New Year's Resolution

UPDATE THIS THING MORE OFTEN.

Quick recap from....August. China was hot, dirty, and crowded. Shanghai was better than Beijing. The Great Wall was cool but rushed. The world expo was awesome.

Back in Korea: Hogwan life < public school life. New immigration laws are annoying. Somehow Yeosu's "mild" weather includes sweltering hots and frigid colds.

Lessons learned: Don't quit your public school job. Don't drive your scooter in the rain, you WILL crash. Eating live octopus isn't as scary as you would think.

So now its New Year's Eve. This year we're kicking it up a notch and going to Seoul. Specifically, the club neighborhood of Hongdae. Antics will no doubtably include bag drinks (exactly what they sound like...drinks in plastic bags) and shwarma. Hopefully we run into some celebrities. On Christmas, G Dragon and T.O.P. were hitting the Hongdae scene.

In other news, it snowed for like 10 whole minutes in Yeosu. People were FREAKING OUT.

Last night in Tokyo.

Sad but I'm ready to move on. I did all the major sightseeing yesterday, saw Mt. Fuji, the Imperial Palace and all that stuff. I really liked the Harajuku area. The people in costumes were hysterical. My new hostel is great. I met a ton of people and we had a beer vending machine party in the hostel lounge last night. And sake. That didn't mix well with the Tsukiji Fish Market today.

Me and my new Swedish friend Ruel got up at 5:30 to see all the fish action. It was cool to see all the wicked fresh seafood being cut up and sold. We even saw them cutting some yellowfin tuna. For breakfast we at at this sushi place in the market. It was literally the freshest sushi in the world. I had a bowl of rice and tuna sashimi. It was delicious.

Tonight is probably the bars in Rappongi and then a 5:10am subway ride to the airport for my 9:00 flight to CHINA. Hopefully they don't block this site.

Welcome to the Shinkansen.

I love the Shinkansen, aka the bullet train. I bought a rail pass before coming to Japan so I could ride all the trains freely. Today I did the math and I saved almost $100 in train tickets. Plus, the pass has the Great Wave on it, so I instantly love it.

Yesterday I got my hot spring experience. It wasn't the sit in the spring type that I was hoping for, but it was still great. I waited till the hostel guy came in and he told me to go to this peninsula that was full of spring towns. I ended up going to Shimoda at the end. The train ride there was along the coast and really nice. The inn I stayed in was real cool. Real traditional. My room had woven mat floors, sliding paper screen doors, and they served me tea at a low table. The bath was cool, a little tub built into the floor that was scalding hot. Even though it was a milling degrees outside it was relaxing. It turns out that Shimoda was the town that Commodore Perry landed in and opened up trade with Japan. Also, Perry was from Rhode Island. They have a little street alley on the river called Perry Road. I was there during a festival called "Candle Cafe" where the whole street was lit up with candles and colored lights. There were musicians, couples in their kimonos, food vendors...kind of like a Japanese Waterfire.

Today I came to Tokyo. What an awesome city so far. I'm staying at another capsule hotel right near the Asahi brewry. Tomorrow I'm moving to a real hostel so hopefully I can go out with some people. Up until now I've mainly been meeting people just as they were on their way out so most of my vacation has been on my own. Tomorrow I'm also going to this place where all the people that you think of when you think of Japan go. Yeah the ones wearing all the crazy costumes. That'll be...interesting.

Templed out

Kyoto has so many temples and palaces. Unfortunately that's pretty much why you come to Kyoto, to see them all. What happens when you see the majority of them in one day? You want to die. Of course the guide book points out whats great about all of them, which makes you want to see ALL OF THEM. Then when you don't see one or two you feel like a bad person or that you're missing out on some hidden gem. No thank you, 6 temples in one day is fine for me. Plus, all of the admission fees add up.

I'm shipping out of Kyoto today. Check out of my hostel is in an hour and a half. I don't know where I'm going yet tho. I really want to stay at a Japanese hot spring but I don't really know how to set that up and they front desk guy at my hostle isn't in yet. There are a few places like that I could stay in Kyoto, but I want a real "bathe in a hot spring sitting on a rock" experience.

Today is the start of the second half of my Japan adventure. So far I've had a day where I've eaten sushi for every meal, stayed at a capsule hotel, saw the A-bomb site, seen the Golden Pavilion, and had a conversation with someone about how all asian pastries are shit because they all sneak in red bean paste. I'm excited to see what the rest brings, seeing as how after today, I'll be spending all of my time in Tokyo.

JAPAN!!!!!!!

I GUESS I'LL MAKE THE BEST OF THIS COMPUTER NOT HAVING CAPS CONTROL, JAPAN IS PRETTY EXCITING. ITS SUMMER VACATION TIME AND MY TRIP IS TAKING ME TO JAPAN AND CHINA.

