Blog Glitch

Vacation is over.

School is back in session and we are now on the 2 week countdown for our plane ride home! I

have been on summer vacation since the last week in July and its been awesome.

N8 and I didn't do much, we just laid low and saved some money by living it up in our town by the beach. I have never seen so many bikinis in Gangneung. People flocked from all over to come to GyongPo Beach and just sit under umbrellas and wade in the water. The beach culture here is very different from what we are used to back home. The beach was packed at all times, it was interesting.

We also did a small hike in Seoraksan mountain with our friend Paula which was a nice day trip.

It has been very low key lately and we've been enjoying every minute of it.

Throughout our vacation we also had some summer camps to attend to but those

are fun to do and I got paid for mine which was an extra bonus!

We are also dog sitting for our friend, Josh, and I've tried to upload a video of the doggies but it hasn't been working but I figure it out soon.

Having the end coming up so soon is causing some mixed feelings. I'm feeling relaxed because work isn't too hard now but I'm getting stressed about finding another job, readjusting, saying good bye and all of that good stuff.

Just gotta breathe and take it easy. see you all very soon!

N8's Bday

So I've been waiting for N8 to write about his birthday adventure so that he could choose what to say and what to omit....especially considering the photos that we have....
In celebration of his birthday, N8 decided to grow out his beard and shape it like the characters from the movie Gone With the Wind in order to be referred to as "Colonel Wildcat." If anyone slipped up and called him anything but Colonel Wildcat that person was obligated to have one shot of Soju. (yuck!)



N8's face went from a full beard to colonel then to just a mustache and MAN DOES HE LOOK LIKE HIS DAD!

We rented two vans and took people 2 hours north to Inje to play paintball and go white water rafting. It rained all day, but surprisingly it actually made the whole experience that much better! Paintballing int he rain made it very intense and difficult and everyone seemed to have a good time. Afterwards we were taken down to the river to raft down the quick waters and it was still raining. We all thought we'd freeze to death, but the rain was quite warm and it was a beautiful feeling to be on the river in the rain surrounded by lush mountains. The best part of rafting was that we were coaxed out of the raft and swam in the river and it carried us down stream for a while where we met people who were jumping off of the rocks into the river. We didn't get a lot of photo opportunities because of the rain.

When all of the events for the day were finished we got back into the van and headed back home to Gangneung. Some of us went to an all you can eat meat buffet. We ate, we drank, and we were merry! Once our bellies were full we proceeded to go out to a Korean club, which isn't my favorite thing...but its fun since we are the only ones who really dance on the dance floor.
This particular club usually has performances. That night they had a few singers and the D.J. also made a very public appearance by stripping all of the way down to his birthday suit...happy birthday N8! It was bazaar and we left...

The rest of the night was a bunch fun and a total success! N8 is now 24, his favorite number. <3

Murung Valley

Now that the weather is nice, we've been taking advantage of some of the natural beauty around us. On an impromptu Saturday morning, we decided to round up some friends to go for a hike. We got together at the bus station and took a 1 hour bus ride to Donghae (south of us). Our good friend, Graeme, taught in this area before and he is familiar with the city. We ended up going to Murung Valley, a popular hiking spot for Koreans because the hiking path follows a river that cuts through the mountain. Graeme took us off of the path to hike along the big rocks, we passed some Koreans that were having a quaint picnic by the river and they proceeded to tell us that we shouldn't go any further because there weren't any people up ahead...but that's exactly what we wanted!

We set up camp by a small swimming hole and enjoyed the sunshine. Later we were met up by some more friends who heard about our outing and once it got dark we built a fire and cooked up some soup and hotdogs. We suspect that some rangers found us but it was too dark to do anything about it. We camped out and stayed until the next day and ate our leftover hotdogs for breakfast, the rangers came back once we were all packed up and brushing our teeth. Two or three rangers came by to stare but because they don't speak English nothing was done about our mischievous behavior.

Its really wonderful to have such beautiful surroundings nearby.

I once was blind...

and now its still a little blurry- as expected~!!

