About Us

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Jenna and Emilie are two Canadian girls who, after experiencing four amazing years of university together in Victoria, BC, decided to keep the good times rolling by moving together to South Korea. We are now living in a city called Suncheon in the southern province of Jeollanamdo. Both of us teach English at public elementary schools to the cutest kids in the world, and we live in an apartment complex called 'Shedae' with about a 100 other foreigners. We hope this blog will keep us connected to friends and family at home, allowing everyone to follow the whirlwind adventures we are sure to have while living in the far east! Lots of Love, Emilie and Jenna

Thursday, September 30, 2010

World's Biggest Ferris Wheel!

Here we are on the world's biggest ferris wheel in Osaka, Japan. The wheel was huge, as you can see, but we aren't sure if it is actually the biggest in the world, since copyright laws in Asia aren't quite as strict as they are at home. (There are brands such as "Kic-Ker" (looks/tastes exactly like a kit-kat), "Crunky" chocolate bars, and Minute MADE juice). Either way, the ferris wheel was very cool, and we took a video as we were reaching the top.

Tropical beach weekend in WANDO!!

Hello all! Jenna and I are back from an amazing beach party in Wando! This is an island city in the very south of the country... about a three hour bus ride from Suncheon -- so close in Canadian standards, but so far for Korea! Telling our teachers that we were going there, they were all shocked, thinking we were going on such an adventure. This is another interesting tid bit we have noticed here so far- alot of Koreans don't travel too far away from home! I had a teacher telling me she loved to travel, and when I asked where she had gone, she went on to name the cities and towns within one hour of Suncheon! When I probed as to whether she had been outside of Korea she responded, with shocked laughter, "no no, I love Korea!"

Wando, however, was well worth the journey for us! Though there have been mini reuinons every weekend, this Wando event was planned a while ago and was the biggest convention of waygooks we have yet experienced. Everyone from our orientation was there, as well as alot of people who have been here for a year or more! We finally got to see Jessica Ratushniak, the girl (my sister Lyndsey's friend) who was our contact here before we left Canada and was an invaluable asset in our decision to come to Jeollanamdo and getting ready to move!

We arrived at the beach in Wando around 1:30 in the afternoon, and were awestruck. It was a beautiful, white sand beach, and the waves were massive! After the big reunion with everyone, we all hit the water, soju and beer in hand! (*our friends got their hands on a 5L jug of soju for 15,000 won, or $13!) Though we were pretty freaked out by the waves at first, we were soon having chicken fights and were facing the waves head on. The water was warm, it was 30+ degrees, and all in all the beach was just amazing. Who knew such a tropical paradise existed in South Korea!? This place is such an untapped gem... its great that worldwide tourism hasn't really discovered it yet. 




We spent the night in yet another love motel... these places are turning out to be one of the best things about Korea. They make venturing out to other cities so so cheap, especially when we get 5-6 people to a room. 

As we headed home, we knew we had one night to get rested and relax, because the next day we were bound for JAPAN!



Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Konnichiwa!! Jenna and Emilie home from JAPAN!



I wouldn't say this trip to Japan was "well deserved," exactly, as we really only worked a few weeks before we got this vacation time. However, Japan was absolutely amazing and it was definitely hard to set the alarm last night and wake up for work this morning. 


Our trip started at the Suncheon bus station, where we took one of the coolest/comfiest buses ever to Busan (about 2 hours away). We hadn't booked anywhere to stay that night, so we got lucky when the owner of a little motel let all 5 of us girls stay in a room that was meant for only 2 people. It was a squishy sleep, but nothing we haven't done already! (See blog post re: Mokpo weekend!)


The next morning we headed to the international ferry terminal where we checked in for our 11:45 am ferry. The boat was small, really fast, and nothing like BC ferries at home. Everyone's seat was assigned, and you had to stay seated/buckled for the whole trip. The view leaving Busan was amazing, but after a few minutes it was pretty much open ocean.


