Island hopping.

Tomorrow I will go on a field trip with my first grade middle school students. I really have no idea what is in store for this trip. Everything about Jeju Island is extremely hyped up, so I'm expecting a fun-filled day of adventures snack time. Being a teacher definitely has its perks- I'm getting paid EXTRA to be a kid again. My host mom is packing my host sister and I a day's worth of 김밥 (kim bap), which is are sushi rolls, but no seafood or raw fish. We will visit a volcanic rock museum and then hike a few hills. Jeju Island loves to display anything and everything in a museum or park. There's a famous teddy bear museum, Hallim Park (which showcases Jeju's finest bonsai, peacocks, and outdoor rock collection), Loveland (please don't ask...), Jeju Fok museum, a MINI-land museum, and countless "outdoor" rock displays.

September is almost over, so fast... Well, here are some upcoming plans for the month of October.

Saturday morning I'm hopping on a plane to Pusan then heading off to Gyeongju for the fall Fulbright ETA conference. All 63 ETA's will gather in what I expect to be a chatty and story-sharing extravaganza. There will be plenty of sight seeing as well. So I fly back to Jeju on Tuesday October 3, go to work for a day on Wednesday, then fly to TAIPEI, TAIWAN in the evening. Phew. Since my school has midterm exams, I have the whole week off. I'll be visiting family in Taipei from Oct. 4-12 (my mom's birthday!!!!) then fly back to Jeju in time to teach Friday morning class. I love holidays. And exams. Yes, there will be a lot of island hopping this month.

I'm still debating whether to go back to Pusan on Friday, October 13 to attend the Pusan International Film Festival. I'll literally be living out of a suitcase and traveling on multiple flights in the next two weeks. The thought of getting on a ferry from Jeju to Pusan and boatin' for 12 hours doesn't seem too attractive at the moment. We'll see.

Speaking of more islands, my family and I decided to rendezvous in Hawaii for Christmas. It's ironic that I live on the "Hawaii of Korea" and will spend my vacation in Hawaii. This nickname is deceiving, because there is no comparison to Hawaii, whatsoever (besides that huge extinct volcano that sits in the middle of the island...) Oh, and the airport is lined with palm trees. There are no leis, no coconuts, no hula dancers, and no long stretches of beaches on this Hawaii I live on. Anyways, I've never been to Hawaii, and since there's a limited time frame to tweak with, meeting in Hawaii seems to be the best compromise. Not too shabby. I really don't think my family would want to fly all the way out to Korea, where it will be cold and windy, and spend most of their short week adjusting to jet lag and navigating through crowded streets and paying ridiculous prices for hotel rooms. Hawaii? Um... ok.

So the plan is to fly to Honolulu to meet up with my 'rents and brothers on Christmas Eve. Logistically speaking, I can fly out of Seoul on Christmas Eve (remember, I'll be flying back in time) and still arrive in the morning of the 24th! My family is flying back to PA New Year's Eve. My plans are still to be determined.... twist my arm and maybe I'll meet up with a few of you!

Bon voyage, I'll post more when I return from my trip!