Our new aparta!

Well i have been back in Korea since last Thursday. I entered the country still a Scott, But with a fully fledged marriage licence stating i am a Bergmann. Due to my visa application i cannot change my name just yet, even though i have in fact perfected my signature.

I have my army ID card therefore i can shop on base. I can get food, i can get basically anything western and i am loving it.

On the day after we arrived back to Korea we went looking for apartments. We were shown 3.

We had 3 major issues, close to the base, good price and furnished.

As we stumbled out of the main base gate that afternoon we happened to see a sign on a shop window saying room for rent. We went into this little shop where 4 korean women were playing cards. We did our usual point at sign, me no understand korean, smile and hope they get it! she did. the lady drove us to apartment one. A big house split into 3 apartments, its was very nice, big, etc everything was new and she said she would get us a bed and couch. we said we would call her.

We walked back and went to a realtor. They took us to a new apartment building, it was okay! smaller than the first and no balcony etc. But it did have the most amazing bathroom. It ws a western apartmment but we weren't happy, the price was higher than the last one and we couldn't get it furnished. We said we would call them! Yeah right

The third apartment was horrible. It was just old, smelly and me and matt looked at each other and pulled the same face! prision cell apartment. The korean lady was speaking english "its cheap its cheap" yes it may be cheap mrs but there is no way.

We went back to korea with the idea that we would get something basic as we are only here until August but there is a level you are not going to pass to live somewhere.

We went for lunch, i had a wine and a ceaser salad matt had soda and salad at our local restaurant called The Puffin. The food is western and the waiters are so friendly.

We decided to go with the first apartment. We moved in on Sunday. Its fantastic.

Our Home


Big Living Room


Kitchen


Our amazingly masssive fridge freezer.


Bathroom


My Korean washer/dryer... in the bathroom(obviously)


Nice Korean Wardrobes


Master bedroom


Entrance/porch/hallway/shoe cupboard


Our balcony for sunbathing, cooking out etc!!


Our balcony


Communal Garden

You may now kiss the bride!

Some wedding pics my gradfather took on the day.


Finally Dressed

Pre Wedding and my sister in law Marie

My Mother and Father In Law, Cyndi and Bill

Back in the UK

After an emotional goodbye both to friends and my fiance i took a rather ridiculous journey back to England. Ridiculous in the sense that i had to fly to HongKong which took 3 hours, then change planes and board a thirteen hour flight to London Heathrow. You know what its like when you want to get home, you just want to be there 5 minutes ago...

My slide show from Pancho's Mexican Restaurant in Itaewon, Goodbye Erin and sort of goodbye for now to me!!

Anyway i am now home, been here for exactly 2 and half weeks. People say once you get home you realise that things haven't really changed and want to get off again. My point entirely. It was amazing to see my family and hang out with them My brother has grown somewhat and now towers above me more than before, he looks alot older, i blame the army!

Due to the fact i am not working my days are spent planing our wedding and channel surfing. I usually start the day with Jeremy Kyle, its a talk show with the, how can i put it nicely, Dregs of Society telling an overactive audience that their fiance married their dad, or some disgraceful behaviour that would constitute you to write a story and win a £50 voucher in Chat magazine. Yes it really is that bad and guess what? I am hooked! also my dad watches it and is intrigued by these families from hell that allow themselves to be judged by the whole of the UK. Nice one Jeremy..

Whilst i was home i went out with my grandad and his friends Rick and Vicky. We went for a curry and a few bottles of Vino. Yes i was a bit drunk.

On St PAtricks day i went with my Grandad and his friends and their kids to watch Northampton Saints v Sale. It was a draw. Good match though and the seats we had were amazing. So that was a great day.

Just a few things that have changed here:

Kelloggs Corn Flakes with Honey.
New Hollyoaks Theme Tune
Guiness flavoured Marmite for St Patricks Day

Yes thats it!

So on the 28th March i will fly out to Chicago. Married on the 14th April and Flying back to Korea on the 18th April. Start back at ECC beginning of MAY.

Matt By Day

England and America are two countries separated by a common language George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

Matt was off in the field training earlier this week. He is back now and will be coming up to Seoul on Friday for a night out with everyone in Itaewon.

We are eating at Panchos Mexican Restaurant and then on for drinks.

The First of the Goodbyes.

Last night we went to Pho Mein. A vietnamese noodle soup restaurant near the school. Then on to WA Bar.

oh decisions decisions Rhiannon

WA Bar.. sitting around a big beer trough!



Seaweed snacks at the bar!

Me and Daniel Teacher

Graduation Tears

Who is the girl sitting in the class crying?? Ohthat will be Leanne Teacher!!
Monday was my lastteaching day with my Kindergarten classes and i was a mess. I couldn't believe that it had been a year and they were now ready to take their first steps towards Elementary School. I think any teacher that lives here or anywhere else Teaching English as a Foreign Language will ultimatleyat some point be sad to go. I mean how can you not become attached to the kids, suppose its just human nature. I was of course not the only feeling depressed as my fellow kindy teacher Erin was also finishing.

