A Bird's Eye View of Busan

Just finished another great weekend here in Busan. On Saturday we went to Nampo-dong, a HUGE outdoor shopping area about 30 minutes from home. This is not fancy department store shopping, but rather a large street market district where you can find anything and everything. I'm not sure how big the whole area is, but I think you could get lost for days in it (at least I could!)

We mostly did souvenir/Christmas shopping, and got some really beautiful pottery pieces. There seems to be a "department" for everything you can imagine. We turned one corner and found three blocks of nothing but lighting fixtures and lamps. Turn another corner and the streets are lined with men's clothing and accessories. There's also a furniture section, and sections for children's clothes, cooking and housewares, electronics - you name it. It's a great place to spend the day!

On Sunday we took a cable car up a nearby mountain for a truly spectacular view of Busan. You can almost see all the millions of people in the city from the top. The mountain park also featured a small amusement park with a carousel, swings and snacks and toys for the kids. More photos

The next few weekends are going to be busy too. Next weekend is an annual fireworks festival at the beach. Bob was so excited that we postponed our trip to Seoul so we wouldn't miss the show. We'll be heading to Seoul the week after that, October 30-31. Photos and details of all that to come!

***Bob and Lindsey***

Day 100

Yesterday was day 100 in South Korea...hard to believe isn't it?!

It was a great day that we'll remember for a long time. We had a beach picnic with the other English teachers at school and it was a blast! The weather has taken a definite turn for Fall in the past two weeks, so we put on our jeans and sweaters and went to our favorite beach, Gwangan. We spread out our beach blankets and feasted on wine and mandu (Korea's version of an eggroll) while we laughed and talked the night away.

We had fun people watching and halfway through the night a lady approached us selling some small fireworks. We figured since we missed 4th of July this year, we'd give it a whirl. Bob had a lot of fun lighting off fireworks into the water.We finished the evening with desert waffles, coffee and a round of the card game UNO at one of the many coffee shops along the boardwalk.

Day 99 was pretty special too. Bob and I went to lunch with the other married couple at Corem, Kadie and Ryan. The four of us usually eat lunch together on Tuesday and Thursdays, but this Thursday we went to a new Chinese restaurant up the hill from school. It was delicious and there was even a cute stray cat hanging around the front of the restaurant. I managed to capture a GREAT picture of him!

On the way back from lunch we cheered Ryan on while he played an arcade game on the street and won a small robot toy from one of those claw machines. (FYI: it is just as impossible in Korea as it is at home to win anything from those claw machines, so it was super exciting when he did!).

Then the four of us discovered a pottery shop with all kinds of handmade vases, pots, plates and other very beautiful crafts. It's the perfect place to find some unique and traditional Korean souvenirs. To top it all off, it was a PERFECT Fall day - warm, breezy and sunny!


***Bob and Lindsey***

Guam

We arrived home yesterday afternoon from our 4 day trip to Guam. We had such a FABULOUS time and are so glad we took the vacation.

Guam has a tropical climate all year round and the water temperature is always about 80 degrees. Needless to say we spent ample time in the water during our stay!

Here is the view of Tumon Bay from our hotel room. It was such a treat to look out each morning (and afternoon and evening!) and see the sparkling water, large coral reef and beautiful sunshine. The sunsets at night were amazing too. More Pictures from Guam

We snorkeled everyday and saw all kinds of bright tropical fish and other sea creatures. We bought some underwater cameras so we could capture all the wildlife. There were bright blue starfish, tiny hermit crabs, zebra-striped fish, bright yellow fish and even an eel eating another fish. We'll develop those cameras and post some pictures soon!

We also got the chance to go jet-skiing and parasailing while on our trip. It was a great experience and can't wait to do it again someday. We even made time for a little shopping in Guam. We went to K-Mart and got a few treats and snacks that we can't find in Korea (such as Pop-Tarts, Cheez-Its and Jello). Bob also stocked up on sandals while we were there. His feet are too big for any Korean shoes so he was happy to find some that fit!

Our trip felt like the perfect amount of time. The days were long and lazy, so it made the time go slowly and we didn't feel too rushed or disappointed when it was time to go home. We even missed Korean food and our students (a little bit!).

