Kat's great arrival

Finally, Kathleen has made the move to Busan. And I must say, she fits right in. Her first night was last Monday and ever since then we have been going strong. It began with a night in the our hood- Kyungsung University. A great neighborhood it is too, filled with young people and plenty of restaurants with good food. We went to a cheap Korean style joint and I awed Kathleen at how skilled I am at Korean by trying to communicate with the waiter, failing greatly and then resorting to pointing to the Korean writing and saying, "Ego chessayo". Translation: "This please". It is a dangerous sport, pointing blindly like that at a Korean food menu. We could of ordered dog or human liver or who knows what else. Kathleen was a good sport though and up for anything so that is exactly what we did. However, our food arrived and it was machesoyo - delicious with mostly identifiable ingredients. After dinner we met up with Diane, a Canadian that lives in our hood. Her personality is pure energy and she keeps us going when everyone else is tired. Which is exactly what we needed all since this week takes the cake, we have been out doing things constantly from about noon until 4 or 5 the next morning. There is just so much to do and so many new people for Kathleen, and myself still to meet, that we haven't been able to stop! So anyway it all began the first night Kathleen was here, she introduced her to some Korean friends we made the week before and then made our way home. Like I've told others Kathleen has just seamlessly joined in, I have a great group of friends here now from all over and she gets along with all of them well. She has settled into her new apartment, a five minute walk from myself. And thank God she is here too cause she is documenting this experience much better than I am. Here is her blog- http://kasheridan.blogspot.com/ she will fill in what I have left out with pictures and video.

Aside from Kathleen coming there have been some other very exciting things happening. First, was the island hopping during Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving. We didn't really know where we were going, what it would be like or even if there would be a beach to camp on. Not sure how we ended up anywhere really. After taking a two hour bus from Busan (more like three with Chuseok traffic), a tashee (taxi), a ferry, another bus, and walking a bit this is what we found:

This picture is a bit crooked and doesn't convey how beautiful it was but it was taken at about 6 am after sleeping in a S. Korean graves, this is my excuse .

If you notice this is a rocky beach, not so comfortable to sleep on. However, there was a grassy hill, rumored to be a burial ground, near the shore and that is where we set up tent and stayed the night. It was about a group of 30 Westerners (by the time everyone finished filtering in) that invaded this quiet little island. Some had tents, some didn't, some had food, others didn't. But still, everyone had a good time. We braved the water but ended up coming out of it with scrapes from the rocks we couldn't see. While the beach had some trash the water was clear, clean and cool and as long as you watched out for rocks it was a great swim. So the next day we decide it is time to move on in hopes of finding sand. This time we hitch hiked back to the main land in order to catch a bus to the next island - Go Je, the second largest in South Korea. A sandy beach should be a sure thing on this one... right? Our group breaks down to only 7 of us as we begin, at 7 in the morning, to attempt to get to the next island. So the nice man let's us hitch to the other side of the bridge where we sit awhile, catch a bus in order to catch a ferry in order to sit around waiting for another bus in front of a convenience store being the only thing open on Chuseok day.

The ride we hitched-Don't know many people that would pick up this crowd of strangers, then again Koreans are nicer than most Americans and a lot less sketchy.

