Stationery card

Everything Is Merry Holiday Card

Personalize your Christmas photo cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Flying Home!

Friday, August 3^rd

First off, if you are still reading, THANK YOU!!! It has been a great experience documenting this trip for family, friends, colleagues, and students.  I have plenty more stories and memories to share with each of you. 

This trip has been amazing!  I am sitting here on the plane right now flying across the International Date Line with a little over 7 hours of the flight to go.  I was hoping to sleep some more in an attempt to get back on Eastern Standard Time but I have a feeling it’s going to take me awhile. Since I can’t sleep, I figured now is a good time as any to give you some final thoughts on this experience and trip. 

The experience of learning with and from Taiwanese teachers and students is an experience I truly cherish.  I made so many wonderful friends in Taiwan.  Thank goodness for Facebook so we can keep in touch!  Andre (Claudia’s husband) asked us each the other night what each of our positives and negatives where of this trip.  There are so many positives, so here the ones that come to mind first - 1. The hospitality of the Taiwanese people (I have never met kinder people on earth), 2.  The food, 3. The friends I’ve made along the way, 4. The opportunity to immerse myself in a culture and a country.  I have traveled to other countries and met people but to be able to spend four weeks in a country and learn so much from the people and experience so much of their culture was unforgettable.  Another positive, was seeing so many historical and cultural sites in Taiwan, China and Seoul.  I will never forget the hot springs with Alice, sky lanterns in Pingxi, the Wu Sheng Monastery, frying in the hot sun at Yehliu Geopark, my host families in Taiwan, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Mao’s mausoleum, the Terracotta Warriors, and the overall atmosphere of Seoul.   I am sure I am missing some that I can’t even remember now!  Honestly, I can’t think of any negatives.  I always try to take a negative experience and turn it into a positive learning experience.  Besides, I am so thankful for this opportunity.  Who else gets to spend their summer traveling around Asia?! 

I have become very adept at using chopsticks over the past six weeks and it’s going to be weird to transition back into a fork and knife.  I will say though that I will be happy to have a hiatus from rice for some time.  I have never eaten so much rice in my life!  I look forward to scoping out the best Taiwanese, Chinese and Korean restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area though.  I am proud of myself for trying so many new foods.  I don’t really consider myself adventurous when it comes to food, but I think I really challenged myself by trying so many different foods.  I think the key is not asking too many questions.  Eat first, and then ask later otherwise you probably wouldn’t try it!   

Every country we went to was so unique and you could really see differences within the cultures and social norms among Taiwan, China and Seoul.  Traveling really opens up your eyes and makes you more understanding of our world and the cultures around us.  I feel privileged for having the opportunity to participate in the teacher exchange and then to travel afterwards.  I am very excited to share my experiences and observations with family, friends and my students.  I have a new travel goal – travel to all the countries I teach in AP Comparative Government.  I think Russia is next!  Who’s with me?! 

Again, thank you for reading! 

Namdaemun Market and Itaewon (Translation: Shopping and more shopping!)

Thursday, August 2^nd

Seoul, South Korea

Today is our last day in Asia so we decided to just spend the day walking around Seoul checking out various markets and shopping areas.  Before heading out, we stopped at Crown Bakery at the end of our street to have some breakfast.  Their pastries are divine.  I couldn’t decide what to have so I ordered two pastries – a cream filled almond pastry and a pumpkin croissant.  Both were delicious!  I also had a green tea latte.  I am a huge fan of green tea now. I am bringing some home, but I hope I can get it as easily at home as I can here. 

After breakfast, we strolled down our street in Insadong and found some beautiful scarves from one of the street vendors.  Then we headed to Namdaemun Market, which is one of the oldest and most traditional markets in Seoul.  The place is a maze.  There are small entryways that look like a small shop but open up into a huge mall of vendors.  We walked into one that sold every kind of jewelry you could imagine. I actually went to the bathroom there and got lost in the store trying to find Valerie. A lot of the shops are wholesale, so you could by 25 of everything.  The market sold everything – jewelry, clothing, socks, shoes, fruits and vegetables, fish, cleaning supplies, purses and handbags, candy, paper goods, and sunglasses.  It was crazy!

