#and I’d been in class since 9:30AM and went straight to the store from my last class and then straight to laundry after putting away grifos

[lightblueminecraftorchid]

Me, yesterday, 5:30 PM: wow I’m honestly doing so great at my adult tasks; I’ve gotten some homework done, I went grocery shopping, my laundry is almost dry. I spent so many spoons and I barely feel tired! Maybe I’m finally fully recovering from burnout!

Me, yesterday, 6:00 PM: oh.

[crimsonblackrose]

As part of the week leading up to Chuseok my school was super busy. My students had soccer games in the middle of the day, there were cultural festivities and guests and all sorts of fun things that meant I barely had any classes at all. The only day where I was with my students at my main school for the majority of the day was when we all went on a field trip to Yongin which is an area near Suwon, South of Seoul. We went to a folk village that my coworkers had trouble explaining to me beyond “The vice principal thinks it will be good for you.” It’s been awhile since I’ve been invited to go on one of the field trips so I was excited.

We took three buses to Yongin and as soon as we were there we headed straight to one of the performances. There are about three small performance areas all next to each other that host different shows. I managed to see three throughout the day. The first one we all went to was Equestrian Feats 마상무예  which happens twice daily at 11:30 and 3:00pm. It was really fun to watch the performances and tricks they were able to do.

There was however limited seating and availability to see. By the time we arrived most of it was already taken up by other school groups on field trips.

After the equestrian feats performance we split up for lunch. The students packed picnic lunches and all ate together with their classes and homeroom teachers, except for the older students who were allowed to do what they wanted and their teachers joined the other miscellaneous staff like myself at a restaurant. It was near the entrance where all the other food stands and snack shops were. However it had plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, unlike the stands. The restaurant offered a variety of Korean food and was set up like a Korean food court. You order your food, pay, and then head towards the corresponding counter to give them your receipt and wait for your food. They sold bibimbap and rice dishes, soups and stews, grilled fish and noodle dish, a variety of meat platters like jokbal (a sweet pig feet dish) and snacks. The majority of my coworkers ordered Andong-style wild vegetable bibimbap (8,000 won). I like bibimbap but it usually comes with gochujang already a part of the dish and thus spicy. Even though the menu didn’t make it look spicy what my coworkers ended up with did have that red pepper paste in it. Instead I ordered the Pyongyang-style cold buckwheat noodles or 평양 물냉면 which was refreshing on such a humid hot day and cheaper at 7,000won. Everything like water, chopsticks, scissors, spoons and accoutrements were near the pick up counters.

After some confusion I learned that I didn’t have to stay with anyone and could just wander about at my leisure until we met up later, so I headed off to explore the amusement park and see what it was. It was cute, with interesting looking buildings.

I found some of my students waiting in line for the Viking and buying gelato in some of the shops. There are about 15 rides and it’s a popular spot leading to long waits. My students told me that they didn’t ride a lot of them due to how long some of the lines were or the wait time. They had fun though, a few even went in the Ghost Zone which tells stories about the different types of ghosts found in Korea. It costs 3,000 won per adult and 2,000 for children (2,500 for teens) to visit. This isn’t the only scary ride, there is also one called “Legendary Hometown” which is 500 won more expensive no matter the age then the Horror of the Ghost Zone. I am not sure, since I didn’t go in, how much of these rides would be easy to understand since they seem to be story based.

After bidding my students farewell to wait in lines I headed across the river to visit the folk museum and some of the more historic and cultural buildings.

The first spot I visited was Seowon which was a Confucian Institute. It was also one of the filming sites for Korean dramas. Because of how big the Korean Folk Village is and all of its historical grounds it’s a popular spot for historical Korean dramas to be filmed at, having hosted film crews for various shows since 1983.

Nearby were other experiences like viewing traditional houses and how they vary depending on region, a ferryboat ride experience that was available only in the afternoon and by buying tickets at the nearby convenience store for 2,000 won for children and 3,000 won for adults.

I also visited the folk museum which had some English but not enough for me to fully enjoy it. There were many cartoons about Korean traditions and beliefs but they were in Korean. There was plenty to look at though and I was quite happy to see some old type pieces that made me missing using the printing press at my college.

Throughout the grounds were  plenty of places to get snacks or drinks. Including a scholar’s home that had been converted into a traditional cafe with beautiful art.

I didn’t get anything. Instead I pressed on and found a pocket of my students sitting around eating ice cream which seemed like a good idea.

There were also a lot of other traditional buildings including one where a fortune teller stayed.

