My Imperfect Destiny: Andong Awesomeness

An-yong haseyo! :) (hello in Korean) March is turning out to be a busy, busy month. I'm working about 27-30 hours a week at BB English (my after school academy) so that usually goes from about 2:30-8:30 or 9:30pm Monday - Friday and now my friend/director Rim, has helped me pick up some extra work so I've started teaching an adult class at Hyundai Steel. Three days a week for an hour, I teach anywhere from 6-12 Business men English in the morning from 11:40-12:30. < It's rough getting up that early, let me tell you haha.> :) Teaching businessmen is quite different than the songs and listen and repeat work I do with my elementary students. It's proving to be a little difficult getting them to talk, but I think I can crack them!

After the Pohang Steelers game last week and a busy teaching week, I was ready for some culture. It'd been a few weeks since Leigh and I went to Gyeongju to see Anapji Pond, so every now and then I get a craving to see something I could only see in Korea. My friend Jenn had a great idea to visit Andong. I hadn't been, but am always up to explore a new place so, bright and early Saturday morning (we're talking 7:45AM) we met and scooter'd to the bus terminal.

Andong is known as a centre of culture and folk traditions. The surrounding area maintains many ancient traditions, so in mid October there's an Andong Mask Festival, which I missed last year, but really want to make sure I go this year. The Hahoe Folk Village is perhaps the most notable folk village in South Korea.

We got a jumpstart on the day and it was only up from there - here are pictures of the folk village. As usual, it's really hard to capture the experience in still shots, but it was a really neat experience to be in such a serene place, and see people living so minimally.