Long overdue

This post is long overdue, but I'm finally able to sit down and give updates on my current life. Things have improved so much in the last month. I'm happy, healthy and enjoying life in Korea again.

I finally started my new job and got out of the hell hole of a school I worked at. I can't believe I spent 2 whole years in Naju. The goodbyes at my main school were easy, it was as if the kids didn't know I was going (or didn't care). My last day at the school consisted of a huge fight between me and my co-teacher. What a useless/horrible man. In the end, I won, of course because I can read/understand/speak English.

I moved into my new apartment and started my new routines. It's awesome being able to walk to school again. My school is literally a 2 minute walk from my apartment, through a small alleyway. Working at this school is a HUGE change. I'm actually a real teacher. I have a real job! Part of the reason I am not updating or emailing as much is because I'm so busy everyday! I went from teaching one class a day and being bored out of my mind, to being super busy with lots to accomplish in a day.

I am a 5th grade Language Arts/Writing teacher at an immersion school. The kids are really intelligent and its awesome to be able to have conversations and see their creativity. I could never have my old students write stories, since their English level was so LOW! There are 2 5th grade homerooms, Hope and Faith (it's a religious school...) Each homeroom is then broken into group A and B. My homeroom is Faith, with a lazy co-teacher so the kids are off the wall. I teach Faith A, Faith B, Hope A, Hope B. Mondays I have 4 LA classes in a row and then 2 Writing classes. That means 5 classes before lunch and one after lunch. Plus a review class last period. It's a lot of standing, which I wasn't use to coming from Naju. I have to make lesson plans, quizzes, unit tests, correct homework and writing assignments, book reports and e-diaries. Then I have to put the grades into the computer and keep track of all the quiz papers/homework to send home to the parents at the end of the month. It's a crazy amount of work, but I'm figuring things out and its all okay.

I'm happy to be so busy. I'm happy to see other foreigners at school. I'm happy to work with Koreans who speak English (except for my lazy co-teacher, go figure I get stuck with him). I'm happy to have a supportive school that helps me when I need it (even if there are misunderstandings). My school hung up blinds in my bedroom for me, I'm on the first floor and my bedroom window looks directly into the hallway. It's freaky. Thankfully the blinds are hung now, so people can't peep in on me! I asked the school to hang a curtain rod in the living room. Something got lost in translation, because I came home to find the curtain rod hanging on the ceiling in the bathroom. haha.

Life is good. I'm back at the gym, going 5 days a week. I'm feeling better. I don't have an oven now, so I have to be creative with cooking healthy things. The busy days and then hitting the gym make me tired. I sleep better at night. I get to see my boyfriend more often. His school is 30 minutes from my apartment, so it's easy for him to come over. Sometimes, convenient for him to stay during the week when he has class early the next morning.

Last week was Chuseok or Korean Thanksgiving. A large group of friends and I packed up our things and headed to an island. We first went to the town of Gunsan, not much there except a SUBWAY ( the restaurant). From there we took a ferry to the island of Sunyudo. The island is pretty bare. There are pensions (large places to sleep in, no beds, blankets and pillows, a bathroom and kitchen). There's some small huts for the fisherman living on the island and a few tiny marts. It was beautiful. The beach was clean and wonderful. There are no cars on the island. We rented bikes and biked the island. We swam, we laughed, we enjoyed each others company. Besides my sickness it was a phenomenal trip!

sunset on the island

This week was an easy one for me. My students had a 3 day field trip to Seoul. Since it is an overnight trip, I did not have to go. I have been busy at school, updating files, making vocab quizzes, making the unit test and the like. I'm all caught up for the next few weeks and it feels great to have this free time to do work. Usually I'd be super lazy facebooking or being lazy. But these days, I can't do that or I'll miss deadlines for things!

I just sent a decent amount of money home. Which means by this weekend I will have BOOKED MY FLIGHT HOME FOR WINTER! My vacation will be from December 28th- January 11th. It's a short trip at home, but it is definitely much needed. I'll be excited once I have the ticket booked. Looking forward to family time and good food (plus cake. I need cake).

One month to go!

Wow, it's been awhile since I've updated things.

The past several months have been a struggle. Waking up has been harder, motivating myself to go to work has been harder, finding patience and motivation to put up with my students has definitely been harder. It's time to for a change. I'm tired of the negativity and the rut of not wanting to do anything.

