July Roundup

July 31, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

1. July was a work-intensive month. Between a full-time teaching schedule and preparing a comprehensive exit report for my replacement, I also had three kindergarten open classes. If you’re unfamiliar, an “open class” is when parents sit in on their children’s class and watch you teach. Given the high pressure put on students by their parents, I had to rehearse for open classes with my students for about a week and a half before to ensure they were comfortable with the material. I structured the lesson for my six year olds around “community places”, while the lesson for my seven year olds was based on concepts relating to “our Earth” (i.e. countries, continents, and oceans). Despite the stress I felt leading up to Open Class Week, I was totally and utterly vindicated when Happiness, Pride, and Smile Class totally killed it! My smile on that Friday afternoon was in recognition of their achievement, and also in recognition that I would never be subjected to another open class, ever. Huzzah!

2. Maybe I was listening to a lot of Calvin Harris, but I became painfully aware of summer’s fleeting nature in July. The realization that I would be returning to Canada in a matter of weeks and trading my flip-flops for winter-appropriate boots was not an easy one to accept. However, I pulled myself up by my flip-flops (NOT my boot straps) and made a simple, conscious effort to enjoy my remaining few weekends on Busan’s various beaches. I enjoyed mid-day tall boys of Cass. I fell a lot while trying to perfect my handstand. I laughed a lot and had great heart-to-hearts with friends. Ultimately, summer is always fleeting but those memories will endure long after it’s gone.

3. I took a trip to the beautiful Jeju Island with Steph and Mary at the beginning of the month. Despite the treacherous weather we endured for the majority of the weekend, it would be nearly impossible to have a bad time in Jeju. We sampled some of the local black pork stew, visited a majestic waterfall, hiked up a giant crater called “Sunrise Peak” during a typhoon, and enjoyed a period of brief blue skies on a black sand beach. I only wish I had more time to continue exploring the island!

4. My hagwon took our kindergarten students on a field trip to learn what to do and how to respond in times of crises. My students learned how to use a fire extinguisher, how to escape a burning house safely, and what to do in the case of an earthquake. These situations were often quite stressful and some of my students were rattled by the experience, but I do think they learned some valuable lessons from the field trip. Afterwards, we all enjoyed a sunlit picnic and naturally had an outdoor photo-shoot. Pictured above is me with Big Jaden, Yuli, and my absolute favourite student, Nina.

5. One of my favourite days at school, Cooking Day, returned in July! We taught our kindergarten students how to make my favourite Korean dessert, patbingsu. The recipe itself is pretty basic, requiring only shaved ice with sweet toppings such as chopped fruit, condensed milk, fruit syrup, and red bean paste. The kiddies loved assisting with the preparation, but not as much as they loved devouring their “cool” creations!

6. I hosted an event titled Goodbye to Your Bae to celebrate my last official weekend in Busan. We ate at Artista, our favourite Mexican spot in Jung-dong, headed to the Kyungsung University area and watched the sun rise on Gwangalli Beach. It was the perfect setting to reminisce on memories from the past year and to salute the future.

7. As always, my school hosted a July birthday party. Given that this was my last birthday party at Brown & LCI, I ended up hosting. I created a PowerPoint quiz titled “Who Is That Teacher?”, where my students were shown a baby picture and had to guess which staff member it was. The best parts were when a picture of a clearly Caucasian baby were shown and the students guessed a Korean teacher, or vice versa. God bless the derpy little angels, amirite?

8. The neighbourhood of Hwamyeong became like a second home to me, after spending nearly every weekend there with Jess, Maddie, and Mary during the winter months. So, prior to leaving for summer vacation, I spent my last day in Hwamyeong with my friends Mary and Nina. Mary cooked a delicious breakfast for us, and the three of us took a walk through the local ecological park. Shortly afterwards, I had to leave to catch my flight to Shanghai. This was an incredibly bittersweet moment, as I had to bid farewell to Nina (I will be seeing Mary again in Toronto this fall). This was my first serious goodbye and I was incredibly touched by Nina’s emotion as I pulled away in the cab. I’m confident this is only “see you later” for Nina and I, and am looking forward to crossing paths again soon!

9. I spent 15 glorious/somewhat stressful hours in Shanghai en route to my final destination, Bangkok, during my summer vacation. While I didn’t get the opportunity to fully explore the city, I did manage to wake up early enough to see The Bund from its observation deck. Despite the fog, the iconic waterfront area was breathtaking, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to have seen it.

10. My love for Southeast Asia could never be quenched, but my summer vacation in Bangkok was like a refreshing 255mL water bottle after a long run. My week in Bangkok was filled with exploring, noshing, making new friends, and relaxing. While I wish I could have toured around all of Thailand, I have confidence that I will be back, someday soon.

June Roundup

June 30, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

1. One of my favourite school field trips happened this month when my school attended the Haeundae Sand Festival. I will never forget the looks of joy on my kindergarten students’ faces as they built Elsa’s castle from Frozen out of sand and shrieked as the cold ocean water rushed up over their feet. Oh, to be young., it sounds like so much fun.

2. My exercise preferences change like the seasons. For the majority of the year, I’ve been on the yoga bandwagon, save for a brief stint with Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. This month, however, I began running at Daecheon Park with my fellow Jangsaner, Katie. The draws of running at Daecheon Park are simple: it’s a mere 15 minute walk from my apartment and has a 550m track wrapped around a tranquil pond. Katie and I have been running three nights a week, and I’m currently working up to a 5K race when I return to Canada. I’d forgotten how peaceful a quiet evening run can be, especially after a stressful day with 50 little troublemakers!

3. The beautiful return to Bijindo. A single visit to the beautiful island where “time stands still” was not enough, so I once again braved the long journey, this time with Steph, Mary, Nina, and Katie by my side. Since it was Memorial Day in Korea on the Friday, we had a long weekend to relax at Bijindo and I got my first real experience camping out on a beach. The best moment of the weekend was late Friday night, when Katie excitedly ran over to our tent and beckoned us out to the look at the now bioluminescent water. The entire sight was amazing; there we were, splashing around in this glowing, blue water, under the stars, on a remote island in South Korea. It really doesn’t get any more perfect than that.

4. Over the last three months, I have been (somewhat half-heartedly) growing out my hair; partially out laziness, but mostly out of love for the aesthetic. June was an exciting month for the follicles on my head because they can now be pulled together to make a respectable, albeit somewhat dinky, ponytail. The end goal is a Mulan style bun, (which will undoubtedly aid in my common, metaphorical usage of “defeating of the Huns”), and my hairdresser assures me this will be possible by the end of August. Prayers for my hair(s)!

