My favorite student of all time.....

This is Judy, she is an amazing little girl. She came up to my window in the office and we just started talking. My good friend Dana is in the picture with her. I wish Judy would be here every week! :)

This is what I'm working with....

This was my weekend with these two weirdos! But I love' em just the same.

Celebrations all around

Just a few folks celebrating Budda!

Celebrating Budda!

We were in Insadong and these men and women came parading down in celebration for Budda's Birthday! It was cool!

I will mess him up....

My friend Anderson and I thinking we are cool! We just had a great Mexican dinner in Seoul. I'm pretty sure I can take him.

Chillin' in Insadong

I love Insadong! It is a traditional market area where you can find anything Korean! :)

This looked really good....

I wanted to buy some of this from them, but they were just so busy. It looked like a really good trail mix! Maybe next time?

Really???

Can you believe this sign? I couldn't pass up taking a picture of it. This is in Seoul.

A beautiful day...

What talented people..these sculptures were great!

Sculptures in the water....

The festival for Budda's birthday was so much fun!

Festivals in Seoul....

I painted a mask, it was fun! :) I need to add a little more detail to it but I am scared that I will mess it up..... Maybe my dad can help me, he is artistic!

Another weekend away from the village...

The only way for me to stay sane is to get away on the weekends! My first time to Busan, it was amazing. Honestly, Korea is awesome it's just the DGEV that is killing me!

Teri, this is for you....

This is the outfit I was talking to you about when you called me...I think you might like it. Those shorts are shiny and those socks are killer. Keri, maybe you want a pair for softball..hmmm?

Snack anyone...?

I know you want me to send you some dried squid! I'm sure there are other items if you desire them???? Don't be crazy!

I have no idea what to say...

Maybe, we are robots...I dunno! Walking around a great market area getting stared at and pushed around by the Koreans....life is good?!?..

Songdo Beach...

Taking a load off at the beach at sunset......good times!

My new home...?!..?!

So, I love BUSAN! Yes, even more than Seoul..well kinda! I mean living on the ocean is always something I have wanted to do....so maybe this is my time?? It's a possibility.....

You know your in Korea when....

So, this guy was swimming with all of his clothes on long sleeved shirt, pants, and shoes. He had a pair of goggles and was just swimming around looking for something...maybe dinner?

It's her first time out....

Sarah and Sara.....who could ask for more. Nate is usually embarrassed by the 2 of us. :)

My favorite weirdos!

Nate and Sarah ready to live it up in Busan!

Sweating my u know what off.....

At the top again...I love this spot. Just cheesin' with the camera!

The village from afar....

I like this shot of the village. Now, you can truly see I am stuck in the mountains! I think I like it so much because I'm not in the Village!

Just another obstacle...

Just a tree growing sideways that makes my hike more interesting.

A close up....

Just a close up of the pretty trees that line the hill/road out of the village.

The hill....

This is the uphill battle to get to the hiking trails I love. Everything is starting to bloom...I love it!

Chilgok

This is a shot of Chilgok, the city that is closest to me. We have a shuttle that runs here so we can get whatever it is we need. I was waiting for the bus and took a few shots. DongA is a department store where I tell the taxi drivers to take me to because that is where the bus picks me up.

At the top....

Hiking is great around the village. Here's me just being weird!

Mug Shot!

So, I have been thinking of getting another job in Korea and staying another year. I needed photo to send with my resume since this is required in Korea therefore this shot. I have been having a rough past few weeks trying to decide what to do with my life!? I finally have decided after talking to many important people in my life! I am coming HOME when I am done with my contract here. I don't know when that day will be but I am thinking sometime in early August like the 1st or 2nd? I can't wait!

Nanta!

I went up to Seoul last week for a few days. Oh, how I love Seoul! I went and saw this theater production called Nanta. It was a nonverbal performance and was great. It has been on Broadway in New York, I don't know if it is still there.

Beijing here I come!

My first photo in Beijing, China. We just got off the plane and are on the tour bus heading to the Temple of Heaven. I am so excited to see everything there is to see in China, come along let's go!

Temple of Heaven.

Here is Duncan, our tour guide, telling us about the Temple of Heaven. I can't wait to see what is inside the courtyard! Nate and Raluca paying close attention to what he is saying. :)

The Hall of Prayer of Good Harvest.

I am in the Temple of Heaven courtyard having fun! I almost forgot this building was built using absolutely no nails! It is all wood pieced together like a puzzle. Here is a link if you would like to know more about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Heaven

Cheese!

Just posin' for the people!

Our first Chinese meal!

Dinner is served family style. That glass is a Lazy Susan and life is good. This is a picture of all of us that came from the DGEV. In front from left to right is ME, Kristin (aka Marshy), Raluca, Mo in the back is Nate and Sarah B. This was one of the best dinners. It was Peking Duck. I wish we had more of it!

So?

Alright, so I'll be the person that jumps off the ladder onto the board! Katie you can be the one who gets flipped up and has to land in the chair and Teri you have to balance her while she lands in the chair. Sound like a plan, we can do this?

Stop it!

Ok, really come on now! This woman walked around with the other woman balancing on her head for quite some time. Then she decided it would be a good idea to walk up and down these stairs. Unbelievable!!

I think we could do this?

Now lets all walk on top of each other while spinning plates on sticks. I am impressed!

Talk about balance!

These 3 guys were amazing! They were doing stuff like this and holding it for an incredibly long time.

Who does that?

Are you serious? 13 girls on 1 bicycle riding around the stage at the Chinese Acrobatic Show! All I can say is "WOW"

The Great Wall of China.

It took over 200 years to build the entire wall. Around 2-3 million Chinese died during the centuries of building the wall. It is approximately 4,000 miles long. It would stretch from L.A. to New York City. It was built as protection during the many dynasties of China. And I am going to climb a part of it!

Lovin' life on the Great Wall.

I forget why I did this pose, it looks cool though! I am part way up the Wall here. It's good to take breaks.

Taking a breather...

Just stopping to catch my breath and look around at the scenery. It was a beautiful day out!

Doin' the Wall!

I can't believe I am still smiling. I was holding on for dear life all the way and down! Talk about a great workout.

One last look at the wall....

What an amazing structure!

The Summer Palace.

This where the emperor and empress would go during the summer. It must be nice???

Entrance to the Summer Palace.

The lions are believed to have powerful mythic protective powers. They traditionally stood in front of palaces, temples, and government offices. They are generally in pairs the female on the left and the male on the right. The male lion has his right paw on a ball while the female has a single cub under her left paw. Just a little tid bit of information.

The female lion...

I want a lion in front of my house..well in this case my dorm room door.

Duncan showing us where we are...

Here is Duncan our tour guide. This is a map showing a small part of the Summer Palace. A huge man made lake just for the Emperor.

Are they endangered?

Do your best to help protect the railings. I love it! I hope they survive.

The Phoenix...

The Phoenix represented the Empress. Normally, the Dragon stands to the left and the Phoenix to the right of a building, showing the power of the emperor. Well, this building the empress had it changed, Phoenix on the left and Dragon on the right! Woman Power!