My Adventures In Busan

Nothing says "Spring is here!" quite like Cherry Blossoms and Korea's Tetris-Style Parking Lots

2009-04-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

So, I went for an innocent walk around Gwangalli Beach with some friends earlier today to look at the thousands of beautifully bloomed cherry blossom trees in the area. Jesi and I were walking along, minding our own business, talking about the weekend and whatnot when we realized that Jessica and Lisa had fallen a block or two behind us as they had stopped to take a bunch of pictures with cherry blossoms. So, we decided to wait in a nearby playground for our friends to catch up. While waiting, I got to looking at this apartment complex parking lot. Cars were parked neatly in their designated spots along both sides as expected, but then there were a few cars parked in a single-file line in the middle of the lot, directly behind many of the cars parked on either side. Just as I was pointing this out to Jesi and wondering how some of the cars could possibly be maneuvered around the others, a middle-age Korean man began pushing one of the cars in the middle row several feet forward to allow enough room for him to back out of his spot. We suddenly realized that all drivers who park in the single-file line in the middle of the lot, leave their cars in neutral so other drivers can politely move their cars out of the way when needed. Two things instantly came to mind. 1.) Wow, Korea is overcrowded! 2.) It's like a giant game of tetris in real life! Some things are just plain weird. This was/is one of those things.

Weekend Trip to Daejeon

2009-03-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

Kathryn (my girlfriend, for those who are out of the loop) and I recently took a train-trip to Daejeon (South Korea's third largest city) to see what we could find and experience. We hopped on the KTX, which is Korea's speed train that connects the countries largest cities and major tourist destinations, around 8:30am Saturday morning and arrived in Daejeon at 10:30am. We instantly hit the jackpot as we approached the information desk at the train station as the woman behind the counter could understand and speak English quite well and she was excited to tell these two ignorant foreigners all that her beloved city had to offer.

We took the woman's advice and spent Saturday afternoon by first taking a city bus tour and then checking out the Daejeon Expo. We really enjoyed our time at the interactive science museum and made plans to come back the next morning to take in the planetarium and biosphere. We woke up fairly early Sunday morning and decided to go check out Daejeon's World Cup soccer stadium which was only a 5 minute cab ride from our hotel. The outside of the stadium was nothing spectacular and we were beginning to feel a little disappointed when we realized one of the entrance gates was open. So, after looking at one another briefly and shrugging our shoulders simultaneously as if to say "what the heck?" we walked in and quickly found our way inside the stadium and down onto the field! Apparently Daejeon's pro soccer team had a game the day before and some townspeople were inside cleaning up the celebratory toilet paper and what not. We walked around on the grass (if you've ever been to Korea you know that grass is all but extinct in the country) and took some photos pretending to be Korean soccer stars. Then, as planned we experienced the planetarium and biosphere. Both were really cool. But, the highlight of the trip was our 4 hour adventure in ZooLand. We were absolutely blown away by the unique animal cages (some of which allowed Jaguars to walk directly over our heads and allowed small monkeys to walk tight-rope style accross a rope from one cage to another)but most of all we loved the safari. We hopped on a small bus with about 30 Koreans and rode into a special section of the zoo/theme park. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by bears. Then a few minutes later we drove into the tiger section of the safari experience. Followed by the African sections where we literally got within 3 feet of a dozen male lions with nothing separating us but the thin glass of the safari bus windows. It was awesome! Our trip to Daejeon was a resounding success!

China (Day 3)

2009-03-11T18:22:00.002-07:00

The highlight of my trip to China was undoubtedly the tour of the Forbidden City and Great Wall of China. Enjoy the photos.

China - Day Two (Morning)

2009-02-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

I jumped out of bed at 6:00am on day 2 of my trip to China to put an abrupt halt to the ringing wake-up call, which is just as annoying in China as it is in the states. Korean beds are a lot like sleeping on pavement, so waking up early to get out of the first comfortable bed in which I've slept in over 6 months wasn't exactly my idea of a vacation, but I quickly reminded myself that I was in China and my sleepiness turned to anxious anticipation to explore more of this fascinating country.

