Temples of Angkor!

The temples of Angkor are absolutely stunning!

The spine-tingling feeling that creeps over your entire body leaving you with goosebumps, something that can't be explained, only felt, as you approach these larger than life structures is a once in a life time experience.

This world wonder is truly magical!!!!!

BOOK, BEER & SUNSET -- did you find me?

Don't give up.....

.....on me!

I'm sorry I'm so terrible at keeping up my homepage.

Medicine and yes I'm married!

I went to the doctor today. I'd been putting it off but I thought it was time for the womanly check up.

I asked for a breast exam also because I have been experiencing sharp pain recently so I thought I'd get that checked out while I was there.

Going to the doctor in Korea is just so different from back home. Everyone has their specialized jobs, just like in a hospital. First I was set up with a lady that basically took down my history. She wanted to know when my last period was and if I was married (right because that's so important and totally related to whether or not I'm entitled to an exam). Basically her job was to write down why I came to the clinic and what procedures I wanted to have done. Except I didn't know what procedures I wanted done because usually I'd talk to the doctor first back home and then they'd suggest what needed to be done. Next I was sent to the radiologist to get my ultrasound done for that breast pain I was talking about before. I was trying to explain to her that since I've been off my birth control pill 4 months ago I've been having breast pain. Her first question after that was 'are you married'.

Then I got to see the doctor. I started off the conversation by saying "I'm not pregnant and yes I'm married!"

The rest of the exam preceded along nicely. The doctor was pleasant and listened to what I had to say. She answered my questions and was very thorough. She explained what she was doing as she went along. Then she said the results of my pap would take about a week to get back and that they'd text the results to my cell phone in Korean.

How strange!

FUUUUUUUUCK!

AND SO MUCH FOR VIETNAM:

SMART MOVE JEN, SMART MOVE!!!!!

So we took the party to the airport and made the best of it!
Besides watching the olympics in the airport is way better than going to Vietnam, right?!
Party on the phone

Party by the carts
Free water...........so cool!

A little over packed for a trip to the airport!

This is the money we didn't have to exchange

This is the departure we didn't have to make!

Party at the bus stop

Party on the bus

SURPRISING SUNG HYUN AT WORK:

Yah we're a little pissed. BUT we had a good laugh and made the best of our day (lost my earring, went to a shitty movie, you know!)

They say everything happens for a reason!

Crazy!

Is what Sung Hyun calls me. Before I've even posted up even half of my pictures from my 1 month trip with him I'm already planning another vacation.

This one happens to start TOMORROW.

I'm off to Vietnam (again) with my girlfriend Becca for another adventure. Leaving the hubby behind to pack up the apartment and move while I'm gone.

See you all in a week!

SEX troubles?

NOT TO FRET! Head to the local nurse's office for a little one-on-one counselling!

The Sex Counselling Office sign hangs outside the nurses office at my private Christian elementary school in South Korea. AWESOME!

And now I present you with Sung Hyun's awesome grade 9 report card:

Highest score = 95% sports

Lowest score = 8% English

DOUBLE AWESOME!

IMMIGRATION PAPERWORK!

OH YEAH BABY, it's done!

I'm not sure if I've crossed all my t's or dotted my i's but I don't care because we're ready to send this sucker away to Canada. It took a lot of blood, sweat, and (a shit load of) tears!

Now the waiting game begins!

TIME TO CELEBRATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But first I want to thank all the people who helped me:

1) MOM - thank you for depositing the money into my account so I could afford to pay for this (I'll pay you back, I promise). And thank you for remembering all the important dates in my life because clearly I can't! Thank you for answering all my frantic calls at random times so you could listen to me bitch about how difficult this was.

2) AMANDA - thanks for giving me this advice: 'just fill out the papers one at a time, then walk away and go back to do some more'. Baby steps!

3) TANYA & JENNIFER - thank you my Canadian friends for writing up letters for Sung Hyun and I to add to our package.

4) SHANE & ANNE-MARIE - thank you for writing letters of support to show our relationship is true and continuing.

5) UNCLE HOWARD & AUNTIE HEATHER - thanks for your kind letter and words and continual support. Watch out Uncle Howard, Sung Hyun's going to give you a run for your money at the rink!

5) DOYOUNG - thank you for translating (and the Taco Bell).

6) JINNY & STUART - thank you for meeting with us at Starbucks to answer our questions. Best of luck with your application and see you in Canada.

