I came to Korea knowing one thing for sure, i just had to go and do the DMZ Panmunjom tour to the North Korean border! I planned ahead and chose a company called USO tours and went in person to their office to book the trip with them. They seemed fully booked for a few days, but i was told that they would email me some information, as they were sure there would be a spot that became available a couple of days later. I extended my stay in Seoul and waited for their response... they never gave me one (First let down). After a couple of days i rang them and found the next available day was now 2 weeks away, and even though i was supposed to be in China by that point, i altered all my plans and made Julia wait in Russia even longer, just so as i could do this trip. The day before the tour i get an email saying that they have cancelled the tour (second let down), which is obviously a great inconvenience, so i email them asking that they please offer me some help, or assistance in how i can book with someone else. What did i receive.... NOTHING (third let down), once again. I set about phoning companies to book at short notice, but every one is full. Today i received an email from a different company who had the decency to contact me, explaining the next day was now a holiday and no tours would run. Thus my extended stay and wasted days were all for nothing. I understand cancellations occur, but normally companies will at least have the decency to email a response to any problems that may arise from this. USO are unreliable, irresponsible and just a company that you shouldn't be dealing with. They have let me down not once or twice, but now THREE times. Anyone going to Korea, avoid them like the plague or your trip could end in a similar disaster!

We got back to Mokpo in time to have dinner and catch the KTX to Seoul. We did about 10 minutes of sightseeing in what I think is downtown Mokpo. Dinner was cheese ramen at a kimbab shop where I, of course, took pictures. It was my first time eating cheese ramen so I had to make a precious memory of it.

Cheese ramen, in case you don't know, is just regular ramen with a melted slice of American cheese in it. The cheese gives the soup a creamy feel and flavor. It also happends to be the cheapest thing on the menu besides the plain ramen. I'd never heard of it until about 2 weeks before I left Korea. My first reaction to the thought of the dish was one of disgust and curiousity. Since this was my last weekend I figured I would give it a try.

It was good.

I've had worst things... Like the curry donut from Japan. It's a regular donut with a curry filling. That's really bad. What's good through is the cheese curry cup noodle, also from Japan... or curry poured over French fries. That one's British.

Ok there's no real mysterious. At this time of year around 5:00pm the tide goes out so much that you can walk to the surounding islands. But accourding to Korean legend, or as much of it I can remember, poor Grandma Bbong (or Ppong?) was left behind when everyone in her village hopped on a boat and set sail for the islands.

Grandma Bbong missed her family, who appearently did care enough about her to make sure she was on their boat. She prayed to Buddha or whom ever a Korean grandmother would pray to at that time in history and that deity parted the water like when the water was parted in the movie "The 10 Commandments". So she was able to walk across and met up with her absent-minded family. Ohh... and some how there is a tiger involved.

So every year around this time for 3 days there is Sea parting (Yeongdeung) Festival. There's lots of food, dancing, and weird music. People put on long rubber boots and walk to the island where Grandma BBong's family went to get away from her. The rest stay on shore gathering sea weed, walking on the rocks with high heels or talking on cell phones.

We went to Yeongam to hike up Wolchulsan. This is the only mountain in Korea that I've been to that has no restaurants or vendors around each corner... not even a little old ajama selling bundigee.

We got to the park so early that the left luggage area wasn't open yet, so David carried my heavy backpack up and down the mountain. He kept asking me what I had in the backpack that would cause it to be soo heavy. It's only what a girl needs to survive a day of hiking!

There are many peaks but we didn't climb them all since poor David had to lug my backpack. We did manage to cross the suspension bridge called "Cloud Bridge". This suspension brigde is better than the one at Daedunsan. There is no cable car to the bridge but, this park is not anywhere near as crowded.

Since I had an extra weekend to spend in Korea I decided not to spend it in Seoul. I've seen all the temples, palaces and pagodas that Seoul has to offer. So we took a train and headed south to Mokpo.

We planned to hike up the peaks of Wolchulsan. This is korea's smallest national park. Last week we went to Seoraksan, Korea's Biggest national park. We also wanted to visit the Yeongdeung festival and see the statue of Grandma Bbong. But, most of all I really wanted to ride the KTX. It's supposed to be really fast.

We took the late train to Mokpo. This one was not the KTX, but it was the cheapest ticket we could find. We took the KTX back to Seoul, though. It was a little uncomfortable sleeping in the seats, but most of the people managed to sleep and snore quite loudly. I don't really know how the KTX ride was because I slept the whole way.

