Behind my block where I live is a large through road like a highway. I never bothered to go there as its just a traffic bypass with no retail stores or anything to do. Turns out there are four bus routes I never knew about that terminate here. One can get me downtown maybe 5-10 mins quicker than my regular route, one will goto Seobu bus terminal and Mount Apsen, and one will goto DongDaegu intercity bus and train terminal via Exco where the Costco store is, one goes to the airport.

Also a few blocks down this street is a large traditional style temple. I was also told there is a 'friday market' that is open till 10pm. So I checked it out and it was a long street market stretching quite a distance. Aside from the usual clothing you would see in a street market, (and not lets forget korean socks!), they also had a variety of food vendors and baked goods vendors.

video : Friday Street Market
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmgwZzNs e38

There was some things I hadnt usually seen such as fried chicken and things that look like donuts but were filled with bean paste and covered with sesame seeds. There were also fish vendors and the fruit vendors seemed to be on average $1 cheaper than the fruit stalls I goto in Gwaneum Market by my house. This was a surprising 'asian style bazaar' I had no idea existed right behind my house. I'll try going there friday nights when i'm bored.

The lady in the baked goods stall is my friend now. She knows I dont speak korean and have been coming every friday now. She can say numbers in english to tell me how many I get and for how much. The also have tempura foods here. Chopped vegetables strips fried together in a clumb, sliced sweet potatoe, squid, and another kind of mixed vegetables and puree fish batter. They also had what looked like pancakes but has been sprouts and other things mixed in. I can get a bag of stuff from each vendor (baked goods, tempura vegs, pancakes) for $2 each and thats my meal for friday nite and lasts me into the weekend too.

If I had a bike I would have known about a lot of these places exploring the neighbourhood. I dont have anywhere in my apartment to store it, other than the stairwell but there are already three kids bikes there. I tried looking for a used bike store this weekend. There are three bikes stores in my area, all selling new bikes starting at $150. Dont want to spend the money if I have to dump my bike when I leave korea, or have a new bike get stolen.

The new school year has started in march, many teachers moved to other schools as their four year contracts were up, the third graders have moved onto high school, and we have new first graders moved up from elementary school. There are three new male english teachers and more male teachers in general to help the female imbalance in the school. They're all very dressed up so I have to start dressing up too.

One new teacher that sits next to me actually lives a few blocks from me and is the one who told me about the friday market. Of the three english teachers that left I had no idea. One said she 'quit wednesdays' which I thought meant she had wednesdays off. One kept saying 'next year' so I thought he meant 2012 not realizing he meant the next school year. One I had no idea till she did her farewell bow on the last day so I had to rush over to wish her well.

My timetable has changed for this term. Last term I did grades 1 and 2 (lower, intermediate, and advanced levels) and grade 3 only advanced level. I was looking forward to getting rid of the bad kids in 2-intermediate as I only did 3-advanced last term. This term they changed it so I do all three grades and all three levels so I still have them in grade 3. Grade 1 I see every week. Grades 2 & 3 I do every alternate week. This way I still have 21 classes per week without going over.

WEDNESDAYS I HAVE NO CLASSES AFTER 11AM!!
Two lessons in the morning then free time for the rest of the day
I still have to stay in school till 4.20 but can catch up on lesson planning, sleep, or surfing!
Fridays I still have my after school class till 5.20 (which hasnt started yet), and wednesdays I have my after school teachers class.

First they give me a new timetable for the term. Then they start switching classes already on week one. Then teachers decide not to bring their classes down without telling me so i'm sitting in an empty room. What is the point of having a timetable? They just hired 1000 new foreign language teachers across Korea and a bunch have wound up in daegu and close to me. What recession?

I have a better pairing of co-teacher to crazy class. One class is before lunch so I can threaten them that I'll keep them in for lunch. They dont do detentions here so this is something radical and really puts the fear into them. A kid yelled darth vader was iron mans father during a game!

Class sizes are more manageable. I only have two classes over 30 students. The bad kids are divided up into smaller classes instead of having a big group in a large class that became out of control. I've managed to make friends with some of the bad kids. One time three of them saw me carrying a pizza box home so I had to give them a slice each, now I am their favourite teacher!

On the weekend tried one of the new bus routes to goto Exco. This is the warehouse distribution centre divided into different complexes, and a large exhibition conference centre called Exco. The first complex was an auto parts mall. Next was the Textile Building, 3 stories, which had blankets, korean traditional clothes, kitchenware, ceramics, and household furniture.

Behind it was the AllBran centre (missing the D) which is brand name clothing outlet, again 3 stories, and some more furniture above. After that was the main Exco Exhibition Hall and adjoining Hotel. There were no events at this time so they used the hall as an indoor market for sportswear and mens suits. Further down another 15 min walk is Costco had I been bothered to walk, but I didnt need anything and already brought all my cheddar cheese from canada!

Coming back on the other side was the electronics hall. Finally, this is what I had been looking for since I came to Korea. This was again 3 stories, selling every kind of electronic device and househould appliance. Everything from laptops, cameras, mp3s, gps systems, flatscreen tvs, home theatres, fridges, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, toasters, rice makers, and so on.

Each of these buildings is the size of a walmart store so imagine a 3 storey electronics store like this. Its not one store but many vendors inside. Each vendor has an assigned area and its numbered in a row and letter format to find their pitch. There were even foreigners shopping in the electronics complex.

Weather is in the high teens so starting my weekend travelling again. This weekend am off to the Andong Folk Village and Mask Dance Museum, after that my Presidential Palace Visit.