Suwon Festival

Eugene's B-day/Good bye Chasper

Sooo...Friday night was Jasper and Charolotte's goodbye graffiti party!

A graffiti party is where everyone wears a white shirt youhand out permenant markers and then you write away to our hearts content! Its great for going away parties because you get a souvenier of your great friends :-)

Plus I owed them money for the gas money road trippy thing a while back soI figured I'd buy them booze for a going away party, especially since they dont drink and I do :-)

So we had good times, and FONDUE! :-)


Saturday I headed to Seoul early to meet up with Amy, Critophe and Olivier. They needed to get cameras or something and I wanted a PHONE! I learned a while back its best to have a Koreanspekaing NON Korean raised friend to help you with these things. So I dragged Amy with me. Let me tell you thoughI LOVE Konglish.

English/Korean
Speed/Speeduh
Pixels/Pixeluhs

You get the idea :-)

That night was Eugene's birthday party! We went to the Outback since he wanted a steak and ended up at a bar called Queens
Observe the outfits! (yes smart ones a gay bar)

It's ok though mommy daddy don't be worried I only had a little to drink, see:

Thats me saying I'll only have a little!

Sunday I met up with some friends for book club (kinda), returned Patrick's camera so he'd have it for his three week vacation (sooo frigin' jealous), and had lunch with the ladies before coming home to prepare for summer camp.

So far summer camps been good, a little fursterating, but hey, that's life, right?

:-)

Carissa

Rafting

OK so I am late I know but this weekend has been HECTIC!!!

We went rafting last weekend here's a video my friend Patrick made:


It was really fun! When they talk about the wonderful jumper, that was my friend I got to jump off the rocks with me! I was really happy. No peer pressure I just jumped first and egg beatered in the water until she jumped in and then helped her swim to shore! YAY lifeguarding (kinda) and taking water polo wayyy back when I was younger

Later that night we headed to Aaron's house. His landlord used to have a restaurant so we all sat outside in the backyard where it used to be. We got him to come out and turn the lights on. Turns out its a norebang (karaoke bar)! So a disco ball dropped down and we all started singing!

Kyoo and Craig

Patrick and Me


Craig and Me

Aaron and Me

The next day we took a short hike which was nice walked around town and headed back to our respective cities. When I arrived in Suwon I did a quick load of laundry and then went to sleep on Monday I headed to Yongin where I would have my week long orientation :-)

But more on that later, its almost midnight on Sunday andI have school tomorrow, so I hope everyone is doing well!!!

Hiking, Festivals and More

This weekend was INTENSE!

I have about 5 minutes and then I need to leave for work so this is the cliffsnotes version.

First photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/CarissaPeck/Festival

OK, so Friday was a holiday (Memorial Day!) so Thursday night I went over to Ansan (about an hour away) to visit my friend (yep another couchsurfer, I know that post is coming too). I got a little lost, wondered around the streets for a while found a random B-Boy competition (umm...dancing) a bonfire at a school, and some other fun stuff. Finally hopped in a cab met up with her at an Indian food place (Taj Mahal...they're always called Taj mahal)

We took the subway into Seoul together stopped at a coffee bar, did silly things on the internet and then met up with my friend for the WORST Long Island Ice Tea's I've ever had! Cheryl and I walked Vincent home and then headed to OI (a really cool cave bar) while heading there Cheryl points to a guy and says, "That's my wallet" he hands it over. It had money and everything, she had NO idea she lost it, weird eh?

OK, so we stay out a bit more and finally around 5:00am we get noodles!!! Take the subway to the bus station and I get the 7:30 bus to Donghae-si (it means East Sea-City). Sleep on the bus and arrive at Patrick's(Canada) at like Noon. Have brekkie and then take a bus on an AMAZING hike! Met up with his monk friend (Buddhist monk f 15 years thinks I am charming...probably one of the best compliments I've ever had)

Head back to Patrick's where out friend Aaron meets up with us. Have noodley breakfast play cards and then sleep! The next morning Richard and Anne(England/Australia) come over and we all head to the bus station together.

This weekend there's a festival and the tourism board gave native teachers a discounted price so we went and saw fun things! (More about the history and mystical stuff when i have time). Walked to the beach later that night and then came home and slept.

Sunday we went on another GORGEOUS hike! Had great Italian pasta and I got to meet Patrick's co-teachers!! Which is honestly the BEST part! I love locals! So with them we painted masks, got my hair washed in iris water and saw some cool miming, swinging and dancing.

