I am back after a LONG break. Sorry for not keeping up with it during my second year in Korea. I stopped traveling as much, and things were not as exciting as my first year. However in the past few months I have done a fair bit of traveling, so I thought I should update everyone, and allow you to see some photos from my journey.
2012 started off with a trip to Cambodia. Angkor Wat was on my to do list, and living in Korea it is too close not to go. Angkor Wat was unbelievable, but I think the country impressed me more than the temples. The people in Cambodia have been through so much with flooding, and struggles of every day life. It is a noticeably poor country, but the people are so thankful for everything. I got a sense of true appreciation for small things in life, I also didn't feel like I was being scammed or ripped off which is always a nice feeling. The weather was amazing while we were there in February, and we had a great time relaxing by the pool and seeing the sights. We hit up the major temples, the floating market, and took a boat from Phnom Phen to Siem Reap. It is very cheap to travel within Cambodia, drinks, food, lodging, and transportation are all unbelievably cheap. Cambodia was a bonus trip for me, but I highly recommend visiting.
I left Korea in April, on a milk route home to Canada. My first stop was Bali, Indonesia. It has always been on my Asian bucket list, and when I left I thought I might be done my Asian experience forever. Needless to say I was not disappointed by this country or the people I met. I landed in Bali, the same day as an earthquake and tsunami warning. I asked while in a taxi what we should do in the event of a tsunami or earthquake, and I was told to just go to a temple. I am a bit of a skeptic when it comes to things like that, but each to their own. It was my first time traveling solo for any length of time, which had me a bit hesitant at first. I decided because I was traveling alone I would stay in hostels which would give me the chance to meet other young people traveling. I had done a fair bit of research and decided on staying at the "Big Pineapple". I was instantly greeted with a warm welcome, and ended up being in the same boat as a lot of other people at the hostel. Many of us were traveling alone, all similar in age which worked out perfect. We all made the most of it, planned day trips together, hung out at the beach, and partied hard at night. I also got a chance to see and speak to the fortune teller from the book/movie "Eat Pray Love." It has defiantly turned into a tourist attraction since the movie release, but it was worth the photo opportunity, and good for a laugh. In the week I was there we all manged to have a great time together. While traveling the people you come across from all over the world are really interesting, and can provide so much education about culture and language. I feel I have learned more in the past few years about cultures, history, and language than I have from any textbook or lecture.
From Bali, I hopped over to Singapore. One great thing about South East Asia is that all countries are relatively close, and cheap to fly to. Everyone has great things to say about Singapore, maybe because it is very developed and clean compared to other South East Asian countries. I will say the cleanliness and the level of English speaking people was very nice, however it is also much more expensive than other countries. One thing I did find missing in Singapore was culture. Most Asian countries are very rich in culture, but Singapore is a major business hub, and has a large population of foreigners which noticeably takes away from the traditional culture. In Singapore I did not have as much luck in finding a good group to travel with, but I managed to do what I wanted. Hop on Hop Off tours in any city are a great way to cover a lot of ground in a day or two, so I did a day of that, and a day trip to Sentosa to enjoy the made made beach. The weather while I was there wasn't great, so I didn't soak up as much sun as I usually would. I did enjoy a few Singapore Slings during my short stay. If I had to sum up Singapore in a few words I would say shopping malls, office buildings and strange laws (ie: no chewing gum).
My last stop before home was Malaysia. It was a very quick stop, with just one thing on my list of things to see in Kuala Lumpur. I wanted to see the Pentrona Towers, and catch a few more rays of sun before heading home to Canada. I arrived in the middle of a huge thunder and lightening storm, so the sun tanning was crossed off the list, but the towers are impressive, especially at night.
I continued my travels home to the east coast, I had a bit of a nightmare getting home with missed flights, an over night stay in Hong Kong, and no luggage for a couple days. After all that was sorted out I managed to spend two lovely months relaxing, working a little bit, and traveling between Halifax, Miramichi, Wolfville, and a couple shopping trips to USA. The things you miss while traveling are always a treat when you reach home soil. Tim Horton's coffee, poutine, garlic fingers, cesars, clothes in multiple sizes, driving a car, television shows, fresh dried clothes, and English seems like such a treat after being away. It is also very nice to unpack your suitcase, and have a permanent address. Although I guess once you have the travel bug it stays for awhile. I was not very entertained while I was home, and found myself soon searching for flights. The lifestyle in Korea is really catered towards post university students, who are keen on adventures. I missed that after coming home to find friends talking about weddings, and babies. So I decided to continue my travels again in July starting with Germany.
One of my dear travel buddies in Korea, was going to be in Europe for a school conference, and asked me to join her for a short lag of her journey in Berlin. I have never been to Germany, and it is always nice to reunite with an old friend in a new country. Berlin is a city with a very cool vibe, very artsy, while still managing to keep a lot of history. Of course the major sight seeing attraction for us was the Berlin Wall, which sections still stand throughout the city. We had no itinerary while traveling, so it was a very relaxed trip with lots of sausage, apple strudel, beer and schnitzel. One thing I was impressed with, was the ability Caitlin and I had to decipher the German language. With our combined knowledge in French and Afrikaans we managed to do very well in restaurants, subways, and shops. It is funny the stereotypes we create for cultures, but for me I see
all Germans as very tall and big built, I will admit this is not true,
although while shopping at the Birkenstock store I did notice all the
shoes on display were size 40+ which fits my vision.
My cousin had recently moved to Poland, so I figured I should check it out while she was there. I must say it is a very underrated country. I have never thought much about traveling there until she moved there, but the food is good, traveling is cheap, the people are friendly, the weather was nice, and there are lots of things to see. Auschwitz and Birkenau were the highlights of this trip by far. We did a day tour to the concentration camps, the weather was about 40*C, and the atmosphere still manged to give me chills. It is really amazing the history that place holds. I was in Krakow, which is home of John Paul II, so the city is full of religion, massive churches, and priest and nuns all over the streets. It is a very pretty city with a lot of old buildings, horse and buggies, and cobble streets.
From Poland I took a bit of a detour to South Africa. It was also a major check off my 2012 bucket list, and with two good friends getting married, it seemed to be perfect timing. In Korea I met many South Africans, so it was very nice to visit with some of them in their home country. I spent most of my time in Durban, which is on the coast. Although it was 'winter' when I was there the weather was beautiful. Every day felt like a sunny fall day. My South African trip was more for visiting people, but we did manage to fit in a few cultural things. We did a tour of a Zulu traditional village, as well as a safari and hippo/ crocodile boat cruise. The safari was amazing, to see the animals in their natural habit, and close up is mind blowing. The only thing we didn't get to see were lions. This was a bit disappointing see as we all had the Lion King theme song running through our heads the whole trip. South Africans are very warm and welcoming, and love to BBQ and feed you. I was able to have a lovely braai, while watching rugby, and snacking on billtong. The country is also a lot safer than I had expected, you do see poor parts of town, and small children on the streets, but I generally felt very safe.
I have now made it back to Korea, I didn't think I would see the day of teacher Andrea again, but i'm back. Same city, new school. I don't think this run will be as long lasting as the previous, but let the adventure begin. My 2012 bucket list of seeing 3 new countries is well on its way. As of July I had visited 12 countries, and 6 of those were new. There are no travel plans for the near future, but living here and having many countries close by I am sure I will check one or two more off the list.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
I have not been keeping up with post like I should be, but this past month has been very busy. I have literally flown around the world, and have hit some major cities along the way.
My first stop was Hong Kong. I wasn't as impressed with this city as I thought I would be, but I blame that on a number of factors. One being I was sick while traveling, and two being the rainy weather. I was hoping for some sun and beach time here, but it wasn't warm enough for that at all. I will say shopping in Hong Kong is great if that is what you are looking for. I spent one day in Hong Kong where I did a bus tour. I got to see the city, Victory Harbor, learn about some history, visit the floating village and restaurant, and take in some markets. It was a jammed pack half day trip, but it allowed me to cover a lot of ground in a short time. The other day I had in Hong Kong, I spend in Macau. It is just a short ferry ride away from Hong Kong, but still a part of China which doesn't require a visa. Macau is known as Asia's Vegas. It's a land of hotels, casinos, shopping, and shows. I got to see Cirque du Soleil's show Zaia while there, which was absolutely amazing. It may be the gymnastics background I have, but this was the highlight of my trip for sure. The sets, costumes, dance, song and story had me in awe. It was a quick trip for me as it was originally suppose to be my last Asian vacation before home. Since booking the trip I decided on coming back to Korea, so I will hopefully get in a couple more this year.