We wait, and wait, then finally the owner of the store calls us cabs. It may have been out of the goodness of her heart but then again we were acting up in front of her establishment for over an hour so I'm pretty sure she just wanted us to go away. The cabs arrive. Happy to just be back on the road (it's 10:30 by now) we climb into two. Dot, Aim, Mom and Dad- Not sure how you could forget it, but do y'all remember our little family trip to Taroko Gorge? Perhaps you blocked it because of the traumatic taxi ride along steep cliffs, those men were mad. It may just be an Asian taxi driver thing because our taxis drove the same way, aside from the cliffs it was just as fast and tight. We were burning rubber, literally, wheels were screeching. Needless to say we made it alive to the next beach. And there was sand. We set up camp across the road from the town cow after we venture to find food in a small Korean coastal town where everything is closed because of the holiday. Again we find ourselves sitting on a stoop wondering where the hell to buy food with only ramen and a $10 bbq to cook on between the lot of us. Right then Brenda comes up with her two younger siblings. She is a 13 year-old Korean that speaks near perfect English. Not sure why, cause we are looking rough, then again maybe that was why, she tells us that her father would like to prepare us food! On his holiday, on their Thanksgiving him and his wife offer their home to feed almost ten strangers a homemade meal. Astonishing, isn't it? The generosity here never ceases to amaze. The prepare bipembop (spelling...), a traditional dish of rice, vegetables, and egg complete with side dishes and water to drink. The 5 year-old boy even provided entertainment, by singing "Let it Be". It was kind of creepy how well he sang it. The parents only emerged to bring in the food and to help us out where we can catch the bus back to Busan the next morning, Brenda acting as translator.

Here are the providers of the best Chuseok miracle preformed on our trip-

Our campsite night #2, glamorous innit?

We were really sure how to repay their generosity, leaving money would be worse than nothing and we didn't have anything on us but ramen and fireworks. In the end two people left their phone numbers with little Brenda, maybe she'll get a few free English lessons out of the whole deal. The beach behind us is where we spent the rest of the day and night. Finding fire wood at a near by school yard we build a fire and sit around. The next morning we're up again early to catch the first bus outta dodge. By this time I think all of us, while it was a great trip, were about ready to be back in Busan. The bus took us straight to the second bus terminal where we got another back home. And it was so good to get back home.

23 will be just as good as 22

I'm pretty sure of it, if not better. But only because y'all contributed to the great start. Those back home as well as my coworkers, students and friends here. My day started with talking to all of my family, including the twins and Addie, who I haven't talked to since I've arrived. I got my hur did, for only 10 bucks and it was the best hair cut I've ever had. They did the most amazing hair wash, it was like a scalp massage. I drank coffee, ate pastries and leisurely made my way to work by 3 pm. Some of the students were kind enough to bring me gifts, back to the generosity of the people here (I have more examples coming). I received a pencil case, notebooks, pencils for my pencil case, a handkerchief, and coppee (coffee) drinks. All of which are token Korean things. In addition my coworkers got me a cake with candles, sang me happy birthday and gave me a gift certificate to E Mart (it's a Korean thang) along with a card. From work I went straight to meet people for dinner. It was a great group of friends ranging from people I've known since the first night I got here to people I met at dinner that night. It was a group of almost 18 from Canada, America, Korea... all over. We went to eat Korean bbq at a top notch restaurant. The two Korean woman who came along to dinner, who didn't know who the hell I was before that night, brought me a gift from The Body Shop. After dinner we headed to one of my favorite dives. My favorite 'cause it reminds me of places in back in Athens, small, dark and plays live music ranging in quality, every Wednesday being open mic night. We met more friends at the bar and continued the fun with pool, music and dancing. After all it was a school night so it ended at a reasonable hour in order to be able to function for work the next day. I want to thank everyone that contributed to making it such a good day, I am so thankful to have y'all be a part of it wherever in the world the birthday wishes came from.

Tomorrow I will be heading two hours west of Busan by bus to hop islands for Korea's Thanksgiving (Chusok). Most of the schools have Monday and Tuesday off next week so there will be a bunch of teachers camping on various islands in the area. I have a cell phone now, although I'm not sure how it works with foreign calls. Here is the number just in case: 010-5844-2097 (I got to pick the last four digits). Sorry this is a dinky post, the next one will be good. Promise.

Miss Ranew is acclimated.

