Sister Sha in Seoul

the end of this blog.

2011-06-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

i returned to korea in august of 2010 and am back teaching esl, which i love. aside from still loading student drawings and such, i'll no longer be updating this blog, but please check the bssk fb page or find me on fb at facebook.com/shacurington.

the end

2010-05-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

blogworld, i am leaving korea in june and going back home to cali. Today marks my 1,187th day living here! it has been much more good than bad and i think maybe i'll come back and teach here again one day. The plan for now is to go home, eventually grad school... we'll see how goes from there. be sure to check out the facebook group to connect with others abroad:

Brothas&Sistas of South Korea

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25747883752&ref=ts

email

2010-01-20T15:19:00.000-08:00

date:Thu, Jan 21, 2010

subject:snow snow snow

dear mom and dad,

i think the snow is about over, hallelujah. i will simply never understand this maddness of living in a place such as this. i also cannot understand why i am still here during wintertime. i will be back in san diego come next winter, even if i have to swim across the ocean to do so.

this has been the worst winter ever, i ahve never ever seen so much snow in my entire life. My korean friends say the same, my older korean friends say it used to snow like this when they were small children, and now THEIR children are super excited for all the snow to play in. One korean friend said they saw on the news that this is korea's worst snow in the last 103 years... there is a tendency to exaggerate in this culture, but one thing is true: there was a shit-ton of snow this year. other than the occasional knitting meeting, you can put money on it that i have been mostly indoors. btw, i knit the blue hat im wearing int he photos :)

xmas was really great, a friend had a potluck, i brought plates and flatware of course b/c i didnt cook anything. it was so much fun, another friend brought a video game "rock band," as you can see in the attached pictures, im really good at it and have a natural talent on the guitar and drums.

some friends of mine went snowboarding for x-mas break, which i of course thought was insane. one girlfriend of mine, Kayla, had this conversation with one of her students before the break:

Korean Kid:"What are you doing for x-mas?"

kayla: "I'm going snowboarding"

Korean Kid: "Your people skin is don't like cold, is it right?"

kayla: *side eye*

kayla said she couldnt really be mad at him b/c for one, he's just a little boy, and for two, it's not like he's 100% wrong about it.

love you miss you
~daughter

email

2010-01-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

.date:Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 11:00 AM

subject:snow

dear mom and dad,

this winter marks the worst i have ever experienced in life. it's like when i go outside, it snows sideways and the flakes attack my face. i dont know how to walk in all this, i stepped onto what i thought was the sidewalk but it turned out to just be a huge pile of snow and i was calf deep in it, i was in a panic couldnt think of anything to do but curse over and over again, "wh... the fuck?! the fuck is this?! wh-da-fuck is dis shit?!!!"

tho friends agree it's snowing more this winter than it had last year, they of course think i am overreating. But i am not. this weather is strange and not natural and if i dont get my act together to save up enough money to come back to san diego NEXT winter, i will eat my own foot.

~daughter.

email

2009-12-17T23:51:00.000-08:00

date:Dec 17, 2009 at 10:52 PM
subject: im really cold.
Dear mom and dad,

today the delivery man came through with the box of pudding, cliff bars, etc, thank you so much!!! EVERYONE is in awe of my beautiful new nintendo dsi (even danica, b/c i took the blue one and she has the black one, hahahahaaa!), i told them about how i emailed you about it and that it came in the mail days later. "Yeah," i explained, "my pops always comes through for me.... uh, cant say as i took after him too well... i still owe like $3,500 on his credit card."

Tunde just finished his first scarf today, attached is a picture of him resting after all his hard knitting work. Notice the cat patting him on the back for congratulations. "you better not lie to your parents," he tells me, "I did everything myself." Which, of course, he really didnt. i cast on for him, i knit the first 15 rows, i bound off and i wove in his ends.... but other than that, yeah, he did everything. He's also asked me to mention he's working on another project already... anyways....

Tunde also says he wishes you an early merry xmas and a blissful new year, and now he just reminded me to thank you for the dsi... he's looming over my shoulder like a jerko.

my friend marlene went back home after finishing her 1 year contract, so we had a game night at a local pub. I DOMINATED at dominos and beat everybody by like at least 20 points each game, it was awesome. people are always so surprised when i beat them at dominos, like i cant possibly be any good. *pish... they must not know the curingtons up in here.

thank you again so much for the package, im about to flip through the magazes right now. please send lactaid and oatmeal... just a lil reminder!

~loveyoumissyou,
daughter.

email

2009-12-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

date:Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 11:22 AM
subject: im cold.

Dear mom and dad,

Its really truly winter here now. I have attached a picture as you can see im fighting it as much as i can. I remember upon first arrival to Korea thinkin that the surgical masks were a little strange, but now my fourth winter here, i finally understand the beauty of them. Your face is freezing without them. My friend Omega from the knitting group says i should suck it up. She's from Detriot and reports they had a foot of snow fall yesterday. I told her to take that shit back to the D.

As i mentioned in the last email, i am interviewing for a new job. i'll update when there's news, right now there isnt much. ive had a couple of offers, but the pay isnt comparable to what i make now, so, we'll what happens.

Lately, i've been having lunch with these Korean friends. They don't speak much english but who cares because i get to eat without cooking. they're very impressed with my chop stick skills and the five korean phrases i know how to say.I do not like the soup but i always end up with a bowl of it because one of the koreans(a different one everytime) says i must eat soup because its winter. So they understand i don't care for kimchi but i guess soup is a requirement.

The facebook group has really grown. there are over 800 members now. We still continue book club once a month and recently have started movie screenings once a month with the help of my wonderful friend Danica. We had the first movie a couple weeks ago and around 70 people showed up. It was really awesome to see that many black people in one space. This sentiment was echoed by many people there. It was another one of those moments where we all were strangers but that afternoon we were family. We forgot we were in Korea for a while and just enjoyed each others company.

I've been knitting alot, i've gotten pretty good and pretty fast. I can knit forward and backward, i can even knit without looking. I've made a few really nice hats for winter but havent been able to keep any of them because my a-hole boyfriend takes everyone before i get to wear it. though he can knit a little bit(he ridiculously claims knitting expertise) so i asked him why he doesnt make his own damn hats. He says its obvious i make these hats for him out of love, i say its obvious eh really can't knit for shit. He comes to knitting meetings with me every sunday where he holds the knitting needles for 2hours and pretends.
love you miss you,
~daughter

email

2009-05-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: Waiting Is My Middle Name
Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 08:43:51 +0000
dear mom and dad,

cherry blossom time has come and gone, i think! i didnt go to any official festivities this time, but i did walk around the pond in my neighborhood to look at the trees, they were of course lovely and makes me hate winter all the more.

i dont remember who my godmother is, i think you guys showed me pictures, she's white and has blond hair? if you ever find her contact info, let me know. wow, what happened before internet and social connect websites? people had to hope they kept the same phone number forever i guess? ah well. i had a great time in japan anyway. My friends from india are still there, staying with another friend of mine, aaron. I dont know if you remember aaron, he stayed at the house the night before his flight to go teach in japan: he's black, has an afro, kind of tall-ish (well, that describes all of my male friends i guess). that was maybe 4 or 5 years ago? he's still there, still teaching, and he really loves it. He's been taking care of my friends from india, but i told him to not do it too well, b/c i want my friends to come back to korea to teach english, and not be seduced by the alleged "cool-er-ness" of japan^^

im still going to knitting group one or two times a week, ive actually finished something for the first time, it's a red scarf and it's awesome. i hate winter, but i will be happy to wear this when the time comes.

Last week, my friend bryan had a day off, so we went to the coex aquarium. i dont know why it's a big deal, it's another one of those "things you ahve to see" when you come to seoul. i wonder what koreans think of it, maybe they're looking at the fish and thinking "Dinner." Every restaurant has some sort of tank outside with tons of sea life in it, so being in the aquarium was like walking about in my neighborhood, a little. Except for the seals and penguins, which are not common food fare at seafood restauarants here. And we saw fruit bats. i know they're bats and all, but fruit bats are really cute, you would want to have them for a pet. Even tho Bryan pointed out i screamed when one of the bats made a sudden movement and flew around behind the glass and scared me, they're still cute.

email

2009-05-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: Greetings Mare
Date: Thurs, 14 May 2009 07:58:44+0000
hi pare,
im doing great! im so happy now b/c winter is over and it's not snowing anymore, the sun is bright and wow it makesme super happy:) work is going wonderfully of course, i still really love this job and i love the kids.

i miss ethiopian food sooooo much. two weeks ago, i went to japan for a couple of days and found an ethiopian restaurant, i think it was called fasika. everyone there was japanese, including the waiter and bartender, but the cook was from ethiopia, i dont remember if she was amhara or not, but her food was delicious. i didnt want to leave japan, i thought i might leave korea and teach english in japan in that city so that i can be close to that restaurant always. i spent the last of my money there and had to walk an hour and a half back to my hotel, but it was worth it b/c the food was so good :) ~mare.

email

2009-05-13T00:26:00.000-07:00

Subject: thanks for waiting^^
Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 07:26:07 +0000
dear mom and dad,

its so sunshiny and beautiful today, spring in seoul has got to be one of my favorite things in the world right now. of course, it's like this every day in san diego, which i didnt appreciate until having to suffer a real winter with snow here. thank goddess thats over... for a while anyway.

not me nor anyone i know------>
japan was wonderful, i stayed for 4 days and 3 nights. i stayed at khaosan hostel in fukuoka. i went to japan to get a new e2 visa, this is the visa that allows me to work in south korea. this is common here, called a "visa run." If you ahve to get a new visa like i did, fukuoka is the closest place to go to get it. the trip was super easy. tho i didnt meet anyone who spoke english, signs on the subway were in english, and the hostel was easy to find, and all the employees there were fluent in english. I remember the hostels i stayed at when i went to europe 10+ years ago: i remember a lot of them being so dirty. this place in japan was the nicest cleanest spot i'd ever stayed in. if you ever meet anyone who is going to fukuoka, tell them to stay at khaosan hostel!

i met the coolest people at the hostel. i met this guy from isreal who does computer something for employment, and had been vacationing for 7 months. yes, SEVEN MONTHS. he said he'd just buy one way tickets to where he felt liek going and just kept on holiday. he was at the tail end of his trip, tho, and would be giong back to work soon. good god, i should've majored in ITS or computer engineering or something...

i met a girl from finland who, after saying hello to her, i told her she had to be the blondest blue-eyed person i'd ever seen in my life. she said she thinks she may have been the blondest blue eyed person in all of japan, bc she'd been getting lots of stares and whispers since her arrival. but she was really good humored about it. I met a frenchman who for the past year lived in scottland to study english, and had a japanese girlfriend that he was visiting in town. OMG, of all the english accents inthe world, he picks scottland?! i know a teacher here from scottland and i have to ask him to repeat every third word he says.

One Greek/English girl i met while in fukuoka teaches english in tokyo and was on holiday. a week later, she came to seoul and stayed with me, it was cool:) Together in seoul, we met up with two other girlfriends of mine who just finished thier 9month study program in india. i was a little worried having the 4 of us stay in my humble abode, but after being in india so long, my friends said my place was like the Ritz. "it's so nice to use toilet paper again!" they joyfully cried. WOW. i thought that was back int he day, i didnt know it was still in practice (the wiping your bum with your left hand and not using toilet paper, but now i know it's still in practice in india at least). And i had the nerve to complain about not being able to flush toilet paper here. I ought to be glad that i at least have it... *blush*

btw, the sheets you sent do fit the bed, but barely. i tore the corner a little bit trying to stretch it over the mattress, so if you can find one size up for me, i think it'd be better. but if youre unable, it's fine. AAAAND, i wear one or the other of my new shoes every day, i absolutely love them more than any pair of shoes ive ever had in my life. the black pair especially b/c the fit is perfect. i havent had a chance to use my projector yet (i need to find a plug adaptor) but im very excited to, and thank brother dave for me. er, i'll email him.

loveyoumissyou,
~daughter

filler emails

2009-05-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

Subject: for mom
Date: Sat, 9 May 2009 12:32:43 +0000

hi mom! it's saturday night here, and i wasnt sure if it's sunday wher eyou are yet. if it is or isnt, happy mother's day :)

===========
Subject: email coming
Date: Tues, 12 May 2009 02:20:01 +0000

hi mom and dad. im working on an email for you today, and i had a feeling that i might get an email from you before i finish. so hold tight a couple of hours, and email is coming, ok? dont guilt trip me.~daughter.

email

2009-05-04T23:15:00.000-07:00

from my dad:

Subject: It's Been Awhile
Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 14:03:38 -0700
Hey SHA
It’s been a while since we have heard from you; I can only hope that you have gotten your projector, the sheet set, and the shoes that I sent. Maybe it is the rain that does not allow you to drop your old daddy a line.
==============

Subject: RE: It's Been Awhile: NO IT HASNT!
Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 04:

dear mom and dad,
today is monday and it's been 8 days since my last email! i JUST got back from japan (fukuoka) on friday night, and was thinking i could sleep the weekend away before i emailed you, but you guys got me with another guilt email before i could manage. dammit! japan was awesome, but more on that another time.

i left for japan on tuesday, and on friday i came home to a clean apartment (thanks to my cleaning lady) AND a box with the projector, thanks so much for it. today (monday) not more than 10 min ago,t he postman came with another box with shoes and sheets, thank you! i LOVE LOVE LOVE these shoes, i want to wear one black one and one white one so i can enjoy both new pairs at the same time! and thanks for the bug spray, yeah! youre right, i could find something here easily and i was being greedy with asking you to send it to me b/c i was loving all the free stuff. but thanks for sending it anyway^^

do you know ^^? ^^ is the korean way of making a happy face, it's two happy eyes, did you know?

work has been great of course. outside work has been a bit busy too. last week the brothas & sistas had a book club meeting, about a dozen people showed up wonderful company and conversation, i included a photo:) The sister who organized it is danica, she has her masters degree in.. i think, psychology? or social work? or something, id ont know. she works at a university in seoul, like my friend jinny. These university jobs are said to be the best and most prestigious of esl jobs to be had here, but i cant imagine not teaching children anymore. well, plus, one needs a masters degree which i aint got!

some friends of mine were in this years performance of the vagina monologues again, i didnt go to the show this time, but i sat around and watched friends rehearse. they baked cupcakes to sell at the door to raise additional funds, which i didnt want to help with either, but i did eat about 4 cupcakes. picture of this included as well.

well im off, i have a knitting meeting tonight, im almost finished with my first scarf, it's a wonderful day!

loveyoumissyou,
~daughter

email

2009-04-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

Subject: spkez, kclass
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:29:55 +0000
dear mom and dad,

it's raining on and off here, i hate it. we get like one day of bright sunshine, then 3 days of clouds and rain. spring is teasing me.

omg i LOVE this tea you sent me, i drink it everyday and it makes me so happy. Ed says thanks very much for the oreos, my coworkers want to know if there'll be more chips ahoy. the delicious peanut butter is gone (dont send more, i can get it here, i was just being greedy asking you to send it to me).

im doing well of course. my friends hosted another speakeasy a couple weeks ago, i ve included a couple of photos. i love these events, i completely forget that im in korea and instead can get lost in the family vibe these things create. One of the friends in my circle had a friend coming to visit her here, and when we found out this friend is a dj, an event was put together tan rapido. it was sooo wonderful to hear music from back home! well, you hear american music in all the clubs here, but it's that crappy mainstream rap music, and it sucks. anyway, the event and the music was wonderful.

left: everyone in my korean class. right: me.
i HATE korean class so much. no, thats not exactly true, i like my teacher, i like the class and getting the time to speak and practice in an atmosphere where i can be guided, but lawd help me, my progress is little to none. its really frustrating, an hour after class, i forget everything we learned. i still read slow, like a toddler. its really humbling... even just nouns and verbs i cant retain yet. i walk around, and i can name everything i see in spanish, but i couldnt do 1% of that in korean. last night i was watching some movie on tv and it had a scene in spanish, i understood every word, didnt even need the subtitles! (well, good thing i guess since the subtitles are in korean anyway), i want so badly to be able to do that with korean. *sigh* more time, i know. but it's making me nuts in the interim.

i finished knitting a scarf! it's the first thing ive ever finished, im very excited! one of the women int he knitting circle is going to help me on my next project. im thinking socks, i dont know yet. i want to make a sweater, but it may be too ambitious just yet.

~daughter

email

2009-04-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

Subject: send more A shirts. and a pair of shoes.
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:15:21 +0000

dear mom and dad,

thank you again sooooo much for that last box with the pudding, the pb, the tea, everything, i loved. i devoured about 10 of the chips ahoy cookies in one sitting and then brought the rest to work before i made myself sick. You've made me incredibly popular amongst my new coworkers, thankyou:) I havent seen Ed yet, but i'll for sure pass those oreo cookies to him (no danger of me eating all of them, b/c i like regular, not double stuff). I absolutely love the tea you sent, im not sharing those with anybody.

im glad teddy came by. did he bring the baby with him? i think he still get nervous everyttime he goes to the house. blogworld, i think this is b/c my husband, tho incredibly handsome, stands only about 5'2". My brother and father however are 6ft tall and BIG sized men. I told him he could just mail that check, that he didnt have to go by in person, but he's got old school manners and insisted he should go in person. Please dont use the money for sallie mae, b/c my next payment isnt due until october, so please dotn pay anything. I actually didnt work at all for a couple of weeks b/c of the visa issues, so i put a hold on the loans for a little while. Additionally, we've got canceled classes for the next week and a half (as we do every term, b/c the kids take leave to study for their midterm exams in public school) so that's been a lot of me not working, so no pay coming. I had enough money put aside to sustain myself just fine, but i want to replenish that savings before i resume student loan payments. B/c the loans are consolidated, the interest rate is fixed at 3% or so, so i think they can afford to wait.

im not sure where me and teddy are with the divorce. he emailed me the divorce papers and i printed, signed and mailed them to him. teddy was a good husband overall, tho i never got my wifely conjugal rights nor a diamond ring, and wont even be getting alimony! But he gave away my cats, therefore this divorce is necessary. i loved those cats!

im so sorry, but can i ask you for bug spray? many mosquitos in the summer here. and send me a pair of shoes? i dotn care what they look like, i just want anything with a heel like the others you sent. i walk a lot more here, the subway stop is a mile away and i havent figured out which bus to take to get there. not like my comfy lazy spot in pyeongchon. a new pair of shoes would really do me right. anything you get is fine, really truly.

loveyoumissyou.
~daughter

email

2009-04-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

Subject: weather, visa, knitting, kclass
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:19:22 +0000

dear mom and dad,

oh my gosh, the weather has been absolutely beautiful lately. no need for hats, scarves, gloves, long johns, ear muffs, it's gorgeous. it's already cherry blossom time, the trees are blooming and im on the lookout for a festival that's around the corner.

work is good of course. with so many students, its hard to remember their names after they're not in my class anymore. kids in the hallway wave, "hello sister sha!" and most of the time, i respond with, "hello sweetheart, how are you?" and of course i use "sweetheart" b/c i cant think of their names. one girl, i was SURE her name was sally, so i said, "hi sally!" and her face got sad, and she said, "oh.... teacher..." b/c i got her name wrong. i made some guesses and finally had her just tell me (Jenny) and she said, "im so sad!" ah well, im only human. i remembered her face at least.

im still awaiting a new visa. i found out that i only need to do the criminal background check one time, so i wont have to go through all this again next year, thank goodness.

korean class is kicking my butt, but im much more comfortable doing little things like ordering food at a restaurant, asking for help at the post office or grocery store or whatever.

i went to two knitting meetings last week. just being int he room, i knit better and faster! majority are americans/canadians. one place we meet is a knitting shop, i took jinny with me, she became absolutely engulfed. when i was ready to leave, she kept saying, "just one more row." and, "it's like i cant stop!" good fun:)

loveyoumissyou.
~daugher.

email

2009-04-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: Sheets and Projectors
Date: Sun, 5 Apr 2009
dear mom and dad,

thanks again for the student loan payments. i sent another batch of postcards per your advice, i'll start doing them monthly again. i thanked grandma for the b-day gift.

