happy halloween!

I forgot that today is actually Halloween!  Last year I did a Halloween lesson with my classes, but I think for whatever reason, we're kinda behind on lessons so I don't have time to do it again.  I think I will plan a lesson for winter camp though.

We celebrated and dressed up over the weekend since Halloween on a Monday is terrible.  We started off at the Han River boat cruise and then headed to Itaewon with every other foreigner in Seoul.

Little Bo Peep and her lost sheep LOSING the group contest!

Fall is in the air.

The leaves are starting to change colors all around.  They've actually been changing around my school for a couple of weeks, but I think the "peak" must be this week.  Yesterday, I tried going to a forest near my house to see the trees, but unfortunately arrived at 5pm which was also the time they were closing!

So instead we went to 경희대학교 (Kyunghee University) and walked around a bit.  Luckily the Kyunghee campus is really pretty (I remembered from cherry blossom season there being a lot of trees) so it was nice to catch some of the pretty fall color there before the sun went down.

sitting outside at my school

wandering around Kyunghee

it's a record!

I have made 11 posts this month!  11!  It's totally a record.  I can't believe it.

The reason is...school festival week at school.  It's basically just kind of like a talent show.  Each grade had a specified time to perform Weds-Fri mornings.  Somehow this equated to: 1. I didn't have to do any lesson planning last week and 2. I didn't have any classes this week.  So, I've had some free time on my hands to do things like update this blog that nobody reads.  I was also able to skype with my bff Krista this morning for over an hour!  (totally killed my phone battery..but worth it for a much-needed catch up).  Even though I'll be back to a regular schedule after this week, I'm going to TRY to keep updating this blog...which I realize I really should have been doing all along.  Let's see how far I make it!

So, I went shopping near my house Wednesday night after work in search of the other portion of my Halloween costume aka the sheep's body.  This is what I came up with...

me as a sheep

also pictured:  -sweet key rings Melissa got me for my birthday
                      -my Korean ID card
                      -my galaxy sii (yes, I finally joined the smartphone world)
                      -and my entire house..yep there it is.

You wouldn't believe how easy it was to find this.  Almost every store I went in had some version of a fuzzy/furry vest, jacket, or sweater.  The sheep look is completely in-style!  Hence, I justified paying 30,00won for this vest.  Especially after I tried it on...don't ask me why, but I actually like it way more than I should.

Seoul is a beautiful place.

I really love this city...and sometimes I forget how pretty it is in the daily shuffle of life.  

I went hiking on Sunday on 인황산 (Inwangsan) and then ended the day having a beer on the lawn at 광화문광장 (Gwanghwamun Square).

gorgeous

lucky to live here

view of Gyeongbokgung from Gwanghwamun and an 아빠 playing with his baby..

it also happened to be the day of the Nike We Run Seoul race..but luckily it was over by the time I arrived!

How To Get A Korean Boyfriend

hahah I love this!  This is a funny video about how to get a Korean boyfriend.  

Okay okay...it's a little dramatic, but mostly true...although, I think more true for actual Korean girls.

If you're a foreigner, you just have to make sure that 1. the Korean guy's family thinks you're suitable wife material and 2. the Korean guy doesn't have a Korean girlfriend (or other foreign girlfriend) already (you will be his second!  this is a real thing).

As for me, I found mine in a club, and the rest is history!  I am one of the lucky ones where this actually worked out in the long run.  I would not recommend searching for your Korean boyfriend there, but hey..it can happen!

Can't stop listening to this song

it's HALLOWEEN time

Went costume shopping in Dongdaemun this weekend..if you walk straight out of exit 4 and turn right, there's an alley with a few costume shops and party supply stores.  I found this place last year and was surprised that it even exists since halloween is not really celebrated by many Koreans..unless their children go to an English hagwon.

..will not be going as a horse, but I did pick up a sheep hat hahah.  My friend is going as Lil bo peep so I guess I'm her sheep.  I have nothing else to wear with this hat made for a child so it should be interesting.

Want.

Who wants to buy this for me and then mail it to Korea???

Moving

I was sitting outside today during my one period break, "taking a rest" as the Koreans say.  I was just messing around on my phone when I looked across the playground and saw some huge ladder-like thing that I figured was cleaning windows?  Then I watched as this box-like shape moved from the window to the ground in a matter of seconds.

Intrigued, I continued to watch as the platform moved back up to the window (sans box shape) only to be loaded up with something else and shot back down to the ground.  By the time my break was over (about 40 minutes), the whole move was complete.  It was totally awesome.  Can you imagine living on the 12th floor of a building and having to take at least 10 trips up and down the elevator lugging all of your wordly belongings?

1. you'd be drenched in sweat.  and 2. it would take forever!  

Check it out!

Update on my (digital) perm!

I have discovered something amazing called...MOUSSE!  I guess since my hair has always been straight, I have never had a need to use something like mousse before.  When I got my first perm, I started using things like "anti-frizz" serums, curl "essence," leave-in conditioner, argan oil, etc.  Nothing was reallyyy taming down the massive frizz (that admittedly only I could notice).  

I stopped by Olive Young one night on the way home from the gym (as I often do).  As many times as I have perused the wall of hair supplies at this store, it just never crossed my mind to get mousse..so I did.  I went with some brand called Keratin in a yellow bottle and POOF!..my hair is no longer a frizzy mess and my curls stay put all day.  I usually scrunch in the mousse after applying some form of leave-in conditioner or anti-frizz serum/cream when it's still pretty wet, then air dry.

I know it looks better different using mousse because I get new comments from my students almost once a day when my hair if freshly washed and moussed.  They go something like this:  "teacha..your hair.." / "teacher, poma??" / "curly??" / "teacha, i think you changed your hairstyle" / "teacha, hairstyle..bling bling"  

I'm not sure why, but they didn't really start noticing that my hair is curly until I started using the mousse.

Here's a picture of me yesterday at work (Korean style of course)..about 2.5-3 months after getting my last digital perm.  

Dover is considered vintage in Korea??

I was shopping in Edae (이대) a few weeks ago and discovered this gem!  It was basically a whole rack of t-shirts and the like that look like they must have come from the Salvation Army ( but were being sold as "vintage").  Since when is Dover, DELAWARE and Nascar vintage?!  

In addition to stuff like this, Edae (이대) has TONS of cute clothes/shoes/accessories for quite the steal.  Apparently everything (as in clothes and shoes sold all over Seoul) is bought in Dongdaemun, however, Edae sells it all for the cheapest price.  This was actually my first (successful?) time shopping in Korean stores.  The way shopping is set up here, quite frankly, I get way too overwhelmed to find much of anything.  I scooped up a bunch of stuff that day all for under $100: (gray winter shorts/cute top with ruffled sleeves/a dress/a cute striped hoodie/some 2PM socks/a bag).  I definitely plan to insert shopping in this area into my regular routine (once a month..quarterly?).  While I do still love Forever 21/H&M/Zara, it's nice to have gotten a few things that are really Korean looking that every other foreigner girl won't necessarily have too.

Seoul Time Lapse 2011

~a few of my favorite korea clips for you to enjoy~

마익흘 - Seoul Subway Song 서울 지하철 노래

The True Origins of Pizza (한글자막)