JAPAN IS AWESOME. EVERYTHING HERE IS JUST SO COOL. AND EXPENSIVE. WAAAY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN I EVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. SO FAR I'VE BEEN TO FUKUOKA TO EAT SOME RAMEN. YOU FILL OUT THIS ORDER FORM FOR EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT IT. HOW MUCH OIL, GARLIC, THE TENDERNESS OF THE NOODLES. IT WAS GREAT. AND YOU EAT IT IN THIS LITTLE BOOTH. VERY COOL EXPERIENCE.

THEN CAME HIROSHIMA. IT WAS AN AMAZING CITY. THE MUSEUMS AND MONUMENTS WERE SAD BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I'M GLAD I SAW. THE A-BOMB DOME WITH ITS BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES WAS ALMOST TOO MUCH TO HANDLE. I SAW THE FLOATING TORII GATE AT MYAJIMA AND SOME PAGODAS LATER THAT DAY. I ATE A LOT OF OKONOMIYAKI. ITS THIS PANCAKE MADE WITH NOODLES, EGG, BACON, BEAN SPROUTS, AND GREEN ONION. IT WOULD BE THE BEST HUNGOVER FOOD EVER.

TODAY I CAME TO OSAKA. AT FIRST I WAS PISSED OFF BECAUSE NOTHING WAS LABLED CORRECTLY AND I ENDED UP WALKING AROUND FOR AN HOUR TRYING TO FIND MY WAY. AT LAST I FOUND THE UMEDA SKY BUILDING AND TOOK A CRAZY ESCALATOR RIDE TO THE TOP. THEN I POKED AROUND OSAKA CASTLE FOR A BIT. TONIGHT I'M STAYING IN A CAPSULE HOTEL. ITS REALLY COOL BUT YOU HAVE TO USE THE PUBLIC BATHS TO GET CLEAN. SO MUCH FOR KEEPING MY RECORD OF NEVER USING ONE HAHA. THE HOTEL IS IN AN AREA CALLED AMERICA VILLAGE. ITS JUST A TRENDY SHOPPING AND BAR DISTRICT. SOMEBODY I MET WHILE FINDING MY HOTEL SAID THAT ALL THE JAPANESE HERE THINK THEY'RE GANGSTER RAPPERS. DINNER TONIGHT WAS AT AN AUTOMATED SUSHI PLACE. THE PLATES COME AROUND ON A CONVEYOR BELT AND YOU JUST PICK THEM AND THE ATTENDANTS ADD UP THE COST BY THE COLOR OF THE PLATES. IT WAS SO GOOD. RIGHT NOW I'M AT A 'MEN'S RELAXATION ZONE' AKA THE ONLY PLACE I COULD FIND INTERNET. ITS KIND OF STRANGE. SCRATCH THAT, VERY STRANGE. YOU GO IN TO HAVE SOME...ALONE TIME. AND THE FRONT DESK HAS MANY PRODUCTS THAT CAN HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR...ALONE TIME. NO THANKS, I'LL JUST STICK TO THE BASIC ROOM WITH A COMPUTER SO I CAN BOOK MY HOSTELS.

TOMORROW I'M OFF TO KYOTO, THE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF JAPAN.

WHATS NEW...

WELL, BESIDES THE FACT THAT THE COMPUTER I'M ON HAS A BROKEN CAPS LOCK KEY, A LOT IS NEW.

FIRST OFF, I'M STAYING IN KOREA UNTIL FEBRUARY. I WAS STUPID NOT TO RE-SIGN MY PUBLIC SCHOOL CONTRACT BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET A HOGWAN (ACADEMY) JOB UNTIL THE END OF FEB. WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES FROM THERE. I LOVE THE LIFESTYLE HERE A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO LET IT ALL GO RIGHT NOW.

I'LL BE BACK IN AMERICA SOMETIME WITHIN 2 YEARS...

Tension is high.

Just in case you haven't heard, tension is high between North and South Korea. Here is a basic time line of what happened.

March 26, 2010: The South Korean warship Cheonan mysteriously sinks in the West (Yellow) Sea, killing 46 sailors. People suspect North Korea is to blame.

April 25, 2010: South Korea's defense minister says the most likely cause of the sinking is was a torpedo.

May 20, 2010: A United Nations investigation finds that the sinking was in fact caused by a North Korean torpedo. On May 15th, torpedo parts were found that matched the schematics for known North Korean torpedoes.

