For my summer vacation, I took some time to go home and see my family in South Africa. I think I have rarely been so excited in my life. After booking tickets home, I spent months fascinating about all the different foods I would eat and everyone I wanted to hug. I can quite happily say I had the best two  weeks ever. The best part was that my mom and dad had no idea I was coming!

Arriving at the airport - roses and biltong in hand.

After a very long flight to South Africa and a nostalgic moment listening to the cheesy jokes on Kalula airways, I finally got to see my sister, and surprisingly,  my close friends as well all waiting at the airport. It was  overwhelming combination of happiness, exhaustion and relief. I think I feel asleep at 7.45 that evening.

Lauren, Gabi, Justin and Hilary at the airport!

My favorite moment was my arrival at my aunts house. I sneaked up to the veranda area and simply said "hello". My mother who was casually sipping a glass of wine, dropped her jaw in surprise and put her head in her hands. "What are you doing here????" My dad was completely silent for 10 minutes. They had no idea that I would be home for a fortnight - expecting me to be exploring in Japan (I even sent them a fake itinerary).

I had a lot of fun waking my university friend, Gabi up from a nap. She dived out of bed in disbelief. "What?? I though you were in KOREA???"

Having a holiday beer with Justin and Gabi. Miss these two a lot. Justin fairly annoyed to be posing for a photo. 

Gabi - 5 minutes after I woke her up!

Being home can be very healing. There is something about being around your family and friends, who have know you all your life, that just helps you to de-stress and relax. I will be the first to say that I love Korea and my job as a teacher but sometimes you just need to go home to a sense of familiarity. After a long semester of work, all I wanted to do was lie in the sunshine and play with my puppy. I am happy to report that was exactly what I did!

My sister with Charlie as a puppy 6 months before - he is now fully grown.

6 months later and this dog is massive.

Matching Mr Price dresses! Hilary and I.

Out with all my High school buddies.

My mom and I at Moksh Curry House. 

My sister (also know as poo head) and I.

Moksh Indian Curry house for a family dinner (My dad and sister).

Drinking a glass of red with Justin at Beau Constantia. 

Possibly the best thing I did on my trip to South Africa was eat. I think I put on a good 3 or 4kgs while I was at home. It was great to do nothing but eat fetta, red meat and avocado. I think I had forgotten how much variety in food there is in South Africa. I can without a shrivel of a doubt announce that I did not miss Kimchi while I was away.

The braai my aunt prepared for the whole family! Steak, Spinach and Fetta potatoes and even Amarula. 

Col cachio - salami, garlic, rocket (arugula) pizza.

Coming home after such a long time meant that I could be a tourist in my city all over again. It really made me appreciate how beautiful Cape Town is.

Over looking Gordons Bay - Where you can go whale watching. 

Boulder Penguin beach.

The bay market in Hout Bay.

Somerset West (the area  I live in)  at Vergelegen Wine Estate.

Wine Tasting at Vergelegen.

The train tracks at Kalk Bay (from Cape to Cuba restaurant).

Recently, a group of the girls ans I went up to Seoul to watch our friend Heather play the jangu (Korean Traditional Drum). She had been taking classes on the weekends all semester so we decided to make a day of it in Seoul.

We went over to Itaewon, a famous foreigner district for fire baked pizza (The only one I have ever come across in Korea). Pizza Peel was delicious and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good English speaking pizza restaurant. Part of their appeal is that there is a wide range of toppings not often found in Korea. Everything from prosciutto, feta and brie to  Dr Pepper soda and American ranch dressing (a staple in American homes- or so I have been taught). A girl in my town from Alabama was borderline horrified that  I had never had "Ranch" before. She solemnly said that South Africa needs help, for no society can fully function without the help of 'Ranch".

Itaewon is located close to a big US army base which  means that many of the restaurants and shops stock western and American products.

Bacon, and Salami pizza from Pizza Peel in Itaewon. 

The girls waiting for their pizzas.

Shopping in Itaewon. 

