Previously La Dolce Vita, which documented my time spent living in Perugia, Italy, Restless Seoul will be my way of sharing my experiences in South Korea. Enjoy!
Another week done, and with this the first semester of the school year ends! All my coworkers are on vacation, but I have to run English camp for 2 weeks. Sigh. I'm doing a superhero camp so it should be fun, but I don't feeeeeeeeeeeel like doing it. The one good thing is that it will occupy me for the next 2 weeks, then when it finishes, my best friend Ronnie will basically be here! Woo!
On Wednesday for the last day of school we had a special lunch with all the teachers:
What the shit.
Yes that is a chicken in the soup that I had to pick apart with my chopsticks. Sigh. It was a lot of work but it was good. It's an official welcoming of summer!
Not much else to report. I spent most of the week prepping all mys stuff for camp, which is good since I have almost all of the two weeks done, but then what will I do after camp when I have to stay at school from 12 until 4:30? Probably watch Running Man, which I did some this week. Woo!
Oh My Ghostess was so good this week. I'm freaking out. I love me some kdramas.
In other happenings:
Sometimes I sleep on my wrist brace and this happens to my face.
Sometimes I get funny texts from my coteacher.
So Jung is one of my favorite humans on this planet.
This weekend was full of doctors appointments. On Friday after school I went to the dermatologist, then met up with Sarah and Lauren and Tina for dinner and bingsu (mango cheese of course), then Saturday Tina and I went out to the dentist. Gotta get shit done.
It's monsoon season so it downpoured on us in Itaewon, but not for too long since we caught the bus home.
Our hair suffers in this weather. It's like 90 degrees with 90% humidity like always. Even the rain doesn't help.
We still cute though.
Tina and I planned out our vacation for when Ronnie gets here. So excited! So many things to do/see/eat! Woo!
Also, why is this a thing:
It says: "I want to thank all of my friends, especially Mary, who was there every time I needed her." Which is awesome English and also a nice sentiment but why is it on a toilet seat.
Tina and I settled in on our rainy evening and relaxed. It kind of already feels like vacation and I'm torn about camp because I'm afraid it will be a disaster and So Jung isn't my coteacher but my kids are so cute and I think it will be fun. I mean it will happen either way so whatever. Just gotta do it.
Sunday was our normal dance day. This week: AOA (Ace of Angels) and their new song, "Heart Attack." It's probably my favorite girl group comeback this summer, even though I didn't like the song at first. Oh well. Now I freaking love it.
It's much cuter and sexier than Beast (OBVIOUSLY), and much more manageable (ALSO PRETTY OBVIOUS ONCE YOU WATCH).
Here's the dance version:
We had so much fun doing this dance! Our teacher scolds us a lot because she wants us to make sexier faces but we all are really focused on learning the moves. Our bitch faces are pretty fierce though. But it's all in good fun.
Here is our attempt at it:
We were just group A, so half the class. You might have some trouble viewing the video. Know that we killed it.
It wasn't as much of a workout as usual, but I also didn't feel like dying (lookin' at you, Beast!) so that was nice.
After class, most of us went out to get chimaek (chicken and beer) for dinner. Since everyone is pretty good at Korean we mostly conversed in Korean. Our teacher thinks I'm the quiet twin because I don't speak Korean as well so I get nervous and don't talk as much. Hah! If only she knew how Tina and i really are.
Anyway, it was really fun and long story short I cannot gush enough about how much I love this dance class and how awesome it makes me feel, and how lucky I am to have it.
From me counterclockwise: Tina, Sarah, Chelci, Su Yeon (our lovely teacher) and Won Oh (who braved the sexy girl group dance like a champion)
In other musical obsession news, I got hooked on another Beast song this week. It's called "Lightless" and this is the acoustic version. The real version is good too, but it's more upbeat and techno-y. This one is slow and calming. Everyone should give it a listen:
People always try to act like Kpop singers have no talent in singing, but everyone in this group is so on point. They're so good at dancing so people might expect their vocals to be lacking but that is just not true. I'm so in love with this song and this group. They make me so happy.
