Winter Wonderland

As the winter rapidly approaches, the weather here on Jeju is getting cooler by the day. With cold enough temperatures, we've had our first snow on the island early last week. In a matter of days, Hallasan has gone from a bare mountain to being covered with snow. Even from my own balcony, I can see the change into the now newly formed frosted peak.



This week I had my second opportunity to trek up the volcano, and so three of us made plans to leave early Wednesday morning. Having already gone once before, I was somewhat more aware of what I needed to bring with me. I remembered how cold it was last time, so I thought some gloves and a toque would prove quite useful. It cost me about 37,000 won for both the hat and gloves, but I felt it was a worthwhile investment.

At about seven in the morning we made our way to Yeongsil trail. Sporting some stylish shades and five layers of clothing, I donned my hat and gloves and made my way through the woods at the beginning of the trail.



Despite the fact that my previous trip was only two weeks ago, the mountain trail has completely transformed into a winter wonderland. The ground is covered in snow and ice, and after only a few minutes of walking, my fellow climbers decide that they will put on their "icing", which are these spikes you can strap onto your shoes/boots.



They asked if I wanted any, but I turned down their offer believing my boots to be enough. They either thought I was brave or stupid...maybe both, but it turned out that I didn't need them.

Once we emerged from the forest, onto the steepest part of the climb, the path became a lot clearer and the spikes were no longer as necessary. The guide rope helped a lot and worked well enough to support us along the way.



In the weeks to come, when more snow falls on the mountain, the guide rope will become an integral part of the climb, as the steps will quickly disappear under the snow, forming almost a slide along the mountain.

Upon reaching the first lookout, I get my first view of the now frozen landscape. The waterfalls which were once streaming are now silent, the still mountainside is softly lit with a morning glow, and the plants have yet to awaken from their frozen slumber and embrace the sun...



I look to the sky and spot a cloud in the shape of an eagle...it is a good omen and something that is particularly important on Hallasan, home of the island's gods.

Serena, one of my co-workers, retells one of her own experiences with the mountain's mysticism. In a previous trip with some friends, she had stopped to pay homage to the mountain by building a small pile of rocks, something that is quite commonly done by hikers. It is also considered making a wish, but it fell down almost immediately after they had erected it. Later, on their way down the mountainside, it started to pour rain. Obviously, it was bad luck caused by the collapse of their wish pile.



As we get further up the trail we stop to have a snack. The traditional and obvious choice was oranges. If you look anywhere around the trail you can find orange peelings. Everyone loves the oranges here, even the birds. Serena attempts to get one of the crows nearby to catch a slice in mid-air. Turns out that these crows weren't quite as skilled as the ones she remembers...



We continue about our way and within a few minutes we reach the level part of the mountaintop, which quickly turns into a thick woods. I stop for a moment to look back...



Walking through the snow covered path we see a variety of plants and trees that look remarkably sublime in their frozen state. We stop along the way for a few pictures. By this time we are quite thirsty, and the river is only about a kilometer away. Instinctively, we quicken our pace...



The view once you exit the woods is simply astonishing, and any doubt that we wouldn't see much snow is now gone. It is a friendly reminder of home for me, but there is no time to stop now. The river is so close we can almost taste it...and we did.



The Witsoreum halfway station is just around the corner and we stop for some ramyon, which is a must if you ever climb the volcano. They came prepared with some egg rolls and kimchi; I handed out some apples that I brought. We make quick work of our ramyon noodles and the other food. Looking at my watch, it is about 10:30 and time to get going if we're going to keep our post-hike appointment.

Stopping for a few pictures around the 1700 m post (which is also a must and a tradition), we say goodbye to the mountain and make record time by arriving at the bottom of the trail in a mere 30 minutes.



After an adventurous four hour hike, we decide to head to a bathhouse and spa in downtown Seogwipo. I have never been in one before and I was quite nervous, but the other two reassured me that it wasn't anything that I would be uncomfortable with...unless I didn't like saunas.

