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.
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| Cherry trees at Ulsan University |
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| 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.
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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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| VIP room. |
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| Playing old school Phoenix |
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| 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
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| Jusangjeolli volcanic rocks |
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| 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.
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. 
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