First Phone Blog

Recently I have been finding that I use my computer less and less and use my phone more. Because of this I am going to try to keep up with my blog through my phone as well. So here is the first blog from my Galaxy Neo!! Not much in the way of excitement has happened since my last blog, though about half the family is now gone, super sad face to that. It has been a rough transition so far, and the 6 days without everyone has seemed like weeks. So to catch you up on the sadness lets go to the last week in January. We had a big goodbye gathering with the family on the 21st and 22nd. Then it was my dear friend Deanne's birthday on the 23rd. The only downside being it was Lunar New Years and most everywhere was closed and we were low on cash. So we found a cafe and had smoothies and honey bread... ...Followed by a dinner of snacks mekju and ramyun!

Fast forward to about a week later and it was my first short break. By day 2 I was going a little nuts after laying in my apt doing nothing. So my friend Yo and I had another epic adventure, this time with our friend Joon. I headed off to Bukdae, the college near both of our homes, and found a new favorite cafe called 10 gram. Super cute place, it has a tree in the middle of it and is a vintage lovers dream.

After YoHan and Joon came to the cafe it was about dinner time so we went to the vader burger place that you may recall from one of my earliest posts. Well I GUESS the name is Star Burger. Either way it was still delicious and we made a yummy mess!

After Star Burgers we went bombing around town to get some things printed for me, and then some dessert and drinks. There is a cafe, oddly enough directly across from 10 Gram, that serves cake and wine! So we stopped there but Joon had to run home to finish packing so Yo and I were left devour the goodness by our two-sies until our friends met up with us.

Fast forward again to about a week ago and I got the nicest care packages from my aunt, cousin, dad, and gram. Such a thoughtful thing to do, I am really grateful that they would send me a little slice of home during the winter season.

Not long after, most everyone left for the states. So now I am finding ways to occupy myself to keep from getting too sad. Mostly it just consists of sitting in coffee shops and getting personal work done.

Well that is the update for now. Check back in as soon as I can. I hope the world is treating you well.

~Sara

Revelations 1:9

OK, time for yet another lovely update. It's Early January, and everyone is sick! The entire Jeonju/Gunsan crew is undergoing some kind of crazy illness. Here's how I'm coping so far: blueberry tea, spicy soup, sleeping 12+ hours, and my bus driver. Now, if you'll take note one of these things is not like the others. Why my bus driver? Well on Monday he found out I had lost my voice and offered to take me to the hospital. Not being a fan of fast medicine in general, especially the first day I'm sick, I declined. Still when we neared my home he pulled the bus over, got out, and bought me a bottle of hot soy milk. Then he proceeded to walk me to my home and made sure I went in, turned on the heat, and was going to get some rest.

The next day he did relatively the same, only he brought a friend to translate for him and wanted to come up and talk with me in my apartment. I was very hesitant at first but in the end I am glad that I said ok. He bought all of us hot soy milk and we sat on my floor talking about my life, his life, and how he worries that I am all alone in Korea. It turn out he has a son in the states, and a daughter about my age who lives elsewhere. It was after I heard this that I realized why he was doing everything that he was. He is treating me the way that he would one of his own children. Both of his had "left the nest" for greater opportunity elsewhere and now he and his wife were left with a quiet house. All he seems to be looking for is to have someone to look after, and what better opportunity than a foreigner? After all, my cultural and linguistic knowledge are toddler-esque at best.

Since day one he has been asking me to go to church with him and today it was presented to me again. I talked with him through his translator and he expressed that he didn't necessarily want me to go to the sermons, just the lunches and social gatherings to meet new people. If it were any other day I would have said "no" but I just to happened to read an article in the Washington Post about atheism' place in society. I am beginning to realize that though these people meet and have lunch at a church, the power behind that symbol is in the people. Without the belief that the church is a house of "god" it is just another assembly hall, and so it would be for me. My place is not to enforce segregation because of my own beliefs, but promote tolerance for those other than my own. And so I accepted their offer, and next week I will be going to at least one lunch.

ok, enough about my journey of self discovery, photo time!

Blast from weekends past, the Korean couple who co-owned the hostel we stayed at. They invited us to stay, party, and watch the ball drop.

The check-in table at the hostel. Everything always looks so nice :D Kudos Korea, for having some amazingly cute hostels!

The mural on the main living room wall, painted by a local art student.

About a week ago my day were filled with goodies. First I received my first plant in Korea from my 6th grade teacher...

Then I got the nicest little package of goodies from my good friend Mason. I tried to make them last as long as possible, but I think three days was the longest I could restrain myself haha. My favorites were definitely the stroopwafels, with their crunchy cookie outside and gooey filling. I only wih I had thought to get some hagen das ice cream and make sandwiches with them. They are certainly dangerous treats.