Then I took a night bus to Seoul arrived just as the subways were closing, but made it to my friend Vincent's house. Slept there midnight to 5 woke up and 5 and took the subway to Suwon. Took a bus to my house, washed my face, called Anessa and Brandon to wish them happy birthday, brushed my teeth and ended up at school 5 minutes early.

EXHAUSTING!

Camping...kinda

So I planned a weekend get-away for me and my fellow couchsurfers. For those of you who don't know I am part of a website called couchsurfing. I'll do another "what's couchsurfing?" post later.

But we went to a hostel in the country...soooo pretty, and we ended up with like 34 people showing up. We went on a hike, a nature walk, a boat ride, had a campfire, overall lots of fun :-)

That's the hostel


That's the backyard


I have more pictures posted to my facebook album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2131026&l=a33f3&id=24606699

:-)

Photos

These are from my weekend with Gaeul

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27066776@N04/

Korean Wedding

My office-mate (teacher I share an office with) picked me up at 10:40 and I headed to the wedding (luckily I went to an 80s party the night before so the overdone 80's makeup and hair had calmed to a subtle wedding look in my sleep. It worked nicely)

It is held at a wedding hall. Everyone waits around in the lobby. The groom stands near the gift table usually and the bride has her own room. She has this big chair and people go in to say hello and take their picture with her. She looked SOOOOO pretty! I know I've said before that I don't want a fancy wedding dress...but I've changed my mind. I want to sparkle. I want to be a pretty pretty princess.

Anyways so you go take picture yay. Then you go to the gifts table take an envelope put 30-50 bucks in (Everyone told me 30 or 50 so I figured 40...THANK GOODNESS I talked to my Korean friend Shannon. Turns out it is good luck to give odd numbers (30, 50, 70) not even) So I gave them 50,000 won (50 bucks).

Then you go into the "wedding hall" its like...a large room, small hall. Maybe as big as my classroom. And everyone stand around (or sits) and talks and waits for it to start. Or so I THOUGHT.

The ceremony starts, but no one stops talking. It reminds me of my class sometimes! SOO FRUSTRATING!! The teacher inside me had to bite my tongue.

I don't know what they were saying, but the ceremony was pretty much guessable. Oh and they used a LOT of smoke.

Traditions:

The mothers walk down the aisle and light candles. The groom walks down the aisle followed by two girls with swords. Then the bride walks down people clap, take pictures(I didn't bring my camera because I thought it would be rude, I was wrong), but I figureed it out), still talk!!!

They do the talky thing (I understood, Juseyo(like I want), Kamsamneeda(thank you), and keesah (kiss).

They kiss. (smoke)

They thank the parents (I think) by bowing (the bride bows from the hips, and the groom actually gets on his knees and bows down)

They do strength test where the groom holds the bride and does three squats.

The groom kareoke'd to his bride. (smoke)

They did the cake thing (but with a sword) (smoke)

They poured champagne in a champagne tower. (smoke)

The did some yelling thing??? I don't know what they were saying.

Then to the buffet. It was like Todai!!! Quite yummy. Its like an open bar (but not) each table had a pile of drinks (it was about 2 beers, one bottle of soju, 2 pepsis, two sprites and two apple juices) and you just divide them up.

Lots of my students were there so I got a lot of HELLO TEECHA!

Weekend

So Thursday a co-worker invited me over. I had cucumber kimchi (which I think is officially my favorite) bulgogi (like a meat) rice, and some other stuff. I joke that a Korean meal is kind of like spain because you get all of these side dishes (which remind me of tapas).

Friday I went to school then straight from school to meet up with Gaeul in Seoul. We had some noodley stuff, Korean BBQ and walked around planning the next day (they have a beer they are promoting on the streets so we took a few free samples, its basically beer with lemon...quite tasty)

Saturday we went to a palace saw the changing of the guards, had some Korean sushi, Korean ramen, and...erm..some kind of meat. Then we walked down the stream (they had a friendship fair so lots of differen countries had booths and were selling stuff I almost bought stuff for people but it seemed kinda silly to get Argentinian souveniers when I am in Korea. Then we chillaxed on the river with street food. Kimchi-jon which is like a dumpling meets a pancake as far as I am converned. Its like...dumpling mix (you know flour and cood stuff) but instead of dumplingizing it you mix the stuf youd put inside with it and roll it out like a pancake DELICOUS and some kind of stuff intestines...thank GOD I was raised eating Mexican food so I am used to things most Americans cringe at. We met up with some friends at the hard rock danced a little (I know I only seem to dance in Asia...deal with it) and then went to KFC to eat and catch the subway to Gaeuls.

