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Back in Western NY! So Garrett and I have recently gotten home from our year abroad. We’ve been back for a little over one month, which does not feel like it has been. My! how time flies! Today Garrett and I went down to devil’s hole to “our spot” which is situation by the whirlpool area of the Niagara river. Its about a 45 minute hike scenic down to “our spot”   For our 2nd anniversary gar carved our initials in a nearby tree, and every year we go to visit it. (minus our year in Korea of course)  4 years later the tree carving is still there, a little worn but still there :) Next to our tree there is a nice flat rock to sit on and watch the rapids pass. Its the prefect place to have a picnic  (which we quite often do) or just bask in the sun. Today was super cold so we didn’t stay too long, but managed to take some good shots of the area and relax with some cider and cheese.  The trail was not as hard nor steep back up as the mountains we climbed in Korea. Before Korea we would huff and puff going up the hundreds of stairs to the top, stopping multiple times along the way. This time we climbed up the stairs, in one swoop up, heart racing, but not as exhausted as before.  It felt like quite the victory!  Hopefully this weekend we will check out one of the restaurants in the mac and cheese challenge. I’ll update if we do :) Until next time … *Kyla* (3/31/12) 
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Back in Western NY! So Garrett and I have recently gotten home from our year abroad. We’ve been back for a little over one month, which does not feel like it has been. My! how time flies! Today Garrett and I went down to devil’s hole to “our spot” which is situation by the whirlpool area of the Niagara river. Its about a 45 minute hike scenic down to “our spot”   For our 2nd anniversary gar carved our initials in a nearby tree, and every year we go to visit it. (minus our year in Korea of course)  4 years later the tree carving is still there, a little worn but still there :) Next to our tree there is a nice flat rock to sit on and watch the rapids pass. Its the prefect place to have a picnic  (which we quite often do) or just bask in the sun. Today was super cold so we didn’t stay too long, but managed to take some good shots of the area and relax with some cider and cheese.  The trail was not as hard nor steep back up as the mountains we climbed in Korea. Before Korea we would huff and puff going up the hundreds of stairs to the top, stopping multiple times along the way. This time we climbed up the stairs, in one swoop up, heart racing, but not as exhausted as before.  It felt like quite the victory!  Hopefully this weekend we will check out one of the restaurants in the mac and cheese challenge. I’ll update if we do :) Until next time … *Kyla* (3/31/12) 
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Back in Western NY!

So Garrett and I have recently gotten home from our year abroad. We’ve been back for a little over one month, which does not feel like it has been. My! how time flies!

Today Garrett and I went down to devil’s hole to “our spot” which is situation by the whirlpool area of the Niagara river. Its about a 45 minute hike scenic down to “our spot”  

For our 2nd anniversary gar carved our initials in a nearby tree, and every year we go to visit it. (minus our year in Korea of course)  4 years later the tree carving is still there, a little worn but still there :) Next to our tree there is a nice flat rock to sit on and watch the rapids pass. Its the prefect place to have a picnic  (which we quite often do) or just bask in the sun. Today was super cold so we didn’t stay too long, but managed to take some good shots of the area and relax with some cider and cheese. 

The trail was not as hard nor steep back up as the mountains we climbed in Korea. Before Korea we would huff and puff going up the hundreds of stairs to the top, stopping multiple times along the way. This time we climbed up the stairs, in one swoop up, heart racing, but not as exhausted as before.  It felt like quite the victory! 

Hopefully this weekend we will check out one of the restaurants in the mac and cheese challenge. I’ll update if we do :)

Until next time …

*Kyla* (3/31/12) 

retirement ceremony and final thoughts

Five days to go until I fly back to the USA. 1 year has gone by so fast. In the beginning it felt like the months dragged on, but as soon as we passed the 6th monthmark, time began to fly!

 

  Last Friday was the last teacher dinner. Well, it was actually my principal’s retirement ceremony. The ceremony seemed like it could be a wedding. There were lots of white covered linen tables, an orchestra, and a tasty buffet. My principal was in a traditional hanbok, and all the teachers from the school were there. Even the ones who were leaving for the next semester. In the US I don’t think people would do the same, unless they were close with the principal. Family and friends of the principal were all there too. To my amazement, my principal’s grand-daughter had lived in the states for 6 years and was 8 years old. She spoke English magnificently! No korean accent and she understood every question I threw at her. When my principal saw me she shood her grand-daughter over to me to speak English. So, I started asking her generic questions “how old are you?” what is your name? and what grade are you in? her response to the question, I am not in school now I am on vacation. I knew I was talking to a native speaker, who could have been quite the smart alec.

The ceremony was very formal, speeches were given that I didn’t quite understand, presents were given to my principal many times, songs were sang, (from all the head teachers, the pe teacher and music teacher) We heard the teachers practicing in the teachers room about 2 hours before the ceremony. I guess my principal arranged everything and told so and so they had to sing. In Korea, the principal is “king’ of the school.

After the hour and so ceremony there was a buffet dinner. It seemed the etiquette was don’t go up alone to the buffet, bring a friend. The buffet was nice, the food a little cold but still edible. After dinner, teacher’s just chatted. I was looking at my i-pod because tonight was the same night as the foreigner dinner at D’Marcis. At around 8;00 I planned to leave the event, but I didn’t want to just scoot out the door. I thought it would be nice to say my goodbyes to the teacher’s that were leaving (after 5 years a public school teacher must relocate to another school) So, that’s what Jeong Eun and I ended up doing, but instead of going to just the tables with the teacher’s leaving I went to every table and gave “insa” respect to the teachers.

        

          The first table I went to was 우성’s table. She is the art teacher and was always very kind to me throughout the year.  So, jeong eun and I went over. Jeong Eun said what I was doing in Korean and then I added a bit of English at the end. I bowed to the teacher’s and 우성 said “American style goodbye” She gave me a gigantic hug, and then some of the other teachers who were very kind throughout the year followed suit. Other teachers stood still and waved both hands. Then, 우성 said “now Korean style” and gave me a shot of souju. “one shot” she said. So, I barely swallowed the soju down and then she fed me some kind of fish. I think feeding someone is symbolic of something im not sure of. Other teachers wished me well for the future.

 

        Even though not a whole bunch of teacher’s knew/ wanted to speak English at Namoe their kindness was always apparent. I was always included in the teacher’s meetings, lunches, dinners, staff events. Going hiking with my vice principal and other teachers was my favorite. My lunch was bought for me too many times to count, during the summer and winter afterschool classes. Food was always shared with me, and I was included in coffee time in the teacher’s room. (even though I didn’t really understand the conversation) I always had a buddy at lunch, or was included in the round table lunch hour when the whole school was not in session. I really felt like I was a part of the school. I feel like I was treated as one of the “teachers” and not some spectacle to be put on display. I will definitely miss my school.

until next time…

*Kyla*

 

