birthday weekend

This weekend was by far my favorite weekend I've spent here in Korea. Friday was my birthday and it was surprisingly great given the fact that I saw none of my friends or real family. For breakfast my host mother made me toast with jelly, cereal, eggs and fruit which was indescribably awesome. Korean breakfast just does not do it for me, so I was really excited. At school, two of my co-teachers gave me gifts. The one gave me cosmetics, and the other a bracelet and hair pin (both of which are a little gaudy, but I'll end up wearing anyway just to make them feel good). They also brought me in a cake and sang me happy birthday at the end of the day. For dinner, my host mom and sis took me to a pizza & spaghetti buffet. The buffet was pretty horrible, but the spaghetti might have been the best spaghetti I've ever had. They baked it in the oven covered with cheese like you would ziti...so good! The restaurant itself was entertaining solely because of its music selection. I love the random and inappropriate American music that Korean stores and restaurants play. For example, while eating at the buffet I heard Britney Spears' "Circus", FloRida's "Get Low", and Michael Jacksons "Will You Be There". The other day while walking around downtown I heard the Ying Yang Twin's "Whisper Song" blasting from a store...totally inappropriate, but no one knows because they don't understand the English.
Saturday I went to Daejeon to meet up with all of my close ETA friends. There ended up being a group of 18 of us by the time dinner rolled around. A smaller group of us met up for lunch at TGIFridays. It was the most I spent on a meal since I've been in Korea, but it was totally worth it. After lunch we randomly chose to go to a zoo/amusement park known as O-World or Zooland. Not sure why it has two names. O-World was a weird combination of a kind of crappy zoo and a kind of crappy amusement park. If I went to a place like this in the states I would be disappointed. However, even the most mundane things in Korea are somehow exciting so we ended up having a good time. It only cost 8,000 won to get into the park, so it was worth it. After O-World we went in search of a motel to freshen up in and to drop off our belongings at. We ended up at a motel near one of the universities in Daejeon. After cleaning ourselves up, all 18 of us went out for dakgalbi for dinner, and to two different bars. Dinner was awesome, and the first bar was a lot of fun. The locals who were there all seemed to be celebrating different things (birthdays, bachelor parties, etc) so the atmosphere was great. We ended up sitting at a big table next to a group of Korean guys who were celebrating their friends birthday who is a year older than me. When they found out that it was my birthday too, they gave me a piece of their cake. We ended up hanging out and playing games with the Korean guys for the rest of the time at that bar. I really enjoy how easy it is to meet people here since everyone is extremely friendly and kind and are usually really excited to see Americans. I ended up going home to sleep after the 2nd bar, but some of my friends went for round 3 at noraebang.
I got back to my apartment around 2 oclock this afternoon, expecting to sleep the rest of the day away since I got hardly any last night. But in typical Korean fashion, my host parents informed me that in one hour, we were going to go hike a mountain. I was feeling under the weather from the previous evening's festivities, so I almost cried when they told me this. Hiking in 90 degree heat was literally the last thing I wanted to do at the moment. My parents took me to a mountain called Sang Dang San Seong, where they go hiking every Sunday. I ended up having an awesome time, and I think the hike was one of my favorite things I've done in Korea so far. The mountain is only about a 10-15 minute drive from my apartment. The trail that we hiked on follows a wall built in the last dynasty to protect Cheongju from Japanese invasion. Its like a much much smaller version of part of the great wall (thats the best way I can describe it). It was absolutely beautiful, and the views from the wall were stunning. Unfortunately, I had left my camera at home so I wasn't able to take pictures, but I will be sure to bring it next weekend when I go back. I can't believe something so beautiful is so close to my apartment and that I get to go there every weekend. It may become my favorite place in Korea...or at least in Cheongju. In typical fashion, about halfway through our hike my host parents took a break to crack open the can of beer they had brought with them, and to eat hard boiled eggs. Interesting. Anyway, when (not if) any of you come to visit me, I will be taking you there as part of my tour.


3 of the 4 other English teachers and I celebrating my bday.


Cornelius, Meghan and Dave at TGIFridays


friends at Fridays


"An if you look to your left, you will see Americans in their natural environment, eating hamburgers and drinking MGD."
An example of the celebrity treatment we get here in Korea. While enjoying our meal, these little kids came to the window and just stared and waved at us. We felt like an exhibit at the zoo. I think we should start charging.


Me in front of O-World


The tunnel by the seal tank was not meant for tall people.


We were unable to find the Handicapped and old and FEEDLE person exhibit, although I'm sure it would have been very interesting.


Josh and I getting ready to ride the free fall ride.


It was a lot higher than it looks!


Enjoying some dakgalbi.


The other birthday boy.


Our new, cute, Korean friends.


Josh, Kelly and I