seoul a.live will be moving in a new direction .. but first,
i must purchase a scanner.
can't change the name. married to it.  seriously.  the triple entendre is a rarity. plus i'm far too indecisive to come up with another name so for now, the name stays.

back to the scanner; i am planning to purchase one by the end of may so i can start messing with this little bubbling idea of mine i've had for about three weeks now during the summer.  the scanner at work only uses black and white and for this, i'd like some color (she twiddled her thumbs with sinister glee)- ha. i'm not taking any classes this summer so i can work on some other things, this idea being one of them.. we shall see. maybe there will be time for some leisurely reading which is something i haven't done in G-d knows how long. scratch that, i can't read a book without writing all over the margins.  maybe i'll try that too.

it's just walking for crying out loud..

ok so here's how this all started...
I posted something on facebook recently about the possibility of walking for AIDS. Rachelle (a woman i traveled to Israel w. through Oranim) commented back that she had done so several times in the past and wasn't going to do it this year because she had no one to walk with. ..

so here were my thoughts to the oranim crew:

wouldn't it be fantastic if all of us living in the vicinity of NY (and beyond, of course) were to participate and walk for AIDS as a team. What a perfect opportunity for everyone from Oranim to join together again and walk and talk and support a great cause.. .

and now here are my thoughts to the rest:

i know you are my friends/family and that we did not go to israel together. that said, great cause. great exercise. great outdoors. great company.
join.

join me.. .
it's just walking.



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seoul a.live continues, in paris.

the future of seoul a.live

i'm currently contemplating how to best proceed with this blog and its future content.
to be determined.

thank you to a dear old friend for igniting the proverbial ball on the hamster's wheel in my mind once again..

i am capable of giving a proper update.

my computer is currently out of commission.
beware of any apple security install updates or software updates-- honestly i didn't even pay much mind.. regardless. apple still rules- i'm just without a computer for now which is shitty but whatever.. shit happens.

ok.
that said, here's a brief update.
i had to say goodbye to all of my students. it was tearful and horrible and depressing and truthfully, almost unbearable... more on that later, probably not in blog-form as we've seen that is not my forte'-- probably at some later time via either face-to-face discussion or hopefully, in print at some point in time.

today was my last day with the elementary school students.
last friday was my last day with the kindergarteners. that was the most painful being that i saw those kids everyday for six hours, and sometimes even on weekends.

right .. not getting into it now because as i said, my computer is out of commission and i'm sitting at work now.. 10:58 PM.. and yes, i'm the only one here. i stayed later to clean out my desk. i am however going to be coming in on monday as one of my student's has a brother in the hospital and he called sunny p. teacher-- supervisor--boss--kwajangneem-- to say he'd really like to say goodbye so i'm coming in monday, in the afternoon for a bit.

this weekend i'm going to party-hang-roam the streets of hongdae in seoul with my little team of rascals. after that i'm taking the first of the year off to begin packing and then we're heading out east for a relaxing weekend at a pension by the lake and la la la.. glory days.

i have to be out of my apartment by the 5th and on the 6th i am leaving for two weeks of travelling in thailand, cambodia and hong kong. i'm so excited for this most unpredictable of adventures. on the 19th, i return to korea till the 21st and then it's back to NEWYORK!!!!!!

crazy.bananas.
one of my students already emailed me.
tears.
this is so fucking difficult and thank G-d for that. proof of a year well spent.

love.
me.

i love and miss everyone.
worst blogger ever- not my niche-- told you so --
(insert emoticon here)

vicarious. via peggy ann ross.

ok. it's true. i'm so crazed and busy lately that i've had little to no time to crank out a blog. my darling mama did however. she wrote about her trip to asia and before she left, emailed it to many friends, family members and co-workers. now, many a musing had been jotted down during my mom's time here and eventually-- probably not in this blog seeing as it's been going down thus far but in the future when i create something out of this entire experience-- there will be evidence of this journey through the filters of my senses. and for that i can't wait to share.

but for now. mama's perspective it is and here it is--unedited. i think it gives it a nice touch. some actual day to day stuff i'm not so great and recording and/or speaking of without diverting .. so here.. mama's email.
love. enjoy.

more to come. sooner than later hopefully.

ps. third time's a charm. i'm feeling good about this one. by g-d i hope so.. post office said they should arrive in approximately three weeks. longer going than coming. this is my third go so forgive me if there's a little frustration in the penmanship. ;)

love.

FROM THE MAILBOX OF PEGGY ANN ROSS:

As many of you know, my flight on Thursday, 7/17 was delayed 8 hours so I watched my DVD of Army Wives in the airport.

