Sorry

It's been a while since I last wrote. This is due to the fact that I am settling in here, making new friends and finding my groove. I've also learned how to download movies and video games with which to occupy my free time! But, in reality, I haven't been spending too much time at home lately.

I've made a few good friends here and am always meeting new people. My weekends are usually spend out until 4 or 5 am, bar hopping. I've given up trying to keep up with the Koreans or even the 6'5" Canadian cousins I've met and now pace myself so as not to feel like crap for two days afterward. Actually, I don't really like Korean beer and I'm too cheep to buy the outrageously priced imported beer, so I mostly go out to meet new people and spend time with friends.

On the other hand, I have found some nice wines to try out. Korea has some sort of trade agreement with Chili and one result of this agreement is a huge selection of Chilean wines. I had heard that Chili makes pretty good wine and it is becoming more popular in the US, but I don't know for certain that I had ever tried it before. Now that I've sampled a few I would highly recommend it to any wine lovers out there.

I'm also starting to learn where to get some of the food products that I am used to from home. Though this means shopping a several different stores to find what I am looking for. Still no luck with the vegetarian "meat substitutes." The biggest thing I miss is the TVP and ground beef like products. These were staples of my diet back home which I frequently used to make chili and meat sauce and the like. I have been able to find some good cheeses, but I have to pay import prices. So, a $2.00 block of cheddar cheese cost me approximately $8.00! I was luck enough to find some bagels and Philadelphia cream cheese last night. I was so excited that I didn't even unpack my shopping bags before I had a bagel in the oven. It was better than you might expect. Better than a Lender's bagel, though nothing close to a New York bagel. Still, it was so good - a taste of home.

Speaking of which, I'm going to have a dinner party tomorrow night and cook some Italian food for my friends. They are always asking me to cook for them, but it's hard to find the proper ingredients. Also, I don't have an oven! But I can make some pasta with a nice white wine sauce and some garlic bread - in small batches in the toaster oven. I wish that I could find some fresh herbs to cook with, but no luck so far! Anyway, I am looking forward to having people over for dinner -Korean and Western alike. I think I might try to make it a regular thing. It's a good way to make friends!

Thinking of that makes me remember all the nights I would cook dinner with Maggie, and later Alanna, back at school. Sometimes I really miss those girls! Mostly I am getting on just fine, without too much homesickness, but it's a little hard moving to a new place every couple of years. It doesn't matter if it's Maryland or South Korea, when you leave people behind, your relationship changes. It's a little sad, because you want to recreate that closeness with new friends, but it can only come with time. Well, if any good has come out of it, I think that I am losing my fear of meeting new people. Here, if I meet a Korean, they are always so nice and have a million things they want to say, but there is a language barrier, so it becomes a sort of game to try to have a conversation. And, if I meet a Westerner, there is a pretty good chance we'll have a lot in common with each other, so conversation comes naturally. Another good thing about meeting other English teachers is that when they move, they have lots of stuff they aren't taking with them! I've inherited a bicycle, some speakers for my computer and a number of books. Two other friends are leaving next week, so there might be more coming my way.

I've been taking that bike out and riding around a bit. I've become so much more active here. I'm walking at least a little every day back and forth to work, if not more. I've got a bike now, so I try to go out riding when it's not to hot. And, I've been doing Yoga regularly for about 2 weeks now. In addition, I've been eating less milk, cheese, bread and generally junk food; the portion sizes are generally smaller; and I've a a firm resolve not to eat late at night. I bought a scale last night and found I'd lost about 14 pounds! Not bad for one month! Don't think I'm a twig yet though, I had gained about that much in the 3 or 4 months before I came to Korea, so I've still got a ways to go. Still, it's a great start. I keep reminding myself that I want to be an outdoor adventure guide, and it will make all the difference in the world if I can get myself into shape. I've also made a point of saying that if I can come to Korea and finally live my dream of traveling the world -something I've wanted for so long- then anything is possible! And I know it's going to feel so good to get back in shape and be healthy again! Though, for the time being, my knees are not too happy with me.

I'm hoping soon I will be able to start going hiking regularly as well. It seems that the humidity has finally broken! It has actually gotten hotter, believe it or not, around 110 degrees for the past few days, but with the humidity gone, I dare say it feels cooler! It's also been slightly breezy which has helped to cool it off a bit. Everyone has been telling me that fall is the best time of year for Korea, so I'm looking forward to a few nice months to spend exploring. I've also got plans to go paragliding in the next few weeks, and I am really, really looking forward to it! There is so much I want to do this year, I hardly think I'll be able to do it all, but I sure am going to try.

Here's a few pics from around the city!
http://picasaweb.google.com/travelingchris/200708AroundAnsan