One a Week Wednesday: Country #2

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Country number 2 is one that most Americans don't even know exists: Latvia. Why are we going to Latvia? Well, as it turns out, we are trying to make our way westward into Europe and the visa through Belarus is VERY expensive, and you need one even if you are just passing through by train. Because of this, (and the fact that the visa is hard to obtain anyways), we are taking a different route around through the Baltic States.

We will board an overnight train from Moscow headed for Riga, the capital of Latvia. Latvia, along with the two other border states Lithuania and Estonia, has been occupied by throughout history by both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, but claimed independence in 1989 after the peaceful "singing revolution". It is one of the least populated countries in the European Union and that attracts us. We'd like to visit a few places off of the well trodden map and we think we'll enjoy our short stay in Latvia a lot.

After a few days in Riga, we will board a train for Daugavpis, a smaller city near the Latvian/Lithuanian border. We will hang out there for another day or so before traveling onward.

Here are a few pictures of Latvia:

While we won't have a lot of time to explore Latvia, we're hoping to taste a bit of culture!

'Tis the Season

...the season of  KIM JANG.
"Jang" loosely translates to season and "kim" is short for.....you guessed it! Kimchi. November is the month that Koreans make a YEAR's WORTH of kimchi.

All spring and summer different types of cabbage, radish and various other roots and greens are grown so that come late fall they can all be harvested, packed with spicy red bean paste, and left to rot in clay jars/plastic containers for all to enjoy every day of the following year. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?

yummy yummy in my tummy

 Now, for those not living in rural Korea, the clay pots of old are out. For anyone who has ever tried kimchi, you know that it smells. Whether you like the taste or not, it STINKS. So...with no backyard for clay pots to store gallons of fermenting cabbage, how do you keep your house from smelling up a storm?

Enter the kimchi fridge

Yes, they make refrigerators specifically for kimchi. While most Koreans who decide to splurge on this usually just buy a smaller, one or two drawer fridge, there are enormous ones on the market, for all of your kimchi needs. Considering the strong stench, it seems like a good investment to me since kimchi makes everything else in your fridge smell as well.

Happy kim jang! Now if the lunch room could PLEASE start putting out the fresh stuff, this year-old kimchi is getting really pungent!!

Idiocy.

OH. MY.GOD.

Out of curiosity, I checked round-trip tickets today from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia- Portland, Maine. Why might you ask? Because at the moment Air Asia (which is the best airline EVER as far as I'm concerned) has amazing deals from Seoul-KL and so I thought "hey, maybe tickets from KL to home are cheaper than tickets from Seoul to home." If the cheap tickets from Seoul-KL are WICKED cheap, we could save money.

You won't believe this, people.

Here is what I found from doing a quick search from KL-Portland, on the same dates that I used from Seoul-home:

$1800.00
Okay, so right off the bat the ticket is appearing to be 300.00 cheaper per person than Seoul-Maine. Adding in a ticket TO Kuala Lumpur from Seoul, it ends up being just a little bit cheaper (and a lot of extra time) than our original plan.

BUT just LOOK at the KICKER:

You probably can't make it out, but those are the flight details. DO YOU SEE WHERE THEY ROUTE YOU THROUGH?!?!?!

That's right. They route you through SEOUL. So, to put things in simpler terms:

Flight from Seoul-Portland, Maine :$ 2200.00 (and climbing)
Flight from Kuala Lumpur-Portland, Maine THROUGH SEOUL: $1800.00

It's CHEAPER for me to fly down to Kuala Lumpur from Seoul, fly right back to Seoul and THEN fly to Portland instead of just flying from Seoul to begin with!


Absolutely ridiculous. Matt and I could catch a  flight down to KL, spend a few days sightseeing, then jump on another plane, come back to Korea for a few hours and leave for Maine and it would be CHEAPER.

Can you tell how mad this makes me?

What makes me the most angry is envisioning these prices from Kuala Lumpur decreasing as time goes on and for us to actually end up buying them. As it stands right now it's not worth it (maybe we'd save an extra 150.00-200.00 total), but if it keeps looking better, we could justify this. Absurd.

I really don't understand anything anymore.

