How I Know I Live in a Homogeneous Society

I still remember...4th grade...Mrs. Headstream's class. She was teaching us about homogeneous societies. And while my little small town in Texas didn't offer too much diversity, I couldn't quite understand when she showed us pictures of everyone looking the same...same hair color, similar builds, similar eyes, similar skin color.

Fast forward about 15 years, when I first came to Korea...at that moment, I understood what Mrs. Headstream was teaching us about. Even though it was about 4 years ago, I remember that exact moment I realized...Wow, this IS a homogeneous place. I had gone to a graduation ceremony for several of my students at the hagwon, and as I was standing there, I looked out across the crowds of students and parents. At that moment, I clearly remember thinking, 'Whoa, this place really does lack diversity.'

And in the years that I've lived in Korea, things happen every now and again (some more often than others) that remind me just how homogeneous this place really is.

So, I've compiled a small list of reason why I'd say that Korea is still a homogeneous society. Please consider these are my own opinions and I can't speak for every foreigner that lives in Korea. So here we go...in no particular order:

1. People stare...and not just a little...A LOT! It's like I'm an alien...which to them I am! I think if I had spent the last 40 years of my life never seeing someone like me in person, I'd probably stare out of curiosity too.

2. People get really excited when I use Korea, even if it's only to say 'hello'. I mean, can you imagine if every time a foreigner said "Hello" in English back home, us saying, "Oh wow, your English is so good,"? Yea, I can't either. And, I've traveled to other countries before and used their language for greetings, but I've never had someone say to me that I spoke their language well, after merely a small greeting.

3. I get invited to events, such as weddings, in order to be the 'token foreigner'. I've been to a few weddings this past year, and there have definitely been a few times when I've thought I only got invited to show that the bride had foreign friends.

4. Koreans can identify foreigners in about 0.0001 seconds. I'm just thinking about people I see in America...if I assumed everyone non-white was a foreigner, I'd be in for a real treat. There is so much diversity in the States that it's impossible to assume that someone is a foreigner strictly based on their appearance.

5. Outsiders can never 'really' be apart of the culture. I think even if you've lived in Korea, speak Korea fluently, follow all of the traditions, and so on, as a non-Korean, you would never be accepted fully into the society. Koreans would still call them 'foreigners' and treat them as such.


All of this is not to say that Koreans are not friendly or welcoming to foreigners, actually it's quite the opposite. Most of the people that I encounter are very happy to see foreigners in their country and kind to lend a helping hand if they can. There have been a few situations that have been unpleasant, but mostly, those are with people from the older generations.

Overall, I can see a shift in the Korean culture, but I'd still consider it one of the homogeneous societies of the world!

Island Camp - Saryang Island

A few weeks ago, I headed to a nearby island, Saryang-do, for a 3-day island camp. I worked a similar camp last year, so this year I was much more prepared and knew what to expect. One thing about teaching in Korea is definitely having flexibility. And if you've known me long, you know I am not usually the most flexible person. This job has definitely taught me to be more flexible and go with the flow more!

I was in charge of teaching the fifth and sixth graders at Saryang Elementary School, and they were wonderful! Because of some renovations at the elementary school, our class was held in the middle school English classroom. 

I tried to make the camp more project-based than the normal class times. The kids came to camp for 7-8 hours a day, so it was my mission to ensure they had a fun time and enjoyed studying English with a foreign teacher (which they normally don't have). 

My favorite project that I do at all of my camps is the egg drop project. It's such a fun time for the kids and lets them incorporate English and science together. 

First, the students got into group and planned their 'egg capsule' for about 10 minutes. 

Then I gave them about 35-40 minutes to build their egg capsule. Each group had the exact same materials, which included a piece of cardboard, a meter of tape, a meter of toilet paper, 2 balloons, a meter of yarn, and of course, an egg. 

After the time was up, each group showed off their egg capsule and we prepared for the drop!

Then, we headed outside with half of the student two-stories above and the other students on the ground to retrieve the eggs. 

Shockingly, NONE of the eggs survived! I couldn't believe it! I've done this project numerous times and about half of the eggs survive, but this time, none of them survived! It was disappointing, but the student still had a really fun time and enjoyed the project!

Another day, I taught the students how to play 'frisbee soccer', so we headed outside to play. The boys really enjoyed the game, but the girls were a bit hot and bored. I guess you can't please everyone!

On the final day of the camp, I set up a 'prize store' to let the students 'cash in' the dollars they had earned during the camp. The students earned the 'dollars' by winning games or showing good effort and other various ways. The student could then use their 'dollars' to buy different supplies in the store. 

