Dear Sal,
Would you believe it's almost been a whole year since I have been in Korea, yet it feels like I have always been here. 2014 has probably been one of the most definitive years of life. Everything about it has changed, I moved to the other side of the world, I ended a nearly seven year relationship and I learned how to be independent. Living alone has taught some very valuable life lessons, self control, financial responsibility and proper food portioning.
I'm not going to lie to you, this year hasn't been easy. Moving to Korea was hard enough, but the emotional consequences of bad decisions, cheap alcohol and a lack of family and friends only added to it. The first three months was more of a blur of booze infused nights out, as I struggled to come to terms with what I was doing and more importantly, what I wanted. But as hard as it was, it was what I needed at that point in my life. And what ever mistakes I may have made in the end I made the right decisions.
As the new year beings I feel optimistic for the future and what it brings. I am beyond excited to here the joyous news that, come this February, you will be joining the expat community over here in Korea. I know you will love it, and it will be nice to finally get a chance to see you face to face. Happy new year, Sal.
Love, Hugs and see you soon.
Samuel James.
Wednesday 31 December 2014
Tuesday 30 December 2014
Malaysia, Part Three... (Tuesday 30th Dec 2014)
Dear Sal,
Another day another journey. We made our way back to KK on a coach which was some kind of night club on wheels, with flashing neon lights and thumping music. They did eventually turned these things off after a few hours on the road, to allow some piece and quite. After sleeping rough in the jungle for the last few days, I can not begin to express the joy of the air conditioning the filled the coach. I differed off into a peaceful sleep.
Sleeping on a bumpy coach ride is something I had never been able to do before, but in Malaysia I found I could nap anywhere. A stone bench, a bus seat that only reclines about ten degrees and even a hundred year old shaky train that seems like it will fall apart at any moment. I feel myself getting older, but I don't mind.
Just off the coats of the city of KK, is a nature reserve spread over five islands, called Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. These beautiful destinations are popular with tourists and local alike. Across the islands there are plenty of beaches, places to hike, eat and even some resorts on the largest island, Manukan. All these are a short boat ride across the waves away for the small fee of the boat ticket and a handling fee, oh and the island entry fee. There is almost nothing you can do here without having to pay.
I was determined to spend my last day relaxing or at least doing something that didn't require much effort. After all I only have one week off work for a whole year and so far I have yet to spend a day winding down. My return flight was departing KK at one AM Sunday morning, giving us plenty of time for exploration and resting on these exotic islands.
Off the shore of these nature reserves are coral reefs, which are ideal for snorkeling and diving, for an additional fee. However the water isn't really that clear, being so close to a developing city and also I ran out of money. It was clear enough for me to look down and see a group of fish swimming in between me and Jason as we swam. I say swan, but most of the time we were just throwing rocks at each other and seeing who could hold their breath the longest. After a year of smoking in Korea I of course lost this battle.
Before I knew it we where back on the boat to the city and soon I was off to the airport, back to Korea and back to work. I hate saying goodbye to Jason, but I will see him again soon enough when February roles around and my first year comes to an end, but until then....
Love, Hugs and why can I have another week off?
Samuel James.
Another day another journey. We made our way back to KK on a coach which was some kind of night club on wheels, with flashing neon lights and thumping music. They did eventually turned these things off after a few hours on the road, to allow some piece and quite. After sleeping rough in the jungle for the last few days, I can not begin to express the joy of the air conditioning the filled the coach. I differed off into a peaceful sleep.
Sleeping on a bumpy coach ride is something I had never been able to do before, but in Malaysia I found I could nap anywhere. A stone bench, a bus seat that only reclines about ten degrees and even a hundred year old shaky train that seems like it will fall apart at any moment. I feel myself getting older, but I don't mind.
Just off the coats of the city of KK, is a nature reserve spread over five islands, called Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. These beautiful destinations are popular with tourists and local alike. Across the islands there are plenty of beaches, places to hike, eat and even some resorts on the largest island, Manukan. All these are a short boat ride across the waves away for the small fee of the boat ticket and a handling fee, oh and the island entry fee. There is almost nothing you can do here without having to pay.
Off the shore of these nature reserves are coral reefs, which are ideal for snorkeling and diving, for an additional fee. However the water isn't really that clear, being so close to a developing city and also I ran out of money. It was clear enough for me to look down and see a group of fish swimming in between me and Jason as we swam. I say swan, but most of the time we were just throwing rocks at each other and seeing who could hold their breath the longest. After a year of smoking in Korea I of course lost this battle.
Before I knew it we where back on the boat to the city and soon I was off to the airport, back to Korea and back to work. I hate saying goodbye to Jason, but I will see him again soon enough when February roles around and my first year comes to an end, but until then....
Love, Hugs and why can I have another week off?
Samuel James.
Wednesday 24 December 2014
Malaysia, Part Two... (Tuesday 24th Dec 2014)
Dear Sal,
Have you ever seen an orangutan in the wild? Didn't think so. Our tour group was lucky enough to catch the rare sight of these elusive primates on the way to the camp we would be spending the next three days in. He was perch high in the tree top observing his domain, and he was massive. Borneo is one of only two places in the world you have the chance to witness this endangered species in it's natural habit. It was defiantly a highlight of the trip.
After being stranded on a train platform in the middle of nowhere for what seemed like forever, we missed the bus taking us on our next days excursion of diving. This came as a blessing in disuse as I was exhausted from the traveling and the day before activities. We explored the city of KK further, visiting the near by wet lands, the city's mosque and of course the local food establishments once again. It was nice to get a chance to relax before our three day jungle stay at Uncle Tan Wildlife Adventure.
The next morning saw another early start to another long journey across Sabah. This time on a coach, a nice coach with air conditioning, a toilet, that was for "only pee!", and even a movie to watch. The movie in question was not in English. Roughly five hours after leaving KK we had arrived at are destination, almost. Just a short half an hour walk down the road, in the sweltering heat, carrying all our luggage. With not much time to catch our breath we were off yet again, driving for about an hour, from the concrete paved roads of civilization to the bumpy dirt roads of the jungle. We arrived in a small village and made our way to the dock, or the closets thing the village had to a dock. It was pretty much just a ladder that run down a slope to where the boat was.
The boat ride felt wonderful, the refreshing cool air blowing in your face and only the occasional bug in your mouth. It was shortly in to this journey to the camp that we saw the glimpse of the orangutan. Just the first of many animals and birds we would see over the next few days.
The website described the accommodation as spartan, whatever that meant. Within a moment of arriving any questions I may have had been answered. A cabin with no doors no windows awaited us. No bed, just a mat on the floor with a mosquito net. Surprisingly there was a light, but the generator only ran from six PM to twelve AM. Next to the hanging sign that greeted us a spider sat menacingly. As the group approached it scurried away. It was so big, but what made it worse was how fast it was. The sound of the spider running up the wall was like the sound of nails taping on wood. The bathroom facilitates consisted of a real toilet but with a bucket of river water which you had to carry in with you as the flush. And the shower was not that dissimilar, a bucket of cold rain water. After dinner of the first evening the eight people on the tour made a group decision that no one would shower and we would all be in the same smelly boat.
The next morning we woke at six, and by now I had adjusted to the early mornings. Surprisingly I found sleep not impossible despite the constant sound of the 'what-what' frogs and the Bites that covered my body causing uncontrollable bouts of itching. In the city I had managed to avoid the mosquitoes bite but not out here in the jungle, the mosquito was king and I his whore.
The next two days we went on many trips up and down the river, exploring the rich and exotic flora and the fauna who inhabit it. we saw crocodiles, spiders and snakes. A family of otters was a surprise as I had no idea that they lived in this region. Countless birds, or a variety of colour and size, from tiny kingfishers to large eagles, we even saw our guide rescue one from a tangled fishing line.
There was so much to see and do crammed into such a short amount of time. I even went fishing for the first time in my entire life. I caught four fish in all, and while they may not have been the largest of fish, for a first attempt I was pretty please with myself. I felt a real scene of accomplishment as I sat down and ate my catch.
Love, hugs and damn these bugs!
Samuel James.
Have you ever seen an orangutan in the wild? Didn't think so. Our tour group was lucky enough to catch the rare sight of these elusive primates on the way to the camp we would be spending the next three days in. He was perch high in the tree top observing his domain, and he was massive. Borneo is one of only two places in the world you have the chance to witness this endangered species in it's natural habit. It was defiantly a highlight of the trip.
After being stranded on a train platform in the middle of nowhere for what seemed like forever, we missed the bus taking us on our next days excursion of diving. This came as a blessing in disuse as I was exhausted from the traveling and the day before activities. We explored the city of KK further, visiting the near by wet lands, the city's mosque and of course the local food establishments once again. It was nice to get a chance to relax before our three day jungle stay at Uncle Tan Wildlife Adventure.
