The list.

Things I will miss....

• John
• People I’ve met
• Making my kids do funny things
• Public restrooms available everywhere
• Alcohol consumption anywhere/ anytime!
• Taking my pants off when I get home...and not having to put any back on. 
• Cheap taxis 
• All my Kinder kids.... and some of my others. ;)
• Cheap food (Kimbap, mondu, the breaded puff things.....not the fried)
• My apartment
• Not having to pay individual bills (the school does it)
• Getting a tan quickly
• Funny English sentences and answers from students.

Things I might miss....

• Playing Charades  24/7 in hopes that a Korean might understand me.
• Not caring what people think of me
• Korean galbi
• The all in one bathroom- makes for an easy clean
• The bars never closing
• Fireworks at anytime
• Cheap transportation around the country
• Easy ATM money transfers...though the organization on the other side of it, I will not miss

Things I will not miss...

• Work....and everything that had to do with it. 
• Kimchi farts
• The language
• Having to have others handle shit for me. (Doctors, insurance battles)
• Prettier boys then me
• Pushing
• Staring
• Zero common sense
• Scooters and cars on the sidewalk
• The mass consumption of hot dogs (no, it’s not ham, it’s a hot dog.)
• Wet bathrooms (as they are hose out before the bar/restaurant opens)
• Toilets that move when you sit on them
• Throwing toilet paper in the garbage
• Toiletpaper-less bathrooms
• Restroom lines that form in front of each individual stall
• Korean noises (grunts, squeaks, whatever....in place of words)
• People not walking in a straight line....I swear it’s impossible for someone to do that here!
• Koreans who push through the line of the bathroom because “They” have to go.
• Drunk Ajushees (old men)
• Cooking my own food at restaurants
• The breath...oh the breath....
• Mosquitos that decide to make an appearance at 2am buzzing in your ear and the 10 incredibly itchy bites that show up a day later and say for weeks. 
• The bathroom smell
• Squatters
• The non- existent bubble (if I can smell your breath, you are too close)
• The Mosquitos that leisurely fly until when you try to kill them and they hit turbo speed and disappear 
• The wash-machine tying all my clothes in a huge knot and giving me gorilla arms.
• Being at the crosswalk on a sunny day to have the one only other person stand in the shade I make 2 inches away.
• The no talking policy on any public transportation and the dirty looks if you do.
• The lack of air circulation....everywhere!
• The 90 degree stuffy bus rides
• The sales people who follow you but instead of being behind, they stand in your way.
• Shopping to have the sales lady/man show you their ugly picks when you are already looking.
• Weird socially awkward people
• Random Koreans who want to talk to you to practice their English.
• Hospitals 
• Knowing more then the actual doctor and diagnosing myself. 
• Korean to English translation apps
• The cluster fuck of people...everywhere 
• Grown women who act like children 
• Lack of options...food, boys, alcohol, bar music
• Korean men who say two words to you and then try to make out.  
• Smoking in restaurants and bars
• The cheap cigarettes so everyone who smokes, smokes double.
• Koreans selling you Jesus. 
• Having the same conversation “Where you from?” “How long have you been in Korea?” “Do you like it?” WIth the answers being The US, too long, and no, I don’t.
• The produce guy trying to sell me the crap vegetables, thinking I wouldn’t ever notice. 
• Knowing the taxi driver is ripping you off and pretending to not understand you when you tell him you’re not an idiot.
• Very limited if any, quick healthy things to eat. 
• Not knowing what I’m eating.
• Limited variety of vegetables.
• The Chuseuk Gift of 6 tubes of pine flavored toothpaste, 4 bottles of floral shampoo, and 10 bars of soap. (Yes, the thought was nice.) 
• Konglish-uh...

My kids reactions after them wanting to drink my soda water. 

Hahahaha

My awesome example for the day's art project...a flying train.

I'll miss him most of all. 

The gates of Hell finally let me out!

