Merry Christmas!!!

Wishing you a

Merry Christmas

and

blessed New Year!!!

I'm heading to Seoul tonight and Taiwan tomorrow....see you next year!!

Making Kimchi!!!

When I decided to come back to Korea, one thing topped my list of things to do that I didn't get to do last time...Make Kimchi!!

What is kimchi, you might ask?? Well, if you're in Korea for more than a second, you'll see this spicy cabbage dish on your table. Kimchi is [unoffically?] the national dish of Korea. It's everywhere!! In a phrase, it's spicy fermented cabbage. I think it's served as a side dish for just  about every Korean dish, and the Korean people love it. Actually, they swear by it. You know the saying "An apple a day...", well, in Korea, it's kind of like, "Some kimchi everyday..."

Do I like it, you might ask next? Well, that's a tricky question because I am not into spicy food...but they do have a version of this dish (baek kimchi) that doesn't have the spicy sauce and I really love it...too bad it's not very common!

Then, you might be thinking, 'how do you make this famous dish?' I'll give you a very brief description...since I'm definitely not the kimchi expert!! (Click this link for a really good explanation, if you'd like to read more.) Ok...here goes from my point-of-view:

• As the weather starts getting cold and the cabbage is at it's peak, it's kimchi-making time in Korea! This process is called 'kim-jang'. After gathering the heads of cabbage and cleaning them, the cabbage is soaked in salt water for about a day. This part of the process allows the cabbage to wilt and become easier for handling.  The following day, the cabbage is covered - leaf-by-leaf - by a spicy concoction. My suspicion is that each family has their own spicy recipe, but that has not been confirmed! In the kimchi that I made, the sauce had some ginger, oysters, red sauce (goh-chu), garlic, and probably more things that I didn't know about! Next, the cabbage heads will be placed in large kimchi pot that will hold the kimchi for an extended period of time (a year or more) until the family is ready to eat it.

 Ok, let's get to the pictures now! They're the fun part anyway!! :)

 Our ingredients - cabbage & the spicy red concoction



 Learning the proper technique

 Trying some of the [spicy] delicousness!!

Coating each leaf!

I was having so much fun!

The finished product!!

Of course, we shot a little video too! Enjoy!!



I had loads of fun, and I feel really happy that I got to partake in this Korean tradition!

Kraze Burger!!

I'm not quite sure why I never knew about this place when I was in Korea last time, but Kraze Burger is one delicious place!! When I told my friend, Yujin, that I was craving a good burger, she suggested a trip to Kraze Burger. Of course, there isn't one of these in Tongyeong, so we took a 30-minute trip to Geoje Island to taste the goodness!! Let me tell you, it was worth the trip!

I went with the KB++ which included their regular burger with a fried egg and bacon added. Yujin opted for a non-beef option of the KO Sandwich, which include chicken and what reminded me of a caprese salad on bread!

My KB++ Burger with layers and layers of goodness!!

 Yujin's KO Sandwich

So, if you're ever craving a good burger while you're in Korea, just look for the Kraze Burger logo!! And just so you know, they pronounce it kuh-rah-jay buh-guh...if you need to tell a taxi driver!!

Kindergarten Performance Day

Last Friday night was lots of fun! My good friend Sharon invited me to her daughter's kindergarten performance day and I gladly accepted!! UnByeol (Sharon's daughter) did such a great job and she looked sooo cute!! She was so focused on her dancing and singing!! She made her Auntie Sara proud!! 

My little bunny rabbit!!

 Playing her tambourine!

 Sharon, UnByeol, and Moon!!

Another friend of mine also had a child in the performance! My friend Veronica and her youngest son, TaeHee! Here are some pictures of this adorable (yet rowdy) child!

I put together a video with some samplings of the performances! Enjoy!!



Can Korean children BE any cuter!!??!! (Please say that in a Chandler voice..yes, from Friends!!)

Baking Fun!!

Last week, I hosted a baking night at my house with a few friends! We made lots of muffins and some brownies and had loads of fun spending time together!

Our first batch was some banana-chocolate chip-walnut muffins! We used this recipe and just added some extra goodies! My friends had never baked before (since it's not really common in Korea), so it was fun teaching them and enjoying the results!

Here's Rachel spooning in the muffins!

 Our first batch!! Banana-Chocolate Chip-Walnut Muffins!

 Yujin & Rachel thought the muffins were tasty!

 Next we made some apple cinnamon muffins...Yujin's boyfriend helped with those!

 Lastly, we made some brownies!

 The brownies!

 I think everyone enjoyed the brownies!!

 

 



It was a fun night of baking and eating!! Can't wait to do it again! :)

Exploring Gurye With Yujin

Last weekend, my wonderful friend/co-teacher, Yujin, and I traveled to Guyre together to explore a huge temple and do a little hiking. It was a terrific day out of Tongyeong, and I had a really good time with Yujin!

The trees were in the perfect 'hey, take a picture of me because I'm so beautiful stage', so I definitely filled my camera with pictures of beautiful trees! I love fall time and I especially love getting to see the mountains during this season. Here are a few pictures to describe our day:

You can check out all of the pictures from the day on my photo-site...just click here.

I also made a little video of the day for your viewing pleasure:

Happy Pepero Day!

Tomorrow is a big day for Koreans...because it's Pepero Day! What is Pepero Day, you ask??

