Corinne in Korea

Final Farewells...

2011-05-31T14:47:00.001+09:00

Here's a video of all the kids I taught.
I think it glitches up at one point, sorry.

These are my amazing co-workers. :)

This is Joanne my co-worker, she was so helpful and caring.

Almost like a mom while I was in Korea!

My school gave me an awesome scrapbook with with pictures

and notes from all the staff and kindergarten students.

Oh and let's not forget my co-worker, Britney!

Sweet Polaroid film, huh?

Miss you, 친구!

South Korea in a Nutshell.

2011-05-20T13:18:00.007+09:00

This 9 minute video is beautifully shot...

One of a Kind.

2011-05-16T10:45:00.002+09:00

I'm sorry I haven't been able to close out my blog...I'm working on it.
I've been very busy since I've gotten back.
So I wanted to blog about my artist friend Chloe (again).
She made my family some very special pieces of artwork...

My lantern.

My brother Devon's fan.

My Papa's fan.

My Dad's fan.

My fan.

My Mom's fan.

My sister Megan's fan.

My brother's girlfriend, Becky's fan.

Here's most of the fam with their fans. ^^

Each fan has a unique quote or saying on it in Hangul (Korean).

They will be cherished deeply! Thanks Chloe! Love you!

27th Birthday Bash!

2011-04-19T23:25:00.002+09:00

My birthday was a blast this year.

We had dinner and then we went by our favorite "drink in a bag."
One of the employees wanted to "dance" for me because it was my birthday!

Everyday I'm Shufflun...

After that we headed to a photo booth/norae bang (karaoke) shop.

Then we headed over to MF Bar!

Signing my b-day shirt.

Love this!

B-day cake, yum.

Right before the "magic" show.

The rest of the photos are by my friend, Hyun Ki Shin.

Awww feeding Gill some cake. ;)

Rocking my b-day present from Hyun Ki.

It's a shirt to support Japan.

My fellow Montanan, Jesse!

It was a great time!

Geumsansa Temple Stay

2011-04-17T23:00:00.000+09:00

April has been flying by in a whirl wind of adventure...
My time is coming to an end here in Korea and it's ending on a high note. :)
Here are some of my favorite photos from my temple stay at Geumsansa .
This temple has been around for 1411 years...

The process of making a lotus lantern teaches you patience.

This temple is over 500 years old.

Sunset

My lantern was first...

Our Monk "Stone Head."

Buddhist Breakfast Ceremony.

Prayer beads. I bowed 108 times to make this.

All in all, I highly recommend that everyone goes on a temple stay if you are in Korea.

I have a new appreciation for Buddhist and Korean culture.

Relaxing Weekend in Busan

2011-03-28T22:25:00.000+09:00

I went to this temple a few weeks ago...

We ended the day by heading to Spa Land in the Shinsegae Centum City, also known as the world's largest department store! It was so nice and relaxing. The next day we got some Thai massages at Wat Pho in Haeundae Beach and went back to Spa Land. Awww it was soooo nice.

Kidding Around

2011-03-15T22:57:00.000+09:00

The nice thing about working with kids is sometimes it's OK to act like a kid.
No judgment zone. :)

"Corinne Teacher"

Yes, they made me into a cat. They know me so well.

찜질방 Jjimjilbang

2011-02-24T20:35:00.009+09:00

Jjimjilbang aka Korean Spa/Bath House
One thing I am truly going to miss in Korea is my monthly visits to the spa.
At first, I was apprehensive about going to a bath house/jjimjilbang.
Imagine a spa/hot springs back home.
Ok, you are in a gender-segregated area because...you are naked.
Yes, completely naked.
Now, get why they are segregated and why I was apprehensive?

The whole experience is fairly inexpensive.
It's about 5,000-6,000 won for the spa/sauna area and 8,000-10,000 won for the jjimjilbang area (staying over night).
Anyways, I love going to the spa/sauna because it's such a relaxing experience.
They have all these different temperature tubs and saunas.
Also, you can pay to get a scrub down (12,000-25,000 won) or you can do it yourself. It's amazing!
So I think you should give it a try, at least once, just to have the experience.

In a few weeks, I am going to actually stay the night in one so that'll be interesting.

Anyways, check out this website that give a great pictures/guide to the jjimjilbang. :)

All ready to go to at Spa Land in the world's largest department store-Shinsegae Centum City!

February Happenings.

2011-02-20T21:38:00.006+09:00

Here are some things I've done in the month of February.

Stayed at the Novotel in Busan. Lovely view. :)

Chloe and I got some delicious Turkish food!

A Mural depicting my favorite Korean performance Pungmulnori.

Paradise Hotel Hotsprings

I got to swim as well, because I was wearing a swimming cap. Ha ha.

Busan is famous for paejeon (seafood pancake).

So Chloe and I tried it out! Yummy.

Busan Museum of Modern Art

Wondering around Haeundae.

This month's orphanage trip was extra special because our friend Jose got the kids tons of toys!

Thank you sooooooooooooooo much!

Lego Mania!

Spongebob game!

Good Times!

10 weeks left in Korea. Let's make it memorable. ^^

Lunar New Year!

2011-02-14T22:40:00.000+09:00

Lunar New Year started off as a celebration with my Kindergarten students.

All the teachers and students got to wear traditional Korean clothing Hanbok.

Then the students bowed to us.

Traditionally, they bow to their grandparents to show honor.

Then Britney and I got to play Tuho with the kids.

You have two teams and throw the sticks into a bucket. ^^

These are just some cute pictures from the day.

Then we played Yutnori.

Excuse my camera skills...

Winter Activities

2011-02-08T21:22:00.001+09:00

This place is called Santa Village.
It was a funny adventure...

The kids went sledding. I cheered them on!

When the kids started getting tired, our helpful bus drivers carried their tubes.

Where did Kevin go? He didn't know what he was holding.

So now he knows in English how to say "icicle."

The whole time we were eating lunch,
they kept playing American pop songs...

Britney is giggling in the background because the song
"Birthday Sex" was playing full blast at this moment.

There was an indoor part that was supposed
to be like Santa's Village/House.

You could write a letter to Santa. This one was cute.

We went ice sledding!
It's a tad dangerous seeing that you have two sticks with nails on the end.

I want to bring this back to MT, it was so much fun.

Such a beautiful day!

Trick Art Show

2011-01-30T21:00:00.005+09:00

Today I ventured out to the Daegu Exco Exhibition Hall with Britney and Laura.
We checked out the Trick Art Show.
It was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

There are more pictures in my photo gallery. Take a peek. :)

Three Cups of Tea

2011-01-23T23:42:00.009+09:00

Source

I started reading Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson.
I can't put it down. On a side note, the author lives in Montana. :)

Anyways, I highly recommend this read, it's a truly inspiring story (even if it is a bit fabricated).

Read more here about the book and Greg.

Speaking of inspiring stories here's another one for your listening pleasure:

Corinne NOT in Korea.

2011-01-04T22:16:00.005+09:00

Tis the season to be jolly.

I spent my winter holiday in Thailand.

So here are my Top Memorial Moments.
It's a tad long, sorry.

1. The train rides.

This is 3rd class...enough said.

Britney and I started our trip in Thailand by rushing to catch the night train to Surat Thani. We made it, barely. We had to sit in 3rd class and as soon as the ticket takers saw us they asked if we would like to move up a class. So we did. This is a photo of 2nd class seating the next morning after our 12+ hour train ride.

Now this is a 1st class sleeper suit. It's two bunk beds, a sink, air conditioning, and room service.

The 12 hour night train was a breeze.

