July, July, July!!!

Well, July is coming to a close and tomorrow I hop on a plane to America!

We've been pretty busy this past month and I can't believe our vacation is here already.

The past two weekends were a blast and we had the chance to spend some really fun times with our neighbors in Globalville.

We went to the Color Me Rad run at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul which turned out to be quite an interesting experience.

Look how clean we are!

 Throughout the 5k, there were occasional stations where staff would essentially hurl mounds of colored powder into us. (Don't worry, it's nontoxic and "washable"!) The goal was to become so colorful you looked like unicorn poop. I believe we accomplished this goal.

Our strapping young men.

Picture perfect timing!

One of our besties, Mindy! <3

We were all so excited about this experience that none of us considered what we would do when it came time to... you know, get on the bus for the 1 1/2 hour ride home. As much fun as it was to be covered in colorful powder, we were all pretty gross by the end of it. All of the bathroom facilities at the stadium were packed, so we opted to go a few subway stops down the line to find a bathroom and try to wash off enough color to be relatively presentable. Needless to say, we were given plenty of strange looks, including one from a man in a pristine suit who seemed disgusted as we stood on the subway... so disgusted that he got right off at the next stop! (I can't blame him, I was feeling pretty icky myself :-O)

About an hour later, we were as clean as we could be so we went for some burgers at Johnny Rockets and called it a night.


As if we wanted to prove that one grimy weekend wasn't enough, we spent last weekend at the Boryeong Mud Festival. The event was essentially a fenced off area not quite as large as a football field with about 7 or 8 water rides/blow up pools filled with mud. That being said, we still had a great time getting muddy and swimming in the sea. 

My students have been on summer vacation for the past two weeks which means it's English Camp time! I went for an Ocean theme this semester and I've been really happy with the results. My students seemed to love the activities and I have successfully tricked them into using English for fun!

My scary sharks!

Putting a "jellyfish" into his bottle aquarium

It's hard to see but there is an awesome plastic bag jellyfish floating in that water.

Preparing the "rice" for candy sushi!

Worms, because swedish fish are nonexistent!

Yummy!

Shaina Teacher went all out for the treasure hunt! Homemade treasure chests!

Check out these treasure maps! (Awesome coloring and burn marks courtesy of Andrew)

Aha! X marks the spot!

I've really been enjoying our summer fun, but it's really strange to realize that in about 24 hours we'll be on our way home to see the family and friends we've missed so much. I'm looking forward to plenty of bear hugs and stuffing my face with good ole' American home cookin'.

Weekend in Osaka

Two weeks ago, Andy and I were fortunate to have a long holiday weekend. We took advantage of the time off for a visit to Osaka, Japan. The trip was planned last minute and I have to admit, when we stepped of the plane, I felt a little apprehensive about our decision. We had done a little research before our arrival but we had no real itinerary for what we wanted to do. It was a completely open schedule for us to do and see whatever we wanted. As I am usually a little compulsive about planning, it was strange to enter the country without a game plan. That being said, it turned out to be an amazing trip.

We spent our first full day at Osaka Castle. The castle is one of Japan's most famous, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century. As we wandered onto the sight, we were approached by a very friendly Japanese tour guide, and she walked with us throughout the site and explained the history and symbolism of various structures at no charge.

We got a fortune at one of the shrines. It was only a "Half good/Half bad" fortune, so we tied it to this structure in hopes that the ancestors would protect us from misfortune.

She was such a nice lady :-)

Dressing up at the museum in the castle.

Lunchtime after our expedition to the castle. We ate at a restaurant with a conveyor belt with plates of sushi. Since different types of sushi have different prices, and we could grab whatever we want, we figured out that the plate designs indicated the price of the food.

Japan is the birthplace of many famous gaming systems, including SEGA. It was really neat when we found a shop with these old school consoles for sale.

Arcades could be found almost everywhere we went, so we tried our hand at some crane machines.

The most fun, however, were the photo booths. These aren't the kinds we're used to, however. Each picture was slightly altered to help us look more... "ideal." Notice our beautifully rounded eyes, perfect skin complexion, and lightly colored lips.

So creepy.

We spent our second full day walking around the area near Tsutenkaku Tower. The area was particularly beautiful at night and the food was delicious!

These guys were everywhere in the Tennōji Zoo. I assume it helped you hear the animals.

This sign was located just outside the nocturnal animal exhibit. If this doesn't make you feel compelled to be quite and respectful towards the animals, I don't know what will.

Kushikatsu, also known as skewered and deep fried deliciousness.

The best pork fried rice I've had in ages

I fell in love with Japan on this trip. Hopefully we'll get to take another trip to see more of this interesting country.



This past weekend, Andy and I went with some friends to 증평 for the farming festival. We weren't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a fun experience with a bizarre twist. We happened to arrive when a group of Koreans hoping to win a photography contest were attending. As the only foreigners there, we caused quite a ruckus. Hopefully, they were able to take the prize winning shot of us eating, dancing, and drinking with those jolly farmers.

It would have been impossible for any of us to be camera shy at this event.

3 Weekends of Travel

Andy and I have been lucky to have three eventful weekends full of beautiful weather and sightseeing with friends.

We took a day trip to the DMZ. Although we didn't go to the Joint Security Area, we had the chance to glimpse parts of the North, including the Kaesong Industrial Complex. It was unnerving as South Korean guards walked through our bus at the Civilian Control Line, and it was thrilling to walk through the 3rd infiltration tunnel. There were many symbols representing a call for reunification, and I felt a surreal sense of disconnectedness as I looked through binoculars at North Korea. I could see this country that is a subject of much controversy and debate, and I couldn't help but wonder what could come of the isolated separation North Korea continues to hold.

The remains of a train recovered after the Korean War. It was filled with bullet holes and other marks of conflict.

Trying to push the two Koreas back together.

These characters representing North and South Korean soldiers could bee seen at every site we visited.

At the northernmost train station just before the boarder. You could buy a "ticket" to Pyeongyang.

Andy and I take a Korean class that is offered through the YMCA in Cheongju. The teachers are so helpful and kind, and they had arranged a trip to the Jincheon Bell Museum and 농다리 (a stepping stone bridge with "thousands of years of history") for our classes. It was nice to spend the day picnicking and hiking with friends.

At the Bell Museum, we had the chance to make paper pressings of bells.

After spraying the paper with water, and covering it with cloth, we slammed a brush against the design.

Once the design was properly pressed onto the paper, we used small ink dabs to copy the design.

Andy tries to win for the blue team!

The waterfall near the stepping stone bridge.

Andy and James are always such serious gents.

In that same weekend, we had the chance to go to a shooting range with some friends from our building. I'm proud to say that I hit 8/25 clay birds, and I just missed tying with Andy's 9/25.

 We also had the chance to see some traditional Korean archery.

Different from the western way, they pull the bow behind the ear and release with their thumb.

This past weekend was a holiday, Buddah's birthday. To take advantage of the time off, we took a trip to Sokcho. We went hiking through Seoraksan National Park, camped on the beach, and went exploring with friends.

Plenty of dried fish to be found at this seaside town.