Jingle Bells!

Well the festive spirit has reached Seoul in full force. We have a christmas tree in the school reception area and over the speakers this morning as the kids arrive were Mariah Carey christmas songs!!(thats as far as it gets really!!)

Well this is officially my first christmas away from home and its a rather wierd feeling! Its good that koreans don't seem to be so extravagant on the whole christmas season as if they were as dramatic as england i think it would be alot harder! Don't get me wrong, i will be spending christmas day on the american base with matt and having a real christmas dinner but without the after eight mints and crap tv well it just won't be the same!!

I asked the children in my elementary class what they were getting for christmas! most of them said they didn't know and one boy said "i don't get presents"! obviously i have to delve deeper into this matter! i asked if he was a johover wittness, he didn't understand! i knew he wouldn't! but i had to say it! I felt heart broken, he was annoyed with me for asking people, he is in fact the worst kid i teach, defiant, annoying and rude to me, he eats in class and disrupts the other kids and i constantly send him out and threaten to level him down! he is not interested... but when he said that he didn't recieve any presents i felt terrible and told him i would buy him something! maybe a new pencil case i offered! he smiled at me and kept his head down for the rest of the lesson! Children here tend to be happy with some new crayons and an eraser!! its true, i have not heard one child ask for something more expensive than 5 pounds. Obviously some kids will want mobile phones and x boxes but in general i don't think they get much!

In my kindergarten class i asked the kids to write a letter to santa, it was so adorable, i was so excited to have them be excited about christmas that i can see why parents don't are what they get a christmas time and just want the children to experience the excitement and joy that goes along with the whole festive period. One on my students called jenna wrote to santa that she wanted Leanne teacher not to go back to england! i could have cried, bless her, she told me the other day that her mum said that when she is eight years old she can come and stay with me and learn english in england. She also said, "but you have to tell me where because mummy doesn't know where your house is", i told her i would write my address down.

I have been their teacher now for 9 months, its a long time to spend with these kids without becomming attached to them, i will of course miss them even though when class is over i feel mentally exausted. They also help me learn, obviously i had never been in a classroom of 5 and 6 year olds before but its fun to watch them learning! Last week the science project was to show how our lungs worked. The first part was to tie a knot in the end of a deflated balloon (don't ask!!). I showed them the process and told them to tie the knot. After 10 seconds they decided they couldn't tie the knot. I decided that today i would not help, it was up to them to tie the knot, difficult or not it was a challenge they would be proud of completing. "Teacher help" they echoed. I tell you now, all but four of my twelve kids did it.. it was great, when they did it they were so pleased with themselves, then they wrote their name on the white board to say they had completed their first task! i didn't realise how simple it was to get them to concerntrate on a motor skill that i would in have just done for them without concidering they actually have a go. It will be little memories like this that i take with me.

Anyway, i have finally added some chicago photos for you to view.....

sorry!!!

Well first may i apologise for my poor effort in keeping this blog up to date! sorry guys!!

Okay so its November 29th, i have 3 months left in korea! i know its flown, and i still haven't been to a temple yet!!
Anyway October was very busy. Firsty as you will already know i went to chicago, and got engaged. The date has been set for April 14th 2007, we will be getting married in St Joseph's Catholic Church in Manhatten. Sundays now consist of waking up early and hauling myself out of bed to go to 9:30am mass. Funny story, the first week we went we had to register as we need counselling to marry in a catholic church. Anyway during the service we had to stand up and Matt had to introduce us to the whole service, then they all clapped because we were new parishoners! was quite embarrassing.


