Goodbye Korea! Anyong California!

Amazingly my year in Korea is over. Complete. As in I'm already back in California and have been back for almost two weeks now. Where has the time gone? All those negative days of sitting on the couch watching TV while the rain incessantly fell outside, of pining away for cheese and tacos, of huddling in the freezing cold English Room waiting to teach my class of twelve... those days seem long ago... and silly. I don't want people to think, especially those friends I spent so much time with in Korea, I don't want people to think I didn't enjoy my time. I really did. And I tried not to take it for granted although I sure did some days.

There were also many positive days in Korea. Days when I would come home from school excited about what I had taught, about the progress I had made with certain students, about the relationships I was forming. There were countless dinners out with Amber and Scott, from shabu shabu to Cold Stone. There were my fabulous vacations. There were the many trips to Seoul and the infrequent trips to Busan, Sokcho, Gangneung. I had an amazing opportunity in Korea and am very fortunate to have been in the position in my life to take advantage of such an adventure. When I studied abroad for four months in Italy during college I was certain I did not want to stay for an entire year. But when December came and I was mildly fluent in Italian I wished I could stay. I could see the possibilities in front of me, the possibilities I had with the language, with study and with travel. And now I have done it, I have lived abroad for 12+ months. This time I didn't learn the language, but I did travel and I did learn at least the beginning steps of what it means to be a teacher and what it means to become a good teacher.

A fellow EPIK participant who attended UC Riverside recently recounted a conversation she had with her parents on her website. They asked if the US felt like a dream after Korea, she said no, they asked if Korea felt like a dream, she said yes. I have to agree. Although it was an entire year and it sure felt like even longer at times, now that I'm back its like that time didn't exist. Was I really so far away? In a land that was foreign, but in a lot of ways not so different than my own? Here in Lancaster, California, little is different than how I left it. I am so glad to see friends and family and love that when I am with them it really is as if no time has gone by.

A few weeks before we left Korea I talked with Jason about what is, I think, one of the most difficult parts of living abroad for a year, especially in a country where the basic structures of culture are different than what you are used to, and where the language is indeed so foreign to you that there is no way you could attempt to master it in a year.

As I was talking a a walk around the neighborhood a few weeks before we left I noticed the open front door of the building diagonal to my own apartment. I had passed this door so many times, with its Buddhist flag hanging above and red brick exterior. The door was rarely open but this time it was. Inside I glimpsed a wood floor and sparse walls, it looked like a typical Korean living room. But obscuring my vision was a wooden folding partition, right past the doorway. I could see an old woman sitting inside, cross legged on the floor, but half of her body was obscured to me, as was the person she was talking to, as was what she was doing. It was a fleeting glimpse into her home that I could only partially view.

The image stuck with me and I began to think of it as the perfect example of the underlying stress of living in a different culture that you are not a member of. No matter how much I wanted to see what was going on inside, I never would. As much as I wished I could go up to my neighbor and talk to her and be welcomed into her home, I never could. What's lacking when you are abroad is the sense of a community in which you belong. Korean society is built on community instead of individualism, yet I couldn't join it. Of course Koreans were always extremely kind to us, from students to coworkers to random restaurant owner we were well received and appreciated. Yet we were always outside. Some people, myself previously included, would say this is just how Koreans are, that they treat you like an outsider when it comes down to it. But I don't think this is a Korean phenomena. It stems from being a transitory occupant. I knew I was leaving in a year so I only tried to form so many bonds. I attempted to learn Korean a little, at first, but I quickly abandoned my studies. I can't fault the society around me for not taking me in when I can't even communicate with them! But its this very glimpse of a warm home, a sweet grandmother, that you long for but cannot attain. It is a subtle and subconscious longing that you do not realize exists but is the cause of sleepless nights and worry.

