A long-term state of mind.

I think it's time for another countdown post.  We will officially be home in only 102 days!  102 days, can you believe it?!  Just yesterday I was thinking about coming home and the actual day that we will be leaving Korea and on the plane to LA.  I got butterflies in my stomach.  It was weird because I also was remembering when we left Spain and my feelings at that time.  When I left Spain, I was excited to come home (especially since it was the holidays!) and to see my family, but it was also bittersweet.  We both fell in love with everything about Spain.  The fact that we were so passionate about learning Spanish also made leaving the country hard because I knew I may never have the opportunity again to be fully immersed in a Spanish speaking culture.  Plus, I got to see Doug everyday in Spain, which was way better than a few times a month like during the school year.  And I was returning to UCLA, which was a lot more difficult than my studies in Granada.  Maybe something had to do with that, too ;)

But leaving Korea will be a lot different.  And that feeling doesn't mean I don't like it here-I know I will have moments when I miss Korea-but the circumstance is just completely different.  I think because so much has changed in our lives in this past year and we are excited to share that with our family and friends.  Maybe it is also because returning home means starting an exciting new chapter in our lives rather than returning back into our routines.  I feel like we will officially be starting our life together: getting an apartment, unpacking our stuff, decorating, getting a car, etc.  This past year (more like the past five years with school and moving around so much) has felt so temporary and being in a long-term place sounds so refreshing. I can't wait to actually live in a place for more than two years.  It'll be so exciting coming home after our first year of marriage and getting to start an awesome second year together with our families and friends so close by...

102 more days!!

Race Day.

This past weekend was our big 5k/10k run.  Doug, Jessica, and I have been running and training for probably about two months getting ready for the run.  We were really hoping for a beautiful spring race day since the weather was so great the weekend leading up the the race.  But, we were not so lucky.  That Saturday it rained, and I mean really rained.  On top of that, it was really windy.  You could see ripples of rain blowing towards you from the wind.  Luckily the race was on Sunday and not Saturday.  The weather cleared up a little bit over night but it was still really windy and cold.  We were not really in the mood for running when we woke up that day.  I was even thinking maybe I'd walk some of it since I just really really didn't want to run.  But, it is amazing what being around a crowd of people working towards the same goal as you does.

Lining up for the 10k race definitely started to get my blood pumping.  There were so many people running -over 5,000 people were registered between the three races!  When the race finally started I had my music playing and was feeling motivated.  The first five or so minutes was just weaving through the crowd, letting the fast runners pass you and passing the slow guys as I found my pace.  It was definitely still a challenge and one stretch of the course specifically seemed like it would never end, but seeing all the people running around me kept me going.  On the second half of the run, I kept passing an older Korean lady.  When she saw me pass her she put out her hand for a high five!  This lady was probably about 50-60 and was running with a huge smile on her face.  From that point on, whenever one of us would run by the other we would high five again.

I finally finished the race in 61 minutes and saw Doug, Jess, Thomas, and Bethany cheering me on since they had already finished their run.  I was so proud of Doug.  He finished in 29 minutes for his first 5k race, which is amazing!  After the races we ate sandwiches together and then headed back to our warm homes.  It was such a great experience to be able to run a race in Korea.  It was actually something that I really hoped to do while we were here, but didn't know if I would be able to register for a race since I don't speak Korea.  I am so thankful to our friend Amy that organized all of the foreigners and registered for us!  She is awesome!  Running through the countryside and seeing the mountains with pale pink cherry trees scattered among the green is something I'll never forget.

We snapped this picture before the race when we were feeling nervous and jittery!

Looking pretty excited as I cross the finish line :)

Spring weekends.

I really love this spring weather that Cheonan has been experiencing.  After such a long and dreary winter, spring seems like a breath of fresh air.  On top of that, Korea is absolutely stunning in the spring.  There are cherry blossom trees in bloom everywhere.  Trees that I never before realized were cherry blossom trees have begun to sprout delicate soft pink flowers.  I can actually go to work now wearing only a cardigan.  I never thought this would be possible - winter seemed like it would never end!

Here are the cherry blossoms across the street from our building.

 That's our apartment building in the back.

