Boryeong Mud Festival!

Kris and I, along with every other waygook in Korea, search out Korean festivals like it's the most important thing we can do in our spare time in Korea. Which basically it is. Before I even came to Korea though, I knew about one festival. Mud Festival. And I wanted to go. Pronto. When I got to Korea, I found out I missed it by a month. Well, a year later, here we are at MUD FESTIVAL! We almost couldn't go because of the stupid stupid bus system and times they went there. Anyone realize it's foreigners who go to these things and we all teach until 5pm? We can't exactly take the last bus out at 2pm if we're TEACHING! oi. Anyway, we made it, for a few hours because we couldn't miss band practice later that evening. I recommend this festival to every single person who is in Korea in July. It is worth every penny. Well, it would be if we paid for it, but it's free.

Mud Festival actually happened the Saturday before China, but because China is awesome and I already posted the videos for mud festival (check facebook for them. As-sa! - hope you remember what that word means Mom. I will quiz you on your Korean later...) I figured China was more important to post first (and I simply forgot to talk about mud fest so I guess I really didn't think about posting China first...I did it and then realized I didn't post mud fest yet. My bad) Anyway, enough with the randomness. Here's mud fest. It was raining.

Part One: We are clean. In the pouring rain. Well, break in the rain here, but rain none the less. We got there early pearly because some friends of ours went last year and they ran out of mud... ran out! how's that even possible?!

Part Two: MUD PIT! Photographers were all over us in this thing. And everywhere really. Sure, they were all over a lot of people, but for some reason they like to focus on me and Kris. Maybe it's because we do stupid things. Like tackle each other with no mercy in the mud pit, practically drowning each other. Or maybe it's because we look attractive covered in mud.

Part Three: Go down the mud slide that actually had sand mixed in it and say ouch in pain the whole way down because the sand is rubbing against your skin and you were stupid enough to go down on your stomach so now your stomach is red underneath all that mud. But since you can't see the red, it doesn't matter. The pain will go away quickly. Then, take a picture before the rain washes the mud off you.

Part Four: Get painted with coloured mud, get an interview, go to another tent and have the photographers dictate a photo shoot for the next long while because they think you make for good pictures.

Part Five: Have a TK Awesome photo shoot chain. But I'll only post one here.

Part Six: Wash off in the huge ocean waves. Forget it's salt water, open your eyes underwater and lick your lips because you are just that stupid. Yell at yourself for forgetting it's the ocean and then proceed to wash off the mud. Find someone's bathing suit shorts in the ocean and look around for who the owner might be. I mean, it's got to be obvious whose they are right? Get the whistle blown at you for going too far into the dangerous water which I'm pretty sure they would never allow anyone to swim in under normal circumstances, but since it was mud fest and we had no other way to wash off, they just patrolled the beach with so many police and lifeguards that it would've been impossible for anyone to do anything stupid.

Part Seven: Tell the taxi driver "bus terminal" and have him take you to the one the next town over even when we POINTED to the one we wanted and he says "no bus terminal". Get to the other one and be told that we should've gone to the last one. Make a huge fuss about it because the taxi driver was stupid and just wanted more money, but get lucky because the bus wasn't full when it stopped at that station. Remain mad at the taxi driver until this day. If I ever see him again, I am getting my 10,000 Won back whether he likes it or not!

Part Eight: Show the video to everyone at band practice and then post it on the internet. As-sa!

Part Nine: Laugh at Mom because I guarantee she doesn't remember what as-sa means!

China: Land of Facebook Bans

First: Congratulations to Dennis and Linda!! I'm so sad I missed the wedding, but I heard it was amazing! I can't wait to see pictures! annnnddd...Happy Birthday Dad! Hope it was fun celebrating in Seattle!

While my family was all enjoying Seattle, I was in China. Here you are!

I can sum up China in three words. With descriptions of course.

1. Beautiful:

-The mountains in China are nothing on Korean Mountains. Not to say Korea's aren't beautiful, but China's are much larger and more magnificent giving a sense of aw and breathlessness when you scan them late at night and early in the morning.

- The cities that aren't named Beijing. A city three hours outside Beijing (the name eludes me) was clean, landscaped and beautiful. There aren't nearly as many high rise buildings in China. At least not the area's I travel. This would be due to the fact that China is much bigger than Korea and doesn't have to cram everything into small spaces.

2. Culture: Chinese culture is SO different from Korea! Kris and I spent all week making a list of everything we found different from Korea. Here's a sample. I won't write everything, but it was a LONG list.

China VS. Korea:

1. Koreans are better looking. Men and women, but especially the men.

2. The Chinese lift their umbrellas instead of running into you with them. (yes, they are just like the Koreans. Scared of the sun)

3. The country, in general, is dirtier. Korea is very clean, neat, and business like. No one in China dresses up. Koreans never dress down.

