Poundage

Before I left for Korea I was a regular at a local gym and had my very own personal trainer.  He kicked my butt back into shape and helped me lose those unwanted pounds that plague the majority of the human population.  With 30 pounds down and three entire months of conscious, healthy eating  under my belt I was sure I would have ZERO problem keeping those pounds off and then some while in Korea.  I quickly learned I was wrong.

Back in the states it is easy to find lean grilled chicken, salads, low fat dressings, inexpensive healthy meal replacement options when on the go...not exactly the case in Korea.  While there is grilled chicken it is difficult to find and for me (not blessed with cooking skills) a bit of a challenge to prepare.  Salads are basically non-existent unless you want to pay and arm and a leg for all of the ingredients.  The normal low fat dressings for salads and alike are nowhere to be found either.  All of my teaching on what to eat got thrown out the window due to the variation in diet in Korea in comparison to that of America.   Couple with that my inability to get to the gym for the past two months due to my broken ankle and you have a pretty good idea at where i'm at.

I am still not at my original weight before I started working out at home but if I continue on my current path I will be there before I know it.  I refuse to again be the girl that hides behind others in pictures. Or run into the ocean as fast as humanly possible so no one will see me in a swimsuit.

With a healed ankle I am ready to get back to the basics of getting healthy again and shedding some poundage.  Back to the gym in the mornings, back to walking around Pohang at night.  Try to limit my rice intake and increase my intake of veggies, fruits and lean proteins.  I have a renewed ambition about losing weight that I haven't felt since I was back with my personal trainer in Muncie.

I'm ready.

First Full Weekend in Korea

#7: Koreans do not believe in trash cans. At all. When I take out my trash from my apartment I literally walk down my steps, out my front door and place my trash on the side of the road next to the other bags. That is their version of trash cans. No joke.

#8: Koreans have zero personal space. If you are an American be ready to be jostled, pushed, shoved...it's not considered impolite in their culture. They are the kind of people that they know where they are going and if you are in their way then too bad for you.

#9: Koreans clean up after you. At home when you eat lunch you are expected to clean up your mess...put away your dishes...wipe down the sink. Not in Korea. At least not in my school. After we have lunch all we do is put our dishes by the sink. They wash and clean it for us. They take out our trash. They make you tea if you are staying late working. They have so much hospitality that it makes America look positively awful. Take notes Americans.

It's hard to believe it's been 4 days since my last post. There has been so much that has happened that it's hard to start. I'll give the cliffs note version so as not to bore you all too terribly much. Get some coffee or your drink of choice. This could take a hot minute.

Friday I went out for my first foreign bar weekend experience. I got pleasantly buzzed and decided it would be a good idea to try and get home myself. At 5am. Bad life choice. I got into the cab, said where to go, paid the driver and promptly began my walk to my apartment. Or to where I thought my apartment was. I'm pretty sure I took a wrong turn somewhere because I got lost. Really really lost. I made a few phone calls but as soon as I connected with someone my phone died. Awesome. I tried to go into a GS Mart (kind of equivilant to a baby CVS) and they didn't speak any English and couldn't help. I get into ANOTHER cab and he takes me to the wrong address and tells me to get out. 3 cabs later (yes that's right...it took 3 more cabs to get me home) I am finally at home. Never again will I try to get home by myself again...or at least I will wait until i've been here for more than a week. Lesson learned.

Saturday we went and saw Alice in Wonderland in 3D. Holy shit it's amazing. It was my first 3D movie...yes I know I was the one person in the entire world who never saw Avatar in 3D but guess what? I've survived. The movie had amazing graphics and twists that I would have never thought possible. If you have the time go and see the movie. Let's just say that i'm pretty positive I have my Halloween cosutme picked out already for this year. It's going to be epic.

Sunday I was taken on my first real outing of Home Plus. It is sort of equivilant to an American Walmart of sorts but imagine it being 5 stories high and jam packed with everything from fruits and vegetables of all kinds to pillows and linens. It was overwhleming to say the least. I will be frequenting Home Plus often for the bits and pieces to finish up my apartment. It is bare to say the least. I got a bed, tv and that's it. No bookcases or tables or tv unit...nada. I've got some purchasing to do. I also cleaned it from top to bottom. It needed it in the worst way. Pictures will be posted as soon as it's finished.

All in all my first weekend in Korea was a smashing success...a little jarring and overwhelming at times...but a success to say the least. Be on the lookout for more updates. I've got a feeling i'll be writing much more very soon.

P.S. I joined a gym today and it feels awesome to be working out again. PLUS it's cheap and no one there talks to you/hit on you because they can't speak English. Definite bonus.