Jeju Island - 14 hours per a day of fun fun fun!

The elementary teachers workshop had a three day trip to Jeju islands. I was shocked and I didn't know that every workshop would have a random trip with the trainees to a different location in Korea. I am not complaining because everything was paid for and I still got paid my regular salary! Super sweet. So here is the 3 day escapade filled with 14 hour days on a tour bus of fun! May I add that there was a microphone on the bus and each trainee had to give a speech about some aspect of Jeju. This was kinda annoying because there wasn't much peace and quiet on the bus! But I did win a bunch of cell phone charms from answering questions! Score!

We visited the largest crater on Jeju island which is apparently a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I have visited quite a few of these in my lifetime and I hope to visit more of them! Once we climbed the hill to the crater, we then did some crazy Korean poses and here is one of Bill and Lyndsey!



This is taken from Lyndsey's point of view and I think that she is loving it! haha




This is a poetic shot of me taken in the wheat field leading up to the crater. Lyndsey and I did some dramatic poses and laughed in between shots! It was grand!




We then went to a rock garden, yes I said a rock garden with a bunch of different rock formations. It was pretty funny to see all the Korean tourist whip out their giant cameras and snap some photos away! haha Lyndsey and I are trying to once again to a crazy Korean style dramatic pose but then Sunny and Well added some character to this pose haha






Alright, so two of the sites we visited were botanical gardens. One was indoors and one was outdoors. The outdoor one was kinda sad because it is winter and the plants are pretty much dead haha Any who, this is the indoor botanical garden that had a brilliant Christmas theme. I kinda missed Christmas and especially Christmas baking while I was here!



I love penguins and here I am pretending I am a penguin! I do admit that these guys are way cuter than me! I was tempted to steal one because they were so cute haha but I didn't!




There was a Native themed section in the Desert plants exhibit. I just though I would do a random pose and cause some trouble haha!




Here is a beautiful shot of Jeju island from a large looking post situated in the garden. It was amazing to know the water is right at my finger tips. Well metaphorically!




I am supposed to be doing a macho man pose but now that I look at the picture, it just looks like I am thrusting the garden haha Oh my! But a worker there yelled at me because I was standing on the sitting ledge. Whoops!




This tour bus was parked next door to our tour bus. Thank goodness I am not on that tour bus or I would scream. I thought my 14 hour days were bad!



Korean Saunas- Jim Jil Bang- (Sorry, I couldn't take any pictures) - So the first night in Jeju, Lyndsey, Victoria, Rina, Lucy, and I decided to treat ourselves to a traditional Korean Sauna. I was pretty ready to get naked and scrub down because I have done it numerous times in Japan. However, it was different to go with friends and my trainees because well I know them haha However, we all enjoyed the different bathing pools of various temperatures of water. I especially enjoyed this shallow sauna bed where you lie down and there are jets on the seat. Lyndsey and I literally lied around for 25 minutes! It felt great to have jets massaging our bodies! After the hot water pools, we headed upstairs to the next level of steam rooms. It was great to go in to various temperature rooms and cover our bodies in hot rocks. Oh, by this point the sauna gives you these ugly mustard yellow shorts and t-shirts to wear on this floor. There is also the option of watching TV, a snack shop,and pillows for lying around and relaxing. Man I love Korean saunas!
Here is YYOK asleep on the bus right behind Lyndsey and I. I think he passed out from drinking to much at lunch!



This man was on the boardwalk going towards the beach. I would date him but he didn't talk much. I am not a fan of the strong and silent type. Maybe he only speaks Korean!



Here I am enjoying the beach in my winter gear and sunglasses. It was nice to have some down time and collect some seashells! I miss the ocean a lot!



Here is a famous little beach that we visited. Lyndsey, Victoria, Tim and I were bad because we had to stay with the group but instead we ventured off onto the beach. We then took off our shoes and strolled in the water. It was brisk but nice!



Everyone sitting around digesting the food. Lots of soju is consumed at lunch and well pretty much every meal. I am not a fan of it at all. I think it smells like nail polish remover!



We ate alot of Shabu Shabu (Japanese hot pot) during our trip. Basically it is one pot of boiling liquid (this one was spicy) for four people. You get a bunch of interesting side dishes like small fish, different Kimchis, and pickled things. We had a big pot of seafood that consisted of odd sea creatures I have never had before. Some of them were even alive. So when the broth started to boil we sat around and watched our lunch die. I felt bad and while eating some the sea creatures, I told them I was sorry! The Koreans thought it was funny but I did feel a bit sad watching my lunch die. However, it was delicious!



