I'm Back

OK, so it has been about two weeks since my last post and I apologize for the lack of updates. As I am sure you know, China is a communist country and is known for a certain amount of information control. In accordance, the Internet is control ed by the government, which means that certain sites are blocked from use. This includes Facebook, Blogspot, Youtube, and even my Canada.com email website. I have been keeping up with typing my blog on my word processor and will start posting shortly but today I am so tired today (after more than 30 hours of travel yesterday) and have alot of cleaning up to do, so I think I will try to get the posts done up tomorrow. I am also trying to decide if I should post everything at once or post one every day for the next two weeks.
Anyways, it is great to be home and sleeping in my own bed and I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of their summer.

Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen

A strange title for a blog but it is actually the name of the final episode of MASH. It seems fitting to me because before I came here really most of my exposure to Korea came from that television show.

Tomorrow at this time I will have arrived in Beijing and will be starting the next leg of my trip. I look forward to this next step in my summer adventure and can't wait to meet up with Becca on Monday night. I will do my best to keep updating my blogs but am unsure what kind of Internet access I will have while traveling so nothing may get posted until I am back in Canada or maybe my schedule will be very busy, in which case the updates may be sparse.

Yesterday afternoon was our graduation ceremony. We were welcomed by the dean of the international program. We watched a great slideshow that the staff had put together (which we received a copy of as well) and they then handed out awards for the friendliest, most enthusiastic and most photogenic students. Much to my surprise, I (along with 2 other students) got an award for most enthusiastic. I want to thank Sean and the student/staff for picking me for this award, I'm not sure if I would consider myself most enthusiastic but it is nice to receive anyways.

We were then presented with our diplomas which came in a very nice folder and a gift from the university which was a cell phone trinket with the schools name and logo. The group from each school was called up to individually recall their thoughts on the program. We all took the opportunity to thank the organizers for their wonderful work in making this program the huge success that it was. We were the last school to go and I was the last person to speak so everything had pretty much been said but I made my little speech thanking everyone who was involved and saying goodbye to all my new friends.

After some closing remarks we made the 15 minute walk to a beautifully decorated restaurant that had an amazing buffet including someone making fresh sushimi. After the supper we spent over an hour taking photos together and saying goodbye to some of the people who were leaving Friday night or first thing Saturday.

We had a room check at 10 PM and then the majority of the class went to a local bar for a celebration party. There were several people who had never been to a bar and had never really ever danced before so I think it was fun for pretty much everyone involved. The bar we were at only had one bathroom with several stalls and then some urinals behind a partition (well one of them was, the other was out in the open), it was a really strange set-up. One thing I have found here is that there is not alot of privacy in the bathrooms, it seems the urinals are always in full view of the door, which seems to always be open. Or there are numerous large windows into the bathroom.

Anyways, the fact that we seem to always leave late when we head out combined with the fact that the bars are open until 6 or 7 in the morning (the shops are only open until 11 or 12, slackers) it is hard to know what time it is when you are out having a good time. So we didn't get back until closer to 5, kind of late but considering it was out last night together and I had nothing important to do today, it was not really a big deal.

So this is it, my 4 weeks in Korea is done and it has been an amazing time. Tonight I will get my things ready to go, and maybe head out for one last walk around the business district. I will catch a bus to Busan in the morning at 7:40 and then fly out at 1.

If any of my fellow UIP students are reading this I will miss you all, have a safe flight and best wishes in all your future endeavours. If I am ever in your corner of the world, you will be hearing from me and if you are ever in mine, my door is open.

I want to thank Sean Park for his countless hours of effort in making this program the great success that it was. He would spend all day with us and then have to go to his office and do his normal job at night. This is in addition to having to direct the students to the places they want to go and get dragged out all over the place. In addition, his staff did an awesome job helping us out with all of our requests, including chaperoning us to Busan and coming to supper with us to help us order. They have been awesome and I think them from the bottom of my heart. This goes for all of the Korean students who have been so incredibly helpful from the moment I stepped off the plane. My roommate SungTae has been the best roommate I could ask for and I look forward to keeping in touch with him and wish him all the best on his trip to Thailand this summer. To my new friends from Regina, I want to thank you for letting an old man like me tag along with you on your travels, on nights out and at meal times, I value your friendships and hope to see alot more of the 9 of you once we are back in Regina and hope you all enjoy the travels you have planned for the rest of the summer.

Goodbye to the Republic of Korea.

Thoughts on Korea and Personal Enrichment

Today is the final day of my program. It has been a really enriching experience personally and educationally. I have made friends from around the world that I hope I will keep in contact with for the rest of my life. If not, I believe I am a better person for knowing each and every one of them and have learned more about the people of many countries in this world. this experience has confirmed what I have always thought, that being that even though we come from different backgrounds, religions and experiences, people are essentially the same when it comes to our core hopes and desires. We all want safety and happiness for ourselves and the people we love, we want to live a fulfilling life (whatever that may mean to each of us), and we enjoy interaction with others and grow from the friendships that we cultivate along the way.

In 48 hours I will be boarding a plane in Busan that is headed for Beijing. I will be sad to leave my new friends and sad to leave this beautiful country, but at the same time I am happy to be able to see Rebecca and am looking forward to being home in a couple of weeks to reconnect with old family and friends. In this spirit I have made a list (in no particular order) of the things I will miss and the things I will not miss from my time here.

Things I Will Not Miss About Korea and the UIP Program

1. Being away from my beautiful wife Rebecca. (Even though the list is in no particular order, this is the thing I will not miss the most) Everytime I am away from home it simply confirms the fact that she is my soulmate and the person I am will happily spend the rest of my life with.
2. Living in a dorm. I enjoy and get along with all the people here but do not enjoy the noise and constant activity of living on a floor with so many other people. Partly has to do with the fact I am so much older than the rest of the guys and just not into being loud and rambunctious any more. Also confirms the fact that not buying a condo near the University was a good idea.
3. Humidity. Walking outside and being immediately wet is not my idea of a good day (unless it is raining.) For all the weather problems we have in Saskatchewan at least we our heat is a dry heat. Being a big guy, dampness already comes naturally on a hot day, I don't need the atmosphere to help me, although it is nice that everyone is wet.
4. Being in a loud group. I am a quiet person, when I travel to cemeteries or temples or office buildings, I think you should be quiet. Tough to accomplish when you are with a group of 60 people in their early 20's. This is part of travelling in a group I realize, but has been my biggest annoyance during my time here. I think I am just too old.
5. Trying to dry clothes on a drying rack. This ties back to the high humidity here. On a hot summer day in Saskatchewan your clothes are dry in like an hour. Here you are lucky if your clothes are dry in 2 days. By then your clothes already are starting to smell funky again.
6. A lack of sidewalks. Most streets here are very narrow, have parking on both sides and have no sidewalks. Add the fact that there seems to be a serious lack of traffic rules and that although the streets are barely narrow enough for one car but are always open to 2 way traffic and walking is definitely an adventure. The saving grace is that vehicles drive quite slow and always watch for pedestrians. Drivers are always considered at fault in a car/pedestrian accident but I think this would be of little consolation after getting hit.