I now believe it is true that Western and Eastern cultures a very different in a few very obvious ways. This difference is accentuated by language. It is so much easier for someone who speaks English to learn French than Korean. That is not to say it cannot be done. And I do not agree with people who say "oh that language is too hard for you to learn, don't try" as many of my peers in college said to each other. We just have to change our mentality when approaching an Eastern language or an Eastern culture, we were literally worlds apart at one time. But that glimpse of the grandmother in her home, while saddening in its unattainable way, is also hopeful and comforting if you look at it differently. As different as I was from someone who grew up in Korea, I could still relate to the basic conditions of life. A loving family in a warm home is the same anywhere, no matter how that home or that family looks on the outside.

This is the last post of Madeline in Korea. Thank you to those who followed along. And thank you also for your support and enthusiasm for both Jason and I. We share very special memories together, with our friends and coworkers and students, and it has been wonderful to share them with my broader family.

Oh, and if you were wondering, our kitty that we rescued from the streets of Wonju is here too! He is named Twist and gets bigger ever day. He easily made it back on the flight with us, no problems at all, and has adjusted to his new American life just perfectly (as he sleeps away on the couch.) What a perfect little family.

I will miss you!

Taiwan Part 2

The next morning things continued to be just as great. Amber had gotten up early to go work out at the local YMCA she discovered just down the street from us. Inside she found an insanely good breakfast place called Ikari Coffee. We at there and had hands down the best coffee and latte's we've had seen we've been in Korea (besides those I had on my brief trip to CA in April and rivaling those in Cambodia). I don't know why Korean coffee is so bad but well... it just is. Ikari Coffee was amazing! Plus they had awesome breakfast combos! For only $3 I got a coffee, scrambled eggs with ham and toast, plus a bowl of fresh fruit and yogurt. Jason got the same only with an omelet and bacon with a bagel. Glorious! It was nice to sit in the YMCA and see all of the families, children and older couples relaxing with a nice breakfast and reading the paper. No one seemed to mind we were there. In Korea we are always getting started and and people often don't know how to react to us, especially when they have to take our order. In Taiwan, that was rarely the case which also made things nice and relaxed. 

After breakfast we hopped on the MRT and then the bus to the National Palace Museum. We were told the Palace Museum was a must see on our trip, rivaling the Louvre in terms of its collection, but instead containing Chinese art. When the Republic of Taiwan was formed there was a rebellion going on in China. Thus 100 years ago (this year is Taiwan's centennial) half of the empire's museum collection in Shanghai was relocated to Taiwan, where it now remains. Thus the National Museum is loaded with thousands of years of Chinese art, from pottery to metal to ornaments to calligraphy scrolls. The museum grounds themselves were very impressive as we stepped off the bus, a large entry gate greeted as and then we climbed many steps to enter the building that sat at the far end of a large front road. The museum was only $5 and was thoroughly tip top inside, clean modern and comfortable, even providing free coat check and lockers. 

The museum was amazing... we spent all day there! They had a huge collection and we only made a small dent. There were blue and white Ming dynasty vases, jeweled boxes, copper plates, calligraphy drawings... one of my favorite things was a Tibetan dagger with a jewel encrusted hilt that was supposed to vanquish evil spirits, so awesome! The museum also wasn't very crowded in the morning although things picked up in the afternoon. We had some dim sum (dumplings) and tea at the expensive museum restaurant before heading on our way. 

Next we attempted to go to a "mall" but the "mall" just turned out to be more underground shopping like you can find in Korea, long hallways of cheap clothing and trinkets. Some people love it but I get bored of it quickly. We bought some cheap tank tops before abandoning the idea. We ate dinner at the train station (kind of a Tokyo Steakhouse type place where they grill the food in front of you) and while the atmosphere was very fun, we think we overpaid and the food was only so-so (we saw it elsewhere and it looked better.) 

Next we headed to Longshan Temple, the most famous temple in Taipei. It was even more fabulous than the ones the day before. Although every similar, we arrived at this one at night, so all the lights were on and the lanterns were lit and the light from the incense burners illuminated their surroundings. There were even more people at this temple and it was full of hustle and bustle! There were lots of tables set out and people would leave food offerings on them. The food was anything from bananas and pineapples to packaged crackers, cookies and chips. People would bring the food and then go around to each statue in the temple complex, with their food and incense, and say a little prayer, bow and leave the food on the table. I didn't quite understand it all because I also saw people picking up food from the tables, praying and taking it home. I didn't know if it was a kind of bring some and leave it, take something else deal, or if you left your food and then picked it up when you left, or if people who were "in need" could take the food. I'm not sure but there were probably ten long tables that were covered in food. I don't know what happens to it, if someone gives it away or if its just thrown away, I hope not! 

