Friendsgiving... Oppa Gangnam Style

I swear I wasn't the only one drinking this night!!!!!

Thanksgiving is a time of year when you get together with your family and overindulge in food, booze, and football...it's a wonderful holiday.  The past 8 years I've lived in Colorado, away from my family and a lot of my close friends.  It's hard to be away from friends and family to begin with, holidays are especially difficult.  Every year for the last 8 years I would spend this day with my Colorado family and truly feel thankful for the people I am lucky enough to have in my life.  Being away from everyone this Thursday was the first time I've felt a bit homesick, probably the first time in my life I've felt this way to this extent.  I've been fortunate enough to travel a lot in my life, sometimes for an extended period of time, somehow I've always managed to be home for the holidays (whether home be Chicago or Colorado).  Even the time Per and I lived in Ireland, one of the deciding factors in deciding when to leave was being home for Thanksgiving (granted, this was mostly Per....I'm just trying to make a point here).  So this is a shout out to all my friends and family back home!  I miss you and I love you (almost all of you...just kidding, all of you)!

Working hard!

Also working hard!

Now, for my unfortunate friends that I have adopted as my Korean family...you are all so screwed!  Over Thanksgiving weekend 9 of us rented a house is Gangnam, Seoul Korea.  Prior to coming to Korea my only experience with Gangnam was the PSY song, which I studied daily so that I could have my dance routine down for the clubs.  I feel pretty confident saying we celebrated Thanksgiving better than any Korean in Seoul last weekend (for the record...we were most likely the only one's celebrating Thanksgiving).  We went potluck style, which was perfect given the diversity of our group and for the ethnic spread we were about to endure.  Naturally I bought a pie, and helped mash the potatoes...ok lets be honest here...I mashed every freaking

This is the look you get if you call Jonah, Jordan! 

potato in that house!

Smile ladies...and Jordan!

David mentally preparing

Here's the spread (a little different than what I'm used to):
Spring rolls
Egg rolls
Mashed potatoes (maybe the best ever...perfectly microwaved and perfectly mashed)
Stuffing
Waldorf salad
Mac'n cheese
Roasted chicken (sorry no turkey here...kind of a bummer)
Pasta salad
Banana bread
Rice (of course)
Stir fry
Pumpkin pie
Apple pie
Cheesecake
2 bottles of wine ($75 each thanks to David and I)
Soju, Soju, Soju, Soju, Soju

Pie and chopsticks

Everybody did an amazing job cooking and bringing this all together.  Since I'm a terrible cook I thought it would be a good idea to help go get all the food at Home Plus...since I'm terrible at directions this mission took 3.5 hours .  Sorry about that gang : )

It was a weekend that we all deserved and I have a feeling we all needed.  I'm proud to say we even hosted the first Thanksgiving for one of our friends!  Sara, now you know what it's like to eat like an American!

Thanks everyone for an amazing Friendsgiving and for being amazing people!

Let the record show, the deposit on the house was not returned to us...

Korean Halloween!

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year and I was a little nervous I was going to miss out on all the festivities...I thought wrong.  Fortunately, I have an after school class every Monday and Wednesday where I get to make the curriculum (unfortunately for them maybe?), so October was Halloween.  October was Halloween and only Halloween, we made masks, decorated the room and listened to Halloween music every class.  I felt like a proud teacher when I could hear students singing the monster mash in the hallways.

Busan

Beach in Busan

The week prior to Halloween a few of us jumped on a bus and headed to Busan, which was holding the largest fireworks display in Korea!  Busan is located on the southeast coast of Korea, it is the second largest city here (after Seoul) and is known for it's beautiful beaches...and now it's fireworks/Halloween parties!  Our first day in Busan meant hunting down a costume and securing a prime spot on the beach for the fireworks that night.  Sara and I spent about 4 hours looking for a costume with no luck.  We finally walked into a mall just hoping we could throw something together when we came across a glorious sign...."Toys R Us."  We put together pretty awesome costumes...considering the last time I bought anything at Toys R Us I was 3 or 4 years old (well, that I am willing to share with you at least).

