Some Pictures

I'm not sure how many of you actually click on the photo option on the right hand side of this blog, so I thought I'd go ahead and show you some previews of Ed's (and my) photography skills. Granted most of the pictures have been taken by Ed, but I snuck a few good ones in there as well. So for now, here are some pictures. We have tons more to edit, so as soon as Ed gets that done, I'll post them!

Yeochun Bay

Local Pottery Man and Child

Suncheon Bay

Sado Island Ferry Dock

Our friends from the 80's Party (this is Chris)

Robin (Hugo in the background)

Katie

Tamsin (Hope you like this one!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Ed and I wish you all the best of days...eat lots of food, drink lots of wine, and sneak in an extra piece of pie (or cookies) for us!!

Thanksgiving here in Korea is pretty low key. We both had to work--which takes the celebration out of things--but we were able to cook a Thanksgiving-ish type meal tonight. Chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy, and a quasi-apple crumble. Not bad for Korea, I'd say!

Anyways--hope your days are full of love and thanks...I know that we are sending our love and thanks your way!

PS: I was finally able to update our pictures-our new computer/camera has granted me that wish! Look to the right of the page and you will find the new pictures. Enjoy!

Student Gems

I had the kids write post cards last week for their travel unit. I got some really awesome ones; the students were very creative. Below is one of my favorites, and you can see why. Even though the written English isn't the best, he does get his point across! Just in case you can't read his hand writing:

Dear Mom,
I'm in Texas USA.
The weather is good and hot.
So far we seen the many people and cow.
I fight cow and eat cow.
Cow is very good.
I bought cow.
Love You!


And the front of the post card....

Happy Veterans Day....I mean Pepero Day!

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to give a huge shout out to our Veterans, those old and new. Ed and I certainly appreciate the job that you have done for us and we are very glad that the country takes a moment or two to fully recognize your commitment for our country. If you ask me, we need more moments like today to happen.

So once again, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you a million times over.

And on a ridiculous side note, while most of the world (okay Canada and America) celebrates its veterans, Korea celebrates something entirely different, the Pepero.

You may remember Peperos from last year, but just in case you don't, Pepero Day is a completely commercialized based holidays where companies sell massive amounts of chocolate covered bread sticks and pretzels. Why??

Simple silly. November 11th, or 11/11 can be made completely with these stick like snacks.

Let's just sum it up by saying that most teachers get a gazillion Peperos because students love them so much. See below:
However our students only love Ed and I a little bit. I got two dinky packages and Ed didn't get any--sheesh!! All joking aside, this day is used as one illustration of Korea and its sometimes nonsensical thinking!

Ohhhhh Finally!!

There's a new song out (okay so maybe not so new--but its still being sung so that means very relevant!) that I'll admit has me hooked. It's title is Abracadabra by the Korean group Brown Eyed Girls. Now its gotten a double look because of the extremely sexy video (Brown Eyed Girls like to push the line a little bit). And the video did cause me to do a double take! Its a bit unusual for videos to go this far. Sometimes singers like to make references and do sexy dance moves to test the Korean censorship. They usually get out of it by using English words or 'emulating' western dances, then when they get in trouble, they claim "Oh I didn't know/understand" (yes, I'm referring to Rain and his 'magic stick' controversy).

Anyways, usually when a catchy song comes out, the kids all learn the dance and the song, then continually sing and dance like their idols until the new sensation comes out.

Well Ed and I were looking at the Brown Eyed Girls video the other day, and he happened to come across the second video that I've posted by the "Dirty Eyed Girls". I posted the second one because 1. I think its funny and 2. I have yet to come across a parody of another song this great from another set of Koreans! While the second video is just as suggestive and perhaps more controversial, I will say that I find it refreshing that Koreans are finally able to poke fun at themselves for their obsessive copying and do I dare say broach the subject of their men being possibly gay?? (ie: Korea doesn't have gays here, they have very metro men who are in touch with their feminine side; plus if you are gay you are either a foreigner or haven't eaten enough kim-chi).

Anyways, I'm not saying or implying in any way that these young men from the 2am/2pm K-Pop groups are gay...they just made a very happy video. And its finally nice to see something a bit different here. We don't get things like these videos everyday!

PS: I suggest watching the Brown Eyed Girls video first, then watching the Dirty Eyed Girls version. You'll 'get' their video much better if you do that.

Happy November!

November in Korea is a pretty awesome time. It finally starts getting cold. Which means we get to turn on our floors!!!

Yes, you read correctly. I said turn on the floors. Korea, being the progressive (or not) country that it is, has floor heating. If you have never experienced heated floors, well I feel sorry for you!
Gone on the frosty toes.
Hello nice and sweaty ones!

Seriously though, heated floors are the way to go. There is something about walking around our apartment and finding a heating pipe. You just stand on the 'warm spot' and let the heat flow up through your body. Its quite magical.

Plus heated floors mean that we actually get regulated shower water! During the summer, taking a shower means putting the water on the the lowest hot setting that we have, then playing a little dance where you can only stand under the water for about 30 seconds before it either gets waaaayyyy too hot or waaaayyyy too cold.

Heated floors means the water heater is working all the time, which in turn means that the water actually stays the temperature that you set at in the shower. Bliss!