First up on today's agenda: A trip to China's Summer Palace.

We walked around the palace grounds for a couple hours, soaking in the beautiful landscape and trying to wrap our minds around the ancient history on display before us.

Next up: A tour of a Chinese Jade Factory.

Jade is China's most cherished stone and judging by the obscene number of jade sculptures, jewelry, and other forms of artwork on display in Beijing's jade factory there is plenty of this green gold to be found. We had the opportunity to watch the sculpters do some jade carving. There attention to detail, artistic abilities, and steady hands are a sight to see. Unfortunately, we quickly learned that this tour was much more of the strategic variety as opposed to experiential, as the tour guides reserved the majority of our time for shopping in the jade factory gift shop. After inspecting a couple price tags it didn't take long for me to turn from "shopper" into "photographer."

China - Day One

2009-01-29T18:14:00.000-08:00

Woke up early Saturday (January 24) morning to finish packing, grabbed a light breakfast, and joined a group of friends on the Airport Limousine (a bus that transports travelers to and from the airport in Busan). We met up with the Kangsan Travel people who would be responsible for getting us to Beijing and showing us a good time during our 3 day trip in China. Waited around the airport for a couple hours then boarded the plane and had a smooth, uneventful flight (about 2 hours) to Beijing. The Beijing airport was HUGE! I'm confident the entire town of Ellsworth could have fit inside the airport with room to spare. Then we met with the Chinese tour guides who worked in conjunction with the Kangsan travel folks from Korea. Our Chinese tour guide called himself "Jerry" How. He was born and raised in Beijing but spoke English quite well, except he had the funniest way of saying certain phrases. His accent definitely added a dose of humor to our trip.

After manuevering our way through the gigantic airport, we boarded our tour buses and headed straight for phase one of our sight-seeing adventure, a group of temples near downtown Beijing. As anticipated, it was cold but we were prepared (I even wore Korean man-tights under my jeans). We walked around the temple grounds for an hour or two then headed to our first authentic Chinese food restaurant where we ate Peking duck (a very tender sliced duck meal served with soy-sauce, rice, vegatables, and some other dishes which were unidentifiable). We quickly learned that every Chinese meal also comes with a 1-liter coke, 16-ounce bottle of water, kettle of hot tea, and two 20-ounce beers.

With our bellies full, we then headed to our 5-star hotel (The Loong Palace Hotel and Resort). This place was amazing! It was a huge hotel with hundreds of statues, a big marble spiral staircase, dragon fountain, and decorated with Lunar New Year lanterns and lights. As we wandered around we found an olympic size swimming pool, shuffle-board tables, billiards room, bowling alley, buffet-style restaurant, and lounge bar. We felt like the Beverly Hillbillies.

Dropped our luggage off in our room and headed straight for the pool. They informed us that we needed swimming caps so of course I bought the ugliest one they had. Swam around for an hour or so, then joined a group of friends for some drinks and charades before hitting the sack.

Trippin' on the Weekends (part 2)

2009-01-14T18:19:00.000-08:00

Hopped over to Songdo Beach on Sunday afternoon. It was cold and windy but I was itching to get out of the house and do some more exploring. Walked along some cliffs and watched as a flock of coast-guard helicopters attempted to extinguish a small forest fire in the distance.

Trippin' on the weekends

2009-01-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weekends, I've done some more exploring of the outer edges of Busan. Recently stumbled upon Taejongdae Island. It's a hiking area on the eastern side of the city. Went for a ride on a weird looking "train" that looks like something out of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Took some pictures of a "Jayuland" (a whacky looking amusement park), then watched the sunset. (Hint: Click on the sunset picture to get a better view.)

Happy New Rear!

2009-01-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

2009 (the year of the Ox according to the Korean Calendar) is here!

Hosted a New Year's Party at my place with some friends from all over the states and Canada, then we made our way to the bar district for some late night festivities. After a night full of celebrating, dancing, and dart playing something didn't quite feel complete. So we did what anyone would do at 5:30 in the morning on January 1st. We stumbled into a nearby Norebang for some strobe light flashin', tamborine crashin', Korean-style karaoke! Apparently, the excitement of the night eventually hit us like a ton of bricks. Half of us fell asleep in the Norebang.