We arrive at the bathhouse around noon and have about an hour's time to spend. For only 7,000 won, you can spend an afternoon in one of these places and I definitely recommend it. There is separate locker rooms which have an assortment of pools, tubs, saunas, and showers, all with various temperatures. My favourite was the massage pool, which is this shallow pool that has shower heads above. Once you press the button a stream pours down on you like a waterfall...extremely high pressured, but quite good for the back.

The sauna rooms are located in between the locker room floors. You wear these robes that look like a martial arts gi (uniform) and then enter via the stairs. There is several different sauna rooms: one with heated salts, another with some sort of plants, and individual coffin sized holes built in one of the side walls (designed for lying down in them). There is also an ice room for cooling off, but they were cleaning it out while we were there, so a dip in the cold bath would have to do.

After a relaxing hour, we left the bathhouse and headed home quickly to get ready for class. All I needed now was a nap...

To teach, or not to teach

It has occurred to me that although I have been telling a great deal about my time in Korea, I have yet to mention very much about what it is I am doing here. As I approach the end of my first month of teaching, I feel that I have gained more confidence since I started and a better understanding of the students here.

Generally speaking, my day starts at about 1:00 pm when I leave my house to bike to school. It isn't a very far bike ride and usually only takes me a few minutes to get there. I make sure to have all my class materials with me and do my board work before I start my first class.

I usually teach anywhere between two and ten students and each class usually runs about 50 minutes. My classroom isn't very big, but it works well enough for me.



Just opposite of my classroom is the lunch room, so its not very far for me to go for a coffee or a snack...probably one of the reasons I chose this classroom to begin with. The school itself takes up the entire second floor of the building and there is about eight classrooms. There is also a computer room where kids can go to do the computer component of their English work. Adjacent to this is the lobby and the main office, where our director Tom can usually be found.



Classes run from 1:40 to 6:45 pm, but I don't necessarily teach the full day. Every teacher usually gets one break period, sometimes two, but it is always different and depends on the day. For example, today I had a break period from 2:35 to 3:20 pm, but I also didn't have a scheduled class for the last period, 6:00 to 6:45 pm. So I only had to teach for about 3 hours and 20 minutes.

My students so far haven't been too bad, some better than others, but I'm beginning to know their faces and how to deal with situations when they arise...which is always bound to happen with a classroom full of kids.

The schedule I have right now is good, but since they change every month, I'll likely end up with something completely different next week. The only thing that will probably stay the same will be my students and of course my classroom...which I might add, also has a very nice view of the World Cup Stadium and surrounding area.



Yesterday was our first time for a meeting together to discuss the new schedule, so we decided to go out to a restaurant for a meal and some drinks. We were following one of the teachers, who is from Seogwipo, however, we were lead astray and got lost in the back roads of downtown Seogwipo.



After going down a few one-way streets, we eventually found our lost companion and the restaurant. It was an interesting experience, as we were lead into our own room with a table setup for us...and of course, like in Japan and many other Asian countries, the tables are only about a foot off the ground.



The meal was ribs...and they were absolutely fantastic. They are served a bit different from the way they are back home. There is a grill in the middle of table, which accommodates about four people per grill. You are given a plate with the ribs to cook yourself and there is an abundance of fixings to go with them, including: crab meat, a sesame oil/salt dipping, some sort of raw/rotten fish dipping (which I didn't try), a hot red bean paste, some crisp radish, a bowl of hot and sour salad (used as a topping on the ribs), some hot chili peppers, and a basket of fresh lettuce leaves.

The lettuce leaves are used much like taco or pita wraps. You place a few pieces of pork on the leaf, add some red bean paste, some hot and sour salad, and then fold it up and pop it in your mouth. It tastes just great.

Later we had some other noodles served to us in a giant salad bowl with ice. There is a spicy sauce on it and you mix it up with the pork and ice making a refreshingly cool yet hot noodle dish. Served with some Soju and beer its a perfect meal. Tom, my boss, is the guy giving the peace sign at the end of this clip.



