So long 27!

Today I am 28. It seems crazy to me that it's been a year since I wrote a post on my 27th birthday. I had just arrived here in Korea and it was all new and crazy. Its been a whirlwind of a year that some how has become normal. I've traveled lots and met many people I now call close friends.
I am not scared of 28. I find there are certain ages that don't scare you. You are just in them as if you are prepared. 22 and 24 were like this and they were some good years so hopefully 28 will be the same. I like being in my late twenties. You aren't old enough to be expected to have responsibilities but you aren't young enough to feel lost. Obviously its scary as 30 is fast approaching but I am happy and surrounded by fantastic people so I am just enjoying the moments as they come.
I do have to slap 27th year old Tania on the wrists as the normality of life has let me become lazy with the blog so I will get back into writing.
But here are some of the things I got up to as a Travelling 27 year old:

. Experienced one of the hottest Summers I've ever known
. Met even more fantastic people
. Made lasting friendships
. Visited Busan
. Wrote for 3 different magazines
. Had Photo's published
. Went to a rave
. Visited Pohang
. Went to a mud festival
. Lost all our money in Bangkok
. Washed and played with Elephants
. Trekked through the jungle.
. Visited Koh Samui
. Ate the worlds best Pad Thai
. Tried PatBingSu (Korean Dessert)
. Visted three of the best temples in Korea
. Visted Tokyo
. Ate the worlds best Mando
.Stood on the busiest traffic crossing in the world
. Visited Tokyo Disney
. Tried Sake for the first time
. Ate Ox Tail for the first time
. Got to use my camera A LOT
. Learnt a lot more Korean
. Went on 14 planes
. Met the worlds smartest robot
. Went to a Sumo tournament.
. Visited Scotland.
. My brother got Engaged.
. My sister passed her music exam and wrote some incredible music
. Had my first Wendy's
. Went to my first baseball match
. Had a lot of girl's nights
. Ate bugs
. Ate fried arsehole (?)
. Had a food weekend in Seoul
. Taught elementary students
. Had my best friend visit me in Korea
. Made Clamato Juice and tried a Ceaser
. Learnt some of the best recipes I've ever tasted.
. Climbed 30 feet off the ground in the tree tops
. Had my first Christmas with Lee
. Had my first Christmas with friends
. Had a house party.
. Tried Yoga for the first time.
. Ran a 10k
. Spent a weekend in London with my girls
. Visited Wales
. Tried Snowboarding
. Walked on a frozen lake
. Went to the DMZ
. Made a human pyramid.
. Said a lot of hard goodbyes
. Went Blonde
. Moved house
. Owned 4 mac lipsticks
. Started teaching Art
. Celebrated my first Saint Paddy's day
. Celebrated Holi Hai
. Shot a gun
. Watched my best friend get married.

These lists feel silly and self indulgent but when you write the things you have achieved down like this. You realise how many first you can still have at 28 , it does make you smile. The world has been kind to me this year and I have made friends I will treasure for a lifetime, I miss my family every minute of the day but I've also found my own little family and my own home.
I can't imagine what the next year will bring.

Eyelash Extensions

Eyelash extensions are something I read about before I came to Korea. I have always been intrigued by them but also they are a bit scary. I assumed that the second they were glued to me i'd look like a crazy drag queen which wouldn't be a bad thing if I wasn't a teacher to teenager boys.
So since I had a big event to go to and didn't want to look a state  I decided to take the plunge.
All I knew about eyelash extensions was they were invented in Korea so I started researching to find out a little more. Here are some of the questions I wanted to find the answers to and maybe they can help you guys too:

. How long do they last?
I always assumed they would last about a week. After some research I discovered they can last up to 90 days but the average you can hope for before they start to look un-even is about a month.

.How do they apply them?
This process was particularly important to me since I knew that it would be a non-English speaking person applying them. I was asked to lie on the bed and the lady put tape under my eyes and on top of my eyelids. She also put tape on my eyebrows to stop glue getting on them.
It is odd to be forced to keep your eyes closed but as long as you relax it is fine. It is not even slightly painful and it didn't seem like a long time, even if it was 45 minutes. The oddest part of the process was when she put a ball of cotton up one of my nostrils. This, i'm guessing , is to stop you smelling the glue but it felt odd since I had my eyes closed and couldn't ask her in English why she'd done it.

.How long does it take?
As mentioned above , it took about 45 minutes but can be up to an hour. Next time I get it done, as long as I go before they all fall out, it should only be about 35 minutes.

.What do you ask for?
So this is the complicated bit. There are a few different types of lashes you can have.
The main difference is material and length.
Acrylic - which is the most common. It is the ones I have and they feel plastic but look great.

Mink - The softest and most expensive type.Weirdly you still have to add mascara and curl them.

A lot of stores will only specialise in one or two materials so if you do have specific ones you want ask first.

The two important decisions are the curl:
J-curl or C-curl.

J-curl is a straight lash that you curl yourself. It looks more natural as it grows out but takes a little bit of work and is very subtle. It is the most common for Asian people.