Things I Will Miss About Korea and the UIP Program

1. The Korean people. From the moment I arrived the hospitality has been amazing. From the program coordinator to the student staff and the rest of the students, all we have to do is ask for anything we need. They seem to enjoy having us, but I am sure they will be happy when we are gone and they do not have to act as translators/babysitters for a bunch of foreigners anymore.
2. The rest of the students in the program. As I mentioned, the best part of this program has been the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. I know that if I ever travel to Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, Romania, Czech Republic, Germany, Morocco, and parts of the US, I will have people I can talk to if I need advice and people I can call on when looking for a good place to eat and a good person to eat with. And I hope they feel they can do the same if they are ever in Regina (it being the travel hotspot that it is.)
3. Korean food. It is generally hot and spicy and almost always relatively healthy. The social aspect of eating, although a new experience for me, has been fun. I have enjoyed 95% of the things I have tried (although I couldn't bring myself to eat the bugs they sell on the street) and am bringing some recipes home that I hope Rebecca will enjoy. I have never been a huge fan of pork but have enjoyed it here (which is good because it is in alot of dishes.)
4. Korean T.V. Soap operas are big here, every morning in the dorm all the guys and girls are sitting one way so they can see the soaps that are on the big TV. Andrew and I have been enjoying a particular one that is set in ancient Korea. The shows are shown straight through followed by 10-15 minutes of commercials (which are almost always hilarious). I am not a fan of reality TV but a show with 5 celebrity guys that do a serious of different jobs or tasks is quite funny. Now if only I could understand what they are saying.
5. Business districts. 4 or 5 story buildings towering like canyon walls on either side of the narrow street, every floor having a business with a brightly coloured and lit sign. Stores that are smaller than my bedroom that are packed with goodies. Street vendors selling all kinds of food from deep fried stuff(??), waffles filled with ice cream (which I hear are quite delicious), and huge trays of cooked grubs line the street level, intermixed with clothing and shoe stores and small restaurants. The areas are usually crowded with people and feel alive.

Although my list of things I will not miss is longer that the list of things I will miss, I can assure you that with the exception of missing Rebecca, the things I will miss far outweigh the things I will not. I hope this helps give you some insight on my personal experiences and thoughts on Korea. I will be off to my graduation ceremony, group supper and party and will spend the next two days saying good bye to friends. After that I am off to meet Rebecca in Beijing to spend two weeks touring that country. As long as I have access to the Internet, I will continue to post updates and will probably update at least one more time before I leave Korea.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Kickin' Around Ulsan and Keepin' Things in Order

Wow 4 weeks have really flown by! It is hard to believe I have been living in the Republic of Korea for almost 4 weeks. I have seen some amazing things and made alot of new friends that I hope I hope I will have for life. If not, I know I am a better person for knowing so many people from so many diverse backgrounds.

In the morning yesterday (Wednesday) our scheduled class was a second look at International Development Cooperation of Korea. Lucky for us (it was not very exciting the first time around) the class was actually on Korea spirit and culture. The class was put on by the Diamond Sultra Recitation Group (?) and involved a several displays and a short movie on some of the cultural treasures of Korea (the Seokgulam Grotto and the Kamunsa Temple Sarira Reliquary). This was followed by a live performance of a ritual performed by a family that entails children bowing to their parents in something that is done on the lunar new year. It was very interesting and several people from class had the opportunity to go up front and play the role of the parent. The 2 children were probably under 6 years old and looked so cute in their traditional Korean clothing. Of course I did not bring my camera because I thought we were covering something else so I do not have any pictures but I will be sure to get some from some of the others.

The afternoon was our Taekwondo class. I admit that I was dreading this class due to the fact I am not in the best shape of my life and am not the most coordinated person in the world. Add the fact that I have not seen one piece of clothing in this country that actually fits me and I was not real excited. The gymnasium was extremely hot and the outfit (uniform?) was more like a canvass than anything else meaning it had no breathing ability at all. But hey, the bonus was that it actually fit me (more or less)! Before we got our turn, the group gave us a demonstration that was an amazing combination of skill and showmanship. After the show, I went through the steps of doing the stretches and learning the punches, kicks, and blocks and have to admit that although I was absolutely pouring sweat (as was everyone thanks to the heat) I really quite enjoyed it. I am sure my form was absolutely horrible but I enjoyed it no less. At the end of the session we were allowed to try to break a board with either our foot and I was able to accomplish it with 1 kick (the boards are not exactly hardwood, but hey give me credit anyways.)

In the evening I went with some friends to our favorite BBQ restaurant and after some good socializing I returned to the dorms early and called it an early night.

Today was our final class of the program. Like I said it is hard to believe I have been through 4 weeks of the program already. It has been a great time and I could stay longer but definitely miss Rebecca so much and am looking forward to seeing her on Monday in Beijing. Our class this morning was on globalization and basically covered topics I have studied in many classes in the last year so it was definitely not very exciting. the last 3 classes before this one were really good (the best of the program) so today was a little disappointing but I realize not every topic is exciting for every person.

This afternoon we visited the Ulsan city hall and council chambers. We were welcomed by the deputy mayor in a conference room that had numerous photographers and cameramen. After watching a "10 minute promotional video" (everyplace we have gone in Ulsan has had a 10 minute promotional video that tends to be over the top and narrated by the same over the top American announcer.) Don't get me wrong, the video was good (as all were) I just find the whole situation amusing. We then had a group photo and then moved on to the city council chambers.

At the chambers we were welcomed by the vice-chairman. While he was giving his introduction speech, the coordinator of the program told me that they wanted to do an official presentation of a gift to a member of the program (on behalf of all members of the program) and asked me to go up. Within 10 seconds I was up in front of everyone accepting the gift while having my picture taken by numerous photographers. I did my best to remember all of the Korean gift giving/receiving rules (such as receiving the gift with both hands) and hopefully I did not offend anyone.

