4D, 5K, 1 Splendid Day!

For those who have known me for a while, especially since my high school days, it is a well known and accepted fact that I, Michael Owen, do NOT play sports. You are looking at the kid that got out of gym all four years of high school (thank you Harry!), while my brother attempted to take 5 gym classes in ONE semester his senior year. Needless to say, sports and highly physical activity were never my forte. However, during my time here in Korea, I have started to slowly shift away from that hard outer shell and have begun to embrace a small part of the sporting and exercising world (as is evident by the gym post a couple of weeks ago).

Saturday was a day full of firsts for me.

I have joined a volunteer group here called Mannam International with a couple of my friends. This group goes throughout Seoul and volunteers at various events and locations, helping the locals. The organization also has a sports component to it, as a way to involve a larger group of people. Recently, they started a running club and have been actively recruiting members to join, regardless of skill, stamina, and speed level. Seeing as I have been trying to get break into the fitness realm of life, I decided to join. Part of my reason for joining is to get in better shape. Another piece of the puzzle really belongs to my friends, Leah and Kari, who have run multiple long distance races over the past few years. Watching them do it has made me want to accomplish something like that as well. Thanks guys for being part of my inspiration to see this through!

Saturday was our first meeting. Our coach, Mark, is currently training for his second triathlon and is a really awesome, relaxed, motivating guy. It also helps that his instruction comes with a British accent! We spent the first 45 minutes going over some basics about running (what to wear, nutrition, setting objectives, etc.) and then we went for a little "warm up" run. This said warm up run ended up being a 5K! No biggie. There were about 15 of us that participated in this first run and I ended up bringing up the end. But I was just more proud of myself that I finished and did not once slow down until the end. The end goal is to partake in a 10K race in April. Now that I have that goal in mind, this whole work out thing might actually be worth it!

This past weekend was also my friend Megan's birthday. We went out Friday night and had a great time living it up Seoul style. So Saturday, it was decided that a more mellow and low-key day was in store. Megan really wanted to go to the movies, so we went and saw Puss in Boots. But not just the regular Puss in Boots --- Puss and Boots in 4D!

This was the second 4D movie that I have been to (when I went to Disney World in high school, we saw A Bug's Life in 4D, which was pretty cool). The movie itself was definitely intended for a younger audience, but with all of the awesome effects and sense gripping extras that they added, it was definitely worth seeing. The chairs moved, wind blew through your hair, water sprayed your face, and flashes of light momentarily blinded your sight, giving the you impression that you were somewhat in the movie. It was a pretty awesome experience and great way to end my glorious day of firsts!

2012 Kick Off!

Here's a quick run-down of life over the past few weeks:

Christmas Weekend:
On Christmas Eve, I went to the Seoul Arts Center with Emma, Andy, Katie, and her boyfriend Nate to see The Nutcracker. It has kind of become a semi-tradition of mine to see this performance around Christmas time as I worked it numerous times at the Gallagher-Bluedorn up at UNI while I was working as a stagehand. It was definitely neat to see the performance from the audience and not backstage.

The theater was absolutely gorgeous and the performance was very fulfilling! It was different because the Nutcracker was actually dressed more like a jester than the traditional Nutcracker character that I have grown up with, so it did take me a little while to realize that. The performance really made me miss working at the theater and brought back tons of memories. I'm hoping to attend some more shows at the SAC during my remaining time here.

Inside the theater...a little dark but still amazinga discussion

On Christmas Day, I joined up with my friend Mitch for some really good Korean food, then headed over to our friend Megan and Travis' place, where we watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Great movie! Then we all headed to Sinchon and met up with some other people to enjoy a Christmas meal at a restaurant called Yaletown. The dinner consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, mini slider (small cheeseburgers), mac and cheese (complete with broccoli and ham), pumpkin pie, rolls, and unlimited drinks. While it wasn't the same of dinner back home, it was still nice to be surrounded by great friends and enjoying a delicious meal.