Luckily for me, I only have one month to go! I'm so excited. I'm going to be sad to say goodbye to everyone at Bannam. My students have already told me to follow them to their high schools. It'll be sad, but I know it's time.

The next step: moving back to Gwangju. I'm really excited to be closer to friends and have more opportunity to do things (well, at least its easier to travel and join my friends). I will be working at an Elementary immersion school. I am the new 5th grade Language Arts teacher. It'll be more stressful and I'll be more like a real teacher. More work, but it will be better. Especially since most of the teachers speak English and there are several foreigner teachers working there. I won't be sitting alone, lost about what is going on around me. I need this.

I'm counting down the days until I move. I cannot wait.

I have 11 days until my summer vacation. I have been looking forward to a few days off (10). I finally booked a hotel room last night. I'm going to Yeosu, which is a little less than 2 hours from my town I live in. It's not far and I won't be doing much. But it's a few days away at a beach, in a nice hotel room. The best part is, I'm going with my boyfriend. I enjoy spending time with him. It'll be a nice change to spend a few days away with him. The last time it was in a tent with no showers. Thankfully, we will not be in a tent this time around!

I suppose I'll have more exciting updates when I get out of this ditch. :)

The 'please don't worry about North Korea' post

It's been a while since I've updated. The last post was a pretty unhappy one. While things still aren't resolved at school. I'm putting on a smile and going to work everyday. It is incredibly frustrating and stressful. My 2nd (8th graders) are HORRIBLE this semester. They are out of control. I have no authority. I get no respect. They don't care. What's a girl to do? I get no back up, I'm just thrown into the lions den and told to teach or dance, whatever gets things across. 5 months people, that's it. 5 months. (Oh, don't get excited. I'm not coming home...) Let's do this.

Anyway, that's not the point of my post. My mom messaged me that I should look into an exit strategy in case things get tricky over the next few weeks with North Korea. I'm pretty sure, in my 3 years in Korea this is the first worrisome message I've gotten from her. So, in an effort to ease your concerns, here's my update.

Things are okay here. I'm sure Seoul feels the tension, but in Gwangju/Naju it's life as usual. We go about our lives as if nothing is amiss. Koreans are so used to North Korean threats that there is not a worry or care about them. I've been here almost 3 years and I've come to realize there is no use worrying. We don't notice the tension, there isn't the constant fear of being bombed. Nothing. The news is clearly having a field day with the "tension" in Korea. Rest assured, we are absolutely FINE. There is no need to worry. Please don't believe the news stations and their attempt for more viewers. But to further ease your worries. I am and have been registered with the Embassy. I re-updated all of my information. There is an airport 20 minutes from my school should I need to get out quickly. The Office of Education will message us if they feel we need to leave and the Embassy will absolutely be in contact should we have to get out of here. 

Here is a message from the Office of Education in Jeollanamdo:

Kim Jung Eun is a young, new North Korean leader who needs to make a name for himself and solidify his power. In a reclusive state like the North, his name at home is what is most important. The last two leaders, his father and grandfather, headed the state through the legends of their military prowess and he is no different. He has already been credited for the Cheonnam incident and the “successful” launch of a nuclear capable rocket, not to mention possibly curing some diseases, building some magnificent structures and the rain that came ending a drought. 
He needs to show his country that he can stand up to any threat and protect them from the evils elsewhere in the world. Who better to stand up to than the US, the longtime nemesis of the North that everyone there is trained to hate. However, standing up to and actually doing something are two different things as we all know. 
As usual, I expect these deteriorating relations will be used as a bargaining chip for future negotiations to secure aid and lift sanctions placed on the North. This has been a pattern shown over and over again in North/South relations and one I’m sure will continue. 
So far, there has been no real unusual movement in the North that would indicate them prepping for war. In the 1950’s, the North surprisingly attacked the South, but with today’s technology any preparations for an all out war would not go unnoticed. 
China, has moved troops to its border with the North in attempt to fortify their border. This may be mistaken as China’s support for the North but when in fact it is to prevent mass exodus of North Korean citizens trying to escape the North into China. China stands strong that they would not be involved unless the North were attacked on their own soil. Much like the Korean War, it wasn’t until the forces from the South entered North Korea that China got involved. This was also a time when there was a struggle in the world between capitalism and communism. China is a much different place with different ideals these days and has a world reputation to think about. Lately, China’s stance on the North has been changing directions and their involvement is less likely this time. 
The North can not support let alone does not need a war. They have very little food, fuel or resources to support a war and find themselves in a much more difficult situation with the sanctions recently upped on them. Also, what if the North came to the South? Imagine the explanations that would have to be given to North Korean citizens who see the riches here compared to the North. They are better kept isolated where they are. Korea is a very different place than it was in the 1950’s. Then, North Korea was the more prosperous of the two Koreas but things surely have changed with North Korea being one of the poorest countries not only in Asia, but in the world, and the South being one of the most prosperous countries. It would be a tough sell to your country’s citizens that your way is the best and convincing them to follow your way. 
Although the South claims to support reuniting the two Koreans and many experts believe this will only come through a war, the South by no means is ready to take on this massive project and would like to avoid it all costs. 
Things may even be getting better already. Park Geun Hye, the new president of the South, took a break from measuring short skirts and handing out fines to have a meeting with top US and ROK military officers to discuss ways to calm things down on the peninsula and a scheduled appearance of US’s F22 raptors was cancelled. This has been the first step towards better relations and let’s hope it is a sign of things to come.

