Random Things Strung Together

I realized I hadn't posted the pictures I have taken here and there in random places. I also did not post anything from Chuseok, well not really much of anything.
What is Chuseok? Well, Koreans will tell you it's their thanksgiving but really... there is  no turkey, no football and definitely no gravy. It's Korean families getting together and eating all kinds of rice cakes, other Korean foods, and doing traditional stuff. This includes visiting your dead relatives. There's an old old old custom of leaving food offerings for the dead. People still do this to this very day. (and this is why it is still considered rude to leave your chopsticks in your food, sticking up. that's how they leave the food for the dead.)

For Chuseok Jongsoo and I went here:

Yes. This is a cemetery. And yes, they have mounds above the graves. Apparently, they are still buried six feet under, but then they build a dirt mound above the ground too.
We went to visit Jongsoo's grandmother, and no we did not leave her food, because she was protestant. But we did see families that brought picnics (blankets, umbrellas and all) to their loved ones' gravesides.
From there we went to visit Jongsoo's grandfather, who was Buddhist, so he was cremated and his remains are in a temple. It was a totally different feel from the cemetery. The monks were also serving vegan bibimbap for free. Very kind hospitality. It was delicious too.

Jongsoo and I went biking along the Hangang River. We biked from near Apkujong all the way to the Olympic Bridge and back.

Jongsoo stopped to take a picture of the Olympic Bridge. 

We used the really big kanihwajangshil (portopotty). Okay. So it is, and isn't, a porto. It's not like those rental things they haul on trucks.. It is more like a modular that a truck hauls in and it is meant to stay there a long time. It has running water, flushing toilets, and if you're lucky - toilet paper and hand soap. This one did, and I was very glad. :D
The building next to it had a GIANT mukade (poisonous centipede) on it.

Or perhaps it's a caterpillar? Either way, why decorate with insects?

I recently found a wonderful peppero flavor. (what is peppero? why, it's korean pocky.)

And about 2 weeks ago my manager teacher asked me if I needed anything for my house. I told her I could use a toaster oven... after some discussion, she understood the "toaster" part. She had to ask my co-teacher to translate for us. He was like "toaster" and indicated with his hands toast popping up. I said yes, but more like a thing you can put stuff in and roast, like an oven, but small, and it also makes toast. "Oh a mini oven" he says. Later on I was to be handed a print out from G Market of what appeared to be a toaster oven. I was delighted and told them it was great.

And as you can see in the picture, it has a door that opens and a rack to put things on and knobs and everything. But do you see on the top right hand corner a switch? Yes.
This thing opens a panel in the top. This is the toast spot. This is where you make toast.

So it is very literally a toaster and a mini oven. I had no clue these things existed in the world.
It is smaller than a regular toaster oven. I was a bit sad over that. But it is a device in which I can make toast and oven-things. I am no longer a slave of the gas range stove! No more worries over burnt pans, no more babysitting the frying chicken, and no more grease splatters! Well -  until I want something of that sort. I have a choice! Huzzah!

I also told my school I needed an electric kettle. This confounded my co-teacher at first. He had no idea what this was. I told him "a water boiler, like we have in the teacher's office to make coffee and tea with" and he understood. Maybe it is because he is a man - he does not have a good vocabulary for kitchen appliances. Later on, as I was walking home with the brand new water boiler that my school got me (and when i say they got it for me - please understand that part of the package of hiring me - they get a stipend from the government to buy things for a new teacher things like toasters, kettles, silverware, comforters or whatever the teacher may need. i'm not sure how much money it is, but it is enough to buy a few of such things), I learned from my New Zealand colleague that in her country they are called jugs, or electric jugs. Wow. Here's my new electric jug.

It lights up blue when you turn it on, and you can watch it bubble through the window. I really enjoy it.
The old kettle I had here was plastic, and had no screen filter thing where the spout is - so anything could crawl in if it wanted to.. And the metal plate inside was just starting to get small rust spots. Time to go old kettle.

When Etude House moved in to our small town, they had a 50% off sale for members. I joined and got this manicure set for half off. They're called "gradient nails".

I didn't do as good of a job as the box's example. My nails are also very short here.
There's a story behind this. 

Last week before class my one 2nd grade boy comes in by himself. It was a chilly day and I told him my hands were cold. He walks over and inspects my hands, and sees my long thumb nails and says, "Teacher, your nails are long." And he shows me his nails, all short, freshly cut. He didn't know the word for nail clippers, so I told him. "Teacher, there are very good nail scissors at my house. Yesterday I cut my nails. You need cut your nails. Your nails too long." He tells me, and asks if I have nail scissors. I told him I had good nail scissors at my house too. I told him I'd cut my nails. He looked satisfied. I forgot to though. And the next day when I had class with him again, he checked my nails and was disappointed that my nails were still too long. I told him I'd forgotten but would cut them that day. So when I came home I cut my nails. 

Season's Change

It's the proper beginning of fall here in South Korea. I saw my first fully color changed tree in the school yard. Most of the trees here are still green, even up on the hills and mountains.
Other fall signs are here though. The weather has cooled somewhat, and the humidity is down. By cooled, I mean I need a jacket or sweater in the mornings and evenings, but the afternoons are still close to 80, if not higher.

Fall means bugs are giving their last hurrah before the dead of winter. The dragonfly population was out doing its best to prolong the species (which, around here, does not need much helping or increasing).

I've decided one thing though.. The spiders have gotten huge and fat over the summer. They must eat very well.

I did not want to put my hand in the picture for perspective because then I'd have to be near this lady. So I will just say she's about the size of half of my thumb - a little more than an inch long in body and as big around as my thumb. Sadly, I've seen bigger than her.
The golden orb weavers (aka yellow garden spiders) here are gigantic. *shudder* You don't see them in May. You might see a few in June. A couple more in July and August, but September is when they really showed up en masse. Perhaps they were always there, just now you can't miss them because they're big enough to eat small toads. *shudder* They have this penchant for building their webs over walkways (in between trees or light posts) and sometimes they build them too low.

It's scary walking on the sidewalk. I am going to be walking in the street until a few good frosts end their reign of terror for the season.