Problems with living in a city when it snows..

It might snow for hours and hours.. but, if you don't have any grassy areas.. you can't make a very big snowman.

I spotted little cute guy in the only grassy area, between shrubbery surrounding a big tree, of my entire apartment complex- we have lots of park areas but, just no grass..(there are about 6 high rises in my section and 4 are in the other section). Isn't he cute?


AND, look how pretty the sky was for yesterday's sunset? Trust me, this is rare.. to have anything but a 'yellowish color' in the sky for a sunset..
But, apparently not as rare as the 'three flying saucers'... that seem to be in the sky.

Today, drove me to drink... DR. PEPPER, that is..

Yep, all the snack vices.. Soda, chocolate, and chips.. *Ok, I didn't have any chips at home-- and I had to get some from the little Korean grocery store near my apartment- but, they still count as 'chips.'

I had been doing so well on my 'stop drinking sodas' plan that I started on New Year's Day. Today, required a real Dr. Pepper.

WHY was my day so: sucky, piss-y, (sorry, but it was that kind of day and that's as bad as my language gets)???


Well, this morning started out just fine. I woke up at 5am before the alarm rang and got up for some water and to take some meds that I have to take an hour before eating. I went back to bed for a 30 minute 'nap.' Then, about 5:40 am, I got on the computer to check my email and all was still fine 'weather wise.'... So, about 6 am, I took my shower and got ready for work. At 6:40, I looked out the window again and it was snowing and the ground and the roads were completely covered with snow! A SOLID COVERING of snow!! Darn it all.. why didn't the snow start earlier, so we could at least have a 'late delay' for school? I know that two inches of snow- might not sound like a enough snow for a 'delay' of school-- but, in Korea.. they DO NOT SALT or SAND the roads off-base when it snows and it is quite hilly here and .. how can I say this? The streets are full of CRAZY DRIVERS!!! So, it is quite dangerous when it snows and the streets are covered with snow.

Since, my car is too lightweight to make it up the sharp incline and two sharp curves of my underground parking area on snowy days-- I called a friend (of the mystery spice blog entry in Oct 07) to get a ride with her. As I was walking to the main street with my umbrella to protect myself from the heavy snow, to meet my friend- I stopped to take a photo of this:



A group of kids walked by and yelled out and laughed and said many things, as they walked past me, such as: Look! She has an umbrella! That is so silly to use an umbrella in the snow! I yelled out at them.. I am using an umbrella just like you'd use one in the rain.. so, I don't get wet! And, I also don't have a hood on my coat like you do.. (all of them had their hoods on their heads)... "You need to be careful what you say about people, they might understand what you say!" (I think that they didn't realize in the dark and from the back.. that I was an American who understood ENGLISH or maybe they said it in English on purpose? And, do I need to mention that I later noticed that the group of kids (about 8-10 years old) were walking with two MOTHERS????

Brats! Made me feel like I needed to shake a cane at the sky.. or maybe, I should have held my umbrella up to the sky muttering loudly.. "Rude Bratty Kids these days and their lack of manners." :D *SIGH.. do you think I need to get a supply of ink dabbers so I can start my BINGO PLAYING DAYS?

AND, I also need to add that EVERYONE USES AN UMBRELLA OR A HOOD ON THEIR COATS here when it snows! Sigh..

THEN, to add to the 'bad day' all around.. my one class that is full of 'severe behavior problem children'.. were really bad today. They were bad on Monday and Wednesday too and only have two more weeks of this semester before their classes change. I think that their plan is: Be as bad as you can, while you can. *They don't realize that I am looking forward to the semester change as much as they are!!! ha ha


I did send messages to 3 parents today about the three worst behaved of the students and asked if the parents could also support their punishment at home. *These three will have detention next week at lunch in my classroom. Both of our principals were gone for training today- so, I couldn't send them to the office. I will write up a report and send it to the principals on Monday- maybe, they'll give them detention in the office?

By the way, IT SNOWED ALL DAY and IS STILL SNOWING at 5:30pm So, it's been almost 12 hours of snow.. and school was not cancelled nor did we get an early release day. We have several inches of snow now.

When, I got to school- I saw this on the sidewalk.. Isn't it cute how kids are the same no matter what?

Ok, I'll think of something sweet.. fluffy kitties, the pretty snow.. here.. enjoy a few snow photos.. Please notice how you can NOT see the island in the river.. (look at the blog entry: The view from my window to see what I'm referring to..



Here is the river view w/out snow:

The streets are clearer now.. because, for the past two hours we've had that wet clumping snow and when it falls.. it tends to melt on the roads. I hope that the temperatures don't drop low during the night and freeze all the wet streets.

NEWS FLASH! "iwouldratherbeknitting' finds the answer to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.. that has stumped the greatest minds..

NOTICE ANYTHING? Look closely... do you notice anything different about the famous tower?


SEE ANYTHING NOW??




Scroll down... for the answer...













YES.. 'iwouldratherbeknitting' has solved the possible tragedy of the LEANING TOWER of PISA.. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY-- you will see that it is no longer LEANING!!!

I didn't notice that I had tilted the camera to make the tower straight.. until after I had returned from my trip. hee hee

Now, I wonder if any other famous landmark needs my 'magic touch?'

This photo is from when I lived in Italy 2 years ago.

Let's talk: Public bathrooms in Korea or something you might not have thought about???

