Monday 27 December 2010

Christmas time!


Although distinctly less christmassy than at home we had a great Christmas day and leading up to the big day I had a school outing to the cinema to watch my first ever Harry Potter film. Most people can't believe I haven't read or watched any Harry before, but it's a children's book so that's my main reason.... It was nice watching the film out here though for all the images of Britain! We also had a snack party for my grade 4 horse race winners, who I'm glad was also my favourite class! And to this week ~ English camp...




Grade 6 teachers outing to Mad for Garlic, an italian style restaurant with lashings of garlic. Great, unless you're on a date I expect!

Class 4-7. Favourite students! :-) We watched Merry Christmas Mr Bean after this!

Times square shopping centre

Ice cream that disappointingly was completely hollow!

Oreo milkshake

My Christmas pressies! Lucky lucky lucky. Thank you everyone who sent me goodies!


Christmas day mulled wine



Seoul Secret Santa


Fontaine's SS gift

Mine, from Luke. Great Expectations

and a kettle because I've been using a pan to boil the water for the last 4 months!









One of kev's pressies....


Wine wine wine


Course 1. Beef cheek salad


Course 2; beetroot soup


Course 3 (main); turkey, mashed potato, carrot and root veggies, stuffing and gravy!


'Surprise' cookies



Course 4; Pumpkin pie. Not good.



Christmas dinner posse!



On to a bar afterwards



and this week's camp arts and crafts

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Seoul Fever Live!

Last night we went to a free concert called Seoul Fever Live. For us it was a bit random as we didn't know the 'celebrities' but there was some break and street dancing which was really good. Some guy called David Choi who is apparently big on youtube also performed, and another guy who used to be in 2pm (a massive boy band over here) but got kicked out because he twittered that he hated Korea... Idiot!




Not a b boy.



Dumbfounded (I think)

David Choi. Internet sensation.



Smooth Criminal


Break dancing competition.



Food

It occured to me over Lunch today, as I sat looking at my tray of food, that whilst many people have commented to me how brave I am with the food I've been eating (as evidenced on this very blog), there are actually a few things out here that I just cannot eat. Things that are not good, nice, or in any way appealing. 

School lunches are generally ok. There is usually at least 1 thing I can eat, and there are so many snacks available in the 6th grade office that even if there was nothing, I'd be ok gobbling up bisuits, cakes and crisps there! Anyway, what follows is a selection of the things here that are not good...

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Rice and red bean.

This was lunch today. Now I must point out that on a wednesday all schools in Korea have a 'special' lunch day where they offer a proper meal. The other days are rice, soup and a couple of side dishes. Past Wednesday lunches have included; spag bol (Oriental version), curry (Korean but nice), bibimbap, noodle soup and once something resembling Stew, today's was this (see above). Rice in a red bean sauce. It was as gloopy as dodgy porridge and also had surprise bits of rice cake-esque gloop in it too. It was not good. I feel this is a good opportunity to get my dislike and distain for red bean out in the open. Red bean I don't like you, ever since the early days of induction in China, a day hot as the sahara my new friends and I wandered into a small shop to buy an ice cream and I picked up a chocolate one (i was thinking Feast) It was a red bean icicle. Terrible, and things have not improved in our relationship. Red beans swan around masquerading as chocolate left right and centre over here in the East, cakes, ice lollies, rice cakes (and yes I know I don't like them either). I really can't bear to eat them, they remind me of the kidney beans that always fill my mum's chilli. That in a cake? Are you mad? Dreadful



Ddukk boggi.

Rice cake in the spiciest sauce you've ever tasted. This is sold all over Seoul and I think safe to say Korea, cheap street food, although I'm sure there are proper versions of this in fancy restaurant and homemade varieties. I hazzard a guess I would dislike these too. The worst thing about this dish; another actor. Looking all pasta like! When I came to Korea as a tourist I was delighted to see this everywhere, finally something nice (and cheap) to eat, better stock up before I return to wokky China. Ohhhh how i was wrong.

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 Kimchi.

Now I realise this is fairly controversial, But I'm not a lover of Kimchi. It's Korea's national dish, and they go mad over it. In fact at the speech contest at least 3 students did their presentations on it (and the rest were either about G20, Park JiSung or hanguel). I'm afraid they lost points in the interesting content section from me for boring me with the details of how it's made and how healthy it is for you, and one cheeky little monkey had the audacity to tell me how 'the foreigner likes it too'. Ermmm no love I don't think so. Anyway back to Kimchi. Don't get me wrong, I can eat a little of the cabbage one (chinese leaf in case you're wondering) but the raddish one can take a hike. Awful, truely. The other bloody annoying thing about Kimchi is that it creeps up everywhere. A couple of weeks ago we had kimchi fried rice at school, at my local kimbap shop they have kimchi kimbap, kimchi mandu (dumplings), kimchi soup, kimchi stew. It. is. everywhere. If anyone tells you they LOVE kimchi, they are either Korean, or lying.

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Dog meat.

Haha only joking, not tried that yet. Although I don't like dogs so I'm not saying I wouldn't...

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Christmas!


This week I got the 6th grade to make a paper chain to decorate our classroom. They all wrote a wish on their chain. Here is the finished product!





I wish for being happy.


I want to get girlfriend


I wish for boyfriend...


This was on most of the chains. I wish for a lot of money, I wish to be rich. Give me money!


Money better than a million dollars...?



We had a music concert this week at school, which after my success in the norabang (!) I was asked to sing at. Two of my co teachers and I performed 'yesterday' Here are some of the pictures that were taken!


Recorders


3 co teachers and the 6th and 5th grade music teachers.



Yesterday...


...all my troubles seemed so far away...


...now it looks as though they're here to stay. 



Clarinets


Abba dancing queens. Was a bit disappointed with this one, cos I've heard them rehearsing this number for about 3 weeks in the next door classroom but on the day none of them sang!!


Flutes


Oh yesterday, came suddenly.