It's the Little Things

Last weekend nothing grand or significant happened, but I had a delightful weekend. I participated in some activities I haven't done in a while, and it reminded me how much I love to do them! I tend to let myself get so busy living life and doing things (I really don't even know what!) that I forget to A. do the things I love, 2. cultivate my friendships and D. take enough time to relax. But this weekend I was able to do all three, so it was a very satisfying weekend indeed.
Friday night I headed downtown for a blues party. I've never danced blues before, so I was a little nervous, but it is perhaps one of the easiest partner dances, especially for a follow. You basically just keep rhythm with the music and move to you heart's content. Though the problem with that is finding a quality lead! But it was a nice, short (I only stayed about an hour so my cheap self could catch the subway home) time. It reminded me just how much I love partner dancing and need to incorporate it into my life so much more!
I spent Saturday morning at the Daegu Arboretum on a picnic with some of the lovely ladies from church. It was a really nice time. We enjoyed some delicious food and fun activities. And the weather was great! I am so lucky to have such a great group of ladies around, and I really need to work on spending quality time with them. After the picnic, I headed home for some much needed relaxation. I prepped some snacks for the work week and did a little cleaning. But other than that, I just relaxed and caught up on my television shows. And I started a new one... Game of Thrones. I keep hearing people talk about how great it is, so I decided to give it a whirl, and after episode one I am hooked. I have several episodes to catch up to the current episode, but it will be a nice way to spend leisurely time.

Sunday I went to church, and after joined in on the church's basketball tournament. It was so much fun! I tried to think back to the last time I really played basketball, and I couldn't even remember. How sad is that! I forgot how much I absolutely love the sport. It felt so great to play again. I loved boxing out and shooting and dribbling. Ah, it was glorious!

And my team won the tournament, so we got Starbucks gift cards. A pretty sweet deal. I really hope to play more in the future, and while I'm at it, to swim more as well. I love those two sports, so I should really make the time to do them!
Overall this weekend was a good reminder of what makes me happy, and what I need to keep up with to keep from getting down. These last few weeks have been pretty tough. My students are getting rowdier by the day, and even with all this time that has passed, my communication with my coteachers isn't the best. So work is a bit stressful at times, but I'm trying my best to learn to go with the flow and be more flexible. Patience has never been my strong suit, so I think God is really challenging me to learn to rest in Him and His timing as well as how to cope with change better. It is a tough lesson, but one worth learning. We'll see how it goes!

Thanks for Being Born, Buddha

 

Sigur Ros concert!

Last weekend was one of the best weekends I have had in Korea thus far. We got Friday off, because it was Buddha's birthday, so I took full advantage and headed to Seoul. I've been to the capital a few times, but hadn't really been able to explore much. This time round, I got a much better feel for some of the neighborhoods in Seoul. I still stayed mostly in Hongdae, Myeongdong and Itaewon, but I did also venture around the Olympic Stadium.

I really fell in love with Hongdae! It is a great place for young people, and it was so refreshing to see a lot of diversity. And not even just people of different nationalities, but Koreans with such varied styles. It is definitely a more modern-thinking part of Korea, which was exhilarating to be around. Don't get me wrong; I love Daegu. But this was like a breath of fresh air from the monotony that can bog you down. And, of course, Hongdae has one of the very few Taco Bells in Korea, so I was excessively excited to eat there. It was my first meal after getting into the city. But I actually ended up eating therefour times after things just worked out that way (lunch and dinner the first day, then a late night snack before clubbing and an early morning refresher after said clubbing).

 

Hanging out with Yong!

During the first day in the big city, I just walked around Hongdae, checking out the area. It is really a great little area, and one that I would love to live in. I was also very excited, because I was finally able to find proper nose rings. That night I met up with my friend Yong (권용범), who I met sophomore year of college when he was an exchange student at Fresno State. He was the person who really introduced me to Korean culture and food, and lit a desire to come check out this country. It was so surreal to see him in Korea, but so great that we finally got to meet up. He lives in the Hongdae area, so he took me to a cute little coffee shop and we just caught up on our lives.

The next day I headed to Itaewon for the afternoon, and did a lot of mindless walking around. It is definitely a superb place to go for kitschy souvenirs, plus size clothes and foreign restaurants. I decided on a Mexican restaurant (I mean, Taco Bell is good, but it isn't Mexican food). While looking at the menu, a random Korean man approached me and said he noticed me walking around the area. So he asked to join me for lunch, and I figured why not. Turns out he lived in Washington (the state) for three years and worked as a journalist. We actually seemed to have quite a bit in common, but he had a chauvinistic air about him that I was not impressed by. So after lunch, which was the best Mexican food in Korea I've had, I said farewell and thanks for the meal (he paid!) I then headed to Myeongdong for a little shopping and found some good stuff at H&M.

