Not much is new here. This week felt epically long after vacation. We are both looking forward to intensives being over. 10-7 is a draining schedule bc you feel like you have limited time before or after work. My extra class of kids is really adorable though - they are totally into singing, chanting, and doing whatever ridiculous moves I assign them to help remember the English words & songs -- code awesome. Only two more weeks....fighting!!! (They always say that before a competitive game - it's a fun term).
Jake has been ill ever since we returned from Jeju. So that has been another downer. Poor guy hasn't eaten much in days bc he just gets sick. No worries, he will visit the doctor on Monday.
Jeju was phenomenal. Of course, our camera broke again. I jinxed us by calling the trip our second honeymoon. Now, we have no documentation of either trip thanks to the lovely Kodak Optimal 3x zoom with the "not so rechargeable" battery life. We did get a disposable camera on our hike, so perhaps we will scan them sometime soon.
Jeju's atmosphere was stunning and brimming with natural wonders. It is just north of the equator so there are still an array of deciduous and coniferous trees. What makes it distinct is that the pine trees are mixed in with palm trees and tropical flowers. This really makes it seem like vacation. All of the guide books say Jeju is Korea's Hawaii, but I kept leaning towards Ireland. It was greenier than the leprechaun bystanders in the St. Paddy's day parade.
The biggest accomplishment of our trip was hiking Mt. Hallasan. We manned up and decided to do the longest hike to the "crater lake" atop the mountain. We were told by the entrance guide to hurry up when we strolled into the park at the slacker hour of 10 am. Our predicament was that the summit path closed to ascending hikers at 1 pm. This meant we had 7 km to cover in three hours. We started off strong and practically sprinted up for 4 km like wild people on amazing race. We arrived in just under 2 hours and felt like champs. Unfortunately, that race really got us dragging later in the game. The entire hike was a whopping 18 km. Much of it was moderate until the last 2 or 3 km which consisted of thousands and thousands and thousands of steps.
There were a few kids plastered on the ground on the path that gave us some chuckles. Jake told one girl she was almost there and she begrudgingly whined, "CRYYYYYYY!" The thing about hiking in Korea is that there are tons of ridiculously fit old people in full gear (this includes long sleeve microfiber jump suits, gloves, visors, poles, pouches, etc...). The benefit of this mania is they always keep us motivated in order to restore our dignity as "young" people. We made a game of 10 points for every Korean we could pass -- this is tougher than it sounds.
The end view was slightly distorted as we ascended into a monsterous cloud. And actually, the scenery from the second to last viewpoint was by far the most rewarding. You could see our hiking trail winding up the mountain side, declaring the long distance we had traveled. The green hillside stretched to the edges of the island which then disappeared into the sea. The crisp air revitalized our spirits.
Other exciting journies included the Ilchubong crater/volcano, the lava tube caves, the numerous black sand beaches, waterfalls, the Yeongomeori cliffside, and Jeju chocolate stands. Jake also tried abalone on a cliffside from some old ladies who caught the treasures minutes before. We enjoyed their entertaining company despite not understanding a word they said to us. They were going on an on, pointing to different shelled creatures, and laughing when we were dumbfounded. This happens often.
One other event that does deserve being highlighted was the Happy Town acrobat show. We were just being whimsical and decided that an acrobat show was a necessity. To our surprise, we got more than we bargained for. The show started off impressive with minature kids spinning from ropes above on their necks alone while 10 girls spun china plates on metal sticks beneath them. But, it really blew our mind when attention was turned to the spherical, metal cage. Smoke billowed, lasers flashed, and a single light beamed from back stage. Suddenly, out raced a ferocious motorcyclist. He revved his engine, a small hatch door lowered, and the motorcycle blasted into the cage ball. We watched in awe, as he flew upside down, inside out, and all around on his motorcycle like Sonic the hedgehog. Just when I caught my breath, another light beamed from backstage. Motorcycle number two cruised by in route for the cage. Sure that we were going to see someone die before our eyes, we watched with anxiety. The motorcycles honked their horns to signal routine changes. The first motorcycle continued spinning rambunctiously about the cage and number two bulleted in. The two criss-crossed violently and continued honking their horns relentlessly. When I thought the show had reached its apex...out came motorcycle three, four, five, six, and seven. I can't even begin to describe the insanity of this death exhibition. The motorcycles were literally one foot apart from each other, flipping upside down in a sphere. It was insane, impressive, and the most irrational thing I have ever seen. I'm going to attach an you-tube video to try to make this real for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzKBvtsICwQ&feature=related (5)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3w3Z8hSGLQ&feature=related (7)
Enjoy the ride!
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