Mono tales

It's sad, but true. I have contracted the EB virus. And yes, it sucks big time. After two unsuccessful trips to Korean doctors, and $600 spent at the international clinic, I can honestly say that I've never been so frustrated with being sick. I'm generally a healthy person ("healthy as a horse Noelle" my parents used to call me), and when I get sick, it's like a personal insult to my dignity.

Mono sucks. Being tired all the time is really annoying...but having an excuse to do nothing but watch bad TV isn't too shabby. Also on the bright side, my friends have proven how incredibly supportive they are.

Knowing little about the virus, I consulted the web for more information. Luckily, Meredith introduced me to quite possibly the greatest website ever. www.giantmicrobes.com This website sells all sorts of "microbes"...only in plush versions. Seriously, you can spend hours browsing through the maladies, calamities, and infirmaries.

Mono is listed as "Kissing Disease." (Poor thing...it'll never shake that stigma.) Click on the link and VOILA! You've got your own little furry Epstein-Barr virus companion. The coolest part is the real photo to compare your plush to.

How could I stay angry at this little guy? ^^


[Note: It is possible to give your sister "bad breath" for her birthday. Teehee!]

Yes.We.Can

Not so great update

I probably have mono.

More when I can stay awake long enough to write about it.

K-TV

Most Korean TV (besides soap operas) involves Korean celebrities getting together and doing...stuff. And by "stuff" I mean they do all kinds of stupid things. The funny part is watching their reactions to the situations. Usually there are 5 or more comedians, singers, hosts, etc. all thrown into some sort of task-oriented situation. It can be anything. I've seen shows that force the celebrities to endure boot camp (for a day), star in an action video, throw each other off kayaks, sing karaoke of songs by the original singer in front of him, dig themselves out of a muddy hole, survive a night in a snowy tent, cook, stack pots and pull a tablecloth out from under them without them spilling over, drive across the country in a van, learn traditional drumming from a mean grandma, visit a grandma, eat, even go to English camp. At first, I couldn't fathom why anyone would want to watch other people eat for an hour. But then I watched it...for an hour. The funniness comes from famous people making fools out of each other. I can't even understand 90% of what they say. It's still funny-a lot of the time. There comes a time when I just can't sit through grown men dressing up like schoolgirls and complaining about their lack of beauty. Today, I saw 6 women jump off a 12 meter platform in army gear. Two of them cried. It was hilarious.

Dear Korea #2

Dear Korea,

Why do Korean women wear make-up that makes their skin look "shiny" [read:oily] ON PURPOSE?

Sincerely,
confused foreign female

Dec. 2007

Collecting Friends

It snowed in Seoul, but now it's all melted. :( I didn't even make a snowman. Next time!

Wow. It's been a while. Um. I'm going to start from today and work my way backwards and forwards to update the blog.

I now have 7 new Korean friends. Yeah, that's right. The same girl who only acquired one outside friend in Andong now has a calendar full of lunch dates, museum excursions, and language exchanges with living, breathing, young Koreans. I met them in random places at random times. For instance, I met HyunJoo at a bar. She graduated from the same high school I teach at. I met ChanHo and SuRan at Coffee Bean, Geol through a Frenchman, WooRi through my Korean teacher, SaeYeong through my principal, and HanCheol through my co-teacher. Complicated, eh? What a difference location makes!

Winter Break plans:
January
-go to Andong and eat Onni's tasty fish
-facilitate the Korean Alumni Youth Partnership Program (KAYPP), a week-long camp that is supported by the US Embassy and KoreaGlobe (NGO). Students learn about American and Korean politics, economics, society, and culture. SOOOOOO excited.
-perhaps take a week trip to Japan?

February
-intensive Korean language course
-go to Andong for Lunar New Year celebrations!
-actually visit the museums in Seoul...instead of just talking about it
-Valentine's Day party! (rule: you must be single this day to participate; if you're dating someone, you have to break up for 24 hours-no exceptions^^)