Halloween Party and 5,000 Views.

Hello readers!

Today was the fantastical Halloween Party at my school.

Actually, I found that it was EVEN MORE stressful than our open house yesterday. I finally had time to start making some games for the kids for the party. Each teacher was in charge of some game or other. I was assigned two different games, to appeal to two different age groups (kindergarten and elementary). I was given a BUNCH of freedom for this project.

I had to make some kind of "Face Making" game, where the kids could somehow make ghost faces. Then for the older kids, I needed a speed card game (some flash-cards or something like that).

Since we didn't have any sort of flash-cards for halloween, I thought I'd go ahead and make my own deal. Anyway, it took a lot longer than expected, and while I had a lot of fun making it the 'crunch time' earlier this afternoon before the elementary party had me singing the blues.

Anyway, I have a few pictures to share. I took them on my camera phone so the quality is quite bad. Forgive me, I'll find a way to charge my camera safely soon!

Halloween Party! Yeah!

First is the game for the kindergarteners. I decided to do something along the lines of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey", but Halloween style. So, I made the following layouts:

Pumpkin!

The pumpkin was fun to do, but coloring with

markers is a pain (literally, my hand started to hurt!). I had to put two A4

pieces of paper together to make it big enough, since we were out of A3.

So.... that explains the ghetto tape job at the bottom.

Then there was the skull!

Again, another tape-jobby. But, it's not too bad.

Especially after being laminated.

Finished Products!

I put velcro tape in all the appropriate places and made eyes, noses, and mouths for the layouts. With all of the pieces in all of the right places the final results look like this:

AND

I was so glad that the game worked out. They had a good time spinning around in circles and yelling directions at each other.

♥ Here are some of my babies. ♥

The following pictures are of the game for the elementary school kids. I actually didn't get to finish it, because I ran out of time. The background came out rather nicely, but I didn't get to fix the cards the way I wanted to, so I had to rush-job them, and instead of 26 cards +2 bonus cards, there are only 18.

Actually... it turned out that less was better because some of them had a really hard time grasping the concept of the memory game. Oy.

But they still had fun! I think.

Even if they didn't think the games were 100% fun to play, there was a pretty great incentive to participate.

I am proud to say I did not eat one piece! I REALLY wanted to though! I just kept telling myself that Halloween isn't the only time of year I can have a piece of chocolate. That kind of thinking actually worked!

And finally, I would like to share with you all a picture of me in my Halloween outfit, which consisted of my regular, every-day, clothes, a silly witches hat, and ridiculous make-up. The ridiculous make-up and the witches hat made my every-day clothes look kind of fun! Anyway, voila!

I think that I accidentally bought a children's size hat. It was so small! I kept having to pull it down on my head. Actually, even now that it's off, I can still feel it there, creating its storm of static in my hair.

Oh... and I would like to mention that several Korean people in my area now think that I'm a freak. Why? You may ask yourself. Well, it's because during a short break I traveled down with Head Teacher S to get coffee. She kept telling me that we would get it to go and wouldn't go anywhere too public. I went out minus the hat, just with the make-up. Several strange looks later Head Teacher S finally admitted that I actually looked kind of crazy.

Well, at least I'm sure I accidentally entertained some people this afternoon.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! PLEASE LEAVE A SUBSTANTIAL TIP!

I'm sure all of you have sufficient Halloween shenanigans planned! As for me, I'll be moving to my new apartment! I'm sooooo thrilled! I'll let you know all about it when I can.

OH!

I just want to say a big THANK YOU FOR OVER 5,000 VIEWS!

It may not seem like a big deal to a lot of you, but to me it's a milestone. I wasn't expecting anyone other than family and a few close friends to check my blog. It's an honor to know that others are stopping by. To you, whoever you may be, thank you!

And HAPPY HALLOWEEN WEEKEND!

Until next post,

~A.

Apartment Renting for Expats. Oh, and Clothes Too.

Hello readers.

IT'S COLD!

So much for that lovely autumn weather I wanted to keep for another week before winter winds started blowin' in.(After writing this sentence, I felt like something was strange. When I went back to read it again I realized that it rhymes awkwardly. I like it! I'll keep it!).

Anyway, enough of the rhyming shenanigans for now. I'm serious, it's COLD. WHAT HAPPENED? I stuck a hand out my front door yesterday morning to test the air. It seemed chilly, but nothing too bad. I was pretty sure my light weight jacket and a scarf could handle it.

WRONG.

