Blogs from South Korea, Asia - page 355

I know it's not been long since I topped up the travelblog server with the mess I make wherever I go... but it is time to share with you once again some spillage and a few more defilements for your visual pleasure, and I do mean pleasure. The main reason for this update is to give the photos I took one evening to our dear Hanna from work... I'm sorry they're late. These may also be of interest to the rest of you as well... so please, have a sausage. In my time since writing to you last I've secured the purchase of a new lens for my camera... getting my pay just makes it all so tempting :P. The lens is a Nikkor 50mm f1.8, it's very fast and sharp... but not really for me... ... read more

After a very long flight we arrived an Incheon Airport in Seoul. We got through immigration without a hitch, which was great because I had envisioned some miscommunication where we would be held and not be able to understand why (ok I'm crazy). We were greeted when we exited the luggage area by 4 enthusiastic hands waving (Make fun of our shirts all you want Ben, they served their purpose!). We were greeted by Helen Jang and Jackie Lee who work in the Admin office. They were so sweet and friendly. We were the first to arrive (noon their time) so we had to wait around for the others to arrive before we could load the bus. It was a crazy time of introductions and the realities of jet lag started kicking in, I was so ... read more

Today was an easy day. Yes, we worked the whole day, but instead of teaching, we ran an English Olympics in the morning and fun activities for the kids in the afternoon. The teachers (ELTs) ran English games such as Charades, Pictionary, Scrabble, etc. for 5 blocks this morning. It went well even with the mix in language abilities. After lunch though, the CCs (camp counselors) ran the activities. You would think that at an ENGLISH camp that the activities would be run in English, but, no dice! All of the activities (except the pop song one) were run in Korean. Not even a mix of half and half or dual language. I found it very difficult to understand what was going on or what my responsibilities were because I couldn't follow the program! A very ... read more

The water splays alkaline silver in perfectly manicured watery pellets from the fountain - dead center of the pond. Slipping marble slides beneath my sandals, my flip flops, my thin guardians of crabs and seashells- relics of their glory days. The life of a flip flop is not a long one- a walking metaphor of the holiday world it belongs to. Yet myriads of Koreans still venture out into the evening heat, despite the possibility of an infectuous tan- they hide in the shadows of the hollows under the canopies, benches hidden away under trees, respectfully hidden secluded.... This is life. I take a deep breath beside the fountain. This has to last, for when pace begins it quickens its gait like the 9401 bus racing, raging through the streets packed, piled, pressed ... read more

“If you can hear the shots being fired, you’re good; because you never hear the shot that kills you.” ~SAS Security Officer, Joe Brazas. That was a little piece of advice during our logistical pre-port for South Korea. I just figured I’d open with that to make it a little interesting. :) Don't worry though, the closest thing we heard to a gunshot was a big bus backfiring. It was a little scary haha, and everyone ran to their windows. Anyway, we pulled into Korea on time, and it’s a pretty place. Sometimes, the ports look the same. Korea’s was similar to Hong Kong. A lot of tall buildings with big mountains in the background. It was nice though. While we were waiting for the ship to clear, a couple of Korean performers did a little ... read more