Thursday, 29 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #16: Plumbing

So here is something I never expected to make me happy, Korean bathroom design. I have been amused, bemused and sometimes out right mystified by it, but never, until today, happy.... Although possibly I'm misidentifing relief as happiness ...

Anyway, in my apartment the washing machine does not have its own plumbing, instead when I want to do my laundry I have some rather long pipes that stretch from the washing machine around corner, into the bathroom and onto the the tap or down the floor drainage hole. 

The pipe that goes onto the tap is supposed to clip tightly into a position that gaurentees it can't come loose, but my hands are not strong enough to actually push the clip into place. So it is always with some trepidation that I do a load of washing. Generally I push the parts together as tightly as I can, (about half way), turn the tap on about 1/4 of the way so the water pressure is not too high, and get ready to do a runner if things go wrong and start spraying everywhere. I tend to get an unexpected shower every second or third load that I do. 

Well today I left my whites soaking in the machine, and merrily went off to work, totally forgetting to turn the tap off. Something I've never done before. Imagine my horror on approaching my door this evening - 12 hours later - to hear the sound of water spraying. I totally expected a tidal wave to wash me away when the door opened. 

However to my great relief and happiness there was not a drop of water outside of the bathroom!!! That floor drainage pipe is a wonderful marvelous thing that should be immediately added to all bathrooms in New Zealand!!! In fact because Korean bathrooms are designed as total wet rooms the only thing I had to do was empty the water out of the rubbish bin. 

Not looking forward to my water bill this month, but at least I don't have to replace all the contents of my apartment. 

Thank you God!!!! <3





100 Happy Days Revisited - #15: Love

There is a Grade 1 student in my current school who comes to visit me almost every lunch time. Sometimes she just puts here head through the door and waves, sometimes she comes into the room and draws pictures on my board, or steals nuts and raisins from my lunch, and sometimes she climbs up on my knee and lies back, contentedly resting her head on my shoulder. This makes me happy, and for the first time in my life I think maybe I have missed out on something by not having children.

Sunday, 25 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #14: Friends

So something that makes me happy are my friends. 

Currently I'm working to a self imposed deadline, trying to finish my thesis in time to submit it and graduate with my masters in December this year. This means cutting about 4 months off the time I would have to complete the thesis if I was happy to graduate December 2016. Therefore I often find myself feeling rather stressed and overwhelmed. 

Today I just want to thank God for my friends who offer encouragement, support, good advice, to help me keep going. And who put up with not seeing me for much longer than normal but also make me take an occasional break to just go and play and unwind. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, just for being there!!!

I love you all!


Friday, 23 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #13: Knock Knock

So I'm just about to sit down to dinner when the gate slams at the top of my stairs and I hear a man shouting "외국인" (that means foreigner) as he walks down the stairs. This is followed by a knock on my door. 

Upon opening it I find a mail man who is struggling to read my name (Cat) from the front of a BIG box. After I confirm that this is indeed me and sign the portable electronic checking machine (very StarTrek which thrills my nerdy little soul) I get to clasp the battered box to my chest and bring it inside whereupon I proceed to rip it open. 

A friend in South Africa sent me goodies :-) Only took 5 months, hahaha. The best thing she sent me is fruit mince which can not be found in Korea for love or money. Now I can have a go at making Jamacian Black Cake. Something I've been wanting to try making every since I got my one and only taste of it. 

Today I am feeling loved!!!! <3 Thank you my lovely friend!!!!!!!!!



PS I obscured the address with this cool little app I have because I don't think it's a great idea to tell the entire world my address. But if anyone wants to send me a care package just send me a message and I'll totally tell you my address. As long as you're not creepy. ^^


Tuesday, 20 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #12: Things That Make You Go Umm....

So my current classroom management scheme goes something like this:

Students names are on the board according to their assigned seats, I give them points for anything I think deserves positive reinforcement.  25 points equals a small prize. They get a prize about once every 4 weeks.  I also have magnets with pictures of the Internet sensation 'Grumpy Cat' on them. If kids annoy me - mainly by talking when I'm talking, or being off task - then they get a Grumpy Cat by their name. That means they have to stay for 1 minute after school in complete stillness and silence. Is a terrible punishment for overactive boys and talkative girls. Each GC equals 1 min, so two GC means they lose 2 mins of their recess. Is a system that is working really well for me. 

Today I came into class to find that someone had added this to my board ...


Or in more detail ...

The half rubbed out bit used to say, 'by teacher.'

I am wondering why they gave the GrumpyCat two tails, one was not enough???



Then on my way home I was wandering along being nosey and I discovered this in a very expensive wine store ...


A lot of these are the kind of thing that would get put in a kids lunchbox. It's like someone heard that wine and cheese is a popular pairing, but didn't quite understand the concept ...

Disclaimer: I don't drink, but I do like to explore, I really wasn't looking for wine!! Promise. 



Sunday, 18 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #11: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Not much scares me these days, but today I found something that does. It was one of those 'Only in Korea' moments, which are as amusing as they are scary.  

So I'm wandering through my local store topping up my groceries and out of the corner of my eye I spot a very strange thing in the ice cream section of the freezer...


Anyone brave enough to try corn ice cream? I'm normally willing to try anything once as long as its vegetarian, but I'm pretty sure I'm never going to be brave enough to put that in my mouth ...

Thursday, 15 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #10: Laugh and the World Laughs with You

Two things that made me laugh today:

Apparently one of my Third Graders thinks I look like Wolverine...



