What Kyle found at our local grocery store!

We have shopping trips every Monday evening for our weekly groceries. I can't go however, because I have taken some overtime work which keeps me teaching until 7:00 pm Monday- Thursday. So Kyle goes in my stead, which he doesn't seem to mind since he actually enjoys grocery shopping. I know! You can pick your jaws off the floor now. A husband who enjoys going to the grocery store, I am one lucky gal. And this week he brought home an extra special treat.
Yes, that does say Thai texas BBQ sauce. We have NO IDEA how they combined the flavors of Thai food and Texas BBQ, but there was no way any husband of mine would pass up a bottle like that with his two favorite meals being a toss up between Texas BBQ and pad thai. We will let you know how it turns out. Korea always has surprises up her sleeve! What'll it be next!?

Late night shopping in Dongdamun

When I taught in Korea last year, one of my primary activities was shopping. Myeong-dung is the heart of the shopping district in Seoul catering not only to the effeminate girly, bordering on doll like Korean style, but also to some Western styles, if you are small enough to fit in the clothing. My favorite store in Myeongdong is Forever 21. It is an American store, but here it has four fabulous stories. What I love about Forever 21 is its low low prices. Of course the quality of the clothing generally runs abreast the price, but the clothing is often very fashionable.

This year, my first shopping spree didn't occur until five months into our time here. This may have transpired because of the distance we have to travel in order to go shopping, but my reasoning is that last year I worked with over ten girls. These girls loved to shop and loved to dress nice. My work environment was one in which, what you wore was not overlooked. On the flip side however, here at our new school, the only female teachers I work with are Korean staff, and it isn't that they don't matter, but generally we have different fashion anyways, so what I think is stylish and what they find attractive are seldomly the same. In turn, that means, I don't really care what I look like. The guys certainly don't notice if I am sporting a new headband, or found a new eyeshadow so shopping holds much less importance this year than last year. (What an argument for being the product of your environment)

However my male counterpart, the love of my life has been begging me for a shopping trip. I tried explaining to him that there wasn't much for him to enjoy, but I finally gave in last weekend. Another shopping area in Seoul is Dongdamun. However, Dongdamun is an entirely different shopping experience than Myeongdong; reason being that the great shopping is supposed to take place in the wee hours of the morning. And by wee hours, I am refering to the hours between midnight and three am. A group of us decided this three day weekend would be the perfect opportunity for such a shopping spree because that extra day to recuperate was entirely necessary. Commiting to shopping past midnight meant that we were committed to staying up all night as the subways stop running before midnight and don't start up again until 5:30am the next morning.

What we found, was an entirely surreal affair. It reminded me of tax free weekend back in the US. It was insane the number of people shopping at this hour, not to mention the number of parents with children. I am surprised we didn't see one sleepy tempertantrum. The shopping took place inside and outside. We were told that prices dropped considerably after midnight as that is when the wholesalers come, but I barely bought anything. I couldn't find these deals of which legend had told. Maybe we were in the wrong place which is entirely possible since there seemed to be endless amounts of shopping. But my main complaint was that nothing I was interested in purchasing was I allowed to sample. I could not try a stitch of clothing on. It seems to be policy in Korea that you buy directly off the hanger and just assume everything will fit perfectly. It is true, many of them have the same figures; bird like bones, long legs and no hips but with the introduction of fast food, curves are beginning to appear in this country. How is one truly to know if something is worth purchasing unless they can try it on. It is so frustrating. So I didn't buy anything. I couldn't be sure that anything I liked would fit.

These shorts are supposed to improve the curves on the average slender Korean woman.

I did purchase one thing last year that looked amazing on the hanger. I took it home, tried it on and I was the spitting image of Peter Pan. It was hideous. Had I been able to try it on, I would have known to also look for a tinkerbell costume, but as it was, I was left playing dress up rather than dressing nice. I wasn't going to make that mistake this year.