Yep, I did find this free internet here at the airport in Seoul. I didn't miss my flight at all. It's ... ugh wait.. I'm seeing something cool right now. A kid is trying out this uber cool mega techie phone game and it's sooooo uber cool mega techie! It's like a 5d game! Anyhoo, the kid's gone.... So I was saying, I'm at the airport and I found this spot where a phone company is displaying their latest phone and wi-fi products. And this laptop is working and I get access to the internet! I know I don't have to look and inspect this small wi-fi thingy to seem as if I'm interested so as not to feel guilty of using this computer for travbuddy but I'm doing it anyway!

I want to get out of this airport and see Seoul but I'm heading to Manila. I had an idea of moving my flight here in November to a few days earlier so I won't only stop by for a few hours but a few days instead. I'm so smart!

The flight went by soooo fast. I slept through most of it, like 10 hours.  I am quite bored right now. I might surf until my flight boards in two hours or until they kick me out of here. Really, I'm bored I just stare at nothingness in between sentences that I write. There you go, I just stared at it again. .....

After a long journey of about 7 hours, we safely landed at Incheon International Airport (IIA). It did not manage to have a view of Malaysia & Korea as the plane flew at a level above the seas of clouds. Nevertheless I enjoy great meals & breakfast provided by MAS. Although an attempt to ask for business class seat failed, the atmosphere is pleasant except for an old Korean guy who keep on yelling and talking in Korean language which stress me for the first 1 hour flight. I dont like it & just be patient about it. That's is one of the experience I had onboard other than not knowing how to open the toilet door in the cabin haha.. At IIA, my phone had earlier saying goodbye to me as there is no services/coverage on Korea land. I have not learn how to activate the roaming services before heading to Korea. We waited for our luggage & it is a boring situation waiting for about 20 minutes just to get our luggage. Later we headed to the Korean Agency counter who then lead us to the bus limousine which will send us to City Air Terminal in Seoul - CAT(I think it has the same function like Kuala Lumpur Sentral).  I managed to had a glimpse of Incheon area before sleeping for the rest of the journey. Arriving at CAT we board a limousine taxi/MPV to proceed to our accomodation & training place in the area of Seo-Chogu district. That's was the time I manage to see that Seoul has many hills & mountains providing a green lookout. Later I was made to know that 70 percent of Korea is a hilly & mountanious land. Due to that many tunnels was created to connect areas in Seoul. We arrived at our accomodation about 11am. Our lunch was sent to the room due to late arrival. The moment would be the first & the only for us to be served at our room haha.. I had made a plan to explore Seoul city the next day (Sunday) because I realized I had not much time to see places in Seoul (remember this is a training course & not a holiday).

of shoes, and ships, and sealing-wax,
of cabbages, and kings,
and why the sea is boiling hot,
and whether pigs have wings."


I'm not ready to go ..... but the time has come.

I have accomplished everything I wanted to have accomplished, and yet I still feel unready and unsteady. If you'd have asked me two weeks ago even, I probably would have said, "Yes, I'm ready. Let's go." But now? I'm a wreck. This is my life here, and in a little over a week I have to bid it adieu. All of it .. from the big things like my friends, my job, my students and my apartment ... to the very obscure details. The delicious cucumbers, the man who sits in the street in a wheely office chair outside my building, the rice wine in Hongdae park, the woman at the galbi place who waves at my everyday, the church restaurant, Konglish t-shirts, squid for sale in the street, my t-money card ..

I've had my trials here surely, yet I have grown to love this place and all it holds for me. I don't think I've written in this journal frequently enough to accurately extol the virtues of this place (it's most therapeutic to write about the bad things), but Seoul is a magnetic city. It's charmless when compared to probably any other big city, but if you dig deep enough it's there. It's in the ajeuma who holds your bag for you on the bus, the excessive eyesore wires and cords cling to the outside of your building, the gyms with no air conditioning, the coffee shops on every corner, the apartments with no sinks in the bathroom, the streets with no names, the people who offer to translate for you, the grocery stores with only 4 things you can actually identify, the shopping in the metro stations, the couples t-shirts ..... It's there, and you just have to look for it. Just have to find the right people to look for it with you. I've found the glories in this city alone, I've found them with my friends, and I've found them through my students ... and all of this GOODNESS is shining through right now and making me wish wish wish that I didn't have to leave.

But I've got a plane ticket outta here .. and memories that will warm my heart for years to come. Goodbye, Seoul. Thank you. 감사합니다.

Every place I've lived has given me great joy, and every place I've left has given me great heartache. I hate leaving, but I can't stay. As soon as summer turns to fall, I'll grow restless... I know a great many untold glories await me in Paris, and I am anxious to uncover them all.

And after all, what's a gypsy soul if they stop moving?

By Korean air, I flew to Seoul Incheon airport from Sapporo. Because of the flight schedule from Seoul to Paris, I had to stay there for a night. But it was my first time there and I had no idea how to spend my evening, but a TB member in Seoul gave me a message, suggesting me to show me around the city.

