Day 3 in Tokyo: Panda's, Museums, Redcoats and Red lights

At the break of dawn I awoke to start the next leg of my trip. I checked out of the hotel and set off for the area of Tokyo known as Ueno. In this area there are tons of things to do. There's a discount shopping street (knock off goods galore), a zoo, several museums a giant lotus pond and a lovely park just to name a few.

The first place I hit was the shopping street though nothing really caught my eye. It actually reminded me a lot of Korea. The vendors were shouting out the discounts available to those passing by. In the tiny shops selling fake bags, vegetables and cheap clothes were all available at relatively cheap prices. Even though it was early it was still buzzing with people.

I made my way to a nearby park to take in the view and finish off an iced coffee I'd gotten at a vending machine. The park was conveniently located next to a few adult stores. I think one was even advertising being able to watch an adult flick being filmed! Outside were a bunch of older gents reading leaflets and adverts plastered with attractive young vixens. It was kind of a funny site to see.

Across from this spectacle was a walking path with a huge field of lotus flowers. Between the sexy vixens and the beauty of nature my eyes were in heaven.

From there I entered the main part of Ueno Park with dreams of seeing a panda. As I walked through the park I saw people of all walks of life. Tourists, beggars, couples, flocks of older ladies and gents, and even two guys that may have been Yakuza (just something about lots of tattoo's, missing pinky fingers and giant gold watches that grabs my attention here). I leisurely strolled through the park taking a closer look at anything that caught my eye. The first thing was what appeared to a little shrine on a small hill.

It turned out to be the location where a giant statue of Buddha once stood dubbed, "The Great Buddha Hill" (Daibutsu Yama). Originally it was 2.8 meters tall but was demolished by an earthquake in 1647. It was replaced by a 3.6 Meter tall seated Buddha.

The face of the seated Buddha fell of during an earthquake in 1923. It was all downhill from there (no pun intended). During WWII the government confiscated the metal from the body and pedestal to produce guns and bullets and the like to continue the war effort. It seems a bit ironic doesn't it? 22 years after the war the head was enshrined once more and there it remains to this day.

A little further along the path I came to a building which would catch the eye of any Persian prince... and since I'm just a simple American it was an ever greater eye-catcher.

Ueno Toshogu was a shrine originally built around 1627 and rebuilt once more (those darn earthquakes demolishing everything again) in 1645 as a shrine for Tokugawa Ieyasu the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. For further information check out the placard below:

Then I finally managed to get to Ueno Zoo. Let it be known that I'm not a huge fan of zoo's or incarcerated animals; but sometimes you really just want to see some elephants.

If you're a fan of zoo's I would highly recommend this one. From birds to bears, apes to tigers, bats to night cats and even pandas! Ueno zoo has them all. All around children smiled, ooed and awed at the creatures from far away places. The older folks leisurely strolled from one exhibit to the next and the middle aged, kids in tow, took millions of pictures.

The first place I went was to see the pandas. I was surrounded by at least two dozen elementary students on a field trip all staring and speaking emphatically about the pandas. The only other foreigner I saw in the zoo, who had the biggest camera there as well (size matters apparently), squeezed his way to the front of the pack of children and began shooting shot after shot. I found it kind of funny to see a grown ass man pushing his way through children to see a panda.

The zoo was lovely until I saw the one example of cabin fever I always see at the zoo. In Korea it was a wolf in a tiny cage pacing back and forth and an elephant gone half mad from the atrocious conditions. Here it was a sun bear (from China) pacing back and forth in the smallest part of its cage. Luckily this was the last exhibit that was to be seen and I left the zoo half depressed right after.

After lunch, pizza and beer (you've got to love a sneaky mid-day beer), I headed toward the national museum. Along the way I took a rest in the shade next to the fountain. I had a minute to relax and really take in the world around me. Nearby a couple was on a date, an old man took a quick nap, children played around the fountain and an elderly music group sang traditional songs. What a place to inhabit for a day!

