Fattie Files!!!

Hello everyone! Welcome back to the Fattie Files Canada edition. I just thought you should know I spent 16 hours correct student mid-term papers this weekend. YUCK!

1:20 pm. - Breakfast was 2 pieces of whole wheat toast with margarine (which I heard is one molecule away from plastic), brown sugar (Splenda) and cinnamon.

4:20 - Sung Hyun made Korean food for lunch. We shared this bowl

6:30 - dinner was roast beef with yorkshire pudding and mashed potatoes with some veggies -- peas, cauliflower, mushrooms and salad.

8:30 - I needed a studying pick-me-uper so I drank a small slurpee

4 mini chocolate bars between 10-11 pm

HAPPY HALLOWEEN Y'ALL! I'm glad to have finished all my marking but not so happy that I haven't lesson planned for next week yet. Nothing like leaving things till last minute ;)

When I am down

And all my soul so weary

When troubles come

And my heart burdened me..........

........I like to listen to these two videos.

Any other good ones out there?

Thursday night dinner and shopping!

Our Friday night dates always turn into shopping nights at Walmart. I like to keep it classy.

And when you go to Walmart to pick up 4 things you always end up with 20 and you can't leave the store without owing over $100. You people know what I'm talking about.......right?!


And you end up with random monkey slippers. Keeping it classy, remember!

In other news, Thursday night dinner was Korean donkass (how do you spell this in English without making it look like you're eating donkey ass -- it's pork cutlet fyi). We fried up some mandu (first for us since we usually buy the steamed kind) and I cut up some sweet potatoes to make sweet potato fries. And you can't forget the staples like rice (duh!), kimchi and kim (seaweed). It was yum yum but a little to grease grease for my liking!

I enjoyed the sweet potato fries the best.

While we are on the subject of food, I thought I'd engage in a little FATTY FILES Canadian style. Remember when I took pictures of all the food I was eating in Korea? Well, I've decided for my entertainment (and my Korean families enjoyment) to do the same here in Canada. The problem with being back home is that I've gained some weight. I don't have the active lifestyle I once had anymore since I drive everywhere (and I'm NOT going to walk! It snowed like 2 feet here already -- no joke!!!!) Also, I notice that my food choices are not as healthy as they were when I lived in Korea. Because instead of snacking on sweet potatoes I'm snacking on sweet chocolate.

I'm not going to change any of my normal daily food intake (well 'normal' for Western standards. I'm using the this term loosely since when I first got back I couldn't believe how much JUNK people here eat. And now it's just seems so 'normal' to me). And slowly the bad food choices creep up on you. Like last week when I tried on my 'fat' jeans.

So I've decided that I'm not going to go on a diet. Maybe I'll try to add more nutritious snacks into my day. I won't worry about all the weight I do gain because I'm far to concerned with my new job, than I am with my health (terrible I know........but let me see a raise of hands if you too know what I am talking about). I just figure I'll join the gym with all those other resolution holders January 1st........or maybe 2nd. So that's like 2 months away. YES!

Jumping to another subject.........geez this is starting to ramble. I wanted to say THANKS to all who commented on my post about Sung Hyun and me. Actually the family situation isn't what it was interpreted to be by some of the commenters. I could have written the same post and kept that *comment out of it since it wasn't the focus or main point I was trying to make. Anyways, I have talked with some friends and my mom about money and what to do, and how to plan for a life here and feel a bit more relieved. I'm also going to take up Diana's suggestion and read the book she recommend. And I'm going to plan for more ME time.

How's that for a long random classy update! HA!

This post!

To publish or not to publish..........

I haven't seen my husband for the past 3 days because I've been working evenings at a temporary sub position at Regina Open Door Society. I get home between 9:30 and 10 pm and by that time he is already in bed. He's got to be up at 6 to get to work in time. I usually start my day at 11am; by then he's been at work for 4 hours. I crawl into bed at 2, 3 or 4 am just as my mom is waking up. My teaching day starts at 12:30, just after lunch, which feels more like my breakfast. I've always been a night owl. I get most of my productive work done after midnight. I just wish that my husband was more in sync with my not-so-normal schedule.

I miss him.

Yesterday he sent me an email: "Hello sweetheart......... I love you!"

I wish I could zip back to the time when this picture was taken - when we first started dating and didn't have a care in the world.

All the planning for our future in Canada put us (mainly me) into a buckle-down-and-be serious-about-life-mode. It made me go into super work mode. I worked so that I could save for our 'future', which was going to be an expensive one in Canada. I gave up my weekends in Korea so I could take on a third part-time job. I rushed to work after Korean classes to get to the Blue House in time to teach some more. And then suddenly three years passed. In that time of saving up for Canada I lost focus of what was most important to me.

The man who made me laugh. The man who didn't have a care in the world. The man with the carefree attitude.

And somehow in that time, being away from my husband (since he worked on Saturdays too) seemed normal. And I prided myself in the fact that I could go hang out with my girlfriends by myself during the few hours my husband and I had an opportunity to spend time with each other. I prided myself in not having to be home and cook for my husband. I wasn't at his beck and call. And he supported me in having a good time with my friends, because I told him that's what 'Westerners' do (side note: there was no way in hell that if he married a Korean woman that he would tolerate a situation like this). I prided myself in being a strong independent women.

But I think I've got it all wrong.

I know I've got it all wrong.