I arrived at the hotel a little late, because of the immigration full of people and also the heavy traffic in the city, but we could see each other in front of Namsan park hotel-small but reasonable priced hotel which is not so far from the center.

We first went to a famous restaurant in Myeongdong to eat "bibimbap". I have eaten it several times in Japan, but the one we had was really good with some small dishes-in Japan these dishes are not  served together as far as I know.
And I also loved the iced prune juice served later.

After being full, we went to Namsan park to see the night view of the city. We took a local bus -Korean drivers were a bit rough and violent compared to Japanese safe drivers, but it was a lot of fun :P - and we reached the upper part of the mountain. ( You need to crimb a bit more on foot to the tower after getting off the bus. Tiring but a good exercise after eating Bibimbap !)

What you can see from there was far more beautiful than the pictures ! It was really gorgeous, and I'm sure Korean young people would go there for their dates ;-) What was more amazing were the locks by loving couples on the wire netting around the tower. How cute !!!
There also had an illumination show up there, ...it was OK at first, but the lights didn't change much so I got a bit bored theough.

There was a cafeteria up there, and we talked about our cultures, hobbies and ourselves...then it was time to go back to the hotel already. 
After returning to the hotel, I took a shower-unbelievably small tub !- and went to bed around midnight.  I really had a good time there, and I think I must go back there to explore the city again :))

This resort is horrible, the staff are unkind, and unhelpful. The resort chooses not to use air conditioning in the rooms and common areas, and keeps the whole resort at round 80^F or 26^C. As well they have mini kitchens in each room and advertise so on their websites but they will not let you use them because they say it is a fire risk. If so then why advertise them? Isn't that some sort of ad fraud! And third the Outdoor pool is closed for no apparent reason but to make you have to pay to use the indoor pool which is W8,500 or $9.00 per each use! Lastly they seem to have a staff shortage as each retail or food location seems to be sharing a single employee with two locations. The spa clerk runs the bar across the hallway. The supermarket clerk runs the Noribong (Singing Room). The Cafe worker runs the Deli and Gift Shop. Am I to believe that when the outdoor pool does open that the front desk staff will double as the towel boy/girl? This resort would have to be the low point of my visit to this beautiful island of Jeju. Whatever you do please stay somewhere else like Lotte, Ramada, KAL, Haevichi, Shilla, or the Hyatt.

I went to my school today!! I am so excited to get started and meet my fellow teachers and all my students. The little ones are still on summer vacation, so today was my orientation day. Tomorrow is a teacher work day, and then Thursday I start teaching! Peter picked me up around 10, and we set out for school. Sarah, my supervisor, filled me in on school rules and policies, gave me a tour and showed me my classroom -- Eagle Class! It's a big bright classroom, filled with everything you can imagine a kindergarten class wanting. I am very lucky to be in such a great school.

My students are four and five year olds, and their pictures were on the wall. I was really looking forward to naming them all, but they have already gotten their American names. I so wanted to name them all after my friends. I can already tell that I'm going to adore them all, but especially the boy named Bird. He used to be Frank, but decided Bird was a cooler name when he learned that word, according to Sarah. My other students include Alex, Andrew, Clare, Dayeon, Eileen (c'mon), Emily, Eugene, James, John, Jason, Joshue, Michael, Sarah, Sue, Brandon, Jae and Kate. I will post pictures soon, because they are precious.

After my orientation at work they took me out to a special meal -- McDonalds. Hm, thanks. Then we set up a bank account and got the money my parents wired me. (THANK YOU) Opening up a bank account was lots of fun because I had to practice my Korean writing skills -- and they gave me a Korean name!

I met up with Erin, my friend from UVa, and another girl, Whitney, that Erin met who is from Oklahoma. We explored around my area a little, and now I'm back at my place resting before dinner. I am still falling asleep at 9pm and waking up at 6am. Ug.

Something I've noticed -- while almost no Koreans speak English, if they do they are anxious to show off their skills and be helpful to you in anyway possible. I was standing on the metro platform looking at my map today and a woman walked up to me and asked if I needed any help. I knew where I was going, but I was still so touched that she would go out of her way to see if I needed any assistance. We chatted for a while and it turns out she lived in Key West for a few years. Yesterday on the metro a guy and his girlfriend were sitting next to Erin and I and he struck up a conversation with us, making sure we were having a good time in Korea and that we weren't too lost. His girlfriend sat in awe. You could tell she was very impressed! Other than the people I work with at school and those two people, I have yet to see meet anyone who really speaks English. Perhaps they are just too shy to try. I'm sure they are out there! Erin, who has been here over a month, says that on the street or in shops a few times parents have sent their children over to demonstrate their English skills. It's usually just a "Hi, how are you?" or "My name is Susy. What is yours?" I am glad that I have a Korean assistant, Sonya, in the classroom who communicates with the parents.