Over the weekends, Doug and I have been spending a lot of time outside just trying to soak in the beautiful day.  Lately, we have been running and going for walks around a lake that is about one mile away from our apartment building.  The lake is located at the bottom of a mountain right next to one of Cheonan's universities and has a paved path all around it, so it is perfect for running.  There are always tons of families and students walking around the lake both in the evening and on the weekend.  We've been running there for awhile now and have always wanted to try a cafe that is overlooking the lake.  Finally, two Saturdays ago, we decided to go for a long walk to enjoy the cherry blossoms and to check out the cafe.

When we finally made it to the cafe, we were able to sit up top on the balcony, enjoy the sunshine, and people watch.   I ordered one of the best iced lattes I have ever had in my life and can't wait to go back this Saturday to get another one.  We sat for a few hours talking, looking out over the lake, and enjoying our coffee.  Maybe twenty or so minutes before we left, a girl sitting at the table next to us handed us a drawing and said "gift".  She had drawn our faces with some flowers around it!  It was so sweet and we now have custom artwork hanging in our apartment ;)

Here's a really corny picture of my holding our new drawing...we were pretty excited!  We really love the cafe and I think it'll become one of our favorite places in Cheonan.  We already can't wait to take Doug's parents there when they visit.  Below are just a few more cherry blossom pictures to enjoy!

Puppy Cafe!

This past Tuesday, Doug, Jessica and I decided to go out for an after work treat since Wednesday was a national holiday and we were off from work.  So after work, we decided to try out a place called "Play Dog".  Basically, it is a cafe where you can go and play with dogs, hang out, drink coffee, and order dog treats to give to the dogs.

I have heard of these cafes becoming popular in Seoul, but wasn't sure there were any in Cheonan.  Being a dog lover, I knew I would have to try out one of these places before coming home to the States where a dog cafe would never pass the sanitary requirements to become a legitimate business.  Luckily, I noticed one in downtown Yawoori (a block or two away from where we live) and we thought that with Yeppi's passing it would be the perfect time to get some therapeutic doggie time in.

When we first walked in, we where greeted by fifteen or so barking dogs and the strong smell of ammonia from dog urine.  Yes, this wasn't the most appetizing smell that I would want to sip my coffee to, but we'll only be in Korea once!  I was actually lucky to even get Doug to go with me, since when I mentioned going before he was completely appalled by the idea of having a cafe and  multiple dogs in the same room.  I think he also was missing having a dog around the house.

Although the place smelt like dog pee, it was surprisingly clean (for being a dog cafe).  The dog wrangler, as I like to call him, constantly wiped down tables and cleaned up fur or any messes on the floor. (We later found out that he was the owner of ALL the dogs - and it was he clear he was their pack leader by the way he managed the dogs!)  The room was empty in the center for the dogs to play and roam, with table along the walls of the cafe.  It was pretty empty, being a Tuesday night, so we sat down and ordered a couple of lattes.  Jessica immediately took a liking to a sweet and snuggable little Pomeranian.  I was like a kid in a candy store for the first fifteen minutes or so trying to pet any and every dog there.  A big shepherd-like dog quickly laid under our table and all the dogs followed him and laid down around us.

The bigger dogs kept trying to steal my umbrella!

Pretty soon after we got there, a group of Korean girls left and put down the little brown toy Poodle puppy they were hoarding over at there table.  I scooped her up right away and spent the next half hour or so letting her nap in my lap and snuggling with her.  She was so precious and so tiny.  Jessica was trying to get me to sneak her in my purse on my way out, but I knew I couldn't steal a dog.  That's got to be a crime, right?  Even if the dog wrangler has so many dogs he may not realize one is missing...

She was like a little ball of fur.  Look at that face!

 This big guy was precious.  It definitely made us miss hanging out with bigger dogs.

The Basset Hound was hilarious.  She didn't realize how heavy she was, so she was constantly trying to snuggle up in your lap.

Jess took this picture of the Golden Retriever.  She asked the dog wrangler if we could play with it, so he let it out of her cage for us.  We couldn't resist those eyes.

