icecream & kimbap

I found the most amazing restaurant for all my 'take-out' needs.  It is a very small, mom and pop restaurant that is just around the corner from my apartment.  In fact, I have been walking past it on almost a daily basis and have never really noticed it before.  A lot of restaurants and stores around here are ran out of the front or lower-level of a family apartment.  They are very make-shift and often non-descript.  A lot of times you can't tell whether they are even open or not.   Anyway, I can get dinner here for just over $1 USD.   And it is super fresh, delicious and put together right in front of you.  Literally, right in front of you, because the kitchen and the dining area, are one and the same.   I love kimbap and this place makes the most amazing kimbap (it is basically a california roll, but has seaweed in it, ham , carmelized plant root, spinach, egg and a few other things that I can't identify.  In fact I am not even sure if it is spinach and egg:)). 

I have been going to this little restaurant every day for a week straight.  I love the people who work there too.  The other day i walked in and the son and mom were at one of the tables and the son was eating something out of a small plastic bag.  They exchanged a few words and then she takes the bag of food from him and literally takes the chopsticks right out of his hands and gives it to me to eat.  :)   The son I found out is 27 years old---I thought he was more like 17 though.  He tells me this is food for little kids, but he likes it because he is kind of a kid at heart (that is what I took from what he was trying to express).  So while they made my kimbap, I sat and ate her sons little kid snacks.  I love Korea.  It is such a sharing society.  One thing I have quickly learned is that if someone is offering to share their food, no matter how much you don't want it...or how it might seem strange to eat off of a strangers chopsticks--just do it and smile and say thank you.    It is just good manners here. 

They get so excited every time I come in there and it makes you feel pretty special in a land that is so foriegn.  It actually makes you feel like you have a place here and that you belong. I have only been going there for a week and it already seems like I have been going there for months.  I love how quickly people here welcome you and how quickly you are no longer a stranger.   Each time they ask me more and more personal questions.  Tonight when I went in it was "how old are you?" which is really important in Korean society so they know what their place is with you.  It also matters on who bows first and who bows the lowest and what the possible nature of the friendship might have the potential to be.  

The other day I went to home plus and ran into a few of my 6th grade girls.  They were besides themselves with excitement and instantly wanted to know where I was going.  I told them Homeplus (the wal-mart of korea) and then happily informed me that they would come with me.  They said, "christine teacher, we help you shop" and they proceeded to hook one of their arms in each one of mine and 3-people wide we proceeded to shop.  Afterwards they were hinting that "they were thirsty" (probably grateful we just did the "I'm hungry/thirsy lesson in class).   I told them I would treat them to a soda.  We get to the counter of a McDonalds type place inside of Home plus and naturally they see the icecream on the list and now they are no longer "thirsty" but very, undyingly hungry.  The kind of hunger that only icecream can heal. :)   So I bought them icecream and told them it was a secret.

Today, about 6 days after the fact, one of the girls comes up to me and says, "christine teacher, you remember?  min-ju and me?  we were at home plus".  I guess they were worried that I somehow forgot it.  It was kind of cute.  I was getting "knowing" looks from them in class earlier this week and I didn't react to it or acknowledge their knowing look, I guess they thought I didn't know who they were.  :)  

At lunch today, I was eating this meal in which you put a large leaf on your palm, put rice, a hot sauce, meat and whatever else is available to go into it.  It's delicious.  Actually, amazing might more adequately describe it.  I LOVE IT.  I think it is called Sam.    Anyway I was loading up the hot sauce on mine and a woman at the table seem really freaked out, and it caused her to get up from her spot about 5 seats over and come over to scold me, mostly in Korean.  I felt very foolish, as I knew I did something wrong, but I didn't know what it was, and everyone else, being fluent in Korean knew what I did wrong.  Anyway, through "Konglish" and gestures I figured out that the salt content of this sauce was out-of-control high.  She is the school nurse, so I will take her word for it.  I have noticed that I am drinking tons of water, but seem to have an unquenchable thirst and my lips are cracking lately and feel raw.   I love the sauces here, and apparently I have been eating enough salt, unknowingly, that could kill small animals.  Oddly, I am relieved to know why my thirst is out of control and my lips are about ready to fall off of my face.  Sneaky Korean, delicious, hot sauces!

