kimmie’s blog

my female co teacher and I (jenny) have become very close friends and for that i am grateful. in the earlier months of my sojourn here, she did a few things that seemed to undermine me and i was pissed off and sat down with her to talk about them.  that talk was a very good thing because out of it came an understanding of one another, respective intentions and a flourishing friendship. 

we often will dine together and sometimes we bring lunch for one another and sit around her's or my desk and laugh and talk about random things.  she took me to a restaurant that serves the spiciest chicken available and also 'nasty' (my opinion only) chicken feet.  we made a pact that i would try the feet just once before i depart korea, but she seemed not to want to wait until then. she had been pumping me to go back to the restaurant, which is now a favorite of mine as well, except for the feet, and also to try the feet.  i consented last week to going but NOT feet...needless to say, i, with much coercion, tried those horrid, creepy looking things and was thoroughly grossed out. she however eats them quite voraciously.

the curious thing is those feet don't have any meat on them!! so what does she think she's eating?  just sucking on those nasty fingers for toes with long witch-poo nails and then she spits them into a tin dish the server gives us.

the chicken is so spicy there, and the feet even spicer, that we have to eat them with plastic gloves, and i could even feel a little burn through the plastic when i tried the nasty feet.

i was telling some foreigners about it and now they want to try it, so tonight after work, jenny and i are taking them to have nasty feet.  jenny has been begging me all week to do it one more time. i absolutely unequivocably refuse!  i'm still plagued by the memory of the claws touching the side of my face as i tried to taste one.  i did however consent to holding one and faining to eat it.  tonite i will be taking pictures of the dinner so ya'll can see the foregners and jenny grubbing down on those nasty feet.  lol

tomorrow, i am going hiking all day at ChilGapSan mountain with my teachers and a few students from my korean language class, to take in the scenery of the Fall leaves.  it hear it is beautiful. of that i also will take pictures to share.  there will be a 1.5 hour bus ride to get there. i'm looking forward to it, and i like the folks that are going.

jenny teacher got the okay from corporate officers to help me find another apartment.  my toilet has broken 5 times in 7 months!  jenny tells me that i should be in a much better place and that she herself would like to help me find it vs. helen who originally selected this one.  Helen has been kind in many ways, especially in the beginning after my arrival here, but over time i have watched and experienced high levels of professional irresponsibility.  on friendship requests or events she is 'tip top', but not on the business managerial side.  sadly, even the korean teachers are frustrated with her, but they say they cannot complain and they want us foreigners to do it. i refuse to speak for the masses. whenever i have a problem with helen, i go directly to her and tell her, and i do eventually get results. however now, i defer to a male manager in Seoul (2 hours away), because he's most effective, and helen gave me his number when my refrigerator (that she bought) broke for the 2nd time! 

well well well, it's been a while since i updated everyone in mass editorial format.  i've been busy doing what??

i recovered from my banana boat leg injury and have been busy exploring korea more, studying the language and of course working.

yesterday morning SoKo time (south korea time) i heard that my best first cousin died the day before.  this was a shock and i didn't know how to 'place' the emotion and/or lack there of. what i knew though was that it was a very important day for the school i work for, and i had 3 presentations to make not only for the school personnel but the big wigs from the department of education, principals and other teachers from all around the city.  and this city i live in is large, so there was a crowd here at the school all day.

anyway, i tried to express to my male korean teacher that i had lost a family member and the news fell on deaf ears, so i packed in my sorrow to get through the morning presentation at least.  however helen the coordinator came to the school for the event and sought me out and when she saw that i was not ok, she embraced me and offered support and kind words. she sought my female co-teacher to tell her, and she came rushing to give her condolences. that helped much for the moment, but it did bring a stream of tears that i was trying to pack away until later. Helen helped wipe them away with her own fingertips. a surprisingly sweet gesture.

a couple of other korean co workers found out and were kind to offer embraces and food and saying, "cheer up. you are strong."  and then it's back to work as usual, even for me. they are real 'drivers' here. everything is work work work and push ahead. i'm curious the behavior when they themselves lose a precious life...

never the less, i got through the morning's event and escaped to my empty classroom for about an hour and let loose a bit of my sorrow, packed it back in and managed through the remaining two afternoon presentations and 3 classes. on my walk home i let loose entirely, and was thankful it was dusk so my sadness and tears could not be easily seen on the streets, or at least that's what i think.