The Big Knit Cafe, Bangkok So, before go to Bangkok, i looked up the worlds most unusual restaurants in the world and stumbled upon the “Big Knit” in Bangkok, so Garrett and I decided to check it out our last day in the city. It was a 45 min walk from the sky train to get to, but the directions were super easy to follow from the website. The big knit is exactly how it sounds, a coffee shop that fosters the love of knitting. There are tons and tons of knitting books for inspiration in both English and Thai. From beginner to vogue projects. Plus, lots of colorful knitted stuffed animals nuzzled beside the window of every table. All around the cafe are shelves and shelves of yarn, from simple wool, to frilly pom poms. Yarn for any type of project. (the yarn is imported from italy, so its a bit pricey) If your not the best knitter there are purses, scarfs, and stuffed animals for sale. The cafe offers a variety of drinks, hot and cold from teas and coffees to milkshakes. All come to the table presented on a knitted coaster. They offer desserts too, Garrett and I tried the banana chocolate pie which was delicious. This is a place where any knitter can get their creative juices flowing. Definitely worth it to stop by, you’ll be glad you did ^_^
Zoom Info
The Big Knit Cafe, Bangkok So, before go to Bangkok, i looked up the worlds most unusual restaurants in the world and stumbled upon the “Big Knit” in Bangkok, so Garrett and I decided to check it out our last day in the city. It was a 45 min walk from the sky train to get to, but the directions were super easy to follow from the website. The big knit is exactly how it sounds, a coffee shop that fosters the love of knitting. There are tons and tons of knitting books for inspiration in both English and Thai. From beginner to vogue projects. Plus, lots of colorful knitted stuffed animals nuzzled beside the window of every table. All around the cafe are shelves and shelves of yarn, from simple wool, to frilly pom poms. Yarn for any type of project. (the yarn is imported from italy, so its a bit pricey) If your not the best knitter there are purses, scarfs, and stuffed animals for sale. The cafe offers a variety of drinks, hot and cold from teas and coffees to milkshakes. All come to the table presented on a knitted coaster. They offer desserts too, Garrett and I tried the banana chocolate pie which was delicious. This is a place where any knitter can get their creative juices flowing. Definitely worth it to stop by, you’ll be glad you did ^_^
Zoom Info
The Big Knit Cafe, Bangkok So, before go to Bangkok, i looked up the worlds most unusual restaurants in the world and stumbled upon the “Big Knit” in Bangkok, so Garrett and I decided to check it out our last day in the city. It was a 45 min walk from the sky train to get to, but the directions were super easy to follow from the website. The big knit is exactly how it sounds, a coffee shop that fosters the love of knitting. There are tons and tons of knitting books for inspiration in both English and Thai. From beginner to vogue projects. Plus, lots of colorful knitted stuffed animals nuzzled beside the window of every table. All around the cafe are shelves and shelves of yarn, from simple wool, to frilly pom poms. Yarn for any type of project. (the yarn is imported from italy, so its a bit pricey) If your not the best knitter there are purses, scarfs, and stuffed animals for sale. The cafe offers a variety of drinks, hot and cold from teas and coffees to milkshakes. All come to the table presented on a knitted coaster. They offer desserts too, Garrett and I tried the banana chocolate pie which was delicious. This is a place where any knitter can get their creative juices flowing. Definitely worth it to stop by, you’ll be glad you did ^_^
Zoom Info
The Big Knit Cafe, Bangkok So, before go to Bangkok, i looked up the worlds most unusual restaurants in the world and stumbled upon the “Big Knit” in Bangkok, so Garrett and I decided to check it out our last day in the city. It was a 45 min walk from the sky train to get to, but the directions were super easy to follow from the website. The big knit is exactly how it sounds, a coffee shop that fosters the love of knitting. There are tons and tons of knitting books for inspiration in both English and Thai. From beginner to vogue projects. Plus, lots of colorful knitted stuffed animals nuzzled beside the window of every table. All around the cafe are shelves and shelves of yarn, from simple wool, to frilly pom poms. Yarn for any type of project. (the yarn is imported from italy, so its a bit pricey) If your not the best knitter there are purses, scarfs, and stuffed animals for sale. The cafe offers a variety of drinks, hot and cold from teas and coffees to milkshakes. All come to the table presented on a knitted coaster. They offer desserts too, Garrett and I tried the banana chocolate pie which was delicious. This is a place where any knitter can get their creative juices flowing. Definitely worth it to stop by, you’ll be glad you did ^_^
Zoom Info
The Big Knit Cafe, Bangkok So, before go to Bangkok, i looked up the worlds most unusual restaurants in the world and stumbled upon the “Big Knit” in Bangkok, so Garrett and I decided to check it out our last day in the city. It was a 45 min walk from the sky train to get to, but the directions were super easy to follow from the website. The big knit is exactly how it sounds, a coffee shop that fosters the love of knitting. There are tons and tons of knitting books for inspiration in both English and Thai. From beginner to vogue projects. Plus, lots of colorful knitted stuffed animals nuzzled beside the window of every table. All around the cafe are shelves and shelves of yarn, from simple wool, to frilly pom poms. Yarn for any type of project. (the yarn is imported from italy, so its a bit pricey) If your not the best knitter there are purses, scarfs, and stuffed animals for sale. The cafe offers a variety of drinks, hot and cold from teas and coffees to milkshakes. All come to the table presented on a knitted coaster. They offer desserts too, Garrett and I tried the banana chocolate pie which was delicious. This is a place where any knitter can get their creative juices flowing. Definitely worth it to stop by, you’ll be glad you did ^_^
Zoom Info

The Big Knit Cafe, Bangkok

So, before go to Bangkok, i looked up the worlds most unusual restaurants in the world and stumbled upon the “Big Knit” in Bangkok, so Garrett and I decided to check it out our last day in the city.

It was a 45 min walk from the sky train to get to, but the directions were super easy to follow from the website. The big knit is exactly how it sounds, a coffee shop that fosters the love of knitting.

There are tons and tons of knitting books for inspiration in both English and Thai. From beginner to vogue projects. Plus, lots of colorful knitted stuffed animals nuzzled beside the window of every table. All around the cafe are shelves and shelves of yarn, from simple wool, to frilly pom poms. Yarn for any type of project. (the yarn is imported from italy, so its a bit pricey) If your not the best knitter there are purses, scarfs, and stuffed animals for sale.

The cafe offers a variety of drinks, hot and cold from teas and coffees to milkshakes. All come to the table presented on a knitted coaster. They offer desserts too, Garrett and I tried the banana chocolate pie which was delicious.

This is a place where any knitter can get their creative juices flowing. Definitely worth it to stop by, you’ll be glad you did ^_^

