New decade, new location? - Part 2

Following on from Part 1, I had left Iona on the early ferry, a throwback to Oban High School days. I had to endure 5 years of that boat, and even as an adult it doesn't get much better. Luckily, Joyce Macintyre was heading up to Tobermory so I got a lift with her across Mull, which saved me having to use the bus. After a few hours in Oban, I got the train down to Glasgow and then another down to Penrith, where Mum came and picked me up in her wee Polo. Like the rest of the country, Cumbria was pretty snowy, but Mum did well navigating the narrow back roads to get us back to her and Mike's Barn.


It was nice to finally meet Mike, he seems like a really nice guy, and most importantly Mum seems really happy with him so that is great. I was really impressed with the barn, it was a lot further on than I had imagined, very open plan with a great breakfast bar area and a massive balcony.

Mum at the kitchen 'island'.

Although I didn't have very long with Mum and Mike, we still managed a nice walk and then a drive through some of the surrounding villages, a coffee with Fiona Reid (one of mum's friends) and a nice dinner with mum and Mike's neighbours. But, all too soon, it was time to head North again. Mum and Mike were heading to Iona for New Year so they gave me a lift to Glasgow, where I stocked up on M&S boxer shorts and socks and was reunited with my washbag and headphones (thanks to Aidan and Greg). Then I met Stewart and Bec and we caught a train up to Perth to meet Granny and Grandpa.

After a snowy journey back to Wester Balgedie, we tucked into one of Grannie's delicious dinners. Stewart and Bec headed to Fife that night but I stayed over, and after a quick walk with Grandpa the next morning, Jock and Grandfather came to pick me up. I think it was nice for all the Grandparents to see each other, it had been a while.

Me and all the grandparents (L-R: Grandpa, Grandfather, Granny)


I missed the last Jardine family gathering (Dad's 50th at Achrossan in 2008) so I was very happy to be part of this one. Of course, plenty of beers and other alcoholic beverages were consumed, the fridge in the picture below was pretty empty by the time I left on the 2nd!

The fridge.

Apart from drinking, there was a good walk on Hogmanay, some delicious food courtesy of many different cooks, and of course, the 'Loony Dook'! The aforementioned basically means 'Crazy Dip' and so on New Year's Day Jock, Calum, Alasdair, Rhona and I went for a very brief swim in the North Sea. With frost and snow still on the ground, I was cold even before I went in, and yes, the water was absolutely freezing! Still, it was a good laugh! Here's a couple of pics:

Baltic!

The Loony Dookers. Note the frost on the ground!

On New Year's Day night we had a delicious turkey dinner, and then a good few more drinks! On the 2nd, I awoke somewhat hungover and a bit depressed, said my goodbyes and headed to Glasgow with Dad and Stewart. I had a bit of a lump in my throat as I said goodbye at the airport, but at least this time it is not for a full year.

Upon my arrival at Incheon, I was surprised and delighted to see Lisa had come to meet me, that really lifted my spirits a lot. I have now been back for over a week, and things are going pretty well. The day after I got back, Korea experienced its heaviest snow for over 50 years, and so on Monday I got a call from my boss saying school was shut! It was a real bonus as I was still a bit tired from travelling. Lisa and I used the time to build a snowman, however it was cruelly destroyed by some children shortly after we had finished it. Still, I did manage to catch it on camera.

And so, as I settle back into the routine of Korea (January is a very busy month, there are extra classes for me as we entertain the kids for longer whilst the schools are on holiday), I am already thinking to the months ahead.

In the short-term, Lunar (Chinese) New Year is in the middle of February, although this year we only get one extra day off. Lisa and I had considered going to Japan, but there really isn't enough time and flights are already booked solid, so instead I think we will stay domestic. Maybe a skiing trip, or possibly do the road trip that was meant to happen in November.

I have told my boss that I intend to finish work at GnB on 21st May. I then plan to fly to Bangkok, from where I have already booked a return flight to Singapore. From there I will fly back to Bangkok, then another flight to Hanoi in Vietnam, and then I will work my way back to Bangkok using an as-yet undetermined overland route. I have about a month to do the whole lot, as I would like to be back in Korea for Euan's wedding which is on the 19th of June. All this depends on whether I can persuade my other boss (Sunny) to let me delay my flight home until after Euan's wedding, or give me the cash equivalent, but I don't think that will be a problem. I'll keep you posted. After his wedding, I will return home to the UK for the summer, and then most likely head overseas again.......that is as yet a draft copy!

Well, that's everything pretty much updated, I'll try and blog again soon, might end up being after Lunar New Year, it'll depend on how exciting my life is between now and then!

All the best for 2010, and the new decade!

Grandfather and all his grandchildren

L-R (standing up): Calum, Stewart, Esther, Catriona, Rhona, Me, Alasdair.

L-R (on the sofa): Hannah, JJ, Freya, Toni.

Album from back home: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=365950&id=777495416&l=03461d0749

New decade, new location? - Part 1

Just noticed this will be my 50th blog post. I started blogging on 29th August 2007, and according to the 'elapsed time calculator', that was 866 days ago. That averages at a blog every 17.32 days. When it comes out like that it doesn't sound so bad! 866 days in Korea (well actually 873, I arrived a week earlier)........quite a long time really. And although I am not tired of Korea yet, the fact is in 6 months I will not be here, and I think I'll be quite happy not to be by then. I have given my boss a leaving date, and after a bit of travelling around SE Asia and big Euan's wedding in mid-June, I will leave Korea for the foreseeable future. Quite a thought.........



I will switch to the past for now though, and detail some events in December. The weekend after the ski trip (and my last blog), Neil and I headed into Seoul for some Christmas shopping. Seoul was busy as usual, perhaps a little busier than normal but not like the massive surge you see back home before Christmas. On our shopping rounds we passed by Gwanghwamun plaza, where a giant snowboard jump had been erected as part of the Hyundai 'Snow Jam'. It was pretty cool to see a massive jump in the middle of the city, and although we only saw the practice session, the competitors seemed of a pretty high standard.

