Wednesday, August 13, 2014

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

The last two weeks have been chock full of amazing experiences and people.  Alan and I may both be zombies at the moment, but I think we're rather happy zombies.

To give you a quick idea of what we did I'll sum it up this way... We flew to Hungary for 10 days, stayed in Hong Kong for a day and night on our way back, went back to Korea for a day, then caught our flight to Malaysia the next day where we stayed for 3 days or so.  We're now back in Korea for a total of four days before flying home to the US tomorrow morning.  Phew, that's a lot of flight time.





We had a good time in Hungary.  We were there for our friends' wedding and we were able to stay with them the whole time.  We had a lot of good conversations and made some good memories together.  I'm really grateful that we were able to go and that they let us stay with them.

During our time in Hungary, I made some observations about the country.


1.) The people (at least customer service in particular) were not friendly and sometimes even outright rude.

At St. Stephen's Basilica, for example,
St. Stephen's Basilica
we were attempting to get change for one of our bills.  I went up to the lady at the museum entrance and asked her but I think she thought I was asking for a ticket.  I was trying to talk to Alan about how best to get change at the same time and I pulled my hand back as she reached for the bill.  As it slipped out of her grasp, she slapped her hand on the table, rolled her eyes, and sighed at me. I was so taken aback that I may have sort of run away.








2.)  The food is very rich.  Lots of cheese, breaded items, and sauces to go with every meal.  It was quite the change coming from the Korean diet.

3.) The clothing that people wore (men and women) was much more liberal.  I saw men walking around shirtless and even saw a few mowing their lawn in nothing more than a speedo.  I saw women with low cut shirts and midriffs showing.  Coming from a country whose citizens swim in their full clothes, it was sometimes hard not to stare.

4.)  All of the buildings in Budapest were beautiful.  I saw fast food joints that looked like mansions.






5.) Much of the technology in Hungary seems to lag a couple decades behind.  A lot of what I saw resembled what you would find perhaps in the 90's.


6.) It was always assumed that I could speak Hungarian unless proven otherwise.  Quite the contrast to Korea where it's assumed I CAN'T speak Korean unless proven otherwise.  Even better was Malaysia where it was obvious that we couldn't speak Malay but no one cared and they treated us as though we could anyways.





Nan Lian Garden
Nan Lian Garden
Chin Lin Monastery
Victoria Harbor as seen from the Peak
Hong Kong is kind of a blur.  We only spent a day there and with the zero sleep we were both running on I'm surprised we made it through.  We were able to see the Nan Lian Garden and Chin Lin Monastery and then made it up the Peak for a sunset view of Victoria Harbor.  Generally people take the Peak Tram to the top, but it was a two hour wait...and since we only had one day to spend in the city, we took a bus to the top.  We made it across the harbor on Star Ferry in time to see the Symphony of Lights from the Avenue of Stars and then had dim sum for dinner at Caterking Dim Sum.

Pork buns from Caterking Dim Sum

Jet Li's handprints at the Avenue of Stars














It's generally advised to be at the airport two hours before your flight, especially if it's an international flight.  Alan and I were incredibly fortunate to have made it to our flight that next morning.  My alarm never went off.  Our plane was due to take off at 10am....We didn't even wake up until 8am.  By some miracle, we made it through buses, trains, check-in, security, and all the way to our gate just as the plane was boarding a little before 9:30am.  And then we sat on the plane for THREE and a HALF HOURS.  We sat on the plane at our gate for about as long as the flight to Korea was supposed to take.  The contrast between our morning panic and the afternoon drudgery was comical.  Frankly, I think we were both too tired to really care about our essentially doubled plane time.





We had less than 24 hours in Korea before we were in the air again.  We got into Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia late at night and made it to our hotel.  Compared to US prices, hotels in Kuala Lumpur are pretty darn cheap.  We were able to stay in a 4 star hotel without even a wince for our wallets.