Tiger Temple: Thailand! By far the best experience of my stay in Thailand! The tiger temple is a nature preserve owned by monks, where hundred of animals run free through the grounds (not the tigers though) Originally started as a forrest monastery in the early 1990’s, the temple got its first tiger in 1999, several tiger cubs later were delivered later to the temple either from poachers who had killed the mother sparing the cubs, or pet tigers who were too big. Now, on the tour we were told they have 108 tigers! Only 15 or 20 are seen a day, those on their “best” behavior. They have  seasoned staff, monks, and volunteers to care for the tigers and other animals on the property.  As a visitor to the temple you pay 600 baht ($20) to hang out with teens/adult tigers for the day (walking them to the canyon, taking pictures and petting them, watching them play etc.) Most tigers were sleepy when we got there (tigers apparently sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day) But, we saw tons of tigers playing in the water which was a sight to see, pouncing on each other, stealing away toys, just like regular felines.  There are also a whole bunch of other animals roaming free, like peacocks, antelope, horses, and water buffalo. Three black bears were also housed in an enclosure, and just recently a lion and lioness, who were given to the temple by the police. A drug dealer in Thailand raised the lions to be guard animals for his drug business.  The best part of the whole experience was playing with and feeding baby tigers!  For 1,000 baht ($33) each , you can take part in different programs (exercise program, morning program, baby tiger feeding, etc.) We chose to do the feeding program!! We got to play with 7  1 and 2 month year old tigers for about 40 min. They are so soft and cuddly!!  The two year olds were more playful than the little ones. I laid down on my back and a 2 month year old jumped right up on me and started nibbling my shoulder. (I have a battle wound to prove it ^^)  Don’t worry..they all have their shots. After some play time, we were able to bottle feed the tigers and the staff took our pictures with them. There were 4 groups of tourists doing the baby cub feeding and playing program, so the tigers were pretty much out like a light after that.  It was such a great experience to be a part of…well worth the 2 and 1/2 hour drive. Such a great place. Before going to the temple i heard mixed reviews about the place. (drugging tigers, abuse, etc) It didn’t seem to be the case. (Although one staff I saw was a bit rough with a couple of the tigers to take photos) Chatting with one of the volunteers looking at information for the tiger temple helped debunked some of the negative reviews.  If your ever around Bangkok, don’t forget to stop at the tiger temple, it will be one of your cherished memories of Thailand.
Zoom
Tiger Temple: Thailand! By far the best experience of my stay in Thailand! The tiger temple is a nature preserve owned by monks, where hundred of animals run free through the grounds (not the tigers though) Originally started as a forrest monastery in the early 1990’s, the temple got its first tiger in 1999, several tiger cubs later were delivered later to the temple either from poachers who had killed the mother sparing the cubs, or pet tigers who were too big. Now, on the tour we were told they have 108 tigers! Only 15 or 20 are seen a day, those on their “best” behavior. They have  seasoned staff, monks, and volunteers to care for the tigers and other animals on the property.  As a visitor to the temple you pay 600 baht ($20) to hang out with teens/adult tigers for the day (walking them to the canyon, taking pictures and petting them, watching them play etc.) Most tigers were sleepy when we got there (tigers apparently sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day) But, we saw tons of tigers playing in the water which was a sight to see, pouncing on each other, stealing away toys, just like regular felines.  There are also a whole bunch of other animals roaming free, like peacocks, antelope, horses, and water buffalo. Three black bears were also housed in an enclosure, and just recently a lion and lioness, who were given to the temple by the police. A drug dealer in Thailand raised the lions to be guard animals for his drug business.  The best part of the whole experience was playing with and feeding baby tigers!  For 1,000 baht ($33) each , you can take part in different programs (exercise program, morning program, baby tiger feeding, etc.) We chose to do the feeding program!! We got to play with 7  1 and 2 month year old tigers for about 40 min. They are so soft and cuddly!!  The two year olds were more playful than the little ones. I laid down on my back and a 2 month year old jumped right up on me and started nibbling my shoulder. (I have a battle wound to prove it ^^)  Don’t worry..they all have their shots. After some play time, we were able to bottle feed the tigers and the staff took our pictures with them. There were 4 groups of tourists doing the baby cub feeding and playing program, so the tigers were pretty much out like a light after that.  It was such a great experience to be a part of…well worth the 2 and 1/2 hour drive. Such a great place. Before going to the temple i heard mixed reviews about the place. (drugging tigers, abuse, etc) It didn’t seem to be the case. (Although one staff I saw was a bit rough with a couple of the tigers to take photos) Chatting with one of the volunteers looking at information for the tiger temple helped debunked some of the negative reviews.  If your ever around Bangkok, don’t forget to stop at the tiger temple, it will be one of your cherished memories of Thailand.
Zoom
Tiger Temple: Thailand! By far the best experience of my stay in Thailand! The tiger temple is a nature preserve owned by monks, where hundred of animals run free through the grounds (not the tigers though) Originally started as a forrest monastery in the early 1990’s, the temple got its first tiger in 1999, several tiger cubs later were delivered later to the temple either from poachers who had killed the mother sparing the cubs, or pet tigers who were too big. Now, on the tour we were told they have 108 tigers! Only 15 or 20 are seen a day, those on their “best” behavior. They have  seasoned staff, monks, and volunteers to care for the tigers and other animals on the property.  As a visitor to the temple you pay 600 baht ($20) to hang out with teens/adult tigers for the day (walking them to the canyon, taking pictures and petting them, watching them play etc.) Most tigers were sleepy when we got there (tigers apparently sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day) But, we saw tons of tigers playing in the water which was a sight to see, pouncing on each other, stealing away toys, just like regular felines.  There are also a whole bunch of other animals roaming free, like peacocks, antelope, horses, and water buffalo. Three black bears were also housed in an enclosure, and just recently a lion and lioness, who were given to the temple by the police. A drug dealer in Thailand raised the lions to be guard animals for his drug business.  The best part of the whole experience was playing with and feeding baby tigers!  For 1,000 baht ($33) each , you can take part in different programs (exercise program, morning program, baby tiger feeding, etc.) We chose to do the feeding program!! We got to play with 7  1 and 2 month year old tigers for about 40 min. They are so soft and cuddly!!  The two year olds were more playful than the little ones. I laid down on my back and a 2 month year old jumped right up on me and started nibbling my shoulder. (I have a battle wound to prove it ^^)  Don’t worry..they all have their shots. After some play time, we were able to bottle feed the tigers and the staff took our pictures with them. There were 4 groups of tourists doing the baby cub feeding and playing program, so the tigers were pretty much out like a light after that.  It was such a great experience to be a part of…well worth the 2 and 1/2 hour drive. Such a great place. Before going to the temple i heard mixed reviews about the place. (drugging tigers, abuse, etc) It didn’t seem to be the case. (Although one staff I saw was a bit rough with a couple of the tigers to take photos) Chatting with one of the volunteers looking at information for the tiger temple helped debunked some of the negative reviews.  If your ever around Bangkok, don’t forget to stop at the tiger temple, it will be one of your cherished memories of Thailand.
Zoom Info

Tiger Temple: Thailand!

By far the best experience of my stay in Thailand! The tiger temple is a nature preserve owned by monks, where hundred of animals run free through the grounds (not the tigers though) Originally started as a forrest monastery in the early 1990’s, the temple got its first tiger in 1999, several tiger cubs later were delivered later to the temple either from poachers who had killed the mother sparing the cubs, or pet tigers who were too big. Now, on the tour we were told they have 108 tigers! Only 15 or 20 are seen a day, those on their “best” behavior. They have  seasoned staff, monks, and volunteers to care for the tigers and other animals on the property. 

As a visitor to the temple you pay 600 baht ($20) to hang out with teens/adult tigers for the day (walking them to the canyon, taking pictures and petting them, watching them play etc.) Most tigers were sleepy when we got there (tigers apparently sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day) But, we saw tons of tigers playing in the water which was a sight to see, pouncing on each other, stealing away toys, just like regular felines. 

There are also a whole bunch of other animals roaming free, like peacocks, antelope, horses, and water buffalo. Three black bears were also housed in an enclosure, and just recently a lion and lioness, who were given to the temple by the police. A drug dealer in Thailand raised the lions to be guard animals for his drug business. 

The best part of the whole experience was playing with and feeding baby tigers!  For 1,000 baht ($33) each , you can take part in different programs (exercise program, morning program, baby tiger feeding, etc.) We chose to do the feeding program!! We got to play with 7  1 and 2 month year old tigers for about 40 min. They are so soft and cuddly!!  The two year olds were more playful than the little ones. I laid down on my back and a 2 month year old jumped right up on me and started nibbling my shoulder. (I have a battle wound to prove it ^^)  Don’t worry..they all have their shots.

After some play time, we were able to bottle feed the tigers and the staff took our pictures with them. There were 4 groups of tourists doing the baby cub feeding and playing program, so the tigers were pretty much out like a light after that. 

It was such a great experience to be a part of…well worth the 2 and 1/2 hour drive. Such a great place. Before going to the temple i heard mixed reviews about the place. (drugging tigers, abuse, etc) It didn’t seem to be the case. (Although one staff I saw was a bit rough with a couple of the tigers to take photos) Chatting with one of the volunteers looking at information for the tiger temple helped debunked some of the negative reviews.  If your ever around Bangkok, don’t forget to stop at the tiger temple, it will be one of your cherished memories of Thailand.

