Halloween week part 1

It's been a fun week of outfits for me!  Also, the weather has also been amazing and there are still some really pretty flowers holding on here.  So let's start with those.  :)

This one was near the bus stop when I was coming back from Costco.

This one was on my way to the hospital (thyroid, nothing big, the doc lowered my med again and said I may no longer need it in a few months - AKA they tested and found out it's not an autoimmune issue).

This was on my way to work, it's so pretty!  

Now for the leaves!

Korea is a really, really pretty country.  

Now for the fun Halloween stuffs!!!

I re-did my nails.  I needed to supplement the stickers with some 'blood.'

The kids love them.

Monday's outfit and how I taught the kids the difference between skulls and skeletons.  Thanks to AL for the over shirt.  I love it.  Also, please disregard the state of the mirror - I was lazy and it's a little dusty.  I also tried a different pose for this pic.  Thoughts?!  LOL,

I haven't actually worn the mask to work yet, but I thought it gave a fun vamp-y vibe.  Also went back to the tried-and-tested pose.  The dress is a little loose on me these days (humble-brag I know, but I'm at the last 10 lbs).

Tuesday's outfit.  My kids now know that I am the Queen of Spiders, so I had to wear my spider earrings again.  

A closer look.  I was really feeling my look that day - my hair looked great, tho it doesn't always photograph well.

A close-up of the leggings that Cake sent me (she's my friend's dog).  It cracks me up how often I hear "I knew they were cute and Halloweeny but I didn't realize those were DOGS in costumes!!  How fun!"  Hehe.

Today's outfit.  I was going for a more diva-esque vibe on this one.  Or you know, a grown-up Wednesday Addams.  If you are wondering about the lack of make-up it's because I'm wearing a mask all day so I don't see the point in wasting the lipstick.  The necklace is one I don't get to wear NEARLY often enough, but it's super fun.  

The Korean staff at work seem to be getting a kick out of my outfits this week, and they asked what I will be on Thurs and Fri because we are ACTUALLY having Halloween parties on those days.  I told them I'll be a witch and a devil, like last year.  I'm super excited.  

My only real musings and wonderments have been of the 'how easy it is NOT to be a crap human' variety.  For example, I really was going to learn Korean but I never have.  However, I know to say 'thank you,' 'hello' and 'goodbye' which has gotten me thru.  Every time I say 'thank you' in Korean to someone, they literally light up.  It's the bare minimum I can do, and yet it means so much to people here.  Also, it's amazing to me how just a little bit of consideration can lighten someone's load.  Bringing in treats, including someone in convo, trying to see something from another's point of view - things that seem so small to one can mean so much to another.  I don't know, I guess because there is so much negativity and horribleness online these days, I'm trying to focus on making things a little less crap for the people around me.  It's stressful being so far away and it's about to be 10x worse because it's the holiday season and that's when the homesickness can really hit.  

The dating musings have been about how different it is in the days of texting.  I know that E has been busy at work and getting settled in and stuff so I'm trying to curb my usual method of texting which could be described as 'constant' to more 'once a day.'  It's like when I texted Mo in the states - we could literally text all day and I'm used to that.  It's different with someone who may in fact have to be away from his phone due to security stuffs.  Hehe... ah, military dudes.  

Otherwise, life just continues as normal.  Life is good, the weather has been amazing, my classes are really quite good, outside of one or 2 students, they all at least try and seem to like me.  I'll be sharing more of their sketches later.  There are some artistic kids in Korea!  Love and miss all of you and can't wait to see you again.  MUAH! :*

Not much going on

 Seriously - life is good, studying is... studying, people either suck or are awesome, I'm incredibly blessed to have AMAZING people in my life, dating is... interesting, and the weather is beautiful.  So this post is mostly just LOOK HOW PRETTY!!

Mai Tai

The leaves are changing

My student Chloe did these for me - she's an ADORABLE little ball of energy.

New gloves

So fun

I like the light in this one

So nice

I mean, for reals

I love this tree.

That's pretty much it.  I went out for dinner and drinks with K and S today and tomorrow I'm going to Mass with J in Seoul and then later I'm going to meet E.  Life is good, time marches on, and more info as it unfolds.  :)

Studying, Mass, and Having a 'pla'

Having a plan is all well and good, but when the suggested reading for a test is a bunch of REALLY expensive textbooks (seriously, $400 for the KINDLE version?!) it can be a little overwhelming.  I've forgotten a LOT of US history and foreign policy and if I don't brush up on that, world history, statistics, and geography I'm sunk.  You can only take the FSOT once a year you know.  No, I'm not nervous (sweats onto the keyboard).  Can't sign up for the darn thing until Dec... then I take it in Feb... plenty of time to prepare, right (butterflies in tummy make me happy I haven't eaten yet)?