New Year's Weekend
For New Year's Eve, a group of us gathered together and went out to eat at a really good Korean restaurant in Sinchon (obviously one of our favorite places to go out at). We had some really good fried rice with chicken and pork and some other traditional Korean dishes (their names escape me at the moment). Afterwards, we headed over to a country western-style bar that some of us discovered during Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). We spent some time there catching up and playing darts (I beat Emma both time thank you very much! Thank you triple 17!). From there, we headed out to try and find some of our other friends that were at another location in Sinchon. After wandering around the about 20 minutes, we ended up at a small club for the remainder of the night. We were very disappointed that there was no official countdown to the new year, but we still enjoyed ourselves and made the most of it.

Hotel Nox!
This past Saturday night (Jan. 7) was by far one of my favorite during my time here in Seoul. At the Thanksgiving meal back in November, a discussion about party hotel rooms here in Seoul came up. The group of us that were at that meal talked long and hard about this opportunity and decided that we should look into it further and rent one of these rooms for ourselves. Since all of the websites are in Korean and none of us speak Korean, we needed the help of a native speaker. I volunteered to look into as my co-teachers have been super supportive and are always willing to help me out.

The next day at school, I brought this idea up to my co-teachers and they went into a frenzy! They have all heard of these hotels and have always wanted to try them out, but just have never had the chance. Needless to say, they were more than willing to help me out. So after doing a little research and discussions between a few of us, it was decided that would rent the large suite at the Nox Hotel in Yeoksam, in Gangnam-gu, which the richer area of Seoul. One of my co-teachers volunteered to call over the weekend and find out more details for us. Perfect!

On Monday, my co-teacher told me that she had made a reservation for us! Wasn't expecting that! I told her that we didn't even have a solid number of people yet. She told me that I had one day to find 15 friends that wanted to join in on the fun before we would lose our reservation. Challenge accepted. I quickly threw together a Facebook event to 20 people and stated that the first 15 to respond would be included. By the end of the work day, I had my 15! Easy peezy!

So for the low low cost of 900,000 won (approximately $900 or $60/person - total steal!), our room included the following:
- Pool
- Sauna
- Hot Tub
- Karaoke system and full-wall projection
- 2 double beds
- Kitchen with full sized fridge with complimentary drinks (Coke, OJ, water)

Awesome deal!

So the big night finally came and went! We had SOOOO much fun! The room was everything that we could've wanted and more! The only downfall was that the pool wasn't heated. We called down to the front desk multiple times and they said that they would fix it, but it never really happened. Nonetheless, we persevered through that minor setback and had a great time! We enjoyed the hot tub, sauna, and exhausted our voices with the karaoke system! I'm really hoping that we rent another one of these party rooms sometime in the summer before everyone heads in their separate directions. I know that I'd be down for another one!

The pool

Beds

Getting ready for the evening

Andy and I belting out some awesome song rendition I'm sure

The girls enjoying the karaoke!

Working up a sweat...

A couple of days ago, I joined a gym here in Seoul that is right across the street from my school. The gym is in the basement of an 8-story office building and takes up the lowest three floors. Included is a pool (big selling point for me!), billiards tables, darts, aerobic classes, and your usual workout equipment (treadmills, bikes, free weights, etc.)

One of my co-teachers assisted me with the signing up process. Yesterday (Wednesday) was my first day of actually using the facility. Had quite the experience.

After swiping my card at the front desk, the lady working there gave me a key to a locker and asked if I needed any clothes to work out in. Being always prepared, I had brought my own and kindly declined her offer. Before you can even walk into the locker room, you need to take off your shoes. Without even thinking, I took my shoes off and placed them on the shoe rack with all the other shoes. I walked into the locker room and found my locker and started getting changed to go work out. It suddenly hit me that I had no other shoes than the ones that I wore in, so I had to sneakily head back out to the entry way, retrieve my shoes, and avoid the glaring stare of the older man "guarding" the shoe rack (with a hot plate, nonetheless!) Lesson #1: Buy extra pair of "gym only" shoes.

