South & North Korea trip!

Hooray for another small vacation! Chris and I traveled to South Korea to see my friend Eve and we also took a day tour to North Korea.

We started off the trip with an evening flight to Seoul via Korean Air. That airline is so luxurious! For our inflight entertainment we watched the movie Million Dollar Baby while eating really good airline food. The food was so delicious that I asked for a second meal and they actually gave me another!

We arrived in Seoul later in the evening on Friday, so we met up with Eve, my friend from Hungary, on Saturday. She's teaching English in a hagwon only an hour away from Seoul so we were able to catch up, drink, and eat Korean pancakes.

Eve and I traveling through some of Romania in 2010.

It's been too long since I last saw Eve! (2 years!)

Eve & I have always bonded over street food.

The next day we checked out of the hostel and went back with Eve to her city, Cheonan, via a 5 hour mistake of a metro trip instead of a 1 hour bus ride. She had to work from 1-8 on Monday so Chris and I went shopping! Korean fashion is a wonderful thing and I pretty much have a female Korean body, so I was really in my element.

Haggled for this dress! My dad would be so proud. I got a discount of 11 dollars!

After a few wonderful days with Eve in Cheonan, Chris and I headed back to Seoul because we had the North Korean tour the next day! Chris booked us a nice hotel room and he took me out on a sweet date to a Chinese restaurant. The man knows that Chinese food is my favorite :)

But before we got Chinese food we definitely picked up some street food.

The next morning we hopped on a tour bus offered by the Panmunjom Travel Center and we were off to learn a TON of interesting information about North Korea. Our tour included going to the Mt. Odu Unification Observatory, ImjinGak, getting an amazing lunch of beef bulgogi, going to Camp Bonifas (it has the world's most dangerous golf course), and getting a JSA tour (JAS stands for Joint Security Area). We also got a bonus of talking to a defector from North Korea.

Here's our wonderful tour guide. She was so sweet.

The picture above shows the fences and how they keep people in. The fence is deep into the ground (so you can't dig under it), has 3 layers of barbed wire on top of it, and is electrified. 

Defector on the left, tour guide on the right.

We got the basic tour, but our entire tour was upgraded free of charge to include a defector from North Korea! We were able to ask her questions like how did she escape, what was the reason to make her want to escape, how is the education system in North Korea, how is the internet or cell phone usage and she gave us amazing information. I can post her answers if there is interest.

This is the train that runs 4x a day from North to South Korea. (North Korea is in the background). It's always empty, but it's meant to be symbolic more than functional.

Also, in regards to this tour, we were really lucky. This tour company only offers 4 tours a week and the tours the day before AND the day after ours had been canceled with only an hour or so notice. We were the exception tour group this week and whew, are we glad the tour wasn't canceled. 

Before we could enter into the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) we had to sign a release stating that if we died it wasn't anyone's fault but our own. We also got a briefing (I feel asleep during it) 

I look a little freaked out because this guard just stopped me. I had crossed the border from South to North and I guess he thought I was going for the door and he stomped his foot and stuck out his arm. I really just wanted a photo with him all along. The guards are always in this pose.

After that amazing tour we picked up some North Korean wine (18% alcohol content!) and brought it back to Eve's place. We did face masks and drank that wine along with some Mongolian vodka we brought.

Chris, me, Eve, and Jocelyn (another English teacher at Eve's school)

And then on our final day we all went shopping, ate sushi, and recovered from our respective hangovers. 

We're back in Mongolia now and school picks up in about a week, so I'm trying to get motivated for the final semester of teaching! Also, tea was spilled on my MacBookPro, so it looks like I'm out a computer until June...it sometimes works but it kinda depends on the day, I guess.

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

I went to Beijing and Wuxi, China for Christmas!
When I was in Beijing I met up with my friend, Blake. We met last year in the airport when I was returning to America for a short vacation and luckily we got to meet up again. We went out and got some milk tea and dumplings and had the best time just walking around the city till 1 or so in the morning.

Then the next day I hopped on a plane and went to Wuxi to see Korin and April, a couple that I got to know when I was in Zhengzhou, China. It was awesome! I met all their students, saw their school put on a holiday performance, and had a great time drinking and playing Monopoly Deal with my sweet friends.