That evening I met up with Yong again, and had dinner with him and his lovely girlfriend. She studied at USC for her bachelor's degree, and her English was impeccable! It was really nice that I was able to freely communicate with both of them. They are such a great couple, and wonderful individuals. We had samgyeopsal, which is like Korean bbq with pork belly. It was really delicious, and fun to have a Korean meal after all of my burritos and quesadillas! After we went to a coffee shop and grabbed a sweet, tasty cup of Joe.

 

Lanterns for Buddha

Once we said our goodbyes, I headed to Cheonggyecheon Stream, which is a pretty major tourist destination. It was exceptionally lovely this time of year, because lanterns were on display in the river to celebrate Buddha's birthday. I had a serene, albeit wet from the rain, walk down the stream. It was really beautiful with all of the colors from the lanterns lighting up the stream. I headed back to my hostel around 9:30 p.m. and did a bit of Korean homework for about an hour or so. Then I joined in with the other girls staying at the hostel for what would be a fantastic night! We started the night out with some Norebang, singing for about an hour. Then after a bit of delayed walking around, we finally headed to the club.

We went to Mama, which turned out to be a fabulous spot. It had an excellent mix of house and hip hop and kept me dancing all night long. Literally... we didn't leave until about 5:45 a.m., and I still felt like I had enough energy to go on for at least another hour! I haven't really gotten to see the true clubbing nightlife of Korea, and assumed that was because it was lacking. But it turns out I either wasn't looking in the right place, or not looking with the right people. One of my favorite things about clubbing in Korea is that the men are actually there to dance! Well, obviously not all of them; but so many of the guys just go so hard when they dance, and it is great. Most people were there to dance and have a good time, which is exactly what I love to do when I go out! It definitely puts CA clubbing to shame! Though there was the occasional guy who was a little to aggressive when trying to dance with me. One guy kept pushing down on my shoulders, basically trying to direct my movement, which really infuriated me. I can dance just fine without anyone's assistance, thank you very much! So I removed his hands from my shoulders, and turned around to give him a "shoo, fly don't bother me" hand motion. But other than that, it was a glorious experience overall. I will certainly be hitting up more clubs in Hongdae in the future, and now I really want to give clubs in Daegu a try.

 

So much talent!

Sunday I slept in as long as I could, then headed back into Hongdae for a sushi lunch. The sushi was all right, but not the best. I mean for as long as Japan occupied Korea, you'd think they'd have it down pat. After another pass through H&M (Hongdae has one too) and a brief rest in the hostel, I headed to the Olympic Park Stadium. I went to see Sigur Ros! They are a ridiculously talented group from Iceland. I got to the concert a little early, so I walked around the park. It was a beautiful spot with lots of little trails and grassy mounds covered with trees. And there were many fun statues as well.

The concert was absolutely amazing. Sigur Ros is pretty chill on their album, but they really ramped it up for the show. It was a work of art with the accompanying lighting and video. I was in awe of their talent, and how powerful the lead vocalist's voice really is. It is insane the notes he can hit and how long he can hold them. It was so great that I can't even find the words to describe it. They put on a show that you really just have to experience to understand. I got back to my house fairly late, but it was worthwhile. Such a splendid time in Seoul!

Walking on the Sea, Drinking Tea and Paragliding

Hello again blogging world! I have quite a few updates for you, so let's get to it. The weather is actually starting to feel like spring with sunny skies and highs in the mid-80s. It has been really delightful enjoying the warmer temperatures. And as such, I have started to be more active of the weekends, getting out and traveling. Though mid April was filled with leisurely weekends!

The weekend of April 27-28 I headed to Jindo with a travel group for the Sea Parting Festival. It is a natural phenomenon that happens for a few days in spring each year.
The legend of the sea parting is that the inhabitants of Jindo were being terrorized by a ferocious tiger, so everyone fled to the nearby (smaller) island Modo for safety. But in midst of the chaos, a grandmother was left behind. She pleaded with the gods to give her a way to make it to the other island, so they parted the sea for a short time, allowing her to walk to Modo. She made it all the way, but tragically died of exhaustion shortly after arriving. Not the happiest of legends, but definitely reasonable that she would have been so exhausted; it was quite a journey!
In reality, the tide gets so low, that a rocky/sandy bar opens up in the ocean between the island of Jindo and Modo. Thousands of people visit each year to walk along the sand bar. But as I experienced, in order to make it to Modo and back, you have to run bits of the way. The distance between the two islands was quite longer than I anticipated, and the sea only parts for about two hours. But happily my friend Tiffany and I powered through and were able to make it all the way! We were a bit nervous at points on our way back, but we did it.
The festival itself was pretty typical of most Korean festivals, but had one fabulous new addition that I was so excited about! It was a booth to make your "own" painting. I've been searching high and low for Korean paintings that I can take home as souvenirs, but have come up short of anything remotely traditional looking; until now that is! And the best part is I saw the man paint it right before my eyes, and I even helped a little. Ok, not really... I just held the brush with a limp hand that he moved around. But it was still great!
After the festival we headed to Mokpo for the night. Tiffany and I tried to find any sign of nightlife, but came up pretty short. It was a sleepy little town with only a few bars that had any activity. But we did get to drink at Moe's Bar (think the Simpsons), so that was kind of fun. We called it a night pretty early, since there wasn't too much to do.

