I'm sitting in my apartment.. looking out my balcony window.. watching the signs and lights flash.. looking at the subway pass by.. listening to music.. while drinking water.
So it's day 64 of my diet and I've lost 26 pounds! Sounds good huh!? I feel great! I drink tons of water.. and eat very little. haha. I try to exercise as much as possible.. and hope to join a new yoga class soon! (let's see if I like it before I pay the monthly fee)
What have I been doing lately..
*driving my scooter.
*hanging with my friend Janel... who is leaving next month.. :(
*getting to know a new friend.. Amanda. She's pretty cool and lives down the street.
*My co-worker from Ireland finished her contract and left Korea.. :( So now I am waiting on the new teacher to arrive. She's from England.
*Going on Adventure Korea trips as an assistant. (as YoungHoon would say)
I've been to the DMZ (north/south Korean line) many times since I've been back.. I know it makes people at home so nervous.. But don't worry! I'm safe! haha.
On that note: Sometimes I'm actually a bit nervous about North Korea... I don't hear anything about it unless I look up the news on the internet. I don't have an English news station on my tv.. so I read yahoo news often! haha. and shoot... N.Korea's coming after the USA.. I feel safe here. haha. jk.
Here are some random pictures..
"Prom Night 2009"... dressing up for a fun night out!
Nathan got married! This was at the bar after-party! Elvis(Nathan) and Mrs.Bryant (me)
Kobe!!!!! Congrats to the World Champions! whoo-hoo!
I hope you are well! I miss you all!
peace. love. kobe.
sam.
- Location:My apartment in Ansan, South Korea
- Mood:
ZzZzzzzZzz.
I am sitting here on a Wednesday night... looking out my balcony window.. waiting for the rain to start pouring down!
So.. what have I been up too?
Let's see.. I've been hiking, going to festivals, teaching, helping Adventure Korea out (tour guide), riding my scooter, making new friends, getting ready to go to a few weddings, buying tons of nail polish (random), and DIETING... :) I have lost 17 pounds! Here is a picture of my slimmer face.. haha.
That is my teacher a.k.a. "Secretary" look.
hahaha. :)
By the way... I have perfect vision... the glasses are an accessory!
There are new tour guides working for Adventure Korea! We are all great friends now..
Here is a picture of ByungMin and myself... we are having FUN in a karaoke room..
Now.. here is HyunMo... nickname: Moey.
I hope you are all well!
Oh and please check out this link... It is Luke Lee performing at Preschool! hahaha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj5yvnzSj
Peace. Love. KOBE!
- Location:My apartment in Ansan, South Korea
- Mood:
because of luke's video! - Music:What a wonderful world.. ^^
- Location:My apartment in Ansan, South Korea
- Mood:
amused
So I have internet at my place now.. so I can post some pics.. (finally)
So this month I went on 2 Adventure Korea trips.. This is an English Travel Group.. I usually explore Korea on the weekends. haha.
First trip was to the DMZ.. This is the line between North and South Korea. It was an overnight trip.. I had so much fun.. We went to an observatory to have a close look at the North Korean side. The best part was when we walked through the 2nd Tunnel (made by the North Koreans)...
Here I am walking in the tunnel (no pictures where allowed, but the tour guide snapped a shot!)
When we were at the observatory.. I found a soldier's hat!! It was a perfect fit.. so I kept it!.. haha.
Above is my awesome hat!! And this YoungHoon.. He's a tour guide.. and my best friend. :)
So the next day.. We had a mine challenge.. We had radios.. and we had to search for mines. Honestly... we were surrounded my REAL mines.. But thankfully the game was played with fake mines.. haha. Guess who won the challenge?? duh.
Here are some random pics from the trip..
Above is the entrance to the 2nd Tunnel.
Mines EVERYWHERE!!
May not look like much.. But this is the SMALL area between the North and South.. Step there... YOU DIE!
