Katie's Wandering Seoul

Well it's been quite some time since I have posted anything on here. I'm currently sitting in Manila airport so might as well post a quick one while I wait... My week in paradise has sadly come to an end. It was a wonderful week spent in Boracay. We managed to survive the madness that the island handed us and the typhoon that rudely interrupted our vacation. It was an amazing trip spent with friends, some old and some new. Met some awesome people in the little island of Boracay, some I'm sure I'll see again in Korea! As a group we managed to accomplish a lot and I know the trip in the Philippines will be something we will never forget! Our accomplishments: Met new friends Spent a week on a BEAUTIFUL island! Some got arrested Others got fined Some managed to find themselves prostitutes I think everyone lost at least one of the following: books, cameras, clothes, phones, glasses, and their dignity Broke a bone or two Survived a typhoon Didn't let a st...

Korea really is a pretty cute country.  They put so much thought into just the little things that really seem to make a big difference.  You go to a coffee shop and they draw cute little flowers, hearts, or other random drawings...yes all for you to drink it!  I have bought pizza and they tied a cute little red bow around the box for us.  The biggest thing that is pretty cute (but I just can't ever see myself doing this!!!!) is that the couples wear matching clothes.   I have done a little research and have read in many different places that the couples wear matching clothes because public display of affection is just not a very big thing here (although I think that is changing watching some of the younger couples out in coffee shops and other public places) so they wear a matching outfit to let the world know that they are a couple that is deeply in love with each other.  There are pictures all over the internet of Korean matching couples and I even s...

I realize that it has been quite some time since I have posted a blog on here and talked about my travels.  I'm happy to say that I really don't have too many complaints. I have gone at least 2 weeks (maybe more) without being talked to or corrected about my clothes or my classes!!!!  I'm taking that as a huge step with my relationship with these teachers I work with.  I also have more teachers, not English teachers, speaking to me...in English YAY!!! Beth and I outside the station! Since my last post the Sangjuers have traveled a little more around the small country.  We went to Busan at the beginning of the month.  It was so great to spend time on the beach! We did a little shopping, spent a while on the beach having a few drinks, had a really good dinner, and then had a night out at bars and clubs.  I always love going and watching the Koreans dance...it's just very different than the way we dance at home, but I love it.  We did see a fire w...

I am calling this country the ugly duckling country because it has seriously turned into this beautiful country in the past week or so.  The cherry blossoms were out a few weeks ago, lasted about a week and then they all fell off the trees.  BUT now flowers are starting to bloom and all the trees have their leaves back.  I went hiking yesterday with Beth, to the same mountain we go to every week (2-3 times a week) and it was seriously like we were in a totally different place.  We stopped a few times and said...is this even the same mountain, I'm not sure I know where we are.  Needless to say we did manage to make out way down the mountain safe and sound and never got lost, so don't worry. I'm really looking forward to my next couple months here in Korea, because our little Sangju group has so much planned around Korea.  This weekend we will be going to Busan to enjoy a little beach time.  I'm very excited seeing as Busan was my number one place that...

Cherry Blossoms Spring has finally arrived in Korea, and I'm loving it!  Everyday is in the 60's-70's and it has been so sunny out.  The cherry blossoms bloomed along the river, which made for a beautiful walk to work, dinner, and even motivated me to run a little more! Although I had a little moment last week where I thought 'I really just need to go home!' I think I have gotten past that!  Last week one of my co-teachers pulled me aside and said that some other teachers don't like the way I dress.  That day I had a cotton dress on, and was told it was too tight.  I was pretty upset about it, not at Lucy who had to tell me, because she felt terrible for even having to say anything.  She even said she thought it was OK, but still had to tell me.  The next day one of my co-teachers had a pencil skirt on, why is that ok?!?!  I have just come to realize that I am not going to make everyone happy, which is ok I guess.  I just wish that K...

Things are really starting to come together here in Korea and I am starting to feel a lot more comfortable here.  I think I might actually survive it here!  Although I still do not speak the language...which makes things very difficult, I do know that I will not starve here.  All in the past week Beth and I have had some huge success stories!  We have managed to get a train to Daegu, go shopping in Daegu, order our food in Deagu, and catch the train back to Sangju....all without any help from a Korean speaking person!  We have found a new bibimbap place this week, and it's super cute and delicious!  We even managed to order our food (no English menu or pictures!!!) and we had to write what we wanted and got it right!  We have even found a new mountain this week to start hiking.  It's been a pretty successful couple of days for us and it makes me very excited!   We are trying to decide if we want to train for a half marathon in September...

I realized today that I haven't really written about life in Sangju or my job...so I will do that now! Sangju...after hiking up a small mountain I came to Sangju on Feb 28, and before I got here I was a little nervous because I did know that it was a small town.  Some of the people are orientation were saying that there was NOTHING to do in Sangju.  I do have to admit though that I am pleased with life in Sangju so far.  Yes, it is a very small town, but it's a nice cute little town.  There is a pretty good group of foreigners here and they have all been pretty nice and welcoming.  There are a few mountains that Beth and I try to go hiking every week (we haven't been doing so well this past week or so because we have been sick and super busy with work). It's also nice because it is really easy, cheap, and quick to travel anywhere in the country.  We can pretty much get anywhere we want to go in like 2-2.5 hours and the price to take a bus round trip ...