Return to O'sulloc Tea Plantation

O'sulloc green tea plantation is a five minute bike ride from school, so it's easy to travel there when we have a bit of free time. We had a small meal at the cafe and then did the touristy thing and posed for a bunch of pictures in front of the giant, teacup-shaped bush. The weather was relatively warm and it was a pleasant outing. 

Jeoji Oreum and Beach Day with the House

Today the whole of Jeoji House took a trip to our namesake oreum and the Hyeopjae Beach. Once again the weather was wonderful -- clear and sunny, without a cloud in the sky. There was a slight cool breeze playing around us when we reached the top of the oreum for lunch and a rest.

The beach was also very nice, albeit windier. I went swimming in my clothes since I managed not to bring a bathing suit, but a lot of the students ended up doing the same. We had a recklessly fun time just running around through the water and sand. I felt so free, being off campus. It was nice to bond with some of the girls in the house outside of a boarding/ academic context.

To see more, go to our house blog.

Norebang 노래방

This week for our day off I suggested that we go into the city to do Norebang, as we could also get some shopping done at E-Mart. This was a good idea. We spent the afternoon belting out hits from the '90s and '00s, and dancing around like freaks. 

Unlike Japan, apparently norebang is primarily a nighttime activity, so it was a bit more challenging than expected to find a place open in the mid-afternoon. I remember being able to go into karaoke in Japan after 1pm or so and we could stay there for five hours for just 5,000 yen (about $5) a piece. We could even order beer while we were there. This place didn't serve alcohol, but we didn't need it. We cut loose. Singing is such a stress reliever, and it's so nice to get off campus each week. 

The karaoke room we were placed in had a small stage at the back, flashing lights, and mirrors. The technology wasn't too advanced--we had to look up song numbers in a song book--but the sound quality was pretty sweet and they provided us with TAMBOURINES. Heck yes!

Following our time at norebang, we went to Wa Bar, a western-type bar, for a beer or two, and then later went home for Hawaiian pizza <3

At the school it poured all through the morning and I was feeling pretty pessimistic when I met up with the group to go on our morning hike. As we walked out to the bus it was a torrential down pour and I figured I'd be soaked through within the first 2 minutes of hiking.

Driving south, the rain increased in intensity, but the bus driver still hurtled the bus forward through the deluge. Jeju drivers are crazy.

Then suddenly, nothing. No rain, dry roads, sun peeking through the clouds. I guess this is what island weather is well known for. We left behind the wall of rain and spent the rest of the morning sweating in the glaring sun and trudging through humid, thick air.

The view from the olle trail we walked today was gorgeous. We were right up on the coast, and the whole walking path was a raised wooden platform with good footing. The downside was that there were many tourists on this part of the olle trail.

Nearing the end of our walk, we went down some stairs and onto a boulder beach with tide pools and sand lice scurrying around. The kids clambered over the rocks for about half an hour and the sun continued to get hotter and hotter as it approached noon, so we made our way back up the stairs and to the bus. The way back to campus was uneventful, but I knew we were nearing the school when we reentered what I'm calling the "bad weather bubble," because we hit the wall of rain and from thereon it continued to pour the whole way back.

Rain cloud overtaking campus early this morning

Daily Grind

It's thundering outside and heavy rain clouds are brushing over the oreum visible from my room. The ocean looks misty and distant. It's raining and we're supposed to go hiking in 40 minutes. 

This past week was more of the same thing. We're finally settling into our roles and getting used to the routine. Starting the week after next, I will be teaching a grade 7 science class twice a week on "The Weather," and so I've been prepping for that and observing the classes I'm going to teach.

I've also been helping out around the house, especially with House Competition things. This week was soccer (football), and our house team, both boys and girls, made an incredibly strong showing. The competition is set to continue this Monday, and all the teams will finish facing off.

My favorite day of the week is definitely Thursday, my day off. We had big plans to go into Jeju City this past Thursday and do some shopping then take a cab to a black sand beach. Well that would've been nice if we hadn't taken so long to figure out how to navigate the city. We ended up walking around a whole lot, and then finished up our time out at a korean restaurant. I had bibimbap:

Stoneware bowl full of rice, cut up veggies, and an egg. Bowl comes to the table piping hot. You stir everything together and eat it with a spoon. The heat from the bowl slowly browns the rice on the outside into crispy goodness.

First Week of School

WOOHOOO. We've made it through the first week of school and like all first weeks it's been the longest of my life. It's hard to believe that the students arrived only last Sunday -- It feels like I've been here forever.

Everything has been running smoothly. I'm getting used to cafeteria food, exploring the local running routes, and continuing to get to know the girls in the house.

On a typical day I've been waking up around 7:30, going for breakfast and then a run or zumba, followed by lunch. Work starts in the early afternoon. I'm in the bio department every day and I'll be taking over a couple grade 7 science classes on weather. I'm teaching one boys class and one girls class, since they split up the classes based on gender here.

Following my time prepping or in the classroom, I head to afternoon activities. During the week I'm booked in cross country running, ceramics and cycling club.

So far this week I only had the chance to go to cycling club. It's my first time really getting to cycle off road, and on Friday we went out in the pouring rain, which was still fun. We got soaked within the first two minutes and then spent the rest of the half hour exploring the winding roads behind the school.

In the evenings after dinner I'm in house, tutoring the seventh grade girls and going around helping the tutor on duty put the girls to bed. The students in the house are lively with vibrant and varying personalities. I'm still learning names, though, it it'll probably take me until half term to get everyone sorted out.

Thursday is my day off, and it's dedicated to working out, going to the beach or into town, and getting some much-needed rest. We also have Friday nights off, and this week a few of us went into Jeju City for samgyupsal, or Korean BBQ, where we were given meat to cook at a grill built right into the table.

Monday afternoons are for house competitions, and the sum total of the house competition rankings contributes to the overall house competition prize, which Jeoji house has won both years running. So far we're in third this year, but I'm sure the soccer competition on Monday will make up some lost points.