I survived!!! Dec. 2nd I left S. Korea with only the proper send out that Korea knows how to give...at least for me. The last month was insanely ridiculous. I had an unbelievable amount of shit to do for work. Including trying to enjoy and say good-bye to everyone and everything I wanted to, to make a few last good memories of Korea. Because I had so much to do, I hadn’t touched anything in my place to packed or clean until the day after I was suppose to be finished. I tell my supervisor this because I know they want to come look at my house to determine if I get my deposit back. Did they listen? Of course not. Next thing I know, they tell me they wont give me my deposit because my place is basically a disaster. “Yes, I know.” I tell my supervisor. “That’s WHY I spent 15 minutes of my day yesterday talking to you about it.” After wasting another 15 minutes of my day, I convince her to have the lady come back to my house tomorrow when I have actually packed and am ready to leave. 

After work I used my last night spending it with my favorite people. This did not help me get anything accomplished. After getting home at 3am from a local fried chicken place (because that’s exactly what you want to eat before you are to be in a swim suit for the next 3 weeks) many beers, and many coke/soju/beer pounders (the curly form of a boozie) later, I wake up at 7am to pack/clean my place by noon so I can be paid my last pay check by 2pm, go to work to sign for the check, take all my stuff to the post office and go to the bank to close my account by 4. Oh my gosh, did that day suck, some how I managed. Sally Teacher, who came to my place to determine if I was to my deposit back for the second time, came and was SO impressed that I was able to get my place cleaned and packed. Ya, I’m an American, it doesn’t take me that long to get shit done... even if I’m tired and hungover. Now, it was time to find the post office and mail all my boxes! After I carried one to the post office, which wasn’t that close, I decided to take a taxi with all my others. Once I got there, I realized I needed addresses because they weren’t all going to the same place. Perfect, computer packed, can’t get them (Post office awesomeness number 1). Next, I try to send my snowboard home. Post office people or sorry, the lady who was helping me the whole time (who spoke maybe 5 words of English) tells me, no I can’t send it home. Um, What?!!! I asked before hand, and was told it was ok. Nope, she wasn’t having it, as now I have a group around me of post office workers and other customers helping to translate for me. Me angry, annoyed, frustrated...how the heck am I suppose to get it home?!! I call and complain to John, he says he’ll figure out how to send it to me (Thanks John) (Post office awesomeness number 2) Through out all this the lady is asking me if we can be friends, asking to exchange emails, telling me her son is learning English.. “Super lady. I don’t like Korea, I don’t want to be your friend, I just want to send my shit home as fast as possible so I can get all the other shit I have to do done!” Obviously, I don’t say this out loud, I give her my email with a crooked smile saying sure, let’s be friends! (Awesomeness number 3) Then, the next box up is my Germany box, clothes and computer. The lady shakes her head, I’m looking at her like, now what? I’m thinking she’s going to tell me that they wont mail to Germany and I’m going to have to pack that shit around with me in Thailand but instead she proceeds to tell me that she wont mail my computer.  WHAT?!!! Are you kidding me?!! The two most expensive things I own I can’t mail and I have to leave in Korea?!!! The time is now 3pm. I haven’t gone to my work to sign for my paycheck, the bank closes at 4, and now I have to deal with this BS! I’m so annoyed, frustrated, stressed at this point that I’m pleading with her and the supervisor there to please send it. Finally they give in, they open my stuffed-to-the-max box, took 10 mins to decide how to bubble wrap my computer, as I’m trying to step in to make them wrap it faster and not think so hard about it. Finally they are happy with the way it’s wrapped. We put it back in the box using all our bodies to get the box to close. Using a whole roll of tape to keep it closed. The lady finally puts the postage on it and I’m free to leave. Thank god. It’s now 3:30. I Swing my board bag on my shoulder and jog as fast as I can with my knee throbbing as I’m been walking with all the extra weight from my lugging the boxes around. I drop the bag at my friend Johannah’s house so John can get it later. I get on a bus and make it to the bank at 3:50 to close my accounts...did I mention they close at 4. Made it!

