Yenny van Andel

Yenny

Yenny van Andel

I was consumed by the travel bug during my first summer of university. I had four months of freedom, so rather than apply for a restaurant job in my small (albeit beautiful and quaint) hometown of Port Perry, I applied to teach English in Madrid, Spain. I managed to become an Au Pair for an ah-mazing spanish family, who took me in, and allowed me to travel around Spain with them in exchange for teaching their three children English. I fell in love with Spain, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Following that summer, I couldn't really just stay at home, so the next two summers were spent in the foothills of Mount Burgess, at Emerald Lake Lodge in Beautiful British Columbia. Serving international clientele on the most beautiful patio on earth, while hiking mountains in my free time was unforgettable.

Then I decided, instead of just travelling during my free summers, I should incorporate travelling into my school-time as well. So I did a semester abroad in Budapest, Hungary. I spent four months falling in love with the beautiful old city, while living with a Hungarian, a German and a French girl. We held the best "flat parties" in the city!

My fourth and final summer of university was spent in the Caribbean, working as a receptionist at a Club Med resort. The culture of the Bahamians was remarkable, and my time there will never be forgotten.

Finally, upon graduating from university, I immediately took off to Seoul, South Korea to teach English. I was a teacher by day, and a journalist/blogger by night. I have a profound respect for Koreans, due to their motivated and hardworking natures. It was a year I will cherish forever.

Upon returning from Seoul I have re-discovered Canada and the beauty my own country holds. I am still on a journey, and each day brings new adventures.

Cabo

North America » Mexico » Baja California » El Arco February 11th 2014

Pelican Pose

Yenny

As the winter doldrums were just starting to kick in, I jetted off to Cabo for a little getaway. Having paid for a non-stop flight to Mexico, one would assume I was flying non-stop to Mexico. Right? However, once I had settled into the plane, buckled my seat belt and prepared for takeoff, we were all informed that there would be a brief layover in Corpus Christi, Texas, due to the "strong headwinds." Apparently we wouldn't make it to Mexico if we didn't stop to refuel! A collective grumble rose throughout the plane as we braced ourselves for a seven hour journey, rather than four. Two bumpy landings, and a popped ear later, every traveler looked exhausted as we were ushered onto a bus to Royal Decameron, a resort that had just opened a ... read more

Southern Soarin'

North America » United States » Florida » Indian Rocks Beach January 22nd 2014

crowning dusk

Yenny

Winter is the time many snowbirds head on down to warmer pastures, after enduring a few months of seemingly unceasing bitter cold. I was given the opportunity to venture down to Florida for a week after Christmas, which is a chance I most certainly snapped at! I packed my bag and found myself driving down on the i-75, through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and finally, 24 hours later, Florida. Having never driven for more than eight hours in one trip, I found the drive excruciatingly long. However, on the plus side, I got to steadily feel the temperatures rising, which built up the excitement. When we arrived, we were welcomed with a few celebratory glasses of wine (not the first celebration of the week-or the first drink!), and then crashed quite quickly, falling asleep the second ... read more

Making Memories in Muskoka

North America » Canada » Ontario » Muskoka July 11th 2013

Iconic

Yenny

Is there anything better than cottages in the summer? Packing up your sunscreen and bathing suit, turning off the cell phone and making the trek into the wilderness! The drive itself amps up the excitement as the vehicles around you slowly disperse until you find yourself winding through dense forests, with nothing but you and beautiful, beautiful silence. I was invited by Auntie Anne to spend a few days in Muskoka, on the ritzy Lake Rosseau. Of course I took her up on the invitation, and before I knew it I was driving down the Trans Can Highway with the windows rolled down, blaring the Tragically Hip. The striking granite cliffs and thick pine forests led the way... I would occasionally see glimpses of stunning lakes peeking through the trees, but my excitement kept me on ... read more

Breathtaking Vancouver

North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver » Stanley Park June 27th 2013

Breathtaking view

Yenny

It's been a twelve hour flight. We step off the plane, and what do you know? Its morning again, and I feel exhausted. On top of that? Its my birthday. Dad and I took the long flight from Seoul to Vancouver. Instead of doing the entire trip home to Toronto, we're having a layover for two days in Vancouver to slowly get adjusted to Canadian time. I still remember my first step outside into the brisk March air. Has Canada always been this quiet and empty?" Having spent one full year living in Seoul, I suppose I had gotten used to living in a city of ten million people, and everything that comes along with that. So my first breath of Canadian air was a welcome surprise. It's incredible how quickly you can get used to ... read more