5. Literally the moment I have been waiting for all year long: Ultra Music Festival. The highlights include dancing to Blasterjaxx at dusk, dancing on stage with M.I.A. in the late evening, and dancing the rest of the night away with Steve Angello. So much dancing obviously, and so much recapping after the jump here.

6. I love a good costume. Earlier this month, my kindergarten students frantically practiced simple sentences ad exchanges one might hear if they were sick for our school’s hospital play. They were then were responsible for taking turns as both doctors and patients. It was seriously so adorable watching the kiddies use stethoscopes on their friends and diagnosing them with “you’re dead”. I really do believe our children are the future.

7. With the exception of my friends and fellow teachers here in Busan, there will be no way for me to properly describe my experience in South Korea. Thankfully, after receiving a 5AM WhatsApp about a month ago indicating that there was a $600 round trip ticket to Seoul via Vancouver on DeltaAir, I subsequently received a visit from one of my best friends, Yusra! She ended up staying in Busan for six days, braving a ferry, two airplanes, a cross-country train, and multiple cabs. Without a doubt Yusra made the most of her time in Busan, visiting Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi Market, Busan Tower and Yongdusan Park, Haedong Yonggungsa Water Temple, Seokbulsa Temple, Igidae Park, and Vesta Spa – all after completing a UBC Law exam! Seriously, what a trooper. A couple of my friends joked that she had seen more of Busan in six days than they had throughout their whole contract. While it felt incredibly bittersweet walking her to the subway, I am so grateful to have such a generous and adventurous friend like Yusra. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – next time in Vancouver, Yus!

8. This month has been a big old throwback to my post-graduate life in Montreal, where the majority of my time was spent on my old apartment’s rooftop pool and terasse. Recently, my friends and I have been on a hunt to discover (and enjoy!) the rooftops of Busan. My apartment in Jangsan, as well as the commercial building beside it both have adequate rooftops, perfect for sunset beers and wine. Props to Steph for discovering both rooftops and cheers to July potlucks on the penthouse!

9. I’m very happy to announce that I’m officially a student in the Public Relations Postgraduate Certificate program at Humber-Lakeshore in Toronto this Fall! I officially paid my tuition fees earlier this month, which means a mere two and half weeks after I finish as “Dylan Teacher” and arrive home in Canada, I will be off to Toronto to begin another year as a student. I couldn’t feel more confident about this program and I’m excited at the prospect of going back to school after two years in the “real world”. It’s going down – I’m yellin’ Humber!

10. The end of the month can only mean one thing – birthday party at school! This month could have easily been dubbed the “Derpsday Party”, given our roster of birthday kids (check the photo above), but as usual, it was a period filled with lots of singing, embarrassing photos, and of course, English speakin’. Happy birthday to Big Jaden, Pobi, Sophia, and David Y.!

I’ve been having a mild, and mostly latent freakout recently, as the end of June approaches. This was the month I had been waiting for – two holidays off of work, Ultra Music Festival, a visit from Yusra – and now it’s over. I only have one full month left in South Korea and it is already shaping up to be a busy one at school and at home. I fell a little bit out of my weekly routine, but I am looking forward to some home-cooked meals, evening yoga, journalling, and sticking to a strict blogging schedule. It’s time to get my affairs in order and wrap up my time here: bring on the month of “last” everything! See you in July!

Haeundae Sand Festival

June 9, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

“Just another manic Monday – wish it was Sunday.”

Nope, nope, nope – not today. I woke up this morning in an absolutely chipper mood. Why, you ask? Oh, just a casual Monday morning field trip to the beach for the Haeundae Sand Festival, that’s all!

The Haeundae Sand Festival happens every year on Busan’s largest beach, Haeundae. Despite Busan’s reputation as a coastal town and playing host to five major beaches, this is the South Korea’s only festival based on appreciation for sand (huh?!) Given that it only lasts for three days, my head teacher had to amend the regularly designated field trip day (Friday) in favour of Monday morning. However, this was the best possible outcome since the field trip took me from “totally zonked out” to “z0mg look at all of this energy, I’m the best teacher in the world!”

We arrived at Haeundae Beach mid-morning. I rode with my homeroom students – Aiden, Grace, and Sa-Yeon of Happiness Class. After informing the students of the “beach rules”, (“no eating sand”, “no throwing sand”, no drowning, etc.), we were off to look at the various sculptures scattered across the sand.

The theme of the 2014 Haeundae Sand Festival felt slightly garbled. Featuring Tarzen and Jane as the main players, the festival was (aptly?) named “Through the Sand Jungle”. While there were important elements of environmental awareness and protection throughout (Tarzan and Jane end up saving the beach through sand restoration – yay!), the entire backstory felt like it had been written by one of my fourth-graders and didn’t really add much to the beautiful scenery. I’m all for motifs, but in this case, the backstory was completely unnecessary; methinks a simple “here’s a sand sculpture of a gorilla” would have sufficed.

It’s always so refreshing to see the looks of wonder and excitement on the faces of five year olds. They absolutely marvelled at the giant sculptures featuring lions, rhinoceroses, and other jungle imagery. One of the cooler elements of the Sand Festival was the large sand hill at the end of the beach, towards Marine City. At any given moment, hordes of children could be seen clambering to its peak, only to be unsuspectingly yanked down the hill on a sand board by their parents. Other (admittedly unexplored) elements of the festival included a “sand theatre” where visitors could view short films and documentaries, a sand exploration hall containing seven differently themed rooms, and a sand maze. I silently wept upon learning that the sand maze was not on our itinerary for the day. I do love a good labyrinth!

Towards the end of our time at the beach, the kids were allowed to flex their creative muscles, (something seriously lacking from Korea’s hagwon system, in my opinion), by building sand sculptures and castles, themselves. After dozens of references to Elsa’s ice palace in Frozen, too many pockets filled with seashells, and wails of “teacher, there is sand in my eye!”, it was almost time to leave. My head teacher did allow the children to strip off their socks, sandals, and in my case, leather loafers, to run in and splash about ankle-deep in the ocean. Very wet, much fun, so smiles!

While I’ve heard rumours that this year’s festival was significantly less ostentatious than in year’s past, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Haeundae Sand Festival is one-stop shopping for the millennial soul – one can marvel at the beautiful sand sculptures at one end of the beach before moving to the opposite end to enjoy a day in the sun. Sand, sightseeing, and sunbathing – Busan’s tried and true recipe for an amazing summer!