i had texted two foreigners in my neighborhood (yes! there are two others now!) and i asked them to join me for dinner. i needed company and comfort food. i was exhausted from the emotional blockage and dam break, but grateful for the diversion. 

today, i didnt' feel like being around the school so i sent messages to my co workers that i would not be in until my afternoon classes.  i needed that time this morning. what i did in those hours are things that i often do when i am other than my cheerful self...i cleaned, did my laundry and gave myself a boost by coloring my hair. i didn't even want coffee, and i enjoy having coffee in the mornings...but not today...just feeling very tired and numb.

all in all, i've always been convicted to embrace this life, taking it by its rings and living it zealously, and my cousin's freak, unexpected departure has forcefully reinforced my intentions. i've never been content with the mundane, and even less so now.

i'll be okay. i'll isolate and lick my wounds and come out when i can, because the masses of people who know me only seem comfortable when i am full of glee. my sorrow is seldom, but just as seldom do i have loving support around me at those times, so i've learned to cope alone.

for any and all reading this update, thanks.

Live! Live! Live!

K

let me just say, since the outbreak of the virus here in korea, the kids at school have been taught to wash their hands and with SOAP! they are even walking through the halls carrying hand sanitizer!

yahoo!! this is a great comfort to me, returning from a long vacation and dreading to see the former dirt and lack of proper hygiene!

the kids were thrilled washing and playiing in the soap making bubbles.....splash splash and splash some more kids!!!  i say.

splash all you want with that soap! 

 i was happy to accept their sweet offerings of food from their precious little hands today.  :-)

well, i must say i had a great week of 'quarantine' last week (banned from school to ensure i am not infected with H1NI1 since my return from Vietnam)  frollicking around the city here (daejeon), and i ended it with a big bang~literally in Busan (south coastal region) this past weekend where i went for a wedding.
 
here's the haps in abridged format~
 
sunday evening i was on a banana boat (for those who have not ridden them, they are a blast of fun), and upon one quick turn i and one other person were whipped right off and into the ocean.  it was funny, but i did get hurt.
 
the only problem was, i didn't let go of the handle on the boat. Had i done so, i probably would have just sustained sore muscles and not injury.
 
my injury and ciircumstance ironically are similar to those on a white water rafting trip of 13-14 years ago.
 
Overall, i am blessed and healing.
 
I couldn't walk at all yesterday (monday); until i had my leg splinted and was doped up on pain killers. 
 
praise God, no bones are broken just 'jacked up' ligament--hyper extended to be medically correct.  all that milk i've been drinking since i was a babe is paying off.  (my foot surgeon in america told me my bones are hard...she could scarcely cut through them to remove the bunions). haha.  that's good thing since i like to play so hard.  :-)
 
at 2am i was frantically dialing koreans who speak english, on my phone trying to get some  help. i had awakened to go to the bathroom and i could not move without excruciating pain. walking wasn't even an option.  i was trembling with fear and started praying fervently. after much struggle and pain, i was able to eventually drag myself to my phone  which was across the room. needless to say, the phone will from now on be within arms reach.
 
after 3 attempts to reach any korean that speaks english, i was able to talk to my good friend Lucy (Duck Shin). she came right over and at 2:45 am i was carted off to the hospital via ambulance (my first time ever riding in one!) because Lucy could not help me alone to get down two flights of stairs in my apartment building (korea doesn't seem to favor elevators unless their are more than 7 to 8 floors it seems (and every floor requires 2 flights of stairs). 
 