South Korean President Lee Myung Bak promised that there would be repercussions for the North. North Korea has denied all of the allegations, even though a small fleet of submarines left their North Korean base shortly before the attack and returned shortly after. The North has also promised consequences for whatever measures the South will take.

Its crazy to think that just 6 hours north of me, this is happening. And yet, nobody seems too concerned. Although today I was asked if I was registered with the embassy and in my extra class my students told me that I would have to go home soon because of the war. Its all kind of scary.

Enough with being a downer.

Thinking about how much fun last Friday at school was completely reverses whatever negativity I was feeling earlier. Last Friday was sports day at Jonggo Middle School. Classes were canceled, students didn't have to wear uniforms and everyone was happy. The students broke off by grade. The third graders went to the gym to play basketball, kick volleyball, and this weird jump rope thing. The first and second graders went to the outside field to play soccer, basketball, and tug of war. At the end they all ran a relay race. For the majority of the day I hung out with the third graders, and by that I let them pull me around and sat there uncomfortably when they cracked my neck and hands and touched my arm hair. Pretty awkward. Between the games some students did a dance to this song. Be careful, it will get stuck in your head.



It was good enough to make up for not being at lip sync this year.

All the students had a great time and so did I. The raw fish and soju dinner we had afterwords was also awesome.

Bonus, tomorrow is like Friday because of Buddha's Birthday!

I need to shake this funk.

I have no idea whats wrong with me. I'm living such a carefree life, I'm making great money, have awesome friends, but for whatever reason I've just been in a funk the past couple of weeks. Maybe because I've been stressing myself out about my contract being renewed. In trying to prepare myself for the chance that I don't get rehired I think I really got myself excited to go home. But what is at home? Yeah my friends and family, but what else? I have no job. The job market isn't great right now. Oh and I'd be living in my parents' basement. My current situation seems way better. Job, money, friends, adventure, self growth. I guess I just feel stagnant. I'm not working towards anything. The sooner my school tells me if I'm being re-signed or not the better because then I can start on a TESOL course to give myself something to do. This is the first summer that there'll be no big summer vacation. Maybe thats getting me down.

This week is a short week, so thats a plus. Hopefully something comes together for the weekend. Its Buddha's Birthday on Friday so we have the day off. My original plans to go to Seoul fell through and I really don't want to sit around Yeosu and do the same things.

Sick season? Really?

Most people get the flu or the plague or whatever during the winter months. Leave it to me to be sick for the third time in three weeks when the sun is shining and the weather is warm.

Two weeks ago I had a killer sore throat and fever. Last week it morphed into a full blown head/chest cold complete with losing my voice completely. Now this week its dizzy spells and throwing up in the bathroom at school. I went to the doctor who told me I have enteritis. He could tell by the wince of pain when he poked where my small intestine is. I got sent home early yesterday and today I am in bed to, as they say in Korea, take a rest.

At least the health care is cheap. I know I praise the hell out of it every time I'm sick but its just so great. The trip to the doctor and 2 days of 5 different meds all together cost me less than $5. What a great country.

Now to put my head down and force feed myself crackers.

Its been a busy month (or so)

I can't even begin to comment on the past month and a half here in Yeosu...and Korea in general. Here is a brief overview:

Hugo's bachelor party in Daegu- Baseball, Mexican food, meeting new friends, getting abducted by Koreans, getting lost and spending the night in a public bath house.

Robbie V's Wedding in Seoul- Traditional Korean style (circa 1500's), great food and great to see Tom Opp and Robbie V.

Busan- God I love this city. Rowdy baseball compete with orange plastic bag hats, aquarium, seeing my Daegu friends, playing roulette, noraebang until the sun comes up...literally.

Camping on Bangjukpo Beach- Awesome scooter ride out, Daegu friends invade Yeosu, randomly seeing 60 people from Seoul who came to Yeosu to hike, drunk guy backing into my scooter, bonfire, mandolin, soju, chopping down a tree, TIMBER!, sleeping on rocks, having a 2 sided tent.

Daegu part 2- awkward van ride, hangover, rugby game, Korea loses by a landslide, macaroni and cheese, drinks in ziploc bags, thumper, team t shirts, beer pong, losing my voice, breakfast burrito, really gay couples shirts.

Yeosu- (a lot has happened here) Turtle Ship Festival, being sick, taking Korean lessons, moving upstairs into a bigger apartment, seeing good friends leave, getting abducted by more Koreans, shooting ranges, roller coaster simulations, springtime, screen golf, hangovers, noraebang, buying a convection oven.

On top of all of that its contract resign season. I told my co teacher that I would like to stay another year. Now I'm wicked paranoid about not being hired back. From what I've been told they will keep you around unless you do something really bad/stupid/suck at your job. I think I'm in the clear but I just hate not knowing. I like to have some sort of plan.