The next morning saw another early start to another long journey across Sabah. This time on a coach, a nice coach with air conditioning, a toilet, that was for "only pee!", and even a movie to watch. The movie in question was not in English. Roughly five hours after leaving KK we had arrived at are destination, almost. Just a short half an hour walk down the road, in the sweltering heat, carrying all our luggage. With not much time to catch our breath we were off yet again, driving for about an hour, from the concrete paved roads of civilization to the bumpy dirt roads of the jungle. We arrived in a small village and made our way to the dock, or the closets thing the village had to a dock. It was pretty much just a ladder that run down a slope to where the boat was.
The boat ride felt wonderful, the refreshing cool air blowing in your face and only the occasional bug in your mouth. It was shortly in to this journey to the camp that we saw the glimpse of the orangutan. Just the first of many animals and birds we would see over the next few days.
The website described the accommodation as spartan, whatever that meant. Within a moment of arriving any questions I may have had been answered. A cabin with no doors no windows awaited us. No bed, just a mat on the floor with a mosquito net. Surprisingly there was a light, but the generator only ran from six PM to twelve AM. Next to the hanging sign that greeted us a spider sat menacingly. As the group approached it scurried away. It was so big, but what made it worse was how fast it was. The sound of the spider running up the wall was like the sound of nails taping on wood. The bathroom facilitates consisted of a real toilet but with a bucket of river water which you had to carry in with you as the flush. And the shower was not that dissimilar, a bucket of cold rain water. After dinner of the first evening the eight people on the tour made a group decision that no one would shower and we would all be in the same smelly boat.
The next morning we woke at six, and by now I had adjusted to the early mornings. Surprisingly I found sleep not impossible despite the constant sound of the 'what-what' frogs and the Bites that covered my body causing uncontrollable bouts of itching. In the city I had managed to avoid the mosquitoes bite but not out here in the jungle, the mosquito was king and I his whore.
The next two days we went on many trips up and down the river, exploring the rich and exotic flora and the fauna who inhabit it. we saw crocodiles, spiders and snakes. A family of otters was a surprise as I had no idea that they lived in this region. Countless birds, or a variety of colour and size, from tiny kingfishers to large eagles, we even saw our guide rescue one from a tangled fishing line.
There was so much to see and do crammed into such a short amount of time. I even went fishing for the first time in my entire life. I caught four fish in all, and while they may not have been the largest of fish, for a first attempt I was pretty please with myself. I felt a real scene of accomplishment as I sat down and ate my catch.
Love, hugs and damn these bugs!
Samuel James.
Merry Christmas... (Wednesday 24th Dec 2014)
Dear Sal,
Love, hugs and a merry Ludachristmas to you.
Samuel James
Its' beginning to look at lot like... well, not Christmas. Sure it's freezing cold out, the ground is blanketed in snow, there are lights and decorations in every shop, subway and restaurant. You can't escape the bombardment of the festive season in Korea as the sounds of Mariah Carey, proclaiming her short Christmas wish list, fills the air. But somehow it just doesn't really feel like Christmas.
There was a warmth to Christmas in England, not a literal temperature, but a feeling. An excitement, the anticipation as the days dwindle until down until it arrived. And while most of the time I was always disappointed by the anticlimax, which was normally brought on by a hangover, it was still wonderful to feel like that. Like a child might. But in Korea, that feeling is lost. Maybe it's the fact that this will be my first Christmas without family, maybe because I have not decorated my apartment, or maybe it's because I will have to work six hours on Christmas day.
What ever the reason could be I am determined to make the most of the day and enjoy myself with my close friends eating the traditional Christmas dinner of, Korean barbecue.
What ever the reason could be I am determined to make the most of the day and enjoy myself with my close friends eating the traditional Christmas dinner of, Korean barbecue.
Love, hugs and a merry Ludachristmas to you.
Samuel James
Tuesday 23 December 2014
Malaysia, Part One... (Tuesday 23rd Dec 2014)
Dear Sal,
I am not the biggest fan of flying and my flight from Seoul to Kota Kinabalu did nothing to help this. It's not that I'm scared of flying, it's just that I am so incredibly inpatient. I just want to get their already. The twenty minute subway ride downtown is agonizing enough, but the thought of having to sit in one seat for six hours bored me to tears.
I was the only westerner on the plane, I sat in seat one D, which of course is the one right at front, so I was the first thing you saw when you board the plan. To make matters worse, I was surrounded by several mothers and their screaming babies. I tried my best to distract myself, I watched movies and attempted to sleep, but was constantly knocked by someone on route to the bathroom or a children who couldn't stay in their seat for more then two bloody minutes. The mother did apologized to me and gave me some candy, which was very nice, the candy however was not.
Stepping off the plan I was immediately hit by the dramatic change in temperature. When I left Korea the weather was freezing, meaning I was wrapped up for the next ice age. I attempted to remove as many layers as possible as I made my way through the terminal to pick up my baggage, but still felt like the jeans I wore suffocated me with every step I took.
Kota kinabalu, or KK as everyone refers to it as, was smaller then I had expected it would be and does not look like the pictures you will find online at all. For a relatively new city it felt old to me, a little grubby but thats not to say it didn't have it's charm. The city was easy to maneuver, the people were helpful and friendly and the food, oh my word, the food was amazing. With multiple markets to pick up everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to seafood, where you can select your fish and they cook it for you right then and there. I also believe I had the best soup I ever tasted in my life in this city, in fact I am certain of it. The tragedy is I have no idea what it was called, but the taste of ginger and lemon grass will linger in mind until I find it again.
After spending a day exploring the city we woke up at the crack of dawn to be picked up and taken white water rafting. I have never been before and Jason kept informing me of them impending dangers I was about to throw myself into. After a nearly two hour ride in a mini van we caught a train, the only train in Borneo, for a further two hours until we reach our destination. All the while I was thinking of the viscous rapids that awaited me.
I needn't have worried. We did have to sign a consent form but I don't see why, the rapids where fun, but tame from what I had been lead to believe. I wanted more of them and bigger, I wanted to have been thrown from the boat and swept down the river, but alas I was not. It was hard work physically, and the next day I felt the full effect.
.
After a filling lunch we made our back to the station to get our train back to KK. It was two thirty and the train was supposed to leave at three so we waited, and waited, but it didn't come. The only train in Borneo had broken down. After nearly two hours of standing, sitting, even lying down at one point, in the drizzling rain a train finally arrived. The only problem was it was heading in the wrong direction. This meant we had to take the train to the end of the line and back again to return to are original location. This added yet another additional two hours to our already long journey.
When we finally made it back we had to check back in to the hostel we had left over 15 hours before, exhausted I crawled into bed and past out.
Love, hugs and oh god, why does my whole body hurt?
Samuel James.
I am not the biggest fan of flying and my flight from Seoul to Kota Kinabalu did nothing to help this. It's not that I'm scared of flying, it's just that I am so incredibly inpatient. I just want to get their already. The twenty minute subway ride downtown is agonizing enough, but the thought of having to sit in one seat for six hours bored me to tears.
I was the only westerner on the plane, I sat in seat one D, which of course is the one right at front, so I was the first thing you saw when you board the plan. To make matters worse, I was surrounded by several mothers and their screaming babies. I tried my best to distract myself, I watched movies and attempted to sleep, but was constantly knocked by someone on route to the bathroom or a children who couldn't stay in their seat for more then two bloody minutes. The mother did apologized to me and gave me some candy, which was very nice, the candy however was not.
Stepping off the plan I was immediately hit by the dramatic change in temperature. When I left Korea the weather was freezing, meaning I was wrapped up for the next ice age. I attempted to remove as many layers as possible as I made my way through the terminal to pick up my baggage, but still felt like the jeans I wore suffocated me with every step I took.
Kota kinabalu, or KK as everyone refers to it as, was smaller then I had expected it would be and does not look like the pictures you will find online at all. For a relatively new city it felt old to me, a little grubby but thats not to say it didn't have it's charm. The city was easy to maneuver, the people were helpful and friendly and the food, oh my word, the food was amazing. With multiple markets to pick up everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to seafood, where you can select your fish and they cook it for you right then and there. I also believe I had the best soup I ever tasted in my life in this city, in fact I am certain of it. The tragedy is I have no idea what it was called, but the taste of ginger and lemon grass will linger in mind until I find it again.