After that part of the ceremony, our class was given use of the chambers in order to have a debate. They asked for someone to chair the debate and several people volunteered me as the person to do so. So I went up to the chairman's seat (which is on an elevated platform) and called the meeting to order with three bangs of the gavel. The topics we debated revolved around North Korea and nuclear weapons (these topics both together and separate.) There were several good points brought up and I think the debate went well (even though people were very shy about coming and giving their opinion in most cases). I have had several people tell me that I did a good job as chairperson so whether I did or they are just being nice I will assume I did well. lol

Almost half the class stayed down by the city hall to do some sightseeing and find some new restaurants but I came back with the buses and had a quick supper and after finishing this post will spend the night reviewing for our final exam tomorrow. From what we have been previewed and I am thinking the exam should be very easy (we can do part of it tonight if we want, a question on our opinions on the program.) I would still like to do well on the exam (even though the class is only marked as a pass/fail) so I think I will spend the remainder of the evening reviewing and possible writing my answer to the essay question.

Tomorrow afternoon is our graduation ceremony followed by a celebration and then everyone plans on getting together and going out one more time while we are still together (some people actually leave tomorrow but most leave between Saturday and Monday.)

Anyways, wish me luck and have a great day.

An Engrish sign near the dorms, I usually don't post stuff like this but this was too funny.

Hot Topics - Korean Food and North Korea

Today was an interesting day. In the morning we were lectured by Brain Myers, and American professor who teaches in Busan. His lecture was very informative and, I felt, looked at North Korea with more of a neutral tone than most. I am sure he interjected some of his personal biases (but what lecturer doesn't) but I think he gave us some valid information that helps us to be more informed on issues related to North Korea. He has a book coming out in October of this year titled "The Cleanest Race" which I recommend anyone interested in propaganda or North Korea should take a look at.

We had 4 hours off this afternoon, which most people used to catch up on their sleep but I used to catch up on some email and reading. At 4 PM the buses picked us up and took us to a cooking class. We were taught how to make Jeyuk Bog-gum (a spicy pork dish) and Hae-mul Pageon (pan-fried sea-food green onion). The pork dish was very spicy and was delicious and the other dish (which was described as Korean pizza) did not turn out quite as well but was very good as well. Our workspace in the kitchen was at the far end from the air conditioner and it was smokin hot by the time we were done.

I am now back at the dorm and am getting ready to go out for a beer for a few of the guys.

Have a great night.

Dion

Busan Revisited

My weekend was pretty quiet. I went for a couple of beer with Andrew on Friday night and then spent Saturday finishing my essay and catching up on a few things like trying to get all my things organized for the next leg of my trip. Saturday night I headed for supper with friends and then hooked up with another group of friends to go few a few drinks, overall it was pretty calm. Sunday it rained quite heavy most of the day and I just read and played around on the computer heading out at suppertime to find something to eat (the rain had finally stopped by then.)

My tourist information book for Busan is titled "Everyone wants to revisit Busan," and this must be true because I made my second trip there today (third if you count my flight in.) Today we went as part of the program's itinerary.

As with my last trip to Busan, I really found I did not have enough free time to really see things I wanted to see (although we did have 4+ hours of free time.) One thing that I wanted to do and that we did as a class, was visit the United National Memorial Cemetery in Korea. Unfortunately, it turned into an experience that just bothered/angered me alot. There just seem to be so many in the group who have no respect for the sacrifices that were made. It especially surprised me when that it was mainly Korean and Americans, the two countries that had the biggest losses in the Korean War. People still found it necessary to constantly laugh and joke around. I thought it was disrespectful, especially considering that the father of our tour guide (a Canadian named Leo Demay who grew up in North Battleford and Regina) is interred in the cemetery. I realize that it is maybe that most of the people here are very young and have too much energy, or that maybe they have never had the misfortune of losing someone close to them, or just that I am a crotchety old bastard, but the antics really bothered me and I think if they were not interested they should have stayed on the bus. I also realize that when I was that age, many of the people I knew were just as indifferent towards the soldiers that fought for our freedom in World War II and it is unfortunate but maybe simply a product of the freedom that those people died for is the right to forget or simply not care.


Afterwards we stopped at Haeundae Bathing Beach where we had a picnic of McDonald's followed by free time. I hopped on the Subway and went back to the world's biggest mall to buy a magazine that I wanted and look into going skating at the ice rink that is there. I picked up a photo magazine that is mainly in Korean that I hope to use to learn some more Korean but I did not feel like spending the 7000 won to go skating so I went up to the rooftop lounge and took in the views of the city for a while.

I then went in search of the Olympic Park (Sculpture Park) but had no luck in locating it so stopped back at the Busan Museum of Modern Art to look at the sculpture they have outside (unfortunately the museum was closed.) Not having a watch and only having a vague idea of the time, I hopped back on the subway and headed back to the beach to meet up with the group. Unfortunately I was an almost an hour early so I just hung out and chatted with some of the other students.

The next stop was the Busan Aquarium where we were able to view aquatic life ranging from fish, octopus, penguins, eels, rays, and sharks. It was quite interesting. We then had another couple hours to find some supper and meet back at the buses. I went with a group to a 3d ride and then we went looking for some supper. While at the aquarium a couple of the girls bought some assorted dolphin memorabilia for Laura so I am sure we were quite the site walking around with the blond girl wearing dolphins on her head and holding a large dolphin balloon.\We wandered around the area by the beach for a wile looking for a restaurant and finally settled on TGI Fridays where Jess told the waitress it was Laura's birthday and she was serenaded by several of the wait staff and given a photograph to mark the occasion.

After a long day we finally got back to Ulsan after 9 and relaxed for a while before turning in.

Tuesday we learn about North Korea and Korean cooking, should be interesting.





Take care. Dion

Bang a Gong (well, actually a Jing)

Thursday dawned with a very heavy rain coming down (I am told that it is monsoon season here although there has not been too much rain.) The rock steps that we walk up on our way to class had a river running down them. My 6000 won umbrella has definitely paid for itself by now.

