Closing the Korean Chapter

13 months of kimchee, galbi, adventures, travel, incredible life-long friends, incredible food, new perspectives, new thresholds of patience and tolerance, new understandings of likes and dislikes - in sum, it has been 13 months of honing who we are, but also challenging so much of what we thought we knew about who we were.  We can safely say that Korea has been the most challenging experience of our lives.

In the past two months we have slowly said goodbye to everything and everyone we have 

become accustomed to.  Our friends here have 

made this experience so much of what it became and so much of what we will remember.  As for Korea, we will remember it as a good friend, but also managed to piss us off when we didn't understand it, or, when it did something so annoying we just had to throw our hands up and 

scream.  

In one breath, we have never been so confounded, confused and frustrated in our lives.  But at other moments we have never been so touched by the kindness and warmth of strangers when we needed it the most. Korea is a complex dichotomy and it has existed as a culture for

 over 4 millenia .  Koreans would

 describe the confusing contradictions -to westerners anyway- as Yin and Yang.  Yes, there are massive inefficiencies, but that has bred a culture that relies greatly on the group and less on the individual.  They are too safe with some things, but amazingly lax in matters that would be highly regulated back home.  For whatever reason it works for them.

Mindy and I both value our independence as individuals and Korea is decidedly NOT about the individual.  To me, I find its heavy reliance on the group and hierarchy to be a detriment to its 

progress, but its economy and incredible ingenuity prove to me otherwise.  If you want to sink into a culture that is so different than your own and to truly travel, come to Korea.

We are ready for home!  We are ready for aestheti

cally pleasing neighborhoods, well planned out cities, ease of communication, familiar faces, ease of travel, unparalleled natural beauty and individu

alism.  We truly live in a amazing part of the world and this trip has helped to 

solidify that perspective.

To our friends in Korea: You will be genuinely missed and know that you weren't just people we met in passing.  Had we grown up in the same countries and the same towns we all know that we would have evolved the exact same friendships that we currently have.  We ex

pect to see you in our town and we are excited to see you in yours.  Thanks for the laughs, the challenges, the eye opening perspectives, the conversations, and the memories (as fuzzy as some may be).

To our friends back home: We are excited to see you and get up to date on your lives.  The two of us are going to hack it out in Bellingham:  scrambling for jobs, school (Mindy's MBA at Western), and basic Hamster lifestyle.  We are flying into Seattle on May 4th and will be back to Bellingham on May 10th.  Looking forward to another amazing spring and summer.  What a time to come back!  Lets get some adventures lined up, some bonfires built, some BBQs cooking, guitars tuned, hikes mapped out, and kayak paddles penciled in.  I foresee another great season of memories.

~Scott

Ba'bs in Korea

If you could choose just one place in the world to go visit in February, where would it be?  Some may say Mexico or Thailand...but those people would be missing out on a South Korean winter.  My mom, Ba'bs (to be explained later), decided to take a chance and see Korea in all it's splendor, visiting Scott and I for just over a week.   

Seeing as though it was my first time having anyone come visit me overseas (and my mom's first trip abroad) I took my job seriously, preparing an itinerary as a guideline.  In a place I thought didn't have much to do, I soon found myself struggling to fit everything into nine days.  

The first few days of the adventure were spent getting Ba'bs acquainted with her surroundings.  My plan was to ease her into Korean culture (which can be overwhelming at times).  Maybe starting at the jim jil bang (Korean "bath house") wasn't the best idea, then.  We walked into the women's locker room to find a packed room full of Korean women of all ages, buck-naked.  We've all been in a locker room

 at one point or another (ahh, middle school PE), but this was....a little different.  Instead of merely stripping down to head in to the showers or the baths these ladies were just hanging out in their birthday suits, chatting, watching TV, and now staring at my mom and me.  We quickly got showered and headed down to the jim jil bang (clothed hot rooms), where we met Scott.  We then found a series of rooms with varying temperatures, ranging from 65 to 212 degrees (that's right, boiling), and even one filled with snow, all for relaxing and "good health".  Luckily there was no water in the hottest room...well, unless you count the sweat streaming down

 our faces.  Scott made it more than five minutes (twice) in the 212 degree room, while I was outta' there in about three.  After that we were shot, and staggered home.

Since my mom was initiated now, having survived the sauna, it was time for the advanced course in Contemporary Korean Culture:  Seoul Nightlife.  We hit up all of Scott's and my favorite spots.  With a day of exploring and shopping ourselves silly around Seoul under our belts, we headed to Hongdae for the evening.

  It's a university district full of art, food and dancing, especially on Saturday nights.  After filling our bellies with Greek Joy and cheap wine, we wandered across the street to the park to check out the college band playing.  Scott and I had seen this band, Soundbox, in the fall and loved them...and this time they were even better!  This band has it all; the usual suspects of course, with the addition of hand drummers, beat boxers, and my personal favorite: tap dancers.  Not one, not two...but six tap dancers having what could only be described as...a tap off.  It was awesome! 

Once we had our fill of tap, we went to Oi Bar to partake in some shisha (flavored tobacco).  The ambiance in this place is amazing....like nothing I've ever seen.  The

 entire place is painted white, with dim red lights and candles to set the mood.  To get to your "table" or private "cubby" you must walk through a maze of walkways lined with thin, red ropes hanging from the ceiling.  We enjoyed our shisha with a mish-mash of friends we'd met around Korea.  It was my mom's first time meeting some of the amazing friends Scott and I have made here, but not the last.... 

Scott and planned one of our monthly game nights during Ba'bs' visit.  We managed to squeeze about twelve of us into our small apartment that Sunday night.  We all got silly playing Pop 5, my favorite of the Cranium games.  Usually, we play a little Catch Phrase (a standard if you've ever played games with me!) as well, but unfortunately its time had come.  That's right, the Catch Phrase so many of you know and love bit the dust.  I think I've had that thing since high school!  Maybe if some of you would've only listened to me and not hit her so hard, she'd still be here with us today.  
 
Despite the loss of CP, game night was a success.  By now, Ba'bs had seen the beauty of Gwangju, the energy of Seoul and the spunk of our friends.  What was left?  Ahh, Korean food.  I mean real Korean food.  The kind that is set down in front of you, and you're not sure exactly what you're eating.  My mom was "fortunate" enough to partake in a school dinner with my teachers.  I have to go to these dinners all the time.  They usually involve me smiling, nodding, and occasionally throwing in one of the few Korean words I know (that always gets a giggle).  I was happy that my mom could experience something that is truly Korean and that Scott and I go through all the time.  Lucky for my mom, we had pork galbi, one of my favorites (usually we have some sort of weird seafood dish).  It was delicious, and all my teachers were really sweet to my mom.  She had a great time. 

Well, that was a glimpse into Ba'bs' trip to Korea.  There was, of course, a lot more to it.  Lots of shopping, eating, drinking and just enjoying being immersed in a different culture.  We made it to Icheon to look at and buy some amazing pottery, 

went to a norae bang (singing room) with Bruce, my Korean co-teacher and his family, checked out the local bowling alley (my mom was impressed with their lanes), and of course, made it to Dublin's, our "local" Irish Pub.  That's actually where the name Ba'bs came to life.  Thanks to Danny, Darren, their brilliant British accents and their poor memory....the name Ba'bs (aka Barb) was born.

