working :)

yes, i am working as a cashier at my aunt&uncle's restaurant in changwon [near busan]
its too late for lunch and too early for dinner so there arent many customers
[meaning, internet time for mee!]
i got here yesterday & i was having lots of fun in busan before that :D
i will be working here for about a week
[until cousin johnny comes down!]
and i shall go back to seoul near when orientation start!

So!
busan:
i ate lots of meat [yay!]
and had... duck! and galmaegi kogi [direct translation: seagull meat]
but its not really seagul- its some meat between pig ribs or something..
and i finally got to eat hwaeori gamja!
i saw a picture of it on internet couple years ago and ive been wanting to try it ever since :D
[its basically a whole potato, sliced in a certain way & deep fried :D]

and i also visited a big temple [and played in the stream!]
and museums and such
ill post pictures later :D

now, i shall get back to workkk!

internet!!!

so i found a weak wifi connection right outside my aunts place

at last!

so im sitting here in the dark,
for some email checking and blog updating :)

so!
i found my elementary school placement!
after some research, i found that it's about 40+ min away from knu by bus
[for privacy reasons i won't put the name up here]

and i was emailed a list of classes that will be taught in english @ knu :)

i gotta research on my trip down to south this week,
so this post is rather short haha

p.s. IF THERE CONTINUES TO BE ANONYMOUS WHO DO NOT IDENTIFY THEMSELVES TO ME,
i will get rid of 'anonymous' comment >:D
i WOULD like to know who actually reads&comments - thanks!

video fail...

so...
after an hours of trying to upload just ONE of the videos at a pc bang
there was an 'error'
blogspot fail.
so i tried to upload it onto youtube
but there's some korean law thing going on
so i cant post up ANY vids from korea.
fail.

so i guess i'll just explain here what i did in pyunchang:
i...
- walked/ hiked ALOT
- made tofu&rice cake
- talked to many of retreater
[mostly people my grandparent's age]
- talked to many people living there
[people who are ill stayed in the 'clay houses']
[i went hiking w/ them the second day and they showed me lots of plants&veggies]
- walked even more

the retreat place was really beautiful, located in kangwondo [northeast of seoul]
when older retreaters come, they make tofu, rice cake, and have bonfires, etc
and for younger retreaters/campers, they have:
- river rafting
- planetarium
- tofu making
- and other activities that the people there were inventing
[like the one w/ 'bike power'- the players peddle really fast to blow up the water balloon which is located on opponent members' heads]

so what have i been doing for the past days?
i met up w/ Brian [TaLK scholar who i've known from lb]
and i was to go to the mud festival w/ his other TaLK friends,
but due to the rain, the plan was canceled :(
i am planning to do down to suwon&incheon this week,
then go down to daegu, changwon, & busan later this week&next week :)

i gotta take off now, but
please leave me a comment to let me know you're reading
and please STATE YOUR NAME
[ i really dont know who 'anonymous' are -___-]
thanks & goodbyeeee ;)

rice pounding!

- from last post: blackberry i picked turned into a smoothie! :D


- the before: rice


- grandpa pounding the rice into rice cake!


- spreading yummy kongomul [bean powder?] onto rice cake!


- cutting the rice cake w/ plates!
apparently, this is more effective than cutting w/ a knife
[the lady in charge let me cut it myself later :D]

* i shall be leaving the wifi land for my aunt's now,
& i'll try to upload the vids i promise!
[they will be way more informative... or not haha]

blackberry picking&scenery

- look at all the blackberries i picked!!!
[... i actually just picked half of that haha]


- picking blackberries in HOT, HUMID korea.
wearing jeans and gloves to protect me from throns


- my favorite scenery place! just gotta put the fence(?) up!


- another view :) its really pretty!


- bike power!! it'll be fueling energy soon :D

tofu making!

the tofu making process [please go to the bottom and scroll UP]:


- tada! tofu!!!... +makgulli, korean rice wine&kimchi


- pouring the tofu thingy into the tofu mold!


- ajumma cooking the liquid that came out from the bean-grinding machine
[the solid bean stuff from the machine is fed to the pigs]


- guy pouring bloated beans into the bean-grinder machine
it separates the liquid from the solids
[he let me hose the beans down after i took the pic haha]


- a mulberry! i went on an after-dinner hike w/ the people living there, and they fed me bunch of these ahaha

i think my pics are way too big D:
from now on, i'll shrink the pics before uploading...
but idk when i'll have internet again so let me upload bunch of pics now!

