Monday, June 15, 2009

The Seoul of it all

I am in love with a dirty, loud, pulsating, cultured, fast moving seoul of a city. In order to get a little break and get away from the hum drum that life seems to have become i took myself on a glorious little journey to Seoul. After not really spending any time there during this whole year i found myself wondering the streets in utter exasperation. How could i not have realized that this was here for me all this time. This mecca of culture, food, clothing . It almost makes me sad to think i could have ignored it for such a long time. But i spoiled her just as she spoiled me and i indulged in every little bit.

I had begun to think i would prefer to live in the country and live a quiet and peaceful life, but i still do not think i am ready for that. I need the smells of hot tar and sweaty people, the whoosh of the subway flying by, the millions of options available in everything you could possible want. Granted i think i would die if i could never leave be apart of nature, while i could probably live without a city, but it is not time yet.

Walking down her streets i was so happy. Hot and sweaty i climbed her hills to see what treasures lay on the other side. I drank the best coffee and ate divine pastries, treated myself to bombay and wine and went shopping in stores where women did not send me away. Granted i avoided almost everything that was Korean in the city and searched out all the little european, latin american and other worldly hide aways.

My lovely host for the weekend Sriram took me to an awesome hookah lounge with psychedelic paintings and fabulously eccentric music and we went to Hobo Hill the gay district of Seoul where i got hit on by men. A strange thing to happen to a girl who lives on an island where homosexuality does not exist and yet she is never hit on. I took myself out for superb food; belgian mussels and pomme frites, croissants and artisanal pizza, all a girl could want in life.

and of course i took myself out shopping and found some superb clothes while wondering through art galleries and antique shops. oh life is blessed!!!

The obsessive journey forward through the mind

As it happens to all, perhaps not as often as i however. I did begin to get bored once again by the monotonous routine that is a 9-5 job. Yes the children make it a little more thrilling, but after three months of no really holiday you just start to go a little nuts and lose all creative direction. In order to prevent myself from going totally mental, i immersed myself in my next adventure a sure fire way to keep me motivated.

So i delved into India head first. I spent a good month plus spending every extra moment finding out info on India. I read books, watched movies, listened to music, did yoga, surfed the net. I attempted to consume the history, cultures, schools, dances, airlines of India. By the end of it all, I am feeling much more prepared for India and i have found cheap ass flights to Seoul, Delhi and London and a wonderful school for Caitriona and i to go and study massage at.

Now that i have our tickets and our visas are in the mail, my ever buzzing brain has moved onto new things; dance and preparing to leave this home of mine.

It'a been a long time coming

I know it has been a torturously long time since i last wrote and i am sure whoever is readying this has been missing me all the more. So here you are i will attempt to write some of what has happened in the past five months.

On return from my great adventure in South East Asia i must say life was a little sad and the fact i had to return to cold weather and work did not help. Fortunately for me i only actually had to work for a little over a week and then got three more weeks off. That made a whopping eight weeks of winter vacation, Yippee!!!! My return to school was actually quite enjoyable i had missed my kids and i was now rejuvenated and had been teaching long enough to truly feel comfortable. So i fell into teaching like it was an old glove and it has been quite fun this semester.

The weather managed to warm up quickly and the cherry blossoms and flora and fauna have been on a never ending reproductive cycle since march. The island feels so full of life and actually sub-tropical now. I have been riding my scooter more and more and going on random adventures all over the place.

I spent children's day long weekend in hamdeok at Laurie and landis's which was a lovely break from the usual routine. We went to the beach, watched girly movies, ate delicious food. It was a real girl's weekend. There have also been some bonfires on the beach. Beltane by far being the best fire, drumming, wine and my fire hoops debut on Jeju. It filled me with so much energy. I was truly connected to the earth and all on it.

The whole spring here has been spectacular and i can understand why people choose to renew. But that is not my path.