The next stop on my journey was London, England. I am so accustomed to lack of communication in English that my first question at the airport was "Do you speak English?" I feel in England, this may be taken as an insult. I had a week to travel around London and see the sights with my friend from university. The first day we spend wondering through Hyde Park, and enjoying afternoon tea we were both a little jet lagged, so it was a fairly uneventful day. We were in bed before the sun was down. The next day we decided to do a hop on hop off tour around London. We didn't pick the best day, or season for that matter to travel in England, and ended up caught in a major down pour. The tour took us to see London Bridge, London Eye, National Gallery, Tower Bridge, London Tower, Thames River, Big Ben, and the Parliament. I would highly recommend this to anyone. The guides on the bus were highly informative, and we both agreed that bus tours are not just for seniors. The next day we decided to have a "Royal Day." London was overly decorated with Will and Kate's face, and being there so close to the royal wedding we felt the need to check out the locations. We went to Buckingham Palace for changing of the guards, then walked the wedding route by St James Park to Westminster Abby. Westminster Abby was surprising to me. Even after seeing it on TV it seemed very different inside than I envisioned. It is by no means a beautiful church. I would say it is rather cluttered, and Gothic looking, but it is full of history. That night we took in a the musical Legally Blonde, which we didn't have high standards for, but were pleasantly surprised. Later in the week we went to see Dirty Dancing, which being a classic expected to be great, but I would say I enjoyed Legally Blonde more. The next day we took a day trip to Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge. Windsor Castle was another royal event, and the town of Windsor is very posh, and historic. I thought Bath was a very cute city, and if I were to go back would spend more time there. We only had a couple hours at each location, but the smaller cities is where I would spend time next trip. In Bath we spent most of the time checking out the Roman Baths. We also had traditional English Fish and Chips here. Stonehenge was the last stop and is defiantly worth seeing, but its not a full day event. There is nothing in the area besides the rocks, but seeing it and listening to the theories behind why they are there was really interesting. The rest of our time in London we spent enjoying tea at the Orangery, walking in Kensington Palace garden and shopping. I will say after spending a year traveling in non English speaking countries that London was a treat.
The final stop on my journey was home. I flew into Montreal, and as much as English was foreign to my ears in England, French was in Montreal. I will say that after being away from home for a while, that I now know why people see Canadian's as friendly. Of all the places I have been, no one holds a door, lets you skip line if your in a hurry, or helps with your luggage. From the second I got off the plane I had some lift my heavy bag, hold a door, and allow me to skip the line at security. It really made me feel at home, and proud to be Canadian. Home was a great break for me. To go to the grocery store and see recognizable food, speak English, drive a car, watch English TV, and visit friends and family was unbelievable. I got to do a quick Nova Scotia tour, visiting Bridgewater, Wolfville and Halifax. I also had a bit of a New Brunswick tour and visited Miramichi, Moncton, and Fredericton before flying back to Korea.
I am now back in Korea for 8 months teaching at the same school. I have no trips planned as of yet, which is a bit depressing. I have a couple places on my wish list before I head home to Canada in January. I am thinking Singapore or Bali. I don't have as much time off this time, so I plan to do more Korean vacations on weekends.
Things hear are like I never left. My kids are back to themselves, although after being gone for three weeks it only took them five days to become annoying again. In a class of 12 kids for 50 minutes they managed to say the word "teacher" in there Korean accent over 100 times. There is a reason why Soju (alcohol) is so cheap in this country.
My first stop was Hong Kong. I wasn't as impressed with this city as I thought I would be, but I blame that on a number of factors. One being I was sick while traveling, and two being the rainy weather. I was hoping for some sun and beach time here, but it wasn't warm enough for that at all. I will say shopping in Hong Kong is great if that is what you are looking for. I spent one day in Hong Kong where I did a bus tour. I got to see the city, Victory Harbor, learn about some history, visit the floating village and restaurant, and take in some markets. It was a jammed pack half day trip, but it allowed me to cover a lot of ground in a short time. The other day I had in Hong Kong, I spend in Macau. It is just a short ferry ride away from Hong Kong, but still a part of China which doesn't require a visa. Macau is known as Asia's Vegas. It's a land of hotels, casinos, shopping, and shows. I got to see Cirque du Soleil's show Zaia while there, which was absolutely amazing. It may be the gymnastics background I have, but this was the highlight of my trip for sure. The sets, costumes, dance, song and story had me in awe. It was a quick trip for me as it was originally suppose to be my last Asian vacation before home. Since booking the trip I decided on coming back to Korea, so I will hopefully get in a couple more this year.
The next stop on my journey was London, England. I am so accustomed to lack of communication in English that my first question at the airport was "Do you speak English?" I feel in England, this may be taken as an insult. I had a week to travel around London and see the sights with my friend from university. The first day we spend wondering through Hyde Park, and enjoying afternoon tea we were both a little jet lagged, so it was a fairly uneventful day. We were in bed before the sun was down. The next day we decided to do a hop on hop off tour around London. We didn't pick the best day, or season for that matter to travel in England, and ended up caught in a major down pour. The tour took us to see London Bridge, London Eye, National Gallery, Tower Bridge, London Tower, Thames River, Big Ben, and the Parliament. I would highly recommend this to anyone. The guides on the bus were highly informative, and we both agreed that bus tours are not just for seniors. The next day we decided to have a "Royal Day." London was overly decorated with Will and Kate's face, and being there so close to the royal wedding we felt the need to check out the locations. We went to Buckingham Palace for changing of the guards, then walked the wedding route by St James Park to Westminster Abby. Westminster Abby was surprising to me. Even after seeing it on TV it seemed very different inside than I envisioned. It is by no means a beautiful church. I would say it is rather cluttered, and Gothic looking, but it is full of history. That night we took in a the musical Legally Blonde, which we didn't have high standards for, but were pleasantly surprised. Later in the week we went to see Dirty Dancing, which being a classic expected to be great, but I would say I enjoyed Legally Blonde more. The next day we took a day trip to Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge. Windsor Castle was another royal event, and the town of Windsor is very posh, and historic. I thought Bath was a very cute city, and if I were to go back would spend more time there. We only had a couple hours at each location, but the smaller cities is where I would spend time next trip. In Bath we spent most of the time checking out the Roman Baths. We also had traditional English Fish and Chips here. Stonehenge was the last stop and is defiantly worth seeing, but its not a full day event. There is nothing in the area besides the rocks, but seeing it and listening to the theories behind why they are there was really interesting. The rest of our time in London we spent enjoying tea at the Orangery, walking in Kensington Palace garden and shopping. I will say after spending a year traveling in non English speaking countries that London was a treat.
The final stop on my journey was home. I flew into Montreal, and as much as English was foreign to my ears in England, French was in Montreal. I will say that after being away from home for a while, that I now know why people see Canadian's as friendly. Of all the places I have been, no one holds a door, lets you skip line if your in a hurry, or helps with your luggage. From the second I got off the plane I had some lift my heavy bag, hold a door, and allow me to skip the line at security. It really made me feel at home, and proud to be Canadian. Home was a great break for me. To go to the grocery store and see recognizable food, speak English, drive a car, watch English TV, and visit friends and family was unbelievable. I got to do a quick Nova Scotia tour, visiting Bridgewater, Wolfville and Halifax. I also had a bit of a New Brunswick tour and visited Miramichi, Moncton, and Fredericton before flying back to Korea.
I am now back in Korea for 8 months teaching at the same school. I have no trips planned as of yet, which is a bit depressing. I have a couple places on my wish list before I head home to Canada in January. I am thinking Singapore or Bali. I don't have as much time off this time, so I plan to do more Korean vacations on weekends.
Things hear are like I never left. My kids are back to themselves, although after being gone for three weeks it only took them five days to become annoying again. In a class of 12 kids for 50 minutes they managed to say the word "teacher" in there Korean accent over 100 times. There is a reason why Soju (alcohol) is so cheap in this country.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Japan
Japan is an amazing country. It is very clean and organized non like many other places I have been here. I do feel lucky that I was able to experience Japan before leaving Asia. I am also glad I saved it til the end. It has given me a much better impression of Asia as a continent. People are patient here, they stop at cross walks, and don't spit or put cigarettes on the ground. After living in Korea for over a year, I appreciate all these things.
I feel lucky with the timing if my trip, if I had been a few weeks later, things may not have gone so smoothly. The tsunami and earthquakes have caused a lot of damage this week, and as I am glad I am back to Korea safe.
The airport efficiency had me impressed from the start, so I could tell it was going to be a good vacation. Everything seems to run so smoothly in Japan. There was no waiting for luggage, customs, immigration, or trains. The airport is also high tech with finger print scanning, and identification. We started our adventures in Osaka. We only spent one night in Osaka, in a part called Mikuni. Mikuni is a nice quiet part of the city. It has a very small village feel with street markets, bikes, cafes, and restaurants. It almost reminded me of the valley; everyone knows everyone in this part of town. There were not many foreigners around, but we did run into a guy named Patrick. He is definitely a known foreign local, and he was able to give us lots of help and advice. We didn't have much time in Osaka, but we got a chance to walk around and enjoy a couple pubs, and restaurants here. We stayed at the Caminoro guesthouse here, and I have to give it an excellent review. Clean, spacious, great location, and the owners are very friendly. They also have an adorable baby girl. I would recommend this place to anyone in who is in that area.
The next day we got up early to take a bus to Hiroshima. This was the part of the trip I had been looking forward to the most, and it did not disappoint. Hiroshima is a beautiful city with many rivers running through the main part of town. The Peace Memorial Park, and A Bomb Dome are very well persevered and maintained. I found the A bomb museum extremely interesting, and eerie. Some of the artifacts such as the watch which stopped at 8:15am when the bomb hit, and paintings done by the survivors in the museum were very disturbing. It gave me a much better picture of the threat of nuclear weapons. This also made me a little uneasy, seeing as I currently live in a country that is in constant disagreement with North Korea, who have an undetermined amount of nuclear weapons. The museum is very tastefully done, and highly educational. One thought that ran through my mind a number of times while reading and looking at different things, was I am happy to not be American. I would have felt very guilty being there as an American.
