Bring on the fun....and food!

We're arrived safely in the USA. Our flight experience wasn't the greatest this time, probably the worst we've had so far. It started when we got to the airport and the woman at the ticket counter said, "you don't have an entry stamp to get back into Korea, go to Immigration." The line at immigration was at least 60 people deep, so I put on a puppy face and 4 minutes later a woman helped me and told me I could buy the re-entry stamp once I had gone thru security. So, B and I went thru and found the office. It took almost an hour to get the stamp, and we spent all the Korean Won that we had on us, and by the time we got to our gate, they were boarding. We did meet a guy in immigration who worked in the same small city that we worked last year (I thought he looked familiar). Then, in line for our Tokyo flight, we ran into some Canadian friends who we had met on our Chinese tour.
The ride from Korea to Tokyo was smooth, no problems. We even had individual TVs on the seat in front of us (we didn't really need it for the 2 hour flight though). Our layover in Japan was under 2 hours, so we just hung out there, but when we got on our plane, and settled in for our 11 hour flight, we realized quickly that our seats were in the last row of the plane....66! And, of course that's right by the bathrooms. So there were people coming and going the whole flight. To top it off, there was a young girl in front of us who kept opening the window shades to let the sun in. Not cool when you're trying to sleep!
Luckily we arrived in MN 30 minutes early and breezed thru customs. B's mom picked us up and we're now in Eau Claire WI at her house. We've already met up with B's grandma/pa Hohlfeld and cousin Tasha, and it was great to see them. Tomorrow we're headed to Duluth MN to see H's mom!!

A Party Like None Other

On Friday, Brandon celebrated his 26th Birthday. We had a tasty Chinese lunch with a friend and then in the evening met up with many of our friends for a big bash. The evening started off with a pork BBQ at one of our fave restaurants. Good thing we made reservations as there were 14 of us! Then we moved onto the tent bar, where we met up with hagwon teachers who finished work at 10pm. Our friend Megan, who works in Incheon (we met her last year on top of a mountain) even made it to Wonju! After a few hours at the tent, we moved onto U2, a western style bar and somehow we got talked into going to a dance club. It was a very interesting experience at least. To end the night, about 8 of us went to a karaoke room to sing it up. We ended out night when the sun came up. Two more of our pals are headed back to England and last night was our last time to see them, so we really made it count.

Today we're taking care of things at home as we have to leave our apt at 5.30am to catch the airport shuttle bus. Our flight leaves at 11am, and arrives in Tokyo at 1.30. Then at 3pm we'll be on the long flight back to MSP, putting us in the US 11am the 27th. Super exciting!!

The gang enjoying dinner.

Not looking a day over 24, I promise ;)

Taking up a good portion of the Tent Bar.

H, Alex, and B. He's from England but studied a year at UW-Eau Claire. Small world!

Korean BBQ & Congrats!

On Tuesday, to kick off our vacation, we went to my co-worker's house for a small BBQ. It was a great night to be outside, and since they have a house in a quiet neighborhood, it felt like a small getaway! Wednesday we took the bus an hour to Chuncheon, where we updated our alien registration information. Today, Thursday, is a rainy day, and has been raining constantly since about 6am. This may be our welcome to the 2008 monsoon season.
We heard very exciting news that my best friend Emily Museus and her husband Trent have welcomed a new baby boy into the world on July 23rd! 7lb, 10oz healthy baby boy. We're so happy for the family and can't wait to meet the lil guy!
Tomorrow is B's 26th birthday so we're having a party with some foreigners in town. On the agenda:a pork BBQ dinner, drinks at the tent bar, and maybe even some karaoke.
We leave Korea on Sunday the 27th at 11am for America, and arrive the 27th (American time) at 12.25pm, MSP. Can't wait to see everyone!

B, Yerrin, and her dad enjoying the BBQ.

Last Week of Classes

We've got one more day of classes, and are looking forward to our summer vacation! Korea is still suffering a heatwave, and the poor students are busy sweating (and not concentrating) all day long.

This week H prepared a karaoke-type lesson for the last class. Students could choose any song and sing to their classmates. Some students showed their dancing abilities as well. One class was awarded choco-pies as their class received the most stickers for speaking English this semester (200 actually). Tomorrow she'll do the same at her small rural school as well.