So, there you have it. We are fine here. Things are fine. As my boyfriend likes to say "They are not stupid, they will never attack. Stop reading the news!"

This is a great article on an Expats perspective. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/april-salchert/north-korea-south-korea-anxiety_b_2858119.html

School Issues

When I renewed my contract last year I was in a good place. There were no issues. Sure the teachers kind of ignored me and I wasn't really told much. But that's minor. I taught maybe 11 hours a week and had ample time to do other things (but it had to be done at school). My co-teacher was useless, yes, but he didn't bother me or make me too angry. So, I re-signed. Not knowing what year 2 would have in store for me. I should have known this wouldn't go so smoothly for 2 years. Let's be honest, my track record with schools in this country hasn't been too great (that's being positive. The first school was downright terrible, hell if you will).

3 months into re-signing I find out I had to move. One of the reasons I stayed where I am because the location of my apartment. It was perfect, large sized, close to everything I need in Naju.. only required me to take one bus to my schools or to the Gwangju. My new apartment is fine, but it's costing me a lot to live there. Sometimes 3-4$ just on buses to get to school. It's absurd, that adds up. With going places on the weekend, I could spend about $30 a week in bus fares. There goes $1,500 in bus fares alone for a year.

Then there is my co-teacher. I knew he was useless. He never tells me information about classes, school events and the like. You know, things I can't figure out on my own. But, it was manageable. Until the vacation mishap. I asked about my vacation. I showed my calendar and pointed to the days (which, conveniently for him, my calendar was missing after I came back). He said yes to me. He didn't fill out the information on the computer (he has to do it since it's all in Korean). I wasn't concerned he said yes and never told me anything else.

I was at Angkor Wat and get that dreaded call, "why aren't you at school" I stressed for a few days. The office of education eased my stress and said not to worry things will work out. They didn't expect me to fly home and would help calm the waters at school. My co-teacher (who never actually assists me in class. I teach alone ALWAYS) sent me angry messages. I had been here for a year and half and he seemed to think I "ran away" The most idiotic thing I've heard. As if I'd "run away" after just moving and all that. Come on, think dumbass.

Anyway, I came back to school. I missed graduation week. But of course, when I was on vacation was the first time I heard about graduation week and that I was supposed to be there. My co-teacher came into school one day. Ignored me. Didn't look at me. Say hi to me. Nothing.

Two days later a teacher asked "what's wrong with the English Teacher." I said I didn't know. Her response "we don't know either. Don't worry"

I checked my bank account. Almost $1,000 was missing. I asked my co-teacher. He handed me an 'unsatisfactory performance' report. They docked my pay for not being at school from Feb 4-18th. Bullshit. That means, I was given 5 days vacation out of the 24 I'm entitled to.

I'm hopeful that the Office of Education supervisors can get me the money I deserve. The foreigner working there is on my side and feels I shouldn't be docked pay and that I'm being treated quite unfairly.

But then again.. it's typical, you know. He's at fault 100% but he doesn't want to look bad. The easy way out is blame the foreigner. I can't argue for myself, since I don't speak Korean. These co-teachers know that and if they are jerks they will play that card.

6 months left here. I can do this. Plus this is a cake walk compared to the dragon lady I worked for 2 years ago!