Now after lazing around for a bit I had to once again board the brain train and enter the museum  THIS PLACE IS HUGE! There are several buildings to walk through; though some are special exhibits only). Well it was your typical giant museum... basically waaaaaay too much to take in at one time. Nonetheless it was nice to see the national treasures of the country I currently live in. Below are a few shots from the main museum building. You'll have to visit there yourself to see them all!

By the time I had finished it was nearly 3 o'clock aka check in time at my hotel. I decided to catch the metro and head to the next destination Shinjuku. Along the way I mistakenly bought a ticket and entered the rail station instead of the metro. This was a major problem for once I got in I couldn't get out at the same station. I had to find a ticket clerk who was far too engaged with two teenage girls who were trying to sneak into the station. After 5 minutes of waiting I simply walked past him with no problem. The metro station was at the bottom of the block and I had to purchase another ticket. Live and learn I guess.

Upon exiting Shinjuku station I was graced with the awesome site of two giant robot looking statues on the back of a truck! Cool Japan indeed!

A great site to see after coming from the subway

After a bit of wandering the streets I finally found my hotel. I booked this hotel for pure unabashed experienced. It was a capsule hotel. Whats that you ask? It's basically a giant room with hundreds of boxes (stacked two or three high) to sleep in. The fee is cheap and they generally offer some other kind of service as well. My hotel was also a spa. It must be stated that its not the kind you're thinking of though... probably. It's more of a public bath, ancient Rome style (with modern amenities of course). There are stations in which one sits and showers (shampoo, body soap, etc.), pools for soaking (freezing balls cold, medium, and scorching hot), a dry sauna (which can be a bit weird when packed with a dozen or so other gentlemen), and finally skin and hair stations for once you're finished bathing (skin lotion, hair product, q-tips, toothbrushes and blow-dryers . I should note that if you ever want to enjoy one of these places be weary of the blow dryers. All too often I have seen them used for drying the old coin purse (for those of you unfamiliar with this metaphor I'm talking about gonads).

After a nice long soak, a shower, and briefly exploring the common room I ventured back out into the wild lands of Shinjuku in search of adventure, photo opportunities and beer... mainly beer. Shortly after I stepped outside I ran across another foreigner looking for an ATM. We spent about thirty minutes searching for one. During that time I learned he was a PHD student at a university just outside of Tokyo. He was in town to visit, in his words, "the titty bar." And although his field of expertise was economics he was apparently broke. Even now I find this rather ironic. Regardless he did inform me that my hotel was in the heart of the Red Light District (thus him being there). At first I thought nothing of it but this vital piece of information would come in handy later in the evening.

I roamed all over in search of the magical ATM that was calling my name. From the center building to the metro station alas nothing would work.

After wandering looking for an ATM that would work with my bankbook (I had not yet received my bank card at this time) it was time to eat a snack. I was to meet up with a few friends from Korea in a few hours so I couldn't eat a whole meal but I needed something to get me by. When I was wandering I had passed a small bar and grill tucked away in a side street. The place looked inviting enough and their beer selection left me drooling. Now, it must be said that when you are abroad, especially in Asia, things such as good beer that you have become accustomed to (like lovely golden wheat beers) are not always available and if they are they are rather expensive. It's best to jump at the chance to enjoy them when you can.

So I found myself at the Road House Dining and Beer Bar. I ordered a plate of chicken and a few hoes (Hoegaarden beers). There were only a few people in the bar section. An older man chain smoking, a lonely looking middle aged woman to my left and two cute young women in a table behind me. I sparked up a conversation with the bar tender and learned a bit about his life. He had been in Japan for about 15 years. He was originally from Nepal but moved to Tokyo to make some money with family that was already here. As things would go he found a Japanese woman, fell in love, got married and had a child. Now he is part owner of the bar and has enough freedom to travel a few times a year. As we chatted in English the two young women behind me would occasionally giggle. The bartender asked if they understood English and they said just a little. Before they left they said hello and chatted a bit. I had the distinct feeling that they were trying to pick me up... and as a man that never has this happen I found it to be a bewildering experience. As they left they both gave me smiles making my confidence level rise to a not so subtle level.