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The day after we arrived home in Korea we went to meet my grandad. He came out to see me for 10 days. I felt further awaythan normal having my family there! i feel sometimes like i am not that far from home, my tv channel i watch has american programmes and i read an english newspaper (The Korean Herald) and listen to Radio 1! also my housemate is from Cambridge so its not until you have a visitor that you realise thats you infact are absolutley miles away! Had a great time with my grandad, we went up Seoul tower, its on top of a mountain that people walk up for exercise and general well being, me and grandad got a taxi straight to the top then proceeded to sit on the obervation deck and have a beer! well earned from all that climbing! Seoul tower gave the most unforgettable views! In every corner were just miles of apartment blocks, truely packed together.
I finally managed to get my grandad to eat Korean food! we went to a restauranrt with chairs, as usually you sit on the floor! grandad was a good sport and ate with his chop sticks! very amusing for me of course!! i am a pro now! it used to give me terrible cramp in my hand but now i have master the art i can pick up practically any food! even chery tomatoes!! I do like the food, i love the soups and know that i will miss the diversity of what i eat for lunch when i am back on english or american turf!
We Mostly hung out in western bars "Geckos" a home from home for forigners, you can get a beer and a BLT with chips! obviouslythey are called fries!! Matt took grandad to the base where they had mexican food and some more beers!
I brought grandad to Songpa where i live and we all managed to get into my apartment! a little cramped but living in this country you get used to having no personal space... it is always crowded and busy.
Then my granadad has to leave and i realised that i wished i was leaving too.. bit emotional but i think thats the difficult thing about being here.. you can't just fly home for the weekend and catch up so i am really looking forward to getting home and having carpet underneath my toes and going to a supermarket where i understand what the food is. On the topic of food i would like to thank Rick for the jar of marmite that her got for me.. Rick, thankyou, its a god send... In fact the other day in school i took cheese and marmite sandwiches and the kids were like, Leanne teacher "is what" yeah they like that phrase no matter how much i correct them.. I said you won't like it, its cheese and marmite, they tried it and loved it. typical.. now they want me to make them some for their lunch!! no way... ha ha teacher is selfish and its hers from england...

Anyway here are some more photos... see you all very soon.

Grandads Visit

Pictures just for now, lots to say so will do asap.

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Surprise Surprise!!!

Friday 6th of October was our last night in Chicago and my last night of being matts girlfriend!

Taking me outside for a chat whilst i contemplated packing my case and fitting hundreds of dollars of excess weight (clothes i had bought in to it) i was faced with a question! not just any old question like "have i packed my toothbrush" "where are the tickets" etc... but one that i had never imagined i would hear or experience for a long time!

Matt pulled a black box with a pink ribbon around it out from his pocket and proceeded to go down on one knee! He asked me to be his wife and i said yes! We are now engaged and i have a beautiful diamond on my finger.

Me and matt the night of our engagement and our last night in America.


We will be getting married in April next year, and it will be in Chicago.

I will leave you all to digest on this blog posting before i update it as my grandad is currently in seoul visiting me and i have lots of photos and stories to tell. Also i will add photos of my stay in Chicago which may i add was truley an amazing city and had such a good time.

Anyway must go! i have a wedding to plan! ha ha xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Happy Anniversary To Me

6 months ago i left England to embark on an adventure that i ultimately thought would change me, my attitude towards life and my life style as a whole. Well it did, i was right and i honestly couldn't be happier.!!! apart from not being able to see my family when i want to....

When i first arrived i felt like an ant... i mean this in the way that when you come here and experience the size and intensness of Seoul its really quite scary, but good also.. I have never seen so many people in my whoile life. Everywhere is busy all of the time, people don't sleep! obviously that is not true but it seems like that!

There is a time restriction on nothing! apart from the Tube (subway). If i want to go out for a meal at 2:00am then its fine, it will be busy and no one will hurry you to leave. Koreans like there family time/ drinking time so apart from the international branded western restaurants (which i obviously don't entertain!!! lie of course) its possible to eat and drink and socialise all night and all morning!! shocking but true. I have adapted well to this way of living, being the all round socialite that i am!! ha ha

I have met some amazing people from all over America and Cananda and that is a highlight as i would never have met these people living back in england. I didn't realise how cool they think the Brits are! its a real compliment! for some reason they all love Blair! the americans do anyway!

I have a boyfriend in the US Army who lives on an army base in Pyongtaek, south of seoul. Its great there, i can get all western food and on there are the following:
Burger King
Taco Bell (Mexican fast food) my favorite!
A water park
Indoor pool, Gym
Cinema and well everything really to make me think i am not actually in Korea!
I still find it bizarre to see people walking round with Guns!!!

In 4 weeks i will be going to Chicago for a week with him. So my blog will be coming from the USA. Can't wait, will be my first time to the States.

Erin my good friend got married a couple of weeks ago in Korea, we all had drinks to celebrate, i have attached some pics!

So lets see what the next 6 months bring! i hope they are as good as my last...

bye xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A good start to August....

I have been very busy this week.. firstly i had my new house mate Rhiannon arrive and secondly have been out and about lots!

Today reached 40 degrees and i melted! i didn't really! but i might have if i had been out in it all day....