In the morning we had a Canadian that works at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery Korea (in Busan) here to lecture us on the Korean war. His lecture was very interesting (first time in 3 weeks there were basically no students talking during the lecture) but his personal story was even more interesting. He was adopted as a child and found out 3 years ago that his birth father was killed in the Korean war (with the PPCLI at the famous battle at Kapyong) and his single mother (his parents were engaged) gave him up so he would have a good life. After finding out information on his father he made a pilgrimage to Korea and while here had a revelation that he should move to Korea. He returned to Canada, sold all his possessions and moved to Korea with no job and no plan and within a few months he was working at the cemetery and had already talked to several people that knew his father. It was very interesting.

In the afternoon we heard a samulnori performance (traditional Korean folk music). It was an amazing performance, how they can stay together for that amount of time and at that pace is really amazing. After their first performance we were allowed to go on stage and try any or all of the instruments, there was a Kwaengwari (a small cross between a gong and a symbol), a Buk (bass type drum), a Jing (a small gong), and a Janggu (a double sided drum.) I gave the Jing a whirl and it was fun. The sound vibrates for a very long time. The group then performed another song, this time with more elaborate costumes (including hats with long tassels that swirled as they moved their heads) and instead of sitting they danced around the stage. After the performance we were able to get our pictures with the performers. When I got my picture taken with one of them he grabbed me and gave me a big hug and that was my picture with him. I find people have less expectation of personal space when dealing with the same sex in this country than we do and it always takes me back abit when someone is in my personal space here although because I know it is the culture I do not let it bother me.

Last night I finally started my essay and got about a page done before deciding I was not happy with it and grinding to a standstill. I will give it another try tonight after finishing my blog.

After two days of rain, the sun came out with a vengeance today. And it was horribly humid. This being the case we were of course scheduled to spend the entire day outside. This was my second trip to Gyenongju (I went there last Saturday with my homestay.) Today we went to the museum (which I did not go to last week) and looked at various relics from the area. For a little background, Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla Kingdom that unified the Korean peninsula in 668 A.D. We then went to the Bulguksa Temple and Seokgulam Grotto (both of which I visited last weekend.) This time I was in a group that included the coordinator for the program. He was able to tell us quite a bit about the places and the tour with him was very informative and worth the second trip. At the grotto I was able to get climbed up the hill before most of the group and able to enter the cave just as some other people were leaving. Another person and I had the grotto to ourselves for a minute and it was nice to be able to observe the huge Buddha statue (the biggest Buddha statue in Korea at 3.48 meters high) in silence even just for that period of time.

By the time we got back to the school I think it is safe to say that everyone in the group was totally wiped out. The showers on our floor went for more than an hour straight as everyone refreshed before heading out for supper.

Tomorrow I will put the finishing touches on my essay and enjoy my last full weekend in Ulsan. Several people are heading to Busan for the weekend and I am tempted to go along as I would like to go to the UN cemetery (we actually go to Busan on Monday and visit the cemetery but we are only there for an hour and I would like longer), but I can't really justify making the trip just to do that so I will find something to do here in the city.

I hope everyone has a good weekend. Take care.

A Slower Paced Week

This week has been alot more relaxed than last week when we were in Seoul. With the exception of tomorrow (when I go back to Gyeongju) we have class in the morning and some sort of cultural activity in the afternoon. As I mentioned in my last post, on Monday we went bowling. On Tuesday we went skating and yesterday we went to Hyundai Heavy Industries and SK Petrochemicals and today we learn Samulnori (traditional Korean Folk Music).

Tuesday we loaded up in the buses (we always seem to leave at least a half hour late and Tuesday was no exception) and headed to Ulsan College(?) where they have a huge building that houses an ice rink. As far as I know this is the only rink in the city (pop 1,000,000) but am told that skating is getting more popular in Korea since the success of Korean figure skater Kim Yu-Na, who is the reigning world champion. There were quite a few people in our group who had never skated in the lives and many more who had only skated a limited number of times. Now, I am not the strongest skater in the world but it was nice to actually be one of the strongest skaters on the ice instead of the weakest. I am pretty sure that will never happen again. It was fun helping people try to skate for their first time and encouraging to see some of the people that started off pulling themselves shakily along the boards to actually skating, even if quite off balance and ready to fall at any time. There were quite a few people who fell on their butts pretty hard and one girl fell just as we were getting off the ice hitting her knee on the boards and hurting herself, but overall I think that everyone had a fun time. Personally, it was nice to get into the dry cold air and skate around for a couple of hours (I have probably never skated in shorts before so that was nice too.)

By the time we got back it was getting late and I hooked up with a group of Canadian and American students and we went to a pizza place and had some supper. I then headed back to the dorms and after a bit of relaxing and talking to home (you have to love Skype), I headed to bed. Unfortunately it has been quite noisy in the dorms the last few nights and I have not slept well and Tuesday night was no exception.

Wednesday morning was cool and rainy. It was the first day since I got here that did not feel grossly humid so was very nice. After lunch we loaded on the buses again (late again) and headed to Hyundai Heavy Industries for our tour. When we arrived we were ushered into a briefing room where we were given a short introduction and watched a 10 minute promotional video. They had an interesting museum dedicated to Asan, the founder of Hyundai, that was bigger than the one at the Asan medical centre in Seoul) Afterwards we got back on the buses and took a short (15 mins ?) tour around the yard but were not allowed to take any photographs. The site is huge (1,300 acres with 10 dry docks and numerous cranes capable of lifting up to 1400 tons) and the scale of the operation is difficult to wrap your head around. They build the ships in pieces and then assemble them in dry dock like they are giant Lego sets. In the two dry docks we saw, there were 4 ships being built in one and 5 in the other. It is really an interesting process to see. Unfortunately the tour was over too soon. I am not sure if there was more we could have seen but it really felt like the tour was cut short. Still interesting never the less.

After HHI we went to SK petrochemicals which is a heavy oil upgrader (for those familiar with Regina think the Co-op refinery except covering 2,000 acres. We had the same short orientation and promotional video ("Maximizing the happiness of all people!","Providing a constant supply of petrochemicals!")(It was really a little over the top as most promotional videos are) and then were shown the plant on a huge model they had in the briefing room. We then got back on the buses and drove through the site looking at everything there. Maybe it is just because of years of driving past the refinery in Regina but it really was not all that interesting. Buildings, pipes and storage tanks followed by buildings, pipes and storage tanks. Kind of like driving past the upgrader non-stop for 15 minutes (except they had a port where they load ships which Regina definitely does not have.)

