Stranger in a Strange Land

Some days I feel as though I'm floating through the ether of some netherworld able to fashion whatever dream I happen to fancy at that moment. I'm sitting in my carpool with two of my coworkers listening to Seals and Crofts on my iPod as we crawl through the morning commute traffic. The rain beats the staccato rhythm of the summer monsoons in time with the song, flowing into my soul. I sit thinking of the day ahead with its seemingly insurmountable mountain of work to scale. Yet, I find nothing but joy in the fact that I have finally found a task deemed impossible, a daunting feat for any to even dare to attempt. In fact, I'm fairly certain they expect me to fail and use my failure as an excuse to save face, but I love the multi-faceted assault on my abilities. I say to the whole industry... bring it on! The family motto ringing true: Illegitimi non carborundum. It's strange to think that my work will bring me, not only halfway around the world, but practically to the doorstep of my family come the end of this month. Life is a strange entity. I had to go 6,389 miles away from home to find the same type of job as my sister. I understand exactly how difficult it is to explain your job now, babers, as it evolves on a daily basis into something unlike whatever it was supposed to be the day before. I can't wait to see you soon mom and dad! We're goin to Vegas baby! The WSA won't know what hit em.

I wanna put on my my my my my boogie shoes

Well, it's official, I have changed industries... I got the job and am now working for the shoe industry. I am in charge of overseas promotion for an international shoe conference that will be occurring here this coming November. Besides the pay being very nice, which almost makes up for the 1.5 hr commute across town (each way), I have found a job that has me written all over it, just call me sir schmoozalot. I am very busy trying to re-write all of their promotion materials and get the advertising and website in place so I can actually start to invite manufacturers and buyers to this show. Working websites help alot. They have never had a U.S. company show in this show, I'm gonna do my best to change that this year. It's kind of cool knowing all the trends in the shoe fashion world for next year already, strange how they already know what will be popular a year from now. Anyway, I'm off to go get some more emails off. I'll inform you about my business trip next time... Ciao!

The Beach!!!

Finally after long delay some much needed photographic evidence of the good life here in Busan! Happy Father's Day! My pics are being a little funny about uploading, but here we've got some surfers and my feet on the beach and a little shot of the Sand Festival and last but not least a little regatta out in the bay.

N.K Nuke scare??

Just a quick little line letting everyone know what the situation is like over here. People, media, government don't really care much about the current nuclear testing going on in Bukhan (North Korea). They have put the troops on ready alert, but the entire country is more concerned with swine flu and the repercussions that will ensue from that. This last week, 12 new American teachers infected an entire school which has been quarantined and shut down temporarily until it is resolved. This is much bigger news than anything going on in Bukhan. Just a little blurb about the state of the union. Anyway, I'll talk more later and let you know how the Sand Festival and International Dance Festival go. Ciao!

Here Comes the Sun

After a predominantly rainy month, the weather has been clear for the past two weeks and the weather is a constant 75-80 degrees. Pura vida! It's been a bit windier than usual, now if only I had some time to go rent a windsurfer to take out (can't imagine anyone wanting to check that out though). The Sand Festival and the Busan International Dance Festival start this next Friday and the timing couldn't be better.
But I digress from why I wanted to write today, I was sitting in the bar tonight and thinking about all of the cultures that converge in this city as I am surrounded by a plethora of languages. Within fifteen feet of each other I can hear groups or couples from around the world conversing about any number of topics. There are the Korean and Japanese businessmen discussing the day, behind me I can hear the Germans and Norwegians in town for the climate change conference, a group of English teachers from America, England, Scotland and Australia are playing pool and off in a booth are a couple of Russian boat captains. This is not an unusual evening here, if I see an evening without five different languages being spoken I am extremely surprised. I wish I had picked up some of the ole Sven and Ole dialects because they sure would come in handy with quite a number of regular patrons, both Norwegians and Danes that frequent this establishment (sorry grandpas, I picked Russian).
People come here for so many different reasons, whether they are here on business or just vacationing, the reasons and philosophies never cease to amaze and amuse me. I was talking to a Canadian friend of mine today and he was telling me how he met this guy from NYC who came over primarily because he felt persecuted living in the states as a smoker and wanted to be in a place where it was socially acceptable. Another friend of mine, just moved back to Korea for the third time and is some high up officer within a shoe company that has its production based out of Korea and China. The main reasons people come to Korea are desire to travel and live in another culture, lack of jobs, relatively easy way to pay off student loans, or they are running from the law, like this guy I've heard about that is here teaching in order to not give alimony to his ex (that's not gonna turn out good).
That's about all I've got to say right now, I'm pretty tired and think I'm gonna turn in for the night. I hope everyone had a phenomenal Memorial Day and are enjoying the beautiful change in season over there as well. Until we chat again. Annyong.
~c

