tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44584743404563766782024-03-14T05:26:56.330+09:00Partial UnderstandingRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-48780812365126364842012-06-15T15:59:00.000+09:002012-06-15T18:18:08.049+09:00The Top Five Baffling Things in South Korea I Can't Even Partially Understand<span style="font-size: small;">One of the most interesting things about living in a country so different from my own is observing the differences in culture. South Korea is vastly different in many ways than the USA. Some of these differences are simple and easy to understand, like taking off your shoes in many establishments or bowing when you say "hello" or "goodbye." Some of these differences are a bit more complicated but you learn to understand them over time, such as the Confucius hierarchy system or the fact that napping at work is completely acceptable. However, after being here for some time now there are still some things in Korean society that I have never been able to grasp. I have compiled my top five most baffling and mind bending cultural differences in Korea that my American brain just can not fully absorb. For those that have lived in Korea these are nothing new, but to others prepare for a virtual trip to <i>Ripley's Believe it or Not</i>.</span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;"><b>5.) Guy Love</b></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6KptHCJSPWA_I67mStgnfoSfJfdt5Kh9fxI-_6jxKOdOWqZhDPf0ZYQR7Wfk7OsNLZOO7jpYVdf1SU2Ycj8FfZRyDzyENBcUITGjcCq76U8itLeBIKBtADTRPZK23D1YrwMZH0byys4/s1600/bromance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6KptHCJSPWA_I67mStgnfoSfJfdt5Kh9fxI-_6jxKOdOWqZhDPf0ZYQR7Wfk7OsNLZOO7jpYVdf1SU2Ycj8FfZRyDzyENBcUITGjcCq76U8itLeBIKBtADTRPZK23D1YrwMZH0byys4/s1600/bromance.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">I will say that this one is not on the list because it is completely confusing, but for the fact that it still makes me giggle each time I see it after being here for almost two years. The sight of two grown men in business suits walking hand in hand is so unnatural to me. Prolonged amounts of touching between two straight men is as natural in Korea as a chest bump is in America. So when you see two company men seemingly skipping down the street with interlocking fingers it means they love each other, but they don't love-love each other. Of course if you tried this America your friend would probably smash a beer can on your forehead.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qwOCE9zaHarX6rNoqjUifPboOzo6hUXlfrcY65oB4eKnXRjfikwDeMYUAS-iWN56Rh9eU1wAfA73hLQdDreVTWTRjEh8epDn8efY6JJsXSI351XBIbJ5S__KXdMjQFaZd5eRYAisYpE/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qwOCE9zaHarX6rNoqjUifPboOzo6hUXlfrcY65oB4eKnXRjfikwDeMYUAS-iWN56Rh9eU1wAfA73hLQdDreVTWTRjEh8epDn8efY6JJsXSI351XBIbJ5S__KXdMjQFaZd5eRYAisYpE/s320/111.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hey ladies, wanna hang out with two dudes who are totally secure with themselves?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">The first time I was exposed to this is when I met some of my male co-workers after I arrived in Korea. Shaking hands is pretty much the norm for me but the grips loosen after 2-3 seconds. In Korea the grip never seems to loosen. In fact after 2-3 seconds the shake just turns in to a hand holding love affair. Then I'm stuck trying to form words within the small talk, but my mind can only focus on how I can unlatch myself from the man hand. I don't want to be rude and tear my hand away, so the strategy is to make the conversation as short as possible. So it usually ends with me saying "I have to make copies now" or "I don't understand what we're talking about" and a vacant stare. Awkward on awkward is the best way to get out of the man hand.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">So next time you see two grown Korean men walking in each other's embrace, just remember it's Guy Love.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sxbROMQTjKg" width="420"></iframe> </span></div>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">4</span><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;"><b>.) Ajummas</b></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What does retirement look like for the average Korean woman? A perm, a huge visor, ridiculously non-matching clothes, sharp elbows, a cranky demeanor, and days spent pulling weeds, foraging for recyclables, or selling produce on the street corner. Korean woman inevitably end their lives as what is referred to as an ajumma. While the word <i>ajumma</i> technically means any married or middle aged women, it is generally used to describe the old grannys who have all adopted the exact same lifestyle. So if I were to call one of my married female co-workers an ajumma it might come off as a little insulting.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6LTGdoHZOCoT_1RKig41qiO5Ay1XVMSIH4LB3pj-GE4spWDVWVOmvO60K4eaPwew1FpoATDhLC1xf6Udi7Slsw0iqf0t-FflJQW-yUkovMj9aWwF-FnDjW_sFfz2J3kDcYr7A8-mGqU/s1600/ajummas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6LTGdoHZOCoT_1RKig41qiO5Ay1XVMSIH4LB3pj-GE4spWDVWVOmvO60K4eaPwew1FpoATDhLC1xf6Udi7Slsw0iqf0t-FflJQW-yUkovMj9aWwF-FnDjW_sFfz2J3kDcYr7A8-mGqU/s320/ajummas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What baffles me is why all the old Korean woman have subscribed to this way of living out their golden years. I understand Korea is a country of communal thinking, but this is just beyond that. I can not imagine anywhere else you could gather more than three grandmothers together and they all have matching non-matching outfits and the same haircut. It's like Korea is cloning old women to pick up the country's trash and landscape the government buildings. I swear after a certain age some one must hand a Korean woman a pamphlet with certain instructions on how one should dress. It must also include tips on how to body check bystanders, cut in line, and give foreigners the stink eye.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUImMeqnQEl8u6-1RgIoq28rKtVmL5mnmEOh8cp4adIHlDFinWNm-OzYA1YdtDK2-laT80xxlcJKiQdVMYQPHh336_w2uzUIvvzN30EjHpV_grB5txhYG-Qw5mjNXU5IvYMQh0cXJzVPw/s1600/aj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUImMeqnQEl8u6-1RgIoq28rKtVmL5mnmEOh8cp4adIHlDFinWNm-OzYA1YdtDK2-laT80xxlcJKiQdVMYQPHh336_w2uzUIvvzN30EjHpV_grB5txhYG-Qw5mjNXU5IvYMQh0cXJzVPw/s320/aj.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pamphlet comes with pictures like this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Most young Korean woman are beautiful and quite obsessed with how they look. They are also very fashionable and like to show a lot of leg. It's rather difficult for a foreigner to see the difference between a 20 year old and 40 year old Korean woman. So what's very confusing is how the transition from an up-right beauty to a bent over faux pas happens. Maybe one day they just wake up like that. I just don't know!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbY0jX9c-1F0L7lkOFvvm4oyeYXe7qt69eA8zgC8rIQn6VfO_gaeyfrZuNDBtJuMLI87JnrKHz2tqWtefF6Ipvc9L3m7LCZiNB4hg-SjVn32Ei16woQ64QmrDOKJ5JDbYIE8aWV6p2xlk/s1600/aj2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbY0jX9c-1F0L7lkOFvvm4oyeYXe7qt69eA8zgC8rIQn6VfO_gaeyfrZuNDBtJuMLI87JnrKHz2tqWtefF6Ipvc9L3m7LCZiNB4hg-SjVn32Ei16woQ64QmrDOKJ5JDbYIE8aWV6p2xlk/s320/aj2.png" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pretty much illustrates my point. (<a href="http://www.roketship.com/" target="_blank">http://www.roketship.com/</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;"><b>3.) The Never Ending Battle With Climate Control</b></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">This one probably infuriates native english teachers the most, especially in winter. It is generally believed that South Korea is a modern society. One of the things that defines a modern society is possessing buildings and homes with the ability to adjust the inside temperature relative to the outside temperature. Koreans even went so far as to install an ingenious floor heating system in every up to date establishment. However, they have difficulty in properly using these advantages that their country has afforded them. Every native english teacher has the same story. The teacher has their classroom to a respectable temperature in the dead of winter. The students shuffle in to do some learning and within minutes they are complaining that the room is too hot. The teacher politely explains to them that if they were to remove their winter jackets, sweater, hats, etc., then they would be perfectly comfortable because they're indoors after all. The students refuse and begin to open the windows instead. At this point the teacher is all like:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSpOIYRzQ1tqxPVxrMYMRbbyzt_FQT-yIje6Enxr26yYV9NjOkAfRFU-WLSB2ccb7LkXQkKnkUDK7v4AsbbXuiPwkknuR0tYGW_m8ohZKot-bOWuG9_hs5XqyMuBQjG5Dpd4LTE-KbrQ/s1600/cc1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSpOIYRzQ1tqxPVxrMYMRbbyzt_FQT-yIje6Enxr26yYV9NjOkAfRFU-WLSB2ccb7LkXQkKnkUDK7v4AsbbXuiPwkknuR0tYGW_m8ohZKot-bOWuG9_hs5XqyMuBQjG5Dpd4LTE-KbrQ/s320/cc1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What? Why? Take off your coat!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">So the teacher decides this is not happening and closes the windows and explains again for the students to remove their winter clothes meant for the outdoors thank you very much. Then the students complain more and come up with excuses like "I have two dollars in my coat pocket" or "I have no shirt on underneath my coat." By this point the teacher is all like:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGynj63yyJ5j5nKYbtM-VNWHcr7QzweZkwBd9VMgb-c024RC70cqX-dCQlz_PID8lAhoL1eohpos6ORaZKxENiSGDdG0FDUA42jzay9jl28SJw1VtmTZN7V8dSGGCshT9XfRepy-5Q-I/s1600/cc2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGynj63yyJ5j5nKYbtM-VNWHcr7QzweZkwBd9VMgb-c024RC70cqX-dCQlz_PID8lAhoL1eohpos6ORaZKxENiSGDdG0FDUA42jzay9jl28SJw1VtmTZN7V8dSGGCshT9XfRepy-5Q-I/s320/cc2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Don't make me say it again."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">So then teacher agrees to a compromise and decides the window is allowed to be open for one minute and no longer. After a minute the window is closed and the teacher attempts to continue the lesson but now the students are sweating and complain even more. Now the teacher is just like:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXG0cmcEyQvf5FZDvR3UMBDTuEkGWxIcBYpegMWSsZ7pui_8ip7brQIu8ajUzGTHL4uV47xVt9cdQPlU_hbslq_N3Z8R8cLsVN9sqE0lo8W5NvHl5M5Yr2VrMJoLir6-bal4t1Alsvqs/s1600/cc3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXG0cmcEyQvf5FZDvR3UMBDTuEkGWxIcBYpegMWSsZ7pui_8ip7brQIu8ajUzGTHL4uV47xVt9cdQPlU_hbslq_N3Z8R8cLsVN9sqE0lo8W5NvHl5M5Yr2VrMJoLir6-bal4t1Alsvqs/s320/cc3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What's even worse is that Korea considers itself one of the most environmentally responsible countries in the world. However, in the winter the windows are opened when they're too hot inside with their coats on. I can't think of anything more wasteful than letting all that energy flow outside. My whole youth my parents would yell at me not to heat/cool the whole neighborhood! This phrase does not exist in Korea.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;"><b>2.) It's Good For "Stamina"</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">I should really title this one <i>Anything For A Boner</i>, because that's pretty much I'm going to talk about. I thought it might be too crass. Anyway in America, when a man loves a woman, he wants to share his love in certain ways. When that man gets older he may have more difficulty expressing his love in that way. If it comes to it, a doctor may prescribe that man such innovative products as Viagra or Cialis. Products designed to help the man and have been proven to work. Proof is an important element to this one.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxURropz0tt72chYV0WMDFnHFBy_mBx-NhltMs4bE6vgf1UmjFfQhksDciuoxqXxbdn6z2-L4jXfUHqNc4zC85azzgKiPxgF7f54sI96ir4TEPK0SGVwtkcYHg33hnDbImTERtwb0p2A/s1600/bs1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxURropz0tt72chYV0WMDFnHFBy_mBx-NhltMs4bE6vgf1UmjFfQhksDciuoxqXxbdn6z2-L4jXfUHqNc4zC85azzgKiPxgF7f54sI96ir4TEPK0SGVwtkcYHg33hnDbImTERtwb0p2A/s320/bs1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow! It really works!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Koreans tend to still have beliefs in the old ways, or as I like to say "Hocus Pocus." When ever I'm out for a Korean dinner with my school and something is put in front of me that looks like a tongue and is still slightly moving, one of my co-teachers explains, "It's good for stamina." It's a fairly polite way of putting it. I applaud the Koreans for their use of the word stamina. So if there is something unrecognizable on your table chances are it's good for stamina.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Question</i>: Live octopus? <i>Answer</i>: Good for stamina.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Question</i>: Dog meat? (Which I have tried). <i>Answer</i>: Good for stamina.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Question</i>: Rhino horn? <i>Answer</i>: Good for stamina.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Question</i>: Dead baby pills? <i>Answer</i>: Good for sta.....wait what?!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Yep check out what was discovered a couple months ago. This is real:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">oo <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HmXWhA7_utA" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Good job! I have no idea what the logic is behind this. It's also probably the same logic that women don't drink coffee when they're pregnant because it will turn the baby brown. Not because of the caffeine or anything. So that's what we're working with in Korea. Just take some Viagra. Really.</span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b> </b></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;"><b>1.) Fan Death</b></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fuoOBYM_K42ZcNeDzHdN4FhmEG0HDTquf_tZnflq9DM_NpomJZ9E3uJnTEvQeNMfZ9wdFVmoRwIN5aer92j7ktWD_hqTi263IzabnzFW8tRsu41jmbKHgsH0Nb2XRoCnEJ2sZT3Pm8c/s1600/fd1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fuoOBYM_K42ZcNeDzHdN4FhmEG0HDTquf_tZnflq9DM_NpomJZ9E3uJnTEvQeNMfZ9wdFVmoRwIN5aer92j7ktWD_hqTi263IzabnzFW8tRsu41jmbKHgsH0Nb2XRoCnEJ2sZT3Pm8c/s1600/fd1.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">This was the easiest and most obvious choice for number one.<b> </b>Everyone that has lived in Korea has heard of Fan Death and of course it is outrageous.<b> </b>It's a widely held belief that a simple house fan can straight murder a person. No joke. Of course America has it's share of urban myths but no one actually believes them.<b> </b>This is an urban myth that Koreans truly believe. Supposedly in a closed room the fan can suck out the oxygen and the victim can die of asphyxiation. It looks something like this:</span></h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqMcFkEV3xbIa-clRvI_uUOeuAT19yWidxKBJ5G307PrxgRYH_XBC_ax0Av5K6ZbHHcWxF1pE8DcKVSjDQsfxoCxA9Sw3iubiv-lOMvr2RTu1xW8-Obu6U6CETHEGvvaANzvBha71pl0/s1600/fd2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqMcFkEV3xbIa-clRvI_uUOeuAT19yWidxKBJ5G307PrxgRYH_XBC_ax0Av5K6ZbHHcWxF1pE8DcKVSjDQsfxoCxA9Sw3iubiv-lOMvr2RTu1xW8-Obu6U6CETHEGvvaANzvBha71pl0/s1600/fd2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't argue with science.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">In fact, the Korean media reports on fan death and its dangers. All fans are sold with timers and consumers are encouraged to use them. You know, so it doesn't suffocate you. Another potential risk is hypothermia. A fan can lower your body temperature to the same point as falling through the ice of a frozen lake. Somehow this phenomenon only exists in Korea. How have I survived the 600 or so nights that I've slept with a fan on in my bedroom in Korea? Well I consider myself the luckiest man alive and not everyone gets a second chance at life. Seriously, I've asked several Koreans if they believe in fan death and most of them do. Wikipedia has a great article on it that everyone should read: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death" target="_blank">Fan Death.</a> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">In conclusion I'm not trying to say Koreans are stupid or anything, I'm just making light of some of the quirks. So if it seems like I'm generalizing I am, but I found these things to be mostly true when it comes to Korean culture. Of course I know there are exceptions to the rule. Anyway, I hope it was baffling. </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h3>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-50412420509436933112012-04-20T15:29:00.001+09:002012-04-20T18:49:09.092+09:00Cherry Blossom Season in South Korea<span style="font-size: large;">It's been an exceptionally long winter in South Korea. While every one in America was wearing tank tops and playing bocce ball in freaking March, I was still wearing a winter coat while teaching inside my school. Yes, that's indoors! A couple weeks ago spring finally decided to show up to the party and this can be verified by all the trees sporting cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms begin showing up at the beginning of spring and stick around for maybe over a week. In this brief period the city looks quite beautiful and winter depression melts away while we place our long underwear at the bottom of the drawer.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As the cherry blossoms bloom with the arrival of spring, so do the amateur photographers. After computer games and hiking, photography is probably the biggest hobby in South Korea. Standing next to each tree is a young Korean with a $5,000 camera with a lens the size of the Stanley Cup attached. How could I blame them though? The scenery is beautiful and there's little time to capture it. I decided to join the fun (with a bite-size camera by Korean standards) and here are some of my pictures:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aDtQlL7kWpZpO1H155EoUWl0yjivD9zBruSG3LJkMCOXJW48X96yII_Snis_sOwXKfeGS9cpoMmeWP42ppw3Z3o4WzqRguWJO5QsSZ5E4Myc6FD1UjzWE2knhdbaOKBPXKma5ae_Kjw/s1600/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aDtQlL7kWpZpO1H155EoUWl0yjivD9zBruSG3LJkMCOXJW48X96yII_Snis_sOwXKfeGS9cpoMmeWP42ppw3Z3o4WzqRguWJO5QsSZ5E4Myc6FD1UjzWE2knhdbaOKBPXKma5ae_Kjw/s640/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguitJ4KQkuzK_1mUda2DplGtdY83ZULmljQ4zWssEhYURKUlo4cJbEiIulU7Ha9N6ospu1zu9uRA24YX8hi-wIxUYR2Ael2JoeYl-v3wYdjBw45xFIK4nKHtmg0oJe-EL06E2R3Vt16lU/s1600/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguitJ4KQkuzK_1mUda2DplGtdY83ZULmljQ4zWssEhYURKUlo4cJbEiIulU7Ha9N6ospu1zu9uRA24YX8hi-wIxUYR2Ael2JoeYl-v3wYdjBw45xFIK4nKHtmg0oJe-EL06E2R3Vt16lU/s640/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGzo-OpCDlJqGt4iXinfF69R6l4KSg2zLxfL2-ZXrLSdTBEoxi8J_7jmlXfQsJYwOXDArfFz-Kz5E3bI-7VroIHKBLQrVPxdFuQ5rXvNzvFGEzSBCqwNFP15Pf40HoITXpfeGFPY7cw8/s1600/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGzo-OpCDlJqGt4iXinfF69R6l4KSg2zLxfL2-ZXrLSdTBEoxi8J_7jmlXfQsJYwOXDArfFz-Kz5E3bI-7VroIHKBLQrVPxdFuQ5rXvNzvFGEzSBCqwNFP15Pf40HoITXpfeGFPY7cw8/s640/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjA1tavscedB56KG046bXNTnQIfM0NFdyOo7wBvqyoSS0B0c7m7ix1Hk_bNmwPjU1cv0gIUabmTtDAxSyxovDQ2-NzSrp9wsMpIw68JY5yhc2juYNxz3L7-LuuQ5BB2-nun5QynHjmrM/s1600/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjA1tavscedB56KG046bXNTnQIfM0NFdyOo7wBvqyoSS0B0c7m7ix1Hk_bNmwPjU1cv0gIUabmTtDAxSyxovDQ2-NzSrp9wsMpIw68JY5yhc2juYNxz3L7-LuuQ5BB2-nun5QynHjmrM/s640/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EpOZxCJCu2ommrJ-he9fOwd88WtkjOp5t5tXh8pL27drY2SG_4X4BmVpQtCdUBRjv7LVVeIP6e5LOoNpeg1fntROeLuKaJlcACx68oA5PiuTq9wf5OOka6p9pI-HrXUf7KOUhfHrX7Q/s1600/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EpOZxCJCu2ommrJ-he9fOwd88WtkjOp5t5tXh8pL27drY2SG_4X4BmVpQtCdUBRjv7LVVeIP6e5LOoNpeg1fntROeLuKaJlcACx68oA5PiuTq9wf5OOka6p9pI-HrXUf7KOUhfHrX7Q/s640/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5G2YdpDmO_njni-gB037DLeT6Bs6RLjo3bTkKK5kzUXkIQvBv2iAijdQmKd-8dqg_Rr524sUo5_IGRWMNOjQva8vXdfcYhcsyi6MwNN84UDjmOPGAkppBpFpbzHwxVXgBFz2meEy5AE/s1600/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5G2YdpDmO_njni-gB037DLeT6Bs6RLjo3bTkKK5kzUXkIQvBv2iAijdQmKd-8dqg_Rr524sUo5_IGRWMNOjQva8vXdfcYhcsyi6MwNN84UDjmOPGAkppBpFpbzHwxVXgBFz2meEy5AE/s640/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+6.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get outta that tree!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtyY4iQjD37yp6haR5J1BI-4Mh_gGmLzy4mhoMcPS9j_tGICmu-XDR0YY6026ag-NFLZ3NWC60TFaoOQmStQTk2oe4DZehCGfxVn7L58ypy0AkStl_6_mq8cyT9EfZnmTtMPezS5F3xA/s1600/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtyY4iQjD37yp6haR5J1BI-4Mh_gGmLzy4mhoMcPS9j_tGICmu-XDR0YY6026ag-NFLZ3NWC60TFaoOQmStQTk2oe4DZehCGfxVn7L58ypy0AkStl_6_mq8cyT9EfZnmTtMPezS5F3xA/s640/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+7.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesus and the Cherry Blossoms</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cPC5TQ4pK6MAS98sP-ydO0yHQp-Gi7jzQ32glA3BhUO-Gp-YfrI0C2IbxdCM4Tla6u61oxJJLf5zblNXP0Jeolj1jsg1PAJngI3yWsZhAs-fLDyaAdnXXNq2DCPtyCFCVRdqv0CQ5fE/s1600/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cPC5TQ4pK6MAS98sP-ydO0yHQp-Gi7jzQ32glA3BhUO-Gp-YfrI0C2IbxdCM4Tla6u61oxJJLf5zblNXP0Jeolj1jsg1PAJngI3yWsZhAs-fLDyaAdnXXNq2DCPtyCFCVRdqv0CQ5fE/s640/Korea+Cherry+Blossoms+8.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new trend in South Korea: Couple's Raincoats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-78025860974793744932012-04-04T09:52:00.001+09:002012-04-04T09:56:09.914+09:00Attack of the Ladyboys: Traveling Through the Philippines Part 2<span style="font-size: large;">The second half of my traveling began in Donsol. This town is famous for one thing; whale sharks. The whale shark is not so much a shark as it is the world's largest species of fish. It's a freindly animal and it spends most of its time swimming around with its huge mouth open sucking in plankton. Oh yeah, the whale shark can grow up to 40ft. It eats a lot of plankton. Every year the whale sharks migrate to the shores of Donsol around February to feed. They usually stick around until summer and then migrate to where ever it is whale sharks migrate.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGliGdKwBhCydISsVYLZPmhzPYpNK5KgoF_w8sO5ppyoUyXWiUwBioRE-ZpnT9aqvscwYbliQqLZmJYyyLfg1x1Z3YwnFZ6ecS2oWq4KcKgXfem1J_ieEUIu2-NGovZCF0-DdHjBhxuDI/s1600/ws1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGliGdKwBhCydISsVYLZPmhzPYpNK5KgoF_w8sO5ppyoUyXWiUwBioRE-ZpnT9aqvscwYbliQqLZmJYyyLfg1x1Z3YwnFZ6ecS2oWq4KcKgXfem1J_ieEUIu2-NGovZCF0-DdHjBhxuDI/s320/ws1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheesh, chew your food.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">As far as the Philippines go, this was my favorite place. I never felt like a walking ATM, but I actually felt like a welcome guest. I believe this is because the locals are extremely proud of the whale sharks. There is whale shark decor everywhere and the locals love the fact that this is one of the only places in the world where people can swim along side the beast in the open ocean. Let's hope it stays that way!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSeXbkuOy0hpk4OZGyGNrpRSjaR4Cuplf-4zvuI7dS2a9CExOUZO1Lf17Z6q5miHbFWG60S8EubiEfNtKfgSazcXZRY9RGiJ84_AyU8LHv22ptfuvTP8NSFHc066Ot2GWoEoy22-iHsw/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSeXbkuOy0hpk4OZGyGNrpRSjaR4Cuplf-4zvuI7dS2a9CExOUZO1Lf17Z6q5miHbFWG60S8EubiEfNtKfgSazcXZRY9RGiJ84_AyU8LHv22ptfuvTP8NSFHc066Ot2GWoEoy22-iHsw/s400/Winter+Vacation+2012+277.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whale Shark Decor</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">We were there at the very beginning of whale shark season, so we were nervous as sightings could be infrequent. We boarded a boat with three spotters and a driver. They drove back and forth off the shore for what must have been two hours. The first hour we kept our eyes to the water hoping to spot the beast. The second hour we tried not to close our eyes and succumb to an inevitable boredom nap. Then suddenly the excitement began and I mean SUDDENLY. Just when I was getting comfortable on my towel turned pillow, the main spotter was yelling at the driver to steer towards a small fin just above the water surface and simultaneously yelling at us to get our asses to the front of the boat and get the snorkel gear on! Then he yelled at us to jump in the water NOW as he leapt off the boat. Next thing I knew I was swimming behind other people's fins looking down for something huge. Then it was over. Unfortunately I didn't see it but others did. The water was unexpectedly cloudy as a result of plankton everywhere. The ones who saw it said the whale just came out of the mist of plankton without notice and they were suddenly face to face with a fish over the size of 30ft. I got back on the boat filled with envy.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLoqhj0OEH1EsxYzH5X5CZOG4KhemJBv0wIVS7LUKUPa_oSUWsRaeUqo8TeJbc_46gpmOR4iNuLz-UGaByhuHB12Lyqr6zHlAFHDHJq-ynYff9EjU2o0suH_TRkZR4He8qKRhdPHfnz4/s1600/ws2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLoqhj0OEH1EsxYzH5X5CZOG4KhemJBv0wIVS7LUKUPa_oSUWsRaeUqo8TeJbc_46gpmOR4iNuLz-UGaByhuHB12Lyqr6zHlAFHDHJq-ynYff9EjU2o0suH_TRkZR4He8qKRhdPHfnz4/s320/ws2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can I miss something this big? It was cloudier than this picture, I swear!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">While others back on the boat boasted about what they saw, I sat there with my head down as the spotters began the process again. Then just as I thought it was going to be time to head back home, the spotter began the yelling again and I was back on the front of boat ready to jump in to the unknown. This time was much different. When I got in to the water a whale shark the size of a bus swam directly under me from out of nowhere. I turned and swam next to it for what must have been a full minute. I was so close at one point I could have grabbed its top fin and hitched a ride. The experience felt so surreal that after it swam in to the depths of the ocean I thought I must have dreamed it. However, we got back on the boat and had three more sightings! I don't have a water proof camera but I probably looked like this swimming next to the whale shark:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQEFQJ6Z5AVq7Fw74i0gR3tHsI63KvXu87Lfj5QfVmw1iFAo-h2P6yd68dWN_J_-yfPIk4ebaHAlRPxpua_2vMo0dbBgeQ-su0KKA3m9sTOyPF-qbHfUYXvKKy_mRHlMRyrcK6TxTMzE/s1600/ws3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQEFQJ6Z5AVq7Fw74i0gR3tHsI63KvXu87Lfj5QfVmw1iFAo-h2P6yd68dWN_J_-yfPIk4ebaHAlRPxpua_2vMo0dbBgeQ-su0KKA3m9sTOyPF-qbHfUYXvKKy_mRHlMRyrcK6TxTMzE/s320/ws3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My what a big fish you are.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">We were so lucky our first time out that we decided to lounge around the bungalows the next day because there's no way the second time could be as good. In the middle of the day Caroline mentioned hearing the faint sound of bees buzzing with in the wall of our bungalow. There were also a few bees chilling on the wall. Thinking that bees don't usually hang out with people indoors, we alerted the staff. Two guys came over and pried off a piece of the outside wall to discover a fully functioning hive in honey making mode. One of the fellows decided the next course of action was to blow cigarette smoke in to the wall. This of course sent the bees in to a frenzy as bees tend to do when you annoy them. Cigarette smoke only pissed them off so the next step was to pry off more wall and stick flaming branches in there. I had been curiously watching outside when the thought popped in to my head that the bungalow is probably going to to turn in to a bonfire. I rushed in to the bungalow to get our belongings to find it filled with smoke and angry bees. Quickly I wrapped a wet towel around my head and began blindly grabbing for things to throw out the door. I was able to get everything out with only one bee sting to the neck and minor smoke inhalation. Great success! The staff decided they better find us a new room for the night.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6UG42t2vttU" width="560"></iframe></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">Not the bees! Listen to them in our wall.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00m_g3dS6mt7DYiOEE9NyIfjLceuwCqI6NSnhJOdHlsiTWbxGLhRdMtriMTCZvlgf6R-yXMdp9hSlldL6jvOZyfDGLQ3dNy_RnmOXKErwo_qhALRJJdhRwss7DXB4AKG371wqxzbsOGE/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00m_g3dS6mt7DYiOEE9NyIfjLceuwCqI6NSnhJOdHlsiTWbxGLhRdMtriMTCZvlgf6R-yXMdp9hSlldL6jvOZyfDGLQ3dNy_RnmOXKErwo_qhALRJJdhRwss7DXB4AKG371wqxzbsOGE/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+288.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup just stick that there burnin' branch in the hole.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-7L6bIb_imOdhaAJhnxSqjIkDEqQwYvtETb0Pd9_YWCnCRJnNJr5U00LdzSio7-Ar4kU2I94coASroExCShGkuxvvANTfOkR-uTWHrHP5L0_jfvpiLZxbof52vFuJkvI8zuAKdRtH1Y/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-7L6bIb_imOdhaAJhnxSqjIkDEqQwYvtETb0Pd9_YWCnCRJnNJr5U00LdzSio7-Ar4kU2I94coASroExCShGkuxvvANTfOkR-uTWHrHP5L0_jfvpiLZxbof52vFuJkvI8zuAKdRtH1Y/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+285.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our heroes?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaEW3eCuzpXvDpvml2Si3McQ-YLYLwILIG8GZnMlWEIUYb37iFjTf_J57VI8iB0iDOS3a8Ya1W-nFN9rVIVPodXZ7Q_Qbq15OpF0ey4YaWCMrc4svBHGEbofOEQdjyAHE4B9nqgSa7C4/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaEW3eCuzpXvDpvml2Si3McQ-YLYLwILIG8GZnMlWEIUYb37iFjTf_J57VI8iB0iDOS3a8Ya1W-nFN9rVIVPodXZ7Q_Qbq15OpF0ey4YaWCMrc4svBHGEbofOEQdjyAHE4B9nqgSa7C4/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+286.