Wolmyeong Park - The Highest Peak

This is the park that is right across the street from my house in Gunsan. A famous park for it's many hiking trails and beautiful lake in the middle. A short 15-20 minute hike led my friend Aaron and I to the highest peak where there were breathtaking views of the entire city of Gunsan, the port of Gunsan, the Yellow Sea, and the mountians surrounding the area, enjoy!




The Yellow Sea!





The large buldings on the left there is my apartment buildings, pretty cool!




The lake, still a little frozen. There are trails and paths that run around the entire lake, really pretty scenery to take a jog, ride a bike, or simply stroll to relax. You can also see the big part of the city of Gunsan on the other side there.











One of the views from the top where you can see the Yellow Sea and the port of Gunsan. It was pretty cold up there with the wind, even during the hottest part of the day, the afternoon. I can't wait until spring, when this park loads up with beautiful cherry blossoms.

Dinner with the Mayor

The EPIK prgram set up a dinner with about 10 lucky foreign teachers and the Mayor of Gunsan. What an awesome opportunity to showcase myself for a possible University job in the Gunsan area, if the Mayor has any pull in that area. They fed us a huge meal complete with rice wine and a type of soju wine. We all had a lot of fun. He didn't speak any English, but had a very nice English Translator. Her and I quickly became good friends and she is now going to start teaching Me Korean once a week. Her, Me, and another foreign teacher named Jamie, from New Zealand all went out after the dinner and had more drinks and then Noraebong. I had a blast with my new friends. Here are some of the pictures of the dinner!!



Me and the Mayor, he took a liking to Me!



Doing the love shot, as the Korean's call it!




We had a wide variety of differnt raw fishes, cooked fishes, and cooked pork, with many side dishes of course.



You can see the bottles of rice wine and soju wine lined on the table.




This white fish dipped in the wasabi and soy sauce mix was the best!



Kimchi and many colorful side dishes!



The table setting was so pretty!

Favorite Korean Food

I have talked about both types of food before, but I thought they needed their own entry into the BLOG and I took pictures of two places that I like to eat at regularly here in the goon. The first is at the Lotte Mart food court where I get the Kimchi Jigae for about 6,000 Won or about $5 US dollars. The second is right down the street from my city school, just a small resto that serves one of the best Bim Bim Baps for 5,000 Won or about $4 US dollars. I got this one to go and ate it in my apartment just yesterday for lunch, which I do quite regularly. I have a feeling once I leave Korea, I will crave these foods and will either have to learn to make them myself or travel up to LA, where there are many Korean restos.



Bim Bim Bap, served as takeout from a local resto near my city school. Lots of veggies, lettuce, rice, sesame oil, a hot paste, and of course a fried egg. I mix all the side dishes in it as well, very delicious!!



Kimchi Jigae, served at Lotte Mart food court. It is a spicy soup that is served still boiling in the bowl also with rice, fresh kimchi, and a few side dishes, very delicious!!

Seoul Concert - Gareth Emery

I went to Seoul this last weekend to see a techno-electronica-trance music concert. The show was an amazing display of lights, lasers, smoke, and mix of music that makes you just want to MOVE. One of the things that I like about techno or trance music is the pumping volume that allows your body to move in so many different ways wihout uniform and without a dance partner. You become one with the music, dancing most of the night and ending up drenched with sweat after the show.

I met up with two of my girlfriends in Hongdae, where we went out on Friday night and then my friend Eric from Gunsan joined us Saturday for the show. The place was called CLUB VOLUME in Itaewon and featured a DJ ranked in the top 10 of the world. I have seen Paul Oakenfold back in Washington DC, and he is currently ranked 23 in the world, but Gareth Emery was much better. Before the show I stumbled upon his facebook page and became a fan to learn more about him and listen to some of his mixes before the show. I also wrote on his wall, "I can't wait to see you in Seoul, you ROCK!" Afer the show I got to take a picture with him and when I told him thanks and that he rocked, he knew my name, he said "Thanks Tonya!" How cool is that, that he either recognized my face at the show and or remembered me from facebook. At any extent it made my night and was very cool to be recognized in a foreign country by someone I just happen to become a fan of through facebook and by someone who probably has millions of groupies. I unfortunately didn't take any pictures and they were making people put their cameras away left and right, but my friend Eric did get a few, including one with the DJ and Me.