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-01T18:46:00.000-08:00

Spent Christmas with a group of good friends I've made during my 5+ months here in South Korea. We had a potluck dinner at my place and went to a Norebang (pronounced "No-ray-bong": Korean karaoke room) on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas day, I talked to my family on the computer and got to watch them open gifts via webcam. Then, everyone met at my place again for a white elephant gift exchange (I'm the proud owner of a used bunk-bed ladder!), went out to eat at a huge buffet-style restaurant nearby, and played a bunch of boardgames to round out the holiday (Scrabble and Yahtzee - thanks Grandma & Grandpa Choitz!)

Haeundae Beach Ferry

2008-12-30T22:03:00.000-08:00

Jeanne and Dianna joined me for a ferry ride in the waters off the Busan coast near Haeundae and Gwangali Beaches. The wind made for a cold ride, and the sea gulls were a little pesky but the view of Gwangan Daegyo Bridge and Busan's famous rock formations made it a worth while voyage.

Busan Aquarium

2008-12-30T18:50:00.000-08:00

For several months now, I've been walking past the Busan Aquarium each time I trek down to Haeundae Beach. During Jeanne's visit I finally went inside and it did not disappoint! Enjoy the pictures of Busan's underwater paradise.

Mountain Hiking and Botanical Garden

2008-12-30T18:30:00.000-08:00

I'm still trying to catch up with the events during Jeanne's visit a few weeks ago.

Took the gang out for the day and we spent a few hours hiking on an action-packed mountain on the west side of Busan. Took a cable car ride to the top, then explored the area as we found some pretty impressive temples. Then, Jeanne and I stopped by a botanical garden for some really cool pictures.

Seoul (round 2)

2008-12-29T22:14:00.000-08:00

Made a return trip to Seoul last weekend.

Jesi's mom is here visiting for Christmas so we decided to take her to South Korea's largest city.
Hopped on the fast train this time (apparently it travels nearly 200mph but it didn't seem nearly that fast.) We toured around the city, hitting some of the major tourist attractions.

- Seoul Tower - overlooks the city and shows distances from Seoul to other major cities throughout the world (190km to North Korea - 9,000km to Chicago - 8,000km to Australia, etc...)

- Korea War Memorial - got to see a bunch of old Korean and US fighter planes, tanks, helicopters, anti-aircraft guns, and even a submarine.

- Seoul Palaces - toured around the old Korean palaces in Seoul (built in the 1400's). I especially enjoyed the frozen moat surrounding one of the palaces. I'm no "moat expert" but something tells me that a frozen moat could be a problem... :-)

Korea's got Seoul! (The Beginning)

