Life became so busy for me these past few days, I have client to attend, writers to wait and bloggers to follow-up and when I am finally free from stress I felt so tired and exhausted.  I had a terrible headache that cause me to vomit what’s in my stomach, looking at my laptop causes eye strain and add more pain to my head.

When I can’t take it anymore I went to eye clinic near us, I took the single chance that the optometrist  maybe can speak English but I am not lucky he can’t speak and understand English, same as me I can’t speak Hangul nor understand. Oh well thanks to Google Translate installed on my phone and everything went well, honestly before I came in I have already translated “eye test, eye check-up” in my phone so when I have asked if he can speak English I just handed my phone and he guided me to the machine to check how bad my eye problem is.

I was told that I have many visions which mean my eye problem was not that severe but I really wanted to have an eye glasses when I am using my laptop so I have told him about it, we tried different lenses while reading the ABC’s. Every time he changed the lenses on the eye glass that he asked me to wear, he will ask me “Bright?” well I think he speaks little English ah.

Anyway to cut the story short, we choose the frame that will look good to my face. The optometrist was very helpful when I asked him if it looks good or not, I choose an eye glass with square frame, light and scratch free. I pay 100,00o won for the lenses and frame, discount is included.

These past few days the temperature is getting colder and when I look outside our balcony window the color of the trees changed rapidly from the last time I have seen them.

The leaves of the cherry blossoms turns read during autumn season, I have asked my husband if we could do autumn hiking so I could get pictures of the beautiful trees.

If there’s one thing my husband and I in common that is  the love in watching baking show, we are the last one to know that there’s already fourth season of the Great British Bake off.  My husband immediately downloaded all the episodes of the said baking show and we have watched episode by episode.

We are fans of the bake off challenge, we have watched the American and Australian bake off as well. Of course while watching my husband and I has one or two bakers we would like to win, when Frances won my husband believed she really has the talent and she is really a baker from within.

We are leaving Korea in less than five months but we already boxed the things we don’t use so we could send them home, I have already mailed one box few days ago through EMS and I still have three boxes need to be mail.

The first box is souvenirs and travel magazines, second one are my clothes and the third box is mixed of everything from books, shampoo, lotions and etc.,

The other day I decided to call the hotline (1661-5899) of newly open LBC Korea, I have ordered two large boxes. I have decided to use their service rather than EMS, the last three boxes I have sent through EMS except the box I sent few days ago (which is still on delivery) were opened and some items are missing so I have thought to try a new courier and I am going to blog about my experience in LBC once I received the box I have ordered, my items were already shipped to the Philippines and my family received them completely.

Sending items through LBC (Korea Balikbayan Box) is a lot cheaper than sending through EMS where it is measured per kilo. Unlike in LBC it is per box and location, one large box (jumbo) will cost ₩120,000 for Manila and Luzon and ₩140,000 for Visayas and Mindanao no matter how heavy your box is.

LBC Korea branch is located at: 1F, 102-1 Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul Korea.

My husband came home today with a brown envelope in his hand, the moment he told me that it was meant for me I feel excited already to see where it came from.  But seeing the familiar envelope made me realized it was a RETURN TO SENDER mail, it was a failed delivery because of insufficient address.

I immediately contacted my friend who maybe patiently waiting for this mail about the delivery failure.  It turns out she forgot to write the street address, so I have to mail the postcards again whenever I went to downtown.

As everyone else might know last week was a long holiday here in Korea, because of Chuseok (Thanksgiving day), it started from Wednesday up to Friday and then the weekends.  Unlike those previous holidays we just stayed home this year, we didn’t go to Philippines like last year because my husband still cannot get over with the slow process in our immigration and we also didn’t go to other big cities in Korea to do sightseeing.  We spend the holiday at home watching movies, reading and tinkering our genealogy program. Unlike those normal days, it was so quiet around no kids running and shouting in the street, most of the stores and establishments are closed too.

Anyway we celebrated Chuseok on Friday by grilling some meat that I bought before the long holiday and buying a chocolate cake from Paris Baguette which disgust my husband because he already informed me to buy different cake.

I have finally taken a photo of the newly painted Shinha-ri Elementary School,  the painting of the school was started a month ago but I am always in bad time whenever I tried to take a photo, if not humid or mist on my lenses I forgot to bring my camera with me, I can’t use my phone because  I don’t know if I can zoom it.

Last month my husband informed me that the air conditioning unit on his class was not working, not because it was broken but because the school control the power and it was always off.  It was very uncomfortable to teach when it is hot so my husband requested for a stand fan, we both thought that the school implement the policy of no air con, and I even told my husband maybe they are losing funding because they just repainted the school but it turns out the order came from the authorities requesting workers in government offices to turn off the air-conditioning and avoid using elevators to prevent shortages of energy/power because of the heat wave.

Living abroad is not easy like what most people thought, homesick and unable to blend in is the common problem of expats. Anyway I think many Filipino women married to Koreans met their husband through agency some were lucky and some are not.  Unable to work and help their families in the Philippines was their main worry,  every day I am reading stories and status updates from my fellow countrymen seeking for help and jobs, it is either contractual jobs or working from home.

Most of them are mothers that are unable to work outside because they are nursing little kids, as I have knowledge how to earn money online from the comfort of your own home I tried to share the information in a online community but my request to post the information was declined because they don’t post business (seriously?) so what’s the second hand items are for? They’re still business right? Anyway I didn’t argue anymore and says it was not  problem.  Honestly, what I am requesting to post is not a business (but an opportunity to earn money if they only know how to read).  Reading without understanding is really the common mistake of everyone, I don’t feel bad because I know it is not my loss, it was their loss so with this all I can say is c’est la vie!

The other night at the gym while putting my shoes on one of our acquaintance  started a conversation with me on what I am doing on my free time, if I have Korean friend, what do I do at home and etc., I simply replied surfing the net on her first question and no for having Korean friends because on my four years of existence in Korea I only met other people when I go out to shop and work out in the gym.  Well she asked me if I want to come with her, at first I am rattled thinking it is going to be  a church program but it turns out it was not. She asked me if I want to read history or probably story to the kids, if I want to teach English to them. I immediately say no and told her my English is not good but she insist that she thinks my English is good. Lol

[Icheon Elementary School Taken in 2010]

When I told my husband about her invitation my husband immediate reaction is “but you’re English is not good” which I seconded and informed him that I declined her job invitation. It could be fine if I know I am fluent in English and I can work legally in Korea but as a dependent visa I am not allowed to work.

It was been raining for few days already and the rain yesterday was non-stop as I am trying to refill our water filter I have notice that the water from our kitchen faucet is yellowish, I immediately turn off the water and throw the water in our water filter. I let the faucet run for few minutes but still the water has yellowish color so I waited for my husband to came home so I can inform him about our water problem, I just drink fresh milk to fed my thirst.

[Image not Mine]

When my husband came home the water is still yellowish but when we tried the water in the bathroom sink it is clear so we don’t where’s the problem if it is due to heavy rain or the pipe is dirty. Anyway when we went to the gym that late afternoon I take the chance to drink a lot and even bring water home by filling bottle my husband did the same as well it looks like we are fetching drinking water from the gym.