Reasons I Love South Korea

1. AMAZING FOOD. The Koreans really know how to eat, especially when it comes to vegetables, spices, and their meats. My taste buds have been overly exasperated with flavors and unbelievable meals from the local restaurants, Seoul, meals made by friends, and the schools I work at. The pictures don't even give them any justice.

2. The PEOPLE. The people here are the most amazing people you will meet. They will go above and beyond to please you to extreme measures much higher than the average person and especially the average American. For instance, one of my Korean friends will take me shopping and I will help me look for something and will start asking people who work there and she begins to have trouble, whether they aren't understanding her or they just might not have what I am looking for. I am already on the next thing on the list and looking in the store when my Korean friend is still trying to find the last item, talking to even more people and still looking, trying to please me.

Total strangers in Korea will not only look you in the eyes, they will smile and greet you, give you things for free, they call it service. Even though they speak no English and know you probably don't speak their language either, they will try to speak to you, either with the little English they might know or their own language, assuming you might understand them. They are always nice, hospitable, and loving way beyond most westerners that I have come into contact with in my 38 years of existence.


3. CHEAP BEER. Anyone who knows Me well enough knows that I like to drink beer, and there is no better place to be than Korea when it comes to the beer prices. Now granted, there isn't all my favorite kinds of beers out here, such as my pale ales or my blonde beers, but you really can't beat a cold 16 ounce Hite at 1,300 Won, which is about $1.50 US.

4. RANDOM VACATION DAYS. The Koreans schools have different breaks than American schools for their holidays and vacation periods. The American's take breaks for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, and then the long summer break. The Koreans take a long break in the winter, most of January and February and then one month over the summer, most likely in August. Not only do I love my vacation periods of paid leave, but they continue to give me days off on random days. They say, "take a rest, and have fun." So i get 22 paid vacation days or days of leave on the books, but then many random vacation days and weeks at a time. For instance, I have already taken my winter vacation days and I was just told that I have the rest of the month of February off after next week.

5. THE DELIVERY FACTOR. No matter what store or what you need, you can always find someone that will and can deliver it to you. Of course this includes things such as pizza and takeout, but in Korea you can have even more delivered, such as furniture, plants, and even beer all at no additional charge and most don't even require a full payment until they deliver.

6. THE ABILITY TO TRAVEL INEXPENSIVELY. The city buses run about 1 US dollar and it will take you anywhere in Gunsan. The taxis starts at about $2 US dollars and you can pretty much get to anywhere in the Gunsan area for under 9 US dollars by taxi. It cost about 5 US dollars to get to the Bus station, where you can get on buses that can take you anywhere in South Korea you want to go and all the tickets run under 17 US dollars. To get to Seoul, the capital and biggest city in Korea, it cost about 17,000 Won on an express bus from Gunsan, which is about 16 US dollars or $32 roundtrip.

7. Twenty-Two NATIONAL PARKS. Need I say more. My ex-husband got me addicted to hiking and the outdoors when we were together and Korea is the most beautiful country to explore those endeavors. I have been to four of these parks so far as you have seen from the pictures, so only 18 to go and I will visit them all before leaving. I am just waiting for it to get warmer to hit the trails again.

8. CHEAP FOOD and CHEAP PRODUCTS. You literally could go out to dinner and eat a huge meal for two with drinks for under 10 US dollars in Korea and eat and drink well for that amount. I have also shared about the price of products such as hangers, shoes, purses, plastic containers, hats, gloves, scarves, etc. on other posts. For instance I just bought a knit Adiddas label hat today for about 3 US dollars.

9. My APARTMENT. I love my apartment, not just the fact that it is paid for, but the fact that it is very spacious and warm and has new life with my plants now inhabiting it. After going away on a long trip it is always nice to come back home to my apartment.

10. BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. The mountains, the parks, and of course the city lights will never get old. All throughout Korea these can be found in large amounts and in large volumes and the spectacle of them all will never get dulled.

11. LOCAL PARKS. Korea is filled with beautiful parks. Wolmyeong alone, which I have talked about, because it is right across the street from house has many hiking trails, classical music playing on the lighted paths as you stroll through the park, as well as a full outdoor gym. One of the other local parks has a huge bridge that lights up at night in neon colors. Both of these parks in this area have these huge lakes that bring the experience of the true outdoors to life right around the corner from the city.

12. HEATED FLOORS. Need I say more. Yes, the floors in most homes and apartments have heated floors. What a concept! It is really nice, considering it gets really cold here in the winter and very nice to walk around the house with no shoes feeling the warmth at your feet. They also serve well as a way to dry your clothes quickly, assuming the floor is clean, since it is hard to find clothes drying machines in Korea and you have to hang dry your clothes.

13. KOREAN POP MUSIC. Once you hear it, your hooked. They play it everywhere and the beats are pretty good and all of it you could dance to. I have always been a fan of pop music in general, so I find that most of the Korean pop is pretty good and can be addicting to listen to.

14. THE MANY FESTIVALS. The Koreans love to party and find as many ways and things to celebrate and party about. Throughout the entire year they will hold large festivals that bring large amounts of people together to explore different things and to eat and drink and be merry together.

15. AMERICAN TV CHANNELS. I was actually really surprised that the Koreans had American TV with Korean subtitles. I actually get about 12 channels that play American movies and American TV shows as well as CNN and Fox News. Now if we only could work out ESPN, I would probably never leave!

16. THE CITY OF SEOUL. The city is about two and half hours away from where I live and is not only the capital of the Country but one of the largest cities in the world. There is so much to do in Seoul and it is a great place to get away for the weekend or spend an extended weekend. There are many bars, clubs, and western restaurants filled with expats or foreigners, it can sometimes feel like home. It also has some of the best shopping where the best deals on clothes, purses, shoes, and other products could be found.

The city reminds me of New York, with the many people and the way it lights up at night. Although when I lived in Virgina and was three hours away from New York, I don't remember it costing only $32 US dollars round trip by bus to visit. I am planning on leaving for Seoul today after work to go out dancing tonight in Hongdae, eat at some good western restaurants, walk in a serene park that has lighted water falls, and then go to a trance concert in Itaewon. See what I mean about things to do in the city of Seoul.

17. BIM BIM BAP, KIMCHI, and KIMCHI JIGGAE. I know I talked about the food already but these three types of Korean food needed their own appreciation because they are by far my favorite Korean cuisines. The Bim Bim Bap is rice, vegetables, sometimes served with meat and or a fried egg mixed with some sesame oil and a hot paste or a spicy sauce. Mixed all up, its really delicious and very healthy. I have also talked about Kimchi. The Korean men and women hold their age very well and I think all the Kimchi they eat is one of the reasons. Kimchi is simply cooked and fermented cabbage soaked in vinegar, garlic, and a very spicy red sauce. I have yet to eat Kimchi out here without my nose running. The vitamin C and garlic content alone in Kimchi can keep away the worst of the colds, serve as an excellent detox for the body, and keep you looking younger. Eat your KIMCHI!!

Kimchi Jiggae is simply Kimchi soup, so if you like Kimchi, which I do, you will really like the soup, which is simply Kimchi, some vegetables, some green onion, sometimes meat, and usually tofu, all mixed up to make a heavenly spicy soup. Making me hungry thinking about it now. I literally crave this soup and have found several good places who serve it and I often request that Joanna make it for me.

18. KOREANS UNDERSTAND HANGOVERS. Being the drinker that I am, I have been known to impose upon myself a few hangovers in my time to say the least. In Korea, it is acceptable to get a hangover and use it as an excuse to either not be at work or to be really tired and not at your best some days. I actually have called in sick, told her that I drank way too much on a weekend in Seoul and couldn't make it to work, and my co-teacher said "get some rest and try not to drink so much next time." It is also purely acceptable to sleep at your desk if you think you need the rest to be rejuvenated.