After spending a day exploring the city we woke up at the crack of dawn to be picked up and taken white water rafting. I have never been before and Jason kept informing me of them impending dangers I was about to throw myself into. After a nearly two hour ride in a mini van we caught a train, the only train in Borneo, for a further two hours until we reach our destination. All the while I was thinking of the viscous rapids that awaited me.
I needn't have worried. We did have to sign a consent form but I don't see why, the rapids where fun, but tame from what I had been lead to believe. I wanted more of them and bigger, I wanted to have been thrown from the boat and swept down the river, but alas I was not. It was hard work physically, and the next day I felt the full effect.
.
After a filling lunch we made our back to the station to get our train back to KK. It was two thirty and the train was supposed to leave at three so we waited, and waited, but it didn't come. The only train in Borneo had broken down. After nearly two hours of standing, sitting, even lying down at one point, in the drizzling rain a train finally arrived. The only problem was it was heading in the wrong direction. This meant we had to take the train to the end of the line and back again to return to are original location. This added yet another additional two hours to our already long journey.
When we finally made it back we had to check back in to the hostel we had left over 15 hours before, exhausted I crawled into bed and past out.
Love, hugs and oh god, why does my whole body hurt?
Samuel James.
Saturday 20 December 2014
Gyenongju, Love Castle... (Saturday 20th Nov 2014)
Dear Sal,
Last month I found myself with a group of friends on a weekend excursion to Gyeongju, which was the capital city of the ancient kingdom of Korea. The city is littered with beautiful old buildings, temples and tombs that pop out of the ground all over place like domes covered in grass. The city has a much more traditional feel then that of Daegu and a much smaller population, which means a much smaller number of foreigners milling around, making a nice change.
Here in Korea there seems to be some unspoken rule that if one place is good at doing something then that's the only place it can be done. It's true of every city throughput the country in Jeonju it's their bibibap, and in Gyeongiu it's their bread. It's not really bread, it's more of a pastry, filled with red bean paste. Needless to say I didn't try one. Even after all these months of living here, every time I bite into something to find the surprise of red bean paste I still get angry.
For lunch we went to a very popular and well known traditional Korean restaurant in the area, which was in a wonderful old wooden building, only to be told we would have to wait over an hour to be seated. It didn't take the group long to decide if we would wait on or not. Less then five minutes later we where sat down and ordering in newer, but still traditional, place just round the corner. I will never get over the dizzying number of side dishes which accompany your meals here, and all completely for free.
This beautiful and tranquil city is lovely place to escape the busy and bustling metropolis of Daegu. It's the kind of place you would take a relaxing day trip with friends and family. It feels like how I imaged a Korean city would be prior to coming. Upholding a traditional air of their culture and history, it is not however the kind of place you expect to find a sex museum.
For a country that seems to be some what sexual repressed, there are a surprising number of these places spread through out the county. Gyenongju's offering is called 'Love Castle', but the walls and grounds where not adorned with art and sculptures that showed love, but sex and lots of it. Going with friends made the whole experience one of the funnest and most ridiculous things I have done since coming to Korea. Laughing, pointing and posing with an assortment of provocative and inappropriate objects as Korean couples dressed in matching outfits awkwardly wandered round the exhibits. I couldn't recommend it enough.
Love, hugs and oh my word.
Samuel James
Last month I found myself with a group of friends on a weekend excursion to Gyeongju, which was the capital city of the ancient kingdom of Korea. The city is littered with beautiful old buildings, temples and tombs that pop out of the ground all over place like domes covered in grass. The city has a much more traditional feel then that of Daegu and a much smaller population, which means a much smaller number of foreigners milling around, making a nice change.
Here in Korea there seems to be some unspoken rule that if one place is good at doing something then that's the only place it can be done. It's true of every city throughput the country in Jeonju it's their bibibap, and in Gyeongiu it's their bread. It's not really bread, it's more of a pastry, filled with red bean paste. Needless to say I didn't try one. Even after all these months of living here, every time I bite into something to find the surprise of red bean paste I still get angry.
For lunch we went to a very popular and well known traditional Korean restaurant in the area, which was in a wonderful old wooden building, only to be told we would have to wait over an hour to be seated. It didn't take the group long to decide if we would wait on or not. Less then five minutes later we where sat down and ordering in newer, but still traditional, place just round the corner. I will never get over the dizzying number of side dishes which accompany your meals here, and all completely for free.
This beautiful and tranquil city is lovely place to escape the busy and bustling metropolis of Daegu. It's the kind of place you would take a relaxing day trip with friends and family. It feels like how I imaged a Korean city would be prior to coming. Upholding a traditional air of their culture and history, it is not however the kind of place you expect to find a sex museum.
For a country that seems to be some what sexual repressed, there are a surprising number of these places spread through out the county. Gyenongju's offering is called 'Love Castle', but the walls and grounds where not adorned with art and sculptures that showed love, but sex and lots of it. Going with friends made the whole experience one of the funnest and most ridiculous things I have done since coming to Korea. Laughing, pointing and posing with an assortment of provocative and inappropriate objects as Korean couples dressed in matching outfits awkwardly wandered round the exhibits. I couldn't recommend it enough.
Love, hugs and oh my word.
Samuel James
Wednesday 17 December 2014
Five days Paid Hoilday a Year... (Wednesday 17th Dec 2014)
Dear Sal,
After working for nine months straight, with only one day off, it was finally time for me to take my holiday. One of the scariest things about signing the contract that brought me to Korea, was seeing the mere five days paid vacation that I would receive. While some hangwons offer two weeks paid vacation with additional days off, I am only gifted with one. One week, for a whole years worth of work teaching, fives days a week, every week, with no extra days off. I sound bitter, but it hasn't been too bad really.
My destination was Malaysia, more precisely the island of Borneo and the city of Kota Kinabalu. My trip began early Saturday morning as I made my way to Incheon airport via a four hour bus ride from Dong Daegu station. One of the great things about living in Korea is being only a hope, skip and jump away from some of the most exotic locations in the world. Places that would have cost a small future to visit when living in England, but are relevantly cheap when you reside within Asia.
I will be completely honest with you, the days building up to my departure I felt oddly nervous. I didn't realise at first but it wasn't until this moment in my life, at the ripe old age of twenty nine, I had ever traveled on my own. Through out my lift I always seemed to have had a helping hand from someone, My parents, a teacher, a partner. The night before I hardly slept, running over and over things in my mind. Had I forgotten anything? What if I am late? Or what if I read the wrong departure time? After several checks, double checks and a couple of cigarettes I finally drifted off to sleep. Only to awake a few hours later, well before my alarm was due to ring.
I don't know what all the fuss was about, the whole thing was piss easy. I spend most of my Saturday reading, watching movies and wishing the seemingly never ending journey would hurry up and be over so I could see Jason. The time soon past and before I knew it and so had my whole Holiday. It went by far too quickly.
In the space of only six days me and Jason managed to squeeze a lot in. White water rafting, a three day river safari, spending two nights sleeping in the jungle with only a mosquito neck to protect us against the elements and insects. Getting to see the rare sight of a orangutan in the wild and the not so rare sight of seeing one in a sanctuary. Island hoping, hiking, swimming and exploring the countries rich culture and history. Apart form the actual museum, that sucked.
I had a wonderful time in the glorious hot weather. Just as the final day came my body had finally adjusted to extreme heat and early morning wake up calls of Borneo, only to return to plummeting temperatures and late night work scheduled of Korea.
There is far too much for me to go in too much detail now but I will write again soon and tell some of the more about it. Right now I have a lot of work that I need to catch up on and student reports to write.
Love, hugs and I could do with another week off.
Samuel James.
After working for nine months straight, with only one day off, it was finally time for me to take my holiday. One of the scariest things about signing the contract that brought me to Korea, was seeing the mere five days paid vacation that I would receive. While some hangwons offer two weeks paid vacation with additional days off, I am only gifted with one. One week, for a whole years worth of work teaching, fives days a week, every week, with no extra days off. I sound bitter, but it hasn't been too bad really.
My destination was Malaysia, more precisely the island of Borneo and the city of Kota Kinabalu. My trip began early Saturday morning as I made my way to Incheon airport via a four hour bus ride from Dong Daegu station. One of the great things about living in Korea is being only a hope, skip and jump away from some of the most exotic locations in the world. Places that would have cost a small future to visit when living in England, but are relevantly cheap when you reside within Asia.
I will be completely honest with you, the days building up to my departure I felt oddly nervous. I didn't realise at first but it wasn't until this moment in my life, at the ripe old age of twenty nine, I had ever traveled on my own. Through out my lift I always seemed to have had a helping hand from someone, My parents, a teacher, a partner. The night before I hardly slept, running over and over things in my mind. Had I forgotten anything? What if I am late? Or what if I read the wrong departure time? After several checks, double checks and a couple of cigarettes I finally drifted off to sleep. Only to awake a few hours later, well before my alarm was due to ring.