The shops began to close around 3am so because we still had a few hours to kill before the subway re-opened we went to a movie. Side note: Military time goes from 0:00 to 24:00. At this movie theater, our movie showed at 27:15. When I asked what that meant she told us that it was 3:15 am. Why would they complicate such a simple time scale? Who knows. Our movie (the new Robinhood) was over at 5:30 am, however we didn't arrive back in our beds until 8:30 am because the train going all the way to Youngmun, where we live, didn't come for about one hour. I was grateful for the warmth of the evening, but grumpy at having to wait for such an absurd amount of time.

All in all it was a fun evening. Now if only I could get my sleeping schedule back to normal!

Point and case as to why I didn't think Kyle would enjoy shopping. These shoes are men shoes. They are gold displayed on gold flooring.
Guy clothing in Korea is often very effeminate as well. With this shirt, you could even have a strange linx cat to wear on your shoulder in case the shirt wasn't girly enough.

Who wants some boxers that look like the 50,000 won bill?

Corndogs covered in frenchfries. Kyle bought one. And with his mouth full exclaimed "delich!"

Matching outfits are all the rage for couples in Korea. Want to show that you care? Wear the same outfit. So far, I haven't convinced Kyle ;)

Another example of the matching couple shirts.

Obviously not a Korean shopper. Koreans all look the same, and this fella stood out! By the sound of his speech, we are guessing Chinese.

I got in trouble for taking this photo. Maybe they knew that it didn't make since.

Another one that belongs on Engrish.com. (Braised chicken, falls in love with sea scent) A truly odd chicken who falls head over heals for the scent of the sea. I can just imagine the chicken wandering the shores of the ocean wishing for just one tangible moment with the sea scent.

The finger puppet incident

A few weeks ago, Kyle and I went paint balling with some friends. After our afternoon of playing GI Joe and GI Jane we went out to stuff our faces with grub. Specifically chicken, noodles and kimchi. It was a pleasant afternoon, but the running through trees wear janitor looking suites and huge post apocalyptic helmets, shooting at targets, avoiding sharp needles and being hit by hard exploding paint balls makes one exhausted. But what made my body quiver with fatigue was the thought of taking the subway the two hours home. Arggg, living in the country has its downsides. As we were walking towards the subway however we were stopped by two college age Koreans.
"May I ask you a few questions?" the girl asks.
We are familiar with this drill. Students are often given the task of conversing with foreigners for grades. As teachers, despite our desire to return home as quickly as possible, we felt obligated to play along.
"Sure" we said with as much enthusiasm as we could muster.
"I was given a project for my school to have a creative conversation with a foreigner. Do you mind performing a finger puppet play with me? It won't take very long." she asks kindly
I have to remind my brain to close my mouth. We have been asked survey questions before, but never asked to perform a play, let a long a finger puppet play. I volunteer Kyle as I am quite tired.
The play is written in English and is a shortened version of a Korean folktale. I didn't film the entire thing as I wasn't sure how much space we had left on our card, but you get the idea.
Click to watch here.

The Sun and the Moon (from Wiki)

In the world before the sun and the moon, only the stars existed.

It was in these early days that there lived siblings: Haesik (해식) the older brother and Dalsun (달순) the younger sister. Their mother was a poor peasant woman who sold rice-cakes for a living.

The mother was returning from the village one day when she was encountered by a tiger perched on a hill demanding a rice-cake in exchange for sparing her life. She gave it to him and the tiger went away, only to appear before her at the next hill; this time demanding two rice cakes. She gave him the cakes, only to find him again on the third hill, this time asking for four rice cakes. When the mother finally ran out of rice cakes to feed him, the tiger threatened to devour her.

The mother pleaded, saying she was the sole mother of two children. Upon hearing this the tiger's hunger grew even more vicious. He devoured the mother and then took on her clothing as a disguise. He then made his way to the house where he knew the children awaited.

At the house the children were worried that their mother was not returning. Haesik suggested they lock the door, when he heard a voice calling them from outside. Dalsun, the younger, thought it was her mother, but Haesik knew the voice was different and sensed that something was not right. The tiger urged them to open the door, but Haesik staunchly refused.

Not giving in, the tiger used some of the powder left from the rice cakes and applied it on the back of his hand, making them look white. When he inserted his fingers through a space in the door, Dalsun became convinced that it was their mother and immediately opened the door. The tiger chased them until the children climbed up to the safety of a tree.