Sunday I did the jim-jil-ban again with Mel, Cherese, and Amy. I LOVE that sana-ey place. Then we went out for dinner and trivia night at an English pub where we lost our thus undefeated status.

Monday (Buddah's birthday) walked to a temple got some free grub, prayed, caught up with friends for lunch had...erm...cheese donkette ok I am kinda making stuff up but like chicken cordon bleu except with pork and cheddar...DELICOUS with some cold noodle soup and OF COURSE kimchi :-)

Came home worked on lesson plans stayed up late to call mommy and wish her happy mothers day (I was a day late but you know its hard to coordinate schedules from over here)

Yep, that's about it :-)

Luvya'll

:-)

Carissa

Fast Weekend Summary

Well...

I saw the changing of the guards at a Korean palace, learned about the history of Korea, and Hangul at a museum 9checked out some local art and Vietnamese art as well) walked around the streets of Seoul, had traditional Korean BBQ, and hit a bar afterwards for kinda like tapas but not

THEN

I had YUMMY street food, learned some more Korean, headed to a Jimil-Ban (like a spa) has a nice soak, a hot shower, did the nakey dance in the shower, chilled in an oxygen room, a jade room, a room filled with salt, and a sauna grabbed some food and drinks, headed back to the shower, exfoliated ourselves in salt, showered, jumped into a freezing cold pool, jumped into a warm jacuzzi, got a massaing shower, more exfoliation, nakey dance well you get the idea

Dropped a dear friend off at the train station, met up with friends fro drinks, got dinner, got more drinks, bonded with a new friend

THEN Met up with GAEUL caught up had lots of food, charged my phone at a 7-11 for a $1, had dinner at a Greek place run by Koreans (leanred the hostory of the word Samuri) went to a club that looks like a cave, ROCKED the dance floor (pictures to follow once I get them from a friend) got street food, crashed at may place

THEN

woke up at five to get on a bus to go to a city three hours away to attend their tea ceremony, make a tea bowl, try TONS of traditional tea, meet the artists, learn about kilns, have three paid for traditional meals, get a small interview, and free roundtrip bus ride why...oh yeah I am a foreigner

Took the subway home for the first time ever and am about to shower...


How was your weekend?


How was your weekend??

Seoul

So the past few weekends I've beenin Seoul and it has been great! I've only done a little siteseeing (changing of the guards, war memorial, a palace,, and museum) but yesterday I got to go to a bath house I guess is the best word with my friend Amy and her friend Mel.

Lots of fun to be had there, I'd show you pictures but we were naked so well no pictures.

Today I meet upwith Gaeul and then have a friend's birthday party. Tomorrow I have a traditional tea ceremony and then I go home so Monday I can clean and prepare for class on Tuesday

I'll keep you posted as stuff progreses.

My weekend/the longest post I will probably ever post

I left my USB cord at home so for now pictures will have to wait, before I go into my weekend festivities, yes I managed to do laundry and I am quite proud of myself.

On Friday my co-teacher and her best friend (soon to be office mate) took me to a traditional Korean meal at a place called Pig House. That's right they spell it in Korean letters but it is an English name. The Pig House.

Its kind of like the Strip Club downtown where you cook the meat yourself, but its WAY different as in the waitress came over like three times to flip our meat because we forgot and she didn't want it to get overcooked.

So first you cook them meat, then you cut it (yes cut, with scissors) into smaller chunks cook a little more. Then you take a big lettuce leaf put a big mint leaf on it put some chopped veggies (like a coleslaw...not really spicy but more flavors than just mayo), then you put a slice of raw garlic, some sauce (like a chipotle kind of but not as bbqey), some onions marinated in soy sauce. and the meat. Then you shove the whole thing in your mouth and try and chew and swallow..oh yes this is NOT a date food, unless the person already knows and loves you.

So basically you make little lettuce wraps. I had them with pork (the korean word for the part of the pork translates to fat back...I don't cook so I don't know what part it corresponds to but it was delicous) and beef (kolbi, kolby?) overall quite tastey.

We had cold noodles (which was you guessed it cold noodles, in a soupy thing with a cold egg and mustard...I'd eat it but I really don't know who comes up with these things. I guess it is like their gazpacho as they eat it in the summer.

