Chill

The temperature here in Jochiwon has dropped considerably over the last few days. The average temp at night is somewhere around -17...resulting in frozen pipes and frigid classrooms. I've been showering in an empty apartment in my building and pulling on five layers to make it through the day without contracting hypothermia. The students can barely sit still from the cold and are constantly standing on chairs to be closer to the vents.

I was told today that it's cold here because of all of the Canadians....

I'm almost starting to believe that we did indeed bring the cold with us.

The Long Road...

...to the weekend. 

It's been a lengthly week, probably the longest and most intensive week yet here in Korea for me. 

Reasons: 

1. The DMZ trip last weekend and the subsequent trip to Daejeon on Sunday made for a very un-relaxing weekend

2. Winter camp was officially upon us. My schedule up until the end of December was teaching three classes a day in the mornings for five days a week. At least then I could relax in the afternoons because I only have to make one lesson plan a week. Then the last two weeks have been spent teaching extra classes to the 11 best English students for three hours in the morning. I have to teach two lessons a day which is nice because it gives me something to do in the afternoons while I freeze upstairs in my office by myself. Finally, on Monday the official winter camp began. 15 students per class, two classes, twice a day. Four classes total. Which is great because that means I was busy....sadly I'm not used to being busy. Then on Tuesday I had the bright idea that I would make cookies with them. NEVER again. Thankfully they all turned out quite well and, besides being appalled by the amount of sugar that went into cookies, the kids were quite pleased with themselves. 

This went on until Thursday when we wrapped everything up with some awesome games. And by Thursday night I was ready sleep for a week. Sadly I had to go back the next day for the regular extra classes. 

3. On Saturday we made our way to Seoul. We met Sang in Myeongdong and proceeded to shop till we dropped. Not actually but it was pretty intense. 

It was also a day of firsts:

First time shopping in Korea

Eating Indian food

Wishing I had a pair of long johns

Going to a Middle Eastern restaurant

Eating Middle Eastern food 

Watching bellydancing

Wanting to sleep in a subway station

All in all, a busy day full of busy things but a good time nonetheless.

Now I just have to look forward to my first holiday since I got to here: Lunar New Year. Three days off plus a weekend. The options are endless....except that I need to save money for my actual vacation in the middle of February so I'll probably just spend it chillin' in Jochiwon. 

Awesome.

DeMilitarized Zone

Ruth and I, and about 30 other foreigners, trekked up to the DMZ for a quick peep at North Korea. I really had no idea what to expect....which was probably for the best because it was....different.

 Yep....that's North Korea...

Even a train station...

Reactions

Best response to seeing foreigners in Korea: Walking back from the Koreamart with Ruth, we pass a mother and two children. The one boy stares and simply says, "Uwah. WOW!"

We all laughed and went on with out lives.

The injury

I have decided to dispose of the empty chuppa chup tins as soon as my students have finished eating all of the lollipops. That way they won't be lying in wait on my apartment floor for me to stumble over in the dark and sprain parts of my foot or, rather, my big toe.

New Years

Dear Dutch people.

If anyone has any extra Oliebollen lying around, or maybe a few Crouquets, do you think you could take some time to pack some with a little icing sugar and mustard and send it over?

Sincerely,

The one craving said Dutch traditions

p.s. And maybe some dropjies while you're at it...

Ushering in the New Year

The week between Christmas and New Years was snowy and cold. And even though school is done for the year we still had eleven students who showed up everyday to learn English. Good for them because I know I couldn't do it. 

The snowman is a sign that there was finally enough snow during the day to make one...even if we did have to pull out a shovel. And for the whole week it was consistently cold and snowy that Korea almost seemed like Canada. Kind of a late Christmas miracle I guess.