Javi and Samantha professional zouk dancers
I loved our trip to Malaysia.  We didn't really see any of the country or even the city...but that's not why we were there.  We were there for the 2014 South East Asia Zouk Festival and it was an absolute blast.   Two 9 hour days of zouk dancing did a number on both of our bodies with Alan ending up sick and me barely able to move the morning we left.  But it was definitely worth it.  There were four hours of workshops and lessons during the day followed by a social dance party and performances or competitions in the evening.  We met people from all over the planet and met and received instruction from some of the world's best zouk dancers.  I even unwittingly danced with one of said renowned dancers...and it might have been a good thing that I didn't know who he was at the time.  My jaw dropped when I showed up for a workshop with James Anthanassiou and Sonia Starosta only to see the very man with whom I had danced the night before.

Having been a part of the salsa community for many years, the contrast with the international zouk community was stark.  It's not uncommon for the salsa community to be a bit uppity and beginner unfriendly, so I was somewhat anxious about going to a zouk festival as a complete noob to the dance.  I was surprised how misplaced my apprehension was.  Most of the dancers there were relatively advanced and I warned a lot of them that I was a zouk beginner whenever asked out onto the floor.  But I stopped after a while, because no one seemed to care.  It wasn't about the moves you could do.  Zouk is about something more.   It's about unity.  It certainly is a very intimate dance but its intimacy differs from that of say rumba or anything I've ever danced, really.  And while the dance may look very "sexy" it doesn't feel overtly sexual in nature.  Perhaps this article can give you an idea of what I mean.  Zouk is about connection and its connection is of a much more subtle variety.  I fell in love with zouk from the moment I first laid eyes on it and it took me a long time to figure out why. I started dancing because I enjoy the connection and communication that dancing can bring. So much can be expressed physically that words become superfluous.  Awareness of people and their emotions or intentions expands.  Zouk is the embodiment of this.  It's about listening, understanding, and unity. And it's now my favorite dance.





After we got back from Malaysia, I went right back into work for the next three days.  They were pretty typical days and I just finished up my last day today.  It feels incredibly odd to be done.  This has been my life for the past year.  It doesn't really feel like I'm actually going back to the US tomorrow morning.  And I'm going to miss my kids.  I've watched them grow and they've helped me grow through all this time together.  I'll miss my coworkers as well.  They've been really kind and always helpful to me and they've been my role models for teaching this last year.  It feels like yesterday that we stepped off our plane in Seoul and blundered around trying to find our way.  I really can't believe it's over.





Here's to the many adventures Alan and I had together on the other side of the world.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Adventures and Anniversaries in Busan

Since we had our LASEK surgery done in Busan, we've had to go back every few weeks for check ups.  We've enjoyed the onsens of Japan and we wanted to try the jjimjilbangs of Korea.  So back in June, we took the opportunity to visit Spa Land after a recommendation from a friend.  It is located in the Shinsegae Department Store in Centum City and is Busan's largest and most modern spa.  We paid ~15,000won each to get in and we were given four hours to do as we pleased.  Alan and I went our separate ways and I headed to the baths.

The onsen we visited in Japan was remote, quiet, and peaceful, with few people present.  Spa Land was crowded and noisy but it had dozens of baths to choose from. There are baths ranging from cold to very hot, sodium bicarbonate baths, salt baths, and an outdoor bath.  As per bathhouse etiquette, I soaped off before getting in.  There's also a room off to the side where you can get a body scrub from the professional scrubbing ajummas dressed in the professional bra and panties scrubbing attire.  They just charge the fee to your locker key and you pay the balance when you turn it back in.   The old ladies took me in and had me lie on a slab where they promptly dumped water all over me and proceeded to scrap my skin off...I mean scrub me.  It wasn't the most comfortable of experiences I've had and she certainly wasn't shy about making sure ALL of me was clean.  But when I came out, my skin was soft, shining, and gorgeous.  


After I finished bathing, I got dressed in the cotton shirt and shorts provided for you.  The women were dressed in red, the men in beige.  I headed out to the communal area where Alan and I peeked through the saunas.  They have all sorts of different sauna designs that are supposed to promote specific things as you sit and relax.  There was a snack bar and an outside foot bath as well as a restaurant, massage chair area,  and other fun places on the third floor.

It was a good experience, both cultural and just for relaxation's sake.  My fellow expats in Korea should definitely give it a go.