After the beer bar I had about an hour to kill until I would be meeting up with the Redcoats (a few British folks I met in Korea). The barkeep and the lonely looking lady gave me directions to the nearest JP bank ATM (finally found one that would accept my bank book) and slowly meandered to the metro station to meet them.

Shinjuku Comes alive at Night

It's a miracle that people are able to find each other in such a busy place. They didn't have phones so finding each other, even at an arranged entrance, would be difficult. As I waited hundreds of new faces fluttered in and out of my field of vision every few minutes. After about 20 minutes of waiting I saw one Brit and one Irishman; we were reunited and it felt so good. They had been traveling around Japan for a few weeks prior to our meeting so they had the undeniable air of traveler's lag about them. But they were more than willing to grab some dinner and tip a few brews back.

Such a Happy couple

I had forgotten how much I missed the UK folks continuously taking the piss out of each other. We shared some good stories, a few good laughs and a lot of delicious food (Jimminy Christmas they can eat!). After the meal we slowly migrated back to the station picking up a few road beers along the way. We said our teary goodbyes (a bit over dramatic really) and once more went our separate ways.

From there I began to make the journey back to my own hotel. It was only a few blocks away but I decided to take a round-about way to get there. Being slightly intoxicated I stopped at a souvenir shop to buy some goods for my family. I chatted with the lady (I don't understand why but while intoxicated foreign languages seem to flow more confidently) and she told me how much she wanted to visit Okinawa and all about her children.

And I bought some Tshirts for the folks

After there I stopped at a smoking area near the metro. There a dirty old man asked to bum a smoke from me and thought that stealing my whole pack would be okay. So I asked for them back and he smiled knowing he had been caught. Then he decided to talk about how he likes to have sex with women. Yes, he used visuals.

This guy...

Two other folks next to me were watching and chatting with him as well. I sparked up conversation with them and came to realize they could both speak rather good English. After about 20 minutes of chatting it was time to continue the adventure.

Good looking folks

 As I roamed the streets I began to notice a pattern. On every single street corner there were crowds of darkly complected gentlemen trying to get people into their establishments. What kind of establishments? Well, technically they would be called hostess bars. Places men go to drink and chat with women for a fee. But what they were trying to push on every corner was much more illicit. As luck would have it I also hit every single red light along the way, meaning I had to stop at every corner. Most of these men were from different parts of Africa and were simply trying to make a living hustling flesh to tourists and horny business men. Every time I had to politely turn them down. Somewhere along the line I met a large group of college guys roaming the streets. They said hello and we chatted and decided to take a drunken picture together. Obviously we chose someone who was also intoxicated to take the picture.

I have no fucking idea who these people are

A block away from my hotel I fan into one of these gentleman that was a rather cool cat. He was a struggling musician just trying to get by. He told me how he despised what he was doing but his music kept him alive. He called himself King Green Tea and even gave me a short freestyle. After being offered everything under the sun of these folks he simply wished me well and told me to be safe. If you want to see what he has to offer here is his site! http://www.afroking-japan.com/english/home.html

GreenTea the King and I

I finally arrived at my hotel. I can't lie I was rather intoxicated. I talked to the girl behind the counter all in Japanese. Apparently I was generally correct in what I was saying (being aided by liquid confidence probably helped!) and she guided me to my capsule and took a picture of it and of me. After that I drifted into the land of Morpheus only to awake a few hours later due to the incessant heat. I went back to the spa and finally back up to sleep until day break.

Drunk in the capsule hotel

Soju and Kimchi: The Devilish Treasures of Korea

Perhaps you may have seen the title of my last blog entry and wondered what in the hell soju and Kimchi are. It's my hope your interest was peaked and if you didn't think it was worth the time to Google fear not I'm here to tell you.

 We will begin with kimchi (김치) which seems to be the more known of the two.