This past weekend I went to Seoul, to a recommended lasek clinic, to have my eyes corrected. The staff was really wonderful, most of them spoke English and they were very sweet. The doctor warned me of the pain and recovery time but also of the safety of the procedure. My eyes were in pretty bad shape, so the effects of the surgery were expected to be a little more painful. N8 called off of work to come with me and be my seeing eye dog for the weekend. He was a wonderful support and really patient with the whole process. I had the surgery on Friday, I was super nervous and anxious, but the women prepping me were so kind that they helped me calm down. One of the ladies actually held my hand through the whole operation! Nate was able to see me in the operating room through a glass wall, he was also able to see the surgery on a monitor that they had displayed. The whole thing was utterly painless, just a little awkward and uncomfortable at times. The doctor talked me through each step which helped pass the time. The weirdest part, though, was that at the end of the operation the doctor told me he was finished and as he walked out the door, a song boomed out of the speakers singing: "CONGRATULATIONS! AND SALUTATIONS! ...." it was so bizzar.

I was amazed that I was able to see everything so clearly just minutes after the surgery! My eyes were a little tired and sore for the rest of the day but my vision was crystal clear. The following two days, however, were another story. My eyes were in so much pain, it was hard to open them. It was no fun but I was warned, so I wasn't worried. I went back to the doctor for a follow-up and he said that most patients regrow20-30% their epithelial layer by the next day, but my eyes had recovered by 50%. I tried to keep myself entertained by watching tv shows on the computer throughout the weekend, but the glare was too bright. But watching the screen was too bright if it was in the dark, so there I was, in my room with all of the lights on, the computer on a low light setting, watchign Dexter with my sunglasses on. classy.

By Monday, I was able to wake up without any pain but my vision is still a bit blurry. Today I will go to another doctor in my city so that they can remove the protective lens from my eyes. They say that my sight should steady out within a week or two, and that my eyes will not be fully healed for about 3 months. I'm very happy with my decision and the results!

Brain Matter

I have officially set the date! I am now registered to take the GRE in January of 2010. It was an intense feeling to make it so final, my heart was pounding as I was clicking "I accept" buttons and retyping my email address over and over again.

N8 convinced me to take the GRE kaplan prep course so that I can really "nail the test"! I'm hoping to lean on him a bit with some help because lord knows I don't know basic math.

"Now, if Julie has 3 apples and she eats on apple..." aaaaah! it just makes my head spin!

Its very intimidating to be in love with someone as smart as this fella...I've come a long way where I can now actually ask for help without bursting into tears of jealousy and embarrassment.

I hope to start the prep course in October and I'm really looking forward to being back in a classroom setting where I'm the student. This is just a small step towards finding out what I want to really focus on in the future. I have looked into Psych Grad programs in different Universities, but I'm also interested in an IPSL graduate degree (international partnership of service learning and leadership). Either way, the first step is getting GRE score under my belt.

In other news, N8's birthday proved to be an utter success this year! Most of our friends came out to join us for some outdoor activities even though it was raining-it actually was quite nice! but I'll leave those stories and pictures up to the birthday boy to post.

This weekend we are planning a hiking trip with some close friends to Meurang (?) Valley. I heard its an interesting hike, especially if you go off the trail and go along the river. We just need to spend some quality time outside and get out of the smokey bars! It should be good clean fun...but who's bringing the soju?

City of Champions

It has come to our attention that the city of Pittsburgh thrives without Nathan and I in its presence. We are sad that we missed so many great things this year (also including Emily's graduation *congrats!!*)
Either way, it was so nice to be a rep of Pittsburgh here in Korea and we were able to watch the game from a live feed online. What a world we live in!! It was a great game and it surely left a great big goofy smile on N8s face. He then proceeded to sing out lyrics to the song "Here we go, Steelers" but for the Pittsburgh Penguins-it was all quite catchy and it ran together well.
in other news, I have officially set a date for my lasek operation. The people in Seoul are very nice and the price is unbeatable! There is one price for the whole surgery, which is about half of what the surgery would cost back home. I was referred to this lasek center by a very happy customer, also a foreign teacher. Not only is the surgical procedure half the price from back home-but all consultations before and after the procedure are free, i get a year's worth of free eye drops, and since I'm coming from across the country they are setting me and N8 up for free at a hotel near the center!
I'm very happy with the Dream Eye Center and the doctor was very nice. The only thing that kind of freaked me out was that he explained how there are two types of surgery. And my eye condition requires an EK surgery. He said "IK surgery is quick and painless. EK surgery .... well is very good and extremely precise and better in the long run. But it hurts. A lot. Do you understand? Many many pains."
ah .... so I'm not looking forward to the pain, but its only a 10 min surgery!
I can't wait to see you all with my new eyes!!

