I slept in til 8 or so and decided I wouldn't do any more temples. I had a leisurely morning and walked around looking for a place to have breakfast/brunch. I picked a cafe and had an omelet. After brunch I did some more gift hunting in the markets. I wasn't too hungry, but was going to be horseback riding at 2 so I decided I'd get a snack and found a really nice cafe-I wished I had room to actually try a meal there, but instead I ordered a juice and lemon bar. The cafe was started by two sisters from Australia. Their mission was to help provide jobs for locals so they could afford to go to school and get higher education.
I returned to the guesthouse ready to go for my ride. I was supposed to be picked up at 2 and I stood outside from about 1:50 waiting. By 2:25 I decided to call the ranch to tell them I didn't have a driver. I called and they told me to wait outside. I went back outside and the driver said he had been there since 2. I was kind of upset because originally I had signed up for a 3 hour ride but I wasted 30 minutes just waiting. I got to the ranch and decided I would do a 2 hour ride instead. I did the paperwork and then met my guide, Sophie. My horse was Paris, a 3 year old. We rode through some villages and along farms. We ended up trotting a couple times and also cantering. It was a lot of fun. I really miss riding. Once when we were cantering, Paris spooked and he took off. I was able to stay on even though I lost my stirrups. Thank goodness for all of those riding lessons.
After the ride I returned to the hostel and waited to meet Olivia and Brett for dinner. They got lost trying to find my hostel again and were a little bit late. We found a restaurant for dinner. The service was slow and the food wasn't that great. But we enjoyed the company and hanging out. After dinner I returned to the hostel to get my bag and take a tuktuk to the airport. I said goodbye to my Aussie friends and 20 minutes later arrived at the airport. I checked in and then waited in line through security. An American travel group was behind me in line and the woman commented that my bag was so big and I had a lot of stuff in my backpack. I told her that my backpack was all that I had used to travel for the last 16 days and she was so shocked! I chatted with them a little bit as we moved through security and immigration. While we were in line, a Korean woman ahead of us turned and started talking to me as well. She was in Cambodia on a missions trip with some other members from her church. She asked why I was Korean but couldn't speak Korean. I explained I was adopted and she told me her daughter had volunteered one summer helping international adoptees. After speaking with me a bit she told me she wanted me to meet their Priest so he could give me a blessing. It was very sweet of her.
In the departure area, I saw a sight for sore eyes: DAIRY QUEEN! There aren't any Dairy Queens in Korea and I decided I would get a blizzard before getting on the plane. Instead of a regular flavor, I tried the green tea blizzard with chocolate chunks. I was going to get a small size, but the young man working told me I should get a bigger size to save money. It didn't take much to convince me. We chatted a little bit in English before I left with my ice cream. I sat down near the gate and ate my ice cream. As it got closer to boarding time I saw people lining up, but recently I don't like waiting in the line and wait til the end so I don't have to stand in line so long. I was sitting and waiting kind of oblivious when I realized they were making a FINAL CALL for my flight! I jumped up and went to the gate-I was THE LAST PERSON to have my ticket taken and the last person on board. I was seated around the group of Americans I had talked to earlier and also the Korean woman was a few rows behind me. She said, "Oh, I was wondering where you were!" The return flight was only 4 hours, and we left around midnight. After a few hours we were served breakfast. It was weird eating at 2am...
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
Sunrise and Small Circuit
I woke at 4:30 this morning to go to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat. I signed up to share a tuktuk and do the small circuit tour through the guesthouse again. This time I met Curt from Georgia and a young woman from Germany and a guy from the Netherlands.
On the tuktuk ride we chatted a bit and Curt impressed us with his giant camera. He was excited to take photos of the temples. The guy from the Netherlands gave us a great tip-he said that it starts getting light around 6, but the sun does not actually rise until 7 and most people assume that there is no glowing red sun when they don't see it around 6 and they all leave. The trick is to stay til 7. So we arrived at the temple and walked in the dark to find a spot inside to watch the sunrise. It was so crowded, maybe 6 or 7 rows of people from the small pond to the grassy area behind. Curt and I found a spot on the left hand side to stand and wait as it got brighter. As expected, most people dispersed as it got light and then started walking around the temple a bit. We also explored a little bit, but stayed close to the pond to catch the reflection as it was less than an hour til actual sunrise. It was very beautiful once the sun did finally rise. Then we headed out to the tuktuk.
Again, I can't really recall all the temples we visited. I do know our first stop was breakfast and we went to our driver's sister's food stall. The food was overpriced compared to what you would find in town. Then he dropped us off at one temple and told us to make our way through about 3 or 4 of them in a row and to meet at the end. The first one was one that had 4 faces carved into the stones on each of the 4 sides of the pillars. It was pretty neat. Curt and I were really enjoying photographing everything and he gave me some tips as we went along. Our European friends were not so much into the photography and they moved through the temple rather quickly. We went on to the next one and they said we should try to go faster to make it through all of the temples before our meeting time with the driver. The 4 of us agreed to meet at the entrance before moving on. We picked up our pace and went through; this one required a steep climb up to get to the top of it. All was going well until the end when the signs pointed visitors to the backside rather than the front where we had agreed to meet. I found the Europeans but we waited and waited for Curt. The guy went in search of him and found Curt waiting for us on the other side. We continued on to the next two a bit faster and when we finally ended, our driver was kind of cross with us and told us we had taken too long. The main temple that the Europeans wanted to see was Tah Prohm (Tomb Raider temple) and so we ended up skipping a lot of the smaller ones to make it to Tah Prohm (as we had a noon deadline according to the driver). We asked to return to Angkor Wat, but as we got close to the temple he said we'd have a 10 minute walk to the complex and it would leave us with only 5 minutes to even see it. So we just returned to the hotel.
At the hostel, Curt and I had lunch together. Both of us were debating whether or not to return to Angkor Wat. We agreed we'd head back out around 3, giving us about 2 hours to relax. I was going to take a nap, but realized I wasn't that sleepy. Instead I took a fast shower and then went to the market to look around, not sure of what I would have time for the following day. We met up at 3 and got a tuktuk to Angkor Wat. It was neat to return there again at a different time of day and get a feel for the temple. We wandered around a bit and enjoyed the different lighting on the stones. We ran into Ellie and her friends and I shared the "wait until 7am tip" with her since she was going to see the sun rise the following day. There was a temple on the top of the complex and we had a very steep climb up. Once we were up there, we thought maybe we could stay there and see the sunset from way up high, but at 5:00 the temple closed and they were kicking people out. We climbed down and walked around the complex a bit more and found another place to kind of see the sky change colors.
I had made plans to meet with Olivia, Joanne and Brett for dinner after their group thing. When I returned to the hostel and I saw Kim. I invited her and Curt to join us for dinner. The three of us went into town and met up with the Geckos group at a restaurant. I stole Olivia, Brett and Joanne. We went for dinner, but they had already eaten so they just ordered drinks. It was fun catching up with them, even though it had only been a few days. We walked through the market and called it a night because the Geckos crew had the sunrise at Angkor Wat in the morning. I was on the fence about seeing another sunrise or not, but decided I'd see how I felt in the morning.
On the tuktuk ride we chatted a bit and Curt impressed us with his giant camera. He was excited to take photos of the temples. The guy from the Netherlands gave us a great tip-he said that it starts getting light around 6, but the sun does not actually rise until 7 and most people assume that there is no glowing red sun when they don't see it around 6 and they all leave. The trick is to stay til 7. So we arrived at the temple and walked in the dark to find a spot inside to watch the sunrise. It was so crowded, maybe 6 or 7 rows of people from the small pond to the grassy area behind. Curt and I found a spot on the left hand side to stand and wait as it got brighter. As expected, most people dispersed as it got light and then started walking around the temple a bit. We also explored a little bit, but stayed close to the pond to catch the reflection as it was less than an hour til actual sunrise. It was very beautiful once the sun did finally rise. Then we headed out to the tuktuk.
Again, I can't really recall all the temples we visited. I do know our first stop was breakfast and we went to our driver's sister's food stall. The food was overpriced compared to what you would find in town. Then he dropped us off at one temple and told us to make our way through about 3 or 4 of them in a row and to meet at the end. The first one was one that had 4 faces carved into the stones on each of the 4 sides of the pillars. It was pretty neat. Curt and I were really enjoying photographing everything and he gave me some tips as we went along. Our European friends were not so much into the photography and they moved through the temple rather quickly. We went on to the next one and they said we should try to go faster to make it through all of the temples before our meeting time with the driver. The 4 of us agreed to meet at the entrance before moving on. We picked up our pace and went through; this one required a steep climb up to get to the top of it. All was going well until the end when the signs pointed visitors to the backside rather than the front where we had agreed to meet. I found the Europeans but we waited and waited for Curt. The guy went in search of him and found Curt waiting for us on the other side. We continued on to the next two a bit faster and when we finally ended, our driver was kind of cross with us and told us we had taken too long. The main temple that the Europeans wanted to see was Tah Prohm (Tomb Raider temple) and so we ended up skipping a lot of the smaller ones to make it to Tah Prohm (as we had a noon deadline according to the driver). We asked to return to Angkor Wat, but as we got close to the temple he said we'd have a 10 minute walk to the complex and it would leave us with only 5 minutes to even see it. So we just returned to the hotel.
At the hostel, Curt and I had lunch together. Both of us were debating whether or not to return to Angkor Wat. We agreed we'd head back out around 3, giving us about 2 hours to relax. I was going to take a nap, but realized I wasn't that sleepy. Instead I took a fast shower and then went to the market to look around, not sure of what I would have time for the following day. We met up at 3 and got a tuktuk to Angkor Wat. It was neat to return there again at a different time of day and get a feel for the temple. We wandered around a bit and enjoyed the different lighting on the stones. We ran into Ellie and her friends and I shared the "wait until 7am tip" with her since she was going to see the sun rise the following day. There was a temple on the top of the complex and we had a very steep climb up. Once we were up there, we thought maybe we could stay there and see the sunset from way up high, but at 5:00 the temple closed and they were kicking people out. We climbed down and walked around the complex a bit more and found another place to kind of see the sky change colors.
I had made plans to meet with Olivia, Joanne and Brett for dinner after their group thing. When I returned to the hostel and I saw Kim. I invited her and Curt to join us for dinner. The three of us went into town and met up with the Geckos group at a restaurant. I stole Olivia, Brett and Joanne. We went for dinner, but they had already eaten so they just ordered drinks. It was fun catching up with them, even though it had only been a few days. We walked through the market and called it a night because the Geckos crew had the sunrise at Angkor Wat in the morning. I was on the fence about seeing another sunrise or not, but decided I'd see how I felt in the morning.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Temples!