Instant coffee machines are a must have in most restaurants. Just walk up to the machine and pick between 4 options: black, milk, cream (which is deathly sweet), or tea. Convenient and just a shot cup size. Nice!



You could take a romantic yacht tour of Jeju! Oh how wonderful, if only I had free time during the long jammed packed days and also a boyfriend!! Wishful thinking!



Here I am dancing on a pier beside the ocean after consuming a seafood lunch! There was a woman selling squid with her giant stereo blaring some loud traditional Korean pop music. I suddenly became inspired to dance. Then YYOK started dancing across from me on the pier. I like the randomness in my life hehe



Here is one of the many beaches in Jeju. This one had a mini harbor and was super cute. Lots of good seafood restaurants. I really like seafood and living in Jeju would be pretty sweet!



Some of the Korean teachers and I took a stroll after lunch to the beach. Just a natural picture of the gang walking. This was taken after I dance on the dock to some traditional Korean music while YYOK (the old Korean trainee) danced alongside. It was hilarious!



Here is a random shot of me with a waterfall at one of the botanical gardens we visited. Being that it is winter, I don't understand why we visited these botanical gardens. All the plants were pretty much dead or on their way into hibernation. Oh crazy tour!



We stopped for a delicious fresh seafood lunch by a beach (the name is unknown). Here is a giant cliff with some cool holes in it. I love being by the ocean and man I really wish that it was hot and summertime when we went!



We also looked at some rock formations in a few caves which I have seen before in China with Annee! However, I did think it was funny to see Christmas in a cave!



Here is a nice little garden that we stopped at. I was freezing and walked ahead of the group because I left my coat on the tour bus. Dang it! But I like the little rock people and I had to take a picture of them!



Rape flower, yes I said rape flower, is a famous flower in Jeju. So at the gift shops at every location we visited, rape flower products were sold. I thought this was funny to think that you smell like rape...Oh I am so bad!!!



Lyndsey, So Young (my homeroom trainee who is the number student in this session), and Bill posing with a traditional statue at the folk museum.



A random crazy shot showing how much fun we are having in Korea! I love my crazy photography skills!



At the Jeju folk village, Lyndsey and I took the sticks used in a traditional game and decided that we would pretend we were Harry Potter instead!



So the second night in Jeju, Lyndsey and I were feeling tired from spending 14 hours a day on the go constantly sightseeing and speaking English. The second night after lounging in our hotel room we decided that we would go on a walk and check out the town. So as we were walking down a main stretch of road I saw a canopy covered tunnel leading to a good old open air market. I love open air markets in Asia so I told Lyndsey we should check it out. We were walking and noticed a variety of shops were shutting down for the day but we continued to walk until we noticed some loud music in the distance and some Korean people dancing around. Lyndsey and I decided what the heck, lets go check it out! Little did we know but a bunch of fish market workers were having an after work party and they asked us to party with them! Here the older men and women of the fish market are dancing and drinking (beer and soju) while chomping on mandarins, chicken, and pork.



We had a blast with the ladies constantly feeding us alcohol and shouting 'one shot' which is the Korean term for a shot of alcohol. At one point I didn't want to drink my one shot, so one of the ladies grabbed it out of my hand and drank it! I was shocked!The ladies were hilarious with their circle dancing and slapping our bums. Korean people are very touchy feely I have noticed. But it was so much fun!



Here is one of the funny drunk men who were doing some traditional Korean dancing with us. We danced for one hour with them. When we left, the ladies filled my pockets, purse, and a giant bag with Jeju mandarins. I was so happy! Then two old ladies who were super drunk pointed to their cheeks so I kissed their cheeks haha and they were so happy! This experience made us so happy and definitely made me appreciate how kind strangers can be! These are the moments I appreciate!



Here a video of the dance party with the fish workers. Just imagine listening to this type music for an hour and dancing haha For some reason the songs were literally like 10 minutes each and there would only be a brief break inbetween to refuel on alcohol.


This is a traditional Korean house from long ago. I saw many of these at the folk museum. They were pretty cool.



This little guy is pretty lonely cause I ate all of his friends on Jeju! Oh so much pork was consumed during our trip. I recommended that if you don't like pork, especially bacon (they love to cook back bacon and wrap it up with lettuce and rice and put red pepper soybean sauce on it - I call it Korean tacos) then don't come to Korea!