Anyhow the temple was full of people and good smells and a bright, happy atmosphere. I could have sat there for the next hour just looking at people and relaxing. It was probably one of my most favorite things to see in Taiwan. 

Unfortunately Jason and Amber were impatient to move on so we did. We visited a different night market that was much smaller than the one by our hostel. I found out later it is known for its food, although we didn't try anything but some almond milk tea, which was delicious. We headed back to our hostel and visited the large market one more time, heading for the taco stand. We got lost a few times and by the time we finally found it another hour had passed. By this point it was nearing 11pm and we were tired and ready to get to bed. Jason and I visited the grocery store next to our hostel to buy some snacks for the train the next day. It was awesome! It had so much to choose from, both Western and Asian foods. In Korea its hard for us to find things like cheese, plain yogurt, certain fruits and vegetables, brand name snacks or candies, this store (and most in Taiwan) had everything! 

The next day we got up again to eat at Ikari Coffee. We ordered the same delicious breakfast and same delicious coffee. This time I got a cafe latte and it was to die for! Mmmm. Then we headed to the train station to buy tickets to our next destination a small town on the east coast of Taiwan called Hailien. We lucked out and the train was leaving in 10 minutes so we boarded the 12noon train. It took us 3 1/2 hours to get down the coast (it could have been faster on a non-stop train) but I really enjoyed the ride. The train was clean and comfortable. The chairs moved around so we were always facing forward, like in Japan. The views out the window were also magnificent. We passed lush, tropical green forests, hills and mountains, and then followed the sea for the last half of the trip, glimpsing crystal clear blue water and white beaches. So peaceful and relaxing, and it was so sunny! Blue skies all around. 

In Haulien Jason and I had a different hostel than Amber. We thought we could walk to ours from the station even though it did look a little far on our tiny, confusing map. But we set off anyhow in the muggy heat. Hualien was a small town, with only a strip of "downtown" and was nestled next to the sea. It was famous for being the gateway to Taroko Gorge, the place we were going to visit the next day. Yet even though it was small, Jason and I got lost and after walking for half an hour, we decided to hail a taxi. Thankfully one pulled over after a few minutes. The driver was a woman and she was so nice to us! We had a little trouble communicating because I didn't have the directions in Chinese, only English, but she worked with us and knew the English numbers so things worked out! (Again we were impressed and couldn't help wondering again why in Korea people know so little English...) Thankfully we found it, and it was far, located on the edge of town on a road peppered with car dealerships, not homes. Inside the place was beautiful though. Our room was so cute and so clean! It had a canopy bed, a flat screen TV on the wall and a huge window with a view of the mountains. So perfect. 

After we rested a little the hostel owners even drove us to town where we were to meet Amber. Unfortunately it was a long walk for us otherwise. We asked them to recommend somewhere to eat and they said "do you want to maybe, drink beer and eat Taiwanese food?" we said "heck yes!!" so they dropped all three of us off at a local restaurant. It had a huge tree growing out front with red lanterns in it and the inside was open air with large circular tables. The hostel owner talking to the restaurant manager and made sure we were taken care of, they pointed a fan our way, gave us a good table and told us if we wanted a taxi back to the hostel at the end of the night, we only had to ask and they would arrange a discount one for us. I love being taken care of like that. The dining was family style and we ordered a variety of delicious dishes. We got a few types of stir fry type lamb, a veggie dish covered in a delicious wasabi sauce and two large Heineken's (seemed to be Taiwan's drink of choice, they do not have a big drinking culture.) After our dinner Amber wanted to find a bar but all we ended up doing was wandering around the small downtown before we called it a night. Well, we did briefly enter one bar, the only one we found, but it was empty except for two men standing on a stage belting out extremely loud karaoke. We quickly left. 

