Oh dae han min guk!

One of the busiest weekends since we arrived in Pohang has just passed. So first of all, it was the start of the South African World Cup and on Friday night was the opening match between South Africa and Mexico. Our South African friends, Kate and Adalet had come to Pohang for the weekend as well as American Matt so on Friday night we went out to Tilt for drinks and football. But a late, drunker night was not on the cards for us as we had to get up early and teach at Garry’s school camp at 8.30am the next day.

South African ladies.

South Africa and Korea collide.

Watching the match in UV glory.

So, rather than having a summer camp at Garry’s school they had decided on a weekend nglish Camp for 2 days from 9am til 2pm. And stupidly I volunteered my services for this (for a small price…). There was also another English teacher, Vinnie, who came to help out so we each had a class of 20-ish middle school boys to teach for 2 days. And it was all a little bit disorganized and haphazard but we got through it! It was really weird for me teaching Middle School as I was so used to Elementary students but it was really nice being able to talk much more freely and have them understand, not nearly so much miming and enthusiasm was needed to keep their interest.

Garry’s co-teacher took us out for a delicious lunch on Saturday aftersoon to a duck restaurant in Jansangdong which serves marinated duck strips with onions, potatoes, and other veggies which you wrap up in lettuce leaves like sam gyup sal. And after you have eaten all the meat, you fry some rice up in the tasty oil and munch that. So good! One of my new favourite foods in Korea.

In the evening it was the first South Korea match against Greece and Garry’s PE teachers had invited us to their home to watch it with them. Now Koreans go crazy supporting any Korean who is good at anything (Kim Yuna, Park Ji Seung, the golfer lady) and for the World Cup it was not excption! A massive TV screen was set up on the beach and everywhere you went you heard this song...(which even features Kim Yuna, the ice skater, which is just so exciting for Koreans)....

One of the teachers had bought us South Korea t-shirts which was so sweet and kind so we donned these (despite it being SO hot) and headed out in to the heat. First we ha to meet our friends for dinner as it was also Matt’s birthday weekend (did I mention it was a busy weekend) so Dinomeat it was. Dinomeat is a grill BBQ style Koreas restaurant where you can eat as much as you want for W13,000 (about 7 pounds) and there is a huge selection of meat, including sam gyup sal, marinated beef, sausages and much more. You cook it all on a grill and then wrap it up in lettuce leaves. Yum yum!

Dinomeat glory.

World Cup Hite.

The birthday weekend boy surrounded by meat - he is as happy as a pig in shit!

We all look so supremely happy!

Reds Go Together apparently.

About 7pm we met Kimm Yong Wan and his wife (PE teacher No. 1) and they took us to PE teacher No. 2’s house. It was a really great night and lots of fun watching the Korea match with Koreans! They had made lots of food and of course, fried chicken was delivered half way through. They had even bought a mini keg of Heineken beer which was really good – but they had no idea how to pour a proper pint! PE Teacher No.2’s son was also there and he is undeniably one of the cutest Korean kids I have seen yet. We took him a present of a little Thomas the Tank Engine with English letter bricks and he loved it. He also loved posing for photos and was just cute. He did not like however, when the football started and he got no attention. By the end of the match it was too much for him and he had a tantrum, shouting and screaming(in Korean) “Daddy, not watch telly! Daddy, not watch telly!”. Bless. But South Korea won 2-0! Oh dae han min guk!

The feast laid on for us at PE Teacher No.2's house.

Kim Yong Wan a.k.a PE Teacher No.1's wife.

PE Teacher No.2 and his wife.

Heineken keg!

Cutest one yet with the little Thomas train.

Pose No.1

Pose No.2 = wink

No idea why Garry is sad but he is.

Pose No.3

In the morning we had another early start for camp and afterwards met Corey, Paul, Matt, Kate and Adalet for Matt’s birthday lunch and cake!

He is SOOOOOOOOOOOO happy. Best birthday face ever.

Kate really wanted to eat the head off the dragon.

A great weekend but so tired by the end of it. It was like a weekend back home, where are is just too much to fit in and too many people to see!

Night night and happy birthday Matt Brown – you are a legend.