After finishing the shopping I headed back to Bupyeong for a Christmas house party at Craig and Sophie's and then went to Bucheon to carry on the night. More photos at : http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=345487&id=777495416&l=0e0f503bcf (page 2)

The weekend after, on the Sunday, Lisa and I had our 'Christmas Day'. After opening our presents (I got a nice jumper, hat and belt) we went to a local place for brunch and then headed into Seoul. First stop was the Grand Hyatt near Itaewon. Around the festive season they convert their outdoor swimming pool into an ice rink (not literally, they put a big platform over the top of it!) and guests and non-guests can go for a skate. It is pricey, but there are great views over the Han River and it's not too big (so you're never too far away from the side!) so we thought we'd give it a try.

Ice skating has never been my strong point. I can still count on one hand the number of times I've done it, and early attempts (at the Time Capsule in Coatbridge) resulted in me running on the ice instead of skating. These days, I can skate, although somewhat Bambi-like. Here's a couple of pics. I am happy to report that neither of us fell over, although there were a few close calls!

View from the rink looking over towards Gangnam.

Get yer skates on!

Lisa and a giant snowflake.

After working up an appetite skating we headed over to near Gangnam where I had heard there was a good Brazilian restaurant. Unfortunately it was fully booked so we walked around for AGES trying to find somewhere and ended up settling on an Italian place near Gangnam station which turned out to be worth the wait (great steak). We headed back to Incheon tired, but happy.

After the weekends fun, it was back to work for 2 days until, on Wednesday the 23rd, it was time for me to head out to the airport for my flight HOME!!!!!!! As it had been over a year since I last set foot on UK soil, I was very excited.

I flew home with KLM, a bit of a mixed bag really, the service mid-flight was good, although there were no individual TV screens which I like, so I was glad to have had my new MP3/video player. I had to change planes at Amsterdam, and the flight to Glasgow was late departing, as they had to de-ice the wings before we could take off. This meant by the time we arrived in Glasgow and I'd got myself into the centre of the city, it was almost midnight.

I'd planned to meet up with some of the boys I went to uni with, and luckily Greg and Gareth came and picked me up in a taxi and we headed straight to a club in the West End. I put my luggage in their locker room and then had a great time catching up with everyone and having a few refreshments. After the club closed, we headed back to Aidan's flat in Partick (via a chippie....yes!) and stayed up for a good while sharing news.

The boys L-R: Gareth, Greg, Me, Aidan, Stewart (Hogg).

I had to catch a train to Oban in the morning, so after a couple of hours sleep I arose zombie-like (forgetting to pick up my washbag and headphones) and made my way to Partick underground to get to Queen St. I didn't really sleep much on the train, which in a way was good as I got to see the winter wonderland that was (and seemingly still is) Scotland. The whole journey was full of snowy mountains, frozen lochs and snow-laden trees. Beautiful, even to a hungover and sleep-deprived person such as me.

Over 6 hours after leaving Glasgow, I stepped off the ferry at Iona to be met by Dad, Anja, Freya, Stewart and Bec. It was good to be home. After the long-awaited cup of tea, Dad, Stewart and I took a walk to the Machair to deliver a present to John and Joanne at Culbhuirg (sp?), and once we were home we all helped decorate the tree.

On Christmas morning, Anja made a pancake breakfast and then we headed up to the Abbey's Christmas morning service. I remember as a child loathing having to go to the service as it usually either delayed the present opening or prevented me from playing with my new toys, but these days I enjoy it. The Abbey is such an amazing building and the service itself is usually enjoyable too.

The Abbey church.

After a light lunch we opened a few presents, although there were so many that we had to do it in stages! I was very happy with my gifts, a few books, DVD's, a couple of pieces of clothing, and few Scottish things (including a malt from Grandfather!). Freya was very happy with her scooter from Santa, and before the dinner we headed along the low road to give her a chance to test it out. Then it was time for the feast. And what a feast it was. A HUGE turkey, all the trimmings, and then Yule log and Christmas pudding for dessert. Delicious.

The bird, and some of the trimmings, including my favourite 'pigs-in-blankets'.

On Boxing Day, it was time for a trip on the water. Dad, Stewart and I headed over in Chance to Bullhole where Birtha Marie (dad's 'new' boat) is moored. It was my first time seeing her underway, I was impressed with how stable and solid she was, and as Dad says she is currently unballasted, once that's in her she will be unstoppable! Hopefully when I'm back home in the summer I can help Dad in getting her ready for some fare-paying passengers.

Dad and Stewartie on Birtha Marie.

In the evening, Stewart, Bec and I went up to Glen and Leanne's for some Wii playing and a good few beers.

On my final full day on Iona, we went for a walk up to the North End and then came back along by the East shoreline, we did a bit of sorting of my and Stewart's old junk and also saw David, Louise and their boys who came round in the afternoon. And then, on the early ferry on the 28th, I was away again. 3 full days, not enough really, but great just to be back at all. Here is the album on FB: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=365950&id=777495416&l=03461d0749

OK, that'll do it for this part, I need to get to my bed. The next part will contain the rest of my visit back home (Mum and Mike's, G&G's and New Year at Windygates), current goings on in Korea and future plans.

It's getting a bit chilly here......I want to warm up in Scotland

I never thought I would think like the blog title says, but it's the truth. Aside from the obvious things I'm looking forward to about going home (family, friends and Irn-Bru), it will be quite nice to not have it quite so cold as it is here. Today was a 'balmy' 7 degrees in Incheon, but the last week or two its been a lot colder than that at times.

Typically British of me to start a blog with talking about the weather, but it does have an effect on so much, even when I'm inside most of the day. The purchase of a new jacket last month was a good buy, and I bought some good gloves a few weeks ago that are helping my fingers overcome my terrible circulation.

Anyway, onto usual blogging matters....updating.

November, as planned, turned out to be quite a quiet month. Lisa and I's road trip has been postponed until sometime next year, things are still not OK between us, and we are currently having a bit of time apart. We do see each other on occasion, and are still in contact every day through phone and the Internet, but until some things get sorted out then it will stay this way. Hopefully not too much longer.

I am lucky that I am not someone who needs to do everything with someone else, and so although not seeing Lisa is hard, I am still trying to do things at the weekends or when I have free time. A few weekends ago, I took a Sunday trip over to 'Central Park' located in New Songdo City. I have never been to the original CP in New York, but I have a feeling the two are similar in name only.

