I'm Dreaming of a Thai Christmas

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fabulous Holiday. I was lucky enough to get a week off for Winter vacation so I decided to hop a plane with my friend Sarah and headed for Thailand. I was really excited to see another part of Asia that I've always wanted to visit. 

While on the plane to Bangkok, I sat next to a guy who lived in Thailand for two years. His words of advice were drink as many buckets as you can, don't take your purse around monkeys because they'll steal your stuff, and if we spend more than 700 baht ($22) on a meal for the both of us, we're spending too much.

The first three days were spent in Ko Phi Phi. After three plane rides, taxi rides and a two hour ferry ride we finally made it. It was definitely worth the extensive traveling. We celebrated Christmas with a big party on the beach. It really didn't feel like Christmas since I wasn't around my family, but I met so many people that I never had the chance to feel homesick.

ferry ride

where we spent most of our nights

We stayed in a lovely bungalow looking over Phi Phi. 

Cant' forget about the buckets of booze.

On the last day in Phi Phi, Sarah and I decided to take a snorkeling trip to some of the surrounding islands. It was the best $16 I ever spent!

monkey beach

Maya Bay
(where the movie The Beach was filmed)

Lo Sama Bay

Later that evening we returned to Phi Phi for our last night out. It was such great ending to a few days in paradise. There is a bar on the island that holds Thai boxing. At this particular bar they ask for volunteers to fight each other for a free bucket of booze. While I was too much of a wimp to get my butt kicked, Sarah stepped up and entered the ring.

After a few days of soaking up some rays and relaxing on the beach we headed over to Phuket for a night. While there, we booked a trip for elephant trekking. Now if you don't already know this, I am in love with elephants and riding an elephant in Thailand has been on my to do list for quite sometime.

The next day we boarded another plane and headed over to Bangkok for the last leg of our vacation. It was a great way to end our last few days in Thailand and to ring in 2012. We were lucky enough to find a great deal on an amazing hotel right next to the Four Seasons. I can't even begin to tell you just how nice it was to see a bathtub and be able to dry my clothes in a dryer.  People might think I'm crazy but when you haven't seen these things in five months, you begin to forget just how nice they are.

As soon as we arrived in Bangkok we decided to hit the town and see as much as we could in the two days we had. Our first stop was the Grand Palace and the reclining Buddha. Pictures do not do these places justice.

grand palace

reclining Buddha

When visiting the palaces one must always wear proper dress. This includes no sleeveless shirts, shorts or sandals. Well silly me thought I could get away with bermuda shorts. I was certainly wrong! As I walked in I was hounded by the Thai police screaming, "No shorts, no shorts". After being scolded by the police man, I booked it the clothing rentals and got this lovely skirt, seen below, to wear around. I felt so Thai!

One night we decided to take it easy and booked a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River. The weather was perfect and the scenery was just breath taking. 

Our last day in Bangkok was New Year's Eve. Since we were in Thailand, we wanted to celebrate it in a different way than we usually do. Instead of the usual night club, we a went to Calypso Cabaret. Not only have I never been to a cabaret show, but this show was chalk full of Ladyboys. These ladies/men were something fierce!

 

I had the most amazing time in Thailand! I recommend anyone, who's able to travel, to at least make a stop here. The food is also fantastic! There is not one thing I ate that I didn't enjoy. I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to travel here! I never thought in a million years that I'd be spending Christmas on an island and ringing in the new year in Bangkok. Crazy!

Now it's back to reality. Luckily, I enjoy my reality! I hope everyone had a great holiday and cheers to 2012.

Love y'all!

-Jenn

P.S. - For anyone interested in checking out some videos I took, 

head to http://www.youtube.com/user/Jenn2186.

I've Got Spirit, Yes I Do!

These last two weeks have been packed full of fun. Even though I'm not home, I'm still really in the Christmas spirit. I think some of that is due to the frigid temperatures here lately. Last week's high was a whopping 30 degrees. Needless to say, I believe this is going to be a cold winter for me. Help!!

Last weekend I put on my best attire with my friends and attended an amazing Christmas party at Touché which was in a very poshe part of Seoul. All thanks to my friend Simon, who so kindly put together the event, I had such a great time!

Touché

Santa and his little helpers

food

my second family

This week the kinder classes went on a field trip to the children's theater to see Aladdin. I couldn't understand anything they were saying because it was all in Korean, but I got the gist of it. The kids cried every time Jafar came to the stage. I think it's safe to say he wasn't their favorite character.

School as been going well. I'm beginning to feel the stress that many of my school teacher friends in the States warned me about. Our kinder classes have graduation coming up in February, so we've been planning for that and getting things ready for the end of the year since we'll be on vaca for a week.

My co-workers were also feeling the stress this week and suggested we vent out over a strong beverage. Our beverage of choice was makkoli. Makkoli is a very tasty Korean rice wine.