I believe it is official! I dreamt of getting kimchi recommendations at the grocery store last night, Korean culture has entered my subconscious so therefore I am acclimated. Of course we were speaking English, so I haven't totally converted. I was definitely in a Mega Mart though, not Kroger. So there is that and the fact that my kitchen has only Korean food in it since I have polished off the oreos AND peanut butter Frances sent along (one amazing package that one was). That leaves: tofu, frozen dumplings, soy sauce, pickled radish, kimchi, seaweed, soy bean oil, some odd thick brown sauce that reminds me of Vegemite, green tea, cactus yogurt, chop sticks, spoon, no fork, and eggs of varying sizes that I keep refrigerated unlike every where else in this country. The only "normal" things are salt, corn flakes, bread and butter. While I have attempted to cook traditional food with some success and an equal amount of failures (I haven't mastered the art of cooking rice). One thing I have not taken on is using what I find here to create Western food. Nothing past a grilled cheese at least, which isn't hard to recreate even though the cheese is below par. So that is my next challenge. I guess I haven't cooked it because I haven't been that desperate yet. And I guess before I'll brave buying imported mad cow ridden meat (only kidding) I'll hit McDonald's. While I disapprove of the signs of Western culture taking over I did appreciate one American establishment the other day. I'm over Dunkin' Donuts, I have moved on to the upper crust, Starbucks. I'm on my new schedule now and while the hours are much better, I can stay up late and sleep in later, it is hard to adjust to working evenings. To help me adapt I get coffee. Everything was the same, the decor, the type of people (even though Korean), the sounds and the smell. The coffee was pretty good too. I didn't get what I think I ordered, but that goes for places back home too. Customer service just isn't what it used to be.

I have been up to a lot since the last time I wrote in this thing. For one I went to a Lotte Giants baseball game. Since they are on a winning streak, and like home, games are only exciting when the team is winning, the stadium was packed and the fans were wild. In terms of concessions, which are not ridiculously overpriced, there was dried squid, fish cakes on a stick, dumplings, fried chicken, hot dogs, cheap beer, pepsi (no coke-a-cola!!!!!! but that usually isn't the case), rice noodles, roasted potatoes with sugar sprinkled on top, and kimbop (sushi-esque). We sat third base on the side opposite the cheerleaders, yep at a baseball game. We were right dab in the middle of the family section. The best part is the nineth inning, everyone is given an orange shopping bag which is to be, get this, placed on your head. Can you imagine the lawsuits? Here is a bag that goes over your head, make sure the kid gets one too. But no, this isn't lawsuit land, people are laid back. So you take the bag, blow air into it, tie a knot and place it on top of your head with the handles around your ears. Vuwallah, you look like an ass in two seconds flat. But it's ok, so does everyone else. The beauty of this bag is that they totally distract you from it's real use. When the game is over pick up what you've been throwing around your section for the past few hours then toss the old hat into the pile of other trash filled hats. Although I kept mine as a souvenir.

The other dream I had was that I was back home for only a few hours, this one felt real. I didn't see anyone but I was in my room trying to remember what it was that I missed so I could bring it back with me. The thing was, I couldn't remember a damn thing! It goes to show that you don't really need much, the things I miss are creature comforts and security blankets of sorts which aren't worth remembering. I brought pretty much all I need. However, I do still enjoy packages and I received TWO yesterday! I couldn't wait till next Wednesday so I opened the boxes hoping that the presents would be wrapped. Opps, Dot's wasn't!!!! Haha, thank you so much Dot! I love the book and the vintage stickers. Mom, you did manage to wrap some things and thank God you did because I wouldn't have anything to open on my actual birthday. The paintings from Addie are lovely Aimee, I'll have something to decorate my apartment with. I haven't read the card yet, I'm saving the best for last. And the Ped Egg- it is amazing. Not to mention that you remembered to put in my makeup I left back home. Guess I can't go without some material things. I hope to get packages in the mail soon to y'all, there is so much I want to show you! But that'll wait till I get paid, let the suspense grow until then.

I also ventured to my first Jingibong (sp?), a spa where you walk around naked. But I don't want to give too much away before Kathleen gets here. So I'll wait so she can experience it and then I will fill the rest of you in.