I really enjoyed the first few episodes (Yes, I took my computer with me!!!)

I arrived in Incheon and Stacy met me at the airport.

It was about 1 AM on Saturday instead of 5:30 in the evening on Friday by that time and since the buses and subways stop running around midnight, we took a cab back to Stacy’s apartment.

Her apartment is quite nice. She lives in a loft apartment with wooden floors, a nice size living room and a kitchen with a stove and washing machine.

Most people do not have ovens in Korea and from what I understand in most of Asia.

You go up a few steps to her loft bedroom - very nice!

Saturday it rained so we relaxed, spent some mommy and daughter time together. We went out for a Korean barbeque dinner – it’s very interesting how it works. It’s fun getting to cook for yourself as each table has an individual grill. The waiters and waitresses come around often to replace the grill plates with new ones. Sunday (still raining) -we went shopping to the different places Stacy goes for food, etc. I got to see Stacy’s neighborhood.

In the evening, Joey (Stacy's friend from college who teaches a couple hours from Stacy) came over and we went out for KARAOKE and dinner- lots of fun - we all sang lots of songs in a private room - everyone gets private rooms to sing in thank goodness!!!

Monday, I went to school with Stacy and watched her teach her older students (8, 9, 10...).

I was so proud of her - the kids love her and she really is an excellent teacher.

Several members of the staff there told me Stacy was a wonderful teacher - she seems to be in her comfort zone.

When she was finished teaching, we had dinner at her school; it was nice of the director to let me eat with Stacy and the other teachers at her school.

It was very good and fun to eat with Stacy and her friends - two of the Korean teachers and one teacher from Chicago.

Tuesday, I stayed at Stacy's apartment (still raining) and just relaxed.

I watched 30 ROCK - seasons one and two; season three will begin this September!

Apparently, the third day is usually considered jet lag day!

This is a series I never thought I would enjoy. Stacy told me about it; very well written - witty and lots of fun. I’m not a huge fan of Alec Baldwin since Stacy told me he had cut her in line for a rollercoaster at Magic Mountain and of course, since I heard that tape of him berating his daughter!

Wednesday - I walked around - checked out the area a bit more and I didn't get lost!

I did a little shopping and stopped by Stacy's school to say Hi.

She was very surprised to see me, and I surprised myself that I found the school on my own!!!

Thursday, I went to school with Stacy and saw her teach her morning classes.

Here in the kindergarten, the children are between four and six years old. Most teachers are in charge of one class or “tree” however Stacy and her friend Matthew each have two. Her classes are named APPLE TREE (4 years old; the youngest class) and PINE TREE (6 years old; the highest level class).

I was allowed to go to Stacy's classes and meet all the children.

Each of them introduced themselves to me. As many of you have seen from the pictures, Stacy would like to bring Chloe and Michelle home with her.

They are both from her APPLE TREE class - I agree, they are too cute for words and they love Stacy.

She loves all of them and they all love Stacy, but these two are just absolutely adorable.

There are cameras in the classrooms so the parents may watch their children from home/work and for the higher up to watch if necessary. This was a treat for me because after meeting all the children in each class, I went to the front desk area where all the cameras sync up to one large screen and continued watching Stacy teach.

It was definitely a treat for me to watch her both days. She seems to have a flair for teaching.

She knows how to keep their attention and make learning fun - not an easy task to achieve.

We went out Thursday evening with Stacy's friends, some of the Korean teachers, as planned on Thursday evening - Jean, Shana and Lena - we had a lot of fun with them. We sang lots of songs. You know I love karaoke or in Korean, noraebong! All the different food was enjoyable as well. It was definitely a fun evening. They are all so sweet and they just love Stacy.

Friday, Stacy and I stayed in and Stacy cooked us dinner - pasta, cheese and tuna - it was actually very good!

Stacy and I went to Seoul on Saturday and met Ally Park - a girl I know from home who is visiting her family for the summer.

We took a cab to the subway (it only cost about $2.50 and that’s in American dollars!). We had a nice day with Ally and her friend Carol. We went to see the Han River. Then we were off to a Buddhist temple. We went in for a little while and it was so interesting watching them pray-you may have seen it in the movies but being there was definitely a special experience-such a different culture). Insadong was next. Stacy loves Insadong. It’s the area in Seoul filled with art galleries, craft stores, little boutique shops and all thing artistic. You know Stacy loves it. There is one row, the main street in Insadong with tons of little shops, vendors on the street and several restaurants. We strolled through the streets and then had a delicious dinner in Seoul. Later that night, after leaving Insadong we encountered a demonstration against the president (even though they voted for him apparently a lot of people don't like him). The girls taught Stacy what they were saying and she repeated it and got the pronunciation perfect. Stacy and I said goodbye to Ally and Carol.