HaHa.  you should have seen the look on the paramedics' faces (the two combined male and female may have weighed 200 lbs. if that) when they got a look at me and saw i couldn't even stand on the leg.  after much contemplation the male (surprisingly strong for such a tiny man) was able to help me help myself down the stairs and onto a stretcher.  it took a looooooooong time.  haha. seriously, i was in excruciating pain, but in retrospect it is funny.
 
anyhoo, i and duck shin spent 5 hours in emergency yesterday, the leg was xrayed, hand examined by two specialists were called in on emergency (out of their beds) to check my leg.  after all that, my leg was splinted and pain killers administered (koreans really like to give shots in the butt).
 
the pain killers were so potent that duck shin and i were able to get me into her truck and up my two flights of stairs with slowness but no issues or unbearable pain.   haha
 
i visited an orthopedic specialist today, and began 3 weeks of physical therapy. it will remain splinted ( i don't know how long) and lifted until next monday, but i am going to try to go to work on thursday and friday (my school is accommodating me by sending someone to drive me back and forth and i will sitdown in my classrooms) that should be entertaining for my 'kids'---- they have had substitute teachers (two of my friends) since i left for vacation 3 weeks ago, and i hear they are really missing 'kimberly teacher"-- i'm sure they are since my friend covering yesterday and today told me she walked into the room and glared at them to warn them to behave.   i laughed but told her to go easy on my babies b/c they are really good kids.  i absolutely adore them.

i have stopped taking the pain killers because i need to be fully aware of how much progress i am making. if the pain is masked, i will be easily tricked into thinking i can do more than i should. and ya'll know i don't like chemical drugs in my body anyway. i have a high tolerance for pain, and believe me, if i felt even the slightest sensations felt pre-pain killers, i would be eating those little tablets like M&Ms.  Ha ha.  thus far, i have been 'added' pain medication free for 18 hours.  now for some portion of this time i'm sure all the dosages of pain killers from yesterday (4) are still in my system.  but please don't fret....i'll take them if i absolutely can't endure the discomfort.

ciao for now!
 

korea is definitely having some strong affects on me.

i am eating things i here that i have never liked, however koreans are quite generous with their food offerings and although i have mentioned to a couple of them closest to me that i don't like particularly chocolate, they still seem to give it to me.  i've eaten some chocolate while straining not to wrinkle my face with distaste when the gift givers are present. most often i am able to kindly accept and thank them and then i toss it in the trash or in my goodie drawer at work, which i use to give to students for good behavior.  ha ha

Moreover, i have acquired a reasonably favorable taste for a few things, or i will eat them only whenever presented but not with distaste such as:

1. pickles

2. curry -my coworker's mom made me a dish of curry and it was fantastic! it is not spicy, but exudes flavor

3. strawberry milk- i've only had it a couple of times. i still prefer my unadulterated milk

4.dirty rice -anything in my rice makes it dirty. i like plain ol' steamed rice (sometimes exception to have sugar and butter). in korea they put rice with everything and it's normally the entree after you've eaten tons of food already during a meal.  ...but it's delicious!

i thought i'd never accept or get used to seeing man-purses, but all men here carry a purse of some sort. i've seen a few that are prettier than my purses. it is so much the norm that it no longer phases me. in fact, if i see a man without one, that draws my attention and wonder even moreso.

more later. i am preparing to dash off to Vienam for 9 days to soak up the sun and sea while scuba diving and kayaking.   i am so excited.

ciao for now!

the climate over the last two weeks has drastically reduced in both heat and humidity. it is now more like my cherished SoCal (southern california) weather.  Many people have remarked that this is very unusual weather for SoKo (so. korea), and that i must have brought it with me.  Haha.  i laugh because if i had that kind of power, i'd have implemented it a month ago. i am completely relieved!  Yahoo.

had some annoyances lately with my humble living space: a perpetual leak on my balcony thrice 'fixed' korean style-caulk is the weapon, and not effective; a broken toilet; mosquito infestation which you know of already (not really an infestation but it felt like it! there were probably only one or two of the filthy critters); and the latest, a blasted refridge that has of a sudden began humming at an excessively high and constant level.  i kid you not, the noise is deafening! especially in my limited space.  if it were in separate room from with a door i could close, i wouldn't be so agitated by it, but it's not and I am! i tried a number of homemade remedies last night to get some noise pollution relief to no avail, including: hitting it, unplugging it for 10 seconds (ya' know, like we do the computers LOL); opening and slamming the door several times.  ugh!!! i was forced to put ear plugs in my ears to sleep and even through sound deterrence of 33 decibals, i was able to hear it.  needless to say, this caused a very restless and frustrating night.

