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Raised on promises She couldn't help thinkin' that there Was a little more to life Somewhere else After all it was a great big world With lots of places to run to Email me: lao.ocean @ gmail.com December Photos Now Playing: Sorak-san The Windmill Salmon Festival Soccer Goal   Where do visitors come from? (Since 20-Dec-04) Fave flowesr: Plumeria Birthday: DEC 31st
Dance like no one can see Love like you've never been hurt Live like it's heaven on earth 
 Let's set it straight - Is the country Laos or Lao?Here's the answer This week... Things that make me happy
Movies I've seen this month
What they're saying about me
"She's a nut! Not too sure how else to describe an "at-first-glance" seemingly quiet girl who dances like a chicken when she thinks no one else is looking, who likes to pass off her "made up" answer for fact, until you look at her and see her hopelessly trying not to crack a smile, who WITHOUT FAIL remembers to put a line of dental floss in her purse before she goes out (and isn't afraid to use it after dinner, thankfully NOT at the table!!). I can always count on her to know the hottest hollywood gossip, and to dance till all hours of the morning with me." "My co-worker just told me that there was a premiere for Bridget Jones 2 last night, just blocks from my work, and we missed it! Hugh Grant, my beloved and the framework upon which my future husband is based, was just blocks away, breathing the same oxygen, and I missed it! If I had a friend here who was as savvy with E-news as you are, this catastrophe would never have occurred!" Guess what I heard... Oh my god!! This donut is so good! - Ras about a Krispy Kreme donut "I want to do! But what is paintball? There is no such word in dictionary." - Suwa, Japanese teacher "I am now skipping church to see if I am going to win my bids!!!" "YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA.....I won the felt tip pens!!!!!!!! Yippeee...."who let the dogs out...arf, arf, arf, arf"...."let me hear you say Y..M..C..A"....oh yah, who's your daddy!!!" - Renee Other favorite quotes:
A gift is an offering. A selfless act that adds something to someone's life. Something that they need. Have you ever walked by something and you just had this feeling that someone you knew would absolutely love it? Faith is believing when there is no rational reason to believe. Homer: "We Americans are England's children... I know we don't call as much as we should, or aren't as well behaved as our goody two shoes brother, Canada... who I should mention has never had a girlfriend... I'm just sayin'..." Anything less than mad, passionate, extraordinary love is a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life, and love should not be one of them. The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it. When your heart speaks, take good notes. Travel has a way of stretching the mind. The stretch comes not from travel's immediate rewards, the inevitable myriad new sights, smells and sounds, but with experiencing firsthand how others do differently what we believed to be the right and only way. It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. Sometimes to see the light, you have to risk the dark. |
Canadians and their maple leaf patches
2/1/2004
I thought the following was was hilarious! It's a thread from Dave's ESL, regarding why Canadians wear their flags on their backpacks. I've also realized that my closest Canadian friends don't participate in this activity. Now I know why we're friends. :)
I think that the first part is true enough. The mapleleaf on the backpack thing should be taken as a charming sign of naivete, and nothing else. If I was a petty thief, I think I would make a beeline to these fresh faced prairie kids with their North Face windbreakers, Roots sweatshirts, and of course their expedition backpacks adorned by the big patch lovingly sewn on by their mothers. I remember when I was planning my own first trip out here, many of my relatives, most of whom have never set foot outside of Canada save for a package tour, cautioned me to put on the patch. One of my aunts was quite insistent about this- it was almost as if the mapleleaf was a sort of magic talisman able to deflect the evil eyes of American hating foreigners. My grandmother was a little more sanguine about it - she had been in a bus draped with mapleleafs that had actually been stoned by Spaniards during one of the episodic fish fights we've had.
How to know you've lived to long in Korea now that you're back home
1/28/2004
Tonight I was just lurking on Dave's ESL Cafe, when I came upon this. It made me think of Renee and all the other friends I've had here, who have left Korea. I wonder how many of these will apply to me, when I finally go home. How To Know You Lived Too Long in Korea Now That You're Back Home. . .
Oh yes, and for those back in their respective countries... If you want to remember how life in Korea was like, try these things: 1. Drive down the road weaving in and out of traffic, running red lights while waving hello to everyone. Don't forget to talk on your cell phone.
