Anniversary Weekend: Gwangju.

For the second part of our anniversary weekend, Doug and I stayed in Gwangju, a city in the South West of Korea.  We were lucky that there was no rain during the weekend, but it was sweltering hot.  Because of the heat, we tried to stay cool as much as possible by enjoying our meals slowly and stopping for lots of coffee breaks.  Doug found a really nice Italian restaurant called Bottle.  The flavors in the pasta were so fresh and delicious.  We loved it so much that we ate there twice in two days!

Night 1: The food was so good that we didn't even think to take pictures until after we were finished.  The food was great, the drinks were refreshing, and the atmosphere was so relaxing.  I think I'm glad this place isn't in Cheonan or I would be wanting to eat there all the time!

Day 2: We ate there for lunch before heading back to Cheonan.  Doug couldn't stop thinking about the burger after he saw it on the menu the night before.  See how there are only two fries on his plate?  They've really got portion control down here!  I got seafood pasta with a tomato sauce (yes, I ate seafood - it was too good to pass up!). 

After lunch we had some time to kill before catching our train but didn't want to walk around in the heat.  Also, I wore black skinny jeans that day which was the worst decision of my life.  We noticed a dog cafe across the street from Bottle and I convinced Doug to go with me. This cafe was a lot cleaner than the  one we went to in Cheonan, but the dogs weren't that interested in being around you.  From the photos you can get a glimpse of how to accessorize your dog in Korea.

Anniversary weekend: Wolchulsan.

Last weekend, Doug planned a trip for our anniversary and wouldn't tell me a word about it.  He has been planning this trip for weeks and I have been so anxious to find out where we would be going. He even typed up an itinerary for different options of activities so we could chose depending on the weather and what we felt like doing.  He is the best :)

Saturday morning we decided to hike Wolchulsan.  It is super hot and humid in Korea right now, but we really wanted to see the cloud bridge, which spans two peaks of the mountain and connects the trail together.  So we set out at around eight in the morning trying to beat the heat.  

Here I am at the trail head.  About two minutes after this I was already drenched in sweat.  

The beginning of the hike had bamboo trees lining the trail and tons of birds singing.  I know this sounds stupid, but it reminded me of Disneyland with the bamboo, birds, and misty humidity.

Here is where the trail split.  We followed the lanterns, which led to a temple and eventually the bridge.

Notice all that sweat?  Honestly, I don't think have ever sweated like that before and I hope I never do again.  The hike wasn't that long but was really steep.  Here we took a water break and rested on some rocks.

Finally at the end!

I love that Korea always has little pagoda things for shade when you reach the end of a trail.

The cloud bridge.  Totally worth it.

The above and below pictures are looking down while on the bridge.

On our way back down with the bridge over top of us.

After, we stopped at a little restaurant and I got some ramen and Doug got a fried pork cutlet, called donkatsu.  The ramen was doctored up with fresh vegetables and seasoning.  Delish after a hike.

On our way back into town we saw a group of hikers about to set out.  Notice how all the other hikers in the previous pictures are covered from head to toe? Notice how we are not?  I thought they just didn't want to get tan since Koreans like having light skin.  Well, I'm pretty sure it has to do with the mosquitoes since my legs are still covered with huge itchy bites.  But even with the mosquitoes, it was a breathtaking hike and something so unique to Korea.  I loved having this experience with Doug.

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.