A Merry Christmas in the mountains

Dear Family and friends

What a magical Christmas it was here in Korea. Maybe it was because for the first time, it was an ice-cold, snowy kind of Christmas that made it so much fun. Christmas just makes a whole lot more sense in the cold weather, when you get to stay in doors, wear funny jerseys, eat warm food and drink Gluwein.

Also, it was very different to spend Christmas with friends instead of family. I have to admit it.. it was realy, realy fun! Not that I don't love spending Christmas weekend with family, I love this too. But for the last few years our little family of four shrunk with Sammy being in America, and it got a little quiet and lonely around. For me there is nothing better than being surrounded by a bustle of people and activities. Maybe I should have lots of kids.. ha ha just kidding.

So this is what transpired.. on Christmas Eve Riwha (my good Korean friend) and I baked our hearts out at school, and bundled our games, food and supplies into a bus and headed for Jangsu-gun Beonam - a small town in the mountains just 20 minutes from my town, Namwon. Now let me chip in here that if it wasn't for Riwha's excellent sense of timing and sound organisational skills there is no way we would have made the bus in five minutes. I have to congradulate myself for chosing such a skillful travel partner.

Our bus dropped us off in a tiny little town whose corner cafe also operated as the local bus stop. The old Korean lady there helped us organise a taxi (very difficult when there are no taxi's in sight). And while we were waiting she poured us a cup of her homemade hot ginger tea, bless her soul. The resort was a few minutes away (Riwha got very cross when I forgot Amber's phone number, crisis reverted when we found it on Riwha's cell phone thank god). I realy need to be more organised, maybe it's time to buy myself a cell phone.

Anyway we quickly got the festive atmosphere goinng, and pulled out our fairy lights and muffins. Riwha set about decorating the place with small bows and little christmas treats. She is so creative, and what an eye for detail!

 

The others soon started to arrive, my good friend Amber from Cape Town, her friend (also a Tash) from New Zealand, as well as a realy awesome climber friend Alison and her friend Nic. Soon mystery Mike arrived on his motorbike (in the freezing cold, poor guy). There was a close mishap when Lauren (travelling from Ulsan) and Jasmine (from Andong), and Bo (Tash's Texan boyfriend) were dropped off in the middle of nowhere by the taxi driver (also now in the middle of the night and freezing cold) and didn't have a foggy clue where they were. There was a mild panic to say the least! They luckily found a Korean man who - screaming at them first - got on the phone with Riwha, and then kindly offered to drive them straight to the lodge. We realy do depend on Koreans for small travelling mercies here, I can't count how many times a little moment of generosity has saved my aas. So after a nine hour trip (which is roughly the time it takes to fly from SA to Singapore Lauren pointed out), they finally arrived and we were ready to celebrate.

Our cabin was warm and snug, and we woke up slowly. Alison made some fun Christmas decorations, Amber read her book. We all marvelled at each others crazy pajamas. We walked and played outside on the iced river and felt like little children. We drank irish coffees and I got a pot of Gluwein going. We played games, ate and snacked and then played more games. My good friend Cristen arrived from Namwon, and then he joined the others for a hike, while some of us stayed to get the dinner rolling.

When they got back it was present time. We each bought just one small gift - the rule being that it had to be funny. We made a game out of opening presents - we were allowed to 'steal' presents from each other or open a new one.  Some of the highlights were bunny socks, christmas underwear, a monkey hat that Riwha loved and wore for the rest of the weekend, and chocolates and a goody pack of spices, seaweed and games that I took. What fun!

At last it was dinner time. On the menu: roast chicken sauted with celery and garlic, honey -marinaded sweet potatoes, a walnut potatoe salad made by Amber that still makes my mouth water, steamed vegetables and a giant salad, washed down with red wine. Yummy! It was hard to eat after that, so we lay about for a bit, went for another jump outside (it just started snowing on Chrismtas eve, how lucky). When we came back we had much more energy and turned off the lights for a dance party.  We managed to eat our two delicous cakes and even get down some of my small apple pies with whipped cream.

Sigh. What more can I say! What a successful Christmas. It was wonderful to share it with friends and people from all over the world. Thanks to everyone for all the planning and hardwork. 
Please have fun looking at these photographs:  http://picasaweb.google.com/natasha.brain/AMerryChristmas2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCMvPzeuszJ-dAQ&feat=directlink

Merry Christmas! 