I don't know what all the fuss was about, the whole thing was piss easy. I spend most of my Saturday reading, watching movies and wishing the seemingly never ending journey would hurry up and be over so I could see Jason. The time soon past and before I knew it and so had my whole Holiday. It went by far too quickly.
In the space of only six days me and Jason managed to squeeze a lot in. White water rafting, a three day river safari, spending two nights sleeping in the jungle with only a mosquito neck to protect us against the elements and insects. Getting to see the rare sight of a orangutan in the wild and the not so rare sight of seeing one in a sanctuary. Island hoping, hiking, swimming and exploring the countries rich culture and history. Apart form the actual museum, that sucked.
I had a wonderful time in the glorious hot weather. Just as the final day came my body had finally adjusted to extreme heat and early morning wake up calls of Borneo, only to return to plummeting temperatures and late night work scheduled of Korea.
There is far too much for me to go in too much detail now but I will write again soon and tell some of the more about it. Right now I have a lot of work that I need to catch up on and student reports to write.
Love, hugs and I could do with another week off.
Samuel James.
Tuesday 16 December 2014
KAPS Dog Walking, Part 2 (Tue 16th Dec 2014)
Dear Sal,
I heard some bad news today. Not like a family member dying bad, but bad enough. The KAPS animal shelters, both for the cats and the dogs, will be closing next week. Those poor animal, being turned out at Christmas time. I'm sure they are not simply being thrown to the street and in fact are being rehoused at another facility. But when my friend told me I couldn't get the image out of my head of all those cats and dogs sitting on a street corner, shivering in the freezing cold winter of Daegu. I am sure they will find them all nice new comfortable homes or maybe they'll just sell them all to a local restaurant, you never know.
This weekend will be the last ever group dog walking event. Unfortunately I have plans and am unable to attend, but a few weeks before I went on my vacation I stopped by with some friends and walked some of the pups.
Love, hugs and see you later...
Samuel James
P.S) Please find enclosed pictures of cute, unwanted and now homeless dogs. Enjoy!
I heard some bad news today. Not like a family member dying bad, but bad enough. The KAPS animal shelters, both for the cats and the dogs, will be closing next week. Those poor animal, being turned out at Christmas time. I'm sure they are not simply being thrown to the street and in fact are being rehoused at another facility. But when my friend told me I couldn't get the image out of my head of all those cats and dogs sitting on a street corner, shivering in the freezing cold winter of Daegu. I am sure they will find them all nice new comfortable homes or maybe they'll just sell them all to a local restaurant, you never know.
This weekend will be the last ever group dog walking event. Unfortunately I have plans and am unable to attend, but a few weeks before I went on my vacation I stopped by with some friends and walked some of the pups.
Love, hugs and see you later...
Samuel James
P.S) Please find enclosed pictures of cute, unwanted and now homeless dogs. Enjoy!
Wednesday 19 November 2014
One Term Left... (Wednesday 19th Nov 2014)
Dear Sal,
I woke up feeling incredibly motivated today. I think the surprise of not being hangover may have been a shocked to my body. None the less, I got out of bed and was ready for the day ahead. Recently I have been spending less and saving more. I am also smoking a lot less and spending more time at the gym, I feel good. The last week of term sees many changes as students level up or stay in same class, old teachers leaves and new ones arrive. Two of my work colleges will be going at the end of this term, but only one will replace them.
Who our new compardre will be is always shrouded in mystery, as the days dwindle until their arrival. But there is another topic of conversation that occupies our day to day conversation in the break room. The new term schedule. Which classes will we get? Who gets the higher levels? Who gets the lower ones? who's working the most? And the most important question of all, who is working the least? within less then a few days all these questions will be answered. But I already have a feeling, in the pit of my stomach, that It will be I who be working the most, and I who will have the higher levels. And that sucks.
Unless this next term goes completely tits up, I plan on staying in Korea for another year. That is of course after a short three month break, that's one whole term off. I have yet to ask my manager if this will be OK, but after losing four teachers in as many months I hope that she doesn't want to lose me as well.
The current plan is still not set in stone but will be along the lines of flying to Thailand with Jason and both of us taking our Celta. Looking back now, I had the time and the money to have done this before leaving England, but now is as good as anytime. After the month long training, I will make my way back to England. Although, which root I will take is still up for debate. Possibly through Russia on the Tran Siberian Railway or perhaps I will spend longer in Asia, maybe go to Vietnam or Cambodia. I have no idea, but I am very excited by the prospect of traveling.
However, I still need to talk to my manager and get through one more term, not to mention this week...
Love, hugs and only three days left.
Samuel James
I woke up feeling incredibly motivated today. I think the surprise of not being hangover may have been a shocked to my body. None the less, I got out of bed and was ready for the day ahead. Recently I have been spending less and saving more. I am also smoking a lot less and spending more time at the gym, I feel good. The last week of term sees many changes as students level up or stay in same class, old teachers leaves and new ones arrive. Two of my work colleges will be going at the end of this term, but only one will replace them.
Who our new compardre will be is always shrouded in mystery, as the days dwindle until their arrival. But there is another topic of conversation that occupies our day to day conversation in the break room. The new term schedule. Which classes will we get? Who gets the higher levels? Who gets the lower ones? who's working the most? And the most important question of all, who is working the least? within less then a few days all these questions will be answered. But I already have a feeling, in the pit of my stomach, that It will be I who be working the most, and I who will have the higher levels. And that sucks.
Unless this next term goes completely tits up, I plan on staying in Korea for another year. That is of course after a short three month break, that's one whole term off. I have yet to ask my manager if this will be OK, but after losing four teachers in as many months I hope that she doesn't want to lose me as well.
The current plan is still not set in stone but will be along the lines of flying to Thailand with Jason and both of us taking our Celta. Looking back now, I had the time and the money to have done this before leaving England, but now is as good as anytime. After the month long training, I will make my way back to England. Although, which root I will take is still up for debate. Possibly through Russia on the Tran Siberian Railway or perhaps I will spend longer in Asia, maybe go to Vietnam or Cambodia. I have no idea, but I am very excited by the prospect of traveling.
However, I still need to talk to my manager and get through one more term, not to mention this week...
Love, hugs and only three days left.
Samuel James
Tuesday 18 November 2014
Oriental Medical Museum... (Sunday 9th Nov 2014)
Dear Sal,
As the winter roles in the weather plummets to ridiculous levels of cold I once long for in the summer, but now loath with a passion. This debilitating temperature limits the choices when it comes to weekend activities. But the city of Daegu offers many indoor antics to keep you occupied. This weekend I found myself at the Yangnyeongsi Oriental Medical Museum.
Tucked away just outside the down town area of Daegu, this museum is actually one of three Korean traditional medicine markets in the country. Proving traditional ingredients not only to the local people of Korea but also the their neighbors in China, Russia and Japan. The museum and market help to persevere Daegu as the birthplace of Korean traditional medicine distribution, or at least that's what the leaflet I pick up by the door said.
Unfortunately we came on a day that the market was closed, but there was plenty to see and do over the three story building. They had a 'do it yourself' health check zone. You can measure your blood pressure, height, weight and body fat percent. I was taller then I thought I was, but also a little fatter then when I left England. They also told you what foods and drinks you should and shouldn't be eating for your body type. I'm to steer clear of milk apparently, but soju is absolutely fine. You could also dress up in the traditional Korean clothes of Hanbok. All this without any supervision what so ever, and a strange aroma in the air that you can't quite put your finger on.
There is also a small roof top garden to walk around, a gift shop that had a funky smell and you could even get an oriental medicine foot bath for the small fee of five thousand Won. All in all it's not a bad place to spend a few hours on a cold Saturday after noon.
Love, hugs and oh dear lord, what is that smell?
Samuel James.
As the winter roles in the weather plummets to ridiculous levels of cold I once long for in the summer, but now loath with a passion. This debilitating temperature limits the choices when it comes to weekend activities. But the city of Daegu offers many indoor antics to keep you occupied. This weekend I found myself at the Yangnyeongsi Oriental Medical Museum.
Tucked away just outside the down town area of Daegu, this museum is actually one of three Korean traditional medicine markets in the country. Proving traditional ingredients not only to the local people of Korea but also the their neighbors in China, Russia and Japan. The museum and market help to persevere Daegu as the birthplace of Korean traditional medicine distribution, or at least that's what the leaflet I pick up by the door said.
