tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10258041641130289242024-03-06T02:08:25.625+09:00Seoul Journey...Amanda in KoreaAmanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-2224194512168510512010-05-12T22:20:00.006+09:002010-05-12T23:06:03.962+09:00Say What?It's been a long time since I've posted, and there's nothing earth-shattering going on at the moment, so I thought I'd post something I've been meaning to post for quite some time. From the moment I arrived in Korea, one thing has been quite obvious: Koreans don't have English-speaking foreigners proofread their signs before they translate them into English! I laugh myself silly nearly every day when I see something so absurdly written that it surely couldn't have been the original intent. Or Korean words that are translated into English letters and take on a brand new meaning. Here's just a few that I've found. Enjoy! (I'll explain a little when necessary.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToL5j2HLyxnG3HMrqslkdXjzBcFnFzn7wewaoP5LNLjAHmWXsIugtuwRMgDbdFKtJWe8fm8rC18Rp9zf5Zlyk3syadOiKK5a3X9kYPEbEdCFTEwIqsDgvG-kJLYD4CRGpanHrqYvtttut/s1600/P1010022.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToL5j2HLyxnG3HMrqslkdXjzBcFnFzn7wewaoP5LNLjAHmWXsIugtuwRMgDbdFKtJWe8fm8rC18Rp9zf5Zlyk3syadOiKK5a3X9kYPEbEdCFTEwIqsDgvG-kJLYD4CRGpanHrqYvtttut/s400/P1010022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470378255117152402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTQRl__YwqRd6brylewpY99wkOsQfYWmZEIebm7TI6ge8G_Os60Gx9n9LGrikk_twZRos-UNeVu_WmJotxX-1QXzcKjuOdXcSovqtmWBNXI0ZnMcNFyHLR1iHzShq4vAy-XJsVY1ZdSBC/s1600/P1010005+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTQRl__YwqRd6brylewpY99wkOsQfYWmZEIebm7TI6ge8G_Os60Gx9n9LGrikk_twZRos-UNeVu_WmJotxX-1QXzcKjuOdXcSovqtmWBNXI0ZnMcNFyHLR1iHzShq4vAy-XJsVY1ZdSBC/s400/P1010005+-+Copy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470378246774999186" border="0" /></a>In case you can't see it, it says. "The Bird. If I am cautious like the flap of the small bird which sat down on the branch of the tree..." And...? Can't really picture a tough guy in chaps and tattoos on this thing!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqHjA56HCyjnWi_2a1-85WMYvja31DWK1ysxignhUO33Y4sfl_vd7R9dMZ2b79PfaGRiQ4XmFO46Bo_VS3rT9sq1yRjkFQFv5-I5eunss74dfIb2TmFSGKvE_z80vgP_tQMofx2uKqDeP/s1600/P1000834.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqHjA56HCyjnWi_2a1-85WMYvja31DWK1ysxignhUO33Y4sfl_vd7R9dMZ2b79PfaGRiQ4XmFO46Bo_VS3rT9sq1yRjkFQFv5-I5eunss74dfIb2TmFSGKvE_z80vgP_tQMofx2uKqDeP/s400/P1000834.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470378240248048322" border="0" /></a><br />Probably not the message they were trying to send. Humanitarianism, maybe?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9u7N1oL1_iaRdomyzx2EHDuPK8HtiC5R21Yhqrz5DM4wyie4zrBpNEsP6YAH4esz36nSw13ham5qsIHdrUynEf90WCSy-p5m_mBZG-wumT4rex9_-ItLtdOioa3aBtM19cA-02ctYnc1t/s1600/P1000660.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 227px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9u7N1oL1_iaRdomyzx2EHDuPK8HtiC5R21Yhqrz5DM4wyie4zrBpNEsP6YAH4esz36nSw13ham5qsIHdrUynEf90WCSy-p5m_mBZG-wumT4rex9_-ItLtdOioa3aBtM19cA-02ctYnc1t/s400/P1000660.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470378234938060850" border="0" /></a><br />First of all, "information" is both singular and plural, but it gets better. Apparently, there are many different types of heritages here on the grounds of the royal palace! And the list of what you can't bring in just cracks me up!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildGgbQEa3_yAx6A8q2pVN8g7P3vJQUfpmoq8MfqnEmrlsb2_dD__nGLHNbWf7gJPXnbJMvyleN1-W-pX0ngEGah7xKYLakUYNlDLH5QumPwF5ti9F72JNxxtp7yVwbTsdAPvFwnziUPDy/s1600/P1000635.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildGgbQEa3_yAx6A8q2pVN8g7P3vJQUfpmoq8MfqnEmrlsb2_dD__nGLHNbWf7gJPXnbJMvyleN1-W-pX0ngEGah7xKYLakUYNlDLH5QumPwF5ti9F72JNxxtp7yVwbTsdAPvFwnziUPDy/s400/P1000635.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470378227537866354" border="0" /></a><br />This is actually the cover of a blank notebook I bought at the stationary store. Maybe it was to encourage all those kids that are forced into academies by their parents.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkM7-wP9u7l0lUntP9zVrSCiVnONqC8JKf_J2RTQM1v2kYq3nbH0ehYW2ZZeHhKqcVJROuMt08CkA6jrh4bJczgreFa11byCollJYV876keNPC0YwRGuUjcK4UtW6mko0ZCnRNY5d-ncR/s1600/P1000632.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkM7-wP9u7l0lUntP9zVrSCiVnONqC8JKf_J2RTQM1v2kYq3nbH0ehYW2ZZeHhKqcVJROuMt08CkA6jrh4bJczgreFa11byCollJYV876keNPC0YwRGuUjcK4UtW6mko0ZCnRNY5d-ncR/s400/P1000632.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470375837396953634" border="0" /></a><br />This is written on the outside of my stationary. Not printed anywhere inside, just the wrapper. Could be a suggestion for what they should write inside! "Please always know that I love you more than anything else in the world. Ever since I met you, things are looking 'preety' good. Being with you makes me feel so happy."<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk45wpPIhTA0vrCFKFY13Vv6CKeEl4kZM8b6H_rrBB09igr3WSqiuD5TuohhS-8Gvzctp7EFy-DqSy3EyMe5w6Qw_dbu2dHm7ApjG288Wjln4q_f2N6TTcJ7UGUsu1T-B6wc_R1gUWsHMg/s1600/P1000579.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk45wpPIhTA0vrCFKFY13Vv6CKeEl4kZM8b6H_rrBB09igr3WSqiuD5TuohhS-8Gvzctp7EFy-DqSy3EyMe5w6Qw_dbu2dHm7ApjG288Wjln4q_f2N6TTcJ7UGUsu1T-B6wc_R1gUWsHMg/s400/P1000579.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470375819295085362" border="0" /></a><br />Can we say "knock-off?" (This one's for you, Tamla!)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsI00udj2saeL6JkeH_dHQOJVVIzHmaVQ7R5GrFX3shxKJJFiuuPd6JxQuwlvnJeZ1sD0l8-8kSztH9bu3XNQPPnx0q_kfiHor_l9S9q5u1PRxQ0Xp4Yrwe0Wv3BgS_wMPZfUMqlg_yo-/s1600/P1000562.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsI00udj2saeL6JkeH_dHQOJVVIzHmaVQ7R5GrFX3shxKJJFiuuPd6JxQuwlvnJeZ1sD0l8-8kSztH9bu3XNQPPnx0q_kfiHor_l9S9q5u1PRxQ0Xp4Yrwe0Wv3BgS_wMPZfUMqlg_yo-/s400/P1000562.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470375813505988258" border="0" /></a><br />At Kraze Burger (pronounced krah-shey by Koreans). "Please, Remove the color fork before taste the menu. It might cause the safe problem." Get's me every time!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpf1NfvXAUpVWBJCNqQF0puttWT-WsmLhjzcQ74GId97-n4gtlLJqLDBhqYIDYKpFTqCrLyHvcNwDBAh2BN6XWB2dYEUVkyz7ovZ-JeL-6nREe1TyaGKAtyaQkrPuhhHo6h9ck_SwJYmVM/s1600/P1000078.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpf1NfvXAUpVWBJCNqQF0puttWT-WsmLhjzcQ74GId97-n4gtlLJqLDBhqYIDYKpFTqCrLyHvcNwDBAh2BN6XWB2dYEUVkyz7ovZ-JeL-6nREe1TyaGKAtyaQkrPuhhHo6h9ck_SwJYmVM/s400/P1000078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470375808979409698" border="0" /></a><br />At a ritzy hotel's ritzy buffet. I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw the sign...and how disappointed I was when I opened the lid. Obviously, I didn't read the explanation.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurP2QdZ3MYKWQgoccRdkRbTJEgv-mx7w8WXc0k2gZNDMwv4Mnsv_4QJiWN1_IikhTvqBM0pZNvQxe-1_9MQFDYtduNTj5PEZsfB0OdkPxKXAXTGVCF0-ABodXW19AE_pd-tEIk6xse0JA/s1600/P1000077.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurP2QdZ3MYKWQgoccRdkRbTJEgv-mx7w8WXc0k2gZNDMwv4Mnsv_4QJiWN1_IikhTvqBM0pZNvQxe-1_9MQFDYtduNTj5PEZsfB0OdkPxKXAXTGVCF0-ABodXW19AE_pd-tEIk6xse0JA/s400/P1000077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470375800715684210" border="0" /></a><br />The teacher in me is twitching.<br /><br /><br />That's all for now, folks, but there's plenty more where those come from! Stay tuned for part two!Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-61209301947327648742010-03-27T08:48:00.016+09:002010-04-09T16:19:38.922+09:00Days like these...<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">It's days like these that make me love Korea.</span> </span> This week has been extremely busy, but absolutely wonderful. It's times like these that make me realize just how blessed I am to be living this lifestyle at this point in my journey. I think sometimes God throws weeks like this at us just to remind us that we're living in His will. He's a pretty great God! For those of you who don't know, my love-language is time. I just LOVE to spend quality time with people, and I feel loved when they want to spend time with me. Of course, Go<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLB6DozMjZIqVKYzASCbIpVTcqbn7Udal23JSv7HTXLGxO1uZcExhEurnizZ7_VSPB0gcsyf_apam7EQbcEfgfwcmO4uy1yK4djyfoOfIFogu5zMOO2bnV8hbE4X4mkceeuyg_P6so9hOt/s1600/P1000025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLB6DozMjZIqVKYzASCbIpVTcqbn7Udal23JSv7HTXLGxO1uZcExhEurnizZ7_VSPB0gcsyf_apam7EQbcEfgfwcmO4uy1yK4djyfoOfIFogu5zMOO2bnV8hbE4X4mkceeuyg_P6so9hOt/s320/P1000025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453133052481345170" border="0" /></a>d knows this, and this week I felt very loved.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Monday</span> - After school, I went to teach my North Korean students. Normally, after the lesson, we go for a quick bite to eat upstairs. This day was different. The director was there and decided that everyone, every student at the school that night, would all go out for sam-gyap-sal, which is strips of pork cooked on a grill with a bunch of other things that are flavored by the juices of the pork. The director kept ordering more and more, and we sat and talked for hours.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span></span> - A free night turned into visiting my Korean friend at my favorite coffee shop. I hadn't seen him in a while and we sat and talked for a couple hours. Then he drove me home (a whole block and a half!) in his brand new car. Haha!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Wednesday</span> - I went to dinner with a dear friend from work (a Korean homeroom teacher), his wife, and his brother. We went to On the Border, the Mexican restaurant from the States. Koreans usually eat quick and go, so I was expecting an hour tops. But THREE HOURS later, after more laughing than I'v<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MmCJzxEj7gXhiSh5D_BwRR8943joF6bmK-yPCqLe14kq9aOwO4af7xQMnCOfaU3vTFWOs0_lHDQpZwMn6tLwaV7BllYk_MesT6Eo_zG1h2syHXW4w9R2we9_DXJXSMY-M-VTp7EtpJ3u/s1600/P1000026.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MmCJzxEj7gXhiSh5D_BwRR8943joF6bmK-yPCqLe14kq9aOwO4af7xQMnCOfaU3vTFWOs0_lHDQpZwMn6tLwaV7BllYk_MesT6Eo_zG1h2syHXW4w9R2we9_DXJXSMY-M-VTp7EtpJ3u/s320/P1000026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453132919625493698" border="0" /></a>e done in a long time, we reluctantly decided it was time to go.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Thursday</span> - Another free night, turned into an evening helping a Korean friend prepare for the ACT so he can go to university in the States. I got to spend time with my coffee shop friend again, and had a wonderful meal of Japanese noodles with a side of great conversation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Friday</span> - Had a lovely dinner of Japanese noodles, again, with friends from work. Best part, besides the people...it was literally steps from my apartment. My ACT friend showed me how to order there last week. Then afterward, one of the friends came with me to my coffee shop (I know, again). On the way, I told her it was like my Cheers, and boy, was it ever! She and I sat and talked for a while over lattes and a fabulous brownie. Then we were joined by my new Korean friend, Brown, who I helped a few weeks ago with an English job application. Then my friend, Min, joined in, and Brown was replaced by Min's friend who was dying to speak with us in English but was SO shy. Added in was a little sprinkle of the shy hello's from the other worker. And not only that, but my work friend came back to my place and we sat and continued our lovely chat. PLUS, she showed me how to work my r<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Cj_uTibvbovpWmCtWQtlL5iQcrtUQHpEdKmjuPJMHhyphenhyphensl0PJ3zI0xGHT5jBjjLFryKdWd3de6qUuKHoJvXa2mXDBMr7NPAFaoE47KmFNjV6EoqiHIh1zLLAK55IzBymMgGkJf8mI1yLX/s1600/P1000027.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Cj_uTibvbovpWmCtWQtlL5iQcrtUQHpEdKmjuPJMHhyphenhyphensl0PJ3zI0xGHT5jBjjLFryKdWd3de6qUuKHoJvXa2mXDBMr7NPAFaoE47KmFNjV6EoqiHIh1zLLAK55IzBymMgGkJf8mI1yLX/s320/P1000027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453132768808408930" border="0" /></a>ice cooker!<br /><br />A week of friends and laughter and quality time. God's blessing manifest though people.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">This, my friends. This is why I love Korea.</span></span> I have officially finished my first month of my second contract. It's had its share of drama, but days like these put it all into perspective.Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-92057670309987741852010-01-14T18:38:00.022+09:002010-01-18T21:12:17.474+09:00THAILAND!!!!In Korea, Christmas is not a huge holiday and people don't get much time off work for it. This came as quite a shock to my teaching mentality of having at least two weeks off at Christmas time. My students actually had to attend school on Christmas Eve! It was only a half-day, but still! Well, I only got a week off, which was absolutely not enough to go home for Christmas. What is one to do when they are without family for the holidays? They travel! I was lucky enough to travel to Thailand with my wonderful friend, Tamra. We spent four days on the island of Phuket (pronounced poo-ket), and four-ish days in Bangkok. Here's a photo log of the amazing journe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PNDqKhxwDeMqHWly0EwB4NNL3KH6K05uJcb2-pfdDSLIRzdVP2rCI4BB6XNC-4hQCgXHe-hewoOBTB_AI2bNuakbgdTwrppXh6i5qxK7HORsGOhSb4LlNsvKDNHDDHeSaXCPWeuad_pz/s1600-h/P1010963.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 326px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PNDqKhxwDeMqHWly0EwB4NNL3KH6K05uJcb2-pfdDSLIRzdVP2rCI4BB6XNC-4hQCgXHe-hewoOBTB_AI2bNuakbgdTwrppXh6i5qxK7HORsGOhSb4LlNsvKDNHDDHeSaXCPWeuad_pz/s400/P1010963.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426530510381915890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjYSngfpylV5Ao3RKrQ_4ILxWUrLmLOZdhWumQDBkPSyZKitZUIh4zhTPdWkjzFMbl9Lpt9D2HEmI3hifZtYIib8CQX7fAmQ-Yjajzn5-wby8dGd0wQtTF1v_zccs5C7HRRh3h_ck3y5J/s1600-h/P1010968.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjYSngfpylV5Ao3RKrQ_4ILxWUrLmLOZdhWumQDBkPSyZKitZUIh4zhTPdWkjzFMbl9Lpt9D2HEmI3hifZtYIib8CQX7fAmQ-Yjajzn5-wby8dGd0wQtTF1v_zccs5C7HRRh3h_ck3y5J/s400/P1010968.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426530481127007282" border="0" /></a>y.<br />My computer is having formatting issues, so I apologize if the pictures seem to be in a strange order.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEyc5x3lF4xZ9xaWLcMmwpgSKcy5xUFTgztFh9VOhb9-CjrVDtgnTmZX8kzs1-HFoFpEA54pXfXZ-bmv3HoK8pDvGkc_z5Y_GK2jatOwXWQZ_sk8snglPB26fgHD99ccB2nnPHdTeYAwI/s1600-h/P1010964.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEyc5x3lF4xZ9xaWLcMmwpgSKcy5xUFTgztFh9VOhb9-CjrVDtgnTmZX8kzs1-HFoFpEA54pXfXZ-bmv3HoK8pDvGkc_z5Y_GK2jatOwXWQZ_sk8snglPB26fgHD99ccB2nnPHdTeYAwI/s400/P1010964.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426530493607315074" border="0" /></a> Also, this is only a fraction of the pics. If you want to see the rest, you can check my Facebook account.<br />This yummy goodness is nothing but ice and watermelon. It costs about a dollar, and I drank my fair share of them.<br /><br />This is Karon Beach, and in the distance, in the trees, is Karon Cliff, a hidden oasis of quaint bungalows far enough away from downtown to be relaxing, but close enough to walk there for dinner or a Magnum bar.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tx1dcdHQZtgrw2K_w22rlepXAwv0H7_JC37j5d2Pok6x-0OLlidJ2WQb4T57O_iCkDmbHG4QSutSHcdzudpZGtzwNQXigjwaJcTPT44CBrhvBgexJKqhey4iu44zzG2zJS94DCSEUcRz/s1600-h/P1010946.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tx1dcdHQZtgrw2K_w22rlepXAwv0H7_JC37j5d2Pok6x-0OLlidJ2WQb4T57O_iCkDmbHG4QSutSHcdzudpZGtzwNQXigjwaJcTPT44CBrhvBgexJKqhey4iu44zzG2zJS94DCSEUcRz/s400/P1010946.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426533188467417842" border="0" /></a>Sunset on the beach.<br /><br />At the hotel, this is where we sat every morning for breakfast. Seriously, it was like a dream.<br /><br />Though Thai food is at the top of my list of cuisine that I like, the culinary highlight of the trip was at our hotel. Every Sunday night, they have an open-grill buffett. Ribs, chicken, fish, hamburgers, potatoes, garlic bread, Thai dishes, and salad for about nine dollars.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />The first adventure was elephant trekking through the jungle. Our elephant was Sadah. She was four years old. It was a great time. Something I never thought I'd do. It was followed by a visit to the Big Buddha at the top of the mountain. Visiting those types of monuments always makes me a little sad.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwBUe85YdqMBBj_x93fvecoRsNow8KJhre3HetIQQxDD693cHVKF-_lynzIovI7bmC6LfW1nu33YhgqBgwLbjW30q-YE8kg88IJABTsX8cSN5sIlf5U82OJD6lgox4egRkoWK48UwcOfc/s1600-h/P1010988.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwBUe85YdqMBBj_x93fvecoRsNow8KJhre3HetIQQxDD693cHVKF-_lynzIovI7bmC6LfW1nu33YhgqBgwLbjW30q-YE8kg88IJABTsX8cSN5sIlf5U82OJD6lgox4egRkoWK48UwcOfc/s400/P1010988.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426555593290273266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojgIsK6uHmhr5SWrOeRHdMfkXze-3QkIhhLyQy5Ha4dI6-0a2I2uAlbTWtFrk3HfEdGUvjLZV7Cek5ryI1h5Z-cL9LfxBoeT7-7LucpyaiHdjuZ6_1DBNJuJGMWGXOxY5VpGypadRYf-z/s1600-h/P1020021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojgIsK6uHmhr5SWrOeRHdMfkXze-3QkIhhLyQy5Ha4dI6-0a2I2uAlbTWtFrk3HfEdGUvjLZV7Cek5ryI1h5Z-cL9LfxBoeT7-7LucpyaiHdjuZ6_1DBNJuJGMWGXOxY5VpGypadRYf-z/s400/P1020021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426535245645595330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BGHrEnc3YmO-HG3KqMgIIpZUhIEhgqj5l_cmexU7KEEJ3Tg9JbekVM4IFcLSqIueGQGXoq3N_n9-VQ5TygKNXC4JoeTk3F_TRTqvOKM45GzE9bRi5uaNKvxTV8S4Z5Rws6JRqDj-q1s5/s1600-h/P1020043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BGHrEnc3YmO-HG3KqMgIIpZUhIEhgqj5l_cmexU7KEEJ3Tg9JbekVM4IFcLSqIueGQGXoq3N_n9-VQ5TygKNXC4JoeTk3F_TRTqvOKM45GzE9bRi5uaNKvxTV8S4Z5Rws6JRqDj-q1s5/s400/P1020043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426538247395626706" border="0" /></a>I have family friends who loved to get things tailor-made in Thailand because it's so cheap. Well, I can't really buy clothes in Korea and I didn't have a cute coat to wear with dress clothes, so I figured I'd just go for it. It was strange being fitted for a winter coat when it was 95 outside, but I loved the outcome (This is not a final photo. It actually turned out to be about two inches shorter. Doesn't sound like much, but it makes a huge difference.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3jSFoOIgZTCMlE5PNNjWMydPoVKw100nG8FozD1-Pm0BAVIhUBY8EqbaKypUA-ayCgHS29gkg1ir2YhTh19X5NMBO38LAFYvsB44fPYIbQEksJ0MOVf4-hHQg56AugwBJEgVhMiIrgvC/s1600-h/PC280115.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3jSFoOIgZTCMlE5PNNjWMydPoVKw100nG8FozD1-Pm0BAVIhUBY8EqbaKypUA-ayCgHS29gkg1ir2YhTh19X5NMBO38LAFYvsB44fPYIbQEksJ0MOVf4-hHQg56AugwBJEgVhMiIrgvC/s400/PC280115.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426540024424124562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Thai massages on the beach. One hour for nine dollars. This is the life!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLZFlH0ZiZo_cLgg1hkDfQe0NVNTS4zPDdgwFeAQFswgSbU9VKh8Yf9bstNZkpVnZ6iqXy9Qv3q2jk6vGZ42jeZHKLdPpUAbTM5nUwz_aj9PmPqhSi2_1r82gvbwqxX_NE6PfWeJhZhZr/s1600-h/P1020065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLZFlH0ZiZo_cLgg1hkDfQe0NVNTS4zPDdgwFeAQFswgSbU9VKh8Yf9bstNZkpVnZ6iqXy9Qv3q2jk6vGZ42jeZHKLdPpUAbTM5nUwz_aj9PmPqhSi2_1r82gvbwqxX_NE6PfWeJhZhZr/s400/P1020065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426541583646544514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Next adventure. A three island tour (no, not a three-hour tour). First was Maya Bay where the movie "The Beach" was filmed.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8VG7jZVfMT0P3374pWpu8KEXENklFelI5OucWY2yAKaUWcEbLO8k2HLde5CeAhRAoO4O287B9_hEGLVnOPrztTKY3JLRil_GjfVV7FkrSYI44UwfJTi-9v17beFeuADeleLdpedEwrWB/s1600-h/P1020076.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8VG7jZVfMT0P3374pWpu8KEXENklFelI5OucWY2yAKaUWcEbLO8k2HLde5CeAhRAoO4O287B9_hEGLVnOPrztTKY3JLRil_GjfVV7FkrSYI44UwfJTi-9v17beFeuADeleLdpedEwrWB/s400/P1020076.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426541591511170866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwWc6npzKKFC89iMyxZ2zDBSPAwK5NbqKwzpk4q_eGwQb3OW6IaZ4tOtoyR1dPKF_9GaB2CekSTdIMALF9BPlooUvm800uYQH4hVxXNC9fFTuZW9xqVikOX4fgx3-8sYwXRiEVlwrY8fx/s1600-h/P1020095.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwWc6npzKKFC89iMyxZ2zDBSPAwK5NbqKwzpk4q_eGwQb3OW6IaZ4tOtoyR1dPKF_9GaB2CekSTdIMALF9BPlooUvm800uYQH4hVxXNC9fFTuZW9xqVikOX4fgx3-8sYwXRiEVlwrY8fx/s400/P1020095.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426541605885446130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Next: Phi-Phi Island (yes, pronounced with two p's, not two f's, and no one giggled). This inlet is called Monkey Beach for obvious reasons. Each time we disembarked, we had to wade through knee-deep water to get back to the boat. This time, going back, the mixture of rocks and the currents caused me to lose my balance and my camera went into the water for a fraction of a second. It's ruined. This is the last picture I took. But Tamra is a good friend to me, and let me take whatever pics I wanted with her camera.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRI5ozXQ3QkFrPO03IGj6GbVFV3iXQSXWD9Ug-CktI6UilCYwxIKoqQrcENyan8vv6QMCOC-jhNcKtOpofAse0iimlIor4zwYshXEooEK-UeGSGz3BRukAB2YcPRfhCEjlWBRmow8rrlj/s1600-h/PC290200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRI5ozXQ3QkFrPO03IGj6GbVFV3iXQSXWD9Ug-CktI6UilCYwxIKoqQrcENyan8vv6QMCOC-jhNcKtOpofAse0iimlIor4zwYshXEooEK-UeGSGz3BRukAB2YcPRfhCEjlWBRmow8rrlj/s400/PC290200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426543643533634450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The third island was Kai (which means egg) where we ate a great lunch and relaxed on the beach for the rest of the day.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtBx96Fbnpyo9liIluh0wsawylgVGU_yw796znBLlwjGsvZYMIu4ucmZ2W32yNfOrsAqX_BBeLGHdovlg7CuLdWwhk8Tsu68EQ3_SRXpKZjhuDlYkXHroJM4HIS02LLSvT7W2iGW-8NLc/s1600-h/PC310255.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtBx96Fbnpyo9liIluh0wsawylgVGU_yw796znBLlwjGsvZYMIu4ucmZ2W32yNfOrsAqX_BBeLGHdovlg7CuLdWwhk8Tsu68EQ3_SRXpKZjhuDlYkXHroJM4HIS02LLSvT7W2iGW-8NLc/s400/PC310255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426544909387348274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next stop: Bangkok. New Years Eve began with a ride in a water taxi. It was interesting, but a bit of a let down with the smell of diesel and the murky water.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbN9bA-x_gbJL2F-C2xvO20AOHR4lh0mGrxn2_7ElsXApcQfv6N9gh1cxwYtvzKwknKCvxdp7_xbB4Fer45tQjvExPlWi9agILUzkIl51YDMyI4dZob4Z0Z0q0W_3ri67GZgAC28X1Vjs/s1600-h/PC310261.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbN9bA-x_gbJL2F-C2xvO20AOHR4lh0mGrxn2_7ElsXApcQfv6N9gh1cxwYtvzKwknKCvxdp7_xbB4Fer45tQjvExPlWi9agILUzkIl51YDMyI4dZob4Z0Z0q0W_3ri67GZgAC28X1Vjs/s400/PC310261.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426544926769474546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The reason for the water taxi was to visit the royal palace and temple. This was one of my favorite parts of Bangkok. Quite beautiful. This pic is the temple...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7seCrj7cA5T9q7_z6ifLasyKytpSQDW4fWBo34T48CIv7WTFwSVe9ity9TsalzfRHRjosSuV3VNDLDcurc-JnY6hX5AMp4DQikhtbhRd28gSiz0Qmz1B_I7atIJE3nKPCc0M6og4jFxRI/s1600-h/PC310273.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7seCrj7cA5T9q7_z6ifLasyKytpSQDW4fWBo34T48CIv7WTFwSVe9ity9TsalzfRHRjosSuV3VNDLDcurc-JnY6hX5AMp4DQikhtbhRd28gSiz0Qmz1B_I7atIJE3nKPCc0M6og4jFxRI/s400/PC310273.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426544945787624306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and this is the palace.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1p_R3X7F_ytluULLQCypxPL_Kl8RKiPUP0Y_PEVb2XWmAkLZidv924iO3FG7voTqiDGcJGmPT3Rj4zwTXqiv2UiEIER7Vy3qiymyevRzjh9w83HER4t0Rkjy_Gi4yfpOYysxcVtinRit6/s1600-h/PC310290.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1p_R3X7F_ytluULLQCypxPL_Kl8RKiPUP0Y_PEVb2XWmAkLZidv924iO3FG7voTqiDGcJGmPT3Rj4zwTXqiv2UiEIER7Vy3qiymyevRzjh9w83HER4t0Rkjy_Gi4yfpOYysxcVtinRit6/s400/PC310290.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426544949302244546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />New Years Eve night was spent with some people from Seoul. Tamra met them at orientation a year ago. I thought it was pretty amazing to be with other Seoul people in Bangkok.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpNeWgF9ShYhK3r0-AcPdLmJRnde-UfusjnXB24BXX3F0_G7EYZAim8SOfEuS-rH6TZ0BL-fhKNSgQ4vZceBFOA1427cje2qA-BaI4rc1c0RoTDvCmf-nXvbIJd-ZPfKTIYN1tUA-zY6e/s1600-h/P1010305.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpNeWgF9ShYhK3r0-AcPdLmJRnde-UfusjnXB24BXX3F0_G7EYZAim8SOfEuS-rH6TZ0BL-fhKNSgQ4vZceBFOA1427cje2qA-BaI4rc1c0RoTDvCmf-nXvbIJd-ZPfKTIYN1tUA-zY6e/s400/P1010305.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426546749856672450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />New Years day was spend shopping, shopping, shopping. I'm not a huge fan of shopping, but I LOVE haggling for a good price. It's my drug of choice.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzoOYdf6QRdwIgD_2ZNbbKEZ3V349aFsafaCjD_J4WNOSBrTHar8LV5NUJ0Fwg8HqZCTdC8LaqW9fzh8-lzrE119R-BdkGMvyBiDLsrZxlXNixrxAEM6UokutWi_Tw9ndDPZQfRt94huu/s1600-h/P1010310.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzoOYdf6QRdwIgD_2ZNbbKEZ3V349aFsafaCjD_J4WNOSBrTHar8LV5NUJ0Fwg8HqZCTdC8LaqW9fzh8-lzrE119R-BdkGMvyBiDLsrZxlXNixrxAEM6UokutWi_Tw9ndDPZQfRt94huu/s400/P1010310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426546981401812354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Magnum Bars = heaven. I found these with Dad and Anneli in Finland, then again in Spain. They aren't sold in the States, and are, in my opinion, much better than a Dove bar. I bought one nearly every day.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dm1lVK6EWPHS1t3_NEUY8YofikCUZDTfG2tvxEuDjxCVwGJ78h-RhbdpMTHZ7QnKHBIWHKCRKIY-Fn6urlLSixqnGjfdBwfguYHcCoJjzb48OzpqT72jpdVbt34NbXo2psiX8Bhi8urE/s1600-h/P1010330.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dm1lVK6EWPHS1t3_NEUY8YofikCUZDTfG2tvxEuDjxCVwGJ78h-RhbdpMTHZ7QnKHBIWHKCRKIY-Fn6urlLSixqnGjfdBwfguYHcCoJjzb48OzpqT72jpdVbt34NbXo2psiX8Bhi8urE/s400/P1010330.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426548720022643250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Next adventure: The Floating Market. This is literaly a market place on water. We were taken in by boat to buy goods from other people on boats. Amazing. This is also where I saw a kamodo dragon in the water! Holy cow!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSK2ycP_wy4IfVpTRS8m-GqH11xtMMb-R_apxhj27RJPXTBtEUCM-E5xC6ay6a0BLmhe11DsiFDKj3m2rJLWC2sFFjTRDuJmkcobymE7bIr4PLezXE9l8KgfxeCUUS4QqMVHScgFIX4vWJ/s1600-h/P1020372.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSK2ycP_wy4IfVpTRS8m-GqH11xtMMb-R_apxhj27RJPXTBtEUCM-E5xC6ay6a0BLmhe11DsiFDKj3m2rJLWC2sFFjTRDuJmkcobymE7bIr4PLezXE9l8KgfxeCUUS4QqMVHScgFIX4vWJ/s400/P1020372.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426548728893743298" border="0" /></a> A stop to see the bridge where the Japanese transferred it's POW's from coutries all over Asia and some from the US.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJYGfxhoXU_gavkg30Ke3MXrMAXnUDMDYbUjrOagzcMOn9Utc7y52OD5Ca1ncjywGZVjzD_Mt46lbZZnCI6bYwLFOS-gWVc-cgVvo-4JWp6i06-kxKj2ZsHZypGMWCDZqRfLcN_r2XLgV/s1600-h/P1020396.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 313px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJYGfxhoXU_gavkg30Ke3MXrMAXnUDMDYbUjrOagzcMOn9Utc7y52OD5Ca1ncjywGZVjzD_Mt46lbZZnCI6bYwLFOS-gWVc-cgVvo-4JWp6i06-kxKj2ZsHZypGMWCDZqRfLcN_r2XLgV/s400/P1020396.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426548737226086594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Final adventure: Tiger Temple. Tigers everywhere! Not sure if they were drugged or actually sleeping on their own. I'm hoping the latter. This is reportedly where monks take in abandonded or injured tigers in order to restore them back to their natural habitat. They make a pretty penny while the tigers are there. It was really cool to touch one, though.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra-CXT-xc5VUF86rBvVlb6D-z5Z3U6mge8eMepJH8rqHXkn3xoLp4FXUzlgKL-Yl3aeJVFbPFN_hWpxdF2VSwlot4eaEw_GrqItdSc9BFtgIQkLHlMeg3jrAqXl0q43N_cVGq0yHeh7fv/s1600-h/P1020443.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra-CXT-xc5VUF86rBvVlb6D-z5Z3U6mge8eMepJH8rqHXkn3xoLp4FXUzlgKL-Yl3aeJVFbPFN_hWpxdF2VSwlot4eaEw_GrqItdSc9BFtgIQkLHlMeg3jrAqXl0q43N_cVGq0yHeh7fv/s400/P1020443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426548754378526914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1q29B8jjshF-zLS1GLEF-atGZ2tIvkhpKEUmmZ6yrUnvVMmVR-WUvP5_R2wzxFjqS-Uw5MJuOKeDpV-9C3LqsVilYOClQCji8aSnThL-fJL9Qe_E2J7OoQNwwzY9D0OSCsPH-52TljJx/s1600-h/P1020461.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1q29B8jjshF-zLS1GLEF-atGZ2tIvkhpKEUmmZ6yrUnvVMmVR-WUvP5_R2wzxFjqS-Uw5MJuOKeDpV-9C3LqsVilYOClQCji8aSnThL-fJL9Qe_E2J7OoQNwwzY9D0OSCsPH-52TljJx/s400/P1020461.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426548767920304834" border="0" /></a><br /><br />At the airport, not so ready to go back to freezing cold Korea. But the trip ended the way it should...with ice cream. And from Dairy Queen, no less! It was truly an adventure. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to see this amazing country and with such an amazing friend!Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-88269008648205063922009-12-17T16:12:00.006+09:002009-12-18T14:53:04.070+09:00I'm a Journalist!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGW7vHrX0mduXiRauEjaXzVV06WyvFa0Qbc5FFcW_MqMBIM_lGIPdJTzi3lqk7Ep8X-NXJXAQUOnDHhRrOnvw8ziLiSjWwkDoIbrKsFxENpCKzSYuZm10R_czc9vaWXgPEGQdiSb6fP0A/s1600-h/P1010716.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416176046857004194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGW7vHrX0mduXiRauEjaXzVV06WyvFa0Qbc5FFcW_MqMBIM_lGIPdJTzi3lqk7Ep8X-NXJXAQUOnDHhRrOnvw8ziLiSjWwkDoIbrKsFxENpCKzSYuZm10R_czc9vaWXgPEGQdiSb6fP0A/s320/P1010716.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">Recently, I was asked to write an article for my school's semester magazine. Well, I guess it's not so much a magazine as a really thick collection of essay's by students and teachers. But I got to write the English Teacher article, so I felt pretty honored. I thought maybe y'all would like to read it, so here it is.<br />Oh, and just to clarify, there are two Korean words in my essay. The first is "mi-guk-in" and it means American. The second is "ah-jum-ma" and it means married woman, but the connotation is old, cranky, pushy woman.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> And once again, I'll throw in a few random Korea photos.</span></span><br />. