Filler

I am at work now, bored. Which isn't a real good thing since I just got here and have almost 8 hours to go.

I'm still unsure about this schedule. Originally I thought that I would utilize the mornings to exercise (hopefully taekwondo but haven't figured that out yet) or take Korean lessons or grocery shop or whatever. But I'm finding since I don't get home until 11pm every night I'm staying up really late and thus sleeping in later than I would like. I try to get out of bed before 9 every day but am not always successful.
Still working on it. I was so sick for so long that I fell into the sedentary habit again but I still have some days of productivity.

For example this morning, I went to Itaewon to pick up some shoes I had dropped off on Sunday to be fixed. They replaced the heels and polished them and it's almost like they are new! Very exciting.
On weekends the bus seems to take an hour or more, but today it was only 30-45 minutes each way so I was home by 11:30. So I felt at least somewhat productive.

Last weekend I brought one of my new friends/coworkers with me to meet up with some friends from Janggi for a night of dancing in Hongdae, which is the University district of Seoul and one of the top 3 spots for nightclubs in the city. We had a really good time. I wore a new dress and my favorite shoes and we enjoyed going to different bars and clubs.
Having recently given in to the K-pop music craze, I was a bit sad that they only played one k-pop song at all the clubs. it was mostly American music. But luckily it was my and Tony's favorite song, so we were excited.

Yes, I fought it for a long time but I have recently come to accept the fact that some of the music here isn't so bad. Don't laugh. I've been here a long time.
Here is the song Tony and I were excited about:


Funny thing related to this...
The other day in one of my classes the kids were talking about the k-pop bands they like. Then they started asking me what I liked. So I told them that I like Big Bang. And they asked, who do you like in Big Bang? And I said G-Dragon and TOP (those lads in the previous video). And they were all, ooooh TOP very handsome! G-Dragon very good! And for some reason that I can't explain, I started to turn a little red. This happens to me sometimes and I have no control. Of course they noticed this and pointed it out. Which embarrassed me so I turned even more red. Then they all laughed and started chanting 'G-DRAGON! TOP!'
I nearly died.
The next day another student in another class asked me if I like Big Bang. His friend had told him. I have lost all credibility with my students.

Anyway.

This coming weekend is a 3-day weekend for Founder's Day. On Saturday morning I am heading southeast to Busan for a temple stay in a Buddhist temple in the mountains. It's a 'resting stay' so we will learn chanting meditation and make prayer beads and have a tea ceremony and speak with a monk. I am looking forward to it as I've been wanting to do a temple stay for a year now and am finally doing so!
It's only one night, and I don't work on Monday, so i decided I would stay in Busan through Monday. And I decided I'm tired of staying in hostels, even though they are cheap and usually fun. I thought, I should stay in a real hotel.
And while I'm at it, I should stay in a nice hotel.
And if I'm going to stay in a nice hotel, I should stay in a really nice hotel.

So I'm staying at the Lotte Hotel Busan. The Lotte Hotel is arguably the fanciest hotel chain in the country. Lotte owns almost everything. It's a huge company.
This hotel has a tiger enclosure in the lobby.
Tigers.
It's definitely a splurge but it's only one night so I thought it would be fun. After this I think it's time to tone down the spending. Since I moved to Incheon I've been so bored since I couldn't go out and do anything due to my pneumonia, so i've been spending money instead. True, I have plenty of money to do so, but I think this 5-star hotel may just have to cap things off for a while.

So it will be an interesting weekend of asceticism and luxury. I will be sure to give a report with pictures after I return.

Also while I was in Hongdae on Saturday I ran into a guy I met when I went south to Namhae in August. He told me he and his wife are going on another trip with the tour group the following weekend out east to a ginseng festival. So I decided to join them. And I think my other friend from that trip will come too, so that will be a good time. Sounds really fun and interesting and it will be fun to see those 3 again.

Then at the end of the month I heard a rumor that there will be a weekend-long retreat to Gangwon-do (next province east of us) with everyone at work. So that will be an interesting experience as well. There are some interesting dynamics at play here. I'd rather not get into it here because why focus on negatives? Anyway I think it may actually be fun, but we shall see.

AND my friend Damien connected me with someone who can teach me Korean. She and I are meeting on Friday to discuss my level and textbooks and all that. I think this time I may have actually found something helpful.

So that's what's up lately. Not much excitement yet but some things in the works. Hope all is well with you all!