http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Ryanmc/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Ryanmc en-us Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:53:13 +0000 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:53:13 +0000 I know I know. Updates have been few and far between as of late. Itrsquos not because Irsquom busymdashIrsquom not. Well I wonrsquot be after I get moved here tomorrow to my new apartment where I will be staying for the rest of this year and the next perhaps longer. Yes this means I resigned my contract for another year. Truth is Irsquom lazy. Life has become pretty monoto http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Sacheon/blog-423108.html It was Buddha's birthday yesterday. Don't want to brag but Christ's birthday is a bit more fun. I didn't get any presents yesterday.My boss asked me the other day if I wanted any crack. She meant crackers. I didn't correct her. I might have some fun with this one.Went to Busan this weekend. No joke just wanted to mention that.I've always wanted to be in a situation where I had to synchroni http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Busan/blog-395893.html ...and I don't really want to talk about it.Went back to America for a short time. Don't want to talk about it.A couple of good and bad weekends. Don't want to talk about them.What else Who cares I'm not going to talk about it.Here are some random photos.Happy Birthday Steve. Happy Easter to the rest. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Sacheon/blog-389914.html The ninth of March was my 6 month anniversary since I came to Korea. I think this a good time to reflect on some things.First I will most likely be coming back for another go around. Itrsquos still too early to know for sure but I am content here. It beats going back and not having a job that's for sure. I set out to write this blog to help people who may want to come here themselves. I http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Jinju/blog-381775.html Things are well. I am currently nursing a massive hangover I never learn so I will make this short.Friday my boss asked if I wanted to go to Busan on Saturday. I wanted to buy a new suit for my upcoming interview and I thought it would be easier if she helped me get one so I said yes. Dropped close to 400 on a suit. Ouch. Marked down from 800 though. Then I found out that the reason why http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Sacheon/blog-375773.html a.k.a Searching Korea for my future exwifeYou may or may not be aware but Korea is close to China. Given this fact it seems only natural that Chinese New Year is celebrated here. What does this mean for a waegookin such as myself It means I get a doover in the New Year's Eve department. I must say this one was a bit better if not a bit hazier and a whole lot more immoral.I will not http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Sacheon/blog-367702.html For Christmas one of my student's parents bought me a gift. The outside read simply To Lion From Jason. I opened the package to find socks. Not just any socks but colorful Korean socks. Here they are not really interested in the plain old white or black or even the occasional argyle. Even boys wear socks with cute little pictures on them and a myriad of colors. These socks that I re http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Sacheon/blog-363935.html Yup. Can't say that I didn't see it coming. I took it out back and lit it on fire in a ritualistic sacrifice and buried the ashes. Really it's still sitting on my desk mocking me. Itrsquos rough to see a college buddy pass. Toshiba Satellite 1473 you will be missed.So Happy Thanksgiving Merry Christmas Happy Chanukah Happy New Year Bastille Day I don't know and all the other holida http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Sacheon/blog-360347.html To steal a classic line from Dickens 'It was the best of times it was the worst of times'. That very accurately sums up my last two consecutive weekends. As the title to this entry and my opening line suggests Busan was amazing. The latter Daejeon not so much.First the good weekend. Busan is great city. Almost too good. I can see myself spending a lot of money there every weekend if I http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Busan/blog-348825.html For the uninitiated this is a bit of compliment. 'Rain' is the name of probably the biggest star in KPop gaining a bit of international fame. Regular viewers of the Colbert Report might know what I am talking about. The most common mispronunciation is 'lion' which I have to admit is sort of bad a. But come on people my name isn't that hard. Four letters two syllables that's it. Ry http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Sacheon/blog-345066.html a.k.a. 'Crouching Toilet Hidden Toilet Paper' Korea is definitely becoming a bizarreo world for me. Apparently here I am both very handsome and a good singer or so everyone keeps telling me. Yet I am still single ladies If you have heard me tell some of my stories from Europe you would know that I am very adept at getting myself into some odd situations I will not recount those stories http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Jeollanam-do/Suncheon/blog-335167.html It is time for my blog to start living up to the whole 'travel' aspect. Yes all of my posts thus far are about Korea a place that many people reading this will never live in and maybe only visit but so far I have only really complained about my classes and teaching and other meaningless ramblings of my attempt to adjust to my new home. Last weekend I finally met with the Sacheon E. Boyoung http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Jinju/blog-333590.html First a disclaimer. I know it says Seoul in the title but none of the pictures are actually from Seoul. Why I didn't take any. Why I don't know deal with it.The school I am teaching in is part of a larger franchise based in Seoul with E. Boyoung as the figurehead. She is somewhat of a celebrity in S. Korea known for obtaining a high level of proficiency of English by only studying in K http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Seoul/Sincheon/blog-330148.html Last weekend I went with my surrogate family here in Korea to a Buddhist temple that Sunny described as being 'too commercial'. Ok I'll bite. What does a commercial Buddhist temple look like Well since I am not an expert on temples of any sort I was a bit interested. Okay I am going to a place of worship I should probably dress nicely. This was an afterthought of course. Here I am in http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Sacheon/blog-327293.html Or so goes the old proverb. So what about those who can't do or can't teach What do they do That is my problem. Just kidding I can 'do' and 'teach'. I am that good. I just have a few reservations about teaching. I have been asked to teach not one but two Phonics classes. Here is what I think about this. You can't see me but I am currently holding up my middle finger to my computer scr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/Sacheon/blog-325298.html First WeekI like many young people with a college degree and no real immediate life plan have decided to spend the next year teaching in South Korea. I went through an agency and they placed me in a school in Sacheon but I am actually in Samcheonpo. Apparently the two cities have become one. It is close to Busan but somewhat remote read little foreign influence. Getting here was a chor http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Gyeongsangnam-do/blog-323033.html