I'm an extra-curriculars type gal. Since I can even remember, most of all my free time has been dedicated to some sort of club, dance, or activity. It's natural that one of the first things I did when moving to Jeju was to ask about after-school activites (this is beginning to sound like a college app...). Since it's getting chilly (a brisk 60 degrees) in November, it was time to find indoor activities besides hanging out at the beach or hiking "small mountains" (and the occasional television appearance here and there with the Gang of 6.)
For the past few weeks, I have been dabbling in various extra-curriculars, ranging from "dance sport" aka ballroom dance with my middle schoolers to my ongoing hunt for a kite, yes I have yet to find a kite. I want to fly kites. Why have I not seen a kite? I live by the beach with gusty winds and cloudless days- where are the kites!!!
So during orientation in July I took a 6-week taekwondo class with about 25 Fulbrighters. Since then, more than half have quit, or in my terms, "voluntarily put punching and kicking on hold..." and even managed to get a yellow belt. (See pic below.) Ok, so everyone in my class got a yellow belt, but it was still an intense process which involved non-stop squatting and screaming. I could have signed up for a taekwondo class in Jeju City, but the image of me throwing punches in a room of elementary tykes didn't seem to appealing. I'm happy with my yellow belt. :) So I'm vain. Who cares?
Luckily my host-father owns a health club/gym next to my apartment. By health club, I really mean a moderate sized room with the usual treadmills, bikes, and weights.... and those silly "rubber-band-cellulite-jiggling" machines. Weird. I usually like to run on the treadmill (in my snazzy orange and gray gym uniform) for 45 minutes then bolt to my next evening activity, which usually involves watching "Project Runway" or "Grey's Anatomy" on my macbook.
About two months ago I started taking chang-gu lessons, the hour-glass shaped traditional Korean drum. Each Wednesday night, I bang on the drums for two hours with about 5-6 Koreans. I've tried endlessly to ask how much each lesson was, but each time the teacher would shake his head and not accept any money. Phew, this would be easy on my budget. However, there is a catch. There's always a catch... He asked me to translate the drum studio's information pamphlet to English. I politely obliged, but honestly, there is absolutely no way that will happen. I can't even translate 2 sentences let alone a wordy pamphlet. Now I feel guilty... O well, just keep drumming, just keep drumming...
My quest for even more extra-curriculars did not stop there. Last month I mentioned to my co-teacher that I really just wanted to dance- ballet, jazz, modern, anything! I had pretty dismal hopes, considering there were no dance studios in sight, anywhere. Again, my co-teacher saved the day, called up some friends, and took me right after school to check out a place called "Jazz Dance Studio" how original. Typical Korean culture, we showed up at the dance studio, checked out the schedule, and already the owner was calculating a discounted membership because I was "foreign." Sweet. I signed up and started jazz the next day. Ok, so the term JAZZ is actually a mix of hip hop and some funky-club-hip-shaking dance. My instructor is incredibly talented, hip, young, and fun. I think I was sold when our first combination across the floor was to "Buttons" and Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack." Welcome back to 2006, Julienne.
Tomorrow I am going horseback riding with Lauryn, another ETA, who sent me pepero sticks (pocky sticks in the U.S.) in the mail in honor of Korea's Valentine's Day (11-11). Yea. It's a marketing ploy, who cares, but the sticks are yummy! AND I get to go horseback riding with one of the loves of my life! So romantic.
Until next time... some eye candy! Happy 11-11 everyone!
Celebrating Halloween on Jumgmun Beach!
