ever try to get that close to me

 ~ divas give it to me ~

a moment 

both recovering from facial surgery 

the o trio 

needs more scarves and watches 

so i spent the holiday season outside of the country and away from loved ones for the first time ever!  and i must say it was not bad!  we had christmas eve at my place with a big turkey dinner, and aeri and dave came over, then we had christmas day at sarah and mikes place with a big brunch of bagels and french toast .. it was quite eventful fortunately.  not too much time was spent sulking over being with "strangers" as opposed to close friends and family.
  on christmas eve evening we opened stockings and it was really entertaining!  especially when aeri opened her cd case and it was empty, again fortunately.  christmas day we exchanged gifts (like secret santa but not really clandestine) and once again involving aeri, bryans gift was a big cheerios box filled with mountain dew and then a nice totoro doll below the energy ampers.
  since then the vision has gotten a lot better however it is still difficult for me to stay very far away and things up close like the computer, bummer.  we had our ten day check up the other day and they said they noticed a scratch in my left eye and that i was not allowed to blink too hard.  WTH?  so this means: i cannot yawn, smile big, laugh, nor can i yell at my kids because i squint when i yell (naturally)!  the bright side is that i will be able to avoid wrinkles on my face, especially that furrowed brow that i get when i laugh and yawn.
  segue.  tomorrow is new years eve and we are going to aeri and dave's in anyang to have dinner and pre game for the night.  afterwards we're going to city hall to watch the big ball drop and for the huge countdown in seoul!  i am excited but also anxious because big crowds in big cities really bother me, this is the charlottean in me!
  OH so there is something that has been bothering me this week but maybe it will subside in a couple of more days, we will see, but if not -- maybe i will publish a post regarding this minute "problem" ..

  EVERYBODY HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE EVENING!!  =)

living within our means .. pshh

anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination - oscar wilde

i name her beckee 

pre-surgery elevator ride 

post-surgery artificial tears insertion 

  I have always wanted to get laser eye surgery, with much influence pushed by the mother nonetheless.  So about a month and a half ago a co-worker and I decided what the heck let's go get our consultations done and see how we feel (except the feeling part was dismissed).  Without thought we went ahead and booked our surgery date for a few weeks after our consultation.  The next thing I know I am preparing myself for surgery and getting undressed to enter the pre-operation room.  They sit me down and wipe my face down with alcohol and pull my hair back as another nurse is inserting anesthetic drops into my eyes.  I am carefully walked over into the operation room and laid down on the bed and told to keep my eyes closed for a few minutes for the drops to settle in.  The next thing I know is that I can't open my eyes if I wanted to albeit I probably didn't know I was actually opening them any ways.
  The whole procedure probably took about eighteen minutes and the most painful and yet sensational part was the washing out of the cornea with their power hose of alcohol shooting out like fireworks.  They did this three times each eye.  The second most afflictive feeling was the clenching and tension of my buttocks because I placed my hands underneath them so I wouldn't "accidentally" punch the doctor or the nurse hovering over me.  Other than that, ayy not so bad!
  After, they walked me over to the recovery room where they had me sleep for a half hour on a heated bed with three blankets on top of me causing me to sweat profusely.  Nevertheless I slept like a baby, snoring and everything (except I don't think babies really snore).
  So most people would go straight home after lasek but I trucked my little butt over to frisbee (apple) and bought myself a "good-job" gift!  I finally purchased the two terabyte time capsule and it completed my money spending for the remainder of the month.  I spent 3000 dollars in one week.  WHO AM I?  But like Oscar Wilde says, "Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination."  And with my new eyes, I shall imagine, and imagine is all I can do -- because I can't see (still recovering).
  Now I bid you farewell with this beautiful picture of my FRIENDS in korea: Sarah, Michael, and Brandon!!