2008-12-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

Some of Jeanne and Dianna's relatives live near Seoul, so we hitched a ride on the KTX (Korea's Train) and spent a memorable weekend in Korea's largest city. From the minute we arrived (or thought we arrived) in Seoul, it became apparent that this trip was going to be packed full of stories. As our train arrived at the station, I casually awoke from my slumber and began gathering our bags, then Jeanne, Dianna, and I casually began walking toward the exit. About 3 seconds before we reached the door, it closed. Before we knew it, we were heading down the tracks. It quickly sunk in that we had missed our stop. Meanwhile Jesi, Brandon, Jeanne's mom, and Jeanne's uncle (who we affectionately named "Uncle Bob") frantically attempted to stop the train by yelling at it and waving their arms. Wouldn't you know it, turns out trains don't just stop when you tell them to. So, Jeanne, Dianna, and I continued down the tracks for another 30 minutes or so until we reached the next train station. Keep in mind we have no idea where we are, and even though Jeanne and Dianna are part-Korean, neither of them speak the language. And, my Korean-speaking skills are limited to say the least, as they usually involve charades-like hand movements, facial expressions, and body gestures. We manage to figure out how to cross to the other side of the tracks without paying for an entirely new train ride (really, we just jumped over the turnstiles when nobody was looking). We then hopped on a different train and after another 30 minutes or so, we were reunited with the rest of our travel crew. Uncle Bob was gesturing as though we almost gave him a heart-attack. Throughout the weekend, he would make this gesture several other times as we pulled a number of ignorant tourist stunts. We went out for a nice meal together and then we decided to go out for the night in Seoul, while Jeanne's mom and Uncle Bob rested at his home on the outskirts of the giant city. At 2:30 in the morning we found the bar district in downtown Seoul. Shortly thereafter, we found ourselves in an underground dance club, complete with a neon lazer-light show, techno-music, and a VIP section. I'm proud to say that with some teamwork and creativity I managed to spend 15 minutes in the VIP section as the gang distracted the guard as I sneaked past. Unfortunately, nobody else successfully followed so I was forced to chow down on fruit, granola bars, and crackers all alone... that is until the guard realized I was there. He not so politely ushered me out but thankfully allowed me to stay in the bar with my friends. At roughly 6:30am we were growing tired so we snagged a cab and asked him to take us to the nearest motel. After about 30 minutes of zig-zagging all over the area, we realized all the motels were full. No vacancy. Plan B: Stay in a Jimjubang (Korean bathhouse) for the night. Exhausted and confused we finally stumbled upon a large Jimbubang. Things were looking up as it was now 7:30am or so and we were dog-tired. Apparently, every Korean within a 10 block radius had the same idea as the sleeping area of the bathhouse was packed with approximately 200 snoring Korean men and women. Luckily, Jeanne spotted a small section of "cubbie-holes" which were about 3 feet wide, 3 feet tall, and 6 feet deep. You guessed it, there was only one available so all 5 of us crammed into it and zonked out for the night. Welcome to Seoul.

Temple near Songjeong Beach

2008-12-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

Recently, Jeanne and her sister Dianna came for a visit. They only had a few days to experience South Korea, and since they are half-Korean I felt a little pressure to make sure they enjoyed their time here. So, I did what any friend would do... I developed a step-by-step, minute-by-minute itinerary, packing in as many aspects of the "Korea Experience" as I possibly could. One of our first stops was an ocean-side Buddhist Temple near Songjeong Beach. It's a really neat looking area. And, the entire time we were there (a couple hours) one of the monks was banging away on a woodblock, adding some background music to our historic tour. We especially enjoyed the statues!

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

2008-11-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

"Take Four"

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

CATS

2008-11-09T05:23:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-09T04:50:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-09T04:23:00.001-08:00

Take Three

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

Korean "Luxuries"

2008-11-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-04T19:29:00.001-08:00

"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

2008-11-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

"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

2008-11-03T17:05:00.000-08:00

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.

One Explosive Event

2008-10-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, a small group of foreigners and I made the short trip over to Gwang-ali Beach to watch the annual Busan Fireworks Ceremony celebrating the first international APEC (Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting held in Busan several years ago. We were forwarned by our Korean friends to get to the beach early and stake out a section of beach due to the ridiculous number of spectators that attend this event each year. We got to Gwang-ali Beach around 4:00pm, which was 4 hours before the show was scheduled to start. The beach was crowded already but finding a suitable spot wasn't too big of a problem. However, within a half-hour swarms of Koreans came flooding in from all directions. Before we knew it we were trapped in a huge mass of humanity. We even had to fend off a few over-zealous spectators who were trying to move our blankets and steal our spots! After dealing with this chaos for almost 4 hours we were beginning to regret our decision to attend this event. Then the show started. It was absolutely unbelievable. The kick-off to the fireworks show included the launching of 4-5 phoenix-like flaming gliders that hoovered over the crowd for the first 5 minutes of the show. The show lasted almost an hour. Every explosion was carefully choreographed to match the music with surgical precision, and the entire show took place directly over picturesque Gwangandaegyo Bridge. Over 1.5 million people witnessed the event. 7 foreigners (1 from Canada, 1 from Minnesota, 1 from California, 1 from Washington, and 3 from Kansas) were blown away.

