Time Out

I've been up for six hours now and I'm still in my pajamas. I've got a full cup of coffee, a fuzzy green blanket, and no desire in the world to move. I should move. I should buy groceries, mail christmas presents, wash dishes, do laundry, and find dinner. But in actuality, I don't really HAVE to do anything. Everything can wait. That's the beauty and curse of living in Korea- Few responsibilities, lots of free time, and no pressure to conform. No one expects any of the foreigners to be anything but different. And those, are easy shoes to fill...

As most of you probably know, things are pretty tense in Korea right now. North Korea and South Korea are on the brink of war, and no one can predict what will happen next. Everyone seems to have a different way of coping with the situation- some of my friends are completely ignoring the news, and others are planning their escape routes. I feel like I'm somewhere in the middle. I've started carrying a copy of my passport in my bag, and looking for places to go if I must leave Korea. I say the word, "BOMB," several times a day and think of the word, "BOMB," several times more. On the flip side, I've also been contemplating going back to school next year in Daegu, and moving to another branch. That's right, I've been thinking of staying even longer! But what will happen next? Only Kim Jong-il know the answer to that. Hold on to your hats!

Tricks and Treats

Halloween this year was very exciting, and it was probably the silliest I've had since I was a kid. Sometimes it seems like the longer I stay in Korea, the younger I get! ;)

Thinking Pink

It is breast cancer awareness month, and I've never been more aware! My mother is now in complete remission, but my own health has me concerned. My grandmother, cousin and mom have all been diagnosed, and the doctor says I am at high risk. He also said I need to get a mammogram as soon as possible. I don't think I would feel so bad about this if I was in Canada, but trying to deal with my health in Korea is very stressful. Tomorrow I will venture into a women's health clinic, where I'll awkwardly ask, "Do you speak English?" This will probably be followed by, "Doctor? ENGLISHEE?" What will happen after that is anyone's bet.

There are lots of little things to think about too: Does birth control effect my chances of getting estrogen based cancer? What about drinking soya milk? Should I give it up just in case? And how many other things should I be avoiding? No, this is not the time to tell me some quote about living your life in the NOW. Yes, I know that stress causes cancer too..

When I was a kid, I was totally obsessed with singing the "Hi, My Name is Joe" song. I recently taught it to one of my classes, and they too fell in love with the button factory. Here is one of my favorite classes performing one of my favorite childhood chants:

Today I had a student salute Hitler in my class. for some reason he thought it was going to be hilarious, and I think he was quite surprised when I threatened to kick him out. When I asked the kid why he thought Hitler was so funny, he said, "Hitler made war!" Why do boys daydream about going to war? What makes them think that blood and death are such awesome subjects? I obviously don't understand, and that's probably a good thing-wanting to be a princess is far more sensible anyways. My classroom will continue to be a war free zone as long as I'm a teacher. I might even install an invisible metal detector for all the invisible guns my students like to carry. And as for Hitler? He'll have to learn English somewhere else.

Today at Taekwondo, one of the ladies said, "Diana, how do I spell Wednesday?" After I told her the answer, she responded with, "Diana, how do I spell Porno?" Obviously her Wednesdays are more exciting than mine!

Quote of the Day

"Teacher, you are a small tower."

"Crowded classrooms and half-day sessions are a tragic waste of our greatest national resource-the minds of our children." ~Walt Disney I wonder what Walt would think of the Korean education system?

Grub

How many bugs have I eaten since moving to Korea? That is a question I ask myself far too often. I seem to be fighting a constant battle against insects. First, I have a colony of little red ants who live in my apartment. They crawl across my keyboard, they sit in my chair, and they eat all of my porridge! It's actually come to the point where all of the food I own is either in the fridge, or has never been opened. Yet as hard as I try to keep the bugs from getting into my dinner, they make their way in before I've even gotten the groceries home. Today, when I was cutting up a new head of lettuce, I had a little red worm slither out of the leaves. And it wasn't too long ago that I found slugs napping on my celery. As happy as I am that I found these creepy-crawlies before I put them in my mouth, I can only imagine how many I missed! Yuck! I hope they were high in protein..

Packing for Canada

Day 1:

1) Spent an hour downloading music from 1995.