BALI! BALI!

"BALI BALI...BALI BALI!" I heard as I scurried, half asleep and frozen onto the shuttle bound for Incheon airport. No, the driver was not shouting our tropical, Indonesian destination, but rather "HURRY HURRY" in Korean. Quite an interesting parallel; a word, whose meaning in one culture is frantic and in another it exudes serenity. Was this a subtle sign of my desperate need for a vacation away from chaotic Korea?

The answer is yes. I have never been more ready for a break in my life. Over the holidays I taught a 2 week English Camp on my own, in addition to two daily morning classes. I was going crazy, and the freezing temperatures, with no end in sight, weren't helping my situation. It was time to get away.

Before dawn, Scott and I layered up the warmest clothing we could afford to pack in our small bags. Scott's issue being actual space allowance, as he insisted on packing the smallest bag he could find to the brim, and mine being the space I was reserving for all the treats I planned to buy in Bali. The below-freezing temperature, our lack of winter clothing, and our inability to call a taxi to pick us up, left us only two options; jog to the shuttle bus stop or freeze to death. It was tough, but we opted for the 15-minute jog; the thought of the warm bus keeping me going. Well, turns out that bus wasn't quite as warm as I'd hoped. In fact, it was 'warmer' outside. The driver had apparently forgotten to warm the bus up that morning. Not the best day for us to skimp on our clothing....

All the thoughts of cold weather, and Korea quickly faded away as we stepped off the plane and got our first glimpse of beautiful Bali. That's right, even the airport was charming! After a transitional night in Kuta (a popular touristy beach town) we headed north and inland to Ubud, the cultural center of Bali. In typical 'Scott and Mindy fashion' we had not booked a place to stay. Not to worry though, we were soon whisked away to the Three Dewi's Guesthouse, named for the owner, Made's three girls (dewis). The room was sweet and simple with a balcony overlooking the family's small Hindu temple, garden and rice paddies. And, included with our $12 room was free breakfast, served on our balcony. It couldn't have been more perfect.

The next days were filled with plenty of excitement, but also with lots of rest. Our first night "on the town" we stumbled upon Ibu Rai, an open-air, thatched-roof restaurant engulfed by tropical plants. I was pleasantly surprised when my seemingly simple $3 plate turned out to be one of the more elegant and beautiful dishes I've ever had. Before our delicious cocktails arrived we were treated to miniature spring rolls for our amuse bouche. I've only had something like that at Nimbus, and for a hell of a lot more than three dollars! Needless to say, we had found a little gem. The entrees were delightful, the dessert scrumptious, and the bill cheap; only $25 for the whole spread, with plenty of cocktails I might add. We also made plans for the day through Dewa, the manager of the restaurant.

In addition to managing, Dewa also runs an ecotourism company that offers cooking, dancing and carving classes, as well as guided treks through local rice paddies. He employs youth from his community and puts a percentage of the earnings back into his local village. Dewa casually mentioned his other job, and only after we hounded him for information, did he ask if we'd like to take his cooking course. No pressure...how refreshing!

Our morning began with trip to the local market for fresh vegetables, rice and essentials for our day of cooking. The women at the market were also keen on giving us samples of the local fruit, hoping we'd buy it. Good saleswomen! After our fill of rambutan (lychee's cousin), we headed north to the village of Tampaksiring to get cookin'. The entire drive was filled rice paddies and dense jungle, interspersed with villages and local handicrafts.

Then it was time to cook. We chopped, shredded, mashed and sautéed everything from peppers to peanuts, creating a smorgasbord of Indonesian and Balinese dishes. We made curry paste from scratch and pounded chicken to a pulp for satay. After two hours of cooking we sat down and ate to our hearts content and 'till our bellies ached. And just when we thought it couldn't get any better, Dewa took us to his local Hindu temple to bathe in the holy water and wash away our evil spirits.

Now that we were purified, it was time for a more dangerous adventure, so we booked a white water rafting excursion on the roaring Telaga River. Okay, so it was more like a purr, but there were some class III rapids in there, and plenty of bamboo bridges along the way that could've clotheslined us. And for the big finish we went off an 8ft dam....crammed down into the raft....without paddles...for our safety. We luckily survived, and had a damn good time along the way!

The next day we decided to take it easy, since things had been so intense thus far. So, Scott and I both enjoyed massages. I had a masseuse and Scott a masseur. We splurged and got the $16 package that included a 1 hour 45 minute massage, a body scrub and a soak afterward in the tub....all naked. Yes, I've had a massage before, but I've always had a towel covering the vitals. Not this time. When my masseur told me to turn over onto my back, I couldn't help but giggle thinking of Scott in the next room.

Fully rested and rejuvenated from our time in Ubud, we were ready to embark on our journey to the Gili Islands off the coast of Lombok. Stay tuned for Scott's addition of our island adventure on Gili Trawangan.

One thing we didn't do in Ubud our first time through was shop. I made Scott promise that we'd make it back there for some of the greatest shopping. Unfortunately, I couldn't do as much shopping as I would have liked, due to our seemingly internationally-accepted Korean bank cards that wouldn't work...the entire trip. Actually, maybe it was a blessing in disguise!

Upon arriving back in Ubud we went straight back to the same guesthouse, and it felt like coming home. The next few days were spent recovering (Scott...he'll tell you why) and shopping (Mindy). We also went to a Balinese Hindu trance dance performance that Made, the owner of the guesthouse, and his daughters were in. There were at least 30 men, young and old, chanting and singing together while the girls danced in full costume around the candelabra in the center....it was pretty amazing and quite hypnotic.

Hours before we headed to the airport I wanted to get a quick, cheap ($4) pedicure. And....so did Scott, polish and all. I think his manicurist was actually a man...quite fitting. Lastly, we headed back to the first restaurant we went to in Bali (and my favorite) for our last meal.


What a lovely ending to the best vacation! I can't wait to go back!


~Mindy

A Typhoidian Paradise

Let me begin by first stating that I have had a hard time deciding how to start this post: nothing particularly funny happened, nothing exploded, no one died...well, I almost did.  Where to start under such "boring" circumstances?  How does one write about a vacation that was nearly sublimely perfect?  I am at a lose for words when things aren't chaotic.  I will turn on the 80s music and give it a shot though.

In spite of having to leave Ubud the next morning - at 6am and

travel for 10 hours - Mindy and I decided to go out and do a little partying that night.  We have continuously shown ill judgement when partying.  Not so much in quantity, but in timing.  Of the 16 days we spent in Indonesia we partied hard one night.  One night.  Every other night, we were in bed no later than 11:00pm.  It just so happened we were traveling the next morning.  That night we started at the local reggae bar where we listened to a band whose lead singer must have been trying to mimic Rod Stewart's raspy voice.  From there things got a little hazy.  We watched as a group of older Russian women (one in painfully short shorts) danced and contorted themselves on the dance floor.  We met a Danish actor named Victor and a Canadian importer named Ron.  Ron's second home seemed to be Ubud as he knew everyone and everything about it.  He was a wealthy businessman who had stories of smuggling cocaine up his bum in the 70s and running out of indigenous villages at midnight in South America.  We spent the

 remainder of the night at an ex-pat bar and stumbled home around 3:30 after a night of drinking the local "whiskey" called Arak and the local beer.  After 2 hours of sleep my alarm went off.  Not cool.

