Crazy gadget I would like to try!

Okay, okay. We all know Japan is high tech and always ahead on technology and gadgets. And when it comes to facial care and products, Japan has produced some very crazy products. 
I got a really good kick reading about a lot of these products and there are few ones that I would like to try out. I don't know if I will be able to find these products in Korea but I'll try to look for them; 'cause I know, Korea is also crazy about facial products from Japan although they may pretend they are not and outrage about what Japan has produced ;P 


Products I would like to try out: 


Slim Mouth Piece



Features :
1. Allows you to exercise your mouth to slim down your face. 
How to use : 
1. Use this every morning and night for the best effects. 
2. Every usage should be around 2 to 3 mins.
Features : 
1. Removes facial hair from root. 
2. Skin become smoother & become cleaner & less clogged up.
   
How to use : 
1. Bend stick into half. 
2. Turns handle outwards while sliding along face. 
3. Use product on face only.  

Facial Hair Remover Stick

Facial Massage Roller 

Bukchon Traditional Village

Today me and my boyfriend venture out to Bukchon Traditional Village (북 촌한옥마을) and I'm so glad we did. I have never been to this part of Seoul before and the atmosphere here is very, very different. We saw many traditional Korean houses and many of them were lovely. These houses are rare to see in Seoul, and when you do see them, especially when there are more than two or three together, it gives a new feeling of Korea; like you are really walking in a Korea neighborhood. Whenever I travel, housing and structures are two major factors that build the feeling/sense of a place for me. People and culture usual structure their homes to accustom their culture and lifestyle and that's probably why it is important to me. Another part that really wowed me was when we venture off the course and walked into the shopping area around the Blue House (Korea's equivalent of the White House).

I felt even stranger there because I felt like I was strolling through downtown Stillwater (MN) and it was refreshing. I kept thinking to myself, 'where have I've been denying myself this part of Seoul?' I didn't get a very good look and stroll in this part but I am going back! Until then, here are some pictures that I took with my phone camera >.< Sorry, that's all I have for a camera.

stores and cafe hidden in a small street alley  ^^

Coffee Unlimited : We stop here for coffee. It was tiny

I know it doesn't look grand or amazing but walking down this street was exciting. The use of the buildings for business were amazing. I promise to take better pictures next time.

This tree blew my boyfriend's mind away. He was so excited to see this tree beside a house. From his reaction, a tree this regular size, next to a house is a rare sight.








UPDATE: Jan. 17, 2012


Today, I went out to make a public library card. Since the library was near the area, I decided to explore the place again. I took a very long and slow stroll in this area ^^ Sorry about the bad quality again, only phone-camera quality...

I stopped at this small cafe for a drink and for a short reading. It was cute, although the bench seat I was sitting on was not comfty. I had my first ginger chai tea drink here, it was OK.

These of just random shots of shops and cafes that I thought were cute or cool. A lot of shops here are named after popular Western stories. For example, this 'OZ Kitchen'. There was a 'Little Prince Cafe' and also a 'Dorothy (from the Wizard of OZ) Coffee and Pie' shop.

This shop is awesome but I walked out with nothing in my hands since I'm on a budget. There was a very cool knitted hat that I wanted to purchase but the price was way out of my range. This shop specials in painting on fabric and leather and knits.

This hat shop was interesting. It had a lot of cool and strange looking hats. There was one that looks like a bag, it's the brown on with the handle in the front. After seeing that hat, I decided to go inside and when I did, be hold to my ears was the song from 'Howl's Moving Castle' from the scene in the hat shop in the movie. Although the hats and the shop itself was interesting, the worker didn't know much about hats because I asked what the name of the brown hat is but or what the style the hat is, and she couldn't tell me. I was disappointed although I don't know about hats, I thought I would learn something here but I didn't.

Look how cute the fire hydrants are in this area ^^
Anyhow, I really like this part of Seoul. I'm going to go back when spring comes around.

새해 복 많이 받으세요!

I'm late to say this but, happy new year! I hope the new year brings you, family, and friends happiness, love, and good health. If 2011 was a struggle make 2012 a new year; you have the power and choice to make it a new and better year for you but let's not just make it once a year but for everyday and  for  life ^^

Winter English Camp is over ^.^ It came by fast and it was great.

Christmas Eve Day! Christmas cake and look, there is even a candle...umm...maybe for Jesus? 

Regular class day, playing Speak-Jenga

  

Sports Day : Bowling and Ultimate Ninja 

Last Day: Performance and Award

---

Now it is time for me to rest up and restore my energy. I have three weeks of nothing to do because I've been feeling like a bear who has been lacking hibernation in this weather and dark days. 