We also got some exciting news from back home. Bob's sister Kate and my sister Shannon booked their flights to South Korea for Christmas! They arrive on December 22nd and will stay until December 31st. We can't wait to see them and show them our new home.

***Bob and Lindsey***

New Photos Round III

Here's some more snapshots of what we've been up to! Plenty more to come after we get back from our trip to Guam next week. Can't wait!!!

Lotte Giants Baseball Game


August Kinder Birthday Party


Girls Day Out


Korean Food

***Bob and Lindsey***

Girl Time!

I spent my Saturday afternoon getting manicures, eating and shopping with my Korean co-workers Lauren and Elena. We went to Pusan National University for our girls day out. We had a lot of fun getting to know each other and exploring the area.

After the nail shop we ate lunch at an Italian restaurant and then did some window shopping. We finished the day with a visit to the Charlie Brown Cafe for some drinks. It's a really unique coffee shop in Busan. Everything is Peanuts-themed and has pictures of all the characters from the comic strip.

It was a great day!

***Bob & Lindsey***

Just Another Friday Night

We had a great Friday evening, and the best part was that it was totally unplanned and unexpected! Bob and I decided to have a late dinner, so around 9pm we hopped on the subway and headed to Seomyeon to grab a bite. We didn't have a particular place in mind, but after a bit of wandering we finally decided we'd go to a Turkish restaurant we'd heard good things about.

When we got to the restaurant, Barry and Lena (two former teachers at Corem) were waiting out front for a table. Barry and Lena are from Ireland and their contract expired just as we arrived in Korea in June. We met them once or twice before they left at the beginning of the summer. Now they are back in Korea with new contracts at different schools. It was a total coincidence that we ran into them but nice to see them again.

A few minutes later, Kadie and Ryan (the other married couple teaching at our school) also walked up to the restaurant. Soon after, two of our Korean co-workers, Jun and Kala, joined the party. It turns out the six of them had made plans with each other to meet up for dinner, and we just happened to pick the same restaurant at the same time.

We all had a good laugh about it and then had dinner together. All of the food there was great! Bob and I split some chicken dishes and our dinner came with this great spicy soup. After the meal we had Turkish tea and and some Turkish-style ice cream on the house! The ice cream is really good. It tastes just like regular chocolate or vanilla, but is more gooey. I like pretty much any ice cream, so it suited me just fine.

Per Barry's request, we also ordered a hookah and passed it around the table. I had never tried it before, but it was actually not bad. It was fun just hanging out with friends. When in Rome, right? (or in this case, when in South Korea at a Turkish restaurant with the Irish!)

***Bob & Lindsey***

Sorry It's Been Awhile...

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been so long since we last posted. Not a whole lot has been going on, to tell you the truth. We are both busy with school and getting into a routine with our jobs.

Here's a picture of some of our students at the August Kindergarten Birthday Party. Each month the school puts on a small celebration for all the kids with a birthday. From left to right that's Ellie, Dorothy, Jenny and Emily.

Two weeks ago our co-worker Christina went back home to Michigan after her year in South Korea was up. We got a new teacher, Aaren. She is from the Niagara Falls area in Canada. We always enjoy meeting new teachers, but we sure do miss Christina too!

I have a few pen pal projects set up with two of my classes and the kindergarten and 2nd grade classrooms at my sister Shannon's school. My Penguin kindergarten class and Shannon's kindergarten class are going to exchange Power Point presentations with pictures and other information about each other. Then I have a group of 2nd grade students who are going to write letters with the 2nd graders at St. Matthews in Bellevue. Should be a fun project, and I hope the kids will enjoy learning about each other.

We've spent the last few weekends cleaning our apartment and hanging out with friends. This past Sunday I went on a hike up the mountains with my co-workers and some other friends. I thought I wasn't going to make it at first! It was a very strenuous climb, but I am glad I did it. There were some amazing views of all of Busan!

This week Bob and I are getting ready for our trip. Next week is the Chu-sok holiday in Korea, which is basically their version of Thanksgiving. We have four days off from work, so we've planned a trip to Guam. By this time next week we'll be on our way to the islands! More to come on all of that.

***Bob & Lindsey***