Working Hollyday

한라산 - Halla Mountain The largest mountain in South Korea, Hall Mountain is a must visit for any travellers who come to Jeju Island! Where and what is Halla Mountain? Halla Mountain, or Hallasan, runs through the middle of Jeju Island. It was the volcano that built the island up from the ocean floors and is now the pride and joy of the island. Hallasan is both a focal point for it's beauty and a point of interest of Korean and foreign travellers alike.  Not only does Hallasan boast a number of different hiking trails with varying summits, but it also has a unique diaspora of flora and fauna. More importantly, it serves as a major source of fresh water for the island and its inhabitants. In fact, the popular Hallasan brand of soju (Korean rice alcohol) is named such because it is made using the fresh water from the mountain.  You can even see the highest crater peak (pictured two photos above) pictured on the bottle!  The Beauty of Halla...

The Changing of Seasons What's it like to live in Jeju Island, South Korea? When many people think about moving to a new place, they usually focus on a city within their home country that either has a lot of job opportunities, cheaper costs of living, or personal appeal. However, after I graduated university, I went with a bigger move: a change of countries. Though the US and South Korea are very different countries, I have found a very happy life here in Jeju. ^_^ First and foremost, Jeju has a very strong and prominent vibe. It's a very laid-back place, though it is filled with hardworking people. The people here love their island and want others to love it too. They want visitors to appreciate it's natural beauty, it's agricultural efforts, and it's welcoming natives. It does not take long to fall in love with Jeju. The island itself is absolutely gorgeous, with beautiful sites everywhere you go. Just walking along the beach, you ...

In the Mud and the Spotlight http://jeju.kbs.co.kr/tv/seethejeju/totalview/vod/ One thing that I love about working with GJC is that we are always doing lots of fun filming projects with local and national TV stations. I've been on Korean television about a dozen times by now, but it's always a fun and exciting new experience every time. Why do they film us? One of the special things about GJC is that we are all from different places. Many of our members are from Daegu, but we also have members from Seoul, Jeonju, and even the United States. More importantly, all of us have come together in Jeju to help the local people.  We are getting involved in the community because we want to help the people here: to make their lives better while we gain our own unique experiences and find our own personal happiness. This is something we each chose to do simply because it spoke to us.  Because it gave us a purpose while giving us the freedom to do what we wa...

Why I Prefer the Farm to the Office As an ambassador serving on two different advisory committees for Jeju Island - Foreign Affairs and Youth Policy - I have a fair amount of "office work" that I need to do. However, I much prefer going outside and helping the local farmers.  Why is that? Well, for starters, it just nice to go out and enjoy the Jeju weather. It's a beautiful island with gorgeous sights all around, so just going outside if fantastic. Working outside is also good for your mental and physical health. Be sure to get out as much as you can! But more importantly than just pretty scenery and fresh air Being a young farmer in Jeju gives me something to be proud of . At the end of the day, I can SEE what I got done. I can be proud of what I accomplished in just a matter of hours. I can KNOW that I helped someone and see the smile on their face afterwards. It is so unbelievably rewarding to see how happy the farmers ...