I also went on another trip.. It was to Seorak Mountain. I went hiking!! It was a beautiful weekend!
Here are some shots from the weekend.
This is the leader of Adventure Korea, SeokJin! and my friend Patricia.
Here I am... Texting at the top of the mountain! haha.
Whoo-hoo!!
Chillin at the top! :)
Relaxing by a waterfall.
After a day of exploring... we had a night of fun. Karaoke anyone?
Ok... so.. now a bit of randomNESS...
So I started my "TV Show"... at school. It's pretty funny. I try to make it as entertaining as I can.. One day.. I will take a video.. and post it! I'm sure you'll have a laugh.
Here are some pictures of my ride... holler.
Pretty dope.. eh?
Haha.
Well.
I will write more next week!
I will be going to the Snow Crab Festival and climbing a different mountain!
I hope everyone is well!
Miss you all!
Next week I'll post pics of my dope-a** apartment! :)
Until then...
peace. love. kobe.
사만다
- Location:My apartment in Ansan, South Korea
- Mood: *^^*
- Music:"Mamma Mia"
"Hey Samantha... You have to be on TV two times per week."
I said... What!?
Then she said that I have to teach the whole school two times per week.. for 15 minutes each time! hahahaha.
I might add... each classroom has a HUGE 62inch Flat Screen TV... (i hope i'm not in HD) haha.
This is hilarious. There are 2000+ students in my school. Can you imagine ME "performing" for 15 minutes.. if your answer is YES.. then you probably know me pretty well. hahaha.
This should be funny.. This is like Speech 101 in college. Good thing I got an A..
o-my-goodness! haha.
Here is my schedule..
Monday I teach 4 classes of 6th Grade English.
Tuesday I teach 5 classes of 6th Grade English.
Wednesday I teach 2 classes of 6th Grade English and 2 classes of 4th Grade English.
Thursday I teach 4 classes of 4th Grade English.
Friday I teach 5 classes of 4th Grade English.
Every class is 40 minutes. I have a 10 minute break between each class. I also have a 50 minute lunch.
Each class has about 40 children. Some children are great at English.. and others can't tell you their name.. BUT.. they are in the same class.. :) I sing and dance... so get everyone's attention. By the end of the day.. I am exhausted!
I am so happy with my new job and my 2nd year in Korea!
Thanks for reading my journal! Talk to you soon! :)
peace. love. kobe.
사만다 .... (Samantha)
SORRY I DON'T HAVE PICTURES YET.. I WILL GET THE INTERNET AT MY APARTMENT NEXT WEEK!! UNTIL THEN... JUST IMAGINE! *^^* <------ KOREAN SMILE.
- Location:HoDong Elementary School
- Mood: haha.
- Music:... No music... ㅠㅠ
Hello from Korea!!
Actually.. Hello from HoDong Elementary School! I am working right now.. haha. Actually.. I have some free time right now, so I decided to write an entry.
So.. my second year..
IT's TOTALLY different. And that is in a good way. :)
I have an amazing apartment.. here is an email I wrote to my mom and sister.. (this sums up how excited I was when I saw my new place.)
So... I've been home most of the day.. I don't have to work, so I'm just chillin. My co-worker told me that I needed to be home between 2 and 3pm because my sofa was going to be delivered... so..
I was waiting.
Around 12:30 the doorbell rang..
To my surprise... a flat screen TV!! holler.
Then... Around 3:05pm... the doorbell rang..
To my surprise..
4 Boxes..
Box #1 Toaster.
Box #2 Rice Cooker.
Box #3 Microwave.
Box #4 Vacuum!!
Honestly..
I feel like a celebrity. I do nothing... and boxes keep coming.
Now, I'm sitting here.. watching Days of Our Lives on my Flat Screen.. while looking out my balcony window.. with the sun on my face and a breeze in my hair.
Is this really my life?
Please don't worry about me... everything is wonderful.
