Christmas 2013

Christmas photo booth

December is going so quickly this year. I think it's because I have been so busy. I started off the month with a Thanksgiving party at my friends, and ever since then it's been non-stop with work.

I was looking forward to my holidays starting on the 24th. But, my school had other ideas. They changed it a week before my holidays were due to start. They decided to move the low level camp to the 26th. I was working like crazy trying to prepare in time.

How many decorations?

They also changed the classroom for that week. This is because another company rents a part of our school and they pay electricity for it. Therefore, my vice principal wanted us to use one of those classrooms. So basically, they want us to steal their electricity.

The problem here is I set my classroom up as Hogwarts and Diagon Alley. Therefore, I have to move my materials everyday. But, I can still use it for normal camp. Thank goodness.

Aside from work, I was busy preparing for my Christmas eve party. For a few of us it's our last Christmas in Korea. I really wanted it to be special. I prepared a giant quiz. The first round was Christmas knowledge. The second was British slang. The third was, 'what movie was that song from?'.

I also prepared pin the nose on Rudolf, how many Christmas decorations on the tree? and charades.

Pin the nose on Rudolf.

I made everyone a Christmas bag. I couldn't find cracker snaps to make crackers. Inside the bag were sweets, cookies, a joke and a hat. There was also a card inside the bag which everyone wrote on for each other.

Gift bags

Table before the food arrived.

We also did white elephant. It was our first time doing it. We all got a unisex gift worth around 10,000 won. The first person picks a gift and the second person can steal it or choose a different one. This goes on until everyone has a gift. Things got a bit messy as there was some crappy presents no-one wanted and some really good items. I always get rubbish presents for secret Santa, but for the first time I got a great gift. I ended up with my favourite tea. It's from O'Sulloc tea company and it's really expensive, but worth it.

Dinner was pot luck. I made curry. Taking my inspiration from Bridget Jones and her mum's annual Christmas turkey curry buffet. Though, it was chicken curry as there was no turkey. Other people brought chicken, ice-cream, mash and Chinese food.  Though, we forgot about the ice-cream.......


The party went really well and everyone had so much fun! The best bit was the photo booth I made.

Christmas photo booth

I got the free printable signs from this blog! There are loads of different designs for parties.

http://catchmyparty.com/blog/category/printables-free-christmas

Christmas stocking

Yesterday was Christmas day. I pigged out all day in front of the the TV watching Christmas movies. My mum sent a stocking full of gifts over. It was full of small things like chocolate and Christmas washing up gloves.


I made everyone a scarf this year. I started knitting in September this year and managed to make five scarves by Christmas. My dream is to be Mrs Weasley from Harry Potter.

Sadly, I wrote hand as hade..... I think I've been in Korea too long. I'm losing my English.......

Christmas scarves

Today, I'm back to work. It's low level camp. But, only 1 more day until the weekend.......

Preview of my last ever camp...

I'm getting really excited for my last ever camp in South Korea. I've started decorating my whole classroom as Diagon Alley and Hogwarts. I hope my students enjoy it as I have spent days on it. I'll write about where I got the print outs from etc, after I finish my camp. For now, here's a sneak peak....

Happy American Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving pot luck!

I went to my first American thanksgiving last week. It was at my friend Sarah's house and it was pot luck. The Canadians in the group were joking it was a month late haha.

I have never seen so much food. One girl went to the army base to get a turkey. It was all so delicious and home made. We ended up playing taboo but the boys kept winning because I am rubbish at it.

I ended up sleeping over. We were suppose to watch the first hobbit movie, but I ended up giving up by 2 am.

I am glad I have traveled. Yes, I have seen many countries and eaten so much food. But, I have also enjoyed meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures. I got to have experiences like thanksgiving. I'm glad to have met my friends in Korea and their friends.

In other news, I went shopping at Express Bus Terminal a few weeks ago. It was crazy but worth it. My friends and I spent a good few hours there. It's much cheaper than Gmarket and other places. I stocked up on skirts. Back home skirts and too long on me because I'm short...... I also got my Christmas jumper but I wanted a more tacky one!

Right now I'm preparing for my last ever camp! It's going to be Harry Potter. As it's my last camp I am going all out. I am decorating my classroom as Hogwarts and Diagon Alley. My students are getting exciting! I am super busy though as I have to make everything by hand. I will write a post after I finish in January.

Only three weeks until winter vacation! I am having a Christmas eve party and my friend from Japan is visiting from Japan around New Years! I hope she doesn't snore..... Only joking Alex...... Kind of...... ;p

Weight issues

Weight has never been a issue with me. I am happy with my weight. Like every woman I sometimes have'fat' days, but I try to eat healthy. I had never been called overweight, chubby or fat. That is, until I came here.

