Mid-September Already?

So I feel as if I've caught up on my blog posts (this is my fourth one tonight, so if you haven't read the others, read those first!) and now I'm sitting here thinking that I can't believe I'll be doing report cards again next week because it will be the end of the month! I feel like I'm getting better at teaching, and there are always funny stories to tell and hear about amongst us ecc teachers. I was telling Sam this past weekend that I have one class of 8 girls and 1 boy that are 9-10 years old and are my worst class, uh they are awful. And there is no discipline system here, we can't give them detention or send them to the principle or call their parents, so these kids can be out of control sometimes. Well one thing I found that really works is if they're acting out to make them go stand up in the corner and do their workbook! Haha I have no idea where it came from but one day I just got so frustrated with one them that I made her do it, and it really works. Sam teaches the really little kids (3-4 years old) so she always has funny stories about ridiculous things these kids do. Just never a dull moment that's for sure!

So I though I would make a short list of things I've learned about Korea so far that are fairly different from America:
1. White skin is in! Most of the face and body lotions here having a bleaching element in them to make the skin whiter, so you have to be careful when purchasing those things here! Even US brands like Clean & Clean have a bleaching ingredient in them here! They love the pale look!
2. Koreans like big noses. Most Koreans have small petite noses, which in America is fashionable. Well here it's the opposite. Now my nose has always been that one thing about myself that I'm sensitive about, you know that one thing for the question " If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?". Well here I get strangers telling me all the time how much they love my big nose. And they're being so nice about it, to them they're giving me this compliment, so of course even though I'm just so embarrassed that they're pointing it out I have to be nice and say thank you. For example, on the Subway on Saturday this Korean girl sits next to me and starts talking to me in English (happens a lot, they like to practice) and she starts talking about my nose and how my face is so small but then my nose sticks out so far and it's so beautiful! You just feel like you're in some parallel universe, the one thing you dislike about yourself is the one thing that everyone is pointing out that makes you beautiful here!
3. Korean elementary school boys wear nail polish on a normal basis here. They love to wear nail polish, they are proud of their nail polish, it is completely normal. Definitely different from the US!
4. As a foreigner you get told on almost a daily basis how pretty you are. You definitely get a huge confidence boost being here haha! I'm going to come back to the US and have a hard time with being normal again! Sometimes I forget how different I really look because I don't see myself from their eyes. But then I look around and see Sam with her blonde hair, light eyes, and pale skin amongst a sea of black hair and dark eyes and think, oh right, we look reaaaaally different.

Ok there are so many things but those are good enough for now!

This past weekend Sam and I went to Seoul for the day. You can find drugstores that that have American products so she needed some face care things. We were also looking for an English Bookstore, which I know I saw one last time I was there, but I couldn't find it this time! We also went to Myeong-dong (the massive shopping area) and looked around for a long time. And then for dinner we went to Outback Steakhouse! Oh my gosh it was so good. I got a Mango Chicken Grilled salad and it was heaven. That is the first real salad I've eaten since coming here, they just don't have them, so it was amazing. So very American of me to go to Outback, I know, but it was so good.

I also finally bought a cell phone this week, it was about time! It's an old school flip phone, but it was only $30 and then I just have to put $10 a month on it. So now I will be able to get ahold of everyone and text finally! Well, everyone in Korea that is.

We got a cool front in today so now all this week the it's going to be in the low 50s at night and mid 60s during the day! Fall is definitely here! Anyways it's Sunday night so I need to get ready for the week ahead, sorry for not posting for awhile but I think I made up for it well enough! Until later!