B has been entertaining his students with a Japanese animation (translated into English). He's got to go to school for a half-day on Monday, but it's only for a closing ceremony.

Today was also the last Korean language class for H. One member is heading back to England so we had a group photo. Granted, 3 students were absent as they will be traveling starting this weekend, but it was a good last class.

7th grade class 1-2. The class with the most stickers!!

A typical meal for us: meat mix with added veggies, spicy cucumbers, raw veggies, lettuce.

Korean language class members: Heath, Vin, Annie, Amy, H, Sonya, and our teacher.

School Day Trip

On Tuesday B's school began their 3-day exam period, which means that he has 3 half-days this week. To kick off the big event, all of his teachers gathered Tues. afternoon and headed 2 hours south-east to a town called Jung-seon. This place is 'famous' for its rail bikes. An extensive set of railroad tracks are in the area, and some are now being used for this fun, touristy thing. About 30 teachers ended up going on the trip.

After the rail bike, they headed to an old gold mine cave, and took a walking tour through that. Soon it was time for dinner, and B ate a spicy chicken stew type meal. All in all it was a good day for him.

Yesterday was my last extra high school class, and today is my last extra mother's class. All of the mothers want me to continue this class next semester, but I'll be way too busy with university. So, tonight after our class they're taking my co-teacher and I out for dinner. The menu is a surprise, but I'm sure it will be tasty.

This is the 2-seater rail bike (they're pushed together in this picture).

There were also 3-seater options, which all of the teachers rode. B was with a P.E. teacher and his Vice Principal.

This was inside the former gold-mine/cave.

Two weeks ago one of the English teachers had a house-warming party (he invited all 40 of the teachers over for dinner, and most of us came). This is my friend Gyung-un, me, and my co-teacher Jinny b4 the meal.

Hot & Humid

The weather here is becoming unbearable. Temps are in the high 80's everyday and the humidity never drops below 70%. Yesterday, it was 89 but felt like 107. Yuck.
On Friday (4th of July) we had an Independence Day/Going Away Party for 3 of our friends who are heading back home soon. It was potluck style, so we got to enjoy some great foods. It was nice to chat with friends, as we know we won't see them again for a long time.
Saturday B had his test for his 2nd degree black belt. Although he won't find out the results for a few weeks, he feels that it went well.
This week his school has finals so he'll get to come home early 3 days this week. I've got a full class schedule and hoping that I can keep the students focused enough to play a review game.

Rained Out

This past weekend we made plans to visit a really cool mountain and temple in southwest Korea. We were planning on renting a car with our friends Dayle and Hee-kyung, but unfortunately we awoke to rain on Saturday morning. It rained all day so our trip has been postponed for now.
Instead we went to the movies with some friends; we watched "Kung Fu Panda," an animation about a Chinese panda who becomes a kung fu master. It was a cute movie. We grabbed dinner at a Japanese place downtown after the movie. We were curious to see how authentic it was, and since our pals lived in Japan for over 2 years, we thought they'd be pretty good judges. They said that it was fairly authentic but definately had "Korean" influence.
Afterward Amy and I did a bit of shopping downtown while the boys headed to our place to hang out.
On Sunday we relaxed at home and did an E-mart run in the evening for groceries. Luckily we went late enough as all of our meat was half-off.
B just found out today that instead of his vacation starting July 26th, it now begins July 19th. They then asked if there's anyway we can change our plane tickets to match this change. Sometimes the Korean way of doing things is a little too unorganized for us (we told them there's no way). Now we've got a week together to hang out b4 coming to the States (maybe we'll get to take in our mountain and temple then!)

Yeongwol (영월) & Body Exhibit

On Saturday we took a day trip with our friends Amy and Heath to a small town named Yeongwol. It was only about 40 miles from Wonju by car. We first toured a cave just outside the town called Gossi (고씨) Cave. It was fairly quiet there and as there are a few paths, we felt like real adventurers! We had all packed a picnic lunch, and drove along the large river until we came across a big group of rafters. We enjoyed our lunch down by the water and afterward followed the river for some time and stopped at some nice rock formations. We drove back to Wonju and finished our day with a nice shabu-shabu dinner (Jananese style meal with thinly sliced beef dipped in a hot pot of water, wrapped in a rice and lettuce ball).

