One week down, At least 103 more to go!

So we've been here a week!  and what a week it's been.

We spent a few days in Seoul.  Completely lost, and with a very jet-lagged 2 year old.  We stayed near the outskirts on the north west side of the city so we didn't see much.  The one thing we tried to see, the palace, we chose poorly.  It was closed when we got there, but we got some pics of the outside and then wandered the area and bumped into a cool Buddhist Temple buried behind some shops.

our first real coffee's in Seoul...

The cab to the Palace

Changdeokgung palace Grounds

The Palace

We got some other misinformed tourists to take our picture at the closed Palace

Abi peeking into the Palace Grounds

The Palace

The Random Buddhist Temple we found

Pillar at Buddhist Temple

Bell tower at the Temple

In our wandering we found a trail under the highway next to our hotel that's name loosely translates as "The Open Ditch"  Pretty cool place to take a walk...  even at night.  I never felt unsafe.

The Open Ditch... complete with walking and biking paths, artwork, music, and workout equipment...

Nice waterfall at the end of the ditch

The weather is just starting to get better.  Seoul was HOT, STICKY, HAZY and OVERCAST...  in fact we never saw the sun until yesterday.   Looks like we dodged a Category 1 Hurricane too, it turned early and is going up the Japanese coast instead of the Korean coast.

After Seoul, we got to Jeju.  The airport is on the north coast in Jeju City and we needed to be in Seogwipo (so-gwee-po) city on the south coast.  We took a taxi up over Halla-san the main volcano on the island.  It was a cool, 1 hr ride through lush countryside...  at least I enjoyed it.  Jessi was nauseous in the back seat, and Abi puked not 2 minutes from the hotel in Seogwipo, all over mommy..  in the cab.  We're calling it the Mt. Halla Hurl.

On the Plane

Someone looks tired

Mommy's boobies bore the brunt of the Mt. Halla Hurl

Our hotel in Seogwipo was in the marina district, right between two waterfalls, neither of which we got to see yet.  We did wander a bit between the hotel and the water, up and down the hills.  Very cool little city and I look forward to exploring more.

Our room in Seogwipo

The view, first blue sky we saw in days... it didnt last long.

Mommy needed a bourbon after the Mt Halla Hurl.

Abi got the camera

Yep....

not sure why this dude is naked, or why he has a crab coming out his butt

playroom at the hotel

yep...  kids books are weird here

Seogwipo coast

Our one bit of touristing in Seogwipo was the Teddy Bear Museum....  The island is loony with museums of all sorts...  This is our first.  Kinda creepy.

E = mc beared!

Very "The Shining" dont you think???

Finally, 4 days ago, we got to our apartment, Building 2 of the KIS Village.  Its a 3/2 and actually bigger  than it looked.  Accommodations are fine, but everything is in Korean, so its been a bit of a trial figuring out how the AC, hot water, washing machine, and microwave work...  At least Abi is finally sleeping a normal schedule.  The 3rd building is still under construction.  It was supposed to be  done a few weeks ago... its nowhere near.  The teachers who are supposed to be there are living in the dorms on campus, and probably will be for the next month.  We dodged a bullet there....

our building

front door inside

living room

kitchen/ dining

building 3... not done yet...

The Village (KIS Village, where we live) is in the middle of farm country, so its pretty rural.  Mostly looks like they are growing Jeju Oranges, which grow on very small trees.  Occasionally you'll see something else, like squash, peppers, and tea.  With the islands climate and rich volcanic soil, we've seen just about any crop you can imagine growing here.

little Jeju Orange Trees

We've met a bunch of other teachers.  We seem to be in the "families with small children" wing of the village, as every apartment around ours has at least one kid under 8, most are between 2 & 4, so Abi has some playmates, once they all warm up to each other that is.

We've been in to the small fishing village called Moseulpo (mo-sul-po) each day.  The school has sent a bus and minders to help us get stuff for the apartment at the daiso (like a dollar store full of kitchy crap) and the Kosa mart, a small grocery store.  There's also a few restaurants and a decent coffee shop or two.  We also wandered around a traditional market, complete with live and dead fish of all kinds, a butcher, and vegetable and fruit stands, really cool, though a bit smelly and we are cautious about buying anything there due to Jessi's allergy.

Today was something pretty unique, called the 5 day market (it happens every 5 days, all over the island)  Basically a huge Flea Market.  Clothes, electronics, fruit stands, veggies, spices, kimchi, dried mushroom vendors, fish mongers, butchers, grain sellers, it was a bit overwhelming.  There were also food vendors with various meats on a stick, fried tempura veggies, pastries, lemon - ade (not lemonade like we know it), and sausages.  It was delicious.  I also notices some sort of fried larvae...  Maybe another time, Im not that adventurous yet...

We are a  little over a mile from school, its about a 15-20 minute walk up the hill.  We did go inside the other day, but we weren't able to see our rooms yet...  though some other teachers have wandered and found them.  We've walked to school and back once or twice, not bad, but sweaty work.

Our School

inside the elementary school

Middle school on the left, half of the highschool on the right (science building is  the white one, we think), elementary school wedged in-between

walking to school

another view of the high school...  Thats the Gym

Here's the rest of the high school

dorms, uphill from school

The Canadian school uphill from the dorms

view from the bridge between the Canadian and British Schools

And Finally the British School...  this is where we found Thai food.

horrible pic of the global Education Village.. KIS is the little green splotch on the far right.  Canadian School is red above that and British school is the red splotch by itself.  The City is HUGE and still under construction.  We live off the bottom of the map.

click here for a better map and to read about the Global edu-ro

Our fist night, we walked half way there to an Italian restaurant of all things...  ever had gorgonzola cream pasta with Asian mushrooms?  they have the most delicious mushrooms, it was great.  Jessi got carbonarra because of course she did and Abi had noodles with olive oil.  We got oranges at a little market across the street.  Jeju oranges are descended from Mandarin oranges and are easy peeling, no seed having, sweet little flavor bombs.  Absolutely amazing.  I think we just bought our 3rd kilo of them today at the 5 day market.

Last night we caught wind of a Thai restaurant near the school, so we made the trek again.  Except we were a little off, it was in the British school, 1/2 mile up the hill from ours.  It was still delicious, and we know where we can get take-out on the way home from school.  There was a pizza place there and a little chicken shop too.  The walk back was all downhill thankfully, but the clouds rolled in and it got dark earlier than we thought.  It was very dark by the time we got back to the Village.  Not something Id like to do again soon, as the drivers are NUTS!  lines and traffic laws seem to be more suggestions, and sidewalks are only on the main roads, and then only for certain parts.

Heres a map of the area with locations marked... Its a little over 1.5 miles from school to KIS Village for reference...

Tomorrow is Monday and the start of Orientation.  Abi starts daycare, Im headed to Jeju city for my health check-up, and Jessi is headed in to school for a few things.  Tuesday we swap (Jessi gets her screening, and aI go to school)  This week we should also be setting up bank accounts, and getting our ARC's (alien resident cards).  Next week is more school focused with orientation and planning.

I like it here.  Each day I calm down more and get a little more comfortable.  The other teachers are great and we've made some friends.  They come from all over.  Mostly American or Canadian born.  Some Expat virgins, like us, some have never been out of their own country before.  Others have been International for a dozen years to places like Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi, UAE, Zambia, South Korea, Vietnam, China, and India.  They all seem very happy, and even more happy to be here.  I think we made a great choice in KIS, but time will tell.  Until next time...