Wonderful Weekend

 Last weekend was amazing from start to finish! I spent it with wonderful people and doing lots of fun things. Friday night I met up with my lovely friend Rina for dinner (at Nazar Kebab- love Turkish food!) and catching up. It had been far too long, and I really enjoyed spending time with her and learning what she has been doing and is planning to do. We also enjoyed a tasty bubble tea after dinner and chatted even more. It was a delightful evening!

 Saturday I headed to the jimjilbang (Korean public bath house/sauna) with Jenny and Elizabeth. There is a really nice one fairly close to my house, so it is convenient for me to get to, but I just don't do it often enough. We spent the early afternoon sweating in the co-ed sauna, wearing our fashionable jimjilbang gear, and then soaking in the warm baths. It was incredibly relaxing. We also all got an adjuma scrub down. It was Jenny and Elizabeth's first time! I really love the scrub down and definitely needed it this time! All my old skin was scrubbed off, leaving a smooth layer of soft skin. It felt like I shed my winter coat and am now ready for spring.

 After the jimjilbang we headed downtown to watch the short play, Pirates of Penzance. It was a fun comedy performed by several foreigners in Daegu, a few of whom I know. The show was great and had lots of hilarious cultural references. I was impressed with the talent we have in Daegu and happy to finally see one of their shows. After the show Elizabeth and I went to Nazar Kebab for dinner (seriously, I love this place; that is not the first time I have been two days in a row) and then enjoyed a coffee at my favorite coffee shop in Daegu, Waiting Coffee. We then headed to Traveler's Bar and Grill to hang out with a few other people. 

 I left fairly soon after, because I was headed to a bachata party at Babalu, a salsa club in Daegu. I originally wasn't sure if I wanted to attend the party, because it was 20,000 won, but now I am so glad I went! It was worth every cent. Turned out to be the best night of dancing I've experienced in Korea and is in the top three for best nights of dancing of all time! I am still pumped just thinking about it and wish I could go back and dance even more! Koreans really know how to get down and have such flair and style. And of course, I loved dancing with all of my foreigner friends as well. I wish I could convey how amazing it was, but I just can't find the right words to express it. The bachata party itself lasted til about 3:30 a.m. But we weren't done yet, because we headed to another venue for an after party. I stayed out until 6 a.m., dancing the majority of the time. I would have stayed even longer if I didn't have any plans for Sunday! I had to drag myself home so I could get some sleep. And since the subway was up and running again, it was a cheap way to get home. Seriously so much fun!

 After a brief nap, I was up again to start my Sunday. I went to church and then headed downtown with Elizabeth to grab some dinner. After eating, we did some shopping at H&M. It was a nice day and great to see everyone at church. I headed home and went to bed pretty early, trying to catch up on some sleep. It was a wonderful weekend!

 And seriously, the dancing was incredible.

Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival

My friends, Jenny and Elizabeth, and I headed to Gurye for the Sansuyu Flower Festival on March 22. It was a pretty small festival compared to others I have been to, but it still offered quite a bit. We took a bus early Saturday morning to Gurye, where we stayed the night at Little Prince Pension. It was a really cute place with a log cabin feel. And the bed was super comfortable, which is not always the case in Korea.
We spent the rest of Saturday walking around the festival grounds. There were several booths offering typical festival foods and some for making various items from the sansusyu flower or berry. We also wandered through the surrounding area, which was filled with lots of trees covered with the yellow flower. I think the trees are best appreciated very close up, so you can see the interesting shape of the flower, or from quite a distance, so it looks like a sea of yellow. They weren't the most impressive blossoms I've seen, but they had their own unique beauty. And it produces a delicious berry, which makes some tasty tea and makgeolli (Korean rice wine).

Since we were at the festival on the opening day, we were able to enjoy a bit more exciting of a schedule than the other days presented. There were several live performances throughout the day, including a percussion band and several dancers and singers. Girl's Day, a fairly popular K-pop group, also performed. We didn't know about the performances beforehand, so it was a nice surprise and a delightful experience. We were sat on some rocks near the top of a (man-made) fountain to watch the performances, giving us a nice view of the stage. And the experience was made all the better by the delicious sansuyu makgeolli we drank. We bought two bottles of prepackaged makgeolli from one of the stalls, but then later discovered a booth selling freshly made makgeolli for an even better price. We were a bit bummed at first, because the fresh stuff was so much better. So we drank one of the prepackaged bottles, but then decided the fresh stuff was just too good to pass up. We ended up drinking a bottle of the fresh stuff as well, skipping our second prepackaged bottle. I would definitely prefer to have fresh makgeolli any time! I was amazed at the difference in taste. It was a fantastic evening.

Sunday we headed to Hwaeomsa Temple, which was very close to our pension. There was a 3,500 won charge to get in, which I thought was a bit steep. The temple was lovely and had a bit different of a lay out from other Korean temples I've seen. There were also a few unpainted buildings, which really allowed the beauty of the wood and carvings to show. The trees and surrounding mountainside were also beautiful, and the weather was perfect. It was a really lovely area and a serene place to stroll through.
After our hike, we checked out and headed back to the festival area with the intention of visiting the hot spring spa in the area. Unfortunately, by the time we made it to the area (traffic at festivals in Korea is insane! they just never seem to plan strategically for it), we didn't have enough time to enjoy the hot springs. We ended up getting (a late) lunch at one of the restaurants in the area, and then riding the bus back to the Gurye bus terminal to catch our bus back to Daegu. The ride back to Daegu felt so long, and I was happy when we finally arrived in the city a quarter to 9 p.m. I then rode the subway home, unpacking and relaxing a bit before turning in for the night.
Overall, the Sansuyu Festival was quite nice. I was so glad to share it with my lovely friends. They definitely made the experience even better!

Visitng the Orthopedic Doctor

My spine.

My favorite part of the process!

 Two weeks ago I was washing my feet in the shower and had to twist to catch my balance, which I did in just the right way to strain my low back muscle. It was a quick, sharp pain that started out fairly subtle but got worse throughout the day. I was a bit nervous about the extent of the damage (though I figured it was only the muscle), so I decided to head to an orthopedic surgery office, which was within a 7 minute walk to my house. It was really convenient! My coteacher was kind enough to write my condition and what happened in Korean, but the doctor spoke English quite well, so it was easy to communicate with him. He checked my spine and decided that it was only a strain on the muscle.

 I then received some simple, but delightful physical therapy. I laid on a heating pad for about 10 minutes, then had two machines target the low back. The first machine (pictured above) was my favorite! The four suction cups were attached to my low back, and then the machine sent pulsing waves of vibration to my muscles. It felt like someone was alternating between kneading my back and pinching it together. It was really relaxing, and I was disappointed when the timer went off. The session ended with the second machine, which I am still a bit confused by. I don't really know what it is, but it essentially felt like it was sending small electric zaps to my muscles. It was very subtle and an interesting feeling! I then headed to a pharmacy for the pain killer and muscle relaxer the doctor prescribed for the next three days (three times a day).

 But three days later the pain was worse, so I went back. The second time he did an X-ray of my spine and came to the same conclusion. He said I just needed to give it a bit more time. I went through the physical therapy process one more time and got another round of medicine. But I decided to stop taking the pills the next day, since they didn't seem to make a huge difference. Instead, I got some medicinal hot patches to stick on my back. They really helped! I put one on in the morning to wear throughout my day at work, and a new one on at night. The constant heat helped relieve my muscles and reduced the pain. Overall, the pain lasted for about a week. I am happy to be back to normal and not having any more pain to slow me down. And I was again amazed by the speed, efficiency and low cost of Korean health care. They definitely do medicine well here!

