Fall Workshop trip to Jinju

Nick and I started off the wonderful workshop trip in the CEV van with Josh, Lauren, Sohee, Richard and Suzi. That alone could have made it the greatest workshop trip ever but there was so much more to come.

Our first rest stop off the highway wasn't very good, guessing by looks, so we got back on the highway and took the next one. It also didn't look great for lunch so we went to the bathroom and jumped back on the road. The third stop was a charm. We sat and ate a wonderful lunch of Bibimbop and Ttok Ramyun!

We hit the road again and before we knew it we were in Namhae. Nick spotted a turtle boat and really wanted to take a ride in it but settled for a picture. We got lucky that our next stop was near it. We ran and took a picture of it before we got on our boat. On our boat ride we fed the seagulls, saw a dead body, dolphins, and flying (jumping) fish. It was a great adventure.

 Super Sweet Bridge!

Turtle Boat!!!!!!!

 Mine!?

We left Namhae after the boat ride and headed towards Jinju. We found our Valentine motel, checked in and had a couple hours to ourselves. Nick and I chose to relax for a little bit then go out and explore the town. We found an awesome toy store right next door to where we were staying. We also walked a small portion of the river and just got to know our where we were staying.

We left for the city with dinner on our minds. Sohee found us a wonderful “all you can eat” meat buffet and it was delicious. After we ate we walked to the lantern festival. We were super excited about it because we wanted to go before we left Korea. I’m glad we were able to go and see how beautiful it was. I felt like we didn't have enough time to really explore all of the lanterns, mostly because we didn't realize the lanterns were just in the one area so we walked past them and into many tents. We really wasted time there. All of the teachers stuck together until the last little bit because some were taking a long time to do something so they were left behind. 

 SO LANTERN-Y I'M GONNA DIE!!!!

 Nick got too much into playing with his glow sword.

 Me and 'Manda rockin' the Glow Bows!

 TO VICTORY ON MY NOBLE BULL!

The next day we were able to wake up slow and then we hit the road. We went back to the lantern festival only this time we were on the other side where the temple was. It was a place we all wanted to see at night but we didn't have the time to get there. We are glad we got to go during the day though.

 Random High School Students.  We may have been mistaken for celebrities.

 BONG!!!!!!!!!!!

 Hey there sweet cheeks!

 Me, sir?

 Nick and I dressed up and got our pictures taken. It was super cool. 

We had a great two days! It was so perfect to go to the lantern festival with our CEV Family!

Changnyeong English Village Workshop Trip

This week we had our biannual workshop trip. Our workshop trips are like no other.  Our bosses take us for a two day one night vacation to experience Korean culture. This trip we went to Geoju-do, Oedo, and Tongyeong. We left CEV early Thursday morning in two vans. I (Lauren) was shocked because I was told it was going to be boys in one van and girls in the other, but much to our surprise Richard put Nick and I in the car with him, Suzi and So-Hee.

     The first stop in our adventures was a roadside rest stop that overlooked the ocean and the entrance to a tunnel that goes under that ocean to get to Geoji-Do.

This is where the road goes into the tunnel!!!

Our second stop was the house of President Kim a former president of South Korea. His childhood home was donated and converted into a museum depicting his life and struggle to lead South Korea away from the dictatorship it was heading toward.  During his presidency he gave much of the power back to the people and that has laid the groundwork for what South Korea has become today.

 Took a selfie next to this picture.... Bill Clinton and President Kim.

 Playing a little pretend!

Giving a short speech!

Our third stop was a Korean war memorial museum built on the site of the largest South Korean prison camp.  The museum lead us on a journey chronicling the timeline of the Korean War. While the majority of the information presented at the museum was in Korean, we were still able to get a better sense of the chronology of the war and the deep impact it has on the Korean culture.

Next stop was the Windy Hill, it was beautiful and windy!

 Can you see Nick? Let me zoom in..........

 There he is!!!!!!

Beautiful windmill.

Our first day of the workshop ended at our motel with a beautiful view and take out pizza for dinner. The next morning I woke up super early and decided to go on a walk and take some pictures.

