Weekend get away--Suanbo

Suanbo

Seoul really does have it all and there is almost always something to do. Despite Seoul's liveliness, sometimes one might want to get away from the city to enjoy a quiet weekend with friends. A group of HSK friends were invited to a weekend in Suanbo at a friend's vacation home.

Suanbo is located near Chungju in North Chuncheon province, just south and a little east of Seoul, Suanbo is about 2.5 hours by car from Seoul. Our Korean friend rented a car and we made the trek to Suanbo, just making a few stops for bathroom breaks and snacks. Keeping ourselves entertained with lively conversation and road trip games, our Korean-style road trip was a success and a fun time.
Once arrived in Suanbo, we settled in and had a small dinner with some drinks and card games. We all hit the hay early as there was a rigorous schedule planned for the next day.
After a good night's sleep, we woke up early and hit the trails. Suanbo was filled with small secondary homes of Koreans who live in bigger cities such as Incheon and Seoul. The people of Suanbo were very friendly and welcoming. I felt as if I was a part of the community as everyone smiled and waved as we walked by. There were fields of green speckled with bright red apples ready to be picked. Additionally, our pension was just near a small stream home to tiny fish darting here and there. We took a trip into "town" and bought ice cream and saw Suanbo's famous hotel containing spas that nearly every Korean knows about. Furthermore, we paused at a local watering hole to enjoy some specialties of the region : rice wine and potato pancakes with vegetables. Our last stop was a Buddhist worshipping place of which almost only ruins remained, but this didn't stop Buddhists from coming to worship. After a long day, our friend treated us to a delectable array of Korean food. We went to town on a homemade spread including grilled samgyeopsal, potato pancakes with fresh veggies, and doenjang jjigae.After our much too short weekend in Suanbo, we hit the road back to Seoul and felt well-rested and ready to get back to the grind back in our home away from home.

Natural Seoul--Seoul Forest (서울 숲)

Seoul Forest

While Seoul is one of the most architecturally modern and pleasing cities in the world, it does not lack in a multitude of parks and green spaces. Its mountainous surroundings also help create a natural ambiance among an astounding amount of skyscrapers and new buildings. One of the more well-known areas to relax and enjoy mother nature's gifts is Seoul Forest. While its title may lead one to believe that its size is quite vast in area, it is actually a large park located in the eastern part of Seoul. Seoul Forest contains plenty of paths and trails for a nice stroll, an ecological park housing several different species of animals (roe deer, elk, mallards, etc.), a cultural art park with various sculptures, an indoor botanical garden and insect house. The most aesthetically pleasing time to go is either in early fall when the leaves are turning or in the late spring when flowers are in full bloom.To get to Seoul Forest, take the subway (olive green line 7) to Ttukseom Resort Station. Exit number 8 will take you to the main entrance and one can see signs pointing you in the right direction as well as numbers indicating how far away you are from the entrance. Seoul Forest is open every day of the year 7 AM to 8 PM and entrance is free.

Teaching Resources--Breaking News English

Tired of using the same old supplements in your classes? Looking for new resources, but having a hard time finding something creative and new? Breaking News English incorporates real news stories and offers already-developped lesson plans for your usage. Topics vary in difficulty and subject. Therefore, as an English instructor, you have a variety to choose from and select accordingly considering the level ability of your particular class.

The lesson plans offered on http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/ are pretty simple, so there is room for your creativity as well. If you are not able to use the lessons on Breaking News English, this website may at least provide you with some ideas that will lead you to create something different from your usual activity. They are also great resources for debates!

HSK Restaurant Review--Kraze Burger

Craving a big, fat, juicy hamburger? There's lots of options in Korea outside of the standard Burger King or McDonald's. One Korean-bred spot is Kraze (pronounde krah-zay) Burger (pronounced...burger.) They can be found all over Korea and offer somewhat of a twist on your typical burger. Kraze Burger has locations centered in and around the Seoul/Gyeonggi province region and are generally found in more popular pedestrian areas where other chain restaurants can be found.

The burgers may not contain the jumbo, thick beef patties that you're accustomed to and the combination of ingredients may be somewhat strange/unheard of. I, personally, wouldn't select this burger joint if I'm craving a Western style burger, but I would encourage all of you to try it at least once in order to really live a Korean version burger experience!

Tourism in Korea--The 63 Building (part 2)

Earlier, in our post on the Skydeck found in the 63 building in Seoul, you saw scenic views of the city of Seoul at the summit of the 3rd tallest building in South Korea. In the basement levels, you can find an aquarium. The entry fee for both sites is about 20,000 KRW. Although the aquarium hosts the standard aquatic life, it's still quite impressive considering the amount of "stuff" that has been fit into a relatively small space as far as aquariums go. Be ready for crowds and swarms of school-aged children running around and screaming in delight/terror (hard to tell sometimes) at the oceanic life floating around in their midst.