I got the box w/the goodies: the grits (oh my gosh i devoured them) the pb crunch slimfast bars (which are my FAVORITE!!!) the combs (i gave some to the sistas, they say thank you), the flashlight (i'm sure it'll come in handy since i didnt have one), the plastic bags (no more bags for a while, i have plenty) and the shout (thank you! my clothes really needed it! tho i DID find something here, but i love what you sent more b/c it's familiar, and it's free). i shared the cookies and oatmeal w/my new coworkers, along with the sanitizer (which they LOVED, since kids = germs = sickness). One friend asked if my parents though i had bad breath b/c you'd sent the listerine strips unsolicited.

so i finally got my cbc (criminal background check) from the state of cali, i'll use it to apply for a new visa. {there were two ways to get it, dad, i did one way and i was having you do the other way, with the goal to use which ever came first}. dad, sorry you went to the sherrif's station for nothing. i anticipated some sort of issue, but i didnt think they'd tell you to have me re-apply all over again, i thought the application i'd emailed to you WAS the form i needed. i used the email you sentme and asked for a new form, but it's a near a week later and i still havent received it. AND i got the form and all the info from a fellow san diegan here in south korea! i did everything HE did, relatively at the same time, and he got his cbc a week later. i wonder why the sherriff's dpt didnt come through for me and you??? ah well, no matter now, good thing the other cbc came through.

im back in korean class, it's a little easier this time around, but only a little. everyone reads faster than me, but my pronunciation is better so im ok with it. im much more motivated this time, too, b/c now i live 15 min from the class, as opposed to 40 min when i lived in pyeongchon.

i met up with some other expats last week, a knitting group called stitchnbitch, it was uber cool, we just sat and talked and knitted. im a novice for sure, these women make socks, vests, gloves, anything, and their knitting is perfect. im working on a what looks like a tarded scarf in comparison. but the knitters motivate me to get better^^

loveyoumissyou
~daughter

email

2009-03-30T02:15:00.000-07:00

Subject: no need for kneaded erasers
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:11:05 +0000

dear mom and dad,

thanks for mailing my student loan payment. eventually i'll set it up so that the payments are automatically deducted from my bank account, but that will have to wait until my next visit home so that i can go to the bank to arrange it. today i sent more money (500,000 won, so its around $340 USD), please can you send another student loan payment for me?

the money is being deposited, right? im worried, b/c i remember one time i sent money and my bank here sent it to the wrong account. let me know the money is coming through ok.

so just yesterday i was roaming around in my neighborhood and went to lotte dept store, and found an art supply store that... wait for it... sold kneaded erasers!!! so, dont send it if you didnt buy it yet. sorry about that ^^

things always happen like that: you find it when youre not looking for it. I was complaining to jinny about how i couldnt find the post office and she tells me, "there are post offices everywhere." i told her i know, but i hadnt found it in my neighborhood yet, and i was annoyed. she tells me, "dont get snippy, im just saying, there's a post office in jamsil." I told her again, but yelling, I KNOW, but i cant find it! arent you listening?!" she calmly says, "just walk around until you find it." i tell her thanks for the help and called her dumb. a day later, i was walking around my neighborhood and gotdamn, there was the post office, a block from my house. well, i know where to go to mail my next batch of postcards.

ive another favor to ask (as i am eternally your daughter and i'll have favors to ask forever and ever and ever): please can you order this and send it to me? it's an opaque projector. You can have brother dave order it online, it doesnt have to be this exact one if he finds a better deal. I liked this one b/c it takes 5x5 paper and can enlarge it 14 times. If dave finds one that does bigger for around the same price, i'd like that. He can also just get it direct from DickBlick art supply in downtown san diego, instead of ordering online.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/artograph-tracer-projector/

ah, one more thing: can you send me bedsheets? there was a bed in the new place when i moved in, so i gave away the old one. this bed is much bigger. it's 60 inches wide, 80 inches long, and 8 inches thick.

loveyoumissyou!
~daughter

email

2009-03-24T05:21:00.000-07:00

Subject: care pkg
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:40:06
dear mom and dad,

hi! i have absolutely nothing to talk about, but i know it's been 5 days or so since my last email and if i didnt write soon, i feared a guilt email would be in my inbox.

oh, dad, i got the card you sent from grandma, thank you, ive sent her a postcard. You know, every month (maybe 7 months in a row) i sent a postcard to mary lovelady, ninong cooper, grandma, and aunt lyn. i havent in the last 2 months tho, b/c no one ever let me know they got them, i wondered if the korean post office was tricking me and throwing my cards out the window:)

ive taken up drawing again. oil paint is my preferred medium you know, but i dont have the proper ventilation nor the room to do it here, plus, dad, youre not here to build my frames for me! But paper and pencil i can do myself...i found an art supply store for all the things i needed, except for a kneaded eraser. so, uhm, please can you send me a kneaded eraser in the next pkg you send me? You can have brother dave get it at any art supply store: there's dick blick towards downtown san diego, or Michaels or Aaron Brothers in mission/fashion valley.

speaking of things i cant find: i can no longer find my beloved calorie free instant tea mix by lipton, they dont carry it at emart (like walmart here) anymore. if it is there in the states, please send me some. im going through withdrawls. it looks like this. (if its not there, maybe can you peek around to see if crystal light makes something like a lemon tea?) i would also like non fat/low fat creamy peanut butter (i think the brand i used to like is Jiff or jiffy), and fat free chocolate pudding mix, if it exists, im shooting for the stars with that one. also please send me a pack of monostat 7 one day yeast infection cure, b/c i would die having to go to the pharmacy to ask for that should i need it (usually i draw pictures of what i need since i cant speak korean... can you imagine the conversation i'd be having with the pharmacist that day!!).

sorry that this was an email of me asking for things, i know that's pretty lame. but life is rather steady, ordinary, ive got nothing to talk about. i'll try to have a more interesting upcoming week for a better email next time.

thank you and love you lots.
~daughter

email

2009-03-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

Subject: i got the cds
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:13
Dear mom and dad,

yesterday i got the box with my cds and the Ashirts, thank you so much!!! mom, i love the card, i read it over and over again, i love when you write to me. i get the sense that it was difficult foryou to part with the cds :) You shouldve told me you wanted to keep them, i wouldve asked for something else instead! Well, thank you for sending them,and in exchange, is tehre anything i can send you from korea? maybe candies to give to the neighborhood kids? chopsticks? anything? let me know.

oh, mom will love this: i just finished reading Angela's Ashes, and all those descriptions of flowerly white potatoes triggered a craving. so yesteday i came home w/a bag of potatoes really excited to cook, and then realized i didnt know how to work my stovetop. it's a gas stove top, unlike the electric at my old place. i odnt konw if something isnt connected or what, i just know taht i turned the knob and nothing happened. ah well. maybe the cleaning lady can help me.

i went to japan last weekend, but only for a day, actually. b/c my visa expired, i had to leave the country and then come back and now i have 3 months to get my paperwork together. many teachers have to do this, it's called a "visa run." most stay for a day or so, walk around the town, etc, b/c their job pays for it. my job DIDNT so i stayed for a day and didnt leave the airport. jinny helped me find the ticket to japan for only $188. i had the money to stay longer and properly see the sights, but im cheap. it's cool, b/c it rained the whole time. i read 2 books and watched 3 movies on my mp3 player (loaded on my mp3 by my good friend/tech genius Ed, btw.) i spent my day wandering around, getting the layout of the north and south terminal, finding which chairs were most comfortable to sleep in, browsing the airport mall. there were 10 other foreigners with me who stayed the whole night in the airport, none of them were teachers, tho, just people who missed a flight, or awaiting a morning flight.

at the airport/check in/etc, none of my bags were searched tho during my day there, i was stopped for a random passport check around 5 times. each time, i'd smile all stupid and point out to the police/security guard taht i was born in japan. most of them gave me a slight smile, one pretended to get excited to humor me. The reminds me of one time when i brought Brother Dave with me to some shop, and when i found the sales clerk was from eritria, i happily blurted, "Oh, ive been to ghana!" She did a slight smile. Brother Dave says, "uhm, yeah, how is that connected, b/c she's east africa, you went to west africa, on the other side of the continent, Dummy." Well, yeah, i guess... i just really wanted to feel worldly and important:)

it wasnt much of a trip, but i for sure want to go back when i take a proper vacation. the plane ride was a short 2 hours which was awesome. loveyoumissyou. ~daughter.

email

2009-03-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Daehangno Philippine Market

* Time & Day: 12:00-17:00 every Sunday
* Place: In front of Dongseong Middle & High School in Daehangno

How to Get There

Take subway line 4 to Hyehwa station, and go out exit 1. Walk ahead until you reach Dongseong Middle & High School on the right.

other blog/market info:
http://english.seoul.go.kr/today/news/newsclip/1243555_3675.html
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=309567
=====================================
Subject: pics, phil market, rae
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:14:07
dear mom and dad,

i dont remember which pictures ive sent you already, so i sent them all again. these are the pictures from the "Fun Photo Contest" we had at our school. the contest was pretty lame, i think my job just wanted an excuse to take pictures, so they threw this contest together. i say that b/c they only took pictures of 3 of my 8 classes, the same for many of my colleagues. ah well, still i got some cute pictures and i like them.

i got a new student last week with no english name. I asked if he'd like me to give him one, he said yes. i said, "how about ray?" but when i typed it out, i wrote RAE out of habit. i backspaced to correct it, but he said, "No, Teacher, Rae, i like better." i said OK! :)

things are going good at my job, the kids are cute, my coworkers are friendly, etc etc. not much to say. ive just been waiting to renew my visa, i got an extension until june 15, hopefully that darned criminal background check will get here by then! i think it took 6 weeks to get it the first time (the one that korean immigration rejected), so hopefully the request i sent for another will go faster. PLUS, i know you have taken care of that letter i asked for, dad, so which ever comes first, i can use to renew my visa.

the move from pyeongchon to jamsil has helped keep me close to my good friend jinny, who i talk to almost everyday. a couple weekends ago, she took me to a part of town by Hyehwa subway station where we walked around in the philipino market!

as we were walking around, jinny asked me if i understood what people were saying. i said to her, "uhm... that guy said 'Pare' which means 'dude,' i think... and... uhm, that woman said 'anako' so she's talking to her daughter... uhm... i think she wasnt impressed. i was pretty embarrassed *blush* i may not speak tagalog, but i know the food!

while there, we ate menudo and dinaguan, not nearly as delicious as you make it mom, of course, but it was pretty tasty. most of the vendors were for hot food, but some canned/bottled and other goods were for sale. i pointed out Bagaoong to jinny, which i told her was so delicious on mangoes. we saw bags of pandesal and i told her how its so good when it's fresh, and i love it best with cheese whiz.

well, now im hungry, so i'll say good bye. loveyoumissyou, etc. ~daughter.

email

2009-03-07T00:03:00.000-08:00

<---- me at 33!
Subject: RE: Right On Girl
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 04:57:15 +0000

dear mom and dad,
thanks for the birthday email, thank you for giving me life 33 years ago :)

mom, dad mention that you wanted to give me a present? ah...actually, i miss my music. do you have all my cds? will you send me my cd case? with a letter from you, i would really love that. and some A shirts, size large. yes, that's what i want: my cds, Ashirts, and a letter. ok?^^

so i worked on my birthday, i teach this new class which i LOVE, the kids are younger and soooo cute; the building we're in is new and the kids are wonderful, things are really good. i liked pyeyongchon very much, but it's nice to be in a new place, things were so routine and monotonous where i was. i like my new apartment, tho i dont care for the korean style bathroom of the shower head being mounted over the toilet... but hey, when in korea... *shrug*

when i got to work that afternoon, my boss had a cake waiting for me. i walked into the teachers lounge and everyone turned around and saw me and looked confused. then my boss comes up behind me frantically yelling "surprise!" i guess they'd all been waiting for me for a while, my boss left the room to check if i'd arrived yet, and when i came into the room 1 min later, it threw everyone off. ha! well, i love teaching, but i dont come to work an hour and a half early like everyone else does... they didnt realize, and i guess were waiting for a while. hee hee!

after work, i went out with my coworkers, celebrating the opening of the new school, and a sucessful first week, etc. The food was good, it was nice. i was the first to leave, of course, b/c it was late and i was tired! my coworkers protested, "but it's your birthday, you cant leave!!!" i told them that im 33, not 23, and i dont do the "stay out all night" thing anymore:)

i got new glasses, i included a photo. my friends said it looks like a jail pic, but i told them they're just jealous b/c im very mature and sophisticated now that im 33 years old. ive also included some pics from the photo contest i told you about. two of my classes won, so they got pizza and choco pies. they only gave me one pizza for 14 students!!! we drew names out of a box to see who got pizza and who didnt. :( but actually, everybody got a little bit, b/c the kids are so sweet: they gloat and brag about getting to eat pizza when others dont, but then they share it with everyone. Like mom did with the hershey bars when she was a little girl in the philipines:)

~daughter

email from my brother

2009-03-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

i sent another package of candy/snacks to my brother.
i think i did it jsut to get his emails^^

-----------------------------------------------------------
Date:Mar 4, 2009 8:44 AM
Subject: Happy Birthday
Hey Sis,

First off Happy Birthday. I hope your students brought you lots of birthday presents. If they didn't, tell them that your brother is very disappointed in them. They should respect their teacher and shower her with presents on her special day. i told my brother about how the kids go nuts when i tell them he works for sony and test games for a living. they think he's God.

I got your package with the candy. I tried to take it to work the first day you sent it but K insisted that she gets through it first to pick out the candy she liked (his girlfriend). Everyone at work either loves it or hates it:

Everyone tripped out about Krunky and started doing the Dave Chappelle impression of Lil Jon going, "WHAT?! OK!!"
Whoa, the Green tea candy tastes just like Green tea!
One of the guys I work with who is attempting to quit smoking likes the weird flavored cigarettes. He says the shock to his system helps him curb the urge to puff.
Another one of my co-workers is all about the Chicken Chips. He's Hungarian and he said it reminds him of the pre-capitalism snacks they used to ration out back when the country was under communist rule.

Have fun, stay out of trouble, and eat some Vegan cake.-Bro

email

2009-02-24T01:57:00.000-08:00

Subject: RE: I Will Find A Way
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:56:30
dear mom and dad,

so i've moved from the city of anyang (suburb Pyeongchon) to seoul (suburb Jamsil). i felt really uncomfortable for the first several hours at my new place: it felt like day one in korea all over again: i didnt know where anything was, i didnt know where to eat, etc. But im ok now, im glad for the move b/c pyeongchon was feeling monotonous. AND b/c i can now read a little bit of korean, i was able to walk into a place and order off the menu with no problem!!! i had to pause korean class for a while, but i will definitely resume, especially since i live so much closer to it now.

i havent found teh post office yet, so im not yet able to verify my adrs, but im working on it. i had my first day at my new job today, it ws great and the kids are of course super cute.

well, now youre all updated as to whats going on in my world.
love you miss you and all that of course.
~daughter.

email

2009-02-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

Subject: RE: School Folders, and Other Things
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:44:21
dear mom and dad,

the blue folders sound good, please send them. i got the package with the soaps, oatmeal, cookies, thank you so much! My coworkers devoured the cookies and give you trememdous praise. I donated the vanilla scented soap to our bathroom at school... b/c there hasnt been soap there lately, and i only like the smell of vanilla when cooking. the kids loved the cow cartoon on the soap, btw:)

so valentine's day was last week, but in korea it's called "Chocolate Day." This is the day that girls give chocolate to their male friends/family. one month later will be March 14th, where korea will celebrate "White Day," which is the day that boys give candy to their girlfriends only, no other female friends, and are expected to pay 3times the amount that the girl spent on him the month before. One month from then will be April 14th, which is "Black Day." On black day, those that dont have a boy/girlfriend eat black noodles. some of the kids gave me chocolates, which was so sweet... every class ASKED ME for candy, to which i explained that i was giving them the gift of learning, which is infinitely more valuable.

im definitely moving, i found a place yesterday, i'll give the details in the next email. everything is working out cool. im a little sad to leave my neighborhood, ive grown so comfortable here, but change is good. today is thrusday, im moving this saturday actually, so im off b/c i need to start packing. loveyou and miss you.~daughter

email

2009-02-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

Subject: RE: Eyes Wide Shut
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:42:41
dear mom and dad,

my 2 year anniversary of being in korea has come and gone! it doesnt feel like 2 years at all, i still really really love this job.

please, can you send me folders? i want paper, not plastic, that look like this on the inside. i seem to only find plastic ones here and i hate them. im sure you will be able to find them at rite aid. please send around 10 of them so that i can have one folder per class

i am soooo over having these fake eyelashes, i wish they would hurry up and fall out already, they're driving me crazy. unrelated: the snow is gone i think, but today we had a lot of rain. it was lame.

earlier this week, headquarters contacted me about moving to a new branch of the school they're opening in a part of town called "jamsil." i think it was b/c i'd asked for a transfer and didnt get what i wanted, so they had me in mind when room elsewhere opened up. it's not as close as i'd wanted, but it's still clsoer to jinny than living here. everything is still processing, so i dont know where exactly i'll be working/living: pyeongchon or jamsil.

ive cut my hair again, WAYYY too short. but oh well, it's hair, it'll grow. my friends said it makes me look way younger, almost like a high school student. among the kids: the first set of classes this week said i looked like a beautiful man, and like a flower. the reaction the rest of the week was pretty much the same: Oh teacher, so short! Like man, but pretty!" well,the girls said that, the boys just said i looked strange. ~daughter.

email

2009-02-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

Subject: RE: Next Time
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2009 03:50:09 +0000
dear mom and dad,

i got the box with the magazines, etc. Thank you so much, i always love getting mail. i LOVE the stickers you sent, thank you!!! everything here is peace, i think the snow has stopped for the season, thank goddess.

btw, i am not the one with the university job, my friend Jinny is. she used to work at the same company as me, but she now has a new job, north of seoul. But actually im NOT moving, as i'd hoped. there is no room for me at the branch i want to transfer too, i will try again next term (in 3 months). so im staying in the same place in pyeongchon for now.

last night some coworkers got together to celebrate birthdays, we went to some dingy club in anyang and everybody drank and i socialized until i got bored and left. it was nice to hang out, all of my coworkers are really nice and none have ever been anything other than great to me, but im just on a whole other plane, i guess. partly age difference, partly culture, who knows... but above all, they're nice people. i had a good time.

we're in week 12 at my school, which means in 2 weeks we start anew: new classes, new students, new books, new everything. i will miss jason soooo much!!! i want to take pictures, but for some reason i dont feel like it's appropriate, like unless i can ask their parents first, which is way too complicated, so i'll skip it altogether. You know, i am the most uptight teacher at my school: i dont let the kids tease each other, or make jokes about soju (the local liquor of choice), or bash japan (the korean/japanese tension is THICK), or anything else that i explain to them as "not proper class room behavior/discussion topic. Im very G rated, and some colleagues think it's too much, but i think they dont understand.... i clearly remember when i was in elementary school, and the things my teachers have said that just... well, weren't cool... anyway...

but lucky me, i WILL get some pictures, b/c there is a contest at my school for funniest class/teacher photo. it ate up 30 min of class time but it was fun taking the photos. the elementary students crawl all over themselves to get in front of the camera, and the middle schoolers all hide their faces behind their books. i hope i can get copies of the pics soon.

so i'll leave you with my favorite moment of last week: adorable 3rd grade student john whispered to me, "teacher, i memorized one paragraph of obama (inauguration) speech." i smiled and told him i would be very excited for him to recite it for me during break, which he did, and it was just as wonderful and adorable as you can imagine!!!

email

2009-02-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

Subject: look pencil

Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2009 23:09:45 +0000
dear mom and dad,

happy new year! Lunar New Year, that is. it happened officially the night of jan 26. Sorry the weather was "cool" for you today, dad, btw, the weather here is 42°F 29°F, AND THIS IS A WARM DAY. but it's jason day, so it'll be ok :)

i got the box with the magazines, splenda and THANK YOU FOR THE STICKERS!!! there are so many on a sheet, i think i'll cut them up to give out 1 or 2 at a time. maybe some i'll stick on the A and A+ tests. well you already sent it, but nevermind about sending any more oil of olay, i found a product here that i like. That is often the case whenever i or my collegues need something: we'll complain for a while that Korea doesnt have X, but then eventually you'll find it, we just dont look hard enough or arent really trying. That being said, can you send me something like Spray And Wash, something to pretreat stains? I dont know why, i seem to have gotten messier here, and my clothes are suffering. AND please send me another small size afro pick, the kind with the fist. I still have the big one and it works great, but the smaller one: the teeth fell out one by one! so it's gone. please send me another one.

my friend jinny is finished with cdi, she's on a break and start her university job in february. it'll require her to move about a 1.5 hour subway ride north of here. she asked me to transfer to the CDI (my school, there are many branches, like mcdonalds) in that area so i can be closer to her, so i said yes. actually im still waiting to see if there's room at the branch for me, but i think my seniority gives me some pull... it'll be my two year anniversary next month, isnt that crazy?! anyway, maybe i'll be moving in a month or so. jinny joked about my having to move with her before, and i said no b/c i love my apartment so much. then one day we had a long talk about unrelated things, and it ended with her asking me with a serious face to move. i said yes.

it's not a big change for me at all, instead of 45 min south of seoul, i'll be 45 min north of it, really it's the difference between 6 and half a dozen to me. being here so far from home, all you have are your friends. i decided i want to be w/my homegirl more than i want to keep my cush apartment. Jinny and i wont be living together, neither of us want that, but instead we'll be maybe 3 subway stops frm each other. im looking forward to it, actually, new school, new location. the change will be good.

i will miss the kids at my current school, tho. its crazy how i know so many of them. when i come to work, i hear down the halls the call of, "Hi Sister Sha!" and when i walk into my classroom, everyone is trying to get my attenion all at once, "Teacher! Teeeeeeacherrrrr!" and i reply, "yes, Student?" and they'll be like, "uhm... uh... look at my pencil!"

loveyoumissyou~daughter

email to my brother

2009-01-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

i sent my brother a package of korean candies, along with these cigarettes. i thought they were candy when i bought them, then realized they weren't, but i sent them anyway b/c the packageing was cute. i dont know why i sent him candy, he didnt ask for anything, but i was just thinking of him and i miss him. btw, im 32 years old, and my brother is 31.

