Little Miss Popularity..Crazy day

Jude and I had quite the interesting day today!! And we were quite popular with the Koreans today for some reason....no idea why.

First, we went out to do a bit of shopping in a market type area in Seoul. There was some type of traditional Korean activity going on, so they were giving out free bowls of red bean and rice noodle soup...so we ate some. Then all of a sudden this lady just started snapping pictures of us with her professional camera. And then she just kept snapping. Then she was directing us to look at each other, and smile, and take a bite and blow on the soup, etc., etc. I was laughing so hard because it was SO awkward.
But THEN...another person came over with his camera, then came another, and then we had 5 people with professional cameras shooting pictures of us. It was some sort of photography class or something and they decided to take practice shots of us. They pulled us over to a side of a building to get a better backdrop and then we basically had a photo shoot. I have no idea why this happened all of a sudden, why they thought it was so great, and why other random passers-by started to also take pictures. HAHAHAHAHA. It was quite ridiculous.

And then, when I was on the subway home, some old grandpa man came up really close to me (totally in my bubble!), grabbed my arms and was just laughing and repeating that I was so tall. So tall. You, so tall. Me, no. You, so tall. The wacko was shaking me and grabbing me and being so loud and weird. I was trying to get him off of me, but he just couldn't get over it. At one point, he almost knocked me over because he was shaking me so hard. All the stupid people around me just watched and did nothing, despite my obvious "save me" face.
Finally, after I yelled "Yes, I know" in Korean, he let go of me, but then he kept saying how cute it was to everyone else on the subway.
Senile?
Drunk?
Psycho?
Don't know....but he will now be added to my ever growing list of "dirty men who make me feel gross!"

Thailand and Vietnam in 4 days!!!! WOOOOOO

More Engrish Awesomeness

So awesome its almost intolerable. Hahaha.

Taiwan Photo Faves

So I lied...I have a few more Taiwan pics. Hehe. Just some of my faves to share.



Storm brewing over the mountain. A random guy fishing along the coast. And this stupid dog.... I wanted to kick him in the face.


This is the road we drove on. A hole cut in the mountain...

Seriously, this scene and these colors were RIDICULOUS!!!!!




The spider I told you about before...on the path through the jungle. For some reason, this thing only has 7 legs.



Guy out fishing on the rocks. Awesomeness.

Taiwan...Final Post!!! :)

Well its a darn good thing I am finished posting these Taiwain pics...from JULY!!! Because next week, Judith and I head to Thailand and Vietnam for Christmas and New Years! YAHOOOO!! Anyhow....

Our final full day of funness in Taiwan was again spent on scooters!! But this time we each had our own. We went a few hours down the Pacific coast and did some beach hopping and then crossed the Tropic of Cancer line. Ah, the ride was so beautiful and warm and fun...minus the part where they were doing road construction and I thought the wheels were going to fly off my scooter!

This sign for Cowhead Mountain Beach is just so clever...isn't it?! :)Haha
That's hot! And awesome. And fun. And I went there. And you're jealous.

BWHAHAHAHAHA!!! Best pic ever! Judith getting slammed by a wave! I love this picture. :) Feel free to click it to enlarge. Hehe.

Tropic of Cancer Marker


Just read the sign. And read it carefully....sound it out. Yep, there you go!! HAHAHAHA. Saw this on the road and couldn't resist stopping to take a lovely photo.

Sunset over the ocean. Gorgeous!!

When we got back to Taipei, we met with some friends that we met earlier in the week (who taught us how to surf) and they took us around the city and up along the North Coast of Taiwan. We all sat on the beach watching shooting stars...perfect weather...it was such a cool way to end our trip.

Even in Taiwan I can meet people who like to take freaky pics like me. Hehe.


On the plane home, we sat next to this guy. He was so nervous to talk to us much during the flight, but then as we were about to leave, he wanted to get a pic with us. Hahaha. Cute.

Aaaaaahhhhh. And the trip came to an end. One of the most awesome vacations of my life! Thanks for the memories Jude....you are Verben Mc Awesome.

Lee Seung Gi Concert!!!

