The Biggest Loser

So one of my most favorite people in the world (Hubby/Jason) told me I should post something but, you know what things have become...normal...everyday life. I was going over some photos from two weekends ago when an Idea came to me. I can post about my weight loss goal. It's one of the biggest things going on in my life right now. After hearing how well Jason's been doing on his diet, I got motivated to lose weight. Im not going to be the fat girlfriend. Anyways, I didn't even realize I was obese until I came across a photo. My face is fat as heck and I'm smiling with an ice cream cone, just like a fatty. I mean before this photo I did notice my clothes were a bit snug but I still thought I looked good. I was thinking I have maybe 10 pounds to lose. Sike your mind!!! Its more like 30. So, I've joined the gym, I've bought the food, and Monday I will make it my official starting point since, I have had a few cheats thus far. I'll consider that my transitional phase. At first I was going to do the Atkins diet but, it's mainly water weight you do so my plan is to borrow a few pointers. I am going to keep my carbs low yes but, I will eat fruits and nuts occassionally. On the Atkins you cannot until the last week. I am going to focus on eating nonprocessed foods. So I will be eating meats, fish, some berries, nuts, and a whole lot of vegetables. It's a little more time consuming but I think it will be worth it in the long run. My first goal is to lose 10 pounds by February 1, 2009. I am going to take photos at the beginning of each month, weigh myself only once a month, and update my progress on my blog. I'm going public people!! I hope it will keep me somewhat motivated. I'm giving myself until May to reach my ultimate goal of being 150 pounds. sounds like alot but, I'm tall and 150 is pretty thin.
Today is Friday. Monday, I begin. Here goes nothing!!!

Life in the R.O.K

Yesterday, after reviewing my blog to find if anything would be offensive to my new audience/my family, I realized it took alot to get here. For a while, all I had been talking about was going home. I wasn't even really enjoying Korea as much. As I returned from the COEX mall today and walked down the back alley(most definetly a back ally. It is so hood) to my home,


I realized no matter how simple or whatever my life in the R.O.K (Republic of Korea)has been, I'm living my dream. A part of it. No it hasn't been very foreign, life altering, or really anything dramatic as I expected but,here I am standing in the middle of an opportunity to do whatever I want with my life and I'm going to take it. Not many people find thereselves in a position to do what they want, with all there ducks lined up in a row. Like I said before, I use my blog also for clearing my mind.
So...on to the next topic. Today I stumbled across the COEX mall. Well, I don't really think you can stumble across it. This mall is gigantic. It is the mall of malls. I was going to meet my friend for sushi and she told me to meet her at Samseong. When I got there she casually pointed and said, "That's where the rich hang out." Then we walked inside. I was definetly thinking WTF are we going in there then.lol but, I kept my mouth shut.


I should have taken pictures of the meal display but, I've eaten sushi before so I really didn't think about it. We went to this place that had Sushi plates on a moving display that went from the back of the kitchen and around the table. You simply grabbed the plates of the belt, and stacked them to your left. At the end of dinner. The woman added your plates up by color and your out. It was quite filling and mashi suyo/delicious! Then we walked around the mall.Oh, I stopped and made a wish at the wishing well too. It took me back to my childhood when I deeply believed in wishing wells. The mall overall took me back to my preteen years in the late 90s. They had so many American places in there. Even better they had American sizes in shoes and clothes, which is virtually impossible to find in Korea. They had Bennigans, that went out of business in the states amongst a few others. They also had Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Burger King, On the Border, Dunkin Donuts, KFC, and a whole lot more that I didn't make it to because I was so tired from walking around. They also had Nintendo, FUBU (WTF Americans don't even like that anymore and isn't it For Us By Us meaning black people?)
,a music store with old school artists(Method Man, old Mary, 50 Cent, etc), and some other oldies but goddies that I can't remember. I was constantly like, " oh wow, they have that here?".I'm going back again, when I can buy something other than a face mask. Face mask are heavily worn here in Korea. It's supposed to protect you from outside germs, even though it's cloth, or your germs from the outside if you're sick. I bought one because when it's cold, it keeps you warm with your breath(I know how that sounds.lol).
Until next time, anyong hi kaseyo/Goodbye!

Random stuff plus another black event

I need a tip drill!!

So let's start this post with another "Thats So Korean" item 2014. So as I was riding the train to the Brother and Sisters in South Korea event I noticed this ad and figured I just had to take a photo. I don't know what in the world this little Korean ad with a broccoli character could possibly be talking about but, I do know they have taken this scene from Nelly's "Tip Drill" cideo which caused much uproar in the AUC and in Hip Hop communities everywhere. In the "Tip Drill" video, Nelly is singin that it must be a girl's ass b/c it's not her face that caught his attention. The uproar comes in when he swipes his credit card through a woman's ass cheeks insinuating that he was pimping her or getting money from her ass. The reason this was such a big problem in the AUC was because the star of this scene was a student from Spelman. Spelman banned this video from being viewed on their campus after word got out. Anyway, I am still trying to figure out what does broccoli and pimping have in common. SO again, rather than ask why, I have simply opted for the thats so Korean answer.

