Suncheon video

So, Katrina told me that there was a scary Suncheon video available online.

Instructions:
Click the link (on the right)
If the site is all in Korean, choose English.
In the menu at the top, put your mouse over "About Suncheon" and then select "Suncheon Quick View".

If you can watch the little boy/meteor armageddon/run for your lives, Suncheon is invading us all/cheesy announcer voice etc etc etc for five minutes, without laughing, you are much stronger than I am.....

This just in....

I will be leaving Canada on April 16 at about 11:30 pm!

Montreal weekend

In celebration of Ellie's departure for New Zealand, I spent this past weekend in Montreal (well, Hudson and Ile Perrot really) doing lots of fun activities with my friends. By lots of fun activities, I mean "shopping" and "eating". No, seriously, all we did was shop and eat. Like, Saturday, we ate, shopped, ate, shopped, ate, and Sunday we ate, shopped, ate. But, we were on a mission: Heather needed work clothes.... Exceptionally, I didn't buy anything (except for a few t-shirts at The Gap).

At one point, after eating but before shopping on Saturday (although some things were purchased here, so it might count as shopping), we went to a charity animal show thing. Megan, Ina's daughter, was flinging herself around and having fun with her "aunties" when a photographer from the Montreal Gazette approached Ina and asked if he could take some pics of Megan with a dog - the result of which you can see here. Isn't she gorgeous???

Anyway, it was great to see Ellie before she left (we spent our last few hours together learning how to do those Sudoku puzzle things), and absolutely awesome to see everyone before I leave. Thanks to Heather for letting me stay with her for a few nights, Terry for the gift of Shaika coffee and a coffee cup (very useful in Korea, where real coffee is hard to find), Katrina for letting me stay with her on Sunday (and getting me to the train on time...ahem), Ina for letting us have a huge feast at her house on Sunday, and for suggesting that we shop and eat all weekend. Perhaps I should thank Jim for getting me addicted to Sudoku.....

I wasn't able to see all my Montreal friends, because of time constraints between eating and shopping. I wish that I could have spent another day there....

On Monday, I arrived for my train exactly 3 minutes before the departure (Katrina asked me if I was "one of those people who has to arrive way before you leave" and I said "no", but that might change after my Amazing Race-like run towards the train platform at 9:36 when the train was leaving at 9:40. Once in Toronto, I decided to... you guessed it... shop and eat (why stop now?). I picked up a gorgeous brown distressed leather boot - on sale!

Now, I am back to the grind, still not sure of my exact date of departure... but we're in the homestretch!

Just a quick note...

...to say that I am looking forward to my upcoming weekend in Montreal!

Only three weeks to go!

The week thus far...

This has been a busy week of social outings (like the Conservative Cabaret on Sunday night, starring just about everyone I work with), girly evenings (with Meron, watching "In Her Shoes" with a bottle of wine, and with my mom's work friends from before she retired) and happy visits (to Oakville with my family). Tonight, we will celebrate St. Pat's in style at Strega. I'd say more, but I'm too tired to type.

The pic is of my neice Meaghan who is on a school trip to Europe this week (They've been to London and Paris so far. This photo is from the Florence collection. Today, she is in Rome). She's on the right side of the picture, sitting down - she looks like me.

Only about 3 weeks to go....

Kat's visit

Kat came to St. Catharines yesterday to watch me work, and then go out for dinner with Kelly. Today, she is getting a mud bake something something at a spa. I wonder which day she will have enjoyed more.

In this pic, you can see my new (big, silver) glasses.

Only one month to go, and then I can get back to what I do best: teaching. Yes, it's true. I miss teaching and I am actually looking forward to starting it up again. Of course, it's going to be very different in Korea.

The area where I am going is famous for green tea plantations. Korea is also a major producer of red ginseng. Since both have anti-ageing properties, I will come back to Canada younger than when I left.

Having gotten sick of reading Korea guidebooks, I picked up a Taiwan guidebook and a Japan one. I've already planned out my first trip to Japan. Can't wait!

Cheers - e-mail me! I've been getting nothing but junk mail!

You know what?

I think I miss teaching!

The Top Ten Great Things About Being Back Home

In no particular order....

10. On a day like today, when the sun is shining and the sky is blue, I can hardly remember that one time in La Pocatiere when it was, like, -70 and they closed the school because it was so cold.

9. St. Paul Street is slightly less scary than the Snowdon Metro.

8. Max wakes me up every morning and I can still torture Luna from time to time.

7. My mommy makes me pierogies, hems my pants, and (sometimes) does my laundry.

6. I get to see Kelly almost every day and Meron almost every week (like tonight!)

5. I get to see my family more often: My sister lives in between Strega and my mom's place and I can drop by after work (where I am greeted with boisterous barking by Sally, hugs from Laura and Ian, and sometimes even supper). My brother comes in to Strega for lunch every so often.

4. I've finally been able to see friends from Laurier like Tiffany, Char (and Kaylin), Joanna, Barb and Kat. It's been too long and we have to get together again before I leave.

3. I get carded all the time. Apparently, I look younger than 19 (the age of majority in Ontario). I've taken to carrying my passport with me everywhere, as I've been carded for everything from buying cheap wine coolers to getting into the Casino (played Roulette and lost $20 in 1 spin - Run Lola Run, I am not).

2. Reality TV. I didn't have cable in Montreal, and now I've been able to catch up on this new Reality TV fad (perhaps you've heard of it) as I've enjoyed such shows as American Idol, The Amazing Race and Survivor. Oh, and Pilot Guides on OLN every night at 10 (they still haven't visited Korea).

1. After a month of eating pierogies, watching Reality TV, not exercising (besides walking to work), and eating & drinking with friends, I've managed to gain all that weight that I so desperately needed to put on my nearly emaciated frame.

okay, that last one was pure sarcasm.

I miss all my friends from back in Quebec, but this is like practice for when I am on the other side of the world!

What is Bliss Night?

At the Strega cafe, every Thursday night is Bliss Night. Edwin and Miles (who also work here) play music while many "Stregulars" hang out and enjoy the music and the cheap beer. Last night, a few other folks got up and sang too. You get an idea of what Strega looks like on the inside...(Follow Edwin's link for more about Edwin)

Last night, after a few days of photo-albuming (I've organized ALL my photos from 1985 on!), Kelly and I got glammed up for Bliss Night. Steve accompanied us even though he was very very tired.

Missing everyone... and counting down the days until I get to Korea. I've added another Suncheon link as well.

Note to self: Get roots done.

Whining....

Korean is toooooo haaaaaaaarrrrrd to learrrrrrrrrn.