Yesterday I created a Facebook page for my blog. It got 82 likes in less than 24 hours. I feel happier than this guy…
I REALLY want to have a giveaway, but I need your help. I need 100 likes on the Life Outside of Texas Facebook Page first. Please come by and like my page. And if you have a page, please let me know. I’d love to “like” it!
This picture is of a street food vendor near my apartment. She is making hoddeok, which is my absolute favorite street food in Korea. It’s kind of like a pancake stuffed with cinnamon, sugar and seeds and then fried. So fattening, but so delicious!
Her cart also sold fish cakes on a stick and silkworm larvae, which you can see in the photo below.
Sorry I’m behind on my blog. I have been really busy packing and cleaning. I will update soon.
I wanted to post something to keep you entertained so I thought I’d leave you with a music video. This song is Korea’s big hit of the summer. I have been hearing lots of buzz about it, but today I finally watched the music video. It’s odd and funny and very Korean… enjoy.
Many of you don’t know this… I have turned in my resignation letter to my school. I have decided to quit teaching 6 months early. My last day of my contract is now August 25, instead of February 25.
I requested to take a week of unpaid leave so that I could go home for my brother’s wedding in October. My school declined my request and said that even Korean teachers can’t take a week off during the school year. I understand their point, but I’m only a co-teacher so my classes would be covered.
I am under contract, but my contract states that it can be cancelled if I give two months notice. I turned in my resignation letter at the end of June and my co-teacher seemed surprised. Did they really think I was going to miss my brother’s wedding?
There’s no penalty for leaving if you stay 6 months into your contract, but I will miss out on some of my completion bonuses. The pension system here has helped me a lot because in late September I will get back what I contributed and the school matches it.
I am not going back to the States until the wedding and I’ll be there for a few weeks. After that, I’m coming back to Korea until Dave finishes his job here. This time I’ll be living in Ulsan.
I’ll still be posting photos of all of my adventures and they should be more frequent since I’ll have a bit more free time.
Back in October, a bunch of the English teachers in Busan got together for a scavenger hunt. The girl who organized it did a really great job and everyone had a lot of fun.
To play, you had to register your 5 member team online prior to the event. Also, each team needed a name and themed dress was encouraged. There was a prize for the best costumes. My team chose to do something simple. We wore red and black and called ourselves the “Red Hots.”
We all met up at HQ Jangsan. In order to get the packet that contained the challenges, you had to participate in a flip cup challenge. I’ve actually never played flip cup so our teammate, Jamie, took the challenge.
It took a few rounds of the game, but once we got our packet, we set out on our 
way to complete the challenges. The packet contained a list of photo and video challenges. Each challenge was given a point value and the top 3 teams with the most points were awarded prizes at the end of the night.
The Red Hots came in second place and our prize was a keg. Basically, we were allowed to go into either of the HQ locations on a night of our choosing and drink a keg’s worth of beer for free.
I’ve posted the photos and video below. Enjoy!
