Snow, School, Spas & Stars

Last night it snowed! It's suddenly got much colder here and the snow has stayed all day today. Tonight it's -2°C compared to 8°C in London this evening. The weather will be getting much cooler.

In light of this I've just bought some warm, but absolutely grotesque, bright yellow pyjamas because they're soft and cosy, and cost only 3 quid. I've got them on now and the top is puffy and frilly...I can't wait to see Chi-He's reaction when she sees them! ;)

School the last couple of days has been pretty uneventful as we've had monthly tests to set and rehearsals for the talent show this weekend. It's been good chance to get more organised at school and I've become addicted to laminating! Each class is covered in laminated words and pictures which are attached by velcro to the walls. My homeroom class looked pretty shabby and I'm loving making it look really nice! (Right - my 1st laminated effort - rewards boards for Daniel and Elroy).

I was sitting next to this kid today and he's obbessed with my 'yellow hair' and kept touching it. Then he stared at my eyes for a while and said "Your eyes are blue. Mine are black. How many eyes have you got?" "Two! Like you and everyone else!" Who does he think I am?! An alien?!

I think my favourite discovery in Korea has to be the spas (known here as jimjilbangs). So far I have been to the World Sauna next to school 3 times...and it is HUGE! There are tonnes of sauna rooms of temperatures up to 96°C, huge room-sized fridges to cool down in, restaurants, a gym, P.C.s, a table tennis room, rooms to sleep in, rooms to watch films in, a room where fish nibble the dead skin off your feet (not yet tried that experience) and of course the large baths to clean yourself off in. Most of this is included in the £4 entrance fee and you can stay there all day and night if you choose for that price!

When you enter the spa the men and women have separate changing rooms to go to. You are handed 2 clean towels and a uniform of t-shirt and shorts to wear. Then the men and women can go to the same sauna rooms and gym etc. After you're soaked in sweat the men and women go to their separated rooms to bathe in. This is not for the bashful. Everyone, young and old, is walking around stark naked. First you shower then soak in the baths. There are baths of various temperatures aswell as jacuzzis and baths of green tea and other funny coloured concoctions. I noticed many women scrubbing themselves and eachother with a rough looking cloth. At the weekend I bought one of these exfoliating mits and gave it a go. Initially I felt quite smug as nothing seemed to be coming off, and the ladies and children next to me had rolls of brown skin coming off them at each scrub. Eugh, don't they wash?! But I changed my technique into longer, harsher strokes and suddenly loads of dead skin was coming off. It was both satifying and extremely disgusting. I left feeling the cleanest I've ever felt. I think this could turn into a regular all day Sunday activity!

Last week I bought an origami set to make stars. I spent an entire evening folding and tucking bits under and couldn't get it to work. Then I realised I'd interpreted the instructions wrong and then I did it! It's very sad, but I got such an immense sense of satififaction to finally be able to make these stars! Now I can't get enough of it! I've made tonnes of pretty, sparkly stars and I've made birds too! The only problem is, I have no clue what to do with them now that I've made them...