 

That day we caught a bus, took a rolling 4 hour flat bottomed 

ferry ride across the Indian Ocean to Lombok, hopped a bus to Bangasal and then took a local boat -into an oncoming storm- to ourfinal location: Gili Trawangan.  The Gili Islands are a group of three islands of paradise directly off the coast of Lombok.  You can walk around each in around 3 hours.  We went to the Gili's with the intent of diving, but they turned out to be so much more.  We spent our days either diving with the Blue Marlin Dive Co., surfing, sunning on the beach with books, eating incredible food, or playing Scrabble (that is my "Scrabble Assasin" face)-while eating incredible food. 

 

To give you an idea: I paid around 5 dollars for a steak of Swordfish that would have choked a Grizzly AND I got an open salad bar.

 

I even managed to get my butt off the beach and help the locals unload a boat full of cement

 bags.  It wasn't as fun as I thought, so I quit after four trips and

 went for a swim. As you may expect, our days were full of water sports.  I attempted to retry my hand as surfing and quickly realized why I quit trying 7 years ago: I simply don't have the patience.  On my paddle out I was a fuming mess.  I couldn't paddle, I kept nearly falling off and my board was too damn small.  I was complaining and was basically a big pansy.  After attempting to ride two waves and getting slammed, I quit.  I will never be Mindy's "cool surfer boyfriend".  Not only did we "surf (technically, I didn't), we SCUBA dove.  In 8 days I dove 10 times (and received an Advanced Diving Certification) and Mindy got in 7 dives (she already had her Advanced Cert....always so much cooler than me).  While diving we saw everything from turtles, sea horses, frog fish, squid, cuttle fish, octopus,  and a handful of white tip sharks (none of those are my pictures). The list of sea creatures we saw would be too long to list here.  

Having only seen one other shark in my life, they were the most incredible.  We even touched the tail of a 1 meter long juvenile.  The biggest we saw was about 1.5 to 2 meters in length - absolutely beautiful at a close distance.

 

Our nights were spent hanging at the local Irish pub, "Tir na Nog",  playing darts. Even on a remote island in Indonesia we were able to find our favorite sport, darts.  If we weren't at the Irish bar we were watching movies, smoking sheesha, partying with our dive company, or enjoying some of the delicious restaurants the island had to offer.  Yes, I said "watching movies." This is not as lame as you may think actually.  If you buy around 5 dollars of food you can rent a small thatched hut, called a beruga, that is raised off the sand and has pillows and a fan.  So there we would sit, a cold bowl of ice cream in our hands, listening to the waves roll onto the beach accompanied by the sound of screams and gunshots from our movie.  What a dichotomy.  On one random afternoon Mindy attended a beach party that apparently was a video shoot for one of Indonesia's biggest reggae bands.  Later we headed back to the beach for the after party.

 

The Gili's weren't all fun and games actually (well, they were but this was a good transition sentence).  The heat in Indonesia is quite intense as it is on the equator and therefore in much more direct sunlight.  As a result, Mindy got some heat exhaustion that I, with my medical expertise, first diagnosed as just a bad sunburn.  Oh, and I got Typhoid Fever.  Did I forgot to mention that?  Yeah, I actually contracted a serious bacterial infection.  It was about the worst experience I have had.  One moment I feel I am just tired and weak, the next I am feeling pretty hot with a decent headache (Mindy has kindly placed two cold water bottles in my arm pits), and the next I can barely walk upright, my headache is screaming, delirium, and my temperature is around 103 degrees.  

Mindy had to walk me to the island's only form of transportation so that I could go to the local clinic, which we didn't even know existed until Mindy went to search out a thermometer out of fear I had malaria.   Luckily, I didn't.  At the clinic they pumped me full of 2.5 bags of saline and glucose, antibiotics, strong pain relievers, pills for this and pills for that, and then the doctor and Mindy watched TV while I rolled around in agony.  If it wasn't for the pain it probably would have been an awesome night!  I sent Mindy home around 1am and then I proceeded to sweat and moan until about 8am.  If you haven't had Typhoid don't try it.  Not cool stuff.

 

The next morning, instead of dealing with the 10 hour trek back to Ubud for our final two days we decided to ditch our pre-purchased return boat ticket and pay the little extra for the speed boat, which cuts that travel time by 8 hours.  It was well worth it even if Mindy got a little nauseous.

 

Traveling in Indonesia was the most amazing experience.  I wish my post here could do it justice, but I am currently experiencing severe writer's block.  Regardless, I hope you could glean some idea of the time we had on Gili Trawangan.  Bali, Ubud, Lombok, and the Gili's are extremely unique.  The culture is open.  The people and weather warm.  They are less traveled.  I must say, if you ever have the opportunity to go, part of me hopes you do and part of me hopes you stay away.  Save it for me the next time I go.

Our Lives In Korea

Mindy and I compiled a 28 minute video for friends and family about our lives here in Korea. We have video starting from mid fall up until just recently. It gives you a little glimpse into what we are doing over here, what we see, and where we go. So, grab some coffee, take a seat (I assume you are already doing that), and we hope you enjoy it! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

New Styles and Joel in Seoul

It’s hard being away from home for so long. Holidays and birthdays seem to amplify that homesickness. And it was time for my birthday... Luckily, I have an amazing boyfriend that planned the best birthday ever for me, which is no easy task in Korea. Don’t worry, Mom…that surprise party for my 18th birthday is a close second!

The events of the day were a mystery to me, so that made it all that more exciting! We started off the day with a quick trip to our favorite coffee shop for lattes and a bagel (doesn’t begin to do the Bagelry justice). After the hour commute into the heart of Seoul we were in Myungdong—one of the shopping Mecca’s of Korea. As you can guess, Scott took me on a bit of a shopping spree. It was great! Although the clothes were fantastic, I think the best part was that Scott lasted well over his 10-minute shopping limit!

After that we were off to our next surprise location. Scott knew I wanted a new hairstyle, so he made an appointment at the renowned (among the expat community) Zen Salon. Coincidentally, it was the same salon and stylist I was planning to book, but just hadn’t got around to it. Thank goodness for procrastination! The salon was exactly what I needed—a little pampering and they even had English magazines, so I could catch up on my celebrity gossip!

Now that I was looking good with my new duds and ‘do it was time for the main event. And was it ever! After one of our classic running through the subway moments and a quick taxi ride we arrived at Olympic Stadium Gym where none other than Billy Joel was in concert. What an amazing surprise! We sang along to Billy’s tunes and even snuck down onto the floor and danced to a few songs. He’s getting old, but you couldn’t have guessed it that night. The concert ended with a solo performance of one of mine and Scott’s favorite songs, Piano Man…and the whole arena joined in.

It couldn’t have been a more perfect day. Scott really outdid himself! I’m already wondering what I’m going to do for his next birthday…in October!! It’ll be a tough one to follow. And of course the cherry on top was all the messages from everyone (and even a couple packages ~ thanks Mom and Marcee). It’s amazing what a little message can do when you’re so far away from home. Thanks again!

