Volunteering in Korea

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

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.

10 Things I Love About South Korea

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!

Korean Weddings.

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. 

경현 Kyung Hyun

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

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!

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!

World Cup Season!

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!!! :)