Korean spas

Korea has the greatest spas... that is, if you are willing to take your clothes off! The spas are all over the place, and they are kind of like a bath house. The Korean name is jimjibang They are separated into men's and women's, and then a combined room. So, basically you can go, shower, hang out in the hot tubs or sauna, and then get dressed and meet the guys in the middle. I have been to the one in my building a few times, and it is really great. I have to say that it is pretty strange, especially for my conservative American background, to walk around naked - but you get over it. Tonight, I did a scrub. Basically you pay about $15 to have someone scrub your body. It is amazing how much dead skin I had. It was kind of like a rough massage - but it felt really great, and my skin is soooo soft now. Definitely doing that again!
 I am sure some of you are reading this and are thinking - what?! That is what I thought when I first came to Korea, but now I really wish that we had these back home. At home, it is expensive to go to a spa, and they aren't always that available. These spas are designed for people to take their time and really just relax. You can watch TV, take a nap, get on a computer, eat...pretty much whatever you want in addition to the spa, and they are usually open 24 hours - or at least pretty late. Here is a picture of the inside of a jimjibang (the shared room)- this is not the one I go to - mine is really simple - but it is similar. I stole this photo from flickr. ;-)

Wishes do come true...

So, the weather has been nice. Sunny, warmish (for winter). Bearable. I love it. So, since this wish came true, maybe I should be thinking a little more seriously about the next wish...
I went skiing last weekend - it was no Vail Mountain, but it was fun. The runs were pretty open, and we never had to wait to get on the chairs. Nice. It was so wonderful to get out of the city, and I met some really cool people on the trip. My roommates were great - go King's Hana! I feel like the last 2 months have flown by here, and I know the remaining time I have here will go by really quickly as well. I am excited for spring as everyone says that it is really beautiful. Beautiful or not, I welcome spring weather with open arms! :)

Photos from Beijing

Cold, cold, cold...

I am not a winter person. I hate winter. I don't like snow unless it melts away immediately or is in the mountains where it belongs. I do not handle the sun setting at 5 well at all, and I REALLY don't like below freezing temperatures. Every day. I did ok here until Beijing. Beijing was really cold, but it at least was a vacation, so I could bear it. Now, being back here in Korea, I am dreaming of spring. Spring is really beautiful. It is warm and green. Summer - even better. Hot. Sweaty. Right now anything near or below the equator sounds pretty good. I know that this too shall pass, but is it too much to ask for a warm, sunny day in the middle of January? I think not.

Beijing preparing for the Olympics

Get your own - Open publication

I found this to be really interesting having just visited Beijing and seeing the final product of all of the hard work that was done in preparation for the Olympics.  My friends and I often commented on how people must have been given specific phrases to say in English, because EVERYBODY said the same things to us, yet didn't know any other English.  My lonely planet said that prior to the Olympics one day a week was designated as a "queuing" day.  Everybody in the city had to line up correctly, and they were checked throughout the day by the police.  So interesting to think about all of the behaviors we take for granted in our society.

I heart Beijing (1 of 2)