They asked me to edit the school newsletter, in it each class had written a report about their field trip. This one made me laugh because the language is just soooo very old fashioned....




Sunday, 11 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #9: Making Ice Cream

A while back I bought a teeny tiny ice cream churn ...


Today I used it for the first time. Made melon and coconut cream ice cream. Was 'interesting' ... wouldn't make it exactly that way again ... Think I'll stick to pineapple and coconut cream in the future. But it was still fun to experiment. 

Here is the finished product, 100% natural fruit and nuts (cocoNut, it's a nut right?), vegan, no added sugar etc.


I also had a go at water melon ice cream. Another 'interesting' result. Fresh crunchy watermelon bitten straight off the rind is infinitely better!!!


More experiments are obviously needed :-D 

Next time I'm going to do apple and mint! I've done that in a blender before and it's great!!!! Am hoping the ice cream churn will give it a creamier texture. 

Am also considering grape with caraway seeds, in my mind it sound fabulous but my tounge is not quite so sure it will be a good mix. 



Saturday, 10 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #8: Bye Bye Ghay



My lovely friend Ghay is leaving Korea forever in just over a week. So another friend and I wend to visit with her one final time. 


We also got to make some new friends :-) and meet again some beautiful ladies we had met before. 




A happy time ^^


100 Happy Days Revisited - #7: Cool and Weird

Found a free book library under a bridge, plus lots of chairs so that people can just sit and read. Really cool!!! Sadly for me this library is 4 hours away from my home, and all the books are in Korean. Still cool though.  



Also found this shop ...

Am wondering exactly what a pizza and chicken love letter is ... Suggestions???
 

   "I love you" written in chicken blood on pizza ....? Perhaps not. 



Thursday, 8 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #6: Story Time

So my surprise discovery today was this ...


There I am innocently meandering towards the train station after school when I almost fall over what appears to be a stripped down scooter masquerading as a motorcycle. Notice however that while it is missing several features normally seen in bikes of a self propelling nature, such as engine covers and the like, it is amply decorated with a rather nice ladies handbag ... The stories I can imagine about the owner of this bike can keep me entertained for hours ...

Wednesday, 7 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #5: Feeling the Love

One of my Grade One students gave me this ...


When I opened it up it said this ...


I love my job. :-)

Tuesday, 6 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #4: Good Food Always Makes Me Happy

Today I spotted this painted on the side of a shop as I was walking along a road :-)


I also took myself and my thesis off to a cafe a friend recommended and blew half my weeks food budget on a vegan burger. Very Yummy!!! Thank you Pearl for the recommendation. 



Here is Pearl's very clear directions on how to get there, and an overview of the menu. 


Beans and rice for me for the rest of the week, but totally worth it. :-D 
(I like how I cook beans and rice so it is really not a hardship.)

Monday, 5 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #3: Random

Seoul is crisscrossed by rivers, and along each side of them there are walking and biking paths.  Often there are major highways running overhead, and always there are people out getting there daily allotment of exercise. 

Today as I was walking home from school I observed the following things. 

They amused me and made me happy. ^^

1. Bottles of water on strings hanging from the top of the wall. I'm sure the person who did this had a good reason, but I can't for the life of me think what it could be. 



2. Places where if you don't look up you can almost imagine you're in the country. If you do look up ... Not so much. 



3. The bridge I talked about the other day, but this time there were lots of old men playing games. A very serious and silent persuit.  



4. Then I found this garden. I've walked and cycled along this stretch of river many many times and never noticed this before. It's on one of the busiest corners in Seoul, large roads on both sides, a major highway overhead running along the river and another crossing at right angles, and someone is growing turnips and cabbages. I love these contradictions, so out of place and practical. 



5. While I was walking I was thinking, as you do - unless you're singing in your head of course...  

And what I thought was that we forgive others as we are forgiven. Not 'because' but 'as'. 

'As' meaning 'in the same manner' that God forgave us/me, fully and freely. Therefore, I need to do the same for others. 

God lifts me up as if I'd never sinned, there is no probationary period with Him. I have to give others the same grace.  

And then I was thinking that the hardest part of forgiveness is trusting people not to hurt me again, but I realized that 
instead of trusting people not to hurt me again, I have to trust God to comfort and heal me when needed. And that that is the only way to stay open, loving, trusting and vulnerable. The other option is to try and protect yourself but that makes a person hard and bitter and difficult to live with and I really don't want to be that person. 






Sunday, 4 October 2015

100 Happy Days Revisited - #2: Picnics


Today was the church picnic. ^^ It was a happy day. :-D what else is there to say?

100 Happy Days Revisited - #1: Friends

My friend who completed the 100 Happy Days challenge with me last year told me this week that she is redoing it now. I decided it's a great idea, so this time I'm joining her. 

Yesterday was a gloriously happy day. And the first day of my renewed challenge, Two of my favorite people who have left Korea for ever came back to visit, so I got to spend Sabbath with lots of my friends. 

Thank you Sunny and Sabina for taking the time and spending the money to come visit us. And thank you God for great friends. 



Also walking home after dinner I took the route down beside the river. Wandering along I came to a bridge and under the bridge was a line of chairs set around small cafe style tables. In the soft glow of the bridge light three old men were playing Baduk. I stopped to watch and they were so enthralled in there game they didn't even notice me standing there. Was kind of surreal to be the unobserved observer.