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Any honey in there?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">After Donsol Caroline had to go back to Korea to teach, but I still had a week left of vacation. I wanted to go somewhere easy to meet people, so I decided to go to the Philippines "premier" destination; Boracay. The island has a very nice and long white sand beach that is perfect for wasting the day away, but Boracay is one of the most overwhelmingly touristy places I have ever been. Just off the beach are resorts that would cost me a week's budget for one night of accommodation. Places with names like Shangri-La, Golden Phoenix, and Ambassador in Paradise. I stayed in a hostel behind one of the big boy resorts. Then there are huge tour groups of umbrella-holding Chinese tourists following a yellow flag up and down the beach while over-weight, ultra-tan, speedo clad Germans soak up the rays. Then just when I am getting relaxed a Filipino carrying two hundred sunglasses asks if I want to buy sunglasses after I point at the sunglasses on my face. Then another Filipino asks if I want to pay $30 to ride a wave-runner for 15 minutes. After I decline another offer an old woman asks, "Sir, Ma'am, Sir massage?" Yup, it's back to the walking ATM look, except this time on steroids.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uav4SILm5rZaFMUdSvmF5xwNDLgmuSTr0CX-texLkGyW77Dwn1y7cWdSfqyW6uw-pqVZRvv8aF0IgjAVA0Hs8E9FniwwMJzuiGVEx2YALk09MmFlMw-8T8rdd8l3VjMxxfy1ePdGKkM/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uav4SILm5rZaFMUdSvmF5xwNDLgmuSTr0CX-texLkGyW77Dwn1y7cWdSfqyW6uw-pqVZRvv8aF0IgjAVA0Hs8E9FniwwMJzuiGVEx2YALk09MmFlMw-8T8rdd8l3VjMxxfy1ePdGKkM/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+291.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh it's a good thing they have this beach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Not only did I look like an ATM, but by being male it must have looked like I was desperate for some love. And not the type of love between a man and a women, but the kind of love between a man and a ladyboy. For those who haven't been to Southeast Asia, a ladyboy is a skinny Asian man who has made himself look very much like a lady. Not the kind of lady that you see walking though a department store, but the kind of lady that lurks around dark lit avenues at night. Boracay, the Philippines "premier" destination, is filthy with them after the sun goes down. The funny thing is that I never encountered any prostitutes that were actually women. It made me wonder about Boracay.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg43maLViUi7LQTpmoC7ES7TyrkIaZHvhyl8mUjRBygTpy2M8tIvifn3yHQgvQjgnH3TR-0NdDTGf2428znX1JLyeHVKa97_GL22vR8qvICYmvt_03rK061-XRwSrwWJdtGcY-_T0FrVQ/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg43maLViUi7LQTpmoC7ES7TyrkIaZHvhyl8mUjRBygTpy2M8tIvifn3yHQgvQjgnH3TR-0NdDTGf2428znX1JLyeHVKa97_GL22vR8qvICYmvt_03rK061-XRwSrwWJdtGcY-_T0FrVQ/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+293.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was very tempted to put a picture of a ladyboy here, but then I didn't really feel like googling ladyboy. So here's another picture I took of the beach. Ooooh good thing they had this beach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Boracay did have some good things, like cool people to hang out with and ridiculously cheap bottles of rum. I met some people and we soon discovered the best way to spend an evening was on the beach with cheap rum, a chaser, and new friends. One evening we decided to meet at a cluster palm trees with rum and supplies in tow. I was the first one there and I was hanging out for just a few seconds when I heard the faint calls of "Sir?" I looked around and from behind the palm trees heads were popping out. "Sir?" I couldn't really tell who was behind the trees but I could see a few head shapes through the darkness. "Um...yes?" I replied. "Sirrrrrr?" is all the heads said and then suddenly there was a ladyboy standing right next to me grabbing my forearm. (The story gets a little graphic here.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Come with me," the ladyboy demanded in a husky voice.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Haha...no, why?" I replied nervously.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Coooooome."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"I think you have the wrong idea, I'm meeting friends here. They'll be here soon," I say as I glance around frantically.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Just come on," the ladyboy pressed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"No, friends. You know friends. So, no!" I said starting to get annoyed. However, the ladyboy tightened the grip on my forearm.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Come on, I give you message long term."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Definitely NO. Ok I really need to..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Come on, I suck you off on the beach," the lady boy insisted, to which I replied by with a frightened "Aahhh!", tearing my arm away, and fleeing to the closest bar for shelter. I stayed hidden there and kept watch on the trees for my friends. When one of the other guys arrived at the meeting point the same ladyboy was on him like a hobo on a muffin. I ran over and grabbed my friend. "He's with me!" I proclaimed as we struggled to break free from the death grip of an aggressive, almost rapist, prostitute with man hands. Lesson: Palm trees are for something else when it is night time in Boracay.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTBgTpRv1juvtB_OC3yR1YAXHSJu2oauofVtV82LJ1s6oXJq7RZk4AxJlm-D9SpqJ0EmREEMYaiZHqZnQx9Ve5JBmMfymxiLcNEAcASrxW1sXFDsZdL4Du1bxI_ofu4PNjQXN71l7Ye8/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTBgTpRv1juvtB_OC3yR1YAXHSJu2oauofVtV82LJ1s6oXJq7RZk4AxJlm-D9SpqJ0EmREEMYaiZHqZnQx9Ve5JBmMfymxiLcNEAcASrxW1sXFDsZdL4Du1bxI_ofu4PNjQXN71l7Ye8/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+295.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll never look at you the same palm trees in Boracay.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">There are more stories from Boracay (like being deathly ill for two straight days only leaving my hotel room for more medication and Gatorade, or the story about eating at a Lord of the Rings restaurant where all the servers are dwarfs), but I've written enough already. In conclusion the Philippines make for some intense traveling, but I was glad I got to have the experience. The scenery combined with friendly whale sharks combined with some cool people made the effort worth it. However, I wouldn't recommend anyone to visit who can't stomach terrible poverty and the feeling of constantly being hustled. It was interesting and nice to know you while it lasted Philippines. Here's a few pictures to feast your eyes on:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3USBOqTDQB7bWtYB_wTvYP1kHQ5Ctk8b-kEKE3UTqAg5qqF8UAtp-jVLMmRmwlTZmFaBu2zEGqdyuRsvpy3uvylE2EW7prmqsAiHlpYXmQipO0YWV-TjRfSd79aex7bGcdNnNL6813H0/s1600/rum+boracay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3USBOqTDQB7bWtYB_wTvYP1kHQ5Ctk8b-kEKE3UTqAg5qqF8UAtp-jVLMmRmwlTZmFaBu2zEGqdyuRsvpy3uvylE2EW7prmqsAiHlpYXmQipO0YWV-TjRfSd79aex7bGcdNnNL6813H0/s400/rum+boracay.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rum on the beach with Wade. What I did at night after I ran away from the ladyboys.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEika-ME1hVfzUaIKc0UYDl5eGyYX24jcsLQldXMN0R3F14fdS0dNT37OzAIUjG0voYEIIpMJbxH4wsKBW3Qf-imGn-9Bp0ZenN3jGXsChhmqOBzxEw_mncNl4Kabm1toP0HZry7HrvaaKo/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEika-ME1hVfzUaIKc0UYDl5eGyYX24jcsLQldXMN0R3F14fdS0dNT37OzAIUjG0voYEIIpMJbxH4wsKBW3Qf-imGn-9Bp0ZenN3jGXsChhmqOBzxEw_mncNl4Kabm1toP0HZry7HrvaaKo/s400/Winter+Vacation+2012+318.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rum and laughs with Peter & Jodi.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMlNI3nPJoWCKpB2byWtmUcg9Y7r41VlH3rdII4O3ecWKAzb4ji65rYUReE-9k47HKqo0pxvKGj3nLjOlM_Qa2orkePnStbjrVgDfCTXsTt2_MctUZj37AVsrAGAkEGzT_NhZtAnFKHY/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMlNI3nPJoWCKpB2byWtmUcg9Y7r41VlH3rdII4O3ecWKAzb4ji65rYUReE-9k47HKqo0pxvKGj3nLjOlM_Qa2orkePnStbjrVgDfCTXsTt2_MctUZj37AVsrAGAkEGzT_NhZtAnFKHY/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+297.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess this is where they do kite surfing in Boracay. I don't know how they don't run in to each other.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindgfu3CtQh7WK0W1ELj4FckoXU8bLlffQj4QZ5mx3Lh9e1MjQP5xato6WcsmGH7g8jS4ZMtfpNlvodBxUGnM_9C7TUJ7VNK9tpBe319Bh7ALSYb1D8R0GgxUqUjTa_0LivF_BSirdemE/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindgfu3CtQh7WK0W1ELj4FckoXU8bLlffQj4QZ5mx3Lh9e1MjQP5xato6WcsmGH7g8jS4ZMtfpNlvodBxUGnM_9C7TUJ7VNK9tpBe319Bh7ALSYb1D8R0GgxUqUjTa_0LivF_BSirdemE/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+298.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8CVE_350bilSaVUIzc67Db3_fH1Ztj9S04cEckXinpgsa3oRJTpOQ-C4yNTL5zULffqMOACP5HnMPv0WivcNzjNmeHpDch-MP5OHh9pJglpIfg9fXctk8ttZyPUMP-x8x7orgkkEuss/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8CVE_350bilSaVUIzc67Db3_fH1Ztj9S04cEckXinpgsa3oRJTpOQ-C4yNTL5zULffqMOACP5HnMPv0WivcNzjNmeHpDch-MP5OHh9pJglpIfg9fXctk8ttZyPUMP-x8x7orgkkEuss/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+272.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A glorious sunset.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-48302638714097623772012-03-07T21:21:00.001+09:002012-03-07T21:23:10.819+09:00Sleeping in a Closet: Traveling Through the Philippines Part 1<span style="font-size: large;">The second part of our Winter Vacation 2012 took us to the Philippines. I found that in this country you have to take the good with the bad. I have what is referred to as a love hate relationship with the Philippines. We had some fantastic and memorable experiences, but it was some of the most stressful traveling I have ever done. It is the first country that has tested my limits as a backpacker, and I have been to many countries in Asia by this point. I'm going to do that thing where I say something good about it before the insult so I can soften the blow. Like when a girl says, "I love Tammy, she's like the greatest girl in the world, one in a million...but girl needs to take a shower because she smells like reheated Chinese take-out." So if it sounds like I'm doing a lot of bitching about the Philippines it's because I am.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We encountered stunning scenery, beautiful ocean waters, ate some good meals, and met some very nice people. However, the best way to describe the Philippines is a trailer park situated in a beautiful setting. Or the Mexico of Asia but without the delicious cuisine and charming culture. It's sometimes trashy, sometimes depressing, sometimes scary, and sometimes wonderful. The whole time I was there I was a walking ATM. Something to extract as much cash out of as possible. I wasn't viewed as some one who wanted to soak up the country, take in the sights, do some relaxing, and gain some experiences. I was viewed as some one who went to the Philippines, threw around all the cash I could, and get out.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64HaNkELRY3bOMpTwq27ZmvD0BvfDpQaCvBr4WcgKbKLwVx2WcJjTkdSBtHcMdVOqJs0sRAU3wurTmoWJkRqukdwQfSg1d-47aBK9nt9JIaYInBVBxGysI_-c0SLa7IHzrXCKStUYaVg/s1600/walking+atm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64HaNkELRY3bOMpTwq27ZmvD0BvfDpQaCvBr4WcgKbKLwVx2WcJjTkdSBtHcMdVOqJs0sRAU3wurTmoWJkRqukdwQfSg1d-47aBK9nt9JIaYInBVBxGysI_-c0SLa7IHzrXCKStUYaVg/s1600/walking+atm.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey Philippines, where's the beach?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">We didn't even bother with Manila after hearing all the horror stories about it. We heard stories of horrible poverty, suffocating pollution, constant scams, dangerous alleys, and the overall opinion that the city is a dumpster fire. The whole country is poor though. There are full grown men hanging out everywhere in the streets. Doing nothing but standing around and looking. Some one I met compared it to India. I've been to very poor countries before (Cambodia, parts of China) but I have never seen so many men wallowing on the side of the road. I don't know what I'm implying, but either the country needs to hire some motivational speakers or everyone is receiving disability checks.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzuG0-OZpBQWQVusTcMrX7njqbfs4t0faEiOdo8qMf4CgXrRBvQQxcItL92R3g5zFkP2QbsIPY7-AJI9qVQ_LeTg2feVta0trX8wEd_mEB4DkxbMGHjUIRZC4OdBtsfnoU-rlD03lpbg/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzuG0-OZpBQWQVusTcMrX7njqbfs4t0faEiOdo8qMf4CgXrRBvQQxcItL92R3g5zFkP2QbsIPY7-AJI9qVQ_LeTg2feVta0trX8wEd_mEB4DkxbMGHjUIRZC4OdBtsfnoU-rlD03lpbg/s400/Winter+Vacation+2012+268.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I only saw Manila from the inside of an airport or through a plane window.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">The first place we flew in to was the overwhelmingly gorgeous island of Palawan. When you arrive at a new location in the Philippines, whether by bus or plane, expect to encounter who I like to call "the piranhas". When we walked out of the airport there were ten guys in our faces saying, "Get in my tricycle. Give me your bag. You have reservation? Give me the money." When we settled on one driver we next found out that accommodation is a big problem in the Philippines during the travel season. Elsewhere in Southeast Asia I just find a place to sleep when I get there. We learned quickly that you don't do this in the Philippines. I blame the Chinese. The tourism board for the Philippines must have a huge marketing campaign in China and it's working. It's working very well. The problem is there are a lot of people in China and they travel in huge groups of over twenty people. That's a lot of hotel rooms. So we spent our first night in Palawan in a utility closet with bunk beds too short for my 5'8" frame and a pack of fighting wild dogs outside our window all night. Yay, welcome to the Philippines!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRezG6uT4uHVJbFc1iKEg5gQnlf6HzCa95FnGuR9HKnD1qlWDbEF860E0YE2kvYfLjiHypjt1tnawPus7sNLYRvjE-YiV5MKcOcRUksdIJqPGyj28vKyhNRglaaCezQGkfO2EQntaWvSQ/s1600/IMG_6642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRezG6uT4uHVJbFc1iKEg5gQnlf6HzCa95FnGuR9HKnD1qlWDbEF860E0YE2kvYfLjiHypjt1tnawPus7sNLYRvjE-YiV5MKcOcRUksdIJqPGyj28vKyhNRglaaCezQGkfO2EQntaWvSQ/s320/IMG_6642.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice how the mattresses curve up against the wall.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">The next day we took a dusty seven hour bus ride to the city of El Nido in northern Palawan. Luckily we made a reservation on the phone the night before. This is when I discovered that customer service doesn't exist in the Philippines, and if it does then it's extremely awkward. When you walk in to a store, restaurant, or hotel you are rarely noticed until you grab some one's attention. My favorite moment was when I had enough of it and decided to do a little experiment. Now remember everyone in the Philippines can speak English. So I went in to a store, grabbed two bottles of water, and put them on the counter in front of the cashier woman. Then it was the battle of who would make the first move. She sat in her chair behind the counter staring at me and I stared right back at her. After about a minute of complete silence I couldn't take it anymore and victory was her's. I finally asked, "Do you want money for this water?" Basking in her glory, she knew she had broken me and kept staring. "HOW MUCH FOR THE WATER?!" I snapped at her. She finally muttered, "50 pesos." This was an everyday occurrence in the Philippines.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Y9cUK9VpZVALR7Tt8aypQOEhrGzKd8me7O_wkGD1IXvt2Q4Xian_jKapvZAvgR-Pb3KPMkCOtebjbhOK3A-gefAve6RYLHxXgXKQh09iSAC9X7CyK3Lbl_l8LV7dS4xds49Ka_b-BNQ/s1600/ce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Y9cUK9VpZVALR7Tt8aypQOEhrGzKd8me7O_wkGD1IXvt2Q4Xian_jKapvZAvgR-Pb3KPMkCOtebjbhOK3A-gefAve6RYLHxXgXKQh09iSAC9X7CyK3Lbl_l8LV7dS4xds49Ka_b-BNQ/s320/ce.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clint couldn't even win a staring contest in the Philippines.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Another example of bad customer service, or just awkward customer service, is when you got in to a restaurant. First, find your own table. Second, wave for a server to come over and they will walk over and stare at you. Third, say the word "menu". Fourth, the server will give you the menu and continue to stand and stare at you until you order. Fifth, take five minutes to decide between a ham and cheese sandwich or a chicken sandwich to punish the server for their horrible service. Sixth, wait 45 minutes for the kitchen to make a simple sandwich. Lesson, get to the restaurant 45 minutes before you're hungry.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VrD1YIjmDi042qE3AKhF0nPiwrcrfSBaAFK5fQ_1ovkXg-GTFQd0r9V4xxokngzV93Wc8e7SK535wbq7n8x77MTcVs8HkaiyyKzRWwW5817QUpREpiUA3fV5kgXNtC6Ph-f_ZvTvkBM/s1600/fu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VrD1YIjmDi042qE3AKhF0nPiwrcrfSBaAFK5fQ_1ovkXg-GTFQd0r9V4xxokngzV93Wc8e7SK535wbq7n8x77MTcVs8HkaiyyKzRWwW5817QUpREpiUA3fV5kgXNtC6Ph-f_ZvTvkBM/s320/fu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't tell if they're taking their time make a delicious sandwich or they forgot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">My final example is prying the information out of customer service people who have the information you need. This brings me to arriving in El Nido. When we got to our hotel we walked in around 4pm and said we had a reservation. They said "not ready" and did that damn staring thing I keep talking about. So we asked, "When will it be ready?" They answer "sometime" and stare. We ask, "Can you say how many minutes?" They answer "one hour" and stare. We ask, "Can you tell us the problem?" They answer "working on it" and stare. So we leave and thus is the way of the customer service in the Philippines.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, I'm putting a break on the bitching and it's time for the wonderful. The thing to do in El Nido is to go on boat tours of the surrounding islands. The islands are limestone karst cliffs that rise out of the ocean and are surrounded by hidden beaches and lagoons. To get to one hidden beach we had to swim through a hole in the rocks at the right time so a wave doesn't smash us against the roof of the hole. We also swam around in a lagoon filled with caves, corral, and perfect blue water. It was simply magnificent and here are some pictures:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSmqZkKtcIzDsIyJ0iE74y_XPzctpt-GSfBuQrCbGAUZCtrdIH20J5jwsFO0JI71wvZzu8fZay5xjmYhMeArbPQBR31NnUPYXNI_guvtPy7XR8w9h5RskzWFvVfVd2t7EoaIlOQahwzQ/s1600/El+Nido+%281%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSmqZkKtcIzDsIyJ0iE74y_XPzctpt-GSfBuQrCbGAUZCtrdIH20J5jwsFO0JI71wvZzu8fZay5xjmYhMeArbPQBR31NnUPYXNI_guvtPy7XR8w9h5RskzWFvVfVd2t7EoaIlOQahwzQ/s640/El+Nido+%281%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from El Nido and the boats that take you out to the islands.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVymuOpGHlMZpNC5lOi7A2qBv9xfeYscX69YykNPbBLxsfviiFFfZUWCJ3KhWqufsbVhipgjaoFFXOHFU_2iEdUqaIkoKGLKl49D_F8G9qt68Xm4lL5cwkDoeVjJEMXfUnG4gyYnngvyA/s1600/El+Nido+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVymuOpGHlMZpNC5lOi7A2qBv9xfeYscX69YykNPbBLxsfviiFFfZUWCJ3KhWqufsbVhipgjaoFFXOHFU_2iEdUqaIkoKGLKl49D_F8G9qt68Xm4lL5cwkDoeVjJEMXfUnG4gyYnngvyA/s640/El+Nido+%283%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such great scenery.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCC18GfxIsUpwxsaY6xzTgbZx3i9_5SLJDUWuKNHLzqxqknKM8s6YWZ2BiMWqfAJF-bqv6sEy8mt_WyR0mpdgr7nwdrwuI8ul8IfA0FZDt54WdgWACiZ4LlC4mGPGx8mQ_oSBIUl7U8Ek/s1600/El+Nido+%285%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCC18GfxIsUpwxsaY6xzTgbZx3i9_5SLJDUWuKNHLzqxqknKM8s6YWZ2BiMWqfAJF-bqv6sEy8mt_WyR0mpdgr7nwdrwuI8ul8IfA0FZDt54WdgWACiZ4LlC4mGPGx8mQ_oSBIUl7U8Ek/s640/El+Nido+%285%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline enjoying the beach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6OdhcSeSbq31_BJ_ENDRieopsFLks0uml809t5aQYDbeQDv5n3BlvXFDDIq2MgYzyZijW1Nb2W9L-XtKWet9iEK7K35e1A231PPObSRUqxmYzRggXs1UhlpkWtn7g6VkQYH0QV1mVss/s1600/El+Nido+%286%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6OdhcSeSbq31_BJ_ENDRieopsFLks0uml809t5aQYDbeQDv5n3BlvXFDDIq2MgYzyZijW1Nb2W9L-XtKWet9iEK7K35e1A231PPObSRUqxmYzRggXs1UhlpkWtn7g6VkQYH0QV1mVss/s640/El+Nido+%286%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snorkeling in a lagoon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcx6kRVV-7MtbYc4GP8pP4TMVsyKEyGj9G3CklGRWE_E_uzHttYpqdDOFTX_Sq16-04KC0liU1wJxxqr2za7Su_A3kfGTg65fcuOUGoCr0Q2a8VdFeE92RyhtGhPC82yvum8wkVqjBqA/s1600/El+Nido+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcx6kRVV-7MtbYc4GP8pP4TMVsyKEyGj9G3CklGRWE_E_uzHttYpqdDOFTX_Sq16-04KC0liU1wJxxqr2za7Su_A3kfGTg65fcuOUGoCr0Q2a8VdFeE92RyhtGhPC82yvum8wkVqjBqA/s640/El+Nido+%282%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you find the hidden beach? Yeah it's there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfhoIWMSwaKKmESW55CoZ3wj5eMLmxOt6CqmlvFaAZ1FNFp0x0qI9PeGZ5Uag7pRlYncCpKTIgRuhF0hZ5b8oxnSpovRhoAa1vcoEs50qLCPMzjTwMhlhX2oxkShbyq4Vydz-zupYIts/s1600/El+Nido+%284%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfhoIWMSwaKKmESW55CoZ3wj5eMLmxOt6CqmlvFaAZ1FNFp0x0qI9PeGZ5Uag7pRlYncCpKTIgRuhF0hZ5b8oxnSpovRhoAa1vcoEs50qLCPMzjTwMhlhX2oxkShbyq4Vydz-zupYIts/s640/El+Nido+%284%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHuGNc9K3xJfLmGCJa3naqnuJfn9AQY1Hgf1sldhd8s4ELBVA5w3ZI13BomA8vDnQ7UPhyphenhyphenED_TYSKnq2KLplWp0GRICKNFLOHSDiaorayznizzcuiXn1oTbQlDwk4i7QiShyphenhyphenSkiGP_Xo/s1600/El+Nido+%288%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHuGNc9K3xJfLmGCJa3naqnuJfn9AQY1Hgf1sldhd8s4ELBVA5w3ZI13BomA8vDnQ7UPhyphenhyphenED_TYSKnq2KLplWp0GRICKNFLOHSDiaorayznizzcuiXn1oTbQlDwk4i7QiShyphenhyphenSkiGP_Xo/s640/El+Nido+%288%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The captain of our boat, a chain smoking sixteen year old.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMV1UdytCuVCFvICeCyF3rjlQr69ez5QazzwvDZYQnNB5aUPEhAF75FHTVP2EIsngP2S1cP08UtUGIea1I1LCs7dD_vZx7mDlBqzDUI404WBZ5EA4W63V6q_eAjY9cmlJAdn3ocXH_xTs/s1600/El+Nido+%289%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMV1UdytCuVCFvICeCyF3rjlQr69ez5QazzwvDZYQnNB5aUPEhAF75FHTVP2EIsngP2S1cP08UtUGIea1I1LCs7dD_vZx7mDlBqzDUI404WBZ5EA4W63V6q_eAjY9cmlJAdn3ocXH_xTs/s640/El+Nido+%289%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clear blue waters of the lagoon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjby4utOxXZhAVyPBRdO48hgNCIQoZ_O_3PoNk6Uom0NBvFOFbDwuooeNa6bApG8i8HFyl6zcC4CZAnnCrccMxnY1v857so_mP56KrEW6s8KLrRz-nnNdzdS9ZodjOB4oHq2p8Yl5hU328/s1600/El+Nido+%287%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjby4utOxXZhAVyPBRdO48hgNCIQoZ_O_3PoNk6Uom0NBvFOFbDwuooeNa6bApG8i8HFyl6zcC4CZAnnCrccMxnY1v857so_mP56KrEW6s8KLrRz-nnNdzdS9ZodjOB4oHq2p8Yl5hU328/s640/El+Nido+%287%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good spot for a picnic on the beach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">After a few days of taking boat tours in El Nido, we traveled back down to central Palawan to see the subterranean river in Sabang. It was voted as one of the <a href="http://www.new7wonders.com/" target="_blank">new seven wonders of the world</a>. I don't know if it really deserves that entry, but I'll happily put in the category of pretty cool. They put you in a tiny boat and a guide rows you 1.5 kilometers in to the belly of the river. The river actually goes for 8km, but tourists are only allowed so far. There are literally millions of bats that live in the cave. Pointing the flashlight up revealed the most bats I have ever seen in my life. I found out why the mosquito population is low in that area. It was a worthwhile experience and here's a few pictures:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlip_Dp1rT0ReTYx9bAOAzXMtEBioNTr5p00ftzgKhl-6kYVsnNAi4_aeOwADdKOxy3_0gTNmjGkAyFXAf9_ZVi15ephNn8M5O1rzLrHly4WRTWtBvFhBUNOeSOdnBLh5EPdGYTWQy4Mk/s1600/Sabang+%286%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlip_Dp1rT0ReTYx9bAOAzXMtEBioNTr5p00ftzgKhl-6kYVsnNAi4_aeOwADdKOxy3_0gTNmjGkAyFXAf9_ZVi15ephNn8M5O1rzLrHly4WRTWtBvFhBUNOeSOdnBLh5EPdGYTWQy4Mk/s640/Sabang+%286%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Sabang!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibG6hEQQRllxuMMriuwIB4PRvRFp8K6hq8-HqGQshjK_eegRxM2IlSp91mr7ackHWtyVCuCXICjKptwmf9VXI0xry0U7dy3p6Ct1c4KN5GxCDo58e0KUVDJfQcAAQHNRLTtIs4I4iduEE/s1600/Sabang+%281%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibG6hEQQRllxuMMriuwIB4PRvRFp8K6hq8-HqGQshjK_eegRxM2IlSp91mr7ackHWtyVCuCXICjKptwmf9VXI0xry0U7dy3p6Ct1c4KN5GxCDo58e0KUVDJfQcAAQHNRLTtIs4I4iduEE/s640/Sabang+%281%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a pose in front of the subterranean river.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SD5y7AoMrt7r9T_1wumFG__yCYDluTrdMeAV8iFd4TNxA7FUL-eYfq_T2_pztYz1MSWy1vwbPD7hSHO60oDvj9v40FpEsNyyEEaqNrU_NmiYuLSQlAJPszRg62qC6Xw0evd-_a6Al6A/s1600/Sabang+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SD5y7AoMrt7r9T_1wumFG__yCYDluTrdMeAV8iFd4TNxA7FUL-eYfq_T2_pztYz1MSWy1vwbPD7hSHO60oDvj9v40FpEsNyyEEaqNrU_NmiYuLSQlAJPszRg62qC6Xw0evd-_a6Al6A/s640/Sabang+%282%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYmwX1UXPW7_l3NU4nm-iBOXEQ3oI4IRmOOHn-1C18VgaeNshhYE7A9feILH-p0Cf9JrF_FNrE_xKdDhsmhJLP6MSKjxZOnZVVI72o7WwE3CYfgJtJvPLbCEzvnLG9i3havswbel36rE/s1600/Sabang+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYmwX1UXPW7_l3NU4nm-iBOXEQ3oI4IRmOOHn-1C18VgaeNshhYE7A9feILH-p0Cf9JrF_FNrE_xKdDhsmhJLP6MSKjxZOnZVVI72o7WwE3CYfgJtJvPLbCEzvnLG9i3havswbel36rE/s640/Sabang+%283%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A helmet for protection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27q11gFcPGOU60cXa1IVlP7OByB1P7NUpaRUbvhGn-Ha_E4miRFginBsEQb2khBuse0IN6QX-nQTWY_a8OktOEtm4M8zvCpJAFVtDSyQTiZfzpng5nvSseBOENYlnnoWkl5n54JzThEc/s1600/Sabang+%284%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27q11gFcPGOU60cXa1IVlP7OByB1P7NUpaRUbvhGn-Ha_E4miRFginBsEQb2khBuse0IN6QX-nQTWY_a8OktOEtm4M8zvCpJAFVtDSyQTiZfzpng5nvSseBOENYlnnoWkl5n54JzThEc/s640/Sabang+%284%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost in the cave.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKUfCk7JVfhfKoN2yHI4Ioyv5IQTxcsJSGhrTyNQNNq325PnFq0KKShAU2I1zFNl3MBo2rMps6YnRciNvTLaBwDts1ounEpaq2V5phzTyB4XlosWKCaD6KNOGwFnb0Dq2IX6nWCegh48/s1600/Sabang+%285%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKUfCk7JVfhfKoN2yHI4Ioyv5IQTxcsJSGhrTyNQNNq325PnFq0KKShAU2I1zFNl3MBo2rMps6YnRciNvTLaBwDts1ounEpaq2V5phzTyB4XlosWKCaD6KNOGwFnb0Dq2IX6nWCegh48/s640/Sabang+%285%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh and watch out for the giant lizards that guard the cave.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">The post is getting along so I'm dividing it in to two parts. In Part two you can expect whale sharks, bees, lady boys, and some more ranting. In the meantime here is video of the 800 meter long zip-line we found when hiking in Sabang:</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FXdRxXjYxho" width="560"></iframe>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-1575258420491548872012-02-16T18:56:00.000+09:002012-02-16T18:56:49.582+09:00Dodging Falling Rocks in Taiwan<span style="font-size: large;">So I just got back from a much needed four week vacation. The cold of Korea was settling in to my bones and the middle school students were making me want to break bones. As soon as I could I was on a plane going south. The first part of the trip was to Taiwan to see our very good friend Ms. Kerri Davidson. Taiwan could also be called China 2.0. It looks a lot like China except without the yellow air, black rivers, and blatant propaganda. Hey, where's Mao Zedong? Taiwan also has a nice dose of democracy, civil rights, and open press. To loosely quote Kerri, "It's like China but without all the bad stuff." It's no wonder the Chinese are only able to visit in tour groups. They stay on the bus, get off to take as many pictures as possible of a landmark, and get back on the bus to go back to the hotel. The Chinese Communist Party doesn't want its people to take notice that essentially the same people are thriving in a free country. Who knows what they tell them on the tour? I'm sure it's something like, "The Taiwanese hate voting and everyday pray to the Communist Party to save them." Or, "Look at what China has done for Taiwan. Yeah this is all China baby!"</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-hW8BScEayxZyrwaCrl-WMyO8eMbD-Byxi48b1yrFhmvgGzkvzDGa4uNwXUhP2A3usaRQm5Y59K4nwn349afBrUwmGdkHGEAoKwve_0bjzpVL0BrDcE4Vlw17jO_7y70CswmmNbT49U/s1600/ym.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-hW8BScEayxZyrwaCrl-WMyO8eMbD-Byxi48b1yrFhmvgGzkvzDGa4uNwXUhP2A3usaRQm5Y59K4nwn349afBrUwmGdkHGEAoKwve_0bjzpVL0BrDcE4Vlw17jO_7y70CswmmNbT49U/s200/ym.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sure, it's your country Taiwan."</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">It's all a little confusing to say where Taiwan's place is in the world. They are controlled by the Republic of China. Mainland China is controlled by the People's Republic of China. So Taiwan is part of China but it's not. Taiwan was populated by Chinese people escaping the Communist Party's takeover in the late 1940's. So Taiwan's identity is Chinese, but they are separate from the other Chinese. Chinese People + Island + Freedom - Mainland China + Political Tension - Delicious Chinese Food - Environmental Disaster + Friends With Benefits For The USA = Taiwan.