
So, wow, long time no posting......I was talking to another fellow teacher today about how we both set up blogs to tell of our adventures and have seem to have neglected to update them. He made a good point. While we have more opportunities to have crazy adventures a majority of our time is spent living life. So, if we were to update this a lot it would be filled with truly memorable experiences such as.....made a sandwich today and then watched Lost online. Tomorrow more of the same......So it may be to your benefit that I don't document my every day here.
I am coming up to the half way mark of my 1 year contract. At this point I am considering staying a wee bit longer, about six months to quantify it. I want to pay off some bills and save for a great adventure......Trying my hardest to do a proper gap year, or by my calculations.....a gap six months. So far the idea is three months in SE Asia and three months in Europe. We shall see as a lot remains in the air. Right now I am fighting a currency battle on many fronts that aim is to shrink my income out of Korealand, the economy in general and the fact that I would live out of a backpack for six months by myself in unknown lands. A lot to plan and consider before all is said and done.
Summer weather here is amazing.....not! Unfortunately Seoul is crazy polluted. That leaves the musky, hot, humid days packed with even more uncomfortableness. I actually had a kid answer a test question by explaining that he would want to visit New Zealand mostly because he could breathe easier, because there is no pollution, this was a kid in grade 4. They are well aware of the air pollution and yet there are more cars here than in any city I have ever seen! As we get further into August we see more of typhoon season. So, FLASH FLOODING happens quite often. I am looking forward to Fall!
If you get out of the city the summer is quite enjoyable. In July I went about three hours South, I think, to a beach for a mud festival. It was two days of being covered in mud, swimming in the ocean and laying of the beach. I came back a crazy shade of red and was made fun of by my students for many, many days. Koreans dislike tanning and carry umbrellas to shade themselves from the rays whenever possible, so the sight of me was quite the story!
Other than that I am work, work, working.....I work for the hagwon of no vacations. At first I was upset, now I embrace it. I am just planning for one massive vacation instead of a few days here and a few days there. Right now we are teaching intensive classes so I am teaching 39 hours a week and some of those are 12 hour days at school. Things will go back to normal in a week or so as we start a new term and I officially climb over the six month hump. They say that between three and six months is the hardest period of your contract. It is when the newness wears off and you can't see an end in sight. I can attest to that and look forward to the downswing, even though I am planning on staying a spell afterward......Here are a few adventures and pictures from the last few months.

Beginning of the second term brought two new teachers to my school. Nate was pretty enthusiastic and wanted to get out and see Incheon his first weekend. We took him to a local foreigner bar and made him some new friends. I think he is going to like Korea just fine.
Daejeon was a quick weekend trip for the Korean Family and I. We bused up north to visit some friends of Jamie, Lindsay and Matts from their training group. They showed us a good time and even tricked us into climbing a mountain. Yeah sure, 15 minutes to go. Uh-huh. Not falling for that one again!

Group lineup at the bottom of the mountain.

All smiles now, but two seconds later I fell on my ass. It was not graceful and super embarrassing. I am sure it will be a story told for years, if the next few days was any barometer.

All right boys. I concede the top was worth it and I can say I have done it. A picture with those that made it to the top.

Koreans are a fickle bunch. Some want to feed you, others want you to never eat again because you are a fat foreigner. Seems as though you can never win. I was reprimanded by our server for not assembling my bipimbap correctly. So, this is my all finished face, and surely not my I dumped all of mine into matt's bowl face. Bless boys with bottomless stomachs. Also, at this meal we were gifted a bottle of Korean rice wine. A welcome present any other day, but we rounded up enough brave souls to down this drink as to not offend our new Korean bff.

The wine

MudFest. In July

Not sure where any of the muddy pictures are at the moment.
Muiido. A weekend outing to a small island off the coast of Incheon was the destination of July. We "camped" korean style in these little huts by the beach. We had a grand family time drinking korean beer on the beach, dining beach side and of course racing quads!

Upon my arrival I found Jamie, Nate and Lauren dining on this awesome looking dinner. Starving as I was I didn't dive in. I don't like to eat things with fins still attached.

Nate's infamous tadpole impression. Still don't see it.

We came by ferry. Someone else brought their hovercraft.

Korean beach camping.

End of a great weekend. Ready to go home.

Then the monsoon came. Unhappy faces all around.
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