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<br /></div><div></div><br /><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-size:180%;" >It’s All About Who You Know</span><br />Korea is a country with a vast and rich history which, in comparison to that of my own country, makes the United States seem like a mere infant in the history of the world. It is a country steeped in tradition while on the cutting edge of technology, design, fashion, and medicine. It is a land littered with the remains of war and broken monuments that stand as a testament to Korea's ability to rise above. A land covered in high-rises, seeking to share in the glory of the mountainous landscape. Korea is a country sitting at the edge of a wall of communism while remaining one of the most peaceful places in the world. This list may stand to reason why a 미국인 like me, who did not previously have any interest in Asia, would so quickly have fallen in love with this country. One may think this is why, but it is not. What makes Korea so great is its people.<br /><br />I can recall with perfect clarity the first day I spent on my own in Seoul. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was desperately seeking out a place to use the Internet and make a connection with home. Most everything was closed, and I reluctantly entered a fifth coffee shop, expecting the owner to yet again give me the symbol of the “X” to indicate there was none available. After a brief game of charades, the shop-worker figured out what I needed and moved quickly to make sure I was taken care of. He sat me down, connected me to the Internet, and then went to get my drink. He came over periodically to check on me and even brought me a free cookie. I now have a strong friendship with everyone who works there, with some of the frequent customers, and even the owner. But it was that initial encounter which made me first realize that Koreans are not run-of-the-mill people.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhPpj3uixQFMKmrkBcmJKOtPBPfvl_aFaltNB6zfhFIjgXFlq-hxe8tk4IlF80JUSu07mA4WqhBATOdk6QGygYmdAamxW6yg-yF77vfP8LMHaWPgoQvk0sTzbvdzOV6Rf17iMdd8v58pv/s1600-h/P1010817+-+Copy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416178321859078850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 136px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhPpj3uixQFMKmrkBcmJKOtPBPfvl_aFaltNB6zfhFIjgXFlq-hxe8tk4IlF80JUSu07mA4WqhBATOdk6QGygYmdAamxW6yg-yF77vfP8LMHaWPgoQvk0sTzbvdzOV6Rf17iMdd8v58pv/s200/P1010817+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It never ceases to amaze me that Koreans seem to be the busiest people in the world, but they always seem to have the time to help someone. And the fact that they would go out of their way to help someone from another country, well, that just amazes me even more. That one connection in that little coffee shop has turned out to be the slow construction of my Korean family. That one act of kindness has provided me with close friends that I call brother and sister, a Korean “fill-in” dad, and many young high school students who look up to me as an older sister. </div><div><br />But the kindness doesn't stop there. Here at Gyeseong, I have met some of the warmest people that I have known in Korean. People who drop everything to help me when I lock myself out of my apartment, people who take the time to get to know me, and my dear friend (one of the smartest people I know), who not only educates me on the history of Korea, but on the history of my own country as well! And let’s not forget the students! Ah, the students! This is my fourth year teaching English, and I have been around students from all different countries, but I have never met any students that impress me more than my 2nd and 5th graders. They are geniuses with incredible senses of humor and imaginations that will take them anywhere they want to go. </div><div><br />Then there are the people that I meet just walking down the street. The ones who catch on to the fact that I look a little lost and they stop to ask if I need help. Not only do they do their best to tell me the directions, but more often than not, they take me by the arm and walk me there themselves, even if it’s in the opposite direction to where they are headed.<br /><br />Korea is not without its creepy people, like the occasional person standing behind me in the subway line who tries to start a conversation with, “Where are you from? Do you like me?” Or the occasional 아줌마 who pushes me onto or off of the subway and then engages me in a staring contest. But the United States is also not void of its colorful personalities, so I do not, in any way, judge Korea by these strange people. They are few and far between, and the good far outweighs the bad. Rather, I choose to see Korea through the eyes of a kind coffee-shop worker, a hopeful student, a knowledgeable friend and co-worker, or the new friendship that is waiting just around the corner.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Zrvd6kCIPkIwg7WdpIFz4SgeZ-vSjTM0tjlEW0EbjXC4xmu9qaXCpJhCcj2oa8t39bhBbjebZS4wNBZ473tffTOzWG-yj5lzLWiBiL-vyCHJQ3gTrR2uUTt4wI2lcwjaWaC2UGekju-5/s1600-h/P1010871.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416177267990213570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Zrvd6kCIPkIwg7WdpIFz4SgeZ-vSjTM0tjlEW0EbjXC4xmu9qaXCpJhCcj2oa8t39bhBbjebZS4wNBZ473tffTOzWG-yj5lzLWiBiL-vyCHJQ3gTrR2uUTt4wI2lcwjaWaC2UGekju-5/s320/P1010871.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-36244461160588980612009-10-28T19:38:00.014+09:002009-10-30T22:28:25.705+09:00Ah, Korea...Part 3. The finale...maybe.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_4U_pSYJo0S6FGUXR-arZCePieQhZEzrEzWXLVBAbYJzQ98VYFYhiv7bwygWgdn6QLCTRVFactOC4MZxsKq4gxzN_S2jyqgFg6FnMi-Vx1a03NJuIeRqtepCYu6q2qs6QTPCX3_uV_ug/s1600-h/P1010442.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_4U_pSYJo0S6FGUXR-arZCePieQhZEzrEzWXLVBAbYJzQ98VYFYhiv7bwygWgdn6QLCTRVFactOC4MZxsKq4gxzN_S2jyqgFg6FnMi-Vx1a03NJuIeRqtepCYu6q2qs6QTPCX3_uV_ug/s200/P1010442.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397966510241315186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Someone should give me a job as a people watcher! I think I'm pretty good at it, considering this is my third blog on social observations. But, I also have to thank my great Korean friends who graciously supply answers to my never-ending plethora of questions. And once again, enjoy the random and totally unrelated pictures. Let's begin, shall we?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />Age Matters:</span></span> </span></span>This is a society that honors and cares for the elderly. Respect for the elderly is taught and expected.<br />-As age is a major determining factor in the level of respect you receive, it is not a rude thing to ask a person their age as soon as you meet them so you know where you stand with them.<br />-Older brothers and sisters have special titles. The same title is used with close friends that are older. But there is no term for the older sibling addressing the younger; they only use the person's name.<br />-When eating as a group, no one takes a bite until the eldest at the table has started.<br />-The youngest pours the beverage, beginning with the eldest down to the youngest. Usually no one pours for themselves because you should anticipate the needs of others.<br />-On the subway and bus, young people immediately give up their seats for the elderly.<br />-This being said, I have met some great old people, but man, most of them are cranky! But really, given the history of the country, they've been through a lot!<br />-Young people have fantastic posture. Some old people are hunched over like the letter r.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:courier new;font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Language</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSEYKUYqAvrU9HZsRQ2GuNrjXDZ5llTm_3BPOA4wTEcSQvRkZBoOclhkl7qqvVritFGh0fKR0o0cEKD06l-FJVk6Vx_0aocf_k0DojBc2c1xx9DgwRTeU0-_2bKkV30OfSh6xHE1KaBqQ/s1600-h/P1010589.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSEYKUYqAvrU9HZsRQ2GuNrjXDZ5llTm_3BPOA4wTEcSQvRkZBoOclhkl7qqvVritFGh0fKR0o0cEKD06l-FJVk6Vx_0aocf_k0DojBc2c1xx9DgwRTeU0-_2bKkV30OfSh6xHE1KaBqQ/s200/P1010589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397967628649897282" border="0" /></a><br />-The spoken language is extremely difficult for me to understand. There are pronunciations that I am just plain not used to hearing. There are silent letters at the end of syllables. OK, so they're not silent, but they have a glottal stop that I can't hear. Think about the word "bike." When you say the word, you release a little tiny breath after the k. This doesn't happen in Korean. Try it again with no air, and you can start to understand the problem with hearing Korean.<br />-There are three letters that look like and sound like a mixture of b and p. I can't seem to hear the difference, no matter how hard I try.<br />-My pronunciation will always be wrong. I am always being corrected after thinking I have said something perfectly.<br />-I understand this issue because, unlike many Americans, Koreans are such a homogeneous society that they are not accustomed to hearing their language with any accent other than their own. I'll learn to deal.<br />-Hangul, on the other hand, is magic. It is the written language and it is fantastic! It's so easy to learn and makes so much sense. I was able to learn it quickly because of great teachers, and it has opened a whole new world to me. It has helped me immensely in my classroom. I have also gained more sympathy for those in the States who are illiterate, and a better understanding of my students both here and in the States who can read a word just fine, but don't have the foggiest what it means.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:courier new;font-size:180%;" > <span style="font-weight: bold;">General Societal Observations</span></span><br />-"Have you eaten dinner?" is the equivalent of "Are you doing OK?"<br />-I have yet to see a junky car. There are many junky delivery trucks, but not cars. Probably due to the are<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mpm8gobyfY5b9xp33clMH-xmHGVFO6uYGQB2XNtt83-cPv_jRFT5q2YhJDYRhAZQvuOZmkTU4aa1v16kOh8fVmw0xw1mWiFgaP5YENbNH_mn5_5Y5_q3hggnhQPYBYEMg5RdOyzKokmH/s1600-h/P1010494.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mpm8gobyfY5b9xp33clMH-xmHGVFO6uYGQB2XNtt83-cPv_jRFT5q2YhJDYRhAZQvuOZmkTU4aa1v16kOh8fVmw0xw1mWiFgaP5YENbNH_mn5_5Y5_q3hggnhQPYBYEMg5RdOyzKokmH/s200/P1010494.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397967121857323362" border="0" /></a>a I live in.<br />-Walking paths have random exercise equipment placed here and there along the path. You'll see men and suits and women in heels stopping for a quick chin-up or calf-raise.<br />-Girls hold hands, boys hold hands, drunk men hold each other, no one seems to mind. I think it's quite sweet that the men don't have to be all macho and scared of each other. People in general seem to walk with their arms touching each other. Very sweet.<br />-Koreans are not short. They are the tallest of all the Asian people groups. Most of my Korean friends are my height or taller than me. Major misconception.<br />-Men carry women's purses for them. This is a strange phenomenon.<br />-Kids go to school 210 days a year. Over twelve years of schooling, this equates to one extra year longer than American kids. No wonder!<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:courier new;font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">More Random Observations:</span></span> Just wanted to break i<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37nWDtCILua5QCo0J5PyY33erXsjCyK0oHL0s33Y5OQTNRc0qKX8J9sDEUGZtN1JDMikuPNKeeeS5jSZDK4JfgSXolunUS5QnwOTIufG7aclVxt07tholLA_tiE7bbDvgSorMxw3TYOO8/s1600-h/P1010458.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37nWDtCILua5QCo0J5PyY33erXsjCyK0oHL0s33Y5OQTNRc0qKX8J9sDEUGZtN1JDMikuPNKeeeS5jSZDK4JfgSXolunUS5QnwOTIufG7aclVxt07tholLA_tiE7bbDvgSorMxw3TYOO8/s200/P1010458.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397966812449232898" border="0" /></a>t up a little.<br />-Shop-workers greet you, then hover behind you fixing everything you touch. I don't know why they do this, but it makes me feel like I am a nuisance and I end up not buying anything! It's so aggravating!<br />-Our 9-5 is their 7-ish a.m. - 8-ish p.m. The general rule is get there before the boss, you had better greet the boss, and then stay until the boss leaves. I can't imagine how annoying this must be for the people at home cooking a nice dinner waiting for their spouse!<br />-I asked for a smoothie once that was half mango, half yuja. I was looked at as though I was crazy! This seemed to be a trend everywhere. I found out that mixed food is seen as lower class. The king ate all his food separated, and this tradition has been subtly carried on.<br />-You should remove your shoes when you enter a home because the heat comes from the floor. If you wear your shoes, you are walking where people eat and sleep, and this is very rude.<br />-The answer to every food question: It's good for your health. Koreans are big into healing through diet, which is great, but sometimes a bit excessive. EVERYTHING is labeled "for the well-being life" or the equivalent. I just can't bring myself to believe that a waffle filled with fluffy, sugary stuf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-Y4m5iTMpeBvRPURdiKeWlJk3q3cLxBSBSejzLrkT98B_hk26vHrqOf9pxPf9ThPDUaK4Sq5LPh-PgYtkF2Li1DMV4uyvOzjpXlClR4VzBaKif8zTdZyA3XhQpnkX4wy6Lz-LBW8BVgq/s1600-h/P1010704+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-Y4m5iTMpeBvRPURdiKeWlJk3q3cLxBSBSejzLrkT98B_hk26vHrqOf9pxPf9ThPDUaK4Sq5LPh-PgYtkF2Li1DMV4uyvOzjpXlClR4VzBaKif8zTdZyA3XhQpnkX4wy6Lz-LBW8BVgq/s200/P1010704+-+Copy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397967902929124210" border="0" /></a>f is for my health!<br /><br /><br /><br />Well, there you have it, folks. I have come to the end of my notes! Thank you for indulging me. Now, I am off to find new and exciting topics for your reading pleasure. Annyeong!Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-35606450649774560552009-09-28T15:57:00.021+09:002009-09-29T17:49:05.952+09:00The DMZ<span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102); font-weight: bold;">1943</span> - The U.S., C<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_7BkPIXqangop9XvoTqRaTzMaSFmj7jojN1uZFFb6b_IkhuLuNd9bbLdg0h7LilyZits_wBiBj54AV-atencDppIZzWp9VGWljdIt-y3LWONg15mlxdd2BqopbNWEz7RuH1ru-akyhW5/s1600-h/P1010546.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_7BkPIXqangop9XvoTqRaTzMaSFmj7jojN1uZFFb6b_IkhuLuNd9bbLdg0h7LilyZits_wBiBj54AV-atencDppIZzWp9VGWljdIt-y3LWONg15mlxdd2BqopbNWEz7RuH1ru-akyhW5/s320/P1010546.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386415502277443794" border="0" /></a>hina, and Great Britain forcefully remove Japan from Korea and divide it into two sections along the 38th parallel. The South to be ruled by the US and the North be ruled by the USSR until they were strong enough to be independent.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102); font-weight: bold;">1949</span> - At the request of the Korean people, the US withdraws.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102); font-weight: bold;">1950</span> - North Korea attacks the south. The US and 15 other countries join forces with South Korea to push back the communistic aggressors. Seoul was recaptured in September, but by October, China joined the fight for North Korea and the war was renewed.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">1951</span> - After the UN and US rejoined the fight, North Korea was pushed back to the 38th parallel. North Korea suggested truce talks.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102); font-weight: bold;">1953</span> - The Korean Armistice was signed and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was created.<br /><br />This is the historical backdrop for my trip to the most dangerous place in all of Korea...the DMZ. It is a four-kilometer-wide border between North and South Korea. And since the two countries are <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">still at war</span>, this is the most hostile and heavily-guarded border in the world...<br /><br />My friend, Tamra, and I were fortunate enough to go on a USO tour with my frien<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlvs_l53oQdUgQcQB2VpnRYk9ODAkEYGAlVEZ61iFv6DWVQPeL1TDIh50FCwT__JhYzNawI9evA0qC6lw071Q9o0ODAyYtWDh_pifIfdNX60zSwT_J3NmRWMhMXk2rP6EoS3izTuL_eVx/s1600-h/10422_550304438723_39201564_32629663_8352189_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlvs_l53oQdUgQcQB2VpnRYk9ODAkEYGAlVEZ61iFv6DWVQPeL1TDIh50FCwT__JhYzNawI9evA0qC6lw071Q9o0ODAyYtWDh_pifIfdNX60zSwT_J3NmRWMhMXk2rP6EoS3izTuL_eVx/s200/10422_550304438723_39201564_32629663_8352189_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386417203406388770" border="0" /></a>ds, Joe and Delaine Albert. We began at 6:15 in the morning and had to stop at another base to pick up more people. We weren't permitted on the second base because Tamra and I didn't sign out. Instead, we stood outside and waited in the cold for the bus to return.<br /><br />After a lengthy journey nort<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWfx3MZaMzwGZBZCtsxI00j6qmo9jkMyeMi0HykKLWiMJT4YoNpE_poFCfp095vRNgjxM4kmqWVmc1_vAXeXWvZKSZ-SvDOKOesirw5QMc3NXhinG6umU9eU0uM-aCXlOdbJGzCAXQ5Wy/s1600-h/P1010508.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWfx3MZaMzwGZBZCtsxI00j6qmo9jkMyeMi0HykKLWiMJT4YoNpE_poFCfp095vRNgjxM4kmqWVmc1_vAXeXWvZKSZ-SvDOKOesirw5QMc3NXhinG6umU9eU0uM-aCXlOdbJGzCAXQ5Wy/s320/P1010508.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386410124920687570" border="0" /></a>h, we made it to <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Camp Boniface</span> and the <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">JSA</span> (Joint Security Area) The JSA used to be an area where North and South armies could move about and interact freely until 1976, when two American officers were brutally axed to death by the KP (North) guards for attempting to trim a tree that was on the southern side of the JSA. One of the men was Captain Boniface. After the incident, the<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> MDL</span> (Military Demarcation Line) was created to keep the two sides absolutely separate.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At Camp Boniface, we were transferred to another bus and taken to a room for a debriefing, to pick up our guest badge, and to sign a form that basically said we understand<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiAAb0Byy-z24V-vfUDN4X8QOKih1UP7zFnSDqFQ-sQMGTdA01aZmePi_PCJ-uzejCPPI9XOLhWIwfp6MBsXH5_xLFgef1rMpAvxSLbSymHbfEyXCsCSpxyxvWBIm3MrfpasOHI5iLtTc/s1600-h/P1010512.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiAAb0Byy-z24V-vfUDN4X8QOKih1UP7zFnSDqFQ-sQMGTdA01aZmePi_PCJ-uzejCPPI9XOLhWIwfp6MBsXH5_xLFgef1rMpAvxSLbSymHbfEyXCsCSpxyxvWBIm3MrfpasOHI5iLtTc/s320/P1010512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386410145852901858" border="0" /></a> that we could possibly die. It was a little strange. The officer gave us a quick background of the area, and then told us all the things that we could and could not do. Basically, everything to keep us from getting shot! Just so you know, smiling in these pictures was a very strange feeling.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Next, the military transport took us across the southern border of the DMZ. The first stop was Freedom Hall. This is a<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAZaADHsjGKiF-5qtdHSYtghq4ejdz1JefVxbtYeiPgSVV2NbjAAxEGTmk-Dqqt_Dgwe7r7aWZVwLEsYGcNVsJcCLg6aOMZlEQytjs7Lx_rcKD2kz-xqeX_IycklSZcgTxqjn3xzB8YfF/s1600-h/P1010519.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAZaADHsjGKiF-5qtdHSYtghq4ejdz1JefVxbtYeiPgSVV2NbjAAxEGTmk-Dqqt_Dgwe7r7aWZVwLEsYGcNVsJcCLg6aOMZlEQytjs7Lx_rcKD2kz-xqeX_IycklSZcgTxqjn3xzB8YfF/s320/P1010519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386410158260762274" border="0" /></a>n American/Korean shared building situated just feet from the MDL. We stood on the steps, listening to the officer tell us that in the two towers just behind him, in North Korea, guards were at this moment taking our pictures. For what purpose, he didn't know. But it would be a good idea not to point. Behind him, and in this picture, was the MDL, the little white strip of cement that separates North from South, Communism from Democracy. And behind that, North Korea. It was so surreal. If you look at the spot halfway between the front and the back of the blue buildings, you can see the small MDL strip.<br /><br />The building on the left is where he took us next. It was a small room with overtly nothing special. Me and a few other people went to the far side of a large table in the middle to create more room. The officer then told us that those on the far side of the table were currently standing in North Korea. What?! He said it was the only time that would ever happen without us getting shot. We were standing in a room where daily joint meetings are conducted between the North and South. The microphones on the table were recording twenty-four hours a day, so we should watch what we say. We were then told that we had freedom to move about the room, even to take pictures with the guards, but we were strongly advised not to touch them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6r9Y-TJji8HS0ROKl8qIE0l5oVg3hS1VAXZpNBVCyEtbLm5r7GG77nbKXimUSkGhgtQMRRUAGderSnJPf6PlPlDzqiEZ1CwPweo41dN2Tav84ZwJHioXHlseVxsX8HExmWP7Po1c80Ci/s1600-h/P1010524.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6r9Y-TJji8HS0ROKl8qIE0l5oVg3hS1VAXZpNBVCyEtbLm5r7GG77nbKXimUSkGhgtQMRRUAGderSnJPf6PlPlDzqiEZ1CwPweo41dN2Tav84ZwJHioXHlseVxsX8HExmWP7Po1c80Ci/s320/P1010524.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386411388619109362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMoc6y-lAgtFp7ZCMnsB2gLvB1iV81H3UhfapTuMX7DYYijzfnz8BppYvajil4v76vldlrLJhKvbennvrj5AiP1FDObACKVGyYtV2-d48_Tu2ka502eWDfMvK02H3zB8ZrOFYiizJKgON/s1600-h/P1010527.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMoc6y-lAgtFp7ZCMnsB2gLvB1iV81H3UhfapTuMX7DYYijzfnz8BppYvajil4v76vldlrLJhKvbennvrj5AiP1FDObACKVGyYtV2-d48_Tu2ka502eWDfMvK02H3zB8ZrOFYiizJKgON/s320/P1010527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386411396169608642" border="0" /></a><br />Me just realizing that I'm standing in North Korea!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2eSx-HvFozZrY4R2C3fY5pZXVKK2_AkNBgaPGY_zIchu46UGJbPEkL0_MLF9LUjo16iNAXOM5kA8ZHHOrOc6kEE_OV-lzVLBhrZpz1brHehcrMcSlgK19GXFY2zbfV-iEd6pmCDMd6Dg/s1600-h/P1010528.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2eSx-HvFozZrY4R2C3fY5pZXVKK2_AkNBgaPGY_zIchu46UGJbPEkL0_MLF9LUjo16iNAXOM5kA8ZHHOrOc6kEE_OV-lzVLBhrZpz1brHehcrMcSlgK19GXFY2zbfV-iEd6pmCDMd6Dg/s320/P1010528.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386413299828213858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Joe and I nervously standing with one of the guards.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRgSjXqLnXkAGxemZS5xb_x0VyVzCkgwM1eIjQx_a8JvgoiS133qxl5LH8q77uqb1j8CXTsmVSAZod461TZPQEbfGQ8p_QlxYaIeSEwyQDyNiOd-SJSsdHgALqgNgStlSoxBt-4FWxJT2/s1600-h/P1010530.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRgSjXqLnXkAGxemZS5xb_x0VyVzCkgwM1eIjQx_a8JvgoiS133qxl5LH8q77uqb1j8CXTsmVSAZod461TZPQEbfGQ8p_QlxYaIeSEwyQDyNiOd-SJSsdHgALqgNgStlSoxBt-4FWxJT2/s320/P1010530.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386413306972072834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tamra trying out for the ROK army.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2p7SdU3g_Nx8Lb4pFjsPwsDxuSORFA2zBFwszPDhVtDRaqHIt05Rtg4mSqXOkI_UYqV0S0-gFwL4-jfN4vNUpzq6CLUFoVS_p6kmccxO7bIdW-AOB1TYIE7PRfH5R52XWBapOw0rHxhh/s1600-h/P1010531.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2p7SdU3g_Nx8Lb4pFjsPwsDxuSORFA2zBFwszPDhVtDRaqHIt05Rtg4mSqXOkI_UYqV0S0-gFwL4-jfN4vNUpzq6CLUFoVS_p6kmccxO7bIdW-AOB1TYIE7PRfH5R52XWBapOw0rHxhh/s320/P1010531.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386413311490711922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The table where joint meetings are held. The left is the South and the right is the North. You can see the microphones I mentioned in the middle.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0ycUlWOQnoNlaIYHb9dLlC983CkJyCZVZjeQTOSB8QoMhLVYkSWAuFtI0we5GzaIGYiZ2LG6-54K0K-i2Ly97B5XpEkutlPsfb9e0rKM-pFcBuJMVPjXcajDw4pBlbQvtJyXQSad0S5u/s1600-h/P1010532.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0ycUlWOQnoNlaIYHb9dLlC983CkJyCZVZjeQTOSB8QoMhLVYkSWAuFtI0we5GzaIGYiZ2LG6-54K0K-i2Ly97B5XpEkutlPsfb9e0rKM-pFcBuJMVPjXcajDw4pBlbQvtJyXQSad0S5u/s320/P1010532.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386413326169925842" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />My left foot is in South Korea and my right foot is in the North. How amazing!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After a brief stop for bulgogi, we went to a look out area called OP Dora. It's a point at which we can see 17 kilometers into North Korea. A box was drawn on the ground to limit the area where we were permitted to take pictures. It was a strange concept, but everything is extremely protected here. From the lookout point, after paying the 500 won to use the binoculars, I could see Freedom Village and Propaganda<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYvpQvQA8FodFkU7FC_GZq9kQ_mEXQmQ_G-_KfCJXTQbnrXJhF0kFngdXRyT_0fueFVuIVCJdV5-c9ei9kL1MZZPqhX52md03A2UtnK-huQDIzmIsf-84ZLAESdYsR2lm8WYYvJG_lVHI/s1600-h/P1010542.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYvpQvQA8FodFkU7FC_GZq9kQ_mEXQmQ_G-_KfCJXTQbnrXJhF0kFngdXRyT_0fueFVuIVCJdV5-c9ei9kL1MZZPqhX52md03A2UtnK-huQDIzmIsf-84ZLAESdYsR2lm8WYYvJG_lVHI/s320/P1010542.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386415484942484562" border="0" /></a> Village at the same time. Freedom Village is where select South Korean families who have a long-standing residence in this area are able to live a farming life in relative safety, and are also able to make a pretty substantial income. Propaganda Village is situated just north of the border and truly lives up to its name. There is a 150 meter tower with the world's largest flag that is so large it has a drag wind of 300 pounds. There are hotels and homes, but they are all hollow. No one lives in them. They are only there to show the South Koreans what a "good life" they would have if they crossed over. Up until a few years ago, there was a loud speaker that would broadcast wonderful things across the border everyday, trying to get Koreans from the south to defect to the north. Currently, 30 KPR troops are there for the sole purpose of raising and lowering the flag.<br /><br /><br />The final stop on the tour was aptly named the Third Tunnel. This was the third tunnel discovered being dug by the North Korean army south of the MDL and in the direction of Seoul. It is estimat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcJ2mrmhymTIAAsXrv-vpWIi-cRLjWsjWMswqf9zspTuru9XxCEpvHHUeejV8qbL2DsFhSIQ4llJuJ0UjTwcnKoKqrt4SYX6yTSpscQdwdBr0qrL3m1TXrZM8bc5_gdlg-lr463WCEZ2N/s1600-h/P1010561.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcJ2mrmhymTIAAsXrv-vpWIi-cRLjWsjWMswqf9zspTuru9XxCEpvHHUeejV8qbL2DsFhSIQ4llJuJ0UjTwcnKoKqrt4SYX6yTSpscQdwdBr0qrL3m1TXrZM8bc5_gdlg-lr463WCEZ2N/s320/P1010561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386778778754974338" border="0" /></a>ed that, had an invasion taken place, 30,000 troops could have passed through in one hour. It was about 1,200 meters in length, two meters high, and two meters wide. The sides of the tunnel were painted black so that the North Koreans could say that they were simply mining, but seeing as there wasn't even a trace of coal or ore in the tunnel, it was not a well-thought-out lie. We were only able to traverse 230 meters or so, but it was still pretty amazing. Again, no pictures allowed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkF6PW8loGny6-aDnvqe5P6cPiCyGUIwSLiVYXQYXBKwPP7MMYYkGTO89WupYsuW5m23BzJ614Zie6PHss2cSRn9-gDLEhBhmgBI5sLguR5eaoOoJ1IF4WzMRpttz7iluZ8An1spOLu4W/s1600-h/P1010558.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkF6PW8loGny6-aDnvqe5P6cPiCyGUIwSLiVYXQYXBKwPP7MMYYkGTO89WupYsuW5m23BzJ614Zie6PHss2cSRn9-gDLEhBhmgBI5sLguR5eaoOoJ1IF4WzMRpttz7iluZ8An1spOLu4W/s320/P1010558.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386416816961359890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWJJ7KnxewiDKOAtLoNWlxri0GIR2PvGutnIMgvvEhKq2mGxFe2_6rYKkoEKYWo9Ceh7hnfRfYs5XiaBzU0ks6DOozkR-QmELcVT9856-k1T4D9ptbT2TWUFRWGxUOYfJm08N5Hafx9yg/s1600-h/P1010556.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWJJ7KnxewiDKOAtLoNWlxri0GIR2PvGutnIMgvvEhKq2mGxFe2_6rYKkoEKYWo9Ceh7hnfRfYs5XiaBzU0ks6DOozkR-QmELcVT9856-k1T4D9ptbT2TWUFRWGxUOYfJm08N5Hafx9yg/s320/P1010556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386416803590079346" border="0" /></a>This was a monument built to symbolize the hopeful reunification of the two Koreas. I have to admit that it wasn't until this point that I even contemplated whether this was something the Korean people wanted. I grew up knowing only the separation, so the thought of bringing them together never occurred to me. I started asking my Korean friends and even my students, and heard the same from all of them, that it's a controversial issue. One person in their 20's told me that the older generation hopes for reunification, and the younger generation does not. Some students want it because they feel bad for the separated families, and some students said they know there will be a civil war and too many people will die. One even said that it's not a good idea because the North is so poor, and the South will become poor trying to build them up.<br /><br />On Sunday, I went in search for the human side to this issue, and what I saw disturbed me. Currently, millions of families remain separated. Many long for the day where they can bow in respect to their father, or kiss the grandchild they've never met. Many will die before ever getting the chance. Those in the North are so brainwashed that they have no idea what they are missing. If you do a GoogleEarth search, you will see the city of Seoul lit up with life at night, and the city of Pyongyang completely dark. The North is forced to worship a father who is dead (though they are told he was just carried away by cranes) and a son who robs them of their health and their minds. The South is free to worship as they wish. In the North, a man can be shot if it is rumored that he ate an onion from the field he works (I almost said "his own field," but everything belongs to the Dear Leader). I don't know what to feel about this issue, but recently I started teaching English to adults who have escaped from North Korea. One of my students wears a bracelet that sums it all up. It says, "God Loves North Korea." The reunification I hope for is the one between God and His people. He created them, He loves them, and He wants to see them reunited to Himself.<br /><br />If you want to learn more about this topic, here are a few good videos.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ6E3cShcVU">Welcome to North Korea</a>. At about the 30 minute mark, you can see some of the places I visited.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgNr5FIqILE&feature=related">The Real North Korea</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6JoK0-Yi3E&feature=related">Famine In North Korea</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQYi5IycYeg">Korean Families Reunite</a><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/26/hundreds-of-korean-famili_n_300837.html">Korean Families Reunite</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVu8PDIEydM&feature=channel">One more reunion video</a>. Get a kleenex.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTE2_RcjW3f_f42wrD9BtsTnH-tUXrLX5u3e4bIwx5HoRR1rVLZ6-zqSy7gLyF6LNp7DkdIYOVkekiCJX8yEYp-V4vAo93gMulRzmLYTUuo057yK0YquiJehO3KycnuNj7HSMCBULdAkzN/s1600-h/P1010522.