For a start, the Korean version is brand new (it was officially opened last summer), and many parts of it are still under construction, as are many of the surrounding buildings. Secondly, the new Central Park was VERY quiet. Granted, it was a rather cold and dull Sunday afternoon, but I probably only saw about 20 or 30 other people the entire time. However, it was interesting to have a walk-about, and I also took a boat ride too, which I'm always happy to do! Here's a couple of pictures:

Looking up the CP lake (saltwater, pumped in through a big pipe...very clean though, and 1.2m deep everywhere) towards the almost-finished NEATT (North East Asia Trade Tower)

One of the cruise boats heading off. They were built by Hyundai Yachts, and from what I saw they still have a bit of learning to do. The boats themselves were very noisy and vibrated a lot for their size, and the men operating them were pretty poor at berthing, two deckhands on the pier had to pull and shove the boat into position rather than the skipper using the engines. Still, it was nice to get out on the water!

For more photos go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=345487&id=777495416&l=0e0f503bc

Also in the above album are some pictures from GnB's 'Halloween Party'. I use inverted commas here because the party was actually at the end of November. Concern over Swine Flu in Korea meant that the party had to be rescheduled twice. I made minimal effort on the costume and went as..........a Scotsman. Most of the kids wondered why I had a 'skirt' on, and didn't really understand when I told them it was Scotland's national dress, but it was still a good day. Myself and Johanna took shifts playing games with the children, and after it was all over the staff went out for dinner, something which rarely happens at the GnB's I work at now....in my first year we did it quite a lot...how times change!

The teachers

St. Andrews day came and went, like last year I hung a Scotland flag out the window to do my bit at being patriotic, but that was about it. Maybe one day St. Andrew will get the same amount of recognition as his fellow Saint Patrick, but somehow I doubt it!

Last weekend, I joined Conor and Steph, Craig and Sophie and Joynal (who used to work for my 1st year boss and is now teaching in Seoul) for an action weekend in Gangchon, to the East of Seoul. Those of you who read my last post about the weekend in Gapyeong may be interested to know (though I doubt it!) that Gangchon is the next stop after Gapyeong. This time we didn't take the train though, we were able to catch a bus directly from Incheon which was good. Upon arrival in a snowy Gangchon we checked into a motel and then went to a nearby shop to get ourselves kitted out for.......SNOWBOARDING!!! It was my 1st time ever, so I was filled with a mixture of excitement and fear, but everyone was in the same boat (Craig and Sophie had skied a bit but the rest of us were 1st timers or beginners) so that made me feel better.

Ready to go!

We hired the boards and all clothing from the shop and then they gave us a lift up to the slopes. As it is only the beginning of the season only 3 slopes were open but that was plenty for me. We started off on the sledging area which was pretty flat. I was quite surprised how quickly I got the hang of it. After managing to stay up for a while, and then learning how to stop (falling over!) and then starting to learn how to turn a bit, we moved over onto the 1st slope, which posed a new challenge of having to use a chair lift to get up to the top. After a good few runs of this I moved onto the ultimate challenge, the 'Beginner 2' slope. This was a bit longer than the 1st and quite a lot steeper and busier, but had the advantage of having better quality snow. I had a good few goes at that, but towards the end was finding it very tough to get up after falling over (my stomach muscles aren't the best!). I never made it all the way down without falling over, but I enjoyed it a lot and will def try and go again before I leave Korea. Here's a few photos from the afternoon. More are at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=351450&id=777495416&l=6889a2ecf0

The 1st Beginner slope.

The 2nd beginner slope. An 'Intermediate' slope continued on up out of sight to the right. I never went up there. Too scary!

Me heading down....going good................. (camera angle is funny...it wasn't that steep!!)

oh...........

Unfortunately, Conor had a bad fall and had to be taken to hospital towards the end of the afternoon. Luckily, his wrist was not broken but he had to have it in a sling, and he said it was pretty sore, so that was a real shame. Now I understand why Winter Sports insurance costs so much! Apart from some stiff muscles and a tender bottom from all the falling, I was a lot luckier.

After we'd got a lift back into town and freshened up, we headed out for a Dakgalbi dinner and then hit a few bars, including one with a live band/karaoke event which I had a go at!

The next morning, Joynal, Craig, Sophie and I went and hired some quad bikes. They were not as powerful as the 'Big Red's' that we have on Iona, but they were nippy enough. We headed up some very snowy and icy mountain roads, and played around on a dry river bed for a while, it was great fun, although very cold.

Me and my bike

Fording the stream.

And then, all too soon, it was time to head back to Incheon. It was great weekend though, and as I said before, I would like to do it again before I leave Korea next year.

It is now less than 2 weeks until I will be back on UK soil, and I have 9 days of teaching left (not that I'm counting!). I'm going to head into Seoul this weekend to do some Christmas shopping, and then the following weekend Lisa and I are going to have a Christmasy day in Seoul I think, as obviously we will not be able to spend Christmas together. This may well be my last post of 2009, but I will try to fit in a year (or maybe even decade) review at some point, either between Christmas and New Year, or when I return to Korea (3rd January).

Until then, have a great festive period, stay warm and for those of you in the UK, hopefully I'll get to see you when I'm back.

Love, Neil

Here's a couple of my favourite Christmas Film moments to get you in Christmas mood if you're not already!

Elf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jyCfRHumHU&feature=PlayList&p=8FAB8BF06A93DB43&index=0&playnext=1

Bad Santa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOm64YHDDik

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TYlOTajXGg

Autumn

As promised, here is my 'early November' blog.

It's a Wednesday night, Wednesday the 11th November, a day special in the UK and Korea, but for very different reasons. In the UK, it is remembrance day, where we reflect on past conflicts and remember those who gave their lives for our country.

In Korea, it is Peppero day. For those that don't know, Peppero is a chocolate snack that is quite popular here. It is somewhere between a Cadbury's Finger (in taste) and a Matchmaker (in appearance). As far as I know, Peppero Day was dreamt up by the Lotte company (who make them) as a marketing gimmick, and boy has it worked! All day Peppero was flying about the school, the Korean teachers received a lot more than I did, and I gave out a few in every class as well.