I movd in with Erin on my first couple of nights in Seoul until my apartment was ready with Ariel. Erin met i guy in the Military like me, she got married here and she is also geting posted to Washington! would you belive it?? Strange eh!

This was me marking my kids work!!


Hannah giving her Graduation Speech.


Graduation song.


So on Monday night feeling rather dis heartened i went out with Julia for a few drinks. Then entertained the local McDonalds as we were both starving. P.S Julia is a Vegetarian!! bad girl, she said she craves Burgers though! ha ha

Okay so we ordered 1 big mac meal, and a cheese burger meal with an extra cheese burger! They didn't understand! for two people stading ordering we were presented with 3 meals! figures eh! i mean why would anyone want just one more cheese burger????



Also Korea now has introduced the Mc Muffin!!! Yes you can now get breakfasts in Mcdonalds! Julia translated the poster which read "Mc Breakfast" Why do they get in now when i'm leaving!! damn....



Random photo of me at Yongsan Train station...


Its wierd really, i say i am leaving but i am in fact comming backm in April. The was i see is that when i do return i will be married, living south of Seoul and having a totally different experience once again. I am teaching back at school for 3 months only and only teaching Elememenatry Students.

Anyway must pack!!

On New years day 2006 I ultimatley changed what i considered the norm in favor of an adventure in a country i knew practicaly nothing about.

My transition from Assistant buyer to English Teacher has been documented over the past year.

They say that time changes things and that only the curious will learn.

I did both.

How did i change and what have i learnt?

I will tell you when i get home!!

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered, Nelson Mandela, 1918 "A long Walk to Freedom"

Facebook

Here is a link to some of my photos that i haven't put on my blog.

Facebook me!

Happy Lunar New Year

Over the long weekend Korea the Chinese and the Vietnamese will be celebrating Lunar New Year and the year of the Pig.

"Sut dal kum mum" is New Year's eve in Korean and on that night nobody is supposed to sleep. It's the so called "je yah". There was a belief that if someone slept on that night, their eyebrows would turn white. That was the reason why the light was on in every room, the "maru" and even in the kitchen. This was done to receive the brand new year's day with awaken eyes and brightness.

During the New Year's eve day people perform an overall cleaning, brushing off old dust etc. In the evening they heat water and take a bath. They also burn bamboo sticks to cast off every single house demon.

They thought that with the sound of the exploding bamboo's knots, the demons would get scared and run away.

The Koreans focus on the family as they celebrate the beginning of the New Year. Children put on new traditional clothes called hanbok. They kneel and bow to their ancestors and elders.

Family members wish each other prosperity and good fortune. Then they exchange gifts. Children receive lucky money, candy and fruit from the elders. The family spends time together and have rice-cake soup for breakfast. Children often take this day to play special New Year games. Not monopoly or Trivial Pursuits but ganes that include throwing sticks. Games that i feel would have been played by people when there were no such things as Playstations, Plasma Screens and Laptops. War year games!!! ha ha

Luckily for me i get to have Monday and Tuesday off work, All Hagwons and schools are off and this is a major holiday therefore travelling out of seoul is a pain as everyone is doing it.

On Friday lunchtime i took the bus down to Pyongtaek, what is normally a 50minute bus ride took double the time. The traffic was building up then so i am glad i didn't leave it any longer.

A friend of mine also took this trip later on in the day, it took them three and a half hours and they were driving in the bus lane most of the way which is the VIP Bus route. No other traffic allowed. Whilst he was going through the toll gate to come out of seoul onto the Express way he told be that there were major bangs which he thought was someone shooting.. It was in fact a fire work display, in daylight, with a big korean crowd, then because of the wind the smoke just blinded everyone!! made me laugh.

My house mate Rhiannon has traveled to Japan with Hallie. And Lani and Tyler went to China for a few days. What am i doing? writing my blog, listening to James Morrison and half watching Charlies Angels, contemplating what to make for mine and Matt's breakfast... Oh decisions, decisions.

On the topic of James Morrison, who is this Guy, his music is amazing, i got Matt to download some of his songs and they are great. I checked on the Brit awards web page and see he one an award so decided to check him out..

Kimchi: Okay change of direction here but i just wasn't to talk a little about a food i eat ever day at school which is a major institution here in Korea and that is KIMCHI.

I had read about Kimchi before i arrived and didn't actually like it at first as basically it sounds pretty foul but its quite addictive now. Kimchi represents Korea's best known food. Koreans serve kimchi at almost every meal, and few Koreans can last more than a few days before cravings get the better of them.

During the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, thousands of foreigners were introduced to it for the first time. Despite a reputation for being spicy, most people usually develop a taste for it, and many foreigners also find themselves missing it after returning to their home country. I think i will to be honest, even matt loves the stuff.

Kimchi can cure everything, well thats what Korean people think. The reason there are no homosexuals in Korea is due to Kimchi, if you have a cold, Kimchi, if your depressed eat kimchi. Love it or loathe it, once you have eaten it, you will never forget it.

Kimchi is made by fermenting cabbage with red peppers, radishes and a lot of garlic and ginger. Yummy..

Kimchi was reported to have helped to prevent Sars. The claim was never scientifically proven, but according to some Koreans, people in other countries followed their example and started eating kimchi.

