Having my fill.

A few things I can't get enough of lately.

#1.  This amazingness.

#2.  Chamchi gimbap.  I just love it.

source

#3.  This amazing chocolate cake from my baker.  It is the closest thing to homemade cake I've found in Korea.

#4.  The new tiny babies at school!  They are just so little and adorable I can't stand it.

#5.  Thinking about this summer.  It is going to be truly spectacular.

I have so much to plan for as I wrap up my time in Korea.  I have three months left and so much to do.  I still have a short list of things to see/do here.  Who knows.  It may not be my last time.

Currently listening to:  The video you should have just watched.

puddle jumping

Korean shoe stores are some of the most painful places for me to visit.  First of all, I don't really like shoe shopping.  Second, you have to haggle and fight for a pair of shoes that are probably going to fall apart anyway.  On top of all of this, every shoe store in all of Korea ends up having the exact same shoes.  There is little variation beyond material and heel height.  I have no idea how these stores differentiate themselves. 

So, when I needed pink heels in October for my Halloween costume, not a single store had anything lighter than a shade of beige.  "No pink!  Not fall color!" is all that I heard from store after store.  So I gave up and wore my Nikes (which are awesome, but my Barbie costume needed heels!).

At the moment, I'm trying to find a pair of wellies.  I hate. Repeat HATE walking to work in the rain.  My shoes and pants end up all wet and I'm a terrible clutz and I often end up slipping at least once.  Usually twice.  I recall a time, not too long ago, when every shoe store had at least seven pairs of wellies on display.  Now, after two weeks of looking, I've not found a single pair.  Not one.  I'm not giving up.  I'm not letting Korean shoe stores defeat me once again. 

However, if I do give up, I'm ordering a pair of these.
http://www.hunter-boot.com/

Probably in red.  Or pink.  Sigh. 

Currently listening to:  Ballerina, Leona Naess.

The dentist. Korean style.

Going to the dentist in Korea is a special experience.  It is a lot like your dentist in America minus the gloves, warnings about things about to happen to your teeth, and trashy magazines in reception (well these might still be there but they are in Korean).  However, since two dental visits have been free for me so far, I'm thinking you have to take the good with the bad.  My dentist is a former student's father so he says "Aw.  St. Louis teacher.  Service scaling." (service means free in Korea).  However, my tooth restoration was not free, but still reasonable (I had some exposed, super painful roots).  It was painful and I kind of made a scene in the office.  Which was lame because the lady three chairs over was having half her upper teeth removed without a flinch...

So, if you're living in Korea, go to the dentist!  Or don't.  The no gloves thing is a little hard to handle.  I'm also pretty sure an ad like this could still run in Korea.  Seriously.

My little black book.

One of my Valentine's gifts was a Moleskine I didn't even know I had always wanted.

I can't wait to make all kinds of fun German notes in it!

Korea has had the most radical weather.  Sunday was beautiful and sunny.  Monday, it dumped snow.  Wednesday, it rained.  Today, it is beautiful and sunny.  As long as the weather holds out for our Ultimate Frisbee game on Sunday, I'll be just fine.

Currently listening to:  Apologies, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals.

Nothing says love like veggies.

Last year, Brendan bought me a book of vintage Valentine cards.

This one is the best.

I love Valentine's Day.

Currently listening to:  At Last, Etta James.

Hey! Let's go to Japan!

Nagasaki Peace Park.  Beautiful.  Painful. 

Hundreds of thousands of paper cranes.

 Beppu monkey reserve.  Sheer awesomeness.  Plus check out what my lens can do!

 Japanese sunset.  Perfect.

 Japanese trains are super slick.  I mean the KTX is cool and all, but it doesn't have wood floors.

Nagasaki Chinatown lantern festival.

Burning wishes and making sacrifices for the gods at the New Year.

Cutest restaurant ever in Fukuoka.  It had a tiny hobbit door.

Japan is nuts.  Super efficient, clean and things made so much sense.  They have sinks with built in hand dryers.  Come on.  That is as efficient as it gets.  We did so much in five days, it was an amazing whirlwind.  I'm so glad I got to experience it while I'm this close and it is just a ferry ride away!

Currently listening to:  Something Good Can Work, Two Door Cinema Club.

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My birthday was awesome.  Hello early late twenties!

It was a fantastic time.  Now off to Japan.

Currently listening to:  We Are Stars, The Pierces.