This next week is the last week of the semester.  I honestly have no idea where the time has gone.  So happy to have survived!  Not only survived, but also loving it more and more all the time.  Even at my "bad school" I am starting to fall in love with a few of my classes and several of my students.  We have taken a long time to warm up to each other, but we have finally found our rhythm.  After our regular classes let out we will move into "summer camp" classes.  I will be teaching 3 differen summer camps at 3 different schools.  Fortunately these classes are pretty unstructured and they are supposed to be fun for the students.  So I will be teaching all about Halloween and doing facepainting, teaching Xmas songs, creating Super Hero movies and all sorts of other fun things.  Kind of looking forward to it.

At my main schools I have realized what I have been doing wrong as a teacher---which was "forcing" learning to happen.  I found myself really frustrated because the louder I talked and the more serious I became the less the students were interested in me and the less they respected me.  Over time, I have learned to take a step back and not "force" anything they aren't willing to learn.  The other big learning experience was, and don't be shocked here, they don't speak English.  So I was walking in, assuming that they knew a lot more than they did, talking to them like they understood what I was saying, which probably freaked them out and frustrated them.  I had to do a lot of, "putting myself in their shoes" and started using my daily interactions with everyone as a learning experience.  By that, I mean that each person I encounter, I can't understand what they heck they are saying if they are just talking to me, like I speak the same language.  But, when they break it down for me and use only 2 or 3 key words with lots of facial expressions and gestures, I can figure out 90% of what they are trying to communicate.  I know it seems like common sense, and it probably is, but I'm still learning a little something new every day.  I think after this year is over, I will be a lot more prepared to teach children if I decide to go down this path.  I will say that I am amazed at how many "conversations" I can have with people speaking 2 completely different languages.  Makes me realize how much more langague and learning is really about body language, facial expressions and intonations. 

here, try on this hot pink number with sequins

Random acts of simple kindness define this country on a frequent basis.  It's nothing extraordinary, it's just a bunch of small gestures that have the ability to make your day a smidge brighter.  I was at a bus stop on one side of the road the other day, and an old farmer at the bus stop on the other side of the road comes running over to me with a handful of candy and gestures for me to take one.  Another example is that I was walking across the soccer field at one of my schools and a student (maybe 2 or 3rd grade) that was not my student comes running up to me with a tupper ware full of candy and gives me one.  Today I was in the office and my vice principal comes over to me w/ a half eaten banana, and is trying to get me to eat the rest.  Other kindnesses are when I am on a bus with my arms full of groceries people will get out of their seats for me or times I will be standing with my over sized book bag, and someone who is sitting will take it off my shoulder and hold it in their lap for the duration of the bus ride.  I know I complain some about all the pushing, crowding and bumping, but that is truly a small price to pay for the general courtesies and random acts of kindnesses.

Shopping here can be an odd experience.  The clerks here are incredibly helpful. Actually beyond helpful.  They often stand about 1 to 2 feet from you and follow you around the entire store.  It can be a little unsettling.  I hate to make a blanket statement about Korean sales clerks, but so far I have not been proven otherwise, so here goes:  They have the WORST taste in clothing, or else, they think I have the worst taste in clothing, as the case may be.  The entire interaction is bizarrely backwards.  Here is an example:  Me, minding my own business, trying to ignore the person following me around, picking up a few shirts I like and examining them.  I have pretty basic taste in clothing, generally conservative neutrals, however, the clerk will disappear and come back with something completely hideous and flashy.  What's worse is that it is never anywhere NEAR the ballpark of what I was originally looking at.  So I can never figure out how they made the leap from what I was looking at to what they show me.  I have a fresh example from earlier this evening.  I was looking at a pair of conservative navy blue shorts and a pair of khaki cargos.  The clerk disappears and comes back with a HOT Pink dress with glitter detailing on the neck line (huh?).  This particular clerk I really like, and have had multiple encounters with her, so I did laugh out loud and told her, Noooooo.  She then disappears and comes back with an animal print tank top instead. :)    A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at a basic white & tan dress, and the clerk starts helping me by showing me some black and purple spandex pants.  Anyway, if nothing else, there is never a dull moment when shopping in Korea.  This weekend I am going up to Seoul, so I get to experience Seoul Shopping.  Can't wait.  