Unfortunately we came on a day that the market was closed, but there was plenty to see and do over the three story building. They had a 'do it yourself' health check zone. You can measure your blood pressure, height, weight and body fat percent. I was taller then I thought I was, but also a little fatter then when I left England. They also told you what foods and drinks you should and shouldn't be eating for your body type. I'm to steer clear of milk apparently, but soju is absolutely fine. You could also dress up in the traditional Korean clothes of Hanbok. All this without any supervision what so ever, and a strange aroma in the air that you can't quite put your finger on.
There is also a small roof top garden to walk around, a gift shop that had a funky smell and you could even get an oriental medicine foot bath for the small fee of five thousand Won. All in all it's not a bad place to spend a few hours on a cold Saturday after noon.
Love, hugs and oh dear lord, what is that smell?
Samuel James.
Monday 17 November 2014
YMCA, Bimibap cooking class... (Saturday 8th of Nov 2014)
Dear Sal,
I love the food of Korea. From the delicious barbecued pork of galbi and the miracle hangover soup, haejangguk. To the sticky fried chicken that is a revelation in your mouth, even the rice. I have never eaten so much rice in my life and I love it. However, when it comes to saving money for my holiday I find myself cooking at home more and eating out less. Which means no Korean food because I don't know how to cook it. This needed to change.
Lucky for me the wonderful people over at the Daegu YMCA provide a Korean cooking class, that is completely free. The only downside is that the classes are very few and far between with limited spaces available. It's best to plan ahead and pick which ones you wish to attend and send off your form early. I missed one class already because I left it too long and I was determined not to miss another. This month, the class learned how to make the traditional Korean dish of bimibap and now I shall teach you.
Tip One: Remember my advice about buying beef in Korea? Good, stick to it, because of this my home made bimibap will be vegetarian.
Tip Two: We were not told to do this, because everyone in Korea has a rice cooker full of rice all the time, always, but you will need to cook some rice. Do that first and get it out of the way.
Now we can begin...
Ingredients: Carrots, courgettes, mushrooms, radish or cabbage, bean sprouts, beef, (If your feeling fancy)eggs, rice, sesame seeds oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, red pepper paste and salt, lots and lots of salt.
Step One: Cut the carrots, courgettes and the mushrooms very thinly, but not too thin! Just thin enough, I would say about half a Centimeter or so will do the trick. You will need to grate the radish. Once you have done all that, put them to the side for later.
Step Two: We didn't actually get to cook the beef ourselves. The woman showed us and spoke in rapid Korean as she did, so this part is a bit vague for me. Cook the beef for a few minutes in sesame seed oil, minced garlic, salt and add in some of that red pepper paste that they throw in everything over here. I think the recipe calls for a pinch of sugar, but that's up to you. They put it in everything over here.
Step Three: Next you need to mix the been spouts in a bowl with sesame seed oil, salt and more red pepper paste, which I would suggest you use at your own discretion. You need to do the same thing with the raw radish but also add a dash soy sauce.
Step Four: You now need to lightly saute all the vegetables individually. This is extremely tedious to do, especially when you have a tiny kitchen with only a few pans to your name, but making it the traditional Korean way is essential. But If your being lazy you could throw it all in together. Make sure you use plenty of sesame seed oil and salt. Once they are cooked sprinkle them in actual sesame seeds.
Step Five: Once that is done, place everything in an assemble line. Starting with the rice at the base in your bowl you then add each ingredient one by one in its own section of the bowl, so it looks a bit like a vegetable clock. Then once again cover it in sesame seeds and a dollop of red pepper sauce. And there you have it, your traditionally Korean bimibap is finished.
Traditionally a bimibap comes in a hot stone bowl and just before being eaten you break a egg into it, using the bowl to cook the egg as you stir. Normally, however they just come with a fried egg lolloped on top. Feel free to cook your egg however you like, but I like my yoke to be a little bit runny.
Love, hugs and not enough salt!
Samuel James.
P.S) If you ever find yourself in Daegu and want to attend then you'll want to take exit 14, from Banwoldang Station, walk north, use your compass if your unsure. The YMCA will be on the 2nd floor of the first building on the left. Easy as pie.
I love the food of Korea. From the delicious barbecued pork of galbi and the miracle hangover soup, haejangguk. To the sticky fried chicken that is a revelation in your mouth, even the rice. I have never eaten so much rice in my life and I love it. However, when it comes to saving money for my holiday I find myself cooking at home more and eating out less. Which means no Korean food because I don't know how to cook it. This needed to change.
Lucky for me the wonderful people over at the Daegu YMCA provide a Korean cooking class, that is completely free. The only downside is that the classes are very few and far between with limited spaces available. It's best to plan ahead and pick which ones you wish to attend and send off your form early. I missed one class already because I left it too long and I was determined not to miss another. This month, the class learned how to make the traditional Korean dish of bimibap and now I shall teach you.
Tip One: Remember my advice about buying beef in Korea? Good, stick to it, because of this my home made bimibap will be vegetarian.
Tip Two: We were not told to do this, because everyone in Korea has a rice cooker full of rice all the time, always, but you will need to cook some rice. Do that first and get it out of the way.
Now we can begin...
Ingredients: Carrots, courgettes, mushrooms, radish or cabbage, bean sprouts, beef, (If your feeling fancy)eggs, rice, sesame seeds oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, red pepper paste and salt, lots and lots of salt.
Step One: Cut the carrots, courgettes and the mushrooms very thinly, but not too thin! Just thin enough, I would say about half a Centimeter or so will do the trick. You will need to grate the radish. Once you have done all that, put them to the side for later.
Step Two: We didn't actually get to cook the beef ourselves. The woman showed us and spoke in rapid Korean as she did, so this part is a bit vague for me. Cook the beef for a few minutes in sesame seed oil, minced garlic, salt and add in some of that red pepper paste that they throw in everything over here. I think the recipe calls for a pinch of sugar, but that's up to you. They put it in everything over here.
Step Three: Next you need to mix the been spouts in a bowl with sesame seed oil, salt and more red pepper paste, which I would suggest you use at your own discretion. You need to do the same thing with the raw radish but also add a dash soy sauce.
Step Four: You now need to lightly saute all the vegetables individually. This is extremely tedious to do, especially when you have a tiny kitchen with only a few pans to your name, but making it the traditional Korean way is essential. But If your being lazy you could throw it all in together. Make sure you use plenty of sesame seed oil and salt. Once they are cooked sprinkle them in actual sesame seeds.
Step Five: Once that is done, place everything in an assemble line. Starting with the rice at the base in your bowl you then add each ingredient one by one in its own section of the bowl, so it looks a bit like a vegetable clock. Then once again cover it in sesame seeds and a dollop of red pepper sauce. And there you have it, your traditionally Korean bimibap is finished.
Traditionally a bimibap comes in a hot stone bowl and just before being eaten you break a egg into it, using the bowl to cook the egg as you stir. Normally, however they just come with a fried egg lolloped on top. Feel free to cook your egg however you like, but I like my yoke to be a little bit runny.
Love, hugs and not enough salt!
Samuel James.
P.S) If you ever find yourself in Daegu and want to attend then you'll want to take exit 14, from Banwoldang Station, walk north, use your compass if your unsure. The YMCA will be on the 2nd floor of the first building on the left. Easy as pie.
Thursday 13 November 2014
Nogok Alluvial Field of Flowers... (Sunday 2nd Nov 2014)
Sundays are fast becoming my favorite day of the week. Back in England I used to hate Sundays. Working the next day meant having to go to bed early and waking up early after two blissful days of lay ins. Sunday had a feeling of impending doom, as the Monday blues where right around the corner. But in Korea, that feeling is gone and a Sunday feels a lot more like a Saturday, except with less people to annoy me. And the Monday blues don't seem as bad when you start work at four.
This Sunday saw us adventure to the Cosmos field on the small island of Nogok Alluvial in the Geumho River, which runs through Daegu. From a far the island doesn't look very impressive, like a brown cornfield without the corn. As you drive over the bridge that takes you to the island it looks like you're in for a disappointment. But as soon as you get up close you see the vast sea of pink and lilac and your doubt is instantly lifted. The simple bike/walking trail twist and turns through a variety of different flowers and tall grasses for you to get lost in for the afternoon.
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This place was beautiful and Its the perfect place to go on a Sunday or to take a date. We saw many Korea couples walking round, hand in hand, matching clothes and selfie sticks at the ready. We even saw one couple who were clearly breaking up. They even took picture, the guy with his back to the girl as she cried, only in Korea.
Love, hugs and I don't love you anymore, But let's take a selfie.
Samuel James.
