Friday, August 29, 2008

So I'm really sorry about not updating....
Between the three blogs that I've been trying to keep up with, the crazy hours of an English instructor and the insaneness of getting use to a foreign country, I just haven't had the time to keep up with this thing. I have to admit, after this I most like won't update here much. Catch me on my LJ for the most recent updates. It's mostly a friends only journal, so you'll have to add me to see most of the posts... (www.roxey20.livejournal.com)

Life has changed so much for me since I came to Korea. I am literally not the same person I was when I stepped off the plane 10 months ago. It's crazy to look back at where I was and see how far I've come. I feel so much more comfortable with myself and much more confident. I know what I want in life, and I'm no longer afraid to take risks, whether professional or personal. Life has so much more freedom now.

There have been many firsts here in Korea. First hangover, first black out night, first cigarette, first apartment, first love, first heartbreak. I'm not proud of some of the things I've done here, but I've realized that they are all apart of the growing up process and becoming an adult, as well as discovering who I am and who I want to be.

I've learned that I can't let my conservative background keep me in a prison of guilt. I finally feel like I am an adult and I am independent. I can take care of myself now, though it took some bumps in the road to get there. I know my limits, but yet, I know that there is nothing that can stop me from doing what I've set my mind to do.

Teaching has been great and enjoyable, but not without its pains. Namely, starting my work day at 6:45 am and ending it at 9 pm. Or the perverted ahjussis who like to hit on their young, American teacher, or trying to become my "sugar daddy". (Bleh, so gross.) But a lot of good has come from teaching Berlitz. I've learned so much about global business and been able to put aside some money, as well as making good contacts for future jobs. In fact, it's because of one of my students that I was able to land my new job. A public relations consultant for a small, but international PR company here in Seoul. The hours are much better, as well as the pay, however as part of Korean culture, I'll have some nights of staying out late drinking with clients and co-workers to look forward to. Oi, I hate going out on work nights, but if it's part of the job I have no choice. Besides, entertaining seems to be one of my gifts...

I start on Oct. 1 and move into my new apartment with my new roommate on Sept. 22. Or, well, technically he moves in the last weekend of September, I suppose. I was lucky and managed to land a nice, large 2 bedroom apartment in Konguk University for about $700/mo total. I didn't really plan on getting a roommate, but the opportunity came up to help my best friend, so I went with it. Besides, he cooks, so how could I possibly say no. (The lower rent also helps...though the insanely high security deposit is still a bitch...)

I still haven't done much traveling around the country or even outside the country because of work, but the company is sending me on a business trip to Paris in October and potentially to the Philippines in the near future, so I'm not complaining. Plus, roommate and I are thinking about a trip to Singapore next spring to visit an old college buddy of mine, if he's back in the country.

I can speak a lot more Korean than when I first got here and I'm integrating myself into Korean culture more and more the longer I stay. (One-on-one Korean classes have really helped.) I love it here. Seoul is home and at the moment I couldn't possibly imagine living anywhere else.

Well, that's all from me, folks. It's getting late here and I have to work tomorrow. (Yes, I know. It sucks working on Saturdays. I can't wait to leave that behind...)

Annyong, my friends!!!
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Saturday, September 15, 2007

   Being Sick is Icky
But the good news is, I'm getting better. Antibiotic shots hurt, but they quicken the getting better process, so I'm trying not to complain.

But yea, I don't know how I managed to get through work the last three days. I spent all day pretty much on the couch today and I'm still exhausted. I'm tempted to skip church tomorrow, just because I want to make sure that I'm well enough for work on Monday. I'm not in college anymore, so no more skipping work, classes, etc. just because I don't feel great.

In other news, I've purchased my plane ticket. On Oct. 20 I will be flying to Seoul, South Korea. This makes me extremely happy, though there is still much to get done. I need to get new luggage and stock pile some items, such as deoderant and such. Plus, ready myself for culture shock as much as I can. I've been watching a lot more Kdramas lately to familiarize myself with some of the customs, granted entertainment can't always be the best judge of a culture (and isn't in most situations. Imagine if America was really like all the movies...*shivers*). Luckly, Roh has promised to help me get around and teach me about Korean culture when I get there, and I'm still studying up on my Korean. I'm so lucky to have friends waiting for me when I get there. And I'm sure Felicia will help me as well. I'm just excited because I found out I get to live in downtown Seoul...

