School's Out!

It's officially summer vacation! Class three was almost as excited as me! Next stop, Japan!

2018 in Korea!

If you haven't heard the news yet, the small town of Pyeongchang (병창) has won the bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics. My co-workers are very excited about this, and they're hoping Kim Yu-na can give another spectacular performance.

The town is only about 40,000 people, and they're going to have to do a lot of work to prep it for the olympics. Luckily, it's already one of the top destinations in the country for winter sports, and it's location in the scenic "Korean Alps" will at least provide a beautiful backdrop.

Photo courtesy of CNNGo:

I hate my washing machine

Normally, I don't have many problems with my washing machine. I know a lot of people have had many clothes ruined because of theirs, and yes, I have had a few fatalities. However, this last load of wash I did was the worst yet.

The damages include 1 stretched out skirt, 1 stretched out dress, 1 hole punctured through a cardigan, and 1 destroyed t-shirt. Here's some proof:



I'm pretty sure this isn't supposed to happen!

I've got to ask my co-teacher again if there's a gentle setting, but until then, can anyone help me?



RIP, t-shirt.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile (ie Rupert's Play)

Sunday was Rupert's play. He's been busy rehearsing for over 3 months now, but I think all the hard work payed off! It was a fantastic show!



After getting back from Busan later than we'd anticipated, I met everyone at the theater. Some of the guys who went to see the play were Heather, Meaghan, Adam, Stephanie, Amanda, Ann, Kenny, Erin, Sun, Mike, and Sun Young. Andrew entertained us with a bit of accordion before the show started, and Matt was able to sneak in also, even though he didn't have a ticket for the sold-out show.

The theater was near Chon Dae's Front Gate, and it was a little small. They had a nice set up however, and because of the small size, nobody had a problem seeing or hearing.



The play was written by Steve Martin, and is a fictional story of when Picasso and Einstein meet at a bar in Paris. Later, Elvis even makes an appearance. All of the cast members did a fantastic job, but I think my favorite character of the evening was Charles Dabernow Schmendiman. He was so funny!



It was a great time, congrats, Rupert! :)

KSU Club Night~ Busan

"BUSAN, South Korea -- Saturday the 25th will witness an evening (and probably early morning) of the peninsula’s top hip hop spread out between Vinyl Underground and Blue Monkey in Kyungsung. $10 gets you in both bars with a free drink in each and a long night of rappers spinning their yarns and DJ’s scratching."

The Deserts and Da Meegook Movement are playing their final out-of-town concert this coming weekend, and I know they've been working hard at getting ready for it. Stephanie and I are going to Busan Friday night (the boys will be playing/watching another concert in Daegu), and we'll catch the band in the exciting Kyungsung University District Saturday night. It should be a great show. There's a huge lineup, featuring:

*THE TROUBLE MAKERZ
*PINNACLE THEHUSTLER w/ DJ TOM SLICK
*BLACK ILUMIN & JUDONOMI
*DJ FENNER
*Da MEGOOK MOVEMENT
*THE DESERTS
*SAMMY CLAY

To find out more about some of these artists, check out Busan's English News Website here: http://www.busanhaps.com/article/hip-hop-descends-kyungsung

Daejeon Downtown~ 대정 시내

I took this picture of downtown Daejeon on my weekend trip there with Kenny. Daejeon has two downtown's, old and new, and this was the newer, cooler of the two. We were surprised at the amount of people (both foreigners and Koreans) that were out to have a good time. There seemed to be an endless amount of places to eat/drink at, but I'm sure if we lived there, we would say the same things about Gwangju!

Yangdong Market (양동시장)- Gwangju

Stephanie and I went to check out Gwangju's most famous market last Saturday, Yangdong Market. It's very convenient to get to as it's close to U-Square bus terminal, and it's also on the subway line. This market has been around for years, and an article in the Gwangju News Magazine showed a picture from the market back in the 70's. Things have changed architecturally, but I'm sure what they were selling back then is very similar to what we saw!

We first began by buying Stephanie some socks. Korean women like to wear socks that are made out of nylon, especially at school. Gotta keep your feet sanitary while wearing those community slippers!