I had a relaxed morning. I got breakfast from the hostel for $2! Then around 11 I met with Ellie, Kat and another young woman Kim to go on the big circuit tour of the temples. Our driver Randy was funny and tried to use as much English as he could.
Of course now I can't remember the names of all the temples; I could barely remember them even at the time. In total we went to about 7 temples. The ones that stood out to me where Ta Prohm, where Tomb Raider was filmed, Preah Khan (had a lot of trees growing out of the temples) and one that had 4 elephant statues on each corner. All of them were pretty amazing to see and unique in their own way; a photographers delight! I brought my DSRL camera and did not regret it at all. We had one stop for lunch and shared some dishes to try more foods.
We attached a sunset to our tour and met Ellie's friends from her university in China and sat with them for the sunset. After the sunset we dropped of Kim at the circus so she could see a performance. The rest of us went back to the guesthouse and Ellie left to stay at the same place as her friends. Kat and met up with Vivi and we went to dinner together.
Of course now I can't remember the names of all the temples; I could barely remember them even at the time. In total we went to about 7 temples. The ones that stood out to me where Ta Prohm, where Tomb Raider was filmed, Preah Khan (had a lot of trees growing out of the temples) and one that had 4 elephant statues on each corner. All of them were pretty amazing to see and unique in their own way; a photographers delight! I brought my DSRL camera and did not regret it at all. We had one stop for lunch and shared some dishes to try more foods.
We attached a sunset to our tour and met Ellie's friends from her university in China and sat with them for the sunset. After the sunset we dropped of Kim at the circus so she could see a performance. The rest of us went back to the guesthouse and Ellie left to stay at the same place as her friends. Kat and met up with Vivi and we went to dinner together.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Off to Cambodia
Olivia woke early and left with Brett, Joanne, Anastasia and Claudine. The 5 of them were also meeting a few other people and making a group before continuing on to Cambodia. I had almost done that part of the trip, but the dates weren't perfect for me and I was missing one whole free day in Siem Reap. On one hand I regret not going because they first went to Phnom Pehn and I would have liked to see that, but at the same time I so enjoyed my time in Siem Reap. But more on that later. So that part of the group left quite early. I had told Ryan and Katie I would have breakfast with them and we would meet Jenn and Leigh, but then we were all running late and then I double checked my flight and it was an hour earlier than I was expecting! I had to pass on the breakfast and grab a taxi to the airport. I said bye to Bac and a few others down in the lobby and I was off!
The HCMC airport confused me SO much! I wandered around trying to figure out how to get to the check-in counter for a good 15 minutes. It was frustrating. Then once inside, I wasn't able to find my counter for a few minutes either. It was because my flight was operating under another airline so it was a little bit confusing. I wasn't pressed for time at all which was nice and found my gate and waited to board. We had to take a shuttle to our airplane and then a surprising thing is that the airplane had two doors open for boarding! I was in the back, the last row, and it was a pretty empty flight so I had the row all to myself. It was a short flight, only an hour and we were given a bottle of water but no snacks or food.
After landing in Siem Reap, I waited to get my Visa. It wasn't very complicated and didn't take long. After passing through customs, I went outside to find my driver. My hostel had a free airport pickup which was really great. After about a 20 minute ride on the tuktuk I arrived at my hostel. I was able to check in and settle in. There was another young woman in the room, her name was Vivi and she was from China. We chatted briefly and she headed out to get lunch. As for me, I wanted to sign up for a sunset tour at one of the temples and check out Siem Reap a little bit.
Around 4:30 I met at the desk to go with another couple to see the sunset. We all needed to buy tickets for the temples and waited in line to get them. After that, it was on to Phnom Bakheng to see the sunset. This is a temple up on a mountain. The Canadian couple I shared a tuktuk with to the temple were not wearing proper clothing for the temple. They said they didn't want to go to the temple but just see the sunset but they made them wait until the temple closed before making the 10 minute walk. So we split up and I headed to the temple. I waited in a fairly long line to go up the steep steps of the temple. When I made it to the top it was a bit crowded with people sitting all over to watch the sunset. There were also a lot of people running around and taking selfies. It made me a little bit sad watching them as they angled the camera to show off their best self, rather than to stop and take in the beauty of the nature around us and the hundreds of years old temple we were on. The sunset itself was just okay. It set over the horizon so it could have been a sunset anywhere. For me, I enjoyed watching the light on the temple itself, the way it lit up the stone creating an almost golden glow and looking at the shadows that appeared from the carvings on the stone. After the sun set, the temple closed and the guards ushered people down off the temple. I made my way down the path and found the couple and our driver waiting for me. It was dark by the time we returned to the hostel only 20 minutes later.
I returned to my room and saw some new faces there. I said I was going to get dinner and asked if anyone wanted to join me. The girl in the bunk below me, Ellie from England, Vivi and the newest arrival Kat all wanted to come along so the 4 of us went in search of somewhere to eat. We wandered around and finally settled on a restaurant called Karo. The manager/owner was really helpful and his English was impeccable. He ran out to grab items to make drinks if it was not already on hand-great service! We asked for his suggestion on menu items and picked 4 dishes for the 4 of us to share. Food was incredibly cheap, I think our total bill came to $20 with everyone also ordering a drink or two! After dinner we walked around and looked for ice cream. Kat and Ellie tried "magic ice cream" which looks like something in Korea-ice cream in a candy cane shaped cone. Vivi and I went to a convenience store and got cones there. We walked through the markets a bit before making our way back to the guesthouse.
The HCMC airport confused me SO much! I wandered around trying to figure out how to get to the check-in counter for a good 15 minutes. It was frustrating. Then once inside, I wasn't able to find my counter for a few minutes either. It was because my flight was operating under another airline so it was a little bit confusing. I wasn't pressed for time at all which was nice and found my gate and waited to board. We had to take a shuttle to our airplane and then a surprising thing is that the airplane had two doors open for boarding! I was in the back, the last row, and it was a pretty empty flight so I had the row all to myself. It was a short flight, only an hour and we were given a bottle of water but no snacks or food.
After landing in Siem Reap, I waited to get my Visa. It wasn't very complicated and didn't take long. After passing through customs, I went outside to find my driver. My hostel had a free airport pickup which was really great. After about a 20 minute ride on the tuktuk I arrived at my hostel. I was able to check in and settle in. There was another young woman in the room, her name was Vivi and she was from China. We chatted briefly and she headed out to get lunch. As for me, I wanted to sign up for a sunset tour at one of the temples and check out Siem Reap a little bit.
Around 4:30 I met at the desk to go with another couple to see the sunset. We all needed to buy tickets for the temples and waited in line to get them. After that, it was on to Phnom Bakheng to see the sunset. This is a temple up on a mountain. The Canadian couple I shared a tuktuk with to the temple were not wearing proper clothing for the temple. They said they didn't want to go to the temple but just see the sunset but they made them wait until the temple closed before making the 10 minute walk. So we split up and I headed to the temple. I waited in a fairly long line to go up the steep steps of the temple. When I made it to the top it was a bit crowded with people sitting all over to watch the sunset. There were also a lot of people running around and taking selfies. It made me a little bit sad watching them as they angled the camera to show off their best self, rather than to stop and take in the beauty of the nature around us and the hundreds of years old temple we were on. The sunset itself was just okay. It set over the horizon so it could have been a sunset anywhere. For me, I enjoyed watching the light on the temple itself, the way it lit up the stone creating an almost golden glow and looking at the shadows that appeared from the carvings on the stone. After the sun set, the temple closed and the guards ushered people down off the temple. I made my way down the path and found the couple and our driver waiting for me. It was dark by the time we returned to the hostel only 20 minutes later.
I returned to my room and saw some new faces there. I said I was going to get dinner and asked if anyone wanted to join me. The girl in the bunk below me, Ellie from England, Vivi and the newest arrival Kat all wanted to come along so the 4 of us went in search of somewhere to eat. We wandered around and finally settled on a restaurant called Karo. The manager/owner was really helpful and his English was impeccable. He ran out to grab items to make drinks if it was not already on hand-great service! We asked for his suggestion on menu items and picked 4 dishes for the 4 of us to share. Food was incredibly cheap, I think our total bill came to $20 with everyone also ordering a drink or two! After dinner we walked around and looked for ice cream. Kat and Ellie tried "magic ice cream" which looks like something in Korea-ice cream in a candy cane shaped cone. Vivi and I went to a convenience store and got cones there. We walked through the markets a bit before making our way back to the guesthouse.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Ho Chi Minh City
Today most of the group went to the Mekong River and some tunnels. While I think it would have been a really cool experience, I didn't have a lot of spare Vietnamese cash on hand and I also wanted to see what HCMC had to offer on its own and not go outside of the city.
Instead, I spent the day with Olivia, Ryan and Kate. First we went to Tous Les Jours, a bakery from Korea for breakfast! After eating, we headed to the War Museum. It mostly featured photographs from the war. We all agreed that whatever country you sided with, the photographs all still showed the real story and the real struggle and suffering that people, humans experienced because of the war. The saddest part was seeing the side effects of Agent Orange on both Vietnamese and Americans, even 2 or 3 generations later. Chemical warfare is absolutely horrible-the lasting effects on the ecosystem and habit of Vietnam is awful.
After the War Museum we walked around a bit to try and lighten up the mood. We stopped at a Hagen Daas ice cream shop for some ice cream. After our break we took a peak at the Catholic Cathedral and ducked into the post office which was famous for its architecture. We then went to the Independence Palace, where the South was "liberated" from American forces. It was difficult to think in reverse; that being liberated was the (communist) North retaking control of the South. After the palace we went to find a late lunch. I looked up restaurants nearby and we picked one called Propaganda. We ordered pho (noodle soup) and it was pretty good. We headed back to our hotel and decided we'd teach Olivia how to play Euchre! (I was pleasantly surprised my Canadian friends also knew how to play) We found a Starbucks and took a seat outside. After doing maybe one round, one of the employees came out and told us we couldn't gamble in public. We told him that we weren't gambling, but playing a card game. Again, he insisted that we were not allowed to gamble and that there was no card playing. So, we decided to leave and play in our hotel. It was kind of a bummer because we were enjoying the sun outside. Anyway, the biggest thing that surprised me was Ryan's adamant implementation of a rule I thought ridiculous--if your partner ordered up a card to you as the dealer, your partner had to go alone! WHAT?! So bizarre to me. They had also never heard of farmers hand and dealt the cards one by one instead of 3/2/3/2.... It's funny how some rules are a bit different.
