Great Day

Busan has an awesome hiking culture - the city is literally surrounded by gorgeous, epic, emerald mountains; it's like living in some secret, protected 'dent' in the world. Any given day you're sure to pass countless tiny packs of old Korean men and women, decked out in full hiking gear (walking poles included) hustling their way to the next mountain. Despite their age, any one of them could surely kick my butt...those people mean business.

Around 9am today my friend and I trekked over to Jangsan mountain (about a 15 minute walk from my apartment) to the trail entrance, and started to make our way to the top. I have been on hikes before, but this one was definitely a trip. Make no mistake, Korean hikes are not comprable to Canadian hikes. Back home, this thing would be Everest. Any true hiker living in the Bu would call me lame for marveling at Jangsan (it's outdone by so many others here) but compared to Ontario, this thing was Everest.

This hike itself was a purely 'Korean' experience - difficult to describe - Korean experiences are something that just can't be explained. Over the course of 5 hours I witnessed countless 'adult playgrounds' (a popular fad here, where awesome and fun workout equipement is placed in random areas throughout the city), buddhist temples, grandma & grandpa hiking groups (faster than me, at the ripe old age of 25), and one 70-something man walking that damn thing without shoes. At one point my friend Tom and I had to lay on a bunch of rocks for an apple break, and just laugh at everything we'd witnessed pre-noon today.

Anyway, I will post mountain pictures as soon as I have them. It definitely won't capture the beauty (and height!) of that monster, but I promise to take any of you for the journey if you visit.

Enjoy your Saturday, Canada. Thinking of you all!

xo, b.

Savage Night

Parties in Busan don't finish until well into the next day. And I don't mean the wee hours of the morning, I mean 9,10,11am the next day. This is mainly due to the fact that bars here don't close, they stay open until the last, demolished guest is ready to stagger on home...or, in some cases, the nearest park bench.

Needless to say, last night's St.Patty's celebrations were nothing short of crazy. And the place to be? Busan's favourite foreigner hang-out and only Irish Pub: Wolfhound.

I love Wolfhound because once you're inside, it's identical to any other pub I'd find back home. The food is delish, and it's a rare English-only zone - great for those times when I find myself in serious need of a break from the constant buzz of Korean. My coworkers and I stop by each Monday night for cold beers and half-priced chicken tenders, gotta ease into the workweek.

The stories of Wolfhound are legendary. Those four walls have seen more crazy crap since that place opened 6 months ago than most bars will see in a lifetime. Just the other Sunday during a ritual beer-ing session (dubbed 'Sunday Fundays') I watched a guy pay his friend $50 to pull his pants down and allow him to fire 3 darts into his bare butt. I'm still cringing. This is the side of Busan that makes me wonder...

Last night was right up to par. I stopped in for literally 2 minutes after dinner with some friends, but promptly left because I just couldn't take it. It was only 11pm but people were already getting naked. That place was going to be trouble. Sure enough, I woke up this morning to a facebook status update from Wolfhound stating: cracked couches, tables broken, ran out of Guiness and Cass, plumbing effed, police came...thanks for coming. Savage night.

Bleh. I had way more fun picking wedding colors with Rhi at 1am.

Still Kickin'

For those of you who were worried, yes, I'm still alive. And, I'm sorry for almost falling off the face of the planet the last few months.

With regards to the recent news about Japan, all I can say is that everyone I know in Korea is safe and sound (thankfully). I didn't know any of the foreigners who had been visiting at the time of the tsunami, which is unreal to me because my friends take weekend trips by ferry over there all the time. The whole thing happened right after 'spring break' for the public school teachers here, so they were back in the country already.

I'm happy with the action that Korea has taken to aid the tsunami relief efforts, though I have to say that it is somewhat surprising. I really don't want to blog about it, but Korea-Japan relations are historically strained, to say the least. Since moving here, I have learned much about the way that the Koreans and Japanese think about one another. If you are curious to know more, send me an email. I'll happily share, in private.

Ok I really hope everyone is well back home! Miss you all & I promise to write again soon.

b.

Lemonade

For a number of reasons, the last week and half have been rough. I won't go into detail, but I will take a lesson from my wonderful, hilarious, and loving cousin Konrad, and do my best to put a little positivity back into the world instead. On that note, please see below for a short list of 5 things that have recently brought a smile to my face.

5) Louis C.K.
Lately I've come to appreciate the hilarious talents of Mr.Louis C.K., a crass, inappropriate, offensive and politically incorrect American comic, in case you aren't familiar. I highly recommend YouTube searching "Louis CK + Shameless" if you want to enjoy some high quality stand-up comedy that's sure to save you a few ab workouts at the gym this week.

4) Pizza School
Finally. I've been searching for a decent pizza joint for the past 5 months, last night I found it. Niki took me to some hole-in-the-wall place called 'Pizza School' (oh ya, the name left me with some doubts) about a 30 minute walk from my apartment. Turns out, it's awesome. I paid a meer 5 bucks for a delicious, authentic pizza, sans strange Korean toppings (like corn, hot dog, etc.) and imitation cheese that I usually find here. In case you ever find yourself roaming the streets of Haeundae with a craving, do yourself a favour and track down Pizza School. Order the Hot Chicken - it's the bomb.

3) Scholarships
Today my friend Tom got news that he's being awarded $120,000 in scholarship money to attend law school back home in the States next year. No one deserves it more.

2) Spring Weather
The last few months have been freakin freezing here (record lows for Busan, figures) but the Korean weather experts agree: warmer weather is just round the bend. Canadian or not, I will never enjoy being cold...it ties with 'nauseous' as my #1 least favourite sensation. I hope that everyone back home will soon be enjoying the same fate. If not, please forget I mentioned it.

