Long Time Gone

Oh goodness, it has been a while hasn't it?
I guess when the ice starts to melt away and the cold dissipates, staying indoors on my computer just doesn't hold it's charm. It's now the end of April and Tongyeong is coming to life once again with sun shine, heavy rains, and beautiful flowers.
The best time of year here - before the humidity and mogis (mosquitoes) set up camp.
People are out about town with their matching track suits, white gloves, and visors; struttin their stuff like winter never even happened.

I am happy to report that it is indeed playing outside that has kept me away so long. I have finally managed to scrape off my mud encrusted cleats and take them for a play date with other frisbee loving cleats. And they are happy. Been playing some pick up in Seoul when I get myself up there, and 2 tournaments thus far: a surf and turf hat in Ulsan and the illustrious Gnarly Nines International tournament in Jeju-do. The Beach hat is next in Busan. As expected, the people that come along with finding these games have been a sight for sore eyes. I now claim buddies all over this great country (and have discovered there are some flatballers near me!).

With the start of spring has come intense exploration of my dear town. Such a small place, and yet a new nook and cranny pops up every day. The latest endeavour? Island hoping and off trail hiking (this sounds normal, but in Korea, we are the only people that do it. We are also the only people to ever hike in jeans, w/o hiking poles or compasses, all while letting the sun actually shine on our faces). We are crazy people. Yeonwha-do, the dragon island, found us sharing rocky mountain tops with families of goats, and sitting on rock formations that disappear into the clear, cold sea. It was breathtaking.

On the ferry back we were accosted by 2o-somethings trying to snap our photo without actually getting caught doing it. Not the best stealth skills. Finally they just came right up and asked, bumping colleen and I out of the pictures so they could stand in next to Steve and Adam. Sweet girls. The best part was as soon as they were given the green light, 5 other people appeared in front of us to take a few pics themselves (they were taking pictures of Koreans they didn't know getting their picture taken with foreigners they also didn't know. I don't get it).

As soon as the weather warmed and the sun started making a regular appearance, I knew the only true way to experience this place was by boat. So I was off on a quest to buy a kayak - cheap, used, still floats. Rather than purchasing one, as people here seem not to be interested, I met a teacher who's husband is a member of the wind surfer's club in town. Not only would they like me to use their kayak (longer, skinnier dingy. Not a kayak) whenever I want, free of charge, but they want to give me windsurfing lessons! I'm more than a little nervous, but we shall see... no sense in not trying right?

At the semester I was pained to find out that my beloved co teacher Crystal would be leaving for a 6 month English training course in Busan, and that I would be assigned to a new teacher. I wished her well and told her i'd have done the same, but secretly pitied myself endlessly. Well, My new co teacher, Angela, is definitely a change of pace. Some days she is so nice, and others I am infuriated with her beyond belief. She is very laid back about most things (encourages naps in the afternoon(+) and never stays a minute past 4:30(+)), and then rigid about others (will not volunteer her time to do anything outside of what her job entails). It's comical actually. We found out we didn't have to teach all day, and when word spread, a 6th grade teacher asked for help judging a science contest. An Sun said no of course, and then came back to our office and was mad that this teacher assumed she had nothing better to do with her time. Then she put her headphones on and continued watching her episode of desperate housewives..

A thought on food: Raw fish is both plentiful and expensive here, so I don't get to have a full meal of this good stuff unless an adult offers to treat me. (side note: raw fish does not mean sushi, it means, the body/meat of the fish is filleted and served in a pile of thin slices. Best eaten dipped in soy or chili sauce on a leaf of lettuce). The other night, Steve's boss took us out for a really nice meal including 3 coursed of raw fish. When the last plate came out, they served the fish like so: body still intact - head attached to the tail, middle gutted, stuffed with a bed of lettuce, and sashimi on top. As I'm digging into the slices of sashimi, Steve nudges me and points at the platter... The fish's gills were flapping back and forth in a last ditch effort to stay alive. We covered the head and continued eating.
Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is the good raw fish.
It's not fresh if it's not questionably dead.

This weekend is both Buddha's birthday and children's day, so in celebration of the kids, I will promise not to think about them once while I spend the weekend hiking through Jirisan National Park, Monday watching the International Triathlon, and Tue/Wed laying about in an act of sheer laziness. It's bound to be wonderful.

Pictures to come..