Sun, sleep and snakes

Monday was a difficult day to get through. After getting almost no sleep because of the kids, I finished work, rushed home, had a shower, got into my pjs, made dinner and hid out in my bedroom. Managed to have myself locked in my room from 8:15pm with a "do not disturb" sign on my door (in Korean). What an evening of peace and quiet!!

Have been getting on my bike lots already. This morning I went for a cycle to investigate a different part of the city that I have never been in. Well, more like the outskirts of the city. It was beautiful. A lovely day - sunny and blue skies - and had plenty of time before work. I stopped to take a picture, turned around to walk back a little and what did I find?!! A snake!!! I jumped out of my skin!! It's the first snake I have seen and people here don't mention them so wasn't expecting to see it! Me being me (after a few pokes to make sure it was actually dead) thought I would take a photo and went to get a stick for no particular reason. And guess what?! Yes, I found ANOTHER snake!!

Eventually found my way to where I was planning to go - a little place which looked like it would have some good views on to the river. It was gorgeous. And so quiet too. One thing Gunsan seems to have is some sort of noise going at any time of the day or night. So, complete silence is extremely rare.

Jo came round earlier to pick me up - we were going to help Jocelyn get her phone - and she looked at the sign on the door (the do not disturb sign) only to tell me that I had put it on upside down!! ha ha! Classic!

Tomorrow night, we are going to say our final goodbyes to Ryan who heads back to SA on Saturday then get ready for what I hope will be an immense weekend!

Anywho, here are the pictures :)

The rain is on its way

It is very very muggy in Gunsan at the moment. We had a torrential downpour on Saturday, a clear and very hot yesterday and it's now cooler and threatening to rain today. It's supposed to be 2 months of heat, humidity and rain.


Had my first weekend in Gunsan. Didn't get up to much apart from meeting up with people and going out. There isn't much more to do in the town itself. A lot better and cheaper to see somewhere new!


The children in the flat were being overly in my face on the weekend. Woken up both Saturday and Sunday morning by them for a start. Saturday I forgot to lock my door so they just walked in and woke me up. Sunday, I locked my door but the cheeky brats weren't having any of that so actually broke the lock from the outside to get into my room. Then found it funny to repeatedly slam open the door and run away. So, actually spent the weekend avoiding the flat including having to have to go to a friend's yesterday morning to just brush my teeth as I couldn't even get into my bathroom. Started off a little tender this morning!

Did go for a cycle though on my new bike. It is lovely. And so good to be able to cycle everywhere instead of having to get a taxi. The triathlon trainig begins!

Not much on this week. Will be having a quiet one and looking forward to my birthday weekend. Wakeboarding at Cheongpyeonh lake and a night away in the hills with a bunch of friends. Cannot wait.

Ginger beer, West African food and great company

So, I'm wondering where I will be able to find all of the above in Korea?! Seoul?! I doubt it. Back to London?! Mr H - any ideas? And if you found it all with some sea and sand, send it this way. Missing it immensely!


One of the blokes finishes his contract next week and is back to S. Africa. He's very sad about the whole thing but is looking forward to going home, and to other familiar surroundings. He can't believe it's been a year. Am sure time will fly!!!

Up bright and early in the morning to Daejeon in search of a bicycle. Have signed up to a triathlon so really need to start some training! Wish me luck! Missing out on a brilliant cycle in London tomorrow with Lucy so fingers crossed she finds a perfect outfit and takes some good photos. I think three of us might replicate the cycle here in Gunsan. Dressing up, bicycles and good humour!

Need to get higher for the view!

At the top of Mt Seonunsan (not Seoraksan as I mentioned!)

A weekend of celebrations and hiking

Again, another brilliant weeked after an ok week.

Finally feel like i'm getting through to the kids and it is a fantastic feeling. Great to have the support for new ideas from some teachers although others want to stick strictly to the set book... A bit dull for the kids in my eyes but I can teach my classes how I want to so I'm not complaining :)

It was two of the girls' birthday on the weekend so about 15 of us went up to Mt Seonunsan Provincial Park. Absolutely beautiful. It was so good to be out in the open in the mountains, no sound of cars, screaming kids or music etc. Just long walks, fresh air and some great views.

