Long Weekend!!!

I just found out that we get Monday off for the school's birthday. I love random holidays celebrating nothing special.

Round Two

Meatloaf says, "2 out of 3 ain't bad" but what does he say for my first round score of "6 out of 8?" The second round of the playoffs have started but I haven't seen a score yet so I'm good to make my choices. In the East: Buffalo will continue winning and Ottawa will live one more round before choking. In the West: Barring Calgary making a historic comeback, I'll have to go with Anaheim and Detroit winning. If my predictions come true this time it's Buffalo and Detroit in the final with Buffalo winning in five.

Tuesdays With Cam

For two hours every Tuesday night a group of young scholars make their way to my house where I pass over all the knowledge I can to them. They fill reams of paper full of all they can take in (some of it useless stuff like an ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain) and share it with their parents when they go home.

From the left are Dong Jin and Won Hong who are both first graders while Ho Hyun is in the second grade. They are all good kids who like learning, talking and playing games but they are completely messy. The stuff and places I find to clean after they leave (they bring snacks to eat) stupefies me. I love kids and have a great time with them but how people live with these things is beyond me.

Weekend Drinks

Like promised this weekend I decided to go back to the booze. Friday night Saejin and I met up in Hongdae to enter a smokey, windowless bar for multiple games of darts. It's been awhile since we played but in the end we were amazing with each of us winning four games. As we were about to play the final game, Saejin's cousin joined us with her friend. We went upstairs (without knowing the true champion) for a final beer before finding some late night food to eat. It was a quiet night and a good re-introduction to beer.

The next morning I met up with Rachel Lynn and newlyweds Sam and Barclay in upscale Apkujong. After ice cream dipped in chocolate fondue we listened to Sam decided it was time for an afternoon beer. But she wanted more than a simple beer. She wanted, "a patio and European beer" not an easy combo to find in Korea. We then headed off to Itaewon where we knew this combo existed at Gecko's Garden. Here Saejin joined us and we all went for dinner together at a tiny Indian restaurant I've been eyeing for the last few years but one Saejin thought was "too dirty". Turns out he was right but the food was great and after eating way more than any one person should we all split off to digest our food.

On Sunday Saejin and I went out early to have brunch before a day of wandering around
Gyeongbok Palace. Bored early with the wandering we decided an outdoor patio and drink would be a great way to take in this lazy Sunday. After a nice red wine we were ready to brave the small sidewalks, funky shops and tiny restaurants the area is famous for.

Later that night we met up with Heidi and Rachel Lynn in Jongro for some Korean food. We ate Kalbisal (beef you grill on your own) and enjoyed a final beer for the weekend. It was a great way to end the weekend.

Little Girls' Blouse

Saturday Night, Saejin and I went to see The Reaping and once again I proved to be a wimp. I love horror movies but am completely not responsible for the screams that come out of me. The Reaping has gotten bad reviews but I liked it and was scared more than once (it doesn't take much). At one point I jumped so far out of my seat that I knocked my own glasses off my face and had to retrieve them from under the seat next to me. Not a proud moment.

Learning to Drive

A few years back Korea was at the top of the list for most automobile accident in a year. I learnt this statistic riding in the car of a new driver and it didn't make for a comfortable ride. When I asked my students about this they told me all about their parents bad driving habits (speeding, running red lights -very common- and accidents galore.) This is one driving factory pumping out these new drivers.
It looks like the mini safety schools that kindergartners attend to become street wise but this one had cars and trucks driving at the pace of an old lady in a parking lot. It was painful to watch.
Even bus drivers were having a go here so I watched this bus closely to see where they're taught to speed up to a red lights and how to slam the breaks when stopping.

In the news

The Virginia massacre has a Korean element to it that is making headlines here. I asked Saejin about how it was being carried in the news and he said that yesterday it was reported a Chinese Student was the one responsible for the killings. That afternoon he and his employee (in a typically reactionary Korean fashion) went off on a rampage saying horrible things about the whole Chinese race. Today when he found out it was a Korean boy who did the shooting he embarrassingly admitted to having to now eat his words.

Cam Chechul

Everyday when the kids leave the class they have to say goodbye on cue singing a song of, "Goodbye Cam teacher. See you later." Of the 90 kids in the whole school, three are a part of the special ed program. They still come to the English class but don't really participate.

Kim Song Lee is one of these kids and is in my sixth grade class. She is always smiling, loves to talk and constantly brings things into class to show me. The other day my sixth graders made mini books about their favorite season and this is what Kim Song Lee handed in. In Korean it says, "Goodbye Cam Cheechul see yul laieechul" followed by random letter combinations of, "ISABGD ABASSSMO" and finally there was a picture of a snowman.

I don't have a picture of the second page but one student read it to me and it says that if I lose this book I may be killed. Sweet kid.

Ilsan Car Show

When it comes to cars I can identify the number of wheels, it's colour, which category of fuel efficiency it fits into (good/bad) and the important one of if I like the design or not. Anything beyond that is like speaking Korean to me, I understand a fair share of it but keep the discussion short, sweet and elementary. Again this weekend I avoided the bars but not the crowds as Saejin and I went to join my old coworkers Michelle and Tom in Ilsan for a car show on Sunday.

