That time I got beat up by a roller-coaster ...

This weekend, I visited Everland ...

It is one of the many theme parks in Korea.

We took the 5002 bus from Gangnam in Seoul and

then caught a free shuttle to the resort.

Luckily, traffic wasn't too bad and it took us around 1h30min to reach Everland.

Everland = roller-coasters, candy floss, popcorn, animals, 

children (in various states of sugar happiness and exhausted tantrums)

fantasy parades and loads of queues.

At the moment, Everland is hosting a Rose Festival 

and the amusement park is such a beautiful array of colours.

The festival stretched out like a kind of flowery rainbow across the theme park.

It was beautiful and an amazing experience,

  really bringing the resort to life.

If they wanted to create a fairy tale - they definitely achieved it.

Travel Tip: Foreigners get a special Everland discount so make sure to ask about that.

Although I would never call myself an adrenaline junky,

(actually, a part of me was convinced I'd do something embarrassing,

like breakdown and cry, throw up or something equally as ridiculous),

I wanted to get the biggest roller-coasters out of the way first...

What's the biggest roller-coaster in Everland?

Introducing the T-express.

T-Express as we were heading up...

The T-express is the second tallest wooden roller-coaster in the world,

and with a drop of almost 50 meters,

it makes for a fun and scary time.

I managed to hold onto my dignity and surprised myself by enjoying the crazy ride.

Actually, we went on it twice.

Although I did enjoy it...I came away with some interesting battle scars.

Somehow I managed to bruise myself (not sure how) - 

I have no recollection of how this may have happened...

I must have banged my arm on the railing  

but because of all the adrenaline (aka terror) I didn't even notice.

The second time I made sure to protect my bruised right arm 

and in the process I manged to cut my left elbow.

Again, not sure how. But there was quite a bit of blood.

This photo was taken about an hour after I hit my arm...
It looked worse later

These kinds of things - they happen to me a lot.

I'm just glad I didn't somehow managed to fall out of the ride.

And that is how a Korean roller-coaster managed to beat me up.

It was pretty awesome ^.^

A weekend in Seoul

Although I live in Incheon,

most weekends I find myself traveling to Seoul.

Incheon vs Seoul is very much like comparing

Bellville to Cape Town (South Africans will understand this analogy).

Basically, there's no real comparison.

Cape Town and Seoul are better.

Always.

My church is in Seoul,

festivals happen in Seoul,

there is English in Seoul

(I'll never take English for granted again).

Seoul also has cheese.

Real cheese.

(Cheese and English - they be important)

And Costco.
Seoul has Costco.

This weekend, I had a lovely time in Seoul with my friend Roxy 
(look up her blog The Frame Trail - it's beautiful).

We went to the Jazz Festival

This is how we spent a glorious day in the sun

This is me. In the sun. At an outdoor music concert. In Seoul.
Plus there was wine.
I was definitely in a happy place.

We saw Mica on stage. It was great.
And super fun.
There were giant balloons.

We explored Insadong

Ate good food and drank loads of coffee (I had coffee - Roxy had tea)

This is Roxy. She is awesome.

And we went to church.

It was a lovely weekend with some lovely friendy friends.

Rainbow Nation. In Korea ^^
Not really - Nyeasha is American. But she's got hair like mine.

Seoul is wonderful as long as you're not on the subway...
The subway is not a happy place.

Korean Travels: Ullengdo & Dokdo

I am a compulsive and nervous giggler.

It's cute when someone tells a joke.

It's not so cute when there's an awkward silence,

I feel uncomfortable or scared,

someone falls,

I make a mistake, 

I'm confused,

people are sick.

Because I laugh uncontrollably in these situations.

I'm not really sure why :/

It's like a weird coping mechanism...

Here's a story about that time everyone started throwing up on the ferry 

and there was nowhere to go 

so I curled up in a ball and tried (unsuccessfully) to stifle my giggles.

I wasn't laughing at them.

Nor was I laughing with them (they were definitely NOT laughing).

I was just laughing because the experience was so horrific,

it was ridiculous. 

Last Chuseok (Thanksgiving in Korea), 

some friends and I decided to travel to two very special islands:

Ullengdo and Dokdo.

Dokdo is famous due to the longstanding dispute between 

Japan and Korea for rights to the small island. Read more here.

First, we took a four hour bus ride from Seoul to a harbour town near Ullengdo...

The ferry from here took about 4 very long hours because of the weather conditions.

Finally arriving on Ullengdo was pretty great after such a long and rocky journey.

In Ullengdo...

