A Gift

Today I met with a mother of a new student that I worked with. The student started about 6 weeks into the school year and I had to spend some extra time trying to get things sorted out for him. His mom wanted to stop by work today and say hello to me. We chatted for a few minutes, talking about his opportunities at our school, how he's doing, etc. And as the meeting wrapped up I was given a gift. It was a fancy gift. I received a Coach passport holder. This is a gift that my ex-girlfriend would be excited about, maybe even proud that I own a designer accessory. It was a thoughtful gift from that mother. Thanks.

Cycling and Eating

I think last Saturday will probably go down as my best day (or most American day) in Korea! I woke up at 6:30am and drove an hour north to Hwajeong Mountain to meet up with another 30 mountain bikers plus their wives, girlfriends, friends, etc. Despite being surrounded by like-minded people and enjoying a great day of riding the best part of the day was what came after putting in the miles. Jerry, who heads up each weekend, brought two of his coworkers that are from some southern state. They brought their red Chevy, and their SMOKER! While we were out riding they were preparing a feast of smoked meats, vegetables, salads and much more. There was a total of 75 lbs of meat...all from the USA. After a morning of hard riding we were treated to a most amazing meal! I sat and ate smoked pork, smoked sausage, corn on the cob, garlic bread, Doritos and drank good beer. It was a perfect day!! I also met a fellow Mizzou grad who was there the same time I was...small world.

Beijing It Is...

Yesterday I purchased my ticket to Beijing for $250...what a deal, but the visa for US citizens cost $130 (ouch!).  My friend and I will be staying in Beijing for 4 nights and we'll be minutes away from The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and many other great places.  A short bus ride and we'll be at The Great Wall.  Five-star hotels are only $80-$100 per night.  It should be a fun and relatively cheap trip =)

Good News

We just received word that we will be allowed to travel over the Chuseok holiday (Sept 30-Oct 5).  I haven't bought the ticket yet, but I will be headed to one of three places in China: Yanji, Beijing, or Shanghai.  I'd like to go to Yanji because I will actually be able to step foot in North Korea, but I will be with 20 coworkers - something I don't really want.  If I went to Beijing I'd get to see the Great Wall of China plus some other cool sites.  And outside of Shanghai are some beautiful mountains.  Hmmmm...where shall I go?

Blah Blah Blah

I haven't posted anything substantial for a while now because I feel like I'm having more "I hate Korea" days than "I love Korea" days. The way of life here, the normal Korean behaviors, the typical Korean "friendship" are driving me crazy. I keep telling myself that I shouldn't be mad because it's just the way things are here. Just because it's different doesn't mean it's bad, or wrong. So I'm trying to keep a positive attitude when things piss me off.

Despite being perpetually irritated and tired my life is pretty good. Here is what has been going on or coming up:

- I had a custom 3-piece suit made along with a couple of shirts. Things fit better when they are made specifically for me/you.

- I've been riding my mountain bike a decent amount. Last Saturday I rode the bike for about 4.5 hours with a big group of expats and then afterwards we ate American food and drinks such as Johnsonville Brats, Doritos, Sam Adams and much more. I met another rider that lives about 10 minutes from me. He is originally from Montana. We will be riding together. I am going to build up another mountain bike for the fun of it.

- One of my best friends here moved back to the states yesterday. It's sad to see him go, but he is one that I'm sure I'll stay in touch with.

- My week-long, swine flu vacation was quite relaxing. I slept, rode, watched a ton of movies, went on a couple of dates and didn't do any of the work that I needed to do.

- I won't be able to travel anywhere during Chuseok (1st week of October) due to the dumb quarantine policy that is now in effect. If you leave the country you cannot enter a school for 7 days once you return to Korea.

- I'm going to the beach this weekend with some friends and to meet up with some others. I'm excited to blind people with my white body...ha.

That's about it =)