Had a couple of days off school due to the Korean holiday season so that was a completely welcomed break. Tomorrow i am back in school properly ready for the little nippers... so an early night will be a good idea!

Friday night me, matt, rhiannon, susan and peyton went for a meal in a posh area of seoul called Apgujeong. Had a nice western meal and then sampled the bars. In fact we sampled one bar called Rock and Roll and ended up there all night.... photos below!!

I can't actually understand the story about how we all got those Miller Lite Sun Visors but i do know we all looked incredibly sad! at the time i thought they were hillarious!

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Saturday we all went to Peyton and Susans apartment in Don Bingo Dong (another area of Seoul and had a barbecue, some more beer and a very relaxing day.

Had lots of lovely food and watched some girly films these included Dirty Dancing and Drop Dead Gorgeous! Obviously the men cooked and we ate!! excellent day...

Oh this is a photo of the local rubbish truck!!!! ha ha No Wheelie Bins out here.

5 down 7 to go!

Well its been five interesting, fun, and sometimes surreal months in Korea I have experienced what i feel is alot of culture! many may remind me that i am yet to visit a temple or tour outside of my home city of seoul (not sure i would get a job writing for the Lonely Planet guide on South Korea) ha ha but general everyday life is different and i feel i have been some what cultured by even people watching! (yeah being nosey basically)

I don't know whether its because i am a lazy person but i moved here, got cracking with my job, made friends and am living here like i would in any other city. I am not venturing out every free minute to see something different but am ultimatley trying to settle myself into being a korean resident and get on with daily life. I like it like this and it suits me fine.

When i lived in Liverpool it wasn't really until i had visitors that i would do the tourist places. When things are on my doorstep i tend to like the fact that they` are there and if i want to i can always check them out. Its the same here. I am not on a years holiday (although sometimes thats how it feels) but i am in a routine and when it comes to the weekend its nice to relax and take things easy! Well i say that but i am currently recovering from a heavy friday and saturday/sunday morning night out. So today is my day or rest. Its has to be.

Reading a fantastic book at the moment (The devil wears Prada) its a brilliant read. I got the DVD today too of the book cause i heard it was out luckily it didn't spoil my read. If i was a normal person i would either read the book then watch the DVD or vice versa. I have read half the book and watched the film today.

Today it stopped raining. I can honestly say that without fear or being called over dramatic that anyone who has lived here through the rainy season will know what i mean when i say i walked to work feeling like someone was tipping buckets of water over my head for my 20 minute walk! I laughed all the way because i could believe the rainfall i experienced. I was both scary and exciting, i mean yeah of course living in england i have seen some good rainshowers but nothing like this! it was crazy!

Trying to look generally respectful and smartish for work before i leave the house has now become a pet hate of mine! I either arrive looking like i hot, hair frizzy mess, needing to shower again and feeling generally hot and bothered, or soaked to the bone! hair stuck to my face and wet trousers that absorb all the rain water in seoul for the rest of my working day! yes that bit was an exageration. Roll on the cold weather ! yes i will probably be moaning then too, ha ha.... but i get used to this,i just wasn't designed for this type of tropical weather.

more updates soon..... just going to sit in the freezer for a bit to cool down.

Lea xxxxxxxx

Field Trip

On Thursday I attended a field trip with kindergarten to an English Camp in Seoul. These are the pics.

Food Glorious Food

I am now coming up to my sixth month in Korea and one thing i have recently noticed is that i will choose to go out for a Korean meal. At the start of this jouney i was eating daily school dinners. Understandably the food being served is not exactly fantastic and i thought this was Korean food. But my friends have introduced me to some lovely restuarants and meals that are Korean and in fact incredibly tasty.

So for all you back home check out my new diet..

Missiles and Typhoons!

Well the past couple of weeks has been rather intersting and i can honestly say i am now a fan of CNN. This came about due to the following:

1) North Korea fired Missiles that they were not supposed to. (you may have heard about this back home but we were all a bit worried.) The morning they did it Erin told me as her father had called her up, probably in a bit of a panic. Anyway Matt told me if anything happened we should go straight to our Embassy. Well it didn't come to that and everything seems cool at the moment.

2) Southern Korea and Jeju Island experienced a horific Typhoon a couple of days ago. People died and there were massive mud slides. It was due to hit us the day after but it never, horaaahhhh.

Well everything they say goes in threes so i wonder what will be next??




Just to change the subject my new flat mate arrives on the 28th July. I am really looking forward to having a bit of company around the house again so i am a bit excited.