Having finally changed, I headed down the stairs that connect the locker room with the workout area down below. As I entered the workout facility, I was given a sideways glance/glare by another lovely Korean. Maybe I'm not supposed to wear my shoes down the stairs either? Mission #1: Figure out gym stair etiquette.

Instead of trying to stir up trouble, I just headed over to the treadmill and started my workout. The rest of my time working out went by smoothly without any interruptions, evil glares, or cultural blunders (at least I think). The second great adventure occurred as I headed back up to the locker room.

My co-teacher had told me that the locker rooms here in Korea were a bit different than those in the United States. That is a bit of an understatement. There is no sense of shame here in Korea. Men walk freely around the locker room, baring all for everyone to see. I have found that body image and nudity is accepted much more around the world than it is in the United States.

I go to take a shower, using my towel as protection device. Before entering the showers, there are two different rooms. One is the equivalent of a lounge area. There are couches, a mini-bar, TV, and tables and chairs set up for patrons to use at their leisure. A couple of Koreans were taking full advantage of this accommodations. This area though is a clothes only zone. The other room that you walk through reminded me of the large dressing rooms at the Gallagher-Bluedorn in Cedar Falls. Large mirrors adorn the walls, along with chairs to sit in. There are also robes that can be used while "grooming" yourself following the shower.

The shower area is a treat all in itself as well. There are about 16 personal stations complete with a stool that you sit on. I'm guessing this is used for the "pre-soak". Then there are two massive hot tubs to "soak" in before concluding with the "final rinse." It also turns out that there is no need to bring a towel or shampoo, as both are provided. It is also expected to walk around the shower area bare footed. Lesson #2: Leave your sandals outside the shower door before entering.

It was a good first go round at the gym. I'm intrigued to see if I get the same locker when I go back again tomorrow. I'm also really excited to start using the pool and get back into swimming. This membership will turn out to be a positive thing, just as long as I don't step out of line along the way.

Ugly Sweaters, White Elephants, and Hope

The Christmas season is fully upon us.
Here in Seoul that statement rings true just as loudly as anywhere else in the world.
Subway stops are decked out in lights and garland.
Massive trees don plazas and storefront windows.
Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber can be heard belting out from local stores.
And what Christmas season is complete without an ugly sweater party!

This past Friday night, my friends Emma, Rich, and Rob rented out a bar in northern Seoul for the festivities. About 30 people showed up, most of them sporting hideously ugly sweaters. Another fun and entertaining part of the night was the White Elephant Gift Exchange. A popular event in the United States that was properly introduced to the British, Canadian, and Irish folk in attendance. That was a huge success. Everyone that participated ended up with very entertaining and somewhat practical gifts. I took home a huge bag of restaurant starters (they remind me of very very very airy and edible Styrofoam packing peanuts) and a spoon/chopstick set. Other memorable gifts included a Hello Kitty toilet seat, wind-up, light-up Lego man, various Korean alcoholic drinks, and a Rudolph replica constructed out of 5 bottles of Cass beer (complete with antlers and a red nose!).

Since I've gotten to Seoul, I've been wanting to do some sort of volunteer work to get me out into the community and meet others here in the area that have the same interest. One such opportunity presented itself on Saturday. Emma (the other person in the snowman jumper (aka sweater) above) and I met up with our friends Sam and Rachel at the House of Hope. This is a home that has activities and social opportunities for mental challenged children and adults. We spent the afternoon helping them set up for their end of the year volunteer awards banquet. In the process, I was able to meet various people from all walks of life and look forward to getting even more involved with this group.

Following my day of volunteering, I headed out to Bucheon, which is a "suburb" of Seoul and hung out with my friend Tennille and some of her co-workers form the Hagwon that she works with. It was great meeting some more new faces and being able to hang out with her and do some catch up. All in all it was a fantastic weekend spent with great friends, new faces, and some Christmas cheer!

