The secret garden of South Korea



Secret garden



About a week ago, me and my friend Julia went to the secret garden behind Changdeokgung palace.  I recommend booking your tickets on the Changdeokgung palace website as they can sell out. We had to wait three weeks to go ourselves. Luckily, we went when we did as the following week; the leaves all fell off the trees.

You collect and pay for your tickets at the regular ticket booth. The cost was 8,000won but it is worth it as it is so beautiful. It is just a shame you have to go around as a tour group. I would like to just walk around by myself because it feels really peaceful there. After collecting your tickets, you walk to the secret garden entrance and wait for your tour guide.

The tour comes in 4 languages but only a handful of people were listening to the tour guide. This is because she doesn't give you much time to take photos after speaking. You have a choice. Listen to her or take photos haha. I chose the latter.

Sadly that day, I had a migraine so went straight home after as I felt sick and dizzy.

Here are my pictures! ^^ Goodbye Autumn!! Hello winter!

Secret garden



Autumn



Secret garden in Autumn

Apple Festival in Korea.

Sudeoksa temple

Last weekend, me and Paul went to the Apple festival with Adventure Korea. If you are thinking of booking a trip outside Seoul, I would recommend them. They are much much better than WINK! And more friendly too!

Sudeoksa temple

We boarded the coach at 7.30am!! This was the worst part! Getting up early on a Saturday :(. The journey there took longer than expected because of traffic. We finally arrived at our first stop at 11.30am. Our first stop was Sudeoksa temple, which we were told is famous for its beauty. I thought the restaurants and streets outside the temple were actually better than the temple itself. There were little old traditional restaurants lining the street up to the temple. Paul had his lunch at one and the food look really delicious. It was all traditional of course. But there was cooked spicy ginseng, which was really tasty. I had my tuna roll haha.

The temple itself was nice but busy as there were loads of coaches full of adjummas there. I think they were stopping there on the way to somewhere, just as we had done. But, the leaves had changed colour so I got some nice pictures.

Sudeoksa temple

After the temple we went straight to the apple festival which was close to the temple but it the middle of no-where. It wasn't as big as we expected. In fact it was tiny. People complained as the jam making was just boiling some jam then putting it in a jar. We made an apple pie but it was pre-made pastry. But what did we expect for 3000won.

There was also free apple beer, wine etc. I don't drink but I ate loads of stuff haha. Me and Paul shared a giant plate of pork and apples for 10,000won. I wanted to try the apple picking but it was 2000won for EACH apple! Apples only cost 1000won in Seoul and the taste was the same. They are also saving money on labor and fuel!



Throwing coins at the wall



Sudeoksa temple

Monk's house

Ready to make pie

My pie

Apple picking

Apple festival

It was a good day but 4 hours was a bit long to be stuck at a small festival like that. Plus, if I have to listen to Gangnam style one more time, I may kill........

Farm in Korea

Hakone, Japan

Hakone, Japan

I went on a day trip to Hakone whilst I was living in Japan. I really enjoyed it there. It was nice to see some green after being surrounded by buildings for so long. Normally people go here over night to enjoy the hot springs, but at the time I wasn't used to getting naked in front of strangers. I really regret not going to a natural Japanese hot spring now. Perhaps in the future I will go back.

Mount Fuji-san

To get around Hakone you need to pay to use a few forms of transport. We first went on an uphill tram. It was really strange. I went on a similar one in Wales and I can never get used to them. We then went on to a cable car that took us over the sulfur mines. The whole area smells of rotten eggs. Lastly, we took a boat across the lake where there were buses going back towards Tokyo.

My favourite thing has to be the views of mount Fuji. On a clear day you can get excellent pictures. I took some good ones even though my camera was soooo old.

Sulfur mines

Hakone

Pirate ship

Scary!!!

Cable cars

Crossing the lake

Hakone

The best season to visit Japan.

Japanese cherry blossoms

I love Spring in Japan. I feel it is the most beautiful season over there. I think Japanese cherry blossoms are more beautiful than any I have ever seen. During Spring they are everywhere and the ground is covered in pink petals and there are rows of trees. There are picnics everywhere (though get there very early to save a spot) and loads of festivals. I love festivals in Japan. There is so much food and it is so delicious!! <3

If you want to travel to Japan then you must go in Spring during cherry blossom week. The palace is surrounded by cherry blossoms trees and they are lit up at night with coloured lights. For me England is best in the Summer, Japan in the Spring and South Korea in the Autumn. I just need to find somewhere for the Winter. Perhaps, Australia?? haha.

Japanese cherry blossoms

Food festival

Enjoying the blossoms

Blossoms in Asakusa

Cherry blossom picnic

Disney sea and Disneyland!!

I love Donald!!

I think I went to Disney sea and Disney land 6 times during my 8 months in Tokyo. I love Disneyland in Tokyo. Everyone is so happy and friendly. Unlike California. When I went there the staff seemed angry.

I went during school time so they were not busy. We all went on the rides until we felt sick. If you are going to Tokyo, you have to visit one of them. I prefer Disney land but others like Disney sea more.

My leaving day out!

Donald Duck

Everyone wears them!!

Happy staff

Enjoying Tokyo. Shibuya

Shibuya

One of my favourite places in Tokyo was Shibuya. I was a lot younger when I lived in Japan, therefore it appealed to me.  I also felt it was what I had imagined Tokyo to be. Busy and colourful. I heard Shibuya crossing is the busiest crossing in the world. There is a Starbucks just next to it so I enjoyed sitting there watching the crowds.

Shibuya was also fantastic for shopping. I spend many hours window shopping looking at clothes I couldn't afford. I really want to go back one day for a big shopping trip.

Shibuya

I once went to a horror restaurant there. All the staff were dressed up and the tables were in cells. There was also a horror menu. It was great! At point one the light went off with a scary clown running about. It was also someones birthday so they bent him over and pretended to put a giant injection in his bum.......   Oh Japan!!

Horror drinks

It was dark when I took this picture. 

Birthday boy

 It also has a Disney shop! They love Disney over there!!

Disney shop!

My first experience with teaching.

Leaving meal with students and the new teacher

Two months into living in Japan, I got a job as a English teacher at a private academy. I moved next to Tsurukawa Station.

They nearly put me off teaching for life. They wanted me to start the next day without any training. They knew I had no experience but didn't care. My friend who got a job at a different academy got training before starting. All I got was observing one lesson. And looking back I realise this was not a proper TEFL lesson. The old teacher didn't do lesson plans. I had nothing to refer to, except some bullet points. They blamed my accent for the lessons not going well, but in truth I was clueless and did not give the students the lessons they deserved. This was one of the worse points of my life. I felt powerless and I eventually gave up. I felt this ruined my whole experience by this points and decided to leave Tokyo 8 months after I arrived.

But, that being said, I am glad I had this experience. I used it later on during my training as what NOT to do. I did really well during my CELTA course and was told by my peers and students I was a great teacher. I have also been re-signed two times at my current job in South Korea. I could of given up teaching after what happened but instead I used it to improve. I did a TEFL course with classroom training before I came to South Korea with i-to-i and it was the best thing I ever did. If you are thinking about Teaching English then training is a must otherwise you will be over your head like I was.