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqzEpDsBS_pjCV0aAh0Wm95ODOXRRPVvbDSnm7H5AuSjdf1kORvFzDEOnzUfp9TyWmJui8v_MFaaWfabvn45RYQQS0QxaTg1vtbfi3eQ029a3KFA-uLHA9JhUcEXHn1aaLw9IV2I29N4/s1600/bc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqzEpDsBS_pjCV0aAh0Wm95ODOXRRPVvbDSnm7H5AuSjdf1kORvFzDEOnzUfp9TyWmJui8v_MFaaWfabvn45RYQQS0QxaTg1vtbfi3eQ029a3KFA-uLHA9JhUcEXHn1aaLw9IV2I29N4/s200/bc.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wait...what?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Enough of that nonsense, let's talk about traveling. The first thing you do when you get to Taiwan is rent a scooter. The country has a hardcore scooter culture. It's only about twelve dollars to rent a scooter for a day and it seems like the gas tank never loses any fuel. I spent half my time in Taiwan sitting on a scooter seat and it was great!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7hvgaAxIia2t13ZdXqOlY8HSSRuqS5wsk4iIV4oyQ5VlhPnb4pb3dV2DMISsS7nAH3ox7V9L6zXxS3fmjm-0FzCdXEwOZMfyLwzk0RvuhJzhJ2z1I_wBuQLfiGBmepmP6IaIY0WesEk/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7hvgaAxIia2t13ZdXqOlY8HSSRuqS5wsk4iIV4oyQ5VlhPnb4pb3dV2DMISsS7nAH3ox7V9L6zXxS3fmjm-0FzCdXEwOZMfyLwzk0RvuhJzhJ2z1I_wBuQLfiGBmepmP6IaIY0WesEk/s320/Winter+Vacation+2012+007.JPG" width="179" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ms. Davidson acted as our tour guide for the duration of the trip and the best thing she took us to was Taroko Gorge. It was one of the most dramatic and beautiful places I have ever seen. It was unexpected because I had never heard of Taroko Gorge before a couple months ago. I believe it is one of Asia's best kept secrets. And I'm going to shamelessly blow the lid off it! Taroko Gorge was formed as many gorges are formed; by erosion from rain water and a river over millions of years. However, the mountains in the area are marble and marble is hard and resistant to erosion. So this particular gorge is narrow with very steep sides. The area is also prone to seismac activity and this has warped the marble in some of the cliffs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDlgjLPwJIGKxNuOAXV9_Hd_6RjOcPjd3OE2LVXSQl2ubgv44xaP9LMn-tXRF45dRmpaDZw9ruCMGKq39tZJhHMmRTNVMJqPChzUo4Y14j71ygYRfk40Iv1EKKcc5sFz95LuBXMPDeos/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDlgjLPwJIGKxNuOAXV9_Hd_6RjOcPjd3OE2LVXSQl2ubgv44xaP9LMn-tXRF45dRmpaDZw9ruCMGKq39tZJhHMmRTNVMJqPChzUo4Y14j71ygYRfk40Iv1EKKcc5sFz95LuBXMPDeos/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+088.JPG" width="358" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5K46I0nfmqjUrd8bjVFPNWuMlwmm0R7z7ynfGBE6QSbehZoxVjvgaLtlKKv96y5HUKn6ntotwvcZM5c7qej_pb0BvgZUczsnTnIcUBDIRDGopf3FRgmV9nm2XsUX7xbn7qR8AjFSpE4/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5K46I0nfmqjUrd8bjVFPNWuMlwmm0R7z7ynfGBE6QSbehZoxVjvgaLtlKKv96y5HUKn6ntotwvcZM5c7qej_pb0BvgZUczsnTnIcUBDIRDGopf3FRgmV9nm2XsUX7xbn7qR8AjFSpE4/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+111.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Explorer Look</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguax8IS2GCXSqzcbAyCoeRYq8XivG8L5Lr25sGlNzZpiHlBOojg20SM8OKUkYQ-73jnHsfbGduy8yfag-It6OYBd8mu5fGhUTaTNkQTQdwgCJi-hH1WFXkPFzuVX9ZawGhmECmCn5wzmk/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguax8IS2GCXSqzcbAyCoeRYq8XivG8L5Lr25sGlNzZpiHlBOojg20SM8OKUkYQ-73jnHsfbGduy8yfag-It6OYBd8mu5fGhUTaTNkQTQdwgCJi-hH1WFXkPFzuVX9ZawGhmECmCn5wzmk/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+093.JPG" width="358" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTbHghJvBTWZ48aTnnz940UwJ0VDmihDvVBZp1wqZcZ9QPGg__y3sC9c8r8er1UArlrd_EY_mYT5klgTSRxUrLdfzqemc1c2Oth07SaXr0Bmy_rRtFvGZ7P4s9HL3ucQwmLvmxM1ASzQ/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTbHghJvBTWZ48aTnnz940UwJ0VDmihDvVBZp1wqZcZ9QPGg__y3sC9c8r8er1UArlrd_EY_mYT5klgTSRxUrLdfzqemc1c2Oth07SaXr0Bmy_rRtFvGZ7P4s9HL3ucQwmLvmxM1ASzQ/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+105.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">The real attraction is the road that cuts through the gorge. It is an engineering feat. It is mostly hangs off of cliffs, cuts in to the cliffs, or tunnels through the mountains. 450 workers were killed in its construction and they are represented by the Eternal Springs Shrine at the start of the road. It is on many people's lists as one of the most dangerous roads in the world. I couldn't wait to drive up it. There are warnings everywhere for falling rocks and with good reason. Scattered on the road are freshly fallen small or medium sized rocks. But the real danger is the tour buses. I can't believe they are allowed on this road. Some parts of the road are so narrow an SUV could barely make it through. These tour bus drivers have no fear and miss rock ledges and scooters by centimeters. However, with my expert scooter skills I was able to survive the twists, turns, sheer drop offs, falling rocks, and insane bus drivers to make it to the end of the gorge. It was totally worth it.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfh68IY6AQEfCmZpvQGtPmbwaSZ7MbI3fsPycf_cR0VCwX0DBvO6qQpXP8ik8fGy7nfrNjT-CMosXB9XveEmxxSrIoRUlc8AKziVSKe_HSCm_fkgTv4HE26MgwzeEaapTPNMJDWXubRF0/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfh68IY6AQEfCmZpvQGtPmbwaSZ7MbI3fsPycf_cR0VCwX0DBvO6qQpXP8ik8fGy7nfrNjT-CMosXB9XveEmxxSrIoRUlc8AKziVSKe_HSCm_fkgTv4HE26MgwzeEaapTPNMJDWXubRF0/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+099.JPG" width="358" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83eY8JSjiVIaN6vJHePUUUs4q9bn1amMaeHoI_0DrCIpc21C3zm3ljkwpPXHhY0VJwW-VzuN9Cuq0QbS6zHKP9qfwjZaXwb3J3eyKGWYuMyNm1z4wfW_r9G_r7KNs_ogz7VimndTee2c/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83eY8JSjiVIaN6vJHePUUUs4q9bn1amMaeHoI_0DrCIpc21C3zm3ljkwpPXHhY0VJwW-VzuN9Cuq0QbS6zHKP9qfwjZaXwb3J3eyKGWYuMyNm1z4wfW_r9G_r7KNs_ogz7VimndTee2c/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+075.JPG" width="640" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCM9HmFNO1LLFTcDqY6fBXTuxz-nWM-7G6UJltAxQFj9th2eEWnBVNFv6wwBkMT3ifmopMQU4FMpE-Ypmys8wMfzt_27MWFMcBc68OcdGVrWLnK2x77nv9yYEFO64woAFT4f6Fy0nZIo/s1600/Taroko+Gorge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCM9HmFNO1LLFTcDqY6fBXTuxz-nWM-7G6UJltAxQFj9th2eEWnBVNFv6wwBkMT3ifmopMQU4FMpE-Ypmys8wMfzt_27MWFMcBc68OcdGVrWLnK2x77nv9yYEFO64woAFT4f6Fy0nZIo/s400/Taroko+Gorge.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5cdYdQ57HHKWxD1oUGm3IZQ8JzhfgjyIFhh96BwysDTXn1V21Gp1X4g1kIn8nQQ8pkDXCee_gRSKyrFDr10Y3jRditHy5Ws5J7rl5tb10g9S1Bwqs8FXj6MYx1q2QJuNDa4FKhl953g/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5cdYdQ57HHKWxD1oUGm3IZQ8JzhfgjyIFhh96BwysDTXn1V21Gp1X4g1kIn8nQQ8pkDXCee_gRSKyrFDr10Y3jRditHy5Ws5J7rl5tb10g9S1Bwqs8FXj6MYx1q2QJuNDa4FKhl953g/s640/Winter+Vacation+2012+118.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Eternal Springs Shrine</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Besides Taroko Gorge there isn't really much else to go in to great detail about. It was sad that with such a huge Chinese influence, food in Taiwan is very below average. We ate at a Chinese restaurant on maybe our second day and it was horrible. Kerri explained that Taiwanese are so hard working that cuisine is often overlooked and fast food is preferred. They have places called "Lunch Boxes" that serve rice with some vegetables and a piece of meat thrown on top. This is the meal of choice for them. So we found ourselves eating a lot of western food. However, we did find a one Michelin star dumpling restaurant that was delectable. Also, it was surprisingly expensive to go out to have some drinks, but that never stopped us.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TFcUhQWZNK2xyfkvJaHcIiYCDJpWZ66tuBVGeQ-VPPHoW2cW8rngVaUJ3hIXKwC6NELSFSeA9KjXyxdT8QrjFlwl9alOJukEIVszSb_zv8eZ86gr-et8j_m3N4lgE3E-sFw4hyhvl7M/s1600/Winter+Vacation+2012+147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TFcUhQWZNK2xyfkvJaHcIiYCDJpWZ66tuBVGeQ-VPPHoW2cW8rngVaUJ3hIXKwC6NELSFSeA9KjXyxdT8QrjFlwl9alOJukEIVszSb_zv8eZ86gr-et8j_m3N4lgE3E-sFw4hyhvl7M/s400/Winter+Vacation+2012+147.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm, one Michelin star dumplings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Overall, Taiwan was a great experience. I'm glad I had a friend there or else I might have missed it. When the Portuguese landed in Taiwan they named it Formosa, which is Portuguese for beautiful island. After seeing the gorge, the forests, the beaches, and the people, I would say I agree with Portugal. I think that's the first time I've ever said that.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy some random pictures from Taiwan:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFr9SQQkXYCp535WARvH25pbZgLn_VYGbz7wfsHcWfq-UEqwwUYKwsHedKRXvlE9hTIjO8HXthVsAvR5hTwnrxHtcueG5gVFYnt0LqId1qI1d8hoBF6IljZLeO1SBMGMoGJBFHXDkFdQ/s1600/Taipei+101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFr9SQQkXYCp535WARvH25pbZgLn_VYGbz7wfsHcWfq-UEqwwUYKwsHedKRXvlE9hTIjO8HXthVsAvR5hTwnrxHtcueG5gVFYnt0LqId1qI1d8hoBF6IljZLeO1SBMGMoGJBFHXDkFdQ/s640/Taipei+101.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipei 101 - Second Tallest Building in the World</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZN_pHcaOvtb4uDn0-OyPsBSZFdIQv6yhe0mSjID7D5Z4IAakAvYfyePOoVBQJtfWurcZmh7SCi2_B2KIJuJjRd1vZrYzfh4fyRWdy_pKQzjp9TaXyM-dT8LQvm5AydAgskI1vzaCWhw/s1600/Taiwan+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZN_pHcaOvtb4uDn0-OyPsBSZFdIQv6yhe0mSjID7D5Z4IAakAvYfyePOoVBQJtfWurcZmh7SCi2_B2KIJuJjRd1vZrYzfh4fyRWdy_pKQzjp9TaXyM-dT8LQvm5AydAgskI1vzaCWhw/s640/Taiwan+%283%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This market is too crowded.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKUJWaC2y08_bYCoKtLW06MmkV5Ilhb3TA9WPfIksTiEToezYcN6xG-8MKbggBh3mIkGHQjqrCNDMCfENpDUCxCSPzE327Vhh-S8JENbHMb9Tmmoq9XE3icPeb4cQKHtkwcl4QoIPe8g/s1600/Taiwan+%281%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKUJWaC2y08_bYCoKtLW06MmkV5Ilhb3TA9WPfIksTiEToezYcN6xG-8MKbggBh3mIkGHQjqrCNDMCfENpDUCxCSPzE327Vhh-S8JENbHMb9Tmmoq9XE3icPeb4cQKHtkwcl4QoIPe8g/s640/Taiwan+%281%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kite Flying</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWWpEgtyss8rtwAtVpZplCCgM3s-3vN1fZLy-T4te8jwjxHGrEJu8BrpuWPYKXYQFT9r-NVJC5F8NGx71ejGDUxWZlqx5KCWYNvVpDfzAlfAxIxbxcTuIWwU0N1ACH_ZpWAqmMS-ZU-w/s1600/Taiwan+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWWpEgtyss8rtwAtVpZplCCgM3s-3vN1fZLy-T4te8jwjxHGrEJu8BrpuWPYKXYQFT9r-NVJC5F8NGx71ejGDUxWZlqx5KCWYNvVpDfzAlfAxIxbxcTuIWwU0N1ACH_ZpWAqmMS-ZU-w/s640/Taiwan+%282%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random Outdoor Choir</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Yhoa21BTctqi_InHE_cEUSVi8p7Lcx8Ya9F9hkj5EBverbyj8XFzSyp73F_VVNe_Or5-zUNhu9a3IJXguKU8B6sDTT2nhN004dNNuTiLhP0198O7Hr5huO2FoAnRsQSZC5TjZlssvyI/s1600/Pagoda.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Yhoa21BTctqi_InHE_cEUSVi8p7Lcx8Ya9F9hkj5EBverbyj8XFzSyp73F_VVNe_Or5-zUNhu9a3IJXguKU8B6sDTT2nhN004dNNuTiLhP0198O7Hr5huO2FoAnRsQSZC5TjZlssvyI/s640/Pagoda.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside a pagoda. Trippy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BBb2HB0F7XQbzn3FzeQQGB6sUsngmIAmc1RwwmXHBtNEw2uTGQhyphenhyphenD4PmSlIB_RXHvuIbUgSilWebcDIfaYPtvC2XGG1wOKfEUifrtsEZzl7fXt96NzxLZsmMVfBypexCzrQfu4Zmolk/s1600/defecate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BBb2HB0F7XQbzn3FzeQQGB6sUsngmIAmc1RwwmXHBtNEw2uTGQhyphenhyphenD4PmSlIB_RXHvuIbUgSilWebcDIfaYPtvC2XGG1wOKfEUifrtsEZzl7fXt96NzxLZsmMVfBypexCzrQfu4Zmolk/s640/defecate.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHxXrp-wXL_yq4exAQdikpRQyN8blMF_nrFD2-DyUfkMyBD5rWRsVsMSYJIhvLKdOaJLxdtjykd38XdzPl5p_NQ673rDzZ1Anaas6nzMl1kuZfUg5D43msm3adJDSoXuzJCIl1EYvsc4/s1600/Kenting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHxXrp-wXL_yq4exAQdikpRQyN8blMF_nrFD2-DyUfkMyBD5rWRsVsMSYJIhvLKdOaJLxdtjykd38XdzPl5p_NQ673rDzZ1Anaas6nzMl1kuZfUg5D43msm3adJDSoXuzJCIl1EYvsc4/s640/Kenting.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A windy day at the beach in Kenting, Taiwan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqUs09CiYoAZTlDUJA_oG2QgwuDGyphSFZkzTQP6lDncMg7OonGv3rsDmzTLI0PEabTn1Wsb_53oHgWDCjGk03GvMkpqWasgF0YdNXHC3iUppq-nMrozuXZztLN7nqte3SA6omOsB3lM/s1600/Taiwan+Amusement+Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqUs09CiYoAZTlDUJA_oG2QgwuDGyphSFZkzTQP6lDncMg7OonGv3rsDmzTLI0PEabTn1Wsb_53oHgWDCjGk03GvMkpqWasgF0YdNXHC3iUppq-nMrozuXZztLN7nqte3SA6omOsB3lM/s640/Taiwan+Amusement+Park.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from an abandoned amusement park/active bar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mAyXGBmYtXrGG7CLlJEwnP27q0OpZ7PS_YCR9WPbvp73f1XbESX8QndHXUYXCPRk4CILyxUyc0HlaXrZvX40VhpGATLM4TL2cQ5OYUEiwuD4mRZF-c1TJcOH-n4WAfBj1YT9XenmKmo/s1600/Taiwan+Dumbo+Ride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mAyXGBmYtXrGG7CLlJEwnP27q0OpZ7PS_YCR9WPbvp73f1XbESX8QndHXUYXCPRk4CILyxUyc0HlaXrZvX40VhpGATLM4TL2cQ5OYUEiwuD4mRZF-c1TJcOH-n4WAfBj1YT9XenmKmo/s640/Taiwan+Dumbo+Ride.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the abandoned amusement park.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4AUs2I_ML1wLC6z_6mtpXB-ynKRf1R1SkMCXZQnc2OAYTrSkiEw4jHINPPJnutGPOimw4Bn6xDsTSpUcq-AFwI_q8HRvwO1ZzZSR4xldjH1iMadTRnGHCixxGm8EK9MMn90hRczg_x0/s1600/Taiwan+hiking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4AUs2I_ML1wLC6z_6mtpXB-ynKRf1R1SkMCXZQnc2OAYTrSkiEw4jHINPPJnutGPOimw4Bn6xDsTSpUcq-AFwI_q8HRvwO1ZzZSR4xldjH1iMadTRnGHCixxGm8EK9MMn90hRczg_x0/s640/Taiwan+hiking.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watch out for killer centipedes, killer bees, and killer snakes in Taiwan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicko0bt-1mJVUcY4XbYjDxH5et5ix0fkTOSi9kt4_1GROl4wdVGYocnFoJejOIhl0oPYrbL_6I2OP7Nv_GQF7YAUeZXzHnbtC_AYfutQWiTbOJx2uSpR-NG4bzrWkJ8E3TkU6_IiKRoiY/s1600/Big+Leaf+Taroko.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicko0bt-1mJVUcY4XbYjDxH5et5ix0fkTOSi9kt4_1GROl4wdVGYocnFoJejOIhl0oPYrbL_6I2OP7Nv_GQF7YAUeZXzHnbtC_AYfutQWiTbOJx2uSpR-NG4bzrWkJ8E3TkU6_IiKRoiY/s640/Big+Leaf+Taroko.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hMmzeuASzqBW1BgId5Lslol4z7z-pR7-5ds-Vga4kyQbQgWWQ-RVlZG0C0ZxWWtahyphenhyphenDKreBahw5UL-mP4QGPXPKJN2_PWNipK91qgBkh_57CU2amQKkRoikGkNsMzjm2MDGjY2bH_vI/s1600/Taiwan+Flowers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hMmzeuASzqBW1BgId5Lslol4z7z-pR7-5ds-Vga4kyQbQgWWQ-RVlZG0C0ZxWWtahyphenhyphenDKreBahw5UL-mP4QGPXPKJN2_PWNipK91qgBkh_57CU2amQKkRoikGkNsMzjm2MDGjY2bH_vI/s640/Taiwan+Flowers.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESxHCVmQfLrLzmxpSabIXptWr5-CQM4tw8UzBWhtIwnq_el5qKJVvRdRQXUqBoLdl9Ktp4THnJuVlI-dpngwbwQm_EJevn8FftFxpft90rCLvksRlsH80xD0bXqNM-0mzktODCClyBmA/s1600/Taiwan+Forest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESxHCVmQfLrLzmxpSabIXptWr5-CQM4tw8UzBWhtIwnq_el5qKJVvRdRQXUqBoLdl9Ktp4THnJuVlI-dpngwbwQm_EJevn8FftFxpft90rCLvksRlsH80xD0bXqNM-0mzktODCClyBmA/s640/Taiwan+Forest.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top of a jungle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-33727230999769734842011-12-22T14:12:00.002+09:002011-12-22T14:14:47.411+09:00Ying-Yang: American Perspectives on Living in China<span style="font-size: large;">My life abroad started in 2009 with Alice Renouf and the Colorado China Council. Every year she recruits several Americans to live and work as ESL teachers in China. With each new teacher there are new adventures, experiences, and challenges. Besides recruitment, Alice also plays a role in introducing the teachers to this very strange and chaotic country. She has seen and heard it all as she tries to ease the transition to what is basically an alien planet. Most of this communication is done through letters and e-mail, and this sometimes can lead to some interesting reading.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RmYmrSA-iVU/TvK6h6_00gI/AAAAAAAAAVk/fJQSkaPr8Bs/s1600/Ying+Yang+American+Perspectives+on+Living+in+China.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RmYmrSA-iVU/TvK6h6_00gI/AAAAAAAAAVk/fJQSkaPr8Bs/s1600/Ying+Yang+American+Perspectives+on+Living+in+China.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In <i>Ying-Yang</i>, Alice has collected some of the most interesting letters and e-mails going back to 1991. As most people know China has gone through some serious changes in the past 20 years. So if you have any interest in ever living in China I would say this is a must read before you go. Or if you just want to know what the experience is like for a foreigner living in China, then this is the perfect book.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was lucky enough that Alice chose two of my e-mails to be published in the book! So now I want everyone to refer to me as Mr. Author Ryan Noll. Haha, no I'm just kidding. But seriously. Author from now on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Some of my friends must also be referred to as author now too. This includes Eric Fish, Jennifer Bulmash, Whitney Rush, Catt Stearns, and Clio Goldsmith. We will sign your copy if you ask nicely.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But in all seriousness I think it is wonderful that Alice and </span><span style="font-size: large;">Mary E. Ryan-Maher</span> <span style="font-size: large;">put in the effort to turn these letters and e-mails in to a book. Nobody knows the China experience as well as Alice. Now I can open up this book and transport myself back to the streets of Nanjing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Look on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yin-Yang-American-Perspectives-Living-Littlefield/dp/1442212705" target="_blank">Amazon</a> for a copy. </span>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-78451893230640805822011-12-05T19:09:00.001+09:002011-12-06T13:16:12.992+09:00The Three Phases of the Expat Experience<span style="font-size: large;">When I first arrived in South Korea they told me at the EPIK orientation that I would experience three phases during me time here. These three phases are typical among young expats: Honeymoon, Negotiation, and Adjustment. For the individual expat the degree and length at which they are experienced can differ, but most everybody goes through them at one point.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Honeymoon Phase happens when one first arrives and the experience seems new, exciting, and romantic. One can fall in love with the new foods, the cultural differences, the possibilities, and all there is to see. This usually lasts for a few months. For me I think it lasted about 9 months. Way more than normal. However, traveling is a great passion of mine, so I was extra excited. When other people complained about their life in Korea I mostly brushed it off. While I found some things ridiculous, I took it with a grain of salt.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwGF0Gom-Q5UTIDI-G9L2dapbVrCpemT5KPJwJF8E39PQA3oK5pXxjN73FO4vTO3ploso5XZTjCleQ7a4iNfL7pVs7E5_NWl58vJTiTMgxjg_2fXnfX8pnnE4TIcVLjibX9wI50sH1_I/s1600/Tub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwGF0Gom-Q5UTIDI-G9L2dapbVrCpemT5KPJwJF8E39PQA3oK5pXxjN73FO4vTO3ploso5XZTjCleQ7a4iNfL7pVs7E5_NWl58vJTiTMgxjg_2fXnfX8pnnE4TIcVLjibX9wI50sH1_I/s320/Tub.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where Korea and I used to take baths.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Negotiation Phase happens when the differences between the old and new culture become more apparent. One can become annoyed with the differences. Frustration, anxiety, and depression can set in. I believe I started to slide in to this phase in the Summer, then I recognized it was happening after I came back to Korea from my Summer visit to the USA, and it really peaked after a number of shitty incidents in the beginning of this Fall. I had been denied some things in Korea solely out of racism too many times in a span of a couple weeks and that's when I became what some people like to call "jaded". I really didn't want to become jaded but it was just unavoidable.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cnJ8MAn4HPD2l0TinI68i2F06UTsW5QLjCyZdE-Xnl_KTtNXcopwrufZLNYOtYVmibqjbJp3m-EcoImjm1sRDl9O_pHYjSLYK53_lPOCvbFSTgVkr0JUkL6KPVS0J3MSjFpm8Us9eFo/s1600/chan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cnJ8MAn4HPD2l0TinI68i2F06UTsW5QLjCyZdE-Xnl_KTtNXcopwrufZLNYOtYVmibqjbJp3m-EcoImjm1sRDl9O_pHYjSLYK53_lPOCvbFSTgVkr0JUkL6KPVS0J3MSjFpm8Us9eFo/s1600/chan.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Korea! WTF!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now finally, after being here for about 15 months, I'm starting to fall in to the Adjustment Phase. The Adjustment Phase happens when one knows what to expect and the host country no longer seems new. One becomes concerned with basic living again, and things become more "normal". I might still be a little jaded and can understandably become frustrated, but now I mostly accept that some things are just going to be different.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FOtDc9pJecSrdzeNsGyOxEJgiC007p4lThizp0dOeW4uGzEDGkpNW8oFJA_JWNjD-jNp6fqZhKJi-0W23TIqrnndNvOASzKExhXFN0dlafE9M6QRE5qAtf752rVVjozKQUcyjz2mi8g/s1600/agree.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FOtDc9pJecSrdzeNsGyOxEJgiC007p4lThizp0dOeW4uGzEDGkpNW8oFJA_JWNjD-jNp6fqZhKJi-0W23TIqrnndNvOASzKExhXFN0dlafE9M6QRE5qAtf752rVVjozKQUcyjz2mi8g/s320/agree.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agree to disagree. Now bump it. Or shake. Or awkward handshake.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To better illustrate how these phases work let me show you some examples and how my thoughts compared in each phase.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>EXAMPLE #1</u> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In Korea the students have to clean the school almost everyday after school. There aren't really any janitors, so how clean the school is depends on the students. The method for cleaning the bathroom consists of a hose, spraying the bathroom down with the water that comes out of the hose, and then letting the water drain on it's own. No soap, no mops, no buckets. Just hose.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Honeymoon Ryan:</i> "Hey so the students clean the bathroom with a hose huh? Just give it the ol' rinse down. That seems sort of easy. There's standing water on the floor and water dripping from the ceiling. You kids are funny. Oh well, gotta pee."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Negotiation Ryan: </i>"IDIOTS!! How much piss, poo, and snot particles are in this standing water right now? DUMB IDIOTS!! My slippers are getting wet. Even the #@$&ing handle is soaked. SOAP! If you're going to clean a room where bodily fluids are abundant you use soap! You clean a birdhouse with a hose! $&#*@ING SOAP!! USE IT!! Water has dripped on my shoulder and I hate this place."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Adjustment Ryan: </i>"Ok they're still doing the spray down technique. Just going to pee and try not to touch anything. Yes, it is very wet."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>EXAMPLE #2 </u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There is a tradition in Korea of being as silent as possible on public transportation. I don't know why but on buses and trains you just don't really get above a whisper if you're speaking at all. Naturally for us foreigners it is very awkward to be sitting in silence for a long period of time with your friends. There is going to be talking. There just is. Sometimes this talking is too loud (this is often associated with alcohol) but usually it is at a respectable volume. Most of the time it is politely tolerated but once in a while a Korean will straight up shush the pants off of you. Being shushed can be an unsettling experience when you don't see it coming.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Honeymoon Ryan: </i>"Wow, ok... um I didn't think we were being loud at all. But we'll turn it down I guess. Sorry. A little bit. Not really, but it's your country and I respect that. Anyways..."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Negotiation Ryan: </i>"Oh no you didn't grandpa! I DO NOT appreciate that shush you just threw at me! I did not deserve that shush and you sir are the most hated person in my world right now. I hate you. The more I think about it the more I think I hate you. WHO SHUSHES? I choose to rudely ignore your request. In fact, if you shush again you will have declared war and I rain fire down upon you!" Or something like this: </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="226" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=31763358&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=31763358&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="226"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/31763358">Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia#708 "The.Anti-Social Network</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6872689">Justin Clark Dray</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Adjustment Ryan:</i> "Ah whatever, ya ya ya, fine ok. Go back to being miserable now." </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">So the best thing to do is take the good with the bad. While some things are still unacceptable, especially the racist stuff, I don't mind it as much anymore. Korea is Korea. And overall I still enjoy my time here.</span></div>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-63336651803501209062011-10-19T17:58:00.000+09:002011-10-19T17:58:13.744+09:00A Whole Lot of Lanterns: Jinju Lantern Festival<span style="font-size: large;">In 1592 the Japanese were invading Korea, as the Japanese tended to do in that period of time. One of the most epic battles occurred in Jinju, the site of the today's Jinju Lantern Festival. There's a large fortress on the banks of the Nam river, the river that cuts through the middle of the city. The Japanese were determined to take the fortress but the Koreans didn't approve of that idea. The Koreans were outnumbered but had recently acquired a couple hundred arquebuses. Oh, what's an arquebus? It might sound like an oriental attack bird but it's actually a muzzle-loaded rifle that was known to pierce steel-plated armor at close range. So with their new guns the Koreans were able to hold off the Japanese who were trying to scale the walls of the fortress. I forgot to mention the Koreans also had cannons that shot giant arrows.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfpD3Qj0jOrAl8_mQHFiENkTXZw2-162GY0cyBAzxjwl9AaclC0in_LCpu1qx-Xj3ihlHkHn7ZkR9wV7YH_6gvAUrLAQs31bg5i05rsUzs-uRVcEZAy_BOPzywEZYcNDlJPfjt6lDYzc/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfpD3Qj0jOrAl8_mQHFiENkTXZw2-162GY0cyBAzxjwl9AaclC0in_LCpu1qx-Xj3ihlHkHn7ZkR9wV7YH_6gvAUrLAQs31bg5i05rsUzs-uRVcEZAy_BOPzywEZYcNDlJPfjt6lDYzc/s400/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attack our fortress? Ok, we'll shoot this giant arrow at your face.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The defending Koreans also filled the river with lanterns to prevent the Japanese from wading across the river to the fortress. All of these defenses proved effective and the Koreans were able to hold off the Japanese and saved their fortress. However, the next year the Japanese came back, probably pissed off now, and successfully took the fortress after ten bloody days of battle. The survivors sent lanterns down the river to remember the dead and as a symbol of hope for peace in Korea. The tradition of sending lanterns down the river continues today.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The tradition has lost any humbleness that once existed and is now a spectacle. I read that there were over 50,000 lanterns at this year's festival. They came in all shapes and sizes. From a small Spongebob to a giant fire breathing dragon that actually breathed real life fire. We were not the only ones that wanted to view the array of lanterns. We had to fight the largest crowds I've seen anywhere in Korea along with several power outages. However, we actually had one brief peaceful moment when we made our own lantern with our respective wishes attached and sent it on its way down a lantern filled river. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy some pictures:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWHuruq3_9iaaG97SUsfWNMV-Hz4zppuaEC2DcV8i460-MBNhZNb37VyffHFPXHmF-YZZR-_yzEYwlRuzDLVMufYUuRHHt-HRU5Hf_h3eGvhQ6CAuYNmMrwr7oOJbztQhNV-NNQOkYo0/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252824%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWHuruq3_9iaaG97SUsfWNMV-Hz4zppuaEC2DcV8i460-MBNhZNb37VyffHFPXHmF-YZZR-_yzEYwlRuzDLVMufYUuRHHt-HRU5Hf_h3eGvhQ6CAuYNmMrwr7oOJbztQhNV-NNQOkYo0/s640/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252824%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some large lanterns out there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXOqbnlQp9ceS7BiQzMvaxt4v0w4uADfIx1C4Av1DyaPjzEkHTtbB35eYIuc40ak0SgCBnKjBDdtt4ao-lV3lC4lzQuffXT_Ax1fPSrNfpWir53WcJUQ9ZguUVahvKIuozxus1lt5Crs/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252836%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXOqbnlQp9ceS7BiQzMvaxt4v0w4uADfIx1C4Av1DyaPjzEkHTtbB35eYIuc40ak0SgCBnKjBDdtt4ao-lV3lC4lzQuffXT_Ax1fPSrNfpWir53WcJUQ9ZguUVahvKIuozxus1lt5Crs/s640/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252836%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5ZNWBAm-MWfndjHvnY5WMM0O16xOnC1JzI771nSFGWiwWNVNO-u4HOmfqVsW_gQwIwkTzWeKL3Uozcb8RKLeLa3vHboNo0bLFCjWGEcvQEYMKSz_XfRojGOogBinTrMoHMcuRk9IbjI/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252854%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5ZNWBAm-MWfndjHvnY5WMM0O16xOnC1JzI771nSFGWiwWNVNO-u4HOmfqVsW_gQwIwkTzWeKL3Uozcb8RKLeLa3vHboNo0bLFCjWGEcvQEYMKSz_XfRojGOogBinTrMoHMcuRk9IbjI/s640/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252854%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty Bird</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5idIRp6Ysk0qmEVRyEYSOVamA1Xon-qA5O432Vmv4xtqXRh9X-iPup_uV-OX2918nvMifzdClr_7JcEr1qSjUuk9kpHXBrADP79Gbs9LFyNhoOC3jGP6AmSKF0aTeR7zkhHvSp2TmXpQ/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252861%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5idIRp6Ysk0qmEVRyEYSOVamA1Xon-qA5O432Vmv4xtqXRh9X-iPup_uV-OX2918nvMifzdClr_7JcEr1qSjUuk9kpHXBrADP79Gbs9LFyNhoOC3jGP6AmSKF0aTeR7zkhHvSp2TmXpQ/s640/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252861%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is from some cartoon or something.