After the meal we sat and discussed the new schedule for an hour or two. I didn't have much input, being the new teacher on staff, and spent most of the time talking with the secretary about her previous jobs and trip to China.

While I was sitting there, it reminded me of something that the other native English teacher, Paul, had told me...that we're not really here to teach the kids, but to play games with them while practicing their English skills.

It made me think that we're probably considered glorified babysitters by most, and that offended me. As much as it is our job to help the kids with their English skills, most consider that they learn more in the Korean-English classrooms, and I agree...but here's the thing, and I was speaking with my fellow teachers about this, there is a big difference from a student having perfect grammar skills and having the ability to even hold a simple English conversation.

It seems to be a big problem with most students. At a university level, Korean students will have superb English grammar skills, since its required for their entry exams, however, most will not be able to speak English.

My fellow teacher, Brian, who studied in Kentucky for several years, gave me a very good example...one day he saw someone running wearing a tee-shirt with the South Korean flag on it. He stopped him and asked him about it, and found out that the guy had taught in South Korea for several years. Brian was amazed at how well he spoke Korean and was surprised to find that it only took him about three years to reach almost perfect Korean proficiency. He asked him, "If I study English for three years, do you think that I will be able to speak as well as you speak Korean?" And he bluntly replied no.

As hard it may seem to learn Korean, and many other languages for that matter, English still remains one of the most difficult languages for anyone to learn. Its not impossible, but it certainly takes a lot of effort and time to learn. So even if my students aren't learning as much grammatically from me, I hope that I can help them to improve their speaking skills. Even the smallest amount will benefit them and make me feel like I have done something here.

English Encounter

Up until recently I have only seen foreigners in Jeju (on Mt. Halla and coming out of the theatres), but never had the chance to speak with one of them. This weekend was my first opportunity to actually meet another foreigner who was a native English speaker.

With some of our fellow teachers from the other schools around the island, we arranged to meet at one of the teachers' home in Seogwipo. We started out the evening with some dinner, and to my surprise and delight, it was pasta. Served up with sparkling champagne and some baguette bread, it was as fine a meal that I could dream of...



After getting to know one another a bit more, we decided to head out to downtown Seogwipo for some batting practice and games. There was this interesting soccer ball kicking game where the score was determined by how hard you could kick the ball...a good way to clear your frustations, or break your foot.



Spending a few hundred won I got my chance at bat. I wasn't very good to start out, but I blame the low balls the machine was throwing. There were a few different cages to choose from, each with various heights and speeds. For my first time, I think I showed a lot of improvement and it was definitely a lot of fun. For such a cheap price, it's worth considering coming back again and even possibly making it a part of my weekly schedule.

Our next stop was the bar for some refreshments...During conversation I mentioned that I had never tried Soju before and so they decided that now was as good as opportunity as any. Soju is a Korean alcoholic beverage made from rice and is clear in colour. It tastes somewhat like vodka and is generally around 20% in alcoholic content per bottle.



After some quick drinks we decided it was time to move onto some more fun activities, so we found the nearest pool hall. Billiards is just as popular in Korea as it is anywhere, but there are a few significant differences.

Our standard pool table, refered to as "pocket ball" here, turns out to be typically a women's game. The game played by most males looks absolutely ridiculous and I have no idea how to play it. There is no pockets and there is only four balls on the table at any given time, sometimes less. From what I can tell, it has something to do with striking one of the two cue balls and hitting one of the other two red balls. It looks like there is an abacuss behind each table, possible used to keep score.



My team didn't do very well and I would say that I'm probably to blame for our loss. In Korea if you scratch on your cue or sink the opponent's ball, you have to put one of your own balls back in play. So its a double whammy if you sink their ball by accident, something that I probably should have learned before we started. After billiards, we finished out the evening with some ice cream and then....karaoke.



