This week has been a pretty productive week. I got my Chinese visa, fixed my bike, transferred money (all by myself), made homemade pasta (a bit of a disaster but good tip - a bottle of vodka is a good substitute for a rolling pin!), been to the gym at 7am a few times (despite not starting work until 1pm).

Then, today I received a phone call saying not to go into work until 3pm, so I decided to plonk myself down and write a post.

Teaching this week has been pretty quiet because a lot of swine flu cases. One of my student's sister had it but she is fine. However KM would not go near him, or touch his textbook as result. She was saying how scared she was and how I had to 'put the gas on at home' so I didn't 'get cold' as it is 'dangerous'. Some of my friends have had to wear masks at school, and people are continuously using hand sanitiser left right and centre.

I don't know if I am being completely blase about it all. I am washing my hands etc, but as I always do. I am not going to panic and stay at home and not live my life though. The majority of Koreans seem to be pretty hysterical about it all though.

It is being suggested that schools should close as written in the Korean Times.

Next week all the students take College Scholastic Ability Test and people are worried that students will be ill and unable to take the exam. This test is a huuuuuge deal here. Businesses open later and planes are not allowed to fly during listening sections of the test. Read this article here about it, it is pretty insane.

This also leads me to think about the pressure the kids are under here. My students will go to school, come to my academy, go to math academy, Taekwondo, science club and not get home until 8 or 9 at night. The children are under so much pressure to achieve high grades and study, that they don't have any time to play and be kids.

Korean culture is definitely in a league of it own! I am excited to go to China and see what other parts of Asia are like - 3 weeks to go!

This weekend Jo and I spent the weekend at Mary's mother's house in Jeongeup . Her mother lives in a traditional Korean house called a hanock.
We spent Saturday night drinking beer, with her mum and her friend who is Korean but lives in Brazil!
Her mum was doing palm readings for us. Bearing in mind we could not communicate at all because of the language barrier, this is what she told me.She told me I had 2 boyfriends at the moment but I needed to be careful, as they would try to take money off me.I would have a long successful life.I would marry at 30 and have 3 children, the first being a very strong boy.So let's see what happens!

On the Sunday we went to Neajansan National park. It was sooo beautiful because of all the autumnal colours. We didn't really hike that much but did make it up a smaller peak.
Once my my super expense 60p card reader arrives from Hongkong I will add the photos!

Also on the way to work this morning, I counted 7 new buildings that were being constructed in my area. The other night I found a few new bars behind Lotte Mart. on being Wow and Joy. Think an American style sports bar with greasy fired food and super cheap international beers. I think I have found my new local! The owner also speaks some English which is always a bonus!There is an other bar, that I haven't tried that looks really nice with an outdoor patio, which will be nice when it gets warm again.
The rate that buildings go up here is so fast, one minute there are allotments next to you, then there is another apartment building!!

Still alive..... just

This week has been pretty quiet in the Goon.
Last weekend, we took a trip to the fish market and cooked up a seafood storm! I ate mussels, scallops, shrimp and crab. It was all pretty 맛있은 (delicious). I did have some photos of still squirmy octopus and crabs etc, but my camera is playing up and won't let me download them.

The still alive comment refers to yesterdays activity. I was with KM and we had a cooking day. The vocab sheet you gave to me included phrases such as 'it's yummy, it's yucky' and my personal favorite 'it tastes like feet'. That one really made me laugh!

We were making dokbokki (thick rice cake noodle things in a spicy sauce). My first concern was the gas camping stove thing with boiling water in the middle of a table with 6 kindergarten kids running round. When I got over this fear. I saw KM trying to light another gas stove using a twisted piece of newspaper lit from the other stove. The gas wouldn't turn on and the flames were getting precariously close to her finger, so she proceeded to waft it around and then drop it in one of the kids plastic bowls. She then ran out with the flaming plastic bowl. As that attempt to kill us didn't work, she had left the gas on while trying to sort of the flaming plastic bowl. Fortunately one of the parents had stayed, smelt the gas and turned it off. Crisis averted.. until next class.

This time she couldn't turn on the stove and kept clicking the gas on, as you can imaging the kids are very excited and curious and all peering pretty closely at the stove, next thing the gas lights and whooomph flames gush out. Fortunately everyone kept their eyebrows!

Seriously though, I do not know how this woman has not had a serious accident! Things have been pretty well with her though, apart from her reading my emails and opening attachments while I am teaching, rooting through my rubbish and telling me I am 'sexy, sexy'!!!

I nearly had a panic attack this week. My co-teacher was saying 'oh you went to the University of Huddersfield, and volunteered in Brazil and Costa Rica. I see from the website!' Thinking he had found my blog, I had a mild panic attack, but it turns out I am actually on the University website.

My week was also quite entertaining. We were discussing a folk story about an indian who found his grandfathers coat, made of animal skin in a bag. I asked the students what the coat was made out of, expecting the answer to be animal skin, wolf skin or something similar. One of my students chirped up with' His grandfather.' It completely cracked me up, made me cry with laughter in front of the class and lose complete control for the next 5 minutes.

In another class, one of the kids called me an adjuma (meaning old woman) and then proceed to 'pass wind'. One of the students ran off to tell my co-teacher, who then asked after class, 'was it true one of the students sh*t' their pants?'

I also got my hair cut this week, which was badly needed and I had been putting off because of the language barrier. Fortunately Jo came with me and a fiver later, I had a swanky new hair cut.

I went into work at 11 on Friday as I was not sure if I was supposed to go in at 11 or 1 and thought it would be better safe than sorry. KM was hoovering when I got there, so she did not hear me announce myself. A few seconds later she turns rounds, gets the fright of her life and squeals. The second time, I nearly wet myself laughing in twice as many days!!

On Saturday, I went into Jeonju. We had a look around the Hanok Folk Village and then headed to the Zoo. We then found a battle of the bands that seemed to be happening and sat and watched a screeching Korean girl 'sing' for a bit.

Sunday, Jo, Elizabeth and I had decided to cook different types of food and have a multicultural meal. I was cooking and dancing to music semi-naked (I can do this as I live by myself!!) before they arrived, when there was a knock on the door. It was Cindy from 202. Her boyfriend lives in my building and she is studying English in Busan and needed some help with an assignment. I told her to come back, I got dressed, tidied up and then helped her translate some phonic stuff. She is super sweet!

Then we all ate a huge meal of mac and cheese, veggie burgers, japchae, Yubu Chobap, and yakimandu.

I then took a spin on Elizabeth bike - by myself! Jo tried but her legs were to short to reach

the ground!

More pics here!

Thursday night, I met up with Joanna and Elizabeth. Elizabeth just bought a moped and lives near me, so she gave me a lift home!

I was a little nervous!

But it is actually really good fun!

On Friday I spent the day at Jo's Aunt's house, which was way out in the country! We spent the afternoon making songpyeon which is a traditional Chusok ricecake.

We made hundreds!!!

Saturday, I went for a wander around the park with some expats, and then had dinner at Joanna's with the most delicious fresh shrimp I have ever had!

Saturday, I ended up seeing Fame with Jo, drinking coffee while sitting over looking the lake.
My life is tough!

Then went out for dinner, Gunsan is famous for its seafood. So we went to a seafood restaurant. I ate all kinds! This octopus that is cut up yet still moves on your plate, sliced raw fish, oysters, fried tuna fish head, crab, these crunchy fish things. All kinds!!! Needless to say I have ticked that box and probably will not repeat most of the experiences but at least I can say I have tried it all!


Photos from the weekend here!