 Another great thing about Itaewon is the foreigner food market where you can buy all kinds of  imported products from all over the world. I managed to get my hands on things like couscous, fresh humus and even Reese's peanut butter cups ( a new find that I absolutely love). They have all kinds of interesting things to look at like Tim Tams from Australia or toothpaste from Canada as well as an array of Indian spices. I always spend way too much money whenever I go there. Angelique nearly cried from joy when she got her hands on a pack of Salt and Vinegar lays in the mart. It was an emotional moment for this Afrikaans lady - an unexpected reuniting with her favourite chips. I watched her dance down the hill holding two big packs, explaining that she would not have dinner because she didn't want to spoil her appetite for the chips.

The alley way that the market can be found on is affectionately known as 'Hooker Hill'. I didn't personally see any Hookers, but I suppose I'm not really their target audience. Maybe if I go back at night? :P

How to get there: Take Itaewon subway station exit 3. You will be opposite the Hamilton Hotel. Walk straight towards the big KB bank and past Subway Sandwich. Once you see Jesters (a pie shop) Turn right up an Alley way. The foreigner market can be found up and along the hill. 

This is one of three Foreigner food market shops that I have visited along the alley way.

Itaewon

We also spent a great afternoon watching Heather drum in a concert.  She played the traditional Korean drum called the Janggu, along with a class of other beginner foreigners. Our superstar drummer stood out because she was the only left handed person on stage. It looked like she was leading! She attended a semester long course in how to play the Janggu in Seoul every Saturday for 10 weeks in a music programme paid for by the government.  There were also a number of other kids who preformed. The kindergartners in their Hanbok (traditional Korean dress) were adorable. I loved the rhythm of the drums, the sound carried so well that you could feel it beating in your chest. It was quite a special experience especially seeing my friend be the one to create it.

The one instrument however, that I didn't really understand, was the Gayageum. It is a traditional string like instrument that essentially lies on the floor and you pluck it. It was played by a few Korean families as part of the concert. In all honesty,  it sounded sort of like a very badly tuned sitar. Every time they plucked at a string, Brie and I would have to stifle a giggle. I don't necessarily think it was the players but more the instrument itself. Even if Mozart himself had played the Gayageum  it would have sounded just as strange. The Gayageum is definitely the less cooler of Korean instruments.

Here are some photos of Heather's performance:

Heather drumming at the concert. 

The gayageum. 

Kindergarten Jangu

Until next time.

xx

Half the fun of travelling is food right? Here's a look at a couple more dishes I have eaten recently. All of which I NEVER would have tried 2 years ago. All I can say is, don't hate it till you taste it!

Kimchi- jjigae. This is Kimchi stew, with pork and Tofu. Its pretty spicy but surprisingly flavourful.  taken on Namhae island.

Patbingsu. Think of Ice cream with a healthier twist. Instead of cream, it is made of shaved ice. The dessert has the same sensation of a good ice cream sundae, with half the calories. Essentially any topping with a shaved ice base. Its like eating a desert with out the richness.  A delicious Korean dessert that I took WAY to long to try, Eaten in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. 

Mandu. This is a dish I eat for dinner at least once a week. You can get a very filling portion for about  4000 won ($4/ R40). It is essentially either stuffed with kimhi (spicy cabbage) or a spring onion and pork mixture. It normally comes with a tangy soy sauce and pickled radish.

Gamtajang or Pork Bone Soup. The dish is cooked slowly until the meat falls off the bone, in a spicy broth with vegetables and cabbage. It is served boiling hot and with sides of rice, peppers and kimchi.

Candied Yams. Although this dish isn't Korean but rather American. It was still foreign to me. I had my first experience with this dish on American Thanksgiving when one of the American foreigners in my town bought the dish for our Turkey sit down meal. It is basically mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon topped off with roasted and melted marshmallows. To me the description sounded a tad gross but the overall effect was delicious.

Last but not least, A Korean pear,  At home I really like pears but have never experience anything on this size or scale before. Korean pairs are about half the size of my head. Eating one sweet Korean pear is enough for dinner. 

Mushroom bibimbap. This is a vegetable and rice dish with a twist - Bonghwa mushrooms. These are mushrooms famous around Korea for being delicious. They did not disappoint!

A view of Geoje Island

Recently, a friend Brie and I decided to use the long weekend to take an organised trip to Goeje-do. (Geoje island).

We went with a company called Waygook travel run by a South African, Derek and his Korean wife, Sugi. The weekend was a great success and we got to stay in a pension on the beach for a very decent price. One of the best things about these trips is that you get to meet and bond with other teachers from around Korea as well as party up a storm on the beach with cocktails. If that description alone doesn't sell you, what will?

