Black Pig

Galbi is my favorite food here. Its Korean BBQ back home. Cooked right in front of you, I have had it only 3 times so far, but tomorrow I am going again with Julia tomorrow ( she doesnt know this yet, but I'm trying to make it a traditional Sunday venture) and am really looking forward to sampling Black Pig again. It is a delicious pig that comes from Jeju, specially bred with a certain diet to be as delicious as possible. No idea what it actually is fed, but the meat is delicious. Particuarly the neck....

Traditional side dishes include different types of Kimchi, garlic, pickled onions, zucchinni, mushrooms, cabbage, other salty delicious things.

So good to be with someone who actually knows what there doing too...

Playing around with color switch, green is golden...

Walking about...

Most of the time, I have chosen to spend the majority of my free time wandering about, getting lost, exposing myself to my surroundings. Trying to get a bearing of landmarks, tourist frequenters, bike shops, etc. Since my own two feet seem to be my primary transportation at this point in time, still searching for the perfect bike. I have stumbled around and while I must say photo ops are frequent, I'll just post a few of my favorites I have gotten around my neighborhood in the past two weekend walking around.


The entrance to a great little park with free weights to use.... plus a nice springy running track through the trees....

This is quite a common site, rape flower I believe is what its called...


Resting point on my traveling adventures...
Coastline off the coast of gu-jeju (old Jeju) which was about an hour walk from my apartment, the beach was another 15 minute walk the opposite way.

House Warming Party

As I am learning several traditions in Korea I find myself appreciating the little everyday occurrences that make social interaction a bit more unique. For instance, there is a common head bow with greetings and good-byes. Placing of ones hand under your right arm when pouring a drink, which if its alcoholic is poured by someone else. Koreans share everything at the table. Food, drinks, laughs. There is a chain reaction a lot of times when someone holds up a glass and says 'Kombe' or cheers. If you have a cup in front of you, you will raise it.

So when I was asked when I was going to have my house warming party, another Korean tradition I have since learned about, I opted to host the following weekend.

My director Grace and her daughter, Julia, Joy, Rani and Pam from work came bearing gifts such as a plant decoration thing I have seen all over Korea, which apparently helps with humidity in the summer, TP, and laundry detergent. Very thoughtful and extremely useful items. Also, a friend I met in Jeju, Jaemin from Seoul came by and joined in the festivities.


Take out called fire chicken, which is delicious and not as hot as it seems....


Grace's daughter looking like she is a bit too sleepy....


And there she goes....



Pam and Joy...love this picture.....



Digital cameras make it so you can't leave until the perfect picture has been captured...

Julia in a rare picture where, look, she is actually smiling and half-way posing for a picture. The blurry or hand-in-front of face picture ratio I have is about 50:1...

Iho Beach Excursion

Living on an island certainly has its benefits. I have had a long day, today and am waiting for co-workers to show up for a house warming party, so I thought I would share some pictures of my walk to Iho Beach last Sunday.

Iho beach is the closest beach to my apartment and from what many foreigners have said, the worst beach in Jeju. It didn't seem bad at all, so I can only assume it just gets better and better from here.

The walk takes about 40 minutes from my apartment, crossing into a little coastal village before turning the corner at the beach. I found it quite enjoyable walking along the coastal street as I found many differences from the main city that I live. It is a bit more relaxes atmosphere and more traditional and yet older Korean housing. No high rise apartments anywhere near this beach.


The turn around the corner gave a me a great idea about exactly how to get down to the beach. Thank you English, your work in Korea has been very helpful so far. Most signs by the way , in the city and country are bi-lingual.


A Buddhist ceremony of sorts was taking place when I arrived. I am not completely sure what was happening, though they would occasionally break from the group to go throw back live fish into the sea. Ti, maybe you could fill me in....


The beach being the closest to my house, is adjacent to the airport. Being on the ocean, the airport makes it so I have to go around it to get to a relaxing sandy spot. There is just the occasional airplane landing....


More to come possibly tomorrow....

Be well ~






Serenity always seems to come in the form of a circle. The only thing that exists that is absolutely, in 100% of the word, perfect...

The Begininings...

After much wait, I finally post again. This is due to mainly three factors.

One is that I hate, absolutely hate being unsettled. That said it has taken a bit of time getting comfortable in this space that is my apartment. Finally I do think I have most of what I need now to survive and thrive here.

Two is that I have been sick since I first arrived. Mostly all better now, lots of sleep has been good to me.

Third is that I have been having a lot of fun doing other things. Working takes a lot of energy so I have to turn in all the time off to exponentially fun adventures.