at the back of rainbow hookah bar 

OH YEAH HAPPY HOLIDAYS -- MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY ~ ~

turkey day ~

 If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.  ~M 

  So today is technically thanksgiving.  It's weird because I knew this holiday was coming but the depth of it never really hit me until my best friend messaged me about it.  After I glanced at her message and saw the word 'thanksgiving' I thought: oh yeah this is a pretty big day in the states and here we are in korea not even considering it really.  We're having korean barbecue with a friend's family and work friends tomorrow (thanksgiving) night.  If we really wanted to we could go to the work thanksgiving dinner upstairs, apparently they're having turkey and other stuff which would be nice to attend but the friend asked first.
  Last year's thanksgiving was really good because my grandmother was finally out of the hospital and little baby june bug's family was in town including the uncle and my mom!! And this year I have a new family.  It's really awe-inspiring how close I've become with the people around me here.  I couldn't imagine this country without these people.  We are truly a family and I am genuinely thankful for them boundlessly.  This year I am thankful for: Korea, people I work with, my grandmother being healthy, and my happiness (it's not selfish, if i'm not happy, you're not happy -- trust me). Oh I'm also thankful that my mother doesn't have to worry so much about my personal economy, this chick gets by well.
  Anyway, I hope everybody has a very happy thanksgiving and eats A LOT of turkey and stuffing with cranberry sauce.  I am salivating at the moment, cute ~

we need to talk ..

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

weezy are baby 

three of brandon's cutest boys in my speech contest round 

three of brandon's girls in my speech contest 

Generally speaking, I am pretty content with my life, but that is about it -- just content.  I worked a total of twenty extra hours within the last couple of weeks JUST for my Masters class and only got paid a hundred bucks for it.  That was very Bush-like of her, to preemptively reward me before I ask to be paid for the 20 additional hrs.  That's like another 650 dollars in my pocket right there I should be getting paid for!  That's a pair of Tory Burch boots right there, or a quaint Louis Vuitton bag.  But I don't have the guts to ask for it.  Why?  Because I just don't even know anymore.  That is my problem.  I just don't know anymore.  What do I not know?  I DON'T KNOW, i don't even know what i don't know (spoken like a true politician).  But what I do know is that in order to be more than content, I need to think it.  I must stop letting the little things get to me anymore.  Little things like people talking about me and my friends about our work behind our backs (HEY DRAMA, thanks for coming with me to korea!).  But like my kids said the other day: Nobody powerful gets their power without drama and aggravations.  They are quite insightful little children.
  On a lighter note, I had shabu shabu for dinner tonight by marah's place.  It was really good, better than the shabu shabu back at home in Cali.  What would be nice is to go visit Amanda at her new place in Japan and have shabu shabu there!  I love Japanese food!  Anyways it was my only meal today so here I sit at home after dinner eating some regular pepero.  I have to eat these sometime right?  I have a total of five boxes left from the ten that I received on Friday (Pepero day).  I don't really understand pepero day but it seems to be A LOT like valentine's day in america.  You just buy these chocolate sticks for everybody and you can buy stuffed animals with them for a loved one.  It's all about advertisement so it's just about money, that's what makes the world go around .. 

skinny bitch

  "But you too don't have to look far: Seek and ye shall find."

sarah and counselor jackie belting

adorable couple mirah (i just came up w that) 

mike posing

kate and me on halloween 

  So I am reading this book called Skinny Bitch about how to be smart and stop eating obvious things that are bad for you.  I have been reading this book for a while now but I think I am ready to finish it and give it back.  Everybody knows I don't eat meat, as in red meat, but I am considering giving up chicken too.  I am going to start this week and see how it goes, so wish me luck, or not -- whatever.  

  This weekend we kind of went on a Halloween cruise in Seoul and it was supposed to be around the Han River but we missed it because some of our group was missing and we were waiting around for them we we should have just gotten on the boat.  Anyway, it was still kind of fun because we got to hang out around the dock and drink and eat more than the people on the boat (no alcohol there).  Before that, we spent a good hour (max) at myeongdong looking for the finishing touches to our anonymous halloween costumes.  I was a chic cowgirl but should have went as a football player, Kate was Ferris Bueller, Sarah was a Korean student (good one), Brandon was Shaft, Jeff was an angel, and Mike was something from some old movie with bad people on it (sorry I already forget).  After the cruise sans being on water, we went to apgujeong (Korea's beverly hills) for a co-worker's birthday and it was fun but the drinks were really expensive (I mean we were in apgu so we should have expected it but still) they were ten dollars a drink.  Here is a blurry picture of the place: 

Bar/Club: Money Lounge 

  Sunday I didn't wake up until one and stayed in bed until four and cleaned the whole apartment head to toe, and here I am only to clean it again one day after.  I hope everybody had a very Happy Halloween and didn't spend as much money as I did (spent way too much in one day, regardless of it being a holiday).  peace. 

dorian gray

Critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things.

enough said 

trying to get a class photo on my bday 

bday present from a friend 

I started reading the picture of dorian gray about a week ago and i really like it so far.  not going to lie, I'm still in the first chapter but hey SO FAR SO GOOD.  My favorite part as of now is, 

"The ugly and the stupid have the best of it in this world.  They can sit at their ease and gape at the play.  If they know nothing of victory, they are at least spared the knowledge of defeat.  They live as we all should live, undisturbed, indifferent, and without disquiet."  