We went bridge jumping off Ullengdo’s rocky coast after a hike…

After some nervous giggling I finally managed to talk myself into jumping off a bridge into the sea below.

That’s me directing Natalee about where to jump...

Because I'm an expert.

We took a very informative bus ride around Ullengdo.

This is the beautiful Turtle Rock.

And then we drove through something called the Vagina Rock. 

Don't ask.

Really. Don't ask...

We went hiking, swimming and watched a few sunsets.

We ate some ice-cream...

Unfortunately, we were not adequately prepared for the ferry to Dokdo... 

aka RIDE OF DEATH.

Lots of people.

Lots of time.

Confined.

In a boat.

WIth lots of Congo Queen type motion.

By lots I mean more than 4 hours.

So inevitably there was some seasickness.

By some, I mean HOARDS of people were dropping like flies.

I've never seen so many people get sick before -

it was exactly like one of those slapstick comedies were everyone starts throwing up everywhere and people run away screaming.

Except.

haha

There was NOWHERE TO RUN.

Fortunately I don't get seasick,

but I do have senses of smell, sight and sound.

There was nothing I could do to get away...

And then the crazy giggles began.

And went on and on and on.

Finally we arrived on Dokdo.

We were only allowed on the dock because tourists aren't actually allowed to enter the island.

That's OK because it's pretty small.

We stayed there for 30 minutes and took the 4 hour ferry of death back home.

I think on the way back it was worse.

The moral of the story?

When life makes you want to cry, scream, throw up or run away,

sometimes laughing is the only answer.

Korean Travels: Jeonju aka The land of Bibimbap

View of Jeonju from our coffee shop
(We lay on the heated floor for about 4 hours before facing the rain again)

A few weeks ago, some friends and I traveled down to Jeonju to experience the
Korean town renowned for its Bibimbap and Hanbok Village.

Hanbok Village

Although it rained for most of the trip, we had an amazing time in the quaint village.

Friends hiking in the rain.

There are lovely museums, quirky thrift shops and warm, welcoming coffee shops.

Although the souvenirs were beautiful, the prices were slightly more than in Insadong
(an area in Seoul known for Korean souvenir shopping).
The Jeonju trinkets do have a more authentic feel to them
and the craft markets are a must.

Travel Tip: If you are a foreigner you can sign up for a free weekend shuttle bus that leaves from Seoul.

If you're in Korea, Jeonju is a great way to get away from the city. 

Walk the beautiful cobbled streets that are surrounded by exquisite, traditional Korean houses nestled in huge green mountains,
and obviously eat some delicious Korean food while you're at it...

Quotes from my kids

My students are a bit crazy in the head.

But I love them with all my heart,
because they are so very weird, special, loving and bad at English.

Students all dressed up for sports day - dancing Gangnam Style

When I first came to Korea, I wasn't quite prepared for the attention
my foreignness and appearance would garner. 

At first, it's a bit overwhelming, and the comments I got from students,
fellow teachers and strangers were a bit confusing... 

Now I understand the commentary and stares a lot better and I'm kind of used to it.

(except in Seoul - in Seoul no one cares what you look like or that you're a foreigner).

I had some interesting reactions to my nose, my eyes and my hair.

Student B: Teacher, nose good.

Me: Why??

Student B: Teacher nose high.

Me: Really?

Student B: Yes! Teacher nose plastic surgery?

Me: NO!

Student B: Oh wow. Teacher very good.

In Korea, having a "high" nose is a sign of beauty and as a result, loads of Koreans get their noses altered to make it appear "higher."

Luckily, I was born this way.

Student C: Teacher, eyes so big.

Me: OK

Student C: Like big bug eye!

Me: Um,OK...

Student C: Teacher big eyes wow!

Me: errrr....

Student C: Teacher beautiful...

Me: Um, but teacher big bug eyes???

Student C: Yes. Teacher pretty bug eyes.

Although I was unaware of the importance of having big eyes before landing in Korea,

now I know that most Korean women (and men) want bigger eyes

- with a double eyelid of course.

My students love to ask some weird questions about English words -

Student A: Teachaaa!

Me: Yes?

Student A: You know hamburger?

Me: Yes...

Student A: In hamburger, there is ham or meat?

Me: Er, meat I guess...

Student A: Noooooooo!

Me: Why??

Student A: HAM-burger! Hamburger is ham! HAM -burger!

Me: Haha oh... um, no... Hamburger is meat.

Student A: Why hamburger??? Why no meat-burger when hamburger is meat!

It's one of life's great conundrums my friend.