Vietnam

The first part of my travels began in Vietnam. Before leaving Korea I met up with friends for coffee and unexpectedly ran into my Korean friend, who bought me coffee packets and bananas for my long travels. I then went and slept for a bit.

My bus left around 4 am to Incheon. I arrived and could check in immediately. I had to fly to Guangzho, China and from China to Ho Chi Minh. This airport in China is MUCH better than that stupid airport in Shanghai (I will forever hate Shanghai). I arrived to Ho Chi Minh sometime in the early evening, walked out of the airport, saw my friend and the other girl traveling with us and was immediately happy to be sweating.

When I left Gwangju it was snowing and then I arrived to Vietnam and it was so hot. Love! We took a taxi, but since I just arrived and was exhausted I wasn't prepared to make decisions. Our driver definitely ripped us off. We paid WAY too much for the short taxi ride (and then he asked for a tip...damn you!) We found our hotel immediately. It was a really nice place. I booked a room with 3 beds, the picture showed 3 beds and my paper said the same. They gave me a room with a double bed and a single bed and then said thats what I booked. I had proof, they didn't care. Whatever.

I spent 8 days in Ho Chi Minh, turns out that's far too many days in one city. I should have explored more. Halong Bay or Hoi An...anything.

My first meal in VIetnam was beef pho. It was delicious. Really delicious. The food was spectacular all week long. From carmelized pork, curries, fried rice, to the Vietnamese coffee and smoothies. I was happy.

On the top of my agenda was to have some clothes made. I had a really nice coat made that I've been wearing everyday. Finally a dress coat that fits perfect! I had two dresses and a pair of pants made. I wore the dress in Thailand. It's a little big, so I'll have to have it altered. But they are cute and I'm happy.

The big challenge in Vietnam was crossing the street. It was terrifying each time. I was so scared that I would be run over by a motorbike and be stuck in a hospital. Within a few days I got to be really good at judging when to cross, but when I was too nervous usually some friendly policemen would come over, stop traffic and walk me across the road. I felt like a little kid, but hey I was SAFE and that's what matters.

I explored much of the city and found it to be really beautiful. But again, I could have spent less time there.

I did two day trips. The first one was to the Mekong Delta. It seems this is a popular day trip for many people. The Mekong being a famous waterway and all. I found the tour to be way too touristy and rather, boring. It really didn't wow me much and I could have skipped it altogether.

The other day trip was to a temple and the Cu Chi Tunnels. Before I signed up for the other trip, my friend and I asked for suggestions on the best one. For whatever reason we just decided to do the full day tour without getting opinions. Terrible idea. It was at least a 4 hour bus ride to this temple and it was... mediocre at best. I've seen so many temples, some boring, some okay and others spectacular. After the temple in Taiwan, nothing will compare.

So anyway, we wandered this temple for like 30 minutes, yeah, 4 hour ride for 30 minutes there. We watched monks praying and then left. Then we went for food. The food was delicious, spring rolls and beef fried noodles. YUM!

After that we had another 2 hour ride to the Cu Chi Tunnels. This area was the site for VietCong guerillas as hiding spots, there are elaborate underground tunnels and tons of booby traps. They show videos describing the area and the war. It boasts about VietCong troops that killed the most Americans, calling them heroes. You can read more about the tunnels here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi_tunnels

Anyway, we walked around the paths through the woods and were shown different (and terrifying) booby traps or hiding spots. There was a spot with a sign that said "B52 bomb crater" It was interesting.

Finally we arrived to the actual tunnels. They told us we were allowed to crawl through them. There were at least 6 exit spots. I was first in line behind the guard who had a flashlight. We went down one set of stairs. You could still stand, then we went down another set. By the next set we were bent over. The guard stops, shines the light on the steps and tells me to go. I started going along, and realize I need to crouch down even more. My bag was rubbing on the top of the tunnel... I began to get really nervous and scared. The tunnel was getting smaller in places. You could only see darkness, but were able to easily find your way along. My heart was beating really fast and all I wanted to do was turn around and get out.. but that was impossible. There was no way I was going to maneuver to turn around in such a small place. Eventually, I saw light and went out as quick as possible. Fresh air... woah. I'm not cut out for that. Scary.

Other people on the tour kept going, my friend crawled to the 2nd to last exit spot. She said it got even smaller as it went along. Other people who went to the end said they were crawling on their hands and knees and had to squeeze through in some parts. I'm happy I was first in line, being behind other people or sandwiched in would have terrified me even more. But being first in line was just as scary.