From: Your Sister
Date: Jan 28, 2009 7:28 AM
when did you let your face get so hairy? was it "no shave til it ships" time? did you guys have to INVENT the game, it took that long?anyway, i was just wondering if you got the envelope of korean candies i sent you.~sis

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Your Brother
Date: Jan 29, 2009 12:49 AM
I originally started growing my beard with the intention of dressing up like Jefferson Twilight for Halloween (see the 4th guy from the left in this picture). I didn't have enough time to get an authentic looking Blackula Hunter costume together so I said screw it and started growing my beard instead. After it got to a certain point, I decided to just keep it until New Years.

Yes I got the candy. I gave some to K(his girlfriend) and brought the rest to work.
Some highlights:

The ginger gum smells like extremely strong dirt. We all took turns passing it around saying, "Ewww! Smell this"
I thought the cigarettes were candy cigarettes and passed them out as such. Glad I didn't give them to kids
Everyone liked the bear candies in the white bag.
Everyone was tripping out about floral gum
K decided to try the silver breath mints. She put one in her mouth, croaked, and instantly spit it out. Then she proceeded to whine about it for 5 minutes.

-Brother

email

2009-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

<---a google image searched pic of a woman having her eyelashes extended. they you lie on the table, tape you up, and get to gluing.

Subject: big or small, lunar new year, lashes
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:10:28 +000
dear mom and dad,

it's monday afternoon, i have the day off today, it's Lunar New Year and a big holiday here in south korea. im a tiny bit sad, it wouldve been jason day, and now i wont get to see him until friday. :( i was going to go to a traditional lunar new year ceremony but it's snowed yesterday so instead im staying home and doing my nails. im painting them white, and will put black dots on, like dice, it's going to be fresh.

yesterday i hung out with my friends jinny and tiffany, we decided to have our eyelashes extended! a few days ago i saw another friend of mine, aeja, and her lashes looked SO lush. she told me this is a common service in salons and saunas here. So yesterday me and the girls found a spot in our neighborhood that does it, it cost under 50bucks and WOW the beautician glued the eyelash hairs on one at a time, talk about patience. it looks soooo cool, i cant stop batting my eyes like a foolio. i found out the lashes are mink, tho. very sad, b/c i know the manner in which minks are killed... boo... anyway, im going to ask for silk next time.

oh hey, my friend Ed went home for xmas, and brought me back a laptop!!! well, i paid for it, but still, i have the most awesome friends ever. he built it for me, attaching all kinds of cool programs that i dont know how to use yet. im using the laptop from home right now as i type! aside from the snow, it's another incentive for me to not leave the house. but it's winter, why would i?! i got my computer, elliptical, cable tv, and you know what else: i speak enough korean to order food on the phone!!!! life is so good!

i'll leave you with this cute student story:i was in class last week and needed a break, so i told the class:"Class, I will be right back, don't use korean while im gone.""Oh, Teacher, where go?" asks sally. In korean, one would just say, 'odi ga?" which translates to "where go."i correct her, "teacher, where are you going?"she repeats her question "teacher, where are you going?" and i respond that i had to use the bathroom.10 year old kelly who sits in the back raises her hand and yells out, "Teacher? Big or small?"the whole class laughs.I thanked her for asking me her question in English :)

an email from my parents

2009-01-25T23:21:00.000-08:00

To: sistershainseoul
Subject: Mom Said
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:48:38 -0800

Sha
Your mother told me to tell you that she love you, and miss you very much.
Dad

email

2009-01-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

Subject: RE: Laws

Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009

dear mom and dad,

i ventured out of my part of town to go to seoul last week, a girlfriend of mine arranged another speakeasy poetry open mic thing. a photo attached: the turnout was huge, it was really wonderful! i saw friends i havent seen in months. a couple people congratulated me for coming out, knowing how hard it is for me interrupt my hibernation. Well thankfully it wasnt too cold that night.

korean class is going at hyper speed, its frustrating and humbling but rewarding. i still read slower than any of my classmates, but i couldnt read AT ALL a month ago, so that's progress.

i ran into my friend annice, the one who asked for the cookies, she was devastated that i ate them. well, now that she's back on the grid, please send Uncle Eddie Vegan Cookies if you find any. I know brother dave cant get them at ranchos anymore, but i used to buy them at henry's, traderjoes, and whole foods, if you or dave ever pop into any of those spots.

love you miss you.~daughter

email

2009-01-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

Subject: RE: Make Up Your Mind
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2009 06:34:25
dear mom and dad,

the after day i emailed you about the background check, i got it in the mail from you! all these new visa laws are sucky: so much process for something that used to take no time at all. *sigh* so i went back to the police station to get fingerprinted AGAIN, and it was just as difficult the second time: i try to explain that all i need is to be printed, and then every cop in the place comes over and looks at my paperwork and asks me questions in korean and i feel dumb b/c i cant understand them, *sigh* They asked me why i didnt just go to the embassy, i said i dont know. i asked some coworkers and bosses about what specifically im supposed to do, no one is 100% sure...

These laws came into affect early last year, and i renewed just before the deadline, so doing this process is new to me. Foreigners are on an E-2 visa. we now (well, californians anyway) have to first request an official fingerprint card from home. Then get fingerprinted at a police station here, then send it back home to get a criminal background check, and then get a medical check up, THEN we can submit paperwork to renew. i heard stories of crappy teachers and even pedophiles working here, which was the catalyst for these new laws. it's interesting: getting the fingerprints itself isnt so complicated (if you have an interpreter with you): i just bring the card and have them print me. they dont even keep a copy. I wonder how the Board of Education in korea, or the justice dept of Cali know it's MY Prints im sending? how do they know i didnt just print my dog or something? how come i cant print myself, how would anyone ever know the difference? anyway... my visa expires february 10th. hope i get done in time. ah well, it's going to work out im sure.

thanks for understanding about the boxes. so:please send whatever you feel like! i was just feeling bad for not actually using all you send me for myself. so please send some oatmeal raisin cookies for my coworkers. send me fiber pills that i can swallow (a one a day pill, please) and as for the oil of olay: send me whatever mom used to use. i just want something like lotion: but for my face, b/c winter is so dry here.

we're in week 9 here in the winter term, there are 4 weeks left before we start anew. im looking forward to a new term, i want so badly to get back to my cushy 4 day a week schedule! i have a student in my elementary class, his name is jason, i love him more than i have ever loved any student before. i want to adopt him and make him my own, i love him so much! i hope so sooooo badly that i can see him again next term! his birthday was jan 10th, and on the friday before, i bought chocopies for the class to celebrate, but i ended up NOT giving them out, b/c i felt bad, that it wouldnt be fair for other students' birthdays. i gave the pies to my coworkers who were happy to help me get rid of the excess goodies. THEN i instead wrote jason a note, telling him happy birthday and what a good student he is, etc, but i ended up not giving it to him either, b/c i didnt want any of the other children to find out and get jealous... maybe i'll slip him a note or some special stickers on the last day of class or something. i really want to take his picture, i love him so much!!! he's my favorite. i know i say that about all the kids, but really, jason is really really my absolute favorite.

korean class is going ok, i dont LOVE it like i did before when it was still all new and exciting, but it's good. i can read hangul (Korean) albeit very very slowly. the classes run for one month, and im 99% sure i will repeat this course to get a better grasp of things before i move on. it is very difficult, im the slowest student there (as well as the one who has been in korea the longest, HA!) but it's been very exciting to walk around town and be able to read and recognize some words and phrases... well, words, actually, im still too slow to read an entire phrase. my class is very diverse: im the only american. there are 4 other students: one each from thailand, japan, germany, china, and iraq. pretty cool.

in class during break time last week, i read something in korean for the class, telling them i was learning korean and bragging about how EASY it is. i started to read, "Ahn... yyyoooo... g.. guh... gaah..." and smart little kenneth asked, "uhm, teacher, why are you speaking alien language?" hardy har har.

email

2009-01-10T03:59:00.000-08:00

Subject: three (send this first): new hector?
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:57:45
dear mom and dad,

hi! it's freezing, just walking down the street to the mandu spot i eat at is torture; by the time i get there, my ears and nose HURT b/c it's so cold. puh. btw, attached is a photo of my coworkers in our breakroom at work, devouring the cookies you sent. There were more people, but the girls were being lame and didnt want to be inthe photo. the boys had no shame, and asked i bring cookies in more often, requesting more chocolate chip, and oatmeal raisin next time.

so whats happening on the pet situation? mr.gomez has passed, will there be a new pet in the household? i like cats best. i found there is a cat shelter in seoul, and im going to look into fostering. but im going to do more research, any pets i get are going to have to stay with me for life; i'll need to check into bringing pets back into the states. i really miss my cats rosie and goldfish :(

well, im off, i only had a minute, i just wanted to send an email, i know how mom gets anxiety when i dont write for more than 5 days in a row :) ~daughter

email

2009-01-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

Subject: i got the box
Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2009 05:30
dear mom and dad,

xmas has come and gone, my school was closed that day: we were the only ones open last year on xmas day, i remember. and im pretty sure i had full attendance in both classes. those korean kids sure are dedicated! or at least, their parents are dedicated to sending them to school ;)

anyways, xmas was coo, i spent the day locally with my coworker/friend Jinny. she's my favorite person at work, and her contract will end and she's leaving the school soon. there's only one instructor who has been there longer than me, now. wow. it's my two year anniversary in february, isnt that crazy? time flies.

new years has come and gone as well, we didnt have that day off work, but meh. many coworkers and friends went out. as for me, i went home and did a self manicure, it was lovely. it's gotten really cold outside, and being home and staying warm was all i was looking for to bring in the new year, forreals.

i got a box yesterday, with the rightguard and comics and cookies and magazines, thank you so much! i actually had a girlfriend over when the package arrived, and she got a little green about it b/c her family doesnt send her anything. my coworker extends his thanks for the rightgard. Listen now, Dad: do not send more. He doesnt need any. i know it's your habit to keep providing but please dont overdo it. he'll have lots of extra right guard and then my school will think i must be in love with him or something! Uhm, same for the cookies:unfortunately, i havent even seen the sista that loved the cookies so much at the potluck. i brought the ones you sent me (for her in the first place) to the thanksgiving potluck, and they were loved an appreciated absolutely, but i dont want a surplus of cookies, me and my belly dont need them. the batch you sent last time, i brought to work and everyone crawled all over everyone to get one, but still i feel bad b/c i dont eat any (b/c you know i eats plenty of sweets on my own!). anyway, i just wanted to tell you. Ah, but i WOULD like more liquid hand soap to refill my dispenser... and oil of olay facial moisturizer, it's so dry here in winter.

my friend who didnt get the cookies: she didnt come to the thankgiving gathering. she didnt reply to my calls or messages, and it's a trip b/c she is the very first black person i met when i got here to korea. we arrived within a month of each other. But her lack of response wasnt to be taken personally, i later heard later that she went through a hermit phase and didnt really talk to or hang out with anybody for a while. We all go through it. it's interesting, even though we know each other and have made some close connections (i, like many, dont go more than a day without calling one or two friends, to talk on the phone for an hour about nothing, just little friend things), yet still we feel withdrawals of home and familiarity.

anyway, thanks so much for the package, im all over the magazines reading about my man obama. work is great of course. this term, my students are very artistic and do many drawings of ME, i updated the blog and put the pictures here:
http://sistershainseoul.blogspot.com/2001_01_01_archive.html

love you, miss you, ~daughter.

email

2008-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Subject: cold, free movie, spanish, kroean class
Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 02:08:39
dear mom and dad,

im glad you enjoyed the pictures of me hating the snow... i hung out w/alan a couple weeks ago, we went to the korean culture center to catch a free movie (valentin, which is my new favorite movie btw), and for the whole 5 min walk from the subway station to the center, we complained about the cold.

alan and i talked about how we cant believe people LIVE in this, live here in this cold like all the time. alan, ever faithful, pointed out that it's really not natural: humans are nomads, and when weather conditions became unfit, you move onto another area, it's science and really quite obvious when you think about it. i love alan, he's the only one who understands that winter here is insane.

anyway, there was an argentinian film festival at the center, so alan and i got to watch this movie in spanish. thank goodness for subtitles: 8 years of spanish class and my face contorts at how fast the actors are speaking, i can understand maybe 1 in 50 words. i use that lesson for the kids in my class, to use english in class since they're using korean every other hour of the day, "kids, sister sha took spanish for 8 years, does she speak spanish now? No, b/c i havent spoken spanish in 10 years, i dont remember a thing." their eyes grow wide at the thought, and then i only hear them use english in class...well, like for 10 min, before they slip again into occasional konglish or something.

so i didnt bother to see the rocky horror picture show. i dont think it would be fun for me. i love the show and i know all the words to all the songs... but i dont tihnk i'd have fun not being able to sing along b/c it will almost definitely be entirely in korean.

one of my homegirls has signed up for a korean class: two hours a day, 3 days a week, and said it's changed her world. im a little green eyed about it... maybe just maybe i will sign up too. in february, it'll be two years of me living here, and im no more knowledgeable about the language now as i was then. shameful! ~daughter

ok,its not actually that cold here yet, but the constant complaining about the winter makes for good folly for my parents. i seriously am thinking about going to a hogwon to learn korean. i want to be able to communicate with all these cute korean boys ;)

email

2008-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Subject: 11th chew words, fall leaves, stamps, thankgv/mafia
Date: Tues, 16 Dec 2008
dear mom and dad,

no plans for x-mas, not officially. im not sure if i work that day or not.

i sent you a photo of the thanksgiving dinner i had w/the brothas & sistas, yes? it was so wonderful, the food was soooo good, i ate so much that i hurt my back and took a nap. i cooked nothing, of course, but i pitched in money for groceries. everyone kept asking zha (our host and cook) over and over just HOW did she get a turkey so friggin juicy. she said she covered it w/like 3 layers of tin foil for the first few hours of cooking, i dont know, i just know it was delicious. and the greens, oh my god! my homegirl camille cooked them, and dad i'll get you her recipe b/c they are the best greens ive ever had in my life. anyway, thanksgiving was wonderful all around, we ate and then played mafia, it was a perfect day.

so fall has come and gone and it's winter. *sigh* i was talking to alan the other day about how quickly fall went. i didnt notice last year, but the leaves changing color is really something to see. it almost doesnt look real, like alan said, it's like what you see on tv. to see these leaves so red or yellow in real life, we swear it must not be a real tree, it must be plastic or painted, or something. i wish i'd observed it more at the time, b/c now all the leaves are gone w/the arrival of winter.

work is going well. one of my favorite classes from last term is almost still all together, now my friend bryan is their teacher. one day i walked by the class room at the tail end of break, and all the kids ran out chasing me, shouting, "sister shaaaaaa!!!!" i couldnt stop smiling, i felt so loved. But of course, it's really just kids liking familiarity, but i still let it stroke my ego a little bit. when i was still their teacher, there was one little boy in the class, joseph, who would talk to me in class constantly, every so often he would do so out of turn, in which case i would turn to him and say, 'Joseph, guess what im going to say?" and he would stop, b/c the words following would've been, 'shut up.' In a kind teacherly way, of course :) He was one of the best students, but b/c he's so fast, he finishes early and yaps on forever. if i wasnt listening, he'd yell, "Teacher, why you chew my words?!" which means "why arent you listening to me?" I'd tell him, "Joseph, you see that jenny is speaking to me right now, sweetheart, please wait until she's finished, and then i can give you my attention." and then he'd sigh and pout while waiting, friggin adorable!

can i ask that you guys maybe check out pic&save (or whatever it's called now) and send me stamps and stickers? ive included pictures of what im talking about. i have some that ive bought here, but i'd prefer to have some that have some english words on them, or anyway, just something different. {the picture w/the stickers has a dvd in the photo, for no reason, i just forgot to move it out of the way}. thanks for putting up w/my constant requests.

im very cold here!~daughter

email

2008-12-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

Subject:tax man, rt guard, plst bags

Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:21:15

dear mom and dad,

i got the package with the magazines, comics, and the letter from aunt lyn, thanks a lot. Please, can you send me more plastic bags? and right guard clear gel for my coworker who lives upstairs. im straight on everything else, thanks for taking care of me :)

did i tell you that the tax man got me?! if you live here for more than one year, you have to pay taxes, this i didnt know... i got home one day, and the doorman motioned for me to come sign something. i got excited, thinking it was a package from you all, but instead i got a letter from the Korean National Tax Service! i asked a korean friend about it, he told me that since i didnt file my taxes here, that KOREA did it for me, and they sent me the paper telling me how much i owed. my job was of little help... but that's standard in school jobs the foreigners work here, er, at least, it is at my school: you get very little help of anything about actually living here. i asked all my coworkers during tax time what they did, and not one of them have ever paid them! one guy bragged that he's been here 5 years and has never paid a dime! *puh* Man, why korea tracking ME?! anyway, i went to the bank to pay what i owed; it was all done over a machine like an atm, well, the teller did it for me b/c i couldnt read the directions. a korean customer was waiting to use the machine after me.... i guess korea is checking on everybody... well, except my coworkers. i swear i want to turn them all in, i was so mad! >:(

i dont know how it's divided, but one tax fee i paid was around 50 bucks, the other was almost 500. holy cheese and crackers! while i was at it, i saw a local h&r block in seoul to ask about the taxes teddy filed at home. Mr. Han amended my and teddy's taxes, for a fee of course... 200 bucks! hmph. well, everything is nice and proper and legal, so that's good. i guess immigration wont be coming to kick me out anytime soon.

thanks for the photos you sent. i love all the new changes you guys have made to the home. i love the floor in the dining room and the new dining room set especially! send me pictures when you guys get rid of those red curtains, i remember never really being able to properly watch tv in that room b/c the red curtains reflected bright off the screen.

well im off to work, my greetings to senor gomez, of course.~daughter.

email

2008-12-09T21:04:00.000-08:00

i think this was the second snow of the season? or third... it was a thursday maybe? ah who cares, it's all still cold. notice that im in the same place i was then i took the last photo, but here the ground is all white: wayyyyy more snow this time. >:( Subject: more snow
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:06:
hi mom and dad.
here's another picture of me hating the snow.
~sha.

email

2008-11-26T06:08:00.000-08:00

Subject: snow, xmas, new term
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:12:54
dear mom and dad,

we had our first snow on thursday last week. attached is a picture of me not enjoying it. many of my coworkers were excited, so of course i think they are all insane.

one of my newer coworkers Ian is from san diego and this is his first winter in korea. he enjoyed the snow as well, saying it was the first time he'd seen snowfall, like to see snow actually falling from the sky. yeah whatever, i was just cold. i got a proper winter coat this year, but still im never ready for it.

we started a new term this week, and with it a new set of classes and new students, new everything. im teaching "higher levels" along w/my regular classes this time around. i have students in the "higher" classes that i taught 6+ months ago in the regular class! it's a trip, they're all taller and more grown, like im in a time machine. i do love seeing the familiar faces.

well, i have nothing else to tell you, im just writing b/c i know if it's more than 6 days without an email, you'll lay a guilt trip on me. but it's ok, i know it's b/c mom will drive you insane w/questions otherwise ;)

tell dave and ketso hi when they come by on laundry day, and give my greetings to hector.