Busan Summer Lineup

Since Busan is an international port city, there are always festivals of some sort happening here, with most of them occuring on or around Haeundae Beach, home sweet home. There are 21 international shows, 20 cultural events and hundreds of smaller festivals and sporting events through the year. The most popular festivals in Busan are The Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), The Sea Festival, Rock Fest, The Fireworks Festival, and Jagalchi Sea Food Cultural Festival.
Although May is nearly over Busan Men's Open Tennis Championships and the 19th Arirang Yaching Championships are currently underway and at least one of them is enjoying the particularly windy weather that we've been having lately. Although its past, May 1-10 was the 6th Annual Busan International Performing Arts Festival (BIPAF)with plays from around the world including Russia, Germany, U.S., and many others. More information can be found at www.bipaf.org.
June starts off with a couple of fun festivals with the International Dance Festival which will be on a floating stage on Haeundae Beach. Check out more info at www.bidf.or.kr. Dad needs to make it over before June 5th to catch out the first Nakdong River Windsurfing Championships held on Eulsuk Island at the mouth of river. There is also a World Health Organization conference on Children's Health and Environment, the Mayor's Cup Canoeing Championship, a College Dragon Boat Racing Meet and the Jang-Bo Rowing Championships.
Once we hit July and summer kicks into overdrive so do the sports. July 3-10 are the first Busan International Surfing Championships and the 27th-29th are the World Women's Beach Volleyball Championships. Like most of these events they are free to the public. While the waves may not be the biggest, there is nothing like sitting on the beach and enjoying the beautiful weather and gorgeous view.
August brings us The Sea Festival and Rock Fest. Rock Fest brings us bands from around the world playing free shows on Dadaepo Beach for a weekend filled with free beer, fireworks and even a kiteboarding competition. Check out more info at www.rockfestival.co.kr. This year Rock Fest will be held during the weeklong Sea Festival from August 1-9. The events haven't been finalized yet, but last year there was a Guiness drinking competition, a magic show and competition, several fireworks shows, numerous sporting events(skateboarding, kiteboarding, boat races, and swimming), a two day hip-hop show, a dance festival and an ultimate frisbee tournament. They are held on Busan's five major beaches, yach clubs and hte Nakdong River. You can read more about this must see event at www.seafestival.co.kr.
Most of Busan's festivals are held during the summer and fall while the weather is the most favorable. Later on, I'll have to tell you about the Pusan International Film Festival and The Fireworks Festival, both of which draw tourists from around the world for these famed events. The Fireworks Festival makes any North American show look like child's play as there are more than 100,000 fireworks expoded during this festival. It is renowned throughout Asia and so popular that Japanese and Chinese tourists will book the hotels and all tours months in advance. If you want to learn more about what is going on in "Dynamic Busan", check out www.dynamicbusan.co.kr.
Hopefully, I won't be so busy with work that I get some time to take in most of these wonderful events, and maybe, just maybe it will help some of you plan your vacations to come over and visit me. I look forward to talking to you all again soon.