At this point it was time to head back to where the performances were held and meet up with my coworkers and students. I ended up catching part of the Farmers Music and Dance 농악놀이 performance that happens twice at 10:30 am and at 2:00 pm across from the event we were all meeting up for.

Before going home we watched the Acrobatics on a tightrope 줄타기 which I was able to see once before in Suwon. Like the other performances this occurs twice daily at 11:00 and 2:30pm. At this point I saw all of the large performances except for the traditional wedding which happens at the Nobleman’s mansion at 12 and 4pm.  (except during winter from December through February)

We got good seats to see one of the tightropes but were blocked from seeing the other. I’d try to get a seat somewhere where you can see both because we were unlucky and the performer used the rope that was blocked partially from our view. The students greatly enjoyed the show and it was fun. I noticed that the host for the show was the same one who’d hosted the equestrian event and the farmer’s music and dance. From the two tightrope performances I’ve seen it seems that the performer is always accompanied by music (in this case a janggu, traditional drum) and someone else to talk with who adds some sort of comedy to the performance. It’s always fun.

I had a good time walking around the Korean Folk Village on my own. I do wish I’d had time to pop into the information building before going in to get a map with things to do before I’d gone in and been at a loss of where I was or what there was to do. I didn’t even find their website which is available in many languages including English here. My students had a lot of fun during the day, learning and enjoying their time. It seems to be a very popular spot for school trips and I can see why, there’s a little bit of educational, cultural and historical things included with fun performances and a small amusement park. Hours vary by season and weekday versus weekend but it opens daily at 9:30am and tends to close between 5:30pm and 7pm. There was plenty to do and it was very easy to spend the majority of our day there. Ticket prices range from 13,000 won to 27,000 won.

한국민속촌 Korean Folk Village As part of the week leading up to Chuseok my school was super busy. My students had soccer games in the middle of the day, there were cultural festivities and guests and all sorts of fun things that meant I barely had any classes at all.

[littledonkeyburrito]

Literally copy pasting a survey bc I’m bored af

What does your town’s name begin with? B Are you a seafood fan? Yeah. I have a near constant craving for seafood paella Do you prefer dark, brown or white chocolate? Milk or sometimes dark Give me a random word in another language. Tell me what it means. Aventura. Means both adventure, and affair Which city would you like to visit- Rome, Tunis, London, Madrid or Paris? Paris bc Disneyland.

Have you got perfect vision? It’s good enough to not need glasses but also I can’t read shit in the distance.

What song(s) do you put on repeat often? Sofia by Alvaro Soler, and a lot of stuff by Genitallica How many letters long is your last name? 8 Are you wearing shoes, just socks or nothing on your feet? Nothing Do you like the smell of a barbecue or bonfire? Sometimes, depends on my mood How often do you drink soda? Most days What accent is the sexiest? Depends on who’s talking Do you currently live in the same country you were born in? No. What’s your current mood? Is “tired” a mood? A romantic meal, a trip to a theme park, or go to a concert? Theme park please How good is your memory? Sometimes it’s really good, sometimes it’s absolute rubbish What was the last pill you took? Paracetamol Have you ever seen someone you knew and purposely avoided seeing them? Of course Are you smiling in your default picture? No You think you can last in a relationship for six months? Probably Do you like pickles? Sometimes Are you texting someone? No Be honest, do you miss your ex? One of them kinda yeah just because he was ripped Do you believe exes can be friends? Depends, but generally no What was the last thing you looked up on Google? "employment agency maritime shore spain” Is your hair naturally straight? yep Do you have a best friend that knows you inside and out? yeah Do you remember the Pepsi Commercials with Britney Spears? no ..? Have you known your best friend a long time? Like 9 years I think Have you kissed someone with the name beginning with J or B? A couple of both What’s something you really want right now, be honest? To be travelling and having more adventures Would you be able to name everyone you kissed in 09? Yeah it was one person, once. Who’s the last person who you went out to eat with? A sort-of-ex a couple of weeks ago Is it awkward when you run into your exes? I don’t think I ever have How did you get one of your scars? Got cut by someone’s thumbnail during a karate tournament Do you wear makeup everyday? No Were you single for your last birthday? Yep When will you be in a relationship next? Who knows

Does your middle name begin with letters A-G? No

What is your state’s largest city? Barcelona

Pick your three favourite vegetables. Leek, Capsicum, Potato

Have you ever broken a movie or game disc? Probably

What colour are your brother’s eyes? Hazel I think

Do you watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit? No

How many flights of stairs are in your house? None, but many in my building.

Have you ever played a drinking game? Which ones? Yes, so many.

