Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Facebook: building friendships one add at a time


For the most part my body has adjusted quite well to my new life (excluding my short stint of a cold). However, at times Korea is not kind to my poor stomach. I woke up last night at three in the morning and had to make a mad dash to the bathroom where I spent a good half hour with my head close to the toilet. Needless to say it was a rough night, but I felt rested and refreshed when I woke up this morning...until I glanced at the clock. It was 10:15am. My first class starts at 10:00am. I sprinted out the door expecting the worst. About a week ago one of my fellow English teachers was three minutes late to her first kindergarten class and she got in so much trouble. Maybe it was my disheveled wild eyed look or the fact that I was about to burst into tears, either way the kindergarten director took pity on me and gave me a stiff pat and asked if I needed to go to the doctor (Yes, I looked that rough). I sighed a breath of relief. I know I sound like I'm five, but I hate getting in trouble. Today I had that same feeling that I experience every time I get pulled over for speeding. My heart drops into my stomach and I break into a cold sweat. I'm a baby.

Lee Myung-bak won the presidential election today. What does this mean for the state of Korea? I have no idea. Except for being amused by the candidates' campaigning trucks with tv's on the side (take note Obama), I haven't really been following the presidential debate/election. I will get better.

Last Sunday I took a train to the nearby city of Daegu to visit my friend Anna from Oklahoma. The funny thing is I hadn't officially met Anna before I went to go see her. She is a friend of a friend from The Richards Group who is also teaching English in Korea, and we've been planning to hang out for a long time since I added her on facebook. Oh, the powers of the Internet. Anyways, I met up with Anna and her friend Jake (who is teaching in Busan), and we visited the Donghwasa Temple and the Tongil-daebul Buddha Statue in Palgong-san Provincial Park. I had so much fun, and it made me want to hop on a train every weekend to explore a new part of the country. What's stopping me? Absolutely nothing. It's such a liberating feeling to know that I'm completely free. How many people can say that? I'm absolutely blessed to be here.

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Crazy lost foreigners with their animal hats. Notice the look of fright from our friends in the van.

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Scooping the magic temple water

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Drinking like the monks do.

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Even monks need satellite tv

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"I'm gonna knock you out. Mama said to knock you out."

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I have no idea why I feel the need to add annoying commentary

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Creepy gifts to Buddha

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To: Carly. Love, Elizabeth

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This is the largest stone Buddha statue in the world. Two pieces of Buddha's bones are in the body of the statue.

2 comments:

mynameistiana said...

I love these pictures. I'm in awe and giggling all at the same time...

Rebecca Norris said...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!