Philippines

I recently spent a week diving, relaxing and lounging on the beach in the gorgeous Philippines. It was a great time in a fantastic place. The weather was perfect: sunny and warm. The people were great. And of course I loved the food; though in all honestly, I mostly indulged in western style grub.

 
First(ish) Stop: Boracay Island

I spent the better part of my first day traveling from Daegu to Boracay Island. My journey started with catching a taxi at 1:50 a.m. to get to the express bus terminal in East Daegu. After a four-hour bus ride, I arrived at Incheon International Airport, where I checked in for my flight and waited about two hours. We flew into Manila, where I waited for my next flight to Caticlan for another three hours. I arrived in Caticlan around 3:45 p.m. I was then taken on a short tricycle ride to the jetty port, where I hopped on a boat to Boracay Island. After another tricycle trip and a bit of walking, I finally arrived at Dive Gurus, my home for the next few days.
I was quite tired after my nearly 16-hour journey, but the beautiful ocean and powdery white sands quickly made me forget my weariness. I dropped my few possessions in my room and then headed off to stroll along the famous White Beach. It is a good sized stretch of sand; I was able to leisurely walk the length of the beach in about 45 minutes. The sand is some of the finest I've encountered. It was incredibly soft. And the sunsets are stunning.

Boracay is one of the places I've been that moments after arrival makes it very evident why it is such a popular destination. It had a great blend of relaxed beach vibe, water activities and nightlife. But even during the busiest time of year, I never felt like it was overcrowded or spoiled by a mass of tourists. There is a wonderful balance to it that left me wanting more. Certainly a spot I would happily return to time and again.
I spent much of my time sprawled out on the beach but nearly an equal amount of time exploring the underwater world. I got my Advanced Open Water certification from Dive Gurus. I would highly recommend diving, completing courses, and staying at Dive Gurus. The entire staff is wonderful, the equipment is in great condition, the accommodations are comfortable and clean, and it is in a great location. And my instructor, Jojo, was amazing. He was incredibly helpful and a great teacher. And I was lucky enough to get one-on-one instruction. During my course, I completed five dives: Dive Navigation, Wreck Dive, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Deep Dive and Night Dive. The course was much more fun than the Open Water, because the vast majority of the time is spent in the water doing the dives, rather than reading through copious amounts of instructions and theories or watching sleep-inducing videos. I enjoyed the wreck and night dives most. I actually did two wreck dives (the second counted as my deep dive). One was Camia II, a purposely sunk boat; the other Tri Bird, a purposely sunk plane. It was interesting to see how the sea life claimed them, building little reefs along the remnants of the wrecks. And the night dive was exciting, because the ocean was a whole new place in the dark. It was a bit nerve-wracking looking around and seeing a wall of black surround you. But with flashlight in hand, I was able to see lots of critters: hermit crabs, urchins and a huge crab. After my night dive, I had finished my course. Now I am officially and Advanced Open Water diver! I have grown quite a love for diving, so hopefully in the future I'll be able to keep diving more and maybe work my way up the chain of certifications.

I opted for a little adventure on land for my last full day on the island. I did a (short) zipline over a beautiful secluded beach and then rolled down a hill in a giant inflatable ball. The zipline was over quickly, but the area was absolutely stunning. I then headed to the Zorb Park, where I jumped into an inflatable ball filled with a bit of water. I had hoped to do the dry Zorb, which you are strapped into, because it seemed like more fun. But sadly the wet Zorb was my only option. It was an interesting experience and mildly fun. Though once in a lifetime is enough for me. It was a pretty jarring ride as I flopped all over the place while the ball rolled down the hill. Thankfully it was a short ride, so it didn't become intolerable. That being said, something I'm glad I experienced. I ended the day by lounging on the beach and soaking in the last rays from the sun before the beautiful, fiery sunset.

Next Up: El Nido

I spent my the next day on another epic journey of travel. I did the tricycle, boat, tricycle ride back to the airport in Caticlan and then flew into Manila. I had a nearly four-hour layover, including a slight delay of the flight, in Manila. Then I flew into Puerto Princesa, where I had to wait about two hours to catch the six-hour van to El Nido. The first parts of the trip were fairly smooth, but once I was in the van, it was bumpy all the way to El Nido. The road connecting the two cities is paved about half of the way. The rest is loose dirt and gravel. But the whole of it is spread with bumpy, jostling terrain that made for a turbulent ride. Had it been during the day, it wouldn't have been too bad. But crammed into the van- that clearly was intended for one row of seats less than the five they had jammed in it- between 6:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. made for a terrible, nearly impossible, night's sleep. I was ecstatic to finally arrive in El Nido, where I hopped on yet another short tricycle ride to my accommodation, Casa Cecelia. I checked in, dropped my bags and headed straight to bed, glorious bed.

A mere six hours later (I'm a girl who loves sleep), I woke up for a small breakfast and then headed to DEEP Blue Seafari to dive yet again! I dove three times with a great group of people. We spent our down time between dives hanging out on the ship. It was nice to have a group of people to chat with. Many of them were also around my age, and we are all avid travelers. Hearing about the places they have been intensified my desire to keep traveling and exploring the world. I really enjoyed sharing our stories about our trials and successes as we've traversed around.

The diving was also great as were the many islands dotting the ocean. El Nido reminded me a lot of Ko Phi Phi in Thailand. Giant rocks covered in greenery jut up into the air with little spots of powdery white sand beaches below. Truly a beautiful sight. Sadly, I didn't have enough time to do a proper island tour, which is the activity for El Nido. But moving between dive sites gave me a similar feel to what an island hopping tour would have been like with the added bonus of seeing underneath the water as well. The dive sites in El Nido were even more spectacular than those in Boracay. There were a whole array of coral and fish decorating the sea. I saw lots of amazing creatures. It was a great place to dive and definitely trumped doing just an island tour in my book.

After we returned to shore, I walked up and down the few streets of the tiny city. El Nido is small, but still has a lot to offer. I was famished after all the diving and walking, so I met up with my new buddy from the dive trip, Emily, and we headed to dinner. We ended up at a busy Italian restaurant, Altrove. It was busy for good-no, great-reason: the food was scrumptious! We shared a delectable brick-oven baked mushroom pizza and a fresh plate of pesto pasta. Even with the Moroccan-like decorations and knowing I was in the Philippines, my mind was transported to Italy. The food was fresh, authentic and perhaps the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy (even better than some of the Italian food I ate while in Italy!). Definitely my favorite meal of the whole trip. After dinner we parted ways. I got a massage, indulged in a Nutella mango crepe, and then headed to bed.

The next morning was my last in El Nido; it was a short trip! I got another massage in the morning, lounged on the beach, and then prepped to leave back to Puerto Princesa after lunch. The van ride back was equally long and bumpy as the ride in but more tolerable during the day. And I rode shotgun, so I had plenty of leg room. I arrived in Puerto Princesa around 6 p.m. and headed straight to my hotel, By the Bay Jacana Bed and Breakfast. It was in a fairly secluded and forested area, which was perfect for my last night in the Philippines. I was able to rest and recuperate after a long, but rewarding, few days of travel. The staff were fantastic and the room was comfortable and clean. I ordered take out from a restaurant and then spent the evening relaxing in my room.