I was brave enough to sing a few favourites...some Neil Young, John Lennon, and of course The Doors. We finished up the evening pretty early, in Korean terms at least. I didn't know this before, but apparently there is no close time for bars in Korea. So it is quite possible to stay out all night and into the next morning drinking, but I don't think I'll be doing that any time soon.

Today was a much less eventful day for me. I managed to find some live broadcast of HNIC (Hockey Night In Canada) and watched the Bruins take on the Habs. The late game was the Redwings taking on the Flames and was just as entertaining. The only Canadian team that won however, was the Senators in their 4-1 victory over the Rangers. I managed to do some laundry in the afternoon and then decided I would go check out the Mandarin Festival down by the stadium. Unfortunately I was too late, and by the time I arrived, they were already packing up...

A dose of English, a taste of home

Having been in Jeju two weeks now, I am beginning to settle into my place here and am trying to learn what I can to quickly adapt to my surroundings and the new culture...but that doesn't mean that I have been completely unaffected by the change. Although having done a lot of research before coming here, there are some things that you can't prepare for...

The biggest change for me since arriving has been learning to broaden my tastes and explore the local cuisine. I try to avoid most things that still have eyes or resemble some insectoid creature, which has worked out quite well so far.

One of my favourites is bulgogi (pronounced bool-go-gee), which is a delightful concoction of onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and the revered Jeju pork. Most Koreans find the pork here on Jeju to be particularly delicious, possibly because of the natural environment of the island which is void of factory or industrial pollution. The pigs here on Jeju are also different from their mainland counterparts as they are black pigs, covered in black hair.

Another delicious (not-so local, but still a Korean favourite) dish is curry, which in like most places...tastes like curry. Mixed in with veggies and chicken and served on a bed of rice, it is a familiar and refreshing taste for me.

After speaking with one of my fellow teachers (who speaks good English and is Korean), I learned that since moving from Kentucky to work in Korea ten years ago, he still has troubles with the food here...which doesn't bode well for me.

In spite of this, I am still going to try my best to taste new dishes when presented with the opportunity. He also mentioned a few of his favourites, which turned out to be two of my favourites: Pasta and Hawaiian pizza. So with this in mind we conspired, or rather discussed, with our fellow teachers to order some pizza for lunch this afternoon...



Another cultural specific problem that I, and many foreign teachers, have to deal with is the lack of English conversation/content you can find. Mostly I have been sticking with what I have easy access to; Television and the internet. There is plenty of English movies and TV shows on including, but not exclusive to: CSI (Las Vegas, Miami, and New York), House, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, Law and Order, Supernatural and Without a Trace. There is really only two television stations that carry these programs and they are "OCN" and "Super Action". Occasionally you can catch the odd NHL/NBA/NFL game on one of the sports networks and I usually stop to watch whatever it is.



Recently I have discovered some local English programming: one from the radio, the other on television. Celebrating its 5th year of broadcast on Jeju island, Arirang Radio (whose name is taken from the most well known Korean folk song) has round the hour English commentary on local, national, and international content and despite the fact that it is the only English station on the island, it is quite good. I often tune-in in the mornings and it has been interesting learning about this new community that I am now a part of...it has definitely helped to give me a welcoming sense to the island.

The other local English programming is the KCTV English news, which broadcasts daily at 8:00 am, 7:30 pm, and 11:30 pm. It's mostly like any news you will find on TV, but it helps that it is in English and contains some information about local and national concerns. In fact, it informed me of the Jeju Documentary Film Festival that is taking place just a five minute bike ride away, underneath the Jeju World Cup Stadium. After hearing about this, I immediately asked one of the staff members at my school if they would call the theatres to find out the price and time of the films for me. They were gracious enough to do so, and I went to the first screening yesterday.

The first film of the festival was a behind the scenes look at five guys trying to make it in the stuntman/action movie business. Directed by Jeong Byeong-gil, "We Are Action Movie Stars" (2008) is filled with everything that a good film should contain: action, comedy, drama, and sorrow.


