Farewell Jeju

I have finally come out of hiding after abandoning my blog for over a year and a half.  I restart this blog, only to finish it as I am currently on an airplane which has departed from Incheon heading for Kuala Lumpur where we will make a connection to meet Niki and Kyle in Bangkok.  Given the length of my hiatus, I present my last year and a half as a short history of time.

April 2009:

• Nicole Kelly, mine and Robyn’s good friend from University arrives in Jeju.
• Jason and I head to Udo island one last time to see the island during the spring.  Rapeseed fields cover the whole landscape making for an unforgettable 2 hour bike ride around the island.
• Jason leaves for travels through Nepal and Morocco, not certain if he is going to come back to Jeju or not.

May 2009:

• Weather became warm and I decided to expand my athletic capacities by preparing to train for my first 10km race (Jeju hosts numerous Marathons throughout the year).
• I begin biking 12kms three times a week to go to Samyang beach to improve my tan. Looking back at photos now, the colour I achieved was nothing short of orange leather-I finally understand how the look is made possible.
• Nicole, Debbie, Bridget, Amanda and I bike to Hamdeok Beach from Shin Jeju round trip during teachers day (yay! one extra holiday day in a year so sparse that the next holiday we had off was in October). It was my greatest athletic achievement to that date approximately 50kms (I couldn’t sit for several days).

• I negotiate a second contract with my director for another year with the possibility of going home after 6 months to enter Naturopathic College…. I later change my mind about my career plan and stay for an entire year and then some in order to fund the travels I have currently embarked on.
• Jason finds out he is going to come back to Jeju in July to work at Jeff’s academy, so we decide to stay together long distance and see where things take us. <3

June 2009:

• I complete my first 10km race in 58 minutes… I can’t even describe how proud I felt about something so dorky… I was known as the girl who volleyed the ball to the roof of the gymnasium at school, crowned Ms. Non-athletic by all of my friends and family, so just to have finished that race irrespective of the time was a huge accomplishment for me.  I really didn’t think I was capable of doing it, but I finished it in under an hour!!
• Robyn starts biking to Samyang beach to do swimming training, and has an unfortunate accident on her way there riding down a hill which causes her to seriously injure her knee.  The MRI indicated that it was a torn patella tendon which resulted in her being completely unable to move her lower leg (very scary!). Upon recommendation of a doctor at home, she leaves her contract 5 weeks early to get emergency surgery which is very sad for all involved.  Robyn wanted to stay for several extra months and travel further, and it was sad to see my Korean travel partner, co-worker and friend leave on such unfortunate terms. (Update on Robyn now,  her surgery went extremely well and her knee is now totally healed. Since leaving Jeju she travelled to Mexico for 6 months for an internship studying Howler monkey poop, and is back in Canada now.
• Nicole has her birthday which not many of us remember… we played pub golf (click here for an explanation). I was the officiator so I was in the best shape of everyone, but after secretly drinking soju from my “water bottle” I am surprised I managed to control the masses of power drinkers.

July 2009:

• Most of this month is spent tying up loose ends from when Robyn left so suddenly due to her injury.  We finally find a replacement (Brandon) after three weeks.
• Nothing that eventful happens this month except for all the great beaching and summer activities that Jeju offers (camping, beach parties, swimming, family mart pub crawls). I also run another 10km race and almost die because the course was mostly uphill (or seemed to be) and the path was not fully cleared of traffic… running in 30 degree weather  while inhaling car exhaust is highly ill advised for the athletically challenged.
• I also go to the Boryeong Mud Festival which I must admit was an experience, but I did not enjoy. It was something of a Frat party: a weekend of drinking and rolling in mud, that’s about it. I also had a splitting headache all weekend and had to sleep on the floor (traditional Korean Ondol) with a pillow made of cut up straws.  Not straw, like hay (that would have been tolerable), but  real plastic straws.  Oh Korea!
• Also Jason returns from his travels! Yay!

August 2009:

• After the stress of July, I am graciously welcomed home by my family and friends whom I came back to visit for two weeks.  One week was spent enjoying  my time at Niki and Kyle’s awesome new house renovated by my Dad, where all of my friends and family came to visit me (and it was AWESOME!!).  The second week  was spent in Mexico for Lindsey and Jory’s beautiful beach wedding.  I apologize to Jory’s parents who had to sit next to me at the head table for yapping their ears off after the wine hit my empty stomach a little too quickly.  Furthermore I extend another apology to Carly and mainly Lindsey for the bathroom drama that unfolded thereafter.  Other than that, it was good times had by all… amazing memories I know none of us will forget.
• On the plane ride home I am certain I have contracted Swine Flu at the height of its outbreak.  I do not know how I passed Korean quarantine upon arrival in Seoul because my temperature must have been 1000 degrees, however I made it back to Jeju only to go to work that afternoon.  I do not seek medical attention because if they quarantined  me I was sure to have lost my job on account of additional days absent after my vacation (things were a little rocky even before I left for vacation because I complained about all the additional hours I was now expected to work).  This week is hell on earth. I am greatly indebted to Dr. Jason for taking care of my every need, and tolerating the incessant whining and self pity that always accompany even the most minor cold I experience.

