keep the change ya filthy animal.

This is my plant. I have been struggling to keep him alive for going on 8 months now. He's a fighter.

I like this picture of Tina because it looks like she's trying to dodge the photo even though she's 20 feet away. I don't know what she was doing. Dancing, maybe.

Some of us have been going to Noraebangs (karaoke) in our bathing suits.

Mom, Dad.. I swear I'm behaving myself.

The landlord. We were doing guy stuff before Chrissy showed up.

Tina at the Flying Bird Tea Shop.

Doug and I playing chess. He won one on Christmas Eve which makes him about 1 for 60 or so. A lot of good games in there.

Jason Planitzer and Sarah Murphy were in town for New Year's. We did things and hung out as friends do.

I bought some new Gongi.
They saw the school but unfortunately it was one of the 3 days I had off this year and they didn't get to meet any kids.

Train passing. Jason has a great new camera and he took 10,000 pictures.

Here we are at the Cass Brewery!

And at Sanchon. The only choice on the menu is this 30 course vegetarian spread designed by a former buddhist monk. It was even better than I imagined.

Gyeongbukgong Palace.

Ushering in the Year of the Ox.

Photos by Becky Courtade.

The kids just took their graduation photos and, well, see for yourself. Handsome Andy.

Sylvia.

Billy.

With Doug at a Backwards Coat Party.

My Sylvia is coming home with me.

Gyro Swing at Lotte World.

Sarah ate the last cheese ball because she "loves cheese balls."

Monkeys.

Dress form/ coat rack/ Christmas Tree.

I was supposed to play Santa Claus but I whined and cried until Doug did it. Thanks Doug!

Elly.

Ann.

This is what Barbie wore on the day of the Christmas Party.

Here's what the rest of her class wore. Their pajamas.

Megan Stiles: this is for you. This is my Lion Class -- Steve, Jimmy, Sylvia, Kevin, Grace-- with the pencils you gave me before I left. They are the coolest kids and they thought your pencils were great so I took this picture for you.

Wwwhooooooooooooaaaaaaaa!!!

I'm fine-- got sick, got better, playing a lot of gongi and chess, and drinking some Cass whenever it's convenient.

Currently watching-- Project Runway Season 5: The episode with LL Cool J.

Currently going to-- bed.

Goodnight.

I don't make monkeys..

Sam, Brian, Cindy.

gongi.

Here are the girls playing Gongi.

The Expanding Universe

I don't know if anyone still even reads this, but, i realized that I haven't posted in like 2 months and I had planned on having one out every week. Oh well i mean its just blogging. Most days here I'm stupidly happy-- there was one day at school where I was convinced there was something wrong with the chemicals in my head and I was going to have a stroke or something-- other days i have to settle for just being really happy. And that's the long and short of it. Is that a valid expression or am I misusing it/ making it up? Today, in an attempt to get back in the habit of writing, here is a short post with some pictures. A lot has happened recently but i just don't think I can sit here for 5 hours and hash it all out. I just don't feel like doing that anymore. I have always been that way about things, i feel like talking about them can cheapen the experience. But I did make you a promise, reader, way back when, in the old days, to keep on writing as long as you'd keep on reading. I am going to start with the most recent stuff and retrograde my way back to Halloween-ish.. or it may all be out of order but what do you really care anyway. You know what screw it I'll just start with Halloween.





I was a mummy. Here I am with the nice girl who makes my Americano every morning. They don't really make a big deal out of Halloween here so my walk to work was pretty interesting. i thought i got stared at before..













Here is Esther. I really can't put into words how wonderful of a person she is. I mean she's true blue. A real angel.

Jimmy, the kid in the witch hat, told me he was going to be Harry Potter for Halloween an he came in wearing that garbage. I was pretty unimpressed with Halloween as a whole here in Korea. Just lazy. I mean, a girl's witch hat and thick glasses? A 'Scream' mask and your regular clothes? A princess tiara that you wear every day anyway???















Becky was an apple tree. Now I think that's creative.











Oh, my sister Sara was in town for the Halloween weekend. She had been traveling for work and popped into Seoul to check it out. Here she is with Doug-teacher and Sylvia and Amanda playing Scrabble. Sylvia and Amanda just moved to a new school and I miss them already. They were my 'Yale' class but i called it my Scrabble class.



























With Sara at Namsan Tower.



















Some art there that I liked.

A terrible picture from the top. But I live somewhere in that direction.








This is the bungee tower I have been trying to jump off of for a month now. It takes forever and a lot of hassle to get to that part of the city and my friend Shawn and I have tried twice now to do it. The website says "open 365" so, of course, the first time we went it was too rainy. It was barely raining and I yelled at them good. The second time we had a korean call and make reservations and then go with us and it ended up being "too windy" and I kind of flipped out. If it was any less windy than it was that day it wouldn't have been windy at all. The next time I'm convinced it will be "too cloudy."







Short, Wilson, and Siyufy were just here on a little adventure of their own. Was beyond great to see them.. I laughed so hard all weekend that my face hurt. Here they are in my alley with Doug and his friend Chris.

My new couch/ Short's new hat.


















Wilson playing Gongi on my bed. Gongi is like Korean jacks and I'm trying to get a video to load of Sylvia and Amanda playing it because its amazing to see. Its a game for little girls so Doug and I play it a lot.











These guys and their money i'll tell ya what.

















Siyufy telling Wilson she can borrow her camera but 'be careful with it!'















We were taking stupid / ugly pictures.
















Mid fake sneeze. Gross.



































Dan and Tina.















Tina, who I have been hanging out with a lot lately.

With some of her friends. Look at Doug in the background.



































Really wanted to climb this beautiful tree but it was rightnext to a buddhist temple and i didn't want to piss THOSE guys off.

And now some pictures of cute kids. Ann.


















Kevin, Chaeeun, Barbie.

















Sophia.
















Mean Girls...Kate, Jessica, Veronica, Annie.

















Jack and Ann have recently discovered that they are in love with each other. Its pretty nice to be around them. He picked her as his favorite friend over all the boys and it was pretty great.

Doug-Teacher is the new John-Teacher. This was the first end of the month mass birthday party where I didn't get a SINGLE favorite teacher.. and Doug got THREE. I'm happy for him though, he deserves it. These are for you my friend. Chaeeun.

Billy.













Kevin. Everyone's name is Kevin.

This was Ryan's last day-- he's moving-- and wanted to sleep so I sure as hell let him sleep the whole time. See ya 'round, Ryan.








I am going to get out of the house now. I wish you all the very best and i dream of you often. Remember to answer the phone if its a weird number at 3 in the morning and, hey, take care of yourselves.

Hi, enjoy your life.

-John.