WOW...6 months already.

Well, It has been a very long time since I last updated everyone. I have been to Gyeonju again(and it was fantastic).

I got to go to the Flower festival here in Daegu, with my coworker and friend Paige, at the Daegu Arboritum, which just happens to be about a 20 minute walk from where we live. We got to see so many beautiful displays of flowers. It was wonderful. Many of the flowers had been shaped into something that you could easily find in Korea. On our walk around the flowers we also got to see a black squirrel. I have only seen a couple of them here, but they are fun little creatures. They are solid black and much quicker than the squirrels around Emory(and also a little less fat...lol). It has been a good 6 months. I have lost a good bit of weight and am two weeks into a new fitness program that will hopefully allow me to drop between 10-15 lbs over an 8 week period...and also get up to running 3 miles. I would really like to do a small marathon for charity when I get back to the states and am hoping the cold winter here doesn't deter my efforts.

As for the Koreans, they do more funny things everyday. Like the random cab drivers who try to have conversations with me in Korean, because I understand what they say when they ask me where I am from, how long I have been in Korea, and how to get to where I live (I happen to live behind the Korean housing authority so most people find it easily). Its been a fun experience these past couple weeks sharing my culinary passions with friends who love to eat more than I do. I am exploring different kinds of food to make and am trying my hand at some Korean cooking too. I cant wait to come home at make some traditional korean food for everyone. Really, it tastes awesome. I had Chamchi Jiggae yesterday (thats tuna/kimchi stew) and it was really good.

The weather here is getting colder...it stays in around the 50's. I know those of you in the states may be a bit envious of this since some of you are already getting snow. Sadly, Daegu does not get much snow. so have lots of fun with all the snow you have and think of me.

I think that is all for now. Later this month I should have an update on Thanksgiving at my place for all the foreigners that I know in Daegu. We are even getting a turkey from the military base. Its pretty exciting.

Tata for now...

boring

I have been kind of boring lately. To save money I am only doing things in the city...I am hoping to visit and get pictures of more parks and mountains in the fall so have no fear. It is September and the temperature is still in the mid-high 80's most days....AAAHHH!!! It makes me want to live in Alaska all the more...haha.

In new news...I have two more new coworkers(well sort of). I was moved to the new branch of my school for this semester with a new coworker named Brady from WEST VIRGINIA! He is from the wheeling area so really we are no where near close to each other geographically, but still its cool to have someone to talk to about places at home. The other coworker is at the old school. His name is Jim...he is a graduated art ed major from Tuscan...very cool guy.

The new school is in a different district of the city and is about a 35 minute walk from my apartment or a 20 minute bike ride(it would take less time if it weren't for stop lights). I have taken my bike only a couple times because I sometimes just like to walk. Its nice to ensure that I am getting about an hour of exercise a day. I am down another 5 lbs from July so here's hoping I can continue and get down another 10 by the end of September to meet my goal!

Well, I think that is all for now. It has been a bit boring around on the adventure front...A lot happening on the Spiritual one though. I will update more about that later though.

Babo

Ok, so today I realized something. I haven't really explained anything about the culture in Korea. So here goes.
Imagine Pop culture up a couple notches. Everything here is Cute...even the boys wear cutesy clothes. Couples outfits are very popular(they even sell couples underwear so everything can match). Everyone holds hands; child-parent(up to and past age 18), friends(guy and girl), sisters, brothers,grandparents-grandchildren...everyone! Also this is something I find very odd. Everyone wears sandals...but with socks! and usually Character socks (again something cutesy is preferable). Women even wear socks with their High Heels. I think it is crazy, but it is perfectly fine here. Also, I have never seen so much leg. Women here will wear booty shorts and skirts but wouldn't dare show their shoulders or even the tiniest bit of cleavage. As a foreigner I get stared at everywhere I go. I am also the only person here to continuously be "petted." Older women will come up to me and rub my arms and hands like I'm not real and then say something in korean that I dont understand. I can usually pick up that they are saying something about my paleness, but really its kind of annoying. My favorite thing is when they try to take pictures of you with their cell phones and think you can't tell. Its awesome. A couple friends and I always make sure to act really dumb so they have something fun to take a picture of. HAHAH.

That is just a little bit about korean culture. Really, just the things to look out for if you visit. I hope you enjoyed it.

Its been a while...

After Hiking a while we found this. I wanted a picture with it :) At the beach...I was afraid of the sun hahah

Paige, Julia, Me in front of Grean tea

This was the view at the beginning of our hike.

Julia, Ria, Me, Paige..taken by a very nice Korean.