Foxy Botique (Busan)
Chocolate Motel (Daegu)
Hera Motel (Daegu)
Hera Motel (Daegu)
This past weekend was our first wedding anniversary and I can't believe that it's been a year already.  We had another eye checkup in Busan so we decided to make a weekend of it.  Friday evening, we took a bus from the Intercity Bus Terminal directly to Haeundae where we booked a love hotel for two nights.  Now, if you've never stayed in a love hotel, you should....because it's always quite the experience.  The buildings are bright and full of colorful lights and the interior is decorated with amusing attempts at romantic or erotic quotes.  They're generally quite a bit nicer than normal hotels as well.  I've included pictures from a couple different ones we've stayed at this year.
A street full of love motels in Haeundae, Busan



Crazy Mr. J's magic show

That evening, we grabbed dinner at Hello Thai, which was just down the street from the hotel.  It was a nice restaurant with the fastest service I've ever seen.  The waitress waited a bit from our table until we were ready to order and within 5 minutes our food was on the table.

We took a walk down to Haeundae Beach after dinner where Alan ended up being recruited to help with a magic show.





At the peak.
We spent Saturday hiking up Jangsan.  The trails aren't always well marked and it's not something that really gets the heart pumping, but it's still a great hike and we really enjoyed ourselves.  And it's located on a mine field.  So it's generally advisable to not wander off.
We came across the whiniest cat I've ever seen.

Watch out for the mines.
Stone River

View from the stone river.



We had dinner that evening at the Wolfhound, an Irish pub.  The food was excellent and it seems to be a pretty popular foreigners' bar.  We topped our anniversary weekend off with some ice cream from Baskin Robins before heading back to Ulsan the next morning.





Our life at the moment is like the calm before a storm.  In just over 2 weeks, we'll be headed to Budapest for a week and a half, spend a day and night in Hong Kong, followed by the zouk congress in Malaysia after that.  After all of that, we'll come back to Korea for four days before flying home to the States. Everything is winding down and the goodbyes have already started.  Being an expat has its ups and downs.  I'm so excited to go home, see all of my family and friends, and start the next stage of our life in Colorado.  But now that it's actually time to go, I know that there's a lot about my life here that I'm going to really miss.


So here's what I'll miss about living in Korea...

1. The community.

I don't want to get overly gushy, but I've loved being a part of the community here.  I'm going to miss these incredible people, both expat and Korean, that I've spent so much time with every week for the past year.  Even if it hasn't been very long, I feel that we were able to make some strong friendships that I hope will last.  We'll miss you guys.


2. Fast internet and cheap data

South Korea has an average download speed of 53 Mbps.  The internet at my workplace gets 72Mbps download and 43 Mbps upload.  And I get unlimited data for my smartphone for ~50,000won/month.  Who wouldn't miss this?


3. The food

I really hated Korean food when I first got here.  Coming from the high sugar, high fat, processed American diet, everything tasted bland and unsatisfying.  Now after a year of eating Korean food every day, the cravings for food back home come less often if at all and I actually find myself craving Korean food instead.

4. Public transport

Neither of us own a car in Korea and we haven't even driven since we got here.  There's no need to.  We can get anywhere we need to via public transport.  Sometimes, I think it may even be more convenient to take the bus and not have to worry about parking.  And long commutes are much better when you can occupy yourself with something other than the road and cars in front of  you.  I'll definitely miss not have to drive.

5. The challenge

During our Christmas stay in Hawaii, Alan and I felt like we were being spoiled.  Everything was too easy being in English.  We didn't have to work to understand anything.  In Korea, I get a mental workout everyday trying to converse in Korean or even just trying to communicate in and understand broken English.  I also feel that my prestigious miming skills will go to waste in the States.  As inconvenient as it can be at times, I will really miss the immersion.

6. Our apartment

I like the interior style of Korean apartments.  Everything is completely modern, the sliding doors are pretty cool (even if they're not exactly sound proof), and it's much easier to clean your bathroom when it's made to just hose down.  Plus, we have mountains in our backyard to hike through and the path along Taehwa River just a few minutes walk away.  The scenery is beautiful and we've had so many wonderful conversations wandering about the mountains and river.  And we can dance on our roof! I'm going to miss our first home together.