Just a little side note as well. Scott wanted me to make sure everyone took a look at his outfit in the caricature above. He's trying out a new style and wasn't sure if the scarf and pink shirt were really him. Be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts!


Much love ~ Mindy

Bungee Jumping, Cats, Weddings and Parties

Mindy and I are reaching the half way point of our stay here in Korea. We think of home often, but in the interim we have been very active and having a blast with our friends and the everything we do.

We have picked up another kitten (see below for the next short post on him) that is the cutest thing since..."cute". He is quite a snuggler (so far) and it looks like he is going to be a long haired one! We are throwing around the name Ziggy because of his small "zig zagging" tail. We have gone bungee jumping! It was my first time and I was terrified, but it was exhilarating. Something I was never sure I would do. To top that off it was a surprise birthday present and I am afraid of heights (or used to be)! For my birthday, and five of my friends with close birthdays, we helped plan a big group birthday party at a bar in Seoul. The band was great and we danced the night away... eventhough Mindy and I left "early" at midnight to grab a burger.

Mindy and I have now gathered a full set of rock climbing equipment and we made some great routes with our friend JP last weekend. We got the climbing bug. I took my first damn big fall that day. It was a 10 foot swinging fall and it managed to scare everyone including the surrounding Koreans. I came to a stop about 5 feet off the ground. If you look at the pictures, you can notice how one of them is blurry. This is because JP took it just as he started running away because, as he told me later, "You weren't looking to steady there and I didn't want to get bowled over." I was yelling for tension and Mindy got pulled right up off the ground. Luckily she was roped to the ground for my climb. It wasn't the vertical fall that was so bad, but the pendulum motion that resulted from me drifting too far right. It was my first big "whipper"! My butt still hurts!

The day before climbing we hit up my Headmaster's daughter's beautiful wedding. It was set in beautiful Olympic Park (site of the '88 Olympics). The food was fantastic and we got to meet some great people.

While I got to go hiking with my school on a day off Mindy's school took her to Everland (Korea's Disneyland). She got the better deal. We have partied all over Seoul, mastered the art of karaoke and met some great new friends.

This weekend I have set up a big group outing for a bunch of our friends for....*drum roll*...more bungee jumping! Thought I would turn jumping 150 feet off a tower into a social gathering. The day before, we will be spending Saturday running through the woods and getting pelted in a fierce game of paintball, or if we change our minds, we will be rock climbing. In early November we want to plan a group camping trip to a great park in Eastern Korea. We might even do some climbing.

As you can see things have been moving pretty fast here and we are thankful for this as we are on the homestretch! Looking forward to seeing you all in six months!


-Scott

Katnapping in Korea

Aaaah. My classes are finished for the day. I can finally relax and get some planning done for next week. I think I'll open the window to catch some sunshine and the last of the cool breeze before the real cold hits. I pick up my pen, flip through the textbook, and begin creating the best English lesson ever when....

Meow. Meow. Meoooowww.

What's that? I've heard that tiny, high-pitched sad little sound before. I am reminded of capturing Ninja (our precious, little, rambunctious , scratch-happy, biting, meowing-all-the-time kitty) not so long ago. It's the cry of a kitten who's lost its mother. Oh! What should I do?!

This is where most people would either ignore these tragic meows or simply close the windows. I, on the other hand, am not most people. Instead, I run downstairs, stopping to change into my 'outside' shoes (one of those lovely things about Korea), and head across the street toward the meowing. They have stopped (of course) so I proceed to do my best impression of a mother cat. And...it works (I had plenty of practice with Ninja). Now I know the location of the little guy.

With a little help from my co-teacher, Bruce we are able to go into the neighbors gated yard to find the kitten. You might be wondering, 'Couldn't it be her kitten?' Not likely. Koreans don't really like cats, especially strays and especially black ones (bad luck). She's happy to have us potentially rid her of this kitten. We see the little guy under the stairs and hold out a can of cat food for him. Again, remembering the Ninja ordeal I never thought the scared, little cutie would get anywhere near me. Well...I was wrong. He's so hungry that he barely notices I'm there. So, I take the opportunity to snag him.

Now what am I going to do? I hadn't planned on having another cat, and what's Scott going to say? He's still dealing with his allergic reaction to Ninja. I'm sure another cat will really help that situation! I call Scott and tell him what happened. We decide I should bring the kitten home and we'll take it from there. We can always find someone to take him, or possibly give him a big meal and put him back in the country (ya right).

* * *

Well, it's been almost a week now, and we still have the kitten. He's so adorable. We love him! I'm not sure Ninja feels quite the same way though. We have to keep them separated until Ninja gets neutered, and HOPEFULLY calms down a bit. Until then, Scott and I will try to keep them apart and quiet (nearly impossible), as our landlord doesn't know we have cats (or so we like to think)!

So, that means that Scott and I now have three cats. Two in Korea and, of course Sage back home (who I miss soooo much!). We're about one away from becoming crazy cat people! Luckily, the weather is getting pretty cold here in Korea, so there will be no need to have my windows open. No way to hear the Korean kittens that need rescuing. It's very sad, but we can only do so much!

---

Why, Why, Why Would you Vote for this Woman?

This will not turn into a political blog, but this just has to be seen.  I was reading about Palin in an opinion column the other day and heard about this interview.  This is what Sarah Palin thinks about the recent, but failed, bailout from Congress.  Do NOT vote for this woman or her ticket. She will be second in line for the most powerful position in the world.  This is the most nonsensical spew I have ever heard from a person running for office. Not to mention the second most powerful position in the world.  She is unfit. Period.

"Sports Day", Choreographed to Music

A few weeks back my elementary school had what every Korean elementary school has, a Sports Day. I was really looking forward to seeing the kids run around and sit, essentially, in complete silence as I can't speak with anyone.

For those of you wondering why Mindy and I can't speak conversational Korean yet, it is a combination of many variables including: 1) Motivation is low when you are a couple and can get by just fine with miming stuff 2) Laziness. Self-explanatory.

I assumed Sports Day would involve, you guessed it, sports. What I learned was that sports were a very small part of the entire day. In reality it was more of an opportunity to bring honor to the school by showcasing the school's ability to manipulate boys into wearing insanely effeminate (yes, these are pictures of boys) clothes; march students around in a fashion that was only a tier below goose-stepping; and their ability perform choreographed sports.

[By the way, if you want to see the pictures of my extremely cute students just click here or under "Picture Albums".]

The day started with me showing up, much to my own behest as all other English teachers I knew didn't have to attend theirs. Honestly, I was, as usual, happy that I didn't listen to whining. The kids were so happy to see me and excited for me to assume the position of photographer.

Thirty minutes later the "sports" began.

Side note: I'm listening to Barry Manilow's Coppa Cabana. "...the hottest spot north of Havana...music and passion were always the fashion...have a banana".

It started out with all the kids lining up by grade (six grades, 120 students. A very small school), measured two arms length apart, all wearing white t-shirts.

Not too bad yet.