*note to my dad-please don't think about this too much. it'll gross you out. I was thinking about posting a video of EK surgeries but I decided against it. JUST FOR YOU.

Booked

We have officially booked our flights to go back home!
(loud applause and roaring crowd)

Yes thank you, thank you! We are so pleased to have a set date on the horizon. We will be flying out of the Incheon airport at 11:30am on September 3rd to Tokyo, Japan. After a 4 hour layover we will depart to Chicago and then after a 5 hour layover we will arrive in Pittsburgh at 10:30pm on September 3rd!
20-some days of actually teaching classes are left in the semester and I have to admit I'm starting to slack. We are slowly falling into lessons that consist of bingo, PowerPoint games, and watching videos. During the summer break I will be teaching a 5 day course for Korean English teachers. I have to prepare at least 50 pages of lesson material and teach 4 hours per day. Its not hard work and its extra money so I'm excited to have this gig.
Nathan will probably be teaching a summer camp at his school which will probably last for a week or so. We are allotted a 2 week vacation and I think that we're just going to lay low, save some money and maybe travel to a Korean island-which sounds better than it really is... believe me.
Classes will start back up at the end of August so N8 and I may be dragged back into the classroom, and I know it will be an emotional roller coaster for the both of us. No matter how much of a terror these kids are, we love them!
Our contract ends on August 31st and then we have one last day in our great apartment and then head off to Seoul for the 2nd and stay the night in a hotel until we head out on the 3rd. We don't have much time for decompression so that will just have to happen during summer vacation and after our last day at school we will rush out of here...

soon to come-what we will miss/NOT miss

Summer in Gangneung...

is much better than winter. Because there aren't many great indoor activities, winter was long and boring in our hometown. It was cold, rainy, and it only snowed once!

On the other hand, our proximity to the beach and mountains simultaneously seems like it will serve us well in the summer. Here is a list of why summer in Gangneung rocks:

1. cheap road bikes (mine only cost me about $130). roads are wide and traffic respects cyclists
2. un-crowded beaches
3. high temperatures (70 and it's not even technically summer yet)
4. many mountains in a hundred mile radius
5. cheap transportation to get to the many mountains (For $6 you can get to three of Korea's most popular peaks)
6. the ocean has big waves! surfing is possible...
7. there is a flat, coastal road that runs right along for the beach for miles
8. marathons and half-marathons are ridiculously cheap, and you get good freebies and runner bags (only about $12 for the most expensive one!)
9. you are allowed to drink alcohol on the beach, or anywhere for that matter
10. grills are cheap, making BBQs very easy
11. fireworks are cheap and legal
12. schools make every excuse to have days off from school
13. water sports are popular and accessible. the best kayaking and whitewater rafting in korea is only a few hours away
14. paintball
15. futsol fields abound. beautiful, new sport turf (the kind with the fake rubber dirt crap) and lights stay on until 11:30

We have been taking advantage of Gangneung's features. For example, this weekend we went to Sokcho, a city about one hour north. We attended a beach party where there was BBQ, music, badminton, ocean, and lots of booze. We were there late in the night. The whole adventure only cost us about $20. And we went home the next day to enjoy Sunday at home.

Danoje

We're sorry for being so M.I.A. lately, its just been too nice to stay inside by the computer!
This past week was a very exciting time for our city, Gangneung. Each year, Gangneung hosts the Dano Festival which is a ritualistic event for the crop season. Traditionally, female shaman perform songs, chants, dances and exorcisms to cleanse the people and the earth.
The best part is that EPIK provided an all inclusive 2 day festival experience for EPIK teachers. I was allowed to leave early on Tuesday to meet up with other teachers downtown to see the tents, performances and parade. There were teachers from all over the place to come and see the festivities, which gave me a great feeling for this city that we live in.
We were allowed to take part in the parade which went through the streets of downtown. Each person in the parade had a colorful robe and held a lantern with a wish that you wrote out by hand and connected to the lantern. The parade ended by the river, where we sat our lanterns into the water and had our wishes carried off by the current. It was quite a sight!