2. Thai Food!

Thai food is amazing. I couldn't get enough of it. I loved Pad Thai (above), fried rice, and curries.

So delicious.

3. Our Resort Nadivana in Krabi.

View from the bar/restaurant.

View from the back door.

4. The Beach!

The looking at the Andaman Sea on Ao Nang Beach.

It was sprinkling a bit. This picture makes me giggle.

Britney walking into the water. It was so warm.

It was great we only spent a few hours here, but we took a great nap basking in the sun.

Bliss.

5. Thai Massage.

Everyone was right, Thai massage is the best! I had several Thai style massages while I was in Thailand. This is a picture of me getting a nice foot massage. I look happy, right? ;) Also, they are so cheap only about 10 or so dollars plus a tip.

6. Our Jungle Tour in Krabi.

Tiger Temple Cave.

The name is very misleading because there are no tigers and there isn't a cave.

A monk gave us these leaves to hang on the tree for "good luck."

There was a hike up to the top of the temple.

Beautiful view.

There were 1,237 "steps" to the top.

View from the top

The Emerald Pool

It was the perfect temperature and you could see to the bottom.

Hot Springs!

7. Khao San Road

The shopping is amazing and the night life is great.

8. Sight seeing in Bangkok.

Emerald Buddha.

This picture was taken from far away.

It's the best I could get.

Check out my album to see more amazing photos of the Temple and Grand Palace.

Grand Palace.

Reclining Buddha.

Thai Style Buddha

In the temples in Thailand you have to cover up, so we bought these beautiful wraps.

Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant

9. The 1st of the New Year!

Boat Taxi and Golden Mount

Walking to the top of Golden Mount.

My last sunset in Bangkok from the airport.

10. China

When I was coming back to Korea from Thailand I had an 11 hour layover in Ganguzou, China.

Once I got there, I was informed by China's Immigration that I would get a 24 hour visa.

(I don't know if you understand that much about China, but they have intense immigration laws.)

Anyways, my airline provided me with a free hotel room and transportation.

View from my free hotel.

Out exploring China...

It's everywhere!

Overall, the vacation was amazing. There were a few bumps in the road, but what vacation doesn't run into those? So I've decided that Thailand is on my next "To Do" list for 2011. The weather is hot and the people for the most part are helpful. I couldn't ask for a better time!

Winter Holiday!

2010-12-21T22:18:00.002+09:00

This year I have more money to spend on vacation, but I get one less day than I did last year.
I promised myself before I left for Korea that I was going to travel to Thailand while I was here.
Well the time has come and it couldn't be a better time.
This is going to be an adventure of a lifetime.
I can't wait!

Source

Happy holidays everyone, stay warm. :)

Locks, Locks, Locks!

2010-12-07T21:34:00.004+09:00

A few of us went to Seoul this weekend and did some sight seeing.
Nam San Tower, also known as North Seoul Tower, was a great little treat.

N. Seoul Tower is famous for "couples locks."

Couples go there to devote their love to one another by putting messages on locks.

Waiting for her lover to finish his message.

Putting up their lock.

They had some locks ready for Christmas!

Of course my favorite. ;)

Well, you might break up, right? Too funny.

Art..

2010-11-24T22:17:00.006+09:00

I feel that I am lucky here in Korea because there is plethora of art galleries and exhibitions.
Not only Koreans but famous artists/photographers from around the world.

Here is an artist I found so interesting at the Dague Photo Biennale...

Joon Kim

(Warning his website contains adult content!)

I'm standing next to the piece titled "Fragile-Meissen."

It was so amazing in person, loved it.

I wanted to blog about something positive and lighthearted. Right now the standing conflict with North Korea has a lot of people scared about what the future holds for South Korea. As of now, I am safe and I'm not too worried about what's going. Just know, if I am told it is not safe to be here, I will leave, no questions asked.

Thanks for all the kind thoughts and prayers, everyone.

Sweet Potato Farm

2010-11-11T20:30:00.004+09:00

Today we went on a field trip to Guam Village outside of Daegu near Palgonsan.
The kids got to harvest/dig up some sweet potatoes.

It was a fun and simple day.

The field

Wow look at that sweet potato!

Emily digging with her semi-dangerous tool

Andy's loot!

James was striking a pose.

Joey!

Sunny!

Playing in the dirt. :)

Edwin's potatoes.

Korean style swing.

Jumping off rocks and playing with bugs

Also, Happy Pepero Day! :)

Leaves are Falling...

2010-11-10T18:58:00.006+09:00

When I taught preschool, I always sang a song during the fall about the leaves falling on the ground...

I love fall in Korea it's very beautiful.

I went to Daegu Arboretum and took in the fall surroundings.

Couldn't have asked for better weather!

Posing in front of the wall of mums.

Dinosaur!

Mums in the shape of the Korean Peninsula

Shelley and Britney playing in the leaves.

This reminds me of home :)

Demilitarized Zone

2010-11-03T21:01:00.003+09:00

Also known as the DMZ.

Britney and I went to Seoul for the main purpose of seeing the DMZ.

Here are some photos...I'll add links to read for further information.

This monument is dedicated to United States forces that fought in the Korean War.

Freedom Bridge in Imjingak.

Ribbons of hope and reunification.

Next stop was the Dora Observatory.

This is a peek at North Korea's propaganda village Kijong-dong.

This is known as the 3rd Tunnel of Aggression.

If you are claustrophobic do not go in the tunnel!

Needless to say, it is an intense experience.

The infamous DMZ sign.

Dorasan Station

Pyeongyang

The more I learn about Korea's history, it helps me understand what the people of Korea have gone though.

It's truly amazing how much South Korea has grown and changed over the past 60 years.

Volunteering in Korea

2010-10-25T20:00:00.031+09:00

I have permission to blog about volunteering at an orphanage here in Korea.

I've been volunteering at this particular orphanage off and on for almost a year now.
I love it and look forward to it each month.
I've been working with a group of boys ages 3 to 12 for the past 8 months.
They are really starting to show their true colors.
It's nice to be able to just hangout and play games.
It's such a warmhearted feeling.
Plus, I get to practice speaking Korean!

Playing legos with the little ones.

"Teacher-Teacher, iPhone please!" I let them play Angry Birds on my iPod.

They are getting really good at sharing and mastering their skills. :)

They aren't playing Baduk...they play a game where they flick the other player's Baduk pieces off the board.

Korean board games! Yeah!

One of the little guys got tired and passed out on the floor.

It was this little guy's nap time, he sat on my lap and fell right asleep.
He actually fell asleep with those helicopters in his hands.
It was relaxing to snuggle with this little one for a bit.

October Activities

2010-10-19T21:33:00.004+09:00

October has flown by so quickly.
I've almost been here a year...wow.

So here are some highlights from October so far.

My co-worker Rachel's wedding.

What a beautiful bride.

Just married!

The "flower boy" waiting outside the restaurant.

The happy couple after the ceremony.

Chinese fusion food with Chloe, Sean, and...

Mr. Seok aka Andy.

Eating a tiny octopus...it wasn't that bad. :)

Suseong Lake at night!

Break dancer.

The water and lazer show at the lake.

Yes!!!

I also attended the 8th Annul Daegu Opera Festival.

I saw two operas: Simsan Kim Chang-Sook and The Barbiere di Siviglia.

Last but not least I went to the Daegu Photo Biennale 2010

The "Speaking Out Peace" exhibit was truly incredible.

Andong

2010-10-07T22:28:00.006+09:00

Last weekend I went with a few friends to the Andong Maskdance Festival.
I am so thankful for my friend Andy who drove us ladies around, bought us lunch, and gave us some cute handmade wallets. Thank you Mr. Seok!
We started the day off by going to the Hahoe Village, I honestly prefer the village over the big commercial festival, but here are photos of each.

