On Two’s and 2048

This has very little to do with Korea. Rather, its a response to my friends who have asked whether I play 2048... There is no short answer to that question.   Call it synesthesia, if you will. Call it congenital psychosis. It's unimportant. The fact of the matter is... Well... I hate 2's. I always have. I have …

Seoul Food – The Daily Eats Edition

If there is one question people ask me to no end, it's "what have you been eating?". I've been thinking about how to answer this question for a little while and I'm still not sure I can answer to the satisfaction of those who have asked, nor can I answer it with much entertainment factor, …

The Extremes of the Seoul

By the end of January, I was ready for a holiday. I’d had a terrible week, dealing with out dated education practices and a black dog that insisted on following me around - constantly reminding me that I had left my loved ones and forgotten my teddy bear in a warmer hemisphere. Luckily, my cold …

Names and Other Words

Happy Lunar New Year! Calling it "Chinese New Year" would probably result in the reneging of my visa. If there is one thing Koreans hate, it is a suggestion that their culture is not their own. You could say the same for all cultures I'm sure, however, for historic reasons, Koreans seem to have a …

Happiness Tip: Face backwards the first time you ski!

Just a quick note: Sorry that I am late posting this. Having just completed my first week of teaching elementary students on top of my regular classes – around 6 hours extra teaching time – writing home was the last thing on my mind. This has meant that for over a week the first post …

The Day Karaoke Made Me Cry

I knew it would happen eventually. That I would have "that moment" when everything became too strange. When the honeymoon was over. It happened within the same amount of time when I was in China. I was in a city just outside Zhangjiajie National Park. It was an odd town to be situated so rural. …

Shock in a Box – The Christmas Post

I hate the lead up to Christmas. Throughout December, I rant non-stop at my friends and family. I am a pre-Christmas Grinch. Christmas lights - The attention seeking brat of neighbourly cheer. Christmas Shopping - Phobic. Myer's Windows - Not lovely enough to hold attention, resulting in a rousing children's chorus of the 'Bourke Street …

Pipes.

Every morning, as I jump out of bed, all I want to do is lie down. Not on my bed. On the floor. Every morning, I set two alarms, the first one is a gentle nudge telling me to turn the heater on for half an hour. The second, is your average "get out of …

I think they’re starting to get used to my presence

My last class on a Monday night is a debate class, and as the topic of tonight's debate was internet anonymity, I thought it was perfect timing to pen a new post on my rather conspicuously un-anonymous (nonymous?) blog. I really love this class, it is one of three "special" classes that I have each …

I never miss anyone – and yet, I already do.

I feel it is only fitting to start this blog with an ending. It was after all, an ending that brought me here. "Here" being the South of South Korea - Suncheon-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea - where, as of last week, I am employed as an ESL teacher. "...an ending that brought me here" refers …