When I last blogged, Korea was still reasonably green, everything was still looking pretty alive and fresh. Now, just over a month on, Autumn is definitely here. The trees are all turning shades of yellow, orange, brown and red, and most of the undergrowth is starting to die off. I notice it most when I go running down by the stream near Yeonsu. The cycle path that runs along the stream was being encroached by a lot of undergrowth a month ago, but today when I went for a run it had all died back. As for weather, it is yet to get really cold (although we had two days of near-freezing temperatures last week), but I am now wearing a sweater to school most days and I recently invested in a new winter jacket in preparation forwhat is to come!

Following on from my last blog, it was Canadian Thanksgiving Day on the 12th October so the previous day Lisa, her friend Candice and I headed through to one of Lisa's friends (Lisa was the bridesmaid at her wedding) and her husband who live in a suburb south of Seoul. We made some cookies specially, which actually tasted quite good! There was a quite a few people there, and we played a few games and ate roast chicken, mashed potato and various other goodies....a nice change from Korean fare.

The following weekend was Lisa's birthday weekend. On the Saturday we headed into Seoul mid-afternoon, and caught a 'deluxe' taxi up to N-Seoul tower (the N stands for Namsan...the mountain it sits on top of http://www.nseoultower.net/english/) I had a reserved a table at 'N-Grill' the revolving restaurant at the top of the tower. It was a great meal, and of course the view from our table was pretty nice too. Some of the 8 courses included smoked salmon, sorbet, a delicious Waygu steak and a little personalised cake for Lisa too. It was pricey, but worth it. Here is a link to the FB album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=329832&id=777495416&l=b50c32e565





Lisa with her bubbly.





The view from our table. Looking down to central Seoul.

After dinner we took the cable car back down the mountain and then caught a taxi over the river to Gangnam where we found a hotel for the night. The next morning, we headed on the subway to Seoul Grand Park. Located on the outskirts of Seoul, this huge park has a zoo, theme park and various other attractions. First stop was the zoo, where we saw (as you might expect at a zoo) a variety of different animals. Some of the enclosures were quite good (especially for the birds) but some were also a bit poor (I felt sorry for the bears in particular). Also many of the Korean visitors were doing things like throwing food to the animals, and we saw one man kick a pane of glass that a baby lion was sleeping against....I think respect for animals in Korea is sadly a lot less than back home. It was nice to wander about though, and I think Lisa had a good time. After seeing most of the animals we caught a chair lift back down to the zoo entrance then a funny little tram decorated as an elephant to the theme park entrance.

Seoul Land is probably the 2nd or 3rd biggest park in Korea (after Everland and Lotte World). We bought a 'big 5' ticket, and then proceeded to queue for ages to get on: dodgems, 2 rollercoasters, a sort-of merry-go-round and the haunted house (the latter was a bit disappointing, but the others were good).

After leaving Seoul Land we caught the subway back to Gangnam and then the bus back to Incheon. Overall, I think Lisa had a great time, which was the main thing, and I enjoyed myself too!

The next weekend was quiet, but the following Monday, I had an unexpected day off. Korea is currently in the grip of a swine-flu epidemic, and as a precaution one of my academies decided to close down for two days to prevent the spread of it among the students. I decided to make the most of this bonus day, so I headed out to a few islands West of Incheon. Getting there involved taking two ferries and a bus (a bit like getting to Iona!), and once I was on the main island, a bus took me across to the middle one (they were all connected by bridges), where I was able to hire a bike. The islands have a small population and are not a very popular destination (especially in October) so it was really quiet, a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of Incheon. I cycled around, visiting a couple of areas used in the filming of famous Korean TV dramas, and saw a sculpture park with several 'interesting' statues. Here is the FB album link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=332899&id=777495416&l=7221525b84

On the way back to Incheon I came back across the new Incheon Bridge. It really is a huge structure, and also cuts about 40 mins off travel time out to the airport from Yeonsu which will be great whenever I fly anywhere.

For Halloween weekend, it was off on another trip. This time it was with Lisa and the friends we saw at Canadian Thanksgiving. They had hired a pension (self-catering house) near a town called Gapyeong (about an hour East of Seoul) so on Saturday morning it was up bright and early to make the trip into Seoul to catch a train there. Once we arrived at Gapyeong we stocked up on groceries and then got a lift out to the house. it was quite remote, hidden up a valley and surrounded by trees all in glorious colours. Unfortunately, shortly after we arrived it started to rain, but we went for a game of football anyway....although we got absolutely soaked! After we'd dried off it was time for some movies and games, and then the owners brought us up a ready-to-cook-on BBQ to our balcony for us to cook dinner on. We had some Samgyeopsal (thick cut bacon...very fatty) and some DELICIOUS steak, and then played a few more games before bed. The next day we had planned to go ATV'ing (quad biking) but time was too short so Lisa and I went for a wee walk before we headed back to Gapyeong. We had a nice Dakgalbi lunch before the train took us back to Seoul. It was a great weekend, I was a bit worried about fitting in, as I was the only European there, but it was a good laugh and I met some nice people. Here is the photo album, the photos from Gapyeong begin on page 4.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=291456&id=777495416&l=c39fd4db88

Beautiful colours.

Group shot. Spot the Scot?!

And that pretty much brings us up to speed. Last weekend was spent in Seoul shopping on Saturday, and then on Sunday Neil, Callum and I went to a sauna up in Bucheon, which was relaxing. Neil and Kyongmi are back from their extended break at home and in Europe, it sounds like they had a great time and they are busy looking for work now that they're back in Korea. This weekend I think Neil will come down to Yeonsu for some gaming and a few beers. November is so far quite quiet, although Lisa and I are planning on taking a road trip down the East coast in 2 weekends time. Apart from that I have nothing else planned.

School is still going fine, a few Korean teachers have come and gone but my schedule is pretty much unchanged, and I am still enjoying it, every day is different, and the job still challenges and rewards me which is good. Lisa and I have had a rocky last couple of months, but we are still together and I am going by the saying 'whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger'. I hope it's true.