I am ridiculous with how much I adore this guy...so to top it off, tonight I got to go to his concert!!! A Korean friend of mine bought us tickets because he knows how much I love Seung Gi and he is just that nice!! One of the greatest gifts ever ^^
Pretty sure Judith and I were the only white girls in the place, which just made it even more fun (although, I REALLY wish I knew what he was saying!) Sadly though, it didn't get us a ticket backstage! :( We tried to work the "Tall White Girl" magic, but to no avail.
The concert was for sure the most fun of any I've been to....which is saying a lot because I really love Michael Buble. But...can you really compete with this smile and head of hair?!?!?! Its impossible! Plus there was some awesome dancing and some abs. :) And his voice is really great.
Then, when Jude and I were leaving the stadium, we went to the back door and waited and got to see him exit. He was like 10 yards from us. I was so close, yet so far away. Hahaha.
I have some video and pics I'll put up soon. Such a great great night!!


Ok, either I've been in Korea for too long, or I'm going crazy...but he doesn't even look Asian to me anymore. Friends from back home, you'll have to let me know if he looks really Asian to you or not, cuz to me....he doesn't. Oh no...what is happening to me?!?! Haha. I'm turning into a Korean girl. Judith says I'm an egg. White on the outside. Yellow in the middle. Bwahahahaha.

Taiwan- PART 6

Scooters Day 1 to see Taroko Gorge and the Cliffs...AHHHHH MAAAAAA ZIIIIIIING!

So, it feels like these Taiwan posts are never ending...thats because I took a bajillion pictures and had an absolute blast. But, I have to get them all finished up before I head to my next vacation in only 2 1/2 weeks. This time??? Thailand and Vietnam for 11 days!!!!! BAM! Just imagine the pictures you are gonna be seeing from that trip. I can't even wait. I could just pee my pants with excitement. But for now, let's get back to Taiwan :)

We heard that renting scooters in Taiwan was a must. Then we heard that they were about $12 for an entire day. Then we did it.
First day, we got a scooter together and drove up the coast a bit to see some famous cliffs along the coastline and then into Taroko Gorge National Park. Such a beautiful place...A huge gorge cut out of jungley mountains. It was sick.

He were go! Just figured out how to actually drive this thing without dying. Found a gas station. Filled up for about $3 with enough gas to last us the entire day. And we look hot in helmets. We are set.

Not even on the actual hiway yet to get to our destination and this is the first thing we see. Ri-dic-u-lous!

The up the coast a bit more we see this. Postcard??? The drive up this highway was fun...but scary too. We drive alone a road cut out of a mountain. Sometimes it was through a rock tunnel. Sometimes there were no lights. Sometimes the road was not big enough for a scooter and a car or truck. The whole time was exhilarating! For hours all we looked at was this beautiful blue water and sunny sky (which, by the way, was scorching my legs the entire time and I didn't know until later when I had blisters on my calves!)


Then we got into the National Park. I have a million other photos of beach and cliff and gorge and everything, but for the sake of time and space, I'm only putting up some of the ones I like the most. Here, Jude and I were on a crazy suspension bridge and wanted to take a pic with the waterfall behind us. Good thing my big head is blocking it! And, don't know if you can see or not but we were SOOOOOO dirty!! The scooter ride left our faces just covered in dust and dirt and truck exhaust and probably some bugs. We just look really tan, but I can assure you much of it is dirt. Haha.


And here is the bridge.

And here is below the bridge.


Jude and I kept going up into the park, so there were tons less people and lots of stuff to see. We parked to go walk down this little path and some weird Taiwanese men pulled off to pee. Then they started saying who knows what to us. Something about a hotel, lots of pointing and talking. Don't know if they asked if we were staying at a hotel in the park or if it was an invitation to go to the hotel in the park....either way they were super creepy and annoying. At least one of them was nice (and not drunk) and showed us a cool way to tie our helmets up so they weren't stolen by the "tribal" people who live up in the remote parts of the park.
I don't know why Judith thinks this is a secret...but this picture makes me laugh.
After this, the sun went down so we drove home, in the dark, with our sunglasses on to keep the bugs from flying into our eyeballs. It was an interesting ride. :)

Uh oh..