Early the next day we went for a hike up a mountain that overlooked Gangnueng. We were able to see the whole city and the coast. On the mountain, there were a few shrines dedicated to the god figures in the stories related to Dano and also the mountain god. Many women were there as shaman to light candles and do ritualistic chanting in the mountains.
I was really happy to miss school, even though I love my kids, but sometimes its nice to get out and be outside on a beautiful day and see what your city has to offer. I think I also set a good example for the students on how you should take personal time/breaks for good mental health, right? haha!


Now the next thing in our horizon is Nathan's birthday party (paintball, white water rafting and homemade piñatas) and I'm considering getting Lasik surgery done next month. *Ee!*

Video News Project

A project that my students just finished was a Video News Project. The task was to create a short, informational video in English (e.g. news, how-to, commercial, etc.). This video is worth 20% of their English grade, and the top three videos will win their creators a pizza party.

I have posted the #1 video below. You'll notice some interesting things in the video, which are very reflective of Korean culture and their English woes:

1. You can hear the students shuffling around in their house slippers. Nobody wears shoes inside, not even at school.
2. There is almost a total lack of article use (i.e. a/an/the). Articles don't exist in the Korean language.
3. The students' inflection when speaking in English is totally off. They accent the wrong parts of words constantly. Inflection in languages around the world is very different. Korean, however, is not a tonal language like Chinese, they simply uses rises in different parts of words and sentences than in English.
4. The girls frame their faces by cutting their hair straight across the bangs and tapered inward from the temples to their chin. This gives the appearance of a tapered jawline, a characteristic of foreigners that the Koreans envy.



Aren't the kids great!??

Get It Right Korea!

slam time:

I'm loving my time here with my love, new friends, new environment, food and people. My time here has been spent well and I can't believe time has flown by so quickly. One year sounded so long, but its hard to believe we only have 4 more months left! 

On the other hand, we are very excited to get home.  We will finally be able to communicate with people around us. We won't feel as invisible and/or at the same time feel like we're being gawked at. When I ask for something, I'll know I'm getting what I asked for, oh yeah... and people will have washed their hands regularly throughout the day.

For example: My co teacher complained about how sick she was feeling. She had a fever the night before, a terrible cough and was losing her voice. She looked pretty bad, so she had decided to leave school early to take a rest. As she was describing her symptoms and coughing in her hand, she proceeded to stick her hands in my trail mix bag and dig around for ALL OF MY BANANA CHIPS. 

First of all, the banana chips are the best part. Secondly, I have never seen her wash her hands. Ever. So needless to say, I threw away my bag of trail mix and went on my day very hungry. 

Miscommunication is very common here in Korea. People tend to freak out if you try to speak English to them. Granted, I know that many people here do not speak English, which is fine! But if they would just get over the initial shock of not understanding and just look at me we could work things out. Body language and konglish (the mix of Korean and English) can go so far! 

For example : I went to go get my hair permed. I know I know. I couldn't help but hear my mother's voice saying: "Stephanie, you should really appreciate your natural hair. A lot of people pay good money for your curls!"

Well I had to perm my hair so it could grow out normally, and I showed the hair dresser what I wanted my hair to look like. 4 hours later, I came out looking like a hybrid between a cracked out poodle and a back-up dancer for a Madonna video. Needless to say I cried on my way home and just pinned it back . 

Please don't get me wrong, this trip has been great! It has helped me grow as an individual and also with my relationship with N8, but I cannot wait to get back to Pittsburgh! 

The Hills Are Alive

As the sun comes out, so do the people....

This weekend was a beautiful one! On Saturday I decided to ride over to the stadium with a few friends to see a Gangwon-do (provincial) soccer game. There was a good crowd in the stadium all chanting encouraging things to our team. The Gangwon-do soccer team color is bright orange which was quite a sight at the stadium. 

 

Afterwards I had to literally kick start the motorbike (which we have to do everytime, because we're that classy) to go meet Nate at the beach because he had gone for a long run as to prepare for a half marathon that he is running in the end of April. We were planning on staying at the beach for a while to read but it became very chilly so we headed home.

