For anyone wondering what we do everyday.... this pretty much sums it up!

So today I decided to make a little video of one of my classes. This is just a small snippet of one of my 12 classes and it was the first class of the day. Surprisingly, they were pretty talkative today!  At one point they finally figured out I had a camera and they went crazy. So, I had to take some pictures of them too they are pretty cute! =]

Enjoy!

A 'Seoulful' Christmas

Merry Christmas! We spent Christmas 2012 in Seoul and we stayed in Myeongdong. We did many things during our three and a half day stay in Seoul. The first night we went to Namsam Tower (Seoul Tower). Namsam Tower sits on top of a mountain in the heart of the city. We traveled to the top of the mountain in a cable car and then were able to access the tower's elevator from there. It was an amazing scene with a lot of restaurants, 360 degree views of the city, and artistic expressions from the moment you arrive on top of the mountain.

Namsam tower in all of its glory by moonlight

 Locks of Love Display

 Couples put locks all over the trees and fences surrounding Namsam Tower

 Pictures don't do justice...locks cover every square foot

 Imagine this covering about an acre of trees and fences

A video of the Namsam Tower light show

 Standing at the base of N. Tower

 Molly in front of a lock of love tree

At the top of the tower with world travel distances posted on windows

 U.S. cities included LA, Chicago, NYC, San Fran, and Denver

 N. Tower holiday bear

 It was cold but the impressive tower kept us outside 

After Namsam Tower, we went to Itaewon, which is where the U.S. Forces are based. It is at large an extremely foreigner friendly area with a lot of western restaurants and stores. We went to an Irish bar and an American owned bar with Arkansas Razorbacks memorabilia everywhere. After being in South Korea for about two months, we experienced reverse culture shock seeing Americans and people from countries throughout the world everywhere.

Our friend Currin having a good time at the Razorback bar!

Guinness was on tap again

On the second day of our Christmas weekend we went shopping at the Coex Mall, the largest underground shopping center in Asia, and went went to the famous Coex Aquarium, which are both in Gangnam. Gangnam reminded us of what a U.S. city looks like with skyscrapers and a street scene typical of a Chicago or a New York. Also, we found what is probably the closest thing to Millennium Park's 'Bean' in all of Asia! During the night we went shopping in Myeongdong, which is a famous outdoor shopping area in Seoul.

 Street view in Gangnam

S. Korea memorializing trade partners from around the world

Found this 'bean-style' structure in the middle of Gangnam after popping up from 6 hours of underground shopping and eating at western restaurants such as 'On the Border'

 Our best attempt at a picture!

Video of the street shopping scene in Myeongdong

Coex Aquarium entrance

 This shark kept swimming towards us

 Only in Asia (Squirrel on a toilet)

 Shark Jaw Display

 Up close with some jelly fish

 Awesome customized aquariums everywhere

 A giant tortoise

 Huge Octopus (I don't think Koreans eat these guys)

 Classic sign

 Again, only in Asia

Christmas decorations throughout the Coex Aquarium

During the third day, we went to a place called the Trick Eye Museum in Hongdae. This museum was unique and it was great to find a place off of the beaten path. The wall murals are painted in a way that makes them seem three dimensional. After the museum, we went to a dog cafe, called Sunnyne. Dog cafes are a popular place for tourists and locals alike. You basically walk in and order a coffee drink and then enjoy the company of about twenty dogs who are rescues. Molly wanted to go to the Hello Kitty Cafe but I was happy when we were unable to find it! Maybe next time, but hopefully not.

Climbing through a wall

 Mural covers two walls and the floor 

 Molly is actually laying on a bench

Although it appears to be a prop, this is simply a painting

Video from the Sunnyne Cafe

 This dog was trained to take checks to the cashier

Molly with dogs that wouldn't leave her alone (she didn't mind)

During our last night in Seoul it was Christmas Eve. There were a lot of Christmas festivities going on in Myeondong where we were staying. Here are some pictures:

Christmas was fun; however, it was very different being away from our friends and family. Somehow Skype seems to make us forget that we are halfway around the world, but not being with the people that we love was surreal for Christmas 2012. Thanks to all of our friends and family who sent cards and packages. It

really helped during the holiday season! We love you and miss you!

Dropping the Ball in Gwangju

Happy New Year and Merry 2013! We rang in the new year, Korean style, and spent it with our foreigner (wayguk) friends in Gwangju, South Korea. It was a marathon of a Saturday night and weekend so we don't have pictures to prove that we were there. Also, when the clock struck midnight, no one in Gwangju would have known it...I am pretty sure we were the only people around that were scrambling to find a bar with coverage of a 'Times Square Ball Drop' style celebration! Unfortunately, we did not find one (the Lunar New Years is the 'true' New Years for South Koreans). We ate at our first Italian restaurant in SK and it was along the lines of a Macaroni Grill or Olive Garden. It was great to enjoy some Italian food for the first time in awhile. What was most amazing was the total dollar amount of Parmesan that was sitting among all of the restaurant's tables. A large container of Parmesan is about $12.00 at the grocery stores in Korea and the restaurant had no less than $1000.00 invested in the delicious cheese. Our pasta bowls initially had a red sauce, but after emptying a container of Parmesan among six meals, I think we had our waiter wondering why we didn't just order a cream based pasta dish. He probably would have said something about cashing an entire Parmesan if we were Korean, but foreigners seem to get away with being ridiculous at times. We use the term, playing the foreigner card, daily. After dinner we went to a German beer Haus, a club, and an Irish bar. It was a great time and I would without a doubt say that it was "A great success!" Interestingly enough the Irish bar had Guinness on tap and we found ourselves on the outside looking in at a large circle of Irishmen 'jigging' to music truly from the Irish hills. It was an interesting thing to experience in South Korea's sixth largest city of about 1.5M. Sometimes you have no idea what you will see around the next corner.

Our only picture from New Years haha!