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTE2_RcjW3f_f42wrD9BtsTnH-tUXrLX5u3e4bIwx5HoRR1rVLZ6-zqSy7gLyF6LNp7DkdIYOVkekiCJX8yEYp-V4vAo93gMulRzmLYTUuo057yK0YquiJehO3KycnuNj7HSMCBULdAkzN/s400/P1010522.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386785962773330786" border="0" /></a><br />What an amazing experience. Though I live in a country that is still officially at war, I feel very safe at every moment of the day. And those from the States that are reading this, I hope you once again remember what a great country you live in! And for those of you with opinions on the current war, maybe the situation here will provide a different perspective.Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-7872761459706598252009-08-27T15:19:00.005+09:002009-09-09T14:31:46.883+09:00Ah...Korea Part 2Sometimes I look at the amount of time that passes between posts and it makes me a little scared to think of how quickly time is flying by here! I have officially completed one half of my contract. I've been here for six months. All in the same moment, it feels like I've lived here a lifetime but just arrived yesterday. But I digress. Let's continue with the vast abyss of cultural insights that my advanced skills in people-watching have afforded me. (Plus a few more random, unrelated pictures.)<br /><br />How about one that I just noticed? Holy cow, the greeter at the bank wears a gun! In plain sight! And yes, he's the door greeter, not the security guard. He's the nice man that helped me pay three bills at the automated machine and sat and talked with me about his time in Virginia teaching tae kwon do. No wonder there's no crime here. They know they'll get shot by the greeter!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2JCEtHe0PKUWRLABw99Xu-8rUIQNMYSC-wh4-W_dhor9oIaGpVf3_6rcwRMVZPEAnyZ7wYq4eNyNS690tjEho4pLGVl1ywhTaBz1zonij-O7ab0z8HN9kH83qV0kkYG5Ovtgrcox_lOXh/s1600-h/P1000976.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2JCEtHe0PKUWRLABw99Xu-8rUIQNMYSC-wh4-W_dhor9oIaGpVf3_6rcwRMVZPEAnyZ7wYq4eNyNS690tjEho4pLGVl1ywhTaBz1zonij-O7ab0z8HN9kH83qV0kkYG5Ovtgrcox_lOXh/s200/P1000976.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379268664257759042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 102);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Confucius Say...</span></span><br />Though Confucianism is not overtly followed today, its centuries of influence have left an indelible mark on Korean society. Some of the remaining mindsets are:<br />-Women are born the weaker sex. It is the man's job to make them stronger by making their life more difficult. In the ancient past, the men actually assigned tasks as though the women were slaves in order to break their weakness. Interesting how they never thought the women reached the state of strength. <span style="font-style: italic;">The result today:</span> The woman is oppressed for most of her life by the man, but suddenly turns in her later years and takes it out on the man. These couples are very difficult to deal with on the subway! <span style="font-style: italic;">Other remaining results are:</span><br />-Women embrace this role and idolize the puny, undefined, muscle-free body, while men should have muscle definition to demonstrate his role as the strong one.<br />-Me to my class: "Why do you think I always say, 'Ladies first'?" Steve, my second grader, "Because women are weak."<br />-This antiquated dichotomy of the sexes has also led to extreme double standards as far as behavior is concerned:<br /> -It's perfectly fine for men to be publicly drunk, even for the boss to be drunk with those he is in charge of. It's the job of the newest hire to stay sober in order to take the boss home.<br /> -On the other hand, women are not to be drunk...anywhere...ever. They are thought of as, uh, not very good names, if they do so.<br /> -Men can smoke. Many do.<br /> -Women are not so smoke...ever. I have a friend who smokes but she hides it. One day she was accused of smoking by someone else. Her job was threatened if she ever did it again. The man who threatened her job, her boss, smokes.<br />-Obedience without understanding. <span style="font-style: italic;">The result: </span>You can never question or go against authority. This leads to situations like Monday being off on the calendar all year, then being told that you no longer have Monday off. You are not allowed to ask why. Deal with it.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The Prese</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF3IJTlZpobSOX6aPoz94vYbWQU0PS5om6nIDYwfhUFv-cI6JaptFRDRgf4_5_HM9dfClEtpqtbPkoFGzVQodXvpI6ay7RizgF-XlJCW3yV7XArrRYLWPjLJa4Gjo7L_KZMCM8bV2wLJj/s1600-h/P1010052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF3IJTlZpobSOX6aPoz94vYbWQU0PS5om6nIDYwfhUFv-cI6JaptFRDRgf4_5_HM9dfClEtpqtbPkoFGzVQodXvpI6ay7RizgF-XlJCW3yV7XArrRYLWPjLJa4Gjo7L_KZMCM8bV2wLJj/s200/P1010052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379268672217221714" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">nce of the Church</span></span><br />According to recent poles, the country is almost equally split between Buddhism and Christianity. This is quite amazing considering the relatively short time this country has had a missionary presence. I would have to say, though, that the Catholic church has a much stronger presence than the Protestant church. The reason for this? I have no idea. But, what I've noticed is:<br />-The proselytizing amongst some Christians is very in-your-face. It can border on very rude and offensive. One Korean friend told me that her teacher in her private Catholic school told her that she was going to hell. She said to herself in that moment, "I believe Buddha"<br />-Another Korean friend thinks this is due to the fact that the first missionaries here were works-based. So sometimes maybe the relationship doesn't matter as much as accomplishing the task<br />-But it's not all bad news. The church here is strong and, for the most part, full of compassion. They reach out to the terrified refugees of North Korea and extend the hand of friendship to Japan, a country guilty of so many wrongs against Korea, in the name of Christ.<br />-Another of my Korean friend's thoughts on why some Christians here are so zealous is because of North Korea. It is not long ago that they felt the hand of communism, and the refugees here are also painfully acquainted with absolute control, so it's quite understandable that when they experience the freedom of Christ, they want to share it with all they meet.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsJ8TvMRyuJb6WCS-_p2J5fa05yR4qWQURKBn8MefzbXSLLvunJXliq1lwJxSeTsK_NU4y8ZD5ZSnt_mt5a4H_2DCZuXABTGHmhklVddGgCEi0zfcNQlvuxLY7M48ZHRGpQREhkvbfz81/s1600-h/P1010057.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsJ8TvMRyuJb6WCS-_p2J5fa05yR4qWQURKBn8MefzbXSLLvunJXliq1lwJxSeTsK_NU4y8ZD5ZSnt_mt5a4H_2DCZuXABTGHmhklVddGgCEi0zfcNQlvuxLY7M48ZHRGpQREhkvbfz81/s200/P1010057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379268679985805250" border="0" /></a><br />I realize that this is a rather heavy post, so I leave you with one last cultural observation to lighten the mood. Korean food causes bad breath. Like something has died. This is probably because most of it was already fermenting when it went in! I also just learned that all this fermented food causes cavities faster than sugar!<br /><br />Stay tuned for Ah...Korea Part 3! Yes, there's more!Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-49540283174861445362009-07-21T19:47:00.010+09:002009-07-23T07:23:02.793+09:00Ah, Korea...Part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknw5RCUhNLa_XbAcxVRR3RmMxEZn83RybL09KSfeXy1YdMaPwABSCxE9NfUwFE0WwYHMifdO06WIiWlq8cxnOe04lOBSwilZBACKIpK-sxMk3x9ZrKCWHIAsaF-GG-KpYATMvWKQFB-hF/s1600-h/P1000709.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknw5RCUhNLa_XbAcxVRR3RmMxEZn83RybL09KSfeXy1YdMaPwABSCxE9NfUwFE0WwYHMifdO06WIiWlq8cxnOe04lOBSwilZBACKIpK-sxMk3x9ZrKCWHIAsaF-GG-KpYATMvWKQFB-hF/s200/P1000709.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361160960041669442" border="0" /></a><br />Though my official title here is "teacher," I have been a student of Korea for five months now. Everywhere I turn, there is something new to learn, a new observation to be made, a new aspect of the culture to be taken in. I have always had a hobby of people-watching, but here, it has become a sport! I've been taking notes here and there whenever something strikes me as, well, notable. Whether it causes a huge smile or causes me to shake my head in disbelief, these are the things that make me say, "Ah, Korea." I've also included a smattering of unrelated pictures for your visual enjoyment.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-size:180%;" >Transportation</span><br />-There are lines on the road, but they are merely a suggestion. They mean nothing. Absolutely nothing.<br /><br />-Red lights have pretty much the same level of significance. I saw my bus stop for one a couple times, but only for a second. I think maybe the gear shift stuck or something. Red lights are just something pretty to look at.<br /><br />-Police cars and ambulances have sirens and flashing lights, but I'm not sure why. No one ever moves out of the way for them.<br /><br />-The sidewalks are made from bricks and are split into two sides; one for walkers and the other for bikes and motorcycles...yes, motorcycles. I've been almost hit by a delivery motorcycle a few times while walking on the sidewalk listening to my music. Oh, and no one ever stays on the side they are supposed to. The two colors are pretty much like the lines on the road.<br /><br />-I've found that while taking a bus or cab, it's best to just look down a pray.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhd5PgOa_r890LaOvrGR8V8qcdi3Zo5SQ-2gsOfE-RiMJ3QREScbL5xEjTN4-QwFwm_oNHaqakwKidS6hThIC4kXMGcqcTbddhFES6_LXWP93on3XGUeKwoyXcSP4vJ3iEiPD0YyM5TQp/s1600-h/P1010014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhd5PgOa_r890LaOvrGR8V8qcdi3Zo5SQ-2gsOfE-RiMJ3QREScbL5xEjTN4-QwFwm_oNHaqakwKidS6hThIC4kXMGcqcTbddhFES6_LXWP93on3XGUeKwoyXcSP4vJ3iEiPD0YyM5TQp/s200/P1010014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361163018865500338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />-Pedestrians have absolutely no rights whatsoever. What your mama told you about looking both ways before crossing the street, do it!<br /><br />-Koreans <span style="font-style: italic;">drive </span>on the right side, but they <span style="font-style: italic;">walk</span> on the left...no, wait, on the right...no, the left...no, the....GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!<br /><br />-While on the subject of walking, it's a good idea to never trust the line of trajectory. If you think you can make it around someone because they are veering to the left, just wait, they'll be in your way soon enough. Seriously, it's like they can sense someone is coming up behind them and they step in front of you just at the wrong moment. This happens to me most frequently when shopping and in the subway station.<br /><br />-Ah, the subway. At certain times of day, there are so many people that I have to wait in line while three trains pass before I make it on there. And there is no "excuse me" in Korea. It wastes too much time. Just push your way through. Ugh, the touching! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdazUNgW-pk">Click here for a video. </a> Not filmed by me, but it's in Korea, and it's typical.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp1B1TrR6jCRVUh26oSfhZ91jIF2wNsdqCb03LfI2kL23AqYmH6p3tYVJCjdPt9Zsv3JO0CKOgwrlyW1vA_dLq7c_8coENqSQM6q3KtFyu74QwcaQ0uRQ5PJ8vXDShbZDLb9Lc38pvogW/s1600-h/P1000799.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp1B1TrR6jCRVUh26oSfhZ91jIF2wNsdqCb03LfI2kL23AqYmH6p3tYVJCjdPt9Zsv3JO0CKOgwrlyW1vA_dLq7c_8coENqSQM6q3KtFyu74QwcaQ0uRQ5PJ8vXDShbZDLb9Lc38pvogW/s200/P1000799.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361161517377891970" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-size:180%;" >Fashion</span><br />-Anything goes. Any pattern, any stripe, any color, any combination, any time.<br /><br />-Men here have a great sense of fashion (okay, not all but most) and I've become a huge fan of most of the haircuts. Also, most of the men's clothes are extremely well tailored, and usually a little tighter than we're used to in the States, but most men are skinny, too.<br /><br />-There are these things called "fish suits" (our name for them, not theirs) which are men's business suits that someone poured a big 'ol bucket of shiny all over. They are most entertaining when worn by old men trying to hold on to their youth. But they're also not so horrible when worn in the right way. They totally wouldn't fly in the States.<br /><br />-Women wear high heels ALL the time! Seriously, I've seen women walking the track in them, walking their dogs, running. There's even a surgery to scrape down the calf muscles to make their legs look smaller since the muscles are so "big" from heels!<br /><br />-Image is everything. Mirrors are everywhere. As told to me by a Korean, it is a mirror society, I am what you say I am, therefore, I have to impress you with my looks. This being said, eating disorders are a major problem in Korea. Image is a much bigger issue than it is with us. We would be considered vain if we were "caught" in public checking on our looks; we have to go to the bathroom for that. But here, you are expected to make sure you look good all the time. We even have mirrors in each classroom. And I've seen little kids, four and five years old, checking if everything was in place.<br /><br />-You must be skinny, you must be skinny, you must be skinny.<br /><br />-The glasses here are SO cute! Much more variety.<br /><br />-The necklines on women's clothing are very high and the shirts are very baggy and flowy because of modesty (or so they say), but skirts, which are worn every day, are extremely short. I've also been told that short skirts and high heels do not disappear in winter. I don't know how they do it! But I know why they do it!<br /><br />-White skin is highly valued. (Woo-hoo, I finally fit in!) There are commercials for skin-whitening creams during every station break, and some women cake on the white powder so thickly that it's almost Halloween-like. There are some of the highest SPF ratings I've ever seen. I went shopping for some today and couldn't find anything lower than SPF 47. And though some wear <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >enormous</span> visors to keep the sun from hitting their faces, I've also seen women (because it's mostly a woman thing) hold up purses, jackets, pieces of mail, their dogs, anything that will keep the sun from turning their faces the same shade that most people in the States would pay for.<br /><br />-Not surprisingly, plastic surgery is <span style="font-weight: bold;">HUGE</span> here. You can even get a discount if you do more than one procedure at a time! It's pretty cheap too. The two main surgeries are noses and eyes, but running close behind (no pun intended) is a surgery to scrape down your knees so you can wear the coveted short skirt.<br /><br />-The double eyelid is also valued. For us, it just means that when we open our eyes, you can see the crease. This is looked at as a sign of beauty here (my double eyelids are my most common compliment here), and if you can't afford the surgery, you can always buy the eyelid glue. Seriously! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReEUfv8x34s&feature=related"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"> Click here to see a video of the craziness.</span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtfazLPIePyLOg74e2fDeIJqyAGY_jtpbNhCKhu1zNLL_Wowg87_IYPrlzm-3YZiM7gWTwt_YRv66Q5gpvtpPKygSnEwRuDqpnFiPPFNyJjwakYXVdxrTks14wVgyUvT5mjw32Rt0Tm52/s1600-h/P1000752.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtfazLPIePyLOg74e2fDeIJqyAGY_jtpbNhCKhu1zNLL_Wowg87_IYPrlzm-3YZiM7gWTwt_YRv66Q5gpvtpPKygSnEwRuDqpnFiPPFNyJjwakYXVdxrTks14wVgyUvT5mjw32Rt0Tm52/s200/P1000752.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361161290793712818" border="0" /></a><br /><br />-While it is sad that Koreans don't value their own beauty and are always looking for ways to be a little more Western, I have to admit that it does feel good to be stopped by complete strangers telling me that my eyes or my brown, curly hair is beautiful. Though I hope I repay more compliments than I am given because Koreans are beautiful, beautiful people.<br /><br />OK, I'll have to save the rest of my dissertation of Korean culture for the next blog. Upcoming topics are "Confucius Say" and "Religion." Until next time!Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-42605537102633972652009-06-25T15:27:00.018+09:002009-06-27T12:31:29.841+09:00Sometimes You Wanna Go Where Everybody Knows Your Name...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMVcHKqDjmBblV5XBVm8jUbS3fRoUpSctxo5bvVMAGgTWdupil1raDLz3stANGzNFLewvtPY1P8bIz0OHM5UH7texOxVf9tzyYL9jtM0XtmjkS2PpFtl64SFR9AnltS95Nul2RYs-RxJR/s1600-h/P1000802.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMVcHKqDjmBblV5XBVm8jUbS3fRoUpSctxo5bvVMAGgTWdupil1raDLz3stANGzNFLewvtPY1P8bIz0OHM5UH7texOxVf9tzyYL9jtM0XtmjkS2PpFtl64SFR9AnltS95Nul2RYs-RxJR/s400/P1000802.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351534684941992770" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Ediya</span> is my "Cheers." A place that I can walk into and see the friendly faces of people that are glad to see me; people who invite me to sit a while and tell them all of my day's adventures; people that I could listen to for hours and never think once about where the time has gone. Ediya is my home away from home; the place that makes me love Korea.<br /><br /><br />My story of Ediya begins the very first day I was left alone in Seoul. Because of the business nature of my neighborhood, my area is littered with coffee houses (mostly coffee/hoff, but that's a different story). I didn't have internet in my apartment, so I wandered around trying desperately to find a coffee house that had free internet access with the purchase of a beverage. Most places were closed on a Sunday, but I wandered further down the street and saw this place that I had never heard of, Ediya, was open. I was greeted in Korean with the kind smile of one of the very few employees of Ediya named Min. I walked up to the counter and said, "Internet?" and got a confused look. Then I said, "Computer?" and it all came together. I ran home to get my computer, not realizing at that moment what an amazing story had just begun.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfEYYlQjpEVWB6Bb6EZBnGHjcKoUEbyn-4_XiOGsMP3mZJBUb5K5QXUllaNyaXOQuZqvD9XQTvRXxItgv1_OMAkGxMpkf28uD1VtpxDTZivLdPrqh4FYfuk40l-22GlQtDqskxCtEiiEL/s1600-h/P1000912b.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfEYYlQjpEVWB6Bb6EZBnGHjcKoUEbyn-4_XiOGsMP3mZJBUb5K5QXUllaNyaXOQuZqvD9XQTvRXxItgv1_OMAkGxMpkf28uD1VtpxDTZivLdPrqh4FYfuk40l-22GlQtDqskxCtEiiEL/s400/P1000912b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351531308902047826" border="0" /></a><br />I would go to Ediya in the beginning at least three times a week to use the internet. I would have gone more, but it was getting expensive and I didn't want to look TOO lonely. Each time I went, Min would try out another sentence in English, until very soon we were carrying on complete conversations. A great friendship was formed, and because of Min's kindness, the floodgates were opened to an ever-widening river of Korean friendships. Soon thereafter, I met SuJin, another employee. Min was having trouble getting his point across one day, and brought SuJin over to help. My friendship with her was instantaneous. Then there's Mr. G, the manager of Ediya. He doesn't know any English, but we communicate with a lot of hand motions and laughing. He's quite stoic and fatherly with me, but he's a softy.<br /><br /><br />Min and SuJin are always thanking me, and I have no idea what I have done for them. It seems as though every time I am in there, they are doing something else kind and selfless for my good. For instance, I told Min that I was ready to buy a cell phone. He said, like he always does, "Whatever you need, I will always help you." And next thing I know, he's taking me to the cell phone store with a friend of his that he said could speak better English. I found out later that the friend was really the owner of Ediya! These two people, one of whom I had known for three weeks, and the other I had just met, took hours out of their Saturday night in order to help a foreigner in need! Jason, the owner, also became my friend. That day, he asked if I would just sit and talk to him in English so he could practice. I even gave him his English name! We haven't seen each other since, but we've communicated through Min and I've talked to his adorable daughter on the phone. Also, when I started to learn how to read Korean, Min willingly took on the job of my ever-so-patient teacher, and Ediya became my classroom. He spent hours with me, kindly correcting my mistakes and boisteriously praising my acheivements. I believe I could write a novel filled with the kindnesses shown to me by Min and SuJin. I can't ever thank them enough.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs2zmJRaQmrpQh16ajtRzjGYVos56yjTHugEXH6iYeXaeeEvWF4EBbnyrKyoX02SJgzAVy97AVkdEc6YmkyjXfyLzYWvdTfGmh3UQSsz3qcRQL6ZoG9P_NC1RNji5yFtU1PwHkiZjo_xK/s1600-h/P1000842.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 330px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs2zmJRaQmrpQh16ajtRzjGYVos56yjTHugEXH6iYeXaeeEvWF4EBbnyrKyoX02SJgzAVy97AVkdEc6YmkyjXfyLzYWvdTfGmh3UQSsz3qcRQL6ZoG9P_NC1RNji5yFtU1PwHkiZjo_xK/s400/P1000842.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351531312893201666" border="0" /></a><br />One of the groups of friends that I gleaned because of my time at Ediya is a group I call "my little high school friends," though I shouldn't call them little since one of them stands head and shoulders taller than me! During my second or third time at Ediya, I was sitting and typing away when the person next to me said, "Excuse me, I would like to ask you a question. May I talk to you in English? I would like to be your friend." This person was Vincent, a junior in high school. We must have talked for at least an hour. He had two friends sitting with him that were not so eager to use their English because they were a little embarrassed, but Steven eventaully warmed up to me and freely speaks to me in his broken English. Now I meet Vincent, Steven, and their friends all the time when they come to study. We sit and talk about culture, student workloads, travel, and about anything in general. I've given quite a few of them English names (at their request, of course). Vincent keeps me updated on his major tests (he's super smart!), and I'm trying to convince him to go to Harvard. He even called me last week because one of his friends didn't believe that he had a friend from the United States.<br /><br /><br />One rainy night, they asked me if I had eaten, and I said no because I didn't have any food and didn't know how to order. We all ended up going to a bib-im-bap restaurant (on me because I'm the oldes; that's how it works here) and sharing a few different kinds of bib-im-bap. These guys crack me up! I get a text from one of the members of the group at least once a week saying, "Are you coming Ediya tonight? My friend wants speak you English."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NWwS_xysQP_spRM5RVIWTmUiKLqaonRKAoU-RsY4PNNEqaCmYPmUtWP5GbbOQDxEoe5XEbEOgAEoa6F1YxVVIYmxbpvJp0O6WVCi9_Hm9PFp3zHPN7wRjQZ7XcCHKmpc9aZSCokeI-SM/s1600-h/P1000590+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NWwS_xysQP_spRM5RVIWTmUiKLqaonRKAoU-RsY4PNNEqaCmYPmUtWP5GbbOQDxEoe5XEbEOgAEoa6F1YxVVIYmxbpvJp0O6WVCi9_Hm9PFp3zHPN7wRjQZ7XcCHKmpc9aZSCokeI-SM/s400/P1000590+-+Copy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351534698759142402" border="0" /></a><br />Back to Min and SuJin. Man, they are the greatest! Back in April I spent the day with SuJin and she even bought me dinner! I blogged about that if you want to go back and read it. And Min always astounds me by the way he's willing to drop everything to help me. I don't deserve them. One night, as I was talking to Vincent, Min walked by and I asked him was he was holding. Next think I know, he runs out the door and comes back with a duplicate of what he was holding. It was soup. I had simply asked what it was, and he went and bought me one so I could try it! Vincent and I shared it (it's a Korean thing), but Min gave me the chopsticks and Vincent the fork. Go figure! He sat down with us and also gave us a bag of kimchi and brought us water. Before I knew it, I was eating dinner in Ediya!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m6_PVvJvj3-W7H3ZPy3_eIFcNCGCnNMXWUp4zzK6FQZEnicOmqF_FwnGdDknBFmgSSdnXRY2ADslSiCA3I0l_ftyr7Z0laoORZCCf01OXbkOpixQHR2P08YNxdy2TKFlGp3FzD3zBfH0/s1600-h/P1000496.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m6_PVvJvj3-W7H3ZPy3_eIFcNCGCnNMXWUp4zzK6FQZEnicOmqF_FwnGdDknBFmgSSdnXRY2ADslSiCA3I0l_ftyr7Z0laoORZCCf01OXbkOpixQHR2P08YNxdy2TKFlGp3FzD3zBfH0/s400/P1000496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351531327307480418" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Another thing I love about Ediya is how it can turn an ordinary night into a great memory. There are many times that I have to pass Ediya while walking home from the orange subway line, or just wandering my neighborhood. I'll walk by the coffee shop and Min will be sitting on the patio with Mr. G and I'll go over, just to say hello, and end up staying a few hours. Or they'll see me walking by and I can hear them announce to the room that I'm there and I get a mass greeting (like Norm from 'Cheers', hence the title). <span style="font-style: italic;">What a feeling!</span> And I can't even number the times where I'll be sitting and sipping on tea and Min will come over and ask, "Have you eaten dinner?" which is the Korean equivalent of "How are you doing today?" If I answer with no, he'll ask why, and I'll say "mu-la-yo" (I don't know). He'll laugh and then return with a piece of cake or a bagel and sit and chat with me. On another day, I stopped by to say hello to SuJin. She wanted to give me a free drink because "the boss was out." I told her she didn't have to. Just then, Mr. G came back in and told SuJin she should give me something for free. I said, "Why do you want to do that? I don't mind paying." He said something to SuJin and she started laughing. She said that Mr. G said, "It's because we all love you." <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Aw!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwwzrZd8o5ceU1YEtZUQrLqX2LDZVxXIlR2p2iiKHv_qAm5b588FzKT7dLKd5QVTDBG05kdR2mx25C515HLKdPCyooIWZCW68nML-0BM3wDYO8Ri-GDw90zL476490mexzMKzSnuHnQak/s1600-h/P1000837.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwwzrZd8o5ceU1YEtZUQrLqX2LDZVxXIlR2p2iiKHv_qAm5b588FzKT7dLKd5QVTDBG05kdR2mx25C515HLKdPCyooIWZCW68nML-0BM3wDYO8Ri-GDw90zL476490mexzMKzSnuHnQak/s400/P1000837.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351531323922345586" border="0" /></a><br />Min and SuJin came over to my apartment in the beginning of the month because every time I mentioned that I cooked dinner, they would say, "I would like to eat the food that you make." So I had them over for spaghetti and meatballs. They quite overwhelmed me with gifts; a beautiful cake from SuJin and a bottle of wine from Min. And he wasn't at all offended when I told him I don't drink! They never stopped telling me how much they liked my food, especially the garlic bread! We laughed all night and had a wonderful time.<br /><br />In the beginning, I would go to Ediya for the internet; now I go for the people.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUmjJjIy6sGapRZ0qeqhgcutVINegV5zSFTZCPRliAs8SirmniZYrZbeYVsNEH-kDGkkHJyZMLkAudP7RYgwilwsr3XiHpx-ouMNvUHLaEGT1GAHyk_scuspEpL4hlSjcvUsIHTauzLMK/s1600-h/P1000712.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUmjJjIy6sGapRZ0qeqhgcutVINegV5zSFTZCPRliAs8SirmniZYrZbeYVsNEH-kDGkkHJyZMLkAudP7RYgwilwsr3XiHpx-ouMNvUHLaEGT1GAHyk_scuspEpL4hlSjcvUsIHTauzLMK/s400/P1000712.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351534688803068002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Why am I writing this blog on this particular day? Because today marks the break-up of my Ediya family. I found out some time ago that SuJin will be leaving Ediya soon because she will be going back to school in the fall. There is the possibility of her working weekends, but she's not sure. Then I found out a while back that Min was hired for a pretty amazing full-time job and today is the day he starts his job. It also happens to be his birthday. Full-time work is the only true job security in Korea, so I'm very happy for him, but a little sad that my two favorite Koreans won't be at Ediya to make me feel like a million bucks when they announce my arrival or to make my heart light up with their smiles and conversation. I'm going to miss my fun girl-talk with SuJin while she makes a latte, or the way she laughs every time I ask for a mango-yuja flatccino. I'm going to miss the way Min turns a simple muffin into a special creation, or the way he says goodbye that makes me think these people were genuinely glad to see me today. This is, by no means, the end of my time with them. I am sure we will do things together because Min would like some more help with his English, SuJin wants more Italian food, and they promised to take me to norebang. But it's not going to be the same at Ediya without them. <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-weight: bold;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I guess it's just you and me, Mr. G!</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOb6zwhV9_ky8wkeOArHXwQbqJuZdMGZH6n60zLzmQsvMopiUsy-MXQSNApshkhbdmUWilZ_5bUgQJEodEZwXTptnLSm5i4tuZB9MFulpnI4TzBYRST6hcPXGBnHxqaKGrlKkNpYv-P9BZ/s1600-h/P1000913b.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOb6zwhV9_ky8wkeOArHXwQbqJuZdMGZH6n60zLzmQsvMopiUsy-MXQSNApshkhbdmUWilZ_5bUgQJEodEZwXTptnLSm5i4tuZB9MFulpnI4TzBYRST6hcPXGBnHxqaKGrlKkNpYv-P9BZ/s400/P1000913b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351531299995878226" border="0" /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Happy birthday, Min!</span></a>Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-11503598223069753892009-06-09T21:06:00.007+09:002009-06-12T23:55:25.903+09:00Odyssey of the Mind<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T0DbmCSnfPd5tTi3JMkMdzbhnP9pnfm9cbZBh9glCIoQTnMAF7e4TGdt4dlmeMjebNLaLerQD0k6iANuAEZWxZ6VGTL6eUKnV3TUQkGONYzLMSsQJFQDuhJ4cwT5r2FzYIE6NA9-_dEd/s1600-h/P1000846.JPG"><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in </style>OK, a little bragging is in order. In my last entry, I mentioned briefly that some of the students and the principal were all in the United States at an Odyssey of the Mind competition. For those who don't know what that is, I'll just let their website tell you: “Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from Kindergarten through college.” I've grown up around this all my life. I think Anneli may have been a part of it at one point as well. That being said, well...THEY WON! And I don't mean we won one of the categories or our division. Those amazing Gyesong Elementary students swept the whole thing! They are the World Champions! They competed against schools from thirty other countries...and won! One of the students is in my class. His name is Jason. He was back yesterday, but there were news crews at the school interviewing, so I didn't see him. But today he brought is metal to English class and told me all about how great it was. I could tell that he is so proud of himself, as is the rest of the school. I have some pretty amazing students!