I spent exactly a week in Beijing, and I absolutely loved it.  The only thing I didn't like is the cold.  It was very cold in Beijing this time of year, especially because everything to see was outdoors.  So, you find yourself walking several  kilometers(I use kilometers and celcius now - lol!)  everyday in the freezing cold.  I do have to say that I have been really fortunate in that the weather has been mostly clear here.  The first day was really smoggy, and I could see why people made such a big deal about the pollution for the Olympics.  But, honestly, the air seems worse in Korea some days than it has been here in Beijing this week.
I arrived on Saturday afternoon, and I met up with my friends from Korea - Jenna and Josh - at the hostel. We went to the Silk Market - a huge indoor market with stalls selling the things that China is known for fake everything.  Purses, watches, coats, souvenirs...the list goes on.  I was really surprised when we entered the market and immediately we were surrounded by people trying to sell their goods to us.  They are quite overwhelming, grabbing onto our clothes and even our arms to keep us from moving onto another stall.  They always give you their "best price, lady" - about 100 times more than what you should pay.  It is fun, though.  I kept this trip to mostly just traveling, so I didn't buy much. I did return later in the week to get a few more things, but I would love to come back here and spend a lot of money!  Looking is fun though - and there is soooo much to see. The bargaining here is more drastic than anywhere I have been, and they always say "no joke price" when you give them a reasonable offer. So funny!
On Sunday, Jenna, Josh, and I went on a tour of The Forbidden City, Tiananmen square, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven.  The Forbidden City is absolutely amazing. It was a long, cold day, but so worth it. At the end of the day we went and ate at a little restaurant around the corner from our hostel - and the food was soooo good. I am not really a huge fan of chinese food - american style. But, the food I ate the entire time in Beijing was wonderful!
Before I go further, I have to comment on the hostel. I love hostels. I have stayed in so many, and have such wonderful memories from those times. This hostel, while it could have been decent, was so disappointing. (Note: I still has a great time while staying at this hostel, it was just a slight bump in the road of a perfect vacation) Jenna, Josh and I were the only people there practically - which if you have ever stayed at a hostel, you know that is a let down. The greatest thing about hostels is getting to meet and hang out with really interesting people. The real deal breaker for me though, was that the hostel was freezing!! Freezing as in the only way to get warm was to take a shower until the hot water ran out. When you are outside and freezing all day, it is the prospect of returning to someplace warm and comfy that gets you through the say. So...I was really excited to move to the hostel I had already booked for the rest of the week. The second hostel really made the rest of my time in Beijing! It was so great! If you ever go to Beijing - stay at Sitting on the City Walls! The people I met were wonderful - some are becoming good friends since Beijing, the location was great, it was warm, and the beds were great! So, with a nice place to stay, the rest of the week just got better and better.
On Monday, I was fighting off a cold and really needed a day to relax, so that is what I did. I slept in, hung around at the hostel, had some ginger honey tea, and got to know some of the people in the hostel. I did get out for a bit in the afternoon. It was nice to be able to have a lazy day, but still feel as though I was taking in the culture of the city.
I am going to finish this later - because I have been working on this much for 2 weeks now. Too busy these days! So, I will be posting more later about the trip.

Time Flies...

I cannot believe how quickly time has been passing lately.  I am so busy, which would account for almost an entire month since my last post.  I have finally adjusted to my schedule, and am happy to be getting up early and working a more normal day.  I feel like I do not ever have enough time to get everything done, but such is life! :-)  The last month I have not done a whole lot on the weekends, mostly because I am beat by the time Friday comes around.  Last weekend I did go to my vice director's baby's birthday party.  She just turned one, and it is a really big deal here in Korea.  I did get some Christmas shopping done, but I will be  saving most of my gift buying for when I actually come home.  With the won so weak still, I am keeping most purchases to a minimum for now.  

  I have exactly one week until I go to Beijing, and as excited as  I am to go,  I have not done any planning at all.  I reserved a room in a hostel near the Forbidden City, and that is about all I know right now.  I am excited to go somewhere new though!!

It is strange being here for Christmas.  Even though we are doing a Christmas program at school (which, by the way, my class is sooooo cute in their costumes!  They are little candles - I will post pictures later), it doesn't really feel like Christmas to me - mostly because I won't be spending time with family.  Most of my friends will be leaving on Christmas day to either travel or go back home for the break.   

At the end of this month I will begin my downhill slide towards the end of my year here.  I am trying to figure out what I will be doing next year, and I change my mind pretty much on a daily basis. :-) (Not too surprising to those of you who know me well...)  I am considering coming home to Colorado, going to Montana, coming back to Korea, going someplace totally different (like Spain or the UAE) to teach at an international school...who knows?!?  Any ideas?  I am pretty open right now!  lol! :-)  

I hope that the holidays are a joyful time for everyone reading this, and I look forward to hearing from everyone!  xoxoxo!!