Well, that is all for now. Hope to have more coming your way in the next week. Things are bound to get interesting as Winter progresses into Spring. Stay tuned for our next exciting adventure, curing the common cold! I hope the world is kind to you :D

-Sara

New Years Revolution

Ok, so this isnt going to be a typical post with updates and photos and whatnot, this one is more me talking out and setting down some things that I need. Not want, but need. I've come to realize that in moving to a new place I've changed a great deal, I've been exposed to more things, and ways of life and it is time for me to sift through all of the fodder to find what I want my life to be. It's not that I've "lost" who I am or "forgotten" what I want in life; it's more a re-evaluation of everything that I am and have done and if I'm happy with my decisions. If not I need to change some things, so here are some things that I am going to work on this year.

#1 NO and I mean NO resolutions
While it's fun to say "oh I'm going to lose this much weight" or "I'm going to not do this for a year" I've decided that this year is a year of trial and error.

Though I do really like this resolution :P They have a NYR generator here

#2 More homemade meals
I love eating out, who doesn't? But I have been finding more and more that i would kill for a sandwich or a cup of homemade soup in place of pizza, chicken (of any kind), or any quick meal. Maybe it's a little expensive to eat at home here, but I really miss taking the time to prepare and enjoy a good meal.

Having a super cute apron helps too :D

#3 Yoga
I'm not going to say how often, for how long, or what kind, because those can vary due to external factors. I will, however, say that I am going to do Yoga this year as often as possible. It's healthy, it's calming, and best of all it's something that I truly love to do.
I'm Technologically ignant! But here's a silly video I wanted to share on Yoga ^ ^

#4 Clean
I am not a filthy person...BUT I hate cleaning, and my hobbies require a lot of clean up. So I am going to try to be a little more attentive to that. Oh dishes will pile up and dust will gather, but I will try to keep up with my laundry and sweep my floor a little more often.
My usual philosophy :D

#5 Explore
As I have gotten more comfortable here in Korea I find that I have also become rather complacent with sitting at home doing nothing. I think I should try to be as adventurous as I was at the beginning of the year, and go out wandering the town in search of nothing.


#6 Me Time
This goes along with that last one. I have been neglecting myself lately, and I feel very bad about it. So I am going to try to fit in more "me" time. I'm going to make lunches to pack and bring on my walks around town. Maybe I will go to the library and get some work done. I even wouldn't mind taking myself shopping/to get my hair done some time. I find that I am becoming short tempered and easily miffed at the smallest things that people do, and I truly think it's because I'm not giving myself enough time alone to unwind and do my own thing.


That's all for now. I don't want to overwhelm myself with too much to think about for now. Anyways I have a little request, if you can post here please do, but otherwise just comment on my facebook post for this new blog. My request is that you tell me a food you really like to make during the winter, AND/OR if you are in Korea, any place that you explored that might be worthwhile this winter. I hope you guys help me out with this, I would love to hear what kind of foods you like and places you've been :D

So Happy New Year to you all, here's to living life the way we want to and having no regrets. Who knows what the New Year will bring but one thing is for sure, it will be like nothing that ever has been or will be, so appreciate it while it's here, I'm going to try my best to do just that :D

-Sara

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas from Korea! A day late but the Season's greeting is still there :D Having a rough time sleeping tonight so I will fill yo in on life since I last checked in. We had a Christmas Party! Once again we all piled into my "cozy" apartment for a Christmas celebration.



My Gram wold be proud of me. I made Kringle cookies for Christmas, granted I filled them with ntella instead of the usual yummy filling, bt it was delicious all the same!



After a weekend trip to Gunsan, a little coastal town, I came home to buy my Christmas present from Yamaha. I got me a brand spankin' new bowl-back mandolin! She was only a little bit more than my flat back but sooooo purdy! Next I just have to name her, and use her everyday! A feat that I dobt will be too difficult since today alone I spent a good two hours working on my C chords and scales :D



Well, until next time, have a merry holiday season. I hope the world is kind to you.
-Sara

Keepin' the Creepin' PG

Finally, getting a bit better at uploading. Well I've got quite a bit to recap so let's GO!

This past week the whole province of teachers in Jeollabuk-do was flown to Jeju, the island just off the south western tip of the Korean peninsula.


On said trip I began planning all the tables that I would one day like to have. For example, I would like to have this table one day so that I may place a gigantic wheel of cheese upon it and slice into it whenever it suits me. Plus, I love me a good stone table!


