Thursday, March 26, 2009

Just a Small Drink After School

So, talk about one of the most surreal moments of my life so far...the other foreign teachers and I leave school slightly early to go activate phones for those who didn't have one before or those whose broke mysteriously (mine won't even work as a clock anymore...and I can only call the last person who called me, unless I have your number in front of me...ungh). And on the way is a nice little Mom'nPop type convinience store that we usually pop into...only this time when we stopped it was quite different.

I suddenly felt a hand on my arm and I turn to look and see one of the older gentelmen that usually hangs out there handing me three hard-boiled eggs, one for me and my two fellow teachers...I first thought they were these pickled eggs here that I hate, but then I saw the pot and portable stove top over the register...well he was so nice and earnest we couldn't say no and now no way I wasn't buying anything even though I wasn't hungry...so we go to the register to pay and start eating our eggs when another man comes over and blops down a bottle of soju...

For those who don't know soju is Korean vodka that you can buy in any convinience store in Korea for about 1,000 won (that translates to less than a dollar...it's very popular here). It generally tastes very weak, especially once you mix it with anything and often will be the destruction of your night.

Fortionatly, this time they were kind enough to ask us if we wanted soju...well they asked me, they assumed my co-teachers would drink because they were male...and being the only female in the store I couldn't let a couple of Korean or Yorkshire men out drink me (although they probably could...) So we had a drink...no mix even though I hate my soju straight...and suddenly I'm being handed another egg...and another cup of soju...this time I was smart enough to bring my juice out and mix it myself. They didn't even really ask...only for politness sake, because after one of us said no thanks to the egg the owner started peeling it for him.

We were finally able to leave after the second one, but still, we were right by the school. We see students in there all the time and I avoid buying alcohol there so they don't think we are drinking right after school and this time school hadn't even fully let out yet!!! This has offically marked one of the top ten surreal moments in Korea, let alone my life!

Man I love this country.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Crab Ball

Thanks for my talking down guys...I need to stop reading multiple articles in a row about this while I at work, my imagination tends to run away from me...

ANYWAY!!!

Time for another silly game to waste countless hours on and that I had forgotten about until I starting cleaning out my bookmarks last night.

Crab Ball.



A very fun game that I used to waste hours on over at Spikey Thing. It's the easiest and the hardest game in the world. What you do is play volleyball against another crab using only your arrow keys. Easiest thing in the world to figure out. If the computer, or as I like to think, the evil crab in this epic battle, misses the ball you get a point and after 5 points you get the chance of earning an extra ball. However, if you miss the ball not only do you loose one of your lives, but you loose a point as well! This makes getting a high score really difficult and why I call it the easiest and the hardest game in the world.

My personal best score is around 20, but others on the list have stuff in the 230's....I can't imagine how much time they must spend playing this game.

But it's great fun and probably the best of the things I've tried out over at Spikey Thing and if you need a mindless game to clear your head, this is definitely one of the tops of my list!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

I Need a Talking Down

So in enjoying my internet working at school again this week, I decide to write a new blog post about the silliness of Crab Volleyball when what does one of my friends tell me about?

This article and this article describing how North Korea no longer wants food aide from the U.S. and that they are detaining one, maybe two reporters for reasons that are unclear in that article... This seems to be in preperation for the big satellite launch that you can read more about here.

I've always been a bit skeptical about anything happening with North Korea, I mean after so long you would've thought something would've happened by now. But more and more it is looking like buttons are getting pushed too far. South Korea, Japan, and US are not going to like North Korea sending up their missiles and there is a very good chance at least one of those nations will do whatever it takes to stop those missiles. And like in the last BBC article I linked said if they do, the North Korean government has stated it will start a war over this...something I didn't fully believe until now.

The act of closing off their borders once more to even businesses, refusing aide from the US (I don't know about other sources of aide...but still) and now holding reporters...this makes me think that they are serious about their threats and are prepping for a war to start...talk about my worse fear at this moment!

Maybe because I'm living here and I tend to run to panic mode fairly quickly is the reason why I'm so scared at this moment, but I am...this just feel so much more serious on my end and I am scared. Please someone tell me I have nothing to worry about...

Friday, March 13, 2009

Nevermind, this is fucking Scary

Ok, I know I joked about the electric shock that happened earlier this week, but this is getting ridiculous.

Every time I get back from the bathroom I'm getting a shock...and it's not from the water after I wash my hands, I make sure I dry them really well afterwards. Not only that it went through my headphones and into my ear this time!!!

This is starting to scare me...The IT people can't come to school soon enough.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

I am a Mutant.

I apparently have developed mutant powers.

Do I have super speed? Can I leap tall buildings in a single bound? No, I can do none of that now.

Apparently, what I do have is powers over electricity.

Let me tell you about my origin story.

It is a short tale, one that has not fully finished yet.

I sat down at my computer at work after finishing up classes early that day and ready to enjoy the new Facebook Uno game (actually quite nice if you like Uno, can't play with friends yet, just strangers, but looking good) and I even get the urge to try and clean up some of the apps I have on there. When suddenly it happens!

A shock, a very large electric shock goes through me from my mouse and causes my computer to restart. I kid you not, it took all I could not to yell because there were official looking people talking around my desk checking out the English center. Then well, I want to continue my life and what happens...there is no internet. Apparently that short circutted something because there was no sign of any internet anywhere on my computer, like it's never been connected.

So it's not big, but it has resulted in me not having internet at school until at least next week. Which really sucks. I hate it.

I actually get a lot of shocks at my work computer, every couple of days I get at least 2-3, but still to get a shock that big?

Maybe someday I'll get my own comic book then. :-D

Monday, March 9, 2009

Brains...

My brain is dead...as usual after teaching a day of classes. It's not like it's hard material, just after I have classes non-stop, especially 6th grade classes my brain goes a little ...well do you remember the season 3 finale of Buffy when she was all like "fire...tree..pretty?" Yeah, that's me right now.

I don't even have a podcast right now that I think I could listen to at the moment to make this better...and I really wanted to listen to Starbase 66 and Skeptics Guide to the Galaxy right now...

If anyone has a cure for brain-deadness to keep me from turning into a complete zombie for the rest of the day, I'd be greatly appreciative.
 
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