While we were playing, Brett messaged me asking if we had seen the message at the front desk for us. Obviously we hadn't so it was nice he gave us a heads up and told us that we were having our final dinner and to meet in the lobby. We cleaned up and met with everyone, swapping day stories. Dinner was nice and Bac gave a speech and some of the guys thanked Bac for being a great guide. After dinner, we all went to a pub place for a few drinks. It was a nice way to celebrate the ending of a fun trip. Everyone was in good spirits and extra happy.
Instead, I spent the day with Olivia, Ryan and Kate. First we went to Tous Les Jours, a bakery from Korea for breakfast! After eating, we headed to the War Museum. It mostly featured photographs from the war. We all agreed that whatever country you sided with, the photographs all still showed the real story and the real struggle and suffering that people, humans experienced because of the war. The saddest part was seeing the side effects of Agent Orange on both Vietnamese and Americans, even 2 or 3 generations later. Chemical warfare is absolutely horrible-the lasting effects on the ecosystem and habit of Vietnam is awful.
After the War Museum we walked around a bit to try and lighten up the mood. We stopped at a Hagen Daas ice cream shop for some ice cream. After our break we took a peak at the Catholic Cathedral and ducked into the post office which was famous for its architecture. We then went to the Independence Palace, where the South was "liberated" from American forces. It was difficult to think in reverse; that being liberated was the (communist) North retaking control of the South. After the palace we went to find a late lunch. I looked up restaurants nearby and we picked one called Propaganda. We ordered pho (noodle soup) and it was pretty good. We headed back to our hotel and decided we'd teach Olivia how to play Euchre! (I was pleasantly surprised my Canadian friends also knew how to play) We found a Starbucks and took a seat outside. After doing maybe one round, one of the employees came out and told us we couldn't gamble in public. We told him that we weren't gambling, but playing a card game. Again, he insisted that we were not allowed to gamble and that there was no card playing. So, we decided to leave and play in our hotel. It was kind of a bummer because we were enjoying the sun outside. Anyway, the biggest thing that surprised me was Ryan's adamant implementation of a rule I thought ridiculous--if your partner ordered up a card to you as the dealer, your partner had to go alone! WHAT?! So bizarre to me. They had also never heard of farmers hand and dealt the cards one by one instead of 3/2/3/2.... It's funny how some rules are a bit different.
While we were playing, Brett messaged me asking if we had seen the message at the front desk for us. Obviously we hadn't so it was nice he gave us a heads up and told us that we were having our final dinner and to meet in the lobby. We cleaned up and met with everyone, swapping day stories. Dinner was nice and Bac gave a speech and some of the guys thanked Bac for being a great guide. After dinner, we all went to a pub place for a few drinks. It was a nice way to celebrate the ending of a fun trip. Everyone was in good spirits and extra happy.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Long bus ride to Ho Chi Minh City
We had yet another long bus ride day. The biggest event from this day was a mis-buy of ice cream. We stopped for lunch and I was craving ice cream. I got a cone from in the ice chest and bit into it. First bite was mostly chocolate, but I saw the ice cream color was kind of yellow. Next, Olivia said, "oh no, it says the flavor is durian!" as I was taking a bite and the horrible taste of durian filled my mouth. Durian is a tropical fruit that is known for its strong smell and taste. It is not delicious. About 4 or 5 of us unknowingly bought the durian ice cream and most of us tossed it after a few bites. One guy, Dan, said it wasn't so bad when he ate it with the chocolate coating. I asked him "what happens when you run out of chocolate??" He responded, "I don't know".
Finally we arrived to HCMC and again Bac warned us to be careful with our bags. We found HCMC to be another big and bustling city, more modern than Hanoi with sky scrapers and less motorbikes but they were still quite present. We were assigned our final rooms together and then we all met for a dinner. Olivia and I again shared a meal. After dinner I went with Brett, Dan, Adam, Ryan, Kate and Olivia to get a drink together. It was nice to have more one on one time with Dan and Adam as they usually were with Hass and Erin so we didn't know them too well. Adam is really funny and always joking around; both of them are very easy going guys.
Finally we arrived to HCMC and again Bac warned us to be careful with our bags. We found HCMC to be another big and bustling city, more modern than Hanoi with sky scrapers and less motorbikes but they were still quite present. We were assigned our final rooms together and then we all met for a dinner. Olivia and I again shared a meal. After dinner I went with Brett, Dan, Adam, Ryan, Kate and Olivia to get a drink together. It was nice to have more one on one time with Dan and Adam as they usually were with Hass and Erin so we didn't know them too well. Adam is really funny and always joking around; both of them are very easy going guys.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Boat Day in Nha Trang
Today we spent the day on a boat! We were picked up and our guide introduced himself as Lambchops. At the dock, we boarded our boat amid tons of other groups getting on boats in the busy harbor. First stop was a fishing village. It was neat to see the old boats that they used-bamboo with cow dung to seal it together. These days they buy boats in the similar style (small circular boats) but made of plastic, though those boats are much more expensive. We were then given a boat ride to a floating fisherman's "store". He had several wooden pallets tied together and nets in the water holding fish or other sea critters that had been caught. Our boat came to pick us up and we went to a spot near an island.
We parked the boat there and were given items to go snorkeling. It was pretty amazing! I think the coral and variety of sea life I saw in the Philippines were a little bit better, but it was still an incredible experience. I got tired from treading and was struggling with my flippers so I went back on the boat. I grabbed a towel and laid out on the top deck with a few others. A little bit later they called us down for lunch. We had quite a feast! There was rice, fried noodles, spring rolls, shrimp, grilled beef and chicken, green beans, omelets and fish. Everything was so delicious and we could hardly believe they were able to cook a big feast for us on the back of a tiny boat. After lunch a bunch of us went back to the roof to lay in the sun. Later Olivia, Brett and I went for a short swim around the boat, sans flippers. We dried off in the sun again and then got pineapple and watermelon but we all agreed they must have used the same knife to cut onion as the fruit. Whoops.
Finally it was time to head back to Nha Trang. We were given the option to meet up for dinner or do our own thing. Olivia and I were getting ready when Ryan and Kate asked if we'd like to join them for dinner. We went to a place we saw on the way to the port earlier, a brewhouse. I tried a strawberry beer and shared a meal with Olivia. After talking a long time we went in search for dessert. We found a place called Olivia and had crepe type pancakes. Delicious!
We parked the boat there and were given items to go snorkeling. It was pretty amazing! I think the coral and variety of sea life I saw in the Philippines were a little bit better, but it was still an incredible experience. I got tired from treading and was struggling with my flippers so I went back on the boat. I grabbed a towel and laid out on the top deck with a few others. A little bit later they called us down for lunch. We had quite a feast! There was rice, fried noodles, spring rolls, shrimp, grilled beef and chicken, green beans, omelets and fish. Everything was so delicious and we could hardly believe they were able to cook a big feast for us on the back of a tiny boat. After lunch a bunch of us went back to the roof to lay in the sun. Later Olivia, Brett and I went for a short swim around the boat, sans flippers. We dried off in the sun again and then got pineapple and watermelon but we all agreed they must have used the same knife to cut onion as the fruit. Whoops.
Finally it was time to head back to Nha Trang. We were given the option to meet up for dinner or do our own thing. Olivia and I were getting ready when Ryan and Kate asked if we'd like to join them for dinner. We went to a place we saw on the way to the port earlier, a brewhouse. I tried a strawberry beer and shared a meal with Olivia. After talking a long time we went in search for dessert. We found a place called Olivia and had crepe type pancakes. Delicious!
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Long Bus day to Nha Trang
Today was a relatively uneventful day. We had a long bus ride from Hoian to Nha Trang. A few of us played some games to pass the time.
We finally arrived in Nha Trang around 7 in the evening. We had some time to settle into our new hotel and the group met to go to dinner. Most of us didn't like the feel of Nha Trang. I'm sure part of it had to do with the fact we had just left Hoian, which was a beautiful city. Nha Trang was a bigger and more developed city. It felt a little bit seedy and there were a lot of tourists and foreigners. Bac warned us to hold on to our bags and be a bit more careful.
Dinner was alright, and I actually ordered tuna for dinner! After dinner a few of us went to get some ice cream. It was nice. Olivia and I talked with Ryan and Kate and we tried to see if we could find an overnight bus to get out of Nha Trang the following evening instead of having to spend the night there. We made plans to talk to the concierge about it in the morning.
We finally arrived in Nha Trang around 7 in the evening. We had some time to settle into our new hotel and the group met to go to dinner. Most of us didn't like the feel of Nha Trang. I'm sure part of it had to do with the fact we had just left Hoian, which was a beautiful city. Nha Trang was a bigger and more developed city. It felt a little bit seedy and there were a lot of tourists and foreigners. Bac warned us to hold on to our bags and be a bit more careful.
Dinner was alright, and I actually ordered tuna for dinner! After dinner a few of us went to get some ice cream. It was nice. Olivia and I talked with Ryan and Kate and we tried to see if we could find an overnight bus to get out of Nha Trang the following evening instead of having to spend the night there. We made plans to talk to the concierge about it in the morning.
Friday, February 20, 2015
Fun Day in Hoian
The previous night some of us had talked about meeting around 9 and going to Hoian's beach. Olivia and I were dragging but managed to get up in time. We looked for our group but couldn't find anyone in the lobby and then tried the hotel restaurant. We found Ryan and Kate there finishing their breakfast. The 4 of us took a taxi to the beach. When we got to the beach Talia and Kathrine were already there-they had asked Bac about how to get there and he said it was 3km straight, but after 45 minutes of walking they ended up getting a taxi to the beach because it wasn't that easy apparently. We were able to rent some lounge chairs by promising the restaurant owner we would buy lunch from her. We relaxed under the umbrellas a bit and also strolled along the beach. The waves were quite large and the water was cool, but not too cold. Olivia and I hung out at the beach for about an hour and a half. Then we shared an order of spring rolls and fried rice. We took a taxi back to town so she could return to the tailor and pick up her jacket.
We arrived at the tailor and her jacket looked nice. The saleslady said "don't you regret not having something made?!" I did agree, but I just don't know what I would have had made. Maybe in the future I will return to Hoian and get something tailor-made. Olivia and I then went to a bakery and ordered some dessert and tea. It was nice to sit outside on the patio and people watch. Then we hurried back to the hotel to change and get ready for our bike ride tour. We got a taxi to the bike shop. There, our guide said we could call him Lucky. We were outfitted with bikes and helmets. My bikes seat was too tall, even when it was lowered so it was a little bit of a challenge for me. First we rode a short ways to the bay and put our bikes on a transport boat and we were ferried across to an island. Apparently this island is covered in water 2 or 3 months of the year during the rainy season! We biked around the island and saw some of the village houses. The kids there were all so cute, when they saw us they would run after us waving and yelling "hellooooo!!"