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XpojEsDZOt25610UhAeiADl1gZNhQFBUbW7Ix_kVBU10gaoXnpT-pHlUIFgfXN6oeHUV-URB0EZ1TQ97MFJAQaJpTVKkBPPPJNm9JWXWLOwZBJ5AgCKg1d1_G53z04bYG0pEaL2azx4/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252857%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XpojEsDZOt25610UhAeiADl1gZNhQFBUbW7Ix_kVBU10gaoXnpT-pHlUIFgfXN6oeHUV-URB0EZ1TQ97MFJAQaJpTVKkBPPPJNm9JWXWLOwZBJ5AgCKg1d1_G53z04bYG0pEaL2azx4/s640/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252857%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From some other cartoon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHg1H2sXqxnM1Jtpe4YJh4snX7Y9spgmsfgCVnJ8l5grgSGo7H8CyMSr_GVkvWzfyA5kFsflPgtULJ52IQRcb-HdSI9g7PGQXPNyOv4Q-ZHv-ZxrltchPZTs0LX7E4xLjaRRBGFmbpEno/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252859%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHg1H2sXqxnM1Jtpe4YJh4snX7Y9spgmsfgCVnJ8l5grgSGo7H8CyMSr_GVkvWzfyA5kFsflPgtULJ52IQRcb-HdSI9g7PGQXPNyOv4Q-ZHv-ZxrltchPZTs0LX7E4xLjaRRBGFmbpEno/s640/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252859%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whatcha ya got there Santa?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8M7AfG9eyIztUGHG3ELCcGVWnEp1qYTd_CmWEwPGHF5r-cA_OI9aGOyyZ7hIL0l31u-7aQPojVjcEjSIu60887jatq87Z6xWRJdFpcS2QCy6xsMC7dT-23h9Y4BUJKvrrfa5Av4l8O-g/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252865%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8M7AfG9eyIztUGHG3ELCcGVWnEp1qYTd_CmWEwPGHF5r-cA_OI9aGOyyZ7hIL0l31u-7aQPojVjcEjSIu60887jatq87Z6xWRJdFpcS2QCy6xsMC7dT-23h9Y4BUJKvrrfa5Av4l8O-g/s640/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252865%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzGmArJ5e4HKaBc6Dh-fnAbruCOUUkbIxskiCsaOaE1Xt3rbKbZOy-VafOH3mde10B9M1vzqN-fc_XqeX0KLYG8CpW5X6_9o3YMmdjxGrnQg1A7fRzBDscBOTav-gkT7Q_sAsOBBZcmw/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252834%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzGmArJ5e4HKaBc6Dh-fnAbruCOUUkbIxskiCsaOaE1Xt3rbKbZOy-VafOH3mde10B9M1vzqN-fc_XqeX0KLYG8CpW5X6_9o3YMmdjxGrnQg1A7fRzBDscBOTav-gkT7Q_sAsOBBZcmw/s640/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252834%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reenacting Japan vs. Korea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuF9YFn96RS2WIyFIOwPpix5Nlmm0gnfR7SXfmWvbRHkOWXlgZDlnZ_wSi7xMjUO9QL1R35Nw4aTdh18SUJ_o44cEiOSLRUQ7V09NjijKl3rsZI1VOFMFHl2uRnBybm_oqMuYn4MFpZg/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252841%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuF9YFn96RS2WIyFIOwPpix5Nlmm0gnfR7SXfmWvbRHkOWXlgZDlnZ_wSi7xMjUO9QL1R35Nw4aTdh18SUJ_o44cEiOSLRUQ7V09NjijKl3rsZI1VOFMFHl2uRnBybm_oqMuYn4MFpZg/s400/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252841%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline's idea of a chair.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_10eZ1ASphcf_C1KF2jfYbNxst6n9tpbSiOizCkocPB1ulgKCsotX5kTBVI_sjdtJkUKSzxvr477h20SXAF24LzpxoMjz0sY4qeZkS0j-PMIZSig6MLPPgoE6Rxi_wHPkLAldc59pMXM/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252862%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_10eZ1ASphcf_C1KF2jfYbNxst6n9tpbSiOizCkocPB1ulgKCsotX5kTBVI_sjdtJkUKSzxvr477h20SXAF24LzpxoMjz0sY4qeZkS0j-PMIZSig6MLPPgoE6Rxi_wHPkLAldc59pMXM/s400/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252862%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpuCzKU8l-qCmqeHL27KYz5ETWMxDnAC1X_a9NzHxFMYwhW-spKI_QewrAr0isylHpqctlkxxoV01I7bxHJyKCPWyBmNPf9deJ27m0UlQ8lD34mdUMQo6PpQWbSSXw9pALJJWXM44liQ/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252831%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpuCzKU8l-qCmqeHL27KYz5ETWMxDnAC1X_a9NzHxFMYwhW-spKI_QewrAr0isylHpqctlkxxoV01I7bxHJyKCPWyBmNPf9deJ27m0UlQ8lD34mdUMQo6PpQWbSSXw9pALJJWXM44liQ/s640/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252831%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3ZxxIbEtL1xDvRSx5Xqs7DV4Z6V6Iwo7ZFjtIxagZcD46o2bHuqa3kayHb4UT-vJg0pDuoFaze4ByU_ktc1wNvPliZ1FYLoUuVatrjzWq2KxmaoYrWsbwRLsg7OxBUqM7IzY-Q6JhAE/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3ZxxIbEtL1xDvRSx5Xqs7DV4Z6V6Iwo7ZFjtIxagZcD46o2bHuqa3kayHb4UT-vJg0pDuoFaze4ByU_ktc1wNvPliZ1FYLoUuVatrjzWq2KxmaoYrWsbwRLsg7OxBUqM7IzY-Q6JhAE/s640/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252825%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Some lanterns were not as classy as others:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTPrIJOmEXiN5xwD7R7DFVfVv2xV0oDsU51J5UM5yULeL3fXWpEPdwik0nPuJ-w6jaUD_9I9hyphenhyphentPVQ7FE799mtVRJClysLaQKM-6KXo2INRhraCc_yH_kyhzfJoyGxGR1MIm1eEW8lbY/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252872%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTPrIJOmEXiN5xwD7R7DFVfVv2xV0oDsU51J5UM5yULeL3fXWpEPdwik0nPuJ-w6jaUD_9I9hyphenhyphentPVQ7FE799mtVRJClysLaQKM-6KXo2INRhraCc_yH_kyhzfJoyGxGR1MIm1eEW8lbY/s400/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252872%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3r0xnXh38vWCE0Diw2EXWptVvwQNHu6jVbMHIHLB2ZNvTiP2nC2Nuwz2CaC25TW6f8HEErm3iBpMGrXgeN_NwG9APbwYpNnm_s_JJilIKTnYfmeKkv3w3sC-x8Z3ybgt1kK7aH59ZDjU/s1600/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252870%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3r0xnXh38vWCE0Diw2EXWptVvwQNHu6jVbMHIHLB2ZNvTiP2nC2Nuwz2CaC25TW6f8HEErm3iBpMGrXgeN_NwG9APbwYpNnm_s_JJilIKTnYfmeKkv3w3sC-x8Z3ybgt1kK7aH59ZDjU/s400/Jinju+Lantern+Festival+%252870%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-35940057669683112152011-09-22T18:14:00.000+09:002011-09-22T18:14:58.399+09:00Japan is Delicious<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vXgcmtGF4qS36RG2HTv31VA1qvZBgmyCFfgMHSMgxpYQik9z55l69kIX7pkPnyaEgiJ_tFuR2Fb5IKojJUSQg17QtU2O_JeIEe_VtMDbQKgDb26_yQ5lMFZMoeWsZ_SOO7CDwfaTpJI/s1600/map.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vXgcmtGF4qS36RG2HTv31VA1qvZBgmyCFfgMHSMgxpYQik9z55l69kIX7pkPnyaEgiJ_tFuR2Fb5IKojJUSQg17QtU2O_JeIEe_VtMDbQKgDb26_yQ5lMFZMoeWsZ_SOO7CDwfaTpJI/s320/map.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're next door neighbors.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Over Korean Thanksgiving we hopped on a ferry from Busan to Fukuoka, Japan. We were only there for two and a half days and stayed in the city, so I only experienced a tiny corner of Japan. From what I can tell in that short trip is that Japan has some of the best food anybody will ever eat! There isn't anything really special to do in Fukuoka except eat and drink, and we over indulged in both areas. Actually, besides a large sitting Buddha and a couple hours at the beach, I can only remember eating and drinking.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You think you've eaten ramen. Back in those days when you were a poor alcoholic in college most of your meals consisted of a 27 cent package of ramen and a can of Natural Light. Then you graduate from school, earn some money, and never look back at those boxes of ramen that could feed you for a week. Well it turns out Fukuoka is the ramen capital of the entire freaking world and their ramen costs about nine dollars for a whole meal of it. If you know how to use a calculator that's over a 3,000% increase in price! Also, that's about how much better it is. Don't ask me how they do it, but best ramen I've ever had in life: check.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbiBnqDemr1SadvFBzWMSwHs-gsq3NuLYNAeDLOO4ErrimFDkbtsYBXOBhq1EZDCW0p7Mlfkh7qRScJU6tlGUZZU0GNP_cTNQ5brD38IZie508-g-4RbrNNEKtOO0DN9J0Xh0w_6xAY6E/s1600/ramen+fukuoka+japan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbiBnqDemr1SadvFBzWMSwHs-gsq3NuLYNAeDLOO4ErrimFDkbtsYBXOBhq1EZDCW0p7Mlfkh7qRScJU6tlGUZZU0GNP_cTNQ5brD38IZie508-g-4RbrNNEKtOO0DN9J0Xh0w_6xAY6E/s400/ramen+fukuoka+japan.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline slurps her ramen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Next thing we ate was sushi. I know you've probably already thought about how the best sushi is in Japan because it originates from there and all that. So it's not a crazy concept that Japan has the best sushi in the world, but it's hard to imagine just how ridiculously good it is. It was like the first time I heard the sweet sounds of Led Zeppelin, I couldn't believe something could be that good! I will never forget the first sushi I ate in Japan. It was simply a piece of salmon, some wasabi, and a ball of rice that I picked off a conveyer belt. Sushi will never be the same to me. From now on I'm that annoying guy that states how the sushi is not as good as the sushi I ate in Japan that one time. Best sushi ever: check.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_GCSOnpju3mUL63yZCvcAjCAaOzQezLTac_a3C6eUt7Xd_fuKGBRFqwC0MeOZh3JBImYZBUeflXPJW6E27HSK3wdCd2O6Qt7hFy6tdMCABTTHAGnG1RwxjFcoTrjUOdRj6bNEH4-buw/s1600/salmon+sushi+fukuoka+japan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_GCSOnpju3mUL63yZCvcAjCAaOzQezLTac_a3C6eUt7Xd_fuKGBRFqwC0MeOZh3JBImYZBUeflXPJW6E27HSK3wdCd2O6Qt7hFy6tdMCABTTHAGnG1RwxjFcoTrjUOdRj6bNEH4-buw/s400/salmon+sushi+fukuoka+japan.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's heaven on that plate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_Ozls8ta-j5E10x3ZdVtftIw0sTcCNcGdfBQDjoowi5KtQ4TQWKUqcVQynOuYfk2xUKMpsrTcAsId5vNIAW6QBtwKQdtAEiMMN77dEZLMl65QojAzserftBBTfd5i15EaAODMUdL3tA/s1600/eating+sushi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_Ozls8ta-j5E10x3ZdVtftIw0sTcCNcGdfBQDjoowi5KtQ4TQWKUqcVQynOuYfk2xUKMpsrTcAsId5vNIAW6QBtwKQdtAEiMMN77dEZLMl65QojAzserftBBTfd5i15EaAODMUdL3tA/s320/eating+sushi.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: large;">The last thing we had to try in Fukuoka was to eat at a <i>yatai</i>, or a mobile food stall. As the sun goes down these food stalls start setting up near the river and in downtown. It features a cook surrounded by about a dozen stools and a bar that wraps around the grill. It's kind of like one of those restaurants in America where they cook the food in front of you but it's outside and much smaller. When we found out the cook did tempura we had him deep fry everything he had. We actually ate all of his mushrooms. It was addicting! It was like someone spiked the oil with crack. Then the cook put a pot of saki on the grill and served it to us hot. Let me highly recommend that. The best food stall I have ever eaten at: check.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HaMHDmPyYKBb8wEwz9StaDK9pyzBU68sec6kPRYMTN93YgrkzqzBclEDmTVas8zETzBqr_u81kLqdisYqQ-rUKD3zalnO7du644henr1-HCkeJ3e1zyv1F39HxCjyuR4Q4aLLVJnec0/s1600/yatai+fukuoka+japan+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HaMHDmPyYKBb8wEwz9StaDK9pyzBU68sec6kPRYMTN93YgrkzqzBclEDmTVas8zETzBqr_u81kLqdisYqQ-rUKD3zalnO7du644henr1-HCkeJ3e1zyv1F39HxCjyuR4Q4aLLVJnec0/s640/yatai+fukuoka+japan+%25283%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yatai!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5G_DRE0SLPIIwGabqthw7erM3HWUY_uhjGGVSNKrNWcvkqv22VOsQFOP4olMgK4BJuuwjCULIusF8tSF4Plc2t9d9u9nd9sRrmUH-W5doPW-zpP2hvtMa11Kt9AVLPaVyU3VFE67ZXQI/s1600/yatai+fukuoka+japan+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5G_DRE0SLPIIwGabqthw7erM3HWUY_uhjGGVSNKrNWcvkqv22VOsQFOP4olMgK4BJuuwjCULIusF8tSF4Plc2t9d9u9nd9sRrmUH-W5doPW-zpP2hvtMa11Kt9AVLPaVyU3VFE67ZXQI/s640/yatai+fukuoka+japan+%25284%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Master</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3b7HwbN_RuAccrZDrd_z1amglw0jXp0l9HquZkmSDaC4M5hujZ4B1Ss5d7GHccSLq7vooOSeAYtQkCYFbEBxwvLXNiarqef0WiniC4Uwditi8NG0jqQAdypgCteALnjCdegWfE_2uWdA/s1600/yatai+fukuoka+japan+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3b7HwbN_RuAccrZDrd_z1amglw0jXp0l9HquZkmSDaC4M5hujZ4B1Ss5d7GHccSLq7vooOSeAYtQkCYFbEBxwvLXNiarqef0WiniC4Uwditi8NG0jqQAdypgCteALnjCdegWfE_2uWdA/s640/yatai+fukuoka+japan+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Customers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzD6oKoKQeGDWArEBeTFD5m4zNaPC3MIBuwpQ5QYT91pcGaSzhT-APK3Qpaa_K0oEKRbzzj2uXHWfSXlrvf9hdTVDXTlXYXfZK86EQEBE9pSr56nlCNTAEYGQ1c6uVE03OkOsfppJxAM/s1600/yatai+fukuoka+japan+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzD6oKoKQeGDWArEBeTFD5m4zNaPC3MIBuwpQ5QYT91pcGaSzhT-APK3Qpaa_K0oEKRbzzj2uXHWfSXlrvf9hdTVDXTlXYXfZK86EQEBE9pSr56nlCNTAEYGQ1c6uVE03OkOsfppJxAM/s640/yatai+fukuoka+japan+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good stuff right there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Japan was a great visit but its only downfall is that it's damn expensive. You could easily blow hundreds of dollars in a weekend without doing anything very extravagant. I will be back so I can at least taste that sushi one more time, but it's best to visit Japan in small doses. Unless you look in your bathroom and your toilet is made of gold, just visit Japan for a few days at a time. However, arguably the best food I've eaten in Asia: check.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">More pictures from Fukuoka to feast your eyes on:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MJL89P_AhJrU1bwQHbbxGGbU6djxN8KyPR4OBasobjGap0yc1f4IkLe6_ahVIBVd0MhzPMA0fFS4I9hqJOvXSONKf6dNA_hdsLySNfZqgsvNz-FNlYjMQR6ysQRQAWO_JrD0fOLnhnY/s1600/fukuoka+Japan+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MJL89P_AhJrU1bwQHbbxGGbU6djxN8KyPR4OBasobjGap0yc1f4IkLe6_ahVIBVd0MhzPMA0fFS4I9hqJOvXSONKf6dNA_hdsLySNfZqgsvNz-FNlYjMQR6ysQRQAWO_JrD0fOLnhnY/s640/fukuoka+Japan+%25285%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibCCy957xThiJrIKR1Hex-vr-mFQj0s_AdrahEo8xVXhG1jKLcSOGwndbdAtivH4f3lsiBxg1lFHVeTOnje54_-zPxe1wjiigIZ6604KGdohkB2ZHK-copzMpCjK_1AewBO66NUW656I/s1600/fukuoka+Japan+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibCCy957xThiJrIKR1Hex-vr-mFQj0s_AdrahEo8xVXhG1jKLcSOGwndbdAtivH4f3lsiBxg1lFHVeTOnje54_-zPxe1wjiigIZ6604KGdohkB2ZHK-copzMpCjK_1AewBO66NUW656I/s640/fukuoka+Japan+%25289%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jnMlCtryFTwENG2XMubATmZUt9MeljcQi37BujasVZHl6N5YE0fhCwdPj5BZCPcnroHNL05QJNQQWCPcRajOZS-7ps2n-iEASve3wqx_T-HSe-EKC3cwAPqXTa8apH-MRVffkUPuaX8/s1600/fukuoka+Japan+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jnMlCtryFTwENG2XMubATmZUt9MeljcQi37BujasVZHl6N5YE0fhCwdPj5BZCPcnroHNL05QJNQQWCPcRajOZS-7ps2n-iEASve3wqx_T-HSe-EKC3cwAPqXTa8apH-MRVffkUPuaX8/s400/fukuoka+Japan+%25282%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEZBWLMQ6k4U0Ph-2dvp4itkfQtidFsAZ9-NgblJ5s6-Aw-IRO92Qk5kEkxNTNFcm6AU7YaMr0GuTMCDFw16QmAl-9ntQq1caK55O4_pugc10RlFp9qh74RL5woI7J_vGnpNxpM9M3SM/s1600/fukuoka+Japan+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEZBWLMQ6k4U0Ph-2dvp4itkfQtidFsAZ9-NgblJ5s6-Aw-IRO92Qk5kEkxNTNFcm6AU7YaMr0GuTMCDFw16QmAl-9ntQq1caK55O4_pugc10RlFp9qh74RL5woI7J_vGnpNxpM9M3SM/s400/fukuoka+Japan+%25283%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40QuVCaD4Om84Hcc-d2_PVLduzBj2P2UPKnmFAwS2LJ2uhO8zuH5qhNjoJ9aLjGxBbpINENHDlRBN1duqB_lahzcj3JAdYswU2i0JgLge5HQOEjJp7poavJV_kmjraRkaxmgrLsKZLMQ/s1600/fukuoka+Japan+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40QuVCaD4Om84Hcc-d2_PVLduzBj2P2UPKnmFAwS2LJ2uhO8zuH5qhNjoJ9aLjGxBbpINENHDlRBN1duqB_lahzcj3JAdYswU2i0JgLge5HQOEjJp7poavJV_kmjraRkaxmgrLsKZLMQ/s640/fukuoka+Japan+%25286%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNbZPFKCj-Gt1fHmfbxfYJCWH3NnuiQ7Mw9g2ud6wEtIxiH3a5zYk7FwtmK4Oq_VcIZLxgA2apFV4qwdB3Ea8dTroIdL3nDBn61PVSmq5ykkKriQOl3vFdbObBILWarcVoW3CNiHZNaA/s1600/fukuoka+Japan+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNbZPFKCj-Gt1fHmfbxfYJCWH3NnuiQ7Mw9g2ud6wEtIxiH3a5zYk7FwtmK4Oq_VcIZLxgA2apFV4qwdB3Ea8dTroIdL3nDBn61PVSmq5ykkKriQOl3vFdbObBILWarcVoW3CNiHZNaA/s640/fukuoka+Japan+%25288%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-qiUqC-RYQ_vtINisLKuAK4HEcoCMKGbijnaX-hqvaetdPoRw8i-FY0AAz_Bw4Cl9AHLJ2dTtJMS4KuNZxpmusbeaZuyytfCVcgErfg1CvF7v8ZPur6hF2ZebQNkecGTzQAXLGjKsAo/s1600/fukuoka+Japan+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-qiUqC-RYQ_vtINisLKuAK4HEcoCMKGbijnaX-hqvaetdPoRw8i-FY0AAz_Bw4Cl9AHLJ2dTtJMS4KuNZxpmusbeaZuyytfCVcgErfg1CvF7v8ZPur6hF2ZebQNkecGTzQAXLGjKsAo/s640/fukuoka+Japan+%25287%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUC7GTp9nkeYo7ouIz1qwGqfOObhJssw_siwDa2A-KjkJWZB2o71oFkXYk9bRAtSxWLgqfC8E_JRpeQUfp_ayq9WYOn7rf-douipAXZqSlWVBOF1tROOqbV-5hPTp5jCcDkmANwX9WJP0/s1600/fukuoka+Japan+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUC7GTp9nkeYo7ouIz1qwGqfOObhJssw_siwDa2A-KjkJWZB2o71oFkXYk9bRAtSxWLgqfC8E_JRpeQUfp_ayq9WYOn7rf-douipAXZqSlWVBOF1tROOqbV-5hPTp5jCcDkmANwX9WJP0/s640/fukuoka+Japan+%25284%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKtogyGTkIudRlKjvX5jm_ukgS0krvfQ9PqbG1H10NgdUO6olWSFRG-rM0Zk81-jfTybZMnJrJG4UDGMIszXcKNro7b76rrR-8RWrl8tnLQLC-6r4kxGsKr0u_9_EtHugzaR4Y9LpzQY/s1600/fukuoka+Japan+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKtogyGTkIudRlKjvX5jm_ukgS0krvfQ9PqbG1H10NgdUO6olWSFRG-rM0Zk81-jfTybZMnJrJG4UDGMIszXcKNro7b76rrR-8RWrl8tnLQLC-6r4kxGsKr0u_9_EtHugzaR4Y9LpzQY/s640/fukuoka+Japan+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-11932577322793120582011-08-06T12:33:00.000+09:002011-08-06T12:33:14.760+09:00Difficult Decisions for an Expat<span style="font-size: large;">So I'm back in America for a few weeks and I'm really happy to be here. Before landing in Kansas City I got the privilege of stopping in two of America's best cities, San Francisco and Denver. South Korea's cities are decidedly ugly. The rest of South Korea is beautiful but the cities look like someone glued Legos to a landscape painting. It's just row after row of white 18 story apartment blocks. I understand South Korea has a high population density and needs to build upwards, but the rectangular communist uniformity of the building architecture is unimaginative and boring. So it was a relief to see the wonderful architecture of San Francisco and the wide open spaces with the Rocky Mountains in the background in Denver. Furthermore, it's great to eat Western food again, understand what people are saying, think logically, and reunite with friends and family.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6ENpQlYRC6rYNiJ41R8BxvgFo7b_SEEWDXckK1reEVEWMikn5UW7aoRa0WgT1yV9hbWkgwEEpAOhw8f2BafnT4HeIaF_AxraCnzRaI3yjNX7kAHNayDaDGsQkZtDjMVSQsMOME_ytQ0/s1600/Gwangju+South+Korea.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6ENpQlYRC6rYNiJ41R8BxvgFo7b_SEEWDXckK1reEVEWMikn5UW7aoRa0WgT1yV9hbWkgwEEpAOhw8f2BafnT4HeIaF_AxraCnzRaI3yjNX7kAHNayDaDGsQkZtDjMVSQsMOME_ytQ0/s640/Gwangju+South+Korea.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hooray Gwangju! Because it's all the same type!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, this is not a love letter to America but about the decisions to leave it. So after a few weeks visit home, I'm moving back to South Korea to teach for another year. The hardest part about the life of an expat is not learning a new language or realizing that the new currency isn't monopoly money, but the hardest part is saying goodbye to your homeland. The thing is that teaching abroad is a commitment. Most good teaching jobs require a year long contract. So that means you'll miss weddings, reunions, connections with friends, tailgating, and anything else that happens in a year. So after two years abroad, why am I insane enough to put myself through saying goodbye again?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Escape - </b>A friend of mine once said that most expats are running from something, looking for something, or a combination of the both. I've made a nice little scale to help you get the idea of what I mean.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0m7qLDN-RyXZT4VoP3tbkUGlDaoKt4H94wIg3IJuCqmnXNMdczac22E4tiv6-shumuZ0noqFeCcuRwWbp8RhPW-1MLqhaHx0P9wakNqH04m7CSBQB1ZyXQ2qOem0pSAfY9ZVWG4HswPk/s1600/reason+to+become+an+expat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0m7qLDN-RyXZT4VoP3tbkUGlDaoKt4H94wIg3IJuCqmnXNMdczac22E4tiv6-shumuZ0noqFeCcuRwWbp8RhPW-1MLqhaHx0P9wakNqH04m7CSBQB1ZyXQ2qOem0pSAfY9ZVWG4HswPk/s640/reason+to+become+an+expat.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reasons most people become an expat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Most people are somewhere in the middle of the scale, but there are those who are at either extreme. (You know who you are creepies.) When I decided to move to China in 2009 I was more on the "running away" side of the scale. After I graduated college I had a full time job with benefits, an apartment, a truck, and a girlfriend. I suddenly realized I was in the beginning stages of settling down. Life was becoming too routine and I was too young. I clearly wasn't ready for it and that's when I had what many people call a quarter life crisis. The best cure was to travel. After a year in China I hopped over to the "looking for something" side of the scale. I didn't feel like I got all I wanted from China because I lived in a crappy area and China had it's problems that led to stress. (Overpopulation, pollution, low quality of life, bad internet, low pay, babies pooping on the street.) I stilled seriously enjoyed my time there but I needed to look for something that would be an upgrade in living conditions. Answer: South Korea. I love living in South Korea and found all I was looking for. So why renew for another year?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2.) Travel</b> - So I know living abroad seems like traveling, but it's really only traveling for a little bit at the beginning. Then you get settled, start working regularly, and it becomes a home away from home. However, I discovered another way to travel while living abroad: backpacking. Backpacking involves putting everything into a large backpack, traveling all over by bus and train, and staying in cheap accommodation like hostels. In my opinion it's the cheapest and most fun way to travel. I've done the backpacking thing over winter breaks, but only for a few weeks each time. So while I was in Malaysia last winter I spent a night talking to some guys who were in the middle of a year long backpacking journey. The next day I was flying back to South Korea when it hit me like a predator drone: I want to go backpacking for an extended vacation! I don't have the money now, but this next year in South Korea all of my focus is on traveling after my contract ends in August 2012. I'm going to try to stretch my savings for at least 300 days. So far I'm planning on going to Nepal, India, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. The good thing about backpacking is that I don't have to plan too far ahead!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyLcCJX9DOVfEEn0X62LF2zrFYFGLNwaXCeijRpWfTsPMtk2QiEtmPzalyxhQ2f7TFeSA8qKpkhzgFO-pp7293EBfBk-vrKzLn_Ho3CTPq96hTaghxObGf2bz7BLX8uAE1OiZH-aPGuU/s1600/IMG_3278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyLcCJX9DOVfEEn0X62LF2zrFYFGLNwaXCeijRpWfTsPMtk2QiEtmPzalyxhQ2f7TFeSA8qKpkhzgFO-pp7293EBfBk-vrKzLn_Ho3CTPq96hTaghxObGf2bz7BLX8uAE1OiZH-aPGuU/s640/IMG_3278.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Put it on your back!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3.) Anxiety - </b>So I've explained how I jumped over to the "looking for something" side of the scale, but I'm still doing a little running away. Truth is that I'm in no hurry to move back to America. I'm afraid of looking for a job in America. The economy and job market sucks. I'm afraid of not finding something for a long time and I'm afraid of getting a job that I will hate. So instead I'm going to delay my inevitable return for almost two more years. I'm going to save money doing something I like and then use those savings to accomplish a dream. It's a difficult decision, but I can't think of another time in my life I'll be able to do something like this.</span>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-65589619406435091422011-07-05T22:57:00.000+09:002011-07-05T22:57:28.667+09:00Amazing Sand Art in Busan<span style="font-size: large;">Last month we went on an extended weekend to South Korea's second largest city Busan. The main attraction in Busan is Haeundae Beach. It's a long strip of sand that separates the city from the ocean. At any time there are thousands of people testing the limits of personal space on the beach. There was a plethora of activity when we were there, but luckily it wasn't as bad as the picture below. Yeah, that's what happens when it's peak beach season in Korea. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ4e-2K5nEKxWfGwizCAxmoOT09QIEq0_vSurFxtqD7eRrf7OP3Sq0XuGEH8kbrB2CA4NEQfBnGyqAY2hSGzHRL8PYQ6Etu3A1XGXFTClvzR3HbxjU5eECB37cGfHkmUBiPurumfqjT4/s1600/crowd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ4e-2K5nEKxWfGwizCAxmoOT09QIEq0_vSurFxtqD7eRrf7OP3Sq0XuGEH8kbrB2CA4NEQfBnGyqAY2hSGzHRL8PYQ6Etu3A1XGXFTClvzR3HbxjU5eECB37cGfHkmUBiPurumfqjT4/s400/crowd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sea of Humanity</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">When we went some of the activities included a sand volleyball tournament, parades with robots, an unexpected air show, sand surfing, and most importantly, meals that featured Mexican food. However, the main attraction was the Haeundae Sand Festival. Slogans included "Experience Sand", "Feel Sand", and "Enjoy Sand." I made sure to do all three those things and I also checked out the amazing sand art. So I thought I would post some pictures of the sand art that I found most impressive.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwR4HEWwp_gjnBzLUGYKm9qTSrxytSgarXauh1PGWyoBHWM2cu9hyzXzqJnxmDkgBiI8P3Uscc6CjyAFIhaRyeaqkFkhZuav3vSa9tKv_oQCZtN8uxh2A624KEmYCEJu8fHyi_rh4CrQ/s1600/Busan+Sand+Festival+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwR4HEWwp_gjnBzLUGYKm9qTSrxytSgarXauh1PGWyoBHWM2cu9hyzXzqJnxmDkgBiI8P3Uscc6CjyAFIhaRyeaqkFkhZuav3vSa9tKv_oQCZtN8uxh2A624KEmYCEJu8fHyi_rh4CrQ/s640/Busan+Sand+Festival+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our theme for the festival: Fairy tales.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6OZzW0slPuMa4dVMfIIbq9jlg9FppdREQdaJK4VlwYcK1kzNcUpY21e1tXEFy5e3vwj0Gjky0yAsW3wwlI6HnFgmdLXVDD0LkUBzgo-ShWoJO_JstIV3xTrAnHSDCLww2mCwtz_ZVbs/s1600/Busan+Sand+Festival+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6OZzW0slPuMa4dVMfIIbq9jlg9FppdREQdaJK4VlwYcK1kzNcUpY21e1tXEFy5e3vwj0Gjky0yAsW3wwlI6HnFgmdLXVDD0LkUBzgo-ShWoJO_JstIV3xTrAnHSDCLww2mCwtz_ZVbs/s640/Busan+Sand+Festival+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand Castles: A Classic</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaog5Fpl36cHPjLqczCCTtd9T2qYOSP_vMTi0swmnsyM2mygxLykT19XMaTlD2skstWspRkunGP9Uicv3FedVSSVllPmZtgNgJsRHo-H92VgnLoyE7RVtHJqDUnC4Zwu3VWVssM19iR2o/s1600/Busan+Sand+Festival+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaog5Fpl36cHPjLqczCCTtd9T2qYOSP_vMTi0swmnsyM2mygxLykT19XMaTlD2skstWspRkunGP9Uicv3FedVSSVllPmZtgNgJsRHo-H92VgnLoyE7RVtHJqDUnC4Zwu3VWVssM19iR2o/s640/Busan+Sand+Festival+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sword in the Stone</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoB-zYdG4bg8LSJRJsBWvxJF-VOZ_iTPa-HabzFx1OvX0VRkpoS13yvNBlq2eH1dTg0L-zsca9w-8xUzCP7NtSrgPXPfBrGL2556riNH0VhQENwM3uZh1RARZve17B8Wchy6-fksqL3I/s1600/Busan+Sand+Festival+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoB-zYdG4bg8LSJRJsBWvxJF-VOZ_iTPa-HabzFx1OvX0VRkpoS13yvNBlq2eH1dTg0L-zsca9w-8xUzCP7NtSrgPXPfBrGL2556riNH0VhQENwM3uZh1RARZve17B8Wchy6-fksqL3I/s640/Busan+Sand+Festival+4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rapunzel</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3OJLsJmpR9ht_xvE8lDPAJ7FpYnQD2xbjzsbUzowpI9xhP9to3WGz2fouVRZF90By3emNmixbEvIVADxjflBOz7Ec244ZIl9uv8T6dUaTLxhANyrm2n7xdUoMe6Py6I823cW9Pk_Cb9M/s1600/Busan+Sand+Festival+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3OJLsJmpR9ht_xvE8lDPAJ7FpYnQD2xbjzsbUzowpI9xhP9to3WGz2fouVRZF90By3emNmixbEvIVADxjflBOz7Ec244ZIl9uv8T6dUaTLxhANyrm2n7xdUoMe6Py6I823cW9Pk_Cb9M/s640/Busan+Sand+Festival+5.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An artist at work.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc-c6dOn844XW7oEbFN41Mf7GSHp2Bq042tJUnOPM7V75hiPciA_vN84FkZrgoWVGOqxOHA72o-bK_59ovr7xxT9B6JclgEmbDPNEJN0zj9dPGmWAhDUztj3qr4tU9b7fS8Xtjkvj3e8/s1600/Busan+Sand+Festival+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc-c6dOn844XW7oEbFN41Mf7GSHp2Bq042tJUnOPM7V75hiPciA_vN84FkZrgoWVGOqxOHA72o-bK_59ovr7xxT9B6JclgEmbDPNEJN0zj9dPGmWAhDUztj3qr4tU9b7fS8Xtjkvj3e8/s640/Busan+Sand+Festival+6.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the attention to detail on the b-b-b....back fins. I mean back fins.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyvUgIZsZqhSA_CsLsGP8YsLq6YcHnJxo0dkONd8kQuUnOKWIZRQyJMgCPa1kFOoTc8DYPbi9QQvdDRCgVA9PI83SdSBaz0elE2RGsITLCZL8DLtJhtbEtGysZ0or_zBKr1M6o6XwuHw/s1600/Busan+Sand+Festival+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyvUgIZsZqhSA_CsLsGP8YsLq6YcHnJxo0dkONd8kQuUnOKWIZRQyJMgCPa1kFOoTc8DYPbi9QQvdDRCgVA9PI83SdSBaz0elE2RGsITLCZL8DLtJhtbEtGysZ0or_zBKr1M6o6XwuHw/s640/Busan+Sand+Festival+7.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tckifC_DFO24XinG8mkjNGltpZxErJsOVB7DMsIUneuMzbbrudpYEjqHufFW9yUWxabq5caRuGoUvwbrVPetJJKa2DSgR9JtmxBelSrDJdbz-AssivedvEGOUTM9y7KIxi3OXJpd1MQ/s1600/Busan+Sand+Festival+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tckifC_DFO24XinG8mkjNGltpZxErJsOVB7DMsIUneuMzbbrudpYEjqHufFW9yUWxabq5caRuGoUvwbrVPetJJKa2DSgR9JtmxBelSrDJdbz-AssivedvEGOUTM9y7KIxi3OXJpd1MQ/s640/Busan+Sand+Festival+8.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Represent Kansas!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpku4DYQQOfDKIy70_tp7gs4QjHgGAPmpUhWS_p2YYVSjolVxsT5fndNL3kGNwXXrR6bfd38anUx1TTK9S-sOCZVK9Y02CxC9lHnY6yoC3_qfqJgX4coFpkKlYndv7JebkTekn_8bjMbU/s1600/Bowtie+and+Pirate+ship.