After clearing Japanese customs, we headed straight for the train station in Fukuoka, Japan to catch the 300km/hr "Shinkansen Nozomi" train that would take us to Osaka. The ride was awesome... so fast and many great sights along the way! When we arrived in Osaka we had to navigate the subway/Japan Rail (JR) lines to get us to our hostel, called Bonsai Guesthouse. Navigating the JR line turned out to be somewhat of an onerous job at first, but by the end of 4 days we were veterans.


Busan, Korea to Fukuoka, Japan on the ferry

Here is a picture of the Shinkansen, Nozomi train that 
took us to Osaka, over 900 km away, in under 3 hours!

Navigating the Japanese subway system turned out to 
be surprisingly simple despite the looks of this confusing sign!



For our first night in Osaka we headed downtown, known in Japan as Dotomburi. We were all extremely excited to walk out of the subway and see, what else, but Subway! (sandwiches, that is =) ) Even though we felt a tad guilty about eating western food amidst sushi-heaven, it was such a nice taste of home that we didn't mind at all. Asian Subway even has some cool things Subway at home doesn't: cream cheese, avocado, thick-cut fries, and shrimp sandwiches.




After dinner we wandered around a bit and found a cool bar in one of the alleyways downtown. Downtown Osaka is absolutely beautiful; huge, tall buildings surround you while a river runs parallel with the main street. A few times Emilie and I even said we felt like we could be in Vancouver - the streets are so clean and there are english signs everywhere. A few times I almost forgot I was in Japan!!


The next day was packed with museums, history, museums, and.... more history and museums! If I had to guess, I'd say it was maybe Em's favourite day =). First we went to the Osaka castle which detailed the unification of Japan's two most prominent families in the 16th century. Next we went into the financial district of Osaka and saw the Mint Museum. We learned a lot about the history of the yen and how the modern monetary system of Japan came to be. We saw old coins from around the world, olympic medals, and machinery used to make the coins.

Em and Jenna out front of the Osaka Castle

 At the Mint Museum in Osaka


After our Subway Sandwiches from the night before, we definitely wanted some real Japanese food for lunch. We found this great place with Udon noodles... we each tried a different kind, and everything was so delicious. Next was the Osaka Human Rights Museum, by far my favourite stop of the day. The museum was organized by different themes of discrimination - people with disabilities, forced Korean-labourers in Japan,  those infected with AIDS from infected blood banks in Japan, homosexuality, etc. It was really eye opening and the exhibits were packed with many different forms of media.


After the museum we headed into the bay area of Osaka, and took a ride on the world's biggest ferris wheel. Very cool. We rode in a glass bottom gondola-type carriage and got some amazing pictures from the top of the wheel. Afterwards we checked out a market with various Japanese foods/souvenirs/clothing and got some sushi for dinner. 


World's biggest ferris wheel! 
We got some great pictures from the top.


The next day we took the JR train to Kyoto, about 45 minutes away. In Kyoto we visited the Kinkakuji temple (aka the Golden Temple). Currently it exists as a buddhist zen temple, but previously was owned by a powerful statesman who used it as a private villa. 


Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto


Our friend Liz who travelled to Japan with us has a family friend, Kate, who works as a silk weaver. Kate was actually staying in Kyoto working at a silk market at the same time we were there, so we all got to meet her and have dinner with her. She was able to show us around a very charming part of old Kyoto, so we got to see some things we otherwise wouldn't have been able to find. 


The next day we went to Hiroshima. Our first stop (which actually turned out to be our ONLY stop, because it turned out to be so fascinating) was the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The museum was absolutely huge, with two main exhibits detailing the history before, during, and after the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima in 1945. The museum was so emotional, yet very powerful at the same time. Through the individual stories told, you really got a sense of the commitment the city of Hiroshima as a whole has made toward attaining total nuclear disarmament. There is a burning flame in the Peace park outside the museum that will stay lit until every country who possesses nuclear weapons becomes disarmed. 


It was nice to end our trip to Japan on such an amazing and powerful note. The next day, we headed to Fukuoka and caught the ferry back to Busan. We were a little worried about catching a bus because of the heavy holiday traffic, but to our surprise we were home before dinner. It's amazing to us the travel opportunities we have on this side of the world. The time and money it would take us to get to Vancouver in a car on the ferries can get us to Japan and back. Some of our other friends from orientation went to Cambodia, others went to China, and some went to the Philippines. 