Our first stop on the island was the home of a man who made rice "wine". He had stepped on a landmine in Burma as a soldier and couldn't do fishing or farming which are the main professions of those on their island. He decided he would make alcohol instead. He showed us his little kitchen and the steps he did to make it. He also gave his piglets (in the same area as his kitchen) some of the leftover fermented rice so that he said his pigs were usually drunk! He gave a sample and apparently it was 70% proof or higher because it burned when he tried lighting it on fire!
Next we were off to a lady's home where she made rice noodles. We were able to try making them as well, if we wanted. We scooped the rice noodle batter onto a mesh tray and made into a round shape, over a fire and covered it with a lid for a few seconds. Then we added half another scoop and waited a few more seconds. Then we took a long thin stick to lift the batter now solid and voila, the rice noodle. The next step would be to chop the circle to get the noodle strands. Sometimes they bake the circular solid batter and its crispy; then they would put a fresh circle on the inside and fold it and have it as a snack-crispy and soft at the same time! After a few of us made the noodles we were served a soup with homemade noodles.
We got back on our bikes and rode back to the "port" to ferry across again. We returned to the bike shop and then everyone split up for the evening. I decided I wanted to walk around Hoian a bit more so stayed out while everyone else headed back to the hotel to freshen up and do their own thing. Olivia planned to meet me later in the evening for dinner. I scoped out the area looking for a place to eat and found one that looked good, Cafe Hai. I met Olivia at the tailor so she could pick up her coat and we then went to the restaurant. At first glance it looked like the restaurant had about 4 tables on the porch and a few tables inside. But when we asked for a table we realized that there was a lot more to the restaurant! Next came the kitchen area and bathrooms, a big waiting room (also where they would host cooking classes I believe) with some low tables and benches and then a big courtyard with at least 20 tables if not more. It was really nice. We had to wait about 5 or 10 minutes before we were seated out in the courtyard. We shared a bahn mi (sandwich) and grilled beef. Everything was delicious but service was a little bit lacking-they all seemed so overwhelmed. But it didn't affect us too much.
After dinner we browsed some of the stores and ran into Brett, Dan and Adam so we decided we'd head back to the hotel with them. We packed up as we had an early departure from Hoian in the morning.
We arrived at the tailor and her jacket looked nice. The saleslady said "don't you regret not having something made?!" I did agree, but I just don't know what I would have had made. Maybe in the future I will return to Hoian and get something tailor-made. Olivia and I then went to a bakery and ordered some dessert and tea. It was nice to sit outside on the patio and people watch. Then we hurried back to the hotel to change and get ready for our bike ride tour. We got a taxi to the bike shop. There, our guide said we could call him Lucky. We were outfitted with bikes and helmets. My bikes seat was too tall, even when it was lowered so it was a little bit of a challenge for me. First we rode a short ways to the bay and put our bikes on a transport boat and we were ferried across to an island. Apparently this island is covered in water 2 or 3 months of the year during the rainy season! We biked around the island and saw some of the village houses. The kids there were all so cute, when they saw us they would run after us waving and yelling "hellooooo!!"
Our first stop on the island was the home of a man who made rice "wine". He had stepped on a landmine in Burma as a soldier and couldn't do fishing or farming which are the main professions of those on their island. He decided he would make alcohol instead. He showed us his little kitchen and the steps he did to make it. He also gave his piglets (in the same area as his kitchen) some of the leftover fermented rice so that he said his pigs were usually drunk! He gave a sample and apparently it was 70% proof or higher because it burned when he tried lighting it on fire!
Next we were off to a lady's home where she made rice noodles. We were able to try making them as well, if we wanted. We scooped the rice noodle batter onto a mesh tray and made into a round shape, over a fire and covered it with a lid for a few seconds. Then we added half another scoop and waited a few more seconds. Then we took a long thin stick to lift the batter now solid and voila, the rice noodle. The next step would be to chop the circle to get the noodle strands. Sometimes they bake the circular solid batter and its crispy; then they would put a fresh circle on the inside and fold it and have it as a snack-crispy and soft at the same time! After a few of us made the noodles we were served a soup with homemade noodles.
We got back on our bikes and rode back to the "port" to ferry across again. We returned to the bike shop and then everyone split up for the evening. I decided I wanted to walk around Hoian a bit more so stayed out while everyone else headed back to the hotel to freshen up and do their own thing. Olivia planned to meet me later in the evening for dinner. I scoped out the area looking for a place to eat and found one that looked good, Cafe Hai. I met Olivia at the tailor so she could pick up her coat and we then went to the restaurant. At first glance it looked like the restaurant had about 4 tables on the porch and a few tables inside. But when we asked for a table we realized that there was a lot more to the restaurant! Next came the kitchen area and bathrooms, a big waiting room (also where they would host cooking classes I believe) with some low tables and benches and then a big courtyard with at least 20 tables if not more. It was really nice. We had to wait about 5 or 10 minutes before we were seated out in the courtyard. We shared a bahn mi (sandwich) and grilled beef. Everything was delicious but service was a little bit lacking-they all seemed so overwhelmed. But it didn't affect us too much.
After dinner we browsed some of the stores and ran into Brett, Dan and Adam so we decided we'd head back to the hotel with them. We packed up as we had an early departure from Hoian in the morning.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
In love with HoiAn
We had an early morning-7am to be on the sleeper bus. The sleeper bus was a neat experience though. We had to take our shoes off and put them in a plastic bag as soon as we got on the bus. The seats were decently comfortable and the back could recline almost all the way down or be propped up to a seated position. We only had a 4 hour ride to HoiAn so it wasn't too bad. We stopped at a rest area around Danang and from there it was only a short distance to HoiAn.
In HoiAn we took taxis to our hotel and had an hour to freshen up. Then we started our walking tour of the city. Phil and Kristin had already given me a heads up as this was their favorite city while they toured SE Asia, and I was in love almost immediately. We stopped at a temple for a little and I got a fried banana pancake. Our walking tour ended at a tailor shop that Bac knew and the rest of the afternoon and evening was free time.
Olivia decided she wanted to have a winter coat made so I waited as she got her measurements and talked through details with one of the workers. Then we wandered around the city taking everything in. We found a small festival going on and walked through it. We noticed they were playing some kind of Bingo/Loto game and were persuaded to buy a card and one woman offered to help us. We didn't win anything, but it was a really fun experience to do! After Loto, we went in search of dinner and found a place with a small set menu that sounded good to us. After we finished eating we were sitting and waiting for our bill when a group of some of team walked by! They waited for us and then we all walked around together. Olivia and I got another banana pancake, but it wasn't as good as the one earlier in the day.
In HoiAn we took taxis to our hotel and had an hour to freshen up. Then we started our walking tour of the city. Phil and Kristin had already given me a heads up as this was their favorite city while they toured SE Asia, and I was in love almost immediately. We stopped at a temple for a little and I got a fried banana pancake. Our walking tour ended at a tailor shop that Bac knew and the rest of the afternoon and evening was free time.
Olivia decided she wanted to have a winter coat made so I waited as she got her measurements and talked through details with one of the workers. Then we wandered around the city taking everything in. We found a small festival going on and walked through it. We noticed they were playing some kind of Bingo/Loto game and were persuaded to buy a card and one woman offered to help us. We didn't win anything, but it was a really fun experience to do! After Loto, we went in search of dinner and found a place with a small set menu that sounded good to us. After we finished eating we were sitting and waiting for our bill when a group of some of team walked by! They waited for us and then we all walked around together. Olivia and I got another banana pancake, but it wasn't as good as the one earlier in the day.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Hue and New Years Eve
We woke around 7:30 just to be sure we were ready for our arrival to Hue. We actually arrived closer to 8:30. We got off the train and found a bus waiting for us to take us to the hotel. At the hotel we had about an hour to clean up before meeting back with the group.
First order of business in Hue was a tour of the Imperial City. Hue used to be the capitol city of Vietnam so we went into the old city to look at the old palace. It was beautiful and some of the architecture reminded me of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul. After wandering around there, next was our motorbike tour. We were each paired with a driver, hopped on our motorbikes and were off through the countryside of Hue. It was exhilarating and a lot of fun. I had one strange mishap though; my watch fell off. I tapped my driver on the shoulder to let him know and he turned around so we could go get it. One of the other pairs saw it fall and picked it up and they gave it to me which was nice. Luckily the only damage it sustained was a few gouges on the arm but nothing too serious! We continued riding and went to a temple. We were served a 4 course vegetarian meal that was pretty delicious! After the temple, we stopped at a small market selling souvenirs and a few people tried rolling incense.
On our bikes again we drove further out and had a nice view on a big hill overlooking the Perfume River. We also drove through a cemetery. Finally our ride ended at another temple. There famous monk known for setting himself on fire,Thích Quảng Đức, was from Hue and so at this temple they had his car.
After the temple, we rode a "dragon boat" a pontoon kind of boat with dragons carved on the front, on the Perfume River for a little. It wasn't really anything special and the people on the boat tried to sell us souvenirs. After the boat ride our bikers drove us back to the hotel. We had some more time to clean up before meeting and going to dinner. The dinner was held at a Vietnamese family's restaurant, so a nice home cooked meal.
When we arrived, they had us try some kind of leaf to chew. It had a very bitter taste and it made your mouth turn pink! Dinner was another 5 course meal, and it was pretty good. After dinner some of us went to a bar to celebrate New Years Eve. I was able to talk more with Ryan and Katie, the couple from Canada and I really connected with them. They are the same age me. It was fun because just before midnight the staff in the bar gave sparklers to everyone and we all waved them around at midnight.
First order of business in Hue was a tour of the Imperial City. Hue used to be the capitol city of Vietnam so we went into the old city to look at the old palace. It was beautiful and some of the architecture reminded me of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul. After wandering around there, next was our motorbike tour. We were each paired with a driver, hopped on our motorbikes and were off through the countryside of Hue. It was exhilarating and a lot of fun. I had one strange mishap though; my watch fell off. I tapped my driver on the shoulder to let him know and he turned around so we could go get it. One of the other pairs saw it fall and picked it up and they gave it to me which was nice. Luckily the only damage it sustained was a few gouges on the arm but nothing too serious! We continued riding and went to a temple. We were served a 4 course vegetarian meal that was pretty delicious! After the temple, we stopped at a small market selling souvenirs and a few people tried rolling incense.