      ^one variety of kimchi^

Kimchi is essentially pickled cabbage covered in pepper sauce to make it kick-in-the-mouth spicy. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi, some using vegetables other than cabbage. It's eaten in countries all over the globe but its main consumers are found in Asia specifically Korea, Japan and China. Traditional kimchi is allowed to ferment underground in jars for months at a time until it reaches the "just right" standard. It is typically eaten with every meal and can be made into a variety of dishes including: soup, stew, fried rice and even pancakes! (the pancakes are called Kimchi jjigae for anyone interested). Kimchi is also relatively popular here in Japan and can be found in any grocery store; although it goes by the slightly different name of kimuchi(キムチ). In recent years though much of the kimchi found abroad is made and processed in manufacturing plants in China (ah the joys of cheaper labor even come into play with kimchi).

Before moving to Korea I had never even heard of this spicy dish sent from the heavens above. Nearly a year later I can't imagine living the rest of my life without it. Some folks, especially those sensitive to spicy foods, find it to be of a disagreeable taste. But, for those of us who enjoy the feeling of our mouths burning in spicy deliciousness kimchi is a cheap staple of life.

Next up is soju (소주).

    ^just a typical amount for a roof party^

Now, soju literally means "burned liquor." Which I believe to be a rather good description of it. It tastes a bit like vodka but a tinge off due to extra sugar and/or other ingredients added in its production. It also lacks the "burn" vodka leaves in the mouth and throat, making it a dangerous affair on the nights you tango with soju. It can be taken as a shot, blended with juice or mixed with beer to create mekchu(sp?). It has an alcohol content of 16-45% and is dirt cheap to purchase. It costs about $1-4USD and comes in a variety of sizes, brands and flavors.

       ^the green bottles are soju^

My first dance with soju began a few days after I had arrived in Gimhae. I was invited out to dinner with a few foreigners and of course soju made its way to the table. I had my first shot and was surprised that it lacked the "burn" I had thought it would have. Needless to say I had a few more throughout the dinner thinking it to be a weak alcohol. Then I stood up. My mind felt fine but my body was feeling it. I had to fight to stay steady around my new companions and eventually made it to my hotel slightly wobbling the entire way. After that day consuming soju was a rather usual affair for the better part of my stay in Korea.

Soju is a staple of adult Korean life. If you walk down the street and peer into the windows of restaurants or take a gander at the outdoor tables you will indubitably see the trademark green bottles littered across nearly every table. Young adults and those of a more ancient time have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy the sweet nectar of soju. 

But it's not only Koreans who enjoy soju. Worldwide two soju brands, Jinro and Lotte Liquor, sold nearly 90 million cases of Soju in 2011 (according to CNN these companies ranked first and third in worldwide hard liquor sales). Many of these cases did indeed stay within Korea but I would be hard pressed to believe if you have not run across soju at one time or another. If anyone is interested in trying this beverage it can be found most readily at Costco and is becoming increasingly popular at liquor stores across America.

I couldn't leave this post without giving at least one lesson. If you ever find yourself drinking with one of the friendly Koreans you're going to need to know how to say "cheers." (insert cheesy drum roll here). GEONBAE!! (건배) 

^yes that is indeed an octopus wielding a soju machine gun^

Top 6: South Korea

This week I'll be welcoming you back to the land of Kimchi, soju and plastic surgery epidemics. That's right I'm talking about the bounteous country South Korea! I'm going to highlight my top 6 (top 5 is too cliche and I'm too lazy for top 10) things I loved about Korea! So grab your note pad, some hot coco and enjoy the show!

Number 6: The Ease of Travel

No matter where you are traveling it will be a breeze to travel in Korea. You say you live in Busan and want to take a day trip to Seoul? No problem! Hop on the early KTX (bullet train) and in just under 4 hours you're there! Need a cheap lift from the rural life to the city? Hop on the bus! Need to get from one end of Seoul to the other? The subway has what you need! Korea has one of the best and cheapest mass transportation systems I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. In my time there I took buses, planes, boats and trains with little or no problems (with the exception of getting lost in Seoul once...). Now, many of you may worry how you will navigate through these options. The good news is that most signs are written in Korean, English and Chinese/Japanese. So if you can read one of these languages you're in good shape!

You can't buy excitement like this.

My favorite was the KTX. It hauls ass through the countryside getting you from Busan to Seoul pretty quickly. The first time I went to Seoul (around New Years) there weren't any seats available so we had to stand for most of the trip. But, even then watching the world fly by outside was worth the trip.