Saturday I slept in as late as I could and then headed to the airport after a bit of breakfast. I got into a bit of a squabble with another young woman when my line was merged with hers. My check-in line had been clearly marked for the Manila flight, but when the single neighboring check-in line for the Cebu flight was closed, my line was transformed into the Cebu line. So naturally, we all just shifted over in the line to our left, which was still dedicated to the Manila flight. Well, homegirl found that upsetting and took her frustration out on the nearest line merger: me. We proceeded to engage in a bit of a quarrel over line etiquette. She approached me saying that she supposed the line was several people back behind her; to which I responded that obviously it would be unfair for our line to have to wait behind a bunch of people who weren't even in the airport when we first queued simply because the staff decided to change things on us. Apparently my logic didn't suffice and she felt personally injured that I would try to "cut" in front of her. With rumors of the flight being canceled do to inclement weather (thankfully it was not!), I had more important things on my mind, so I took the space behind her instead. She seemed mildly appeased, but certainly in the mood to continue arguing if I proved a participating opponent. I still get a bit ruffled up thinking about it, but mostly it makes me laugh. Made for a more exciting morning.

I caught the flight to Manila, and then had to rush to Terminal 2 to catch my Philippines Airlines flight to Korea. (Note: Domestic flights are in Terminal 3, international flights (and some domestic) via Philippines Airlines are in Terminal 2 and international flights via other airlines are in Terminal 1.) I was originally under the impression that I could take a shuttle from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2, but apparently you must go from a Philippines Airlines flight to another Philippines Airlines flight. Since I flew into Manila with Cebu Pacific, I had to use the regular transportation to the other terminal. I was originally planning to use the bus, which is the cheaper method, but the next one was not scheduled to leave for another hour. The clock was really ticking at this point. I had a two hour gap between landing and taking off for my next flight. The first thirty minutes were quickly eaten up with waiting to exit the plane, mistakenly going to the shuttle and then looking for the area to catch the bus. I finally was able to get a taxi for an obnoxious and obviously overpriced 1,100 PHP or roughly 25 dollars. But I was desperate and needed to get to the terminal quickly. Better to pay extra for a cab than for a new plane ticket because I didn't make it to the terminal on time. Communication error at its finest, the taxi driver took me to Terminal 1. Though it was not his fault, rather the man with whom I spoke at the airport wrote down the incorrect terminal. Thankfully, I figured it out before the driver dropped me off and let him know I needed Terminal 2. He was very sweet and quickly remedied the situation, assuring me I would be on time. And thankfully I was. I only had a few minutes to spare, but I had enough time to check in, pay my terminal fee, go through customs and squeeze in a quick snack before boarding my flight back. I made it to Busan after a smooth flight, then caught the 9 p.m. bus to Daegu. Finally I took the subway to my stop and walked the short distance to my little home. It felt great to finally be back, though I certainly wouldn't have minded if I had been reclining on the sandy beaches in the Philippines instead.

The Philippines are really a treasure: the people are so kind and helpful, the beaches and cities are beautiful and the food is scrumptious. Something tells me I'll certainly be returning. For one reason or another!

Back at It

Hey there blogging world! It's been quite the hiatus for this blog, but not so much for my life! Right around the time of my most recent post (recent being a very loose term here, considering it was back in September!) I went through quite a trying time, and didn't have the heart to dedicate any time to this blog. Due to the very personal nature of this ongoing experience, I won't go into many details. May it suffice to share that I am growing, learning and adapting.  That being said, there is so much to catch up on that I surely won't be able to do it justice. So bear with me as I breeze through the past five months, highlighting the most important details.

Dad's Visit

My amazing father came to the Land of Kimchi to visit his favorite daughter... admit it sister... (don't fret: it's a family joke). I was pleased that Dad was able have a hands-on experience of Korea. I enjoyed sharing some of my favorite Korean food with him and showing off my city. We also traveled to Jeju Island together during the Chuseok holiday (Korea's rough equivalent of Thanksgiving). It was the perfect time, because the weather was sunny and warm, and the crowds were off in their homes, celebrating the holiday with family. Though getting tickets to fly in was a bit of a challenge, even though I booked them back in May! We just ended up flying in style: first class! It was a good bit of fun. We spent three full days on the island, allowing us to explore the best parts. My favorite spot on the island was Seongsan Ilchulbong, also know as Sunrise Peak. It was a beautiful crater towering over the picturesque ocean.We also visited the Manjanggul Tunnels (a series of lava tunnels), the racy Love Land, Cheonjeyeon Falls, a bit more of Seogwipo and hiked Eoseungsaengak. And of course we had to try the famous Black Pork. It was more fat than meat, so not ideal. But still fun to try and pretty tasty overall. I was certainly glad to visit Jeju Island, but once will be enough for a lifetime!
After flying back to Daegu, Dad and I hit up some of the more popular spots in Daegu. We visited Suseong Lake, Seomun Market, Duryu Park and downtown. I had Dad try lots of tasty Korean dishes, including bibimbap, gimbap, kalguksu and of course Korean barbecue and patbingsu! It was heartbreaking when he left, but I was so grateful he made the trek all the way here to visit. His presence was very soothing and rejuvenating!

                                      

DMZ Trip

On November 9, I went to the DMZ with a few friends. It was great finally checking out the spot of such tension. It was quite interesting learning about the history of the area and seeing it first hand. The two flags on each side of the DMZ were a more memorable aspect of the trip. They were subject to a bit of a pissing contest between the divided country. North Korea's flag ultimately rose above, flying on a 525-foot flagpole in Propaganda Village; the South Korean flag flies on a 323-foot flagpole in Daeseongdong. We were able to check out the Joint Security Area, the third infiltration tunnel, Dora Observatory and Dorasan station. I also really enjoyed peaking into North Korea with the telescopes at Dora Observatory. Made me curious as to what life in North Korea is truly like. And very grateful to be living in the South!

                                                         

                             

Christmas and New Year's

I was able to head back to good old California to celebrate Christmas and New Year's. It was an absolute delight to be home, and a much needed respite from Korea. I ate all the foods I love and missed, made up for all the time I hadn't been driving, and most importantly visited with my loved ones! I hit the ground running as soon as I got home and was kept (happily) busy the two weeks I was there. Mom and my sister picked me up from the airport and we went on a bit of a shopping spree on the way home. Next day we had a birthday party, complete with bounce house. Fun! Then several girlfriends came over for a festive champagne brunch of gingerbread house making. Christmas came up quickly! We went to my grandma's for Christmas Eve, did Christmas morning at Mom's, and then headed up to Dad's for Christmas dinner, which was delish. We were able to spend a few days at Dad's house, and then had a lovely dinner at my aunt's with the Sacramento family before returning to Mom's. I was able to meet up with friends for a few different meals, and rang in the New Year with a nice, small group. I wish I had had more time at home, but all good things must come to an end. It was truly a blessing to visit with so many great people! And my tummy and taste buds were thoroughly titillated by all the delicious delights I indulged in. Oh and also...

             
I cut my hair! I've always wanted to donate, and I've had quite a monotonous hairstyle all my life, ranging from just about chin length to the length you'll see in the picture on the left. I've never dyed it or done any type of permanent treatment to it. So I figured I'd give as much of my hair away as I could and play with it as it grows back out. Plus I was curious if I could pull off the buzz cut look. I must say I was pretty pleased with the result. My hair is sure to be a myriad of colors and styles as it grows back out, which I am looking forward to. Monotony no more... or at least not for a while! Also, for anyone else considering donating their locks, may I suggest going with Pantene Pro-V's Beautiful Lengths. I did a bit (emphasis there on a bit) of research, and from what I read, they seem to be one of the better organizations to go with. Here is the link: http://www.pantene.com/en-US/PanteneBeautifulLengths/Details/beautiful-lengths-make-the-cut.aspx

Well thanks for indulging in this brief overview of the last few months of my travels. I also recently journeyed to the Philippines, but I'll be conjuring up a separate post to focus solely on that trip. Heading your way soon!