In other news, the weather has been beautiful.  Sun shining, cool breeze, cold at night.  I've broken out most of my sweaters and am enjoying wearing them without the need for thermals (tho I know that weather is just around the corner).  I'm making a list of what I can leave in Korea (lots of tank tops and my jeans) and what I have to bring home (lots of t-shirts, dresses, jackets, etc).  I'm looking forward to being able to shop back home and find some things that FIT!  I'm going to try not to get too bogged down with sizes, but I must say that I am enjoying being a medium on top (probably still L to XL on bottom, let's be honest).

Korea is beautiful in the fall.

Korean parking attitudes remind me of cat sitting attitudes - if I fits, I sits becomes if I fits, I parks.

J and I went to the Thai place the other day - here's our appetizers.  Not exactly spring rolls, but still good.

My dinner - no clue what it was called, but it was tasty and full of protien.

The wig A set me from home... it could be fun for Halloween.

My spider necklace that I loves, loves, loves.

The door to the seminar room at work.  The Chungdahm people did a great job decorating it!

So yeah, I was asked on Friday what my plans are once my contract is up and the first thing I said was "I gotta go home."  Nod of understanding and then a "are you thinking of coming back?"  I said no, I want to get a job with the state dept and I basically plan on figuring out a job when I get home with that goal in mind.  Another nod of understanding with a subtext of disappointment.  J and I talked about it, and if I were to continue in a school, I'd be a great administrator - but I'm not cut out for teaching.  I love some of my students, but I don't have the heart to deal with the ones I don't like.  I do feel like I have wisdom to impart on future generations, but I don't foresee a future in teaching.  I'd make a great librarian. :)

Sunday J and I went to Itaewon for Mass and confession.  Turns out that we didn't need to go to Itaewon, we could have gone to Gangnam and gotten a bus from there to where the church was, but we didn't know it then.  We found the place, and were REALLY late to Mass, but afterwards the priest went ahead and gave us confession.  I was relieved to hear him actually say 'depression is not a sin' tho I pointed out that some actions during the depths of a depression can qualify.

On the way there.

We found it!!  I had never been so happy as to see a statue of Our Lady.

J with the sign.  We met a nice Nigerian man outside of Mass, before we headed to Gangnam for J to find a b-day present for her boyfriend.

Ahhhh... gotta love those Franciscans. LOL

I love how Korea always has flowers... and random rocks.

It's a pretty country, even in the city.

We went to Artbox because why not and I wanted to see if my sharkie had Halloween stuff and he DID!  I love this shark.

As you can see... 

And then I found THIS!  Life-sized BOSS!!!  I loves the little shark... I loves him goooood.

I also found Iron Man.

And J found herself a sassy penguin.  Gotta say, it reminded me of some other sassy penguins in my life.

An example of the cars you see in Gangnam.  We wandered for a bit until we found a dim sum restaurant and got really excited.  I've been craving American Chinese food, so we thought we'd give it a try.  These are the prawn dumplings (top) and the pork dumplings (bottom, obs).

J's shrimp fried rice and egg drop soup served with pickled cabbage that I loved.

My spicy prawn (shrimp for those at home) dumplings with my won ton soup.  It wasn't American wonton soup because it was MUCH too fishy.  

Lunch was good, then we wandered a bit more and finally ended up at Cold Stone Creamery because I wanted ice cream and J had never been before.

They didn't have my coffee ice cream, so I went for salted caramel with oreos.

The cute selfie

The crazy selfie.

Some of my art box finds - a fun Halloween mask...

... or 2.

Lots of pins and such - VAMPIRE BOSS!!!

We also got earrings, which you'll see in due time.  We also did a photo booth thing on the way home because J said 'we are doing this' and I didn't argue.  All in all, it was a good day in Seoul with a good friend.  We were both exhausted by the time we got home, so I dropped J off at her place and I came home and finished this post.  For those who are wondering about E, we have been messaging but have not managed to get together again.  He's got a lot on his plate and I'm practicing self control and trying not to be too up in his business.  We shall see what we shall see in that arena.  

So all in all, it's been a good week and a good weekend.  I'm gonna take a shower, change in to pj's, and become one with my pillows and blankets.  Have a good week, my beautiful peoples and I will check back in with you in the middle of it.