Jeju Island

So this past week I have spent on my jolly hollies in Jeju Island I had tried to book some hotels but all off them seemed to be full, so I decided to wing it and just turn up and find some places to stay. I am normally a pretty organised and planned person so this was a little outside of my boundaries. But still as my new mantra in South Korea is 'It's a challenge, it's all a learning experience' I decided to go for it. Plus I was not going to sit in 'The Goon' for a whole week.

So this was the route I took over the 5 nights I was there.



So a run down of the week...


Sunday
The flight was so short, I wish that all my flights were only 36 minutes long! There was the favourite korean game of rock scissor paper to win tickets for some show. Unfortunately I fell asleep so missed out. I arrived at the airport, picked up a map and jumped on the number 600 bus. My original plan was to get of at Jungman Resort. I thought seeing as this was a touristy area so the best place to find a hotel. Nothing really took my fancy, as it all seemed like really expensive hotels. I stayed on the bus and eventually got off at the world cup stadium. I had a look around and then met a girl from the US. She pointed me to Seogwipo and I ended up meeting her that night to watch her sing and some of her friends do some readings.
I booked into a hotel, feeling pretty happy with my self that this was all turning out ok and I had somewhere to sleep.
I headed down to the harbour and went to Choenjiyeon water falls.




Monday
I decided I wanted to go to Jeju Sculpture park, the woman at reception did not really speak much English but pointed me up the hill to the bus station. After waiting fro 10 minutes at a bus stop, I asked some and realised I was on the wrong side. I went over to the other stop, stood there for a few minutes, and found out I was still in the wrong place. Fortunately a lady, literally took me and lead me round the corner and I found the actual bus terminal!! I was told I had to change buses somewhere and hopped on a bus. After about 20 minutes on the bus, I saw tourist information centre and thought someone there would speak English. Bob's your uncle I was also sorted and get back on the same bus number that I had got on before brandishing a note in Korean that said Sculpture park, which I waved at the driver. After another 20 minutes the driver stop and waved at me and pointed around the corner. I was there!! After about 2 hours, I had finally made!! I was soooo proud of myself. To top it off the place was beautiful and empty. I spent a several hours wandering around. and was chased by some ducks!





I then headed to Yeomiji Botanical Gardens, Choenjoyeon water falls and then the beach. I decided to stay in Seogwipo for another night.


Tuesday
After being groped by an adjama (a little old lady) at the bus stop, I was on my way to Pyoseon. I went to Jeju Folk Village and then spent the afternoon at the beach.


Wednesday
The plan was to head to Gimnyeong, find a hotel and then go the Manjangul caves. However after getting off in Gimnyeong, I couldn't find a hotel, so got back on the bus and headed to Hamdoek instead. Found a hotel then got back on the bus to go back the way I had come previously! I got off the bus at the entrance of the caves, which was about a 30 minute walk down a road and was chased by 2 Korean sisters who kept saying walking walking and marching on the spot. We finally figured out we were going to the caves so shared a taxi and wandered around the caves together. We then went to Kim Nyoung Maze park. The girls lived in Busan so now I have people to stay with when I go there!


Thursday
I made my way to Jeju-Si for my last day before heading home. The bus driver had plonked me in the front seat and kept pointing at things I should look at. I found a 'hotel' near the bus station to make it easier to get to the airport the next day. I went fora wander around and walked down to Tapdong. Then it started to chuck it down. I mean it was thundering, lightening and CHUCKING it down.



Fortunately I had booked tickets to see Nanta so went off to sit in a nice dry theatre. The show was amazing!!!





So that was it!
Originally I was pretty nervous about traveling around by myself, but it was actually fine! I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. It was also a huge confidence boost knowing that I can successfully travel somewhere where I don't even speak the language, by myself and have a great time!
Yay me!


See the over 200 photos here!!

I had to put together a video for the speech contest on Saturday... so here it is!

This is what I have been doingfor the past 3 months....



(I did not chose the music..)

Weekend in Gurye-gun

This weekend I headed to Gurye-gun. A friend is part of Korea on the Rocks and they were going climbing at Youngseo Popko (The Forgiving waterfall) everyone had gone down on Friday night, so I had to head out.. on public transport.. by myself. We all know what happened last time I took public transport on my own... I ended up taking a 6 hour detour!So I got to the bus station, managed to but a ticket to Iksan, got on the bus, got to Iksan bus station, managed to Iksan train Station, got a ticket and was on a train an hour earlier than predicted and managed to get a seat! Yay me!!!

