Back in Korea. Slightly sickly

Not much has been happening, so not much to blog about. Even my mailboxes have been empty. School has resumed but not many classes are happening, as the kids were mainly preparing for graduation ceremonies. I only taught a few "how was your vacation" classes with some kids. Many went to Japan, which surprised me given the harsh comments I'd heard about Japan. Anyways many wrote that they ate sushi. So I asked how they liked it. Most replied that they did, but one charismatic boy emphatically said "NO. WASABI." I had a chuckle.

The other day I woke up feeling quite groggy. No matter how many hyper sugary instant coffees I had I just could not get myself to wake up. At lunch I couldn't eat, even though they were serving super tasty food for Valentine's Day. Anyways after lunch I felt so achy and fatigued I got to nap in the nurses office in a pink floral heated bed. It was awesome.  I really wanted to feel better because that night was a teacher dinner where we would be eating puffer fish! Puffer fish, also known as fugu in Japan, is that fish that is lethal if not prepared correctly so it's kinda a big deal.

We get to the restaurant and I was just feeling worse and worse. I was seated next to a bunch of teachers that I didn't know and I had forgotten quite how much it was possible to be stared at. At this point I'm pretty sure I had a fever starting, and still zero appetite, but I knew I had to eat this puffer fish sashimi as it was very pricey. With everyone staring at me making me nervous, plus my fever, my hands were shaking and I kept dropping everything. Oh boy was it embarrassing. The fish tasted like any other sashimi only oddly crunchy. It was served in a salad with a SUPER salty dressing. I kept asking for more and more water which only added to my oddness. Eventually I could eat no more and noticed the table was talking about my lack of appetite. So while it looked to be a very fun night, I really just wasn't feeling up to it and had to excuse myself and go home. I am very upset this random sickness came that day, as I normally look forward to wowwing my coworkers with my chopstick skills and ability to eat a lot of anything :(

After that I have been sick for a few days and sadly missed out on the grade 6 graduation (I saw some of it but it was just adults giving speeches in Korean so I left haha), and another teacher lunch. Poorly timed sickness! Anyways I am now slowly on the mend, so don't worry. Just annoyed. Hopefully there will be another teacher dinner soon where I will be in full health and will be able to redeem myself. Of course everyone has been very understanding and concerned. One coteacher particularly was worried because she feels bad when I get sick far from home. They are too nice.

Anyways, here are some pics of life in back in Korea.

Pretty sunset in Gyeongju. That big temple looking building
is actually a kindergarten!

Terrible photo.. but it was just too funny not to post.

"Garten Bier
Beer plaza of the street
If choose best known place in Germany, it is beer plaza Bier Garten of distance. France's cafe drinks wine, if it is place that argue life and art, Germanic Bier Garten adds very popular atmosphere that wetin fun pulling in a cup of beer. Beer hall been called Bier Garten everywhere in Germany has been extravagant and Bier Garten is situating to residentials street. Germanic common people can meet anytime until comfortable middle age couple from company employee who banish daily weariness clean to a cup of beer in this Bier Garten."

I seriously have a headache from transcribing that.

We got a "teacher yearbook" with all our
pictures in it (even  mine!) and it came with
stickers of our names! These say Anne in
Korean! Perfect for my letters to kiddos!

Hehehe. It says "cut cock." Hehehe.

Hanging out with some seagulls in Busan. Gorgeous beach,
even in the winter. The gulls were puny compared to the
rustic guys out in Atlantic Canada!

Pretty walk through the park again. Pretty gondola. Those
are Chinese characters I believe. Don't know why.

My first fighting of a Korean squirrel! It was black, and had
tufted ears like a red squirrel. Cute.

I pass this all the time and figured I'd post it.
This is one of the hagwans, or private schools.
Apparently it's common for kindergarten hagwans
to look like castles?

Hagwans have fleets of vans to go pick up students
from around town. After school we see the vans
everywhere with kids running in and out of them
amongst traffic.
Makes me so nervous.

Before my unfortunate exit, I did managed to get a shot of
our puffer dish dinner. Tada.