We've made so many memories here in Korea and it makes me somewhat sad that it's time to leave.  It certainly has been an unforgettable first year of marriage.



Friday, May 23, 2014

LASEK in Korea

If you're in South Korea and you're ever planning to have LASIK/LASEK done, I'd definitely recommend getting it done while you're here.  In the states, the average cost is around $3600 and can go up depending on how bad your eyesight is.  In Korea, you're charged a flat rate that's generally less than half the cost of it's American counterpart.  Given how cheap it is here, Alan's been planning to go under the laser since we got here.  I was not originally planning to do so myself but I eventually succumbed to Alan's prodding that I might as well do it too.

Alan did loads of research on the various procedures available and the doctors and facilities that we could choose from.  After comparing the various procedures, we both decided to have all-laser LASEK done.




To do the corrective surgery, you have to access the inner cornea.  The procedures differ in how that layer is reached.
So here's a quick overview on LASIK vs LASEK.

During LASIK, a flap is made with the outer layer of your cornea and is moved aside while the laser re-shapes your cornea.  It is then replaced just as before.  There is only mild discomfort involved post-surgery and the healing process only lasts a day or two.

During LASEK, the epithelium that covers your eye is loosened with an alcohol solution and pushed to the side for the laser.  It is then replaced and left to heal.  The recovery and vision stabilization process is longer and more painful for this procedure.

All laser LASEK (which we had done) is similar to PRK in the fact that the epithelial layer is completely destroyed during the procedure but uses the laser to do so.  The recovery process is also longer and rather painful for this procedure because the epithelial cells have to regenerate (though it's supposed to be somewhat shorter than normal LASEK).  It also takes longer for your vision to stabilize-sometimes several months and your vision may be hazy for a while.



So why'd we pick the more miserable procedure?  Because a flap is created during LASIK, there's always the chance that it could open back up if you hit your head hard enough.  We're not exactly planning to knock our brains around, but I like having the peace of mind  of never having that possibility.  All laser LASEK is also supposed to have a somewhat shorter recovery time than normal LASEK because the affected area of the epithelium is smaller than in normal LASEK where you push the whole thing off to the side.






We ended up going to Sojunghannun Ophthalmology Clinic in Haeundae-gu, Busan and they were wonderful.  The clinic itself was extremely modern and probably the cleanest medical facility I've ever seen.  Before the surgery, you're required to go through a load of vision and eye tests and then consult with the doctor about your options. The nurses were all kind and comforting and Dr. Kim had a calming voice and good personality.  They have individual waiting rooms each equipped with their own massage chairs and lockers and they bring you a tray with cake and warm milk tea for while you wait and think about lasers slicing through your eyes.  You also receive a complimentary 16GB USB drive.



When it was time for the surgery, the nurse came in and dressed me up.  I went first because I wasn't sure if I could go through with it if I went second.  The nurse took my arm in one hand and put her other arm around my shoulders as she led me to the procedure room. Given my state of near panic at the thought of watching lasers cut into my eyes, it was very comforting.   The room has a two door system and you're given an air shower before entering.  They numbed my eyes with eye drops and started the procedure, one eye at a time.  One nurse's job was just to hold my hands the entire time (she held Alan's as well) and it was much appreciated.  That's definitely something I appreciate about Korea.  I don't think you have a designated hand holder for your surgery in the States.

The operation itself went smoothly and the laser itself was only uncomfortable.  You have to stare at the red light in the center, but once the laser's on, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain your focus.  The worse your prescription is, the longer your laser time.  I went around 20 seconds for each eye while my nearly blind husband had to endure over 40.  The steps after the laser time were much worse than the laser itself.  Eye drops galore (some of which were opaque and completely obscured your vision) and mini eye squeegees (really weird when you can't feel it).  Then the ice cube.  Yep.  They stick an ice cube on your eyeball and it's torture.  It doesn't hurt your actual eye (remember, it's numbed).  But it's the worst brain freeze you'll ever experience.  And then the worst part comes....mercilessly ripping the mask off your face. But then they lead you back to the waiting room where you get to sit and rest with an ice pack for a while.

