somethings are universal

i left the gym this morning just in time to see snow beginning to fall. there were flurries on saturday, but this was the first heavy snowfall i had seen since my days at vassar. the snow lasted only a few moments, an hour at most, but i was surprisingly happy to see it.

i stopped in a store on my way home, one i had been meaning to look into for sometime since it looks a bit like a small anthropologie with a flower shop attached. aside from "hello" and "thank you," i had little to say to the girl working there, whose english-speaking abilities rivaled my korean. there were still big smiles as we pointed out the windows and looked at sweaters. ah, the first snowfall.

monday, monday, monday

i am way too exhausted for it to only be monday. i worked a six-day week last week, and i just had my sunday off. i couldn't be bothered to go out on saturday night when i got home around 10, the perfect time to go out. needless to say, i am already looking forward to the upcoming weekend.

aside from being painfully tired, today has been an alright day. my gym just started a boxing class today, so that was a great way to start my morning (and maybe another reason that i'm tired, considering that i haven't done any boxing work-outs since thailand).

i'm a bit worn down by one of my classes at the moment. i'm usually great with seven-year-olds, but this one class is full of little terrors!! i keep asking the korean teachers for help/advice, but they just say the problem is the students. i've figured out that much. and then, of course, little ariel is in this class. she always gives me candy and smiles. she always comes to my friday essay class, so i think i will have to bring cookies this week or something. ariel is me at seven-years-old: a bit on the nerdy side, often in her own world, but absolutely adorable.

i know it's a cover, but i'm digging this damien rice and ray lamontagne duo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNJwBaYAtcM&feature=related

something from another vassar girl, by way of brandy belt

when it's over, i want to say: all my life i was a bride married to amazement. i was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms. when it is over, i don't want to wonder if i have made of my life something particular, and real. i don't want to find myself sighing and frightened, or full of argument. i don't want to end up simply having visited this world. -mary oliver

at school on a saturday night...

thanks to the mini-vacation we had as a result of swine flu in my school my second week here, i have the pleasure of working a couple of saturdays this december. today is one of them.

having school today didn't stop me from going out with my friends last night though. we went to a club in hongdae, the university area of seoul, to see some (supposedly somewhat famous) dj's from tokyo. we danced until early morning, when we just could not stand up any more.

i finally saw some people i met in koh phi phi in the club last night. so much has changed since the last time i saw them. i think they were surprised to see me wearing shoes!

in fact, i really miss being barefoot all the time. i'm growing to like my life here, but the beach is definitely a part of who i am. i miss it. the name of my blog is "sandy feet world travel," after all...

thanksgiving