Next we decided to do some shopping in Itaewon and I wanted to try the Bulgogi burger from McDonald’s that one of my students told me to try.  We figured that we would definitely be able to find a McDonald’s in Itaewon since it’s so close to the U.S. military base. 

We were right and found the McDonald’s quickly and I ordered the Bulgogi burger.  It was really good!  (Thanks for the suggestion, Gabrielle!)  Gabrielle, my student, also told me to find a Rotiboy dessert shop and bean-filled bread fish, so I was on the hunt for all three today. 

Itaewon has a lot of shops and underground malls in “the cut” as Andre (Claudia’s husband) calls them.  The “cuts” a little alleyways that look like there is nothing down them but then all of sudden there is an entryway to a huge underground mall!  Valerie and I both bought some clothes from one of the vendors in the underground mall.  We then hit up the main street in Itaewon for some more shopping. 

Lastly, we met up with Valerie’s friend again for dinner near where she teaches.  Valerie’s friend teaches conversational English to businessmen in Seoul.  She works for a private company that offers various English speaking and discussion classes to adults.  After dinner, we walked back to our neighborhood and I found a street vendor selling the bean-filled bread fish.  They were really good.  The bread tastes like a waffle and the red beans are sweet so it’s a delicious dessert.  Red beans are very popular in Asia.  There is even a red bean green tea frappuccino at the Starbucks in Taiwan and Seoul. I’m guessing they have them in China but I don’t recall seeing them there.   Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a Rotiboy shop, but I am glad I got to try at least 2 out of 3 of Gabrielle’s suggestions. 

It’s too early to go to bed, so Valerie and I are hanging out a restaurant near our hotel. I am blogging and she is reading.  I still have a little a packing to get done, but it looks like I’ll be leaving with four bags!  I arrived with two – my backpack and suitcase and am leaving with my backpack, suitcase, a carry-on suitcase and a duffle-bag.  Unfortunately, I can only have 20kg per checked bag, so I am distributing the weight from my suitcase into the duffle bag.  For the record, I really only need three bags but due to weight restrictions I have to have four bags.

Our flight leaves Seoul tomorrow morning at 10:20am (Friday 10:30pm EST) and I arrive at Dulles at 11:20am on Friday morning.  See everyone soon!  I will send another post once I arrive back. 

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Maeul and Insadong

Wednesday, August 1^st

Seoul, South Korea

I am definitely slowing down these days.  As happy as I am to be in Seoul and explore the city, I am hitting a wall.  We had a leisurely breakfast while I finished the blog and then headed off to Gyeonbokgung Palace.  On our way to the Palace, we saw a protest of some kind.  It was in Korean so we didn’t know what the protest was about, but there were way more police than there were protesters so I thought that was interesting.  I also noticed a lot more police today than the previous day but I am not sure if it was just because I was more aware or if something else was going on.  The other thing I noticed about the police is that they all looked 15!  I think they might have been trainees or something, because they were also only carrying nightsticks and whistles. 

Gyeongokgung Palace was the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty. 

The palace is a sprawling complex of buildings. 

Unfortunately, the palace has been reconstructed a few times due to fires and Japanese invasion.  However, viewing the main hall of Gyeongokgung with the mountains in the background is spectacular. 

I also thoroughly enjoyed the changing of the guard.  It’s one of the more elaborate changing of the guard ceremonies I have seen.  It starts with the banging of a drum and the new core of guards march into the courtyard accompanied by a musical procession. 

Then they march towards Gwanghwamun Gate, the main gate of the palace, to relive the others.  There are several different type of guards all wearing different uniforms and weapons.  It’s very colorful.  The other cool thing about the Palace is that is right in the center of the city, with one of the city’s main thoroughfares directly in front of Gwanghwamun Gate, so it’s an interesting contrast between the history inside the Palace and modern Seoul right outside the Gate, rising above the Palace walls. 

We ate lunch at a nearby Korean restaurant and enjoyed some bibimap. 

