Brad Pitt?

So there I was, struggling through a set of “dips” at Sydney Gym late one evening. I notice a Korean woman watching me as she passes by. A few seconds later, as I’m trying to keep from passing out from exhaustion she asks, “Where are you from.” I gather my breath enough for a one-word response. “America.” At this point I’m hoping she’s content with my response and chooses to mosey on to the treadmills, where most of the Korean women hang out. But she proceeds to ask me specifically where I’m from in the U.S., and after telling her I’m from the great state of Kansas, she informs me that she’s visited L.A. and New York. I explain to her that Kansas is quite different from the huge coastal cities, and before she walks away I hear her ask me, “You like Brad Pitt?”
“Sure, he’s alright.” I answer (thinking to myself that it’s a pretty bizarre question). “No. You are like Brad Pitt” she states emphatically. Any blood that wasn’t already pooled in my face due to my workout quickly found it’s way there as I turned beat red (I know this because there are mirrors lining the walls in Sydney Gym). I manage to say “thanks” and force myself to begin an extra set of dips in order to ensure this awkward conversation goes no further. I’m guessing the woman either forgot her glasses at home or was dizzy from her own workout, but this brief encounter reminded me once again that life here is just a little different.

Beach Volleyball in Songjeong

- So there I was, sitting in Starbucks trying to “steal” some wireless internet from the over-priced worldwide coffee house. Jesi and a couple new friends (Julie & Nicole) find me there and extend an invitation for an afternoon of beach volleyball on Songjeong Beach, in a large cove on the east side of Busan. After about 20 minutes of setting up the net and clearing the area of unwanted rocks, we were fully engaged in our first volleyball match in South Korea. Within minutes, several groups of people from Sri Lanka and South Korea were intently watching and anxiously awaiting their chance to take a crack at the dominant Westerners. One team was especially fun to compete with, as they looked like the Korean national weightlifting team. They were somewhat uncoordinated but gave us a pretty good run for our money. After the match, they disappeared for a few minutes, then returned with a grocery bag full of “Hite” (Korean beer). We spent the next several hours smacking around a volleyball and meeting new friends from various parts of the world. Life here is just a little different.

9th Floor Sky Bar

So there I was, walking down to Haeundae Beach with J and B around 12:30 in the morning for our second dose of late night beach shinanigans when we unexpectedly (one of the 20 people we know in a city of 4 million) run into our coworker Sahrhee on the boardwalk. We invite her to share some drinks with us, and insist that she choose the spot. She takes us to a 9th floor Sky Bar overlooking the beach and Haeundae Aquarium. After ordering our drinks and taking in the ambiance of the bar, we can’t help but focus our attention on the giant mural of nude mermaids. Dooley and I pose for a few pictures with the marine beauties, then spend the next couple hours combining Mexican beers (Coronas) with Korean appetizers while talking with Sahrhee about her upcoming trip to Australia. Life here is just a little different.

Koreans have rhythm

- So there I was, minding my own business trying to finish my third set of “butterflies” at Sydney Gym on the 6th floor of the building across the street from my apartment. Korean techno-rap was blaring throughout the gym (as usual) when I suddenly heard someone loudly clapping to the beat of the music. I searched the immediate area and finally found an old Korean man (at least 65 years old) hanging upside down by his ankles, looking like a wrinkled spandex wrapped fruit bat, on some Korean stress-relief contraption. He proceeded to clap (looking totally relaxed with his eyes closed) in rhythm to the beat throughout the duration of the 3-4 minute song. Nobody batted an eye. I stared in awe and disbelief with a grin on my face thinking to myself “life here is just a little different.”

First Weekend in Busan

- So there I was, resting on the beach following a marathon Frisbee tossing event, when my new friend Mia (a coworker with a hilarious Australian accent) introduces me to her friend Katie, a teacher from Ontario, Canada. Katie introduces herself and shortly thereafter invites us to have supper at a nearby Outback Steakhouse. We accept the offer and during the 10 minute walk along the beach to the restaurant, we run into another friend of Mia’s (an Indian looking South African whose name escapes me). He and I talk about common sports interests during our meal (mostly table tennis and he teaches me a little about soccer). Following the meal, Katie invites us to join her at “Me World”, an amusement park near the famous Gwangan Grand Bridge. We spend the next 4+ hours hanging out with a pack of drunk, rowdy Canadians at a not-so-safe amusement park on a hilltop near the edge of Busan, South Korea. It begins to rain as we all attempt to climb onto the “Viking Voyager”. Ordinarily, the rides close down during rain and lightning but we convince the young Korean “Viking Voyager” conductor to entertain us with one more ride. We scream at each other like crazed pirates as we are drenched by a Korean-style downpour of rain while riding our final ride of the night. We finish the night with a walk down the boardwalk to a local Korean restaurant where we share a variety of Asian cuisine and late night conversation. A 15 minute, 3,000 won ($3.00) cab ride later and I’m back to my apartment and in bed by 4:00am. Life here is just a little different.

Frisbee: The International Language

- So there I was, enjoying my first day on the beach soaking in some rays and playing Frisbee catch with Dooley. The bright pink Frisbee immediately captured the attention of many a Korean-passerby (especially young children and Korean businessmen). I spent the next two hours teaching a 2-year-old little girl how to toss the disk that I’m now convinced could solve all the world’s problems. Debating over inflated oil prices? Throw a Frisbee. Fearful of Iran’s nuclear capabilities? Throw a Frisbee. Throughout the two hour Frisbee tossing event, hundreds of Koreans from age 2 to 82 smiled, laughed, and joked with a couple hicks from Kansas, who had no idea what anyone was saying. Life here is just a little different.

My First Teaching Day in Busan

- So there I was, frantically shuffling from one classroom to another during a brief break between English classes at my “Hogwan” (Korean private school). Something strange catches my eye and I turn my attention to two young Korean boys (probably age 10 or so) standing against the hallway wall with their arms fully extended in front of them (parallel to the ground). After inquiring with the more experienced foreign teachers, I learned that Korean teachers often make unruly students endure physical pain as punishment for acting out in class. Forcing them to stand or squat in an uncomfortable position for 10-15 minutes at a time is common practice in the Korean classrooms. Life here is just a little different.

My first morning in Busan

- So there I was, eating a blueberry muffin at Starbucks with my friends Jesi and Brandon around 9 o’clock in the morning near the beach in Busan. I look down from our 3rd story window to see a 30 something Korean man being carried/dragged by his friends out of a nearby bar. I quickly realized that bars in Korea stay open until 10:00am, and Korean men cannot handle their booze. Life here is just a little different.