We also went to a giant pet market and some pictures are below:

Found the dog I want when I finally return to the States.

Next to the pet market was a food market. This is ginger.

Bringing in the New Year was awesome and relaxing. We ate some Western food and I got to play more Monopoly Deal with Chris and we watched the fireworks from the window. We're off to South Korea and North Korea in just a few days and I'll update when we get back. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, too!

Date night :)

High-five jumping on the Tuul River! 

Oh, the temperature right now is -26°F right now and it's 2pm! I love Mongolian winters!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I had two sweet Thanksgivings this year. The first one was for my amazing students and we invited the Korean and Chinese class to join us (sharing is caring!) and the second one was a bit more intimate with close friends (Lucas, Eli, Hazel, Joe, Tuyen, and two new friends)

Joe, another Fulbrighter, just got back from Seoul where he was there on a medical emergency for 4 weeks! So glad to have him back.

Happy happy Thanksgiving. So thankful for amazing friends, family, and this phenomenal opportunity that brought me to some truly excellent students and friends. Can't wait for Christmas 'cause I've got some great travel plans in the works.

Proud teacher.

Final message: Tonight's temperature low is -14°F and by Wednesday it'll go as low as -29°F !! 

I love the weekends with my Fulbright family.
Pictured above: Eli, me, Lucas.

Happy Halloween!

My freshman decided to throw a Halloween party...and boy oh boy, did they do a great job. I'm so proud to be their teacher.

Chinese, English, & Korean teacher.

A great student quote:

Student A: Teacher what are these called? [Points to nipples]

Student B: BROWN BUTTONS!!

And one more:

Teacher, what are these? [Grabs his breasts and squeezes]

Also, I'm without water for the next three days, but so are my students. We are suffering together in a smelly classroom. Oh, so exciting!

I just am in love with the sunset out my window:

More than 2 months in Mongolia!

It snowed the other day. It's not even the middle of October and it snowed. Oh man, winter is going to be insane!

Also, finally finalized my work schedule. I teach for 12 hours, but it's considered to be 16 hours. The classes are small and the red classes are the most fun.

Went horseback riding for the first time in over 10 years last weekend. Had a great time in the countryside just outside of Ulaanbaatar. 

The best thing about Mongolia, aside from the countryside, is the amazing sunset.

WARNING: Graphic photos below.

This is a story about a cranky appendix.

I had been feeling low on energy and I thought I ate some bad food, but it never crossed my mind that I had appendicitis. My brother had appendicitis when we were children and none of my symptoms were 1/2 as violent as his were.

On Wednesday morning I went and hiked up a mountain with Chris.

and then Wednesday afternoon I was told by the doctor that I had appendicitis.

He told me that I needed a blood test and an x-ray to confirm but since I didn't have the cash on hand to pay for that, I had to come back on Thursday.

I went back to the hospital on Thursday and it was confirmed that my appendix was fat and cranky and was to be removed on Friday.

Acute appendicitis! Ah!

So on Friday I went into the hospital.

And I got an ultrasound, an HIV test, and an x-ray to see how my heart was doing before we went in for surgery.

The last smile I had for days:

And then an IV was set. It took 5 attempts and overall, it was horrible.

Then I was taken to surgery and I looked like this on the operating table: 

Only I was completely naked and you know, wasn't crucified.

Thankfully I was given some great drugs and my appendix was removed quickly. The doctor brought the appendix to Chris, who took pictures because he knew I would want to see. (WARNING: PICTURES ARE BELOW)

The yellow part toward the bottom of the picture is the infected area. 

And after I woke up from surgery, I was alone and naked and had really chapped lips. I got some "chapstick" (gauze dipped in water) and then dropped back off to sleep.

The recovery was slow and I was in the hospital from Friday to Monday.

Before I could leave on Monday, the doctor had to remove my stitches. 

And now I am back in my little apartment. I am eating more than just broth and hot water and I am sleeping in my own bed and waking up to the sun in my face. Recovery is slow, but I am so happy to be on the way to healthy.