Then we walked to the Bukchon Hanok Maeul, stopping in at a local bookstore along the way.  I bought a book, Your Republic is Calling You, written by a Korean author about a North Korean spy living in Seoul for 21 years until unexpectedly getting called back to Pyongyang.  I look forward to reading it on the plane!  Bukchon is a historic Korean village with hanoks, traditional houses.  We enjoyed our stroll through the neighborhood’s alleyways looking at the houses.  I particularly like the doors.  They all seemed very regal.  It makes sense considering the village was reserved for the aristocracy back in the old days.  There were also so many boutique art galleries, shops and restaurants to check out. 

Finally, we headed back to our neighborhood, Insadong.  We spent some time walking down the main street, which is mainly a pedestrian street and then came back to our hotel for a rest before dinner.  Tonight we ate at Sanchon, which serves Buddhist temple cuisine (vegetarian) and has a traditional Korean dance performance every night.  I had read about it in my guide book and thought it would be a good place to try considering Valerie’s a vegetarian and it had a performance as well.   Our whole table was covered with food!  It’s a set menu and they came out with at least 15 different dishes for us.  A lot of the food was very spicy, but I particularly enjoyed the porridge of the season, the tempura vegetables, and eggplant.  I tried everything and half the time, I wasn’t sure what I was eating, but at least I know it wasn’t some mystery meat! 

We have one more day in Seoul.  I can’t believe this trip is coming to a close, but I am looking forward to getting back to home to see family and friends



Seoul City Bus Tour, N Seoul Tower & Itaewon

Tuesday, July 31^st

Seoul, South Korea

We got a later start this morning due to our early morning arrival.  Fortunately, right by our hotel is the Hollywood Coffee Shop & Café.  It was the perfect place to plan our day’s adventures.  We decided the best way to see the city would be to do the hop on, hop off city bus tour to give us a good overview of the city and all the neighborhoods.  We took the metro to one of the stops by City Hall.  The subway in Seoul is a lot like Taipei, in that there underground cities at the stops.  There are 7-11s, clothing and shoe stores and food vendors.  Plus, there are about 10 exits for every stop.  At the City Hall stop, I was sure if we were ever going to be able to find the exit we wanted!  The best part of the subway is the warning trumpet that sounds as a train is approaching.  It’s such a soothing and relaxing tone.  This is stark contrast to my subway experiences in Beijing.  I know Seoul does have the same population as Beijing but we weren’t packed in like sardines, and no one shoved us onto or off the train.  I find Seoul to be a much more relaxed and enjoyable place.  I think its democracy!  

We hopped on our tour bus and started riding around the city.  We noticed that the people are better dressed in Seoul than what we saw in China.  Maybe we weren’t in the business areas in China, but we’ve noticed a very different standard of dress here than China.  After awhile on the bus, both Valerie and I were getting sleepy so we thought it would be best to get off and walked around so we hopped off at N Seoul Tower to check it out.  I am so glad we saw it up close.  It has amazing views of the city and is covered in love locks. 

The legend goes that if lovers made a wish on Namsan (where N Seoul Tower is) it would come true.  Now, the area is an icon for love and friendship in Seoul. 

N Seoul Tower

In addition to enjoying the views, I enjoyed a kimchi hot dog for lunch.  I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect but it was a good and the kimchi was spicy!

We got back on the bus and headed around the rest of the city and then met up with Claudia, Andre (her husband), and Carol-Anne.  Today is Carol-Anne’s birthday so we were ready to take her out to dinner to celebrate.  We also met up with another of Valerie’s friends from college who teaches conversational English to adults here in Seoul. 

Celebrating Carol-Anne's b-day at Din Tai Fung

Carol-Anne also shares my love of Din Tai Fung so we thought it would be the perfect place to take her for dinner.  Unfortunately, this Din Tai Fung experience was not as good as my others in Taiwan and Shanghai.  Here’s to hoping they open one in Washington, D.C. soon! 

Andre is retired military so he took us to Itaewon to some of his old stomping grounds when he was stationed here.  It was cool to talk to him about his experiences here 25 years ago and how much the city had changed in his eyes.  We all enjoyed a great night out and look forward to our remaining two days in Seoul!

Out in Itaewon

Arrival in Seoul

Monday, July 30^th

Beijing, China & Seoul, South Korea

Our itinerary for today was to pack up before our evening flight to Seoul, meet up with Valerie’s friend, Trisha who teaches in Beijing before heading to the Lama Temple one last site. 