4. Due to the above comment, Chinese men walk around with their shirts rolled up their chests to cool off and not sweat so much. You would never catch a Korean baring that much skin!

5. The Chinese are fatter, in general. Maybe due to the rolled up shirts we noticed it more, but most men (well, all really) have nice round and plump potbellies they enjoy caressing like a pregnant mother might.

6. They are more forward than Koreans when asking for pictures taken with you. We lost count after our first HOUR out on the streets of Beijing of the number of people asking to take pictures with us.

7. The Chinese tend to use gestures and no speaking when communicating with foreigners. Koreans use less gestures and more loud and repetitive speaking like we'll understand the slower and more they say it.

8. The Chinese carry your traditional fans whereas Koreans have adopted the floppy (and ugly) dollar store fans to cool themselves off with.

9. There are line ups for the bus stop, marked with paint on the ground for each bus number. In Korea, you push, shove, scratch, and elbow to get on the bus first. The little old women (Adjummas) and men (Adjashis) usually win. Unless I have my guitar with me. Then I win.

10. Subway is cheaper. In Canadian dollars: 40 cents. In Korean it's $1.00 or more depending

11. Security EVERYWHERE. Baggage checks are not only for the airport in China. They're for the subway at every stop, entrance into Tian'anmen square as well as every other major people place. Obvious police presence everywhere standing under tall bright umbrellas as well as many undercover cops as well. I'm told hundreds in the major areas.

12. Cameras. Korea is obsessed with them. China, not really. Most have digital cameras. The normal kind. Korea, fancy SLR cameras.

13. Babies are naked. All the time, everywhere. It's a fact of life.

14. Cable buses in China.

15. Traditional dresses are MUCH nicer than Korean Hanbok.

16. PDA!! I never really realized how much I appreciate Korean lack of PDA until we went to China and couple were making out on the subway. Get a room!

17. The Chinese don't seem to be as attached to their cell phones as Koreans are, but maybe I just didn't notice.

18. No Noraebongs! The best thing about Korea.

19. China is way more of a tourist country than Korea. Korea is where people go to live. China, they tour. Korea doesn't have all the touristy things many countries have. They don't chase you around to buy stuff and beg to barter. I'm not sure I could live in China because of that.

20. Shoes fit!

21. There's signs for public toilets. Not that they're clean, but at least you don't need to know where they are to use them.

22. Less crosswalk flashy things and where they are, they are strongly ignored.

23. Bikes. Everywhere. Bicycle capital of the world for a reason.

24. Garbage cans. Korea lacks those.

And last and the most important difference....

25. In Korea, you can use facebook! China has a ban.

3. Hot: By hot, I mean hot. So hot you can hardly breathe at times and the annoying vendors selling water at every corner suddenly become your best friend. So much so that when they're not shoving water in your face, you miss them because that's when you need them most. Even in the morning it's hot. Korea was a nice welcome. I even enjoyed the monsoon season rain we got today. Cooled things down quite nicely.

Day Two:

1. Tian'anmen square

A guy I talked to in our room said he was there when there was hundreds of soldiers doing the high stepping march. I was so jealous! When we were there it was normal as anything. Boring. But incredibly busy and full of people.

In Tian'anmen Square.

2. Forbidden City

Next we went to the Forbidden City where we spent the majority of the afternoon. It was hot and sunny out, but so awesome to see the city! It was beautiful and huge! It took forever and we didn't even go into detail going through it.

This is in the Queen's garden. It was nice and shady there. If I lived in the city back when, I'd be the Queen and hang out there all day!

The entrance to the road our hostel was on.

3. Chinese Acrobatics show!

So awesome!

These boys reminded me of the Lost Boys in Peter Pan. About the same size too. They were probably in their 20's, but looked so little!

The show finale... best part ever! First one guy went into the metal cage and drove all over the place around in it. Then two went in. Then three. Then four. Then five. It was insane! they were going so fast you could hardly see them moving and none crashed. I do wonder how many crashes they had before they got it right.

Day 3:

1. Gringotts Wizzarding Bank. Or, Bank of China that looked like Gringotts.

We went to exchange more money and the stairs were huge stone steps and the door an ancient revolving wooden door. It was beautiful! We had to go back the next day though because I forgot to bring my money the first time... genius.

2. Military Museum.

Kris and I have hit up everyone we can find in every country we've been to. We spent the whole day here. We loved it like WHOA. So much stuff, so interesting!

China's old flag.
Notice my friends in the background. They got into another picture too. It was hilarious. We kept running into them after too.

The picture gallery that we almost missed.

This quote sums up everything. Amazing. Take it as you will, but it's true to a dime you can't deny that.

Mao's!! I searched the whole museum for something about him! I wrote a paper on him in first year at Laurier University.

