Baseball in Korea

Last weekend I attended my first baseball game in Korea. It was not as crazy as I anticipated  but it was a great time. I have heard that Koreans are pretty into baseball and that games are a total blast full of cheering and drinking and good times. Although there was cheering and such and it was a great time, I was a little let down.

We got $8 dollar tickets (a steal right) but the only catch was that these were first come, first served seats. So you have to arrive early if you want to sit together with your friends or family. We were 6 gals and arrived right when the game started so we had to split up into 3 groups of 2. We were luckily pretty close to each other at least. OH, and everyone LOVES "saving seats" aka putting their clothes, bags, boxes of pizza or fried chicken on the seats so you have to ask them to move their stuff. Pretty annoying if they know that people will need to sit there, right?!

One of the greatest things about baseball in Korea is that you can bring WHATEVER you want into the game. All you hear is "chicken, hot chicken" as you walk to your gate. They bring in whole pizzas, KFC or Burger King meals, fried squid, beer, kimbap or whatever you feel like enjoying at the game. The snack of choice is definitely dried squid...it is everywhere and it is stinky! There are convenience stores around and in the stadium for everyone to buy beer. There weren't even concession stands in the stadium (where we were) so you had to bring in whatever you needed.

The stadium is separated into fans for both teams. We were in the Doosan Bears section (white) and we were playing against the Hanwha Eagles (orange). The Eagles side looked like they were having the time that I had expected to have. They were loud and started the wave a couple times and were awesome! Our team was loud but not as fun as the other side looked.

Some other fun facts about Korean baseball games:
-they have cheerleaders dancing when their team is up to bat
-they have chants for each player, which is amazing!
-Their stadiums don't have a roof (I am pretty sure)
-we did a slow motion wave! A first for me!!

All in all I had a blast with my girlfriends, but I am hoping next time we go, we get a rowdy side!!

Some people had to stand or sit on the stairs

Beautiful sunset

The Wave....and I make a funny comment at the end

The "slow" wave...love CC's laugh!

Korean Fact of the Day: Germs

Koreans were never taught how to "sneeze into the sleeve". Although I used to find it ridiculous back home how washrooms would have signs of how to wash your hands and to avoid germs, I now see how important they are! Apparently it is not common knowledge unless you are told. 
Koreans will sneeze or cough into their hands, in mid air, on EVERYTHING, at you, it is gross. And instead of washing their hands, they continue to do what they were doing. SOMETIMES you may get someone who will at least use a napkin to wipe their target. But usually not. Oh and hand washing after, nuh uh...


Also, Koreans like to share food, including soup. Everyone has their own bowl but spoons and chopsticks make their way into the pot and germs are shared. It seems so different than back home but now, I am so used to it, I don't even think twice about it...my chopsticks are all up in there and I am drinking soup from the pot and simply enjoying my meal. It's funny how we get accustomed to things, huh?

Aren't differences in culture fascinating!? ;-)

From Spring To Summer

With a change in weather came a super busy month for me, which is awesome cause I am so close to being finished my journey! Time is FLYING by and I feel like I have so much to do and too little time! I have approx. 17 weeks left here and I still haven't even been to a temple or climbed a mountain! I know, right?! Although I have not done these 2 very essential things (don't worry, I will do them soon), I feel like I have done so much in just one short month!

List of things I have done this month:

-Trick Art exhibit

-Cirque Du Soleil - Varekai

-visited my co-teacher who had the baby...OMG he is adorable :)

-got a pedicure - for some reason, not as good as back home, but I did get it in my small town so...

-went to Busan - I have no pics, my old camera died :(

-started going to Korean class again and have been studying Hangul super hard :)
-changed gyms, boxing became too repetitive, but I don't think I will be at the new one long...
-took a friend here on business out for a night in Seoul...Karen, hope you had fun!

-went to an island off of Incheon called Muuido

-went to one of the only Chinatowns in Korea in Incheon

-went to my first open class (where you watch a teacher like me and their co-teacher teach an actual class) - Good work Joshua!
AND I am headed to my first baseball game in Korea AND also going to the DMZ this weekend.
So I have been a busy little bee just buzzing my way around the country! 

