Newspaper Article

The Korean teachers, fellow Alum Sarah and I were photographed for a Korean newspaper article about ICC. Check it out…even if you don’ read Korean it has good photos of the school. http://www.dtnews24.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=55156

From left to right: Me, Angela, June, Violet, Sarah, Karen, Cara, Julia, Sunny and Jinny.
These are there English names of course. It is fun to hear their stories about how they were given or chose their names.

Trial & Error RICE

So my fellow teacher Janet decided she wanted to cook beans and rice for dinner. The beans were dry and by the 40 minute mark we decided we were to hungry to wait and stuffed them in the fridge. Throughout the whole bean cooking ordeal Janet was becoming increasingly frustrated that the rice was so sticky (imagine white rice with elmer’s glue). Being Puerto Rican and non-sticky rice our specialty I tried to salvage it…really I did…. We each did actually. The rice ended up with stir-fried vegetables (seasoned with garlic and balsamic vinegar and my contribution), meat tenderizer, oregano, soy sauce, a raw egg and a random ramen seasoning package (Janet’s contribution). It smelled heavenly, looked disgusting and sheer hunger made it edible.

My plate

The chefs

Sheer hunger...seriously

The fellow teachers "enjoy" their meals

We killed it



P.S.!

By the next day I was itching for the rice the way my Mami taught me to make. The girls were eager to see if my experiment would work. Could I make white rice that had flavor and was dry with the Korean rice? Could I ever? IT WAS PERFECT!!! It even had PEGAO (No picture evidence though because we were to happy eating…Gracias mom!) I have been asked to give a lesson.

Where I live...

As part of my job I am provided with a neat living space. I live in what the call "Global House" I get a room with a fridge, t.v. desk, heated floor and my own bathroom! Each room has a color theme and mine is pink.

My "scottie" blanket

The shower is really neat because it has no curtain and the water just drains into the drain. It dries pretty quickly. There are specific bathroom shoes one can use.

Bathroom shot...again

All the Korean Snacks and beverages I am trying and loving

The mega-communal kitchen with a flat screen t.v., two computers and comfy couches!

Loren and Sarah in the mega kitchen

I hate ironing and the one in the communal kitchen was tied in noose-style...Maybe Keila will soon learn that ironing = DEATH

Where I work

I teach in Daejeon’s new International Communication Center or as the peeps call it “ICC”. There are regular classrooms and then there are “activity classrooms with themes such as, “drama”, “zoology”, “dance”, “words”, “speech” and even a situational room, i.e. the restaurant and store.

Front of ICC

Left side as taken from the hiking trail

Playground and view from my room

Also the view from my room

THE CLASSROOMS:

The Dance room

Dancing

The "Words" Room

The "Books" Room

The "Science" Room

The "Speech" Room

The "Earth" Room

Hallway

The Situation Room

I take this job seriously...as per what I call the "Birthday" Room

My New City, Daejeon

I work in the metropolitan city of Daejeon. It is the 5th largest city in Korea. It is growing as I type this with many many high-rises and tons of businesses. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains and peaceful parks and hiking trails. It is a perfect city for me…a la my Chicago of Asia…hehe. The following pictures were taken on a 6 mile walk from my school/home to the oh so fabulous HOME PLUS (think Walmart).

As we walked we took photos like this in an attempt to orientate ourselves or in case we got lost

Our goal is to learn how to use the subway

We want to learn how to take the subway as soon as possible...look out for my "I got lost in the Subway pictures"

There's tranquilty

...and then there's vibrance and energy

What is now my favorite bakery is on this street

After a 5 mile trek, only having been there once (we were chauffeured), not speaking or reading Korean Janet and I made it to HOME PLUS...then we got lost in the store (seriously)!

While Atlanta is seriously lacking, Chicago has one, New York, Florida, Colorado Springs and DAEJEON TOO!

It took awhile...

After a drive from Decatur to Jackson-Hartsfield Int'l Airport, a 3 hour plane ride from Atlanta to Minnesota, a 12 hour plane ride from Minnesota to Tokyo, a 3 hour plane ride from Tokyo to Incheon, and a 3 hour drive from Incheon/Seoul to Daejeon I have finally arrived in South Korea. It was a little bit more than a 25 hour trip to get here and I am loving it. I must say though that to begin this blog was more exhausting and trying than arriving and getting accustomed to Korea. They set up the computer in my room but everything appears in Korean! Please bear with me and "Lola's Wanderlust" blog as I try to figure out how to update consistently in what has become a Korean website...urgh. This blog is intended to be more of a picture blog that will allow my global community of friends and family to experience my travels with me...and keep tabs on me.

Enjoy!