I'm a nerd

So here's even more of a validation that I'm a nerd...and actually have I ever really stopped being a nerd? Truthfully, probably not. I mean, who would sit at home on a Friday night updating their blog? Who would rather go to a coffee house and play Scrabble instead of hitting the club scene? Who still sleeps with a teddy bear at night? One guess. Yup, that's right...me. So I guess it's only fitting that I've banded together with a few other expats here in Seoul to form what could be loosely considered an anime club. But really, it only makes sense though, because I've done this same thing before back when I was attending college at Truman State. I helped them form an anime club there too; I was even their first-ever secretary. That just has nerd written all over it...not that I mind being a nerd. Nerds are cool. :)

It looks like whoever's interested in joining this club will be getting together next weekend, probably on Saturday. I'm thinking we'll begin by watching something pretty basic, like Cowboy Bebop or Evangelion...the stuff everybody likes. Of course I'm going to be sly and try to sneak in some of my shoujo stuff later on, maybe Card Captor Sakura or Kare Kano. I'm starting to think I shouldn't have left the bulk of my anime collection at home...bleh. Oh well...I guess that's what torrents are for. :)

I don't have anything planned for this weekend, in that that guy I was supposed to get together with tomorrow hasn't emailed me back since Tuesday. It looks like he dropped off the face of the earth or something. So instead of that I guess I'll be out downtown walking around and taking in the Christmas lights and decorations on my own then. I also still have to go Christmas shopping for some of my friends and coworkers here. The rest of the time I'll probably be reading or watching this week's torrent downloads: Sex In the City & Friends episodes.

Next week is the last week of school before vacation. And what am I doing for vacation exactly? Well rumor has it that my roommate Erin is making a nice dinner for all of us on Christmas day, so that's something at least. But as for the rest of vacation, I'm still not sure. Maybe I'll just go get lost among those darkly-lit backstreets of Seoul and disappear into the foggy blackness unseen and unheard. Oh how cryptic.

Finally, if any of you expats out there in Seoul are interested in joining our little anime club, email me and I'll fill you in on the details. :)

pic of the day:
a shot of the Seoul skyline from a green line subway train enroute to downtown Gangnam

a Korean Christmas

And so the holidays draw ever nearer...

I only have a week and a half left of classes before winter vacation starts, though I still haven't planned anything in particular. I did hear about this Christmas dinner thing that's being held at a hotel downtown so I might check that out, but other than that no real big plans or anything. Besides, it's much too cold out to be wandering around looking for things to do. These days I don't leave my apartment unless I absolutely have to.

Tomorrow is open classes which means that the parents can come in and observe their child in all their academic glory. I'll be teaching phonics and vocabulary most of the day, with the usual storytime in the afternoon. We have another open class day on Wednesday for which I will be teaching a bookmaking class all day long. I'm not too worried about that one though, since all I really do is hand out a blank book and tell the kids to draw pictures that match the sentences on each page. Friday we have a birthday party for two of the kids so it's kinda like a free day since in the only other class I have we will be watching a DVD of Snow White.

I finished up my Christmas shopping tonight...I can't believe how easy it was shopping for everyone back home. I bought all of my gifts online and had then shipped out to their destinations. I started shopping Sunday night and finished tonight. Piece of cake. I just hope everyone likes their gifts, cause it's not like they can return them...heh.

This week I am sick of course because that cold I've had is still lingering with me and has refused to subside. I also think I might have developed a case of pink eye over the weekend...can you believe that? If it's not one thing, it's another. I went to the eye doctor yesterday because my eye was bloodshot and kinda puffy and he said I just have a minor bacterial infection, for which he prescribed me some eye drops and anti-bacterial medication. In any case, my eye looks and feels much better today, thank goodness.

This weekend I'm supposed to be meeting up with one of my friend Maggie's coworker's sons who is in the Marines and has been stationed here in Seoul for the last three months as a security guard at the US Embassy. I think we're probably going to go get coffee or something, and then head over to one of the touristy areas since he said he hasn't been to many of them yet. Sunday he's leaving to go home for Christmas (lucky duck) but he wants to go skiing some weekend after he gets back. Skiing might be fun...I wonder if he needs someone to go with? It might be kinda nice having someone to hang out with here since I don't see my roommates very often. He sounds like a decent guy though, so I'm actually looking forward to it.

And finally, my friend Sean asked me what Korean Christmas trees look like, so I made it a point to take pictures of all the ones I encountered last week when I went to COEX mall. I'm also posting some of the night of our first snow while I was shopping at Dongdaemun, which turned out kinda cool.

Enjoy...

COEX Christmas trees:

a subway station Christmas tree:

snow falls over Dongdaemun:

my latest black & white photo (Seongsu subway station):