tricks are for kids

a few weeks ago, we didn't have school on a random thursday because it was our school's foundation day aka birthday aka holiday to use as an excuse to not have school. the co-t's and i decided to spend the day up in seoul bopping around from insadong to itaewon to hongdae aka we basically traversed the entire city in a triangular fashion via subway aka we left sinchang at 7:30 in the morning and didn't get back til 9:30 at night aka i was exhausted. 

we started the day by seoul station at the old station museum, wandering the halls and rooms. they have a really cool exhibit right now about how you spend your free time. my favorite part was an exhibit in a long hallway in the back where there was a black and white moving picture projected on a 30 meter wall. it moved, there was music, it was interesting to watch and walk along. insadong, the "traditional" part of seoul, was next on the list. this is where the streets are too narrow for fire trucks to come put out fires and artists are abundant. it's a neat little part of town. traditional candy, traditional art, traditional fans, the works. we wandered, we tasted, we tried on, we felt, and we absorbed. then we hopped on the subway to itaewon, one of the "foreign" parts of seoul where a lot of foreigners hang out. we ate lunch at on the border, delish. the co-t's had never tried mexican food in a mexican restaurant and i was craving endless chips and salsa. then we hopped on the subway again and went to hongdae, the other "foreign" part of seoul to the ice museum and the trick eye museum. 

 (this is what you see in the bathroom stall when you're trying to use the facilities)

the day was full and fun. we spent a lot of time and money on each other. we compromised our preferences, tried things we hadn't, found new things, ate familiar things, bought matching things, that city was ours for that day. i am so lucky to have co-teachers who are willing to explore and try and wander and get lost and ask for directions and make fools of themselves. i'm grateful that they want to learn english and teach me korean. i'm grateful that they spent the day with me when they could've spent it doing anything else. i'm grateful they spent their free time with the wacky waygook (me, duh). i'm so grateful i get to teach alongside these awesome, wonderful, inspiring ladies.