My hands were freezing in the cold air, and my legs were starting to shiver. The added discomfort of not wearing enough layers was the fact that my jeans were so big that they continually worked their way down and caused the butt and legs to sag like a family of 5 had just moved out.

Now, I'm not complaining that I've lost weight. No, I'm super excited about that! What I am complaining about is the fact that almost half the clothes I brought with me aren't fitting me properly now.

I LOVE clothes shopping, and I really want to go and buy new stuff to replace everything that's too big. But, there are a few problems.

Problem Numero Uno:

If I lose anymore weight, it'll be the same story, and I'll have wasted my money on more clothes that I can't wear. I'm still striving to lose a bit more, so I have to be careful.

Problem Numero Dos, ya'll:

It's costing so much extra money to move into a new apartment, that I have to be uber careful with what I spend until after payday (a week and a half. Not too bad).

THE DOWNLOW OF APARTMENT RENTING:

The following information could be rather helpful for those of you thinking about finding your own place in the ROK .

For the new teachers here in South Korea, I'm going to tell you it's not likely that you'll be able to afford to live anywhere other than where your school provides unless you've got quite a bit of money stashed in your savings account back home.

RENT:

A nice 1 bedroom apartment usually varies from 400,000-500,000₩ per month. Now, when I heard this I was ecstatic. That's cheaper than back home, and I don't even live in a big city, so I can't imagine what that price is compared to someplace else.

The ones I looked at were between 450,000-500,000₩ . This affords me a nice building, with a nice (CLEAN) apartment. There's plenty of storage space in the kitchen, and closet space elsewhere. If you're lucky you'll be able to find a 2 story apartment (a 1 bedroom with a loft area) for about 500,000₩.

These prices WILL be higher in Seoul and in the highly populated areas of Busan. If you live in a more suburb city in Busan, though, you'll probably be able to find pretty much the same.

If you decided to move out of your school provided housing your school should offer you a monthly stipend for rent. The standard in Seoul and Busan is usually 400,000₩ per month. The standard in smaller cities is usually 300,000₩ per month.

Don't get too excited, here comes your possible financial crisis.

Key Money/ Deposit Money

This is where it becomes difficult for a lot of foreigners to afford to live in an apartment on their own. The Key money, or the deposit money, required is usually much higher than what any new expat has in their savings account. The standard key money IN MY AREA (not in Seoul or Busan) is about 5,000,000₩. Yeah, it's not cheap.

Now, you get this deposit money back when your lease ends and you move out of the apartment, as long as there wasn't any kind of horrible damage done while you were living there. But, it's still kind of difficult to cough up that much before hand unless you've been saving.

If you and your S.O. are planning on moving in together it might be a little easier. Combining forces with a partner or a roommate is going to be your best bet in regards to affordability. However, if you're out to live on your own (like me), good luck!

I'm really lucky, honestly, that everything worked out. I feel 100% blessed about this entire situation. I hope that it'll be as easy for you if you make the decision to move into your own place.

And last, but not least,

REALTOR COMMISSION

Finding an apartment is a lot easier through a realestate agency. However, most of us don't speak enough Korean to handle speaking to a realtor. This is where having Korean friends helps. Or, if you trust your school enough, ask them to help you! I wouldn't recommend that though, because it's usually good to keep the relationship with your school as low-stress as possible.

If you use the assistance of a realtor to help you find your place, you have to pay their commission. In my area it's 9%. Double check with your realestate agent about the commission percentage before you make any commitment to one realtor or another.

The 9% commission is based off of the key-money. The commission price for an apartment with 5,000,000₩ key-money deposit is going to be about 450,000₩.

You have to pay the commission, key money, and first months rent up front. So, you're looking at about 6,000,000w upfront payment for renting a new apartment.

That's not cheap, ya'll. Not cheap at all.

That's why I commented earlier about new expats not being able to afford living separately from their school. If you're a new expat and you plan on staying in Korea for a few years, it would be a good idea to start saving for the apartment now.

Well, and look at it this way. That 5,000,000₩ key-deposit is really just 'forced-savings'. You get it back when you move out! And then look what you've got! You're 5,000,000 richer. :D

Har har har.

Anyway, if you're looking for your own place I wish you the best of luck!

Back to the Previous Topic of Clothes

I and two of my Korean co-workers went clothes browsing yesterday at a little shop at the bottom of our school building. We were drawn in originally by the 5,900₩ long sleeve shirts out front. They were really cutsie (can't wear them to work), but it grabbed our interest so we went in.

It was so fun shopping with them! After looking around and being all girly, we each managed to find an article that we really really liked.

