Melbourne and magic with m'bro - Part 2

M'brain went elsewhere in the last post about Melbourne.  Record scratch/rewind:  what happened in Australia?  LOTS!

After a long flight (turns out Oz isn't as close as it looks on the map), my favorite Australian picked me up at the airport and gave me a quick half-day-50-cent tour around the city, which was marvelous enough on 4 hours of sleep over 14 hours of travel.  First stop, VEGGIE BAR!  This man knew the way to my heart.  We ate <drooled> and stared out into Fitzroy on Brunswick Street and I immediately knew I loved this place.  It was almost as if he hired actors to walk by as we were eating, just to amaze me, it was that unreal.  What's that stuff called?  Character and charm?  Oh man.  This place has it...it reminded me of Deep Ellum, where I used to live in Dallas, but wayyyy better.  Naturally, my battery was totally die and I didn't get a chance to take many pictures.  I was also totally infatuated with my full belly, excellent company, and supreme surroundings.

That night and the next morning, I happily be-bopped around the city for more food, hopped a bus to Phillip Island where I checked Churchill Isle (I was kind of confused by this place, actually) a koala reserve, and saw a wallabe or two before we headed to the penguin parade.  The tour was alright...the bus driver disliked me and a fellow traveler because we were late getting back to the bus after a stop.  He legit yelled at us for being six minutes late.  He must have thought I was a total smart-ass when I just smiled big and laughed at him because it took me a good minute to realize he was actually yelling at us...that jolly Australian accent is so coated with pleasure. 

Aside from that, the penguin parade is quite possibly the most adorable thing I've ever seen in my life.  Over 1,000 Little Penguins came trotting up out of the water for us, following their little route home, as they do every evening.  The Little Penguin reserve takes precautions to preserve the sanctity of this nightly migration, so we watched from out of the way and weren't allowed to take pictures or video in order to keep from disturbing the Little Penguin's routine.  The place is totally non-profit and awesome and seriously the cutest little thing I've ever seen.  Check it out.  And take a jacket.  For whatever insane reason I didn't equate that penguins = cold.  Erghhbrrr.

Once M'bro and I met up, we zipped out to NSW for his show, I drooled over the scenery, and we slept hard that night.  Poor M'bro; his allergies were insane.  Poor me; we had to share the bed.  It was like sleeping with an epileptic goose all night.

His festival was ballin', and he is such a rock star.  He has fans!  And groupies.  It was totally weird. I love him and everything about him and what he does.  Hearts, M'bro, big hearts.  We travel really well together.

Of course, on our way back to Victoria, we were almost murdered and had clothes made out of our dead, murdered skin at a remote cactus museum we wandered in upon.  More about this later.

Other magnificent things about Oz with M'bro that would end up being you totally had to be there stories that anyone's eyes would glaze over at (so I'mma share anyway):

-Great Ocean Drive.  Hot damn.
-12 apostles.  Hot damn.
-Discovering hidden trails and salamander'ish'y things.
-Watching surfers from the edge of a cliff.
-Not falling off the edge of a cliff.
-Helping an Echidna cross the road (M'bro is definitely related to me). To get to the other side.  ba doop chhh.
-Winding through the forest.  Rookie right side driver. Screaming not to die.
-$17 chickpea burgers
-Hijacking the Marriot.  Learning that M'bro is a terrible liar.
-Treasury Park, as if we'd never seen ducks before.
-Afternoon beers, evening beers, night beers = drunk M'bro.
-Not getting a hug goodbye because of way-too-hungover M'bro.  Priceless and slightly disconcerting.

I sadly/miserably/tearfully left M'bro on a rainy Wednesday morning after getting him severely obliterated the night before, and hit up the airport for an 8 hour flight to Guanzhou, China, where I had a 14 hour layover waiting for me.  I definitely thought I would either A) be sleeping for 14 hours on the airport floor or b) shelling out like a mo'fo for an airport hotel.  Turns out, neither happened, because China Southern Airlines is the man.  They set me up with a temporary visa for the night and a shuttle to a hotel, where my room came with breakfast.  Breakfast a veg couldn't eat, but still nice.  I made friends along the way who were up for exploring Guangzhou proper for the night, for better or worse...