The next day we headed to Boseong to see the Green Tea Fields. It was gorgeous! Rows and rows of tea plants curved along the hills like luscious green ribbons. It was nice to get out of the cities and have a short respite in nature. The surrounding area was a bit forest-like, and was also beautiful. We even found a little waterfall. And, after quite a hike, we got to the highest point of the tea fields and could sea the ocean stretching to the horizon in the distance. After all of our activity, we headed to the restaurant and cafe at the tea fields for some refreshments. I enjoyed some green tea bibimbap (basically the rice was mixed with green tea leaves) that was good, but didn't have much of a green tea flavor. But my excellent green tea ice latte and ice cream both had scrumptious amounts of green tea flavoring. I also bought some tasty green tea chocolates. It was a fun experience, and a really beautiful place. Plus green tea is probably my favorite tea (jasmine is quite close!), so it was a delight trying so many green tea-infused treats.

I had a delightful day off mid-week (Wednesday, May 1), which coincided with the start of the azalea festival at Biseulsan, a nearby mountain nature park. I woke up early and took the hour and a half trek to the nature park. Once inside I enjoyed the festivities and hiked about 2 km to the point overlooking the gorgeous azalea fields. It was a pretty good hike, and a nice way to get my energy flowing! I made it a pretty quick trip, but I did have time to try some azalea rice cake, which was all right, and get a quick print painting from a local artist. After returning home, I dropped off my things, grabbed a quick lunch and then headed to a fairly close jimjilbang (a sauna/spa/public bath place). It was the perfect way to relax and unwind after the strenuous hike. It is the second time I have gone to a jimjilbang, and now I really want to go more often! It is just so relaxing and nice. And I got a scrub down by and adjuma (old/married Korean woman), which hurt so good. She rubbed off all the dead skin from my body with two abrasive gloves. It was like an icy fire sensation that I would liken to the feeling of Icy Hot cream. Only intensified. It was great, and I left feeling so refreshed.

The following weekend, I headed with Elizabeth and Lindsey, along with another tour group to go paragliding! We went to nearby Cheongdo to soar in the air. It was a pretty cool experience, though the sensation of being suspended in the air made me a little queasy. So paragliding is one of those things I am so happy I tried, but I am satisfied with only doing in once. The take off was definitely the most exhilarating part. After a crazy, windy drive up the mountain, we were suited up with our gear and then linked up with our instructor (it was a tandem jump). After we had our parachute attached, we sprinted off the side of the mountain and jumped off into the air, hoping the wind would catch us so we could fly. My first attempt at taking flight was thwarted, so we had to stop mid way and try again later. But it wasn't anything crazy like a crash landing, because we basically just stopped running a few feet before the end of the mountain.

After paragliding we headed to a nearby "castle" of which basically on part of the wall remained. But there was a pleasant little tea shop nearby, so I enjoyed some chrysanthemum tea and we played UNO. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon, and the weather was perfect! Then we capped off the night with a barbecue at our pensions in a mountain. It reminded me of the cabins (and surrounding areas) I used to stay at in Redwood Christian Park (although these living quarters were a bit classier). The barbecue had insane amounts of food and drinks, of which I thoroughly enjoyed partaking!

The next day, after a bumpy start (my cabin woke up and got ready to go at the originally planned time to leave [8a.m.], only to learn that it had been pushed back 2.5 hours thanks to a last minute decision by the coordinators) we set out for Gyeonju. I have visited the city before, but this time I was able to see parts of it I didn't get to visit last time I was there. Also, the weather was sunny and warm, unlike the arctic chill I experienced last time I visited! We went to the national museum, which was mildly interesting and also included an art exhibit. We also saw the royal tombs, which look like little hills plopped onto the earth. The higher your mound, the more important you were. My favorite part of this trip to Gyeonju was visiting the only tomb in the city that allows you to walk around inside. It was kind of surreal to be standing in a grave. Definitely an interesting experience.

After Gyeonju, we went to a nearby folk village to grab lunch. It was a traditional style village with hanok homes. It was a nice little place. Then we headed back to Daegu, stopping at Palgongsan to visit Donghwasa Temple. We didn't get much time at the temple, so I definitely want to visit it again. It is located in a very beautiful area, and there is an awesome, huge Buddha statue. Overall it turned out to be a nice weekend, and I was able to check paragliding off of my bucket list!

This weekend I plan to take it pretty easy. I went to Costco to restock on some things. Later I watched a compelling documentary about North Korea, and then hit up the nightlife in Daegu. It had been such a long time since I had been out in my city, so I was excited to get out again. It turned out to be a pretty good night. Sunday I just headed to church and soaked up the sun. It feels nice to have a relaxing weekend after being on the road so often recently.