge-ass application packages show up, i'm stoked, i get doctors checks, eye exams and hearing tests done. Life is good...

until I, for some reason, don't fill out the packages and realize that i don't really want to do my life goal anymore....shite. aren't those realizations fun?

soooooo I also need another job (4 hrs a day teaching not cutting it really) so I start working at White Spot (restaurant) as a server. I'm busy - timewise and you know, trying to figure out that life-goal-wise.

I email a friend who's a Probation Officer to ask her what she thinks of her job, she likes it...and hooks me up with wonderful family friend of hers who is a Probation Officer in Campbell River so I can talk to her and ask her questions.

December 27, 2008. I go to my friend Sal's house for some drinks. Her husband Matt is there as well as 3 other friends of theirs, of whom, Jon, is one of Matt's best friends. Jon and I sort of kind of really very muchly so hit it off. We talk until 7am. We go to dinner and a movie the next night. We go for a walk the day after that. On December 30, 2008 he leaves for Victoria and on the 1st he flies back to Prince George (that's far away from me) to finish up his last semester at UNBC (University of Northern British Columbia). We begin talking at least once everyday (in some form or another - every day until October 11, 2008 when he takes off for 2 weeks hunting with my father and grandfather. we're in the middle of that not-talking period right now...i don't like it He comes home in 5 days).

I'm working Teaching and at White Spot. I meet up with Sandy (the Probation Officer) to chat. I'm interested in the job for sure...there are pre-req courses you must take. I look into them. They're not being offered until June. well then that decides it for the moment anyways.

Jon comes back to Campbell River (his hometown as well!!) for his reading break in February. 10 days. He drives 12 hours both ways with his dog Septima. We spend every possible moment together. He applies for jobs in Campbell River (yay). We are officially a couple (whatever that means).

In March I get hired by Probation (they offer me the job...i don't apply - funny how things are quickly falling into place). I'm not a Probation Officer, i'm an Administrative Support Worker, but i'm learning the ropes and can take my pre-requesite course while working in the office (way better).

Lyndsay Belair had moved to Brazil for a little bit (after I saw her in Halifax), but now she was on her way back to Korea for round two!! She stops and sees me in Campbell RIver. We swing by Tofino for a visit with Dan b'y and I send her on her way!

March 27, 2008 I fly to Prince George to help pack up Jon and move him to CAMPBELL RIVER because he got a job here! We drive back in time for both of us to start our new jobs on April 1, 2008. He's full time, I'm only working part time at Probation since I'm still also teaching. i quit serving...almost 10 years in the service industry and i'm out at last!!

Jon and I are driving to Victoria. I'm going to go to a girls' night and Jon's going to one of his close friends' birthday parties. He's driving my car (because I just got off from teaching and am tired). Just north of Courtenay we meet a suicidal deer. It jumps out, we hit it, swerve, hit the side guard rail which spins us across the road and we collide hard with the centre median. my car is a write-off. We are ok, police, ambulance come. Jon's dad picks us up in Courtenay and drives us back home. We wake up, sore, but ok. Deal with insurance...there's nothing that can be done until Monday. We look at eachother, realize that we're ok and we have two options. We can sit around and sulk, or we can get over ourselves and take jon's truck to Victoria to do the things we were going to do in the first place. We drive (a lot slower) to Victoria, I meet up with my friends and have an amazing time, as does Jon. We drive back....slowly that time as well.

My dealings with insurance are actually GOOD!! I get $7000 for my car, and I get it on the Tuesday after the accident!! I buy a 2008 Honda Civic (it's silver and pretty). I'm given a Honda loaner since my car wont' be in for a few weeks and I still have one week of teaching left (plus that Probation gig)

end of june...the kids go home. It was really sad. I really got attached to them. My class was in grade 4,5, and 6 (mostly grade 4). They had no parents out here so I was kind of like a surrogate mother. I dried tears, helped with Canadian homework, explained slang, disciplined...did it all. It was amazing. I took my boys and girls on separate field trips into Campbell River during our last weeks together. We had such a fun time. I will truly miss teaching.

As SOON as I'm done teaching I'm hired as a PROBATION OFFICER!!! kinda just rolled into the job...again...didn't apply. I'm Auxillary, which means i"m full time, but with no benefits. I'll probably be an Auxillary PO for a year. It'll give me time to get my training under my belt and some good experience before I have to actually APPLY (foreign concept) for a permanent position and panel interview for it. It'll be fine...there's a position waiting for me in Campbell River when I'm ready.

Jon had moved back into his Dad's place with Septima (Teamer) for the time being. He's sold his house in Prince George and is on the look-out for a place in Campbell River. He finds one and moves in. It's down the road from my parents. I pretty much move in with him (not the best idea in the world).

Jon gets another dog!! (with my help) Indy joins the clan. She was from the SPCA and had already been through two homes in her short 7 month life. We take her on...there's nothing "wrong" with her, just a LOT of energy but her and Teamer get on famously and life is grand.

I'm working full time at the Probation Office (as a Probation Officer), Jon's working full time as a GIS Technician at a Forestry Company. we pretty much live together, have two dogs and its' all too soon. We're busy over the summer so it's kind of ok. we meet eachother's friends, (his are awesome) we hang out with them, we have lots of fun. We're still amazingly happy together, he's amazing and I love him, but somethings' up and I don't know what it is.

MARTHA AND AMY from KOREA come and visit me on their BC/Alberta trip before they start real Teacher school in September. It's fabulous!! They meet jon, approve, meet the dogs, love them, fall in love with Campbell River and we also take a trip to Tofino to meet Danielle (for her birthday!!!), climb Lone Cone in Tofino, party and then they header on their trip and I go home!

As fun as the summer has been (camping trips, amazing girls nights with high school friends) something is still off. August passes and I realize...I need my own nesting place where I can put my own things and just be me. I hadn't really "moved in" with Jon. I was just kind of "staying there" except...all the time. My parents kept saying I was living with Jon, and I was. It wasn't working. We didn't want that committment yet. He didn't want me moving all of my stuff in, with good reason, we'd only been "together" a short time. I made the decision to get my own place on Friday August 29. I start looking that Saturday...talk to this one lady who says I can view her basement suite that same day, it's avavilable on Monday. I look at it, love it, meet the guy that's moving out of my place and into upstairs and the guy that's moving out altogether, they're all cool. I email my landlady my contacts and say I'd take it if she'd give it to me. On Sunday the 30th she calls and tells me I have it. I move in on Monday, September 1, 2008. Thank God it's a holiday.

Now, things are good. I have my own place, which I love. I have my new car. Jon and I are doing better than ever. I love the dogs, I'm close with my parents. I'm slowly settling into my new Campbell River life. It was quite the transition though. It's taken a year for me to be able to say "yes, i'm comfortable living here in Campbell River."

I love it.

what happens to you when you've been out of North America too long...

2007-09-12T18:35:00.000+09:00

I just wrote this email. I re-read it and realized that i've gone nuts...THIS is what happens when you live in Korea for too long.

"ahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
so, i'm in Kuala Lumpur and kinda bored cuz really it's just a big city and i'm only here for half a day and coming back later soooo i wasn't gonna do much. i decided to go check out the big-ass towers. so i did...but then i couldn't go up to the sky bridge cuz i was too late, all tix had been sold. that was sad. but THAT'S ok cuz there's a big mall downstairs...i'll go check it out.

holy f***
first thing i see is a Gap. This excites me as i have not been inside a Gap in a VERY long time and it was my favorite store. i go in, i browse and get ideas for when i'm home (not hauling Gap wear around with me right now...that's just silly) and head out.

I pass EVERY STORE you could think of. every expensive kind...way more than in korea. Think of a chain store you like...it's here. most of them don't register tho, i'm just blissfully happy

then it happens...

i'm looking at some necklaces in a kiosk when i turn left and run smack into a....LA SENZA!! Oh.My.God.
It's been 3 years people, 3 years...since i've been able to buy cute underwear and matching bra sets. little 'ol Campbell River does NOT have a La Senza...my underwear has come from ZELLERS these past years. ZELLERS!!!!!
Oh yes, Korea has the fun little sets, but they don't fit me...i'm a monster.
i figured that here too, i'd be SOL. but NOPE!!!
THEY ARE IN NORTH AMERICAN SIZES AND THEY WERE HAVING A SALE

I now have 2 cute bras and 5 sets of matching underwear :D

oh wait...there's more.

so i leave, i'm f***ing shit-eat grinning. I see a Dunkin Donut's . This also makes me happy because it makes me think of Korea awwww. but i keep going. i'm not hungry right now

until

i turn the corner and run smack into.....A&W!!!!!!!!

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!

I order a cheeseburger and medium root beer...and then the kicker. she asks if i'd like to make it into a rootbeer float. I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF THAT...HECK YES I WOULD!!!

I consumed and then immediately asked where a internet cafe was. imagine me. sitting in an A&W giggling uncontrollably to myself. dude, i stick out here anyways, i was a freakin spectacle.

phew...that was a lot of energy put into that email....i feel better now.
where were you guys?? i'm here ALONE left to my own devices??

i blame brooks."

so ya, i've calmed down now. but it WAS exciting.

p.s.....Korea doesn't have Root Beer. We found it a few times in Itaewon - we took pictures.

The rest of Kuala Lumpur isn't too shabby either!! This is what i've noticed and come to love in the past few hours.

1) It doesn't smell like garbage
2) That's because there isn't garbage everywhere
3) Heck, they even have garbage CANS everywhere
4) It looks like an actual city
5) The car drivers...wait for it...don't honk
6) The roads are paved and the cars - taxis included - are good
7) People don't heckle me everywhere. If I want to buy something they wait until I approach the item, they do not shove it in front of my eyes.
8) The people are wonderfully nice and helpful
9) Spitting is at an all time low

that all said though I've noticed one other thing...WOW is it expensive. All that good stuff comes at a price. literally. now, it's nowhere near north american expensive standards but it is way over a leap from what i've been used to. A day of adjustments is what this has been!!

kathmandu in a different light

2007-08-23T21:46:00.000+09:00

I am currently in one of the most interesting places I have ever been in my life. The sights, smells and sounds of Kathmandu intermingle to form this incredible sensory overload at every moment. There are cows, bikes, people, motos, everything, wandering in every direction. The streets are sometimes paved, usually not. I've seen temples, both Buddist and Hindu. Sari'd women are everywhere. I had no idea. I'm in shock. This is amazing.

AND I went shopping for trekking stuff. I spent a whopping $65 US dollars and got...

1 -10C sleeping bag (North Face)
4 pairs of thick hiking socks
1 north face fleece jacket
1 pair of long underwear
1 fleece headband
1 light weight gloves
1 Nalgene water bottle

oh. my. god.

I will probably buy a new winter jacket as well. I've had mine since grade 11...there's nothing wrong with it, but come ON!!! I can get a North Face lined winter jacket for like $50...if that. I'll probably also buy another smaller backpack that'll act as my carry-on from now on.

I'm moving back to Canada and ski mountains...and now it's all justified ;)

darker side...I also bought a Nepal Lonely Planet so I could understand it all a bit better. Under dangers and annoyances:

- Keep an eye on the local press to find out about impending strikes, demonstrations and
curfews
- don't ever break curfew - instructions have been given to shoot those who are found breaking
curfew
- don't travel during Bandhs (strikes) or blockades. Get very nervous if you notice that you are
the only car on the streets of Kathmandu!

I am VERY glad that I did not read that prior to last night. I've asked a few people...and yesterday was a Bandh.

There are three different kinds of strikes in Nepal:

"A normal procession or demonstration is a julus. If things escalate there may be a chakka jam (jam of wheels), when all vehicles stay off the street, or a bandh, when all shops, schools, and offices are closed as well."

p.s. my taxi was the only car i saw last night, except for the police road blocks...and a cow.

not in kansas toto...my first 12 hours in Nepal

2007-08-23T15:46:00.000+09:00

You know how sometimes you just know when things aren't going to be good? How, no matter how alright the current situation may seem, you just know that things won't be going your way for much longer? Danielle and I have often joked about "forebode" in the past few months. A word to the wise. Don't joke about forebode...apparently it's like karma and will come and bite you in the ass.

