Cats and Dogs and Post - OH MY!

Hello there, so I thought I had better update you on... well ...April!! For those Wizard of Oz and Wicked fans I hope you like the title of this post! So once again I have fallen behind on my blog. The thing is when there is something to write about you are busy doing the things worth writing about, and when you aren't busy you think I  mustn't have anything to write about because I'm not doing anything! So enough about the inner psychological working of Katie Menezes and on to more interesting happenings.

So I will just tell about one of my students, of course no names, but she is so friendly. She asked me to help here with a presentation because she actually is at university and has an English university professor. Well anyway with help from me and another teacher she got 10 out of 10 and was the only one in her class to get top marks! I am so happy for her and just thought I would share her achievements with you.

Anyway not last Sunday but the Sunday before, me and my friends went one a mass dog walk for a charity near us. The dogs there are so adorable. There were three of us and we had two dogs between us; my friend helpfully named the dogs which was good because I couldn't stop saying the dogs name later. Everyone meet Gertrude:

That's right on a dog walk she lay down in my arms!!!

She is amazing and had never been on a lead before and so to begin with she wasn't having any of it, but by the end she was loving it. She is such a lady of leisure, as she just kept stopping abruptly whenever she wanted, hence sometimes I had to carry her. I am definitely going back to 'walk' her again - I feel like I have got to attached to this dog! My friends walked a dog too and name her Princess Leia:

Me, Lauren, Princess Leia and Gertrude

There were also some really other cute dogs there too:

That's right - a dip-dyed puppy!

On this particular day we walked around Dyuru Park and it was lovely. The Koreans do tend to look at you as if you are crazy because most of these dogs are older and some of them have things wrong with them. This is wierd to Koreans because they usually get them as cute accessories and when they get a bit older they sometimes just abandon them. How anyone could have abandoned Gertrude is beyond me!

After the dog walk, we went to the cattery which I was less excited about as, although I like cats, I don't entirely trust them! Koreans are even worse to cats generally as they are to dogs. Most of them were strays and have had things thrown at them or been kicked etc. This cattery started however, by one woman bringing home  a stray cat and her husband being like, "OK one cat"..."OK two cats"...14 cats later and the husband tells the woman to do something about the cat situation. So he gives her some money and she buys a separate house and the cats live there, and it is literally a house:

A Literal House

Last thing about the cattery, look at this massive fluffy cat:

Anyway, I have been doing the usual stuff like going for meals, coffees, a couple of nights out (including Norae-bang for a sing-song), and to watch my friend play in his bands. The last time I went to see him play was at a place called Sugar Joe's which is a really cool place. The bar owner's wife is really cool and funny. The ceiling was decorated with band posters from everyone who had played there and there was this really cool light: 

Denizen at Sugar Joe's

I also went on a bit of a shopping spree and bought a new outfit, it looks quite Korean, I just need a place to wear it! I will upload a picture of my in it when I wear it, but for now, this is it:

High-waisted skirt and top (will be less creased when I wear it!)

Then I had an impromptu sleepover and the next day was CATS!!!!!! Yes, that's right, I went to see Cats and it was all in Korean! The costumes were amazing and the characters kept coming up into the audience which was funny and a little bit scary at the same time! In the song Memory there were three words in English and they were 'memory' and 'touch me', which was very funny! As was the point where me and my friend thought she sang ramen (as in the noodles) and later when they kept singing 'nooki-nooki', which even now I have no idea what it translates to. Koreans have trouble pronouncing their 'f's and so Mr Mistoffelees came out with a 'p' instead. Overall I had a great time and I am very happy I can still be a musical theatre geek in Korea.

I found out that it is custom for the youngest person to pour the drink to the oldest person first and then decrease in age, pouring lastly for themselves. Also my friend who lived in Korea when he was a boy told me that people used to go round the elementary schools in the spring with baby chicks, selling them to the kids. They don't need parents permission, honestly it is a good thing me and the family didn't live in Korea because I would have bought 10! It is my friend's belief that they still do this - I do not need a chick!

So my mum is coming to visit tomorrow!!!!Argh! So excited to see her and the cherry blossoms are coming out just in time:

Lastly I would like to say thank you to everyone who has sent me cards and letters, they have meant to much to me and really made me smile. I cant thank you enough. The most recent of which I have to share with you. My brother is the best, he went round my friends and got letters and collected nostalgic pieces from around my house and got people who are very close to me to send messages too. I received this last night and keep looking at all my lovely things. I particularly loved a coaster my friend sent me saying "I'd rather be in Yarm"! I loved everything to be honest and trying to name everything would be too much like the generation game so here is the package I got:

The icing on the cake for me though, was the poem my brother wrote for me!!! Thanks again to all involved! I am so happy! Love to all!!!