Following the museum and park we tried some of the local food. Okonomiyako which is "pizza," they make it using lettuce, pork, egg, and a tortilla. Since pizza is my favorite food, I will not call it pizza, but it wasn't bad. The guy even let us help make it. We also had momiji, which is a small leaf shaped cookie. Inside it is filled with custard, red bean, green tea, chocolate or some other fillings. I had the custard one which wasn't too bad either. In the evening we had a try of shochu, which is traditional Japanese liquor. They drink it mixed with water or ice. It is not delicious but much better than something like vodka or rum.
The next day we went to Miyajima island. It is not far from Hiroshima, and it is very easy to get to by train and ferry. At first we were not so sure if we would waste a day going, but once we got there we were happy we did. The island is small and most famous for the Torri Gate (aka the floating gate). That was the main attraction we went to see, but once we got there we enjoyed the nature and small island vibe much better. It is a very touristy location, but the locals, houses and history is very preserved. We rented bikes and did a bit of an island tour. The weather was beautiful, and we got to see the gate during high tide. The island also has hundreds of wild, but very tame deer. They will come right up to you and take food, or paper right from your hand. Here I got to try eel and oysters which are the famous food of choice. Eel was not for me, but the oysters were much better than I thought they would be.
That night we took an overnight bus to Tokyo. We wanted to fit in all of Japans highlights while there, so we flew to Osaka and home from Tokyo. Japan is not a very large country land mass wise, but it is very long. 14 hours from Hiroshima to Tokyo by bus, but it wasn't as bad as it sounds. They make many stops, and once you get comfortable enough to sleep it is ok. We arrived in Tokyo early in the morning, and decided to cover a lot of ground in one day. We did Tokyo Tower, Government Buildings, Sony Building, Hachico Station, and the Shibuya intersection. I got to have some delicious sushi, and hit up a couple of clubs in Tokyo which was really fun. We were in Tokyo during the weekend, which if you are looking for night life I recommend. For being the largest city in the world, it was very easy to get around, clean, organized, and nice. It is massive, and when you are looking from the observation deck 50 floors up you can see that, but they all do an amazing job in making it work. Even the subway during rush hour is organized, and people wait in lines. While we were there, the Tokyo marathon was taking place. If I had of known I would of loved to run in it. To run in a marathon with 35,000 people from all over the world would of been an amazing experience, the course is also fairly flat. Next year I will have to keep it in mind.
Our last day in Japan we took a day trip to Mt Fuji. It is very pretty, and the weather was beautiful. It was a clear day so we were able to see the peak. It is still snow covered at the peak, and climbing season does not start until summer so we didn't get to hike it. We also went to an onsen while there. This is a natural outdoor hot spring. There are indoor baths as well which are similar to the Korean bath houses, but the outdoor hot spring is so relaxing. You can sit outside in a warm rock bath, with Mt Fuji in the background and fresh air. After getting over the fact you are naked with many strangers it is very relaxing. The Japanese are much more modest than Koreans, so walking with a towel in front of you is ok. After spending a few hours soaking in tubs and cleaning I felt like a million dollars.
Japan is a beautiful country. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It is some what expensive to travel throughout the country, but it's worth it. I would not have skipped any of the locations we covered, or omitted any sights or activities. If I had to choose one city to visit I would say Hiroshima was my favorite. I loved Japan and could defiantly see myself living there.
I feel lucky with the timing if my trip, if I had been a few weeks later, things may not have gone so smoothly. The tsunami and earthquakes have caused a lot of damage this week, and as I am glad I am back to Korea safe.
The airport efficiency had me impressed from the start, so I could tell it was going to be a good vacation. Everything seems to run so smoothly in Japan. There was no waiting for luggage, customs, immigration, or trains. The airport is also high tech with finger print scanning, and identification. We started our adventures in Osaka. We only spent one night in Osaka, in a part called Mikuni. Mikuni is a nice quiet part of the city. It has a very small village feel with street markets, bikes, cafes, and restaurants. It almost reminded me of the valley; everyone knows everyone in this part of town. There were not many foreigners around, but we did run into a guy named Patrick. He is definitely a known foreign local, and he was able to give us lots of help and advice. We didn't have much time in Osaka, but we got a chance to walk around and enjoy a couple pubs, and restaurants here. We stayed at the Caminoro guesthouse here, and I have to give it an excellent review. Clean, spacious, great location, and the owners are very friendly. They also have an adorable baby girl. I would recommend this place to anyone in who is in that area.
The next day we got up early to take a bus to Hiroshima. This was the part of the trip I had been looking forward to the most, and it did not disappoint. Hiroshima is a beautiful city with many rivers running through the main part of town. The Peace Memorial Park, and A Bomb Dome are very well persevered and maintained. I found the A bomb museum extremely interesting, and eerie. Some of the artifacts such as the watch which stopped at 8:15am when the bomb hit, and paintings done by the survivors in the museum were very disturbing. It gave me a much better picture of the threat of nuclear weapons. This also made me a little uneasy, seeing as I currently live in a country that is in constant disagreement with North Korea, who have an undetermined amount of nuclear weapons. The museum is very tastefully done, and highly educational. One thought that ran through my mind a number of times while reading and looking at different things, was I am happy to not be American. I would have felt very guilty being there as an American.
Following the museum and park we tried some of the local food. Okonomiyako which is "pizza," they make it using lettuce, pork, egg, and a tortilla. Since pizza is my favorite food, I will not call it pizza, but it wasn't bad. The guy even let us help make it. We also had momiji, which is a small leaf shaped cookie. Inside it is filled with custard, red bean, green tea, chocolate or some other fillings. I had the custard one which wasn't too bad either. In the evening we had a try of shochu, which is traditional Japanese liquor. They drink it mixed with water or ice. It is not delicious but much better than something like vodka or rum.
The next day we went to Miyajima island. It is not far from Hiroshima, and it is very easy to get to by train and ferry. At first we were not so sure if we would waste a day going, but once we got there we were happy we did. The island is small and most famous for the Torri Gate (aka the floating gate). That was the main attraction we went to see, but once we got there we enjoyed the nature and small island vibe much better. It is a very touristy location, but the locals, houses and history is very preserved. We rented bikes and did a bit of an island tour. The weather was beautiful, and we got to see the gate during high tide. The island also has hundreds of wild, but very tame deer. They will come right up to you and take food, or paper right from your hand. Here I got to try eel and oysters which are the famous food of choice. Eel was not for me, but the oysters were much better than I thought they would be.
That night we took an overnight bus to Tokyo. We wanted to fit in all of Japans highlights while there, so we flew to Osaka and home from Tokyo. Japan is not a very large country land mass wise, but it is very long. 14 hours from Hiroshima to Tokyo by bus, but it wasn't as bad as it sounds. They make many stops, and once you get comfortable enough to sleep it is ok. We arrived in Tokyo early in the morning, and decided to cover a lot of ground in one day. We did Tokyo Tower, Government Buildings, Sony Building, Hachico Station, and the Shibuya intersection. I got to have some delicious sushi, and hit up a couple of clubs in Tokyo which was really fun. We were in Tokyo during the weekend, which if you are looking for night life I recommend. For being the largest city in the world, it was very easy to get around, clean, organized, and nice. It is massive, and when you are looking from the observation deck 50 floors up you can see that, but they all do an amazing job in making it work. Even the subway during rush hour is organized, and people wait in lines. While we were there, the Tokyo marathon was taking place. If I had of known I would of loved to run in it. To run in a marathon with 35,000 people from all over the world would of been an amazing experience, the course is also fairly flat. Next year I will have to keep it in mind.
Our last day in Japan we took a day trip to Mt Fuji. It is very pretty, and the weather was beautiful. It was a clear day so we were able to see the peak. It is still snow covered at the peak, and climbing season does not start until summer so we didn't get to hike it. We also went to an onsen while there. This is a natural outdoor hot spring. There are indoor baths as well which are similar to the Korean bath houses, but the outdoor hot spring is so relaxing. You can sit outside in a warm rock bath, with Mt Fuji in the background and fresh air. After getting over the fact you are naked with many strangers it is very relaxing. The Japanese are much more modest than Koreans, so walking with a towel in front of you is ok. After spending a few hours soaking in tubs and cleaning I felt like a million dollars.
Japan is a beautiful country. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It is some what expensive to travel throughout the country, but it's worth it. I would not have skipped any of the locations we covered, or omitted any sights or activities. If I had to choose one city to visit I would say Hiroshima was my favorite. I loved Japan and could defiantly see myself living there.
Monday, February 7, 2011
The past couple of months have been flying here in Korea. I celebrated Christmas very different from years in the past, but everyone is in the same boat so we made the best of it. It was a very green Christmas here. My company had a big staff party on Christmas day, so I did manage to have turkey for dinner. I rang in the New Year and my 1 year anniversary in Daegu with some friends which was fun. Daegu is a bigger city, and more to do than Gumi. I also thought it was fitting because that is where I rang in 2010 as well. The local foreign bar here has started Wednesday trivia night, so we have been religiously going to that which helps break up the week. We can have teams of 2-3 people. We have a group of 6 friends who like to make it a fairly competitive event. So far the 6 of us have finished in the top 2 teams every week, so its a fight to defend our titles now. I have been crossing off my bucket list things and preparing for my return to Canada. The countdown is at 46 days, which gives me anxiety. Part of me is ready to go home, and part of me wants to stay. I am sure my departure will be bitter sweet.