In retrospect my first 12 hours in Nepal weren't as scary as I felt at the time. It was just the variable of the utter unknown mixed with being alone and apparently in the middle of a general strike during which all traffic had ceased and fiery rocks being thrown at cars. Seriously, who lands in the middle of that? Apparently me, stupid Murphy's Law.

I shall explain.

It started when my flight leaving Bangkok was an hour late. As I sat in the waiting room reading my book I kept glancing around for any sign of a friendly face. There were none. Well, that's not true. I was definitely getting attention from 95% of the male passengers also waiting. I've lived in Asia long enough to be able to ignore it, but it in no way helped with my feelings of forebode. Now, since I was still in Bangkok I was wearing shorts and a tank top. Aware that Kathmandu would be colder I reasoned that I would change in a bathroom upon arrival. What I didn't count on was the airplane being a refrigerator. I asked for a blanket, but there were apparently only 20 on board, and all had been previously claimed. Honestly, 20 blankets?

...sense of foreboding getting stronger.

At this point I had plenty of time to look around. It's sad, but I guess seeing that I had just finished a month of travel in SEAsia I had focused primarily on that area, the cultures, what to do, see, etc. Since my time in Nepal would be mostly taken up by my trek I honestly had not thought about the Nepali culture, their dress, attitudes...anything. I was now realizing. From my time living in Abbotsford I became quite aware of Indian culture. I wasn't only flying to Nepal, I was flying into an arm of India. Hmmmm...wasn't prepared for that. The plane ride was loud, despite the fact that the lights had been turned off. The food was amazing, curry, and I had a pick of two meals, fish or pork. I chose pork, realizing even more so that I was heading into a different place than I had ever thought to realize. No beef here! For the rest of the ride I hunkered down and buried myself in my book.

During the flight I had strained to see signs of life in the darkness. My flight had left Bangkok in late twilight so my only hopes were the small dots of life I sometimes saw. The pilot informed us when we were flying over Dhaka. Again, the realization that I'd put no thought into this trip whatsoever struck me. I was currently flying over Bangladesh! All I can say about the capital city of Bangladesh is that it's not very big, or the majority of the outlying structures don't use lights. I'd say it's about the size of Campbell River. How didn't I realize the enormity of the trip I was embarking on?? I think somewhere in my mind, I must of, but that realization was a little scary, so I chose to ignore it. No ignoring it now...shit.

A little while later we arrived in Kathmandu. Upon exiting the plane I was surprised to find it at a perfect 23C with no humidity. Yay no humidity!!! My spirits raised. I'd had time to deal with the fact that I knew nothing about Nepal (or what I was going to do in the day I waited for Ginny and Martha), but reasoned that my company would provide lots of information and I could get a book first thing in the morning. I was ready to begin the adventure. I breezed through security, waited heart-stoppingly long for my bag - feelings of unrest beginning to creep in again - and headed for the exit to meet my trekking company.

I've read a lot of travel books and I've traveled my fair share in places where at every turn someone is ready to part you and your cash. I know the lines "miss, your hotel is not good, you should come with me" "oh no madame, i'm sorry to say that your hotel isn't there anymore. "Oh....THAT company, nono, very bad, you must come with me." I've stepped off of buses in remote places and been bombarded. I know how to say no, i've perfected the hard face. i was prepared. The same thing happened in Kathmandu. I stepped out the main doors and into a sea of "helpful" faces. It's ok though, I was looking for my name of a sign. It would all be over soon. I scanned the crowd. It wasn't that big, seeing as it was almost 10pm, but nowhere was anyone holding a sign with my name, nor even speaking anything close to it. hmmm...not good.

Alright, buddy's held up in traffic. I was comforted a bit by the fact that the entry was also crowded with police, holding big guns. At one point, when I was surrounded by 5 guys telling me different stories and had resorted to not saying anything, just staring blankly past them, the police came up and ushered them away. I was placed in a small roped off area where immediately two stray dogs came over, licked my hands reassuringly and fell asleep on my feet. At this point I had to laugh at the scene. As soon as I'd got off the plane I'd thought "wow, not in Kansas anymore." Now, here I was with my own two Toto's.

However one thing was really worrying me. A lot of the taxi drivers trying to whisk me away to their "good hotels" had all had the same story. Today was a surprise general strike in Kathmandu. Everything was closed, there was no traffic. The only vehicles on the roads were the police and no one was coming to get me. The main reason I had a very difficult time believing this was that THEY were on the road, so obviously it wasn't just the police and the fact that my trekking company had told me not to listen to any drivers, not to go with them and to wait for him. Other options weren't sure to be safe.

I'd heard about the general strikes in Nepal, though. Not good. I'd read the news stories and heard first hand accounts from a friend who was here during one. I'd also met a girl last year who had to flee Nepal during something very similar. It just wasn't safe. The taxi drivers stories were becoming increasingly alarming. Flaming rocks were being thrown at cars, it wasn't safe. THEN the police took it upon themselves to inform me that yes, the taxi drivers were speaking the truth, I'd been waiting almost an hour, it was becoming less and less likely that my group was coming.

Riiiight, the reality of my situation sank in. I knew nothing of Kathmandu. I knew I was booked into a hotel, but didn't know any information about it. I knew the name of my company, but again, no contact information. I was stranded at an airport with a ring of armed police now separating me from the anxious taxi drivers who knew that I had given up and indeed needed a ride into town. I looked frantically at one police officer who'd been particularly kind to me. I had to depend on him, however realized that he too could be just as corrupt. He chose one driver, confirmed that the hotel was safe, that the driver would take me to a safe place, gave me his name, phone number and email and with a pat on the back, sent me on my way.

Tears began to flow. I was now in the hands of some people I was told not to put myself in the hands of. I'm a strong person, I knew I could handle myself, but the mere fact that I was now thinking of ways in which I'd have to handle myself scared me. I was also thinking about my tour company. what if we'd been screwed over?? A friend had just done a trek with the same company and had only good things to say. We'd already paid part of our fees and I'd been certain the company was reputable, but now I wasn't so sure. Another story being thrown at me by the taxi drivers was that my company had taken my money with no intentions of ever coming to see me. The company didn't exist etc. etc. etc. The only straw i had was that Dave had dealt with the same company and been fine. If I didn't have that, I had nothing.

The story dies from here. I was put into a hotel, it was nice and decently cheap. I immediately ran to internet for any word from my travel company. There was none. I sent off an email to them, telling them where I was and went to my room, deadlocking doors.

The sleep was fitful. The room was nice enough, but I still had no idea where I was. Kathmandu, sure, but where? I was awakened at 7:15 by knocks on my door. It was the counter with a telephone call for me. The strike had caused all of my problems. The person who was supposed to pick me up had been outside of Kathmandu when the strike happened without warning. He was stuck out of the city and didn't get back in until 4am. He had no cell phone signal (i knew that because I'd tried to call him once I got to the hotel). He managed to call other people who worked for his company so they could come and get me, but they too had no way due to traffic being shut down. He'd be at the hotel in 15 minutes to come get me and bring me to where I was supposed to be. I most certainly was NOT in the tourist area, he had no idea where the hotel was where I had stayed, no one did. It took 45 minutes for them to find me.

I now sit in a decent internet cafe in the middle of the tourist area of Kathmandu. my hotel is fabulous and my friends will be here tomorrow. I'm pretty tired and hungry, but ok.

See, even when i was writing I was realizing that really, it wasn't that bad. In retrospect things are never as scary. Possibly it just smacked me upside the head because the past month had been so easy. Everywhere I'd been, I'd been before. Nothing new, nothing scary, everything familiar. Apparently adversity gods like to keep everything equal...life'd been too easy!

Chiang Mai, Thailand July 2007

2007-08-11T17:16:00.000+09:00

Trekking again. However this time, in rainy season. Kyle, Danielle and I headed out from Chiang Mai for a 2 day/1 night trek into the hill tribes surrounding Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand in the end of July. We were joined by a guy, Robbie, from Beligium and his girlfriend, Katja, from Germany. They'd met in Holland. They spoke many languages, we did not. The main difference between this year and last year was the greenery. Marvelous! Last year I traveled in the end of the dry season. As a result everything was...well...dry. Dry translates into brown. This year was gorgeous. Green, everything green and lush and beautiful...and wet. Yes, it rained. Yes, trails turned to mud. Yes, I fell. Three times. It didn't dampen spirits though. It almost made it all the more real. The first tribe we went to see was the long-neck tribe. I'm sure they have a more Thai-like name than that, but that is how they were described to us. I hadn't seen them last time and wished I had, so I was excited. I remember reading about them in National Geographic some years ago and being astounded by what they do to their bodies and how they do it. It was quite interesting to see it in real life. They start putting rings around their necks when they are 7 years old. They stop adding more rings after a certain point, but put more rings on every few years. The result is an apparently elongated neck. That, however, is not the case. What they end up doing is pushing their ribcage down, compressing everything inside. Not the healthiest thing in the world to do, but it does give the impression that their necks are really long, which they consider to be more beautiful.

We stayed with a different tribe for the night, in the middle of the mountains. For the first time in a long time Dan, Kyle and I saw a sky full of stars. It was beautiful and muchly missed. The next day we walked more to an elephant camp. Rode some elephants and then rafted the rest of the way down some river, back to Chiang Mai.

That night we met Robbie and Katja for some dinner around the night market in Chiang Mai. I love that night market, it's marvelous. However, we got side-tracked by a pamphlet for Muay Thai boxing and ended up spending our night watching people (literally) kick the shit out of eachother. At times it was pretty cool. I reminded myself that I had taken Taekwondo and that was practically the same thing, so I couldn't judge. However whenever a person was KO'd I felt bad. Still an experience...kinda like the ping pong show.

The next day Kyle, Dan and I got in our mini-bus to head to the Thai/Laos border. The next day we were to take the slow boat into Laos. It's a decently long drive (5~6 hours) so we were pretty beat by the time we reached our hotel on the river separating the two countries. The hotel had the cutest puppy though, with the grossest skin condition on his feet. We pet him and washed our hands a lot. Still really cute regardless. That day wasn't too exciting, nor was the boat ride. Since the boat ride occured in another country though, it shall be reserved for a different entry!

the differences between travel alone and...not alone

2007-08-11T16:56:00.000+09:00

i've realized for some time now that i haven't been keeping up with this blog nearly as much as I was the last time I did this trip. I wasn't quite sure as to why, but figured it had something to do with less things to write about. Since I'd already done most of the things before, maybe I wasn't as excited about them and therefore didn't see the need to blog about them.

I'd figured wrong.

Everything I've done this year as been just as great as last year. Yes, I've done some things that I've already done before, but a lot of things I haven't. I've realized that the lack of my blogging has to do with the fact that I'm not alone in my travels.

Last year I did this trip alone, however, I was rarely alone. I met up with many different people along the way, shared hotel rooms, day-trips and memories. The main difference between that trip and the trip I am currently on is that last year, although I was only alone when I made a conscious effort to be so, at least every few days I was on my own. This trip is now 2 weeks in, and today is the first day that I've had completely to myself (until 6pm that is).

Now, which way do I prefer? That is an almost impossible question to answer. Both ways are fantastic. Both ways are almost the same as well. The only difference is that during all of the things I'm doing there is a constant person, one who never changes, and that is Danielle. Last year was a lot more work. Meeting new people, earning trust, and finding out about personalities takes effort. Yes, it's awesome and meeting new people is great, but it takes work. What I've done in the different countries hasn't changed a great deal, but the social effort has.