Zorro?

"Snacks and drinks" 

After a successful costume mission we booked it to the beach.  We managed to get a spot right up front, as close to the water as they allowed you to get.  We had about 4 hours until the show started so we loaded up on snacks and drinks...we may or may not have had Papa Johns deliver to us on the beach.
The fireworks themselves were amazing!  The coast was filled with these massive barges that were lighting off the fireworks, along with a bridge running across the bay.  The coolest part was probably the music that was played during the show.  The fireworks were coordinated with the music playing at the time...really incredible!  Something that was not incredible, having to go to the bathroom during the show!  There were over 2 million people on the beach doing exactly what we were doing, since we were right up front it meant tramping over/through loads of people to get to the restrooms....this was not easy after all the "snacks" and "drinks" that were consumed in the 4 hours of waiting.  Overall, maybe the best fireworks I've ever seen.

After the fireworks it was time to put on our costumes and get stared at...I mean party.
Koreans do not celebrate Halloween, so basically all the foreigners dress up and walk around while Koreans stare and try and take selfies with as many people as they can.  We all gathered at the hostel to get changed and headed to the subway.  The poor Koreans commuting home from work that day were so confused when 15 foreigners jumped on the train wearing...well, wearing god knows what (clothes from Toys R Us I guess).  We took the subway to the University part of town.  I am pretty sure we gave those University students a lesson they will never forget.  See, we are spreading culture here...maybe I should have written this off as a business trip?

The next weekend was Halloween part deuce, in Seoul.  Now I've mentioned how Seoul is one of my favorite cities in the world, and Halloween being one of my favorite holidays I knew this was going to be a memorable one (or a good chance a hazy one).  We all gathered at the hostel in the University part of the city...I imagine you are picking up on the pattern here...I like to think I can party like all the college kids (turns out I can't...close...but can't).  We put on our costumes and headed to the park, which is supposedly what you do on Halloween...if you're a foreigner.  There was a D.J. playing some tunes, the park was filled with people in costumes and Koreans walking around in awe (taking selfies of course).  We went to the local convenience store for "drinks" and "snacks" and cruised around the park for a few hours chatting to a few Darth Vaders and a Rubix Cube (I think).

Halloween in the park

 Really the best part about Halloween in Seoul is you don't need to go into any bars or clubs, the party is out in the streets and parks.

The streets of Seoul

 Just so you know, we also went to bars and clubs, I'm just saying it's not necessary.

The club we went to : )

  I've never been asked to be in more pictures in my life, some people said it started to get old and by the end of the night were a bit over it...not me, "oh you want to take a picture with me?  Of course, it's my pleasure, I get this all the time."  I wish I could give some more details about the evening, I know it was a great night!  It's not that I don't want to give more details..it's that I can't.  I know I ended up at a Shawarma stand around 4:00a.m....so that's good!

It was a great October and I'm glad I was able to experience Halloween here.  I'm not sure if Korea feels the same way.  Today is actually Thanksgiving (back in the States at least), so Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope you ate and drank too much (and didn't watch the Bears game).  It's Friday here, rented a house in Seoul and are celebrating Turkey day ourselves this weekend!!!!

So stay tuned for that one : )

Seoraksan National Park

Seoraksan National Park

Seoraksan is the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range and the 3rd highest mountain in South Korea...and by far the most difficult day hike I have ever done.  Seoraksan National Park is located in the Gangwon Province on the eastern side of South Korea just outside of Sokcho.  The park is absolutely beautiful and the prime time to go is in October because you really get to experience the fall colors.