Year Two in Korea Commence!

I am back for one more year in Korea! Kind of hard to believe. I've had a bit of time to get back into the swing of things after vacation. But I must admit that upon arriving back here, I was a little bewildered why I had indeed decided to renew my contract. It's not like this job is too hard or too stressful, and it's not that I don't enjoy the country. I can't exactly explain what it was (and still sometimes is) that makes me feel this way, but I'll give it a try anyway. Part of it is because it can be exhausting to be a foreigner in Korea. Not so much because it's hard to communicate, though that applies on occasion, or isn't a nice place to live, but mostly because it isn't easy being stared at with a combination of fear, uncertainty and bewilderment. I just get so frustrated by the lack of diversity in this country and the ignorance that lends itself to.
But I think the biggest source of strife stems from the job usually feeling meaningless; am I really making a difference? do the kids even care? what am I really doing here? But even though it isn't a life altering, world changing kind of job (which I don't honestly think I'm cut out for), it really is a good gig. Every job has its down points, and I'm lucky enough to have one that had more good than bad. And it also helped that a student recently told me he didn't enjoy English, but now that I'm his teacher he loves it and really wants to learn English. So even if I can't always see it, I really am doing something positive here.
I'm sure I will have more ups and downs throughout this second year, occasionally wondering just what the hell was I thinking. But happily I am now back in a good place, and want to focus my attention on developing my friendships and doing things that bring me joy. So since I've been back I've been to many a delightful dinner with friends and caught up on people's lives and vacation adventures.

And this past weekend I joined (and met some new) friends for a photo scavenger hunt as part of the Daegu Compass's Sharing Life Festival. I was thoroughly impressed with how organized the festival was. It was a really impressive shindig and so much fun. My team wasn't hell bent on winning the scavenger hunt, so we just had a good time strolling around the beautiful park it was at. It is right by downtown, but I hadn't been to it yet. After the scavenger hunt, we grabbed some dinner. I was so happy to be with people who actually wanted to get sushi! It was a scrumptious meal, and we got our food for a good deal. We then headed back to the festival for the reveal of the winners... not surprisingly, we weren't among the top three. Then the festival concluded with some Holi Hai action as we through color powder and color paint all over each other. It was so much fun, especially with the DJ playing some quality tunes, many of which were by Pitbull! Always a good time. To cap the evening off, we headed downtown, like colorful Easter eggs, for some drinks. It was a fun weekend!

Bali

Well this has been a long time coming! During my summer vacation I was also able to visit the gorgeous Indonesian island, Bali. It was such an interesting place with a beautiful mixture of sandy beaches and mountainous rice paddies. And the weather was perfect. The temperature was comfortably warm, and the sky was a piercing blue occasionally dotted with some puffy white clouds. The people were very friendly and the food was scrumptious!

Rice paddies

GETTING THERE
I booked my flight via Kayak, opting for the cheapest flight available. Lucky me, it turned out to be an executive class seat! So I was really pumped for that. I have always wanted to fly in the privileged section, so it was exciting to get a seat for the best deal available (that I found). But it wasn't without its downfalls... A 6 hour flight from Osaka to Malaysia, a 6 hour layover, and another 6 hour flight from Malaysia to Bali were all in store. But then luck struck again. The flight was overbooked, so Malaysian Air put me on a direct flight via Garuda Indonesia that left at the same time I would have originally flown out. So my travel time was just a third of the originally scheduled time. And it was great, because Garuda Indonesia offers inflight visa service, so I was able to get my visa right on the plane. No waiting in the long line for my visa upon arriving at the airport. I got through customs and out of the airport so quickly. And the flight itself was very comfortable. I drank champagne and lounged in the very comfortable seat. I also watched a few movies. It was a really nice flight. I wish I could fly executive class all the time!

Kuta Beach Sunset

KUTA
Since I arrived in Bail a day earlier than I anticipated, I had to frantically book a hotel once I arrived around 6 p.m. (on Sunday, August 11) I was so happy to learn that the airport offered free Wifi. Thank God for technology! I searched, found a booked a hotel on my iPod for a really good deal. I was a little panicked when the booking fell through the first time, but I was able to get it eventually. I started my tour around Bali in Kuta. It is conveniently close to the airport and one of the cheapest areas to stay. I left the airport grounds to find a taxi, because I wasn't about to get ripped off. The third taxi I hailed outside agreed to the meter and took me to my hotel. He was a nice guy and was jamming out to some reggae music. It was a fun, short ride. And about a tenth of the price it would have been jacked up to had I gotten one straight from the airport. Once at my hotel I ventured out for some food and after got a massage. I got a full body massage, a cream bath (basically a head massage with cream), a facial and a pedicure all for roughly $30. Talk about a great, relaxing deal. It was the perfect end to an evening of traveling.
The next day I changed to my originally booked hotel, which was sadly not as nice as the last minute one I found. But it was cheaper yet, so can't really complain. I spent most of the day on the beach, reading and sun bathing until sunset. That night I went to the large shopping area in Kuta and had dinner at Tony Roma's. I felt a little lame going for an American restaurant, but after living in Korea for a year, it had been a long time since I had steak and ribs. And the food was delicious, so it was worth it. Later in the night I checked out some of the clubs, but felt a bit odd heading out alone. So my night ended fairly early, which was fine by me. Tuesday I didn't do much else. I did a little shopping and chilled on the beach again. And a sucker for massages, I went for a four-in-one body massage that included hot stones and Thai and Balinese techniques.It was a decent massage, but my poor masseuse kept falling asleep. I felt bad for the poor lady, but I was also a little bummed that my massage was not very good. I headed home for the night after and rested up in preparation for heading out the next day.

Pemuteran

PEMUTERAN
Wednesday afternoon after roaming around Kuta, I was picked up to head to my bungalow in Pemuteran in the northwest of Bali. Along the way, my driver stopped at a few hot spots to let me explore popular sights in Bali. We went to Lake Batur and he took me to a really beautiful waterfall. It was a pleasant drive with great views of the numerous rice paddies along the way. I did miss some of the sights on the drive though, because I kept being lulled back into sleep. But to be fair, the trip took five hours.
Pemuteran was definitely my favorite spot on the trip! I would have loved to have spent more time there. The beach was absolutely stunning, and it was such a relaxing area. I really enjoyed that there were large stretched of soft sand, both black and light brown. And the beaches have a backdrop of lush vegetation and some nice, rounded mountains. It was such a stunning juxtaposition. The area reminded me of Kauai.
I arrived in Pemuteran around 5 p.m. Wednesday, so I just went to the beach for a bit and had some dinner. Thursday I spent the first half of the day doing two dives at nearby Menganjan Island. The dives were great! I went on a boat out to the island with a family of five (from France) and a couple (from Italy), but they all went snorkeling. So it was just me and the instructor doing the dives. Nice and exclusive. The sites were both incredible. I saw so many different creatures of all shapes, sizes and colors. I was a little nervous on my first dive of the day, as it was only the fifth one I have ever done. But I got back into the groove about halfway in and I was really able to enjoy the rest of my time exploring the underwater world. After the excursion to Menganjan we returned to Pemuteran and I headed for another day of reading and sunbathing on the beach. I had dinner at one of the resorts on the beach, which served up some delicious Greek inspired dishes. Everything I ate was so delicious. Friday morning I again spent my time lounging on the beach before leaving a bit after noon for Ubud. It was such a relaxing way to end my time on the northwest side.

