Umbrella Season

Actually, the title is misleading. Umbrellas and visors are used and worn quite liberally here, at ALL times of year: rain or shine, snow or fog. Of course, what I'm refering to is the rain.

Yes, indeed. It has been raining quite steadily since Wednesday. In fact, when I asked the about the weather in Venus class today, Julian confidently stated, "It's raining heavily". Wow. Some 6-year-old. He surprises me every day.

Magda and I embraced the rain with open arms on Saturday night, venturing to Hongdae to celebrate her birthday in style, in matching blue ponchos. We had a grand time - good tunes, good company. We even brought extra clothes as we had intended to have a puddle fight. Unfortunately we forgot about it. Rain check? Or would it be sun check...? Hmmm...

Karen and I met at the gym on Saturday morning. After completing my running intervals, some free weights, and stretching (and having been to the gym the previous evening) I was looking forward to my shower just minutes away. But no. Then the lady that works the front desk on Saturday mornings FORCED Karen and me on the bicycles. In Korean (I could understand) she demanded, "20 minutes!" She was pointing at our legs. I guess she thinks our legs are fat? She even held my iPod hostage. It's good for us, we know. So this is what we came up with as we biked, a limerick:

There was a bossy lady at the gym
Who wanted to help us get slim
She made us ride bikes
Which neither of us likes
But now we are fabulous and trim!

Last Wednesday I met up with Hunter for dinner. It was great to catch up. He took me to a nice little Italian spot that makes pizzas out of focaccia bread. Perfectly simple, light, and satisfying. Especially since my mom and I have had Italy on our minds, our trip having been a year ago at this time!

I find it terribly hard to believe I have only EIGHT TEACHING WEEKS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where did the time go, eh?

Sorry for the lack of photos. Will update with a few as soon as I get them on my computer! I've been busy with work and school stuff. It will get done though!

That's all for now...!

Summertime...and the living is easy

As promised, some pictures from my previous Saturday out with my (at-the-time-but-has-since-turned-platonic) crush! Biking and rowing and BBQ, oh my!


We had smoked duck BBQ...possibly the best BBQ I've had here.

View from the restaurant

Swinging in the park

Rowing our boat

We came across this little band playing on our ride back to town...we stopped to listen for a bit

Things are good between us. We've been talking, and we're going to hang out on Sunday so he can help me with some stuff...not that you were worried!

In case you missed the kiddies, here are a few snapshots from our field trip last week to see an "English" musical: Tom and Jerry in New York (it was still mostly in Korean...but hey! I got the gist of it)!

Pluto - Fiona and Chloe

Pluto - Kevin and Alex

Pluto - Thomas

The elementary students had a speech contest last week. I was so proud of them! They worked so hard and did a great job (as nervous as some of them were).

Jason, talking about Van Gogh, and how he wants to be an artist like him

Antony - this kid is ACTUALLY a monkey. He climbs on me every day.

I've still been meeting Kammy on a weekly basis for our language exchange. Between that and going out a few times with a Korean guy, I feel like my learning curve over the last month really spiked. Reading is coming a lot faster to me, and my vocabulary is growing. Yey! Kammy wants to simply work on her conversation and pronunciation. Last week she started reading "The Time Traveller's Wife" aloud to me. I was hooked by the first page! I haven't read the movie or seen the book yet, so this is really fun for me. I just help her with some words and explain anything she gets stuck on. The week before we actually went to see X-Men. Please don't judge me, but this was my first X-Men film. It had Korean subtitles, but for the parts where the characters were speaking French, Spanish, German, and Russian, the subtitles were STILL Korean. French and Spanish were fine; German and Russian were iffy. I recognized a few words, although the action was pretty explanatory! Anyways, I really am enjoying the language and cultural exchange.

I've also been meeting up with Magda on a weekly basis. I can't get enough of this girl (we met on the Gyeongju bike trip in April; she lives in Anyang; Polish-Canadian from Toronto). We just REALLY get each other, and thoroughly enjoy each other's company. I hadn't really really clicked with anyone here until we met. It's nice to have her around. We have a few upcoming things planned...this weekend is her birthday so she and I will celecrate that together in Seoul. The second weekend of July, there is a specific park we want to check out, then we'll spend the rest of the day at the beach. We'll feel it out if we want to stay the night or head home the same day. Then...! I have the last week of July off. I will be going to Jeju Island for five days. The second weekend overlaps with Magda's holidays so she is going to meet me at my hostel, and we'll spend the weekend hiking and touring together. Yey!! It will be awesome. I can't wait. I plan to have some relaxing beach days, explore some parks, and savour the beautiful Korean island. I really want to take advantage of the country while I'm here. I am suddenly feeling the crunch of "oh-my-goodness-I'm-leaving-soon-and-there-is-still-so-much-to-see-and-do!"

I started working on that this past weekend. Early in the afternoon on Sunday, I thought to myself - hmmm...I have never spent any time in Hongdae during the day. I think I'll go get lost there! So off I went. Hongdae is a popular clubbing area in Seoul so is often a nighttime destination. However, there is an art university there, and it's a really groovy little neighbourhood. Lots of quirky shops and cafes, art, young people, music...I enjoyed my aimless meandering. Anyways, I'm going to start taking little afternoon weekend "trips" into various parts of Seoul and greater Seoul, just to check out some neighbourhoods that I haven't seen yet!