Market Day

There are many curious and wonderful things in Korea, and the Saturday market seems to capture them all. I headed there on a chill Saturday morning, looking for inspiration and adventure, and I was not dissapointed.

The market is just a short cycle away on my new bike (everyone rides them in Korea). I headed there on sunny late Saturday morning with my friend, Cristen. The sun was shining and people were bustling about, busying themselves with those things that people do on Saturdays (my Saturday shifts working at the Goodman Gallery seem like a hundred years ago). The Korean children are not so lucky - they have to go to school on Saturdays, but only half day, so there were a few milling about by that time. I bumped into a child who recognized me - I taught her cooking class at our center a few weeks back. I was chuffed that she remembered my name. It feels like the community here is gradually opening up to me.  If know that if I could  improve my Korean, their world would open up to me even more. 

We headed in the direction of the market, and passed stalls loaded with cheap clothes (the Chinese type that we get at home), bright colourful umbrellas and veg, and a big truck selling piles of fresh muscles in their shells. I was already taking out my camera, but then we got inside the actual market, and I was gobsmacked... Rows and rows of people selling things...I never knew Namwon was so big, or had a market this size. Fish slithered and splayed out of boxes, dead bodies displayed open in the morning air, or alive wiggling in buckets.

Now stop here if you are alarmed by this. In Korea, fish restaurants have their stock delivered alive to their stores, and you can pick your fish/ crab/ whatever else from the aquarium outside the restaurant. They don't seem to hide the death of the animal from you here - there are constant reminders that your foods is alive and you're killing it. Take for example the wiggly fish that are eaten as they jump around on your plate. I don't know if they're wrong for bringing it to our attention, or if we are for keeping the truth from ourselves, but either way it's the first time I've seriously considered being a vegetarian...

Veggies were fresh and bountiful, and thanks to Cristen's' Korean, I managed to pick up some nice lemons, and a rosemary plant, which were both 'heerlik' with my fresh fish the next day (obviously I recovered quickly from the meat conundrum the day before). I also got some home made fresh pumpkin noodles, which I can't wait to try, and a bunch of fresh veg which I got for a whole lot cheaper than at the shops...Success! Now if I can only figure out the currency in Korean, I could head down here every weekend for supplies. It's great motivation and practice.

 On my way out I spotted these freaky looking dried fish (the preferred snack in Korea, although I think these were just for decoration). I almost bought them, but then decided a photo would do. I want to draw them for a Korean still life. Check these out!

So as you can probably tell, I had great fun at the market and will be frequenting it more in the future. My cupboard got stocked with healthy food, and I got a good dose of fresh inspiration.

Trip to Jeju Island

 Last week was Chuseok, a family holiday very similar to Thanksgiving in America, and I had four glorious days off to explore Korea. I heard about the small tropical island off the south coast, and was eager to explore it. Looking at my photo's from the trip, I realised that I had to write about my wonderful week at Jeju Island.

I set off on the Monday afternoon with two friends of mine from Namwon, Matt and Cristen. They were awesome travel partners, and as you will soon see, Team Katsu had a great time together...

Day 1: Norebang and Jimjilbang

Had a rather swervy bus ride from Namwon to Gwangju. I must quickly say that the traveling part of the trip went relatively smoothly for us, considering that people book trips to Jeju months in advance, and we only planned the trip a week before! Despite the fact that the whole of Korea seemed to be trying to make it to Jeju, we never had a problem with buses being overbooked or full.  And we found places to sleep every night. I'll put it down to Matt's great planning and couch surfing connections, and our good karma and charisma.

The trip got off to a great start. Once we arrived in Gwangju, we grabbed a beer at the local 'Family Mart', (the equivalent of a garage shop at home, only they sell booze at all hours, fabulous!) and took a stroll around, taking in the bright neon lights of the pub district. Matt and Cristen had a go at this boxing machine on the corner of the street, which soon drew the attention of the locals.   Norebang was on the cards next. Norebangs are great Karaoke lounges, and are an integral part of Korean night life. We hired one for two hours, brought our beers in and sang some tunes, the highlight being 'Cocomo'  by The Beach Boys..which we changed to "we want to go to Jejudo..". I also sang my very best rendition of 'Ode to My ' by the Cranberries, which I forgot is a very hard to sing!.