the combination of sounds from my apartment were probably annoying to my neighbors, b/c i'm sure those closest could hear that blasted machine droning, and of course i turned up the t.v. as high as i could to drown out the drone.  the fridge was out of control when i got home at 6:30 and kept up until 9:30pm and suddenly stopped. i was so happy. and decided to go to sleep. and i'll be darn if it didn't start up that nonsense again at 10pm!! and it continued all night into this morning. i was happy to leave the apartment for work to be rid of the noise.  i made two calls last night to get some korean translation to assist getting service today so i won't hear that crap all night and into my weekend, but folks were not responsive and unfortunately when my coordinator, helen is ready to play she is quickly responsive but when business circumstances or emergencies arise she is lost somewhere in space.  unbelievable.

never the less, my fridge is now fixed but the repairman said it is basically a dinosaur and so i told helen that she should be ashamed for purchasing an antique used ffridge for my apartment.  anyway, i'm going to end and post this entry b/c i've been sitting on it for a couple weeks.

more to come. toodles!

this week i'm having violent fights with mosquitos.  i had thought they didn't like my scent or taste of my blood becasue i would see my kids with lots of bite marks, but the dreaded blood suckers weren't troubling me. there were a few holes in my balcony screen that i patched with bandaids to keep out potential unwanted trespassers.  yes, i know you are wondering what in the world i'm doing using bandaids, but they are the only thing i could get to stick with any longevity.  i purchased a heavy tape, but it didn't stick. so i reinforced the bandaids with super  glue!  hahaha. it works.

(the landlord has come to the apartment and seen them, and says nothing  nor does anything different.  i don't care how they look as long as they keep the flying insects out.)

well, i don't know what shifted in the dynamics, but i now resemble the kids.  ugh!

i have never been apt to use A/C unless absolutely unavoidable, so on as many days as viable i have been keeping my patio doors and window open, using a little fan i purchased recently to circulate air and cool me down.  unfortunately the monsoon weather has been intensifying and thereby requiring me to be closed in, hence A/C in effect. 

well, not only did i close in myself but also one or some mosquito(s).  i was ecstatic that i figured out the controls on my A/C remote enough to utilize the air at a very low level to keep it from blowing heavily upon me while i sleep, yet sufficient enough to keep the room comfortable. then lo and behold, the attacks began two nights ago and i was being raided from head to toe.  i pulled cover over me except my head and the sucker(s) got my face.  that really pissed me off!  i was restless all night and couldn't relax to sleep. 

i had heard about an electric contraption that can be plugged in to kill off the enemy. i also was told by a fellow countryman that the liquid within it is a poison that we will be inhaling.  needless to say, i mentioned all of this to my korean co-teacher and she said that she doesn't get mosquitos in her home, but she lives in the city proper, whereas i live in a suburb with lots of fresh foliage and mountains one block away,and of course my cherished tree right outside my balcony.  anyway, the teacher told me to go to the pharmacist for mosquito spray for my apartment and my body.  i questioned her about sending me to the pharmacist but she ensured me i could get what i needed there.

there happens to be a pharmacist near my home so i jaunted there after work last night, desperate for any relief because i was dreading going home...and really, home is usually where i can't wait to be after working with and around a gazillion noisy children all day. the korean teacher led me correctly because the pharmacist knew just what i needed, and in fact she showed me what she uses in her home, which is a cute, little, ceramic electric pot accompanied by a bottle of liquid flea repellant.  the scent is not offensive at all, contrary to my initial concern. subsequently i asked her if the liquid is poison and a danger to humans, and she ensured me it is not a poison but similar to a citronella candle that has a fragrance the monsters don't like.  either way i was desperate for relief whether it stunk or not, was poison or not.  it is actually a subtle scent.  besides,  if it were poison it couldn''t be worse than the second hand cigaretter smoke and pollution i inhale every day...or could it?  i trusted her word, especially because she told me that it is what she and her family use in their home.

additionally she looked at some of the bites on my body, particularly ones that were huge knots, red and hot with inner heat, and she gave me a topical medication to rub on each one.

i am  thrilled to say that the  topical medication gave immediate cooling relief from the incessant itching and  even reduced the inflammation. this morning my skin looks almost normal (there are a few still healing but not bothersome as before).  this medication has become my new summer perfume. LOL   

and the little pot.....wow!