Today we visited the "Mysterious Human Body" exhibit that was in Wonju. Since it was the last day in our city, we thought we better check it out. This is a world-renowned exhibit showing off the human body. It was a bit gruesome but also quite informational and fascinating.

Next week H's school has final exams, so she won't have many classes this week as the kids are preparing for their 12-subject, 3-day exam! B's finals don't start for another two weeks, so it's teaching as normal for him this week.

One of the cool formations inside the cave.

Amy, Heath, B and H down by the river (too bad we couldn't swim to the other side to investigate this cave, too!

Seondol rock formation located in the Seogang River.

The exhibit, the last shot I took before I was informed that photos were not allowed.

We grabbed pizza after the Human Body Exhibit: Dayle, B, Heath, Amy, H, and Hee-kyung.

Sunday day trip to Chungju (충주)

On Friday evening we helped our Kiwi friend Dayle celebrate his birthday. There was a good turnout of fellow teachers and we had a nice time eating dinner, having a beer and singing at a karaoke room. Yesterday we relaxed at home all day, so that we could rest up for our big day trip.

Today we took the bike to Chungju, a city 35 miles south of Wonju. It was a perfect day for a ride! We didn't go into the city proper, but opted to head to the biggest dam in Korea. We took a 3 hour tour on the man-made lake and took in some beautiful scenery. When we got back on land, we hopped on the bike and made it back to Wonju in an hour.

On Chungju Lake (taken by one of the boat's crew)

Amazing rock formations.

Someone fishing in the lake.

Back to Danyang & Big News!

This past Saturday we took our 1st big bike ride; we went back to Danyang but this time we took the smaller highways. The weather was perfect for a ride, and we stopped a few times along the way to take in some scenery. We eventually got to Danyang (2 and a half hours later) and stopped by the #1 scenic treasure in the city: Do-dam-sam-bong. This is a unique rock formation in the middle of the lake. It was an impressive site, but that's not all that was there. We hiked uphill 300 meters and were able to see a gigantic stone arch overlooking the river.

Next we took the bike into town and found Go-su-dong-gul, one of the most famous caves in Korea. There was a bit of a line (that's how we confirmed that it was indeed 'famous') but it was worth the wait. It was very humid in the cave, and our camera batteries died right before we exited the cave, so we knew then it was time to head home. We got back on highway 5 and rode it all the way to Wonju (this time it only took 1.5 hours!)

Today we got some great news: we've both been accepted to Sejong University's MBA Graduate program. This course would allow us to get our Master's in Business Administration in two years by taking night and weekend classes. If all goes as planned, we'll stay in our current city for 2 more years while traveling to Seoul 3 times a week for class. We still need to discuss the details with our schools, but the main thing is that we got accepted!!

We had a break in high temps and humidity for about a week, but it has returned with a vengeance. It should be an interesting summer session as neither of our schools have AC!

Some farmers smiling after I waved to them from the bike.

On our way to Danyang we stopped in Jecheon and found this peaceful stream. From all the inner-tubes we saw, it must be a zoo in the summer.

Danyang: Do-dam-sam-bong (we took our helmets off only for the pic)

Inside the Go-su Cave.

B-Boy & Martial Arts Show

Last Saturday we traveled to Suwon with our friends Heath and Amy to check out the International B-boy competition. We met up with our Korean friends Arnie and Jinny for one last time, as they're getting ready to move to New Zealand for at least a year. The six of us enjoyed the 3-hour show (Russia came in 1st, and Korea was 2nd) and grabbed a beer afterward.

In the morning, we thought we'd see what was happening in the city. We found out there was a traditional martial arts show in front of the main palace in town, so we watched the performance; it was pretty impressive.

This week we had a 4-day work week; today the 6th is Memorial Day in Korea. This is a strange time for Americans to be living in Korea, since there's a big movement to keep the FTA/American beef out of Korea, due to fears of mad cow. Unfortunately, many Koreans don't know the facts about mad cow disease and have whipped themselves into a frenzy based on rumors and plain lies. This is taking the form of some anti-American feelings, and they don't seem to be dying down yet. They've been rallying in some way for over a month, and the rallies and candlelight vigils seem to be happening more frequently. We're not in danger, but we're getting tired of the comments and such.