~daughter.

email

2008-11-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

Subject: boondks/alanZooPoo/learning korean

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:45:32 +0000

dear mom and dad,

i met up with some brothas and sistas last week to watch the boondocks. there were about 10 of us, it was really chill, we ate pizza and watched the cartoons and did some light social/political conversation. half the attendees were new to korea, been here less than 3 months or so, and were happy to meet up w/other black expats. i know for me, life in korea has been much nicer after making more like-minded friends. we took a couple of pictures, but i dont have them yet. i'll send them when i do.

my friend alan is still working at the zoo but is hating it these days b/c the weather is getting so cold and he is, as he complains to me, "freezing his balls off." tho i dont have balls, i do empathize, for he and i are both san diegans. these days instead of just observing the monkeys, he now has to also collect their poo; another reason he's not so crazy about the work right now.

i met a korean friend SangHyun, he's a waiter at a bar alan and i frequent. sanghyun is teaching me hangul (the korean alphabet). its really intimidating, i am really used to being the teacher and not the student, but im glad im finally making some effort. its really embarrassing when i get an email from a san diego friend asking me about my knowledge of the local language and i tell them i cant speak beyond hello and thank you. Always people mistake it for modesty... if they only knew. it so friggin EASY to never learn korean here. i think the real motive behind me finally learning is to get over the humiliation of having to tell people that i dont speak any korean despite living here for over a year and a half.

this is the last week of classes for this, my SEVENTH term! i had a great set of classes this time. well, i say that every time, but i did :) i started a page to track the notes/gifts/presents i get from students, you can look at it here.

our next soul/seoul food gathering is next week, for thanksgiving. im excited! i got cookies galore for everyone, thanks to you all :) ~loveyoumissandallthat. daughter.

email

2008-11-16T03:04:00.000-08:00

Subject: obamacongrats/jaja/pyeongchon dinner
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:13:44
dear mom and dad,

ive been watching the news online, listening to all obama related news. eveyrone else i know has cnn, but it cost extra, and i was being cheap, so i didnt bother to get it when i got cable. every couple of days since the election, a random korean local will say to me, "american?" the simple one word question to ask where im from. i smile and asnwer yes, then they say "Obama! Congratulations!"

rocky horror picture show is playing here in seoul. i got excited, i really love rocky horror! but i came to find that, just like evil dead, it will be all in korean, including the songs. so... maybe i wont go. not as much fun if you cant do the audience participation, unless i get to learning some korean phrases soon... which of course i wont. i still cant even count nor do i know the korean alphabet. but at least once a day, i think about trying to learn. :)

last week i went to dinner w/some sistas that live in my neighborhood. it's really nice to have them so close by. usually i travel by subway to seoul to meet friends, it's about a 45min ride. This random brotha found me online asking me quesions about korea, and months later he's here and lives across the street from me. Through him, i met this sista who lives at the other end of the block. and one day i was walking and chased down another sista to say hi (i saw her from the back, but i can spot the hair texture anywhere).

my new favorite food is jajamyung, it's noodles w/black sauce and onions. i was told it's chinese food, but i think it's actually a chinese/korean fusion food, b/c if you go to china and ask for jajamyung, they'll have no idea what youre talking about.

email

2008-11-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

Subject: RE: Thank You
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2008 23:47:04 +000
dear mom and dad,

with obama's win, i have never wanted to be home so badly, i really wish i was in america to celebrate.

this afternoon, my homegirl called and told me the news, and i just really didnt believe her. i then called/txt messaged every brotha & sista i knew, talking about, "It's O-Beezy up in this piece!!!!" i wanted to run around in the streets and scream and sing and cry! but there wasnt much celebrating going on in my town of pyeongchon... i heard that a pub in the foreinger part of town had some festiviites, but i missed it. ah well. most people i talked to cried. i havent yet, im still in shock.

some of my students told me they HATE obama, something about taxes for korea or something... and i tihnk some were just trying to get a rise out of me. meh, kids is kids. we had a small discussion about it in my middle school class, they asked me why people liked obama. i told them about people wanting a change from republican to democrat, some admiring his intelligence (the kids were in awe when i told them obama graduated from harvard), also mentioned about america is supposed to be the place where anyone can go and make their dreams come true, and having a black president can be a symbol of that... then later me and the kids had a contest to see who could hold their breath the longest. i won the first time, and came in 3rd the second time. but i think they cheated!

my seoul family of brothas and sistas here organized a poetry/art/music thing a couple weeks ago. we got together at one of the sista's houses, dimmed the lights, and pretended we were at an open mic a la Sanctuary in love jones. ive only seen love jones one time, i thought it was a crappy movie. for this, friends have threatened to take away my black card. BUT i do enjoy the atmosphere of an open mic like in the movie, so i had a wonderful time. people sang songs, read their own or other's poetry, it was so wonderful, being surrounded by cool people and just feeling unity and love, i forgot i was in korea for a couple of hours. everyone in attendance were english teacher, and a couple of military i think, half the people i knew, the other half i met for the first time that night. it's always great to meet new people. i look forward to our next gathering post election; i think every one of us are obama supporters.

work is going good, this term is over in 2 weeks already! i have really fallen in love with some of the kids this time. ive got one middle school girl named jenny, her english is low level and her voice is sweet, so she sounds like a little girl when she talks. when the class misbehaves, i usually something like they're being "naughty" and that they need to show "proper classroom behavior." i said this to jenny once, and 3 min later she asks me with big eyes and in her sweet little voice, "teacher, really i'm naughty?" i told her no, and then i felt so bad! when the kids are good, answering questions and such, i say, "wow, good job! what geniuses you all are!" to which jenny eagerly responds, "Teacher? Really im genius?" i told her, "yes, youre A genius," reminding her to include the article for proper grammar. now everytime she gets a question right, she says to herself, "Im genius girl." i say, "jenny, youre A genius." Then she says, "im A genius girl." its adorable!

email

2008-10-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: Behind On Writing
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008
dear mom and dad,

yesterday i got an envelope from you with the magazines, comics, and voice and viewpoint, thanks so much. I got to wondering if i let you know about the last package, i checked my emails and surely i did NOT. sorry.... i got the box with the magazines, oatmeal, fiber pills, and tampons. thanks for making sure i live lush here in korea :)

my friend genoa that i told you about earlier is leaving korea after 2 months of teaching :( I was really surprised, but then again, everyone's experience here is so different. she came to korea w/her husband, and the school put her in an apartment half the size of mine. for the first 3 weeks, they had her commute to different schools every day, spending over an hour on the subway each way... that, along w/a host of other reasons (not so friendly coworkers, not being crazy about korean food, etc), she's decided to leave. I dont blame her, after she told me all she'd gone through in detail. she put in her notice, she's leaving in a week or so. i'm glad; some people dislike being here so much, they pull what's called "a runner." This is when a teacher shows up to work one day, and then disappears the next, usually on a plane back home... usually right after payday! it's happened i think 3 times at my job since ive been there. *shrugs*

Genoa is very traveled, mostly south america. she's american, and speaks fluent spanish and portuguese. But asia is a whole different ball game. she's moving to brazil, which i think is friggin awesome. i told her i'd invade her for a visit one day... but i'll come back to san diego first, of course. not sure when, tho! loveyoumissyou, ~daughter.

EMAIL

2008-10-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: On Hold4
Date: Tues, 7 Oct 2008 23:39:27 +0000

dear mom and dad,
yesterday i got your envelope with the comics, stickers and magazines (spin, new african, heart&soul, star, jet), thanks so much for sending them. :)

work is going well as always. i only work 4 days a week, did i tell you? i think about leaving my company and working elsewhere; cdi is the only esl job that doesnt give benefits like free rent, health insurance, severance pay, paid holidays... but i only have a 4 day work week! im so in love with the schedule, i may never leave. Plus, it's only 6 hours a day. every other teacher i know outside of cdi work 7-9 hours a day. things are too cush where i am to leave now. not saying at all that my job is easy, but after getting into the groove of things, it goes so smoothly. we're in week 7, halfway through the term already.

oh, about mary lovelady: i did write her, told her where specifically i lived and asked if there were certain things in korea she'd want to see, i would try to arrange an itinerary or help find a tour group. she didnt respond. it's ok, she's one of the busiest people i know, and i will be here for quite a while, so she's got plenty of time to respond/visit.

i dont have much else to say... the weather is slowly cooling, and i feel winter coming, which is filling me w/anxiety. but ive done two winters here now, i'll survive this one. i have my long johns, ear muffs, charger scarf, and the ugly sweaters you gave me :)

~daughter.

email

2008-10-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: On Hold3
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 05:49:18 +0000
dear mom and dad,

wow, im halfway through another term at work already! hey, can you please send me a dominoes set? i play online a lot, and a couple coworkers were curious, and i'd like to teach them how to play.

not much going on with me, just working and living. the weather has been ok, but i can feel winter around the corner and its giving me incredible angst. i need to plan my vacation to be IN WINTER next year, so i can be home in sunny san diego instead of here!

during chuseok a few weeks ago, me and some friends went to the national folk museum. they have traditional music and dance performances every weekend, it was the first time ive seen it in person. it was pretty cool, first we saw a dance, then some drumming, and the drumming was off the chain! my trips to ghana made me really love percussion, and tho i dont feel quite the same passion for korea drumming, it was still really awesome. they were all women drummers, too, which is so friggin cool. pero anyways, one crappy photo included. i cant seem to find anybody's pictures, even tho there were like 10 of us. alan took this picture, so he's not in it.

loveyoumissandallthat. ~daughter

email

2008-09-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

Subject: Thanks
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:07:15 -0700

Sha

I am glad to hear that your Soul/Seoul Food Pot Luck went so well, and that a good time was had by all, tell Sister Annice that she will have to go without cookies for at least a month, because if I send you cookies right away you will not write to let us know how you are doing, this way Annice will remind you to write so that she can get her cookies, so tell her that she had better remind you to write so she can get the cookies, by the way why are there no pictures of the white boy?

Subject: museum,small things

Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 02:35:06 +0000

dear mom and dad,

hi! oh my goodness, the weather turned from warm to cold in like 2 minutes. one night i was sleeping soundly, the next night, i had to break out the big blanket. people like to say korean has 4 seasons. winter is upon us. im not happy about it!

so i ventured to this area called ansan a while back, an area about 30 min south of me, to visit the gyeonggi museum of modern art. b/c im south of seoul, i usually tend to travel north, i think i've only been south of where i live maybe one time. it's a trip how green everything is going that way. looking out the window while on the subway, youre not underground, and instead of seeing buildings and streets everywhere, you see green grassy fields and marshes and such. i dont know how far it is, we're talking maybe a dozen subway stops or so, but it really struck me.

the museum is gorgeous, the building was way cooler than the mca in san diego. i definitely want to go back... if i can find it. i had a hard time getting there, my directions were "off" as is my mind most of the time. picture is from google, b/c i dont have a camera. this photo doesnt do it justice, the building is gorgeous.

one of my friends, her name is Genoa, from san diego just got to korea a couple weeks ago, also teaching english. she and i used to work together at redenvelope. we both also got fired from there, so we have a special bond. no matter, being in south korea is so much cooler than taking peoples gift orders over the phone :)

pero anyways, while on the subway to get to genoa, i was holding a subway map. i havent had to do so in a long long time, but we were meeting in an area i wasnt too familiar with and i had my map out to check where i needed to transfer. as soon as i put my head down to look at the map, a korean woman came up to me and asked if i needed help. she was so kind. ive been caught up in my own life for a while, and i'd forgotten about little nice things that happen sometimes. it was, well, really nice you know. not me ----------------->

along those same lines, i had a reminder about how when living in south korea, you have to not sweat troublesome things, and appreciate the mess out of the little things. when i was on my way to find this museum, i was wayyyyy out of seoul and couldnt find my way. i decided to find an internet cafe, to find the adrs/directions of where i was going. the first two internet cafes i went into politely refused me service w/no explanation. it's been a while since i had that happen, too. the 3rd place, however, didnt blink an eye at my presence, so i got what i needed and was able to get where i was going.

i told annice about the cookies, she'll happily wait, tho i think i did see her eyes well up w/tears for just a bit. btw, she loves the oatmeal cookies as well. oh, there were no pictures of alan (the white guy) b/c he wasnt there, the event was on a sunday, and he does work at the zoo on sundays. he's working with some professor at some university, i dont know the details, but he's into science, i think he's working on being an archaeologist one day, which at first i thought was nerdy, but then he pointed out that indiana jones is an archaeologist, and you really cant get much cooler than that. well, except maybe james bond. bond is cooler than jones. dad, your opinions?

email

2008-09-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

Subject: joseph "like me"
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 05:51:20 +0000

dear mom and dad,
the soul/seoul food potluck this weekend was so wonderful, and the cookies were a smash hit. my friend annice grabbed my pantleg and begged w/tears in her eyes for me to ask for more. she likes the molasses cookies. i like chocolate chip. dave got the cookies at ranchos, which is closed now i think, but the same cookies can be found at henry's or whole foods. please send more, before poor annice pulls out all her hair in hysteria. pictures of the food, and my friends attached. i couldnt find pictures w/me in it. i was probably too busy eating.

work is going well. around the corner from the school are vendors that sell cheap snacks, i usually head there after work to get a waffle or an ice choco (chocolate milk), one vendor in particular is always so nice to me, often throwing a little something extra for me. she speaks not a word of english. the other day, i went to her, and ran into one of my coworkers who speaks korean. this woman tells my coworker to tell me how kind she thinks i am, and how much she really likes me and appreciated my business. it was so sweet, im sure ive never said more than hello and thank you to her b/c i still speak no korean, but just goes to show you how far a friendly smile will take you!

this term, i've got this little boy joseph has taken praising himself, it's really funny, actually. when someone in class gets the right answer, he'll say somethign like, "oh wow, youre so smart!!! ... like me." then the class falls out. he's got really great delivery, just enough pause to make it super funny. well, you have to be there.

love you miss you bye

email

2008-09-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

Subject: 2
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:57:47 +0000

dear mom and dad,

yes, the magazines are greatly appreciated by friends, thank you for sending them. as for staying another year, yes i am! when i renegotiated my contract, it was set for a year from that date, so i'll be here until july of 2009 at least. longer if i get another raise (hee-hee!) A visit home is on my mind, but ive no idea as to when. when i know, you'll know, but it wont be anytime soon. but i'll do better to write more often.

i got a chance to visit the korean foundation cultural center a while back, to see their venue and check out the art galleries. they have lectures and performances there. i caught the last bit of an exhibition by ko un, a poet and painter, but all the work was in korean, so i couldnt read it. it was really lovely, i tried to sign up for the email list, but i fear it will come to me in korean too. ah well, maybe it'll motivate me to go to korean class.

i was hanging out w/some sistas last weekend, we went to butterfinger pancakes, looking again for a western style breakfast. the place was nice but the prices were high. i've heard that a lot of korean celebrities go there, hence the prices. good food tho. it's popular amongst foreigners too, b/c again, there are no "denny's" or other diners here, if you want pancakes, you have to hunt for them in places like butterfingers. i just mostly eat korean food, b/c i dont quite live in seoul, so getting different foods is difficult. i could go shopping for the ingredients, but of course i dont cook.

work is good. ive got one little boy Jon, who drives me nuts. seriously, he has ADD or something, b/c this boy wont sit still. i had him in my class last term, and was relieved when the term finsihed, thinking i'd be done with him. then lo and behold, he's in my class again!!! he's cute of course, and super smart. i wonder if it's the reason why he cant sit still, maybe the class is too easy for him. another teacher saw he was in my class and commented about how "bad" he is, and i had the nerve to be offended, b/c that's my student! since then, i've been trying different things in the class room w/him. now everytime he interrupts me, i do much less "stern angry" talking, and more sweet voiced, "that's really interesting, jon, but right now we're on page 13, so let's focus." i cant accurately say if his class behavior has improved, but at the very least, it helps me be less angry and frustrated, if anything.

email

2008-09-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

Subject: Where Are You?
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 14:59:48 -0700

Sha

Your brother brought by five bags of cookies for me to send to you, but since I have not heard from you for a while I am not sure that you are still alive so until I hear from you I will hold on to the cookies. Hope to hear from you soon, before I have to eat your cookies.

Dad

---------------------------------------
Subject: RE: Where Are You?
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:56:02

holding my cookies hostage? that's low, poppa....

dear mom and dad,
hi, i havent written in a while i know, i'll spare you my reasons/excuses b/c they're the same as always. thank you for the box, im straight on deodorant for while, i think i have about a dozen sticks in my medicine cabinet. i would love it if you sent me dental floss, with wax, im just about out. uhm... would it be jerky of me to tell you that i dont need the Star magazines you send me? celebrity news is on tv here all the time, so much so that i know a lot more now about whoever in hollywood than i ever did home, w/no effort on my part. i love the american legacy magazine, tho, thank you for that one.

work is going great. i have curtis again, he has grown so much since he was in my class last, and he's really sharp in the classroom, can answer any question, and has a new focus, really pays attention in class, an incredibly improved student, i adore him. i'd like to think that having me before helped him to grow into the super student he is today, but... well, no, actually, i will take credit for it. im such a great teacher! he's gotten so tall. crazy how fast they grow.

i was hanging out w/some friends a couple weekends ago, and we went to suji's restaurant. it's a favorite among foreigners for western style breakfasts. my eggs benedict was the bomb, but cost me $19.00. i ate it happily, but then i talked a lot of trash about who's idea was it to pick such an expensive restaurant. attached is the picture of me and my friends outside suji's, and then the same photo, w/their names. You'll see zhaleh, the sister who is an amazing cook, and hosted our "soul food get togethers" and alan, who is a good sport about being referred to as "the white guy." Alan is from san diego, also an alum of sdsu, so of course we're good friends.

this weekend is chuseok, sort of like american thanksgiving, where people will spend time w/families. we'll have one day of classes cancelled at my job. the kids are pretty mad. i tell them to not be mad, but to be happy, b/c they'll be spending time w/me :) one little girl Diana gave me a chuseok present of scented soaps, i wanted to hug her, but i just did a mental hug and told her thank you.

can i get some cookies now? :(
~daughter

email

2008-08-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:02:06 +0000
dear mom and dad,

i realized that ive been writing lots of little 1-2 sentence emails and havent written a proper one in a while, so im writing now. my friend is eternally grateful for the glycerine and says thanks a million times over. she used to work for mac and has a huge collection of make up, which is what the glycerine was for. through some networking, we met another sista here in korea, Natarsha, a photographer, who did a little photo shoot. i didnt get to make it to watch, but i heard it was all very glamourous and partly in thanks to you and the glycerine :) i also saw my friend ed and gave him the watch you sent as thanks for my computer work, he was really surprised and touched, thank you for that too!

we're in the last week of another term here at work, so next week i'll again have new classes and new students. ive had small classes this term, one class is only 4 students, another is only 2. it's much better, actually, i feel like im helping them more than the 13-15 student classes. i hope i get small classes again next term, we'll see. i have one little boy jason, maybe he's around 8 yrs old and sooo cute. his korean accent is heavy, like he says "Five" like "pie-buh" and he's so small and skinny and is always smelling his middle finger, which is weird but still cute.

what else... i got a new cell phone. there are these new offices opening around seoul called "global village," they offer various services for foreigners. all this time, ive been using phone cards b/c i dont speak enough korean to get a cell phone plan, but this place helped me out. i had to buy a new phone to go with the plan, so i asked for one similar to mine b/c it has a subway map: i can look up subway stations, how to get from A to B and how long it takes to get there. The saleswoman was super friendly, gave me a phone with a subway map, and sent me on my way. an hour later, while trying to use the map, i came to find that tho the rest of the phone had english settings, the actual subway map was in korean! i called her, and all she told me was "sorry." ah well... more motivation for me to get my bum to korean class!

my new favorite food is bibimbop, btw. i still havent learned any korean, but i AM learning how to pronounce/what are some korean foods. :)

loveyoumissyoutakecare, ~daughter

email

2008-07-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

Subject: almost week 10
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:42:48 +0000

dear mom and dad,

yesterday i got a package from you. thank you SO MUCH!!! i got the magazines, the oatmeal, the comics, magazines, and the plastic bags. i havent given the glycerin to my friend yet, but she screamed a thousand thank yous when i called her about it. thanks so much for taking care of me.

thanks for the encouragement in the last email. youre right, i shouldnt worry so much about what my colleagues are doing, nor compare it to what im doing. i was thinking hard about why I'M not in grad school, about what my future is, etc. Although i am still thinking about these things, i'll do more thinking about what will satisfy me and make me happy, rather than getting green over what everyone else is doing. i had a little case of trying to keep up with the jones's, so thanks for checking me :)

i was thinking, tho, how it is coming up to a year and half of my being here, and how much better ive gotten at my job, so i got the nerve up to ask for a raise. i didnt get one when i re-signed, but now i think i deserve it: my student surveys show im a popular teacher, the homework completion rate for my students is higher than average, i sub classes when called, i've never missed day of work, i got a top score for the last two term evaluations, i thought it was time. so last week I told my manager that i wanted to ask corporate office for raise and he told me he supported it. he talked to HIS boss, who also supported it. i went in to corporate office Wednesday, and got 10% effective that day! im pretty happy about it. so happy, that i didnt even trip over the fact that when i got there for the meeting at noon, i wasnt tended to until 1:30. this is common "korean time" something about the notion that "a gentleman is never in a hurry" or something. actually, this was the longest ive ever been kept waiting, but hey, i got my 10%!!!

work is going well, the kids havent asked for pizza other than the one little girl that one day. one teacher told me he meets his kids after class and buys them snacks as rewards. yeah that's nice, and a waffle is only 500 won (50 cents) but still... im not comfortable buying them presents. waffles, btw, are a popular snack on the street where i work. the street is "hogwan ga," hogwans are the academies the kids go to after they finish public school. the street is lined w/these hogwans, along with little shops that sell school supplies, and vendors who sell food. you can buy a hot waffle fresh from the iron, folded in half w/butter or creme and syrup spread inside. some places have chocolate or strawberry creme and all of them are delicious. all for only 500 won, which is around 50 cents.

speaking of food, some of the sistas came over last weekend, we watched movies and ate sweet potato pizza. i swear to you, best pizza ever. mom would hate it, i bet, b/c i know she hates pineapple on pizza. i love it, tho.

loveyoumissyou, ~daughter.

email

2008-07-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: Box On The Way
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:15:44 +0000
dear mom and dad,

thanks so much for all your effort on the glycerol. did you find it at the drug store? it's week 9 here in the new term at school, each term is 13 weeks. my job will have a lot of people leaving at the end, many people will be finishing their one year contract. that's crazy to me, i was here when someone got here, and still here when they're leaving! three of my colleagues got into law school and are leaving to get ready for it. one couple is getting married soon, another is just leaving, he planned on doing one year and the year is up so he's moving on. it has all got me to thinking about what my future plans are, what do i want to do, what are my goals. i dont know, we'll see what happens, i need to do some future planning.

the rain has been pouring lately, like it looks like a typhoon of incredible amounts of rain and wind outside my window. im the only one being a baby about going outside tho, everyone else in korea is just going around business as usual. my friend jokes, "What, are you going to melt? just carry your umbrella." people dont understand, im from southern california! im from san diego! i dont deal with no rain!!

and parents, the summer heat is like WOW. the block is hot, for real, and the kids are going crazy. i think my students are wonderful (well, i always do!) but other teachers have been telling me stories about their kids crying in the middle of class for no reason, of A+ students getting into fist fights, one teacher is pretty sure a boy is *** while he's in class. it's really and truly crazy. well, not all the kids are crazy, another teacher was so happy about her students getting all A's on that weeks test, she bought them pizza, then one of my students heard about the damn pizza and had the nerve to ask me, smiling wide as she can, "Teacher, I want pizza." Oh, the summer heat must be getting to her too, b/c she must be crazy to think im going do accommodate that.

