Sorak Park Hotel Sokcho

... heavily so that was really really pretty :) We were all aching and shattered by the end of the day although the vege meal me and Bruce managed to put together with the entire staff of the mountain restaurant gave me some fuel: it was fab; two rice balls, 3 tangerines, some pineapple, some sliced guerkins and some random fruit mized with something. Truly impressive - although sarcasm asside it it definately rivaled last year's ING Christmas dinner at ...

... friends, family, or co-workers. In my case, I left school early today because I'm feeling sick, but even in the 1-2 hours that I was there (hacking up a lung) I received several Pepero from students undaunted by my germs and hoarse voice. Such dedication!

On one hand, this has to be literally THE most commercial holiday I've ever encountered - I mean the entire holiday revolves around buying one item. On the other hand, it's cheap ...

... marched towards the main floor. I was just walking towards the cardio area when the owner swooped out of nowhere and invited (demanded?) me into a little room to the side where I was told to take my shoes and socks off. The owner excitedly shuffled some papers around, then measured my height. (Oooook...) and then my WEIGHT (are you sick? why do you think I joined your gym!?) He then made me get on a machine that apparently measured all the internal contents of my body, and sat me down ...

... the internet that predicted when the 'peak' times would be for the different National Parks. The first and most impressive of these was Seoraksan, a place I'd been to briefly before, but not to do any hiking, so off I went on the Saturday morning...with tens of thousands of others!

After the three hour bus journey, I checked into my hostel which was ideally situated near the station. I certainly wasn't slumming it though after my usual hotel accommodation, as this place scored ...

... the shrimp). Then it was off to Seoraksan - amazing national park near where I live - the hike was beautiful, even with a belly full of soup. On the way down, the teachers decided to stop at one of the trailside restaurants for makali - a rice wine. After a bowl of makali, though, food started arriving at our table, all different kinds of savory pancakes: a potato one, a squid one, and a kimchi one. Already feeling full, I managed to waddle down the mountain, and wondered what was ...

... that it's a compliment.

"Your face is already perfect"
Ok - this one makes me really sad. I've read some pretty crazy stats about plastic surgery among women in South Korea. One said that 70% of HIGH SCHOOL age girls want plastic surgery. http://english.chosun.com/site/data/htm l_dir/2007/02/22/2007022261030.html gives a few more depressing stats, as does http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/11 01020805 ...

... br>
I'm a wreck - I'm now afraid of anything that could remotely resemble squid. I don't think I could even do calamari at this time. Even at a nice Italian restaurant, my date suggested the seafood salad, and I had to take a minute while my eye twitched to think about an appropriate response. If people ask me if I like fish (especially Korean people) I get real nervous about what it could mean for me if I say yes.

I'm scared the squid is going to get me in the end.

... you?

Mary: (does this busride ever end?) oohhh (starting to use lamer evasive techniques) well . . .uhhh. (look out the window)

Boyf: Meet? (oh no, it's back to THAT word) teach . . .English?

Mary: Oh - your English is FINE! (always the good educator)

This went on in a similar awkward vein until the inevitable shoulder brush and the "See you next time" I'm wondering how long this relationship will continue before it becomes unbearably strained.

... was getting in the way.

He offered to teach me Korean, at which point I started longing for simpler days when my relationship with my iPod was the only one I needed to worry about on the bus, and managed to distract him with vague assurances that I'm taking a Korean class already.

Minion and I parted ways in Yangyang, his last words being "See you next time"

More updates to follow . . .

... to the DMZ and got a glimpse of North Korea. The observation tower was about a mile from North Korea. It looked peaceful and pretty along the coast, if you ignored the barbed wire fences along the beach and guard stations I guess. There was a Korean War Museum there also that we visited. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening driving south to get to our second destination, Gyeoung-ju.