Hauling ass on the KTX

On a regular day it's pretty easy to get a seat (get one early if you plan on traveling during major holidays) and they are comfy enough to sleep in! You can also take regular trains, which are only a little cheaper, though they slug along at a comfortable pace they are rather aged and can be uncomfortable (especially on a 5+ hour ride home from partying in Seoul).

Waiting in line to get a KTX ticket. The machines in the back can also be used to purchase tickets.

My second choice would be the subway. For the love of god they are wildly entertaining places to use for travel. I can honestly say all walks of life have transpired in front of my naive American eyes while journeying through the subways of Korea; young lovers, old lovers, beggars, millionaires and everyone in between will use the subway at some point. 

The Korean who developed the Flux capacitor 

I can't tell if he loves or hates animals. EVERYTHING he was wearing was made from some type of animal.

If you can manage I'd recommend the running of the subway goers. What's that you ask? It's basically a herd, maybe a mob, of people running to catch the subway train before it departs the station. Be careful of the Ajimas (Sp?) they will not hesitate to hit, push or yell at you in an insane manner to get onto the train!

Lost in Seoul

There's also one more thing to mention when using the subways get an electronic pass. You can find these at just about every convenience store within proximity of the subway. You can load them up using machines at the stations and they will save you tons of time you'd otherwise spend digging for change. In many places these passes can be used on buses and trains too! Bee Yaw!

Sweet hair dude!

Subway romance

My least favorite form of travel would have to be buses. There is nothing explicitly wrong with them (except the city bus drivers are fucking crazy and drive like alcoholics riding the highway to hell). I'm reminded of the time when my girlfriend came to visit me and the driver didn't even fully stop to let us off the bus (Tuck and Roll! Tuck and ROLL!)

bus depot in Gimhae

 I also get motion sickness while on buses so this may influence my opinion, though there were plenty of folks who would rather take the bus than anything else. This will be your cheapest form of transportation by far. The long range buses are much more comfortable and the drivers drive in a much more hospitable fashion. Basically what I want to say is this: If you can, take the subway in the city.

Luckiest ticket I ever bought

Number 5: Technology of the Future

Now you can probably guess where this is going. Asia= impressive technology. And in a way you are indeed correct. Korea can be a technological play land, fraught with glimpses into the future of the modern world. You can order your groceries from your fridge, cell phone stores are conveniently located on just about every block (no joke), building facades tantalize street dwellers with pictures or adverts and every apartment has a video camera next to the door so you can see who rung you at 3 in the morning.

mall in Busan

As mentioned before the electronic subway cards were lovely in and of themselves and Korea seems to be trying ever-harder to push itself to the front of the technological world. The prices for cellphones and their plans are also relatively cheap (in comparison to the USA) which stems from the fact that it's a rather small market and even smaller country. It's much easier to cover a country roughly the size of Utah than the entire continental US.

I'm sorry my photo's of the technology are a bit lacking in substance!

Number 4: Cheap Booze, Great Service, and Freebies

No the BJ is not a freebie

One of the best things about Asia in general is no tipping. I know there are many of you who live on tips and I respect that. When I'm in the States I have always tried to keep that in mind, but life is lovely without tipping. In my time in Korea I tipped two people, both taxi drivers (once because my friend puked on the side of the car... and the driver hadn't noticed yet. Sorry random taxi man).

Spicy delicious amazing chicken

Now you may think the service would suffer due to this... and you'd be wrong. At nearly every place the service was great. From bars, to clubs, to restaurants and beyond the staff were generally friendly, helpful and kind.

The beer was lackluster though. If it weren't for the quantity given it would be beer purgatory. For $3-5 you get a nice frosty brew about the size of an English pint. As stated before it's no craft brew but it's manageable. Also if you want to spend a few extra bucks you can pick up imported beer (from all over the globe) but they can add up quickly! I've already talked about soju before but it mixes well with the Korean beer and you should give it a shot at least once.

just another Thursday night

Soju dreams

If you find yourself thirsty in Seoul I would highly recommend finding and going to Craftworks Taphouse & Bistro. Hands down they had the best beer in Korea!