Finally, our last project was to give a presentation about their island. It was a bit difficult for some of them, but my co-teacher and I tried to help when needed. They ended up doing a nice job and showing really good effort. 

Overall, the camp was a great success, and I was really pleased with the outcome. I think the students had a nice time and had fun learning English, which was the goal!

High School Camp (2nd Time Around)

Busy, busy, busy! That's all I can say to describe my life lately! It's almost JUNE!!!! Can you believe it!?! I know I can't! 

What's been keeping me busy, you might ask!? The main thing is a 6-week high school camp at a local private girls school in town. I worked this same type of camp about a year ago, and I was super excited to get the opportunity to do it again!!

A couple of weeks ago, we did a music lesson and listened to one of my favorite artists, Jack Johnson. We then drew pictures to go with the lyrics of the song, and I put it all together in a video for the girls. Check it out below!

More to come!

April Happenings

It's hard to believe that April is almost over. Time is quickly racing by and I don't quite know how to feel about that! I just really can't believe it's already about to by May in a couple of days!! Wow!! 

On that note, here is the last month for me in pictures...

Riley and I out for one of our many walk on the seaside.

Cherry blossoms in full bloom against the night sky.

Liz, Riley, and I at the Tongyeong Cherry Blossom Festival

 I couldn't get enough of these amazing trees!

Sunset at the pier...a great reminder of why I love Tongyeong so much!

A small bout of food poisoning is a way to damper anyone's free holiday off (April 11...Election day in Korea)

My wonderful friend, Eujin's, wedding

Jinju for the day to see Sara and Ruby

Riley and I experienced a new (to us) park in Tongyeong...WonMun Park.

 Beautiful spring flowers everywhere!!

 Riley got a haircut for the warmer temps outside...oh my little man!

Busan to see Eujin and Gon in their new apartment as a married couple!

Lotte Giants game with lots of Tongyeong friends.

Cultural Difference -- Collectivism vs. Individualism (Korea vs. America)

Every couple of weeks, I have some type of cultural lesson for my students. It's just a little 5-minute bit about some difference between their culture and mine, and it ranges from how to greet someone (shaking hands, not bowing) to national sports around the word to elementary school life for Americans.

Last week, we had a very interesting culture lesson...and it's not just useful for Korean students...I think it's useful for anyone that comes to Korea, any Korean that visits the US, and anyone trying to understand Koreans around them. 

The topic was (as the title states) collectivism versus individualism. Along with my co-teacher, we explained to the students many different points about this major cultural difference.

Firstly, we talked about 'our' vs. 'my'. In Korea, people refer to people/things as 'our'...'our mother', 'our friend', 'our food', etc. In America, we refer to those things as 'my'...'my mother', 'my sister', etc. 

In the same way, a major community item is food. If you see a Korean meal, you can see that they all eat collectively and together. Each person doesn't have their own plate and eat their own meal like back home. It's all in the middle and shared together. Even at Western restaurants in Korea, Koreans order together and share together. Along the same lines, when you're eating a bag of chips or a snack, Korean culture is that you share with the people around you. When I was at the hagwon a few years ago, I literally saw a student bring in a bag of chips, share with everyone around him, and have just a couple to eat for himself...but that's normal. Korean culture is about sharing and give and take. I usually like this idea...except for when I'm really hungry and just want to eat my whole snack on my own! 

Secondly, we discussed personal space. Contrary to what I was taught back in elementary school myself, Koreans have little or no personal space. Whereas in America, we are all about our personal bubble and keeping a safe distance, these things don't seem to be a concern here. Koreans claim it's because there are so many people in such a small area, so it's impossible to have personal bubbles. 

Along with that point, we talked about public space. Koreans, with their 'our' thinking, feel that space is everyone's. Any foreigner that visits/lives in Korea can tell you of a situation whereas people in public spaces (subways, busses, sidewalks, stores, etc) have bumped into them without saying sorry or cut in front of them in line. Those are little things that drive foreigners in Korea nuts, but I think by understanding that the intentions of the Korean people are not negative ones, it can help foreigners in Korea to keep their cool a little better. My co-teacher explained to the students that in American (Western) cultures, when we bump into someone or need to closely pass through a crowd, we would say to each person 'excuse me' or 'I'm sorry'. The students all gasped...seriously! They couldn't believe it. They kind of started giggling...and saying 'I'm sorry' and 'excuse me' to their friends. It was so interesting to see their reaction...as if they had never heard of that concept. But the truth is...they hadn't! Whereas we (as Westerns) do it without a thought, my students had never even thought about doing it! 