The scenic route to the village.

The crew.
We are from around the world ;)
Canada, England, Korea, and U.S.A.

Still walking to the village.

What a traditional mask looks like.

Rice and a scarecrow.

Having fun in the playground!

Reservation at a cute little traditional restaurant outside the village.

Lunch! Andong jjimduk. I guess they use coke to make it so brown?

"so we're strolling around, having a look at things,
and this man grabs us and announces he wants to take our picture.

all of a sudden, we're surrounded by a giant cow, some passers by and a costume person. there were also a bunch of koreans taking our picture on their cellphones. it's fun being a foreigner..." Lucy's caption about this photo. :)

The rest are videos of some of the traditional dances I watched.

Check out more photos in my gallery!

Chuseok Holiday

2010-09-29T19:13:00.003+09:00

추석

I spent Chuseok holiday in Seoul with my friends Jessica and Lucy.
As soon as we arrived, there was a typhoon.
That was an interesting experience.
Other than that, it was a great time.

Poor Jess, soaking wet from the rain!

This amazing photo was taken by Jess. Cats Living Cafe.

We were escaping from the typhoon.

Mr. Moon, one of the owners of the guest-house we frequent,

made us ddeoguk and we had some homemade kimchi too.

Hundreds of old men playing baduk at Jongmyo Park.

Jongmyo Shrine, where the royal spirit tablets are housed.

Playing the "1-2-3 Wee" game.

Blue skies! Gyeongbuk Palace

If you wore your hanbok, you got in for free.

10 Things I Love About South Korea

2010-09-25T12:27:00.007+09:00

In a month I'm about to reach my one year mark here in Korea so I'd like to blog about the top 10 things I like/appreciate in Korea.

1. Korean food, it's delicious, I can't get enough.
I love the soup/stews here, it's spicy and served boiling hot, literally.
I have 4 soups/stews I eat on a regular basis feel free to give them a try sometime:
-Doenjang jjigae (Sometimes you get crab or little fish instead of clams or mussels)
-Sundubu jjigae (The picture isn't very appealing, but I promise it's good)
-Chamchi jjigae (This one has a recipe)
-Gamjatang (I don't eat the spine ha ha)

2. Public transportation.
-The city bus and subway systems are awesome.
-Also, the KTX train is top notch.
-Sometimes it's a better option to take the slower trains b/c they bring you closer to where you want to go.

3. My friends or Chin-gu-dul!
-My fellow ESL teachers, Korean, and military friends.
-I am thankful for all of you! :)

4. Day Trips.
-I can't even count how many day trips I've gone on this past year.
-Temples, palaces, shrines, mountains, beaches, parks, lakes, museums, shopping centers, markets...
-It's all for the most part been very inexpensive too!

5. Thankful Moments.
-People here in Korea are commonly very kind.
-I really appreciate all their help and attempts to help.

6. Cafes.
-I love tea and coffee and they do it well in Korea.
-Also, there are super cute cafes all around Korea.
-Cats Living Cafe in Hongdae in Seoul and Dr. Fish (everywhere in Korea) are some of my favorites.

7. Bang 방
-No, not the kind on your head, but the word for 'room' in Korean.
-Dvdbang
-Noraebang
-Jjimjilbang

8. My apartment!
-It's cute, cozy, and has cat-tastic decor. :)
-I've had many good times here.
-Dinner parties, hours of chatting and connecting, movie marathons, and sleepovers.

9. Korean Stationary.
-I love sending postcards/letters home.
-There has been so much to choose from here, I can't get enough.

10. Last, but not least, MY JOB!
-This is one of the best jobs I've ever had.
-I love working with my students and it's great to see how much they have grown and changed over the past year :)

Here is to the next 7 months of adventures, and I promise you are going to be surprised! :) Oh I can't wait!

Summer is fading...fast.

2010-09-16T22:31:00.001+09:00

It seems like in an instant summer has left Korea...
I suppose I am enjoying the cooler weather.
I dyed my hair dark again.
This month is a bit of a sad one...I'm saying "see you later" to a few friends.
I also have recently acquired 2.5 more gigs of music. :)
I can't complain.
Life is good.

Here are some snap shots from September.

Poor little Trig...she had surgery and then got sick. Bless her little heart :(

Guryongpo (Nine Dragon Beach)

The beach had so many little creatures.

Freshly showered at the scuba school.

See you soon, Jon, love you.

Jess and I went to Siji and had amazing shabu shabu.

Afterwards, we went to a jjimjilbang (public bathhouse).

It was my first experience and it a lot better than I thought it was going to be.

Siji Square is torn apart.

I hope to see the new and improved one before I leave.

Korean Weddings.

2010-08-29T17:26:00.007+09:00

In the past week I've gone to two weddings.

Both completely different.

See for yourself.

My friend Yong Ju (Ju Ju) sister's wedding.

My friend James' wedding.

Rough translation: James and his wife will be happy together, forever.

I've decided that if I go to another wedding...I can't expect anything. :) There will always be an element of surprise.

A Softer World...

2010-08-23T22:31:00.004+09:00

"She was so fluffy"

"Shrapnel"

"You have a nice living room"

Now go and see for yourself...Thanks go.britney.go

경현 Kyung Hyun

2010-08-14T23:32:00.005+09:00

She is also known as Chloe.

She is my kindred spirit/sister and I am happy we have found each other. :)

Chloe is an amazingly talented artist.

So I wanted to share some of her work.

Coexistence

어느 봄 날에...

Aurora

Life is a Long Romance-Part 2

Untitled

Love you chin gu (friend).

Top 10: Summer Vacation

2010-08-04T21:23:00.064+09:00

So here are my top 10 moments from my summer vacation

(no particular order).

1. Megan arrived safely! :)

2. Megan and Derek (blue shirt) both were able to visit Korea.

So we had a Welcome to Korea party for them in Daegu at MF.

3. Haeundae Beach in Busan.

4. Our many train rides

Megan passed out on the train back to Daegu.

We took a train almost everyday. Megan is a pro now.

Party Car!

5. Busan Museum of Modern Art.

They had an amazing exhibit of modern art by Korean artists.

Also, it was a nice way to get away from the heat.

6. Busan Tower.

We got there right at dusk.

Yongdusan Park from the Tower.

7. Gyeongju

Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju.

This temple is preserved very well.

Amazing.

8. Insadong in Seoul, South Korea.

We spent most of Megan's second to last day in Insadong.

It's an area where you can get a lot of traditional gifts.

This is the Traditional Tea House.

There are birds that fly freely inside.

This picture was also was taken in Insadong.

There was a man with these cute little mammels (I'm not sure what they are).

9. Hongdae in Seoul, South Korea.

This was a bazaar club we ended up going called OI.

They were having a water party and it was disgusting. Ha ha.

10. Cats Living Cafe.

No, it's not a squirrel. It's a kitten.

A very cute kitten that love us.

Stare down! This cat had two different colored eyes!

So there you have it! I'll make sure to upload my Best Pictures from Summer 2010 album

so check it out for more pictures.

Sisters Soon to be United!

2010-07-12T21:04:00.004+09:00

In just 10 days my little sister Megan will arrive to Korea!!!

I can't wait for us to spend our summer vacation together.

This is going to an experience/memory of a lifetime.

I ♥ you Megan!

Two blogs in one day?