When the tiger found an axe in the house and began chopping down on the tree, Dalsun made a prayer asking the heavens to send down a strong rope if they should be saved and a rotten rope if they were to be damned. A strong rope was sent down, and both siblings climbed up until they reached the heavens.

Seeing this, the tiger made a similar request, but the rope he got was rotten and he fell in a millet field. His blood stained the millet and this is why millet stalk is said to be red.

In heaven, Haesik became the sun (Haennim 햇님) and Dalsun became the moon (Dallim 달님), but later Dalsun complained that she was afraid of the dark. Thus Haesik decided to stand in for her so that Dalsun could become the sun.

Snap Photography class 2

Our second photography lesson took place mid march. The weather had been warming up and and we had begun to shed layers. In order to get to our lesson in Seoul, Kyle and I had to wake up at 8am, catch a taxi by 8:35, get on the subway for hours and arrive to our lesson in Seoul by 11am. As you can imagine, we were generally running behind schedule and this day didn't think the weather would be turning down the dial so rapidly. It was near freezing all day long, and guess who didn't dress appropriately? That is right, neither of us did. The lesson was an outdoor shoot. We froze our tushes off. And let me tell you, I am not a fan of taking pictures when my hands turn blue in order to hold the camera. It just doesn't put me in the mood for shooting. So the results are a half-way attempt at candid shots of Koreans walking down one of the hip shopping districts in Seoul. The trick is to zoom your camera lens in all the way (if you have a normal kit lens), hold the camera length ways at your belly button and cut in front of them as they walk. Most people don't notice that you are taking their picture, some do though. I was shy at first and not all that skilled. Practice makes better but I am far from perfect yet at honing this technique. Here are some of the better shots, but really I'm not that impressed with any of them. Like I said, it will take lots and lots of practice :)

Engrish.com

One interesting thing about living in a foreign country is the use or misuse rather of the English language. I understand that English isn't their first language. And I also appreciate that they are at least attempting to either market or acknowledge their foreign population. Either way, I am grateful for the little English that we do encounter. However, I have started a little project of misused English. Sometimes it is as simple as an oddly constructed sentence and other times, nothing about what was written makes the least amount of sense. At the very least, it provides Kyle and me with entertainment which is much appreciated. What is so entertaining about it is that all they need to do is ask a native English speaker before mass marketing and yet either lack of resources, initiative or plain Korean pride is to blame. Honestly if someone asked me to correct their advertisement as I was shopping in the mall, I would be more than happy to oblige without asking for funds in return. The Korean language and English language not only don't share an alphabet, but our sentences constructions are entirely disparate so I can understand where the massive screw ups happen, but really, the internet is widely used here. The dictionary is free. There are plenty of free resources and yet the most ridiculous mistakes are made. But like I said, they make me laugh so it is just fine for me. Enjoy!

We bought a mop recently while riding on the subway. You would be surprised what wonderful things you can purchase on the subway. I always have cash handy. Anyways, we saw this mop and as I complained a few posts back about our continuously wet floor, I thought it might be a good investment to purchase a mop. Not only was it great for cleaning our floors but it also doubled as a highly entertaining comedy sketch! Kyle is imitating the ecstatic house wife giving the thumbs up.

The house wife is happy so it must be good!
(At the top is says "Good Housewife" and "shaping your good life")

Nanometer fibre materials
Super powerful water absorbent
Virtue, wipe off dirts effectively!
Super -powerful electrostatic function
Can absorb all granular and silky things
Environment Protection, economic
fashionable and convenient!
(who knew a mop could be fashionable and convenient at the same time?)

Save labor very much

Cleaning magician
make it dry by a lock only

Never Remember, Hide and check!
( I still don't understand what I am not supposed to remember...)

A nut class

day and day happy
We make delicious bread with pleasant mind in the clean environment
( I sure hope you make it in a clean environment but what makes it a pleasant environment? Do you give your workers Valium?)

