Dinner parties, New Year II and New Friends

Our New Year started off very quickly - can't believe it is already February. We have been enjoying the cold weather (as much as humanly possible) but are ready for the warm weather to save us. All is going well with school, and the students are about to being a new school year in March. Currently, they are having a winter vacation break for 2 weeks at school, but will have another 3 week spring vacation after that. This doesn't have much of an effect on us, although we might receive a few new students and lose some others. We have been keeping ourselves busy on the weekends with explorations of different areas of Korea, visits to Seoul, and meeting up with friends.

Most recently, we have had a few "dinner parties" and have learned how to cook some traditional Korean dishes. We've learned a dish called 떡볶이 (Ttokbokki - rice cake and red peppers), 김치전 (Kimchijeon - a big cabbage pancake) and 떡국 (Tteokguk - rice cake soup). Needless to say...loads of rice dishes, but all delicious! There is a lot of focus on the beauty of the foods in terms of color, and the harmony of the foods that are paired together in meals. It is much harder to prepare/cook than the Western foods I specialize in, for example: cereal and milk, eggs and toast, cutting apple slices, etc.


A picture of our dinner party - much thanks to them. There is Ashley and her two children Su-bin and Su-gun, and Carol is one or our bosses very good friends. She was the master chef - the food was delicious!

In addition to our normal classes, Dan and I both have separate tutoring lessons - usually with older high school or university students. We really enjoy these lessons because we can talk to them and relax - it feels like we aren't even teaching!

One of our older students (Sin-Ae) took us out to lunch and coffee this past week. She is in the red sweater and next to her is her sister In-Ae. Not only was it the easiest lunch we've had in a while - because she ordered for us - but she also showed us a new restaurant and coffee shop in Gunsan - which we are always on the search for. After coffee, we had our first experience in a "Sticker Shop." These are very famous establishments found all over Korea, and they are basically very high-tech photo booths. You have the ability to decorate, draw on and choose thousands of different backgrounds. Quite amazing.

We recently had a holiday for the Chinese New Year and decided to go to Seoul. Many adventures, hundreds of pictures, but I though this one was best. This is the traditional dress in Korea called Hanbok. All children wear different unique and handmade versions of this type of outfit on special holidays. The one in pink doesn't look too happy about it though. I think he is just at the age of "no more Hanbok, mom."



Dan and I visited a very cool bar in Seoul called the Bungalow. It had an indoor beach with swings and hammocks. We of course had to do a photo shoot.



A snowy day in Gunsan is the perfect opportunity to make some new friends.



We miss everyone and we love you x