Weekend in Pictures

I can write about this country as much as a I want, but I know that for myself to understand a country I also need to see it. The following are the pictures from a 3 day weekend last month.

Last year there were 160 plays in Seoul. This year includes a strange looking Lady Macbeth.

I think of the 1950's as being the high point in the donut business. When Dunkin Donuts (est. 1950) was getting popular in the US, the only people in Korea who had heard of it were the GIs fighting during the Korean War. Donuts have not been in Korea for very long and have only more recently become 'cool.' That is why you can see so many trendy donut stores around the city.

The subway tracks get an upgrade from wood to concrete.

"At PMS we make decisions." Thumbs up to PMS~!

Blood drive poster right next to a promo for a play. The clothing is Korean but the art style is Japanese. I've been seeing a lot more of Japanese culture this last year.

There are so many street vendors in the city. You really miss them when you can't find any in the countryside.

Hold hands everyone. Let's go~

I'm used to seeing large apartment buildings as well as large buildings in general (notice the curve), but it's always fun seeing other building styles throughout the city.

I'm used to seeing a lot of people at Myungdong when I visit, but this time was a bit different. This crowd spotted a celebrity of some sort (couldn't see the face clearly) in the second floor of a coffee shop. I was in the area to get some kitty cell phone accessories for friends.

I'm a BBQ mom.
I'm a BBQ dad.
I'm a BBQ guy.
I'm a BBQ girl. And yes, the entire subway car was decked out from this one sponsor. That company makes the best "yangyam chicken" I have ever eaten. Oh, and there was a public service announcement telling passengers of inadvisable activities. I thankfully have yet to see either of these actions taking place in the subway.

There is a family from church who I spend sometimes spend time with. They are a very fun married couple with a darling daughter. She combined a few games together to make her own game and practice her fighting skills? ^^

Behind the nation's capital is a former private retreat. The history is so exciting the author couldn't help but use four exclamation marks!!!! As my friend mentioned the leader was "killed with gun" and henceforth it was open to the public. It really is pretty there. Stream. Poles.

When I first learned how to use chopsticks my hands would get a little cramped since those muscles were not used to that action. Hence Koreans have developed what I call "My first Chopsticks" and I saw them in use at my friend's house.^^

I was teased before for adding hot dogs to fried rice. I was told it wasn't Asian. I am vindicated! Bits of hot dogs in Korean-style curry! Ah hahahaha~

Somehow Asian and Latin things normally don't go together. Baek JiYoung did have a salsa vibe running through some of her songs, but that isn't normal. So something just felt 'off' when a friend took me to a Mexican restaurant near Yonsei. It came with it's very own cactus (and a warning since Koreans aren't used to seeing cacti due to the lack of any deserts in the country), plenty of Cholula, chips and dip, fajitas lunch menu, and calls for "una mas." Now I know I failed Spanish class, but shouldn't it be "Uno mas"?

Until next time, Rick out.

Leaving a Sinking Ship

UPDATE: (sigh) After talking to Immigration, I have discovered it is almost impossible to quit my job and go work someplace else. By the time the paperwork is ready my contract will be ending anyway. If I didn't want to stay in this country then I could simply hop onto a flight and never come back. But the problem is that I do want to stay in the country. And simply said, if I don't finish the job then I could have a black mark on my immigration history for the rest of my life, which means a two year ban and usually a refusal for future visas/entries. Helpless...


ORIGINAL POST:
The past few days I have tossed around the idea of quitting. But since last night, when they told us that we had 12 hours to move everything, again. And actually we couldn' t start until the next day and two hours later we had to leave the school.

People have made fun of how much stuff I have, but honestly this is my home. Everything I will need to use for the next few years sits in that room. They can go to their hometown on weekends and get something they missed but I can' do that.

The more I think / pray about it, things are going to get worse before summer, when my contract ends.

If you can, give me a ring this weekend.

The US Government Does Not Allow Us to Receive Money From the North At This Time

When I was an exchange student I was able to get free hosting from a friend (thank you Michael) and for the last year I was able to get free hosting from another friend (thank you Ben). But that year has now passed, which means I needed to find my own hosting. The basic accounts are still cheap, and now I get 10 gigs of storage and 300 gigs of transfer; per month. I'm sold.

However, I had the hardest time getting the hosting. My credit card was rejected. My bank account was rejected. I e-mailed the hosting group and got the default e-mail; 'double check you put in the info correctly,' 'contact your bank;' nothing really helpful.

Then I saw a large box in the middle of the message; "We are unable to process transactions originating from the following countries...North Korea." Awesome, I get lumped into the same group as Iran and Syria~ >_<

Drat, you caught me. I do live within a couple hundred miles of the most heavily armed border in the world...but I live on the southern side of it. Ah well, who said Americans were good with geography?

I might as well start using some of my space.
Here is a Cherry Filter song off of their new album (punk pop).
And here is a song from Kim Younah from Jaurim (sounds eastern European).