news and stuff

it has been a while so updates for everyone!
this past weekend hannah celebrated her birthday. we traveled to gangneung a larger city just 40 mins north of us. we met up with some westerners from orientation and went to a couple of bars. the first bar had eightybizzillion beers which was awesome. i got a grolsch pop top and hannah a peach something or other. then we marched over to this amazing little bar and by little i mean the size of extended astro van. it was incredible though the bar owner/tender spoke awesome english and played awesome music. I walked in and the pixies rendition of hear comes your man was playing, so i felt good about the place instantly. we didnt stay too long. we left and went to a bar pretty much for foreigners called the warehouse. it was fun because we got to dance and hangout with some western people, but it was also strange. you just kind of felt like you werent in south korea anymore when you were in the bar. i think that everyone needs sometime with something familiar everyonce and a while. it seems like some people go there every weekend though, which kind of ruins this amazing opportunity you have to explore and be adventurous in a new country. anyway i think in the right doses these western bars are fun.

we stayed friday night in a hotel for pretty cheap. we both might have had a little too much to drink and by might i mean definitely. we were both extra hungover saturday morning when hannah gets a call from one of the mothers of her students at one of her elementary schools. it turns out to be the same mother that invited us to the church day kids celebration thing, but we didnt know who it was at the time. hannah coould kind of make out her broken english and understood that there was a birthday party happening at 12:30 that might or might not be specifically for her. (one of her classes on friday threw her an amazing bday party, but ill let her tell you that story). anyway its around 11:30 and we are 40 mins away so we hustle to the bus terminal and get back to donghae to find the party. we do. it turns out its the birthday of this kind of community center the woman works at haha. but it was cool free food and cake and hanging out with crazy kids. there was this little boy/girl (im not sure which) who was going around throwing ballons and rolling their eyes back in there head when they attacked you. it was pretty much the funniest thing ive ever seen. we have pictures that i promise we will post soon haha. so after we finish that we had planned on going to mureung valley for a picnic. mureung valley is a beautiful valley just south of donghae http://dhtour.go.kr/eng/CMSView.php?pid=450. we mention to the woman that we have to leave because of these plans. she then asks if we can go with her family and someone elses family. part of us wants to go with them but the hungover part just wants to do a short hike and eat sandwiches. well ofcourse we cant say no so we went with them and it was really fun minus the extra long hike. we hung out with some of the kids that came and it was great to make friends with a korean family.
sunday my coteacher got married and we went to the wedding. it was pretty much ass backwards of every american wedding hannah and i have ever been to. first we arrive with amazing number of other guests. i dont have a number but it was a lot. we get inside to go to the ceremony but the room is too small which is kind of strange. so we are escorted by my other helpful donghae commercial high school teachers upstairs to watch the wedding on the tv. yes thats right they have a camera crew recording it for the guests who dont get to watch it in person. we get up stairs only to find that everyone is eating already and some people are even leaving before the ceremony starts. its crazy. basically the ceremoney is broadcast on these giant screens but no one cares because there is tons of food of which you can eat as much as you want. the first ceremony is very western style wedding so nothing to exciting. we eat while watching and then we are told they have a 2nd ceremony which is the traditional korean wedding ceremony. we find where that ceremony is being held in this big building and watch it first hand. it was really great to see a tradition actually being used that has been around longer than america has existed. the traditional wear or hanbook is beautiful and very interesting. basically the ceremony is a lot of bowing and family coming in to great the couple and give them their congratulations and blessings. the family drink a couple of rice wine and eat a piece of food as part of the ceremony. three or four family members go in at a time in order of oldest to youngest. after that we greeted them and left for home. it was the fastest wedding ive ever been to. 1.5 hours haha. sunday night is pretty boring except the stealing of rocks from this construction for the bottom of the pot we are using to plant our vegetable garden. yeah boi tomatoes cucumbers yellow and red peppers.

alright well thats enough oh wait one more thing. my school has installed in the bathrooms a motion sensor activated music device that plays when you walk underneath it. im not sure which is more relaxing peeing or hearing beethoven whilst i pee.

later taters