While on the train I managed to pick up 2 English guys who were also part of the climbing group.We got a taxi to the water fall and it was beautiful. For the whole weekend, I basically just lay around in the sun, read my book, socialised and enjoyed being out of 'The Goon'. There was about 30 'yong-gooks' and quite a few Brits there, which was nice. I also met an American whose Grandmother lives in Chester!!!Louise and I hiked up to the top of the waterfall to watch the sunset and take some photos. Then in the evening we had a camp fire and some singing. As there were a lot of people, it turn into slightly like spring break but on the rocks so there were a few 'men down' because of too much booze, too many rocks and lack of light.I ended up camping in Louise's tent with her and doing pretty much the same relaxing as on Sunday.

We headed home and only managed to standing seats. We managed to find a ledge to sit on in one of the cars, however it had a full view of the men's toilets, where the men never seem to be bothered to close the door!

Photos of the weekend here!

More random thoughts and observations.....

Why do the traffic lights on the 6 lane road I have to cross on the way to work, never work in the mornings.

There seems to be a competition as to who can have the smallest pencil case. Mine is big enough to carry a small Chihuahua and amazes the kids.

Women tend to find the shortest shorts they can and wear high heels to go hiking in. You can have the shortest shorts ever but you must wear a baggy top with them. Shoulders must be covered.

There are at least 3 Lotte Mart shop assistants in every isle, ready to help you - whether you want it or not.

Some Koreans do not say excuse me. They either wait 20 minutes for you to figure out they are there. Or completely shove past you.

Rock scissors, paper stone, sorts out every small child's arguments. They completely abide by the outcome.

Some Koreans like you to see what they are eating, after they have chewed it for a few minutes. They talk with their mouth open all the time.

The majority of Korean construction is baddd - including my leaking window, handles falling off the door at work, the floor flooding and bad ventilation, so the tables grow mould!

When Koreans gets a snotty luggie in their throat, they just hack it up and if you are like my co-worker spit it in the bin next to my desk.

If you have a sofa delivered or something equally big, it is delivered through your window, on a lift that whizzes it up the outside of the building. This is pretty impressive when it is on the 15th floor.

People - especially women smoke in bathrooms. Including my neighbour, so it drifts through the air vents into my bathroom.

Bathroom stalls have mirrors in them. Like - on the back of the door so you can do your make up and pee at the same time! Or at Thursday Party, the mirrors are that bug you can watch yourself pee... just what you have always wanted!

***Dislaimer - Please note these are my observations and do not apply to every single Korean - just the majority!!!!

Doljanchi

For my first doljanchi, this was pretty spectacular, the parents had gone all out! They had hired a huge hall in 'Korea Wedding'. At the entrance there was a table with a very expensive looking photo album of the baby, photos printed on to ceramic plates and a gold cast of the babies feet and hands.



There was a huge buffet, spread along the back of the hall, with an open kitchen will people cooking more food. There were balloon displays, 2 projector screens, running a video and photos of the baby, a stand up poster screen with a picture of the baby.

The food was AMAZING! There was sushi, caviar, oysters, shrimps, all kinds of rice cakes, fruit, salad, kimbap fried vegetables, soups, kebabs. ALL KINDS!!

We then sang happy birthday and the doljabi took place.

This is a video of the Doljabi, where the baby picks the object,



He picked up the string which signifies a long life but also picked up a mouse as well, showing he would get a job in technology.

It was a pretty interesting experience. When we left, we were given a box of rice cake and a towel, with the baby's name embroidered on!

More photos here!

Well this week has been challenging to say the least!! A few issues at work which actually haven't made life that difficult for me but caused a lot of shouting at each other between my co-workers.

To be honest it is all pretty ridiculous and petty but I am very proud of myself and the way I have reacted. Instead of screaming back and throwing a strop. I aired my views calmly and clearly. I have found that I am standing up for myself in a quiet and mature way. Before I would have moaned about the issue to my friends and not done anything about it. Now I am confronting them in a composed and restrained manner. Or so I like to think!!