On our bikes again we drove further out and had a nice view on a big hill overlooking the Perfume River. We also drove through a cemetery. Finally our ride ended at another temple. There famous monk known for setting himself on fire,Thích Quảng Đức, was from Hue and so at this temple they had his car.
After the temple, we rode a "dragon boat" a pontoon kind of boat with dragons carved on the front, on the Perfume River for a little. It wasn't really anything special and the people on the boat tried to sell us souvenirs. After the boat ride our bikers drove us back to the hotel. We had some more time to clean up before meeting and going to dinner. The dinner was held at a Vietnamese family's restaurant, so a nice home cooked meal.
When we arrived, they had us try some kind of leaf to chew. It had a very bitter taste and it made your mouth turn pink! Dinner was another 5 course meal, and it was pretty good. After dinner some of us went to a bar to celebrate New Years Eve. I was able to talk more with Ryan and Katie, the couple from Canada and I really connected with them. They are the same age me. It was fun because just before midnight the staff in the bar gave sparklers to everyone and we all waved them around at midnight.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Long Day and Sleeper Train!
This morning we had a pretty leisurely morning on the boat. They made us breakfast which was alright-they had an egg station but only made us one egg each. Now, toast on the other hand, well...I think they we excited about toasting bread because there were HEAPS of toast. Literally enough pieces for each of us to have 6 or more. It was kind of foggy in the morning so it was a little disappointing the view of Halong Bay wasn't that great. After breakfast they also showed us how to carve flowers out of vegetables and make a "carrot net" which they used as garnish on the fish they served at dinner last night. It was actually a net made out of carrot!
We met up with Bac and the 3 that didn't do the tour with us and got on our bus back to Hanoi. Again, we stopped at a rest area and had a snack/late lunch. Olivia and I split some noodles and got ice cream. I think it's funny that the food cost less than the ice cream. Once in Hanoi, Bac organized us for a food walking tour before we were to grab our overnight train. We stopped at a few stalls-one with small sandwiches, steamed rolls with different fillings, and grilled meats. He wanted to show a few other things, but some regular stalls he was familiar with weren't open because of the upcoming holiday. We returned to the hotel and Bac was great by ordering some take-away food for us to have dinner on the train. We grabbed our belongings and took the bus to the train station.
Bac assigned us sleeper cars--I was with Olivia, Jenn, and Joanne. We were also in 1st class cars, so it was only 4 people to a car. It wasn't a bad way to travel at all really. We ate our dinner and chatted. A little bit later some of the other cabins started wandering around and we visited with each other. It was a nice way to get to know each other in smaller groups. Finally around 11 we decided we'd head to bed. The beds weren't that uncomfortable and the rocking of the train helped bring on some sleep.
We met up with Bac and the 3 that didn't do the tour with us and got on our bus back to Hanoi. Again, we stopped at a rest area and had a snack/late lunch. Olivia and I split some noodles and got ice cream. I think it's funny that the food cost less than the ice cream. Once in Hanoi, Bac organized us for a food walking tour before we were to grab our overnight train. We stopped at a few stalls-one with small sandwiches, steamed rolls with different fillings, and grilled meats. He wanted to show a few other things, but some regular stalls he was familiar with weren't open because of the upcoming holiday. We returned to the hotel and Bac was great by ordering some take-away food for us to have dinner on the train. We grabbed our belongings and took the bus to the train station.
Bac assigned us sleeper cars--I was with Olivia, Jenn, and Joanne. We were also in 1st class cars, so it was only 4 people to a car. It wasn't a bad way to travel at all really. We ate our dinner and chatted. A little bit later some of the other cabins started wandering around and we visited with each other. It was a nice way to get to know each other in smaller groups. Finally around 11 we decided we'd head to bed. The beds weren't that uncomfortable and the rocking of the train helped bring on some sleep.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Halong Bay Day 2
In the morning Olivia and I went to find breakfast. Outside we ran into Bac and told him that we wanted to find a bakery. Some of the places he tried to take us to were closed because of Tet. Finally we found one and got some bread to take along for our drive to Halong Bay. We checked out of the hotel but left our bags there because we would be returning to the hotel. The bus ride wasn't too bad. Along the way we stopped at a rest area that sold artwork and souvenirs for sale, most made by handicapped workers. The rest of the way I slept until we arrived to Halong. There, our group split up because there were 2 options. The regular tour was 4 hours on a boat and staying on the mainland. The add-on option was a cruise and overnight on a boat plus kayaking and going to a cave. I decided to do the add-on as well as 12 others.
Before we got on the boat, Olivia and I bought big bottles of water. I also saw sunglasses for sale and bought a pair. We got on a small boat to take us to our overnight boat. It was quite nice inside. We were given welcome drinks and introduced to the staff on board before being showed to our rooms. Olivia and I again shared a room. We had a little bit of downtime before we were supposed to go back to the main deck for lunch. Lunch was quite extravagant and there were many courses. I sat at the "dietary restrictions" table as I didn't want to eat much seafood. I sat with Hass and Erin-Hass doesn't eat pork; Olivia-no shellfish and Claudine-no seafood. It was all very delicious though. After lunch we had some time to sit out on the deck upstairs. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm either. Maybe an hour later it was time for our cave adventure. Halong Bay was very similar to the rock formations I saw around Phuket. Anyway, we walked through a cave and climbed to the top for a view. It was very beautiful. I slipped on a rock and scraped my foot, but was able to get patched up back on the boat.
Shortly after our cave exploration, it was time to go kayaking. They told us not to bring cameras, but I wish I had. Anyway, we did our own kayaking, not like when I was in Phuket, so it was quite an arm workout. We went to a lagoon and saw some monkeys and paddled around for quite some time. After the kayaking, we had time to get cleaned up before dinner.
Again dinner was quite nice with many courses. The coolest one was a dish with a candle inside an onion and it was glowing! They also turned off the lights before they brought it out for a very dramatic entrance! After dinner, we all went out and sat around the deck talking and getting to know each other. It was a lot of fun and I think the group bonded. The people in our group are: Dan and Adam-friends from Perth, Australia; Hass and Erin-a young (19 &20) newly dating couple from Melbourne; Claudine, Olivia, Brett-all individuals from around Australia; Kate and Ryan-a couple from Canada; Jenn-an individual from Canada, Joanne-a Korean American and Anastasia-an individual from Ukraine but living in Maldives. The three that didn't come with were Talia and Kathrine-friends from Australia and Leigh-an individual from Australia.
Anyway, like I said we had a great time out on the deck playing games and trying to fish for squid! No luck but we did see a few swimming around.
Before we got on the boat, Olivia and I bought big bottles of water. I also saw sunglasses for sale and bought a pair. We got on a small boat to take us to our overnight boat. It was quite nice inside. We were given welcome drinks and introduced to the staff on board before being showed to our rooms. Olivia and I again shared a room. We had a little bit of downtime before we were supposed to go back to the main deck for lunch. Lunch was quite extravagant and there were many courses. I sat at the "dietary restrictions" table as I didn't want to eat much seafood. I sat with Hass and Erin-Hass doesn't eat pork; Olivia-no shellfish and Claudine-no seafood. It was all very delicious though. After lunch we had some time to sit out on the deck upstairs. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm either. Maybe an hour later it was time for our cave adventure. Halong Bay was very similar to the rock formations I saw around Phuket. Anyway, we walked through a cave and climbed to the top for a view. It was very beautiful. I slipped on a rock and scraped my foot, but was able to get patched up back on the boat.
Shortly after our cave exploration, it was time to go kayaking. They told us not to bring cameras, but I wish I had. Anyway, we did our own kayaking, not like when I was in Phuket, so it was quite an arm workout. We went to a lagoon and saw some monkeys and paddled around for quite some time. After the kayaking, we had time to get cleaned up before dinner.
Again dinner was quite nice with many courses. The coolest one was a dish with a candle inside an onion and it was glowing! They also turned off the lights before they brought it out for a very dramatic entrance! After dinner, we all went out and sat around the deck talking and getting to know each other. It was a lot of fun and I think the group bonded. The people in our group are: Dan and Adam-friends from Perth, Australia; Hass and Erin-a young (19 &20) newly dating couple from Melbourne; Claudine, Olivia, Brett-all individuals from around Australia; Kate and Ryan-a couple from Canada; Jenn-an individual from Canada, Joanne-a Korean American and Anastasia-an individual from Ukraine but living in Maldives. The three that didn't come with were Talia and Kathrine-friends from Australia and Leigh-an individual from Australia.
Anyway, like I said we had a great time out on the deck playing games and trying to fish for squid! No luck but we did see a few swimming around.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Hanoi and Start of Tour
It felt like I had barely closed my eyes when my alarm went off in the morning. It was tough to get out of bed and it was actually pretty chilly. The day before Van had lent me a cardigan which I was very grateful for. She told me I could use it until I returned to Hanoi in a few days. Anyway, we were up and off to Hanoi by 6am. It was still dark when we left so Van felt a little sorry I didn't get to see her house in the light at all.
She dropped me off at my hotel and I went in. I was originally planning on simply dropping off my bags and wandering the city, but the lady at the front desk told me my roommate had already arrived and I could go to my room. I considered, but then realized it was 6:30 and figured she was probably still sleeping. I mentioned this and the lady said there was a room that someone had checked out of already I could go into for a little bit. I decided I would do that and thought I would fall asleep. I wasn't able to go back to sleep but it was nice to lay down. Around 8:30 they called my room and told me I should move to my room.
I was greeted by a friendly Australian named Olivia. After I arrived, she started getting ready and we both decided we would go out and explore the city together. We wandered around and tried not to get hit by the motorbikes constantly whizzing around. The trick is crossing the street-the motorbikes don't stop and there aren't really any traffic lights. You should just step out into oncoming traffic and move at a slow and steady pace. The bikes will move around you. Olivia and I wandered around and found an information center and got some tips. Then we went to find lunch, a special fish dish my friend Van recommended. Yes, I actually ordered a fish dish! It was alright. After eating, we decided to go to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. We consulted the map and determined our route. About halfway there we got a little bit confused and also saw a few other tourists with maps out trying to figure the way there. One was an older German couple and the man was quite friendly to us letting us use his map and brainstorming the right way. The most hilarious part was when we stopped and asked a police officer which way to go and the German man acted out "being dead" (by choking) and saying Ho Chi Minh. The policeman chuckled and pointed us in the right direction. We finally got there and realized that the mausoleum itself closed around noon so it was no longer open. Kind of a bummer, but we went to the museum right next to it. That was interesting. There were a lot of documents and strange modern artworks and not much information describing exhibits.