The Ulsan World Music festival;  The same weekend we went to the Busan International Film Festival, Ulsan hosted a festival of its own  “the World Music Festival” We have been to a few festivals in Ulsan like the whale festival and metal smith festival that were not that great so my hopes were not too high for this event. To my surprise the festival was absolutely awesome! There were artists from all around the world that performed, from Africa, to Spain, and Portugal! A lot of different countries represented their food as well. The first group we saw was an excentric African woman who danced and sang all over the stage, really pumped up the crowd. A little korean girl was intrigued by her that her parents propped her up on stage and danced to her music together. When her time was up everyone hooted and hollered for a reprise. At the end of that reprise there were still people chanting for her to come back on stage. There was an all Korean band playing fast ska music which was the most fun performance of all. The main singer donned dreadlocks which I have never seen before on a Korean man. The main band was a group from Spain who were holders of the world music award in 2004. With their mix of Spanish hip-hop pop rock music they were quite a huge hit with the crowd. I was proud of Ulsan for putting on such a great event!
Zoom Info
The Ulsan World Music festival;  The same weekend we went to the Busan International Film Festival, Ulsan hosted a festival of its own  “the World Music Festival” We have been to a few festivals in Ulsan like the whale festival and metal smith festival that were not that great so my hopes were not too high for this event. To my surprise the festival was absolutely awesome! There were artists from all around the world that performed, from Africa, to Spain, and Portugal! A lot of different countries represented their food as well. The first group we saw was an excentric African woman who danced and sang all over the stage, really pumped up the crowd. A little korean girl was intrigued by her that her parents propped her up on stage and danced to her music together. When her time was up everyone hooted and hollered for a reprise. At the end of that reprise there were still people chanting for her to come back on stage. There was an all Korean band playing fast ska music which was the most fun performance of all. The main singer donned dreadlocks which I have never seen before on a Korean man. The main band was a group from Spain who were holders of the world music award in 2004. With their mix of Spanish hip-hop pop rock music they were quite a huge hit with the crowd. I was proud of Ulsan for putting on such a great event!
Zoom Info
The Ulsan World Music festival;  The same weekend we went to the Busan International Film Festival, Ulsan hosted a festival of its own  “the World Music Festival” We have been to a few festivals in Ulsan like the whale festival and metal smith festival that were not that great so my hopes were not too high for this event. To my surprise the festival was absolutely awesome! There were artists from all around the world that performed, from Africa, to Spain, and Portugal! A lot of different countries represented their food as well. The first group we saw was an excentric African woman who danced and sang all over the stage, really pumped up the crowd. A little korean girl was intrigued by her that her parents propped her up on stage and danced to her music together. When her time was up everyone hooted and hollered for a reprise. At the end of that reprise there were still people chanting for her to come back on stage. There was an all Korean band playing fast ska music which was the most fun performance of all. The main singer donned dreadlocks which I have never seen before on a Korean man. The main band was a group from Spain who were holders of the world music award in 2004. With their mix of Spanish hip-hop pop rock music they were quite a huge hit with the crowd. I was proud of Ulsan for putting on such a great event!
Zoom Info
The Ulsan World Music festival;  The same weekend we went to the Busan International Film Festival, Ulsan hosted a festival of its own  “the World Music Festival” We have been to a few festivals in Ulsan like the whale festival and metal smith festival that were not that great so my hopes were not too high for this event. To my surprise the festival was absolutely awesome! There were artists from all around the world that performed, from Africa, to Spain, and Portugal! A lot of different countries represented their food as well. The first group we saw was an excentric African woman who danced and sang all over the stage, really pumped up the crowd. A little korean girl was intrigued by her that her parents propped her up on stage and danced to her music together. When her time was up everyone hooted and hollered for a reprise. At the end of that reprise there were still people chanting for her to come back on stage. There was an all Korean band playing fast ska music which was the most fun performance of all. The main singer donned dreadlocks which I have never seen before on a Korean man. The main band was a group from Spain who were holders of the world music award in 2004. With their mix of Spanish hip-hop pop rock music they were quite a huge hit with the crowd. I was proud of Ulsan for putting on such a great event!
Zoom Info

The Ulsan World Music festival;

 The same weekend we went to the Busan International Film Festival, Ulsan hosted a festival of its own  “the World Music Festival” We have been to a few festivals in Ulsan like the whale festival and metal smith festival that were not that great so my hopes were not too high for this event. To my surprise the festival was absolutely awesome! There were artists from all around the world that performed, from Africa, to Spain, and Portugal! A lot of different countries represented their food as well.

The first group we saw was an excentric African woman who danced and sang all over the stage, really pumped up the crowd. A little korean girl was intrigued by her that her parents propped her up on stage and danced to her music together. When her time was up everyone hooted and hollered for a reprise. At the end of that reprise there were still people chanting for her to come back on stage. There was an all Korean band playing fast ska music which was the most fun performance of all. The main singer donned dreadlocks which I have never seen before on a Korean man. The main band was a group from Spain who were holders of the world music award in 2004. With their mix of Spanish hip-hop pop rock music they were quite a huge hit with the crowd. I was proud of Ulsan for putting on such a great event!

