Helen profile picture

Helen

The Bad Idea Bears say...Absinthe Daiquiries!

About Me

I was an ESL teacher in Korea. And Prague. I am currently an ESL teacher in England, which might seem to defeat the point slightly. I am going back to school in September to learn how to be a secondary school teacher. I am in equal parts terrified and excited.

My Interests

Czech beer and bowling, combined. Dancing very badly to 80's music and encouraging everyone that another tequila would be a very good idea indeed. Reading too much and watching too many movies - and therefore veering wildly between being sociable and being a hermit.

I'd like to meet:

People who a) like Kevin Smith films, b) wear good shoes, and c) are willing to dance. These are the three criteria I judge people by. I would also like to meet Lucas Black and Matthew McConaughey, but to be honest I don't much care what shoes they wear and if they like KS movies. Yeah, I'm contrary. And easily swayed by good looks and a cute American accent. What Type of Alcoholic Beverage Are You?
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Music:

I do like a whole variety of random stuff - anything from Texan-country to trance. Favourite all-time album "Reverence" by Faithless. Can't name an all-time favourite song - too difficult. I love live music and am currently giddy with excitement at the thought of seeing the Beastie Boys (again!) and the Chemical Brothers at Bestival in September.

Movies:

Too many to mention. I watch far too many films for my own good. All time favourite - Top Gun. Sad, but true. Other lasting greats - any 80's John Hughes, any Kevin Smith - especially Chasing Amy. Anything by Quentin, Robert Rodriguez, Neil LaBute, Cameron Crowe (except possibly Vanilla Sky...). Some movies I have watched and loved...Elf, Amores Perros, City of God, Waking Life, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Bottle Rocket, Good Will Hunting, Office Space, Before Sunrise & Sunset, V for Vendetta...this list could be endless.

Television:

I worship at the altar of 24. I also love the Simpsons and Family Guy, Arrested Development, Nip/tuck, Without a Trace, NCIS, ER. And I love my teenage melodrama even though I'm too old to be watching it - the original and the greatest - Beverly Hills 90210, and the young pretenders - Dawsons and the OC.


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Books:

My degree was American Literature so I should say some of the greats - Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner - just to prove all that money wasn't wasted. And I do actually like them! Less weighty stuff like Douglas Coupland, Chuck Palahniuk, Jeff Noon, Tim Lott. Bascially I read maybe 2 or 3 books a week, so pretty much anything goes...

My Blog

Goodbye Korea!

I have just told an elderly Korean man to "get the fuck out of my way"  granted, he was being horrible and difficult and lecherous, but I really think it goes to show I'm leaving Korea at exactly the...
Posted by Helen on Thu, 28 Sep 2006 08:53:00 PST

What I learnt this week

This really has been a week for revelations. Firstly, I discover - after 11 and 3/4 months - that there is both a gym and a large dvd viewing room in my building. Gosh, had I known that, I would obvi...
Posted by Helen on Sun, 24 Sep 2006 01:19:00 PST

Relationship angst

I honestly have no clue about how some (well, many) people manage to have happy, normal relationships. I am in awe. How does it happen? How do you not get bored or frustrated or feel insecure about th...
Posted by Helen on Sat, 09 Sep 2006 10:45:00 PST

Bored? Me?

What with the unscheduled extra day off work, that I really didn't need to take (see yesterday's entry), but I did - I have time enough to do stupid surveys. Woo-hoo. TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Surv...
Posted by Helen on Mon, 07 Aug 2006 02:24:00 PST

Linklater-inspired moments

"Memories are wonderful things, if you don't have to deal with the past" So this week I got to have my very own Before Sunrise/Before Sunset moment. Except, it wasn't very poetic, the course of my lif...
Posted by Helen on Sun, 06 Aug 2006 05:59:00 PST

Hedgehogs and Red Bull

Well Beth has made it safely back to England and my tiny apartment seems very quiet. We had some strange, and some fairly typical, Korean moments. A few that spring to mind: Sitting in a board game c...
Posted by Helen on Thu, 13 Jul 2006 09:57:00 PST

World Cup Nonsense

It is Korea's first World Cup match tonight - and this city has officially gone absolutely mental. I have never seen anything like it - certainly not in England. Maybe something a little sim...
Posted by Helen on Tue, 13 Jun 2006 06:19:00 PST

Miserable goodbyes

"Glad to be leaving. This place and job has aged and stressed me." A text message I got from someone I'm going to miss a great fucking deal, and who is buggering off to teach in Chile. I agree with hi...
Posted by Helen on Tue, 30 May 2006 08:21:00 PST

The Land of Not Quite Right

Interesting things I learnt about Korea this week... 1. You cannot be held reponsible for a crime here if you are drunk. Told to me by lawyers who work for the second biggest legal firm here. Shortly ...
Posted by Helen on Sat, 20 May 2006 04:10:00 PST