After we were finished with the culture tips, we let the students ask questions. Some students were very curious about the topic, which made me really happy as a teacher. I was glad to get their minds thinking about other cultures in a new way.

So after this lesson, every day, I notice some part of this culture difference and it makes me even more aware of how it is a true cultural difference that we (as foreigners in this land) must know about. We shouldn't get angry, we should try to understand. 

**Editor's Note: These thoughts are mine...they are not fact. And of course, they aren't applicable to every single Korean or every single Westerner. They are a general overview of the culture from my experience here.

Korean School Year

Today is an important day for teachers at my school. Why, you ask? It's because it's the day they find out what they'll be teaching for the next year.

Ok, let me pause and explain the Korean public school year to you. It's quite different than the one back in the States. Here's a little rundown of the year:

March - New school year starts
March to June - First semester
July to August - Summer break (~5 weeks)
September to December - Second semester
January - Winter Vacation (~6 weeks...including last week of December)
First two weeks of February - Weird time of the school year (Students must come but it's not really part of the semester)
Last two weeks of February - Spring Break

Side note: Before you say, 'Wow, they have lots of vacation,' please know that students in Korea never actually have vacation like students in America. Students still go to their hagwons (academies) and lots of them come to school for extra classes. So they're pretty much learning all year round.

Ok, back to the point. Today is an important day. This morning the teachers found out their new assignments for the next year and now they're all busy shuffling things around. But, if you do the math, it means that yes, the teachers find out their teaching assignments three days (Thursday is a national holiday) before the students come to start school on Friday. THREE DAYS!! This includes moving classrooms for a lot of teachers, settling in for new teachers, and getting everything ready to see a classroom full of 30+ students on Friday.

Honestly, I don't know how they do it. The way the Korean education system is set up (I'll explain at the bottom of this blog) means that a teacher could go from teaching 6th grade to 2nd grade and have 3 days to prep for all of that. Or a teacher could go from being an English teacher to being a science teacher and have 3 days to prepare. Either way, it seems like a stressful situation all the way around. There's kind of a feeling of 'Trial by Fire' around here, and it just seems to me that it's not the most effective way to do things...but maybe that's because I'm a planner and an organizer and I like to know what I'm doing more than three days ahead of time. But, it seems to work for them, and I guess if that's what you're used to, then you don't know any differently.

As for me, I'm still waiting for word of what classes I'll be teaching exactly and with whom I'll be teaching. My fingers are crossed for an awesome last 8 months in the Korean public school system!


(For Korean teachers in Korea, it's a bit different than in the States. Each school doesn't do it's own hiring, but instead is controlled by the Department of Education. So pretty much, once you're in the system, you're set. You don't have to go interview at different jobs around the city. Instead, you apply through the DoE and request certain cities and schools that you want. You might get what you want, you might not. Also, they aren't applying for certain positions, they're just applying to move. They won't find out what they're actually teaching until the week of the new school year...i.e. today!

But Korea has an interesting policy. Teachers cannot stay at the same school for more than five years. Whereas at home, teachers might start and finish their careers at the same schools, this is not the case in Korea public schools. Usually after the third year of teaching, teachers will start applying to their preferred cities and/or schools.

As for how teachers are given preference over other teachers in this process, it goes on a point system. For each year you teach, you receive a certain amount of points. You can earn extra points by doing extra things, like coaching a sport or winning a contest, etc. The teachers with the highest amount of points is given their preference first, then it works down the list. So with hundreds and hundreds of teachers wanting/having to move around each year, it makes me curious to see how they organize all of that!)

Lessons Learned

As I've grown older, I've learned that every person you come across should teach you something about life. Whether it be absolutely known at that moment or maybe realized 10 years down the road, each person we come in contact with has some way of impacting our lives and teaching us something useful.

Here's my story...Today, with the Korean school year ending, I said a sorrowful good-bye to a teacher that I've worked with for the past year at my country school. It's weird, right?! You can be around someone only once a week for a year and for a limited amount of time in those meetings, but they can still become someone that you desire to see and talk with. But as I reflect back on the year of working with him, I can immediately know what lesson he has taught me that will carry with me forward. Let me explain:

A year ago, when the new school year started and I met Mr. Kim for the first time, I was a bit hesitant...as I usually am about working with new people. He didn't seem overly friendly or happy about speaking English with me. Our time was brief on that first meeting. The second week when I saw him, it was for about a minute before he left me with his class full of rambunctious 6th graders. I was a bit flushered, since I always had a Korean teacher in the room at this school for translating and controlling the students. So there I was...standing there...thinking what a jerk this guy was for leaving me there....not even asking if he needed to do anything during our class. I was distraut. I didn't want to teach with him anymore. I didn't want to see him. I thought he was a major jerkface!

