First Month in Busan -- Some Thoughts (stream of consciousness)

Friends, Enemies, and Parents,

I write to you at the end of a work week, 40 minutes before the final bell sounds and I have two days of sweet, sweet freedom.  Not to say I don't like my job.  I love it.  I'm having a blast teaching; it's impossible not to feed off the energy of cute foreign kids who are eager to learn.  And walking through the halls is surreal.  I'm like a celebrity.  The kids run up to me, yell "Hi!!" and rub my hairy arms.  Kids are really respectful and attentive in class, too, which is quite nice.  But the weekends are awesome because I can explore, enjoy a few beers, and, best of all, sleep in.

Outside of school, one of the first things I've been pleasantly surprised by from life in Korea is that I'm finding the women here very attractive (yes, of course I went there first).  It is indeed a pleasant surprise, because never in my past have I caught yellow fever.  But portion control and exercise is very important here, so pretty much all the women are fit.  the only variable, then, becomes the face, and Koreans have such great skin that their faces are usually very attractive.  And man, oh man, do they show off legs.  Zero cleavage, but shorts and skirts that are shorter than their pockets.

Sadly, foreign teachers I've met aren't that great looking (which is why you won't find this post linked on facebook).  It means I'm probably going ot chase Korean girls, but that's a dangerous game because they're not known to "mingle too freely.  So I'm waiting to meet a girl who blows me away, and then make her my girlfriend.

The main thing I've been doing in free time, even more than looking for an exotic girlfriend, is Tae Kwon Do.  There is a studio half a block from my apartment, and I take classes Monday through Thursday for an hour and a half.  It's a crazy good workout, and once the year is up I should be at least competent in self-defense.  As it stands, all I really know is the fetal position.

On the weekends I usually go out Friday and Saturday nights (often to the beach, because fireworks and drinking are both legal), and then Saturday day and Sunda day I'll go explore somewhere.  There are some pretty crazy fish markets, tons of temples, and lots of good hiking to do once the weather cools down a bit.  I also like to go to sporting events here; the Lotte Giants baseball team is insanely popular and the stadium is rocking.  Plus, tickets are only $8 and you can bring in your own beer.

I'll probably start dedicating some free time to music soon, as I was given a 6-string ukulele by another foreign teacher.  It had been left in his apartment.  I'm a bit confused by it, though, because apparently there are alto and tenor 6-string ukuleles, and I'm too ignorant to tell the difference.  I'm working with the music teacher here to try to figure it out.  I can't wait to wrap my head around it, because the instrument has a beautiful sound.

The food here is AWESOME.  And incredibly cheap.  Stuff your face Korean BBQ places cost about $10.  Traditional Korean food, also delicious, ranges from $3 to $6.  The foreign options are good too; a solid burger and fries runs for about $10, as does a personal pizza.  Big sushi rolls cost about $5.  And, best of all, there is a place by my apartment which sells a waffle wrapped around four scoops of ice cream for 97 cents.  I get those waffles all the time.  If it weren't for Tae Kwon Do I'd be pretty fat by now.

I think that just about covers it.  And with enough time to watch an episode of the Daily Show before I leave.  Mr. Stewart beckons, hasta luego.