On a positive note, we'll be home for 4 weeks on July 27th! It's time for a well-deserved break, and we're looking forward to seeing friends and family.

B-boy in Suwon.

Hwaseong Fortress: Martial Arts Show.

Posing with the performers after the show.

Danyang (단양)

Last Saturday we hopped in the car with 2 friends and took a 1-hour road trip to the small city of Danyang. A huge river ran through this city many years ago, and now has several beautiful sights. Although we didn't even see half of them, the things we did see were great.

First we grabbed lunch in town, and then headed to the country where we took a tour of a famous, historical Korean movie set. It was fun to play with all of the props. There's also a cave on site so we walked/crawled through that (some parts had really low ceilings).

After that, we visited Gu-insa, a Buddhist temple. It's a special temple as it's a different sect of Buddhism, and it was cool to see of the differences. We made it back to the city at sundown, to see some parasailers flying above the river. There happened to be an azalea festival in town so we walked around the booths and ended up getting kebabs from some deaf Turkish men. Their faces sure lit up when we came back for seconds! As we were chowing down, we heard fireworks, and were able to take in a great fireworks display. Right after that, we heard some music and wandered onto a nationally televised Korean Concert. Our Korean friend told us that the singers were famous performers. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day!

On Tuesday, H's school had a festival all day. I climbed a 400 meter mountain with the 1st graders (very tiring) and then they enjoyed various games throughout the day. We ended the afternoon with a talent show where one skit made fun of some teachers. I was glad to not have made it on the list, but after that they wanted some teachers to come up and sing. As singing is not my strong suit, I snuck out of the auditorium just in time!

The weather has gotten hot here recently, temps are in the high 70's already. The humidity is already coming on strong and we're not looking forward to the June/July months.

The 2 couples: Dayle (from New Zealand) and his wife Hee-Kyung (from Korea)

Dayle and B joking around on the set of the Korean drama.

At Gu-insa Temple.

Enjoying the fireworks display.

The 2nd & 3rd graders made a giant receiving line for us as we left the school to climb the mt.

Some parts were so steep that we had to pull ourselves up with a rope.

The first of the 260 students to make it to the peak.

Hiking & B-day Party

On Friday evening we met with most of the EPIK teachers for a group dinner; close to 30 turned up and it was a fun night.

Saturday morn B and 3 guy friends decided they would climb the 1300 meter mountain. It took them all day, so I had lunch with my Korean friend and then afterward went to her nephew's 1st birthday party. Korean 1st b-day parties differ from Western ones, as there is a big to-do with fun activities.

When people arrive, they guess what object the child will pick IE-pencil=scholar, $=wealth, a microphone=entertainer, and so on. When the baby selects one of the items, whoever guessed correctly gets their name put in a raffle. Three names were drawn, and those guests are brought up to the front of the room and given a nice gift.

Everyone enjoys a wonderful buffet, and then sings the baby the B-day song. Of course, everyone brings either money or gifts. When they get ready to leave, the guests are wished well by the family and given rice cakes and, in this case, some dishes with a "happy birthday" theme on them.

My Australian friend Amy and I were the only westerners at the fiesta, and when asked who had come the farthest to be at the event, we were almost ushered on stage to collect the $10 being given away. Luckily, the mother's cousin had come from south-west Korea, so he got the cash instead!

Dayle, Nick and Heath at the top of Chiaksan!

The family blowing out the candle!

Me with the fam: my friend Kyung-eun & her younger brother (holding their nephew), their older sister in the Korean dress along with her 6-year old daughter Hyo-Een.

Buddha's B-day & Teacher's Day

May 12th was Buddha's birthday, so we had the day off. A few days earlier was visited 2 temples, one of them very famous in Korea. So for the big day we just relaxed at home.
Yesterday both of our schools had Sports Day for the kids, so all day the kids played games and such. They enjoyed soccer, basketball, dogdeball, arm-wrestling, the Limbo, 3-legged race, and we ended with a relay race. It was a fun day.
Today (the 15th) is Teacher's Day in Korea. Traditionally this has been a time to honor your teacher, but these days it's getting out of hand as parents feel obligated to send gifts for each of their childrens' teachers. So, both our schools decided to give us the day off. This eliminates any stressful situations for everyone. We feel lucky as not all of our teacher-friends to have the day off. We plan on grabbing some lunch with our friend, work out at the gym, and then tonight H has Korean class (wonder what I should bring for MY teacher...)