The administrators introduced the "VIP" guests, which included the town's mayor, a local school's principal, some provincial administrators, and a very wealthy financier. These individuals sat in the shade of a tent and where served tea, juice, and snacks.

Ok, this is getting a little aristocratic and Roman Coliseum on me.

What happened next was something out of McCarthy's Red Scare tactic films. The administrative dignitaries stood on the raised podium, about 10 feet above the field, and started to talk to the students with great vigor. After a brief speech I heard the popping of the speakers. Soon after, emanating from them was the indistinguishable sound of a trainer giving brief instructions then counting in Korean (something I can do). Something to the effect of

"1 and 2. 1 and 2. 1 and 2...."

The students counted in unison; stretching, squatting, twisting and turning. What topped it off was scratchy record like sound. It was a scene: Kids in matching shirts, doing choreographed stretches, on a dusty field, with flags flapping in the wind, and dignitaries looking on nodding their heads in satisfaction. I was trying to keep an open mind. I thought, hey when they get to the sports this will be more of an actual sports day then a presentation.

Side Note: I'm now listening to the Bee Gees' Stayin' Alive. "You can tell by the way I use my walk I am ladies man..."

Following the stretches, the classes filed out to the blowing of whistles that was timed to their marching steps. They were moving to their next designated destinations and doing so in an orderly fashion. The youngest classes where brought to the starting line where they raced, while the most Baroqu-esque of music was playing, in groups of 3 to 4. A teacher motioned and they took off down the dusty lanes of the race track. Once crossing the finish line the 1st-3rd place finishers where grabbed, literally, and directed to stand behind the posts marked either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. Every student raced and was lined up like cattle behind the previous race's placer.

After that event was finished the students were marched off the field, via direction of a choreographed flag waver, to prepare for a dance routine. Within 15 minutes the students participating in the dance were back on the field in the appropriate matching attire.

To keep this post from being redundant and too long, the day continued like this. Dance, sport, dance, dance, dance, sport. I had no idea the spontaneity and visceral nature of sport could be stripped away so quickly. Did the kids have fun? Of course they did.

You know, some Koreans may question my musical taste. Well, I question some of their passion and spontaneity.

....Where it began. I can't begin to knowing. But than I know its growing strong. Was in the spring and spring became the summer. Who'd a believed you came along. Hand touches hand! Reaches out touches me touches you...!

The Coming Reign of Ninja

Mindy and I wanted to thank all of you who voted in the "Name the Kitty" poll. The winning name was Marley and was even our favorite name of the bunch. Unfortunately for you, Mindy and I do not run a democratic blogsite nor do we advocate democracy as an acceptable rule of law for polling. About the same time the poll was ending "Marley" started to exhibit signs that did not reflect his name.

When I think of a "Marley" (ala Bob Marley) I think of reggae music, relaxation, heavy and red eye lids from using illicit fun drugs, eating alot, getting that great buddha like fat belly, and basic laziness. Marley was definitely turning out NOT to be this. Yes, he is a kitten and they do have a great deal of energy, but this kitty was just different; right down to his little side-stepping-hair-and-tail-poofed-arched back-ears-back manuever that we have yet to catch on tape. It is priceless. Marley started to attack everything, run all over the house, bouncing off walls, grabbing onto ankles, scratching, and meowing. More specifically, he would come out of nowhere performing amazing acrobatics by jumping in the air and turning upside down in mid-flight...

...oh here is now!...

Once during a certain stealthy attack I yelled out, "Geese, he is like a little Ninja!" Mindy hollered out in mid-epiphany, "That is it!!"

As usual, I was totally lost.

After careful reconstruction of her thought process coupled with me concentrating on something for a time frame greater than 20 seconds, Mindy relayed that she was saying that the cat's name should be Ninja.

I responded with furrowed brow and great disinterest, "Sounds like something a 4 year old would name his stuffed animal..."

Well, the name has stuck around and grown on me. Since then Mindy has made a great little toy for Ninja that.....

...Get off me you f$%k#ing little....

...oh, sorry. What is even cuter is that calling him Ninja is, at times, quite ironic as he can be incredibly stupid, loud, and very un-Ninja like and...

.....AHHH!...

..as you can see...

...For the love of all things decent will you please.....MINDY!!..get him off me!

...the name is sticking.

Shit, I need another band-aid.

Please Vote This November!

A few months ago I contacted my local election office...in Bellingham, WA to ensure that I received my oversea ballot. Because this election is sooo important - and the fact Mindy suggested it - I felt it necessary to do my little part for those that may be considering not voting this coming November. Folks, do us, your community, state, and country all a favor and get up off your apathetic bums and partake in democracy. If I can take the time to vote from over 5,000 miles away I am sure you can take the time to make your way to the local election office in November and do the same. If you have never registered to vote it takes minutes to do so. PLEASE, do it!

From time to time, I will be posting periodical election news on the site as a sidebar.

To be perfectly partisan, Mindy and I are hoping to come back to a "blue" America that is ready to take some incredible steps forward by putting a stop to the massive steps we have been taking backward. This is an exciting time to be apart of the American political scene. Learn the issues, become involved, engage in discussions, get riled up - do something meaningful, vote!

To follow the election, the polls, and to watch shifts in the electoral maps use this non-partisan site: Real Clear Politics.

-Scott

A Brief "Marley" and Us Update

As you can see the name Marley is in quotations. This is to denote that we have, unfortunately, not decided on his name as of yet. Marley ended up winning by a mere one vote, which might reflect some of our difficulty in deciding his name.  This is a special cat and his name is very important!   We keep waffling between Marley, Darwin (my choice), and Ninja (Mindy's choice). "Ninja" is quite fitting as he is very quick, occasionally quiet, and he is a product of Asia.  Where it doesn't fit is that he is a goofy bumbling fool at times - getting himself tangled up every which way. "Darwin" is, well, I like the name for obvious reasons *click here* and we both think its a cute name.  We have seen a little personality change in the kitten and we wonder if this is really a good name for a cat that is extremely hyper-active and at times aggressive.  Still cuter than a button, the kitten has become a bit of a hell-raiser, leg attacker, biter, and scamperer.  We are in quite the quandary.

He and we are doing quite well.  He has gained a lot of weight in the 12 days we have had him. Actually, since we weighed him the first time he gained over 50% of his body weight in a week, going from 800kg to 1.7 kg.  He even has a little pot belly now!

The Korean Thanksgiving starts on Friday so we will have until next Wednesday to roam around with our friends in Seoul.  The weekend will start with our traditional rugby game at Scrooge's Pub in Itaewon.  Then Sunday we are all meeting up at Seoul Central Park for some soccer and a BBQ/Braai/Barbie (there will be Americans, South Africans and Aussie's represented.  Hence, the many names for BBQ).  After that, we may hit up the Korean War Memorial Museum for a more cultural experience.

Life here has been treating us well lately.  We even managed to make a Mexican Feast (burritos) with all the goodies Marcee sent us (thanks)!  It was a long awaited respite from Korean food! We've also been keeping up on our Scrabble playing.  You can imagine with a new kitten this might have been a disaster.  Fortunately, Barb (Mindy's mom) recently sent us Travel Scrabble. Now are letters are safe.  