Directions
To get to Haeundae Beach, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 2) to Haeundae Station (stop 203). Go out either exit 3 or 5 and walk straight until you hit the beach (this takes approximately 10 minutes). The Haeundae Sand Festival happens every June for approximately 3 days during the first or second week of June. The 2014 Festival took place from June 6th to the 9th.

May Roundup

June 1, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

1. My wonderful (former) head teacher, Esther on her last day. She made the very brave decision – after four years at my hagwon – to set out on her own and blaze a new trail. I am wishing Esther all the best in her new adventures – school will not be the same without her!

2. Celebrating Children’s Day and Teacher’s Day at school was so perfect. Pictured above is the whole of my school’s kindergarten program after a riveting game of Corn Hole. I was absolutely soaked with sweat after running around to set up this game, subsequently garnering the new nickname “Wet Teacher”. You’ve got to love these children’s imaginations.

3. I began a new weekend routine in May: spending the entire weekend with my lovely ladies, enjoying the Busan nightlife on Saturday evenings, waking up, heading to the beach, eating Quiznos, getting a killer tan, doing headstands, going to Vesta Spa, and then finishing the weekend with some kimchi fried rice at my favourite local diner. It is a scientifically proven way to brighten life, and I feel so grateful that my last few months spent in Busan will be during the summer.

4. It’s back! Beach yoga began at Gwangalli during the first weekend in May. The last time I did beach yoga was in mid-October with Jess, Maddie, and our former teacher Amanda. Much like the seasons, my beach yoga crew has changed, but I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by the bendy and the zen. Even if I weren’t though, the view would more than make up for it.

5. You’ve got to love school field trip day. My school recycled the Daeyeon Arboretum (we already visited in September) as the location for this month’s field trip, but I still managed to have a lovely time in the great outdoors with my munchkins! I taught the kids to play classic childhood games including “What Time Is It Mr. Wolf?”, “Red Rover”, and “Duck, Duck, Goose”, and somehow, only one child managed to fall and scrape their knee. If you’ve ever worked in a school, you know that’s a small victory.

6. I spent a Sunday afternoon with a trio of my former middle school students in Jangsan, and it was a lot of fun. They recently left my school in favour of private tutoring and were very eager to meet up for lunch. They were initially so jarred to see me outside of a classroom setting! We enjoyed a nice meal at the Korean diner and played some arcade games before calling it an afternoon. God love these derps – middle school is a hard time, but they all have such good heads on their shoulders!

7. Life is nothing if you don’t fill it with the special ones. Pictured here is my “Bu Crew”: Mary, Katie, Steph, and Brandi, just missing our lovely Nina. There is certainly not a lot of time where I’m without at least one of them: Steph and I are basically attached to the hip every night after school; Mary and Nina make the long trek from Hwamyeong to Jangsan every weekend; I meet with Katie through the week to jog at Daecheon Park and have a nightcap at Thursday Party, and I’m so lucky to have sweet old Brandi as a co-worker. I’m truly #blessed.

8. It feels like I’m always saying goodbye! After ten months of shaping Korea’s next generation together, I bid farewell to my co-worker and friend, Brittany Teacher. My boss took all of the foreign teachers at my school to a dessert bar early last week as a thank you to Brittany for all of her hard work. She’s currently travelling around Southeast Asia for the next two months before plotting her next move. Best of luck, Britt!

9. Since I’m nearing the end of my contract and want to spend my last few weekends soaking up the sun, I was quite aggressive with my Bucket List (very typical). Amongst those that I was able to check off were Samgwangsa Temple, a Lotte Giants Baseball Game, the Oryukdo Island Cruise, and Bujeon Market. I’m so excited that I’ve nearly checked everything off of my Korean Bucket List!

10. I always love a good birthday party. Each month at my school, a birthday party is held for all the students celebrating that month. May has a solid line-up – five of my favourite students were turning a year older, and choosing which one to stand with in this photo caused me some serious anxiety. As per usual, Nina was the winner.

May was just as busy as its predecessor, April. It had long catch-ups on Skype with my friends back in Canada, lots of beach yoga and beers, meeting lots of new people – basically everything I could want as I usher in the summer season. I booked my flight to Thailand for summer vacation, my school booked me a flight back to Canada in early August, and one of my best friends, Yusra, booked a flight to South Korea for a visit in June! May had many hits and only a few misses and I’m happy that my sun kissed face broke into laughing fits easily and often. Au revoir, May!

Teacher’s Day!

May 15, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

It seems like May has been a never-ending barrage of public holidays in Korea. Two weeks ago, Children’s Day and Buddha’s Birthday were celebrated, while last week was all about showing love for mom and dad on Parent’s Day. Today, however, was the mecca of public holidays, for me anyway, because it was all about the eraser clappin’, red pen circlin’, stink eye givin’ teachers of Korea!

My friends Jess and Maddie had spoken lore of this glorious day. Their stories about Teacher’s Day in May 2013 had me seriously excited when I woke up this morning.

Teacher’s Day in South Korea is celebrated every May 15th. The premise is pretty simple – students celebrate their teachers. This “celebration” can take the form of simple gratitude or sometimes gifts. And who doesn’t love that, amirite?

While I joked with my co-workers about the prospects of $100 Starbucks gift cards and skin products, this day was just a reminder of how fortunate I’ve been this year to meet such bright, young minds. I, admittedly had a bit of a rough day today, (highs and low are inevitable on Thursdays when I teach nine classes in row), but I have so many things to be grateful for and to be inspired by. Here are just a few:

– My homeroom class. The children of Happiness Class are simply in a word, “happy”. I’ve only taught this quintet for two and a half months, but they are consistently the highlight of my day. One of my students, Kevin, came into the teacher’s room early this morning and gave me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. He was trailed by little Aiden (“Aidy”) who gave me a rice cake that I devoured before he even had time to leave the room. These nuggets make it all worth it.

– My first grade boys. Formerly my daily kindy students, I now teach these four first-grade boys only three times a week. All four boys are so kind, intelligent, and well-behaved, which makes teaching them a dream. Earlier this month, one apologized for not being able to invite me to his birthday party because “he didn’t think I would have fun”. Even though we didn’t have class today, one boy named Jessy ran up to me in the hall with a toothy grin as he handed me a gift-wrapped box. This turned out to be a spill-resistant, vacuum coffee mug. Obviously the little guy knows me well, and I was astounded by his generosity on a day when I don’t even teach him!

– The sleepers. There are certain kindy students who I don’t teach as often throughout the week. As a result, I often feel that we don’t have a very close relationship; I’m just a blip on their radar. One example is little Sally from Pride Class, who completely threw me off today after presenting me with a $30 gift card to Starbucks. It’s always the quiet ones that surprise you!

