This past weekend was another terrific Korean experience, with the Mud Festival at Boryeong beach.
We got up nice and early to leave here at 7AM so we could catch the buses heading down at 8:30. Our tour included 5 buses and around 225 people, mostly from North America. There were 6 dudes on our bus who brought insulated backpack coolers with cases of MGD for the bus ride, and they start their drinking day at 8:30. And when they started, they didn't stop. That was a foreshadowing of the weekend to come.
We left at 9 and arrived at 'military training' around 12:00. There we were handed army pants and long-sleeved shirts and led down to a massive mud pit. The tide here goes out forever, well over 1km, and we were in the remains of the ocean for this part. It was really fun, consisting of mud wrestling, mud ball fights, and mud sliding.
One game called for volunteers to lay in a row and my brave/stupid ass decided it couldn't be that bad. Once they had 15 people lying there, everyone else was instructed to come and bury us. My last vision before I closed my eyes and parsed my lips was the biggest dude at the whole place gunning directly for me. (His belly hung below the one-size-fits-all shirts, which were big) The next thing I felt was a ball of mud bounce off my chest and splash directly up my nose. The 2nd was a mud ball land SQUARELY on my testes. In the words of Ron Burgandy, I immediately regretted that decision to get buried.
Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of that part, but I don't think anybody had a clean spot on them.
From there we went to the beach, dropped our stuff at the hotel, and headed to the beach. The beach was absolutely rammed and it took a while to walk anywhere you needed to go. The festival was a little different than I expected, I thought it would be like the military training place where people were running and splashing in the mudsands when the tide went out. Instead it was normal beach activities, with mud stations where you could go and paint yourself with grey mud. I was also surprised that the festival has only been going on since 1998. I thought it was more traditional than that, and I'm amazed at how big its become in 10 years. It runs from July 14-22 and will have more than 1.4 million people visit.
We hung out with people we've met all over Korea on Saturday. Leah and Andy, Marois, Cyrus and Eamon from Incheon, Josh and his girlfried Michelle from Suwon area, and we saw Courtney from Laurier for the first time since we've been here because she lives on the south coast in Busan. We also met some Brits that Andy and Leah knew from a previous tour, Neil, Andy and his brother Richard. We met Jay, Steph and their friend Matt for dinner, watched some great fireworks, and ended up at yet another noraebang. I played the hell out of that tamborine though, ended up with a bruise that went from my thumb about halfway down to the base of my palm. But it was worth it to provide that rythem section!
After the great Saturday, Sunday was more subdued. We walked around to the various tents they had set up, sat on the beach for a while, pretty much just took it easy. We caught the bus at 4, those same guys drinking from the morning before were so loud and obnoxious for the better part of the 5 hour ride home.
We had a great time, although Kelly had to deal with some more drama. Unfortunately I was unconscious for the whole thing, so I'll let her tell the story in a later post.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monday, July 9, 2007
Another Lil' Update
Helloie Everyone!
Well, we promised we would write more, so here we are.
This past weekend was yet another great weekend here in K-Town. The sun was shining, the smog was thick, and the company was fantastic. Seriously, though: it was a really good weekend.
Friday night it was Saveena's Goodbye party. Her boyfriend B-Rod, as mentioned in the last post, is staying at our school, but Tina's contact position was temporary, so she is at another branch now. We had a big party at an indoor galbi restaurant (korean barbeque) with our new and old foreign teacher friends, as well as some of the Korean teachers. We then decided to go back to Leah and Andy's, have some drinks and play some humerous games until almost 5am.
Saturday was a great day because, for the first time since we have been here, Ian and I chilled out ALL DAY. We just watched episode after episode of "the Office" and were quite content. Later that night, we dressed our best, and went to the Outback Steakhouse and realize that we have been here for exactly two months. Time flies!
Sunday, we decided to go to Dongdaemun which is unofficially the 'biggest shopping district in all of Asia.' We took a few pictures of gates that were built on the 1300's but we could not get any closer because it was made into an island, surrounded by streets with no way of getting to it. We actually got pretty frustrated in Dongdaemun because we couldn't find anything we were looking for, and many of the stores we approached were closed. Next time we go, we'll have to do a little more research! Next, we decided to go to Dongdaemun Stadium which is the home of a massive flea market named the "Pungmul Flea Market", otherwise known as the "Goblin" market. Our friend Leah has said many fantastic things about the Goblin market since day of being here, so we finally decided to check it out. All I have to say is, it is insane in there. Narrow aisle ways, tables after table of similar junk and old goodies, and people swarming in ever direction. We will definitely go back sometime and give ourselves a bit more time to rummage, but we did end up buying a really cute, fat Buddha statue for our coffee table! Ian then headed back home, in hopes of making our bi-weekly Plus Academy men's soccer game, while I headed to my favourite shopping district, Myeongdong. Let me tell you, the shopping here is fabulous. Carrie from Sex and the City would be in Heaven at the amount of cute shoes available, the handbags are adorable, and shirts rarely cost more then $4 to $9! To sum up our day for you, Ian didn't end up making it to soccer practice because none of the cab drivers knew how to get him to the filed, and we just made a huge spaghetti dinner and watched some more Office.
