Finding my feet with fairy steps...

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.....but at least they still get me there in the end!

I really feel like I'm starting to settle in now, the initail anxiety has gone and I'm actually beginning to feel rather at home. Last weekend was really fab, got appropriately leathered on Friday night, lost my wallet and broke my English phone but a good time was still had.

Over here they're crazy about 'noraebang' which are like karaoke singing rooms. You go in with your mates, get shown to a room, drink as much as you like and try not to shatter the glass with your ear piercing attempts at singing. If you're a good singer I can imagine the Koreans love it (they just looked at me rather pitifully) but lots of girls in my class, when asked about their ideal man, actually rated being a good singer as a desirable quality (what, above sense of humour, nice behind, and being able to excuse how u look after a particulary heavy friday night....at least he sounds good in the shower right?!)

On Sunday I went hiking with one of my beginner students Maria. Koreans just love hiking and in Busan there are so many mountains you're spoilt for choice. I love Maria, she's fantastic! She has a son about to go to university and is such a character, always joking, pretty bawdy- we get on well! Then I went to her house, ate delicious food and met her mother which apparently is an honour in Korea and shows that they value me.

I'm getting better at the time on my own too, at first my 7 hour break would fill me with dread- I didn't know how to order food in restaurants, my apartment is like a windowless rabbit cage and I didn't have anyone to hang with apart from Will. The feeling of having to depend on someone was crap and for someone who can be quite proud, it was a killer.

However this week I've got my act together- bought a book which I polished off greedily in a week, been to the beach (10 minutes away!) went for a run (approx 5k- otbee glory keeping me going!) and started learning Korean.

Had a funny experience at the beach- was reading my book and noticed two non Korean men sitting not too far off. I had my bag with me and really didn't want to run with it so I figured if they were friendly westerners they may look after it for me....so I went to walk past them and noticed that no way were they of Western ilk, they could only be Russian. By that time they had already clocked me and beckoned me over....oh shit. So I sat and had a Bud with two Russian crab fishermen in broken English for half an hour before making my excuses and leaving after they invited me back to the ship.......funny the people u meet!

Sorry for the long entry- will try n keep it more up to date, apologies for the lack of pictures, I'm working on it...as I said, fairy steps!

p.s My inbox was graced with pictures of the Big G today- I would just like to publicly express my thanks to Brian- my desk wall now has pictures of G, Alan Shearer (Sheearer, Sheearer!), Stevie Gerrard and a picture of a bespectecled bloke wearing a nappy (thanks otb). Oh...and this picture which is sometimes exactly how I feel.....

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Photos

Local twat...
I should have bought this but 2 squid for a hat that mocked myself seemed a little steep!

Comments

[gravy boy]

more russiansailors eh?
i see a pattern forming. more about limpy. we love limpy