I let out a deep breath as I sit down, relieved that I made it in time. The teller I have actually speaks good English too, Yay!! I tell her I am leaving Korea and need to close my account. I want 400,000w cash for travels and I want the rest transferred to a different Korean account number, which I give her a piece of paper with the information on. (I didn’t want to send it to my US account because the exchange rate was so bad.) Next thing, I know she’s giving me 900,000w cash. I’m puzzled but whatever, I’ll just use it to exchange for traveling rather then using my ATM card). I don’t think anything could go wrong with her transferring my money to the account number I had given her. She tells me I’m finish, I give the paperwork she gives me a quick glance, money transferred, bank account empty... looks good. I leave to go to LCI to sign my last paycheck since I couldn’t do it before. I get there, sign my pay stub, realizing I need to look and print off my itinerary so I know when my actual flight out of Korea is (I’m not about to miss it)....and all my other flights in Thailand and Germany. In the mix of things I pull out my bank paper to really look at. I have to refocus my eyes as I see, the bank teller transferred my money, NOT to the account I asked and told her to but my US account where I made ZERO mention of. Really?!! WTF, Korea?!! So to make this story short, Korea (again) screwed me out of hundreds of dollars, about $600 to be exact .

 I couldn’t have asked for a better send off to engrave the hatred I have for that country. Thank you, Korea. Good-bye.

Yongju= 1part coke, 1 part soju, 1 part beer....dangerously delicious.

Mina showing us how to make it.

My kids hard at work. I partnered them up so I didn't have to work as hard. :)

Teacher love squeeze!

Saying good-bye. It's so hard having them be so much a part of your life, teaching them their first English words to be able to communicate and knowing that you'll most likely never see them again. Tears were shed and not just by me.

Last meal with a couple of my favorites before the flight out.

The enjoyment of life again!

December 30th...what a good day!!! I finished working at LCI. Dec. 2 an even better day, I left Korea. Do I regret Korea? Not at all. I do however, regret not going fast enough on that jump causing myself to tear my ACL....Yes, THAT I regret.

I'm now in Thailand. And I love it. Whoever missed the chance to come with me (and that's EVERYONE) you should hate yourself. :) I've been here only 3 days and I have so many stories to tell. This computer though is destroying my eyes so I must get off.

Cheers!!

I love my students.

Today in the the middle of a lesson one of my kinder kids Jian shouts out, "Please don't go, Lindsay Teacher!" Slowly his bottom lip comes out and I see his eyes start to fill with tears. Simultaneously, I felt my eyes start to build with tears. It's going to be really hard to say good-bye...

Jian

Fall 2011 is here!!!!!

41 days, 6 weekends, 29 working days. 6 study guides. 6 monthly tests. Correcting those 6 monthly tests and inputing the scores. 60 more kinder comment books. 30 individual evaluations. 19 parent conferences, a guide on how to teach my 5 classes for the new teacher, 1 Saturday sports day. 10,000 more "TEEEeeeeEEEEEaaCCHHhhhhHHERrrs!" 78 more awkward, frustrating incounters with the Korean staff. Then I'm out of this place I call Hell.

I bought boxes to send stuff home earlier this week and I'm pretty sure the grin on my face was as big as when I first got here. Riding with them on my bike, with no brakes, and in a skirt wasn't one of the best decisions but I managed with minimal profanity and dirty looks. Now, they are sitting in my house and as I look at all my stuff, I don't really know if anything is worth it to send home. Either way they show me the light at the end of a very, very.... long tunnel. It's tiny, but it's there.

Last week, I knocked my open class of my list of things to do. What is open class? It's where the parents of our students come, sit in and watch the class as we teach it. Parent conferences are to follow. This, like everything the school does is a show. Let's make our foreign teachers life's hell and shove our nose so far up our student's parents assholes! Seriously. The parents come expecting to watch the teacher teaching their kid. Little do they know we have to make up new ways to of teaching the material, prepare this material, teach our kids it, and practice a week before hand to.....wait for it....not make the parents embarrassed if their kid fumbles. Not only are we to come up with this material but after we put in our own time (as we do for everything that is expected outside of teaching) we are told it should be different. Did this happen to me? Negative. I am a quick learner and have been here long enough to not be an idiot. I told my Co- teacher to tell me what she wanted me to do. She then gave me a list of things where I was the one to say "Yes, the kids can do this" or "No, this isn't going to happen." Did she like? Absolutely not, but welcome to my world.

