Well, well, well.....
Our school field trip (my main school, being the middle school) included Principal, Vice-Principal, all teaching staff, admin and cafeteria staff. So we were a group of almost 30 on a bus trip to another province which is 2 provinces away. All I can say is....PARTY BUS!!!
Oh my goodness! What an experience! I told you before, these Koreans work hard and they party the same. We had hardly left when everyone was handed snack packs consisting of peanuts, caramel peanuts, sesame-coated raisins, ginseng candy, chocolate, peanut candy, squid biltong, beef jerkey, plums fresh from the farm, and cherry tomatoes. Then came the the beer and karaoke! Long-distance buses in Korea are all equipped with tv and karaoke set-up, including colourful lighting, fancy curtains and microphone. Our bus even had a table at the back where I sat. I guess the thinking behind it all is, if you're gonna spend a few hours travelling on a bus, you might as well have fun while you're at it. Needless to say, the drinking began in the morning and lasted till well into the night! A new admin guy had started a week or two back. We had never been introduced, but as he built up his confidence with more and more beer, he began telling me that he loves me! This continued from the morning till midnight, including me being pulled into dancing with him at a noraebang (karaoke room) later that night! More later....Oy vey!
And yes, I was pressured into singing karaoke again on the bus....it was terrible! But these people are so sweet that no matter how falsely I sang, they still encouraged me and clapped for me! Encouragement seems to be really important to them, rather than knocking someone down or laughing at them. (Mind you, I think it was after my awful rendition of Britney Spears' Oops, I did it again that got the admin guy professing his love for me. LOL! He probably just felt sorry for me!)
Anyway, had lunch along the way at a rest-stop. We continued driving and stopping along the way to enjoy the scenery and beaches. It was the first time I'd been to a beach in almost 4 months after my Clifton farewell party. All I can say is....aahhhh. Beautiful! Check out some pics...
I saw hermit crabs and oysters growing among the rocks on the beach. Now Jeolla-do is well-known for its wide variety of seafood, so of course, it was a seafood fiesta trip! We eventually arrived at our beach resort. Played in the waves for a bit. Had supper at a seafood restaurant on the harbour (ok but still doesn't come close to what we have to offer in Cape Town). Dinner was squid cooked on a stone slab on a gas stove at the table. So we cook our own food, basically. Typical Korean style. Then Noraebang for the second time, where fortunately my singing had much improved by this time. Must be after all the beer consumed throughout the day. (Allow me to explain....Koreans have this cultural thing of pouring beer or soju for one another. If someone approaches you with a bottle and a cup, they pour for you, and it's an honour. You return the honour by pouring for them. Everyone can drink from the same cup. For example, someone will pour for the entire group, and everyone drinks from the same cup. To blatantly refuse could be seen as offensive.) Then dancing and singing, and generally a good time had by all.
There were 8 of us in our hotel room. Korean style, with flat mattresses on the floor. It was like being at high school all over again, with pajama parties. Went to sleep with the sound of waves crashing and of course woke up with the monsoon rain. The morning was fantastic as I could just sit on the balcony and watch the ocean and rain....Serene....
Breakfast was a seafood gruel made with rice...like a porridge made with rice, soup, vegetables and seafood. Back on the bus, and off to another beach where there is a movie set where another famous Korean drama is filmed. Then stopped off at a National Park where there was a Buddhist temple. The Buddhists in our group went to worship, while the Christians and Catholics respectively waited for them, observing the Buddha and the bowing. Then to a seafood market for shopping. Then lunch at another seafood restaurant, which was a raw crab dish. I politely stuck to rice and soup, not wanting to take any chances with shellfish and allergies.
And finally we were on our way home again. A lovely trip, thoroughly enjoyable.
I'll send pics a bit later, once I've had a chance to upload them.
Love to all...
Andrea
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