We will be sure to keep you posted on all of our upcoming travel plans! Hope all of you are well and are enjoying the blog. Lots of love,
Jenna and Emilie xox

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Videos!!

Jenna here with a few videos for you!!

First, here's a quick video of my apartment:


Just a GLIMPSE at how crazy and awesome Korean clubs are!!


Shot in the streets of Mokpo, South Korea! I hope everyone at home
feels the love =)


Sunday, September 12, 2010

Another amazing weekend!

Emilie here! Later this week I will post some info about my schools and teaching, though Jenna did a great job of summing up alot of that =) Now, however, Jenna and I just got back from our first weekend trip out of Suncheon, and though we won't be able to post the photos for a few days, there is much to be said for the experience we had! We went to Mokpo, a port city about 2 hours away, where alot of our friends from orientation are living. Mokpo is about the same size of Suncheon and has a bunch of foreigners teaching there.

We had quite an adventurous night, starting out with a meal of Korean BBQ, where we managed to fry up some tofu and kimchi together, which was a delicious combination. At these BBQs, you sit on the floor, pay for the meat or main dish, grill it on a gas element in the middle of your table, and wrap it up in lettuce with rice and other side dishes. Very delicious, and cheap!

After dinner we all went back to our friend Kelly's apartment. Her place is quite a bit smaller than our apartments in Shedae, but we managed to cram about 15 people in there for some Soju before heading to the bar. At 'Mustang Bar,' there was a Waygook party. Waygook is the term for foreigner that has been adopted here, and aside from providing a website that is full of lesson plans and class games to use at school, the Waygook organizers put on a great event for foreigners in Mokpo. Mustang Bar was full of other English teachers from around the province, so we go to meet alot of new people. There was also a flip cup and beer pong table set up, so we felt right at home!

We left Mustang and headed to 'Gwang Nights,' an after hours bar that is renowned among the Mokpo crew. Though it took us forever to find it, the search was well worth it. This place was like nothing you would ever find at home. It was the size of a big concert hall, complete with a huge stage at the front. You pay for the table when you go in, and are served liquor, beer, fruit, and other snacks. There are performers on the stage at the front, and the music was mostly K-Pop, or Korean pop music with choreographed dances, our new favourite genre of music. There were also some favourite songs from home, and we had an awesome time dancing with more than one thousand Koreans in this massive club! They love to dance here =)

Finally, at the end of the night, all the chaos in Gwang Nights meant that the group of us from Suncheon got separated from the others. There was a torrential downpour by this time, and so we ran to the closest building we could. Turns out there was a love motel right beside the club, and since we had gotten lost from the Mokpo people, we decided to call it a night and stay at this motel. Explanation is needed for the term 'love motel'. These are places, very common throughout Korea, that are set up for couples to go for some privacy. You live with your parents until you are married here, usually in pretty small apartments, and so places like these love motels are very necessary for couple getaways. It was 50,000 won, about $50, for the night. All six of us stayed together in this hilarious motel, making for a perfect end to an unforgettable night.

We woke up this morning and found a cafe that served bagels and cream cheese, a much needed dose of comfort food. We then bused back to Suncheon and all made it home in one piece. Needless to say, it was a memorable first weekend away from Suncheon!

The picture is of all the girls at Kelly's apartment. Also note the K-Pop video... this is a girl band called Secret that is a favourite over here. More photos and videos to come soon!

Love to everyone from Jenna and I,

xoxo,
Ems


Liz, Jenna, Jenny, Bernadette, Anne, Kelly, Emilie, Sarah, Heather, Corina, Catherine, Sarah, and Leah

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The 10 BEST things about Korea so far:

  1. The cute Korean kids at our schools
  2. Cheap taxis! You can get basically anywhere in the city for under $5
  3. Cheap food! Our favourite restaurant has nothing over $5. And don’t forget, you don’t have to tip in Korea!
  4. The wonderful people in Korea – everyone is so nice and willing to help you, always.
  5. Being told you are beautiful about 982 times per day
  6. Free stuff! "Service" is very common in Korea, and is basically just extra stuff that comes with whatever you buy. Service can be anything from stickers and pens to boxes of crackers or laundry detergent.
  7. Jenna’s principal at her school (around 50 years old) who reminds her daily that he is "28 and single."
  8. The cell phones! The phones here are way better than anything at home and extremely cheap
  9. The fact the volleyball is the BIGGEST deal in Korea, and on Wednesdays we end school early so the teachers can play volleyball/drink soju.
  10. ....SOJU!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

First weeks are flying by!