Happy Halloween!! Today I went to school decked out in Halloween colors and bringing treats for all the teachers to celebrate the day! I played spooky halloween games with two of my classes which was super fun! Gar and I lit our jack-o-lantern (that we made with a few friends over the weekend, picture above^^) ate a feast and watched some scary movies in the evening, a nice way to end the day. Last week I threw my after school grade 1 class a halloween party, which I think they really enjoyed! I lugged all my Halloween gear to school, including a giant red buckets for future apple bobbling, 2 dozen apples, toilet paper for a mummy wrap, and of course Halloween goodie bags, all pilled together. When I walked into the teacher’s room carrying the huge ensemble I got a lot of strange looks like “what is the foreigner teacher doing now” I quite frequently carry around a lot of things for my classes, like pringle cans I use for games, giant whiteboards, markers, a giant bag of erasers for class activities. My co-teacher turned to me at my desk and asked “Is this for the party?” and smiled. The party went great. We first started out with a mummy wrap race, then did a Halloween crossword. I made it a competition between the girls and boys, and said whoever could finish both activities first could have first choice on pizza. (A good motivator!) The girls really caught on with the wrapping, the boys did not, having the toilet paper fall at everyone’s feet. (look at the pictures)  I wanted to order pizza for the party, but it turned out that my principal doesn’t like teachers to order food without her having any. (I’ve never heard such a thing) My co-teacher said not to worry and just order the pizza anyways and just make sure the principal doesn’t see it. I felt kind of sneaky doing this, but it worked out. I had two of my students go to the front of the school pick up the pizza and bring it right up to the room. My principal didn’t find out about the pizza but almost every middle schooler did, coming by my room and asking if they could have some.  Three pizza’s ended up feeding 10 kids, each got 2 pieces each and then played rock paper scissors for the rest. (Rock paper scissors pretty much solves any problem) While everyone scarffed down  pizza I showed them a couple mini episodes from the Simpson’s Halloween special. When one section of the episode ended everybody chanted “teacher one more!” The really like the Simpsons!  The best part of it all was bobbing for apples. A few kids were questioning if they would drown in the water, I reassured them they wouldn’t. A couple boys were making gestures that suggested shoving a friend’s head in the water, and I set them straight and said if they did that they would be punished by me and their homeroom teacher. No one tried any monkey business. At first a few kids only wanted to try it, then when a few tried it, everyone wanted to try it!  The boys and girls bobbed separately with separate water (I swear if all teenagers were like my after school class there would be no need to worry about teen pregnancy, they won’t even get near each other) After the boys tried bobbing, the girls insisted the water was too dirty and needed to be changed, then they would try bobbing. The girls filled and emptied out the big bucket, taking 3 girls to carry it. My bucket was not as deep as a traditional apple bobbing bucket, but they got the idea nonetheless. Each kid dunking their face in the water, trying to chase the apple around the water, it was a funny sight to see. After each kid went, they ate their apple and then I rewarded them with a Halloween treat bag. A few kids even stayed after class to try. I made sure the room was spotless after class and rewarded a couple girls with extra candy, which they got a kick out of! It was the best event in my after school, definitely glad I went through with planning it!  *Kyla* (10/31/11)
Zoom Info
Happy Halloween!! Today I went to school decked out in Halloween colors and bringing treats for all the teachers to celebrate the day! I played spooky halloween games with two of my classes which was super fun! Gar and I lit our jack-o-lantern (that we made with a few friends over the weekend, picture above^^) ate a feast and watched some scary movies in the evening, a nice way to end the day. Last week I threw my after school grade 1 class a halloween party, which I think they really enjoyed! I lugged all my Halloween gear to school, including a giant red buckets for future apple bobbling, 2 dozen apples, toilet paper for a mummy wrap, and of course Halloween goodie bags, all pilled together. When I walked into the teacher’s room carrying the huge ensemble I got a lot of strange looks like “what is the foreigner teacher doing now” I quite frequently carry around a lot of things for my classes, like pringle cans I use for games, giant whiteboards, markers, a giant bag of erasers for class activities. My co-teacher turned to me at my desk and asked “Is this for the party?” and smiled. The party went great. We first started out with a mummy wrap race, then did a Halloween crossword. I made it a competition between the girls and boys, and said whoever could finish both activities first could have first choice on pizza. (A good motivator!) The girls really caught on with the wrapping, the boys did not, having the toilet paper fall at everyone’s feet. (look at the pictures)  I wanted to order pizza for the party, but it turned out that my principal doesn’t like teachers to order food without her having any. (I’ve never heard such a thing) My co-teacher said not to worry and just order the pizza anyways and just make sure the principal doesn’t see it. I felt kind of sneaky doing this, but it worked out. I had two of my students go to the front of the school pick up the pizza and bring it right up to the room. My principal didn’t find out about the pizza but almost every middle schooler did, coming by my room and asking if they could have some.  Three pizza’s ended up feeding 10 kids, each got 2 pieces each and then played rock paper scissors for the rest. (Rock paper scissors pretty much solves any problem) While everyone scarffed down  pizza I showed them a couple mini episodes from the Simpson’s Halloween special. When one section of the episode ended everybody chanted “teacher one more!” The really like the Simpsons!  The best part of it all was bobbing for apples. A few kids were questioning if they would drown in the water, I reassured them they wouldn’t. A couple boys were making gestures that suggested shoving a friend’s head in the water, and I set them straight and said if they did that they would be punished by me and their homeroom teacher. No one tried any monkey business. At first a few kids only wanted to try it, then when a few tried it, everyone wanted to try it!  The boys and girls bobbed separately with separate water (I swear if all teenagers were like my after school class there would be no need to worry about teen pregnancy, they won’t even get near each other) After the boys tried bobbing, the girls insisted the water was too dirty and needed to be changed, then they would try bobbing. The girls filled and emptied out the big bucket, taking 3 girls to carry it. My bucket was not as deep as a traditional apple bobbing bucket, but they got the idea nonetheless. Each kid dunking their face in the water, trying to chase the apple around the water, it was a funny sight to see. After each kid went, they ate their apple and then I rewarded them with a Halloween treat bag. A few kids even stayed after class to try. I made sure the room was spotless after class and rewarded a couple girls with extra candy, which they got a kick out of! It was the best event in my after school, definitely glad I went through with planning it!  *Kyla* (10/31/11)
Zoom Info
Happy Halloween!! Today I went to school decked out in Halloween colors and bringing treats for all the teachers to celebrate the day! I played spooky halloween games with two of my classes which was super fun! Gar and I lit our jack-o-lantern (that we made with a few friends over the weekend, picture above^^) ate a feast and watched some scary movies in the evening, a nice way to end the day. Last week I threw my after school grade 1 class a halloween party, which I think they really enjoyed! I lugged all my Halloween gear to school, including a giant red buckets for future apple bobbling, 2 dozen apples, toilet paper for a mummy wrap, and of course Halloween goodie bags, all pilled together. When I walked into the teacher’s room carrying the huge ensemble I got a lot of strange looks like “what is the foreigner teacher doing now” I quite frequently carry around a lot of things for my classes, like pringle cans I use for games, giant whiteboards, markers, a giant bag of erasers for class activities. My co-teacher turned to me at my desk and asked “Is this for the party?” and smiled. The party went great. We first started out with a mummy wrap race, then did a Halloween crossword. I made it a competition between the girls and boys, and said whoever could finish both activities first could have first choice on pizza. (A good motivator!) The girls really caught on with the wrapping, the boys did not, having the toilet paper fall at everyone’s feet. (look at the pictures)  I wanted to order pizza for the party, but it turned out that my principal doesn’t like teachers to order food without her having any. (I’ve never heard such a thing) My co-teacher said not to worry and just order the pizza anyways and just make sure the principal doesn’t see it. I felt kind of sneaky doing this, but it worked out. I had two of my students go to the front of the school pick up the pizza and bring it right up to the room. My principal didn’t find out about the pizza but almost every middle schooler did, coming by my room and asking if they could have some.  Three pizza’s ended up feeding 10 kids, each got 2 pieces each and then played rock paper scissors for the rest. (Rock paper scissors pretty much solves any problem) While everyone scarffed down  pizza I showed them a couple mini episodes from the Simpson’s Halloween special. When one section of the episode ended everybody chanted “teacher one more!” The really like the Simpsons!  The best part of it all was bobbing for apples. A few kids were questioning if they would drown in the water, I reassured them they wouldn’t. A couple boys were making gestures that suggested shoving a friend’s head in the water, and I set them straight and said if they did that they would be punished by me and their homeroom teacher. No one tried any monkey business. At first a few kids only wanted to try it, then when a few tried it, everyone wanted to try it!  The boys and girls bobbed separately with separate water (I swear if all teenagers were like my after school class there would be no need to worry about teen pregnancy, they won’t even get near each other) After the boys tried bobbing, the girls insisted the water was too dirty and needed to be changed, then they would try bobbing. The girls filled and emptied out the big bucket, taking 3 girls to carry it. My bucket was not as deep as a traditional apple bobbing bucket, but they got the idea nonetheless. Each kid dunking their face in the water, trying to chase the apple around the water, it was a funny sight to see. After each kid went, they ate their apple and then I rewarded them with a Halloween treat bag. A few kids even stayed after class to try. I made sure the room was spotless after class and rewarded a couple girls with extra candy, which they got a kick out of! It was the best event in my after school, definitely glad I went through with planning it!  *Kyla* (10/31/11)
Zoom Info
Happy Halloween!! Today I went to school decked out in Halloween colors and bringing treats for all the teachers to celebrate the day! I played spooky halloween games with two of my classes which was super fun! Gar and I lit our jack-o-lantern (that we made with a few friends over the weekend, picture above^^) ate a feast and watched some scary movies in the evening, a nice way to end the day. Last week I threw my after school grade 1 class a halloween party, which I think they really enjoyed! I lugged all my Halloween gear to school, including a giant red buckets for future apple bobbling, 2 dozen apples, toilet paper for a mummy wrap, and of course Halloween goodie bags, all pilled together. When I walked into the teacher’s room carrying the huge ensemble I got a lot of strange looks like “what is the foreigner teacher doing now” I quite frequently carry around a lot of things for my classes, like pringle cans I use for games, giant whiteboards, markers, a giant bag of erasers for class activities. My co-teacher turned to me at my desk and asked “Is this for the party?” and smiled. The party went great. We first started out with a mummy wrap race, then did a Halloween crossword. I made it a competition between the girls and boys, and said whoever could finish both activities first could have first choice on pizza. (A good motivator!) The girls really caught on with the wrapping, the boys did not, having the toilet paper fall at everyone’s feet. (look at the pictures)  I wanted to order pizza for the party, but it turned out that my principal doesn’t like teachers to order food without her having any. (I’ve never heard such a thing) My co-teacher said not to worry and just order the pizza anyways and just make sure the principal doesn’t see it. I felt kind of sneaky doing this, but it worked out. I had two of my students go to the front of the school pick up the pizza and bring it right up to the room. My principal didn’t find out about the pizza but almost every middle schooler did, coming by my room and asking if they could have some.  Three pizza’s ended up feeding 10 kids, each got 2 pieces each and then played rock paper scissors for the rest. (Rock paper scissors pretty much solves any problem) While everyone scarffed down  pizza I showed them a couple mini episodes from the Simpson’s Halloween special. When one section of the episode ended everybody chanted “teacher one more!” The really like the Simpsons!  The best part of it all was bobbing for apples. A few kids were questioning if they would drown in the water, I reassured them they wouldn’t. A couple boys were making gestures that suggested shoving a friend’s head in the water, and I set them straight and said if they did that they would be punished by me and their homeroom teacher. No one tried any monkey business. At first a few kids only wanted to try it, then when a few tried it, everyone wanted to try it!  The boys and girls bobbed separately with separate water (I swear if all teenagers were like my after school class there would be no need to worry about teen pregnancy, they won’t even get near each other) After the boys tried bobbing, the girls insisted the water was too dirty and needed to be changed, then they would try bobbing. The girls filled and emptied out the big bucket, taking 3 girls to carry it. My bucket was not as deep as a traditional apple bobbing bucket, but they got the idea nonetheless. Each kid dunking their face in the water, trying to chase the apple around the water, it was a funny sight to see. After each kid went, they ate their apple and then I rewarded them with a Halloween treat bag. A few kids even stayed after class to try. I made sure the room was spotless after class and rewarded a couple girls with extra candy, which they got a kick out of! It was the best event in my after school, definitely glad I went through with planning it!  *Kyla* (10/31/11)
Zoom