Matt has lived in Japan, and is well traveled, and suggested that we stay over at a Jimjilbang for the evening. A Jimjilbang is like a public bath house, or roman baths, with Saunas and big hot and cold pools for dipping in, and you can sleep there for a night very cheaply. This was my very first trip to Jimjilbang, and I was nervous because I knew there was going to be an element of public nudity involved. At the reception desk I was handed some towels, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and directed to the female section of the spa, at which point I was separated from Matt and Cristen. Nervously I offloaded my shoes and found my locker. My eyes couldn't help falling on naked bottoms and bosoms of the ladies in the change rooms. It was my turn to get naked and I just couldn't do it - I took of my clothes under my sarong and kept it closely wrapped around me. Once I made it out of the locker room, I discovered that the spa,  and as quickly as possible, slithered out of my sarong and into a hot pool. It felt good, and I started to relax. There were a few pools of different temperatures, saunas, and a flat floor to lie on and bathe in this red light, which eases your muscles. I eventually gave up on the Sarong all together, and began to enjoy the nude experience, albeit still trying to hide my important bits with a towel the size of a dishcloth.

After I'd been sufficiently soaked and sweated, I showered and changed into my spa clothes- a bright orange ensemble that was just about as glamorous as a prison outfit. I headed to the upper floor to join the guys. It seems that people come with their whole families to these bath houses, and it is a very communal experience. Everyone sleeps together upstairs, splayed out on the floor. It was very strange feeling trying to get comfortable on the stone hard floor with nothing but a headrest for comfort. Oddly enough, I slept quite well and my back felt fantastic the next day. I must also mention the awesome massage chairs that they have here - which you can use for one buck and are actually dam good at rubbing and manipulating your body. The massage was so good, I'm thinking about investing in one of those chairs...

Day 2: The long hot walk

We arrived in Mokpo after a 90 minute bus ride, and were excited to begin the next leg of the adventure. Only, I was starting to realize the seriousness of my issue with packing way too much baggage. "Why do I always do this to myself?",  I was thinking for the hundredth time. The guys were smart and packed super light, but because I had a big bag, I automatically filled it up more than was necessary. You know, a girl needs options in the morning.. but after our walk, I was willing to throw it all away!

Try to block out the garbage...

We had a good four hours to kill before we could catch our ferry, and so we decided to take an 'easy stroll' to the ferry terminal. Only no one had any idea how far away it would turn out to be, nor how stinking hot it was that day! By the time we reached Mokpo - we were drenched, sweaty and grumpy! And nauseated with the smell of drying octopus and fish that lined the main road on the way to the harbor. On our walking tour of Mokpo, a rather dingy and industrial seaside city, we did have a few good moments. We had a little spin on some outdoor gym equipment (another unique phenomenon in Korea). We found a shipping museum, where we saw an old wreck and a lot of ceramics. We also had a good game of eye spy, and h is for 'hedge' people okay! Needless to say, when we finally got to plonk ourselves on the cool air conditioned Ferry, I was extremely grateful.

The ferry ride was a real highlight for me. It was a great sunshiny day and with a bit of wind, it made for very pleasant conditions riding on top of the ferry. While Cristen caught up on some beauty sleep, Matt and I grabbed some beers and spent a good portion of the ride enjoying the scenery, and meeting and chatting to foreigners. I met a few South Africans on the ferry, and we got very nostalgic about home and how good Koeksisters are. It was a very pleasant afternoon indeed.

Once we got a taxi into town from the ferry terminal, we met up with Matt's couch surfing contact, a  bright, bubbly teenager with the best English I have ever heard for a girl her age. Her pronunciation was very good, and she says she taught herself English by watching movies, and sometimes watching the same movie over 40 times! She can also speak Japanese, so she is definitely talented at picking up languages. Her dream is to be a "world traveler", what a great dream! She also told us to "get a dream" - which made me laugh, wouldn't that make a good bumper sticker? I hope I meet her again one day so I can hear all her stories.

Day 3: Lava Cave, Maze, Beach

After finding a good place to stay the night, thanks to our young travel guide, we set out to explore a system of lava tubes, or 'volcanic cones'. Jeju Island is a volcanic island,  with a volcano right in the center of the Island, called Mt Hallasan. The island was created from volcanic eruptions approximately 1.2 million years ago. The whole island has been labeled a 'volcanic museum' because of it's unique volcanic topography and rare ecosystems, and has been listed as one of UNESCO's World Natural Heritage sites. The place has an impressive resume!

