Summer Fun

After partaking on the end of summer trip with Hue and his friends I realized I had some work to do. These students, my new friends, were now on summer vacation and for the most part hadn't made any plans.  I couldn't let them just hang out around Milwaukee, reliant on buses to get them where they needed to go and not knowing what to do with themselves.  I started brainstorming ideas and soon had a list of things not only that I wanted them to experience, but things that would be just as fun for me.  After parting ways at the end of the field trip I ended with 'See you soon' rather than 'Goodbye', and I meant it.

Chicago the Korean Edition

After a summer filled with Milwaukee adventures with Hue and some of his friends it was finally time to venture across state lines and show the boys a bit of what our neighbors to the south have to offer.  My friend Shaun (fellow Buksamer) was coming home for a visit, bringing with him his new Korean wife 미진, which of course called for a party. Shaun had invited both Caitlin and myself, both so we could meet his wife and have a little reunion of our own.  We figured this was the perfect excuse for a weekend trip to Chicago and wanted to bring Hue and his friend Jun along, thankfully Shaun didn't mind.

Don't let me get Hangry

Aside from the people I meet, some of the most memorable travel moments and stories revolve around food.  I like to think I have a pretty healthy diet but when it comes to traveling I generally have no rules.  Street food? Definitely  Mystery meat? Sure, why not.  "I'm not telling you what this is, you just have to try it" Fine. Actually, I'm not even good at the 'don't drink the water in xxx', i'll try to improve on that one though.  With food, my motto is to try anything once, worst thing that happens is you don't like it, okay so then try something else.  For the first 25 years of my life this has done me pretty well, so I don't see a reason to change a thing.  Although the people in the Philippines left a lasting impression on me with a strong desire to return the food was just, well, food.  It wasn't amazing but it never disappointed either, but i'm sure there's lots I didn't even try so i'll get those on my next visit. 

Cebu, not sure how I feel about you

Although it produces amazing memories, interesting stories and some great pictures, budget travel isn't always glamorous.  In order to get that cheap airline fare you might have to be okay with arriving somewhere in the middle of the night, tired and a bit disoriented. Lucky me, I turned up at Cebu airport somewhere around 2am still having to navigate my way into the city.  I've learned to keep an eye out for other solo travelers, especially in situation such as these, so when I found a girl that looked to be a similar situation as myself I decided we should join forces.  Cabs from the airport are known to try and scam tourist so I figured we should join forces and at the very least we could split the fare into town. Although the cab drivers tried to feign ignorance, we got lucky in that our places were only a few blocks from each other, I guess being outgoing worked in my favor here.  I quickly 'checked into' my room and drifted off to sleep, I briefly awoke around 5 to let Loudine in (she had a later flight) and then found myself wide awake around 8am, why? We decided to venture out in to the city as we were both starving, wandered the streets for  close to an hour before stumbling into a Thai restaurant, comatose.  Once our stomachs were full we decided to go back and nap, shower and prepare ourselves for a day of sightseeing.  

Meet, the Jeepney

The Season of Giving

Like I mentioned in my last post, my favorite part of the holiday season centers around giving, so what better way to celebrate than to give presents, and hopefully some joy, to 70+ children.  Earlier this spring when Aimee, the founder of KKOOM, asked me to help her with the annual holiday part for Samsungwon, I had absolutely no hesitation.  This is the first year that Aimee wasn't able to be in Korea for the holidays since founding KKOOM 6 years ago; she was looking for support from the foreigners here to keep the tradition going.  I attended the Christmas party last year so after seeing the joy that it brought to the kids I knew I wanted to help make that possible again this year.   Unfortunately, the orphanage is currently undergoing construction so hosting a large scale party proved to be impossible, 70+ kids and volunteers running around a midst welding, sawing, hammering and other chaos didn't sound like the best idea. Instead, we decided to host an online gift drive, asking volunteers to support one (or more) children by purchasing gifts from their wish list.  We were able to get enough volunteers (some even sending money from the US), purchase the gifts and organize all of those sent from across the country. It was a bit of chaos for a few days as we sorted through boxes, wrapped, sorted and shopped but thankfully everything came together by 3pm Sunday afternoon. 

Finally organized, 70 some odd presents 

Food & Yoga ~ the Yin & Yang to my Life

Thanksgiving isn't much of a big deal when you're halfway around the world, although when you have some awesome friends you can make the most of it. With tiny apartments and lacking kitchens it's pretty impressive what we pulled off for the second year in a row.  Obviously it's a little hard to cook a turkey without an oven but thankfully there's some sweet companies in Korea that recognize this and come to the issue (use their brain to make some easy money). Sara was kind enough to host this year and arrange ordering the turkey, leaving the rest of the food up to chance.  We all signed up to bring something and hoped that we'd have it all covered when the day came.