Pictures:! http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2095735&l=a9ee2&id=187905622
Well, we promised we would write more, so here we are.
This past weekend was yet another great weekend here in K-Town. The sun was shining, the smog was thick, and the company was fantastic. Seriously, though: it was a really good weekend.
Friday night it was Saveena's Goodbye party. Her boyfriend B-Rod, as mentioned in the last post, is staying at our school, but Tina's contact position was temporary, so she is at another branch now. We had a big party at an indoor galbi restaurant (korean barbeque) with our new and old foreign teacher friends, as well as some of the Korean teachers. We then decided to go back to Leah and Andy's, have some drinks and play some humerous games until almost 5am.
Saturday was a great day because, for the first time since we have been here, Ian and I chilled out ALL DAY. We just watched episode after episode of "the Office" and were quite content. Later that night, we dressed our best, and went to the Outback Steakhouse and realize that we have been here for exactly two months. Time flies!
Sunday, we decided to go to Dongdaemun which is unofficially the 'biggest shopping district in all of Asia.' We took a few pictures of gates that were built on the 1300's but we could not get any closer because it was made into an island, surrounded by streets with no way of getting to it. We actually got pretty frustrated in Dongdaemun because we couldn't find anything we were looking for, and many of the stores we approached were closed. Next time we go, we'll have to do a little more research! Next, we decided to go to Dongdaemun Stadium which is the home of a massive flea market named the "Pungmul Flea Market", otherwise known as the "Goblin" market. Our friend Leah has said many fantastic things about the Goblin market since day of being here, so we finally decided to check it out. All I have to say is, it is insane in there. Narrow aisle ways, tables after table of similar junk and old goodies, and people swarming in ever direction. We will definitely go back sometime and give ourselves a bit more time to rummage, but we did end up buying a really cute, fat Buddha statue for our coffee table! Ian then headed back home, in hopes of making our bi-weekly Plus Academy men's soccer game, while I headed to my favourite shopping district, Myeongdong. Let me tell you, the shopping here is fabulous. Carrie from Sex and the City would be in Heaven at the amount of cute shoes available, the handbags are adorable, and shirts rarely cost more then $4 to $9! To sum up our day for you, Ian didn't end up making it to soccer practice because none of the cab drivers knew how to get him to the filed, and we just made a huge spaghetti dinner and watched some more Office.
Pictures:! http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2095735&l=a9ee2&id=187905622
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
New semester begins
Hey everybody, glad to be back. Sorry we've been gone for a while, this whole blog thing still isn't part of our regular schedule. I promise we'll try to keep up on it.
First an update on who we hang out with in Korea, how we know them, and where they live.
Leah & Andy: Minnesotans living in the building across from us, working at the same branch. They've been here since our 1st day and have been awesome in helping us out. Our best friends here in K-town. What would we do without them? They enjoy a beer or 2-4 and Soju Jenja.
Jenn & Jeremy: Came from Columbus, OH, raised in the southern US, they live in a building across from us in the other direction and work at our branch. They were here last week for "training" (it was a joke week so they probably didn't learn a thing) and start the new semester with fresh classes. They are a little more experienced than us in life, both have masters degrees and Jeremy has 11 years of work experience under his belt. There is no real gap in our interests though, they like to have a good time and isn't that what life is about??
B-rod & Tina: He's Brad at our school for immigration reasons, but Rodnie by birth. B-rod can work anywere, so its stuck with us. They were substitutes at our school for June before Jenn & Jeremy arrived. Brad is here for another 2 months before a Laurier grad comes in September (Melissa King) and Tina is working at the Gireum branch for some special summer classes that are offered. They live in Sinchon, which is a good hour from where we are, but the spare bed has come in handy a few times as they aren't afraid to do what it takes to have a terrific night. Real gamers, these 2.
Mark & Julia: They live in Giruem, about 25 minutes from us by subway, and work at the Plus Academy branch there. They've been here from our beginning as well and they keep it real. They grew up in St. Catherines and were corrupted by the Western 'scene'. Honestly though, more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
Dylan & Naomi: New teachers at the Plus branch in Chang-Dong, which is 2 stops away from where we are, 15 minutes by bus perhaps. From Iowa (which I was politely reminded is NOT the potato state), they are on the same schedule as Jenn/Jer and we met them over a delicious Greek dinner last weekend. They seem like a good time too.
Rob, Ian, & other Topians: Topia is the biggest Hagwon in Korea, and the branch in our neighbourhood has 20-25 teachers. We met some of their posse at the beach a few weeks ago, and we run into them around Seoul on occasion. They really enjoy their lives, and there will be no shortage of parties for us to see more of them.