Happy Halloween!!

Today I went to school decked out in Halloween colors and bringing treats for all the teachers to celebrate the day! I played spooky halloween games with two of my classes which was super fun! Gar and I lit our jack-o-lantern (that we made with a few friends over the weekend, picture above^^) ate a feast and watched some scary movies in the evening, a nice way to end the day.

Last week I threw my after school grade 1 class a halloween party, which I think they really enjoyed!

I lugged all my Halloween gear to school, including a giant red buckets for future apple bobbling, 2 dozen apples, toilet paper for a mummy wrap, and of course Halloween goodie bags, all pilled together. When I walked into the teacher’s room carrying the huge ensemble I got a lot of strange looks like “what is the foreigner teacher doing now” I quite frequently carry around a lot of things for my classes, like pringle cans I use for games, giant whiteboards, markers, a giant bag of erasers for class activities. My co-teacher turned to me at my desk and asked “Is this for the party?” and smiled.

The party went great. We first started out with a mummy wrap race, then did a Halloween crossword. I made it a competition between the girls and boys, and said whoever could finish both activities first could have first choice on pizza. (A good motivator!) The girls really caught on with the wrapping, the boys did not, having the toilet paper fall at everyone’s feet. (look at the pictures) 

I wanted to order pizza for the party, but it turned out that my principal doesn’t like teachers to order food without her having any. (I’ve never heard such a thing) My co-teacher said not to worry and just order the pizza anyways and just make sure the principal doesn’t see it. I felt kind of sneaky doing this, but it worked out. I had two of my students go to the front of the school pick up the pizza and bring it right up to the room. My principal didn’t find out about the pizza but almost every middle schooler did, coming by my room and asking if they could have some. 

Three pizza’s ended up feeding 10 kids, each got 2 pieces each and then played rock paper scissors for the rest. (Rock paper scissors pretty much solves any problem) While everyone scarffed down  pizza I showed them a couple mini episodes from the Simpson’s Halloween special. When one section of the episode ended everybody chanted “teacher one more!” The really like the Simpsons! 

The best part of it all was bobbing for apples. A few kids were questioning if they would drown in the water, I reassured them they wouldn’t. A couple boys were making gestures that suggested shoving a friend’s head in the water, and I set them straight and said if they did that they would be punished by me and their homeroom teacher. No one tried any monkey business.

At first a few kids only wanted to try it, then when a few tried it, everyone wanted to try it!  The boys and girls bobbed separately with separate water (I swear if all teenagers were like my after school class there would be no need to worry about teen pregnancy, they won’t even get near each other) After the boys tried bobbing, the girls insisted the water was too dirty and needed to be changed, then they would try bobbing. The girls filled and emptied out the big bucket, taking 3 girls to carry it. My bucket was not as deep as a traditional apple bobbing bucket, but they got the idea nonetheless. Each kid dunking their face in the water, trying to chase the apple around the water, it was a funny sight to see. After each kid went, they ate their apple and then I rewarded them with a Halloween treat bag. A few kids even stayed after class to try.

I made sure the room was spotless after class and rewarded a couple girls with extra candy, which they got a kick out of! It was the best event in my after school, definitely glad I went through with planning it! 

*Kyla* (10/31/11)

