New Journey Updates

---

Life is so filled with funny moments. Lately I have felt as though I could make millions of dollars with some of my adventures here in Seoul. I wonder if we are provided to encounter the most embarrassing moments to humble us in our journey on this earth. First I will begin with general updates and then end on funny highlights. Get you favorite beverage, relax and enjoy this read as I bring you up to speed.

Updates: As many of you already know I took the Millers Analogy Test recently. My score will be revealed by the end of July. I am planning to continue my education at the Yongsan Garrison Army base through the Troy University extension. Degree plan: Master's in International Relations. Due to begin in August. Special thanks to Rick Tavarres, my previous UIW professor for his wonderful letter of reference.

I have also added to my teaching schedule another business man that I will be working with privately twice a week. Soon I am going to be assisting 3 more business men at another business location here in Seoul. Oh my...the word has gotten out...American blonde teaching English...too funny! All total I will be teaching 6 classes a week beginning in August...no worries though, my class sessions are 1-hour each, some are twice a week.

Hanji continues to be one of my greatest passions. I am now working on a large canvas masterpiece along with all of my smaller works. Sungsil is such an amazing teacher. She placed her beautiful canvas in the Hanji exhibition and it sold (1 million won). One day in the future my pieces will to also be on exhibit. Excited for that day!

Funny Blunders: I had lunch with a female business professional and I ate something (not hot) that took my voice away for a bit. Imagine sitting there, your eyes begin to tear, then you try to speak and your voice is leaving you. Of course I begin to laugh. Then the person I am with is stating, 'drink some water'. Drinking water begins to allow for my voice to return only to sound like that of one sucking helium. She was fearful that she might have to do the heimlich. By the end of our lunch I was speaking in a normal tone. On our way back to her office we were busy talking and the elevator door opens, I 'of course' jump in and she is left standing saying, 'it is going down', I make a mad leap and once again become squished like a sardine in a can. My lunch partner begins laughing hysterically and shared she would love to go to lunch more often, go figure.
Matt & I went to a Korean restaurant, they had a buffet where you choose your items to cook or eat raw. I selected what appeared to be some type of melon or squash (acorn?), at the time not sure which. In Korea at times it is difficult to know what the foods are and just how to prepare them. I return to the table and begin to take a bite of this unknown food. The owner starts saying something in Korean and is lunging toward out table. At the time not sure if he is warning us about the way Matt is placing the food on our grill or the bite I just took. Koreans are very vocal so all of the patrons and restaurant staff are now aware of what is happening. I immediately spit out my bite. He proceeds to show us that I must grill the food I just placed in my mouth. We are surrounded by 4 staff, we all just begin laughing...

Educational Experiences/Funny: I returned to the Dragon Hill Spa. I am adventurous so I had to challenge myself to try something new. I decided to try a Korean body scrub. On the menu of choices this also included 'skin whitening/bleaching'. Upon check-in I tried to tell them that I did not want the bleaching, however, I am not sure this was understood. After taking on the Medicinal Hip Bath once again then it was time for the full body scrub...oh my! I am excorted buck naked to a table, mind you there are 4 other tables in an open area with women on them in the buff. Okay, maybe I am a bit of a prude...this is all new to me and it is too late to back out now. I am telling myself, 'how bad can it be...stay calm'. The ladies doing this scrub are dressed in their underwear and a bra as they are are briskly scrubing bodies and sloshing water about. Now my turn to endure this challenge. The scrub felt like someone taking fine sandpaper to your body. At the end of the scrubing a tub of water is poured over me. As I begin to exit they hold a bottle with a pump dispenser and pump liquid into my hand. I am thinking this is some kind of lotion so I proceed to rub on my body. The ladies begin to laugh and are saying, a-ni-yo (no, no). They point to their hair and now I understand that I have just placed hair shampoo on my chest. I join in their laughter. I must say my skin feels amazing and I am blazing white...heehee!

I hope I have not bored you with my updates. Enjoy! See you next time.

---