The weather is changing, the heat has subsided, the humidity is all but gone.  I can see fall in Korea being just as beautiful as any back home.  The hills here are dense with a mix of pines and deciduous, so they should be changing color in the coming months. We have been here going on 5 months now - and 6 months away from home.  It has been a big learning experience for us both and things are only getting better.  6 months of traveling and over 1 year of dating.  We can confidently say that we are both flourishing in traveling and living together. We do good!

Hope all is well and let us know how you are doing.  What do you think of those cat names?

Eating Dog in Mass Conspiracy

Seriously, if you like dogs, don't read this.

My Headmaster walked into the room (a very wonderful guy, by the way) and in extremely broken english said, "Deener.... to...night? Wel...come Sec'nd Head...maser?" It was a dinner to welcome our new vice principal. Like usual I was told at the very last minute, expected to say yes, and to cancel all my other plans. At first I said "No" because I had a private english lesson with a friend of my co-teacher. I could not tell my principal this because, technically, private lessons are illegal (every english teacher I have met has one). My principal responded with a disappointed look on his face and the room got quiet. Thirty minutes later I get a text message from my private telling me he was "sick and would see me next time". Two minutes after the text message my co-teacher walked into the room and basically told me -not asked me- that there was a dinner "tonight at 5". She smiled and left the room. I was coming whether I wanted to or not. Even if I hadn't had plans I wouldn't want to go. Don't get me wrong, I am sure that these people are great, I like my Headmaster, but I can barely talk to them, but for a few words. So I guess these people are great, but only in theory. Essentially, school dinners involve me sitting there in silence with a big smile on my face and acting interested. I do get a huge dinner out of it though.

In Korea, work and your co-workers come first. Your life, concerns, opinion, and individualism comes a very distant last.

A friend of ours told us of an instance where a Korean worker requested time off for either a pregnancy or a close family member's wedding, I forget (obviously, these are very different circumstances, but the point can still be made). In a fit of rage the principal yelled at her in front of all her co-workers, berating her for not thinking of her job first. He refused her the time off and she could not do what she was supposed to do.

All I wanted to do was not go out to eat. Within 32 minutes my life was changed so that I would be made to go out to eat. No doubt Headmaster expressed his disappointment to my co-teacher (my babysitter) and she suspected what was going on. She called my private lesson and told them the situation. He texted me and so on. So there I was pissed at Korea, again. Regardless, at 4:30 I hopped in a teacher's car and we made our way to restaurant named Yaksu. I asked, "So what is for dinner?!"

I was hoping for galbi *click here to see a galbi dinner*, which is a delicious Korean bbq meal that includes a litany of side dishes and delicious toppings (it is one thing I am going to miss in Korea). Eating galbi is great because it is not just the food, but it is an eating experience as you get to cook your own food right in front of you; cut it up and season it - very social.

The answer to my query was a very non-chalant, "Dog."

"............Dog? Like 'bow, wow'?" I know the look on my face must have been a little weird, but I wanted to try to embrace this as it was going to be something I may never do again.

She laughs and nods. I try to remember that there really is no difference between eating a dog and a cow, other than a variation in species and that I grew up with a few dogs. I used to eat steak like it was going out of style and I love hamburgers. What's the difference? If I were in India and asked for a hamburger I would probably get smacked as cows are holy to many Hindus. But I couldn't shake the idea, Old Yeller's leg on a plate in front of me. What was I going to do?

I walked into the restaurant and took off my shoes as I processed this. "Well, I am going to do this", I decided.

As all 15 of us sat cross legged, the table only 6 inches off the floor, they started to bring out the main dishes: three huge pots, set on burners, with big chunks of meat in each one. There was what looked like a chicken leg, but this would have been a HUGE chicken. The meat was sitting in a broth of, no doubt, chili pepper paste, and a bivy of other ingredients. I thought about it once more and I dug in.

My first bite was very dainty and hesitant. Then I took bigger ones. I ate a lot of meat and right off the bone. Guys, sorry to say, but dog meat is good. Very flavorful, rich, and quite tasty. I would do it again. There is no difference between eating a cow and a dog; other than the fact that you are more familiar with a dog and you have had one sit on your lap, grew up with one, etc. It is totally psychological. Plus, it is just good meat.

I have come more than full circle: omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, briefly a raw foodist, back to omnivore, dog eater.

A Healthy Kitty!

Just took him to the vet last night. He is totally healthy minus a bug that 90% of kittens have and even that is a very mild case. As you can tell I am no longer using androgenous references. It is official, it is a "he". Sorry, I will not own a boy cat named "Ruby", so stop voting for it.

Also, if you've got another great name idea you can leave a comment for us. Thanks!

Poor Time Management and Culinary Coincidence

Mindy and I celebrated our one year dating anniversary in style on Saturday the 30th (actual day was the 28th). It was going to be a day of relaxation, strolling, chatting, and soaking up the time together. The plan wa to go the horse race track, have a nice Indian buffet dinner, then head to Cats the musical. All of this had to be done via subway.

After taking 2.5 hours to get to the track we were ready to start our day. Upon getting to the race track we realized that our scheduling was a wee bit off for this day - we (meaning I) failed to take into account the exorbitant amount of time spent merely getting to the places we wanted to go that night. Seoul is a BIG city. Since every event for the night was time sensitive this was a bit of a problem. After walking around for 20 minutes we were lucky enough to find the foreigner's lounge where we met some fellow Americans that taught us how to bet. Betting in horse racing has the distinct ability to fool you into believing you are going to win some money and that winning it will be very easy. Unfortunately, we fell for that lie. You would think that with two people putting their heads together this would yield positive results, but you would be wrong in thinking this. We ended up losing $20 a piece on our first race. No time to lament our loss. We leave a few betting stubs on the blue theatre style seats and leave the cheering and gamblers behind. We are on a schedule.

After our single horse race we ran to our subway so that we would not be late for our dinner reservations at an Indian buffet. If we were late for that it would have to be a fast dinner so that we weren't late for the musical Cats, which is on a tour through Asia. It was a 30 minute ride back to our dinner reservations. We ran into the Indian place, grabbed our plates, and swiftly filled our plates full of Indian food; a viscous soup of melding ingredients pooling in the middle. Soping it up with Nan bread we both decided we had time for one more plate and dessert. We topped out at 45 minutes for this event, including a glass of wine for Mindy and a gin and tonic for myself. The food was delicious. We had to run out the door to catch the next subway to the musical that started at 8:00. According to the subway map on our phone our next stop is exactly 42min long, after a transfer to another line. I look at my watch and the time is 7:10. We have 50 min. I could slowly see the night turning into a twisted version of the movie Speed.

As we bolted out the door I realized I left my cell phone in our hotel room, which was necessary as our reservation number was sent, via text, to me from the ticket company. Luckily, our dinner reservations were in the same building as our hotel, so I didn't have to go far. Unluckily, our room was nine floors up and we had to take a notoriously slow elevator to get there. Mindy had a plan to speed up this process: we would take the elevator up, when the elevator got to our floor I would bolt through the door, run to our room down to the far end of the hall, grab the phone, run back and she would hold the door. Brilliant! Up we go: 3rd Floor..4th..5th.....7th.....9th....*Ding*. "Go!" I bolt out the door in full stride, take the corner at full speed and run down the hall, Mindy is frantically pressing the "Door Open" button back in the elevator. I have already broken a sweat by the time I reach our door. I run inside and grab the cell phone in pitch dark as turning on the light would, apparently, take too much time. Locating the phone I grab it and run out the door. I am halfway down the hall as I hear the door close behind me. Mindy is still there with the elevator being held. Back down the elevator. 8th Floor.....6th....4th........