Speaking of plans, I think I might be changing mine. Maybe instead of going down the culinary road I'll go down the road to graphic design. Upfront, graphic design will cost more but average salaries are higher than that of a pastry chef. That also means earning another bachelor's degree. Luckily there are some good online programs that I could start here through the Art Institute or the Savannah College of Art and Design. We'll see. I need to skype call some admissions officers once the internet in my new (bigger!) apartment improves beyond shotty wireless.

Spring is here in Yeosu and summer is well on its way. Its almost "think about where you want to travel on summer vacation" time. My plan is (assuming I am re-signed) go to China for a week or so then go back to RI for about two weeks. As part of my contract I get one week of home leave, so I'll use a week of my summer vacation to make it longer. Then as part of Chuseok break (this year we get a whole week off!) I'll jet (probably ferry) over to Japan. As for winter break...its too far to tell. I've pretty much done all of mainland Southeast Asia with the exception of Laos so I'll just go wherever the most (and most fun) people want to go.

Lets hope I can keep up with this thing more regularly.

Really sorry.

No I haven't died. No the North hasn't invaded and taken me hostage. I'm just lazy. I'm sorry, I will update this week. I promise!

Metric what?

This is kind of a piggy-back on Jacqui O's blog about the metric system but it needs to be said. The US is dumb. Only 3 countries in the world don't use the metric system. The US, Liberia- a country that the US helped form, and Myanmar (Burma)- a country with a military totalitarian dictatorship. In fact, there are more communist countries in the world than countries that don't use the metric system. Ok, maybe the first map is a little off. Cambodia has since become a constitutional monarchy. But still, one country doesn't make that much of a difference.

Its really annoying when a pretty big chunk of your friends are from Canada or the UK and they talk about things like the weather or distances in a way you can't even understand. Being a science major I knew about how much 10ml was or that water froze at 0 and boiled at 100. But when I go to E-Mart and see that 10kg bags of rice are relatively cheap, its because its 22 POUNDS of rice. Needless to say I'm up to my ears in rice so if anyone wants some, you can find me in Korea.

Thank God weather.com will stay in Fahrenheit. Otherwise I hear "oh it'll be 18 degrees tomorrow", put on my coat and hat, only to realize that 18 degrees Celsius is 64 Fahrenheit and I'll be fine with a hoodie.

6 months down.

Well, I guess a little more than 6 months. Crazy how fast time flies. Today was the start of the first full school week of the semester. Tomorrow, most of my classes are canceled! Apparently in the second week of school 1st and 2nd grade students have exams. I'm so glad I'm not a Korean student.

I can already tell this is gonna be a good year with my classes. The 2nd and 3rd graders seem excited really excited for class. I'm happy that I have class with the third graders every week instead of every other when they were in 2nd grade. That being said, I'm bummed that I only get to see the new 2nd graders every other week because they were so funny as 1st graders. The new first graders are great. In one of my first grade classes today every student would stand up to ask a question. Another class wanted to give me an English name. The Ego trip also continues. Last Wednesday we had the "welcome to middle school" assembly. As I walked in, all the students I walked by were calling and waving to me. When the principal introduced me to the new students and their parents, all of the 2nd and 3rd graders were SCREAMING and cheering for me. Its gonna suck to go home and not be this big of a deal.

Getting back into the swing of things.

Vacation is almost over, life is starting up again. The traveling part of vacation is done. I'm glad to be back in Yeosu. I had some great experiences but in all, I'm glad to be back. The best part is, I don't have to be back at school until March 2nd, so I have a week to just chill. That's great, seeing as how all the new people (Katie and Charlsey) just got here.

I feel like I need to take a week to process everything that I saw. These are some things I learned:

1. Traveling is easy and difficult at the same time. Plan well but don't overplan. Be flexible.
2. Traveling by yourself is hard but a unique experience. That being said, traveling with just one other person is also hard. 3 weeks with just one other person can be trying.
3. The random people you meet on your travels can sometimes be the best parts of your trip.
4. I feel so privileged to speak English as my first language. All of the people I met on the trip that weren't native English speakers had to converse with me and a good majority of the other people they met in English, a language not preferred by them.
5. No matter what you think, there are always people in the world that are worse off than you.
6. People can be so cruel to each other. Seeing the Killing Fields in Cambodia and hearing villagers' stories in Vietnam really put a lot of things in perspective.
   
7. Some of the most genuinely happy people in the world have close to nothing.
8. Good food with good people makes even the hottest longest day better.
9. The world is full of wonder.
10. Pictures don't do the real thing justice.
11. Vacation is 100 times worse when you get sick.

