Mudfest.2013

Mud = water + dirt
Festival = party

Put the 2 together and you get a party in the mud, or in Korea - MUDFEST!!! That's right, Korea has a whole 10 (yes, TEN!!) days dedicated to mud. What does it involve? Well, take a seat and let me tell ya how my experience went down...

Friday night: I was thrown on a bus with 15 strangers. I would also be sharing a room with them for the night (as my friends weren't coming until Saturday). I should have remembered that "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet" because after about 3.5 minute of being on the bus with them, I had opened my first beer (in over a month and a half), had a seat buddy (and we named ourselves "the Ambers"), learned who everyone on the bus was, and even found a fellow Redskins fan. Well, that didn't take long. We made the MAYBE 2 hour trip to the BEACH...ahhhh the beach...and unloaded into the rooms we were sharing. Then, we hit THE BEACH! It was across the street, so once we stopped for beers, and fireworks, we grabbed our seats on the beach wall and thoroughly enjoyed the sand, the salt water, the smell of fireworks, and the 소맥주 (soju+beer).

We were joined by other "strangers" that were walking past and wanted to hang out. Since the Festival didn't start until Satuday, it was low key and people were just getting their bearings for the next day. Eventually we started trickling back in pairs and small groups to the pension, I think I was one of the last ones left (big surprise).

Saturday: We all moved out bags to the new pension (where they were staying in a room fit for 15) and then headed to the beach for food and to wait for our Mudfest tickets to arrive (as they were on the same bus as my friends). Once we got pizza, our morning beers (orrrr Vitamin Water filled with Soju) we headed to meet my friends, and pick up our tickets. Once my group appeared (Tom, Vicky, Allie, and Grant) we headed straight to the beach. Yes...the beach. Korean style. 

Korean Style - no bikinis anywhere

The water was rough, but that didn't stop us! We made our way past the maze of mudfest-ers and got right in. Well, "got right in" isn't exactly what I did. If you've ever seen me get in a pool, or the ocean, you know it was a long process. 

Ok Ok, I know you're thinking "WHERE'S THE MUD??" But here....it's coming.

Before getting to the "mud area" we had to shower....with mud, duh! So we "mudded up" (aka, Vicky throwing mud on me) and headed into the arena.

Vicky's right hand is in the mud shower, getting ready to throw at me

Ok, we are muddy and ready!!!

Circle of Friends.

 What happens in the "Mud Area"?? Well, you can do an obstacle course (yup, we did), you can do a mud slide (line was too long), you can mud wrestle, go to jail (of course we did), take more "mud showers" (Vicky always started this!), and then end up in the Bathtub to clean off. Here's how our time went...(in pictures)

I'm sure Vicky was throwing mud at us.

The guard was NOT going to let us out!

This is how muddy you can get.

Giant bathtub to clean off.

There ya go...that's what it's all about.

Afterwards, we went back to our rooms for REAL showers and to get ready to meet up for dinner before fireworks and drinks on the beach again.

After I was showered off, I came downstairs and EVERYONE was there - my mud group, and the Jeonju kids. We had drinks on the porch and then once it started to get dark, we headed to the beach....where everyone lost everyone. Most of my night was wandering to find them, and running into a few people here and there. I ran into Tom and he was like "Oh! Everyone is over there!" and then I never saw HIM again. I was able to reunite with the Jeonju group, just in time for the fireworks.

My best pictures of the fireworks

After the fireworks, we stayed at the beach and watched the dance parties starting to happen, and then a few of us went to play the carnival games (I ended up with a blue penguin that I named Percy) and then we ended up at a club. There was 5 of us trying to get in, and the first guy went right in with no problem. Then we tried to go in, but they were charging us 20,000\. Negative, dudes. So back out we went....to the beach! And this is where we stayed while I waited for the sun to come up. BUT, as I started to pass out, I was told "April, you can't sleep here!" While I thought this was silly, as it was a beach, I went along and we headed back to the pension....or so we thought. I knew where the pension was, but apparently the guy I was with thought it was total wrong way. So we ended up at the town square, where the only 2 other people on the street, WERE PART OF OUR JEONJU GROUP! So, once we ate my ice cream and chocolates (yes, we stopped during our walk) we headed back in the direction I knew the pension was, and we made it home safe and sound around 5am-ish.

Sunday: Leaving day...how sad. Once we all woke up (I ended up staying with the Jeonju group since I had never put my bag in my friends room) we headed down to the porch to figure things out. Not sure what we had to figure out, except who wanted a beer.

Front Porch Sittin'

I shared a beer with one of the Jeonju guys, and then who comes strolling down the street but none other than Rachel from Seoul. So she ditches her friends, goes to grab a beer and then hangs with us for the rest of the day.

She - she got a beer and joined the fun.

We eventually made it to the beach to play and hang till our bus at 3pm arrived....

We've been in Korea too long - hanging on the beach, no bathing suits in site

 

Sexiest Korean Men on the beach

Unfortunately, after the volleyball, storytelling, and goofing off, it was time to get to the bus. While the weekend at the beach was over...the weekend was not! We still had a bus ride to Jeonju!!!

They had me sitting in the back of the bus like the cool kids....I've fooled them good :)

The ride was louder than the ride TO the beach, but it also seemed quicker. Probably because I didn't want the weekend to end.

Once we were back in Jeonju, a few of us decided to hit up hamburgers for dinner before I finally headed back to Jinan.

So there we go...I survived Mudfest. I made friends, got muddy, saw old friends, stayed up late, saw fireworks, and had a grand ol' time.

In fact - we had so much fun, that we are all getting together this Friday to have a night out in Jeonju!!

Ghamsamnidah,
Apes :)

Camping Party!

Friday night I had a date...with 8 korean 13 year olds. You're jealous, I know. I would be too if I were you.

