Cambodia

Whats up guys, I just got back from Cambodia last weekend and thought Id tell you all about the trip. I went with my coworker, Kyle, and my good friend from CofC, Charles and we traveled north to south, stopping in Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, and Phnom Penh. Ill start from the beginning.

Siem Reap: We spent the first two days of the trip in Siem Reap with the goal of seeing Ankor Wat, a complex of massive temples constructed in the 12th century. Im sure most of you have seen some of these temples in photos and they are even more amazing in person, practically overwhelming to witness. The surrounding area is home to dozens of temples, the most famous being Angkor Wat and Angkor Tom, and we spent an entire day there and only saw 5 that were recommended by our guide/guest house. Most people spend 3 days there but after suffering from the heat and accompanying sunburns, we were content with our shorter visit.




We spent the first half of the next day on a ATV tour of the countryside, stopping at an orphanage and roadside village. The orphanage was pretty decent considering the poverty that engulfs the country, but there were very few kids since most of them had gone into the city that day to take classes. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see their open air classrooms and all they had built with money gained strictly from donations. Since there were very few kids, we only spent about 30 minutes there but left a bag full of pencils, tooth brushes, crayons, beach balls and some other odds and ends that I read was a good donation. The rest of the ride was filled with endless rice paddies, quiet roadside villages and modest homes, all with children that would run into the street and wave when they heard the motors of out ATVs.

Open air classroom at the orphanage

Some kids that ran out to meet us

We spent the last half of the day wondering around Siem Reap, which isnt really that big, looking around the markets and checking out the river. Later that evening, we caught a night bus that took us on a 10 hr trip to our next stop, Sihanoukville.

Sihanoukville: Sihanoukville is the poster beach town of Cambodia with two main beaches that stretch out from either side of a rocky cape (not sure if thats the right word, but it was a rocky point that reached pretty far out into the sea). The city's economy relies primarily on tourism so there is English everywhere and tons of guest houses/hostels and bars/restaurants on the beach. We stayed at a place that was a 5 min walk from the beach and spent most of our time lounging under an umbrella in front of a place called Khan's Shack. Although the water wasnt crystal blue, Sihanoukville is probably my favorite part of the trip, maybe because after 4 years of going to school by the beach, I really missed it. We didnt do anything for 3 days besides sit on the beach enjoy drinks made with fresh fruit, something none of us regret. The only downside was that we couldnt go 5 minutes without being interrupted by a beggar or someone trying to sell us something. I finally agreed to a foot massage for $3 and Kyle ended up buying some bracelets. We took an early bus on the 4th morning that dropped us off in Phnom Pehn that afternoon.


Phnom Penh: Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia and is pretty unimpressive if you have ever been to a big city, especially poorer one. Our main purpose there was to see the Killing Fields and S-21, reminders of when Pol Pot and the Khymer Rogue controlled the country. Here, we stayed at a guest house called No Problem that is on the shore of what remains of a huge lake and was recommended to us by a friend in Korea. Apparently, the lake used to be quite big but Korean developers have come in and literally bought most of it and were pumping sand into it so they could build on it. Ridiculous, I know. However, we did have a great patio that overlooked what was left of it. Our room, on the other hand, were pretty horrible; I wont go into detail but all of us though it best to sleep above the covers. Once we got checked in, we spent the rest of the afternoon at a government run shooting range where we got to shoot automatic weapons, a feat unheard of in USA unless you are in the Army. Kyle and I chose to shoot the AK 47 and Charles shot a US made M 16. It was some of the fastest money I have ever spent, but well worth it since it is such a rare opportunity.

View from the patio

We spent our last full day visiting the Killing Fields and S-21. S-21 was a school converted into a prison and staging ground for people that were eventually sent to be executed in the Killing Fields. The reasons for being imprisoned were vast and random, anything from being too intellectual, speaking multiple languages or even wearing glasses could have gotten you condemned to death. Over 15,000 people, including women and children, were executed at the Killing Fields and only in this past year has a trial began to bring those responsible to justice. Unfortunately, the mastermind, Pol Pot, has since died, but the man that ran S-21 is currently standing trial (or so I believe). Both of these places were horrible and it was a very solemn experience to visit them both.

S-21

Killing Fields

Mass graves at the Killing Fields

So far, they have recovered 2/3 of the bodies of the people suspected to have been killed here, these are some of their skulls

A week after we arrived, we took a red eye flight back to Korea, arriving around 6am and although we all slept on the flight, we spent most of the morning/afternoon catching up on more of it. As a whole, the trip was unbelievable and I couldnt have asked for a better time or better people to spend it with.