Well, if you read the beginning of this blog, you obviously know the story takes a turn for the better. As the weeks went on, I figured out it was fully 'my' classroom, and he started to stay to help with translating. Along with that, because of the schedule, I got about 20 minutes to sit and chat with him everyday before my class started with his students. We started forming a respect for each other and a friendship. I started really looking forward to seeing him every week and to getting our weekly conversation.

So the whole point of this blog, and what I'll take away from my time with his, is not to dismiss someone completely just because you get a bad first impression from them. I'm sure this is common sense to most people, but having it so clearly lived it in recent days, I just wanted to share it with you!

A Year Already??!!

Can you believe it??! It's already been a year since I returned to Korea for my second stint. Today officially ended my first contract at Tongyeong Elementary School and tomorrow officially starts my second one! I really can't get a grip on the fact that it's already been a year! The year has flown by with lots of wonderful memories and amazing friends.

Last week, I met with the principal to sign my contract for October 2011-2012! Later in the week, I went to the immigration office to renew my visa. And today, I got some songpyeong (filled rice cakes) to celebrate my one year anniversary at the school with my fellow teachers. All of these things are indicating to me that it's been a year, but my mind hasn't quite wrapped itself around that idea yet!

So here I am...starting my new contract tomorrow with an end date of October 14, 2012. The process of deciding whether to stay or not was a really long and stressful one, but today, it feels like I made the right decision. I can't imagine saying goodbye today, instead of saying "Whoo-hoo, one more year!"

So here's too another year...may it be as full of blessings as the first!! ^^

Love Together!

"Love together!!" When I asked the high school girls that I would be teaching for the next three weeks what rule we should add to our list, the class captain said, "Love together!" It became our motto over the course of the next three weeks, as we not only learned about English, but also about life in general!

I got a call a few months ago, asking if I wanted to work this high school camp. But since I knew Kami's second week here would be my first week of camp, I tried to refuse the offer. With the other public school teachers' vacations already scheduled and the lack of available teachers, I had no choice.

So on we went...Christina, Lloyd, Danielle, and me...walking into a school where we had no idea what to expect and no idea what would happen while we were there.

I can only speak for myself, but I must say, this experience definitely ranks among the top in my teaching experiences. It was so amazing to teach these girls! On the first day of class, I walked in the room and the cheered for me! I knew from there, it was going to be a fun class! The girls continually surprised and amazed me.

Here are a few pictures from our time together!

The first day of class! Love together!

We did a lesson on beauty around the world and I wanted the girls to know beautiful they are!

I liked teaching the class in a discussion-style setting. These girls have a great deal of knowledge of the English language, so it was just important for me to get them speaking and using that knowledge.

On our final day of camp, we had a party! It was a lot of fun!

And they decorated the board! It was precious!

All the wonderful ladies!!

They gave me this paper where each of them had written me a sweet letter! I'll cherish it always!

Me and sweet Amy!

For the second hour of the camp, we joined all four classes and had coke floats! They had never had them, so it was a fun treat!!

And so ended the camp at ChungRyeol Girls High School. The camp may be over, but my heart is still happy!!

Camp at Yokjido

I know I've been absent from my online life lately, but it's been for a good reason! I was spending a few days with fourteen 3rd- and 4th-graders on Yokji Island. I will tell you more about it later...but here's your preview!

Watch Yo Mouth, Son!!

Lately, it seems that my ears have been filled with lots and lots of naughty words...and not from the adults around me, it's from my little 6th grade students. Here's my theory:

Korea has been infiltrated these days with Western culture and media and games and movies and all sorts of things. One of the negative factors of this epidemic is that these said games and movies are filled with lots of nasty language. And while these kids might not know exactly what these words mean, they know from the games that they play when the appropriate time to use them is. Sometimes a kid that speaks no English at all with go around saying these phrases that I know they learned from a video game. It's funny when it's something like, "Fire in the hole." It's a lot less funny when it's some involving my least favorite 4-letter word!