The poor Basset Hound.  All the bigger dogs would play fight with her.  I think she liked it, but she looked like a chubby walrus trying to keep up with the other dogs.

I think Doug enjoyed his time there even though he was skeptical :) 

We ended up staying for about an hour or an hour and a half just chatting and playing with the pups.   Even though the dogs could be a bit rambunctious at times, it was surprisingly relaxing and definitely an experience I won't forget.  I'm pretty sure I'll go back when I need my next dog fix!  

Sweet Yeppi.

As you know, Doug and I have had a rough week with Yeppi unexpectedly passing away on April 6th.  I think we will always be left wondering what exactly happened to her that made her go from appearing perfectly healthy when we went to bed to being violently ill and fighting for life. What we do know though, was that she was such a fighter throughout her tough life and even in her death.  She was the sweetest little dog and brought such joy to every moment that we spent with her.  Everyone who met her and spent time with her fell in love with her instantly and I know Yeppi would have loved all of our family back home.  She was such a gift in our lives and gave us a beautiful five months together of never-ending snuggles, kisses, and adorable "welcome home" dances.  In honor of little Yepps, I wanted to share a few of my favorite memories with her so those of you back home can get to know her like we did.

 It was love at first sight.  We couldn't stop thinking about her after our first volunteer trip to the shelter.

Bringing Yeppi home and finding out that she loves running around the apartment after a bath.

Celebrating Doug's birthday after our first week with Yeppi. 

Taking many winter walks together.

Finding Yeppi trying to stowaway in our bags the night before we left for Busan.

Doug and I realizing that Yeppi doesn't like her winter boots.

 Waking up to this little face all wrapped up in the blankets patiently waiting for us to get up.

Settling into the new apartment and Yeppi peeking out from under the coffee table.

Coming home from work and scratching her belly on what turned out to be our last day together.

We love you Yeppi and miss you!

White Day.

Korea celebrate's a holiday called White Day on March 14th, strategically celebrated a month after Valentine's Day.  In Korea, the woman buys the man gifts on Valentine's day.  So, on White Day, it is the man's turn to buy gifts for his girl.  Then, a month later on April 14th, there is Black Day.  This day is for all the single people to buy candy and chocolate for themselves!  I couldn't believe it when I first heard about it.   Korea is obsessed with couples, so it seems only natural that they basically spread out Valentine's Day over three months.

Also, couples here will do a thing called "same-same" where after they have dated for awhile and are a serious couple, they will buy something that matches.  For example, matching shoes, jackets, watches, whole outfits, underwear (I have not seen this personally but I see the matching underwear sets displayed in the window displays!), backpacks, etc.  I always find it funny when I see a couple dressed in their "same-same" stuff.  A lot of times it's something really bright and obvious so you can't miss that they are a couple!

So, on White Day, my friend Jessica and I went to a girl's night out hosted by a Canadian here in Cheonan. We got all dressed up, so I finally wore heels even though I'm already taller than the majority of the men in this country!  It was at a beautiful restaurant located in the outskirts of Cheonan.   We got our own private room and were able to enjoy a four course Italian dinner.  We had such a great time!  It definitely exceeded my expectations since Jessica and I went on a whim not knowing any of the other people.  I wish I got more pictures of the restaurant, it was really beautiful!

New schedule (finally!)

I finally got my class schedule for this semester!!  I was told earlier that I was going to be teaching the first grade (equivalent to 6th grade), however now I am teaching the all of the second grade and intermediate-high level third graders.  Initially, I was really looking forward to teaching first grade since they are so small and fresh to the middle school experience.  But now, I am super excited to be teaching the second and third grade for a couple of reasons.  First, I'll be teaching a group of second grade boys that I got close to last year in an after school class and during the winter camp.  They are really sweet, intelligent, and silly boys and they are so fun to be around and really value learning English.  It was really amazing seeing them open up last year and go from kids that are nervous and shy to speak English to kids that are playing jokes on one another and speaking English non-stop.  Second, in third grade, I'll have girl students that I got to know from an English lunch club that I helped with last semester.  They are also really sweet and good girls so I know I'll have fun getting to teach them.  So, all in all, I realized that if I taught first grade all the students would be fresh faces to me, but by teaching second and third grade I get to continue to get to know some of the students that I really enjoyed last year.