Okay lets see, first a bit about work.
My schedule is a bit different...I work 11-6 err...about 5:30 for teaching with a hour break for lunch. Not to strenuous right? Though I go for about 4 and a half of the hours with not really any sort of break. I have began to end my sessions lightly so I can review and ask for questions instead of working right up until the end.

One of the typical looking classrooms......

The school is beautiful. Brand new facility with many materials, books and shelves for storage. We use a primary curriculum, Harcourt and I am teaching it to pre-k, kinders, 1st and 2nd level so far. Some of my 8 classes per day are better than others, but generally far superior to American schools. One of this is that my biggest class is 9 students. My smallest is 3. Needless to say the 3 student class is my favorite.

Outside of the school.....

I walk to work from my apartment, up a hill which takes about 25 minutes. I eat lunch at the school for free which is great because it allows me to sample a lot of traditional Korean foods first before buying them. All of which have been excellent! In fact, the first crappy food experience came last night eating seafood spaghetti and a pork cutlet at this brewery serving traditional American and German food. Yeah stay away from the American food is my new motto. Korean food has been some of the best samplings I have had in my life.

First floor, main hallway of the school....

Okay, now a bit about non-work. This weekend has been really fun thus far. Being Sunday morning, I will most likely spend today wandering around/going to the beach if the weather turns out to be as promised.

Friday night, 3 teachers (Julia, Joy and Rani) and I went out for Korean BBQ (Galbi). The pictures don't speak anything in comparison to how good it actually does taste. Meat (we had pork) is grilled right in front of you, and a plethora of side dishes comes out to accompany the meal. Soju (Korean alcohol, about 20%) is almost a default sidedish here. It is rather dangerous being so good and so cheap. But when the meat is done you wrap it in lettuce leaves with a bit of roasted garlic and this red pepper paste/chili paste and dip it in a seasame sauce. Quite delicious I must say. I could hardly contain my excitment.....

I know Anothony Bourdain is jealous right now.....

Joy in aparantely a rare, Soju drinking moment....

From top left: Joy, Rani and Julia finished and extremely satisfied with out meal...

Julia trying to not be in focus....

We then all went out for ice cream followed by Karaoke, which you get your own private room for. It is actually pretty fun because it rates your ability at the end, similar to rock band or something. American classics and of course some Korean KPOP. It was really fun watching other people do it and suprisingly I had the best score at the end of the night. Also, suprisingly it was 2Pac. I have no other way to explain myself on this one.

Joy and Rani jamming out....

Then saturday, Julia and I met up and went shopping to this underground shopping center in gu-Jeju (Old Jeju). Taxis take us everywhere by the way. They are SO cheap. Flagging them down cost 1800 won, and it maybe will be 4 or 5 thousand by the time we travel 15 to 20 minutes to the old city. Dont really know why people drive here actually...

The shopping was great. I found out I am actually about the biggest size most stores around here will carry, 105. My shoulders are just not Korean standards what so ever so finding something thats cuts exact is a bit difficult, but not impossible. I did find one of the best deals ever though, which I pounced on. A beige, heavier cotton jacket is a zup in cotton vest on sale for 25,000. It would easily be a 120 dollar jacket back home. Jackets here by the way are SO much cooler than in America.

After exploring all the clothes shop, we strolled through the orange/tangerine vendors (which are extremelly plentiful and common here. In fact, there is one next door to my building and another about 2 minutes away. Granted these are brick and mortar actual stores. I was kinda shocked. After the orange market, we went onto the fish market. I would be too scared to cook my own fish and eat it and seafood is certainly not a specialty. I wish I had pictures of these places, but I forgot my camera. Julia got some, so I will have to wait until she send them to me I suppose.

We them went shopping at E-mart (like walmart I suppose, but not un-popular or low class) for a few household items. Dropped them off at our respected apartments and went to this place called Modern Times, which is a pretty decent brew house. The food was not that good for the prices so I dont think I will eat there again. But they certainlly had the best beer I have drank thus far. I had a pale ale as there was no IPA on tap.... :(

Ending the night at a close proximety bar called La Vie, which is deffinetly a foriegner hang out. More foriegners than Koreas by far. I met a girl actually who went to school in Eugene at UO, not at the same time, but it was a very crazy coincidence.

Walked back home afterwards, which is just about 4 or 5 more blocks. Oh an Julia and I may be heading up towards Seoul/Chonean. March 21st I believe is the departing date. If you happend to be reading this shane-o. Your phone seemed to be dead last night when I tried to call.

Off to get ready for the day! Weather is beginning to look really nice. Sice I have yet to figure out how to get the weather update here, besides the 10 o clock pm English news, I watch people out of my window and take an average account for the clothing warmth. Right now at 9:00 in the morning, its a light jacket....

Be well ~