2010-07-06T20:59:00.002+09:00

That's right!
I have some free time on my hands so I'm going to utilize it.
I went to Seoul this past weekend and spent it with my friend Jessica.
My 4th of July weekend was very "un-American" which I expected.
I actually forgot it was the 4th of July weekend....
So here are my favorite pictures from Seoul, South Korea.
Enjoy.

Paints for traditional fan painting at Gahoe Museum.

This is some sort of "lock" to keep the door closed.

I like to call this "Lover's Lane".

This house is abandoned. So eerie.

I think 90% of photography is an accident. :)

Beautiful Colors...I can't get enough.

Blue skies!

Soaking in the rays of sunshine.

I love that I have a camera that I don't even have to edit my photos!!!

Well, maybe the occasional cropping, but that's about it.

M. Chat

2010-07-06T00:08:00.003+09:00

So I recently discovered m. chat.
He is a French graffiti artist who's traveled all over the world.
I just so happened to come across some of his work in Hongdae-Seoul, South Korea.

Now, I'm guessing that this isn't his work of art, but just another copycat. ;)

Apsan and such.

2010-06-24T20:42:00.001+09:00

I went on a field trip with my school today.
We went to Aspan in Daegu.
I have yet to go there and go hiking...
Here's to many day trips for the rest of this summer.
Here are some snap shots from today enjoy.
Did I mention I LOVE my job. :)

Here K-K class pose in front of this fighter plane (if that's what it is).

This is my kindergarten homeroom K-K class. Gotta love a jumping picture.

Mina.

Map of Korea.

Andy took off his shoes and hopped up there like he owned the place.

Go Go Power Rangers!

Edwin fell down and scraped this knee. :(

Ellie.

"Ms. Lawson my smile is broken" -Tom

Too cute. :D

World Cup Season!

2010-06-17T21:05:00.003+09:00

I have never in my life watched and or cared about soccer.

Well as they say "when in Rome".

I was lucky enough to experience watching the first soccer game
of the World Cup with my Korean friends as well as fellow Korean fans.

It was intense and yet amazing at the same time.

Let's just say Korea dominated Greece.

Here are some pictures from that evening...

The aftermath of Korea's awesome win!

Thanks Jess for the fantastic photos!!! :)

May is almost over?

2010-05-28T21:40:00.003+09:00

Wow this month has past so quickly!

Despite the fact I've been having major allergy issues, the month of May has been great.

The weather has been allover the place, but we've managed to have a grand old time.

Now-a-days, Chloe and I have been taking turns having Corinne and Chloe's Restaurant.

One weekend I'll make "American" food and the next time Chloe will make Korean/Fusion food.

This is a Korean style hamburger and it was amazing, yum yum yum.

Field Trips!!!!

Love the sun-safe outfit. :)

I'm still not sure what the purpose of this is?

She was sweating so badly under that shield. ;)

Having fun at our picnic at Dalseong Park.

Summer means wedding season...

I was lucky enough to get invited to a Korean wedding!

My friend Dong Yeol's older sister got married on

May 23, 2010 at Novotel Hotel in Daegu.

If you get a chance to go to a Korean wedding while you are here

I highly suggest you go. It's an experience to say the least.

Notice the professional camera man...

Most of the pictures I took had at least one of them in it.

However, I bet the pictures he shot are amazing :)

Ju Won (Dong Yeol's girlfriend) played the piano.

Dong Yeol and his family (he is on the far right).

After the wedding we got to eat tons of amazing food.

They had everything from American food to your traditional Korean food.

Shortly after the wedding my friends Francis, Jon and I went out shopping a bit in Daegu.

Check out my new tote bag.

It says: "To you i shall be unique in all the world"

Then we headed on over to our favorite hookah bar, Myo.

The people that work there are so nice and they gave me a free drink.

I can't complain.

Francis and Jon <3

We ordered a delicious Malbec. Reminds me of home.

I'm going to the beach tomorrow, I'm sooo excited to take in some much needed vitamin D.

Children's Day

2010-05-06T23:31:00.002+09:00

I got to celebrate Children's Day, however; I did not spend any time with children because I had the day off. So I spent Children's Day with my friends Kyung Hyun and Yong Ju aka Chloe and Ju Ju. We went to Gatbawi and Donghwasa Temple. I had a great day full of laughs and moments of utter amazement.

Here is a video at the top of Gatbawi

On a side note, this has nothing to do with Korea, 5 years ago (5/5/05) my cousin Jordan was taken from us so unexpectedly. It was nice to see all of the Facebook statuses honoring him and his life. Jordan will always be in our hearts and he has touched so many lives that still to this day people love and miss him.

"Dog Days Are Over"

2010-04-22T19:11:00.009+09:00

"Happiness, hit her like a train on a track.

Coming towards her, stuck still, no turning back..."

This is one of my new favorite songs by Florence + The Machine.

This spring is going to be glorious, amazing and fantastic!

Here are some pictures of the spring scenery.

Cherry blossoms ♥

Magnolias :)

I have lots of plans this weekend! Woobang Land on Saturday and possibly bungee jumping?? I'm going to make my two Korean friends, Chloe and Ju Ju, some Mexican food. Last but not least, on Sunday I'm planning on going to Soosung-gu Lake and having a picnic with some friends. Exciting! :) More pictures soon!

26th Blog for My 26th Year!

2010-04-11T22:38:00.019+09:00

So here are some snap shots from my
birthday (week/day/weekend).

Thanks for everyone that helped make my
first birthday away from home so wonderful!

I hope you enjoy!

Chloe, Ju Ju, and I.

Gwangalli Beach

Chloe made me an amazing fan. :)

Lisa kickin back.

Alex hanging out.

Maureen, Brad and I.

Francis and I at my b-day dinner.

Chloe made a delicious dinner!! Here are the hand rolls she made.

I just love Andy Warhol!

Chloe at the Andy Warhol exhibit.

Andy got me a rose, how sweet.

Some "Bacon" with my co-workers! I had to wear an apron. ;)

My work got me a birthday cake! :)

The Words of Gaga!

2010-03-28T20:38:00.004+09:00

Today marks my 5th month in Korea! :) Wow, time flies. I can't stress enough how happy and excited that I am here in Korea! As fate would have it, I know for a fact I was supposed to come to Korea and meet the people I have met...it has been life changing. Many people thought I was crazy for coming here or putting off becoming an adult, however; the more I think about it, the better I feel about my choice to come here and what the future holds.

"Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn't love you anymore." -Lady Gaga

Also, I can't agree with this more...

Source

Spring has Sprung!

2010-03-16T21:30:00.012+09:00

Ok so the weather isn't really cooperating just yet, however; we've had a taste of what spring is like here in Korea and let me say that I can't wait for the beautiful weather. Spring is one of my favorite seasons for many reasons (lame, I know that rhymes). Anyways, spring has always marked the time of year where things are fresh, new, and a hint of innocence to it all. Not only does the scenery change and grow, but it's the time of year where I like to reflect upon my life and see how much I have changed/grown over the past year. Another factor that helps me, well basically forces me to do this, is my birthday...yes it is coming very soon. To say the least, I have already started my reflective journey and I and very happy with the results. This year has been so well played out it's almost creepy. Fate has a funny way of making things happen, but I am thankful for what I have experienced this past year, and even more so what I have found in Korea.

Here are some memorable snap shots from the past month...

One of the best 1,000 won (about $1.00) I ever spent.

See the weather isn't really in our favor...

Happy b-day Jon!!!!

That ice cream cake from Baskin Robins was amazing!

Our names in Hangul (Chloe, Francis and I)

Taco Bell in Korea!!!

This was our trip to Camp Walker in Daegu.

Notice how Americanized it is.

We felt like we were back in America for sure.