Vietnam is a beautiful country and I hope to go back sometime to explore more of it. Not to mention eat more food. :)

Cambodia and a funeral

The second part of my vacation through South East Asia was Cambodia. Originally I had planned to go to Laos, as I was told it was a safer place. But since I was in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). It was easier and closer to head to Cambodia.

I got an early bus from Vietnam to Phnom Penh. I was really nervous to go to Cambodia, friends had told me it wasn't very safe there. I wasn't sure what to expect. But while on a day trip, I met these two really nice ladies. They were teaching at an orphanage in Cambodia and talked highly of the country. Then an older couple joined us and started going on about how Cambodia was their favorite country. This made me feel reassured and excited to check it out!

Beef fried noodles and a strawberry smoothie

It was a little over a 5 hour ride to Cambodia. We had to stop at the border and apply for visas, but the bus company has someone on board to do all the work. It was a really easy and quick process. We (I say 'we' because I was with another girl. more on her later). arrived to Phnom Penh, were dropped on the side of the road and immediately bombarded with tuk tuk drivers. Feeling overwhelmed and not wanting to be taken advantage I walked away from them. An older gentleman asked where I was headed and I told him, turns out he was going to the same place. We argued for a decent price on the tuk tuk ride, a dollar each. Not a lot to us, but that was 12,000 riels for him, a very pricey ride! We still had to walk about 10 minutes to the hostel anyway because the road was closed.

I traveled in Vietnam with two girls, the one girl, Kat, joined me to Cambodia. It was really challenging. She is kind of a strange girl, doesn't really know how to act around people, very nervous acting and really has no personality. Not a great travel partner.

Temple

Chicken Fried Rice 

Anyway, we were pre-warned in Vietnam, the week we were going to be in Cambodia was the week of the king's burial! All the roads near where I stayed were blocked off and there was tons of police and military guarding the streets. Huge groups of people were gathering everywhere. Monday was the official burial day, in Phnom Penh. So pretty much everything was closed. We got an awesome firework show and could walk around the city, but do little else. I didn't even get to see the palace! But it was cool to be in the city while this important part of their history was taking place. There were families having picnics everywhere, watching the broadcast of the celebrations/the kings life.

Clock in Phnom Penh

Next we were off to Siem Reap, which meant another 5 hour bus ride. This ride was very hot and uncomfortable, in a "mini bus". The hostel that I booked had free pick ups from the bus terminal or airport. So, I had a friendly man waiting at the bus stop holding a sign with my name on it. The hostel was pretty amazing. Run by two foreigners, incorporating everything in this building that backpackers need and extras for us to enjoy. Like a swimming pool, reading rooms, tv rooms, massages, yoga, a bar and cafe. It was a really awesome place. One of the best places I've ever stayed at!

Angkor Wat

As soon as I got settled in the room I met a really nice girl named Lucy. Lucy ended up hanging out with me the rest of the week. Which was awesome to have someone to chat with! Wednesday we were up bright and early for a trip to Angkor Wat. I purchased the 3 day pass in hopes that I would get to see as much as possible. We were walking around in the heat from 10 am until 7 pm. Longest day ever. Lots of climbing steep stairs. We even stayed to watch the sunset, which was overly talked about and not that impressive. But Angkor Wat is pretty amazing to see in person.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

Bayon Tree

Thursday I considered a late afternoon trip to Angkor Wat, but exhaustion had caught up with me from the last week and a half. So instead of going out in the terrible heat, I read and napped... preparing myself for another week of travels. I did enjoy a fantastic lunch at this cute little restaurant. I can't remember the name of the place, but it was started by a Swiss couple. They hire orphans and teach them new skills to help them in the future. All of these orphans were being kicked out of the system because of age. They have housing, have classes, do all the cooking, cleaning and serving at this restaurant. It's really cool and the food is delicious! Friday we went back to Angkor Wat to watch the sunrise... and guess what... cloudy morning. Ha! Just my luck. The day was spent with some new friends wandering the streets. Later in the evening we all had dinner together, because the next day we were parting ways (but really, EVERYONE was headed to Bangkok).

