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Alana
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| 3 cities in Korea, 3 different schools and 3 different experiences. That's the summary of the past 4 years of my life I guess. Reading through the entries I made when I was in Seosan reminds me of how much I disliked that place, and how I should have left earlier. Ah well, live and learn and all that bollocks.
Now it's experience #3, which is happening in a brand new area called Dongtan. It's about an hour south of Seoul and on one of the metro lines so I'm connected to the shopping hubs of Seoul (which was my biggest concern before coming here). It's really really new though, and we wake up most mornings to the roar of machinery as they build another apartment building. I've always preferred to wake up to the smell of cooking bacon. Ah well.
This time around I'm living and working with my friend Mathieu, which is new for me. I would have to advocate for living with gay men. Although my liver isn't as keen (you'd think it would have learnt to be more resiliant!).
I teach mostly kindergarten kids from 3-6 years old. So some challenging classes doing colouring and gluing. Highly stimulating in my opinion. They f*cking love colouring, that's all that needs to be said really.
Korea is still pretty much the same. Same sh*t different city. | comments: Leave a comment   |
| So after some thought we decided to cut out Nepal and India from our trip. Due largely to the fact we didn't have enough time and were sick of cold weather. So after a brief visit to the Shangri-la of Tibet we're in sunny wonderful Laos.
Now for anyone who is wanting to take a vacation to the south-east of asia, can I just put Laos up for contention as your choice of destination. It's the more relaxed version of Thailand, with similar food, friendly people and great beer. What more could a girl ask for? It's the complete opposite of China and I was happy to get out of there and get into a relaxing destination. Now it feels like I'm on holiday.
I'm eating a lot of food. The food is similar to Thai food, and they eat a lot of baguettes due to their french history. So this makes for a great place to sit and eat all you can.
I'm still sadly a pasty shade of white, apparently my legs actually repel the sun. I can actually see people wince as they walk past me and see my legs, and I can't honestly blame them.
So next we're heading down south to a place called Vang Vieng (or something similar) and then we'll head over to Vietnam to meet up with a friend.
Big humps to everyone! | | comments: Leave a comment |
| I finally have a picture of my ex-boyfriend...the ex-marine. And I'm posting it here so it can be left for all time.
Sorry Arnie, I'm bringing you to the world.
*sigh* Almost makes me want to go back to Korea....almost.
But not quite...
 | | comments: Leave a comment |
| Hello all...I've been neglecting everything shamelessly.
But I do have the excuse that I'm travelling around with nowhere to call home and nothing to call my own. Thus no computer.
But here I am in lovely Hong Kong and they are civilised enough to have an Internet Cafe, and so I shall write.
I've been moving around for the past month. I started on the coast of China and worked my way down. Beijing sucks, that's all I'll say about that. I stayed in a hostel that felt like a prison (i.e. down in the darkness of the basement with no windows and a startling amount of Europeans). I ended up sharing a room with girls from a missionary school (the religious movement...not the sex position) which proved to be...interesting.
Shanghai is much nicer. More trees, more parks and more clean. That hostel also sucked, but for different reasons. I swear to you I'm not lying when I tell you that it was above an old persons home. We had to walk up past crusty old Chinese people (there was no elevator) every day. That place was dead by 8pm.
Other places in China were nice. Most were small and started to look the same. Right now I'm in love with Hong Kong. God bless the British and their need to colonise everything! It's a great place to holiday if, like me, you are a born shopper. I admit to having some extravagent purchases (in Marc Jacobs and D&G no less...) but you can never pay too much for style. Says she who is continually poor...but whose style never falters.
Tomorrow is off to Macau. I'm not sure what to expect, as I've not seen many pictures of it but I'm sure it'll be intersting (from what I've read anyway). After that onwards back to China...great. And then slowly down into India the long way.
I don't miss Korea. Sorry Korea. I do miss the teaching, I really enjoyed teaching at Yes Youngdo. It was good to be a professional teacher for a while.
But for now I'm enjoying spending all that hard earned money and being a bum.
Hope everyone is well and happy. It's the year of the pig after all, what can go wrong I ask?
Alana
P.s. Just so you don't feel too jealous of my stay in Hong Kong, my bad luck with hostels continues and we're staying in a place where they stop the elevator after 10pm and you have to walk up the stairs. Wouldn't suck so bad but we're on the 12th floor.
So off to work on my butt muscles.