At one of my schools the other day there was a bird that was flying around in the hallway.  It was spooked by me and flew into a closed window and knocked himself to the ground.  So I took my cardigan off and put it over it to catch it and take it outside (I thought it was going to die).  So I go back into my class room and tell the coteacher I have a bird and was going to take it downstairs.  She is not so concerned about the bird, but more concerned about the fact that I am no longer wearing my cardigan and my arms are showing.  You must know I had a SUPER conservative tanktop on underneath.  It had a high collar (almost up to my collar bone) and thick straps and it also came away from my body, so it was not at all revealing.  So, she puts me in our little room just off the classroom so that I can put the bird in a bag and then put my cardigan back on, before scandal strikes AND then go outside with the damn bird.  By this time, the bird had awoken from it's coma and managed to fly out of the bag during the exchange.  Now it is loose in our small room about ready to fly into another window.  Long story short, I managed to close a few blinds and open one window and the bird flew out and Korea was spared the humiliation of having a foreign teacher run about in a tank top rescuing birds.

The other day I had, what they call an "Open Class" where the parents, other teachers, the principal and vice principal all sit in on your class.   This is a very nerve-racking experience.  Fortunately my class was pretty successful and I got a lot of positive feed-back and a bit of constructive criticism as well (both very beneficial).  I was given the video tape of my class the other day and I was very pleased with it.  I did not look or sound nearly as nervous and freaked out as I felt.  It's pretty intimidating having a panel of people in the back of your class taking notes on you.  Anyway, it is now over and fortunately I won't have to deal with that again until next semester.  I tried to upload this to You-Tube so you could get a pretty accurate picture into my day to day life here, but unfortunately it was too long for You-Tube.  I am not sure how to edit it into a 15 minute bit, but once I do, I'll post it.

Tid Bits:

One of my 5th graders had on a shirt that said, "Make Love, not Abies" 

amethyst cave hodge podge

We went to a former amethyst cave today just outside of Ulsan.  It was a really enjoyable trip.  As with most places like this, it had a bit of a carnival feel, but it added to the over-all pleasure of it.  Built into the side of the mountain there were ice-sculptures, a mini-tobaggan ride, and  temple.  Outside there was a mini-carnival, a mini zoo, a chicken show and stands selling all sorts of goodies, but only the woodspoons really caught my eye.  Anyway the attractions and randomness were in typical Korean fashion (which I officially feel that I have been here long enough to start calling things "typical" :) as if you couldn't figure that out from the chicken display.  There was also an ET head sticking out behind this stage for performances inside of the cave and Egyptian statues to name a few.  Once again, I love Korea.  I really do.  I don't know that any other country could ever get away with such a mish mash of cuteness, weirdness, and hodge-podge.

Lanterns hanging from the ceiling in the temple

The view from the hillside.  It is incredibly lush here with gorgeous mountains and rolling hills...  I just can't get over how spectacular some of the views are.  It almost overwhelms me.

Because what amethyst cave isn't complete without a chicken exhibition? 

What?!?

I love wooden spoon displays here.  They are incredibly cheap here as well. 

wild fire flowers

There are such beautiful flowers here.  Right now they are growing like wild fire throughout the city.  I am constantly stopped in my tracks by the absolute stunning beauty.  I don't think my camera does their beauty any justice, but I do hope you enjoy them none the less.  I am trying to capture both to memory and with film the flowers here.  Have to keep reminding myself, that I only get one spring/summer here, so trying to take full advantage.

In addition, I took a couple of photos at the market.  I actually didn't mean to have it in black and white (sun glare so I didn't notice it), so I was kind of sad about that, but there is always next weekend.  I just discovered, after MUCH searching, the black and white button on my camera (directions are in korean), so it is the current default.

(P.S. Happy Birthday Stevie!)

kim kim kim

I had wondered about what Asians call "Asian Pears", however, I have never asked.  Today in a power point presentation of "some or a/an" I had a picture of a typical Western pear.  None of the kids knew what it was.  I then told my co-teacher about how we call their pears, "Asian pears" and these pears, "pears".  She translated and the kids thought it was pretty funny that we call them that.