Next week will be the 1st full week of school for both of us since April, so it'll be tough getting back into the swing of things again. No more holidays for us til summer vacation in July.

Bong-Jeon Temple near Andong.

At the famous Boo-Seok Temple near Youngju.

This temple has a beautiful view, and people come to see the sunset here.

Showing Family Around

This past week we welcomed our 3rd round of 2008 visitors-Crystal & Christopher (B's mom & brother). On Saturday morn they did the DMZ tour, and got a peak into the mysterious North Korea. On Sunday we all made our way into Seoul where we enjoyed the Lotus Lantern Parade. Monday we stopped by Wonju just long enough to drop off our stuff, and headed to the East coast city of Sokcho-famous for its beautiful Seorak National Park. We took a nice hike up to some waterfalls ad even took a cable car ride to the summit of one of the peaks. The view was amazing!

Thursday and today H had to work so B and fam hung out around Wonju, taking in what there was to see and even watched a movie at the cinema.

Tomorrow we're planning on visiting a folk village and a famous temple, and Sunday morn it'll be time to say goodbye already. We're lucky to have had such wonderful experiences with our friends and family so far in '08!!

South Korean soldiers at the DMZ.

Magnuson's in Seoul.

Chris enjoying himself at Seorak Natl Park.

Lovely shot of the temple within the Natl Park.

Showing Friends Around

On April 18th Heather's friend from Middle School, Tanya, and her boyfriend John, came for a visit. We started off the weekend in Suwon, walking around an historic fortress that was built around the city hundreds of years ago. The weather felt like summer, with temps in the 80's. On Sunday we headed to Seoul where we explored the city a bit and then took in a show called "Jump." It's a non-verbal action-comedy with lots of Taekwondo moves. We all had a blast with that!

Monday T and J came to my school and got to experience school life for a typical Korean middle-schooler. Everyone was so impressed by their height and they enjoyed the new settings.

Wednesday and Thursday they explored Wonju solo as neither of us could get off work. They wandered around the market and tried some Korean snacks along the way.

Friday B and I got the day off, so we went back to Seoul for more exploring. We checked out the COEX Mall, a temple in the middle of the city, and Namdaemun Market. It just so happened that the Wonju pro basketball team was playing their final playoff game in Seoul, so we scored tix to that and were able to cheer our team onto a Championship victory!

On Saturday we took a scenic train ride from our city to the east coast, and got the see not only the mountains but also the East Sea. It was a relaxing day for everyone. We ended T and J's final night in Korea at the Norae-bang (singing room).

Everyone had a wonderful time and it's hard to believe how fast the time flew by. We're grateful that our friends came to visit us! Now it's time to prepare for Crystal (b's mom) and Christopher (b's brother), who will arrive this Friday!!

In Suwon at the World-renowned fortress.

Our first Korean meal together:barbecued pork ribs.

Pals visiting a Buddhist temple in down-town Seoul.

We met up with our Canadian friend and visited the beach in Gangneung together.

Gangneung (강릉)

Yesterday we ventured to the east coast to Gangneung to enjoy a cherry blossom festival. It was only and hour and a half bus ride away; some friends from Wonju went with and in total there were 10 of us! We walked around the man-made lake that was lined with the trees, and then went down to the beach (the East Sea). The weather was a bit chilly down by the water, but it was a fun time and many beautiful blossoms. We ended up eating dinner and having a beer with some fellow EPIKs from various cities in our province, so it was a good time.Today we took our car to the shop as there was no brake fluid in it, and it turns out we needed a new brake cylinder. Luckily the shop near our home was open (since it's Sunday) and they were able to get the part and put in on in an hour! Sometimes the level of efficiency tops that in the States. It cost us a total of $40 WOW! Now we're busy cleaning our place and getting ready for our guests (Tanya and John will be here on the 18th, and B's mom and bro will be here on May 2nd).