Independence Day Celebration

UBUD
It was about a three hour drive to get to Ubud, but I wouldn't have minded if it took a little longer. My driver was intent on getting us to our destination as fast as he possibly could. He zipped around the curvy roads that wound up and down through the inland mountains and rice paddies. I was a little nervous, but happily arrived at in Ubud safely. I didn't do much after arriving besides walking around the area near my bungalow, and of course, grabbing some dinner. But on my way back to my accommodation, I stumbled across a celebration for Indonesia's Independence Day. There was a school band and lots of groups of students in the festivities. And several military people. I didn't understand all of the pomp and circumstance, but it was interesting to watch. After some singing and once it started to get dark, many of the spectators and those involved in the even set fire to torches. They then marched down the street with them to conclude the festivities.
On Saturday morning, I joined in with a cooking class, Paon Bali. We started with a quick tour of the market, learn ing about the offerings given each morning and night as well as the ingredients we would be using in our dishes. After we went to some rice fields where we learned a bit about the process of growing rice in Bali. Finally we went to the home of the incredibly sweet couple who ran the cooking class. The husband gave us a brief explanation about traditional Balinese homes, which have special rooms built in upon each cardinal point. One of the most interesting things he told us was that the placenta of each child born into the family is buried in front of the main house. After gaining some new knowledge, we were taken to the kitchen area to get our cooking on. We made an absolute feast: vegetable soup, chicken coconut curry, chicken satay, gado gado (mixed vegetables with peanut sauce), snake bean salad, steamed fish in banana leaves, deep fried tempeh salad and banana and jackfruit in palm sugar for dessert. Everything tasted incredible and was so much fun to make. There were 16 of us students, and we took turns working with partners for the dishes, alternating who took the lead. The cooking class was one of the most enjoyable experiences I had in Bali. I would highly recommend it to anyone! Later that afternoon I wondered around the downtown area and had a delicious carne asada burrito at a little Mexican restaurant. It was so much better than any Mexican food Korea tries to offer. The home-made tortilla alone impressed me, but the guacamole, pico de gallo and meat made it even more delicious. It reminded me a bit of a Chipotle style burrito, but with a bit more of an authentic taste. I also had a really tasty watermelon mojito with real lime and mint! Another exciting thing to see. I ended the night watching a fire dance. A group of maybe 30 men sat in a circle chanting while two women and a few other characters danced around a fire structure that was much like a really large candlestick.
Sunday I went on a long trip to the east side of the island, leaving at 9 a.m. and returning around 6 p.m. I saw Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave), which was so lush and gorgeous. The elephant cave itself wasn't so impressive, but the surrounding forest was beautiful. I then headed to Semarapura (aka Klungkung) for a little history sightseeing. I went to Kertha Gosa (The Hall of Justice), which had a small, but interesting museum highlighting Bali's history. Next I headed up to Sideman for a gorgeous drive through some more rice paddies. After was Tirta Gangga, the floating palace. It was really cool and had some swimming pools, which sadly I did not swim in. Then I finally got all the way to the east-coast city of Amed. The beach there was also lovely, but it was a really quiet area. It would have been a better place to stay and relax at rather than just a day trip, but I'm still happy I saw it. Then came the long journey back, but this time it was along the coast. On the way back traffic was insanely backed up, apparently from cremation ceremonies taking place. It took about an hour more than it would have without traffic, but I finally got back to Ubud after a stop over at the unimpressive sea temple Pura Musceti.
Monday I biked around Ubud and headed to the Sacred Monkey Forest. It was another highlight of the trip. The monkeys were so adorable and the forest itself was incredible. It was entertaining to watch the monkeys interacting with the other people visiting their home, and of course interacting with each other. The trees were really tall and the area was so green. On my way out of the park, I carried my empty water bottle with aims of throwing it in the trash. I attracted one little monkey's attention, and it ran up to me looking at the bottle with such longing. He put his little hand on my for support, but thankfully didn't climb all over me! I was really surprised at how soft his hands were; it was actually a nice touch. But I found a trashcan soon after, and once I ditched the bottle, the monkey ditched me. I spent the rest of the day reading in one of the coffee shops. I happened to stumble across one that was putting on a coffee making competition for its employees. It was interesting to watch them try to make the prize winning cup of Joe. I finished up the day with another meal at the Mexican restaurant (this time shrimp tacos, yum!) and then got a ride to the airport.

Flight Delay Compensation!

GETTING AWAY
Remember my great luck getting to Bali and the roughly 12 hours of travel time I saved? Well that was all wiped away by the terrible luck I had getting home. I had a 19 hour delay, due to technical malfunctions with the airplane. But better to be delayed and have a functioning plane, then go up in a compromised one.I got to the airport around 9 p.m., which gave me plenty of time to check in and wait for my flight, which was scheduled to leave at 12:25 a.m. I kept checking to see which gate we needed, but it wasn't listed, so I started getting suspicious. Sure enough, at 11:50 p.m. it was announced that our flight was delayed until 3 a.m. As a compensation, the airline gave us free meal vouchers. So I went and grabbed one of the meals, and settled in next to an outlet in the restaurant. I was able to pass the time by fairly quickly, because I watched Gladiator on my iPod. So 3 a.m. finally rolled around and we were let into the waiting area by the gate of our plane. But it was to no avail! The delay kept getting longer and longer, pushed back in hour increments. I was really fortunate to have a few other English speakers on the same flight--all teachers in Korea-- so we played some card games and chatted to help pass the time. And it really helped me to not freak out too much. Had I been alone with no one to talk to about the situation, I would surely have been much more miserable. We finally boarded at 6:30 a.m. and started rolling out a bit after 7 a.m., but our hopes were quickly dashed. The plane rolled right back into the gate area and technicians boarded to check it out. About 30 minutes later we had to get off of the plane, and were taken to a nearby hotel to get some food and rest. One of the girls, Heather, and I ended up getting a room together, which turned out to be a fun idea. We didn't really get much sleep, but we watched TV and chatted. It was good fun and we laughed quite a bit. We left the hotel around 4 p.m., went back to the airport and waited again. We finally got on a new plane and left Bali about 7 p.m.
The flight was miserable. I think I got a bit of a fever from lack of sleep and perhaps some bad reaction to the food we had at the hotel. I felt like I might puke the first half of the flight, and even though I was wrapped up with four blankets, I was freezing. Thankfully the flight was rather empty, so I was able to lay out across a middle aisle and get some sleep. The turbulence was really bad the whole time, which wasn't a comfort after learning the first plane had malfunctions in the cockpit. But I did my best to get as much sleep as I could. We got to Korea just before 3 a.m. Wednesday (originally scheduled to arrive at 8 a.m. Tuesday), and I felt a little better from the rest. I had to wait until 6:20 a.m. to catch the four-hour bus home to Daegu. I was so relieved once I finally arrived home. It was such a journey getting back, but I made it safely. Plus we got 200,000 won back from Garuda Indonesia for the flight back, which was a nice touch. And I have always wondered what it would be like to have a long enough delay to warrant the airline putting me up in a hotel. But now that I know, I don't need that adventure again! Even though my trip ended with such frustration, I absolutely loved Bali and am so happy I was able to visit.

Japan

I really loved Japan! The people were so friendly and helpful. And the food was delicious. I was lucky enough to visit several places: Tokyo, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Kyoto and Osaka.