Everyone was rude and kinda ghetto, ha ha.

Thanks Francis, you are the best!

Nothing like singing some Kelly Clarkson
"Since You've Been Gone"

at your local norae bang (karaoke).

We look so happy to be going to prison, right?

No just kidding,
these are our sweet massage getups we had to wear.

We all got a "Sports Massage" and it was intense,
I was sore for 3 days.

Kids being kids...

2010-03-07T20:31:00.006+09:00

Sometimes it's hard to believe that these kids are ESL students...
I love it when they can be silly, even if it's just for a moment.

100 + Days....

2010-02-17T20:11:00.003+09:00

Here are a few things I have learned in my (almost) 4 months here in Korea...

-Sometimes the best part of your day is a package or letter from home, a call on Skype, a Facebook chat, or a grilled cheese sandwich.

-Staying home and chilling isn't always a bad idea.

-Taking a chance and talking to random people can create some pretty amazing friendships or you'll regret it later. Live and learn.

-Drink-in-a-bag is awesome.

-REMEMBER to always turn off your shower in the morning, because the next time you turn on the faucet you're going to regret it (I have yet to experience this).

-If you're are teaching or going to be teaching in Korea, wear lots of layers in the winter because your school probably isn't heated worth a crap!

-Shopping for clothes can be annoying, especially if you are having trouble finding clothes that fit. If you find your size, buy 3 or even 5. Ha ha.

-Korea has the cutest stationary, ever. I'm obsessed with it!

-Remember your camera!

-Sometimes going to McDonald's is a good choice.

-TVshack.net is sweet!

-Oddly enough, moving away to another country has brought me closer to certain people.

-Bra shopping is out of the question.

-Texthing in Korea is very annoying, there isn't T9. So you have to do it the "old fashioned" way.

-Speaking of cell phones, I bet a 7 year-old here has a better phone than you do.

-Transportation cards are so easy to use and recharge, definitely worth it.

-I miss having a bathtub, oven, and dryer almost everyday...

-Buying drinking water isn't as costly or annoying as it sounds.

-Go to your favorite places as much as you can, sometimes the people that work there will hook you up!

Well that's all for now, I hope you enjoyed this. I will soon upload pictures from Lunar New Year!

Winter Madness!!!

2010-02-10T22:00:00.008+09:00

I know I shouldn't complain, but this cold weather is getting to me! I know, I know, all of my family and friends back in Montana are experiencing one of the worst winter's in years...I'm going to say I am not sorry I am missing it. Oh and that I can't stand snow, in fact I despise snow. Also, all you in MT are driving around and not having to walk everywhere in coooold weather conditions.

I'm looking forward to the nice weather so I can go on hikes and walk around with out the bitter bone chilling wind in the air. Anyways, I've been spending a lot of time indoors...so I've taken up yoga. For those who know me they know I am not one to "work out," but I'm giving it a try. Thanks again Alex for the yoga mat for x-mas.

Lastly, I must say I've met some very interesting and awesome people the past couple of months! Some are keepers and well others aren't. With that being said, I am going to post some pictures of the people whom I enjoy their company! :)

Brendan thanks for making so many nights laughable!

Woosung and I being silly!

My lovely co-workers out for Alex's b-day!

Oh Chloe we love you! :)

If you didn't make this cut it probably means I don't have a good pic with you just yet! :)

Whata whaaat?

2010-01-16T16:44:00.007+09:00

I've been attempting to learn Korean. Let's just say I'm struggling a little. It is important for me to know how to say a few things so I can get around. So I've learned some basic things to say to a taxi driver so I can get to different places, how to order food, and how to ask how much something is. Other than that, I have no conversation skills. I know how to say hello, good-bye, and thank-you. Now, it's not that I am lazy, but almost everyone speaks some sort of English or Konglish. The difficult part will be when I am traveling to more remote areas of Korea. That's where I am going to run into some trouble...My plan is to learn the Hangul alphabet. I've been researching some websites that help you learn the alphabet. Wish me luck...

Korean Hangul Chart

I want to go to there...

2010-01-12T18:02:00.015+09:00

So I've been to a few places here in Daegu

that are pretty much amazing...

Downtown in general, I go there every weekend,
either by bus, taxi, or subway.

Free hugs are always awesome!!!

Here is a video of downtown to our other favorite coffee shop.

Tohaven is simply amazing! It's so cozy and relaxing.

Krazy Burger!

Duryu Park

Feeding the birds and fish is fun and a good way to get rid of stale bread!

Last but not leaset...Frog.
This place never fails to amaze me ha ha.
It's pretty much like a bad Korean Hip-hop video...

Krazy Korean Kat Lady!

2010-01-02T18:48:00.008+09:00

That right...moving to Korea has made me even more of a crazy cat lady.
Koreans have a love/hate relationship with cats, seriously.
They believe that cats have evil spirits inside of them; however, they use cats in many items and advertisements.

Here are some of my cat items I have acquired here in Korea.

Even my students know I'm crazy about cats.
From left to right: Jetoy postcards, cat coasters, big cat sticker on my wall, cat stationary, cat pen, Christmas cards from my students, cat calendar, and a picture of my baby kitty Scuddle (Boy Cat).

I call my room the Crazy Cat Lady room :) Check it!

I do miss my baby kitties back home...but I think being surrounded by 'cats' has helped me cope with not being around them! Thanks again Daniel for taking in my kitties!!! :)

Last but not least, the "Apple Cat Restaurant."
That's right, a restaurant that has cats that live in it...
I will visit this place, however, I will not be eating there!

Happy Holidays!

2010-01-01T21:58:00.014+09:00

So 2009 has came and went...wow a lot has changed.

This was my first year spending Christmas away from my family.

It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be...

I think it's because it was much different and to be honest, it really didn't feel like Christmas.

I went out on Christmas Eve. with some friends and had a good time.

On Christmas Alex and I exchanged gifts and had a big French Toast breakfast!

Later we went to a galbi beef dinner with our friend Brendan (thanks for cooking) and then went to the Sherlock Holmes movie.

All in all, Christmas was a great time.

We decided to go to Seoul for a few days...it was the coldest it has been in 3 years.

It even snowed!

Seoul, South Korea

Korean War Memorial

The student that gave me this card is only 3 years-old...Can you believe that?

A Christmas card from one of my students...notice the Konglish.

I am obsessed with Jetoy thanks again Alex for the calendar

The creepiest Christmas card, ever...

Thanks Alex :)

Here is a video of 2 of my 3 year-olds singing their Christmas performance songs.

Dear Skype, I'd like to thank you!

2009-12-20T16:41:00.007+09:00

I don't know what I'd do with out Skype!

It's amazing!

Did I mention I love Skype?

For those of you that don't use Skype...you really should. It's a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. I use Skype almost everyday. I usually video chat with friends and family a couple times a week. It's nice to actually see my family and friends :) Oh and it's free by the way! So at least download it and check it out. It is better if you have a web cam or microphone, otherwise you can just use it for messaging.

Don't get me wrong the "old fashion" way of contacting people is still awesome! I bought some cute Konglish stationary and envelopes. So friends and family be expecting some snail mail soon! Also, keep your eyes peeled for some postcards.

One thing I am trying to learn here in Korea is how to use my camera to it's fullest potential.

Here are some pictures I took on "manual mode."

That's right, I found Louis Vuitton and Coach envelopes.

Video of my Apartment! Sorry it took me so long...

2009-12-19T19:02:00.004+09:00

Hey friends and family here is the much awaited video of my apartment!

I'm kind of glad I waited so it wasn't so bare!

Enjoy!

Here is a link about "Fan Death."

