14. Numbers from Korea

Many days and other numbers...


To my friends both at home and abroad, I'll say that it has been too many days since my last post and so I thought I'd get this off to you all before it's many more. I will keep the theme as arithmetically consistent as I can to avoid mimicking past letters.

Year 2 in Korea ... I'm approaching the end of a second year in Korea . It's strange to note how contrasting the two years have been. In year 1, I learned about Korea in a general way, made new friends and it seemed that everything I tried was new. I've spent year 2 doing more docile and stress free things in my spare time. In year 1, I had a small social network but now I am to a point where I can bump into people I know in all parts of the city. I still occasionally frequent expat bars and parties to drink and meet people but far less than when I first got to Korea . I'm better accustomed to pouring my energy into my work here which I like very much on most days and also being with good company and positive people.

27 trips later... I still like Busan the same as always and my desire to see other parts of Korea has remained constant as well. I took my 27th weekend trip recently which means that I've spent over 1/4 of my weekends in Korea seeing something different outside of the city which has been the best way for me to live at peace with being in the same place for two years.

TWENTY-SIX... On June 26th, definably my golden birthday, I turned 26 years old and ran 26 miles. Coincidentally, 26 is the number of miles in a full marathon and it was the only way I saw fit to celebrate my age. Can't wait till 62!

13-26-33... The summer in Busan was humid and drained my energy on most days. A couple months back I started swimming again and swam 13 laps and got a leg cramp. The next time I was able to do 26 laps and now I am back up to 33 laps or just about 2 miles which I am now doing 2-3 times a week.

15 minutes and 100's of little fish... A few friends and I soaked our feet in a bath of little fish at a tea shop recently and the fish came up to eat off the dead skin. They really liked nibbling at my feet which I'm told means that you have a lot of dead skin. I think that I'm just a likable guy!

Skyline 80... I moved to a new building and a nicer apartment in August. I have 20% more room and a nice floor plan that I did before. There is a separate sleeping area in the loft and I really appreciate it on the nights where I am tired and my dog is not yet ready to sleep.

9-13 and 9-14... These dates were part of a Chuseok holiday (Korean Thanksgiving equivalent). Koreans pay homage to deceased family members with an eating and bowing ceremony, something really admirable about this culture that is not practiced in large scale in the US . My friends and I took a road trip to an area of Korea where historical traditions are preserved and you can see one of a small number of remaining traditional villages, eat local foods and turn back time for a little while. Basically, we spent two days sightseeing, making our own paper from native trees, seeing a traditional mask performance and walking in a folk village and the surrounding areas. I personally enjoyed a 30 minute nap under a pagoda looking pavilion at a rural Confucian school since rest is something I've come to value a lot in year 2 when my time seems more limited! Also very enjoyable, we picked apples from an orchard my friend's dad owns.

Virtual Numbers... To shed a little light on global views of the US presidential candidate choices is easily expressed in my number themed e-mail. While there are both McCain and Obama supporters amongst my expat friends here, there is an Electoral College of the World Survey being conducted on www.economist.com amongst every country in the world. Two weeks ago the survey was giving 8,482 total virtual delegate votes to Barack Obama and 23 total votes to John McCain (if the world were polled in an electoral college). I voted absentee so that's at least 1 more vote going to the actual election rather than virtual election.

34 other things you might like to know in order to sleep well at night...

1. I own 10 pairs of chop sticks and 1 fork.

2. I went to a floating lantern festival with friends two weeks ago.

3. My company had a sports day which proved to be better than anyone hoped for with balloon competitions, karaoke, tug of war, three legged races, dodge ball and other games.

4. There is a cable car in my back yard that you can take up the mountain.

5. Busan is a mix of ocean, mountain and city life.

6. I killed a mosquito and it's quite possible they make the most unpleasant in the world.

7. The size of my apartment is 12 pyung.

8. Korea was listed as a developed country recently.

9. I bought a bike 2 months ago.

10. My dog chews on more things than not.

11. I will be in the US January 10th-19th for my brother Travis and his fiancé Amanda's wedding. I am very excited for them.

12. I went to movie premiers and other films at an international Film Festival in Busan a little while back.

13. I like to get my produce from the market near my house.

14. From my experience, Koreans usually have favorable opinions of Americans.

15. I have about 35 bamboo plants in my apartment which are impossible to kill.

16. My washer also dries my cloths but I have to iron them when finished due to really bad wrinkles.

17. I'm listening to Terra D'Agua by Mariza Fado as I write this.

18. My toilet seat is half broken.

19. They are doing construction on the running trail and stream by my apartment.

20. I'm reading My Name is Red by Orphan Pamuk now.

21. Fall is my favorite season in Korea .

22. Kimchi (fermented cabbage) is undoubtedly one of my favorite foods here and is extremely healthy.

23. My teaching schedule is a mixture of beginner and advanced students.

24. Obesity is low in Korea .

25. I have a few English TV Channels

26. I dislike shopping in some Korean shops because clerks observe you to help but it makes me more nervous.

27. There is a sky park on the 20th floor of my building where I sometimes take my dog to play.

28. Current dating status - single

29. I just yawned.

30. I use my ipod once every few weeks and I really need to update my music.

31. I walk the 7 flights of stairs to my apartment and rarely use the elevator.

32. I dislike it when cab drivers like to make small talk with me.

33. My last meal was vegetable dumplings and shrimp.

34. I generally spend more money than expect to spend.

---

---