Update at last!!

On Saturday, I finally went to Itaewon. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I was expecting it to be like Roppongi in Tokyo. It was actually quite clean and I would go again. I haven't been at night so it could be completely different then. I went to 'What the book!' It's quite book and you can get some 2nd hand English books for 5,000won but some books were cheaper just to buy off amazon for new.

Today (Sunday), I went with Melissa to the Han river for Kimbap. We sat with our feet in the water (not the river but some water fountain things). I was 30 degrees with no wind so we were so hot!! I ended up burning my arms (and maybe my face. I haven't checked yet....).

Afer, we went to the 63 building to the sea life centre. It is the worst sea life centre I have ever been to. There was about 10 giant fish stuck in a tiny tank. The otters were stuck in a tank with no running water. It was so cruel!! I have never seen such small tanks. Some of the fish and other sea life stopped moving and looked like they had given up on life. We spent only 10 minutes in there as we couldn't bear to stay any longer. It cost 15,000won and I rather flush my money down the drain instead of going back there.

Sorry for my lack of post lately but I've been busy with work so haven't done much! ^-^

Teachers Day!

Today is teachers day and as it falls on a Sunday this year, the school celebrate it on the Friday before. I didn't know anything about it but got a shock when every teacher in the office got given a flower. Then later on, I got given letters from some of my students. One wrote saying he wants to take my class more than once a week. He also said sometimes he is naughty in class and that he is sorry and he will try harder to listen! So cute!!!!!!! >-< I love my 5th grade! I also got given some polo mints in one of the letters. Maybe they are tryng to hint that I have bad breath! :)

Hello Kitty!!!

On Wednesday, I went to the Hello Kitty cafe in Hongdae. There are actually two, but I went to the cleaner one ^-^ It was soooo cute!!! Everythig was pink!!! I saw some couples, which is crazy as I can't imagine any guy from the UK going in there... I think my younger brother would rather die than go in there. It probably is his nightmare. I got a hot chocolate and it was so cute. I didn't want to drink it as I felt like I was killing Hello Kitty but then I got thirsty so...... yummy! :P I ended up buying a Hello Kitty mug and my friend got us match phone charms! >-< They are so cute!!!

Hello kitty cafe

Hello kitty cafe

Trick eye museum!




pictures from the trick eye museum in Hongdae!



Magoksa Temple Stay

I think there are two types of people. The type who enjoy the quiet and calm. Then there are those who live off noise and craziness. Within 10 minutes of my temple stay I discovered I am the latter.  It was a fantastic experience but I was bored.

It started out with an hour free time to explore the time. We seriously had too much free time. You can only look found a temple for so long. While waiting we opened our snacks. Leanne had tradition Korean snacks and I had crisp. One of the monks came over and ‘pretended’ to steal my crisp. I actually thought he was joking until he stood by me until I opened them. He then kept helping himself!! I thought monks weren’t allowed anything to do with pleasure?

 We started the opening ceremony. During this time we learnt how to bow to the Buddha. In our group there was a really annoying American guy. He was everything I hate; loud, in your face and over confident.  He wasn’t the type of person you expect at a temple stay. He was more the type you expect at an American football game or in a bar.

Annoying sweaty guy

After we learnt to bow correctly we had a tour of the temple. We pretty had seen all of it already during out free hour so it was kind of boring to be honest. We then had yet more free time then moved on to the blind folded stepping stones. One of us was blindfolded while the other helped the other cross the stepping stones. I hate water so I was quite nervous. Leanne went first and our code word for when there was a gap coming up was ‘Cheese’.  She didn’t fall in (I did try!! Joke!) and we made it across safe. It was then time to change and I was blindfolded.  I could see a tiny bit through a gap in my blindfold and I was glad, as Leanne is not to be trusted!! I swear she left me standing about 5 times!! During the last 3 stepping stones, I was asking where she was and she said ‘Oh, I forgot about you!!!’ . Blah!! So from this exercise I have learnt NOT to trust Leanne with my life. :P

We then moved on to crafts. We first made a bracelet which was difficult as you just put some beads on some string then tie it.  But then we had to make a lotus flower. I am NOT good with anything that involves glue. I ended up getting half of the petals stuck on my fingers and had to go wash my hands twice. Everyone did it perfectly and their lotus flowers were great. Mine on the other hand looked like it had a fight with someone and lost.

We then had more free time and Leanne thought it would be a great idea to go for a walk up the mountain.  Such a trek! We then rang the bell which was actually pretty boring and was over in 2 seconds. Dinner was bibimbap. It was alright but you have to finish everything and Leanne hates sprouts, so it was funny for me to watch. We then had free time (again!). It was the lantern festival so they lit all the lanterns in the temple which was really pretty.