Korea is very different to my home back in South Africa.

But I really do love all the weird and wonderful its thrown at me thus far...

Korean Travels: Jejudo

Jeju is a volcanic island off the coast of Korea...

It is famous for its lava caves, beautiful beaches and wondrous mountain ranges.

Because Jejudo is so removed from the mainland,
the island has even cultivated its own Korean dialect and culture.

We saw and did some amazing things during our brief stay there.

These include volcanic crater and lava tube explorations, boat cruises, maze hunting, hiking, beach tanning, tube swimming and yummy food eating.

Lave Tube Exploring...

Maze Hunting

Beach tanning & Tube Swimming

Jeju is a lovely way to spend a long weekend if you want a little relaxation,
or if you have a need to experience some of our world's natural wonders.

We are so blessed to live in such an awe-inspiring world...

Letters from my Korean students...

My little ones love writing me little letters...

Sometimes they're in Korean and sometimes they're in really bad English.

Either way it's one of the best things about being a teacher in Korea.

My students are definitely not the best at English but they win every time at cuteness.

Here are some of these very special letters :)

The best part of this letter?
"I draw mistake"

She loves me <3

"Teacher have boyfriend?"
And then it gets weird...I'm not sure what "So man is Liane come in" means...
I'm not going to think about that one.

This is my customized key chain.
A first grader made it for me for my birthday ^^

Write a letter to someone you love. Especially if they are far away.

I love me some letters ^^

A little bit of moving happiness~~

I have finally moved into the new house of amazingness (happy dance, happy dance and smiles). The move was pretty stressful and the poor moving people had a lot to do. So I decided to "help". In my brave attempt to move some of my own furniture and boxes, I managed to break one glass frame, most of my wine glasses, and a few Korean souvenirs I had bought for the family back in South Africa (sorry family)...After my many indiscretions the moving people refused to let me help anymore...It went a little like this:

Me: So much work!
Moving people: Yes many works
Me: I will help you! (big smile of helpfulness)
Moving people: errrrrr... weh? (they don't know that I know this means "why" in Korean)
Me: I help!
Moving people: (Korean) something something foreigner crazy something something

(5 minutes)

Me: (watching the glass shatter after I bashed it into the wall) oh crap

Moving people: (Horror-stricken faces) Oh-to-kehhhhhh....??? (this translates to How the heck did you manage that????)

Me: um...whoops

Moving people: You no help.

Apparently I'm not good at moving. 

But here is a lovely photo of my view from the fourteenth floor ^^

It rained a little yesterday so you can't tell, but there's a majestic mountain in the background.
Don't ignore the majestic mountain.

I'm so grateful to my Korean co-teacher, Raemi, who helped organise everything for me - she really is the best. I'm pretty sure I would have been reduced to a puddle of sadness and broken glass if she hadn't been there. While I tried to "help" she was rushing around actually doing meaningful things.

Now that I've moved, I'm ready for something new to focus on. Travelling...

This time I'm thinking of Indonesia. More to come on that a little later ~~

I'm allergic to my dog

I am allergic to life.

This is because I am allergic to peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, shellfish, dust, pollen, grass, dogs, cats, horses, mold and dust mites.

I am also wheat and gluten intolerant.

I was allergic to milk (chocolates and ice-cream included). 

It's surprising that I can function. 

People think that this would make my life extremely difficult.

(Plus I live in Korea so I can't read the ingredients on most food that I buy)

But really, I am so used to living with hoards of allergies, I don't think it's all that hard.

You can't miss something you've never had right? 

I don't feel bad that I can't eat Ferraro Roche, peanut butter or almond covered chocolate cake.

Actually, until a few years ago - I thought all nuts were salty (like chips).

I was all like, why would you want to put chips on cake and in chocolate? weird.

I'm used to my allergies and random outbreaks...

They make life interesting ^^

Living every day and eating something new is like jumping out of a plane in some ways.
Maybe not a big plane. Maybe not a plane.
Let's go with jumping into a pool and not knowing how deep it is. Much better metaphor.
The point is I never know what's going to happen.

I've learnt to live with most of these allergies pretty well I think... Except one.

I'm allergic to most animals with hair. 

This is the one allergy I'd like to change though~

Because I have a dog.

I love my dog. His name is Dippy and he's pretty awesome.

I am highly allergic to him. 

But it's OK because I love him and we have to make sacrifices for love.

Dippy is one strange dog. 

He runs into the furniture. But he's not blind (we checked).

He loves to lick things. Everything. It's weird and gross.

