Da Daepo Fountain Show

Last night, I went to the Da Daepo Beach Fountain Show.  If you've been to the Bellagio in Las Vegas, think that, but more colors, 30 minutes of it, a beautiful beach to one side, huge high rises to the other, and thousands of Koreans ooing and awing!   It's every photographer's paradise!

This fountain is brand new!  Construction was finished just a couple months ago, so it's a big crowd maker.  If I had to guess, I would easily say that there were thousands of Koreans there!  According to some of the parents at my school, this fountain is in the Guiness Book of World Records!   I'm not sure why... It could be because of the fountain in the middle that sprays water about a hundred feet into the air and soaks everyone!   :)

Before the show started, I went to the GS-25 (kind of like a 7/11) and bought a drink.  The lady gave this dried octopus as "service" (a free gift)!  Disgusting huh?!

After the show, they turn the fountains back on, and you can take pictures near and even in them... 

This young Korean couple was adorable.  They ran into the middle of this fountain and were soaking wet, laughing together!

The fountains are definitely every kids playground!  They were loving it!

The crowd in the middle of the fountains... Notice all the cameras and camera phones - Koreans LOVE taking pictures!

Beautiful huh?!

Dinner at Wendy's!

Last night, I was invited to dinner at a student's house!  This is VERY rare occassion, so I was excited to have the experience.  As much as I would love to say it was one of my own students, it actually wasn't.  It's a student of one of my English teacher friend's who works in a much more affluent area of town than I do.  He invited me to come along!

We had such an awesome time, and spent about 4 hours talking, eating, looking at pictures, etc!  They are a family of 5 who are some of the most open minded Koreans I've met... possibly because they have traveled the world!  They actually have a Kenyan girl living with them right now!  Her name is Emily, and she is an absolute doll.  She's 25 and we spent a long time talking with her about her life in Kenya. She originally came as an exchange student a year ago and met them at their church.  When she decided to come back to Korea for school, they offered her a room in their home and she has been living there ever since.    

Dinner was Bulgolgi and Bi Bim Bap, which are 2 of my favorite Korean dishes!  The wife, who's English name is Julia, spent over 3 hours the night before, chopping all the vegetables and preparing the food.  

This is Wendy, my friend's student!

This is Julia, one of the greatest women in Korea!  

During dinner, they invited us to go hiking with them in October to a mountain on our side of town that fills with beautiful fall colored leaves!   Julia offered to make a picnic for us, with all our favorite Korean food!  She loves to cook and told us we could come over ANYTIME for dinner at their home!   How awesome is that!?!

My Personal Cleaning Ladies!

I've talked about this before... but I have never included a picture. In Korea, there are no school janitors. The students at the school are completely in charge of cleaning the school! These two adorable little 3rd grade girls are in charge of cleaning my office! They love me because they never really have to clean it, since I'm a bit of a clean freak! They ALWAYS wet this blue rag and wipe down my desk though - I think it's because they know I'll give them chocolate!

Welcome to the New Guy!

Over the summer break, our school hired a new principal. Apparently it's tradition for his co-workers from his last school to congratulate him by bringing him rice cakes and flowers / plants! I think it's hilarious how his office looks like a florist shop!

What's even funnier though is the fact that when I walked in to take this picture, he was turned around in his chair, facing the back window, and I said, "Anyonghashimika (hello)" 3 times before he WOKE UP and turned around to see it was me. He rubbed his eyes and everything! Way to go dude... you're first week on the job and you're already sleeping in your office!!!

Homemade Grape Juice!

This is Heather! She is one of the mom's in my parent class. I found out this afternoon that she owns a store, under her home, where she makes and sells 100% fruit juices! She brought some of her grape juice to class today for us to try!


Unfortunately she doesn't stomp on the grapes like Lucy and Ethel did. I was a little dissapointed to hear that, but I think it's awesome, none the less, that she makes and packages juice. I've never known, or seen where the things I buy at the store come from! She invited me to come over and make juice with her one day - which I will definitely be trying!