Shanghai in a blur!

So this last weekend I went to Shanghai, China for a whirlwind of professional development. You can stop rolling your eyes already!! I did go there for a series of workshop sessions about the Primary Years Programme. It is part of the International Baccalaureate programme that is slowly taking many schools by storm. It was an intensive introduction to the elementary part of the programme. I was in Shanghai for 3 nights. It was super busy. I had very little time for anything outside of the classes. We had a social event the one night with the other delegates, so that was good. It was a great way to network and meet new people as well as see the city. Of course, I forgot my camera so I really only have a few shots on my camera phone. I think I can download them, so I will try. The other main night being there was spent hanging out with my friend Rachel who lived here last week. It was great to see her and have her show us around a little!!
My overall impression of Shanghai was that it is a cool place to visit, but that I DO NOT ever really want to live there. The pollution was horrendous... I could barely breath and I am used to Seoul air!

It's official...

Get your heads straight folks... not an engagement or anything even as fun as a real date... the thing that is official is that my body is falling apart! On Monday I went out for my morning walk which I hadn't done but once the week before. I felt good and it was cold out so I did a little jogging... big mistake!! My back seized up by the end of the day and has been getting worse. I couldn't even do circuits today and could barely stand-up from a chair!! Sucks... because if anything I NEED more exercise. Oh well...

Work, Work, Work!!

You know, usually I look at October as a fun month where the kids and I have settled into the classroom groove. But not so this month. We just finished a week of Chusok holidays (not that I am complaining) and I am back at work working tirelessly. Well, that isn't entirely true, I work like that but I AM TIRED!! I have to coach still, begin work on the pre-assignments for my next masters class, buy a pressie for my nephew and a late pressie for my neice, attend a wedding, two birthday parties, a team dinner, a Gi Therapy session (more on this when I know what it is... alternative medicine for back problems etc) and plan for a sub so that I can attend a full weekend + training session... and that is just the stuff I have to do this weekend. *sigh* But it is all good, at least I am not bored, right?

A little of this, a little of that...

THis blog is going to have a lot of different topics in it... so if you get bored, don't tell me, just stop reading.

First... let me tell you about going to Thailand. It was quite the harrowing trip. First we got to the airport on the busiest day of the year. The airport was packed and lines took forever. We almost didn't even make the airport bus because all the seats were full. Luckily they found a place for us. So, we got to the airport and the ovelry pushy person who wanted us to take her kid found a way to get her on the plane so we weren't responsible for her anymore... thank goodness. But that was the one really nice thing about our trip there. Like I said, lines were long and people were plentiful. Finally we got on the plane and then came the fun. There was a lot of turbulence but the best was right before we got ready to land in Hong Kong. The turbulence was so bad that the plane dropped hard to the right and then hard to the left. It was horrible. I was never so frightened. But we landed and then took off again for Bangkok. We landed at the new airport and they didn't let us off the plane for about 30 minutes or more. Not sure why, I think they just couldn't figure out how to attach the door to the little tunnel thingy (yes, I am sure that is the technical term, hee hee). However, we got off, got transfered and then sat on the tarmac for an extra 40 minutes or so... Apparently small planes with propellers aren't allowed to take off in typhoon winds and lightening... hm... go figure. Eventually we arrived in Koh Samui only to find out that our luggage was still in Bangkok. So we had to wait all the next day in dirty drawers before we got our luggage.

Let's go to Koh Samui... that was GOOD!! The weather wasn't too hot and it was lovely. We just relaxed all the time and swam in the pool at our villa. I tried to get a massage just about everyday. I loved it!

Coming home... I realised that I am a CRANKY traveler at the end of the week. I was just tired of traveling and trying to be happy. I needed alone time. I love the people I went with, but you know how it is, you just need a little alone time. All our transfers went smoothly and we got our luggage in Seoul so things were good.

North Korea... so I am sure that you heard that they set of a nuclear bomb in a test. Isn't that lovely? Dang it! I wish all the world leaders would get their heads out of their arses and start being responsible adults instead of bratty little kids with egos that need constant stroking. Really, I am not that worried about things at this moment. South Korea has heigtened their military status in response, but other than that, I haven't noticed too many changes and no one has said anything about getting ready to leave... home they don't.

Okay... that is all that is wandering around in my brain for the moment... gotta go and finish that load of laundry and tidy up the kitchen and some of my stuff from Thailand...

Ciao!!