1) New Horoscope Signs
Apparently the entire Zodiac calendar has been redesigned, and everyone's sign has changed? I heard this today. If that's true, I shall be eternally grateful that I'm not one of those people with their Zodiac sign tatooed on their body. For a few days back in high school, I was considering it.

Tomorrow's Friday everyone:) Love you all and I'm thinking of you...

Couple-a-Guys

Korean architecture can be difficult to describe. Busan in particular exudes a bizarre sense of chaotic conformity that leaves outsiders scratching their heads. At first glance, daily life here seems inconsistent and unpredictable, and yet, it leaves the definite impression that everything you see, smell, touch, observe, is in its rightful place; if things seem odd or out of order, it's intentional.

During his visit Tyler came up with probably the most accurate explanation for this particular Korean phenomenon. He figures that Korea was built by 3 different types of people: the artists, the military, and (my favourite) a Couple-a-Guys.

The Artists: I don't consider Koreans to be an overtly artistic people, in most cases utility and efficiency trump the aesthetic. That said, Busan does maintain a unique sense of beauty. The overwhelming streets make it easy to miss the handful of thoughtfully-crafted buildings, towering gracefully above. Their angular lines provide stark contrast to the boxy appearance of neighboring structures, offering a rare glimpse into the more vulnerable aspect of Korean culture.

The Military: This is probably the most dominant architectural component to Busan, particularly when it comes to places of residence. Most apartments here are rigidly structured groups of buildings; their identical rectangular shape placed row after row in perfect military formation, differentiated only by the massive block numbers painted boldly to the side wall. It is structured, organized, and efficient living at its finest.

Lotte Castle apartments, across the street from where I live.

Couple-a-Guys: "Hey! Uhhh..this wall needs some plastering, can you guys do it?" (pointing to 2 scruffy-looking guys, walking down the street)

"Yeah, sure!" (they nod, walking over)

"Great, thanks! Have you plastered a wall before?"

"No. But...we'll figure it out."

That's a Couple-a-Guys construction, right there. This was an ongoing joke of Tyler's during his stay, once he points it out its easy to see, a Couple-a-Guys' handiwork is everywhere. The haphhazard, slap-some-glue-on-it-and-call-it-a-day approach to city planning makes walking the city streets a constant adventure. You're forced to watch your step to avoid potholes and slightly exposed electrical wires that lurk round every corner. See below.

Couple-a-Guys electrical handiwork. Classic.

5, 4, 3, 2...

The weekend countdown is one of the teachers' favourite activities at school. Luckily, focusing on your upcoming Sat/Sun festivities isn't difficult in Korea - by midweek you're surrounded by many physical reminders of the better days ahead.

In pure Thursday celebration, I've compiled a short list of my top 3 favourite Korean reminders that the weekend is near. Enjoy!

3) Crazy Cab Rides
After our weekly meetings each Wednesday night, the 4 foreign teachers at school treat ourselves to a shared cab ride home. It's faster, warmer, and cheaper than taking the bus. Each week we take turns directing the cab driver to "Spongey" mall (kiddie corner to our apartment building). We rotate only because it would be totally unfair to force the same person to provide English direction to a Korean cab driver week after week...directing cabbies here requires patience, to say the least. You must repeat the name of your desired destination over and over and over again, until the driver finally nods with enthousiastic understanding and says something like "Ahhhhh! SPONGEY!" ...exactly the way you said it to them, nine times prior. Niki does the most hilarious impression of this experience; I am currently in negotiations with her to allow me to videotape it and post to my blog.

2) Thirsty Thursdays
'Oh Thursday, how I love you. You are so sunny, and loving, and... Hey! what the heck is that on the ground???!!! EW!' That pretty much sums up my weekly Thursday morning walk to the bus stop. I begin each Thursday happy and relieved, excited for the weekend ahead. And then I see it: a big old-fashioned pile of some drunk Korean businessman's Wednesday night dinner, caked to the sidewalk. It's called the one-too-many mekju (beer) syndrom, and it happens every single Thursday. Apparently Korean businessmen consider Wednesday a party night, and they leave their soju-soaked dinner on the sidewalks to prove it. I don't particularly enjoy this sight, but I take absolute comfort in the fact that it means the weekend is near.

1) The Sound of Silence
Near the end of the week at school, the kids' energy levels lower drastically. They literally tire themselves out to the point of exhaustion. It's glorious. An air of quiet calm fills each classroom, and I can hear myself think again. To top it off, Sally changes our daily school bell to a kindie-version of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence". It's odd, hilarious, and strangely appropriate. The only unfortunate part is the fact that I had to remove the song from my Ipod about 2 months into my Centum School employment... an unfortunate Pavlovian syndrom has developed.

Happy Almost Friday, Canada :)

Canadians drinking Belgian in Korea

It's a big fricking deal when a new 'foreign' restaurant opens in Haeundae. Online chat forums explode with the anticipatory chatter of excited expats, searching for a bit of dining variety in our otherwise limited international menu. If you have a hankering for something more than traditional East Asian or cheap n' easy American cuisine, don't come here.

And so it goes, over Christmas I found myself eager to visit a recently-debuted Irish pub in my area. A few of us stopped in one night, to see what all the online fuss was about. Despite the rave reviews, I found pretty much what I expected: an American-style pub, playing host to (what was probably) the entire foreign-teaching crew left in Busan over the holidays. Zero Koreans, save the handful of employees working the bar.

.

Walking in, the place was instantly English, instantly young, and instantly overpriced. We sat down to a few pitchers of Hoegaarden, that cost us $35 a piece. Ouch. The company was great though :)

Brianna's boyfriend Matt with our delicious Belgian selection... in a Korean pitcher, no less.