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T0DbmCSnfPd5tTi3JMkMdzbhnP9pnfm9cbZBh9glCIoQTnMAF7e4TGdt4dlmeMjebNLaLerQD0k6iANuAEZWxZ6VGTL6eUKnV3TUQkGONYzLMSsQJFQDuhJ4cwT5r2FzYIE6NA9-_dEd/s1600-h/P1000846.JPG"><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </a><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T0DbmCSnfPd5tTi3JMkMdzbhnP9pnfm9cbZBh9glCIoQTnMAF7e4TGdt4dlmeMjebNLaLerQD0k6iANuAEZWxZ6VGTL6eUKnV3TUQkGONYzLMSsQJFQDuhJ4cwT5r2FzYIE6NA9-_dEd/s1600-h/P1000846.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T0DbmCSnfPd5tTi3JMkMdzbhnP9pnfm9cbZBh9glCIoQTnMAF7e4TGdt4dlmeMjebNLaLerQD0k6iANuAEZWxZ6VGTL6eUKnV3TUQkGONYzLMSsQJFQDuhJ4cwT5r2FzYIE6NA9-_dEd/s400/P1000846.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345312856930943442" border="0" /></a></p> <p></p> <meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I wanted to post some of the pictures from the Gyeseong website, but it wouldn't let me, so if you want to see them, just click on the purple <span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);" href="http://www.gyeseong1882.es.kr/">Gyeseong</a></span> and it will take you there. In lieu of that, here's a picture of the banner the school put outside of the building the day after they won in Iowa.</p>
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<br /><img src="file:///D:/My%20Stuff/Photos/2009/05%20May/Nat%27l%20Museum%20of%20Korea/P1000869.JPG" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Amanda/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" />Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-30965090717940572622009-05-29T21:58:00.016+09:002009-06-06T00:20:05.807+09:00Hey, MG, this blog's for you! (And all the other teacher's in my life.)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wRdKJIhEnYGBdeuLhlO6LkrALi48S8oVDUqm08Mc__Cfgewiizk9bHV-5YyXANYT6Mfc53ZA_cE_Af6r5e9ToTfIuP8atjg2eheLqDIPuDbRsV2mjJqbbXfe-QG-TNGBqufqibJHYcI6/s1600-h/P1000445.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wRdKJIhEnYGBdeuLhlO6LkrALi48S8oVDUqm08Mc__Cfgewiizk9bHV-5YyXANYT6Mfc53ZA_cE_Af6r5e9ToTfIuP8atjg2eheLqDIPuDbRsV2mjJqbbXfe-QG-TNGBqufqibJHYcI6/s400/P1000445.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341254226389278242" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyonAr-ZecyWUI6xsoTSJClu_A0OMjH2_e9PJscXHb6FVvgk4v1YwURN3Lv1oqU0PcLqpU31EQ9aOlca9N7TXhLJXGWeRULHh2PU8WhsCaLfoRrAucoUItNczTYZeJBMvF-y8qzKjIjzq/s1600-h/P1000816.JPG"></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Disclaimer: This may very well be the longest entry yet, and for that, I apologize in advance!</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I've officially been here for three months now (coincidentally, the same amount of time I spent teaching in Spain) and I thought it was high time for you all to see where I work. The name of the school is Gyeseong Elementary (pronounced kay-song). It's also in the Gangnam area where I live. It's about a 35 minute walk from my apartment, and 6 minutes if I get a taxi driver who knows how to use his GPS. The school was founded in 1882, but this building was built only about three or four years ago. It is a private Catholic school that is partially funded by the government. I've heard that families have to pay upwards of<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">$15,000</span></span> per year to go there. It is considered to be one of the top schools in all of Seoul. It is mind-blowing to see the types of enrichment these students are exposed to. They take the most amazing field trips. In fact, there are a bunch of 5<sup>th</sup> and 6<sup>th</sup> grade students in New York right now at Odyssey of the Mind.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The English program here is unique from almost all the other schools in the city. I've heard from fellow foreign teachers that they have their students once a week for forty minutes, with a total of about <span style="font-style: italic;">400-700</span> students. Some have to cart their supplies around from room to room as there is no classroom for them. Most classes are thirty students or more. Most foreign teachers have to co-teach with a Korean teacher...who usually doesn't speak English all that well. And no offense to the city of Seoul, but the English curriculum developed by the city that the English teachers are required to teach is really pitiful! But here at Gyeseong, the students are seen by their English teachers three to four times per week (depending on grade level) for forty minutes each period. The students are taught using standard grade-level American anthologies (Treasures, to be specific). We are required to give them homework every night and a journal assignment once a week. The student classes are capped out at thirty, but we further divide those thirty into three levels (approach, on, beyond) and the English teachers work in teams of three so that the students can be divided up into groups of ten according to ability. I have a total of eighty students, and I think I finally have all their names down!</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Listen to me rambling on! Let's get to the pictures. You know that's what you all want to see anyway!</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Here's a couple shots of the beautiful building, at least from the place where I enter. I suggest clicking on the second picture to make it larger so you can get a better idea of what it looks like.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuT53rZJl4d2Ddl50WzrPZzTMWFWastZLIf3K3lBQdWywu6oyjEg5Vroe0Sc0Yhyphenhyphen5XxcUFxXNesiRI7KVjf1c6CFUH_CtPGEQ726RsQF6nQpTqq3mDLASVslZSHeywlKDOTpQ1KEueDCF/s1600-h/P1000498.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuT53rZJl4d2Ddl50WzrPZzTMWFWastZLIf3K3lBQdWywu6oyjEg5Vroe0Sc0Yhyphenhyphen5XxcUFxXNesiRI7KVjf1c6CFUH_CtPGEQ726RsQF6nQpTqq3mDLASVslZSHeywlKDOTpQ1KEueDCF/s400/P1000498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341254223162724866" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoCvfKjZ6C8NQMAC_RfSUYj926FH2MlOvEKnviIvdGYMjrCoNok_HJu02EAn3ymB79KTrBKtaN6WQLZc5OMYMMw90zNv-V0uB5aGKQfkzJaCfBHwUz9E-znooK0NFTU6-v267h9Yv9V56/s1600-h/P1000497.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoCvfKjZ6C8NQMAC_RfSUYj926FH2MlOvEKnviIvdGYMjrCoNok_HJu02EAn3ymB79KTrBKtaN6WQLZc5OMYMMw90zNv-V0uB5aGKQfkzJaCfBHwUz9E-znooK0NFTU6-v267h9Yv9V56/s400/P1000497.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341254217207076834" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This is a piece of sculpture sitting in the courtyard/soccer area. It looks like it belongs in an art gallery, and I don't get what it's doing at an elementary school, but I like it!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHDiujfdZwW1RCtN2gAZ7kOym4aKNrSDPSjupe72pZaCLhOTQ24zuW45z-kfZdwMn7XLHcBNGsLYpDpgiDJiLd9IXaoFxksrWDAVxWmUmz2P_Iyg5iLWSWQ_F6sN0a4nXDUt0SxJgRhuT/s1600-h/P1000500.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHDiujfdZwW1RCtN2gAZ7kOym4aKNrSDPSjupe72pZaCLhOTQ24zuW45z-kfZdwMn7XLHcBNGsLYpDpgiDJiLd9IXaoFxksrWDAVxWmUmz2P_Iyg5iLWSWQ_F6sN0a4nXDUt0SxJgRhuT/s400/P1000500.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341254213833783554" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This is Gyeseong's version of the “<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">yellow bus</span>.” Most kids in other schools have to find their own way since it's not at all common for the students to come to school on a school bus. But here at Gyeseong, they take a coach.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglY88Eig0Iv2tLBoxKhbYpKv6kmbBkTZKyUirKkJ63pXJZKZVAU9xWwaMH29aP_NQzjC13fbeVDV2miqHYfAnFXYmTLv8eEtHl4ToiSgOI9Gp870KOP9g8WtDL5FXjyFW8UYeHeidwfBfh/s1600-h/P1000825.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglY88Eig0Iv2tLBoxKhbYpKv6kmbBkTZKyUirKkJ63pXJZKZVAU9xWwaMH29aP_NQzjC13fbeVDV2miqHYfAnFXYmTLv8eEtHl4ToiSgOI9Gp870KOP9g8WtDL5FXjyFW8UYeHeidwfBfh/s400/P1000825.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341252074745481570" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This is how the parents express their appreciation for their child being chosen to attend this school. Yes, I said “chosen.” There is a lottery drawing to make it into the school. There are four classes per grade level and thirty students per class, which is a total of 720 students. When there is a vacancy, names are drawn to see who gets in. It happens one day a year, and I hear it's quite the hullabaloo. If I had to guess, though, I'm sure there would be a way to get your child's name to the top of the pile...
<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I've been doing a speaking test this week, and one of the topics was “tell me about your parents.” This was mainly for my interest. But I found what I had suspected all along. Here's just a brief list of the jobs these parents have, and, thus, the reason their children can attend this school: doctor (the most common answer), prosecutor, business owner, music producer, announcer (“My mom is very well known!”), dentist, ophthalmologist, engineer, computer specialist, etc.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKsLK5JgweCgg5O8szxsydwKSHn00HplusF0u2kJrbvuF2Xg9hwi8okwXZsmjngM1VtiwwJ3lOqnoLmturAhyphenhyphenPsT-vM3DQPAEB2N9_gYy4Ih_sppywP49SVbebmcayNtnjDLmktIresGZ/s1600-h/P1000549.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKsLK5JgweCgg5O8szxsydwKSHn00HplusF0u2kJrbvuF2Xg9hwi8okwXZsmjngM1VtiwwJ3lOqnoLmturAhyphenhyphenPsT-vM3DQPAEB2N9_gYy4Ih_sppywP49SVbebmcayNtnjDLmktIresGZ/s400/P1000549.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341252065304950114" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">There was a science day a few weeks ago. Making robots was just one of the many projects. Yes, they work.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRNIb-lxw7SkorNkBf9j3sTpGCD1U-nK9YPRo7h6tYfkxQrgh2-mQe1OcLylXfr6TlkF9nnp7-Wf21ZgdmUfEClKaG3bl0jgbb4LULbo4-a8ZBYwFAJ_UexU3zJPYGWmtxPT-UYp7TNpR/s1600-h/P1000561.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRNIb-lxw7SkorNkBf9j3sTpGCD1U-nK9YPRo7h6tYfkxQrgh2-mQe1OcLylXfr6TlkF9nnp7-Wf21ZgdmUfEClKaG3bl0jgbb4LULbo4-a8ZBYwFAJ_UexU3zJPYGWmtxPT-UYp7TNpR/s400/P1000561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341252059940753922" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Matt and Julie</span>, here's the school gym. This is the teacher's team playing volleyball against the other schools. We beat all the schools in Gangnam, but didn't quite make it as Seoul champs. The back wall has a set of bleachers with padded seats, and the other side that you can't see is the stage. Below the gym is the cafeteria, which I didn't take a picture of because there was never a really good time. I try not to look like too much of a <span style="font-style: italic;">tourist</span> in my workplace!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp40dQHPNOUcf8p5IbzU1qmIoRhYZqDFiI12ZqYNj3ugc3zsCsYpO8lp3aEcL0B_K84ikUKODjOM1B_7e5shDnklbcyP2b4MHqJrQvNr56YnvqWeKloh3lcQ2gRZTb8OEkl3aQjpvSnlWw/s1600-h/P1000502.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp40dQHPNOUcf8p5IbzU1qmIoRhYZqDFiI12ZqYNj3ugc3zsCsYpO8lp3aEcL0B_K84ikUKODjOM1B_7e5shDnklbcyP2b4MHqJrQvNr56YnvqWeKloh3lcQ2gRZTb8OEkl3aQjpvSnlWw/s400/P1000502.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341252059142730194" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Wondering what the grade-level classrooms look like? This is it. It's a third grade classroom. If you look closely at the second picture, you'll see a large screen in the middle. It's a Smartboard, <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Scott</span>. Seriously! You'd love it. Every single classroom has one. The English classrooms had them as well until some teacher in the past ruined it for us and let the kids play games all the time, so they were removed. The writing boards are actually white boards that are green and are on sliding panels. There's a third one that covers the Smartboard. The teacher you see in the corner is <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Brendon</span>. He is seriously one of the smartest people I've met here in Korea. I co-teach an advanced English class for teachers on Tuesdays, and he's my only student. We cover a wide arc of topics; anything from Oprah to Iraq. I never have to write a lesson plan because we just talk and every once in a while, I'll help him find the word he's searching for. He'll never admit that his English is any good, though. I'm very grateful to teach this class because Brendon has become a good friend in the process.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaWWq4B7TPTRWWdPbTUz_GAGKNwrQI-LruN4HP2O6vvOKSYY3Z4MiPaZgsPnyotDnb3E3CL0C4z3NhfeKAdNGGGsXzPKRbadv0PCi18cGsB-kaxZbLFBYH8hog3RkPRGtg-FdU3NbXwxd/s1600-h/P1000818.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaWWq4B7TPTRWWdPbTUz_GAGKNwrQI-LruN4HP2O6vvOKSYY3Z4MiPaZgsPnyotDnb3E3CL0C4z3NhfeKAdNGGGsXzPKRbadv0PCi18cGsB-kaxZbLFBYH8hog3RkPRGtg-FdU3NbXwxd/s400/P1000818.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341252052540564194" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOS-nNzARgK9aN5yVVUryrXU7DayOSrMjMmua5yHr3JzLykWtblXI7VEQmJZ6un9VWVLvjUMGVA9yltP3qYhIVfysv20tIrZswBvUQN_VbAZh_9R7SDw63AD9Z206z1we6pKfWQdZ7tj7/s1600-h/P1000817.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOS-nNzARgK9aN5yVVUryrXU7DayOSrMjMmua5yHr3JzLykWtblXI7VEQmJZ6un9VWVLvjUMGVA9yltP3qYhIVfysv20tIrZswBvUQN_VbAZh_9R7SDw63AD9Z206z1we6pKfWQdZ7tj7/s400/P1000817.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341250802884264722" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This room is a workout facility for teachers. The Korean teachers can use it any time of the day, whether it's lunch time or when their students are with us. We English teachers have to wait until we clock out at the end of the day. One of the many double-standards that we've come to live with here in Korea. There is also a teacher's lounge that I wasn't able to take a picture of. It's nothing like the teacher's lounge in the States. It has massage chairs, quiet music, and dim lighting. Yes, a room for taking a nap! (But we English teacher's can't use it.)</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KVXt95J-qDfB-Od-wpFwudbhuHGxh-IlYP7AnRK8fHViwPKEsI3SwP0awI8yCmIwnkUuFm-xM57-7lkeHJjNLkDZA1vJ4mg7OakfYUmFoFvJ8XKy0xcP_fJSOSFIdLQrgXdgJESC5gH4/s1600-h/P1000831.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KVXt95J-qDfB-Od-wpFwudbhuHGxh-IlYP7AnRK8fHViwPKEsI3SwP0awI8yCmIwnkUuFm-xM57-7lkeHJjNLkDZA1vJ4mg7OakfYUmFoFvJ8XKy0xcP_fJSOSFIdLQrgXdgJESC5gH4/s400/P1000831.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341250801188446514" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Katie</span>, Here's the library. In the top picture you can see the check-out counter with Sister Mag in the special corner where she keeps a fantastic stockpile of American DVD's (for grown-ups and kids). And in the lower picture are all the books. On the left is the isle where the English books are kept. Both sides are full, as well as a reference section and a non-fiction section near the door. But I'm sure that's not the first thing that interests you as you view the photo. What's that kid doing in the blue suit, you ask? Each grade spends an entire week taking<span style="font-weight: bold;"> ice skating lessons</span>! Some students just go in their uniforms, but some parents like to deck their kids out in the latest speed-skating fashions.<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"> Only in Korea!</span></p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpgv1gsUa9W00AAmyjadYIusZGbFhuBD0IX4LEHNQz7k5DiCHJmeQpgZMWRb5e6JuOWzA-R62sLwz1LgPV_EIXMlbTWf8tR9wJUvXkzPqXtV3W3MJtOl-DSpnMo7Fx-SuN3aEhYvdIrUC/s1600-h/P1000821.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpgv1gsUa9W00AAmyjadYIusZGbFhuBD0IX4LEHNQz7k5DiCHJmeQpgZMWRb5e6JuOWzA-R62sLwz1LgPV_EIXMlbTWf8tR9wJUvXkzPqXtV3W3MJtOl-DSpnMo7Fx-SuN3aEhYvdIrUC/s400/P1000821.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341250793350888722" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOT86JP-Xz_YZFBU-jt2joC_WahEoALWLC-hL7IwJR4njB-3p3Vs-W67LRwPtGpkQq0DIWJY6GvYVxPQOqG3w7Uru1sqISYgNG_OtLUxYR_EW8T_4fUKEt4743q-uahm4vp-VvFKNsngyw/s1600-h/P1000820.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOT86JP-Xz_YZFBU-jt2joC_WahEoALWLC-hL7IwJR4njB-3p3Vs-W67LRwPtGpkQq0DIWJY6GvYVxPQOqG3w7Uru1sqISYgNG_OtLUxYR_EW8T_4fUKEt4743q-uahm4vp-VvFKNsngyw/s400/P1000820.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341250790515289954" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Hey,<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Bill</span></span>, here's the orchestra room. A few times a week, I can hear the students practicing near my office. They are absolutely amazing! The only drawback is on Tuesdays when the taepyeongso group gets together. There isn't a wall strong enough to block it's noise. Think about a duck that is slowly being murdered and refuses to die. I am convinced that there is only one song that this instrument is able to play. You can look it up on YouTube if you want to...or not.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-62boEX9XDhb1QQQM2AfgHoLPsXFTUshnhy3kLL0krhyN5uMNh-CSC-u_9_lNyfb_ubvaa6snTI445Y0pXesTOgcpfJeQKs1Bl-xHka8K_4vnQWHfOnNzyvkFt1QxWdUMc86viNF7AE8s/s1600-h/P1000830.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-62boEX9XDhb1QQQM2AfgHoLPsXFTUshnhy3kLL0krhyN5uMNh-CSC-u_9_lNyfb_ubvaa6snTI445Y0pXesTOgcpfJeQKs1Bl-xHka8K_4vnQWHfOnNzyvkFt1QxWdUMc86viNF7AE8s/s400/P1000830.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341250786353233330" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">And <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Jill</span>, I thought you might want to see the computer lab. There are two of them in the school. I'm not quite sure the extent of what they are learning, but it's a pretty cool looking room.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatGsGfvEPRfDvemUaR9le1nBQTsdaSzNZyyQv6Ob-He_0rSLN1x-_wd_Xf72NQ_UWuGqf416_quyAB73nHWx4GRoa5qjKngbI0vK6NQoGcWpgu8WoFQuO7bgf8wFbDHTG_IWO7VVc8TMz/s1600-h/P1000832.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatGsGfvEPRfDvemUaR9le1nBQTsdaSzNZyyQv6Ob-He_0rSLN1x-_wd_Xf72NQ_UWuGqf416_quyAB73nHWx4GRoa5qjKngbI0vK6NQoGcWpgu8WoFQuO7bgf8wFbDHTG_IWO7VVc8TMz/s400/P1000832.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341249118872581490" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I can't remember who was into science the most, but this is the science lab (sorry, I couldn't use my flash, so it's kind of hard to see), and a dance studio on the 4<sup>th</sup> floor. There are also some rooms that didn't make it onto my camera. There's a large auditorium, an amazing staff meeting room, several religion classrooms, and the principals office is pretty spectacular. I'm not sure you'd be a fan, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Dana</span>, since it's full of pretty flowers and jade pottery. The leather couches are pretty sweet, though!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IHIKx-LweRp682IAyATREYPxjR7q-oRrY7trhffrY3xt2zTlyBiYYqSHOdLG6EKqkz_CZvp8hmXa8MJYTEmI61HyBSnvyghYmZbMUnRnngms75F-fIGR0FL3UwBqMqYUR4cVkKLp37N1/s1600-h/P1000827.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IHIKx-LweRp682IAyATREYPxjR7q-oRrY7trhffrY3xt2zTlyBiYYqSHOdLG6EKqkz_CZvp8hmXa8MJYTEmI61HyBSnvyghYmZbMUnRnngms75F-fIGR0FL3UwBqMqYUR4cVkKLp37N1/s400/P1000827.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341249111513121954" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9xosqDbSZwcszOgHjO18fR1wNeVRzRUTbKIY1RgWkBCVgOVNLJ2vkTUa5KXxHzKP6BuzTMlyo-3mU1GKGw9mEPbrwXXA7vE2Gmg4IxWbeuG6hL2_9A8RU0UFKRSCT5eFrIGsRn2oHgg8/s1600-h/P1000828.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9xosqDbSZwcszOgHjO18fR1wNeVRzRUTbKIY1RgWkBCVgOVNLJ2vkTUa5KXxHzKP6BuzTMlyo-3mU1GKGw9mEPbrwXXA7vE2Gmg4IxWbeuG6hL2_9A8RU0UFKRSCT5eFrIGsRn2oHgg8/s400/P1000828.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341249108649004738" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">And for my <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">ELL gang</span>, here's the English office for the nine of us teachers and our director. My cube is the one with the bright screen. Our office computers are all networked with the classroom computers so we can make all our projects here and then send them to the server to pull up in our rooms.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWsFqApVX4eDh1NU6lovr_UTyCjkXYhGtuGgT7LpS4gmK9w_CT6e9Fne28Srvi4Azlkd8Nb5ZJpK8qJWxWDdyD_t1IyTA3HxhQ_R6yl94KQRO_EHhFTDKHA8Ozqhyphenhyphen5c92iUDQWF55BeDe/s1600-h/P1000805.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWsFqApVX4eDh1NU6lovr_UTyCjkXYhGtuGgT7LpS4gmK9w_CT6e9Fne28Srvi4Azlkd8Nb5ZJpK8qJWxWDdyD_t1IyTA3HxhQ_R6yl94KQRO_EHhFTDKHA8Ozqhyphenhyphen5c92iUDQWF55BeDe/s400/P1000805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341249101707702898" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Most schools here in Seoul are trying to set up English Zones. This is the one that we have in our school. There are the six classes here plus three more around the corner. Mine is the first one with the purple door. </p>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLJCmMetzfWnESjgUFurxAHgoMnOvaDPqpf_lAhtIWrXJJ7SYBRaQ3MxL4mIEkOF54F79QnR4mi22YfR9JET2YRStuUpzZhVwTcxK0lMDW1K-6q4nk5qkof2c6IgA7l4PvwMmTYDvMkeL/s1600-h/P1000560.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLJCmMetzfWnESjgUFurxAHgoMnOvaDPqpf_lAhtIWrXJJ7SYBRaQ3MxL4mIEkOF54F79QnR4mi22YfR9JET2YRStuUpzZhVwTcxK0lMDW1K-6q4nk5qkof2c6IgA7l4PvwMmTYDvMkeL/s400/P1000560.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341247152468777634" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">And, finally, here's my classroom! The top picture is the view from the door looking in. My fellow MG-ers, you'll be happy to know that the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Word Wall</span> has been carried to Korea. I service second and fifth grade, and I have a separate Word Wall for each of them. I was actually told by the VP that he liked the idea but didn't think there was enough room for all the words he expected them to learn. I've also carried over the idea of the card system, which works like a dream and is praised my the VP, though he thinks my punishments should be much harsher. Below is the view from the windows. I feel like I have the largest computer monitor known to mankind. It has a swivel neck and everything! I love this room! Oh, and I hope y'all don't mind, but I also borrowed the <span style="font-weight: bold;">MG pledge</span>, except they say, “In Ms. Kataja's class...” I have them say it to start every class. They really like it, and boy, do they let me know if I forget!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4t5XfKZa0p4Aokr_LJo_iFxIyQLPLITfb6oTiqTBWfW46BxWGIlWGoTmAPaB1KaN_-Zj0AaEZUaliQdIUKLOZNO-4l57dMA7P07lqdrq_OgPNpHI_yjvYiQ2iGrkCi9FEWleso-6RmK-/s1600-h/P1000815.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4t5XfKZa0p4Aokr_LJo_iFxIyQLPLITfb6oTiqTBWfW46BxWGIlWGoTmAPaB1KaN_-Zj0AaEZUaliQdIUKLOZNO-4l57dMA7P07lqdrq_OgPNpHI_yjvYiQ2iGrkCi9FEWleso-6RmK-/s400/P1000815.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341247148411702018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyonAr-ZecyWUI6xsoTSJClu_A0OMjH2_e9PJscXHb6FVvgk4v1YwURN3Lv1oqU0PcLqpU31EQ9aOlca9N7TXhLJXGWeRULHh2PU8WhsCaLfoRrAucoUItNczTYZeJBMvF-y8qzKjIjzq/s1600-h/P1000816.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyonAr-ZecyWUI6xsoTSJClu_A0OMjH2_e9PJscXHb6FVvgk4v1YwURN3Lv1oqU0PcLqpU31EQ9aOlca9N7TXhLJXGWeRULHh2PU8WhsCaLfoRrAucoUItNczTYZeJBMvF-y8qzKjIjzq/s400/P1000816.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341501110737648642" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This is the view out my window of the lovely soccer field, the courtyard, and though you can't see it for the trees, there's also quite a monumental monument for St. Mary, complete with a fountain and fish pond.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6FBxuTvhsCwNetNALVRlUQqFS6HlPw_S9QiW_wZSLbriYvtxAT0cB8LEXvWG0D_FmUGa_aYGFnEdDiy3cQ2auGuw4j4nGSwliSe9g193wwnxTefQyDMwmcrKJLnDj_yzyNyZtkVajofJ/s1600-h/P1000559.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6FBxuTvhsCwNetNALVRlUQqFS6HlPw_S9QiW_wZSLbriYvtxAT0cB8LEXvWG0D_FmUGa_aYGFnEdDiy3cQ2auGuw4j4nGSwliSe9g193wwnxTefQyDMwmcrKJLnDj_yzyNyZtkVajofJ/s400/P1000559.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341249099750109522" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">And this, my friends, is what I have to wear every day. Outdoor shoes are not allowed, but tacky slippers are completely permissible.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJUfyTnj4gUYPRQy8QJxCInz3EN6EQ7xqyk60qg1FB9g1jX-tBEvYfHPZ-8XOIcENNyoCuHQB_HuUFmlyPmOLI3DEkfUl51LQwO7pdndIyPz_3Wc1TTJfDmmXYCtXbp-lgUbrFNcFNCO-/s1600-h/P1000557.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJUfyTnj4gUYPRQy8QJxCInz3EN6EQ7xqyk60qg1FB9g1jX-tBEvYfHPZ-8XOIcENNyoCuHQB_HuUFmlyPmOLI3DEkfUl51LQwO7pdndIyPz_3Wc1TTJfDmmXYCtXbp-lgUbrFNcFNCO-/s400/P1000557.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341247141128755234" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The school serves lunch for all students and teachers (at about $3 a meal). No student in Korea ever bags a lunch. The food is surprisingly good! It just so happened that the day I decided to take a picture, it wasn't all that aesthetically pleasing. Mind you, it was still really good, just not pretty. And yes, there is kimchi and rice at EVERY meal.