2) Counted the amount of carrots I have left in the fridge.

3) Pulled out a suitcase.

4) Stuffed all of my old taekwondo belts into the suitcase.

5) Exchanged some money.

6) Tidied my desk at work.

7) Printed my itinerary.

8) Bought candy and alcohol.

9) Made a little pile of important papers.

10) Confirmed with my Mother that I want Nachos on saturday night.

11) Wrote a blog.

Girl Talk

I have one class of all girls, and they usually want to talk about boys. They tell me all about their school crushes, and their future rock star husbands. Yesterday, I decided to ask them what kind of guys they would actually want to date, and this is what I got:

A Month of Good News

I just passed my black belt test in Taekwondo, and I couldn't be prouder of myself than I am today. A lot of this has to do with how difficult the month of June was for me. I was so stressed out with my personal life that I almost convinced myself not to take the test. Tired, sad, and worried, it took everything I had to get up in the morning and go to class. While training, my mind was constantly drifting to my problems at home, and on more than one occasion, I bit my lip to keep myself from crying. It was one of those times in my life that I'm not exactly sure how I persevered, but I did, and it worked! To make this moment even more rewarding, my mother has gone into complete remission. At the time I took this test, we were still waiting for the results, and she had asked me to drop-kick cancer's ass on her behalf. So that's exactly what I tried to do; I punched an invisible disease around a large auditorium while my Mother tackled the real thing at home. Together, my Mom and I fought like ninjas, and together we passed our tests. In receiving my black belt, I feel that I have both fulfilled and old dream and won an epic battle. This belt will forever signify the potential to achieve any goal, the power of endurance, and the courage to get through anything..Even on the other side of the world.

Student: Teacher, how old are you?

Me: I am twenty-eight.

Student: Oh, you look thirty-one.

Me: Awesome.

Notice

Diana, her thoughts, and this blog are temporarily out of order. Please email for updates instead. Thank-you.

어머니

If the apple doesn't fall far from the tree,

And I get to be like my Mother,

Then I'm luckier than I thought I'd ever be,

And I wouldn't change my life for any other.

Happy Mother's day. I love you!

A watermelon costs sixteen dollars in Korea!

어린이날

Today is Children's Day- Which is a public holiday in Korea and a time to celebrate kids. This means, most people get the day off to have fun. Luckily for them, the weather is perfect for playing outside! However, some schools are still open and mine happens to be one of them. I already know that the kids will be hounding me to play games and I haven't decided what I will do yet. I don't blame them for wanting to have fun and I definitely understand why they don't want to be at school. I don't want to be at school either! I have a feeling my inner child will win this round.. ;)

빨간 띠

Since the last time that I wrote about Taekwondo, I have graduated from a blue belt to a brown and then on to a red. If you are thinking that this seems incredibly fast, I would totally agree with your assumption. I am not sure why we are moving at such a quick pace, and I wish we were advancing through the ranks a little slower. I don't want to rush into getting my black belt. What's the point?! The process has always been far more rewarding than receiving a new belt.

Nonetheless, we have started mentally preparing for our black belt test. The first step in getting ready was watching a group of other students take the exam. I certainly underestimated what a huge production this is going to be. There are hundreds of participants, 10 examiners and an audience of parents. I know I'm going to be exceptionally nervous! Here are some photos of the stadium where we will be taking the test, and a video I made of the opening acts:

Home as a Holiday

Did I mention that I re-signed my contract? As long as everything goes as planned, I will be staying in Korea until August 2011. However, I am still going home this summer, and I'm already daydreaming of Halifax..

Here are the top 10 things I'm anxious to do, see and taste:

1) I want to hug my Mother!

2) I want to sleep in the spare bedroom and cuddle with my cat.

3) I want to drink my Mom's filtered coffee with a spoonful of vanilla flavored sugar.

4) I want to visit my friends.

5) I want to swim in Long Lake with Chareen and then go for a beer at Tom's.

6) I want to eat a home cooked meal with my family.

7) I want to go to Cape Split.

8) I want to go shopping for shoes.

9) I want to speak in full sentences everywhere I go.

10) I want to take A BATH!