Impulse Buys...

2009-12-08T23:06:00.008+09:00

So I broke down and bought a fish from E-Mart.

So I'd like to introduce my new Betta Fish, Rupert.

Here is another impulse buy I purchased...

"No matter where you run you always end up running into yourself..."

Now this wasn't really an impulse buy

but I thought this was a cute name for a wine.

Here is a picture of Alex and I

enjoying this wine after a yummy stir fry I whipped up!

Things I love about Korea..and well the things I don't...

2009-12-06T00:28:00.004+09:00

I've been living in Korea for a little over 5 weeks and these are a few things I have observed.

Here are some general things I love about Korea: Konglish, matching couples, fake designer handbags, and the use of the word "awwww."

The Things I love:

1. The public transportation is great! Alex and I have been riding the bus since week one and we love it! The longest you have to wait for a bus is about 10-15 minutes. Usually, it's much shorter. I guess I really don't have anything to compare it to. The Met Bus system in

Billings, MT is a joke.

2. The food is amazing! I've had Korean food before, but its much different than the food here. Yes, there are some similarities. However, here they are well obsessed with "sides." Here are a few photos of a fairly traditional Korean meal.

Let's talk about no room to put anything...it was a bit overwhelming at first to get all this food put on the table.

3. There is so much to do here! Everything is fairly inexpensive. Well except for going out and drinking which Alex and I both have avoided so we can save some extra cash in our pockets. Alex and I have found going to the movies is a nice way to get some entertainment. Here a movie ticket is between 7,000 and 8,000 won (check out my currency converter at the bottom of the page and you do the math). Popcorn and 2 sodas is about 7,000 won. There are tons of places to go hiking and do outdoorsy types of things. Alex and I have yet to go on a Korean style hike. We've heard that there are no switchbacks and it's all uphill. So we'll see how that goes. Also, the shopping is great. I do have to say it's kind of hard finding the right kind of place to go shopping but once you find a place it's pretty cheap! You just have to have the patience to look for a good deal.

The Things I don't like so much:

1. The smell! Oh god sometimes I can barely stomach it...I must admit I have gotten used to it but let me tell you there are times when I could throw up. The worst smells are of fish, sewage, garbage, or a combination of all of the above.

2. Koreans have a very on-the-go/always busy life style. Hey more power to you but I like to take my time sometimes. I've found that Koreans are very pushy and don't really believe in a "personal bubble." Sometimes when you are shopping they just literally push you out of the way.

3. Last but not least, the pressure that is put on society to be "perfect." Here in Korea there is a tremendous amount of pressure put on children to be successful. I see it in my students everyday...Don't get me wrong I want them to be successful but I can't believe that from a young age they are expected to out do everyone. I heard the saddest thing the other day...A local 6th grader here in Daegu committed suicide...One of his public school teachers scolded him for whatever reason. Whatever it was the end result was he jumped off his apartment building. I don't know what else to say about this story...it's mind boggling.

I'd like to throw in a few other things:

1. People here are obsessed with self-image. Girls carry around little hand mirrors and are constantly checking what they look like. Also, the male populations is always doing there hair and fixing their clothes. I love to watch people, it think it's great. :)

2. Alex and have been trying to establish some local hangouts so we can get some hook-ups. Korean people love to gives gifts. It can be as small as a sticker from one of my students to a simple orange. Either way presents are always nice, right? So far we've been going to a place called Pizza Bingo. A pizza with 8 slices is 6, 000 won. Not to shabby. The last time we went the guy who works there (btw he speaks English pretty well) gave us some oranges for dessert.

3. You can't drink the water here. We don't know why but everywhere you go there are water machines so you can drink water with your meals. It's kind of annoying having to buy drinking water for at home, but so far so good, I haven't gone thirsty.

Korea = Random Adventure!

2009-11-29T21:31:00.002+09:00

So this weekend ended up being adventurous and random at different moments.

All in all, it was a great weekend. On Saturday Alex and I went to Duryu Park. I have uploaded some pictures of this park. I enjoyed two parts of this adventure. I loved the pond/lake that we went to. People go there and feed HUGE koi fish, pigeons, and ducks. While we were there, a dad and his daughter were feeding the fish and pigeons. After awhile, the dad offered us some rice cake to feed to the fish. Let me tell you, his daughter was not too pleased with him. I didn't actually know what she said to him, but her tone and body language was enough of an indicator to figure out what was going on. It was funny to say the least.

Then we headed over the the Daegu Culture and Arts Center. This was funny because we couldn't figure out if there was a fee. All was saw was a sign that said "20,000 won." So we decided to take our chances and head up stairs to the Fabric Arche exhibit. This was fun we got to see a lot of interesting pieces. Here is where we discovered that the exhibit was "pree" aka as "free." Here in Korea they do not pronounce the letter "F" like we do they use the letter "P" instead. We decided to take our chances and go back to the room that had the sign that said "20,000 won." When we were standing there a man motioned over to us and told us to come in and he said it in excellent English. We would later find out this man is the president of the International Photography Exchange or something along those lines. We also found out he studied in Washington State so he actually knows where Montana is! Anyways, we got to see some photography from different parts of Asia. Some good, others not so good.

Also, today Alex and I got paid! So we decided to head downtown at the last minute (we literally ran to the bus stop so we'd make it and not miss our bus). I bought this very trendy hoodie dress thingy that all the Korean girls wear here...I'm still not too sure about it. It's really comfortable, but I might not be able to wear it in public. Then we headed to our favorite little "dollar store." This was fun and I got some great things for my apartment.

So far I am loving it! There's nothing holding me back and I am ready to experience Korea and what it has to offer. I'm not going anywhere! Who knows I might stay here longer...Life is good.

Settling in...

2009-11-20T19:59:00.004+09:00

So I've been in Daegu, South Korea for about 3 weeks and so far so good.

Let me break down what has happened.

Week One: Our experience getting to Korea was smooth, except for our flight from Billings to Helena...it was very bumpy and scary! Our time spent in the Sea/Tac went by quickly (we had a 6 hour layover). We sipped Starbucks, bought books, talked to family and friends. We had a few "high-five" moments. This meant that we would high-five when we were having a moment...one of them consisted of a teary eyed moment (right after I talked to my dad on the phone). Another one was when we were wondering if we had to go through customs in Seattle before we went to Korea. This process led us through many dark hallways in the Sea/Tac airport. Finally, someone knew what we were talking about and informed us we needed to go through customs in Korea, not the U.S. The flight on Korean Air was AMAZING!!! I loved every moment of it. The flight attendants were so nice and on the spot. They were always making sure we had something to drink or eat, it was great. Plus, each person had their own tv and there was tons to do. I watched two movies and listened to music. So for those of you who are going to come visit, I suggest to fly on Korean Air if you can!

We landed in Inchoen at about 6:00 pm. This gave me time to make a quick call home and a moment to update my Facebook status. Then Alex and I headed over the the bus ticket stand we bought our tickets and the woman informed us we had 10 mins to get to our bus!!!! I still had to call Barry (our co-worker) to let him know we had landed. In a super stressful situation, I decided to make an international phone call on my cell phone...I still have yet to find out what the cost will be for that, yikes. I mostly slept on the 4 hour bus ride to Daegu. When we got to Daegu it was nice to see to familiar faces, Drew and Barry. Even though we don't know Drew and Barry personally, we befriended them on Facebook (What would we do without technology?). We got to our apartments and had no time to settle in, we had to work at 9:30 am the next morning. Let's keep in mind Alex and I just traveled for 20 hours, suffering from jet leg, and it was after 11 pm!

