Krabi, Thailand... what can I say except it is heaven on earth.

the private beach just steps from the hotel. hammock and bean bags for relaxation on the powdery sand.

I LOVED the decor of the hotel. They had real orchids (?) everywhere in the room including the shower. aren't those bottles cute? i bought a couple for myself on the off-chance that I have my own place someday.

Some famous beach... I forgot the name. But it was warm and beautiful and just fantastic.

it's kinda freaky swimming underneath the rock monstrosity. who knows if one of the pieces will break off and fall right on top of you, probably splitting your body in half.

those are my feet.

kayaking through a crack in one of the islands

kayaking in a cave whose floor is made of mud. If you tried walking on the mud, you'd sink in to your hips. really gross, but squishingly satisfying.

ancient drawing of a fish on a cliff.

kayaking thru the mangrove forest. It was always a nightmare/sadistic dream of mine to kayak thru a mangrove forest, ever since I saw a national geographic special on the Florida everglades.

Typical Thai beach with white sand and clear water.

my uncle's dog, Dori. Isn't he cute? I normally HATE small dogs, but I have to say, he's this super cute puffy cotton ball dog who LOVES me : )

What am I doing right now you ask?

I'm sitting on the private beach of my hotel, enjoying a pina colada and... unfortunately, trying to get some work down for the four classes I'm teaching next term.

If you're jealous right now, please don't be, because a man just walked past my giant bean bag on the sand wearing turqouise speedos. No one, save an Olympic swimmer should ever wear them, and even then, they should only wear them during competitions.

I had the most wonderful massage today, even though the masseuse pulled the sheet down over half my butt. No one, except maybe my gall bladder surgeon, and my parents (when changing my baby diapers) has EVER seen my pasty, white, celluloid butt. I felt really bad for her, but then I thought, "dude, I'm not the fattest person to have walked the earth. I'm sure she's had fatter Americans as clients." It was wonderful.

Tomorrow I'm going kayaking in the mangroves and then getting another massage and then heading to the airport for my flight back home.

PLEASE, anyone who'se listening/reading, PLEASE visit Thailand and stay at the Tubkaak Boutique Resort. It is seriously, the most incredible place in the world. THE WORLD! I will post more pictures of the resort and my adventures in island hopping yesterday later, when I don't want to just curl up on the warm beach and read my guilty pleasure, (US Weekly).

Peace out.

I'M COMING HOME IN AUGUST!

I just bought my ticket home. My trip to australia is on hold for another year or two, and instead of suffering the humidity in Korea, I'm going to suffer the hellfires of a Chino Hills summer.

I'd like to soak up the peace and quiet of Orange County and the more pronounced etiquette and manners of non-Korea.

But until that glorious day, I have Thailand and friends to look forward to : )

And fruit waffles at Cafe Ima...

don't worry, I didn't eat it all by myself, I shared it with Robin, and we still had some leftover.

Bonnie, one of those waffles has your name on it : )

I have something to tide me over each month except july. paul and pearl are coming tomorrow and staying til june, then bonnie and jeannie are coming in june (yay!) and then in july, the monsoon season will make appearance, and in AUGUST, HOME! August 4-29th.
Then, home again in October for a very special occasion, and then home again in december FOREVER!

Hola Amigos!

It's finally spring! The cherry blossoms have arrived! Though not as nice as my memories of cherry blossom tree strewn Wooster Square in New Haven, it's still nice to walk out of my apartment building and see:

When I finish teaching at 10, I take the back gate back home, and I always pass three beautiful trees with huge, white and purple flowers. With my ipod blasting good music in my ears, I have about 1 minute of peace and quiet until I hit the main road where I'm confronted with traffic, motorcycles on sidewalks, and cars that would run me over in a heartbeat.

In Korean class, we have these weekly listening and speaking tests that we record on tapes. The best part is that we get to wear really cool headgear:

With JuYoung

This past Wednesday was a national holiday cuz it was an election day for the national assembly. Korean politics has instilled within me a new sense of... pride? less jadedness? appreciation? for the American political system and history. I still had to teach that night, but since I had the day off, I got to lunch with some friends at my favorite Indian restaurant in Myeong-dong. We ate, we shopped, we drank coffe at Caffe Pascucci and griped about Korea. It was really nice.

