To cut or not to cut ...

So, to keep with the new, experimental, independent Kenisha I'm debating cutting my hair short. Like, really short. Like, Rihanna short:


Anyway, I'm still unclear if it would look good or not. So, yknow, comment and tell me how you feel.

Also, did Thanksgiving in Seoul with the Bemowskis for one of my top 5 bestttt experiences since I've been here (and also grotesquely bittersweet). Nevertheless, I'll post pictures and fun stories later.

Love you all ... VOTE AWAY!
^^

So people can understand my obsession with Korean babies ...

Sparknotes me!

So with a new card reader in tow, I've decided to post some pictures that, well, sum up my last three months here in Korea. I really have to start taking more pictures, but in the meantime ... Enjoy!

Have a headache? Wear a face mask! And this mask, isn't even the coolest one.

Korean Chilies are in literally every dish. No joke. But to make the infamous paste, you need to dry them in the sun first. Nevertheless, this is my street and my neighbors who are the cutest ajumas put our chilies every single morning like clockwork. Also, they're extremely spicy, so when you walk by the chilies drying, beware because you will spontaneously combust with crying.

Some of my 1st grade girls at Sangji. So cute. It took me 12 pictures to get them all to calm down into one shot together. Ah youth.

The first graders at Jejeong (my country school) aka the loves of my lives. They are the cutest, nicest, most amazing kids ever. Shall I go on? Nevertheless, they surprised me on my birthday (after knowing me only two weeks!) with cake and cookies, and drinks and learned to sing Happy Birthday in English for me! Anyway, I'm in love with them, and no one should be surprised if I get off the plane in the US with a smuggled Korean 13 year old.

My very first day at Sangji they made me a banner! How cute! Erik is the boy teaching at the high school on the same campus. The banner, sadly, only stayed up for a week and I didn't get to keep it after it went down.

Dreaded soju. Koreans drink it like water, but trust me, water doesn't give you a hangover liek this. Its fairly repulsive and basically the Korean national drink. Though, it does mix well with soda and fruit-flavored soju tastes like a kiddie drink, but beware - you won't be able to get out of bed the next morning. As my 45-year old coteacher once said,

KT: I'm not feeling too well

Me: What's wrong Mr. Park?

KT: Too much soju, I'm never drinking it again. Lets just watch a movie in class today. I gotta sit down

Sing it to me!

So, something that is wildly popular in Korea, and about 50 times more popular during orientation for foreigners, is 노래방 (Noraebang). Literally it means "singing room" and its where you go to, well, sing. Young and old alike enjoy a good noraebang, and for many Koreans its a chance to show their Charlotte Church, but to foreigners like myself its a chance to scream Journey and dance around in couches. In true Korean style there are two types: (1) regular rooms where you go with your friends and show how tone-deaf you are, and (2) "luxury" or "hostess" rooms where you go with your friends and show how tone-deaf you are while having a lovely, paid lady make you feel good. Not in the sex way, you pervs but in the -- "you're so cute" "I love your voice" "lets hug" kind of way. And, of course, both rooms come with soju and beer. Delicious, and a recipe for disaster. Nevertheless, sit back and enjoy a video. This is my very favorite noraebang video from orientation, just so everyone can be jealous, and maybe it'll become the new "in" thing the other side of the Pacific.

So if you plan on visiting me, I suggest you rest your voice.

Oh, also, what gives?!

Turns out that middle school students do not like Frank Sinatra. I was shocked!

I've been talking him up for some time, and finally played the best song ever made -- "I've Got You Under My Skin" last week for my gifted class and they literally laughed at me. The audacity! After the LSAT that is my next mission: get Korean 16 year olds to think Frank Sinatra is hip.

Any advice?

At this rate, I'll never get a book deal...

Apologies for the lack of postings. I decided to tame the wild LSAT beast which has decided to follow me 7,000 miles to South Korea. Ew. Nevertheless, when I'm not teaching, I'm attempting to slave away because I refuse to let it get me down. Luckily, there are some other English teachers who I can complain about the idiotic differences between 'some' and 'many.' Anyway, come December 7, I'm pretty sure this will be me:

In other news, I've had a revelations since I've been here. Korea is not much different than the US (save for being more technologically advanced, less random mass murders, and a complete lack of ethnic food variety). I find myself missing the US quite a lot, but on Monday I went to "New York, I Love You" to get a piece of American cinema to quench my thirst (not Shia's sexiest moment). Students still don't care about school, and get upset when they fail a test; my female co-teachers still bitch with me about men; and everyone loves Obama -- I could just as well be at home. I've even become accustomed to not knowing what everyone is saying, and I've gotten a lot more laid back with, say, that one taxi driver who decides to take advantage of me by driving the most roundabout way home simply because I don't speak Korean.

Swine flu has taken of South Korea. Everyone is paranoid. Have a headache? Put on a mask. Have some gas? Put on a mask. Have a fever of 99.0? Better go home. My country school closed down two weeks ago because half of the students (see: 15 kids) had fevers. The next week I get there and my co-teacher hands me a mask and says: "You have to wear this. All the kids are infected, so don't get too close." Obviously, I couldn't resist though, and spent my entire lunch having girltalk with my first grade girls. I'm definitely going to get sick. Speaking of, I've absolutely fallen in love with my students. It's only November and I'm already getting sad about eventually leaving them.

Annnnyyyyywayy, last week I went to Seoul/Incheon for Halloween and dressed up at 2ne1 -- a really popular K-pop all-girls band. (Note: they do not celebrate Halloween in Korea. So when a group of 6 Westerns were walking through the street, we got quite a few strange looks).

My students love it, and we've danced to "I Don't Care" (their most popular song) at the beginning of each class week just to celebrate my fabulous Halloween costume.

The next day, we went to the DMZ. Because I mean, cmon, there is nothing scarier than North Korea/Kim Jong Il. It was a lot sadder than I had anticipated though, so that was somewhat of a debbie downer.

Well, Ken says that he sent out a cord for my camera so soon I'll have fabulous pictures from my time here for everyone to see!

In the mean time, go out and find yourself some dakgalbi, my new favorite food. AND... ITS SPICY!

Love/miss you all,

^-^

... and this is why I was a vegetarian for seven years!

So, on my walk home today I stopped by the market. Most stores sell bulgogi (marinated beef) that you just put in a pan and is delicious. Nevertheless, I bought a packet of what I thought was beef when in fact it definitely was not. Now, I'm very open to trying new foods. I've been looking for both live octopus and dog for the last few weeks but have turned up empty. This isn't for lack of trying. I don't mind eating weird food as long as ... its cooked for me. With nearly a decade of 24/7 veggies, I'm still reminded of bambi every time I see a slab of raw meat.

Annnyyyyyway, I get home and a combination of a long day of work, blasting Vampire Weekend and not paying attention I open my package and start cooking the meat. A mere 5 minutes later I realize that its HARD and there are ... toenails. This is, in fact, pigs' feet. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't mind but then I started to freak out. Now my whole apartment smells like pork, and I'm probably going to hold off on the animal for a little bit.

This is just another example of the little things that I take for granted about being at home: being able to read the label.

I'm sure I'll have more thrilling posts later, but for now, I'm going to go watch some Mad Men and try to relax.

Ew.