Rocking the sunglasses post-surgery
The morning after LASEK
One of the reasons we chose this clinic in particular was their post-surgery driving service.  They drive you anywhere you need to go in Busan after the surgery.  When we told them we were going to the KTX Station to go back to Ulsan, the nurse just looked at us a moment and walked out.  When she came back, she said that they'd just drive us all the way to our apartment in Ulsan.  I've never been so thankful for anything in my life because that first night sucked.  The doctor jokingly told us after the surgery, "I bet you're asking yourself now, why did I get LASEK instead of LASIK".  The pain wasn't the only problem for me, however.  Alan's eyes, though painful and sensitive, were fine after the surgery.  My eyes, on the other hand, swelled shut within minutes and were swollen for the next 2-3 days.  After the first night however, the pain was manageable.  I at least no longer wanted to rip my eyes out of my head.  And after the first couple of days, the worst part is the irritation from the protective lenses they put in, itchiness, and the cloudy/hazy vision.  We had the procedure done on Saturday evening and, though the nurse strongly recommended me staying home, I was able to go to work Monday morning. My eyes were still pretty swollen that day and I just kept my eyes shut most of the time (yay for coloring days and busywork) and the rest of this week I just wore sunglasses to help with the sensitivity.

There is some post-surgery care and precautions you have to take.  You get four sets of eye drops (color coded for ease)...The anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial drops are used three times a day.  You get pain drops to help with the pain for the first few days and then you get loads of bottles of artificial tears to help with the dryness.  You're not supposed to rub your eyes (which is harder than it sounds) or get water/sweat in them for two weeks.  You can't drink alcohol for a month after the procedure and it's recommended that you wear sunglasses outside for a couple months.

Six days after the surgery, Alan and I went back to the clinic to have the protective lenses removed.  It felt amazing.  The irritation was immediately gone.  We both still have cloudy and blurry vision and dry eyes, but it's completely tolerable now that those lenses are gone.  Eye drops sharpen our vision, but only for a short while and it should get better in time.  For now, we're both just ecstatic that we don't have super dry contacts in anymore.




In total, the procedure cost us 160 man won or $1600 each.  The total for two sets of nice sunglasses, all the meds, travel costs, and two LASEK procedures was cheaper than one person getting laser eye surgery in the States and the work and service is probably better quality here.   When this recovery process is over, we both should have at least nearly if not totally perfect vision.  I'd definitely say it was worth it and I recommend it for anybody staying here for any length of time.



Friday, April 18, 2014

Survival Korean 101: Hagwon Edition

Yes, I'm an ESL teacher and yes I'm only supposed to speak to my kids in English.  But let's face it, sometimes English doesn't get you anywhere.  Most of my children are 5-7 years old and have had no prior exposure to English.  In a lot of my lessons, I am able to use only English and association to effectively teach them.  But when it comes to discipline, reprimands, and explaining directions, sometimes English will only get you a blank look.  And even if you yourself don't use these Korean phrases, you may hear your Korean co-workers use them.  Not only that, but the children can't express themselves in English.  So what language does a 6 year old resort to when he wants to tell you something?  Korean.   I thought it might be helpful to new teachers starting out in Korea to share the Korean I've picked up that has been extremely useful while teaching.

As a note...many of these phrases are in the informal language.  As a teacher talking to children, you don't have to worry about being overly formal.  If you're going to use them with adults in a non-teaching setting, I'd recommend changing them to the formal language first.

Basics

안녕하세요 (anyeonghaseyo) - hello

안녕 (anyeong) - hi

안녕하십니까 (anyeong hashimnikka) - A more polite way of saying hello.  Often used between co-workers and definitely to your superiors.

안녕히 가세요 (anyeonghee kaseyo) - goodbye

수고하셨습니다 (suguashyasumnida) - can be used in various contexts.  At the end of the day, co-workers often say it as a form of goodbye.  It means essentially, "good work, rest well".




Classroom Control

하지마 (hajima) - It literally translates to "don't do it".    Can be used in the classroom to say "stop it" or "don't do that".