Back to the school and I headed back to the dorms and started researching for my paper. I only worked for 10 minutes when my roommate came in and asked if I was interested in going for supper, so I accompanied 4 of the Korean students out for supper and my essay would have to wait for a little bit longer. We went to the same BBQ restaurant that we had gone to the first night we were in Ulsan (which is owned by the parents of Jin, one of the student staff people) picking up a couple more students along the way. Once again, supper was fantastic and we had a huge amount of food. Eating in Korea is very interesting, I am not sure if I have said this before but eating is a very community oriented thing. Everyone shares the food at the table. If you want soup or salad or another of the side dishes that always come, you just take some off the serving plate with your chopsticks and put it in your mouth. Or if you want soup you just use your spoon to take some out of the bowl that everyone uses (this all takes a little getting used to.) When cooking meet (pork in this case) on the barbecue, it is cooked in one piece (very thin and pre-marinated) and then when it is cooked the use a pair of scissors to cut it into bite-sized pieces and you take the pieces off the grill as you want them (usually you wrap your beef in a lettuce or sesame leaf with some garlic and soy or hot sauce and then pop the whole thing into your mouth. The only food you normally get to yourself is a bowl of rice and maybe a little salad. You can use one of these dishes to put food from the grill before you eat it or when clearing off the grill so nothing burns. Anyways, the meal was fantastic and Jin refused to take any payment for it, we had a great time and it was definitely one of the best meals I have had since being here.

After supper, we saw a small market set up at the end of the street, so the other tow foreigners and I went to take a look while the Korean students headed off on their own. The market had chicken (including chicken feet by the bag), all kinds of seafood, and many different fruits and vegetables). After looking around we just wandered through the little business districts for a couple of hours and then one of the students and I stopped at the Wabar for a couple of beers before heading back to the dorms to call it a night.

Today the rain is falling quite hard (I have definitely got my money's worth out of the umbrella I bought on the first day) and it is still nice and cool (not as cool as at home from what I hear. This morning our lecture is on the Korean war followed by a trip to hear (and maybe attempt to play) some traditional Korean folk music.) Kind of scary considering I have no musical talent at all. Should be a fun and interesting day.

Monday

Today has been a slower day. This morning we had a lecture that was supposed to be on "current issues in southeast Asia. It was given by a U.S. diplomat from Busan and when he introduced it it basically sounded like a lecture on U.S./Korean relations. Not really something that interests me very much since I am not from the U.S. His lecture touched on all kinds of diplomatic relations and the roles that diplomats play in the world so it was actually quite interesting (much more interesting than our last 2 lectures on economics and international development that were very heavy on numbers and stats.)
This afternoon was a "cultural activity" and we went bowling. I am not really sure how that fits into Korean culture but it was a fun time anyways. There were at least a few people in the group who had never bowled before, some unusual styles, some people that looked like professionals, and one of the girls on my team broke a nail but everyone I spoke to had a fun afternoon.
Afterwards, I came back to the dorm and relaxed for a bit before heading out to find something for supper. I wandered around for awhile and ran into 3 of the girls from Regina. We went to a restaurant called Oh! My Dak. The menu was totally in Korean and had no pictures so we muddled through ordering and ended up with what we were hoping for. On the walk home we saw two people dressed up as giant soju bottles handing out mini bottles of soju (I attached a picture but it is actually from our first night here.)
This was really about the end of my day. I relaxed in the lounge for a bit (my roommate was sleeping when I got back because all the Koreans were out late last night) and watched some TV (CSI Miami and Cold Case) and read a book. The lounge is really cold because the air conditioning runs pretty much constantly and for some reason starting yesterday our room's a/c is actually working fairly steady. I guess somebody must of turned down the thermostat on them.
That was my day today and although a rather boring update it was nice to have a slow day after such a busy week last week. Tomorrow afternoon our cultural activity is ice skating so I am thinking that it should be fairly interesting since the majority of the people here are from places that do not traditionally have snow.
Hope everyone is well. Take care.

Sunday Blog part 2 - Home Stay

I am still trying to catch up on my updates so I will try to finish another blog today so I do not fall any further behind. Friday was the day for our home stay. I have to admit that after a busy week in Seoul and a late night, the only thing I really wanted to do was spend a nice quiet evening at the dorm. The fact that I was nervous about going to someone's house and making a total ass of myself by doing something wrong was also added to my overall hesitation to about the home stay. I couldn't imagine what we could do from 1 PM Friday until 5 PM Saturday.

I was paired with a student from the University that will be travelling to Vancouver next year to study English. He arrived at the dorm just before 1 and I was introduced to him by my roommate. We headed out to the bus and made small talk (he had a list of questions written in a book). It was quickly evident that he was extremely nervous and he smiled and laughed nervously the entire time we were together. Although his English was not very good we were able to communicate fairly well but he kept apologizing for his English and I tried to tell him that we were in his country and it was me who should apologize for my horrible Korean (what little I know). We headed to Ilsan beach which was a little over an hour away by bus. The bus ride was interesting to say the least. I sat in a single seat right at the front of the bus and the bus driver (who was about the angriest bus driver I have ever seen) kept looking over at me like he did not trust me. His driving was very agressive and he would honk at cars if the other driver even thought about coming into his lane and speed up so he would not have to let anyone in. When pulling up to the stops he would open the door a half block away and you better hurry to get in because he was not very patient. Several times if someone was in the door too long he would scold them loudly and get them moving. We stopped at a red light near one bus that was at a stop and when I looked in it there was a woman in the doorway with her arms wrapped around a pole and the driver was trying to push her out of the bus. I made sure I was on my best behaviour and got off the bus quickly when our stop came. I have always appreciated the bus drivers in Regina but I now have an extra appreciation for them.

At the beach we walked up a hiking trail to a park that was up on top of the hill and then a trail that led out to a point made up of some rocks. the park was really nice but had the usual cluster of stalls selling food and other things and the park had speakers throughout that had a radio station playing. I guess Koreans do not like too much peace and quiet. The view from the point was very nice and I took quite a few pictures. The overall hike was also very nice except it was very hot and humid and considering I was carrying everything I needed for my home stay (including a book that I had brought for a gift) I was a sweaty mess by the time we were done. We then jumped another bus (this time the driver was not so bad) and headed downtown to meet some of his college friends. His friends spoke English fairly well and so communications became easier. We all went to a restaurant and had chicken soup (a small whole chicken filled with rice cooked and served in a pot of boiling broth). With my less than ideal chopstick skills it was a bit of a challenge to pick the meat off of the chicken off of the bones but I managed to do OK.