In other news... I absolutely love my computer and modern technology. I am able to watch clear movies a day after they come out in the states on my laptop, google any question that pops across my mind, check my bank balance, shop for whatever it is I need at the moment and purchase it from anywhere in the world, find directions, reviews and current events online, exercise at exercisetv.com with free various videos, research a topic to prepare for my class, look for a job, apply for a job, study Korean, french or any other lesson I desire, keep in touch with old friends on facebook.com, plan/book a vacation, view a how to blah blah blah on Youtube, keep friends posted by updating my blog, talk to/view my hubby on skype! Speaking of hubby, heres a picture of him here. Miss you!



Moving right along... So the Bro and Sis of Korea event was great yet again. We all gathered at "The Hive" in Itaewon to eat, drink, smoke hookah, and watch Chris Rock's Good Hair Movie. Man did it spark up discussion. We had to get booted out or we would have continued all night. I didn't come with high hopes because I've honestly been tired of the good hair/bad hair conversation but, I must say it took a different angle. It was so Great once again like 30 black people in Korea speaking on the black community. it was fun too. I think my favorite part of korea is the Brother and siters group. it's funny because you think coming from Atlanta I would be used to it, but black people unite when we apart from our comfort zone. Anyway I absolutely love it. I'm going to try to bring this idea home with me.



spoken word guy



After that some of us went our seperate ways. Me and the same two girls from last weekend's events went to an upscale indian restaurant. I didn't eat and I forgot to take pictures of their food. I took a bite and it was delish but, It didn't look like anything spectacular. I will try it again in a few weeks.

indian food

Well, B.D.B.D.B.D thats all folks!!!! dah dah dah dah dah dah dah!
Anyonghikaseyo!

Live Everyday Like Its Your Last!

Well, I figured that I'd name this post that because at early dinner, or should I say snack, one of the women said that I seem like I was acting like I had one day to live because I wanted to do everything in the same day. I told her I live everyday like it's my last!Yhis blog would be better named things I love about Korea. As some of you know, I had been extremely homesick over the last month and was doing nothing but sitting in my room pouting on the weekends. Last weekend I snapped back to my old self that would say,"Go hard or go home! Give everything your best effort!". I realized that I was not trying to enjoy myself and decided that if I'm going to be here I need to give it my best effort. So after posting a request to hang out on a group wall on facebook. one of the lead members invited everyone to try Ethiopian food in Itaewon. I had never tried Ethipian food and you know I'm always down for a food adventure and meeting new people, so I went. We all went to club zion.
The food was slamming but the plates were small you had forgotten you had eaten a minute later.It was even more slamming because it was all paid for by the lead group memeber who had invited us, sister Sha.
Needless to say many of us were dissapointed, but it was so nice to be out with a group of educated black women traveling the world for various reasons. I mean I really enjoyed myself. We sat there for about two hours talking and laughing before we decided to cross the street to an american restaurant with bigger portions.

I couldn't even capture everyone with my camera.
By the way at the restaurant across the street, we crashed someone's birthday party and had our own party complete with drinks and hookah. Whats hookah you ask? Well the first time I heard it I though someone was saying hooker wrong. Since drugs are extremely illegal in Korea, they go to little cafe's and smoke Hookah out of a bong.Hokkah is a flavored tea that gives you a nice buzz or believe it or not. It has grades of how strong it can be too. Its fun and relaxing at the same time. Have Koreans not thought of everything! A few of us pretended to be bad asses though and take pictures like we were really doing something. Good times, Good times. I only have like 3 pics but I think like 11 people followed over to the second restaurant.














So after about two more hours ,2 hookahs, and a Tokyo Iced tea later three of decided to go to a Noraebang. Now I had never been to one but had heard about them. Its Karaoke with popular english american songs in a small secluded room with tv's, snacks, and drinks. Now talk about good times! I think Noraebang is for sure my most favorite place now. We sang our hearts out for...yup...you guessed it...2 hours! Eating popcorn fruit, drinking soju and Pepsi. I did not want to go home, but it was getting late and the fun had to end at some point.Plus I needed to get up so I could buy a webcam at yongsan market the next day.
do you notice the tomatoes on the fruit platter next to the grapes! I mean we all no it's a fruit but in Korean they stand by it! They even put it in Ice cream!
eeew!
keigh sing

kathleen sing

me sing

noraebang

me close

3s company

So yeah Yongsan is this electronics market with blocks and blocks of electronics. i had one very specific thing to buy, which was a webcam so my boo could see me while I'm away. So i kept it limited to the mall portion only which was still 7 floors jampacked with every electronic thing imaginable on sale. You can compare and ask around. i took a picture of a portion of the bottom floor. Like many malls in Korea, The techno mall is attached to the station at Yongsan station. At first i thought maybe I stumbled upon an airport but nope, It was just another train station. Coming from atlanta its a little fascinating because there is not even a vending machine inside the Marta station but here in Korea they have everything in the train station! For example the station that i take from my house (which is not a major station. Omokgyo) has a mall, a movie theater and a few restaurants in it!