Dude, I know I shouldn't judge a country by one part of a city seen on one night, but I learned immediately that China is a whole different ball game from Korea.  A few hours in G-town was pah-lenty.  I'm surprised my feet are still attached to my body after crossing the street, and I'm no rookie to the "different country, crazy driving" phenom.  I've been around, yall, and this was nuts.  Naturally, my evening kicked off  with a giant disgusting truck full of sweet, beautiful, fat pigs going off to slaughter pulling up right alongside my animal activist self.  Damnit.  Also, I learned that veg-sushi in Guangzhou = spaghetti noodles on soy sauce.  Boom.  There were so many other aspects of this single-night experience that were disturbing and can't be put into words.  Some places just make you feel really uncomfortable and this was one of them for me.  Guangzhou, I am not a fan of you.  Get yourself together.

The rest of the trip back was seamless, and cold, because this effing place is cold and I'm really not sure I'm going to survive the winter.

And so, bam. Go Australia. It was quick, it was not Korean, and it will require faaaar more exploration at some point in my lifetime.  I say that about a lot of places (not Guangzhou, China), and this tops the list.  I'm enamored.

As for the job, I managed to work things out to stay in Korea for the next 6 months.  I'm relieved by this, as exciting and enlightening as it was to consider picking up and sailing away somewhere new on a whim...I'm glad my original plans get to stay intact.

Let me quickly point out (and stop quickly before this happens again...) that "relieved" doesn't mean that I'm happy or sad about staying...I just am.  It's good for a lot of reasons, but it's also blah for a lot of reasons.  I am toooootally grateful for the panic the brief job/country/life search caused me, as I uncovered some pretty awesome potential opportunities to consider for my "next step" after traveling next year. There are some really attractive options on my list to look into, all of which ensure that no matter what, I'll be embarking onward, somewhere with everything I desire to make me smile and breathe big and sigh and say "wowie-wow-wow!"  So, for that, word.

And so, bam. Go Australia.

Christmas Shopping

It just occurred to me that it actually 'tis the season...I've lost all concept of holidays while away from home.  This will be my first Christmas away from my family and America, and I'm finding it to be quite a relief, honestly:  Holiday sales.  Malls.  Parking.  I'm twitching thinking about it all.   It's really, really great to be away from the stores and the shopping and the madness that is in full swing in 'merica right now.  This process has all been feeling sillier and sillier to me over the past few years, but there's been no escaping it until now.

I'm no Scrooge...I totally dig the spirit.  It's effing cooooold here, and that means winter and holidays, right?  It's so cold I curse every 2 steps of the way outside, but those curse words are totally full of holiday cheer (ohmygottsitssocoldiwanttobreakthings).  And, I mean, I stopped tonight for hot chocolate and played Christmas carols for my students while they made adorable holiday cards.  So what up, holidays, mama got-chu.  Without the malls and shopping and commercials and screaming.  Boo-ya.

All of this to say, I feel Christmasy, but without all the overwhelming commercial pressure.  I actually couldn't think of anything to add to my family's annual "Santa's Wishlist."  There is not a thing in the world that I want or need right now...and let's be honest, I am pretty silly and frivolous and can always think of something.  But this year?  I'm coo'.  Must be growing up.

This got me thinking.  *I* don't need anything.  But many others do.  Many others need and want things that I would never consider needing and wanting in my life.

Remember earlier this year when I volunteered with the International Rescue Committee?   I liked it a lot.  It's a great organization.  I wish I could still volunteer.  But I can't right now, so I've decided to support them in a different way for Christmas.

This year I'm giving sustainable gifts to refugees in honor of my family and friends.  You should too.  Everyone should.  Go to their site and fill up your cart with mosquito nets, school supplies, emergency food for children, temporary shelters...the options in their catalog are endless and more than affordable.

The Rescue Gifts items in this catalog represent many of the programs, projects and tools that compose the IRC's work every day around the world. Allowing us to deliver comprehensive and holistic help to uprooted people, your gift will be used where and when most needed. And, when combined with those of other donors, your Rescue Gift becomes a powerful means to survival, recovery, and the restoration of dignity and self-reliance for those uprooted by conflict or natural disaster.