To prove I'm in china...some fun dressing up...
 | | comments: Leave a comment |
| *wipes away the dust*
Can't believe it's been so long since I last wrote. And can't believe it's taking me so long to write now (the reason being false nails which make it hard to type...I started writing this sentence 5 minutes ago *sigh*).
Still in Korea. The south part that is. Just in case anyone was wondering whether I'd defected to the North yet, for the awesome parties that place apparently throws. Although after tasting some North Korean beer I have nothing but sympathy for the people living there. Dishwater people...yellow dishwater.
I'm still tall and gorgeous, so y'all can breath a sigh of relief. I currently have a boyfriend to match, a personal trainer no less. And, while this is irrelevant I have to write it, he is an ex-marine. That fact always makes me giggle. If I can ever figure out how to post pictures I'll post one of the two of us (one day I really must learn how to do that...it's on the to do list, I swear).
I have five more months to go here. Hallelujah. I'm ready to get out of this hot, humid hell hole. Although sweating is great for my pores it's just not good for my overall well being and general smell. Especially horrifying when you consider how hard it is to get deoderant over here...I kid you not. A lot of koreans don't really sweat and the others prefer to go au natural. Which is nonetheless delightful for the rest of us.
I'm hoping to do a detour on the way home to NZ, probably to Australia as I have a few friends there (hint hint Claire!) and really should bloody go and see what all the fuss is about. But if things start getting too Home and Awayish I'm outta there.
Miss you all big time, will write again when I am more used to the stupid nails.
*mwah*
*hump* | | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment |
| I'm alive I tell you!
I've been busy working my cute butt off preparing, teaching, marking and then doing report cards. It's hard to do report cards as I always have this twitch in my hand to write something like 'While I feel that Kelly is a bright girl, since she hasn't spelt her name correctly in 6 weeks her time may be best used learning another language...chinese perhaps'. If only.
Incheon is a buzzing city, which is to the west of Seoul, about 2.5 million people or so. I have a lovely loft style apartment next to my school which has these amazing 12 foot windows, although unfortunately all I see is the hospital next door (I'm sure sometimes I see sick people looking at me).
I will be sharing my home from next week. This is voluntary however as it will be a blast from the past, and every girl needs someone to keep their bed warm. Thank you YB for volunteering to do so.
I'll keep you updated as to how living with a Korean man fares. | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| 1. Your name spelled backward.
Anala (which if you pronounce it is actually a pretty intersting name)
2. Last incoming call on your phone?
Best friend Megan
3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
Fleetwood Mac - Tell me lies
4. What's your favorite restaurant?
The Bodhi Tree - Burmese all the way (and the best Tea Salad in the world!)
5. Last time you swam in a pool?
Swim....what's swim?
6. Have you ever been in a school play?
Yep, in primary school I was somebody's sister in Huck Finn (Mary?)
7. How many kids do you want?
Preferably none.
8. Type of music you dislike most.
Most forms of rap and I'm not big on classical music either
9. Are you registered to vote?
Of course, although I don't actually vote that often
10. Do you have cable?
Unfortunately in NZ no I don't but I did in Korea and it does indeed make life better.
11. Have you ever ridden on a mo-ped?
Many times and have fallen off a few times too.
12. Ever made a prank phone call?
I'll admit to a few harmless calls. And a few not so harmless one's to ex-boyfriends.
14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
Sky diving I'd try but I'm scared sh*tless of bungee jumping...it's something to do with falling to the earth head-first that really bothers me.
15. Furthest place you ever traveled?
China I guess.
16.Do you have a garden?
No but my mother has one. Every time I come back here we seem to lose more lawn and gain a lot more garden...the woman loves her garden.
17. What's your favorite comic strip?
Peanuts. I'm a classic girl.
18. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem?
Yes, all the English and most the Maori.
19. Bath or Shower, morning or night?
Shower in the morning (which I should be having one now) and then if I have time and need some relaxing a nice long bath in the evening.
20. Best movie you've seen in the past month?
To be honest haven't seen any in the past month. How sad.
21. Favorite pizza toppings?
MEAT!
22. Chips or popcorn?
Chips, chips and more chips. As many chips as I can get.
23. What color lipstick do you usually wear?
Ummm....raspberry something...from Bobbi Brown
24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells?
Should I have?
25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?
Mwhahahahahaha...no.
26. Orange Juice or apple?
I love apple juice. LOVE it.
27. Who were the last people you went out to dinner with?
Mum, sister and Megan last night.
28. Favorite type of chocolate bar?
Moro bar or perhaps a peppermint chocolate one.