Your heart will beat with delight from it's perfect quality.
(except that my heart did not jump or beat with delight as this was the worst tasting cheap wine I have ever tasted in my life)

I saved the best for last. This "free girl" as the Korean students refer to her is on our English Village campus. Check out her tablet. "Jury IV." And no that word is not supposed to be jury as in a court case. It is supposed to say July IV. Oopsie daisy! We mixed up our "r's" and "L's" and no one bothered to double check before printing.

(This is a website that collects misused English from all over the world if you find what we have posted funny and just can't get enough!)
http://www.engrish.com/

English Village Tour

We took this video footage some time ago. As you can see in the video the ground is covered in the white fluffy stuff. And although Spring has yet to have many warm days, we haven't had snow in at least over a month. I have been wanting to post this video for a while as my friends and family (mostly immediate family, not mentioning any names Mom) have been bugging us to see what the school looks like. Kyle was in charge of completing the video and as we all know, "wife's to do lists" are not always first priority when video games are factored in.

So as most people know, we work in South Korea. But about three years ago, the government of Korea decided that what the country was lacking was English Villages. Camps where students of all ages could attend to learn English from native English speakers. They endeavored to construct a campus that truly encompassed the English language spirit so a replica of colonial Virgina was constructed. The end result is a campus of red and white brick which stands out in Korea like a purple alien finger. In my humble opinion, the campus is gorgeous and the surroundings are utterly breathtaking especially now that the trees are budding leaves and are no longer deathly brown. The government did cut corners however in parts of its construction and during the rainy season waterfalls can be found in doors along the walls.

In the video, I talk about how there are discrepancies in this American village displaced to South Korea. However after reviewing it last night I realize that I made a mistake in the video. As I am looking at the beef eater statue (the current British guard for the Palace) I refer to him as a redcoat which is what I think they were going for with the militia man in a red coat, but obviously that was not their costume in colonial Virgina. I hope you enjoy our snow covered tour.

My least favorite thing in Korea

Korea is a hodgepodge of cultural oddities. Some aspects of Korea are wonderful. CHEAP public transportation is an excellent example. I can complain all I want that the Korean subway moves slowly and is inefficient in it's design, but I cannot complain that it costs me a total of $2 to go clear across the city. The subway in London is close to $8 one way. And we all know how I LOVE a good deal.

Another fabulous aspect of Korea is the street food. It is greasy, fattening and readily available on each and every corner of Seoul. It is one of the most commented aspects from the rare tourist visiting Korea. Street food is awesome!

However, the facet of Korean culture that I least appreciate is the bathroom. But more specifically the shower. (There is more about the Korean bathroom that we shall delve into later, but as I am choosing not to write a dissertation on every irritating feature of the Korean restroom, at least in this post, we shall stay short and to the point today) Our shower is great (when there is hot water). We've got water pressure and a wide stream, however what I find fault with in the bathroom is the lack of separation between shower and the remaining space. In most American homes the shower head is either found above the bathtub or blocked off by glass walls or ceramic tiling. It is a vital design in the bathroom that the shower is separated from the toilet or the sink. I never even knew there might be others in the world, at least those with running water, who might purposefully choose to stray from this brilliant design. However in most Korean bathrooms, the shower is the bathroom, not a separated part of the bathroom. There is no barrier to block the water from spraying the entirety of the room. Our drain for the shower is actually below the sink in the middle of the bathroom. Yes, it is strange, but more than strange, it is just plain irritating.

What are the downsides to this bizarre design you might ask?

-There is ALWAYS a wet floor. The Korean solution is bath shoes. Every bathroom, even public bathrooms such as in restaurants, provide shower shoes. The problem lies in that shower shoes get wet as well and if you walk into the bathroom in your socks or slip your socked feet into already wet shower shoes the result is sopping wet socks. Who likes their socks wet? Psychopaths, those are the only nutcases crazy enough to enjoy wet socks.

-Wet toilet- Have you ever sat on a wet toilet seat? And I mean a dripping wet toilet seat. Let's just say, it is pleasant. It's about as pleasant as falling into the toilet bowl because your husband forgot to put the seat down.

-Wet things- When there is no closed off storage space in your bathroom, you have the added pleasure of watering everything you keep in the bathroom. Your toothpaste, you moisturizer, razor you name it, it gets wet. If you don't think that your inanimate objects need watering and shade to grow then the bathroom is the wrong place for them.