Most public bathrooms are still the 'in the floor' type-- but, in the more modern buildings there will be either 'sit on the stool' types or a choice between the stool and the floor model of toilet. Even in the subways, usually there will be at least one stall with the 'stool type'... usually it's the last stall and personally they are worth the wait. You also take your own tissue, because 'toilet tissue' is not a guarantee and for this I made the 'sock monkey travel tissue holder' that was featured in another blog entry.

The other day, I happened upon this 'two-toned' model:


Then, when I raised the lid.. I saw this...


And, upon further inspection, I discovered this little feature...
A 'trainer toilet seat' for kiddos. Cool, huh?

*YES, I do admit to taking photos in a public bathroom stall. I just figure that my role is to provide entertainment for/to others.


Of course, this was also the only time that I've seen this in a public bathroom 'anywhere' in Korea. Still, neat to think that it's available and probably appreciated for the little kiddos out there needing to use the public bathroom.

On another vein of thought.. I've often wondered what people in wheelchairs or those on crutches with foot,ankle, or knee injuries do in the regular Korean public toilets where the toilet choices are only those in the floor??

Yes, I really do think about these things- especially after... I was on crutches for 5 months a couple of years ago while living here. THERE is no way that I could have 'used the facilities' of a floor toilet.

Don't you wonder about things like this? Of course, if you're in America.. (and since I'm an American- I know that it is unlikely) 'unless' you've traveled to other parts of the world that you've even seen a toilet in the floor and maybe you haven't thought about this.. but, thanks to me.. NOW YOU CAN! :D

And, want to know when the first time that I absolutely had to use the floor toilet because, there was NO OTHER CHOICE? On a train in China. Just imagine trying that balancing act, squatting over a floor hole on a moving train! Ah, the joys of travel. :D

New yarn purchases

When I went to the yarn market, this weekend, to buy some yarn to match my 'special yarn' from New Zealand (yesterday's post) I didn't mention the other yarns that I purchased. *CLICK ON PHOTOS for a larger image*


For the most part here- yarn is sold in packages usually 400-500 grams. The small packages have skeins of 100 grams and the big packages of Noro yarn are 10 skeins at 50 grams each.

The yarn in the small packages comes in four 100gram balls per package. The dark purple and royal blue yarns are from Italy and they were on SALE! The soft purple and medium purple yarns were discounted and I'll probably use them for 'gift scarves' or 'hats' that I'll knit and donate to Afghanistan to my military connection over there. This yarn is a superwash wool and is very soft.

The Noro yarn was sold to me at a great price too-- by one of my favorite yarn vendors. The Noro yarn (Japan) brand was a new addition to the yarns being sold in the yarn market here in Seoul and I noticed it out of the corner of my eye immediately. It was just stacked in one of the bottom shelves of one of my favorite 'shops' in the yarn market.. I noticed it while the owner of the shop went to get some yarn that I wanted in a particular color that he didn't have on the shelves-- and I changed my mind when I saw the NORO YARN. :D


I've always wanted enough to make a Lizard Ridge Afghan and now I can.

Here's a close-up to show the colors better... (do you think that maybe I like blue, greens, and purples?)

In case you were wondering .. that pile of yarn consists of 36 skeins of yarn.

Noro yarn 20 skeins, deep purple 4, royal blue 4, light lavenderish 4, medium lavender 4 = 36

The yarn market is set up in an open floor plan.. sort of like going to a huge craft's show.. except in this case.. it's open shops in aisles and aisles of different yarn vendors. Here are a few photos to sort of give you an idea..

But, I don't wanna go back to school... Wah...

Today was my first day back from winter vacation. If you are a regular reader, you might have noticed I haven't been posting everyday like I had been doing.. WHY? I was SICK.. and just didn't feel that good. I had follow-up doctor visits every 3 days and I'd get more 'meds' too.. At first I was taking 14 pills a day! I know that some of the pills were antibiotics and the rest? Here the pharmacy gives you your meds all divided up in little packets for your daily dosages-- and in my case it was 3 times a day. So, I just marked the packages: AM, L (for lunch), and PM. I was taking whatever you take for a severe upper respiratory infection.

I'm on the mend now- but, I feel like I was cheated out of some of my vacation days though.

I did manage to knit some, went to the market a couple of times (even if I was dragging and wished that I was home laying down), and watched some old movies on DVD.
But, mostly.. I was sick.

Here is the most recent knitted project- a cable hat...

And a couple of my friends went to New Zealand for Christmas. I'm teaching one of them how to knit and she brought me a skein of this wonderful 'hand-dyed' 'hand spun' wool from New Zealand. Doesn't it look like a box of crayons?

I bought these two colors to go with the NZ yarn-- I was thinking about either a purse, cuff on a pair of gloves or mittens, or even a scarf accented with the 'crayon box' yarn. I think that I like the blue yarn best??? What do you think?

Knitted scarfette anyone?

Knit 1, Purl 1, ribbed 'pidge wanna be' scarf-ette by http://iwouldratherbeknitting.blogspot.com

I made this as a Christmas gift for a friend. I made it to go with her new high-necked coat and she loved it.

Pattern: *OR here's what I did...

I used a thick yarn and probably 6.5mm needles. Cast on enough stitches to equal about 4-5 inches in width. *IF you don't have a thick yarn.. you could just knit with yarn held double instead.

Stitch pattern: k1, p1, ribbing stitch to the end and continue in pattern until it is long enough- about 26" long. Just check every so often to see if it goes around the neck and with enough length to cross the bottom of the scarfette over. *See photo to know what I'm talking about.

Sew 2 buttons on one end.. and the stitches are loose enough that you'll be able to push them through the stitches.

It is a fast knit. I watched WHITE CHRISTMAS and was almost finished.