So stoked for their comeback tomorrow! Woo!
Here's to camp going well! And a good week overall in every way!
Everyone just do you. Stay dry, cool, and healthy. Love you all!
Well it has been quite a week over here in Seoul. It's the end of the semester, the weather is unpredictable, and sometimes you make sudden plans to go see musicals on Wednesdays.
A few things:
I bought a new skirt! I've been eyeing it in Edae forever and finally just bought it. The girl was real excited since we were the first set of foreigner twins she had ever met. So.
Sometimes when I wake up, my hair looks like this.
Sometimes at school we get ice cream but we already cleaned up our spoons so I have to eat "Candy Floss" flavored dippin'dots (it;s cotton candy) with chopsticks.
These bastards make a lot of noise and I hate them. Also why are you so big. And on the 16th floor, Go away.
This week was a roller coaster. On Saturday Tina had seen Phantom, not to be confused with Phantom of the Opera, and had loved it so much she wanted to see it again with Park Hyo Shin because he was amazing. So we said yeah if we could get tickets to see him again we would. Suddenly on Tuesday I was informed that we got tickets for Wednesday. Woo!
PHS is in the middle. The guy on the left was Dracula but we didn't see him. He ws also Jekyll/Hyde but we didn't see him either. We didn't see him as the Phantom. He always looks like a vampire. Someday I'll see you live, dude.
The large cast. They change a lot.
We hung out after getting opera glasses and took some pics. Korean productions have awesome photo ops.
Park Hyo Shin pillar.
Tina's coteacher Young Ah really likes him too.
Park Hyo Shin is bae.
I loved this photo space.
Taking turns with the mask.
Awww!
Now, I don't actually know too much about this musical. I listened to the English soundtrack like once at school and read the playbill and Tina explained a lot to me. I understood some of the Korean and for the most part the storyline.
It was really long. Like started at 8 ended at 11.
It was reeeeeeeeally good though. Park Hyo Shin has an incredible voice. I really enjoyed him. Also the Phantom in this one actually gets his name, Erik, and wears like the most ludicrous masks. This version doesn't take itself as seriously as the more famous one. It's more fun and musically diverse.
It also butchers the absolute shit out of the story. Like, Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy different from the original novel. Even more than POTO.
Still, I really liked it.
For more on the differences, I direct you to Tina's incredibly detailed post about
Anyway, I got home hella late. Like 12:30 late. I was so tired. Even worse, when I have my windows open and some of the windows are open in the hallway because it's exactly a million degrees here, it creates a wind tunnel and this happens:
That would be my Mamacita poster and half my shit on the floor having fallen off my door.
And my Japan magnet broke :( I superglued it but you can imagine how upsetting this was after a long day of teaching and getting home at 12:30.
I finished a really stressful week of teaching (the SMOE auditors were here so my cos were really busy and so was everyone else and I helped a little but the energy was tiring) and getting camp stuff ready since So Jung has to have it all done before she goes on vacation.
Friday and Saturday I did literally nothing. I watched tv and relaxed and it was glorious.
I started watching "Oh My Ghost," sometimes "Oh My Ghostess" depending on the translation, upon the recommendation of So Jung. She was totally right.
I loved a ghost drama called "The Master's Sun" and this one is similarly sad and hilarious.
Main girl is timid and shy but has a crush on suave, arrogant, cool Chef main lead. Ghost with no memories of how she died likes to possess people. She's a virgin ghost so she needs to meet a "man of vitality" who won't pass out upon kissing her (among other things...) so she can resolve her virgin grudge and ascend, or else she'll become an evil spirit. But she is lively and crazy, and gets stuck in quiet, meek, demure little assistant cook to main chef girl's body and messes up literally everyone's lives. I'm only 4 episodes in but it's easily one of my favorite shows I've watched. I have a lot of suspicions about it though. To be confirmed later.