Imperial Palace

TOKYO
I started in Tokyo, and was able to visit Melissa, my amazing friend who I interned with in Italy. It was so wonderful to catch up with her, and I really enjoyed meeting the other interns at the Tokyo Camp Adventure site. I was able to stay in the hotel with her, so it was a really comfortable and affordable sleep! The hotel, New Sanno, was so nice. The bed was ridiculously comfortable and the staff was some of the best. On Friday while the girls were at work, I meandered around Shibuya district, Yoyogi Park and Hirajuku. I had a delicious doner kebab in Shibuya (way better than any kebab offerings Korea has) and did a little shopping at H&M. After that I relaxed and people watched on a bench in Yoyogi Park. Then I walked around Hirajuku for a bit and was able to see some of the girls dressed up in their famous, crazy fashions. Sadly I did not get a picture with or of any of them!
Friday night we headed out to an English style pub that was having a sale of 50 percent off all drinks for the entire day. It was amazing! We got ourselves a few drinks there, and then headed to Greenland, a bar with a roughly 10 dollar cover for all you can drink until 11 p.m. And since we arrived 15 til 9 p.m., we certainly got our money`s worth! The odd thing about bars in Japan is that dancing is technically forbidden in establishments, and signs warning you not to dance dress the walls. But that did nothing to stop us or other patrons in the bar, and we had a great time dancing away. We left Greenland, grabbed some snacks at a convenie and were going to head home, but the owner of a bar nearby called Joker`s enticed us in to his joint with a free drink. We ended up getting two drinks free and some tasty popcorn, which I ate at the bar in addition to my convenie sandwich. An old man next to me kept tapping my shoulder, pointing to my sandwich and laughing. He found it absurd (as did I) that I was eating the sandwich in the bar. But the bar owner encouraged me to take it in when he offered the free drink, probably fearing that had I stayed outside to finish it, I never would have made it into the bar at all. We finally got away from the bar and headed back to the hotel, where we promptly fell asleep after such an eventful evening.
On Saturday we slept in late. We eventually headed to the famous fish market, grabbing lunch at an Italian restaurant along the way. Sadly once we finally got to the fish market, everything was shut down and packed up. So we then headed to the Imperial Palace. The grounds were so beautiful as were the buildings. It was such a nice little area, but sadly we only had about 30 minutes to explore. I could have gone for a little more time, but was happy that we were able to see it none the less. That night Melissa and I had dinner at a ramen restaurant. It was so good! We both got the vegetable ramen and shared a thing of gyoza. Later in the night we joined some of the other girls for a drink in the hotel bar. The staff were so sweet and gave us nachos and a cheesecake! It was delicious. We then headed back to Roppongi for another night on the town. We danced in another `no dancing allowed` bar for most of the night. After working up such a sweat, we headed to a nearby kebab stand to refuel. The kebab was delicious and had lots of meat, but was not quite as good as the one I had in Shibuya. And that was pretty much the end of our night!
Sunday we slept in as long as we could, and the headed down to the hotel`s brunch. Luckily, one of the children the girls work with was able to get us into the 25 dollar brunch for free. It was so good. Everything was ridiculously delicious. I ate so much food, I can`t even remember it all! The highlights were the fresh fruit, cheese, champagne, seafood and desserts. It was a real treat, and certainly would have been worth the price. After doing a quick load of laundry, it was time for me to say goodbye. I was so sad to leave! It was such a delight being able to spend time with Melissa again. And I really loved all the other girls who I met as well. Everyone was so nice and such fun to hang out with.
I was a fool and didn`t exchange my Japan Rail Pass before trying to leave. So I spent a good two hours waiting in (the wrong, then the right) line to exchange my pass and then get my reserved seat for the train to Hiroshima. I was so tired from getting such little sleep the night before, and stressed out that I was going to miss my check in window for my next hostel. Once I finally got my ticket (only the train from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima had any seats left to reserve) I burst into tears. At that point emotions were just all over the place, and try as I might I couldn`t collect myself for a good hour, crying on and off. When I got on the first train, I was so sad to have to stand; it was a 3 hour journey from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. But after about 20 minutes into the ride, a sweet Japanese man showed me an open seat and encouraged me to sit down. I was so relieved to be able to sit there for the length of the journey. And I was able to use another kind Japanese man`s phone to call my hostel and let them know I was going to be late. So it all worked out and I was finally able to relax. After getting to Shin-Osaka, I transferred to another 2 hour train to get me to Hiroshima. Adding in the lines for tickets, it took me about 7.5 hours to get from Tokyo to Hiroshima. I was so exhausted by the time I arrived, but so happy to be able to get in to the hostel with no probably. I dropped off my stuff, took a quick journey to 7 Eleven to refuel and then headed to bed.

A-bomb Dome

HIROSHIMA
Hiroshima was a really great city, and I took advantage of its proximity to Miyajima Island. The island was definitely worth a day trip. It is best known for its Toori Gate that appears to be floating at high tide. Sadly, the tide was low the whole time I was there, so I didn't get to see the floating effect. But it was fine, because I was able to walk around the gate on the beach and check it out from a much closer vantage point. I spent the day walking around the island and checking out the various temples and buildings. My favorite was the five-tiered pagoda. The island is also known for its deer, and for good reason! They were everywhere. And not at all concerned about the people milling about. The deer were actually quite aggressive if you had anything they wanted, namely food. They would walk up to someone and persistently try to snatch it from them. I did my eating inside a restaurant, so I happily did not have to battle a deer for my meal. I had some oysters, which are popular in the area. They were grilled and very tasty.
In Hiroshima, I visited the A-bomb Dome and Memorial Peace Park. I happened to be there on the anniversary of the bomb drop, so it was a really interesting experience. I just kept thinking that if I had been there 68 years ago, I would likely have been killed. It was surreal. There were several booths and activities happening to commemorate the anniversary. I walked on a strip of cloth with a dye on my feet for a group collecting footprints. And I visited the museum, which was really informative. It had a good collection of pictures, artifacts and replications of the bombing. Some of it was hard to see, especially the pictures of people with their flesh burned off and their bodies mangled. The thing that impacted me the most, though, was a wrist watch that reads 8:15, the time when the bomb was dropped. It just embodied something being frozen in history. Sadly I didn't have time to say for the lantern lighting in front of the dome, needing to get to my hostel in Kyoto in time for check-in.

The Golden Pavilion

Fushimi Inari Shrine

KYOTO

I did a lot of exploring in Kyoto. I checked out some of the more interesting sites, including the Golden Pavilion, Ryoanji rock garden and Sanjusangendo Shrine. The Golden Pavilion was really beautiful and one of the cooler buildings I've seen in Asia. I also really loved the rock garden. The garden itself was pretty awesome, but the area surrounding it was absolutely gorgeous. It was a lush, moss-covered forest that seemed enchanted with the way the sunlight peeked in. Sanjusangendo Shrine was really interesting as well. It is filled with Buddhist statues. There are so many, it seems like an army. 

During my time in Kyoto, I was able to hang out with my friend Tiffany. She taught English in Korea as well and decided to travel to Japan too. We met up my second day in Kyoto, and headed to nearby Kumara to check out its Onsen (public bath house). This one was special, because it was in a mountainous setting with indoor and outdoor baths. It was rather small, but so beautiful. I loved just hanging out in the bath while gazing at delightful nature. And I also enjoyed the clothes we were given to cover up when walking from the indoor to the outdoor bath. It was so comfortable! We spent nearly the whole afternoon there, deciding to leave a little after 6 p.m. We lucked out, because the last bus into the city was at 7 p.m. We had a bit of a wait, but it was nice to know we still had a sure way to get back to Kyoto! Once we got back we went out to dinner and then ended the night with some sweet karaoke. 