– My former middle school students. Even though they are all gone now, my middle school students have been adamant about keeping in touch with me via e-mail. The best part of my day was receiving an e-mail from one student, Julia. Check below for a screenshot – this e-mail really did make me go “d’awuuuh” on my lunch break.

– My fellow co-teachers. Tireless human beings. Even when the fluorescent lights are too bright, and the air conditioning refuses to work, I can always count on them to listen to fifteen minute snarfles. Here’s to you guys.

As Teacher’s Day 2014 comes to an end, I want to wish my fellow teachers in Korea, from public schools to hagwons, as well as teachers from all over the globe, a happy and healthy evening. I’m placing a virtual apple on each and every one of your desks. Namaste!

Children’s Day!

May 5, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

Happy Children’s Day, everyone! May 5th is a recognized public holiday in Korea, which means I get this sunny Monday in Busan off! Yes, the irony of being an English teacher in South Korea and not having to teach on Children’s Day is not wasted on me.

Children’s Day has officially been celebrated since 1970 in Korea, and encourages children to grow and prosper without discrimination, and to hold only wisdom and bravery in their hearts. Toy stores, public parks, and department stores are apparently swarmed with kids, so you better believe I’ll be avoiding those places today!

In celebration of the up-and-coming generation of Koreans, my school hosted a full day event in dedication of the little nuggets this past Friday. This was great news for me because any day when I can derp around with my kindy kids and not teach from the world’s most boring textbooks is a fantastic one!

Each of my fellow foreigner co-teachers and I were responsible for a different station at the event. Shannon and Brandi ran the “Brown Store”. This is a basically a market where students can use the “Brown Bucks” they’ve received over the course of the month for good behaviour, and buy cute little knick-knacks. Brittany and Thomas were responsible for teaching the little noodles about food creation (read: making tiny little burgers). Robert was responsible for creating a balloon hat for each student, and I was tasked with painting all of their faces because “Dylan Teacher, you are such a good artist!” I’m not exactly sure where my head teacher got such an idea, but the misinformed sentiment was a cute one.

That said, I actually did end up having a blast painting my kiddies’ faces. I’m by no means quitting my job to become a professional face-painter, but I don’t think I was totally awful at it. Every single time I would finish, I would take a “poto” of each child’s face to get a sense of their satisfaction level and every single time their face would remain expressionless. I kept on reminding myself that this is a part of Korean culture (not letting your true feelings known through facial expression) and was eventually vindicated when the kids later thanked me for their awesomely painted face.

One of the best (albeit messiest and saddest) moments of the event came when I was painting one of my more rambunctious students’ face. A friend from his class came up to watch me as I attempted to paint a penguin holding an umbrella. I eventually required the yellow paint for the beak. When I reached over to dip my paintbrush in, I noticed that the yellow had disappeared. As I began to say “now, where did I put the yell-” I looked up to find the friend, the whiteboard, the wall, and the floor covered in yellow paint. The poor little noodle was so distraught, but I couldn’t help but giggle as I scolded him for getting too close to my work station. I guess we shouldn’t add “Compassionate Teacher” to my list of school nicknames…

After lunch, we assisted our homeroom classes with creating candy necklaces. Normally, whenever we “assist” our classes with any sort of project like this, it turns into me frantically assembling 12 candy necklaces myself. Thankfully, my class of six year olds are surprisingly resourceful and did it all by themselves. I like to think I’ve contributed to their resourcefulness but ego gets you nowhere.

Once the candy necklaces were done, I was responsible for hosting an “active” game in our auditorium known lovingly as the “Sky Room”. I basically created a version of “Corn Hole” with beanbags and hula hoops, and divided the classes into four colour-coded teams. The Pink Team (that no one initially wanted to be apart of because apparently “pink sucks”) ended up destroying all the other teams. After the game, we sang some classic songs including “Spring is Here”, “We All Go Travelling By”, and my personal favourite, “I Am A Pizza”.

Basically, Children’s Day was a total breeze of a Friday where my kiddies got to have fun without any of the pressures of English learnin’. While I will miss them tomorrow and Tuesday, (which I also have off for Buddha’s birthday, huzzah!), I’m sure their parents will treat them to all of the ddakji and patbingsu their meagre little frames can handle!

Happy Children’s Day to you and yours!

The Busan Aquarium

May 3, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Sometimes, I really, really love my school.

Like, when they cancel a field trip to a boring old arboretum to take the kiddies to the Busan Aquarium instead! This was good news for me because not only did I get to spend my day derping around with my seriously adorable homeroom class, but I also got to check another box off on the old Korean Bucket List. And for free! I’m trying to live relatively frugally these days, and frankly the ₩21,000 entrance fee to the Aquarium could be used to fill my gullet full of curry at Namaste. So, yay for an all-expense paid Brown & LCI field trip day!

I think if I had gone by myself to the Busan Aquarium, I literally would have been in and out in about 25 minutes, tops. But going with my kindergarten students was such a special treat. Their eyes were filled with a mixture of wonder and confusion, as the gaped at over 35,000 species of fish (or so the brochure told us). They may as well have been tugging at my heartstrings while tugging on my jacket, crying out “teacher!” as a penguin would dive into the tank and swim on by. Forget the fish, the looks of amazement on my kiddies faces were the real sight.

The Aquarium itself has three underground levels. We ended up visiting both exhibition floors, where we watched fish of the freaky and non-freaky variety, somersaulting finless porpoises, and penguins gliding majestically through the water. We walked through the glass-walled, seabed tunnel which felt just like walking on the ocean floor, as sea-life swam all around us. We also caught feeding time for the otters, and the kiddies had an opportunity to hold a starfish and other echinoderms. Tactile learning, y’all!

Afterwards, we were all ushered into the auditorium for the “Music Talking Show with Diver”. The entire thing was in Korean, so I’m not exactly sure what was happening. There was basically an enthusiastic lady onstage, furiously jabbering away at a diver equipped with a microphone in the tank. This was followed by some singing, a volunteer from the audience experiencing the gift of magic, and my own dripping sweat from sitting in a balmy room with three Korean children on my lap.

I was a little disappointed that my school didn’t splurge on the Glass Bottom Boat Experience, where one can float around a tank filled with sharks and other fishies, but I guess you can’t have it all.

Our school ended up eating lunch in the Aquarium’s cafeteria, where my kids stuffed raspberries and cookies into my mouth. Lunch time is one of the best parts of a field trip, because the parents always pack more food for their kids to share with us teachers. I get to bond with the kids and I get to eat their food. It’s a win-win, truly.

When lunch was over, we escorted the kids down to Haeundae Beach for about 30 minutes to derp around in the sand, before heading back to school.

