pics from skiing

Mark mentioned that we went skiing/snowboarding last weekend. I had only downhill skied once in my life and that was 12 years ago so this was a pretty new experience for me...at first I was kind of nervous but by the afternoon I was loving it! Here are some people from our gang. And one of the runs...in this picture it looks really flat but in real life I think it looked a lot steeper.

i'll be back

This post wont be that interesting, but i figured it was time.

Went skiing this weekend, actually i went snowboarding. It was good, but I have been a spoiled kid growing up near the rockies. The hills here just arent the same. First off at the bottom of the hill was a fountain, this means that the entire hill that we skied upon used artificial snow as there was no natural snow and it was warm enough to have a fountain at the bottom. Everywhere was brown except for the place where we skied. Secondly, it takes only 5 minutes to ski down the hill. Its a lot smaller than the rockies, but it was still fun.

I had a good class the other day. Not to say that my other classes arent good, but i like it when my students tell me that they just feel like talking. I know that sometimes grammar and vocabulary can be boring, so its fun when students tell me they just want to talk. So we started talking and somehow the discussion changed to crying in movies. One of my students confessed that he cries easily in movies. Particulary in Terminator 2, when Arnold talks about how he is the last chip and has to melt his body (he is a robot) so the technology cant be reproduced. He said he watched that part about 20 times. I told him he is a very honest man.

Other than that, not much is happening here, same old.

Bjork

On Saturday night I went to a Bjork concert with some friends. I just want to share that it was amazing! And the stadium was more like a hall so we weren't as far away from the stage that we thought we might be. Of course she had a very unique outfit on, no swan this time but she still stayed with the bird theme. She had her forehead painted like a bird that glowed in the dark, pretty clever I thought. And her outfit was this ruffle bird like thing. She also had a small brass band with her (as well as other musicians) and the band was all dressed up as birds, they were really cute. There was no opening act and I was surprised with how excited I felt when the lights went out and she came on to the stage...there was so much energy in that room! And the show was amazing!

Korean Folk Village

On Saturday Mark and I went to the Korean Folk Village which we thought was only an hour south of Seoul but from our apartment it took almost two hours. Before arriving we took a free shuttle bus from the subway stop and we made a friend with a little six year old girl. She just started talking to us in Korean. First she looked at us and said "Foreigners" in korean and that led to a 30 minute conversation...in Korean! She was just so cute and kept asking us questions, we didn't understand a lot that she said but we could communicate a little. This was the longest conversation we have ever had in Korean...I guess we are learning something. So the Korean Folk Village is pretty much a really big fake village with traditional Korean houses, museums and performances. On the river there were many people playing on these wooden planks...Mark and I both tried it out. In each hand you old an ice pick and just push yourself a long. Kind of fun.
Here is a traditional Korean activity (I think). It's like a seesaw but you jump up and down instead. We tried it out as well and it is really difficult!
Here is one of the pefromances we saw.
And me at one of the tradional houses.

Happy Seollal (Lunar New Year)!

Our holiday is coming to an end....tomorrow we go back to work after five days off. I think I actaully feel ready to go back which is a good sign but it was really great to have a break. Mark and I did a lot of relaxing at home but also did some eventful activities. On Wednesday night we went to the World Cup Stadium with some co-workers and students and watched a soccer game, Korea vs. Turkmenistan. It was really cold but it was really awesome to be there. One of the most popular soccer players in Korea, Park Ji Sung who plays for Manchester United was there, so that was kind of cool to see him play. The next day was bowling night with Connexus teachers. It had been a while since I had bowled 10 pin but it took me back. Did you know that 5 pin was invented in Canada? No one has heard of it here.
On Friday, Mark and I left Seoul and took the bus to Icheon which is only one hour away. We visted a Ceramic Village that had stores and stores of beautiful pottery. Since it was a holiday many of the stores were closed but luckly there were a few open so we had the chance to browse.
After the Ceramic Village we went to a famous Hot Springs or Spa in Icheon. It was really great and so different than anything I had ever experienced. First we soaked in a number of different outdoor hot tubs that had different colors and scents such as a green green tea tub, a brown coffee tub, and aqua color aroma tub. Then we took a dip in the pool that was so crowded with people so we decided to change out of our swimsuits into the supplied t-shirts and shorts and headed for the Jimjilbong (which is the name for a Korean sauna) on the second floor. There we met many people in the same matching shorts and t-shirts. For a little bit we sat on the floor in a long igloo shaped sauna...it was so crowded and the roof was low so I felt a big clusterphobic and left. Then we headed to the electronic massage beds and got cucumbers on our face. It was great! Then we got our swimsuits on and hit the outside hot tubs again. Before leaving we spent some separate time in our respective change rooms. I have never experienced anything quite like it. The change room had lockers, a powder room, some individual showers, saunas, a really big group shower area with more hot and cold baths, and then a few more hot baths outside that were only for woman. I had never been in a place with so many naked woman before. Anyway, that takes me to the end of Friday.

Ballerina in love with a Bboy

On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending a music performance with some co-workers and students. It was at this cute little theatre in the artsy area of the city. My student called me Saturday to invite me to the show and I couldn't quite understand all that she was saying so when I agreed to go I thought we were going to a ballet. Later I realized it was a ballet plus a lot more hip hop dance. The story was about a ballerina who falls in love with a b-boy. Here is the star b-boy that Heather and I are posing with. At the end of the show everyone in the audience was welcome to get their pictures taken with the dancers...we chose to just take one with the sign instead.
Some of the show was kind of cheesy but the dancing was really awesome. I wish I could spin on my head like some of those guys.

Crazyness...I don't know how they spin like the do....

interesting first classes

Yesterday we started a new semester, for the sixth time. So again we have to remember a lot of new names but luckly there are some familiar names as well. We usually do the regulary get to know each other activites and it's sometimes awkward because people are shy or nervous. My last class of the day there were only three people in the class, one man and two woman. We were talking about clothes and the one woman said to the man (a younger guy, university student) that she liked his jacket and he responded "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Not quite the response I was expecting. The woman started fanning herself and we all started laughing...awkward!

In one of my other classes there were four returning students and two new students. Last month that class got pretty tight so the four returning people felt really comfortable with each other. Anyway, we were talking about our weekend and one guy said "I got a new girlfriend on the weekend." and then he said "and you know her"...all of the returning students were all really excited and right away guessed the woman who was in our class last month who hadn't come back this month. They had just met last month in my class...love began in my class!!!!! Oh, look what connexus can do. Anyway, so this student had told me about his new girlfriend before class and told me that it was a secret. After class he told me with a big grin on his face "it is no longer a secret."

Fancy Photo Booth

On Friday I was introduced to a new kind of photo booth...and I think it is pretty awesome! It is set up like a store and there are many photo booths...you can choose different accessories to wear as well as choose backgrounds and later draw on the picture..and it's so cheap! So on Friday Mark, Joel and I went with our two students. One of our classes at Connexus is called IES (intensive english study) and there are three parts to the class, I teach the speaking part, Joel teaches writing and Mark teaches listening. So anyway, here we are at the best photo booth ever.