Going along with number 11, I'm still not better. I really haven't eaten a decent meal since Nha Trang. A few times since I've been back I've gone out with people for dinner but I just have no appetite. My dad thinks I picked up a parasite. The Korean doctor thinks I have gastritis.

Korean healthcare is great. I was in the hospital (you go to the hospital instead of a clinic for walk ins) for less than 10 minutes. In that time I had my exam and got a prescription. Another 4 minutes in the pharmacy next door and I had my 5 day supply of medicine all put into individual "serving" packets. Real convenient. All in all, the visit to the hospital cost me 3,600 won ($3) and my medicine cost me 5,700 won ($5) for a 5 day supply of 5 different medicines.

Of Course...

I would get sick my last days on vacation. The night we left Nha Trang I somehow caught the Plague. Fever, shakes, sweating, nausea, the whole shebang. Don't worry, the sleeping bus was extra luxurious...NOT. A sleeping bus just has a bunch of little compartments way too small for anyone to cram themselves into. Not to mention we were at the back of the bus so it was a very bouncy ride.

Needless to say, my last day in Saigon was kind of a drag. I couldn't leave the hotel room. I couldn't even stand up for 5 minutes without feeling like I was gonna pass out. Even today, I left the room just long enough to get my last minute souvenirs and I still almost passed out in an intersection. Its great to travel sick...

The flight from Saigon was also horrible. With every foot we gained in altitude, my headache got worse. Oh by the way, I have a 15 hour layover in Hong Kong. If there is anywhere I don't want to spend more time, its in Hong Kong. I asked the Cathay Pacific lady if there was a hotel nearby that could stay at (it was about 11pm when I landed). She gave me a flier for the airport pay-lounge. I had to pay the rest of my trip spending money (950 HKD) and STILL had to put 114 HKD on my credit card. For what? A special one night deal. I can use the sitting area, get food and drinks, use the internet, AND I get my very own sleeping cubicle for 6 hours. Ooooh boy. Here I thought I was going to come back to Korea and be able to have extra money...nope. I had to use it all and then some.

I just want to be back in Yeosu in my own bed.

Don't Be Lazy.

I don't think I ever want to leave Nha Trang. Mix 3 parts beach with 8 parts partying and 2 parts cheap massages and that about sums it up. I want to open a bar/hostel here.

Unfortunately we couldn't find the infamous booze cruises but we did find something good. It was a boat trip around to some islands and a really dodgy aquarium. The most fun part was definitely the floating bar. And by floating bar they mean a piece of styrofoam with some plastic flowers. One of the boat attendants swam around topping off our cups with cheap red wine as we floated around in tubes.

We met some cool people from Australia, England, and Canada on the trip and we all decided to get dinner and drinks afterwords. Drinks turned into 2 liter cocktails that get served in a vase and many many buckets. Surprisingly the bars close pretty early here.

While recovering on the beach today we got ambushed by people selling things. At first it was massages on the beach. 150,000 dong ($8) for an hour massage on the beach. Southeast Asia is great. Then it got out of control. The ladies started doing Julie's nails and threading her legs. They just kind of start and wait for you to say no. But you can't really say no. Then this lady came by selling bracelets. I'm pretty good at saying no to these vendors but this lady was different. As soon as I said I didn't want a bracelet she said "don't be lazy". Is that like "you won't"? Needless to say I bought a bracelet. She also made me buy an anklet for Julie. The best part was when we were bargaining. She wanted 120,000 dong and I wanted 100,000. We got to 110,000 then she said "rock, paper, scissors...you win, 100,000. I win, 120,000". Best bargaining tool ever. We played, she won, I paid. It was almost as funny as when we paid for some pictures in Cambodia with dollars, won, riel, and baht.

Sadly vacation is coming to an end. Tomorrow night we're taking a night bus to Saigon. I'm kind of excited to sleep on the bus. Instead of seats it has these weird bunk things. 3 levels of bunks. It'll be interesting...

Being American

Has never been so awkward.

First let me preface this story. Julie and I left Cambodia on thursday. We took a boat down the Mekong River to the Vietnamese border town of Chau Doc. The boat ride was really nice. On this big longboat there were only Julie, a Japanese couple, the boat staff, and I. Chau Doc was a cool little town. Less touristy but definitely a major traveler hub. It was also strange to have our D-List celebrity status back. We took a cyclo (bike chariot rickshaw looking thing) from the pier to our hotel. That night we booked a 2 day Mekong Delta package that would drop us off at Ho Chi Minh City, better known as Saigon.