What are the positive aspects?

I have yet to discover why this design would in the least be beneficial. Maybe it makes it cheaper to construct and also less work for the builders?

Maybe Koreans really like everything they own to be soaked daily. Maybe Koreans never wear socks in the house. I really can't answer why one would design such a disastrous bathroom, but I can tell you, I DON'T LIKE IT! And when I am getting back to the USA, one of the first things on my 'To Do List' is to take a hot bubble bath. Yesssiree, I miss my bathtub, and my normal shower.

But for all those folks who might be concerned about our welfare after reading this cantankerous post, please don't worry. We are actually very happy at the moment despite the tone of a few of the previous posts. We are productive members in society. We are together. Home is where the heart is, and my heart is lying next to me. Life is good, despite an ill-designed bathroom.

Heart Beat

As I have said before. So much of young Korean culture revolves around the pop music. This music video is a perfect example of dramatics of K-pop. Personally I like this song, and the video is highly entertaining.
Enjoy! Here is the link if you are having trouble viewing it.

The birthday train

My birthday has come and gone. We are not discussing my newest age. I have stopped counting, so if anyone asks, I will tell you 21. Why does it seem that when we are young, birthdays arrive ever so slowly, like a feather floating on the wind currents calmly breezing and chilling on the drafts as we jump up and down trying to grab it from the sky. But when we get past 20 they zoom towards us like a blazing flame-encrusted alien asteroid shot from a speed of light powered cannon. I am dodging those ever growing alien space balls as skillfully as I can, but in all honesty, my reflexes are seriously lacking, and they hit me much too often for comfort. I am on the fast train to thirty years old, and as much as I beg and plead with the train conductor to freaking slow down this mad dashing train, he only laughs menacingly and calls out to the worker sporting overalls and a shovel in his gruff callous voice "More coals to the fire!" I can almost see the brick wall looming on the tracks with the big 30 bedazzled in pink rhinestones mocking me.

I just need a watch to slow down time. Anyone have one? It's not that I don't ever want to be thirty, it's just that I thought I would have accomplished so much more by that time. I imagined that I would be a grown up by my age, but I don't feel like a grown up. I don't feel like an adult. I still feel like we are just playing house. What I really want is a few more years before I am thirty so that the dreams of an eight year old can be realized. Is that really too much to ask?

So although I would have preferred to ignore the day reminding me of that looming brick wall, we did actually celebrate the day of my birth. A friend came to stay with us. Enchiladas were had. ( A serious treat from some lovely co-workers!) Saturday, Kyle and I had a joint birthday bash in Itaewon (the foreign district) with an Indian buffet and chic bar called the bungalow with sand on the floor to complete the bohemian vibe with friends in Seoul. Sunday afternoon, we had a BBQ with co-workers and celebrated a joint birthday with one of our co-workers wife who had also had a birthday that week. It was a solid week of celebration and super duper fun. And although I wish my birthdays would stop stacking one on top of the other like precariously piled jenga blocks, I was able to look past what it means to be my age and live life as best as I know how.

I've been promoted!...I think....

As of last Friday, I (Kyle) am now the Foreign Teacher Coordinator here at the Village. The guy that held the position previously finally cracked and went streaking across the campus. ;) Just kidding! Or am I... So now the mantle has been passed down to me to be the beacon of hope and sanity in the swirling chaos that is English Village. My task is rather simple but no easy cross to bear.

Job 1; Get info from Korean Admin and convey it to the Foreign Teachers in such a way that it prevents rioting.

Job 2; Get "feedback" from the Foreign Teachers and convey it to the Koreans in such a way that it prevents tears and bloodshed.

Job 3; When needed, inform Foreign Teachers that they are being scheduled to work overtime and that they will be compensated with hours instead of pay. Then endure the cursing and yelling that follows and let the Administration know when the Foreign Teacher has declined the work.

Other than that, it's kind of up to me to decide what else can be done to make life easier for all of us. Essentially, KEEP THE FOREIGN STAFF HAPPY!!!