The next morning we headed off to Taroko Gorge. We hired a taxi to drive us, booked through our hostel, and he stayed with us all day. He had a brand new Toyota station wagon with leather seats and spoke great English. He picked us up at nine, we swung by and got Amber, at were at the entrance to the Gorge a little before 10am. Taroko Gorge is one of Taiwan's national park and was listed as a must see while we visited. Its kind of like the Grand Canyon, only you drive through the bottom instead of look down from the top, and it is filled with tropical vegetation, sapphire blue water and marble gorge walls. Our driver was to stay with us all day and drop us off at different small hiking and sight seeing areas, pick us up, and we'd move to the next. It was awesome to be carted around, especially in the heat and especially because the Gorge is miles long. Our first stop was our longest hike, a three hour round trip bath that followed a stream back to a small dam. Again the sun was shining and it was great being in the fresh outdoors. Our next stop was the "Eternal Spring Shrine." We realized after our guide dropped us at would is supposed to be the end of the hike, but I didn't mind. That meant we were going down stairs instead of up! We started at a large temple, then crossed a real-life suspension bridge (this was no Disneyland) miles above the ground, and the visited a lookout tower on the top of the mountain, only to come back down to the Eternal Spring Shrine. It was a small structure built at the mouth of a small stream that turned to a waterfall and then met the larger stream at the bottom of the gorge. The water has never ceased, hence eternal, and comes from a mysterious source deep within the mountain. Next we visited the Swallow Grotto, which is a large grotto on the side of the mountain that you walk through. Many swallows live within it. You also walk on the every edge of the gorge and can look down into the winding, shinning blue water below. Probably my favorite part of the gorge. The walls of the gorge are very close at this point and you can see the different grains of the marble as well as the different holes were water once trickled down to the stream below. It was beautiful. And I guess also a bit dangerous. We wanted to see the Tunnel of Nine Turns, but our guide informed us it was closed for two years because a young woman had been killed last year when a rock had fallen on her head in a small slide. Yikes. Because the rock sheet is marble and filled with hidden pockets of water, rock slides are a serious threat. Double yikes. There were many signs telling us to keep moving instead of stopping to take in the sights, as if that would really help if a rock slide started...? 

We stopped shortly after to get lunch at a small restaurant our guide knew of. The first place we tried kicked us out because we were too late in the day to order lunch. The next place took us and our guide knew the owners. He said he has been driving a taxi to the gorge almost every day for the last 7 years, making $30 a person. What a life. He knew the perfect places to take us so it was a very easy trip for us. For lunch I had a chicken stir fry and purple rice which came in a bamboo shoot! It was so cool, I had to pry it open to get the rice out. It was the indigenous people of Taiwan's way of eating rice. The Gorge still has one indigenous tribe living within it some meals and souvenir were themed after them. After lunch we did one last short hike with more spectacular views, got milk tea (this time I got honey milk green tea, my favorite tea when I'm sick) and decided to call it a day. It was around 4pm! It took us about 30 minutes to get back to the mouth of the entrance to the gorge so I had some time to look out the window and take in the curving mountain sides one last time. On the way back to town our driver took us to the beach. There we sat for a little while, people watching and enjoying the weather. Although the beaches in Taiwan are beautiful, few of them are for swimming due to the huge waves, rip tide and naval bases, so people were just wading and playing in the sand, it was nice. The army base was literally right behind the beach and four F-15's flew right over our heads immediately after taking off! Felt like home. 

We parted ways with Amber, took a few good showers and napped until about 9pm. The good thing about our hostel was its proximity to a night market. It was a quick 10 minute walk for Jason and I. I loved this night market! It was small but had everything a night market needs. And it was packed with families, couples and teenagers! Night markets really are the thing in Taiwan. I had such a great time at this one. We played arcade games, shot some hoops, ate street food, got a papaya smoothie and dessert. This all took a few hours because we had to wait so long for our popular dinner choice. We had kabobs of bell pepper, mushrooms, fish, egg rolls and chicken. They took our order, gave us a number, barbequed it with a sweet sauce and gave it to us all in a little bag. We ate it off the skewer. So yummy! And my papaya smoothie was nothing but fruit and ice, cut on the spot, for $1! Taiwan had great value. The vibe of the night market was like that of a fair or carnival, a wholesome, clean, family one, yet it happens every night!! 