The first time my weight came up wasn't with a Korean but with a crazy Canadian girl that was obsessed with make-up and to be blunt she was vain. She often referred to me as 'skinny fat' and she always told me I was lazy, because I am happy to relax after work at home. I  ignored her as everyone who knew her said she was vain (and slightly crazy).

But, this year I gained weight. It's strange really. I used to eat junk food back in the UK, but over here I eat fruit and vegetables all the time. I don't mind because I was too skinny before.

But, one Korean teacher noticed my weight gain and told her students. Why would anyone do that? Some Korean teachers said it could be culture difference and she probably didn't know it would offend a foreigner. But, most of my Korean friends didn't understand her actions either.

Snow!!!

I think I would not have minded if she had said the comment to me because I am used to everyone talking about weight. But it's the fact she said it to her class so when I had class with them I was put in a very embarrassing situation. And all the other teachers heard.

The bad news is because my co-teacher is pregnant, this teacher will replace her in winter camp in January. Two weeks with her........ Awesome! ㅜㅜ

This made me realise something. The only people who make comments about my weight are other women. What gives one person the right to make comments about someones weight? Do we think putting another woman down will make us thinner? I for one and happy with my weight and that's the most important thing. Not what other people think.

 I just needed to rant about this topic! I feel better already ^^.

In other news, the first snow of the year appeared. Thankfully, it went after a few hours and it didn't stick. I think this winter is going to be colder than last. I treated myself to some more heat-tech clothes.

What to pack if you move to Korea.

I wrote a post before I came here, of what I heard I needed to pack. http://www.wherewillmyfeettakemenext.blogspot.kr/2011/02/packing-list.html
I decided to look back at what was true and what was not.

Before I start, I just want to say things change here daily. I came here 2 and a half years ago and so much as changed. So, what I write now may not be true in a year or so.

This are the items I wrote you needed on my previous post....

• Deodorant- This is false. They have it over here. Though, it is a bit expensive. It is a myth that all Koreans don't sweat. Just most...... I talked to my Korean friends about this and one never gets BO and the other does. 

Yummy Korea!

• Decent chocolate- Okay, this is true and false. They have American chocolate everywhere. I hate the stuff personally.... Yuck! Some of the Korean chocolate is okay. But if you are fussy then bring over your favourite chocolate from home.

• Indoor shoes- Buy them over here much cheaper! Indoor shoes are sold everywhere just go to the bargain store.

• Sun cream! They sell over here at 5 times the price!!! Bring your own if you have room! Plus, it's all 50+ over here.

• Foundation. If you have a darker skin tone then bring your own. I am not sure  about this one.  I am pale, so I could but this over here. Perhaps, the department store sell darker tones.....

• Stickers and stamps - get them at the bargain shop or any stationary shop for a fraction of the cost. Though, my friend from the USA has some cool ones from back home that were from the dollar stores.

• Gifts for principal - I started work day 1 so I was glad I had them ready!

Things I think you need to pack for Korea!

• Bras- 100 per cent pack loads of these bad boys! They are expensive and they only sell up to a B cup here.

• If you have big feet or are bigger than a UK size 8 then clothes and shoes. With clothes you might be able to buy some from western brands in Myeongdong, Seoul. But you will have limited options.

• Salt and vinegar crisp!!!! Sometimes, just sometimes they sell in Itaewon, Seoul. But, not always! 

• Decent gravy! Ahhh bisto! Get from home.

Don't worry about not being able to get your
 favourite food whilst out here!

• Packet mixes for your first week until you get used to shopping and cooking. Those packet soups were a lifesaver my first night.

• If you have a baby then bring all your baby clothes from home. So expensive out here!

• Photos of friends and family.

• English DVDs. It's hard to buy DVDs out here. Everyone illegally downloads them.  If your not into downloading then bring them with you or use Amazon. I bought so many DVDs from Amazon whilst living here.

You can get most stuff out here. Homeplus is owned by Tesco (UK), therefore it sells loads of Western food. Also, Costco and Itaewon sell loads of food and spices that are hard to get elsewhere. You can also get stuff from Gmarket or iherb. 

The only things I miss are parsnips, pies and sausages. There is a guy who sells sausages in Myeongdong, but they are super expensive. I will wait until I go home.

Happy Halloween 2013!

Haunted house

It being my last year teaching, I decided to do something special. The idea of a haunted house struck me on Sunday night, and when I got to work the following morning I had decided to do it. I found some bin bags and made a tunnel in the storage room. I then decorated it with ghost and a scary movie mask.