The tour was alright, 3 meals and 1 night accomodation plus transportation for $31. I don't even know what the price is in dong. Yes, the official currency of Vietnam is the Dong. Anyways. As part of our tour we went to a minority village where (shockingly) they wanted us to buy things. Then went to a fish farm (not as cool) then we went on our way to the town of Can Tho. There were 2 options for the trip. Hotel and homestay. We wanted a little more authentic experience so we chose the homestay. In Can Tho we got on another boat and went to this little village (I forget the name). The house was awesome and the feast for dinner was some of the best food I've ever eaten. We basically made our own spring rolls. The owner of the house, Hung, took us on a tour of the village. Thats when things got awkward.

Everyone's first question is "where are you from?". Never before have I been ashamed to say America. Upon hearing that, people would talk in Vietnamese and point at us. Then Hung would tell us that their [insert relative here] was killed by an American solider. They were also not shy to tell us that during the war the Americans dropped over 500 bombs on the village in 48 hours, killing 700 people. THEN they took us to see a bomb crater. Most awkward moment ever.

Now we're in Ho Chi Minh City, better known as Saigon. Much less awkward. Tomorrow we're going to Nha Trang to chill on the beach. I also hear their booze cruises are legendary...

Cambods,

as my cousin calls it has been...intense. Thats pretty much the only way to describe it. It all started on the 12 hour ferry/bus/walk across the border/another bus/tuk tuk ride from Koh Chang to Siem Reap. We rode, as the Swede we met put it, the "scam bus". That's right. the scam bus. According to his guide book the scam bus is a package deal that seems pretty cheap (700 Baht /$21 to get all the way from KC to SR) but takes as long as possible. This is so that the Thai travel companies can charge you more for your Cambodian visa (we paid 1,200 B- $36 when it should have only been $20) and so that tuk tuk drivers can swarm upon you as soon as you get off the bus ride to take you to a guesthouse that gives them a hefty commission for sending travelers their way. In short, it was good that we booked our hostel ahead of time because we were, as they want you to be, too tired and annoyed to put up much of a fight. We could at least say (and mean) that we already had arrangements.

The town of Siem Reap was really nice. Despite being tourist central it had a lot of character. The guesthouse we stayed at, the Palm Garden Lodge, was amazing. The rooms were big, clean, and the bed was a tempurpedic. They also give you free breakfast and when we left they sent us on the road with a to go lunch for free! If you're ever going to Siem Reap, definitely stay there.

The temples were awesome. Angkor Thom was great with all its temples. Ta Phrom was straight out of Tomb Raider. Angkor Wat was nothing short of spectacular. All the temples were everything I wanted/thought they would be.

After the temples we took a bus to Phnom Penh. The six hour ride was intense but we drove through some really cool countryside. Its sad tho, to see how poor the people are here. It really makes me thankful for what I have. Today we visited the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum. Both were sobering experiences.

The Killing Fields were so sad. The Khmer Rouge executed tens of thousands of people and buried them in mass graves there. As a memorial there is a huge white stupa. Inside are tons of skulls that were dug up, and a pile of clothes that they found in the graves. 86 graves were exhumed and 43 are still left buried.

The museum was scary. It was originally a school that was converted into a prison/torture center for the prisoners of the Khmer Rouge. Its left almost exactly as they found it. Blood and handprints on the walls, broken beds, shackles on the floor. 14 victims were found just left in their cells. It was hard to walk through the museums and see the pictures of the victims (pre and post torture). The Khmer Rouge exterminated so many people for being intellectuals, educated, professors, diplomats, anyone who didn't fit into their communist regime.

We had hoped to see the Grand Palace and Wat Phnom after the sad things as a pick me up but our tuk tuk driver took us in the opposite order. Maybe a western dinner can get us out of this funk...

As for tomorrow, we're hopping on a boat to Vietnam. Our first stop is the Mekong Delta, then to Na Trang and then to Ho Chi Minh City. We wanted to go to Laos for a few days but the transportation was just too expensive. We would've had to fly because well...there's just no convenient way to get to where we wanted to go, and 2 days on a bus were not an option.

Koh Chang is Winding Down

Its kind of sad but its better to leave a place while you're still having fun than when you're sick of it.

Snorkeling yesterday was so cool. I saw some really cool fish, coral, anemones...etc. I think my favorites were the sea urchins. Its a really unique experience when you're feeding the fish in the water and the whole school is swimming around you.

Thai massages are also a beautiful thing. A full hour massage for only 250 Baht ($7.50US). And that is on the expensive side. In Bangkok they were only 180 Baht.

Tomorrow is the Koh Chang full moon party! Even though its not the Koh Phang Nan one, it'll still be a great time. Especially because we met up with Denise, Hugo, Kaylyn, and Meghan who are also staying on Koh Chang.

