Romance in Seoul is: Movies, Food, and Hiking Work-out Equipment

I've been itching for a while now to write a new blog post. I'd been holding off these last few weeks in an effort to upload pictures, videos, and memories of my time in Hong Kong over the Lunar New Year (Feb.2-6), but alas, I still have many pictures to go through (let alone upload and edit!) and so I've finally given in and decided to go ahead anyway and write to all of you lovely bloggers. My adventures in Hong Kong will have to be delayed for yet another time....(hopefully soon!)

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to see a movie here at the theaters in Korea for the very first time! And what do you guess was the movie we saw? None other than the Disney/Pixar film: "Tangled" - a Rupunzel story. And get this! Not only was it my first movie in Korea, but it also happened to be a 3D movie in Korea! Yahtzee!!! No holding back here! Go big or go home! Go 3D or be LAME!

This movie was seriously awesome. I mean, no joke. I was smiling the whole time - I loved that there was music, there was romance, there was action, there was horror - everything you could ask for in a Disney feature film! Honestly, it brought be back to the days of Ariel, Belle, Jasmine and Pocahontas! This was truly a fabulous flick and I couldn't help but secretly desire that I was Rupunzel herself, singing, frolicking, and letting down my long hair.

The next day, in order to release my inner longings of wannabe-Repunzel/Many Moore who did the voice for the character, Amos and I had a delicious blueberry pancake breakfast followed by a hike on a trail not far from the school's campus. We had a great view of Seoul and had a blast taking in the scenery. And, like most hikes in Korea, we ran into several spots where work-out equipment was available to get your blood pumping even more....because God knows that when you're already doing an intense, physical workout, you need to CONTINUE doing an intense, physical workout by taking time to lift a barbell, do situps, crunches, and perhaps even some pull-ups. See photos below:





Luckily all that moving around paid off because Monday night (Valentine's Day!), Amos took me out to a fabulous little Italian restaurant (about a 15 minute walk from campus) and we had our fill of delicious food and drink! It was definitely fun to get dressed up, too! I even sported some black tights - the winter fashion essential for Korean women. Amos brought me roses and gave me the THIRD card of the day (he'd given me two earlier) and we enjoyed a lovely Valentine's evening together.



Last night, I took a taxi to the Hapjeong subway station so that I could arrive in Itaewon later that evening to meet up with a few friends. After nearly having my taxi cab crash into another vehicle as we were arriving at the subway station, I quickly got out, thanked the embarrassed taxi driver, and was on my way. I had a lovely time meeting up with my friend Molly and her fiance Justin at a delicious Greek restaurant called "Santorini" - amazing food and great conversation!

Warmer weather seems to be peaking its head out from behind corners here in Seoul, but the cold still remains. Luckily, my 5 minute walk to work every morning allows me to keep warm most days and considering what I believe was "Korea's coldest" was when I was back home in Chicago over the holidays, things have been bearable and long underwear has become my new best friend when out and about on some of the bitterly cold winter weeks and weekends walking around Seoul.

Sending you all warm wishes and looking forward to hearing what's new in your lives! Stay tuned for my next blog post on my "Lunar Adventures in Hong Kong" ;-)

Weekend Wonders: Vienna Boys Choir, Beatboxers, and Lash Extensions

Last weekend was quite the eventful weekend - I had the chance to do a variety of activities and thoroughly enjoyed my days off. Unfortunately, I've waited a week to share any of it with you, oh faithful bloggers, and find myself in the midst of yet another eventful weekend. Perhaps I can share mostly with you the fun had last weekend and dabble and dip a bit into some of the fun had this weekend.....yes?

Random side note: "Fiddler On the Roof" has been echoing over and over again in my head (the High School is performing it this semester as their Spring Musical and I, as vocal director, have been unable to get any of the tunes out of my head - this morning as I jumped out of the shower, listening to the soundtrack on my iPhone, I was caught by surprise at the tears I shed upon hearing the song "Far From the Home I Love", in which the daughter Hodel tells her father Tevye that she must Anatevka and join her fiance Perchek in Serbia.....very heart wrenching....very intense...very moving...) - its been a fun week and I reflect fondly back now on the memories of this past weekend....