Subway Etiquette

I'm not a big fan of people who use blogs as a ranting post to air their dislikes and annoyances. However, today I am going to take on that role (kind of).

I have been here in Seoul for almost 4 months now and have been enjoying my experience. This is an amazing, happening, bustling city with lots of opportunities and things to do. My job at school is going so well (just finished finals week) and I've made tons of friendships that will last well beyond this experience. If there is one thing that I still dread everyday (and no it's not getting up while the sun is still not shining) it's braving the subway. Don't get me wrong, the public transportation has its perks (I'll get to those later), but also it's downfalls.

Here's my pros and cons list regarding the Seoul subway (cons first so I can end this post on a positive, upbeat note!)

Con #1: The Morning Commute
Refer to the subway map below (yes, the Seoul metro system is gigantic!)

I live on the Green Line (Line #2). It is the only line that is a loop and intersects with every other subway line in Seoul. This makes it one of the most popular and most used subway lines in the city. As you can see from the map, I live 3 stops away from school. I live at Seoul National University and work near Bangbae Station. Easy, 10 minute ride, right? Not so much.

The morning tends to be a nightmare more often than not. This is what the ideal subway train ride looks like:

Plenty of room, some seats are available, personal bubble still in tact. This is what my morning commute is like (I took this picture as I entered the subway earlier this week):

Jam packed with people. No personal space. People pushing and shoving just to get on the train when the next one is literally 30 seconds behind. I've been elbowed, shoved, felt up, and more more often on these trains in the morning than I ever have my entire life. One morning, I was elbowed in the groin not once, but twice by a seemingly sweet, little Korean women while simultaneously being felt up from behind by another gentlemen. It was quite the experience.

But nothing really tops this one. One morning I got on the subway, with my brave "You can do this" face on. As the weather turns colder here in Seoul, people are starting to come down with colds and the face masks are becoming more and more popular. As I entered the subway, I was stuck in the unfortunate position of facing the person standing in front of me. This tends to be a very awkward ride, especially if you are about the same height (which we were). I tried my best to avoid eye contact and focused on my Words with Friends game I was engrossed with on my phone. That's when I heard it.

You know that inhaling sound people make right before they sneeze? Yeah, that sound. Having no way to actually avoid the blast zone, I managed to turn my face just in time to avoid swallowing the incoming spittle and God knows what else. Since I couldn't block the attack, there was also no way that I could remove the remains from my face, as my right arm was pinned to my side by the three people smashed into me. I was also unable to use my left hand due to the awkward angle that my left hand was now in as I moved to avoid the blast. Needless to say, I had to spend the next 10 minutes with someone else's germs and possible diseases on my face before I finally wriggled my way free of the subway. Definitely the worst experience so far.

Con #2: Salesmen
Now I understand that people need to make a living, but shuffling onto an already crowded subway to sell people slip on shoes is a bit annoying. Between their microphones and in ability to make a sale, I half feel bad, half can't wait for them to move to the next car.

Con #3: Evangelist
Along the same lines as the salesmen, I don't really want to spend my subway ride listening to someone preach the Gospel. I'm a believer, I'm good to go.

Con #4: Nightly Commute
If it sounds like the morning commute is horrendous, then the nightly commute is just as brutal as well. The peak hours in the morning last from 7:30 until 9:00. Nightly peak hours encompass 6:00 until 7:30 pm. This is also prime time for going out to eat and meeting friends. This means that I become subjected to more crowded, pushy Koreans. Things kind of settle down around the 8:00 hour, but then pick right back up from 9:00 until the subways close around 11:30...which leads me to my last con...

Con #5: Lack of 24 hour service
Apparently the subways, taxis, and government have a deal that when the subways stop running (even on the weekends), taxis have the right to up their prices and charge even more than normal. The five hours that the subways stop running can make a night out a bit inconvenient. If you want to catch the last train home, you have to cut your night short at around 11:30. Since most nights tend to last until 2 or later, that's always a bummer when that's the option that is taken. The other dilemma becomes how lase does one want to stay out. Making it until 5:30 in the morning is not impossible, but it leads to a wasted day of recovery and drowsiness. If the subways ran 24 hours a day, these delimmas and issues could be avoided.