 The volcanic tubes were just like caves, dark and deep under ground. I felt somewhat awed knowing that rivers of raw molten rock once flowed through the passages we were walking in. There were interesting shapes left on the walls, lava flow lines, shelves and icicles. At the end of the cave a fantastic lava column, left where the lava emptied out from another tube,  flowed through the ceiling. While the lava caves were impressive, I found I had more fun creating weird photo's with my camera ...check these pictures out!

Can you spot Cristen?

 A crazy way-gook (Korean word for foreigner) spent seven years growing and cultivating a maze, as a token of appreciation and gratitude to Korea. I think it was a noble gesture, and I would also like to leave something behind to thank this country when I leave. We had a good hour of weaving through the maze, and I'm proud to say I made it to the end first.  I've always thought I have a great sense of direction... 

I was dying to go to the beach and have a swim, and on the way home we did just that. The water was warm and beautifully turquoise, and that delicious experience that I will have to live on in my memory because I was having too much fun to take any photos.

 Day 4: Ole Trails, Cliff Jumping, Waterfalls and more..

This was a full and interesting day! A network of paths snake along the entire coastline of Jeju island, making it possible to walk or cycle around the entire place. Given that the island is only 73 km from east to west, and 31 km North to South, this is entirely doable in a week, and in fact I met a whole tour group who were doing just that. But for the lazy ones like me (or perhaps just because I know the meaning of a 'holiday'), we took a day to leisurely stroll one of the Olle trails.

I was pleasantly bowled over by the magnificent views of cliffs diving into the sea. It made me think of Cape Point, at home. We also saw a beautiful waterfall, which unfortunately was crammed with tourists and afforded no opportunity for skinny dipping. Unless you're very brave that is.  There were lots of people on the trail, and we had great fun saying hello to everybody who crossed our path. The guys were the particular attraction, they walked around without their shirts on which is basically unheard of in Korea. The men looked in admiration and awe. The woman's reactions ranged from terrified, to titillated. I have realised that there is much fun to be had acting strangely in Korea!

The guys did some cliff jumping.

So we walked for a few hours to find a waterfall,  which we later found out was dry at this time of year, and decided to head to a 'water amusement park'  recommended to us by our taxi driver.   The place was situated underneath a soccer stadium, built for the World Cup when Korea hosted it a few years ago. Now that is an innovative idea for what to do with Cape Town stadium if all else fails... The water world had a Jimjilbang area, and then opened out into a large water park with pools, a super tube, a wave pool and a 'river' to cruise down. Pretty much like Valley of Waves in Sun City - just smaller! The guys and I had a fantastic time, as I'm sure anybody would! I love doing things that make me feel like a kid!

After the water park, we explored the soccer field, and I did some mock star jumps and cheer-leading moves, which made a hysterical video you should watch sometime. On our way out, I realised that I had lost the walking stick I had bought that morning. Soon after discussing my loss, we crossed a large patch of bamboo, and the guys found a great long piece and decided to make us walking sticks. Amidst a cloud of mozzies (now biting every available piece of our flesh), the boys sawed the bamboo into three equal pieces with a pocket knife. After the sticks were completed, we felt like the three musketeers and decided to call ourselves 'Team Katsu' (Japanese for Team 'win').  This is what happens when you go on holiday with two guys..

Day 5: Mount Hallasan

Sticks in tow, we set off to climb Mount Hallasan, the large volcano at the center of the island. It was a fairly tough climb, 1950 m above sea level and very steep. It felt like there were a million stairs! The views and mountain scenery were beautiful, and we met some lovely people on the trail. Again, we greeted all the Koreans we possibly could...  It was a great climb, but nothing could have prepared me for the extraordinary experience waiting for me.  I had almost forgotten I was climbing a volcano, until I saw the deep hollow crater at the top...wow!

Team Katsu! Before the sweat..

The crater at the top



 Day 6: The last and best day of them all...

Matt is a Scuba Diver, and I wanted to try, but as I don't have a license, so Cristen and I decided to snorkel and while Matt went for a dive. We went out with a group of teachers who are lucky enough to actually live and work on Jeju Island. They were friendly, and we had great fun chatting to them as we waited for our dive. When the time finally arrived, we were transported to a boat, and then rode out to a beautiful island just off the coast.