Day Four:

1. Dragon Gorge

Best thing ever. English, Chinese, Korean. Being able to read the Korean at the Dragon Gorge made Kris and I so happy. It's depressing not being able to read Chinese.

After this we went BUNGEE JUMPING! Check facebook for the video of it. Best thing I ever spent money doing. Until this....

4. Great Wall of China!!

Kris and I combined two trips from the hostel together to save time driving and ending up spending a couple hours with the owner of the hostel who also owns two other hostels, two companies and 20% of the Great Wall. Richest guy in China, I swear. He was awesome. Gave us a ride in his sweet car, took us to his restaurant for free and then to a really cheap massage place where he got us a steal of a deal. Then we went to the Great Wall to meet up with the rest of our group.

We were spending the night on the Great Wall. Went for a 3 hour hike with two Danes, three Dutchies, and a lonely Chinese guy we weren't sure spoke English until the last hours we were there. The Danes were cool, the Dutch not so much.

Can't go anywhere without a jumping picture.

We woke up at 5am the next morning to watch the sunrise. Foggy, but worth the hike to the third watch tower to get the best view!

Our sleeping quarters. Not very comfortable. Tiny tents, hot and sweaty and stale air, and little sleep. Oh well, we slept on the Great Wall! Can't complain about that!

Day 5:

2. (number one being waking up on the Great Wall) Kung Fu show!

Kris made me go to the Beijing Opera which I was bored to death during so I made her go to the Kung Fu show which she wasn't interested in. In my opinion, best money I ever spent! I was so into it. My heart was beating faster by the end. I was just so excited! It was amazing. I can't even describe it. Wow.

I got in trouble taking pictures so I don't have many so these two are the only ones I'm putting up.

Day 6:

We meant to do a cooking class, but decided that we ran out of money and were so tired from packing our days insanely full of stuff that we just hung around the hostel reading our books and going down the walking street and buying souvenirs. We had to skip lunch or we wouldn't have money left for the next day's breakfast. Well, that wasn't all that unusual anyway because we skipped lunch pretty much every day.

And that, was my China trip. Beijing is an amazing city, full of culture and things to do. I feel like I've seen China, but at the same time I feel like I've barely dented it. China is huge. Even though I packed in everything I could into a week, China is like every other country. Food, culture, and landscape are different all over the country. I'll have to go back one day and go to another city. First though, I need to go to many other countries on my list. Hong Kong and Beijing are off my lists in China and since the only real reason we were going to China was for the Great Wall, I guess with that accomplished, I need to start working on the rest of my bucket list which seems to be growing the more I learn about different countries and things to do and see there. I just can't get enough of other cultures! It's fascinating and extremely addictive. I'm not sure I'll ever stop traveling.

All Good Things Must Come To An End...Eventually

This post will be a little random, I think. My pictures are a little unorganized right now because of stupid computer problems so some of this is in the wrong order, but don't worry, I'll make it clear which things happened first when I'm talking about it! Aren't I amazing? yeah, I know.

So first up is proof that I didn't come to Korea and NOT make gimbap. I convinced my school to let me teach a cooking class with my grade three students. The school agreed, but said no oven. That left very little to work with so we made gimbap. Which I've always wanted to make anyway so this was a good excuse! I'll talk more about it in another post once I organize those pictures and videos, but here's two pictures!

Sam and I continue to bike and take pictures. Sometimes separately, sometimes together. This time, biking and photo lesson. I really look forward to these days. It's so nice to just forget about everything for a few hours and just bike and bike (and let me tell you, we bike. I've never biked so much in my life).
These were taken about half way to downtown Gwangju.

Can someone tell me what Anguilliformes food is? We're thinking a really bad Korean-English translation...

Ok, this should be AFTER Brian's going away party, but they ended up here. Sharon left Korea after five years teaching here. She is heading for new adventures, but for now is home in Colorado. We miss her so much and it's only been a week. The four of us are like glue when we're together at worship practice, church, dinners, and who knows what else. I'm not sure what the other Korean's think about us. (Sharon is second from left)

Mary, a new English teacher, and Cherrah came down to Unam Dong for dinner with Kris and I one night. BR run after. Yum.

Heejae was playing at a Jazz bar one night and I practically begged him to let me come along. He told me it was late at night. Like 10:30 or 11:30 start time. I told him I was a big girl. He said okay. Apparently I wasn't as big as I thought because by 1pm I was falling asleep (I have good reason...lack of sleep prior nights). The concert was awesome, I met some crazy-good musicians all of whom were scared of me. Except Heejae's guitar teacher who would say random English sentences. He was...interesting, to say the least. But Heejae and I had a good time when he wasn't playing (we witnessed a very bloody brawl on the way there. I thought the guy covered in blood would attack our car) and I got home a 2am. I was dead.

