"You might be in Korea" - A Salute to Jeff Foxworthy

"Take Four"

"If you see an entire family of four riding on a single moped... you might be in Korea."

CATS

CATS, the broadway musical, came to Busan a couple weeks ago. Jesi and I went to the show and had a ton of fun. At one point during the performance all the singers/actors (probably 30 or so) walk out amongst the audience and interact with the children in the crowd. They stay in character while doing so, as they act cat-like and tease the kids. One "cat" in particular was messing with a young Korean child a few rows directly behind us. As we were watching this and laughing I suddenly got a strange feeling that I would be the next victim. In my head I was repeating "please not me... please not me... please not me..." and by the time I got to the third "please not me" I looked away for a moment and turned back around to see the "cat" sitting right next to me, staring directly at me. I couldn't help but notice that behind the weird cat-costume and show makeup, this actress was stungingly beautiful. I like to think that for a brief moment sparks flew as she extended her hand/paw and I uttered my best possible pick up line... "Hi, my name's Brett. Nice to meet you." Being a true professional, of course she couldn't speak as she remained "in character", but I'm convinced that she would have given me her phone number at the very least :-) Anyway, Jesi got a good laugh out of the whole deal and I've suddenly got a taste for the opera.

Indoor Golf - Korean Style

Literally everywhere you look in Busan, there are driving ranges and "screen" golf courses (screen golf is an indoor golf simulator where you use real clubs and hit real golf balls into a projection screen depicting famous golf courses). Yesterday, some friends and I got the itch to hit some balls so we rented out a screen golf room for a couple hours and let 'er rip. The room was awesome (leather seating, food and drinks provided, and we even had our own restroom) but our golf swings weren't! But, it was super fun.

"You might be in Korea" - A Salute to Jeff Foxworthy

Take Three

"If there are more cars parked on the sidewalks than in the parking lots...you might be in Korea."

Korean "Luxuries"

After careful consideration I finally decided to buy a bike today. Originally, I planned to buy one as soon as I arrived here, but after witnessing the intense traffic and crazy drivers (especially moped delivery guys) in the area surrounding my apartment I grew a little timid. But, today I decided to take a calculated risk as I purchased my new bike and rode it around town for a bout an hour and a half. I'm pleased to report that I survived the excursion without injury. There's something extra special about riding a bike along the beach. It's a cool experience.

Also, I recently found a desk near the dumpsters at our apartment complex (We've found a ton of things there - end tables, chairs, dressers). I cleaned it up, made some minor repairs and it looks great in my bedroom. Fits perfectly and works great for a computer desk and some storage space.

New bike and a free desk. I'm living the high life.

"You might be in Korea" - A Salute to Jeff Foxworthy

"Take Two"

"If you've just finished watching an amazing fireworks show with 1.5 million of your closest friends and you turn to leave only to see an 8-year-old boy totally naked peeing into a plastic bottle...you might be in Korea."

"If two weeks later you are walking through an open-air fish market and witness a 4-year-old boy peeing into a sewer grate... you are definitely in Korea."

"You might be in Korea" - a salute to Jeff Foxworthy

"You might be in Korea" is a new addition to my blog. These are some of the weird, funny, and often mind-boggling things I get to experience in this unique southeast Asian country.
Here goes...

"You might be in Korea" : Take One

"If you're teaching to a group of 12-year-olds who suddenly start screaming and diving under their desks in response to an apparent air-raid, only to discover that they have spotted a tiny mosquito in the room... you might be in Korea."

Halloween

Koreans don't normally celebrate Halloween. However, the lucky ones who are friends of Americans get to participate. We celebrated in the Pusan National University area of Busan with a huge group of foreigners and some local Korean friends sprinkled in as well. Jesi, Brandon, and I dressed up as "Ajuma Triplets." Middle-aged Korean women who are notorious for pushing past you in lines, wearing gigantic sun-visors (due to their extreme fear of sunlight), and wearing too much makeup.