Now that I have rambled and complained enough for 4 different posts, I am going to give the reason why I really do enjoy the subway and what it has to offer.

Pro #1: Punctuality
During my travels around the world, I have been on many subways. I have used many forms of public transportation. Seoul's subway system is by far one of, if not, the most punctual and on time. Trains run every 2-4 minutes (more often during peak hours, especially on line #2). It's great to know that if you happen to just miss a train, another one is just right behind.

Pro #2: Safety videos
On the more up-to-date trains, there are video boards that tell the upcoming stops, what side of the train the doors will open, and what stops are coming up. While this information is scrolling along the bottom of the screen, there is always an interesting video of some sort playing above it. My absolute favorite ones are the safety videos. Let's just say that if someone with a smoke bomb comes onto the subway and sets it off, I am fully equipped with the necessary knowledge of how to properly find and put on a gas mask and safely escape the situation. It also helps that the acting in the videos is super cheesy and way over the top.

Pro #3: Cleanliness
This subway system here in Seoul is by far the cleanest one I have ever seen. Here is an example of what the subway stations look like:

There is very little trash (despite the lack to trash receptacles on the platform). The safety doors prevent anyone from trying to jump in front of a train or do anything else stupid. There is normally ample room to stand and wait for the train, even when it feels like half of Seoul is trying to get on the same train as you are. There have been some subways that I have been in where there has been loads of graffiti and heaps of garbage everywhere. It's a welcome site to not have to sidestep piles of waste while trying to navigate the busy subway platforms.

Pro #4: Ease of use
Despite it's ominous size and downright enormity, the subway here is very easy to use and navigate. All of the stops are announced over the loud speaker in Korean, English, and I believe Japanese (or maybe Chinese). This makes it easy to know your stop even on the trains that are not as high tech and lack video screens/boards. All of the platforms are adequately labeled. Transfer stations have massive signs that lead you directly in the right direction without any major confusion. Multiple other subway systems around the world are just massive, jumbled masses of incoherent signs and jargon. While the subway may not always be the quickest form of transportation here, it is easy to use and master.

Pro #5: Feeling like a big city kid!
Most of my life, I have felt more of a connection to the big city, not the small town setting that I grew up. Being here and living in Seoul has finally given me the chance to experience big city life and all that it has to offer. Part of that offering includes public transport. I'm really enjoying that I don't have to worry about a car, trying to find parking, maintenance fees, or battling traffic. While there may be some downfalls and negative aspects to the mode of transportation that I use daily, at the end of the day, it's the feeling of finally being a big city kid that makes it all worth it!

Thanksgiving Thankfullness

With this being my first Thanksgiving away from my family and friends back in Iowa and the United States, I have been able to experience one of my favorite holidays in a completely different way.

Thursday night, I went out to eat in Itaewon (the international district here in Seoul) and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving style buffet. The Thanksgiving spread included most of the traditional dishes: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Also included were oysters, smoked salmon, steak, chicken, apple pie, rolls, and salad. It was a delicious meal that definitely fulfilled my Thanksgiving hankering for this year. Granted, I did miss the corn, homemade chicken and noodles, and German chocolate cake that comes with my Thanksgiving feasts back home, but it all worked out.

Of the 8 of us that went to this meal, only 3 of us were actually from America. 4 of the others were from Britain and and other person was from Canada. The British folk were enjoying their first Thanksgiving meal and were extremely pleased and left stuffed and feeling sleepy. It was a fantastic way to spend the holiday. The next morning I was able to Skype with my parents, and the rest of my dad's family, which was a great time (even if my brother and cousins did insist on eating their Thanksgiving cuisine in front of me).


To finish up this post, here is a list of some of the many things that I'm thankful for this year.