Ariel is back in Washington DC. Sh is doing well and awaiting her move to Texas to study at Grad school.

Anyway took a few photos of the view from my apartment tonight, see see what you think oh and did i mention that i met an all singing Spiderman!!!



I miss my British food!!!

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Okay all those months back when i realised what a life channging decision i was making coming here and not doing the normal (travelling thing) well i definatley made the right decision. As a brit abroad i am making the most of the culture here and finding it to be something i will never forget. It is annoying at times just because of selfish reaons in that its not england where i live and they do not live the way we do but after a while the moaning becomes acceptance in that i came here! so abide by the rules, don't moan and get on with the experience!! yes this is leanne talking, maybe i have grown up slightly and i think i have. i am becoming alot more confident here and realise that i have done something that not alot of us would do so make the most of the opportunity. comming in to my fifth month now i can say that i have adapted to life in asia and its not only fun but very rewarding, i mean its not everyday when a bunch of 5 year olds tell you they love you and even when you have repeatedly shouted at them to behave, sit down and stop talking, they show you affection that i can honestly say i never showed any of my teachers.
Things that i craveed for in the early days for example cheese, bacon and just the english life have become treats. I look forward to receiving marmite and brown sauce from my parents, listening to radio one and missing out on hollyoaks makes me feel that i am a lucky girl and am very humbled by the way people live here.. I am probably the first person to be annoyed by ethnic minorities living in england and wanting to live life the way they do but me and the est of the teachers understand that this will not happen here. we have Itaewon as the foreigner area where we can purchase magazines, books and cadbury chocolate but on the whole its nice to experience the mission of buying food, spending an hour looking for food remotley distinguising to the eye and cooking a meal that we could get at home.
I have never felt as healthy as i do now living here, yes i eat burger king and other fast food but 5 times a week i eat a school dinner, this consists of food i still don't know what it is most of the time but hey the korean girls are beautiful and thin so i presume i am on the right track. Spinach, Cabbage and fish are on the menu daily so i take every opportunity to get as much as i can. My first few months i couldn't eat the food at school, erin my friend also a kindergarten teacher told me i needed to eat more. After a while the reality that the food infront of me was not only healthy but free became the goal. It was easy to get a sandwich from the local shop but i felt bloated. There is no denying that adapting to a new culture is a difficult thing to do but i ahve done it. I now eat all my school lunch apart from the Kimchi that its so rediculously hot and spicy but take seconds on the soup( its so nice) I know the dinner lady must think i am a fatty but hey i like it, plus i am staving by 11:20 (lunch time) even the kids tell me they have finished their lunch so i say well done and that is so cool.... feel like a mummy... leanne teacher i finished !!! well done ha ha
I have a total respect for korea, they may be out of the world cup which i am in fact mortified about as my kindergarten class were so excited but on the whole they are quiet people, very family orientated and very into education i mean all my kids play an instrument, piano or violin! they are always tired and the parents spend so much on private classes for them.. bless them.
I had a converstion recently about play time at school and the games we used to play!! went down like a lead balloon! mina said we dont go to school to play! we get told off!! i was mortified... she asked if i was angry with her i said no it was just different in england.. i wanted to hug her and play hide and seek with the class. I remember school being such a fun time but not here! i teach in a hagwon its an after school institute, some of the kids won;t get home till 9:00pm and thats affter a full school day. friday i had a cookie party for the afternoon kids, we had coke and cake, they loved it and they chilled out! probably should have done more work than they did but hey i think they work hard enough as it is.... i am a push over ha ha. Don't get me wrong i think languages are a good resourse but kids are kids and when they fall asleep in lesson it either means my lessons are terrible or they are burnt out! the latter i think is true.
So coming up to my fifth month i am having a great time, would recommend anyone this experience, my school is great, the kids are great and the only bad side is that i am 11hours from my family, mum, dad, ry and grandad. but i only hope i am making you proud and sorry but i am not ready to come home yet....
although i wouldn't mind our sunday roast dinners xxxxx God my mouth is watering!!!!
for now i am i content with noodles and dodgy dinners!!!
By the way i found my first cockroack tonight!! screamed the flat down, drowned it to death with my shower head and threw it off the balcony!! ahhhhhhhhhhh was terrified!!! checking my bed constantly!!! need some zantack i think!!
Weather is hot! think i may have mentioned this before but its only going to get hotter!! i can only cope with this heat by wearing a bikini and being on a beach therefore i am a complainer and say its stupidly hot!!
Anyway i think i have said enough for tonight! 24 school reports await me, that means 24 different lies that the kids are behaving and are top of the class! may need an online thesasaurus!!
bye for now
lea xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Maze!!