Angkor Wat Sunrise

Meeting other travelers in hostels is one of the best things about traveling. It's amazing that if you are on a long trip how you can run into the same people each place you go. But also how quickly you can fall into conversation with them, like you've been friends all along. Sometimes you just need someone to relate to and people are so much more open to friendships when you are all traveling.

another delicious meal

I love Siem Reap and would 100% go back. It was nothing like I expected. I was expecting a dirty, run down country where I would feel completely unsafe. But as soon as I arrived I met friendly people and was surprised by the beauty of the country. You really can't judge a place until you see if for yourself. Everyone has their own opinion of places. Several friends have told me Bangkok is a dirty and terrible place. But I saw nothing but friendly people and the beauty of it. I guess it depends where you go. If you stay in the 'backpacker' area you're never going to be able to fully enjoy the country. I'm so thankful to my friends for showing me the REAL Bangkok.

Vacation Part 1: Thailand and High School Reunion

Thailand was the last stop of my vacation through South East Asia and the part I was looking forward to most. Unfortunately I was stressing out quite a bit. While in Cambodia at Angkor Wat (great timing!) I got a phone call. Apparently my "approved" vacation was just a yes to blow me off. My co-teacher failed to inform me about graduation week. I've said it before, the man is USELESS.

I arrived to Thailand by a short 55 minute flight from Siem Reap. I could have chosen the cheaper way by doing a taxi to the border and then a 15 hour train ride. But I've had enough long rides, I just wanted to arrive. After walking out into the airport I waited around for a short period of time before I was greeted with a big smile and a "HI MEGAN!!" Pat and Kan had come to the airport to pick me up. I was so excited to see them again. It had been 9 years since I last saw them, after graduating high school.

Kan, Pat and I at the Palace.. and my sweet getup to be appropriate

Kan drove his car to pick me up, I met his girlfriend Khem and the four of us were off. They first drove me to my hostel and where I checked in. Then we were off for the day. First we went for food. They ordered a bunch of random things for me to try everything. We ate and enjoyed great conversations.

Afterwards they took me to the palace. It was really hot and I had to wear a bright pink shirt and wrap because my dress was too short and the sleeves weren't long enough. The palace was beautiful but it was the hottest day, EVER. And to think it's Thailands "cool season" yeah, right. We walked around the whole palace. It was really beautiful, finally we decided it was too hot and moved on. As I was walking back past the tourist police officer, he gave a little chuckle at my silly outfit.

Next we went to Wat Pho. One of the more famous temples. Also really beautiful. Thai temples are really gorgeous and beautifully decorated. We finally were off to an air conditioned place, the mall. We didn't shop, but we did sit and snack on some sweet treats. Immediately after, we went to dinner. Operation eat everything on day 1: success.

Wat Pho

Pat and I went to a few shops and then she had her mom pick us up and drive me back to my hostel. It was a really great reunion.

Khem and I at the palace

Sunday I woke up late and took my time getting around. Sunday morning was spent with Pat and her mom. We had a delicious lunch of food from Northern Thailand. We spent a nice day together and then met up with Kan and Khem for one last dinner together. It was a really great, but short two days with old friends. I'm happy that I've stayed in contact with them these past 9 years.

Part of the Palace 

Mara and Katie finally made it to Thailand to meet me and I was really excited to see them! Monday morning we were off bright and early for a trip to Koh Chang, an island 5 hours from Bangkok (well, 5 hours, an hour ferry ride and an hour taxi ride). The bus ride was not bad. We were supposed to be picked up and taken to the ferry. We were picked up and driven to an undisclosed 'holding cell' (and by that I mean out in the middle of nowhere place with not very friendly people changing our tickets. They kept us there for about an hour. A german lady fought them and they took her back to the main ferry (which turns out was MUCH faster and shorter than our location. Finally, the took us to the ferry and we were off. An hour later we got to land and met a very sketchy/mean taxi driver. We didn't want to get in the taxi, but had no choice. He drove us about two minutes and then stopped. Holding cell number 2? We weren't too sure. Finally lovely Katie yells at to the head honcho... "Hey brother, what's going on" "Wait, ferry. More people"  OH yeah.. more money. It's cool we haven't been traveling for 12 hours.

We finally arrived to our destination and after 5 minutes turned our 3 day stay into a week long one. Our room was the 'family room' pretty much next to the cafe area. Two big beds, air con, fridge, nice bathroom. It was a good choice.

the ladies at our cottages cafe... sweet view and hammocks

We were exhausted and went to the bed early, by early I mean like 8 pm. Around 1:30 am I woke up to use the bathroom. I saw something scurry... I froze. I looked again "oh man. a cockroach!" I quietly said, in hopes that the girls would wake up and save me. I quickly shut the door and waited... Okay... try again.. It starts running down the wall. "Oh god, it's a cockroach the size of a dog!"