I am now really looking forward to going home at Christmas, my plans when I'm back in Scotland are a bit clearer, my time will mainly be split between Iona, mum down in Penrith and the Philps in Fife, with stops to see granny and grandpa and in Edinburgh too. It's going to busy, but it will be so nice to be home again and to see everyone.

I will update the blog before I return to the UK, until then I will leave you with the English writing on my bread bag, it's priceless. Someone could make a good bit of money advising big companies out here how to use English properly on their advertising.

"Paris Baguette 56 Hour Premium White Bread - It kneads a dough with the boiling wter high temperature and hour from low temperature and maturing a natural taste deeply and it saves with chewy it is soft there is the recording wall hun-dred which it will chew it does and a possibility of feeling simultaneously with the bread. the flavor taste there is a possibility of seeing and it is a bread."

That is word-for-word. All the spelling and punctuation is as it is on the packet, the only thing I have done is change it from all capital letters to all lower-case. Amazing. My favorite part is the final 5 words.

2 years on...........

Hey,

Just over a year ago, I was returning back to Korea to start my 2nd year. I can't believe how fast the last year has gone, I really can't. It has been a great year overall, perhaps not as full-on (mainly in terms of alcohol consumption...a good thing I think!) but I feel I have experienced a lot and seen a bit more of Korea and Asia too. I think I will try and pick a top 5 of my last year in Korea....in no particular order!

1. Meeting and starting a relationship with my girlfriend Lisa. It was just under a year ago that I first met her, and we have been going out now for around 10 months. We've had our up's (trips to Chungju, Taiwan and more recently, Jeju) and our down's but I love her and am looking forward to whatever we end up doing together next.

2. Neil and Kyongmi's wedding in July was a great occasion, the ceremony was very touching and well thought out, and at a great venue too. It was good to meet Neil's parents again, and see such a big gathering of their friends and family to celebrate the occasion.

3. Stewart came and visited at the end of June which was absolutely brilliant. We managed to fit a lot in, including a superb trip to Jeju where we hired scooters and toured round the island. We also went to Seoul, the DMZ, a rafting/bungee jumping trip and he visited my schools too which was great. I am so happy he made it over.

4. Greg and I's trips to Japan (in January) and Beijing (in May) were both amazing. In Japan we took in Kyoto, met up with Gordie, and then headed up to Tokyo on the bullet train. Expensive, but very good. Beijing was all about shopping and sights. We got tailor-made suits, climbed the Great Wall, visited the Olympic venues and ate Peking Duck and deep-fried scorpions!

5. Meeting Tom Cruise in January was surreal but superb. It was a bit crazy, but we got to speak to him and I shook hands with the main star of two of my favourite films of all time (Top Gun and Mission:Impossible). I have my signed Top Gun DVD on the wall in front of me as I write this blog.

It is highly unlikely that this time next year I will still be in Korea, but by the time I leave (probably in May/June next year) I will have lived here for over two and a half years. I am starting to worry a little bit about returning to the UK, I think I may well experience a bit of reverse culture shock. I know I will find some things very frustrating (Internet speeds, prices and weather) but by the time I leave I know I will have 'had my fill' of Korean life and I am already looking forward to spending a summer on Iona. Anyway....that is all some distance away, so in the meantime I will focus on what I've been up to since the last blog.

Since Greg and Neil's (temporary) departure I have quietened down a bit socially. I've been out a few times to Bupyeong, Bus Terminal and in Yeonsu-Dong, but haven't been out in Seoul since August, a fact which has been kind on my wallet and my liver. I don't miss the sweaty nightspots in Hongdae/Itaweon at all, to be honest I would be quite happy if I didn't cross the threshold of any of the them for the remainder of my time out here.

Despite this decrease in heading out, there have still been a few things worthy of a blog mention. At the end of August Lisa and I headed out to Eulwangi beach on the Airport island to join a few other folk for a beach BBQ to celebrate Steph's birthday. Conor and Steph's boss had brought a proper BBQ, two massive ice boxes loaded with beer and plenty of other things so we were well set-up. We had a nice afternoon/evening drinking, eating and playing a bit of football. We even ventured into the water but not too far, apparently a Great White Shark had been spotted off the beach earlier in the season so everyone was a bit shifty!

In the middle of September Lisa and I headed over to New Songdo to visit the Incheon Global Festival. The festival has been running since the start of August and will finish in a couple of weeks, and is really an opportunity for Incheon, and New Songdo in particular, to promote itself as an attractive place to visit and invest in. We took the newly-opened subway extension to Central Park station and headed to the entrance. Currently, Korea is in the grip of Swine Flu panic, and so on our arrival at the entrance we were ushered to a special entrance reserved for foreigners where our temperatures were checked. I found this to be bordering on racism. There were hundreds of Koreans passing through the main gates, any one of whom could have contracted the disease abroad or from someone else in Korea, but because we were foreigners (even though I have not been out the country since May) we were automatically suspected of being more of a risk.

Anyway, once we had passed through the 'checkpoint', we headed to explore some of the many exhibits and activities on offer. There was a giant tent with teddy bears acting out scenes from many different places in the world, a robot hall with robot animals and a few hands on machines, a 3-D movie about a giant fire-fighting robot that committed suicide to save a little girl (slightly strange), a cool fountain show and a global food area (the Turkish kebabs and Indian food were both OK). Here is a link to the Facebook album ( the photos from the festival are on page 2).

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=291456&id=777495416&l=c39fd4db88

Overall, I thought the Festival was value for money, but nothing special. For example, the world food court at the Korea Boat Show in June was much better than the one at this festival, and the Incheon event is far bigger than the boat show was. Still, it was a nice day out.

