KaDeWo - The Joy Advocate

Another fun trip with the administrators, staff and faculty. This week two limousine buses took about 60 of my coworkers and I to a new city which many newly married, young couples are moving.  SeJong is about an hour drive from Gao-dong. The park had a musical water fountain that performed at two or three scheduled times. The park is a lovely picnic area and concert or festival location. There are plenty of places to sit and relax. I was told, on the weekends there are paddle boats available to row through the man-made lake. There is also a historical museum on the vast property.  While we were there, we visited the presidential museum, a historical archive of all South Korea's presidents, their accomplishments and important facts and memorabilia. It was a nice experience, that I do not think I would have had without my administrators putting the plans in motion.  There were gifts from many presidents to previous South Korean presidents, including fr...

To day, was the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!! *in my Finding Nemo voice* {Can you tell that I love the 1st day of school??? As a student AND teacher I always anxiously wait for this day - planning my outfit, buying the essential supplies, organizing the introductory lesson days in advance.}  V ice Principal and two faculty members On August 29, 2016 I started teaching in Daejeon Public School for the Blind or 대전맹학교 in the district of Dong-gu, in Daejeon, South Korea. Our school follows the Korean Educational System by way of the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education . At the time I started the school was responsible for the education of approximately 111 students (open enrollment during the academic year). Nationwide, the school year starts in March 2nd in South Korea. At 10am there was a Welcome Ceremony; parents and family members attended. The academic year officially concludes with a graduation cerem...

If you are ever in Taipei, Taiwan's Banqiao District and you have time, please visit Debola Spa  to relax. I had the best spontaneous experience there! I was on my way back to UZ Hostel (another post) when I decided to stop in to request a massage appointment, for the following day. I passed the building each time I left and returned from the nearest MRT Station. I read the sign directing me to the 7th floor and got on the elevator. I arrived just before 6:30pm UTC, on a Saturday. There was one wonderful employee that spoke enough English for my request to be understood; she introduced herself as Sharon.  Because I was visiting during a holiday weekend, the spa was scheduled to be closed. However, the lovely manager offered for me to come in right then. After a long day of exploring the city and visiting 4 temples, a museum and botanical garden my legs and feet were exhausted. I was given a pair of slippers to change into be...

Bus # 1962 from Banqiao District to the TPE Airport Saw many people with flip flops on despite steady rain While I was trekking through  Taipei, Taiwan  I thought this has got to be one of the easiest countries/cities for a native English speaker to travel around. If you are planning to visit or move there, do it! I used the MRT and local buses to travel throughout the Northern part of Taiwan. I decided to stay in the Banqaio District - which turned out to be the best place for me. It was 5 minutes for the MRT Station. From researching before travel, I decided to get a two-day pass, which gave me access to buses and the subway line most of my trip.   November 2019 Update: I still live in the states and have never completed this entry, but wanted to share these pictures from my vacation. It was a great experience that I will always treasure. I saw some magnificent art and ate delicious street food. 

So I don't usually do reviews, but this experience warrants a praise...so le'go!  I booked a trip to Taipei, Taiwan in December 2016 for February 2017. Around the same time I started looking into airport transportation options for late arrivals, conducting random Google searches. Some great person (whose webpage I can no longer find or maybe it was a travel site) suggested AirPopo . The website was helpful in providing an ETA map and comparison price chart for other transportation sources. I downloaded the app, but was not convinced that I was going to use AirPopo. Before deciding to actually use the service, I checked the company's reviews on TripAdvisor . I was impressed with the number of reviews that were excellent. Every reviewer highly recommended the service. 2 days before my trip I attempted to use the app to set up a pick-up. My flight to the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was scheduled to land at 12:35am UTC on a Friday morning. Based on the scheduled...

So this happened... After 5 weeks of a scheduled 3 week vacation to the US, I am finally back in South Korea!! *I decided to travel to America to surprise my family in January, following the end of English Winter Camp. My EPIK contract states employees will earn 10 days of paid vacation for winter break. The school year ended December 30th and will commence on March 2nd; therefore, I have a lot of dates to choose from to take the 10 days. 1st Note: English was taught in Winter Camp January 2 - 13, 2016. Also, the students returned for a week (February 9 - 16) to prepare for graduation on February 17. Due to the cost of traveling to the States I requested a third week of vacation, without pay. My administrators approved my request and I booked my trip. I had a chance to surprise much of my family. We had some wonderful moments together; we were all glad to visit with one another again. Towards the middle of my third week I started to...

Be autiful view at Jirisan HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Life in SK is busy and interesting. I have visited so many beautiful places that take my breath away and find me thanking God for the blessing of sight and the spirit of fearlessness.  Last November I attended my first teacher's trip with the 40 faculty members and the administrators. We traveled two hours to Jirisan or Jiri Mountain, one of the largest mountains in South Korea, that spans four provinces. On the way there we played a few games. The best one, to me, was the toilet paper race. My side of the bus lost. Lol It was a bonding moment I will treasure as long as I can remember it. We ate lunch near Jirisan and dinner together once we returned to Daejeon. At the lunch I felt moved to thank everyone for their welcoming and kindness. I got emotional - because we were drinking - and told them they were my family now and that the meal was a replacement for the Thanksgiving I would miss in the states. Many people expressed embarra...