Carolyn in Korea

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Snow!

It snowed in Yeonsu the after Christmas. A beautiful blanket of snow covered the ground for a day, and now it has turned to slush and yuckiness. I trailed in slushy brown grossness into my apartment, so I've started to become a real Korean by taking off my shoes when entering my place. I'm posting some pictures of my adventures with the snow. Most of the foreigners were not as excited about it as me, but then I rarely see snow back home.

Video of SantAnarchy!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Santa Con

Sorry it's been a while since I last updated. I'm going to make up for this by doing at least three posts this week! (maybe more)

So I heard about this group called Santacon Seoul on facebook through my trusty dusty friend Whitney. The group info said this:

Santa is coming early!
On Saturday, December 12 Santa is coming to Seoul. Help spread Christmas cheer through one of the world's largest cities! Join this global event and dress in your snazziest Santa outfit. You're welcome to dress as other festive characters (reindeer, elves, tree, snowmen) but Santa is the reason for the season, right? We will have a specific meeting location and route to several bars in the area. The event will be held in Hongdae (Line 2.) We will start at Hobar 3 at 7 pm. We will be crawling to 5 specified bars. Don't forget to practice your Christmas carols. You can also purchase little gifts (candy, ect.) to pass out to strangers. Started in San Francisco in 1994 the Santa Con event is now held worldwide. SantaCon events are noted for the cheerfully bawdy and harmless behavior, including the singing of Christmas carols, the giving of small gifts and often free hugs to strangers. The point of the event is to spread some old fashion Christmas cheer and joy while of course having a good time!

Here are some pictures of what transpired:

Saturday, December 5, 2009

It's December in Korea!

It has been snowing this weekend, but nothing is sticking. I made spring rolls for dinner tonight, but I didn't think to take a picture of them for the blog. I'll do that later this week :) I did take pictures with my kindergarten class on Friday. The pictures are the best, but they will have to do for now.

Here's some of the coworkers:

I'm making Christmas Cards tonight and having an evening in to myself. If you want a card leave a comment. :)

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Losing my good karma and my voice...

I have been telling my coworkers that I have used up all my good karma this month. For example when I visited Brittany and I had to take a train from Seoul to Incheon, I caught the last bus back to Incheon. Then on Halloween I got my cab paid for by one of my friends and I got home with plenty of time to sleep and recover. We had to combine Kindegarten classes this past week and I wound up with all the good kids in my kindy class. So, finally I have gotten the short end of the stick in Korea.

On Friday I had a bad cold. My nose was continually stuffy and had been draining each night as I slept. After teaching all day I decided to have a quiet night in instead of drinking with friends. I woke up to find I had lost my voice.

I was able to get some theraflu by miming and writing down a few key phrases for the pharmacist, and I rested all of Saturday. One of my coworkers is leaving so I wanted to go out on Saturday to say goodbye, but I was so sick I decided to ditch that plan. Also, I got paid this week and I had a lot of plans to go and get stuff done, unfortunately it's Sunday and I still have no voice. I'm cleaning today in hopes that if I rest my voice it will return. I hope I get my voice back by tomorrow otherwise I wont be able to teach.

I feel MUCH better today, still stuffy and coughing, but I still have no voice.

Sadness abounds.

I suppose I shall have to do something really nice to get my good karma back again.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Halloween

I was a cat, and it was awesome. Also, It's the first time I stayed up until the subways started running again.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Busan Trip

I had an awesome time in Busan and on our mountain hike in Gumi. On the bus ride I jotted down these thoughts,

Riding in a bus from Incheon to Busan I am filled with sudden overwhelming awe... I am in Korea! I am a traveler in a distant land and I have so much I've yet to discover and experience. Yet here I am, at the foothills of my trek. I am alive and I am in love with the beauty of life. The beauty of the moment; however bittersweet and fleeting, it fills my very being and I feel more beautiful, alive, and richer just being in this moment.

Here are a few picures of what I saw and did:

my bus ride window view as I traveled ...