Hongdae

Charlie Brown Cafe in Hongdae

Hope Market in Hongdae - AWESOME handcrafted jewellery and things

Hongdae graffiti

Barrow boys, vintage clothes, coffee and chocolate shops

It was right around here that some giggling tweens asked me to be in their school projects. I had to wear this big read flower in my hear and say "hello" in Korean, two times, in a specific sing-song way, while the girls recorded me. I was a good sport. It's not the first school project I've participated in, although most involve surveys, and no on-screen time.

A couple weeks ago I bought a pair of Birkenstock sandals, for all the walking I do. I was the worst customer. I tried on SO many pairs and colours and styles and sizes, and FINALLY made up my made. The salesman (salesBOY) was asking my name, where I'm from, how old I am, the usual. He rung in the sandals $5 less than they should have been. I pointed this out to him, and he said "It's okay, you have beautiful eyes". Then he GIVES me a $5-off coupon for another purchase, AND a t-shirt (that I later check is labelled at about $35). SWEET! He made my day. Thanks, ABC-Mart salesboy.

And...drum roll please...I HAVE CONFIRMED A PLACE TO LIVE IN OTTAWA!!! What a relief it is to have that settled!

I'm outtie 5000. Night night!

What the SHREK?!

One of my students was wearing a t-shirt that said above expression. I thought it was hilarious. I think he's on to something.

Another funny tidbit: during arts and crafts last week, balloons were involved. I am not very good at tying balloons, so I told this to my students. No kidding, Buddy says, "But you're a teacher! Teachers can do anything!" He said it again that same week about something else I was struggling with. Haha

I still love my produce lady. On my way home this evening, I wanted my usual cherry tomatoes and a couple cucumbers (this should cost me about 4000 Won, just under $4). She gives me FOUR cucumbers, a bunch of lettuce, my tomatoes, and a few hot peppers. 4000 Won. She loves me. I love her!

It's nice to be back in my regular routine, although with the nice weather it's harder and harder. My social calendar always feels booked to maximum capacity. It was AMAZING having Lindsay here with me though. I miss her! It was a nice change in routine, to see her each evening. She had a lovely time during the days while I worked, venturing into Seoul - shopping, spa, site-seeing. She was little Tina Tourist! She met a lot of my friends at some group dinners I planned, and we had lots of girl time/catch-up time for ourselves, too!


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LINDSAY IN ANYANG!!!



Dinner with my Sunday language group





Korean BBQ with coworkers and friends

...and drinks after!

Lindsay and Leah

Spicy chicken soup. SO DELICIOUS! I had only ever had my school's version of this at lunch. At a restaurant?? WOW.

Enjoying our soup!

Lindsay and Leah date night at 2nd

Mmmmmm Chinese dumplings. Delightfully delicious broth leaks out of them as you poke them. I would seriously go to this place just for the broth. THAT good.

Evening in Myeong-dong (post dumplings)

As you can see, I could probably do an entire blog on the food that we ate. Some of the meals were a first for me as well! I'd like to thank Christian (our mutual McGill friend) for bringing us to these wonderful restaurants! I should mention...on Lindsay's first night, we had RAW BEEF. Christian had suggested it to me before, but I politely declined. Well, we actually did it. IT WAS SO TASTY! And clearly I'm alive to tell the tale. Whatever marinade you dip it in is lovely - sesame and green onions. You don't eat a lot of it, but WOW. Yum!

Friday evening (June 3) soccer game at World Cup Stadium: Korea versus Serbia!

Victory!!! 2-1 for Korea

Post-game celebrating in Hongdae, with new friend Alice!

Lindsay and I went to Busan from June 4-June 6! We arrived Saturday evening and went straight to bed. Our hostel was REALLY cozy, clean, and fantastically located. We were on the second floor of a building, RIGHT IN the Haeundae Market. Haeundae beach was a three-minute walk away!!

The market

Because of the long weekend, there was a sand festival going on. Yey for sandcastles and sculptures!

LOVING the beach

Prime beach territory

Ahhh....soooooooooooo nice

So many foreigners from Seoul migrated to Busan for the weekend. I ran into some people that I know, and Linds and I met up with one of her high school friends!

Sunday evening out: tex-mex at the Fuzzy Navel!

Love.

Monday stroll around Busan (Wendy Walkabouts!)

Gwang-il Beach

Fresh fish

We had so many laughs. I feel so lucky to have had a visitor!!

In other news, my crush joined some outings when Linds was in town, and we've since gone on a few dates. I'll post pictures from our lovely Saturday - tandem biking, a row boat, and a great late lunch at a beautiful restaurant. I've since decided it's best if we just stay friends. It was fun while it lasted, and I do think we'll be friends. These things don't always work, right? It's all life lessons, learning experience, shaping exercises.

More news - I've 90% solidified a place to live in Ottawa!!! Fingers crossed for me that it all works out...!!

It's good to be back. I'll write again sooner! Just not now. I'm wiped! Miss you and love you! BACK TO CANADA IN LESS THAN THREE MONTHS!

Oh! Heather! You commented about the "Korean menu" that I like to order from at Zoo Coffee. This menu has red ginseng and honey teas and lattes, persimmon drinks...just ingredients more typical to Korean foods and drinks!