Mara wakes up "aw man, really? I have to pee though" She stands at the door, hopping up and down. "Don't open the door, it'll escape!" I said. We both stared at the door... Now what? Katie half wakes up "guys, it's just a cockroach! We have them in our house all the time. They are like, the cleanest bugs. It's okay" Okay, Ms. South Africa. "But Katie, it's the size of a dog!" I said. "Fine, do you want me to kill it?" Mara and I both yell.. YES! Katie jumps up, flings open the bathroom door. "Holy crap! That IS the size of a dog!" She walks over and grabs her hiking boots. Casually walks back to the bathroom, "you know these things can fly". Really Katie, just fuel the fire more. She walks into the bathroom, one swing. Not dead its still moving. Another few blows and the thing is dead. Relief. She throws the shoe down. "You guys deal with that!" and she crawls back in bed. Mara, jumps into the bathroom, cleans the bug up and then heads back to bed. I go to use the bathroom... "Oh and please remove my shoes from the killing fields." Katie adds.. No problem, Katie.

We go to sleep. I have visions of more cockroaches coming into the room. We wake up at the same time. "Hey guys, can we just talk about what happened last night" As we all start giggling and naming our dead enemy, Samuel.

green curry. DELICIOUS

The rest of the week proved to be a good time. Wake up late, eat, lay on the beach, get a massage on the beach, eat, walk, shower, eat, go to bed. Repeat.

We were talked into going on a boat for 3 hours. Somehow this didn't register to us as a TERRIBLE idea. We agreed. 3 hours on a boat squid fishing. We must have been half asleep when we said yes. A 3 hour tour didn't work out so well for Gilligan and Skipper, why would it for us? And squid fishing. We all HATE fishing and squid... EVEN WORSE. It was a terrible 3 hours. But out of it came a few friends. We met this really great family, who we would end up talking to all week and even see at a rest stop on the way to Bangkok. Never again will I squid fish (technically I just watched.)

Valentine's Day with Mara and Katie

Ginger and honey roasted duck... AMAZINGLY GOOD

the last sunset on Koh Chang

 
 Before heading to the airport, I ate mango sticky rice. BEST THING EVER. Too bad I only ate it for the first time before I left the country. Silly decisions.

2013, it will be a great year

Happy 2013 friends, family and strangers! I hope you all had a good start to 2013. Here's to a new year of friends, family, adventures and happiness!

I have a lot to write about so I'll just break things up.

School

This past semester was a challenging one with the students. They were rude, disrespectful to me and just didn't want to listen. It's frustrating. But I made it through and in the end, the kids still managed to win me over. I really love these kids, the brats that they are, make my job so fun. 

My friend from home is an English teacher at Muncy. Her students are 9th graders, but we decided to attempt having my kids and her kids be pen pals. Her students wrote letters first, since its easier for them. I had to finish other lessons first and then presented the letters to my students. I read them to the kids and let them ask questions about what kids said in the letter and showed them pictures from Pennsylvania. I was really surprised by how excited my students at Geumcheon were, ie, my first graders that had been a terror all semester. About 14-20 students in each class wrote letters. My 2nd graders (8th graders) at Bannam wrote the most interesting letters. They didn't need my help and wrote full pages. At Geumcheon the letters were set up the same way, I basically had to write them and let the kids fill in their own information.
I'm excited for the kids to receive the letters at Muncy and to get letters back!

The end of the semester came quickly. The last few weeks of classes ended up being canceled for one reason or another. So, my official last classes with my 3rd graders turned out to be very anti-climatic. At Bannam, I don't even think they realized it was our last class together. They were great kids. I think I will be most sad to say goodbye to the 2nd graders at Bannam. I don't even want to think about it.

Bannam 2nd (8th) graders and my co-teacher Miae

my favorite girls... They also run up to me give me hugs and tell me they love me.