1. The many friends that I have met while here in Seoul from all over the world (Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, etc.) and America

2. My co-teachers and the staff at Seoul High School for all of their support and help in making me comfortable during these past three months

3. Public transportation - it has been a nice blessing to not have a car to worry about (even those times that I am smashed onto the subways at 7:30 in the morning with about 100 other Koreans)
4. Korean socks - I am still amazed at the different styles/designs that my students wear while in my class (including Starbucks, Kakao Talk (a Korean text messaging application), Simpsons, Angry Birds, and others)
5. Korean holidays - I have never had so many random days off during a school year in my entire life and it has been very nice! Finals, midterms, Chuseok, school anniversaries, festival days, testing days - you name it, there's probably a day off for it here in Korea


My time here in Korea so far has been an awesome experience and I can't wait for the upcoming months. Here's what I have to look forward to:


- The end of the semester (which means not having to teach for the majority of the month of December)
- Winter English camps (I am super excited for these actually! 3 weeks, small classes, fun materials)
- Christmas parties (complete with ugly sweaters, eggnog, and jolly good times!)
- New Year's celebrations, Korean style (not quite sure what to expect, but I'm stoked to find out)
- Possible trip to Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, or the Philippines in January (still pending)
- 2 week trip to Thailand and Cambodia in February (riding elephants, laying on the beach, island hopping = best vacation EVER!)
- Start of a brand new school year in March with new kids and new experiences awaiting me


Hope everyone had a glorious Thanksgiving holiday and are refreshed as the end of the school year/calendar year approaches!

Tandem = Two

The weather is starting to turn cold here in Seoul. So before it got too miserable to be outside, Emma, Andy, Katie and I decided to take advantage of one of the last warm and enjoyable days and spend some time down by the Han River that runs through the middle of Seoul.

We made our way down to the river and scouted out a bike rental place. There were two different options to choose from: single, regular bikes or tandem bikes for two. Having never had the opportunity to ride a tandem, I instantly was drawn to this option. Emma and Katie shared my enthusiasm; however, Andy was hesitant as he apparently struggles with his own two wheels. After being outvoted, Andy finally succumbed to the majority and went along with the tandem decision. Let the adventure begin...

Andy and I shared a bike, while Emma and Katie took another one. It took a good 5 minutes for Andy and I to get the hang of balancing both of our weights and peddling in time. However, even once we got the hang of things, our bike decided to have a mind of its own as it started going through various gears at inopportune times. For example, while peddling up a nice little incline, the sputtering of the peddles/chains caused us to walk our bike up the rest of the hill while other Korean bikers zoomed past us.

Andy and I having a rough time getting started

Finally got the hang of things!

Emma and Katie ready to go!

And they're off!

Since we only had the bikes for an hour, we had to turn around at some point and head back to the bike shop. We decided to switch partners, so I rode back with Katie, while Andy accompanied Emma back to the shop. It was an awesome leisurely ride back along the river. Granted as the sun started to go down, so did the temperature, making us happy that we decided to turn back when we did.

Heading back to the shop

The sun setting over the Han River

Following our bike ride, we headed to find a restaurant to enjoy some food and re-energize ourselves from the cold. We ended up eating at a traditional Korean restaurant that served this amazing Korean dumpling soup. The dumplings were filled with meat, green onions, and some other vegetables. It hit the spot and rejuvenated us for our last adventure of the night, the Seoul Lantern Festival.

Full of soup and warmed to the bone, we headed back out into the cold, hopped on the subway and made our way to northern Seoul to Cheonggyecheon, a man-made stream that flows in the middle of Seoul. Set up in the river were hundreds of various lanterns. There were traditional Korean lanterns that told stories about Korea's past, represented the various animals of the Chinese calendar, and depicted various famous leaders from Korea's history. Also included in the display were famous sites from around the world (including the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Statue of Liberty) and some superheroes (including Superman and Batman). All in all, despite the cold and loads of people (probably close to 1 million or so) it was a great experience.