Bachata Rosa

Since my family can't be with me, I brought a piece of them to Korea as I introduced Busan to a little family favorite. Juan Luis Guerra and 4.40 made their debut at the bar today as well mom's favorite Luis Miguel ballad Sin Ti, my favorite play on words in a song. XOXO mommasita! Just thinking of everyone back home and hoping everyone is well. I'll drop a little more later, just wanted to drop a quick line now that I'm getting ready for bed. Talk to you soon.

Mmmm Mexican Food!!

So, I've been torn between giving Won Tae, our resident Mexican chef, suggestions on how to improve his food and make it more Arizonan or keeping them to myself for the inevitable day, a year from now of whenever it is, that he decides to open up his own restaurant again. But in the meantime, I am staying very happy and getting fat eating my daily dose of Rosarito refried beans. I'll have to send you some pictures, but I just wanted to drop a quick line and say hey! Thinking of you all as I sit under the full moon here.

And for those who won't read this until Sunday... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Long Overdue

As I'm sure most of you know, I just spent a couple of great weeks back home seeing family and friends, I have a newed and inspired perspective. I intend to use my blog to make us close - bridge the gap, if you will - to share the fabulous experiences, people, places and events that make korea - and esp Busan Such an amazing place! Though I am far away, you are all very close in my heart and by sharing this place, hopefully you'll feel a little closer too!

Alot has happened in the past few months and my lack of blogging has been perhaps in efforts not to jinx the somewhat clandestine business that I have been trying to transact over here. At long last I have succeeded, thanks mom and dad, and I have become a business owner, in the unlikely field of the alcohol industry. I am now the proud co-owner of a bar. The paperwork was completed on Wednesday of this last week and we took over full ownership of the bar. It has been a hectic period of time during which we have had many battles we have fought and overcome. The most exciting news of the last week is that we have added a full Mexican menu to our repertoire, from which I am eating fajitas right now as I type this out. Anyway, I will keep in better touch as I get back on to a more regulated schedule... Jet lag is crazy especially when combined with an ugly cold. I miss you all and I will talk to you soon.
~c

P.s. - Pictures will be forthcoming

Lunar New Year pt 2, Valentines Day and other happenings in that crazy place called Korea

What to say... Lunar New Year was a little bit calmer than I expected, probably due to the whole worldwide economic downturn, but there were far fewer revelers out on the beach as we strolled into the Year of the Ox, not to say that things were quiet everywhere as Angela and I brought in the Chinese New Year with a glass of champagne to celebrate better times and the changes that are coming along with them. Along with the holiday, coiniciding with the end of the winter intensive term, *whew* I can breath again..., brought a much needed reprieve from working all night and all day. They are rough, that's all that need be said, but it was worth the effort and time flew by.

Valentine's Day, in contrast, was a much bigger holiday than I expected, prompted largely by the beautiful warm weather that accompanied it. As temperatures were holding steady in the 60's, the beach came back to life renewed by the sun's warmth and the international celebration of love. Couples swarmed the streets and U2 as we celebrated a much happier time. I have been busy lately, spending more and more time at the bar helping in a variety of facets, now to include the title of DJ. My passion for music, along with my friendship of the DJ, has brought me the chance to play music while expanding the listening repertoire of my little corner in Asia. I hope everyone is surviving their winter and beginning to feel the hope that the touches of spring bring to everyone. And with that, I'll close my little note, I really will begin taking more photos and updating on a pictorial level the happenings in and around Korea. Until then... ciao!

Lunar New Year Pt. 1

It's 8pm on Saturday night and back stateside everyone is asleep as we get ready for the biggest holiday of the year... Solnal or Lunar New Year. I am extremely grateful to have so much time to relax with the 4 day holiday. This is my kind of national holiday, 4 days off, although that doesn't mean I won't be working at the bar tonight. We have a band coming in to play some indie music to kick off our 3 day party to celebrate.

