A week of goodbyes.

I've finally started my last week of teaching.  I see every one of my classes once a week, so that means that every class I have this week will be the last time I spend time with those students.  I knew it would be bittersweet saying goodbye to the students and that some students I would really miss, but I didn't expect to be hit with the wave of emotions that hit me yesterday.  All of a sudden I had the urge to cry and had to fight it back when I was saying goodbye to them at the end of class.  And I wasn't even saying goodbye to a class that I liked that much!  The students have been so sweet, saying the kindest things to me that I will remember forever.

Below are some pictures of a surprise farewell party that my co-teacher, Mrs. Kang, planned for me.  She even made a cake out of cheese bread and had the students bring it out to me!  I think the kids were pretty excited to have a party :)

Here are all the boys hovered over a plate of snacks.

This is Christina.  Whenever I see her in the hallways she always quizzes me by asking "Teacher, my name?"  Now, I'll never be able to forget her name!

From left to right: Villa, Smith Lee, and Cheetos.  Just from the English names they've picked, you can tell that they are major class clowns!  These guys are so fun to have in class. 

This is Castle.  She's really shy but tries so hard in class and is always so focused.  She's such a great student.

Fergusons in Cheonan.

After spending three hot busy days in bustling Seoul, we headed to Cheonan, which Koreans say is the "slow life".  Even though it still is a good sized city, it does not even come close to jam-packed Seoul that attracts tourists from all over the world.  One thing that Doug and I really wanted to show them was the Big Buddha statue on Mt. Taejosan, which is the mountain that we can see from the view in our apartment.  The area around the statue and temple is so peaceful and serene.  It is definitely a must see when you are in Cheonan. Plus, we could bring Pippa along on this outing, which is always a bonus :)

 Tons of steps to the top didn't stop this pup.

Pippa chilling with Buddha.

 Doug got some great photos of the temple's intricate artwork.  And, of course, he took a picture of a dragon.

Magic Straight.

Lots of Korean girls get this treatment done to their hair called "magic straight."  Basically, it makes your hair straight and silky, even in the humid summer months.  Well, I decided to try it out two weeks ago.  It was my first time going to this salon and I really liked it.  Both of the stylists that work there speak English, which is a huge plus when someone has the future of your hair in their hands.   Also, Lea, who cut my hair, lived in London for eights years, so she has the most precious English-Korean accent.

The whole treatment took about two and a half hours. Luckily, Jessica, being the good friend she is, came to keep me company.  After the treatment, you can't put anything in your hair and shouldn't even touch it.  I couldn't even put my hair behind my ears for a whole day because it could create a permanent crease.  It drove me crazy until I was able to wash it, two days later. I probably should have waited until the weekend to do it rather than a Wednesday  night.

Most unflattering picture ever!  Waiting with the magic straight stuff in my hair.

Finished product.  Sorry, I have only have a cheesy picture I took of myself  to send to Jenna the day after I got it done.  Overall, I'm really happy with it.  It doesn't dry stick straight, but it does stay a lot smoother and silkier when it's 80% humidity outside.

Beginning of the end.

Today was the first day that it really hit me how little time we have left here.  Roughly, we only have about seven weeks left.  Overall, we have been really excited and anxious about coming home.  But today, we felt a little sad to be leaving so soon.  Today was the last day of the ten week Saturday class that we have been teaching.  Doug has been teaching two elementary classes and I taught an elementary and adult class.  Even though it can be tough getting up on a Saturday morning and going to work, my Saturday classes have actually been my favorite classes all week.  Being with the little kids is so refreshing after teaching hormonal, awkward, and sleep deprived middle school students all week.  The children in this class were absolutely precious and were so excited to be learning English.  It was really hard saying goodbye to them today, knowing that I probably won't see their little faces again.  

It was also bittersweet saying goodbye to the women that I have gotten to know in my class for adults.  Each week, between five to six women would show up, so we became really close.  We had the best conversations and I learned so much about the joys, struggles, and everyday lives of Korean women. We talked about everything from celebrities, to their experiences with childbirth, to hopes of the North and South reunification of Korea.  I know sometimes I can get frustrated living here when you feel so much like an outsider, but getting to know these women has reminded how beautiful and community oriented Korean culture is.  I certainly feel like I have eye-opening experiences here all the time, and I am so grateful for what I have learned this past year.

Sandy, Kelly, Bunny, Sally, and Judy.  

Sally.

Picnic and fireworks.

Here are some pictures from our late fourth of July celebration that we had with some friends. We all walked down the lake and packed picnic dinners and drinks. It was such a fun day enjoying the beautiful weather with great friends.  After the sun set, we lit off some fireworks.

Our friend's dog, Foster.

Summertime in the ROK.