Dippy thinks he's a big, scary dog. He most definitely is not.
Imagine a miniature dachshund ... Now imagine a really fat one.
He is basically a fat sausage.
A fat scared sausage.

He likes food. A LOT. Dippy has a weight problem. But don't tell him.

We tried to put him on a diet.

...

He chose the weakest link (my mom) and would nibble her toes every time he was hungry.
She would get extremely freaked out by the incessant nibbles and secretly sneak him food.
So... effectively, my dog trained my mom when to feed him.

He has his own favourite couch... It is where he takes naps. 

If you raise your voice, Dippy does this weird sad eye thing and starts to walk backwards slowly.
It is really cute and very awkward because he has short stubby legs.

Dippy is scared of water.

He also is scared of vacuum cleaners, the washing machine,
my dad when he wears a beanie, black bins (only the black ones), falling leaves, wind and hair dryers.

Dippy is awesome.

I miss this crazy dog quite a lot. Except the weird licking. That I'm OK without.

Korean Travels: Nami Island

If you're visiting South Korea, Chuncheon and Nami Island are great places to visit.

They make lovely, nature-filled day trips 

(especially if you're travelling with your significant other - Korea loves couples).

If you're single - take some friends along and pack a picnic.

Happiness loves company.

If you do stop in Chuncheon, make sure to try the dakgalbi

(if you don't know what dakgalbi is click HERE).

Here are some autumn photos of Nami Island.

It truly is a great place to relax and play the fool with some friends.

Thanks to the friends who made this day so special 

(even if I was covered in some weird smelling leaves for most of the time)...

Nami is a wonderfully magical place.

The scenery is unbelievable,

the statues are funny and strange,

the people are in love.

Put it on your bucket list, or priorities list (whichever you prefer)

For more amazing bucket list items - check out this lovely compilation by 

the frame trail.

Happy Birthday Dad

This weekend marks the second birthday of my dad's that I've missed - if that doesn't drive home the fact that I've been away from home for awhile, nothing will.

I have an amazing family and we're all really close. 

We are all a little crazy in the head so we stick together because life is more fun when you add some crazy.

But in a nice and loving way.

The most common phrase my sister and I use in our messages is something like: 

"you are so weird...and I LOVE it"

I honestly didn't believe I would be able to live apart from them for so long... 

But the great thing about coming from a supportive family is that you are secure in the knowledge that they'll be there for you wherever and whatever you may decide to do in life.

I am beyond grateful for each of them.

Since it was my dad's birthday, 
I decided to share a story that is retold at every family gathering. 
It's the kind of story we love to tell because it is embarrassing to all parties involved.
The kind of story where you fall on your face in a school play.
My family - we love those stories.

Before I start, there is something you need to know about me...

Doctor = needles

I do not like doctors.

Dentist = needles.

I do not like dentists.

Hospital = needles

I do not like hospitals.

Anyone see a trend?

I may have a small, hardly-noticeable fear (aka phobia) of needles.

Yes, I know it's dumb and it doesn't hurt and all that blah blah blah...

I am still terrified.

My fear has not only impacted my life but has scarred a few people - my poor dad mostly.

When I was around fifteen I had a very weird stabbing pain in my abdomen.

 It was weird because it was only painful if I was standing up straight.

As long as I was bent at a 90 degree angle I was fine.

This makes for a weird image. 

Imagine for a moment, a fifteen year old walking around at 90 degrees but refusing to stand up properly.

It was more than a little bizarre. 

I'm pretty sure my parents thought it was some new kind of rebellion thing.

This went on for about a day. 

After awhile I kind of became used to life at a 90 degree angle.

It was getting a bit ridiculous... 

Finally, my loving and unsuspecting father drove me to the emergency room 
(it was a Saturday).

The emergency room is not a fun or happy place.

People kept rushing in with gaping head wounds and

 things sticking out of....let's just they were not doing so good.

And I was tucked in the corner, doing pretty good, and happily reading a book at 90 degrees.

The nurse kept coming over and was all "But what exactly is wrong?"

And I would smile sheepishly (wish I had just stayed home) and say
 "um, I'm pretty sure I can't stand up straight"

(How the heck was I supposed to know, lady?) 
My dad just sat by dutifully and tried to pretend his life didn't involve a daughter bent at 90 degrees.

So they did some examining (the nurse kept trying to make me lay down straight lols),
and after awhile the doctor came over to say,

"We can't say for sure what's wrong..." (doctor code for I think you're faking),

"but we need to take some blood for routine tests."

