Trudging along...
Trip Start
Mar 15, 2006
1
3
11
Trip End
Ongoing
Ansan, Korea Rep.
Monday, April 24, 2006
I feel like I've gotten past the initial learning curve you can expect with any new job. That being said, I don't think I know everything about being an English teacher, but like university I'll get by. There are a lot of grammar rules that I know how to apply to my own writing, but to teach them to someone else is a totally different story. I guess I'll have to make due!
Over the past few weeks we've visited a number of different places in Seoul...more to party than to site see however. A couple of weeks ago we participated in a foreigner's trivia night in Suwon. We entered the competition as 'Team Yellow Dust'. As it's not out of the norm to see a lot of Koreans wearing masks and glasses during this time of the year, we decided to support the trend. Our creative name earned us a steak dinner at a local steakhouse. I'm looking forward to it!
I didn't know what yellow dust was before I got here, so if anyone else was confused....yellow dust is a term used to explain springtime dust clouds in Asia. The clouds happen as a result of the wind storms that pass over the Gobi desert on the China/Mongolia border. These winds create huge yellow clouds of dust that pick up toxins as they pass over China's industrial areas. They can travel as far as Japan. I've heard that they've been seen on the west coast of the US, but that may just be a myth.
This past weekend we hiked one of Seoul's largest mountains - Bucansan. On the way up I felt like I was going to keel over, but the fresh air at the top and the opportunity to see part of Seoul from above was well worth it! Hopefully the group will venture out on few more hiking expeditions over the next year.
As for doing some more travelling outside of Seoul and surrounding area, it doesn't look like I'm going to be doing any serious travelling until the end of my contract. Hopefully I'll have some committed readers willing to follow me until the end...hahahaha!
In two weeks there are a few of us heading to Daegu - a city in the southeast part of Korea. I have a couple friends who I graduated high-school with who have been living down there for quite a while. I haven't seen them in years, so it should be a good time! Other plans include, visiting an island off the south coast and then hopefully China in October.
Last time I mentioned my number, but I didn't include the international code (which might explain why so few of you have called:).The entire number reads: 011 82 31 437 8506.
Well it's mid-night, I'm off to bed.
Cheers,
Jonathan
PS Congrats to my older brother Chris and his girlfriend Candra, who recently got engaged. WOW! I'll be home in time for the wedding I promise...
