Back to school already?

It has been over 2 months since I've worked a full 8 hour day, so I can't really complain. But before we get into this week, let me catch you up on February.

Some of the advanced students I taught last semester at Sehwa Elementary

Last year's 4th grade teachers at Jeju Chocart, celebrating the last day of school with chocolate fondue! Second on the left is Choi Yoo Jin, one of my 2009 co-teachers. The man on the right is Kim Byeong Su, my co-teacher in 2008 and now my co-teacher again for 2010.

Halla Mountain on a beautiful February day. Daphne and I went for a hike at a nearby oreum....

...and slid halfway down on the snowy path!

I was covered in mud from waist to toe.

Cheon-wong-sa, a nearby temple

Cindy's birthday, again! We didn't go to a tropical island this year, just a nice Indian food dinner at the Raj Mahal in Shin Jeju. Doesn't she look excited?

Julia and I certainly were!

- Fire Festival 2010 -

I was very excited for this year's fire festival. For those who don't remember, this is a traditional celebration of the first full moon after the lunar new year. Lunar New Year (sol-nal in Korean) was February 14th and the full moon was the 28th. Jeju has been enjoying 3 weeks straight of rain and Friday & Saturday of the festival were nasty, wet days. But the gods smiled on us for one day and we thoroughly enjoyed the mass of fireworks, smoke, soju, spit-roasted pork, and of course, FIRE! Here's a collage of photos, followed by 4 videos from my favorite festival.

Around sunset the torch bearers slowly process towards Saebyeol Oreum. The energy starts to build as drummers march in front of the torches in traditional Korean dress.

One of the lit kites overhead

Kabam! Fire works display number 1 of 3. Truly spectacular.

About to light the oreum

We're getting excited...

I refer to this moment as the moment they "blow up the mountain." It may sound exaggerated, but that's what happens.

Of course, drinking and dancing to traditional Korean music follows.

The energy of this festival is pretty unreal. Once they start the first set of fireworks, it's just fire, fire, and more fire for about a half hour. The smoke is so thick, you can't even see the fireworks after a few moments. Then, the torches light the lower part of the mountain, the sculptures of hay & wood. As they start to burn, massive explosives all over the middle of the mountain erupt in fire. After that is another fireworks show exploding from the top of the oreum. It is bigger and higher than the first display since the whole mountain is meters deep in thick. The music is building and building, people are screaming (like us) as finally the lower part of the mountain really starts burning, the fireworks continue, the drumming continues...it's awesome! Then, about 10 minutes later, we were startled by another set of pyrotechnics! The biggest, longest, and most impressive yet. They just kept going and going. If you ever have a chance to attend this festival, do it. It is indescribably awesome.



You may want to turn the volume down on each video before you start it.
Video 1: The procession (it's a little long, but the music towards the end is good, very traditional Korean)
Video 2: fireworks
Video 3 & 4: the oreum on fire! (we're a little excited, pardon the yelling)