Beautiful Busan

2008-09-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

I went for a walk this morning and discovered a new area between Haeundae Beach and Gwanghali Beach. There's a nice mixture of new and old architecture throughout the area, blended perfectly with the natural landscape (ocean, cliffs, and hilltop). Words can't really describe the scene so hopefully these pictures will.

Nothing beats outdoor exercising...

2008-09-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

From my apartment here in Busan, Haeundae Beach is a 15-20 minute walk due South. Jangsan Mountain is a 15-20 minute walk due West. Generally in the mornings before I head to work I like to spend a couple relaxing hours on the beach soaking up some sun and catching a few waves. Today, Jesi and I decided to walk to Jangsan Mountain instead, and boy am I glad we did. About 1/6 of the way up the mountain is and outdoor recreational/exercise area full of medieval contraptions that supposedly provide one with a physical "workout." Personally, I think a hearty sneeze would do more for the body than 90% of these Korean-style exercises but they sure are fun to watch.

KJC Speaking Contest

2008-09-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

Twice a year our KJC Academy hosts a speaking contest in which the best three English writing/speaking students in each level create powerpoint presentations and speak in front of a small audience consisting of other students and us foreign teachers. Our task was to judge each of the students and choose the best in each level so he/she can advance to the all-KJC competion a month later. The speeches were pretty impressive overall, but some of them were downright hilarious. For some reason, Koreans freak out about mad cow disease. Students talk about it, Korean politicians debate it, Korean newspapers write story after story about it, and I'm not convinced any of them know what they're talking about. At any rate, the Korean obsession with mad cow disease led to some entertaining speeches during the competiton. Hopefully the pictures will portray the scene. Look closely at the slides in the background.

"Guy's Night"

2008-09-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Shortly after starting my job here as a foreign English teacher, I decided that Brandon and I should host a monthy "guy's night" get-together with the male Korean teachers at our school in order to get to know them a little better and experience an insider's view of South Korea. Last Friday after work we joined up with Sam, Jay, Phil, and Young June (all Korean teachers at KJC Academy) for a night of recreation. They took us to a nearby bowling alley which was intelligently positioned on the 7th floor of a mini-skyrise. Imagine what it sounds like on the 6th floor! :-) Anyway, we formed teams and bowled a couple games. My team won and the losing team had to pay, so the night was off to a good start. Phil is a hilarious bowler (actually he's pretty funny doing just about anything). He's not athletically gifted at all. I think his average bowling score was around his age (30). When he rolled a gutter-ball, which happened a lot, he always had a funny response (falling on the floor, staring blankly-disappointingly down the lane for several seconds, or my personal favorite...taking of his shoe and acting like he was going to throw it at the remaining pins). We had so much fun bowling that nobody wanted to call it a night, so they then took us to a pool-hall for some Korean-style billiards. Just like everything else in this country, Korean pool is a little different. Okay, it's a lot different. Korean pool consists of only 4 balls... oh yeah, and the table has NO HOLES. None. Nada. Zip. Zero holes. The object is to hit one of two "cue balls" and find a way to make that ball hit both of the other balls in one stroke. It's harder than it sounds but our Korean buddies had a really good time teaching us to play. As luck would have it, my team won again so I played for free. We had so much fun bowling, and had so much fun playing pool that nobody wanted to call it a night, so they took us to a bar called "The Basement". We met up with the female Korean teachers from our school and spent the next couple hours dancing and sharing some drinks. Looking forward to the next edition of "Guy's Night".