The cast includes a wide range of professions and talents: one is a failed boxer, another a dance instructor, one is an egotistic macho bad boy (whom I am assuming is only in the movie for his comedic qualities), another is a skilled martial artist (but very shy and proper), and the last is a somewhat slightly above average skilled fellow who has the strangest looking ears...

The all have their trials and tribulations in trying to make it big as action movie stars, and eventually find their own place in the complex and crowded world that is action movies. The one guy with strange ears gets an operation, the boxer breaks his wrists and shins in a mission impossiblesque wire routine, the bad boy remains the same, and they all form a bond in the end. From wire routines to horseback riding, to car crashes and sword fights, this film has it all in terms of stuntman roles and action.


I thought the film was a bit too long for a documentary, and even though it was completely in Korean with no subtitles, I still found I could connect with several scenes including one in which one of the stuntmen talks about his favourite actress, Winona Ryder, and even goes as far as re-enacting a scene from "Edward Scissorhands" (1990).

Tonight's film was a bit more easy to understand since it comprised mostly of shots with silence or filled with music (which was very well done in my opinion). Directed by Hwang Yoon, "One Day on the Road" (2006), is a film about the countless animal deaths caused by "roadkill" and raises concerns about these accidents and how they are reflected by the location of roads and their grids within South Korea.


It seems to be a problem no matter where you go, but the filmmakers are trying to understand how it is that so many of these animals are getting hit by cars and trucks within such a specific section of highway in South Korea. The filmmakers outline some of the major problems with animals deaths: night time driving, roadside blocks or obstructions, and the location of these roadways within the animals' natural habitats.


The smartest animals when it comes to crossing the road (or at least not getting hit by cars) are turtles and crows. When you think of a turtle, you very much doubt that it even has the capability to cross the road, but they can motor across pretty fast when they want or need to. Crows are among the smartest birds and can even tell the difference between traffic lights as to when its clear to swoop down and collect their treasure; whether that be a smashed nut or remnants of another creature (I recently saw this program on discovery channel about crows).

The filmmakers attempt a new method to discover why it is these animals are getting killed within this specific section of highway. They setup roadside traps and begin to tag animals with collars in order to discover their routes and the places they go along the highway. Which leads them to find that the roads are directly in the middle of their habitats, and so that is why so many of them are getting killed.


Overall the film was pretty enlightening for me into something that I never really considered before and that's always a good thing in my opinion. The Film Festival, which started yesterday, is taking place throughout this weekend, but it also happens to coincide with another festival: The Jeju Mandarin Festival.



As I was getting on my bike yesterday to go to the film I was surprised by the sudden explosion of fireworks...



When I asked around at school, one of my students was kind enough to point out that this weekend was also the Jeju Mandarin Festival, which also sounds like it would be worth checking out. The fireworks were part of the opening ceremonies for the festival and was taking place just outside the Jeju World Cup Stadium. So hopefully this weekend I'll get the chance to partake in some more local events and do myself a favour by trying to embrace the culture that is Jeju island.

Attack of the Oranges!

Jeju oranges are well known across the island and are quite refreshing at any point of the day. I knew before I arrived that the island was well known for its fruit, but I had no idea just how extensive this was.

I first noticed the groves of oranges on my ride back from Mt. Hallasan and I was quite surprised. All along the countryside and even within the city are groves upon groves of oranges. There will be no outbreak of scurvy that's for sure...



The Jeju mandarins which are a somewhat yellow-orange, start to bloom in the autumn, so I've "picked" (pardon my pun) a good time to come to the island to enjoy its fruits. I pretty much have oranges everyday: for breakfast, lunch, and snacks at school.



There is also many spots where you can actually go and pick your own, something which I'll have to look more into in the days ahead. I didn't notice it when I first got here, but even behind my apartment/house there is a grove. Maybe my next door neighbour will let me pick a few...

