When Memories Set In

So I have been in Seoul for a year and ten months. I haven't seen my mom in this long period of time, save for Skype--which is a poor excuse for actual face time. By this time next week, I be hugging, and quite probably crying when she arrives in Incheon Airport.

I have been looking for many things to do with her--she has been letting me know what she wants to do too. Originally she just wanted to go to Noryanjin, and to go to my Starbucks and chill.

Of course, I had planned on taking her to Namsan Tower, and taking a walk along the Han River to show her Banpo Bridge.

Now she wants to go on city tours. She wants to go on a night cruise on the Han. She has all sorts of ideas, which is awesome. I just have to pack it all in 6 days.

I get the chance to show her my life here, to show her what I have done here in a year and ten months. Pressure? Sure. But I really want her to understand what I love about this place, so that she will understand me when I tell her that I really don't want to move back home. Or anywhere else for that matter. I am home.

So when her memories of Seoul set in, just as my thoughts turn back to Chicago and Florida, she will look back on her time here fondly. To see why her daughter, whom she raised to conquer the world, may have gone and done something better. She conquered her fears.

This is the song (Good Luck)

It seems that everytime someone I care about leaves Korea, I have to listen to the Punch Brother's epic tale of sadness in the form of a song called "This is the song (Good Luck)." Haven't heard of it? Blasphemy. Go now.

Today I said goodbye to two amazing ladies. T and Patsy, formerly known as B. While the two of these women never met, they touched my life in ways that can never truly be expressed.

T--I had so much fun yapping about BigBang with you and faking going to their concert. I know that you will be back in Korea--it's only a matter of time. Good luck in MN and all that jazz. See you soon.

Patsy--Where does one even begin. I liked you from the moment we first met. You were doing your report cards and smiled at me and said, "I'm the most negative person ever." But you weren't. And you aren't. You have brought more joy to people than you could ever realize. I guess what makes it all so hard is that we really connected within the last few months and even more so over the summer. I am grateful for our wine/guacamole/beastie boy night. I am grateful for listening to Christian music on our way home from a club. I am even thankful for our goodbye this morning--as brief as it was. Good luck back home, Pats. I know this was a rough decision but we both know that God has bigger and brighter plans ahead of you. I love you to pieces and I know that this isn't a goodbye.

I wish you both the best of luck in everything--and I can't wait to hear all about it.

Safe travels.

xox

c

PS. I will try to take pictures of hot Korean men for both of you---especially those in cropped pants and great hair. ^^

xoxoxoxoxxo

Oh. Hello, again.

Hi there, blog readers.

You know, every time I sit down to write one of these lengthy diatribes, something stops me--too many distractions in Korea I suppose. I got up early and readied myself for a day of teaching and then prepared my gym bag for BC tonight at 7 pm. I haven't been sweating on the gym floor since Friday morning. So I'm sitting in Starbucks, enjoying a cup of coffee and enjoying being relatively healthy.

Saturday I spent most of my time in a story meeting (finished the book I've been writing...now it's editing time siiiiiiiiighhhhhh). Then I went out with one of my friends, B, to a Shin Dig--a 50's and 60's music dance party. We stayed for a few hours and had fun singing to one another but then we went to Apgujeong to go meet up with some other friends and stayed out til 3 am. Not bad for a couple of old ladies. ^^

Sunday, B and I went to church. Since I have been in Korea ( A year and 9 months on Friday) I have not been fulfilled by a church in Seoul. They were all a little strange for me and I didn't feel at home. This church, while it wasn't Willow, was pretty great.
After the service, we went to lunch at The Flying Pan--a great restaurant near the church and our apartment building.

Now...in the background of all of this, I wasn't really feeling all that stupendous. I had some tummy issues. It started Saturday night...and didn't end until this morning. Praise Jesus, the Lord done set me free! ^^

So....my last entry was in April....it's now August...what has happened? Oh, ya know...nothing. ^^

Lost some more weight. Came back to the gym stronger than ever. Went on some reeeeeaaaallly terrible dates with Korean men. hahahaha Wrote a book. Found out two special people will be visiting Korea at the end of September/beginning of October. And I'm getting my life on track.

So yeah. I've been productive. Too productive to write about it apparently. Sorry for that. I could say that I will do better next time, but let's just be honest. I say that a lot. A lot a lot. I'll try to post as often as I can. That is about as much as I can.

Until the next time, faithful readers. Until next time.

Hugs and Kisses,

c

A Q&A Session, Brought to You by The Bubble Bath Goddess Herself

Hello lovelies.

So one of my nearest and dearest, Jess, wrote a blog entry centering around 11 questions and she tagged me to do the same. I haven't written on here in such a long time I figure it would be a welcome back moment.

But a quick update. I still love Korea. I am still working out. I am down 41 pounds since I arrived here a year and five months ago. And yes. Korean boys are still the best thing in the world. A friend posted on my facebook wall, reminding me to not discount the "American" hotties. I could only respond with, "They do nothing for me anymore." Sigh. Korean boys are hot. What can I say?

Anywho...the questions, yes?

Here are the rules to this game:

1. Post the rule. (done)

2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their blog post.

