As I bitched a lot in my last post I'm in a beter head space after a full weekend with my boyfriend :) First weekend with him since we've been dating and it made the weekend so much longer and pleasurable etc etc so I really feel rested :)

I try everyday to adapt to Korean customs etc but I seem to always make little mistakes ..

Today I want to talk about the Korean mother role as I see it.
Korean mothers are kick ass strong women!! As much as you would think they are slaves in the home at first apearance- fark, are they respeted and admired :) Its really sweet!

I'm not sure if it's only Jong Youns family, but he really respects his mum, putting her on a pedistool constantly. Cooking and cleaning is the mothers job- getting the money in is the fathers..spending that money is often primarily the mothers job.. often becuase its spent on the children.

The mother is in charge of preparing all of the special food for ceremonies. she keeps her own name but when it comes to the ceremonies, they only celebrate the mans side of the family.. if there are no boys then their ancestry is lost..so you can see why they want a Boy! Who wants their ancestry to be forgotten??!

Cute little things for getting a baby boy are- touching the nose of the grandfather statues often found on Jeju island.. and if you drink soju.. then the last shot to be poured shows you if you will be given a boy or girl.. below half is a girl, over half is a boy :)

The role of women is changing in Korea as many women have opted for a successful career path.. pretty much the same story as in western society but I wonder what this will mean for the men in the years to come? Will they be expected to share in the house work?

i realised one again, how special my boyfriend is the other night. One of my students was teaching me how to be what I call "korean cute". Saying " I like Chicken, Booing booing" acompanied with shoulder movements and twisty hand movements in oder to be cuter.
I couldn't do it because I hate being fake cute, it makes me ridiculously un comfortable that I cant help but laugh.. and turns out this was a good thing becuase Jong Youn, in his straight up manner, was not impressed and declared he hated fakeness, prefering natural charm ;)
hahahaha the shock from my student was priceless.. she said.. oh your bf and I are the same age but, he thinks very old and most korean men like "booing booing.weird shoulder movements* and fakeness" btw, she has got the art of cuteness down to a tee and it suits her I think... but its not for me and luckily, it's not for my bf either :).

Tonight, we have another family ceremonial dinner.. I feel like we are always celebrating something!! In NZ we have far less special days than here but I guess on those days, like xmas, bdays and easter, we go all out and make a big thing of it.. I get a little nervous at these things becuase I'm scared I'll get lazy and not pay respect properly in some way. Especially at night when i feel lazy already! Like lastnight, Jong Youn told me off becuase I didnt sit upright or stand up when his father said thankyou for the dessert I made.. but I'm at the stage where I felt so comfortable at the time that I didn't feel like I had to becuase if I were in NZ then I wouldn't have and in NZ we are soooooo relaxed about formalities! Ahhh i have to keep reminding myself! But when it's late at night and after feeling like I'm home again becuase they're so lovely to me I get lazy and forget.. ahhh... then i get in trouble with Jong Youn.. hahahaha

Long time, no see

So i thought i would give an update of my korea life! Many things to comment on but ill try keep it short.

Firstly, my brother and mother both came to visit separately last month. It was tough having my mother here who didnt seem to be able to adjust to the korean way of thinking quickly at all. At times i felt quite embarrassed which made me realise how much i have adjusted.

I still cringe sometimes at comments made by some americans for and for (their sometimes)  inability to adjust to the korean lifestyle. They just aren't sensitive or polite enough. I can really see why some koreans wouldnt like westerners..however, many of them do.. but the one thing i cant tolerate is when they have this idea that  they are above everyone else including other westerners..

I have had one friend complain about an american guy reading over her shoulder then trying to talk to her on the subway with an attitude that she must want to speak to him cos hes american.. Then another ma le korean say how he hates western guys because of their fantasies and disrespect for asian women. I assured him all western guys arent like that but obvviously hes been around some jerks.

He had a point that Korea is successful in business because they really know how to give good service. Shop anywhere and they give you free food or products.. incentive matters. The more you buy, the more cheap freebies you get...

I have adjusted far more rapidly lately now i have a korean boyfriend. Sometimes its hard to communicate things.. But hes learning english so quickly and im learning korean. We met through his mum who works at my work. Then i started seeing him after work and teaching him new stuff.. When my brother came is when we got together. It waas really cute but you can ask me for all the details yourself..

Korea is vain. Possibly becuase they have had all these other countries coming into their country and telling them what is beauty and setting unrealistic ideas. By this i mean trying to look western. And now i realise they really do want to look more western with surgery to get boobs, sangapul- eyelid surgery, high noses, higher cheeks but they love small chins.

I am really sick of my job and its making me feel stressed becuase of the expectation on me to make sure students stay or come.. My boss as i have said is an alcoholic and he almost everyday, comes in drunk.. I teach 7 to 9 hours non stop a day and my students dont like my boss. He doesnt even advertise for the hagwon even though we have suggested it many times..but what i hate most is how he is such a hypocrite! He didnt come to class becuase he was drinking when his student needed him and then expects me to teach them so i rang and asked what was going on and what he wanted me to do but he was drunk so he wasnt making any sense so i gave up and hung up after saying goodbye.. next thing he ring the lovliest assistant you could eer ask for at my hagwon who is also my bfs mother, and goes off at her! WTF!!? shes really upset and it was my fault really, but what a wanker!! then he comes to the hagwon and giews me an incoherant rant about putting the hagwon first! pffft yeah like he is really setting the greatest standard? and when did i not put the hagwon first!? Then he tells me that the work i do for daelim is against the law.. this is the work that he get half of my money teaching them for when he does nothing to help me with them at all! I would not recommend working here at all.


Its nice living in snow for the first time in my life but im sick of living in an apartment and i miss the freedom of nz, my car, wineries, friends and family.

I miss being in a nice home or flat too where i can bake all the time and do interesting things.
There are no sewing shops here.

Im probably the lowest weight ive been since in korea atm.. Which is good. Feel healthier but im having some health problems i wont talk about on here that im worried aobut.. Maybe due to stress...