Blogs from South Korea, Asia - page 361

Jan and I took the 3 hour KTX (Speed Train) to Busan on Friday morning. We had set this weekend aside to do some adventuring. It all started at the Seoul Station where trains and busses set off to all over Korea. They run from Seoul to Sokcho, Mokpo, and Daegu, covering the country as though they are the veins that sustain its existence. Busan is located at the most Southern tip of Korea. The city itself is not quite that different from Seoul. It has a subways station and towering buildings; there are street venders and even a Busan tower. What Seoul doesn’t have though is a fish market and beaches. Right when we got to Busan we dropped our stuff in a locker and headed down to Jagalchi Fish Market. When we arrived here, ... read more

We've been in Korea for three weeks now. There's a lot to tell about these three weeks, so I will just write a summary for now. In the future, I will try to write more details on a daily basis. Keon really enjoyed seeing his country of origin again. He enjoyed spending time with his family and, especially, eating the food! He was able to relax and travel around the city by himself by bus just for fun. He helped Julie a lot with connecting with other people. Keon just left for Minneapolis today. We miss him already! Julie has been busy meeting and tutoring Korean students in English language skills. She has enjoyed volunteering at the children's 유치원 (preschool) once a week to teach the older children English. It is a challenge going back to ... read more

Sometimes a place isn't just a place. God knows when you MOVE somewhere foreign, you better hope to god you meet SOMEBODY you can talk to. Life gets pretty awkward if you don't have someone to bitch to about your hockey team, or the way Koreans hork (is that a real word?) up a lung on a regular basis in you ear drum, or how every freaking Saturday there is a damn protest about something dire. I found one. And though he has a spoiled a hockey score or two for me, I'll forgive him. He deserves his own entry. SO Dallas my friend, this one's for you...... read more

So last Wednesday was our going away party at Westfair (a local dive that is never busy, but has great drinks). The last four years in Bakersfield have been suprisingly interesting, and I have met some incredible people; however, everybody is now venturing in new directions, and it's about damn time. Recently Bakersfield was acknowledged in the newspaper for being "# 1 in Smog!" in the whole U.S....fabulous. I've read that the cities in S. Korea have horrible air, but I guess it will be just like home :) Stephanie and Staci, my burnette devil-angels (more devil than angel) are moving to the beautiful serenity of California's National Park. In the fall, they will be laying in sun filled, sandy beaches of Cali. Good luck ladies!! Even though my brother, Kevin, and I didn't get along ... read more

It was one of those things I knew I would love without having to experience it...like the movie Amelie, or ice cream (I'm sure). I had wanted to check out "The Ballerina Who Fell In Love with a B Boy" show since I heard about it, and the promotion was running out for us to get 30% off tickets. Originally Erin was the only one who showed any interest, but eventually a few more came around. Five of us girls ended up taking the trek into the big city on Thursday night, and it was worth every bit of energy and money expended. Not only did I walk away with a Red Hot CHili Peppers new CD promotional poster in Korean (long story, Phil the poster's all yours if you want it), but I had the ... read more