Where the heck do I begin. So sorry I have been absent from blogging for the past like...6 weeks. I've just been super busy. Lots has happened and right now I am going to attempt to dish it all out to you, or at least as much as I can. So starting with the beginning of October....
October 3rd-ish. Writing in a train station waiting for a train to Daegu. This is what I wrote: This week has been exciting and full of twists and turns. My school had midterms this week so I have been off for some time allowing me to travel and see friends and more of Korea. I thought I was going to travel more, but low and behold I was struck down with the plague. Nah, it wasn't really the plague but the head cold was bad enough to knock me out of going to Jinju for the awesome lantern festival. So as I sat in my room Saturday and Sunday I told myself well, I should probably show my excitement for the Andong Mask festival my host mom and sister planned on taking me to on the following Monday. SO my host mom who went to work on a Sunday (the woman was working a crap-ton of hours that week at her kindergarten and was SUPER busy preparing something for a department review) comes home and I'm like getting ready to tell her I'm excited for tomorrow. Then my host sister and she decide to tell me that they are sorry but we couldn't go to Andong the next day. I tried to hide the glimmer of disappointment that proceeded to cross my face. My host mother then started to explain that because HyeonSu, my host brother, had midterms starting the next day, she had to stay home so he could eat. Despite my usual default of total understanding and my prior education/knowledge in the ways of how in particular Korean and Japanese mother support all of their children's educational endeavors, I had a mess of conflicting feelings. Immediately when she said this I thought you have got to be kidding me...the kid can make himself some friggin Ramen because he hardly ever eats anything. For the most part I held my composure, but I could tell that she could see my energy drop a little and continued to say that she was sorry. I then also reassured her that I understood the circumstances and to not worry about it at all 문제 없어요. I am thankful that I did just that, even thought I could not deny my initial feelings of frustration, because what came next made NOT going to Andong or Jinju completely worth it. One, it is actually somewhat endearing how much a Korean mother or mothers in general help their children. Now I'm not talking the crazy-breathe-down-the-neck mothers....no I am talking about those who offer silent support to their families with constant positive energy. That's the type of person my host mother is as well as my real mom. :) And that's who I hope to become as well. Anyways....being a good cultural ambassador and trying to save as much face as I could was worth it. After dinner my host mom made us tea and then sat down with me on the couch. She dimmed the lights a bit - great mood setter- and we just started talking about life. She ended up telling me that she thought Americans were the best- they are friendly and open...basically she told me that because of me her opinion of America was genuinely good. I was surprised and at the same time flattered....and thankful that I was mature enough to keep my feelings in check and perspective. So we ended up talking about a bunch of stuff including the differences between American and Korean education systems (which still comes up pretty often and I am glad) and believe it or not the two of us ended up falling asleep on the couch together. Yeah, you know the way when you are having one of your friends sleep over and they share the bed with you....the people's heads are at opposite ends of the couch. Looking back on it, it was just precious.
So....some things that I want to elaborate on in posts after this consist of the following:
*October sometime- some friends come to Daegu and I pretty much show them around and we have a great time.
*Busan International Film Festival = awesome! Spent time with Fulbright friends and saw the Busan International Philharmonic Orchestra play before I saw a French film called "The Artist" that blew my mind!
*Lady in subway station in Busan tearing up when talking to me....in both Japanese and Korean....I think she was a comfort woman. It was unbelievable.
*Ice cream cone thrown out a window. 'Nuff said.
*October 14- took my 3rd grade girls out to 딱갈비(ddakgalbi) or chicken. It was awesome, but sad because we had to say goodbye to two girls transferring to Seoul.
*October 15- trip to Daegu to try and buy goodies for Halloween since I was obsessed with the idea of throwing my host sibs a legit party and having the best dang Halloween lessons ever. Result: Ashlee finding the meaning of true friendship (SHOUT OUT TO COCO AND KIRBY) and a CostCo run from hell....but is actually kinda humorous now.