On Sunday we had our first Gangneung Sports Day! Quite a few people came out to Kwon Dong University to play kickball, Frisbee, catch and just to lounge around in the grass under the warm sky.  It was a nice change of pace! Later we all moved to the beach for a warm coffee.

 

Later that night we met up with some Korean friends and had a delicious oyster dinner.

First we ate some potato pancake with green onions, shrimp and fried oysters then shared some oyster dishes with rice and kimchi.  It was all so good. 

 

Spring has Sprung!

April has proven to be a good start on good weather and good moods! 

April Fools Day was a bust: I had planned to wake up late at night and paint N8's nails fire engine red and then sneak off to school early and take the nail polish remover with me...but my alarm clock failed me and it was a big flop. But I like pranks, so I just might keep my nail polish handy.

We celebrated Hai's birthday this weekend in Seoul. We went out for a performance called Nanta.  It is a non verbal, musical performance. It is very similar to STOMP and it is a family friendly show.  We enjoyed ourselves much more than we thought we would. Afterwards we went out to a Vietnamese restaurant, then to an underground Hukkha bar, then sang our little hearts out at noribong, AND THEN to an after hours night club. Most of our group, by this point, had disintegrated and we were left with 5 people in the group.  We entered the club around 3AM. I have never been in a place so crowded in my life. People were shoulder to

shoulder and jam packed near the DJ. The funny thing about Korea is that people here love pop music, but no one ever dances. Everyone 

was just bobbing up and down to the music and pushing their way through to go to the bathroom or to the bar. Our little group managed to shove our way to the upstairs where we'd hope there was more room, but we found ourselves stuck in the midst of a sea of people. I broke out into hysterical dance movements a

s to scare off people around me and make some room... surprisingly it worked! I kept flailing my arms and legs around to make sure people wouldn't want to get near me and we ended up with enough space to actually do some dancing. N8 and I had to finally call a quits around 5AM and headed back to our hostel. We were very happy to have all day sunday to relax and recharge for Monday's classes. 

As for Mondays...The cherry blossoms

are finally blooming and the city is looking very nice! N8 and I had a scheduled date after school to ride down to the lake, which is right next to the ocean, to take a stroll and check out the cherry blossoms. I can't help but think of my Dad and how much he likes to see these flowers. 

Taebaek Mountain

The weather is finally giving some hope of warmer and brighter days.  Recently, the skies have been grey and wet for a few weeks now. I appreciate the rain for how it helps keep the yellow dust out of the air.  Yellow dust comes in from China and moves down thru Korea and Japan. But because Korea has so many mountains it doesn't hit our neighborhood too badly. But I personally blame the yellow dust for my constant sore throat. 

Here is a pictures I found off of the Internet from 2006 depicting the yellow dust problem.

This past weekend, I decided to go for a hike with 9 of my friends up Taebaek Mountain.It was a two hour drive away, and once we arrived we decided to get lunch. We didn't start the climb

 until about 1:00 pm. The way up was pretty difficult, slick and steep.  I didn't realize how much snow there would be and my running shoes quickly became blocks of ice, snow and water. It took us about 2 hours to get to the top, and there is a temple at the top. 

We were all very happy to have made it and breathe the clean air!

We decided to walk from one peak to the next which took about another hour or so. This trail had even more snow, slush and mud than the one before and my feet were starting to get very cold.  We found a tree that is hallowed out, somehow, and still alive but you can fit an entire person inside!

       

It was pretty cool. Once we reached the second peak most of us were just hungry for some food and excited to head back down. We ate a little and enjoyed the scenery and time to rest. The mountains in Korea are definitely beautiful and vast. 

The way down was tricky because of the snow and ice and there were many falls.  Luckily some areas had rope where you could hold on and just slide down the mountain-side. 

We were all very happy to have made it down in one piece and we all just wanted a hot shower to thaw our feet.  

Bad Bloggers

Since N8 and I have started back at work, we have fallen back into a semi-boring routine.  Since we are in front of the computer all day at work, we usually try to stay away from the computer at home to give our eyes a rest.  The problem with the school computers, though, is that they have some blocked sites and our blogging site is one of those sites...so that is why we have been slacking.