As I mentioned above, I’m not sure how much I would have enjoyed the Busan Aquarium without the “oohs” and “ahhs” of my 30 Korean kindergarten students, but it’s a pretty chill to spend an hour exploring. If you’re down at Haeundae Beach and are looking for something to do, the Aquarium might be the sound of settling, but at least it’s a pretty splashing sound.

Directions
To get to the Busan Aquarium, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 2) to Haeundae Station (stop 203). Go straight out exit 3 or 5, and proceed straight for about 5 minutes until you reach the road running parallel to the beach. Turn right, and the Aquarium will be right in front of you. Entrance to the Busan Aquarium is ₩21,000 for persons 13 and over, and ₩15,000 for persons under the age of 13.

April Roundup

April 30, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

1. The winners of the Brown & LCI kindergarten Reading Book (RDB) Contest. My fellow foreign co-teachers and I acted as judges for the RDB contest, an event that provides our students an opportunity to practice their public speaking abilities. The students are expected to memorize a short, topical book suited to their English level and present it to their peers. Students were judged on memorization, pace, and clarity. I served as the MC for the awards ceremony, and was so happy with our winners! Perhaps you can’t see, but that’s my favourite little noodle, Nina, hiding behind her certificate.

2. April marked the return of my Instagram hashtag #yogaboyinloafers. The picture above is me in bakasana, or crow pose, at the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival. Rest assured, as long as there are items left on my Korean Bucket List, there will be #yogaboyinloafers.

3. April, like it’s predecessor, was a month of handstands. Even though I still have crazy “banana back“, I’m now able to comfortably kick up into a handstand. As my dear friend Jess Sternberg always says: “I will handstand in 2014!”

4. My amazing friend and fellow Busanite, Steph, turned 23 in early April! This is Steph and I shortly after a Monday nightcap at the local watering hole, Thursday Party, in celebration of another year.

5. April was all about aggressive bucket listing. Over the course of the month, I managed to check off ten sights on my Korean Bucket List, including Jagalchi Market, Igidae Park, Busan Tower, and the “Let’s Eat Alley”. Big love to both Mary and Steph who were by my side at all ten sights!

6. A group photo of Brown & LCI’s kindergarten program after our April field trip to the Busan Aquarium. This photo was nearly impossible to coordinate, (I have recently likened it to “herding cats”), but I’m quite pleased with the final product. One interesting note: literally two minutes after we managed to get all 30something students onto the sand for the photo, a motorcyclist crashed his bike on the promenade where two of our classes had been sitting. The power of photography!

7. My first official beach day! After five cold, often drizzly months, Busan is gearing up for summer, and I couldn’t be more excited. This past weekend, the girls and I took to Haeundae Beach to enjoy a mid-afternoon beverage in the sand, and let me tell you: there is seriously nothing better than beach season in Busan. Vive le summer!

8. Another farewell. My good friend, Kendall, (whom I travelled with to Boracay last December), is leaving Busan at the beginning of May. The sad reality of teaching in South Korea for a year is that goodbyes are inevitable. I’ll miss Kendall a lot, but am wishing her all the best in California and Australia! À bientôt!

9. Brown & LCI’s Arbor Day event. The picture above is my homeroom class (Happiness Class) outside in Centum City’s Olympic Sculpture Park. Our entire kindergarten program took to the great outdoors to learn about gardening from experienced botanist, Dylan Teacher (not). The event was basically an excuse to let the kids roam free in the park, and in turn, snap adorable photos of the unsuspecting little munchkins.

10. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Tokyo! Nearly two weeks later, the entire trip feels like a surreal blur. Pictured above are my travel-mates – Kate, Steph, Mary, and Nina – who were a constant source of hilarity and comfort, during the fun and not-so-fun parts of the weekend.

April was jam-packed. I accepted an offer for the Postgraduate Certificate in Public Relations at Humber-Lakeshore in Toronto, and readjusted my future plans. Every single week at school had an event to prepare for; every single weekend had an itinerary to stick to; and even during my downtime, there were still things to execute. Yesterday marked my 9 month anniversary in South Korea, which means I only have 97 days left in Busan! I’m excited for my last 3 months in Busan before heading back to Canada, and have a lot of projects in the mix to keep myself busy with! Bring on May!

Life Round Here

March 2, 2014 | Millennial Abroad

It has been quite some time since I have posted an update about my day-to-day life in Busan. Between trips to the Philippines and China, busy school days that require restful weekends, and blog posts concerning my Korean Bucket List, I’ve neglected talking about myself (one of my favourite pasttimes)! That said, March marks a big turning point for my year abroad in South Korea, and I figured it was time to provide some tales about “life round here”. This blog is quite simply about change, since that has been a persistent theme in every facet of my life lately, whether discussing my school, my relationships, or even the weather.

January Birthdays

Teaching
Over the last three months, there has been a lot of upheaval in my workplace as a result of a merger between my hagwon and another. The ownership and management switched hands in early December, drastically altering the private academy I started with in August. There has been a lot of change; some that I’ve welcomed and has made my life as an expat working in a foreign environment much easier; some that have been wholly unwelcome and caused quite a bit of (unnecessary) tension and stress. The highs and lows of working as a teacher in South Korea have been much more acute since the merger. The days when I’m able to maintain a bubbly countenance and a focused perspective on the reasons why I’m here (my kiddies, saving money, experiencing Korean culture) are amazing, and luckily on those select days when I’m quivering with rage through gritted teeth and clenched fists, I’m able to turn to my solid global support system in South Korea, Canada, and the Philippines.

My experiences with my hagwon are not unique – the culture of teaching for foreigners in South Korea has been rapidly changing over the past year. Schools downsizing, merging, and closing are becoming the new norm. When I compare my story to some true “hagwon horror stories”, it’s pretty clear that the old adage of “things could always be worse” rings ever true.

Sweet Nina, pre-perm

This past Friday was pretty bittersweet. An absurd number of my favourite students ran up to me in the hallway to tell me they were switching to a different academy (some literally across the street), or would be receiving private lessons in their homes, or were simply discontinuing their English language instruction altogether. A quick high five or hug later, and they were in the elevator, out of my academy and my life, likely forever. I was lucky enough to write to a quick note to a few particularly bright students in their homework books or quickly tell them at the end of class how smart and amazing they are. I’ve grown so attached to these little noodles after spending nearly every day with them over the last seven months, and even though I knew this day would come eventually, I expected it to be on my own terms, at the end of my contract. I suppose this is what it’s like to be a parent. Even though my nest is much emptier, there are still so many amazing dumplings to teach (somewhat functional) English to, and of course, gush over in future blog posts.

