Blogs from Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, Asia - page 8

This past weekend was a truly Korean experience with the annual Cheongdo Bull Fighting Festival and a tour of the persimmon Wine Tunnel. As the warm weather begins to arrive in South Korea, so too does lots of festivals and events to mark Spring! This weekend we traveled by train to the nearby city of Cheongdo for a day trip we will never forget! Before I get started on Saturday, Mike and I spent Friday night having dinner with an English teacher from his school and her family. It was awesome to eat in a Korean home (apartment) where we all sat around a tiny table on the floor and had a noodle/soup dish. Sandy, the teacher, has 3 kids, the oldest one in grade 1 and the youngest one 17 months and they are so ... read more

I woke up and got ready in less than 7 minutes. I walked to the bus stop and I got on the 840 bus. As I swiped my Daegu card, the machine said something in Korean. It was probably out of money. I knew it was 1100 ( $1.10) but I didn’t have any coins on me. Also it took a very long time to find money in my purse. So embarrassing because when you put money into the machine, it only dumps it when it has the exact change. The machine kept on making clicking noises. On top of that, because the bus was full, I was standing right next to the bus driver. I was surprised he didn’t say anything to me. Because I was all the way in the front, I was far ... read more

Yesterday was a LONG day of lectures. I suspect that's why today was a field trip day. We went to Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto as well as the tombs and Cheomseongdae Observatory. I went to the tombs and the observatory with my homestay family this weekend so it wasn't that exciting. I felt the temple visit was very rushed but I do remember one interesting thing, there was a whole area that was covered in cairns, rocks stacked on top of eachother. There is only one other place that I've seen cairns and that's on the trail. I saw plenty on the Pacific Crest Trail. Good samaritans had placed them in areas where snow or a fork in the road might confuse a hiker. The cairns were used to guide people. I was wondering if ... read more

These are photos which are shotted by my digital camera on the new year day in lunar month, Feb.14th, 2010. All members of my family are gathered to celebrate my parents and my ancestors. To my parents, we, all took a big bow for their long life and we set a table for our ancestors. after a worship for our ancestors, we ate rice soup(떡국) to gain a year and drank rice wine(막걸리) for a good health and fortune of this year. especially, It snowed heavily on eve of this new year in lunar month. "My hometown" had changed to "snow countryside". It was beautiful and good day. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)... read more

So it's been a couple of weeks since I wrote in this thing. The last month has flown by. So much has happened and changed. I've changed and things around me are becoming normal. About a week ago I started to feel like a daily grind was in place. I'm now sick of Korean food and I am craving cheese and familiar food like crazy! At first all the fish, kimchi and mystery meat for exciting and exotic but now lunches are 30 minutes that I'm constantly looking at the clock till I can get back to my desk to eat home brought snacks. The teachers have to eat the same lunch as the kids. I eat with Green and Red class and Tamara Teacher. (That's what the kids call us. Our first name and then ... read more