Afterwards we went to a pub and drank some beer and visited. It is kind of a different feeling being the center of attention. Everyone had alot of questions about what things are like in Canada. The communication was difficult at times but I learned to talk slowly and my home stay partner had an electronic Korean/English dictionary so this helped. I did feel kind of bad though because he did not say much and just let his friends do most of the talking in English but I think he preferred to just listen.

Afterwards we caught a cab back to his home which was on the 9th floor of an apartment building. His father had just got home from work and his mother was not yet home. After saying hello (his mother and father do not speak English) we watched TV until his mother was home and she cut up a platter of fruit for us to have. I had a shower and went to bed and that was the total extent that I seen his parents (his father had to go to work at 4AM and his mother at 6).

The next morning we had a breakfast of rice (rice is served at every meal), a pork and fish dish, an egg dish, and many other things, his cousin came to pick us up to go to Gyeongju, which was the capital of the Silla kingdom (ruled Korea between the 7th and 9th centuries) and has numerous archaeological sites.
We made the 1 hour trip in his cousin's car which is made by Samsung (he told me some of his friends do not like his car because it is not a Hyundai (probably 80% of the vehicles on the road in Ulsan are Hyundai. We visited the Bulguska Temple (which has a large number of buildings) and the Seokgulam Grotto which is on top of the mountain and has fabulous views.

The Buddha statue in the grotto is very nice and at one time (before a building was built to protect it from the elements) the sun would rise on the Buddha on the summer solstice.

We headed back towards Ulsan, stopping at a beach where we had lunch. By the time we were back at the University it was nearly 5 and I really wondered where the day had gone. Although the home stay was not what I thought it would be and I did not really experience home life in Korea, I felt it was a good experience and an opportunity to talk to people who were interested in using their English and finding out more about Canada.

Saturday evening a group of 15 of us went to a restaurant near the university for supper. We had a good meal with pork and rice and a tofu soup along with the various extras you always get at a Korean restaurant and it only cost us 3000 won each ($3). Afterwards we headed back to the dorms and a bunch of the students were headed out to a dance club but one of the guys in the room next to me and I decided to go for a drink instead. By this time it was raining so I was able to put my umbrella to use again as we walked down to the bar where we ran into 3 other students from the program. While having drinks, a table with 3 quite inebriated Korean men came over to our table and asked Danielle (a blond from Alabama) if she would join their table so they could practise their English. Of course they just wanted her to sit with them and could barely speak any English at all (especially in their state of drunkenness). In the end we all got a good laugh from it (especially when the one came over to our table a stood there swaying for 5 minutes trying to think of what to say) and they sent over a few beers to our table.

Quite a few of the people in the UIP program like to go to one of the many Karaoke places in the evening, so we decided to go. I am not a big fan of it but enjoy sitting with the group listening to the others sing (or try to). The karaoke places here do not serve alcohol (most of the people just bring a bottle of soju in with them) and you rent a room which means it is only your group which seems to make it alot more fun. We joined up with another group of students that were headed there and spent a couple of hours singing. On the way home we stopped at McDonalds which is my first american chain restaurant I have eaten at since I arrived. When I got back I checked the score of the Rider game and headed off to bed looking forward to spending today relaxing.

This week should be interesting as we go to a sports festival, ice skating, tour Hyundai Heavy Industries (ship builders), the Hyundai car plant, try traditional Korean folk music and make another trip to Gyeongju.

I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of their weekend!

P.S. If anyone is interested in seeing more pictures from the program, check out http://www.ulsan.ac.kr/eng/international/uip03.aspx?o=L . Also, I have been having a horrible time with the internet while writing this blog todya so if anything looks funny I am sorry but I am tired of trying to fix it. Thanks.

Seoul, the Countryside and the DMZ

Well, I am finally back in Ulsan after a quick and very busy trip to Seoul. Our trip did not start out very well as the buses were over an hour late picking us up at the University. The other bad aspect of the trip was that the Korean students in the program did not get to come to Seoul with us (We had 3 of the student staff that did accompany us). I am not sure why this occurred but it really is too bad. Once we finally started the 5 hour trip to Seoul, we had the opportunity to watch the beautiful countryside go by. It really is quite the sight. Small mountains dominate the landscape with lush green valleys filled with crops of rice, grapes and ginseng. Small villages filled with homes with blue roofs dot the valleys and larger urban areas are fairly common. All through the valleys there are small clearings above the rice fields that have a small stupa. It looks very nice.

When we were close to Seoul we stopped at a little traditional BBQ restaurant for lunch before heading to the Everland amusement park.

It is an interesting place. Kind of like a South Korean version of Disneyland. We had 5 hours to explore, go on any rides we wanted and find something for supper. I have to admit that I didn't go on many rides but just kind of wandered around with a small group from the program and looked at the place and scoped out the souvenir shops. After a week of Korean food we thought we would have some western food for supper and stopped at a burger place. It was definitely not the best burger I have ever had and in my opinion we should have stuck with some Korean food.

Following our time at Everland, we headed into Seoul where we were staying at the Seoul International Youth Hostel. The guys in the group had rooms that housed 6 people each and the girls had rooms that housed 10 people each (taking the Korean students out of the group there are only 9 males plus 3 student staff and the coordinator that made the trip along with 37 non-Korean females). I had a great room-full of people that helped make the trip quite entertaining.

After settling into our rooms, there was a group of about 20 of us that went out to have a drink to celebrate our first night in Seoul. Sean Park, the program coordinator, used to live in Seoul so he took us to an area that was about a 15 minute walk from the hostel. The walk ended up taking over an hour because we were waiting a long time at the hostel for people to be ready and then had to stop part-way to our destination to wait for some people who started out after us but were not sure of which way to go. Once we got to the area, it was much like the little shopping districts in Ulsan with the 4 story buildings full of lights creating caverns for us to walk down and explore. The main street we were at was fairly wide and was closed to traffic (for the most part) and had a row of carts full of items for sale. We ended up at the Wabar, which is the same as a place near the dorms in Ulsan, and to order a drink you push a little doorbell type thing on the table and your waitress/waiter is there inside 5 seconds. It is a really good system as you never get interrupted while in conversation or mid-drink but the service is still really good.