Next, Olivia and I walked to the Temple of Literature, which was the first "college" in Vietnam. We bought our tickets and walked in, but then were confused and unsure we were actually in the right place. I looked again at the ticket name and it didn't have the same name as we were expecting, but I looked it up and we were in the right place. We walked through there-it was almost more a park than anything else, with a few buildings, but this was from a long, long time ago.
We returned towards the Old City area and stopped at a cafe. I got a water and a delicious carrot cake muffin. It felt good to finally sit since we had been on the go and walking all day. We got a bit turned around looking for our hotel, but finally found it and had about an hour to relax before our group meeting.
At the meeting we met everyone else to be on our tour. In total we are 16; 10 of them are from Australia, 3 from Canada, 1 from Ukraine but living in Maldives, another Korean American and myself. We met our guide, Bac and were given the rundown on our trip. The hardest part to deal with is the Lunar New Year which was starting during the middle of our trip. In Vietnamese, Tet, is the biggest holiday for them. It caused us to not get sleeper trains for 2 nights that we were supposed to meaning a few days would be spent on buses instead of in cities. After the meeting, we had a group dinner, and it was nice to chat with some of the others.
She dropped me off at my hotel and I went in. I was originally planning on simply dropping off my bags and wandering the city, but the lady at the front desk told me my roommate had already arrived and I could go to my room. I considered, but then realized it was 6:30 and figured she was probably still sleeping. I mentioned this and the lady said there was a room that someone had checked out of already I could go into for a little bit. I decided I would do that and thought I would fall asleep. I wasn't able to go back to sleep but it was nice to lay down. Around 8:30 they called my room and told me I should move to my room.
I was greeted by a friendly Australian named Olivia. After I arrived, she started getting ready and we both decided we would go out and explore the city together. We wandered around and tried not to get hit by the motorbikes constantly whizzing around. The trick is crossing the street-the motorbikes don't stop and there aren't really any traffic lights. You should just step out into oncoming traffic and move at a slow and steady pace. The bikes will move around you. Olivia and I wandered around and found an information center and got some tips. Then we went to find lunch, a special fish dish my friend Van recommended. Yes, I actually ordered a fish dish! It was alright. After eating, we decided to go to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. We consulted the map and determined our route. About halfway there we got a little bit confused and also saw a few other tourists with maps out trying to figure the way there. One was an older German couple and the man was quite friendly to us letting us use his map and brainstorming the right way. The most hilarious part was when we stopped and asked a police officer which way to go and the German man acted out "being dead" (by choking) and saying Ho Chi Minh. The policeman chuckled and pointed us in the right direction. We finally got there and realized that the mausoleum itself closed around noon so it was no longer open. Kind of a bummer, but we went to the museum right next to it. That was interesting. There were a lot of documents and strange modern artworks and not much information describing exhibits.
Next, Olivia and I walked to the Temple of Literature, which was the first "college" in Vietnam. We bought our tickets and walked in, but then were confused and unsure we were actually in the right place. I looked again at the ticket name and it didn't have the same name as we were expecting, but I looked it up and we were in the right place. We walked through there-it was almost more a park than anything else, with a few buildings, but this was from a long, long time ago.
We returned towards the Old City area and stopped at a cafe. I got a water and a delicious carrot cake muffin. It felt good to finally sit since we had been on the go and walking all day. We got a bit turned around looking for our hotel, but finally found it and had about an hour to relax before our group meeting.
At the meeting we met everyone else to be on our tour. In total we are 16; 10 of them are from Australia, 3 from Canada, 1 from Ukraine but living in Maldives, another Korean American and myself. We met our guide, Bac and were given the rundown on our trip. The hardest part to deal with is the Lunar New Year which was starting during the middle of our trip. In Vietnamese, Tet, is the biggest holiday for them. It caused us to not get sleeper trains for 2 nights that we were supposed to meaning a few days would be spent on buses instead of in cities. After the meeting, we had a group dinner, and it was nice to chat with some of the others.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Hanoi, Vietnam!
I woke up suuuper early to catch my 8am flight to Hanoi. On the way to the airport I realized I forgot my sunglasses at home which was a bit of a bummer. I arrived at the airport and was greeted with a GIGANTIC line for check-in; it wrapped around and around. I tried to find someone to ask about a check-in spot if I wasn't going to check my luggage but couldn't find anyone plus I didn't want to loose my spot in line. When I finally got close enough to talk to someone she pointed me to another spot where I could check-in with my carry-on bag. There was also a line there, but it didn't take too long. The next giant line was for going through security. I tried to skip ahead because it was close to 30 minutes before boarding, but the security guy declined me. So I stood in line and skyped with Mom and Grandpa! :) I was getting a little worried about timing, but managed to get through alright. My gate was close to security and it was so late that I just walked right onto the plane. Yikes!
The plane ride was rather uneventful. I watched the movie "Fury" which was a World War II movie and kind of depressing. Luckily I found a second movie, "Hector and the search for Happiness" which was a bit uplifting and entertaining. I enjoyed it a lot. We landed finally and then it was time to get my visa and get through customs. It was a little bit of waiting but not too bad. Outside, there was a guy waiting with my name on paper to take me in a taxi to my Vietnamese friend Van's workplace. Once I got in the taxi he called her and I talked with her on the phone. She said it should take about an hour to get there and let her know again when I arrived. It was cloudy and drizzling a bit but it was still warmer than Seoul. It felt humid as well. We arrived at Van's work in about 30 minutes so when I called her again she told me to wait for her. She arrived a few minutes later on her scooter/motorbike and took me to get lunch. She had to go back to work and I stayed at the restaurant. I ordered a pork dish with rice and soup for a grand total of $2.5! Crazy!
Van returned to pick me up and we went to a market. Her cousin has a shop stall and she needed to get some things. We shopped around there a little bit and then hopped on her scooter to visit her grandpa for a little bit. He was very cute and served us some tea. Finally we headed to her mentor's hotel. (Her mentor is on the leadership board at Mount Mary) So I met Regine and we rested in her hotel room for a little bit and then headed to a restaurant Van liked. We met one of Van's friends there as well. The four of us enjoyed our Valentine's dinner together. The restaurant is owned by a famous singer in Vietnam. Her husband, also a musician is the main cook. They have a regular menu but also a special so we did the special. The first course was salad, followed by pate, next a duck liver, a beef and onion dish. We were also served copious amounts of delicious homemade french bread. Since I wasn't a fan of pate or liver, I ate a lot of bread. The singer and her husband both sang a few songs-they have a little stage in the restaurant so that was fun. After dinner we returned Regine to her hotel and then Van and I headed to her house.
The unfortunate thing was that Regine and Van were traveling to another city the following day and had to catch a bus at 7am. That meant I had to be up around 5 to be dropped off.
Her house was really nice, but a bit outside of Hanoi. Only her dad was awake when we arrived, since it was going on midnight.
The plane ride was rather uneventful. I watched the movie "Fury" which was a World War II movie and kind of depressing. Luckily I found a second movie, "Hector and the search for Happiness" which was a bit uplifting and entertaining. I enjoyed it a lot. We landed finally and then it was time to get my visa and get through customs. It was a little bit of waiting but not too bad. Outside, there was a guy waiting with my name on paper to take me in a taxi to my Vietnamese friend Van's workplace. Once I got in the taxi he called her and I talked with her on the phone. She said it should take about an hour to get there and let her know again when I arrived. It was cloudy and drizzling a bit but it was still warmer than Seoul. It felt humid as well. We arrived at Van's work in about 30 minutes so when I called her again she told me to wait for her. She arrived a few minutes later on her scooter/motorbike and took me to get lunch. She had to go back to work and I stayed at the restaurant. I ordered a pork dish with rice and soup for a grand total of $2.5! Crazy!
Van returned to pick me up and we went to a market. Her cousin has a shop stall and she needed to get some things. We shopped around there a little bit and then hopped on her scooter to visit her grandpa for a little bit. He was very cute and served us some tea. Finally we headed to her mentor's hotel. (Her mentor is on the leadership board at Mount Mary) So I met Regine and we rested in her hotel room for a little bit and then headed to a restaurant Van liked. We met one of Van's friends there as well. The four of us enjoyed our Valentine's dinner together. The restaurant is owned by a famous singer in Vietnam. Her husband, also a musician is the main cook. They have a regular menu but also a special so we did the special. The first course was salad, followed by pate, next a duck liver, a beef and onion dish. We were also served copious amounts of delicious homemade french bread. Since I wasn't a fan of pate or liver, I ate a lot of bread. The singer and her husband both sang a few songs-they have a little stage in the restaurant so that was fun. After dinner we returned Regine to her hotel and then Van and I headed to her house.
The unfortunate thing was that Regine and Van were traveling to another city the following day and had to catch a bus at 7am. That meant I had to be up around 5 to be dropped off.
Her house was really nice, but a bit outside of Hanoi. Only her dad was awake when we arrived, since it was going on midnight.
Friday, February 13, 2015
6th Graders Graduate
Work was pretty simple today. Around 10:30 we went to the Eunpyeong Cultural center right across the street from school to see the graduation ceremony. I went over with Sangji, but she had to leave to attend her Mom's retirement celebration. It was hard to say goodbye to her. I watched the ceremony and felt a little bit sad. It was very bittersweet to see my 6th graders graduate. I was proud of them and will miss them since I've been with them for so long. After the ceremony I said goodbye to some of the students as they walked out. Then we had a staff lunch and got coffee to chat before returning to school.
Back at school i had to move my office from my cozy 2nd floor back to the main subject teacher's office. I was a little crabby about that-I really liked having the small space and the location right next to the ER. It didn't take too long to move my things upstairs and then I organized my desk. We were able to leave work early, so around 4pm I headed home.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Just a Thursday
Work passed slowly, but I had a tea-talking time with my COTs in the afternoon. At lunchtime, I ran to a bank to exchange KRW to USD and VND (they couldn't do Cambodian money). The best part of lunch were the strawberries, yum!
After work, I was supposed to meet Bohye for dinner in Hongdae, but she sent me a message yesterday saying she hurt her foot and wasn't sure she could make it. I offered to travel to Bucheon to meet with her, but she wasn't up for walking around too much. A little bit of a bummer because I was looking forward to hearing about her mission trip to the Philippines and tell her about my Mom's visit! Instead, I had dinner at home and did final preparing and packing for my trip!
After work, I was supposed to meet Bohye for dinner in Hongdae, but she sent me a message yesterday saying she hurt her foot and wasn't sure she could make it. I offered to travel to Bucheon to meet with her, but she wasn't up for walking around too much. A little bit of a bummer because I was looking forward to hearing about her mission trip to the Philippines and tell her about my Mom's visit! Instead, I had dinner at home and did final preparing and packing for my trip!