Lotte Giants Baseball

2008-09-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

Alright, if you know me at all, you clearly understand that I'm a diehard K-State sports fan. Many of the most exhilerating moments of my life occurred while attending various KSU sporting events (Big 12 Championship win over Oklahoma in 2003, Beating Nebraska in 1998, Stomping ku for over a decade, and the list goes on and on. I remind you of this to ensure that my first couple experiences at Korean baseball games are put in the proper context. I attended 2 Lotte Giants (Busan's professional team) games this past weekend and they instantly etched themselves in my top 5 sports experiences of all time. Combine the noise of the KSU football student section, with the intensity of the KSU basketball student section, topped off with the creativity of the KSU volleyball student section (if you've been to a KSU volleyball game, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, get your tickets now) and multiply the number of fans by 5 and that's what it feels like inside the Lotte Giants Stadium in downtown Busan, South Korea. The first base side of the stadium houses the young, rowdy fans led by a 20 something male cheer leader/announcer/drum line director/music video maker. He's nuts. He spends the entire game dancing, yelling, fist pumping, and leading the fans in numerous cheers from the opening pitch to the final out. He's surrounded by 4 female cheerleaders who serve mainly as his backup dancers. While this side of the stadium is clearly the loudest and most intense, the rest of the fans are pretty fanatical as well. They have individual cheers for each player as he stroles up the the plate. These cheers are super loud and super catchy. My favorite such cheer is for a Mexican player with the last name of Garcia. He's the starting right fielder for the Giants and each time he steps up to the plate, the entire stadium erupts in a Korean/Mexican style chant "Gaaaaar-a-cia, Gar-a-cia, Gar-a-cia! Gaaaaar-a-cia, Gar-a-cia, Gar-a-cia!" The cheer lasts the duration of most of his atbats. While chanting his name, most fans jump in the air waving their hands frantically above their heads (like Rocky Balboa when he reached the top of the mountain during his workout in Russia). In addition to the crazy chants, Korean fans make pom-pons out of newspapers and wear orange air-filled grocery bags on their heads (Korean style rally caps) during every game. We met two new Korean friends, who I'm certain will become our baseball buddies for the rest of the season. Their names are Pak and Lee, two early 20's crazy Giants fans. They taught us many of the cheers, bought us some beers, and entertained us throughout Sunday's game. The Giants rallied to overcome a 5-1 deficit to win the game 7-5 in 9 innings. For a guy who has loved sports since birth, taking part in my first couple Korean baseball games was truly an unbelievable experience.

An English Teacher Everywhere I Go

2008-09-01T18:21:00.001-07:00

One of the coolest things about being an American in Korea is that everyone I meet wants to use me for a quick English speaking practice session. The funniest moments are when parents literally push their kids toward me, encouraging them to say something, anything in English. After all, most Korean parents are paying big bucks to send their children to English Academies (Hogwans) and they want to see the results first hand. The other day Jesi, Brandon, and I were in a taxi headed for a Lotte Giants baseball game when a middle-aged mother pulled up along side of us at a stoplight. She had two children in the back seat, a 3-year old boy and a 9 year-old girl. The little girl rolled down her window and motioned for me to do the same. "Hi. Where are you from?" she asked. "How are you? I'm from the USA," I responded. The little girl then turned to her mom to translate what I just said. A moment later, as the young English speaker was attempting to ask me another question, the traffic light changed and her mother was forced to pull forward. Conversation over. Well, not quite... A few moments later, I see the same car backing up in the middle of the street so the little girl could talk with me a little more. The cab driver had a wry smile while Jesi and Brandon were cracking up. In the middle of a city of 4 million people, Korean parents are willing to do almost anything to give their kids a chance to speak English to authentic Americans. I'm an English teacher at school, on the street, in the gym, on the bus, and even in a taxi on a busy Busan street. Life here is just a little different.

Fishing with Korean Friends

2008-08-27T03:46:00.000-07:00

Yung June and Pil, two Korean coworkers, invited Brandon and I to join them for a fishing trip to Songdo Beach. After a 40 minute bus ride and 30 minute cab ride to the south west side of Busan, we arrived at Songdo Beach. Our new Korean friends bought us a couple buckets of chicken and a few drinks to enjoy as we sat on the beach. We swapped stories about our experiences in the US and asked them numerous questions about all the intricacies of Korea. We then decided to swim for about an hour prior to fishing. Pil and Yung June were having a great time (I know this because they told us as much several times throughout the day) and so were we, so when they asked us to do some late night fishing in the area and stay the night in Songdo we gladly accepted. The fishing was unsuccessful except for a 3-inch fish I happened to snag on my second attempt. But, the trip was a big success. We learned a ton about all things Korean, shared our knowledge of all things American, and ignited a friendship with 2 really cool Koreans.