Winter depression + culture differences + friends being buttholes + stress at work = I am eating way way toooo much chocolate these days!! Ugh.

(at least its good American chocolate my mommy sent me....but still!)

Last time, Policemen...This time, Military.

So...remember when I had the creepy encounter with the "stalker" Korean police officers? (http://cmarierobertson.blogspot.com/2009/03/spd.html ....here it is in case you didn't read it before)

Well, about a week ago I had a creepy encounter with a Korean military guy.

Our house is near the U.S. Army base here in Seoul, so there are gates all around, guarded by military people. There is one particular gate at the beginning of the road I walk down to get home. I always see 2 Korean military men there and never before have I paid any attention to them, nor have they to me. Well, on this day...as I was walking and approaching the gate, I saw one of the men looking at me for a long time. He was making that "Oooooh baby" face. Maybe you know what I am talking about....the face that kind of says "Ooo weeeee, what do we have here?! Take a look at that!" Yeah...that face. GROSS!!
Whatever, I just ignored it and kept walking. But then as I was walking past the 2 guards, he kept staring at me and then said "Hiiiiii," in a long, drawn out sort of a "trying to be sexy" whisper. BAHAHAHAHAHA.
Actually, I burst out laughing in his face. It was so weird and stupid that I just started laughing, crinkled up my face, and said, "Umm, hi?" Then I just kept walking because it was so ridiculous.
JUST GUARD YOUR GATE DUMMY!!!! Stop being a creep.

I am starting to get annoyed that only the gross, creepy men in Korea talk to me. The ones that are actually attractive don't pay any attention. What's up with that?! Haha.

I got my birthday wish!!

Here is the wonderful package my mom said she was preparing for my birthday present. It's exactly what I wanted!!!! :) Hehehehehehe.

And on to the 28th...

27 years already....and starting the next.
Happy Birthday to me! :)

I'm so blessed to be able to be here in Korea, doing what I am doing, experiencing this place and these people and I wouldn't trade it away. But, I will say...that not being home for my birthday and Thanksgiving is really making me miss some things!

1. My mom's yearly German Chocolate Birthday Cake. I always know its waiting for me, but its the best surprise every time! This year, I think I'll have to settle for the german chocolate ice cream at Cold Stone. Haha.
2. My dad's Thanksgiving sweet potatoes. He is a marshmallow freak, so he loads it up and its the best!
3. Ok, so I'll pretty much miss every food item for Thanksgiving! Especially stuffing...ooooo its my favorite. Luckily, my church had a Thanksgiving banquet so I was able to eat the goods.
4. Black Friday shopping with my sissy and cousins
5. Doing something fun with my Kansas City girls for our birthdays. Oh how I miss you.
6. Being in a place that is familiar, with your family and friends you love most....I know that I can still celebrate over here, but it just doesn't feel the same.
7. And most of all...my little mocha lover! Mostly I just want to kiss his perfect little lips and squeeze him. That would be the best birthday present.

I am excited, however, to make some good ole nordic cabbage rolls for dinner tomorrow with Judith and watching some cheesy Korean TV. Just the kind of birthday night I like.

So...here's to working on your birthday. Here's to working on Thanksgiving. Here's to doing it all with a cold and no voice. Haha.

Oh the joys and relaxation of massage!!

Judith and I decided to get massages last weekend and then get haircuts. Aaahhh, a weekend of some girly stuff.

We walked into the massage place and it was all serene and relaxing...even the receptionists voice could have put me to sleep. We took off our shoes and put on the community slippers, as is custom in Asia (disgusting!), and she gave us our clothes and led us to the changing room. We had to put on these super hot, one size fits all, orange shorts and t-shirt. Baahahahaha. Oh well, we were getting massages!

We were then led into a room, separated from the lobby only by a drape. Ok...whatever, I can deal with that. And Judith and I had massage tables in the same room. Hmmm, couples massages. Haha...ok, I guess. It was only back and shoulders, so it was no big deal. Then this sweet little Korean women motioned for me to lay down on the table and started moving my hair out of the way and rubbing my head. Oh perfect....this is gonna be awesome. She started working on my shoulders, which were SUPER tight and sore from the ridiculous amounts of stress and crap I deal with at my job...and it hurt, but it was a good hurt.