Friday also marked the last day for seven – count ’em, seven teachers. I’ve been fortunate enough to have taught with five of these teachers (Joanna, Jenny, Sun, Flora, and Elly) since my very first day and it’s so strange to think that I won’t have the opportunity to coo and complain about the students and classes we share together in the teacher’s room anymore.

Come Monday, there will be new books, new students, new teachers, and new rules to greet. While it has been incredibly difficult to say goodbye to so many faces that have become so familiar and comforting over these past few months, I’m excited to break away from certain aspects of teaching that have become monotonous lately and begin the second half of my year as a teacher with a renewed attitude.

Graduation photos with my noodles from Wish Class

Graduation
In line with all “changes” at my school, twenty-two of my third year kindergarten students “graduated” last week! If you didn’t know, kindergarten graduation is a HUGE deal at Korean hagwons. Basically, every private academy in South Korea is in a blind, panicked frenzy from the beginning of January until mid-February, as they work to teach their students a graduation play and/or song. The next six weeks are all about line memorization, learning to speak into a microphone, effective stage blocking, choreography, and costume selection, in preparation for performance day when the parents come to watch. The stakes are high – if performance day is not up to snuff, many parents are likely to pull their students out of the academy. There’s a lot of pressure for both the teachers and students to perform well, and in my personal opinion, perhaps a little too much pressure to put on children at such a young age.

I was responsible for the graduation performances of both Star and Happiness Class. These are my youngest students, aged 4 and 5, many of whom have only been learning English for half a year. This actually relieved some of the pressure off of me: since they are so young and low-level, it doesn’t really matter what they say or do because they’ll look absolutely precious doing it. Star Class and I practiced a shortened play adaptation of “Five Little Monkeys”, and a song titled “I Am The Music Man”, while I authored a play titled “The Desert Island” (a la my favourite television show LOST), as well as choreography to a song called “Walking Through the Jungle” for Happiness Class. I have to say: after a full six weeks of practicing each of these plays and songs, I truly never want to hear any of them again. After graduation, I still had students humming or making references to their songs and plays, prompting me to threaten removing a star off their sticker board. “Music Man, anneyo! Teacher does not like!”

Star Class angels on Seollal

On the day of graduation, the children, donned in adorable (if not slightly inappropriate) costumes that often showcased their midriffs, were graciously welcomed onstage to perform their class play, song, and dance. I served as the foreign Master of Ceremonies for our school’s graduation performance, so I got to witness every single performance. On the whole, the performances can only be described as “disastrously adorable”. There were lots of issues with sound, blocking, and remembering lines, but at the end of the day, the majority of these children were born the year I was a university freshman – NOT THAT LONG AGO – and still did an amazing job. All the students of Star and Happiness Class received big hugs for bravery and bags of candy for making Dylan Teacher proud.

Starting on Monday, I will only be seeing my seven year old graduates for only two periods a day in the afternoon, as opposed to the five hours I spent with them daily for over half a year. Luckily, my new March schedule has me teaching 2/3rds of these little graduates, who, I can assure you, will be experiencing a whole new level of crazy from “Jombie” (read: “Zombie”) Teacher in the afternoons.

My girls and I (featuring Bacon Boy!)

Goodbyes and Hellos
Part of making it this far into my contract also means that goodbyes are inevitable. Teaching in South Korea is a constant revolving door – people are always coming and going. This transient environment definitely puts an egg timer on becoming close with people.

After seven months together, two legs of “the tripod”, Jess and Maddie, are leaving Busan. They have come to the end of their teaching contracts and will be embarking on a new adventure, travelling across Southeast Asia, India, and South America over the next five months. These two girls have been so integral to every step of my journey – from the world’s longest Facebook thread about getting me to Busan, to giving me an insider’s perspective about life in Korea pre-departure, to serving as my tour guide upon arrival, to travelling to Bijindo and Boracay together, to spending every weekend together – we’ve done it all and we’ve done it all together. I know life will continue in Busan, but it will definitely be an adjustment without my two solid pillars of strength, stinking up my life. Jess and Maddie, I love you both! I am so excited for all of the adventures you are both going to have, and for all of the adventures the three of us are soon to have again. All my vibes to my Curly Sue and Straightened Jew. ❤

Just as I say goodbye to two lovely ladies, I say hello to another friend from Canada, Steph Pellett, who recently made the bold and brave move to move to South Korea to teach! I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring a new friend into the the crazy South Korean fold. It’s seriously perfect timing with the summer season fast approaching and I’m so excited to play tour guide to Steph, while also having a new buddy to blog and do yoga with. Godspeed, Steph!

Namaste

Miscellaneous
A quick rapidfire, bullet-point list of other updates:

– Summer is almost here. While it has been slightly rainier than I would prefer, the temperatures in Busan have been positively sweater-only appropriate. I cannot wait for my Korean co-teachers to throw me shade and mention how “brown my skin looks” after an entire weekend on the beach!

– I’ll be staying put in South Korea for the duration of my contract, travelling only to Seoul for Ultra Music Festival in June, and Jeju-do in July. Mary will be joining me on both trips, and we are so excited to pull out our face-paint for Above and Beyond at Ultra and do some cliff-diving in Jeju! I’ll only be travelling in Korea to save some money because:

– I’ve applied to school in Canada for January 2015! After two years of relative freedom and learning some valuable life lessons, it’s time to once again hit the books in a classroom setting. But, not before:

– I go to Southeast Asia for four months! My current plan is to return to the Philippines once my contract is finished in early August, spend some time with my laberboy in Boracay, see what kind of work I can find, and potentially do some travelling in Thailand and Cambodia before returning to Canada at around Christmas time.

That’s about it for life round here, y’all. Stay tuned for blog updates about my trip to Beijing, and Bucket List posts including Taejongdae Resort Park, Hurshimchung Spa, The Busan Museum or Art, and others! Namaste.

The Weeknd(s)

October 24, 2013 | Millennial Abroad

Guys, I have been having a time in South Korea.

I mean, I work hard during the week to shape the next generation of Korean minds, it only seems fair that I should play hard in the playground that is Busan, right?

And what a playground it is! If you suck at geography, Busan is located at the southernmost tip of the Korean peninsula and is the second largest city in South Korea with a population of about 3.6 million in the metropolitan city proper. The city is all beaches and mountains and Starbucks and gimbap shops on every corner and general delight.

But in actual reality: HOW HAVE I POSSIBLY BEEN HERE FOR ALMOST 3 MONTHS / 87 DAYS? It’s so absurd to think about.