Friday evening, I ended up going to City Hall with the High School youth group where we went ice skating!!! It was SOOO much fun (despite the cold!), and I was amazed that I only ended up falling once (er...twice...er....shoot....I think it was three times....yup....definitely three times....FAIL)! There were a ton of people out and about on the ice and I loved that one could enjoy such a fabulous winter activity right in the center of downtown Seoul! Here's a photo of me putting on my skates:



Here's another few shots of me and some of the other teachers that helped out with the event, as well as a variety of other skaters that were enjoying the evening, too!





Later, I headed back with the youth group to help chaperone their lock-in for the evening where we indulged in all kinds of junk food, played a variety of games and sports, watched a movie, and simply enjoyed each other's company before finally heading to bed.

We woke up Saturday morning (slowly, but surely!) and quickly readied ourselves for a delicious pancake breakfast! It was so wonderful to have the chance to connect with so many of these kids from outside a school classroom setting. It was cool to just see them "be" - to see how they interact with one another....to see how they play, how they have fun, how they socialize! It was just a different side of them that was very humbling to witness and to experience! I was so grateful for the chance to hang with them and in return, get to know them a bit better in a social setting!

Saturday mid-morning and early afternoon consisted of lounging, lunching, and laughing (primarily with the boyfriend) and by 4pm that day, I readied myself to head down to Seoul Arts Center with several other teacher friends to hear a concert of the Vienna Boys Choir! We all made sure to leave enough time to grab dinner before the concert and once the show started, we were all captivated by the amazingness of these 25 little boys (ages 10-14) that seemed to so flawlessly make beautiful music! They sang an hour and a half program (all from memory of course), and aside from their ability to create such beautiful sounds, their focus, stage presence, and ability to so confidently perform astounded both me and my other teacher friends. I decided then and there that I have a new life goal (among the many I already have and intend to keep!): one day I hope to solo with the Vienna Boys choir! No...I don't mean magically become a boy, audition for the group, and hope I make it so I can sing a solo with them kind of solo singing....I mean to be asked as a professional musician...as a professional singer...to sing some sort of arrangement of any variety of beloved vocal/choral literature, and solo with the Vienna Boys Choir as they accompany with their angelic, flawless sounds! Perhaps its a far-off hope....perhaps their may never be such a chance...but the hope is strong and the idea is a wonderful one....I can only imagine what it might be like....:-)

I've been regularly attending a Lutheran Congregation here in Seoul for the last several months since I've arrived, and recently, I've taken on a few "duties and responsibilities" during the worship services at "International Lutheran Church" in Itaewon, headed by Minnetonka, MN native, Pastor Steve! Last Sunday, Pr. Steve asked me to do the readings from Isaiah and 1st Corinthians....it was fun to finally feel like I was a part of the commnunity by having a way to participate! Pr. Steve says he wants me to sing sometime soon as my next contribution in the coming weeks....hopefully we can make it happen :-)

Sunday afternoon was filled with excitement and flurry as I looked forward to my first rehearsal with the Camarata Music Company - a community choir founded by a fellow Luther grad, Ryan Goessl, who's lived here in Seoul the last several years. After a somewhat lengthy commute in the fresh-falling snow (that had a habit of sticking to my face...brr!), the 4-hour rehearsal resulted in the meeting of new people from all over Seoul and thoroughly practicing Mozart's Requiem (to be performed by the choir this May!). It was an interesting experience and although I'm unsure of how time will play into my participation in the group, it was fun to get out and meet some new folks!