Within the week before open class, my co- teacher was told by the Director to clean up my room. Instead of telling me to do it, she took it upon herself to do it. Ummm....ok. Thanks? She takes the coloring pages off the wall that I let the children put up if they are proud of it. She removes some of the trasher/ dingy looking things. Sweet, thanks Adeline. The next thing I know she's re organizing my whole room. My left and right hands are in a different spot, she moves all my classes sticker charts (which are located on different walls) and puts them on the same wall. I become annoyed at this becuase there are many reasons why they are on different walls. Then the next day I come in to do an activity with my kids to help decorate my now bare room but the lesson that I was going to use wasn't there anymore (the lesson- bugs). This absolutely infuritates me (not just cause my bugs are gone but there's a point when you just start to take things personally) A. my room isn't that big of a disaster and B. don't take shit off without asking me first! It's my room, I use the shit in it!  I somewhat collect myself to get my kids from their beginning Korean class. While they go in to use the bathroom and wash their hands. I ask Adeline "where are my bugs that where on the wall?" (which wasn't in the most friendliest manner) She proceeds to make the korean "huh?!!" "My bugs? Where are they? Why are they not on my wall anymore?" Her: "I took them off for open class." Me: "WHY? I use those for all my classes. I would appreciate if you were to ask me before changing things in my room." as I finish my sentence, I walk off. I get all my kids in the room, and they all sit down for snack. Adeline then storms in my room. Once again, how professional can we be? She starts yelling at me.. I look at my kids, they're all staring at Adeline and I. Adeline obvisously having no regards to them, I like OK, this is going to happen... She's yelling at me, of course I retaliate back after a while I just stop talking, there's nothing I can say nor want to say anymore. She leaves. THAT was a great day.

Open class goes well, the kids do great, conferences go smoothly...a half hour into my lunch smoothly.   A huge weight lifted off my shoulders! Parent shit is finished, now it's all paperwork. Hahaha, wrong. A week later I am told we now have to do Afternoon Parent conferences. What?!! We just did those 2 months ago. This is and has been my life. parent conferences are usually every 6 months, now we are doing them every 2 months. Wtf? I understand the parents want to know about their kids but for the afternoon children, all we do is tell the parents how we teach the books. We use to have to do the parent conferences for each parent infront of all the parents....talk about awful. "Oh!! Your kids is a great, does his homework, pays attention in class, but your kid...why do you do his homework for him? Please don't do that as it inhibits his learning ability. Or how about, your kid is an idiot." So, now I have to add in one more book into my lesson plan and talk to the parents on how I teach it. Super, good use of my time LCI. Ugghhh....to be among a work atmosphere with some sense....

Because I've been waiting for November 30th, 2011 to come since about... just after I arrived, I've had everything I need to do before departure in the back of my mind. I've been really good trying to get stuff done so I'm not overwhelmed by it when it all has to be finish. Adeline comes in my room earlier this week and gives me a list of these things along with examples. She then decides she wants to talk to me about our fight from the two paragraphs above. I listen as she tells me I'm not easy to work, I am a negative person, I don't accept the work given to me, She avoids having to talk to me because she doesn't want to deal with me telling her no. I give her explanations to all, the reason why I am, who I am right now, why I can't just put on a happy face anymore and why I don't just accept the work she tells me to do. She tells me me I need to put on smile and say ok when she tells me I need to do something. I tell her I put on a smile for my kids but that's all I have energy for. She tells me if I can put on a smile for them why can't I do it for her....blah, blah, blah. After talking and making no progress in either direction she then proceeded to let me know that because she is a professional woman she doesn't try to get a sore throat or cold because she knows she has to work (As if getting sick is a choice) and implies that it's my fault for being sick for the 3 months at the begin of the year, having surgery from the complications of it, tearing my ACL and everything that came after that. HA. I can't even to begin to tell you how ENRAGED I am with that comment....And if you ask me, you'll most definitely find out.

If I don't get out of this country, it's not going to be myself who I hurt anymore.


Happy thoughts...happy thoughts till the end....


If you didn't see it on Facebook here's a picture of my latest injury (which I apparently caused upon myself) from the mirror I've had on my wall all year, that decided to fall directly on my toes while I was putting on makeup. It luckily fell on my injured Knee's toes so I haven't been completely gimp-ified...just a little extra.

I'm hoping the broken mirror will fix the curse rather than creating another few shitty years.

