Everland - Where Dreams Come True

Lunar New Year was simply full of goodness.  Every day was packed with adventure, and Monday might have been the most exciting.  We ventured to the Korean Disney World - EVERLAND.

This, is what we like to call the "Everland Face": 

Everland Face.

 

Upon arrival, we were like kids in a candy shop.  Or kids at Disney World, I guess you could say.  Ashley's first comment, "I feel like I'm Aladdin."  Would that have made any sense normally?  No.  Did Meagan and I understand exactly what she was saying at the time?  Totally.

After scoping out the zoo exhibit for a while, we moved on to the more exciting features - rides and rollercoasters.  Have you ever been on a rollercoaster in the middle of winter?  It's not exactly a desirable experience, but completely worth it in the end.

Lovin' Everland life...

 

Next up?  Checking out the Caribbean Bay section of the theme part once summer arrives.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

 After a fun night out in Hongdae, Matt, Meagan, and I filled up on coffee and headed into Seoul to check out Gyeongbokgung Palace (have fun sounding that one out in your head). 

We lucked out because the weather was beautiful that day, offering prime photo-snapping opportunities.  Although it was still bone-chillingly cold, we fought through it and had a great time.  The palace is beautiful.  I can't image how long it took people to paint the intricate designs that cover each building.  As you can see from the map, the place is huge, so we weren't able to cover everything in one day, but this is definitely a must-see for anyone traveling to Seoul.

The King's throne at Gyeongbokgung Palace.

The entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

The banquet area of Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Hongdae or Bust

 The first night of our four-day weekend during Lunar New Year was spent trollin' around club-ridden Hongdae.  Both Rebecca and Meagan had friends visiting from other parts of Korea, so we spent the night indulging in samgyeopsal (big, fatty, bacon-like pork BBQ), and participating in some general merriment.

Happy Lunar New Year!

"The Suje"

This is the view I have on my walk to SLP every morning.  Good ol' Suji morning life is pretty low-key.

Morning walk in Suji.  SLP is ahead on the left.

Galbi Time

Almost every time we go out for dinner, we go to a pretty spectacular place we've deemed "Good Kimchi Place."  And by good kimchi, I mean this stuff is heaven-sent.  We now hate kimchi everywhere else, it's pure discrimination.

Anyway, "Good Kimchi Place" has typical Korean food - Korean BBQ ("galbi").  It's a little strange at first, cooking your own food on a small grlll in the middle of the table, but after some practice we've gotten pretty good at it.  Our staple is spicy chicken, but you can also get duck, beef, or pork.

Happy Tuesday - From Jaguar Class!

These fools wanted to record another song for everyone, so here it is!  Happy Tuesday! :)

Question.

If someone could please explain to me what these creatures are - and why, in God's name, I would ever want to eat them - I would greatly appreciate it.  Thanks in advance.

Travelers Tradition.

It's been decided that Traveler's - our favorite expat bar - will likely become a weekly Sunday night tradition.  This week was awesome because we dove into a delicious mountain of nachos, and I've been craving chips and salsa for weeks.  I also got to try the Canadian favorite, Poutine, which is basically fries with gravy and cheese.  It was a very nutritious dinner, as you can tell.

It feels good to have a place we can go to feel at home.  The menu rivals that of a pub at home and you can always find other expats to chat with.  It's so fun to not only meet many Koreans while here, but also other teachers from all over the world.  I've made friends with people from Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand!

Time.

Have you ever tried to teach a group of kindergartners how to read a clock, when they don't even know how to tell time in their native language?

If not, let me tell you, it's rather challenging.

Ideas appreciated.

Oops.

After a rowdy night on Friday, Meagan and I decided to take it easy Saturday.  We thought it might be fun to check out one of the night markets that South Korea is known for.  All of the research online ranted and raved about these markets and how they're full of people and crazy displays from 9pm until dawn.

We got to Dongdaemun around 8:30, a little earlier than expected, but that's alright.  We wandered the vast rows of shops, talking about how exciting everything would be once it opened up for the night.  After about half an hour, we were getting a bit chilly so we decided to swing into a coffee shop to warm up, figuring it would be a good place to wait until things got going.

About an hour later we ventured back into the cold, only to find that even more shops and restaurants were dark.  Instead of things starting up, they were clearly shutting down.  A little defeated, we walked around the sketchy deserted streets for a while, laughing about how unremarkable the experience was turning out to be.

And then, we turned a corner and it was like we'd found the promised land.  We were finally climbing off the dreadful Mayflower.  Doota, a large Korean department store, sat right in front of us - in all it's holiday-decorated glory.

I'm not sure why the night market was closed, probably just because it's January and colder than the North Pole, but I'm sure glad that the trip wasn't a total waste.

Gamjatang - Korean "Hangover Soup"

My current favorite: Gamjatang.

Gamjatang (Kam-Ja-Tang) is pretty famous in Korea.  I remember seeing it featured in one of the documentaries I watched before moving here, and it completely lives up to the hype.

It's also known as "Pork Spine Soup" because it literally is.  You're given a large bowl of broth, rice, and veggies, with a huge hunk of meat floating on top - bones included.  There's a big bucket in the middle of the table that you can use to throw the bones in once you've successfully pulled most of the meat from them (or spent so long trying that you decide to give up).  I'm sure it's quite a treat to watch a table full of foreigners attempting to pull their dinner from bones with a pair of chopsticks and a spoon.

They really make you work for it but, when all is said and done, this is a great meal.  And of course, contains the special mystery ingredients that are sure to cure any kind of morning-after haze.

SLP's Ultimate Photo-Bomber

Meet Ester.  She's a pretty cool little lady, but she's a little different from the rest of the girls in Alligator class - she never wants to get her picture taken.  When a group of girls begged me to take their picture this afternoon, Ester decided to show them all how she really feels about posing for photos.  She managed to come out of nowhere and completely photobomb these pictures.  Not just once, but twice.

Needless to say, it made my day.

 

In the Jungle.

 

In the art unit that I work on with Alligator class, we've been learning about Africa.  Today it was time to make lion puppets.  After an hour of arguing with the kids that - "no, these aren't teddy bear puppets" - they produced some pretty good work.  The amount of rawring, clawing, and "eating" that ensued upon completion was rather disturbing, but at least they were having a good time.

Well Hello, 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 This New Years Eve was pretty low-key, but a lot of fun.  Since almost everyone we knew was still on vacation, Ashley and I set out on what we liked to call the "Suji Bar Tour" - which doesn't mean much.  It was fun to experience the count down (and free tequila shots that accompanied it) at Underground, one of our favorite bars in the area.  The owner, Sunny, even asked to pose in our celebration picture.

It's a little strange that I'll be spending the majority of 2012 in South Korea.  I must admit that I'm excited to see what's in store! 

See ya, 2011...

Dok Dori Delicious

This, my friends, is what life in Korea is all about.  It's called Dak Dori Tang and it is so delicious.  The soup basically consists of a large pot full of chicken, carrots, garlic, peppers, hot sauce, mystery sauce, and - you guessed it - sweet potatoes.  It's like chicken stew with a tasty zing. 

This is one version that they make at a restaurant we visit a lot, right here in Suji (mostly because the guy who owns it can speak some English).  Ashley and I decided to treat ourselves to this delightful dinner on New Years Eve.  Although it's enough food to feed a large family, I'd say we made a pretty good dent.