7) MY SWEETyHEART - thank you for taking the time to learn how to make spreadsheets. Thank you for working so hard on the translating. And most importantly, thank you for not divorcing me in this process.

_____________________________________________________

As silly as this sounds I've learned a little something from this process.

It's something that I never thought I could do. I spent hours researching lawyers that could do this for me. I was willing to fork out $2000+ to have someone tell me what to do. Instead with a bit of nudging from my husband I reluctantly decided to give it a go myself. Easy for Sung Hyun to say because really all the work was mine. And while I was really upset that I'd poured over 100 hours into this project while my husband got to pick a choose if he'd help, I have to say he really pulled through in the end. He probably didn't appreciate the sleeping picture I put of him on my blog while I slaved away on the papers (my dad didn't approve of that blog entry either). Sung Hyun spent hours on the computer doing translations for family documents. Something he's never had to do before. Four years ago English was not in his vocabulary. He created spreadsheets and neatly organized information in charts. Then when he took the documents to be notarized, I think he felt a little pride knowing he contributed in some way. He felt even more pride when after the lady carefully compared the translation she gladly stamped her notarization approval. She was just probably glad to receive our $180. But it put a smile on my husbands face because we were one step closer in the right direction.

Then after his medical exam this week he called me and after I said hello I was greeted with "Are you ready to go to Canada?". Because he said he's ready.

So this is the year we make the BIG move to live the rest of our lives in Canada. And I think Sung Hyun was right in asking me if I was ready to move. Because right now I'm not. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to leave this country. To leave my Korean family behind. To leave all the amazing memories and friendships I've built the past 4 years. But it's got to come to an end eventually.

2010 IS MY YEAR. IT WILL BE FILLED WITH MANY CHANGES AND CHALLENGES BUT I'M READY. BRING IT ON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How suiting....

..........was it for me to find this drink in the convenience store after I was just talking about my sweetYheart yesterday? I know, hey!

Introducing Sunkist Sweetieade:

And, it was delish!

my sweetYheart

THE BOOK

When I talk to Sung Hyun on the phone, I usually call him 'love'. You know, 'hi love', 'okay love', 'whatever love'......you get the picture!

Then other times when I really try to annoy him, I run over to him with a high pitched voice and give him a big hug and pick him up and say 'sweetYheart'. Because that's what he used to call me (and still does). He kinda confused the sweet in sweetheart. But that's what makes him so special. He's my sweetYheart and I love him:

Those are just a few pages of the book I made Sung Hyun 3 years ago. It was right after I met him and we had been dating for about 4 months and I was about to go back to Canada for 2. Since we are currently in the process of gathering immigration paperwork relationship evidence, I thought I'd just stop and pause and breath! AND realize how amazingly lucky I am to have found someone so special to me. How amazingly lucky I am to have found my sweetYheart! It's been one hell of a ride

OK! Korea.....

.......what kinda study book is this?

So I guess I just have to sit back and laugh and remember why I fell in love with this country and all the silly things that happen here.

Tomorrows English phrase: "I'm not going to marry you." Everyone, repeat after me! YAH, because that's the most useful English phrase ever!

Actually this is a real English study book. The guy beside me on the subway was reading it and I asked him if I could take a picture. Then I told him that if he ever said that to his girlfriend that 'he'd get punched in the face!'

OH KOREA! I HEART YOU!

Take 10 minutes......

Last night I woke up sobbing, tears streaming down both sides of my face because I just found out my husband had inoperable brain cancer. It was just a dream.

Then this morning I woke up and made this video: opppps this is when I discovered I couldn't make an 11 minute video on you-tube ;(

SO............here's what I have to say to you:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your kinds words of encouragement and advice. It means more to me then you can ever imagine. YOU are wonderful!

Give yourself the gift of 10 minutes to do something that will bring a smile to your face, or someone else because YOU deserve it! NOW GO SPREAD THE HAPPINESS......and then come back here and tell me what you did ;)

A small loan....

......just wondering if the blogging community/ friends and family can pull together in this time of need and pitch in a few dollars and loan me, hummm let's say about $359 900 for the next 25 or so years, so I can buy this condo.

Thanks, that would be awesome:


No, but seriously isn't it beautiful? A ONE OF A KIND.

Mom, I'm only half joking about the loan (we could just call it: the fastest way we can get our daughter back to Canada) Seriously I'd be on the first flight out ;)

* photo credit

This is the year I will learn to 'sleep in a storm'

I started this video because I wanted to share a passage from a book. But ended it by sharing a passage from my life.

Be gentle.........