As for the good news.... to leave this blog on a positive note, I've just added Heidelberg, Germany on my itinerary. My friend Linds just moved there for work. I figured once I'm home I wont be able to travel any time soon so I might as well do it now and worry about the money later. (As we all know, it's kinda what I do best.....You only have one life so you better fucking enjoy it!!!) 

I miss everyone soooo much! I can't wait to see everyone's face. I want to laugh. I want to stuff my face with food that doesn't all taste like fish. I want to speak English having everyone understand me (whether it is for the best or not, I don't care!) I want to be with people who know and understand me or at least pretend to. I just want to be home... and that's anywhere where my friends and family are. 

Not for the immature.

My time is winding down here on my favorite place on earth, so I decided to make a bucket list.... It was hard. I did however manage to come up with a few...

• Haesindang park
• Seodaemun prison
• War Memorial
• Watch the Watershow bridge

This last weekend I managed to cross one off... Haesindang Park, known as Penis park to foreigners. You can probably see why this might have sparked my interest. :) 


Korea is a strange place. Television shows will fuzz out cigarettes, boobs, and any genitalia (but only the genitals, not the actual sex scenes. A few of these scenes are a quite more raunchy then they'd play in the US, too). I just also learned the blades of knifes are fuzzed out, too. Showing your shoulders is considered showing-too-much, yet you can wear shorts short enough that your butt cheeks are showing. Love motels are in abundance all over Korea. These are places couples, the married, the cheaters,  the drunks, and the just plain horny go to get their boogie on (yes, I just said that).  And then to learn they have a park full of Penis'?!! hmmm....


The story that's told come in many forms but this one I found a amusing so I stole it! It
s off Vago's blog found on Vagobond.com.
  
The story is that a young couple were engaged to be married in the fishing village of Samcheok and before they could be wed and the bride to be was given the pleasure of the penis on the wedding night, she was swept to sea and drowned, dying a virgin and without the penis she so desired.  After her death, the seas around the village stopped yielding fish. No one could figure out why.  One night, a drunk fisherman took a leak facing the water, exposing his sizable genitalia to the water (and presumably to the ghost of the virgin). Apparently, she liked what she saw since after that the fish were there again. The villagers, understanding intuitively what they needed to do, began exposing themselves regularly. They began to build larger than life statues of giant cocks to satisfy the nymphomaniac ghost. Over the years, the collection of phallic art was expandend, enlarged and the seashore became swollen with dicks.


I was planning to explore this park on my own (I needed a weekend on my own, since the last weekend was a failure) but Stephy decided to join in at the last minute, which I was actually grateful for because I decided a penis park was one of those things much more enjoyable when you have someone to laugh about it with. Plus my single handed head shots with a penis would have been a little weird. (I still would have done it , though).

This park is located in the south of Gang-won-do, in the town of Sinnam, It over looked the Pacific Ocean. It is by far one the most beautiful areas I've seen in Korea. It reminded me so much of the Oregon coast. The surrounding area was so green and vibrant....the air fresh, it was sooo nice! This area is also known for caves which I was really bummed I couldn't explore. The main one said it had a 30 minute steep inclined hike to the entrance. I've push my knee, but I know when something isn't a good idea...but I'm still bummed about it.  You'll find out later what we did instead.

The beach just below the park.

The cock rock.

The penis cannon which moved up and down for your viewing pleasure.

Insert your own caption here.

The fishermen showing their genitalia to the nymph.

Their view.

Nice try, Korea...

Small huts were set up to show scenes that...well, I really don't know.

Foreplay, maybe?

A creeper 

Korean Sex Ed kids!

 The park also had a fishing village folk museum which was just as interesting! 

An automated reenactment of the bride-to-be (left on the far rock to collect seaweed) drowning,  as the soon-to-be husband couldn't save her (the sea was too rough from a storm), calling for her from land.

Villagers using a net to catch dinner.

I never realize nor thought that squid (ink fish, maybe) were caught by hooks. 

How can this....

and this, not make you smile?

Notice how brown her boobs are? This is from men fondling them as they pass. No joke. There was a group of Asian men before us and each man laughed and made fun of the man before him, yet couldn't resist doing it himself! That's a lot of dirty hands! 