When you go to a Korean BBQ restaurant be ready for your table to be covered in plates. Along with your meal come many free items such as onions or leaves to wrap your meat in. I believe most folks find the onions extra delectable so load up on those! If you run out they'll more than likely bring more too!

Finally the spicy, spicy, lovely, oh so incredibly fucking great spicy food is at your fingertips 24/7. The Korean folks LOVE their hot/spicy foods. Now, this isn't Hispanic food spicy, not even Indian curry spicy... this is flaming hot, burning the inside of your mouth and stomach spicy! Before Korea I wasn't a big fan of spicy foods. Though after my time there I find myself craving them all the time! I had countless meals crying my eyes out due to the level of spiciness! Tears of pure joy.

Power food!

Number 3: All the Pretty Flashing Lights

Entertainment is around every corner in Korea. Most of the population reside within cities which offer a plethora of entertainment activities. Of course they have "traditional" things such as drinking the night away and awaking on a park bench hurling up soju from the night before. But, this is not your only option by far!

Arcades! Video game rooms/arcades pop up every now and again on most trips through the cities. some are rather large and are really popular with young and middle aged alike. I wouldn't recommend dueling one of the seasoned natives on any game though. For many folks this is a pastime they have spent countless hours doing. Also some of these places offer a member card which allows you to pay a small fee (usually by the hour) to play any game you want for free (no need to carry around all that clunky change Yipee!).

4d Ride

Time Crisis grand champion

Digital Golf. I'll be the first to tell you that I'm no Tiger Woods but I do enjoy a lazy round of golf now and again. I'd prefer to play outside but why do that when you can play inside? Digital golf is another one of the things koreans are crazy about. For about $10-23 you can play 9-18 holes of golf with a few buddies and never leave the climate controlled room (great for  freezing balls cold, titillatingly hot or rainy days). You can also bring in your own beer or food. Or they can order take out food for you. along with the room you also get a few complimentary goodies, usually biscuits, cookies, coffee or tea.

Need to become a beefcake? No worries gyms are also all over the place. Some are small one room affairs, others are $100+ monthly fee mistresses waiting for you to come back and pound the weights on the daily. Regardless of what you choose you can't go wrong with a little exercise to counter the effects of beer/soju and bar snack intake.

BEEEFCAAAKKEE!!

Batting cages. We all know what they are. Once and awhile we all want to take a bat and swing at some shit. These are sometimes tucked away in small corners of the city so keep an eye out for them. Also Karaoke and DVD rooms are all over the place. It would appear Koreans love to sing. Sometimes they are brilliant singers and well... other times they sound like banshees from hell. Regardless a trip or stay in Korea can't be complete without at least one night at a Norebang (Karaoke room).

Karaoke

If you're looking for a little culture try one of the museums! Most are free to enter... YES, I SAID FREE! Many of the towns and cities have at least one historical site or museum and often enough they have something in English to help guide your wanderings through the history of the hermit kingdom. I'd personally highly recommend the Korean war museum in Seoul.

Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung

King Suro's tomb in Gimhae

Do you just want to throw your purses into a pile and dance it all out? No problem! Clubs are easily accessed especially in the larger cities. Be careful though there are some places which won't allow foreigners to enter (their too scared our devil good looks and silver tongues will impregnate their men and women alike!). Find a few Korean friends and this could possibly be rectified. Be prepared to rock your face off!

The Blue Monkey in Busan

Club Fix

Club fix. This girl was nearly naked by the time her boyfriend
 found her and took her off  the stage. Party on Korea!

 If none of these suit your fancy you can always check out a professional sports game or go to one of the millions of festivals they have! Do your research! Ask your friends and explore all you can!

LOTTE GIANTS!

Go Camping!

Oktober Fest!

Number 2: The Mountains are Calling will you Answer?

I can't deny it, I love nature. Her sexy slopes, giant peaks, whispering pines and trails that lead to spiritual ecstasy. Hiking also happens to be somewhat of a national pastime for Koreans. Every weekend you'll see Koreans dawned in trendy matching hiking gear heading to the nearest hills to hike the day away.