Teacher K found a lovely sweater dress just bursting with color. It matches her personality well. She's a very warm and friendly person and she absolutely ADORES those kids at school. When I mentioned that they'd want to hug her even more now because of the softness of the sweater she gave a happy squeal.

Teacher S found some cute black dress-shorts. You know the kind. They're made out of dress-pants material but are shorts. Really short ones. But they looked so cute on her! I was so shocked to see her legs! They were PERFECTLY TAN.I thought she was wearing pantyhose at first, but then noticed that she was wearing sheer ankle socks instead. When I gasped and mentioned how perfect her tan looked she smiled really big. She's naturally that color! I can't lie, I was kind of jealous! haha

And finally, after much rummaging (I liked about 80% of the clothes in this store, but I needed something practical that I could wear both outside of work and at work), I discovered the skirt wrack. I rifled through and pulled out one after the other. All of us had a good laugh about the majority of them (the floral prints were just... ugh!). My hand landed on a grey flannel skirt that I originally thought wouldn't look cute at all.

When I pulled it off the wrack, it swished to life! It was LOVELY! After much coaxing from K and S to buy it, I decided that I'd actually consider it. But, I put it back for the time being. We had to get back to school!

K decided to wait on the sweater as well, so for the rest of the day we were telling each other "You should buy it! You should buy it! I'll by the skirt if you'll buy the sweater! I'll buy the sweater if you buy the skirt!" and so on.

Finally, when it was time to go, I looked at K and grinned and she said "Let's go!".

We went back to the store and purchased our items, and left feeling giddy and satisfied with ourselves.

I wanted to put up a picture, but I didn't have time. Hopefully an update later with some pictures added? Maybe.

Possibly.

It was nice making a clothing purchase for myself. It will be one of the last 'frilly' items I can buy for a month or so until my finances get settled with the apartment/school. Then, all will be well, my period of transition will be winding down and I'll be ready to get back to living a full life (- financial worries, please!).

Everyone have a great Wednesday!

Until next time,

~A.

Coffee Time!

Hello Readers!

Just a quick update. (And so soon after the last one! Boy, I'm good!)

Since my last post I've found a new apartment to stay in. If all things go well (let's hope and pray that they do), I'll be moving into the new place by Sunday night. I want to tell you more about it! But, I should wait until it's 100% sure that I'll be moving in. Then I'll give everyone the awesome details.

I've found a lovely new coffee spot. Before moving out of Busan, I really enjoyed coffee at Angel-in-us. It was a good atmosphere and the coffee wasn't bad either. Tonight after work, and while waiting to go see the apartment, I stopped by a little place called "Rotiboy". I ordered a cappuccino (my favorite recently). It was bliss.

The atmosphere was awesome, the coffee was wonderful, and the people were really sweet. It makes my day to meet kind people. After a Monday of classes, spending some nice, relaxing time at Rotiboy was totally what I needed.

Here's the ROTIBOY website. Beware, your mouth may begin to water.

It's getting colder. Tonight was actually coatworthy weather. At least to me it was. So I guess it's time to break out the brand new coat I bought myself before coming to Korea (the coat that is now too big for me -_-. Oh well, It's a coat. Isn't the motto for a warm coat 'the bigger the better'? Am I wrong?)

Tomorrow is Tuesday, and it's all about prep time. It's a great opportunity to get work done, and get ahead so that stress levels stay low.

Oh, and lately I've been obsessed with stickers. I have been buying up loads of stickers! I have this odd urge to put stickers on everything. But I love it! Every-time I go into a stationary store these days I look for stickers. I'm going to have an impressive collection before long. Though I'm not entirely sure yet what I'll do with all of them.

Well, I hope that everyone is staying warm.

More updates later! Seriously, check out Rotiboy if you live near one. There's a store locator on the website, so you may be able to find a store near you.

Until next time,

~A.

Getting Settled, Getting Healthy!

Well, I guess that it's about time that I posted an update.

I arrived back in Korea a week and a day ago, and I've settled in rather nicely I think.

There's plenty to discuss so let me get right to it.

Firstly, The school is FANTABULOUS. I mean, I love it. I didn't feel nearly this much excitement for working at my previous school. Not only is the school a bit smaller (smaller classes = more one-on-one with the students) the curriculum is more well rounded and teachers have more freedom in class.

My co-workers are unbelievably friendly and relatable and I expect to continue to get along with them very well! The director can speak English (THANK YOU GOD!), and likes talking about a wide range of topics (from extreme sports, to robotics, to acupuncture) and is constantly giving me tidbits of random information to think about. Everyone is very on-top of things, and questions are usually answered right away and problems addressed quickly.