Then, she got on the table and dug her elbow into my back. That is when the breathing stopped.

For the next 25 minutes or so, I was in so much pain and I was so tense. She ground her elbow into my shoulder blades and down my spine. And she even elbowed and palmed my butt. She sat on my back, pulled my arms (nearly out of socket), and karate chopped my skin off. And with every push, I thought my adam's apple was going to pop out the back of my neck. I was completely in awe that a woman so small, with such soft, little hands, could inflict so much pain on someone twice her size.

When we finished and went back to the changing room, Judith and I both looked at each other and burst out laughing!! At least her experience wasn't much better than mine. Hahahaha. I still don't know whether my back is more or less sore than before. Haha.

Taiwan...Part 5

KEELUNG -- BEITOU CAPE -- JUIFEN -- CRAZINESS!

Well...these 2 days were nothing short of crazy and hectic...but awesome!
We left Taipei and headed up the North/East Coast of Taiwan for some more scenery and some coasts and jungles. We heard about a few awesome little towns...so we decided to go for it. Didn't know how to get there, but we would figure it out.

First...we got to the main town where we would stay in the hotel for one night. From there we were going to take buses to see the other towns. When we got into Keelung, we stopped at the Tourist info desk and they were SO cute and helpful. Found us a hotel. Gave us about 50 maps and brochures (haha). And took a picture with us because they were so excited to help the White Girls. Then...they even walked us to our hotel.

And this is what we saw once we got into our room!!!! A circle bed. Ummmmmmmmm. How do you respond to that?!?! Other than knowing in that moment that you are most likely in some sort of weird 'love motel.' Add to the circle bed: a very "inviting" picture of an Asian girl attached to the headboard and a bathroom wall that is actually a window!! Yes, you could see into the bathroom. It was a window wall. WHAT THE HECK?!?! So...Judith and I had a grand ole time laughing at our ridiculous hotel room.

We left right away to go to Beitou Cape...a small little fisherman's town on the coast. It was beautiful and had so much more than we expected!
This is the picture of the school in the town...way up a random hill. But look at the view. I can't imagine having gone to a school like this!

We went off the path and got down on the big rocks in the water with the local fishermen. It was disgusting!! The rocks were COVERED with crawling, disgusting water bugs that looked like centipedes or roaches or something. SICK!

The lighthouse at the end of the path.

A different path that we found that went along the ridge of the hills/mountains. Kinda looks like a tiny version of the Great Wall, the way it twists and turns over the ridge.

Then we get to the end of that walkway and we see this....JUNGLE!! Everywhere.

The typical dorky self-portrait, trying to get the stuff in the background. Haha. We were SO sweaty and gross. It was disgusting. We walked back down through the jungle and it was nuts! We saw signs everywhere that said "Beware of poisonous snakes, bees and spiders" ...awesome ...and then after just a few steps down, a GINORMO bee was just flying back and forth across the small path, block it. Literally, this dumb bee was blocking the way! Hahaha. Judith and I were freaking out, thinking we would get stung, die and then never be found...but after a minute or so, we just booked it and ran kamakaze down the stairs. Ridiculous. Then a bit down the path, we almost run into a GINORMO spider on an even more GINORMO web! I have a picture of it...maybe I'll share later. Hehe. But for now, I thought I'd spare you because it is gross.

After we finished Beitou Cape, we took the bus back to Keelung and got on another bus to go to Juifen...this cute little town built into the mountain side. We weren't exactly sure what bus stop to get off on, so we asked a lady if she was going to the same place, and showed her our map. Seemed like she said yes, and to just get off when she got off. So we did. But then she motioned for us to follow her...maybe she was going to tell us where exactly to go once we got off the bus. Wow, how nice of you lady. Thank you.
But instead, she took us to her house, where she went inside and got her daughter to come speak to us in English and then walk us to where we needed to go (which, by the way, was right next to the bus stop. haha) It was pretty cute, actually, that this woman was so willing to help that she went to all that trouble.