My 5th graders at one of my schools are tormenting me with memorizing their names.  I know "torment' is a pretty strong word for the subject at hand, but it really does feel that way at times!  Imagine having 60 5th graders with names that are alarmingly similar, if not the same.  In a class of 30, about 10 of them have the last name of Kim.  But we call them by their last name first.  Example:  Kim Min-Ju, Kim Min-su, Kim Min-U, Kim-Eun-ju, Kim Eun-so, Kim Su-min, and Kim Su-bin (actual student names used here).  Surely you can see the dilemma I am faced with!  The kids eventually loosened the reigns and let me drop the last name, so I have some hope of success.  However, I have a cheat sheet that I created, and pencil in their names at the desk they sit at, so I study it before class and have it handy at all times so when one of them walks up to me, I can look at it before I am questioned, "Teacher, Myyyyyyyyyyyyyy Nammmmmmmmmmmme?" with sad, yet hopeful eyes.   They really do swell with pride when I get it right, so I hate to disappoint.  My favorite student, Min-ju (who I nicknamed in my head, the "double handed-happy waver", because she always waves at me w/ both hands and opens her mouth in a very expressive, open-mouthed smile), was completely crushed a few weeks ago, when she saw me getting other student's names correct, but when she pressed me, I had no idea what her name was (I felt awful).  This is the student that I walked home and ate cookies with a few weeks ago.

The time here is flying by.  It is like I have gone into some sort of super-sonic time warp.  Every time I turn around it's Friday again.  I have been here for 3 1/2 months and it feels like only a few weeks.  Can't believe it is June already.  Before I know it, the year will be up and I'll be home.  I am glad that time is going by fast in the sense, that I have the first few months under my belt.  Would not want to relive that!  It was a combination of the emotional distress I felt due to both culture shock and missing a certain someone, not speaking or understanding the language and then having NO idea what I was doing or should do, wrap that up with major student problems, all created a very crappy couple of months and a very sad and stressed christine.  Thank goodness it has fallen into place.  I really had my doubts for awhile.  They say the first year is the hardest year of teaching, so that is encouraging in the sense, that I will never have a "first" year of teaching again.  Teaching is hard work. We have all heard that, but it really is true.  I have so much more respect for every teacher I know and have ever had.  In Korea, teachers are highly valued and well respected people (as well they should be).  The education system here is vastly different from the states, and there is a huge emphasis on education, so much so, that the government pays thousands of foreign native English speakers to come here to help give their children the best education possible.  I mean, free rent and a nice pay check in a country that has a super cheap cost of living?  It is an incredibly awesome deal.  Okay, off the soap box, and back to fun blogging!  :)

(p.s. Happy Birthday Ann)

Tid Bits: 

Officially The BEST ever Lost in Translation shirt to date:  "Fairy Sweat Leakage"  This, I can't even make a guess as to what it might mean. 

 I am teaching my 2nd & 3rd graders The Addams Family theme song!   I had make a few edits, because words like, "mysterious" are too difficult at this point in their studies.  It's fun though, they really love the tune.  Guess it is catchy in all languages.  :)

Saw a building that had a phonetically spelled name printed on the front of it, "Hyundae BillDing".  :)  It took me several moments to realize what it was. 

random korea & short video

This is one of my 3rd graders.  We ended up on a seemingly spontaneous field trip at the beach today, and he was very docile in this group.  Normally he is a very hyper kid, who I have a hard time keeping in his seat.  Today, however, he sat on the beach and just stared at the ships and did not at all seem interested in all the activity.  I liked the combination of his 'Apple Smile" shirt, his 'Korea' bandanna, and just how lost in thought he was. 

Now, here are a couple of short You-Tube videos of my day.  Before we ended up at the beach, I really had no idea where we were going.  I was just whisked out of the classroom and told to, "go with them" referring to the 7 kids that are in the video.  I have learned to not ask questions, and just assume that someone knows what they are doing and that I am where I am supposed to be.  It is just one of those random comical moments you find yourself in, walking down the street in Korea, following a kid with a flag and just hoping that someone is confident of the final destination.  Okay, last time:  I LOVE Korea and all of its randomness. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi9wlzbmA44

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQonnLZ8G_4

the perfect pouting child

Saw this little girl on the beach today and I could not resist taking her photo.  She was having herself a bit of a pout and of course she was utterly adorable doing it.  I am certain she would have had me wrapped around her finger in seconds.

