jalissa

this sister was in korea for just a semester, and i only got to meet her/hang out with her during her last week here. when she left, she sent me this email, which i thought was so sweet^^
==========
December 21, 2009 at 5:07pm
i just wanted to say thank you. you've been hospitable since day i meet you. i wish we could have meet ealrier on so at the end everything is not so rushed or crammed. wish you all the best and i realy hope all 3 of us meet again somewhere hehe if ever in ny,nj,phily area please facebook me, i would be so glad to bump into you again:) i leave tomorrow and i am actually pretty excited even now i want to just be in the air sleeping hehe hopefully i will see you around ......:)

my deo for the b.o.

my parents send me so much deoderant and dental floss in my care packages...

when i first moved to soko 2.5 years ago, my godmother bought me a ton of deodorant. i had read on forums how difficult it was to find here; there's something about the korean diet, they don't really smell/have body odor. I can only use lady speed stick, anything else and i am musty! and since ive been here, my father periodically sends me boxes with stuff like magazines, snacks, etc. He always sends deodorant, too. i told him to stop for a while, b/c really i have plenty.

scrapbooking 2

1. this is a rosary chain/necklace from kwang bok, sweet wonderful k boy i dated.
2. i bought this at a vodoo kitch shop while i was in new orleans with terry and nikki.... wait, no i didnt! i bought this from some shop in san diego! mamma... something... i bought a ton of stuff to decorate the office for African Student Union. I left most things, but kept this.
3.why did i number this candle? it's nothing special, i bought it at a local shop.
4. i dont know why i bought these stupid wooden coasters.
5. my homegirl kanisha brought me back this lovely woven sculpture back from her trip to ethiopia. it's 3 elephants around a tree.
6.why did i number this tea pot? who knows. i like best to drink black tea with loads of milk and sugar, as i did on my trip to london many many years ago.

my friend edi

my friend edi made these beautiful sculptures for me. they're carved from stone and i love them. edi is a brilliant sculptor from zimbabwe and currently works at the africa cultural center in.. paju? south korea.

trash

i got guilted into volunteering at some school somewhere. they are kids that come from single family homes, or are low income, none have ever been to academy, and have had no exposure to cultures outside of korea. their english level is very low, visuals are the way to go, so i made this chart with their names to add stars to everytime they did something good. after i finished, i cleaned up and thought the trash looked really pretty, so here is a picture of it.

cleanliness

just an example of how i live here in soko. i bought this refill thing a while back, and i couldnt remember what it was for. notice my note on it which says, "body wash.... or hair conditioner." im pretty sure it's body wash. i could ask a korean for help, but i wont b/c im fiercely independent.

my life soundtrack

Opening credits: respect yourself - the staple singers
Waking up: feeling good- nina simone
Average day:
First date:
Falling in love: the light - common
Love scene: mind sex- dead prez, be with you - bootsy collins, babyhead - fishbone
Fight scene: simon says - pharoahe monch, piece of me - britney spears
Breaking up: lately- stevie wonder
Getting back together: superstar- sonic youth
Secret love: promise - violent femmes
Life's okay: lazy afternoon - the roots
Mental breakdown: simon says- pharoahe monch
Driving: born to roll- masta ace
Learning a lesson: brick- ben folds five
Deep thought: closer- goapele
Flashback: old school - dangerdoom
Partying: get me bodied- beyonce
Happy dance: percolator - Cajmere
Regreting: isnt it a pity- nina simone
Long night alone: The Mutton Birds - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Death scene: pretend we're dead -L7
Closing credits: dont rush me- jean grae