Which brings me to my topic and main idea of the week: I need to slow it down here at work.  I think I have been trying way too hard to do well and be a good person that I am being put in the spotlight for more judgement and an increase of criticism.  As a wise man told me: Be average, if you're below, you're always not good enough; if you're above, you're always depended on.  I'm neither of the three, I am all over the place and I just need to slow it down baby gotta have some fun (spice girls, anybody?) do do do doo.  I was having an awesome October until Friday.  I love October because 1 it is my birthday month 2 i love opals 3 i love autumn and 4 beginning of four great american cultured holidays (halloween, thanksgiving, christmas, and new years eve).  However, last Friday I had a bad day at work because all of the kids were acting a fool (luda).  It's gotten to the point where these children are so comfortable around me that they think it's okay to talk and stand up and eat, that I can't control them and manage them like I used to (babysitter?).  One little rot head in particular told me that I need to die because I am so mean and I seem to not advocate for democracy at school (he's right, I believe in narcissism).  I'm not going to lie, I am a little anxious about how the week is going to turn out for me, I could possibly get fired -- but what's new?  I think I say that every other week, it's a redundant j.lee expression now and I have a copyright on it, okay?  

  On the bright side, autumn is now here and it is cool (pun intended), and I like it -- because I can comfortably wear my jeans with a t-shirt and jacket =) .  The trees are changing and their leaves are falling and people are raking, I love it.  Halloween is right around the corner which means I can buy all the candy that I want as if I am going to pass it out, but really, it will sit in my closet room for me and only me to eat (yes i am fat, so what).  But no really, I think I am going to make little halloween goodie bags for my kids this week and pass them out on Friday and Monday!  YEAYY~  =D  

  I hope everybody has a very Happy Halloween weekend and please be careful!  

nobodys perfect

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  

my new cousin and me in gangnam 

on top of the big fountain at the park 

cover of the intercontinental brochure 

I had an interesting week this week.  Last Sunday I stayed in bed all day and watched a whole season of Friends (Season four [After Ross and Rachel break up again and Ross meets Emily]).  It was such a waste of a day but at the same time it was awesome.  First time in a while I got to rest and do nothing even though I could have been playing with the canine.

  I had one kid Tuesday night and I thought it would be amazing, but it was better, we talked and got to know each other.  I had a half day on Wednesday and then had only ten out of eighteen kids on Thursday night for Masters.  

  Friday evening I went to Songtan in Osan where one of the U.S. military bases are and had Thai food with some cool co-workers.  I got the chicken pad thai and milk tea, and although it was good, I did just get back from Thailand -- so it is kind of hard to beat that authentic stuff.  After dinner we went to a bar called Blue Jazz near the strip and had a couple of beers with some American military people who were quite interesting.  I thanked one of them for serving in the military and he said: Oh it's nothing, so now I have a distorted view of what they do.  This man makes about 75000 a year being in the military and only gets taxed 28000 of that 75 thousand dollars he makes.  On top of that, he doesn't pay rent or utilities.  We are both ex-pats (kind of, I should give him a lot more credit than that) and I don't even get paid a third of what he gets paid, I get taxed all of it from Korea, and I pay rent and utilities (even though my rent is chizeap).  I am considering joining the American military, now, do you think they are looking for any stylists or bitches??  Because if so, ah bingo!!  =)  Hope all is well with all of you!  

  By the way, my body hurt for a week long after I climbed that fountain up there, I suggest not to do it unless you're well equipped with strong skin and some fat -- which I am .. 

i think its just a cultural thing

thai military marching away 

pretty awesome fountain at siam paragon, bangkok 

cool fish at ocean world in siam paragon, bangkok 

IT'S BEEN WAY TOO LONG!!  So ever since my last post so much has happened to hanet ree!  One of her best friends came to visit, she got her hair cut really short twice, her first full term ended and a new one began, her cousin came to korea, and last but not least -- she went to thailand .. forreal.  