Anyways, this is all on my mind today because one of my 6th grade students was heard saying 'F#*$ you' to his peers today. I definitely called him out on it and told him he didn't need so say that. To make it a little worse than a normal situation, this student studied in the States for a little while and he knows full well that these words are not of a kind nature. So after getting on to him about it, my co-teacher addressed the situation further and then let his homeroom teacher know about his behavior. After lunch, the student came to my office to say he was sorry, but it took about 30 minutes and lots and lots of tears for him to get the two little words out.

So on I will go...trying to clean up my kids' mouths...one student at a time! (Who knew this would be a problem??! At least if they said Korean curse words, I wouldn't know!!)

Cultural Difference - The Name Game

I can tell you, if you saw me when I just arrived to Korea a couple of years ago, you would of seen me offending people left and right. True, I have a 'foreigner advantage' whereas most people just disregard when I do something 'wrong', but sometimes, they still get offended. Even if I act as a perfect person would in America, I would still be offending lots of people in this Asian country.

When I write to people on Postcrossing, I always say that I love Korea and I feel like I learn something new everyday. It really is a completely different culture and the customs here are quite different (and often opposite) than the way we do things back home.

I can definitely say I've adjusted quite well to the differences here, but there are still a few things that don't come quite so easily to me. There is one in particular that I can't quite grab ahold of. Let's imagine a situation...two people see each other walking on the street...Person 1 says, "Oh, hello Person 2, how are you today?" Person 2 responds, "Hi, Person 1, I'm wonderful! Nice to see you!" ... And so on...

Well, in American culture, we would say the other person's name (if we remember, of course!). When people see me, I would expect them so call me things like Sara, Miss Allbritton, or Miss Sara ...something along those lines. I feel like when you say someone's name, it makes things more personal.

In Korea, it's not that way. If you address someone that is older than you by their name, it is considered rude. You should instead call them by their title, i.e. Teacher, Owner (as in restaurant, academy, etc.), Principal, etc. So instead of saying to my co-teachers, "Hello, Minie!", it's proper to actually say, "Hello, Teacher!"

For me, this is really hard. In a land of names that aren't easy for me to learn, when I actually do learn a name, I feel like I should use it as often as possible. Well, not so much! Pretty much, I shouldn't learn anyone's name that is older than me because I should just call them my their title. Another thing is that it feels really impersonal to me. If my students only called me 'Teacher', I think I would feel like they didn't distinguish me from any other teachers in their life. (American teachers, think about how much it irks you with your students only call you 'Miss' or 'Mister'!) I'm really big on giving people personal attention and not just having a 'form letter' for the things I say to people.

The reason this is so heavily on my mind today is because one of my students told me that their teacher was 'angry' because I called her by her given name, and not 'Teacher'. First of all, I always say her full name when I talk to her, and second of all, why would she tell my students?? Isn't that a little strange??! Anyways, my co-teachers imagine that teacher was just 'joking', but either way, I don't understand the situation!

All of this being said...It's just another cultural difference to write home about. I know that by living in a foreign country, I have to deal with these differences and adapt to them as I go. So here's to not offending people in this way anymore and to not learning anymore people's names (that are older than me)! I can save my brain space for something more useful!!

Open Class in Korean Elementary School - EPIK

A couple of weeks ago, I had what is called an 'Open Class'. For me, it meant that a team of teachers and administrators from my school, along with two Korean English teachers from other schools in Tongyeong, and a supervisor from the local Office of Education would come watch my class with Minie, one of my co-teachers.

I had heard about open classes previously, but now that I've experienced the joy [insert sarcasm] of open class, I thought I should share with you.

Here's the deal. In the States, if the principal or higher-ups want to know how your class is going, they'll just pop in randomly for an evaluation. That is not the case in Korea. In Korea, in contrast to every other event here, weeks and months of notice are given prior to the open class. What this means is...the teacher has lots of time to prepare the lesson, practice with other classes, and prep the students in the actual class for the 'show'. From what I can tell, no open class is a TRUE representation of a normal class. It's more like a normal class beefed up on steroids times 10.

Here's how we prepare for a normal class...
Two days before the class, we check the lesson coming up and see if there's anything special we need to do.
One day before the class, we discuss our final plans for the class and assign parts of the lesson. We find some activities if we don't like what the book has suggested and we get the materials ready that we need.
The morning of the class, we confirm our roles and head to class!
(Please note, in elementary schools, the books are laid out and each lesson is prepared. You can...as we often do...expand on the basic lesson, but it's not a requirement. Also, Minie and I have been teaching together for 8 months now, so we've got a pretty good flow going!)