These pretty little things(not little at all) were everywhere! Stephy thought it was a fun game to point all of them out until I yelled at at her, but then I couldn't but help to do it myself....they were EVERYWHERE.  That is the actual size.

I don't know how people go without living with an ocean, as soon as I see it I get a sense of freedom. I can't explain it but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

A tomb...who's? I don't know.

So, remember when I said I couldn't explore the cave? Well....this is what we did. We went to the shit cake!!

What is the shit cake, you ask? It's a cave museum... but you can not tell me that doesn't look like a cake covered in poop icing. 


We were the only ones to explore this building. It was a bit odd considering the mass quantities of people everywhere you go. It took us about an hour. Cave are quite fascinating! I've done a few cenote (cave) dives in Central America but haven't experience too many, if any on land. Our entrance fee of 3,000w also included  an Imax showing of a cave within Samcheok that's unexplored by the public. If you haven't ever experienced a true Imax theater you should, they're pretty awesome. The only other one I've been to is at OMSI.  The slightly curved one that you are able to see new 3-D movies on, don't even come in the running for the experience that the spherical ones provide. The show we watched wasn't too one of the best I've seen but  it was still enjoyable. Plus, we were the only ones in the theater so that was an extra added bonus!


Haesindang Park


2 months, 9 days....
Thailand ticket purchased!


I apologize for the many typos I have, the longer I'm here the more I don't care..I know each blog gets worse and worse. I teach it all day, and correct it all night... the last thing I want to do is correct my own.  

No more Curly-pops! Book your flight...Thailand, Dec. 1st

These days I walk without crutches, smart I don't know, more convienent, most definitely. SO after I got my daily honk to get out of the way the other morning, I limped myself to the bus stop. While crossing the main street, as I was focusing on the ground making sure no potholes snuck up on me, a dude in an electric wheel chair zoomed by. I looked up and this old guy was cruzing....in the road! This is the first time I've seen, no sorry, the 2nd time I've seen someone in an electric wheel chair (in Korea). But this one had to have turbo speed becuase it was CRUISING and in the road non-the-less! As I'm gimping myself to the bus stop, cringing when any Korean gets close enough to possibly shoulder swipe me, I obvisously was a bit jealous...not only was he moving faster then I was, he had wheels! The way traffic flows here is beyond me and then to have a electric wheel car in the road. The cars just by passed him as if he was a dead animal in the road. They didn't slow down, they'd leave a foot gap between him and their car waiting for a opening to pass him...it was seriously nuts, but I am still jealous.

Chuseok, round two.

It's once again Chuseok, one of Korea's biggest holidays. I'd say it's comparable to our Christmas day but more like the holiday of Thanksgiving. Families gather at the eldest son's house (every year, every holiday, is what I hear...sucks for that guy!!) It you are married you are to prepare many foods as well to bring (This as we all know, well most of us, means the wife prepares it). I don't remember but in during the morning they celebrate the dead and in the evening eachother. All week I've been asking the children what they will be doing but it's like they don't even understand what I'm talking about. Maybe I still need to grow up but I love holidays, if it's not for the presents, it's for the food or the time off! These kids don't even have the excitement for that. Thursday during our kids gym time, they got to play a few of the traditional games of the holiday. One is smiliar to hacky sac, another you throw an arrow or spear into a bucket and the third is tug-o-war. All of these are crammed into 25 minutes while photographers are in the kids faces making them pose for pictures in each activity.  One of my students parents brought in song-pyeon (rice cake filled with different things like white bean paste or sugar and sesame) and a traditional drink (of which I don't know, it's a light brown cloudy liquid with (what I think look like) rice-crispies floating inside of it. ) I tried some and it just tasted like a sugary milky substance (nothing that I need to drink again). The majority of my kids didn't like it as well. It was still fun, but after the kids eating all theses things with sugar in them you can image how my class went. The last couple of weeks my class has been in boot camp. From having to work after the surgery, I had zero energy and really put zero efforts into keeping the kids controlled. Basically I showed up to work, tried to put a smile on my face for the kids, and attempted to get through the days work. After all this sugar, I was expected to do book work with them. Of course, none of them could sit still. I pick my battles and usually try to work with what I got. Instead of E class boot camp, I let them squirm around a bit and shout the answers to help the drug of sugar pass.  Well, this didn't fly with Adeline. She came in making all the children sit nicely, quietly.....all the goods. Could they? No. It almost made it worse. I look at her, laugh and say "this is why kids always need playtime after a sugar party."