(p.s. Happy Birthday Tracy!)

i adore korean children

Had a particularly nice evening.  On my way home I ran into 3 different students.  I just love running into my students outside of the classroom.  They just get beside themselves happy and all but trip over themselves to give me a big hello.  They're just being kids and they have no idea what happiness they are adding to my life.  It's very grounding in this foreign world to have people, of any age, recognize you and enthusiastically acknowledge you.  It just makes my heart happy.

Before I got to my apartment I stopped into a little store to buy water and, um cookies, before heading home. (just for the record they are "digestive" cookies, but I'll get to why I shouldn't be confessing to buying cookies later).  Outside of the store, I ran into one of my 5th graders and I said hello to her before she saw me, and she was so happy. There was a woman near with a few small children, and I assumed that was her mother, but she kept walking with me and I found out that was not her mother.  It was after 8 o'clock and a pretty intense fog had rolled in, and she said that she was scared.  I found out she was going home, so I asked if she wanted me to walk her home.  She said, "WOULD YOU?? OHHHhH THank you Christine Teacher!! YES, I AM SCARED, OH please".   So we proceeded to walk up and through the fog covered allies eating the cookies I just bought.  :)      It was fun and in truth as it was happening I thought, I would rather be doing nothing else, but walking through this creepy, fog covered alley in Korea, eating cookies with a 10 year old girl.  Life doesn't get much better than that.   She is one of the brighter students, so we were able to have a pretty basic conversation (weather, scared, cookies, straight, left, right, apartment).   Anyway, I love my kids.  I really do.   Walking back from her apartment, I just kept thinking, that even though I have had a few struggles these past few months, moments like these make it all worth it.

Moving on to different kid stories:  The kids that don't know you in Korea are a lot of fun too.  Sometimes a little awkward.  I was out to dinner a few weeks ago and this little girl comes up to our table and just stands there  and stares.  I say "hello" "how are you" "what's your name"...mostly just trying to get a feel for her level of English.  Anyway, after we covered the 5 basic topics, she just kept standing and staring with her nose pretty much on the table.  It went on for an uncomfortably long time (5 or more minutes), but I kept cracking up over it.     It happened earlier this week too.  This little girl kept staring and I would say hi, hello and then I could hear her mimicking some of my expressive words like, "woowwwww".   She then comes over to start showing off a bit (blowing bubbles, doing twirls), so I would say, "wowwwwwww" to her and she just loved it.   So then, I threw in a couple of other expressive words.   It's the little things really.

Last child story:  I was asked AGAIN by children at my other school if I was pregnant (message received loud and clear korea).  I decided to say that I was, because I wanted to see what they would do.  Well, they started putting their heads up to my stomach to listen to the baby's heartbeat and they were all putting their hands on my stomach too.  This is why I should not be skipping along the streets of korea eating cookies.  Well, I started running like a mad woman these past few weeks, so hopefully my cookie fat will start to recede.  Until then, I am lovin' my bundle of joy!

Tid Bits: 

Every morning I am given a military salute by the crosswalk guard and every day I salute him back.  I have come to look forward to our exchange. 

One of my students wore a shirt the other day that said, "I have a sweat smile" with pictures of hearts and cookies.  I adore lost in translations and there are an abundance here!  

because you must experience a korean bus

Thought I would show you one of my bus rides that I take 3 times a week.  It is a very lovely trip, up and through the mountains, passing gorgeous flowering trees and small farms and dumps you off right at a country beach area.  You feel so out of the way that you would have no idea that you were less than 15 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Ulsan.  This particular bus ride, was mellow by comparison.  Most of the ones up and through this mountain are a little faster and they take the curves like it's Nascar.  Don't worry, I also know that my specialty is not video.  :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGusEnaUR4M

self-esteem roller coaster

Earlier this week I was asked if I was pregnant by a 5th grader, prior to this event I had wondered in silent agony, if I was putting on weight.  Clearly, the answer is yes!  I guess when you are looking for inspiration to quit eating street corner vendor donuts and start taking the gym a little more seriously, inquiries about your pregnancy status will really help with that.  Obviously "pregnant" was not on the list of vocabulary words we were learning this week (or ever), so he did a little miming routine and said, "Teacher Christine, Teacher Christine" (gesturing for me to come over to him to have my ego slaughtered) and said, "baby in there????" pointing at my stomach. 

