BBQ (just not Korean style) and other fun things

As I mentioned in my last blog, we are most definitely in Spring in Korea!  And that means it's time for outdoor activities... specifically barbecuing!  Now, none of us foreigners live in a house with a yard or anything like that, so finding a place to have a real, outdoor grilling session is a little bit of a task.  Luckily the apartment building behind my building has a roof and even stair access to the roof.  Unfortunately... it is gross.  Like, really gross.  But Betty, Chris and I were up for the challenge of tidying it up before we could chill up there.

 The roof

 Gross junk on the roof

 More gross stuff on the roof (and I'm not talking about Chris... but more so the random stroller)

 I'm grossed out.  What these pics do not convey are also all the pieces of broken glass and just general grossness.

Now, the cleaning of the roof nicely brings up to one of my biggest pet peeves in Korea.  This is an odd pet peeve, but it drives me crazy!  Perhaps first I should tell you some things I really like about Korea, just to balance this a bit.  For example, I like that in restaurants there is a little bell on your table so that you just push that and the server then comes to see what you need.  You don't have to do the awkward wave, try to catch their eye, impatient thing.  I also like that you can go to noraebong (karoake) every month and no one judges you.  And I really love kimchi jigae.  It is my favourite food in Korea.  Delicious!

However, there are some things that drive me crazy here too.  And the one in particular I'm talking about is the length of the broom handles.  Yes... broom handles.  I will NEVER understand why every broom I have seen in Korea is about half the length as it should be thus whenever anyone sweeps, they have to be hunched over.  Hunched over awkwardly so that it causes your back to hurt if you sweep long enough.  I swear this is what causes back problems later in life.  Let me demonstrate...

See... I will never understand.  Why, I ask you?  Why?

Once the cleaning happened we could finally get down to some BBQ-ing business! 

 

You have no idea how good it was to have a burger!  We used ground pork instead of beef, but it was still fantastic!

 Simon and Laura enjoying the view.  Me and Betty getting in a good photo op.

 The burgers were amazing, thanks to chef Chris.  Some of us had two... one of us even had three... though I will not mention any names *cough*Simon*cough*...

 Something is clearly funny...

 Yes yes, it's a story by Betty!  Of course...  I'm sure she's regaling the tales of her famous relatives.  Namely... the Rock.  Yep.

 I'm loving the sun!

 It looks way better without as much garbage on the roof... and instead filled with lovely people!

The group! 

In other fun news... just this past Sunday I had the wonderful opportunity to sing at my church here in Korea, Sangdang Presbyterian Church.  It was such a blessing to worship in the main sanctuary with hundreds of local believers.  And I was so touched to be asked to sing.  Forgive me if you've seen the video, but if you would like to check it out... here it is:

Thanks again for checking out the blog.  Please feel free to comment, email, text, send out good thoughts, however the mood strikes you to communicate with me!  Happy Spring everyone!

Springtime in Korea

I have to tell you... I am loving the weather in Korea today.  It is a beautiful, slightly breezy, 17C, sunny day.  At this moment I have nothing to complain about because it is Friday, I just got done work, and I ended my teaching week with some of my best classes.  And by best, I mean, most well behaved and not one of the classes that makes me want to do a midnight run.  I have one of those.  They are 6-3 (6th grade, class 3) and basically it's a culmination of the worst behaved students in 6th grade, in one class.  Ugh.

But today I had Star 3,4, which are the advanced students in 3rd and 4th grade.  They're still at the ages where they think their teacher is cool and yet old enough that they're a little easier to communicate with.  Today we covered a role play which included talking on the phone, so as a special treat we used some props.  Let me tell you, there is a teaching save right there... props.  If you tell a kid to practice a role play, they'll probably do it.  But if you present them with a prop to use, they jump up and down screaming "choiyo, choiyo" or "me, me"!!!

 Hello?  Hello!  May I please speak to Sam?

 Of course.  Hold on please.

 Thank you!

 In between classes the girls like to draw on my white board.  They especially like to take turns drawing me apparently...

 As far as I am concerned, I'm just happy she got the "ph" right!  And look at how happy Ann is!

 Also in between classes the kids hang out in Class D, which has movies, books, and games for them to do.  I've never seen the Simpsons Movie played so much!  And to think at their age I would never have been allowed to watch Simpsons... I guess times really are changing.  Man, that makes me feel old.

 Two of my favourite little ones!  Tommy in 2nd grade and a boy in 3rd we call "Professor" because of his little spectacles...

 I love Dahye!

 I really hope she's catching every English word...

 Another attempt at drawing me.  My name is right this time and I like that I have a crown... haha

 Star 3,4!

We have fun!

Also what has happened recently is that I had a birthday!  Speaking of old., I am now 27!  In North American age.  In Korean age I'm apparently 28... so... sticking with North American age.  There are just certain things I cannot embrace about Korea...

To start my birthday celebration in Boeun, a couple days before my actual birthday, us foreigners got together to have dinner and then go to noraebong (karaoke).  We were celebrating birthdays for me and Julie!

 Some of the birthday celebrators... Simon and Julie.  Starting with some salad.

 Angela and Geoff

 Betty and Chris were nice enough to open their apartment to us AND Chris cooked us a wonderful meal!  I love Italian food and what Chris came up with was awesome!

 See, Simon is excited.  And real garlic bread too!  Korea has this way of putting sugar on their garlic bread.  Why, you ask?  That's a good question... so it's always nice when you can get garlic bread sans sugar!

 I love reading the English on Korean signs.  This is for a glasses shop, and I think they were going for something like "best for your eyes" or something.  But "best you eyes" does have a certain ring to it...  And thanks Simon for the lovely pose.

 This was Geoff's first noraebong with us... hopefully we didn't scare him off of doing it again...

 You haven't lived until you hear Betty and Angela singing "What's Up?"... it's truly epic!

 One of the more hilarious things to see in Korea, particularly in in Boeun, are the little old men and women carting these things around... filled with cardboard.  It must be why they are all so hunched over.  Either that or the length of the broomsticks here.  Which really is a story for another time when I can properly illustrate just how funny I find the brooms in Korea...

 Good to know that if this teaching thing does work out, I have a back up plan...

The next day, Saturday, day before my birthday, I headed into Cheongju to chill with some of my friends from church!  We went out for some Indian/Nepalese food and then hit up a few hang out places in Cheongju.

 Robyn and Brian Mol... who are also from Canada!  They actually even went to school Edmonton, to Kings.  It's so funny to meet people I have mutual friends with from back home.

 Ann... I love this girl

 Jason, from South Africa

 Back there you can also see Robyn, Jason's sister

 This place had such a cool atmosphere!  But the most random things were the lights!  The little lights, like wrapped around the tree, are actually twinkle lights with these pieces of food that are kind of like Captain Crunch Cereal.  It made them glow and look all multi-coloured.  I loved it!  Though I would never think to stick dried food on lights like that.

So that has been my life in Korea lately.  Still having a generally good time.  Pray for me that I don't strangle most of the kids in 6-3, so I guess pray for patience and that I will learn to love them rather than dread them.  And thanks to everyone from home who sent me cards, gifts, and just general love around my birthday.  It definitely made me miss you all but I definitely feel loved.  Here's hoping 27 is a great year!!!

Oh and one last photo for the road...

Me and Julie in Cheongju... don't you love how Korea advertises a cell phone company?  So funny...