This trip was difficult for a few reasons other than it taking 15 hrs.  We started this adventure Friday evening when we caught the 7:50 p.m. bus from Ochang to Seoul.  We met most of our group here and departed for the park at 11:00 p.m.  I may not have read the fine print...or there's a good chance I didn't read anything at all, but I assumed we were going to our hotel and then starting the hike the following day.  This was not the case, after a 4 hr bus ride with no sleep, we pulled up to the park entrance to begin the day!  I quickly changed into my hiking clothes and put on my game face...which at 3 a.m. is not a very good game face (actually, not a very good face in any sense).

First sunrise I've seen in awhile...sober

We started the hike at 3:30a.m. with headlamps and fresh legs, neither of these lasted very long for me.  The first 2.5 hrs were basically in the pitch black.  As soon as my headlamp started fading I could see the sun start to appear from behind the mountains.  The sunrise could not have happened at a better time, I had about 10 minutes of light left in my headlamp and I was starting to freeze in the dark.

It was nice when the sun came up and we could finally see our surroundings.  The name of our hike was dinosaur ridge, this is because the 6 ridges we climbed resemble the back of a dinosaur...a very very large dinosaur.  The massive mountains and majestic cliffs surrounding us created some of the best scenery I have seen in Korea.

Dinosaur Ridge (count em!  6)

Sara and I just after sunrise

In all honesty, we probably did this hike about 2 weeks too late as a lot of the leaves had already fallen, which made some of the trails a little slick.  It was a nice change of pace hiking in the sunlight, it really warmed things up and just looking around was motivation to keep on.  This is one of the more popular hikes in Korea and the trails were a bit packed at times.  Which brings me to my next observations...I'm pretty sure Koreans are half machines, and I mean that in the nicest way possible.  There were many instances where I would hear the click of hiking poles creeping up behind me, in which case I usually sped up only to hear them continue to get louder and louder.  Eventually I would step to the side and let the speedster pass...the speedster was usually a 60+ year old lady (Ajumma is what they are affectionately referred to as) decked out in more hiking gear than I will ever own (due to lack of money not lack of coolness of said gear).  This happened throughout the 15 hr duration of the hike, it got to a point where  I made a game of trying to catch Ajummas in front of me and not let them pass me!  I was terrible at this game and soon found other ways to entertain myself along the way.  Like this!

Bman and Makkoli

Makkoli is a traditional alcoholic beverage native to Korea.  It's produced by fermenting a mixture of rice grains and boiled water...otherwise known as rice wine!  We pulled over a few times to enjoy the views and have a few pulls of Makkoli.  I think the Korean hikers were very impressed with our choice in hydrating fluids as they would always smile and say oooohhhh Makkoli or ahhhhhhh Makkoli.  

We did eventually make it down from this beast of a hike around 5 p.m.  My legs have never been so sore, I did however make a point at the very end of this hike to pass as many Ajummas as possible.  I think Sara was a little confused as to why I was practically running at the end of this hike, the truth is I was still counting on "Ajummas passed."

Also, part of the motivation to finish was a party on the beach back at our hotel!  After waiting a bit to collect all the weary hikers on our trip, we headed to Naksan where our beach motel awaited.  

Not sure if it really constituted as a motel since there was no bed or any furniture in our room.  The rooms were "ondol" style, which means no beds or couches or .... or really anything, you sleep on the floor.  At this point I could have slept in front of the hotel I was so tired.  We all had a celebratory beer (and shot of Soju), grabbed some dinner and went to bed.  I hadn't slept since Thursday night and had just finished hiking for 15 hrs...part of me really wanted to hangout on the beach and have some more beers...most of me told that part to get bent...and I did in fact just go to bed.   

I managed to wake up at a decent hour so I could walk along the beach and check out the temple that was down the street.  This is one of the few temples that is on a beach...so I had to check it out. 

Next week is a Halloween beach party in Busan!  There is supposed to be over 2 million people enjoying the festivities!  I hope nobody is wearing the same costume as me...that will be awkward. 

Sweet Sweet Seoul!

I think it's fair to say I have found one of my favorite cities in the entire world!  I have been to Seoul the last two weekends and I can't wait to go back (basically I have to wait until I get paid again).