Matt Marois, Chris Aikens & their boys Ehmon & Cyrus: They live the exact opposite side of the subway line as us (at Incheon, near the airport), so it takes some special occasions for us to get together. We will be watching the race for 1st in the KBO closely between their SK Wyverns (honestly, the worst team name since the Salukis) and our Doosan Bears. For those that don't know, we know Matt & Chris from Laurier.
Joshman & Michelle: We have yet to meet Michelle, but from all accounts she's a real bombshell. Again, they live way away so coordinating something is tougher. Josh is from Laurier as well, Michelle is his Korean girlfriend.
Jay, his girlfriend Steph, & their crew: Another friend from Laurier and his girlfriend who is Minnesota-raised. We met them in the foreigners district a few weeks ago and had a blast, they live in Suwon where my boy Justin and his girl Erin are coming in a few weeks. We can go down there and visit 3 different groups (Josh, Jay, Justin are all in the same area) soon enough, which will be cool. Get 2 birds stoned at once.
Absent from the list are Anne & Colin, who lived just 1 stop away from us in Nowon and are also Western grads. Mark & Julia met them while here, they got to talking about became very close. They are back to the Ajax area (I assure you there are justifiable reasons for them to return to Ajax) and their good nature won't be easy to replace. Just terrific people in all respects.
Aren't we popular? I go to sleep every night thinking about how many friends we have, it is the best feeling in the world. You should really try to experience it sometime....
A new semester is underway at all Plus locations as of Monday the 2nd. It will be nice for Kelly and I to have our own classes from the beginning and see what causes some of the bad kids. Some of them are respectful by nature, are anxious to learn and want to have a good time while doing it. Some, on the other hand, view time with their foriegn teachers as free time and can't be controlled at all.
It is understandable in a way, since many of these kids work their tails off. English Academy (us), along with science, math, music, dance, Japanese, and other academies occupy these kids lives. Most don't have all of those, but many have 4 difference tutors they see a week, in addition to their regular school. When you consider that they may have English for 2.5 hours 3 times a week, it can get pretty busy. Add to that the homework they receive from them all, and it's hairier than Chewbacca. Some of these kids are running on 5-6 hours of sleep a night. Some hate Sundays (their only day off from school) because they spend it all on homework. A VERY competitive country, this Korea.
I have learned that when I yell I smile, which really doesn't help keep the kids in line. Anger really isn't something that is common in my everyday life, so I need to work on that emotion. I need more Dick Chaney in my life, that guy has anger absolutely perfected.
That should be enough for now. That's why I don't blog often, because when I do I write so damn much that I can't imagine anyone can possibly make it through the entire thing. I will do more frequent, less verbose postings from now on. Until then.
Recent Pictures:
Classroom Pictutes and Itewan Pictures: http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2093068&l=1ba83&id=187905622
Anne and Colin's Goodbye Party: http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2094191&l=8b7a6&id=187905622
The Rest of Canada Day Weekend: http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2094194&l=1a079&id=187905622
First an update on who we hang out with in Korea, how we know them, and where they live.
Leah & Andy: Minnesotans living in the building across from us, working at the same branch. They've been here since our 1st day and have been awesome in helping us out. Our best friends here in K-town. What would we do without them? They enjoy a beer or 2-4 and Soju Jenja.
Jenn & Jeremy: Came from Columbus, OH, raised in the southern US, they live in a building across from us in the other direction and work at our branch. They were here last week for "training" (it was a joke week so they probably didn't learn a thing) and start the new semester with fresh classes. They are a little more experienced than us in life, both have masters degrees and Jeremy has 11 years of work experience under his belt. There is no real gap in our interests though, they like to have a good time and isn't that what life is about??
B-rod & Tina: He's Brad at our school for immigration reasons, but Rodnie by birth. B-rod can work anywere, so its stuck with us. They were substitutes at our school for June before Jenn & Jeremy arrived. Brad is here for another 2 months before a Laurier grad comes in September (Melissa King) and Tina is working at the Gireum branch for some special summer classes that are offered. They live in Sinchon, which is a good hour from where we are, but the spare bed has come in handy a few times as they aren't afraid to do what it takes to have a terrific night. Real gamers, these 2.
Mark & Julia: They live in Giruem, about 25 minutes from us by subway, and work at the Plus Academy branch there. They've been here from our beginning as well and they keep it real. They grew up in St. Catherines and were corrupted by the Western 'scene'. Honestly though, more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
Dylan & Naomi: New teachers at the Plus branch in Chang-Dong, which is 2 stops away from where we are, 15 minutes by bus perhaps. From Iowa (which I was politely reminded is NOT the potato state), they are on the same schedule as Jenn/Jer and we met them over a delicious Greek dinner last weekend. They seem like a good time too.
Rob, Ian, & other Topians: Topia is the biggest Hagwon in Korea, and the branch in our neighbourhood has 20-25 teachers. We met some of their posse at the beach a few weeks ago, and we run into them around Seoul on occasion. They really enjoy their lives, and there will be no shortage of parties for us to see more of them.