  Amanda came to vist me for a few weeks and it was awesome, we went almost everywhere in suwon and seoul in less than two weeks!  we shopped almost every day, ate out for every single meal, went to a different part of suwon or seoul every day, and definitely drank ample amounts of korean alcohol and even sang a good amount of korean songs as well.  we had a lot of fun and i cant wait to do it again in japan next time!

  I got my hair cut really short the last week aeri was here in myeongdong of seoul and it was half impulse half a processed thought.  ive been wanting to cut my hair short since settling into korea for a new look but never got around to it until all of the sudden aeri said lets get our hair cut tomorrow and surely enough we proceeded to the following day and i love it~! 
  My first full term at work ended and it was great but the new term is even better.  I have more levels and even a raise for a couple of them, meaning more pay, meaning higher check, meaning more money, = = + shopping .. 
  My cousin, Tina, came to visit Korea a couple of weeks ago and is still here but leaving this week.  We hung out in Suwon and Seoul naturally, eating good food, going to coffee shops, going out to drink, and meeting relatives around the area, etc.  It was awesome seeing her here, I love her, even when we're fighting like sisters!  
  LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THAILAND THAILAND!!  Bangkok is amazing.  This country is like no other.  Nothing like Korea.  Everybody is so nice and happy and poor, it is beautiful.  For a country that has such a low gdp, they are pretty content and satisfied with themselves and I think it's a pretty cool characteristic to have for a nation.  I've never met such a collective group of unattractive and poor, but yet joyful and ambitious people in my life.  The flight and hotel were not very cheap to Thailand, but everything in the country is so cheap, it all evens out in the end -- you end up leaving the country with money leftover to spend at the airport or your layover.  I RECOMMEND EVERYBODY TO GO TO THAILAND, and don't forget to ride the elephants and be nice to them, they're the oldest living creatures on this planet currently -- not including some insects.  
  I promise not to wait this long before writing another post, I have missed you blogger! 

you oughtta

"sexy" dance for any free drink!! 

  in light of finding out that one of my best friends will be visiting me for a week, i will make a list of things everyone ought to do when in this country:
1.  visit the dmz (demilitarized zone) between the north and the south
2.  visit insa-dong art area in seoul near myeongdong
3.  visit itaewon (little america) in seoul
4.  go to the park in the middle of yeongtong of suwon
5.  go to the noraebang after the bar and let it out
6.  have barbecue even if you dont eat meat .. try it
  so im sure i could think of many more things that are probably more fun to do but these are what came up first, the noraebang one is a bit random but you gotta do it!  see you so soon fluffz (manda)!!  =)

 
 

 

 

confusion or ..

Sometimes I'm confused by what I think is really obvious. But what I think is really obvious obviously isn't obvious...

bit of hwaseong fortress 

an entrance to hwaseong 

  this weekend i went to hwaseong fortress in suwon and only spent an hour there but it was a very relaxing hour.  The castle/fortress place is a big wall surrounding the center of the city of Suwon.  It was built in the 1700s by King Jeongjo in honor of his father Prince Sado.  The father was murdered by his own father by being locked alive inside of a rice chest because he disobeyed him by failing to commit suicide alone.  This fortress is now considered a World Heritage site by UNESCO, which I believe makes it a bit cooler if that's possible.
  I dont know if anybody has ever watched an old-time Korean drama but if they have, then they have seen a scene where "bad people" are punished to death and all I could think about at the fortress was: am i standing on a part of land where somebody was killed?  This place really put my mind at ease, even when thinking about the people who were beaten by the King's servants.  It was really cool to see the room of the King with his bed and gold painting/plating around the wood and head of it.
  Now, I just need to go back early in the day and spend the entire day there so I can actually see everything!  Can't wait ..

One of the little bedrooms at the fortress 

remember crazy jan?