Take my word that this organization is well worth your gander.  I met and worked with a small sample of the people these gifts help.  "Restoration of dignity and self-reliance" means the world to those who have been broken down by unimaginable circumstances, something anyone reading this post from a warm, comfy chair in front of a computer cannot fathom.

Give a good gift this year, one that matters and one that will legitimately make a few lives in the world a little better.  I think.... I think that is what is important and what we are really supposed to do during the holidays.  Give.  Like, for real give.

Go.

Melbourne and magic with m'bro

Oh Gotts.  I love Melbourne.  There are so, so many reasons for my enchantment with this place, first and foremost, it being a straight up ballin' city, buuuuut I can't help but wonder if my fascination lies within the fact that it's my first trip outside of Korea in 6 months.  I don't want to think that because so many amazing things happened during my week there, but it is plausible.

Because of this, I've been fully enlightened by m'brain!   I didn't really realize just how disenchanted I am with Korea until I got to Melbourne.  Before the plane even landed, I saw green stuff.  Like, GRASS.  And the sky was blue and the clouds were WHITE!  And I was going to have dericious food options other than bibimbap and garlic cloves, OH GOD!

I was already euphorically high just from looking out the window of the plane when I was picked up from the airport by one beautiful and incredible Melbourne-man-turned-amazing-penpal who I met in Peru last year (having penpals counts, yall).  Everything REALLY wonderful and magical started right then:  I ate falafel!  I looked at street art!  I drooled over people with tattoos and dreadlocks!  I read street signs in English!  I wore dresses and tank tops!  I felt sunshine, like real, legit sunshine that turned my shoulders red!  I saw animals in fields living lovely lives!  So much, so many, so much greatness. My brain was on absorption overload and the break from Korea was welcomed more than I could have anticipated.

When I met up with m'bro, we drove out to his show in NSW and I became even more obsessed.  The sky!  THE SKY TOUCHES THE GROUND OUT THERE.  There's nothing like it.  I could have driven for days staring out the window.  Apparently, during the drive, everything I filled my brother and his tour mate in on about Korea resulted in them questioning my happiness.  "You really hate it, huh?"  "It's that bad?"

Mmmmmm.  Cue the enlightenment:  I've actually never felt unhappy here, nor like I wanted out.  In fact, I thought I was having a great time.  I mean, I have been having a great time, fully due to the incredible soulmate-like-friends I've made and the memories we've been creating together.  I really wasn't aware that I was coming across so cynically while talking about my experiences, though.  I'd explain this by saying there's a certain dry humor you pick up after living in Korea in order to accept and live normally with so many vague cultural differences that seem absurd and it obviously can't translate to anyone who hasn't lived here and done this.  No thang, right?  It's just the way we roll on about living in Korea and it  makes us laugh.  "It's funny because it's true, duuurp."

BUT!  I've thought about it more seriously.  While I don't mind living here and I am growing a lot and learning a lot and blah blah blah, I definitely am looking to be wow'ed.  There's no wow-factor here.  And I learned this past week that I really need that.  I need to stare out a window and sigh over the sky and the fields and the free range cows, sheep, and alpaca's (Australia has alpaca's?).  I need to eat more food that makes me moan blissfully.  I need to stare at beautiful, interesting people expressing-not-oppressing themselves.  This I need, I need this.

My re-negotiated contract at Omni ends in 2 weeks, and due to many infuriating complications created by my boss there, it's a legit possibility that I'll be forced to find a new country to explore, which despite the hassle and looooong stretch from my original plan, I will just have to roll with.  I simply can't do anything about the small power a disillusioned boss wants to dangle over the heads of his outgoing foreign teachers.  My co-worker and I are fighting it and hoping for the best for the sake of our original plans, but I definitely see potential in opening different doors, given my recent enlightenment.

Wherever I go and whatever I do next needs to be awesome and it has to make me sigh loudly and smile to the point that strangers think I'm crazy and possibly on drugs.  Mama's on a mission.

I need:
-A blue sky.  Oh God, I need a blue sky.
-Grass!
-Moan-worthy food
-Culture!   Real, for real culture.

Also, for the record, my backpack has now touched 6 continents.  Booyakasha.

And on that note, this post has officially lost direction.  Stay tuned for actual tales from Melbourne.