Then we found this cute coffee shop- made out of a van. The owner was so friendly and nice and the spot where his van was overlooked the city and water from the side of the mountain. Such a cool mood!


The craziness just continued the next day! After a nice sleep in our circle bed (hahahaha) we headed for the beach for the day and then were going to head further down the coast to our next destination.
Got to the beach and started to swim...then got stung by jelly fish. So we asked some guys who were surfing if there were lots in the water...to which they answered yes. Awesome. But then they asked if we wanted to learn how to surf...to which we answered yes. Awesome. Haha, oh the things you experience as a white girl in an Asian country :)
Got stung a few more times by more jelly fish- Judith got it really bad! But then left the beach, bought our train ticket back to our hotel to get our stuff...no problems. Until we realize that the retarded train ticket window man sold us tickets in the wrong freaking direction!! We went like an hour out of our way (which meant that we missed our connecting train to the other place) and then had to figure out the right train back. Keep in mind that all of this is in Chinese.
Hahahahaha....so here is a pic of Judith at the stop where we got off when we realized what was going on. We were so annoyed and hot and tired and this town went on our black list. Hahaha.

After we got the right ticket back to where our luggage was, we got on the train. But another dumb ticket window man decided it wasn't important to tell us that we had to transfer trains so again, we went in the wrong direction- the other way this time!!! Thankfully some really cute Taiwanese girl, who spoke no English, helped us find the right place, told us exactly how many stops, and waited with us until we got on the right train. That is one thing that I LOVED about Taiwan- the people were SOOO incredibly nice and willing to help (but only the ones who didn't actually work at the train stations!)

Finally we made it to our other place...a really cute hostel in a great beach town. This time we had a princess bed instead of a circle, porno bed. Hahaha. The mosquito net was really nice to have and our bed was so comfortable!! Finally...some rest.

Long post. Sorry. But these days were so funny and ridiculous, I cound't not tell you about them.

Never thought the day would come...

Now, you can't tell me that you don't find this at least somewhat awesome.
I never thought I would like Korean boy bands...ahahahahaha...but somehow I do. :)

My students made me play this video one day in class and then 4 days later I went to a live taping of a Korean music performance show...and one of the performing groups was this one, Shinee. They are super famous in Korea right now so it was really fun...plus they just look cool when they do this dance (even if their legs are the size of my arms and they wear really tight gold pants and some of them look like girls).

But I mean, really, where else but Korea can you find a music video that includes drinking milk, butterflies, black hair dyed blonde and then crimped, something about being elastic and fantastic, cool dance choreography and growing wings. PLUS, the title of the song is "Ring Ding Dong" and they say "Ling Ding Dong"...and that is just funny! :) I love this country.
Just watch it. Hehe.
(I can already hear my sister now "EWWWW Cass, how can you like that?!)

Taiwan..Engrish

A little bit of Engrish I found at the Night Market in Taipei. Hahahaha
*Note...Engrish can now be called "Wronglish." Saw this term on the internet and I almost died laughing. Its so true! Whatever it is...be it Engrish, Konglish, Japlish, Spanglish, etc....its all just "Wronglish" and it makes me laugh.
So enjoy these T-shirts!

Yes, that's right folks... it is sometimes referred to as the "Pubik Cube." Bhahahahahaha!

Happy Hollydays. Ing the High...
Seriously, just do it.

(If you have a very puzzled look on your face right now and are saying to yourself "I don't get it," then you are having exactly the right response.)
I seriously love Asia. I never stop laughing here.

Updated Addresses!!

So...for those of you that love me SO much that you just can't wait to send me mail :), here are my addresses.
(November 25th is just around the corner you know. Hehehehehehe)

To send regular mail and letters:
Cassandra Robertson
24-10 Yongsan-dong 2ga, 3rd Floor
Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Korea 140-841

Or for packages...send to: (because you just never know about leaving mail at my apt. building)
Cassandra Robertson
c/o ASN International
Samseon-dong 2ga 40
Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
Korea 136-042