성필립보 생태마을 (St.Phillips saengtae village)

**since the videos still wont upload, after 45 minutes of "loading"
i'll just post more pictures!

**and stupid blogspot wont let me upload more than 5 pics at a time D:
i guess ill just be posting lots of posts today haha


- the solar panels that i talked about in my video [i'll try to upload it again at a pc bang!]


- lots of chickens... & there are greenhouses on the side!
this place grow their own food, so organic, no-pesticide food for me!


- my favorite view from the place. the construction was finished when i left, so i'll post the 'after pic' in a bit..


- why yes, i went hiking.
i went to the location b. TWICE. my legs were so sore the next day D:


- before each meal, a guy w/ a gong goes around, telling people it's meal time ahaha

wifi at tom n toms :D

since there's no internet at my aunt's in seoul
i have to do what i can by going to pc bangs...
or stealing wifi by buying expensive coffee at tom n toms!

so, lets recap on my retreat:

it started w/ a bus ride to pyunchang,
where the lady next to me urged me to get off at the next station
[and since she was a local] i decided to take her advice.
wrong choice.
she thought i was going to 생태박물관 [saengtae museum] instead of 생태마을 [saengtae village]
so i ended up paying about 20,000 W (~$18) to get to my destination.

but anyways,
the place itself is really beautiful
the retreat center is surrounded by small mountains & a lake
and here are some vids i made on the second day there:
(please excuse my sweaty&bare face..)




**wow the videos are messing up my wifi so i'll try to upload it at a pc bang...
let's see if i can post up pics though!


- my room at the place. it can fit up to 3 people, so i just used all 3 mats :D


- this guy was creating a balloon game using 'bike power'
the retreat center also uses wind energy & solar power


- my jelly/gel-ly shoes: rubbery shoes for walking in the rain!


- eating fuji's teriyaki burrito at LAX before my flight!


- w/ fam, after checking in my luggages at LAX <3

yes i am alive...

and i'm feeling alot healthier haha
i walked/hiked about 9-10km yesterday o-o
yea, i know, ME. hiking.
i guess surroundings do that to people haha

so i'm at this retreat place in kangwondo,
which is the northeastern part of south korea
the scenery is truly beautiful-
the retreat center is surrounded by small mountains
and there is also a lake flowing by

i have taken lots of pics
and also recorded some videos
[why yes i was bored...]
so i'll post those in couple days
when i can gain access to wifi on my macbook :D

ooh! and i made tofu today!
and i think there will be rice pounding tmrw :D
there aren't people my age here
but everyone's super nice once i tell them
i'm from the u.s. and i'm by myself haha


so till next timeeee

sitting in a pc bang...

in case you don't know,
pc bang is basically internet cafe in korea
there are tons of these everywhereee
unfortunately, theres no internet at my aunt's,
so i won't be uploading pics till next week :/

Anyways,
after saying goodbye to family then boarding my plane,
i arrive at the incheon airport this morning around 5.
and after picking up my baggages and riding the limousine bus
[which is more like a big tour bus],
i arrived at my aunts :D

i have activated a phone in korea, using an old phone
[but hey, i'll just be using it for 6 months right?]
and my number's: 010-5590-6515
if youre in korea give me a call ;)

i don't have a definite address yet,
but send me YOUR address if you want a postcard!

i will be going away to a self retreat for couple days
[i hope i get to make my own tofu! loll]
but i should be back later in the week
and i'll try to get wifi and upload pics :D

good bye california!

So!
this blog is for friends&family
who might be wondering what i am be up to
once they notice that i'm gone :)
in case you haven't heard,
i will be studying abroad at
Kyunpook National University (KNU)
while also being part of a program called
Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK) [thus, the title]
in other words, i will be teaching english
& studying hard in korea for the next 6-7 months :D

i created this blog for friends and family
who want to know how i'm doing away from home,
so if youre not interested in reading about my adventures in korea,
youre not obligated to read it :)
however, if you are, then please comment!
let me know that you're interested
& also ask any questions you may have :D

Anyways,
I have finished packing:
- 2 suitcases [49lbs&40lbs]
- one carry on bag
- backpack [teaching mat.&documents]
to take with me to korea.

i will be heading off to the LAX soon, but before that,
desserts, thanks to VICKY "TRAIL MIX" DO ;)

* if youre interested in knowing more about the two programs that i'm doing,
let me knowww :)