Chuseok Vacation-In Photos

Photo Diary: because it’s easier and more fun then a blog post

Margaret’s best friend from home comes. I look oddly awake here for having stayed out all night.

Jejudo for the first few days of Chuseok– The longest and hardest bit of traveling I’ve ever done, including sleeping in the sink on the train…I will not post photos of that. Jejudo was beautiful, and I really enjoyed having my feet in the sand for a few days. We even got to see our Korean friend that lives there!

If I was a boy, I would be Andries, our host in Jeju

Jacky came and visited for a few days as part of her Asian adventure. It was so nice to have an old friend here– this was the beginning of our trip, and the end to our hectic weekend in Seoul–after a 9 hour journey from Jeju to get there. I only complained for a little bit after realizing that Jacky, Alec and Brittany had been on a plane for 24 hours. Trump card.
A quick rundown of Jacky’s visit:
Friday they arrived, and we ended up getting into Seoul a lot later then we thought we would. After traveling by Boat and bus for at least 9 hours, we went to the hostel. I promptly woke up Jacky from her slumber, and took her out for a proper Korean BBQ meal with all the fixing. Jacky, Alec, and Brittany were sold right then and there on Korea, and Korean food. We then went out for a few drinks, which turned into a club night (surprise–it was Seoul) but we headed home early, as in 3am.
Saturday morning we got up slowly, and made our way to Insadong, the Korean traditional area of Seoul. Because it was holiday week, it was packed with people…and we ended up just getting a meal, and walking towards the largest palace in all of Korea. Afterwards, we went home, and got ready for our night out on the town. For dinner we had DakGalbi, one of my favorite Korean spicy meals. We then went out, and had another fun/hectic/exciting Seoul, complete with Jacky and Brittany dancing on poles, and me and Alec drinking many bucket drinks.
Sunday we traveled back to Gumi, and just stayed in to rest and relax.

A little bit of sightseeing in Seoul, which I must say I have never done…even though I’ve been here for 8 months. I forgot how hectic and crowded Seoul is…like New York City on steroids. Jacky and her friends seemed to have a good time…even though they were jetlagged.

Though we all enjoyed Seoul, I think there is something to be said for the quietness of Gumi. Here is a photo of our Monday morning walk at Gumosan Lake, one of the prettiest spots in Gumi.
Monday, all of my visitors came to my classes with me, handed out sillybands to my students, and taught them how to play Heads down thumbs up. The kids love them, and have continuously asked about them everyday for 2 weeks.
Afterwards we went to see my most recent Korean crush, which everyone approved of—don’t worry Dad–i’ll move onto my next crush in a few days.
Then we ventured to Noraebang, my favorite Korean Tradition:

The most important thing to do when visiting Korea is to visit a Noraebang room…a private Karaoke room, filled with at least 20 friends. “I don’t think any picture can quite capture the spirit of our Noraebang”-Jacky
Tuesday: I went to work alone while they traveled to a temple near my house. Afterwards we went to a Makkali house for some more traditional Korean drinks, checking all of them off of our list.

In short, it was a 5 day marathon of everything you should see in Korea:Noraebang, Seoul, Gumosan, Temples, Soju, Galbi, Samgypsal, Pajan (or Korean Pizza), Makkali, etc….

I have spent the last 2 weeks recuperating and have finally gotten back to my normal Energy level…just in time for another hectic weekend

Living the “American Dream”

I’m not usually one for a politically charged post, but I felt it necessary today. As I watched the first 15 minutes of the presidential debate today, I found it interesting that John McCain mentioned both “the American Dream” and affordable health care in one response. Oddly enough, I planned to write this blog tonight on health care, entitled “Living the American Dream,” before John McCain’s response…we must be on the same page.

There are approximately 46 million Americans that are living without health insurance today, the United States being the only industrialized country without universal health care. 9 million of these 46 million people are children, without health insurance.

Today, I decided to write this post, because to me, it seems that I am truly living the American Dream. I just recently graduated from college, and began working a job at which I have only been for 2 weeks. I am not insured as of right now, and will not be for at least 6 months. For the past few days, I have had a bevy of health issues, including dizziness, nausea, and several other scarier things that I do not wish to write here… but it has got me thinking. A year ago, there is no way that I would not have went to the doctor when I was feeling the way I have been lately, but because I do not wish to pay a 1000 dollar plus doctor bill, I have chosen to wait out the symptoms, hoping that they go away with time. Luckily, this has been the case, and have been steadily feeling better as the days go on, but it is very scary that I actually had to make that decision. I chose to sacrifice my health, in order to avoid future debt. This choice, which I venture to guess, millions of Americans make on a daily basis, is truly living the American dream.