Back from Taiwan Part 1

Well Jason and I have taken our final trip during our time here in Korea. Last Sunday we returned from spending 8 nights in Taiwan! Now we only have a few more short weeks to go and we will be back in California for good! Taiwan was an awesome way to end our adventure (although I do wish we could keep traveling more and more!) Taiwan was beautiful, a lush tropical landscape, filled with fresh fruits and milk tea, kind people and lots of beautiful cultural highlights. If I had to recommend an Asian country for someone to visit for the first time, I would recommend Taiwan, its not as expensive as Japan, but is thoroughly modern and filled with tons to do and see!

From Korea Taiwan was only a short 2 hour plane ride away. Our flight left Saturday at 11am which still meant we had to wake up at 4:30am to get to the Wonju bus terminal by 5:30am and get on the 6:00am bus. The bus didn't make its usual stop on the way to the airport so we got there in only 1 1/2 hours (usually it takes 2 1/2 to three hours) proving again to us how close together things in Korea really are. Although the bus system is great, I am ready to have my own car back. The day before we also had to drop off our adorable little kitten (who we named Twist) at the "cat hotel" that our vet runs. It was bad timing that we found him right before our vacation but good luck that the vet has a "cat hotel" we were able to use. Anyhow, we arrived at the airport and boarded the plane no problem. It was an Asiana Air flight so service was very nice. We even got food on such a short flight!

We arrived in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, about 1pm (they are ahead one hour) and easy found the right bus to our hostel. Our hostel was conveniently located off of the Taipei metro system called the MRT. The MRT runs four lines throughout the city center, stopping near all the major attractions. It was cheap and very easy to use, even cheaper and easier than Seoul's system. Our hostel was located in a large apartment building and we were given our own key to the room, just like a hotel, and that was it. It was a cute room with two double beds and we could come and go as we pleased, as if we lived in the building. The first few nights we shared our room with our friend Amber, who also teaches English in Wonju. We three had decided to take and plan this vacation together. It was fun to have a third person around and she was good to plan with before the trip started (Jason never wants to help plan.)

Amber and me at the airport

Average street near our hostel

Random street

Lots of fresh tropical fruit!

Walking across the river that runs through Taipei

We settled in, found our maps and decided to walk to some near by temples. The Boan and Confucius Temples. After a few wrong turns we finally found them, nestled in the city streets next to bakeries and bus stops. The Boan Temple was gorgeous. It was covered in decorations, bright gold’s, blues, reds, with large painted figures covering the doors and dragons painted on the columns. The top of the temple was very ornate as well, with multicolored dragons and other figures on each corner. It was very beautiful. The temple was like a little complex, with an outer temple wall concealing an inner courtyard. Inside that courtyard was another structure that housed the temple alter and statues. The back wall of the courtyard also housed more alters and statues. There were also columns decorated in hundreds of gold colored glass stones that made for a beautiful effect. People were buying long sticks of incense and burning them in the many fiery incense pots in front of the alters. It smelled wonderful.

Boan Temple

zoom zoom

Dragons!

Interior courtyard

Art class in the temple, really

Shrine

Stone dragon and lanterns

Modern building right smack next door!

It was very hot, my students in Korea got me that dress as a going away present.

Community park with dragon water feature

After the Boan Temple we checked out the newer and more plainly decorated Confucius Temple before deciding we needed some food. On a near by street we found a row of cheap, tasty looking restaurants. We choose one with boiling pots of seafood and vegetables featured out front. It was a little like eating shabu shabu but was called "hot pot." We ordered two to share between the three of us, sat on toddler sized chairs in the air conditioned interior and waited. Soon the waiter brought over two boiling dishes filled to the brim with egg, shrimp, mushrooms, cabbage and other assorted goodies. Each dish had its own stand with a flame below to keep everything warm. It was tasty and was just what we wanted for our first meal. After that we crossed the street, dodging the many scooters that whizzed by on the narrow passage, to get some boba aka pearl aka tapioca milk tea. I was so excited to get my first milk tea because I had heard Taiwan was famous for them! It tasted wonderful and instead of tapioca we got fresh coconut in the bottom of the glass. Yum yum! One look at the cup and one sip immediately reminded me of UC Irvine and frequenting Cha for Tea and TapEx. It definitely made me nostalgic! But the prices in Taiwan sure beat those of Irvine! $1 for a delicious tea in Taiwan versus $4 in Irvine!

