I know it has been a while since my last recorded adventure and I apologize. But alas I am here and I will try my best to keep this updated in my last 3 months of the Asian life of Jennifer Lee. Here we go......
So this weekend seemed shot from the beginning. We had to work Saturday to make up for getting a long Holiday next week. So Friday night we headed out for a few drinks to celebrate Randel's B day. Randel is a good friend of mine who works and lives with me. He is a great guy from Ajax, Ontario. He is 25 and still alive. The big party was Saturday night after work, a big party that I myself could not attend. We got off work at 8, right away Ginny (My ESL Ontario friend), Lyndsay (SMU folk), and David, and I went to our Tae Kwan Do grand masters place to practice. For what? OUR BLACK BELT TEST!!!!!! We spend a short 30 minutes practicing we headed home and got some rest.
Nine am rolled around pretty quickly and we found ourselves in the TKD van headed to Suwon (the next city down) to come face to face with 5 angry Korean judges. Our test included two poomsei's and a 1 minute free sparing adventure. The free sparing was thrown on us last minute by Big G himself. We were expecting to come face to face with a more prepared, scary, fierce korean chick. We spent 4 hours waiting in the big gymnasium which of course felt like the Colosseum, watching group upon group complete their tests. My nerves were completely calm until the moment we got out of the stands and headed for the floor to await our turn. My whole body started to shake and I felt sick to my stomach. I guess it really doesn't matter how scared I was because those patterns were burned into me and I didn't even have to think about them as I went through them. I was lucky enough to get paired up with Lyndsay for the sparing and it went well. I left the gym with the most amazing sense of accomplishment, almost as much as dancing across the stage to get that little diploma of mine.
So after leaving there with such an awesome feeling we had to do something exciting. So myself and Ginny decided to join Krista (who is comin to NL with me in Nov.), and Brooks to go bungee jumping. I know I have told you about this before but this time was a lot different. We went by our ankles, and WOW! What an absolutely rush. 45 M later I was able to get that adrenaline rush back.
We ended the day with an adventure to every one's favorite Thai restaurant, Buddha's Belly. Had some amazing Pad Thai and headed home on the subway..... And there you have it Folkes, my weekend worth of fun all wrapped into one Sunday.

a weekend worth blogging about

I know it's been a while but here I am regaling you of my Korean adventures yet again! The weather has been shaping up lately and we have been out taking advantage of it. This weekend was particularly fabulous....
I was so exhausted friday form the long week of work so i kept it low key and watched an episode or two (or like 4) of lost. Couple that with a few glasses of wine and you got yourself an awesome friday night. This is a problem for me now, as I have become addicted and for some reason my computer refuses to d load them to satisfy my 24hr urge...
Since Friday was a late one the 8am wake up wasn't really welcome, however when Randel ands Erin knocked on my door bright and early I was ready to go... We headed to Jebu-do, a beach just off the coast of Incheon. It was the perfect day, the weather was amazing. We climbed rocks, played frisbee, had a clam bake, swam in the pacific, had a few beers, and just spent a lot of time in the sun. Came back prepared for a night of adventure, then the heat stroke/hangover set in and I was toast. Ate some good Mexican food in Beomgye and headed home (despite Jon Kincade's phone calls of hatred for it). Finished the night off with some quality Dan time as she nursed by bright red sun burnt back back to health with a bottle of Aloe. Yes..it's true! I am pink... bright pink.... and in so much pain I could cry, but luckily I am also tough so I won't.
We woke up later on Sunday (I needed the sleep time) to head into Seoul for the Lotus Lantern Festival. Myself and Erin ran into some work friends and headed to this amazing tea house for some Cinnamon chilled tea. The place was beautiful, it had fish tanks for tables and birds flying around the place. The atmosphere was so relaxing. We followed that by a stroll into one of the temples and then a parade. I should point out that it was a 3hr parade.... It was one of those things that your so excited about when it first begins because it was beautiful, and you hoped it would never end...then it doesn't. Either way it was a great show and i got some great pics. Afterwards we went to an Indian restaurant's for some supper, we left when we heard it ran out of curry...How does India run out of curry????????? So we settled on this great Japanese place with again an amazing atmosphere. A class place where they don't pack your food up to go, so our good friend Danielle breaks out a ziploc bag and scoops her leftovers into her purse... god why can't I have just one normal friend.
A missed subway and some good exercise running for the bus and we were headed home to our little town of Anyang to rest out sleepy heads before starting another week of work.
I love this country... I really do

