http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/southkorea/8165274/North-Koreas-undercover-journalists-reveal-misery-of-life-in-dictatorship.html

About 2 weeks ago I went to Seoul for the weekend with my friend Amanda who was meeting up with one of her friends who was there for her brother's wedding. Seoul always reminds me of NYC, so I love going there; it feels like home. Great shopping, great food, great places, so much to see, so many foreigners and just a massive city full of so many different things. It also had Christmas lights up already which was very exciting to see since our city didn't have any yet.

As everyone in the world has probably already read on the news. On Nov. 23 North Korea fired over 200 missiles onto Yeonpyeong island wounding dozens and killing at least 2 South Korean marines. This ended whatever "peace" there was between the North and South and has created very high tensions among the two since. Since the whole language barrier is a bit tough to understand the correct information when I ask my co-teachers on the situation I decided it was best to ask my friend who is stationed here in Korea in the US army about the current situation, this is what he said:  The Island belongs to the South according to the DMZ line. The ROK Army is there right now and from what i know they were doing an exercise with weapons of some sort. Apparently North Korea believes that the island belongs to them and felt they were being threatened so they fired over 200 missiles onto the island wounding dozens and from what I know killing at least three civilians. South Korea has fired back at the North and I believe they stopped attacking around 5:oopm. They too wounded many people and killed at least 1 person. The US Army in Korea is on GL 1, and everybody is on alert. This means that nobody on a Military Base in Korea is allowed to do anything except be ready to fight until further notice.  Although I do believe that if North Korea were really serious about fighting, and I'm knocking on wood, they would have gone straight for attacking Seoul, not this little island. "

Honestly, I think CNN and the rest of the media makes a bigger deal of it all than the Koreans who have been dealing with it for the last 60 or so years here. From what I can see, they just carry on living their day to day lives as if nothing new or out of the ordinary has happened. A few students have told me "Teacher, North Korea attack us." and maybe 2 or 3 teachers mentioned it in passing but it is a very casual conversation and when I asked if I should be worried, they said "no, no." Soo, I think all is safe and sound in my city. (knocking on wood.) It's quite the experience though, and kind of crazy to be living history right in the country where everything is happening. I trust my military friend's opinion as well as the Koreans here that everything will be fine. 


On a side note, I remember when I first heard that North Korea had bombed that island, my first thoughts, besides how sad I felt for the people wounded and killed were, "They better not cut my time short here." Somehow in the middle of it all, no part of me wanted to go home even if the country was going to go to war. I  signed on for a year to teach these students some English and I refuse to be forced to go home early because of the damn North Koreans. I also feel so sad for some of my teachers who only expressed some emotion about the current situation because they are very worried for their sons in the military. Whether their sons are currently in the military or will soon be going there they told me they are "sad and worried." Every Korean male has to serve 22 months in the army in his life no matter what.
Crazy, huh?

Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will..."

For Laura's 27th birthday we all went iceskating during the day and then out to dinner and downtown at night. 
I hadn't ice skated since I was about 10 years old, but as soon as we got on the ice it was like riding a bike. It all came back to me. Well the rink was filled with tons of little kids in helmets. One by one they would come up to us and say "where are you from?" "what is your name?" they were so cute! About 3 of them wanted to keep practicing their English on us and asked "do you want to play?" I mean how can you say no to them!? They were probably only about 6 or 7 years old, so Laura and I decided to make a "train" with them and they held on to us as we pulled them around the ice. They were soo cute and at the end one little girl came up and said "Thankyou, nice to meet you!"