they actually have hamsters as pets here in korea  

you would think the english would be correct 

why does the smaller toilet have a bigger stall than the normal toilet 

  So the past weekend I reluctantly decided to be of company at a bbq at one of the branches and yes, reluctantly.  Not only did I have to make the usual small talk with people I didn't know, I had to pretend to enjoy myself because I was the outcast there.  Now let's not get ahead of ourselves, if I really didn't want to go I could have just went home by myself, but as we all know -- I'm not THAT independent just yet.  I figured I would go have fun for an hour or two and then go home, right??  Wrong.  We ended up staying a few hours then finally as I'm thinking I get to go home and watch some Harry Potter with the Weezy, some guy (nothing against him, he was very nice to us) decides that it's okay for us to come to another location post-bbq.  Now, when I say he decided it's okay, I mean "guys it's okay come, please come, you will have a good time -- reallly it's okay" kind of it's okay.  So here we go on to the next venue with more alcohol meaning more unwanted shots down my throat to ease the anxiety of being somewhere once again I do not want to be at.  And there it goes.  Crazy Drunk Janet.  Yes I know you all know her.  I decided myself then that it was okay to let the people have it that I did not want to be there, no doubt.  So my friends (God bless them) gave in and said let's go home and we went but not without that "some guy" attempting to stop us and proceeding to say to me "i don't know who you think i am but..." with my continuing to just look at him make a fool out of himself.
  anyway, the moral of the night: quit being such a bitch jan, suck it up, and keep drinking -- it will all "be okay".  I did get some good pictures out of that adventure anyway, like that GREAT english up there!  =)

hey dude i like your bag

  i know this is the norm here in korea but i can't help to wonder why guys do this.  and what makes the girls here want the guys to do this?  this is my research question: Do girls shop for their bags with the boyfriends and get aid in choosing a bag because the guys are the ones who essentially carry these feminine things?  side question: Or do the guys just buy the bags themselves since they have to be seen with them out in public anyway?  
  is that why girls arms are so skinny and demented looking here?  they dont have to carry their bags out anywhere and considering women out here never stay home, they are never doing manual labor of any sort.  even the doors in korea are sliding doors so most of the places you dont have to push or pull any doors, just stand there and it opens for you or if it doesn't sense you -- you just push a little button and it will open automatically.
  next time i go out, which will be in a couple of hours, i will have my camera in hand to take many pictures of guys carrying nice little purses on their arms and if i get the courage -- maybe i will ask somebody my research question so i can write a thesis and a hypothesis.  wml.

america the great

little old korean house at namsan tower 

seoul map at the namsan tower peak 

I don't know where to start but I want to begin with HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND!  I am sad that I am not in the States this weekend to celebrate.  I just found out that half of the family is going to new york for the holiday and I am upset and jealous that I am not going to be there.  But in light of the great day, I am going to work on Monday wearing red, white, and blue with nice blue jeans on!  =)  Fitting, isn't it?  I also believe we're having a barbecue that night to celebrate with lots of American music including a little Miley Cyrus party in the u.s.a.!  I can't wait.
  The second two pictures are from namsan tower in seoul.  I went there the other weekend with a friend I trained with, their friend from the states, and my cousin from Korea.  This is the same weekend we went to the dmz while I was half intoxicated.
  I have been feeling sick all week and it peaked yesterday morning when I had a massive headache and I was dizzy all day.  It doesn't help to drink while you're sick, it only makes it worse, so I recommend no alcohol when under the weather (words of wisdom, right?).
  I am dog-sitting for a co-worker this weekend and it is quite entertaining to watch the two dogs play/fight because they gnaw at each others teeth and just head butt the whole time, and they could do this for HOURS on end.  well peace buddies.

cuts my security

architecture in front of the dmz tunnel number tres 

awful blue helmets we have to wear into the tunnel

big poster of a grand father during the war 

with a korean soldier at the dmz 

  this google post has been a bad friend of mine this week because every attempt at posting, somehow everything would get lost.  anyways, last week i went to the dmz with my cousin and somebody i trained with last month and it was fun if you dont consider the fact that i was half drunk for most of the trip.  not only did i fall asleep during the first part, i got sick at the end of the tour.  
  the first part that i missed was visiting the freedom bridge where prisoners were exchanged after the korean war, hence the name of the bridge.  the second part was visiting the third tunnel of the dmz which is close to seoul and was discovered by south korea in october of 1978.  the tunnel is pretty long but its really compact so only big enough for a few people to walk next to each other but huddled in which is why we had to have the helmets on and i, after the fact, learned the hard way to appreciate those blue things on my head -- otherwise i would leave without one.  the third part of the tour was visiting the dora observatory which allows you to see the dmz and gaesung city which is a big city in north korea where theres a big village.  the last part of the trip was going to dorasan station which is the closest train station to north korea from south korea and president bush visited this station in 2002 and made it really famous to the world, especially to korea of course.
  visiting the dmz was probably one of the best things i have done so far in korea, it took me back and made me realize how much history there is in this country, not that i didnt know to begin with.  although i am the epitome of a conservative american, i am allowing myself to appreciate my background and begin to consider my ignorance of being a "korean american".  thanks South Korea, couldnt have done it without you.