Farm Cove Intermediate Trip to Korea September 2013

Tuesday, 10 September 2013

Day 3 - 9 September

Everything here is go go go. We have played hard at Lotte World, walked for miles and mastered the subway to get to Seoul Tower. Several of the students have placed their keys and locks up and have now got a piece of themselves here. Last nights dinner was traditional Korean Barbie and then explored the night markets. Children and teachers were happy to crawl into bed but when asked the students said they wouldn't cut anything out. Check out the photos below.

A motion master style ride where you shoot at targets on the screen while your horse moves around. Very fun!

One of the many rollercoasters at Lotte World

The 'Drunken Basket'....the Lotte world equivalent of the tea cups from Disney Land

Korean High School Musical. Yay for K-Pop!

Lining up for the rides

PSY - but as a dog?

All the kids at the entrance to Lotte World

All the kids at the Pumpkins, aka the Meeting spot

Danisha and Ana

Lotte World

Krill, William, Ana and Nicholas getting ready for the Log Flume

The hot air ballons. They circled the very top of the building; lovely view

A few nervous studnets

Krill, William and Jacob

View of the inside of Lotte World

Austin and Michael were enjoying themselves

Meeting some Korean Students at Lotte World. They weren't part of our sister school

Students at the cold steam at the very top of Seoul Tower

Mr Hurn and Mrs Ellery putting on a Love Lock for each other

...oh wait that lock was for FCI....darn

Danisha putting on a lock

Hinotea putting on a lock

Some more posing next to the PSY dog

View from the cable car at Seoul Tower

And another one

Korean BBQ

Kevin, one of our groups guides helping us get around the maze named the Seoul Subway System

Shop Shop at the night markets

More shop shop

A cat creature at the night markets.

Did Debbie lose the iPad here?

Jono at the markets

Sunday, 8 September 2013

Interesting quotes

Sagar

'I have already spoken to everyone in Korea, so I can keep reading'

'Mrs Harvie, can you please take a photo of me and say "Sagar is not able to handle the spicy food, not really, I am lying, but do it anyway."

At customs...'I'm glad I remembered that word kamsihamnida, because I think it really helped'

To Mrs Harvie, ' I have videoed you dancing Gangnam Style, and I have enlarged you for the Internet.'

'It's Ok Mrs Harvie because we have our Lanyards with the NZ Embassy in it.'

'Mr Hurn, I made it all the way up the mountain and I didn't, complain once.'

Michael

Subway - 'Do we travel under the ground all the time'

'Mrs Ellery, I can't find my hat' 'Michael look on your head.'

'I went to a sleep over at Austin's home stay and I didn't know that I was going. I have no lunch , no drink, no money, yesterday's clothes but it's alright I have finger brushed my teeth.'

Jacob

'Everyone here has a Samsung. There life is complete.'

'Get your head out of the IPod and let's go.'

'Food and Bio, Koan style.'

'The button doesn't work' 'That's Ok I just like pushing buttons.'

Jayden

'Should've worn socks.'

Mr Hurn

'The flappy red things keep coming down on Mrs Ellery.'

Korean Principal sent message through ex visiting students to tell Mrs Harvie

'Principal Linda Harvie is cool.'

Nilo

'I don't have my ticket, do I need it to get in.'

Nicholas

' I don't have mine either'

Shervonne

' Pick your destiny knife, fork or spoon.'

Mrs Harvie

'Not Beatles Mania but Michael Mania.'

Mrs Ellery

'Can anyone find the ukulele tuner? It looks something like this. No wait, this is it.'

8th September -exploring the markets

This was a real adventure for our groups....and us! The green hats are proving invaluable.

Here are some quotes from the children:

'So many people - same population as the north island.'

'Really noticed the different sounds and smells.'

'The water was so cheap.'

The caps at the market were so cool. So were the t-shirts and sunglasses.'

'Bargaining was different. You could buy two for less than one.'

All students came away with something from the markets for their families or themselves. We had an awesome time there and got back on the subway and headed to GANGNAM! Everybody got on the stage and did the Gangnam style dance - well at least attempted to anyway. After that we went to A buffet dinner at a very flash restaurant. The children loved the fact that they could choose anything that they wanted to eat, and many of them tried some new things.

The entrance to the subway in downtown Seoul

A birthday cake for Rachel

...and some Confetti on her head

Everyone was very eager for the buffet dinner!

Still eating at the buffet

Cutting some shapes on the Gangnam style stage, in Gangnam

Look at the weird feet in the shoes at the Mondemon Markets

Woah look at that handsome teacher in the back!

Everyone showing their buys from the markets. Spoiler alert for parents expecting some prezzies

Having a well earned ice-cream on a hot day

Tuesday 8 September - First day exploring Seoul

You will find the photos from the King,s Palace in yesterday's blog still learning this new form of technology but here are some of the things the students had to say about it

'The weapons at the palace of the changing of the guard - bows and arrows were cool.'

'The pointed patterns on the roof of the palace were interesting. They were originally put there to deter the reptiles.

'The cicada noise was deafening'

'The Palace grounds were really huge'

'There was really uneven paving bit it was suppose to make it hard for any invading army tho help keep the royal family safe'

We travelled everywhere today using the subway and the most classic quote comes from Michael

'Are we going to travel underground the whole time?'

Some boys acting tough on the subway

On the subway

Getting ready to board

Still waiting

On the subway

Saturday, 7 September 2013

First day of Korea 2013

Here are some photos from yesterday. We had a very good trip and all traveled well. Last night we had dinner at a steakhouse which is part of our hotel building. We have just had breakfast and everyone is looking rested. Off to the palace, market and dinner at a lovely restaurant in Gangnam. We hope to find a stage to dance on!