Bed was at 9pm but people were still outside drinking soju at 9.30. I wanted to kill them as we were getting up at 3am. When I finally did drift off, it was time to wake up. We were all dressed and ready to go by 3.15am.  We first went to the main temple to pray/bow with the monks. That was quite an experience being able to see into their world. We then went back to the main room to do our 108 bows.  Now they weren’t normal bows. You bowed with your whole body on the mat and had to get up without using your hands. I lost count about 5 times and thought we were on 45 when they monk said we had finished our 108 bows. It really had no meaning as this monk refused to play the English tape which told us what each bow meant.

Still dark!

We then had the special breakfast which was 4 bowls. Each had a different food in. We also had to clean them after with pickles etc. Everything had to be eaten. It was only 5am so this is harder than it sounds. I only took a bit but they gave us seaweed soup which wasn’t as nice as the stuff I have at school. Everyone felt like gagging (including myself) trying to keep the food down. We then had cleaning duties which pissed me off as the people who didn’t carry the food upstairs had to wash up. I was one of those who carried everything up but some of the group who did nothing ran away, so the monk spotted me and made me do it. Can I say it was all women that did the washing up as well -_-.

We then had a meditating walk in which the annoying American guy would not shut up for the whole walk. Why he came on this temple stay I will never know.  We then had questions with the monk.  We had to say what would make this trip better and Annoying guy said more free time! WTF?! More free time?!?!?! Guess what? After this we had yet more free time (because we don’t enough….) I ended up just sitting on a bench and listening to my ipod! I needed noise!! They then made us do free labour by planting red pepper plants for an hour!! We paid to do free labour?

Finally it was lunch then goodbye. The lunch was very salty bibimbap! It was awful!! Me and Leanne decided to go for grilled beef for dinner at this point. It was only 1 day but it felt like a week without meat!!

Overall I enjoyed the temple stay but I wouldn’t do it again. It was more for experience.

It always hppens to me!

On Monday, I was just sitting at my desk doing work and waiting for my afterschool class to start, when all the teachers left to go for a meeting. The last person to leave was an 80+ year old woman who normally sleeps at her desk and gets telephone calls to remind her class is starting. She is lovely but she is one of these people who will never retire.

She turned off the lights in the room but it was bright outside so I didn’t think much of it. That was until she shut the door and I head a lock being put on the door. I got up to the door but I didn’t know what to say as I can’t speak Korean and she can’t speak English. I tried to open the door but it wouldn’t move! She had locked me in!!! She probably didn’t see me (I think she had only just woke up). I called out but she was already long gone and my after school was starting in 10 minutes. I had to call another native English teacher but she didn’t know the lock code! I ended up calling one of the teachers out from the meeting but she couldn’t undo the lock for whatever reason. By this point my afterschool class were outside the classroom laughing. At the end I ended up climbing out of the office window. Yes, the window!! It could only happen to me!!

Just like magic!

This weekend I decided to treat myself to a magic straight perm. The straight perms are really popular in Korea as they make your hair look smooth and shiny. My hair is naturally big and wavy. Think Hermione from the first Harry Potter film mixed with afro Scooby Doo!

My long lost siblings?

For years I have had to use straightners, which takes about 30 minutes, or put my hair in a tight bun. I think I have a weird shaped head so I feel I look like an alien when I have my hair up in a bun.

Just off to work!!

Now, I had heard good things about 'Hair and Joy' in Hongdae. Most of the stylist have worked in London and trained at Toni and Guy. Also, it's where all us waygooks go, so they know how a thing or two about western hair. The last haircut I had here, the guy razored half my hair away (I only asked for an inch off). So on Saturday off I went for my hour journey to the hair dressers.


The perm was weird. First they washed my hair then they put the perm on the roots. They then put cling film on my head and left me. I had my hair washed again, straightened, put perm all over my head again (I thought they had finished when they straightened it! Got a nasty shock!) and they did the cling film thing again. I then had my last wash, cut and straighten. It took 2.5hours and the cost was £85 (£65-70 for the perm).

Now, I couldn't wash my hair for two days after, which was difficult as she put loads of oil serum on it -_- I also had to sleep on my back ( that's why I look tired on my picture). Now I finally washed it today and yes my hair looks smoother and straighter, but I expected it more straight. The picture above is before I washed it. Now it seems to flick out one side (maybe I turned in my sleep). I don't want to straighten it, as it might damage my hair more (I have burnt ends from the perm even after she trimmed it!). It is good being able to get out of bed without doing anything to my hair but I miss my curls already. You always miss what you can't have......

I'll keep you updated on the hairy situation :P

P.s. Sorry for spelling errors but spell check on ths website doesn't work in Korea (just like uploading videos on youtube) and my keybord is tiny!!