Anyway. I had originally planned this blog post to be about my first two weekends in Busan and then that gradually stretched to include the first five… and now 6 weeks later this blog post is feeling a little moot BUT it’s half-written and I am not a quitter and WOW my writing has taken a dip LOOK AT THIS RUN-ON SENTENCE. Okay. Proceeding now…

Weekend 1 (August 2nd-4th)

After a week of adjusting to the minor culture shock I experienced upon arriving in South Korea (read: naively thinking that a large metropolitan would have more (proficient) English speakers than I actually encountered) and exploring Haeundae-gu, I met up with some beautiful McGill friends also teaching in Busan, Jess and Maddie. It was the most surreal experience greeting (and bear hugging!) them outside of the Gwangan metro station. Although I haven’t been nearly as culture shocked as I was in Europe three summers ago, it was definitely nice to see some familiar faces!

The girls and I headed to a cute little Korean BBQ place in Gwangan called Sorrei, and Jess was sweet enough to cut and cook our entire meal. This dinner was also supremely educational, as the girls schooled me in Korean culture. Highlights include learning to yell “yeogie” (which means “here”) at any server in your general vicinity when you need more food or water, and the girls’ mantra of “Just Get Weird in Korea” (i.e. Saying “saranghae”, which means “I love you” in Korean, to cab drivers/total strangers, smiling like escaped mental patients at small children in the streets, etc.) Accepting that I’m essentially a zoo animal for the next year in Korea has been quite liberating actually, and I’ve found that there’s nothing better than making a happy little ajumma or ajusshi beam with your silly antics in the streets or on the subway.

After my education and an extremely heavy meal at Sorrei, we proceeded to drink at the 7/11 across from the beach. This may sound bizarre, but 3 months later I still love it (despite the cold). The girls concocted a delicious jungle juice, comprised of Cass beer, various Korean brand energy drinks, and soju, a native Korean liquor similar to vodka but made from rice, wheat, or other starches. After some McGill-based gossip over two Dixie cups of jungle juice each, the girls and I headed over to the Kyungsung University (KSU) area (big foreigner hub) surprisingly tipsy. Our first stop was Eva’s Ticket, where I met new friends David and Dylan (henceforth known in this and all future blog posts as “Chocolate Milkshake” and “D-Emu”) and subsequently destroyed their undefeated regulation beer pong record with Jess. It was a momentous occasion, that I apparently celebrated by buying flaming shots for everyone in my general vicinity (I completely don’t remember this, but I did eventually pay the $60,000 (KRW) tab for it like a good boy).

After some stunning digestive pyrotechnics outside of Eva’s (I hope you all get this reference from my favourite 90s film) and A MELON POP (otherwise known as the best popsicle ever invented) we headed to dance at a club called Blue Monkey and ended the night with a shwarma reward in the heart of KSU. A successful Friday night in Busan…

… Followed by a throbbing head and severe dry-mouth Saturday afternoon. The girls, being such little smarties, took me to Spaland for some much needed rejuvenation. This being my first time in a jjimjilbong I had no idea what to expect, and was even more confused when Jess and Maddie dropped this line: “Oh, just get completely naked in the baths. Like.. you’ll look weirder if you don’t. Okay, bye! We meet you in the lobby in 45 minutes.” Following the girls’ clear instructions, I stripped down and followed the (naked, Korean) masses into the baths where I was greeted by well, nudity. Slightly jarring at first, but you sort of just slip into the baths (either sodium bicarbonate or sodium chloride) of varying temperatures and make uncomfortable eye contact. Despite the flopping genitals you’ll encounter at every corner, it’s actually supremely relaxing to melt into the baths, close your eye, and let the flowing water heal what ails you (9 times out of 10, it’s soju).

Our Spaland regimen is pretty typical these days: The girls and I part ways to do the gender segregated baths for about 45 minutes, throw on our BALLIN’ Spaland outfits and meet in the lobby, then check to see what film is playing in the cinema room, hit up the massage chairs (which are $2 for 20 minutes?!?! It’s literally robbery…), maybe grab a drink or some patbingsu (aka the BEST DESSERT EVER INVENTED containing ice shavings, sweet red beans, condensed milk, ice cream, etc, etc.), hit some of the sauna rooms, foot baths, and sometimes dinner in the restaurant. Spaland is approximately $14 CAD to enter (14,000 Korean won) and then any purchase you make with the little bracelet key they provide you is paid at the fare adjustment bureau after you leave. These days patbingsu and the massage chairs are non-negotiable, so you’re looking to spend at least $6 CAD, so $20 altogether with the entrance fee. That’s like two drinks on a Saturday night y’all and at least I’m doing my body good, right?

On the Sunday, the girls took me to Haeundae Beach for my first time, introducing me to a couple of new friends, as well as Mr. Haeundae who is somewhat of a Busan celebrity. He sports a banana hammock, is absurdly tanned, and is constantly surrounded by a swarm of ridiculously ripped Korean dudes who are more oiled up than my pores post-Spaland sauna.

The minor culture shock I had experienced only 6 days earlier had dissipated almost as quickly as it had set in after this first transitory weekend into Busan life, thankfully. To close the weekend out in ~lols~fashion, we hit TGIFridays, “just because”, with a few friends and then headed home for an early night before my first official day of school the next morning!

Weekend 2 (August 9th-11th)

After my first week as “Dylan Teacher”, I was ready for some rest, relaxation, rejuvenation, and raring fun. I met the girls before their YogaGLO at Gwangan Beach, and rented a small umbrella since Mr. Golden Sun was sizzling. This was an incredibly exciting weekend because it is when I met the lovely Miss Rose Duggan for the first time! Rose is Jess and Maddie’s friend (first, chronologically) who, at this point, was trekking across southeast Asia and decided to stop in to Busan for a quick hello. We grabbed lunch at Sharky’s on the beach and were served by the epically awkward/causally rude Aussie dude who will forever be a reminder that “just drinking water isn’t going to pay his daughter’s tuition”.

After the girls left for yoga, Rose and I got the opportunity to get to know each other, our mutual acquaintances in Montreal and Toronto, and general derpy stories (more from me than little Rosiepoo, but you know). In addition, we saw some spectacular Busan beach wear (read: a Speedo, paired with an ascot and arm sleeves only) and a Korean couple taking a romantic, late afternoon walk… with their pet snake. This is Korea, y’all, where the motto is “BECAUSE, WHY NOT?”