*October 20-21 - Bonggok Junghakkyo's awesome school festival in which I participated! It was awesome to just walk around and meet students....and bust a move on the dance floor with one of my co-teacher's homeroom classes! The dance was a hit! And I loved every minute of it!
*October 21-24 - Fulbright Gyeongju Conference....and bread. Reunited with all the Fulbrights in Gyeongju. Loved it! and as a result some new nicknames resulted and a slogan for the Gumi Bears as well....Let's just say I'm Dancin' Bear and my friend Laura is Carnivore Bear.... :D
*Ashlee joins a Kpop spinning class, which becomes basically one of her reasons for living. It is THE BOMB. I do it 3 times a week and look like I just played 5 games of softball....or I was dipped in a pool. INTENSE and awesome. It's basically dancing on a bike.
*Halloween Lessons = Zombies. My kids took my advice on how to kill zombies and protect themselves from a zombie invasion this Halloween in Gumi. Probably the most successful and fun lesson I have taught yet. Shout out goes to KIM SALTIN...you were there with me in spirit all the way.
*Halloween Weekend Oct 29-30 = Friday night....download and subtitle with the help of a friend "Hocus Pocus" so host sister and mom can watch. Ashlee teaches a favor class on Saturday morning so that visiting students from China can see the new English room. Totally great, because it was another Zombie lesson. Then Ashlee and friends meet in Daegu for a night on the town. Ashlee stays with Coco's host family and is blown away by Coco's host brother's English. The kid is nine and like super sweet...totally pinky promised to bring my softball mit from home to play a game of catch with this kid. He's pretty friggin cool.
*Halloween 10/31- Ashlee dresses up as a witch for school. Hands out candy like it's her job and gets complements on her leggings....but the best is the conversation that happens that night when my host mom takes me out to coffee just because it is "Halloween Day" and an American holiday and we basically have a heart to heart. Possibly the best Halloween ever, despite being homesick. All my worries about connecting with the kids, and doing a good job as a homestay person are put at ease because she tells me how lucky she feels and how happy her family is. Let's just say there were some mutual tears. :D
*New obsession with Kpop has set in. Specifically a ridiculous curiosity with Big Bang and all things GD&TOP. I feel like I am in high school again.....that's all I'm saying.
*Hello November...Dinner with a lovely teacher and her daughter....I love them both!...and I start to get sick yet again....boo.
*November 6 - Kirby comes from Daegu to join host mom, host sister and I for a hike up Gumo Mountain (금오산) and we also meet up with one of my co teachers and her two little sons. We are that intense that we throw on ponchos and hike in the rain. We hike to a waterfall and eat lunch there and then we hike back down...my poor co-teacher was dragged all the way to the top by her youngest son all the while her oldest son was bawling on the 3 hour hike up the mountain. What an amazing woman that's for sure!
*November 8th- The introduction to "Korean toast" and the ambush of Laura on the street...so my host mom and I go shopping this night for a "jumper" or a jacket and on our way home "oh we are going to get YuJin some toast....she likes toast a lot." Here I am oh yeah I like toast too....I thought we were stopping at the super market to buy bread to bring it home to toast....oh no no....we go to a TOAST shop....where they basically sell toasted sandwiches and fruit drinks. Taken by surprise my host mom convinces me to get a bulgogi (all meat) toast sandwich....right before I have to go to Kpop spinning class. I am going to PUKE this sucker up if I eat it all by myself...and then I am saved. My host mom, of all people spots my friend Laura (who is a Korean adoptee and blends in quite well) walking past the toast shop on her way to the gym where I am supposed to meet her. I run after her and we basically rush-ambush her into coming back to the house with us, eating half of my sandwich, cross-checked innocently by my host mother and then out the door as fast as I could say bulgogi sandwich. Then I go to my Kpop spinning class where I sweat out the bulgogi toast sandwich and luckily do not (as I am doing the Roly Poly dance ..see this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xolk2cFzlo&ob=av3n ) spew on the middle aged women who are kicking my behind when it comes to this class. It ended up being okay though!
Phew! That's a lot but at the same time not even enough! I have to go to bed though. I will elaborate soon I hope!
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