Every November 11 (11/11), South Korea celebrates Pepero Day. This is a day for people to buy and give Pepero to their loved ones, whether it be their significant others, friends, parents, and/or teachers. It's quite the marketing ploy to increase the sales of this product...but guess what?!! It's working. Loads of Pepero are sold on this 'special' day of the year.

I made you a little video with my newest electronic device...the Flip!!  Enjoy!



I, personally, am not buying any Pepero to support this 'holiday', but I won't mind accepting some! :)

NC On My Mind!!

There are certain times during my days in Korea that 'take me home'. Today, it happened to be this girl's "North Caroln" shirt. I'm about 99.99% sure that the shirt is supposed to be representing my former state, but nobody at school seemed to mind the error! This girl was really confused as to why I wanted her picture, but I got it nonetheless!! So to all of my friends in NC, this is for you! :)

Musical Performance at Dosan Elementary

Today at my country school, Dosan Elementary, the children were entertained by a musical group playing traditional Korean instruments. I'm really happy that I happened to be at the school on the day the group played, because it was a very interesting performance.

Everytime I see the women in hanboks (the traditional dresses), it makes me want one!! They are so beautiful!! Maybe oneday!! :)

Trick-or-Treaters

As you have probably guessed, trick-or-treating isn't a Korean tradition, but in order to help spread the American love, I was happy to have some trick-or-treaters over to my apartment for some candy!! I think the kids really enjoyed themselves and they were super happy to get some candy and other goodies!!

Teaching Life

It's hard to believe that I've been here for over a week now! I have a feeling this year is going to fly by! I'm enjoying everything so far! I've just been getting settled and seeing people and relaxing! I'm hoping to get a cell phone this week, so hopefully I can start having a bit of a social life!

Anyways, this blog is to tell you about the schools where I teach. My main school is Tongyeong Elementary. This school is currently where 1495 students are educated...the second largest on Tongyeong. Students range from kindergarten to 6th grade, and the classes average around 30-35. Most grade levels have 7-8 different classes. I have included a Google satellite image of the school so you can have a little idea of what it looks like. The building has 5 floors. Looking at the image, you can see the dark green is the actual school building. I believe the orange rectangle is a parking area, but I'm actually not 100% sure. And the huge brown area is the playground area.

My daily schedule varies, but here's a general overview. I get to school by 8:30am and leave after 4:30pm. Lunch is from 12:30pm-1:30pm and is provided for free to students. I have 22 teaching hours, and most of them take place in the morning, but there are a couple of days that I have a class after lunch. On Monday and Tuesday, I teach 6th grade classes with my co-teacher,Yujin, throughout the day. On Thursday & Friday, I teach mostly 4th graders with a different co-teacher, Minnie. I have a couple of 6th grade classes on Friday, too.

Wednesdays are a totally different ballgame. I actually go to a small school that is about 7 miles outside of Tongyeong called Dosan Elementary School. This is a country school that only has about 100 students from K-6th grade. There is only one class per grade level, so it's quite different than Tongyeong Elementary. There, the homeroom teachers serve as my co-teachers so I work with lots of different people there. The classes are much smaller, too....only about 20 students per class.

It's been go so far and I think it's going to be a great year! I ordered a handheld camcorder so hopefully once it arrives, I'll be able to show you some videos of my life! I haven't quite been motivated to take pictures yet since I already have pictures of Tongyeong from my last stay! I'll try though...for you!!

Back in Tongyeong!

It's been almost a year, but it almost feels like I never left!! I am so happy to be back in Tongyeong for another year of my life!! Starting with dinner with my friend and co-teacher, Yujin, a sense of familiarity and excitement filled my heart. Pulling into Tongyeong the following day, it was like the last 11 months Stateside never happened! I am so glad and excited and elated to be here!!

The last couple of days have been full of visiting friends and seeing people I didn't know if I'd ever see again! I love the friends that I've made here, and I can't wait to make more! I've also been enjoying the wonderful cuisine that Korea has to offer! I never knew I could miss Korean food so much!!

I'm settling in nicely to my apartment! I've unpacked all of my bags and now I'm just making it my own! Of course, a big shopping trip is in order, but that can wait for a few days!

I'll try to get some pictures up soon! Until next time...

Good-bye Hilton

October 4 was my final day as the Convention Services Coordinator. As with all of the other good-byes in my life, this one was bittersweet. I met some wonderful people at the Hilton, and I will definitely miss them! Before I left, I snagged a few pictures with my co-workers:

Michelle Minto!

Rosa!!

Hugh-y Lew-y!!

Mr. Lang!!

That's all for now! The next post will be from Korea!!! :)

A Visit From Home!!

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and younger sister, Ryan, came for a visit to North Carolina! I was super excited and very happy to see them! Prior to their visit, I hadn't seen much of NC myself, so it was a good time for all of us to experience it together! Here are our travels in pictures:

Our first stop was Wrightsville Beach!

A totally different beach scene than I'm used to!

Johnnie Mercer Pier - (Note: You have to pay $1 dollar to walk on this pier...WHAT?!?)

The USS North Carolina. We didn't tour it, but it was a nice sight!
We also went to the Bellamy Mansion in Wilmington.
Back in Raleigh, we enjoyed lunch at quite a famous place around here...Roast Grill!
We also went to a book signing for Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks!!

Me with my favorite author!!

In Durham, we walked through the Sarah Duke Gardens. They had some really beautiful flowers!

Our final stop was Bennett Place in Durham.

We had a good time together, and I was happy to finally see some sights of NC and, of course, to see my mom and Ryan!!