The Land of Instant Noodles

Looking back on my first week on jeju island I can say that I am grateful for how things have turned out so far. I've been welcomed by the people here at the school with open arms, and have tried my best to do what they ask of me; teach English.

Speaking with one of the teachers at the school here, I learned what a great responsibility has been placed upon me, the expectation of many parents to teach their kids English. All I can do is promise to do my best, but that certainly doesn't translate into me successfully getting every one of my students to progress in their English skills. Some students want to learn and they are usually the ones who advance quicker and retain more of the language, but then again they are many students who don't participate, don't do their homework, or simply don't care about being there.

It is these students whose parents come to ask, "Why hasn't my son/daughter improved from last year?" It's a difficult situation to be placed in, but one many have to deal with as English teachers none the less. I'm sure its the same for any kind of teaching, but as the only Native English Speaker at the school, I represent potential for more clients at the school, and as such, they (the school and parents) want someone who knows what they're doing.

On Wednesday I started my first outdoor adventure here on Jeju, and that was to climb Mt. Hallasan. Not many people can say they climbed a volcano, so I appreciate the opportunity. Starting out at the break of dawn, we left from Yeongsil trail and started up the mountain. Yeongsil is the shortest trail out of the four possible routes to the summit and is about a 10 km round trip.



It was very cold that morning and their was evidence of frost everywhere. I was beginning to think that I hadn't brought enough clothing...I really wanted my toque, but a cap would have to suffice. The trail starts out in the midst of a forest covered in ferns, but as you get to within clear view of the looming volcano, you start the real challenge of the trail.



What seems to be like a good walking pace slows to halt, as the hill seems to get exponentially steeper. I must say that I was impressed with my own endurance, as I was able to keep up with the lead of pack for the most part as we ascended. The first lookout stop is about 1300 m up and...it is...just remarkable.



It's only about 8:15 and the sun has yet to show its face...the shadow of the mountain stretches for miles and the combination of that with the lifting fog and morning clouds is enough to instill anyone with a sense of peace. The line between the sky and ocean is blurred, you can't tell where one begins and the other ends...all over the countryside are these smaller hills, called "Oreum", which were once volcanic areas and are now withered down to their present size.



After taking a few minutes to rest and take some video/pictures, our groups begins our trek once again. As we get further up the mountain, we are passed by others coming down; an exchange of hellos and we continue about our way. There weren't many, so I would say that we were among the first dozen or so to scale the volcano that morning.

There is another lookout at 1500 m and we stop again for some snacks and to take in the view. The sun is shining brightly on our faces now and no one is cold anymore...it is at this point that I'm glad I didn't bring more clothes...the steep hike and the sun were more than enough.

You can now see the shore and the buildings of Seogwipo city (pronounced Saw-Gee-Po) and are impressed at how high you actually are...from this view I would say that you can see about a third of the entire island. Despite the lack of fall colours (since it is too late in the season for there still to be leaves up here), the view is still spectacular.



Not far after the last lookout the path begins to level out and it winds its way through some woods. Once you emerge from the woods you're greeted with an open plain as far as you can see, from here its only about another km to the rest station. The trail is quite well made and maintained, as their is proper steps all the way up and a neat boardwalk along its level parts.



There is a river that many of the mountain's wildlife use a source, it cuts through the boardwalk and there is even a setup area for visitors to stop and have a drink. From there the rest station is only a hop, skip, and a jump away.



As we approach the station I can hear my stomach start to rumble and just as I'm about to break out my protein bar, Tom's family greets me with "ramyon", a bowl of instant noodles...and I couldn't be happier.

For a such a small and lean culture, they sure do eat a lot. We started out with about 20 pieces each of "kimbap", or a simple sushi, then some spicy "ramyon", served with some sort of yellow crunchy beat or radish as a side...and then some kimchi. For dessert, something that resembles a tomatoe but tastes like a somewhat more dry and dull apple. If you think that's weird, you should see a Korean pear...it looks like a granny smith apple on steroids...