Matt Marois, Chris Aikens & their boys Ehmon & Cyrus: They live the exact opposite side of the subway line as us (at Incheon, near the airport), so it takes some special occasions for us to get together. We will be watching the race for 1st in the KBO closely between their SK Wyverns (honestly, the worst team name since the Salukis) and our Doosan Bears. For those that don't know, we know Matt & Chris from Laurier.
Joshman & Michelle: We have yet to meet Michelle, but from all accounts she's a real bombshell. Again, they live way away so coordinating something is tougher. Josh is from Laurier as well, Michelle is his Korean girlfriend.
Jay, his girlfriend Steph, & their crew: Another friend from Laurier and his girlfriend who is Minnesota-raised. We met them in the foreigners district a few weeks ago and had a blast, they live in Suwon where my boy Justin and his girl Erin are coming in a few weeks. We can go down there and visit 3 different groups (Josh, Jay, Justin are all in the same area) soon enough, which will be cool. Get 2 birds stoned at once.
Absent from the list are Anne & Colin, who lived just 1 stop away from us in Nowon and are also Western grads. Mark & Julia met them while here, they got to talking about became very close. They are back to the Ajax area (I assure you there are justifiable reasons for them to return to Ajax) and their good nature won't be easy to replace. Just terrific people in all respects.
Aren't we popular? I go to sleep every night thinking about how many friends we have, it is the best feeling in the world. You should really try to experience it sometime....
A new semester is underway at all Plus locations as of Monday the 2nd. It will be nice for Kelly and I to have our own classes from the beginning and see what causes some of the bad kids. Some of them are respectful by nature, are anxious to learn and want to have a good time while doing it. Some, on the other hand, view time with their foriegn teachers as free time and can't be controlled at all.
It is understandable in a way, since many of these kids work their tails off. English Academy (us), along with science, math, music, dance, Japanese, and other academies occupy these kids lives. Most don't have all of those, but many have 4 difference tutors they see a week, in addition to their regular school. When you consider that they may have English for 2.5 hours 3 times a week, it can get pretty busy. Add to that the homework they receive from them all, and it's hairier than Chewbacca. Some of these kids are running on 5-6 hours of sleep a night. Some hate Sundays (their only day off from school) because they spend it all on homework. A VERY competitive country, this Korea.
I have learned that when I yell I smile, which really doesn't help keep the kids in line. Anger really isn't something that is common in my everyday life, so I need to work on that emotion. I need more Dick Chaney in my life, that guy has anger absolutely perfected.
That should be enough for now. That's why I don't blog often, because when I do I write so damn much that I can't imagine anyone can possibly make it through the entire thing. I will do more frequent, less verbose postings from now on. Until then.
Recent Pictures:
Classroom Pictutes and Itewan Pictures: http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2093068&l=1ba83&id=187905622
Anne and Colin's Goodbye Party: http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2094191&l=8b7a6&id=187905622
The Rest of Canada Day Weekend: http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2094194&l=1a079&id=187905622
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Muuido Island
This past weekend was a jammed-packed weekend, filled with gulbi (Obviously), seafood, a beach, and
beach huts.
The Plus Academy retreat day we had with our school a few weeks back lead to a second place victory for us (Which we all know should have been first place, *cough*) and we were given a stack of cash to spend with the Korean teachers at our school. Friday night was the night we chose to spend it on indoor gulbi and Noreabanging. It was Ian and I'd first time having indoor gulbi and it was delicious! We ended up staying out pretty late at the biggest Noreabang (singing room) we have been to yet and then had to wake up Saturday morning bright and early for the trek to the beach.
To get to Muuido Island Beach, we had to take a bunch of public transportation. We took a cab to the bus stop, the airport limousine to the airport, a bus from the airport to the Ferry, the Ferry to the island, and another bus to the beach. However once we reached our final destination, our eyes were widened and we were ecstatic. We travelled to the beach with B-Rod, Saveena, Leah and Andy, and met up with Anne and Colin, and Mark and Julia. We made some other friends there too, some who had also made the trek from our very own neighborhood and stayed in some huts right on the beach. Talk about a fun, jam-packed weekend!
Links to pictures:
Island Pictures: http://wluca.f8.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2091285&l=48384&id=187905622
Noreabang and Gulbi Pictures: http://wluca.f8.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2090809&l=5275d&id=187905622
Monday, June 18, 2007
Lost in translation
We get essays and diaries to correct & grade a few times every week, and they vary widely in their skill level, humour, and oddness. Here are a few choice selections:
Joey, a bright 10-year-old in my grade 6 equivalent class:
Ian is handsome
Ian is tallest than my class
Ian is thinest than my class
Ian is genius
Ian is smarter than world
Ian is very very kind
Ian is perfect!
From one of Kelly's kids in the same level:
Kelly teacher!!
Your looks like angel!
Because your very kind and you is pretty more than me!
and sometimes your cute...so I think your is perfect!
So I like you teacher...bye!
I forget who wrote this:
Jesus, it's raining!
I really hate rain.
because it makes my soul d(r)own.
It was such melancholy day!
