View Out My Window!!

One Month and Counting

I have been in Korea almost a month now and I think I'm pretty much settled in. My "Alien Resident Card" arrived the other day, which means that I can open a bank account and access medical services and all that good stuff!  

I have also found a great place to walk and see the ocean (as you can see in the pictures) and I even bought a bicycle so that I can get around a bit better. The next town over from where I live is a bit bigger & has more to do, so having a bike makes it more convenient to just pop over there whenever I want. There is also a designated bike path by the river so I don't have to deal with traffic (although occasionally there have been other vehicles parked in my lane!!) The only downside is that Geoje, and my town specifically, is VERY HILLY! The ride TO my destination is easy... But the ride home gets increasingly more steep, ending with me walking my bike the last 200m up a sheer incline to my apartment.

Last weekend, I went with Beth and Will to a place we found in a guidebook called "The Hills of the Glowing Sunset." Despite it being mentioned in the guidebook, there was no mention of this area on any website we could find... but we decided to make the trek to find it anyway. It is on a peninsula that juts out from the North West corner of Geoje island so we were able to do an ocean walk around the tip of the peninsula, which was quite beautiful (besides the garbage on the beach-- there is a lot of that here, unfortunately). After our walk, we popped into a convenience store/bait and tackle shop hoping to get a snack... After purchasing beer and potato chips (which was about $9 total for the three of us) the proprietor came out with a bowl of fresh mussels for us, on the house! That seemed like a pretty good deal to us, and softened the blow when we realized that it was too foggy/cloudy/mountainous to get a good view of the sunset!

I am just about to get ready for work now, and excited for it to be the weekend soon! Happy Anniversary (in my time zone) to mom and dad!

Summer Vacation Trip to SEOUL!

> My school is on summer vacation this week so Beth, Will and myself decided to venture to Seoul for a few days to explore the sights and catch a baseball game. We arrived on Monday, and after checking into our hotel, we went on a failed mission to find a grocery store because we have a kitchenette. We did end up finding a convenience store to have a snack and drink outside of (it's very common here to see plastic furniture and tables outside a 7-11) followed by an impromptu trip to the local bowling alley and, finally, a visit to the local sticker photo booth to finish the night.
>
> The next day, we headed to the baseball stadium to watch the KIA Tigers play the Doosan Bears. The whole experience was much different than in North America: you can buy any food and drinks outside the stadium and bring them inside-- plus, you can go back outside the stadium at any time during the game and are allowed to return to the game inside afterward. Many of the vendors inside the stadium are convenience stores, not just big chain restaurants. The game itself was fun! The crowd was very lively and it was a good game despite our team (the Tigers) losing. After the game, we headed to Dongdaemun which is a cheap late night shopping district. Beth and I bought matching Lion King t-shirts before we headed home.
>
> Today I have plans to get my cell phone set up and do some shopping/exploring in Myeongdong, the fashion district in Seoul. We will head back to Geoje tomorrow to spend the rest of our vacation on the island.
>