Now, the hard part is deciding what to do to make it all better. The little feminist in me is not winning when I abandon my own husband (okay maybe abandon isn't the correct word - it sounds too strong). But the point is that I got caught up in all the planning and preparations for having a future with him that I forget about the most precious spontaneous meaningful things in life.

Those things that are far more important than a few more hours at work to make a few more extra dollars. And part because of my own stubbornness and part because of other issues that involve my family in Korea*, I have let $ $ get in the way of my relationship.

And it's awful. And I hate it. And I need to find a way to get back to that place I was in that picture.

So I'm all ears! Anyone want to offer some advice? I love listening. Anyone want to sign up to be my life-coach? (kidding - kind of).

-- Signing off on this topic (but only for the night, early morning; it's 3 am)

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* And I wish I could tell you more about personal financial issues that we have had to face, but out of respect for those Korean family members who access my blog and out of respect for my husband I don't have the right to do so............I'll have to play the Korean 'saving face' card! Maybe some day, some time down the road I'll write a book

Payday!

Sung Hyun got paid last week so he treated the family to dinner. We dined at the local Korean restaurant and ate every last morsel.

A Canadian Thanksgiving!

I know Thanksgiving was almost a month away but........

YA YA, I know I'm slow. Sorry 'bout that!

Here are some highlights:

BALANCE

The biggest thing I'm missing in my life is balance. I just can't seem to get it right. My all-or-nothing attitude doesn't really work in my favour either.

I don my power suit, slap on heels and make way into the working world. I'm a career women. I'm driven. I feel alive when I do something challenging. I strive for perfection.

But it comes at a cost. I forget the simple pleasures in life. I take the people I care about the most for granted. I forget I have a husband.

Instead, the little feminist in me says that cooking and caring for men would be degrading to women. So I do the opposite. I work.

And just this week I jumped at an new opportunity that has now officially opened another door for me in the teaching world. So for the next week or so, I'll buckle down and turn my working week into 55 hours. I'm lucky. I'm fortunate to be working. I'm privileged to have gotten a prestigious job.

But I'm missing balance. So what do I do?

BABY TIME!!!!!!!

GUESS WHAT MOM AND DAD?

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WE HAVE A BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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AND HE'S BLACK!

(haha, that was mean!)

Almost half of my students.....

....FAILED their first in-class writing assignment.

The class average was 58% (60% is a pass)

Highest mark = 70%
Lowest mark = 44%

My students are right on par with average university writing standards. Isn't that sad?

This weekend I will......

* correct students in-class paragraphs (DONE!)
* correct students listening journals
* correct students in-class presentations (DONE!)
* prep a grammar lesson for articles
* prep an activity for process paragraph writing
* make rubric grading sheet for listening journals (DONE!)
* watch a movie and make a worksheet for my movie class
* prep lessons for 3 of my private students
* prep Halloween scavenger hunt for uni students
* make university listening and speaking practice exam
* make MID-TERM exam for communication class
* update student writing/ grammar website

This weekend I will ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THESE TASKS (I may have to lock myself in my room).


I love the teaching part of my job. I love being in front of the classroom explaining things to students. I love when the little light bulb clicks in their head. I love when I have a GREAT class.

I don't love lesson planning. I don't love correcting papers. I don't love admin meetings. I don't love entering student grades/ attendance.

I can't have my cake and eat it too, but some days I feel like I do. Certainly not this weekend!!!!!

Worked!

I'm really enjoying my new job. I like the challenge of the writing/ grammar class balanced with the ease of the communication/ movie class. It's a nice mix!!

The thing that I'm finding difficult with this job is the concept of responsibility. These students are adults. They have to take it upon themselves to do their homework and come to class on time. I can't hold their hand. They do it on their own or don't do it at all.

And for me, that's the hard part!

Where the magic happens.....NOT!I

Tonight I have to make some listening exercises and a listening quiz for my students in my communication class. So instead I thought I'd clean up half of my room, take pictures, and blog about it. Productive!

SEE:

What are you thankful for?

We just got back from a weekend away with family. Our family (minus my brother) spent the last 2 days in small town Arcola, Saskatchewan eating yummy treats, riding motorcycles and playing board games. Life is grand!

Camping!

At the end of September it was still nice enough to go camping. It was a wonderful adventure with great friends. The pictures need no explanation:

Random update!

Hello EVERYONE!!!! Anyone still reading this thing? Shall I keep it going? What do you want to read about? I feel my life is so boring here compared to Seoul, albeit I'm doing something everyday!

Last night was date night with the hubby. I surprised him with Mamma Mia musical tickets since he's always listening to the sound track. My mom seems to think this is a quality photo.

Sung Hyun and I have been going to church. We wanted to make some connections in the Korean community and everything is centred around the church. Last week we got treated to a buffet of Korean food. Definitely can't complain about that!

The weather has been so nice lately that we've had several good BBQ days. Here's one of our tasty treats........P.S. I didn't eat all of this!

Sung Hyun can't believe how big everything is in Canada.......including this ice cream cone!

In our spare time/ after work we've been doing some random volunteer work. It just happened to be really really cold this day! (we usually don't dress as pumpkins until Halloween)

Raw oatmeal, strawberries, blueberries and yogurt with a side of fruit is my fav. breakfast so far! (is it bad that 4 out of 6 pictures are of food?!!!!)

Enough earrings to wear a new pair everyday!

p.s. Sorry I don't have room pictures up yet! I can't seem to keep it clean ;)