Abundance Buzz: Chuseok

Chuseok is here! A time when Korean people celebrate their culture and family heritage. For us expat folk it means several things, for one we get time off from work and another an opportunity to experience this aspect of Korean culture. Today I will take you into Kbloggeres experience of Chuseok in the past. I for one had a memorable time when my ex took me to his family gathering in the mountainside.

1. Plate Full of Onions: For these folks the holiday meant gifts and dressing up. The pictures show how colorful this time of year can be with people wearing hanbok.

2. The Harrington Times: Chuseok means vacation to most of us and with that said you can go and do anything. Also this time of year has a lot of festivals, but people like to gather and go places. This blogger went on a hiking trip, which turned out pretty nice.

3. Wonju Wife: Although no longer in Wonju she does bring us a post from the past about a family experience of Chuseok. She visited her husband's Grandma's house in Cheong Sang a place apparently famous for apples. Take a look at the post for some great photos and a good story.

The air is getting cooler and there might be some rain this Chuseok, but whatever you do enjoy this special time in Korea.

Abundance Go's: Summer Destinations

If you are like me and a teacher here in Korea, than you are bound to have some time off during the summer. Either it be a week or a month you know you want to get away from your area and see someplace new. For some people going back home and relaxing in these comforts is their destination. For other's they seek out new places in Korea or go beyond the border. Today we will explore places other folks have been to during their summer vacation and see just how endless the possibilities are.

1. Coco Busan: In this ticklish title called, "Time Travel on Route 97: Jeju" you can tell you are in for a treat. Exploring new possibilities on your vacation is a great idea to enjoy your time off. When you are somewhere new it is often a good idea to take the advice of someone and go in a different direction. In her post you can see just a few wonders of her trip.

2. Xweing away in Korea: Sometimes for a few of us just hitting the beaches isn't enough. When you are traveling it also a good idea to get in some of the cultural sites to see. Here she took a trip to Gyeongju where you can definitely see some great historical artifacts.

3. Kiwi Wonju Blogger: He took a trip to Japan where he made a hike on Mt. Fuji. A part of his series while in Japan last year you can see some great photos and read even better stories.

4. The Harrington Times: Maybe getting out and exploring South Asia is one of the better options. Either you go in the winter to warm up or go in the summer to just enjoy the beaches. Here on their post they show some eats and highlights from their visit to Chiang Mai.

Wherever you are going on your summer vacation this year I wish you safe travels and a fun time.

Abundance Buzz: Back to Work

February signals, for mostly public school teachers, that it is back to work time. December and January are usually the time for camp and vacation. As March approaches, February is that in between month before the students graduate. Although there is usually not much to do at work since materials are finished, you find yourself with not much to do. If you are an elementary school teacher you will find that 6th grade is particularly unruly at this time of year. They are pre-teens and so already don't want to listen to adults, but knowing that they will move on to middle school means that grabbing their attention is especially difficult.

In this series,"Abundance Buzz" I am going to highlight how there is a notable buzz out there on the Kblogosphere. The first one in this series shows how several expats are going back to work from their cushy vacations and having to put their teacher brains back on.

The Buzz:

• I Am Saja's Mom: In this case, "Saja" is her cat. She is a veteran here in South Korea having had a few jobs already. This time around she found herself facing the "desk-warming-blues" from coming back to work. She countered this by digging into her treat drawer and watching downloads, in this post. Definitely having tasks to do during those slow times makes the job feel less alienating. However, eating snacks and watching shows is fun let's remember to throw some planning in there as well. ;)
• I'm No Picasso: I have been reading her blog for some time now, and enjoy her honest and very frank posts. In her recent post, "Back and Raring To Go" she talks about the woes of going back to work and returning to Korea after being abroad in an "English speaking country." Definitely check this post out for what it feels like to switch back to work and Korean life.

"...get yourself in a state fit to attend work on Monday morning and you start to feel the way you did sometimes in the first year, where you were a bit lonely and acutely aware of being in a foreign place. "

• Lola O in Seoul: Lola writes in a very descriptive and captivating way on her blog. The post, "Comes and Goes" really highlights the feeling of vacation ending and work beginning. When visiting family for vacation it can be hard to say goodbye all over again, and get back on the plane. As strong as we expats are there are times when homesickness can get the best of us. Lola encapsulates this in her post but also shows her strength, "This is my life right now, for the next year this is my life and I am going to embrace it. I'm going to enjoy it. I'm going to live it. As I got to the bus stop by my place my friend came to help me with my luggages." Check it out.
• Jungle Onion's Diary: Isn't that a cute name for a blog? She got back from her vacation, did a little work and then found herself with nothing do. Check it out all here on her post, "February!".

That wraps up this Abundance Buzz topic for today. February, for many also signals the last month at their school or their expat life. Since March is when the new semester starts many teachers will be finding themselves packing up, selling off their stuff and saying goodbye to their friends in Korea. It is also a time when newbies are going to start pouring in and having the whole experience from the start. I am constantly amazed by the thought that expats in Korea are constantly on this cycle of "in" and "out". Perhaps, come March I can find some newbie blogs and we can see what expat life looks like to fresh eyes.