Tent Talk

So with this Friday's paycheck we plan on putting the deposit down for the tent rental! It's very exciting stuff since this will be the first big purchase for the wedding (cost-wise...obviously my dress is "bigger"!)

The tent was one of the first decisions Matt and I made way back in the winter right after the proposal. Once we decided to have the reception at Bradbury Mountain it was obvious that we would need it, especially with how quickly Maine weather can change. We don't have the saying "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute and it will change" for nothing. Having a tent is essential for outdoor weddings in Maine, regardless of month or season. You just never know!

After scouring the internet for examples of tent decor, I found some pretty ridiculous set-ups, like these:

a see-through ceiling and COUCHES?!

Chandeliers? Seriously?

COUCHES AND CHANDELIERS...ahh!!

 This was not what I was imagining with our backyard BBQ feel of our wedding! Fortunately, for most of us, the reality of having a tent transformed as an indoor space is just not a logical option. Unless I was extremely rich, having a fancy-shmancy tent like one above in Maine at a state park would make me look like an idiot.

Here are some pictures that reflect what I had in mind for our tent:

Of course, these are both very yellowy weddings, and ours would be all blue, but you get the idea. The second picture is a better gauge because we will also have round tables and white garden chairs like the ones pictured.

While I would love to have expensive fabric draping from the ceiling, I'm just going to have to deal. Who cares? The pictures look great. As you can see, I have a thing for lanterns. Yeah, they might be overdone in the wedding world, but again, WHO CARES. They're lanterns, they're fun. They give a pop of color to a white backdrop, AND they give a nod to Asia. Although we are not trying to have a themed wedding, we are incorporating some Korean/Asian decorations, and lanterns are definitely in.

Our thought about the reception sight in general is to let the outdoors be the majority of our decoration. Why would we need to lavishly recreate a backdrop when our tent is going to be surrounded by trees?

Along with some blue lanterns and flowers on the tables, we are thinking of adding one last element: ribbons.

If we can find some cheap ribbon (and if we have enough time!) we really like the look of a few ribbons hanging from the chairs. Maybe not as many as in these pictures, maybe just three different shades of blue.

Other than flowers, ribbons and lanterns we're letting the outdoors set the scene for our reception! Now let's just pray for good weather (ie: no hurricanes or torrential downpours).

9 Months!

In exactly 9 months I get to say "I do" to this guy:

Hongdo Island for our 2 year anniversary

cheering for Korea during the World Cup

Mongolia, 2010

 

 

 

 

I'M SO EXCITED.

One a Week Wednesdays: Country # 1

View Russia in a larger map

 So! After talking to Matt, I have decided to reveal some details about our big trip one country at a time. Every Wednesday I will publish an entry with details and an itinerary for one country, in order of our trip. Because we are traveling to a LOT of different countries, this is going to take some time!

So up first, straight from Korea, is..... RUSSIA.

Yes, the "motherland". The largest country in the world. If you got any hints from my recent post about how we are taking "the long way home", maybe you came to this conclusion. We will be traveling across the ENTIRETY of Russia by TRAIN, on the famous Trans-Siberian railway. 

At the end of February, after packing up, shipping our valuables home and saying one last goodbye to Daejeon, we will head to Donghae, a port city on the eastern coast of Korea. From there we will board the Eastern Dream, a ferry/small cruise ship that will take us on a 24 hour journey to Vladivostok, Russia. After getting our bearings in Vladivostok (re: adjusting to the FREEZING temperatures of March in Siberia), we will board a train for a 3.5 day journey to Lake Baikal. Yes, you read correctly. Three and a half DAYS. While many people couldn't imagine spending this much time on a train (let alone an old, creaky, Russian train, where almost no one speaks English), we are beyond excited. What is more romantic than spending 4 days whisking through the thick Siberian snow-covered forests in March, while sipping tea and snuggling in the warmth of your sleeping bag? Nothing. Not in my book anyways :)

Once we reach Lake Baikal, we will get off the train and enjoy (re: freeze) a few days doing an assortment of things. Most likely this will include DOG SLEDDING, enjoying the Russian Banya (some of the hottest saunas in the world), and sharing vodka with strangers along the banks of the world's oldest and deepest fresh water lake. 