From one of Kelly's classes:
Summer is starting.
The weather is getting hot.
I have sweat.
My body smells for sweat.
I don't like summer.
(Kelly's suggestion, as noted at the bottom of the page: Maybe carry a towel around with you)
From the agenda for the workshop/recreation day I wrote about a few weeks ago:
15:00 ~ 16:00 Some kind of recreation gamaes.
16:30 ~ 18:30 Taking group photos and dinner with Boasting of our skill at songs.
(I means doing kareokee)
There will be many more to come.
Joey, a bright 10-year-old in my grade 6 equivalent class:
Ian is handsome
Ian is tallest than my class
Ian is thinest than my class
Ian is genius
Ian is smarter than world
Ian is very very kind
Ian is perfect!
From one of Kelly's kids in the same level:
Kelly teacher!!
Your looks like angel!
Because your very kind and you is pretty more than me!
and sometimes your cute...so I think your is perfect!
So I like you teacher...bye!
I forget who wrote this:
Jesus, it's raining!
I really hate rain.
because it makes my soul d(r)own.
It was such melancholy day!
From one of Kelly's classes:
Summer is starting.
The weather is getting hot.
I have sweat.
My body smells for sweat.
I don't like summer.
(Kelly's suggestion, as noted at the bottom of the page: Maybe carry a towel around with you)
From the agenda for the workshop/recreation day I wrote about a few weeks ago:
15:00 ~ 16:00 Some kind of recreation gamaes.
16:30 ~ 18:30 Taking group photos and dinner with Boasting of our skill at songs.
(I means doing kareokee)
There will be many more to come.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
"We was robbed"
As many of you may or may not have heard, Ian and I were robbed. We came home from school on Wednesday night, the bars on the window had been broken and the door was ajar. We entered our house and ran to our drawer to ensure our passports were still there. The strange thing is, nothing of value was stolen. Our cameras, computer, DVD players, TV, ipod speakers, passports and credit cards were all in tact and left behind. The insanely creepy thing is that the robber(s) only took a few things: Canadian money and some of my undergarments. I am completely disgusted and am now going to be extremely cautious from now on. It is so hard to believe this happened to us because South Korea is supposedly very safe.
New bars have been replaced on our window, which is great. And it is also reassuring that police take something like this very seriously, as our house was swarming with about 6 police officers, two building security guards, and Mr. Jong from Plus Academy within 5 minutes of calling Andy who reported it to Mr. Jong immediately.
Just a little update to let you know we are okay and have survived the most intense Korean experience thus far!
*Check out the link to see the cops dusting our apartment for prints! We pretty much felt like we were in CSI or Dick Tracey!*
http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089809&l=1579f&id=187905622
New bars have been replaced on our window, which is great. And it is also reassuring that police take something like this very seriously, as our house was swarming with about 6 police officers, two building security guards, and Mr. Jong from Plus Academy within 5 minutes of calling Andy who reported it to Mr. Jong immediately.
Just a little update to let you know we are okay and have survived the most intense Korean experience thus far!
*Check out the link to see the cops dusting our apartment for prints! We pretty much felt like we were in CSI or Dick Tracey!*
http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089809&l=1579f&id=187905622
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Another weekend, another adventure
Everything is great here in South Korea. This past weekend was an enjoyable weekend, as usual. We hung out with Leah and Andy on Friday night, made some pottery and chilled outside on Saturday and Saturday night consisted of going to meet a bunch of our friends from home at a Canadian bar called "Rocky Mountain" in Itewan. These friends were our good old buddies from Laurier; Marois, Josh and Marois's buddy Eamon from Aussie. It was a great time and the three story bar was really cool because it was a taste of home. There were license plates from every province and territory bordering the walls of the bar, Canadian sports jerseys hanging from the ceiling, a rooftop patio and a band playing on the second floor. Ian and I even got a "Montreal style" poutine and every bite was amazing!
Sunday we went with 10 friends to a Korean baseball game. We were with Leah and Andy from our school, some mutual friends from Laurier, and some other Laurier people; Susie, Vern, Marois and Aussie Eamon. The game was so much fun, we were out of our seats cheering the entire time for our favourite team, The Doosan Bears. An "inspirational" quote flashed along the screen several times throughout the game, reading: "Doosan Bears is my life." Hilarious. Anyways, the game was so much fun and it was great to have such a large group of people together so we decided to head to Itewan again. I am not sure if we have described Itewan other then calling it the "Foreigners District", but there is a U.S military base there so there are lots of North American goodies. I was SO exicted when I found cans of Diet Pepsi to buy on the side of the street. There are rumours we can find Kraft Dinner there as well! There are tons of different kinds of bars and ethnic restuarants and you can even get pitas there.
So this time we went to a bar called "The Bungalow". It was a wooden, three level candle-lit bar with sand on the floor, Muskoka chairs, Jacuzzis, tons of private areas as well as a rooftop patio. (It was awesome! I will post the pictures soon!) I was also really excited because I bought a wool shawl and a necklace made of bone from the street vender's.