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpku4DYQQOfDKIy70_tp7gs4QjHgGAPmpUhWS_p2YYVSjolVxsT5fndNL3kGNwXXrR6bfd38anUx1TTK9S-sOCZVK9Y02CxC9lHnY6yoC3_qfqJgX4coFpkKlYndv7JebkTekn_8bjMbU/s640/Bowtie+and+Pirate+ship.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also, this picture of a child swimming in a bow tie and a pirate ship.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIqm1F4NPIlQuNjB4ESqguoBcwJ63xy6FCeJRW-0s9ii024qyMbkiorujGCpYS5f6G17GkA4LWJ52DWlizbBH13H2PLOHhMd-pGGKw_InSV-1HB_9AK5n20lMBQe3PnF6lYJZ2sur1eY/s1600/Sand+surfing+in+Busan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIqm1F4NPIlQuNjB4ESqguoBcwJ63xy6FCeJRW-0s9ii024qyMbkiorujGCpYS5f6G17GkA4LWJ52DWlizbBH13H2PLOHhMd-pGGKw_InSV-1HB_9AK5n20lMBQe3PnF6lYJZ2sur1eY/s640/Sand+surfing+in+Busan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And my first experience in sand boarding! Kowabunga!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-88165800237525304892011-06-15T18:37:00.000+09:002011-06-15T18:37:51.848+09:00Head Butts and Licking: Korean Bullfighting<!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size: large;">There are no men in sparkling tight pants and pointy hats here. There's no dance of the man versus the beast. In Korea it's just hardcore bull on bull action. Every Saturday in the medium sized city of Jinju, South Korea, bulls go at it in the Jinju Bullfighting Stadium. Last month we decided to see what this Korean bullfighting was all about.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The first thing that I want to say is that a bull is a large animal. In my experience I have only seen bulls on TV or from a car window while cruising past farms on the interstate. When we arrived at the bullfighting stadium there were dozens of bulls hanging out in their respective pens on the side of the parking lot. We decided to size up the competition and took a stroll down the line of bulls. The first thing I noticed is that a bull is the size of a small truck. I mean this literally because there were small trucks parked next to the pens and the bulls were the same size. The bulls are also exploding with muscles. The entire cast of the first Predator movie can fit all their muscles in to one bull. A bull's head is the size of a keg of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Then somebody (Jesus? Satan?) decided to stick sharp horns on top of all that strength and power. I decided that a bull is a frightening animal, especially when you see one foaming at the mouth. Then we pet one.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1izwtroO4uk4pueyIHzw_b9pXfB7gNKkKcCWuieExXNrHARlLICNzQfShFFZe7qZzZ5hzrPXX68bv-gf_3uGdo8BEKQe7r2TaEIPB3oztqBvFGN7xT9CDjhTMWDQMGEwJCWgzv23Z0c/s1600/Petting+a+Bull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1izwtroO4uk4pueyIHzw_b9pXfB7gNKkKcCWuieExXNrHARlLICNzQfShFFZe7qZzZ5hzrPXX68bv-gf_3uGdo8BEKQe7r2TaEIPB3oztqBvFGN7xT9CDjhTMWDQMGEwJCWgzv23Z0c/s400/Petting+a+Bull.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Good bull. Gooood bull."</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">The stadium is a pretty good size with a ring of dirt in the middle. There was one section of about a hundred 50-60 year old men who were obviously throwing down money on their favorites. We sat and waited until two men walked in to the ring pulling bulls by ropes wrapped around the ring in the bull's nose. We didn't really know what to expect at this point except that bulls weren't probably going to hug. The handlers pulled the bulls heads close to each other and the bulls immediately bumped skulls. Then the handlers let the ropes go to let the bulls go at it. What ensues is a lot of pushing and bashing heads between the two bulls. The first round went on for a while and the match didn't end until one of the bulls threw in the towel, turned, and ran away. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDViuLuMvtiR10IB13kX87jZGZZVRYdhb4O3ueCeu7dCe_7ohPSerTIZRUx8mM4KHCm1zerMa_t9tBjrqnYD3LnC4hxOXEYB3BHpt5L-lKoknm7BwT2198fUWEUbH5vkzfNSPUTZ0odc/s1600/Korean+Bullfighting+Stadium.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDViuLuMvtiR10IB13kX87jZGZZVRYdhb4O3ueCeu7dCe_7ohPSerTIZRUx8mM4KHCm1zerMa_t9tBjrqnYD3LnC4hxOXEYB3BHpt5L-lKoknm7BwT2198fUWEUbH5vkzfNSPUTZ0odc/s400/Korean+Bullfighting+Stadium.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Place your bets.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <span style="font-size: large;">After watching several matches we pretty much understood how the operation worked. First is that the whole thing is pleasantly humane. As far as Korea goes these animals are well fed and well treated. It's not a death match because it ends when one of the bulls decides enough is enough. The handlers want them to fight but they don't force it. There were several times when the handlers pulled the bulls' heads close to each other and the bulls weren't having any of it. Once one of the bulls lovingly started licking the other bull on the face. In these cases the match is called without a winner. However, some of the bulls knew exactly what to do and went at it like a couple of gladiators. So I would say that compared to their Spanish counterparts, the bulls that die a very stabby death, the Korean bulls have a pretty cushy life. Go bulls!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0lvg-nehY0KSshi_rhMzuuM0lE69EFJqW88qHkWI-nUOFSPo3jbWP_Q4uwN5b9BbzjOU5z-7p70DJoTLJO8hmI_vyNJwSpFkJ2QutJN3RlASEyc3VnuDu4n8Q1ffweeiJR1N7sHxvt0/s1600/Korean+Bulls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0lvg-nehY0KSshi_rhMzuuM0lE69EFJqW88qHkWI-nUOFSPo3jbWP_Q4uwN5b9BbzjOU5z-7p70DJoTLJO8hmI_vyNJwSpFkJ2QutJN3RlASEyc3VnuDu4n8Q1ffweeiJR1N7sHxvt0/s640/Korean+Bulls.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lineup</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKC_n577wnEqLeulOWSXLVDO1XONHlKWj759dJAE5pkG0NDkPcRbE6pzWEIXcD7q3Ij47ddRtdzVUNE_3zE0AAFZOaAOfAFs0FRwB-a4MmQn3hHviSy9S2mdgbSaXgnt2VrVAmYRVyNGs/s1600/Korean+Bullfighting+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKC_n577wnEqLeulOWSXLVDO1XONHlKWj759dJAE5pkG0NDkPcRbE6pzWEIXcD7q3Ij47ddRtdzVUNE_3zE0AAFZOaAOfAFs0FRwB-a4MmQn3hHviSy9S2mdgbSaXgnt2VrVAmYRVyNGs/s640/Korean+Bullfighting+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bring in the contestants.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9gCrW0CN8F9AxFi_CD-L5zwj8HQKWKDjIwhQTsZuDgu61yppMTzJhd13kHi0sBJprVRkQSfmhsb11eR1Y-zUVLlrD44m09Py6CWCaGDeouoM5vTfR-AqvJHDAUTF8OkJKr_njEMeGCs/s1600/Korean+Bullfighting+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9gCrW0CN8F9AxFi_CD-L5zwj8HQKWKDjIwhQTsZuDgu61yppMTzJhd13kHi0sBJprVRkQSfmhsb11eR1Y-zUVLlrD44m09Py6CWCaGDeouoM5vTfR-AqvJHDAUTF8OkJKr_njEMeGCs/s640/Korean+Bullfighting+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let them go!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARdvU6oqleIVYK3EDEZ-XnwiEfm4BXhngisxRkOPlIHLXg5YFcSq9kd0quYvRRH-nz-xZ8_dZtBiiZuw7dOtQQiVLluqzhnpJVEF7jRje3Jk0J3ItFqNFVdhB8hOpZDfOUrtFdDECejo/s1600/Korean+Bullfighting+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARdvU6oqleIVYK3EDEZ-XnwiEfm4BXhngisxRkOPlIHLXg5YFcSq9kd0quYvRRH-nz-xZ8_dZtBiiZuw7dOtQQiVLluqzhnpJVEF7jRje3Jk0J3ItFqNFVdhB8hOpZDfOUrtFdDECejo/s640/Korean+Bullfighting+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get it on!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKzIVqG-H3y5HiDp6cTNw_kN6ap9QbZh1Rl_fQbIiDPFdGVrBQFZZsqezoZk1c-5pVcF-3kfK4prQvegbQi8Vi1Ni3YggJofst5VJoD46zOUlmMeuGVV2BLMKoBcv0qaLxMy6SNyjQJw/s1600/Korean+Bullfighting+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKzIVqG-H3y5HiDp6cTNw_kN6ap9QbZh1Rl_fQbIiDPFdGVrBQFZZsqezoZk1c-5pVcF-3kfK4prQvegbQi8Vi1Ni3YggJofst5VJoD46zOUlmMeuGVV2BLMKoBcv0qaLxMy6SNyjQJw/s640/Korean+Bullfighting+4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commence the head butting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Rhe1MV4Dy3g" width="425"></iframe>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-3252919580139734622011-05-24T00:02:00.001+09:002011-05-24T00:09:14.180+09:00Green Tea Fields Forever<span style="font-size: large;">This is the land of festivals. They're beloved events and there's a festival for something every week. If it exists then there's a chance that there's a festival for it. A celebration for kimchi or strawberries or butterflies or clams or sting rays or masks or a change in the tide. South Korea could have a festival for festivals. Why not?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So festivals are great right? Fun in the outdoors. A cause for celebration. Good food and maybe some rides. However, my experiences with festivals in South Korea have not been great. First the grounds are filled with tents that are selling crap that has nothing to do with the theme. This mostly consists of unidentifiable barrels of food. Or kitchenware that will "change" the way you look at the world of cooking. Second there are way too many Koreans there. For example, Korea recently had a famous festival in a province next to ours that featured the cherry blossoms. Millions of Koreans go there each year to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom. However, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom all over the country. In my city there were tons of beautiful cherry blossoms everywhere! So I didn't feel the need to take a 3.5 hour bus ride to see the same thing that I could take pictures of across the street. However, Koreans do not have the same mentality. Which brings me to my last point of the festivals just being pointless. We made the mistake of going to the strawberry festival sometime last April. When we heard about it we thought that we could grab some baskets and fill them with freshly picked strawberries with our own hands. Then we could hang around and enjoy the many delights that strawberries have to offer. Instead we got a bunch of worthless tents, and there was a backhoe actually doing work in the middle of the festival grounds, and there was the world's scariest petting zoo. There was one cage that housed two rabbits, a tortoise, an anxious skunk, and the world's saddest monkey. Did I mention they were all in one cage? Needless to say it was not strawberry fields forever.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When the Green Tea Festival rolled around I was understandably skeptical. The three or four festivals I had been to before were major failures. However, I had heard of the famous green tea fields of Boseong several times and thought I would at least give it a chance. It turned out to be a great choice! The tea fields were beautiful and the congregation of tents weren't too annoying. We were also serenaded by a band and got to pick our own tea leaves. As a lover of green tea it was a great experience. My sister and a friend were here visiting all the way from Kansas City and they were also very impressed. Perhaps my view of Korean festivals could change after all. Pictures!!!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSeWuzIKv-ZWgWoQrG-ru4dlHKzaUJU3p9E0Rle11un_j8s_VWKZAOPIOqRfYTnaC17McX7oe7posClzP1MoMIkCgCg-0kYwayKOgQ0kWQFYGXnLLdVioc8ISsosYRhhMbVXv7IWm35A/s1600/IMG_5151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSeWuzIKv-ZWgWoQrG-ru4dlHKzaUJU3p9E0Rle11un_j8s_VWKZAOPIOqRfYTnaC17McX7oe7posClzP1MoMIkCgCg-0kYwayKOgQ0kWQFYGXnLLdVioc8ISsosYRhhMbVXv7IWm35A/s640/IMG_5151.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPAvyNDvSQ8OF9yE1n03_VZyU1I0FX_ba0mjtzcCOgJkmD-0Nq-B3UaXfetjTYhfCMLO5MzcTTQn51myMapaQw8k6hK1q2uFluBTde6EMxzBJsILIB79mqRITBCjIqXxD_ErMhjgY1rg/s1600/IMG_5140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPAvyNDvSQ8OF9yE1n03_VZyU1I0FX_ba0mjtzcCOgJkmD-0Nq-B3UaXfetjTYhfCMLO5MzcTTQn51myMapaQw8k6hK1q2uFluBTde6EMxzBJsILIB79mqRITBCjIqXxD_ErMhjgY1rg/s320/IMG_5140.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoUKaEPHrw4ayc8u5CvyKuk4QyuHbRkhbxc2ZuVYQMnf5GVhXnelUHsbhkCxJDDzn_g7ozNlArQu6W8zFH_iAvN-lQYd7ov8Xl5qQBHhQvxjOE9qLhRuKP-Dla3vC3eZpD_1jl2Xzs_s/s1600/IMG_5137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoUKaEPHrw4ayc8u5CvyKuk4QyuHbRkhbxc2ZuVYQMnf5GVhXnelUHsbhkCxJDDzn_g7ozNlArQu6W8zFH_iAvN-lQYd7ov8Xl5qQBHhQvxjOE9qLhRuKP-Dla3vC3eZpD_1jl2Xzs_s/s400/IMG_5137.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3AatL__CQUVRNJVFs2k4gL8-RKKFA_6IKBl4TgTyqGzG9spbNISSy0h0Zm7DzHraBcpgqA7Gki3KtrEzvnr_4UJ0gCOLYzFo_rZOVKo90QKXLIBbwO5qR2Jpqv1VwC6a3ahoMU-uwxk/s1600/IMG_5130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3AatL__CQUVRNJVFs2k4gL8-RKKFA_6IKBl4TgTyqGzG9spbNISSy0h0Zm7DzHraBcpgqA7Gki3KtrEzvnr_4UJ0gCOLYzFo_rZOVKo90QKXLIBbwO5qR2Jpqv1VwC6a3ahoMU-uwxk/s400/IMG_5130.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green tea is cool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTSkMiaGH7mFdLckyX7TYl-LsOlSafsiMVe9gdIFPN-IQ0gS4PUNDI2TGGOFy5jbbeHiitzt7GZodqtQQDeA3cuvUmr83lhhenrxFwafO74tOhn_VoAYfG0VyrWw2tayeHbcc67uxep8/s1600/IMG_5160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTSkMiaGH7mFdLckyX7TYl-LsOlSafsiMVe9gdIFPN-IQ0gS4PUNDI2TGGOFy5jbbeHiitzt7GZodqtQQDeA3cuvUmr83lhhenrxFwafO74tOhn_VoAYfG0VyrWw2tayeHbcc67uxep8/s320/IMG_5160.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Brian displays the proper to way to pick green tea. Make sure it's green.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB601JxcjjlqzoAXzT0DWXgY1nDKn-hO7JAoFKPCEU86JNZ5h5_lA075LFOEaXBwpvBk1-yrEx_wq1PvhcZlUDncgLp7AERGwOGntKWhW5dKp4tEpXa_cTF4xsR_AMtKqpxN1Edz071ig/s1600/IMG_5103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB601JxcjjlqzoAXzT0DWXgY1nDKn-hO7JAoFKPCEU86JNZ5h5_lA075LFOEaXBwpvBk1-yrEx_wq1PvhcZlUDncgLp7AERGwOGntKWhW5dKp4tEpXa_cTF4xsR_AMtKqpxN1Edz071ig/s400/IMG_5103.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTCx07MehxcRwYAThey3x8PoepDYeyp0ZVPw0jM-j9cegAbAWZtcb1iHF4YL1vNjcNYJ_H4swIAPIKCM4jSR3SpTkNhk84jV1FCcj2vNkV7ZUKuF8mPgDhKw2afrh5bDuBKSoDoCqx-4/s1600/IMG_5102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTCx07MehxcRwYAThey3x8PoepDYeyp0ZVPw0jM-j9cegAbAWZtcb1iHF4YL1vNjcNYJ_H4swIAPIKCM4jSR3SpTkNhk84jV1FCcj2vNkV7ZUKuF8mPgDhKw2afrh5bDuBKSoDoCqx-4/s320/IMG_5102.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfJQJBTJZaBSIhOHYXuJqpwP-E9oXOK2tQU6nat4Lgtjui-upDeEvqKKivZdli5i0pzmvi-XiotYKl5j1Iat7y8u4XTX0J6DPDoUKkH1EP6ye1Zr8-3l2i0us3x8I2fPuI7tKSAXP7Uc/s1600/IMG_5084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfJQJBTJZaBSIhOHYXuJqpwP-E9oXOK2tQU6nat4Lgtjui-upDeEvqKKivZdli5i0pzmvi-XiotYKl5j1Iat7y8u4XTX0J6DPDoUKkH1EP6ye1Zr8-3l2i0us3x8I2fPuI7tKSAXP7Uc/s400/IMG_5084.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then bang a giant drum when you finish your pickin'.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-30305486415034321822011-04-20T22:51:00.000+09:002011-04-20T22:51:47.137+09:00Getting Drunk: A Korean Pastime<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaJQYcdQmG_nDsgpqa0INrlAYWZ-WLFBdvviIlgSJh2uCek5d2tBGcDZVjSbdGBg2mRlgVA-c0zpj-F4QmTQdOrcBbryQkmI9kahTkAo0mmLHjmF79q7gz1xQhrmqKyaG1Wis2j6Fi-Q/s1600/Cherry+Blossoms+South+Korea.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaJQYcdQmG_nDsgpqa0INrlAYWZ-WLFBdvviIlgSJh2uCek5d2tBGcDZVjSbdGBg2mRlgVA-c0zpj-F4QmTQdOrcBbryQkmI9kahTkAo0mmLHjmF79q7gz1xQhrmqKyaG1Wis2j6Fi-Q/s400/Cherry+Blossoms+South+Korea.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah, spring time in South Korea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Last Sunday was a beautiful spring Sunday in Gwangju, South Korea. We woke up and started the routine of curing our hangovers. For me this usually involves drinking a liter of water, eating some fruit, eating some eggs, drinking some Gatorade, and then taking a long steam bath. I'm mostly ready to go after this. Then we met a friend for coffee and then met others for pizza in a park. As the sun was setting, Caroline and I headed back to my apartment to relax and plan for the next day of school. I had all the windows open because that's what one generally does on a nice spring day. It was around 7pm, I was watching a show and Caroline was getting her lesson planning done, when all of a sudden right outside the living room window we hear, "<i>BLAAAAAAAAH</i>, <b>SPLASH</b>, <i>cough-cough</i>!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Caroline: "WTF?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Me: "Oh god, that's like right outside..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Right Outside: "<i>AAAAHH GAAA, cough, </i><b>SPLASH</b>, <i>BLAAAAAAH, </i><b>SPLASH</b>, <i>cough-cough.</i>"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Caroline: "Ugh! That's vomitting!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Me: "Ah dammit, I think so..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Right Outside: "<i>cough-cough-cough</i>, <i>B-BLAAAAAAH</i>, <b>SPLASH, </b><i>cough-cough</i>."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Caroline: "Aaaah! Come on!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Me: "When does it end?!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Right Outside: "<i>BLAAAAAH, </i><b>SPLASH</b>!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This recent disruption of a pleasant spring evening with the close up sounds of vomit hitting the pavement got me thinking that there is a lot of pukin' going on in this country. Then I thought about how there is a lot of drinkin' going on in this country. Then I thought about how I do a lot of drinkin' in this country. Then I thought I better write a blog post about it.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvMc7mEmAKxfWQJWHvKbrzxT0iQWKLt2d3_J3rj37wGEhA47ecjnzMDUpk3zz7phsdszidHWL7y1JQfwENHirR9za2zR4H1MqueCJRxVlaIcSKR0pRJypa6JxpIndD51Woiob_H-NaXE/s1600/south+korea+ireland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvMc7mEmAKxfWQJWHvKbrzxT0iQWKLt2d3_J3rj37wGEhA47ecjnzMDUpk3zz7phsdszidHWL7y1JQfwENHirR9za2zR4H1MqueCJRxVlaIcSKR0pRJypa6JxpIndD51Woiob_H-NaXE/s200/south+korea+ireland.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">I've heard South Korea called the Ireland of Asia several times and for several reasons. Geographically they are similar in size, surrounded by water, and split north and south. Historically they have been picked on by powerful neighbors, aka England and Japan. They also share a fondness for the drink. When I lived in China, good bars to just sit and drink were few and far between. Most Chinese drink in restaurants, karaoke buildings, or loud dance clubs. However, South Korea has a plethora of pub, lounge, and dive bars to drink at. There are probably over a hundred of these kind of bars with in a mile radius of my apartment. (I live in a central location so that probably helps too.) So first there are endless sources of alcohol from bars to stores and none of them really have a closing time.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUb3iJsQCXpd17poqdmAdXCOGdKw4oKP8CEEyq2qPZ_AZb7WfW_sMNsPDDVjRH772rykF2ZRKMElcOtbTtnYurfeAVQlU4lTvF6IEbNYXHDarnZwBcS25nTWlS0M8zu-uBx5F-IXhqwTw/s1600/soju.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUb3iJsQCXpd17poqdmAdXCOGdKw4oKP8CEEyq2qPZ_AZb7WfW_sMNsPDDVjRH772rykF2ZRKMElcOtbTtnYurfeAVQlU4lTvF6IEbNYXHDarnZwBcS25nTWlS0M8zu-uBx5F-IXhqwTw/s200/soju.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Second, it's cheap. The best bang for you buck is soju. For just over $1.00 you can get a little bottle of this stuff. It sort of tastes like a weak vodka and it's about 20% alcohol. Koreans drink it on a fairly regular basis. When out to dinner, they pour it for each other into small glasses. If a drink is poured for you then you must drink it and then return the favor by pouring soju back in to your drinking buddy's glass. This can happen as much as a couple dozen times in one night. If you refuse the offer then you can lose a lot of respect and you can expect confused/angry glares in your future. If you are a recovering alcoholic then I wouldn't recommend teaching in Korea. If you're a budding alcoholic then teaching in Korea is a perfect fit. Oh I joke, but seriously.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXhMemE_m4RyX9Z7fj-FWRuiU4rlTiJaqOpzuaAPMVsGhV2_dKgkOTcnHSVBgudbV6lbimAKXl3hGvRNPu0hs-QXacIIEaUn34yt9QCSo-SinbOM_IwqlJMzGjEbquRb1OH8355N-ACA/s1600/soju+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXhMemE_m4RyX9Z7fj-FWRuiU4rlTiJaqOpzuaAPMVsGhV2_dKgkOTcnHSVBgudbV6lbimAKXl3hGvRNPu0hs-QXacIIEaUn34yt9QCSo-SinbOM_IwqlJMzGjEbquRb1OH8355N-ACA/s320/soju+girl.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I suddenly crave soju.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Then there's the beer. If you want to drink with out paying for imports then the selection is terrible. Korea's so called national beers go from horrible to less horrible. The big three are Cass, Hite, and OB Blue. Of course this doesn't stop anyone from buying it. You can get a 1.6 liter bottle for less than $5.00. OB Blue is often my choice because I have rated it least horrible. This country has a serious high quality beer market that is completely untapped (pun intended). There's no telling what damage a Korean wheat beer or pale ale could do here. Millions to be made! I need investors!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0p-iiI0motkB3857qNKxWgkExhWYU-oTbrPJGquhWH_L76OFHbRnoMlbOzS-tcW7ACqz7nfYbcEepDxAhnOUhp2vqgZcR0VsobwP0ivbdddDF68olEDKGQiPtVfRyfV8cbZiIEzrWk5w/s1600/korean+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0p-iiI0motkB3857qNKxWgkExhWYU-oTbrPJGquhWH_L76OFHbRnoMlbOzS-tcW7ACqz7nfYbcEepDxAhnOUhp2vqgZcR0VsobwP0ivbdddDF68olEDKGQiPtVfRyfV8cbZiIEzrWk5w/s400/korean+beer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Usual Suspects</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArJe5mYyQyIkOI5jitjV10bkIO1C77E2BNotAknZYLbzy1njOPVjJ7H-j-vTd_oNU2fkVqIdcfp7S1FlOJezT6cY64OPlii7AWRCBFwEhB63T5_8eO6gGRwS9c7t8YomB-tHlNOnCr8Q/s1600/power+of+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArJe5mYyQyIkOI5jitjV10bkIO1C77E2BNotAknZYLbzy1njOPVjJ7H-j-vTd_oNU2fkVqIdcfp7S1FlOJezT6cY64OPlii7AWRCBFwEhB63T5_8eO6gGRwS9c7t8YomB-tHlNOnCr8Q/s400/power+of+beer.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Power of Beer!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPn5luxMXlFGl9NFyuQvSOWqG3sd1XN6QTCYISd0xukksWbbtQXDMZIZiuGedD1eYZCtXQWqCWn3beFXlzFBJdUCrjafTsA5B31XtH24IQhCZ9BI7pdSMX78sMTv5_29SgO4gTTI3hyphenhyphenCQ/s1600/cass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPn5luxMXlFGl9NFyuQvSOWqG3sd1XN6QTCYISd0xukksWbbtQXDMZIZiuGedD1eYZCtXQWqCWn3beFXlzFBJdUCrjafTsA5B31XtH24IQhCZ9BI7pdSMX78sMTv5_29SgO4gTTI3hyphenhyphenCQ/s400/cass.jpg" width="241" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Not only is alcohol cheap and readily available, but it is an intricate part of social interactions. The before mentioned "pour for pour" technique is practiced mostly at business or co-worker meetings that take place right after work. These meetings usually end with everyone getting a heavy buzz and going to a karaoke bar. I've been lucky and have only been made to sing one Beatles song. Other native English teachers have not been so lucky. Furthermore, I can't tell you how many times I've walked down the street and seen middle aged men in suits stumbling around and hanging all over each other. I also see 1-5 puddles of puke on my way to school everyday. About ever other week I encounter a public urinal with vomit sitting in the base. There should be a market for cute little vomit bags. Hello Kitty Puke Pouch? Girl's Generation Gag Bag? I swear sometimes being in Korea is like living in a college town all over again. Here are some pictures I didn't take but they are from Korea:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfFpcluIZVCJDtw9567L5ltSOMedOOjG8MHr09L7cBclqRmmVK4Ty0Wh3L7WtxvPPmDE2Gq6qpv6dVzPslL-6PNc__ejWKoA1bOhScNXrZflKI61oREtpVIuwiJMmg9Nn1Mp_V2qkzVs/s1600/drunk+in+korea+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfFpcluIZVCJDtw9567L5ltSOMedOOjG8MHr09L7cBclqRmmVK4Ty0Wh3L7WtxvPPmDE2Gq6qpv6dVzPslL-6PNc__ejWKoA1bOhScNXrZflKI61oREtpVIuwiJMmg9Nn1Mp_V2qkzVs/s320/drunk+in+korea+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQm26B82Q4BvSMhVP-T9INzW3LeQHVRmOtX4zCZw9gdFLpjEXZeki0WyCGr68hOWF44BMMw0tE9SSUmUSU6JNJ56lW53PEtnf_mZE9Cqj7LmHuQW2LWF63zYmFAgEnrzZv7WnAb8H0Ms/s1600/drunk+in+korea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQm26B82Q4BvSMhVP-T9INzW3LeQHVRmOtX4zCZw9gdFLpjEXZeki0WyCGr68hOWF44BMMw0tE9SSUmUSU6JNJ56lW53PEtnf_mZE9Cqj7LmHuQW2LWF63zYmFAgEnrzZv7WnAb8H0Ms/s320/drunk+in+korea.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMwFHVeJ1bJFHCCQ33BNL13BNJFmqx38SBvZmSgep_CoLPwMjhO60QnJoShW4mZdtVe1-RNIIsq5nphGlPe_HQ2SSXM8QsL_WY1-4qy1T12Iyp1r3NTiFop065KdieU4LKadHokS5oD4/s1600/drunk+in+korea+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMwFHVeJ1bJFHCCQ33BNL13BNJFmqx38SBvZmSgep_CoLPwMjhO60QnJoShW4mZdtVe1-RNIIsq5nphGlPe_HQ2SSXM8QsL_WY1-4qy1T12Iyp1r3NTiFop065KdieU4LKadHokS5oD4/s320/drunk+in+korea+3.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now if South Korea were to be offended by people posting pictures on the internet of their citizens passed out in public then they would pass some laws. Apparently they don't really care because public intoxication and public drinking are no problem here. Honestly, I enjoy the fact that South Korea loves drinking and has very relaxed laws about it. Now don't get the wrong idea, South Korea is not full of alcoholics. They work more hours than any other developed country in the world. They are constantly under pressure to be the best in their studies or at work. They have to obey anyone who is older than them. So when they get the opportunity to unwind then they should be able to go all out and I don't blame them.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As you can imagine the life of a native English teacher in South Korea must also involve lots of drinking. It's true. I made a graph of how much I have drank since college began. I divided it up by one year segments. My freshman and sophomore year were about normal for an underage student that can only get their kicks from kegger parties. Then the amount sky rocketed my junior year. This included a combination of turning 21 years old, living in a house for the first time with my best friends, and a new shiny beer pong table. Shenanigans! Then the amount steadily decreases as I turn senior and super senior. Then it plummets when I graduate, move to the suburbs of Kansas City, work forty hours a week, and become boring for a year. The amount increases a little when I move to China for a year and then shoots back up when I move to South Korea. So now it's like I'm back in my super senior days.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUtaKLhG4hfpx9LXsu-LAk7N_TdiNFlx2XlYLMQwX7SEAdBE8boxo2w-7pgcjIfl4zZ3l3gle7lr4MeEFV5Va76N1eqstwSco4xNA4gr8CC5cuccQg0i41F66Da0yOPyq_JxD5_hozoM/s1600/Drinking+Graph.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUtaKLhG4hfpx9LXsu-LAk7N_TdiNFlx2XlYLMQwX7SEAdBE8boxo2w-7pgcjIfl4zZ3l3gle7lr4MeEFV5Va76N1eqstwSco4xNA4gr8CC5cuccQg0i41F66Da0yOPyq_JxD5_hozoM/s640/Drinking+Graph.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJOoCKo1HjamZBjztYEeez5zCnCurI9zEfy8vi7VQzfnuWcspWy795WFZMgE9bxGeaFwLdffNDuR0H2NrsJOH3V9zAK1ATwQ1Uo5HMDLuTBr558OvuXlM7-S5S2OvDlsIhlJOx3xej4g/s1600/67611_10150301608710117_508140116_15313069_2182739_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJOoCKo1HjamZBjztYEeez5zCnCurI9zEfy8vi7VQzfnuWcspWy795WFZMgE9bxGeaFwLdffNDuR0H2NrsJOH3V9zAK1ATwQ1Uo5HMDLuTBr558OvuXlM7-S5S2OvDlsIhlJOx3xej4g/s320/67611_10150301608710117_508140116_15313069_2182739_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Teaching English in South Korea creates a little subculture that you become a part of. The job is not very demanding and it pays well. There are also hundreds like you in the same city. However, when you are working you are surrounded by people that are nothing like you. So when working is finished then you scramble to find the other westerners with the low demand/high paying jobs and it's time to hang out. This is time that usually involves speaking a lot of English and drinking a form of alcohol. You really enjoy this time outside work and so you do things like the Hash House Harriers (running and drinking), dinner parties (eating and drinking), baseball games (baseball and drinking), concerts (music and drinking), and then just drinking. This has become pretty standard for most of us. Hey we're just indulging in some Korean culture, so party on! Or as the Koreans say, "Gambae!"</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WVpHblinBZmA3C-Xt4Q-aEWJ1QMP-XGJtk7v2di31ZN9MdrUcg_uz923c4GxmjAO0Bui9gb_nswAGNEWsRr81RVDob8gFOgw9rkcNoodgElCIniQ4AoqOZuknJmgpjolG2ZFHz3_t-I/s1600/DSCF0378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WVpHblinBZmA3C-Xt4Q-aEWJ1QMP-XGJtk7v2di31ZN9MdrUcg_uz923c4GxmjAO0Bui9gb_nswAGNEWsRr81RVDob8gFOgw9rkcNoodgElCIniQ4AoqOZuknJmgpjolG2ZFHz3_t-I/s320/DSCF0378.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Korean Art Work</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-88588411716342988902011-03-27T19:57:00.001+09:002011-03-27T23:12:25.175+09:00DMZ: Hey North Korea<span style="font-size: large;">I'm back from a little blogging break. So after sharing stories and pictures from winter vacation, it's back to talking about where I live: South Korea. I've lived here for about seven months now and life has pretty much settled in to a sense of normality. The public transportation system is no longer confusing, I'm well acquainted with the food (more kimchi please), this teaching thing is getting easier, and I've located every bar, store, or restaurant that I need to. Sometimes I need to remind myself where I am. "Oh yeah, I live in a little peninsular Asian country on the other side of the planet." I don't even call it South Korea anymore, but just Korea. However, this little peninsula is still split in to two very different halves. There is still tension between the two and it has become one of those normalities in Korea just like when I see two older business gentlemen holding hands. Last month I was reminded of this reality of being on the brink of war when we visited the DMZ.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTro63EiE3d-EJClVWE3fvmSM6sy3vpVmo2Px7rexZ4h2_GG_RWwXLVYsgYi95WpK1dK-ejJjrgIXrUHE9P9FKcEvuvxnUs50KbZA-7gOttfATp5BonsbVT8elrqrIMm4z4Qaoel67Bdc/s1600/DMZ.