Hello everyone!

yes its been about a week since i last updated this (god i am becomming obsessed) so i thought i'd tell you the news.

Well world cup action in Korea is fun time! firstly the team are call the Red Devils: this means that every match day the kids come to school with their little devil horns on their head and Lets Go Korea T shirts!! how cute! Only a couple of children are vaguely interested in how england are doing and thats only cause i force the england schedule on them and tell them to watch it!!

They informed me that one of the korean players has yellow hair (just like mine) but he is not from England, he is korean! and my eyes are different so i am wierd apparently! and obviously not Korean.... these are the types of converstaions i have with the kids....daily.

Funny story! the kids in my Cherry class think i still live in england and go home their every night, i have repeatedly shown them the globe and pointed out thats its an 11 hour flight but they still don't get it! yesterday the kids were waving at me getting into a taxi on my way home! they thought it was taking me to the airport!! how cute!

News update: my flatmate ariel has gone back to america, i am therefore home alone but i do get a new house mate at the end of July and she is from ENGLAND. there is only currently me at the school who is from the UK so that will be nice.

My mosquito bites have gone into overdrive and currently have four crackers on my legs, nice!! No one else seems to get bittten but me!

Currently getting ready for the monsoon season. not looking forward to that but at least its only for about a month!

Anyway the video below is of this game called the maze! you have to concentrate and get to the next level. I think you will understand what happen next when you see the video.

Everything England!!

Seen this video and it honestly shows england as i love it.
Dad i think you will like this.... could murder a fry up!! oh and check out the Marmite image ha ha

Come On England!!!

Cotton Eye Joe

I will let you come to your own conculsions but i now own a cowboy hat and have sort of mastered two dances to country music!!! one being cotton eye joe!!



Is this wrong????

Anyway i found this video of Creamfields 2005 where i went last august bank holiday with nat, maybe this will sort my head out! ha ha

RE: Last Post

My last post seems to have come across as rather negative about Korea therefore i want to give my true impression so far on this rather amazing city i live in.

A couple of weeks ago i took a different route on the tube to get to a destination and got a nice surprise! I would firstly like to add that the tube is not like the London subway system. Seoul tube is immaculate, the tube itself is clean, airconditioned and has heated seats for the winter. Oh and its so cheap (about 70p)

Anyway on to my story, taking the tube usually entails being underground and not getting to see the city. My change in route took me overland and it was pretty spectacular! It was a mass of buildings and the backdrop of the mountains. Its not something you can really explain, its one of those things you have to see for yourself. I now enjoy the tube ride as there is so much to see.

Koreans are relatively thin and petite. I know why! there diet of korean food is just so fresh and healthy. I went for a korean dinner a couple of nights ago at a restaurant where you take your shoes off and sit on the floor. It was a really nice atmosphere and there were lots of familys eating together. The meal we had (i have actually forgotten how to pronounce) was pork and about 10 different dishes of veg, salad, soup, fish etc. The meal cost about £6 with drinks. it was really nice and so glad because i really pigged out but it was so healthy.

Korean kids are very funny, some of the time they say hi when they see you in the street and then giggle to themselves when you say hi back.

The shops stay open really late and there are always people around, having a coffee outside the shops and chatting away, sometimes i forget that i am infact working here and not on my holidays, especially now because the weather is getting really hot.

I feel really confident now living here and now a few people in the neighbourhood who i can say hi too when i walk past. I have a local hairdresser who is nice and the people at the grocery stores say hi.

So i am very much settled and am pleased because i understand that the first three months are the hardest. I am having lots of fun and learning about a new culture.
My job is really good fun and the kids always make me laugh so i am not ready to return to england yet!!

Just so you know my wonderfull parents have posted me some Marmite and Brown Sauce so currently extremely excited about getting these packages. Marmite and cheese sandwiches!!!! yummy.

Bye for now xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Floods and Mozzy Bites!!

This past week has been quite un real in the things that i have encountered.

