Beautiful Yangsan (+ random Korean stuff)

I really love where I live. I know when I was first given my placement, I was a little wary because I was expecting somewhere rural and quaint and in the countryside. But guys and gals, I really lucked out. I seriously have the best of both worlds where I'm at. If you know me, you know I've never been a fan of big city (I mean, I seriously want to retire in 29 Palms some day, remember?). I love small, run-into-people-you-know places, but still within an hour of civilization/big city. Here in 양산시(Yangsan), I live right next door to down town (my "city"), a mile or so block of all the things you could need (shopping, entertainment, food). At the same time, there are beautiful mountains, a river, fields, and greenery all within walking distance, too. Agghhh, I just love it!

Above are pics I've taken walking to or from work. Below are pics I took while wandering back from the post office. I decided to explore the path along the river heading back to my apartment:

 Also, I've been going jogging after doing some basic exercises (my routine from my chiropractor back in AZ, actually) and it's just so beautiful. This is seriously a 5 minute walk from my apartment.

YAY ME for exercising!! 

Here's a map of my beautiful city:

Also, I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm a 8-10 minute walk from the last subway station on the Busan line and a 10-12 minute walk from an intercity bus terminal, so getting to places outside of my immediate block or 2 of "city" is really manageable (and affordable). Just to emphasize the juxtaposition of city and countryside, check out the view from the subway:

Okay so just know that where I live is pretty awesome 😏😁 I love my school (co-workers and students), I love my ward, and I have a great group of friends that I've been able to visit with at least once a month so far. The Lord has definitely blessed me in all of this 💗


Alright so some random things:

1. I'm still figuring out how to live with my hair here. I realize that frizz is something I have grown up viewing as a negative thing but here, people get perms to make their hair anything but straight and so any wave in hair is better than no wave, frizz included. Don't nobody here bat an eye over frizz!! I don't think people even know it's a thing. But I still care about it 😅 but I have yet to find a method or product that keeps the frizz away so... whatever. I guess I need to be less vain 😂 even though I know I'm no where near the same level of 100% frizz, I can't help but compare myself to 황정음's character in She Was Pretty:

2. I. LOVE. THE. FOOD. HERE. My favorites so far are 삼겹살 (samgyeopsal) and, of course, 빙수(bingsoo). But out of all the Korean food I have eaten so far, I have only disliked 2 things. The food here is that good. *knock on wood* I don't even miss American food (I'll let you know when that time comes, though 😉)

 삼겹살

 

 빙수

 교촌 치킨

육개장 (YUM!)

 비빔밥

 김치 볶음밥

 떡볶이

 고구마 (sweet potatoes - YUM!)

 핫도그 

(yes, that's a corn dog. they call them "hot dogeu" here. they're a popular street food and they're delicious. much more batter than American corn dogs, the batter is a bit sweeter, and that's sugar not salt. sounds crazy but its so good!)

3. Every chance I get I take pics of Korean celebrities I recognize hahahahhaha (and usually send them to Kat). They just pile up on my phone so I've gotta share 'em somewhere! Before you judge me, just think of all the celebrities I don't recognize, though:

Walking to work I see 박서준 

(Kill Me, Heal Me; She Was Pretty; Hwarang, etc.)

and 태형 (V, BTS)

 지창욱 (Suspicious Partners)

찬열 (EXO, Goblin OST, Roommates)

공유 (Goblin, Train to Busan, etc.)

진 (BTS)

박보검 (Moonlight Drawn by Clouds)

공유 (x2)

공유 (x3)

정국 (BTS)

지민 (BTS)

지민 (x2)

 Seventeen

BT21 

(Not necessarily celebrities but endorsed by them and, oh, how I love this money-wasting collection 😅)

4. Chopsticks are way more convenient, efficient, logical... all the things. I find myself using chopsticks in my apartment even though I can just as easily grab a fork. If you don't know how to use chopsticks, learn, and you can thank me later 😉


Hmmmm... that's all I've got for now. 


