Trip to the Big City of Seoul

This weekend I went to Seoul for my first visit to the "big city!" I had a lot of fun. The best part of the trip was that McDonald's is now serving breakfast. This has just started to happen here so I got a sausage, egg, and cheese McMuffin. It was awesome! Here are pictures of our "delicious" breakfast. Koreans use "delicious" to describe every kind of food even if it is just normal.



It also snowed while we were in Seoul. Here are some pictures I took at the half way stop. I don't know if I have mentioned this or not but Seoul is 2 1/2 or 3 hours away depending on traffic.

I also got to go to Starbucks. Actually, I went twice. The first time when we first got to CoEx Mall. I go an iced Carmel Macchiato (I think that is how you spell it!). The second time, right before we left the mall, I got a grande Christmas blend. It was wonderful, even though Caribou is much better. I am getting a coffee pot soon!

While we were waiting for the bus back to Jeonju I decided to take Christmas pictures. There are very few decorations in Jeonju so I thought I would do the best with what I had. So when I send out my Christmas letter you will see these pictures again.

I had a great time and we are headed back next weekend to visit a family Kelly knows. I am really looking forward to this because I haven't had a chance to interact with any children outside of my class since I have been here. I will keep you posted on the happenings here in South Korea!

Thanksgiving Dinner

I had to work on Thanksgiving Day so we celebrated on Sunday. I had a great time. it started off with an early morning run. I only ran 1 1/2 miles because my knee has been hurting whenever I run. Then we went back to get cleaned up for the day. I made Kelly and I sausage gravy and biscuits, my mom's recipe. It was wonderful! Then I clean up my house while Kelly finally got to talk with her brother using my web cam. She has a Mac and can't find any programs that will allow her to use her web cam. If you know of any let me know please!

Around 2pm we had some of Kelly's students come over for Salmon and wine. I didn't know any of these students but they were w\very nice. here is a picture of the group. Kelly had her mom send the Salmon from Seattle. I am not a big fish person so I didn't have any but everyone else enjoyed it immensely.

After Kelly's students left I had some students come over for a mostly traditional Thanksgiving. I was not able to find a Turkey and even if i could i would not have been able to cook it. I had what I thought was ham but it was more like SPAM!! All of the Koreans loved it though. I made mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots with honey, green beans, and corn. For desert I made peach cobbler and Kentucky Derby Pie with a homemade crust. It was so much fun to get together and I really enjoyed the cooking too. Here are a few pictures.


Kelly and I

Steve (a student) volunteered to do dishes!

Steve, Choice, Tae, Kelly, Lee, Bryan, Miles, Tina, Me
(Top to bottom and left to right)

Email Addresses

Good evening all,

There are many people who read my blog and leave comments that I don't have an email address for. I might have had it at one time but between leaving my job and getting a new computer it has disappeared on me. If you could email me with your address I would really appreciate it. This might sound like a crazy request but please just indulge me. Also it will be nice to get email. It gets lonely here sometimes! Thanks.

Georgia

p.s.- Leah Crisp this means you!! I have no clue where your email address went and since you switched jobs I can't contact you.

My New Wheels

I purchased a bicycle today. The pastor of the chruch I am visiting took me to a bike shop and helped me with all of the translation. It also helps he has been riding and building bikes since he was a teenager. I am very thankful he was willing to help me out. So here are my wheels for the next year, I really love silver!!

It even has mud flaps and a carrying rack. They use this rack for people as well as purchases.

A Traditional Korean Village

On Saturday I went with 3 of my students and Kelly to a traditional Korean Village. The first picture is of the palace. The original palace was burned down by the Japanese and then later rebuilt by the Koreans.

This is a picture of the emperor.

This is what they would carry people, incense, and even a picture of the emperor in. Back then they believed that a picture was the same as the live emperor.

The entire palace was painted with
the same detail as seen above.

Bamboo

Me, Brian, and Kelly

Steve, Choice, Brian, Tae, Kelly,
and someone I don't know.
I am the short one in back that
you can hardly see!

Below are pictures of a traditional Korean funeral. It was the Kimchee Festivel so this was a special treat for us to see. Even some of my students had never seen this before.

Traditional Korean Houses

The pictures below were taken at the Korean Cultural Area.

Brian and I

Friday Night with My Students

Below you will see some pcitures of my students. They took me out on the town on Friday night. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about the culture. It is so nice to be able to communicate with my advanced students. It is a lot of work sometimes but it is definetely worth it.

Radom Pictures from Around Campus

Here are some random pictures I have taken while I have been walking back and forth from work to my apartment.

The smallest car in the world!!

The Night Life

Yes there is American food here! Yeah for Subway!!

Fall in Korea

It is great because I was able to experience fall while in Minnesota and now I get to experience it all over again here in Korea. Everyone keeps saying we are having an unusually long fall. Last year it went from super hot to freezing cold in just two weeks. I am taking advantage of this great weather while I can. Here are a few shots I have taken around campus.

Thank You

I wanted to thank my church family for providing for my needs for my first month in Korea. It was a huge blessing. I knew the Lord would supply all that I needed and He used you to do it. It is an even bigger blessing because I did not get paid for my last week of work at Express Scripts. Please pray that I will be able to get this straightened out.

Here are some pictures from the last night I was at church.

Kelsey, Mark, and Isaac

Levi

Deanna and Cameron

me and Christian

Natanya, Christian, and Kathy

Me and Christian James (as Levi and Uri say)

Ashley, Alana, Kelsey, Benita, and Alyssa

Natanya and Uri

This is a very rare thing..Roxy in a picture!!

Steve and Colleen

Korea Contact Information

Here is my contact information for while I am gone. I will appreciate any contact whether email, snail mail, or packages. Just as a heads up anything sent in an envelope does not need special papers for customs. If it is sent in a box it does.

Georgia Bryant
Language Education Center
Chonbuk National University
Dukjin-dong, Jeonju-si
Chollabuk-do 561-756
South Korea

email: punkin2238@gmail.com
Skype: Georgia Lynne
phone: 82-63-279-6032
AOL IM: punkin2238
MSN IM: punkin2238@hotmail.com

My time in Korea thus Far

I have been in Korea for almost a week now. So far I have had many good experiences and interactions with the people. I really love my classes. It is so nice to teach people who really want to learn. The adult students are very understanding of my pronunciation of their names, which I am thankful for. My kid’s class however laughs every time I say a students name incorrectly. It is very frustrating for me because I do not laugh at them when they say my name wrong or another English word incorrectly. I will get their names down soon enough.

On Sunday I will be going to Antioch Church for their English service. I am a little nervous about going by myself. None of other teachers here are Christians and I don't think they would go with me if I asked. It is probably a 25 minute walk from my apartment. But I am sure it is going to be worth it.

I think I walk at least five miles every day. It is very good for me but it is getting cold now. Last night we went out and it was freezing. Everyone thinks I should be fine because I am from Minnesota, but there we get in our car to drive somewhere, get out and run into a warm building. Here I will be walking out in the cold all winter and the building are not really heated like they are in the US. The classrooms are heated but the hallways and every other part of the buildings are not. It should be fun this winter.

On Sunday after church I am going with Kelly and some students to the traditional Korean Village. I will update you with pictures from my adventure.