First, I must apologize for the delay in posting about my recent adventures here in Nonsan, but really there wasn't much to post about lol Work is in full swing and the kids are keeping me busy and always delighting me with their new and inventive ways of butchering the English language. Not that I can hate on them, since I'm pretty sure I still butcher my native tongue (not to mention my four years at attempting Spanish). So the first big piece of news is that I finally have my phone set up here in Korea which means talking over the phone is free for both you and me :D My Skype situation has improved, but my microphone is not as powerful as I would like, so until I get paid next month, if you would like to get in touch with me, just call (916) 475-0171. Just, please remember that I am 16 hours ahead of you west coasters and 13 hours for you east coasters.
Onto the good stuff. So last week I had to make my way down to the Ministry of Justice's Immigration Office in Daejon to register myself as a legal alien in Korea. The drive through the National Park took about an hour and was absolutely stunning. I am of course kicking myself because I didn't take my camera with me so I could show you guys the beautiful scenery. But never fear, I am sure to be returning to the city since there is a Costco adjacent to the trainstation. Yeah, that's right... a COSTCO! How is it possible that the entire Portland metro area is only serviced by one Costco and yet I can find one here in Korea without any problem? Someone in corporate needs a talking to... The best part about this entire trip was that from the instant I walked into the main lobby I could have sworn I had been transported to a DMV office back home, complete with uncomfortable chairs and a number ticker next to the TV. The whole process took less than five minutes (after the 20 minute wait, of course) and I just recieved my Alien Registration Card yesterday.
Yay! I am legal! lol But beyond my short visit to Daejon last Tuesday, nothing much happened during my week other than the boys in my middle school class once again misbehaved and this time I had to have Mr. Kim come in and talk some sense into their pre-pubescent brains. It was bad enough that he had to ask me to leave the room while he went into a lecture that I'm pretty sure I'm glad I couldn't understand thanks to my propensity to experience second-hand embarassment. To make matters worse, the other native speaker had to call Mr. Kim in to discipline the kids for using the f-bomb in class; not just to each other, but to him as well. *le sigh* At least they were better behaved this week for me.
Onto the weekend! So I've been searching for something to do that doesn't require leaving the city and/or costing too much as I won't be seeing a paycheck for another two weeks. Luckily, there is a site nearby called Gwanchok-sa which is home to the tallest freestanding statue of Buddha in the entire country. I knew from reading my guide book that it would be a little bit of a hike, but I didn't realize that my body would still be recovering three days later!
The main entrance leading up to the temple grounds.
Yet another gate to pass through to get up to the main property.
These guys were huge! And hella scary since it was dark as I passed through the gate and didn't know they were there.
This was the first temple upon climbing the main flight of stairs up to the grounds. From what I could gather, they were getting the place ready for a big party. Buddha's b-day perhaps?
A view inside one of the smaller temples.
Here is the mighty statue itself. The picture really doesn't do it justice. But to put it in perspective, the ear's are as long as an average man is tall.
A view of the grounds from Buddha's perspective.
This used to be the main entrance to the temple.
Okay, so story time. After you buy your ticket there are two paths of stairs to choose from. I of course took the main staircase up to the temple grounds first, but then temptation got the better of me and I decided to see where the other set led to. 300 steps later and I finally got to the top of the hill/mountain only to be greeted by these semi-creepy carvings. What a great reward, right?
Strawberry fields! Come April I am going to be a very happy girl :D
Burial mounds. There were some reall pretty birds flying around in the background, but I couldn't quite capture them on film.
IDK what this is, but I thought it was kinda neat, especially with the turtle statue that reminded me of Scorpio. I'll have to inquire from my co-workers as to the translation.
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