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTro63EiE3d-EJClVWE3fvmSM6sy3vpVmo2Px7rexZ4h2_GG_RWwXLVYsgYi95WpK1dK-ejJjrgIXrUHE9P9FKcEvuvxnUs50KbZA-7gOttfATp5BonsbVT8elrqrIMm4z4Qaoel67Bdc/s400/DMZ.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6yk58Z0z0_UmijftXczHQkwRulotlFFvOPccqbtbYc7Xo2faJRV7GnIP7iW9YFNzkpi9-7LvdIqFvQaF3SA9pFPzOQaN3QigaFh3o6EV2Z6WKvDKmtWSwyiyT3m24ipMrnDCqgEYujs/s1600/DMZ+Map.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6yk58Z0z0_UmijftXczHQkwRulotlFFvOPccqbtbYc7Xo2faJRV7GnIP7iW9YFNzkpi9-7LvdIqFvQaF3SA9pFPzOQaN3QigaFh3o6EV2Z6WKvDKmtWSwyiyT3m24ipMrnDCqgEYujs/s320/DMZ+Map.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">The DMZ, demilitarized zone, runs along the 38th parallel from coast to coast. It's 2.5 miles wide and nobody is allowed inside. The walls and landmines keep the people out so the natural life in the DMZ has flourished. Ironically, some endangered species have found protection in between the walls of the North and South. However, there is one place where people are allowed to enter. It's called the Joint Security Area or JSA. This area functions as a place where officials from the North and South can have talks. It lies in the middle of DMZ and consists of a bunch of military buildings, conference rooms, and soldiers staring face to face with the enemy. When there are no talks going on (which is most of the time) it's a place where tourists can get as close as they can to North Korea without a bullet entering their body. Last month we were one of those tourists that got a close up look at North Korea.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The JSA is controlled by the military and can be somewhat dangerous, so the only way to get there is by joining a tour with the USO. The DMZ was created at the end of the Korean War in 1953. Technically the war never really ended because the North and South are still enemies and kill each other now and then. The DMZ acts as a buffer between the two countries and the United States has been hanging around since the first "Do Not Cross" sign was posted. So why are there 30,000 troops stationed in South Korea in 2011? First, South Korea has been a long time ally of the United States ever since we saved their half of the peninsula from communism, Russia, and batshit crazy dictators. Since then, we have been pen pals and South Korea has turned in to a developed and powerful nation. So the United States doesn't want our wealthy friend to be attacked from the North. Second, we also don't want our friend to get drunk at a bar and start a fight with a weaker but annoying asshole. So we hold our friend back and say "Not worth it man, let's just get out of here." We say this because we know the asshole has a big college football player friend at home who might seek revenge on you and your buddy. Then before you know it there is an all out gang war and a lot of innocent people in the neighborhood are getting hurt. Not cool. Of course I'm talking about China's response if North Korea were to be attacked from the South. No one is really sure what China would do but no one really wants to find out.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We arrive outside the DMZ and we are introduced to our tour guide who is an US army officer. He basically tells us to do what he says or you will be quickly dismissed. We get on a bus and drive past barb wire, cement blocks, tank walls, and land mines to get in to the DMZ. No pictures are allowed on this portion of the tour. We arrive at the JSA a few minutes later. We are informed that when we get off the bus we must stay in single file line and never gesture towards anything. There is no pointing and especially no waving. If you see a North Korean soldier near the border then don't look him in the eyes. Stay in front of this South Korean soldier and never pass this South Korean soldier. No wearing shorts, flip-flops, baggy clothing, etc. Only take pictures when the tour guide says it's OK and never leave the group because there is not telling what those North Koreans will do. Everything is orchestrated military style and there is a looming sense that someone is watching your every move through the scope of a sniper rifle.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpPyS-VqY_ibaiiP_m7rFgCN3n4MCVgSxWnq8Jzhwi4fOEv5adc6iupHqT4r7cOaiRPgw5JKJbSmuoODNqriiLU086Vt4Qs02ksfQH1lbFI2XVD3LS8OpqunTe3KmFXZJRy9iHfQ2N4s/s1600/Panmumjeom+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpPyS-VqY_ibaiiP_m7rFgCN3n4MCVgSxWnq8Jzhwi4fOEv5adc6iupHqT4r7cOaiRPgw5JKJbSmuoODNqriiLU086Vt4Qs02ksfQH1lbFI2XVD3LS8OpqunTe3KmFXZJRy9iHfQ2N4s/s320/Panmumjeom+%25288%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please don't shoot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"> We stand there for a few minutes just facing the North Korea side of the JSA. There is a row of conference buildings along the border and a large communist style building on the North Korean side. There are several South Korean guards at their post. Some of the guards stand half behind a conference building and half exposed to the border. This is so that if North Koreans start shooting at them then the guards can quickly step behind the building. They can also signal their commanders from behind the building without the North Koreans seeing the signal. The guards wear helmets and sunglasses to show as little emotion towards the North Koreans as possible. Sometimes the South and North Korean guards will stand face to face at the border. This day the North Korean guards would not be making an appearance. However, there was one soldier near the big North Korean building who had his binoculars and he was checking us out.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLjLgshu2XbPReZSqZ6vlDa5Ngt6pX0Xpp0DpH_Z5RV8AmoBtU37MkPtxY5iR1oOljcpsETkTdr6HZVuaKTg6EdZXn8w4_41ykKJ-sAWSk4Y_iHb6wrlG7awPbIOVIxvw4SKc0bgfir8/s1600/Panmumjeom+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLjLgshu2XbPReZSqZ6vlDa5Ngt6pX0Xpp0DpH_Z5RV8AmoBtU37MkPtxY5iR1oOljcpsETkTdr6HZVuaKTg6EdZXn8w4_41ykKJ-sAWSk4Y_iHb6wrlG7awPbIOVIxvw4SKc0bgfir8/s320/Panmumjeom+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The line that separates. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rmj5ggWcR08qPBnZd2lyE2NV2A3C7bxV2bIbLdzjN1peX7dzHQDKOOzaL2hZtgSGgKmISlNQxw9JaS4c6AefovYxy95SDPqfK8NpBKMiVeqQXmeICmkMP4pESYrBUujV7dq3_DHx66I/s1600/Panmumjeom+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rmj5ggWcR08qPBnZd2lyE2NV2A3C7bxV2bIbLdzjN1peX7dzHQDKOOzaL2hZtgSGgKmISlNQxw9JaS4c6AefovYxy95SDPqfK8NpBKMiVeqQXmeICmkMP4pESYrBUujV7dq3_DHx66I/s320/Panmumjeom+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANEdm0Byip2OiTwGUiHHVhFD_5TjDdhY88moVb7Gk6TB3Nc8uCTxWxt5bc3zutg7DNv0EHbaOdy7Mq4CAwPLKtUTGTpvGC0WMzHDu8RhYihqgio-AVYs7J-jIHITzwlhiSRg70otexNA/s1600/Panmumjeom+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANEdm0Byip2OiTwGUiHHVhFD_5TjDdhY88moVb7Gk6TB3Nc8uCTxWxt5bc3zutg7DNv0EHbaOdy7Mq4CAwPLKtUTGTpvGC0WMzHDu8RhYihqgio-AVYs7J-jIHITzwlhiSRg70otexNA/s640/Panmumjeom+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See if you can spot the North Korean.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We enter the conference room that straddles North and South Korea. It's just a long room with some chairs and tables. However, because the building sits on the border, when we stand in the north side of the building then we are technically standing in North Korea. I'm probably not going to fill in North Korea on my "Countries I Have Visited" map though. It just doesn't feel right. Anyway, there are two South Korean soldiers in the room, one in the middle of the room and one blocking the door that goes on to North Korean soil. They are completely still without any facial expression what so ever. Everyone in the group becomes fascinated with the two soldiers standing in the room. Our tour guide says that they are there for our protection and constantly stand in what is called the "tae kwan do ready" position. We are allowed to take pictures next to the guards but NEVER touch one of them. To quote our tour guide, "They will strike you and it will hurt!" Don't even think about passing the guard who is blocking the door. These guards are masters of hand to hand combat and will have you on the floor faster than three bottles of soju.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-g9xzW-2hd1d2CFO22L93nXmP_bZ7oATpHLme1Rl10-HtvOmF-gdwPE6LRnYekhw-EnFnN5_8aFtHEEhH41OUgPP1f2B0P6nhYg4E2oUWiL8dnRfB4gVEUElsFn-1_FZKJFle6ezo_6Y/s1600/Panmumjeom+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-g9xzW-2hd1d2CFO22L93nXmP_bZ7oATpHLme1Rl10-HtvOmF-gdwPE6LRnYekhw-EnFnN5_8aFtHEEhH41OUgPP1f2B0P6nhYg4E2oUWiL8dnRfB4gVEUElsFn-1_FZKJFle6ezo_6Y/s400/Panmumjeom+%25287%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do not pass this man.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUYOa2KnUpXRMVtAk7n2-SIgjGYH3dqwagZWnQqrdaPWxpTOYSTkRg8fNLYza9anydltsf4gjJgP__FdDsJkVjYlf-6hSsAyXyR_sBhmKphjVMiiLGX2CeJPoNx_krFnsaDZtA5jr28g/s1600/Panmumjeom+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUYOa2KnUpXRMVtAk7n2-SIgjGYH3dqwagZWnQqrdaPWxpTOYSTkRg8fNLYza9anydltsf4gjJgP__FdDsJkVjYlf-6hSsAyXyR_sBhmKphjVMiiLGX2CeJPoNx_krFnsaDZtA5jr28g/s400/Panmumjeom+%25284%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiy_nMEJRffJ9lojlcsAokWt2orhzMxvMoW1uwQII5bBmWi1IP40_gdBiomXljuOWtIwpM2-TKzhYdO1DNl0uv8W41_cp2bIa4HQGM1DdwdoYV7soOKsthHY9VL_xisH29xZQCw31DlU/s1600/Panmumjeom+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiy_nMEJRffJ9lojlcsAokWt2orhzMxvMoW1uwQII5bBmWi1IP40_gdBiomXljuOWtIwpM2-TKzhYdO1DNl0uv8W41_cp2bIa4HQGM1DdwdoYV7soOKsthHY9VL_xisH29xZQCw31DlU/s400/Panmumjeom+%25286%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't get too close Caroline.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxwvSvTZgD4sM0SCW-UVHM_AyWv2fblREHAotn-oO2_N7sz8XQOE7LJe9K9xSupvT2dll_TPozfbkUpmwBDFOlHxtXaLqH_PuLtpWzZ2BaNcjk3AcInHRxNDViB_mG6qOvPIK0cgMPkE/s1600/Panmumjeom+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxwvSvTZgD4sM0SCW-UVHM_AyWv2fblREHAotn-oO2_N7sz8XQOE7LJe9K9xSupvT2dll_TPozfbkUpmwBDFOlHxtXaLqH_PuLtpWzZ2BaNcjk3AcInHRxNDViB_mG6qOvPIK0cgMPkE/s320/Panmumjeom+%25285%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We learned a lot about the history of the DMZ during the tour but perhaps the most interesting, yet frightening, story is the axe murder incident. In 1976, the American soldiers decided that a tree was just too big and obscuring the view from one watch tower to the next watch tower. If something were to happen at one of the watch towers, then the other one wouldn't know about it until someone called for help. The tree had to be trimmed. A team of American and South Korean soldiers went to the large poplar tree and began using axes to trim it. A group of North Korean soldiers gathered around the border and watched for a while until the commanding officer yelled at the South to stop cutting the tree. Apparently the tree was special to the North Koreans. The South ignored him, so the North sent over a truck with twenty soldiers armed with crowbars and clubs. The North Korean officer yelled to stop again but the South kept on trimming. Then the Northern officer yelled, "Kill them!" Two American soldiers were beaten and then murdered with the axes that they had dropped. It was an unfair fight with the North Koreans well out numbering the soldiers of the South. The fight was eventually broken up and three days later Operation Paul Bunyan took place. With the support of hundreds of troops, artillery, jet fighters, bombers, helicopters, and an offshore aircraft carrier, the South cut down the tree. If the North Koreans would have made a move, it would have been the beginning of World War III. It resulted in the most expensive tree trimming in history.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN52efwdqYRztUoguNL3cUeauHJ0jXvr3lF2tV-zWnpRZhPzrh_5r6NYtdqfflkIrFz2Qd3XRRpoi417nEsLmSteyeNOmabD2fPM1gTgFR8d4s7XfVVIHy0x5VN8-zmzb6ZlpWfyeSYIs/s1600/North+Korea+DMZ+Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN52efwdqYRztUoguNL3cUeauHJ0jXvr3lF2tV-zWnpRZhPzrh_5r6NYtdqfflkIrFz2Qd3XRRpoi417nEsLmSteyeNOmabD2fPM1gTgFR8d4s7XfVVIHy0x5VN8-zmzb6ZlpWfyeSYIs/s320/North+Korea+DMZ+Flag.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">The most hilarious thing we saw was the flag competition. Near the JSA, there is a peace town in the South and one in the North. The one in the South is a little community of a couple hundred farmers that get to live tax free. They actually save lots of money. However, they're under constant surveillance and have to be indoors by 10pm. The one in the North is a propaganda village because it has several big buildings that are empty shells and no people live there. Yet the North claims it's paradise on Earth. Each of the peace villages boasts the flag of their respective country and they've been growing in size over several years. When one side would build a bigger and taller flag, then the other side would respond by "one upping" them. North Korea then decided to really give it to the South by building the world's tallest flag pole and attach the world's largest flag. The flag pole is 160 meters tall, and the flag is 30 meters long and said to weigh 600 pounds. The South finally said that's enough and that's how North Korea won the flag war.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The DMZ is an interesting and exciting place to visit. Where else are you allowed to be on the border of two countries that are technically still at war? It's an adventure with a hint of danger in the mix. I would recommend it to anybody. Visit this website to find a USO tour: </span><a href="http://www.koridoor.co.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=schedule"><span style="font-size: large;">USO Tours</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7azdTNt1U7GqoclTw9sBSBKS1HB3QKIBANfEHrOLPuD85lssTKwYC8gsoMeyzfJjNjr7rejqX7KB0suNgqbW7ayBQ5_Ae4DeGMHGs6pdDm559cxR0XrF-CsKjFerPIR4vT0l7Tjkog0/s1600/IMG_4551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7azdTNt1U7GqoclTw9sBSBKS1HB3QKIBANfEHrOLPuD85lssTKwYC8gsoMeyzfJjNjr7rejqX7KB0suNgqbW7ayBQ5_Ae4DeGMHGs6pdDm559cxR0XrF-CsKjFerPIR4vT0l7Tjkog0/s400/IMG_4551.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Good Guys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-51859823363977093872011-03-07T23:44:00.000+09:002011-03-07T23:44:29.379+09:00Welcome to Singapore. Now No Spitting!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholTc3pipW9rjmQZsP8TBcg4RRhykUesbbobDbtX98ERFb1pxDj_pPh498mgMbbeP1QeT29Exuta8hTQ1PpkOQ_8E5H5Ul0s9TaGiAWUPRfpoFU3dGXjAwE50ouG5AEG9WakTtE9UrdTI/s1600/IMG_4372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholTc3pipW9rjmQZsP8TBcg4RRhykUesbbobDbtX98ERFb1pxDj_pPh498mgMbbeP1QeT29Exuta8hTQ1PpkOQ_8E5H5Ul0s9TaGiAWUPRfpoFU3dGXjAwE50ouG5AEG9WakTtE9UrdTI/s400/IMG_4372.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merlion</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">With the three weeks coming to an end, our last destination was Singapore. This tiny country is located on an island on the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula. It's just a little dot on the map but it's quite an accomplished place. It's basically a modern mega city. I've never seen any city like it in Asia. First thing is that it's super clean. Seriously, it's cleaner than Nicolas Cage's house in "Matchstick Men." I think I counted three napkins on the ground, that was it for litter. I believe the reason for this is because the people there are really disciplined. One thing you hear about are all the laws in Singapore that can result in inflated fines. Some of these laws are outrageous but I guess it works. Here are some examples:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>$500-$1000 Fine</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Eating or drinking anything on the subway</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Littering</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Possession of chewing gum</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Failure to flush the toilet after using a public facility</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Using racial slurs</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Spitting in public</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Feeding birds</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Urinating in an elevator</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Jaywalking</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Possession of pornography</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Using unsecured wireless internet</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Smoking in public</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Caning (Where your buttocks is spanked with a cane.)</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Vandalism</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Graffiti</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Possession of fire crackers</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Overstaying your visa length</span><br />
<br />
<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Death by Hanging</span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Possession or trafficking of any illegal drugs</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7YgQ1bslJYaUeldEH60IVt2Wzth_wvRCdqoJ7Uc3r5phpvmGIjURJqnhVB17pueqewsHrG-CW88nwdqH_ffnJDwaZoEz9Kk63F39ZDtoNhm9JejPeP_FMQeUf0hA2XBrKTho7XAuaK0/s1600/IMG_4488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7YgQ1bslJYaUeldEH60IVt2Wzth_wvRCdqoJ7Uc3r5phpvmGIjURJqnhVB17pueqewsHrG-CW88nwdqH_ffnJDwaZoEz9Kk63F39ZDtoNhm9JejPeP_FMQeUf0hA2XBrKTho7XAuaK0/s400/IMG_4488.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ6It8DlsvV-kcs5wi35HPg6UtffICzJqGSFX216-w31xnlXZcqQFG7xxJuLZTzUmMAZDsXH9P913GQ9nYkuxR_c-ffZp46ikYrq7SbqMbPAO9pAHgwYQn7adnvt0Nsp0bBU43853LYk/s1600/IMG_4481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ6It8DlsvV-kcs5wi35HPg6UtffICzJqGSFX216-w31xnlXZcqQFG7xxJuLZTzUmMAZDsXH9P913GQ9nYkuxR_c-ffZp46ikYrq7SbqMbPAO9pAHgwYQn7adnvt0Nsp0bBU43853LYk/s400/IMG_4481.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Singapore is not messing around. They caned over 6,000 people in one year in 2007. That's a lot of spanking going on, and I'm talking about the spanking that makes you bleed. Anyway, as a tourist, as long as you think about what you're doing and use the trash cans then it should be no problem. I may have cursed a few times in public but no action was taken. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tT93f7bYyDiVnSXuesxjtTWvoh-gQ-BFCtO-QE3edWJONNgNhbvSoBh4sx9CRyjrXlpZzDEGiwKicsag2GhfGvuYoCRy9IDbfZE1xGj-LF4V6aJJ6ZoIyY8HSrLO7uuzkHNFrNjb2SI/s1600/IMG_4370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tT93f7bYyDiVnSXuesxjtTWvoh-gQ-BFCtO-QE3edWJONNgNhbvSoBh4sx9CRyjrXlpZzDEGiwKicsag2GhfGvuYoCRy9IDbfZE1xGj-LF4V6aJJ6ZoIyY8HSrLO7uuzkHNFrNjb2SI/s320/IMG_4370.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crazy Boat Building </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Another interesting thing I noticed was that Singapore's official language is English. Having lived in Asia for a year and a half I just came accustomed to not understanding what anyone was talking about when I was in a restaurant or using public transportation. It was somewhat weird to hear a Chinese child talk about his favorite animals to his Chinese mother while walking down the street. Or have a taxi driver tell me jokes about the American president and the British Royal Family. I think it must be because Singapore is so culturally diverse that they need a language to unify everyone. Also, Singapore relies so heavily on international business that it is smart to choose English as the official language if one must be chosen.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Lastly, Singapore is expensive. The majority of the hotels are four star and I felt like an impostor walking down some of the streets. "How dare he wear flip-flops and cheap sunglasses near us! Send him to four star prison!" The cheapest can of beer I could find was around four dollars out of a seven eleven. Eating anywhere near a shopping mall, forget about it. We stuck to the outdoor food courts that Anthony Bourdain recommended. It's where the most delicious and cheapest food is made in Singapore. Singapore can be done by budget travelers, but just for a few days and with a little budget traveler know-how.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4iZkNAYAVluK0jud1A-5m8-FOI6W5VelWHXX0dN49xDY8t73edyhshmNcIbQU77xa4xjj87Rt4EfFsQI6lgtAxQWVJx3yDFcGIRLlpAtnnR-JJbG4tLBWmj0ETewBLnTC5ZCOt4sQww/s1600/IMG_4380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4iZkNAYAVluK0jud1A-5m8-FOI6W5VelWHXX0dN49xDY8t73edyhshmNcIbQU77xa4xjj87Rt4EfFsQI6lgtAxQWVJx3yDFcGIRLlpAtnnR-JJbG4tLBWmj0ETewBLnTC5ZCOt4sQww/s320/IMG_4380.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">We stayed in Singapore for the three days of the Chinese Lunar New Year. There was a big festival going on at the marina with carnival rides and fireworks. Chinatown was at full capacity with people, lanterns, and the color red. We spent the first day roaming these parts and waiting for the fireworks. The next day Caroline and I went to Sentosa Island. It's an island of strictly entertainment with a mandate for fun. It has several amusement parks, theaters, gardens, beaches, live shows, and much more. We hit up Universal Studios and had an awesome day. The Jurassic Park ride is way cooler in Singapore and I didn't think that was possible. The last day there I managed to come down with a case of the stomach explosion of discomfort, but we still made it to Singapore's world famous zoo. It was actually really cool. Many of the animals are free roaming including several of the monkeys and the orangutans. There were also animals I had never heard of before, like mouse deer. There are mouse deer? Sure.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6JLfRPA6WXSKvootijzjzm7di6FwRa9HxcUA7Yst3bvkcxnKpyveoJkdEFcSW3VAX6lay-1W7waaoIkb2glNHkxryue25lKYPTBjxlM-Q84j5D8CW93xBNYTfVzKtGRLfOLAKQjUnJg/s1600/IMG_4364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6JLfRPA6WXSKvootijzjzm7di6FwRa9HxcUA7Yst3bvkcxnKpyveoJkdEFcSW3VAX6lay-1W7waaoIkb2glNHkxryue25lKYPTBjxlM-Q84j5D8CW93xBNYTfVzKtGRLfOLAKQjUnJg/s400/IMG_4364.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunar New Year in Chinatown</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifT2bSPBEpiczKopEb57uvzfhYzwRjR9fZG7CAskmzUBQmuyvJhIDf-DwyDeK71UCu3An4QM-YozKH5cD6YvnBAYTCeR3x9PnPKZ4cAXALTy03zIPsvlIEZt4_7nQXACyRxDjriF0C0lo/s1600/IMG_4361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifT2bSPBEpiczKopEb57uvzfhYzwRjR9fZG7CAskmzUBQmuyvJhIDf-DwyDeK71UCu3An4QM-YozKH5cD6YvnBAYTCeR3x9PnPKZ4cAXALTy03zIPsvlIEZt4_7nQXACyRxDjriF0C0lo/s320/IMG_4361.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNE5ZE-Bbhi_LlOjiF_AoWSXM4nhzN0b-jTIWX-BijjVbb7cVOFh14_PIY8_5qy0oiUXTX8iMaTA4tlUSoC0ltczcsEGG-v3eal4QFW8eRNwVO-AZDqtN6FsCkyQJZpF-eOG300crAuKs/s1600/IMG_4391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNE5ZE-Bbhi_LlOjiF_AoWSXM4nhzN0b-jTIWX-BijjVbb7cVOFh14_PIY8_5qy0oiUXTX8iMaTA4tlUSoC0ltczcsEGG-v3eal4QFW8eRNwVO-AZDqtN6FsCkyQJZpF-eOG300crAuKs/s320/IMG_4391.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oCnaucFIoSP_Uy4lZoRLcUFX2HijRAHiG_jFDpsPcKz7uwks5-iG2IgesgjMqr3OEdbRDxXkjz4KiL9_CWxD36tNOh7pDfQs_fthdZH5ER2lL0LUx_NAMOl-b_rVNe00IW5xUqBLvzo/s1600/IMG_4392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oCnaucFIoSP_Uy4lZoRLcUFX2HijRAHiG_jFDpsPcKz7uwks5-iG2IgesgjMqr3OEdbRDxXkjz4KiL9_CWxD36tNOh7pDfQs_fthdZH5ER2lL0LUx_NAMOl-b_rVNe00IW5xUqBLvzo/s400/IMG_4392.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XVz3F6K25OjtwFAc30NwVhh2cft4EhKH54uzRMiSobwXtIEuBTStn9hIJ-gprzFhsGQWZHC1jCjyKmht2GebMRQmuSmIu1ofnPYl0yHmOMMTD6ZnY8EcVJvU25v2FD78c4np8amkpFc/s1600/IMG_4407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XVz3F6K25OjtwFAc30NwVhh2cft4EhKH54uzRMiSobwXtIEuBTStn9hIJ-gprzFhsGQWZHC1jCjyKmht2GebMRQmuSmIu1ofnPYl0yHmOMMTD6ZnY8EcVJvU25v2FD78c4np8amkpFc/s320/IMG_4407.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Universal Studios Singapore</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKwGT56LA4I4uriV3DJ6DATH6lOSg8Zc_BwAKIcNaZ7UFkanVQbDEMWZyKi_20gPA7UyLThToahbvhqoy5wlelYoDXwTvqxg19stIU7A0xkcxIhrzmuu5LBXo__QH8UgLgPfTNXyOIgQ/s1600/IMG_4401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKwGT56LA4I4uriV3DJ6DATH6lOSg8Zc_BwAKIcNaZ7UFkanVQbDEMWZyKi_20gPA7UyLThToahbvhqoy5wlelYoDXwTvqxg19stIU7A0xkcxIhrzmuu5LBXo__QH8UgLgPfTNXyOIgQ/s400/IMG_4401.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwBNtqaJn5GA5oMqpZzAUc9E2WieIvPFLyD7tlomM8L4Q377EwnUG8805TFCAVer1xtY_mzVndC-0UqE3Stsfc1Ze7_WNxPEvph80DexLNRQDNGJq1aOC_8Gr2HaJDP1yOFJFnHN_7Vo/s1600/IMG_4436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwBNtqaJn5GA5oMqpZzAUc9E2WieIvPFLyD7tlomM8L4Q377EwnUG8805TFCAVer1xtY_mzVndC-0UqE3Stsfc1Ze7_WNxPEvph80DexLNRQDNGJq1aOC_8Gr2HaJDP1yOFJFnHN_7Vo/s400/IMG_4436.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proboscis Monkey at the zoo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pdOWu4fX-R8PwlTB7y2q4b_UPeALJC2ISBjf2-XudUpRSsjSn2LcafnHQQJ6q7AlB9YTFNu808-L_DrCUehIEHNkyTBeR51AD1whElBk6pW_gILRlz8vpooxr_Lo5fUNbfacwPf_1ns/s1600/IMG_4420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pdOWu4fX-R8PwlTB7y2q4b_UPeALJC2ISBjf2-XudUpRSsjSn2LcafnHQQJ6q7AlB9YTFNu808-L_DrCUehIEHNkyTBeR51AD1whElBk6pW_gILRlz8vpooxr_Lo5fUNbfacwPf_1ns/s400/IMG_4420.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdaRzCYdGPz3ZBUnr5VHKTVHT7khhWg8Cw2-IYjWtw_gO0If0fy-80M-sBe9zket4q8f0Q2qMSwRna7Rg6Ud0BTEFRuu4N0z2AsWezlealmGhKlp96ubRzBT2QFB2cg_ljm9DAKPp_R4/s1600/IMG_4447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdaRzCYdGPz3ZBUnr5VHKTVHT7khhWg8Cw2-IYjWtw_gO0If0fy-80M-sBe9zket4q8f0Q2qMSwRna7Rg6Ud0BTEFRuu4N0z2AsWezlealmGhKlp96ubRzBT2QFB2cg_ljm9DAKPp_R4/s320/IMG_4447.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGsQotP-ex7tGVTjZW16BeCRcqwXftMKeImsrodNkOZDGihanMpMZEMIs49aMH-si4CtdriH4JjBc2SO6QG5ez7BWZfYbtIcKNjruRIoZn1gTL6PVLbEJCOMsW88TZeW368lXFnX561c/s1600/IMG_4472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span id="goog_1584562345"></span><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGsQotP-ex7tGVTjZW16BeCRcqwXftMKeImsrodNkOZDGihanMpMZEMIs49aMH-si4CtdriH4JjBc2SO6QG5ez7BWZfYbtIcKNjruRIoZn1gTL6PVLbEJCOMsW88TZeW368lXFnX561c/s400/IMG_4472.JPG" width="400" /><span id="goog_1584562346"></span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN10rqTSYPptJbDiqWTOwUeVyB-AckLgQMNEIDoYDAERIJhwBbjauCPCNBRJbJ-biKS2WvCo2rXCzmz4H40c2N-ddzJtddJ3JLWviHZRm6hqb-x5SZqU-ubU7_Ho4iyHaKzfCPmB1BOwE/s1600/IMG_4363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN10rqTSYPptJbDiqWTOwUeVyB-AckLgQMNEIDoYDAERIJhwBbjauCPCNBRJbJ-biKS2WvCo2rXCzmz4H40c2N-ddzJtddJ3JLWviHZRm6hqb-x5SZqU-ubU7_Ho4iyHaKzfCPmB1BOwE/s400/IMG_4363.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-90541453465250945522011-02-28T20:20:00.002+09:002011-02-28T21:19:14.920+09:00Bribing the Police in Bali<span style="font-size: large;">The next episode of the winter vacation trip took place in Bali. We headed to the center of the island to the city of Ubud. We stayed in a gorgeous hotel and there were cheap, professional massages all up and down the road. I think I indulged in a massage everyday. How could I not when it's only five to ten dollars? Where else can you do that? There is tons to do in Ubud. There are beautiful rice terraces to explore, ancient temples to visit, delicious Balinese food to eat, and monkeys to play with. I made a video from our visit to the Monkey Forest, just scroll down to the bottom of the post to see some fantastic monkey footage. Our first day there we played with the monkeys, visited a really old temple, and went to see the white herons. Sometime in the mid 1960's thousands of herons began flocking to a one kilometer stretch of road next to some rice paddies outside of Ubud. Since then, they show up everyday around 6pm and no one knows why they started doing this or why they continue. It's best to view the phenomena from afar to avoid being shat upon. Also, avoid standing under any trees for more than a heartbeat.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZSsbRJ0_K9Aekb2RTQOStkbi7MFu-gDDCYRDk4lmDzjoJsyMExe958fJlVeYRlu7iZpV-Hp-Vr2UtGbsUipdUtbRZ0laxoL-qrc4CCLiLpXZ73RKZfzFLloyxFaoptUuayVG7tZRBYw/s1600/IMG_4246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZSsbRJ0_K9Aekb2RTQOStkbi7MFu-gDDCYRDk4lmDzjoJsyMExe958fJlVeYRlu7iZpV-Hp-Vr2UtGbsUipdUtbRZ0laxoL-qrc4CCLiLpXZ73RKZfzFLloyxFaoptUuayVG7tZRBYw/s400/IMG_4246.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're in Bali!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4T1XJIp9_z9rhoA8TS4Tee6D4xoJn0oVYfVWnJAnwhTJ-iX7cddlb2lKxEPyRVSzr1N5HEbtcerwRABggQ8KDbwWauabEdmj_ggGg8U7QXmxQ8FNMGTRhre3MAkAzdsRJiH43HMSGvg/s1600/IMG_4244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4T1XJIp9_z9rhoA8TS4Tee6D4xoJn0oVYfVWnJAnwhTJ-iX7cddlb2lKxEPyRVSzr1N5HEbtcerwRABggQ8KDbwWauabEdmj_ggGg8U7QXmxQ8FNMGTRhre3MAkAzdsRJiH43HMSGvg/s320/IMG_4244.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEk-ymzeJAT0yyGXuEkg_7MoUgLj2I9GpzQKKn6-JoRpYLr4QfXy6Rm2zJgJo_Z21JrOTee3HuFjIQZbwkqPF4bHNImViZ8P6_RBwGNF_CJl0BGO0pD23ymnzhp8MVPdecRurUyqhVvM/s1600/IMG_4205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEk-ymzeJAT0yyGXuEkg_7MoUgLj2I9GpzQKKn6-JoRpYLr4QfXy6Rm2zJgJo_Z21JrOTee3HuFjIQZbwkqPF4bHNImViZ8P6_RBwGNF_CJl0BGO0pD23ymnzhp8MVPdecRurUyqhVvM/s400/IMG_4205.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CPSkG3In5CbPenastzeRxBwM6KOdYg-sITo9L_ReR20Eph9Ucxs6pCBxGBrM0QISm4tM8w02-SN6GJFUPTHen54RnvhWVGdYR-nCEH-1szAFK_FSIcd5s19NWsvJ23JWYjcjiNlTuu8/s1600/IMG_4227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CPSkG3In5CbPenastzeRxBwM6KOdYg-sITo9L_ReR20Eph9Ucxs6pCBxGBrM0QISm4tM8w02-SN6GJFUPTHen54RnvhWVGdYR-nCEH-1szAFK_FSIcd5s19NWsvJ23JWYjcjiNlTuu8/s320/IMG_4227.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look in the trees, so many herons!