19. LOW UTILITY BILLS. I am actually shocked every month when I see how much it cost to live in my apartment. For my gas, water, electric, cable, internet, and apartment fees I pay about 100,000 Won total, which is about $86 US dollars and sometimes lower depending on how much I cook and run the heater. I could barely get cable and internet for that price back in the states.

20. HEATED SUBWAY AND TOILET SEATS. Yes, you heard right, the Korean's have heated subway seats and heated toliet seats. In the cold weather both are really nice. It was the strangest feeling though sitting down on them for the first time, especially the toliet seat, bare butt and all, thinking gross, the last person must had been there a long time to get the seat this warm. One of my friends has one in her apartment and just loves it, because it doubles as a sprayer if you didn't want to wipe.

21. BUSAN and THE BEACH. I haven't been there yet, but the fact that Korea has a beach is a reason to like Korea. I really miss my beaces in California and know that the Busan beach will not be as pretty, but at least it is a beach and I have seen picures and know that I will someday layout on that beach here in Korea when it gets warmer.

22. KOREAN STUDENTS. The students are always eager to speak to the only foreign teacher in the school and I am treated like a celebrity as I walk in the halls and when they enter my classroom. They are always wanting to say HI and greet me and get so excited to see me, whether it is in school or on the streets. When they come to my class, they are always eager to learn, practice English and laugh at my sillyness when I try to explain words. Most of them are very smart, apply themselves fully, and are the best kind of students any teacher could hope to have.

23. LIQUID YOGURT. It is yoogurt that you drink. It is really good and I usually have one every morning. I know they have these in the states, called activia, but not in the variety they have here, not at the price that they have here, and not at the quality of taste that they have here.

24. TO BE CONTINUED, as I remember more...

Friends in Korea

I just wanted to share how blessed I have been with many friends here in Korea. Just to give you an idea of how many friends and what I have out here in Korea let me share a sample week in Gunsan with you on how I spend my time.

After working Monday at school my friend Aaron, who teaches out here and is from Ohio would come over to watch some football, our usual Monday night recorded football, since the states are behind and the games play on our Monday morning.

Then Tuesday night, over to my friend Joanna's, who is also a teacher out here and is from Canada. Her, Aaron, and I all live in the same apartment buildings, so we are all neighbors. We watch movies or TV shows and she makes me dinner, a usual weeknight if not more than that. I am usually over there more than one week night. She likes to cook and I like to eat, so it is a nice relationship. I have a lot of fun with Joanna, laughing a lot, talking about boys, sharing goon gossip, comparing our experiences in both the world of Korea and of our classes. I wouldn't have done all the cool things that I have done so far if it wasn't for Joanna. She loves the outdoors and traveling to experience new things and she has a new travel buddy in Me. She also has gotten me to start exercising more, like running and hiking and I really don't drink as much around her, she is not a big drinker and will sometimes give me crap about my overindulging in alcohol out of love. I don't think she reads my blog, but "I love you girl."

On Wednesday, my friend from church, Sungwha, might pick Me up and we go shopping at E-mart or Lotte Mart. She took me plant shopping just last night and we had dinner. I like going shopping with her because she can translate anything I want to ask about products or help me find things that I need in the store. The lady at the plant store suggested a place that had good kimchi jig-gay, which is kimchi soup with pork and vegetables, very tasty and one of my favorite dishes in Korea. I took pictures of us at the "take off your shoes and sit on the floor" restaurant, which are very popular in Korea. She has been a wonderful friend in all aspects of our relationship. We have a lot fun hanging out and she helps Me with my Korean.

One day my friend from the city school Mrs. Han came to my school during her winter break and picked me up and took Me to lunch at a place over looking the yellow sea. It was snowing that day and had been snowing all week so I took a few pictures from the restaurant. She loves to hang out, try and speak English, laughs a lot at my jokes, and is always really nice to Me even though she has a hard time talking to Me in my language. We have hung out several times, I have been to her house to meet her family and she even went and saw New Moon with Me. She is an avid follower of my blog and tells me all the time about what she reads on it, so, "I love you Mrs. Han, thank you for following."