View from the hill near my apartment

 Being a naturally hilly place it's easy to stumble upon short hikes just about anywhere you go. There was one trail near my apartment that lead to a hill top pagoda and a beautiful view. Now my favorite hike was near Boemosa Temple just outside of Busan.

After viewing the temple grounds you can hike up the hill to the top when a fortified area once stood to guard against the Japanese . Geumjeongsan offers breathtaking views of the Natural Korean landscapes as well as stellar views of Busan.

Geumjeongsan

Geumjeongsan

Be aware there are many, if any, switchbacks on the trails here. Be prepared to hike up, up and up. Also bring plenty of water and grab a trail map for the longer hikes! You don't want to be stuck up there over night!

Busan!

Number 1: Smiling Faces and Beautiful Souls

Whether it was my students, coworkers, new friends (foreign or domestic) the people are what really made Korea great for me. Here are just a few of the faces that altered my life after my time in Korea. I wish I could go over every single one of them in detail but to save time here are just a few of those that stand out the most.

Here are some of my students. I had alternating classes throughout the week. Half of the week they would be with me, the other half with a Korean co-teacher. Throughout that time you really get to see each ones unique personality. Some you wish could be your own kids and others... I truly think anyone who wants to have kids one day should work with children at least once. It can be a major test of your patience but it will be an undeniably rewarding experience. Many of their names have faded from memory but the lessons I learned from them are priceless.

A few of my Korean co-teachers make me look like a ladies man on my last night in Korea. They are amazing people and I'm glad I had the good fortune to meet them. Lovely, lovely, Lovely ladies.

This is the group that came to be known as the Gimhae massive. It consisted of folks from the USA, UK and South Africa. My time wouldn't have been remotely as enjoyable as it was without these folks. Each one bringing something special to the group which added flair a flavor to every trip. Even though many of us are spread back out across the globe I wish them nothing but luck in their future endeavors and still continue to keep in contact with quite a few of them. Good people (even the Redcoats...)

This was the owner of the gym I went to. We would often have conversations in English. He used to be a bodybuilder in Korea and is still incredibly strong.

This handsome gent was one of my best friends in Korea. His English name was Skye and he is one of the better guys I've ever happened upon in my life. 

Almost everyday I'd eat Hansot for lunch. These two are the owners of the store I'd go to. Over the course of a year we became pretty friendly and I was sad to say goodbye to their ever-smiling faces and broken English.

One of the most kind men I've ever met at home or abroad had to be Mr. Ha from Busan. On my last trek up to Boemosa I decided to hike the long trail back into Busan. Along the way I stopped to take a breather and check my map. This man just came up to me and started speaking English. Come to find out he had spent a little over 4 years in America in the 1970's. He was chosen with a dozen or so other people to come to America to learn about agriculture. As we travelled he told me of his times in America, most of them were rather funny which is no easy feat for a second language speaker. He also told me of his childhood after the Korean war. Life was very tough in the hermit kingdom for quite some time. Everyday, rain or shine, he would hike up the mountain to gather water from a Buddhist healing spring for his father (this was a 4 mile round trip) who was ill. After we descended from the mountain (on a trail I had no idea was there) he bought me dinner even though I had offered to pay he refused and simply thanked me for my company. Wherever this guy may be I hope nothing but the best of all possible outcomes for him!

Now this man was a character. He worked at the convenience store below my apartment. He was generally drunk and talkative. We'd often buy beers for each other and try to chit chat. He hoped to open up a martial arts school in the future. He was incredibly proud of his children and even called his daughter (who also happened to be drinking) to chat with me in English. Overall this was one of the people I was most sad to say good bye to.

G-Sac (Gimhae Semi-Athletic Club) This group met up nearly every Sunday to play sports. Whether it was soccer, Frisbee golf, Ultimate Nerf/Frisbee the competition was always fierce. Someone was once stabbed by a trident. 

Stay tuned for my next topic THE BOTTOM SIX OF KOREA. You have to take the good with the bad...