Mutual respect is kind of a theme at the school it seems, which is a really BIG improvement from the last academy.

The teachers are all pleased with the director and I have heard nothing negative. The school provides lunch (which has so far been yummy each time) and gives the teachers a time to sit around and chat with each other.

More positives? I love the city! It's the perfect size for me. The area I'm in is big enough to have everything I'd want/need, but small enough that there aren't 10 story buildings looming on all sides of me. It's a small town feel with the big city advantage. Only downside? No subway station. GAH! I have to take a bus into town, which isn't so bad, it's just not as easy for me to be sure where I am and which stop I need to get off at. Well, at least I can take a bus to the subway and then take the subway if necessary. I'm not really too worried about it.

School is a 25 minute walk from the apartment, but a bus gets me there in 10 minutes (and keeps me warm on the blustery days). Lotte Mart is nearby and there are plenty of parks to play around in!

BIGGEST DOWNSIDE?

My apartment. The provided apartment is absolutely... horrible. Considering that a string of men have lived in it, I'm not surprised that it's dirty (sorry guys, you aren't exactly known for your cleanliness). However, a lot of small things make living here most uncomfortable.

EXIBITS:

Mold, dust, and dirt caked around the bathroom door where the faux wood floor-paper has been pulled up and cut awkwardly. This is present in other areas throughout the apartment.

The bathroom ceiling. Littered with mold and other icky stuff.

The shower is actually part of the sink. It's not unusual for the entire bathroom to function as a shower in apartments, and normally I wouldn't mind it at all... except....

...Hello loose electrical outlet in the bathroom, the room in which I take a shower and soak virtually everything. I'm going to guess that your'e not really 100% safe hanging out there.

On a bit of a side note, when I first arrived there was an extension chord and extra outlets hanging from the water hose in the bathroom. WTF?

The bathroom also serves as a laundry room, with the washing machine placed in the corner. The washing machine uses electricity, which bothers me since the bathroom is a shower. The washing machine is filthy and looks like it hasn't been used in ages. It probably hasn't been! I wouldn't use it! I couldn't anyway because the hose is not attached to anything.

There are more photos. Mostly of the poor condition of the floor and windows. Alos, there's a BRAND NEW air conditioning unit in my apartment. The hose has been practically ziptied across the wall and leads out the window. This causes a problem because the screen and window are constantly ajar (they can't close because the hose is in the way) so all manner of bugs and misquitos get in throughout the day.

Oh, and did I mention BED BUGS? No? Well then... BED BUGS!

The apartment has been the only downside so far, and I'm really surprised that the school provides this type of apartment because everything else is so nice. Anyway, when I expressed concern about the living conditions and requested to be allowed to move there were no troubles at all, and as per standard, the school offered to pay me a monthly stipend to assist with rent at my new place (I'm currently looking for one).

Hopefully I'll be moved out of this apartment and into a new one within the next week and a half. Yep, that's the goal.

IN OTHER NEWS

About a month ago I started a rigorous diet program. After seeing myself in some pictures taken before I left Busan, I realized that I seriously needed to make a change.

And now?

15 LBS LOST!!!!!!!

AUGUST: At my heaviest since Jr. High

Beginning of October, 7 lbs lost! BUHBAM!

As of today! 1lb away from 15lbs lost! I'm ECSTATIC!

(Excuse the crappy quality of this picture, I wasn't in the mood to do anything legit.

I just snapped a photo in the mirror with what I was wearing for the day).

I feel great! I have more energy and my confidence has been boosted. I'm still truckin' along and I haven't met my goal yet, but it doesn't seem too far off! I'll be ready for swimsuit season for the first time in my life next summer. Yeeeeah!

I've read some blogs in the past from gals living in SK who have gotten themselves down about their weight because they're surrounded by tiny women. First of all, Korean women are just tiny. Often even the overweight ladies in this country are 'smaller' than me. They wear a smaller size, and generally seem more petite. I'll never be their size, even if I weigh 110 lbs! Everyone has a different body shape, and for western women, most of us tend to be broader in the shoulders or hips. The goal should be HEALTH. HEALTHY HEALTHY is the key! My problem for the longest time was that I was bummed out about my weight but would never do anything about it. Gals (and guys) if you want a change then you have to make the change for yourself. It's totally possible, but you have to decide to do it first!