I have no picture related to today's post, so I thought I'd post a picture of Yeppi in a sweater that we got for her while we were in Busan.  It has a hood with bunny ears and a little puff ball tail at the end.  The dog sweaters that you can find in this country are ridiculous, but I love them!  Originally, the sweater went around her two back legs, but it was a little bit too short for her body when we got home and tried it on her.  I just cut of the back legs and now it fits her fine!

Back to school.

Last Friday, school started up again and we, unfortunately, had to go back to work after a very nice and long break from teaching. Well, I guess the past two months weren't all vacation, since Doug and I were in class all of February to get certified in TESOL (teaching English to students of other languages).  But, let's face it, it's way easier to be a student zoning out during class than actually having to be in the front teaching.  Plus, this TESOL class was helpful at times, but for the most part it went over a lot of stuff we had already figured out since we have been teaching for five months already.  We had to sit in the same classroom for six hours each day and the teachers mostly gave us busy work to fill up the classtime.  Ideally, the KNU program has the new teachers take the TESOL class before they start teaching.  However, since we had so many problems with our visas, we arrived too late for the TESOL class.  Luckily, our friends also arrived too late, so we got to take the class with all of them (which helped the class be a little less boring!).  So now we are TESOL certified and have two extra plants in our apartment, which we got as gifts for completing the course!

So, now we are back in school.  Doug has started at his new school that is slightly out of town and I am back at the good old Shinbang Junhakkyo (Middle School).  Doug's school seems to be very relaxed and they told him that they want his class to show the students that English is fun.  He doesn't have to follow a textbook, which is really really nice since the textbooks are extremely boring and often use language and expressions that either I've never heard of or are never used. This school is coed and Doug told me that all the girls come in and ask to take pictures with him during lunch and passing period.  Apparently they were not too happy when he told them he was married!

Now, we are three days into the new school semester and I have yet to teach one class!!  They have not finished some of the teacher's schedule yet and it seems like they are nowhere near finalizing it either.  This is very typical Korean to not have the schedule made even though they have had two months to make it.  Korean culture is so different from American culture in this aspect.  We like to know all the details in advance, know exactly what is expected of us, and do things as efficiently as possible.  But, in Korea, everything trickles from the top down. If the school already has the schedule made but the principle or Department of Education wants something changed, then everything will change again.  Even if it seems counter-productive and inefficient.  The school is changing like crazy due to decisions like this.  For example, I'll have a class everyday at the same time and then I'll find out right before my class that it has changed and I don't have that class anymore.  It drove me crazy at first because I could never get a straight answer from anyone about anything.  However, now I've gotten used to it and just try to not ask too many questions, because most the time my co-teachers haven't even been told why something has changed but just to do it.

So basically, I have been coming into work and doing nothing for eight hours!  I'm at work right now writing this.  Fortunatly, I can bring a book into work to read, which has helped me pass the time!  I even brought my headhpones today so I can study up on my Spanish when I get bored of reading :)



Half way there.

I can't believe we've already been in Korea for six months.  Our official six month "Koreaversary" (as our friend Jessica likes to call it) is on the 28th of this month, but we're practically there!  I know that leaving will be bittersweet, but I am honestly super excited to come home.  That's not to say that we don't like it here or anything.  There will definitely be things we miss about Korea.  I'll miss the fact that this will probably be the safest place I will ever live, period.  I'll miss the friendly and generous Korean culture where people will give you little gifts or start a conversation with you in the elevator, at the store, on the street, or pretty much anywhere.  I'll miss the fact that everything in Korea is extremely cute and I can easily find a spatula with a smiley face on it, pens in the shape of puppies, or kitten oven mitts.  And, I know that Doug will miss all the cheap street food and beef dishes here!

But....I can't wait to be back in sunny California where the avocados are abundant and our friends and family are just a drive or phone call away.  I'm counting down the days and we only have 192 more days till we're flying back to beautiful California!  That's not that far away, right?

Here's a few pictures that I feel really capture the beauty of Korea and the rural/urban mix throughout the country.