After that, we will board another train to continue our journey to Moscow. This will take another 3.5 days. As you can imagine, the break at the lake is necessary, unless being on a train for a week straight is something you fancy. 

Once we arrive in Moscow, we will do some sightseeing. The Red Square comes to mind. 

After Moscow, if we have time, we will head to St. Petersburg for more sightseeing. Most likely though, we will bid Russia farewell and head to our next destination. 

Traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railway has been a goal of mine for quite some time. Matt got on board (haha...wow) with the idea right off the bat, and we've been planning for this part of the trip for awhile. For a lot of people, Russia might not be a place you'd put at the top of your list, but we couldn't say no. We're so close, and traveling one of the longest railways in the world was something we just couldn't pass up. People we have spoken to that have been to Russia have all said that they were pleasantly surprised with how much they enjoyed it. We hope to do the same!

Pull out a map and try to figure out where we're off to next...

Say Yes to the Dress!

So, it's done. Measurements were sent in yesterday, as well as the deposit. With the help of my awesome consultant Quyen, the dress I decided on is perfect! Basically I was able to take two ideas from other dresses I've seen, merge the skirt and the bodice together, choose a back that I like, and choose the fabrics.

Because it's the high season for weddings in Vietnam (winter is the dry, nice season), Quyen suggested I send in my measurements now so they'd have plenty of time to tailor the dress. She promised she would send me a picture when it's finished. I desperately wish I could post it, but someone I know probably wouldn't be able to stay away from this website :)

In just 57 days I will be off to Ho Chi Minh to try on the dress!

Big sigh of relief that it's coming up fast. I am at the point where I am dealing with disinterest from my students (due to end of the year apathy), homesickness, cold weather setting in and as a result I'm having issues with motivation on all fronts. I just can't possible imagine doing this job without the significant amount of vacation I get. As much as I love Korea and love my job, every 6 months a relatively long vacation is not only warranted by NECESSARY. I know for a fact that without summer and winter breaks I would be one unhappy camper here. While I spend my days pleasantly enough, there is only so much routine (or lack of routine which happens in schools more often), that I can take. While some of you might think I am spoiled (which yes, I totally am), it's hard to compare living in a foreign country to living and working at home. I remind myself constantly of how fortunate I am to have this opportunity.

Bottom line is, it's the end of the school year, everyone is tired, and I'm ready to see my mom, rejuvenate, and start the next (and last) school year refreshed and mentally prepared.

Ginko.

Maine has Korea beat for fall foliage. Despite it being a mostly coniferous state, Maine's broad-leafed  trees tend to all change at relatively the same time, while the leaves here in Korea are so sporatic. Despite this, there are two trees that are so gorgeous here that we cannot enjoy at home. These are the Asian Maple (aka the Japanese maple to those of you back home), and the Ginko. The Asian maple, like most maples, turns a gorgeous deep red. These trees are everywhere. Ginkos are my favorite, though. They are planted all over Daejeon and when fully changed, their bright yellow colored leaves appear like snow falling when the wind blows. They are especially beautiful at night time in the lamplight on the sidewalks. The shape of the ginko leaf is unique in and of itself. It's one tree I wish we had back in Maine.

The 10 Week Push

Okay, so it's more like 9.5 weeks. Sue me if I am a few days late with starting this! Before our vacation to Malaysia, Matt invented his own "5 Week Push" to get him in shape. It worked out pretty well for him, and so he has decided to do a 10 week push for our trip to South East Asia trip. He has always been one to motivate me, so I am starting my own! If you want to check out his progress, along with fun stuff he finds on the internet and his own musings on Taoism, then follow him on his tumblr:

http://mattmeetstheinternet.tumblr.com/

 While he is focusing on gaining some muscle and toning up, my goals will center around weight loss (duh). Sad news is that in the past month I haven't lost any weight. I'm not surprised since my exercise has been sporadic. Good news is I haven't gained any either, so I'm starting right where I left off.