Our walk to the school the next day was surreal. At first, we were in small neighborhood and then all the sudden we turned a corner and we were in the city. The first day of school went by fast and was a blur. We had to learn so much in so little time, but I'm glad our co-workers have been very helpful, thanks again ladies. Alex and I helped out on the haunted house the next day at school which was fun. That first weekend I spent cleaning and getting organized. I had to do laundry because my shampoo bottle leaked all over my clothes :( We also had to get a medical health exam so we could become registered aliens, yes I am an alien. Let me tell you, I have never experience anything like this in my life...and I hope I don't have to do it anytime soon. Wow, that's all I have to say. I wasn't "bad" but the hospital is what I would call a "Silent Hill" hospital. Plus, they don't use gloves and there wasn't soap in the bathroom! Come one now, with all this Swine Flu hysteria you'd think there would be soap in the bathroom at the hospital!

Week Two and Three:
The past couple of weeks Alex and I have been going on little adventures. Well pretty much everything is an adventure here because it's all so new and out of the ordinary for us. We went to E-Mart which is basically the Korean version of Walmart. We ate in the food court and had McDonalds and a BigMac tastes the same. This was fun, mostly because the labels are all in Korean and if there is English on the label it's super tiny. Our co-worker Maureen took us downtown via bus and we explored. The next day, Alex and I went downtown on the bus by ourselves. I do have to say we are pretty good at navigating, so far we haven't run into any problems.

As far as school goes, everything is falling into place. I know all my student's names, what classes I am teaching, and how to do lesson plans. The kids are great, well for the most part. There has been some moments but what school doesn't have "moments." I can't help but think how cute they are!

I love that everyday is an adventure, it's an amazing feeling.
It's great to be in the moment, for once.

We made it!!!

2009-10-31T23:06:00.003+09:00

Alex and I arrived in Daegu on Wednesday night. I won't have the internet for a couple of weeks so bare with me. I'll update my Twitter and Facebook as much as I can (from school). I'll upload pictures soon!!!

Fond Farewells

2009-10-21T13:32:00.006+09:00

This past weekend I spent time with friends and family. I am sooooo thankful and lucky because I had friends and family that traveled from great distances to come say good-bye (for now). My brother, sister, and my brother's girlfriend Becky came to town on Thursday. We hung out and went hot tubing, it was fun.

The festivities started on Friday night. My friends Amy, Hoover (Brian), Traci, and Lindsey came to town to have a little gathering out on the town. Amy, Traci, and I were college roommates and it's been at least 5 or 6 months since we've all been able to meet up and hangout. It had been even longer since I had seen Lindsey! We all went to dinner and caught up, it was a wonderful evening.

Saturday, began with a barbecue at my parent's house (thanks Mom and Dad for letting all of my friends come over). Then it was time to be off to our "Tip Your Hat's Farewell to Corinne and Alex" going away party!!! This was another themed party to finish off the year! We encouraged all of our friends to wear hats out on the town. Wow, did some of our guests look fabulous/sharp!

Here's a picture of my brother Devon, my sister Megan, and myself at the "hat party."

Sunday, was my brunch that consisted of all my family and a few close friends. It was nice to catch up, however, it was also bittersweet...I only cried when my brother Devon left...I don't know why, but I did. I received a few going away gifts, thank you!!!

Let me explain some these wonderful gifts!!! The head set is from my brother and sister, this will come in handy when I am spending a lot of time on Skype video chatting with friends and family. The bag directly behind the head set is from Traci and she gave my a personal journal and some other teacher items I am going to need. :) The hat in the middle is an alpaca hat my sister got for me, isn't it super cute!? I'm excited because the winters in Korea are very cold and this will protect my ears! Next to the hat is my new iPod Touch, this piece of technology is going to be soooo helpful, love it. Oh my brother and sister also got me a new set of ear buds to match my iPod. Last but not least, my cousin Kendra made me the tote bag and she gave me a little Bobcat mascot named Champ so I can take pictures with him when I'm in Korea :) The kitty in the background, Tinkerbell, will not be coming with me to Korea, but will be missed...

So to my friends and family reading this, the next blog will be from Korea!!! Alex and I will be flying out on October, 27th. We have a 6 hour layover in Seattle, so Seattle friends come hangout if you can! Wish us luck!

Risking it All

2009-10-11T07:17:00.008+09:00

I found this quote to be very inspiring as far as my trip to Korea goes. “To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.” -Unknown

I feel like I'm risking it all by going to Korea...I know it's only a year but a lot can change in a year, I've learned this from past experiences. Friends come and go, people change, life gets complicated/busy, and so on.

I feel going on this adventure will help be grow. It'll be a time for me to work on myself as person and a teacher.

This summer was bittersweet. I reconnected with a lot of friends from my past and I spent some more time with my family and friends in Bozeman...oh man do I miss Bozeman. I hope to live there again someday, it feels like home.

I didn't blog in September. My bad. I was busy with work and spending time with family and friends. Alex and I went on a mini road trip from Bozeman to Missoula to Helena. We managed to see friends and all of our siblings on this 4 day adventure. We got to drive by the Wheat Montana fields and it was amazing...

We made another trip to Bozeman and we went hiking...to Lava Lake. OMG! I realized I am very out of shape and I really don't like the outdoors as much as I used to. Megan had a little melt down but we managed to make it all the way to the lake.

My last day of work was yesterday. I had great day. The Infant room threw a Fiesta for me. My co-workers brought enchiladas, I made bean dip and chips, and we had some punch. It was yummy! I had a teary eyed moment with one of my former preschoolers...All in all, it was an awesome day. Later that night, Alex, Liz, and I celebrated at Enzos! It was delicious! Then we went out dancing and that was fun too since I haven't done something like that in a very long time.

Today I went and got my kitties and took them to their new home with my friend Daniel. I hope it works out for the best because I'm banking a lot on this...Now here's to packing/organizing until my going away party next weekend! We have about 2 weeks until we leave! Yikes!

Saying good-bye to the 5-1-4.

2009-08-10T12:51:00.011+09:00

At the beginning of the month I put in my 30 days notice to my landlord. Oh how I am going to miss my little place on 2nd street...All the dinners, parties, Wino Wednesdays, after parties, sleep overs, sweet hangouts, this place will be remember forever. Luckily, a good friend of mine, Barb, will be moving into my place and taking care of my kitties: Scuddle and Tigerlily. :) Thank you for offering to take my little munchkins! Here's some pics of my babies!

I'm now in the process of packing, ugh. I'm basically donating all of my clothes except for the ones I am taking to Korea. The rest of my personal belongings will go into storage, in my Papa's basement of course. I also have to write a will before I go, this is a terrifying process, but crucial. By next week I'll send in all of my paper work to the Korean Consulate for the work Visa! I need to call Aggy by next week to get all of my paper work in order.

I bought a new camera! I'm so excited! It's nothing too fancy, but it's a good beginners camera, seeing that I know nothing about photography. I still have yet to receive it from Amazon.com though...hopefully by Tuesday!

From left to right: Corinne (me), Alex, Liz, and Karly.

I went out for a bit on Thursday (8/6/09) to celebrate with a few of my friends at Alive at 5. We ate dinner that Bin 119 and the lobster macaroni was divine.