We are hoping everything is great, wherever you are reading this from! Stay tuned for more adventures and please drop us a line! Cheers!
*Pics: http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089806&l=5c6bc&id=187905622
and:
http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089809&l=1579f&id=187905622
Sunday we went with 10 friends to a Korean baseball game. We were with Leah and Andy from our school, some mutual friends from Laurier, and some other Laurier people; Susie, Vern, Marois and Aussie Eamon. The game was so much fun, we were out of our seats cheering the entire time for our favourite team, The Doosan Bears. An "inspirational" quote flashed along the screen several times throughout the game, reading: "Doosan Bears is my life." Hilarious. Anyways, the game was so much fun and it was great to have such a large group of people together so we decided to head to Itewan again. I am not sure if we have described Itewan other then calling it the "Foreigners District", but there is a U.S military base there so there are lots of North American goodies. I was SO exicted when I found cans of Diet Pepsi to buy on the side of the street. There are rumours we can find Kraft Dinner there as well! There are tons of different kinds of bars and ethnic restuarants and you can even get pitas there.
So this time we went to a bar called "The Bungalow". It was a wooden, three level candle-lit bar with sand on the floor, Muskoka chairs, Jacuzzis, tons of private areas as well as a rooftop patio. (It was awesome! I will post the pictures soon!) I was also really excited because I bought a wool shawl and a necklace made of bone from the street vender's.
We are hoping everything is great, wherever you are reading this from! Stay tuned for more adventures and please drop us a line! Cheers!
*Pics: http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089806&l=5c6bc&id=187905622
and:
http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089809&l=1579f&id=187905622
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Anne's Birthday
Last night we went out for our new friend Annes birthday. Anne and her boyfriend Colin have been here for 11 months and leave in 4 weeks. It is such a small world though, and since they went to Western, we have a few mutual friends!
Since today (Wednesday) was Memorial Day here, we met up after work, expecting a late night since today we don't have to teach. A bunch of us met at a really cute restuarant in Hyehwa. The food, company and drinks were great and the night was just beginning.
After several bottles of wining and dining, the atmosphere shifted as we decided to walk the streets in search of liquor, beer and a Noreabang. The Birthday Girl ended up doing a karate chop at a streetside stand along the way and then we headed into a pretty nice Noreabang with a large statue of a Native Indian outside of it.
The night was great and we ended up singing until the sun came up. Leah, Andy and I all took a cab home and decided on a healthy McDonalds breakfast once we got back into our neighborhood. Glass was broken, and that is all you need to know. (Pictures to come, wait for the link!)
Today was uneventful and consisted mostly of sleeping, however Ian and I did make it to see Shrek the Third. Good times here in So-Ko!
Pictures: http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2088195&l=4379f&id=187905622
and
http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2088198&l=7484e&id=187905622
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Plus Academy recreation day
All of the teachers from the 3 Plus Academy schools were invited out for a team building day this weekend, to a little place known as Dream Island. We were treated very well by the owners and president as we were fed 3 meals, rewarded generously for our work, fed an unending supply of booze, and divided into 5 teams to participate in a bunch of games.
The day started at 8:45 as we boarded buses in front of our school and were immediately handed a Gimbop, a bottle of water, and a beer. Bop is the Korean word for rice, and a Gimbop is rice wrapped in seaweed with whatever flavour you choose in the middle. This one was tuna and I didn't eat it (I unwittingly cooked myself a few too many mini bakery pancakes after Kelly started reacting to them), but there really is nothing like a heavy rice dish washed down with a beer to start a day of fun in the sun. The beer I drank. Still have a little Canada left in me.
2 hours and several U-turns later we arrived at the Island, which was really nice. Surrounded by mountains covered in evergreens, with a little river running through the edge of the property, it was as picturesque as we've seen since being here. The soccer field was dirt, but that's the stardard here for whatever reason. They don't have a rain shortage so it's unclear why grass fields are non-existant, but I digress.
The day started with a little meeting (we had an English speaking one while the natives were motivated by the owner Mr. Kwon, who's a great dude and really enjoys a high five after he makes a good play in soccer) and then some lunch. The spiciest stuff since we've been here, but still good.
Then came the events! We had strategized a little before the event so we had all our teams in order at the start of the day. There was a cash prize for the winners so people were taking it pretty seriously. First event was the simplest - in a designated area laid about 100 pieces of bristol (sp?) board, 1 side white, 1 side purple. Get in there and come out with the majority facing your colour up. We were white, so we needed 51 white pieces face up at the end of the event to win. We dominated 3 straight matches. Brad, Tina, Leah, myself and a Korean teacher tore it up and got us blue-shirts off to the early lead.
Next 2 events lacked excitement, at least for us as we lost pretty handily in soccer baseball and a balloon popping game.
