some odds and ends

What to do when you get off the subway in Seoul (ok, not all that unlike what you do when you get off the subway other places, but the signs are interesting.)
#1 figure out which stop you just got off at:


#2 figure out which exit you want to take to get out of the subway station and onto the street (which is rather important as there are usually at least 4 and often 6 or 8 choices that will put you on different street corners from which the view might be dramatically different.)


#3 figure out where you are trying to go. (This is the point at which you wonder why you left your warm room to try to explore the streets in a city where it hasn't been above freezing in close to two weeks!)


Another thing I love about the subways. There are no exit signs. Instead all the signs say:

Other things I enjoy include the different vending machines, like these which are at the building where I teach:

Some close ups for you to examine:
Here is a funny thing - you can go buy a can of soda like the skinny ones you see in the pictures in the 7-11, familymart or other convenience stores for 800 or you can get one from the machine for 500. Sometimes there are machines right outside the convenience stores. It took me a little while to catch onto this, but I am smart to their sneaky ways now!

I keep forgetting to take pictures of my lunch until after I have started eating it! Oops. So here are yesterday's and today's lunches.



Yesterday's lunch was just strange. They do these weird protein meat things that aren't really anything distinguishable. (I would be worried about what they are serving us except soy products etc. are much cheaper than any exotic meat that I wouldn't want to eat. I had already eaten the salad which was good before I remembered to take the picture. The frenchfries are always cold, so I usually pass them off to the kids or toss 'em.
Today's lunch, however, was fantastic. The rice had that spicy red sauce on it which was HOT but sweetish and totally yummy. Another one of those cases where my mouth is burning but I just keep eating it because I enjoy it so much. But the soup....oh, let me tell you about the soup. Udon soup has a lovely light broth, slightly sweet, lotsa yummy thick noodles, various seafood (looked like imitation crab to me) and fried something (not sure what it was, but it tasted vegetable like) and it was SO good. I always struggle because about every 4th day we have a new dish that I think must be the best thing we have had in the cafeteria. (As you know, I often get to eat really yummy stuff outside the cafeteria) but I think that Udon might be my favorite - though the spicy stuff was really good too. My ramen hybrid steeping next to me no longer sounds so appealing.


On Friday night I bought this dress:


And on Saturday these super warm leg warmers which I love (flattering they may not be, but fuction over form in this weather, I say!)I wore them both to school today.


I often get little gifts from my kids. You know, elementary school kid gifts -- the odd piece of candy, the gonggi, things they make, etc.
Here are a few examples:


Notice the stickers, etc. I also got a small card (which is inside my nametag and I forgot to pull it out and take a picture of it.) But, I have to admit my favorite is the drawing that Julie gave me. She is quite talented.

(the artist is on the left.) I have three Julies in my MWF class. They labeled themselves Julie 1, Julie 2 and Julie 3. Julie 2 is my drawer.

Oh, I cannot wait to take video of them doing their little performance of Calendar Girl by Neil Sedaka. We have motions and a little dance and everything. They are SO adorable.

And I forgot to mention that when I got up this morning I found that it had snowed just a little bit. It was already evaporating (so cold and dry here) but still, it was pretty.


And I am still infatuated with the magpies. This one was saying absolutely horrible things to me today as I passed it on my walk to school. I would have scolded it for the language it was using, but I was just too cold to do more than take its picture.


Ok, that is enough for now. I still have one more test to write before I can go to sleep, and I didn't sleep well last night! Sorry that it took a few days to post. I am sure to have a few more adventures before I leave!