The last few days have been very nice with tests finishing up for the month at school and calling my mommacita with angela to wish her a happy birthday. It was great seeing the grandparents as well. I just wanted to write a quick note to everyone before I head off to get some more pictures for everyone. All my love. Talk to you all too soon.

Musings on a Winter Night

So I've been deep in thought lately, some know why and some don't, but nonetheless I have been exceptionally busy. So tonight the bar is rather quiet, which is quite fine by me. Angela is sleeping in one of the booths and Sophie is playing games on her phone. Personally, I think the cold combined with the ugly wind is keeping everyone indoors tonight. A nice quiet night is due after the hectic week with school and with the bar. Argh too much to do in so many ways that I feel like my brain is splitting apart trying to solve every problem posed me.

However much stress I feel from writing 17 different tests in the past week for my classes (daily tests for my intensive students is really tiring) I still think about strange things that just make me smile about Korea. Take for instance, superstition and the fact that while I live on the 5th floor of my apartment building, its technically the 4th floor. Koreans and I believe Chinese as well have a superstition regarding the number 4, or sa, and many buildings are without a 4th floor, similar to Western buildings often not having a 13th floor. There superstition is based on the word for four and the word for death being very similar in sound. A similar superstition is based on the color red, and its meaning relating to blood, death and war. As such you very rarely see red in clothing, it is there, just as the number four is there, but on a much diminished scale.

On a bright note, for all who know where my mind has been at lately, the initial work in my business venture has been completed and hopefully the rest will shortly hereafter be concluded in the infamous words of the beatles, with a little help from my friends.

Sanmal is coming up quickly and I'm excited to see how much more excited the Koreans are about Lunar New Year because despite the hordes of people thronging the beach, it was a relatively quiet New Years. I will update you soon because I believe its on January 25. It's a 4 day holiday so it should be a good time. Love and miss you all and I hope everyone's year had come off to a good start despite the freezing cold and the current state of the union over there. Can't wait to talk to you again. Spokoiny nochy druzya is semya.

Welcome to 2009

We have entered a year of change. Alot has gone on since I last wrote, Christmas and New Years in another country, the beginning of intensives. I have been working at a new school in Busan and it has been a great experience. Coming from Daegu where I was working myself to the bone with 9 or 10 classes every day of the week and joining a school where I have no more than 5 classes a day has been a godsend. Now, for the next month, my schedule is very different with my classes being spread out over the whole day starting at 9 am and ending at 6pm. Intensives are extra classes that the school offers while the students are on their holiday vacation and they are just that, very intense, with daily tests and massive amounts of homework. Its difficult to write a new test every single day of the week. Apart from the massive prep time I have to put into creating a good curriculum for my students, I am really enjoying working with students who truly want to learn the english language, well most of them do anyway. It is a drastic change from a few random students that choose to study wholeheartedly to whole classes full of eager haksaeng (students).

Christmas and New Years in Korea were entirely different over here. Christmas was very beautiful with many wonderful lights everywhere. The Koreans truly enjoy the holiday season decorating everything they can throw lights or garland on. We had a small tree and the Arizona tree ummm, saguaro really tied everything together. Angela and I spent a quiet holiday apart from the Christmas party we threw at the bar. It was a great time and despite being thousands of miles from my family, it really felt like Christmas. I got a new set of darts from Ang and she got a new robe from me. Quiet times for a quiet life. New Years on the other hand was a lot different than what I was expecting. I thought that being in Asia would make the New Year a big deal, and I was somewhat correct. New Years is a big event, but not the same type of holiday as Lunar New Year which is a 4 day holiday starting on January 25. New Years Eve was very quiet, the night truly culminated with the morning of New Years Day, Haeundae Beach was crowded at dawn for the first sunrise of the year. Thousands of people crowded the beach to see the new light of the year. It was truly a magical experience, but sadly my camera died earlier in the night so I was unable to get any pictures. I wish everyone could have seen how wonderful it was. So that's all I've got for now, I'll keep everyone posted on the happenings in the amazing land of Korea. Later.