29. When was the last time you voted at the polls?
Is it bad if I don't remember?
30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?
I don't like tomatos. So never.
31. Have you ever won a trophy?
A few times, biggest one was for best student at High School.
32. Are you a good cook?
Depends what I'm cooking. But I'm not too bad.
33. Do you know how to pump your own gas?
Sure...doesn't everyone (and hell I don't drive but I know how to do it)
34. Ever ordered from an infomercial?
Nope.
35. Sprite or 7-Up?
Can I pick Mountain Dew?
36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work?
8 Years of school uniforms.
37. Last thing you ate from Walgreens?
What's Walgreens?
38. Ever thrown up in public?
Many times while drunk.
39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love?
What I want to know is why does a person have to choose?
40. Do you believe in love at first sight?
Sure, but I believe in lust at first sight more.
41. Can ex's be just friends?
Yes, as long as there are no hidden feelings left for the other person.
42. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
My sister after she had her baby.
43. Did you have a lot of hair as a young kid?
Yes I did and it was blonde.
44. What message is on your answering machine?
Don't have an answering maching.
45. Where would you like to go right now?
To visit my friends in China so I can eat good chinese food!!
46. What was the name of your first pet?
Chocolate the cat.
47. what kind of back pack do you have, and whats in it?
Aizim tan coloured one which has nothing in at the moment as I'm preparing to pack it to head back to Korea.
49. What is one thing you are grateful for today?
A cute email from my ex-boyfriend. And the fact that I'm going back to Korea soon which makes me excited everytime I think about it.
50. What do you think about most?
My friends all over the world whom I can't visit or talk to as I wish I could. I wonder what they're doing and how they're life is going. | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| I stole this from Clairey...but I'm sure she won't mind. I thought I'd do this because I don't update as often as I like and if anyone cares here is how last year was for me..
The Year 2005:
[P E O P L E]
1. Best friends? Gavin, Mathieu (I'm destined to marry a gay man...I swear) Alex, Lekki, Debby...
2. Best boyfriend/girlfriend? YB, since he's the first to ever cook for me :P
3. Lost any friends? Yes, far too many
4. Gained any friends? More than I lost...
5. Met a new good friend? Met a few of them
[P L A C E S]
1. Went out of the country? Few times
2. Moved? Few times
3. New school? Taught at a new school
4. How many times on an airplane? 8
5. Road trips? 1 (through South Korea)
[Y O U]
1. Have you changed?: It would be pretty boring if I didn't
2. New look? I change it every month...not every year
3. Any new additions? Some great bags (I *heart* Chloe)and shoes...lotsa shoes
4. Biggest conflict this year? Deciding to go back to South Korea
5. Most depressed time this year? Breaking up with someone
[L O V E]
1. Did you fall in love? Yep
2. Did you get heartbroken? Another yep
3. Who was your summer love? Heh...Mikel...(he of the limp dick)
4. How many boyfriends/girlfriends this year? 2 that I count, but according to rumours 3
5. Favorite date? My first date with YB
[S E A S O N S]
1. Favorite Season this year? Spring
2. Least favorite season? Summer, it's too bloody humid in Korea
3. Good birthday? Best birthday ever...although was too drunk before anyone arrived to the party
4. Any snow this year? Yep..it always snows in Korea (as it is right now)
5. Highest temperature? 38 I think...didn't really check the weather too much
[F I N A L Q U E S T I O N S]
Snuck out? Restaurants, bars, bathrooms, school, etc
Met a person who will change your life? All of them have changed my life so far
Kept your resolution? I don't make them therefore I don't get disappointed when I don't keep them
Got arrested? Nope...but got someone arrested (don't ask...although it's a funny story)
Had a first something? Ate testicles for the first time
Drank Alcohol? My liver screams 'yes'
Smoked weed/drugs? Nope (try getting it in Korea)
Did anything illegal? A few things
Kissed a boy/girl? both
Liked someone who didn't like you? I thought so but it turned out they did like me after all
Loved someone who didn't love me back? Yes
Lost a family member? My cat
Got bad grades? No but I gave a few
Got suspended? I wish
Moved states? Nope, just countries
Got a myspace? Yes
Started a band? Technically yes (a traditional korean music band...HAHAHA)
Spent over 1 million dollars? Over a million won
Went streaking? Not that I recall
Done something you shouldn't have? vague...but yes
Kept a secret? Who doesn't
Told a secret? Who doesn't
Done something you totally regret? Most things
Changed your view on things? Changed my view on everything..hell I'm going back to Korea after swearing I'd never go back. Nothing is certain. | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| Well christmas cards are on their way to corners of the globe. I'm not sure how long they should take but you should be able to start waiting paitently at your letter boxes soon.