I do miss you all.. but shit. I'm living the life.
AND..
I will be home in a year. :)
So... that's how my second year started.
I have a real shower, a washer and DRYER, an up-stairs loft.. and sooooo many closets.
haha. :)
My job is fun! I teach at a public school, so there is NO pressure to learn fluent English. Last year, at Wonderland, I gave SO MUCH homework and made those little kids STUDY hard! But this year.. it is more about making English fun.. and teaching the basics! so.. it's fun.. I teach 4th and 6th grade.. CRAZY kids! Every week, I teach about 900 students! Honestly.. it's sad because I won't ever learn their names.. well, maybe a few! :)
Today, the 4th graders asked me some questions.. "Do you like grapes?" "Are you famous in America?" "Do you like Obama?" "Are you married?" "Do you like chicken?".... then... when the bell rang.. this sweet kid asked me for my autograph... and then the WHOLE class wanted it. I signed everyone's books. They were SO happy!
I walk down the halls and everyone is shouting, "Hello Sa-man-da!" and they bow.
I'm happy. This is fun. :)
Do you want to write to me? I'll write you back. haha.
Here is my apartment address: for letters only.. :)
Samantha Strother
South Korea
Kyunggi Province
Ansan City Danwongu
Gojan 2 dong 527-4
Tower i's Vill I Apt.1306
425-868
Here is my School Address: for packages.. :)
HoDong Elementary School
c/o Samantha Strother
South Korea
Kyunggi Province
Ansan City
Sangrokgu 1 Dong 601
426-859
I don't have the internet at my apartment yet... so I can't upload pictures.. BUT I will soon! I need to show you my BRAND NEW SCOOTER!!! whoo-hoo!!! :)
I hope ya'll are happy and healthy!
I hope to hear from you soon!
peace. love. kobe.
- Location:HoDong Elementary School
- Mood:
burrrrr! - Music:A-B-C... now i know my a-b-c's!
I will leave in 11 days!! My flight to Seoul takes off on February 24th at 11:00am... and lands in Seoul, Korea on February 25th at 5:05pm.
Seriously?
I'm nervous this time around... I'm not sure why...
Maybe because I have a huge bond with my two nephews... yeah.
Luke Lee is 2 1/2 and he calls me his best friend! He draws pictures at his house and tells any adult that's around him to write.. "I LOVE SAMANTHA" hahaha. If you tell him that you want to write a different name.. like "mommy"... he says... "No, I love Samantha."
And Little Henry Stuart will be 6 months soon.. GeeZ! I've been home for his whole life. He loves my face... and smiles from ear to ear when he sees me! How do I leave such a sweet little boy?
Well, I look at it like this... Luke LOVES this puzzle I bought him from Japan, he loves all the Korean books that I brought back for him, he can point out Korea on a map, he can pick out Korea's flag in a book, he loves to talk about planes going to Korea... WHAT WOULD HE DO WITHOUT ALL OF MY ADVENTURES??
I figure... yes, it sucks I will miss the kid's birthdays once again... BUT look what I am doing?? I'm exploring the world and learning about other cultures by living inside them... I know some people don't understand... but if you tried it... you'd LOVE it.
I know the first few months will be tough... not being able to give Luke a bath after Sunday night dinner.. and make Henry giggle when i kiss his [stinky] feet... BUT it's ONLY a YEAR, right??
Put it this way... I'm stoked! I can't wait to start a new adventure!
Peace. love. kobe.
- Location:Westchester, CA
- Mood: holler.
- Music:"Halo" By: Beyonce
I plan to head back to Korea in February/March... I will start up my journal then... (and I will write more than last year!)
holler back.
사만다
- Location:Westchester, CA
- Mood: peaceful
- Music:"Put On" -Young Jeezy featuring Jay-Z
my "bf" haha.
MudFest 2008
Happy 4th of July!
Japan. Golden Temple.
Caving. Korea.