Speaking of musical experiences, this weekend offered up yet another chance to listen to some great vocalizing! Last night (Friday night), the High School Sophomore student council sponsored a Music Festival in the hopes of raising money for charity! The event was outstanding and although it was unfortunate the publicity had not reached as many folks as hoped for, those of us there were BLOWN away! The first group was an all-male 5 person group that sang a variety of well known opera tunes, as well as a few other mainstream hits. The voices of these young men (probably all my age or a bit older from the looks of it) where breathtaking - I honestly had my mouth to the floor the whole time - I'd SO wished I'd known to advertise something like this among my students (especially my middle school BOYS!) so that they could SEE how cool it is to sing....how BEAUTIFUL it is to sing....

The next act was a professional beat-boxer! This dude was outa SIGHT! I couldn't believe some of the sounds he was able to create! He honestly sounded like he could have held up his own club, performed all the music at it, and only been in need of a lighting man to create cool effects on the dance floor...ha! Hopefully I'll get a chance to post a video I took of him later....he was fabulous!

The final act I unfortunately had to miss, but I heard only good things! Regardless, it was an amazing show and I was so glad that the folks who WERE there and DID get to see it seemed to have such a great time! :-)

As I'm looking forward to Saturday night and the rest of this weekend's events, I leave you with one more story:
After meeting up with a few friends for some conversation and fun last night in Itaewon, I spoke to a friend of a friend who was talking up the idea of eyelash extensions. This girl herself had had them done and mentioned that you can get lash extensions done in a variety of places here in Korea because of the Koreans' obsession with big eyes, big lashes, and beauty overall. I was intrigued by the conversation and knowing full well that there was a place nearby my apartment that offered this service, I went ahead and tried it for myself this afternoon to see if it really was a beauty technique that is as cool as it sounds! After about an hour (and the equivilant of $40 USD later...), I walked out with seemingly long, gorgeous lashes, feeling nothing but lightness from the tops of my lids! Who knew something so crazy in the world of beauty could be so satisfying..haha!

Blessings to each of you, oh faithful bloggers, and hope your weekends are filled with relaxation and fun, regardless of Boy Choirs, Beatboxers, or Lash Extensions...;-)

A Korean Homecoming

Homecomings are usually celebrated events, filled with joy, excitement, and reuniting and this past holiday season was no exception. After numerous stresses leading up to the three-week long Holiday Break, including the loss of my maternal Grandfather (Louie Justin), endless concert preparations, holiday parties, and gift-giving, my return to the states on Dec. 17, 2010 was truly a joyous and exciting event. It really was a "Homecoming" of friends, family, and loved ones and I was truly grateful for the chance to see so many and to reconnect with so many beloved people in my life who were more than curious to hear about what I'd been up to here in Korea ;-)

On Dec. 9, 2010, I learned of my Grandfather's passing while walking home late from work after an evening choir rehearsal. I felt so trapped...so isolated....so helpless....what could I do? Nothing. There was nothing I could do. I was so far away and so many miles away, that the thought of even thinking I could do something was an impossibility. And so I cried. I cried and cried and even despite the overwhelming help I received from so many of the wonderful people I've come to meet here at Seoul Foreign School, there was still an emptiness of not being able to be there when Grandpa passed.

But he was home. He had his own "Homecoming" with the belief that he had come home to the Lord...the KNOWLEDGE that he had come home to the Lord....and even tho we were driven to tears here on earth, the knowledge of Grandpa's homecoming was enough to bring back a sense of peace - an event that truly WAS filled with joy, excitement, and reuniting.

And so upon my own "Homecoming" to the states, although I'd felt so far and so distant from being able to see Grandpa is his final hours, I was humbled knowing I'd be able to attend his wake and funeral. What a glorious thing to be reunited with family and friends and to know that I too could find closure in such a miraculous Homecoming.

And so the "Homecoming" I had in saying farewell to my Grandpa and the "Homecoming" I had over my three-week break with friends and family, soon led me back to a "Korean Homecoming", where I was once again reunited with my new life here in Seoul, my new friends, and my new loves. Strange how something that was so foreign and so unknown has now become something that is also "home"...

