Last post

This is my last post on this page simply because that year is over and done with. I've enjoyed my time in Geochang and Korea immensely. The time and place was perfect in Geochang. All of the people that I got to know who lived and worked in Geochang are some of the coolest and wildest people I have met thus far. Maybe that's why we all found ourselves in Korea.

I'll remember the mountains that surrounded our little valley that Geochang was nestled in. I'll remember the main street with it's hideous neon that lit up an otherwise dark town. Getting together on Fridays and Saturdays to go out for a beer or a G&T and to just play cards. The way everyone got together for special occasions in force, and especially how the boys broke it down in Noria Bangs. There are video's and to many pictures to count.

I'll remember that whenever we said hi or spent a little extra time with the people in Geochang it meant so much to them. How people continuously took my photo on their cell phones. How restaurant owners who continuously give us things for "service" (free) to encourage us to come back. How J&B rocked out whenever we could convince the owner to play her sax. How I could literally walk for ten minutes and be at the base of a mountain.

I'll remember that the "working girls" (also known as coffee girls) paid a bit more attention to me than the boys. What can I say I am just that sexy *wink*. I'll remember all my experiences at my all boys middle school; good, bad and ridiculous. I'll remember the bonding experience that the EPIC group went through when we first got to Korea and how it continues even now.

I can't even begin to really describe everything that you go through and experience when you are over here. How it feels to be illiterate and effectively deaf to words. How you can't do the simplest thing by yourself.... at least the first time around. The acute loneliness and the spark of connection you get from the people you met. The sense of adventure and the sweet taste of success over the simplest things that I took for granted at home. Trying to learn the niceties of another culture while maintaining a connection to your own. Learning a profession through trail and error. Exposing the fears you didn't know that you had and laying them bare until the fear vanishes.

Travel. It's said that it is another form of education, another way to open your eyes and soul. I think though that it goes further than that though. You don't just analyze what is happening to you, you start to see how this effect is having an effect on other faucets of your life. I know my parents didn't want me to move to Korea ( although I think that they understood why I decided to), I KNOW my friends just thought it was talk. Some people will never be ready to do what I have done in this past year. Personally I think that it takes a special kind of person to put themselves in the position I was in and that I am still in. The people who have travelled how I have will understand. The ones that haven't............maybe later on you'll discover it.

As for me, coming to Korea has just wettened my appetite more for travel. Hope you enjoyed the pictures, the stories and the ideas.

Steve's last weekend party

This was really Steve's last weekend. He left on the Tuesday of this week. So we got together and made his neighbour's hate him.

A bit of music...

This is from "man chicken". The chicken man who insisted that his name was man chicken.... and seriously who would argue....

Sonny and I with Steve's view of Geochang.

Steve 1 and Jack discussing......something interesting no doubt..

Steve, Mick, Jack (downing his drink) Steve 1, Myself and Martyn with Sonny taking the picture.

Later on....... the craziness started to occur more frequently...


Phil, Dillion, Myself, Dave, Chris, Kara, Mick's arm and Martyn. This might have been around the time when we were trying to write down all the provinces, states and counties of Canada, America, the UK (later England) and Australia respectively.

Man Chicken did feed us well!

Kara was actually able to steal/borrow/buy this uniform from a Family Mart employee (think of Family Mart as Korea's 7-11 or Macs)

Breaking it down in the early morning.

Each of those brown bottles cost about $4..........count how much beer we drank in this picture...

Told you the crazy came out.....

Steve's apartment was really the only one that was big enough for this....

Last weekends

Steve's last weekend in Geochang, and Chris' birthday party!!! All the westerns were out in full force to celebrate and to also see Steve off. We hit some of our haunts, like J&B, Chingu ya and a karaoke room.

Sonny and I.

The happy couple.

See Sonny really is sunny.

Steve being himself.........apparently I like dorks *shakes head*

Sally, Sonny and Micheal.

Martyn and Steve 1......yes he was in Geochang first.

Double trouble.......the Brit boys seem a bit too happy....

Jack and Megan.

Chris the birthday boy and ME!!

At Chingu ya's considering what to order with our bamboo soju (soooooooo good!)

It's served in bamboo and tastes like apple juice unsweetened.....deadly.

Breaking into the singing room!! If you want to see a video of this night look on youtube....I believe it's under Geochang singing so something similar.

Phil and Micheal breaking it down.

What one of these rooms looks like.

The boys getting into the spirit of things.



Micheal pounding out a beat.

Must be a Bowie song....

These guys do a fantastic Kylie.....


Phil Vogue'n it.......

The night ended with Kara talking (or gesturing) some Korean Store clerk into letting her try on his uniform.

Susundae

This was our last "day off for some reason or another" so we decided to go to Susundae for a BBQ and a wee bit of sun. This was right after my wondrous meeting with the ground once more so in a few pictures Steve had to get me with my crutches....which by the way look like fun but after the first day it hurts so much you can't even gimp walk properly!!

Sonny, Martyn and I preparing the food. Where's Steve you might have wondered.......no where near the food until it's done as is his regular thing I'm finding out!!

We found a spot right near the bridge and set ourselves up. It was a beautiful day with hardly a cloud in the sky....perfect.

Susundae is an area which boasts a beautiful natural area, and also is home to the International Geochang Festival of Theatre.


Me soaking my fragile ankle.

Sonny and Martyn striking a pose.

And Steve doing the same.

I couldn't find a grip so Steve was leading me.....well his whole body to make sure I didn't slip.


Sonny didn't want to get wet......it didn't matter.......

We fought back......

Sonny and I Koreaning it out in this photo ( I mean with the peace signs.........every Korean person does this.....I'm not even exaggerating!!!)

Steve decided to pick me up and dunk me.......then he underestimated my ability to get even...... yes even in my crippled state he went down.

A Buddhist temple tucked away from the crowd.

They have these water fountains in tourist places. Yes we've drank from them and yes we have considered that the water was poisoned........which is why we always wait until a Korean has drank from it first.....

My photo that proves that crutches were a part of my life.

This actually proves that Steve doesn't look good in women's clothing.......I owe you 20 Travis.

One of the outdoor theatres.

A big ole turtle.........

I liked this turtle the best.

The river smoothed over these rocks, in the rainy season you can actually see water near here.



Big rock, a lot of Chinese writing on it........all over it.

Steve trying to break his neck.