<-- google image search for "family pride." i got an email today from somebody named Michael. b/c of my blog, i get a lot of emails from people asking me about working/living in south korea. michael is from south east san diego! he went to gompers and then to lincoln! i didnt catch how old he is, and he has been living in new york for several years. but isnt that cool? someone from the neighborhood, branching out, thinking about going abroad?! i dont know the brotha at all, but i feel really proud and happy for him :)

well, i hope all is well. im sure it is, since youre in that lovely san diego year round 70 degree sunny beautiful weather. loveyoumissyou. ~daughter.

email

2008-07-15T08:12:00.001-07:00

Subject: RE: Being Ungrateful
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:10:55 +0000
dear mom and dad,

i actually DID specify that i like brown sugar, but i can understand your confusion. i'd like to ask specifically for brown sugar oatmeal, lots of it b/c i like to eat it every morning, and i do still want you to send the sunday comics, i like reading them. uhm... i did have a request for glycerine? i forget why... i think my friend mixes it with her makeup or something. so if you can, please send a bottle of glycerine. but no big deal if you cant, it's not urgent/vital at all. but the oatmeal is. brown sugar oatmeal.

the weather here is HUMID, i like it b/c it makes my hair really voluminous, tho i dont like how shiny my face is. everyone walks around with a handkerchief and/or a fold up fan, we're all crazy sweaty. i dont remember being so hot last summer! however, i will take this over the winter/snow any darned day.

my friend zha (of the incredible collard greens) went on vacation for a while, i miss her and her cooking so much. i met up w/some other friends last weekend for a western style breakfast, one among them being my friend steve. Steve is a brotha who lives a few hours outside of seoul and he comes up maybe once a month for the weekend.

i dont remember where steve lives exactly, but it's more country. i really admire him; he is much more bold and adventurous than i am. b/c of a few rejections i got when going into some places when i first arrived here, i still to this day am shy about going someplace new by myself. steve says he doesnt have a choice. there are 5 foreigners in his part of town, and you have to learn some korean and get around by yourself no matter what if you expect to do anything. maybe in my next korea job, should i decide to stay... who knows... i'll look for a job outside of seoul, someplace more rural.

the breakfast was just blah by the way. there are no diners here, so you cant get a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, waffles, grits, etc, unless you go to itaewon or something. we were all set for some place called the waffle factory, but they had some issues with the lock on the door and wouldnt open until 2. i know, crazy,right? so we went somewhere else, which wasnt worth the effort for some toast, a couple eggs and like 4 bits of potato for home fries. disappointment was felt all around. maybe we'll get proper waffles next week. mis felizidades a senor gomez,~daughter.

it's time to listen to this song again.

2008-07-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

oh blogworld. it's summertime in south korea. i miss home sometimes... :(

email

2008-07-10T05:16:00.001-07:00

Subject: RE: Broken PC
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:59:48 +0000
dear mom and dad,

yesterday i got a knock on the door with another package from you! so thank you for the oatmeal, splenda, slimfasts, slimfast bars, pirate stickers, optifast, tampons, my greenbox, jet magazine, the sunday comics, the community college class schedule, and the junk mail offer for the rascal scooter. btw, the junk mail you can toss, i wont be attending junior college nor get a rascal scooter anytime soon. also, im cool on tampons and splenda for a while, i'll ask if/when i need more.

while im being ungrateful, i guess i should let you know that i gave away the oatmeal you sent b/c i dont like banana flavor, i like brown sugar. the Sistas, however, loved the oatmeal, so "thank you" from them. (aint i something, to tell my parents to send me anything, and the i have the nerve to complain about it!) i do, however, LOVE pirate stickers. i told you how i give stickers to the kids, just one at a time, but when a student gets an A+ on all three sections of the test, i give them a whole sheet of stickers, so some lucky student is going to go NUTS when i give these pirate stickers. im going to be the most popular teacher EVER, thanks mom and dad! :)

anyway, it's SO summer time here now, the weather is hot and humid and i love the way it makes my hair voluminous. im finished paying key money this month, HOORAY! ive been chatting a lot with my coworker mark (the one who gave us lessons on personal financial management) about how to be smart about what i will be putting aside. tho im glad i got to study so many different things in college, right now i wish to god i majored in FINANCE or minored in it, or took some classes in it. im the oldest teacher at my school, it felt weird being in the finance seminars and mark kept saying "do this now, since we're in our 20's! we have time on our side!" LOL! anyway, mark told me to read Investing for Dummies and Personal Finance for Dummies. so i will, we'll see what happens from there.

the boryeong mud festival is this weekend here in korea. ive heard that the mud is supposed to be good for you, "well being" as is the phrase here, and it's supposed to be lots of fun and it's tradition, etc. There will be a mud pool, mud slides, mud handprinting... Whatever, it aint nothing but a bunch of foreigners jumping around in some mud getting dirty. nothing traditional about it, it's strictly a tourist thing. Tho i am still sort of a tourist, i've decided im not going, b/c if somebody throws mud on me, we're going to have a problem.

my new favorite food here is bibimbop. it's vegetables, meat, and red sauce over steamed rice.
loveyoumissyou!!! ~daughter.

email

2008-07-08T04:59:00.000-07:00

what my parents send me when i dont write home quick enough:

Subject: Broken PC
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 19:31:52 -0700

Number One
Is your PC broken again?
Dad
==============================

Subject: RE: Broken PC
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2008 03:36:55 +0000

dear mom and dad,

every so often, i get a "guilty" "sinking" feeling that tells me i need to send an email right away. but always and without fail, by the time i get to the computer, you have already hit my email inbox with a whoppin for me. sorry... :*(

although my computer is running better than it has before, it still shuts down fairly often and sometimes the Internet doesnt work. i get frustrated, and then leave it alone for days. for a second, i thought maybe ed didnt know as much about computers as i thought he did, but i think it's this computer. maybe like repairing a car: you fix one thing, it looks ok, and then something else pops up that's wrong. ed has been super nice and has never charged me a thing, btw, but im going nuts a little, maybe i'll buy a new computer down the line.

last week i got the package with the essence, oprah, and jet (2) magazines, comics, and mail. thanks for that. i like to flip through the magazines on my days off... especially since i dont use that down time to use the computer :)

email

2008-06-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

<--- soul food potluck attendees.
Subject: RE: LIFE
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:54:32
dear mom and dad,

uh oh, i let ten whole days pass with out an email?! *GASP!* actually my computer at home was down again, but wonderful ed was in the neighborhood and fixed it, and slapped my wrists for not doing what he said to do last time he fixed my computer. ive learned my lesson, really, for real this time.

i met some friends for a "soul food potluck" a couple weeks ago, pictures attached, oh it was wonderful! i didnt cook, of course *hee-hee!* but i surely ate my fair share. all this time i thought i didnt like collard greens, but im sorry dad, i think i just dont like your collard greens. im not sure why, but zhaleh's greens were the bomb. i felt so happy and full of iron and lots of other vitamins. other people brought/made mac and cheese, jerk chicken, sweet potatoes, vegan banana pudding, oh it was the dinner of my dreams, good friends and good food, best day ever.

check out that spread! i cooked nothing, but i bought/brought the kyochon chicken.
it's interesting you suggest putting aside money once this key money shizz is over with; one of my coworkers has been giving workshops about money management. he majored in finance, and has been teaching us about stocks and bonds, mutual funds, credit cards, mortgages, etc. i actually understand about 1% of what he talks about, but hey multiple exposure is key when youre trying to learn something that feels beyond you; i dont understand much this time, but maybe when i run across this info the next time, it will be more clear. anyway, one more month of key money, and then ETFs, so says Mark, Money Guru/coworker.

you know, i used to email ninong cooper, but his inbox was always full! im not so great a goddaughter for forgetting fathers day, but really, if i even did send a message, wouldnt we ALL have bet money that it wouldnt even have gotten through? im just sayin.

anyway, it's not raining as much as was expected so that's good, i got lots of splenda for my tea, so that's good. work is, of course, very good. i mentioned to you how i give the kids stickers for motivation? we do a question/answer bit each class session, and i give stickers out for correct answers, and more stickers for full sentences, full summaries, etc. Last week i was in one class: and this class is sharp, like, they get mad stickers every day, they're geniuses. and i went to give a sticker to little Liz, and she looks at my sheet of stickers and saucily says, "What else you got?" i straight stepped back and was all, "say what!?" ah man, i been spoiling them! i gave NO stickers the next class day and hey whaddyaknow, the stickers i had were all of a sudden good enough again! nothing but, "Teacher, please, give sticker!!!" well, maybe i should try to find some sparkly stickers now or something, to change it up.

loveyoumissyou, ~daughter.

email

2008-06-18T04:40:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: NEXT
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:33:51 +0000
uh oh, spaghettios! i guess i dont win the daughter of the year award this time around! im sorry dad :( happy belated fathers day, thanks for giving in to mom's begging for a child and thus giving me life. i appreciate it. :)

So i'm in week 4 of the new term, im so glad for these new classes, i had too many "Johnnys" last term! as fun as they are for those first few weeks, it was exhausting during those LAST few. this term i have Dan, who is 13 and cracks me. i dont think he'll be a "johnny" b/c he doesnt step out of line when i do a stern face, tho it rarely gets to that point. dan is super cute and speaks gently, but always with a smile and slightly shaky voice, like he's about to start laughing, so it always makes me laugh too. he's has a strange borderline obsession with toilet things. after i got back from the break two weeks ago, his eyes pop as i catch him writing in huge letters on the blackboard "POO" and "DIARRHEA" and last week, when i got back from the bathroom (there's no toilet paper, so if people see you carrying tissue, they know you're going to the bathroom. dan saw me on my way), when i got back, dan asks me,
"Sister Sha, did you have a poo?"
i reply, "No, dan, i would've been gone a little bit longer had that been the case."
holding in his laughter, dan shakily says, "Maybe it was an easy one."
whole class laughs. including me.

i got a top score on my teacher evaluation last term, actually, for the last two terms, im pretty pleased with myself, AND with the bonus on my paycheck for it! it was a welcome surprise since i've had low paycheckds due to key money. i dont remember if i explained key money to you? when you move into an apartment here,you have to put down a deposit, called "Key money," it's given back to you when you leave the apartment. for my place, the key money is 5thousand USD. When i first arrived in korea, my job paid the key money. when i renewed my contract, they wanted it back... SO... i've had $1,000.000 pulled from my paycheck every month for the last 4 months paying this key money. i got one more month left, and then HURRAY i'll be done and i'll get full paychecks again. i probably didnt tell you b/c i didnt want you to worry, and really there's been nothing to worry about, but LAWD I'M SO EXCITED to soon be getting full pay again!

i got a message from my friend Jude, he didn't get a part in dreamgirls. ah well. he said he was ok with it, it was his very first time doing an audition. i told him to keep me posted for when he lands his first gig, b/c i want to see him perform. im not so sure now that i'll go see dreamgirls here tho, if jude wont be in it.

it's raining a lot here lately. boo. last week it was so sunny and warm and perfect! i walk through the park everyday to get to work, and it was some holiday on monday a couple weeks ago... memorial day in the states, i dont know what it was in korea.... but i was walking through the park, and families were picnicking and flying kites, children were on little race cars and splashing in the fountains! it was so nice, i straight got pissed off that i had to work when everyone else was playing! my mood just went from "oh, look how cute the little children are!" to "how come i gotta work today and everyone else doesnt! grr!!!" then i remember that my life is not at all hard and i can just shut up now. but it was a really really beautiful day for the park that day.

anyways. my love to hector!~daughter

oatmeal

2008-06-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

RE: NEXT
From: sha curington (shacurington@hotmail.com)
Sent:Sun 6/15/08 3:35 AM
p.p.s.
please send me instant oatmeal. i like quaker oatmeal, brown sugar. i think there is one that is "low sugar" or "low sodium" or "weight control" and/but i will happily, gratefully take anything you send me. btw, i have found oatmeal here at costco (the big box for $26 i think) and slimfast at costco (one can for $20) but none of the stores are in my part of town and i am lazy to do the one hour ride on the subway. i know how much you love to send me things, so, ya know! :)

email

2008-06-14T05:06:00.001-07:00

Subject: talkin, schmalkin
Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:04:52 +
dear mom and dad,

im enjoying a day off with my magazines and sipping on tea with splenda, thanks to you :)

my computer is still working, so i am writing an email. i met this brotha.. actually, he's not a "brotha" per say, his name is Ed and he's white, but he's from kentucky and talks a little bit like dad, so i still want to refer to him as family; anyway, this brotha Ed is in the military and knows all about computers, he's the one who fixed my computer. and actually, later in the day, fixed my friend Zhaleh's computer too! my gosh, it' so nice to meet nice people. it's so nice to meet computer people who are willing to help, im at a loss without brother dave around. i didnt do anything for ed but say thank you, but zhaleh cooked for him, which was nice b/c she's an incredible cook.

on tv just now were some highlights of a bboy competition that i actually went to a couple weeks ago with two friends. it took a while for us to get there: it was in suwon, which is almost an hour away on the subway, and then the taxi took us to suwon world cup stadium, instead of suwon sports complex... or something... i dont know. it's always a gamble when i go somewhere, not speaking any korean. after wandering around the wrong stadium for a while, we figured out the proper name of the place we were supposed to be, and dara wrote it out IN KOREAN to give to the cab driver, and then no problems!

now, i do my best to not hate on anything korean b/c i but a guest here, but oh wow, i'd seen better dancing back home. maybe i dont know as much about a bboy competition as i think i do. maybe i just think san diego bboys reign supreme. maybe it was just the vibe? maybe i was bitter, thinking there'd be some black people there, b/c it was only me and the two homegirls i was with representing there.teams from many places came to dance: south africa, russia, brazil... i remember south africa and brazil most b/c they were the only teams with black people. and the music was music for competition, i heard but little tiny snippets of hip hop music. but it was still a good time, me and my homegirls got to be on the teleprompter for a split second, lip syncing and yelling that we loved "gyeonggi-do" (the area of town we were in), and afterwards we went out and got some kyochon chicken. what a practically perfect day!~daughter.

email

2008-06-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: That's It
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:23:37
dear mom and dad,

today i got a knock on the door from the delivery man, and he had a package for me! you guys dont know how much i appreciate it, it's the only mail i get and i feel so loved!!! thank you for the vitamins, slimfast, fiber pills, tampons, mail, newspapers and plastic bags galore!

i got a message from jude, the boy my friends and i met on the subway auditioning for dreamgirls. he passed the first two auditions, and had a third audition for dancing next. again, he's auditioning for the part of Jimmy Early, played by eddie murphy in the movie version. if he gets the part, then i'll really need to see what the korean version of dreamgirls is going to be like. i saw vagina monologues while it was here a few months ago, only b/c my friend Zhaleh was in it. it was pretty ok, and it was in korean AND english, so i could at least understand half of it. i wonder if dreamgirls will hve the songs in english? i guess we will see.

we're in week 3 of my 5th term here at the school. i love these new classes, ive got uber geniuses, they're so great, and so cute. i give stickers a lot in class for motivation, even more so now taht the school doesnt give prizes for good grades anymore. tho i think i need to lay off, b/c last week i was pulling out stickers, giving them out every time someone gave me a correct answer, and little Liz looked at my sticker collection and said to me, "What else you got?" my head jerked back so hard! i done spoiled them, these kids are getting greedy! :) nah, it was cool, liz is in one of my best classes and they get stickers all the time b/c those kids really strive to learn.

i still speak NO korean at all, i only made it to the korean class one time. *blush* BUT the new director at my job has arranged for korean classes to be at our office, so im very excited, and i really will go this time! fo real! really!!! they start tomorrow and im going!

and of course, a story about one of the students to finish my email:referring to my curly hair on monday, one little boy said to me, "teacher, your hair looks so delicious b/c it looks like ramen."

email

2008-05-27T21:25:00.001-07:00

Subject: RE:
Date Tues, 27 May 2008 06:53:55
dear mom and dad,

thanks for the last care package! the charger bag you'd sent a while back, i put that up on the wall by my door, so people know the daughter of a charger fan lives here, representing that hometown pride. this is what i would reply when i would wear the charger scarf you sent me for winter, coworkers would say, "WHAT? Chargers???!!!" and i would say, "my dad says you got to have hometown pride." nuff said. oh, please send me multivitamins, and fiber pills i could buy them here, but i know how you guys like to do things for me.

i dont need any more socks, thanks for the pairs you sent with the shoes. i gave the last pair of socks to my friend neesa who is super cool and six feet tall, so those impossibly big long socks you sent me last time were a good match for her, my friend thanks you.

my friend keena just left korea, im sad! but i guess that's the nature of the life for foreigners here in korea, people are here for a little while, and then they leave. we had 4 people leave my job last week, and now with the new term came 7 new teachers. actually, i think now that there are only two other teachers that have been there longer than i have.

before she left, keena went with me to see evil dead, the musical, since no one wanted to go with me. actually a couple people came out last minute, admitting they were evil dead fans too, so a group of 5 of us went. it was quite fun! when i went online to buy tickets online, it was all in korean, so i had a coworker help me. now when i was on the website, the speakers blared songs from the play, and all was in english! tho i knew the play would be in korea, i thought "Ok, maybe the songs are in english" and NOPE the songs were in korean too! ah well, i still had fun and understood the bulk of what was going on, even if i didnt understand what they were actually saying/singing. the actors came out into the audience and splattered blood on everybody, it was so much fun. i didnt get the "blood splatter seats" b/c they cost extra, and it was pulling teeth to get friends to go with me in the first place. Dreamgrils is coming to korea next year, i saw a poster... currently auditioning, but all korean. hmm... not sure how that's going to work out. unsure if i'll go see that one.