Happy New Year 2011
I have finished my South East Asian travels this week. I took a trip to the Phillippnes with a couple girls from here. It was a great trip, and nice to get out of the cold weather for a while. We were only there for a short time but covered a lot. We arrived in Manila late on Wednesday night and headed to an island Puerto Galera for the beach part of our vacation. We spent a few days there on the beach, snorkeling, para sailing, and partying before heading back to Manila to do some shopping and sight-seeing.
Melissa, Chantel, and I
The beach was nice, the water wasn't as warm as Thailand, but a comfortable temperature. It is still "winter" in the Phillippines so it was the coldest time of year. The temperature was still around 26 degrees, and the sun was great. We did a boat tour which took us snorkeling and the amount of fish was amazing. We took some bread to feed the fish and hundreds of tiny fish would surround you. During the evenings we hit up some beach side bars. They all have lady boys that work and entertain. I have to say I was very entertained by the lady boy and fire shows at night. We had a chance to ask some of the lady boys our questions, and I have to say some of them were very convincing females. We also got to try some balut while on the beach. Balut is a fertilized egg, and is known to be one of the worst foods in the world. I had a VERY small sip of the liquid, but couldn't eat it.
Balut
We spent a couple days in Manila before coming home. We got to do some shopping, which was much better than Korean shopping. We even got a few grocery items which you can't find here. The Phillippnes has a much larger selection of American goods, which are like luxury items for us. We also went to Intramuros which is the oldest selection of Manila which was built by the Spaniards. There are lots of old churches and buildings here, but the original heritage is not well preserved. Beside a 16th century church you can find a 7-eleven.
Interamuros
Overall I had a great vacation, and was happy to do it in great company before heading home. Even managed to get a bit of a tan.
My next adventure is in a couple weeks time. I will be heading to Japan to do a tour of the island. We plan to hit up Osaka, Hiroshima, Mt Fuji, and Tokyo. Should be another fun vacation.
Happy New Year 2011
I have finished my South East Asian travels this week. I took a trip to the Phillippnes with a couple girls from here. It was a great trip, and nice to get out of the cold weather for a while. We were only there for a short time but covered a lot. We arrived in Manila late on Wednesday night and headed to an island Puerto Galera for the beach part of our vacation. We spent a few days there on the beach, snorkeling, para sailing, and partying before heading back to Manila to do some shopping and sight-seeing.
Melissa, Chantel, and I
BalutWe spent a couple days in Manila before coming home. We got to do some shopping, which was much better than Korean shopping. We even got a few grocery items which you can't find here. The Phillippnes has a much larger selection of American goods, which are like luxury items for us. We also went to Intramuros which is the oldest selection of Manila which was built by the Spaniards. There are lots of old churches and buildings here, but the original heritage is not well preserved. Beside a 16th century church you can find a 7-eleven.
InteramurosOverall I had a great vacation, and was happy to do it in great company before heading home. Even managed to get a bit of a tan.
My next adventure is in a couple weeks time. I will be heading to Japan to do a tour of the island. We plan to hit up Osaka, Hiroshima, Mt Fuji, and Tokyo. Should be another fun vacation.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
China has come and gone; it was a quick trip but very enjoyable. We started things off a little rocky with a 2 hour delay, but once we got to Beijing it was fantastic. Our tour guide met us at the airport and from there we started with sight seeing right away. First on the list was Tiananmen Square. This is the largest city square in the world, and hosts many Chinese historic events. Across the street we went to the Forbidden City which was the house for the Emperor in the Ming Dynasty. No members from the public were allowed access to this huge area until 1925. Only the Emperor, and Empress had access to the 980 buildings and 8707 rooms. Now the "Forbidden City" is called the Palace Museum since it is no longer forbidden to the public. By the time dinner came were exhausted, but we enjoyed a few Chinese style dishes before going to the acrobat show. I will say it was a bit dissppointing. China produces some of the best gymnast in the world, but this show did not show their potential level of talent.
The next day we did the Jade market, Ming Tombs, and the Great Wall. The Great Wall was defiantly the highlight of my trip. It was extremely cold and windy, but its was amazing. The section which we climbed was very steep, but from the top you were able to see a large section of the wall to really appreciate the size of it. Following the Great Wall we went to the Summer Palace, which was built as a summer resort for the Empress. It is completely man made, but it really is beautiful. Since it was winter, it was hard to get the true sense of beauty, but in summer or spring with trees and flowers I imagine it would be gorgeous . We also went to a pearl market, where they let us see how to extract pearls and taught us how to tell if they are real. Last on the agenda was a tea ceremony. Tea for me is a stereotypical "China" thing, but to see how different tea should be prepared was interesting. They also believe that different tea is good for different functions, so they to try them and learn about it was interesting.
The last day of our tour we did the Temple of Heaven, silk market, and a Chinese duck meal. The Temple of Heaven is now a big city park which is open to the public and there were hundreds of people there exercising, but it is still very peaceful. The silk market was also very interesting to see the steps in making silk.
Our final day in China we spent shopping. We went to a big market which had everything. pearls, silk, makeup, electronics, souvenirs, shoes, and purses. If you are good at bargaining you and practically buy things for nothing here. Most of the vendors sell the same products so if you name a price, its hard for them to say no.
After hearing some negative things about China and Beijing, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. It was probably my favorite Asian destination to date, I didn't find it to be dirty, or crowded with people. The tour which we did was also perfect. We were the only two on the tour, so we had a guide and a driver and they really catered to our interests. They would pick us up, drop us off, and let us do our thing which was exactly what I wanted. I would defiantly recommend a tour package for people wanting to see the most of Beijing in the least amount of time. We were able to see everything we wanted and more in 4 days, and it didn't feel rushed at all. As for going in winter, it probably wasn't the best time of year. In the fall or spring I feel would be ideal. One bonus about going during winter months, there weren't as many people around at the sights.
This week was the first snowfall, it made things feel more like Christmas. Snow never lasts very long around here, but it was nice to wake up and see big white flakes falling. The kids are much more excited about snow, then Christmas. A lot of my kids said they are "too old for Christmas." None of my kids believe in Santa, which I find very sad. I had a 6 year old kid tell me that the thought of a fat man coming down a chimney was crazy. Makes the holiday season much less exciting around here. There are a few stores and office buildings decorated for Christmas, but no houses have lights. It is not recognized as a major holiday like back home.
December in Korea has brought lots of goodbyes. They are starting to slow down now, but its sad to see people who you have spend the past year with go home. It has also brought changes to Moon Kkang. At my school we have a new Korean teacher, new manager, and soon will have a new foreign teacher. Starting in January there will be changes to the curriculum as well. As much as I am in a routine now, changes make the time go by quickly. I will be saying my farewell in less than 100 days now. Scary how fast the time has gone.
The next day we did the Jade market, Ming Tombs, and the Great Wall. The Great Wall was defiantly the highlight of my trip. It was extremely cold and windy, but its was amazing. The section which we climbed was very steep, but from the top you were able to see a large section of the wall to really appreciate the size of it. Following the Great Wall we went to the Summer Palace, which was built as a summer resort for the Empress. It is completely man made, but it really is beautiful. Since it was winter, it was hard to get the true sense of beauty, but in summer or spring with trees and flowers I imagine it would be gorgeous . We also went to a pearl market, where they let us see how to extract pearls and taught us how to tell if they are real. Last on the agenda was a tea ceremony. Tea for me is a stereotypical "China" thing, but to see how different tea should be prepared was interesting. They also believe that different tea is good for different functions, so they to try them and learn about it was interesting.
The last day of our tour we did the Temple of Heaven, silk market, and a Chinese duck meal. The Temple of Heaven is now a big city park which is open to the public and there were hundreds of people there exercising, but it is still very peaceful. The silk market was also very interesting to see the steps in making silk.
Our final day in China we spent shopping. We went to a big market which had everything. pearls, silk, makeup, electronics, souvenirs, shoes, and purses. If you are good at bargaining you and practically buy things for nothing here. Most of the vendors sell the same products so if you name a price, its hard for them to say no.
After hearing some negative things about China and Beijing, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. It was probably my favorite Asian destination to date, I didn't find it to be dirty, or crowded with people. The tour which we did was also perfect. We were the only two on the tour, so we had a guide and a driver and they really catered to our interests. They would pick us up, drop us off, and let us do our thing which was exactly what I wanted. I would defiantly recommend a tour package for people wanting to see the most of Beijing in the least amount of time. We were able to see everything we wanted and more in 4 days, and it didn't feel rushed at all. As for going in winter, it probably wasn't the best time of year. In the fall or spring I feel would be ideal. One bonus about going during winter months, there weren't as many people around at the sights.
This week was the first snowfall, it made things feel more like Christmas. Snow never lasts very long around here, but it was nice to wake up and see big white flakes falling. The kids are much more excited about snow, then Christmas. A lot of my kids said they are "too old for Christmas." None of my kids believe in Santa, which I find very sad. I had a 6 year old kid tell me that the thought of a fat man coming down a chimney was crazy. Makes the holiday season much less exciting around here. There are a few stores and office buildings decorated for Christmas, but no houses have lights. It is not recognized as a major holiday like back home.
December in Korea has brought lots of goodbyes. They are starting to slow down now, but its sad to see people who you have spend the past year with go home. It has also brought changes to Moon Kkang. At my school we have a new Korean teacher, new manager, and soon will have a new foreign teacher. Starting in January there will be changes to the curriculum as well. As much as I am in a routine now, changes make the time go by quickly. I will be saying my farewell in less than 100 days now. Scary how fast the time has gone.