C-curl is a pre-curled lash and the one I went with. It  requires no work but I have heard that the curl can be quite extreme as your own lashes start to grow. I think next time I would go for the C-curl but a bit shorter so it seems a little more natural.

Length:
I went for 11mm but the lady was desperate to give me 12mm. A mm difference doesn't sound like a lot but it makes a huge difference when it comes to something as small as your lashes. Next time I will definitely be going for a shorter length but i'm still glad I went for the 11mm C-curl. I read on 'Eat Your Kimchi' another fantastic blog about Korea that its better to go big so you have something to compare and I definitely agree.

Tips:
I was told once to always wear extra eye make up if you wear glasses. This is very true and also apply's for your lashes. Like I mentioned before, the 11mm C-curls are quite big but behind my glasses they are much less noticeable.If you don't wear glasses then maybe a j-curl would be a better fit.

Don't get them wet for a few hours after application. They will come un-stuck if you do.

Don't get oil on them. If you use make up wipes just be careful around them. You won't need eyeliner or mascara with them so it shouldn't be such a problem.

Since having them I have actually stopped wearing make-up all together. They eyes make up for everything else i'm not wearing. I put lipstick on if I go out but its a relief to not have to worry so much. I should make more of an effort but with the lashes i'm becoming really lazy.

How much do they cost?
I paid 40,000 won which is about 20 pound and it is really great value.

I am a complete convert and I think while i'm in Korea I will treat myself to it anytime I have an event coming up.
I just walked into a place that had eyelash before and after pictures on the outside and she layed me down straight away without questioning. Because it is a long process if might be good to book but I wasn't in a rush so I just chanced it.

It's a easy process with great results. Now I just have to see how they grow out.

Run Fat Girl Run..

Today a horrifying event occurred. I got signed up for a 10k run.

I am not a runner. A runner is a special type of person of which I am definitely not.

To be a runner you must posses 3 characteristics:

.You must be healthy

.You must be fit

.You must be determined

Unfortunately I barely scrape by on one out of three requirements and even that is questionable.

I am un-healthy. It is true. I don’t like it and I am aiming to get out of the rut I’m in but at the moment its so busy here that its just easier to grab fast food and much cheaper. Vegetables in Korea are so expensive . You get them in bulk that you could never eat before the expiration date and you can only afford one type. I don’t know about you but eating 18 carrots and nothing else isn’t my idea diet. There are ways around this which I’m researching. It is a poor excuse but this year I have just relaxed and enjoyed my time, and burgers.  This has to change.

I am un-fit. Fitness is something that has always just been out of my grasp. In my mind I’m a fit person but in practice I push myself too far. I love fitness which is the ironic thing. If I find a fitness I like then I can work at it no problem. A few years ago I became obsessed with boxing. It was the first time training felt easy. I did it twice a week and I was an addict. My brilliant trainer was a girl named Randi from Norway and she whipped me into shape but when I left the uk I let myself fall into old patterns, namely the pattern on my sofa.

I try to do sit ups as much as possible (when I remember) and have just started a few monthly challenges but as always something got in the way, such as pizza and I got so busy that they fell by the way side. I am planning to pick them back up on Monday. The newest craze for me though is yoga. I’m in love. If I could do boxing and yoga every week I’d be a fitness freak. Unfortunately time, distance, my lazy behind and money are factors but factors I’m going to have to step over.

This brings me to the last point. Determination. I did write above that I almost had one point covered and this would be this. I really do want to be fit and achieve something like a run but I barley run for the bus let alone 10k so I don’t know how I will cope. I am hoping that signing up and training with friends will be the push I need to get me moving and motivated. The annoying thing is once you start its easy. You just need to stick with it until its routine. Of course this is easier said than done but fingers crossed I can put a 10k on my list of achievements.

6 weeks is long enough to train for a 10k right ?!?!?

Excuse me while I buy every piece of known running gear, read every fitness blog and hide in the house until my friends drag me onto a running track.

Here goes nothing.

Resized

While at home a major mission for me was to buy some bras. This isn’t glamorous or fancy but unfortunately in Korea where I live my bra size is…unavailable! In the UK I’m below average. I’m a 34B and that in my mind isn’t something to shout about.

When arriving in Korea I walked into a shop and asked for my size only to get a blank look and an angry instruction to leave the shop.

Korean woman really do have small bra sizes. I have found one shop that does sell my size but I always have to blow the dust off them and sneak behind the counter to actually see what’s on offer. It doesn’t make you feel like a superstar.

Then you are also faced with the padding problem. Korean bras are padded like you are going to be training a police dog with it. I could rest a bowl of cereal on them with ease.

Anyway this all meant that I spent a misguided year wear two bras, neither of which was I happy or comfy in.

This brings us to my Cardiff visit to Ann Summers, I didn’t visit the shop to buy something fancy and adventurous. I have just found that bras there are comfier and last a lot longer. Since it was January I could actually afford them too which was a plus.