Next we decided it was time to head back to our hostel so we could check out the famed Shilin Night Market that was located right next to us. That was another reason our location was so great, literally around the corner form our room was a huge night market! Taiwan is also known for its night markets and now I understand why! The place was packed, stretched for blocks and had everything you could want from food to clothes! We started down the main crowded path and took in the sights... there were desserts, ice cream, fresh fruit smoothies blended on the spot, tea, hot pot, hamburgers, even tacos and tons of places serving Taiwanese "street food" which were a form of kabob were you could choose from fresh vegetables, meats and sea food and have them grilled in front of you! It was awesome and had so many great smells! There were also vendors everywhere selling cheap clothing and other trinkets, plus places to get massages with packed interiors! After spending over an hour in the night market and visiting everything from the taco stand to a shoe store to a pet store, we decided to head in for the night.

So far our impressions of Taiwan were great!

A little blurry but fresh fruit plus scooters

The biggest watermelon I've ever seen!

hot pot

Dinner yum!

Boba milk tea! So good!

Goose heads at the night market, hungry?

Shilin Night Market

Crowded end to the Night Market

Bundle of Joy

Well I've done it, for better or for worse, I've acquired a... kitty. Yes that's right, there is a little bundle of joy running around the house in the form of one small kitten. Let me tell you how it happened...

Last weekend I started hearing a kitten constantly crying outside. The loud meows would pick up at night and pierced the air, flowing in my open apartment windows. It was also raining (not a surprise for a Korean summer) non-stop (and has been for over two weeks). I felt so bad for this poor little guy that I started to take walks outside whenever I heard him crying, trying to figure out where he was and if he was okay.

After a few days I saw him, in the headlights of a car as he slowing crossed the street in the pouring rain. I approached the alleyway he had fled into but I couldn't see or get to him. I also realized he was not the only cat outside in the rain. While the kitten was small and orange-ish colored, there was a larger brown cat as well, huddled under a car wheel, that would growl when I got close to it. On Monday night I heard him again and went out to look. This time I saw the kitten, he was walking around on a large raised hedge that surroundes the nearby preschool. I followed him around the school for a while but he kept scampering away from me. So I went inside again. A few hours later I heard him crying again and convinced Jason we needed to go look one more time before bed since it was raining. He reluctantly went downstairs with me and we walked down the street, listening but hearing nothing. We turned around to head inside when I suddenly saw movement in the trash pile next to the preschool. I slowly and quietly walked towards it and saw the kitten! He was startled but didn't know where to run. I went to the left and Jason the right and we just kind of watched him for a few minutes. He was wedged between bags of trash and buckets of rotting food. Jason said he thought he could reach down and grab him and kept asking if I wanted him too. I didn't know. I was stunned. I hadn't actually expected to get so close to the kitten. Up until this point it had been a kind of game. I wanted to help him but I didn't think I could. And I also knew that in less than two months we would be leaving Korea and I wasn't sure I could take the kitten home with us. I wanted to do what was in the kittens best interest but I wasn't sure if taking him in out of the rain or leaving him in it was the best, in the long run. I started to walk towards Jason a little panicky, but the kitten still didn't run away, even though he could have. Instinctively I reached towards him and he didn't see me, he didn't get away. I couldn't stop myself and picked him up. He freaked out a little, hissing and trying to scratch and he bit me a little on my hand but I didn't drop him. I just started blubbering to Jason "what should I do?! What should I do?!?! Should I put him down...?!?!" Jason was calm and said "let's go, let's go inside, come on" and we started walking towards the apartment. I huddled the wet, dirty kitten to my stomach and started crying! What a spaz I am! I was just so happy and upset, happy to have saved him and gained a kitten, but upset that maybe I acted out of selfishness and my own interests instead of his, and sad because I knew and still know, that I may have to leave him here and find him a home.