Friday, November 26, 2010
This week has been eventful with another attack from North Korea. It is sad that it is a fairly common thing around here, most Koreans don't even flinch when things like this happen. Living in a country and having a hostile neighbor for 50+ years gives you time to adjust to acts of war. When I first got here I thought the monthly invasion drills, amount of military, and sirens were a bit ridiculous, but after this event I guess they are all necessary precautions. When we first got here we asked a lot of questions, but my co teachers insisted it was fine. We would often say "This is strange for us because no one really hates Canada. That is why tourist sew Canadian flags on backpacks even if they aren't from Canada." Living abroad has made me thankful, and proud to be Canadian.
It is sad how much knowledge Korean kids have of war, military, and weapons. This week in class while discussing the North Korea attack with a group of 10 year olds; I had a child explain to me the chemicals used to make a nuclear bomb. Since military is mandatory here for males when they reach their twenties, a lot of my students also pray to be from another country so they don't have to do service. When I asked some middle school kids how they felt about it, they would answer "It is so terrible, I don't want to be a solider I want to play soccer and computer games." For now life goes on as usual, and I am glad I don't live near the boarder.
Farewells are still happening weekly here. This weekend there are 7 foreigners who will say goodbye. My co-teacher has also left my school, so there are a lot of changes happening soon. I am heading to China this week, so I am really looking forward to that. Caitlin and I have booked a tour and are going to hit up all the major tourist attraction in Beijing before she heads home to South Africa. I will be sure to update when I get back!
It is sad how much knowledge Korean kids have of war, military, and weapons. This week in class while discussing the North Korea attack with a group of 10 year olds; I had a child explain to me the chemicals used to make a nuclear bomb. Since military is mandatory here for males when they reach their twenties, a lot of my students also pray to be from another country so they don't have to do service. When I asked some middle school kids how they felt about it, they would answer "It is so terrible, I don't want to be a solider I want to play soccer and computer games." For now life goes on as usual, and I am glad I don't live near the boarder.
Farewells are still happening weekly here. This weekend there are 7 foreigners who will say goodbye. My co-teacher has also left my school, so there are a lot of changes happening soon. I am heading to China this week, so I am really looking forward to that. Caitlin and I have booked a tour and are going to hit up all the major tourist attraction in Beijing before she heads home to South Africa. I will be sure to update when I get back!
Monday, November 1, 2010
To keep busy I have started to plan a trip to Beijing. I feel while in Asia I have to see the Great Wall, so I have taken some time off to check that out in December. It will be a short 5 day trip, but I plan to hit up the major sights in Beijing and do some shopping as well. I thought Thailand would be my last vacation while here, but now that I am staying I will get to see China, Japan and possibly a couple days in Hong Kong on my way home.
After being here for 10+ months my goodbyes to friends have officially started. Since most people sign a year contract, many of the great people I have met are now leaving to go home. For the next month it will be pretty consistent with one goodbye a week. I have decided to extend my contract for 3 months, so my goodbye wont be until the end of March; but it is still hard to see good friends leaving. The people I have met here are from all over the world. It has been a wonderful experience with a wide variety of people. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to meet everyone I have crossed paths with here.
After being here for 10+ months my goodbyes to friends have officially started. Since most people sign a year contract, many of the great people I have met are now leaving to go home. For the next month it will be pretty consistent with one goodbye a week. I have decided to extend my contract for 3 months, so my goodbye wont be until the end of March; but it is still hard to see good friends leaving. The people I have met here are from all over the world. It has been a wonderful experience with a wide variety of people. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to meet everyone I have crossed paths with here.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Things since Thailand have been fairly relaxed. A lot of people who I have met here are soon leaving, so we are just preparing for their departures and crossing more things off the Bucket List. My next big adventure will be in December where I plan to go to China and see the Great Wall.
Last weekend we crossed the "Konglish" party off the list. Many shirts, signs, etc make no sense and have multiple spelling mistakes. Some of the shirts the kids wear to school are ridiculous both in meaning and non meaning. We had everyone over for a potluck event and we all wore a "Konglish" shirt. It was nice to have everyone over for drinks and potluck before we made our way to Waegook.
This weekend I crossed off the babies 1st birthday event. Hyun who takes care of all the odds and ends for us in Gumi invited us to his daughters 1st birthday. I have to say it was a bit over the top, but the first birthday in Korea is a big deal. Long ago many babies died before their first birthday due to malnutrition, so now they have a very elaborate party to show friends and family their healthy baby. For GaIn's party they rented a wedding hall, had buffet style dinner, and free alcohol, for 100+ guest. The family was dressed in matching outfits. There was a hired photographer with photo booths set up. There was a movie made for GaIn and her life up till now along with games, and prizes. They also are very superstitions here so one of the games they play is showing the baby a tray of items. On the tray is money, a ball, a pencil, string, stethoscope, and a few other items. Each item is a symbol for something (i.e.: string= long life, stethoscope= doctor). Which ever item the baby chooses will be his or her future aspiration. GaIn choose the ball and the pencil which means she will be athletic and academic. I have to say, I felt like I was watching an episode of my Sweet 16, except it was for a 1 year old. GaIn will not remember it, but there was lots of pictures for her to look at when shes older. It was nice as a foreigner to see another part of their culture...even if it made me say "Ohhhh Korea"
Last weekend we crossed the "Konglish" party off the list. Many shirts, signs, etc make no sense and have multiple spelling mistakes. Some of the shirts the kids wear to school are ridiculous both in meaning and non meaning. We had everyone over for a potluck event and we all wore a "Konglish" shirt. It was nice to have everyone over for drinks and potluck before we made our way to Waegook.
This weekend I crossed off the babies 1st birthday event. Hyun who takes care of all the odds and ends for us in Gumi invited us to his daughters 1st birthday. I have to say it was a bit over the top, but the first birthday in Korea is a big deal. Long ago many babies died before their first birthday due to malnutrition, so now they have a very elaborate party to show friends and family their healthy baby. For GaIn's party they rented a wedding hall, had buffet style dinner, and free alcohol, for 100+ guest. The family was dressed in matching outfits. There was a hired photographer with photo booths set up. There was a movie made for GaIn and her life up till now along with games, and prizes. They also are very superstitions here so one of the games they play is showing the baby a tray of items. On the tray is money, a ball, a pencil, string, stethoscope, and a few other items. Each item is a symbol for something (i.e.: string= long life, stethoscope= doctor). Which ever item the baby chooses will be his or her future aspiration. GaIn choose the ball and the pencil which means she will be athletic and academic. I have to say, I felt like I was watching an episode of my Sweet 16, except it was for a 1 year old. GaIn will not remember it, but there was lots of pictures for her to look at when shes older. It was nice as a foreigner to see another part of their culture...even if it made me say "Ohhhh Korea"
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Now that Thailand and Chuseok are over and everyone is back in Korea the Bucket List is continuing. This weekend we crossed temple stay off the list.
On Saturday afternoon we made our way to Gyeongju to the Golgul Temple. It was probably the most exhausting 24 hours I have ever willing been through, but defiantly work the experience. When we arrived we changed into our very faltering Monk wear and headed to archery practice. The routine of a Buddhist Monk is VERY structured so all day it was one thing after the next. Following the archery we were sent for community work. Here the women had to sweep the walkway and the men had to clean windows. All things are very simple and they believe in simple living, so the brooms we used were made of bamboo and straw, while the boys washed the windows using a newspaper rag. Dinner was next thing on the schedule. Monks do not waste anything, so when eating your meals you MUST clean everything off your plate. Dinner is also very simple and light. Most meals consist of white rice, vegetables, soup, and sometimes tofu. They believe that eating light meals helps the body maintain energy. After Dinner we went to evening chanting which is similar to a pray session along with many bows. After chant we started our Sunmudo training. This is a Korean form of a Zen Martial Art which is suppose to harmonize the mind, body and breath. The training is a mix between yoga, gymnastics, and taekwondo. It was probably one of the hardest things I have done. All the monks make it look fairly easy, but the positions and moves are very tough. After training it was bed time (10pm), where we headed back to the room and slept on the floor.
On Sunday we had a 4am wake up. You are woken by a junior monk who is beating a wooden bell. Between 2-6am is said to be the best time to meditate so they wake up early to hike the mountain where at the top is a meditation cave. 4:30am you must be at the cave to start chants and meditation, if you miss this activity your punishment is 3000 bows, which takes 8-10 hours to complete. 6am we left mediation for breakfast. Breakfast was a Buddhist ceremonial meal called Barugongyang. It is a meal where you eat and clean together with all the monks, junior monks and other guest at the temple. During the meal you are give 4 bowls. One for each: rice, vegetables, soup, and water. The water bowl is to remain untouched until the end of the meal where you use the water to clean your other bowls. You pour the water from bowl to bowl until they are cleaned then you drink the water so you do not waste anything. Following breakfast we were given a chance to enjoy tea while asking about life in a temple as a monk. It gave us an eye opening look at just how much dedication is required. Everyday they have the same schedule full of chanting, meditation, and exercise, it sounds peaceful but it is challenging. The last thing on the list was to complete the 108 bows. Not just a small fold at the hips, but a full bow from standing to bending touching your forehead on the floor.
