Mr. Lee our bus driver and unofficail photographer and Ruth at LunchAnother great day in Korea! Since my last substantive post I/we have had the goodbye party in Gusan which included a steak dinner (YAY!!!!) and a Party with the Host families, their kids, and the GSE Team in a private signing room (Karaoke). It was a great family affair with ages from 13 to 71 in attendance. Koreans and Americans mixed freely.
Some highlights included a group sing of Imagine by John Lennon, vey touching, and of course with yours truly leading the group in a lively rendition of Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley. I had the place rocking if I do say so myself.
Some highlights included a group sing of Imagine by John Lennon, vey touching, and of course with yours truly leading the group in a lively rendition of Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley. I had the place rocking if I do say so myself.
After Karaoke I headed home with my host family and showed them photos from family, friends, and school. It’s funny that when pictures come out the language barrier seems to disappear. The next morning good-byes were difficult.We hit the road for a short thirty minute trip to Iksan, Korea. We were met by the Korean Rotary welcome team. They took us for some coffee and then a lunch of grilled eel. It was prepared right at our table. It tasted good, like fish. Afterword we walked around the city and went to the Korean Spa for about 4 hours. The spa is Korean tradition. We spent time in rooms as hot as a pizza oven. It felt like a pizza oven because it was hot, low, and I was hungry for pizza. Then we spend some time in room that was about 15 degrees. Imagine sitting in your family’s freezer, only it can hold 10 people. You can nap, cruise the net, drink some tea, or just hang out. Very relaxing.
In the seafood aisle of the E-Mart(Costo meets Kroger) in Ikson
Fresh grilled eel!!After dinner went straight “home”. The GSE team is staying in a hotel for two nights before the next home stay. It’s great to catch up on sleep and get some down time.
Today (Monday, April 12) walked the grounds of a Won Buddhist (LINK) temple. The flowers and cherry blossoms were in full bloom. The place was serene and calming.
Ring the Bell!!
We were able to visit a fabric factory near Iksan. The clothes in the pictire below are made of very fine..., paper. Yes, it's washable. The only countries that do this are Korea and Japan.
We also visited the Korean National research facility for rice and wheat. I don’t teach science but the amount of research that the Koreans put into rice and food production is amazing. They are working on high yield grains (more food per plant) and insect resistant plants.
Rice plant at the research facility
The final event of the day was a stroll on the campus of Woosuk University. The campus is great. Well manicured landscapes and there were students everywhere.
Cherry Trees in front of the school library
2 comments:
Mr. Steph,
Can you do that karoke for us here at school? haha! Is Korean steak different from american steak? Does grilled eel have the same texture as fish here? Was the spa kind of like a sona? With the clothing, does the paper feel like cotton or does it feel like paper? I can't believe it is durable enough to be a fabric. The university looked beautiful! Are there any American students that study abroad there?
Lizzy, I think my Karaoke days will be limited to Korea. I'm a very untalented singer. The steak was pretty much the same only leaner meat. The clothing feels the same. The trhread is made of this special fiber.. I didn't see any western students.
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