On Tuesday morning, we headed for the National Museum of Korea. It is a large (biggest museum in Asia) new museum that has a great deal of wonderful artifacts, of course mainly concentrated on Korea. Afterwards, we were hosted for lunch be the Asan Medical Center. This is the biggest medical centre in Korea and is the home of the University of Ulsan's medical school. The medical center was funded by Chung Ju-yung (the founder of Hyundai) and there was a small museum on his life. He was a very interesting person and I encourage anyone who is interested to read about this man who started out as a rice delivery boy living in poverty to building the biggest industrial empire in Korea. Our lunch was on the top floor of one of the buildings and it had great views of the river and Seoul. In the afternoon we were brought to a shopping area and given 2+ hours to shop. I am definitely not a big shopper but I wandered around for a bit. The walkway that went under the street was packed with stalls of people selling everything you could imagine. After emerging on the other side of the street where the large shopping malls were, the sidewalks were filled with more vendors in their little stalls selling their wares. The first mall I went into was a normal department store type of place but the second was absolutely packed with stuff. There was barely enough room to walk around and there were stall type areas set up and packed full of clothes. It was quite insane! After wandering around for a bit, I found a coffee shop on a patio on the second floor of the first store and grabbed am iced cap and sat with a couple of the people from the program and just watched the mayhem on the sidewalk below.

We were then dropped off near a theatre where we were destined to watch a show in the evening. We had a couple of hours free to look through the little shops and find some supper. I went with Jess, one of the girls from U of R, and we found a little curry rice restaurant and muddled our way through ordering off of a menu that did not have and pictures and wait staff who knew no English. This was our first attempt at ordering without any help from our Korean friends and with some help courtesy of Jess' knowledge of Chinese we made out pretty good. It was a nice change to muddle through things on our own for a change, after all that is what traveling is really about is challenging yourself.

The show was an off Broadway show called "Ballerina Who Loves B-boy." It featured a mixture of ballet and street dancing and I must admit that the dancing was very impressive even though the theatre was not (wooden bench seating.) I have never heard of b-boys before but many of the girls had and were very excited to have their pictures taken with them afterwards.

After the show some people stayed in the area because it had alot of dance clubs and bars while the rest of us headed back to the hostel. I plugged a few coins into the computers and caught up on my email before turning in for the night.

Wednesday was sunny and very hot. of course this was the day that we were scheduled to be outside the entire day. In the morning we went to Cheongwadae or the Blue House. This is the grounds and official office of the President of the Republic of Korea. We had to bring our passports and go through airport style security before entering the grounds. They were also very strict on where we could and could not take pictures. It was a very beautiful place with perfectly manicured gardens and well maintained buildings.

For lunch, we were brought to an area that has numerous art galleries. I walked around with another person from the group and had the opportunity to view 3 galleries including one that was featuring the work of Youngdon Choi, who is a photographer that spent some time living in Canada. His work was definitely my favorite of what I had the opportunity to view on this day. We also found a small cafe where several other classmates were having lunch. One thing we learned was that eating in this area is very expensive. I was able to find a cheap item on the menu (pizza) for only 12,000 won ($12), that I was able to share with another person. But had I decided to order a Coke, that would have set me back 7,500 won! Water it was.

After lunch we went to Gyeong Bok Gung (Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven) which is a palace in Seoul. Most of it is actually a recently built replica but it was still a very impressive and interesting place. After a 2 hour guided tour in the heat of the afternoon, it is safe to say that the majority of our group was totally worn out.

Our next stop was actually only a couple blocks away to a tourist shopping district where we were given another 3 hours to look around and shop and find some supper. We also had the choice to walk the 45 minutes back to the hostel if we wanted (or take a cab). I decided that I would attempt to find my way back to the hostel and hopefully beat the rest of the group back so I could do some laundry, have a nice long shower and surf on the Internet. I made my way down the street looking in the souvenir shops and enjoying the action. When I got to the end of the street I made my way to the next shopping district where I was pretty sure we had been the first night and was able to find the WaBar that we had gone to for drinks. Knowing that I could make my way back to the hostel on my own I wandered around until I found a restaurant that looked good and went in to attempt to order on my own for the first time. I ordered some spicy bulgogi and a beer and sat down to enjoy the cold beer on the hot day and the spiciest meal I have had since arriving in Korea (it was excellent.) Eating out in Korea is a very interesting experience, you are always served many side dishes including kimchi, pickled beans, sprouts, etc.

I made the remainder of the walk back to the hostel and found that one of my roommates was already back and another 3 came back within ten minutes. Luckily they all had plans so after putting some laundry in the washer, I was able to have my shower and relax on the computer before the rest of the group came back. I was going to stay in but since it was my last night in Seoul, after spending some time on the rooftop garden (beautiful views of Seoul) I went to another WaBar with a couple of my classmates and we enjoyed a couple of beer before walking back in a light rain.

By morning the light rain had turned into a downpour. The only good thing about it was that it did not happen the day before when we were outside the entire day. Luckily, my first purchase when I got to Korea was an umbrella (since it rains nearly every day). We packed up our stuff and loaded it on the bus and then got on a different tour bus and headed for the DMZ (demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.) The North Korean border is less that an hour drive from Seoul. None of the Koreans in our group could come with us so they all stayed in Seoul to shop for the day. To get to the DMZ we had to pass 2 security checkpoints where the soldiers would come on the bus. At the first checkpoint they made sure that our clothing was appropriate. No tank tops, no sports wear (tight fitting type of clothes), and pants that covered the knee. The most unnerving part of the dress code was that you had to wear shoes that had at least a strap across the heel (no flip flops or shower shoes, etc.) This was in case something happened while we were there, then we would be able to run! We then had to sign a waiver that started "the visit to the Joint Security Area at Panmuhjon will entail entry into a hostile area and possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action." It essentially stated that if something happened we could not hold the UN or Korea responsible.

Unfortunately, because of the heavy rain, we were informed that because there were only limited troops outside we would not be allowed to exit the bus (for our safety.) the drive through the Joint Security Area was still very interesting and you pass through and area that is only a few meters from North Korea. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures at the moment but I will post some on my facebook account once I do. After the tour we had time to stop at the gift shop (everyplace in this country has a gift shop) and pick up some souvenirs.

Afterwards we visited the Dorasan train station, which is the northernmost station in the country and sits right on the southern boundary of the DMZ. They hope that some day the two countries will be reunited and call the station not the last station in South Korea, but the first Station to North Korea.