After my 24 hour Temple Stay I know I could never live the life of a Buddhist Monk. Little sleep, little food, and little talking is they norm way of life for them and that takes a lot of discipline and dedication. It was a great experience to live the life for a day, but I was very glad to sleep in my bed, and enjoy a nice dinner when I returned home.
On Saturday afternoon we made our way to Gyeongju to the Golgul Temple. It was probably the most exhausting 24 hours I have ever willing been through, but defiantly work the experience. When we arrived we changed into our very faltering Monk wear and headed to archery practice. The routine of a Buddhist Monk is VERY structured so all day it was one thing after the next. Following the archery we were sent for community work. Here the women had to sweep the walkway and the men had to clean windows. All things are very simple and they believe in simple living, so the brooms we used were made of bamboo and straw, while the boys washed the windows using a newspaper rag. Dinner was next thing on the schedule. Monks do not waste anything, so when eating your meals you MUST clean everything off your plate. Dinner is also very simple and light. Most meals consist of white rice, vegetables, soup, and sometimes tofu. They believe that eating light meals helps the body maintain energy. After Dinner we went to evening chanting which is similar to a pray session along with many bows. After chant we started our Sunmudo training. This is a Korean form of a Zen Martial Art which is suppose to harmonize the mind, body and breath. The training is a mix between yoga, gymnastics, and taekwondo. It was probably one of the hardest things I have done. All the monks make it look fairly easy, but the positions and moves are very tough. After training it was bed time (10pm), where we headed back to the room and slept on the floor.
On Sunday we had a 4am wake up. You are woken by a junior monk who is beating a wooden bell. Between 2-6am is said to be the best time to meditate so they wake up early to hike the mountain where at the top is a meditation cave. 4:30am you must be at the cave to start chants and meditation, if you miss this activity your punishment is 3000 bows, which takes 8-10 hours to complete. 6am we left mediation for breakfast. Breakfast was a Buddhist ceremonial meal called Barugongyang. It is a meal where you eat and clean together with all the monks, junior monks and other guest at the temple. During the meal you are give 4 bowls. One for each: rice, vegetables, soup, and water. The water bowl is to remain untouched until the end of the meal where you use the water to clean your other bowls. You pour the water from bowl to bowl until they are cleaned then you drink the water so you do not waste anything. Following breakfast we were given a chance to enjoy tea while asking about life in a temple as a monk. It gave us an eye opening look at just how much dedication is required. Everyday they have the same schedule full of chanting, meditation, and exercise, it sounds peaceful but it is challenging. The last thing on the list was to complete the 108 bows. Not just a small fold at the hips, but a full bow from standing to bending touching your forehead on the floor.
After my 24 hour Temple Stay I know I could never live the life of a Buddhist Monk. Little sleep, little food, and little talking is they norm way of life for them and that takes a lot of discipline and dedication. It was a great experience to live the life for a day, but I was very glad to sleep in my bed, and enjoy a nice dinner when I returned home.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Thailand was an amazing vacation. Very relaxing, self pampering, and a couple of days of partying. It was hard to come back and get into the routine of things again. Also it is fall weather in Korea now, so to come back from the hot sun in Thailand was a bit depressing.
On Friday we arrived in Bangkok early evening and made our way to Khao San Road. This is a street full of shopping, eating, and partying. It also has a tone of hotels, so we checked into a great spot right on the main street called D&D. It still amazes me when traveling in Asia how cheap accommodations are. For a standard room with a king size bed, bathroom, and free breakfast it only cost 800 baht ($25 Cdn) a night. We were exhausted after the day of traveling, so we made our way to supper where we enjoyed some Pad Thai served by a lady-boy, and back home to sleep. The lady-boys in Thailand are an interesting sight. Some of them you second guess yourself because they are truly beautiful. The give away for most of them are the hands, although some are well manicured its hard to hide. They keep themselves very clean, with their hair and makeup done. They also have very feminine shapes, which most would be jealous of. It is also strange to think that in Thailand they really are accepted as a third gender. After being in Korea and visiting Thailand I know see how narrow minded the culture in Korea really is.
On Saturday we wanted to do some shopping in Bangkok, so we made our way by local bus to MBK which is a shopping district. We didnt have much luck at MBK so we decided to head back to Khao San road for lunch and shopping. While we were eating lunch we met a couple of guys from England who were pretty entertaining, so instead of shopping we spent the afternoon drinking with them. Saturday night we took an over night bus to the ferry pier where we caught the ferry in the morning to Koh Samui. If I were to do it again, I would probably fly to Koh Samui, the 14 hour bus ride was no comfortable and very long. Although we did meet a lot of people who are on traveling adventures, and later spent time with throughout the week it was just a long trip. There were a ton of people from Europe who were in Thailand for a short period before heading to Australia.
When we arrived in Koh Samui we checked into our hotel which was located on Chaweng Beach. The beach and water were beautiful. White sand, and teal blue warm water. We were again exhausted from traveling so we spent most of Sunday napping. Monday - Thursday we stayed in Koh Samui and just spent time relaxing on the beach, enjoying massages, and eating delicious food. We got to meet up with some of Caitlin's friends from home (South Africa) for some drinks. A couple of people we met on the bus were staying in the same area so we spent our evenings having a few drinks and dinner with them. The people you meet while traveling are very interesting. Even just to learn about different cultures and countries was very entertaining. For people we only met a short time ago there ever seemed to be a lull in conversation. Thai food is much better than Korean food, and the variety is massive. I ate on average 4 meals a day, just so I could fit in all the things I wanted to try. Pad Thai is by far my favorite dish, but even the selection of western food excited me.
On Thursday we took the ferry to Koh Phangan. Thursday night was the Full Moon Party which is said to be the world's largest full moon party. It is an all night beach party and it was pretty wild. There were different dance areas, a load of drink vendors, and swarms of forgieners who come for the event. We had planned to stay in Koh Phangan for two nights, but we didn't like the beach or accomadations as much as in Koh Samui so we went back early.
Friday afternoon we made our way back by ferry to Koh Samui, where we relaxed after a wild night of partying. Saturday was our last day on the beach so I laid pool/ beach side while Caitlin did some shopping. Before we left we enjoyed some Thai massages, which is more like a stretching process then a massage. I enjoyed it, to me it felt like yoga without having to put in much effort. We decided we would fly to Bangkok from Koh Samui instead of taking the overnight bus back which was a great plan seeing as we still had a long trip back to Gumi from Bangkok. All in all a very relaxing trip. Thailand is really cheap to eat and sleep. It is a great beach getaway in Asia. Also another successful trip weather wise for me. I seem to go to locations during rain season, but it only seemed to rain at night while we were sleeping so it was perfect.
On Friday we arrived in Bangkok early evening and made our way to Khao San Road. This is a street full of shopping, eating, and partying. It also has a tone of hotels, so we checked into a great spot right on the main street called D&D. It still amazes me when traveling in Asia how cheap accommodations are. For a standard room with a king size bed, bathroom, and free breakfast it only cost 800 baht ($25 Cdn) a night. We were exhausted after the day of traveling, so we made our way to supper where we enjoyed some Pad Thai served by a lady-boy, and back home to sleep. The lady-boys in Thailand are an interesting sight. Some of them you second guess yourself because they are truly beautiful. The give away for most of them are the hands, although some are well manicured its hard to hide. They keep themselves very clean, with their hair and makeup done. They also have very feminine shapes, which most would be jealous of. It is also strange to think that in Thailand they really are accepted as a third gender. After being in Korea and visiting Thailand I know see how narrow minded the culture in Korea really is.
On Saturday we wanted to do some shopping in Bangkok, so we made our way by local bus to MBK which is a shopping district. We didnt have much luck at MBK so we decided to head back to Khao San road for lunch and shopping. While we were eating lunch we met a couple of guys from England who were pretty entertaining, so instead of shopping we spent the afternoon drinking with them. Saturday night we took an over night bus to the ferry pier where we caught the ferry in the morning to Koh Samui. If I were to do it again, I would probably fly to Koh Samui, the 14 hour bus ride was no comfortable and very long. Although we did meet a lot of people who are on traveling adventures, and later spent time with throughout the week it was just a long trip. There were a ton of people from Europe who were in Thailand for a short period before heading to Australia.
When we arrived in Koh Samui we checked into our hotel which was located on Chaweng Beach. The beach and water were beautiful. White sand, and teal blue warm water. We were again exhausted from traveling so we spent most of Sunday napping. Monday - Thursday we stayed in Koh Samui and just spent time relaxing on the beach, enjoying massages, and eating delicious food. We got to meet up with some of Caitlin's friends from home (South Africa) for some drinks. A couple of people we met on the bus were staying in the same area so we spent our evenings having a few drinks and dinner with them. The people you meet while traveling are very interesting. Even just to learn about different cultures and countries was very entertaining. For people we only met a short time ago there ever seemed to be a lull in conversation. Thai food is much better than Korean food, and the variety is massive. I ate on average 4 meals a day, just so I could fit in all the things I wanted to try. Pad Thai is by far my favorite dish, but even the selection of western food excited me.
On Thursday we took the ferry to Koh Phangan. Thursday night was the Full Moon Party which is said to be the world's largest full moon party. It is an all night beach party and it was pretty wild. There were different dance areas, a load of drink vendors, and swarms of forgieners who come for the event. We had planned to stay in Koh Phangan for two nights, but we didn't like the beach or accomadations as much as in Koh Samui so we went back early.
