So, where did I leave off?

Sorry again folks... even though it's been business as usual around here, I've managed to not find time to write in the blog. Now where was I? Okay.

Oct. 22-24th was my trip to Busan. Even though it was a very cool place, I don't think I'll be going back for a while. It's just so hard to get to. Here's a rundown of the itinerary to get there:

5:15 Bus from school to Buyeo - 15 minutes
5:50 Bus from Buyeo to Daejeon - 1 hr 40 minutes
7:32 Taxi from Seobu Bus Terminal to Daejeon Station - 15 minutes
8:01 Train from Daejeon to Busan - 2 hrs
10:01 Taxi from Busan Station to hostel - 20 minutes

Catching the 8:01 train out of Daejeon just put my life under a lot of stress. Don't think I'll do that again any time soon.

Luckily the trouble getting to Busan was worth it. It's a gorgeous coastal city. We went to the aquarium and the Busan International Fireworks Festival. It was nothing short of insanely crowded - the kind of crowded where you could literally be picked up off your feet and swept away. The fireworks were good, but I wouldn't go again. For all the hype I was expecting a lot more. Maybe Koreans just don't know how seriously Americans take their explosives because 4th of July fireworks are just as good in my opinion. Either way I'm still glad I went for the experience. I got back Sunday evening.

The following weekend was Halloween! Or as the Koreans insist on calling it no matter how many times I correct my students, Halloween Day. They don't really celebrate it, but some kids dress up (I don't know about trick or treating though). I bought fairy wings at Homeplus and was a fairy. I went to Cheonan with some people from Buyeo - there was a big group of foreigners (waygooks - Korean for foreigners) congregating at a bar for Halloween.

I did Halloween lessons Thursday afternoon and all day Friday at Seokseong. I think the kids enjoyed it. I showed my older kids one of those goof YouTube videos where you stare at this peaceful-looking car commercial and all of a sudden this monster jumps out screaming. So many of them freaked out! Then all day long it was, "One more time! Teacher, one more time!" The 1st/2nd grade class made jack o lanterns, and 3-6th played a Halloween game. Kevin dressed up like a zombie, face paint and bloody shirt and everything, and he said one of his 3rd graders cried because he was "so scary."

Tomorrow the Seokyang teachers are going on a picnic, then we're going to a dinner. I don't know why we're going on a picnic and then dinner. Last Wednesday Mr. Kim told me we were going hiking instead of volleyball, and now we're going on a picnic instead of hiking. Oh Korea. If I had 1,000 won for every time Mr. Kim said, "The ______ is not," I would be able to buy a kimchi refrigerator. Today, "The 3rd grade class, is not." Sure thing. I'll just hang out for the 40 minutes when I'm usually teaching 3rd grade.

Then Thursday I have a teachers' dinner with Seokseong. I think it will be good... the last teachers' dinner I attended with Seokyang was fine. However, I am glad I don't work at Celina's school. The way they do things there is both baffling and appalling. For example: she went hiking with her fellow teachers. They weren't done until like 6, I think, and then they went out to a restaurant, and she didn't even leave to return to Buyeo until 11:30! This was a Wednesday night! It's also the second time she got roped into staying out with the other teachers an insanely long amount of time. Don't the other teachers want to get home to their families? Also - she doesn't speak Korean! That is a long, long time to socialize when you can't communicate. Based on my previous teachers' dinner experience, I don't think this will happen to me, but I'm a little concerned. Two teachers' dinners in a row can be a lot.