I climbed some rocks and ended up here.. My foot in the picture is just proof that I did it!

When I got back I woke Nick up and we packed up and loaded our van for another day of adventures. We grabbed breakfast from a convenience store on our way to docks where we took a boat to Oedo. It is an island with a Botanical Garden on it. Way beautiful, just like this whole trip.

 Nick took this picture to see if anyone would notice the craziness in this picture. When you see it...

After the gardens the boat picked us up and took us around some other islands.

After, we headed to Tongyeong for a huge lunch and a beautiful ride up a mountain it was one of those 'Don't look down moments'

 Richard and I having a little fun!!!

 Nick and I acting scared!

 Suzi and I trying to take our mind off of the heights!

 Our CEV Family at one of the overlooks.

Nick and I went all the way to the top. We could see a whole 360 and it was BEAUTIFUL and well worth the million stairs.

When we got back down to the bottom we headed back to Changnyeong. It was a wonderful workshop trip that reminded us how much we love visiting the ocean and listening to the waves.  Korea is wonderful in that you can visit the mountains and the ocean at the same time!  We got to ride boats and Hike beautiful mountains without ever losing sight of either.  I was so happy and grateful that we were able to go on such a lovely trip with such a great group of friends and coworkers.

Workshop October 2013

This workshop was bitter and sweet, as we celebrated with our CEV family. Amanda and Brandon went out with a BANG! We had a great relaxing trip to Busan/Gimhae. We left CEV at 9:00 am in two vans, Busan bound. Our first stop was Busan aquarium. Nick and I almost visited here during Chuesok, but I'm glad we decided not to. We had such a fun time looking at all the sea creatures with our coworkers. We had a few favorite parts, actually the whole thing was fantastic. We got to witness penguins eating and swimming around, and later sharks, GIANT grouper, and sting rays eating. Then if that wasn't cool enough we got to hold real star fish, and see empty shark eggs. Then if that wasn't cool enough we got on a boat with a see-through bottom, and got to see/feed fish who in return feed the sharks in the tank! It was a pretty awesome experience.

 Before we left that area we ate some Indian food (spicy) and walked on the beach (of course I took my shoes of and played in the water) Before we knew it we were back in the van and on the road again to a HUGE Lotte Department store where we walked around for a couple of hours before we met up again. Nick and I were good and didn't by anything. We have made a new budget and so far it is working well. 

Once again we found ourselves on the road. Nick and I had the pleasure of riding in the same van as Richard, Suzie, and Sohee. It was interesting to see how much Korean I understood, and how lost I was in every conversations. They would throw out an English word every now and again to hook me back in to the conversations. I have been really practicing my numbers, telling time, and money. I feel that if I can get these down I will feel like I have accomplished something with the Korean language. As we drove to Gimhea in the rain from the Typhoon I couldn't help but think about life and how much I (and we) have grown here in Korea. Every time I turn my head I see a new challenge to face. It has been hard and rewarding at the same time.

We pulled up to our hotel and checked in. We have a little time to unpack and get ready for dinner. We drove to a different Department store and ate at a Vietnamese restaurant! We shopped around for a little then back to the hotel for the night. Nick went out to grab us some ice cream because he was in the mood for some chocolate. While he was gone I decided to take a shower and relax. He came back and rang our room bell, knocked, banged on the door and I didn't hear him. He freaked out a little because he thought I had fallen and was unconscious (or something) he went down and tried to get another key for our door. Needless to say there isn't an extra key for the rooms and when he came up the second time I just turned off the shower and could hear him banging on the door. He busted in and just hugged me for a while thankful that I was okay. 

Tuesday morning we met everyone at 9:00 am and did something that MANY teacher don't have the opportunity to do. We visited Richard and Suzi's Home in Gimhea. We felt very special to visit there and to eat breakfast. They have a really cute, well decorated apartment! When we finished eating we all jumped in the vans again and came back to Changnyeong to unpack and then we had a farewell lunch for Amanda and Brandon. Afterward we saw them off! I can't believe time is flying by so quickly, before we know it, our 1 year anniversary for being in Korea will be here.