We run through the lobby of our hotel, Mindy's high heels clicking on the tile, and through the revolving door, which by the way are way to slow when you are in a hurry. The subway stop is right next to our hotel so we hit the stairs and Mindy gingerly navigates them in her heels. Realizing that I'm not exactly sure how to get to the theatre once we get off the subway I call information - the theatre is very near to the subway. Fully informed, we head for the turnstile, but my card won't read through my new wallet because it is picking up on my other cards. Finally, the reader works and I push the the turnstile and run for the subway. It is a slow 6 stops until the transfer station to the next line. When we get to the transfer station we run. Unfortunately, the distance between our subway and the line to the next subway is the longest distance any human has ever travelled. Ever. Considering the circumstances it is very unfair. We run up stairs, up escalators, across vast expanses of cement wasteland, down stairs, down escalators, and finally we are at the platform, sweating and huffing. The subway pulls up and we jump on. The air conditioning cools us off.

The time is 7:32 and we have about 11 subway stops to go. We sit and talk trying to ignore the fact that we are probably going to have to walk into a Broadway caliber theatre somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 minutes late, find our seats, walk in front of people, sweat on them from all our running, step on their feet in the dark and disrupt them before we finally sit down. The subway rolls up to the stop at Jamsil station at 7:51. Eight minutes to go and we still have to find the theatre. We step out of the subway and our collective epidermi prepares to endure another session of sweating. We run up escalators, stairs, and across more vast expanses of cement before finding our way to Exit 3, as directed by Information. Amazingly, Cats is advertised on the door. It can't be far. We open the door out of Exit 3. Crap, more stairs! We run up a bunch of stairs and out into Jamsil nightlife: cars racing by, people yelling, lights flashing, the smell of Soju on passing businessmen.

We run to the Lotte World (an indoor "Disney World") as I have a hunch the theatre is connected. I ask the Korean woman where the theatre is by saying, "Cats?! Meow?" and make the meowing noise along with a meek pawing motion to only further humiliate myself as the clueless foreigner. She smiles, laughs at me, and points. 7:57. We follow what directions she gave us only to find out her turn right motion was the was referencing the next right and not this one. This one was a hotel entrance as the person at the front desk informs us. We run back through the extremely slow revolving door and down the side walk to the next right. Mindy's heels clicking. Me, sweating profusely. Romantically, no lie, we both burp up spicy Indian food into our mouths simultaneously. The jarring to our stomachs has managed to slowly summon the remains of aloo gobi and chicken masala onto both of our palettes. This culinary coincidence makes us each shed a tear onto our sweaty red faces. We continue to run. This is true love.

We run inside with our tickets, hand them to the lady and she directs us to our balcony seats. It is 8:02. I frantically, claw for the camera to get a shot of the stage. I snap one and like a stealthy well dressed Ninja a host rushes to our seats and waves his hands in our faces - twice none the less - to inform us wordlessly, as he can tell we are ignorant foreigners, that pictures are strictly prohibited. I flash my now perfected "What? I have no idea what you are talking about" face even though I had a hunch this action would be frowned upon. The lights dim. Over the speakers is heard, "Photographs are strictly prohibited in..." The lights start to flash. Cats begins and it is amazing.

Time tally for the night:

Travelling time: 4.5 hours

Time at Actual Events: 4 hours

One year in the books. It has been an incredible ride. An experience. Challenging. Enriching. Fast. Furious. Full of surprise endings and twists, Wonderfully unpredictable. All the stuff of a real good story that continues to be jointly written.

-Scott

Squeezing Water from a Stone

The summer was rapidly approaching and the word in the hallways was that I'd be holed up in the English room for the entirety of the break. That's right, just me...no students, no principal, maybe an occasional Korean teacher. I tried to look at the bright side and think of all the internet-surfing I could catch up on. I'd basically be like Scott is at his school everyday. Instead of dealing with this situation the Korean way (just smile and say yes) I decided to do things the Mindy way (raise hell). After fighting tooth and nail (AKA politely asking my principal if I could have the same vacation as Scott) we had two weeks to explore glorious Korea. It's amazing what you can get if you just ask for it!

The question now was, "what to do?" Some careful planning would have been a good idea. The carefree travel attitude one can have in a place like Thailand or Mexico doesn't really work in Korea...that is if you want to have a worthwhile trip. As we didn't know this ahead of time, we took the play it by ear approach. We knew we wanted to get to Jeju Island, Korea's so-called mix of Hawaii, Disneyland and paradise. And instead of flying, we chose the adventurous bus/ferry route, first stopping off in Gyeongju, Korea's 'museum without walls'.

Sounds lovely--a city full of outdoor historical treasures. Only it was too hot and humid to even be outdoors, let alone do anything outside for any length of time. We didn't give up on Gyeongju yet, though. When daytime activities don't pan out there's always the nightlife. Well...Gyeongju doesn't have any, that we could find at least (which really isn't saying
much, based on our Korean navigation skills). Okay, so we didn't find any cool bars, but at the very least maybe we could get a nice meal out of this place. Nope. We apparently ventured out for dinner too late in what some Koreans may call a country that never sleeps. I guess that was our fault though, it was 10pm after all. Needless to say, Gyeongju was not our favorite place. It was definitely time for Jeju, just a hop, skip and an 11 hour ferry ride away.

When we booked the tickets for the ferry (3rd class) we saw where our "seats" (or floor space) would be, but I don't think the reality quite hit us. Or maybe it did, but it didn't occur to us that they would try to squeeze more than 100 people in a space meant for 75. We luckily scored a spot where we were able to eat, drink, play cards and sleep (well, attempt) in the fetal position. It was either that or the hallway outside the bathroom. (Note: Don't take the ferry again.) Once we arrived on Jeju the real fun would begin...right?!

As we deliriously wandered through the streets of Jeju City, we hesitated, thinking we were on the wrong island. We passed Fantasia, a carnival and water park that looked like it had been shut down for years, and countless other closed businesses. It looked a bit like a ghost town...we were worried. Luckily, later that night we found the part of town that was definitely open for business. We even found a Mexican restaurant (El Paso) and enjoyed margaritas, sangria and of course....Mexican food (with a Korean twist, but still yummy)! Then we stumbled upon a darts bar. Yes, an entire bar devoted to darts in Korea. This was definitely the best night of our vacation thus far! We were reluctant to leave our Mexican food and darts, but figured we should see some more of the island....later realizing that was not necessary.