Look in any direction in this city and you will be amazed at all the beauty it has to offer, whether it's massive skyscrapers, Buddhist temples, or a display of thousands of roses lit up in the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park.
I almost recommend going to Seoul with no plans and just walk around (or take the subway) and see what you stumble into (or if it's 3 a.m. who stumbles into you).  There is always something going on, and the public transportation is amazing.

Dongdaemun History & Culture Park

One night we were walking around Dongdaemun and noticed thousands of roses lined up in the park that created this spectacular view with the skyscrapers set as the background.
Another night it happened to be the Seoul International Fireworks Festival.  This event invites firework masters (It's unfortunate that Winona didn't offer this class) from all over the world to help put on a spectacular display.

I've never been big into anime, nor do I know a whole lot about it.  I did tag along with a friend this weekend to check out the Studio Ghibli anime exhibit and it was pretty magical.  This was the first time that the studio, founded by Hayao Miyazaki, held an art showcase outside of Japan.  I knew we were in for something special when they told us there was over an hour wait (well I knew it was either special or a waste of time...but I rolled the dice on this one).  I will admit, it would have been nice to have seen some of these movies prior, especially in Colorado (if you're picking up what I'm throwing down).  Here are some of the pics I        snapped from inside.

My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro

Spirited Away

Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle

One of the best parts about traveling is the great people you meet and all the random things/situations you find yourself in.  I was having a quiet dinner with my friend, planning on laying low and saving some money.  This is usually a poor plan and usually doesn't turn out the way you planned (especially in Seoul).  We were approached by a friendly German girl looking for some Korean Barbecue (we clearly looked like Korean BBQ connoisseurs) for her and her boyfriend who had just arrived to Korea.

Being the friendly, BBQ connoisseurs that we are, we offered to show her where to go...which also meant how to order...how to eat... and how to drink properly at such an establishment.  

3.5 hours later our plan to lay low and save money was failing miserably, but it's times like these when you're flying by the seat of your pants you find yourself enjoying life the most.  

Bman, Patrick, Mia, David enjoying a low key, quiet night in Seoul

Ok...it wasn't that quiet.

Our night may or may not have ended at 4:30a.m. but I do know it was one of the better nights I've had while here.  I also know that my first Noraebang (Korean Karaoke) experience was everything I'd hoped it would be (maybe more).  Also, yes, I did sing a Bruce Springsteen song to get things started right.  

This past month has flown by and my experience here has been amazing.  I've met so many great people and learned so much about a new part of the world and myself.

Just in case my parents are reading this blog, I swear I still have a job and I am still working (so relax)...here's proof.

This was actually parent teacher day, much like parent teacher conferences except the parents sit in class with the students.  I remember my parent teacher conferences back in the day...wow... Karma is a .....

  

First month in Korea!

I've been in Korea for about a month now!  I am starting to get the hang of teaching here, the students and other teachers are a pleasure to be around.  Everyone seems to go out of their way to make sure I feel comfortable and welcome, that is unless we are playing volleyball, they really don't take it easy on me there.  I did get recruited to play with the teachers on the Cheongwon Elementary volleyball team, so maybe they are trying to toughen me up for our upcoming  tournament (if any of the teachers are reading this...seriously, maybe you could just bring it down a notch until I get a little more practice under my belt?).
We had a birthday celebration for one of the other EPIK teachers last weekend in Cheoungju, chicken and beer of course.  There were about 20 of us celebrating, when we started singing happy birthday the whole bar joined in (in perfect English...ok, close to perfect English).  They were all very excited and clapping along as they sang.  After we finished singing the table next to us made the girl sitting at their table stand up so we could all sing to her as well!  The whole place was really getting into it.  One of the guys even stood up and gave me a hug after singing, not sure if it was because I was such a good singer or he was just really excited about the birthdays going on.