3. Create 11 NEW questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. Tag 11 people and link them to your post.

5. Let them know you've tagged them.

And now for my Q&A session...


1. What do you do for a living? Do you enjoy it or is it just a way to pay the bills?
I am an English teacher at an academy in Seoul, Korea. I love my job. And while I don't plan on doing it forever, it is a wonderful place to work. I love my school, my bosses, my co-workers and friends. It is paying the bills, yes, but it does much more than that. I love having conversations with my students about the things that excite them. Most of the time, they don't really want to learn English--it's something that their parents are pushing for, but I know that they see the value in what I do. So even on my worst days, I can always gain a sense of positivity.


2. If you went to college, what was your major? If not, what was your favorite subject in high school?
I majored in English Literature. When I started on my collegiate journey, I never thought that I would actually graduate. I thought I would coast through until I found someone to marry and then just do that. I changed my major a lot early on..theatre (never took one theatre class because I was too scared), business (because it was safe), and finally came to English--it was my best subject in high school and I have always enjoyed reading and writing stories. After a few classes, I was hooked. I don't regret any of my English classes because I met some of the most amazing people in my classes at Roosevelt, both students and professors. I couldn't imagine my life without them. It would honestly be unbearable.

3. What are the worst and best dates you've been on?
You might find this funny--at least I do--I have never really dated anyone. So keep reading the blog--you'll surely hear about it. I never made time for love or dating--mostly because I had a terrible sense of self-worth until I got to Korea. I have really been working on me, finding out why I have done some of the things that I have done in previous relationships and where I plan to be now and in the future. For the first time in my 32 years, I am open to love. I wasn't before. I kept myself closed off to the subject and kept my nose in books. Now, things are changing and I have confidence. And I may have a date soon...I'll keep you posted. ^^
4. Beach or mountains?
Beach. Even though I don't tan at all--I love living close to water. I grew up in Florida and when I lived in Chicago, I was two blocks away from Lake Michigan. Mountains are surely majestic, but they lack salty sea air, cries of seagulls, the soothing sand, and the roar of unpredictable waves. I do prefer the beaches in Cape Cod though--anytime you can wear a sweater on a beach, I'm a happy girl.

5. What is your favorite color?
Green. Any shade. I love green. It has nothing to do with money, or nature, for that matter. It just has this calming effect on me. Current nail color? Sparkly green. ^^

6. Do you have any pets?
Sometimes I think that he has me. hehe I have a doll faced persian kitty named Dresden. I adopted him almost a year ago and I love him. We snuggle. We play. He eats. ^^ He is a great companion. While it is true that it is harder to travel here when you have a pet, I have a good deal of friends who adore him and are willing to give him some food and water when I want to travel.

7. If you would have won the $656 million Mega Millions jackpot last week, what would you have down with all of that money?
What wouldn't I do? Seriously. Obviously pay off my student loans. Set up college funds for my niece and nephews. Pay off my parents bills/mortgages/etc. Buy some property in Korea--maybe Hannam-dong area. Donate money to charity. Pay off my sister's mortgages/debts/get her back into college. I would probably give a lot of it away. Invest in some companies. Travel, for sure. Mostly I would use it to serve other people. And buy some nice clothes. ^^ Perhaps buy a family vacation home on Cape Cod. I do miss the Cape.

8. Who is the biggest role model in your life?
There are too many to list. Obviously my parents--they have done the best they could with what they were given. My Papa Shea--he had such integrity. Kat. Obviously. She is so inspiring. She has transformed herself in such an amazing way. She truly lives with positivity and love. Christ. Of course. There shouldn't have to be an explanation there. And while I know that many people are going to roll their eyes, I have to say it: Choi Seung Hyun (TOP). The kid was fat. A really big dude. And he knew that if he wanted to become an idol, he had to change his life. And he did. And he writes about tremendously personal things in his songs and that takes courage to be able to let the world see your scars.

9. When you die, how do you want to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as someone who triumphed. Someone who did not flinch in the face of adversity. Someone who had passion. Someone who inspired others to create their own possibilities. Someone who lived with integrity. When I die, I want people to say, "Heaven got a little brighter." I want to leave this Earth brighter than when I entered it.

10. Do you have a favorite quote? If so, what is it?
I have many. I love William S. Burroughs line of "I don't care whether people like me or not. In fact, I assume that they don't. The question is whether they are in a position to do anything about it." Yes. It's kind of negative. But it got me through a rough time in my life. The best one though, is probably from my Dad, " Nobody counts how many times you get knocked down. Just how many times you don't get up."

11. What are you doing today?
Well...I went to Boot Camp this morning, I'm writing on this blog, I will hop in the shower, get ready for work, eat some lunch, go to work, teach, go home, eat dinner, clean my house a bit, and get ready for Thursday. Not very exciting, I know. But there are always nuggets of greatness within those kinds of days.

I'll update who I am going to tag a little later.


Live with greatness, everyone!

xox
c

Bloggity Blog Blog Blog

So report cards are due next week and what am I doing? Writing to you all. Feel worth it, damnit. Feel the worth.