The High School here at SFS had it's "Homecoming Dance" this past Saturday, Jan. 15. I got to go and, just like the "good ol' days" from my own high school experiences, kids were dressed to the nines and enjoyed an evening of dining, dancing, and fun! The gym was completely decked out and transformed into a "Homecoming Haven" - I found it strange that one would celebrate Homecoming during the month of January, considering most U.S. schools do it sometime in the early fall, but then again...there's no distinct rule of when a Homecoming should or shouldn't take place....because let's be honest: Homecomings happen all the time! Like when you "come home" from work at the end of the day, or when you "come home" after a long trip. Or what about when you reunite with friends and family (like I did this Holiday season), or when, like my Grandpa, you come home to the Lord? I seriously doubt in that sense of the meaning that "time of the year" has much to do with anything, especially if Homecomings are happening all the time!

But "Homecoming" is a word to me that exudes comfort. It exudes happiness and it exudes contentment. Maybe I'm so fond of it because of my own memories of past Homecomings...but whatever the reason, this new year has put a new perspective on the word "Homecoming" and what it means to truly "come home" and to "be home".

Blessings to each of you this new year and promises for many new and exciting blog posts (from yours truly!) in the weeks to come!

Macs & Mexican

I FINALLY got a cell phone yesterday!!!!!!....after 3 and a half months of waiting for the arrival of my new iPhone 4, I am now "somebody" in this bustling metropolis of many! They say nobody knows (or cares) who you are in this town unless you have a cell....guess I finally can be "known" now! Ha! But seriously.....I'm definitely feeling the love of Mac! I'm the proud owner of TWO MacBook Pro Laptops (thanks to one I'd already purchased a year and a half ago back in the states and a 2nd I received upon my arrival here at Seoul Foreign), an iPod Touch, an iPod nano (pink of course!), and now....an iPhone 4!!! Geez....what does one DO with so much technology????

I can't believe I've lasted so long without a phone. It was an eye-opening experience to realize just how much people rely on their cell phones these last few months without having one. Trust me....there were plenty of times I really wished I could have called up a friend on the spot or texted a pal to say "what's shakin', bacon?", but now that I have my phone and I can do all those things, I don't seem to be as excited as I thought I would be. I guess I just don't want to become a "phone obsesssor" - too many people get too attached to their mobiles (I know I did back home in the states) and I'm hoping I can find a balance where I can enjoy the amazingness that IS the iPhone 4, but not get too caught up in the mayhem of cell phone frenzy!

Aside from the fabulousness of my iPhone 4, I've had the unique pleasure of eating Mexican food the last four weekends in a row. Take a pleasurable 25 minute walk to "On the Border Mexican Grill", and you can have yourself a taste of American inspired Mexican food....with a Korean twist. Sure their sour cream doesn't really taste like sour cream and sure they don't completely know how much tequila to put into a margarita, but hey....its good fun and its a "taste of home" being that its a western based restaurant chain......but four weeks in a row???? FOUR????? Honestly, it has not been me personally that has been venturing to "On the Border" by choice these last few weeks, nor have I gone there alone and pathetically sat by myself in the corner eating deep fried beans! It just so happened that varying parties of friends and colleagues have unanimously declared "On the Border" as their "go-to" gathering spot for large groups for the Fall of 2010!!!
Don't get me wrong...I've always been a Mexican food advocate! Thus, in theory, I should be counting my blessings that I've had the chance to dine so many times off the Mexican grill this season....but wow.....Mexican food in Korea??....that's a funny thought......

...think about it ;-)

Birthdays & Weddings & Shows...oh my!

To say "I've been busy" would be an understatement. SO much has been happening here in Korea - so much, in fact, that I haven't had a chance to come and share my stories with you, oh faithful bloggers, for a good few weeks now! But alas! I've found a spare moment, a "stich in time", where I might share some of the exciting happenings that have taken place here in Korealand the last few weeks....