Last weekend was Chuseok, one of the two big holidays in Korea (the other being Lunar, or Chinese New Year), and I had the Friday off, so Lisa and I flew down to Jeju for a wee long weekend break. We had booked our flights ages ago but left the 1st night hotel room until the last-minute and didn't book car hire or our 2nd nights hotel, so we were a bit worried we might not get either. In the end, we got a beauty of a motor! It turned out all the compact cars were sold out, so we had to go a level up and pay about 40,000 Won extra, but it was worth it. We got a brand new red Kia Forte Coupe, so we had a great fun cruising around in that all weekend. Lisa did most of the driving, as she got her International License when she was back in Canada, but I also had a wee shot too (highly illegal, but luckily I didn't crash). Here is the link to our photos and a shot of our car.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=323388&id=777495416&l=e31d82fde2

Here's a video of us attempting the 'Mysterious Road'. You can't really see it from the video but due to sight-lines, if you put the car in neutral it seems as though it is rolling uphill. A good laugh.

Lisa and I visited a few of the places Stewart and I had been to, such as the maze, Seongsan Illchubong and Seogwipo, but we also went to a few different places too such as Cheonjiyeon falls, a speedboat ride around Seongsan Illchubong and Jeju Love Land (very bizarre). It was a great trip, and confirmed Jeju as one of my favourite places in Korea. I doubt I will be back down there before I go, but you never know.......

Now that Chuseok is over, it seems like an age until the next holiday, which is at Christmas. I think it seems even further away because I know I am going home for Christmas this year, something I am so excited about. It will be so nice to be back in Scotland for the festive season.
Before that, there are a couple of things going on. This coming weekend it is Canadian Thanksgiving day, so Lisa and I are going to a get-together in Seoul where there will hopefully be some roast chicken and other Thanksgiving treats. Then the following weekend it is Lisa's birthday so I have one or two things planned for that. At the end of October Baker's school is planning a Halloween party so I will need to think of an outfit for that (I was a cowboy last year). November is currently looking pretty quiet but I'm sure something will show up. If not, I'll keep saving my money and working away.

I will try and give an update early in November, before then would just be unrealistic! Until then,
Love Neil

A-Z of Korea

I seem to have a bit more time on my hands these days, so I have decided to burn the midnight oil tonight and create an A-Z of things to do with my life in Korea, with a brief description of each.

A - Adjuma/Adjushi - An older Korean Women/Man respectively. Adjuma's are notorious for not respecting queues and generally doing what they want. Many Adjuma's sell vegetables/shellfish by the road or in local markets. Colourful characters.

B - Bobby - Bobby is one half of the GnB team, the other being Ginny. Actually, the 'n' stands for Neo, so I suppose there are three of them. Bobby is blue, and it is unclear if him and Ginny are romantically involved or if they are siblings. The man in the picture below is not Bobby.

C - Cars - Obviously, Korean manufacturers dominate the car market here. Hyundai, Kia and GM Daewoo are the big 3, with SM (Samsung Motors, owned by Renault) and Ssyangsong behind. You also see quite a few Mercedes, BMW's, Audi's, Volvo's and Peugeot's too. I have never seen a Fiat, Renault or Vauxhall over here. My favourite Korean cars are probably modded SM5's, the Hyundai Coupe and the GM Daewoo Windstorm Extreme SUV.

D - Dogs - and more specifically the Korean practice of eating them. Contrary to popular belief, most Koreans don't eat dog and many of my kids react with disgust at the sheer mention of it. Restaurants that serve dog are not that common, and it is quite expensive. I have had it twice, both as a soup ('bosintang') and also steamed. It was quite tasty, although the meat is quite fatty. I tried the skin, but it was not very nice. I would say it tasted a bit like lamb.

E - E-Mart - One of the 'big three' supermarkets in Korea, the other two being Homeplus (Tesco's name in Korea) and Lotte Mart. E-Mart is very similar to bigger supermarkets back home, but they sell some different things like pets and live crabs. I like visiting E-Mart from time to time, but there is a Lotte Mart closer to my apartment, so it takes care of most of my shopping needs.

F - Fudding - Those who know of websites like Urban Dictionary and read Viz may well know the meaning of this word, if you don't...........there is a restaurant in Bupyeong which goes by this name that looks very nice.

G - God - Many Koreans are quite religious, and most who are follow the Christian faith, although Buddishm is also quite popular. From my window I can see a few neon-lit crosses, and occasionally I will get people knocking on my door giving me 'The Watchtower'. Thanks, but no thanks.

H- Hite - Along with Cass, the nation's most consumed beer. Clean, Crisp AND Fresh, or so they say. I say put an 'S' at the start of the name and you've hit the nail on the head. Makes Tennents seem like the Holy Grail of lager.

I - Incheon - Where I live. I'll let Wikipedia explain it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incheon

J - Jump! - The brilliant performance Lisa and I went to see in Seoul for my birthday. If anyone ever has the chance to see it (I believe they tour quite often.....they've certainly been to the Edinburgh Festival and London) don't miss out, it's excellent. I covered it in a previous blog post so I won't go into detail, but it is a comedy/martial-arts show that has almost no dialogue.

K- Kimchi - I had to have Kimchi for K......the national dish, said to cure swine flu and a variety of other ailments, and scarily addictive. I like 'Baechu' Kimchi, the classic variety made with cabbage, but there are hundreds of other varieties. I will genuinely miss it when I leave.

L - Lessons - My lessons at school mostly last for 45/50 mins, but at one school they are split in half so I only teach for 25 mins. I think around 4o-45 mins is ideal, 25 mins is too short to get into any detail, and for 50 mins you sometimes have to stretch it out a bit. Average class size is about 10 students, it is never above 13/14 (better than last year....32 was my record I think!)

M - Money - Ahhhh money, my greatest battle in life is keeping control of my money. I really need to pay off my credit card this year and save a bit of cash for whatever is next after Korea. I am determined to do it. I will do it! Anyway, Korea's money is called the Won, and comes in 10,50,100 and 500 coins, and 1000(blue),5000(brown),10000(green) and the newly introduced 50000 (gold) notes. 1 British pound is around 2000 Won.

N - North - The further North you go in South Korea, the more military-related things you see, until you get to the DMZ, the 4km wide barrier that separates North and South Korea. The border (also called the MDL, or Military Demarcation Line) is slap-bang in the middle of that 4km area. It is the most heavily fortified border in the world, and I find it a fascinating place. I've been on the DMZ tour 5 times now, and have still enjoyed it every time. Given North Korea's unpredictability these days, it is unlikely the DMZ will be dismantled any time soon.