All week, I told classes if they wanted to come they have to come at after lunch or after school.

I felt like a pop star

On Halloween, I added a candle for light and some spooky sounds. I did the first three classes during lesson time. In the house I hid and jumped out on students. They then had to choose a bag. A, B, C or D. Each bag had something different in it. One had baked beans, one spaghetti mixed with candy, one had goo mixed with candy and the last had just candy. All students were sworn to secrecy as not to spoil the surprise.

After lunch, I went back to the classroom. I expected 10 students max to remember to come but....... two- three hundred came. I was doing the haunted house until 4.30!!! My throat seriously hurts today. They all waited outside the classroom. I think the younger generation can line up better than the older people.

I'm glad I did it. It's a good memory of my last Halloween in Korea.

The future

“People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will descend like fine weather if you're fortunate. But happiness is the result of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly.”

― Elizabeth Gilbert

October is a good month for me. I am feeling pretty positive and blessed. I have achieved a lot in my life and I know what I want to do in the future. 

I have travel the world. Experienced different cultures. Met people from all walks of life. Studied and worked at many different places. Seen the most beautiful sites. Eaten the the most delicious food. All this by the age of 27. 

I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to do this. My parents were not born rich, but they both worked hard for me and my brother and because of this we have had the most wonderful lives. Both also worked and are still working for their own dreams. To me they are inspirational. They did this either by studying or changing jobs. They simply work hard to enjoy their lives. I have not seen a day my mum doesn't smile. Even when she is grumpy, she still smiles at least once.

Not only this. They also gave me freedom. Freedom to chose my own life and path. They supported every choice I made. Even when I traveled across the world to japan. In which, my mum still reminds me I broke her heart in doing so..... They supported me when I moved in with an ex boyfriend  and even helped me move back out a month later. They supported all my mistakes, but were always there to pick up the pieces after. They only ever gave guidance and help. For this I thank them both. I hope to be just like them if I ever have children.

There are times we are all in a dark place. For me this is when life becomes repetitive and stale. I never want to just live day to day. I wish to enjoy everyday. Of course this is impossible. Some days (or some months even) we are just simply in a bad mood. But when those days come, it is good just to have the good days to look forward to or even look back on. Also, surround yourself with good friends and family.

These few months I have been at my happiest. I think this is because I know what I want to do. I really thought about what direction I want my life to take after I leave Korea. Before this year I always had a nagging at the back of my head. It was telling me I should be doing something towards my dream. But, at the time I didn't know my dream so it was like a cycle of thoughts in my head. 

To be brutally honest. I always thought I should get a job, marry have kids. What was expected from society. But, my heart was never given to any of my ex boyfriends. As soon as the lust was gone, I went back to having a strong desire to be alone and pushing them away. I think no-one can fully give their heart until they know what is in it. What desires and wises reside in that heart. 

I never knew my dreams and wishes. Not until over a year ago. I had a bad break up.  I thought I had found the 'one'. I soon realised he wasn't the one, and during that time I discovered I need to know my own wishes before focusing my energy on another person. I would never be happy until I did that. 

I tried really thinking about my wishes for the first time in my life. And I mean really thinking. A years worth of thinking in fact. I decided to try to do a CELTA. There I discovered I wanted to go back and study and do a second degree to get in to my field of interest. I will have to work hard for the next 4 years, but it is all for the end goal. 

There are going to be days when I won't see the finish line and may feel sad. But during those days I can think back to what I have achieved and what is to come. I can remember sitting in Chiang Mai eating strawberries and surrounded by flowers. I can also remember meeting a geisha. I can remember all my friends from around the world, and perhaps my itchy travelling feet will subside for a few years,

I have 4 months left in South Korea. I have spending my time applying to my course and making plans for when I return to England. I don't know my future but I realised it's starting to seem a lot less scary,

DMZ with Adventure Korea

DMZ

Yesterday, I went to the DMZ. I thought I should go because I am leaving in 4 months and I wanted to know more about both Korea's before leaving. I booked with adventure Korea. I like this company. The people in charge of tours seem to actually like their job. Unlike the guy from WINK. He always seems angry. They are also very organised unlike WINK.

I met the coach at 9am at Express bus terminal, whilst other met us a little later on at Hongdae. Then we headed for Imjingak. Unfortunately, there happened to be a bike festival that day so we were stuck waiting for the bikers to pass for 20 minutes. But, there was positive to this. It was more quiet than normal we were told.