We then stopped at the Freedom Bridge (called this because it is the bridge the 13,000 U.N. POW's crossed over to return to South Korea after the Korean war. By this time, the rain had intensified so most people did not even get off the bus and most of us who did were fairly wet by the time we got back on. One more stop at a Korean BBQ restaurant (I have to admit I am a little tired of sitting on the floor to eat) and back to Seoul. This trip back was quick until we were back in Seoul and stuck in traffic for almost an hour and I can say I am glad I don't have to drive one of those big buses around in the traffic in this country (or any vehicle actually.) We then transferred back to our original bus and headed back for the 5 hour trip to Ulsan. The bus we had been riding in was very "pimped out" and on the trip home we found out why. It is a total party bus. When we were close to Ulsan the driver turned on some REALLY loud music and turned on a light show that included flashing lights down the center of the bus and a little laser system that shot light towards the back of the bus. Most of the girls got up and started dancing and it was quite entertaining. It was getting late by the time

we were back in Ulsan and as we walked back to the dorm in some light rain we discovered they had erected a fence where we normally walk. It took awhile to finally make our way back to the dorms (bags in tow) and was well after midnight by the time we got to bed. Friday morning we had class and then off to our home stay in the evening. All I could think was I want a day or two to just relax and do nothing.

Dion

Quick Update from Seoul

I have a couple of minutes left on my internet here at the hostle, so I thought I would give a quick update on my week so far. Today (Wednesday) can be summed up as hot and humid. Korea is a very humid country and today was definitely one of the worst since I arrived. It was probably one of the few days that the sun was visable almost the entire day. We also spent the entire day outside so by the time we arrived in the area where we were going to find something for supper, pretty much everyone was worn right out.
Instead of filling you in on my last souple of days since my last update, I thought I would share a couple of quick observations and then give a full Seoul update tomorrow night when I am back in Ulsan. This has been an amazing experience up to this point. The funny thing is that even though the program itself has been very interesting and I find this country beautiful and so rich with history, it is not any part of the program that has been the most enriching, but the opportunity to become friends with so many interesting people from around the world. It is a great experience to meet and talk to and get to know so many interesting people from such diverse backgrounds. Definitely worth the trip in itself and everything else is really just a bonus.
I would like to elaborate more but I am almost out of time. We are heading home tomorow with a stop at the lookout over the DMZ, should be interesting. Until then, take care. Dion

Busan

Yesterday was my first free day in Korea. Originally I was planning on just hanging out around the campus working on my essay and doing some shopping near the campus. But, one of the Korean students came to my room on Friday night and asked if I would like to come to Busan because it is his hometown and he would like to show it to me. So I decided to go.

The Korean who asked me (Vandercamp is his English name) and my roommate went with a group of students on Friday night and I went with another group on Saturday.

This started out as the most frustrating day since I arrived and ended with some of the most beautiful sights and some good laughs.

The frustration stems from the difference between our culture and the Korean one. We come from a very individualistic society and the Korean society is very group oriented. It was insisted that we go with some Korean students (which is fine with me as it makes things much easier.) We were told on Friday that the bus picked us up right in front of the university and only cost less than $2. When we were ready to go, we had to take taxis to the bus stop downtown and then the bus was $6 (not a big deal but still???) When we arrived in Busan we took the subway to a mall (every step of the way we had to give our money to the girl in charge and then she would buy each ticket individually, very painful). We went for lunch and she wanted everyone to go to the same place but we eventually broke up into 3 groups and met back in an hour. I went to one of those sushi places that has a little conveyor belt with dishes going in circles. There are different coloured plates that correspond to the price of the sushi and you just take what you want. I accidentally took a display piece that shows you what you can order and was trying to take it out of the basket with my chopsticks and wondering what was wrong when the chef told me. Doh! Good thing there were some Koreans there to help translate!

Afterwards we went back to the mall. This mall had the longest corridor I have ever seen anywhere. Actually 2 side by side with little shops on either side. I walked down one way for about 15 minutes and it still went as far as I could see. I kind of felt like I was in a Flintstones cartoon though. Everything was the same - women's shop, women' shop women's shop, men's shop, women's shop women's shop, women's shop, camera shop, women's shop, women's shop, women's shop, electronics shop and repeat. After 15 minutes I had my fill, after all I can go to a mall at home and there are no stores here that I can buy a shirt that fits. I ran into my roommate with one of the girls who was chaperoning us and they said after this we were going to a different mall. That made me a little sour. I realize some people wanted to shop but I wanted to see something. I as politely as I could said that I wanted to go to the art gallery and I could find my own way since it was right near a subway stop. The conversation was kind of like maybe if we change the subject he will forget about it. I was not happy but didn't say much because the girl in charge was pretty stressed and I knew she was doing what she thought was right. After hanging out in the mall for another hour plus my roommate told me him and I could go to the gallery and meet up with the others after.

We only had an hour once we got there but that was enough time to see things there and made my day alot better. The gallery we went to was the Busan Museum of Art and they had several exhibitions on. it was nice to get somewhere quiet and relaxing if only for 45 minutes. I don't think my roommate had as good of a time as me but he said he was just tired because he was out late with some of the other students that went to Busan on Friday night.

Afterwards we went to a new mall that is the world's largest mall. It has 9 floors and there is a rooftop garden that is quite beautiful and has great views of the city. After walking around a bit we went to the food court for dinner. At the food court, you order at a central kiosk which sends your order to the place you want. Your number eventually comes up on a television screen and you pick up your order. In the food court, I finally met up with Vandercamp and he asked if I was interested in taking a harbour cruise to see the lights of the city. Once all the students were reassembled at the meeting point we took a poll and there were 9 people who wanted to go on the cruise. The rest headed back for Ulsan and we made the 15 minute walk to the boat launch. We walked along the beach and there were thousands of people on the beach and in the beachfront bars and restaurants. It was very lively. The cruise was a great way to end the

day. Ulsan is a beautiful city with large brightly lit buildings that surround numerous small dark mountains. It is very beautiful at night. Out boat only had about 20-30 people on it so there was alot of room to move around and enjoy the view.

Afterwards we made the hour trip back to Ulsan (unfortunately we missed the bus by 5 minutes and had to wait 45 minutes for the next one) and were back at the dorms shortly after 1 AM.

Today has been relaxing so far. I have chatted with Rebecca and got my laundry caught up. I am going to wander out for lunch shortly and then should probably start on my essay pretty quick. Tomorrow morning we head to Seoul for 4 days for sightseeing. I am looking forward to seeing more of the countryside during the trip and will be sure to take more pictures. I will likely not bring my laptop so I will not update again until the end of the week. I also posted more pictures on my facebook page if anyone is interested (I can only post 5 pictures at a time here).

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Take care all.