51 Things to do on Geoje Island

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY AMERICA!!! 

I have decorated my room in red, white and blue, stars and strips and patriotic quotes for this week - I also made a powerpoint of how USA celebrates our "Independence Day" for the students to see and compare to their August 15 "freedom day". So I may be 20 hours away, but I remember where I come from! But on that note, I am 20 hours away, in a 'new' country', only a month away from our 1 year anniversary and I thought I could make a list of 'Things to do..."

This is a list that I have put together to help new comers or visitors of Geoje island to know what to do. I am sure I have missed some things and most are in no particular order, I'm sure I will continue to add as we keep going along, but I want people to know that Geoje isn't just "country" compared to Busan or Seoul. Living on this island has given me so much more awareness of Korea's beauty and really their 'traditional' culture. 

Scott and I have done MOST of what is on this list (which is in this fine purple color) - a few we missed the season or because of our work we weren't able to attend but we have been told about it's awesomeness.  So all of it has been tested and approved (colored green for we need to still GO)!! 

51 RAD THINGS TO DO ON GEOJE ISLAND:

1. Join the Geoje Teacher Group (GTG) and Flea Market on Facebook. - Ask questions, find out events and get some second hand stuff from people leaving! 
2. BUY A SCOOTER!! - Best decision we have made since coming to Korea. 
3. Eat at a Korean BBQ. 
4. Become a regular at Mr. Park's 'Bar'/Storage container
5. Oedo Island Botanical Gardens (blog post about this on my FIRST blog page)
6. BEACH TIME!! Our favorite is Gujora Beach, also popular is Wayeon Beach (little more crowded).
7. Hike one of, or all of, ~15 mountains surrounding the island. 
8. Visit the Goeje P.O.W. Camp - get a feel of the history of the place.
9. Windy Hill 
10. Hakdong Pebble Beach
11. Visit Okpo (large foreigner population)
12. Take a stroll down the Gohyeon Open Fish Market.... Smells are part of the experience!
13. Actually get out of the city areas and see rural Geoje/Korea. You will appreciate life a little more.
14. Go to Busan via the 'under the 'underwater highway' - second deepest immersed tunnel in the world. 
15. Pearl Museum - Tongyeong (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/04/144_8052.html)
16. Bamboo Forest
17. Mundong Falls - BEAUTIFUL during the fall with all the colors! 
18. Azaleas on Mt. Daegeumsan (I have heard it is most beautiful during the spring when the azaleas are in bloom) 
19. Attend one, or all, of the flower festivals -- Geoje Flower Festival (fall) and Cosmo Flower Festival (summer). 
20. Cruise the coast of Geoje - find a new beach you like or find your next camping spot! PICNIC!! 
21. Okpo Party Night. 
22. Volunteer - there are a couple orphanages on the island and some rural schools that are always looking for English volunteers. 
23. FOREIGN FOOD!! Okpo has Korea-Mex and a few Indian restaurants and Gohyeon has a great Indian food place called 'Delhi' - YUM!!
24. Join in on a Pub Quiz which are hosted by the foreign teachers at the German Bar in Gohyeon. 
25. Rescue an animal****
26. Filipino Bars - if you aren't into 'THAT' -- I just strike up a conversation with the girls and have found out some really interesting/messed up thing about how these girls wind up working in Korea. 
27. Eat oven chicken... Even better when they put cheese on top!! 
28. MART DRINK!! Totally legal in Korea to just have a beer in public, thus drinking outside of a mart is a cheap, fun, easy way to get to know people!
29. Get involved in the foreigner community - it is really nice to have people who speak English in your corner who have maybe been in your shoes and has great advice. 
30. Visit one, or all, of the smaller islands off Geoje via ferry.
31. Eat the street food outside of the bars - try bundegi 
32. Have a Korean friend - they are also VERY helpful to have and all around can change your perception of 'Korean' people. 
33. Collect shells/leaves/rocks/jewelry... ANYTHING to remember places by. -- I collect shells from our beaches (because they have been my favorite part, thus far.)
34. Tour Samsung or Daewoo -- you might have to 'sneak' in - BUT well worth it to see what has really made Geoje. 
35. Sports are offered all around the island - baseball, football, soccer, dance, hot yoga, golf (expensive) try something out if that is what suits you. 
36.  Banana boat/ Fly Fishing raft rides at Gujora Beach 
37. Eat the 'delicious' fresh sea food that is rather popular and well known of Geoje. I sampled the FRESH live, cut in front of your face, octopus. 
38. Take the cable car up the mountain in Tongyeong.
39. Learn Korean at Mom & Pop's in Okpo for free. - The times conflict with our work schedule :(
40. CAMP! - Geoje has a recreational forest that you can rent huts or you can bring your own tent and camp where ever (it is a big thing to camp on the beaches here). 
41. Nolaebang -- Korean karaoke rooms -- Koreans LOVE to get their sing on. 
42. Jimjilbang -- Korean public bath houses 
43. Learn your place in the culture of Geoje/Korea. Respect their culture, but also don't turn your back on your own culture/views. 
44. Leave the island - you will begin to go crazy in Geoje - after you have done all this, of course - so don't feel bad for leaving and seeing Korea. That's what you are here for, DO IT! 
45. Put on your rain boots and play in the rain during monsoon season!! (I'm literally listening to the rain beat down on my hagwon's roof, right now... and I want to be playing in it!)
46. Have a (some) crazy 7am all night drinking binder(s) with your friends or some random Korean friend(s) that you made that night. The bars don't have closing time so do it AT LEAST once! 
47. Get lost. 
48. Eat at Korean style BBQ ribs at Michael Jackson's in Gohyeon - they give you a white glove and a clear plastic glove to eat the ribs with. 
49. Celebrate a Korean holiday (Chuseok) with a Korean family.
50. Go to a Busan Lotte Giants Baseball game! Korean's love their baseball! 
51. Do WHAT ever  YOU need to DO to FALL in LOVE with GEOJE!! 

*****When you rescue a pet be sure to use your common sense. Korea is FULL of homeless animals, you CAN'T save them all, all the time. Important details to think about: Is it healthy? Does it have a 'family'? Are you uprooting this animal and it will go into distress when you move it? Is it old enough to be away from it's mother? Do YOU or someone you know have a lasting home for this pet? <-- The last is the best advice, Scott and I really wanted to adopted a cat and we have found MANY - rescued one solo baby kitten (no mother) and placed it in a permanent home and then we just bought cat food to give to our other kittens (with a mom) that we found because we are not staying and that cat/animal would not have a lifelong home with us in Korea.