Hike and Muuido

There is a nice little mountain about 15 minutes from my apartment.  This is a little cemetary.

This is the view from the top overlooking New Songdo, the future of Incheon.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Songdo_City .  There is also a temple around this mountain somewhere, I will post pictures if I ever find it.

Last weekend I went to Muuido, an island off the coast of Incheon.  We stayed at these little huts.  The amenities were great; a door, two windows, and a floor.  That's it.




The next morning we woke up to a loud noise that sounded like a million lawnmowers darting along the ocean.  It was just your average hoovercraft picking up vacationers traveling back home.  I wasn't shocked.  It's Korea.  Very little surprises me anymore.

Baseball Game

Baseball games in Korea beat baseball games in America, hands down.  What other sport requires fans to do a stretch during the game just to get them to move around?  Here in Korea, fans spend most of the game standing up cheering, hitting two inflatable balloon things together, and chanting.  The SK Wyverns, the local team in Incheon, are the favorites to win the title again this year.  I have a feeling I will be spending lots of time at the ballpark this summer.  Exciting sports + $2.00 hot dogs and beers= good times.

This is a picture during introductions.  The announcer is a guy in a boat/ elevator.  How else are you supposed to do it?

One of the crowd pumper uppers.  Can't call him a real cheerleader because he just whistles the whole time. 

Colin "chirping" obscenities at...
This guy, the only white guy on the field.  Apparently Colin did the same thing last year and the guy threw a ball at him.  No luck this night.
Fireworks.


At first it was a slow motion wave.                      "Blah Blah Blah Blah.....SK!"

Then it picks up.

Happy Mother's Day

I'm not late.  I sent my mom this video for Mother's Day.  I had some of my students help me out. I'm not sure what little Nick is doing (the one standing on the desk) but it was pretty cute anyways.

Busan

A couple weeks ago I was given a 5 day weekend by my gracious principal.  I decided to go down to Busan, the second largest city in South Korea.  I rode the fastest Korean train, KTX, from Seoul down to Busan.  

Busan is located in Southeastern Korea, and is famous for its beaches.  I would say it's the San Diego of South Korea, minus the warm water.  I hear it gets very crowded during the summer, so I guess I went at the perfect time.  When we arrived at the beach, there was some Korean wedding festival taking place.  As to what it symbolizes, your guess is as good as mine.

Apparently the guy on the wave runner wears the thong all the time and takes people for rides.  I'm not sure if it is good for business or bad.  All I know is that I was pretty freaked out when he decided to play soccer right next to us a few minutes later.
Our swanky "suite" next to the beach.
After an hour searching for this bar, I finally met up with my friend Bryon.  Still a little confused at this point.
The local market.  The blue sign on the right advertises kimchi, fyi.  Although I'm getting used to the stuff, we settled on some bagels.

Busan station

On the way back, we had to get "standing room only" seating.  I made a huge scene over the price of the ticket and they locked me in this little dungeon.  Next time I think I will pay the extra 5,000 won  ($5.00) for a regular seat.  It was the worst three hours of my life.
?

Pumba Festival and Mt. Worak

View of Seoul over the Han River at 6:00 am.

Pumba was the word repeated by beggars and street singers a long time ago.  Many performers dress up as these beggars at the Pumba Festival, held in Eumseong.  I happened to be one of them.
Apparently foreigners who dress up like Korean street bums attract alot of attention.  There are about 30 Korean photographers taking pictures of Laura smashing food just to the left of me.  
Me and Tyfany trying to look like beggars.  I think we failed.
The aptly named Mr. Bean and Soju boy posing for the photographers.

No comment.
Another failed attempt.  The guy behind me passed out right after the picture was taken.
Big Buddha taken at 50mph.
After the Pumba festival we headed to Mt. Worak for some serious hiking the next day.  It's the tallest peak in the middle, with the right side slanted.


The first/ easiest leg of the trek.  Not everyone made it....
Rest stop.  While coming back down, a Korean hiker had fallen and was bleeding badly.  He had to be taken out on a helicopter.
Almost there.  Well, not really.  We had to go down and around and then up some stairs before we reached the top.
Made it.
The first ones at the top.
The chalet we stayed in is somewhere down there.

More proof.
Watch out for falling bears?
A batting cage at a rest area on the trip home.  Very Korean.