My final day in Kyoto I ran into Tiffany when I went to get breakfast. So we decided to head to Fushimi Inari Shrine together. We didn't see the whole area, because it is ridiculously vast, but we got a good feel for it. It was a really awesome place. There were so many of the orange gates. I believe the official count is more than 1 million! And the bright color was so striking. We parted ways after the shrine, and I headed to Sanjusangendo Shrine, and then on to Osaka.

Sinsekai

OSAKA

I did very little sightseeing in Osaka, but that was perfectly fine with me, because there was little I really wanted to see. I went to Osaka Castle the afternoon I arrived and was pretty content with what I had seen. But my hotel was close to the Sinsekai area, which is know for its gambling rooms and fried food on a stick, so I went to check it out. I had a whole assortment of food fried on a stick: avocado, lotus root, pumpkin, asparagus, salmon, shrimp and scallop. They were quite tasty, but not my favorite meal in Japan (honestly, I think the pack of edamame I ate almost everyday from the convenies may have been my favorite!). I wasn't quite ready to turn in for the night, so I went to Spa World, which is a huge collection of public baths. There is an Asian section and a European section with various styles of baths. From the brochure pictures, it looked like the European section had Roman, Greek and Spanish style baths. Women were in the Asian section for the month, so I was able to use the Islam, Persian, Japanese and Bali style baths. It was a nice and relaxing evening. 

The next day I went to Summer Sonic, the epic music festival that drew me to Japan in the first place! It was absurdly busy. I thought Korea had crowded events; boy was I wrong. It was just incredible how many people were there. Utter insanity. But I made the most of it. When I arrived, the line for the shuttle bus from the train station to the concert site must have been at least a three hour wait. I just didn't have the patience (and I didn't purchase a ticket beforehand, so I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to ride it), so I scoped out the crowd and saw two foreigners trying to flag down a cab. So I ran over to them and asked to join in their taxi. They were really nice and agreed, but we weren't able to get a taxi as they all were busy or kept being taken. So we went one train stop back and caught a taxi from there no problem. The weird thing though, was that the previous train stop was for Universal Studios theme park, so I was a bit shocked when I got off the train and walked into a theme park version of America (i.e. the city walk)! But I didn't have much time to marvel, though the roller coasters did tempt me, as we hurried to get a cab. We got the the site within a 10 minute drive, and I only ended up paying about a dollar more than I would have for the shuttle. So worth it!

Once I finally got to the concert, I walked around the area to get an idea of where things were located. Then I got to see the first band I was looking forward to, Imagine Dragons. They were so good and incorporated so much percussion into the performance. A really great show! I also saw John Legend (pretty good), Cyndi Lauper (awful), Carly Rae Jepsen (a little whiny for my tastes), and the Smashing Pumpkins (good). Additionally, I was able to watch Two Door Cinema Club. They were so great! I really love their music, and that was reinforced by their excellent performance. Sadly I only caught the middle performance, because they were playing at the same time as the band I most wanted to see: Muse! Oh my goodness! Muse was so incredible. They totally rocked my socks. Even though I missed about 20 minutes of their performance to watch Two Door, I heard all of my favorite songs. So I was completely happy with how it turned out. One of the best performances I've seen!

Leaving the concert was not as bad as I had anticipated. The line for the shuttle was again insanely long and no taxis were to be found. But I happened to walk past a public bus stop that had a really short line. I wasn't sure where it was going, but something said JR, so I figured it was associated with the railway system and thought I'd take a chance to see if it could get me to the train station. I ended up waiting for only about 10 or 15 minutes. And it was a pleasant wait, because two Korean guys who spoke good English were behind me. So we chatted a bit, which helped pass the time. It was a bit odd though, because it felt a little like a comfort of home talking to them. Maybe because I was able to speak English and actually converse with someone. But I think also because they were Korean and its like my second home now. So a nice feeling. Anyway, my intuition paid off, as the bus went directly to the train station and I was able to catch a train back to my hotel rather quickly. Leaving Summer Sonic was thankfully a much quicker process than arriving there. But it was absolutely worth it, and I am so glad I was able to see so many great performers. The concert was the last eventful thing I did in Japan, and a nice way to end. I crashed at my hotel before waking up for my morning flight to Bali.

Rocking Out and Camping Out

Vampire Weekend

Foals

July 26 through 28 I headed to Ansan for the Ansan Valley Rock Festival. It was such an excellent time! I saw so many ridiculously good bands and the weather was quite nice most of the time (though it did rain a bit the last day, but nothing too extreme when I was actually out and about). Every performance I watched was absolutely amazing, but Foals, the XX and Skrillex took the cake for me. In addition to those stellar performers, I also was lucky enough to see Vampire Weekend, FUN., Nine Inch Nails, Yellowcard, the Cure, Coheed & Cambria and some Korean bands. It was a long weekend, but so worth while. 

I stayed at the festival site in a tent. It was nice enough, but the site was pretty much on a marsh and got really foggy at night, so everything was saturated with moisture. All that moisture made for a soggy mess, and there was mud every where you walked! And since the performances carried on until about 4 a.m. (with sound check beginning the next morning at 9 or 10 a.m.), sleep was not the easiest to come by. But it was so convenient to wake up and pop right out to the festival, or go in for a quick rest between groups. And the festival provided nice showers and really nice toilets, complete with toilet paper, running water and air conditioning! Seriously the nicest portable toilets I have ever seen.

I spent each morning in town at a coffee shop reading my book (I finished the Millenium series; holy moly so good!) and charging up my phone. The bands I actually wanted to watch did not start until around 3 or 5 p.m., and it was way too hot to stay in my tent, so I decided to lounge away the morning and early afternoon in a nice, air conditioned spot. It was also a nice way to relax and retain the little energy I gathered from my nights of fitful sleep. 

After the festival, I got back home around 5 a.m. and had to get up two hours later to get ready and head to work. Luckily I had summer camp, so I only had to teach until noon. After I took a nice nap at my desk before clocking out for the day at 4:30 p.m. Even though I was exhausted, I would absolutely do it again. It was so fabulous to see so many great bands, who I have wanted to watch for a while now! I just love music festivals. 

Shanna Visits, I Turn 24 And Then Get Covered in Mud!

Hanging out at Gyeongbuk Palace

 It is safe to say I have the world's best sister! She finished up three years teaching in China, and decided to stop by Korea for a bit over a week before heading back home to the U.S. It was so great to see her again! Unfortunately I had to work during the week, so we mostly just hung out in the evenings in Daegu, going to dinner, watching a light show at one of the lakes, and celebrating the Fourth of July on the local U.S. army base Camp Walker. We then headed to Seoul for the weekend, staying in Hongdae. We got in quite late Friday night, so we just went to I Am Makgeolli to drink some makgeolli and eat haemul pajeon. Shanna wasn't a huge fan of the drink, but she did enjoy the pajeon. 

 Saturday we started fairly early. We had a scrumptious American style breakfast at a restaurant near our hostel. I got a french toast set complete with eggs, hash browns, bacon and sausage. And Shanna got a blueberry waffle. Everything was so good and tasted like something I could get back home. And the chef, who I assume is also the owner, was so sweet. Then we headed to Gyeongbuk Palace, arriving just in time to catch the tail end of the changing of the guards.