Ok...so these pictures were taken with a disposable camera. My camera broke the day before we left, so i had to buy one while I was there. The Four of us in the last picture took a trip for our summer vacation. It was only a couple days but we visited the Boseong Green Tea Plantation. We ate not only delicious, fresh green tea ice cream, but also Grean tea Beemanbap(a bowl of rice, meat, green tea powder, vegetables and hot sauce) and Green Tea Ramen(called Ramyeon here...it had green tea noodles and green tea spices...very tasty). We also explored Yulpo beach while there(about a 15 minute bus ride from Boseong). The beach was really big but the ocean(after walking about 20 ft. out) was still only up to my knees! It was very shallow. I later found out it was because that beach goes out very far and it is one of those sudden drop off kind of beaches. I just never found the drop (probably a good thing haha).

In the past month I have lost a coworker(she is back in the states now and we miss her alot), Moved apartments, and helped with my local church's VBS(English VBS in Korea...it was interesting).

My new apartment is HUGE! Most single apartments are like a bed, small fridge, toaster oven, closet and two burner gas stove with no oven. Mine, however, used to belong to my boss' parents so it is huge. It is on the third floor(they moved to the first because of age) and has a balcony, two full rooms, and an OVEN! This may not seem so exciting to those of you in the states, but here having an oven is unheard of(unless it is a toaster oven). We are already planning holiday parties here...haha.

Anywho. My new camera should be arriving soon. I bought it offline...and it only shipped to the US so it is being shipped to me by my parents. I am very excited. My new endevor is to find a computer that is a deal as good as that was.

In other news. I bought a bike. I big old big that weighs more than some of the kids in my hagwan...or at least it feels like it...haha. As part of getting it so cheap it already has something broken(I have owned it for less than two weeks). I am taking the plunge to fix it tomorrow morning. Wish me luck. Im off to bed to prepare for fixing a bike I know nothing about...haha. This should be interesting. At least im just taking off an added pointless part and not doing anything major.. YAY for adventures. :)

WOW!

Christianna, Julia, Im in front of a giant Fish! I can almost touch it! The birds
Caitlyn, Krista, Paige look like finger nails.


HANDS!

Well ovev the past couple weeks, time has flown by! First, I want to say that since being here, I have lost 23 lbs. This is very exciting news considering I have not been eating very well over the past couple of weeks. Im hoping that by the end of August I will be down at least another 15...keep your fingers crossed!

Last weekend: Four other girls from church and I went to Pohong to see the cool hand statues...thus the pictures. We swam in the freezing water of the East Sea(or you may know it as the Sea of Japan) It was a wonderful time of walking, swimming, and hanging out with weird Korean things all around.

This weekend: Friday, I saw Harry potter with two coworkers and friends. It is good. I like all the HP movies so its not really a shock that I liked this one. I also went to an orphanage and hung out with some underprivileged children on Saturday followed by the Bible study for the Singles at the church. The bible study was very interesting. Its fun to see the different ideas people have about what faith is supposed to be, instead of just feeling it out. Anywho..it was a good time. Today we had spaghetti at the after church lunch (which happens every sunday keeping me from having to cook or buy lunch). It was delicious.

A few hours ago, I made little cupcakes in my toaster oven for Paige's birthday. I even made homemade chocolate frosting...It was delicious!!! I also made salmon and a salad for dinner. It has just been a great day! well Im off. Enjoy the pictures. They took forever to fix in here right.

Feet eating fish

Wow, time flies! I am into my third month here in Daegu. Only 9 left! WOOHOO! Anywho, this saturday I did something really funny and weird. I went to a cafe called Dr. Fish. At this cafe, you pay about $5 and get access to a bar of coffee, bread, and rice water. You also get 15-25 minutes around a hole in the floor filled with water and fish that will eat the dead skin off your feet. It tickles, and feels really really weird, but after it is over you have extremely smooth feet.

Also on Saturday, I saw transformers. It was an ok blockbuster movie. Lots of action just like a good movie should...haha. After this movie I attended the 4th of July party/bible study at our church which ended with watching another movie at the end, instead of fireworks.

Monsoon season is in full swing here. It rains most evenings...but I like it. It makes the air cooler. This upcoming weekend I will be going to Pohong...a beach city that has some really cool sites to see, so hopefully there will be pictures then.

Well in the past couple weeks I have seen a few things. This past weekend I went to Gyeongju and visited a folk art village, saw some cool things, and spent about 5 hours and 10 Kilometers on a bike. Now, for some of you this seems like a normal day. FOr a very overweight woman who has been on a bike in 10 years....this was a bit daunting and painful. I dont think I have ever had such a painful butt.....hahahah. Anywho I will put up some pictures of an area around a water wheel and waterfall, a lotus garden, a building with a pagoda cut out of the middle, random tombs and some other fun things...maybe even a couple pictures not from the trip this weekend...

In other news. I am once again in the downwatd spiral of money. I found out today that I will be paying all of my student loans starting in July....this equals about $800. I make enough that if I pay that I will be able to survive...but I will also be eating only kimbap for the next month. I dont know what to do...... On top of all this. My computer is dying. I have had the blue screen of death twice and yet somehow I have saved it from complete lock down. I just dont know what to do anymore. Please pray for some guidance in money for me...