What makes a GREAT hiking fieldtrip?

Today, all classes were cancelled, and the whole school went on a hike at the mountain directly behind my school! It was gorgeous weather, and the kids were all excited to be out of class for the day!! Now that I'm a pro with hiking (this was my 3rd hike in 5 days) I've decided to tell you what makes a good hiking fieldtrip for elementary kiddos!

So, here you go...

... friends to hike with... (April, Stella and I)

... boulders to rest on...

...Parks along the way that have weird things to play on...

... GIGANTIC hula hoops...

... a plentiful amount of sticks to fight with...

...bars to hang on...


...lots of grass and blue skies...


... interesting sculptures to look at...

... places to hang out in the shade...


... fun mirrored sculptures to take pictures on...


... lots of trees to eat and hang out under...


...sculptures to sit on (even if you're not suppossed to!)

... gazebos to sit in with friends...


... cute kids who always want their picture taken...


...a good sturdy railing to sit on to enjoy the view...


... and lastly, but definitely not least; A good teacher to guide the way!

Let's meet for coffee... or acupuncture!

Jess is an AVID fan of Eastern medicine, and loves getting acupuncture as often as possible, so when we planned a dinner date with some friends near her acupuncture place, she asked if I wanted to come along! When I was living in the US, I was terrified of the idea of having needles stuck in my body, and didn't understand how it would help... but Koreans swear by it, and are usually healed of their ailments when they endulge in the procedure on a regular basis! So, even though I didn't have any ailments, I went along for the experience!

This is an upclose and personal picture of one of the needles, and the metal stickers they put next to them.


Jess was getting treated for her allergies... 2 needles into the nose, 2 on her legs, 2 in her hands, and 2 on her feet should do the trick! :)


Once they put the needles in, you have about 20 minutes to lay and relax. It's actually really serene... believe it or not!


These are my hands! If you double click on this picture, you can see the needles, the metal stickers, and the cigarette bud looking things that burn on the metal stickers. When they are almost burnt out, you have to yell for the nurse to come pull them off!


All in all, I had 10 needles! ...2 in my legs, 2 in my feet, 2 in my hands, 2 near my elbows, one in between my eyes, and one on the top of my head (That one felt really weird!) While I don't feel all that different, I still think I'll do it again! Heck for the equivalent of $4.50, it's nice to have the experience!

What Is That?!

I found this parked outside of my friends apartment the other night... perfect for people with no balance!

Dinner at Chloe's!

Last night, I was invited to one of my co-workers houses for dinner! She is a 2nd grade teacher at my school, so we get to co-teach together every Wednesday morning! I gave her the English name Chloe! :) Chloe, her husband, and her son live in a gorgeous high rise apartment a couple subway stops from my place! They live on the 18th floor!

When we arrived, I was met by her 22 month old son 동하 (Dong Ha) and her mother in law, who they pay to watch their son everyday while Chloe is at work.

After we had been there for a while, I noticed this HUGE tub of Cheese Balls. I pointed to it and said, "Wow, that's a huge thing of Cheese Balls" and Chloe laughed and said she had bought it at COSTCO for her son, but that they were too salty! She asked me if I liked them... When I answered "Yes!" she handed me the entire thing and said, "Great! You can have it!" I have NO IDEA what I'm going to do with all of these, but when a Korean offers you something, you NEVER turn it down!


Dong Ha was adorable! He was polite, well mannered, and smiled ALL THE TIME!

This was our dinner! Chloe ordered Pizza from Pizza Hut (my favorite), and we sat at her sons art table on the floor of her living room! :)


Love this kid!


At about 7:30pm, her husband arrived home! It's common for Korean men to come home VERY late! Most Korean women hate this... including Chloe! Korean marriages are VERY different from American marriages. Chloe and her husband were set up on a blind date, and neither of them really liked each other, but because they were in their early 30's, they both felt pressured to get married. Neither of them have ever actually loved each other. :(

On a happier note... We had an awesome time laughing, talking, and eating together! They offerred to have me over anytime I wanted, which I thought was extremely generous!! It's times like this that make staying another year extremely appealing!

The Crossing Guards!

These are the best crossing guards in the entire Country!!! These beautiful women work right in front of my school and greet me every morning with beautiful gold teethed smiles! :)