We arrived at about 3pm on Saturday afternoon and three of us went for a hike. Took 4hours and we headed up to to one of the peaks via some Buddist temples and other cultural landmarks. Met everyone later for some bbqd eel (I did taste it!!), beer and soju then we went to a park and had a mini firework display. Set off for another hike on Sunday with one of the girls - was going to be a short walk but we ended up going for nearly 6 hours! Fascinating though and after my comment earlier on in the day of "the scenery is similar throughout this park", we found ourselves walking through thick green forest and rivers - huge contrast to the wide open rocky scenery and dry sparse trees. Did lots of small climbs and am slowly overcoming my fear of heights! Some very steep drops but managed not to freeeze :)

Made it back to Gunsan on the last bus after a tasty pizza. Ready for the next weekend!

Gochang

The are where Mt Seonunsan Provincial Park is situated.

Water skiing photos!

Photos of water skiing with Louise on the manmade Cheongpyeong Lake

Seongbuk Station, Seoul:

A busy train:

Gapyeong Station:

Cheongpyeong Lake:

Learning how to water ski!

First time on the water:

I learn how to stand up!

Korean trains:

Hwaseong Fortress - Suwon

Some photos of Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon. It is a UNESCO world cultural heritage site.

Looking over Suwon:

This man is a "captain". The colour the captains wear signify North (black), South (white), East (red) and West (blue). The flags dotted around the fortress also have these colours.

North:

A round up!

Although so much has happened since my last blog, I will have to keep this short - the action has left me exhausted!!

Water skiing on Saturday - absolutely fantastic!!!!!!!! What a day!! Took a few falls, but could stand up in the end :) It was so good that the plan for my birthday weekend is to go back up there but with a group of about 10 of us and stay in a cottage there overnight. This time, will be trying wakeboarding instead :)

Met up with another English teacher in Suwon and on Sunday we went to Hwaseong Fortress (UNESCO world cultural heritage site). Beautiful place. Gary and I had a good walk (it's just over 5kms long), had a go at the archery and then I got back to Gunsan late on Sunday night.

Friday: told my director what I thought about her comment (not wanting me to tell the kids that i'm from Kenya). Very straightforward from my side - if she has a problem, I leave. VERY simple for me. Turns out she made the mistake of not reading my CV and telling the parents that I was from the UK (which is in part true), so they think she lied to them when their kids go home and say i'm from Kenya. The parents have this image in their mind of my English being terrible because i'm from Kenya (absolute b*llocks but neither I or her can change that). So, she wants me to lie to the kids, go back and tell them I am only from the UK in order to clear her name. Unfortunately for her, I won't lie to the kids. Having made that clear she know that I will continue to be honest with the children and it is her problem to sort out.

Today - no problems with the above at all. But still no schedule. 3 weeks in. Again, I made a fuss. Nothing happens here unless you make a big deal out of it. Really frustrating to have to make a fuss but it's the only way! Hey presto! Instead of my schedule waiting till next week (what she told me last week and also what she said to me before I made a fuss) the schedule has been done within minutes.

Back there again tomorrow so will see if the schedule is actually right.

Had a look in a bike shop today to see what I could find - saw a road bike and was over the moon!!!! Until I found out the it is the owners and every single other bike in there is a mountain bike. Bummer. Had a really good chat with the owner and he does lots of races. Told him was doing a triathlon in August which is why I need a bike and he offered to lend me his! lol! Said I need one to train with but thanks for the offer anyway :) He was quite impressed - cycling doesn't seem to a sport for women here.

Went to badminton tonight. There was a child who was probably only 2yrs old there. As soon as he saw me he just burst into tears!! EVERY time he looked at me!! Was hilarious! don't think he's ever seen a non-Korean before and was really scared. His dad came over holding him later to show I wasn't harmful and again, he wailed!! After about 45mins, watching me play badminton, and a push from his dad, he finally was able to look at me in awe without crying! :) He managed to wave at me but wouldn't take my hand - one step at a time! #

Hmmm, a bit longer than I thought it would be ;)

Photos to come in the morning

oooh, the nerve..

So, the director at the school i'm having problems with had the NERVE to ask my other director to ask Jo, to tell me not to mention anything to do with being from Kenya. Cheeky f**k. (Excuse the language parents). That has COMPLETELY rubbed me down the wrong way. If she has a problem with it, I will move. And to put Jo in that position too?!?! She will get a shock from me at work tomorrow.

Arrgh.

Off to badminton. Poor shuttlecock it going to get it :)

An official Alien

Whoop whoop! So, I am now an official Alien in South Korea! It took 2.5 weeks but I now have it!