Then there was one food...I really cant describe...it was like eating soap...but not all together unpleasant. ..I guess Koreans really dig it I'll ask Gaeul sometime to spell it for me.

We also had some spicy crab which was delicous but hard to eat with chopsticks. What else? Oh a really good desert that was kind of like a snow cone, but with beans and marshmallows (kind of like what dad gets from the pho place every once in a while)

OK, so that was enough food to kill a small army, but I wanted to stock my fridge a little so I went to homeplus (like a super walmart/target but a little more expensive and LOTS more staff...yes StAff not stUff, people are yelling at you left and right about promotions and deals and thank goodness I don't understand a word of it and can easily ignore them...the food sample ladies are always nice though, they say "HOT" very loudly and slowly whenever giving me food and then they smile). I bought, cups, mugs, bowls, a strainer, some pasta, pasta sauce, cheese(like kraft singles but korean...their cheese slection is either...erm...simple plasticy lunch stuff or gouda...no just block of cheddar) , tortillas(no corn just flour :-( ) and bleach :-) My bathroom is supposed to be white and it WILL be white gosh darn it...plus some mold killer that I think is just bleach but it says mold killer and thats what I want to do so yeah I bought that.

When at homeplus one of my students saw me, I have no clue who she is but I am the only white person at the school so she has a one up on me, "Tacher, Miss English Teacher Careesa Pick" Koreans are like Mexcians as "I" means "EE" so I am CAREESSA Pick...a very short fast e for Peck almost like Pick.

Me: Hello how are you
Her: I am fine how are you
Me: I am good (three second pause) I am getting silverware
Her: Oh....Good Bye!

So yes that was my lovely exchange.

I then took the wrong way home and about...the entire legally blonde soundtrack later, was home. Once home I could not open one jar of pasta sauce luckily I bought two...the other will just have to wait.

Watched some really bad movie that wasn't that bad (I bought it for about $3) and fell asleep. Woke up and ... there's smoke outside my window...FANTASTIC!

Turns out some building near me burnt...sirens and lots of fun stuff. I stayed inside and made my bathroom whiter, made some pasta and overall had a very unproductive day....oh I watched a James Bond marathon always good times :-)

Sunday, woke up, made eggs (I have a stove...I have no idea how to use said stove, but I figured out how to poach, and scramble eggs, make pasta, potstickers and...ok so far thats it in the microwave) realized I have no bread or mustard and I forgot to buy a cutting knife.

Walk back to homeplus, NEVER AGAIN will I shop at homeplus on a Sunday. I almost died! It was so crowded!!! And everyone had shopping carts (I prefer the handbasket) and I was like darting and dodging and jumping and leaving aisles/getting stuck because I couldn't fit and it was NOT FUN! I don't usually get claustrophobic but this was BAD! However I managed to buy mustard, pepper, more silverware, bread, veggies, knife, bottle opener, can opener, and other fun stuff picked up a bottle of white wine that looked ok (by the way my college friends will probably be more amused than the family but a bottle of boons farm is like $5 over here...and why would they even import that stuff???) Yellow Tail runs about $12.

Figured I'd pick up a bottle of water near my house as I want to get a six pack but don't want to carry 12 liters of water home. Walk home (yep I took the wrong way again) nope can't stop by the store, why? Its filled with smoke! It is not on fire, but the same building that was the day before is and is filling the street with smoke. Unlike the San Diego fire however this smelled like candles or cinnamon, like a spice shop or candle shop had burnt actually quite pleasant. So I have to double back, the long way get home and put veggies away, put wine in freezer, take cold shower and open the bottle of wine...it is not awful, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't speak Korean. My apartment has a...PA system (I guess) and every once in a while the guy comes on and announces something...I never have any idea what he's saying and I assume its things like, "We're painting the stairs" since the stairs were recently painted etc. But when there's a huge fire a block away I just hope its not, "Evacuate the building". So ignorance is bliss and I go to sleep.

I wake up and hey! Smoke is gone, fire is gone, everything is good...YAY for sleeping.

Today I go get my drug test and AIDS test from the hospital, if I pass I stay if not...see you guys soon :-)

Then, once again assuming I pass, I go to register myself as a Alien Resident.

Payday is the 25th(only 9 more days, but hey who's counting), and I guess we have a spring break May 1-5th so that'll be cool.

OK, I think thats it for now :-)