Next, we found ourselves in the midst of the action. Fish, chicken, fruit, vegetables, kimchi, basically anything your heart desired. Some of the fish looked excellent, and the prawns were huge!



It always seems that at traditional markets such as Yangdong, they seem to sell everything in bulk, and that the vendor has enough to supply a small army. For example, how does he sell all this garlic?!



We also some some things that were a bit unsettling, so don't scroll down if you don't like seeing bizarre animals or parts! Don't say I didn't warn you!





Pigs heads and frogs- now that's something I'll have to go back for!

Seoul's Western Food

Besides shopping, the variety of non-Korean food is one of the best reasons to go up to Seoul for the weekend. Stephanie and I went up this past weekend, and our whole weekend essentially revolved around Forever 21 in Myeongdong and eating as much non-Korean food as possible.

We first began with a Kebab from Mr. Kebab in Hongdae, for which I now have a punch card. Sorry, no picture of this as we were both too hungry to wait to snap a picture!

Saturday, we picked up a coffee from Dunkin Doughnuts in Hongdae, and by the time we were finished, Dos Tacos had opened up. We each ordered a burrito, mine was rice and bean with beef and avocado. It was simply fantastic, even though I couldn't eat it all. It was completely worth the 9,900 won!



After having perhaps too much success at Forever 21, we refueled with a giant, 1,500 won ice cream cone. It was fantastic because it was cool in the hot, afternoon sun, but it wasn't so filling that we were stuffed after.



Before we had dinner, we went to Happy Hour in Hongdae. The group next to us had a pitcher of what appeared to be fruit soju with real fruit. We ordered the same thing, but had to add the soju ourselves. It had a yogurty base, and was pretty unique.



The next place our group went to was a hopping Hof in Hongdae. Despite Hongdae being one of the main tourist areas, we were one of two tables of foreigners. Every other table was full, and it did take a while to get served. We ordered two types of chicken- a cheesy, boneless bbq style, and a spicy garlic chicken. The garlic chicken came in a shovel! I'd never seen that before.



Sunday, we began with breakfast at Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon. This is probably the best Western-style breakfast for less than 10,000 in town. And the IPA we each ordered with it may not have been the healthiest decision for 11 am, but, oh, it tasted so good!



Finally, something I'd been literally dreaming about! Subway! I missed my chance when my parents were here when I stumbled upon a Subway in Gangnam, but forgot to go back to order! I was so happy to see one in Hongdae, where I generally stay. I chose the Subway Club, and it was just like back home. It was by far the best sandwich I've ever had in Korea!



When we weren't eating, we were either shopping, relaxing, or people watching around town. Even though we didn't do too much, we were both exhausted by the time we came back Sunday evening!

Where is Wando?

Wando is a very small town located in Jeollanam-do providence, right on the coast of the ocean. I've been to this island (connected by a new bridge) three times now, and each time seems to get better than the last. Camping on the beach with a bunch of friends never gets old!



I received the Facebook invite a few weeks ago, and even though 293 some-odd people RSVP'd yes, I don't think there were more than 100. The beach is quite large, and our group camped away from the main party area (as we'd arrived late Friday night, and didn't see anyone else around). However, we were just a short 3 minute walk away from the main hangout area. We had the best of both worlds- right next to the clean bathrooms, and had a quiet sleeping area!



I came down with Michael, Matt, and Kenny after their band practice. Their music academy owner and his girlfriend were gracious enough to give us a lift in their van. It was a tight squeeze with all our tents, foods, backpacks, and of course, guitars.

The Deserts had won a competition and a local bank, NongHyup, gave them 300,000 won as their prize. We used those gift cards to feed our group of about 10 for the whole weekend, what a deal! We spend over 70,000 on meat alone, and really stocked up on beer (don't worry, we drank it all!).



Saturday and Sunday we spent doing normal beach activities- looking for shells, making campfires, cooking hobo dinners, and playing beer pong, volleyball, and Frisbee. Even though the weather was cloudy all day Saturday, almost everyone came home more red than they left! And of course, when we had to leave Sunday, it was perfect weather. Here's some pictures to ooh and ahh over!