앉아 (anja) - sit down

조용히해 (choyeongi hae) - be quiet

이야기하지마 (iyagi hajima) - don't talk, no talking

저기에 놓어세요 (chogi-eh noheoseyo) - put it over there

일어나 (ileona) - get up/stand up

여기 와 (yeogi wa) - come here

나와 (na wa) - get out...very useful for children who like to play under the tables.

만지지마 (manjijima) - don't touch (it)

들어세요 (deuleoseyo) - listen

앞에 보세요  (ap-pey poseyo) - face front



Giving Directions

찾아 (chaja) - look for/find it...for giving directions on a word search

잘라 (challa) - cut it

*Don't get chaja and challa mixed up.  I'm sure my kids still think I'm crazy from when I gave them a word search and told them to cut it up.  I couldn't figure out whey they kept cutting up their papers and I kept running around saying "no, NO, CHALLAYO!" Upon which they understandably kept cutting their papers to bits.

붙여 (putchyeo) - stick it/glue it...for stickers or pasting

스세요 (suseyo) - write please

적어 (cheogeo) - write  (I've found this word to be more common in my experience)

읽으세요 (ilgeuseyo) - read please

따라하세요 (darahaseyo) - literally translates to "repeat please".  Used to mean "repeat after me".

다시 하세요 (tashi haseyo) - do it again

따라오세요 (dara oseyo) - follow me please

색칠 하세요 (saekchil haseyo) - color it



From the Kids

어떻게 헤요? (Eodeoke heyo?) - How do I do it?

무슨 말이에요? (museun malieyo?) - What do you mean?/What does that mean?

못해요 (moteyo) - I can't do it.

할 수 있어요 (hal su isseoyo) - I can do it.

할게요 (halkeyo) - I'll do it.

모르겠어요 (moleugeseoyo) - I don't know/I don't understand.

몰라요 (mollayo) - I don't know

알아요 (alayo) - I know

알겠어요 (algeseoyo) - translates to "I know".  Used in the context of "I got it/I understand".

다 했어요 (ta haesseoyo) - I did it all/I'm done.

해주세요 (hae chuseyo) - Do it for me please.

싫어요 (shileoyo) - literally translates to "I hate it".  Kids respond with this if they don't want to do something you tell them.

쉬 마려워요 (shwi maleoweoyo) - I've been assured that this is the proper spelling by my Korean co-worker but google translate still doesn't seem to like it.  I think it literally means something along the lines of "I have to pee".  The kids use it to ask if they can use the restroom.

아파요 (apayo) - it hurts

해요? (heyo) - literally translates to "Do I do it?"  In context, it's used to ask if they can start working on an assignment that has been passed out and/or if they should do it now.



Useful Vocabulary

수업 (su-eop) - class

수업 시간 (su-eop shigan) - class time

영어 수업 (yeongeo su-eop) - English class

선생님 (seonsaengnim) - teacher

영어 선생님 (yeongeo seongsaengnim) - English teacher

샘 (sem) - short form meaning teacher, often used between co-teachers to address each other

교실 (kyoshil) - classroom

책상 (chaeksang) - desk

책 (chaek) - book

연필 (yeonpil) - pencil

연필 깎기 (yeonpil kakki) - pencil sharpener

ballpen - this is how they refer to pens

namepen - permanent marker

signpen- coloring markers

색연필 (saekyeonpil) - colored pencil

사무실 (samushil) - office

풀 (pul) - glue

가위 (kawi) - scissors

지우개 (chiugae) - eraser

스티커 (sutika) - sticker



These are words and phrases that I use every single day working in Korea and knowing them upon starting would have made my job much easier.  It is my hope that this brief language guide will help new teachers settle more smoothly into their new jobs.  Happy language learning!


Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Jeju Island and Spring in Korea

The spring here in Ulsan really is beautiful.  The temperature has been climbing and we wake up to the bright sunlight every morning.  Cherry trees among other flowering plants are ubiquitous and the air has the light, floral smell of springtime on it.  Mundane moments like walking to and from a bus stop were previously filled with tense, shivering muscles and walking as quickly as I could to the warmth of a building.  Now I look forward to stepping outside and enjoying every moment of this warm weather.