either that mosquito that a friend killed in my room last night after dinner had been the only culprit or that little heated pot does more than ward off prospective screen trespassers....i had a marvelously peaceful sleep last night with no attacks from the dreaded blood suckers.  Hallelujuah!!!

oh goodness! the rain has stopped ( not for long according to the weather forecasts) and the sun just peeked through the overcast sky! i've got to get dressed and get outside for a liittle while until it starts up again.

ciao for now!

a few weeks back i journeyed to the North Korean border -the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which is in Panmunjom; approximately 45 minutes from Seoul. there are two areas;  the

DMZ and the JSA (Joint Security Area).  My group's tour was specifically of the JSA area. The DMZ winds 155 miles across the korean peninsula from east to west. it is an invisible line formed at the conclusion of the Korean War with the cease fire Agreement on July 27th, 1953.  It is a buffer zone ceasing all military and hostile actions.

 There were many rigid restrictions to adhere to duing touing and that information was shared with us via email and by the tour guide on the bus.  to name the most, we could not expose our feet, wear shorts, sleeveless tops, no faded or holely jeans, no leather pants, no t-shirts, no military kaki style apparel. camera usage was limited, we were not to fraternize nor even speak to any of the korean soldiers (not even south side), no pointing with fingers as this can be misconstrued as pointing a gun from a watch towe, which in turn could get one shot.

It was a rainy day but we all set out with our umbrellas and found out that the umbrellas would not be perrmitted within the DMZ, so we all spent a few bucks to buy raincoats that literally looked and felt like oversized garbage bags.  needless to say, they didn't hold up well; many got ripped and in my case, it covered my boobs but the hood was too small for my big head.  thankfully the rain was scattered and light.

A Little Information-

There are several points of interest at the DMZ and JSA areas of the border. The DMZ specific tour has tunnels to visit. My tour was concentrated in the JSA area which has five designated points of interest and accessibility: Advance Camp; Joint Security Area (JSA); MAC Conference Room; Freedom House; and Bridge of No Return.

Advance Camp- houses  an UN Command Security battalion; souvenir shop; official briefing for the tour

Joint Security Area - Important meetings between both sides held here (other world leaders can meet with the north here also). there is a separation of the north from the south by an "invisible line"-characterized by a concrete slab between two buildings (the foto titled: JSA meeting house shows the houses (blue) but i was not allowed to take pictures directly in front of it to show the 'line'.  the long table in one of the fotos is inside one of the blue buildings).  During meetings this JSA is crowded with Guards and news folk

MAC Conference Room - four types of military meetings essential to the supervision of the Armistice are held here. (see the picture with the meeting table. this is the room). we were allowed to stand on the north side in this room for the sake of tourism but characteristically during official meetings there is no crossing over. No. Korean guards and officials stand/sit on their side and the South on theirs.

there weren't any North Korean guards outside or in the Mac room when i went. so a south korean guard stood on the north side of the room just so we could all take a picture.  those guards were intense.  i was impressed by a quick and fierce blocking motion one guard made when a 'ridiculous' foreigner tried to walk behind him, after we were clearly told NOT TO.

the so. korean soldiers don't live  as well as american soldiers.  the korean soldiers share living space and sleep on the floor, receiving equivalent of $100 (usd) per month. american soldiers have beds and nicer living quarters even though some are shared and american soldiers are paid fairly decently by the U.S.....sometimes in america it's not always plenteous if the soldier has a lower ranking, however as they grow through the ranks the pay and benefits can be rather comfortable.the lower ranking salary in USD would serve a soldier very well here in Korea, being that the cost of living is considerably lower here. the money i earn here is laughable by U.S. standrads but not for here.

so. korean soldiers that guard the DMZ are required to speak 4 languages and be black belted in TaeKwonDo.  i thought this impressive and by the stealth movement of the soldier guarding the MAC room, it was apparent. they wore dark sunglasses and were very stiff, almost like statues.

Freedom House- this is a look out tower that has architectural design best described by me, as an asian pagoda (high off the ground, circular and open with the classic pagoda style roofing). there is a circular iron staircase to reach the top which lends a fine view of the whole area of Panmunjom. Hover over the fotos with your mouse to visualize (however i failed to get a full view of the actual house--but you'll see the stairs, a view looking up from within and views of landscape from within it).

