Sunday, April 20, 2014

Buseoksa Temple and a Spring Hike

The weather is finally starting to get warm here in Deasan. Lance and I decided to explore some of the what Seosan has to offer. Namely, the Buseoksa Temple, which is the oldest wooden building in Korea. It's a beautiful series of buildings sitting atop Mt. Bonghwang. We took the tank out for a spin, parked at the bottom and hiked our way to the top. From the top of Mt. Bonghwang we were able to see the vast sprawl of farmland and ocean front that's now our current home. It left us breathless. The cherry blossoms are in their final days here and it's really the most beautiful time I think because with the slightest breeze petals fall down to the ground like soft snow. The lanterns that  decorate the path up to the temple are there because of Buddha's birthday coming up in May. They made the journey to the top all the more beautiful.
We're getting ready to move again in about a week. It turns out there aren't enough classes to support two native teachers out at the oil bank, so we'll be moved into Seosan and commute to the next town over in Dangjin. We've each visited the school in Dangjin a handful of times and it seems nice enough. Really, Lance I are both excited to move into the city. It's really hard being so remote. We're going to miss our very spacious apartment though. Studio living here we come.
In general life here is starting to settle. We've gotten into a routine, though we find ourselves a bit bored at times, we're mostly comfortable. Really this year is about preparing for 2015 back in the states. It's 11 months away and it still seems like there's so much to do! I'm looking forward to it though. I miss home.


























Thursday, April 17, 2014

Desk Warming

A big part of being a teacher in Korea is desk warming. Basically sitting at your desk doing nothing worthwhile. This happens because you are contracted for so many hours, but they don't have enough classes to fill that time, but they're going to get that time out of you. So they make you sit here. Some people master the art of looking busy. Me on the other hand, I just sit back and relax. 

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Adventures in Malipo








Spring has sprung in Korea and today Lance and I traveled to Malipo Beach, about an hour south of where we live right on the yellow sea. We took the tank for a spin and explored the whole area. We found lots of sea glass, walked along some beautiful scenic beaches and explored some of Korea's rural farm land. The flowers and acres of rice paddies were quite a sight, even if there was quite a bit of yellow dust and smog in the air. We finished the night with a movie and dinner. All in all it was a good day in the midst of a difficult month. Lance and I are adjusting to the new job, which we both really enjoy, but there are some minor problems we're both having to deal with. I'm sure once the summer is in full swing things will have settled back into a routine.