Next I found this other lovely table made from one solid piece of wood, cut from a tree trunk and glazed over. I want this table. I want a big tree table. If anyone knows where I can get said tree table, and/or if someone is willing to make me a tree table, it would be much appreciated.



After arriving in Jeju, and finding said lovely tables where we had our lunch, we went to a tea field where green tea is grown, harvested, roasted, and made into all kinds of yummy things like...tea, and ice cream, and lotions (not yummy tasting but it smells yummy).



The next day we took a rather unsettling trip to the southern most island in Korea. Unsettling simply because I can't deal with boats. Terrible sea sickness without Dramamine to help me. But once we got there it was a lovely sight.



Next we went to a place my mom would have LOVED. We went to the Teddy Bear Museum. Creepy as all hell but MAN was it also a kick in the pants. My favorite had to be the display about the dangers of destroying a bear's habitat (see below).


Then we went on the prettiest little excursion once we got back to walk around the island a wee bit more. The scenery was beautiful with a light breeze coming off the ocean. Not too bad for the first week of December :D


The next day we spent the morning at a cactus farm, but I didn't get any pictures because it was raining, and expensive. Then we went to two museums in the afternoon. First we went to a glass museum, which was so much fun. There were glass sculptures everywhere, my favorite was this orange tree.



Next we went to a sex museum. I had to pick the most wholesome picture to post just in case, but I am sure you can imagine all the kooky things we saw. If you want to look it up online, the place is called Love land.



After we returned from Jeju three friends and myself went to Seoul for girl time and shopping. While at Ewha Women's College, in the shopping area there, we grabbed dinner at the cutest little Italian restaurant. I forgot the name of the resto. but if you can find Snowflake Japanese restaurant it's right next door.

While in Seoul we stayed at the cutest little hostel. I literally fell in love the MINUTE we walked in. I can never stay anywhere else, ever. If you want the cutest experience ever, go to Bebop House. If you don't love it, you're just foolish.


Well it looks like that about wraps things up for now. Got Christmas festivities coming up soon so I'll be posting those kinds of goodies. I hope the world is kind to you and treating you as you deserve to be.

-Sara

Slacking Again

Shooting back Kimchi like it's nothing!

But what else is new? Oh, right, lots of things :/ I will not be updating for a little while after this because it's the end of the semester, and a bum rush to get the kids ready for their exams. I have to say that though I love it here, this has been the toughest, more disappointing, and yet most rewarding week of work for me. Even though I have pissed off probably half my school, I'm ok with that. They have been looking for my kids pronunciation to improve but honestly I haven't been working on how quickly and clearly they can say sentences, I've been working on whether or not they can understand those sentences. Maybe they don't have perfect accents, but I would rather have them understand me and vice versa over perfection anyday. How do I know my kids are improving? In the last week I have had kids not only request movies, specific genres, and learn what word to say when I point to something (my kinders are making remarkable improvement), but I have had them hold (albeit small) genuine conversations with me. Kids who, at the beginning of the year, were too scared to even say hello for fear of being bullied for their lack of language skills are STARTING conversations with me. Why? Because my emphasis is not on saying every word perfectly, but in understanding what that word means and how to use it. My philosophy on teaching has gone from teaching these kids english, to helping them accept not being perfect at english. Maybe they can't pronounce a word perfectly, but they can understand it. OK, sorry for going off like that. Like I said, it was a tough week and I just had to throw out the good part. It makes me feel all fluffy when I have 5 year olds ask for "cat and mouse movie" and when I leave they say "see you later" :D lil darlins!

Ok, back to my life and away from my lil saplings. Not too much has happened. Only two big things really, Thanksgiving and Kimchi making. So about a week, not even, after I did my last post I finally did the one most epic thing that this blog gets it's title from. I made Kimchi, with the help of my mentor teacher of course! It was spectacular, not only did we get to make it but we learned all about it. The woman who was giving us the "lecture" had such a similar food mantra to my own :D She kept saying how kids these days don't appreciate the tradition and the time and effort that goes in to making something so essentially Korean.

The woman knows all there is to know about Kimchi.

I feel that way with a lot of things nowadays. Maybe I'm secretly an old fuddy duddy, but it's sad to think that people don't appreciate good home cooking anymore.

The fuddiest of duddies, makin' kimchi

Then was Thanksgiving :D One of the best food holidays of the year. They don't have many turkeys laying around at the supermarket, so I ended up braising a duck on the stovetop for about 2 hours. I was soooo yummy. I just cut up some onions and potatoes, sauteed them until they were brown, and filled my pot with about an inch of liquid, put the duck in and let it simmer for about two hours with the cover on, checking every 20 minutes or so. It's especially awesome because as the duck cooked, the fat was drawn into the pan and the veggies were essentially cooked in duck fat for a solid hour mmmmmmmm. After it was done I took all the yummy fat and made a gravy, duck fat gravy! yummmmm. Everyone else brought fruit and vegetables, corn mashed and roasted potatoes. It was a most splendid feast. I have to say that I miss pumpkin pie, but that having such an amazing family over here makes up for anything.