My friends’ team — Noah’s Arc & The Zoo Crew
Take a picture of a local proposing marriage to one team member- 100
Take a picture of your entire team planking- 200 + 100 for most unique location
Take a picture of 2 team members on a scooter-50
Take a picture of a team member humping something inappropriate- 50
Take a picture of a team member holding a baby, making the face that they would make if they’d just found out that it was theirs- 100 + 100 for best face
Take a picture of a team member with a local couple wearing matchies- 50 pts for every piece of their clothing that’s matching
Take a picture of a Korean couple making out- 100
Take a picture of 4 team members with at least one body part in the ocean- 200
Take a picture of one team member with their face painted- 150
Have one team member challenge a local to a game of Dance Dance Revolution (dancing arcade game). Take a picture of them cheating-50
Find a stage of some kind. Take a team airband picture-100
3 team members doing love shots with 3 locals at the same time- 50
Take a picture of all five team members in a taxi taking up all of the seats- including the driver’s- 200
Take a picture of all team members posing like in an old school family photo on the ugliest possible piece of furniture you can find = 140 +50 for best picture
Take a picture of your team handing out samples at a grocery store- 100 +50 if anyone is wearing the salesperson’s white legwarmers
Take a picture of a team member holding a dog that is wearing accessories or has coloured fur- 50
Create an art piece. Take a picture of your team with the piece- 100 +200 for best
Bonus Challenge: Get into a human pyramid and take a shot at the same time
Bonus Challenge – get a photo with as many locals doing the “Kimchi” pose as possible
1. Create a talk show featuring a team member as the host. Interview a kimbap changook lady, who is ‘on the show’ to explain how to make kimbap- 300 +100 fore most ridiculous interview
2. Play rock, paper, scissors with the largest group of children you can find- 50 +100 for largest group of children
3. Sit with an adjumma (old lady) selling fruits of veggies on the street and videotape your first sale- 100
4. Dance using some kind of pole to teammate-produced music- 100
5. Have one team member give another team member a manicure in a beauty shop. At one point in the video, the ‘manicurist’ must ask a salesperson for advice- 200
6. Purchase a fish (doesn’t matter what kind) from an adjumma (old lady) and set it in the ocean. 2 vids – 150 for purchase, 200 for release
7. Re-enact a famous movie scene in a GS25- 100 +100 for best
8. Have one team member teach a yoga class to at least 5 strangers on a beach. Get a video of at least 1 minute of it- 200
9. Go to a supermarket. Have two team members wheelbarrow through the aisles as if one team member is the cart. Purchase an item-200
10. Have one or more team members serenade a stranger using an instrument of some sort- 150
11. Have at least 3 members of the team crabwalk from one convenience store to another- 150
12. Get an adjumma (old lady) or adjushi (old man) to let a team member give them a piggy-back ride- 150 +200 if you get them to give the team member one
13. Get a business card ninja (the ones on the scooters) to shoot at least 3 cards at a team member while the team member is blindfolded- 200
14. Create a team CASS commercial using at least 4 locals- 300 +50 for best commercial
15. Go into a random group of locals’ noraebang. Get a video of your team singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ with the people who actually paid to be there- 400
Today is the first day of spring and it was beautiful out. People tend to laugh at how proud Koreans are about their “four distinct seasons,” but I think it’s pretty accurate. In Texas, we basically have 2 seasons — summer and not summer.
This winter was the coldest Korea has seen for a while so I am more than thankful for spring to be upon us. And I’m not the only one. The badminton courts by the river at Dongnae Station were full.
Korea is so obsessed with love that they celebrate it in some form or fashion on the 14th of every month. On February 14th, girls are supposed to give gifts to men and then on March 14th, the men return the favor.
Just as my secret stash of chocolates from Valentine’s Day ran out, White Day came along and replenished my drawer of sweets. I was given these candies from students today.
Dave was in Busan tonight and came bearing chocolate… and lots of it! He learned quickly that dark chocolate is my favorite. He did good. 🙂
Here’s a list of all of the other Korean love-related holidays…
I forgot how cute the 6th graders are during student elections time. They get their friends together, make campaign posters and march around the front of the school. Today, as I walked into school, this group of boys made sure I knew to vote for #4 (I don’t even get a vote). Later, when I stepped back outside to take more photos, these girls ran over with their signs. So today you get two photos because I couldn’t pick just one.
The boy in the center is running (obviously). Update: He won the election.
The girl on the left is running. You can also see some of the campaigning madness in the background.
Tonight I ordered a Gorgonzola pizza for dinner. It was a bit of a surprise when it came out topped with potato chips.
I took this photo today at Woobang Tower Land in Daegu. I went on a road trip with Dave, Shanna and Jamie (the duo has been affectionately named Shamie). We were going to eat in the revolving restaurant in the tower, but as it turns out, no one was in the mood for robster.
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