That's an interesting thing--feeling the worth. Often we don't possibly understand our own worth because we measure our successes the way we count our credits and debits in our bank accounts. We love to degrade ourselves because it's funny or we think it makes us more humble. But does it really? Are we really better people when we refuse to understand what we are truly worth?

Anyway...

I've made a promise to myself that I am going to keep up with writing this blog, and so far, I've been doing a decent job at it. YAY for self-affirmation! Work is going well--it's almost Friday here and while I will be doing report cards for the bulk of the weekend, I plan on having a skype session with a good friend that I haven't seen since I've been in Korea (10 months, can you believe it?)

Dresden is fine, thanks for asking. I am almost done knitting his hoodie--however I am going to have to frog some of it come Sunday when I have my weekly knitting meet up with Bri because I jacked it up. Knitting patterns can be more difficult to read and comprehend than a Noam Chomsky book sometimes.

It's starting to get colder here, and thank God for that! I was dying this summer--I knew coming into this whole Korean experience that Korea has the winters of Chicago but the summers of Florida, and while I grew up in Hell's bastard brother of a state, I had forgotten some of the cardinal rules of living in humid conditions...like don't even try to wear any kind of make up because it will only melt like a demonized ice cream cone. Oh Florida, how I miss the people who inhabit you, but never you and your muggy self. You rat bastard.

I watched a documentary by Cameron Crowe this week, courtesy of Mr. Pockets, called Pearl Jam Twenty and I must say it was pretty damn interesting. I was always more on the Nirvana side of the "Nirvana-Pearl Jam debate," but in my later years I have been giving Eddie Vedder and Co. more credit than they probably should have gotten from me all along. Oh well, we live and learn, right?

It's been a pretty good week for communication for me too--I've talked to some of my really good friends from Florida as well as Illinois. I do miss home--but that is inevitable. When you're blessed to know so many amazing people it makes the heart ache for older days and yearns for reunification.

I suppose I have procrastinated enough on my report cards. Until the next post, dear readers.

xo
c

One Sassy Store. One Sassy Giveaway! Only from Three Sassy Sisters!

So my dear and lovely friends at Three Sassy Sisters are having another fabulous giveaway to celebrate their 900th sale! These ladies are amazing and so are their pet supplies! They have recently expanded to the dog lovers and have been a mainstay on Etsy for their cat-tastic toys and collars. Dresden actually rocks one of their collars and he LOOOOOOOVES his blazer mice. ^^ Especially since now that he got shaved, you can actually SEE his awesome shamrock collar.





















So how do you enter? Go to their blog and there are many different ways to get in on this sassy deal!

Happy pets make the world go round! ^^

xo
c

Last Post on July 12th?! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Shea!

Hiho, Miss Christine here. So sorry about the delay--has it really been three months since my last blog entry?! Good Lord. I feel like I should be apologizing every time I enter onto blogger's site. Ahh negligence, the only true form of procrastin...ation.

So what has happened since July? Things have been busy busy busy at school. I still love my job and my co-workers--the kids are okay. ^^ heheh Kat moved out of our apartment building so I don't get to see her that much anymore. We have new teachers and they're rad. I turned 32. We had a vacation and I did a lot of knitting. I'm writing stories again (AWESOME!) and I have finally have a knitting buddy in Korea. I have done 2 5K's and I'm really enjoying the time that I get to go out and walk.

Yesterday I took Dresden to the Salon (aka The Vet) and now he has a lion cut. I thought they would have left more of the mane but he has this oval-ish face now and it's so stinking cute.

Here is a before shot, the morning of, no less...



And the aftermath....



He is so much happier about the hair being gone. Even when I adopted him on June 4th he didn't care for me grooming him on his back, near his tail. Now he is all sorts of free and quite lovey.

A few months back I had contemplated going home for Christmas and taking Dresden with me and then leave him at my Mom's house and then come back to Korea--that way he'll already be acclimated to "American culture" (har har) and I would be free to travel. I'm glad I decided against it--I don't think I would want to be without him.

My hair has gotten wicked long--I still haven't gone to get it cut here. I am rather apprehensive about going to a Korean salon because they don't really know how to cut foreigners' hair. Korean hair is pretty thick, so they normally get it thinned out. And while I usually get my hair thinned out because I have so much of it, I would rather just wait it out. Recent picture, you ask? Well, okay.



So yeah. I turned 32. I got fabulous presents from Mumsy, Jess and Jeremy, Joey, Kat, Sarah, Shane, Bri, and Ben. And three birthday cakes! ^^ I bought myself a new iPod Touch, an awesome pair of Ray Bans, and a fabulously fake Le Sport Sac purse.

I'm currently knitting Dresden a hoodie, so pictures will be up of that soon, but I did finish two scarves for my friends Brittany and Shane.

This one is Britt's


And this one is for Shane


Over the vacation I went around and took pictures of Seoul Tower, and hung out with Joey and his girlfriend Sam, who was visiting from Florida.















Most of these shots were taken with my iPod Touch with an app called "Camera +." It comes highly recommended.

So that's about it. Class is about to start so I had better scoot. Until the next three months.

Stay classy, Seoul and beyond. You've earned it.

xo
c