You can juuuust see the spread on the table here

Making dessert, After all was said and done we needed some apple crisp so I threw it together on the stove top! let me know if you want any of these recipes btw.

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully the weeks start getting better after this one, like I said it was rough, but if this is rough I don't really have much to complain about :D Have a good weekend, I hope the world is being kind to you. Happy Friday!

Sara

Bad Diary Keeper

So, as I am sure you can tell, growing up I was never any good at keeping a diary. I am sure when they demolish the house hundreds of journals with the first 5 pages written in will come tumbling out. Anywho I will try to fill you in as best I can without boring you to death, and maybe I'll start forcing myself to write more often, even if I don't have pictures. Maybe I just need to marry a photographer so I can have someone take pictures for me; and after this past weekend that's not such as far-fetched an idea as it used to be :D

Ok, so to start off, after kicking myself for not updating since HALLOWEEN(silly silly girl)! I reviewed my life and realized I have just been a wee bit of a hectic mess. My room and kitchen and everything are in far worse disarray than ever before, and it is thanks to my craaazy schedule and my laaaazy bones. So let's rewind approx two weeks, a wee bit more. In Jeonju, about mid-October is a most splendid of days. This day is the Bibimbap festival. What is bibimbap, click on the link provided to find out.


This first one is of me and my friend Jenny just before the big rush. We are in a crowd of hungry people waiting for free Bibimbap. When they started serving, you should have seen the old ladies. They ripped through the "do not cross" tape and attacked the tables of Bibimbap like hyenas. We only make it out alive because one kind woman grabbed us each a bowl and spoon and we ran, ran like thieves.

Later in the day we met up with some friends and discovered it was someones birthday! So of course we hung out and agreed to do whatever she wanted...regret set in the moment I watched what we were about to do. I'm glad I can say that I did it, but being the only tall white blonde on a ride in Korea doesn't exactly say "I'm from here". The guy running the ride picked on us, to see what kind of hell we went through, watch this video and wait until about a minute forty into the video. That was us for a good fifteen minutes throughout the ride. Mind you, your body is pushed off the seat when it jolts forward, so you're hanging on with your legs dangling down. O_O

Halloween! My favorite holiday! Not much to be said, we had a lovely time, the locals thought we were crazy, and everyone got home safe :D


Here is what I did the first weekend in November. It has been so stupidly warm that I went with a group of friends to the highest peak on the mainland of South Korea, in Jiri-San National Park. National Park you say? Why yes, they have national parks in Korea :D This weekend in particular made me homesick for Acadia. First thing I do when I get home, aside from seeing my friends, is go to Acadia and hike my favorite peaks!!

Finally to get you all caught up on my life, this past weekend I went to a wedding! My friend Monica's co-worker was tying the knot and she invited me along as her plus one. That is why I said it's not as far fetched as it used to be for me to get married. Obviously I'm kidding, but the wedding was amazing! First, there was a traditional style wedding.


That is me and Monica with the lovely bride. She was so pretty, and the wedding was so amazing. The most interesting part was probably the venue. They have the weddings in a big wedding hall that has multiple floors. The first two floors have about 3 rooms each where weddings take place, so as many as six weddings could be going on at once! Then once the wedding is done, you go upstairs to the third floor where they have an all you can eat buffet O_O AWESOME! They have to provide food for all of the guests for all of the weddings, all day, so they put out a TON of food.


After the modern ceremony and before the eating, was my favorite part, the traditional wedding. Though she looked beautiful in her wedding gown, this was the one that made me smile the most. She was stunning in her traditional dress, it makes me want to get married in Korea to a Korean boy. Seriously, maybe it's because I'm foreign, and it probably is, but I found this part to be SO much better than the other. It was interactive, with the children pouring tea for the parents, and the parents tossing some kind of nut or fruit into a linen that the children were holding. So new, but what got me was that they were smiling and talking the whole time. That's how I think marriage should be. Not being silent and waiting for your turn to speak, but having a good time with one another, appreciating this new step in your life.


Well that's it for now. Hope I didn't bore you too much. I have to go to bed early tonight so I can make kimchi tomorrow. Since the blog is (albeit incorrectly) named after said food, I suppose I will have to take pictures and do a blog :D Until next time, I hope the world is good to you!

-Sara