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British rockers
1/26/2004
I went back to work today, after nine days off on vacation. It was nice not doing anything for that long, but to tell you the truth, it really wasn't too different from my everyday life. I do whatever I want anyway, but now I have to be at work from noon to five. The only thing that's an annoyance in my job is making calls to my students every night. And the only person I have to thank for that, is Kiran! It happened a month ago when my director came to me, showing me a telephone evaluation sheet from her nephew, who attends L.C.I. English, who's teacher is Kiran. She thought it was a good idea that I started doing telephone calling too (which I do think is a good idea). It's just annoying during the winter vacation because I finish at 5:00, but I don't call my students until 8:00, when they're home from other academies. Since I don't have a home phone, I've had to call some of them on my cell phone. Yeah, it's not a big deal, and I like to complain sometimes. On a different note, I just saw a new video (Miracles) on MTV by the Pet Shop Boys. I was in the kitchen when it first started, but knew immediately who it was. Sure, lead singer Neil Tennant isn't the best singer, but he's British, and that automatically brings him up a couple notches. I'm not sure what it is, but I've found many British male singers to have really melodic voices (i.e. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd (specifically the song, Learning to Fly) and Chris Martin of Coldplay). I love all those 80's Brit bands, especially The Cure, Erasure, and OMD. Ironically, after the video was over, there was a commercial for HP printers, accompanied by The Cure's "Pictures of You". It's funny, because when I was in high school, I first heard Pink Floyd in the back seat of my friend's white Chrysler Le Baron. Perry was in the driver's seat, while my boyfriend was in the passenger's. I was sitting in the back, as we were driving somewhere. I knew Perry was a huge fan of Pink Floyd, but I didn't know what kind of band that was. To give you a clue to what kind of person he was: he liked Dungeons and Dragons, painted his own models for D&D tournaments, had long hair he tied into a ponytail, and frequently wore peasant shirts with black knee high boots (think, Lord of the Rings, meets medieval waif). So, I just assumed his tastes wouldn't be anything to what I was listening to at the time (Nirvana, Sublime, Everclear... with a touch of TLC and Boys II Men). The first Pink Floyd song I'd ever heard was "Learning to Fly". I was blown away by the song, but more importantly, the vocals of David Gilmour (this is not to say that Roger Waters isn't great either). After that night, I wanted to hear everything by Pink Floyd. I didn't have enough money to buy all their Cds, so instead, I went to the library and tried to check out all the Pink Floyd albums they had. If a CD was checked out or at a different library, I made a request to have them deliver the CDs... sometimes from 50 miles away. By the end of the summer, I had recorded almost all of their albums onto tape, so that I could have a copy. Almost ten years later (man, I'm old), I still have those tapes somewhere in my parent's house... and they're still one of my favorite bands.
Maybe I was crazy
1/24/2004
After receiving the following email from a friend, I can rest assured that at least three people read what I write. :) I'd have to say, this is probably the first time I've had an email lecture. There's one word is this email that gives away the identity of this person, definitively: ARE YOU CRAZY? You can't seriously be thinking of going snowboarding again so soon after hurting your back?!?!? Freak, yes, your back does A LOT!! Every time you sit, stand, walk, run, snowboard, roll over, bend over, kneel down--you get the picture--your back does tonnes of work!! Your back (in co-operation with your abs) work to stabilize your entire upper body...it has a BIG job! If you hurt your back so badly that you were in bed for 3 days, and then immediately go back to the ACTIVITY that damaged your back in the first place, then you are just asking for it to be injured again...BAD IDEA!!! Maybe your back isn't sore anymore, but has not returned to its 100% strength capacity and range of motion again. It hasn't HEALED!!!!!!!!!! Ok, ok, I get the picture. I had big plans of being Superwoman and healing fast (or would that be Wolverine from X-men?). I didn't go snowboarding on Thursday at all. Actually, a bunch of us were supposed to go to Yongpyong on Thursday, but everyone bailed because it was too cold (-22o C, -8o F). I had still wanted to go, and just hang out at the lodge. It would have been fun to go up the gondola and take advantage of the sauna while everyone else was snowboarding. In the end, the majority won (9-1), and I had to reluctantly stay home. Friday also turned out to be another cold day at Yongpyong (-24o C, -11o F).