Partying on the beach with our tour group. 

Drinking games with the girls. 

In a nutshell, Waygook Travel took about 50 of us on the trip, which included a bus collection and return from the centre of Daegu. The trip took about 3 hours to get to the beach front of Geoje where we would be spending the next 3 days. Geoje is a great weekend stop because their is an extended bridge that stretches across from the mainland to the island. Thus meaning that faeries are not necessary and travel time is short.

A view from the beach we stayed at. Taken from the road outside our pension/room.

Beach time!

While we were there, we could chose to participate in a number of activities. My favourite being zip lining over the water and across the bay.  To be honest, I was a little petrified attaching myself to what seemed to be a pretty thin looking cable and sliding across the open ocean for a good ten minutes. This fear was only heightened when a 10 year old Korean boy was given the job of hooking up our  harnesses, along with the help of his 85 year old grandma.  I kept thinking this would really be a great example of negligence if you were a high strung and into suing people.

Despite all the fears, Zip-lining in Geoje was fantastic. The fear completely disappeared and the adrenalin kicked in once I was throttling down the line,  I felt a bit like a bird flying across the sky as the sun set - I don't think I will have another experience like it for some time. I think this is a lesson in itself. Sometimes its best to just close your eyes and be pushed off a platform, because you might get the chance to know what it feels like to fly.

The stand  you climb up the begin the zip line. 

Bre and I in our harnesses, ready to zip line. 

ready to be pushed. 

Over the course of the weekend there were various activities like, ATVing (quad biking), canoeing, deep sea fishing and roof top bbq's (braai). I didn't get a chance to do everything but hope to maybe go back one day! In honesty I was to busy recovering from my hangover on the beach on Saturday morning to take on everything.

The ATV (or quad bikes) 

The whole experience was great - I would definitely visit the island again. However, I did feel that the tour company we went with could have been better organised for the price we paid (approx $130/ R1300). For instance, the advertisement suggested there would be cocktails on the beach with a DJ playing a set. In reality there was punch in a cooler box that you scooped into cups and someone bought a portable speaker that was plugged into an iPod. The truth was stretched a little.

Catching some son. 

Regardless, if your laid back and willing to try new things. Geoje-do is for you!

Recently I have just passed the 2 month mark at my new school.
I moved at the end of August across to a local elementary school in the area. I was lucky enough to not have to change apartments - I just take a 10 minute bus to school each morning.

I will start by saying that teaching elementary school is drastically different from teaching High school boys. As much as I am very happy for the move, I will take a moment to say that I was very sad to say goodbye to my high school students.

Last lesson with my High level 2nd grade class (17 year olds). They were secretly my favourite class!

When I think back upon arriving in a completely overwhelming situation last year, in a school where coteachers refused to come to class and students were physically punished for misbehaving. I rounded out the year being very comfortable and happy teaching teenagers about life and English. A boys high school in Korea is somewhere I never thought I'd find myself.

Sad to say goodbye!

Saying goodbye in my last staff meeting. To the left is the principal.

I have come to realise, that despite the hormones, High school students have the best senses of humor. Most of all the respect you eventually gain with these young men is hard earned but means so much when it is demonstrated in class.

Remembering back to the FIFA world cup soccer final with the students.

I am lucky enough to have remained in the same town and still see my students all the time. I  laughed at a student at NH bank, who looked like he had seen a ghost after I said "hello" to him.
"Teacher. you are here? ooohhh"
I think he believed that as teachers we cease to exist if we dont work at the same school anymore.

Moving foward to my new school has been a very easy and comfortable transition. What a great change elementary school has been. It is so nice to teach sweet and enthusiastic students each day, who cannot wait to come to English class. I have also found myself in a English office of three other teachers who, care very much about the students and how they learn. It is very refreshing to hear students shout "hello" across the school when they see me and fight eachother just to give an answer in class.

The view from my office window.

I have had particular fun getting to meets my students in Kindergarten class - who are only 4 years old! I am currently teaching them the alphabet and how to say 'Hello'.

Such cuties.

The kindies learning their ABC's

heres to a another good year teaching in Yeongju.

Here is a look at my colourful classrooms.

Learning with the 4th graders.

Doing a Halloween class with the 3rd graders.