And wow, small world, last week while on the subway w/some of the seoul family, this cute korean boy came up and started talking to us (it seems when im with friends, people are more bold to say hello. like seeing 5 black people at once is more exciting and summons more need in koreans to say hello than if im alone?) anyway, this guy told us he was auditioning for the part of Jimmy Early in dream girls. we wished him the best of luck.

we started a new term this week, so i have all new classes. i walk around the halls, and former students run up yelling, "Sister Sha! Hello!!" it's super cute. im glad for a new batch of kids, tho, this last term felt so long. i had that ONE class, that one where i just couldnt get them under control, and everyday was just full of endless punishments that seemed to have no effect at all. i feared i was losing my touch. well, new kids now, let's see if i can get it back.
the weather is warm/humid everyday. i welcome the summer, fo real.
~daughter.

email

2008-05-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

Subject: Keeping Up Your End
Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 10:43:21 -0700

Sha, There are no excuses; you have a computer at home so your mom should be getting a letter/note this week end, no mater how short, she is starting to work herself up about you, she thinks there is something wrong, she thinks you are sad, and that is the reason you have not written, all I can say is that if you can play dominoes, then you can write. I only expect to hear from you when and if you get a package from me, no problem because if you do not let me know that you got the package(s), I will stop sending, end of discussion. As all ways mom, hector, and my self want you to take care of your self .Love Ya! Dad

===================
Subject: RE: Keeping Up Your End
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 14:59:19

ah mom and dad, little do you know that i DO have an excuse! i got PLENTY of them!!! :)

actually my computer monitor isnt working properly, all these squiggly pink lines come up every where, it's the strangest thing! my poor eyes strain from trying to read the screen! i will work on buying a new monitor. in the meanwhile, you know i dont like to use the computer at work for personal things. so now im back at the internet cafe, but you know how i hate the smoking in here, so i had to wait for a certain day/time when it's less smokers and more children, hence my waiting until the weekend to write you. so really, instead of these annoyed, chastising emails, you should be thanking me for being such a good daughter struggling to find the time to write.

so anyway... the lotus lantern festival was here a couple weeks ago, me and some sistas went but running so late that we didnt get there until after 8pm, so we missed just about everything. we caught about 10 min of one parade. i dont know what it is, im just never in a hurry, tho i was a little annoyed w/myself for missing the lantern making workshop. it was pretty cool, lots of floats built of paper (guess it was paper?) lit from the inside. lots of people marching dressed in traditional korean clothes, lots of pretty lotus lanterns, traditional drumming and dancing, it was lovely!

i visited the bongeunsa temple not too long before the festival, it was lovely also, tons of extra lights because of the coming festival. i didnt get to go inside the temple, tho, b/c it was so late at night, and the guard shoo'ed me away. *sigh* one of these days, im going to get my stuff together.

i got the box with the magazines, deodorant, soap, robe, cloth, cd, etc, and thank you so much! but for the record, i have so much soap and deodorant right now, im set for the next millennium. could i ask that you send me slim fast? a couple canisters? anything chocolate flavor? b/c... well, you know.

i like the "new african" magazine. i was lost reading most of it since my political knowledge is embarrassingly little, but im glad for the magazine and hope to learn much from it. thanks for thinking of me!

so in summation, besides saying thank you, i love you, i miss you, etc:

i dont need anymore:

body wash
soap of any kind
deodorant
splenda
dental floss

email

2008-05-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

Subject: shoes, baseball game
Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 15:36:49
dear mom and dad,

so as i briefly mentioned before, i got both pair of sneakers!

a few weeks ago, as i was leaving for work, the elder man that sits at the front desk waved wildly at me, yelling something in korean. he always pretends to be mad at me when he has to tell me something.

turned out a box came, with my shoes!!!! i went right back up to my apt and changed, oh it was like walking on cotton balls!!!!! thank you so much! then lo and behold, a week later, the OTHER box came!!! these shoes are magic, i swear, i can be on my feet all day and be straight. a good thing, actually, b/c i got a critique about sitting too much while teaching, so it's a good thing i got these sneakers, to keep my lazy butt up and out of the chair.

i went to a baseball game w/the sistas a couple weeks ago, i didnt take pictures of course but my friend did, you can look at them here:

the game was so much fun! er actually, being in the audience was fun, b/c i didnt watch the game at all. there was a guy... what would you call him? he stands in front of the crowd and leads us in chants and cheers, we banged the hell out of our red balloons to distract the opposing team at bat, we did cool arm movements, it was great!

ALSO great is this damn pediegg you sent me. omg, what did me and my feet ever do without it???? i just used it for the first time yesterday and WOW, i never knew my cute feet could be any cuter, which they surely are now that i have the perfect pumicing tool :) My friends are jealous.

~Appreciative Daughter

email

2008-04-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

Subject: Box Mailed
Sha, Today I mailed you a box with a pedi-egg, 4 magazines, 6 news papers, 3 letters, 1 bottle of body wash, and 1 bottle of hand soap, please let me know when and or if you get it, we have not gotten a message from you since 04/02/2008, I trust that you are still alive and well. A short note once a week would be enough to keep your mother off my back OK. In the mean time take care of your self and write soon, if not I swear that I will buy your mother a ticket to KOREA and send her on over, it’s your call. Love Ya. Dad

======================================
Subject: cherry blossom, 63
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:49:06 +0000
dear mom and dad,

i got a box last week, THANK YOU SO MUCH! tho my friends delighted in telling me that i must have ugly crusty feet for my own parents to send me a pediegg unsolicited. i have tons of spelnda left, so i gave the ziplock bag you sent me to a coworker, who went NUTS over it, so thank you for helping me spread some splenda joy!

the weather has been mostly nice. the scarf and hat and gloves are officially put away for the winter.

the cherry blossom festival just ended here last week. i tried to go w/some of the homegirls, but 5 different people told us to not bother b/c all the trees were dead and that it would be ridiculously crowded, especially since there would be only two trees. so we said forget it and went to the 63 building. for the better, i guess, b/c it seems that the cherry blossom festival isnt really a "festival."

i thought there'd be activities and such, but i think it's just people walking around and looking at the trees. they are very very pretty in bloom, but you can see them just having a walk around your neighborhood. i dont know, maybe my timing was off and i missed all the good stuff. meh, i'll try again next year.

the 63 building didnt turn out to be as impressive as i thought it would be. when going, i was under the impression that it was the tallest building in seoul, but we were told it's not anymore. but man, talk about small!

just like when i went to see the eiffel tower all those years ago, it was really not all i thought it would be. still, it was nice to say that i was there. The view from the top was aiight, but it was very cloudy the day we went, so like the cherry blossom, we just had bad timing.

as we started to leave, we saw this guy start to set up a table and some instruments, and we got excited thinking we were going to see some traditional korean music, or some sort of show! chairs were set up we got our spots, the guy started playing some sort of pipe. it looked like a panflute. he talked and sang, and we decided to leave b/c although the music was nice, it was nothing spectacular. as we were leaving, he began his rendition of playing and singing La Bamba. mom, you would've loved it.:)

AND I FINALLY HAVE INTERNET AT HOME NOW!!! so dad, please dont put mom on a plane to korea, i promise i'll write home more often.

~daughter

update: there's totally stuff to do and see and the cherry blossom festival, my homegirl neesa went. i just missed out like a lame-o. meh. maybe next year.

email

2008-03-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: Package Mailed
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 05:51
dear mom and dad,

hi! we're in week 4 in the term, school is flying by. things are great at work still. the weather is nice. i dont really have anything exciting to tell you, i havent done much lately other than work and hang out locally w/friends. still working on getting internet. mom, chill out, i just dont make it to the internet cafe to do email everyday. i promise, everything is fine, stop worrying.

i got the kinky curly hair products, thanks so much! it made my hair sooo curly! all the kids kept asking, "teacher, perma? perma??" 'perma' is "perm" as in like the women here get to make their hair curly. we had a small cultural lesson that day and i explained to the kids that black people most often have naturally curly hair. little 8 yr old james claps his hands and smiles and says, "i love black people. i think they are so amazing!" i told him 'thank you.' :)

i DID get a package from you all at the beginning of the week, it had the hair picks, the t shirt, magazines, comics, and splenda, thanks so much. i picked out my hair and went to work on friday and the children all asked again, "Teacher, you get perma?" i guess for them, anything other than korean bone straight black hair must be a perm.

thanks a lot too for those flower/insect shiny stickers! i put stickers on the kids tests when they get A's, i'll hold these you've sent me for the A+'s, im sure it'll be a big hit in the classroom. this term, my classroom is right above a fast food place called kyochon chicken, and ive got one class that begs every week for me to buy them chicken as a reward for their good grades. i use the good old *** response of, "Ok, wait right there..." two weeks later, they started to understand, and now when i say 'wait right there,' they whine sooo badly, "Oooh Teacher, you fishing!" (fishing=joking, tricking) is it mean that it makes me laugh?

my two biggest additictions in this life are sex and food. seriously, kyochon chicken is so good, i think given a choice between really great sex and fresh chicken, i would rather eat this chicken. if/when you come to korea, find a kyochon, eat some chicken, then send me a thank you card.

email

2008-03-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

Subject: amah
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:32:43 +0000
dear mom and dad,

things are going so great this term. we're about a month in and i really love my classes. i got exactly the schedule i wanted, exactly the classes i wanted to teach, and i have a lot of fun w/the kids. im feeling really lucky/happy these days.

i think i told you w/the warming weather, i've been trying to explore more. i went to insadong recently. this is an area of seoul that's big w/tourists. lots of art galleries, and antique stores, stores that sell old books, pictures and calligraphy, and a lot store that sell traditional Korean ceramics pots and such. was nice. lots of people. meh. by the way, a week or so ago, i got the package with the magazines and newspaper comics in them. Thanks so much, getting the mail means a lot to me.

oh, i finally went to korean class for the first time on saturday! it was so wonderful! the classes are broken down by level, so i was in beginner. there were maybe a dozen people total. i learned a couple simple phrases which i of course forget now, i learned how to count, and was able to say my cell phone number in korean! it was so exciting! i look forward to next week, and every week after. even after this one lesson, i felt so good leaving class realizing what "o-bec-won" meant. it's a 500 won coin. it's all so clear now! :)

speaking of words and meanings, i think i told you about the kids using "konglish?" Like instead of saying A+ for the grade, they say "A-pull," as their abbreviation. For A-, they say "A-mah" or "A-minor." i pointed out to them that A minor is a musical note, and that they should make efforts to use proper pronunciations. but loving their abbreviations so much, they instead try to think of a replacement...

kids conversing:
"Teacher say no A-minor."
"oh, ok."
"A-mah? Teacher, can we say A-mah?"
"oh, A-mus? Teacher?"
"Oh, oh! Teacher! Teacher, Anus? Anus? Teacher? Anus?"

true story.

~Daughter

email

2008-03-10T05:21:00.000-07:00

Subject: bball/squid
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:23:09 +0000
dear mom and dad,

sorry ive not written in a while. the weather is warming, so its not cold keeping me from the internet cafe, it's just plain ol' laziness. when i do make it to the cafe, i pretty much play dominoes for an hour and then go home. sorry for not writing for so long. a home computer is still on the horizon for me, i promise.

weeks ago, i was feeling annoyed at the slow slow progression of my weight loss and looked online for lapband procedures in asia. i was just wanting some information. one of the websites i looked at wouldn't let me input my overseas adrs & phone number, so i used yours so that i could send an email inquiry. so, sorry about the call. i did come to find it is available here, but i chickened out.

so dad, youre really and truly going to retire?! i dont believe it. i love and adore Mom, but i bet you'll be soon be driven to sitting at the donut shop on Euclid and Division w/all them other elders, playing chess/dominoes and talking about nothing! whatever happens, dont work at burger king, it's too much standing and moving on your feet and that's bad for your back, Poppa. maybe a volunteer gig where you'll be at a desk or something. the Black Infant Health Center still in that same shopping center? you can volunteer there. I went in once years ago whilst in college, to ask about helping, there was one woman inside at the desk and after ignoring me for 3 min, she told me they had no need for volunteers. HATER.

w/the warming weather, i try to venture out more, and i went to a basketball game here with some of the sistas a couple of weeks ago. i had no idea who was playing. one team was wearing red, the other wore white. i think one team was called the SK Knights. there were maybe 3 brothas on each team, me and the sistas tried to meet them after the game to get autographs. didnt pull any phone number tho :( ah well! the game was fun, everybody was holding red balloons and eating squid. i dont know if hot dogs and such were even available, but i could smell the dried squid everywhere. ah, just like back home at seafood city in national city!

email

2008-02-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

Subject: ben
Date: Mon 25 Feb 2008 22:03:52 +000
dear mom and dad,

my hair is growing. please send me an afropick. i'd like the kind w/a fist at the end, Dave knows which store i like (a black owned business by fammart, right across from wrigley's).

the weather has been warming up and im so friggin happy!

i went to a concert w/some of the sistas last week. slum village (american rap group) came to seoul and it was such a great show. i think me and the sistas were the only black people there, a few other foreigners sprinkled here and there, but mostly korean; none of them speak any english and yet doing their best to yell out the lyrics to the songs, it was nice.

it's a new term at school now. had my last day w/Ben this week. Ben is by far one of the brightest students in that class, sometimes i feel like he's the ONLY one who listens, so i will miss him very much! he's very quiet and soft spoken tho, but incredibly respectful of me. he doesnt make jokes or get casual like the other students. although he's quick to answer class related questions, when i ask him something casual like if he had fun over the weekend, he always smiles and looks down and says, "i dont know."
i tease and ask "Ben, you dont know if you had fun?
still looking down and smiling, he answers, "yes."

during the last 3 minutes of my class, i always announce to the kids to pack up their bags, straighten the desks, be sure to do your homework and goodbye. Ben, always going above and beyond, stays an extra minute after class to walk about the room to ensure the desks are perfectly straight, pushes in each chair so that it's flush against the desktop, and picks up every single sliver of trash he sees. the first time he did it, i thought it was so awesome and told him his parents must be so proud of how well mannered he is. after a while, i just figured he's got ocd or something. i asked him if he keeps him room at home as immaculate as me makes the classroom.

"Ben, do you organize your sock drawers? So that there are the same number of socks in each row? group colors together?"
Ben smiles, looks down, and says, "i dont know."

email

2008-02-19T17:40:00.000-08:00

<--Namdaemun gate

Subject: RE: Cold In Korea

Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:39:08

dear mom and dad,

so i finally had my meeting and signed on with my job for another year. hooray! it's still very cold here. boo. i'll be in the same office, keeping the same apt, so im pretty content overall.

it looks like i wont be home for a while. there've been a lot of changes at work and im not too comfortable about asking for time off now, especially since i just resigned. ideally i'd like to be home for all of february for black history month (you know!) but we'll see what happens. i'll of course keep emailing in the meanwhile.

i still dont have internet! but one of my coworkers is leaving to go back home to canada and he has graciously offered to sell me his computer. i know for sure it will work in my place, since he's using it for internet at his place right now. so we'll see that that goes as well.

what goes on under namdaemun

did you hear that Namdaemun here in seoul burned down? Namdaemun is a historic gate that was designated the number one national treasure of South Korea, it was over 600 years old, i saw it on airang news. turns out the guy who did it was a 67 korean man, he'd been convicted of arson before. he said he hated society, or something, and that's why he did it. unfortunately i didnt get to visit before the fire, but i heard plans to rebuild are in the works. hey, i read that the canal market in camdon suffered a fire recently as well! is it shitty of me to say that im glad i got to go there before it burned? *blush* i heard no one was hurt, so, ya know...

we're in the last week of this term now and the kids are begging for candy and pizza and parties, all of which i decline. i'd love to reward them, but it's against the rules and for the better b/c im sure they'd go crazy with "last day" excitement. my class yesterday that usually gets all A's on the test got B's and C's yesterday b/c they didnt study. i told them all that i had planned pizza and movies for class that day, but would cancel since their grades were so poor. they were really sad and whined a lot. now that was shitty of me... funny to me, too, but pretty shitty... ha!!!!!

im finishing up teaching an abridged version of "call of the wild" by jack london. it's really interesting teaching it w/curtis in the class b/c he is a fan of dog meat. i'll be at the board breaking down sentences:

me: what does the book say about Buck the dog? What kind of dog is he? which of our vocabulary words are they using?
kids reading from the text: Aggressive!
me: yes, that's right. what does that mean? How else can we describe Buck? what are some other words for "aggressive?"
kids: Mean! Like to fight! Strong!
curtis: Delicious!
entire class laughs.
students beg to know if i've eaten dog meat.

email

2008-02-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

picture from google image search, of course.

Subject: RE: KINKY CURLY
Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2008 05:02:47 +0000
dear mom and dad,

hello from "cold as i dont know what" korea. aside from the weather, things are great. im still waiting to resign a new contract at work, but these sort of things tend to drag, not just at my job, but all of korea, so i'm told. one friend told me she wasnt resigned until 3 days before her contract was up. another homegirl of mine went all they way to the main office, and they forgot she was coming and wasnt ready for her, and consequently had to postpone. ive heard the same sort of thing, from different english teachers, from different schools, so, im one of many. i have no idea when i'll be home for a visit. the kinky kurly products were for me to pick up when i came home for a visit... so... nevermind that for now. mail them if you can, but if not, s'cool, it's nothing urgent at all. maybe i'll come home in april, or may. i dont know.

i never got the internet hooked up. it's a long story w/ the computer being old and my not being able to communicate w/the internet person. maybe next week after the holiday, i'll try again. Korea has two different New Year's days and Feb. 7 is celebrated as Lunar New Year, the first day of the lunar calendar, called "Sul Nal."

i got the blue bed sheets this week, thank you soooo much! i got the orange ones a while back too, i swore it felt like i emailed you a thank you for it... maybe i just dreamed it. but again, thank you, they're much appreciated. a girlfriend of mine was admiring them, begging to know where on earth i found western style sheets here. told her it was all Love from home!

this term at school is over in two weeks. i'll miss these kids. i got this one little girl Cathy, she's so cute. she really makes me feel like a successful teacher, b/c she said she'd never gotten an A on the tests before she came to my class, and now she gets A's almost every week. well... i do give lots of test hints... maybe im doing too many... *panic!*

during class break last week, cathy got a hold of my cell phone number in class, and wrote it on the board smiling wide and asking, "Teacher,is this your number?" it's written on the back of my phone (as is for most of us, the cell phone people put it on a sticker when you get your phone). i told her yes, to erase the number, and never to call me.

cathy "But why, teacher?"
me "what are you going to call me for? to say hi? 'hi teacher, i love you!' "
the class laughs.

the next day i get a text msg:
hey sistersha!! sup??
are you teaching?
Cathy <3

i write back:
stop texting me
and study your vocabulary
for your test on monday.
~sister sha.

reply from cathy:
well, i texted u only once!!
happy sol na new year! :)

email

2008-01-16T21:19:00.000-08:00

Subject: RE: On the Way
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 03:34:38 +0000
dear mom and dad,

we're more than half way finished with this term at work already, it's flying by. crazy. and yet, i got a new student in my class the other day! it was his first time at the school so he didnt have an english name. i named his Curtis. i love when i get to name the students. so far i've named a girl Dolores, another Reece, a boy Robert, another Luis, and now curtis!

i actually wanted to give robert the name of Eli, but he didnt like it. he liked Robert, tho, so if it's good enough for dad, it's good enough for him i guess. it's still cold and snowing here and there, i hate it of course. nothing else to say, just wanted to say hi. k, bye. ~daughter.

email

2008-01-13T21:23:00.000-08:00

Subject: no Sheets
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:58:00 +000
dear mom and dad,

hi! thanks for sending the sheets, i'll keep an eye out for them, i hope i get them this time :) it's so weird, ive gotten every other package youve sent, im sure. these last few weeks i remember getting the InSTyle, In Touch, 2 essence, 2 harpers bazaar, american legacy, glamour, oprah, i got the splenda and the tampons... but no sheets! as soon as i do, i'll email you.

oh mom, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! i cant believe i forgot, im the worst daughter ever, im so sorry. i still dont know when i can take time off work. i'll let you know. i dont have anything else to say, really, except of course complaints about the cold. love you all, my regards to hector. ~daughter.

email

2008-01-08T21:27:00.000-08:00

it doesnt really go like this, but how could i not post such a gnarly picture...

Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 09:21:20 +000
dear mom and dad,

hi! we're on week 7 in the term here, time is flying by. i feel like i have a bunch of classes of geniuses, they answer the questions before i even ask it, it's wonderful.

i checked out dr fish not too long ago, i dont remember if i told you. it's a chain of cafes here where you can have coffee and pastries while you have your feet in a tank with little fish that eat away at the excess skin on your feet.

i didnt do it, but a couple of my friends did. it freaked me out just looking at it, they're so little and there are so many of them! i couldnt even watch for a full minute. my friends said it didnt hurt, just tickled a bit.

ive found that my visa doesnt expire until february 24th, so i have to stay to work until that day. so it looks like coming home in february is out, perhaps april? as soon as i know, you'll know.

email

2007-12-29T14:07:00.000-08:00

Subject: RE: Is It Cold?
Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2007 05:06:32 +0000
dear mom and dad,

hi! sorry i didnt drop an email at x-mas. but happy kwanzaa!!!

xmas was aiight here, the sistas got together at my place that afternoon and cooked (b/c you know i dont cook... ha ha) and we shot the shit and ate, it was hella nice. i had to duck out to go to work before we could play dominoes.

my coworkers had a party for xmas & we did a gift exchange, i didnt make it tho b/c i was with the sistas. my coworkers are hella nice, but i needed some soul family time.

when i went to work, the kids whined about having to be there on xmas day. i had full attendance for both classes, not one single student absent! they complained and asked for presents.

xmas isnt a traditional korean thing, so it doesnt get the same reverence here as it does back home, i told them that they should've honored their teacher by bringing ME presents! and really, the only reason i was there on xmas day is b/c THEY were. if they took the day off, i couldve stayed home! really, i was the one who should've been whining! i did give them little hints for the test that day, for their xmas present. "oh teacher, youre so kind!" yeah whatevers, you all hated me 5 minutes ago. >:(

i got the splenda and tampons, thank you SOOO much!!! i think i been drinking twice as much tea now that i got the splenda, i love it. i still havent gotten the bed sheets... they're on the way somewheres im sure.

im working on getting a couple of weeks off in february to come home for a bit, but i guess planning this far ahead aint registering w/my job. everything is last minute here (i get my textbooks two days before im supposed to start teaching, i get a days notice to come to a mandatory meeting, other bs like that, it's friggin standard procedure in korea, fo reals) i got so annoyed that i contemplated leaving after my contract is up, going to work for another school... but then i ran into one of students from my very first term, Kyung-kun, he smiled so wide at seeing me, he's been moving up class levels and is just as cute as the day i met him... i cant leave! i love these kids so much!

it's getting colder, i hate it. one of my coworkers had a student who kept blowing his nose, had a pile of kleenex on his desk by the time class was over. jeez, some parents need to wake up and keep their kid at home when they're sick... anyway, the other kids were teasing him b/c of the pile, to which he responds, "But if i dont blow my nose, then i'd be eating my own snot." i really cant argue there... im always for blowing instead of sniffing it all up.

email

2007-12-19T04:23:00.000-08:00

Subject:
Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:49:
dear mom and dad,

hi! today is election day here in seoul, and it's a holiday for everyone else except for us at work. we have a dedication like no other... or so we're told to say. lots of cute doll displays at the museum --->

i went to the kimchi museum at the co-ex mall last week. it was interesting, showing pictures of kimchee from different regions, the history of kimchee, listing the ingredients, and all the ailments that kimchi is said to cure. well, i had been sick last week, maybe the kimchee kimbop i ate burned it out of me.

work is going well, it's already week 4, time is flying. all the students are awesome. i have one little boy, "Jackson," who, every time he gets an answer right, gives a double tap on his chest with his fist and then throws out a peace sign. it's super cute.

the snow really came down last week, like so cold that when i was walking down the street, i just got mad and even cried a little! well, i didnt have my hat, i wont make that mistake again.

i got the magazines and the comic strips, thank you. i really enjoyed the article about black female execs keeping their natural hair. Be the change you want to see in the world, alright! i also got the obit for alvin stanely... uhm, please refresh my memory, who is he? it said that he passed in january 2002. anyway, im cold. love you both. tell david, ketso, and hector i say hello. ~daughter.

email

2007-12-10T19:35:00.000-08:00

Subject: new glasses

Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2007 03:33:29 +0000

dear mom and dad,

thanks for the sheets! they havent come yet, but thanks for sending them, i got an eye out.

i just got this bed a couple of weeks ago. i had a bed before, but i gave it to one of the new teachers who had nothing to sleep on, and i started sleeping on the couch. every time i was supposed to get another bed, something came up!

so here three months later, i got a bed from one of the teachers who left korea. geez, i didnt realize how lame my couch is; the second night on the bed, i slept for like 12 hours, it was great!

dont worry about the things of "to send me" on my blog, i really dont NEED anything, but hey family will be the first i ask when i DO need something :)

i still havent made it to korean class, my friend said the same thing as you, dad, "there's always going to be a reason to not go." it's so friggin easy to not bother learning korean here, once you get your bearings, getting around isnt so hard. i have, however, been making it to salsa, it's so much fun! we learned "cross body lead" and some sort of turn spin, im really bad at it but still it's fun. a sister i met through a friend is the teacher, she's really good.

i got a new pair of glasses, just because. new frames and new lenses only $50, and that is with me splurging for scratch resistant or something. the guy at the shop remembered me and bowed like crazy when i came in. i see him a lot, actually, b/c i pass the shop on my way to work and he waves and smiles.

while there today, i met an older woman who told me she lived in new jersey for 15 years, and her daughter taught english in korea for a while. she asks me where im from, and when i say, "southern cali," she starts spurting off in spanish! i was embarrassed, b/c despite my years of study, she was talking way too fast for me, plus, hearing spanish with a korea accent is a little difficult for my amateur ear also. anyway, the woman's name is margaret and she asked for my cell phone number and if she could be my friend, the same scenario that happens a lot here.

salud to senior gomez. ~daughter.

email

2007-12-07T07:46:00.000-08:00

Subject: cold
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 15:45:34 +0000
dear mom and dad,

its getting colder and snowing more, i hate it, but other than that, things here are wonderful.

dad, i DO have a separate web page, it's sistershainseoul.blogspot.com, i thought i told mary about it, well i'll cc this email to her.

ive not heard from sam, ah well, im around so he can get at me whenever.

i STILL havent gone to the korean class, but hopefully this saturday will be the day. things keep coming up! i was supposed to go to the dmz with some friends this weekend, but i've started salsa dance lessons and it would interfere. i'd much rather dance than see the dmz, it'll have to wait for another day, especially since im 99.99% sure i'll be in korea for a while. *sidenote* a really great movie w/dmz here.

well i have nothing else to say, save for more complaints about the weather, but i'll spare you all my awful whining. my greetings to hector gonzales. ~daughter

email

2007-12-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

Subject:
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 00:22:57 +0000
dear mom and dad,

it's the end of our first week of this new term, things went really well. im teaching the same type of classes, which im thankful for, b/c i feel more that i know what im doing.

our school has moved to a new, bigger building, it's nice b/c now the staff can see each other more, as opposed to being on different floors in the smaller building. i like it most b/c i can see a lot of my former students. it feels really nice to be walking around the hall and hearing a kid call out, 'Hi Sister Sha!" :)

mom, i got the card you sent w/the lion and the sheep, thanks for that, ive got it taped to my door so i can see it when i come and go.

i met with the sistas last week and had lunch, it was so wonderful as always, it really recharges my batteries. we were discussing an asian phenomenon that wasnt too familiar with before: double eye lid surgery. i didnt realize it, but i have occasionally seen on billboards and the subway these advertisements and before/after pictures of eyelids, adding the fold that most koreans lack. wow. there is even Double Eyelid Tape, a friend told me, for a temporary fix giving the illusion of a double eyelid. i saw it in the store and i wanted to buy some, but was afraid the woman at the counter would curse me out in her head if not in person.

hey, can i ask you guys to send me a set of bedsheets? for a single size bed? the sheets here in korea are all like blankets instead of sheets. im pretty sure it can fit in the same envelope you send magazines in, dad.

email

2007-11-25T02:40:00.000-08:00

Subject: it's snowing!
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 10:06:55
dear mom and dad,

we had our first snow here last week. it's so strange, i KNOW it's snow, but i still only see ash. i look at the piles of snow on the ground, and i see piles of cotton. my mind just will not accept that there's a world outside of san diego where it gets super cold.

this week is the end of my 3rd term with my job. one more term and my contract will be finished. time flies! we'll have a few new teachers coming to the staff, and many leaving.

my friend mayma (the sister from new zealand) is leaving the school, her contract is finished and she's moving on. the other day she and i were having lunch. we were eating chicken, and she scoffed at me for leaving so much meat on the bones. :) mom, i remember you'd get mad at me about that! felix scoffed too, when i had lunch with him weeks before. in fact, i remember on my second trip to ghana, my friend lomotey and i were eating chicken, and he scoffed too! people always say im wasting so much meat! i dont know why, i just never picked up the habit of cleaning/eating the bones. not like i dont get enough to eat, tho! ha! still using the treadmill daily. workin' it.

so i'll have all new classes/students come monday, i'm excited, but i miss a lot of my former students already. i didnt even get to see Greg (w/the pinoy accent) b/c he didn't come on the last day of class. well, hopefully i'll see him around next term. not that he needs to keep coming, his english is great. maybe just a voice coach to help with the accent... :)

sometimes i'll ask the kids to try harder to pronounce things w/out their korean accent. they are very young and if they try, the CAN pronounce words more clearly, this "konglish" (korean + english) seems more of a habit rather than not being able pronounce things.

they constantly say "A-pull" instead of A+, tho none seem to have a problem w/saying "s." Again, it's b/c it's so common for them. same with saying "Yes." instead, they say "Yes-uh." the sound "Uh" is at the end of nearly every word.

i was talking to one class about the importance of trying to not speak with the accent if they can, b/c they'll get stuck in the habit otherwise and maybe have trouble communicating, or have trouble being understood.

"But teacher," little Lina says, "I feel like 'Yes' is too short, so i have to add to it when i say it."

just like when the brothas and sistas say "conversate" instead of converse, or "axe" instead of ask, or the Joes saying "tow out" instead of thaw out (for the longest time, i thought mom was saying it right and the rest of the world was wrong). ah well, so long as the kids keep the proper pronunciation in mind, and perhaps be multilingual in korean, english AND konglish.

with the new term beginning, i'll finally be able to take the korean classes, i start next week, im really excited. every once in a while, the kids will be asking me something in class, and they slip and say a word in korean. I'll repeat it and say, "What is XXX?" and they laugh like crazy b/c it's so fun to hear teacher try and say something in korean b/c she says it soooo wrong.

on the last day of classes, many students begged,

"teacher, say something in korean!"
"NO! you guys just like to laugh and make fun of me!"and then they laugh some more hahahahaaha!
keep on laughing, kiddies. will it still be funny when i give you a C- for your attention and participation grades today? HA-HA-HA!!!

day banners

2007-11-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

Subject: RE: Pizza Teacher
Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 06:26
dear mom and dad,

dad, how dare you talk to me about it being 60 degrees and almost needing a jacket in san diego. youre mean and cruel!

well, i dont have anything really to talk about, its just that i finally got around to taking and loading some pictures. here is where i live.

i dont know what all the banners were for that day, there was some sort of celebration. on my way to work the next day, there was a stage set up outside and a band, (nothing traditional korean, tho), but alas i couldnt stick around to check it out b/c i was on the way to work.

im working on the x-mas letter, maybe i'll even have it emailed to you later today. things are good, im cold, love you all, sha.

email

2007-11-08T04:30:00.000-08:00

Subject: hi, finally
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2007
dear mom and dad,
hi! oh the cold weather is here already, already!!!! *sigh* i dont leave the house without my coat, scarf, and gloves. im ridiculous.

so we're at the tail end of the term with only a couple of weeks left. i will really miss a lot of my kids: joanne who i have to keep punishing for using her cell phone in class, alex who recently changed his english name to "Tony Hawk," and little Greg who speaks english with a philipino accent :)

one of my middle school classes begged me for a pizza party on the last day, which of course im not allowed to do. i lovingly told them that their test/quiz scores were too low to deserve any kind of party. that day they got me to agree that if everyone scored 7 out of 7 on that days quiz, i would buy them pizza.

As we started to correct the quizzes, holy cow i got nervous! they'd get question 1 right, and the class yells "YEAHHH!!" question 2 right, "YEAHHH!!!" question 3 "YEAHHHA!!" i started sweating by question 5! but alas, tho many of my little geniuses scored perfect 7s, most got a score of 6. *phew!* it was a great motivator, i wish i could buy them pizza. i think im allowed to give gift certificates. maybe we'll have a "note-taking" contest on the last day, and reward whoever finds the most major and minor details in the day's lecture.

so for the rest of that day, every question i asked of the class was answered with "Pizza." they held up signs "Pizza! pizza!" and when i got back from our 5 min break in class, i came back to my desk full of little drawings of mini pizzas. they're so creative! :)

one of the favorite snacks of kids here is ramen raw, like straight out of the package with the flavor packet sprinkled on top, did i tell you all this already? they always get the spiciest one they can find, and then beg me to taste it. i told the kids im not crazy about spicy food, and they went nuts, telling me that here is korea, spicy=delicious.

there's another thing they eat called "dokpokki" it's like super thick pasta noodles cut up into one inch strips and smothered in a hot sauce. the kids buy it during the break and then 5 min after class starts again, they beg me to let them out to get a drink of water. i tell them no, and then they say im so mean b/c i cant help but laugh to see them all at their desks with their mouths open, panting like puppies. hahahahahahaha!!! ~sha

giving thanks

2007-10-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 2:17 AM

Subject: sha, short for shannon

hi everyone. if youre getting this email, it's b/c i used to work for or with you. i got to thinking about all kinds of former jobs i've had and began to wonder where some of these really cool coworkers i used to know are now. this is sha, i hope you remember me. i live in south korea right now, teaching english and i love it. i owe thanks (and probably apologies) to all of you, b/c something happened when we knew each other and i ended up (happily) here. scroll down, look for your name, read, and then delete. ~sha.

ollie: thanks for putting up with all of my prepubescent nonsense whilst i was in my 20's, i love my own mom, but you sure do come a close second.

tal: you introduced me to bit o' honey, which is still my favorite non chocolate candy to this day.

catherine: you were my favorite red enveloper. sorry i was such a jerk when you knew me.

Cassie: i strive to be more like you. seriously, you're always so nice and would say supportive things to me.

Cheryl: im so sorry for all those times i made fun of you taking that book making class. i now know how hard making books are. i took sign language b/c of you, and it was one of my favorite classes in college.

chris: thank you for believing in me, i think im a pretty ok teacher w/much thanks to you.

Courtney: we should've had more dinners together, we didnt have enough time.

david- youre the tallest person ive ever met.

donisha: i had so much fun when we worked, albeit briefly, together. i wish we couldve been closer friends. i remember you wore pink pumps to work once, you were all glittery and so cute!

debra wolf: you let me use your sewing machine. i, as a amateur seamstress, am honored that you trusted me so.

esra: ah, my turkish princess.

geoff: i remember once at work you were playing with a ruler, and out of nowhere you turned and said to me, "this is 12 inches, can you believe some guys say thier dick is this long? i mean, look at that!"

gwen: you should come to korea and teach for a bit, you'd be awesome here.

Grisel: you too.

jennifer cooper: you made out with my favorite dj. youre my hero for life.

john-turek: what an odd pair we were. youre one of my favorite people to talk to, nothing is too obscene to not still be funny.

karla: makeda is crazy. but im glad i got to be a part of the wbc albeit for a little little while. thanks for thinking of me for the job, i was so flattered.

kenya: i remember when we went to the foreign legion and i drank way too much, and you took me home and didnt make fun of me. you're the homie for life.

marc-orso: oh moe... you know.

Maria- i often think of you dancing, stepping side to side and clapping your hands...

marnie: my favorite fellow tutor. i remember once giving you a hard time and you laugh and look me dead in the eye, saying, "Im not afraid of you, sha!" it was awesome.

missy: together we did one of my favorite paintings. ive never met a woman who curses as much as you, i always thought that was so cool.

debra f: you helped me grow up a little, gave me good advice and criticism for the workplace, and made me dress like an adult for work. endless thanks for that, b/c jeez i was sloppy.

patty: we both loved napoleon dynamite more than anyone.

Paula: you and quinn are gone. i miss you guys. david moon quit, btw, did you know?

randi- *sigh* thanks for everything...

ryan- i remember the time me and adrian put m&m's and tacks all over your desk one day as an office prank, oh god, our stomachs hurt b/c we were laughing so hard. thanks for being a good sport. i'll always love you.

loretta: i think about how i called you while in one of like the 3 times ive ever been so piss drunk in my life, and you talked to me while i rambled on and finally i got sleepy, and you told me to be sure to sleep on my stomach... and laughed b/c you were afraid i may vomit in my sleep and choke to death.

sandra: i never wouldve seen ANY new movie if not for you. you cant believe how often i've watched on tv HERE things that i watched with you... all the harry potters, all the lord of the rings, sisterhood of the traveling pants, the 11th kingdom, wimbledon, the rundown... it's bizarre.

Thamer: ive always thought you were super hot.

trish: i remember one time you came to class with a black eye. i felt so awful for you. youre so nice, and i couldnt believe some jerk would could find any reason to lay violent hands on you. oh, also, sorry i was such a jerk when i knew you too. *blush*

terri: im still going to grad school eventually, i swear.

viviane: do you still love popcorn chicken? :)

email

2007-10-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE:
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 05:09:41 +0000
dear mom and dad,

hi! things are good, as usual. i got the magazines and newspapers earlier this week, thanks so much for sending them, i really appreciate it. i saw jill scott is on the cover of jet! im very happy, she's one of my favorite singers. by the way, kanisha is supposed to send me the new jill scott cd, lay a guilt trip on her for me next time you see her. just kidding. not really.

a couple of weeks ago, the teachers at my school went out for dinner to celebrate some birthdays. whilst handling some bulgogi with his chopsticks, John dropped his meat into his half full glass of beer. Because it was his birthday, nikki (korean wife of one of my coworkers) takes his glass and insists we pass it around in order to partake in the korean tradition of everyone at the table adding a little bit of "love" to his drink. so in addition to the beer and meat, other ingredients came to include kimchee, mushrooms, soju, fried chicken, tomatoes, a mouthful of someone else's beer (ewww...) and then the birthday boy was supposed to drink it.

everyone at the table cheered and told him to do it for Canada (he, and many of my coworkers are canadian). I, however, said, "fuck that, john, thats nasty. dont drink that shit." the grossness of the situation was too gross for me. john was annoyed that he didnt get a chance to fish out his meat at the beginning so he could eat it.

ive never heard of this korean tradition of adding Love to someones drink before, but maybe it's one of those korean traditions people come up with whilst drinking. someone asked when my birthday was, i told them that it's in march, which is when i will be having cake. period.

email

2007-10-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE:

Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 12:13:24 +0000
dear mom and dad,

here is a picture of me with my haircut, and the other link is a picture of a goodbye drawings the kids made me last term.

email

2007-09-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

click here to read an email i responded to asking about isoaltion/lonlieness in korea.

email

2007-09-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

Subject:
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 00:56:28 +0000
dear mom and dad,

we're already nearly halfway through the term already, it's crazy. things are going rather smoothly; my growing experience is helping, but the students make things go so smoothly as well.

we got 8 new teachers at the start of this term. i am now termed a "veteran" since this is my third term with the school. it's nice, b/c i dont have to go to so many meetings anymore, thank goddess.

i was browsing on a foreigner/korean website and found that Sookmyung Women's University offers free korean classes, im for sure going to take advantage next term (so that'll be... uhm... december?). it's a bit far, about half an hour on subway from where i live, but it's free so really i cant say a thing. plus, it took me this long just to get comfortable with saying "hello" and "thank you" and i think im ready to get to learning how to talk better.

my only fear, however, is that december is for sure amongst the cold season. and you know how sun spoiled i am. i can foresee me having troubles leaving the apartment to go to class if the weather is cold. lord give me strength to endure the ridiculously cold weather.

email

2007-09-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: nuthin
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:48:58 +0000
dear mom and dad,

i got new glasses a while back, did i tell you? it only cost me $30 or so, i was floored. well, it turned out too that the frames i liked most were cheapest, but still.

the guys at the optometrist were super nice to me. while waiting for the new glasses, they offered me some sort of fruit libation by pointing at the bottle, smiling, and giving it to me. i felt, like, honored/flattered. i dont know, it's because i always get so embarrassed having to talk to people b/c ive not learned any korean beyond "hello" and "thank you." lucky me that most people speak a little english. so now i can see so clearly, like every blade of grass, every leaf on every tree, it's beautiful!

things are going fine. classes are going to be cancelled again here and there for the middle school students to take their exams, and i look forward to going through this pile of magazines from you all that i havent had the chance to read just yet.

it's chuseok here in south korea, which is sort of like thanksgiving. public schools are cancelled for near a week, i think. many people who live in seoul arent actually from seoul, and as a result many take several days off to travel to the boonies to be with family during the holiday.

for the holiday at my school we had ONE day off (tuesday, which was the actually day for chuseok). woo, the students were mad! i smiled and told them, "Everyday is a great day for learning, here at cdi!" to which of course they whined, "oohhhhh teacheerrrrrr...."

really, shouldnt i be mad at them?! if they had their parents call and say they werent coming to class, i wouldve had the day off too, dammit. :) ~daughter

happy chuseok!

