So I got to celebrate my birthday in South Korea. It was pretty low-key. The best part about my birthday and the day after celebration was the fireworks on Haeundae Beach. On my birthday a security guard chased us with a whistle to tell us that we can't shoot off fireworks... luckily for us we don't speak Korean and just agreed. We then walked down the beach and shot them off. Nothing like Roman Candles to end the evening (twice).
Weeks are still pretty uneventful. I did go to the doctor though for the second and third time because I am still sick. On the 6th I went and was told that I still have tonsillitis. I asked if I should have them removed and after some cheraids he understood and informed me that after medicine and a shot in the butt that I would make a full recovery, no surgery. So I got another round of medicine that didn't work. On the 20th I went to a hospital in Busan that speaks English but my co-teacher went anyways. She informed me that it sounded like asthma or bronchitis. She treated me for bronchitis and told me that if it didn't go away to come back in a week and she would test me for asthma. I'm feeling better so I guess that it was bronchitis. So happy to be feeling better.
The weekend of the 9th and 10th I went to Daegu to visit some friends from orientation. Daegu is the 3rd largest city in South Korea. I got in a little later than I would have like to on friday but in time for dinner and that's all I was caring about. Saturday I went with the girl that I was staying with (Heather) to her Gaelic Football practice. Gaelic football is a combination of soccer, basketball, and volleyball. You have to see it to understand. Then we just walked around Daegu the rest of the day and did some shopping. We found this really cool shop that had stuff from all over the world in it. They had Southwestern jewerly like Hopi and Navajo jewelry. They also had bags from Nepal and India. Everything was so pretty but pretty pricey. Heather said, "Hey they pierce ears here!" Being the person I am I asked how much and it was only 20,000 won. Love getting new holes in my ears!!! (Sorry mom and dad). Saturday night we met up with a couple from orientation and the people that I was going to stay with. Had dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Then we made the trip to their place which was about 45 minutes by two buses. Their apartment was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment on the 17th floor. It was pretty cool but a bigger place means more to clean and things get dusty hear so quickly.
The weekend of the 16th and 17th I went to Seoul. I left school a little early on friday to make it into Busan so I could get on the KTX (speed train) and be in Seoul in 2.5 hours. The ride was so smooth and quick. When I got into Seoul, a friend said where I was going to go and what line it was on. Well I don't now Seoul and didn't know which direction to go. I found a map and almost had a heart attack.
Needless to say I was on line 4 (the light blue that goes from the SW to the NE) and the place I needed to go was Nowon on the the transfer station of line 4 and 7. I finally found it after following line 4 through Seoul on the map. I got there and we met up with some other people for dinner. At this point in time I was not feeling the best because of my tonsillitis/bronchitis/sinus infection but I still wanted to have fun because it was Patty's birthday (one of the climbers). Later some others met up with us and we went to a couple of bars. One was called the Face Bar. The interior was just tons of different faces everywhere. After the bars we headed to Noraebong (karaoke) and we were there till about 3 am butchering every song we sang. At one point in time Gabe and I (the only non-couple people) decided that we would like some people to join us, especially some Koreans (they love Noraebong). Him and I went outside in the cold rain and tried to talk people into joining us for free. We almost had some takers but then they changed their mind. After we decided that being in the rain wasn't worth it we headed back in to rock the mic!
Saturday morning we all kinda got up slowly but surely and started getting ready for the concert. I had really never heard of this band till earlier in the week when I was trying to decide weather it was worth 40,000 won. It was later proven to be worth that much and more (I bought all the CDs on iTunes when I got home). So the band is called The Swell Season and they did all the music and were the stars of the movie "Once". Every single song gave me chills and when I left someone had mentioned that the look on everyone elses face was the same...everyone was grinning ear to ear. The first song of the guy that opened, Liam Ó Maonlaí, was a very deep note that you could feel. It was an Irish song that he sung almost acapella. The rest of his songs were just as good as the first. He had amazing range and perfect tone (I almost sound like I know what I'm talking about...must be American Idol). The first song that The Swell Season performed was Glen Hansford singing and playing unplugged the opening song of "Once", Leave. This was a 3 story concert hall with tons of people and all you could see was him standing front and center, toes almost to the edge of the stage singing this song. The song is about a girl that broke his heart. The emotion in the song was so amazing. He was singing and then screaming (still sounding great) and stomping his foot to the beat...Listening to the song now that is all I can see. The rest of the songs, like wise, were amazing. This is a link to their Myspace page so you can listen if you have never heard of them before. I'm pretty sure they won an Oscar for their work in "Once".
Saturday night a larger group of people went to diner at a place called "The Place" not far from where the concert was. We all had some dinner and some laughs and then headed back to the bars. After about an hour or so I headed home to go to bed, I was pretty tired and still not feeling the best. Sunday morning, Claire (Irish girl from orientation that is a little bit taller than me but a little bit smaller than me) and I went shopping at some stores we found the night before. One of them was called Big Zone... they had clothes that fit us!!! woo hoo!!! I was so excited. We bought some clothes and then headed to the train station to get back on the KTX.
When I got back to Busan, Mack (my Kansas friend) met me at the Taco Family for our weekly Mexican food fix. Then I headed home to finish my book.
Yes that last sentence said book. For those of you that know me well, know that I don't read, nor have I ever read. What you will be surprised to know is that I have read 4 books in less than 2 weeks... most in 2 or 3 sittings. Nikki gave me some books she thought I might like and sure enough, I couldn't put them down. I have found myself saying one more chapter numerous times and not following through. I keep reading and reading. I get home from school and read. I get on the bus and read. I get on the subway and read. The train, I read. Wake up and can't sleep, read. It is a great thing but now instead of working on stuff I need to (like lesson plans or studying Korean) I read. I'm going to see if I can try and learn some Korean with as much enthusiasm as I have had the last 2 weeks reading. If you are looking for some good books to read here are the ones the non-reader loved: The Choice, The Guardian, and Dear John by Nicolas Sparks (mom don't read them unless you want to cry your eyes out) and Lance Armstrong: It's not about the bike, My journey back to life. All of these were page turners for me!!!
Last weekend I had some friends come out. Nothing exciting, weather wasn't that great. I did go to the Jagalchi Fish Market though and saw some dead things.
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We also went to Texas Street and weren't impressed though slightly uneasy.
This week I had an open class where I was evaluated on my teaching. How they do that here is they rehearse with the other class in that grade and then explain everything before class to make sure they understand. Asking questions in Korea about how to do things says that you didn't explain it well. My co-teacher explained both activities to them in Korean to make things go smoothly. My class went really well, I think and my co-teacher thinks. My students did really well.
Earlier this week was by far the most interesting after school class. One of the classes that pretty much tries to eat me for lunch has 3 or 4 boys that act up constantly. After moving them to sit at desks on the four corners of the class they started singing with and to eachother while there was class work going on and I wasn't teaching. They are 3rd graders in the lower 3rd grade after school English class. They were singing " We will rock you" with a slight twist...they traded the "R" for a "F" and the "O" for a "U"...that is all I'm going to say about what they were saying. I corrected them of course saying...they don't know what they are saying. Later I started to think twice because out of the corner of my eye while they were singing their version of the son a caught some birds flying...I explained that that finger was not okay and that if they kept it up they would not be allowed to come back to class. They seemed to understand and I haven't seen it yet.
No climbing the past couple of weeks which is kinda sad :( but this weekend should involve climbing, either at Yongseo Pokpo or some Busan Sea-side bouldering. I'm excited for either one!!
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