Here are my goals for the next 10 weeks:
1. Start the Turbo Fire back up again. From week 1. Do the full 9.5 weeks of the program. 
2. Track my food, for real.
3.Cut back on all liquids except water. For me, that mostly means coffee and a little bit of soda.
4. Get more sleep. Sheesh! Start back on a good routine.
5. Watch what I eat.




Doesn't sound too hard. I was doing great before. All I really need to do is get back into exercising 6 days a week. I know how I am, and exercise impacts my weight loss the most. While a lot of people say diet is much more important, I see more results with exercise. Of course, I don't eat crap for every meal. I am assuming if you were to only exercise and not care at all about what you consume that you won't get results, but that's not me.



So here's to the next 9.5 weeks before the trip! It's time to find the motivation I seemed to lack for the past few weeks. I keep having to remind myself that this isn't just a fun vacation. I'm going to Vietnam to try on my dress for crying out loud! It will be the only time I get to try it on before going home in 10 months!

Let's do this!

Sneak Peek: 2013 Travel Plans

One thing is for certain: that whole blog post I wrote a month or so ago about going to Japan for 5 days? Totally out the window, and you'll understand why.

A few weeks ago, Matt and I shook on a trip plan. Why did we shake hands on it? Because ever since we set foot in this country we have both been guilty as charged of spending countless hours conjuring up travel plans only to scratch them the following day/week/month. We were getting sick and tired of always changing our minds. Of course this decision, especially on where to go when we're done, shouldn't be taken lightly. When we are finished in Korea, our things will be sent home on the slow boat from China (almost literally), and truthfully, we both know that it will be our last chance to travel for a while. Once we touch down in Maine it will be also systems go towards solid jobs and a down payment on a house. After that, it's kids. Now, this all sounds so typical, right? The adventurous couple gets it "out of their system" young and then comes home to dig in to "real life".We don't like to think in those terms. We are very committed to staying adventurous in the future, but we are both realistic about these goals. In the next 5-10 years we want to focus on jobs, children and, if all goes to plan, starting a small farm. Whether or not this farm becomes anything more than just a backyard, sustainable project we're not sure. Regardless, we won't be able to take a lot of time or use a lot of money to travel internationally. Because it is important to us to farm and concentrate on family, we are perfectly okay with this.

So, when deciding on where to go, we had to come up with a set amount of time to do it. We knew we didn't want to be away for too long, but we also wanted to take advantage of the time given to us, and our proximity to other places. We finally agreed that 4 months of travel will be the perfect amount. We finish our contracts the last week of February, 2013. Our goal is to be home by the 4th of July. One reason for coming home in July is that it will coincide with openings for teaching jobs. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I would most likely be twiddling my thumbs until the end of June anyways, since most teaching positions for the following year aren't posted until then. For Matt it doesn't matter when we come home. He can apply for business jobs any time.

So, where to go for 4 months? What did we decide on? Because this is only a sneak peek post, I'm not going to reveal our actual plans. All I will say is that our theme for the trip is "the long way home". Maybe that will give you some idea as to how to plan on traveling. You never know! Our final choices for destinations are varied and AWESOME. We are so excited to make it all work!

When we realized that the cost of 5 days in Japan is equal to 2 months of our big trip, we quickly diminished thoughts of making it there before we leave! We can't believe how expensive it is!

More to come at a future time. For now, it's back to wedding planning and finishing the save-the-dates!! We are psyched with how they are turning out, and only have a few more to put together before we can mail them home! Pictures of the process will be posted within the next week or two :)

Fireworks.

Here is a short video that gives just a glimpse of what the hour-long fireworks show was like in Busan.

While I am having a fantastic Tuesday listening to Mumford and Sons on Pandora and getting ready for my next speaking test, three girls are getting screamed at by two teachers. Tears are flowing and although I can't understand, harsh words are universal. Being around students always reminds me of what it was like to be young and impressionable, and how serious everything seemed to be.

The science teacher just came over to me, patted me on the shoulder and asked if I was okay. Confused, I said "of course". I now realize she was making sure I wasn't thrown by all of the madness going on around me. I suppose a white girl sitting in a room full of screaming Koreans with her headphones on raised some questions. It's nice to know someone is looking out for me!

Well, I'm off to class.