I Did It

Six months in Korea as of today!

I can't even believe that I have been here that long. I mean a school year is only 8 months... I can't wait for winter to be over. I always found it hard back home but here it is cold and no car and I am away from all my close friends and family.

I am super excited because Tina is moving here at the end of February!!! She is working at a school in my neighborhood and will be living just around the corner from me! Looks like I have to move to Korea to get my best friend to live close by lol...

Yay!

My package finally arrived today!

Christmas, New Years and Boracay!

So this is the first Christmas in my 24 years of life that I did not spend with my family... well in person. It was definitely weird and I feel like Christmas did not really happen this year.

Some friends and I cooked up a storm on Christmas Eve. I provided the roasted chickens (turkeys are way tooo expensive here!) and we had all pulled names and brought a secret santa present. We opened the gifts one by one and it was a lot of fun! It kind of felt like a family dinner and we were all missing home so it was nice to be together.

My Christmas morning I called my parents and brother so it was their Christmas Eve. I had them open presents and my Uncle Peter, Aunt Maureen, Zach and Phoebe were there too! We talked for about 3 hours and my mom also showed me some presents she had purchased for me. Kitchen stuff for when I return home... whenever that will be...

My German friend Sarah arrived on Dec 23rd and the two of us flew to Manilla in the evening on Dec 25th.

Waiting at Incheon to board the plane... almost forgot my purse here!!!

We arrived in Manilla at 12:30 am Dec 26th with our friends Maggie and Kiren and proceeded to hang out in the airport until our flight at 7:20 am... Sarah and I had a nap and I set my alarm. It went off and the boarding was called so we went and got on the bus that drove us to the plane... as we get out of the plane they call our names and inform us we are an hour early for our flight and we will be on the next plane!!! Oops forgot to change the time on my clock from Seoul time!!!

Our plane from Manilla to Kalibo.

We finally got on the right flight and arrived in Kalibo. We knew we had to find someone to drive us to the Jetty Port Ferry near Caticlan. We essentially just had to trust that the Philippinos who were guiding us to a van were not lying to us or ripping us off and we tucked into the van for a two hour drive. We arrive at the ferry in our sweaters and jeans with the sun beating down on us. We had different flights from Maggie and Kiren but we all met up again at the ferry and started through that ordeal... we had to buy three tickets... one for the ferry, one for the terminal fee and one for the environmental fee... Why can't one ticket encompass all???? So we get on the "ferry" or small boat rather and head over to Boracay.

On the other side we meet someone from our hotel and hop into a tuk-tuk and head to our hotel.

Us on our way to the hotel.

This is what the tuk-tuks look like... a motorcycle with an attachment!

Finally around 10:30 am Dec 26 we arrive and are on the beach!!!!

This was just after finishing our first meal!

There were 9 of us in total staying at our familly "villa" at Orchid's resort. Veena (my coworker), James (Veena's Korean boy), Sarah (my friend from Germany I met in September in Korea), Maggie and Kiren (two American girls who work in our neighborhood and work with my coworker Jon's fiance), Deanna, Maria and Keisha (3 Canadian cousins, two live in my neighborhood and 1 was visiting) and myself.

This is all of us at our New Years Eve dinner. Going around the table in a circle starting on the left is Sarah, Deanna, Maria, Keisha, James, Veena, Kiren, Me and Maggie

I spent most of my days lying in the sun and dancing and partying at night. We spent a day snorkeling... a day riding motorbikes... a day on our own boat where our guide cooked all the food we brought with us!!! Seriously it was the most amazing week of my life... I think it may even beat out those summers at camp I loved so much.

This is our trip on our private boat.

New Years was probably the best one I have ever had in my life. It was funny because no one had on watches or was carrying cells so we didn't really know when midnight was... then the fireworks went off and we were like Happy New Years!!! then about 5 minutes later there was a countdown!! lol oh well... we celebrated it twice in five minutes.. There were tons and tons of fire works. It really was awesome!

Veena and I watching the fireworks.

So now I am back in Korea... The moment I got off the plane I was pushed around and I remember how rude and pushy Koreans are... Going away has made me realize how much of an awful place Korea truly is. Philippinos are amazingly wonderful and friendly people... they may try to rip you off here and there but its not like they have a lot of money so why not let them rip me off?? I arrived in Korea Saturday Jan 2... woke up for work on Monday and... there was snow... everywhere... I was not happy!

I thought that this would be my first winter without having to trudge in the snow... I do love snow but a one year break would not be so bad. They have not had snow like this in Korea since they started recording their weather in 1937... what are the odds?? Maybe Canada misses me!

I heart you Boracay!!!

These are the links for the full albums of my trip. The pictures are in order from arrival if you go through 1 first.

1. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2303350&id=81005275&l=33e13f05e1

2. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2303385&id=81005275&l=f347edfa54

Somehow i made it home when the subway closed...

Tonight I had my choir performance. It went well and I had a drink with some friends after... Being responsible we decide we better go catch the subway since it is approaching 11:30 and the subway ends earlyish never quite sure on the exact time... Turns out on Saturdays it ends exactly at midnight... leaving me stranded in Yaksu...

I picked a random Korean and said "English?" I was super lucky today as he spoke English well and he was drunk. Korean's are often afraid to speak English when they are sober because they don't want to embarrass themselves... THANK YOU SOJU!!! SO he didn't know the subway was closed early either... many Koreans seemed to not know this... How was I supposed to know it ends early on Saturday??? Usually we are out so late we have to cab home...

So I talked to this Korean boy and we established that neither one of us had money but fortunately this random person from the subway lives in my neighborhood!!! We go to an ATM but it won't let me take money out.. he said something like either my bank is closed... or they are doing something or another... either way i could not take out money!

So we get out to the street... looking for cab... not that we could even pay him but we have to get home it's -10 outside!!! This van pulls up and a man gets out asking where we are going. He offers to drive us and rallies up other people as well.. So I am a bit freaked out... I mean this was NOT a cab... this was a random van!! and I am with a random Korean whom I have to put all my trust into! The Korean boy went a took a picture of the mans van and license plate just to be safe. So me and 5 random Koreans drive off in this van to Kyodae (Seoul National University of Education.. which is where i live)

Korean boy had explain to the van driver that we had no money. The van driver was not angry and simply got the Korean boy's phone number and said he could pay him later! We arrived safely and I gave the Korean boy my number so I could give him my share of the money at a later date.

It was quite the adventure and at the time I was like.... shiiiit!! what am I going to do!!! If I really had've taken a moment and thought about it, I would have realized I had my Canadian debit card and I could have taken out money on that possibly if I found the right bank machine.... I also could have taken money out on my credit card but I don't even want to think about what the charges and interest would have been. Either way I solved the problem and survived another day in Korea...

Mom and Dad don't be worried! I can figure things out in sticky situations.

Note to self... if I spend the emergency money I leave in my wallet make sure I replace it!!!