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEznrmNjoGqSHFEYWi3nkMtLxpm32mNfP56LkLZS4FL-pNGKhyphenhyphen5EoGTDmXmUQLd7DL2k8C014Gq6sbRCxlKixOQXn7Gk2GbPpw4E0x7XDMzog3npjcoJlLBocwZHwhg3fqmxSUiWGpD58/s1600/IMG_4211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEznrmNjoGqSHFEYWi3nkMtLxpm32mNfP56LkLZS4FL-pNGKhyphenhyphen5EoGTDmXmUQLd7DL2k8C014Gq6sbRCxlKixOQXn7Gk2GbPpw4E0x7XDMzog3npjcoJlLBocwZHwhg3fqmxSUiWGpD58/s320/IMG_4211.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The next day was our designated rent a scooter day and ride around the island. The plan was to get the scooters in the morning, head north to the rim of a very large volcano, and hit up some temples along the way. We traveled north out of the cities and pretty soon we were in rural Bali on a steady incline to the volcano. After about forty-five minutes we saw a police truck on the side of the road and two officers standing on the center stripe waving for us to pull over. I was thinking "drug search" in my head because the same thing had happened a year ago in Thailand. However, the first thing the officer said was, "Driver's license." Myself, Zach, and Fan were each driving a scooter with our respective special lady friends riding on the back. So we handed the officer a Kansas, Kentucky, and Chinese driver's license. The officer soon found this unacceptable and said, "International Driver's License." I thought, "What is he talking about?" In China, Korea, and Thailand you don't need an IDL to drive a scooter so I hadn't thought about needing one in Indonesia. Then the dialogue went a little something like this:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us:</b> "Uh? What? International Driver's License? Since when do you need that? You don't need that? Right?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer:</b> "You sure do. Look." Points to a couple sentences on our rental agreement forms that basically says you must have an IDL to drive a scooter. (Oops.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"Mmmm yeah, about that.... we didn't realize we needed that. Haha... yeah, we don't exactly have an IDL. Sorry dude."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"Where are you heading?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"The volcano, sir."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"Almost made it, didn't you? How are long are you staying in Bali?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"Three more days, sir."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"Well, you have two options. One is to go to the courts in Bali and fight this as an injustice."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"That certainly sounds unappealing. What's option two?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"You will have to pay a fine of one million Rupiah (a little over a hundred dollars) at the bank and it will take four days to process."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"This also sounds unappealing."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Inside My Head: </b>"How convenient that we will leave in three days and the fine will take four days to process. I think I see where this is going."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"So we don't want to do either of those things you just said. Like we said, we leave in three days."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"How can I help you?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"We don't know, how CAN you help us?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"Tell ME how I can help you."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"YOU tell us how you can help us."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"You should tell me how I can HELP you."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"We can't pay a fee in four days, so how about we pay BEFORE."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"When do you WANT to pay?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"How about now? Now seems like a good time."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"Ok, how much money do have?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"Not as much as that number you said earlier. We're just poor backpackers on our way to see your lovely volcano and your beautiful temples."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"Mmmm hmmm, so how much do you think you should pay?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>***Awkward Silence***</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Me: </b>"200,000 ($20)?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer: </b>"Not enough, how about 100,000 for each scooter. So 300,000 ($30)."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Us: </b>"Ok, glad we could take care of this now."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Police Officer:</b> "Pleasure doing business with you." *Slips the money in to his pocket*</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So that was my first experience in bribing someone in the business of law enforcement. I though it went pretty smoothly. We went from almost having to pay over $300 to paying just over $30. However, it was apparent that this guy was out to get a bribe in the first place. Later we learned that our experience was rather usual and the amount we paid was fairly typical. Just another day in Southeast Asia. Besides that nothing else too exciting happened. We had lunch on the rim on the volcano, saw some more temples, ate some pig skin, and made it down to Kuta Beach a few days later. Kuta Beach is the most popular place to visit in Bali, but if you're not a surfer it is highly over rated. It's too rough to swim, it's crowded, it's dirty, and there are hawkers trying to sell you something every three paces. So we just drank. Anyway, enjoy some pictures and the next stop is Singapore.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iAUHm9Xf-Gxsp20F2UWZebmmUvjQ6TGpAgB2iZxLprJd0pLhHCRt3EQYYibgXuZXayTbBXzfqioeLRmVc2znmszheMq-7-0F2DgYw0VSOFlYj6om4JjuqKwYK0s1VZeupj699Zd34I4/s1600/IMG_4281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iAUHm9Xf-Gxsp20F2UWZebmmUvjQ6TGpAgB2iZxLprJd0pLhHCRt3EQYYibgXuZXayTbBXzfqioeLRmVc2znmszheMq-7-0F2DgYw0VSOFlYj6om4JjuqKwYK0s1VZeupj699Zd34I4/s320/IMG_4281.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's the volcano!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgPF1cLRGzFIbOCfgdgMiEVKquRcGWKK5kRlklxXWEFR_DHsOz2sOtFHLrDRA74jDH4DlfKQH5Xob5g7HHw9QQre-60wX8mcvVquLXRQ8lfNAscTHJ6-7fSvj5aYfHQJRDax5f7nnPOE/s1600/IMG_4264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgPF1cLRGzFIbOCfgdgMiEVKquRcGWKK5kRlklxXWEFR_DHsOz2sOtFHLrDRA74jDH4DlfKQH5Xob5g7HHw9QQre-60wX8mcvVquLXRQ8lfNAscTHJ6-7fSvj5aYfHQJRDax5f7nnPOE/s400/IMG_4264.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuat-bRi8z3x-DxXyXPXh75FEkc1FoVHHtlOhyphenhyphenwW_ub1cg44RybMqqafqD4Dtf_cgLgE2pDJXbsadbsfw3OESoqtA52vkAhNa2Cc4zf2bcREPNyeEuJvZUGXyoO18WkeuJ0BorxhYBCs/s1600/IMG_4320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuat-bRi8z3x-DxXyXPXh75FEkc1FoVHHtlOhyphenhyphenwW_ub1cg44RybMqqafqD4Dtf_cgLgE2pDJXbsadbsfw3OESoqtA52vkAhNa2Cc4zf2bcREPNyeEuJvZUGXyoO18WkeuJ0BorxhYBCs/s400/IMG_4320.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to wear traditional dress when we visited the temples.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1-ZR7kr5PSd_FJpbuwAJoDQk9Q-xlj0qa00lybwPlEXad1zv-9_XBcjMx8MP89igzUsdSbAnk8B1oZ-0B88UrR-6WcHp9v8uB_hlAQyBOl48SGpZtBlesWI9iD0YlxPIu7xC6RaXS5I/s1600/IMG_4318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1-ZR7kr5PSd_FJpbuwAJoDQk9Q-xlj0qa00lybwPlEXad1zv-9_XBcjMx8MP89igzUsdSbAnk8B1oZ-0B88UrR-6WcHp9v8uB_hlAQyBOl48SGpZtBlesWI9iD0YlxPIu7xC6RaXS5I/s320/IMG_4318.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNE8hVi9Kyjkw3_yD_emMqLgguTtvahCGbBTFIlOF_MXz4paUIb8PCtJuunn4e1dKhZmLupL1KROyoR197OCDdp9HW_lHngjd4v4LK9qKApq_DqcFi8zNjwUtDliOAEe4KgekeJkRiSQ/s1600/IMG_4322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNE8hVi9Kyjkw3_yD_emMqLgguTtvahCGbBTFIlOF_MXz4paUIb8PCtJuunn4e1dKhZmLupL1KROyoR197OCDdp9HW_lHngjd4v4LK9qKApq_DqcFi8zNjwUtDliOAEe4KgekeJkRiSQ/s320/IMG_4322.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNgEH5q5s5Hiep21AcPCSiPkRIi_syZDknRhbGv6pyDSqMug7dHJUTVHxbfVIHkhX8iFNprdPhDpOuDs11VJoiohAkQBIxE0bULElntcbaCHuOpo_gXXO4PL4bW1UNUdwZdYoJH7qxqo/s1600/IMG_4271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNgEH5q5s5Hiep21AcPCSiPkRIi_syZDknRhbGv6pyDSqMug7dHJUTVHxbfVIHkhX8iFNprdPhDpOuDs11VJoiohAkQBIxE0bULElntcbaCHuOpo_gXXO4PL4bW1UNUdwZdYoJH7qxqo/s400/IMG_4271.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYS4VU39qFgbI3hO_BHcdC-z_2JRLt1wSWPWKcLhLEiWlG0Qk7YAUsnj3147fphz9oMzSwc2tBpkllpkNSGQffvnJC3CAtNlL090GPhlICky2lhB7mQeTLozK11LFbyGjG-4rMaZLkYgQ/s1600/IMG_4329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYS4VU39qFgbI3hO_BHcdC-z_2JRLt1wSWPWKcLhLEiWlG0Qk7YAUsnj3147fphz9oMzSwc2tBpkllpkNSGQffvnJC3CAtNlL090GPhlICky2lhB7mQeTLozK11LFbyGjG-4rMaZLkYgQ/s400/IMG_4329.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A water temple.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0P1UjKFExf70AFRaD0iX92q9yAyC18VzvLZZuKfvz8CP7vRqT9uOPL0K8oXmp_9wfWPPxVPvmVzhwIOGLseelHafnehIA-4Vj8vs6M8GFnoWzfx0umAK6RXxbRFvYNoq0x7ItFV6o4Q/s1600/IMG_4339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0P1UjKFExf70AFRaD0iX92q9yAyC18VzvLZZuKfvz8CP7vRqT9uOPL0K8oXmp_9wfWPPxVPvmVzhwIOGLseelHafnehIA-4Vj8vs6M8GFnoWzfx0umAK6RXxbRFvYNoq0x7ItFV6o4Q/s320/IMG_4339.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dzzqo1O-P0s" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
Video I put together from Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-49344135775488945452011-02-22T13:52:00.000+09:002011-02-22T13:52:35.544+09:00Annoying Sea Turtles in the Gili Islands<span style="font-size: large;">From Bali you can take a two hour boat ride to a small archipelago of three islands named the Gili Islands. These islands look like the perfect tropical getaways that you see on travel shows. If you were to be successful in a million dollar bank robbery, this is where you would go to hide from any international crime stoppers. The Gili Islands are undeveloped and untouched from any resorts or travel packages. In fact, nothing with a motor is allowed on the islands. To travel any significant distance on the islands' dirt roads your options are to rent a bike or hire a guy with a donkey with a cart attached.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOJo-pe4cjOU6lKpzgWI7DCnNkdBvW_hrDTQ3SWDQqulyRVfKKhYOcejWb5_DvQ-X8phnW0YSJOB1iun0kI16aUQK_hephubBPR0XyffKF7RqnPNhH9xy4Y913rd61ndrPdQUBzRtU3M/s1600/IMG_4084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOJo-pe4cjOU6lKpzgWI7DCnNkdBvW_hrDTQ3SWDQqulyRVfKKhYOcejWb5_DvQ-X8phnW0YSJOB1iun0kI16aUQK_hephubBPR0XyffKF7RqnPNhH9xy4Y913rd61ndrPdQUBzRtU3M/s320/IMG_4084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nwSIHu9GD2NQ8BxKSZTcyS4P5uoxM2s6mnbvGCR1DKbOoJs3rLprD6OvX53RosnYDRyleTDo9vkbpWMvPgcp5bWiQcbg9fZ2HnJd0tMQGyQAgnMczaWnRlVXIjd7rD9xN_20LbRckhI/s1600/IMG_4079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nwSIHu9GD2NQ8BxKSZTcyS4P5uoxM2s6mnbvGCR1DKbOoJs3rLprD6OvX53RosnYDRyleTDo9vkbpWMvPgcp5bWiQcbg9fZ2HnJd0tMQGyQAgnMczaWnRlVXIjd7rD9xN_20LbRckhI/s320/IMG_4079.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We arrived on Caroline's birthday and stayed for four days. If it wasn't for limited time we could have easily lost track of what day it was and spent a couple of weeks there. Basically we did what you do when you're on a small tropical island. We slept, laid on the beach, ate, drank (a lot), and swam in the ocean. However, the real highlight was the snorkeling. Twice we hired our own private glass bottom boat to drive us around the three islands all day and stop at great snorkeling sites. Our driver and guide smoked a fat doobie on our first day of snorkeling, and on the second day there were no joints but he did inform us that he had just finished a psychedelic mushroom milkshake right before he jumped behind the wheel to take us in to the ocean. So it goes in the Gili Islands.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNpBwriEnfM3-yneN-75rrPSs1p08ZPp1UZNCFuL44UeESKSbWIaeoa-9kA5i6C5ipKDIZi2Cu9xjHlj3OYxd3_Mk9hOFJmQTTljigkgAlNqtmPVQT5Ia1BmuSeHZtQi2mKTOcpE5M9M/s1600/IMG_4028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNpBwriEnfM3-yneN-75rrPSs1p08ZPp1UZNCFuL44UeESKSbWIaeoa-9kA5i6C5ipKDIZi2Cu9xjHlj3OYxd3_Mk9hOFJmQTTljigkgAlNqtmPVQT5Ia1BmuSeHZtQi2mKTOcpE5M9M/s320/IMG_4028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday Shots!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRs60FSpodDdUxfW6njYRqgEZ3DrvTsOiyD8i83s30mta0Lq25wNhipX8y4Xfqasd0CUiXUrt_0O9Z8xpTql2qk_0w7u51QS4PO2deC3Ps3PsuBSw-1UbY-f06PofEoMD2qOowW8bzB1s/s1600/IMG_4061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRs60FSpodDdUxfW6njYRqgEZ3DrvTsOiyD8i83s30mta0Lq25wNhipX8y4Xfqasd0CUiXUrt_0O9Z8xpTql2qk_0w7u51QS4PO2deC3Ps3PsuBSw-1UbY-f06PofEoMD2qOowW8bzB1s/s320/IMG_4061.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The snorkeling was spectacular! I had never done snorkeling like this. I didn't know it could be so amazing. The Gili Islands are surrounded by beautiful coral reefs. When ever anyone saw a sea turtle they would scream "Turtle!" to anyone with in a mile and we would all swim as fast as we could to catch a glimpse. Then we would play the game "See Who Can Pet the Sea Turtle." This would last until the turtle out smarted us and dove to depths too deep for oxygen breathing warm blooded mammals. We also encountered a school of jellyfish, a couple puffer fish, a scary looking eel, varieties of tropical fish, and remnants of steel from a sunken ship. I want to go back to the Gili Islands with no time constraints, lose track of the days, and worry about whether I should be using SPF 8 or SPF 15. Even though we had to leave the Gili Islands, I couldn't complain too much because the next stop was Bali. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yN6F5HL8fxMqdR9xIshal-cF6DOaR3zAvwx8xb823ZIqx4QzlA4UEBV82WqK_Sk5sAZ5gdzNgN9ceUmHFyuzHCoVt3JiHnAVfbublE_JcWx7903dKC3SJI4Ws-M2fvxgIWhEV_QQYGI/s1600/IMG_4082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yN6F5HL8fxMqdR9xIshal-cF6DOaR3zAvwx8xb823ZIqx4QzlA4UEBV82WqK_Sk5sAZ5gdzNgN9ceUmHFyuzHCoVt3JiHnAVfbublE_JcWx7903dKC3SJI4Ws-M2fvxgIWhEV_QQYGI/s320/IMG_4082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Sea Turtles at a Conservation Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgcqZH-hB1JP0D_NAp7Rr_7w75wH1us8LpdjXVrqGmnJpNVrbJejAP06YA_lbfTaFHO75-j3YW3ad4ZxIlylrEsQVmyoNnm9aJpm1Zei3FZhZdEvvLYKRuXqV5jB7GfHUNIvNCmT2_2E/s1600/IMG_4078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgcqZH-hB1JP0D_NAp7Rr_7w75wH1us8LpdjXVrqGmnJpNVrbJejAP06YA_lbfTaFHO75-j3YW3ad4ZxIlylrEsQVmyoNnm9aJpm1Zei3FZhZdEvvLYKRuXqV5jB7GfHUNIvNCmT2_2E/s320/IMG_4078.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzLsDa1xHBakXYzkRW91MUsdwNNi2AcREKiszRsrZ450h4_1rAEhqteWmSYUQPoR3Iat97YX5miGBUNfPQm9w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kerri swims under the glass bottom boat! </div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-83724505588817521172011-02-14T18:52:00.000+09:002011-02-14T18:52:12.381+09:00Volcanic Ash In Yogyakarta<span style="font-size: large;">From Kuala Lumpur we took a flight to Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The primary reason for visiting this place for a couple days was to see its magnificent and very large ancient temples. I was particularly excited for this portion of the trip because ever since I saw Angkor Wat I have been fascinated by these sorts of things. The main attractions were Borobudur and Prambanan. However, if you read the news then you may know that very near to Yogyakarta is a very big and very active volcano named Mount Merapi. In fact, the volcano blew up in early November and killed well over three hundred people living around the base of the volcano. Volcanic ash covered everything and clean up was near complete by the time we arrived.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We landed very early in the morning, made it to the hostel, ate some food, and jumped in a van that would take us to see Borobudur. It is a Buddhist temple that is over 1200 years old. It was abandoned because it was believed that it was bad luck and could kill people. This resulted in the temple becoming buried under layers of volcanic ash and jungle vegetation. Then in the early 19th century a Dutch explorer rediscovered the temple, gave it a good scrub down, and nothing has really changed since. Anyway, thirty minutes in to the van ride it started to rain and the traffic suddenly became very congested. This is the first time I ever heard the word <i>lahar</i>. What is lahar? I can tell you this information now from experience. Take leftover volcanic ash from a recent explosion, take some debris, and just add water. You get yourself a murky, muddy, wet cement like sludge that flows unmercifully over river valleys leaving a trail of destruction. When the flow stops it hardens and cements everything that was in its path. So the reason for the before mentioned traffic jam was because a couple blocks ahead if us a large flow of lahar made its way to the road making the route impassible. Our driver was determined to get us to the temple and took a detour through little rural villages. This detour was two hours long and before the lahar incident we were only ten minutes away. We finally arrived tired, cranky, and hungry. However, the temple was quite amazing and offered a great view of the menacing Mount Merapi.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdeJW1BPja6b0K8FonnXQWaejTjT2IrfawhxLSjaZghyphenhyphenbdVUysgvrUfsCnykxx7L-3fB0ZFBkdVObApF9mGR4N4Nw0sWKUcMzViOxKyNKHjLmTMCeSz3cXVoIKlPV9yPRPF-q9Nl-f9A/s1600/IMG_3893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdeJW1BPja6b0K8FonnXQWaejTjT2IrfawhxLSjaZghyphenhyphenbdVUysgvrUfsCnykxx7L-3fB0ZFBkdVObApF9mGR4N4Nw0sWKUcMzViOxKyNKHjLmTMCeSz3cXVoIKlPV9yPRPF-q9Nl-f9A/s320/IMG_3893.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3uTPROLQXWtPNOC7Kv0flMswS9S3HxHgpU-iw3r5CQGRyrHpCHoY8oCMlzfyO1-AIxQEzWT6uGZh4E__5aFYvtI05ZW9lQsRT6yXiL7k5zKcndLCUqrYPaMN-1wOT_0RBe4h_vN7INM/s1600/IMG_3879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3uTPROLQXWtPNOC7Kv0flMswS9S3HxHgpU-iw3r5CQGRyrHpCHoY8oCMlzfyO1-AIxQEzWT6uGZh4E__5aFYvtI05ZW9lQsRT6yXiL7k5zKcndLCUqrYPaMN-1wOT_0RBe4h_vN7INM/s400/IMG_3879.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArASIWfU8nz6Qdn7YdhNGWbNorvfev9RPXpgV9cAQJRDJgqsZ24o51eDECSI2O2wQyH_nk7MvI7K0PDur76cTg5wVKJc7OAcmGvAhDbPczWZ74JySvbbIFbPR3vsmGbFa4xTjat62Cmg/s1600/IMG_3890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArASIWfU8nz6Qdn7YdhNGWbNorvfev9RPXpgV9cAQJRDJgqsZ24o51eDECSI2O2wQyH_nk7MvI7K0PDur76cTg5wVKJc7OAcmGvAhDbPczWZ74JySvbbIFbPR3vsmGbFa4xTjat62Cmg/s320/IMG_3890.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyonC8T25jpaADZTtYfWxp1Vkiu7W8kn3TO4vAF_NDzqOTzQIiYPj6NCIwcnWafPLYX47wRf80PxtE04DhIBlNX5ql9CkYChmHX6lf322Tu7mv-SvLppfpG7DL-K2whxEXqP4hQadQzg/s1600/IMG_3903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyonC8T25jpaADZTtYfWxp1Vkiu7W8kn3TO4vAF_NDzqOTzQIiYPj6NCIwcnWafPLYX47wRf80PxtE04DhIBlNX5ql9CkYChmHX6lf322Tu7mv-SvLppfpG7DL-K2whxEXqP4hQadQzg/s400/IMG_3903.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CtOC4CdrB80aGRpOVU_LBYg3aJqOXAX6IKIvqNo_VD5glR6vnJmpPA9fEzPWSbh6Ubr9JkrwCBS7GqI9pzastdRRtgvgxfvjHHBAnasaqX35RShNAl-3OIUKxA61Ef1zWyTYlBxlYhE/s1600/IMG_3927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CtOC4CdrB80aGRpOVU_LBYg3aJqOXAX6IKIvqNo_VD5glR6vnJmpPA9fEzPWSbh6Ubr9JkrwCBS7GqI9pzastdRRtgvgxfvjHHBAnasaqX35RShNAl-3OIUKxA61Ef1zWyTYlBxlYhE/s400/IMG_3927.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThV7nAy-N8ZSMr7h26yfg4a-2bVMdqdxEj_AvMNunnjIOaP-BCblXdraJwP8Ywr-RZtAJWHz85v9w5iYfz5YymZ5W1Xkqhzb1iw0s56EHDwh5E2CgCHhYzKB8IamgyRubUPgf4EouwgI/s1600/IMG_3908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThV7nAy-N8ZSMr7h26yfg4a-2bVMdqdxEj_AvMNunnjIOaP-BCblXdraJwP8Ywr-RZtAJWHz85v9w5iYfz5YymZ5W1Xkqhzb1iw0s56EHDwh5E2CgCHhYzKB8IamgyRubUPgf4EouwgI/s320/IMG_3908.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hLVERMrjlGznHNqY_tF1aZB8-a0CadImNPNtLOwAyrpD8QF4AKQtE7TCwpw5jcWMkoIJJkdhbh7x-LJDiA2_vgIRSxSdSblG0PTTJHB1EduuG9l9w8u94Z0yovOzq6k2f1G03xwZ2H0/s1600/IMG_3912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hLVERMrjlGznHNqY_tF1aZB8-a0CadImNPNtLOwAyrpD8QF4AKQtE7TCwpw5jcWMkoIJJkdhbh7x-LJDiA2_vgIRSxSdSblG0PTTJHB1EduuG9l9w8u94Z0yovOzq6k2f1G03xwZ2H0/s320/IMG_3912.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2HQ6oj1B6TeQu6uVVRbViDSswkrLVYircbRf6iN4F0gJ8W4-HV-Idx7GIm0xrZpy6jHg_eY3UdiPUosHA35ocGBshbBpRGVn7komrs1C-ycT7zG_fXGfblalmA7F7ZE6ltyIf9GxTFs/s1600/IMG_3919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2HQ6oj1B6TeQu6uVVRbViDSswkrLVYircbRf6iN4F0gJ8W4-HV-Idx7GIm0xrZpy6jHg_eY3UdiPUosHA35ocGBshbBpRGVn7komrs1C-ycT7zG_fXGfblalmA7F7ZE6ltyIf9GxTFs/s320/IMG_3919.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The next day we went to Prambanan. It's a Hindu temple that is over 1100 years old. Since it was first built it has been destroyed repeatedly by earthquakes and eruptions from Mount Merapi. Presently large portions have been reconstructed but there is a lot of rubble surrounding the site. It was raining again but this time we avoided any lahar. We walked around with our umbrellas and followed some young tour guide volunteers who were currently in training and practicing their English. Prambanan didn't have the same grandeur as Borobudur but it was still impressive and interesting. Next we had a flight to Bali and it was time for the beach.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1caf4IBkoEC-kcV-z-q3qscfNtjc5JkWTUiZjiD2jy9MKPpzvqG3vCAboEcRsN6pTSsKi8CRY7LBlilki9uUX7lEPiLdyjUX9U-S3NtQ9d2iprL6hqPv95PBoETiphux9cUAiD9rV3c/s1600/IMG_3948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1caf4IBkoEC-kcV-z-q3qscfNtjc5JkWTUiZjiD2jy9MKPpzvqG3vCAboEcRsN6pTSsKi8CRY7LBlilki9uUX7lEPiLdyjUX9U-S3NtQ9d2iprL6hqPv95PBoETiphux9cUAiD9rV3c/s320/IMG_3948.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH87ONxgEGkzytr-4V8AasewnuqfFMtawnhaI-eQvBfCuROZvMRKyz3bp6TC0k2JgFJMh8pVsgxsUFNbObVtyLVMc3twFv2UOQSOS5LqjwtloP_XsMZd977VzRPERZ15aE5jFex-dcVzs/s1600/IMG_3945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH87ONxgEGkzytr-4V8AasewnuqfFMtawnhaI-eQvBfCuROZvMRKyz3bp6TC0k2JgFJMh8pVsgxsUFNbObVtyLVMc3twFv2UOQSOS5LqjwtloP_XsMZd977VzRPERZ15aE5jFex-dcVzs/s400/IMG_3945.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAEl52BCQnaOiycyCq9aMwz6c4rZdx5liFsNuBrC6tG3YnHw5BVBRPysU-fE1M4i2YLHNApO_diAxKLEGaVqThgJpaZF1-oquOdd6-K23RzKAMudgV0EmdLR-N3jZ8ci13sB_0RWppkc/s1600/IMG_3971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAEl52BCQnaOiycyCq9aMwz6c4rZdx5liFsNuBrC6tG3YnHw5BVBRPysU-fE1M4i2YLHNApO_diAxKLEGaVqThgJpaZF1-oquOdd6-K23RzKAMudgV0EmdLR-N3jZ8ci13sB_0RWppkc/s400/IMG_3971.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcf8fLvfroBHAiJKshgqS_yuWwF9ZOVgpfN8qMP-dFl2P0q-5nhlVhhcjsGnFzbvflL0HyWN0o6hjdbo7g10b0eccOAtVLC1lp0BnAusU0FTZmzIt7UmHIaDRE-Tp1GJSV58JSsmx7bY/s1600/IMG_3956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcf8fLvfroBHAiJKshgqS_yuWwF9ZOVgpfN8qMP-dFl2P0q-5nhlVhhcjsGnFzbvflL0HyWN0o6hjdbo7g10b0eccOAtVLC1lp0BnAusU0FTZmzIt7UmHIaDRE-Tp1GJSV58JSsmx7bY/s320/IMG_3956.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBSYk6ONJmDT4X8fsSpfrDcsxpE4jaEQaIEqpfbcNVMxuIeRsSLI9E7IYztKFJ1wGE9VycEpMp1S8-XkEGopIFda9x16zIZ8Q7rn6fCY4i5sPESMCcFJNwNaOeRd5KupAG4r5a2-CVIo/s1600/IMG_3987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBSYk6ONJmDT4X8fsSpfrDcsxpE4jaEQaIEqpfbcNVMxuIeRsSLI9E7IYztKFJ1wGE9VycEpMp1S8-XkEGopIFda9x16zIZ8Q7rn6fCY4i5sPESMCcFJNwNaOeRd5KupAG4r5a2-CVIo/s320/IMG_3987.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYFmJs04IGSVHm-NF1iDtrfjQXoBIgui1wm3wABS1aA9xllmsz_7dgsipLbzDn7UkWOU50M42pGwW0slDaicrwtA43ymVTd2TYfVpPTK4lTG2SDPdKt_XC_wVdm52LaDZOPTyZgS8jDw/s1600/IMG_3992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYFmJs04IGSVHm-NF1iDtrfjQXoBIgui1wm3wABS1aA9xllmsz_7dgsipLbzDn7UkWOU50M42pGwW0slDaicrwtA43ymVTd2TYfVpPTK4lTG2SDPdKt_XC_wVdm52LaDZOPTyZgS8jDw/s400/IMG_3992.JPG" width="400" /></a>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-59021909402361102092011-02-12T17:45:00.000+09:002011-02-12T17:45:00.915+09:00Monkey Disease in Kuala Lumpur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uKDai86DnFBFWowPxRziiXGjdob7qihzCZYdZR9ZzY5FmB06JdrtB6TI_VcQwmHP4n3PlXfNjPPkDMOVkA9Ow51wWol7lesSG2PEqKFjGPCv_7NWISTUfc19FEBW86Q_bA3fvTlmX3U/s1600/Petronas-Towers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uKDai86DnFBFWowPxRziiXGjdob7qihzCZYdZR9ZzY5FmB06JdrtB6TI_VcQwmHP4n3PlXfNjPPkDMOVkA9Ow51wWol7lesSG2PEqKFjGPCv_7NWISTUfc19FEBW86Q_bA3fvTlmX3U/s320/Petronas-Towers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">It's 5 a.m. and I walk off the plane in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. It's dark and hot. I'm tired and spacey. Malays, Chinese, Indians, Arabians, and Persians are walking past me, offering me rides, sleeping on the ground, and speaking in various languages. I find a bus to take me to the city center. I doze off and on. I think I see the Petronas Twin Towers lit up in the distance. I find a taxi. We have trouble finding the hostel. We have to look at a map several times. I finally make it to the hostel past 6 a.m., just as the receptionist is opening the front doors for the morning. She says I can check in later and shows me to the dorm room. I see my friends sleeping in their beds, climb to my bunk, and pass out. That's how my three week winter vacation began.<br />
<br />
I just arrived back in Korea and I'm ready to share some stories and pictures from this year's winter vacation. The first stop is Kuala Lumpur where I only spent one full day, but it was an active and productive one day. The first thing I noticed about Malaysia is that it must be the melting pot of Asia. I see so many different faces, colors, and wardrobes. I find this to be extremely refreshing. In China there are Chinese, in Korea there are Koreans, and in Thailand there are Thais. In Malaysia there is everybody. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and who ever else you want to throw in to the pot. And they're not bombing each other! We can all hold hands and frolic in a field! Get out the picnic blankets and blow some bubbles, because there is a country in Asia where multiculturalism is not only accepted but encouraged and proud of itself. I think in my head, "Hey, Iran, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea, and Tea Party Members, it can be done. Look we can all get along in one country in Asia. So everybody just take a breath and calm down. Good times."</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />
<br />