A Day of Song and Dance

Along with the changing weather, final exams, and school year coming to an end we struggled to find time to squeeze in a little bit more fun, here at Buksam High school.  About two weeks ago it was time for the second big event of the year, the annual school festival.  Last year this was easily one of the most impressive days of the year for me, having never experienced something like this before I was blown away by the level of talent presented, and also the high amount of participation.  I think having so much fun last year set my expectations for this time around pretty high.  As the day approached I was slightly confused by the lack of enthusiasm coming from my students, when asked if they were excited most of them responded with "ehh no, too busy".  It's understandable, as the school year comes to a close, they're swamped with studying for the important final exams, but still, learn to relax a little you guys! Despite their lackluster attitudes I was still looking forward to the day, I mean if nothing else, I didn't have to teach! 

Favorite picture ever - on display for all to see 

Getting Some Lovin'

Last summer my co-teacher Anna [이혜진] came into school one day full of excitement, telling me that she had bought a new house in Daegu, but shhh this is a secret.  I'm still not sure why it was a secret but I was happy to be one of the few she told about it, the reason being, she wanted me to come visit.  She didn't actually move in until mid-october and since then has been busy with buying new furniture and getting situated in her new neighborhood.  Repeatedly at school she would tell me that she wanted me to come visit and stay with her for the weekend, getting the chance to meet her family  (including the adorable boy pictured below) and explore Daegu together.  Despite a few failed planning attempts and busy schedules I was finally able to make my visit two weeks ago, woah two weeks ago already? 

Anna's son 최한결 

Well, That was Interesting

Since my time in Korea is winding down (more on that later) I decided to start working on my Korean bucket list, you know the things that one "must do" while in Korea.  I've been talking about doing a temple stay since I first arrived in Korea, but for some reason kept putting it off.  About a month ago my vice principal walked over to my desk and handed me a packet of papers saying "umm if you're interested you can do" and then disappeared (he's sneaky like that).  I'm not sure if he can read minds (or maybe he spies on me?) because I had literally been searching for a temple stay that morning, and what he handed me was an application for a free temple stay at Jikj temple in Gimcheon.  I've been to this temple once before, with my dad and really enjoyed the scenery and beauty of the mountain setting.  The temple stay program is one of the most popular in this area so seeing as I hadn't yet made plans for that weekend I decided to apply, after all it was  free so I had nothing to lose. 

직지사 

School Days and Seoul Ways

The plan for Wednesday was for the three of us to get up early and have Joonwoo drop us at the bus terminal before heading to work himself.  That was the plan at least, upon waking up I realized that I really was not up for a trip to Gyeongju. I though tagging along wouldn't be too bad, I could skip the temple (seriously they're all looking pretty similar these days) and then join in for some afternoon bike riding and finish the day with dinner with some of my Gyeongju friends. But then I found out my friends were busy and I realized I was dead tired, instead I left my brother and Katie detailed instructions on how to survive on their own, made my way home and slept for another 3 hours :) it was lovely.  I met them back at the bus station that evening and it turns out they did just fine on their own.  Joonwoo must have liked us because he canceled the plans he had with a friend and joined us for dinner instead, Gamjatang yummmmm.  That night we took it easy, showered, set up a nice floor bed for those two in my shoebox of an apartment and prepared for school the next day. 

Group picture with class 1-3

Upwards and Onwards

Thankfully the worst (or best, I still haven't decided) was behind us, leaving us with two relaxed days of biking.  Knowing we had less distance to cover on Friday there was no concern about waking up early for a fresh start but of course most of us were still up with the sun.  Sara and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked down to check out the nearby Watazumi shrine.  Probably the most interesting aspect of the shrine was that the tori (gates) were situated so that as the tide came in and out they changed from either submerged in water or on dry land. After a quiet stroll through the shrine and multiple pictures we made our way back to camp to enjoy breakfast before heading out for the day.  

A Few More Friends to See

After my whirlwind tour of Washington DC was over I hopped on a plane and made my way to Minnesota. Lucky me, another experience with the domestic airports I enjoyed so much the first time around. This time I was even luckier because I got to connect through Atlanta, which a few of my Korean friends were greatly confused by as it's nowhere close to being on the way.  On top of that, after I politely traded seats so a brother and sister could sit together, I ound myself next to a talker. Getting any reading or napping done on this flight was not an option, oh well, at least he shared his lovely joke about TSA: "Thousands standing around", now that I could agree with.

Welcome to the mid-west 

I Came Here to Eat ~ and Maybe Drink a Little Too

Two weekends ago my friend Caitlin was looking for volunteers to join her on a trip to Seoul as she had a wedding to attend.  Considering I hadn't been there since winter and was in need of new clothes and good food I was more than happy to volunteer.  Caitlin has to work late on Fridays (so lame) so we waited until Saturday morning to head up, bright and early I might add.  Arriving in Seoul around 11:30 our first mission was lunch, i'm telling you this weekend had two goals - clothes and food, both of which were successfully executed. 

The beautiful Han River 

What my Mom ['s Visit] Taught Me

I wouldn't be a good blogger if I just retold my stories and left it at that, or maybe I would because that's all you really care about.  Either way, I figure I should shed some more light on my life here in Korea - how's it going, aside from the crazy adventures, travel, sightseeing and amazing students. Like how is it really going? After having my mom here for a week to visit I truly got a whole new perspective on my life here, both the good and the bad. So here's a few things I learned about myself...thanks mom.