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Surprise Visitor and class
Work was nothing special. I did find out a few things that will affect me for next (school) year. My 6th grade COT will stay the same, my 4th grade COT will become my 5th grade COT (and teach one 6th grade class, like last time) and I will have a new 4th grade COT; she was the homeroom teacher of 6-6 (6th grade class). There will be a new 3rd grade teacher coming to the school as well, but she won't be my COT. Another thing is that I am being asked to go back up to the subject teachers office. I'm not too excited about moving and having to go to that office space. I really enjoy my office and it's quite comfortable; it's right next door to the English Room and I only share it with one other teacher. We don't have to pay for any of the extras that the subject teachers pay into (coffee, tea, water) and we can clean our office as we feel comfortable. I remember several occasions where I would be working and all of a sudden everyone got up and opened the windows and started moving stuff around to clean. Anyway, all that to say, I did request to stay and am waiting to hear back from the Principal.
The highlight of my day was a visit from 3 of my 6th grade students from last year. :) It was sweet of them to drop by, but they were doing their rounds of teacher visiting. I hope more come by! A little later in the afternoon the 3 returned with 2 other girls. We spoke in broken English and Korean together.
After work I stopped at the post office before heading downtown. I wanted to get a few gifts for people before class. I wanted to go to the bibimbap place for dinner, but they were closed for the upcoming holidays. Bummer. I ended up going to the kimbap shop that I've stopped at a few other times before and ordered a bibimbap there. It was pretty good, but I was craving the other one.
Class was a little bit rugged, but not too bad. I was expecting to take the level test, but I didn't have to take it. It was only for those students who were hoping to advance to the next level (Intermediate 3); I'm still finishing the textbook so it's part 2 of Intermediate 2. It was a relief not to take the test and it wouldn't have mattered because I know I wouldn't have passed. Just gives me more of a reason to study outside of class (which I did a little at work today!)
I was able to leave class a little bit early which was nice because I needed to get laundry done. The hard thing about not having a dryer is planning on doing laundry a few days in advance so everything is dry for packing!
The highlight of my day was a visit from 3 of my 6th grade students from last year. :) It was sweet of them to drop by, but they were doing their rounds of teacher visiting. I hope more come by! A little later in the afternoon the 3 returned with 2 other girls. We spoke in broken English and Korean together.
After work I stopped at the post office before heading downtown. I wanted to get a few gifts for people before class. I wanted to go to the bibimbap place for dinner, but they were closed for the upcoming holidays. Bummer. I ended up going to the kimbap shop that I've stopped at a few other times before and ordered a bibimbap there. It was pretty good, but I was craving the other one.
Class was a little bit rugged, but not too bad. I was expecting to take the level test, but I didn't have to take it. It was only for those students who were hoping to advance to the next level (Intermediate 3); I'm still finishing the textbook so it's part 2 of Intermediate 2. It was a relief not to take the test and it wouldn't have mattered because I know I wouldn't have passed. Just gives me more of a reason to study outside of class (which I did a little at work today!)
I was able to leave class a little bit early which was nice because I needed to get laundry done. The hard thing about not having a dryer is planning on doing laundry a few days in advance so everything is dry for packing!
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| Some cute 7th graders |
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| Bibimbap and side dishes |
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Too Easy Tuesday
Work was exceptionally easy today. I thought I was going to be helping my 4th grade COT again with a class, but she said she was okay after all. That meant...deskwarming all day. It wasn't too bad because I was able to catch up on some things and do some research and planning. I also decluttered my desk as it's quite possible I'll have to be leaving my small office and moving back upstairs to the subject teachers office. I'm quite sad about that-it was very comfortable being in the small office with Sophie. I'm going to remain hopeful and keep my fingers crossed I can stay here! By the end of the week I'll know though.
After work I thought we were having a end of the year staff dinner, and wondered why there wasn't one last year. Turns out it was a retirement dinner for 3 teachers. It was held at "The Buffet", in the NC Department Store. I guess it must be a chain because I went to one in Busan during my Inje days. Everything seemed about the same (from what I remember from 4 years ago!) First there was a lot of talking-we watched a powerpoint of well-wishes from the teachers to the retirees and then speeches, singing and cake cutting. Finally, it was time to eat. Dinner was great! I ate so much food and dessert, yum. Sophie teacher and I had planned to leave a little bit early, but that didn't really turn out-we took so long eating and then there was another kind of gift-giving and speech making for the teachers leaving our school. Then we all held hands and sang a common farewell song.
I walked home from the dinner; it wasn't too far from school and school is close to my place of course. And I definitely needed to burn off dinner. It was already around 8:30 so I resigned myself to just taking an extra long walk and not going for my run. Instead I explored an area to the left of me and wandered down the side streets finding a few small marts/grocery stores. It's good to know in case I need something and Emart is closed on a Sunday.
When I returned home from my extended walk, I just relaxed a little and worked on packing for my trip.
After work I thought we were having a end of the year staff dinner, and wondered why there wasn't one last year. Turns out it was a retirement dinner for 3 teachers. It was held at "The Buffet", in the NC Department Store. I guess it must be a chain because I went to one in Busan during my Inje days. Everything seemed about the same (from what I remember from 4 years ago!) First there was a lot of talking-we watched a powerpoint of well-wishes from the teachers to the retirees and then speeches, singing and cake cutting. Finally, it was time to eat. Dinner was great! I ate so much food and dessert, yum. Sophie teacher and I had planned to leave a little bit early, but that didn't really turn out-we took so long eating and then there was another kind of gift-giving and speech making for the teachers leaving our school. Then we all held hands and sang a common farewell song.
I walked home from the dinner; it wasn't too far from school and school is close to my place of course. And I definitely needed to burn off dinner. It was already around 8:30 so I resigned myself to just taking an extra long walk and not going for my run. Instead I explored an area to the left of me and wandered down the side streets finding a few small marts/grocery stores. It's good to know in case I need something and Emart is closed on a Sunday.
When I returned home from my extended walk, I just relaxed a little and worked on packing for my trip.
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| Retirement dinner |
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| Principal popping champagne |
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| Round one.... |
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| Dessert! |
Monday, February 9, 2015
Mundane Monday
Nothing too special about today. I helped my 4th grade COT with 3 classes. We were supposed to have a staff meeting, but then they cancelled it after we sat around for 10 minutes waiting for other teachers to come. That meant an earlier dismissal. :)
I chatted a bit with my friend Van, in Vietnam. She is going to prepare a SIM card for me so I will be able to have data for my phone while in Vietnam. I'm so very thankful for her help and am excited to see her after 5 years. Who'da thunk?
I went to Emart to get some groceries and gave in to my strong craving for pizza by picking up a slice from the pizza corner in the grocery store. I also grabbed a salad. At home I had dinner and watched Doctor Who. The rest of the evening was pretty laid back-some cleaning, a workout and packing/preparing for my trip.
I chatted a bit with my friend Van, in Vietnam. She is going to prepare a SIM card for me so I will be able to have data for my phone while in Vietnam. I'm so very thankful for her help and am excited to see her after 5 years. Who'da thunk?
I went to Emart to get some groceries and gave in to my strong craving for pizza by picking up a slice from the pizza corner in the grocery store. I also grabbed a salad. At home I had dinner and watched Doctor Who. The rest of the evening was pretty laid back-some cleaning, a workout and packing/preparing for my trip.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
COLD Sunday
Today was so, so cold! I got up and headed to church, all bundled up. After mass, I did my normal routine and walked to Casablanca for a sandwich. I took my sandwich home and watched some TV.
Then it was time for my normal walk to soccer. Not many people showed up-from our original team it was John, Stefano and me. One of Eirik's friends joined us, another guy from Norway. We played with the high school boys and the older Koreans that joined last week as well. It was so cold it was hard to run around. Also, I had spilled some water on the bench at one point and the water turned to ice!
Then it was time for my normal walk to soccer. Not many people showed up-from our original team it was John, Stefano and me. One of Eirik's friends joined us, another guy from Norway. We played with the high school boys and the older Koreans that joined last week as well. It was so cold it was hard to run around. Also, I had spilled some water on the bench at one point and the water turned to ice!
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Pop Up Event with Dong Gun
In the morning I skyped with Grandpa. We had a relatively short talking time compared to normal, but it was still good to see him and chat with him. After we finished talking, I called up my Mom. We talked for awhile and she officially booked her ticket!
After we finished talking, I baked a few cookies to give to Dong Gun. Last week we had talked about what we liked doing and I mentioned my cookie baking love. I got ready for our dinner date and then was off to Itaewon. Just before I arrived, he messaged me and mentioned that there were a lot of foreigners at the station. Welcome to Itaewon! We walked to the little bar/restaurant the Pop Up event was being held at. The woman checking people in was a co-owner (? I think) at Left Coast Burgers; anyway, she recognized me and was very friendly. We had to sit at a low table; it was more like a coffee table so it was a little bit awkward but in a corner so it was quieter. First we had a rice bowl with meat and salsa. Next was a bbq sandwich with pulled pork and fried jalapenos. That was delicious! The final dish was a bowl of soup with homemade taquitos, also quite tasty. I liked that everything came out slowly-I think we were there for about an hour and a half to get the 3 dishes. At the end, we were asked if another couple could join our low table as there weren't enough seats anywhere else. So the last 5-10 minutes was a little bit awkward for Dong Gun and me to talk freely.
We left the pop up event and strolled around Itaewon and then headed to Noksapyeong and walked around there, Kyeongridan and Haebangchon. We found a makgoli place that looked really nice, but there were no seats available. In the end we went to a different upscale bar/restaurant and got ciders. It was a lot of fun talking and we almost lost track of time. We ended up running to the subway station; the whole time I didn't think we would make it before they stopped running. When we arrived at the station we saw the screen and the train was still arriving so we ran down, down (Noksapyeong Station is really far underground!) and I made it just in time. Dong Gun asked me to let him know when I got home and unfortunately for him the subways stopped running while he was getting home and he had to take a taxi partway.