Blog, shmog

When I first started this thaaang, I really enjoyed sitting and writing and telling tales about getting to Korea.  Those were tales to tell.  There are still tales to tell, but since I've been here,  this blog has simply become a quick way to update my friends and family with pictures and "where I been" posts.  Which is fine, but far less entertaining...hopefully this will change come the new job with half the hours, allowing me more time A) to be creative and interesting and B) more time,  period. Good, fun, and ridiculous things are happening and their memories are trapped inside my head; they need to be sprung more often. 

Until that's possible, here are four things I wish I had more time to write about.  I've been obsessed with and fulfilled by many things over the past 6 months, things that I think others can obsess over and be fulfilled by, as well.  By "others," I mean the 3 people that may still read this blog:

1. Vegetarianism.  I've been one for a while.  Years now, in fact; it worked for me by removing certain meats at a time until all were out of my diet. However, I've never been a healthy vegetarian.  Bag o' pretzels?  Check.  Giant baked potato?  Cool, hold the bacon bits.  Salad covered in ceasar dressing?  Right on.  I've been totally NOT eating meat, but not doing my body any favors, either.  Until I finally watched Forks Over Knives, a documentary I've been wanting to see since before its release.  It fully changed my take on vegetarianism; it is SO MUCH MORE than animal welfare, which is of course, the cause with which I'm most adept.  I was always aware of the other benefits to boycotting the meat industry, but I'm much more informed now and constantly educating myself further:  There are huge ramifications to our health and our planet because of the massive meat consumption and consumerism.  It's terrifying.  From the moment I finished the movie, I've been pumping my body full of wholly plant based foods and have seriously never felt better.  My body and my brain are thanking me in ways I didn't know possible, and when I slip and indulge in some past guilty pleasures, I feel very unpleasant effects.  Not only do I feel better, but my awareness has skyrocketed and I am a much stronger advocate against meat and feel empowered by my growing knowledge.  It is painful knowledge, as I know that the larger percentage of the world has yet to be enlightened, but I wouldn't choose ignorance over this subject for anything.  If you are intrigued, definitely check out the doc: http://www.forksoverknives.com/

2.  Asthanga yoga.  Holy chakra, yall.  I've never been a yogi and this is changing my life.  It took me a while to get the breathing down and grasp the practice for what it is truly meant to be, and now I don't think I can ever live without it in my life.  It has centered me, calmed me, and I feel light on my feet and happy.  I mean, this stuff makes me happy.  I smile more.  I laugh more.  Things are shinier and lighter.  Try it.  Try it more than once.  And love it, also.

3.  Jonathan Saffron Foer.  Read his books: Everything is Illuminated, Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud, and Eating Animals.  I still need to see the full movie based on his first book, Everything is Illimunated.  If you like Gogol Bordello, you'll like the movie; the lead singer plays the main character perfectly.  I've watched several YouTube scenes and laughed my hearty butt off.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has a major film coming out on Christmas this year, as well, starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock.  But read the book first.  Jonathan Saffron Foer is a prodigy and totally enlightening.  Learning about him and reading his work makes me wonder what the hell I've done with my life....  How is it possible that he was 23 when he wrote his first book, a book that has made me laugh and cry out loud, a book so complex that I have had to re-read multiple pages for clarity, all while being fully and completely entertained and entangled in the story?  He's fantastic, his books are fantastic, and you'll be fantastic for reading them.

4.  Life In A Day.  Watch this film.  Period.  It's a 94 minute collaboration from Ridley Scott and YouTube capturing life around the world on July 24th, 2010.  Over 80k clips were submitted from 192 countries.  The editing is magical and the result is beautiful, shocking, unbiased, etc etc etc.  Watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/lifeinaday

Go forth, try these things, feel happy, love them, and be enlightened and awesome.

I turned 30!

Well, I turned 29.  But in Korean age, I turned 30, which is something I didn't consider when I decided to move here.  Who doesn't love turning 30 twice, though, right?

So, I turned twenty-nine-or-thirty and it was fantastic.  I spent the weekend with my best Korean ladies, who treated me to all kinds of incredible-ness and many ridiculous surprises.  I EVEN WORE A WIG. Therefore, I had an awesome birthday.