Do you often feel excluded? Sometimes, but probably because I moved to the other side of the world from all my friends

Are you good with managing your finances? Yes, I am weirdly good with money and I don’t even try.

Do you have an accountant? No

Did you ever play Neopets when you were younger? So much.

Have you ever been to Mexico? Not yet

How big is your bathroom? Big enough I guess

How many friends do you have on Facebook? 226 apparently

Do you regularly check anyone’s profile online? There’s one or two

What is the closest pizza place to your house? I have no idea

What age did your mum stop helping you clean your room, if she ever did? I have no idea

What colour is your toothpaste? Blue

Have your parents ever worked in medicine? No

Do you have any silly nicknames or pet names? My dad sometimes calls me shrimp because I’m little, but he’s been calling me that since I was like 7

Are you any good at drawing? No

Is there anything unusual about your house? HAHAHAHA my bathroom is weird as shit. You have to walk THROUGH the shower to get to the toilet and then there’s a balcony next to the toilet too

Can you maintain a text conversation or do you run out of things to say? Depends

How old will you be turning in 2020? 26

Have you ever met anyone with Multiple Personality Disorder? Yes

What is your favourite type of cookie? idk, chocolate chip?

When was the last time you painted your nails? Several years ago for a cosplay

Do you like word or picture tattoos better? Picture

Do you find it hard to talk to strangers, even people who work in stores? Yep

Have you ever tasted goat’s milk? Goat’s cheese, yes. Goat’s milk, i don’t think so

Are you a fidgety person? Yep

How many serious relationships have you been in? None

Did you ever take classes for a musical instrument when you were younger? Drums

Is there anything going on outside your window? Just people on the street doing their thing.

Have you ever taken care of a newborn baby? No. I had never even held any age baby until a few weeks ago.

How old were you when you got your ears pierced? 10

Do you snore when you sleep? Not that anybody has ever told me about

Have you ever been 10-pin bowling? Yep

Do you have your own bowling ball and shoes? No

What was the last type of burger you ate? I have no idea when I last ate a burger. Oh no wait I had an egg and bacon roll in a slightly pretentious cafe in northern Colombia.

Have you cried in the past week? Nah, I don’t really cry

What were you doing yesterday at 8 AM? Pressing snooze on my alarm Whose bed did you sleep in last night? Mine How long have you known the last person you spoke on the phone to? I don’t talk on the phone much so I think it was the boss from the job I just left so I guess 2 weeks? About how long is your hair? Not very

If you could go anywhere right now, where would you go? Back to somewhere in central america

What were you doing an hour ago? Watching Netflix When was the last time you kissed someone? A couple of weeks ago just before I left Panama Do you think it meant anything to that person? That he could go back to sleep because it was 4:30am and he was only awake to say goodbye to me. Pretty sure he then slept in until like 5 minutes before the hotel checkout time. How did you get your worst scar? My brother had me on the dog lead when I was about 2 and he tripped over and it yanked my head into the corner of the wall. Are you on good terms with your most recent ex? Depends on your definition of ex.  Could you go a day without texting? I could but I’m not going to. Who was the last person you rode in a car with? The driver who took me to the airport in Panama. Bc I don’t think a bus counts. Do you have any plans for the weekend? I don’t have any plans ever. I literally have no future plans at the moment. Do you have any nieces or nephews? No Are you wearing a watch? No. The strap broke when I was in Colombia and I still haven’t fixed it yet. Does your current/last job require that you wear a uniform? It did not. But the one back in australia, yes.

Do people misspell your name often? Yep When will your driver’s license expire? No idea and i cbf getting my wallet to check Do you have any plans to see anyone special today? No. Plans. Ever. What was the cause of the last time you cried? No idea, don’t remember when that was. Are you in any kind of a club or organization? Nope Where did you go to grade school? Primary school? Back in my little hometown in aus Who is your 23rd phone contact and how do you know them? It’s my mum! She birthed me. What would you do if your found out your mom was pregnant again? I’d be very surprised and curious who the father was. Do you want kids of your own someday? Probably not Do you live in an apartment? Yep Did you have a high school sweetheart? No If the last person you kissed proposed to you what would you say? I’d be like, “Whoa slow the fuck down there buddy, we literally spent 2 weeks together.” Would you ever get back with one of your exes? Ehh maybe the ripped one, but not for anything serious When was the last time you ate a poptart? God I don’t know, like two years ago? What kind was it? Not a clue Do you have any friends of the opposite sex you can tell anything to? Yeah Where is your dad right now? Probably at home asleep Are you wearing anything that belongs to someone else? No