Blogs from Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, Asia - page 7

We left for Gyeongju on Friday afternoon (we had an early dismissal of school that day). The whole staff went; not just teaching staff but dorm staff, kitchen staff, cleaning staff, and Korean admin staff. It is a time to build community between the different parts of our school. The school foots the bill for everyone to stay at a really nice hotel for the weekend, eating these massive buffet dinners and even getting some cultural experiences (I’ll talk about those later). Our speaker for the weekend was a guy named Ben Torrie (which I thought was pretty funny, eh Freemans?). He comes from a long line of American missionaries in Korea and China. He spoke on building community (and did this well), but what I found most interesting was his current mission in Korea. He ... read more

For one thing, it is an adventure in and of itself to travel with 12 co-workers, co-inhabiters for a weekend long single room stay. OK, in all fairness, the first night we had two rooms....one housing our Korean administrator, her friend, and 3 female foreign teachers. The other, the rest of us. You learn in a hurry who snores...and if you are reading this, you know who you are. Let's admit it, everyone in Gyeongju knows who you are. But it was all part of the fun, watching the drama unfold as 13 people that already get quite enough of one another, attempting a weekend of fun and togetherness. No fists were thrown, no pillows anhiliated, no hearts broken. There was a little tension, but all things considered, the weekend went off without a hitch. Aside ... read more

I have to say thank god for my lessons on the subway with Jen in Seoul seeing's I had never been on one in my life before. The one here is much simpler only consisting of 4 lines which I easily got myself to my first destination stop with. Then searching for a hotel that no longer exists got me a little confused, but I got'er all figured out with my ever improving sign language/sherrades (sp) act. By noon I was unpacking in my not so wonderful room and opening up the guide book on what to see. Honestly though people I wouldn't by the Lonely Planet "Korea" book because most of the directions in it suck. First I though I'd take a gander over to the oh so famous fish market. Jagalchi Fish Market ... read more

Dusk. Moving Sillouettes on the other side of the glass. Inside the train it could be any world out there- any temperature, any climate. Any place with trees. Right now, it is the DOminican Republic, and I am headed for the beach. Then the song changes in my headphones and it is Canada, and I am headed home to you... Lights. Miles of endless city. Now I remember- I am headed to Busan. Beach. Romantic, despite the figid air. At least it is from this side of the glass...in my mind. I have let the trip to the Philippines sink in, and I can hardly wait. It is making me remember why I came on this trip- adventure. That is the true reason, the honest reason. I have nothing to prove, besides the daily battle I ... read more

Sick of Seoul we took a trip down south to the ancient city of Gyeongju, it was Korea's first capital under the old Silla empire and a welcome change from the hustle of the modern day capital. I'm glad we did as we have now seen the other side of South Korea, and it's beautiful. We also used the bus for the first time on our trip this year, well versed in flying and jaunting about on a train this was a little bit different. The buses were total luxury, there were only 3 seats in each row, a 2 and a single seater, and they were like first-class airline seats, big padded leather numbers with a total recline and leg-rest capacity, sweet as bro. It took about 5 hours to get there so the novelty ... read more