Monday 10 November 2014
Happy Halloween... (Friday 31st Oct 2014)
Dear Sal,
November has finally arrived and the leaves have begun to turn orange and gold, littering the pavement and parks. The clouds roll in and the temperature beings its slow decent into winter. Autumn is here, which means its time for Halloween. I spent the weeks building up to thirty-first watching old horror films with Jason. Oh, and the new American Horror Story. Have you been watching it? I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but I will give it time. After he left last week, I have been watching the films by myself. The Conjuring alone, wasn't the best idea.
The last week of October saw our students take their level up test. A test that measure there English abilities and whether they should advance to the next level or stay where they are. The students hate it, but I don't. Two and half hours where they sit in silence, leaving me ample opportunity to finish my work, grade papers, prepare for future lessons or, plan my holiday. There is only one month to go and I can't wait. But wait I must.
After the last test of the week we had about thirty minuets until the end of the lesson. We where told to spend it doing a writing activity. But it was Halloween, and they just spent two and half hours doing a test, they deserved a break. So, I gave them chocolate and I asked them to tell me Korean ghost stories. Out of the few I was told I liked this one the most...
Love, hugs and sweet dreams.
Samuel James.
November has finally arrived and the leaves have begun to turn orange and gold, littering the pavement and parks. The clouds roll in and the temperature beings its slow decent into winter. Autumn is here, which means its time for Halloween. I spent the weeks building up to thirty-first watching old horror films with Jason. Oh, and the new American Horror Story. Have you been watching it? I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but I will give it time. After he left last week, I have been watching the films by myself. The Conjuring alone, wasn't the best idea.
The last week of October saw our students take their level up test. A test that measure there English abilities and whether they should advance to the next level or stay where they are. The students hate it, but I don't. Two and half hours where they sit in silence, leaving me ample opportunity to finish my work, grade papers, prepare for future lessons or, plan my holiday. There is only one month to go and I can't wait. But wait I must.
After the last test of the week we had about thirty minuets until the end of the lesson. We where told to spend it doing a writing activity. But it was Halloween, and they just spent two and half hours doing a test, they deserved a break. So, I gave them chocolate and I asked them to tell me Korean ghost stories. Out of the few I was told I liked this one the most...
The Red Masked Woman
(By Korean girl whose name I can't remember.)
You should tread carefully when walking home late at night this time of year. For if you find yourself alone in a dark ally, you may come face to face with the red masked women.
She was said to have been a pretty girl once, but she was deeply unhappy with how she looked. So, like many Koreans, she had surgery to change her face. But she still wasn't happy. So, once again, she went under the knife, but she was still miserably. So she had more work done, and more, and more until she no longer resembled a woman at all, but a monster.
Devastated by her ruined face, the women wore a red mask to hide her hideous appearance. She lived in misery, Terrifying anyone who laid eyes on her. No longer able to handle her life she killed herself, cutting her throat to match her butchered face.
Since then, she will appear when you are alone In the middle of the night and ask you one simple question: "Do you think I look beautiful?"
If the answer is no, then she will kill you for being honest. But if the answer is yes, then she will remove her mask and present to you her face, before taking the same knife she used to kill herself with to make you look just like her.
Whatever way you look at it you're screwed. But apparently, a friend of the girl who told the story older sister, knows someone whos older brothers friends cousin, actually bumped into the red masked women one fateful night. How did he lived to tell the tale? I asked. He tricked her, or confused her should I say. When asked the question he responded with "do you think you are beautiful?" Or "what is beauty?" Or some other stupid thing like that. And with that, she started to cry and just disappeared. BOO!
Sorry it's not the best ghost story, but it's the best one the told me.
Love, hugs and sweet dreams.
Samuel James.
Thursday 6 November 2014
Busan Fireworks Festival, Part Two... (Sunday 26th Oct 2014)
Dear Sal,
After my initial resentment for Busan earlier in the day, the firework spectacular had completely won me over. It was well worth the two hour wait on a cold hard pavement, the horrendous crowds and the occasional woft of sewage. It was such a nice evening, filled with a wonderful show, good food and good company. I was happy we had decided to come. However, the events that would come to follow were about to change my mind.
After the skies fell silent, we waited patiently on our little blanket for the crowds to disperse. We ate the remainder of our food and finished the last of our drinks. My throat had started to go dry, and I felt secure in the knowledge that everyone was leaving and finding a toilet wouldn't be a challenge now. We assumed we would be waiting quite a while for the crowds to clear, but these Koreans don't hang about. Within less then twenty minutes over half the people had left the beach. The sand was visible once again, but so was a sea of litter that they had carelessly drop on the ground as they left. Welcome to Korea, where the floor is you dustbin.
We decided to meet up with some friends in the same area, who had witnessed the fireworks from the comfort of a restaurant that over looked the beach. They had a wonderful view from a second floor restaurant, with all the chicken and beer they could eat or drink, for a price of course. Three-hundred thousand won. Seems a little steep, but split six ways it wasn't so bad for them. What ever way you choose to watch the fireworks, you will still have a great night.
We stayed there for about an hour before making our way down the beach to another bar, to find yet more friends who where in Busan for the weekend. And I am so glad we did, as the festival finished the sales started. All the food stands along the beach where slashing their prices in a bid to off load the excess goods they clearly over stocked for the evening. I got a foot long sausage on a stick for two thousand won, and a whole fried chicken for five. Me and Jason sat on the beach and devoured half of it and enjoyed a laser show that was being projected on to the water.
For a while, the evening seemed to be going along swimmingly. That was until we made it in to the first bar. It was so busy, understandably. Waiting, for what seemed like a lifetime, to buy a drink is nothing new to be but this was out of hand. People pushing in front of each other, obnoxious drunk people arguing over nothing. In the end I gave up, I'd get one later when it's died down a bit. But it didn't die down, it only got worse.
As the even wore on the group descended in different levels of inebriation and disappearing into the night. We where dropping members like flies. It seemed everyone was heading from Gwangalli beach over to Haeundae, which was fine with me. That was the place me and Jason would be staying that night, or at least hoping to. We rallied the troops and made our way to our next location.
We waiting over an hour and a half to get a taxi. An hour and a half, can you believe that? We walked from the beach well in to the city to the main road that runs the length a Busan, with no luck. We attempted to hail down countless taxis, raced people to them only to be turned away or have them drive away from us. The Koreans didn't seem to have any such trouble, funny that. We were told to get out of two taxis because they didn't want to have turn around to get to Haeundae. I was livid, and I wasn't the only one. I don't know how many cigarettes I smoked by the time we made it to our destination, but we did and our night could finally continue.
But the damage was done. The buzz had worn off and I was feeling exhausted from the evenings escaped. At this point it was about three in the morning and no one else was showing signs of slowing down. With Jason saying his final goodbyes to some of his closest friends, a joint birthday celebration and no where to go, I was stuck there. By the time five rolled around me and Jason discussed our plans for traveling back the next day. We would have to leave at ten, which meant getting up at the like eight thirty, which meant even if we left now for the jinjanbang we would only get a little over two hours sleep, if we were lucky. Reluctantly, we made the decision to stay up a little bit longer and get the first KTX back to Deagu.
I was running on a little over three hours of sleep when I said my farewell to Jason at the bus station later that day, our second goodbye in as many months. I will be seeing him again next month in Malaysia, but until then we shall have only the means of Facebook and Skype to communicate. We should probably think about doing that, all this letter writing gets a little tiring at times and its so out dated.
Love, Hugs and why won't any bloody cars stop!?
Samuel James.
After my initial resentment for Busan earlier in the day, the firework spectacular had completely won me over. It was well worth the two hour wait on a cold hard pavement, the horrendous crowds and the occasional woft of sewage. It was such a nice evening, filled with a wonderful show, good food and good company. I was happy we had decided to come. However, the events that would come to follow were about to change my mind.
After the skies fell silent, we waited patiently on our little blanket for the crowds to disperse. We ate the remainder of our food and finished the last of our drinks. My throat had started to go dry, and I felt secure in the knowledge that everyone was leaving and finding a toilet wouldn't be a challenge now. We assumed we would be waiting quite a while for the crowds to clear, but these Koreans don't hang about. Within less then twenty minutes over half the people had left the beach. The sand was visible once again, but so was a sea of litter that they had carelessly drop on the ground as they left. Welcome to Korea, where the floor is you dustbin.
We decided to meet up with some friends in the same area, who had witnessed the fireworks from the comfort of a restaurant that over looked the beach. They had a wonderful view from a second floor restaurant, with all the chicken and beer they could eat or drink, for a price of course. Three-hundred thousand won. Seems a little steep, but split six ways it wasn't so bad for them. What ever way you choose to watch the fireworks, you will still have a great night.