I found the whole day relaxing and blissful. We got changed into our gear, jumped into the water just off the island. The water was a bit rough that day, but having had experienced a rough swim in Mozambique I didn't feel scared, and Orange had provided a good wetsuit and gloves to prevent cuts from coral and shells. I bobbed above a shoal of fish and enjoyed the feeling of being tossed slowly back in forth in the current. I saw some exciting fish, but it was the whole experience that made the day memorable. When the water got too cold, we climbed out and perched on the rocks for some afternoon lunch and a drawing session. The rocks is all volcanic, and has very interesting circular shapes. We stayed there for quite sometime, until the sun disappeared behind the ocean. What a magical day.

After we got back, it was already late, and one of the ladies we met on the trip offered to have us over for the night (there is our good Karma working for us again!). Kelly is a bubbly, happy, and interesting person, and it was great to meet her. She was very generous with her time, and took us out to the a fantastic Indian restaurant. I could have said there all night - the food was heavenly, especially given that I had only eaten Korean food and burgers for weeks! We headed home to Kelly's place for a shower, and then to a packed little club in Jeju - the first place I had been able to dance in Korea. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic holiday.

   

Chapter One

Saturday, 28 August

So much has been going on over the last two weeks. Every minute has been busy, but I've finally arrived in my new town and had some time to put my thoughts onto paper. It's a Saturday morning and, as usual, it is very humid and steamy outside. Rain stared early this morning and little down pours happen every now and then, which provide some relief from the incessant heat.

I arrived in my new town, called Namwon, the day before yesterday (Thursday). A teacher fetched me from the University in Jeonju, (which is the biggest city in the province – called Jeollabuk-do), where we were having our orientation program, and brought me to my new town and straight into my new school. Now to explain the high level of anxiety I was experiencing, I need to fill you in.

For one whole week, we (by we I mean myself and 300 teachers from all over the English speaking world), had been through fairly intense training, about teaching mostly, but also about the cultural behavior and gestures that we would be expected to know and conform to upon arrival at our new school.

Koreans value formality, and they have a hierarchical status system, a result of their Confucian philosophy of life, where the younger respect the older. We were taught to greet older people with a deep bow, and were also taught a few Korean greetings, all for the important moment when we would meet the Head of the Provincial Office of Education, or POE, and of course most important to our everyday success, our school principal. Sounds very simple, but at the time it felt like a minefield of cultural taboos just waiting to be stepped on.

The first meeting was with our POE's, and it was to be the pivotal moment when every one found out exactly where they would be teaching, and which level or grade. Most people didn't know what school they were going to teach, or where exactly they would be posted. I was super lucky - someone from the school contacted me on Facebook and I knew which town I was going to before I arrived. But I still didn't know for sure, and I was eager to hear about the age group I would be teaching. And of course, the other teachers were understandably nervous.

So we all got dressed up in the smartest clothes we had in our suitcases, and prepared ourselves for the big meeting. (I had my overly smart and sassy secretary's outfit on. For a country I heard values appearances, I was going to give it my best shot). I was rehearsing my bows and greetings (now is it Aneyong hi Kaseyo, or Aneyong hi Keseyo?), But, Alas, just before the meeting, I was told that my POE would not be coming, and I was to meet him the next day, when he would pick me up and personally drive me to my town. I was disappointed, relieved, and nervous at the same time. On the one hand I was overjoyed to have missed the intimidating meeting, but on the other hand I was nervous about sharing a whole car ride with this man the next day. On my way out, I crossed some mean looking men in black business suits and it gave me a little shudder.. soon it would be my turn.

After all this build up, I was feeling nervous, but I needn’t have worried. The next day, as I was waiting in the mess of people milling around the university lobby, a young, mousy looking lady approached me. With broken  English and hand signals, she ushered me outside and into a cab. I found out later that she was a teacher from my school (her name is Alecia) and she was the same age as me. Not quite the man in the black suit I was expecting.

She managed to get me to a cab. Unfortunately my bag broke practically as I landed in Korea (that's what you get when you buy a R200 bag from a Chinese store...). So we had to drag around my ridiculously heavy bag (it weighed 30kgs), sweating and puffing (now in the rain) into a taxi, and then into the very smart and new Office of  English Education to meet the big guy. Sweaty and frizzy haired was not quite the entrance I had planned, but hey that's life when you're traveling I guess.