Later that night, we headed to Seomyeon (another large nightlife hub in Busan) to predrink at Chocolate Milkshake’s stunningly large, well-stocked apartment. The Grey Goose and soju was mightily flowing, to say the least. Afterwards, we headed to Haeundae for a little Thursday Party action, before heading to my first Korean club, Tao. Club Tao is situated just off of the beach, nestled in behind the Paradise Hotel. The actual club is a series of multilevel platforms packed with the claustrophobic and “two left footers” combined, winding balconies with wallflowers perched upon them, watching the festivities unfold, and the heart of darkness – the club’s epicentre, where the girls and I obviously positioned ourselves for a night of fun. Despite being told otherwise, the girls and I kept on climbing on top of the platform at the front of the club, entered numerous VIP lounges and helped ourselves to drinks, and generally wreaked havoc. I could tell you more about this adventure, but for those of you who know me, simply ask to see my iPhone camera reel the next time I see you.

Sunday morning is now known as “The Day I Woke Up In An Elevator In A Building I Didn’t Live In”. That’s pretty much all I have to say about that. The weekend ended as all the best weekends do: declining an invitation to lay hungover at the beach with friends, eating ice cream, hungover, with the Real Housewives of Vancouver in bed. YOLO.

Gwangbokjeol (August 15th)

After only 8 days of properly teaching English at my hagwon, I was surprised with my first (of many) Korean public holidays, Gwangbokjeol, which is Korea’s Independence Day from Japanese colonial rule.

The girls and I headed to Songjeong Beach for what was intended to be a day of some rest and relaxation in the name of Korean liberation under the sizzling sun. Instead, we unleashed our inner contortionists and performed some acroyoga for the locals. This was my first time doing any sort of yoga and was pleasantly surprised by the results. This is undoubtedly the weekend which sparked my interest/obsession in/with yoga.

Weekend 3 (August 16th-18th)

My third weekend in Korea was spent with the girls in Seoul. Given that this was my first real experience travelling in Asia, I was excited to say the least. Not so excited, however, to arrive at the KTX train station but 6 minutes before our train left (sorry again, Jess and Maddie). Once we arrived, we headed straight to Myeongdong, one of the primary shopping districts in Seoul (Fun fact: Myeongdong apparently houses the only Forever 21 in all of Korea. Neat!) In Myeongdong, we met up with Chris, another McGillian, who was visiting his brother and the homeland.

After some lunch, we explored Myeongdong and then headed to the beautiful Cheonggyecheon Stream. We listened to some Koreans playing guitar, watched children running around carefree, and had some heart-to-hearts. This was such a serene moment and definitely my favourite memory of Seoul.

Afterwards, we met Chris’s brother, Justin and their mom for dinner in Insadong. The food was delicious (the Im family knows how to pick incredible dishes) and we got to talk to Mrs. Im about her experiences growing up in Busan and how it has changed.

Once parting ways with Justin and Mrs. Im, Maddie, Jess, Chris, and I headed to Itaewon for some casual drinks and stumbled across a Canadian bar with some incredibly obnoxious patrons. We ended up just playing Heads Up! for the majority of the evening, and hopping from pub to lounge to pub.

At the end of the night, we said goodbye to Chris, and headed to Jess and Maddie’s favourite jjimjilbong in Korea, Dragonhill Spa, slightly inebriated. We stayed the night in the spa because yes, you can do that at select spas in Korea. This turned out to be the worst nights sleep for me, but it was way cheaper than a hostel, so, pick your battles. We woke up and did the baths and then headed back to Busan on the fast train at midday. Given that I was only in Seoul for about 30 hours, I am looking forward to heading back in 2014 at some point, likely for Ultra Music Festival!

Weekend 4 (August 23rd-25th)

After three weekends in a row of late nights and “living while we’re young”, the girls and I agreed that a little geriatric living was in order. On Saturday morning, in the pouring rain, we headed to yoga in Seomyeon. This was my first proper yoga class and I was slightly worried about being that sweaty guy, that gassy guy, that uncoordinated guy. Luckily, I was only 2/3 (I’ll leave you to guess which). This is also the first time I met our beautiful yoga instructor, Amanda, who is the sweetest woman alive. She has offered free yoga classes for the last five months, is sweet and encouraging, and always comes to massage everyone, no matter how sweaty they are (read: me) during savasana. She is sadly leaving Busan this Saturday to head back to America, but Amanda, if you’re reading this, I love you and am going to miss you an absurd amount!

We ended up grabbing sushi at Sushi Berry in Dongbaek with some fellow yogis, Nate and Kat, who will be joining the girls and I in the Philippines over Christmas break! Afterwards, we headed to a DVD bong, which is a private screening room with blankets and pillows and likely the bodily fluids of Koreans who have used it before you because APPARENTLY these rooms are used for hookups frequently. After the DVD bong, we met with Nate and Kat once more at a delicious hibachi chicken joint called Tango. After too many breadsticks, salad, chicken, and pickles, we called it a night.

To be frankly honest, I don’t remember what we did on the Sunday. There’s a pretty good chance though that it was the beach or Spaland. When in doubt, you know?

23rd Birthday (August 27th)

My birthday fell on a Tuesday here and I really didn’t feel like making a huge thing of it so I kept it hush-hush from my co-workers. After feeling a little gloomy, I told my kindergarten class and they freaked out and started singing happy birthday to me which melted my heart into a thousand pieces. After work, I headed to Hwamyeong, where Jess hosted Maddie and I for a Mexican fiesta. The girls then surprised me with a delicious mug cake (Jess’s special recipe!). Even though my birthday was low-key, I really felt the love and bless from the key players (read: PLAYAS) in Busan. ~mush~

Weekend 5 (August 30th-September 1st)

The last weekend I shall record in this blog was the weekend we celebrated my birthday. The girls and I headed to Gwangan for our regular 7/11 patio times with jungle juice and hung around by a couple of the bars there. The night took a turn for the weird when we were introduced to a guy who shall only be referred to as “Crazy Egg”. Like so many foreigners here, he wasn’t fantastic at picking up on social cues and couldn’t tell that we were trying to escape his wrath for the majority of the evening. Eventually, Demu, Jess, Maddie and I escaped back to Hwamyeong at 6AM.

In the morning, we attempted to fall asleep in a DVD bong with lunch. Our mistake was selecting The Chronicles of Narnia: The Dawn Treader which has the LOUDEST SCORE KNOWN TO MAN, making it impossible to sleep. Another Sunday had come to a close.

Now that you’ve been caught up on these cultural things that I do on a weekly basis and these neighbourhoods you’ve never heard of, I will unceremoniously bid you adieu because the ‘i’ key on my keyboard has fallen off and is boiling my blood. Keep an eye out for LOTS of blog posts this week. Annyeonghi haseyo!