Good old B-Town

2009-07-20T12:49:00.007+09:00

B-Town aka Billings, MT is the place I currently reside. Oh how I love this place and how I am going to miss it. This weekend was amazing, enough said. My old roommates from college, Traci and Amy, visited! It reminded me of the good times I had a in Bozeman, MT, that's where I went to college. Traci arrived on Friday. She came to my work, saw my classroom, and a few of my students (it was a the end of the day, so many of the students had gone home for the weekend). We ended up going to my house so Traci could meet my kitties; from there, I began to cook a taco/enchilada dinner for a few friends. The guest list consisted of: Alex, Traci, Megan (my lil sister), JoAnna, Kameron (JoAnna's son), Maddy (my cousin), Barb, and Barb's boyfriend Justin. Oh, I made bean dip too and it was a hit. Boy, I was sweating sooo much from cooking in the kitchen, yuck. All in all, it was a great dinner. After dinner, it was hot out, so we decided to head outside to my deck to observe and visit (my neighborhood is very interesting, needless to say).

Alex got a new camera that is ultra amazing, it's some sort of Nikon 5 million, ok kidding but it's great! I think she got some awesome shots of Kameron. Pretty much everyone left, well except for my sister, Traci, Hoover, and Amy. We were still hanging out on my deck and my sister then decided to leave...Well when she was leaving she noticed a man passed out in my across-the-street neighbor's yard. She called to inform us of this soon to be "adventure." Well first of all, she said he was passed out towards my friend JoAnna's house, which is two blocks north of my house. So we are walking up and down my street trying to find this "passed out guy." We had finally given up and to our surprise he was actually directly across the street! He was laying with his back towards us and moaning, he was obviously intoxicated. I then called the non-emergency police (some of you may know I am very good at this). Anyways, two police cars showed up and tried to wake the man, no such luck. Therefore, two grown men had to haul the poor guy into the cop car, he pretty much looked like a rag doll. Non-the-less, it was like watching a train wreck.

The rest of the weekend was also great! We ended up going out for a bit on Saturday. We, as in, Traci, Megan (my sister), Amy, Hoover, Meg Dib, Mike, Dusty, and myself. We talked and reminisced of the good old days and we discussed our futures. All I know is I have utterly amazing friends. I am going to miss them very much so! Thank goodness for technology, we'll be connected with ease!

Today, Barb and I had a "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince" adventure! We tried going to the new Shilo 14 theater, however, all four screens were sold out. So we busted our butts and made it to the Wynnsong theater just in time! As far as the movie goes...I wasn't too impressed because it really didn't follow the book! However, I am excited to see what the rest of the movies will be like, of course, right? Here is a copy of "Alex & Corinne's Korea Pact."

Bittersweet

2009-07-11T14:09:00.003+09:00

Tonight was fun and unexpected, all at the same time. My friend JoAnna and her son Kameron came over tonight for dinner. I made spaghetti and meatballs, while JoAnna and I visited, and Kameron played with his new Thomas the Train toys. My sister also brought me some new fish, which I am giving to my brother in just a few weeks. None-the-less, it ended up being a fun night; however, it has made me realize that in just a few weeks I won't be able to see my friends and family at any given moment. Maybe, I am emotional because a lot has happened this week...details at a later date. I think I am mostly emotional because of my current job situation, I am miserable, to put it frankly. I am looking forward to get out of this rut, so to speak. Korea will be a fresh start, and I am grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

4th of July weekend!

2009-07-06T15:22:00.005+09:00

So I realized that this will be my last 4th of July in the U.S. until July 4, 2011, yikes! Hard to imagine, to say the least. Let's see here, my weekend started on Thursday, might I add, I got off work an hour early so that was an awesome beginning. I watched movies with my little sister on Thursday night. I watched "Vicky Christina Barcelona," alone, and let me say: I would like to go to Spain someday! My sister and I watched, "Requiem for a Dream." I was not impressed, I think the movie "Spun" did a much better job of showing addiction at it's worst. Then we stayed up late and talked about life and work, it was very therapeutic.

Friday I got to sleep in! Then Alex and I went to Poet's for lunch, very delicious. I went fabric shopping at JoAnne Fabrics after lunch. This was fun and I ended up finding a prefect fabric for my apron pattern I am going to make. Plus, JoAnne's had amazing sales and I had a 20% off coupon! I only ended up spending 12 bucks. I then hopped on over to Ashley's to say hello! Ashely had this crazy idea that we should go on a scooter ride together! Ha ha, this ended up being so much fun. People were waving and honking at us, good times for sure. We barely missed a huge thunderstorm too! After that adventure, I went over to JoAnna's house to enjoy some American Classic Pizzeria for dinner. Yummy! JoAnna and I when to Wal-Mart so I could acquire a fishing license. The man asked me how long I had been a resident of Montana, I replied "25 years, but not for long." We then got into a conversation about how I am moving to South Korea to teach English. The man said that South Korea is way to close to North Korea! I told him I'm not too worried about it and laughed it off. Then JoAnna and I headed to Laural, MT to attended the Laural Street Dance. My friend Amy was in town so she joined us too! It was fun hanging out with Ashley, Brandi, Amy, Alex, Liz, and JoAnna. I actually saw a lot of people that I knew which was interesting. So after a few cheap beers and visiting with old friends it was time for me to go to bed!

Mobile upload of my fabric for my apron!

Saturday was a fun filled day of fishing with my family, and JoAnna joined us as well. We headed to Dead Man's Basin, it's about an hour away from Billings. The only people to catch fish were my dad, JoAnna, and my Papa. I had a few big bites, but that was it. Even trolling on the boat didn't go well. My dad did catch a big freshwater salmon, JoAnna caught a nice rainbow trout, and my Papa caught a carp. Oh and my mom caught a tiny little fish, a mino is what I would call it. We all headed home with sunburns and were ready to shower! We then had some BBQ! Alex and Karly came over too and we all hung out and chilled. I watched the fireworks from my parent's front window, while watching High School Musical 3, let's not forget that!

When I woke up on Sunday, I was surprised to see I had slept a mere 12 hours! I must have needed it! I spent Sunday cleaning my house and hanging out with my kitties. I went to my parents and my dad and I ate the salmon. I helped cook and it turned out awesome! We made lemon peppered salmon with brown rice and blanched broccoli. Sunday night I spent with Alex and we made outlines for our Korean Consulate interviews and researched various things about Korea. We found out that Taegu, KR has 6 Starbucks! :) We have been looking for a good ESL teaching book to read before we go; however, I only found books that were published 10-15 years ago and I know that ESL teaching has changed over the years. I'm going to keep researching and I'm going to ask the other teaching at the school if they have any books that were found to be useful!

Lights, Camera, Action!

2009-06-29T12:41:00.002+09:00

So Alex and I have been going through the Visa process; let me tell you all it's a tedious process. Passports, official transcripts, background check, and so on. More often than not, people have to be interviewed by the Korean Consulate in order to receive a Visa to work in Korea. So Alex was kind enough to contact the Korean Consulate in Seattle for us. You'll have to read Alex's blog and read her story about calling the Korean Consulate. Seeing that our distance is a bit of a problem, the Korean Consulate is willing to make an exception for us. We have to send in a 10 minute video introducing ourselves, explaining our experience, and why we want to go to Korea. All in all, I'm thinking my first YouTube video will be my interview...Wish us luck!

My first Blog!

2009-06-22T07:19:00.006+09:00

I don't have the internet so it is hard updating my blog. I'll do my best to update is once I move to Korea, though. So far on my journey to Korea goes, this is what has happened: Alex and I applied on the Teach ESL Korea website on May 5, 2009. About a month later we got a chance to interview for the St. Louis Academy in Daegu (Taegu), South Korea. Barry the director was impressed with our interview so Alex and I got the jobs! Just this last week we signed our contracts and applied for our passports :) Right now we are working on our E2 Visa process...That's that. Bye for now.

Here is a link to the website we went through:
Teach ESL Korea