I'm excited and a bit overwhelmed but We'll see how I do.

The monk mantis

Teaching ESL students is always an interesting experience. Sometimes I am surprised when looking down at my hands that I don't have clumps of my hair tightly gripped within them. Each strand tightly wound around my finger tips cutting off the circulation. Other times however, my stomach hurts from laughing so hard at their comments, cleverness and/or silliness.

Here are some fun examples of comments that caused tremendous laughter!

Koreans have a difficult time pronouncing my name because the "V" sound does not exist in this language. So instead it comes out "paneso" or "banessa" which they generally think is identical sounding to banana. Almost every school has at least one class that insists on calling me banana teacher. However this week, one class decided that "Kyle's wife" was the best choice for my name. Explaining that I had my own name was futile and from that point on, the entire class referred to me as the second part to Kyle instead of addressing me as an individual.

I was teaching a theme class this week called "Insects." The students goal was to name the insect. Depending on their level, the students knew at least a few, but when they didn't know they would sometimes make up names that might seem to fit.

Did you know that the Horse bee is otherwise known as a WASP? I didn't either. Probably because it isn't true. But that is what the Korean children suggested as its name.

The previous slide was a honey bee, the obvious guess for the wasp was a hose bee, clearly. I thought this was a very clever guess. Especially since an over-sized fly in English is called a horse fly.

The Monk mantis aka: Praying mantis
The students all know mantis. I don't know if it is a Konglish word or if they are just taught it in school, but regardless "mantis" is the word they yell out when the picture fades in. We were prompting them with our hands in the prayer position to help them come up with the beginning word when one boy shouts: "Monk mantis!" I love when the kids actually try as opposed to the usual blank stares and although his guess wasn't EXACTLY correct, I was very grateful for his effort.

I would say it is pretty typical of students not to pay much attention to classes they don't see much value in, even in the states. So either the students this week really didn't pay attention, they got confused or their teacher taught them wrong. But more than one class told me that mosquitoes drink pee. Yep, pee. They're so funny!

Did you know that fireflies have a fire on their HIP?

This is typically how the conversation goes.
What insect is this?

"uhhhh.."

"Its a firefly. Why do you think it is called a firefly?"

"Fire... hip..."

I really don't understand this national misunderstanding, but for some strange reason, Korean children are taught that "the butt" is actually called "hip". They often giggle when they say "hip" as if it is a naughty word they might get in trouble for using. I continuously try and correct each class that comes in, however pointing at ones butt isn't always considered appropriate.

Despite "other issues" there are always fun times to be had in Korea!

Unhappy? here's some food, forget about it!

The administration has been making...umm.... interesting....choices since Kyle and I arrived. Typically these choices are ones that don't make us smile. In fact, when speaking of how things work around this place, you can often find an upside down smile plastered on my face, and even what Kyle refers to as my "scary eyes".

We have been told that once upon the time, teachers actually smiled when someone from the top spoke. Once upon a time in a far far away land, teachers were happy. At this point we are so far removed from those times, these stories seem as fantastical as fairy tales. You might as well have told us that half the population is an alien race and that we can ride unicorns to work everyday. How was it possible that at one time teachers were listened to and respected? How did we get so far from that time?

Just a week ago they told us they were broke. So they turned off our hot water except for four hours a day. Planning my day around the times I can take a hot shower turns me into a green Godzilla! I find it so infuriating especially since we pay them for utilities.

This week they bought a moon bounce for the steal of a deal price of $7000.

Something doesn't add up. We haven't been able to hire new foreign teachers so instead, a moon bounce will just have to take the place of an English speaker for now I guess.

But we have noticed a pattern recently. Any time they bring us bad news such as, "you will have no prep time, and will have to teach 7 hours a day." They accompany it with food as if we are children who can be easily bribed.

"We are going to make your life a living hell and we have no respect for you, but look at the food we brought you. Don't fret. Don't worry, think about the food."

And we nearly fall for it. What can we say, pizza, chicken and cake all make us smile no matter what you have just told us. "You have to donate one of your lungs to us, but don't worry, eat some cake." And we would probably smile for the next thirty minutes. And we have been served a lot of food lately. Take that as you will.