No starfish this time, but still lots of colorful shells.


We both got color!

Super Color Super Launch Party

As I'd mentioned before, Saturday night was the big music night in Gwangju. It was at Club Nevermind. I'd never been there before, but I showed up early to do a sound check with The Deserts, and got to see what it looked like before it got crowded. The stage was huge, lots of standing room, and in good condition, other than the bathroom!

The show started early at 8, because there were six different acts. First up was Feed the Boats, another expat band in Gwangju. They did really good; I hadn't heard them play before. They did some covers, but I think they also had original songs.



I knew the lead singer of the second band, Harp, from my winter camp at KeunByeol Elementary School back in 2010. They also did a fantastic job. Apparently, their drummer was only 15 years old! We thought the reason he was in the band is because it is the Music Academy's owners band, and he chose his best student to be the drummer.



The Deserts were supposed to go third, but for some reason the order changed and a heavy metal band was up third. They were second favorite band of the night! Check out their hair!



Finally, it was Deserts turn! Everyone was so excited, especially Rupert and Worth.



I can't remember when exactly it was, but at some point during their set, Kenny got up and announced to everyone that it was our one year anniversary and he wanted to dedicate the next song to me! I was so embarrassed! Then everyone was yelling at me to get up on stage to give him a kiss. So I did, and it was definitely something I'll never forget!! :)





It was such a fun night! I think the venue did a good job at making all their money back they'd put in to hosting the show. Tons of people showed up throughout the night, and literally hundreds of pictures were taken! Thanks to Amanda and Billy especially for the use of their pictures!

Super Color Super

This weekend is a big weekend in Gwangju. The biggest live music concert of the year is happening Saturday night at 8 at Club Nevermind downtown. There are 6 different groups playing, including Deserts and Da Megook Movement. The cover is only 7,000 at the door, which is very reasonable considering the music will last all night.



I'm really eager to see Deserts play, as Kenny's recently joined the band (he plays guitar). They've been practicing a lot, and I know how much work they've put into it. He's played 3 shows already with the Deserts, but I've been out of town and haven't been able to catch any shows. I know they'll do well, and I'm looking forward to hearing their new songs.

I also haven't heard Da Megook Movement recently, either. Da Megook Movement has "Quick fire prose, lexical trickery and wordplay that will make you wonder why it looks so easy to do. These guys are good, the beats are infectious and the songs are so catchy you don't need a baseball glove to get hold of them." Kenny also makes many of the beats for them.

It should be a great night for live music (there's also another concert later at The Speakeasy), and I'll be sure to update you on how everyone sounded.

This is not a panini

I may have jumped the gun a little bit. I was very excited when I noticed a new coffee shop/restaurant (LavAzza) opened in Suwan two days ago. I'd noticed on their outdoor menu that they serve paninis! Panini's are one of my favorite sandwiches, and I was thrilled that I could get one so easily. They also had a bunch of other yummy sounding things on their menu.

First, let's take a look at a delicious panini:



I've always thought at panini should be grilled in a press, just like the one pictured. However, after a quick search on Wikipedia, I learned that sometimes they aren't. However, a grilled, pressed sandwich is what I associate with "panini."

The sandwich I ordered was called the "Rustico." There wasn't a description of what it was, but the price seemed right (6,500). What I got wasn't anything close to what I was expecting.



Woah, wait a sec. Did they use sauce to mimic the grill mark lines?



Yes, I think they did! Also, the fillings were minimal- some melted "cheese," "bacon," and sun-dried tomatoes. LavAzza did have other things on their menu, like pasta, risotto, and toasts. I do know one thing- if I ever end up going back, I won't be having another panini! Having this disappointing of a sandwich just makes me want a real one even more!!

TAO- Family Restaurant

To celebrate my birthday dinner, Kenny treated me to dinner at a new organic restaurant in Suwan. The restaurant, TAO, is located close to the Women's Hospital, and above Coffee Bene, which means it's got a great view of the bustling street below, as well as the Lotte Mart Lake Park.

