Fish in a blender

Curious to know more about the live and dead things I saw at the market yesterday I decided to ask my kids. A "structured" way for them to speak conversational English, a way to take up some extra time and spare me from asking adults (i.e. embarrassing myself). First I asked about the eels, what I thought were eels at least... Big barrels filled with trashing water from the hundreds of 5 inch slender fish. My understanding of the 12-year-old's translation was that you blend them (alive), then eat them in soup. The kids didn't sound too enthused about this dish either, but they do eat live squid regularly. The further I went from the busier areas of the market the stranger the produce became. Bowls of live frogs, they didn't seem too lively though seeing as they weren't trying to hippity hop away. Turtles of all sizes, squid, strange looking fish, octopus. I have yet to see dog meat, but most of the meat was unidentifiable, so no little fuzzy paws or little stubs for tails sticking out of a filet... yet. The pig parts were identifiable, that snout, those soaking white feet, could know them anywhere. Of course there were things I wished I could buy because it was so fresh, however, I need to learn how to clean fish first. There were also steaming piles of small sea shells and cacoons (yes, cacoons), which were also sold at the food stands at the Rock Festival. Which was amazing, the concert, not the food. I stuck to the meat on a stick (the Korean teachers filled us in this week, both are dishes only eaten when you are drunk, I can't imagine craving them when sober).
The concert was great! It was more like a day at the beach, the music being a nice perk. Koreans are so concerned about their skin and staying safe in the water that the beach was covered with tents and every child had a full suit of floaties on before getting near the shore. It was a pretty big event, wind surfers, young people, families, foreigners, everyone came out for it early in the day and stayed late into the night. It was at this concert that I saw my very first Korean firemen, not bad, but still don't compare. I met a good amount of foreigners, all English teachers swaping stories about the kids and cultural odities noticed about the Korean way of life. The general concencise was that life here is great, the work is easy and the people (natives or not) are welcoming and kind. I won the prize for most recent arrival, there were oldtimers having spent over two years in South Korea and others have only been here for a few months. Soon I will pass on the torch to Kathleen, I'm almost ready.
As I was walking through the market yesterday I finally got a smile from a woman I passed. I have been trying this since I've been here, smiling even nodding sometimes trying to get something more than a blank stare. I did get a wave once, and then what I think was a cat call and a few thank you's from people I have bought things from (does that count?). Then on the subway back to my neck of the woods an older Korean man tested out his English on me. I am making friends (some my own age too)!
Tonight we're going out with the Korean teachers for some authentic Korean, what else?

-Sorry I'm so sketchy about Skype, I'll try to get better...
-And Dad, love the blog!