i have a lot to say. i'll divide it into 3 sections. Three's seem to be pretty numbers. For example, I think 3 times is the minimum for something to be a trend.

anyway...
Chinese New Year!
A friend and I went to Busan, the 2nd biggest city in Korea, and right at the south end of the country.

we started out here in the "present situation".

we walked down the busy side alley...
and met up with a friend...after the first night of staying up too late. we were both exhausted the next day. Chase, the guy on the left was a little more tired because he got really drunk and couldn't find the motel for most of the night. the next day was great in the most penultimate of relaxing days.

we went to the aquarium and watched fish. became hypnotized by fish floating in the simple life. i wanted to be a fish for that moment. this sluggish day continued to a buffet, which then led to the pinnacle of relaxation: a Jimjil bang. basically a sauna. we took an elevator to a floor of all naked men sitting in hot tubs, or lying in saunas. then we could take the elevator up one floor after we put some pajama type clothes on. this area was a communal area. chase discovered how easy it is to accidentally go to the wrong floor. he stepped out on the naked lady floor and was quickly rushed back in the elevator. i guess koreans have the system figured out though.

later that night we walked around to the bars to waste time until our train home. and we met this drunk uzbekistan guy who bought us drinks and danced with us. i had to talk to him in korean since he didn't know english. he was hilarious.


SECTION 2...
Valentines day.

I have had a valentines tradition for about 5 years now. Each Valentines Day I play guitar and sing songs to strangers. and this year was no different. These are the receptionists at my school. I don't really know them.
my 5 song selection was:
1. Blue Rodeo - lost together
2. Stand by me - Ben E. King
3. Falling Slowly - Glen Hassard
4. All I want is you - U2
and of course...
5. Hero - Enrique Iglasius

I sang to in this order...
-the convenience store on my corner - (all i want is you)
-the coffee shop lady at my favorite coffee shop - (stand by me)
-the girls at my favourite sandwich shop - (lost together)
-the girl at the bakery - (Hero)
-the girls in the cosmetics area at the department store - (falling slowly)
-the girls at my school's reception area - (lost together)
-another convenience store - (hero)
-almost a girl at the street corner - (almost all i want is you)
-some girls at baskin robbins - (falling slowly)
-a girl at a hair salon (lost together)
-the teachers i work with (hero, falling slowly, lost together)
-and then i just sang as i walked around (i made up some songs, i also sang glycerine by bush)

i hope i can put the video of it on here some time.

what i noticed is that most koreans have such an idea about propriety that even when something as odd as a foreigner singing and playing songs while walking around is there, they will try hard not to look at it. or maybe they really didn't think it was that odd.


SECTION 3...

work is good. but the new schedule has thrown me off-cantor. but i will be back on track in a week. strange fluctuations at work have it that 4 people are leaving at the end of this month all of which before the end of their contract. the head foreign teacher is supposedly being fired for starting a rumor that may or may not be true about the manager. two korean teachers are taking off for australia. another foreign teacher is leaving because he's grumpy. i don't know the details. and i have heard that several others may be going. it's a good place to work i think as long as you aren't involved in the politics. although, there is an option for me that i may be offered head foreign teacher position. interesting prospects. who knows...

that's all for now.