My energetic 3rd (9th) graders

Life, ie.. home and friends 

It's amazing how much things in Gwangju have changed. You know that point in University when you go to the bars, look around and realize you've been there so long all your old friends have left and now it's all new people.. That's Gwangju these days. Most of my friends have packed their bags and moved on home to other things, going back to school, job searching, etc. I know we can't stay here forever, well we can, but most won't. Change is a good thing, but boy do I miss those friends and the fun times we used to have together. I rarely go out anymore and when I do, I'm home and in bed by 1 am. It's usually just an okay time. Nothing I would be overly excited to stay out until 6 am for, that's for sure. 

My new apartment is really nice. I'm kind of figuring the bus times out.. though sometimes I'm being charged extra which is annoying. But anyway, the new home is good. A pink "brothel" if you will (my friend said this, my mom agreed) 

Christmas was pretty low key. Not much of a big deal here. Spent the weekend celebrating with the Naju crew and had the most amazing Christmas dinner at the foreign restaurant. TURKEY, TURKEY people, they gave us turkey! It's been 3 years since I've eaten it. My belly was happy.. 

Christmas Eve I worked and that evening Blair made dinner for him and I. We skyped with his girlfriend and her family and then I skyped with my family. I slept at Blairs and on Christmas morning we gave each other presents. Then I made pancakes and bacon. Danielle showed up and we spent the day watching Christmas movies and eating fried chicken. Nothing special, but a good time anyway. 

New Years, Danielle and I headed to another town, Jeonju to hang out with 2 of our guy friends. We had way too much soju and it was a completely anti-climatic night ending about 1 am... The next day was super rough for Danielle and I... Sadly, we could not fully enjoy the country style ham, grits and eggs our friend made us. 

Travel

So the most exciting part of this post.. my next adventure. I'm beyond excited. 16 days and I'm headed to South East Asia. Finally!!! I officially booked everything today. Hostels, all flights, I'm ready to go. I will fly to Ho Chi Minh to spend a week with 2 other girls from Naju. After exploring and having a new wardrobe made (YEAH!) one of the girls and I will move on over Cambodia, first Phnom Penh for 3 days. Then up to Siem Reap. We will check out Angkor Wat (no duh) and find other things in the city to do. Then I will fly to Bangkok. I'm most excited about Thailand. I arrive in Bangkok a day and a half before my two friends, Katie and Mara.

 I will be spending that time with Pat and Kan. Pat and Kan are Thai, my senior year of high school they were exchange students. I spent a good amount of that year with both of them. After they went back home we stayed in contact for the first few years. Kan would call at holidays and it was always so great to get news from them. Finally, after 9 years I will see them again in their hometown. I told them I don't want to go to the tourist sites. I'd rather be shown what they enjoy doing. Really, I just want to sit in a park, with lots of Thai food, spending the day catching up on our lives. I'm so excited, if you can't tell. Maybe the reunion won't be that great, maybe it'll be awkward. But after all this time, we still kept in contact, it will be so nice to  be shown their motherland. 

After 2 days with them, Katie, Mara and I will head to some island. I really don't know the name, to be honest. But I do know this is where we stay the first few nights. A nice quiet little bungalow over-looking the ocean. Yes please! Then we will move to a chill little bungalow right on the beach and live like hippies for a few days. Katie and I are on the same flight back to Seoul. I get home 2 days before I have to go back to desk warming. But, I'll just be thinking of this paradise. About 9 days lazing on the beaches of Thailand, sipping cocktails, getting tan, enjoying company with 2 fantastic friends... I'm not really sure life gets better than this. 

I'm really a very fortunate person. I know anyone can do what I'm doing. All it takes is an adventurous spirit to pack your bags and move to a new country to work, of course an open mind is important, too. But so many people have reasons of why they can't go abroad. Personally, I say WHY NOT. There's so many options, so many places to be explored, so many people to meet, stories waiting to be told. I love the adventures I am able to go on. I'm spending 3 weeks in 3 different countries for my winter vacation. I'm so excited and it always makes me wonder why more people don't travel. I can't stop, I don't want to stop. 

I'm lucky to have a family that supports my choice of living abroad. Lucky that they aren't angry that it's been 2 years since we've seen each other in person. Lucky that they aren't angry that I've missed every important holiday for the past 3 years. So to my amazing family, thank you for supporting me living so far from you. I love you and miss you tremendously. <3 div="div" nbsp="nbsp">

Christmas dinner at the foreign restaurant. 

Couple set Christmas sweater tradition.. Also, we ate too much.

family Christmas <3 and="and" blair="blair" danielle="danielle" i="i" td="td">

my new home.. it looks super pink, but in person its not this bad.