More Chuseok Part 4

For those that don't know Chuseok is like Thanksgiving here. I would rather not have been on holiday so soon but oh well.

For this installment I tried to climb a mountain behind my house. This is what it looks like from afar.



Here is where I started...



Then it got weird and there where graves and mounds of dirt everywhere...



I made a video so you could hear and see what I did.


Chuncheon Mountain
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About here I gave up and turned around. I didn't see any but there are poisonous snakes and spiders in the forest. Whoops!



Since I did not complete my goal I went for a long walk by the river to compensate.

This is a mentally challenged guy fishing for minnows. He was there all day when I passed him on my way back he had a net full! Good catching!



Here's that bird again just on a different day.



I had to cross the river here is a video.


crossing the stream
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Here's the view from the other side.



the end.

Chuseok Part.3 The Big City

I finally went to Seoul. I went shopping and it was good. I didn't get lost and I bought 2 shirts. I went to the downtown area and it was like.. Osbourne but bigger and better stores..every store really. You shouldn't drive down it cause the street was covered with people people tried anyway and it was strange to walk right behind one. All the stores were cramped and cluttered and more than one floor. Here's a picture I took leaving. Yeah.. sorry it is really bad.

Chuseok Special Part.2

Sorry it has been so long. I have been obsessed with Sons of Anarchy but I am caught up now. On Wednesday I went on a bike ride. Here are some photos and videos to chronicle it...

Nudes (AKA Pervs) with Giant Fish




I hate these and they are everywhere.



Weird park with pyramid, cute bridge and sculptures.





A Nice View



Farther up the way was another bridge and another sculpture of a fish.



A cute bronze girl, I love her boots



Also nice music plays. I wish I had someone to ride in a swan with. It would be too sad to do alone.


Lady Soyang
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Need a workout?



Most popular show! Winter Sonata. I think maybe because he doesn't beat his lady friend. (P.S. hitting girls is totally okay here if you are dating/married to them)



Axle said he has been here. Lies! We talk on Skype, maybe you and I could too.



Chuncheon was pretty dead then I saw this! She is carrying a little dog on her back!!!



On my way home I saw these walls of cool do's. The boys look like video game characters. I would know. Guess which are my fav pictures???




If you guessed Adidas shirt and top left corner you are correct!




I saw this bird

Holiday Tuesday

Today is Tuesday, Chuseok Day #1. Here is a video to chronicle it...


Chuseok Day 1
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I did the laundry but the rain never stopped. Tomorrow I will bus to Seoul if the rain is still going.

My Bike, My Paranoia and Chuseok

Saturday I price checked for bike prices. I decided that Sunday I would purchase a bike in preparation for Chuseok. Something happened between Saturday night and Sunday though and by Sunday I had convinced myself I was going to be fired.

Clue #1 - my Alien registration card is only valid from September 15th to the 17th. Hopefully this is an honest error but when I had a Korean teacher help me ask my boss she just asked if I got my bank account. Then said she would check after Chuseok.

Clue #2 - One of the teachers told me that they were bringing back a teacher that had left to get married. Who will she be replacing I ask???

Clue #3 - When I was leaving on Friday she stopped me to say have a good weekend... It was weird.

Other things too. I went to the bank and it took too long and I was late. I was just off all day on Friday. Also because I was replacing the teacher that is still there she just wasn't going to tell him. So I resolved to check in with Liz about my alien card again on Monday. Also I reviewed my contract as well as Korean labour laws for sometime. Monday I ended just talking to Stephen about how nervous I was he made fun of me and after work I went and bought a bike. Here it is..



Getting it was surprisingly easy. There was a guy hanging round and i pointed at it and then at me and I got a lock and a bungee cord for my groceries. They have these box stations where they have rows of tape, scissors and boxes. So I rolled my bike over and made a box. Put my groceries in it used the scissors I just bought to get my rope out of the package and rode home! Here is another item I bought!
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Don't tell the dog but those glasses are way too big. Other items I could have purchased included scissors in the shape of a cow, a baseball tee that said in huge lettering "MONEY IS BLOOD", another t-shirt that said "I'm texting you a baby" and some Kelis shirts. It is fun here.

I also on the way home crossed the river in the picture that is my background or in the post called a nice picture. I took pictures but it was too dark.

the steamer and the smell

One of the girls at work lent me her steamer after telling me that she in an entire year never got used to the Dave's smell. I spent all of Sunday working on this and re-organized my living space. I wiped everything down with bleach again and mopped the floors. I steam cleaned the walls and the bed. Finally feel comfortable.

2 walks!

One day last week I went for a walk. I think it was to the mall. It was fine but on the way back I got lost. It was dark. My eyes were sore and I rubbed them too hard and my contact was displaced in my eye. I had to walk with my hand over my eye for the rest of the walk. I got sad but I was determined to find my way home without help. Turns out I was headed in the right direction and when I finally recognized my surroundings my contact started working again. When I got home I discovered a serious heat rash all over the back of my legs.

Another day I took another walk but this time I took pictures. I walked to a department store because I had resolved to buy a bicycle because all this walking is hard. I went to GSmart the only store I hadn't been to yet.

I discovered some asian houses!



then I decided to follow this secret path



and cross this bubbling brook



then I was back in the America's........................just joking! These houses suck! Probably not if you lived in one but to look at at least.



This is where the police live.



Even scarier at night.



I thought I would have to walk up this hill. But I didn't the store was hidden on the right.



Oh hey, I didn't know you spoke Korean



I met this guy. He was great but he told me he was Sonic's cousin. What a liar.



These ARE Axle's cousin's. SO cute but Tyson said I can't bring one home.



I will buy this chubby faced mouse (i think) but they are cheaper at home plus.



I guess people sit here.



GS mart kinda sucked and there were no bikes.

Now I know how toddlers feel..

Thursday (yes I am jumping around now time wise) I went to the hospital. Everyone has to when you get your alien status card. You need your alien status card to do normal things now like get a bank account ect. Anyhow, I basically got pulled around and told to do things. Pee in this dixie cup with a very flimsy top, make sure to point out how high it should be filled. Let this man take 4 vials of blood, tell us what animal you see, stand here with no shoes and get a chest x-ray. All in all a fun time

But there was a point to this all. To stay in Korea you must be clean of drugs and illness. Stephen told me about how when he was getting ready to come here he read a story about a girl who came here and through these test and found out she has aids. The to add insult to injury she had to fly herself home because she didn't finish the contract. Biggest bummer of all time. That girls name is.... not melanie reimer. My tests came back today all clear.

Korean Facts

it is acceptable even commonplace for two men who are good friends to hold hands.

when a baby is born they count the time in the womb as one year. they are born one year old.

Last weekend

it was nice out and I just walked around looking for groceries and stuff. Here are some photos.







After shopping there were several signs for the 2010 Leisure Games. I was intrigued so I followed them. Here are some pictures along the way.









Then I got there! It was a Korean X Games. They are into inline skating and bmx the most.





Then it started to storm! I waited for the rain to stop but it wouldn't let up finally a volunteer gave my a poncho and I walked home after an older Korean asked if he could take a picture of me. What would he do with it.... no way. He was surprised I said no. Sorry perv. Oh also everyone stares at me. It is uncomfortable.





Finally I was home and I made food and watched this.