An Unconscious Discovery (July 27)

• I made an interesting discovery today. I did my laundry yesterday, not thinking that I’d need some of the laundered items today – like my bra. BUT in the extreme heat we’ve been having a damp bra was a miracle! The leftover water keep me cool for a long time, but wasn’t enough to soak through my clothes – perfect! 
• I had dinner with Winter and Hye Sun tonight. We went to HomePlus and chose a restaurant on the 6th floor. There wasn’t anyone in there so we had a nice time, just by ourselves. The conversation was a mix of Korean, translation by Winter and English. After dinner, we went to this coffee/gelato store across the way and had both :) Hye Sun gave us gifts too! I got a lovely sparkly light purple headband. It was so cute. After that, we did a little shopping and then it was time to say goodbye. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be! I’m friends with Hye Sun on Facebook but, because of her limited English, it won’t be the same as keeping in touch with Jeanette or Liz on Facebook. Hopefully, I’ll get to go back and visit someday. 
• Tonight I decided to stay up WAY too late to watch the Olympics Opening Ceremonies. It started at 9 p.m. London time – so 4 a.m. Korea time! It was worth it though. Although it wasn’t the same type of amazing as the Beijing ceremonies, I really loved it. Some of the highlights included: 
• Patients from the hospital that Barry bequeathed his earnings from Peter Pan to 
• The British anthem sung by an integrated deaf and hearing children’s choir 
• An amazing visual history of Britain, where they tore away the countryside set to reveal one inspired by the Industrial Revolution that then forged the rings of the Olympics and gave way to the stage used for the rest of the show 
• Wonderful accompaniment for the history portion that was drum/percussion-based 
• A modern history of British pop music and culture that included children’s books and Sir Tim Bergers Lee – the inventor of the World Wide Web! 

What Is This Feeling? (July 30)

• Found out a lame thing about one of my favorite stores in Pohang today – you can’t try on any of the very cheap shirts/skirts/dresses, but you also can’t return them! You can’t have it both ways, Korea! In addition, I have decided that I can do most things alone but I still dislike shopping without a second opinion. It’s too hard to decide on my own! Plus, there’s extra pressure when stores have parameters like the aforementioned store.
• I came to Gumi tonight to hang out with Rachel before she leaves. We’ll be close-ish back in the States but it still might be a long time before we see each other again. We had naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) and Cafe Bene gelato, then went searching for unusual chocolates and candy to bring back home and are now enjoying some good movies. It's totally indicative of our personalities and relationship and is a good way to say, “See you soon”.
• Focusing on being excited to go home has helped me forget that going home means that I’m leaving the place and people I love here :( This realization came to me on the bus tonight and I was feeling very panicky. I don’t like it :/ Up until now, my feelings have been relatively neutral – bad days/wanting to see people at home evenly balanced with good days/ loving it here. And in the case of the latter, I could suppress the sadness of my impending departure date. Not anymore...

Players Everywhere (July 26)

• Sad to leave today but I couldn’t have asked for a better trip to Busan and I will see Monique and Richard this weekend, as well as when I get back to the US.
• Got home and immediately showered (without even turning the hot water on) – it was 35 C (that’s 97 F, with the heat index at 102) outside and hot enough in my apartment that when I turned the air on, it almost felt too cold at 29 C (85 F).
• Went to Café PHC for another great night of performances, this time by the Pohang Players. Each member of the group performed a monologue and they were all fantastic. I particularly loved listening to the Scottish girl do hers in a thick Scottish accent. So beautiful and mysterious. Plus, we got another AMAZING meal: chicken sandwiches on homemade focaccia, and chicken salads with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was more than I normally pay for dinner but IT IS SOOOO GOOD. Can’t help it!
• Did some shopping downtown afterwards and then headed to the new McDonald’s at Bukbu to meet Ingrid, Nida and Karlena. We basically had ice cream and just sat at the beach and talked for about 2 hours. And then we saved a little money by walking from the beach back downtown. It seems so long to me, but it wasn’t a bad walk with good company, which we had. On the way home, Ingrid’s and my taxi driver took us the wrong way, but I don’t think he was trying to jip us, he seemed legitimately confused about what we said. And he was really nice and actually spoke good enough English for me to have a conversation with him on my leg of the journey home. It was nice because I’ve been feeling guilty lately about the lack of conversation I can hold with taxi drivers – I can answer their questions but can’t respond and I feel conceited :/ so this was good.