<br /></p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Hbb7tFUfC66NDdKxtV_295ED_y4gbaqONXPe5ZoosGABy_YtpeLCDIJ1_JOix4YnRMAiG9rRN2HRSBHxb1-R4Osej_3L5t3tQAmTo6Y0-B4M4MureCTMkrviqbOFCGW5SXrixoUOGpno/s1600-h/P1000806.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Hbb7tFUfC66NDdKxtV_295ED_y4gbaqONXPe5ZoosGABy_YtpeLCDIJ1_JOix4YnRMAiG9rRN2HRSBHxb1-R4Osej_3L5t3tQAmTo6Y0-B4M4MureCTMkrviqbOFCGW5SXrixoUOGpno/s400/P1000806.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341245619639489858" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Here are two of the music practice sessions. This is one of the many violin rooms, but there are also clarinets, flutes, piano, cello, viola, and whatever else you can think of. Even two amazing drum rooms where the students learn to play the bak, the traditional drum of Korea. I am really impressed by what the school offers as far as teaching tradition. There's the drumming, the annoying horn, folk dancing, and even Korean etiquette classes to learn interaction, ceremonies, and traditional Korean dress.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGBYqTl2BRLx5WkdDtICSaQ9CDjG8cvNqMhXt8-rz7Yo3vyEntPDKdSbawA087ivUcv74Y_UJxvOcy6c-6bwIP_T4GLyvdjsiUeAsT5pk40P9DDMTdCP8lxCFTD7hzfQINmkwlI8Zs0KI/s1600-h/P1000813.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 336px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGBYqTl2BRLx5WkdDtICSaQ9CDjG8cvNqMhXt8-rz7Yo3vyEntPDKdSbawA087ivUcv74Y_UJxvOcy6c-6bwIP_T4GLyvdjsiUeAsT5pk40P9DDMTdCP8lxCFTD7hzfQINmkwlI8Zs0KI/s400/P1000813.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341245617038169058" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCwhA3oMnq0DTX8Nkp6KsJWGt-Fj6Pju71BGRi6SCS9ropmMdlPhsaUeCsxFSWngvfDh_2c5DmKieUxlilPHx3lTolu6-_kjMZzRZ1ZDwPVIzc2xtGs7JFVQwFOASihfs6ubiGjuic8T2/s1600-h/P1000810.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCwhA3oMnq0DTX8Nkp6KsJWGt-Fj6Pju71BGRi6SCS9ropmMdlPhsaUeCsxFSWngvfDh_2c5DmKieUxlilPHx3lTolu6-_kjMZzRZ1ZDwPVIzc2xtGs7JFVQwFOASihfs6ubiGjuic8T2/s400/P1000810.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341245611314212386" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Here's a picture of some of my students doing an activity where they had to write down their daily schedule and then relay that information across the room to someone who had to write it down correctly. It was a really fun activity that incorporated reading, writing, listening, and speaking. But I was the one who learned the most, I think. I was astounded to learn what these kids have to do in a week. Most go straight from school to some sort of academy every night, whether it's English, math, science, or sports. They usually don't go to bed until midnight or even later. They have academies on Saturday and Sunday, and they even wrote things like, “Saturday, 8:00-10:00, free time, read a book.” They have to <span style="font-style: italic;">schedule</span> free time!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn2652IhrbgOvlqXBgy01Lvs_tiIUwkcUDY44YxEU1V7e1WEeZJXtZCQucn9NDt0rR6W0CISpXpK5qBUt5ZXKlQieKY39dwlB7OoWPShPIsWH4xHBcI1ns-jU6TPK1uXJVZC92VFcGqDy/s1600-h/P1000584.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn2652IhrbgOvlqXBgy01Lvs_tiIUwkcUDY44YxEU1V7e1WEeZJXtZCQucn9NDt0rR6W0CISpXpK5qBUt5ZXKlQieKY39dwlB7OoWPShPIsWH4xHBcI1ns-jU6TPK1uXJVZC92VFcGqDy/s400/P1000584.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341245607353934034" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">As much as I miss my students back home (<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Scott, Sharon, Mike, Katherine</span>...say hello to them for me, please!) I love the kids here just as much. They are really amazing and have wonderful personalities. We talk about the strangest things, and I almost never have a behavior issue that isn't handled in about five seconds (Heaven forbid I give them a “very good” instead of “excellent” in their evaluation card! It's quite a handy threat.) Any they are always saying things like, “I put a corporation mark for the words of Clark say.” And then in the next sentence, they use a word like pandemonium!</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I've also started learning <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangul"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-weight: bold;">Hangul</span></a>, the written language here (click on the word if you want to see what it looks like). I really think that it has made me a better teacher in that I can understand where their mistakes are coming from and I can even spell things out phonetically in Hangul when they don't understand.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This is the English team that I work with. In the top picture, the two on the left, nearest the front, are the other two members of Team B (my team) and we work with 2<sup>nd</sup> and 5<sup>th</sup>. We get along great and work really well together (just like back home!). At the head of the table is Sister Rosa, the principal of the school. In the bottom picture is the whole team again. This was on Children's Day, a day where all schools and work places are closed so parents can take their children out for a day of fun. But where was I? <span style="font-style: italic;">School</span>. Why was I there? The school decided to celebrate <span style="font-style: italic;">Father's Day</span>...on Children's Day! Gotta love Korean scheduling! So we decided to make the best of it and wear our funny Korean visors and blinding staff vests.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnjoU13CKrkL0F12m4wcTh5hLPdXQsUTABYpMkD9C4YmBvRWRV-HynNI3DqDQ1hBMv1h-QBxMvgve5dm7yi30eFk7NR6DaVZ9cbcrH9TnlJ-dKdiH-LMh1DjzfwbY7GcIhpBVB1OUFLpq/s1600-h/P1000380.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnjoU13CKrkL0F12m4wcTh5hLPdXQsUTABYpMkD9C4YmBvRWRV-HynNI3DqDQ1hBMv1h-QBxMvgve5dm7yi30eFk7NR6DaVZ9cbcrH9TnlJ-dKdiH-LMh1DjzfwbY7GcIhpBVB1OUFLpq/s400/P1000380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341235843992777122" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHyHbrFLev__9U4vbFTWBYeizm4u__gXkfziq8NvOWlFfwxcuG8eIAuKHvEyThsM9qRx5SD27_Bt9roHwSo7aY0IrLSF6K6guhxSbgdQYR6JI8KcDoAHWghD_WnkCNTG0bw7K9AqHnAy2/s1600-h/P1000647.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHyHbrFLev__9U4vbFTWBYeizm4u__gXkfziq8NvOWlFfwxcuG8eIAuKHvEyThsM9qRx5SD27_Bt9roHwSo7aY0IrLSF6K6guhxSbgdQYR6JI8KcDoAHWghD_WnkCNTG0bw7K9AqHnAy2/s400/P1000647.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341235840651954578" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This doesn't have much to do with the inner workings of the school, but I think it's so funny how <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Mickey Mouse</span> has permeated the society here, so much so that he is used in decorations to spruce the place up. Though we would find it cheesy, in Korea “Mickey makes it better.” Here we have Mickey as a book return, then Mickey surrounding the school as pewter plant holders, and finally the large version of the Mickey plant holder. And who is that inside the shape of Mickey's head? Oh, it's Jesus. What!?</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyo5cdnDp5qQ8YIcfhE3Gw4gQcdkIvDNgGIe68VGBtFBQVSwoPHz93OSEX5pj3UdmuDi_5HkvoA1c4tAPK9JL9-lz6sRuRNqxKrvwKoIdHH7SQYLyXmYoJHEwaltRaXgH7N3QaFrTh_JmF/s1600-h/P1000826.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 304px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyo5cdnDp5qQ8YIcfhE3Gw4gQcdkIvDNgGIe68VGBtFBQVSwoPHz93OSEX5pj3UdmuDi_5HkvoA1c4tAPK9JL9-lz6sRuRNqxKrvwKoIdHH7SQYLyXmYoJHEwaltRaXgH7N3QaFrTh_JmF/s400/P1000826.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341235832678760354" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp9t7cd7def0tllHlAbfmFhM-k7kHwS5Im5QrYE7mcLeZGpyk8Am8-mZAD6Yv4yf1GWuOBA-_EITuFLRc6GDxK4c4YUF32k3Ba4oClf7ps6sAf9m3cAmK07kn93MMMTdwXC58GDrSm8ZL/s1600-h/P1000833.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp9t7cd7def0tllHlAbfmFhM-k7kHwS5Im5QrYE7mcLeZGpyk8Am8-mZAD6Yv4yf1GWuOBA-_EITuFLRc6GDxK4c4YUF32k3Ba4oClf7ps6sAf9m3cAmK07kn93MMMTdwXC58GDrSm8ZL/s400/P1000833.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341235825982316210" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAhYcZtsKlgL_mtegxd-LQEbQzbFqHOvMBkZw1u45k-xpWJRsbiPqKLkTV-C7we8QPG-W7nVZBJpIoEhXoDwbLFDxW6DniQEybls8cULqtZWWFoPXirojpB5pmwD0AYHa5rLr3N9VUfGK/s1600-h/P1000808.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAhYcZtsKlgL_mtegxd-LQEbQzbFqHOvMBkZw1u45k-xpWJRsbiPqKLkTV-C7we8QPG-W7nVZBJpIoEhXoDwbLFDxW6DniQEybls8cULqtZWWFoPXirojpB5pmwD0AYHa5rLr3N9VUfGK/s400/P1000808.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341235821922626386" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">So, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">MG</span>, there you have it. This is the place that you so graciously allowed me to sail off to. If you would like to see more, you can go to the school's web site. It's <a href="http://www.gyeseong1882.es.kr/">www.gyeseong1882.es.kr</a>. While you're there, you can click on the icon of the TV and watch a video of the school in English. I just watched it for the first time a couple days ago, and it's pretty good. Also, at the bottom of this blog you'll see two videos. The first is one of my students, Claire, playing a Mozart piece that she's currently memorizing (she was <span style="font-style: italic;">VERY</span> nervous). Next to that is a group of students practicing the bak; six of the students are mine. And <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Bill</span>, do you see the thing on the left that looks like an enormous drum? Well, it's an enormous drum! I've been dying to play that thing!</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">One final note: I know it's different than an American school, but if you are at all tempted to be jealous of life as a teacher in Gyeseong, remember one thing; Friday may be your last day of school, but I'll be teaching through the summer! ...And while you're on that wonderful summer break, don't forget about me! I'll still be blogging and I'd still love to hear from all of you!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIFqUO5vrX2keFEBdU_F4LwhG9mCXWiMI8B5jL848CjvNZM69G3yqe-Y5IF9fgqKBxR1u0n9eX8uVJ1IXOwQvB3TiqeYmlnDgfcXsutjDldgFDnRnJH9wV_nAWjbSx3mrFAFMlqotAfQx/s1600-h/P1000826.JPG">
<br /></a><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw3Xb_i4DUWC2veaL331VjyBecnSenEF6bvjuHU8bsSvpRn_Sj-Eb5moZzEfzW9Kcnm9-P_yeW4vYgDOQcK' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxdUr7xf2kZeQ3hWbq38yhgvp6ZY50Wfutq6d2hwpaXl8pywAbSAvN2q5COK5YnKvdxjRVPVNJs6fwfQNbdaQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-86484875828211378432009-05-24T15:21:00.012+09:002009-05-24T20:50:31.298+09:00Sights of Seocho<meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Korea has been my home now for three months, which have flown by faster than I ever thought possible. I have grown to love the area that I live in, and I wanted to tell you all about it.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Much like Chicago, the city of Seoul is divided into districts. I live in the district called <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gangnam</span>. It is below the Han River and just to the right of center, if you're looking on the map. It is an affluent area, much like downtown Chicago. Gangnam is also divided into sections, and my section is called <span style="font-weight: bold;">Seocho</span> (pronounced suh-cho). Is is predominantly a business area as opposed to residential. It is also a very quiet area to live in when it isn't rush hour (rush hour in the evening can sometimes last from 4:00-8:00).</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbROXP05-t2dJMo0alcLDnyMujGUhdf8b74jL5SLVFxXMfu4auOw4ilO56gZ7UwSD20EM8vtmKv9itUdf8GxCGuLL4oM1eR54n2OSHFl1elKii60D1wkp1vY-tSoP46yQjN_OKtPUUc6y/s1600-h/P1000495.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbROXP05-t2dJMo0alcLDnyMujGUhdf8b74jL5SLVFxXMfu4auOw4ilO56gZ7UwSD20EM8vtmKv9itUdf8GxCGuLL4oM1eR54n2OSHFl1elKii60D1wkp1vY-tSoP46yQjN_OKtPUUc6y/s400/P1000495.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339331576448496050" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">“<span style="font-style: italic;">Joy Seocho – Light of the World</span>” is the slogan for the city. I've asked Koreans about it, and they don't seem to understand it either. I've only every heard “light of the world” referenced in the Bible, so I'm not really sure what meaning they are attributing to it. Ah, well, the picture's cute!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyV7WgHlqi249liH3PT1nMOPIQCJl1Lv0JV3Foo3NY7ZK6ABkHcqLJ5eY_WDTrM771Ij7s8ybVueFhEtKyWdvZpKG5TOwnYU40WgdM5vXZLn3WgY3ZESb_H_DaIsJyLfgWXV2dEX6xSCMr/s1600-h/P1000453.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyV7WgHlqi249liH3PT1nMOPIQCJl1Lv0JV3Foo3NY7ZK6ABkHcqLJ5eY_WDTrM771Ij7s8ybVueFhEtKyWdvZpKG5TOwnYU40WgdM5vXZLn3WgY3ZESb_H_DaIsJyLfgWXV2dEX6xSCMr/s400/P1000453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339331573114491346" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfizggIjBrmPBea0gsCDxNOYzcmSWkVMLs99znpFZkQt7RHiFQE3JNYDXmTbxnSbrOopLwIzqR3Qzkw4WGYbL7Y32KaDg4XvLCgqiAtvlHTVh99dlUkD-yEscClkxPsZtMm7LDL3mkhPJ/s1600-h/P1000717.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfizggIjBrmPBea0gsCDxNOYzcmSWkVMLs99znpFZkQt7RHiFQE3JNYDXmTbxnSbrOopLwIzqR3Qzkw4WGYbL7Y32KaDg4XvLCgqiAtvlHTVh99dlUkD-yEscClkxPsZtMm7LDL3mkhPJ/s400/P1000717.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339330957123893138" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I usually walk to work in the mornings because it's nice and cool out, and sometimes I walk home in the afternoons. The two above pictures are my views in the two different directions. In the first one, if you look directly to the left of the pole that says 60, you can see a very faint S.R. This is my apartment building (which is really called an office-tel because the apartments can be rented for small business). In the one below it, you can see the mountain in the center of Seoul with Namsan Tower on top. A major attraction here.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYh_IURZSlKKWDZhL_LV0OFhgHKHd8dl0oC6dsJNNCVUVkpYiyjU87kIZJfnE1p9HdUf4GOuuMmsuYv9129vMA5hwxhwElf_1_yK5TlKUDWuhQxUYhn1YI3qRdhAJqcFeXWYCqpup1Bnpx/s1600-h/P1000436.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYh_IURZSlKKWDZhL_LV0OFhgHKHd8dl0oC6dsJNNCVUVkpYiyjU87kIZJfnE1p9HdUf4GOuuMmsuYv9129vMA5hwxhwElf_1_yK5TlKUDWuhQxUYhn1YI3qRdhAJqcFeXWYCqpup1Bnpx/s400/P1000436.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339330953103033442" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">After about the third day walking, I noticed how beautifully green the grass was, and then I looked more closely and realized that it was Astroturf! <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">Only in Korea!</span></p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhSrny90PF8N2xVZAeKqieBxUHpt11-elQf9DTdZlw0yEZjOxDavfQr7oLYl9PuoQnWGiLaIlivMkXpMSsYLVrpyGyoH6xi6NpGjak4il7jdptyzVQuNLV26pCzRI5ozDKwYFArxUsO_7/s1600-h/P1000580.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhSrny90PF8N2xVZAeKqieBxUHpt11-elQf9DTdZlw0yEZjOxDavfQr7oLYl9PuoQnWGiLaIlivMkXpMSsYLVrpyGyoH6xi6NpGjak4il7jdptyzVQuNLV26pCzRI5ozDKwYFArxUsO_7/s400/P1000580.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339330946937700082" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInj7AFqxaDwdD2ComtBylo_YCVy7PcMTuMoNPGynKCwY2mGnpKI-N71wS_OzGVqOhmTZP1d9e3AQMHSaEvK8SE_Xc9jdl1yyQYfaT38g2bQhptlXJTOdtqbMzu-TLrsuz7x6VgPEOAdnQ/s1600-h/P1000716.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInj7AFqxaDwdD2ComtBylo_YCVy7PcMTuMoNPGynKCwY2mGnpKI-N71wS_OzGVqOhmTZP1d9e3AQMHSaEvK8SE_Xc9jdl1yyQYfaT38g2bQhptlXJTOdtqbMzu-TLrsuz7x6VgPEOAdnQ/s400/P1000716.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339330944878047330" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuxb3UkxyzqN7H7_ytcse5HEwFqhB3bbj46g9dlCrqnqU9DD5AYSLexkyqJgjtqyMCE8g80DfCqunHeIHwhI1oSSDh6wqvWFPWsHfa3F7LYHgerKdtJKByA-kbJYITqlkRwvlulC1Bhgr/s1600-h/P1000492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuxb3UkxyzqN7H7_ytcse5HEwFqhB3bbj46g9dlCrqnqU9DD5AYSLexkyqJgjtqyMCE8g80DfCqunHeIHwhI1oSSDh6wqvWFPWsHfa3F7LYHgerKdtJKByA-kbJYITqlkRwvlulC1Bhgr/s400/P1000492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339330934934250498" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Beautiful flowers line my walk. I have the privilege of enjoying the flowering bushes for nearly half my walk. The hanging baskets were just put up last week. I noticed that back home, most of these baskets are hung high enough where people can't reach them and mess with them, but here they are all directly at eye level, trusting that people will enjoy them and not vandalize them. And the magnolia trees seem to be blooming forever!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSry_fhXMPHKm6m8x0shecvAVMepjWZyQWITBsp2ghyphenhyphenFKgYeI4l_WHUKkJjQmGLKDraJwsnDshyJULoW153sZMt0tjayYX6bC9gfKhAshxG8renS7zY8UXy3DKiCgfJytTiKOs5CNlb_lx/s1600-h/P1000432.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSry_fhXMPHKm6m8x0shecvAVMepjWZyQWITBsp2ghyphenhyphenFKgYeI4l_WHUKkJjQmGLKDraJwsnDshyJULoW153sZMt0tjayYX6bC9gfKhAshxG8renS7zY8UXy3DKiCgfJytTiKOs5CNlb_lx/s400/P1000432.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339328957591452658" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JXw8LqC7uSDIGb8I1IvN6NJQgBiraDB1i6ia_BYlQlUZhj9CNX6I2VEgZ2XCqdwjMSopyGYnaQSCRo_quTj4C9YTGZo8jgUuuBfgQw5YSsSDcZfaR9UCjVRpWmwCeV0j1Cqto8JiwQkJ/s1600-h/P1000456.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JXw8LqC7uSDIGb8I1IvN6NJQgBiraDB1i6ia_BYlQlUZhj9CNX6I2VEgZ2XCqdwjMSopyGYnaQSCRo_quTj4C9YTGZo8jgUuuBfgQw5YSsSDcZfaR9UCjVRpWmwCeV0j1Cqto8JiwQkJ/s400/P1000456.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339328953991761170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeujjmiqsEJE8sHYt_h86y5tjhba0Mbb_Bl8AbpCnqw_RgHDMIs7eZEU5lAi6cO-6mhmoD_Giu07KV_Vo3wJaNJhi141n1wi1xQd1wsBDix9sJjXjVvgWX8LnsGgluccWoAZc_KUHvLM0/s1600-h/P1000433.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeujjmiqsEJE8sHYt_h86y5tjhba0Mbb_Bl8AbpCnqw_RgHDMIs7eZEU5lAi6cO-6mhmoD_Giu07KV_Vo3wJaNJhi141n1wi1xQd1wsBDix9sJjXjVvgWX8LnsGgluccWoAZc_KUHvLM0/s400/P1000433.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339350129916771666" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The entrance to Line 2 of the subway station is literally 100 meters from my apartment building. The Green Line (#2) is one of the most convenient lines in Seoul because it runs in a circle and connects to all the others. So nice! And my station is extremely quiet since there's not really all that much to do in Seocho, just people working. The subway stations are also the only legal way to cross the street. If you cross above, where there are no crosswalks, you are very likely to lose life or limb. I've also included a picture of the bus I take when I'm running late or just too lazy. On the left side of the picture, you can see a Korean person wearing a mask, which is quite normal. They wear them to protect themselves form pollution, but also when they're sick so as not to pollute others. You can also see the sidewalk which is divided into two sides, one for people and one for bikes and motorcycles...yes, motorcycles. All the sidewalks are also made out of bricks or cut stone instead of poured cement. It's a pretty good idea that allows people to access things below the surface and not have to chop up all the cement. But it also means you have to keep an eye out for the occasional brick that's not quite flush with the surface.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqtaLzmTTrPvnXG-pGtD-QPkBwiYzEZ2CWE35xUs0aD_zsvrAlMpDPZxgeCHG6f3dcgqc_HnrhIIrIesb56sGVSayetQjKhBuu578TCnriGTxF0UY-pCOjYbCZ9FH7X-sjtnI0QVguiF1/s1600-h/P1000444.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqtaLzmTTrPvnXG-pGtD-QPkBwiYzEZ2CWE35xUs0aD_zsvrAlMpDPZxgeCHG6f3dcgqc_HnrhIIrIesb56sGVSayetQjKhBuu578TCnriGTxF0UY-pCOjYbCZ9FH7X-sjtnI0QVguiF1/s400/P1000444.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339328952435240146" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ekLFHeVhGJebe4flEmf_UkMmRBzwmKMlTLiRF_Wg3VfYZSYhfV5YSdEpag-SLTMUlr5uEd6p4-d6glZykDEfJ9iRfKOT9sjS_gnAi3EJ0_f9bivAkSouV4-0mag9r9tzzjjw5FgcZp-Z/s1600-h/P1000442.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ekLFHeVhGJebe4flEmf_UkMmRBzwmKMlTLiRF_Wg3VfYZSYhfV5YSdEpag-SLTMUlr5uEd6p4-d6glZykDEfJ9iRfKOT9sjS_gnAi3EJ0_f9bivAkSouV4-0mag9r9tzzjjw5FgcZp-Z/s400/P1000442.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339328940592358594" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Right across from my school, an apartment complex was being built when I arrived, and now it is nearly finished. It's being built by the Mercedes Corporation (<span style="font-style: italic;">yes, the car</span>). Their tag-line is “Mercedes, my house, my home.” I know, cheesy, right? I'm still in awe of how quickly it all went up, though I would appreciate it if they could move a little more quickly fixing the sidewalk! My estimate is that it will house at least three-thousand families. The picture after that is Express Bus Terminal. Here you can catch a bus to anywhere in Korea, much like Greyhound. It is also home to Central City, a shopping mall with a food court, bookstore, and cinema. Shinsegae, which is a seven-story department store that always makes me feel under dressed, but they have a lovely little grocery store in the basement (which, coincidentally, most department stores do...who'da thunk!?) And the Gangnam Underground Shopping Center. By underground, they do not mean secret, they literally mean under the ground. It's about as long as a two or three city blocks and you can get anything here from a cell phone to regular-sized forks to gelato. And finally, it also houses one of the subway stations for Line 3.</p>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWI9gn6yaX8kfYHldGyZX7UDKmz6_QRe-sJt5t30ufMx4LuMYCuUwUmw1OrxWPPJR2i66jCza68zE4vJfnPHd-KZz2fEr8kGEnZ3gsAVOTxDtV7GQxhk9YnYeT7IDFf8qbi2CsNMlTh5W7/s1600-h/P1000448.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWI9gn6yaX8kfYHldGyZX7UDKmz6_QRe-sJt5t30ufMx4LuMYCuUwUmw1OrxWPPJR2i66jCza68zE4vJfnPHd-KZz2fEr8kGEnZ3gsAVOTxDtV7GQxhk9YnYeT7IDFf8qbi2CsNMlTh5W7/s400/P1000448.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339327923317939490" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTt56oBfwUDXqwWFwRL5Q0d2-5KWW1ZT8aAjR58fLHO8gslb5wFWoQekmkGQTp5y4g3q_vEWfcVkflU0ILxNj-TGNmv6uaDKAJjfq-pY1fE8bjFXLv6HbyVRqIMjd7FYCraWhItowY_YJ/s1600-h/P1000715.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 321px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTt56oBfwUDXqwWFwRL5Q0d2-5KWW1ZT8aAjR58fLHO8gslb5wFWoQekmkGQTp5y4g3q_vEWfcVkflU0ILxNj-TGNmv6uaDKAJjfq-pY1fE8bjFXLv6HbyVRqIMjd7FYCraWhItowY_YJ/s400/P1000715.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339327922785443922" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This strange-looking building is St. Mary's Hospital. It is quite an enormous building that I am very happy to have nearby, but hopefully, I'll never have to visit. It's quite strange to walk by and see patients sitting outside on the benches with their IV carts, smoking it up. I also found out that there are no such things as funeral homes in Korea. The funeral takes place at the hospital. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">How...uh...convenient?</span> And this guy cracks me up. He works at the hospital. Here in Korea, there seems to be a parking attendant or crossing guard everywhere. They take their jobs very seriously. They are always in a suit of a very unflattering color with white gloves, the every-ready bow, and all the confidence in the world. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">Again...only in Korea!</span></p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe60xLVT0rRvP0cMAv1tPhSOPXK4gDZXwbdN3p-rrVspsbK_rabDumjC06ov8ICGtsh8123gKgMjI_Y5GyPHlssOKTAtJN2QFwFwrPCGb-JJJJd9BhkY06z4A1QSqiP653fR0WkwOJ8A_h/s1600-h/P1000441.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe60xLVT0rRvP0cMAv1tPhSOPXK4gDZXwbdN3p-rrVspsbK_rabDumjC06ov8ICGtsh8123gKgMjI_Y5GyPHlssOKTAtJN2QFwFwrPCGb-JJJJd9BhkY06z4A1QSqiP653fR0WkwOJ8A_h/s400/P1000441.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339327916189312466" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEB_Z1HvMV18FhzJSvqY6z3Gx6RNyBUiBYXTA2Gp6ktTZIu8jxc2E5c5BRIuI62o_VmuWh0Pza43KcZLoM3aXS5Zoqgst0-PZBfJrCICTnoHYCN-gUTK6R5mz6e5DZ03wWmi2BCS20Uk8/s1600-h/P1000439.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEB_Z1HvMV18FhzJSvqY6z3Gx6RNyBUiBYXTA2Gp6ktTZIu8jxc2E5c5BRIuI62o_VmuWh0Pza43KcZLoM3aXS5Zoqgst0-PZBfJrCICTnoHYCN-gUTK6R5mz6e5DZ03wWmi2BCS20Uk8/s400/P1000439.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339327914269854818" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This is a piece of artwork in front of the hospital that I have always admired. Right next to it is a tree that I am praying some day will have leaves.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H0JWJThvh9T8_98LrR1GVU3jB_nhhFYVE8FNkmZFbGaJw5je6qsfWVXw0mH9r7w1R0GIMCwhnA02HbNbN8VUBkLVbL_uV_PAJxwak6vtip3nBW-87QwSVsANJ2x9On4BbjqRw4yJFFFb/s1600-h/P1000435.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H0JWJThvh9T8_98LrR1GVU3jB_nhhFYVE8FNkmZFbGaJw5je6qsfWVXw0mH9r7w1R0GIMCwhnA02HbNbN8VUBkLVbL_uV_PAJxwak6vtip3nBW-87QwSVsANJ2x9On4BbjqRw4yJFFFb/s400/P1000435.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339327909316561682" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhJhSEkRogPKYyLBi_ToSsF55iMDrDs1FYRFu4NU5ks0sWgU7I1IaVzLNzERezYyn2TA0Z7v1ecohn7GSjWjd20_BljRwwx6LPJ1CRsjvey-aKHZx8efuVdHvWeZCFTBQDFSeQzESF-TT/s1600-h/P1000451.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 304px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhJhSEkRogPKYyLBi_ToSsF55iMDrDs1FYRFu4NU5ks0sWgU7I1IaVzLNzERezYyn2TA0Z7v1ecohn7GSjWjd20_BljRwwx6LPJ1CRsjvey-aKHZx8efuVdHvWeZCFTBQDFSeQzESF-TT/s400/P1000451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339326865932234882" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7soLv6HUICS3ZdeaJ6lwcxv6xbAfY6oJTep9bli_Jb_6v5DNQxUwDthrtEDitvBRcOJuBDLdEaxJ5eR-zXeqsAImrPvJDJo5DhZwrUx7sPcTtJbLtSVVfTj-ZlUHJ_hTpaOWv52oWgPjh/s1600-h/P1000437.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7soLv6HUICS3ZdeaJ6lwcxv6xbAfY6oJTep9bli_Jb_6v5DNQxUwDthrtEDitvBRcOJuBDLdEaxJ5eR-zXeqsAImrPvJDJo5DhZwrUx7sPcTtJbLtSVVfTj-ZlUHJ_hTpaOWv52oWgPjh/s400/P1000437.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339326858517768674" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Just two blocks from my apartment is the police headquarters (doesn't that make you feel better, Mom?), the National Supreme Court building, the National Library of Korea (which I was told I shouldn't even bother trying to get a card for), and the National Academies of Arts and Sciences. I'm surrounded by smart people! I really see it as quite a privileged to live here.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkSw2lfYi0ZwvrOMGKoHjrrIIyfG0i9Bq0Qbsxli1kEMKCAGxnhWj18kMDoJOgk3Fqy0_Np6VoRJa6bltnHE_iH6AxjD82mSjmJ2-m52vu6VkASzhm93wTd7U_ZhdVx4Qi6nXkyiE8M9K/s1600-h/P1000447.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkSw2lfYi0ZwvrOMGKoHjrrIIyfG0i9Bq0Qbsxli1kEMKCAGxnhWj18kMDoJOgk3Fqy0_Np6VoRJa6bltnHE_iH6AxjD82mSjmJ2-m52vu6VkASzhm93wTd7U_ZhdVx4Qi6nXkyiE8M9K/s400/P1000447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339326855478063234" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPlEh7AVnl4YmAw-S73ZElZpGin7h5UKFD6fOFa2TjwxgP4TY-3DXg5-bg2OcYDBJdg6CujGm7ln9Hh7oxCOWRFBtTf7hGsLhiaV3i_C9zEkzFjTiT9FcRKrBUY3kbZb40SCsSWkdg4y1/s1600-h/P1000452.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPlEh7AVnl4YmAw-S73ZElZpGin7h5UKFD6fOFa2TjwxgP4TY-3DXg5-bg2OcYDBJdg6CujGm7ln9Hh7oxCOWRFBtTf7hGsLhiaV3i_C9zEkzFjTiT9FcRKrBUY3kbZb40SCsSWkdg4y1/s400/P1000452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339326851447620066" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This is a fountain that I've always liked, but I can't quite figure out who it belongs to. There is no building around to claim it and no placard on the front of it, but it's nice! And below that is the type of landscaping that is seen everywhere. It's all man made, but it's quite beautiful to look at.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95io9dVooH8R97-OON6LU8pk0rsfzlmmgvFg3hk-OkqyUrODsIuU74P99ZEyfExJaJ0q4aw0_et9MWoQAoGVrxUHYMiWiha_CvqFaDBVqSMWsO5s_S4P-fgcKEDRN3PQ3lmmppg-gFD0o/s1600-h/P1000455.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95io9dVooH8R97-OON6LU8pk0rsfzlmmgvFg3hk-OkqyUrODsIuU74P99ZEyfExJaJ0q4aw0_et9MWoQAoGVrxUHYMiWiha_CvqFaDBVqSMWsO5s_S4P-fgcKEDRN3PQ3lmmppg-gFD0o/s400/P1000455.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339326844343535234" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Here's an example of what the street signs look like in Korea.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhot16SwH3_CyL5M8Srx72hV2ZukSkunpL0YQ6LGq3tUeNEYockxm2SIu8yxBvW5y5a3VRGHjfIlBMBxL2Sg4G6g3m_TWrjobTAXiS3OVtrF_GEkF3mMu9oP53cIGWrsu7RLS06uxz3RFP/s1600-h/P1000457.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhot16SwH3_CyL5M8Srx72hV2ZukSkunpL0YQ6LGq3tUeNEYockxm2SIu8yxBvW5y5a3VRGHjfIlBMBxL2Sg4G6g3m_TWrjobTAXiS3OVtrF_GEkF3mMu9oP53cIGWrsu7RLS06uxz3RFP/s400/P1000457.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339325545287213970" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">And behind my building is a street I walk on quite frequently. It is filled with more restaurants than I could ever sample in a year, coffee shops galore, P.C.-bangs and pools halls, and bars upon bars upon bars. Don't worry, it's quite a safe street. It is also home to one of my favorite places in all of Korea; <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Ediya</span>. But that's worthy of it's own separate blog.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipakplzZoj78RTOVKxpjpQEezLGzQxxzurXamFN8hpS9I9fYl-FYw8ehqS4bVo48b52HNx99duSQRdl9_RZSZCdwuUO_DlBr9SDzTUYO3Zjc0rXwmCoE0utU2U1VECBBdWeXkzI7m9GxkS/s1600-h/P1000646.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipakplzZoj78RTOVKxpjpQEezLGzQxxzurXamFN8hpS9I9fYl-FYw8ehqS4bVo48b52HNx99duSQRdl9_RZSZCdwuUO_DlBr9SDzTUYO3Zjc0rXwmCoE0utU2U1VECBBdWeXkzI7m9GxkS/s400/P1000646.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339325545504678098" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">And finally, a bit of entertainment. This is something I see frequently on my walks. A grown-up and child riding together on a bike. Neither one has a helmet, and the child is riding on the rack made for carrying crates! I repeat, this is a frequent sight! So, this is Seocho; this is my home in Korea. It's a wonderful place to live, and it would be a great place to visit (hint, hint)!</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Stay tuned for next week when I blog about my school.</p>