Work has been frustrating. To cut a long story short, my hours still aren't sorted and one school is taking teachers off their current classes in order for me to teach. No-one knows what's going on so i've been sitting to the side and letting the current teachers get on with their jobs until the directors have got their acts together, sorted out the business side of things and sorted out what i'm supposed to be doing. I've told them that i will happily look for a job elsewhere (which would be a pain but probaby worth it) if they don't get their acts together ASAP. It would really leave them with problems so hope they do.

Thanks to mum (good name!) - I introduce Clive the cactus:

Badminton went well tonight. I "little excel"! - some pictures of me and Mrs Chae (the woman I live with) and the man who is coaching me (the club captain - very cool guy):

My new cactus

I got myself a cactus today. It's lovely but I haven't found a name for it. I have decided it is male.... Yup, that's as far as I got. It's in a little orange pot and sits on my desk.

Schedule changed yet again.... Getting there slowly but surely :)

Immigration tomorrow and fingers crossed an Alien card and my passport ready for me.

Seoul

At 9am on Saturday morning, I hopped on a bus bound for Seoul. It's only a 2.5hr journey and the bus takes you directly into the town so very easy. The subway system in Seoul is similar to that of London's so didn't have any problems finding my way around. The subway (I keep wanting to say tube!) map has prices on the lines from the centre so you know how much your fare is going to be each time. And instead of the ridiculous prices of £4 you'd pay in London for a single journey, it is only 1000won - 50p. Brilliant. They also have an oyster card system too, which saves you about 200won a journey. Not much when you put it into pence (10p!) but it saves having to keep bits of paper which are about 5cm x 2cm and you can also keep topping it up.

I had a list of things I wanted to do during the day and decided to start off with the Namsangol Hanok Village. Hopped on the subway to Chungmuro where the sightseeing began.

Cheonugak Plaza:

Queen Sunjeonghyo Yun's House:

Palaquin:


Me in the doorway looking touristy :)

Aristocracy:

After this I got on a bus to Namsan mountain where the N Seoul Tower is. After a strenuous 5min walk up a beast of a hill, I went up the tower to the observatory, took some piccies and then had a wander around. There was a great family atmosphere with lots of children running about and couples have a drink overlooking Seoul on their Sunday afternoon out. Around the edge of the seating area, is a barrier where there are THOUSANDS of locks locked onto it. An interesting idea and it looks quite cool!

N Seoul Tower:

Smoggy Seoul from the tower:

Keys:

Outside at N Seoul tower:

After having some candy floss and walking back down the hill (just as hard as walking up it!) I got back on the bus and then onto the subway towards Jogno-go to the Jongmyo Royal Shrine:

Just outside the Shrine (it is completely walled in) under the trees were hundreds of men sitting on strips of cardboard with make shift boards playing Chang-gi (the Korean equivalent of chess). They were all very serious and I don't think it's a place for women!! Definitely a man's game here :)

Next on my list was to go to Myeong Dong - this was in search of a bicycle shop but after walking around for nearly an hour and not finding it, I sat down to the most AMAZING meal - it was a meat restaurant. Mmmmmmmm, I am salivating at the thought of it!! Was given an apron to wear and a table that sits 4 people was covered in food for ME :)

Myeong Dong is a very popular shopping area and every shop is a high street name - Adidas, Mango, Ralph Lauren, Nike etc. On the outside edge of this area is City Hall where they had the ceremony for Mr Roh on Friday. Hundreds of riot police where about on Saturday as some troubles were still expected. All sat in straight lines like school children and not much action for them. Although there was a bit of running around:

Riot police:

Met up with some friends from Gunsan, Steve, Lindsey and Mark and we joined two others friends Josh and Jamie in Itaewon. We went to an Italian restaurant and the main reason for that choice was that it serves TEA! Proper English tea. Which was absolute heaven. They also had Guinness which put another smile on my face. I didn't eat after the monster of a meal I had already eaten, but food looked good :) We asked for bruschetta and were given melon, but everything else was right!

Then on to a bar which serves Kilkenny by the jug!! Another smile on my face!!!! Guinness and ale all in one evening!!! It was the final of the super 14s rugby and we went to a sports type pub for it. I could not believe my eyes when I walked in. Every single person in the bar was a foreigner. And it was packed full. Many were South African there for the match, but as we were with a New Zealander, we supported them in the final. They lost. Whoops!

The night went on and we got the bus back to Gunsan at 8:15. I had a relaxing afternoon and had a quick nap and then met up with 9 others at one the bloke's house on his roof. For some salsa lessons! Yes, salsa on the roof! It was great! We were separated into two - boys and girls - and learnt a few of the basic steps. Next lot of lessons next week :)