Now, what does this have to do with my blog entries? Well, Danielle is a constant. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Today, as I was alone for the first time wandering around the Old Quarter in Hanoi I realized that I was bored. I then thought back to last year, trying to recall if I was bored then too. I remembered that on some days, I was. However most days I occupied my time. I got a lot more massages, I shopped a lot more, I sat in a lot more cafes reading. I also spent a lot more time on the internet. Therein lies the answer. This year there's a constant person to talk to, to wander with. There's no effort involved, we've known eachother for a year. Therefore we spend a lot less time on the internet. Is this an excuse? I don't think so. It's just a reality. Another reality is that last year I spent a lot more money doing all of those things. This years a lot cheaper...woohoo!

That all said, I've enjoyed today. Those who know me know that "Krista Time" is an essential. Today has been relaxing. I've gotten a 1 hour massage, eaten a wonderful meal, eaten icecream at a cafe overlooking Hanoi, done a bit of shopping, and am now doing this. All before 3pm.

China, last week in Korea, mud fest...and Thailand. except i'm in laos...and i suck at keeping up with this.

2007-08-03T15:04:00.000+09:00

allllrighty.

let's see if i can fit this all in.

I went to China for a long weekend, it was pretty frickin cool. There were 18 of us, all from Youngdo, in our own big-ass tour bus, and our own guide. we all had two seats to ourselves on the bus (wonderful for naps), it was fast-paced, but we saw a lot of Beijing. The pics are all on facebook...and since I'm in Laos right now...I won't be posting them until later...i'll make a slideshow or something. I really liked Beijing, but was told that since the Olympics are there next year it was a lot cleaner and orderly than it has been in the past. Good timing on our part? Went to the Great Wall, climbed it, saw Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City (FORBODE). All was amazing, took a shiteload of pics. Went shopping in a MARVELOUS market. Bought far too much for far too cheap. I bought SHOES, girls shoes nonetheless...been a long time since i've been able to do that. We rented bikes on the last day and rode around Old Beijing. By far that was the most interesting thing I did. All the cultural stuff was great, but the bike riding really gave us an up close and person look at day-to-day. it was amazing.

so...that's China in a nutshell. loved it, have to go back. people should go!!

THEN i went back to Korea and worked for 3 days. THEN i went to MUD FEST (for the 3rd year in a row - time to leave Korea when that happens). Again it was amazing. Went with 26 people in two big minboks (hotels with no beds, just blankets so you crash on the floor). We got covered in mud, partied, rented quads with people we didnt' really know and rode around on the beach. Did some mud wrestling, some mud sliding...overall...too much fun.

THEN back to school...worked my last monday classes and my last tuesday classes...which equals 5 pizza parties, a lot of pics of kids, and a lot of good-byes.

Wednesday the 25th was my last day in Korea. I jam packed that baby. Got up in my hotel, mailed my last package, went to the bank, closed my account, got my hair professionally straightened, went into Seoul, bought another memory card, went to Itaewon, bought health insurance, a rain cover for the bag, met a friend for dinner and a movie, got on the train, went to another city, met up with Ashley (korean friend) said goodbye, that was sad, got in a cab and went back to my city.

THEN i slept, dan and i got up, ate pancakes with Jen, and were on our way to the airport! arrived in Bangkok after a looooong-ass delay through immigration/customs at the new Bangkok airport. we waited in line for retardedly long. finally got to Khao San, waited a few hours, Kyle showed up, and we were all together!

that night we ate, then went to a pink-pong show. for those who know, it was interesting, for those who don't know...i will not explain. it was....interesting. The song "I will always love you" is forever tained in my mind.

got up the next day. dan and kyle went on a bangkok excursion and i busied myself on Khao San. Bought bags for my parents, mailed them, bought a return ticket for Kathmandu, bought 4 bathing suits....whatever, they were 2 bucks each. and a dress which is very cute for $3. we hung out on Khao San till 6pm then our overnight bus left for Chiang Mai.

12 hours later we arrived in Chiang Mai. We checked into our hotel (with a pool, WONDERFUL since we were sweeeaaty). Took naps, ate and chilled for a few hours. Booked our hill-tribe trek and slow-boat to Luang Prabang and rented bikes. We rode around Chiang Mai and took in a temple. Danielle's brother knows a guy who owns a bar in Chiang Mai. We tracked it down, only to find that he had left for a trip to Toronto a week before! We still met his fiance and had a few beers, headed home to get a good nights sleep before our 2 day 1 night hill-tribe trek the next day.

wow this is long...

i shall write about trekking later...my fingers hurt!

2007-07-09T00:20:00.000+09:00

Yay bungee jumping!!!

Last weekend in Anyang

2007-07-07T22:34:00.001+09:00

We had to work today (Saturday), because we're getting next Monday off making it a 4-day weekend. After work I walked my way over to E-Mart (similar to Wal-Mart) to pick up some things for my travels...as I walked I noted/realized some things.

1. this was my last saturday i'd be spending in Anyang

2. in canada i'd be driving

3. driving would have been a waste of gas, why would i drive? it's a beautiful night!!

4. koreans have MUCH better public parks, with fountains for kids to play in everywhere, and FUN lights to make the water different colours

5. kids in korea, however much more they have to study and how much more pressure is put on them, have a lot more freedom during their free time. kids were running amok in the park, playing games together, kicking balls. Literally hundreds of people running around in the dusk. no one looked worried, no parents were telling kids to be careful. they were kids.

6. i want my kids to run and jump and play and get hurt, and get up and run and jump and play some more. that way you learn that that wasn't a smart idea!

7. i'm going to miss the ease with which my life flows here. i walk places, i take my time, i stop, sit and stare. my iPod is my lifeline and i choose the music to go with my mood and the scenery. I'm going to miss the walking.

8. I'm going to miss the random food. I love having everything at my finger tips. Walking through the park, hey, i'm hungry. walk 5 minutes in any direction and hit any number of restaurants and/or street vendors.

9. I'm going to miss the festival atmosphere that accompanies every weekend day/night during a Korean summer. There are so many people here that any main road or major public gathering place is transformed.

10. I'm going to get out more when i'm home.

11. I'm going to miss being so active with my friends. "Hey, want to go bungee jumping tomorrow?" "ummm, ya, sure" there's no major schedule conflicts or other things that "have" to be done. just...sweet, that sounds like fun....sure.

12. I'll think WAY less about doing things that sound remotely fun when i'm home. everything in life doesn't need planning.

13. I'll miss the accessibility of everything. one of the main reasons we're all so active and do so many things is everything is so compact. This entire year I haven't left an area bigger than the GVRD for the vast majority. There's been no need. Everything is here, from parasailing to ice fishing to Everland (Korea's Disneyland).

14. basically....i'm going to miss korea. I'll miss it for it's awesome lifestyle. I'll miss it for the things that it gives me, and the things it's taken from me. I'll even miss the things that have pissed me off so much I want to scream at the world for it is those things that have probably taught me the most about myself.

15. I'll miss the kids. I'll miss their innocent questions and their crazy dances. (personal favorite of late has to be my little Jason stating..."teacher, you have many periods!!" - he was pointing to the moles on my arms!!)

16. I need to find a box with air holes big enough to put Jason in it...hope his parents won't mind.

17. I'll miss my friends.

Next weekend is China for 4 days. 20 of us have our own tour group. The weekend after is Mud Festival (3rd time's a charm) with ohhhh upwards of 50 people I know. If that's not a send-off then I don't know what is!!

I'm sad, i'm nostalgic, but i'm ready to go. It hurts my heart to think that I'll probably never be back in Korea again. However...who knows ;)

stuff and north korea

2007-07-04T21:17:00.000+09:00

I am currently at school. It's 9:15 and I'm not teaching. I'm supposed to be teaching, just like I was supposed to be teaching at this time on Monday and from 7~10 yesterday.
but I'm not.

right now the kids have their middle school mid-term exams at school. This therefore means that they're stressed beyond anything I experienced until Governments in grade 12. They are studying more at home and are not coming to extra classes as much...hence me sitting on my ass the last three evenings because NONE of my students showed up!!!

This is happy for me, however i can't believe that they go through this. Their scores on their middle school exams determine what high school they will get into. The high school that they go to will directly affect which university they go to. AND the university they go to will determine their job. If you get a crappy score on a middle-school exam...well then forget about those dreams of medical school. that's high stress for my little 12 year old students. It KIND OF makes sense in a country with so many people (encroaching on 50 million) that schools would have to be so competitive, but come ON...really??? middle-school scores??

who am i to say though, I'm just a lowly English teacher who actually can't speak English anymore due to constant deterioration.

Side note...or, more, that was the side note, this is the meat of the blog. I'm officially finished teaching on July 24th. I leave the country on the 26th. Usually a teacher has to move out of their apartment 3~4 days early so the school can get their apartment ready for the new teacher. We're moved into a pretty nice hotel for a few days. It's actually a sweet deal since it forces us to pack and get organized a few days before our actual departure. It's a good thing...usually

I have to move out of my apartment 2 WEEKS before I leave. The new teachers are coming on the 18th. So fine, I'd have to stay in the hotel from the 17~26...still a pretty long time. except, I'm going to China from the 14~17. I obviously can't move while in China, and the new teachers will be coming while I'm gone, so I have to move out on the 13th. I found this out only after asking absentmindedly when I'd be moving. I figured it wouldn't be for a few weeks. they told me it would be next week...i guess it's a good thing i asked.

anyways, how stuff does happen for a reason. Now I'll be organized. I've already thrown a lot of clothes into boxes because I panicked when I realized how soon I'd have to move. I'll be organized before China, then be able to chill for my last weeks.

AND I wasn't going to go to the Mud Festival on the 21/22 because it was 3 days before I was leaving the country...and honestly...i didn't need that stress. but NOW I'll already be organized. I'll now spend my last weekend in Korea partying it up covered in mud on a beach with all of my friends. granted it's the 3rd time I've been to this festival, but it's a pretty killer time.

beyond that i don't really have much to say. I never did blog about North Korea...sure, I'll throw that in (still have 20 minutes left to kill)

North Korea was an .... interesting experience. We drove in a bus all night to get to the border. It took 4 hours, it then took 3 to cross the border. There were non-smiling guards (or mushroom heads as I called them - they had niiiiice hats) EVERYWHERE. We were NOT allowed to take pictures. Every 100m along the road a different one stood, some obscured by bushes, most in plain sight, all with little red flags to raise if they saw anything suspicious like a picture being taken outside of a specified "photograph zone." If a red flag was waved then our whole convoy of around 20 buses would have to be stopped and searched.

glad that didn't happen.

Being in North Korean immigration was a surreal experience. BLASTING over loudspeakers was a oddly cheerful song playing on a loop.

"bang kap sim ni da, bang kap sim ni daaaaaaa" with other choruses thrown in (nice to meet you, nice to meet yooooouuuuu)

The song was in stark contrast to the non-smiling, marching with straight leg, smaller than the average south korean, guards everywhere. They were everywhere. We waited for a long time for our chance to pass through immigration. No smiling, no stamping of the passport (sad), only of a piece of paper that they took away when we went back through immigration to South Korea, then I was in North Korea.

My first image upon entering were more guards walking around and some sad guy dressed up in a bear costume waving. The now eerie song was still playing.

North Korea is strange.

We all piled back into our buses and headed for our "tourist zone" We were not allowed to take any pictures while on the buses. We could only take pictures within the "zone" and on the specified mountains we were to climb. I will therefore describe what I saw.

North Korea looks not-surprisingly like the South Korean country-side. The main difference would have to be the tanks and rocket launchers on top of every third hill. Not even an exaggeration. There were 3~4 of each on every third hill. There were also caves dug out of random hills that housed guns and other weapons.

Another stark difference would be the lack of cars. I saw ONE truck the entire time I was there disregarding military vehicles. It was pumping out so much black smoke I thought it was about ready to explode. The smoke was explained shortly after. Apparently the North Koreans are so short on gas that they run their vehicles on wood. Not quite sure how they do that...kinda crappy that they have to.

