Hello August

In a few hours, July will be in the books. The group is off to Seoul today, so I have a nice chance to take a breather, work in my internship, and spend time catching up.

First, I officially crossed another card off the list by visiting the waterfall. It was extra fun because I got to spend time with the Ansan students who had just returned from Lakeland.



1. Kal Guk Su (hand cut noodles)
2. Waterfall
3. Toast Bar
4. Makkolli
5. Beach
6. Chinese Restaurant

I have now completed 4 of 6. I suspect I can find some Kalguksu quickly, but the beach may be tough. Maybe there will be a beach nearby Gyeongju?

Street Scenes in Ansan

Monday Lunch

I am lucky that every day I meet students who love to eat as much as I do. Today, my class from the previous week took me out for Chinese. So much fun!

First Korean Pizza ... sort of

For all my friends at Nicky's, and anyone else who is interested, here is the first Korean pizza parlor that I've been to in Ansan. For about $6, I got a pepperoni and cheese pizza and a Chilsung, which is the equivalent of a Sprite. They also had garlic sauce available, but it was not garlic butter like I had hoped. Straight up garlic in a smooth paste. Wow!

I especially freaked out on the dough roller, which is very similar to the one we use!







And yes, every pizza gets a bow!

More Seoul...

These pictures were taken by my new friend Hellen.

Photos from Seoul

Today: Seoul

After a week at Ansan College, we are settling into a groove. Some of us are enjoying Soju and Makkoli each night (and morning), while others are having their fun a bit less conspicuously. As best I know, we have all settled into a nice groove.

Two nights ago, I spent time with my friends from my GSI:A morning class. We had dinner at the CRAZY CHICKEN, and enjoyed boneless chicken much like what you could find in America. It was very good, and I felt very much at home. We then visited the singing room. I am really impressed by how well Korean people can sing. It's a fun social activity here, and I've yet to see even a hint of embarrassment by anyone about performing in public.

The next night, I went to dinner with a large group of 20-25, and then split up into smaller groups to explore the neighborhood. I went with my 'A' buddy group (Smart Group) to another singing room and later to play "pocket pool". The "pocket" distinction is important because you will quickly notice that most tables here do not have pockets. There is a 4 ball variation of the game that is popular here, which I know nothing about ... yet. However, most pool halls do have at least one pocket table.

I am very happy that people here are being thoughtful about making plans with me. I have been to the singing room three times in seven days, and I don't think that's a coincidence. I am happy that the warm welcome has lasted an entire week, and I really hope that I am not wearing them out!

I have also discovered a page where the students are posting pictures of us. This might be very handy since there is some reluctance among our group to share.

http://club.cyworld.com/ClubV1/Home.cy/54261397

Maybe there will be more pictures added today, because we are going to Seoul. I'm hoping my broken camera can continue working so I can take many pictures of Doesku Palace, Namdaemun Market, and the many interesting places along the way. I've also sent an invitation to a Korean student at Lakeland. I am interested to see how the students will get along with her. If she can make it, she will have an excellent time.

Get ready for pictures!