We stayed there for about an hour before making our way down the beach to another bar, to find yet more friends who where in Busan for the weekend. And I am so glad we did, as the festival finished the sales started. All the food stands along the beach where slashing their prices in a bid to off load the excess goods they clearly over stocked for the evening. I got a foot long sausage on a stick for two thousand won, and a whole fried chicken for five. Me and Jason sat on the beach and devoured half of it and enjoyed a laser show that was being projected on to the water.
For a while, the evening seemed to be going along swimmingly. That was until we made it in to the first bar. It was so busy, understandably. Waiting, for what seemed like a lifetime, to buy a drink is nothing new to be but this was out of hand. People pushing in front of each other, obnoxious drunk people arguing over nothing. In the end I gave up, I'd get one later when it's died down a bit. But it didn't die down, it only got worse.
As the even wore on the group descended in different levels of inebriation and disappearing into the night. We where dropping members like flies. It seemed everyone was heading from Gwangalli beach over to Haeundae, which was fine with me. That was the place me and Jason would be staying that night, or at least hoping to. We rallied the troops and made our way to our next location.
We waiting over an hour and a half to get a taxi. An hour and a half, can you believe that? We walked from the beach well in to the city to the main road that runs the length a Busan, with no luck. We attempted to hail down countless taxis, raced people to them only to be turned away or have them drive away from us. The Koreans didn't seem to have any such trouble, funny that. We were told to get out of two taxis because they didn't want to have turn around to get to Haeundae. I was livid, and I wasn't the only one. I don't know how many cigarettes I smoked by the time we made it to our destination, but we did and our night could finally continue.
But the damage was done. The buzz had worn off and I was feeling exhausted from the evenings escaped. At this point it was about three in the morning and no one else was showing signs of slowing down. With Jason saying his final goodbyes to some of his closest friends, a joint birthday celebration and no where to go, I was stuck there. By the time five rolled around me and Jason discussed our plans for traveling back the next day. We would have to leave at ten, which meant getting up at the like eight thirty, which meant even if we left now for the jinjanbang we would only get a little over two hours sleep, if we were lucky. Reluctantly, we made the decision to stay up a little bit longer and get the first KTX back to Deagu.
I was running on a little over three hours of sleep when I said my farewell to Jason at the bus station later that day, our second goodbye in as many months. I will be seeing him again next month in Malaysia, but until then we shall have only the means of Facebook and Skype to communicate. We should probably think about doing that, all this letter writing gets a little tiring at times and its so out dated.
Love, Hugs and why won't any bloody cars stop!?
Samuel James.
Thursday 30 October 2014
Busan Fireworks Festival, Part One.... (Saturday 25th Oct 2014)
Dear Sal,
Another weekend, another festival. At least that's how it seems here in Korea. Maybe they throw the word festival around a little too much, but it does mean there is always something to do at weekends. This weekend saw the 10th annual Busan Firework Festival, an event that attracts over one million spectators from all over the country every year.
I had heard from many people that if your going to Busan for this weekend you need to plan ahead. Book your KTX tickets because they will all be sold out. Find a place to stay in advanced because everywhere is going to be full to capacity. Get there early because all the good spots will be taken. This all sounded like a little bit too much work for me, not to mention the cost. Getting down there, Spending most of the afternoon and all evening out eating and drinking. And then, a place to stay on top of that. No, thank you very much. So, I declined. I would remain in Daegu and save some money. But of course that wasn't to be.
Jason had returned to Korea to visit for two weeks. His last night however, fell on the night of the fireworks festival. All our friends would be in another city enjoying the night skies light up on the beach, which of course meant we had to go. I will be honest, I would rather have stayed in Daegu for financial reasons, but also because I just hate being surrounded by large groups of people. It seems it doesn't matter where you go in the world, the general public are still annoying.
Being under the impression there would be no seats left on the KTX, we made our way to Don Daegu Express Bus Terminal. As nice as the KTX is, I much prefer the buses in Korea. You get a bigger seat, that reclines so you can sleep, you can control the air conditioning and it's cheaper. Sure there isn't a toilet, but I like the rest stop, twenty minuets to visit the bathroom, buy food and snacks. It reminds me of the long car journeys I used to take on family holidays as a kid, and it fills me with a warm nostalgia.
Arriving in Busan around three PM everything seemed fine, no more people then normal at the station or on the subway. I was quietly pleased, maybe this won't be as bad as I thought. That was until we got on the the line to Gwangalli Beach. Upon descending on to the platform we where greeted with giant hoards of people, and I'm not exaggerating. We had to wait for three trains to go through before we could even get on and when we did, it was even more unpleasant. There were ten stops until we could get off. Ten stops of being cramped into a train carriage surrounding by Koreans, pressed right up against you. So close that if one of them fell, you all fell. I wanted to take a picture but was unable to move arm from my side. I felt sweat beads slowly dripping down my forehead and the elbow of the girl behind me press into my back every time the subway pulled away from a station. I began to feel extremely claustrophobic as the Journey seemed to never end.
After what seemed like forever, we arrived at our destination. Well actually we decided to get off the stop before a walk, an idea we shared with many of the other passengers, to escape the nightmare of the carriage.
Walking down the crescent moon shaped beach of Gwangalli, which I had done previously with Jason in July, was a completely different experience this time round. The beach was flooded with people, a sea of heads was all that could be seen from the road to the sea. Police were everywhere, waving around glowing batons in some desperate hope to help guide the meandering crowd. We walked the whole length of the beach until we finally settled on a spot that felt was enough out of the way and with a sufficiently decent view.
We found a place on the opposite side of the road from the beach, laid out a towel and sat down. To save money we had brought our own food and drinks. As we walked along the beech earlier I assessed the toilet situation for the evening, and it was just as I expected. There was a number of portaloos placed along the beech, but only a small number of them. As I told you early there were over a million people there that night and the queues where horrendous. People lined up for what looked like hours. I'm sure it wasn't that bad, but still I decided I wouldn't be drinking anything, not yet anyway. As we sat, we took out the food we had brought, a traditional Korean meal of kimchi, rice and Bulgogi. Even cold it still tasted delicious.
After a nearly two hour wait, the fireworks started. The show itself is pretty impressive, as thousands of rockets were launched from the bridge that faces the beach. Illuminating the night sky with an array of colours. They had everything in the forty five minute extravaganza, from the standard glittering explosions, to giants ones that where almost blinding. At one point I felt like they would never end and we would all be engulfed. They even had hearts shaped ones, that looked more like an awkward penis.
By far the best thing about the show was the Korean people reactions, they were amazed by the whole thing, ooohing and aaahing at almost every bang and crackle. And of course clapping every time they stopped for a brief moment. They are so easily entertained, bless them.
Love, hugs and Oooooh...
Samuel James.
P.S) My camera is crap at taking pictures at night, and even worse at taking pictures of fireworks. As you can see for yourself...
Another weekend, another festival. At least that's how it seems here in Korea. Maybe they throw the word festival around a little too much, but it does mean there is always something to do at weekends. This weekend saw the 10th annual Busan Firework Festival, an event that attracts over one million spectators from all over the country every year.
I had heard from many people that if your going to Busan for this weekend you need to plan ahead. Book your KTX tickets because they will all be sold out. Find a place to stay in advanced because everywhere is going to be full to capacity. Get there early because all the good spots will be taken. This all sounded like a little bit too much work for me, not to mention the cost. Getting down there, Spending most of the afternoon and all evening out eating and drinking. And then, a place to stay on top of that. No, thank you very much. So, I declined. I would remain in Daegu and save some money. But of course that wasn't to be.
Jason had returned to Korea to visit for two weeks. His last night however, fell on the night of the fireworks festival. All our friends would be in another city enjoying the night skies light up on the beach, which of course meant we had to go. I will be honest, I would rather have stayed in Daegu for financial reasons, but also because I just hate being surrounded by large groups of people. It seems it doesn't matter where you go in the world, the general public are still annoying.
Being under the impression there would be no seats left on the KTX, we made our way to Don Daegu Express Bus Terminal. As nice as the KTX is, I much prefer the buses in Korea. You get a bigger seat, that reclines so you can sleep, you can control the air conditioning and it's cheaper. Sure there isn't a toilet, but I like the rest stop, twenty minuets to visit the bathroom, buy food and snacks. It reminds me of the long car journeys I used to take on family holidays as a kid, and it fills me with a warm nostalgia.