We headed to Seogwipo, which we later nicknamed Soggy Poo. There we tried to do some sightseeing. Our big adventure was the local waterfall, which supposedly is the only one in Asia that flows directly into the ocean. It's creates what would be a great swimming hole, but Koreans don't really do that sort of thing. Scott does, though. Since we were on an island, my one wish (my wishes got more simple as the trip wore on) was to go to the ocean. We went to Jungmun Beach, which wasn't like any beach I'd ever been to. The Korean vacationers head to the beach and all cram into one area and sit at tables with umbrellas. And many don't venture into the chest-high water without their life jackets. Safety first should be Korea's national motto. After a grueling day at the beach and the waterfall we headed to our new favorite bar: Gecko's. They have free pool and darts (that can both be accessed while sitting at one table), western food, good beer and great cocktails. Need I say more.

Another interesting stop-off (recommended by other foreigners at a loss for things to do) was The Museum of Sex & Health. For being such a conservative country this museum is quite the opposite. I'm still blushing just talking about it. The museum focuses on sex education and sex culture, with information and many visuals (SEE PHOTOS) on everything from puberty to porn (not together, of course). This was the most happening spot on the island that we had seen so far. It was a regular family outing for many Koreans.

Once we exhausted all that Soggy Poo had to offer (we'd already been to Gecko's 2 nights in a row) we headed back north to finish off our vacation strong in the tourist arena. Scott's one dream on Jeju was to explore the lava tubes. They were very....dark. Although it was quite a trip walking through those massive, cold tubes that were once filled with boiling hot lava, not to mention a nice break from the sweltering heat above ground. On our way back from the lava tubes we hit up a giant hedge maze. It was a lot of fun, and pretty difficult too. It took us either 45 minutes or 1 1/2 hours to get through. We're not sure...it's like the twilight zone in there. Luckily they give everyone a map (which we finally had to bust out in the last 15 min), otherwise they'd have tourists spending the night in there.

Our time in "paradise" was nearing it's end. Our last night was in Jeju City--the Mexican food was calling us. That is, until we discovered the culinary Holy Grail. We searched high and low for Baghdad Cafe, and boy, was it worth it. It was the best meal I've had since...a long time ago. And possibly the best Indian food I've ever had. The good wine, nice people and shisha to finish off the evening might have had something to do with it too. It was a perfect meal to end our not-so-perfect vacation.

Despite having told ourselves not to, the next morning we boarded the ferry. We were hoping to fly back to Seoul, which would cut our travel time from 12 hours to 2 hours. Apparently you need your passport to board an airplane in Korea. Weird, huh?! Well, we left ours in Gwangju, so it was the ferry/train/bus route for us. Luckily, we were able to avoid the 11 hour sleeper ferry and spend that time on a train (during the day, playing Scrabble) instead.

Since returning home and reflecting on our summer vacation, we're already making plans for winter break. We're torn between another Tour De Korea or Nepal. It's a toughie, I know.

~Mindy

Please, Mail Us Cool Stuff!

A big thank you to Melody for sending us a stuffed care package! The Chai Tea is perfect! For those of you who are dying to send us a care package we like anything that reminds us, or tastes like home. Pictures, food, books (you can get an idea of which ones from our book list), candy, etc. Packages aren't too expensive to send, especially if you use the flat rate box. Here is the address:

Mindy Overlin
Dogung Elementary School
Docheok-myeon, Dogung-ri
Kwangju City
Kyonggi Province
South Korea

Kitty Trapping and Losing our Seoul

There are aspects to Korea were are finding very enjoyable: 1) The people are extremely communally and socially oriented. After a recent trip to Seoul's party town, Itaewon, which was a very wild night indeed, we were on the bus ride home the next morning after having to sleep in a hotel that night. Mindy was suffering from PTDD (Post Traumatic Drinking Disorder), otherwise known as a hangover. She had already regurgitated once after getting off the subway, but this time we were on the bus and there was no where to safely place the bodily dislodgings except for a VERY small garbage can. While she sat, hunched over on the bus's step, with the can placed between her legs, taking care to do so quietly, an old Korean woman brushed past me (I have learned to leave Mindy alone and not touch her when she is sick), sat down behind her and started to perform a very vigorous back rub/back pounding and pressure point application to her hands and scalp. She started shouting orders to the packed bus to open windows and make room for her next to one. She gave the back rub for a good five minutes than gave Mindy her seat next to a window. It was truly quite touching. I kept saying "Kam-sa-ham-neda" (thank you), but her reaction was almost annoyed in a what-did-you-expect-me-to-do kinda way. After she was done she went right back into the conversation she was engaged in before she started to help. 2) Seoul REALLY is a lot of fun. Especially, with good friends. There are so many areas to explore and events to attend. It has world class jazz bars, sports bars, museums, food, theme bars, clubs, cultural events, operas, orchestras and plays - all of which we have explored so little of, but we have many opportunities in the coming months. The night that led up to Mindy's hard morning was really a blast. Mindy and I met up with our friends JJ and Kristin in Itaewon (Seoul's party town) and had a very hazy night *Pictures Here*. No doubt my new mustache greatly improved my own night! Starting at a Mexican restaurant, we moved onto darts, which led to shots of Jaegermeister (yuck), dancing, kettles of soju and juice and eventually wondering the streets of the world's third largest city. We ended up at a McDonald's at 2:30am before checking into a hotel at 3:00am with Seoul still partying well into the morning.

After a recent day of exploring Seoul we were finding our way out of the most recent Batman movie in Yatap - by the way if this was a movie blog I would rave about it- when we heard the distinctive high pitched call of a kitten coming from the bushes. This was extremely coincidental considering we had spent the last week or so talking about getting a cat, especially that day. Coming around the corner we saw the tinniest black and white kitten briefly spring from the bushes meowing before running back in. We spent a good 15 minutes looking for it in the dense brush, but to no avail. The next day we went back to find it. We spent a few hours chasing it around the bushes, briefly seeing it, before having to give up yet again. On the third day, yes the third day, we tried a new tactic. Why not try to trap the little bugger! So I put together a rudimentary box trap that was held up by two taped chopsticks (very Korean!) and, when the twine was pulled, the box would, theoretically, trap the kitten inside who was eating the tuna bait *Pictures Here*. We sat for about an hour in one spot but never saw the cat. We reluctantly packed up only to hear that the cat had been in the adjacent green space! After finding its location I spotted him. He stared at me calling out for his mom. I got to within less than 2 feet of him before he took off into the deep bushes. After this event it was quite hard to leave, so we spent the next hour scurrying through the bushes covered in mud and branch clippings. We are now more determined than ever to catch this cat, or, at the very least, buy a comparable cat to drown out my visions of the lonely lost one! Our cat quest has now evolved its tactics as Mindy's mom has suggested the idea of digging a whole that the cat could fall into when it goes for the food. We are mulling that idea over as the logistics of it might be a little hard, but it is the best idea yet. In Korea, cats are not thought of very fondly. They are considered more pests than anything and, no doubt, this little one was dropped off by its previous owner. Having made eye contact with the little guy made it extremely difficult for me to just forget about it, so we have come up with all sorts of names for him/her.

Side note: Dogs are much more respected, but they are also a source of food and recently dog was acknowledged as an official food by Korean parliament, which gave special status to once secret dog breeding camps. Many restaurants serve dog as a meal and it is supposed to be quite tasty. Haven't tried it, yet.