We then decided to walk around and stopped to have tea at a small cafe. We shared a delicious treat - waffles, ice cream and fruit - absolutely delicious! After, we took the subway back to Incheon and walked from the subway to Stacy's apartment (about a ten minute walk, fifteen in the rain).

Sunday we went shopping - It's so much fun to walk through the different stores. As you walk in, they greet you and bow to you!

Wednesday morning (Tuesday night for you) we left for Japan and were there until 8/3 - almost five days -

We left early on Wednesday morning and got back late on Sunday evening.

We were very excited about our trip to Japan. Stacy had to be back to work on Monday, 8/4.

It's special to experience Korea through Stacy's eyes; she can get by with her Korean - she knows how to greet people, order dinner, tell the cab driver where we want to go, and lots of expressions to communicate- she really makes the effort to be part of a culture; Italy, and now Korea. The people here are very friendly and they really like "foreigners" especially when they make an effort to speak their language like Stacy. It is a totally different culture than I have ever experienced - traveling to England, Italy, and other places in Europe is totally different than Asia - I am definitely glad I made it here especially to enjoy it with Stacy.

On Monday when Stacy finished teaching, we took a bus to Seoul and stayed over at the Koreana Hotel – a very nice hotel.

The main reason we went to Seoul Monday evening had to do with the fact that I was a little nervous about getting to Seoul by

9:00AM for a tour Tuesday morning - I would have had to leave by 7AM (rush hour) to get to Seoul on time and with the changing of trains by myself, I didn't want to take the chance of missing the tour (yes, I did pay in advance for it!!!).

We stayed over and the next morning Stacy took the forty minute subway ride back to where she lives, went to work and I went on a whole day tour of Seoul - I saw The Presidential Blue House, Gyeongbokgung Palace (contains two museums), Jogye temple, Namdaemn market, Changdeok Palace (Secret Garden), the Deoksugung palace, the Jogysa Buddist temple, Insadong art galleries, amethyst factory (bought Stacy a present since her birthstone is amethyst and Korea is famous for this particular stone) and the Ginseng Center. We had lunch at a terrific restaurant in the Insadong area. On the tour, there were a few people from America and one gal from India who is currently studying art history in Singapore. It was a very comprehensive tour - our tour guide told us he gets paid 50 U.S. dollars a day and works 6 days a week - he lives on approximately $1200.00 a month!

I really enjoyed the tour. I took the subway back to Incheon, which of course was an experience since I had to change trains but I did return safely. Stacy and I got ready for Japan as we left the next morning.

JAPAN - Wed, 7/30 to Sun, 8/3

We flew to Osaka and took a 50-minute bus ride to the main area. We had no reservations. Before finding a hotel, we stopped for a drink and met three men, one of whom is Iranian and has been living in Japan for over 20 years, a Sudanese man and an older Japanese gentleman. We had a nice conversation with them. It is amazing watching Stacy talk politics with strangers. She really knows her stuff. We knew “thank you” in Japanese is arrigato but they told us to add gozymus to the end of it in order to say: “thank you very much.” Stacy and I also picked up an old tradition of overseas gin rummy right there in the restaurant. Before we left, the guys directed us to our hotel.

We checked in and then walked around – Osaka - it used to be the capital of Japan. We did our own sightseeing, had dinner and went back to our hotel. The next day, we checked out and went to Kyoto.

I must say we mastered Kyoto. We found a nice hotel and did some sightseeing on our own - we went to the oldest Zen Buddhist temple in Japan. There we met a woman who took us all around the temple explaining their rituals and leading us through them as we each experienced it on our own; the cleansing ritual with the water, the writing down of wishes and such before passing through a rock front->back to purge yourself of negative people and things and then again, back->front to bring good things in the future. It was fascinating. When we said goodbye, she gave us a treat (Japanese rice cake dessert), a grapefruit and a fan. She said they had been blessed that morning while she was praying at another temple, the one where she and her husband wed. It is customary to do this I believe. We did exchange numbers because she said she and her husband were coming to New York next month; we told her we hoped she would call me so I could take her and her husband to the top of the Empire State Building (we told her Jason works there and could help get tickets so they could go to the top-Of course, we would love to return the favor since she was so wonderful to us. She spoke English quite well!). I gave her my business card and really hope she does call. In the afternoon, Stacy and I booked a tour to see more of Kyoto - the well known Tetsugaka-No-Michi (Philopsher's path, a tea ceremony at Kano-Shojuan which we got to be part of and then to Kanikakuni (a former Geisha house) in Gion-lots of walking and lots to see. In the Geisha house, or Geiko and Meiko (the apprenticing Geiko) as they say in Kyoto, Stacy and I both tried on this amazing summer kimono that Geiko wear. It felt incredible. They are so beautiful, elaborate and well made. A mom her son form Ireland were on the tour with us. She was visiting him as an architecture firm in Tokyo employs him. It was just the four of us so we definitely got a lot out of this tour. In the evening we took a cab to go to a restaurant for dinner - it was closed (?) so we walked and found a place that served only Sushi - you must go for Sushi at least once while in Japan!!! It was delicious. After dinner, we walked back to our hotel. We weren't exactly sure how to get back, but as I said earlier, we really did master Kyoto (and it doesn't hurt that Stacy has a great sense of direction) - we found our hotel without asking for directions. We walked at least six miles that day!!!