Arriving in Busan around three PM everything seemed fine, no more people then normal at the station or on the subway. I was quietly pleased, maybe this won't be as bad as I thought. That was until we got on the the line to Gwangalli Beach. Upon descending on to the platform we where greeted with giant hoards of people, and I'm not exaggerating. We had to wait for three trains to go through before we could even get on and when we did, it was even more unpleasant. There were ten stops until we could get off. Ten stops of being cramped into a train carriage surrounding by Koreans, pressed right up against you. So close that if one of them fell, you all fell. I wanted to take a picture but was unable to move arm from my side. I felt sweat beads slowly dripping down my forehead and the elbow of the girl behind me press into my back every time the subway pulled away from a station. I began to feel extremely claustrophobic as the Journey seemed to never end.
After what seemed like forever, we arrived at our destination. Well actually we decided to get off the stop before a walk, an idea we shared with many of the other passengers, to escape the nightmare of the carriage.
Walking down the crescent moon shaped beach of Gwangalli, which I had done previously with Jason in July, was a completely different experience this time round. The beach was flooded with people, a sea of heads was all that could be seen from the road to the sea. Police were everywhere, waving around glowing batons in some desperate hope to help guide the meandering crowd. We walked the whole length of the beach until we finally settled on a spot that felt was enough out of the way and with a sufficiently decent view.
We found a place on the opposite side of the road from the beach, laid out a towel and sat down. To save money we had brought our own food and drinks. As we walked along the beech earlier I assessed the toilet situation for the evening, and it was just as I expected. There was a number of portaloos placed along the beech, but only a small number of them. As I told you early there were over a million people there that night and the queues where horrendous. People lined up for what looked like hours. I'm sure it wasn't that bad, but still I decided I wouldn't be drinking anything, not yet anyway. As we sat, we took out the food we had brought, a traditional Korean meal of kimchi, rice and Bulgogi. Even cold it still tasted delicious.
After a nearly two hour wait, the fireworks started. The show itself is pretty impressive, as thousands of rockets were launched from the bridge that faces the beach. Illuminating the night sky with an array of colours. They had everything in the forty five minute extravaganza, from the standard glittering explosions, to giants ones that where almost blinding. At one point I felt like they would never end and we would all be engulfed. They even had hearts shaped ones, that looked more like an awkward penis.
By far the best thing about the show was the Korean people reactions, they were amazed by the whole thing, ooohing and aaahing at almost every bang and crackle. And of course clapping every time they stopped for a brief moment. They are so easily entertained, bless them.
Love, hugs and Oooooh...
Samuel James.
P.S) My camera is crap at taking pictures at night, and even worse at taking pictures of fireworks. As you can see for yourself...
Wednesday 29 October 2014
Moussaka, Korean Style... (Tuesday 7th Oct 2014)
Dear Sal,
September went by in a blur too quickly. I didn't get half the things done I had planned. This term I have been given higher level classes and some more challenging students. You could argue that's a good sign, that they think I'm a good teacher or that they just hate me. Either way, I am having to put in more time to preparing my lessons and understanding what the hell I'm teaching them. I have learned so many new jargon words and finally understand the difference between irony and sarcasm.
However, the month hasn't been a complete waste of my time. I joined the gym, and have been experimenting with cooking at home a lot more. After my disastrous first attempt I have finally became an old pro and I'm regularly making food for dinners, lunches and to share with friends and work colleges. This week I made a moussaka, or should I say, my own version of a Korean moussaka. I have spend a very long time, hunting around Daegu over the last few months, sniffing out all the herbs and spices that are essential to my kitchen cupboard. For my simple Korean moussaka, I only used, black pepper, salt, cumin, cinnanmon, oregano.
Here is my recipe...
Tip number one: Lamb is almost impossible to find out here in Korea and if you do it's ridiculously expensive. So I went for the next best thing, beef.
Tip number two: Beef is ridiculously expensive here in Korea and you should probable go for the third best thing, pork. I didn't notice this until I got home and looked at my recipe. I had spend twenty five thousand Won on two packs of beef. That's about fifteen pounds to you, a rip off.
Ingredients:Lamb, Beef, Pork. Garlic, one onions, two aubergine, a few new potatoes and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Olive oil, black pepper, salt, cumin, cinnamon and oregano. Flour, butter and milk. And of course, cheese!
Step One: Cut the aubergine, I refuse to call it an eggplant even when surrounded my Americans, into slices about one cm thick, cover them in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. You then need to place them under the grill for about ten mins to dry them out a bit, you don't want a wet moussaka.
Step Two: Peal and cut the potatoes, to about the same thickness as the eggplant, I mean aubergine damn it, boil them for about ten minutes, drain them and put them to the side.
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Step Three: Chop and fry one onion with a load of garlic, I love lots of garlic and put about nine cloves in. Depending on your own taste you may want less, or more if you smoke so much you can't taste anything. Add the overly priced beef and slowly brown the mince meat, adding all the herbs and spices you want, I like a lot of oregano, you you may not, I don't really care. Just don't put the bloody nutmeg in, that's for the white sauce. After the meat is cooked add chopped tomatoes and leave to simmer until the sauce is thick and any excess liquid has boiled off.
Step Four: In England, when it came to making white sauce, I have a fail safe technique, buy a jar. However in Korea, I can't find them anywhere(I need to look harder). But making white sauce isn't as bad as I thought it would be. The trick is to not stop stirring, ever. Melt some butter in a pan, add flower. Then slowly add milk and seasoning and keep stirring, not matter how tired your arm gets.
Step Five: Layer your moussaka, starting with potatoes, then aubergine, a thick layer of the meat sauce, followed by the white sauce and a sprinkle of cheese on top. Keep it simple, because this dish has already been enough work.
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Step Six: Cook for about an hour or so, or until the cheese has melted and gone golden brown. And there you have it. Korean moussaka. Enjoy.
Right, I'm off to eat. Next time I might try cooking something that is actually Korean. But until then...
Love, Hugs and bon appetit
Samuel James
September went by in a blur too quickly. I didn't get half the things done I had planned. This term I have been given higher level classes and some more challenging students. You could argue that's a good sign, that they think I'm a good teacher or that they just hate me. Either way, I am having to put in more time to preparing my lessons and understanding what the hell I'm teaching them. I have learned so many new jargon words and finally understand the difference between irony and sarcasm.
However, the month hasn't been a complete waste of my time. I joined the gym, and have been experimenting with cooking at home a lot more. After my disastrous first attempt I have finally became an old pro and I'm regularly making food for dinners, lunches and to share with friends and work colleges. This week I made a moussaka, or should I say, my own version of a Korean moussaka. I have spend a very long time, hunting around Daegu over the last few months, sniffing out all the herbs and spices that are essential to my kitchen cupboard. For my simple Korean moussaka, I only used, black pepper, salt, cumin, cinnanmon, oregano.
Here is my recipe...
Tip number one: Lamb is almost impossible to find out here in Korea and if you do it's ridiculously expensive. So I went for the next best thing, beef.
Tip number two: Beef is ridiculously expensive here in Korea and you should probable go for the third best thing, pork. I didn't notice this until I got home and looked at my recipe. I had spend twenty five thousand Won on two packs of beef. That's about fifteen pounds to you, a rip off.
Ingredients:
Step One: Cut the aubergine, I refuse to call it an eggplant even when surrounded my Americans, into slices about one cm thick, cover them in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. You then need to place them under the grill for about ten mins to dry them out a bit, you don't want a wet moussaka.
Step Two: Peal and cut the potatoes, to about the same thickness as the eggplant, I mean aubergine damn it, boil them for about ten minutes, drain them and put them to the side.
Step Three: Chop and fry one onion with a load of garlic, I love lots of garlic and put about nine cloves in. Depending on your own taste you may want less, or more if you smoke so much you can't taste anything. Add the overly priced beef and slowly brown the mince meat, adding all the herbs and spices you want, I like a lot of oregano, you you may not, I don't really care. Just don't put the bloody nutmeg in, that's for the white sauce. After the meat is cooked add chopped tomatoes and leave to simmer until the sauce is thick and any excess liquid has boiled off.
Step Four: In England, when it came to making white sauce, I have a fail safe technique, buy a jar. However in Korea, I can't find them anywhere(I need to look harder). But making white sauce isn't as bad as I thought it would be. The trick is to not stop stirring, ever. Melt some butter in a pan, add flower. Then slowly add milk and seasoning and keep stirring, not matter how tired your arm gets.
Step Five: Layer your moussaka, starting with potatoes, then aubergine, a thick layer of the meat sauce, followed by the white sauce and a sprinkle of cheese on top. Keep it simple, because this dish has already been enough work.
Step Six: Cook for about an hour or so, or until the cheese has melted and gone golden brown. And there you have it. Korean moussaka. Enjoy.
Right, I'm off to eat. Next time I might try cooking something that is actually Korean. But until then...
Love, Hugs and bon appetit
Samuel James
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