Also: South Korea's spicy fermented cabbage dish, kimchi, could help to cure bird flu, according to researchers.

Kimchi is amazing and magical. Although we could not take any to America. We tried to buy it in the Duty Free area at Incheon Airport in Korea but they told us no. So unless you travel to Korea guys you'll never get to try it. Unless i find out the recipe and can make enough to cure all the wrongs in the UK...

Anyway finally i wrote something cultural and will have to go and lie down because my little head hurts!! Happy Korean Lunar New Year everyone.

Pics

Sunday 11th February

As promised i have attached some photos. Hopefully they will work as GUESS WHAT? its all still in korea lettering.... fingers crossed.

As i have not mailed any photos for ages i will run you through them:

New year was spent in Pyongtaek with matt and some friends. I worer a Happy New Year crown in which i looked like the statue of liberty! well sort of, you get the picture.

My korean friend at school got married and we attended her wedding along with Lani and Tyler another couple who teach at my school, they are from Canada. Korean weddings are a bit like Vegas weddings, short and sweet, like a conveyer belt. It was in a wedding hall and each floor had a different wedding going on. Not at all personal and not at all romantic. But thats just how they do it.

On my birthday i got an amazing cake from Matt. It read "Happy Birthday Leanne 26 + 1"
I vowed not to turn 27. I will stay at 26 until i physicall get laughed at for lying. In that case i will become a botox queen. Honest!!

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Today matt is cooking a pot roast. This i understand is an american term for roast dinner. but not like ours. But very nice may i add.

I didn't realise how different things were in america. We constantly have to "google "words to find the term we both understand:

Take for example the following

English: Corgette = American: Zucchini

You know what i could sit here for hours listing these words but i guess you get the message. Basically "it's different"....

So for now i will leave you and say "see you all soon" xxxxxxx

Still in Seoul

So far i have still not been able to adjust my text so that i can actually read it! I am currently at matts apartment on his computer and it still won't work. Anyway blame me not the technology as its probably me who pressed something during a blogging session.

Found out this wweek from my school that if all goes well with my visa then i can return to school as an elementary teacher from May-July. Terrific!

I was having a traumatic time thinking how i could get back to Korea with matt after we were married. Its not simple for the reasons i will now list:

1) I can only stay in the Korea for 90 days without a visa. Then i have to leave.

2) I cannnot work without a visa

3) I cannot get into the country on a one way ticket.

4) To work here you have to sign a year contract with a school.

5) Even through i will be married it doesn't entitle me to stay here with matt as i am not on his orders to be here.

So there was my problem. The only option i had was to stay here and not work and take a trip to Japan after 90 days then come back to korea the next day.

However due to the fact that i told me school my situation they have told me that if they can get the visa for me i will be able to work for the 3 months i am here, on a multi entry visa and basically sort me out. Nice one... Fingers crossed everyone.

Anyway that has been playing on my mind for a while now and hopefully will be sorted soon.

I didn't realise until now that being British doesn't actually allow me to travel and stay anywhere in the world for ages without complications. I suppose the fact that living in Europe is benefical and we are spoilt like that like and therefore as soon as you hit Asia or the Usa my passport doesn't mean s**t.

Anyway i will continue soon .. I have an appointment with a Jack and coke and it can't be rescheduled.

Love to all xxxxxxxxxxxx

this is strange (oh ignore the last post!!)

Hello,

well for some reason my blogger account is in a state of disrepair.

I have just signed in and all i can see are little boxes as the words and not exactly sure whatthe hell i am clicking on!!!

Also for some reason my messages have not been getting to me that have been sent!!!

I just managed to retrieve some of them and read them. Sorry guys!! me account always says no messages!!

not sure what has happened here but will endeavour to try and sort it.

well quick update: I get married on the 14th April. I will be back in England from the 4th march until the 28th of March. I fly to chicago with my family and tie the not in April and then head back to Korea until August. Matt will be getting based in Fort Lewis for three years. Fort Lewis is in Washington. I will be on the west coast of America near Seattle and Vancover.

My contract is coming to an end here and it is very upsetting. I will miss those kids very much.

But on the other hand i am very excited to get home and have some normality! i mean what on earth is happening in Hollyoaks, Eastenders and Coronation Street??? I will have to find out. I also want to go to sainsburys and look at all the food i forgot about and send it back to korea for my return.

It's going to be strange being home. I mean i can't wait but it too will be another culture shock to what i am currently used to.

4 weeks left and and i realising how time flies. It has proabably gone alot quicker for me because i have been in a new place. My family plus natalie feel like its been ages!! sorry, i won't do it again i promise.

Recently i have not been out much! actually that is a lie! i do go out but i don't record my actions on the camera. its become all too normal for me. Its not like a holiday anymore, its just real life.

I have enjoyed my year. its certainly been an eye opener. who would have thought i would have met my husband here?? not me!! But i suppose you never know whats around the corner. In my case around the corner is a fried chicken shop that sells chickens feet!!! seriously....

Anyway i will leave now. I will post again with photos galore in a coule of weeks.

see you all very soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

February

Hey

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