Winter in Ansan, South Korea is COLD!! But not much snow and slush to bother. Slowly I am starting to enjoy the food or finding food that I actually like=) Lately, life has fallen into a pattern. Routines can be boring but since everything is so different, have a routine here actually brings some organization to my life. Though there is a pretty set routine, random things still definiately happen.

A few things about Korea culture that I have learned that are interesting or saying that make me smile:

1. Though I was born in 1983, in Korea I am 27 years old. Apparently, a child is born at one year old. And then everyone turns a year older Jan 1st.
2. Kimchi, Kimchi, Kimchi...is everywhere and everyone (Koreans) love it! It is pickled/fermented cabbage with red  pepper, ginger and other spices and vegatables.
3. Soju is a very disgusting cheap liquor that is traditional for Koreans to drink while eating certian foods. Supposedly it blends well with the food. I don't agree...It's super cheap, something like a dollar a bottle so maybe that's another reason it is so popular.
4. Presentation is everything. Hard conversations are avoided to the last possible moment. Pride is huge. Kindness is equally as huge. Honesty is...confusing. Maybe that's why Soju is liked so much. Truth comes after many bottle of Soju.
5. The kids I teach call me Deanne-saur.
6. A kid I teach said, "I think my computer is lazy." meaning slow...
7. Also, a kid I teach calls tuna salad - tuna butter, like peanut butter.
8. Salsa said in Korean means diarrhea .

Here are some pictures:

Shaming, our Chinese teacher and Me hanging out

Some cute kids at winter camp!

Manhattan Boys teaching me how to be cool.

Jeremiah and I chillaxin at the Hard Rock in Seoul

Nathan, my awesome neighbor, and I with work friends at dinner

Some more awesome and sweet friends! Colleen, Alex and Jerry.
The green bottle in the front is Soju.

Korea update...

Pictures of the new apartment:

 
Kitchen minus an oven =(

Entrance/kitchen/desk/bed...Hahaha. It's tiny place with a huge bed.

Living room and bedroom

Donated chair that is very sad looking but comfortable

So the bathroom is the most interesting. the sink is also the shower...kind of hard to see in this picture but anyway, when showering everything gets wet. It was a little hard to get used to but it's not really bad. Wet feet. That's all.

It's basically a glorified dorm room and it's really all I need.


I joined a group of fellow English teachers out to see the new Bond movie.

Love.

It's something like four in the morning the day I take off for South Korea to teach Kindergarten for the next year or so. Hanging with Rachelle Witter, soon to be known as "The Rockstar", and my cousin Israel. Here are some pictures of what I've been update since moving back to Indiana from the south land.

I met some amazing Engineers while working at Sony. They came to visit the orchard and play apple balancing games.
 
I spent some time at Cornerstone Music Festival in IL with some freakin awesome friends. Here we are with the Kessler, out of Texas, band member.

Visited the ole' Bethel College and realized it had change a ton in the past year. Steph and I toured the campus.

I was so excited that I had the chance to sit in with Chell when she was recording this summer. www.myspace.com/chellewitter

Some friends and family got together at the orchard for a little going away bash...here are a friend fellow Sony Testers.

Aw and the beautiful Covered Bridge Festival. Actually this year it was hot and we didn't stay very long, but the company was great!!


stay tuned for S. Korea updates