Anyway, let's talk about the one full day in Kuala Lumpur. After about three hours of much needed sleep, I woke up and met my friends for some breakfast, "good to see you" conversation, and catching up. Then we were off to see the Batu Caves. The day before was Thaipusam, which is the Hindu holiday where they shove needles in to their cheeks, tongue, eye lids, chest, and just about anywhere a needle can go. I was slightly upset I missed this crazy display, but no matter. However, because the celebration was the day before, the Batu Caves were blanketed in trash. Still it was quite interesting. It's maybe the biggest Hindu shrine outside of India with a big, golden God statue standing outside. Then you climb the 272 steps while trying to avoid shifty eyed monkeys just waiting to take your morning time apple. In the caves are people with gold painted on their heads or ash on their face praying Hindu style. It was a spiritual experience, but not knowing very much about Hindu I'm sad to say it was one I didn't really understand.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DYIb9nQUVBiyycS8irIQwnYzkyvn8evKNfBcg-nNyyZU4z-i4EAPfDiA7aPYHJvJVAOhANO2oyh15MyWOlsoJvMt5BZwu9g4mmkyuf5eRw0AN1bsAoqmadw5gZQDb7NMzUYJMnRwP7g/s1600/IMG_3842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DYIb9nQUVBiyycS8irIQwnYzkyvn8evKNfBcg-nNyyZU4z-i4EAPfDiA7aPYHJvJVAOhANO2oyh15MyWOlsoJvMt5BZwu9g4mmkyuf5eRw0AN1bsAoqmadw5gZQDb7NMzUYJMnRwP7g/s400/IMG_3842.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeE8idfvfJfLj9i240wZ14bs0EKfceIlwXI1VCf2dWRZB-38Eb2dZAC1a9XVr4D1-jSxn7uz_AfRU_3yeFulpmN72gVKqmLeiV5uKlmBPtsyVyKyfUAswW9StJdY8AjTH0UoS-iTvYtQ/s1600/IMG_3791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeE8idfvfJfLj9i240wZ14bs0EKfceIlwXI1VCf2dWRZB-38Eb2dZAC1a9XVr4D1-jSxn7uz_AfRU_3yeFulpmN72gVKqmLeiV5uKlmBPtsyVyKyfUAswW9StJdY8AjTH0UoS-iTvYtQ/s320/IMG_3791.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIt4ACrbVoZQ_zpx2Ay_uOmlbqI3UzHFRbMI1FQkkMzBy_SZt8qAnGnzxsoVRspiX4vshdtTwzLtyz6_X8UZymz5oRuM02UvkKn14VM0POLC2s5efU6aqftpnvActgEoKgzJIK8d6s_U/s1600/IMG_3835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIt4ACrbVoZQ_zpx2Ay_uOmlbqI3UzHFRbMI1FQkkMzBy_SZt8qAnGnzxsoVRspiX4vshdtTwzLtyz6_X8UZymz5oRuM02UvkKn14VM0POLC2s5efU6aqftpnvActgEoKgzJIK8d6s_U/s320/IMG_3835.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Oy4d1ban64vB1NfX6X6NZWeS7msMtoam5WzqCjQiFvo3msvFA71ku9I-1ABnMcW7TL7zmemqMxXkk0zyrqTY8iP77fty_SRYpk1r3fTcIagXLLiz4JRaP4Q7zFXYrQlbRGxlDTvQZyc/s1600/IMG_3804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Oy4d1ban64vB1NfX6X6NZWeS7msMtoam5WzqCjQiFvo3msvFA71ku9I-1ABnMcW7TL7zmemqMxXkk0zyrqTY8iP77fty_SRYpk1r3fTcIagXLLiz4JRaP4Q7zFXYrQlbRGxlDTvQZyc/s320/IMG_3804.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XIC5HtD1LIxPnyXTHcl1A6V-A3W6qvasjPqyomVGzfvK_bDOikz9iajikBz-tuQDW4NCMzsixN5IBsZd8Anu2o7g5GGOsfbwCP7fX598EZ5C3S5JjeYPxtXUQOfSdfRo_zZSZzVBwJU/s1600/IMG_3821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XIC5HtD1LIxPnyXTHcl1A6V-A3W6qvasjPqyomVGzfvK_bDOikz9iajikBz-tuQDW4NCMzsixN5IBsZd8Anu2o7g5GGOsfbwCP7fX598EZ5C3S5JjeYPxtXUQOfSdfRo_zZSZzVBwJU/s400/IMG_3821.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjoaBZisRTpSKgCpew6fsg7MX3mbi507hgsFtPiuppyP14EDRNXpvpvD24kvOZD9sgeGNbbG3PQAiHce-pA1otKNALf6PSMiRFGUJNBJQKa8kSei0-ZhAFTwNIpFhkop0ssyKpzkg0TY/s1600/IMG_3813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjoaBZisRTpSKgCpew6fsg7MX3mbi507hgsFtPiuppyP14EDRNXpvpvD24kvOZD9sgeGNbbG3PQAiHce-pA1otKNALf6PSMiRFGUJNBJQKa8kSei0-ZhAFTwNIpFhkop0ssyKpzkg0TY/s320/IMG_3813.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_902136371"></span><span id="goog_902136372"></span> </span> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Back in the city I knew you could get a straight edge shave. I've always wanted one because it looks cool and it's one of those manly things to have a super sharp razor run across your face to rid you of your manly stubble. Zach and I found an old school Indian barber that would oblige us in our manly fantasies. He sat us in the chair, prepped our faces with creme, took the straight edge to our chins, and made faces at the girls that passed by his window. The experience was a little rougher than I had predicted. I thought it would be a really smooth ride but actually it was like shaving bark but with a little blood involved. Zach had a nice gusher in the throat region which I thought might lead to searching for the first aid kit. In the end, it was worth it and it was the closest shave I have ever had. I didn't get stubble until three days later!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf-ynoT-Hgmyky4fHpX5l25epmXM7CDQn_JU99IzsOM_OfJHxjG4baFiifgeBDjZmE4Ey2SnGBLljJsHSXb9XkcA8NuJ7A3qO2F1u62zWdBsFvv3UgTrTDITxpwsFFa9Kvwluo441kfY/s1600/IMG_3850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf-ynoT-Hgmyky4fHpX5l25epmXM7CDQn_JU99IzsOM_OfJHxjG4baFiifgeBDjZmE4Ey2SnGBLljJsHSXb9XkcA8NuJ7A3qO2F1u62zWdBsFvv3UgTrTDITxpwsFFa9Kvwluo441kfY/s400/IMG_3850.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clean Cut</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Next we took a ride outside the city to feed monkeys on a mountain side road. I bought a bag of sweet potatoes and there were monkeys all over me in seconds. One went straight for the whole bag and I fought this mama off my arm and won, but not with out receiving a bite on the finger. "Oh no, I have monkey disease!" I thought. I expressed my concern to our driver and he said, "No problem, the monkeys are vegetarians." I was unconvinced and sure I would have a high fever in ten minutes and a taste for flesh in twenty minutes. Luckily, that monkey wasn't a carrier of monkey disease and we spent the next hour having a great time feeding the monkeys, training them to climb up our legs, and hang out on our shoulders. In the end, we felt like we had made pretty good friends with the monkeys in Malaysia.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi071H9rSMuHMLltrUTha7FK6Wk_ThspZx1LkKRYbvXgQHIADkPrFIaGBahBkYg0bjv1aZpkdYiSP5_Sp67IWJdaaKxPorpr7nLSR1j2JF-Kdi3ytEqIvyi88eeQPiHQkl1EUWFcZ-_N68/s1600/182688_926013748990_12929728_46929024_6587091_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi071H9rSMuHMLltrUTha7FK6Wk_ThspZx1LkKRYbvXgQHIADkPrFIaGBahBkYg0bjv1aZpkdYiSP5_Sp67IWJdaaKxPorpr7nLSR1j2JF-Kdi3ytEqIvyi88eeQPiHQkl1EUWFcZ-_N68/s400/182688_926013748990_12929728_46929024_6587091_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qTaS1UfvOWx6KqkA-cP4otYg-V1R63F9m7dq1MX9AvnslD8czwXCZKsGdcAsCklmXd5zzcFPZhq93FPwXRBkMDyKOcq0K0TKXhrJMyL_fgtWTYqVAdoyUkk8md4SXA8gI47fyX-9icM/s1600/168792_926014243000_12929728_46929027_4821358_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qTaS1UfvOWx6KqkA-cP4otYg-V1R63F9m7dq1MX9AvnslD8czwXCZKsGdcAsCklmXd5zzcFPZhq93FPwXRBkMDyKOcq0K0TKXhrJMyL_fgtWTYqVAdoyUkk8md4SXA8gI47fyX-9icM/s320/168792_926014243000_12929728_46929027_4821358_n.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJhHDW9Akfwfd-GGj4nCv5iaWeJe5uO-a6-8CzMxLvSdTyi0rxqDsamTlUP9xfJXe5DcE2l3MPziHiNNlCwYkCwXjYyvOr9yfUCKIVQvhRPjk6Bd9azFeGOpX2owCB7CickapsputSfA/s1600/180934_926012965560_12929728_46928993_8277337_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJhHDW9Akfwfd-GGj4nCv5iaWeJe5uO-a6-8CzMxLvSdTyi0rxqDsamTlUP9xfJXe5DcE2l3MPziHiNNlCwYkCwXjYyvOr9yfUCKIVQvhRPjk6Bd9azFeGOpX2owCB7CickapsputSfA/s640/180934_926012965560_12929728_46928993_8277337_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome action shot from Becky!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_902136420"></span><span id="goog_902136421"></span>Night fall came and we took a boat ride on the river to see the magical trees filled with lightening bugs. It was like somebody had filled the trees with blinking Christmas lights to fool naive tourists in to spending money. However, our boat driver was able to steer very close to the trees to catch some of the bugs to prove that there were in fact no Christmas lights in the trees. It was really a natural wonder. It was a great first day of vacation, but the next day our destination was Yogyakarta, Indonesia where things didn't go as smoothly.</span>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-54184515729988650522011-01-19T19:05:00.000+09:002011-01-19T19:05:08.467+09:00Heading South<span style="font-size: large;">My long anticipated winter vacation has arrived. Today was my last day of winter camp, which involved Uno and Shrek. Card games and movie quizzes don't seem too pressing, but it's not good when you can quote half of Shrek from over exposure. "We can stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning, I'm making waffles!" Anyway, I'm through with the cold, the dark, and the teaching for now. I'm heading south to sunnier skies, jungles, beaches, and to where I don't have to explain the difference between "break" and "brake". Tomorrow I take a bus to Seoul and hop on an Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur. I'll be meeting up with five travel companions and hit up three countries in three weeks: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKsGoWqGlqLj5P1fLh3AaZlOxu3M5Ah4oJk5oC1LuxeaDQz9RcZh7hDq65Ttoa_4bakczvu-DWDpXY3702V7w_IfMdk6l-4m7-6XPh6HnY9tHZaI4yqUxvep9e_GsclL-9J2Sckl8Ejs/s1600/map_of_indonesia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKsGoWqGlqLj5P1fLh3AaZlOxu3M5Ah4oJk5oC1LuxeaDQz9RcZh7hDq65Ttoa_4bakczvu-DWDpXY3702V7w_IfMdk6l-4m7-6XPh6HnY9tHZaI4yqUxvep9e_GsclL-9J2Sckl8Ejs/s320/map_of_indonesia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_j8oWaLLechyphenhyphenWn03JQI2INsD0ShJANJL5nNKOWqqbVgDgfs98qvpp6cE_kKbDyoq-9Vbkbf66RPc3a2z3jsOriUeiEs6re-wtbm7XWjZyAkcRUIs9jVnVX1vJYylbVF17VjkwM3Ylao/s1600/air-asia-airline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span id="goog_1336794244"></span><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_j8oWaLLechyphenhyphenWn03JQI2INsD0ShJANJL5nNKOWqqbVgDgfs98qvpp6cE_kKbDyoq-9Vbkbf66RPc3a2z3jsOriUeiEs6re-wtbm7XWjZyAkcRUIs9jVnVX1vJYylbVF17VjkwM3Ylao/s320/air-asia-airline.jpg" width="320" /><span id="goog_1336794245"></span></a><br />
<span id="goog_1336794231"></span><span id="goog_1336794232"></span> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I probably won't be updating the blog until I get back, but there will be plenty of stories and photos to post afterward. I'll be checking my e-mail enough and might even dabble in Facebook while I'm gone. Other than that, I'll be unreachable. Just imagine me on a beach or on a scooter debating whether I should go snorkeling, visit a temple, or find a frosty adult beverage. This is what it's all about! Later hosen.</span>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-55143931613324342292011-01-08T22:53:00.002+09:002011-05-27T13:14:23.041+09:00Top Five Favorite Things in Korea<span style="font-size: large;">It's the dead of winter and snow covers the ground. Semester number one of teaching in Korea is over and now I'm only teaching half days at the English Winter Camp. The days now are much slower, darker, and colder. Anyone that knows me well enough knows I just don't like the time of the year between New Year's and March. My hell would be living through January and February over and over again, where the only movies are bad sequels, and Sarah Palin rules the world. It's a cold and dark world. To keep things positive, I decided to write about some of my favorite things about Korea.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's really easy for expats to complain about Korea. It's understandable because some things can become quite frustrating. Some things merit complaints such as the fact that Koreans keep the school windows open even when the thermometer outside reads freezing. This results in everyone having to wear their winter gear indoors. The amazing thing is that most of the schools have heat available, but most of that heat escapes out the open windows. Korea prides itself on being environmentally friendly, yet there is the heat just flowing into the atmosphere. "Are we heating the whole neighborhood?!" I want to say. Why do they do this? I haven't heard a good answer. Anyway, see how easy it is to go off on Korea. I could go on about just the open windows but I'm turning of the complaining about Korea switch. Now I'll just briefly complain about expats complaining.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The thing that bothers me the most is when some one mistakes a difference in culture for a fault. An often heard complaint is about food. All countries don't eat the same thing, that is obvious enough. The pizza here is not going to be as good as in Chicago and the Mexican food is not going to be as good as in Texas. In the United States, the Kimchi in Atlanta is not as good and the Bibimbap in Boston is not as good. It makes sense, and should be expected. The western food places that we find in Korea should be viewed as blessings, not as conveniences. In Gwangju, we are lucky to have a couple good burger places, an awesome Thai place, an Indian place, some decent pizza, a grocers that specializes in Western food, and some other gems. The problem is that some expats rely on these places and begin to resent Korean food. Korean food is actually delicious, and I haven't even tried everything yet. However, I absolutely need breaks from Korean food. That is when I seek out those western restaurants. My point is that we should embrace the culture that we live in for this brief period of time and not try to always compare it to our mother culture. We should not view the western restaurants as places to eat that are surrounded by unfavorable Korean restaurants with weird and unknown food. We should view the western restaurants as options surrounded many more options. So in the spirit of positivity, here is my top five favorite things about Korea. Also, there are a lot of references to China.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Ryan's Top Five Favorite Things About Korea (so far):</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntYTl_-I1LFt05nb-L2K8UFYPMNn5RtY1DxIp_ot02Vx4pjR38qW4g8W-9RdZy1NNkFYQJD3eW9agcSLR9goRf6Fwgof4meiO3oVso_lY5bJ3r7kTtHjtRmDreOfAb58JC9007IZUXT0/s1600/DSCF0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntYTl_-I1LFt05nb-L2K8UFYPMNn5RtY1DxIp_ot02Vx4pjR38qW4g8W-9RdZy1NNkFYQJD3eW9agcSLR9goRf6Fwgof4meiO3oVso_lY5bJ3r7kTtHjtRmDreOfAb58JC9007IZUXT0/s320/DSCF0003.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">5. <i>Heated Floors</i></span> - </span></b></span><span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">I absolutely love my heated floors. Almost all of Korea sports the heated floors. In a culture where if you accidentally walk in to a room with your shoes on it's like you kicked a puppy, heated floors are a must. I can turn mine on for a couple of hours, my toes get nice and toasty, and then my apartment is set for the day. If I leave the floor on for thirty minutes too long then it feels like the "ground is hot magma" game came to life and it's time to open a window. When I lived in China, out of everything, I think the fact that the buildings didn't have any real heat or insulation to speak of was my least favorite thing. In the winter I could never get away from the cold. In school I taught in hat and gloves while my breath was visible when I tried to explain the uses of "ever" and "never". In my apartment I couldn't do anything that didn't involve three comforters piled on top of me. The winter in China sucked, period. That's why I'm so grateful for my totally awesome heated floors here in Korea. Sometimes I just like to lie down on them.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #999999;"></span></span><b><span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #999999;"></span><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">4. </span><i><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Korean Baseball</span> </i></span></b><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: large;">- Some of the most fun I've had in Korea are at the KIA Tiger games. I've already written a whole post about how much I like Korean baseball. Check it out <a href="http://partialunderstanding.blogspot.com/2010/10/korean-baseball.html">here.</a></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIKBKfeIe_vlp_-2XtQIrYtpoMpRfr_P3GrxzJ1W8XiGRTJkIABO5SGIAUlYYLImKqgdV-SjCcn2gupWmxQzXyTM3SK1HTNZkx9G0OcJkDZAYJAmmh9csv6OxdAxjJN8S-rnvAtHh1BQ/s1600/2010-11-18+13.28.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIKBKfeIe_vlp_-2XtQIrYtpoMpRfr_P3GrxzJ1W8XiGRTJkIABO5SGIAUlYYLImKqgdV-SjCcn2gupWmxQzXyTM3SK1HTNZkx9G0OcJkDZAYJAmmh9csv6OxdAxjJN8S-rnvAtHh1BQ/s320/2010-11-18+13.28.15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of my favorite co-teachers and me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #f3f3f3;">3. <i>Co-Teachers</i></b> - These lovely ladies help me with all things Korea. My life would be much more difficult without them. Need some one to shut the middle school students up? Ask a co-teacher. Except sometimes this will involve pulling the students hair, making the students kneel on the floor while holding a book over their heads, or just hitting them with a lunch tray. Hey, whatever works. Need some one to tell you what you're eating for lunch? Ask a co-teacher. Sometimes this is regrettable when she says you're eating a fried cube of blood. Need a some one to explain the recent announcement over the loud speaker? Ask a co-teacher. This will lead to hilarious quotes such as "The vice principle is looking for the students who caught a book on fire when they were smoking cigarettes on the third floor. Now he wants to kill them." The co-teachers are great source of information, insight, and general helpfulness.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHfqnS2NAViReM8glPjTCIZ7Eb4bGEBMz4kJN_Bn3tXE2Ax5kiXm4UxdFbBKU8klf4GpsyKmgqfaiOJe3I9lBKWA5rpw-_x-5iQEjXYWkd8ndPAEksCV4eRKCy2quXWG6DJe9VyjgLcs/s1600/IMG_3017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHfqnS2NAViReM8glPjTCIZ7Eb4bGEBMz4kJN_Bn3tXE2Ax5kiXm4UxdFbBKU8klf4GpsyKmgqfaiOJe3I9lBKWA5rpw-_x-5iQEjXYWkd8ndPAEksCV4eRKCy2quXWG6DJe9VyjgLcs/s320/IMG_3017.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sooo good to eat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">2. <i> Korean BBQ</i></span><i> </i></b>- Yum, Yum, Yum. My favorite meal in Korea. If some one asks, "Do you want to get some BBQ?" I will answer YES before to question is over. You get strips of pork, beef, or sometimes chicken. You throw them on the grill in the center of the table and snack on some kimchi or sip on some beer while the meat cooks. Then you cut the meat with some scissors and put a couple pieces on a leaf of lettuce that can include spicy stuff, vegetable stuff, or egg stuff. Then you eat it like a fajita or a burrito. Delicious! When ever some one asks me how Chinese food and Korean food compare I say that overall Chinese food is better and more diverse, but Korean BBQ is my favorite meal in Asia so far. It's not even necessarily that is tastes better but I love the whole process.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjPAmZw4Bn-hJULJIOOwOCkreznNgpE8AbVk75pLUQ0qXHeegBuA8v5JtPJc6cMMVw3lehui-HSVPSAthZaQ5NalQdDCVPYGeKQLDZ_I5A2FwN6wdnM39QSA3XXGkGzpcBH0oAlMcHNc/s1600/expat+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjPAmZw4Bn-hJULJIOOwOCkreznNgpE8AbVk75pLUQ0qXHeegBuA8v5JtPJc6cMMVw3lehui-HSVPSAthZaQ5NalQdDCVPYGeKQLDZ_I5A2FwN6wdnM39QSA3XXGkGzpcBH0oAlMcHNc/s320/expat+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">November Hash House Harriers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #f3f3f3;">1. <i>The Expat Community</i></b> - This is my number one by a long shot, because with out the fantastic expat community in Gwangju my experience would be so much different. Gwangju is only Korea's sixth biggest city, which of course means that there aren't as many foreigners here as other places. However, we are a tight community that loves to get together. I spend most of my week at work being the only foreigner around. I stick out like a celebrity and everyone is curious about me and the students treat me like a rock star. I can't walk down the hall with out hearing my name five times or saying over ten "hellos". While it's not all bad, so much attention can become exhausting and I get tired of feeling like a stranger in a strange land sometimes. Then there are the thousands of conversations I feel left out of because I can't really speak that much Korean. Luckily I have new friends and a great expat community to escape to almost every weekend and some week nights. With out them or Caroline, I would either feel lonely or I would have to study Korean intensely. There's always something to do like concerts, eating out, Hash House Harriers, bowling, carousing around the bars, traveling, movies, Korean class, and so much more. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I lived in China there was a large expat community in Nanjing but it wasn't tight and I was barely a part of it. Geographically I was quite far away from the city center. I had some really great and wonderful friends in Nanjing (forever friends) but this was a small group and I didn't venture much outside the group. It wasn't until I found the Ultimate Frisbee team that I felt like a part of something. I had people to hang out with but except for a couple places it never really felt like much was going on. We just made our own fun. Living on the outskirts of a city with a population of over seven million Chinese was also a recipe for loneliness. Here in Korea things are different. Gwangju does a great deal for the expat community. There are expat publications, several websites, a radio station, several expat hang outs, and a plethora of events. I live in the middle of the city, I feel like a big part of the expat community, and there is always something going on. That's why it's my number one!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8udZW1iiUBohIWDkk6KjXKoV9Gw-u2kaMAIMZXoowh5ekbY2UCp7ZjgO2BJqZc19C07kjJnOw37DEBAJ0t159UWXNDM-5vKB3U5jzcZ9aUwqC5AEsgz7xbEScfA67yMLuK0d0BNC2aM/s1600/expat+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8udZW1iiUBohIWDkk6KjXKoV9Gw-u2kaMAIMZXoowh5ekbY2UCp7ZjgO2BJqZc19C07kjJnOw37DEBAJ0t159UWXNDM-5vKB3U5jzcZ9aUwqC5AEsgz7xbEScfA67yMLuK0d0BNC2aM/s320/expat+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Ski Trip</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_Bpk6u1lVXj-AkTEhOmqRVZ16-KdcpTHGi3nPXIpxT-GLaRsdXp2EjobD9kcRTWbLIjReXvm-xfMoRD2UThIyI7dLnPUDhELBi0a9Hn2xmYBtHwdqTL5glhhRtvqbfCqog1P74z-qB8/s1600/expat+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_Bpk6u1lVXj-AkTEhOmqRVZ16-KdcpTHGi3nPXIpxT-GLaRsdXp2EjobD9kcRTWbLIjReXvm-xfMoRD2UThIyI7dLnPUDhELBi0a9Hn2xmYBtHwdqTL5glhhRtvqbfCqog1P74z-qB8/s320/expat+4.jpg" width="320" /></a>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-42886381937917859702010-12-31T17:07:00.001+09:002010-12-31T17:26:42.717+09:002010: A Year in Review<span style="font-size: large;">The New Year is here and it's a time of reflection. Most importantly it's a time for lists. I'm a sucker for lists, especially those with "Top Ten" in the title. When Times came out with their Top Ten lists for 2010 I spent the length of two Lord of the Rings movies reading through them. Lists are great! This year I'm making a few lists of my own but these will only have "Top Five" in the title.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2010 was mostly a year of traveling and teaching English.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Ryan's Top Five Travel Moments of 2010</span></b></span><br />
<div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: white;">5.) Fuguo Monastery</span><i><span style="color: white;"> (January 2010) </span>- </i></b>In Yunnan Province, China, there is a famous city called Lijiang. An ancient city with a maze of stone cobbled streets, waterways, and enough souvenirs to fill Tiger Leaping Gorge. A few of us rented bikes from Mama Naxi and rode to the foothills of the Himalayas. There we walked our bikes half way up a mountain road until we reached Fuguo Monastery. We didn't know what to expect but when we arrived we were greeted by a shabby old Monastery on the verge of collapse. However, an old Tibetan Monk came running out and insisted that we join him inside. He was learning English and his favorite saying was, "Have a laugh!" This of course produced laughter. He gave us cookies, green tea, talked to us in shaky English, and took us on a tour of his broken down Monastery in the foothills of the Himalayas. "May you have a long life!" he shouted as we rode back down the mountain on our bikes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdFAZ7XoPX5-OvfXZmVt3PDAv6cxdezf4z3vlvQVaBUhbCfb9HkPptEEqLnLRZtkkU18_l9Vg1k88Mx5R_av9UPpsTPfh3gQH1FenIwL5SwNDNfNHvf5gKtCg9TQPCAq5CvJ2X9H65q4/s1600/DSCF0138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdFAZ7XoPX5-OvfXZmVt3PDAv6cxdezf4z3vlvQVaBUhbCfb9HkPptEEqLnLRZtkkU18_l9Vg1k88Mx5R_av9UPpsTPfh3gQH1FenIwL5SwNDNfNHvf5gKtCg9TQPCAq5CvJ2X9H65q4/s400/DSCF0138.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="color: white;">4.) The Drive Between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng </span><i style="color: white;">(January 2010</i><span style="color: white;">) </span>- </span><span style="color: #cccccc;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">Luang Prabang is a city of monks and temples. The streets are dead by 10pm and monks are walking the street by 6am to gather rice from the locals. Vang Vieng is a city of river tubing, dance music, debauchery, and "Friends" (yes, the show) bars. These two places in Laos couldn't be any different. The fascinating thing was the transportation between the two. In a van of a dozen people we rode up and down huge mountains. I didn't know mountains this size existed in Southeast Asia! For six hours we drove up in to the clouds, then out of the clouds, and only stopped occasionally at a roadside baguette stall. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5q-hiaMDSQ1uc30CM_9tzAjbh8DD6-lBigHEPu72HHuyFUAUIHORX71iSvdkpHX2C2tQAUTyDHPc_D_UW3ULag-GtvYqD26miUugwDFxYsgdOAhd8Kcx8HK4VsxIsd092msjL9AMfio/s1600/DSCF0352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5q-hiaMDSQ1uc30CM_9tzAjbh8DD6-lBigHEPu72HHuyFUAUIHORX71iSvdkpHX2C2tQAUTyDHPc_D_UW3ULag-GtvYqD26miUugwDFxYsgdOAhd8Kcx8HK4VsxIsd092msjL9AMfio/s400/DSCF0352.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"> </span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: white;"><b>3.) Scooters in Thailand</b> (<i>February 2010) </i>-</span> After riding in the back of a Tuk-Tuk, driving a scooter is my favorite mode of transportation in Southeast Asia. On the island of Koh Phangan, we spent a couple days driving all over it. We drove to beaches, elephant hang outs, huge trees, a mexican restaurant, and through a drug check point. "No officer, there are no doobies on my person."</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMR0aok-s8GtLn6XkrtfaRo-WvdpnyGkO9eZKBZ_8S0ZnYM5enH0z1WwUxX2ybQ2Muj7VCJ7q7gIOO-gCdcwqLPir5bDuhyphenhyphenbKkxcLCwA6YuTAs0EqbBBr9FSEdudQYBTkHk5Y8g3RbNQ/s1600/scooter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMR0aok-s8GtLn6XkrtfaRo-WvdpnyGkO9eZKBZ_8S0ZnYM5enH0z1WwUxX2ybQ2Muj7VCJ7q7gIOO-gCdcwqLPir5bDuhyphenhyphenbKkxcLCwA6YuTAs0EqbBBr9FSEdudQYBTkHk5Y8g3RbNQ/s320/scooter.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: white;"><b style="color: white;">2.) Trekking the Great Wall</b><span style="color: white;"> (</span><i><span style="color: white;">May 2010)</span> </i>-</span> I've wanted to see the Great Wall of China since I can remember. Something about it just attracts me to it. Maybe it's the sheer massiveness, the beauty of seeing something stretch from mountain top to mountain top as far as you can see. Maybe it's the history, the years and man power it took to accomplish it so long ago. Maybe I have a fascination with walls, I don't know. Anyway, I finally got to see it when I hiked a 6km section where tourists are barely seen. I hiked from newly restored sections to rundown and untouched sections. I got see what the wall must have looked like back in its heyday and what it looks like after hundred of years of existence. I loved it!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdfe0b1JTL5Z2ST-pv-vxkOtJ6wUxj5ZzkihqgFSYzTZ90FHTHMEvU93k5wIc82KWpV9YjVToUK0L6wpxlc2AXmGFQtupglj1irNi-U_LGxcomCX4yHLmso_0YHekWzkdZLHrxEEsd0c/s1600/DSCF0364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdfe0b1JTL5Z2ST-pv-vxkOtJ6wUxj5ZzkihqgFSYzTZ90FHTHMEvU93k5wIc82KWpV9YjVToUK0L6wpxlc2AXmGFQtupglj1irNi-U_LGxcomCX4yHLmso_0YHekWzkdZLHrxEEsd0c/s400/DSCF0364.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="color: white;">1.) Angkor Wat</b><span style="color: white;"> (</span><i style="color: white;">February 2010) </i>- This massive area of ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples in Cambodia is a clear winner for number one. There are so many amazing structures that I barely got to see all the ones I wanted to see in three days of exploring. My favorite temple was Bayon, known as the one with all the faces. I think my mouth was hanging open for the entire time that I was walking around this temple. I also enjoyed Ta Prohm, known as the one with all the trees. I wish I could have spent several more days in that area and I would love to go back one day.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W-WJPkPf8i_wDgunQyIbeFW1SS5XrAfHvFM6mVp4G8M9YMslgY-3s1_acskFewspTZKA6tnJgbocsFyRqQsVZwytOKTjdfj_A-LJGvcMS6eNJcBuse-rD33TdFi_7BpE1hpkFxcSqAA/s1600/DSCF0552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W-WJPkPf8i_wDgunQyIbeFW1SS5XrAfHvFM6mVp4G8M9YMslgY-3s1_acskFewspTZKA6tnJgbocsFyRqQsVZwytOKTjdfj_A-LJGvcMS6eNJcBuse-rD33TdFi_7BpE1hpkFxcSqAA/s320/DSCF0552.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENxhPQ4LzoTLE5p-1QXNgLhYxHjtluHueMRc8qDHpRhoYiyRL8QkjCbQwXdXjlZIufnNZAHCwWfV7BjvSqEvyXgjs3FfRKKyQzCUXSe9QlIEMdpOLjnVY7wjKFpLTYZslGjHhYTXYIUw/s1600/DSCF0567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENxhPQ4LzoTLE5p-1QXNgLhYxHjtluHueMRc8qDHpRhoYiyRL8QkjCbQwXdXjlZIufnNZAHCwWfV7BjvSqEvyXgjs3FfRKKyQzCUXSe9QlIEMdpOLjnVY7wjKFpLTYZslGjHhYTXYIUw/s320/DSCF0567.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">See more pictures <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/rynoll/">here</a>.</span></span></div><div style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></span></div>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-39571481832587806742010-12-23T13:56:00.000+09:002010-12-23T13:56:59.610+09:00Merry Christmas!<span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas from South Korea to my family back at home and to my friends all over the place! We managed to find a little tree and cover it with lights and some ornaments. There's no shortage of Christmas supplies here, they pretty much observe Christmas, except we get no time off. We are going skiing over Christmas day with a group of about eight other expats. It's a good way to spend Christmas when you're half way around the world. We decided to do the traditional stuff last weekend. So we opened up our presents on Sunday morning. Guess what? I got a Nintendo Wii! Thanks Caroline and Mom and Dad. I'm still getting Nintendo for Christmas even after I got the original console like eighteen years ago. What can I say, I guess some things never change. Then we had some delicious Christmas dinner with turkey, mashers, stuffing, and all the fixings. Thanks to Caroline again. I hope you all have a merry Christmas!</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND_5QXunUtoKxFhyphenhyphens3xgBVCHhndtBT8DgAElaQPISJvRG1s5mUu2O9OgrUQ9_4uMqL2ew_zyEtqfzRmPTExSWt1RLif3mLsB07jUTeFLscqGeUpBAWU00nCzTiXPoOAOXg4G6BXIkYQQ/s1600/DSCF0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND_5QXunUtoKxFhyphenhyphens3xgBVCHhndtBT8DgAElaQPISJvRG1s5mUu2O9OgrUQ9_4uMqL2ew_zyEtqfzRmPTExSWt1RLif3mLsB07jUTeFLscqGeUpBAWU00nCzTiXPoOAOXg4G6BXIkYQQ/s320/DSCF0479.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ckcUrsE8_Y8HKPIoBoxY16zHY_5_ywdEYmuc7h-rFV-fI3hVP2UGa-Y9QpbRjbkWfryspxQCVEDL6QZ5ImHq3EbYyeYewnNkulPICPS2YZg7uBWw7QSyLc5tiIE9P_3LaQ5pAxovaRQ/s1600/DSCF0484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ckcUrsE8_Y8HKPIoBoxY16zHY_5_ywdEYmuc7h-rFV-fI3hVP2UGa-Y9QpbRjbkWfryspxQCVEDL6QZ5ImHq3EbYyeYewnNkulPICPS2YZg7uBWw7QSyLc5tiIE9P_3LaQ5pAxovaRQ/s320/DSCF0484.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mario Cart!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"> I know I haven't posted anything in a little while. December has been really busy. There was a lot of planning going on for the upcoming winter vacation to Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Also, planning for the ski trip and Christmas festivities. Then I've been getting ready for English winter camps and studying for my final Korean examination. I also laid a Hash House Harriers running trail as well. There have been some good concerts here too. After Christmas I should have MUCH more free time and I'll get some posts up. See you later!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458474340456376678.post-58509488563282630102010-12-04T13:11:00.001+09:002010-12-04T13:12:26.739+09:00A Korean Carriage Ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: large;">A few weeks ago there was a festival here in Gwangju and we came across this. It seems like it's some sort of carriage ride. The robots were a little to realistic for me. I couldn't decide if it was only weird or also creepy. You can judge for yourself.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9Sv411ILQgA?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9Sv411ILQgA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Robots are taking horses' jobs.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02025595246268030971noreply@blogger.com0