2007-09-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

it's my ONE day off for chuseo k. thus far, ive spent it eating cereal, using my treadmill and elliptical, i'm watching a csi marathon on tv, and ive just finished doing my eyebrows. i may do a biore nose strip. later im going to cook some rice for dinner. maybe have some fish. dont know yet. below are pictures of some gifts given for chuseok. gift sets are popular. ive seen many of toothpaste, spame, tuna. my job gave me a really pretty bottle of wine, which i gave to the cabdriver who took me home that day.

email

2007-09-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Subject: Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007
dear mom and dad,

teddy says he came by the other, do you like your chopsticks, mom? (smile) and dad, i DID try to transfer the money into the washington mutual account, they clicked the wrong button or something. i was at the bank when i called you for the account number, remember? who knows what happened. anyway, when i transfer money again next month, i'll double check that they have the right account number.

so i was in itaewon the other day (the "foreigner" part of town) to meet the sistas for lunch. im the only non-vegetarian! not that i havent tried, but just dont nothin taste as good as meat sometimes! tho i did have the soy enchiladas that day, they were pretty tasty.

i took the bus home, instead of the subway, which was so much nicer to actually see where i am instead of being underground. but hey check it, that marked the first time i took the bus all by myself. im so integrated!

last week i was on the subway with a couple of coworkers going to a meeting for work. i was with jane (korean-american) and leo (canadian). we were chatting, complaining about how far we had to travel for the meeting, etc, and a korean man leans in on leo and quietly tells him something. leo apologizes.

"whats wrong?" i ask, b/c leo is one of the nicest guys you could meet, really, what does he have to apologize for?
"he said that this a public place and we're being too loud."

mom and dad, i was so embarrassed! i have seen the foreigners on the train friday and saturday nights on their way to a club, and they ARE loud and obnoxious, but us? but LEO? he's so soft spoken and kind! i felt super bad. i talked in low tones the rest of the trip. leo, never loud in the first place, kept quiet too. jane, however, got really annoyed, and kept right on loud-talking, louder than before :) she's from new york, and has an aggressiveness about her. i apologized to leo again later, who said he was fine. well, looks like i was the only one bothered/embarrassed. geez, im such a stick in the mud.

im using my treadmill daily, i will break the 220s dammit. a few more months. ~daughter

email

2007-09-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE:

Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:02:59 +0000
dear mom and dad,

i know mom is probably chomping at the bit since i've not written a proper email in so long; thought it best i make some time to do so. :) things are good, lots of little blessings happening everyday. for example:

last week, i set off of buy a treadmill. a friend advised i take the subway to dongdaemun stadium as there are many shops there related to exercise equipment. now, im ashamed to admit that ive not learned a lick of korean yet (just havent been able to set aside the time) and i am too proud to ask for help for anything, so i ventured off to buy this treadmill on my own.

i was braced to pay a foreigner mark up since i was alone, but every place i went into kept quoting me prices of over a thousand dollars! i pointed to the ones that were obviously used, and still $700-900 was quoted to me.

giving up and on my way back to the subway, i stop by one more shop. the woman quotes me $750. i start to walk out, and she takes hold of my arm and chatters on in korean smiling, and i just smile back and say, "korean moleo (i dont know korean)." yeah, sure was smart of me to go shopping off by myself! *sigh* well, i really wasnt expecting having to bargain. it's way easier to shop for groceries and such, the price tag is there and it's what you pay. i think im not aggressive enough for all this haggling.

so as this woman is talking to me, this random older korean man comes between us and starts talking to her, and he turns to me and asks, "do you need help?" i tell him i wanted to buy a treadmill but the price was too high. long story slightly shorter: this wonderful random man negotiates for me and gets me a treadmill for $300 including delivery! holy cheese and crackers!! :) the world is so nice sometimes!

well im off, im going to email this man and tell him thank you again, and then im headed home... to go use my new used treadmill!!! ~daughter.

email

2007-09-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE:
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:17:24 +0000
dear mom and dad,

hi! i thought it best i set aside some time to write an email more than two sentences long to quell mom's paranoia. ;) i've been getting the magazines, i got American Legacy yesterday, thank you so much! i really appreciate having these things to read when i have the time.

so yeah, things here are good. no complaints about the weather in this email today, the sun is out, it's nice. some little bit of news- maybe you both will be annoyed, or maybe you both expected this, but: i hired a housekeeper. ive told one friend back home, who called me bourgeois, but i dont care b/c the housekeeper is friggin awesome.

seriously, so what if i hired a housekeeper? it's quite affordable here, and there's nothing wrong with paying someone for a service.

i dont know her name, actually. she told me, because still everything said to me in korean goes in one of my ears and out the other. she speaks very very little english, but is so friendly and all smiles. when she came the 1st time, she brought me tea and pulled out her notebook of english phrases and asked me if i had siblings, where i was from, how i like korea. im pretty sure she didnt understand any of what i responded, but i appreciate her efforts.

she comes once a week and sweeps and mops the floors, does the dishes, cleans everything in the bathroom, and takes out the trash. she does laundry, too, but i handle that part myself. she left me a note translated by my coworker that she thinks im really nice b/c of the way i separate my trash :)

how is brother dave, and ketso? give them my greetings when they come on sunday, doing their laundry and washing cars. ~sha.

email

2007-09-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

<---google image search for "consternation."
Subject: RE:
Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2007 17:50:21 +0000
dear mom and dad,

hi whats up? same here, but oh this weather is changing... the sun and heat are leaving me... im sad to see it go!

i was at the internet cafe yesterday, and i dont speak enough korean to chat with the owners (an elder couple), but you know i smile and bow. the other day, the man comes up behind me and gives me a little canned coffee drink! he's so sweet, the owners have done that a few times, just come by and give me little treats for no reason. they're super sweet to me.

work is going good, got all new kids in my classes and some of the former students popped into my class to find me and say hi, made me feel all glowy warm and smiley. ive been in korea 200+ days now, isnt that crazy? time flies.

hey mom, kanisha said she came by to see you the other day, she loved learning those tagalog phrases you taught her. :) hey mom, TAKE HER UP ON THAT OFFER TO WALK WITH YOU, MOM! you need to stretch your muscles.

so usually after work, all the coworkers hang out a bit outside the building, chatting about the day, the students, maybe hitting up a place to eat. it's been cold lately and one of my coworkers noticed my look of consternation:

"sha what's wrong?" he asks.
"it's friggin cold," i complain.
"uh oh," he announces to everyone, "the summer is over, it's starting to get cold. this may be the last we see of sha until next summer!"

*pish* he aint lying. i hate the cold.~sha.

email

2007-08-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

Subject: Re: Coming over
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:45:00 +0000
Thanks Sha,

I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. I often start messages, save them as drafts and then forget I saved them. So here I go again.

I really appreciate your responses. I am curious though why do you buy so many socks? And how do you like your apartment? Can you flush in your apartment? Cuba had that toilet paper issue. It was kinda funny how cool it was to be the person with the toilet paper when everyone else forgot : )

I am trippin that Aaron is still in Japan. I thought him when I started doing my research. Can you forward his contact info I would love to ask him a few questions. I am so startled about how complex the process. I feel like I have to sit at the computer for hours in order to really understand the difference between the programs.

I am also curious about why you don't feel as social. You seem very social to me. Are you just feeling super duper introspective? What do you do in your free time? Can you tell me again how much you make and what your monthly expenses look like. When do you think you will come back to the States to visit your fam? How often do you talk to your parents?

Its interesting, I'm taking this West African dance class and it seems like most of the folk are big Black women whereas when I tried to take the an Afro-Haitian dance class most of the folk were white girls.

Okay someone is calling me right now. I'm going to send you off.Love.

The lack of unity will guarantee failure.
--Professor Clinton Adlum, University of Havana
===============
Subject: RE: Coming over
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2007 02:02:36 +0000

I am curious though why do you buy so many socks? i dont know. b/c i can i guess. you can find them for 50 cents to a dollar.

And how do you like your apartment? i love it.

Can you flush in your apartment? i do. i dont know if youre not supposed to... but i do.

I am trippin that Aaron is still in Japan. I thought him when I started doing my research. Can you forward his contact info I would love to ask him a few questions. yeah, i'll find his email for you. give a bit.

I am so startled about how complex the process. I feel like I have to sit at the computer for hours in order to really understand the difference between the programs. once you get the ball rolling, it's surprisingly smooth and easy getting a job here. im here for all your questions, too.

I am also curious about why you don't feel as social. You seem very social to me. Are you just feeling super duper introspective? i dont know. it's my own sha-ness i think.

What do you do in your free time? i read a lot. internet surf. write. watch tv. walk around my neighborhood.

Can you tell me again how much you make and what your monthly expenses look like. i work 4 to 5 days a week, 6-7 hours a day, and clear a little over XXXXthousand each paycheck. my rent is 600/month. i pay 120/month on utilities. i send home 800-1000 every month (to my parents, and on my student loans.)

When do you think you will come back to the States to visit your fam? i will come home at the end of my contract, but im almost certain that i'll come back to kroea to teach the next term.

How often do you talk to your parents? i email them two to three times a week. i called once, but only b/c my dad was out of town and i wanted to check on my momma.

email

2007-08-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

Date: Aug 27, 2007 6:55 PM
Hi Whatcha up to? You don't update your blog (the black teacher one) very often unless you have another one you update. Is everything expensive out there? How long are you going to be gone? Is there much of a night life? I was thinking about scraping together some money and coming to visit. -Bro

Date: Aug 28, 2007 8:45 PM
hi brother! thanks for emailing, im doing good :)

i have another blog sistershainseoul.blogspot.com it's pretty much just the emails i send to mom and dad, and occasional emails from friends. i write mom and dad maybe once a week.

is it expensive out here? not as cheap as most expect, but it is less expensive than san diego. i live in an officetel (like a studio) and pay 600 a month. an additional 120 or so for utilities/water, etc. i get paid once a month, work 4 or 5 days a week, 6-8 hours a day, and clear a little over $$$ every paycheck. im insanely happy: i make enough to pay the rent, pay student loans, and send dad some money for the credit card debt i ran up on his card (tho mostly i've been paying the loans).

my contract is half over. if my school will have me, i will renew and stay at the job longer. i plan to stay here at least for another year, maybe two, to finish paying off the loans, and save up a bit. maybe even longer, if the job is still going well. after that, i think about teaching esl somewhere else. maybe japan, or somewhere in asia, since it's where i am now. maybe someday teach in a spanish speaking country, too.

nightlife: i live really close to seoul. in seoul, the two main parts of town for nightlife are itaewon and hongdae. itaewon is like tj, in that it's nice during the day, lots of shopping and restaurant, but at night w/all the drunk foreigners and military, it can look pretty sleazy. hongdae is sort of the same with clubs/bars on every corner, but not as dirty looking. maybe closer to like downtown daygo is like?

if you'd like to visit, let me know. give me maybe two months notice (maybe around the time it can take to get your visa anyway), and i can pay your plane ticket and have some spending money for you. give me three months if you plan to bring ketso or a friend with you.

it'd be nice to see you; you can bring me OB super absorbent tampons; seems most women use menstrual pads here. just kidding, i just wanted to make you uncomfortable. im not really kidding, tho, i would want you to bring tampons. ~sis

teacher finished!

2007-08-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

i randomly found this picture on a google image search. this guy was an english teacher in korea, and he used to constantly get "Teacher, finished!" 100 times over after the kids finished an assignment, so i think he made up this "hands on head when youre done" rule. maybe i'll use that too, it's cute. notice the little boy on the left making a pig face.

email

2007-08-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

Subject:
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2007 06:55:10 +0000
dear mom and dad,

hi! i've got about half an hour before my class begins and figured i'd better write, it seems as though mom is afraid something is going on? :) im fine mom, just busy.

when i first got here, i had nothing in my apartment, so i spent a lot of time at the internet cafe. now i have a lovely couch, cable, a plant! and i've friends to chat with and hang out with. i spend more time grading and writing comments on student work. i work more on bettering my teaching. so, ive not been setting as much time to go to the internet cafe as i used to. AND as you guys know, i try not to use the computer at work. so, ya know. everything is fine.

it's the start of a new term today, and im excited to meet the new students. i miss the old ones already. i had one student during summer named Howard, i dont know how old he was, 7 maybe? no idea why, but he'd always put his hands on top of his head when he'd talk to me, it was the cutest thing ever.

i still have daily chats with different cab drivers on the way to work. today the driver asked,
"your country?"
"american" i answered.
"english teacher?" he asks.
"deh." (yes)
"how much your salary?"
to this i just smile, and he laughs.
coming close to my stop, point and say, "Adjoshii, yogi yo." (sir, right here).
"ah, you know adjoshi?" he laughs, "Old man!"

~daughter

email

2007-08-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 17:02:05 +0000
Hey Sha,

I've been thinking and thinking and I think I may join you in Asia. For real, I think I am going to make a couple of appointments at some places in the City (San Francisco). whats in san francisco?

I do have a few questions though. How are you liking the experience? i like it very much. ive not regretted moving here for a second. i like my job, i love the kids, i like the pay/savings potential. Do you miss home and friends overly much? yes, but a bit is my own "fault." im not terribly social, so i dont hang out with people here as much as i could. my coworkers are hella nice, but when they invite me out, i dont go more than half the time. i have met a few sistas here, and we get together for lunch a few times a month, but again, i dont hang out much with them either.

How connected, or disconnected, are you to music, culture, movies politics? of korea? not at all, but im not really looking. i think it depends on the school you work for, and who you know. i have a friend that works in public school and her korean co-teachers tell her about all kinds of events coming up: festivals, concerts, etc. i suppose i could find that info out if i tried harder, but ive not bothered yet.

Do you have folks you would consider as friends? yes

Can you buy clothes that fit you (Asians are really petitie)? ive not done too much shopping. i've bought lots of socks, and t-shirts. when i walk through itaewon, the shop owners hold out their business cards for me to take, saying, "we have big size, we have big size!"

What things do you do for fun/nightlife? in seoul, two places most popular are the parts of town called itaewon and hongdae. i would compare itaewon to tijuana. it's nice during the day, very ethnically diverse, tons of great restaurants and shopping, but at night the foreigners and military come out and it can look sleezy. ive only been to hongdae a couple of times, looks nicer, and they're the same: bars/clubs on every corner.

Do you get to travel to other parts of the area i.e. Islands in the South Pacific? no, b/c i work for cdi and we get very little vacation time. tho that has not stopped my coworkers, they plan trips around their weekends and have visited japan and north korea.

How are the toilets? there are bathrooms everywhere. there is not always soap and toilet paper. i carry toilet paper with me everywhere and have been thankful for it many times. when you pee here, you dont flush the toilet paper down the toilet, you but it in the wastebin in the stall next to you. but they're cleaned regularly. well, no, i guess it depends on where you are? ive not yet been in a public toilet that wasnt acceptable, but my friend works at a public school and she said the bathrooms smell pissy. there is always at least one western style toilet everywhere you go. the rest will be squat toilets.

What are your regrets? i wish i couldve bought a laptop before i came, and downloaded my music into it. i wish i had more money with me when i first got here.

In your opinion is Korea or Japan a better place to be? aaron would be the one to ask about japan, he's been there 3 or 4 years now? i dont know enought about japan to comment. but i can say that im really glad i ended up in korea. the pay is really great, and most times you get free housing and paid/reimbursed airfare. if you think you're in it for a while, maybe come to korea first, save up some money, and then go to japan after your korea contract.

Have you been able to do any freelance tutoring? no, it's illegal to, and really i like my free time, so ive not bothered to try to find any. however im pretty sure you CAN have a second job at cdi, youre considered "freelance" and you just need to have your arc card adjusted. i think. im not sure.

overall i really love it here. i will for sure extend my contract and stay. ive not done much in in terms of traveling and socializing and all, but i dont feel like im missing out. its not that i'll never do these other things, im just not doing them NOW. i dont feel like i only have a year (or whatever the length of my contract is) to do these things, i'll be here for a while. there'll be time enough for travel and such.

email

2007-08-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

number 1 mcee in the world, jean grae. i love her!

hi sekou! life is wonderful. the school i work at rotates by term (3months) im already on my 3rd term, it's crazy. how are you?

things are good here. im making serious payments on my student loans, pretty happy about that. i'll be here for at least another year, by then the loans will be paid off and i'll have paid back my dad all the money i owe him. well... maybe a year and a half. if my job keeps me. things are going ok at work, but i mess up here and there and im paranoid that i'll get fired. not that that's been hinted at towards me, it really is my own paranoia.

im having trouble socializing here. my coworkers are nice, and other foreigners ive meet are all nice enough, but every outing is staying out late at a bar (late like, 7 the next morning) and i just dont roll like that anymore. and i've not liked any club ive been to, all the music is mainstream rap music, southern, laffy taffy white t walkitout type of stuff which i dont care for.

other than that tho, i really do like myjob. i adore the kids, i think they're all so smart, and i dont mind my pay at all. i keep having this reoccurring dream that im back in san diego, trying to go to Harar (the ethiopian rest on el cajon blvd?) and when i get there, i find it's gone. i do enjoy my life here in korea, but i do look forward to a term off when i can come back to daygo, eat my food, see my people.

ah anyway, how is you btw?

email

2007-08-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

Subject: RE: Next Class
Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 04:33:41 +0000
dear mom and dad,

hey whats up, not much here. things are going well, my plant is looking just wonderful, it makes me so happy, i think im going to get one for my apartment too.

to clarify, i dont have ANY time off just yet, im teaching the summer classes in the morning, and then my regular classes in the afternoon/night, which is why i'd been so tired, although these last couple of days have been pretty good, getting used to the schedule and drinking lots of water.

i will have one week off sometime next month i think. mayma and i are talking about going to thailand, we'll see. i know nothing about thailand, and i'd like to be more prepared and learn a bit about the culture/customs and such first, but we'll see how the timing goes.

otherwise things at work are going good. i just finished the summer class about an hour ago, and am now prepping for the afternoon class. we just finished those "level up" tests in the afternoon classes. remember before how i had to administer and grade the tests for the students, the test that determines whether or not the student will go to the next level in english? it was such a nightmare before, since it was my first time doing it and it took me forever to grade each one. THIS time was so much smoother. the kids are dying to know whether they "leveled up" or not. i am too, actually, since i think all my kids are geniuses.

a lot of changes will be happening at work. the term is nearly over, only 2 more weeks i think. my friend jeremy is gone as i told you before, went back home to finish grad school, and actually mayma is nearly done too, her contract will be finished in three more months and she'll be going home to new zealand. just last week, i found out THREE of my coworkers have put in their notice and are leaving korea soon too, their contracts ending and/or just moving on to other things. wow!

well, i think that really that is the nature of esl here, many just come and complete their contract and then go home. time flies, really, im nearly halfway through my contract already. a lot of people email me asking me if i like it here, more specifically asking when if coming back to san diego, as if i'll never come back?! well, im here until february at least, and i will come home but it's with no promise that i wont leave again. i really like this job, things are good here. but i dont feel like i "left home" or anything, im just away, not dead. :)

email

2007-08-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

<--not my kids drawings, but i'll load them later when i have access to my own computer.

Subject: RE: Over Watered Plants
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2007 04:48:52 +0000
dear mom and dad,

good news, my plant looks like it's going to be ok! i came in the last couple of days and the soil is looking semi-dry. im very happy about it. the plant is happy too.

work is good, it's another week over of these summer classes, *phew!* after teaching morning and night on monday, and wednesday, come thursday i sleep clear until 3pm just about. well, on and off. i adore those kids but they drain me!

this morning i had the kids write little stories and make them into books, expecting only 1 or 2 sentences per page, but many did damn near a novel! it makes me happy b/c they worked so hard and wrote so much, but geez now i have so much to read and grade!

hey i got home the other day and there was a package in my mailbox. i didnt remember ordering anything, and it didnt look like an envelope from you all. i opened it and OH MY GOODNESS cousin myhasa sent me a gift from amazon! she sent me a couple of books, i couldnt stop smiling for like three hours! do you guys ever see her/talk to her? im going to send her an email, but if you see her, tell her thanks again, it was so nice of her. well, i have about an hour until my next class, so i best go and prep. my greetings to senor gonzales. ~daughter.