I am hoping this place doesn't turn me into a rolly porker who doesn't remember how to smile unless bribed with food. Don't worry though, I'm not bitter. I laugh at the absurdity daily. Forest Gump's mother was certainly right. Life is a box of chocolates. But when you are here (at my place of employment), you pretty much know that the one you get is going to make you laugh hysterically to keep you from going coo-coo.

Cherry Blossom trip (part 2)

If you read part 1, part 2 will make much more since :)

We found the lake without too much hassle and it was delightful and even had blooming cherry blossoms. However, once again we took the wrong way turn around the lake and discovered, that bikes were not allowed in the commercial area: Our solution, ice cream. Ice cream solves everything.

After the lake the plan was to head home. According to our map, it should have only taken an hour. Of course, we went the WRONG way again, because evidently having a Korean with us, access to a map on an iphone and an ill-proportioned map did little to insure that we actually took the right turn. Our mistake unfortunately was extremely painful, and as penance by the God of Maps, we were forced to climb the never-ending hill. And by never ending, I mean that we were at least climbing for thirty minutes-to an hour. I don't actually remember as I lost consciousness and allowed my body do all the work while my spirit floated above laughing at our struggle.

The ride lasted forever, and once we arrived at the hostel, five minutes after 7pm, I thought I might topple over. My bum ached as if it had had the beating of it's life, and I dreaded another day of riding on that hard bicycle seat.

At dinner, I could hardly keep my eyes open, and by 10:30pm I was sound asleep.

This is a crazy building we saw on the wicked hard hill. In case you can't tell, it has a giant hole in the middle in the shape of a traditional tower. Kinda weird looking, very expensive, very Korean!

Sunday, after nine hours of zzzzz's, I woke refreshed all except for my bum. I understand now, the purpose of those butt padded shorts. Had I known the pain I would be in every time I sat that I couldn't help but making a pained noise, I would have searched out these specialized shorts which have the effect of making your butt look adorned with a tumor.

My bicycle stood there mocking me and my sore bum as I walked with trepidation towards this torture machine.

Luckily, the only uphills we had to brave was the steep demon hill to the most famous temple in the area. The one temple we were told couldn't be missed. It also just so happened to be the first road we were destined to ride. The temple was amazing, but honestly, once you have seen one temple in Korea, you have seen them all. They are almost all the same, except for small detailed differences. And as far as I know, none of them are the originals.

(the temple's garden)

These kids were so done with having the stinkin foreigners wanting to take their pictures!

Our friends Su and Danielle just chillin under a Cherry Blossom.

Our path back to the bike shop was along the highway, but rather than ride with the crazy Korean drivers who must all take lessons from the same insane asylum fugitive, we rode along the concrete paths of the rice paddies. Riding on flat land is so much more enjoyable that the uphill torture paths we rode Saturday.

The only other event worthy of note was running into our Polish American friend.

After returning our bikes, we found ourselves needing to waste an hour before we were supposed to meet back with the group. Walking along the streets searching for tourist shops an urgent voice calls out, "English speakers!"

A tall, broad shouldered white guy dressed in kakis, collared shirt, tie and red vest stops us in our tracks. His face was not quite desperate but his excitement was bubbling over and spilling all over his shoes. He looked as if he hadn't seen a familiar face in years. In fact we were to learn over tea and milk shakes, that this Polish Catholic guy raised in New York, schooled in South Carolina (just imagine the accent here) was fresh off the boat. (Not literally) He had just arrived in Korea for the first time not three days before. He had casually looked into teaching abroad, sent out a resume and found himself in a foreign country, in a small town far outside of Seoul (where anyone who is anyone lives) in about a months time. However within those three days, he had found a church and gone to an Easter service, found a gym, and found new friends with whom to spend the next hour. I think he should do just fine in this country. The first few months are the hardest because you really have to put yourself out there. Shyness and timidity gets you nothing in this country.

And then we returned to the bus for the long ride home. It was a fantastic trip. I was extremely appreciative that at least a few cherry blossoms bloomed for us. The beginning of spring is upon us. Patience is my friend. I can wait. I can, I can!