On Sunday morning we depart on a 10 and a half hour bus ride for Siem Reap, Cambodia. Home to Angkor Wat!

Chang

is the Thai word for Elephant. Koh (island) Chang is an island shaped like an elephant head. Chang beer has elephants on the label. What would Koh Chang be without elephants? Nothing, thats what. And where there's elephants theres elephant trekking. For a mere 900 Baht (about $27) you can ride some elephants through the jungle and swim with them in a stream. If you ask me, thats an excellent use of $27.

All of the excursions here are really cool and pretty cheap. Tomorrow we're going on a snorkeling trip to 4 of the islands around Koh Chang. The boat goes to Koh Thong Lang, Koh Rung, Koh Loan, and Koh Wai. Its a day long trip of snorkeling, swimming, and a Thai buffet for lunch. All for 500 Baht! About $15. I love Thailand.

Koh Chang

So after last post. The hostel I met Julie at sucked. It was an hour away from the good parts of Bangkok and it was devoid of personality. We cancelled the rest of the reservations and went back to the Phiman Water View. Best choice ever. The people I met there were awesome. The owner, Vee, told me to say hi to all the starfish on Koh Chang.

We only spent two days in Bangkok. The first day...well technically second, we went to the Grand Palace. I don't think I've seen anything that shiny and pointy in my life. Skydiving over the city would be a TERRIBLE idea. EVERYTHING is pointy and would skewer you on impact. Also, there was so much gold. Everywhere.

Yesterday we booked a tour to the floating market, the bridge on the River Kwai, and the Tiger Temple. The market was interesting, the bridge was alright (nobody knew the story behind it...including us), and the temple was awesome. I got to pet a bunch of tigers and got my picture taken with them.

Now its chill time on the White Sand Beach of Koh Chang for a week. We're staying at a pretty cool hotel right on the beach. After the whirlwind of Hong Kong, Macau, and Bangkok this will be really nice. We're even gonna go elephant trekking.

Back to munching on green curry and sipping coconut shakes.

Monks are walking by...

...as I'm sitting in this little internet cafe in Bangkok. What an awesome place this is.

I got in last night and made it to my hostel after searching every nook and cranny of the street. Once we (the taxi driver and I) found it, it was great. If you're ever in Bangkok and want to stay near the bustling Khao San Road but not actually on it, definitely look into the Phiman Water View Hostel. Its really clean, cheap, chill. Perfect for sitting by the river and enjoying a beer with some people.

Thailand is so more laid back than Hong Kong and Macau. Hong Kong was great, don't get me wrong, but after 2 days I was done. The worlds biggest outdoor seated bronze Buddha was really cool, as was the village of Tai O and the Nunnery but it got really overwhelming and it kind of sucked traveling alone. The hostel I stayed at in Hong Kong was kind of grungy (as were all of them in the fabulous Mirador and Chungking Mansions) and the other guests were there on prolonged stays so they weren't into doing the stuff I was doing.

Macau on the other hand was nothing short of spectacular. Being a former Portuguese colony, it retained a lot of its European charm. The buildings, streets, and food were all very European. If you want a more fast paced time, you can always go to the casinos.

Now I have to find a taxi to take me to the new hostel I booked for Julie and I...this could be interesting. I thought it was in walking distance but I was very wrong. FML. I'm really excited to finally have someone to travel with after being devoid of human contact for the better part of a week.

UUUGGHHHHH

I love traveling, just not the domestic part of it. It took FOREVER for me to get to this cozy internet lounge between gates 124 and 125 of Incheon Airport.

I took (read: just barely made) the 11:20 bus out of Yeosu for Seoul. Nothing spectacular there. I slept the whole way up. The buses are always early, so I got to the Seoul Bus Terminal at 3:45am. Too bad the first train didn't start till 5:40. Not to mention that the terminal/subway was FREEZING. I kept warm by reading about all the delicious food that I would be eating in Hong Kong and Macau. When the metro finally started running, it was about an hour and 45 minute ride to Incheon Airport. The metro seats are heated so that was a plus.

When I finally arrived at the airport, everything was a breeze. I'm pretty sure it took me longer to find the check in counter than it did to get checked in, go through security, and go through customs. Asia can be so efficient sometimes. Especially at 7:45am.

Its currently 8:26 and I have an hour to kill before I board. I'm gonna make this 14 hour time difference work for me and spend it on facebook chat.

Adios.

I leave tomorrow night...

...and still have laundry to do, still have to pack, have to go to e-mart, have to print my travel documents, and have to change my money into God knows what. So what do I do now? Write a blog about it instead of doing it.

(I just got distracted and 10 minutes has passed) I procrastinate with procrastinating.