Up and walking again
1/20/2004
After two and a half days of mostly lying down, I'm finally able to move around after my snowboarding accident on Sunday. That was the beginning of my "supposed" three day snowboarding trip. Ras and I had gone up to Yongpyong, and were starting off our day around 10:00 am. Actually, it was Ras' first day of snowboarding, and he was doing really good. On the second time down the beginner's slope, he was already turning! I think it was my second time snowboarding before I even tried that! We were having a good time and were finishing up our last run for the day. I told him to go ahead of me, because there weren't a lot of people at the time. I thought there'd be less of a chance of him running into anyone, and he could practice turning turning some more. After he left, I started going down, and fell about two minutes into it. I had fallen earlier in the day and had notice that my back was getting a little tight. It didn't hurt, but was a little uncomfortable. When I fell this last time, it wasn't a big tumble, so I was scared when I tried to get up, but couldn't. I tried a couple more times, but it was too painful, so I just layed on my back for a couple minutes, resting. My mind was racing, wondering what I should do. I couldn't move, and was looking behind me, wondering when the ski patrol would come by. Then I thought, "This is how I'm going to end my day? Being pulled to the bottom of the hill by a snowmobile?" After feeling sorry for myself, I mustered up all my strenght to try and stand. I was able to stand, but not straight up. I had both hands on my knees, bending over, and supporting myself. I couldn't turn, and ended up snow wedging myself to the bottom of the run. 20 minutes later, I reached the wide, flat part at the end of the mountain. Since I couldn't turn, and there was no more of an incline, I couldn't make myself go any further towards the lodge. So I took off my snowboard and attempted to carry it back to the lodge. I couldn't pick up my snowboard because the pain was too great. At that time, I happened to look down and saw the broken suspender strap from someone's ski bib. I proceeded to tie this to one of the bindings and dragged my board behind me, as I slowly walked back, hunched over with one hand on my knee for support. Ras finally spotted me and headed towards me. He asked me what happened when we finally got face to face. I didn't want to, but started crying before I could even tell him what happened. I wasn't crying because of the pain, but because I felt so pathetic dragging my board back, and barely able to get down the run by myself. I just felt sorry for myself as I whispered that I hurt my back, as my tears were freely flowing. After a couple minutes, I had to tell myself, "You're such a girl, stop crying." To make a long story short, the doctor at the ski resort said I had a "lower back contusion". I interpreted that as having pulled or bruised a muscle. Treatment: I had to rest for 3-4 days and take pain killers. This was the first time I've had a back insury, and I couldn't believe how debilitating it was. I didn't realize your back muscle did so much! For the first day, I couldn't sit up, stand up, or hardly turn on my side when sleeping. I was laying around so much that my right ass cheek would fall asleep, then I would adjust and then my left ass cheek would fall asleep! And you KNOW, you're laying around too much when your ASS FALLS ASLEEP! And there's nothing you can do about it!!! And oh my god!... I could only watch Korean tv for so long! I was getting so bored that I was watching re-runs of the juicing machine on Home Shopping. But today, I'm feeling much better. It's still a little painful, but at least I'm able to get up and move around. I'm trying to will my back to being healthy again, go I can go back snowboarding on Thursday. To be continued...
Night boarding with a Hello Kitty lover
1/14/2004
Last night was the first time I went to Yongpyong this season to snowboard. One of the teachers at my school invited me, since she goes two or three times a week, and has a season pass. Yong-im came to pick me up in her cute, red car. I soon came to realize she's a connoisseur of cute paraphernalia. I had never seen a Korean's car this "decked out". The inside of her car looked like a dollhouse had exploded in it. There were five (count 'em 5!) hanging dolls suction-cupped to the windshield (a boy, rabbit, rhino, Mashi Maro, and Hello Kitty with wings). Stuck to the dash were two car freshners, one of which was the character, Pingu the Penguin. A small picture frame bobbing on a spring of coil was also stuck to the dash. The rear view mirror had a toy cat clipped to it. The steering wheel cover was furry, and from the Winnie the Pooh collection. A Winnie the Pooh accessorie was also illuminating from the cigarette lighter. The stick shift had a Hello Kitty cover. The CD holder above Yong-im's visor has some kind of character I couldn't make out. The driver and passenger seats both had white faux fur, while the back seats had pillows. There was a sticker on the gas cover, which I think was Pucca. I knew that Korean women liked cute things, but I had never been invited to see their belongings so closely - in their natural environment. Back home, if it were possible for 12 year olds to have cars, this is what it would look like inside.