Two weekends ago was the Busan Film festival. An event Garrett and I have been wanting to go to since even before we came to Korea. The biggest film festival in Asia sprawled out between the ciy, two weeks, nonstop screenings all day every day. So, on Sunday we went to explore the festivities. Haeundae beach was one of the main locations for the events. There was actually a huge gazebo type structure built just for the event, that also was a hub for checking internet, charging phones, and ipods, and most importantly watching guest actors and actresses chat about their recent work. Logan Lerman, one of the main actors from “The 3 Muskateers” chatted about the new movie and its new 3d aspects. (The movie was released at the festival before it went into theatres) It wasn’t your typical interview, it was more like a group of 4 playing telephone. There were 4 people on the stage, Logan, a Korean interviewer, and two translators . One person would speak Korean, then the translator would be translating the message to Logan  and then Logan would answer in English and then the English translator would translate the message back to Korean and then relay Logan’s message to the audience. It was interesting nonetheless. When tickets went on sale almost 95 % were sold out within 5 minutes, that’s how popular this event is. (Thank heavens they reserve 30% of the tickets for the door) Garrett and I were lucky to get tickets to a Korean/Thai world premier martial arts film called ‘The Kick”  Here’s a synopsis: Taekwondo medalist, Master Moon  has a family filled with talented individuals. His wife Yoon is a master in the kitchen. Their eldest child Tae-Yang is a master of dance action. Their second child Tae-Mi is a master of the high kick and their youngest child Tae-Poong is a master of the head-butt. They are a happy family. Master Moon runs a taekwondo studio in Bangkok. One day, the family happens to bump into the group Suk-Doo - who stole a legendary Thai sword and are on the run. Master Moon’s family are able to capture the group. The family then becomes national heroes in Thailand. Trouble soon brews for the family when the Suk-Doo group kidnaps their youngest child Tae-Poong … After the film four actors and actresses and the director of the film came out told a little bit about themselves and showed off their tae-kwon-do skills. The one young girl did a straight 180 degree kick right up in the air while one of the young male actors did a back-flip right on stage! The group had all been practicing tae-kwon-do minus the mother for at least 8 years and did all their own stunts in the film. After the brief bios a couple audience members were able to ask questions to the actors, actresses, and director. It was quite a nice surprise for everyone to be there. Until our next adventure .. *Kyla*
Zoom Info
Two weekends ago was the Busan Film festival. An event Garrett and I have been wanting to go to since even before we came to Korea. The biggest film festival in Asia sprawled out between the ciy, two weeks, nonstop screenings all day every day. So, on Sunday we went to explore the festivities. Haeundae beach was one of the main locations for the events. There was actually a huge gazebo type structure built just for the event, that also was a hub for checking internet, charging phones, and ipods, and most importantly watching guest actors and actresses chat about their recent work. Logan Lerman, one of the main actors from “The 3 Muskateers” chatted about the new movie and its new 3d aspects. (The movie was released at the festival before it went into theatres) It wasn’t your typical interview, it was more like a group of 4 playing telephone. There were 4 people on the stage, Logan, a Korean interviewer, and two translators . One person would speak Korean, then the translator would be translating the message to Logan  and then Logan would answer in English and then the English translator would translate the message back to Korean and then relay Logan’s message to the audience. It was interesting nonetheless. When tickets went on sale almost 95 % were sold out within 5 minutes, that’s how popular this event is. (Thank heavens they reserve 30% of the tickets for the door) Garrett and I were lucky to get tickets to a Korean/Thai world premier martial arts film called ‘The Kick”  Here’s a synopsis: Taekwondo medalist, Master Moon  has a family filled with talented individuals. His wife Yoon is a master in the kitchen. Their eldest child Tae-Yang is a master of dance action. Their second child Tae-Mi is a master of the high kick and their youngest child Tae-Poong is a master of the head-butt. They are a happy family. Master Moon runs a taekwondo studio in Bangkok. One day, the family happens to bump into the group Suk-Doo - who stole a legendary Thai sword and are on the run. Master Moon’s family are able to capture the group. The family then becomes national heroes in Thailand. Trouble soon brews for the family when the Suk-Doo group kidnaps their youngest child Tae-Poong … After the film four actors and actresses and the director of the film came out told a little bit about themselves and showed off their tae-kwon-do skills. The one young girl did a straight 180 degree kick right up in the air while one of the young male actors did a back-flip right on stage! The group had all been practicing tae-kwon-do minus the mother for at least 8 years and did all their own stunts in the film. After the brief bios a couple audience members were able to ask questions to the actors, actresses, and director. It was quite a nice surprise for everyone to be there. Until our next adventure .. *Kyla*
Zoom Info
Two weekends ago was the Busan Film festival. An event Garrett and I have been wanting to go to since even before we came to Korea. The biggest film festival in Asia sprawled out between the ciy, two weeks, nonstop screenings all day every day. So, on Sunday we went to explore the festivities. Haeundae beach was one of the main locations for the events. There was actually a huge gazebo type structure built just for the event, that also was a hub for checking internet, charging phones, and ipods, and most importantly watching guest actors and actresses chat about their recent work. Logan Lerman, one of the main actors from “The 3 Muskateers” chatted about the new movie and its new 3d aspects. (The movie was released at the festival before it went into theatres) It wasn’t your typical interview, it was more like a group of 4 playing telephone. There were 4 people on the stage, Logan, a Korean interviewer, and two translators . One person would speak Korean, then the translator would be translating the message to Logan  and then Logan would answer in English and then the English translator would translate the message back to Korean and then relay Logan’s message to the audience. It was interesting nonetheless. When tickets went on sale almost 95 % were sold out within 5 minutes, that’s how popular this event is. (Thank heavens they reserve 30% of the tickets for the door) Garrett and I were lucky to get tickets to a Korean/Thai world premier martial arts film called ‘The Kick”  Here’s a synopsis: Taekwondo medalist, Master Moon  has a family filled with talented individuals. His wife Yoon is a master in the kitchen. Their eldest child Tae-Yang is a master of dance action. Their second child Tae-Mi is a master of the high kick and their youngest child Tae-Poong is a master of the head-butt. They are a happy family. Master Moon runs a taekwondo studio in Bangkok. One day, the family happens to bump into the group Suk-Doo - who stole a legendary Thai sword and are on the run. Master Moon’s family are able to capture the group. The family then becomes national heroes in Thailand. Trouble soon brews for the family when the Suk-Doo group kidnaps their youngest child Tae-Poong … After the film four actors and actresses and the director of the film came out told a little bit about themselves and showed off their tae-kwon-do skills. The one young girl did a straight 180 degree kick right up in the air while one of the young male actors did a back-flip right on stage! The group had all been practicing tae-kwon-do minus the mother for at least 8 years and did all their own stunts in the film. After the brief bios a couple audience members were able to ask questions to the actors, actresses, and director. It was quite a nice surprise for everyone to be there. Until our next adventure .. *Kyla*
Zoom Info
Two weekends ago was the Busan Film festival. An event Garrett and I have been wanting to go to since even before we came to Korea. The biggest film festival in Asia sprawled out between the ciy, two weeks, nonstop screenings all day every day. So, on Sunday we went to explore the festivities. Haeundae beach was one of the main locations for the events. There was actually a huge gazebo type structure built just for the event, that also was a hub for checking internet, charging phones, and ipods, and most importantly watching guest actors and actresses chat about their recent work. Logan Lerman, one of the main actors from “The 3 Muskateers” chatted about the new movie and its new 3d aspects. (The movie was released at the festival before it went into theatres) It wasn’t your typical interview, it was more like a group of 4 playing telephone. There were 4 people on the stage, Logan, a Korean interviewer, and two translators . One person would speak Korean, then the translator would be translating the message to Logan  and then Logan would answer in English and then the English translator would translate the message back to Korean and then relay Logan’s message to the audience. It was interesting nonetheless. When tickets went on sale almost 95 % were sold out within 5 minutes, that’s how popular this event is. (Thank heavens they reserve 30% of the tickets for the door) Garrett and I were lucky to get tickets to a Korean/Thai world premier martial arts film called ‘The Kick”  Here’s a synopsis: Taekwondo medalist, Master Moon  has a family filled with talented individuals. His wife Yoon is a master in the kitchen. Their eldest child Tae-Yang is a master of dance action. Their second child Tae-Mi is a master of the high kick and their youngest child Tae-Poong is a master of the head-butt. They are a happy family. Master Moon runs a taekwondo studio in Bangkok. One day, the family happens to bump into the group Suk-Doo - who stole a legendary Thai sword and are on the run. Master Moon’s family are able to capture the group. The family then becomes national heroes in Thailand. Trouble soon brews for the family when the Suk-Doo group kidnaps their youngest child Tae-Poong … After the film four actors and actresses and the director of the film came out told a little bit about themselves and showed off their tae-kwon-do skills. The one young girl did a straight 180 degree kick right up in the air while one of the young male actors did a back-flip right on stage! The group had all been practicing tae-kwon-do minus the mother for at least 8 years and did all their own stunts in the film. After the brief bios a couple audience members were able to ask questions to the actors, actresses, and director. It was quite a nice surprise for everyone to be there. Until our next adventure .. *Kyla*
Zoom Info
Two weekends ago was the Busan Film festival. An event Garrett and I have been wanting to go to since even before we came to Korea. The biggest film festival in Asia sprawled out between the ciy, two weeks, nonstop screenings all day every day. So, on Sunday we went to explore the festivities. Haeundae beach was one of the main locations for the events. There was actually a huge gazebo type structure built just for the event, that also was a hub for checking internet, charging phones, and ipods, and most importantly watching guest actors and actresses chat about their recent work. Logan Lerman, one of the main actors from “The 3 Muskateers” chatted about the new movie and its new 3d aspects. (The movie was released at the festival before it went into theatres) It wasn’t your typical interview, it was more like a group of 4 playing telephone. There were 4 people on the stage, Logan, a Korean interviewer, and two translators . One person would speak Korean, then the translator would be translating the message to Logan  and then Logan would answer in English and then the English translator would translate the message back to Korean and then relay Logan’s message to the audience. It was interesting nonetheless. When tickets went on sale almost 95 % were sold out within 5 minutes, that’s how popular this event is. (Thank heavens they reserve 30% of the tickets for the door) Garrett and I were lucky to get tickets to a Korean/Thai world premier martial arts film called ‘The Kick”  Here’s a synopsis: Taekwondo medalist, Master Moon  has a family filled with talented individuals. His wife Yoon is a master in the kitchen. Their eldest child Tae-Yang is a master of dance action. Their second child Tae-Mi is a master of the high kick and their youngest child Tae-Poong is a master of the head-butt. They are a happy family. Master Moon runs a taekwondo studio in Bangkok. One day, the family happens to bump into the group Suk-Doo - who stole a legendary Thai sword and are on the run. Master Moon’s family are able to capture the group. The family then becomes national heroes in Thailand. Trouble soon brews for the family when the Suk-Doo group kidnaps their youngest child Tae-Poong … After the film four actors and actresses and the director of the film came out told a little bit about themselves and showed off their tae-kwon-do skills. The one young girl did a straight 180 degree kick right up in the air while one of the young male actors did a back-flip right on stage! The group had all been practicing tae-kwon-do minus the mother for at least 8 years and did all their own stunts in the film. After the brief bios a couple audience members were able to ask questions to the actors, actresses, and director. It was quite a nice surprise for everyone to be there. Until our next adventure .. *Kyla*
Zoom