In the 10 minutes I got distracted I decided to check the bus schedule. Just my luck that the bus to Incheon Airport tomorrow night is full. Awesome. The bus to the city of Incheon leaves at 4pm...way too early. I'm not spending 12 hours sitting in the airport. My best option is to get a bus to Seoul, which puts me there at 4:30am. From there I have to chill in either the bus station or the metro station until it starts running. From there I hop on the metro to Incheon Airport. What a headache.

Alright, I really need to get moving. I have until 11pm tomorrow to do everything I need to get done.

Side Effects May Include...

Nausea, dizziness, and loss of appetite...among others. Others. The others include hair loss, syncope (temporary loss of consciousness), chills, and muscle pain. Ooooh Lariam.

Lariam aka mefloquine aka anti-malarial medication.

I've heard from my friends that you don't need malaria pills. My guidebook says I do. I think sucking up the side effects is definitely better than malaria. I'd rather not experience chills, rigor, fever, and sweating for 4-6 hours every 2 days. Not my cup of tea. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Figuring that I'm going to 5 countries (lumping Honk Kong and Macau as part of China) in mosquito ridden Southeast Asia, getting malaria pills seemed like a good idea. Anti-malarials are one of the few medications that you need a prescription for in Korea. I went to the hospital (my students and teachers call it that) which is like a big public health center. Except with with hospital beds? I dunno. Its either a hospital-lite or doctor's plus. Either way, it was easy. Go up to the counter, say "malaria medication" (malaria is the same in English and Korean) and you get taken to the doctor. Tell him what countries you're going to and for how long and he writes you a prescription. Take that next door to the yak (pharmacy) and you're good to go. Funny tho, the hospital nurse said that malaria medicine isn't covered by insurance and it would be expensive. My month's supply cost me 24,000 won. About $21. Maybe its expensive by Korean standards but it seemed alright to me.

Koreans are really on top of things with their healthcare. Its dirt cheap to get medicine, see the doctor, even get surgery. Even acupuncture is cheap. 6,000 won ($5) a session. And nobody is scared to see the doctor here. It seems like in America everyone is reluctant to see the doctor because of the waiting and costs. Here its efficient and cheap. No wonder my students tell me they were absent because they were at the hospital. In the 20 minutes I was at the doctor's I saw 4 students. I definitely feel better knowing that even with the language barrier, healthcare is easy to use.

A tasty addition to dinner tonight, 1 Lariam tablet. Gotta start the meds 1 week early.

Happy (late) New Year!

My New Year's resolution: update this more frequently.

It felt weird this year not ringing in the new year at 241...or drinking Andre. I made do, however, and went to Busan for New Year's. We stayed on Gwangalli Beach because we heard the nightlife was better there. Instead of booking a love motel our group made the decision to splurge on a nice hotel. It was about 55,000 won ($48) per person. New Year's is once a year so why not? Our room also came with Skylounge access to see the sunrise. Koreans take their sunrises seriously, and the New Year's sunrise is a big deal. After the sunrise we headed to Haeundae Beach, the bigger of the two to fly some New Year's kites. That was the most fun thing I have done this year.

While in Busan we saw Avatar in 3D. If you haven't seen it (even in 2D), DO IT! It was a phenomenal movie. I'm contemplating going to Gwangju this weekend to see it on Imax.

At school its winter camp time. 4 classes per day. 8:30-noon. not bad at all. My roster is 25 students but i've only had a full class once. My co-teacher told me to make fun, game oriented lessons for the students, so its more or less a blast. Its so much more lax than regular class and I frequently find myslef doubled over with laughter at some of the things that my students say.

My vacation countdown is at 8 days! One week from tomorrow! I'm so excited. Wendy, who was just in Thailand bought a "First Time: Asia" guidebook and let me borrow it. Its full of things I never would've thought of. Like how big your backpack should be. The backpack has given me the most trouble. Do I invest in a quality backpack or get a really reasonably priced/sized one at the market? The minimum "investment" for a backpack of recommended size that I found was at least 195,000 won. The guidebooks say thats a good price but I'm not ready to spend that kind of money right before vacation. I ended up buying this 52 liter monstrosity (its really not that bad) for 48,000 won. Julie has the same kind and it has survived 3 10 day trips around Asia so I think it'll be ok.

As for booking and such, I booked a hostel in Hong Kong and Macau. Everywhere else I was told to just get a room on arrival. Both places are a little more expensive than the rest of SE Asia, but I was able to find a deal. 5 nights in Hong Kong cost me 51,000 won and 1 night in Macau cost me 18,000. Not terribly bad.

I feel like I have so much to do between now and next wednesday night! (I'm taking the night bus to Incheon Airport). Good thing I have the 7th and 8th off!