It really wasn't that windy.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Now I have truly heard it all
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2010/04/182_64560.html
An Iran hard-line cleric claims that women who dress "inappropriately" incite extramarital sex which in turn causes more earthquakes, Telegraph reported on Monday.
Women who snub traditional Islamic clothing to instead wear fashionable clothes and apply heavy make-up, caused youths in the country to "go astray" and have affairs, the hard-line cleric Ayatollah Kazem Sedighi said.
Also, he said as a result the country, bounded by several fault lines, experienced more "calamities" such as earthquakes, the reformist Aftabe Yazd newspaper reported.
The Islamic dress code is mandatory in Iran, which has been under clerical rule for more than three decades.
An Iran hard-line cleric claims that women who dress "inappropriately" incite extramarital sex which in turn causes more earthquakes, Telegraph reported on Monday.
Women who snub traditional Islamic clothing to instead wear fashionable clothes and apply heavy make-up, caused youths in the country to "go astray" and have affairs, the hard-line cleric Ayatollah Kazem Sedighi said.
Also, he said as a result the country, bounded by several fault lines, experienced more "calamities" such as earthquakes, the reformist Aftabe Yazd newspaper reported.
The Islamic dress code is mandatory in Iran, which has been under clerical rule for more than three decades.
Monday, April 19, 2010
An excerpt from an email that I just sent to my mother
"There are so many things that I miss about America... the big and little things. Taco Bell, Kujo, TV commercials, sports, driving, family, calling people on the telephone, the rest of my clothes, dryers, cheap pizza, good beer, good cheese, music, concerts...but that's not to say I'm not happy here. We have friends, we do trivia every Thursday night, I like my job, my students are generally adorable, I eat pretty well, and I'm saving money.
I DO think that living in Seoul is bad for my health. People constantly tell me that I look tired here. I've always had circles under my eyes, but now I have to actively wear make-up to conceal them. I'm tired and sleepy a lot. I think part of it is the weather, part living in the city, part the incredible amount of air pollution, the yellow dust from China, pollen, living in a small space with a lack of sunlight, walking everywhere...
I miss trees. They have trees here, but not many. I miss green and grass and animals and backyards. I can't even buy a plant because I don't get enough sunlight in my apartment. "
This sounds pretty complainy doesn't it?
Right now, we are trying to decide whether or not we will be staying in Korea another year. It's been on my mind a lot lately because no matter what the decision is, we have to get the ball rolling on it soon. While there is nothing wrong with living here. There is something ...not quite right.
Someone wrote on a Korean English teacher's message board this statement and it expresses how I feel:
"There are dozens of pros and cons to living in Korea...all of which are routinely used as valid arguments for why Korea is or isn't a great place to live. For us, it all comes down to one thing. Korean is draining our soul. The money's good, the job's good, friends are good, and life in general is comfortable and fun enough....but there is just something about this place that sucks away your life essence. It's like the polar opposite of what happens to your soul when you're in places like Spain or Brazil. "
Is that depressing?
I DO think that living in Seoul is bad for my health. People constantly tell me that I look tired here. I've always had circles under my eyes, but now I have to actively wear make-up to conceal them. I'm tired and sleepy a lot. I think part of it is the weather, part living in the city, part the incredible amount of air pollution, the yellow dust from China, pollen, living in a small space with a lack of sunlight, walking everywhere...
I miss trees. They have trees here, but not many. I miss green and grass and animals and backyards. I can't even buy a plant because I don't get enough sunlight in my apartment. "
This sounds pretty complainy doesn't it?
Right now, we are trying to decide whether or not we will be staying in Korea another year. It's been on my mind a lot lately because no matter what the decision is, we have to get the ball rolling on it soon. While there is nothing wrong with living here. There is something ...not quite right.
Someone wrote on a Korean English teacher's message board this statement and it expresses how I feel:
"There are dozens of pros and cons to living in Korea...all of which are routinely used as valid arguments for why Korea is or isn't a great place to live. For us, it all comes down to one thing. Korean is draining our soul. The money's good, the job's good, friends are good, and life in general is comfortable and fun enough....but there is just something about this place that sucks away your life essence. It's like the polar opposite of what happens to your soul when you're in places like Spain or Brazil. "
Is that depressing?
Friday, April 2, 2010
Ok, so I know it's been forever since we(I) posted but it's been a crazy month. We(I) also never finished posting the pictures from our vacation to the Philippines. I sincerely hope to do that sometime this weekend but who knows?
Update.
We both started the new school year in March. This means new co-teachers, new desks, new classes, vice principles, schedules etc. I've been spending a lot of my time writing lesson plans and getting to know the new staffers. This includes obligatory dinners with the other teachers after school. These usually involve sitting on the floor and eating grilled meats and drinking soju. For those of us with bad backs, it can be less than great to spend a 3 hour meal on the floor, but why complain? It's free food.
To top off the business of the new school year, Brendan decided to slip in the shower and tear his ACL in the beginning of March. This has slightly complicated life as he is hobbling around on crutches and has to go to an orthopedic specialist once a week. On a side note, one more vote for a single payer health care system here. Crazy, I know, but I live in a Democratic country with a single payer system and... it works! Brendan visited a top Orthopedic Specialist without an appointment, was seen within 20 minutes, x-rayed, diagnosed, treated and written a prescription within an hour. Cost? $5.00. Considering our friendly neighbor to the North, I don't think that this country is in any hurry to go Socialist. Not a political statement, just personal experience.
Anyway, he's probably going to get surgery in the near future to repair his ACL and another torn ligament in his knee.
The weather here might FINALLY be turning a bit warmer. We've topped out at around 55 degrees so for, but 60 is projected for Sunday. Hopefully, I will be experiencing that wonderful weather at a baseball game. Baseball is big here. Like REALLY big.
Tomorrow we're going to the opening of a new restaurant down the street called Georgia Wing. Free food! Yippee! Wings, Cheese steaks and an assortment of other American foods, my mouth waters at the thought. Or perhaps my mouth waters because Brendan is making me a taco salad.
Hope that everyone is doing well.
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