USA vs. Korea Olympic Baseball Game

2008-08-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

So there I was, finishing up my first class of the day, encouraging my students to practice conversational English by telling me their plans for the night. Several of the students mentioned that they planned to watch the Korea Olympic baseball team on television. "Who are they playing?" I asked. When they informed me that Korea was playing USA I gathered up some friends and we decided to watch the game at a nearby sports bar. We entered the bar in the 5th inning and the US was down 3-1. There were several tables full of Korean businessmen, still wearing dress-shirts and ties, who clearly dashed to the bar right after work to watch the big game. Although it was clear that the Korean spectators were quite interested in the game, they were doing a lot more passive spectating than active cheering. We decided to infuse the bar with a little energy. We began cheering like a bunch of American baseball fanatics over even the simplist of plays, and we stood up and sang "Take me out to the ballgame during the 7th inning stretch. Our plan worked to perfection. Before we knew it, the bar was packed full of Korean men and women who were on the edge of their seats, celebrating every Korean success and groaning over every failure. The US rallied late in the game to take an 8-7 lead into the bottom of the 9th. With two outs in the inning Korea dealt the final blow to win the game in dramatic fashion. Everyone in the bar (except us of course) went nuts! They sang several chants and congratulated us on a game well-played. And, of course, they bought us drinks. To top off the night, a Korean opera singer happened to be sitting a few tables away from us. In his excitement over the Olympic victory, he stood up, made some announcement in Korean to the entire bar and proceeded to sing a Pavorotti-esk opera song at full volume. It was awesome! Life here is just a little different.

Island Adventure (night two - Yeondaedo Island)

2008-08-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

There I was, staring at a giant map on the wall illustrating various islands in the TongYeong City area. We had just completed night one of our island adventure and were contemplating our next destination, when an English speaking Korean guy offered to share his insights. He recommended 3 different islands and from those we chose the most isolated one of the group, Yeondaedo Island. Only a small group of farmers, fishermen and their families called this island home. They were all extremely friendly and were more than willing to help out a group of ignorant Westerners. One woman walked us through the village to the back side of the island where we found a beautiful rock beach. Amazing view, but very rocky. A good place to take pictures but a horrible place to sleep for the night. So, we decided to search the island for a nice, sandy beach. After walking several kilometers up and down the rather steep roads and trails, we found a small patch of sand near an abandoned school building. We set up camp for the night and were extremely proud of our construction work...until we noticed the rising tide. After a half-hearted attempt of building a mote/sandwall defense structure we quickly realized that the ocean had plans of her own. We quickly relocated to the old school yard and erected our tents as the sun disappeared over the horizon. We'd been surviving primarily on cheese crackers so we decided to hike back to the fishing village in search of a proper meal. We landed at the only eatery in town, a make-shift general store housed in an elderly couple's sun-porch. Spent the next two hours eating Korean noodles and a bit of rice while watching the Olympics on television with the old woman who ran the general store. The Korean female weight lifter won a gold medal that night. We cheered as though we had lived in Korea all our lives. The elderly woman smiled and served the local children icecream before bed. We then returned to our campsite in the old school yard where we built a campfire and watched the stars play "hide and seek" with us as they peeked in and out of the fast moving clouds. Early the next morning, I decided to explore some of the more secluded areas of the beach. Found a walking trail leading through a pretty dense section of trees and decided to follow it. I'm glad I did as it led to the top of an amazing cluster of cliffs overlooking the village on one side and the ocean on the other.