After we finished talking, I baked a few cookies to give to Dong Gun. Last week we had talked about what we liked doing and I mentioned my cookie baking love. I got ready for our dinner date and then was off to Itaewon. Just before I arrived, he messaged me and mentioned that there were a lot of foreigners at the station. Welcome to Itaewon! We walked to the little bar/restaurant the Pop Up event was being held at. The woman checking people in was a co-owner (? I think) at Left Coast Burgers; anyway, she recognized me and was very friendly. We had to sit at a low table; it was more like a coffee table so it was a little bit awkward but in a corner so it was quieter. First we had a rice bowl with meat and salsa. Next was a bbq sandwich with pulled pork and fried jalapenos. That was delicious! The final dish was a bowl of soup with homemade taquitos, also quite tasty. I liked that everything came out slowly-I think we were there for about an hour and a half to get the 3 dishes. At the end, we were asked if another couple could join our low table as there weren't enough seats anywhere else. So the last 5-10 minutes was a little bit awkward for Dong Gun and me to talk freely.
We left the pop up event and strolled around Itaewon and then headed to Noksapyeong and walked around there, Kyeongridan and Haebangchon. We found a makgoli place that looked really nice, but there were no seats available. In the end we went to a different upscale bar/restaurant and got ciders. It was a lot of fun talking and we almost lost track of time. We ended up running to the subway station; the whole time I didn't think we would make it before they stopped running. When we arrived at the station we saw the screen and the train was still arriving so we ran down, down (Noksapyeong Station is really far underground!) and I made it just in time. Dong Gun asked me to let him know when I got home and unfortunately for him the subways stopped running while he was getting home and he had to take a taxi partway.
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| One of the three dishes served at the pop up, bbq pulled pork sandwich |
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| DongGun and me |
Friday, February 6, 2015
TGIF
For some reason this week seemed really long. I'm not sure why because the workload was a little bit less than normal. It seemed like each day I didn't know which day it was because most of my class schedules weren't normal.
After work I stopped at the post office and then headed to Yeoido. I took the bus there and walked along the Han River and got to see the sky change colors as the sun set. It was really beautiful. It was quite cold, but worth it. Then I walked to IFC Mall and did some shopping. Next it was time to find some dinner. I went to Charles (Korean pronunciation Chal-su) Kimbap. It's been a loooong time since I've had this brand kimbap. They are a little bit more pricey than normal kimbap shops, but it's because the kimbap is so big and stuffed with a ton of delicious smokey bulgogi meat! I ordered it to go and took the bus back home.
At home, I ate half of the kimbap and watched some Doctor Who. I also did some planning because my Mom will be coming in 2 months! I wanted to draft up some ideas of what to do while she is here. The activities and ideas are coming along nicely and I think she will have a great time!
After work I stopped at the post office and then headed to Yeoido. I took the bus there and walked along the Han River and got to see the sky change colors as the sun set. It was really beautiful. It was quite cold, but worth it. Then I walked to IFC Mall and did some shopping. Next it was time to find some dinner. I went to Charles (Korean pronunciation Chal-su) Kimbap. It's been a loooong time since I've had this brand kimbap. They are a little bit more pricey than normal kimbap shops, but it's because the kimbap is so big and stuffed with a ton of delicious smokey bulgogi meat! I ordered it to go and took the bus back home.
At home, I ate half of the kimbap and watched some Doctor Who. I also did some planning because my Mom will be coming in 2 months! I wanted to draft up some ideas of what to do while she is here. The activities and ideas are coming along nicely and I think she will have a great time!
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| Yeoido |
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| Yeoido Sunset |
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| Yeoido |
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| Really liked this one |
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| Giant kimbap! |
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Dinner with my COTs
After work I went to dinner with two of my COT's; Eunsook (my "life" coteacher-the one who helped me with all aspects of home and school) and Sophie. Eunsook's 5 years at Nokbun are up and she will be moving to a new school for the next school year (which starts March 2nd). And like I mentioned before, Sophie will be moving to teach middle school English. Lots of change going on with my COTs so there is the big unknown for the start of the new year.
Anyway, we went to a bibimbap restaurant in front of my building for dinner. I hadn't been there in a long time, but I think the owner recognized me. I had chatted with him a few times last spring when I used to go there more often. After we finished dinner we went to a coffee shop and chatted a little bit more there.
At home I took a short break and then forced myself out for my run. At first I thought I would just go for a walk, but once I was out I figured I might as well run. I wasn't quite motivated enough to run 4 miles so I decided that I would try and do some interval training. Instead of my regular run I did 2 miles of jogging and sprinting. After my run I returned home and watched some Doctor Who.
My Mom contacted me and we worked out dates for her upcoming visit! I'm so excited for her to come.
Anyway, we went to a bibimbap restaurant in front of my building for dinner. I hadn't been there in a long time, but I think the owner recognized me. I had chatted with him a few times last spring when I used to go there more often. After we finished dinner we went to a coffee shop and chatted a little bit more there.
At home I took a short break and then forced myself out for my run. At first I thought I would just go for a walk, but once I was out I figured I might as well run. I wasn't quite motivated enough to run 4 miles so I decided that I would try and do some interval training. Instead of my regular run I did 2 miles of jogging and sprinting. After my run I returned home and watched some Doctor Who.
My Mom contacted me and we worked out dates for her upcoming visit! I'm so excited for her to come.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Normal Wednesday
Today was a pretty regular Wednesday. After work I came home and had my leftover casserole instead of going downtown straight away. It was nice to have a little bit of down time at home.
Class had its ups and downs. The first grammar point I thought, "ok, it's not too bad, I understand" after looking it up on my phone real quick. I was able to do the fill in the blank answers (with the provided verb) but then it came to the open-ended questions and we had to form our own answers and I was stuck and lost. It felt so overwhelming to me and I felt very frustrated. As usual, I resolved to do more studying outside of class so I'm prepared for class, but we'll see how the week progresses.
Class had its ups and downs. The first grammar point I thought, "ok, it's not too bad, I understand" after looking it up on my phone real quick. I was able to do the fill in the blank answers (with the provided verb) but then it came to the open-ended questions and we had to form our own answers and I was stuck and lost. It felt so overwhelming to me and I felt very frustrated. As usual, I resolved to do more studying outside of class so I'm prepared for class, but we'll see how the week progresses.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Last Terrible Tuesday
I think I successfully converted 2 of my 6th grade classes into Doctor Who fans! They had already done the review last week so my COT and I decided we would just watch a movie. I suggested Doctor Who as it is about 40 minutes long-the total class time that we have. I heard many of them say that it was fun or that they enjoyed it. The last 3 classes I had (one 6th grade and two fifth grade) did review games.
After work I went for the bi-weekly run. I managed to shave a few seconds off, but it was quite cold today and I had on many layers and felt a little heavy. I can tell that spring is on the way and the days are getting longer. Before it would be either dusk or dark when I started my run. Now, even when my run is over it's just getting darker.
I came home and made a delicious dinner....green bean casserole! I used the green beans I bought on Sunday and I had to substitute soy milk for regular milk, but it still turned out good. I even had the french fried onions (brought them to Korea with me in August) for the top. It was so nice to have a taste of home.
After work I went for the bi-weekly run. I managed to shave a few seconds off, but it was quite cold today and I had on many layers and felt a little heavy. I can tell that spring is on the way and the days are getting longer. Before it would be either dusk or dark when I started my run. Now, even when my run is over it's just getting darker.
I came home and made a delicious dinner....green bean casserole! I used the green beans I bought on Sunday and I had to substitute soy milk for regular milk, but it still turned out good. I even had the french fried onions (brought them to Korea with me in August) for the top. It was so nice to have a taste of home.
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| Green bean casserole! |
Monday, February 2, 2015
Errands in Hongdae
This week is going to be pretty easy because for the most part, it's the last one us subject teachers have students. Many of my classes are finishing up and some of the 6th graders were finished last week. That means I only had 3 classes today! We did a review game of some of the previous lessons so it was pretty low key.
After work, I went to Hongdae to do some birthday present hunting for a few friends back home. I was successful in finding almost everything I had set out to get. I was wondering what to do for dinner and decided I would go to my favorite BBQ place, Bonga, but get a bulgogi stew (it's hard eating solo in Korea, especially at BBQ places). It was delicious. I walked dinner off by going to Hapjeong Station instead of Hongdae and headed home.
After work, I went to Hongdae to do some birthday present hunting for a few friends back home. I was successful in finding almost everything I had set out to get. I was wondering what to do for dinner and decided I would go to my favorite BBQ place, Bonga, but get a bulgogi stew (it's hard eating solo in Korea, especially at BBQ places). It was delicious. I walked dinner off by going to Hapjeong Station instead of Hongdae and headed home.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Routine Sunday
Back into the routine of my regular Sunday! I can't believe it's been so long since I've been to church, but with all my traveling, I arrive late in the day on Sundays and haven't been able to catch a mass.
I headed to church and luckily caught a bus after getting off the subway. It was pretty cold this morning so I didn't want to have to make the 10 minute walk! Mass was good. After church I stopped at the grocery store to see if there was anything interesting there. I picked up 2 bags of frozen green beans-green bean casserole coming up this week! I can't wait! I continued on as normal and headed to...can you guess? Casablanca for a lamb chili sandwich. I took the sandwich home and ate with some TV. Then I finally uploaded some pictures from my trips (photos for the blog coming soon!)
Before I knew it, it was time to head to soccer. I walked to soccer as usual as well. This week our high school boys had invited 6 other players to form a 3rd team, so there were 18 of us in total. Felix and Jeremy were back-Felix got married in the US back in November and hasn't been out since then; Jeremy joined maybe in mid-December. Anyway, I really missed playing with Felix. He cracks me up, but I remember the first time I met him I thought he was crazy. Anyway, our team was probably the worst somehow, and we didn't win many of our games. I took a few shots on goal, but nothing went in. I didn't feel too rusty, which surprised me since I haven't been to soccer in a few weeks.
And, wow! It's February!
I headed to church and luckily caught a bus after getting off the subway. It was pretty cold this morning so I didn't want to have to make the 10 minute walk! Mass was good. After church I stopped at the grocery store to see if there was anything interesting there. I picked up 2 bags of frozen green beans-green bean casserole coming up this week! I can't wait! I continued on as normal and headed to...can you guess? Casablanca for a lamb chili sandwich. I took the sandwich home and ate with some TV. Then I finally uploaded some pictures from my trips (photos for the blog coming soon!)
Before I knew it, it was time to head to soccer. I walked to soccer as usual as well. This week our high school boys had invited 6 other players to form a 3rd team, so there were 18 of us in total. Felix and Jeremy were back-Felix got married in the US back in November and hasn't been out since then; Jeremy joined maybe in mid-December. Anyway, I really missed playing with Felix. He cracks me up, but I remember the first time I met him I thought he was crazy. Anyway, our team was probably the worst somehow, and we didn't win many of our games. I took a few shots on goal, but nothing went in. I didn't feel too rusty, which surprised me since I haven't been to soccer in a few weeks.
And, wow! It's February!
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