choco choco choco...

...is just one of the many songs I can't get out of my head! Our curriculum is very computer-centered and has an entire online component that we use to teach with at school, and during break times the kids like to watch videos. Here is one of the many that they enjoy. It is hilarious to see them memorize some of the random words and stuff from the video! They are so cute.

Anyway I had a very busy but fun weekend here! On Friday we had an informal staff dinner type thing that some people came to and we went to noraebang (karaoke room) afterwards! I was so excited because I hadn't been to one in like a year and a half and that is just way too long... I finally felt at home in Korea HAHA that is one of my favorite things to do in Asia! It's like private karaoke rooms you can rent out with just your friends, and they have a big table and couch and food and two microphones and a big tv and little stage and laser lights and some instruments... it's just fun, I love it! I don't have any pictures this time but maybe I will take a video next time.

Saturday I slept late (seems to be a theme in my life... I am trying to catch up on all that I do during the week!) This weekend I wasn't feeling too great and had been losing my voice on Friday (and karaoke didn't help haha) so I tried to rest on Saturday to get over it. Later in the day Melanie, Julie and I went to Costco in Taejon and I got some things that are difficult to find at regular grocery stores around here... like some cheddar cheese, and a big fluffy towel, amongst other things.

Sunday was probably the most fun I've had so far... Melanie's old Korean partner teacher, Mulan, who no longer teaches at Poly school, was going to take us to the cherry blossom festival in Seoul. Sadly it was postponed because they haven't blossomed yet... but we still went to Seoul and met up with Mulan's friends Sun and Min. They took us all around Seoul - we went to Myeongdong and Insadong (market areas), an old palace, and then to the beach!

First pictures are from Myeongdong which is a famous shopping area

Little dog outfits! I loved the panda on the right and the traditional Korean hanbok on the left. Of course Shelby couldn't fit into these...

It was pretty crowded

Julie and me in the market

I felt so bad for this kid... we are assuming it was a kid because they were so short

Mulan, Melanie, Sun, me and Min (Sun's boyfriend)

Mulan, Melanie, Sun, me and Julie

Myeongdong is definitely a place I want to go back to for more shopping! I would love to spend more time there haha. After that we went to Insadong which is also a market area but with more traditional things, like souvenir items and stuff.

me with my T.O.P socks! Love all the kpop stuff here

This was apparently a famous hodduk place (the stuffed pancakes) because the line was wrapping around. We had already eaten one in Myeongdong but we managed to find room for another...

Insadong

more delicious hodduk

even though this was a more traditional area, there was still a Starbucks there. However, this is the first Starbucks I have seen in Korea where the name is in Korean instead of English... maybe that is more traditional?

Famous market building in Insadong

Not sure what this is but I like it

the girls at the top of the building

Favorite picture of the day - a bench on the landing of the stairway in the building. So random but I love it!

The wall outside of a school

This is an Italian restaurant that I think is really beautiful

After this we also went to a palace and the beach. I will post pictures next time of the palace. I have no pictures of the beach because my camera battery died and plus it was dark anyway. We had some good seafood noodles and walked on the beach for a little while before heading home. It was so fun!

Sadly I was feeling worse today so I am going to go to bed early and hopefully feel better tomorrow. Sometimes it kills me to be standing for like 8 hours a day... hope everything is going well at home! Come visit me and I will take you to these places :)