Cherry trees at Ulsan University
Alan's Korean class at Ulsan University


Spring has been a pretty busy season for us so far.  Alan is in his second level of an intensive Korean course he's been taking.  Four hours every day of studying Korean have really improved his language skills and, even if he underestimates how well he is doing, I can see the advancements when he speaks.




Alan has also been doing really well in the lab.  Besides his research, he is the primary author on a review article that was recently submitted for publication.  It was reviewed and the feedback was positive and after some minor revisions, I think it should be well on its way to being published.  I'm really proud of him.


Salamanders can apparently get indigestion.
Air accumulates in their
digestive track and they
float upside down.
At the kindergarten, since it's springtime, they has all sorts of fun things going on for the kids.  All of the classes have a lifecycle experiment going on.  We have salamanders and tadpoles out for the kids to observe.  Though I'm pretty sure I sit there and stare at them more than the children.  The tadpoles are enormous now and the salamanders have started developing legs.  I've definitely considered taking one of them home for a pet.


Josh and some of the girls.
The kids also get to take regular field trips out to a forest.  The first time, they learned about different plant species and Josh especially was really excited about it.  After being shown a particular species, he'd run around looking for it with squeals (squeaks?) of victory after every success.  This week, I basically just got to run around and have fun with the kids in the woods.  Definitely appreciating having recess back in my life.




Ballet leotard
Besides work, I signed up for a ballet class a few weeks ago.  Classes are twice a week in the evening conducted entirely in Korean and I'm thoroughly enamored with it.  Being back in a dance environment has made me realize how much I missed it.  And learning something entirely new in a foreign language is quite an experience.  Even more than the every day experience of working in and living around a foreign language, it forces you out of your comfort zone.  And being a completely different context than a school setting, I can pick up new vocabulary that I hadn't previously encountered.  I plan to keep the lessons up for the next four months and appreciate the increased flexibility and body control I'm gaining.  Then when we go back to the states, Alan and I could potentially get back into ballroom again.  Or even some other form of dance.  





Recently, Alan and I took a trip to Jeju Island.  Alan was required to attend and present at the conference there for all the Fulbright scholars and, as his wife, I was able to tag along.  

The view from our hotel room.
We had to get up around 4:30am to catch the bus to the airport on Saturday morning and it was still early morning when we got to the island.  Our first stop was Loveland and it was a pretty amusing experience.  (Make sure you're not at work if you're going to google it.)

We made our way over to the hotel where the conference was held afterwards.  Kal Hotel in Seogwipo.  The place was beautiful.  

The hairs are still in the skin
The Fulbright had dinner for everyone at a hairy back pig bbq restaurant.  And dinner consisted of exactly what you think.  The food was really good.  I even tried some roasted kimchi and enjoyed it.  I just made sure to cut off the skin layer before consuming any of the meat.  I wasn't really feeling a hairball in my stomach.  
VIP room.  




Playing old school Phoenix

Bucket Bell Contest
That evening was the unofficial Fulbright prom held at Monkey Beach bar.  So schwanky.  We had two VIP rooms equipped with karaoke upstairs and the downstairs had an arcade, game room, stage, dance area, and a water slide.  They also had a contest going on for the ladies.  There was a platform with poles spanning its length and a bell at the top of each.  If you could climb up and ring the bell, you won a free bucket of alcohol.  We didn't have to pay a penny the entire evening.  XD


Jusangjeolli volcanic rocks
Sunrise Peak 
Sunday at Jeju was pretty awesome.  We had a full day tour to a few scenic sites around the island.  I wasn't supposed to be able to go, but someone gave up their spot on the tour and said I could have it.  It was a really good day full of good conversation that I feel we both enjoyed.  



Seongeup Folk Village

Cheonjiyeon Waterfall
Seopjikoji











Sometimes it's hard to believe that we only have four months left in Korea.  As excruciatingly slow as it has sometimes felt, this year has flown by.  We have so many plans for what we're doing next but for now everything is just a waiting game.  And so we might as well enjoy what's left of our time here.  We've made some good friends and we're looking forward to more experiences yet to come.  When it comes time, it might turn out that I'm not even ready to leave.  Here's to a great summer with great people.