The next day, we checked out of our hotel and went back to Osaka since we would be departing from there on Sunday. We went on-line and booked Saturday night at the Sheraton Miyaka Hotel Osaka - what a magnificent hotel - very luxurious! Another must is to have Kobe beef in Japan (We actually tried to see if we could get to Kobe but every hotel was booked for Saturday as they were having a fireworks display and apparently it is almost like a holiday and there were no hotels to be had, literally) - We went the famous Rio restaurant - It was definitely worth it - we really enjoyed the unbelievable Kobe beef and the entire meal.

We went back to our hotel and were given a 2PM late check out for the next day since we had to be on a 2:30 PM bus from our hotel to the airport.

All in all, we are both deeply satisfied with our trip to Japan that we shared this experience together - something we will always remember.

We landed in Incheon around 6:30 PM; took a bus back to Stacy's apartment and crashed! Stacy had to be up early Monday morning, her first day back to work was exhausting; I relaxed! In the evening, Stacy and I went out shopping.

Tuesday - Stacy went to work. Stacy booked a massage for me with her girl. Massage, Korean style - wow -It was Stacy's treat!!!

It is a two-hour process - they really know how to give a massage - very different than the U.S. A little rougher but Stacy tells me it’s good for circulation and they are getting out all the toxins from my system, so what could be bad about that.

Last night Stacy and I went to an all-night sauna or jjimjibang. Stacy has visited and stayed the night at a number of them.

It was amazing! The place was very clean. When you arrive, you put your shoes in a locker as you always remove your shoes before entering a Korean home. After that, you receive a key to a second locker where you but your belongings, clothing included! You then enter the sauna area and shower. There are several showers, standing and seated. After showering you’re free to just decompress. This sauna in particular had three saunas, each at different temperatures - hot - very hot and ridiculously hot, a big pool, some Jacuzzis with lots of jets, hot tubs: definitely a little taste of paradise. Each sauna is different. Here there was a yellow mud sauna, a jade mist sauna and a germanium sauna. This was an incredible experience.

Thursday night we are went out with Stacy's friends, Jean, Lena and Matthew for dinner. They are amazing. Lena brought back presents from the Philippines for their whole little “team” as they say and me! Shana couldn’t make it to dinner and I was so surprised when Stacy gave me a gift from Shana—a beautiful book with stamps. They are all so sweet. Just when I thought we had all said goodbye that night, her friends dropped of a card they’d made for me- It is amazing. It is hand made with pictures of Stacy and her friends and even pictures with me in them from the night before. I really connected with Stacy’s friends. They are wonderful.

Last night, Stacy's friend from college, Joey, came over and cooked us dinner American style!!!

It is now our last day together and I’ll be leaving this evening, arriving in New York around the same time I leave from Korea!!!

Off to Bupyeong to explore 2,000 stores underground and a final bit of shopping!

I know this is a long e-mail about what we saw; but words could never convey the amazing experience this was for me to share my daughter's journey to Asia. Stacy seems to be able to switch gears with ease; I saw it in Italy (her semester abroad while in college) and now in Korea. I met many of the teachers Stacy teaches with and the director of her school; they all conveyed to be how special Stacy is and what an asset she is at Wonderland - I know they are fortunate to have her there, but seeing how they recognize this makes it all that much sweeter and genuine.