In some sense, though, it feels as though I've never left JBU. I still keep in touch with most of my friend there. I have weekly Jamie phone calls, and Deborah and Lora and I comment on each other's LJs fairly often. Plus I IM and email with Jessie a lot, as well as talk to her on the phone. Mary and I keep in touch through deviantart, as do Jon and I. Carly and I talk through facebook and occasionally on AIM. So, in a sense, I'm still keeping up with everything going on at school even though I'm not there. Though, I feel this will probably change a bit once I get to Seoul, since I'll be on a different time schedule and kept fairly busy. Plus, I'm sure I'll meet a lot of friends over there who will keep me busy hanging out when we're not working. ^_^ But it's nice knowing that my friends back home are still thinking of me. I know I think of them a lot.

Anywho, not much else to update on. I just finished a series called Coffee Prince and I highly recommend it. It is fabulous. ^_^ So, go watch it if you have time.

Oh, and I'm not sure how well I'll keep up with this journal, since I mostly blog on LJ nowadays. Here's the link if you want to keep track of me through it: http://roxey20.livejournal.com/
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Monday, August 27, 2007

   Disney World!
So, I think I'm going to Disney World soon. Yay! Some friends of mine are coming down to go to a Halloween thing at Disney World and they invited me to go with them. So I'm going!

Of course, the best part is that since it's a special Halloween event, they are letting everyone wear costumes. So naturally, we're going full out Kingdom Hearts. I'm borrowing a friend's Zexion cosplay since I currently don't have anything. Though I could always throw together a Namine cosplay...

Anyway, I suppose that's all. I get to cosplay Kingdom Hearts in Disney. Hooray!!
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Thursday, August 23, 2007

   Plane Tickets and Decisions...
Okay, so I'll go easy on everyone and put normal entries in between my monstrosities of drama reviews.

I've been watching plane tickets to South Korea in the hopes that I'll be able to buy one soon. Last week they were down to $1500, but I held off because I thought I needed to check with my hiring manager before purchasing a ticket with a different price that originally submitted. Well, went I went back to check, the cost jumped up to $1700. Which means that I can't really buy until I get my paycheck on Wednesday.

I'm worried the price is going to go up yet again before I can buy it. I suppose I could go ahead and buy it now, but my account would be severely depleted and I'm nervous about doing that before I have a paycheck to deposit. It wouldn't do to nearly empty your bank account and then have an emergency come up. Plus, I have to go buy tags and insurance for my car so my sister can drive it while I'm gone. I suppose I'll just wait and pray really hard that the prices don't change.

And now I come to my decision. My hair is currently red, which is an unnatural color for me. I love my red hair and everyone else loves it as well, but I'm trying to decide if I want to keep it up while in Korea. I'm slightly worried that the hair dye over there won't be the same and it'll be too much of a hassle to keep up.

So, the dilemna: Do I keep up my red hair or just dye it natural and forget about it?

I could always stock up on hair dye before I go. Or perhaps I should go to my natural brunette because it will help me fit in a bit better.

Eh, I don't know. I still have two months to figure that out...
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Tuesday, August 21, 2007

   Korean Dramas
So, I figured since I was getting back into the swing of updating this thing, I might as well talk about some of the dramas I've been watching lately. I've been spending some time watching Korean dramas, mainly just getting into the language and getting use to how it sounds and whatnot. I'll split it up into Korean dramas, Japanese dramas and Taiwanese dramas. First post, Korean dramas...

Full House
Full House is a very humorous KDrama. It centers around Han Ji-Eun, a happy-go-lucky internet novelist who is trying to become a famous author (AKA a normal girl), and Lee Young-Jae, a famous actor.