Sunday brought me once again to dance class, where we attempted another song by my favorite group, Beast. This is the first time we've repeated a group. First, we did Shock. This time, Good Luck. And boy did we need it.
Now, I love Beast. They have a comeback at the end of the month and I think I might lose my mind.
But today, I hated them. HOW ARE THEY ALL SO GOOD AT DANCING. Seriously, even EXO wasn't this hard. EXO and other groups have like breaks. Each person does certain parts then they all come together. BEAST IS LIKE NOPE EVERYONE DO EVERYTHING ON ALL THE BEATS ALL THE TIME.
I looked up some tutorials and practiced a bit beforehand, and if I hadn't I might have quit. They're so good. I have no idea how they do it and sing live too, Ugh. Why are you so perfect.
Here is an MR Removed (where they take out the music recording that supports them) so you can see the dance and such.
I will always take a chance to talk about how good Beast is, so here is my favorite song from them:
Seriously this is my favorite song ever. Of all songs. I listen to it at least once a day.
Here is a MR removed version so you can hear how fucking stunning they sound. While always dancing. This one is a little less intense than Good Luck, but still.
Omg I am back to loving Beast now that all my muscles have seized up on me. Boy group dances are no joke.
For your amusement, here are my attempts at this dance:
I messed up some parts but overall I think I did a good job in 2 hours with a difficult dance.
And here I mess up other parts but whatever. I had a lot of fun and definitely will practice this one to get better at it because I freaking love Beast.
In other favorite group related news, Super Junior released a new song in honor of their 10 year anniversary. I really dig the song. See, this dance I think I could learn.
I really love them too.
Well, only two days of teaching this week then it's all camp prep all the time. I'm excited for my 40 kid camp about Superheroes!
I'm so tired right now. Thanks, Beast. I still love you.
And I still love all of you, dear readers. Stay well! Good Luck to you~
Hello all! It's really hot here in Seoul. It got up to like 96 degrees recently with a ton of humidity, so I am melting. Now it's rainy but that still doesn't bring much relief!
I was a little homesick since Monday was my dad's birthday and with the 4th of July and the US Women's team winning the World Cup I missed home a lot this week.
Nothing much else happening this week. Getting everything ready for camp while still planning classes has proven to be a nightmare. Sigh.
Good news about that, though! We needed 32 kids to get the right budget for camp, and we had 40 sign up! So Jung said that hasn't happened before. We almost had to have a lottery because we aren't equipped to handle so many students. Most of them are third grade and despite my best efforts to level test them, they are all mixed up so camp should be fun but exhausting. I'm excited.
I'm mostly excited that when I was running my 3rd grade class one of the parents walked by and saw my class doing an alphabet dance, and she happened to be on the council of parents for my school who just so happen to be needed for approval of camp stuff. She said my class looked like fun and So Jung was able to tell them that the dance was my idea, not my coteachers, and the principal even said some words about how much the kids like me and I'm a good teacher and I'm staying. I'm going to have to be careful walking through doors since my head is so big now.
I really didn't do much this week. Normal Korean classes, studying, breaks. We did get more bingsu. Yum.
Friday we got Gusto Taco because we all needed it. Some people are starting to have to say goodbye to their kids if they're leaving or moving schools in August, so it's a rough time.
Saturday I went to an extra Korean class so I can practice more. It was hard but fun. I'll probably keep going.
I met up with Tina after she went to see Phantom (Not the Andrew Lloyd Webber one) and we did a little shopping and visited a cat cafe!
Here are a ton of pictures of cats!
Lion cat
CATS CATS CATS
WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN?
Derp-face!
Got some treats. Feeding cats.
I'm always excited to meet new cats.
Tina with the giant cat.
Look it's so hot he's even all about the AC
And now a series of pictures of me with my favorite cat.
We finally went home and relaxed. We finished "We Got Married" with our favorite couple. Wahhh. I slept a lot and apparently talked a lot in my sleep. Yay!
Sunday I had to ride out and pick up a vacuum from a friend leaving Korea. So now I have a vacuum.