(Side note - this was actually the second time that I had seen the lanterns, as I had visited the festival a couple of weeks earlier with my friends Travis, Megan, Steve, Mitch, and Katie Power. It was just as impressive the second time around.)

After taking in all of the lanterns that we could before losing feeling in our bodies, we decided to head to a coffee shop to warm up, get a nice steaming cup of joe, and chill out for a while. We found a place near the river, headed in, and warmed up around some coffee and conversation.

Tandems, dumplings, and lanterns...the recipe for a successful day.

Quarter of a Century Never Felt so Good!

As many of you know, I turned 25 last Tuesday (November 1) and am now officially a quarter of a century young! I am now able to legally rent a car in the US! Woo hoo!

I spent the majority of my birthday at school with my lovely sophomore students. I had four classes that day and the first two of were having parties for good behavior. As my fourth period class (class 102) rolled into the room, I was showing Friends on the screen (as I always do during passing time). The bell rang and my co-teacher still hadn't shown up (which was very odd because he is always early and never late). He finally strolled into class about 5 minutes after the bell carrying a blue box. Immediately, one of the students leaped out of his seat and turned all of the lights off. My co-teacher, Mr. Go, came to the front of the room with the blue box and opened it. This is what was inside...

A delicious, chocolate birthday cake! Mr. Go proceeded to put candles in the cake and light them. The entire class than sang me "Happy Birthday" in both English and Korean and I blew out my candles. I was so taken aback and appreciative of this gesture! Plus the cake was absolutely delicious!

After class, some of my other co-teachers treated me out to lunch at a restaurant near our school. On Monday, one of the teachers approached me and told me that they were planning on taking me out to lunch. But she also said that she wasn't sure I was going to like the menu, which had me a little worried. We ended up eating at a restaurant that served fish, vegetables, sprouts, and a really tasty soup, along with the staple of every Korean meal - rice. I actually really enjoyed the meal, but apparently my teachers didn't think I ate enough as they bought me a sandwich on the way back to school.

When we arrived at school, I was surprised with the following...

With two of the other English teachers and my cake! 

Yes...another cake! This one had fruit on top and was as equally delicious as the first one. My co-teachers lit some candles and the entire office sang me Happy Birthday again. One of the vice-principals gave me some nice thick, wool socks for the winter, which was a welcomed gift. That night, I went out to eat with my friends Megan, Travis, and Steve. We went to a restaurant called Oktoberfest and had a great time celebrating.

Since my birthday was during the week, I wasn't able to actually celebrate with all of my friends until the weekend. I had been telling people that I didn't want to plan what we did and was open to suggestions. My friend Rich suggested that we go check out the horse races that happen pretty much every weekend at the race track in southern Seoul. Since I had never been to a live horse race before, I was all for it!

So Saturday, about 15 of us met at the horse track for an afternoon of racing and (hopefully) winning! The betting was surprisingly easy and while I didn't win any money, I had a great time and hope to head back there sometime soon!

The horse track from the outside

Posing with my first two bets...EVER!

...and their off!...

Koreans take this seriously!

View of the homestretch of the track

Once we had had our fulfillment of horse racing and losing money, we headed to Sinchon, an area of Seoul right next Hongdae, for some dinner and drinks. The restaurant/bar that we ended up at is called Yalebar and they have tables set up so people can place beer pong and flip cup, along with an assortment of board games. We have been here a couple of times before and have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, so we ventured back for another round of merriment. Yalebar once again did not let us down, as we once again had a great time.

Following our time at Yalebar, we headed over to Hongdae to support our friend Joel who was DJing at a Club Exit. Along the way, my friend Emma purchased a pair of bright pink Happy Birthday glasses that I was of course obligated to wear for the rest of the night. I also met a Korean who's English name is Owen and who's birthday is November 2nd! Needless to say, we became instant friends.

Sporting my new glasses

Cheersing with my new friend Owen

It was a great birthday celebration and I couldn't have done without everyone that came out! Here's to another great 25 years!