Here are some pictures from our Chuseok celebration at school.

My class

Minah and Steve

Jaegi- Korean hacky sac

Anna and Minah

Brian and Jian getting pushed and shoved into a pose for the camera (Brian's usually the only one who smiles on cue for the camera)

Brian and Jian getting ready to play Tuho (throwing arrows into  a barrel thing)

Tug of war -It looks like we won however, we did not. In our defense, we are the youngest....and maybe the smallest class.

 Chuseok fell on a Monday this year, so we got an extra long weekend having Monday and Tuesday off. I planned to do absolutely nothing. Saturday, I made a Costco run which will most like be my last give or take a few things (like coffee grounds, Cooks champange, and sparkling water). I also scrubbed my house. I haven't been in the shape to do it since the surgery (over a month ago), so you can imagine he filth. I scrubed my bathroom floor which wasn't my best idea. I almost fell a few times. If you ever need a workout/ challenge try cleaning with only one leg. Once finished, it was, as it always is, totally worth it.  Sunday, I decided to venture out and check out Gyeongbokgung Palace, I thought it had festivities for the holiday (only because it said it on-the-website!) but turns out I was wrong. It's on the outskirts of the city so it had still nice scenery and was by far the most enjoyable palace I've been too.

While enjoying the company of myself and the song that was playing in my ears, I must have looked like I needed friends. As I was sitting on a bench, a group of Cambodians swarmed me. A younger guy asked if he could have a picture with me. "Sure" I say. Then, another one asked....and then another, and another.....I think I had atleast ten pictures taken. Do you ever wonder what people do with pictures they take with complete strangers? I do. Once they moved on, I decided to move about myself. I decided to take a less traveled route and found a small door. Of course I had to go through it! I found nothing too exciting but I did find a potential sweet photo portrait (for those who know how much I love to take pictures of my head!)  I climb my gimp ass up this wall and just as I'm ready to take the picture I see in a glimpse, a guy behind my camera. Here I am, surronded by a bunch of walls, haven't seen anyone go through for the last 30mins, I have my head phones in (the number one indicator I don't necesarily want to be talked to) and here is this guy out of the blue saying something to me. I lower my camera, take out my head phones to find out what he wants becuase he obviously is talking to me." Can I take your picture for you?" he says. In my head I'm thinking, do I look like I want you to take a picture for me? Did I ask you?! (Yes, I know I sound like an asshole. It's always nice when some one offers to take a picture for you if your by yourself, but not when I specifically choose a spot where no one else was!) Anyhow, me being the pleasent person that I am, say "sure.." Then I give him specific instructions that I want the scenery of the mountains in the picture and just part of me on the side. He takes the picture and starts jabbering away about all sorts of things. Meanwhile, I'm still standing up on this wall because I don't know how nor want to have him watch me get down. Finally, after probably 5-10 minutes, I decided he's not leaving anytime soon. He then tells me all these things I should do that are around the area, I said "ok, thanks". Then, he tells me we should go. UGhhhh...."We?" First off, I'm not done here, my knee hurts and I already have a plan for the day. He never gets my subtle hints that I'm not interested. Eventually, I cave. As much as I sound like an asshole, when it comes to strangers I try to subside myself. What can it hurt, right? It's a nice thing to have someone explain things if I have questions I suppose. We end up going to a huge market, I don't remember the name. It sold fruits, veggies, fish, meat, medicine...everything. I'm pretty sure he had me walk up every aisle. He'd point out everything that was Korean. I found it humerous because the basic tomato he called a korean tomato, a korean pear (known to us as an asian pear), Korean corn, etc. (I found it humorous...and I stand corrected if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure they are only called Korean becuase they were actually grown in Korean, nothing special, just not imported).  SO here we are, my knee is killing me, I ask questions here and there but I'm always cut off to be talked to about what ever he deems worthy.  There are so many people cramming the walk ways, not including all the bikes and scooters transporting things. My knee is killing me, I definitely did not bring enough drugs with me for this. I had asked him why he wasn't with his family for the holiday. He tells me his family and relatives are all at his house so he doesn't want to go home. Sweet! He doesn't want to go home, how am I suppose to rid of him. After a good hour and half (at least) walking through the market I tell him I can't walk around anymore, my knee hurts too much. "Ok, what do you want to do now?" He asks. For an out (becuase my knee pain isn't enough), I tell him I am suppose to meet some friends. He asks me at what time? I hadn't looked at the time for a while so I guessed a time hoping it was somewhat close....Nope! Of course....I tell him we can get some food to introduce me to something new if he's hungry but after that I had to go. He takes me back on the subway and go to Jongno food market. Here there are tons of open restaurants that you just sit and order ( I wish I had took a picture). As we go through to find a station he wants to eat at,  whichever one looks the freshest or is known to have good food because they all look the same, I point out all the things I've had, tried, or aviod. I don't know if he thought I was saying those were the things I wanted to try becuase next thing I know that basically everything he ordered. He ordered rice cakes covered in a sweet/spicy sauce, fish sausage which is serve in a broth, and a black Korean sausage. When we were finished he asked the lady how much? which he translates to me and begins to walk away. Really, dude?!! I could careless to pay, but don't just walk away. You invited yourself to be my friend for the whole day and you can't just ask for me to pay...you just walk away? (Korea!) I pay and have him direct me out to the subway. We past a station , and I why can't I go in this one? He said becuase we needed to go further up and take a right. I assumed it was just to a different subway line. I should have just took the first subway station considering my knee. As we walk farther and pass another one, I stop and ask again but more firmly, "where are we going?" He says "to Insadong." A whole other neighborhood! At that point, I got really annoyed and said No, I'm not going to Insadong, I'm going home. Nice meeting you, thanks for showing me around....good-bye!" (All with a smile on my face, of course!)