Mrs. Heo, one of my supervisors (who is 50 believe it or not!), is modeling the traditional Korean toilet. I like how she really got into it! Literally!




Saint is modeling a traditional Jeju carrier. I like how he is drinking an ever so modern coffee at the same time!




One of my Korean homeroom students, Bo Bae, was telling me that she needed to stand behind me because her face is too fat. Yes, Korean people have an obsession with wanting narrow faces because they literally think there faces are too fat and round.



Left to right - Phil, Saint (one of the Korean teachers), Bill, and Mrs. Heo (one of my 4 supervisors). This is the mans shot originally but Mrs. Heo just couldn't resist a bunch of men posing with their jackets off!



Here is a couples shot of Lyndsey and I by a waterfall haha In Korea, doing serious couples shots with friends and lovers is very serious. I saw some of the trainees honestly making some hardcore 'Sears catalogue' type modeling at all the tourist spots. I, on the other hand, enjoy doing crazy poses!



Lyndsey and I enjoying a good swing at the Jeju historical village. Apparently this game is historical and apart of Jeju culture. In my opinion, swing sets are really in every culture ahaha I like how Rina (on my homeroom trainees) is coaching us on how to swing with our legs!




In the background you can see the famous church (well apart of the set) from the soap opera. Yeah, I don't really care about the soap opera at all, I just wanted to show you these nice scenic shots! hehe If only you could have seen all the tourist buses!



Another beautiful shot from the soap opera set! Jeju sure had some nice beaches but we didn't visit them because they were not on the schedule. Damn schedules! I thought about staying here forever but it was a little to windy for me!



This is my soap opera pose! Don't you love how dramatic I look in this shot! I am imagining my lover has left me for another and now I will throw myself into the ocean haha Oh Korean soap operas and their crazy plots!! hahaha




This is a famous peak, I forget the name of it, haha but it is used as a set for a famous Korean soap opera. Apparently it is popular to visit sets of soap operas in Korea. I couldn't be bothered to visit them personally but this one was nice considering the view! Definitely a tourist trap with all the vendors waiting to steal your money!



After working 3 days for 14 hours a day with non stop touring, this is how everyone felt. Victoria is demonstrating who everyone felt on the airplan. It was great to tour Jeju islands but at the same time we had a tight schedule of non stop sightseeing. Even the Korean teachers were tired. Man on man, it felt good to fly back to JETI. Plus, I just bought some Chanel lipgloss at the duty free shop! So I was pretty wired on the flight home!



Dunkin Doughnuts...A possible breakfast lifesaver. At the hotel, we were given a horrible 'Western breakfast' that consisted of: a cold hot dog cut diagonally to look attractive, 4 tatter tots, 2 slices of an orange, 2 dry pieces of toast and cold scramble eggs. It was pretty bad because everything was as cold as ice. So Lyndsey and I found a Dunkin' Doughnuts and bought muffins and mochas! Yum Yum!

Korean Clubbing and Pubbing

Aww, what a crazy weekend that just passed in the magical land of South Korea. I have experienced two great days this weekend that were full of fun, shopping, Starbucks, and clubbing! Not to mention a lot of drinking. My goodness, I feel horrible right now. But don't worry, I had a pleasant day of relaxing, drinking water, eating crackers, and I was able to watch some TV (now I am finished the first season of 'Nip/tuck' and I watched the 'Corpse Bride' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man Treasure'!) So let me start with Friday night with just a few casual photos of the mayhem. Bill, Lyndsey, and I decided to head to Gwangju after working till 5pm. We caught a ride with one of my homeroom students Sarah. She is super cute like a little doll and I think she is a great Korean English teacher. Sarah and I always joke about finding husbands haha I decided to take her out for a cup of coffee and some gossiping haha Here is Bill and I on one side of the table at Starbucks. We were all chatting up a storm! It was fun to find out some little secrets about what the trainees do at night (hint hint partying)!




Here is the other side of the table where Lyndsey and Sarah were sitting. As always, the conversation was mainly focused on men both in a good and a bad way. Come on we are three single ladies vs one married man, who is going to win here! Plus, it was funny to get some advice from Bill. Not that wise, but funny!



After saying goodbye to Sarah (she went home for dinner), the crew and I went to good old TGI Friday's from some knock off Western cuisine! This time I decided to eat the giant burger! Hmm tons of beef on a bun is a good meal to me! Check out this giant pitcher of beer we order for $13 Canadian dollars! Sweet. Bill acting as our model!



