Mt. Gwanaksan

Hey Ya'll, 

It is week three for me, and I'm in warp speed here in Korea. This past week I moved from Hotel On to my apartment in Indeogwon. I also started teaching my classes on Thursday. Overall, it has been a whirlwind, but it feels great to start actually teaching. I have so much to learn, and I feel like I'm making all the 'newbie' mistakes. However, all my co-workers/ friends have been very patient and very willing to help out whenever they can. I love all my classes even the ones that have already presented them as challenging. I know that I will learn so much more than I expected from this experience in regards to my future professional goals as a teacher. I feel empowered (for the time being, lol) and ready for this upcoming week. 

In regards to the apartment, here is a video of what it looks like. I love it! It is really nice. I do wish that I had a view out the window instead of the adjacent apartment building which is about three feet away, lol. Regardless, it is turning into a great sanctuary from fast pace of the city. Plus, it is in the same building as my friends from school. 

After unpacking on Saturday, Mark (another teacher from the school I work at) invited me to a choir concert he was going to be in. It was the First Methodist Church in Seoul. This time, it really is the first Methodist church, lol. Not only was it the first Methodist church, it was the first protestant church in South Korea. Anyway, it was a really neat looking building. Because of the mainly Australian accented white people and the look of the building, it created the first moment that I thought, "Wow, I'm not anywhere near home. I'm like on the other side of the planet!". Which is really funny to think that the millions of Koreans and piles of skyscrapers with neon signs saying 'who knows what' wouldn't have triggered that thought. I think it was that I  always associated that distinct accent with 'wonder breads' from movies filmed in South Africa or Australia. Anyway, I just wanted to share that wierd/ funny story. Here are the pics below. Really awesome!! I wish I took film of the piano Sonatas and Concertino's for two pianos by Mozart and Schostakovich.  Here is a link to a recording of Mozarts, but it is nothing like being there in person. http://youtu.be/tq1rZXzjP-I

Sunday 9/4:

After getting groceries at E-Mart, I decided to go hiking on Mt. Gwanaksan. I didn't really feel  like it because I didn't wake up early enough to go with this FB hiking group I joined. However, I decided to go anyway, and I am so glad I did! It was a lesson about going for  it despite how you feel. :) It was an awesome experience, but I do wish I could train the Korean people how to hike. In particular, show them how much better it is for everyone when you choose one side of the cliff trail and stick to it. LOL I had to watch out for the grandma's. I would watch them stay on one side of the path until I was ready to pass them without even disturbing their world. However, as soon as I go past them they seemed to lunge right in my direction. At this point, my decision are two, 1) shove grandma out of the way or 2) throw my weight to the cliff edge hoping that I don't fall down to the sharp rock below. Well, I chose 2) obviously, but after awhile, I was suspicious that all they were talking about in Korean was when to lunge into my direction, lol. It made the trip all the more interesting I guess, lol. 

While on the subject of grandma's, yes there was at least 80 year old granny's bed-rocking it on granite slabs all the way up the mountain. They must be from Missouri, lol  ; ) Well, i'll shut up if you haven't already skipped the writing/ boring part, lol. 

You can drink from this spring because it comes right out of the rock. All you have to do is drink using the cups below that everyone else in Korea uses. Ya know ... NBD

This is the name of the mountain... however you pronounce it, lol

Out of all the really cool temples, I liked this fountain the most for some reason. It seemed so ancient like a relic from some unknown world. 

I have a feeling that I'm going to return to this spot many times. 

 If you can see it, they turned this huge fountain on in the middle of the river.

The trees are talking, lol. 

Well, that's it till next week :>