It's approximately 10:30 am and I'm now coming to the realization that we probably aren't going to go the final 200m to the summit (although a 3km or so trek). We take some group pictures and then some around the 1700m marker and begin our descent.



Despite the fact that you're going downhill, its almost as tiring at this point after climbing all that way up. At this time there are dozens of people climbing the mountain as we make our way slowly down its steps...I get my first sighting of foreigners in Jeju. Before this point, I had been told that Jeju was one of the most foreign populated areas in South Korea, but I didn't believe it...well now I'm starting to. I must have passed more than 20 foreigners that were going up the mountain and although I was glad to see someone who was like me, it made me feel less special...and they weren't as friendly as some of the Korean hikers we passed.

Tom starts sprinting down the mountain and I lose sight of him, I stop at the first lookout for a final glimpse of the island and I think to myself, "Next time..."

11/11

I've been in Jeju a total of four days now and it has been quite the experience thus far. I spent most of my first weekend sleeping and trying to adjust to the time difference, which to be honest, wasn't that hard. However, I think that was in part due to the fact that I only slept a combined 2 hours through my flights to get here.



The 11th of November has a special importance in Korea, because of its resemblance to these chocolate candy sticks, much like "pocky" for those of you who know what that is. So 11/11 looks like a bunch of these chocolate sticks called "pepero", which are a kind of cookie wafer covered in various chocolates and designs. I wore my poppy today and tried my best to inform my students and fellow teachers of today's importance for North Americans, and most of them I think understood. I now have an abundance of chocolate snacks from gifts from the students, which is awesome. I hope I enjoy them (the candy and students), as much as they enjoy having me around. Just about every student that sees me shouts "Hi!" every time I walk or pass by. I try my best to smile and return the hellos, and hope that it won't become too much of a burden in the future.


Kim Jun-Ho, English name Tom, is my boss and director at the school and he is a very enthusiastic and kind individual. He has made me feel quite at home here on the island, despite the obvious cultural differences. Jeju is one of the most foreign populated areas in Korea because of its tourist attraction, which also makes it terrible for traffic on roads because of the lack of understanding road signs and signals by visitors. I have only seen about 1 traffic light thus far, and Korean drivers don't seem to follow it anyway.

I got my first taste of a Korean dish today, a soup with "Hamdu" which closely resembles wonton soup in appearance and flavour. Traditionally everything here is served with Kimchi, pickled spicy cabbage, cumcumber, or radish. I have tried quite a few varieties, some more spicy than others, but all of them delicious.

Tom and another teacher at the school here were kind enough to take me out to the local superstore, aptly named E-mart, which has just about everything I will ever need. I managed to buy quite a bit of groceries, totaling 95,000 won, and they should last me some time I hope. Jeju is known for its oranges so I thought it would be appropriate to try some and they are fantastic...but more like tangerines or mandarins then like the oranges from back home.

Tomorrow Tom is taking me up Mt. Hallasan, an inactive volcano and the tallest mountain in Korea. We leave at daybreak, which he says is 6 am, but from this morning with the sun waking me up, I would put it closer to 7. I'm really excited for that and I'll be sure to post some pictures and video soon.

Ready to Go!

Finally I am on my way to Korea and even though it's been a long and bumpy road with many obstacles to get to this stage, I feel I am ready for this next step in my life. I have had numerous problems with delays in paperwork and processing documents for my visa, but I got it in my hand now and will be flying out this Thursday morning.

I am feeling nervous but good. My anticipation is starting to build now that I only have hours to go before I leave. It's going to be a long flight (20+ Hours), but it'll be worth it when I am out and about meeting new people, learning new languages, and exploring everything that their country and culture has to offer.

Just two days ago we had the first snow of the season and it'll probably be the last snow I see for a long time. Something I'll definitely miss about Canada, but with all the new and exciting prospects on Jeju, I'm sure I'll be quite comforted. It's going to be a warm 22 degrees when I land and I can't wait!