I have been over to my friend Kenton's house to drink beers, listen to his favorite comedians online, listen to music, watch football, play guitar and games of chess. Kenton is also a teacher out here and is from Canada. He lives with his wife, whom he met out here, a foreign teacher from England named Alex, a real sweet girl and their four month old baby, Izzy, who is soo cute. His brother has been staying with him, so this last visit we turned the chess game into a mini-tournament. Kenton also enjoys teaching me Korean, since he learned to speak the language and read hongul. I call him the "forever teacher" since he always seems to be teaching and I always learn something when I am with him.

This last Saturday night I went over to another couples house, Elizabeth and Jimmy, the couple I went to Muju Ski resort with. We had dinner, listened to music, and then played poker until 1am. I did really well, taking everyone's money who played, like 30,000 Won, which is about $25 US dollars in change, since we were playing 100 Won anti or the equivalent of a dime. They are from South Carolina and both teach English in the area. We have moved poker night to once a week now, Thursdays, and the first Thursday we started playing I lost the money I won on the Saturday, oh well, you win some and you lose some. I really enjoy spending time with this couple, they are both very down to earth and will be straight up with you on anything. "Thank you to you both for holding a once a week poker night as I love to play poker."

When doing a google search online for Gunsan, I stumbled upon another person's blog who is living and teaching in this area. So we met just this last week for lunch. His name is Eric and he is from Minnesota, fresh out of college and has been here about the same time as Me. So I have a new friend, the list keeps growing. We seem to have a lot in common, he met some of my friends at the second poker game, and I hope to meet some of his friends tonight. He is also going to come over for Monday night football until the season is over, since he is a Viking fan and they are still in the playoffs, "GO BRETT FAVRE."

So as you can see, I have many friends here in Korea. I only talked about the ones I really hang out with regularly, I of course have more friends than this. I have even acquired friends in the Seoul and surrounding areas of Seoul as you have seen from my pictures. So, a shout out to all my friends both here in Korea and the rest of the world..."Thanks for being MY FRIEND, I LOVE YOU ALL, and I wouldn't be the person I am today without YOU!!"



Kenton and Joanna on his birthday singing at Noraebong.



Joanna and I at the top of Jirisan Mountain after hiking close to 6000 feet the day before.



Mrs. Han and I at lunch at the city school. I will miss our lunches and coffee once the school year starts again, as she is moving to a different school.



Elizabeth and Jimmy on the Gondola at the Muju Ski Resort.



Sungwha and I at dinner when her and the minister from the church took Me out for my birthday, the day before my birthday.



Joanna and I at Deadunsan mountain after hiking about 3000 feet in snow and sleet.



Me at dinner last night.



Sungwha at dinner last night. She was like, no pictures, my hair is messed up.



Kimchi Jig-gay and the usual array of korean side dishes. This is one of the best meals you can eat in Korea, at least it is one of my favorites. This particular place was pretty good, the cost of the meal for two with water was 12,000 Won, about $10 US dollars.



The table sits really low to the ground and you sit on a mat that is on the floor.



This is the view from the restaurant of the yellow sea and the snow outside.



Mrs. Han and I at the restaurant.

My New Babies

I went out and bought some plants to decorate my apartment with and bring it to life. My friend Sungwha said that they are so big, my place will look like a jungle. I really like the large one that I put behind the couch, it looks like a palm tree from back home. They weren't cheap, as plants never are, but I think I got a good deal on both, getting both of them with their pots for just under $150 US dollars. So, instead of traveling to the Snow Festival this weekend with Joanna, I bought some plants for my place. I refer to them as babies, because I will have to take care of them as such. My sister Paula says that I need to talk to them regularly and not to over water them. I will get a few more smaller ones to compliment them and I am really proud of my selections. The smaller one will grow flowers on it when it gets warm and I really like the design of the pot.