And in a month, I'll be visiting my family back home. I can't wait to see everyone, especially Riah~ 

'tis the season to be merry!

Happy holidays everyone!

I've been busy thinking of Christmas and the people in my life, oh and making Christmas cards.
A couple of Sundays ago, I stayed home and made my Christmas cards. I'm not creative so I had to take ideas from the internet and play around with them. I couldn't pass the reindeers card when I made it; it was uber cute! And it was so easy to make. So I decided to make all of my Christmas cards this year the reindeers card.
While making the cards, I had my stupid moment. Since the weather was cold outside, I closed the windows, turn on the floor heat and made the cards inside my nice and warm house. For the cards, I needed to use my thumb print but I couldn't find any brown stamp ink so I decided to run a brown marker over my thumb for my prints. Of course, you know where this is going... I got high - a little. I kept asking myself, 'man, why do I feel light headed?', 'did I drink the Crown?'. After one hour of asking myself, I realized the ink on my thumb and that ink = fume. DUH! Then my thumb started to itch and have a weird feeling; I started to freak out about ink poison. Let's just say, the fume got to me good. But I had fun making the cards and I hope my family and friends enjoy their card.

Work
I renewed my contract to work in South Korea as a GET (NET) for another year. I like this school and my students, and I hope to teach the lower grade students next year ^^ It works out well for me and them.
Next week is winter break and English camp kicks off again!
Hope to have a wonderful and fun time!

Hongdae's Free Market

This past Saturday, a friend and I met up in Hongdae to go to the Hello Kitty Cafe there. Before we went to the cafe, we decided to look around Hongdae's Free Market that operates on Saturdays (http://www.freemarket.or.kr/). I heard about an artist who draws portraits of people based on the word that the people give her to describes them and the feeling of the person she receives from the person during the session. So while we were there, I decided to go look at her work and decided to do a session with her.
I couldn't think about a word that will describes me, so I thought and thought and I finally choose 'pollen'. It travels where the wind takes it, and wether it plants its self on good soil, bad soil, or no soil, it still grows. When it grows it can be taken as a pest (weed) or something good (flower). I saw the pollen as myself; the wind, my journey of finding myself being pulled here and there; the soil, my destinations and experiences.

After some small talks and listening to my conversation with my friend, this was her final drawing based on my word. And this is the poetry she wrote with it:

어디로 가는지 몰라도
날면 어느새 나는
태양선의 강렬한을
나무의 강인한을 닮아가며

I don't know where I'm heading 
but while flying, I'm getting 
the Sun's strong rays. 
the tree's thick trunk. 


-초 선영 Cho Sun Young 











Before we parted, she said 'It's not the destination that matters, but the journey'. I thought, she gets it, and smiled.

If you are interested to look at her works or just to get to know her more, here is her website:
http://www.chosunyoung.com/

11.7.2011

November has arrived! The leaves have changed color and most have fallen... oh the year is coming to an end; how time flies.
But before November begun, there was Halloween. Of course people know and heard of Halloween here in South Korea. Because my regular classes were behind schedule we couldn't celebrate Halloween so I just passed out candies and chocolates to my students. But for my after-school class, we were able to do something "Halloween". I gotta say, my students stump me on their idea of costume for Halloween -- just isn't the same...

Can you guess what she is?

Pin-the-Jack-O-Lantern

The Mummies

This past Friday there was a big event at my school, students held talent shows in their classrooms for their parents. There were some amazing shows and many students have a lot of talents. The shows ranged from singing, dancing, musical instruments, sign language, other languages, taekwondo, magic shows, and even comedy-- I enjoyed watching them perform.

playing the Kayagum

Comedy show ^.^

Taekwondo

November kicked off awesomely. The best news I heard and saw was my mom progress, she now can walk a short-short distance by herself, without a cane! WOW! I am amazed and so proud of her. Miss and love my mom and dad, lots ♥

I hope November continues to be awesome. 

To Hlee

Hlee, 

I remember when you were little, you were always favored by the adults; with your cute-girly smile and your easy character to liking people, there was not one adult who didn't adore you. And now you have grown into a woman who has learned to make her own choices and finding your own footsteps in life with people still adoring you. 

In a couple of days, you will be off and on your way to start a new and amazing part of life -- marriage. (wooh-wooh ^^ ) I am glad you have found someone who you love, and who loves you; someone who you can laugh whole-heartily with, share and build your future with, and grow old with. 

I'm happy for you and Toua, and I wish you two the best and happiness on this new start together.