My bestie-co-worker treated me to surprise Indian delivery on Friday afternoon for dinner.  In all honesty, the surprises could have ended there because I was smitten.  Indian delivery on a regular work day?  What a flippin' treat.  Oh my gotts, I really can't get over what an amazing idea that was.  The weekend kicked off from there and the surprises kept coming, including, but not limited to, hilarious underwear, wigs, vegan deliciousness, BLACK BEANS, pumpkin candy, TVP, and various other chotchskys that made me swoon.

More awesomely, the Busan International Fireworks Festival decided to happen at 9pm on my twenty-ninth-or-thirtieth birthday.  I guarantee that this is a firework show like most people in the world have never seen before.  We were smart and staked out our spots on the beach at 3pm.  We were not smart and did not stake out umbrellas.  BUT NO WAY WERE WE GIVING UP OUR SPOTS.  We sat homelessly in the rain for approximately 98758695879 hours to watch the fireworks.  This was actually a hilariously enjoyable aspect to the weekend for me, however it was badly marred by an evil sneeze that would not escape my face.

GOD, the evil sneezes that get stuck in my face in Korea are insane, but this day was especially bad after spending the night at my lady's apartment which had recently exploded in mold.  For real, her walls were furry, and for some reason it made me think of some puppets on Sesame Street that I can't remember the names of...she had furry walls, man.  Furry walls that resembled puppets on Sesame Street.

Incredibly, the evil sneeze gave reprieve for a few hours in order to put on a wig, shake what my mama gave me, and have a beautiful night out in Busan.  I even got a birthday spanking circle, does it get any better than that?

The VERY best part of my birthday was fulfilling my wish.  I sent out an email to all of the indescribably fabulous and generous people in my life, explaining that for my birthday, I wanted to raise money for BAPS, the rescue group I love and support here in Korea.  My people responded whole-heartedly, donating a total of $550 to the group.  I'm in love with so many things about this and and beyond grateful and pleased.  Go, dogs, go.

On the Richter-scale of birthdays, this was a mega-quake.  I was rattled and rolled by love and friendship and couldn't have been a happier girl (does turning twenty-nine-or-thirty mean I have to call myself a woman?).

Oh yeah...I teach, too.

It might be hard to tell, save for one or two posts on this blog, but...I am indeed a teacher.  I see, teach, laugh at/with, babysit, repeat words over and over for, high five, low five, avoid dong chims from, and really quite enjoy my students every day.

Sadly, my co-worker and I have decided to change schools later this month for a lot of complicated reasons, and I'm going to miss these monkeys in a pretty major way.  Turns out, I really, really love teaching 6th graders.  This school is different from most in Korea, as it is an accelerated learning program for very advanced English language students.  I rarely even realize that they are speaking a second language.  I really have a ridiculous amount of fun with them.  It's awesome to joke around with students on such a high level.  If I ever decide to teach in real life (real life?), I know what age I'll go for...  I wonder if students in America constantly tell their teachers they are very beautiful and look 21?

I have some really hilarious videos I want to show off, but I'm totally inept and can't seem to get them off my phone onto the computer...I send and I send and I send and nothing comes through.  Stay tuned until I understand technology.

Check out some Halloween photos in the meantime:

Things be happenin'

I missed a whole blog-month!  I've been a movin' and shakin' for the past 6 weekends and way too busy to sit at the computer during the week, so blogging has become less of a hardcore past time.  I'm also only clever and witty in person these days, my creative writing juices only come out of my mouth now, not my fingers.  This statement is only true assuming that anyone has ever been entertained by my blog before.  Or by me in person now...or ever.

I digress.

I've just received an incredible care package for my upcoming birthday full of all kinds of vegetarian goodness and love from my coworker/bestie in Korea's mama, and I'm high on loooooove. My little mama passed away 10 years ago this coming November, so there's been some mind-swirlin' counting down to the anniversary, but MAN, I can't even tell you what getting a package full of mama-love does for the soul, even if it's not your own mama.  Old Man Pops does a mighty fine job with his packages, but there's something different about a mama.

So here's to blogging about September and October while high on love:

1)  I got a  motorbike.  AND A DOG.  Both are wonderful and make life better.

