Take Me Out to the Ballgame... One More Time!

Our last baseball game experience in Seoul was a flop for these reasons:

1. We found out after arriving at the game that we had Unreserved Seat tickets.

2. It was Children's Day, which meant... no school.

3. On Children's Day, kids get into the game for free.

4. Everyone in Seoul is trying to save a buck.

5. There were no Unreserved Seats available...

6. And no standing room available...

7. And no walking room available.

So, in July we decided to try again, but this time with better tickets. We got our tickets, showed up early, and walked right in to our shiny, empty seats. The game was excitingly close and although our team (Doosan) lost by a point, it was the hottest day of the year, AND it rained; we were more than happy with the experience. Go Doosan!

Check out this video for some spontaneously choreographed stick banging...

Bang–Bang–BangBangBang–BangBangBangBang–DOOSAN!

Hwaseong Fortress

Back in July, some friends and I decided to take a day trip to Suwon, just south of Ansan, to see the impressive Hwaseong Fortress. Built in the late 1700's, Hwaseong Fortress encloses most of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-Do. The extensive fortress was designed by King Jeongjo to honor and house the remains of his father Prince Sado, who was murdered by his own father after disobeying orders to commit suicide. The monstrous wall lent the familiar Korean surroundings a unique atmosphere and created its own lush, green world within its confines.

A chance to reenact the target practice of Kings...

... for an uncomfortable number of people at one time.

After finishing up at the fortress, we stumbled upon a Korean palace and Buddhist temple. The giant shiny Buddha was hard to miss from its perch atop a large hill and led us directly to the site. As usual, the surrounding grounds were beautiful, tranquil, and appropriately zenful.

Inside the shrine

The palace entrance

A 600 year-old "Divine Tree," which was around long before the Hwaseong Fortress was ever built.

Palace games...

are fun for...

...everyone!

Blue Skies

Usually, the sky in Ansan is hazy and overcast. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to see a little color, but on this one particular day the haze momentarily lifted and the resulting blue was magnificent. When you haven't seen a colorful sky in awhile it definitely becomes noteworthy.

As always, the picture doesn't adequately convey the sky's vibrancy but the fact that it looks blue at all makes it worth posting.

19 Days

Wow...

This year has flown by faster than I could've ever imagined and I'm left wondering whether it was the often recited "fun" factor or if there is some sort of special Asian time/space continuum scientific theory that could explain it. Probably both.

As I pack up and send a year of my life home in boxes, random memories flood my mind. I remember my first days at ECC—the kids were still so innocent and extremely interested in their new teacher with yellow hair. I remember Halloween and the crisp fall weather. I remember missing out (for the first time) on Thanksgiving at home, but recreating it with new friends who became my "family" this year. I remember spending Christmas in Beijing and realizing their winters are colder than any I've ever experienced. I remember my January homesickness. I remember my 26th birthday in Seoul where I managed to eat a Korean rendition of lasagna and the always-present slice of birthday cheesecake. I remember Nicole's amazing visit in April and my trip to Jeju Island in June, which was soon followed by monsoon season. July was all about Japan while August brought along many difficult changes and losses. The beginning of this month was significant not only because it's my last, but because my parents came to visit. Showing them around my life in Korea was an unforgettable experience. Now, here it is mid-September and I'm less than 20 days away from leaving another life I've grown to love.

I have a lot to look forward to with 2 months of traveling following my Korean exodus—China, Thailand, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey—and I'll return back to the US on November 25th. Lucky for me, one of my first meals will be Thanksgiving dinner the next day... it seems a little too appropriate. I'm not sure of much after that, but I know my experiences this year have taught me more than I anticipated. I've had great days and difficult days, but I survived the "year abroad" and am coming out on the other end better for it.

As sad as I am to say goodbye to my life here, I look forward to saying hello again to everyone at home and catching up on the things I missed. Who knows where my next journey will take me...

JAPAN: Strange Signs

Throughout Japan I couldn't help noticing various signs and posters on the streets, subways, and in store windows. Some were interesting, some comical, and a few were down-right strange.

"The deer on Miyajima Island are wildlife animals. Please treat them gently and with patience. Please do not get too close to them or touch the deer. To protect its life in nature please do not feed the deer. Thank you for your cooperation."

Of course, people were touching and feeding the deer all over the island...

The do's and don'ts of squatty potties

"Please do NOT sit on the toilet but squat over it facing the hooded end. Thank you!"

The sake of choice for geishas

No bulldogs allowed

A few different takes on Puma.... My favorite is Tuna.

Outside a small store, this sign gets straight to the point.

Kyoto's multi-lingual welcome sign

Korean food! Home sweet home.

"Please do it at the beach.

The Platform edge is dangerous. Please wait behind the white line."

No caption necessary.

Just in case you didn't already know...

Tokyo is in the running for the 2016 Olympics and they're not wasting any time rallying excitement.

"My Identity."

A cute add for Converse shoes.

Everyone has experienced the "Gas Panic" at some point in their life.

Pigeons: Harassing people worldwide.

Pachinko, the Japanese game of choice.

Japan's Most Wanted

I'm sure I don't have to tell you how disgusted I was to see horse meat on the menu...