Gyeongbokgung Palace

As I walked in to the palace they were just finishing the changing of the guard's ceremony.

The entrance to the street. This is where the guards stand.

Everyone was taking pictures with the guards up close and personal. I was too embarrassed to do my straight arm shot ( since I was by myself) so i just took a picture of him.

But then I got creative

The Korean guy told me what these were for but I forgot.... or I might have just stopped listening (we all know I have that problem).

The time I appreciated someone asking to take my picture.

The mini door I found.

The picture the dude took....do you SEE any mountains?!! Picture potential, failed.  

The Market

Dried frog. Looks meaty!

River turtle. Apparently they eat these.

Poultry

Ginseng 

Bird decorated for the holiday. If you can't see, the feet are what is attached to the beak. It's a bit too morbid and  cannibalistic for me.

Many different type of pastes. Red, white, brown bean and chili pastes.

All kimchi. I learned there are over 200 different types of Kimchi in Korea. I don't know if this meant recipes or different forms.

After the day's excursions, I ended up meeting a few friends for a few much needed drinks. The next day, needless to say I about fell over when I got out of bed from the excruciating pain in my knee. I again decided to it easy and met up with a friend to lounge around. On Tuesday, to finish the holiday I went to the Twins vs. busan bears baseball game. It's not quite the same as a PGE Beavers Thirsty Thursday but at a baseball game, I'm always thirsty!  This was a big game, and the stadium was packed...as it usually is (I never would have thought Koreans liked baseball) At the 8th inning, one of the friends I was with hit another friends beer can out of their hand. The beer went down the backs of the three Koreans sitting in front of us. They were already not happy with us having our feet on the seats (they had sat down after the people who had been sitting there the whole game (with our feet there) had left, so I pretty much didn't care) but now they were pissed. All 3 people turn around and started yelling at us in Korean. My friends continuously said they were sorry, I'm speaking in English telling them that we are sorry but there is nothing we can do about it...they continue to go off in Korean, I keep talking to them in English, what do they want us to do.... I mean seriously, we can buy you beers, kimbap...what?!! I was super embarrassed and ya, it did suck, but what is yelling in Korean going to do to a bunch of foreigners who obviously don't speak the language going to do? After probably 5 minutes which felt like 30, they left and we finished watching the game.  It was a good holiday.

75 days! Next destination, THAILAND. December 1st......who's coming?!!!!!!!