안녕!

Bekah

Yangsan Tower (양산 타워), Student Recommendations

September 1: My First Saturday in Yangsan

For my first Saturday in Yangsan (양산시), one of my co-teachers offered to take me around Yangsan. She took me to lunch, then to Yangsan Tower (양산 타워), and then to E-mart. I don’t know if this is true or not (I need to do more research), but I’m beginning to think each city has a tower of its own (Busan [부산] has a tower, Seoul [서울] has a tower, Daegu [대구] has a tower, I think Gyeongju [경주] had a tower…). Regardless, Yangsan has a tower, a site highly recommended by my students :D *(see below for my students’ many recommendations).

This ended up being such a blessing! It was Dad’s birthday (the big 5-0!!) and I found myself really missing my family. I’m pretty sure I was choking back tears each time I either tried to call them or even thought about it 😭 who knew I was such a big baby?! (Probably Kathryn, that's who!) Anyway, my co-teacher, 유진 ("Yujin"; English name: Kelly), took me to lunch. We wandered around trying to find a place while getting to know each other. I could sense relief from her that I was so laid back, so that was nice. I think we were both nervous to meet each other outside of school - it's scary meeting brand new people (a) with language/culture barriers and (b) who you work with, so you have to keep in mind all the hierarchical-whats-appropriate-not-appropriate stuff and just hope you understand what they mean and vice versa 😅 Anyway, it went well! She is so very kind! She took me to a place that served duck (a first for me!) and it was delicious. I've decided duck kind of tastes like the bacon of the bird meats, if that makes any sense. Duck menu and Duck Korean BBQ:

As we were finishing lunch, 유진's daughter came to meet us (apparently she really wanted to meet me). She asked me lots of questions and we bonded over BTS (she freakin' went to their concert in Seoul!!!). I seriously had a lot of fun with them. It was so nice just hanging out with 유진 and her daughter. Their relationship and interactions felt a lot like being with my family, exactly what I was missing that very day. I was seriously humbled and thanked the Lord immensely for this tender mercy 💗

After lunch we made our way to Yangsan Tower and saw the sights! A 360° view of beautiful Yangsan:

I really love where I live. It is so beautiful, and I am within walking distance of a lot of things. (I’ll probs do another post just about my love for Yangsan - stay tuned!). And, if you didn’t already know, I love Busan and I’m only 30 minutes - 1 hour away by subway. Also, I had heard that different cities in Korea and Japan have characters or mascots for their cities but I didn’t know know, so… cities have characters?! say whaaaa?! Yangsan’s characters (양산시 캐릭터) are Yangi and Sani (양이 and 산이), a sun and a mountain (as their names indicate, if you didn't know). Fun fact: the Korean language is made up of Natural Korean words and Sino-Korean words (of Chinese origin). I hope to one day know Korean well enough to recognize and appreciate Sino-Korean words and how Chinese influences Korean (like Latin to English, except I'm gathering that Chinese has even more historical influence on the language - just look up 사자성어 and 고사성어, Korean four-character idioms). I also learned that Yangsan's flower is the magnolia (목런) and its tree is the Chionanthus retusus, Chinese Fringetree (이팝나무). The more you know:

Selfies with 유진 and her daughter 😊

Oh, and there's the cutest little book cafe near the top of Yangsan Tower:

More selfies, because of course I need pictures with the official Yangsan characters:

After Yangsan Tower, 유진 took me to E-Mart to help me grocery shop and get anything I might need. Her second daughter met us there, so it turned into a family outing shopping with the waygookin (외국인, "foreigner") 😂 Again, this was such a blessing and just such fun being out-and-about with a family 💗 Oh, and guess who the poster boy is for E-Mart?! GONG YOO!!! (Yes, I take pictures of Korean celebrities/idols I recognize and, of course, send them to Kathryn). If you don't know who Gong Yoo is, do yourself a favor and watch the movie, Train to Busan or the drama, Goblin:

Well, there you have it. Better late than never. More first-month documentation to follow shortly 😊 As always, feeling extremely blessed!