A few things to mention: Kymer (Cambodia) food is delicious, it puts Korean food to shame and we never had a bad meal. Almost every Cambodian we encountered, from the guest houses to shops on the street, spoke at least a little English. Also, everyone was extremely nice, either because of their nature or because they know how much money tourists bring to their country. Cambodia is extremely cheap, the most we paid for a room was $15 and the we never paid more than $4 for a meal. We hired Tuk Tuk drivers for $10-15 a day depending on where we were going and they all spoke excellent English and were full of suggestions on what to do and where to eat. Traffic is ridiculous everywhere, we heard there are laws that are supposed to govern how people drive, but no one obeys them. People drive on either side, motorcycles and scooters and abundant and darting between cars and through red lights, making my previous post on Korean traffic and drivers seem almost appealing.

Tuk-Tuk, the main form of transportation

This woman has her baby on her lap and another child that is sitting in front of the driver, and they were weaving through traffic

Ok, I guess that about sums it up, Ill be home in a little under 2 weeks, cant wait to see everyone.

Bungee jumping, rafting, Mud Fest and Charles

Ok, Im going to give a brief update of things before I head to Cambodia next week.

I went rafting and bungee jumping with Amanda 3 weekends ago. The rafting was ok, not a lot of water so it wasnt very swift, but the weather was beautiful and the little water that was there was refreshing. We went through a tour group called Adventure Korea that specializes in showing Korea to foreigners. If youre ever in the area, I would definitely recommend going on any of their adventures, everything was well organized and we met a few cool people. After rafting, they had a lunch set up for us and we all relaxed before heading to the bungee jump site. Jumping was optional but I had planned on doing it since I had read about it on the website. After about an hour of waiting, I was strapped into an ankle harness and jumped from a platform located 50 meters above a river. Jumping was an awesome rush and a lot different than I remembered, probably because I was 12 the last time. If you are interested, I think a video and pictures are up on my Facebook page.

The next weekend I went with a group of coworkers, Amanda, and some Korean friends to a beach town about 2hrs south of Seoul. This town hosts a "Mud Festival" every year that has become very popular with the foreign community and is supposed to be a must do if you live here. Honestly, I expected more, it was pretty much just an excuse to party with a ton of people on the beach. There was a lot of mud (supposedly rich in minerals and trucked in from nearby) for people to jump and play in as well as paint their bodies with. It rained on Saturday afternoon so that kind of killed the mood, but it was a nice excuse to get out of the city and go to the beach. Sadly, there are no pictures of this since everyone was hesitant to bring their cameras out into the mud.

Last weekend, my good friend, Charles, arrived in Seoul. I have known him since freshman year at CofC and am really glad he decided to make the 14hr flight here. I spent the week splitting time between work and showing him around Seoul. We are leaving tomorrow with my coworker, Kyle, to go to Cambodia for my summer vacation and my bit of traveling l before I come home.

Finally, Im sure you are all happy to hear that my plane ticket has been bought and I will be home August 19th, get ready.

Mt. Seoraksan

A couple of weekends ago, I went with some friends to the east coast of Korea to climb a mountain. Not just any mountain, but one of the biggest mountains in Korea. Named Mt. Seoraksan, this behemoth is just over 1700 meters tall (5500 ft) and took us 9 hrs to go 10km up and 5km down. Ridiculous, I know. I can honestly say we didnt know what we were getting ourselves into when we planned this trip and were a little too arrogant (or uninformed) starting out. The problem with Mt. Seoraksan is that it is deceptive; it starts with about 2km of winding, paved trail and you are surrounded by families. Even when the pavement disappears, the path is still gradual and nonthreatening. It wasnt until we had a little over 5km to the top that we realized this was going to be harder than it looked. At that point, the path seemed to head straight up with no sign of relief. The last 5km were a hellish combination of steep man made stairs and unevenly placed stone ones. Some of us wanted to turn around, but we persevered and made it to the top where it seemed we had risen above the clouds and the weather was completely different that what we had left below us.

The hike itself was beautiful and I dont regret doing it for a minute. We spent a lot of time hiking along a river that had cut away at the rock, leaving us with amazing views of rock walls to either side of us. We had lunch by one of the water falls that feeds the river and I even braved the frigid water to go swimming because it was crystal clear.

We took a shorter way down that was also riddled with so many awkward stairs that it crippled the remaining parts of our legs that hadnt given out on the way up. This shorter way dumped us out at the other end of the park, about as far away as we could have gotten, but everyone was so exhausted that we were glad to pay the cab fare back to where we were staying. Needless to say, everyone was worn out for the next few days and my legs hurt for the next week, but I had a blast and its always nice to get out of Seoul.