September 2009:

• Ashleigh and Stephanie who became two of my closest friends on Jeju leave for the same journey I am currently on L. It was sad to say goodbye, but they are two people I know I will see again.
• After Ashleigh and Steph’s departure, I take over their lives and start working all of their extra classes (4 hours a week to be exact) and also begin working as a KCTV reporter where Ashleigh had previously worked.

Most recent “hard news” story about Oranges
http://www.kctvjeju.com/popup/vod.asp?vodfile=http://www.kctvjeju.com/a/200911/091120n5.asx&num=16547
Fast forward to 6mins 30 seconds

My Story (written and edited by me) about the Foreign language festival
http://www.kctvjeju.com/popup/vod.asp?vodfile=http://www.kctvjeju.com/a/200911/091102n5.asx&num=16414
around 7 minute mark

Most Hillarious Story about Mosquitoes Oct/09
http://www.kctvjeju.com/popup/vod.asp?vodfile=http://www.kctvjeju.com/a/200910/091027n5.asx&num=16379
Fast Forward to the 7 minute mark.

Check out the above stories for some riveting hard news.

October- November 2009:

• Two relatively uneventful which I spent working and saving money for my upcoming trips.
• Ran another 10km race with Jason… this one was nice and cool and absolutely beautiful… I did it in 55 minutes and Jason in 42 I believe?
• Climbed Halla and ate Galbi once.

December 2009:

• I saved some money which my Grandma gave me several years ago, added a little to it and decided to surprise my grandparents with a week trip to Slovakia for Christmas.
• This was amazing, I ate good food, spent time with my family including my dad who was visiting, and was allowed the time to be absolutely lazy and do nothing but gain some Christmas pounds.
• Spent New Year’s with my dad watching the fireworks show at the Danube river in Bratislava

January 2010:

• Spent the month working, sleeping, teaching, eating good food every Wednesday during girls nights with my good friend Liz and Nicole and just enjoying the good life.
• Start volunteering with an open education platform doing ESL audio files and also volunteering blogs for a Seoul based website called work’n Play.

February 2010:

• Jason and I take a 3 day vacation to the mainland to go snowboarding at Yongpyong resort during Seollal. It was AWESOME… see my work’nPlay blog here.
• I decide that I am going to forgo my previous plans of becoming a naturopath and pursue a totally different career path in International Development.  Begin researching what it might take, and decide that in a few months time, I will apply to several Post Graduate Programs.

March 2010:

• Liz leaves! Wahhh!  Leaving me and Nicole to our own devices for 6 weeks before she departs as well. Wahhh!

April 2010:

• Nicole’s sister Michelle (I know, we are cool) comes to visit Jeju for two days before they had off to China together.  We go to the lava tubes together and do a funny hedge maze and later enjoy soju slushies at Fish and Grill. The next night we had an epic Noraebong goodbye and lots of farewells because we KNOW we will see each other as soon as I come back to Canada (although who knows how soon that might be).
• Jason and I start a 20 minute radio program called Jolt into Jeju on Arirang radio teaching appropriate cultural etiquette, explaining some of our own cultural mishaps and faux pas and doing a small Korean language lesson at the end.  Lots of fun and good experience.
• I finish paying off my student loans… YAYAYAYAYA!!!!!

May 2010:

• May 2010 I start inquiring about a 3 month extension on my contract so I can continue saving money for my trip now that my loans are paid…  I do not get confirmation until the 13 days before my contract officially ended in July.
• Weather is beautiful… beach season begins

June 2010:

• Enjoying the beach, enjoying the hot weather. Jason’s Birthday, I made between 40-50 strawberry and lemon cupcakes for his birthday in my oversized toaster oven.
• I also ran a half marathon… seriously now, the BIGGEST physical accomplishment of my life, I am sure ever.
• I found out information through Arirang about a wome’s shelter for unwed mothers on the island.  Because Korean society is extremely male centered and puts extreme importance on the family line, these women and their babies adopted out or not, represent one of Koreas most highly stigmatized and marginalized sectors of society.  I come once a week for a few hours to teach English and do cooking and baking classes with them.

 

July 2010:

• Jinny and I go to Busan for an awesome weekend of relaxing, shopping and drinking.  GOOD times!!!

August 2010- September 2010

• Working, beaching, enjoying a  Chuseok holiday spanning 3 business days which spanned over my birthday.  Hung out relaxed, and took a round trip tour of the island via Jason’s awesome car, the towner!

October 2010:

• Wendi and Jorge leave, but we know we will be seeing them in Thailand in January so it’s another farewell.
• The rest of the month is a whirlwind of tying up loose ends. Selling things, finishing off jobs, packing, cleaning and getting SUPER EXCITED for the trip I am now on through Southeast Asia.  For a blog of my travels please check out:http://travelpod.com/members/mishkabobala