I don't really have much news, but since my mom complained about my lack of new posts, here I am.

First of all, I am blown away by Ezibuy's fantastic customer service. I couldn't remember my customer number or email log-in, so I made use of their "Live Help" service for the first time - online live chatting with their help staff. No pesky phone calls or emails needed! Hooray for the internet!

This is week 9 out of 20, and we change classes after week 10, thank god. I strongly dislike my one class and can't wait to pass them onto some other poor teacher. Next week is exam week, which theoretically should be less stressful than ordinary weeks because I'm teaching less hours, but in reality is hellish, and which will involve posing for countless photos with classes where I pretend I like them and where my students suddenly become all smiley, despite the fact that they slept or text-messaged through my classes.

I'm possibly going away this weekend to visit Clare (we met in Brownies when I was about 8, and later got back in touch when we realized we were both living in Korea). Clare and her husband Mark live in Namhae, a tiny island off the south coast of Korea. I've long been waiting for an opportunity to go and visit them and experience rural Korea, and this coming weekend is a 3-day one.

I nearly cried at the bank on Friday. I had just had 2 awful hours of class with the afore-mentioned Class of Hell, and I went to the bank to transfer money home. Please understand that this is usually a pain-free and easy process, 10 mins max. On Friday, it took an hour! Something was evidently wrong, because the teller made 5 phonecalls, the senior teller came over, the manager came over, my alien card and passport were waved around and pointed at, my ID numbers were repeated ad nauseum to whoever was on the other end of the phone etc.
Now I realize that this doesn't sound that stressful, but when its all happening in Korean, and no one is explaining to you what is happening, and when you've heard stories of banks calling immigration and immigration hauling teachers off for interrogation, you start to get worried. And the longer it continues, the more and more worried you get. Eventually they were able to explain that I had transferred money at a different branch the month before (which I hadn't), and that it was causing administrative problems with the computer. Ahh, Korea.

OOh, I had 4 different types of curry for dinner last night! Tynessa and I had leftovers from Indian food the night before, and then we both made one more curry each, and tah-dah! 4 delicious curries! Here's a close of the Spinach and Chickpea curry I made:
On Saturday we found the wholesale bead, fabric, and accessory market in Dongdaemun. Tynessa was in heaven. She's one of creative types (for the record, I am most definitely not), and she makes jewelry, so she was running around gleefully. It was kind of fun.



Ugh, now I know why every item of womens clothing and accessories in Korea are covered in bows. (shudder)
please note the amazing retro chains in fluoro colours.
hair flowers, everywhere!

oh, and this last shot is of Tynessa and I in front of Dongdaemun Gate, one of the four old gates to the city.