Compared to the hikes I have done in the city, this one was infinitely more difficult, but less intimidating since we never had to use ropes to keep us from falling to our deaths. Would I do it again? Probably not. But would I recommend it for people to do? Absolutely.

Im still alive!

For those of you out there questioning my lack of updates, heres your answer: its been a really busy but also pretty routine few weeks. Ive got "Open House" coming up at the end of June which is just an excuse for the parents to watch me teach their kids. Its pretty much a scripted performance, but the trick is to convince the parents otherwise so it appears that I typically do that much work and prep and their kids are always that smart and attentive. So, Ive been spending a lot of time working late on flashcards, posters, role play scripts, etc and a lot of class time reviewing it without specifically saying why, just in case the kids get the idea to tell mommy they have been practicing daily for their 'unscripted' open house.

I did have a great time last weekend celebrating two birthdays and enjoying the weather. I spent Saturday afternoon at the horse track with my friend, Phil, who simply wanted to bet on the ponies to celebrate his birth. I came out about $10 down and he about $5 up so no real harm done. I was disappointed with the last race, I had $5 on an American stallion named "Storm Feet" who started strong but then faded on the home stretch. However, after observing some of the locals on the way out, many of whom appeared to be crying or without enough money to take the subway home, I consider myself lucky to not have my life riding on these animals.

I spent Saturday night with more friends and coworkers for our friend Pam's birthday. We met at a local park as she simply wanted to have a picnic and enjoy time with friends. We had a great time drinking, eating, dancing and riding tandem bikes.

Sunday was spent wakeboarding on the river, lounging in the sun and eating cheaply at the Costco food court. All in all a really fun weekend and Im happy I had some great people to spend it with and enjoy some time away from work.

Hope all is well in the USA, look forward to hearing from and seeing you all soon (just about 9 weeks!)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles Pt. 3 (finally)

Ok, lets talk cars. There are only 4 words you need to know when driving (or riding) in a car here: There are no rules. Like the bus drivers, people using cars are only concerned about themselves. They drive where the want, they park where they want and they go when the want. Pay attention to the conclusion of this series, this is how not to drive.

All my comments come from being a passenger in a taxi or some one's personal vehicle, but Im pretty sure I wouldnt want to drive here. Lets start with moving forward, which means everyone else move out of the way. Cars drive everywhere here, on the sidewalk, over the curb and even through red lights. Best of all, no one cares because everyone does it. The rule of thumb is that if no one else is coming, you can go. This means blatant disregard for green, yellow and red lights, which I dont mind if Im in a hurry. It also results in a lot of honking. To increase their chances of success, they also stop pretty much in the intersection, so they either have to go to avoid being hit by turning traffic or are able to proceed at the first available moment. Ive seen a few close calls, mostly involving motorcycles and cars, but no wrecks (amazingly).

Again, like the buses, cars refuse to yield to emergency vehicles and cut them off often which is surprisingly tolerated. For some reason, all cops/fire fighters/ EMS people leave their lights on 24/7, I guess to be seen, but it can only add to the confusion when trying to determine whether there is an actual emergency. If, for some reason, a car does decide to yield, it typically pulls onto the side, but never actually comes to a stop. Instead, it proceeds to drive on the shoulder or sidewalk, honking at pedestrians to move the entire time. Ive personally witnessed a car tailgate a bicycler, on the sidewalk, because the biker refused to move for the car.

Finally, whenever the car reaches its destination, they park in the closest available spot. Often, this is not a parking spot and can be anything from the side of the road to a roadside patio. This only leads to more confusion when they leave since they have to navigate through the people so they can reenter the highway at some point.


Oh, one more thing: U-turns are more popular than rice here, its not uncommon to have a taxi pull a U-turn by crossing over two lanes into oncoming traffic just because he realized he was going the wrong way. Mind you, these are the good drivers, the bad ones try to get more money out of doing things the legal way and driving a bit further.

Good luck if you ever come here and hope to drive.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles Pt. 2

Ok, Im going to cover public transportation in the second installment of this series. Included are buses and subway trains; up first: the subway.

Having never really ridden an established and extensive subway system before this summer in NYC, I have to say they are really beneficial when done right. Atlanta's is not done well, as evidenced by the fact that no one really takes it unless they are going downtown, to the airport or trying to find somewhere to sleep. New York's and Seoul's are far better, encompassing the entire city with entrances every few blocks. I have give the edge to Seoul's system though, but only because the platforms dont smell like urine and the stations are extremely well maintained.