Earlier this month, my friend Joy celebrated her first birthday overseas!! It was a fun event celebrating with all of our new friends and helping Joy to have a fabulous birthday! It was cool to see how touched Joy was, especially being so far away from other friends and family, and how she still felt uplifted and touched by our birthday wishes and celebrations. It made me realize that when the time comes for my first birthday overseas next spring, I have people here that will help me celebrate in style, even if other loved ones are far away.
Here are a few pictures from the birthday celebration:



Around the same time as Joy's birthday(roughly a week and a half ago), I had the opportunity to travel to the Korean Folk Village in Suwon, Korea (about 20 miles south of Seoul). We had the chance to see traditional Korean houses from the different regions and living cultures of the late Joseon Dynasty, which lasted almost five centuries (1392–1897)! We also got to see a few performances later in the day that featured "Traditional Korean Farmers' Dancing and Drumming". Check out the video below:


It was definitely an exciting day, but one of the best parts was viewing a traditional Korean wedding! Check out the photo below:
These people were ACTUALLY getting married! It's tradition in Korean culture to have anybody and everybody attend the marriage ceremony, so all of us foreigners got to walk right in and enjoy this event of holy matrimony ;-)


This past week was quite eventful because there was lots of build-up leading to our first Fall Concert in the High School! All orchestra, band, and choral students performed a portion in the two-hour concert and it was exciting for me to make my first debut as the Seoul Foreign School Choral Director! My High School Concert Choir performed, as well as the Psalms Choir (made up of SFS Faculty and HS students) and Moonlight Choir (the top-16 voice audition only choir). Here is a picture of Moonlight this year in our choir room (I'm in the upper right corner) - we're missing one of our boys, but you get the general idea:

Life's definitely been moving at lightning speed, but I'm growing and learning more each day about this culture, about this country, about myself and about my purpose for being here. There is so much life here...so much excitement! I feel so blessed to be a part of it and I pray that I can continue to relish in all of the amazingness that IS Seoul Foreign School...that IS Seoul, KOREA!!

An Epic Story...

It's been over a week now since I heralded my epic Korean story....a story so epic, so adventurous, so incredible, one might not believe it right away. But then considering the elements and the content once more, one would turn and say to themselves: "Why, this is a story so outrageous, that there is NO way anyone could have made this up! It MUST be true...it's so insane that it must be true."

And so, dear friends, as I make mention of this epic adventure (one of many I've already had and look forward to having here in the land of kimchi), I beckon you to sit back, relax, and stare at your screen in disbelief ;-)

Last week was amazing because not only did I have the chance to catch up on some much needed R&R, but with an entire week of for the Korean thanksgiving holiday ("Chusok"), I was anxious to get out and about around Seoul! I wanted to see other sights, to explore other areas of town, to attempt speaking Korean a little more "fluently" (ha..), and yet...it was a week full of spontanaity and randomnesss.

After a delicious meal at a couple friend's apartment last Wednesday, I left early enough to knock at the door of my friend Jo, who lived in the apartment right next door to my other friends. I'd promised her to stop by for a drink and some laughs and when I entered, she was there with a few others, including one of our other teacher friends named Brett.

"Let's go rock climbing! Would you be up for rock climbing?" asked Brett as I entered the apartment at 9pm.
"Uh...sounds like fun, but not right now Brett...sorry..." I replied.

Had he realized it was 9 o'clock at night? Did he realize I was coming over to settle in for the night with a little "night cap"? No...because Brett is what like to call a "very adventurous dude".

Jo's boyfriend Sangmin soon showed up - once he arrived, him and Brett were having a hay day as they relished the idea of doing something crazy and spontaneous late at night.

Before we knew it, the boys were suggesting that we all pack up and head to Incheon Beach (near the airport) and go for a midnight swim!

"I could do that," Jo said, "but who else would be up for it?"
I suddenly heard myself say "I'll go!"

But what was i thinking??? It was going on midnight! An hour drive out to the beach and back? Ugh...I was feeling tired enough as it was....but no sooner had I spoken up when I found myself heading to my own apartment to change into my swimsuit and pack up a towel.