Blood = Needles

I DO NOT LIKE NEEDLES

At this moment I went into full fledged panic mode. I don't mean like quiet, dignified panic.

I mean P.A.N.I.C.

Screaming and crying (the ugly kind) while my dad, the doctor and two nurses restrained me to draw some blood.

All I can say is that those doctor-people are sticklers for their routine. And pretty strong too.

(Side note: my dad was not adequately prepared for this situation. He likes to look on the bright side of life. He is an annoyingly happy morning person. His usual words of encouragement for when you're hurt go along the lines of, "at least it's not bleeding" - when you break your arm. A screaming teenager is not in his life plan)

I passed out about 5 minutes into the whole episode. 

My dad however remembers EVERYTHING 

like other people remember horror movies.

Last time my dad had to take me to the doctor he dropped me off at the front door and sped off before I could even ask when he was coming back for me.

I was just getting a check-up.

He may still be a little shaken by the whole experience.

Hug a parent today~~ 

They put up with a lot of inexplicable crazy.

Travelling : What not to do

Two years ago I was lucky enough to go on a mini-Eurotrip with my university class.
We attended a conference in Barcelona and decided to travel a little while we were there.

It was my first time travelling in Europe and I was super excited.

We stopped over in Turkey (Istanbul) for a few days, then went through to Barcelona for the conference and ended our vacation with short stops in Rome and Paris.

The trip is one of the best decisions of my life and ultimately led me to decide I wanted to move to Korea after finishing university.

Istanbul. Vibrant and rich in history and culture. The city is also transcontinental.
In the photograph we are sailing down Bosphorus River which divides Asia and Europe.
 These ladies. I miss them.

Barcelona. Sagrada Familia. One of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
Gaudi was a genius.
The church is a work of art and the architecture is almost organic.

Rome. Colosseum. Duh

Rome. This city was my favourite. Cobbled streets, live music, Italian food and opera.
Roman mythology mixed with Roman Catholic influence. The city is just breathtaking. 

Paris. Eiffel Tower at night. You need to see Paris by night. 

Travelling is a great lesson in how you deal with stressful situations and different people.

My life lessons usually tend to be the avoidable kind. 

The ones that in hindsight I think,
"That was pretty dumb. Why the heck did I think that would be a good idea??" 

Here are some of my insightful life lessons I learnt on my mini-EuroTrip...

Do not lose your passport. This is a bad idea. Passports are very important.

I somehow managed to leave my passport at the airport bus desk and hop on a bus for an hour before realising what I had done. Not one of my finest moments. 

Someone was definitely looking after me that day, because I received said passport after a stressful 2 hours of waiting for the bus driver to come back.... 

Do not be late for your flight

We did this in Paris. Took the wrong shuttle bus. Went to the wrong terminal. Ran to the right terminal.
Then our carry-on was too big to fit in the little basket thing. There was lots of crying and pleading involved.

But we made it and celebrated by ordering loads of overpriced food from the in-flight menu. Plane party ^^

Do not pack a metal canister into your carry-on

We bought these cute, Italian metal canister things in Rome (they were pretty). To make sure we didn't have any weight problems we stuffed everything (and I mean EVERYTHING into our carry-on).
Then came the "Open your bag, please..."

Imagine a waterfall explosion of clothes and useless trinkets. All for a stupid canister.

My friend had to sit on my bag for me to get it closed again.  

Do not trust European taxi drivers

We drove in a circle. Not even a big circle. An actual traffic circle. Around a fountain. Many, many times. 

Then he charged us 200 euros. And pretended he didn't understand any English.

Do not get in the way of Beliebers

This was one of those bizarre kind of life lessons. 

While exploring Rome, we came across a hoard mob of Beliebers. If you're not familiar with the term, let me paint you a picture... Imagine teenage girls, LOTS of teenage girls.
Teenage girls that love Justin Bieber.
Now add A LOT of purple (Justin Bieber's favourite colour).
Now add signs (like the kind they use in strikes and protests) and posters and things that say "Justin you are my soul mate" "Justin for president" "Baby baby" and more... 

The girls had heard Justin Bieber was in Rome and were desperately looking for him... It was chaos.
No one actually knew where he was and girls were just running up and down streets in the hope of seeing him.

These girls were ON A MISSION. They were also very scary.

Don't mess with a Justin Bieber fan.

Paris. Eiffel Tower happiness.

Paris. Moulin Rouge. And a random dude.

Barcelona. Gaudi's Garden. 

Go somewhere with your friends.

Make unforgettable memories.

Be grateful for every second...