Jeju is Menopausal.

My Snow Day in Front of my Work Place

Today I made up for the classes missed during the Snow Day last week. Last Wednesday the weather was snowy and windy, and the temperature went down to about -10. It's now a week later and today I sweated on the way to work, because I didn't realize the temperature was now +15 and decided to wear a winter jacket. So today I felt like it was an ideal time to blog about Jeju's menopausal weather.


First off, I realize that the topic of weather isn't the most fascinating one but the weather here is just so darn weird that I just had to dedicate a post to it. Furthermore I also want you to seethe in jealousy while you hear about my warm weather in JANUARY! Because... I'm kind like that.


Now when I first got to Jeju, I almost died from the heat. Canada's summer had been cold (Canada why did you forsake me with a summer of +21 weather?) and I was not ready for the +35 (and higher) that Jeju dished out to me. To make it even extra special, it was humid.

Humidity + my hair = kids asking if I got a perm

But I start to warm up to the Jeju weather (Oh, such wit I have) when this over-20-weather lasted up until October. Oh god... it was wonderful. Leaves didn't start dropping from the trees until November.

Literally 3 Days After the Snow Day. Horrid Weather eh?

Now of course Jeju is menopausal. For all the generally good weather, there were always these random weeks where suddenly the temperature plummeted down and I felt like I had been slapped across the face by mother nature. It never made sense when they came. But each time the previous warm/cold weather had completely desensitized you for the menopausal attack. So the attacks always ended up being a lot more painful than my arrogant self had anticipated.

On the Way Home at the End of the Day

In case you didn't know, all the Palm trees in Korea are imported to incourage tourism and there is no way in hell that Jeju ever naturally had Palm trees. Jeju is certainly no 'Hawaii of Asia' as the tourism industry would have you to believe. So last Wednesday when the snow fell, I absolutely had to take photos of Palm trees covered in snow. I laughed to myself as I heard the horrid sound of buses, cars and taxis drive around with chains around the tires, and saw Koreans try to use an umbrella to protect themselves from the snow.

But really, Jeju had the last laugh again. I sweat my ass off today while wearing a winter coat in +15 weather, and this time Koreans got the chance to look strangely at me.


And honestly.


When I get back to Canada, the weather will kill me.