안녕!

Bekah

*Recommendations:

Music	Movies	Food	Places
- 2NE1 - Super Junior - 하드캐리 (GOT7) - BlackPink (6) - A-TEEN (세븐틴) - 너 없인안된다 (BtoB) - BtoB (3) - 두아리파 (Dua Lipa?) - Fake Love (BTS) - Idol (BTS) - The Truth Untold (BTS) - BTS (5) - Beautiful (워너원) - EXO (4) - Seventeen (3) - Big Bang (2) - A-Pink - Highlight - NCT (3) - NU’EST - G Friend - Wanna One (5) - Mamamoo (3) - Red Velvet (4) - Twice (6) - What Is Love? (Twice) - Dance the Night Away (Twice) - Winner - Sam Smith - Lay Me Down - One Call Away (3) - Sia (2) - Stay with me - Jongmyo Jereak - Flex - Korean ballad - Henry Low - Hello - Inuyasha - Troye Sivan - DPRLive - Martini Blue - Never Enough - Way Back Home (Shawn) - Kante Song - 예뻐졌더라 (by Postmen) - 볼빨간사춘기 (BOL4) - Lose Yourself (Eminem) - Dok2 (rapper) - 애국가 - Young Blood - Shape of You - 야생화 (by 박효신) - 서울의 달	- 나의 소녀시대 (2 수니 likes) - 아이 캔 스피크 (2) - Taxi Driver (2) - 신과 함께 (With God) (9) - 캐리비안 해적 (Pirates of Caribbean) - 너의 결혼식 (Your Wedding) (4) - Avengers (4) - Conan - Witness - Deadpool - Spiderman - Real Steel - Bbororo (haha) - 은밀하게 위대하게 - Sun Flower - Harry Potter (2) - 너의 이름은 (2) - Me Before You - About Time - Mamamia! - The Greatest Showman - Coco - Moana - Thieves - High-Q - Ziostom (Geostorm?) - Attack on Titan - 쇼생크 (Shawshank)	- 신라면 - Ramen (6) - jokbal (pig foot) - bundegi - 치긴 (2) - 후라이드 치킨 - 된장국 - 양념치킨 - 치맥 (3) - 뼈다귀해장국 - 닭발 (3) - 곱창 (pig’s tube) (4) - 막창 (3) - 불닭볶음면 (2) - 떡볶이 (7) - 엽기떡볶이 (2) - 닭똥집 (2) - 감자탕 - 국밥 - 샤브샤브 - 자메이카 - 통다리구이 - 한우 - 된장찌개 - green tea ice cream - zol myun - cal noodle - 김밥 - paldo bibim myeon - 삼겹살 (4) - 삼겹살 올린 비빔면 - 돼지국밥 (2) - 김떡순 + 튀김 - 비빔밥 - 상하이 스파이스 치킨 콤보 - fried chicken (2) - cow meat (beef) - sunny side up -  골라 (try coke in Korea) - steak - eel - sushi - 닭갈비 해물파전 - 닭볶음탕 - pizza - Chinese food - 짜장면 - 짬뽕 - 탕수육 - 취두부 - 감자탕 - 삼계탕 - 홍어 - 식혜 (rice juice)	- walk/work (?) - E-mart (5) - CGV (4) - Tongdosa Temple (4) - PC Cook 샹떼 (3) - Come On 2 PC - PC room (4) - Sing Room - Waterpark (2) - Obong Mt. - Wondong Mt. - Sul Bing - Costco - Yangsan Tower (6) - Moda Outlet - Haeundae - Seomyeon - Lotteria - Burger King - KFC - Mom’s Touch - Nambu Open Market - Daiso - GS25 - 에덴밸리 - 시골막창 - 콩나물 국밥 - 동대문 엽기떡볶이 - 고봉민김밥