In some other blogs I noticed girls who ranted on and on about how "sad" it is that other girls care so much about their weight and appearance. In all honestly I think that if you're overweight, and you know it, that you should be concerned for yourself. Maintaining a healthy weight (which I didn't for years) is important not only for your physical health, but also for your mental well being.

You should be proud of who you are no matter what, but if you see something in yourself that you want to change (your weight, your attitude, your outlook, or even your hair color) then you should make the effort to do it. No one is holding you back but yourself. It took me what seems like forever to realize that.

MUCH LOVE to all of you out there who are trying to make a healthy change in your life. GOOD LUCK! You have my support! I am totally cheering you on! *\(^o^)/*

Well, hopefully I'll be moving into a new place within the next few weeks. When that happens I'll be sure to take plenty of photos to share with all of you.

Halloween is coming up! What are you spooky holiday plans?!

Until next post,

~A.

Back at Chicago Int.

Hello Readers,

Finally a new post.

Sorry for the lack of updates recently, but there hasn't been too much going on. At this moment though, I am sitting (again) at Chicago International airport waiting to board for my flight to Korea.

I arrive Saturday evening! It'll be a bit of a whirlwind, as I'm due to meet my recruiter at the airport and then my director at the bus station. It's a God send to have those people willing to meet and guide me. The assumption was, at first, it seems was that I could get around on my own since I'd lived in Korea before.

Er... NO! Guys, one thing you need to know about me is that I get very nervous when it comes to wandering around by myself. You put me with at least one other person and I'm pretty good with directions (unless I'm driving on a busy road, in which case I usually get lost because I'm so stressed out, and then end up having a semi-break-down. But that's off toipc...)

Anyway, the director will show me to my apartment tonight (no love hotels for me this time! Thank you!)

I'll have to make a run to Lotte Mart, which I think is nearby, to buy some bedsheets and blankets. They are provided, but I have a rather strange phobia.

First let's look at this word... PHOBIA.

A PHOBIA is an irrational, intense and persistent FEAR of certain situations, activities, things, animals, or people. The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive and UNREASONABLE desire to avoid the feared stimulus. (That's a wikipedia definition, ya'll).

Alright, now that you see the definition of PHOBIA, I would like to point out that the following is not exaggerated.

I have a severe phobia of communal cloth touching my bare skin, especially my feet.

That includes, but is not limited to:

Hotel bed sheets/blankets (this makes it really difficult to travel at times, I have to bring my own blanket).

Hospital robes, spa robes etc.

Thrift Store/ second hand store clothing.

Couches and chairs in public places that are CLOTH, not leather/faux leather.

Taxi cabs with cloth seats.

How do I react when I'm faced with this things? I get grossed out, kind of sick to my stomach. I get really uptight, and can't relax. When sitting in a taxi with cloth seats i make sure that no part of the seat is touching my bare skin. Sometimes this results in me sitting at the very edge of the taxi seat. It's really awkward, and uncomfortable. But I just can't sit back and allow the back of my legs to touch the cloth.

When it comes to bed sheets, I can't even describe the feeling. I'm just incapable of sleeping in them. The idea of my bare feet (or even socked feet) being tucked under sheets that aren't mine (or don't belong to someone I'm close to) makes me want to cry.

Holes are even worse. If there's a HOLE in the cloth, I... will...freak...out. ESPECIALLY if it's a hole in bed sheets.

TANGENT OVER

So, yeah, bed sheets. I have to buy some of those.

I'm excited to get back to Korea, but it was a little harder to leave home this time. I had to leave my childhood home the night before my flight, so that my parents and I could spend the night in a hotel and arrive early enough (5:00am) at the airport.

While I was packing everything up and getting it ready to be put in the car, I felt really upset. I kept trying not to cry. Though, the feeling was a SAD feeling. It was so strange.

Of course, having to hug my Mom and Dad goodbye again was sad for me. I love them so much, and they have always been (and continue to be) such a huge and important part of my life that it's kind of hard to let them go for such a long amount of time.

I kept asking myself "Why is everything I want so far away from home?"

I'm divided. My family is in one place, but that place holds no opportunity for me. I kept wondering how my interests ended up finding themselves so far away from my childhood hometown. First, Japan, then Italy, now Korea. What am I considering next?

Well...Taiwan, or graduate school. But even graduate school will be far away. All of the programs that I'm interested in are offered in those 'big city' areas where there's the most cultural diversity. That = a difficult time coming home as often as I'd like.