I probably take the subway here at least once a week and have never had a bad experience, save for the random times I show up as the doors are closing or inability to get a seat as seen here:

The subways run pretty regularly, and even if you miss a train, there is always one a few minutes behind with it's position shown on an electronic board. Every stop is announced in both Korean and English and the map of stops is written in both, ensuring that you have to be asleep or a moron to miss yours.

The only downfall to the subway is that the trains dont run all night, they stop around 11 or 12, but since taxis are so cheap (I will elaborate in pt. 3), getting home is never too expensive.

Ok, now for the buses. There is a wonderful piece of technology that links the subway system and bus system together, its called a T-Money card and is about the size of a piece of gum. This card either goes in your wallet or attaches to your phone via a cord and is rechargeable at every subway station. While you can use cash, Id say more than 90% of Koreans use their T-Money card to pay for subways and buses. In addition to convenience, one of the best incentives to use it is that it gives you free transfers. For example, whenever I take the subway home, I also have to take a 5 min bus ride, but that bus ride is free since I use my T-Money card. I can also use this card to pay for some taxis and in select convenience stores.

Like the subway, every bus stop is announced in English and Korean and you simply push a button to signal to the driver that you want off. While much of Seoul looks similar, one of the best things about the bus is the view. This, paired with the recent implementation of a HOV lane just for buses makes this mode of transportation more appealing than being stuck underground.

There are two major flaws in the bus system though, the first is that while the stops are announced in English, the maps at the stops are only in Korea. This means that unless you know which bus to take or know Korean, its going to be pretty hard to figure out which bus goes where.

The second is the driver's sense of entitlement. According to their posted licenses, many of these drivers have been in the game for many years and have the ego to go with it. What does an egotistical bus driver do? Anything he wants. Since Ive been here, Ive almost been hit when crossing the street at the appropriate time, been cut off numerous times while in a taxi and witnessed buses refuse to yield to emergency vehicles. Its goes both ways though, because I obviously enjoy the driver making haste while Im aboard, but some of their actions surprise me at best.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles Pt. 1

This is intended to be the first installment of a 3 part series aimed at describing traveling within Korea. First up: planes.


While I have only had one experience on a Korean run airline, I have to say that everything I have heard supports my experience. Some of you may remember when I went to Tokyo at the end of January; for that trip, I flew Asiana Airlines. Prior to them, I have flown primarily domestic run carriers (with the exception of Lufthansa this summer and maybe a Caribbean one when I was younger), but Asiana blew everyone out of the water. I cant imagine anyone enjoying flying domestic airlines (with the exception of first of business class), but stop reading now if you do because they are in the minor leagues compared to Asiana.

First, and perhaps most importantly, they were overstaffed (some of you may be asking yourselves what this means since US carriers dont understand either). Not only were there about 20 desk agents checking people in, there were also 10 gate agents when it was time to board. Things went smoother than smooth, in addition to the desk lady honoring my request for an exit row, the gate agent offered me a paper after my ticket was scanned.

It gets better: once on board, I noticed the flight attendants didnt look leathery and on their death bed (apologies to anyone with who's mom is/was a flight attendant, I wasnt talking about them, unless their face looks like a handbag painted like a clown). In fact, Asiana's flight attendants reminded me of the glory days of the profession (see Catch Me If You Can for insight) when it was hip to be a jet setting flight attendant. Gorgeous and courteous, they catered to the passengers like they cared and in four languages. I was constantly offered beverages and snacks which leads me to my next point of praise: the food and drinks.

Not only was the alcohol free, it was quality booze. Im talking both foreign and domestic beers as well as brand name spirits, all of which had unlimited refills. I dont know whats wrong with our domestic carriers (actually I do, their industry is in economic turmoil and is desperate need of cutting costs), but drinks on the house go a long way. Not even on my flight to Korea on United, which lasted about 13 hrs, were their any complimentary drinks. Also, the food was delicious. Im talking food that filled me up and that I could actually recognize without consulting the menu. And no, I didnt have to pay extra for it. Both entrees were fish, but the side items ranged from salad to noodles and was always accompanied by bread, dessert and rice (it is Asia after all). Take a look at this picture and tell me you wouldnt eat this.


Thats what I thought.

I guess the thing I was most impressed with was the lack of a language barrier. I was expecting them to be proficient in Korean and Japanese, but I was pleasantly surprised by their extensive knowledge of English. From checking in to disembarking, not once did a staff member have to consult another to translate anything I said. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

Alright, that concludes part one, I will be flying Korean Air on my trip to Cambodia in July, so hopefully they live up to my newly raised standards.