This was the third time I went to a Jazz performance by a friend and it was by far the best one I've been to. I'm so glad I went. Though I wish Sam hadn't taken his camera back because mine sucks. Sigh. I liked his camera.

A friend of mine from church (Jin, if you remember him) remembered that I wanted to go waterskiing sometime. He took Kris and I last Saturday. More money than I'll ever pay again for it, but it was so worth it. I went wakeboarding after too...only because I saw another guy go and I was so better than him and had to show him up. Why do I have to do that all the time? I don't know. It just gives me pleasure beating guys at things and since I'm good at it I do it far more often than I should. And that is why I don't have a boyfriend. Guys don't mind being beat by me. Boyfriends do.

Jin took us to this Italian restaurant afterwards. I love restaurants in Korea. They're all so pretty and in the middle of the mountains.

The next day I woke up insanely sore. Not my legs thankfully. Those are in great shape with all the running and biking I do. My arms however, are not in shape. They're still sore.

Church was a massive worship service with the Korean and Chinese and English services of our church all combining as one for the day.

This picture is not supposed to be here. It's supposed to be one of me and the Canadian flag. Basically the story is, we were told to hang them up. By the end of the service, they all fell down. Whoops.

Most of the members of our band our in the band section at the back. It was huge. Three drummers, three keyboardists, tons of guitars....but oh so good!! One of my friends was texting me during the service. He's a bassist in the band. It was rather amusing as we could see each others expressions across the room and know what they thought about the text based on reactions. It kept me occupied (don't worry, I listened to the sermon. This was during speeches about the church that no one cares about anyway).

Oh hello. Here's the one of me and the flag. In that case, I have no idea which picture was supposed to be in the place of the other flag one. They also made us wear these ugly white shirts. They promised us blue. Gave us white. Said it was for girls. Other girls were wearing the blue ones. We were not impressed. We look horrible in white. I like blue. Blue is good. White is not.

Only the cutest boy in the world. This picture doesn't do him justice. His Mom sings in the worship band. She's Filipino and married a Korea. The result? Adorable little boy!! When you say Anyang or Hi, he bows. Its SO cute!

The big show at the end.

Samgye final volleyball game again the high school teachers. I missed workshop for this game. My co-teacher didn't bother telling anyone I was missing it. oh well. no one comes anyway. This was much more fun. I rocked our team. We lost. (3 games to 2)

Brian, our worship band leader (guy shoving food in his mouth) was quitting the band to prepare to leave for the USA in November. This was our goodbye party. We miss him huge, he was awesome, but we see him now and again.

The next day. His last service. We took a group picture. Here's all the people:

L-R: front row - Jeong Jay Yoon (AKA: Jay), Brandon, Charles, Brian, Michelle, Charles kid and Rachel.

L-R: Back row - Grace, Kim Dae Shik, me, Joel, Sharon, Kris, Oh Cheong Hyeon (Kyle)

The restaurant my VP, Principal, co-teachers, and random other dude took me to as a farewell lunch for me on Tuesday. It was SO sweet. They said all these speeches about how they wish I was signing on again because the students love me and I'm awesome (paraphrasing, but that's basically the gist of it), but since I'm not, they wish me the best in the future.

The restaurant in Yaksu that my workshop teachers took me to today.

Samseo grade two kids are probably the sweetest kids ever. They planned a party for me our last class together and I came into the classroom (late because I forgot about the class time change and a student had to come get me. Great ending Tara.) to this message on the board.

So we had a party. They gave me presents. A pencil case and barrette from the girls and from my favourite boy (one in black, looking down) gave me a BASEBALL! My kids know how much I love sports, especially baseball. This is the sweetest thing ever. He was so proud of himself and bragged he paid 10,000won for it ($8.50). I couldn't believe he bought it for me.

So that's that. My last day at Sinheung was today. The grade one kids swarmed me after class with presents as well. Mostly candy though. My co-teacher there bought me some stuff too. Now I have more stuff to lug home to Canada, but it's so worth it because I'll never forget these people. My last day at Samgye is tomorrow, but only unofficially. I still have three weeks of summer classes there, but most kids don't do that so really, tomorrow's my last day to see 3/4 of them. It's a half day. Then I have guitar lessons and then Kris and I head out by train to the MUD FESTIVAL on Saturday. Monday morning we leave for CHINA!

I would like to take the time at the end of this post to say an early Happy Birthday to my wonderful father whose birthday is on Sunday where he will celebrate turning really old in Seattle! Which brings me to my second congratulations to my favourite cousin Dennis who is getting married on Saturday in Seattle! I am so upset that I am not going to be there, but I wish him and Linda all the best and that everyone arrives there and back home again safely!

Peace out yo.