Fire=McDonald's

"We don't need no water".... but really we did to put the fire out that happened last Friday in the building I work and live in. Thankfully no one was harmed but the epicenter and very office that keeps the school running was destroyed. Have you have ever seen a melted copy machine...it is actually a thing a beauty and I am sad that I was not able to take a photo of it.
The story goes that for the last month the fire alarm in our building has been malfunctioning and going off at hours of the night for no reason. The night of the fire it went off at 11:30pm to my annoyed dismay. I went to bed at 4am and the security guard (Agashi (the Korean word for "Old Man")) pounded on my door a little after 5. I smelled smoke and sensed his urgency and I hauled ass put my robe on and my Uggs, and ran like a maniac to pound on my neighbors doors. Of course we ran out half dressed on what happened to be the first cold day of our time here. We realized that we were all without our passports or computers and daringly run back INSIDE to retrieve our stuff and put something decent on (Tuti if you are reading this do not ever run back inside a burning building!!!!!). But really what got to us was the fact that the alarm never went off when there was an actual fire.

Air conditioning unit

I had to take a picture with Agashi since he rescued us...our relationship consists of him telling me in Korean that I should eat meat, me making a face and responding that I don't eat meat, him laughing and me smiling. We get along fabulously!

I had to... I could have died (dramatic, yes) so I made the most of the situation


The firemen put out the fire and I decided we should "celebrate" and clear our lungs with a celebatory breakfast at Mcdonalds

Sleepy, smoke in our lungs, dressed in our p.j's and awaiting our pancakes from McDonald's...aint life grand?

Happy Cheseok...

Cheuseok is the Korean Thanksgiving holiday. To celebrate the director of our school gave each teacher an extra day off, a bottle of Korean wine and then assembled all teachers to make the traditional Cheuseok ricecakes.

I attempt to comprehend the directions

Say and I realize we essentially get to play with dough instead of work

Violet with the rice flour dough and Hoonie in the background

Rice flour dough

This is the filling of the ricecake


The taste is very similar to the Puerto Rican sugar/candy stuff Dad sent me


Let's do this


Hehe...which one does not belong?


Here is my first attempt...notice how it is not smooth and oddly shaped


Look at my ricecake in the center surrounded by the lovely creations by the Korean teachers. The saying is that if you make a a nice, compact looking ricecake you will have beautiful daughters, an ugly ricecake constitutes an ugly son. All of my ricecakes have left me a future full of hideous,smelly, three-armed sons.


Since I lack the delicate hands needed for making ricecakes I decide to play and cover my entire hand in the dough. It was a bit difficult to I only covered part of it


Sarah shows off the die she made and Janet just smiles sweetly...Remember we got to do this instead of work

The Georgia Peaches hit the beach....

Jo, Artesia and I hit met up to celebrate Artesia's arrival to Korea and my ridiculously insistent urging to go to the beach. It was Cheseok (The Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving) so we had the day off! There were only a handful of people in the warm water but Artesia and I made a party and photo shoot out of it

We attempt to do our best Korean photo poses

We be silly

Eating a peach this unlike anything in Georgia. It has the exterior of a peach with the interior of an apple

The "Georgia Peaches" as Jo dubbed us

Jo attempting to create an "artistic" shot...

International gifts from Mom and Dad...

It has been Christmas in July for me! I received 4 packages and of course one from Dad and one from Mami. The packages from moms and pops included food. Mom will do anything in her power to make sure I eat...right.



It is bread from Puerto Rico (courtesy of Dad) and a bowl of bean stew (courtesy mom who sent me beans and Sazon)




YAHAHAYAYAYAYHAY!!!

This is a rare treat. Pan and Guayaba from Puerto Rico and the rare cheese that we got from the Costco in Daejeon.

Franco...all over the world....

In all my travels I find a place or a brand named "Franco's". There is a "Franco's" restaurant in Atlanta but I did not expect to find one in Daejeon, South Korea. Thanks Dad for the last name!

This was taken when I was in Venice, Italy in January 2008.

This was taken August 9th 2008 early morning in Dusan-Dong. I had not been home in over 20 hours and look a hot mess. Still I could not miss this photo op.

I take a trip to the supermarket...

Traveling to the supermarket is an adventure unto itself. Everyone from home asks me what I eat and all I can say is that I get creative and cook for myself. Thank you to all my family and friends who have sent me snacks and food from home! It is greatly appreciated.

Nearly all of the coffee here is instant


The Koreans have a love for moon pies


That love does not compare to their love of SPAM


SPAM in all its glory


Assorted pickled and mind-boggling spicy vegetables


Ritz crackers and Oreos Korean styles. The Ritz crackers come in various fillings, none that tempt me, personally.


I do not know what is worse:
Not finding avocados in Korea or finding avocados but at 6 dollars for two. I have never paid more than a dollar for an avocado and I don't plan to start now.


Instead of offering string cheese as a snack for children and adults alike Koreans offer meat sticks. Like a "gogurt" but in meat form. They are sold EVERYWHERE and mostly at room temperature...ugh.


Dried baby fish. I believe they are used to season broths and soups.

Lira & Tuti...doppelgangers

In one of my beginner classes there is a precocious student named Lira. She is silly, funny, sweet and happens to be Tuti's doppelganger (double). Sometimes the resemblance is uncanny in appearance and personality. As all things in life this is best witnessed in person. These pictures do not my doppelganger theory justice because Lira is not wearing her hair down.

They always throw out...

...the peace sign. It's the necessary component to any picture taken in Korea.

Dora

Donhu

Backrow: (sara, july, cindy, gradis) Frontrow: (silvia, moi)

Susi and Kevin

I throw the sign for the sake of the photo...