The lady saw me browsing and asked if I wanted a fitting. I don’t know if it was the year spent wearing a ugly ill fitting monstrosity or the crazy high I had from UK shopping but I said yes.

A bra fitting is a one off experience for everyone. You stand in a booth while a stranger throws a measuring tape all over your naked self. I’ve found that these ladies are always kind and lovely (and have surprisingly warm hands) but its still odd.

This time was no less odd but a lot more rewarding. I discovered I’ve been wearing the wrong bra size for about 4 years. I didn’t realize how quickly your bras change. I stupidly thought that like shoes you get a size and that’s it.

The new bras I tried on after that were like dreams. I felt amazing and not like a saggy aging weirdo anymore.(I still can't pass the pencil test though so there is still hope)

After a spree that means I have good fitting bras for the next 3 years I was ready to head back to the Korean lands and not go near a bra shop again while I live here. 

So Korea you can keep those dusty bottom shelf crazy sizes and I shall keep my slinky new (maybe cartoon character themed) bras. 

 

Things To Get At Home

Things To Get:

Tomorrow I will be embarking on a 24 hour trek to get to my lovely Welsh homeland. I cannot wait. I want to jump on the plane now but I still have two days left of work. As you may remember from the last few days of school you mostly watched movies and played games. At the time I thought it was because my teachers were kind and fun loving people, now I realise it’s because they were hung-over, stressed out teachers who wanted to sit the kids in front of something silly for an hour.

When I’m not being a fantastic teacher and sharing the joys of Mr Bean (How I love you Rowan for the hours of silence you have granted me) I am at my desk ‘desk- warming’. This is the name given to the Korean school process in which foreign teachers have to stay in school for certain amount of hours whether the school is open or not.

My desk warming for the next two days will consist of old Hollywood movies (currently it is The Seven Year Itch and The Big Sleep) and dreaming of the lovely things I will be buying when I get off the plane. So here is my shopping list:

1. Eggnog Latte….this one will be the most upsetting one if it’s not available since this is the taste of Christmas to me and not something you can find in Korea so my plan is, get off the plane and run to Starbucks.

2. CHEESE – cheese is available in Korea but its expensive and rare so I am going to get a shopping cart and fill it to the top with lots of English treats including blue cheese, cheddar, Halumi, brie, camembert and anything else I can lay my hands on.

3. Underwear – The weirdest experience while shopping for clothes here in Korea was being laughed out of a shop when I told them my bra size. In the uk I am not only average but a bit below average. Some would go as far to say small but here in Korea I am like a Russian Hooker. The only bras I can buy come in a special hidden section and are covered in dust. The other weird edition to the problem is all bras in Korea are padded so when I finally do find one to fit it’s padded up to my ears. I shall be happily wandering into every vintage underwear shop I can find in the UK. What Katie Did on Portobello road will definitely be getting a visit.

4. Shoes – This one will be essential to survive next year in Korea. My feet suffer from the same problem as my brassieres. Very very big in Korea. I luckily have a supply of shoes waiting for me at home since my luggage when I moved here was too full for lots of pairs. I will be like a kid in a candy store (but with the added advantage of knowing they all fit perfectly as I’ve worn them all before)

5. Herbs and Spices – I’ve recently discovered a few places that sell the basic herbs and spices in Korea but since I am hoping to ‘Get my Cook on’ next year I really want to bring a big collection. Ginger, Nutmeg, Chicken stock and Rosemary to name a few. I might also get lazy and just bring ‘Chinese 5 spice’.
   

6. Chinese food – the most ironic item on the list is definitely Chinese and Thai food. The irony of having to leave Asia to get good Chinese food isn’t wasted on me but it’s very true. Koreans have their own version of Chinese food that is probably more authentic but doesn’t represent the type I’m use to at all. It is easily my favourite food so when I get home I shall be feasting on Pad Thai, Black Bean and Chow Mein’s as much s possible. Mmmm

7. Dresses – for no reason other than I want to go to London and buy pretty vintage dresses

8. Tights – While I love a good stocking as much as the next girl I need some tights to get me through the cold winters and the average day while teaching. In Korea tights are a mysterious item that doesn’t exist. It’s actually extremely hard to find stocking too. They only have circulation cutting off stockings up to the thigh. I have seen my leg turn blue more than a few times.  

9. Christmas Party food – Smoked Salmon, Pate, French bread, mozzarella sticks, tomatoes salads, potato wedges, salt and vinegar crisps, chip shop chips, pasties’, scones, crumpets, butter…all of the above. I’m craving it all and can’t wait for my own little party when I get home.

10. Good Coffee – although there are a million coffee shops (and I mean a million) none of them do a good coffee. It’s very rare and expensive to track down a place that is willing to make you a beautiful Dutch drip coffee. Starbucks can give you a good one as well as a restaurant called ‘Butterfinger Pancakes’ in Seoul but apart from that , I’m stumped.

By the light of the silvery moon

After a night of watching my favourite film in the world, It's a Wonderful Life, i'm full of smiles and I will be listening to this on repeat today.
(click the picture for some lovely tunes)

Dear Santa...