A third difference was how many people were working int he fields together. North Korea is a communist dictatorship. This means that everyone works together on Government farms. In South Korea they have just as many farms in the countryside however I was apparently used to seeing one of two people working in them because it was blatantly obvious to me that there were numerous workers in every field.

Finally their houses. They had actual houses, no apartments, and they were all the same. The same small rancher style made out of what looked like bleached concrete. Every village was surrounded by a wall. The villagers have to get permission from the post office (staffed with guards) to leave the village.

North Korea was beautiful. Green and lush, quiet and peaceful. The trucks and rocket-launchers didn't bother me, nor did the guards. I've lived in South Korea long enough and been to the DMZ for this to be normal. I currently live in a country being occupied by the USA. I see soldiers everyday. Military helicopters fly over my apartment in formation at 10:30 every morning.

The mountains that we climbed were really nice, with words carved in the rock faces EVERYWHERE done by the Kims. I'm not entirely sure if these are all over the entire country, or more concentrated in this part due to the visitors. That way we can think they're everywhere ;)

Beyond that there's not all that much to say about North Korea. I was REALLY restricted in what I could experience. It was all picture perfect and i'm sure it was made to be as such.

and...that be all. I go to China in 9 days with 20 friends. that'll be pretty cool.

teehee

2007-06-28T00:32:00.000+09:00

I leave for China in 24 days. THEN I leave for Thailand 15 days later.

teehee.

the good, the bad, and the ugly...and the realization

2007-06-18T22:32:00.000+09:00

...i need to update about north korea. i'll do that after this.

first, for my own sanity, i must create a few lists about korea. I have 34 days left in this country and 24 teaching days left (not that i'm counting). Today was a particularly bad anti-korea day. They happen for no reason in particular. It could have been because I talked to my parents today, maybe because it's Monday, or it could be due to numerous other reasons. Regardless...if i had the choice to leave Korea tonight. i would.

i've expereinced days like this before, as has every teacher residing within this country. I know that it's not all bad though. I know that at times it can be amazing and in certain situations I have been known to proclaim "THIS is why I love this country."

I shall therefore compose a few lists to remind myself. And also to explain to others who may be confused by people living in Asia when their moods change with such frequency.

List #1
The Good - things that kick ass about this place

1. the people
2. the kids
3. the money
4. the shopping
5. the food
6. confusism
7. nature
8. lifestyle
9. travel/transportation

List #2
The Bad - things that range from annoying to downright angering

1. the people
2. the kids
3. the money
4. the food
5. confusism
6. treatment of animals
7. nature
8. taxi rides

...ok. i started writing this email. and i was all bitter and angry and ready to vent it all out on blogger.

then i got an email telling me that one of the people i've met here has died. Ciaran Gary was a friend who lived in my neighbourhood in Gumi. I hadn't talked to him in quite some time, but knew for sure that if I ever ended up in Cork, Ireland I'd be looking him up.
He had a massive asthma attack while on the way to pick up his girlfriend at the airport. She was coming from Korea for a visit.

Suddenly all of those complaints I had about Korea are gone. Whatever. It's a cool place. Things piss me off, but hell, things piss me off about Canada. I can choose to be bitter like I was a mere hour ago, or I can choose to brush it off and focus on the good.

Ignore the lists... I shall keep them there to remind myself of the mindset I had before I got the email, and after. They may look the same to you, but I know the sentences that were to follow each heading.

I'll update about North Korea later...promise. as for right now. i have emails to write to some friends.

I'm this uniqie...yet the RCMP can still screw it up.

2007-05-30T10:07:00.001+09:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
0
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

That's cuz I'm from Canada. obviously.

However there are NO Inrig's at ALL in America! Crazy.

hi

2007-04-23T12:36:00.000+09:00

i honestly don't have that much to write about. this past month has been a month of planning more than doing. i have paid for trips to Nepal, North Korea and China and am therefore sufficiently broke. I have ordered tickets (that my school will pay for WOOHOO) to Athens via Bangkok. I've looked into flights around SEAsia...$55 bucks to Hanoi from Bangkok...thank you! $30 return to Phuket...yes, i'll take that. I've hummed and hawed about whether to go to Germany or Great Britain. My heritage lies in both places. I have places to stay in Germany, not in Great Britain, but with those places come complications that are difficult to explain. It is because of those that I think I shall go to Great Britain. A flight from London to Inverness is approximately $40. I'll head up to Wick mid-October...see the place my great-grandfather was born. Hopefully meet some other Inrigs (they actually exist) then head down through Scotland, into England. Hit up Chester cuz I LOVE it, then London to Halifax for a road trip up to Newfoundland (I've been pracitcing my newfie-speak - I'm serious). The thing is tho that it'll be pretty wet in GB at that time...however. I'm not made of sugar, nor am I in any way a newbie to hanging out in the rain. Don't call it the Wet Coast for nothin, eh?

Beyond that...I don't have much to say. Went to Cirque du Soleil the other weekend, that was amazing. My friend Niqie is coming over here for a week from Japan before she heads back home to Canada.

The weather's finally warming up, the cherry blossoms are starting to fall and it's becomming green again. Finally, a pretty Korea. Strawberry season is coming to a close, sad because they are so cheap and SO good here. It's already begun to get humid...as it likes to do right before the rainy season (stupid monsoons). I figure it'll probably rain a storm when we're in North Korea, but that's ok. Again, really used to that.

That be all for this moment. I go to North Korea May 13 so after that I'll have pictures and stuff...possibly actual stories.

take care!

I'm back

2007-03-28T01:42:00.000+09:00

after a brief mental sojourn from society I have returned. I'm sure from some previous entries people must have thought I'd gone off the deep end. It's not that, it's just that sometimes Korea wears thin.

Anyways, about Korea wearing thin. Second time around is just as fun, it just seems like 2nd years go for a bit different fun. I'm not up for the craziness of first year, things are no longer new and exciting. It's fine, it's still fun, but way more relaxed. I'm here for the money. People come here for the experience, stay for the money...it's a truth. If the money sucked, the vast majority wouldn't be back.

So, I'm here, I'm sticking it out, making my money to travel afterwards and plastering a smile on my face. Life's still good, I just needed a break from the reality of it all. I actually didn't bring my iPod to work one day and didn't try to block out the world. That's a step forward.

Looking forward to Cirque de Soleil real soon, bungee jumping sometime soon, North Korea in May and planning of my whirlwind China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, Mt. Everest Base Camp, UAE, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Germany excursion.

(I say that about my trip...but plans change, they always do)
I can dooooooo it ;)

sad but true

2007-03-28T01:39:00.000+09:00

possibly the best video EVER

Happy Birthday Dad!!

2007-03-17T01:54:00.000+09:00

A wonderful song just for you...performed by my youngest class!

We worked on it alot...but they still got screwed up a bit in the end. camera fright ;)

They LOVE the song though (as most 8 year olds do) ...everyone is now a monkey, and they definetly smell. I love my job!

I love you, and wish you a wonderful day!

having cake and eating it too

2007-03-04T00:25:00.000+09:00

imagine a life in which all you had to do every day was eat chocolate cake.

i'm not talking about dry-ass, flaky icing cake. I'm talking moist (i hate that word...but it works), delicious, thick icing, make your mouth water by looking at it, kick-ass cake.

that's it. you eat cake (and you don't get fat).

Then imagine that all of your friends ALSO only eat cake. That you get paid famously for doing so thus enabling you and your friends a lifestyle that rivals those of the people you see on television (picture the OC).

Cake, lots of cake.

Every day, you eat cake. Thick, rich, chocolate cake.

Every day.

The point is...the more you think about it, the more you imagine that you'd probably get sick of cake, eh? Even if instead, once every two weeks, you mixed it up a bit and had say...angel food cake. You'd still be sick of cake.

And you'd probably fondly remember the times when you were excited about eating so much cake. And wish that you still liked cake, because now something that was once so wonderful is a daunting task to finish.

Bite by bite you struggle through your daily piece of chocolate cake. Some days are better than others. Some days you actually crave chocolate and it's a good day.

Other days all you want is a nice healthy piece of fruit, but that's not possible. you only have cake.

It's sad because you used to really like cake. Cake is now sad, you don't like cake.

If you've figured out that i'm not randomly talking about cake...kudos. your gold star is in the mail.

Korea is awesome. the analogy works perfectly really. korea is cake. the job's awesome and easy. we do get paid famously. we do whatever we want. it's been a wonderfully marvelous experience that i would never trade for anything.

but i'm sick of cake. i look at a piece of chocolate cake and want to barf.

i want normality. the things that were once so excitingly new and different are now frustrating.

Today the power cord for my computer busted. I now face the task of finding a new one. I don't WANT to struggle through daily routines anymore. i want to go out, know where i'll find what i'm looking for, be able to converse with the person from whom i shall be purchasing what i want, buy it, and go home.

i want to blend in. i want to not feel obligated (i don't anymore anyways - i'm WAY over that) to every person who wants to "practice their english" while on the subway. I want to not have my guard up everytime i leave the house, ready for any and every random situation.

People like me because i'm a foreigner or they hate me because i'm a foreigner. I don't want to be "liked", i don't know you, i don't owe you anything, yet if you like me and want to talk to me, then i don't want to crush your views by being a bitch, but that's what happens. i don't want to talk to random people almost EVERY DAY.
if you hate me, then that's your fault. i didn't do shit. it wasn't me. i'm sorry if some military asshole was an asshole to you or if you think I'm a slut because you've watched far too much Baywatch. it wasn't me.

Now...if it was me, then by all means, go ahead and be pissed. i'm sure i've pissed off my fair share of koreans (probably more so in the last few months then all of my time here combined - it's gotten that bad)

I am NOT your friend just because i'm a foreigner and you can speak a little english. I do not WANT to be your friend. I don't want to say hello to EVERY random person who says hello to me because they know that word. (kids are ok, that's cute...but anyone over the age of 15 is just weird).

I want NORMAL RELATIONSHIPS. Not fake-ass-short-lived-will-only-ever-be-such-because-our-reality-is-constantly-changing relationships.
I want to not be browsing MySpace looking at profiles of military guys who will only move to Germany or Italy in 4 months anyways. I want to not be approached by these guys and be told by them that they're "different." I want normality, a possible future. Cake has no future, it has a shelf life, it gets hard and flaky after time. Then you throw it away.

We all have expiration dates in this country. to pretend otherwise is to be walking blind.

I want to be able to open up. I know that I'm closed off because I don't see the point anymore in being open. Why? Why open up? The change only hits harder then. Stay closed and the change doesn't hurt.

I'm hard now. Way harder then I've ever been my whole life. In part it's been good for me. For my future career it's been a good thing, however it's gone too far. I need to be able to turn it off. I can't learn how to do that here.

I get frustrated astoundingly easy. My cake gag reflex has reached critical proportions. I could probably see a picture of cake and feel nauseous. I need to learn how to change this. I know it's happening, that's the most frustrating part. I know that for the rest of my life I'll never be able to eat chocolate cake again, yet there is nothing I can do to stop it. i'm obligated to keep eating cake. I see the demise of my taste-buds, know what to do to stop it, yet can't.

I remember when I first got here. My roommate had been here for 3 years and was leaving in a few months. I remember not being able to understand her attitude. I was beyond pumped just looking at the mounds of cake in front of me. Rose-colored glasses up the friggin wazoo. Then, she'd open her mouth and so much negativity came out! Imagine, someone who didn't want to eat cake everyday!!! Was she crazy?

I chalked it up to yes, obviously she was, and dug in.

I'm now her. New people arrive and I hear myself saying the same "crazy" remarks. I try to stop myself, but for some reason I feel almost obligated to "warn" these people that the rose-colored glasses are just that...glasses. But, is that my place? No, not in the least.

