Kyungju Cherry Blossoms

Two weekends ago a big group of my friends headed down south to take advantage of the sun and beginning of spring.  We rented bikes and toured Kyungju for two days.  All the cherry blossom trees were in bloom and it was so beautiful.  Here are a few pictures of the weekend that stole from my friends' cameras (thanks Kel and Ash):

Welcome to Kyungju - land of the cherry blossoms.

We went through the rice (bap) fields

and made a pit stop for some MimBaps (mimosas in the rice -bap- fields)

and lit off a few fireworks.

We drank some beers by a lake and watched the swans, I mean paddle boats,

and checked out this cool pagoda.

We headed back to our hostel,

found this abandoned restaurant,

and played on the playground.

 On day two we went off the beaten path and biked around the farms.

We enjoyed the beauty of Korea,

took our final pictures, 

 left the fields, 

 and headed back

to Seoul.

The Dentist

I went to the dentist a week ago and it was a little different than the normal cleaning in the U.S.  First of all, the best part of the appointment was that it was only 30k won ($30)!!  So awesome!  I was so excited to get my teeth cleaned because I genuinely love the dentist, but let's just say Koreans lack the same finesse and gentle hands the American dental assistants have.  They were poking and prodding all over my mouth.  My gums were bleeding and swollen when I left, plus they were still sore when I brushed my teeth two days later.  I couldn't see what they were doing because they put a blue cloth over my face with a hole for my mouth to go through.  This was great because I didn't get water all over my face, which usually happens (it's generally a water show in there), but terrible because my curiosity shot through the roof, as did my pain.  I was so tense that I got a cramp in my neck.  I'm pretty sure they used tools that we don't have in the U.S., but atleast I left with clean, smooth, shiny teeth in the end.

The dentist and her assistant were so nice and spoke English.  I always leave places like this happy because they're so complimentary.  "You're teeth are so white!  You have beautiful teeth!  You're so pretty!"  All in all it was worth it.  The inexpensive $30 appointment made the pain worth it!

Conglish

This is an e-mail I got from a student a couple weeks ago.  She was trying to tell me that she lost her summary (file) and would talk to me about it in class.  Enjoy!

Haley!!! Sorry, I lose my flie. So I can take my summary. I decided to write the new summary. I could't write summary now because I couldn't think what is the name of the book. I will listen you about the book's name then I will write the new summary!!! 

Sunday Brunch

• I just hosted 7 girls for Sunday brunch.  It was a tight squeeze but we all survived.  The hardest part was trying to cook and prepare everything with my limited kitchen space.  But I do have to toot my own horn and say that I made a pretty darn good breakfast.  Everything was made from scratch, too.  Here are the recipes:
• 
  
• Zucchini Bread
• Ingredients:
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• Directions:
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil, yogurt, and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, and salt; stir into the egg mixture. Divide batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until done.
• 
  
• Mini Frittatas
• Ingredients:
• Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 nonfat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of each: Broccoli, Onions, & Mushrooms (or any other vegetable)
• 
  
• Directions:
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spray 2 mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in vegetables. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately.
• 
  
• Banana Butterscotch Drizzle
• *I served this over homemade pancakes but it would be great over a cake or some ice cream!!
• Ingredients:
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 bananas peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I left them out)
• 
  
• Directions:
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cook the brown sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons water over medium heat, stirring, until bubbling, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 stick butter, the sour cream and bananas and heat through.

I love Sunday mornings when the sun is shining, you can listen to music, and chat with friends.  And we even had mimosas!!  I haven't had a mimosa in FOREVER!  Ugh, I miss being able to do this.  I wish I could do it every weekend but it's too hard in my little place.  But I'm thinking about trying to do it once a month.  I've always enjoyed being a host and allowing people to come into my home and cooking or baking for them.  It's one of the ways I connect with people and let them into my life.  Not being able to do that here has been hard.  I feel so much joy when I see others connecting in an environment that I've helped create.  Plus, it's an excuse for me to bake and share my goodies with everyone.  

I hope everyone has as great of a Sunday as I had!  Cheers to you.

Some Favorite Blogs

I know I'm not that great about blogging, but here are some great blogs that I love.  I'm obsessed with baking, especially since it's a little hard to do here, so I get my fix from these two blogs.  Enjoy the yummy recipes!

All things delicious including pies, cakes, and cupcakes:
http://www.cakespy.com/

Cooking, baking, and real life from an NYC mom:
smhttp://smittenkitchen.com/

Six Month Anniversary

Last Thursday marked my 6 month mark in Korea.  When I think about the last six months, part of me can't believe how fast it's gone.  It seems like yesterday that I was moving in, meeting people, exploring the town, and figuring out the public transportation system.  But the other part of me feels like I've been here for much longer.  I know what's expected of me at work, I see the same people everyday, I know who my students are, I eat the same foods...as much as I love routine, sometimes this gets a little monotonous.