All except Al....who has snubbed me and hasn't given me his address *sob* | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| Tee hee...see I told everyone I was actually a nice person.
 Dear Santa...
Dear Santa,
This year I've been busy!
In June I punched ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) earthmomma in the arm (-10 points). In September I bought porn for milk_and_glass (10 points). Last Saturday I didn't flush (-1 points). Last week I signed my organ donor card (28 points). In November I put money in aussieclairey's expired parking meter (14 points).
Overall, I've been nice (41 points). For Christmas I deserve an Easy-Bake Oven!
Sincerely,
druzzilla |
| | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| So I'm drunk and I'm in a PC room. God help anyone whom I chat to. I'm so bloody drunk. I've never drunk and surfed the net before. It's an interesting experience.
And the worst thing is that I have to get up in like 3 hours to go up to Seoul to collect my visa so that I can visit China. Well that's not the worst thing actually....there are many worse things.
To start with I finished my job. Now on the last day most English teachers get 3 things. 1) A months pay 2) one months pay as bonus and 3) their plane ticket home. I recieved only 1 of these. The first one. The second one I have to wait a month for (apparently my fucking stupid bitch of a principal will wire it to me when I'm in NZ....sure....like I believe you) and the third she didn't think she had to provide for me (hell it's only in my contract).
So upon being told that yes she did have to give me a fucking plane ticket home she proceeded to tell me that she'd decide when I'm going home. Even though I had asked for the 30th of September, when I'm back from my holiday in China, being the spiteful bitch she is she has decided to book me a ticket for sometime this week so as to make sure that I can't go on holiday. What she doesn't know is that I went up to Seoul today and booked my own ticket to go home for the 4th of October so that I can go on holiday.
It sucks that I have to use my own money when technically I shouldn't have to...but there you go. What else can you do??
I just feel so used. I've been at that bloody school for 2 1/2 years and this is the thanks I get. It just feels like a kick in the teeth.
Lets add that to my humiliation this evening. I've been flirting via text message with one of the guys who works at 501...I don't know why, he's just a little bit sexy to me. Sadly he's been mouthing off about said text messages and everyone in there knows all about the sordid details of my flirtation. It fucking sucks.
So I've had a shit week. Add to that the fact that I'm pretty sick with bronchitis and you have the perfect mental image of what I've been going through. Tis not pretty.
Must go home now and pass out. | | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment |
|
 I am Chocolate Flavoured.
I am sweet and a little bit naughty. I am one of the few clinically proven aphrodisiacs. Sometimes I can seem a little hard, but show warmth and I soon melt. What Flavour Are You?
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| I went this weekend and got my tickets to China. I am quite literally taking a slow boat to China. Don't laugh.
Thankfully on the boat (or 'ship' as I'm supposed to say since I'm travelling with a guy who used to be a sailor and he's getting fed up with me calling it a boat) there is a massage room, a sauna, bar and singing room so I'm sure I'll be kept entertained. I leave on the 16th of September for 8 days, then head back here to lovely Korea to pick up my bags and head home to wonderful, glorious NZ.
I'm busy at the moment packing up my apartment, it's worrying how much stuff you can accumulate in 2 and a half years. I've been twice to the post office to send boxes home since only 1/3 of my stuff will actually fit inside my suitcase. And I have yet to go shopping in China...ahhhhhhh!
I'm on my last week of work. Only 4 more days of teaching snotty little Korean brats. Thank god. They're happy to see me go and I can say that the feeling is mutual. The sooner I finish the happier I'll be. So hopefully I'll be back in NZ on the 1st of October so that I can summer back home for 4 months or so before heading off again to teach somewhere else. I have no idea where yet but I'm sure the wind will blow me somewhere interesting (note to wind: please send me somewhere with slutty gorgeous men and cheap alcohol). | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| I'm stuck with a decision. Do I go to Beijing for a holiday before heading back to NZ or just go straight home. I'm tempted by China, especially as I'm going with a friend from over here and I know I'll have a lot of fun with him (compared to last time I went with a tour group of Koreans...). So I think I might head there for a week. Really I just want to go and eat snake so that I can go home and really gross out my friends.
