Bungee Jumping, a Korean Wedding and Snowfall!

What's this? Two blog posts in one week?

The previous post, posted one week ago, involved some night photography of the city I live in. My apartment has a pretty sweet roof top that you can go out on and this offers some great views of life on the streets. One of the building's security personnel did unknowingly lock me out there but I think it was worth it for the shots.

Since the last written post I have been bungee jumping. Crazy. The jump was only 45 meters high so nothing too extreme but nevertheless it was a terrifyingly nervous experience. Standing on the edge of the board and voluntarily jumping off takes a certain mindset but as you free fall it is a fantastic experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone and I hope to get a chance to do it again.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to a co-teacher's wedding in Suwon. This was a wonderful experience for us foreigners as it gave us a possibly once in a lifetime chance to see a Korean wedding. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences between Korean and English weddings. The most mind-blowing difference was the extravagance of the wedding hall. It was held in a modern building which in itself was immaculate and the hall was dimly lit with the lighting provided only by the mesmerizing chandeliers.

Another notable difference was the efficiency of the whole ceremony. It lasted perhaps only thirty minutes and we were then shuffled out into the buffet room as another wedding was to take place straight after. It felt like the hall was a revolving door of weddings!

There was also a distinct lack of drinking in the short reception afterwards, this was despite the free soju on offer! Not that soju is expensive but free booze is, well, free booze and should be made the most of!

Finally the temperatures have dropped massively. From sweltering highs of 35C only 3 months ago to below freezing now in December. We've had two snow flurries but nothing has settled too much just yet. I'm hoping to finally see a white Christmas!

The bungee jump platform

A tofu soup dinner after the jump

 

The mothers of the bridge and groom

The buffet - didn't know much of what this was

 

We got lost after the wedding and ended up here

Some of the buildings here are old and ill-repaired

Street food outside my apartment

Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si

 

Almost 6 Months In!

Well I've certainly been slacking here. And that's the understatement of the century.

Hello again. Long time no see. The last time I posted here I was only 3 months into my life in South Korea. At this point we've almost doubled that time. 6 months is approaching fast and that means I will have reached the half way point in my contract with the hagwon I am working for.

Everything here is going very well. I think as time goes on it gets more fun out here and that's probably been a big reason for why I haven't posted in a long time.

However the weather today is wet and miserable and with no concrete plans for this weekend I figured today would be a good time to try and update you with my last 3 months.

One of the big highlights has been paragliding. We went with a tour group who drove us to a paragliding base in north east South Korea (confused?). Paragliding was a lot of fun as we got to see some fantastic views of the Korean countryside while we were up in the air. The trip also involved a night in a pension coupled with a BBQ, drinks, noraebong (karaoke) and a campfire with smores. The next day we were taken to explore some temples and caves. It was a great weekend and it was wonderful being away from the city and breathing fresh air again!

The last 3 months has also seen me visit Hong Kong for a few days during the Chuseok holidays. Chuseok is one of the biggest holidays in South Korea. This is the time when Korean families visit their ancestors homes and pay respect to them. I have no ancestors in Korea so I jumped on a relatively cheap flight to see the thriving, multinational city of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is a very cool place but unfortunately my hostel was one of the worst I've ever stayed in. My taxi dropped me off at the complex at about 3am on a Saturday night. Making my way to the hostel I had to walk through a closed down halal market. Fully deserted except for the numerous prostitutes, pimps and other random men lurking in the corners. I quickly found the elevator to my hostel and checked in. My three nights staying in this hostel were spent largely dodging the ceiling fan that was spinning far too close to my head on the top bunk!

 Fortunately I met another English guy in this hostel and we spent the next day exploring Hong Kong. We visited Victoria Peak which was particularly awesome when we had a beer at the top looking over the city. The next day I visited the Big Buddha statue which involved catching a cable cart across the mountains. Some of the scenery was fantastic!

Back to Korea and I think it's fair to say that this place is starting to feel like home. I am very settled here and still thoroughly enjoy teaching. There are elements to the culture that I still dislike but, on the whole, I have acclimatized to the differences. Besides, the wonderful elements to the culture here shine far more brightly than the negatives.

Kimbap - the food is awesome here

 I'll sign off with something I never expected to say... the nightlife in Seoul is by far the best I have ever experienced. A night of partying in Hongdae or Itaewon crushes anything that Brighton can offer. Even London can't quite reach these heights! I think this will be one of the top things I miss when I go back home but I don't need to worry about that just yet... another 6 months to go!

Club Octagon - sixth best club in the world

Soju. Dangerous. That is all.

Tokyo!

It's been quite a while since my last post. Perhaps I will write about what I have been up to at a later date. For now, here are some photos of a recent 5 day vacation to Tokyo. You can click on the photos to enlarge them.