A few minutes after getting in the car, the only English CD in her Hello Kitty mobile was taken out. So, we were talking and listening to Avril Lavigne on the 30 minute drive to the mountain. (I tried to hide my love for Miss April, by pretending to be utterly indifferent to the CD). And please, don't get me wrong, Yong-im's a great person and I had a lot of fun with her, but you'll never see dolls in my car. Once we arrived and were looking around, I realized I had never seen Yongpyong will so little people before. There were less than 20 people going down runs, and nobody was running into each other. Also, I believe it was the coldest day of the winter so far. The temperature was 10o F (-12o C), with a wind chill factor of -8o F (-22o C). Luckily, I brought enough warm clothes, because the wind was pretty extreme for me. I was taking off my gloves during the night to either adjust my bindings, get something out of my pocket, or wipe my runny nose. When I got home later, I realized how dry my hands were from the wind. They felt like I had rubbed sandpaper on them! I was also a little nervous before the first run, wondering if it would really be like jumping back on a bike. For the most part, it was. I was going down each run, remembering, "Turn with your legs, not by twisting your upper body". I fell down only four or five times, but we didn't really go on any challenging runs. Still, it was a really nice to get out during the week, and check out conditions before I go back this weekend!
10 Minutes of Snow
1/12/2004
It snowed for 10 or 15 minutes around 9:00 tonight. You could barely call it snow, but it was there. I'll have to say this... I love the warm weather. Given a choice, I'd rather be sweating, than bundling up. It's just that I've just gotten used to colder weather as I've grown up. One of my youngest memories was when I was three or four. We had moved from Laos to Oregon, and it was my first snowy winter in Oregon. My body, which up to that point had only known hot temperatures of the tropics, had a hard time adjusting to the frigid temperatures that snow brought. I remember I had itchy hives all over my body and face because it was so cold for me. However much clothing I had on, my body couldn't get warm - it was a terrible feeling. I've liked this winter in Korea. It's been very mild and sunny all the time. Still, I'm looking forward to some snow. So when it started coming down last night, it was magical. I love seeing the first snowfall. It's truly one of the things that really makes me happy. I'm like a kid jumping up and down, clapping my hands, woohoo-ing. Of course it didn't stick, but it was a nice teaser.
Life of the Party
1/8/2004
It has recently been brought to my attention that certain people in my pictures (Photo Album on my website), seem to portray themselves as always having fun and are the "life of the party". On the contrary, this is NOT true. To this person(s): Please resume to being your normal, boring self. You're making the rest of us look bad. (For a moment, I thought about linking to the specific photo album page, but thought better of it.)
George Dubya Bush in 30 Seconds
1/7/2004
These are the finalists in the Bush in 30 Seconds ad contest. These ads have been selected by the rating public from among over 1,000 ads submitted. They're potent, poignant, and funny - it's a great mix. The commercials are all independently written, produced, and funded. The money to air them came from thousands of individuals across the nation. They will be shown in swing states across the country. Have a look... http://www.bushin30seconds.org/
The gym + iPod = LOVE
1/7/2004
And here I go, back to the gym. The main reason isn't because I want to lose weight or be healthy. The real reason I'm going is because I don't want to be sore when I go on my snowboarding trip in two weeks to Yongpyeong Ski Resort. I've been doing a regular workout in addition to doing squats. My legs feel like jello and I had to pause to slowly sit down in my chair. This is the part I hate about going back to the gym - the initial feeling that everything is hard. I'm doing the eliptical machine as I'm staring at the timer in front of me, willing it to go faster. How can one second really be THAT slow??? It's also interesting because I recently read an article about how some diets proclaim carbohydratess are bad (Atkin's and South Beach diets). Carbohydrates are found in bread, rice, pasta, beans, fruits and vegetables. What?!? This is exactly what I eat every day! I'm not supposed to eat it, but instead be consuming meat, cheese, and fat? As an Asian woman, I eat rice almost every day - it's a staple. I didn't grow up eating steak and potatoes. I ate steak and rice! I guess it doesn't really matter, because I'm not into fad diets. Actually, I don't diet at all. The closest thing would be me deciding that I won't eat candy that day. Mind you, I don't eat just any and all candy, but that's a WHOLE different blog entry. Some off topic notes: New Apple iPods minis are out and are about the size of a business card! A 20 gigabyte iPod would have been my dream Christmas gift, but that's $400 of love that nobody forked over. Instead, my mom sends me a box of meat! ...Which I love, and am so thankful for, since I'm contemplating eating the tub of kimchi in my freezer. I'm just saying... if I was a materialistic girl, and just wanted "stuff", a 20 gig iPod with the $100 adapter to read digital camera memory cards... would have been nice.
Another site that's educational is Guide to Grammar and Writing. This is for all the other English teachers in Korea, whose students ask, "Teacher, when do I use "Fred and I" and when do I use "Fred and me""? The answer to that question is here. These ten songs will make you dry hump your stereo system... or so I've been told. I've actually only heard of Ginuwine. Maybe I need to get out more.
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