Hopefully this week will bring more adventures! Or at least more happiness.
In funny news, I took a stupid selfie on Tina's phone at the cat cafe and Facebook thinks I'm her. Hahah.
Exhibit A
I wasn't crazy about it at first, but after hearing it repeatedly I am loving AOA's new song, "Heart Attack."
Also So Jung and I were discussing our music tastes and playing music while working on stuff this week, so it got me reobsessed with Beast, as always, but especially "Fiction:"
안녕하세요! Hello! I got mistake for being a Korean this week when I said it and no one was looking hehehehe.
Anyway, another week over and gone. I can't believe it's July. Time is going so fast!
I'm exhausted from this weekend. This week was so busy too. No wonder time goes so fast these days.
Here is my current love:
The package says for two people but my heart says for one.
Cheese ddeokbokki that I can make at home. It't more expensive than buying it from the nice ladies down the street from me, but it's really good.
Me in my most attractive state, probably.
I haven't posted a lunch pic in a while:
Sometimes we have quail eggs which I freaking love.
Anyway, my week was a bit crazy. We didn't have Korean class on Tuesday and Thursday so I was ready to be a hermit and relax all week. The Universe had other plans.
On Tuesday, Leeteuk from Super Junior tweeted that he would be at his cafe in the evening. Since I didn't have class, Sarah and I decided to try our luck and go. Tina was having a dinner with her Korean class instead of having class, so she couldn't go.
We traveled there after school and made our way through the rain to wait at the Kona Beans in Apgujeong, which is clear across town.
We were such sweet summer children.
We got there around 6:30 and waited. And waited. We had said our cutoff was 8, then 8:30, then 9. Sarah (perhaps rightly) gave up near 9, but I don;t know how to do half measures so I decided to be in it for the long haul. I'm stubborn and decided that being tired tomorrow was better than being disappointed that I wasted my whole evening waiting and not even seeing him.
We suspect he had another schedule that ran late, since he tweeted "evening" not "night" and he's generally pretty considerate. He showed up at 9:20.
This is the car he rolled up in:
I was informed by a German girl that this car is worth about $150,000
Here is him rushing into the cafe.
After waiting for him to arrive, I then had to wait for my number while he took orders and chatted.
He kept getting gifts.
I was in the smoking room and could see him pretty close through the glass.
At 11, yes 11 PM, when the Cafe was going to close, he stopped taking orders after only getting through 105 people. I was actually having a panic attack and almost left in tears and shaking anxiety because I was like "oh my go you idiot you have school tomorrow you're so stupid this was stupid and you won't even meet him and this is useless." Thankfully I didn't.
My number was 106, so they lined us up from there and we were allowed to just chat and say hello.
Me lined up.
Him, checking his phone.
Me taking selfies with him.
Him, being a tiny human.
He asked me if I was from France, and I was like no. Then I told him I was from the USA (this was all in Korean) and he said, "I love USA!" in English. The coordinator of the event then told him he had to hurry since so many people were waiting, so he switched to handshakes and saying hello and thank you.
Except he didn't shake hands starting with me.
...
...
He got through like 3 people, seemed to realize what he had done, and ran back up to me and apologized and shook my hand and said thank you.
I ran out after that because all of the crazy vultures who hadn't had numbers and had DSLR cameras or who had already met him and were still crowding the cafe suddenly tried to rush at him and I got out before it became a problem.
One last picture so I can remember how happy I was at that moment.
I got to the subway and with my phone dead I had a long ride home. I got home at like 12:30 and knew I would be super tired the next day, which was true.
Now that I've been to two of these things, I will probably not go again. But if I do I know to expect like 5 hours of waiting haha.
I'm a little wiser now, and I've met 2 members of Super Junior, so I think it was overall a win.
Wednesday was exhausting.
Wednesday's lunch: Black bean rice! and a giant mandu!
I actually took a nap at my desk for real, which I haven't done yet.
Sarah and Tina and I went to look for shorts after school since none of mine fit, but we had no luck. Alas.