The weather this past week has been awful.  Hot. Humid. Rainy. Just plain gross.  Doug and I have vowed never to live in a humid place again.  I don't mind the rain so much, but the humidity.  It just seems so strange to have these cloudy, dreary, rainy days when it is so hot outside.

Since it has been so humid out, my hair has basically turned into a frizzy mess within two minutes of walking out the door.   I decided to get a treatment done to my hair called "magic straight", which is really popular among Korean women (and men...but that's another story).  Basically, it makes your hair permanently straight, smooth, and silky until the new hair grows out.   I'll post pictures about the whole straightening experience soon.  Definitely no more frizzy hair in the forecast for this girl!

Here's a photo from a few weeks ago, before the rain.

Cafe Gourmet.

This weekend, Jess and I went to our favorite cafe, Cafe Gourmet.  It is a beautiful cafe with huge sunny windows, big wooden tables, delicious lattes, and comfy patio and balcony seating to enjoy the sunshine.  It is situated right next to the lake, so as you sit on the balcony you can look over the lake and people watch.

With the sunny summer weather, we decided to take Pippa to the lake, get some coffee, and relax.  We walked down to the lake in the morning and sat in the shaded patio area with Pippa.   The walking path around the lake and the cafe were pretty much empty since it was such a hot day so it was nice and peaceful.  Well, it was peaceful until they started doing construction on the balcony above us.  I swear there are no building codes here because the men were throwing huge wood planks (with nails in them!) over the balcony to a pile below.   We sat outside for about an hour, but then it just got so noisy so thought we might as well ask if we can sit inside with Pippa.  

The staff excitedly said yes!  They were so accommodating to Pippa; I was shocked.  For a country that still eats dog soup, I was extremely surprised that they were so laid back about letting us bring her in.  The one waiter kept coming over to pet Pippa and one other worker came over to say hi to her as well.  Jess and I stayed inside for about two more hours talking and writing in our journals.  I can't say enough how thankful I am for meeting Jess here and growing our friendship over this year.  It was the perfect day to spend with Jess, Pippa, and a good hazelnut latte.  

First, she started out on the ground...

Next she moved her way up to the chair...

Then inside...

And finally after her big adventurous day, she curled up and slept on my lap. Pippa better not get used to hanging out in cafes, this would definitely not fly back home!

Galbi...another word for heaven.

As most of you know, I've been a vegetarian for the past two and a half years.  I haven't been perfect in those two years and there were definitely a few times when we first came to Korea that I ate some type of meat without realizing it was meat until after.  However, the past few weeks I had been really wanting to try galbi, one of Korea's most popular dishes.  I mean, there is a good chance that we will only be in Korean once, so why not try one of its most famous dishes?  I didn't want to go back home and regret not trying it while we live here.  And to be honest, I had really been craving meat the few weeks leading up to this, so it seemed like the perfect time to try it.

So, we made plans with some of our friends to try it out on a Friday night after work. The galbi restaurants have tables with built in barbecues, so you barbecue your own meat.  There is the option to sit at a high round table or sit on the floor at a long rectangular table. Since there was five of us, we opted for the ground (plus you feel way more Korean sitting on the floor). You tell the waiter how many portions you want for the galbi and they bring out hot coals to put under your grill.  They also bring out a ton of side dishes like lettuce, rice, a fried egg, raw garlic, raw onions in a broth, a sauce to dip your meat in, and various types of kimchi.  Then they bring out the bowl of raw meat, tongs, and scissors.  You place one slab of meat on the grill at a time and when it is almost done you cut it up into small pieces and everyone grabs the pieces straight off the grill with their chopsticks.  You eat slowly, waiting for each piece of meat to cook, so you can really focus on the conversation and catching up with your friends.  

The galbi was way better than I ever imagined it would be.  So incredibly juicy and the perfect combination of sweet and savory.  It is also good put into what I like to call a gabli burrito, which is a lettuce wrap filled with a little bit of rice, galbi, sauce, and some onions.  Pretty delish.  I am definitely going to get some more before we go back home.

Cooking up that meat.

Bethany, Jess, and I waiting for the first round of meat.

Right before my first bite!

The aftermath.

We snapped a photo with the owner on our way out.  Can't wait to go back...maybe I'll be a galbitarian.

Summer days.

Lately, we haven't been up to much.  Ever since we started teaching at a school on Saturdays, our idea of a perfect weekend is relaxing and setting the plans as the day goes on.  Next weekend we do plan to get out a bit more.  But for now, we are enjoying restful weekends.  Here are a couple recent photos:

 

We been cuddling a lot with Pippa.  She is such a bean bag and can fall asleep in any position.

 

Last weekend we had a spontaneous date night that was really great.  We went to our favorite bar for drinks and then afterward went to the only really authentic Italian restaurant in Cheonan and shared a pizza and a salad.  I think we are going to have to have more impromptu dates from now on!