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<br />Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-76605386545612134812009-05-11T21:08:00.012+09:002009-05-11T22:52:54.277+09:00Changdeokgung Palace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDPb8WKW01AZ6B_Ax9LZNWoc48kAQfilzYVFJAmVJ01PRFp9iEVP7OVd3KPw9lvj8S19wumF5RBv2vPYQ_hlmNRf5w0RJD3x8YbjGm773OEJAcOpcjIQaH9Xm3rEP_zvsavoVhdk75Dhv/s1600-h/P1000653.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDPb8WKW01AZ6B_Ax9LZNWoc48kAQfilzYVFJAmVJ01PRFp9iEVP7OVd3KPw9lvj8S19wumF5RBv2vPYQ_hlmNRf5w0RJD3x8YbjGm773OEJAcOpcjIQaH9Xm3rEP_zvsavoVhdk75Dhv/s400/P1000653.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334543593341137698" border="0" /></a>Last Tuesday was Children's Day. It's a national holiday when most places of work are closed so parents can take their children out for a day of fun. Needless to say, the schools are closed as well...<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">except mine</span>. After spending the morning setting up bowling pins at least one hundred times for the first graders and their fathers (yes, my school was open on <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Children's Day</span></span> to celebrate <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Father's Day</span></span>), I headed out to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Changdeokgung</span> Palace with Tamra and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Haidee</span>. I had been wanting to see one of the several palaces here since before I left the States and I was quite excited.<br /><br />We had about an hour to kill after we found out that we can only take a guided tour, and the English version was only at a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">certain</span> time. We walked back into town and stopped to admire the fish tanks that are always present in front of the restaurants. It's funny that we foreigners see these tanks and think we're at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Shedd</span> Aquarium, but the nationals walk by and think, "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mmmm</span>, dinner." As you can see, from the picture below, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">delirium</span> began to set in from the heat, so we stopped by a little shop that served ice cream. The ice cream was only two-thousand won! Please take a second to analyze the cups that our treat was served in.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiupisV1Kn1EqlCXDDDfdn1qQcvD2XTTqq0bBovRMyWXIWc0DSmmkBmuAs1Khg_uJO-7HdJf4pWWw9fuf1nW1wYmjA5nuwTlUTynIL2OiEYZZpMtgRaGLZNJr6Ko154wh-FqYXxW70IgHe/s1600-h/P1000658.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiupisV1Kn1EqlCXDDDfdn1qQcvD2XTTqq0bBovRMyWXIWc0DSmmkBmuAs1Khg_uJO-7HdJf4pWWw9fuf1nW1wYmjA5nuwTlUTynIL2OiEYZZpMtgRaGLZNJr6Ko154wh-FqYXxW70IgHe/s400/P1000658.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334543587649229634" border="0" /></a>And now, the palace. It was built as a secondary palace in 1405, destroyed by the Japanese in 1592, and then restored in 1610. It is unique from the other palaces in that it is built based on the topography of the land and not based on rooms set at right angles from each other. It is said that this second palace was built because the king who commissioned it, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Taejong</span>, only came into power by assassinating his half brothers and probably didn't want to live in the same place where he murdered people. Golly, the things you find out when you read the pamphlet!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiencDFs6SEvTFMtEpu4yLAsW2AehcXPdJZPv-5Lp1Ddw7aYlnRxSLl-jTGtk5zLSPCZEDm_eqLQL8QYP05jtSt4K54QY5Ir4DUab6sRtlB08HV2tcPgHdVR9xOBXUPyN6cqDprtTUdh_mH/s1600-h/P1000656.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiencDFs6SEvTFMtEpu4yLAsW2AehcXPdJZPv-5Lp1Ddw7aYlnRxSLl-jTGtk5zLSPCZEDm_eqLQL8QYP05jtSt4K54QY5Ir4DUab6sRtlB08HV2tcPgHdVR9xOBXUPyN6cqDprtTUdh_mH/s400/P1000656.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334543584346661058" border="0" /></a>This is the main gate, the largest of all the palace gates and one of the monuments that was not destroyed by the Japanese. Below is a close-up of some of the beautiful architecture. It's quite amazing when you consider that it was all designed, built, and painted by hand. No computers or power tools involved.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqqGNsLiDoeCG2Cy1Qb4qBRIHdumeqgqTbJgmG_ymyZQo0yHYxNURFoe645ErOBsJzxtZpdnHKWgx1hTmHoxXAwR5MQEDjIO2dx8XP1cKLRqXo1DHqF64S8BHG6OEpqwEcYkjzXImr0L1/s1600-h/P1000657.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqqGNsLiDoeCG2Cy1Qb4qBRIHdumeqgqTbJgmG_ymyZQo0yHYxNURFoe645ErOBsJzxtZpdnHKWgx1hTmHoxXAwR5MQEDjIO2dx8XP1cKLRqXo1DHqF64S8BHG6OEpqwEcYkjzXImr0L1/s400/P1000657.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334543578369152450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZo4S5LJNc150NrwU_1ZPrG7vugZnnsfoGZxDTFXJALwPhD2EXQxLNlnvGa8df2HQYjueWhxtxGpr2VjG6xJZca0_Hx_5qYT1Btb4sv_iImnBasmUx-ijnuXKYeRkLYPz-Sjj9Qmab5nPa/s1600-h/P1000661.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZo4S5LJNc150NrwU_1ZPrG7vugZnnsfoGZxDTFXJALwPhD2EXQxLNlnvGa8df2HQYjueWhxtxGpr2VjG6xJZca0_Hx_5qYT1Btb4sv_iImnBasmUx-ijnuXKYeRkLYPz-Sjj9Qmab5nPa/s400/P1000661.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334542228930682162" border="0" /></a>Above is our tour guide. Yes, the umbrella is a common accessory since white skin is a thing of beauty here (you can't find SPF less that 50). I was astounded that she was wearing all that heavy clothing and I never once saw a bead of sweat. She was quite knowledgeable and actually was a little funny by the end of our two-hour tour. I hate to admit it, but I spent more time analyzing her accent and intonations than I did listening to the facts. Below: An original 400-year-old bridge.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNpz1hwWGJZc0NSI0v_rzwu7UXEqCynbwM4TdmueuACq3PywNcxGIhihp6RRndMk4RDobLLZzOZOk9ydombd1feAl54iQvNAYvBdKRZJSXnxlfhHKYGmQ0EIMA5VatJOTN8B_bjz9Ttfl/s1600-h/P1000662.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNpz1hwWGJZc0NSI0v_rzwu7UXEqCynbwM4TdmueuACq3PywNcxGIhihp6RRndMk4RDobLLZzOZOk9ydombd1feAl54iQvNAYvBdKRZJSXnxlfhHKYGmQ0EIMA5VatJOTN8B_bjz9Ttfl/s400/P1000662.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334542224021342706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObEPsf9aN6xLzJLFZp_jqhq5pwfFFKqGgwPEuIdQo2gmG8_UQKMPj4C9iduldq9Z0VDYwk1whDKBVYATXyY46qXckqFWcxwLrMlPORZ3mNCIpLVelZW6TiANocMDrPG0D1rr89t9_oatA/s1600-h/P1000665.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObEPsf9aN6xLzJLFZp_jqhq5pwfFFKqGgwPEuIdQo2gmG8_UQKMPj4C9iduldq9Z0VDYwk1whDKBVYATXyY46qXckqFWcxwLrMlPORZ3mNCIpLVelZW6TiANocMDrPG0D1rr89t9_oatA/s400/P1000665.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334542218652152770" border="0" /></a>The above picture is the building known as Injeongjeon. It's the throne room where most official acts take place. It was built to appear as a two-story building, but it is all one large room, as you can clearly see in the picture below. The wooden floors and "modern" lighting was only added in the 20th centry.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy67DAfYrcCA6s82qzxvxGhTYkXj9pM_WylqCkht-HuGkdyTggURkDbei243iEdvdfRgVOl6GDzscC_q-PmCVzpZ5X0TVsi3dE2iwIeemDkimDEzBSm8iGRjMe4VDwPO9LT-gcTaasVIaV/s1600-h/P1000670.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy67DAfYrcCA6s82qzxvxGhTYkXj9pM_WylqCkht-HuGkdyTggURkDbei243iEdvdfRgVOl6GDzscC_q-PmCVzpZ5X0TVsi3dE2iwIeemDkimDEzBSm8iGRjMe4VDwPO9LT-gcTaasVIaV/s400/P1000670.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334540879153901298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_49o1gfeNLB6VbZayqlbRk4qZuweXM_rYyWDF-IRFqO0ArQaujJBYme71yanjse7GfRiaHCXqFuAvtHKvd_eI7O1NXau1ZoQH0VcmJX8KYpZsBHWnmUKajHZ2RaXjhwpYiTVOO9Md0o0j/s1600-h/P1000666.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_49o1gfeNLB6VbZayqlbRk4qZuweXM_rYyWDF-IRFqO0ArQaujJBYme71yanjse7GfRiaHCXqFuAvtHKvd_eI7O1NXau1ZoQH0VcmJX8KYpZsBHWnmUKajHZ2RaXjhwpYiTVOO9Md0o0j/s400/P1000666.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334542215679276578" border="0" /></a><br />Above: Outside the steps of the throne room was the great courtyard. These stones look like grave markings, but they actually mark the places that the officials would stand according to rank. Below: This guy is one of the gargoils guarding the steps leading up to the throne room. I just thought he was cute! I think he could be in a Disney movie.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7riAe8IxzgKATzWQeqdDYf2yCLLQOJa6AjmkhgUipgQ1dprYDwHcXVHcba25rxxkgm2_SWPVL2MSP7bdjMCyPuET3feKV5tJkheRMJkP-1qsTcnTsTqteC54nk2b59ugemX6YgciBhyphenhyphenb/s1600-h/P1000667.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 383px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7riAe8IxzgKATzWQeqdDYf2yCLLQOJa6AjmkhgUipgQ1dprYDwHcXVHcba25rxxkgm2_SWPVL2MSP7bdjMCyPuET3feKV5tJkheRMJkP-1qsTcnTsTqteC54nk2b59ugemX6YgciBhyphenhyphenb/s400/P1000667.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334540884001047778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfIEPJUEppLjoUpX6LqrWuFsEwI-9mfkOQvYNyIcWrPujsjQ16zDFcSn1k4hMBRW9v-eIE8T809_r9yT6SpZciX0gB6EslLPbKEdqdoRe085GSIfykPJiiJkWvGes8GeTlcq9NBMrLh5X/s1600-h/P1000672.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfIEPJUEppLjoUpX6LqrWuFsEwI-9mfkOQvYNyIcWrPujsjQ16zDFcSn1k4hMBRW9v-eIE8T809_r9yT6SpZciX0gB6EslLPbKEdqdoRe085GSIfykPJiiJkWvGes8GeTlcq9NBMrLh5X/s400/P1000672.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334540874738542850" border="0" /></a>This building above, though it's hard to tell, is the only building on the palace grounds with a blue-tiled roof, which symbolizes the king's administrative office. Sorry that it doesn't show up in the picture very well! Below is just one of the many examples of how these buildings harmonize with the natural settings around them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_1kOKcZeLpK6G6s0hHv94JSK_grTfOyZv6Znna2J85zaoQHzB9MJylkez4S3bFTLX_czxy3LFDIS2nBrFHT7ugozBXnDag_Gq6oW4DPbLGj1NYx-gPAKGKOicqCCYTNEnHesKn2atvzp/s1600-h/P1000674.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 416px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_1kOKcZeLpK6G6s0hHv94JSK_grTfOyZv6Znna2J85zaoQHzB9MJylkez4S3bFTLX_czxy3LFDIS2nBrFHT7ugozBXnDag_Gq6oW4DPbLGj1NYx-gPAKGKOicqCCYTNEnHesKn2atvzp/s400/P1000674.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334540869805369122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhall-s7qdvsM2VxfMl8gSLVMk_zsNKRZhw6GqdPfkIcCsigyX_k4pvADhjwCsTRFviu4WWhfINokogDblXd3ZMgpUtrvHji7usvcYkX7NkscekbunHhIMwo77_Qfjlm8V-PrrJhBzRMfjy/s1600-h/P1000676.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhall-s7qdvsM2VxfMl8gSLVMk_zsNKRZhw6GqdPfkIcCsigyX_k4pvADhjwCsTRFviu4WWhfINokogDblXd3ZMgpUtrvHji7usvcYkX7NkscekbunHhIMwo77_Qfjlm8V-PrrJhBzRMfjy/s400/P1000676.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334539867508806722" border="0" /></a>I've recently started learning Hangul, which is the written language of Korean. It was created by King Sajong. Before this, many people spoke Korean but used Chinese characters to communicate in print, and only the educated could learn the characters because of the diffuculty level. King Sajong wanted to create a language that would be easy enough for anyone to learn without needing a degree. He came up with what is now celebrated as one of the most logical written languages in the world, and consequently, Korea has a literacy rate of 99%. It is said that his inspiration for the characters used in Hangul are based on typical Korean doors and windows, such as the one above. Take a second to look at some Korean writing, and I'm sure you can instantly spot the similarities.<br />The two shots below: No reason, just another good shot!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_bSjxSoz-a2fykQ-tfa8FrSENB1_A8zJ3qizraqrf3sbaToOz7RAWg-MY1gXsOCm0upZOEqSp3nv_BQPnev8Uc0L6VLkZ7xIQlRGIazdso7pAWoScPQCpX6TjYR2DTpTkwoiRbzI1-pJ/s1600-h/P1000678.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 462px; height: 332px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_bSjxSoz-a2fykQ-tfa8FrSENB1_A8zJ3qizraqrf3sbaToOz7RAWg-MY1gXsOCm0upZOEqSp3nv_BQPnev8Uc0L6VLkZ7xIQlRGIazdso7pAWoScPQCpX6TjYR2DTpTkwoiRbzI1-pJ/s400/P1000678.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334539863359072642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpmD4_XodDeEWX32pyrV60wKCdpPNdbfjlYKIiCBliCiN_JTHrFirgLlV_YN1Y4iu67ooyXgDn-BVDAcfsIkSBn0L3ZvheOObp-xNoD_ZLg7Gw_Q_cfEB4mEir2zCgtTwSNCpekAua9KT/s1600-h/P1000679.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpmD4_XodDeEWX32pyrV60wKCdpPNdbfjlYKIiCBliCiN_JTHrFirgLlV_YN1Y4iu67ooyXgDn-BVDAcfsIkSBn0L3ZvheOObp-xNoD_ZLg7Gw_Q_cfEB4mEir2zCgtTwSNCpekAua9KT/s400/P1000679.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334539859012864770" border="0" /></a>One of the best spots on the tour was the secret garden, or forbidden garden. It was built as a retreat for the royal family without them needing to leave the grounds. In keeping with the norm, it was built around the topography of the land and has minimal artificial landscaping. There were many different little nooks and crannies to explore. Here's a picture of Tamra and Haidee enjoying a ten-minute break at the reflecting pond in the garden. Next is one of the nooks. And below that is a coy fish swimming around while the reflecting pond is doing its job of reflecting.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRCHPRi3SV3ToS7mTIEvgNCGvGGyhalAZ8T3amUTS_DxZNyic5F6Y5MCSrHCFEtnG2fRjQAj98bW9vhw8EiDXDseDk9lrOY47VhehRmtc6sodOlc3xGLo_ocXRasAWjATDFczE7wfUNcP/s1600-h/P1000687.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRCHPRi3SV3ToS7mTIEvgNCGvGGyhalAZ8T3amUTS_DxZNyic5F6Y5MCSrHCFEtnG2fRjQAj98bW9vhw8EiDXDseDk9lrOY47VhehRmtc6sodOlc3xGLo_ocXRasAWjATDFczE7wfUNcP/s400/P1000687.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334539851778315554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pB_DEOsnyrVtykR3ePtfmIfjPRkg-9BAuSI8eCP7263QbbwBs4_Qjj_yYBnmHPHzKXISpZSoNI72-r6ODkfASftswxMFZZTAOfOzytV0oypwR0NjSDZeQVPkYGkihwODvL2UhfbFHdUZ/s1600-h/P1000688b.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pB_DEOsnyrVtykR3ePtfmIfjPRkg-9BAuSI8eCP7263QbbwBs4_Qjj_yYBnmHPHzKXISpZSoNI72-r6ODkfASftswxMFZZTAOfOzytV0oypwR0NjSDZeQVPkYGkihwODvL2UhfbFHdUZ/s400/P1000688b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334538381482255954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnV2P5ZkmI084sxJyDqwRjeSM61qf_RIXCG6kjvbwEK-4jdJImYce1LnLARJ2ZooUzKxQRgEsTSlxVC7x1Z-DNqcroEnnfhUoZGhgRkJELcyrKvr3DnpltkePNBeWiYHzBsK_qhyvWrIV/s1600-h/P1000682.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 452px; height: 334px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnV2P5ZkmI084sxJyDqwRjeSM61qf_RIXCG6kjvbwEK-4jdJImYce1LnLARJ2ZooUzKxQRgEsTSlxVC7x1Z-DNqcroEnnfhUoZGhgRkJELcyrKvr3DnpltkePNBeWiYHzBsK_qhyvWrIV/s400/P1000682.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334538379371734674" border="0" /></a><br />After walking through the garden, we took a little jaunt through the woods. The guide told us that at the end of the tour, we were going to see a tree that was over 750 years old. To my surprise, it was a juniper! For those who don't know, when my last name, Kataja, is translated into English, it means juniper. Seriously, I can find the Finnish in everything! (Stop rolling your eyes, Tamra!) So here's Kataja with the kataja.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgXt_nIxF2PUX0mpGFqZ4_0brfn__lPPAGAohyeTl6FOPNmX6BPBeFq2D1QgMTLNgFiF5TwpoexKgwLkjVOjOHz0tGlyfk2terfq81HI9bIpLhDZhj3BjmI4ohHYsaI4ac3rOUqk4chn-/s1600-h/P1000691.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgXt_nIxF2PUX0mpGFqZ4_0brfn__lPPAGAohyeTl6FOPNmX6BPBeFq2D1QgMTLNgFiF5TwpoexKgwLkjVOjOHz0tGlyfk2terfq81HI9bIpLhDZhj3BjmI4ohHYsaI4ac3rOUqk4chn-/s400/P1000691.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334538389940667042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMp71W6oCKDSFwoaz_JuAxAluLvk01CDybKs_Hdiq2HdTgIqNsDDWcvnaJS66X8ca1DnWxzPgkmWcv-hXOtCvUJFfLpg_rbUwMgFFFbuo9OlEPWyC6jBS3OMRWgPQSrf4gYZx79ON9zSZ/s1600-h/P1000692.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMp71W6oCKDSFwoaz_JuAxAluLvk01CDybKs_Hdiq2HdTgIqNsDDWcvnaJS66X8ca1DnWxzPgkmWcv-hXOtCvUJFfLpg_rbUwMgFFFbuo9OlEPWyC6jBS3OMRWgPQSrf4gYZx79ON9zSZ/s400/P1000692.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334538397321162338" border="0" /></a><br />And here's the end of palace tour. Thanks for reading!Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-80935579199164803062009-04-29T21:46:00.028+09:002009-04-30T18:58:54.630+09:00Happy Birthday, Buddha!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQphJ4IJ-KmCOX9MYD7xprpm0u24qfXvCTWrt-dPc1ddnNzV5318LFldalh6qmkqjlQDIQUwlo7ATzdbFIzFrV_x3SGcMXHG1qJok7BQgy90kJJcfnUQrskNvZhhJj41YqFCcDg7qJcYQo/s1600-h/P1000605.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQphJ4IJ-KmCOX9MYD7xprpm0u24qfXvCTWrt-dPc1ddnNzV5318LFldalh6qmkqjlQDIQUwlo7ATzdbFIzFrV_x3SGcMXHG1qJok7BQgy90kJJcfnUQrskNvZhhJj41YqFCcDg7qJcYQo/s400/P1000605.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330104621792217138" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Wow, it's been a really long time! For those of you who are regularly checking for updates, I'm really sorry! I'll try not to go this long without blogging again!</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">So, why the title? Why, it's Buddha's birthday, of course! The actual day of celebration is May 2<sup>nd</sup>, along with my dad, but the festivities have been going on for a while. Almost 50% of Koreans are Buddhist, so it's a national holiday here (yet another holiday that falls on the weekend, so no day off work). The birthday is traditionally celebrated for the entire month of April by hanging lanterns in the streets. Then there is a major celebration, called the Lotus Lantern Festival, which I'll explain more below.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">A few weeks ago, I finally had the opportunity to walk the Cheonggyecheon Stream with some friends. This is a stream that I should have explained a long time ago when I went to the museum for it, but I've been waiting on a piece of pottery, which I may never receive, before I did that blog, so I will probably post about that at a later date. Anyway, the stream was decorated with large lanterns in all sorts of designs. There were lanterns lining the middle of the stream, lanterns hovering above the walkways, and even a laser light show. Just before descending into the stream area, a photographer asked to take our picture with one of the lanterns. We were all walking over but he was pointing at me and another girl. I looked to the friend who could speak Korean, and she said that he only wanted the tall foreigners! Poor Tamra!!! But without my short friend, I would not have this lovely memory!</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
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<br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-LjaK6kzgrUdKiIhSKVTgdCiNeerGGkiT1ugkeYUSZ6K_YT9MespBDN2VAfWvynEqzLV-zbU-3jJsW1vPkI80RaIoIw3WvoPaJMnxFlt0lm2chIHxe3uboaXg_EioV6_RseqJZBzch0h/s1600-h/P1000569.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-LjaK6kzgrUdKiIhSKVTgdCiNeerGGkiT1ugkeYUSZ6K_YT9MespBDN2VAfWvynEqzLV-zbU-3jJsW1vPkI80RaIoIw3WvoPaJMnxFlt0lm2chIHxe3uboaXg_EioV6_RseqJZBzch0h/s400/P1000569.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330106331927328002" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Here's a couple of the mouth of the stream, and some of the lanterns.</p>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JCmsIOSmUlpB_f-1lucGO4haoTEMpYSZQ5OvWcP6LgUC37HD2bXfqZVDTOHB0d003ziRNlUYf80JCLDXMLdKG-NYLtf7zYSgWWntCJy9D-e34gM_AixNS1PwGgG9AKWs_8GmT5uy-MVq/s1600-h/P1000565.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JCmsIOSmUlpB_f-1lucGO4haoTEMpYSZQ5OvWcP6LgUC37HD2bXfqZVDTOHB0d003ziRNlUYf80JCLDXMLdKG-NYLtf7zYSgWWntCJy9D-e34gM_AixNS1PwGgG9AKWs_8GmT5uy-MVq/s400/P1000565.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330104211132092146" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfFHqn6AWA_JnzSJOraUtzMGUnniL9wZo1xlruftQeY60KqJbvcBOO017Z3aOZPUtrn0tMJhHg7umHMba4OtephIC7XKA285OhYJQToKIjjQxz9ZJv-FYoxITS_fVw5xrhoR2jiZGSaJH/s1600-h/P1000564.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfFHqn6AWA_JnzSJOraUtzMGUnniL9wZo1xlruftQeY60KqJbvcBOO017Z3aOZPUtrn0tMJhHg7umHMba4OtephIC7XKA285OhYJQToKIjjQxz9ZJv-FYoxITS_fVw5xrhoR2jiZGSaJH/s400/P1000564.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330104019891054706" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaWKdfYlK7KCeIlwWftQb4tjjnCjWfYV9X1DCXEwstHz2BjD9KJaaFfi9CJidkAoZjU01U_mbw6eEyh6Izd_43A8fM4mGYCrH-ViYOTX8nKv3chvScXz6gpBccxTyld7TgG8ESrEQxUf6/s1600-h/P1000570.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaWKdfYlK7KCeIlwWftQb4tjjnCjWfYV9X1DCXEwstHz2BjD9KJaaFfi9CJidkAoZjU01U_mbw6eEyh6Izd_43A8fM4mGYCrH-ViYOTX8nKv3chvScXz6gpBccxTyld7TgG8ESrEQxUf6/s400/P1000570.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330103659294257250" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Tamra with the dragon, the laser light show (quite impressive, I must say!), and one of Tamra and I in the middle of the river, just after Tamra almost fell in...twice!</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWP3pD66QIz9vDoYfX8MLcYEULinE6MyXkYhVquqJF9ZUeYpLp1x3ItycSMFWk0rbKtEj0h1Y9nrqT2c0ag6FCkCcJJPXFTe0f8LX5bNlvoqpRWAE30k8ZoK8T8VjgkGRBMsjppf5lm6QX/s1600-h/P1000573.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWP3pD66QIz9vDoYfX8MLcYEULinE6MyXkYhVquqJF9ZUeYpLp1x3ItycSMFWk0rbKtEj0h1Y9nrqT2c0ag6FCkCcJJPXFTe0f8LX5bNlvoqpRWAE30k8ZoK8T8VjgkGRBMsjppf5lm6QX/s400/P1000573.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330102535623575666" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtQ3TqhKwxVd-ux_TkGxMNYYvfMGZILgnRMHmRjwtASEbfCHQCLEmjNHpEfp2J_U_GBl8L2-999NuXcqpkWQjA5FzAqi2agz_eGHGWqN95aySHnH2dAj5kv1JKBjNfqq4AhFp4hCNUFje/s1600-h/P1000574.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtQ3TqhKwxVd-ux_TkGxMNYYvfMGZILgnRMHmRjwtASEbfCHQCLEmjNHpEfp2J_U_GBl8L2-999NuXcqpkWQjA5FzAqi2agz_eGHGWqN95aySHnH2dAj5kv1JKBjNfqq4AhFp4hCNUFje/s400/P1000574.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330102287491582850" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3v91ADUOQedNGhzQlU6DKltxinV-DLKRIaM4fRZlIezEoBVmpwVOPO1_cpKPQom7gvBAO5UrYxjt_mM3WIgrWjUmBqweunQ5xGiAlLSp57p_mHd65kp61AEBHKvw1qBUpYQn3V13lnWz9/s1600-h/P1000577.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3v91ADUOQedNGhzQlU6DKltxinV-DLKRIaM4fRZlIezEoBVmpwVOPO1_cpKPQom7gvBAO5UrYxjt_mM3WIgrWjUmBqweunQ5xGiAlLSp57p_mHd65kp61AEBHKvw1qBUpYQn3V13lnWz9/s400/P1000577.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330101916882214354" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The rest of the group petered out after about fifteen minutes and decided to get get drinks. I, for one, had come to walk the stream, and by George, I was going to walk the stream! Thankfully, I had Tamra to keep me company. It was a lovely walk. After a while, we decided to go back up to street level just to see where we were. We happened upon a large open market of eateries. There were meats and foods encased in tubings that I have never seen and hope to never see again. The smell was quite overwhelming. Here's just “taste” of the carnage.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik13KfH21XurSRtsscM_V8csrHR1wsgB3YbvFnYy-N3NpSkVnKcHyjGk0DIh5443nELitLM1DZddwvLSP-iqg0XPwd-B7SKDu9hPcCbXhGy3CnRg4cDglMQbas7jXjud2TYmzjDrRej9i1/s1600-h/P1000578.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik13KfH21XurSRtsscM_V8csrHR1wsgB3YbvFnYy-N3NpSkVnKcHyjGk0DIh5443nELitLM1DZddwvLSP-iqg0XPwd-B7SKDu9hPcCbXhGy3CnRg4cDglMQbas7jXjud2TYmzjDrRej9i1/s400/P1000578.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330101700620584146" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This past weekend was the Lotus Lantern Festival. Both the flower and the lanterns represent Buddhism. On the weekend before his birthday, many different areas have festivals and parades that are full of both of these symbols. I wish I knew more about this particular religion so I could enlighten you (oh, that's a terrible joke), but I really don't know much. I had mixed feelings about even being there, but it was an experience that I didn't want to miss. </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"> The festival that I went to on Sunday with Tamra was held in Insadong and was the official Seoul festival. The streets were lined with booths and Buddhists. You could make a lantern, string up some prayer beads, weave a straw mat, or make a traditional painting. You can even get your shakra rubbed...whatever that means. And, of course, there was the ever-present festival stage with the traditional Korean performers. These drummers were by far the best I've seen yet.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiHqAsZbXO-Jf1PVdkgTC8m1O637VfPvQ6TgGJi5mTIdkl35WBHnLXx2YYHAOqnUTxmraUSzadRKlA6a-DTPYh3o8XGJyLqHwJADcL4taqdOIEZWwLrSdg7QGWCC5GLBUDFTnZa1m7-0s/s1600-h/P1000620.JPG"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxpLxn5Y9F56309XbXoKtdlJLnxO0xbgWPdAAUk0eR34QLMaeuZp7HC8Rk3rkCaLFSORapJTiEqVdRJi-3HGQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></a></p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZQqJ65Nk5-TzsaYGDgq8LxtdQPPepJaLfavkgOo7ZDD6HqRV0WFYS_RYsjJH_l8X21R9Bq7QUrfg9G_lZ8b8PUQJWZoDsqFccbWRZmIT8x9QAXw094Ny4NXux_lcS_Y0KhN9oaofO8Di/s1600-h/P1000597.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZQqJ65Nk5-TzsaYGDgq8LxtdQPPepJaLfavkgOo7ZDD6HqRV0WFYS_RYsjJH_l8X21R9Bq7QUrfg9G_lZ8b8PUQJWZoDsqFccbWRZmIT8x9QAXw094Ny4NXux_lcS_Y0KhN9oaofO8Di/s400/P1000597.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330098957574752626" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">We soon found ourselves outside the entrance to Jogyesa Temple. I didn't expect to see what I saw. The ceilings were lined with hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of lanterns. It was quite the sight. We followed the sound of music and found an extremely jovial crowd dancing and singing the traditional Korean song and dance. The hats reminded me of a certain Mexican cookie. Anyone know what I'm talking about?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhqBe_wfDP2IX2ViEE2oCbRmpFiFJDAXII3CRrkTgljNe7V63OUwJ62S-suwpke_2S978l1BLZnGfyx0qsbtXLzIYOFdPuDXGMqVjYg15Aw7Z2tH6T5IIqg-7XBVqJYmlx0RTf3JoegCc/s1600-h/P1000599.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhqBe_wfDP2IX2ViEE2oCbRmpFiFJDAXII3CRrkTgljNe7V63OUwJ62S-suwpke_2S978l1BLZnGfyx0qsbtXLzIYOFdPuDXGMqVjYg15Aw7Z2tH6T5IIqg-7XBVqJYmlx0RTf3JoegCc/s400/P1000599.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330098569926504706" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMTaV7QPYjEkNbNEA-MtuqWK5Ay1E1AmJLKzBvMgKNBv_1jDBjqWv8B7g9mYmDwAle4xsNC_InsLxOfizfIuLquz52rvCMSCealH1rZ99yfynURgpD3NJQTOwWY3FOxFavBttXwwIXfmt/s1600-h/P1000600.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMTaV7QPYjEkNbNEA-MtuqWK5Ay1E1AmJLKzBvMgKNBv_1jDBjqWv8B7g9mYmDwAle4xsNC_InsLxOfizfIuLquz52rvCMSCealH1rZ99yfynURgpD3NJQTOwWY3FOxFavBttXwwIXfmt/s400/P1000600.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330098030077332162" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2vr2Hs9Wtvr0X17wknLM4yiI1Bjm2-9CfWJ8T7p2_nyT6AynGEtQthIAzE_1rQIyEblIfzG-pD__k0rxwoGXuFy952kzKADVzksZQcsVHXNx89tsZh8Cdr1_AUQ5VTzNPCE9rORqwthw/s1600-h/P1000604.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2vr2Hs9Wtvr0X17wknLM4yiI1Bjm2-9CfWJ8T7p2_nyT6AynGEtQthIAzE_1rQIyEblIfzG-pD__k0rxwoGXuFy952kzKADVzksZQcsVHXNx89tsZh8Cdr1_AUQ5VTzNPCE9rORqwthw/s400/P1000604.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330097368248656242" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyJ2_ug5IqmxRZQdhbq4-WXY8kBDJ3S_xUNXrQSPMX-uNbsTDehH7Y-5juCH_goB7_xUZ74aZ-huHWBQzhkRBI42f6ekjFZY0GCK7E54hdSr0dZWRG6RZPNQDBhFE4KmyEA9uIVeKfKhA/s1600-h/P1000606.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyJ2_ug5IqmxRZQdhbq4-WXY8kBDJ3S_xUNXrQSPMX-uNbsTDehH7Y-5juCH_goB7_xUZ74aZ-huHWBQzhkRBI42f6ekjFZY0GCK7E54hdSr0dZWRG6RZPNQDBhFE4KmyEA9uIVeKfKhA/s400/P1000606.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330096999464548498" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">For that last shot, I had gone up on a stage where I saw other people standing and figured it was a great place for a picture. What I saw when I turned around took my breath away. Behind me was the temple itself, and inside the temple were three enormous Buddha statues. It's difficult to put into words all the emotions that rushed through me at one time. At first, I was overtaken by the enormity of it all. Then my heart was saddened as I saw the people filing in and out of the building, kneeling, praying, and making sacrifices to a god that will never hear a word they utter. Even as I had Tamra take my picture there for the sake of posterity, I was unsure whether to smile, given what I was feeling in that situation. But then I remembered that I serve a God who is living and active in Korea and in my life. He will show me how to reach these people...so I smiled.