I was led into a big open plan office, and after a clumsy bow in the vague direction of the people in the office, I was greeted by a smarty dressed woman, who saw me instead of the big man (it soon became apparent that she was the POE's Deputy). She was formal, but nice at the same time, and after a few minutes I was feeling a lot more at ease. While we signed my contract and looked over some paperwork, a friendly guy walked into the office, and began to ask me questions about South Africa, which I quicly realised was for no reason other than to practice or brag about his English. Needless to say, the experience wasn't half as dreadful as I imagined, sweaty-faced and rumpled as I was. Looking back at the experience, I would say that even if I had met the big guy, it wouldn't have been so bad. I’ve realised that although Koreans value formality, they are very good natured and kind hearted. They are genuinely interested in foreigners, and like to talk to them.

In the end, some people were posted in rural places, and some had to teach in two, or three and even four different schools a week. In relation to their situations, I think I have been very lucky. I was placed in an English Experience Center, which is a kind of field trip experience for students, who leave their ordinary schools and come to us for two to three days of total immersion in the English language. It happens every six months for them, and so they are excited to be at our center, which gives them a nice break from their ordinary school routines. Our job is mostly to entertain, and inspire kids to learn English. So the challenge is to make it as fun as possible.

The 'school' is very different to the average school as a result. For example, this month I am teaching 'storytelling', and 'movies'. Storytelling is held in a lovely, bright, colorful library.  I have a whole movie room in which I teach movies, equipped with the proper red movie chairs and surround sound. . We have a kitchen for cooking class, a culture and history room, (which looks like a mock museum), a computer lab, and a gym for PT class. Then there is a 'situation' room, where we have a mock airport, hospital, post office, fast food shop, restaurant, etc. I have been told that we have the best facilities in the province, and it is not hard to believe.

As far as teaching goes, every few months we swop classes and get a chance to teach the other subjects. It is very fun place to teach, given the abundant resources, and mostly, we have free reign to do what we like in our lessons, which is awesome. The only down side is that it gets repetitive, you can teach the same class five times a week, and do it for three months! But I like to change my lessons, or to do one or two back up lessons, to prevent the boredom that inevitably comes from so much repetition. I also have free periods, which I can use to research lesson ideas, and I have been enjoying the teaching experience so far.

For the first week I stayed with a Canadian couple, who are also teaching at my school. They are very nice, and I find most Canadians friendly and down to earth.. not to stereotype, but its true! I have six English teachers in my school. Normally you would be the only English teacher and you would be surrounded by Koreans, which can be a bad thing because you can get lazy and not talk to your Korean teachers. There are about 30 English teachers in Namwon, many of them stay in my new building. And there are plenty of people to visit in neighboring cities, including new friends I met at orientation, and my friend Amber in the city nearby (I visited her last weekend). So it is a busy social environment too.

There is plenty to do and to explore. Namwon is surrounded by mountains, covered with dark green pine trees. There is a small mountain near to my apartment which I can run up everyday. That is, if I'm not tempted by art class, tae-kwondo or yoga (so much to do and choose from!). You know how we Capetonians need a mountain and a beach.  I am not very close to the beach, but it is only an hour away. I can reach other cities with beaches very easily, and the bus system is easy to use. I have heard that in Winter when it snows, you can go sking, and they have one or two large ski resorts here.

 Another option available is to take a ferry to Japan, which can be done in four hours and very inexpensively (although i hear it is very expensive to eat and stay there). And despite the built-up cityness of korea in some areas, I am pleasantly suprised by beautiful scenery, temples and rivers and green rice padies, which surround the cities and creep into the towns. I even have a vegetable patch outside my window! (they use every available space here for growing things, as high population and limited space create a strong demand for fresh fruit and vegetables).

There seems to be a great respect for public space, and for nature, even in the cities. There are good sidewalks and pretty gardens , and beautifully carved wooden pagodas that you can go and relax under to escape the heat. The trees and plants look exactly like they do in Chinese watercolors. The trees are bonsai-like, and there are many soft, fluffy pine trees. There are big butterflies, and although there are not many birds, suddenly you will spot a large black bird flittering around the treetops. There are also bugs in the trees that make a loud rattling symphony when it gets very hot. Kind of like crickets, but more of them, and louder. 

In my next post, I will update you more about my new apartment, and life in Korea.

Anyonghi Keseyo! (I think!)