My school went to Juwangsan for the teacher retreat last weekend. I will dissect the experience using a much-loved edu-speak cooperative learning technique: Plus, Minus, Interesting.
PLUS:
- got out of Seoul
- got to see more of Korea
- climbed a little bit of a gorgeous mountain
- saw a lot of autumn foliage and smelled some fresh air
- ate the freshest seafood I have ever had in my life
- ate lots of crab
- gazed upon the Japan Sea
- slept at a hot springs resort
- learned a whoooooole lot of Korean all in one go
- am super good at Korean numbers now thanks to bustime bingo
- was given a box full of walnut cakes for no reason
- experienced Noraebang for the first time
- visited a Buddhist temple (no pictures from this because it was during bus sick times. I had to concentrate completely on staying upright and keeping all the fish soup down.)
MINUS:
- got 5 hours out of Seoul (7 on the way back)
- got mad bus sick
- climbed a LITTLE bit of a gorgeous mountain
- ate more animal produce than I thought possible in 2 days — probably 11 difference species in my stomach at once (IS THIS EVEN ALLOWED?!)
- felt always on edge about whether or not I would offend someone by speaking English or not speaking English
- did not win at bustime bingo even once
- most of my young girlfriend teachers found excuses not to come
INTERESTING
- experienced Noraebang for the first time with uncomfotably drunk staff members who demanded that I sing and dance for them (complied)
- watched the few male coteachers dance wildly to the warbling of the female teachers. they were wearing nylons on their heads. later they took them off their heads and pretended they were doing the traditional korean long-sleeve dance (i don’t know what it’s really called.)
- the crab seems to be stringier and less tasty here than at home (at the Mandarin mmmmmmmmm) Still delicious though
- in Korean, the words for dog and crab are virtually indistinguishable from each other (“ke”) I am afraid that someday I will accidentally order dog.
That was my experience.