Well, since leaving the states, I have completely lost my workout routine and it has taken up until about 3 weeks ago, to start making it a part of my regular life here.  I have also indulged in numerous Korean treats that taunt you on every street corner----from waffles to donuts to fried mystery meats and veggies and chocolate yummy cereals and everything else in between.  I guess I sort of had it in my head that since I can't read the calorie or fat content because it is in Korean, than that is some sort of free pass?  Well, clearly this logic has failed me and my unborn child.

Today, all Korean children have been redeemed, by their much nicer peers. After finishing up at the gym, I was standing at the street corner waiting for the light to change, a couple of middle school girls come up to me and one says, "Hi my name is kim Eun-so" (while her friend laughs hysterically in the background).  I say hello and tell her my name.  She then asks where I am from etc.  After the light changes she says, "goodbye".  She then runs up to me and gestures at my face and says, "pretty"  (I really needed that!).  After she leaves a bus stops and a group of about 7 middle school boys get off and say, "hi!!!, where are you from??"  (i tell them), and then a few of them say, "I love you sooooooo much" (I tell them I love them too).   Their friends are also laughing uncontrollably and the whole time they are walking down the block they are yelling that they love me so much and very much and a lot etc.

Clearly I am teaching the wrong grade levels!   Anyway, from pregnancy to celebrity status all in one week.  I love Korea, even though the entire country sends me on an emotional roller coaster!  From pointing out my pimples, my weight gain, my 'funny' smell (?), my less then desirable outfit selections.   I am glad that they also point out the good, because not sure my self-esteem could take much more of this brutal honesty!   :)    Obviously I am exaggerating a smidge for the sake of the blog, because really the people here are so nice, sincere and gracious.  They do point out my good qualities in the same manner.  A lot of the things that are pointed out to me come across a little harsher than their intention i think.  Mainly because of the language barrier, because there are so few English words they know to express what they are thinking, that I think it comes off as a little more abrasive.

There is this little store/cafe that I have been going past for months now and I find that it greatly confuses me.  I have had no idea what it is, and, well I still don't.    There are a couple of photographs of a western woman drinking coffee at a table.  She is wearing a long, fluffy, white, terry-cloth bath robe with one of her legs crossed, so that it is exposed up to the thigh.  She is also wearing a towel around her head.  Up until yesterday I was reading the sign as "Comedy Cafe", and have obviously been confused by it.  Yesterday, after staring at it, I realized it actually says, "Comely Cafe".  I don't know if it makes any more sense to me now.  I was thinking it might be a spa, then possibly a coffee shop, then possibly some sort of call girl place, but I don't know.  The signs here tickle me though, I am in love with lost in translation phrases that are on stores & signs & t-shirts.  There is a restaurant called, "Korea Restaurant" with a picture of a green pasture full of cows plastered to the windows.  This sign, I get, but I still think it is odd advertising.  Maybe my next job in Korea should be proof reading translations from school books, to signs, to menus.  I guess you can buy a lot of "bear" here if you aren't in the mood for beer.

Most women here really dress up wherever they go--the middle of the day on a Saturday to go grocery shopping.  I am talking 3-4 inch heels, tights, skirts, full make up & hair--the works.  It is not too hard to feel like a troll in their presences.  Not ALL women, of course, but the majority of the 20-something crowd.  I realized yesterday that I think they take it a little too far, because there were a couple of girls walking on the beach in 4 inch heels (which I have seen several times).  It can be difficult to walk on sand barefoot, can't imagine doing it in heels.   This is one high-heel wearing country. 

Please enjoy a few photos from the beach yesterday.

More of these carnival games that I still can't get over......

This is the main beach "drag"...on both sides of the streets there are street vendors, restaurants and carnival games.  In this photo I was mostly going for the moon sliver.

This was an accidental photo, but I like it.  It is taken from the beach of a hotel and a string of shops.

This is the main beach drag during the daylight. Without the lights, looks kind of unassuming.  On the right in this photo you can see some colored lanterns.  These lanterns are all over the city right now, in celebration of Buddah's birthday which is on May 9th.

Picture of the beach from a hill.  That is fog that you are seeing.

More carnival rides & games.

I like this sign, because it covers all bases. 

another picture of the beach from the hillside.