Thoughts on winter.

Let me tell you something about winter here: it is absolutely freezing.  Before going outside, you need to put on layers upon layers.  Sometimes, even that is not enough.  To make the matter worse, we have to walk everywhere here.  So, it's not like it is back home where it's cold until your car heats up.  It's cold on your walk to school, it's cold at school, it's cold waiting for the bus, it's cold on the bus, it's cold at the subway station, it is just really cold!

I think winter is why I haven't been blogging much.  I just don't have much to blog about since going outside is dreadful.  To make up for my lack of blogging, I thought I'd show a few things Doug and I have been up to these past few months!

We went to Independence Hall and learned about South Korea's past.  I thought I could get away without wearing a heavy coat.  I was wrong! 

I said "goodbye" to my first set of students as they graduated from middle school.  It's sad knowing that I won't have them in the classroom next year.  The student in the second picture is one of my favorites.  She picked her English name as "Paris"!

 We snuggled and played endlessly with Yeppi (and fell in love with her over and over again each day!).

 One day, Yeppi got her bone stuck in her collar and searched the apartment frantically for it.  It was adorable. 

Lastly, I turned 23 and had a great time celebrating with my friends.  

So, to sum it up, it has been a long, cold, but really great winter.  We have made some really great friends here in Korea and have had the best addition to our family (little Yeppi!).  Now, I'm counting down the days till warm weather and can't wait to be back in California for summer.

Asan shelter trip.

This past Sunday, Doug and I volunteered at the animal shelter in Asan, which is the city bordering Cheonan.  Asan is much more rural and has many traditional villages still in place.  We met up with other volunteers from Animal Rescue Korea at the Cheonan/Asan train station and took a taxi together to the shelter.  The shelter was up on top of a small mountain.  The road to get to it was really steep (I can't imagine how they get to the shelter during the winter!).

The shelter definitely isn't up to the standards of an American pound, as many of the dogs never get a chance to walk and leave their cage.  At the entrance, there was about 50 small dogs in cages as well as three mom dogs and their puppies.  The shelter continued up onto the slope of the mountain.  I was shocked when I walked up to the enclosures at the top of the mountain to see that many of these dogs were so wild that it would be impossible to ever adopt them out into a family.  The dogs on the mountain were grouped by breed.  There was an enclosure with about ten Cocker Spaniels, one with maybe seven poodle looking mix breeds, another with some terriers, etc.  The bigger dogs got their own pen because I'm guessing that they do not get along with other dogs.  Many of the dogs up on the hill are not even walkable because they cannot be trusted with humans.

It was so sad to see these dogs up on the hill because you could tell that they really were completely wild.  Many of them had open wounds on their bodies from fighting each other.  It was so sad to see that these beautiful dogs - many of them purebred - would never be able to live outside a cage.

Ok, so on a happier note, Doug and I were able to walk dogs for five hours straight!!!  I had the best time there loving the dogs and getting to know them.  It was so nice to be outside all day up on the mountain getting to play around with these dogs.  We were absolutely exhausted by the time we got home!  Sadly, the dogs only get walked every Sunday (if they are lucky), so you can imagine how much energy each of them had.

This was the first dog I walked.  A little black male poodle with lots of energy.  I fell in love with him!

This poor German Shepard never is allowed to leave his cage.  He doesn't get along with other dogs and I'm guessing maybe he is not too friendly with humans either.  We had to pass him each time to take the other dogs for walks...it must of been torture for the poor guy!

This little girl is April.  Typically, I am not the biggest fan of Chihuahuas, but she was so gentle and so loveable. All she wanted was to snuggle in your lap and get to know you.

 I was in heaven with all these cuties!

 One of the puppies :)

 Here is a picture of the bottom kennels.  The dogs kept here are the ones most likely to get adopted and get to leave their cage maybe once a week for a walk. 

 Here is a picture of the enclosures on the side of the mountain.

 The crazy cockers.  I would not want to be left alone in that cage with them.

 So many dogs.

This is Jasmin.  She is a Jindo, which is a Korean breed.  These dogs are typically raised in meat farms and eaten. 

She is so beautiful!