Friday afternoon we made our way back by ferry to Koh Samui, where we relaxed after a wild night of partying. Saturday was our last day on the beach so I laid pool/ beach side while Caitlin did some shopping. Before we left we enjoyed some Thai massages, which is more like a stretching process then a massage. I enjoyed it, to me it felt like yoga without having to put in much effort. We decided we would fly to Bangkok from Koh Samui instead of taking the overnight bus back which was a great plan seeing as we still had a long trip back to Gumi from Bangkok. All in all a very relaxing trip. Thailand is really cheap to eat and sleep. It is a great beach getaway in Asia. Also another successful trip weather wise for me. I seem to go to locations during rain season, but it only seemed to rain at night while we were sleeping so it was perfect.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
DMZ Tour
This weekend I finally crossed the DMZ off my bucket list. The DMZ is a 4km section of land that divides North and South. It is the most heavily militarized boarder in the world, and driving there you can definitely notice. All along the highway on both the North and South Korean sides there are multiple layers of barbwire fencing with military watch houses every 500m.
When we arrived we needed to registrar to enter the area, and have the tour bus checked by a South Korean guard. Once we were registered we were free to explore. First on the agenda we saw the Freedom Bridge where North Korea and South Korea exchanged POWs following the war.
Next we went to a small village on the boarder called Tongilchon for lunch. Here there are 400 South Korean residents who have special permission to live here tax free, and military service free. All South Korean citizens do a mandatory 2 years of military service, but people living in this village are exempt. Through out the village there are many land mine signs which seemed poorly marked to me, but the residents here continue to farm and live a normal life. To come and go from this village there is a military security check point, as well as residents have an 11 o'clock curfew.
Next we went to the 3rd tunnel. This tunnel was dug by North Korea after the war and discovered in 1978. There are 4 known tunnels, but the US and South Korean military do random drilling checks looking for new ones. It is said that the tunnel could allow about 30 000 men in light weaponry an hour pass through and invade Seoul. Inside the tunnel you notice the walls are covered in coal. This is because North Korean wanted people to believe that tunnel was used for mining if it were to be discovered. This as an area that no pictures are allowed for security reasons.
After the tunnel we made our way to the Dora Observatory where you can look across into North Korea. To look into North Korea you would think it was a ghost town. There are a few buildings, but no sign of life. No cars, no people, and many shells of building without windows. Most of the buildings are colorless, there are no signs, or advertising which is very different from South Korea. The leader in North Korea has also cut 1000s of trees from this area so he could see invaders. The only thing with any color is a massive North Korean flag, which flies from the tallest flagpole in the world. There is a photo line at the observatory which you are not allowed to take pictures from, you can only look through binoculars to get an up close look. The guards on duty will delete any pictures you take past this line if your are caught. While we were at the observatory there was a little action. Not sure what was happening but we were quickly ushered away from the look out room by the US military due to a military debriefing. Following the debriefing we noticed a string of about 100 cars coming from North to South which was strange to see because there were no cars in sight prior to this. All military matters seem to be very hush hush in this country so I'm sure we will never hear why or what was happening.
The last stop on the tour was the train station which allows one train a week to travel to and from the two Korea's. It is mostly supplies and occasionally factory workers. Here we were able to get our passports stamped with a North Korean stamp. The train station is similar to all the others in Korea, minus the amount of people. It is the last stop before North Korea on the South side. It is also run by military officers unlike a normal train station.
All in all a great experience, and very interesting. I would suggest it to anyone visiting or living in Korea. I think I would like to do a different tour, to see other parts of the DMZ and a different tunnel.
When we arrived we needed to registrar to enter the area, and have the tour bus checked by a South Korean guard. Once we were registered we were free to explore. First on the agenda we saw the Freedom Bridge where North Korea and South Korea exchanged POWs following the war.
Next we went to a small village on the boarder called Tongilchon for lunch. Here there are 400 South Korean residents who have special permission to live here tax free, and military service free. All South Korean citizens do a mandatory 2 years of military service, but people living in this village are exempt. Through out the village there are many land mine signs which seemed poorly marked to me, but the residents here continue to farm and live a normal life. To come and go from this village there is a military security check point, as well as residents have an 11 o'clock curfew.
Next we went to the 3rd tunnel. This tunnel was dug by North Korea after the war and discovered in 1978. There are 4 known tunnels, but the US and South Korean military do random drilling checks looking for new ones. It is said that the tunnel could allow about 30 000 men in light weaponry an hour pass through and invade Seoul. Inside the tunnel you notice the walls are covered in coal. This is because North Korean wanted people to believe that tunnel was used for mining if it were to be discovered. This as an area that no pictures are allowed for security reasons.
After the tunnel we made our way to the Dora Observatory where you can look across into North Korea. To look into North Korea you would think it was a ghost town. There are a few buildings, but no sign of life. No cars, no people, and many shells of building without windows. Most of the buildings are colorless, there are no signs, or advertising which is very different from South Korea. The leader in North Korea has also cut 1000s of trees from this area so he could see invaders. The only thing with any color is a massive North Korean flag, which flies from the tallest flagpole in the world. There is a photo line at the observatory which you are not allowed to take pictures from, you can only look through binoculars to get an up close look. The guards on duty will delete any pictures you take past this line if your are caught. While we were at the observatory there was a little action. Not sure what was happening but we were quickly ushered away from the look out room by the US military due to a military debriefing. Following the debriefing we noticed a string of about 100 cars coming from North to South which was strange to see because there were no cars in sight prior to this. All military matters seem to be very hush hush in this country so I'm sure we will never hear why or what was happening.
The last stop on the tour was the train station which allows one train a week to travel to and from the two Korea's. It is mostly supplies and occasionally factory workers. Here we were able to get our passports stamped with a North Korean stamp. The train station is similar to all the others in Korea, minus the amount of people. It is the last stop before North Korea on the South side. It is also run by military officers unlike a normal train station.
All in all a great experience, and very interesting. I would suggest it to anyone visiting or living in Korea. I think I would like to do a different tour, to see other parts of the DMZ and a different tunnel.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
September is finally here. For most back home it means back to school, but for kids in Korea it is just another month. Korean kids do not even start a new school year in September. After "summer vacation" which they spend going to school camps, and academies they continue the same school year as before break. The new school year will start in March.
I have been excited for September because it is a busy month, and marks my 75% finished. This weekend I am going to the DMZ. My kids think I am crazy for wanting to go there, because "North Korea is sooooo crazy and they might shoot you" but I have been looking forward to it. Thailand is also officially booked, and I am looking forward to this vacation. Booking a trip with travel agents in Korea has been a bit of a nightmare due to language barriers. Even getting my name correct on a ticket seemed to be a hassle. I am Andrea Lynn Gallant, but in Korea I am Gallant Andrea Lynn, but I am sure the travel agent had every combination of my name before getting it right. I was happy to get my e-ticket today so I can stop searching, emailing and calling. My kids have also been getting on my nerves lately, so I think that means I need vacation ASAP. A group of 5 girls will head to Thailand for 8 days over Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). On the agenda we have Bangkok, floating markets, elephants rides, tiger temple, feeding wild monkeys, and an islands or two to enjoy some beach time. I think we also might try to fit a quick trip to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat, and whatever else Cambodia has to offer. Friends, sun, sand, adventures, no kids, and Thai food....what more could I ask for?
School is going well. My kids have been slightly boring lately, no really funny stories or ESL highlights. The other day in one of my elementary classes we were talking about a ship wreck, and looking at an underwater picture of a ship wreck, sea animals etc. While I was going through some vocabulary words I was getting kids to point and color certain things in the picture. I said "color the turtle green" and all kids would color the turtle green, next I said "color the chest brown"....meaning the treasure chest that was in the picture, but as I start walking around to see everyones work I notice one kid with the "chest" of the two scuba divers in the picture colored brown...and the treasure "chest" left white. The one word with two meanings really confuses my young kids, so I had a little laugh and said ok. The things you find funny after 8+ months in Korea are slightly sad. Although ESL moments give me something to look forward to everyday.
I have been excited for September because it is a busy month, and marks my 75% finished. This weekend I am going to the DMZ. My kids think I am crazy for wanting to go there, because "North Korea is sooooo crazy and they might shoot you" but I have been looking forward to it. Thailand is also officially booked, and I am looking forward to this vacation. Booking a trip with travel agents in Korea has been a bit of a nightmare due to language barriers. Even getting my name correct on a ticket seemed to be a hassle. I am Andrea Lynn Gallant, but in Korea I am Gallant Andrea Lynn, but I am sure the travel agent had every combination of my name before getting it right. I was happy to get my e-ticket today so I can stop searching, emailing and calling. My kids have also been getting on my nerves lately, so I think that means I need vacation ASAP. A group of 5 girls will head to Thailand for 8 days over Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). On the agenda we have Bangkok, floating markets, elephants rides, tiger temple, feeding wild monkeys, and an islands or two to enjoy some beach time. I think we also might try to fit a quick trip to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat, and whatever else Cambodia has to offer. Friends, sun, sand, adventures, no kids, and Thai food....what more could I ask for?