To add to my Christmas shenanigans I had Christmas morning via Skype with my family tonight, minus my brother :( It was so nice to have everyone together even if we weren't in the same room. I miss them so much!

thank you Jonathan for my tree

This will be my last post until next year, because I'll be leaving for Thailand in 5 days! Sarah and I will be there from the 24th-1st. We're planning on going to Koh Phi Phi, Phuket and of course Bangkok. It will definitely be the trip of a lifetime. I'll be sure to post all about my travels when I come back. I can't wait!

This year has been such an amazing year for me. I again can't thank all the great people in my life enough for making it that way. I'm so blessed! I hope 2012 will be just as fantastic! I wish everyone a fabulous and safe Christmas! 

See you next year. Miss and love you! xoxo

-Jenn

Things That Make You Go, Hmm!...part 2

Here's another post dedicated to all the new things in Korean culture that I've come across since being here. For being a country that's the size of Florida there's so many fascinating discoveries I'm finding on a daily basis.

I'm sure I've stated this several times but Koreans are genuinely the nicest people I've ever met. Their hospitality is amazing! There has been countless times where I may look lost in a subway station and someone will go out of their to ask if they can help. Some who ask speak little to no English, but they try to the best of their ability to help. Also, many Korean women don't like tanning so they will stand under an umbrella in the sun. Recently I was standing at the bus stop and a lady covered me with her umbrella to block me from the sun. This was very comical, but also a nice gesture.

Speaking of Korean women not liking to tan, this brings me to my second rant. While Americans fake and bake to be perceived as better looking in the summer, Koreans see being pale skin toned as more beautiful. Whitening cream is very popular here and is used to brighten the skin to a more pale color. I will say that I have seen some women who take this to an extreme and sometimes look ghostly.

Even though I've been in Korea for four months, I'm still confused about the garbage disposal system. Unlike in the America where recycling is seen as a hassle and you throw all of your trash into one can, Korea has somewhat of a more complex system. Started in 1995, the Seoul Metropolitan Government began implementing the trash separation system. This means you must separate recycables by type (i.e glass, plastic, or tin), food waste, and general waste. Also, instructions on the bins are usually only in Korean which can make it even more difficult when playing match the trash to correct bin. Until I can figure this out, I will continue to take my trash out at night in hopes that nobody will see me.

Another custom I'm still adapting to is taking my shoes off anytime I enter a home or certain restaurants. Koreans sit and often sleep on their floor, so having a dirty floor is intolerable. This is a big part of Asian culture! Often while at the gym I forget that I can't wear my shoes in the locker room. Not to worry, the ajummas are quick to remind me.

my school slippers

Finally I must rant about the heated floors, also known as ondol heating. Before the cold weather hit I was very skeptical about this. Back home in America, heaters just blow heat out of vents. Well ondol heating uses hot water below the floor to warm them up. I always thought that there was no way heated floors could keep me very warm. Boy was I wrong! About two weeks ago the cold weather decided to grace me with it's presence. I made my first attempt to crank up the heat. Well I'm not the smartest tool in shed when it comes to conversions and my Celsius to Fahrenheit conversions were way off. I woke to my apartment being 95 degrees. Oopsie! Needless to say I've worked out the kinks and now my apartment is nice and cozy.

I love being in place where I'm constantly discovering new things and nothing is ever the same. Things that I would've seen as odd before are now new, amazing little quirks that I love. Oh Korea, you are somethin' special!


love and kisses!


-Jenn xoxo

A Korean Thanksgiving

This week was a week full of "misses." Being the first Thanksgiving away from home, I certainly missed the traditional hangouts and catch-ups with old friends on Thanksgiving Eve, my Mom's cooking, and of course spending time with my family. Lucky for me I had 15 other friends to celebrate turkey day with this year.

At school on Thursday, I gave the kinder classes a lesson on the story of Thanksgiving. After, each student was asked what they were thankful for. I heard "I'm thankful for Jenn Teacher" from Nuri in Clifford class, and my heart just sunk. Kids can be so sweet sometimes.

On Saturday two of my lovely friends hosted a Thanksgiving potluck dinner. So myself and fifteen of my closest friends celebrated Thanksgiving complete with stuffing, potatoes, pumpkin pie, and chicken. Unfortunately we couldn't find a turkey, so we compromised with chicken. We spent the whole day together eating, playing games and of course drinking lots and lots of wine. It was such a great day! Since I missed Thanksgiving at home, this was just what I needed :)

There is so much I have to be thankful for this year! Just to name a few: I have a family that supports and loves me, I have amazing friends who keep in touch even when I'm 7,000 miles away, I have a great job with great co-workers and 35 little ones that are happy that I'm there, and last but not least I get to experience a new culture, as well as travel to places I never thought I would.

So all in all I should say that I'm ONE lucky girl :) I miss you all!