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBy3MHDCI6jNuZucmdqgBtNMWiB8JoeQYcb0hWk8xRrT8sLFIpfqtWSM83UjsvMF1BFnC442TgJ97zuywidzts1Gzd9-cgP_rlIvFUCg7aDPd7evTuBhI8uP8vw4qUtGRl5qpuJ4V-bXme/s1600-h/P1000609.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBy3MHDCI6jNuZucmdqgBtNMWiB8JoeQYcb0hWk8xRrT8sLFIpfqtWSM83UjsvMF1BFnC442TgJ97zuywidzts1Gzd9-cgP_rlIvFUCg7aDPd7evTuBhI8uP8vw4qUtGRl5qpuJ4V-bXme/s400/P1000609.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330096480234128034" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrPN2ds1JRjHm3T5MIC6uyU-RvxNTS7K-pcs-J3K_j8IGSP7revtR1_lfRT3k1Gzt84JK6ANtVyWPqhiTu0REB-gSjwpyXHA9dGfiGwvdF4VTMh-jkVm6wVUPqfxCGHi6qgUTo4FFUAkR/s1600-h/P1000611.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrPN2ds1JRjHm3T5MIC6uyU-RvxNTS7K-pcs-J3K_j8IGSP7revtR1_lfRT3k1Gzt84JK6ANtVyWPqhiTu0REB-gSjwpyXHA9dGfiGwvdF4VTMh-jkVm6wVUPqfxCGHi6qgUTo4FFUAkR/s400/P1000611.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330096264118005586" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChG22TT0c4YsQGWz107cEJ9SZ-BLQ96-NniaWaPAR7rYmSqhI5V9jGaCd2Ze_S-Cos3CpiBVkx6YPM3hBPr1srUgmb6Lncov4GpsAL5ZWtxuK8tVPCdyfQlzoAAyj3ofa3af4lNAdI6Id/s1600-h/P1000610.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChG22TT0c4YsQGWz107cEJ9SZ-BLQ96-NniaWaPAR7rYmSqhI5V9jGaCd2Ze_S-Cos3CpiBVkx6YPM3hBPr1srUgmb6Lncov4GpsAL5ZWtxuK8tVPCdyfQlzoAAyj3ofa3af4lNAdI6Id/s400/P1000610.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330095969991447170" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The final event of the day was the Lotus Lantern Parade. It had to be held at night because, well, you can't really see a lantern lit up during the day! We had scored what we thought was an amazing spot on the route. That is, until cell-phone girl and rent-a-cop took their places in the most inconvenient places possible. Now don't get me wrong, they didn't rain on our parade (ooh, sorry, another pun), it actually gave us quite a great amount of entertainment, but unfortunately, none of my shots turned out well because the police officer's vest is reflective and ruined the lighting. But the officer himself was such a cutie! He was like a little seven-year-old in a Halloween costume because he had such a baby-face and was smiling all the time! Cell-phone girl spent the evening taking pictures and video on her cheap cell phone. This wouldn't have been so bad if she had not also spent the evening maneuvering herself from behind us to beside us to in front of us. But I digress. The parade was still quite beautiful in parts. A little heart-breaking in others. I leave you with these last few pictures.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsqsa9j13crEqTQQ1tsImRLTyTZMRx05ZoW0MvDQZfmShxFzbxM5EH-vdoktGk7oOuXgJLTKV3CnHbETbjKrLg9X1Ke0VM9BUZHfNzQBXVMit7cIL6HiNjew_kAdv8CZZ6PempFVJjYmF/s1600-h/P1000625.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsqsa9j13crEqTQQ1tsImRLTyTZMRx05ZoW0MvDQZfmShxFzbxM5EH-vdoktGk7oOuXgJLTKV3CnHbETbjKrLg9X1Ke0VM9BUZHfNzQBXVMit7cIL6HiNjew_kAdv8CZZ6PempFVJjYmF/s400/P1000625.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330095651016910738" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vWcEmg7H7aBDceRMpoUdvub4dkjE-hELf1V9zy72eZ5DSep27UzIBYn5944xo2d-oIYTz8PorVxe_DGau_69l31pchZSVt2qL7j9_gztihlV-C9eLaevxrtflH4N4qNRHEgiFkvDR0be/s1600-h/P1000616.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vWcEmg7H7aBDceRMpoUdvub4dkjE-hELf1V9zy72eZ5DSep27UzIBYn5944xo2d-oIYTz8PorVxe_DGau_69l31pchZSVt2qL7j9_gztihlV-C9eLaevxrtflH4N4qNRHEgiFkvDR0be/s400/P1000616.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330095184312524818" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblrCYffROzPvxN734YqzX3zhCL034BxcbxcVRJEsjaW6agGVhZsJyW_WWXXyHEp2MQBlFwurnMJXHgbx_t7ngVmtUfCmRnoSirpJEBVEpNR78YGY-2T8bzkm03Ss5V5HO-F_-m5ZRwnrg/s1600-h/P1000623.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblrCYffROzPvxN734YqzX3zhCL034BxcbxcVRJEsjaW6agGVhZsJyW_WWXXyHEp2MQBlFwurnMJXHgbx_t7ngVmtUfCmRnoSirpJEBVEpNR78YGY-2T8bzkm03Ss5V5HO-F_-m5ZRwnrg/s400/P1000623.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330094806841228770" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiHqAsZbXO-Jf1PVdkgTC8m1O637VfPvQ6TgGJi5mTIdkl35WBHnLXx2YYHAOqnUTxmraUSzadRKlA6a-DTPYh3o8XGJyLqHwJADcL4taqdOIEZWwLrSdg7QGWCC5GLBUDFTnZa1m7-0s/s1600-h/P1000620.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiHqAsZbXO-Jf1PVdkgTC8m1O637VfPvQ6TgGJi5mTIdkl35WBHnLXx2YYHAOqnUTxmraUSzadRKlA6a-DTPYh3o8XGJyLqHwJADcL4taqdOIEZWwLrSdg7QGWCC5GLBUDFTnZa1m7-0s/s400/P1000620.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330094632463935426" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-79328904347768318182009-04-15T21:44:00.023+09:002009-04-16T19:40:08.292+09:00Woah, Blossom!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Iae5twsHOIVozqjroGq70hG37gs_msG_4ZRJn_aHZflGXrFecsNjIwp7E2BuUwLpfrxfYXy5k_IvGgS8kWWUWFKMqL2E7QSHdPcxx14oMKiBcWyHZWf0KLKuIlt1oczznB3UDZQ3yhLO/s1600-h/P1000523.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Iae5twsHOIVozqjroGq70hG37gs_msG_4ZRJn_aHZflGXrFecsNjIwp7E2BuUwLpfrxfYXy5k_IvGgS8kWWUWFKMqL2E7QSHdPcxx14oMKiBcWyHZWf0KLKuIlt1oczznB3UDZQ3yhLO/s400/P1000523.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324906999416242258" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Once a year, there is a phenomenon that takes place in Korea. It creeps in stealthily and sneaks out without notice. This wonder, my friends, is the dazzling cherry blossom. It lasts for only two weeks out of they year, and sometimes less. You never know when it's coming, and you have to act fast when it finally does. I learned this lesson well two weekends ago when I went to the festival that was rescheduled at the last minute because the trees had not yet blossomed. But this week, we finally had the right combination of weather to make these little beauties appear. And now, only four days later, there is barely a hint that they ever bloomed in the first place.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I took in the sights at Yeoido Park (again) on Saturday with my friends, Lorainne and Katie. We initially went the wrong direction and thought that the one or two trees we were seeing here and there were it. But it was OK, because we were able to see this amazing statue of King Sejong the Great, the creator of Korea's written language of Hangul.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioebCct1ausRGOBxQrcGp0dx0YRJQf6-loOC5vYMIGztLk3Z5-0-EH3HMCA3H0doFkcACU_C7XPMFvkfbyXI0iwSXB9_LEZ_ZASopDflPCVEqmr7GYyuiWgz4M2DMbfydrjXlHIvcEalOx/s1600-h/P1000511.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioebCct1ausRGOBxQrcGp0dx0YRJQf6-loOC5vYMIGztLk3Z5-0-EH3HMCA3H0doFkcACU_C7XPMFvkfbyXI0iwSXB9_LEZ_ZASopDflPCVEqmr7GYyuiWgz4M2DMbfydrjXlHIvcEalOx/s400/P1000511.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324906094965641538" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">As we started in the right direction, we kept running into groups of officers who, we assumed, were out doing training sessions because, well, they didn't look all that official. I thought it was funny how much they looked like Robo-cop in their crowd-control gear, and I wanted a picture. I tried to be all incognito in case it wasn't OK to take a picture (yes, my mother's fear of police is alive and well in her daughter). Joke was on me because right after I took this picture I jammed my knee into a cement post and made a complete ruckus.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT3P0JTOj8dj7LI1tUsTgbsU797XiVyla6TfSZyDKnIx9U51iUDd30W0WBtknKek3SSIZ64JrZJOsvbKANjJJ1KHmPuC4k37rRPLQWV5-2s91mgj9TKm_GWLKG0kh86-uurjzsFfpr0Od/s1600-h/P1000513.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT3P0JTOj8dj7LI1tUsTgbsU797XiVyla6TfSZyDKnIx9U51iUDd30W0WBtknKek3SSIZ64JrZJOsvbKANjJJ1KHmPuC4k37rRPLQWV5-2s91mgj9TKm_GWLKG0kh86-uurjzsFfpr0Od/s400/P1000513.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324905692199292034" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">We finally made it to the festival area. It was <span style="font-style: italic;">wall-to-wall</span> people, which wasn't too bad since the trees were so beautiful. The entire street was lined with them, and the street was actually shut down so people could meander and admire. The only downside of the day was the <span style="font-style: italic;">pushing</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">shoving</span>. In the United States, I'm used to hearing “excuse me” when someone is trying to pass, and pushing is only seen at Toys-R-Us the day after Thanksgiving. That's not at all the case in Korea. In fact, the only place I hear “excuse me” is in my classroom. It's just part of the culture to snake your way through people, shoving them with your hand when they haven't “sensed” that you have places to go. The subway was so crowded leaving the park that I just kept saying to myself, “<span style="font-style: italic;">I am a tree, I am a tree</span>.” No, I don't believe in transcendental meditation, but cracking a joke on a crowded subway train is a good way to make it through!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxC8zn2dMJMXt5Lk9NiihFmib0r4ajma_0q6qQiGIxF36joveL-8l3xJVwTDJRMxjTASf6g0-v77Ericvo90LuzJTBpn6v3_UbfD3FwFzm5oKsvcw75YeEkmO51pW5vmQX0yVKzVHx9zN/s1600-h/P1000517.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxC8zn2dMJMXt5Lk9NiihFmib0r4ajma_0q6qQiGIxF36joveL-8l3xJVwTDJRMxjTASf6g0-v77Ericvo90LuzJTBpn6v3_UbfD3FwFzm5oKsvcw75YeEkmO51pW5vmQX0yVKzVHx9zN/s400/P1000517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324905479830301282" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-GQjK0h7eW9pa0wROY3zczKH2SWEwkNO1wY-ABosuT6spSZ-VhHGuBdA0yS60IYULrYP2pb2uu4r8AQFXKpHOdTdWIxA8W6xsKhxkldEuWOpae-eFPz4q08SWuVlZLWZnUmNf5pny8Mr/s1600-h/P1000518.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-GQjK0h7eW9pa0wROY3zczKH2SWEwkNO1wY-ABosuT6spSZ-VhHGuBdA0yS60IYULrYP2pb2uu4r8AQFXKpHOdTdWIxA8W6xsKhxkldEuWOpae-eFPz4q08SWuVlZLWZnUmNf5pny8Mr/s400/P1000518.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324905157974661602" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo95bzKSizcgTATedRgyo4l4URHauRHf6xWCIegd8dk66xbWLD3Dt-LROP3-wntOdywiImsBjwMpZfMbjOP9cI4R7kr0l9WYuAaAgCuiyn5l-rUkUw0PfEKd7049E_p0hSt2LVH_ApjjKe/s1600-h/P1000519.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 344px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo95bzKSizcgTATedRgyo4l4URHauRHf6xWCIegd8dk66xbWLD3Dt-LROP3-wntOdywiImsBjwMpZfMbjOP9cI4R7kr0l9WYuAaAgCuiyn5l-rUkUw0PfEKd7049E_p0hSt2LVH_ApjjKe/s400/P1000519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324904613871257698" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This final Yeoido picture is just a bonus. As we were walking back to the subway station, I saw this adorable little girl in an adorable outfit. Hello Kitty is all the rage here, and this coat is this cutest thing I've seen in a while. Pair that with the cute socks and she's almost as cute as my niece!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHEvcaeQAKg7gcR2NLCKhJoNA6MKLiKj0L3OcH6qqvpUNSXX6QHkiOs6Jvg-YZelxEp4lex8Pv-FLt3cHZpjVunfDnzXNDmvYm7s1DFm-SEIk8VdETldciA-8-bC-R6uxd8QqCmXr7CMl/s1600-h/P1000528.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 302px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHEvcaeQAKg7gcR2NLCKhJoNA6MKLiKj0L3OcH6qqvpUNSXX6QHkiOs6Jvg-YZelxEp4lex8Pv-FLt3cHZpjVunfDnzXNDmvYm7s1DFm-SEIk8VdETldciA-8-bC-R6uxd8QqCmXr7CMl/s400/P1000528.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324904048655994802" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">But that's not all folks!</span></span> I have a friend named SuJin from my favorite coffee shop (I will blog about said shop in the future, but not today). SuJin and I have been talking about doing something together for a while, and she finally got a day off on Sunday! I didn't have any Easter plans other than church, so it turned out to be great timing. I really wanted to take in more of the blossoms, so we went to Children's Grand Park. </p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdIuhB9fu9H8avc3LrRiaytGianfz0rUvDHEmkHRXNr41BPmLyri6fYDlYV5KS3aKkB-JUyiEMjJ1ADRmSTiGO8e3Cju-GgTOrjxOi36_a3NeXLROY9T9AoYTSIHAM7rMPTFCahQtpB3B/s1600-h/P1000530.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdIuhB9fu9H8avc3LrRiaytGianfz0rUvDHEmkHRXNr41BPmLyri6fYDlYV5KS3aKkB-JUyiEMjJ1ADRmSTiGO8e3Cju-GgTOrjxOi36_a3NeXLROY9T9AoYTSIHAM7rMPTFCahQtpB3B/s400/P1000530.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324903721217248738" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhd7yCoZlfixdg5R1euP-uyEOGXPuANnl6H98zVyjKHAWWLM6E6LvFWpP0Z2xflXSRdd16S7mTj5HcC1mNAKIHcbMigzV8LqRJbYOKNli-J-PYSeRGvfHpNjxW-AKrKVFixJwnZIai7-Lj/s1600-h/P1000531.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhd7yCoZlfixdg5R1euP-uyEOGXPuANnl6H98zVyjKHAWWLM6E6LvFWpP0Z2xflXSRdd16S7mTj5HcC1mNAKIHcbMigzV8LqRJbYOKNli-J-PYSeRGvfHpNjxW-AKrKVFixJwnZIai7-Lj/s400/P1000531.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324903196359988562" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I thought this would be a park full of large areas of grass and park equipment. Boy, was I wrong! It had those things, but so much more! There was a botanical garden, kiddie rides, roller coasters, art displays, loads of trails, and a zoo.</p>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJNt2eHOnq5Wf5Fe9EVDuQcRoOEdH_KHmuph9Y17scoo1syvT5XIWGfoUPdkoUt6_GuWeLdnLmGLCe0nNGd5WJ_LCAzCnxHwjCCgs5i-Krwu-OjZs2zjJ0WcjxOOKY_vnmUz2Blu6cYIU/s1600-h/P1000532.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJNt2eHOnq5Wf5Fe9EVDuQcRoOEdH_KHmuph9Y17scoo1syvT5XIWGfoUPdkoUt6_GuWeLdnLmGLCe0nNGd5WJ_LCAzCnxHwjCCgs5i-Krwu-OjZs2zjJ0WcjxOOKY_vnmUz2Blu6cYIU/s320/P1000532.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324901716039282450" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-a4sFSp3lB2PFZ1j_4jOqvOWVJ8E7bPw0dRduVBJ3gtWxHpwK4sTBi1mx-92E680x9TDm4AxNAQUhRKTVCMExYLKRbkuvucSWXYqX8o4Uejd0TqoH36FErS5UC_sXjKF7jfiOZ_mB64a/s1600-h/P1000534.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-a4sFSp3lB2PFZ1j_4jOqvOWVJ8E7bPw0dRduVBJ3gtWxHpwK4sTBi1mx-92E680x9TDm4AxNAQUhRKTVCMExYLKRbkuvucSWXYqX8o4Uejd0TqoH36FErS5UC_sXjKF7jfiOZ_mB64a/s320/P1000534.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324901457727455698" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHr0el5lZP65upm65R0c3Pra5PdWKmtsNBNlcpxDeDelB-GmglwKaFGMLPamoCkcQvHVFNYCK5fd7q9RIp1DhOxiaK85HwBoG-Rj_eAOvc4-mPFVC9spguheTjzmddTKRfJvGd9TToTp73/s1600-h/P1000538.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHr0el5lZP65upm65R0c3Pra5PdWKmtsNBNlcpxDeDelB-GmglwKaFGMLPamoCkcQvHVFNYCK5fd7q9RIp1DhOxiaK85HwBoG-Rj_eAOvc4-mPFVC9spguheTjzmddTKRfJvGd9TToTp73/s200/P1000538.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324900812637940802" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
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<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">In the above picture, we were wandering around the trails looking at the trees when the most amazing thing happened. The wind picked up and blew the petals off the blossoms so that it looked like it was snowing! It was quite the surreal moment. I hopped into the picture quickly but that one's on SuJin's camera. It died out just as quickly as it had started by the time I got my camera ready.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Next, we walked through the zoo. There were lions and tigers and bears...oh, my! (Bet you didn't see that coming!) I was slightly disturbed by their living conditions. It all seemed like too much cement for me. The painted backgrounds just weren't convincing me that the animals were happy here. I'm no animal-rights activist, but even I could tell there was a problem. Especially when I looked into how much fencing was not holding them in, and how the small gulf between human and tiger was not going to stop an angry cat.</p> <p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I was quite surprised by the bird selection in the zoo. Owls; I get that. Peakocks; sure. Doves, OK, you're starting to lose me there. But the more we walked, the more confused I became. Turkeys? Chickens? Seriously? And here's the kicker...pigeons! SuJin was quite entertained by the stunned look on my face (she didn't understand the animal selection either). But we kept walking and saw some beautiful sights.</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yFX9P_dlC0VKnALBSrHSfLqfIeKK0OHQYn4t-msD-heYvly6Rc3uBBgFmHmAVphz8RLmtGk1MI5NLGjGX8Zz5HAl_DIbFdbQyYRxYlaSxVn3Fs7BSQo_uTDRtwHfrGCfOfrmm2ARpuku/s1600-h/P1000540.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yFX9P_dlC0VKnALBSrHSfLqfIeKK0OHQYn4t-msD-heYvly6Rc3uBBgFmHmAVphz8RLmtGk1MI5NLGjGX8Zz5HAl_DIbFdbQyYRxYlaSxVn3Fs7BSQo_uTDRtwHfrGCfOfrmm2ARpuku/s400/P1000540.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324900421914504914" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSAvSrnCNr0hugp5hOQyV34NAXx3ZI67dBg2MCmGDa84Q0HsN66uw4u77vc_V_e6wfuNOf5D6-Y-IY4XGTAwhQzVollBXS98bvOWVVPR3DxutuzUWpaSIG0GM1XV2TaX1X8sIOHB4xhxF/s1600-h/P1000544.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSAvSrnCNr0hugp5hOQyV34NAXx3ZI67dBg2MCmGDa84Q0HsN66uw4u77vc_V_e6wfuNOf5D6-Y-IY4XGTAwhQzVollBXS98bvOWVVPR3DxutuzUWpaSIG0GM1XV2TaX1X8sIOHB4xhxF/s320/P1000544.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324899856794072850" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaVQXdOrdbwwj1OWeEk0SrlUnIDJPKhPxtMJz2HCBN0elcbqAdo7IeG339S8Cup5VrgO612qqGLY6gvotKcHoNHrJwVJtDctY6nKnjcqNfXwdodnxolRtXgHtJqeEnA5T1HHMJoBiKiu0/s1600-h/P1000547.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaVQXdOrdbwwj1OWeEk0SrlUnIDJPKhPxtMJz2HCBN0elcbqAdo7IeG339S8Cup5VrgO612qqGLY6gvotKcHoNHrJwVJtDctY6nKnjcqNfXwdodnxolRtXgHtJqeEnA5T1HHMJoBiKiu0/s320/P1000547.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324899649354264802" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdys62zlKJMSa4HH12qyjB_87jbimANu-N26CGsz2hUAR4jGpxuAbvBw4WeXkG-2HjDy4XKstprO5sV8ki78q98DDLbMoShwkpibX1i_xDZRRiiKtLS53fDrlvHcpK6WgpO7aAlYbJ-T-/s1600-h/P1000542.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdys62zlKJMSa4HH12qyjB_87jbimANu-N26CGsz2hUAR4jGpxuAbvBw4WeXkG-2HjDy4XKstprO5sV8ki78q98DDLbMoShwkpibX1i_xDZRRiiKtLS53fDrlvHcpK6WgpO7aAlYbJ-T-/s320/P1000542.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324899409216522066" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">It wasn't quite as crowded at Yeoido, but it was still a lot of walking. We decided to sit down on the grass and relax for a while. Now, here's just a small example of what makes Korean people so wonderful (this excludes the pushers on the subway). SuJin not only bought me a bottle of water before I arrived, but she also bought us two kinds of Kimbap (refer to a previous blog for an explanation) to snack on for the afternoon! She's so thoughtful. Not only that, but when our day at the park was done, she bought me dinner on the way home! I am quite blessed with my Korean friends!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xIB7jvnP-yxKC2upN1UDasDFB9_-n-eRSg5620Hwgp2EXXGMBga6JfTpBZ2D3JLWX-UP20jsXky73NVRtAAuHCq3ZQDDopbIaTjk5DzZBr7WESUIaYPKxqddySQuECP7TBTwkeWTyvMC/s1600-h/P1000546.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xIB7jvnP-yxKC2upN1UDasDFB9_-n-eRSg5620Hwgp2EXXGMBga6JfTpBZ2D3JLWX-UP20jsXky73NVRtAAuHCq3ZQDDopbIaTjk5DzZBr7WESUIaYPKxqddySQuECP7TBTwkeWTyvMC/s400/P1000546.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324899077988799074" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This last one was taken right outside the gates of the park. I just threw it in here for my dad. When are you comin' to visit!?</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfGjadM1K5IyE3Aueuh0nz5T_0uinSmBMP1w-d9wGZUNk4ECWLRX9jC_FfpdQkvypebwApt6oxQoyIiz2XnVYS-n_05EZH31iOxf4DBoqiFP94NSRcz3NF7_lNJuJSAkCoVZkugQiJYwN/s1600-h/P1000548.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfGjadM1K5IyE3Aueuh0nz5T_0uinSmBMP1w-d9wGZUNk4ECWLRX9jC_FfpdQkvypebwApt6oxQoyIiz2XnVYS-n_05EZH31iOxf4DBoqiFP94NSRcz3NF7_lNJuJSAkCoVZkugQiJYwN/s400/P1000548.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324898611731246962" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This whole cherry blossom experience is quite a metaphor for life. When you see an opportunity come your way, seize it! You never know when the winds of change will come and blow it all away.</p> Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-71916894632817945042009-04-05T21:15:00.011+09:002009-04-05T21:52:50.988+09:00Dr. Fish and Branches<meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in </style>Have you ever had a pedicure? I mean a <span style="font-style: italic;">really, really</span> great pedicure? It's so relaxing and refreshing; a time to chill with your girlfriends and be pampered. Well, I got a pedicure this past weekend. It would not fall into the category of really, really great. In fact, it was the most agitating and stressful pedicure I've ever had, and I would do it again in a heartbeat! You see, my feet were not touched by human hands the entire time. It's a fish pedicure. No, seriously! You put your feet into a tank of water and just sit while hoards of hungry, tiny, piranha-like fish go to town on your dead skin. It's the <span style="font-size:180%;">CRAZIEST</span> thing ever! <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I went with two friends of mine, and I was expecting a clinic-type environment, but what I got was a very posh coffee shop. I was pretty surprised. I had to go up to the counter and order a pomegranate tea and a Dr. Fish (an order of beverage is required for the foot treatment). We sat back and chilled until it was our turn. We were all excited all morning, and when the moment came, the fear struck! I am quite ashamed of the video I took, but for your viewing pleasure, I will post it. I will have you know that this was only the first few seconds of the Dr. Fish experience! I did eventually leave my feet in the tank and let the little fishies have their lunch. I only freaked out when they made their way in between my toes. That just could not be tolerated! I can't say that it was more or less effective than the traditional method, but it sure was more exciting! Oh, and what was the cost? Only 2,000 won, which is the equivalent of about $1.80, plus the price of tea.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Afterwards, we headed to Yeoido for the cherry blossom festival. One of the people from training planned a group event, and about twenty people showed up. It didn't take long to see that cherry blossoms were just not happening. We walked and walked and walked to the festival site. The walking was nice because there were many people doing large-scale art work on the sidewalks and it was so interesting. When we finally made it to the festival site, it became quite obvious that the festival didn't start until next week, and all those people doing art projects were just preparing for the street showcase next weekend. No worries though! We took a detour to a park and just sat and talked until it became too cold to be outside anymore. Some would have called the event a bust, but I really enjoyed all the walking in an area that wasn't nearly as congested as my own, and it was a great to spend time with people.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Enjoy the pictures and please don't hold the video against me! I'm much more brave than I seem here!</p> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwRiPhfBF08DBUxV8VVnpB3vdKsciymJkudVCLgnrRgKQeBIG9podAFmzeU1VhqiPcYgUNk7GVscKW-jeiqgw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>
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<br />Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-75267972501093404782009-04-01T21:52:00.002+09:002009-04-01T21:56:07.280+09:00Alien in a Strange Land<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0p4xwxGdbEWvNl6HcCRqVRCi1oUweI1TWnV6OrnLMGvB15kmh-BHVHZWnBxo-_h57Qq5k0iFg-L8aQ2s652lV-_gBUVfg92-aRe8evt_uRoAhZ1uIaq3zSuKmnhdMnAwpcHqc_iSnbkgZ/s1600-h/P1000431.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0p4xwxGdbEWvNl6HcCRqVRCi1oUweI1TWnV6OrnLMGvB15kmh-BHVHZWnBxo-_h57Qq5k0iFg-L8aQ2s652lV-_gBUVfg92-aRe8evt_uRoAhZ1uIaq3zSuKmnhdMnAwpcHqc_iSnbkgZ/s400/P1000431.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319705643772331634" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">I have been officially recognized as a temporary resident of the nation of South Korea! What does that mean? I am finally eligible to be billed. In Korea, you really can't do anything without an Alien Registration Card (or ARC, as we foreigners so affectionately refer to it). Even the nationals have a similar ID card that they also have to carry around with them and be prepared to present for all types of situations. It really is quite an ingenious system.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">So, the first order of business, now that I had an official status in the country, was to feel human again. How was this to be accomplished? I needed a cell phone and internet! For the last three weeks, my only contact with people outside of the school building has been taking my laptop to the local coffee shop and logging on for as long as my battery would hold out. It was a great way to get to know the nationals, especially my great friends at the coffee shop, but it was starting to get a little expensive!</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Because I live in an office-tel, I only had one choice for internet. My boss at work, who is able to accomplish things at the speed of light, made the appointment for me to have my cable internet hooked up this past Monday. The appointment was for 4:00 (I got to leave work early!). The guy showed up at 3:59 and he was out the door at 4:02! No joke! It was amazing! No fee, no tip, fastest internet I've ever experienced! Since then, I've been up until WAY past my bedtime reveling in the freedom to log on whenever I want.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The cell was a different matter. I told my friend at the coffee shop that I was finally able to get a phone, and he was more than willing to help me. He even said he would call a friend who knows English better than he does to help out. Little did I know that this friend was the owner of his store! He actually owns four or five Ediya coffee shops, and he's not only willing to spend a Saturday night helping a foreigner get a cell phone, but let his employee take time off work...twice... to help me out! Amazing people. Long story short. The bank messed up and I had to go back again on Monday. My coffee shop friend came with me again, during work hours, and it was all settled. Cell and internet all in one day! The cell is LG, which is a Korean company, for those who didn't know, and it's way better than the LG I have at home. My friends at the coffee shop were so happy for me that they gave me a congratulatory waffle and sent me “happy cell phone” text messages. This alien feels loved!</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"><img src="file:///D:/My%20Stuff/Photos/2009/03%20March/Min%27s%20%23%20&%20food/P1000431.JPG" alt="" /></p> Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-46271727715331224132009-03-25T14:20:00.004+09:002009-04-02T16:19:43.538+09:00From Brittney to BeethovenTwo memorable teaching moments happened today that I just had to share.<br /><br /><br /><br />The first was in a 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> grade class. The students were writing, and this little conversation took place...<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sean: "Teacher, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">raba</span> is r-a-b-a?"</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Me: "What is that?"</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sean: "The things comes from volcano."</span><br /><br /><br /><br />The second moment happened during the last class of the day with a group of <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >second graders</span>. They were also writing. One student was finished and started mindlessly humming Beethoven's 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span>. One by one, other students joined in, humming their own part! Pretty soon, I had a second grade symphonic concert happening in my little classroom! Two months ago, my American 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> grade students were <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">strutting</span> around in their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">hoochi</span>-mama pants and singing baby-oh-baby songs, and now I'm being serenaded by <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">savants</span> who have memorized their sheet music!Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-65650871263406006092009-03-24T19:15:00.015+09:002009-03-24T20:00:57.147+09:00My Apartment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFelYtC7RINenjn8bfsG7SZU9GdfdbJOxXNTIsXnu6cbbh8VlQZPhhQ7Z4Mtc_X0dgo18E0ErQs-go8QAuQ5hNuZv8BSAaMw8ph9JBFgfreC7Y2Bhk0fcoH0KJpJv9bWTiboiQI_YRZqw/s1600-h/P1000358.JPG"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08i</style></a>
<br />
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08i</style>Holy cow, it's snowing! SNOWING! It was 64 degrees on Saturday! I had heard that the weather here is as fickle as Chicago, but now I've finally seen it for myself.