Two weekends ago was the Busan Film festival. An event Garrett and I have been wanting to go to since even before we came to Korea. The biggest film festival in Asia sprawled out between the ciy, two weeks, nonstop screenings all day every day. So, on Sunday we went to explore the festivities. Haeundae beach was one of the main locations for the events. There was actually a huge gazebo type structure built just for the event, that also was a hub for checking internet, charging phones, and ipods, and most importantly watching guest actors and actresses chat about their recent work. Logan Lerman, one of the main actors from “The 3 Muskateers” chatted about the new movie and its new 3d aspects. (The movie was released at the festival before it went into theatres) It wasn’t your typical interview, it was more like a group of 4 playing telephone. There were 4 people on the stage, Logan, a Korean interviewer, and two translators . One person would speak Korean, then the translator would be translating the message to Logan  and then Logan would answer in English and then the English translator would translate the message back to Korean and then relay Logan’s message to the audience. It was interesting nonetheless.

When tickets went on sale almost 95 % were sold out within 5 minutes, that’s how popular this event is. (Thank heavens they reserve 30% of the tickets for the door) Garrett and I were lucky to get tickets to a Korean/Thai world premier martial arts film called ‘The Kick”  Here’s a synopsis:

Taekwondo medalist, Master Moon  has a family filled with talented individuals. His wife Yoon is a master in the kitchen. Their eldest child Tae-Yang is a master of dance action. Their second child Tae-Mi is a master of the high kick and their youngest child Tae-Poong is a master of the head-butt. They are a happy family. Master Moon runs a taekwondo studio in Bangkok.

One day, the family happens to bump into the group Suk-Doo - who stole a legendary Thai sword and are on the run. Master Moon’s family are able to capture the group. The family then becomes national heroes in Thailand. Trouble soon brews for the family when the Suk-Doo group kidnaps their youngest child Tae-Poong …

After the film four actors and actresses and the director of the film came out told a little bit about themselves and showed off their tae-kwon-do skills. The one young girl did a straight 180 degree kick right up in the air while one of the young male actors did a back-flip right on stage! The group had all been practicing tae-kwon-do minus the mother for at least 8 years and did all their own stunts in the film. After the brief bios a couple audience members were able to ask questions to the actors, actresses, and director. It was quite a nice surprise for everyone to be there.

Until our next adventure ..

*Kyla*

This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet. One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home. After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again! So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see. To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^  Until next time … *Kyla* (10/24/11)
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This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet. One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home. After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again! So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see. To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^  Until next time … *Kyla* (10/24/11)
Zoom Info
This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet. One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home. After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again! So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see. To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^  Until next time … *Kyla* (10/24/11)
Zoom Info
This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet. One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home. After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again! So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see. To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^  Until next time … *Kyla* (10/24/11)
Zoom Info
This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet. One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home. After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again! So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see. To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^  Until next time … *Kyla* (10/24/11)
Zoom Info
This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet. One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home. After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again! So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see. To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^  Until next time … *Kyla* (10/24/11)
Zoom Info
This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet. One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home. After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again! So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see. To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^  Until next time … *Kyla* (10/24/11)
Zoom Info
This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet. One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home. After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again! So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see. To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^  Until next time … *Kyla* (10/24/11)
Zoom Info
This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet. One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home. After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again! So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see. To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^  Until next time … *Kyla* (10/24/11)
Zoom Info
This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet. One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home. After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again! So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see. To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^  Until next time … *Kyla* (10/24/11)
Zoom Info

This weekend was the kickoff to a long awaited for international fireworks festival. We heard about the event in the summer and have been excited for it ever since. One problem, Saturday’s forecast was rain all day. That didn’t stop us though! We decided to beat the rain and head inside, checking out the indoor places of Busan we hadn’t seen yet.

One stop was the Busan museum of art which we have wanted to go to for a while. The gallery hosts a number of free exhibitions, which you are free to peruse through at your leisure. We found some interesting art pieces like ‘the rain’ which was an instillation piece all made of string in the shape of an umbrella, pouring rain surrounding it. (Take a look at the picture ^^) and another instillation made entirely of solar dashboard characters. (Its hard to explain…look at the picture) To our surprise the museum was also hosting a ‘Monet to Warhol” exhibition focusing on all the great artists from old to present time. It was refreshing to see Picasso, Monet, and Warhol pieces all in one place. It reminded me of visiting the Albright Knox back home.

After our tour of the gallery we grabbed our umbrellas and starting walking out in the drizzling rain. I noticed some people stopping and randomly taking pictures, so I too wondered what was happening. To my amazement there was a full blown rainbow in the sky! It was beautiful, the full arch and all, and at certain angles a double rainbow! Our hope of seeing the fireworks later was beginning to come true again!

So, we then decided to head to the Haeundae aquarium, the biggest one in Korea! (the steepest price too) Anywho…the aquarium was definitely worth checking out. They had a variety of fish, turtles, spiders, and even penguins! Also there was a touch and feel tank, where we were able to touch a starfish and have a hermit crab run all over our hands. The best part of all was the jellyfish display, they had several different tanks of them, some chilling out on the ground like plants, some in a huge cylinder tank strutting their long tentacles and some colorful bulbs just floating aimlessly through the water. There was also a walkthrough tunnel where sharks, giant sea turtles, and fish were on display. One shark crept up on me when I wasn’t paying attention and nearly knocked me off my feat! The Korean family standing next to me got a kick out of my reaction. The aquarium was a super cool sight to see.

To finish off our great day we headed to the firework festival which was still on for the night! On our way down we grabbed some friend chicken, and between crowded passages found a spot on the beach to sprawl out. The fireworks were shot off over the river and filled the sky with the city skyline and lit bridge in the background. Using a makeshift blanket we relaxed ate, and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to end the day ^^

 Until next time …

*Kyla* (10/24/11)

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