Now....

So, I haven't posted in awhile.  I read the last post and laughed at myself.  Happy... wow..  one day things are great, the next day it all comes crashing down and I struggle with being here.

  So what have I done here since that Tuesday.  

Thursday night we went to the downtown area here in Ansan.  We went out for dalki galbi.. which is like fried rice and meat.. There I met a few more of the foreigners, as well as 3 Korean students that know the group.  That was the evening I met Kirsten, she lives in our apartment building and teaches at a High School here.  I was talking to her about still having a hard time with the grocery store, just finding healthy options for food.

  So Friday morning we went to the grocery store, and did some walking around.  She also taught me how to use the washing machine.. since it was in Korean.. sadly it does not have a dryer.. so my apartment was covered in laundry.. at least it got things really dry.  Then Friday went downhill.  I felt so alone again. and home sick.  I really dont feel right here.  There is something in ME right now that isn't settled here.  Korea is great and my teaching job is lovely.  So i was a mess all of friday.

    Brian sent me a message on friday night, and recommend on saturday, during the day, that i go to Hawrang Park, so I did.  I got myself out of the house and walked the way to the park, after I found it on google maps and saw that i just had to walk straight until i got to a big parking lot.   So I walked around the park and took some pictures.  I also walked around the pond, it was about a 2km walk.   It was a good walk, I took some time to think.. and to still randomly cry.  I was looking at a map of Ansan and it made me cry....   The park also had a museum of Modern Art.  So i went it.  It was very strange.  Like one art was a documentation of one mans skin disease on his hands and feet.  He even took samples of his skin and other gross fluids.  Modern Art is a very interesting thing.   At the park there were some girls from my school there actually so they politely said "hello", and asked if I was hiking, and then a friend from another school said i was "pretty".  I also got "attacked" by small children.  When i met my students they do their best to talk to  me in English and then there is often silence.  With the little kids, they just started going on and on in Korean.. and I know NOTHING.. none of it made sense :)  and they wanted to follow me around, and talk.. so I went outside, trying to find the group that they might belong to.  But then I found myself surrounded by lines of groups of children.  But all they said to me was Hi! And waved.  So i waved to a lot of kids.  I felt like the queen.. haha.

  Saturday night Brian showed me Itaewon.  Its in Seoul, and it is pretty much a Western area, the stores are all Western and there are so many non-Koreans there.  So I have been to Seoul now.  And I also have an idea of how to use the subway.  I don't think I will ever go to Seoul by myself though, because it is very large and just not the safest for going to by yourself.  

Back to Itaweon.. we went to an English bookstore there, and that made me happy.  I got 2 books, since I had finished mine that I brought with me.  And we had grabbed gyros :)  So I had food that is slightly normal to me for once.  And it gets better.. after the bookstore, we went for ice cream :) I hadn't had ice cream since leaving Canada.. and we went to Cold Stone Creamery... sorta fancy ice cream.. it was good!  It was that or Starbucks for me (since I dont have any money) and the ice cream was worth it.

   After walking around Itaewon a little to see what was all there.. we saw the Rocky Mountain Tavern (Canadian Bar), and it even sells "Grasshopper" (thats from Alberta times with Dan and I.. and Keith, Dan's twin).   There are a lot of Western shops there.. but maybe not the best place to buy clothes, because it would be expensive.. you can find cheaper places Brian was saying.

  We then went to a little place called "All that Jazz", to hear some Jazz.  It was really nice... the music was really well done.. and it was just nice to be out of the house.  Plus Brian was the one who wanted to be there.. so I didn't feel like I was dragging someone out of their life, and it was very nice to be included in the activities of other people.  And I like Jazz.. so much skill in that..

  So life in Korea is good.  Now if I could only become good feeling here.