Here is the after shot of the meal and the remainder of the beer. Now, I wonder who is behind the pitcher! hahaha I feel slightly silly because on Saturday little did I know that we would go out to eat at this restaurant again with Victory and Phil. I should just quit my job at JETI and work at TGI Fridays!!!




At Shinsegae (the giant fancy shopping mall attached to the bus terminal and E Mart) there was a giant Christmas display! This made me happy because I do enjoy Christmas the fun little things that go with Christmas! So here is a shot of this hilarious house decorated with bagels! Hmm, I thought about stealing one to eat!




This is my Sears model like pose by the giant gingerbread bagel house! There is Santa climbing in the background. I wonder what he will bring me for Christmas......maybe a really hot boyfriend! haha If not, some new clothes and a puppy dog would be awesome!

Saturday Night - After another delicious (somewhat) dinner at TGI Fridays with Victoria, Phil, Lyndsey and I.

So Phil decided to introduce us to a girl named Andrea who has lived in Korea for many years. She is a super funky girl with a wicked apartment and a tiny little German Greyhound. She had a nice big party with a bunch of foreign teachers. It was great to meet a variety of teachers from around Gwangju. I didn't take any photos during the house party because I was too busy talking and making some new acquaintances. Plus, there was another really cute dog there who I was playing with! hehehe So after partying up a storm, some of the girl decided that we should go to the foreigner's bar 'the Speakeasy' (not the strip club in Calgary). So about 15 of us headed over there and now is where the photos start!

There was a girl named Chamile there who was celebrating her birthday. She was pretty nice and gave us some mandarins! Sweet! Victoria and her were chatting up a storm about how to play the clarinet!



Lyndsey and Victoria are dancing up a storm and Lyndsey with the men! My goodness, I haven't seen her have this much fun ever in Korea till this night! She just was a dancing machine! What a bold lady!


Here is a scenic show of the stage area of the dance floor. You can see Lyndsey's head beside the Filipino guy who she danced with. That man had some crazy moves but he was definitely not my type at all!



Here is just a random shot of me. I do admit, I look pretty good for a gal who drank some Whiskey and beer. Ekkk! I definitely was reminded the next morning to stay away from Whiskey. Man I can't handle it!



Here is the dart game Lyndsey and I were having. As you can tell I have no clue how to check track of points haha Instead we just tossed around the darts for fun! I should be a model! Look how good I make darts look!



This is a close up of the dart action at the beginning of the game. Yes, I have no clue how to keep track of points in darts! whoops!



This is Matt, he is a friend of Phils (they play soccer together for fun). Matt is hilarious and is a fellow Canadian! He is a cool guy and we are all going to hangout together again! Plus he showed us the tattoo of a smiling face on his nipple haha



Another scenic shot of the 'speakeasy'! It is the foreigner's bar and lots of Koreans go there as well. I don't mind it all cause there is English music that I like!



Lyndsey looks pretty sweet and is taking one for the team here! Man we were all pretty sweaty and nasty by the end of the night! Thank goodness I have the camera haha so no one can see how nasty I look!



This guy, well I don't remember much about him. He had a fun accent and was with Chamile. He showed us how to do the scoring for darts later in the night! I honestly forget ever word he said! whoops!

Random Moments at Vanilla Night club (Sorry no photos but some great stories)

Here are some random point form things I have noticed at Korean nightclubs (specifically Vanilla nightclub the past two times I have gone there):

- Koreans love hip hop and hip hop clothes. Lots of people were wearing full on early 90s NY style clothes. Big baggy sweaters, the half turned NY Yankees hats, high top shoes, and so on! Definitely no sex appeal when everyone looks like they are from a Kris Kross music video!

- At 2:40am, around then, the DJ stopped the music and made an announcement. All the Korean club goers immediately sat on the floor and faced the stage. Then proceeded to watch a strip/dance off. The weirdest thing is that everyone sat literally on the floor. So weird!

- there are lockers at the club so just dropped off your personal items and do not worry what so ever!

- bottle of Corona beer is $7 Canadian! Yikes!

- Korean guys that will literally wear the same outfit. I saw 4 guys with identical outfits. They then proceeded to dance this crazy box step dance in perfect harmony with each other!

- Lots of robotic dancing! Many girls just standing around swaying from side to side! Unlike, the foreigners who dance like backup dancers from a Britney Spears/Justin Timberlake music video (hehe I am guilty)!!!!

Alright, I am off to go do more work because hey that is what Korea is all about!!!