The Rivalry of Rivalries

Some may say its Duke vs UNC, others UGA vs Florida or Auburn vs Alabama, but on Wednesday night, I saw a game that trumps all the others and is seen by few. Im talking about a game that is a literal escape for one team, an excuse for them to leave their scripted lives and see how the rest of the world lives. No, Im not talking about Canada, Im talking about a soccer game between South and North Korea. On Wednesday night, 8 coworkers and myself traveled to World Cup Stadium (home of the 2002 World Cup) to see two countries, who are still technically at war, battle it out on the soccer field.

This was one of the coolest and most exciting sporting events Ive been to, not only was it an exciting game, but words cant describe what it was like seeing citizens of the North outside of their country. The South scored the only goal with about 5 minutes left, here are some pictures and a video of the stadium post goal.

Update time!

Ok, I owe yall an update. I plan on uploading a whole slew of pictures from the last few weeks that include a few events such as a friends birthday, my new class, a going away party, St Patricks Day and who knows what else. So, as soon as I can find the cord to connect my camera to the computer, I will put those up (EDIT: I just found the cord so the photos are UP).

Things are good at school, the beauty of having a new class that has never had a teacher before is that they are so impressionable! I am quickly molding my 7 year olds into mini-Quincys, complete with my mannerisms and accent (on a side note, my accent was mocked my some drunk girl last week, she was wearing flannel so Im assuming she was from Canada). My class is progressing nicely, since this is their first time learning English, their progress is very obvious and rewarding since almost every word they can speak they learned from me. Teaching is not without its challenges though, last week I had one of my best kids poop his pants. Im serious. Ironically, the week before, there was a note in the staff room not to restrict the kids from using the bathroom, since it was the first time they had to ask to go for the many of them. I know what you are thinking, and the way I wrote it should have created an obvious assumption, but I WAS NOT KEEPING MY KIDS FROM USING THE BATHROOM. I guess it just snuck up on this kid.

Things have been good outside of work, also. I currently have about 4 1/2 months left in Korea and I am already counting down the days, so let this be a warning to all you readers, you will be sick of me talking about it. But, its really your fault since Im counting down the time until I get to see all of you again. I am pretty sure these remaining months will go fast, I really only have to make it until the end of July and then I get my summer break for a week and then my contract ends around the middle of August. Speaking of my summer break, I just booked a plane ticket to Cambodia today, so I will be spending that week seeing the sights (Angkor Wat), shooting automatic weapons (here) and avoiding the sex tourists. On top of that, one of my best friends from school, Charles, is supposed to join me and my coworker, Kyle, on this adventure. So, with that to look forward to and the weather getting warmer by the day here, it should be a pretty fast couple of months.

One last thing before I go: I was recently approached at a bar by a guy I had met before. He told me him and his boss liked my style, look, etc and wanted to make me a model in Korea. I dont think Im model material, but having white skin goes a long way here. Their company deals mostly with the Korean home shopping network and they asked if I had any tall, good looking friends that would also be interested so I successfully recruited a guy I work with from my school and a girl from Charleston I met here. They needed one more girl so they took me out to the foreign area on St Patricks day, bought my drinks and pointed out girls they thought had a body shape appealing to Koreans. My job was to go talk to them since their English was inadequate and see if they would be interested. They ended up settling on a tall Canadian girl who teaches at a university. Anyway, last weekend we went and met their company photographer (who they claimed was famous in Korea, he did have a nice studio) and he took our pictures and told the Koreans that me and Kyle were very good and the girls were "a little good." They are very critical of girls over here. We are supposed to go back this weekend to get the equivalent of head shots done so when companies call the photographer looking for models, he will have something to offer them. Who knows if anything will come of this, but it has been an interesting and funny story so far.

Godspeed everyone, enjoy the pictures.

Video Upload Bonanza!

I just uploaded 12 new videos to YouTube, heres a preview to wet your palate, click on the link to see the rest.



Sorry, the audio is inconsistent on some.

THE BOYS ARE BACK!!

Some of you may know this, many may not, but Phish was my first love before Sound Tribe. However, they took a hiatus after the summer of 2004, leaving a void in my heart that was filled by STS9. Thankfully, the boys are back and kicked off their spring and summer tour with 3 nights at The Hampton Coliseum in Virginia this weekend. While many of my friends and even some of my family attended this momentous occasion, I had to follow via the internet, but even that brought on goosebumps.