Bridge of No Return-the last chance walking bridge to choose which side of korea nationals wanted to live on. once they crossed to one side or the other there was no turning back. it is heavily blocked with fencing...the chance to choose expired a long time ago. i wonder if ever the chance will come again...it needs to because from all reports, living conditions on the north side are deplorable, except of course for the president, who always looks well fed when seen on tv, which is fequently over here.

The White Rock Fence- this is a long, chain link fence topped with barbed wire and medium sized white rocks strategically lodged in the holes of the fence. it runs along a large and long river (sorry but i don't know the river's name) and into the landscape. there are guards that stand watch over the fencing. if any rock is missing it is indicative of someone illegally attempting to cross or tampering.  this was quite fascinating because i watched the fence along the riiver in passing on the highway for over 15 minutes and saw it within the JSA landscape. that's a lot of watching out.....and boring too i'd imagine...and a LOT of white rocks.

Overall it was not intimidating to be there as first expected, but it was vey interesting. eventually i'll take the tunnel tour. but not anytime soon  

anyway, that's all for now. .

ciao until then

i've been crying for water....but i meant salty sea water :-)

it is monsoon season here and typically at night it has been pouring, which is really cool to me, being from SoCal where there is very little rain and at that more like sprinkles.  the rain storms have been so noisy that i have had to put ear plugs in my ears just to sleep at night.

i took for granted that the most storms have been during my sleepig hours, but today the rain has continued from night into ALL day and i literally got drenched on the way to work....i thought of taking a taxi for 2 minutes, but i needed to stop by the bank and to get kimpop (sushi type rolls) for my lunch. so needless to say i braved the storm and splashed along my way for 15 minutes fighting the inversion of my umbrella from the rain.

my pitiful little umbrella i brought with me from Cali.  it is designed for SoCal weather...sprinkles for rain.  folks here have huge ---nearly beach size-- heavy duty umbrellas.  yeh- they know the deal around here.  so needless to say, i will be shopping for a new investment this week....A DURABLE UMBRELLA.  and maybe a raincoat and boots from the likes of this weather.

on a side note of fascination ~ i cannot figure out how asian people squat all the way down to the ground without their bums touching the ground. and they sit this way in comfort like i sit in a lazy boy chair!  often i am walking around and an older woman or man will just stop, drop and plop down to take a little rest during their walk.  i don't think my knees have ever allowed me to bend so easily and i surely wouldn't be able to pop back up like they do.  ahhh, the wonders of anatomy.  :-)

ciao for now as i wander out into the pouring rain to get home...p.s. i found a big umbrella a the school. i am going to borrow it tonight.  here's to not drowning while walking!!  LOL 

i've been crying for water....but i meant salty sea water :-)

it is monsoon season here and typically at night it has been pouring, which is really cool to me, being from SoCal where there is very little rain and at that more like sprinkles.  the rain storms have been so noisy that i have had to put ear plugs in my ears just to sleep at night.

i took for granted that the most storms have been during my sleepig hours, but today the rain has continued from night into ALL day and i literally got drenched on the way to work....i thought of taking a taxi for 2 minutes, but i needed to stop by the bank and to get kimpop (sushi type rolls) for my lunch. so needless to say i braved the storm and splashed along my way for 15 minutes fighting the inversion of my umbrella from the rain.

my pitiful little umbrella i brought with me from Cali.  it is designed for SoCal weather...sprinkles for rain.  folks here have huge ---nearly beach size-- heavy duty umbrellas.  yeh- they know the deal around here.  so needless to say, i will be shopping for a new investment this week....A DURABLE UMBRELLA.  and maybe a raincoat and boots from the likes of this weather.

on a side note of fascination ~ i cannot figure out how asian people squat all the way down to the ground without their bums touching the ground. and they sit this way in comfort like i sit in a lazy boy chair!  often i am walking around and an older woman or man will just stop, drop and plop down to take a little rest during their walk.  i don't think my knees have ever allowed me to bend so easily and i surely wouldn't be able to pop back up like they do.  ahhh, the wonders of anatomy.  :-)

ciao for now as i wander out into the pouring rain to get home...p.s. i found a big umbrella a the school. i am going to borrow it tonight.  here's to not drowning while walking!!  LOL