-Jenn xoxo

A Whole Bunch of Randomness

Tis' the season for heated floors, hot chocolate and Christmas lights. I've been pretty busy these last couple of weeks getting into the holiday spirirt and seeing new sights of SoKo. Last Thursday after work I made a visit into Seoul to see the Seoul Lantern Festival. It's an annual festival that was started in 2009 that showcases artists from all over the world down the famous Cheonggyecheon Stream. There's also a spot where one can light a lantern as a symbol of 'hope and friendship'.

That same night, Sarah and I decided to walk around this particular area of Seoul a bit more since we have never been there to enjoy it at night. To our surprise we found CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was. Christmas is my favorite holiday!

This past weekend I ventured to the eastern part of SoKo to visit none other than a penis park. Samcheok, which is where Haesindang Park (penis park) is located, is about a four to five hour bus ride from Seoul. Sarah and I woke up at 4:30 am to catch the first bus into Samcheok. Before going there, I researched the area quite a bit. I did not realize just how beautiful Samcheok was until I arrived. Because we did not plan to stay the night, we only had time to visit Haesingdang Park. I'll definitely be planning a trip back to Samcheok in the springtime to visit some of the other sights there.

For all of those who are wondering why in the world there is a penis park in South Korea, here's a story to give you the details. According to a late legend, a young virgin threw herself into the ocean, and drowned. About the same time, the local fishermen began to notice a decline in the numbers of fish they were catching. It seemed as thought all the fish had disappeared. Concluding that the young girl’s spirit was haunting the ocean; angry and frustrated after dying a virgin, the locals decided to take drastic action to appease said spirit and built this park.

To add to this post of randomness, yesterday South Korea practiced an air-raid drill around 2pm. The drill is practiced about two times a year to prepare in case North Korea attacks. Pedestrians in open and public areas are suppose move to nearby buildings or subway stations as they would when seeking shelter in an actual event. All drivers/vehicles on the road have to pull over and come to a complete stop. After watching videos online of people who were outside during this drill, I got goosebumps and a little scared of the reality of a possible attack.

No worries y'all! I'm as safe as I can be :) I miss you all so so much <3


-Jenn xoxo

The Most Magical Place in the ROK

This past weekend called for gloomy and rainy weather, so I took it upon myself to make indoor plans. After a nice brunch at Butterfingers with Lauren in Jeongja, I took a ride on the new Sin Bundang line (신분당선). This is a new subway line that just opened on October 28th and connects Bundang to Gangnam, which is a popular part in Seoul. It was developed to cut the total travel time by bus from 60 minutes down to 16 minutes. What's also neat about this line is that the trains are completely computer operated, so there's no conductor on board.

After my speedy trip into Seoul, I went to visit Dr. Fish. Dr. Fish is a semi-upscale coffee bar/spa. For 2,000 won you can experience the tickling of the Chinchin as they eat at your feet. Some may think this an absurd and disgusting idea, but it's actually pretty neat. Essentially the fish are used to exfoliate feet and toes for the most natural of spa experiences.

To add to my indoor plans, I went to the most magical place in Korea...Lotte World. Lotte World is the world's largest indoor amusement park. It's almost a small replica of Disney World with it's own version of the Magic Kingdom, otherwise named "Magic Island." I felt like such a kid as I walked into the park. The inside was lit up with colorful Christmas lights and Christmas themed parades. It was the first time since I've been here that I felt like was home in the States.
 

Magic Island

Indoor skating rink with Lotte World rides surrounding

There will be another "magical" place I will be visiting next weekend. I'll be sure to post about that!

Miss you all!

-Jenn

Three Months In...

Today marks my third month in Korea. Holy cow! Time is flying by so fast. Only nine more months until I'm home though. Wahoo! Things sure have been picking up here in Korealand. 

Last weekend I dug out the inner daredevil in me and went zip-lining in Mungyeong. Mungyeong is a city surrounded by beautiful mountains and is about three hours from where I live. The Fall colors were amazing and they reminded me a lot of the mountains back home in Virginia, which of course made me miss home that much more.

There were nine courses and each course got a little higher and longer in length. The highest course was 360m or about 1,000 feet. I definitely recommend trying zip-lining at least once to whoever is looking for a thrill. There's nothing like the feeling of basically flying from tree to tree and taking in a pretty awesome view at the same time. Next on my list...bungee jumping.

Saturday night I celebrated Halloween with some friends on a Halloween themed cruise. It was hands down one of the best Halloweens ever! The boat was massive and held close to 800 people. Props to the event planners for putting on such a successful night. Going to these kinds of events really makes me miss planning events :(

A 1920's flapper, the Cat in the Hat,
Minnie Mouse, White Trash and Nicki Minaj

Today our school celebrated Halloween with a costume party. Anna Teacher asked me to be the MC for the day, which meant I had to greet the Moms and keep everyone on schedule. It sure was a fun day! We had games,  pumpkin carvings and don't forget the trick or treating.

Ralphie?

Tweety and Elmo class