It's hard to realize that in life you sometimes have to sacrifice the things you want and cherish (like being close to family and childhood memories) to pursue bigger goals and dreams. It's give and take. I guess I understand that, and little by little I'm starting not to mind. But, it's hard to transition from home to -world-, especially when home is so nice, haha.

But, the world is calling to me! All of the adventures that it offers convinces me to be brave and continue on! Tally-ho! What, what, my good fellow... and all that.

Er...I apparently lack sleep.

It's true! I'm running on less than 4 hours + a nap on my short flight from home-state to Chicago.

I'm hoping to catch a little bit of sleep on the flight to Korea.

Anyway, I've blathered long enough on this post.

I'm going to stretch my legs and try to find something else to do for the other 40 minutes until boarding.

★★★★ See you in Korea!!!!!!!!!!! ★★★★

Until next post,

~A.

Amazon Kindle. Getting Ready, Getting Organized.

Hello Readers! ~ ★

It's getting closer to the time that I return to Korea!

I've been getting everything together and investing in a couple of things that will be super helpful.

First of all, I bought an Amazon Kindle.

I initially invested in the Kindle Wi-Fi, but decided (after speaking to a Kindle rep.) that the 3G would be better for me since I'll be out of the country. The Kindle 3-G connectivity is available pretty much all over South Korea, so it'll be worth the extra money.

Want more information on the Amazon Kindle? Just follow the link below and read the information provided by Amazon. There's also a comparison chart at the bottom that will help you make the decision in regards to which Kindle is best for you.

KINDLE INFORMATION

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NOOK

For those of you living in Korea, or planning to live or travel abroad. If you're considering an e-reader, I bet you've thought about purchasing the NOOK from Barns and Noble. It's gotten some pretty hyped up review recently. Unfortunately the NOOK does not work outside of the U.S. All of your book purchases must be made in the States. While you're abroad, you can still use the NOOK to read the books you've already downloaded, but you won't be able to purchase anything new until you're back in America.

ALSO, if you're someone who likes access to TECHNICAL books (like exam study books, language books, and guides/informational books) you'll find a much wider selection on Amazon.

I think that the NOOK is a great product, but not if you're considering leaving the States for any lengthy period of time, and not if you think you'll be downloading a lot of language/test/technical books.

KINDLE COMPETITORS

What I've found through reviews and internet browsing is that there seems to be a lot of Kindle 'competition' out there. Numerous people consider the Kindle to be outranked by items like the 'iPad' and other tablet devices that, while allowing you to read e-books, also function as mini-computer.

The purpose of Kindle is NOT to be a hand-held computer. The Kindle was created to be, and is focused on being, an e-reader. It's an easier way to purchase and read books! That's it's main purpose, and according to founder Jeff Bezos, that's not going to change anytime soon.

I personally love the fact that Kindle isn't overly complicated with millions of computer options. Not to mention it's inexpensive! In comparison to the iPad (the boasted features are stuff that I already have on my laptop) it's hundreds of dollars cheaper, it's smaller in size, lighter in weight (lighter than most paper-back books!), and also has a NO GLARE screen with zero backlight.

Not to mention there's a 1 month battery life on the Kindle, AND no heating up.

Personally I prefer that the Kindle doesn't have a touch screen. Touch screens drive me a little bananas. I can't type or use the keyboard nearly as quickly with a touchscreen (which is why I haven't purchased a smart phone). Some people might prefer the NOOK because there's a color screen at the bottom (beneath the reader screen). As for me, I don't care if I see the book covers in color or not. They print books in black ink, and very rarely are there any pictures drawn into books (non-children books) that have any color. So, what's the real point behind having a color display? I have color display on my laptop, and when reading a book I'm not concerned about the cover.

I love the feeling you get when you read a book, and the Kindle allows me to maintain the feel of having a book in my hand, rather than a small computer.

The Kindle is also going to give me a much better option to carrying around a bunch of books. I can't take too many with me on the plane (just weighs everything down) and the books that I buy in Korea will just end up being a hassle for me when it comes time to move again. Having an e-reader like Kindle simplifies! Yay!

I buy so many books every year. So, I know that this will really help me money wise in the long run. However, I do still maintain that dream of having my own library someday, so I will still be purchasing those paperback books. I'll just be more selective about what I'm purchasing. Sounds like a good idea to me!

IN OTHER NEWS

I wanted to make a pretty long blog post that included a lot of my news and what not, but now that I've reached this point, I'm kind of tired. So, it'll have to wait for another blog. There's still a lot to chat about, though! So, don't you worry. Blogging will be picking up again soon.

Until next blog,

~A.