<br />
<br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Anyway, that's way off the topic. Today I want to write about my apartment. I've been here for three weeks now, so it's about time I post some pictures. I live in Seoul, but just like Chicago, Seoul has different areas. I live in the area called Gangnam and my section of Gangnam is called Seocho because it's near Seocho Station. I actually live about 200 meters from Seocho Station, which is fantastic! It's a very convenient station. Gangnam is also a wealthy area, which could have meant two things for me: 1. an apartment the size of a matchbox or 2. an apartment that was super fabulous. I am blessed to say that I have the latter. </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">When I first walked in, I was amazed by the size. It's not large by American standards, but I had heard that most apartments here are the size of a single-occupancy hotel room. That's not at all what I have. The apartment that I'm in is in a newer building and in a business district. I live on the seventh floor. I have a guard that loves to greet me with, “Amandaaaaaaa, where you is go?!” and then correct me once again because I lack the skill to have a clue what he's telling me when he points to garbage cans and says things in Korean. There are tons of coffee shops, including a Starbucks that opened next door, which I have yet to visit, and Ediya down the street which I frequent due to the people, many restaurants, and interesting people-watching opportunities. </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">As far as blogging, I'm still having issues with the pictures and text ending up where I want them, so I think I will just explain the pictures here and post them all as a group underneath. Hope you don't mind! Enjoy!</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
<br /></p> <ol><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">My building: S.R. Tower. To the left of this picture is the convenient Seocho Subway Station.</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">What I see when I walk in the front door. This is the main living space; office/living room/ dining room.</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The bathroom. There is no shower door. The whole room is the shower. I have to squeegee the water into the drain under the sink when I'm done and use shower shoes until it's all dry.</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The quaint little kitchen. Yes, that's a washing machine under the stove top. On the left is the fridge and on the right is the pantry. I already had plenty of dishes and cookware, which is way more than most had.</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The view from my window. This is southern Seoul. On clear days, I have a view of the mountains, but now that it's Yellow Sand season, I'll have to wait a while.</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The view from my window looking back. Above is my loft. It's an amazing space creator.</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The loft. Cute bedding, right?! Yes, that is a crucifix above my bed; one of many reminders in my apartment that I work for a Catholic school. To the left is a great storage area. Storage!</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The main light fixture. I really like it.</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The front door. I feel very safe at all times due to the triple lock which locks automatically when I enter and exit, and the video-activated doorbell so I never have to open the door to see who's there.</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Oh, and I have a walk-in closet.</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">This was the clock that was already in my apartment. I started to learn that slogans here sound very strange in English. This is just one of many examples. “Happy to you” doesn't make sense, the elephants, bear, and food doesn't work together. And since you probably can't read the center, allow me to quote it for you. It says, “About our story: I can make you happy to make you feel my love.” What?</p> </li></ol> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
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<br />Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-15960631330397010632009-03-13T21:43:00.017+09:002009-03-16T19:18:27.936+09:00Seoul Tower<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEdKrqO1ckOeURrbUchSC4C1x2NdexGBEnLzUqWaw8rucZfJ-7Z7GsXU_bwsiCulnbF9ynhB7ElHyacGmFCaoF4UTt74jBfyMUaCL76noC3zKn93nzF_EpXgvvMC6CS9CncFnPkFl6GL_/s1600-h/P1000326.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEdKrqO1ckOeURrbUchSC4C1x2NdexGBEnLzUqWaw8rucZfJ-7Z7GsXU_bwsiCulnbF9ynhB7ElHyacGmFCaoF4UTt74jBfyMUaCL76noC3zKn93nzF_EpXgvvMC6CS9CncFnPkFl6GL_/s400/P1000326.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313375070808764466" border="0" /></a><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --></style>If y'all don't mind, I'd like to backtrack a wee bit to the end of our week of training. This entry will be mostly pictures, if you don't mind that as well. Last Friday, we finally got to leave the center and go to one of the local schools to do an observation and eat lunch. I had heard about kimbap from April and was happy when that turned out to be our lunch. This particular one had veggies, rice, pickled radish, and Spam...yes...Spam. Never thought I would be eating a Korean dish <i>and </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Spam for the first time all in one bite. Oh, and I liked it very much. I think Spam will now be a staple in my diet!</span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Then we were all taken to a local attraction, the Seoul Tower. It was built in 1969 and is 777 feet tall from the base and 1, 574 feet above sea level. We first had to drive up a mountain, but not quite to the top; for that we had to walk. I was SO thankful that I changed from heels to flats in the last minute before leaving the center because the hike was pretty steep. Coming down would have be <i>brutal</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> in heels!</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">There is lookout point at the top of the mountain where there is something quite interesting. It is said that if a couple comes here and puts a lock on the fence, their love is forever. Needless to say, thousands of couples have come here to solidify their love or just to participate in a quaint legend. There are even benches to aid in “bringing the couple together.”</p> <p></p> <p></p>
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<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">There is a more ancient side of the mountain where there are relics and like this smoke tower that is said to have been able to warn neighboring countries of impending doom, and not just the rest of Korea.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
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<br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Next, it was up to the observation deck of the tower. All the windows were covered in the names of cities, in the direction of that particular city, along with its distance from the tower. I think they should to that at the Sears; pretty cool idea!</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<br /><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Just as we were headed back to the buses, a performance started in the square showcasing the Korean sword fighting tradition.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">
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<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The ride back was about an hour or so. How did we spend our time? Karaoke...ON...THE...BUS! Only in Korea!</p> <p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;"></p><p></p> <div></div></div></div></div></div>Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-76178525698024160102009-03-08T14:29:00.004+09:002009-03-08T14:42:10.374+09:00Gangnam<div><br /><br /><div><br />Do you remember the National Geographic videos of the poor little baby bird being pushed out of the nest? It has two options as it plummets to the ground; either learn to fly in the next five seconds, or crash. I am that bird, and this is where my real life in Korea starts. </div><br /><div><br />After a really great week of training and getting to know 160 other people in the bubble of the Hyundai Learning Center, we were whisked away by our supervisors to the district office of our respective areas. I got on the bus with 15 other people who were going to the Gangnam District (pronounced Kongnom). Gangnam is said to be the richest district in Seoul, and it is referred to as Beverly Hills. But so far I haven't seen any mansions, so my guess is that it's more like the penthouse life of Chicago. At the district office, we were told to wait for our co-teachers to come and fetch us. One by one, the people who had become my comfort zone were being pushed out of the nest until, at last, my supervisor arrived. Thankfully, I found out earlier that the school that hired me also hired another teacher, Kyla, at the same time, so I wasn't being whisked away alone. Kyla seems like a really great person. She's fresh out of college, has lots of energy, and is very kind. She even carried some of my luggage! </div><br /><div><br />Lise, the supervisor, who speaks English almost like a Westerner, hit us with tons of information in the car as she ate her pistachio ice cream cone from Baskin Robins. First of all, the school, Gyeseong Elementary, is a private Catholic school. That one hit me hard because I feel like my calling is to the public schools, not to private, but I have to get over it because God knows what He's doing. The school is more that 120 years old, though the building is brand new, and it is the most prestigious school in Gangnam, and perhaps all of Seoul. She gave us a short tour of the school and I felt like I was walking through a Lake Forest school. It was far too big to go through the whole thing, but get this, there is a teacher's lounge for the regular subject teachers AND one for the English language teachers. Why? Because there are eleven of us in all! I don't know yet if that means that all of them are native English speakers, but that would be amazing. </div><br /><div><br />Another kicker was that our contract is slightly different than a regular S.M.O.E. Contract (Seoul Metropolitan Offic<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Bz3qugrHP5swLMk2J063OWcG9eDw7w3ugVVdAuiFNK5Ww_bnzEfXrjkqiQOl5sxpzu87E7owTJiHm-HTpEntBf0XFDUkCMrVRoo8OwBkj14C3wx77K8ShMsxHK272F32dVVpXnvchX4B/s1600-h/P1000358.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310687457639716178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 222px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Bz3qugrHP5swLMk2J063OWcG9eDw7w3ugVVdAuiFNK5Ww_bnzEfXrjkqiQOl5sxpzu87E7owTJiHm-HTpEntBf0XFDUkCMrVRoo8OwBkj14C3wx77K8ShMsxHK272F32dVVpXnvchX4B/s400/P1000358.JPG" border="0" /></a>e of Education). With them, the contract is twenty-two teaching hours, and here it's thirty, but we'll be compensated well. The next surprise was that my class size is going to be ten (I was expecting 35-40) and I will be teaching 2nd and 5th grade. That sounds fabulous to me! Plus, I will have my own classroom with a huge flat-screen TV, computer, and other goodies that I haven't seen yet. My students are going to be the “beyond” students, the ones who have very high English skills. </div><br /><div><br />Next, I was taken to my apartment building. It's called S.R. Tower. I pretend it's Trump Tower. I'm on the 7th floor. Lise said that the nun who runs the school wanted to treat us well in hopes that we'd love it and want to come back. She also said that she was jealous because our accommodations were so nice. I'll post a picture of the building here, but I'll wait until everything is in order before I post the inside. My expectation was a small studio with barely enough room to get around. This is far different. It has a good-size bathroom, a walk-in closet (small but holy cow), tiny but nice kitchen, washer, big living/working space with TV/DVD, and a loft where my bed is along with a huge space for storage. My view is the roof of another building, but beyond that, I can see highrises. </div></div><br /><div><br />But then Lise, Kyla, and the driver left, and I was that bird plummeting to the ground. I kept saying to myself, “I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry,” and I didn't, but I don't know what kind of accomplishment that was. I was hesitant to unpack because that would mean that I was living here. I was so excited all week to just get to the apartment and unpack, but in that moment, it was the most difficult thing in the world to do. I made it through one suitcase and then through another. I was starving but didn't know where to go for food. I ate one of my treasured fruit snacks from home and tried getting on the internet. When it logged on automatically, it was a moment of pure bliss until it asked for a user name and password. </div><div><br />The night seemed to drag on forever until I finally went to bed at 8:30. Yep, 8:30. This morning was a little better. It was weird getting out of bed in “my apartment,” the place I will be living for the next 51 weeks. I took a shower, did some laundry, almost cried when I realized I left some irreplaceable things at the training center, and went to the tiny market down the street to see if they had anything that I needed, which they sort of did, kind of. </div><div><br />I decided I was going to be brave and try to navigate the subway system with no formal training. I wanted very badly to go to church, and I thought I remembered reading that there was an English speaking one by Gangnam Station. The Seocho Station is just one block from me, and Gangnam is just two stops from that, so I knew it couldn't be too horrifying. It was hard, and the people weren't nice, but I think I could do it again. I never found the church, but I wandered around, feeling very much like I was in Chicago, searching anywhere for a store where I could buy a watch, and then getting back on the sub and going “home.” Then I wandered around my neighborhood, which is quite pretty, I must say. I stopped in every coffee house I could find to see if they had internet access. I finally found this quaint little shop, and here I sit, amking a mental note to never again order a green tea latte, and unsuccessfully fighting back the “What did I get myself into” tears. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow I start my new job and meet new people, people who speak English and can be used as a resource and maybe even become a new friend. I am anxious to start a routine. I am lonely at this moment, but I know it won't last. </div><div> </div><div>This bird needs to fly.</div>Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-78461882881783559782009-03-03T21:44:00.035+09:002009-03-05T17:55:53.404+09:00Hyundai – It's Not Just Another Car Company<em><span style="font-size:85%;">I've been in Korea now for four days. I figured it was time for another post.<br /></span></em><br />The flight was <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhw-JRNnDVKIZMMMcdBs23g9XF6cLYFmFDHwBMEyjcRn_FJLunSMes-ehHiHXWoMYbwfpc6zj43CEV0g4cvNXDWRNrbJAbZ0mVGNVMaxNs9pWtYgjT4X6795E02NKYmHjNAb-I97TTozm/s1600-h/P1000286.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308943296996224034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhw-JRNnDVKIZMMMcdBs23g9XF6cLYFmFDHwBMEyjcRn_FJLunSMes-ehHiHXWoMYbwfpc6zj43CEV0g4cvNXDWRNrbJAbZ0mVGNVMaxNs9pWtYgjT4X6795E02NKYmHjNAb-I97TTozm/s200/P1000286.JPG" border="0" /></a>... long. I was really impressed with the service and the entertainment. I was able to watch a few movies that I had been wanting to see! I met up with the other Footprints teachers at the airport and then it was off to the bus. And, oh, what a bus it was! The interior was stuck in an identity crisis. It was a strange mix between Mother Goose and Cash Cab.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>We were driven to Who-Knows-Where, Korea, about a mile and half from Seoul, to the Hyundai Training Center, the place I will call home until Saturday. It's up in the mountains, and even though Korea is the most mountainous country in the world, it's still a picturesque location and quite different than the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">plains</span> of Illinois. Most everything is in or around the mountains. It is a beautiful and impressive facility. T<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLMDh8N9HwPS6BlUFOLKbjDdYJHhvDL6qASp3YOVgi4LTsR0RvmRUACwpsXORTBOGxfO8iYBEZu3C9Cd7uvpNnEJvo8CSpd8ij56uhQtbnlFHTYROu8QYrlWGUNtAMcJSiKr1q0B9qyUs/s1600-h/P1000295.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308944297019210882" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLMDh8N9HwPS6BlUFOLKbjDdYJHhvDL6qASp3YOVgi4LTsR0RvmRUACwpsXORTBOGxfO8iYBEZu3C9Cd7uvpNnEJvo8CSpd8ij56uhQtbnlFHTYROu8QYrlWGUNtAMcJSiKr1q0B9qyUs/s200/P1000295.JPG" border="0" /></a>o give you an idea of how this place is situated on the mountains, I am in the dormitory building, and I have to go down to the first floor and take a bridge that connects directly to the fifth floor of the training center. It has a fitness room, convenience store, pool, ping-pong, lounges (just couches, people), cafeteria with three meals a day, and hotel-like dorm rooms. Because I've only left here once, it feels like I'm just somewhere in the States at a camp.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308944560960154706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 114px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVoTd3zHVa4KitJCECS84z0ejY4zx0sTg4rEwM5xBfAq7uLel_cWfS37gOCjI1deEN6ZunWO4zEfsUNRD6V0vXeKcIxMOIBZhAXrs3lBEVZ-87i0nFN_kcw_yx26Nff6AO2qtOUYPLE24/s200/P1000296.JPG" border="0" /><br />I have two roommates for the week. Tamra is from Seattle, and Katie is from London. They are really great people and it's great to have instant friends here. We've had quite the experiences together already! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309266601918476082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sBaG0uQuXlrEoLA4I5NGGz9r8RH3sT0mG0kAoUvR_jXA1TPxLNJeh3kY64I5qTw2ZwClYUnfeuN09GOkDakx-H_HTUGrrgLpsc4ei8jg8jPw_rbJRzOU6VnWJEnjoIBasj8KojwmsYYx/s400/P1000291.JPG" border="0" /> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Tgi9xr1bKkDsi0UImxaSdvtaGDxjtywZ5HAB7zOLQt3XqtxQQ6We9Ri7j0alVynZ8Q0BajajazFj-JD6zPIkcMs-mhPnUI22g8k7mFurCxXJhkCc1brBzk9mbyyXWp91FsAHHbhtcp3s/s1600-h/P1000288.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309267100458953106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 332px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Tgi9xr1bKkDsi0UImxaSdvtaGDxjtywZ5HAB7zOLQt3XqtxQQ6We9Ri7j0alVynZ8Q0BajajazFj-JD6zPIkcMs-mhPnUI22g8k7mFurCxXJhkCc1brBzk9mbyyXWp91FsAHHbhtcp3s/s400/P1000288.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>I was able to l<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cdQutJfSb5RZLHNsCbXLZ5BdX4oclQUm18j81pWYFyECKQHnkwMvEyEZ4WaJ4ejwn33tZ9jBKkX7CgGO0yVGPcKCnKkqYG9uNzcwsoxeBodCJaaRnHuC64Dl1klM4GymDI5i377ToMOK/s1600-h/P1000288.JPG"></a>eave on Sunday to go to church. It was encouraging to see how many people are here at the training who are Christians. The church is a non-denominational church located in the city on the seventh and eighth floor of a large building. The service was great and the church body was very international.<br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Opening ceremonies started on Monday with a performance of traditional Korean music. Here's a little clip for your enjoyment! Sorry about all the heads, I was sitting near the back.<br /></div><div><div><div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxv1udnNGnYFpJ0BTgKi7GWh-HcZp5_JHqPPUSFkJsfuBxXesQey-ropukqnmwhd2PIL60My_i3jh3jAmrgGg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMPa0u2m3iwGFZ-8TixPd4EB_ms9QlUr6TLBTV_rW5ewq4jitaIeOquJiS6hCVOhtxelIA-31MjhAefzCduu-U2BAHkAoh94zAtWaUtTDIyTDRRwK0tt6mSFMzw1RGwF6FEiwqb6ff7Pp/s1600-h/P1000302.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308950338387749570" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMPa0u2m3iwGFZ-8TixPd4EB_ms9QlUr6TLBTV_rW5ewq4jitaIeOquJiS6hCVOhtxelIA-31MjhAefzCduu-U2BAHkAoh94zAtWaUtTDIyTDRRwK0tt6mSFMzw1RGwF6FEiwqb6ff7Pp/s200/P1000302.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXQUeKlbD0dz56WfAJwf-PSkSaoqD9qX_VpyfmpADzDqUsLNwROVz0GMKzhX-dL0Mk5WwoXjrUZzo1yYwYOzeYqOqagRUkXCRsYf3tl9IQFHXD0vvyT0BEV0jSDxGZicoDZJhqejAl39s/s1600-h/P1000301.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308949908605029538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 52px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXQUeKlbD0dz56WfAJwf-PSkSaoqD9qX_VpyfmpADzDqUsLNwROVz0GMKzhX-dL0Mk5WwoXjrUZzo1yYwYOzeYqOqagRUkXCRsYf3tl9IQFHXD0vvyT0BEV0jSDxGZicoDZJhqejAl39s/s200/P1000301.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>The food has been...interesting. We have had rice and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">kimchi</span> at every meal, even breakfast. Breakfast has also included squid cakes and potatoes roasted in syrup. Most foods come bathed in chili paste. Yesterday we had a special treat; whole fish! Yum! Try eating that with a set of chopsticks!</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308950680398176930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zgq6wHH8N9NVApXbalKjWSZXv30_yxDQnui_D1MPXMapVCxseoF-6FGhmcg9PU5smc_3E12qvhbRQwFo_svfpLe1T1Ge2IF387v1XujNq3TiM-nHsg0s8KPV3uGCN5FZ1GHYoumA-b_W/s200/P1000299.JPG" border="0" /> The grounds are beautiful. Yesterday, I took a walk on the path surrounding the center, and today it snowed! Here's a few of the pictures <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbFzaOmGBTWhoPSIZ4BpoZXjPtjtPwNzh_z0SuPEpDoaC2BxRBC7z1VkzCYctVXLrjaL2h-eAvV2VMlyUQpqT7ntXn7TLzqn_Pf_D0_KfrGPhf1ibB-jNAxwyPA7FfiGDmN2E28tFlyvO/s1600-h/P1000293.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308951554063955250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbFzaOmGBTWhoPSIZ4BpoZXjPtjtPwNzh_z0SuPEpDoaC2BxRBC7z1VkzCYctVXLrjaL2h-eAvV2VMlyUQpqT7ntXn7TLzqn_Pf_D0_KfrGPhf1ibB-jNAxwyPA7FfiGDmN2E28tFlyvO/s320/P1000293.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBhYLap0CP_3hTYG_O7c6Zsd5nTUn2nu7rQnoXQ6RjC_kxS5K3Yr8WuXLSYq3zHlGBgvvBXgEBRyh0Cr26tgV3ABnhQhBKFrL7zIbyk15EIJ5QgqGjBX2YAkuBEw0ndLdNsa9H81knOin/s1600-h/P1000305.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308952478026475298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBhYLap0CP_3hTYG_O7c6Zsd5nTUn2nu7rQnoXQ6RjC_kxS5K3Yr8WuXLSYq3zHlGBgvvBXgEBRyh0Cr26tgV3ABnhQhBKFrL7zIbyk15EIJ5QgqGjBX2YAkuBEw0ndLdNsa9H81knOin/s320/P1000305.JPG" border="0" /></a>below.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>It's now close to 10pm here, and I just got back from a rousing evening of Korean culture. We learned three types of traditional Korean dances. The instructor was so engaging with an infectious smile. I felt really honored to be able to learn something that is so important to the people here. Here's a short video of the dance competition. </div><div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyhXRiw-rBzaFcBpfLjJz5e01pnBxuMj40Bk9Et9spnZkGqcUaDwf-uNZ9x5wapVsmjvnwD4BF5XbR0HSMKfg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAprTgRbGK492ff55tcG3nSm2fxBBdcN8Zj7Qc5O84GMVJzfG1OsMDaYn9_XtW6-zpxCpVQui583EJXnWawCEMLGZjdrEpGEjUlx4TBCDjgL6NAYRGXRgh82MlUS_ky7Xpc8h4XN3A7s6n/s1600-h/P1000306.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308953867676681506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 110px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAprTgRbGK492ff55tcG3nSm2fxBBdcN8Zj7Qc5O84GMVJzfG1OsMDaYn9_XtW6-zpxCpVQui583EJXnWawCEMLGZjdrEpGEjUlx4TBCDjgL6NAYRGXRgh82MlUS_ky7Xpc8h4XN3A7s6n/s200/P1000306.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKDMQMb6iIewBOFkzm3ADzcKv6wTTlWK63IL7zJVrrhbIYws3W3jBzHrv_2kdDt-5aEuKunehL9BGTUAcM4PDB_Q4wRw79v0PflIov54un8JinKQVBASThwaJzQna1prOR-9w1p5IDNAa/s1600-h/P1000314.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308961434954172658" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 111px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKDMQMb6iIewBOFkzm3ADzcKv6wTTlWK63IL7zJVrrhbIYws3W3jBzHrv_2kdDt-5aEuKunehL9BGTUAcM4PDB_Q4wRw79v0PflIov54un8JinKQVBASThwaJzQna1prOR-9w1p5IDNAa/s200/P1000314.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><div><br />This entry turned out to be much longer than I had expected, but there's so much to share! I'm safe, healthy, blessed, and still loving life.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1025804164113028924.post-82434237228193205292009-02-28T21:17:00.000+09:002009-02-28T21:26:11.343+09:00Joy in the Journey<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhy91s0KIpbbdQSXfqTSQDOBUWrdkXDAzO7h_HeeOn5ZOnLM7jjYXL1R4qYESsJvfwVPmyYA5o9JQxB-TvpLYlkFqRgVH1Kj-D1tGnJcvqKre1IHi_5JQj5-rgMPTFlGqGVOA_Ri3CIR2/s1600-h/P1000284.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhy91s0KIpbbdQSXfqTSQDOBUWrdkXDAzO7h_HeeOn5ZOnLM7jjYXL1R4qYESsJvfwVPmyYA5o9JQxB-TvpLYlkFqRgVH1Kj-D1tGnJcvqKre1IHi_5JQj5-rgMPTFlGqGVOA_Ri3CIR2/s320/P1000284.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307822700349391394" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.3 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“What are you thinking?”</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“Why on Earth would you go to Korea?”
<br />
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“Are you sure you're doing the right thing?”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And my favorite, “I wasted some of the best years of my youth in Korea. You shouldn't go.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm sitting here in O'Hare Airport waiting for my flight to board, and these are some of the comments that are running through my head. What am I doing here in the airport? I'm about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Ever since I came back from teaching in Spain, I've had the desire to head back overseas to teach again. The problem was that I became too comfortable in my lifestyle. I had a great apartment, a good and secure job that I enjoyed, a church that I've been going to for my entire life and a church family that I was getting to know again, and friends and family all around me. The problem? I wasn't listening.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Long story short; God shook up my world. I started to become frustrated with everything around me. I've experienced this before...the last time I chose not to listen. I knew the frustration was rooted in the fact that God was gently beaconing me back to the other side of the world and into the classroom. I've been looking at the Footprints program for almost ten years now, but last July, I finally clicked the “Apply” button and changed course. So, here I find myself in the airport, anxiously anticipating what I will see, hear, taste, touch, smell, and experience in the next twelve months. Twelve months! That's 365 days! Holy cow! The temptation to listen to the comments I mentioned at the beginning is the current battle, but I know that everything I do is a choice, and I choose to listen to the people in my life that are an encouragement to me. Maybe you're one of them! This is what I will fix my mind on:</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“Amanda, we're so proud of you!”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“I wish I would have done that when I was younger.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“You go, girl!”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“You'll do great! We'll be praying for you.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Enjoy the blog, and I'll see you soon! (I'm opting out of “goodbye.”)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Disclaimer: This was actually written at O'Hare but posted in Korea because my internet wouldn't work at O'Hare
<br /></p> Amanda Katajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03629583045130720653noreply@blogger.com4