 

 A great group for my birthday festivities.

 For my birthday, I gathered up my friends for a delicious dinner at La Luce, a "contemporary European cuisine" restaurant in Daegu. I had never been to the restaurant, but read a glowing review about it in the local magazine, Daegu Compass, so I figured I'd give it a try. I was pleased with the decision the moment I sat down at the table! The restaurant served up proper bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. Something that is such a staple elsewhere in the world is certainly not a common occurrence in Korea's restaurants. I would have been content just munching on the delicious bread alone. But my meal was spectacular, so I'm glad I got that too. I enjoyed a hamburger with a blueberry sauce. Hard to explain, and weird in theory, but oh-so-delicious once it hits the palate. It was certainly the best burger I have had in Korea.
 After dinner (and a quick stop at Cold Stone to indulge in their ever delightful Mud Pie Mojo mix) we headed to a multibang, which is a room with multiple forms of entertainment, like DVDs, video games and karaoke all in one spot. It was the first time I have been to one, but certainly not the last time I will go. I had so much fun. We did a little Mario Kart racing, karaoking, and my favorite part, Just Dance game dancing. I had never played the game before. It was such a good time. I thoroughly loved dancing to the songs and trying to get a high score. Now I really want a Wii and the game so I can do it at home! It was a really great evening filled with good food, good laughs and good friends. I had such a wonderful time hanging out with the wonderful people around me.

Mud wrestling!

Who knew playing in mud could be so much fun? 

On Friday, July 19, I went to the Chicken and Beer Festival in Daegu, which turned out to be pretty decent. The festival offered up to six (six!) glasses of beer for free, of which I only drank two. And I also grabbed some tasty chicken. It was a pretty good time, but I didn't stay at the festival too long.

Saturday I headed to Boryeong for the famous mud festival. It was such a blast! I absolutely loved playing in the mud and covering my body from head to toe. We got to the festival fairly late, so we didn't have a lot of time in the actual activity area with slides and obstacle courses. But we did have enough time to do some mud wrestling. It was so fun to splash around and tackle each other in the mud pit. I've always wanted to join in some mud wrestling action, so I was so excited to cross that off the bucket list. And I also got to cross partying on a beach--complete with a water cannon "misting" us with water as a DJ rocked some beats--off of my bucket list. It was such a great time! After that we swam in the ocean for a bit. It was a pretty strong current, but the stretch of sandy beach was huge! Probably one of the biggest beaches in Korea. We ended the evening by dancing at some of the more energetic temporary bars set up around the town and relaxing on the beach. It turned out to be a really wonderful time and even included a sweet firework show. I will certainly be returning back to Mudfest next year.

Kimchi, Sharks and Beaches

As I write on this last day of June 2013, I am amazed we are already half way through the year! My how time flies. And I've been so blessed to do so many amazing things.  Friday I signed my renewal contract, so I will be teaching in Korea for another year! I am happy I will be in this great place for another year, and I'm really hoping to see as much as I can and develop the friendships I have while I am here. It's been a while since I've posted, so here's what I've been up to:

Kimchi Making

I was taking Korean classes with the YMCA (we finished Monday, so now I have two of my weekdays free again!!), and they offered a cultural cooking experience. Our choices were 잔 (jan- Korean pancake), 국수 (gooksu- a noodle soup) and 김치 (kimchi- the famous side dish). I figured I had to go with kimchi, because it is just too quintessentially Korean! We made the most common cabbage kimchi and a radish kimchi. It turned out well, but didn't really have time to ferment, so the flavors weren't as cohesive as kimchis given enough time to be prepared properly. It was a great experience, and I loved getting my (gloved) hands dirty in the fiery red mess.

 

Haeundae Sand Festival

After cooking up some kimchi, I headed to Busan with my friend Katt for the sand festival. We got into the city pretty late, so we didn't get to see the sand masterpieces until the next day. But we did go out for a drink and a failed attempt at clubbing. Two of the three clubs we tried to go to (after a quick internet via phone to find out what was around) were shut down and the other was too much of a lounge. We were pretty disappointed. But it was probably a good thing, because we got back to our hostel early and got a good night's rest, which was important for our first adventure of the morning...

 

Busan Aquarium Shark Dive

We went to the Busan Aquarium to dive with the sharks! It was such an incredible experience. We were suited up with scuba equipment, which in itself was exciting for me, because I hadn't done any sort of diving since my certification. Then headed into the tank with the sharks. Sadly we weren't able to actually swim around; we basically just walked along the bottom of the tank. But it was still amazing! The sharks were a bit intimidating, especially when they swam straight toward you, but they were so awesome to watch. Some were very curious, probably searching for food, which they equate with divers in their tank. Two of the sharks got so close to me that they brushed my leg. It was excellent! We also were able to see some groupers, which are huge fish. Fish bigger than most of the sharks, and fish that have eaten some of the sharks. I was more intimidated by those guys! And we were also able to check out some porpoises, which were so cute and playful. They were in a different tank, so we didn't get to really swim with them, but it was still good fun to watch them. My heart was beating quite rapidly the whole time for a mixture of fear, excitement and adrenaline. 

We were also a source of entertainment for the crowds outside of the tanks. I think they might have been more excited to see us walking around than they were to see the animals. We did a little Gangnam Style rendition for them and waved to the smiling groups peering in. It was fun to see the children's faces light up when we acknowledged them. I shared some "high fives" with them as well.

After diving we checked out the aquarium, which was not the most impressive. Then we headed to the sand festival. I was hoping for some epic sculptures crafted from sand, but the works of art were more like giant drawings carved onto mountains of sand. It was still pretty impressive, but not quite what I expected.

Headed to Oedo

 

Oedo Botanical Garden

Last weekend I joined an excellent trip to Geoje and Oedo islands. They were both incredibly beautiful! It was quite a long drive, and we had a "bathroom" (smoke) break nearly every 20 minutes, but it was a lovely drive to the island. The first day we didn't get much beach time in, but were able to check out the gorgeous cliffs that plummeted into the ocean. And we headed to Oedo for its botanical garden. It was a really lovely little spot. We were allotted a decent amount of time in each place, but I could have stayed even longer to just soak in the views!

But my favorite part of the trip by far was dinner. We had a proper barbecue. And oh my goodness it was delicious! The organizers of the trip were from South Africa, and several attendees were South African as well. So those men took over the barbecue and cooked up scrumptious steaks, pork chops and lamb chops. And we had a delicious potato salad and green salad. And then we ended with a fabulous creation by South Africans... basically it was a grilled cheese sandwich, but a magical one. Two slices of bread house cheese, onions and tomatoes. Then a light spread of butter on the outside of the bread, and let it toast up on the grill until the cheese is ooey gooey melty. It was so good! I will definitely have to add some onions and tomatoes to my grilled cheese sandwiches more often. Just thinking about the meal makes me want to eat it all over again. Seriously the highlight of the trip!

The next day, we headed to a few sandy beaches, and I just enjoyed looking at the vast water stretch to the horizon. It was incredibly beautiful! At our second beach, we did a zip line across the ocean. My previous experience with zip lines is that they are a bit thrilling. However, this one moved fairly slow and was more about the view. It was also quite short. But it was a fun new adventure to zip line over an ocean, so I'm happy I was able to do it! Overall it was a nice trip.

Today, well Saturday, I didn't do too much except get a pedicure and prep for my visitor... Shanna is coming to Korea for a bit over a week, and she lands in a little over 12 hours! I am so incredibly excited to see her. It is going to be too much fun hanging out. Glorious!