We left around 12:30a.m. in a school vehicle and when we reached Incheon and set up shop at the beach, we were amused by many of the Koreans that were already out and about enjoying their holiday, warming themselves by a campfire, and shooting off fireworks from the beachside (yes....fireworks....)

"Let's buy some fireworks and shoot them off from the beachside, too!" said Brett soon after we'd parked the car.
"Yea! Let's do it!" I heard Sangmin say.

And so no sooner had the boys bought fireworks and readied them for action, when I myself readied a firecraker for some serious action and explosion right there on the beach....in the middle of the night....in Korea.....:-P

After our "firework fun", it was time to run into the Yellow Sea....although the temperature outside must have only been in the upper 50s, the water was somewhat warm (despite the cold pockets that came in with the tide) and we enjoyed ourselves for about 25 minutes before finally deciding we'd had enough water time ;-)

The video below depicts some of our crazy "firework mayhem"...it may seem like we're a little out of it....but the reality was, we were! We were high on life, slap happy, full of spontaneity and excitement! Brett attempted to be the "light guy" (since he was sporting a "flashlight headband" of sorts so we could see in the dark) and Sangmin was the fearless cameraman. Both of the boys insisted this video go on the blog,despite the nonsense of most of its content:

As we headed back to the car and attempted to dry off (despite the tide's efforts to soak through our bags and towels), Sangmin suddenly said to all of us:
"uh...guys? where are the car keys?"
"you put them somewhere with your stuff, didn't you hun?" Jo asked Sangmin
"um...yea......uh....you guys? pretty sure i left the keys in my swim trunks here....and pretty sure they fell into the sea...."

No one said anything.

No one believed him

No one really wanted to believe him.

It was 2 a.m. and we had no car keys to our locked school vehicle and were surrounded by crazy fireshooting Koreans enjoying the essence of their thanksgiving holiday while the four of us miserably thought through the crisis at hand.

Despite our bad fortune, the four of us were surprisingly upbeat! We decided that since we wouldn't be able to access any sort of transportation until the early morning to get back to Seoul Foreign School, pick up the spare set of car keys, and return to Incheon to then access the car and return home, that we'd make the best of our "free time"....even if it was going on 2:30 in the morning....

So because there were numerous eateries and shops along the beachfront, we stopped in at one for a bite to eat. The boys had been going on and on about "san nachi", a korean dish that was prized in this part of Korea literally translating to "raw octopus"...

"We have to try this you guys!" Brett exclaimed (are you starting to see why Brett is what I refer to as a "very adventurous dude"???????)

And so we did. We all ate raw octopus. Nevermind the fact that the octopus was still basically alive. Nevermind the fact that the octopus tentacles were moving around on the plate and in the grasp of our chopsticks. Nevermind the fact that because the octopus was still alive and moving on our plates, its tentacles were very much still able to suck. Hence why (as Sangmin told us later) people have died from eating san nachi because as they attempted to swallow, the tentacles sucked onto their esophagus and they died.

Awesome.

But I did it! I ate the san nachi! Check out the video below.....



Afterwards, we decided we still had plenty of time, so we headed to a nori bong (literally "singing room" in Korean) - karaoke singing is a FAVORITE pastime in Korea and they have "nori bongs" all OVER the place (even on this random beach on this random night at this random time at 4 in the morning....)

I realized why I loved singing. I realized why I'd made it my career. I realized why I loved music. That nori bong experience made me feel like I had wings...it made me feel like I was the best Lady Gaga - Chris Martin -Freddie Mercury there ever was! ;-)
Here was a shot of Jo and I singing Lady Gaga's "Poker face":



The hour passed way too quickly and soon it was a quarter to 6 in the morning. We headed back towards the food shop we'd eaten our san nachi at and ran into the crazy adjouma ("elder korean lady") who beckoned us to come back inside. As we sat down and explained to her our "keyless" situation, she spoke to Sangmin (being that he too could speak Korean) and explained that she had a good friend back in Seoul that was a cab driver. She mentioned that she could contact him, ask him to pick up the spare set of car keys from the school, and bring them out to us at the beach for a cost of $45.