One interesting thing that has happened here is that N8 hurt his foot. He was running on a treadmill when he felt a pain on the bottom of his foot. We weren't sure what caused the pain, and the Korean doctors didn't give much insight.  But he adapted well by creating his signature limp/run/shuffle around the house that left me howling every time!

So, sceptical N8 decided to turn to eastern medicine for help.  This was his first experience with acupuncture, which is mainly paid by our medical insurance and very cheap otherwise.  Many Korean people highly suggest acupuncture for a variety of illnesses and pain.  N8 was not too happy with his experience.  They start by asking for a pain point and then place needles in different areas on the body (just a few) and then put burning herbs that are placed in a bullet sized capsule on his foot. 

N8 only went a few times and then gave his foot a few days of rest from being poked and prodded and he surprisingly got much better! His foot is good as new, but he is still keeping a close eye on it while he works out regularly. 

P.S. I put this photo representing N8 because I didn't want to gross out my dad with real pictures of acupuncture. You're welcome Lar. 

Motoh-BaiKeh

Today has been a lovely day! First off, our schools have allowed us to stay home on both Thursday AND Friday so we've been getting a chance to catch up on some sleep and also to run some errands. We were paid today, and N8 informed me that we are getting an extra 100,000 won per paycheck because of general inflation, its not much but its nice to have the extra little boost. 

We start school again on Monday and I have yet to know what classes I'll be teaching. At first I would get angry because everything is so last minute here, I thought that they were just shoving my needs to one side and getting back to me at the last second. But I have realized that Koreans do this all of the time! We have 5 new English teachers at my school, and they too have NO IDEA what in tarnations is going on. I feel for them, but I'm not as shocked anymore by the last minute decisions and changes that are made. I guess I will just have to figure things out on Monday at school. 

Anyways, the big news for today is that we bought another motorbike! We have been tip-toeing over the idea for a few months now, and we decided its the best thing for us now that it will be getting warmer and we might as well get it asap so that we can get the most use out of it for our money's worth.  We paid 500,000 Korean Won which equals out to about $300 >which is a STEAL!! (thanks to the exchange rate) We also got a free break lock, a bike cover, and a nice new sturdy helmet for N8, since I already have one. Although I think we are feeling a little like over protective parents with this bike, because we are going to buy a second lock and all, we hope that nothing terrible happens to our new baby. 

Back to the Basics

The vacation time is now coming to a close. Sister time was incredible and much needed. We did a lot of fun things together, and I showed S the Korean ropes around our town. 

N8 and I are now getting back into the groove of school, he has been on a strict schedule of going into to work from 8:30-4:30 M-F to sit at his office and make lesson plans. I, on the other hand, have been giving a lot of days off, mainly to be with my sister and just to have me be at home because there is nothing for me to do at work. I love my school.

We start teaching again in March.  I am more excited for this semester because it is now the beginning of a new school year. So the students will be more organized, a little more attentive and excited about classes. We will be leaving in September, our contract is up August 31st, which means we will be leaving our kids in the middle of the school year. 

Now that we are officially at the half-way mark, I'm starting to feel sad about all of things we are going to miss here, the food, friends, students, teachers, environment, beach, mountains...the list goes on. No matter how much we complain about Korea being so different and crazy at times, I think we really do like it here, and we appreciate how it has changed us. But most of all, I'm going to miss my company with N8. Having to separate at the airport to leave with our designated family members will be hard to endure. We are at a stage in our life where we ping-pong back and forth from Independence to dependence at the drop of a hat. 

But I will tell you this, I am so grateful that we have such a loving and supportive network of family and friends that will always be there for us when we need some help. 

Southeast Asia

I couldn't possibly describe our 3-week PAID vacation through Thailand and Cambodia. But here's a run-down of our itinerary so that you can better follow the pictures and videos that you'll find below:

1. Flight to Taipei, 4-hour layover
2. Flight to Bangkok, sleep overnight in the airport
3. Early morning flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia
4. 3 nights in Siem Reap (activities: Temples of Angkor, floating village)
5. Flight to Bangkok, spend the day in Bangkok
6. Sleeper train to Chiang-mai (northern Thailand)
7. 4 nights with our friend Mae in her mansion (activities: tons of stuff)
8. Sleeper train to Bangkok, spend the day in Bangkok
9. Sleeper train to Surathani (southern Thailand)
10. 3-hour bus to Krabi (beach town) (activities: rented a motor bike and visited surrounding beaches and hiked a mountain); spent the night
11. Woke up at 6:30am to watch Superbowl XLIII
12. Had to leave from the guest house with 4 minutes left in the game to take a 2-hour boat trip to the island of Koh Pi Pi
13. Checked the internet: Steelers win!
14. 3 nights in Koh Pi Pi (activities: beaches, partying, and snorkeling)
15. 2-hour boat ride back to Krabi, spend the night
16. early morning 5-hour bus ride back to Surathani
17. 10-hour bus ride back to Bangkok (still no sleep)
18. Sleep in Bangkok airport (hardly any sleep)
19. Flight to Taipei, 5-hour layover
20. Flight to Seoul

Overall, Steph and I saved a lot of money traveling the way we did. We met a lot of amazing people. If you're willing to utilize budget accommodations and small, sometimes uncomfortable transportation, traveling isn't cheap and exciting. We were able to see much more of the countryside, and we had plenty of time to cope with our thoughts as well as simply observe. It was an amazing trip.

CLICK ON ANY PICTURE IN THE SLIDE SHOW TO SEE A LARGE VERSION!!!!

Cambodia Pictures


Cambodia Videos






Thailand Pictures


Thailand Videos







Terrible Towel Photos

Tune In

N8 will be updating the blog asap about our vacation with photos! 

S is here (in Gangneung, Korea) so please see our sister site for day to day updates:

 pleasantly-furious.blogspot.com  

Some R&R

Geeze Louise its been a long time since we've posted! Our 3 week vacation is coming to an end and we are enjoying every last minute. N8 and I have our first EVER 3 week PAID vacation; so we hit it up Cambodia, Northern Thailand and also the south beaches of Thailand.
We saw some of the temples at Angkor Wat which were an amazing sight. We stayed there for 4 days and then headed to Chiangmai. We stayed with my friend, May, which saved us a lot of money because she also drove us around everywhere. We were there for about a week and now we are in Koh Pi Pi which is an island off of the south coast of Thailand. We are happy to finally have some sun on our skin, we are eating so well, and we are averaging 2 massages per week! What a life!
Throughout our trip we have been flashing the terrible towel everywhere in support of Pittsburgh's run to the Superbowl. We woke up at 6am in Krabi (south thailand) to watch the game and we were so happy to be a part of Superbowl history!
Once we get back we will post our pictures of our trip--
You'd think that the fun and games are over...but we're only half way there. N8 and I arrive in Seoul on Saturday the 7th and we will stay overnight in the city to await S's arrival on Sunday the 8th! We are excited to discover Korea all over again with some sister time. <3

Happy Be-Lated New YEAR!

Since N8 and I have finished our semester, we have been busy with winter camps, catching up on sleep and also on laziness. 

Our New Year's celebration was definitely fun. We had a small get together at a friend's house and then all headed over to the Warehouse bar in our city, within minutes of the new year! We toasted and danced all night in hopes to stay up as long as possible in order to catch the sunrise.  The Korean people usually bring in the new year on the beach to see the sunrise despite the frigged temperatures. We stayed out at the bar until about 4am and then headed home to refuel. We ate french toast and waited until it was late enough to head out to the beach. 

There was a big stage with dancing and singer performances and also 2 or 3 big bonfire pits for people to warm up next to. 

It was so cold out that day that N8 and I only made it to about 7:30 when the sunrise colors were coming up. It was beautiful to see the new year's morning light on the sea!

Now we are preparing for our departure for our OFFICIAL vacation time! Tomorrow we will be heading out to Thailand, we will arrive in the Bangkok airport by 2am and then hang around for the first flight out to Cambodia and stick around Ankor Wat for a few days. Then we plan to go back to Bangkok, head up to Chiang Mai and then hit the southern island for the remainder of the time. 

When we get back to Korea we will hang out in Seoul for the day and wait for S's flight to come in and show her around!!! sooo exciting!

We might be M.I.A for a bit but we will try to email as often as possible to keep in touch. 

oh by the way... PITTSBURGH IS GOIN TO THE SUPERBOWL!! we will be searching for a good sports bar in Thailand to see the game! We'll be waving our terrible towel all over south east asia.