I wouldn't have listened, and neither will they. Everyone must experience this, the cake eating and the nausea that ensues. Again, i'm forever grateful that I have. It's changed me for the better, and for the worse. I know how it's changed me for the worse and what I must do to remedy that.

If anything, maybe the "bad" changes are in turn "good". I now know what i don't' want to be, and once i jump back from this i'll know what i can accomplish within myself.

I'll suck it up. I know how to suck things up...i've been sucking it up for over 2 years.

Over 2 years in Asia. wow.

who knows.

i want an apple.

somewhat, kinda, decision time

2007-02-27T23:58:00.000+09:00

My last day in Korea has been set! My last day of work is officially July, 24! I THINK I've decided to not do a summer camp and go to China instead. I'll really have to look into how much this is going to cost. I can do it, I can totally do it easily, it's just a matter of not buying anymore clothes (ouch).

Plans have changed a bit from before. A month ago I was going to travel China with two of my friends, we were then going to head into Nepal and climb Mt. Everest to the base camp. That'd be AWESOME. However, things change, we adjust, and now I'm at it alone. However much fun climbing Mt. Everest would be (or...lack of fun, abundance of wicked pictures to look at afterwards - and bragging rights) I don't really wanna join a two-week tour alone. I'd need my friends around me for motivation!

Thing's could still change again. I'm still interested in climbing that mountain. I'd cut out Italy for it in a heartbeat if I changed my mind. (Italy's a place you can go back to when you're older...Mt. Everest, not so much)

I. Don't. Know. Help.

North Korea! and...dilemma. Russia or China?

2007-02-25T23:30:00.000+09:00

I have officially reserved for a trip to North Korea in May. I'll be going with a group of friends. Really...it's not AS exciting as it sounds. We go barely over the border and climb a mountain BUT I get to say that I spent a night there and that's more than a lot of people can say. Two friends of mine, Jen and Lisa, went on a trip there last year and had a terrific time. Appaerently it's like, clean. No garbage anywhere. I can't even imagine a clean Korea! Sadly though, you don't get a stamp in your passport. They stamp this piece of paper they put in your passport, then take the paper when you leave. I think that's dumb, but it would probably save a LOT of hassles at any future border crossings.

"no, really...I went to North Korea as a tourist. Yes, I know...that's weird. But really, I did."

right. Those American border guards'd believe me in an instant.

Here's a list of the restrictions for the trip!!

9. Banned items list and other regulations
Mobile phones and other communications devices are not permitted.
Cameras with telephoto lenses of more than160mm and binoculars with zooming capabilities of 10 times or more are banned.
All electronic equipment must be checked at the Guemgang Condo before departing for North Korea. This includes all cameras, battery chargers, PDAs, video cameras, notebook computers, calculators & CDP, and MP3 players.
Newspapers and magazines from South Korea aren't permitted.
You are allowed to bring personal reading material but please take the subject matter into consideration.
You must ALWAYS wear your ID (you will get this before you arrive in NK) around your neck. You will be fined if it lost or damaged.
Must carry your passport and ID with you at all times.
You are not permitted to bring alcohol or other food items into North Korea.
Washing hands and/or feet is not allowed in the fresh water springs (fine is $15). Also, please be aware of the NO SMOKING areas and do not leave cigarette butts on ground.
Do not take any natural objects(such as rocks)
Only US dollars and credit cards are accepted.
There are many large rocks with engraving done by the government. Do not touch or lean on these rocks.
You may speak with the North Korean people that you meet, but you may not take random pictures of them, including pictures from inside the bus. In addition, please be careful of the conversation topics when speaking with North Koreans.
DO NOT talk about politics, diplomatic relations, economics and other such sensitive issues.

Anyways, it'll be great, i'll update on it for sure.

NOW, next dilemma. I've extended my contract here at Youngdo until the end of July. I am to meet my paretns in Greece the end of September. I wanted to extend with Youngdo until August, but that's not possible.

My options are as follows:

1) try to get a summer camp for a month (until mid-August), travel Germany, Switzerland,
Italy and meet my parents

2) go to China, Hong Kong, travel Germany, Switzerland, Italy and meet my parents

3) go to Russia, Denmark, travel Germany, Switzerland, Italy and meet my parents

I'm gonna try for the summer camp option. ...i think. The extra money would be sweet, however I also lose out on travelling through China or Russia. Keep in mind that after meeting my parents I then travel through Great Britain to Newfoundland then home...this is kind of going to cost an arm and a leg.

I have a few months to figure this out...and save my little tushie off. The trip to North Korea's NOT going to help with this saving thing, but come ON!! it's NORTH KOREA!

stupid life and its stupid decisions ;)

ok, i lied

2007-02-19T21:14:00.000+09:00

they were $40. damnit.

and then they went and spelt the name wrong on two jerseys...one was a waegook mistake, one was theirs. doesn't EVERYONE know that Luongo is not spelt Lungo?? I mean, seriously.

The jersey looked pretty funny though, however to wear it out would be quite the idiot move. It's being fixed.

I have to go get the wrong jerseys on wednesday now...another hour trip both ways. totally worth it tho. bring on the live games at RMT.

bryan...you're now cut off the jersey train. 8 jeresey's has got to be enough now eh?

cheap hockey jersey extravaganza

2007-02-13T00:31:00.000+09:00

totally buying hockey jersey's to wear to the downloaded screenings of the hockey games at the canadian pub in itaewon for...

20,000 each...

that's like $25.

yes, they're real...they're made here then shipped over to Canada and sold for $200.

muahahahaha

tha kiddies singing some wonderful songs that their wonderful teacher taught them....p.s....that's me

2007-02-01T01:41:00.001+09:00

This was my youngest class for the intensive period. Basic 3. Singing songs is a part of our daily life...

"Chris is a name, it has a biiiiggggg letter"

One day, one of the kids asked me how to spell "ugly." I immediately burst into "U.G.L.Y you ain't' got no alibi, you're UGLY, yaya, you're UGLY, yaaaa" The kids picked it up, and the "Ugly Song" came into existence as a daily ritual.

They will never forget how to spell ugly again.

The next song after that is a cheerleading chant I stole from Jen. Our books name is Let's Go. And I say "let's go!" quite often in class. Teaching them that chant was a fun thing, but it got sort of annoying when they'd break it out almost everytime I absentmindedly said "ok, guys, get out your books, let's go!"

and...finally. the last song is a screamed version (they're kind of excited by this point) of a Korean chant song (Dae Han Min Guk is Korea in Hangul). The song starts out with "let's go together"...Konglish at it's finest...so our cheerleading chant would often lead into this song.

Lucky me!!!

They were soooo cute though. And high energy...just what you need to get urself through your second round of 3 hour classes!

krista, science teacher extraordinaire

2007-01-30T23:00:00.000+09:00

Today was the first day of new classes. Tues/Thurs are 2 3-hr long classes. MUCH better than the 3 3-hr long classes I've been teaching previously. Life was grand tonight when I got to walk out after only teaching for 6 hours.

grand, I tell you!!

my first class was a Basic 5. Sounds like what it means...they speak basic English.

I can ____
I like ____
He likes ____

Normally I do just swell in classes like this. These kids are young, excited...i can get them to sing. Yet today I learned that all young kids are not alike.

I have a class...for 3 hours...12 grade 5 kids.

who don't talk.

oh no, wait...that's a lie. there is ONE student...ONE. who was up, out of his seat, off the wall ADHD. The rest are lumps. Preparing for Middle School already apparently. greeeeaaatttt.

ok ok...it possibly won't be that bad. It's quite likely that they were just nervous and quiet. However, I've been a teacher for quite some time now. I can tell when kids are just being quiet, but will change...and when they're quiet and won't. I get a big vibe of the latter with this bunch.

Super.

Bring on the Krista show.

anyways, we'll see...

I went to school early today to get all my books and junk. Got the basic books...glanced at them. A stupid story about getting a ball and how Kim likes soccer...blah. grammar about the "be" verb. I'm all over that stuff.
I then went on a search for my next classes books. A class I'd never taught before.

and stared at the book in front of me when I found it....Science 5. Our Living World.

I'm a science teacher now???
I kinda panicked...I have a crim degree. I don't DO science. The last time I learned about any of the stuff I was frantically scanning over was in Bio 12 - 7 years ago. The class during which I sat in the back and copied Ange's notes because I couldn't see the board (this is also the class in which i realized I needed glasses). Great.

but, actually...it wasn't bad.

I only have 4 kids in the class. They're all obviously of a pretty high English level. We chat, we discuss stuff, we learn about science to-get-her.
Before we even cracked the science book I was straight up with them.

"guys, I have a criminal justice degree. ...ya...look it up. yes, police. ya...i know. ok, anyways, so I don't really study science. I do however, understand the general idea so I can answer your questions. If anything guys, I'll be more interested cuz I'm learning too."

They got it, and we started in on our communal adventure into the world of cells and their structures.

So, today I taught about cells, what's in a cell (many things - big words), and how scientists discovered cells.

AND I didn't do too bad at all. Yay for Bio 12. Apparently a lot of it sunk in and hid away in some corner of my brain. It could also be that I've been a teacher for so long that I've mastered the ability to bullshit anything to look like I already knew it.

I vote for the bullshit theory. Theory...another word I explained today.

I kinda feel like an actual teacher now!!
Hurrah!! 2 years in!!

why intensives suck...and asia sucks sometimes too, but how ABBA can cure all

2007-01-29T21:15:00.000+09:00

I hate feeling how I've felt the past two weeks. I'm not an overly bitchy person, but the feeling that I need to lash out at people has been so overwhelming lately it's been necessary that I remove myself from the presence of others on occasion.

it's ridiculous.

I know exactly what the cause is, and I can blatantly see what's happening, hence why I remove myself from situations. There's no need to offend anyone or get into a random fight just because I'm in a mood.

Intensives have sucked my soul, as they have everyone else's. I'm not claiming to have had a harder time at all. We're all in the same boat. I think it's just the lack of sleep coupled with PMS, a constantly changing social life, cloudy coldness and Asia in general that have hit me harder this past month.

Thank god I have random ABBA on my iPod to make me smile on my walks home...it's true. strange, but true.

However, to know that you're in a mood, and to try VERY hard to do something about it, to no avail, puts me in a WORSE mood! I hate being angry at my kids for no reason. They don't deserve it, they have far harder lives than I do. They work their little tushies off day in and day out. They study more than I did in University and have far more dedication. They've been really understanding of my moods, they get it, they're tired too...but it's still not fair to them. It's not been fair to anyone.

It's so horrible when you can hear words coming out of your mouth, hear them in your head before you even say them, realize the effect their going to have, yet for some reason have little control over that step during which they're released from your mouth. I. Hate. It.

I hate ranting in the teacher's room about my kids, about how horrible they were...when really. they probably did nothing. especially when there are 26 other teachers in that same room, all feeling the same as me. For which...if any of you are reading this. I'm sorry.
I'm over it. I can't wait for work to not be my whole life anymore. If there's one thing intensives teaches you it's that work can not be someones entire life. It'll drive you insane.

*future goal...have a job that I love enough that if i HAVE to work 11 hours a day for 20 days, I don't want to shoot myself afterwards

My goal is to start fresh tomorrow. 5 new classes. 5 new sets of kids. A regular 2~10 schedule again. I'm going to go to school early, scrub down my classroom, get my books, do my lesson plans, and be totally prepared for class before any other teacher even arrives. That way I'll be prepared and won't have to rush around the other 26 teachers all frantically trying to get books, photocopy test sheets (from the 2 machines) for their new classes that day.

A fresh start, a fresh mind, a fresh classroom, fresh kids...i should hit up the jimjilbang (public bath/spa) in the morning just to ensure TOTAL freshness...hmmm good idea...

wish me luck!

finally the ice fishing update

2007-01-28T16:11:00.000+09:00

Today I cleaned my room. It wasn't disgusting like "ew...what is THAT in your sink??" It was more you couldn't walk because clothes and reeces peanut butter cup wrappers were strewn everywhere. I did a lot of laundry, dusted, swept and mopped my floor and have real good intentions of bringing out the garbage. go me!