Trick of Mind (July 25)

• Aaaaaaand it was even hotter today! Heat advisory even, because the nights are still really hot and not helping to cool anything down :/ So we shopped in Nampo a little and then met some friends to go to the Trick Eye Museum. It was so cool! First, it was air-conditioned. BUT aside from that, the museum was fun! You could pose with all the trick art and the pictures turned out really great (all photos courtesy of Monique):

 

• And then we had smoothies and pizza (and it wasn't too bad) and saw the Dark Knight (for me, again). It was great – again :)

Seaside Rendevous (July 24)

• Today was beach day – and thank goodness, because it was just as hot as yesterday. Monique is a wonderful hostess/planner and has tons of great stuff planned for us to do. This afternoon’s adventures included a ferry ride around the coast to see some miniature islands and relaxation time on the beach. Monique napped, Donna read/napped and I floated on the water. I rented a tube and just rode the waves for a while. It was nice, and I like being in the salt water, even though it tastes funny and leaches the moisture from your body. After 6 we had to return our umbrellas, chairs, towels and tube, so Monique and I went in search of chicken. We found some that was yummy, crunchy and greasy – and coupled with our Coronas, it was a great beach meal.

• Afterwards, we planned to go shopping around Nampo-dong but took a detour to find the Busan Cinema Center instead. With some help from some very gracious Koreans, we made it to the giant outdoor projection theater. It was pretty cool :)

• THEN we went to Nampo-dong to see Busan’s Tower – it was a lot of walking and Donna ended up waiting at the bottom for us :/ It WAS a little bit of a hike but the view at the top was pretty great. You can see the whole city. And there was a nice old lady up there who, I imagined, was reminiscing about her late husband, as this tower is fashioned after the romantic Seoul Tower.

 

 

• We missed Richard (he was working hard on his online class) but the silliness back at the apartment, induced by late-night snacking and a very hot day, made up for it.

 

 

View Master (July 23)

• Busan today! I haven’t been before and was/am really excited to spend time here and with Monique and Richard (my wonderful hosts). It was bloody (Jeanette is influencing me!) hot though! OMG! (This is gross) I definitely sweated through my shirt, in almost every way, and onto any part of my backpack that was touching me. I also felt like a percussionist...my bag was so heavy it felt like a drum. (Though I’d be a bad one if I were carrying it on my back.) Monique, her mom and I did a lot of extra walking too – the museum we walked to turned out to be closed and we couldn’t find Art Box for the life of us. We took a nice break in the middle at an adorable coffee shop, taking pictures and enjoying the service smoothie we received. But we eventually just went to dinner early and took advantage of the aircon and cold beer that was available to us, while waiting for everyone else to arrive.
• Dinner was yummy (and I got to meet Monique’s mentor teacher, her MT’s nephews, and her co-teachers) but afterwards was the best...we went to Gwangalli beach, which was beautiful, and then up to the roof of their friend’s apartment building! The view was fantastic and it was a great way to cool down and just chat. Plus, I have now drank twice on a rooftop, which has never been a goal of mine, but is a pretty cool thing to say I’ve done :)

• In addition to seeing Richard and Monique, it’s really fun to spend time with Monique’s mom, Donna. She is a teacher in Tacoma, WA, so it’s great to compare ideas and information about teaching and traveling. And it’s nice to have an adult around that speaks English – even though she’s not paying for my stuff or anything, I kind of feel like she’s watching out for me :) 

Our Thoughts Are Prayers (July 20)