School is going well. My kids have been slightly boring lately, no really funny stories or ESL highlights. The other day in one of my elementary classes we were talking about a ship wreck, and looking at an underwater picture of a ship wreck, sea animals etc. While I was going through some vocabulary words I was getting kids to point and color certain things in the picture. I said "color the turtle green" and all kids would color the turtle green, next I said "color the chest brown"....meaning the treasure chest that was in the picture, but as I start walking around to see everyones work I notice one kid with the "chest" of the two scuba divers in the picture colored brown...and the treasure "chest" left white. The one word with two meanings really confuses my young kids, so I had a little laugh and said ok. The things you find funny after 8+ months in Korea are slightly sad. Although ESL moments give me something to look forward to everyday.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Summer is coming to an end, most of my kids start back to public school tomorrow. They have been in lazy summer vacation mode for 8 weeks now so I'm glad they are going to be back in the school routine. The heat is continuing here and apparently continues into September and October. I will say, Korea lacks many things compared to life in Canada, but the seasons and weather are a very nice change. Longer summers, shorter and warmer winters, but still with spring and fall which bring ideal temperatures, new flowers, and changing leaves.
My kids have not been as funny as usual, and since I have lost some kids due to our new teacher and classes being divided I have lost some of my comedians. My only laugh of the week last week was when a kid came back from vacation with a killer tan. I said to him in a slightly jealous/ slightly complimentary way "nice tan" which he took as an insult followed by the defense of saying "Teacher I have no tan, I wore sun cream." I guess this is the culture where white is seen as pure, rich, and royal, which still has my kids puzzled to why I like tans (even if my kids call me dirty skin).
Life in Gumi hasn't been over exciting lately. We have been trying to lay low and save money for September. So far we have booked a DMZ tour for the first weekend in September, and a trip to Thailand/ Cambodia from the 17th-27th. I am extremely excited for the DMZ tour which is on my Korea bucket list. I find the North Korea/ South Korean relationship very interesting, so to visit the DMZ where the two Korea's meet along the most heavily militarized boarder in the world is very exciting to me. The Thailand and Cambodia trip has no concrete plans but the beach, and Angkor Watt are on my to do list so I plan to fit both of those into my travel plans. I have many friends who are leaving between now and December, so I feel the next few months will be full of adventures. I also am on the home stretch and have many more Korean bucket list adventures to check off my own list.
My kids have not been as funny as usual, and since I have lost some kids due to our new teacher and classes being divided I have lost some of my comedians. My only laugh of the week last week was when a kid came back from vacation with a killer tan. I said to him in a slightly jealous/ slightly complimentary way "nice tan" which he took as an insult followed by the defense of saying "Teacher I have no tan, I wore sun cream." I guess this is the culture where white is seen as pure, rich, and royal, which still has my kids puzzled to why I like tans (even if my kids call me dirty skin).
Life in Gumi hasn't been over exciting lately. We have been trying to lay low and save money for September. So far we have booked a DMZ tour for the first weekend in September, and a trip to Thailand/ Cambodia from the 17th-27th. I am extremely excited for the DMZ tour which is on my Korea bucket list. I find the North Korea/ South Korean relationship very interesting, so to visit the DMZ where the two Korea's meet along the most heavily militarized boarder in the world is very exciting to me. The Thailand and Cambodia trip has no concrete plans but the beach, and Angkor Watt are on my to do list so I plan to fit both of those into my travel plans. I have many friends who are leaving between now and December, so I feel the next few months will be full of adventures. I also am on the home stretch and have many more Korean bucket list adventures to check off my own list.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The summer heat continues here in Korea, but the rain season has stopped. A few days ago it was 42 degrees with the humidity. It has been a hot and sticky summer, but it has gone by very quickly. This week brings the end to another series at work, so we will have more new students soon.
I have been doing a lot of traveling in Korea lately. I did a relaxing weekend in Ulsan which is on the south coast. A shopping weekend in Seoul with the girls. This weekend I hit up Gampo for the Moon Kkang summer beach party. It was a beautiful day for the beach and a nice chance to meet other Moon Kkang workers from other parts. Mr. Moon even made an appearance in a speedo. After the beach we headed to Gyeongju (the oldest city in Korea) for a buffet supper and back to Daegu for drinks.
July was a busy month so I think the next few weeks are going to be pretty low key. In September I have planned a trip to Busan for shark diving, and my Chuseok holiday. I am looking forward to a nice break from work, but the travel planning for Chuseok is not going as well as planned. It is a popular time for Koreans to travel so ticket prices are high. Originally I had planned on doing Thailand and Cambodia, but it looks like Japan and Thailand now. The best ticket prices are from Japan so we are looking at taking a ferry to Japan spending a couple days there and then heading to Thailand. Regardless of the travel plans a 9 day break from the kids is going to be very nice.
I have been doing a lot of traveling in Korea lately. I did a relaxing weekend in Ulsan which is on the south coast. A shopping weekend in Seoul with the girls. This weekend I hit up Gampo for the Moon Kkang summer beach party. It was a beautiful day for the beach and a nice chance to meet other Moon Kkang workers from other parts. Mr. Moon even made an appearance in a speedo. After the beach we headed to Gyeongju (the oldest city in Korea) for a buffet supper and back to Daegu for drinks.
July was a busy month so I think the next few weeks are going to be pretty low key. In September I have planned a trip to Busan for shark diving, and my Chuseok holiday. I am looking forward to a nice break from work, but the travel planning for Chuseok is not going as well as planned. It is a popular time for Koreans to travel so ticket prices are high. Originally I had planned on doing Thailand and Cambodia, but it looks like Japan and Thailand now. The best ticket prices are from Japan so we are looking at taking a ferry to Japan spending a couple days there and then heading to Thailand. Regardless of the travel plans a 9 day break from the kids is going to be very nice.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Last weekend was my island getaway. Jeju was a perfect weekend trip. Even though it is monsoon season in Korea the weather cooperated with us and we got to enjoy a weekend on the beach. The weekend was an excellent mix of Western and Korean life. I got to enjoy some home cooked Korean food and nore-bang, as well as western style breakfast and tanning on the beach. It was a nice relaxing getaway from work, and Gumi. Going to Jeju also gave me a better impression of Korea. Jeju doesn't have all the buildings and flashy signs that the main land does. Also it was so nice to breathe some fresh ocean air instead of factory smog.
This week at school has been a bit crazy. New teachers, new books, and new classes so it has been a bit of a hectic week. The new teacher finally arrived, and it is nice to have more staff in the work room and another foreigner in Gumi.
Not too much is new or exciting in Gumi. I have started yoga with some of the girls, and even though I don't understand much Korean I am really enjoying the class. In a couple weeks time Moon Kkang is planning a beach trip, so I am looking forward to that. Since we are in Gumi and most of the other teachers are in Daegu it will be a nice chance to meet some of them. Other than that I have no plans until September when I plan on going to Thailand and Cambodia. I think the rest of the summer will be dedicated to traveling in Korea. There are some coastal cities that I want to visit, as well as the DMZ. I really want to do a tour of the DMZ (boarder) but North Korea and South Korea need to ease tensions before I feel it is safe. It has been crazy how quick the summer has gone bye already, and I am feeling the need to travel while the weather is nice. Although by nice I mean hot.
This week at school has been a bit crazy. New teachers, new books, and new classes so it has been a bit of a hectic week. The new teacher finally arrived, and it is nice to have more staff in the work room and another foreigner in Gumi.
Not too much is new or exciting in Gumi. I have started yoga with some of the girls, and even though I don't understand much Korean I am really enjoying the class. In a couple weeks time Moon Kkang is planning a beach trip, so I am looking forward to that. Since we are in Gumi and most of the other teachers are in Daegu it will be a nice chance to meet some of them. Other than that I have no plans until September when I plan on going to Thailand and Cambodia. I think the rest of the summer will be dedicated to traveling in Korea. There are some coastal cities that I want to visit, as well as the DMZ. I really want to do a tour of the DMZ (boarder) but North Korea and South Korea need to ease tensions before I feel it is safe. It has been crazy how quick the summer has gone bye already, and I am feeling the need to travel while the weather is nice. Although by nice I mean hot.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Things here have been pretty quiet this week. Last Friday we got to meet our new foreign manager who seems very nice. We went out for lunch to get to know her. The weekend was low key. Friday I enjoyed supper downtown with some friends. Saturday we had a little black dress night with all the girls. Sunday is was a true "rainy season" type of day. It poured rain all day and night which made it a perfect lazy Sunday.
This weeks highlight in teaching ESL came early in the week while talking about what your favorite foods are. As I mentioned before Asians have trouble with the letter B. P. R. and L. They often mix up B and P, or R and L. I started one of my younger classes off with the opening question "What is your favorite food?" as going around many responses were "My favorite food is crap" and "My favorite food is lice" also known as crab and rice. Teaching ESL can be very annoying, and tiring, but it also comes with some good laughs.
I'm off to Jeju Island on Friday! I'm excited for a long weekend in the sun. I'm sure I will be nice and "dirty" (tanned) when I return.
This weeks highlight in teaching ESL came early in the week while talking about what your favorite foods are. As I mentioned before Asians have trouble with the letter B. P. R. and L. They often mix up B and P, or R and L. I started one of my younger classes off with the opening question "What is your favorite food?" as going around many responses were "My favorite food is crap" and "My favorite food is lice" also known as crab and rice. Teaching ESL can be very annoying, and tiring, but it also comes with some good laughs.
I'm off to Jeju Island on Friday! I'm excited for a long weekend in the sun. I'm sure I will be nice and "dirty" (tanned) when I return.
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