I'm still a scaredy on the bike and stubbed my toe on it today while hopping off in a panic.  But Matty's perfect and just a foster; he is NOT coming home with me.  I'm only allowed to keep the imperfect dogs that no one else wants; this guys too good to stay with me.  I think I have a potential home set up for him, but I can't spill the beans yet.  Stay tuned and take solace that in the meantime knowing that I wake up in the mornings with a tiny paw on my eyeball and have a constant itty teddy bear on my lap.  He makes the ladies and gents swoon and totally completes me for now.

2)  Chuseok happened, otherwise known as Korean Thanksgiving.  Our plan was to go camping on a beach on Goeje Island, but Korea = rain, so we rented a minbok instead (a big room with a kitchen and bathroom) and camped indoors.  Even in the rain, I liked Goeje better than Jeju.  It's quaint and lovely and adorable and perfect.

Just as we arrived to the little port and beach town, we acquired a dog that we named Sir Scruffy.  He was amazing.  He gave us a full tour of the teeny town and ran around with us in the rain on the beach.  I had no doubts that we'd be bringing him home with us, regardless of the fact that my Matty was coming home the following week.  But we  were (meaning I was) ultimately talked out of it due to the fact that he was wearing a collar and obviously belonged to someone who enjoyed sharing his knowledgeable and furry little tour guide with foreigners.

We also saved his life.  As we were coming down a mountain where we found a random goat meandering around a field that Sir Scruff REALLY wanted to get at, we ran into a little old ajumma with a big collar and chain.  She wanted Sir Scruff.  And he did NOT want her.  She was clearly not his awesome owner.  As the others in our group walked away, m'ladies and I looked at each other and  promptly yelled "SAVE SCRUFFY!"  And we ran. Scruffy ran with us.  But little ajumma was not a quitter, man, she was a straight up slow and steady zombie lady following us all the way.  We lost her around a few corners and bends, and then to thank us, Sir Scruffy ran off with some Australian foreigners.  But I don't blame him.  Those accents are dead sexy.  Running from our zombie-ajumma was a real bonding experience and quite an exercise in our creative story telling.  I really need to write down the things we come up with.  I.e., Scruffy became a flying super hero ala Falcor, and we rode him across the sky to safety during the zombie apocalypse.

It was that kind of trip.

3)  Andong Maskdance Festival.  Masks and dancing and television superstars.  This is an international festival with dancers and masks and arts and crafts and no food.  Um.  I hate arts and crafts.  Also, festivals do NOT cater to vegetarians, nor to tiny folk villages.  My fellow veggie and I sustained ourselves for 48 hours on a bag of Sun chips, 4 bowls of rice, and two beans from an edamame plant we found.  However, Andong was still an awesome experience, and I learned that when I get lost in a maze in a village, rather than panicking, I will pull out my camera for a photo shoot with my favorite lady.  We saw some weird fireworks that involved lobbing giant balls of fire down a mountain and standing under falling embers, which was made even more absurd by the rampant Korean speakers going off in our ears excitedly yelling things that we'll never understand.  We were also interviewed multiple times about our experience in Andong, and two of my friends made it onto the national news; total superstars.

Aside from those noteable adventures, I've had multiple trips to Busan for fun because it's way more fun than Ulsan, and took a 7th trip to Seoul to meet with animal people.  Good things may happen in the future with that, stay tuned.  As for Busan, I've made a decision:  it's my next stop.  After a few months traveling next summer and a couple of months home for my brothers wedding, I'll head back here for another year in Busan.  The city and the beach are awesome and I can't say no.  I'm in love with Gwangalli.  A lot of things re: my travels are up in the air, but I've got some great things planned with some great people so far.  I can't wait and rea-hee-heally need to step up on saving my KRW.

Next month...Australia!  M'bro has 4 gigs down there, so it only made sense for me to book a trip to visit, particularly so we can be together for that 10 year anniversary mentioned above.  It's going to be beyond grandulous (grand + fabulous) to travel with M'bro, plus I actually even have friends in Ozland!  I met some pretty awesome Australians while traveling in Peru last fall.  I've forced them to be my penpals over the past year, and now I'll actually get to see them in person again. You're welcome, Australian penpals.

And that is that.  Month 5 begins this week.  How?