Homeward Bound

I would have preferred to put up a cute picture of me, my brother, and my sister as kids, but I'm in Korea and my photo albums are safe and sound at home in Toronto. So, here is a picture that N**** took and I like it. So deal with it.

When I was a darling cute-as-a-peacock two week old baby, my mum and pap took me and my older brother and sister on a fishing boat in the darkness of night to escape the poverty and turmoil of 1987 Vietnam. We smuggled out of the country and were on this boat for what I think was 14 days and nights, until we washed up on the shores of Hong Kong. I lived in a refugee camp there for two years before our then very small family immigrated to the place that I have always referred to as home, Canada!

Although I've never really felt a tie to Vietnam, the culture, people, language, or history, I have always wanted to go back to the place where my parents grew up and met each other. After 22 years and in just two days time, I get to make this journey back to my native homeland and step into the country where I was born and where my history begins. I hope to make some self discoveries, learn as much of the language and customs as I can, drink snake blood, eat rat meat, hike the tallest mountain, lie in the burning hot sand, and of course, meet my parent's family. How exciting it is to know that you have aunts and uncles and cousins, brothers of your mom and dad that they grew up with, and you never got to meet them until now. My last remaining grandparent is on his deathbed now and I hope wholeheartedly that he will hang on. I want to meet my mom's dad so badly.

This trip will be a three week excursion. Ill be going with my friend Ireland. The plan so far is this: we'll land in Saigon. Take a plane with my mom to Vinh (a little south of Hanoi) where my grandpa lives and stay there for a couple days. I want to hug my grandpa and kiss his hand. Then Ireland and I will take our backpacks and start our trek southbound, passing by Hue to see my uncle and 19 year old cousin whom Ive never met. Then still south we go making stops at Nha Trang where the beaches are supposedly to die for. Make a stop at Da Lat. Then to Saigon. Then the Mekong Delta. It should be a fucking awesome trip.

I hope I can soak up as much of this old new country as possible. I hope I can be reshaped by the experience. I hope I will fall in love with this country. I hope the country will fall in love with me.

So that is the plan thus far.
Ill be back on Feb 05, ready to bombard the hell out of this blog with pictures of beautiful people in beautiful places.

Take care.

My Family Still Loves Me Afterall :)

My mommy got me a blue Ipod Nano. I love it! I hate the colour blue tho...really. Who decided that?

This is what Ryan and Nicholas got me...


SUMMER PAJAMAS!...I bet mine are better than yours Ny :P

This is my present from Lyn...oh what could it be....

AN UMBRELLA ELLA ELLA for Korea's rainy weather...inside what looks like an alcohol container...oh you know your sister well Lyn.

This is my present from Igor.

PERFUME! DAISY

And this is Keiko's present...she destuffed it in days and now its cotton insides litter my apartment floor.

And the best gift of all. Endless supply of Dove Cucumber and Green Tea Deo.


So my awesome family sent gifts to me from back home and I rushed to rip open them from their wrapper. I love getting presents. I loved all my presents this year. Thanks y'all!

My Winter Camp Boys

So it was the last Friday of winter camp for the buggers, and they kept saying "Teacher. Play Game!" and I fell for their cute little faces. So I let them play video games for the last hour.
This is Christopher. He is so cute. He is always getting left behind and the short end of the stick by the other boys. His glasses are at least 2 inches thick...so cute.
So the snow fell in sheets. It was the first time in a LONG time that Korea (and other parts of Asia) saw that much snow. It was beautiful. I waited outside for over an hour for the bus (no lie), but all in all it was wonderful. There was so much buzz around town because no one knew what to do. I was a little worried I'd get snowed in and be stuck in North Korea until rescue efforts could find me. BUT, my fears were unfounded, the city cleaned up the street in a day and the school had its like first ever snow day!
My teaching books for Grade 7, 8, and 9's. The one on top was from dear old Joey <3

I love these boys. The one with the glasses is Alex who is very passionate and when he gets upset, he goes off in Korean and its the funniest thing to witness when you dont understand what he's saying. The other guy is Harry. They are both top students and understand English really well.

My Winter Camp boys...I did have three girls but they're hiding in the back.


So even though the school term ended for the kids back on December 28th, I still had to come in to an empty school to make lessons for two weeks of winter camp. My winter camp lasted from January 01st to February 15th. It was great fun. I only had about 15 students come in the first week, and about 10 the second week so it was cozy and I remembered everyone's English names and I got to talk to them.