Goodbye Winter!

Winter in Korea is very brown and yellow and straight up depressing. It is long and dreary and just as cold as Canada. The upside is that Korean spring comes in April and is absolutely beautiful!! It has been warm during the day (around 15-20 Celsius) and a little chilly at night. I have been able to get outside and play sports and do touristy things and this makes me a happy girl :) Here are some pics from my little farm town...

GREEN!!

Things are growing!!

ma hood

at the bus stop

Waiting for the bus to go downtown

Every weekend I have been getting out and about and doing touristy things. I recently visited King Sejong's tomb with my friends Natasha and Sofia. King Sejong invented the Korean language (Hangul) and is a huge deal here in Korea. 

Sofia and I

Such tourists!

Natasha and I

Tomb

So Korean :)

I have found out, while living here, that I love playing sports! I played football for the first time and I actually love it! The second time we played I caught the ball!! Didn't get far but I caught it! I also played soccer for the first time since elementary school and I quite enjoyed that as well...I scored 2 goals! Last weekend I played Sloshball for the first time. It is softball mixed with drinking. For example you have to take a shot of soju at first base and drink half a cup of beer at the 2nd. It was a lot of fun! Everyone brought food and snacks and we BBQd it was great! 


I also joined a boxing gym in March that I love! It is circuit training, with conditioning, jump rope and boxing bags!! I will never spar, too scared, but I love getting in the ring with the trainer and practicing!!

Mark putting on his wraps

Middle schoolers - small right?

With spring in Korea brings CHERRY BLOSSOMS!! They are so beautiful and are everywhere! I went to a festival in Seoul and saw so many. I have never seen them before so I was amazed. They only last a short while so I am glad I got out and saw some.

What else have I been up to? Oh, I celebrated (well didn't actually celebrate) my 7 month mark in Korea. It is crazy that I have been here this long! And I feel like time is going to FLY by in these last 5 months. There are so many things I wanna do before I leave and only so many weekends left! I sure am gonna miss this place, look at these faces, how am I supposed to leave!?

Remember him? Tiger aka Tae Geun

Kindergarten

St. Patrick's Day, Korean Style!

St. Patty's Day in Korea is pretty much as St. Patty's Day back home. People get together and drink. their. faces. off!!


Korean St. Patty's started with everyone at our local bar Q'z. I didn't attend because I didn't want to be hungover at school the next day, and I am happy with my decision. I hear they drank green beer and Soju and even had the owners purchase some Baileys!! Many of my friends called in sick, or got sick at school or were just plain tired from partying too hard. I on the other hand was fresh and ready for our weekend bender. :)


Friday, those who were not too wrecked got together at Q'z and had some birthday festivities for our friend Alex. It was a good night and a nice start to the weekend. 

The next morning, nice and hungover, we all started heading toward the bus terminal to head to Seoul for some Patty's Day festivities in Insadong (an area where you can shop for traditional Korean gifts). Three bus loads of us Yeoju folk later and we all arrived ready and wearing green!

They are not drunk yet, just not paying attention! hehe

There was live music (Korean U2 cover band!), Irish dancing and plenty of foreigners and Koreans having a jolly old time!

Joshua

Korean U2 cover band

After they daytime celebrations we headed to another bar to pick up more people then headed to an all you can drink party at a pub called Dublin Terrace in Gangnam. For 40,000won ($40) we got all you can drink Guinness, Cass, mixed drinks, wine and a lovely buffet dinner. It was worth every penny. There were also 2 live bands which were fun to dance to.

Liam, Alma and Nathan

Liam groovin'

After the fun, me and 2 of my friends decided to take a cab home to Yeoju from Seoul. We got a flat rate of 60 bucks, which is cheap, but the cabbie got lost so an hour cab ride ended up being 2 hours and the funniest ride I think I have ever had in a taxi in my life!! Let's just say, that cab driver will never pick up foreigners ever again and will definitely not be driving anyone to Yeoju!