Do all grown-ups in the working world feel like this?  I can't believe that after college we go right into a job....and work....for the rest of our lives.  Thinking about working until I'm 65, well frankly it makes me want to vomit.  Don't you get bored?  I guess that's why people change jobs so often.  

Back to Korea.  Since my last post, I've decided that there's no way I could live here for another year.  I could stay for a few extra months, just to save the extra money, but a full year is out of the question.  Teaching has some really great things about it.  I love being around kids because you never know what they're going to say or do.  It's a fairly flexible job in that I can tweak my lesson plans depending on how I'm feeling or what's going on with my students.  Being a teacher can be really rewarding when you see your students succeed.  Teaching, at least teaching English in a foreign country, can be a total drag.  The communication barrier with my students, co-workers, and bosses can be really disheartening.  Things get lost in translation and I feel like I'm always the last to know about everything.  I feel like they expect more from me than anyone else and sometimes I feel like I can't live up to the unspoken standards they have.

I've learned to let things roll off my shoulders and my patience has increased ten-fold.  I don't get stressed as easily and have learned to roll with the punches.  Spontaneity is not a strong character trait of mine, but I'm slowly letting go of my "I can't go there or do that because I hadn't planned for it" neuroses.

When I get back to the U.S., here are some of the top things on my to-do list:
1. Eat as much granola as I want
2. Plan a Vegas weekend with my 21+ cousins and brother (Linds, Whit, Chad, Nathan, Breann, and Jonathan)
3. Go to NYC during Christmas time
4. Go back to Austin to visit the Paulsons
5. Fly to LA to see all my LMU friends
6. Go to D.C. and then make my way up to Boston
7. Go to Nashville to see the sights and embrace the country girl in me
8. Happy hour!!!
9. Eat real dessert (not the nasty fake cake they have here)
10. MEXICAN FOOD!!
*This all, of course, comes second to seeing all my friends and family in CO

6 months down, 6 to go....

A Whole Bunch of Question Marks

One of the most frustrating things about the future is that I have no idea what's going to happen.  Yes, the endless possibilities are exciting and it's fun to hope and dream.  But for me, the neurotic planner, queen of schedules and timetables, the overwhelming number of possibilities and the infinite amount of choices causes me to cringe inside.  I like knowing what's coming next; I don't like waiting for "next" to happen and hoping that I end up standing on my own two feet instead of face down in mud in the pouring rain.

March 24 will mark my 6 month mark here in Korea.  I've grown a lot, seen a lot, experienced a lot, and learned a lot.  But as I think about what's next to come in my life, I wish I could go back to being 5 years old where someone made all my decisions for me.  Granted, life wouldn't be as fun, but it would be a heck of a lot simpler.

Some foreigners come here and make the easy decision to stay for another year, 2 years, or choose to call this their permanent home.  Others know immediately that living in Korea for one day longer than a year would be sheer torture.  They're on a plane back to North America so fast they barely have time to say goodbye.  As for me, I feel like I'm walking through mud - trying to find a solid ground but have no idea which way to turn.

If I stay in Korea, I don't know if I could stay for a full year.  I miss my friends and family.  I miss driving.  I miss "normal" food.  I miss happy hours.  I miss the beach and real mountains.  I miss blending in.  If I were to stay, should I stay at my hagwon where I have the opportunity to work in the mornings to make extra money?  Downfalls of my job: I hate working at night, I hate that I have no time off, my closet sized apartment, living an inconvenient distance from my friends, and the fact that because I work at night I feel like my social life is severely hindered.  Or should I stay at the same school where everyone knows me, my boss is kind, and I have one of the easiest jobs in Korea?  If I stay, how long should I stay: 2 months, 6 months, a year?  Plus sides of staying: saving money and the opportunity to do some more traveling.

If I were to go back to the U.S., what would I do?  I've researched some different companies that I would like to send my resume to.  But the thought of having to go through the whole interview process again makes me want to shut myself in my room and never come out.  Plus, I still don't really know what I want to do.  In addition to finding a job, add the stress of worrying about money, buying a car, paying for insurance, finding a place to live, deciding if I should live alone or with a roommate.  But it would be great to get back home where I can actually call people on the phone, everyone I know and love is within a 4 hour time difference, and I can actually communicate with people without playing charades.  I miss spending time with my brothers, Fuller family get-togethers, and I hate missing out on all the fun things my college friends are doing.

Well, if you have any suggestions or advice, I'm all ears.  Clearly I have no clue what to do or where to go.  I'm praying about it and trying to trust God, but I would love to have some sort of plan as soon as possible, just to give me some piece of mind.  Besides that, I'm happy, healthy, and ready for spring.  I've definitely learned that winter and I do not get along.  I'm sick of layers and ready for dresses and bikinis. Happy St. Patty's Day!