O - Octopus - Probably the craziest thing I've eaten in Korea is still-moving octopus. They cut it up before they bring it to your table and then you eat it whilst it's still squirming about on the plate. They say you should chew it thoroughly before swallowing as the suckers could suck themselves onto your throat if you don't, causing you to choke. I made sure I chewed it pretty well. The following link is a clip from one of the most famous Korean movies 'Old Boy'. DO NOT WATCH IT if you are squeamish! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ewUzXpgM4

P - Post - The Korean postal service is a bit hit-and-miss. If you are posting domestically it seems to be OK, but things coming into the country from abroad and leaving are sometimes never seen again, and if they are they often arrive battered or ripped. It may not be the Koreans that are at fault, but I have quite a lot of faith in Royal Mail so I think it might be a problem at this end.

Q - Quiznos - When I lived in New Zealand I discovered Subway for the first time, and now I am living in Korea I have discovered Quiznos. I think they are so much better than Subway, I lovvvveeee the Chicken Carbonara sandwich. Tasty.

R - Running - Something I am trying to get back into. I did quite a bit of running last year, both at the gym and outdoors in my local park. This year I am using a nearby cycle path to run along, it is pretty flat and quiet. It is still pretty warm here and often the humidity/pollution are quite bad but I will keep plodding on. If I have my MP3 player and it's not too hot I don't mind it. No wait, that's a lie, I hate it, but I like the way I feel afterwards and I don't want to get fat.

S - Sunny - No, not the weather condition. Sunny is my boss (although she doesn't pay me, my other boss Baker does that) and as close as I have to a Korean 'mum' now that I don't work with Dinna any more. If I ever had a problem that was work-related I would go to her. She and her husband (the famous/infamous 'Mr.Jo') run a big GnB in Donchun-Dong where I work 2 days a week.

T - Talking - In English and Korean. These days I feel I have three different ways of talking.

1: My normal English voice, used when talking to other Westerners.

2: My simplified English, used when talking to my students, teachers and anyone who can understand English but not that well.

3: My attempt at Korean. Usually a mix of Korean and English, and with no sentences, just Korean words. Usually met with a blank stare. Occasionally met with a 'Nayyyyyyyyyy'.

U- Umbrellas - Using an umbrella never crossed my mind before I came to Korea. Back home I always used waterproofs. Here, everyone uses umbrellas, some women even use them when it's not raining to protect them from the sun's tanning ability. Right now, I only have a crappy green one, as I left my good umbrella in a taxi a few weeks ago. Thankfully, I haven't been caught out since then (touch wood).

V - Giving the V's - Korea's love giving the V's (the good V, not the bad one) whenever a photo is being taken. Here is an example. Also, instead of saying 'cheese', they say 'kimchi'.

W - Whisky - It is difficult, and expensive, to find good Scottish whisky in Korea. There is plenty of Johhnie Walker around, and a lot of Ballantynes too. But if you want a malt, you really have to go to Seoul. Even then, I have only ever seen Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Bowmore, or Macallan. Last year I paid around 7 pounds for 1 dram of Glenmorangie at the Hilton in Seoul. Still, it was Christmas! When I came back last year I brought in 3 bottles.....there is 1 left (we drank one and Neil Munro has the other!)

X - emmmmm....... Xi'an - One place I would still like to try and visit in China, one of Korea's neighbours. Xi'an is home of the Terracotta Warriors, and many other historical sites. I think you can get flights direct from Incheon, but to be honest I probably won't go before I leave.

Y- Yogi-Yo - One of the phrases I use the most in Korean, I suppose translated it means.....'stop here please'. Mostly used when taking a taxi.

Z - ZZZZZZ - I have reached the end of my A-Z and it is time for me to go and ZZZZZ. I hope you've enjoyed it! I'll update with a 'proper' blog post soon.

July/August

Hi,

I have again left a big gap between blog posts, this time I will blame it on the heat. The high temperatures have meant that I have to try and conserve my energy as much as possible, and one of the activities to suffer has been blogging. Seriously though, the heat here in Korea right now is too much, I can't wait for it to cool down, though I fear that won't happen for about another month yet.

Although I blogged last at the end of July, that was to update on Stewart's visit, so I will pick things up around the middle of July. The weekend before my birthday, Lisa and I headed into Seoul for my 'surprise'. It turned out to be dinner at a brilliant Mexican restaurant in the Sinchon area called 'On The Border'. I had some delicious Steak Tacos and for dessert got a surprise piece of cheesecake and a birthday rendition from the waiting staff......very embarrassing!

After dinner we caught a taxi over to near City Hall where Lisa had bought tickets for a show called 'Jump!' It is billed as a 'comedy/martial arts performance' and it was absolutely brilliant. The story revolves around a slightly unconventional Korean family who are all strangely good at martial arts. It was both very funny and visually stunning, all without really any speaking at all, all the comedy comes through actions. Here is a Youtube link for a preview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1R12jUIonQ&feature=related

We were sitting a few rows from the front and so, inevitably, being a Westerner (Lisa swears it had nothing to do with it being my birthday!) I was pulled up on stage for some audience participation. I had to do some forward rolls and also got frisked (and they somehow discovered I was carrying lots of knives and other weapons...very clever!). I'm not very good at stuff like that but they were very professional, and I got a free program from it! Here's a photo of me with one of the cast.

We spent the night in Seoul and after Lisa did some souvenir shopping for her imminent return home and I got a tie for Neil's wedding, we headed down to the Han river to hire some bikes and go for a cycle. It took us a while to find a hire shop (they are redeveloping a lot of the riverbank right now so the shop I hired from last year had disappeared) but once we'd got some bikes we headed along the cycle lane upstream towards Jamsil. For some reason I don't have any photos of that but Lisa might....I'll see. It was nice to back on a bike again, although the river had recently flooded so there was quite a lot of smelly mud caking everything. They had cleared the actual cycle lane though, so at least we didn't have to ride through it! After that it was back to Incheon for some Vietnamese (Pho) and then home. A great weekend, all courtesy of Lisa. Thankyou!

On my birthday, the Monday, I was working, Greg got a cake though which was lovely and it was a nice day.