I arranged a 'Foreigners stuck in stupid Korea' meeting last Friday night (not our official title but it's catching on). Met lots of new people. A lot different crowd then when I first came here. A lot more guys and the average age has significantly increased. But some pretty interesting people and a lot of them you'd never have a chance to meet anywhere else. Myself and Sam turned up to the meeting already drunk. We'd been hitting the soju (traditional korean alcohol...rumoured to contain formaldehyde) before arriving and then hit the Long Island Ice Teas pretty hard. I woke up Sunday feeling like something had crawled inside my mouth and died and having what will officially be known as my 'nam flashbacks from the night before.
I think I made friendly with a lot of people. Very friendly. Damn. And I broke someone's belt while spanking him with it.
I feel mortified.
Anyhow. Might head up to Seoul on Saturday to buy some stuff to take home with me. Namely a lot of fake bags, wallets etc. They love their faux over here and so do we. My favourite faux piece I've seen was a lovely 'Louis Vuittong' handbag. I guess Louis Vuitton has a little known Korean cousin or something. Well worth taking home for the humour value, and just because it really seems to confuse people. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| Well it's official. In 4 weeks I finish my job in South Korea. My school has yet to book my plane ticket home but I'm assuming it will be pretty soon after I finish work. So in 5 weeks I could be home.
I've decided to go straight home. I just can't stand anymore Asia. I need to get home and get back to the 'real' world. I've realised this past week that although I'm used to this life in this country, it's not my real life or even my real profession. Despite all this it will be hard to let some things go. Certain people I've met over here, the celebrity status I've achieved in this city. I'm gonna go home and become just another average person....but maybe that's really not so bad. Average is better then abnormal.
It's just going to be a lot of work going back and starting all over again. But at least I'll get to buy cute clothes again :P and date guys who understand me! | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| My mind has been a bitter scattered at the moment and I actually thought in my last post that I did tell you where I got my new piercing. Guess not.
So I have found a picture of a person who has the same thing done (feel a bit disconcerted that it's under 'strange/unusual surface piercings'...)
http://www.bmezine.com/pierce/11-surface/A50720/high/bmegl102390.jpg
Same side and everything. But obviously I look cuter. I wanted to get something a little less mainstream, so I think I've achieved it (without too much pain :P ). | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| Ok so the owner of my school decided to change the password on our computer and not tell me. I love my school. Sure I said that through clenched teeth...but I meant it.
Nothing new with me. There never is.
I'll have more time when I'm back home in the land of NZ. And then there will be much catching up.
Will try to get on when I can...until then big kimchi kisses.
(And for those interested...I have a new piercing..) | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| I had a rather nasty experience this weekend. I haven't know until now how to write about it or even talk about it.
I went out on Saturday night for some drinking, dancing and singing as I ususally do during the weekend. We finished off the singing at about 6am and I headed home. It was light out and I always walk home due to the fact I live close by so I set off not worrying about anything. I have been followed home before in the past but they've always gone away at some point. A guy walked past me at one point going down another road so I didn't take any notice of him.
I finally got to my apartment building and as I was walking up to the door I heard a 'hey' and I turned my head and there was the same guy with his pants around his knees. I couldn't tell if he was drunk or anything but I just assumed he was a drunk flasher with nothing better to do. So I gave him a dirty/disgusted look and went into my apartment building. I didn't hear him behind me until he grabbed me from behind on the stairs.
We struggled for a while...him trying to undress me and me trying to slap and hit him away. It just wasn't easy though because he was right behind me and on a lower step so I couldn't hit his body, only his arms and hands. I really don't remember much, only his hand over my mouth and telling me to 'shut up' (yes, in english) and the toy that was hanging out of my bag (a gift from an admirer) falling down the stairs.
I don't know how long it went on for, but after struggling and finally hitting him with my rather heavy bag he ran off. And I sat down and called a friend to come over and get me so I could sleep at his house. I've never felt so alone and lost in Korea before. I couldn't call the police...they don't speak English. I couldn't knock on my neighbours door...they don't speak English and here in Korea your problem in YOUR problem.
So that's the whole story. First time I've told the whole thing. Except for the sleepness nights and feeling unsafe in my home then I guess I'll be okay.
I'm getting out of Seosan for a long weekend this coming Friday. And boy do I need it. | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| 11 weeks today and I'll be finished.
It's strange to think about. It really is. I want to leave and know it's time for me to move on but at the same time going back home isn't that appealing either.
What am I going home to?
Nothing.
What am I leaving behind?
Nothing.
And that depresses the hell out of me. | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
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Alana
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