By this time it was after midnight. We put the kitten in the bathroom and I got a cardboard box and some towels to make him a home. Jason went to the store and bought some tuna because we didn't have anything else to feed him. He scarfed down the bit we gave him. We sat with him for about half and hour. The entire time I was nervous and uncertain. Jason just kind of smiled and seemed okay with the whole thing. Finally we went to bed well after 1 am. Jason didn't want to leave him alone in the bathroom so we took him and his box in the bedroom with us. But we left the door open. After finally falling asleep I was awoken at 5 am but his crying. But he wasn't in the box. I was bleary eyed but on a quest to find him. And I did. Under the washing machine! I tried to reach him but couldn't so I woke Jason up to try. He was grumpy and didn't understand what I wanted at first. Finally he tried but couldn't reach either and went straight back to bed. I got out the can of tuna and left it out as bait. I waited until he emerged and then grabbed him and put he and his box in the bathroom.

The next day we took a trip to E-Mart to buy a litter box and kitten food. We also were thrilled to find cheddar cheese and salami, things we had never seen at E-Mart or in Wonju yet. The food was delicous. We had sandwhiches and cheese and crackers for three nights in a row and it was glorious. I also enjoyed my E-Mart McDonalds. The workers can never understand how someone would order a plain hamburger instead of a cheeseburger but that's what I get every time.

Since then the kitten has been settling in little by little. We convereted the small trash/storage room into his domain. Its a little stinky now. But it works well for him. He still hides every time we get too close to him and hisses when I pick him up but he's making progress. We checked on him every day at lunch last week, Jason and I at differnent times, and this weekend I've picked him up a lot. He's also now playing with ribbons and letting us watch him eat. And just last night and again this afternoon he fell asleep in my lap while I petted his chest and chin. Progress! Baby steps! Tomorrow we are taking him to the vet to see if he is healthy. If so we will begin trying to make preperations to take him to the USA with us. Just have to find someone to house-cat sit while we are in Taiwan! Eek such poor timing!

Often he stands in his water dish while eating. If you notice the bone design, that is because all the stuff at the store was dog themed, not cat. Korean's generally dislike cats.

His home and his new ribbon

Still a little startled to see me, but getting better

Awww. He's a dirty little guy.

Korea's Green Season (+ Jason's Bday and a Winter Olympic Update!)

The scenery has changed drastically since winter time. With all the rain everything is green and bright. Thank goodness! I thought I'd show you all a few pictures chronicling the changes.

Before, winter time

Before, dead

The street when I moved in, building under construction in the back left

Ta da! Today, the building is done! Its a preschool.

Backyard garden

Some beautiful homes in the neighborhood

Green trees!

Another garden, this time a large front yard plot

Secret gardens galore

Beautiful home, look at that gate!

Community garden

My home, above the truck, windows open

My country school, Jijeong, keeps their own garden. The teachers and principal keep it up!

Oooh, inside the beautiful green house. We eat the lettuce at lunch.

JiJeong, my country school

Out my window on a stormy, rainy day

And now just for fun, some pictures of Jason's birthday celebration! I snuck around and got all of this without his knowing, so he was very surprised and happy. He's old now, 25! Or 27 in Korea! 

He just got a haircut, finally!

My partial present.

I love the hat!

Coco cake from Paris Baguette

And lastly I'm just gonna throw this in, Korea's Pyeongchang has won the Olympic bid for the 2018 Winter Sports! When Jason and I went to skiing in February, we went to Pyeongchang! I was so happy for Korea when I heard this news!! I'm sure everyone was so thrilled to hear the news, its Korea's third try for the winter Olympics. I think it is a perfect excuse to come back to Korea. Read up on the story in these articles, and be sure to watch the videos!

• South Korea to host 2018 winter Olympics
• Pyeongchang wins bid to host Olympics