After a short Mon-Thurs at work we had the Friday off, and so it was into Seoul to check into the Hamilton Hotel in Itaweon for the start of the wedding weekend. Greg, Lisa and I went to the outdoor pool for a bit and relaxed, and then in the evening Greg and I headed to the World Cup stadium to meet Neil and his dad to watch Manchester United play FC Seoul. It was very busy, the busiest I've seen the stadium (mostly Man U fans) and it was a good game too, Manchester eventually winning 3-2. Park Ji Sung, the local boy, played about 20mins and got a big roar when he came on.

Here is a link to the photo album on Facebook (the game photos are at the end) and one from the stadium.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=238531&id=777495416&l=d95cc70694

The next day (Saturday) it was the big day; Neil and Kyongmi's wedding. Greg and I went to an Austrian deli for breakfast (sausages and saurkraut....mmmmm!.... Anja's influence there I think!) then got dressed and headed over to Gangnam where Neil was getting dressed and his hair and make-up (!) done. Once he was ready I headed back to Itaweon to pick up Lisa and then we headed to the wedding venue. It was a lovely Italian restaurant with a garden area where the actual ceremony took place. Before proceedings got underway the photographer took the wedding photos, and then once guests had arrived the ceremony got underway. It was a mix of Western and Korean traditions, Neil's mum and aunt wore Hanboks (traditional Korean dresses) and one of Kyongmi's friends did a lot of translating so everyone could understand everything. Greg gave a reading, I gave a small speech as did one of Kyongmi's friends Marie, and then Kyongmi and Neil read other vows they had written themselves, an emotional moment. Kyongmi also sang a Korean song to her new husband, she has a lovely voice. Finally the rings were exchanged with Neil's dad presiding, and the new couple walked up the aisle to loud applause. It was a great ceremony, that despite some things being a bit last-minute, was very well thought out and personal, not like some of the factory-line weddings that are quite common in Korea, where everyone comes for the food and then leaves. After the ceremony had finished, we were treated to a great buffet by the restaurant and then went back to James Tucker and his girlfriends massive apartment for some post-wedding drinks. I am so happy the wedding went so well for Neil and Kyongmi, and as I said in my speech, I wish them all the love and happiness for the future.

Here is the FB link to the rest of my wedding photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=287542&id=777495416&l=8975f8eaa5

After the wedding weekend it was back to work, but only for two days. On Wednesday, it was the first of GnB's annual vacation, and I used the day to visit a place I had wanted to go to last year, but never got round to it. After a LONG bus journey (going a short distance) I got to Ganghwa Island, a large island connected by bridge to Mainland Korea that sits North of Incheon and near the DMZ. I went and saw a large Dolomen (standing stone-type thing) and also visited a seaside village called Oepori, but overall it was a pretty disappointing trip. Gangwha was like pretty much everywhere else I've been to in Korea, and I spent a long time on buses getting there and back. Never mind, at least I finally got there!

Here is the FB album from Ganghwa, and also the photos from Greg, Tim and I's Busan trip (see below for description)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=291456&id=777495416&l=c39fd4db88

The next day, Greg, Tim and I caught a bus to a city called Changwon, which is where Jeremy and his girlfriend are now living. We had a good night out there and the next day caught a bus into nearby Busan. We stayed in the same hotel that Neil, Gordie and I had stayed in when we went down in September 2007, however this time Busan, and in particular the main beach (Haeundae), were much busier. On the Saturday, we headed to Haeundae but it was SO busy that you couldn't even see the sand for parasols, so in the end we caught a taxi to another quieter beach where we could see the sand and actually get some space. We had a good few games, Greg and I hired rubber rings and attempted to surf on them, and had a good few beers. A nice day. The next day we caught a lunch-time KTX (high speed train) back up to Seoul. It was great trip, and nice to Jeremy again.

Haeundae beach. The sand is there somewhere...under all the parasols!

On the Monday it was back to work, and the following weekend was Greg's final one in Korea. We headed up to Bupyeong on the Friday, there were a good few folk out, then on the Saturday it was into Seoul for a last big blow-out. The night ended very sweatily in the Smallest Nightclub In The World. Good times.

Sweaty Boys!

And so, a week ago today, Greg left Korea and headed back to Scotland. I think he was happy to be leaving although I know that he enjoyed himself out here a lot. I was very sad to see him go, he was my workmate 4 days a week and always around for dinner, playing football or a few beers. Hopefully he will get a job back home soon, but if not....you know you're always welcome back here big guy!

Greg left on Monday and on Thursday Lisa left to head back to Canada (but only for a couple of weeks.....I hope!) so it's a bit quieter in Yeonsu-Dong these days! Greg's replacement Johanna arrived on Wednesday and started teaching today so I've been helping her get settled in. Another new guy who I worked with at Scottish Widows in Edinburgh arrived last month so I met up with him last night and watched the football, and on Saturday I went up to Bucheon to Neil and Kyongmi's to have a wee party, as it's Neil's birthday today. We had a surprise party for him in Goose Goose on Friday which went down well, so although things have been quieter there is still stuff going on.

In future plans, well, Lisa returns at the end of August, it will be good to see here again. Neil and Kyongmi are heading to Scotland and Europe for 7 weeks at the start of September, it's a shame they're not going to be back at the same time as me but it makes sense for them to go then for lots of reasons, so I hope they have a great time.

For Chuseok Lisa and I are booked to go to Jeju where we hope to hire a car (Lisa has her International Drivers License) and explore a bit. I was there with Stewart not so long ago but am delighted to be going back, and Lisa has never been so it'll be new for her. Talking of flying, I have booked my flights home for Christmas, I am flying to Glasgow with KLM on 23rd December, and then flying back to Korea on the 2nd of January. The rough plan is to go to Iona for Christmas, then head to Mum and Mike's between Christmas and New Year, and then be somewhere in the Central Belt for New Year. I am really looking forward to coming home, it will have been over a year since I was in the UK and my first Christmas back home since 2006/2007.

In the meantime, I'm going to continue teaching away (I have one more week of the busy intensive period then it'll calm down a bit again) and try to save a bit of cash.

Lots of love, Neil

Lisa and I at Neil and Kyongmi's wedding