Bye for now...love, hugs and kisses

Peg and Stacy

stagnation subsides

promise.

i am back among the living. i have hardly checked my email in the past month. yes yes. i am a terrible.horrible.no good.very bad human being and for that i will pay but even still, i am in korea so although it's causing minor stress-related hair loss and jittery bouts of frustration to be so far off my already off.kilter correspondence-game, i'm not killing myself over it.
i am, after all
in korea.


the only thing severely deerticking me off is the fact that my thank you notes are floating somewhere above the little, golden knob atop my 2,000₩ class.class.classy Emart globe- in limbo - and yet to be received. both batches. let's face it, the first batch is surely a goner. i left that attempt out to rot when i dropped of my responsibility to sabrina and lori, wonderland's loyal desk ladies.
ah, the desk ladies. ..
i do have faith, however, that the second coming shall indeed make its safe arrival. after the first debacle, it took me a minute or a wee bit month's time to thank you, part deux.

if i don't post a billion blogs, so be it. thankfully, skorea has and continues to tattoo itself onto my brain daily. brain. books. brain to books. bananas. balloons. bavarian cream pie. yuck.

all your journals are getting a beating or will be receiving theirs shortly.
i promise.
they are all fantastic.


here i sit. writing a blurbious puddle of nothing at all just to tell you a simple hello. i'm alive. i'm well. and pictures are coming soon.

seriously, that was all i had planned to write.


while i am here, i may as well report some recent news. and great news at that. .

i lost my wallet.
my glasses.
and my nalgene water bottle (sorry nikki. i love you.)

on three separate occasions,
in descending order.

i had a solid two years with that water bottle. turned out to be a blessing because we were barely apart. it was just nalgene, purell and me for the longest time but the pink, giant floral backdrop had to go sometime i guess. .. we didn't get along too well. the "life is good" inscribed on the bottom" was torturous until i whited out the "good" and replaced it with "insert adjective here." that part i miss.
my dear mcG purchased me a beautiful new blue one my kids eagerly (and a bit aggressively) adorn with stickers daily.


my glasses. i was pissed. i am pissed. not pissed enough to forget most shit is replaceable anyhow. bank card and alien registration included.

it's stuff. stuff is stuff and here i go
again rambambambling.

happy mama's day

happy mama's day.
to my mama.. you probably will not have checked this until after you've received a little delivery from the korean mother's day fairy.

hope you enjoy.
i love you.
more.
;)

so, but, because & and

okey doke. i'm here. and i've been itching and scratching to get a blog posted and thus, to no avail because (and don't air.punch me for this) i have had basically zero time. now, time is relative, yes. so that's a giant heaping bunch of hullabaloo. hullabalogna. baloney. or the reason i make you click "yes" for potentially explicit material aka.
bullshit.

whew.

so. i tell my children as they're so aptly named, never to begin a sentence with the words "so" "but" "because" or "and".. . any writer will tell you this is just plain donkey manure because well, for one, i am an avid "and" sentence- starter. anyone who has studied poetry knows one is surely allowed to begin a sentence with "and" and often, we are the better for it. i guess this is one of the many reasons, or the many exceptions which make our language so very difficult to learn, no less to teach. i suppose it's a good rule to use as it does whittle out so many inane sentences. every once in a while -i think twice thus far- a student has used and or so, respectively, to begin a sentence and i've let it slide because the sentence is just too good to edit. in attaining my creative writing degree, we learned it's mandatory to learn the craft before being able to apply our individual genius to it. perhaps the same can be said for teaching elementary school english to non-native speakers .. the hump is similar.. depending on which angle you look at it from.



up NEXT: the beginning blogs.. notes from my arrival into sKorea.

promise.
pinky swear.
or as they say in korea. yakso.
they touch thumbs after their pinkies are joined.. that's one.

beginner blogger beginning

3.17.08
10:27pm

Ok. so it’s march 17th and i’ve been here since the evening of january 3rd. i’ve been jotting down bits and pieces of bits and bits in anticipation of starting this blog-ish thing. now, i’m not a today the weather was ___. . .i’m feeling ___. . .today i did _____, _____ and blank - type of writer or type of person for that matter. i am organized chaos. i have oh so much to tell and i can not wait till i sit down and just hurl, mentally of course, all over this keyboard. i will begin divulging my thoughts heretofore shortly and from there will post additions sporadically. i am teaching 7 or 8 classes each day from 9am-6:30-ish pm and as such, i am a sleepy little bee.

i have been writing quite a bit and will hopefully leave here with plenty of ideas and notes and scrabbles and scribbles on napkins and post its and coffee filters and ALL of my magnificent new journals (thankyouthankyou kamsa hamneeda) to create something of depth and purpose.

also. my thank you notes shall be arriving shortly. i sent them out about two and a half weeks ago.. i had to get acclimated and such. i am, after all, in asia.
in case you forgot.
i’m in south korea.

love.
love.
miss.