Bike festival

Imjingak is strange. On one side there are buildings and monuments. On the other side this are fun fair rides. It seemed very touristy. There is a shrine for the north Koreans who cannot return home. This is so they can pray to their ancestors during important holidays. It seems strange that somewhere so important to people also sells DMZ cups and footballs.

DMZ

DMZ

The freedom bridge is where they exchange prisoners are the Korean war. People have written on ribbons and flags. Many are about the unification of the two Korea's. There was also the peace bell and pictures from a span of 60 years that relate to the DMZ.

Freedom bridge

We headed for Tongilchon (unification village) for lunch. Hardly any one liked lunch. It was of a good quality, but very traditional. If you don't like traditional Korean food then bring some food with you. There wasn't much to do here to be honest.

We then got on the coach to the third tunnel.We first watched a movie, which was mainly propaganda, before heading to the tunnel. The tunnel is quite a walk. At the end you look through a peep hole then go all the way back up. I felt bad for the tall people. The tunnel is not high, therefore they had to crouch down.

We then headed for the Dora observatory. Here you can look at North Korea. I didn't get any pictures. There is a line which you can't take photos in front of. It was interesting to see. The buildings were all white and seemed abandoned.

Dora observatory

North Korea

The last stop was Dorasan train station. This is the last station before the north and would link South Korea railways with the rest of the world if opened. It looks brand new and it is creepily quiet.

Dorasan station

Dorasan station

Empty station

We arrived back in Hongdae at 6. By this point I was so hungry I ran to a Indian restaurant. I am sure my Curry had red pepper paste in it though......

Cat Cafe, Konkuk University

Cat rules

Cat cafe

After the temple I decided to pop in to a cat cafe. I have been to the one in Myeongdong 3 times so I wanted to try a new one. I shouldn't have gone!! Because it being a school holiday the place was packed. I only stayed for 10 minutes. All the cats were asleep or someone was playing with them. I think the best time to go to a cat or dog cafe is just after opening. They will not be fed up of attention yet. The owner of this cafe was really friendly but it was the busiest dog/ cat cafe I have been to. But, like I said it was the holidays.

Another peculiar thing was I got a set of rules, yet, none of the Korean customers did. And they were the ones waking the cats up!!! ><

Cat cafe

Like I said the cafe is good but go during the weekday whilst the kids are at school!! Perhaps around 1 after opening.

To get there leave exit 5 of Konkuk university and turn right straight away. Walk 30 seconds and it's on the third floor on your left. You will see a red, yellow and blue sign for it.

Anyways kitty pictures!!!

Cat cafe

Old man cat

Grumpy cat the second

Cat cafe, Konkuk

Sleeping cats

Evil cat about to wake the other cats up

Sleepy cat

Evil cat

Soft kitty

Ninja cat

Naked cat

Cat art

Bongeunsa temple

Bongeunsa temple

Wednesday was an national holiday, therefore we all had the day off. I have begun to be lazy due to already doing most of the things I wanted to in Seoul. I have a few items left, but I still have 20 days of holidays left in the winter so I am going to save some stuff.

Bongeunsa temple

Saying that, I believe this will be the last month of good weather. I decided to go to Bongeunsa temple whilst the weather was good. There are two stations near the temple. I decided to go to Chungdam station because it's on line 7, therefore I would only have to transfer one time. To get to the temple you walk straight out of exit 2. You walk over a hill until you get to a main junction. The walk is about 5-10 minutes depending on your walking speed. When you get to the junction then turn right and walk about 1 minute until you see the temple on your right. I had a kind adjumma point me in the right direction.

You can also get there from Samsung station (line 2) exit 6.

Bongeunsa temple

It was really hot yesterday. By the time I got to the temple I was sweating so I headed to the temple cafe for some omijia (5 taste tea). I am glad I went to the temple whilst it is still warm, there were many flowers which made the temple even more beautiful.

I read you can do temple stays there. I have already done a temple stay during my first year in Korea. There is a mini temple life experience on Thursdays at 2pm which you have to sign up for on the door for 20,000won. If you have a group of over 7, you can do it anytime.

Bongeunsa temple

The temple is in the heart of the city and is surrounded by sky scrappers. It is wonderful to see new mixed with old. I took pictures mainly of this rather than just the temple itself. I think it would be even better at night. I am not sure of the closing time though.

I am glad I went here before I left. I have a few things left on my list. These included Banpo bridge, Namsam at night, Gwanghanmun at night and the museums.

Bongeunsa temple

Bongeunsa temple

Bongeunsa temple

Bongeunsa temple

Bongeunsa temple

Bongeunsa temple