Oh!! I almost forgot to mention that Erin and I saw the members of Super Junior yesterday!! (Super Junior is the Korean *Nsync.) She lives in a really ritzy area and they were just walking down the street, being followed by a gaggle of pre-teens who were in tears and screaming into their cell phones. I wouldn't have had a clue who they were, but apparently as far as K-Pop goes, they are gods Erin says.

I'm having a great time in Seoul, but it doesn't negate that fact that I really do miss everyone so much. My new Korean phone does not text to America, so I feel very cut off from you all!! I want to hear how all of you are doing, and how the newest chapters of your lives are going. Facebook me, email me or im me. If you have a mac let's video chat. Oh lord, how geeky can I get.. first I start a blog and now I ask people to video chat with me.
Lots of love,
Sarah

OMG! This was an amazing hotel. We booked with them because their Concierge service was one of the only ones who was willing to help purchase concert tickets for us before we arrived in the country. It didn't hurt they offered airline employee discounts. The rooms had just been updated about 2 days prior to our arrival and they were absolutely breathtaking. Floor to ceiling windows and the room was the lesser of the views (supposedly) but my room had a straight on view to the Seoul Tower and part of the city. It was perfect - what a treat to sleep with all the blinds open and watch the lights change color on the tower. As rooms go, it may seem on the expensive side but compared to other hotels in Seoul in the same category (super deluxe) it was reasonable at $160 a night plus all their service charges/taxes. The hotel has multiple restaurants, from a cafe (which is still expensive) to a high end Japanese restaurant and a Steakhouse. There is a piano lounge in the main lobby and a Karoake club downstairs that is rather popular with locals. The staff was very professional, super friendly, and took very good care of the guests. One important thing to note - they exchange money there for no transaction fee and often better rates than you can get at the airport or other banks. Another plus was they converters available for plugs. The ones we had did not work in the outlets to convert high wattage things like my curling iron! One call to the front desk and I had one within minutes that worked for my curling iron and laptop! Sweet! Their concierge service offers a variety of tours and can help you set up pretty much anything you want to do. They really helped me out with getting the concert tickets to Toto since that was the main reason for my visit. One drawback is the price of Internet though - it's about $1 a minute up to a max of $25 a day which is a bit pricey. Of course, most people are not there to be in their room and on the computer all day (hence why it took so long for me to finish my blog!) :-) If you are looking for a very classy hotel with all the high end amenities and don't want to pay the $300 rate like other hotels - definitely check them out. I was told that some lower level dignitaries regularly stay at this hotel so it definitely isn't a shabby place!

I woke up late today maybe around 10nish, I am still tired because I finally settled in my room maybe around 830PM and finished dinner around 10PM last night. I found a small traditional Korean restaurant close to my hotel. All the waitresses and the patrons in the restaurant did not speak one single English at all but for some reasons I was able to manage to order a noodle dish in which I don't know the name except it is a noodle soup and it looked delicious I was  just pointing in their pictured menu that this is what I want. After my dinner and after a 30 minute walk around the corner from my hotel I finally went to bed around 0100am.

Today then is my first official afternoon in South Korea,I don't have any plans at all but maybe see  a few palaces and museums.First stop is the Seoul Historical Museum. I stumbled upon this place while looking for Gwanghwamun gate.It is a museum geared towards teaching the public about  the history and culture of the capital city, Seoul,from the  prehistoric age to modern times,with special focus on the Joseon period. After 2 hours of snooping around the museum I moved on and headed towards Gwanghwamun gate,there I found a tourist bus that will take you around Seoul for 20won.

After 3 weeks in the Philippines I was already ready to go to South Korea. I did not get that much sleep that day because I think I am a bit anxious on what's gonna happen to me in Seoul ? I have this small trepidation in going to South Korea.First my friend Doreen said she has been to Korea a few years back and it seems she is not that impressed with the country,then this big language barrier,I don't speak one single Korean and then I don't think there's a lot of Koreans who speak the English language.On the other hand going to Seoul,Korea could be a complete adventure and my tickets are free courtesy of my 160,000 miles with NWA so I think I really need to go.

The flight from Manila to Seoul was un-eventful, this time I am flying with Korean Air and I am very much impressed so far.It is my first time to fly with them and so far I really can't complain.

Yesterday in class, I brought my laptop in and showed my 8 year old students a photo of my dog Penny.  They all crowded around and many ooohed.  One girl said, "dog is very cute." Another girl said, "is it puppy?" Another boy looked up and said, "i want to eat your dog."