"Yes!!!" we all exclaimed, "how wonderful!!!"
It felt like it was heaven-sent....how awesome that such good fortune could come our way out of such misfortune ;-)
The adjouma (whose name we later found out was "Peanuts"..haha!) said her friend would arrive in about an hour.
Because we had some time to kill, Brett and I decided to head back out towards the beach...it was lovely in the daytime and as I was basking in the beauty of the water and the freshness of the new day, Brett called out to me:

"Alllllllliiiissssssooonn!!!!" He was several yards away from me, soaking his feet in the tide as it washed onto shore, "I found the keeeeeeysss!!!!" He raised his arm up and shook what seemed to be a set of car keys in his right hand!

He found them.

He found the fricken keys. In the OCEAN. He found the lost car keys in the OCEAN......seriously???? Does this happen?????

I wanted to wake up from the dream....honestly, that's what it seemed like I was living...a dream! A very long, random dream....thank God it had a good ending!

And so we soon met up with Jo and Sangmin (who had only moments before finished paying the cab driver our $45 for the spare set of keys) - they were in disbelief! None of us could believe that out of this night of no sleep, we were going back home at 7:30 a.m. and returning with TWO sets of car keys.....

We piled up in the car, buckled up, and drove home.
What a night...what a story!
What an adventure.....
;-)

God is good.

Faculty Fellowship Retreat Weekend

This past weekend (despite the terrible rains and dreary weather), about 50+ faculty members from the Seoul Foreign School community hopped on a bus around 4:45pm Friday afternoon and made the long drive to Taechon Beach, an area "2.5 hours" south of Seoul (despite our 4 hour trip!) for a Faculty Fellowship weekend.

The faculty is invited every year to participate in the fellowship weekend and it always takes place at Taechon Beach since the school owns several cabin-like living quarters, as well as other multi-purpose rooms for dining and recreation. Aside from these accommodations, the Yellow Sea is a mere 5-minute walk and the views are breathtaking!

Despite the rain Friday night, we arrived and enjoyed a decent dinner followed by an hour lecture session given by Libby Stevens. Libby had lived and taught in Germany for the last 17 years and most recently has toured around the world speaking to other international teachers about what it means to "be an alien in a foreign land" and "how to survive as a foreigner" - her talk both Friday night and again Saturday night was a real wake-up call: she asked us to think about "why we're here" - "what is our purpose"....some of her other thoughts discussed the different phases one goes through living overseas. Everyone starts in the "honeymoon" phase, which lasts a month or so before you finally realize you're actually LIVING in this foreign country....you're not just a tourist!

Some of these thoughts resinated in my head in the sense I realized that perhaps I've only been in the "honeymoon phase" thus far....what else is to come? What other crazy emotions will I go through? Can I handle the difficulty and struggle that very possibly still lays ahead??

Libby's lectures made me think, but at the same time, I couldn't help but be grateful for the other staff members that were there with me. It was so wonderful to spend more time with some of my fellow teachers and enjoy each other's company for the weekend!

After Libby's final talk on Saturday morning, we had the afternoon free and so several of us walked to the beach to go in for a swim! With Taechon Beach being located in Boreyong (Boreyong is known for it's "Mud Festival" each spring!), the city's "beach-mud" is widely praised for its entertaining abilities and pleasure! Once we got down to the beach, we had a blast trying to push our bodies all the way into the mud! Here is a fellow teacher friend, Brad, and his daughter Maddie sinking and swerving into the "beach-mud":

As for myself, I had a blast riding the waves and finding both shells and starfish on the shoreline:

Aside from riding the waves and catching starfish, I caught some "actual footage" of my beach time - you can check out the video below: (*note-it might be hard to hear on the video because the wind was so strong that day....hopefully you'll be able to understand enough of what's being said tho ;-)

And so, I bid you all farewell! Hope all is well with everyone and keep ridin' the waves ;-)