For those that care, Trey, Mike, Page and Jon played for a over 12 hours this weekend that included more than 80 of their songs. They left on kind of a low note in their musical careers in 2004, but after listening to the recordings of these shows, its exciting to see that they are very much back and on top of their game.

If you are interested in any of the recordings, they are free and can be found at LivePhish.com.

Thanks for humoring me by reading this.

Out with the old, in with the new!

First, let me thank my friends and family who responded to my last post, I appreciate the kind words and encouragement. I will certainly try my best to keep you updated on my adventures and stories in this ass backwards country.

Second, I just uploaded over 150 new pictures, so check them out.

Finally, the new school year begins in March here (having no summer break is cruel if you ask me) so I got a new class on Monday, called K Lion.

They are a group of ten 7 year olds who have never been to an English school before. Obviously, I have my hands full. I inherited my previous class in their second year, so they knew a decent amount, but these kids insist on speaking Korean and are dumbfounded that I dont know what they are saying. I guess its the same for them because all I speak is English and am amazed that they dont know the phrase 'sit down.' They also do things like point to their crotches when they need to go to the bathroom or just leave the room when I turn my back. Today was the first day so Im sure things will get easier and hopefully I will have the whole bunch soluting me when April rolls around.

On a side note, the best kid from my old class, who was a model student and never gave me any problems peed himself in front of his new teacher today.

Be easy yall.

A Letter to Myself

Compliments of my friend Kate and her blog WorldWideKate, this is a letter written by a guy named Calvin Reid who is currently living in Thailand:

When you get old, remember how when you were 20, one of the best decisions you ever made was to live in paradise. You lived in Disneyland. You stopped wearing shoes. You stopped brushing the flies off your feet. You smoked weed on a mountain and under palm trees overlooking a beautiful beach. The soundtrack of your life was decided on by the bars that you visited. You met everyone. You never turned down an invitation. If you didn’t know something, you found out. You wrote daily phrases on your arm. Your plans were written in the sand so they could be washed away every morning. You knew the phase of the moon every day. You used to go to bed when the sun came up and wake up at 2 in the afternoon. You knew all the restaurants, bartenders and locals. You were a role. A local. It was your job to show everyone what paradise looks like. You made decisions with a coin. Your biggest problem in day to day life was sand. You never regretted anything. You trained puppies on the beach. You were always wondering what the next adventure would be. There was always a new story. Everywhere you needed to go was a walk down the beach. You would take 7-11 picnics of cup noddles and ice cream to people watch. You would order something on a menu if you didn’t know what it was. You were living the definition of bliss. Every second of everyday you were doing exactly what you wanted to. There were no rules. No limits. No regrets. No one to answer to except yourself. Regardless of time, you greeted everyone with “Good Morning”. You laughed about everything. Your backyard was a beach rave that only ended when the sun came up, and sometimes, not even then. You had an incomprehensible amount of freedom. And you could do anything you wanted to. If you wanted to lie in the sand and listen to reggae, no one could stop you. If you wanted to just listen to frogs in the jungle, there’s a place for it. If you wanted to photograph the sunset from a swing hanging from a palm tree, you did it. There were no street signs or addresses. Just places with names like ‘Fairyland’ (who plays the most chill music on the beach) or Cactus or Drop In (the main beach bars) or Chicken Corner (the Israeli place open 24 hours, right in the centre of it all.) You had ‘Fake-date Fridays’ and ‘Stupid Sundays’. You never stopped smiling and plans were never made beyond tomorrow. You met the most amazing people in the most unusual circumstances. Your palm trees had electrical sockets in them and the ones on the beach were lamp posts. You had no one to ask permission from or commitments to keep. Goodbyes with new friends were cause for a crazy last night, and a solemn last day, but you always had the memories. Banana shakes were a staple in your daily diet and there was fluorescent neon paint of every article of clothing you owned. You met a lot of people older than you and every single one said one of two things: “I wish I’d done something like that when I was your age.” or “I did something like that when I was your age and it was the best decision I ever made.” Not once have you heard of anyone who did something like this, and regretted it. Everyday you said “We are the luckiest kids in the world.” And you were. It was difficult for you to understand how people could go through their entire lives and not experience some of the things you were experienceing on a daily basis. You didn’t have memories. You were memories. You were hitting levels that you didn’t even know could exist and no one could bring you down, ever. You were untouchable in your youth. Never, ever, ever forget that.