• Abby and I met Paul in Mundeok today to get cupcakes at a place that Paul claimed was amazing. We walked up to it - and it was a hair salon. Some time between last week (when Paul went last) and today, it changed it's service from cupcakes to hair-cutting. Um, what? Oh Korea.
• I had the most amazing sandwich tonight - a Chicken Breast Focaccia Sandwich to be exact. The name doesn't do it justice. For someone who hasn't had a real American sandwich in almost 6 months, this was heaven. But not just that - it was so fantastic. Everything was homemade, the tomatoes were great, the sauce was yummy, the bread was slathered in olive oil or butter or something and the chicken was perfect. AMAZING.
• Tonight I met a guy from South Africa and after we finished talking and I was saying, "Nice to meet you" he leaned in for a hug and said, "I'm from South Africa and we hug everyone." I loved it! Can't wait to visit because I love hugs.
• Sometimes I can't believe that I don't know more alcoholics. Do all people my age drink as much as the people I know do? Did other generations do this in their 20s? Goodness.
• Pastor Richie approached me with a fabulous opportunity tonight. It was basically an answered prayer, so quotes for today:

"All good things to those who wait."

"Much effort, much prosperity."

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

• Finally, prayers of comfort for the people and families of people involved in the Dark Knight shooting. I can't believe that happened - literally, my brain can't comprehend it. They were going to a movie. A movie I saw on Thursday. A movie the world has been excited about. A MOVIE for Christ's sake. Not a rally or a protest or anything. Seriously, what is happening :(

It Is Finished (July 19)

• I finally made it to my last day of school! I can't believe it but I'm so grateful to be done. Our students were so crazy. We had a party for them but still had to break up several fights and 7 children cried (5 of them boys). I was so glad when they left my classroom. It was not a good feeling on the last day (especially when almost everyone else I know is sad and/or crying about leaving their students) but knowing I don't have to go back to teaching them is nice. One day, I will again have students that I never want to leave.
• At dinner, we got a hot soup and I was baffled why we were eating hot food when it is 95 degrees and humid out. Winter informed me that it is the belief/practice of Asian natural medicine to eat hot food when it is hot so your body breaks into a sweat and starts to cool more quickly. Huh. Never thought about it that way before. I told her that, in America, we avoid hot food in the summer because it's awful to cook when it's hot and cool stuff is more refreshing. We were both amazed by the other's customs.
• After dinner, I went to Daegu to watch Dark Knight Rises. Long story short, I arrived an hour after it started - luckily, it was so amazing that, by the end, I didn't feel like I'd missed anything. Yay!
• When I finally got home, I switched on my TV and found none other than an old episode of Touched By An Angel on one of the Christian channels. Whaaaaaat???

Positive Vibes

• I've been quite angry, bitter, stressed, frustrated and sad lately and I know that some of those feelings aren't going to change any time soon. I know of a couple big things that would alleviate a lot of my worry but, while I'm waiting for those to show up, I'm going to try to make myself a little happier. Tonight, I stepped out of my apartment to go to HomePlus and it was spitting. When I came out of HomePlus a little while later, it was pouring, and continued to for the duration of my wait for the bus, the bus ride and my walk home from the stop. I was pretty soggy by the time I came close to my apartment, but instead of turning onto my street, I turned toward the school. I walked righ to the middle of the soccer field and stood there, letting the rain just fall. It eventually made me smile to think how ridiculous I looked and, indeed, how slightly crazy I must be. Then I saw lightening in the distance and decided to head inside.
• A little while later, I heard banging on my wall. And the unmistakable sound of a drill. Yes, the neighbors next door are doing some kind of reno project. At 10 pm. Instead of being angry, I tried something new and slightly foreign to me - I walked over and offered them water. There were 5 men and one woman in the tiny kitchen and, though none of them took me up on my offer, they were smiling.

