On the day of Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving), the entire town was shut down - tourist attractions, stores, every single gas station and most restaurants. We had plans of whizzing along the coast on our scooter, but of course the tank was empty and we couldn't fill it up. So we spent the day at this rocky spot - munching on snacks, reading, watching kids play in the water, sun burning our noses, and dipping our toes in the water. I had to release myself from all the things I had planned for us to do that day, and just chill out. So we did.

*This spot kind of reminded me of here.

One big perk of teaching at an international school is that you get time off for all sorts of holidays that you wouldn't normally get. I got six (!) beautiful days off for Korean thanksgiving this past week. Mike and I seized the opportunity and made our way down to Jeju island. It is often touted as Korea's Hawaii and it certainly did not disappoint. The only tricky thing about the trip was that some places were closed, especially on Sunday, for the holiday. But I'm all for spending time with your family, especially on a holiday like Thanksgiving, so I could not begrudge them for that.

More photos to come!

(Photo four & five: Haenyeo women showing off their day's catch. Photo six: Seongsan Ilchulbong. Photo seven: Jeongbang Pokpo. Photo nine: Jungmun Beach. Photo eleven and twelve: Gimnyeong Maze)

To a certain extent, a tower is a tower. Every major city seems to have one and they often seem like a cash grab. Regardless, we paid the money to go up the N Seoul Tower and I'm glad we did. Looking out over Seoul made me appreciate just how huge it it is. It sprawls for mile after mile in every direction. As someone who grew up in a city of less than a million, it sort of boggles my mind.

*Back on instagram!

We spent our Saturday morning walking around Namdaemun Market. We didn't buy much else besides some snacks, but it was fun to people watch (and take photos, of course!).

Last night, we played Settlers of Catan in the park with friends. It felt exactly like something we'd do in Canada, which was really nice. We've met such good people here.

On Sunday, we visited Songdo. It's a city built completely from scratch, on reclaimed land. It seems to have been built with a "if you build it, they will come" mentality. Right now, it's eerily empty. I can't tell if the idea is a flop or if it just needs more time (construction doesn't finish until 2014).

It was so strange to wander around empty streets, after having accustomed to the hustle & bustle of Seoul and Incheon. A friend of ours compared it to the scenes of empty New York City in I Am Legend. It was a bizarre but beautiful experience. So many interesting buildings, so much green space! We can't wait to come back and bike around Songdo's Central Park. And grab another muffin from this coffee cart!

*Mike took some photos and made a short promotional video for my school. Check it out here.

A Saturday spent by the Hangang River in Seoul with friends from my school. We walked by the river, ate some fried chicken, and listened to music.

We've been here almost three weeks. And you know what, it's sort of starting to feel like home. We know where to get groceries, how to hail a taxi, how to properly dispose of garbage (Korea has the most bizarrely complex system!) and I'm slowly getting the hang of those darn chopsticks (yes, 25 years old and inept with chopsticks. The kindergarten students at my school are continually showing me up!). 

The paperwork is all in order for our Korean bank account AND we're getting cellphones. This is our life, not a vacation. I can hardly believe it.

I'm thankful everyday that Mike is here with me. He's my built in support system, chief navigator, and keeper of the tidiest apartment in all the land - I'm lucky and I know it.

*My classroom!