Halfway home

Well my 6 month mark came and went last week and I have to say it doesnt feel that much different. It does feel like I have been here a long time but oddly that I dont have a lot of time left. I think this may be because one of my best friends here, Karen, the girl that I corresponded with before coming, is in the middle of her last week. She will be traveling throughout China before heading home to Canada and I constantly find myself thinking what it would be like if it was me leaving after a year. You all know that there have been times where I was ready to pack up and leave Korea, but watching a close friend actually do it puts a different perspective on it; even after 6 short months here, I know that I would miss Korea a lot.

Anyway, enough reflecting, heres whats new. First, allow me to apologize (again) for neglecting this blog. Although I have to say that the majority (not all) of my family and friends have really failed in terms of keeping in touch, its a two way street so I put some of the blame on you. PLEASE, POST COMMENTS, SEND EMAILS, TELL ME WHAT THINGS YOU LIKE OR WHAT TO READ ABOUT, THINGS YOU DONT LIKE, ETC... but most importantly, let me know you are still interested. There are times when I think I have a great idea to post about, but dont because it takes a lot of time and effort to write and edit this thing and I dont feel its appreciated most of the time. I know I have said this before, and let me stress again that some of you are very good about keeping in touch and I know everyone has a busy schedule, but its my feeling that if I can make time, you should be able to also. So try harder, all of you.

Second, the weather is finally getting warmer, we are nearing the end of winter and I am proud to have survived it. Some friends and I are going to try and take one more ski trip this weekend before Spring gets here, I hope the snow is still real.

Third, I get a new batch of students beginning March 1st. Korea does school a little differently in that the 1st new semester begins in March, including college. So, while I am disappointed that Koreans dont get to experience a summer break before school 'starts', I am excited that I will be getting new kindergarten students soon. In addition, I get to name more than half of my new students since most of them will be attending English school for their first time. My proposed list consisted of names from both family and friends, but it will honestly depend on what the parents are willing to accept. Stay posted to see if a Korean child was lucky enough to be named after you.

And finally, Happy Birthday to my Dad!

As always, be safe, Ill leave you will some pictures to compare my first day in Korea with a more recent one:

Photo Update!

This post will be brief, but I just wanted to tell you that I uploaded almost 100 new photos that include the Super Bowl and DJ Sasha. Also, I updated the Only in Korea page with a Tokyo Edition, click here to view them, heres a preview:

Konichiwa

While I got back to Seoul a week ago, Im just now updating my blog, my apologies. The trip was a blast, other than some punk swiping my credit and debit cards while I was at a bar, quickly racking up $2800 in fraudulent charges, and then replacing them so I had no idea that it happened. Consequently, the next day, when I needed money, none of my cards worked and I had no idea why. Other than that, the weather was great and I really enjoyed the city of Tokyo.

Highlights included:
-The Canadian brother and sister I met on the plane there that ended up loaning me money when I couldnt figure out why my cards werent working, thanks again Anne and Teddy.

-My capsule hostel which was pretty much like sleeping in a large cubby built into the wall

-The 'goodwill' tour I took with a 60 year old Japanese man. The way it worked was that he took me to all the places I wanted to go, and all I had to pay for was his subway tickets and meals. Pretty good deal actually.

-Shibuya Crosswalk - know as one of the busiest crosswalks in the world, this crossing has 5 pedestrian paths that fill up fast as soon as the cars stop, I was lucky enough to see it at rush hour, check out the video:


-Asiana Airlines - let me tell you, Asian airlines hook it up, not only was there free booze, but the meals were big and delicious and they were actually over staffed! Made me hate US domestic carriers even more. Also, I got to fly in my first 747 and they honored my request for an exit row.

-The Japanese people - I could not have been more pleased with all the Japanese people I met, everyone (except the bastard that used my CC) was extremely nice and EVERYONE we spoke to knew at least a little English. On a side note, I picked up a little Japanese while I was there so I am now quad-lingual (English, Spanish, Korean and Japanese for those keeping score at home).

More pictures are available here or in the TOKYO ALBUM if you click the usual link to the right.

In other news, I managed to go all day Monday without using the internet, just so I could see the Super Bowl on a taped delay without knowing the score. I watched it at a foreign bar that was packed and has an awesome time. While technically I was neutral, I rooted against the Cardinals because they beat my Falcons, so I ended up cheering on the winning team.

I guess thats it, send emails, post comments, just let me know you are alive because February 18th marks my 6th month mark here in Korea and I miss hearing from you all.

Take it easy, Quincy.

Tokyo Bound

Some of you may know, others may not, but Im taking a brief vacation in Tokyo beginning tomorrow morning. Ill be spending 4 days there over my Lunar New Year break and will be back in Seoul come Tuesday evening. Stay tuned for stories and pictures.

Enjoy your weekend and be safe.