Ilsan is a satellite city to the North of Seoul and it's approximately a 4209 miles away from my house. Two hours and three subway transfers later Saejin and I were ready to head back home for the day but instead headed into the packed car expo. At times it felt like walking through a Safeway parking lot but the concept cars made up for it.

The hardest at work were the models smiling for hours at a time as the cars revolved on their giant turn tables. I also liked the work of the car buffers who tried in vain to keep greasy hand smudges (mine mostly as I touched every car I could) from taking away from the luxury of the cars. With the place being so packed it was hard to get a good picture but here are some anyway.



What I liked most at the car show wasn't even a car, it was the water fountain the Americans brought with their cars. It was able to drop water so precisely that it spelt out words (JEEP in this picture) and made shapes. I zoned out for a couple of minutes taking the thing in and could of spent ten more in a trance had it not been for the thousands of people who made sure to bump into me as they passed on by. Next weekend I may go back to the smoke and the booze as it's a lot more peaceful than the crowds.

Mt. Gureum

Yesterday afternoon the kids were sent home early so the teachers could go hiking. I was excited because last fall we were supposed to do the same thing but the plan never panned out because the school's main hiker was out with a broken Achilles heel. This time Mr. Oh was ready to go and took us all out to where he goes hiking daily. He led us through a variety of stretches that the Korean staff took way too serious for climbing what I can only describe as a over grown hill.
In all there were ten of us hiking and it was a warm hazy afternoon for the effort but there was a lot of brown to take in. To help fill in some colour for me, Mr Bae here descibed in detail all he knows about plants with me. After the first twenty minutes my head was filled with too much knowledge that for the rest of the hike most of it spilt out as he forced more in.
There are times when ropes appeared when I thought they didn't need to be there but considering Korean hikers are mostly retired it makes sense.
Here are some of the teachers, support staff (the youngest secretary hiking in heals) and Vice-Principal (wearing white gloves) who made it to the top.
The hazy view. (It's rare you get a clear day in Korea.)

Going down we took a more direct route and admitely I saved myself from certain death (or ugly disfigurement) clinging to the ropes.
Part mountain, part city.
Zoomed into the apartments that make up Gwangmyeong.

Playoff Predictions

Lord Stanley's Cup is up for grabs and I wish I were home to take the next two months of hockey in. Here are my predictions for the first round and eventual final:
Eastern Conference: Buffalo, Ottawa, New Jersey and New York Rangers to advance.
Western Conference: Vancouver, Minnesota, San Jose and the mighty Calgary Flames to continue on in the west.
The finals will be between Vancouver and Buffalo with the Sabres coming out on top.

Easter In Korea

Easter in Korea comes and goes like any other day. Easter stays in the churches like it should and hasn't yet been corrupted by business looking to make some money off of it. (I wish it would be because I'd love to eat the ears off a chocolate bunny right now.) On Monday a couple of girls from my 6th grade class came in and handed me Korea's version of decorated eggs. They were hard boiled eggs wrapped in a shrink wrap plastic that you are actually expected to eat. Unfortunately I gag when I even smell a hard boiled egg and silently handed them off to other students.

Cherry Blossoms #1

On Sunday, Saejin, Heidi, Rachel Lynn and I went with every other citizen of Korea to Yeouido to take in the Cherry Blossom Festival. The place was packed so meeting Heidi and Rachel Lynn was a problem. To make it easier we decided to meet by the huge Korean flag but getting there was tricky. We had to dodge new roller bladers, cyclists looking one way while riding another and random kids chasing basketballs. I saw at least four crashes along the way.
From the park we walked up to the Korean Assembly where the government meet. It's not a far walk but Rachel Lynn and I lost Saejin and Heidi as they were more interested in food than getting to the trees. While waiting for them RL and I took our pictures among some blocks of art.
Saejin looking cool in front of a magnolia tree.
There was an empty security post so Saejin and I manned it until kindly asked to move along by the unappreciative policeman.
Saejin posing in front of the Korean Assembly.

Cherry Blossoms #2

The park next to the parliament building was the quietest part of the day but still busy.
Here is the main road that runs along the river behind the parliament and streaking both sides of it are where you'll find the attractions of the day.
Saejin and I posing among the throngs of people and trees.
A solitary tree counting away the minutes of the day so it can be left alone.
Trees and heads.
Heidi and Saejin working their magic.
Fragile blossoms looking good.
Some "art" that was also on display. To quote my friend Gray, "if I can make it, it's not art."

Cherry Blossoms #3

There was a cherry blossom pyramid set up at the start of the road with potted plants all around.
Heidi looking beautiful (and very Korean in her pose).
Heidi then made Saejin and I follow suit.
Rachel Lynn left us to go to the baseball game so we sat and rested back in the park. Near us was a huge statue of some famous Korean looking wise, almighty and bored.
Saejin and Heidi checking out the days pictures.
My favorite trees in Korea, they aren't all that big and grow up crooked. After about an hour and half of shoulder checks and walking into the backs of people suddenly stopping for a picture we headed off to Mad for Garlic for a quiet dinner. It was a nice relaxing way to end a quiet weekend.