Update No 1

So have finally finished in Korea - done, dusted and left the country!! The last 2 months were amazing though so was quite sad to leave - made some great friends up in Bucheon and Seoul and loved the jobs I was doing as well so many a tear was said on Saturday when it came time to say goodbye!!  

 

(Jessica - my bessie mate in Korea, love you lots and miss you loads - boracay's not the same without you at all. / Sara - know I only just met you 3 weeks ago but miss you all the same, buddy bar quiz nights were tres amusing and will be remembered. / Nicole - cheers for driving me to the airport and good luck with the beast!! Miss ya hon / Jenie - thanks for everything you've done to help me out and sorry for getting dumped on you. Miss ya loads though and KFF me still!! lol)

 

So anyway off I went back into the great wide yonder. After dealing with the excuse baggage saga at the airport and crying on them to give me a discount (Nicole - more dramas after you left!!), I finally managed to get on the plane and head out to Manila.

 

Arrived there at about midnight and was faced with the heat!! Makes a change from sitting in the snow making kimchi with the kids at school a day before!! Definitely no need for hats. gloves, scarves, sheepskin boots, coats etc!! Was picked up from the airport by the hotel owner and taken to the Townhouse.

 

Now as the name would suggest, you'd think it would be a nice townhouse in the city. A place to chill out and relax!! Uhhhhhhh NO!! It was quite a scummy place to be!! And filled full of very strange ex-pats who talked basically gibberish at me for hours as i couldn't excape!!! Anyway managed to finally get to bed and get a decent nights sleep!!

 

Got up in the morning and headed straight for the Glorietta Shopping Mall to pay a visit to good old Marks and Spencers - man did I need to pay a visit there!! Korean washing machines + underwear = saggy arse pants and broken bras!! So spent a near fortune stocking up on underwear and then headed to the airport to catch my flight to Caticlan (Boracay).

 

Almost missed the flights due to M&S shopping but luckily the lady was kind and managed to fit me on the last flight. Then spent most amusing time in the airport counting the korean couple wear t-shirts!! OH MY GOD - you have never seen so many in your life - on my flights alone there were 20 sets, and the flights only held 50 people!!!

 

For those of you that haven't been to Korea - couple wear is when a boyfriend and girlfriend wear the same t-shirts to show they are TOGETHER!!! Like as in identical t-shirts - it is a most amusing concept that us foreigner have a giggle at. 

 

So on the plane to Caticlan - it is a very small plane - and just after take-off the plane fills with smoke!! Now having been on this flight before I knew everything was A-OK but was amused to see the many koreans getting alarmed that the cabin was filling rapidly with smoke. Now to explain - it is the air con system - and it's actually steam - it's cos when the cold air from the air con hits the warm/hot air in the cabin it creates smoke!! Was quite alarmed the first time I went on the flight but now am a seasoned veteran of the caticlan flight so all cool!! See pic attached though to see what said smoke looks like!! 

 

So arrive in Boracay just as the sun is setting - see pics attached!! Staying in a place called Casa Camilla (owned by the townhouse people) but unlike townhouse it's actually really nice - it's basic but I have air con, hot shower and it's clean. It's at the end of white beach near boat station 3 and Red Pirates so a bit of a walk to the main entertainment but means that I have the entire stretch of beach to myself during the day to sunbath - no touts, koreans or screaming kids this end of the beach - so in bliss!! 

 

Doing my advanced diving course tomorrow for 2 days so looking forward to that. Should be great as going wreck diving tomorrow!! YEAHHHH

 

So all in all a good time so far - have only been here a day but already not wanting to leave!!

 

I do however, have to leave on Saturday 9th December - I fly from Manila to Melbourne and then melbourne to Christchurch. I will be staying in Christchurch for the week until Mum's wedding on the 17th and then flying to Mark and Caroline's in Masterton. I stay there until christmas ever and then back to christchurch for xmas with mum and my grandparents, and then boxing day to sydney for Amy's wedding. Stay in sydney until New year's eve when I fly back to Masterton. Then after that who knows!!

 

One of the guys here is talkign to his korean friend about me coming to the Philippines to teach, I have options in Kuwait and Nigeria, or just stay in New Zealand and chill out for a while!! No idea - you know what I am like - one minute here, one minute there!!

 

But all in all generally thins are good. Life is treating me well and I'm all happy. Oh and 20kgs (3 stone) lighter!! Found the great invention called Korean diet pills!! Have lost 20 kgs in the last 2 months in Korea!! Excellent smithers as one would say!! Only bugger is that none of my clothes fit me anymore - thank god the girl before me in Bucheon dumped all hers on me or would have nothing to wear!! (yeah thought I was losing weight in Korea but it was actually the washing machines stretching everything!!)

 

So things I have notced since being 20kgs lighter: 

 

1. Airplane seats really aren't that uncomfortable - it's just I had a big butt and have to squeeze myself into it!! Now actually have room on either side of the seat!! Quite a novelty!!

 

2. Airplane seats belts don't cut off your circulation!! Again the big butt thing - and now even have to tighten it!! Bonus!!

 

3.You get REALLY cold sometimes - especially in Korea - no layer of fat to keep you warm!! Brrrrrr

 

4. You don't sweat as much in the heat!! Excellent - now don't look like I've just run a marathon after walking slowly down the beach!!

 

5.You go down 4 dress sizes!! Excellent - now can shop in normal people's clothes shops and not the "Your fat and can only buy clothes here" shops!!

 

6. Even my shoes feel less tight than before!!

 

7. My backpack doesn't smack me in the head ever 2 seconds cos it's bouncing off my huge butt!! Easy travelling back again!!

 

8. You automatically get put in the emergency seats on airplanes without having to ask and them giving you the look of "you really think you can rush about in an emergency and help people"!!

 

9. Your boobs look bigger cos there's not that role of flab underneath them making them look like small fried eggs!! (I do suspect however that my boobs are decreasing in size due to weight loss!! ah crap!!)

 

Don't get me wrong people - I am no where near Kate Moss yet (And unlikely ever to be - that girl needs to eat!! Oh she also needs to stop taking cocaine!! lol) I still have another probably 20kgs to lose - which I suspect is gonna be a lot harder!! But hey have a 3 month stash of diet pills and decent gyms/swimming pools in NZ to go to so all should be fine - just gonna have to stay away from the pasteries!! Mmmmmmmm chocolate eclairs!! Damn, damn - salad, salad!! lol and grandma's peroshki's (although have been craving them so allowed to eat in the first week at home!! Grandma - please don't cut me off!! lol)

 

So generally all in all everything is cool for school and A-OK!! Having a fantastic time in Boracay and wish I could stay forever - seriously - when you come here you will understand - peopke should not be allowed to visit this island if they have to leave again!! It's like paradise!! Nothing I've ever seen before and could quite happily live here forever!!