Our trip out to visit Valerie’s friend took longer than expected and the taxi driver originally drove past our stop.  He was speaking to us in Chinese about the location but we had no idea what he was saying so we probably added a good 20 minutes to our trip since we couldn’t effectively communicate with him.  Fortunately, we were able to spend two hours with Trisha and her friend talking about life and teaching in China.  It was interesting getting her perspective on living in Beijing.

Since it took us longer than expected to get there, we ended up scrapping the Lama Temple to get back in time for our airport shuttle. 

Unfortunately, our plane we delayed for three hours in Beijing so we didn’t arrive to Seoul until 1:00am. We found a cab easily and our cab driver was really nice helping us with Korean phrases as he drove.  It seemed as though our fare would be a flat rate of 70,700 Won (Korean dollars), but when we got to the hotel he told us it was 100,000 which is approximately $80 USD.  My guide book said it should be 60,000 Won plus the toll fare.  Thankfully, the hotel clerk came out and helped us out with the fare and we ended up paying 75,000 Won.  It’s hard not speaking the language but glad we had researched the estimated cost so we didn’t get taken advantage of. 

It’s early morning here and I need some sleep, but one of things I noticed immediately here is that there are 7-11’s again!  I think 7-11’s are a symbol of democracy.  I didn’t see one 7-11 in all of China.  They have convenience stores, but there are no 7-11’s.  Taiwan had a 7-11 every block!  I will definitely write more about my time in China and comparisons between Taiwan and Korea, but I must sleep!  (And please excuse any errors in this one, its 3:30am here in Seoul!)

Summer Place & Nanluogu Xiang Street

Sunday, July 29th
Beijing, China

This morning our plan was to go see the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace was a summer home to several emperors and empresses, hence the name. The palace is outside of downtown Beijing and our trip there was uneventful until we were a few feet from the entrance. We were walking along the street filled with food vendors when some sort commotion started. I still don’t know if it was an argument between two vendors or if the police were coming to move the vendors off the street, but all I know is that all of a sudden vendors were trying to drive away on their carts. Two crashed in front of me and then one ran into my side, which caused me to lose my balance a little and I caught myself on something behind me. Valerie and I quickly walked away and then I looked down at my hand and purse and saw blood all over it. Nothing hurt so I didn’t know what happened, but then realized the blood was coming from my fingers. I guess I had cut myself when I was trying to catch my balance. Thankfully, there was a first aid area right by the entrance, so I was cleaned and bandaged up right away. I looked like Edward Scissorhands! I ended up with gashes on three of my fingers and thankfully they were not too bad. It was definitely a really weird experience, especially because we had no idea what caused all the chaos in the street.

Me as Edward Scissorhands

A few cuts didn’t ruin our day though. The weather was beautiful and it was a perfect day to see the Summer Palace. The place is humongous. We were there for 5 hours but felt like I only saw half of it! There is a huge lake, Kunming Lake there where you can use a pedal boat or ride one of the dragon boats from one side to the other, which we did of course.

View of Longevity Hill from other side of the Lake

I really enjoyed the Palace. I have to say, I enjoyed it more than the Forbidden City. We also walked up Longevity Hill, which requires you take 100 steps to the top, and the saying goes that those who walk the 100 steps will live to be one hundred, so it was worth it to me! At the top, you have amazing views of the lake and the rest of the grounds of the Palace.

View from Longevity Hill

The Summer Palace is similar to other palaces in that it has gardens and lakes, but this one seems to cover a much larger area and has more buildings spread all throughout the area.

We also continued to notice couples and families in matching shirts or in the case of one mother and daughter pair, the same dress. We even saw a store on Nanluogu Xiang Street that was selling matching his and hers shirts. I guess it is the cool thing to do in China. We also saw plenty of high heeled ladies walking around the Palace looking like they were ready to go to a club not sightsee! My feet kill after walking in Toms or running shoes all day, I don’t know how they can do it in heels.

After our day at the Summer Palace, we headed over to Nanluogu Xiang Street which we had read in our guide books as a good example a remodeled old time Beijing neighborhood, with good restaurants and shops and traditional hutongs (alleyways) as offshoots from the main street. It was nice way to end our day and our last night in Beijing. It’s off to Seoul tomorrow evening!