The western world has evolved into a "survival of the richest" kind of society. This may be a slight alteration of the famous words of every one's good friend Charles Darwin... let's refer to him as Big D. Since being in South Korea I have grown to appreciate the words in their true form. Let me explain....
As I rode the subway home from the center of Seoul late Sunday evening I noticed that 75% of the the occupants of line #4 were dozing quietly. Sleeping through the loud subway sounds and the conductor's announcements, each making sure to set a hand phone alarm to be certain not to miss their stop. The reason for their exhaustion? Well, without thinking I assume they are much like myself, heading home after a long weekend of partying, getting ready to start a new work week. But alas, I am wrong.
Korean society prides itself on work ethic. Let's start with their students. At a young age they attend their regular Korean school, after which they don't get to bask in the sun (or smog) they are enrolled in several academies. sometimes up to four or five. This can include science, math, and the very common English academy. After high school we move into university. A life that involves living away from home, being with friends, learning and living. For many Koreans this also involves working a weekend job that can include up to 12 hour work days for Friday Saturday and Sunday. Next they move into the business world, you get out of school and you work a 9-5 right? Wrong again little ones. Longer hours, weekend shifts, always being available. All this is topped with a growing need to learn English, a language that is complicated frustrating a time consuming, not to mention expensive.
In South Korea's capital city, Seoul, there are 10 million people. That's a lot of people competing for the best jobs, for the best universities, for the best academies. You have to have not only money to pay for it, but you must be willing to work harder than anyone else around you. Competition is tough, the strongest do survive. I am referring to mental as well as physical strength. The body strength to ensure you can endure those long days (as well as bad air quality), and it comes to power of mind to talk yourself into believing you can do it.
It's easy to feel for these weary eyed subway patrons. This 40 minute commute might be the best rest they've had in weeks. And I complain when I have to wake up before noon.....

World Cup Stadium

So.. for Dave Cotton's 23rd birthday we got tickets to see Uraguay play South Korea at a FIFA friendly game in world cup stadium. Our seats were 8th row midfield. The game was great, the seats were awesome. The atmosphere was unbelievable. I have never seen so much red being worn in one place at the same time, I have never been in such a big sports complex.. So many people. korea's team is called "The Reds" and for a team that apparently is not doing so well they had a large cheering section.
Towards the end of the game 4 people that we were sitting with (friends of Dave's) decided they were gonna streak across the field. Now I thought to myself that that might be a bad idea. I mean faterall it's not just a soccer field..it's the world cup field... Let's be serious. but no before I could contemplate their plan any further they were running across the middle of the field, the players just kinda staring nd wondering what the hell the waygoek's were doing. I am thankful that they don't know the meaning of the ord streak and were runing fully clothed all over the place. These are pretty big guys it it took a few little korean police officer men to take them down.

The game ended, Uraguay 2-0. We headed over to RMT (a canadian bar) to continue the adventure. We had a great night full of adventure.

I'M 23!!!!!!!!!!!!