Since we celebrated early on a Monday night, the restaurant was nearly empty. We choose to sit outside because the weather was so comfortable. Our waiters were very attentive, and they did speak some English, so we didn't have any problems ordering. We choose two main dishes, which we split.

The easy choice was the roasted duck with chutney sauce. It was served with grapefruit, asparagus, and crasins, which are both expensive and difficult to find in Korea. It was perfectly cooked and went so well with the apricots:



We choose the shrimp and scallops cream pasta to go with it. Even though the scallops were small compared to US standards, the flavor was great. The saffron on the side added a lot to the dish.



Our meal also came with a complementary salad, breads, and soup. They were nice, but nothing special. The wine we had originally chosen was out, so we opted for a half bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, reasonably priced. I thought the young waiter wasn't going to be able to get the cork out, but he eventually did. After that, we had him take a picture of the both of us. Forgive the angle, it was a very narrow seating area outdoors!



If you look closely at my wrist, you can see the beautiful bracelet Kenny gave me! I adore it! If you can't quite make out the detail, here's another shot :)



It was a great evening, and I'd definitely recommend Tao! We both thought it was the best Western food we've had in Gwangju. I know I'll be back soon, because they gave me a coupon for a free steak (before May 24th) as a birthday present. As my 9th graders would say (Unit 2, Teenage Years), it was "the icing on the cake!"

Happy Birthday~ To Me!

I've got some great friends here in Gwangju! More than 20 of them came to my birthday BBQ Saturday evening on Kenny's roof. Everyone brought their own meat as well as a dish to pass- I even got some cute presents!

The weather was great- warm and sunny, perfect for summertime dresses! Here are some of the girls. It's hard to tell, but the theme was hats.



Here's Kenny and I!



And after we got the grill heated up, I snapped this picture of the guys. I didn't choose the "prom-style" pose though!



We had a lot of food and it went quickly! Everyone still loves my cheese ball (I think I've taken it to 4 different potlucks), and it was one of the first things to go. We also had pico de galo, guacamole, potato salad, spinach salad, strawberries, and orange jello. Ann was really sweet and made me an extra large jello shot with half a bottle of Smirnoff in the shape of a baby. It was pretty funny!



It was a great party and I was so happy everyone came! Thanks to all my friends!

Parent's Visit- Suwon

The next city we visited was Suwon, just south of Seoul. We were really loaded down on the trip up there- between the 3 of us, we had 5 rolling luggages, and one duffel bag! But, three of those rolling luggages were full of my stuff to be sent home- I really cleared out a lot of clothes!

Once we successfully got all the luggage to our hotel, we took a cab to Suwon Folk Village. At first, I wasn't too keen on going there, as I've seen things like this in the past, and they're generally very touristy. This one was quite different, and definitely exceeded my expectations.

Though it was a bit expensive to get in, since we'd driven all the way there, we still went in. At first, all we saw were restaurants, souvenir shops, and elementary students, but after we passed the second entrance gate, the touristy bits disappeared and we were in a real village. All of the 260-odd buildings had been transported from different parts of the country, and we liked comparing the differences in architecture styles.



They also had lots of "businesses," like a pottery studio, silk studio, farms, and government offices. Mom and I bought some pottery necklaces and jars, which are one-of-a-kind. We saw a live performance of a wedding in the "Royal Palace" and an acrobatics show.

The next day, we stored our stuff at Suwon Station and walked to the main sight in Suwon, the fortress. It was awesome!

We payed just $1 to walk around the old walls and explore the lookout points. Part of the fortress was on top of a mountain, but it was so large that it extended down into the town. Of course now, the inside of the fortress is full of PC Bangs, homes, and schools, but hundreds of years ago, it would have been just like the folk village we'd seen yesterday.





We walked around on top of the mountain, and walked down through town at the end. We were all surprised at the size of it- I didn't realize it would be half as big as the city! This is a cool shot of the entrance leading up to the temple in the town. I've never seen anything on the sidewalk like this before:



The three of us had a great morning/early afternoon at the fortress, and Dad later said it was his favorite part of the trip!