Island Adventure (night one - Bijindo Island)

2008-08-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Bijindo around 7:00 Friday evening and decided it best to search for a suitable campsite so we could pitch our tents before dark. Found a great spot on the beach, only about 30 feet from the edge of the water, behind a small rock formation and in front of the only Pension (hotel) on the island. Successfully pitched our tents and established our campsite just in time to watch a handful of Koreans shoot fireworks over the crashing waves. I couldn't resist so I went for a brief swim. When I returned, the rest of my camping crew were making friends with a small group of Koreans who were staying the night in the Pension. As we've grown accustomed to in our short time here, before long they bought us some drinks and invited us to join them for appetizers on a nearby outdoor picnic area. A few beers later, we found ourselves singing karaoke (some in English and some in Korean) with our new friends on a machine that was connected to an extension chord and was rolled out onto the boardwalk. After a few songs, we invited them to join us for some campfire songs near our campsite. A few of them accepted our invitation and we ended the first night of our island adventure singing "Jesus loves me", "God is an awesome God" and various other tunes sitting around our campfire.

Island Adventure (The Ferry Ride)

2008-08-18T06:50:00.000-07:00

Less than 20 seconds after boarding the last available ferry of the day, we set sail for Bijindo Island. We had no idea where this was located, how long it would take to get there, or what to expect once we arrived. Spent the majority of our 50 minute ferry ride taking pictures of islands and rock formations as we passed by and introducing ourselves to Korean kids scattered throughout the ship.

Island Adventure (The Beginning)

2008-08-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

Heard a rumor from our friend Alia about some amazing islands within just 2-3 hours of Busan. We had a 4-day weekend thanks to the celebration of Korea's independence from Japan, so Jesi, Brandon, our new friend Brad, and I decided to check it out for ourselves. Rode the Busan subway for about an hour, jumped on a tourist bus for 2 hours, and arrived in TongYeong City, where we planned to board a ferry to get to one of the islands. Problem was, we failed to realize that just about every Korean family in the country was planning the same vacation during the holiday weekend. In not so good English, every single teller at the ferry terminal ticket office politely informed us that all tickets were sold out so we would have to stay the night in Tongjeong City and try again in the morning. At 5:55pm (5 minutes before the last available ferry left the terminal) Brad had an idea. He decided to call Korean Charles, a middle-aged man who is known throughout Busan as a foreigner's best friend. As the story goes, Charles took a trip to Europe several years ago, where he met a nice older gentlemen who took him sight-seeing all over the continent free of charge. Charles decided to do the same for tourists & foreigners in his home country, Korea. So, a couple times a month Charles takes foreigners on various trips throughout the country just so they can get a taste of all Korea has to offer. Anyway, during Brad's 8 months in the country he has gone on several of these trips and formed a friendship with Korean Charles. Charles asked to speak with one of the ferry terminal tellers and within 2 minutes we were handed four tickets aboard the last ferry of the day headed for Bijindo Island. Relieved and thankful, we climbed aboard the ferry with enough camping gear and supplies to last a couple days.

Rock Fest

2008-08-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

- So there I was, on a 55 minute subway ride to Dadaepo beach for the 9th Annual Busan Rock Fest. Jesi, Brandon, and I managed to find our way to this new section of town and we arrived just in time to catch the shuttle bus that was hauling people from the subway station to the beach. I went to this event expecting to be blown away by massive crowds and rowdy rock-and-roll fans, but it was the beach itself that stole the show. Dadaepo beach is a much more scenic, uncommercialized beach than Haeundae. It was refreshing to get away from the city life for awhile and enjoy the natural beauty of the landscape. The beach is almost entirely surrounded by a mountain range containing some really cool rock formations. It’s also a pretty popular fishing spot for locals. I took some great pictures from various positions on the rocks and watched as Korean men fished in the shallows and women went digging for crabs on the beach. After dark, we met up with some new friends who were camping on the beach for the weekend. Finished the night by joining a group of Sri Lankan guys who were playing music on drums and water bottles and singing some really interesting chants. Life here is just a little different.

Brad Pitt?

2008-07-31T08:37:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

- 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

2008-07-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-30T23:41:00.000-07:00

- 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

2008-07-30T23:25:00.001-07:00

- 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

2008-07-30T23:10:00.001-07:00

- 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

2008-07-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

- 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

2008-07-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

- 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.