So i guess it is time to write about my b day adventures before time slips by as quickly as it does and I have more stories to tell. It all began on March 10th at 8:30pm in Hong-dye in Seoul. We had a reservation for 35 at a place called Carnie Station. This is an all you can eat all you can drink for 2.5 hours, 22,000won (approx 22 Can.). They have it all, galbi, pasta, veggies, soju, wine, beer, and hard liquor. We had a nice little room and had a great time.....
The lovely Maggie Campbell came to chill and introduced us to her boyfriend Jason who had some connections at this korean hip hop dance club. He got us in for a deal. The place was great since it wasn't too busy we had our own tables and a whole dance floor to play on.... The night led us to route 66 for some more drinks and...wait for it... MOZZA STICKS!!! Then to another bar for an hour while waiting for the subway to take us home! At Tinpan we hung out had a drink and danced on the tables (wouldnt be a good night without it).. then headed to the subway, quick stop off at McD's for some breakfast and home by 8am!!!!
Slept till two. Danielle, Dawne, and myself woke up to go meet a korean friend Ally for lunch. We had some great mexican food then took a walk in Gagnam. Upon walking down the street we came across a mob of screaming girls. While trying to see what's on the inside we realize that it's some sort of korean movie man surrounded by body guards in pin stipped suits and fun earpieces. Also there were about 6-7 news cameras. The guy is giving out candy to the girls (since it was close to the korean "white Day" which is Valentines Day for girls). He sees me a motions for me to come into the circle. His body guard retrives me form the crowd and I meet him, while trying to resist the urge to ask for his name after telling him mine. I feel as if this might have been a bad idea..him being famous and all... I mean how do you think Bon Jovi would react to someone asking him his name on the streets of New York City? I pick a piece of paper form a stack and of course I can't read it. It said I get to take a photo, so someone takes a poloroid and passes it to me. He says good day and moves on and then i get attacked by a few cameras asking me "How do you feel?" Well..."I'm just so overwhelmed and Excited!" In a very sarcastic voice, thank god they don't understand the concept of sarcasm in this ocuntry so I think I'm safe....
Chaulk it all up to experience in the country of wonder and in the fabulous life of.....Jennifer Folkes....
So it goes...

Bungee Jumping

...."and I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, free falling...." was what was going through my head when we decided to take the plunge. Literally. From 45 feet in the air with a cord that has its safety in its elasticity. We finally did it, in a city called Bundang for 25 dollars, Erin, Paul, Brooks, and myself. The weekend after we watched Dave Cotton and his friends do it we couldn't wait until it got warmer. We woke up at 10 on a cloudy Sunday and hopped on a bus.

Going in, we signed our lives away and go strapped in by a man who didn't speak our language. Prayed a little on the inside that he wasn't explaining some essential safety rules, then we rode the elevator slowly up the 45 m to the platform. I was to go third. To our disappointment we got strapped by our waists, which is far from the ankle jump we anticipated, however maybe it was better to ease into these things. I couldn't think of it as I stood there waiting. What was I thinking about? "54321, 54321, 54321" if I did let what I was about to do cross my mind I may have hopped right back on that elevator. So I get there and he attaches the rope and says "54321 Bun gee OK?" and even though my mind was like heck no I'm not ready my mouth opened and said "OK". And as he did his countdown I decided that i couldn't do i but as soon as he said bungee I just automatically went........AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAH FUCK YEAH!!!!!!!!

For the first second it was oh this sucks, then it took my breath away for a few seconds. Then you ease into the cord, no whiplash as I expected... so you get this sense of safety back form the harness holding you so tightly then you recoil. When you get up so high again you lose all sense of safety because the harness is tight against you anymore... then you get it back as you fall...repeat three times and you get lowered into a boat and all it good....

Next time I'm all over this ankle business!

I got my baby back...

And it has returned...the love of my life, my computer! And so much has happened since I've lost it! We have 5 new teachers at our school. Two of which are the fabulous Erin Pittman and Paul Mackay from SMU. I am more than excited! They got in on a Friday night right after we got off work. Tired and jet lagged we dragged them out for Galbi. Saturday night we joined some SMU folk and some youngdo folk at Wara Wara. This is a soju bar (Korean vodka-rubbing alcohol) that serves its soju in a hallowed out pineapple. Tres excite, however really dangerous.
Sunday we went to Seoul Grand Park and checked out the zoo! This is a really large zoo with lots to see but we didn't have much time so it was really rushed. We will return someday. Highlights: the gorilla getting angry and the raccoons mating.
I'm starting to think about the school I will be attending in Feb 2008 and its put me in a state of saving more money than I have been. This lead to a cancellation of travel plans for Sept, as I am extending my contract till Oct of this year. I am still hoping to get to China and then make it home to do a cross Canada drive with Dan. (so get your couches ready!!!)