My friend Katie.above are random pictures... from the past few months. The first picture is of a random guy on the beach.. He was working at MudFest and I asked him if he would take a picture with me.. it is REALLY popular to wear "couple clothes"... so he called me his "girlfriend" haha. he was funny...
Wow... sorry it's been SO LONG! *^^*
I've been busy.
busy working.
busy living.
busy traveling.
sorry. seriously. :(
haha.
so anyways... what have I been doing... you ask?
I've been traveling like crazy...
I've been all over Korea... with a tour group.. called ADVENTURE KOREA... I am what you call a VIP member... haha. seriously.
Also.. I went to Japan.
and in 3 days.. I head to Thailand.. yes you read that correctly.. Thailand.. not Taiwan.. haha. :)
I will chill at the beach and hike through jungles with wild animals... I'll also come back with MANY bug bites.. ouch! I am already getting attacked in Korea..
I'm very excited for my trip...
AND... when I get back to Korea... who will I meet at the airport??????
MEGAN!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!
Megan is coming to visit me for a week!!!! Can you believe it?? I am STOKED! wow!
AND... I will return back to my mother land... on AUGUST 25th.
Just in time to see the birth of my second nephew. :)
wow...
could life get any better..
um...
i don't think so.
I hope all is well.
love you.
miss you.
holler.
- Location:My apartment in Ansan, South Korea
- Mood: excited
- Music:Chris Brown "Forever"
I'm Alive!!
I'm sorry that is has taken me so long to write... haha.. many people have emailed and asked..."Did you ever come back from North Korea?"
haha.
i survived!
The months are flying by here.
I only have about 5 months left.. and then... home time.
I was going to travel for a bit before I came home.. but I decided to travel as much as I can now.. in the next 5 months..
Every weekend I have something planned... from visiting villages, to rock climbing, to deep-sea fishing, mountain hiking, crab catching.... you name it, and i'll sign up!
I have a plane ticket to japan planned for June and i'm looking into China.. In August i'll travel to Thailand.. (cross your fingers that i make it there... haha)
The reason for my straight flight to America is... my sister is having a baby!! and i will be home JUST in time to BE IN THE DELIVERY room!!! holler.
My last day of teaching is August 22. and i will fly home on the 25th. :)
Although i will be home... you might not see much of me.. #1 i dont own a car.. #2 i will be playing with luke lee! :)
here are a few quick picks of what I have been up too...
this is me getting ready to hike an ice mountain in North Korea.
this is me crossing a ghetto bridge in North Korea... seriously scary.
it was COLD there!
a frozen lake in N. Korea.
More bridges.
are hotel was a boat... :)
This is me being crazy.. i wore sooooo many clothes because it was freezing... here are my leggings and leg-warmers.. haha. ghetto, but warm.. i wore jeans over, so i looked normal!
this is me at the sea... this is where i met some north korean men... they saw my tag that said "USA" and they instantly walked away and almost spit at me.. damn!
North Korea was beautiful.
This was my passport.. it had to be worn at all times and be seen. the fine was $100. crazy koreans.
i will show you a few pictures from a trip I just took last weekend.. erin and i went to a village on the south tip of korea. i was awesome.. here are some silly pictures..
watch yourself.
we found a bunker. so we took advantage.
hahahahahahhaha. i am ghetto.
:)
here is erin.. chillin.
this is dinner. this lady couldn't stand up straight.. she has worked in the fields and kitchen.. for her entire life.
we went to this village and lived in a house with an 80 year old korean couple... we slept on the ground... and lived a true village korean life for a weekend.
here is our bed!
Rice fields... but right now it's the season for garlic.. so that is all garlic. :) looking over the sea.
here we are... happy to be at the village.. :)
well i hope all is well at home..
I have to run...
going to eat some dinner at a friend's house!
love you all.
sam
- Location:My apartment in Ansan, South Korea.
- Mood:
busy
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