yongsan station

yongsan mall

Speaking of Atlanta, some of my Atlanta readers can appreciate my need to take a photo of Mrs. Winners chicken in Korea! It's a chicken chain all opver the south and now I have spotted one in Korea! You got to love them!
chicken

Um... completely unrelated but let me finish. I finished my weekend at Emart which is like walmart. I figured it was the perfect way to end such an exciting weekend though I haver yet to tell you about my Friday, That'll be a later post some other time. Too much writing for one day. Anyway, I remembered about being amazed that the walking sidewalk is geatured everywhere in Korea, not just airports like at home. So i took a photo for you to view everyday life in the fast, convenient lane! Until next time. Anyong hi kaseyo!
emart

Where did all the posts go?

They didn't go anywhere. It is a new month and those new to the blogosphere, that means that they have been archived by date to your right. To catch up or view an old post simply click on the label you want to read or the month. Start from the bottom of the page and read up. Anyong-hi kaseyo!

HaPpy HAllOwEen!!! Muah ha ha

Well, my actual Halloween night was uneventful but, I wanted it like that. I stayed in the house, watched movies, and blogged. Actually, that's what I'm doing right now. However, I did attend the festivities at school (like I have a choice. It was fun actually. I got to dress up as a... yes, you guessed it...a witch!! Teacher witch Korean poses. my students were fighting over the camera that's why it's blurry. My bomb discount costume.lol.It was creative for a one time thing. Can you peep the striped tights? I think I've been the same thing every year that I was allowed to be something. The does and don'ts varied alot as a kid. Anyways, classes were shortened and we were able to scare the kids. First we brought the kids into the auditorium/kindergarten room and played a riddle game with them. Then, we had a best costume contest. For some reason All of the kids were witches, or some variation of the scream mask meets whatever they wanted, or the infamous skeleton hoodie. Nothing unique or spectacular here. little witch. I adore this girl. She is so sweet. I was cheering for her loudly even though like 7 other kids had the same costume on. I'm bad. This is one of my students. This kind of looks like his normal face no lie. Same bone structure.lol One of the contest There was only one girl who "thought outside the box" and dressed up as a cat.I have a picture. I digress... After the contest the kids participated in making mummy races with toilet paper. I decided to film the one student who didn't want to participate (just my luck. Oh its somewhere in this post).

After mummy races, the kids did a bootleg version of Bloody Mary. The crowd of children yelled Bloody Mary 3 times and my coworker who was dressed up as Freddy Krugar ran in the room and grabbed their heads with the claw. The young children cried. The older children were not impressed. Freddy. He's a little less scary as a midgit I must say. Lastly, one class at a time the students went into a dark room behind some curtain and got scared. The school called it "Trick or Treating" though I don't quite get this concept. They did give candy afterwards to the brave souls that went in but no one knocked on the door, or even said the words "trick or treat". Whatever this is Korea. After all that fun they asked the children to go back to class to pass in homework and take a test. Needless to say, alot of students failed and made the warning board that day (Side note: Warning board is a great disciplinary tool they use at the school where every time you have to speak to a child you put them on the warning board. After 3 warnings they go see the director whom either takes these stickers that are worth money away or whoops them depending on the offense. One time this child had a whooping worthy offense and he got yoked up right out of the chair in the middle of class. After his beat down the director sat him in his chair and there were no more problems. I love warning board.) Ok so Halloween... Oh yeah, as staff we had to dress up too. I was a witch like I said, my coworkers were a vampire, a baseball player, a boxer, Freddy Krugar,Snowhite, a doctor, and a nerd from return of the nerds. I never know who may read this blog so I'll keep my comments about some of the people and their costumes at bay but just know I have some comments. Some here...some not. nerd the doctor boxer the staff Last but certainly not least, I took some photos of the children that make me happy. Now I believe you should never let children know, especially by words or actions, that you may favor some over the others but, the truth is that you probably do. I was down in the dumps upon arriving to school and my first 2 classes picked my mood right up. They always do. They're great. The third class seems to do the opposite but there is one here or there whom I still favor. They're a rowdy bunch but, I love them. They're the reason you become a teacher. Theyr're so sweet,eager to learn, and compete to please the teacher. If only the whole world were like them. Class 2- I don't know, they are definetly tied with class 1 for being my favorites. they're more calm and collected. It's amazing how the classes have personalities as a whole. These are my babies! Silver lining on every cloud student. I have her sister in my other class and she's the same way. They even look alike! Now I know, I would say if reading this, "They all look alike" but, when you see siblings it's like damn! How did your parents refine the genes to a science? I mean twin status even if they're years apart! Well that's a wrap my friends. I must go but, until next time anyong hi kaseyo!!!