Me, Anne, Kamonthip, and Robin. Three of us have German surnames. By "three of us" I mean "not me." I felt a little left out.

In less than two weeks, I leave for THAILAND!!!! I was considering Phuket, but my Thai friend recommended Krabi instead. "Much less crowded, commercialized, touristy, and stained by western human activity." It's supposed to be one of the more beautiful regions of Thailand. I CAN'T WAIT!

Krabi

I'm staying at the Tubkaak Boutique Resort and Spa which is a "five-star, award-winning resort ideal for romantic getaways and relaxing vacations." As romantic as it can be with just me, I plan to focus on the "relaxing" part. I've decided to get a back/neck/shoulder massage all three nights. I'M SO EXCITED!!!

Tubkaak Boutique Resort and Spa

If anyone has been to Krabi and has any recommendations, let me know!

I'm just a little nervous about travelling alone for the first time. But I seriously need to get away from people and just be by myself for a couple days. Im realizing more and more how much I DESPISE and DETEST cities: the crowds, the noise, the traffic, the pollution... For all its good points (and there are many), I feel so overwhelmed and just grossed out in Seoul. Several of my friends here have travelled alone cuz they said they had to get otu of Seoul to be alone, and I totally understand what they mean now. I don't think I can ever live in a city.

Ooohh, I want strawberries.

BTW, has anyone received any penpal e-mails yet?

Hello friends!

Thanks for everyone who volunteered to be a penpal!  I need just one more person!!!!  Anyone interested?  Korean socks?  choco pie?  Just  reading 2 emails and writing 2?  No correction of grammar necessary?

so far, the following saints have volunteered (in case you forgot, I'm reminding you : )
debbie, bonnie, janet, joyce (thanks sisters!), mia, jane r., eunice, beks. and um, una, if you're not busy, can you perhaps be a penpal for this really cool nursing student who's going to start her phd at univ. of maryland this fall?

So, I'll be e-mailing you all soon with info regarding the penpal thing.  Thanks again!!!! Just wait til I come home in August or October... I will shower you all with Korean crap!

Spring is almost here... but not quite yet.  I'm dying for it!  I'll post pictures asap of the newly blossoming flowers.  This Sunday is the Yoeido cherry blossom festival that I can't go to cuz I'll be discussing The Bluest Eye with my three boys... whom I ADORE!  if I had a little sister, or a younger gay brother, I would SO be playing the yenta right now.

I got into a fight with my parents last night cuz I told them I was planning a trip to Phuket by myself.  My dad (who once scolded my mom when we first moved to Placentia with, "Lock the door! We're not in Mission Viejo anymore!"  By the way, this was at 6pm.  The sun was still shining brightly) freaked out and my mom called my very busy professor aunt who let me know that she would be more than happy to use her precious (my insertion) vacation to go with me to Phuket in the middle of her semester. 
I reluctantly agreed to look into Korean travel agency group tours : (

I guess I can just ditch them at the hotel. 

Has anyone stayed at the Le Royal Meridien Yacht Club hotel?  Or anywhere else in Phuket?  Where would you recommend?  My Thai friend recommended any hotel on Andaman Beach, but I'd also like the perspective of a foreigner's experience there.

I think I'm going to quit my Korean classes.  Last week was HELL, and in every class (both as teacher and student), I was asked if I was sick.  Everyone takes one look at me and tells me I look like I'm going to die.   I guess that happens when you're as lazy as I usually am and suddenly have to live off of 4 hours of sleep/night and a maximum of 2 hours of downtime each day in which I'm constantly stressing about work I haven't done.

I always thought teaching at a university was a cushy job.  and it is for sure, but i never realized how much work and effort goes into preparing lectures and whatnot.  I have incredible respect for all teachers now.  Seriously, it's hard! 

Granted my contract stipulates full-time status as 11hours per week, but THEN i have to take my work home.  jane, jemi, susan, i must say that you three are INCREDIBLE. 

oops, class is about to start, gotta run and show a wonder years episode to my junior program class to kill 20 minutes... I mean to illustrate America during the vietnam war....