The week before my kiddies came to me asking me to come camping with them. Of course I said yes. The teacher was surprised, and asked me multiple times if I wanted to go. I said yes each time.

So Thursday night, the teacher called to remind me about camping and to bring "spare clothes and a toothbrush" as my students would "prepare the house" for me.

So on Friday, I showed up to school, and the 6th graders came to make sure I was prepared for camping. They were excited that i said I was still coming :)

After lunch came and went, my other students asked if I was coming swimming with them (I usually ride the bus back to Jinan with them) and they were all a little upset that I wasn't going to be on the bus. But, I told them I was going camping with grade 6 and they seemed ok with that.

I hung out at the school until the 6th graders came to get me for CAMPING TIME around 3pm. And here's how it went:

Me & Co-teacher (CT)
The Boys: Mark, Jeep, Alex, Boss
The Girls: Crystal, Brownie, Victoria, Star (she recently changed her name from Christmas)

3:00pm - Boss comes to me "Teacher! Camping time! Let's go!"
I head with Boss downstairs, and the kids are hard at work setting up the tents. They show me where mine is to go, and Jeep and Victoria set it up. It's a single tent, so about the size of me and not much bigger.

Jeep making my house!

The boys made their own house - no tent involved!

4:15pm-ish - Now that my "house" is set up, it's time to prepare for the nights SCARE TEST! WOOOO. I trek up the mountain with Star and Victoria, and we place home made flags near the top. At night, we will break into groups and each group will have to come (in the dark) to retreive a flag. 

5:00pm - BBQ Party! Brownie has been hard at work getting dinner set up. She has made rice, ribs, hotdogs, steaks, and pork steaks for the group. I stuff myself silly. The students have a contest to see who gets the last little bit of Chilsung Cider from the bottle. I really wanted to cider, but apparently I had to judge the contest. The contest was "who can say the nicest thing to April Teacher" Ok, I can totally dig that contest!I was told "You're beautiful" "You are strong" "You're eyes are pretty" "You're English is good" - hahaha, I hope my English is good! Brownie wins, I was biased after her banging BBQ skills.

Brownie's cooking at its finest - BBQ party!

6:00pm - I'M STILL NOT DIGESTED but it's time to play a riveting game of Kick the Bottle. We had no can, so we had to modify it. There was hiding, tagging, kicking, and LOTS of running going on. I pretty much waddle everywhere. I shouldn't have eaten so much.

7:00pm - ICE CREAM SURPRISE! The principal comes by with a few other teachers and they have brought us ice-cream. Luckily, it was coffee flavored to give me some energy for the rest of the games!

7:30pm - Back to Kick the Bottle. After a few more rounds, it's time for JUMP ROPE CONTEST! Since I'm not a student, I'm in charge of being one of the rope rope turners. Not that exciting....I REALLY wanted to introduce double dutch, but I didn't think it would go over too well. Or someone would get hurt - probably me.

8:00pm - Jump Rope was stopped by new people arriving to the campsite. Oh, it's my students' parents! With more food! MORE FOOD?!?!? Watermelon, Steaks, etc. I am in trouble with all this food. I introduced myself to the various family members (in Korean), and avoided the fire pit with the food as it also had Soju and Beer....and I still can't drink due to LASIK.

8:30pm - I've now been given multiple slices of Watermelon, and have eaten them all.  I introduce the students to an American tradition - the watermelon seed spitting contest! I rep the Red/White/Blue well and win. I hope spitting isn't offensive. The parents are busy with their alcohol so they probably don't notice either way.

9:00pm - MOVIE TIME! We escape from the parents and head to the library. We have to walk in the dark and they students are already scared. I'm not sure they will bode to well in the SCARE TEST later, but we make it to the library. The students put on Matilda, and LUCKILY it's in English. Boy, am I happy I don't have to watch all my movies through subtitles. I don't know how they put up with subtitles all the time.

11:00pm - Movie is over and I hope it's bedtime. I'm wrong, of course. We say goodbye to the parents and family members and relax by the fire pit for a few minutes to prepare for the SCARE TEST!

11:10pm - SCARE TEST TIME! We break into groups - Victoria is too scared to go (even though she was with us when we set up the flags) so my group is just me and Brownie. The first group is Mark, Alex, and Star. They head off.

Scare Test buddies - me and Brownie!

11:15pm -  Me and Brownie head off with a flashlight. We decide to scare the 1st group as they come back, so we hide in a side street when we see their flashlight. We successfully scare them, YAY! They head back to camp, and Brownie and I continue on to the flags. The hill is steep up to the flags, so I only go halfway up. I make Brownie go the rest of the way, because I'm the teacher and I can do what I want. She comes back down with the flag, and we head back to the campsite. Brownie decides we should pretend there were no flags when we got there. Well, I can't argue with a good idea!

Once we got back, we hid out flag, then told the other groups that the flags were gone. Since the 3rd (and final group) had already left, the 1st group got worried that something had taken the flags! JUST KIDDING! We ran and got our hidden flag, and they thought it was a good joke.

11:40pm-the 3rd group returned, and we all put out flags into the fire and Brownie got to work making late night ramen (they pronounce it Ramyen here) but I was still TOO full from dinner/ice cream to have more food.

12:30am - FINALLY BEDTIME! We all got into our tents and it was lights OUT. I was exhausted, so of course I fell right asleep!

The night day I woke up around 7am (thanks to the sun, and the students waking at that same time) and after a few minutes, I packed up and then got a ride home with Mark's mother.

6th Grade Camping Trip.

Camping with my students....not a bad Friday night. It will DEF be one of those memories I keep, being able to meet my students parents, and bonding with the class outside of school.

Ghamsamnidah,
Apes :)