Andrew Variations (July 17)

• Wow, only 2 days left at school! Can't say that I'll miss it too much and I'm quite sure I won't get teary-eyed when I leave. However, I WwILL miss seeing and working with Winter, some of the things my kids do (like the trouble-makers who still say "Hello Teacher!" as they enter class and "Goodbye Teacher!" as they leave class, no matter what happened that day or the day before), the lunches, Hye Sun and Office Guy, and the continuity of going to work every afternoon. Ah well. Change is good, right? For the first time, I might actually be embracing that concept.
• Dinner with Sai, Winter, Liz, Jeannie, Sarah and Brittany. I am so so grateful that I still have a lot of time to see my friends before leaving.
• Spiderman, take 2, with Liz tonight! Just as good as the first time around. I'll leave yo uwith this little gem as I head off to bed:

AND he's grounded <3

Milky Cereal

• Today turned out relatively poorly but there were a few good things: Winter is amazing; I kind of fixed my iTunes, which was good because it was making me freak out a bit; cereal for dinner; lots of movies.
• Scratch that...I JUST GOT A JOB INTERVIEW!!! THAT is my good thing for today :)

Peace Like A River (July 15)

Timing didn’t work out for us to do mud activities today, but it was okay since we did such awesome stuff yesterday. Sai, Christian, Liz, Jeanette and I lounged around in our room until we had to check out and then basically wandered around Boryeong until our scheduled departure. It was also cool to see the tide difference along the beach throughout the day. AND I ran into a guy wearing a Michigan Marching Band t-shirt! He was representing a world peace organization and wanted me to sign his petition – but I was totally distracted by his shirt! And told him I’d sign the petition if he’d take a picture with me. Turns out he wasn’t from Michigan and didn’t know anyone in the MMB, he just liked the shirt (even though it was just plain block letters embroidered). Oh well.
I really hope I get a chance to get Korean honey pancakes again before I leave. I had them at a rest stop a couple weeks ago and tried to get some today but the lady did not have any, even though her sign said she did. Rude.
We stayed in Daegu for dinner and went to a restaurant that serves some pretty good American food – including REAL breakfast food! It was pretty fabulous, especially since I had been craving some this weekend :)
This weekend seemed to be some kind of threshold, between being in Korea and getting ready to leave Korea. I can’t believe I only have 3 weeks left – WHAT??? HOW did that happen?

Mud On My Boots (July 14)

• Today was Mud Festival day!!! As part of the Adventure Korea group, we got the privilege to go to the Mud Beach. It was a mud pit of massive proportions! At least a kilometer off the coast was all mud. It was so cool and felt just as great as the Wesley Woods mudpit. Oh except for the crabs. I, luckily, didn’t step on one but oooh that would NOT have felt good.

• After getting beyond dirty, we showered off and were bussed back to the main festival area. There was a line for the mud events, you had to pay to get in and we weren’t too interested in getting dirty again...so, we went swimming in the ocean! It was so fun! Plus it was raining – how often does one get to do THAT? :)
• Later, while hanging out in the room next to ours, Sai and I discovered that some of the pillows provided for us at our seedy motel are made of straws! Not straw. Cut up pieces of straws.
• It's amazing to me how many great people I meet here. And equally amazing how many of them I may never see again :(
• Christian was determined to beat me in the game of Speed. I’m not sure he fully realized how many games Erin and I played during the summers off from middle school. We ended up playing 24 I believe.

Pimp of the Nation (July 13)

• Tonight was our POE Farewell dinner. It was fun to see everyone in one place, but I was late and people were already eating and drama caused friends to be spread out so it wasn’t ideal, unfortunately. And the big seafood buffet in Pohang is way better. But, Winter gave a fabulous speech :) And I got some great pictures with friends. Including one of Joey! Woo.
• Afterwards, we hung out in Daegu (yay I finally got to do that!), went to several drinking places and had a good time. And Jeanette and I escorted Christian home, the highlight being the following conversation:

Emily: (seeing a police car approaching) Quick! Act like a pimp!

Christian: (nearly unconscious and being fully supported by Jeannie and I) Ohhhh yeah.

Neon Tiger (July 12)

• Tonight, I ate a Big Mac for what I believe is the first time. It was pretty good, though I don't really like the Big Mac sauce...
• Also, I had my very own Hazelnut McFlurry and it was AMAZING. And also - dipping my fries in it was fantastic! I now understand the Frosty+fries phenomenon.
• I bought an entirely neon outfit for the Mud Festival this weekend. I am very excited to wear that puppy, even though it will only be neon for a little while.
• Although I did not sleep, I accomplished a TON tonight and I've very proud of myself :)