8.0

The other day it started snowing for the first proper time here in Gurae. But the snow only reached half way down the mountains, the temperature was too warm on the ground and it started melting. Well this is what it looked like on the way to and at school.

Then yesterday (being Saturday), I decided I’d go to Yeongwol and explore it. I started out my apartment door and looked outside the landing window, as I usually do, I saw that it was raining, only ever so slightly. So up I went back to my apartment and grabbed my umbrella before making my way to the bus terminal. Walking up the slight incline I noticed that the mountain peaks were more blurred than usual for this amount of rain. That’s when I realized that it was still snowing up there and then turning to rain down here.. that didn’t last long though. Before I knew it the snow was making its way down to ground level and some flakes as big as a ten cent piece! Not only that but the wind had picked up too, sometimes it would blow fiercely sending snow right through my jeans (not being covered by the umbrella), and yet at other times it would blow soft and delicately until the snow drifted up under my umbrella.

I decided to revel in it for a while, since it is still such a novelty for me. I stood there in full force of the wind with the snow blowing directly at me. It was bloody freezing. When it would make contact with exposed flesh (in this case my face), it would instantly melt turn into an icy droplet. But where it didn’t make contact with skin it would just stay there in all its glory. The frosty wind forced me to close my eyes, and in that the snow would come to rest, unmelting, on my beard and lashes. This was one of the strangest feelings I’ve ever experienced! It took me the whole bus trip to Yeongwol to figure out why and how it felt so strange. The snow on my lashes felt a little like that feeling you get just before you sneeze, coupled with having butterflies in your stomach, the buzz of 10 energy drinks; all the while a cool chill running down your spine. I think that’s the closest I can describe it to.

Anyway, so I went to Yeongwol and met with a guy named Greg, an ex-lawyer from Sydney. We had a coffee at the warm coffee shop there and then he showed me around the city. It’s a lot smaller than Hongcheon, but still had the essentials! Then we split up and I did some shopping before catching the bus back home. The weather yesterday was all over the place, a mixture of rain, snow, heavy snow, and throughout the sun would come out and then the clouds come back and then a bright blue sky would appear! I went and sat by the river during one of the sunny periods for a while and then got on the bus.

Then today (Sunday) I was going to go and check out another town close to here called Taebaek (the Beef capital of Korea). Then I watched a movie and lost motivation to go out in the cold.. and decided to test the limits of my new oven. I cooked a traditional Sunday Roast from scratch and it didn’t let me down! The oven has a rotisserie inside which you skewer the chicken on and let it spin. I was unsure about how long to cook it, but after two hours the drumstick fell off onto the tray on its own accord.. it was perfectly succulent. It made a bit of a mess, but here’s the finished product!

I think I'll need to invest in some oven cleaner..

mmm Lunch!

I roasted the whole chook, potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic (for gravy), carrots, sweet potato, and onions.

Leftovers:

It rocked! I put a little bowl of water in the oven while it was cooking and it kept the chicken moist and didn't dry out. Also I coated the vege's with Olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley dressing.. they came out suprisingly sweet!

Ok thats all for November! I think the English teacher crew in Yeongwol might be having a Christmas do on the 25th, I can't wait!! :-D