After 20 days of working 11 hours a day, coming home, marking for an hour, and going to bed to do it all again, intensives are over tomorrow. thank god.

There was no time to clean...ok, there was, but I had no motivation. If many options of things to do were presented to you on a week-day night I could only choose one. Doing more than one event in an evening was far too much. Cleaning fell by the wayside.

BUT

IT'S DONE!!! and the paycheck will be here shortly!

So now, I also have time to update on the ice fishing weekend...the pics are already up, but the entry has been lacking. and trust me. that weekend needs an update. any weekend that invovles drunk, naked korean men covered in soot deserves an update!!

Friday night we all went to bed early...out of exhaustion due to intensives and necessity because we were getting up crack of dawnish the next day. The 12 of us who were going met at Gangnam station at 7:30am. To our wonderful surprise we found a McDonalds serving breakfast AND a krispy kreme donuts right next to eachother. We each purcahsed from both establishment and headed for the Adventure Korea buses...or...we tried to.

We knew what stop we were supposed to meet the buses at...but no one had told us exactly where we were supposed to meet in the station. It's a BIG station...many many buses. We got lost. We were only like 10 minutes late, but it all worked out. We had to split up between the two buses for the journey to the festival, but separation makes the heart grow fonder right??

We get to the festival. The actual festival was fun...actually pretty warm, the sun was shining, the sky was a wonderful blue (NO SMOG), there were many koreans (but we're used to that), there was beer, there was fishing. it was all around a good time. The fishing got kinda boring after a time tho...as fishing often does. Especially when there are literally thousands of people all standing on one ice covered lake-thing fishing AT THE SAME TIME. I'm sorry, there can NOT be that many fish in the water. I looked in my fishing hole for a long time...I never saw a fish swim by.

There were other events as well...quite a few of my friends decided it would be a good idea to jump into a very cold pool of water to try to catch fish with their bare hands. I was sick ;) so i didn't do it. I also have sense...or a lack of adventure. you be the judge. Some of them caught fish, some didn't...all in all it made for good videos and pics.

At around 4 we all headed back to the tour buses for the trip to our cabins in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. It was supposed to be a half an hour jaunt. It took closer to an hour when we included a stop at the store, but it was a fun, singing filled hour. There were two tour buses FULL of foreigners. It was good times.

We're dropped off, in the dark, at some school. then told that we have to walk 1 km, or 5 minutes, to the cabin. I've been in Korea for awhile. I know this is a lie.

we walk for 20 minutes in the snow and COLD (it's now dark), uphill, to our cabins. Ah well, I said I knew it was a lie...we didn't bitch that much. When we got there we put ourselves into our cabins. 10 people in each cabin. We had 10 then we added one more girl who Martha had met on her bus. She was on the tour alone because her friends had said they were gonna sign up, but then forgot.

The cabin was nice, a big bathroom, one bedroom with a bed then lots of floor room to put down our mats. We set-up then headed for our galbi dinner.

with our wine. hence the c.l.a.s.s.y. pics ;)

We ate a great dinner, drank some wine, then everyone headed up to the bonfire.

It was fabulous to see stars. We literally were in the middle of nowhere, 20 clicks from the DMZ (North Korea border). It was very cold, but with snowpants, sweaters, toques, scarfs, gloves and jackets we were all good. It very much reminded me of home. A bunch of people crowded around a bonfire in the booneys drinking, laughing, singing and talking. It was great, but then the reality of intensives hit and most of our cabin stumbled towards bed around 12:30. We left the two boys in our cabin and the girl we didn't know up at the campfire.

I woke up at 1:30 to Lyndsay saying "wake UP!!" I gave her a look of digust, to which she replied "not you, HIM!"

I rolled over to find a korean man sleeping on the floor next to me.

we didn't know any korean men on this trip...

He also had no pants on. He had nothing on his lower half. He was covered in soot. he was very much passed out.

now there are 9 girls, very awake in a room...yelling at him.

he really didn't understand. he put his long johns on (it's really that cold...you need those) and continued to sit there, staring at all of us. I literally had to reach down, grab him by the collar, and pick him off the floor. We're all yelling at him to get out. He didn't speak any English. You'd think that if you'd accidentally stumbled into a room and passed out, woken up to 9 foreign girls yelling at you, that you'd realize your mistake and leave. this guy wasn't getting it. It took lyndsay smoking him with a pillow and me physically removing him from the building to get rid of him.

He came back 5 minutes later for his pants...it was -15.

We calmed down and fell back asleep...I slept a little closer to Lyndsay because the other side of my mat was covered in soot from the korean guys legs and ass. nice.

We woke up the next morning and started re-hashing the previous evenings events with clearer minds. It was then that I glanced over at the girl who had woken up on the other side of the korean man. This was the girl whom none of us had known previously to this trip.

She also had no pants on...and had soot on her..uhh..bottom.

It clicked...

when we were trying to kick the guy out the night before, I had been trying to hand him pants, to get him clothed!! but she said "no, those are my pants" so i gave them to her...not really thinking about it. figuring she had pjs on.

she didn't.

if you do not know a room full of people, you do not sleep in ur underwear. also...why was she covered in soot.

well...we had left her up at a bonfire hadn't we.

ok, girl got together with a korean guy...whatever.

but then i realize that...wait a second. they're both covered in ash, so they obviously were fooling around outside by the fire. that's given. BUT the fire was far away. It was -15 outside. the guy did not waddle all the way back to our cabin with his pants around his ankles.

ahhh the girl got together with the drunk korean guy next to me. i don't know her. harsh. if it had been one of my friends i would've laughed at them and never let 'em forget it, but that'd be that.

however...i didn't know this girl. to me that's big disrespect. it's like saying. well...i don't give two shits about you or any of the people in this room, so i'm gonna do whatever i want. it's bull. we let her stay with us. we befriended her. thanks for the payback chick!

i'm not that mad anymore...nor was I really that mad then. it was more shocking than anything.

also...when we were screaming at buddy she never said boo. It's understandable now as to why he was so confused. he had been invited there! felt kinda bad for man-handling him...oh well. life's life.

SO we woke up, girl high-tailed it outta our cabin and we never saw her again. We went to breakfast and chilled for the rest of the day. We could have gone on a hike or stayed behind at the cabins. we chose the latter. It was wonderful just to chill in a nature setting. Everything covered in snow, beautiful clear blue sky, fresh air. It was fabulous.

Then we got back on the tour buses and sat in a traffic jam for 4 hours till we got home. Back to the starless, natureless, smog-filled Seoul.

it was much more memorable than our staff party.

don't worry

2007-01-19T07:44:00.000+09:00

don't worry!! i'm not completely retarded.

i do know for a fact that today is...

FRIDAY!!!!!

...thank god. only 7 more working days including today. wish me luck. i'll need it.

intensives and how they suck your soul

2007-01-18T08:01:00.000+09:00

just thought i'd quickly comment on how, this morning, as i was getting ready, i couldn't remember what day it was.

not just the date (1/18), but the actual day...

"is it wednesday? thursday?? i'm pretty certain it's not tuesday....it can't be friday. i swear i'd be happier if it was friday. unless i didn't know it was friday, then i wouldn't be happy until i found out...is it friday??? sweet....i hope it's friday."

it took 20 MINUTES for me to figure it out. I finally determined that it wasn't tuesday because i forgot i'd had an open class on that day...i'd definitly done that. so tuesday was out. it wasn't friday, because i'd be happier for sure. the race was on between wednesday and thursday.

i finally got it, by thinking about how many days it took to finish this retardedly boring story i'm reading in one of my classes...we started on friday, read it for 4 days and finished yesterday, i did a happy dance when we finished - i distinctly remember the happy dance. that means yesterday was wednesday and today is thursday.

i think i work too much. getting up at 6:45, working from 8:45~8, coming home and marking for at least an hour, then going to sleep to do it all over again apparently gets to you after awhile!!

good thing i have the weekend to...catch up on my marking. DAMNIT

Where I live!!

2007-01-17T21:17:00.000+09:00

You can zoom out!! and see where I live in correlation with Seoul and the rest of Korea!!

2007-01-16T22:32:00.000+09:00

Martha, Phyllis, Dawne and Jen

2007-01-16T22:31:00.000+09:00

maaaany speeches were held on this stage...

2007-01-16T22:29:00.001+09:00

an evening away from my best friends isn't the WORST thing in the world...separation makes the heart grow fonder :)

2007-01-16T22:29:00.000+09:00

a few teachers

2007-01-16T22:27:00.000+09:00

Ginny, myself, Ashley, Jen and Lyndsay after Ashley won the "best counsellor of the year" award

and she IS the best counsellor EVER!!!

2007-01-16T22:24:00.000+09:00

Tinpan...we really do try to get away from this place...it has a magnetic pull or something

2007-01-16T22:23:00.000+09:00

Ginny and Jen just love teaching soooooo much!!

2007-01-16T22:22:00.000+09:00

gettin friendly with the locals

2007-01-16T22:21:00.000+09:00

a) what kind of fishing pole is this
b) why does my head look so big in the picture?

2007-01-16T22:14:00.000+09:00

someone caught fish...but not us

2007-01-16T22:12:00.000+09:00

Ginny and Lyndsay slip-sliding away

2007-01-16T22:11:00.001+09:00

any fish down there lynds?

2007-01-16T22:11:00.000+09:00

makin' a hole

2007-01-16T22:10:00.000+09:00

Tom, Danielle, and jen...tom actually caught a fish!!!!

2007-01-16T22:09:00.000+09:00

Brooks and Ginny being excited about their future catches

2007-01-16T22:08:00.000+09:00

this is what ice fishing in korea looks like...a smidge different from the lone hut in the middle of nowhere i'd imagined

2007-01-16T22:07:00.001+09:00

snow :)...really think it was mad-made...but i wouldn't know because i've never felt that before

2007-01-16T22:07:00.000+09:00

girls and a snow sculpture

2007-01-16T22:06:00.000+09:00

Ginny, Dan, Lyndsay, Jen and me!!!....and many koreans...on ice that's not THAT thick

2007-01-16T22:04:00.000+09:00

silly people lined up in the freeeeezing cold in shorts and t-shirts

2007-01-16T22:03:00.000+09:00

then they jumped into the -15C water and caught fish with their bare hands...

my friends also did this. i did not. i was already sick...and now they are too.

2007-01-16T22:00:00.000+09:00

jen said i ruined the picture...ouch

2007-01-16T21:59:00.000+09:00

so i was sad

2007-01-16T21:58:00.000+09:00

but then jen explained it all to me

2007-01-16T21:56:00.000+09:00

so we were friends again...crisis averted

2007-01-15T22:33:00.001+09:00

where's mine?

2007-01-15T22:33:00.000+09:00

we can go this low

2007-01-15T22:32:00.001+09:00

Ginny, me, Jen, Lyndsay - finally a cute pic with all of us

2007-01-15T22:32:00.000+09:00

happy dance with the tour guide

2007-01-15T22:30:00.000+09:00

the epitome of class...or lack thereof

2007-01-15T22:29:00.000+09:00

the fire needed more wood...

2007-01-15T22:27:00.000+09:00

we thought we could break it with our hands and feet...my dad's a logger. maybe it's in the genes or something.

it's not.

2007-01-15T22:23:00.000+09:00

then we fell...it was a balance in the snow thing.
not to do with drinking

2007-01-15T22:21:00.000+09:00

laughin with our "firewood"

2007-01-15T22:17:00.000+09:00

"teacher, home go time!!!"

2007-01-15T22:16:00.000+09:00

Dan and Lynds...dan's apparently more excited to be going home that lyndsay is

home, and a staff party i'll easily forget

2007-01-15T21:52:00.000+09:00

so, for those of you completely out of the loop...i went home for christmas.