Firstly i would like to approach Korean kitchen stupidity: In a well advanced technological country like this you would presume that Washing machines would be plummed in so that water escapes through a hose!!! yes in my flat and all the others that us teacher live in the pipe is on the floor and the water goes down a hole in the floor. This is in the kitchen may i add and it overflowed. All over the kitchen floor. Rediculous!!!! So i have some pics!!




Also last night i went to a barbeque which was really good fun. Woke up this morning and i have a total of 6 mosquito bites. i have one on each elbow which is pure pain! one on my hand oh and a right corker on my left cheek!! Not impressed! the others cover the back of my arms. I feel like a tramp!

Korean Tv is a joke. I have 2 channels i can watch, the other day i went onto You Tube and listened to the hollyoaks and coronation street theme tune, it was heaven. God i am sad.

Just so you can see the total tripe that is called tv i have videoed some of the channels!!




Oh did i tell you how bad the driving is here?? well me and matt found this on the street outside the police station!!





Tomorrow is Tuesday and i have a day off.. very excited at the chance to sleep in and chill.

Oh by the way i have been here three whole months now!! doesn't time fly when your having fun!! Only 9 more to go xxxxxxx

Hongdae

Saturday night a group of us went to Hongdae to celebrate Ray's Birthday. Here are the pics. Also Goodbye to Vinny who is leaving today (Monday) to go to Afganistan.

Getting into the World Cup Spirit!

Itaewan Day Out!!

The time came when me and Ariel decided to go to the War Museum! unfortunatley it was closed so we walked around Itaewan and took some crappy pics!



By the way this video just makes me crease with laughter. enjoy xx bet you have done some of these dances!! admit it!

My Little Photo Album xx

Hey

Okay so i have been pretty damn rubbish on the typing part of this blog and instead usually opt for the photos to tell you a story so today thought i write a little bit.

Just home from school on a three hour break before the older kids come in. I teach afternoon classes for kids aged up to 12 years old. Its okay but they tend to be a class full of kevin and perry's or the Catherine Tate (Am i bothered) girl. Much prefer the kindy classes in the morning. I was greeted this morning by evelyn who told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek! oh and june (boy) yes i know its a girls name but he also said he loved me, but then i shouted at him for fighting so he hated me for about 10 minutes.

So as you can probably tell i am becomming quite the computer nerd! i can make videos and all sorts now. Who would have thought it eh! I even speak to my family through the computer on Skype! those of you who are not as computer literate as me will not understand, ha ha.

Weather here today is only to be described as boiling! its beautiful as i feel like i am on my holidays apart from the beach is a couple of hours away. The koreans hate the sun, they carry umbrellas when it rains and when its sunny! I on the other hand (Miss Sun Worshipper) make my way up to the school roof on my breaks for any tanning opportunity i can get! sad eh!

Still haven't done or been anywhere cultural! just to the pubs and clubs! as you can see from all my previous photos. But i will go soon i promise.

For those of you who may be worried about my eating habits then i can honestly say i came home for lunch and made myself a salad! At first i thought it may be the heat making me bigger! yeah sad rediculous excuse, well no i just need to stop eating. Went to the "three alleys pub" the other day and mananged to force down my throat chicken and vegetable pie, gravy, mashed potatoe and peas and two glasses of red wine, I was in heaven. I am sure the alcohol has absolutley no effect on my weight gain!!!!!! seriously.

Oh point to think about! Matt told me English people dance different to Americans. Not sure what i have been doing on the dance floor but i thought we all dance the same. And no neill i was not doing my pointing my finger at the ceeling dance! Anyway i am amused by this.

Got my hair done, it looks fricking brilliant. was so happy with it, but now due to the humidity it looks like poo! excellent!

Anyway i will post some more photos! This was Saturday night in Itaewan just hanging out with local celebrities!! (Matt Damon and Colin Farrell)



Me and Drew, Not sure why i did this!!



Vinni (aka Colin Farrell)and Drew obviously ordering more bevies



I spent 1000won (50p) on Glow in the dark bracelets, (this is them putting them on!they lasted about an hour!!



Me and Matt



Godfrey: not his real name, thats his surname. Its an Army thing.



Simon: American: been to Cream in Liverpool and listens to Radio 1 Judge Jules essential seletion, Excellent! we have something in common.

Anyway i am appauled by the lack of comments that are comming through on this blog therefore i urge you all to use those fingers and type me a message. That or you have all forgotten about me and couldn't care less!! ha ha

Love to all

Lea xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Everland

Thursday i went on another field trip with the kids to everland, basically its a disneyland in korea. It was so much fun apart from the heat and i came home with some nice sunburn on my nose and arms!!