The 4th event, however, was controversial. A 6 person relay, with 3 men and 3 women. The men scheduled to run, Mr. Park, Mr. Lee (2 administrators from our branch) and myself, went out for time trials earlier that week and I posted an impressive 18.78 seconds to run the perimeter of some small park near our school. I have no idea how far it was, but neither of them broke the 20 second plateau so I was riding high. It was so strange, they called me out in the hall of the school, talked a little racing strategy, then beckoned me into the evelator for no real reason. It was when I noticed Mr. Lee's sneaks in a grocery bag that I finally clued in.
Mr. Lee was talked into officiating that day, so Brad took his place as our 2nd. The first 5 runners did a half-lap, and the anchors had the privelege of finishing off a full lap to make it interesting. Kelly got off to a hot start, getting the inside track and tossing a few 'bows to make sure she kept it. Our team did a good job keeping the lead, especially Brad, Tina, and Yoon (a Korean teacher...you'll notice I didn't mention Mr. Park) getting the baton to me with an advantage. Coming around the final corner I could feel someone trying to sneak by on the inside, but that obviously wasn't happening and we ended up winning by a full stride.
The controversy that ensued circled around Kelly and another runner getting tangled up after the baton pass and the other runner falling. They were upset that they were unfairly penalized, so Mr. Lee, being the nice man that he is (even though he's on our team, techincally) granted them an odd re-race. 2 men, 2 women, running straight lines so nobody could get in each others way, back and forth across the field, so you had to pass the baton to someone standing still and facing you. Even with a baton drop on 1 exchange, it was a photo finish and I think Mr. Lee gave it to the other team just to seem impartial. Frustrating thing was that the complaining team finished a distant 4th, and the winners were the ones we were competing with for 1st place. Either way, Kelly and I were both amazed at how well we could sprint considering neither of us had done it since elementary school. We kept in shape sporadically and still played sports, but both of us were the class of our heats. I don't want to toot my/our own horn here....but HONK HONK!
After that was soccer, and the first half was nearly as bad as my initial Korean soccer experience on no sleep. I dropped back to midfield for the second half, and playing a 2-4-4 with some great strikers made for an exciting half. I played infinitely better, getting the steal that led to our lone goal, yet we lost 2-1. I swear, if we had 5 more minutes we would've tied it. They had never experienced pressure like that, I tells ya.
A little free time after the game allowed for a nice cold shower and some chillin before dinner and some awards. Mr. Lee was speaking in Korean, I imagine giving thanks to those who came and to those who paid for everything, when suddenly I heard my name called into the mic. It seems I was 1 of 2 MVPs (or VIP to most Koreans) for the day! I guess my soccer skills were perceived to be a little better from the sideline, because I certainly didn't think I was doing anything special. I received a nice 100,000WON (pronounced 'on' with a W in front) gift certificate to the Hyundai department store, which I was told is quite upscale. So that was cool. Kelly also won a raffle prize of some Elizabeth Arden perfume, and our team (5th floor of the Junggye school) finished 2nd and took home 300,000WON which we're using for a party next week. Good times!
The night finished with some galbi, mekju (beer), soju, and a kareoke contest (they LOVE karaoke in this country, there are noraebangs, or singing rooms, all over the bloodly place) then we boarded the bus and headed home. Kelly and I are being treated very well around the office now as we are kind of celebrities since we are such a drastic change (with Brad and Tina too) from the previous couple who complained constantly and finished their last month with a multitude of screaming matches with coworkers and bosses. Things are going great around the office, everyone's getting along great and enjoying their time at work.
The day itself was a blast, met a lot of teachers that we didn't know, got some exercise (man are we paying for that these last 2 days though, groans every time we stand or sit), got some sun and had a lot of fun. The owners must've spent at least $5000USD equivalent on the day, paying for buses, renting the resort, buying many drinks (Gatorade, water, beer, and soju flowed), meals, 17 raffle prizes at a $30-40 average, and at least $1000 in cash prizes. The price tag was hefty, but they really seemed to enjoy everybody enjoying themselves, and it was obvious that everyone was grateful. Not the mention the numerous "up tops" that the owner received during the soccer game.
Links to pictures:
http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2087836&l=37d40&id=187905622
http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2087875&l=19500&id=187905622
The day started at 8:45 as we boarded buses in front of our school and were immediately handed a Gimbop, a bottle of water, and a beer. Bop is the Korean word for rice, and a Gimbop is rice wrapped in seaweed with whatever flavour you choose in the middle. This one was tuna and I didn't eat it (I unwittingly cooked myself a few too many mini bakery pancakes after Kelly started reacting to them), but there really is nothing like a heavy rice dish washed down with a beer to start a day of fun in the sun. The beer I drank. Still have a little Canada left in me.
2 hours and several U-turns later we arrived at the Island, which was really nice. Surrounded by mountains covered in evergreens, with a little river running through the edge of the property, it was as picturesque as we've seen since being here. The soccer field was dirt, but that's the stardard here for whatever reason. They don't have a rain shortage so it's unclear why grass fields are non-existant, but I digress.
The day started with a little meeting (we had an English speaking one while the natives were motivated by the owner Mr. Kwon, who's a great dude and really enjoys a high five after he makes a good play in soccer) and then some lunch. The spiciest stuff since we've been here, but still good.