Thursday I finally got to hermit, but I had to venture out to the Daiso near me for a new sleep mask!
Cat mask!
So cute!
By the time it was Friday I was like "whoa Friday what??"
My kids are apparently so done too. This was their attempt at my classroom's calendar:
The months have been flying by but man July feels really long...
After classes, Tina, Sarah, and I met up with their friend Priscilla, who is leaving in August to go back to Canada. We got delicious foods:
We went to a famous ddeokbokki place.
And desserts
Famous dessert cafe. I have been craving this since I got it with my coworkers last week.
One mango kind wasn't enough so we got a chocolate one too.
There are no words to describe how good these things are.
An early night after such foods was exactly what I needed before the 4th.
We finally got to celebrate Janell's birthday!!!!!!!!!
We went to The Alibi Gastropub in Gangnam and got some good food and good beer.
Tina took off some of the bacon and I called her unamerican.
They lost her reservation but still managed to have enough space for the like 17 of us.
It was good! She has some Korean friends and it't hilarious when Koreans realize there are other Koreans there because they have to get all formal and ask ages and stuff and bow and whatever.
Most of us continued on the club Syndrome, where we had a VIP table and drinks. It was so much fun! It was my first time at a club in Seoul and it did not disappoint!
Hawaiian princess and her cake.
VIP's!!
Happy Birthday, Janell!
You can smoke in clubs which bothered my sense a bit, and it was hella crowded. We found space in the "hip hop zone" and they even played part of "Crazy," the dance we all learned a few weeks ago. After about 2:15AM I was finally danced out. I finally got to wear my clubbing clothes and dance the night away, but we subscribe to the "nothing good happens after 2AM theory" and headed home.
Thankfully I didn't drink too much and we didn't get home too late, so I was fine this morning if a little tired.
Tina and I made it to dance class! We were supposed to learn Hyuna's "Red" but at the last minute it was changed to Taeyang (from Big Bang)'s "Ringa Linga." Now, I love this song and was excited that after last week's Big Bang song "Bang Bang Bang" that we could continue the Big Bang love.
Holy shit this dance is so hard. Like so fast and hard hitting. Plus there were only 5 of us today, and 3 of us had been partying pretty hard the night before. I knew I wouldn't be great at it but it was like my brain and my body were totally disconnected haha.
I'm still glad I got to go and had a lot of fun, but man am I tired. Hence I ate enough ddeokbokki for two people.
Anyway, here is our attempt at the first part of Ringa Linga:
Oh man.
And here is the actual dance done by the sun himself (Taeyang means sun):
In other music news, Big Bang has once again absolutely SLAYYYYED this month. They are doing their MADE series, and releasing two tracks each month til they release the whole album in September.
M - Loser an Bae Bae
A - Bang Bang Bang and We Like 2 Party
D - 맨정신 (Sober) and If You
E - ???? Who knows but it's going to be fucking incredible.
I've been dying to make this joke, but I really love the D. Hahha.
No but seriously. I've liked all the songs so far. I wasn't crazy about Bae Bae at first, or even Bang Bang Bang on first listen. But now I really like them all.
If You and Sober are incredible. I loved both of them on first listen. Sober is a more upbeat party song and If You is billed as the saddest song Big Bang has done.
Oh man they do not disappoint. I cannot say enough about how much I love these songs. Here's the video for Sober:
Pay attention to the white fog. Dreamy white fog versus sober reality of the white room. Amazing.
This song reminded Tina and me of MGMT's "Kids" and of some other western artists like Death Cab for Cutie. We think the slightly western feel appeals to us because we're more used to it, but it's still awesome for a kpop song.
And here's If You. I may have teared up upon first hearing it:
I like when people color code them and tell me who's singing. Wit Big Bang I can tell more, but with large groups like Super Junior (where I know all the members names but not their voices) or EXO (who can even keep track of who's in that anymore??) it's harder to tell.
Ah man. Another week of school is upon me. Not too long til vacation!