Korea Finale

Asia » South Korea » Jeju » Jeju-si June 26th 2013

Traditional Korean outfit

Yenny

The final trip around Korea began with my jet-lagged father arriving in Seoul around midnight, followed by an hour of searching for the Sunshine Guesthouse in the busiest district of the city. There wasn't a lack of people willing to help us find the illustrious guesthouse, the problem was- all their directions were inaccurate. Finally, we somehow weaved our way down a back alley and saw the glowing fluorescent lights of SUNSHINE in tacky green and yellow hues. We were thrilled. I don't think my dad's head even touched the pillow before he was out like a light. The following two weeks were a whirlwind. We spent the first few days in Seoul, then a few days in a UNESCO town called Gyeongju, then a day in Busan, followed by three days on Jeju Island, then ... read more

Anyong Haseyo

Asia » South Korea » Seoul » Gwanak-gu March 5th 2013

Smurf Class

Yenny

Well, my time in Korea is rapidly coming to an end. I thought I was ready to leave, but as I sat with my students on my final day of work, I felt myself welling up. The kids were being extra kee-owa (meaning "cute," the first Korean word I learned,) and I started thinking about the daily routine of my life in Seoul that I had grown so accustomed to. How had it become normal for me to receive daily hugs from adorable little Asians as they said "I love you Yenny teacher!"? How was dancing with a group of kids to "Summer Lovin" and singing at the top of my lungs part of my daily life? How was walking into a classroom with twenty pairs of eager eyes staring expectantly up at me, just an ... read more

'Tis the Season

Asia » South Korea » Seoul » Gangnam January 2nd 2013

Christmas in Seoul

Yenny

Wow, what a year! 2012 has proved to be full of adventures for me here in Asia! I just realized I haven't written a blog since August, so Christmas vacation seems like the perfect time for an update. The last few months have flown by. Christmas in my school was a riot! The kids began talking about it mid-November, and didn't stop until December 25th. We had the privilege of receiving a visit from Santa himself, on December 21st. One of my older students aptly pointed out, "I know he's not real. The real Santa comes to my house through the chimney." (This was said in complete seriousness). Either way, most of the kids seemed to be in complete and utter awe of Santa when he bumbled through the door into each classroom. Some students were ... read more

Peking!

Asia » China » Beijing » Wangfujing August 9th 2012

Classy bunch

Yenny

The deprived little Korean children are only given ONE meager week of summer vacation, which means myself, a teacher, only gets one week as well. When trying to decide where to spend our precious week, the choices were narrowed down to Japan, Thailand and China due to proximity. In the end, the choice was obvious: Beijing, China! It was half the price for a flight, only one hour away from Seoul, and once there, room and board were ridiculously inexpensive as well. We knew it was going to be a good trip when we boarded the plane and realized they had bumped us up to first class! We were treated like royalty the entire time: extra drinks, slippers, blankets, pillows, and more leg room than necessary. I almost wished the flight was longer! Once we arrived, ... read more

Konglish

Asia » South Korea » Seoul June 24th 2012

The pizza

Yenny

One of my favourite "Korea-isms" thus far is the abundance of spelling mistakes that I see on a daily basis, wherever I go. You know that rewarding feeling that comes over you when you notice a spelling mistake in a book? You get this triumphant, almost cocky feeling that you're smarter than the publisher! You might even insist on telling whoever will listen that you found the mistake so they can thus be impressed by your cunning eye. Well, it has come to the point here that I don't even feel impressed with myself anymore- the amusement has worn off! South Korea is fervently welcoming English into its country with wide open arms. This is evident in the high demand for English teachers in recent years. As well, everywhere you go, especially in the main cities ... read more

Teaching

Asia » South Korea » Seoul » Seongbuk-gu June 17th 2012

First Day!

Yenny

As of tomorrow, I will have been teaching in Korea for two months. In that time, my experience as an English teacher has been anything but boring. On day one, I was put in front of a classroom of kids with the only instructions being: "Teach." So, as instructed, I began teaching. I have been doing my best to make a difference in these little kids impressionable minds. Some days seem to be more succesful than others. I will try to sum up a few of my thoughts, and experiences thus far. I remember walking into each class on the first day and introducing myself to the students. Depending on the class, I was greeted with varying reactions. With one classroom in specific, I was literally greeted with shrieks of fear. The children had never seen ... read more

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