Here's what went down with my open class...
About three months ago, Minie and I were notified that we'd be having open class and the specific date. It was up to Minie to coordinate with another elementary school in our town so the Office of Education supervisor could knock out two schools in one day. This is also when we chose the exact lesson and section we'd be doing. (Our lessons have 6 parts, and we wanted to do an interesting part....not a boring.)
About two weeks prior to the open class, Minie and I started brainstorming ideas for activities.
One week before the actual open class, we decided on our activities and the procedure of the class. We then started making the corresponding materials. (The book has activities, but we sometimes/usually come up with our own because the book ones are too simple/boring.)
Five days before the open class, Minie made a one-page Korean lesson plan and I produced a two-page lesson plan for the Native teachers that would attend (there were none!). We also made a video that we'd use as our motivation to get the class started.
Four days before the open class, we completed all of the materials and I 'practiced' a section of the lesson on another class that I share with a different co-teacher.
Three days before the open class, Minie and I practiced our full lesson on a class that we don't normally teach. (I teach half of 6th grade with Minie and the other half with Karen.)
Two days before the open class, we rehearsed the open class as it would happen and worked out our 'natural' flow between each other.
One day before the open class, I had to go to my country school so no planning or discussing open class that day.
The day of open class, (the actual class was during second period) Minie and I spent the first period with the class to prep them and get things down to a science!

And all of those things led up to a 40-minute class, which from what I could tell, was well received by the teachers and administration in attendance. The principal, who doesn't speak much English to me, told me I did an excellent job as he was leaving the class...so that was a plus! After the class was done, Minie and I had a meeting with the supervisor, two teachers from other schools, and the teacher that is actually in charge of me at my school. The meeting was all in Korean, so I just tried to understand what I could and watch for gestures and body language. I asked Minie what everyone thought, and she said they had lots of good things to say.

After that, we headed to another elementary school to see their open class. It was nice to see how other people do things and how their classes go.

So all of this is to say....if you hear the words open class in your school, be prepared and clear your calendar!!

Co-Teaching in Korea - EPIK Elementary School

Lots of people ask me the same question when I talk about teaching English in Korea..."How can you teach them English if you don't speak Korea?" Well, the answer to that is easy...I have a co-teacher! When I worked at a hagwon a couple of years ago, my days were filled with lots of charades and picture drawing to get my point across. Not anymore!! These days at the public school, I work alongside a Korean co-teacher who can easy let the students know just what I'm talking about. I love it! And I'd definitely say it's a perk to working at a public school (vs. hagwon).

A couple of weeks ago, one of my co-teachers (Minie) and I did a video class together. The video was posted on our school website and now I'm sharing it with you! You can click here to get a glimpse of what it's like teaching in Korean public elementary schools.

And to keep this blog from looking too boring, here are a couple pictures I snapped on my cell phone today between classes! These kids make me happy!

School Picnic to Mireuk Mountain

Last Monday, no students were in sight at Tongyeong Elementary School! Why?!...You might ask. It's because all of the students were taking part in their class picnics. Each grade level went to a different destination, and since I teach only 6th grade right now here, I tagged along to Mireuk Mountain along with the other English teachers. I must be honest in saying that our little group didn't actually summit the mountain, but we did hike about halfway up and wait for the 6th graders to come down from the other side and have lunch. Here are some pictures from our day:

Our hiking group...아름, me, Minie, Karen, and Jennifer

We passed a temple on the way up and there were lanterns leading up to it in honor of Buddha's birthday next week

Beautiful Minie and me with the island view

Pretty in Pink ladies...Karen and Jennifer

I took my traditional picnic lunch with PB&J, chips, and a banana, but that is nothing like the picnic lunches in Korea. These kids feast on gimbap, mini sausages, rice-stuff tofu pockets, and a variety of other foods. These mothers here aren't messing around when it comes to picnic lunches!

The teachers opted for a local specialty for lunch...Chungmu Gimbap (충무김밥). This special type of gimbap was created in Tongyeong and is a favorite for tourists. Instead of the fillings of the gimbap being inside, they are instead served on the side. There are sort of mini rolls of rice and gim, served with sides of spicy radish and spicy squid. It has quite an interesting history and is pretty popular around here.


Of course, spending the day with my wonderful students was lots of fun! Since I didn't start the journey with them and only met them for lunch, most of them were quite surprised to see me...which is good..I like to keep them on their toes!! :)

After lunch, the students played games in their respective classes.

On the way down the mountain, I enjoyed seeing the sun peek through the trees.

It was a great day and I can't wait until the next one! :)