Hello,

Seoul Surfing

The title of this entry relates to the pics and there is in fact a story behind it.

Tanya a teacher at my school is leaving on Monday to return to Australia, therefor she had a sort of garage sale. Thats whatit was called even though it was not in a garage and it was all free stuff.

So i left Ariel to check out what was there incase we could make use of anything.

Last night i met Ariel to collect our new possessions. These included cups, a lovely light for my room, a cd player/radio practically brand new (for the kitchen) coat hangers and a SURF BOARD. I kid you not.

Ariel had the job of carrying back to our apartment, a 20 minute walk through the centre of our neighbourhood. The fact that most koreans look at us like we are abnormal anyway well this just said it all, very funny though! we did actually contemplate stopping off at our local bar for a pina colada and resting the board up against the bar but we never!! ha ha

Well it had to be done! yes we surfed the kitchen!




Oh and a couple of videos!!! very amusing! seriously!





So if there was any doubt that i wasn't enjoying myself then don't worry cause i am.

Love and Kisses to all
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alive and Kicking!!

Hi,

well lots to tell you, firstly my main point.
I have found Cadbury's chocolate! yes i am the luckiest person ever to have the privelage to shop on the american army base in Itaewan and be able to put the following things into my shopping basket:

Cadbury chocolate
Treseme shampoo and conditioner
cosmopolitan and vogue magazines! although they are the american version!
baked beans
real cheese (mature)
nice milk
colgate toothpaste
Oh and the major favorite of mine is there selection of Red Wine and spirits, so cheap too.

I know this sounds rather pathetic but until you try and shop in my local super market you will just not understand how nice it was to read food lables and understand them. Therefore i am currently eating like a queen!

Also on base there is a Subway, Pizza hut, shops, hair and nail salon oh and lots of restaurants. Excellent

School is still as fun as ever. Yesterday i cam home with the following:



Bizzare eh! not sure what that cake thing is but its getting lashed in the bin very soon! Anyway this is a regular occurence at school, the kids bring you food. obviously not always edible!

Friday night was Erins Birthday so we went out for italian then to some bars. here are some photos:


This is on the Tube!


Me and some of my fellow teachers


Me and the Birthday girl


Lani and Tyler:just arrived here last week: a couple from Canada.


The cutting of the cake!


Me and my new best friend! only kidding!


Stevie and Erin


Ariel my house mate! well we thought it was funny!


From here on it went down hill!


Now for some photos of my neighbourhood. These are on my way to work.








This is my desk at school, yes small isn't it. The pink basket it what i carry my pens, crayons, lipstick and lots of other crap in! nice eh.


This is the faculty office. Basically the staff room where i can escape from the kids.


This is the playroom at school, i can usually be found in here before lunch when i let the kids go wild for 15 minutes. I chase them for as long as i can so i tire them out for the next class, then i can have some peace!


This weekend without fail i must get my hair sorted, i look like a reverse skunk as ariel said! I have put it off long enough! it just looks wrong. with the way i am currently eating and the state of my hair it probably won't be long before i am sending you pictures of me looking like this:



love leanne xxxxxxxxx AKA Vicky Pollard!!

Health

Okay since i have been here, i have suffered with a couple of days of flu symptoms but generally everything has been pretty minor. But yesterday morning was quite amusing. i have hardly any voice, infact its practically non existant. Everthing was fine on Friday night so not sure whats going on there!! anyway i am sure its nothing to worry about, it doesn't really hurt or anything.. and didn't stop me having a few alcoholic bevies last night! ha ha

Well what i must tell you and i think you have to see it to believe it is the DUST!! and i am talking serious dust. Saturday morning was just a complete haze out of my window. You couldn't see the building opposite me it was that bad. There had actually been a warning about it on tv. Anyway i think this may have contributed to my voice being rather absent!

Today (Sunday) the dust has cleared thank god.

Also in my household Ariel has been extremely ill. She has been to three clinics so far (Casualty, bizzare place) and the International Clinic in downtown Seoul twice. She has Gastrointeritus, not sure of the correct spelling but i think you will get it!

Am sure the kids will love it tomorrow as leanne teacher cannot shout!!

Bye xx

Old Macdonald!

Today we went to the farm, or so i thought it would be a farm but it was in fact an allotment! kids loved it, here are the pics.