I left Korea on December 22 at 6pm, flew back in time and arrived in Campbell River at 4pm the same day. I was home for 10 days. That sounds like a decent amount of time, but when you're battling jet lag, the Christmas season, and catching up with EVERYONE YOU KNOW, it's kinda of trying. I'm very glad I went home and it was great to see everyone, especially my family, but it was also really hard to leave. It wasn't long enough. I felt like I had absolutely no relaxation time, that everything had been rushed, and knew that I was coming straight back to 11 hour work days starting at 8:30. stress = boooooo
On the other hand, leaving was easy since I now consider Korea home. ...or a home away from home anyways. Getting on the plane was easy, knowing full well what was on the other side of that long trip.

again, really glad I did it and wouldn't have traded it for any trip to Thailand. It was fabulous to see everyone and especially to surprise my grandpa!

It just wasn't long enough, there were always people around. I didn't really get a chance to just chill with my parents and brother. Bryan was also visiting from out of town and was therefore gone a lot of the time doing his catching up. There were planned dinners almost every night, people came from other towns to visit, christmas was involved...that's an instant time eater.

There was one definetly memorable truly Campbell River night out at which my friend Katie who just left Korea was in attendance at. We did it up true Riv style.

I got up the mountain once with my family, for a beautiful day of snowboarding. Whenever I go home, be it just from the Mainland, or Asia, I remember how truly beautiful the North Island is. Campbell Riverites are truly blessed. I love where I'm from. It's astounding in it's beauty. We'll see how Switzerland holds up around this time next year....

I'll have to stick around longer next time i'm there ;)

ok, now for the back in Korea updates.

I'll start with two weekends ago...and the Youngdo staff party. It was a big party...there were over 200 teachers there. Some would think "sweet, what an awesome party!" and it would have been....had it been held in North America. A Korean staff party consists of real good food and about a million speeches. You should never leave your table. You should clap a lot. You should watch kinda funny videos of your friends teaching. You should try not to look like you want to kill yourself.

ok, it wasn't THAT bad. It was just 4 hours of my life that I'll never get back. I've been more bored. A few times.

It was held in one of the most expensive hotels in Korea, in a huge ballroom that would've been kick ass for a party. oh well...I got to see some teachers from other schools that I don't see that often. We went out afterwards all dolled-up to Gangnam and Hongdae and made our OWN fun! HAH!!!

Seriously, I don't have anything else to report from my huge company christmas/new years staff party than that beyond they gave us dinky towels with YES YOUNGDO embroidered on them. Sad.

I'm TOTALLY from BC

2007-01-15T20:51:00.000+09:00

Facebook is awesome because you can join these groups...I joined "You know you're from BC when..." and found this.

it's pretty frickin' sweet....and true!

You know you're from BC (granted, most of this generally applies to the lower mainland and vancouver island) when...
1. You know the provincial flower: the dogwood
2. You can taste the difference between Tim Hortons, Second Cup, and Seattle's Best.
3. Lower Mainland only: The last time there was snow, you were so confused you tried to snort it.
4. You can't tell, is marijuana still illegal?
5. You hate the Calgary Flames with a passion.
6. You point out vancouver landmarks in nearly every movie and TV show
7. You don't understand why Manitoba and Saskatchewan are considered western Canada
8. While driving on your morning commute, you switch between heat and air conditioning multiple times
9. You consider 2 degrees freezing cold
10. You know that there is actually a town called Dawson Creek
11. You know how to distinguish between the different types of asian food
12. You know how to pronounce Squamish, Osoyoos, Ucluelet, Esquimalt, Sooke & Nanaimo.
13. You actually care about the CFL.
14. You still believe the Canucks have a shot at winning the stanley cup.
15. You can point out at least two ski resorts, even if the city is coated in fog.
16. A nice day means when you can see the mountains
17. You go bankrupt from paying your rent
18. You have come to accept that there are only two seasons - Cold and Rainy, and Warm and dry
19.( mostly vancouver) You find yourself giving half hour long explanations on what the skytrain is
20. You don't understand what's so great about toronto
21. You can't stand Albertan drivers. Not to mention getting stuck behind them on the Sea-to-Sky
22. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a 100% water proof raincoat
23. You know more people with boats than air conditioners
24. You have trouble figuring out why french is an official language or why we have to learn it in school
25. You swear that you're in China or Japan
26. You don't find it wierd that every time you go downtown, some crazy guy is talking to himself
27. Your premier was convicted of drunk driving
28. You know what venti and a macchiato are.
29. You ski and play golf in the same day
30. You are aware that Surrey, New West, Burnaby, Delta, Port Moody, North Van, West Van, White Rock, Abbostford, Langley and Richmond are NOT part of the City of Vancouver

31. You're confused when people from anywhere else say that the hill you just walked up is a mountain
32. You think that Atlantic Salmon doesn't even deserve to be called salmon when compared to Pacific Salmon
33. You've had a California roll for lunch.
34. You take the bus and are shocked to hear two people carrying on a conversation in English.
35. You don't even listen when the forecast announces "chance of showers."
36. The more expensive the car, the worse the driver.
37. when you get more excited about the canucks making the playoffs than you do about the olympics coming to vancouver
38. have to take a ferry to get to your capital city. - no i don't...silly people
39. you are aware that vancouver and vancouver island are not one in the same
40. You're legally an adult, but you still can only drive with one passenger in the car.
41. you can tell the difference between the fresh mountain air and the air in other provinces right when you get out of the airport
42. you know that your province started the "white towel" craze that so many other sports teams have borrowed.
43. you consider a week with no rain to be "good weather".
44. you drink the tap water
45. You know the only thing dividing China and India is the Fraser River
46. the only time you can get a tan is if you go to a tanning salon
47. when at any given time about 90% of people you pass on the street are wearing either LuLuLemmon or Mountain Equipment Co-Op clothing
48. climbing the grouse grind is something you do for fun
49. You HATE Mick McGeough
50. you hate the leafs for no real reason
51. you are SHOCKED to hear someone speaking French.
52. everytime you go out you see at least two people pulled over for speeding/street racing.
53. you can't stand when someone from outside Canada asks if your from Toronto.
54. you ask Albertans if they really have ski slopes.
55. the police don't respond to a crime scene because they are busy trying to find any reason to pull over a "N" license driver.
56. You are tired of people wanting to go to Barkerville
57. You know in Greater Vancouver that West Van, the west side, and the west end are all different places.
58. There are few things you hate more then following people from other provences on the highway because they aren't use to all the turning.
59. You have to check the sports headlines daily to find out who the new Canucks goalie is.
60. You chuckle when you say the words "fast ferries" ---i did
61. the news has extensive coverage of just how badly people in vancouver can drive in 3 inches of snow
62. you get a harsher punishment for having an extra passenger with an L license than your premier does for driving drunk
63. you leave the province to see the rest of Canada, you realize that there is nothing better to see.
64. You are genuinely confused with people that don't consider "Pirate Packs" to be an integral part of a healthy childhood.
65. You assume cab fares will cost a minimum of $25.
66. You're slightly irritated by the inaccuracies of Tony Hawk Underground's representation of Vancouver.
67. you think of Kokanee as a discount beer
68. your license is the hardest to fake of any province
69. you're surprised and pissed to have to pay for the luggage carts when you get to any other airport
70. you know that it's "Science World", not the "Telus World of Science".
71. when you don't like the weather you go inside and wait 15 minutes for it to change
72. you say "Im from kelowna" and the ontario-ian says "so do you miss ?" even after you have corrected them 5 times.....
73. your driving on the highway where the speed in the left lane is slower than the right lane
73. You have been lost in the woods on several occasions, you know you will be again, and you're ok with that.
74. You think $1.00/L is cheap for gas
75. you think about hockey or guns n roses when the word 'riot' is brought up
76. if you know what Gore-tex is and why it's important, if all your coats have hoods, and/or if you've spent more than 90 dollars on a rain jacket
77. your province's football team are Grey Cup Champs!
78. while celebrating, your province's football team became the only one to ever break the Grey Cup
79. You know what being "beyond Hope" means
80. Forest Fires are almost a tradition - just like Thanksgiving
81. 1994 means more to you than just the year of the OJ simpson case!
82. you return by plane and the first things you say is: "I can BREATHE!"
83. the first time you drive through the prairies you see no mountain, no trees, no ocean -- and promptly have a panic attack
84. you use the parking brake whenever you park because in bc you're always automatically parked on an incline.
85. the three main universities are on an island, peninsula and mountain top
86. you actually joined this group
87. You laugh when snow is mentioned in Victoria's weather forecast, and laugh harder when someone actually believes it.
88. you know that mt washington isn't actually in washington
89. all the graffiti you find is written in full sentances
90. you've heard about "the big one" and you just couldn't care less
91. You actually pull over to the right and slow down as soon as you faintly hear a siren..
92. You could read a decent size novel before you're admitted into the hospital
93. You know how scary it is to drive next to a loaded logging truck.
94. you'll add onto this because you know so many more traits that make us UNIQUE!!

intensives and...ya

2007-01-10T23:48:00.000+09:00

i work 11 hour days right now. I joined the gym. i'm kinda tired...but i refrain from bitching because of the overtime, my kids kick ass, and the fact that....

KOREA GOT McDONALD'S BREAKFASTS!!!!!

my life in Korea is now complete.

Last weekend was the Youngdo staff party...i'll put pics up in a bit. Next weekend is ICE FISHING. I shall post AFTER that so that there is more to write about (and better pictures for your enjoyment).

for now...

"if i had 5 days to live and could do anything I would meet with my girlfriend and have a lust date."

you go kevin!!

p.s. everyone should get a facebook. i can upload as many pictures on there as I want (and will do so). it's fabulous, however you can only check out everyone's pics if you also have a facebook. doooooo it.

ok...the airport has officially gotten old

2006-12-22T16:59:00.000+09:00

ok...here's more of an update because the giddiness of going home has since worn off and waiting in the airport has gotten really old.

So, newsflash...I'm in an airport. Incheon International to be exact. In 1 hour I'll be boarding a plane heading for Vancouver (Ban-a-cou-ba) where I will sit on my ass and wait a further 4 hours before hopping a plane bound for the marvelous town known as Campbell River.

So, I will have waited here for a grand total of 3 hours + 8.5 hour flight (hopefully) + 4 hour ass-sitting in Vancouver + 45 minute flight to the Riv = 14 hours and 15 minutes. The giddiness I was feeling previously is fading as the realization of the journey I have ahead of me sinks in.

I bitch, but deep inside I'm still giddy...don't fret (or think I'm horrible for complaining about going home for Christmas).

Life's been good lately, but we all really need a break from work/Korea. My children tolerance has been reaching critically low levels. It's necessary that we all re-charge before embarking on our next month of teaching...intensives...

duh, duh...DUHHHHH

Intensives occur during the kid's winter and summer vaations. Teachers either get 2 or 3 3-hour-long classes a day. We see the same kids every day, for 20 days (as opposed to our normal seeing different kids on alternating days). It's good to get 3 classes since you get killer OT, but it sucks your will to live since you're at work from 8:30-8 every day...game face on.

Just as with last summer intensives, I got 3 classes. It's alright, I asked for it. The money is sweet and really, what else would I do between 5~8 pm M~F? It's just really, REALLY draining to be "on" for that long. I teach English, but I'm also an entertainer...as are all teachers.

I'm actually pretty excited (read: people are tired of hearing me talk about it) because I'm teaching a really low, younger aged level. They're Basic 3 which means they have their ABCs and most phonics down pat...now we work on vocabulary and sentences. I do VERY well with these levels...bring on the sing-a-longs!!