The Life of a Korean TV Star

For those of yall with satellite TV, check your programming guide for a station called KBS, its the public broadcasting network of Korea and yours truly will be gracing their show called English 911 in a matter of weeks. If you dont have satellite or cant located KBS, call your cable provider and demand that they offer the show via pay-per-view or something because I put on a performance to rival Scorsese.

Heres the story: I work with a girl who's Korean boyfriend is a pretty successful commodities trader and was selected to be the topic of an episode of English 911, an educational program that deals with English in business settings. The producers wanted to film him speaking English in a relaxed setting so they asked him to bring some foreign friends to a bar so they could film him interacting with some native speakers. Naturally, he thought of me, whether it was before or after his girlfriend is debatable, but regardless we all met last night to begin shooting (as its called in the business). So we spent about 30-45 minutes filming in this bar, just trying to act natural, after which we are told they will probably edit the footage down to 1 or 2 usable minutes. Not exactly the fast track to an Emmy, but at least I got my foot in the door.

Oh, and for the guys, the host of the show was a former Miss Korea, but I didnt find that out until her and the producers left - so I missed my chance at a date with a model, but at least I will get my 2 minutes of fame.

Hopefully I will be able to get a copy of the show to upload, but until then, just look for me in People or something.

Also, I uploaded more pictures, if youre not bored of them yet, click the link to the right as usual.

What is there to drink?

Ok, even though none of you have asked, Im sure there must be a few of you that are wondering what there is to drink over here. To be honest, theres not much difference except for one local specialty, but heres a run down of what Im drinking in Korea.

Up first is Korea's specialty: Soju. Some people call this the devil's nectar and it is dangerous for two reasons: first, it is extremely strong; second, it is only one dollar a bottle. This makes it both appealing and deadly but it is a must try when visiting or living in Korea. It tastes like a mix of cheap vodka and gasoline, but be forewarned, it may taste delicious, but Soju makes you do stupid stuff, like fall down your stairs.

Next, drinks in a bucket. There is a bar called Monkey Beach in Seoul that prides itself on pouring a 10 shot drink in a children's sand bucket for the low price of twelve dollars. On top of that, they also have nightly competitions to win more alcohol, including beating their mascot in rock-paper-scissors and shooting baskets for bottles of liquor. I have only been their twice, but both times a member of our group has won one of the bottles which is exciting at the time, but stupid in retrospect since you have been drinking buckets of liquor all night. Still, its a great bar and Ive had a blast both times Ive been there.

Now, for the randoms. First up is a can filled with a mixture of vodka and lemon called KGB. Ive only had one sip of this drink since Ive been here but that was plenty (too sweet), even though I work with some people that love them.
Next is a vodka from a place Im certain none of you have visited: Kazakhstan. Before this vodka, the only thing I knew from Kazakhstan was Holly's sister, but I have to say they do make a tasty beverage. I got to try this thanks to a Korean friend, but I have no idea where he found it since I havent seen it in any of the liquor stores here, but if you happen to come across it, I suggest you try it.

Finally, my bread and butter: beer. Korea brews 3 beers in mass quantity: Cass, Hite and OB. Im partial to Cass, but all three are served in sizes ranging from single cans to kegs. However, the stores sell one size unknown to all of you in the states: the 1.6 liter (thats just over 54oz to those not in the know). This is the biggest quantity sold for personal consumption and comes in bottles about as tall as your shoe.

And, thankfully, there is always the King of Beers, Budweiser. This is sold at most bars for the same price as Cass and Hite and you rest assured that I buy American when given the choice (yes, I know Anheuser Busch is owned by InBev now, but its still American to me).

Heres to having fun and drinking responsibly.

And the winner is: My sister, Meredith!

It wasnt exactly a photo finish, but after 3 days of waiting, I finally received a text message. Thank you, Meredith, for waking me at some unknown hour of the night to a message that read "Hi did it work???" Yes, it worked, now you can enjoy your 15 minutes of fame, which may be much shorter since the majority of people reading this probably already know you. Thanks sis, I love and miss you.

Also, 2nd place goes to my friend Kate Stice. You all may remember Kate from when I introduced her and her blog, "World Wide Kate" a few months ago. Anyway, Kate swears that she texted me, and I believe her, but I fear it was either sent when I didnt have any money on my phone or perhaps she doesnt have international texting capabilities because I never got it. But thanks Kate, I believe you tried and if it had gone through, you would have been the first.

I am certain the number posted below is correct since two people have successfully contacted me on it, so dont hesitate to try even though the contest is over.

Also, I added almost 200 new pictures the other day, click the link to the right as usual.