Hi everyone!! Jenna here -

So far the first few weeks in Korea have been amazing, and have gone by so fast. It feels like only a day or two ago that I was worrying about my visa going through in time. (Which, by the way, it didn't, but all is well!). Em and I absolutely love everything that is Korea - teaching, the kids, our apartments, our new friends, and the food (well, for the most part... jellyfish and eel have not exactly been on the menu yet).

We already have many trips planned for the upcoming weekends. This weekend we will go to Mokpo, on the west coast of the southern Jeollanamdo province, to visit friends. Mokpo is a beach town and known for its fishing and beautfiul scenery. Next weekend we are headed to the famed beach town of the province, Wando, for the annual beach party. Then it is the Korean national holiday Chuseok (kind of like our thanksgiving) and we are in the midst of planning a trip for that, too. We've thrown around many ideas - Hong Kong? Philippines? Seoul? Jeju Island? There are many exotic options on this side of the world, and we'll be sure to fill you in on whatever we decide.

Of course, the traveling options are just a perk of the job. Our day to day lives are equally as exciting. For the most part, the kids are noisy but so excited that you are there and eager to learn english. It really is amazing the effort the Board of Education has put into their language program here in Jeollanamdo, and I hope in pays off in the future. Already the younger generations have far surpassed the older generation's english abilities, even by the 3rd grade. One kid in my 5th grade class is absolutely amazing - he came up to me on the first day and said "Bonjour, comment ca va?" The kid is trilingual... he speaks perfect Korean and English, and is semi-fluent in French as well. I gather his parents are really intense, and sent him to Montreal to learn english and french when he was younger.

For the most part I am to follow the text book which includes a CD-ROM and detailed lesson plans. However, I am allowed some creativity when it comes to planning the games and getting the students to actually speak english and converse with one another. We teach anywhere from 3-5 classes per day (40 minutes each) and the rest of the time is for lesson planning, and, of course, writing in our blog...........! Today I taught 3 classes of grade 5. I taught them mostly from the text book but played an awesome game called "Bomb Game" which they love. It's basically set up like Jeopardy (on powerpoint), where they pick a screen and have to answer the question behind it, and earn points. Every once in a while instead of the points, a picture of a bomb shows up and "blows up" everyone's points.

I also taught one class to grade 3 this afternoon. Grade 3 is as hard as it is fun; because they are only just starting to learn english in school, their level is extremely varied - some kids' parents have put them in private lessons, and some are starting from scratch. I love teaching grade 3's, though, because I'm allowed to do whatever I want and don't have to follow the text book. Today I taught them prepositions.... I started with a powerpoint of funny pictures like "The dog is ON the table," and "The cat is IN the box". Then we sang a song, which, by the way, Korean kids of ALL ages love.... they get soo into singing and aren't embarrassed in the slightest. Next I had them draw a picture using my directions: "Draw a pencil ON the desk, draw a cat ON the chair." I think it went pretty well, and the kids seemed to have fun.

The kids are insanely motivated by any sort of prize - stickers, candy, pencils, anything...... one teacher even gives mini packages of hot sauce and pickles and the kids absolutely love it... so funny!! Today I gave out Vancouver Olympics stickers and they got really excited. Much better than hot sauce if you ask me.

I know, I know, everyone is eager to see pictures. Currently I am without internet (I can sometimes steal a signal from the apartment next to me) but the connection is nowhere strong enough to post pictures. Once I get internet, though, (hopefully Monday!) we'll post pictures on here and on facebook. I've got lots of great videos too.

Anyways, that's it for now.... miss everyone at home, and hope you are doing well!!
Lots of love,
Jenna xox