ELIZA!!!!!!

Caroline: Did I mention that we had a Typhoon?  Yeah...we did.  And it just happened to be the same day that Eliza (my friend from the States) was flying in to visit me.  I had been nervously tracking her flight, and bugging my co-workers all the time with my questions about the weather.  And, there I sat at the airport 1.5hrs early staring at the arrivals board and worrying my little head off.

As it turns out, every flight on the board was either cancelled or delayed, EXCEPT for ELIZAAA'SSSSS!  :-)  Now that is a God thing.

Eliza: OMG I was so excited to visit Caroline!! but I was also very nervous at the same time.  This was my first time flying outside of the United States.  My airport experience has been traveling with a friend to Maine and with a group to New Mexico.  Now, I was traveling to South Korea all by myself!!!  I would never imagine a year ago that I would be doing this!!  Everything went well for the most part.  I got really worried when I was waiting in Tokyo for my flight to Busan because I was told that it may be cancelled or may have to land at another airport.  That darn Typhoon!! Like Caroline said, my flight came without any real trouble (we had to wait about 10 minutes to land).  I was pretty lucky!!

Caroline: I waited at the arrivals gate for those extra 10mins...still worried.  But Eliza came through the doors and I gave her many many hugs.  Then I, just maybe, maybe, had a teeny tear...that came in multiples....maybe.

Eliza: Yeah, she cried...it was intense.

Caroline: ANYWAY, we got safely back to the apartment.  I prepped lunch for school the next day and we hit the sack.

At school, Eliza is quite popular.  I think I have only taught half of a class since she's been here (minus my Business English Class every morning.)  Manly the kids love having "Free Talk English" with her, which means Q&A.  But it's good practice for them to be vocal in English.  And Eliza is a good sport about it all.  :-)

Eliza: I am so happy that I did have any jet lag! I went to Caroline's classes thinking and planning to sit in the back.  Yeah, didn't happen.  All the girls wanted to talk with me.  It was fun though, I really enjoyed it.  I was getting a big head due to the fact that they all were talking about how beautiful I was.  It feels nice to feel pretty lol.  Everyone here is really nice from the students (though many are shy) to Caroline's co-teachers.  Everyone has been very welcoming!

Caroline: After school yesterday, my best co-worker Kim took Eliza and I to YongKung Temple (the dragon temple by the sea) and out for a traditional Korean meal.  It was so nice.

Yongkung Temple

Eliza: Kim is great!  I have never been to a Buddhist Temple before and it was beautiful!  It is so hard to describe the intricate details of the temple by the East Sea (known as the Sea of Japan).  I loved the traditional dinner even though one of Caroline's co-teachers laughed at me because of the way I used my chopsticks.  I need more practice but I had so many new foods like Kimchi (fermented cabbage), Pacheon (seafood and green onion pancake), Bibimbap (mixed veggies and rice), Patbingsu (shaved ice with redbeans, fruit, and condensed milk), and many more!  I love eating new foods! :)

Caroline: The plan for tonight is to go to Nampo-Dong (our international shopping area) to look around and get some gifts for the folks back home.  Also, dinner at the famous fish market, and some much needed time at the spa.  Lastly, we want to pop by Busan Tower (because it's famous...well in Busan it's famous.)  :-P

Anyway...you will hear from us soon...with photos and smiles.  :-)