I get back on the 1st and start work on the 2nd. First class lesson plans are already completed and handed in, but I need to do a shitload of worksheets and figure out essay topics and discussion questions for my higher levels A teacher's work is never done!! At least I'll be in Canada where I'll have some time to do this. I plan on hitting up some stores to get supplies and making a few posters while I'm home. It's not a beach in Thailand like most of my Korea friends are chillin' on right now, but it'll make my life a helluva lot easier when I'm back in Korea.

mmmm....the first weekend we get back is the Youngdo staff party. There are 20 branches in Seoul and area. Mine's the biggest with 28 teachers, but most are still pretty decent sized schools. I figure there'll be about 200ish teachers there plus Korean staff. It should be a good time. After that there's an ice-fishing trip through this tour company here for foriegners. It'll also include snowmobiling and sledding/skating.

uhh....people have left (again) and new people have come (again). Such is life though in this random world in which I reside. The land of instant gratification also comes with its downsides. A lack of stability in a social circle being one. I'm very lucky to have found 3 fabulous girls who make my day-to-day glorious. We'll all be together until Ginny, Jen and I leave the end of August for China. We'll be leaving Lyndsay behind to brave Korea for a few more months. Leaving in body only, never in spirit.

It's weird though, the day-to-day changes that occur here, and become normal. I can't explain. I can't even start to try to explain the things that are so weird, yet seem so normal. Relationships change, start and end with such a frequency. ...I dunno.

On that note, sombre as it was, except it isn't for me...hard to explain. I shall leave you. It's almost time to board a plane and continue this journey.

See ya'll state-side!!

p.s.
I really don't know if that saying (state-side) only applies to military, but whatever. I'm surrounded by enough of them that I should totally be allowed to use it.

I'M COMING HOME!!!

2006-12-22T15:30:00.000+09:00

I'M COMING HOME!!!

Right now I'm in Incheon Airport. That's in Seoul. My flight leaves in...duh duh DUH 3 hours.

go to my myspace and listen to the song on there.

www.myspace.com/kristadawnie

there is no other way to describe how excited I am right now except through song.

also...i've totally seen a palace in london and a castle in wales. the song was obviously written for me.

pictures for your enjoyment

2006-11-23T03:30:00.000+09:00

yay pictures!! starting with my birthday, then halloween, then randoms, finishing up with some paintball action.

life in korea kicks ass...in case you were wondering.

2006-11-23T03:28:00.000+09:00

i heart ginny - sarang!! (or however you spell it)

2006-11-23T03:27:00.000+09:00

oh dear...

2006-11-23T03:26:00.000+09:00

hurrah for Crown!! (dad please ignore the coke cans on the table...they were definetly NOT for mixing with the Crown Royal. I know that is a sin.)

2006-11-23T03:25:00.000+09:00

me and katie

2006-11-23T03:24:00.001+09:00

jenn and lisa

2006-11-23T03:24:00.000+09:00

hey look. i'm 25!

2006-11-23T03:23:00.000+09:00

my birthday dinner
table one...
martha, lyndsay, dan, jen, brooks, ryan, ginny

2006-11-23T03:22:00.000+09:00

table 2 (bruce takes the picture)
me, katie, adrienne, todd,...todd's friend, jenn, lisa

2006-11-23T03:20:00.000+09:00

headin' in for some Halloween fun

2006-11-23T03:19:00.000+09:00

don't mess with Texas

2006-11-23T03:18:00.000+09:00

you can't tell...i was a cowgirl. lyndsay was a pirate

2006-11-23T03:11:00.000+09:00

and everybody..."act natural!!"

2006-11-23T03:10:00.000+09:00

i think the song was "aint no mountain high enough" I can't be sure though...

2006-11-23T03:06:00.001+09:00

can this many people really fit on a subway???

2006-11-23T03:06:00.000+09:00

apparently they can!!

2006-11-23T03:05:00.000+09:00

most action she's got in awhile.

2006-11-23T03:04:00.001+09:00

Lyndsay, me, Ginny on a beautiful day

2006-11-23T03:04:00.000+09:00

i still kinda want this hat...

2006-11-23T03:02:00.000+09:00

paintballin' October 21, 2006

2006-11-23T03:01:00.000+09:00

lookin' tough

2006-11-23T03:00:00.000+09:00

we're totally cute. even after pretending to kill stuff.

2006-11-23T02:59:00.000+09:00

sharp shooter...except not really.

bah...my computer shut off and deleted what i was writing

2006-11-19T15:49:00.000+09:00

and it was very sad...because I had a good deal of writing on here.

so, here we go. blog entry round 2. it won't be as good the second go. it never is.

it was my birthday. i prepped the kids for weeks in advance.

me: "why am i happy today?"

students: "because it's friday??"

me: "well...that's true, but what is a different reason i'm happy?"

students: " ummm, tomorrow is saturday, and you don't see us on saturday?" (I have them trained very well)

me: "yes, but try again"

students: "OH, because it is teacher's birthday in 12 days"

me: "right, and what do i like?"

students: "chocolate."

I got a lot of chocolate.

and a necklace, and earrings, and notebooks, and pens, and a face cloth (???), and socks and many "i love krista teacher" letters.

it made me happy.

my birthday started on wednesday the 15th with surprise party in my room after work. It was nice, short (cuz we were all tired) but wine and cake were involved, as were good friends, so it was fun.

thurs was working...but i didn't do too much working, cuz i didn't want to. I made many phone calls in the morning. called grandpa. his birthday is november 15th. when it's november 16th in korea its still the 15th in canada. we wished eachother happy birthday, on the right days, at the same time. it's fun, we did it last year too!

Then that night out for galbi with friends.

then it was saturday. i went out. a group of us went out for dinner in itaewon, then to some clubs in itaewon, then into hongdae. it was definitely good times. a whole bottle of crown royal was purchased (thanks to a wonderful boy) and consumed in its entirety (a lot of such by me). there was no tequila (thank god) but there was a lot of beer...and long island iced teas for lyndsay.

pics to come later.

so...what else is new?

we've been having open classes this month. this is when the parents come into the room for half an hour and stare at the children while their scared shitless kid tries frantically to speak in perfect english. i hate open classes. i call it the "krista show." either the class, which is normally really talkative and fun, shuts up and you could hear a pin drop. OR, they're all frantically trying to prove to their parents that they can indeed speak english, and it's a gong show. it's up to me to make this all run smoothly, look picture perfect, and somehow natural. the thing is, it's totally not natural. in MY natural class we're joking, laughing, speaking really good english and studying, but having WAY more fun than a korean parent would like. then all of a sudden we have to bring it down like 12 notches. it's gross. oh well, only 2 more to go.

other stuff...ummm. katie leaves in 2 weeks. katie's my friend from home! when i eventually get back home it'll be so nice to have someone who understands my random stories. no one else gets them. kid stories are only funny to people who are teachers, and korea stories are generally only funny to people from korea. other people usually just offended or think we're weird.

i remember when katie got here, right before i left last year. it's insanely weird how time flies. she's not sure if she's coming back. if she does tho, she'll do up anyang.

p.s. that's where i live.

uhh, umm...i went to a fashion show. I'll put pics of that up too. it was cool. i felt very stylish. after that we went on a romantic boat cruise. except we weren't romatic, we just took stupid pictures at all the love photo ops set up around the ship.

a long time ago we went paintballing. it was INSANELY FUN. i'll put pics up from that too.

it's getting COLD. like brrr cold. it's still really pretty here. i love korean fall. it's totally my favorite. the smog clears away, the trees and very colorful and the air seems clean (but it's not).

i'm excited to go snowboarding when that time comes. there are quite a few mountains around seoul. a day trip will be easy. i'll post about that in august.

right. so. obviously i'm not really into writing an entry right now. i really should do report cards. and mark essays. i won't. but i should. possibly i should eat something. decisions, decisisons.

i work with a few people

2006-10-27T00:36:00.000+09:00

no really....who works with this many foreigners in Korea???

...what??

2006-10-18T02:34:00.000+09:00

on sunday i went to this bar in itaewon where they had live broadcasts of NHL games. It was pretty sweet.

Then, today in class, I was asking my kids what they'd done on the weekend, and it got around to me and what I'd done. The following conversation followed:

me: "well, I did something that's very important to Canadian culture. What's culture?"
students: "it's something that is important to a countries people, like Korean hanboks and kimchi."
me: "right. So, I DID something on Sunday. When you think about Canadian culture, what do you think about?"

one student: "indians"
another student: "deer"

me: "anything else??"

blank stares

me: "really? you think about Canadian culture and you only think about indians and deer?"

one student - looking unsure: "moose??"

another student: "teacher, are you an indian??"

me: "No (deep breath), do I LOOK Indian??"
student: "i don't know."
me: "well, I'm not Indian. So, what did i DO??!?!? on Sunday that's very important to Canada?"

student: "oh, oh, teacher...maple leaf??"
me - exasperated: "yes, Lucy...maple leaf is Canadian. but i didn't DO a maple leaf."

laughter - cuz i'm hilarious...but really i'm getting annoyed at this point

students: "teacher..hint."

I had to give in and tell them.

It was a sad, sad moment for Canadians.

a litte while later, same class, i got in an argument with a student over the acronym RCMP and it's true meaning. We were learning the word "mounted." Apparently he doesn't think that mounted should be in our police forces name.

Jae: "teacher, it really is Royal Canadian Mounted Police??"
me: "yes"
Jae: "really? you're sure?"
me: "yes Jae, I'm sure."
Jae: "have you ever seen one?"
me: "yes Jae, I've seen one. Jae, what did I study at university?"
Jae: "police"
me: "right, so, I'd know what the police are called, wouldn't I?"
Jae: "but, have you actually touched one??"
me: "oh dear God Jae, YES"

LOVE the class....REALLY i do.
Actually i do. If there's one thing these kids do is they keep me entertained and on my toes.

and provide for great anecdotes.

Krista Teacher - corrupting the minds of children all over Korea

2006-10-12T23:39:00.000+09:00

I shit you not (excerpt from a student's essay):

Essay Topic: The country you'd most like to visit

"...so we should all visit many countries. Visiting different countries and learning about different cultures is a good thing, eh?"

She got 100%

Sokcho for Chuseok

2006-10-11T00:20:00.000+09:00

coming soon to a blog near you...

2006-10-06T23:13:00.000+09:00

...it was a holiday. a group of us went to the BEACH...and swam. In October. Sucks to live in Canada where it's cold.

I'll update more later when I'm motivated.

by the way...the trip into North Korea in the end of November has been delayed until the Spring due to a Nuclear Bomb. Damn Commies. Screwin' up my holidays! More on that later too.

no really...

2006-09-29T10:11:00.000+09:00

WHY are Korean women and children afraid of my dog? My 1-year-old Yorkshire Terrier PUPPY? The happy, "hey I wanna PLAY!!!!" little puppy who you could seriously injure by stepping on?? She's made grown women scream...I'm not joking.

and then WHY do Korean men INSIST on calling her over when I'm walking her. And then WHY do they get all mad and glare at me when I won't let her run off (dragging me with her - cuz she's on a leash...dumbasses) to go see them? Also, she doesn't go because she doesn't understand KOREAN!! My puppy is ESL. When we first got her she would drift towards Koreans, but now she doesn't...she's more apt to want to be around foreigners for the obvious reasons. She actually doesn't register that they are calling her. It's like looking at a Canadian dog and talking to it in Chinese.
A) the tone is all wrong, it's not happy like when I call her - it's way more demanding
B) it's in a different language!!

My dog does NOT understand "il e wa." She knows "come here" though. She does NOT understand stupid clucking...because I don't cluck at her.

It's been awhile since I've had a dog in Canada. Do random people call other people's dogs over when they are walking them? Is this normal?? I'm just ranting because I'm tired of it. Jessie's really good with it. She all but ignores any other person except for me (and any other foreigner). but seriously...this is MY dog. I'm trying to train her to walk without a leash. We're doing pretty good with it, but I do NOT need random men calling her away from her training!
ARGG