The Secret Garden of an Ancient Palace

Last Friday afternoon, November 9, was the best day of my week. I had spent all week proofreading in the textbook office, commuting to and from work each day (about an hour with walking and subway transfers), trying to get well from my cold/flu, and was just totally burned out. 

When I was working at Seongbuk, Liberty and I had planned this outing for all of us teachers, but when I started working in textbooks, it looked like I wouldn't be able to go. I asked my boss, though, and I just worked longer another day that week so I could leave early on Friday to go on this adventure.

Unfortunately, everyone waited till the last minute Friday afternoon to ask things of me, so I ended up leaving work 20 minutes later than planned. I was supposed to be at the palace garden entrance at 3:30, and it was already 2:50. I RAN to the subway station, transferred at 3:17, got out at the final exit at 3:20, and RAN to the palace to meet Liberty and Sophie--the only two who were able to come that day. (Liberty is a co-teacher who was teaching me Korean, and Sophie is our school's deskworker.) I arrived precisely at 3:30, when the tour was to begin. Praise the LORD!

We all three then ran to the Secret Garden entrance, which was a ways from the regular palace entrance. We were certainly a humorous sight. The thing is, though, you can only see the Secret Garden after making special reservations and purchasing special tickets. We had done all of that, but my work had delayed us. Thankfully, Liberty was able to explain the situation to them in Korean, and they let us through after the tour had already begun.

We had booked the reservation more than a month in advance! It was the only available opening since touring the palace's gardens is so popular at this time of year. Now I know why! It is soooo beautiful! The king had this Secret Garden pathway behind the palace so that he and his family and whoever worked at the palace, I guess, could escape to nature. Wow! That's all I can say. The pictures below will give you a good idea of what we saw that afternoon. The weather was perfect.

Koreans don't like taking pictures with Westerners
because they think their faces look too fat in comparison.
So for this picture, Sophie made me
put my head down. Silly girl. :)

This sign read: Eternal Youth Gate
Now that I've passed under it, maybe I'll live forever. ;)

Suspicious behavior, don't you think? hehe

The place was absolutely GORGEOUS! 

Ah, Sophie, Sophie!

I'm so thankful for my Korean friends. They make the stresses of every day worthwhile. :)

Bukhansan & Dobongsan Fall Hike

The pictures you will see below are from a hike taken on October 28. Five of us had planned to go hiking together that weekend because I had heard that it was the peak time to see the fall leaves before they were all gone. We all planned to meet at Dobong Station that morning, but Sarah called me and backed out because she was sick, and two others decided not to show up. So . . . it was just Calvin and me. Nonetheless, we had a good time. How could we not when the weather and beauty of the nature surrounding us was so astounding??! It was an awesome day--and my last weekend in Seongbuk. 

We began our hike climbing Bukhansan, looking for a particular place called "The Rock." Then we saw a map of at least five places labeled "Rock." Well, Calvin thought he knew which one it was, so we headed up the mountain to look for it. Turned out, that wasn't it, so we hiked and hiked, climbed several peaks, ended up in Dobongsan, and finally found our way back down the mountain, we discovered said "Rock" by happenstance.

We were sooooo sore at the end of the day, having climbed for about 6 or 7 hours. And let me tell you, this trail was not as easy as it appears. There were MANY rocky steps, among Korean ones. 

The picture you will see of me being hugged by a Korean requires a short story. We had stopped to rest near a peak, and this woman and her husband we resting there, too. For some reason, she wanted to take my picture . . . over and over again on her camera and my camera and then she wanted pictures with me. So I asked her husband to take one on my camera too so that I could remember this lady. I think she would have adopted me if she could've spoken my language! Sheesh. hehe. Afterward the photo shoot, I asked her if she wanted a picture with her husband, and the answer was no.

Despite all the climbing, my favorite part of the adventure was near the beginning, when we discovered a river and decided to climb over the fence to get to it. It was soooo beautiful, and we just rested there for a while and enjoyed the lovely music of water rippling down rocks on a crisp fall day. I want to go back there someday! :)

I hope you will enjoy the pictures! Happy Autumn!

We saw many lovely birds like this one. :)

It was a popular day to hike and picnic!

You can't go far without running into a Buddhist temple in Korea.

A three-layered fall leaf. Amazing!

There are four rock-climbers on the two peaks to your right.

With the sweetest Korean I've met who couldn't speak
a word of English.

Joy at finding the exit sign! We had been walking for quite
 a while, wondering how to get out of the park.

I believe these represent prayers or wishes.

A Story in Pictures: Seongbuk SDA Term 5

Junior Teachers Term 5
Errol, Silver, Vickey, Aileen, and Lucas

Adult Teachers, Term 5
Liberty, Errol, Vickey, Kevin, and Director Lee

Sophie, the most awesome desk worker EVER!

Staff Room

Hallway: My classroom was #301.

Lobby & Elevators

Church & Miscellaneous Room

Remnants of my ajumma class after party day
Heidi, Jessie, Jasmine, and Juna

Remnants of my evening class after party day
James, Jay, and Monica

One of my favorite Junior classes: WM Starter 8
Evan, David, Peter, James, Matthew, Bora, Julia
Jenna, Mirae, Jenny, Sunny, and June

Where is the teacher??!

WM Junior 2 class: Can you tell they were my troublemakers?
Justin, Angela, Amy, --, Victoria, Tom, Kyle, Jerry, Ben

YIC6: Boro, Peter, Sam, David, John, and Brianna

WinPlan teenagers: Toby, Phillip, Patrick, Tina, Rin, Ashley, Millie

YIC4: Daisy, Jane, Annie, June, and Rubi

with Korean teacher Silver

One of my favorites: WM Starter 4
Harry, Dana, Jenny, Justin, Jackie, Blue Toon

With Korean teacher Silver

So this was my first and only term at Seongbuk SDA. A few students and classes are missing. I loved this school and will miss the students and teachers very much. Pictures are forthcoming of my new office.