Hibernation

Well it's been a while since I've been here. I'd like to blame google for telling me i'm out of storage space for pictures on here, but in all honesty I've just been lazy.  I tried to upload pictures from my brothers visit a few times but apparently I need to pay for more storage on my account before I can do that - my exciting life has exceeded their 1GB allowance ;) In all honestly I've gone into winter hibernation mode where curling up with a book, blanket and tea or coffee often sounds like the best option available, so here's some random updates

Lanterns, Eel, Art, and More!

To continue on our festival roll Sara, Amanda and I made the trip to Jinju last weekend.  If you recall the three of us made this trip one before, but for a a very different reason.  Reminiscing about our [attempted] hike of Jirisan made for some good jokes this weekend.  I was lucky enough to have a half day on Friday due to midterm exams so I decided to catch a mid-afternoon bus despite the fact that the other two would not be arriving until much later in the evening.  I'm not sure what I did wrong but I've had some stinky luck with buses recently, literally.  This time it was a man who though bathing in cologne would be a good idea before a 2.5 hour bus ride with 20 other strangers, thank you kind sir.  My bus pulled into town just after 5pm so after checking into our motel, conveniently located right across and down the river from the festival, I decided to go explore - as luck would have it I was just in time for the sunset. 

Mask Dance

After a short stint in Japan, Korea wanted to welcome me back with open arms. How, you may ask?  By giving me some beautiful fall weather chock full of festivals, that's how. To kick it off I ventured up to Andong with Sara and Amanda for the second (and final) weekend of the International Maskdance Festival.  Andong is just over an hour north of my town but I've yet to travel there, I guess part of me was intentionally saving the visit for this festival. Having just gotten back into the country the Wednesday before the three of us opted for a Saturday departure, arriving in Andong around lunchtime.  We found our hostel (The Peter Pan Guesthouse)  with ease and then made our way towards the festival, which was conveniently only a short walk away. The walk was made even shorter thanks to a shouting Ajumma who, we thought, was trying to shoo us away, when in reality she was leading us down a great shortcut. 

Typhoon Schmyphoon

After an enjoyable overnight bus ride I found myself in the city of Kyoto. As I entered the station I felt like my sleeping pill from the night before was still in effect, it seemed like I was wandering around in a cloud not really comprehending what was in front of me. After a quick change, brushing my teeth and washing my face I emerged back into the station like a new person.  I soon met up with Haruka, a girl I met through Couchsurfing , who agreed to show me around Kyoto for the day and provide me with a place to stay for the night.  After organizing our plan over a coffee we set out for the Higashiyama part of town, starting with the Kiyomizu-dera temple.  This temple was high on my list of must sees so I wanted to head there before the typhoon hit Kyoto.  The temple is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites and the name  comes from a waterfall that runs through the complex meaning "clear water". The temple is known for the main hall and large veranda that juts out of the hillside offering impressive views of the city.  

famous view of Kiyomizu-dera

Oh, I Would Walk 500 Miles

After my enjoyable ferry experience I arrived in the land of Fukuoka at a cheery 7:30am.  My first destination was the bus terminal where I planned to store my bag until my departure later that night. I also took the opportunity to change, brush my teeth and wash my face in the bathroom classy, I know. I grabbed a city map and decided since I had a large amount of time to kill that day i'd cover the city on foot.  I decided to start with the nearby Gion district which held many temples and shrines, plus it was only a short distance from the terminal, perfect!  My first stop was Tochoji Temple, which is the head temple of the Shingon Buddhism Kyushu sect, and promised the largest seated Buddha statue in Japan. I wandered around the outside and was greeted by a friendly old man inquiring as to where I was from, it was pretty but I wanted to find the Buddha. 

Gwangju

Last weekend Sara and I decided that it was time to take off and explore another city of Korea.  After minimal research I discovered there was an International music festival taking place in Gwangju, with the promise of live music we were sold.  Our friend Charles was also feeling the travel itch and decided to join us on our adventure across the country.  Gwangju is the SW province of Jeonnam-do, and thanks to a big mountiain smack dab in the middle of the country it took our bus about three and a half hours to get there.  Charles had a bit further to travel but thanks to some generous co-workers he was able to get out early so we all met at the bus terminal around 10pm.  Our first  task was to locate a place to stay for the night, we going to head downtown but after the help of a few friendly locals we were directed just a few blocks away from the terminal.  Between the rain, cars and overtired silliness that came upon us, we had quite the laugh trying to find a place to stay - but eventually settled on a motel just a few blocks from the station.  It wasn't the most beautiful place i'd ever seen but you couldn't really beat the price (25,000 per night).  Not really feeling up to making the trek downtown we decided to see what was nearby offering food and drinks.  We found a small bar/restaurant with an extremely friendly waiter, who spoke near perfect English. We caught up while sharing stories and laughs over a pitcher of beer and snacks, but soon decided to call it a night as we all had long days. I think getting back to the motel was among our biggest challenge of the weekend.