Better late then never eh?!?!
I've compiled a list of my greatest experiences in the land of the morning calm. I can't seem to pick my number one experience as they have all been so special so here they are in no particular order:
DJ festival weekend: The Seoul DJ festival was a great musical experience. I got to dance under the stars and in the rain. It was the first time I ever spun fire in public and also the first time I heard live Korean music. One of the bands I was exposed to is a great Korean band called 'Windy City'. It was the first good round of live music I got to see in my year!
Gosapo beach camping: All the camping that I experience in Korea was great. Gosapo beach sticks out in my mind. My wicked friend Chris went out on a limb and decided we should check around an ocean bend and boom! There was a deserted beach with our name on it! It was so nice and relaxing plus we had a group of a bout 10 people there to enjoy it with. I got do some beach yoga, walk in Maria's labyrinth, watch as the boys decided to find the biggest pieces of wood they could possible carry and watch the tides coming in and out. I learned all about hermit crabs and very cool little eco-systems!
Bigeum-do camping: OK, so I thought that Gosapo stuck out specifically but so does Biguem-do. This was my first camping experience in Korea. On a wimb (most things for me in Korea were just trial and error), we met up with some other foreigners from Mokpo and jumped on their camping band wagon. It was a great idea! We took a slow ferry to this island and it was paradise! Our taxi ride from the ferry to the site was along the beach. The people we met were wicked and the people I went with will be friends for the rest of my life. I'll never forget being 5 waygooks in a 5 man Korean tent! I thought I was going to be ill so I had to move around a lot to get comfy and so I yelled 'alright everyone, SPOON RIGHT!!!' and quite literally everyone spooned right! So good!
Morave festival: This festival claimed to be on a desesrted beach on the west coast of Korea. After a very long bus ride we ended up at a beach that was densly populated with Korean families. Much to our surprise we were litrally sandwiched between families! This picture describes the way Sarah and I felt:
It was a bit hard to stay positive after the bus ride, but after a few glasses a wine and some conversations with the organizers we soon realized that this was going to work out just perfectly. I ended up doing all the things I truly love doing- dancing, swimming, chatting with amazing people, spinning fire, getting my face painted, trying out a new instrument (didgeridoo), and many more groovy fun things!
Korean culture in general: Being that Korea was my first country to travel in Asia many of the cultural differences contributed to my favourite times. The 3-4 hellos I got when riding or walking down the road (sometimes small children would chase me down the road yelling 'How are you?'). The food in general has been great. Bibimbap and side dishes are my favourite! The Bus system! You can get anywhere in Korea very easily and for such a reasonable price. As well the cost of food is so cheap!
JAPAN!!!!! I can't even say enough about my trip to Japan. It was mind blowing, spirit lifting and all around fantastic! The Zen gardens, Tokyo, the Fuji Rocks festival and much much more!
My new found friends: The people I met in Gwangju and in Seoul will forever hold a special part of my heart. In no particuliar order they are- Jenny, Sarah, Chris, Lindsay, Whit, Maria, Ethan, Jess, Pk, Zoe, Anna, Lucy, Zaid, Prya, Lisa, Catie, Hannah, Anna, Vicky, Jessie, Richard and so many more!!! I know all of our paths will cross again one day and am so happy to have had the opportunity to meet everyone.
My school kids: Although, I found it very challenging and sometime frustrating to teach at my hagwon the kids made it worth it. Yes, they were at times very trying on my nerves but all in all they were great. I feel and hope that most of them learned some English but above all I know they had fun while learning. I"m happy that I could bring some fun into a society where school can sometimes be very tough!
Project Warm Hands: This amazing group was started by one of the coolest people I've ever met, Hannah. She decided she wanted a group where both foreigners and Koreans could meet to eat, learn, play and experience each others culture.
I attended many monthly dinners as well as made some really great Korean arts and crafts with the group.
I feel like I missing many moments in this year in review which is great in itself. To many good moments to get them all!!
I can't even believe how much I've learned about the world and myself in one very short year abroad! I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to travel and work in such a great country as South Korea. I look forward to my next steps, stay tuned for Angie's Adventures in NEW ZEALAND! That's all I'm saying.... ;)
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