I started taking Korean classes every Saturday at the YMCA, I'm hoping my next blog will be written in Hangul.  Next week we are taking a field trip to a peach farm and grape vineyard.  I've loved going on field trips since the first grade...some things just don't change. Other things that haven't seemed to change: Korea, you have two trouble makers from Chicago...good luck.

I miss all my friends and family back home!  I imagine this is how you all cope with me being gone.

I've been eating at all the local restaurants, but did succumb to a guilty pleasure.  Here's how I validated:  I've only ever had Papa Johns delivery, not even sure you can eat inside in the U.S.  This place was a proper restaurant so we sat at a table while enjoying our pizza and garlic dipping sauce, Korean culture...bam!

FIRST WEEKS IN KOREA!!!!!

Well I finally made it, on time and everything!!!  First of all, Korea is crazy!  South Korea has a land area of about 100,000 square kilometers and a population of about 50,000,000 people.  So to give you an idea of what that means... South Korea is roughly the same size as Indiana but with the combined populations of California and New York (and I'm the tallest one here...half kidding).
The first week was a bit of a whirlwind with training in Daejeon.  It kind of felt like college all over again except classes went from 9a.m. till 8:20p.m., and I was actually paying attention this time.  We stayed at a college university called KT University and were roomed up in the dorms.  We took classes on everything from how to  Co-Teach to Korean language lessons.  It was extremely useful considering I've never taught nor do I know how to speak Korean.  We also had the two best group leaders in Korea!  Thank you so much Yuri Teacher and Mike (for English purposes he had us call him Mike).

The best part of training was our field trip to Jeonju Cultural Center.  There are 900 Traditional Hanoks (Traditional Korean Houses) and Jeonju is the biggest in Korea.  3 major highlights to this trip.

1)  The Portrait of Taejo - The portrait of Taejo is the only real portrait of him that has been kept over 600 years.  It is officially the only one left.  Sadly it is strictly prohibited to take pictures of this portrait.  Being a tourist I took one anyway so enjoy...
just kidding

2)  Bibimbap -  This was my first time trying this traditional Korean dish, and it was delicious! The word literally means "mixed meal."  Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sauteed and seasoned veggies) and gochujang (Chili pepper paste).  A raw fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef).  In 2011, it was listed at number 40 on the World's 50 most delicious foods readers' poll compiled by CNN Travel.  Not so shockingly, Chicago style hotdogs came in at 20...ok totally kidding about the hotdogs.

3)  Koreans have the selfie pic mastered! This was probably my favorite part.  Walking around I kept noticing people with their phones attached to a long pole.  Then I would see them extend the pole to about 4 ft and snap a masterful selfie of themselves with their friends!  Brilliant!  You aren't cool until you own a selfie stick (I'm not that cool yet...maybe next paycheck).

I've settled in a bit now that I am in my apartment and have met everyone at my school.  My school is amazing!  Everyone is so nice and so excited that I am here.  The kids follow me around yelling and screaming hello and bowing to me.  Whenever I walk into the teachers lounge the teachers perk up with a big smile and say hello.  Some will even run up to me, say hello and just stare at me, like they want to say something more but they don't know anymore English.  I've gotten pretty good at bowing and staring contests.
This morning the school had a welcoming ceremony for me (can't believe I just wrote that sentence for the first time....WTF Winona State!!!!).  When they introduced me I came running out to Born in the USA (kidding kidding, but I did think about it).  I prepared a little speech in English and then finished them off with the little Korean I know.  I think everyone enjoyed it.  The Principal even took me out to dinner afterwards!  The food was great, the conversation struggled a bit as I was the only one who spoke any English.  I even threw in some Spanish just to confuse them.

My apartment:  Well my apartment can speak for itself...it's very asian.

Tomorrow I have to take a bus 1.5 hours to Namil (somewhere in the country/mountains...I think).  I have to catch a bus at 7a.m. and then transfer buses halfway through.  If anyone knows me my sense of direction is terrible and I still get lost getting around Denver.  So who knows if I make it... stay tuned (If that's not a cliff hanger I don't know what is).