Well, we all have a meeting at 9am on Monday with the Dean to discuss everything, so we will see how it goes!!

I think out of all the countries I have visited, this one is testing me the most. It is testing my working relationships and how to deal with pesky co workers. It is testing me on how to live alone. It is testing how I cope with a completely new culture, that I have never experienced before. It is testing my communication skills at work and in general day to day life.

However despite all of this, I am actually enjoying being here! I enjoy being challenged every day and experiencing something totally new and different.

So this weekend is going to be slightly more laid back than last weekend. I am going to a Jo's friends babies first birthday party. Otherwise known as doljanchi. It is a pretty big deal here. So should be interesting!

Well what a mammoth weekend!!

Friday started off pretty busy as KM had decided to combine the lessons in the morning. The meant I was teaching the adult and 5/6 grade class together for 90 minutes and then the kindergarten joined towards the end as well. So after scrubbing the underneath of all the tables because they had a thick layer of mould growing on it, (The joys of working in the equivalent of a cellar in wet humid Korea) I got to go home at 4.30!!

Jo and I were heading to Seoul for the weekend end to go to her directors restaurant and some workshop, I want really sure of the plans. She picked me up at and we headed off to Deachon. (Remember the place that took me 6 hours instead of 1!) We picked her another teacher and her 2 children.

We got to Seoul about 12 and went night shopping Dongdaemun Shopping Center we shopped there until about 3am and then continued to the restaurant. We got to Yangju-si at about 5.30am and settled into our room above the restaurant. We were then brought beer and proceeded to actually get very drunk considering it was now 6am!!

About 11.30, a woman came into our room and started to literally pull the blankets out from underneath us. She needed to clean the room for the next people and considering we were staying for free, we obliged. We were then sent into the roof which had a deck type thing with a cover and we slept there for another few hours. It was all very bemusing and comical.

We then woke up again at about 1.30, when Jo's director came up and we had some lunch. The workshop never really happened as we were too hungover and the person who was running the workshop didn't arrive.

We left abut 5 o'clock to make our way home. However we found a really nice Sculpture park and went for a wander around that.

We then found another sculpture park and art museum called Jangheung art park and looked around that one.

Then we found some amusement arcades and stayed there for a couple of hours. By this time , it was about 8.30, we decided it would be easier to stay and go home the next day.

However this weekend was a holiday weekend so all the rooms were booked up. We got back to the restaurant and slept for a bit in a tiny tiny room. We were then woken up again about 2am, and told the room was too small for us and we were to go and sleep in the restaurant. Fortunately part of the restaurant was Korean style so it had underfloor heating. We all went back to sleep in the restaurant - including the director and his wife!

I have begun to realise that I never know what is going to happen in Korea, so you just have to go with it!!!

On Sunday we set off around 10am and headed to Cheongam folk museum.

After this we drove to a pottery place. Which was really nice but after waiting an hour and 20 minutes for the girls to decide what colour pottery to buy in one of the shops, I was ready to leave.

By this time it was abut 4.30, the kids were really tired and whiny (as they had been most of the weekend, but that is a different story) I finally thought we were heading home.

Then I see a Hollywood style sign saying English village. Next thing I know we are driving up to it and parking. The English Village is really well known in Korea. It is basically a specially build village all in Englsih style where kids can go and learn English. Then Jo tells me were are only about and hour and half from the North Korean border! So I was estimating it would take about 4 hours to get home. THEN, I find out they want to look around the village but you have to pay to get in. BUT if you wait until 5 you can go in for free. By this point I was guessing I would not be home until 12/1 o'clock and was seriously annoyed.

We had a wonder around, it actually was pretty interesting but mainly amusing to see how thy had interpreted how an English village should look! There were a couple of Romania's working there, that I had a chat to in English also.

Finally we left at about 7pm and started on the way home. Having had enough of the kids, I plugged in my ear phones and tried to get some sleep.

Before I went to sleep, I noticed that the river we were driving along was protected by barbed wire and ahd military watch posts every so often. It turns out it was the Han River and the North Koreans would try and attack by the river.

So I finally got back to 'The Goon' at about midnight. I have never been so happy to be home. It was a fun weekend but a looooooooooooooooong weekend!!

So this is a rough idea of where I went!

Pics of the weekend here!