Then came the events! We had strategized a little before the event so we had all our teams in order at the start of the day. There was a cash prize for the winners so people were taking it pretty seriously. First event was the simplest - in a designated area laid about 100 pieces of bristol (sp?) board, 1 side white, 1 side purple. Get in there and come out with the majority facing your colour up. We were white, so we needed 51 white pieces face up at the end of the event to win. We dominated 3 straight matches. Brad, Tina, Leah, myself and a Korean teacher tore it up and got us blue-shirts off to the early lead.
Next 2 events lacked excitement, at least for us as we lost pretty handily in soccer baseball and a balloon popping game.
The 4th event, however, was controversial. A 6 person relay, with 3 men and 3 women. The men scheduled to run, Mr. Park, Mr. Lee (2 administrators from our branch) and myself, went out for time trials earlier that week and I posted an impressive 18.78 seconds to run the perimeter of some small park near our school. I have no idea how far it was, but neither of them broke the 20 second plateau so I was riding high. It was so strange, they called me out in the hall of the school, talked a little racing strategy, then beckoned me into the evelator for no real reason. It was when I noticed Mr. Lee's sneaks in a grocery bag that I finally clued in.
Mr. Lee was talked into officiating that day, so Brad took his place as our 2nd. The first 5 runners did a half-lap, and the anchors had the privelege of finishing off a full lap to make it interesting. Kelly got off to a hot start, getting the inside track and tossing a few 'bows to make sure she kept it. Our team did a good job keeping the lead, especially Brad, Tina, and Yoon (a Korean teacher...you'll notice I didn't mention Mr. Park) getting the baton to me with an advantage. Coming around the final corner I could feel someone trying to sneak by on the inside, but that obviously wasn't happening and we ended up winning by a full stride.
The controversy that ensued circled around Kelly and another runner getting tangled up after the baton pass and the other runner falling. They were upset that they were unfairly penalized, so Mr. Lee, being the nice man that he is (even though he's on our team, techincally) granted them an odd re-race. 2 men, 2 women, running straight lines so nobody could get in each others way, back and forth across the field, so you had to pass the baton to someone standing still and facing you. Even with a baton drop on 1 exchange, it was a photo finish and I think Mr. Lee gave it to the other team just to seem impartial. Frustrating thing was that the complaining team finished a distant 4th, and the winners were the ones we were competing with for 1st place. Either way, Kelly and I were both amazed at how well we could sprint considering neither of us had done it since elementary school. We kept in shape sporadically and still played sports, but both of us were the class of our heats. I don't want to toot my/our own horn here....but HONK HONK!
After that was soccer, and the first half was nearly as bad as my initial Korean soccer experience on no sleep. I dropped back to midfield for the second half, and playing a 2-4-4 with some great strikers made for an exciting half. I played infinitely better, getting the steal that led to our lone goal, yet we lost 2-1. I swear, if we had 5 more minutes we would've tied it. They had never experienced pressure like that, I tells ya.
A little free time after the game allowed for a nice cold shower and some chillin before dinner and some awards. Mr. Lee was speaking in Korean, I imagine giving thanks to those who came and to those who paid for everything, when suddenly I heard my name called into the mic. It seems I was 1 of 2 MVPs (or VIP to most Koreans) for the day! I guess my soccer skills were perceived to be a little better from the sideline, because I certainly didn't think I was doing anything special. I received a nice 100,000WON (pronounced 'on' with a W in front) gift certificate to the Hyundai department store, which I was told is quite upscale. So that was cool. Kelly also won a raffle prize of some Elizabeth Arden perfume, and our team (5th floor of the Junggye school) finished 2nd and took home 300,000WON which we're using for a party next week. Good times!
The night finished with some galbi, mekju (beer), soju, and a kareoke contest (they LOVE karaoke in this country, there are noraebangs, or singing rooms, all over the bloodly place) then we boarded the bus and headed home. Kelly and I are being treated very well around the office now as we are kind of celebrities since we are such a drastic change (with Brad and Tina too) from the previous couple who complained constantly and finished their last month with a multitude of screaming matches with coworkers and bosses. Things are going great around the office, everyone's getting along great and enjoying their time at work.
The day itself was a blast, met a lot of teachers that we didn't know, got some exercise (man are we paying for that these last 2 days though, groans every time we stand or sit), got some sun and had a lot of fun. The owners must've spent at least $5000USD equivalent on the day, paying for buses, renting the resort, buying many drinks (Gatorade, water, beer, and soju flowed), meals, 17 raffle prizes at a $30-40 average, and at least $1000 in cash prizes. The price tag was hefty, but they really seemed to enjoy everybody enjoying themselves, and it was obvious that everyone was grateful. Not the mention the numerous "up tops" that the owner received during the soccer game.
Links to pictures:
http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2087836&l=37d40&id=187905622
http://wluca.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2087875&l=19500&id=187905622
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