Ji-Eun lives alone in a beautiful house built by her father. It was left to her by her parents, who have passed away. Her two friends trick her into going on a trip to Shang-Hai and while she is gone sell her house and empty her bank account, thus leaving her stranded in Shang-hai.

With no one left to turn to, Ji-Eun runs to Young-Jae, whom she met on the plane ride there (more like threw up on him), and tricks him into giving her money to get home by pretending to be the long lost lover of his best friend, Min-Hyuk.

Upon returning home, the two discover that it is Lee-Young who has bought Ji-Eun's house. It quickly becomes apparent that she has no money and no where to go.

The two cannot stand each other, he is nit-picky and clean while she is laid-back and messy, but decide to live in the house together, with Ji-Eun acting as the maid in order to buy her house back. In an impulsive move to make the love of his life jealous, Young-Jae asks Ji-Eun to marry him and the two enter into a contract marriage to fool the paparazzi and Young-jae's love that will last for 6 months, with the end result that Ji-Eun gets her house back when they divorce.

As you can tell, the two start to feel some attraction towards each other, but face their many ups and downs. It's a very cute show so far and very funny. I haven't finished it yet (I keep getting distracted), but from what I've seen thus far, I recommend it.

Goong or Princess Hours
This one takes place in a sort of alternate Korea where it is ruled by a Royal family. This drama centers around the crown prince of Korea, Lee Shin, and his new bride, Chae-kyeong.

The drama opens with the news that the King is very ill, so there is a mad dash to find the Crown Prince a bride before anything should happen to the king. Enter Chae-kyeong. She is a quirky, bright common girl who attends the same prestigous art school as the prince. The two are married to fulfill a promise made between their grandfathers.

Unfortunately, marrying a Prince is no bowl of cherries, especially when it is an arranged marriage between two 19-year-olds, and controversy begins almost immediately involving the prince and Min Hyorin, an ex who rejected the Prince's first proposal. It's almost as if someone is trying to de-throne the prince. Enter Lee Yul and his mother Lady Hwa-Young, the former crown princess and prince who were kicked out of the palace after the death of Yul's father, the late crown prince. At first it is said they were kicked out because of traditions, but the real reason is, of course, unearthed later in the series.

Lady Hwa-Young dreams of making her son king, Yul dreams of having Chae-kyeoung. And through out it all Lee Shin and Chae-kyeoung find themselves falling in love with each other, but unable to admit it because of the interference from Yul and Min Hyorin.

This is a very involved show. Lots of drama, lots of sweet moments and lots of frustration. It is funny and completely addictive. I lived, ate and breathed Goong for an entire week while I watched all 24 episodes. And though you may want to give up watching the show and points, don't give in. The ending makes all the frustration worth it.

The Devil
This drama stars Ju Ji Hoon, the actor who played Lee Shin in Goong. This one is a little different than the other two. It is a thriller/suspense drama that centers around three characters, Dectective Kang Oh Soo, lawyer Oh Seung Ha, and a librarian Seo Hae In.

When Homicide Detective Kang Oh Soo hits a dead end in his investigation of two seemly unrelated murders, except for the Tarot cards left behind at both crime scenes, he sought help from Seo Hae In, a woman with psychometry ability. She revealed that the killers were different in each murder, but the victims were chosen for their connection to a death of a high school boy. Later, the cases proved to have one more thing in common: the suspects have the same defense attorney, Oh Seung Ha.

Seung Ha's defense for his clients severely shaken Oh Soo’s conviction to catch the Tarot Card mastermind. Oh Soo was reminded that years ago he had killed a high school classmate in a fight. He was acquitted of all charges and began his life anew. Now, someone has came back to revenge the boy’s wrongful death by killing those who got him off.
Provided by Dramawiki.

Again, I'm only into the fifth episode on this series, but it is very interesting. It is kind of like CSI meets Medium. A weird love triangle starts up, though it is appearing as though poor Kang Oh Soo is going to be left out of this one.

Shin Min Ah, who plays Hae In, is a fabulous actress. I love her in this role. I really recommend this one, especially if you're not really into the whole drama-drama, lovey-dovey shows.

And that's all for now. Next post shall feature JDramas. Ciao.
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