No use begging

Here is yet another odd occurance that has happend to me here. Being literally chased down the street by over zealous religous people wanting you to go to their church. Here you are either religous or you are not. There really is no in bewteen. Meaning you go to church EVERY Sunday, and you go to temple everyday ect. So when the good towns folk finally seemed to get use to me walking around being my blonde self (not in the dumb way just the noticable on the street blonde........oh never mind) they start trying to figure out why they never see me in church.


And then come the papers, and the looks and the frustrating conversations of them trying to convince you (or at least I'm assuming this because I can barley understand them and them me) to come to their church. Touch barrier is broken again with the arm grab as you try to smile and say no nicely and walk away..........and then when it breaks and the chase begins. One found me in a store getting food, so she gave me another paper. I pay for my food like a proper person would, started walking home and BOOM there she is again three blocks away coming after me. There's no where to run, no crowd to get lost in....it's just her and me...and that bloody peice of paper. So she catches up to me ( if I run it looks worse at this time I figure)........and gives me more paper.....and possibly the same paper bacause I left it for some other poor soul / sap *cough*. So I take it and add it to my pile at home, of the same information for the same church.

It's easy to spot them to. They carry binders and they can whip out the paper like a gun in an old western. "Come here varmet, I'm a gonna convert yous" BOOM. And that is how I heat my house now. A fire with all the paper that they have given me. The hopeful/self rightous flames are the best heat source I have found.

No pictures possible

Over the last couple of months I have been experiencing something that we wouldn't have in Canada. Or in most of the western world I think. Bath Houses. Why would anyone want to strip naked (without the benefits of change or bills) in front of an audience that (I'm not being paranoid) stare and comment because I'm white. Hell I think I should get extra money for being the entertainment! I'll tell you why.........there seems to be a lack of bath tubs in everyone's apartment.........except for one.........you know who you are!

There are these buildings everywhere that have a symbol on the side of the building kinda like a bowl of steaming soup. Signals that it is a bath house. Some have different entrances to for the sexes, but most have this little window that you pay 3000 won and walk in. You part the curtain and........bingo naked ladies. Not for the men though lol. One of the best things is the heated floors in these buildings!! Well unless they are so hot you feel like you are on an beach in the summer. That's not fun.........you know the dance you end up doing to keep your feet off the floor........only it looks funnier naked. I know this because of all the mirrors, you have to trust me on this one.

Then you enter "the room". Think stone tile, three large tubs able to fit say 12-15 people and along the wall is a really low counter with shower heads........it makes stations really. You grab a big bowl and a station and start scrubbing. This is important!! Before you go into the warm bliss that is the hot tub you must scrub. Just like in any other tub if you don't the oils from you skin will start to float on top of the pool..........and no one wants to get into that. One tub is hot, the other is bloody freezing, and the last one is small, like a normal tub....I think people wash their clothes there.........no really!!

There are also three other rooms.......and they are all those hot rooms that I can’t spell the name for. One for laying down, and the other two with enough room for you to sit. I went into one once. It was enough. The touch barrier was broken..............it seems like no one in Korea has Tattoo's..........so they wanted to see if they came off, good thing it was the one on my foot. They have ice coffee in there too!

Then there is this machine that has a round pad on it that will spin when you activate the machine. Scrubs your back up nicely...........and it's funny to watch people (via the mirror of course) using the machine. Remember simple things amuse me lol. They will walk over too one of the pools (usually the warm one) hit it with a bowl full of water, then do the same to their back and go back the machine to get rubbed raw.

I think you realize why I can't post pictures of this ever.........I don't post porn *wink* But this is a very real part of Korean life. I don't know about the men, but the woman go there about once a week. They bring their children (they stare too) and its a portion of Korean life that I find myself submerged in. I couldn't give up the baths. Now my baths just have more activity in and out of the tub!

Busan Temple Jan

This temple is the biggest Buddhist temple in Busan called Beomeosa, the biggest I believe in the area. Steve and I hiked around for a couple hours taking in the sights.

Steve stepping up to ring that bell!

I am still amazed by the detailing on the buildings here. It's funny when you see these beautiful displays of their architecture, and than also see what many people live in. I think a way to describe some of these areas of houses would be shanty towns. Not everyone is rich though.

I keep thinking how this might look in summer with all the plants in their prime. Granted we wouldn't have had the view that we did have if we would have gone up then.

See, the view!!!!

We walked up a ways before we got to this section of the temple. You walk through the gate and this is the first sight that greets you..........and then you look to the side and see the vending machines.....I guess Buddhist monks like the munchie junk as well.

Some of the sculpture work was in the coolest spots. We saw this in what would be the brush perched on a rock/boulder.

This is the detailing on the lantern in the above picture.

This is just an example of the artwork on the sides of all of the buildings here.

These types of statues are Buddhist, it's a place where you can pray as far as I have observed. This is the largest one I've seen so far though.

The turtle is a tribute to Korea's famous Turtle ships.

Fortress Busan Jan

This was the view from Geumjeong Fortress. We are heading up the mountain the good ole lazy way...........you know we were in the box. But seriously it is an amazing view and here are a few pictures to prove it.

This was just a really cool rock formation.

Yah Steve!!! Ok I got nothing

New years eve sunset

The Pig is the symbol for this year. Actually it's the year of the golden pig which comes around every 600 years. That pig is golden below....it's hard to tell because it's dusk though.

Steve and I grabbed a hotel about a 5 minute walk from here.

My first view of the Pacific Ocean..........some how I thought I'd be on the other side of the ocean looking this way though. This is definitely something I will always remember. The sunset and the company.

Steve and I having fun with digital camera's.....ok we were waiting for other people to get to Busan.

This is Haeundae beach. One of seven beaches that Busan boasts of. I think this is the most famous though.

This was made for the celebration that night. When we came down after the New Year had been announced this was lite up with dozens of candles.

I don't really have any more pictures from the evening because I wasn't holding a bag!!

Dec.Winter Camp

My first winter camp. Not knowing what to expect at Moonstar camp when we arrived the staff and the kids had a great time. From Monday to Friday we were playing and singing. Good camp all the way through.

My students making the posters that we showed at the introduction ceremony. The class decided to be called "Santa's Presents"..........it really made my job easier for the rest of the week.

One of my students and JIN!!! This girl kicks butt. She's a University student in Seoul. She was my co teacher for the week.

I had to try on the costume of Santa....we sang Santa Cluase is coming to town.

This was during the introduction ceremony on the first night of winter camp. We enjoyed proformances and awesome posters that every group made. This is Tim's group.

Addie's group...........you should have seen the dance that accompied it......some sort of odd Aussie reitual that involves a dance and a lot of whooping.

This was actually right before we got our students........they needed to loosen up a bit and get a back rub.

Addie gives the ole fiddle a good stroking. Addie and Tim played during the final profromance. They were great!!!

This is Tim, one of the recently departed ESL teacher. Addie and him played some music for the performance on the last day.

The there boys are mine......from school I mean....... these were also the boys who snuck out of class when they were suppose to preparing for this proformance....it's ok Kelly and I belted them with snow balls.....and gave them face washes....gentlely of course *looks around*...

Part of the game of "Mission Impossible" My team killed the other team by pairing up on them!!!

This is the view surrounding the camp!

U.S Thanksgiving Chagwon

For those of you who doubted that we could find turkey in Korea........send a military man and he'll find anything!

Steve joined Deb and I at Ellen's for his first ever Thanksgiving. The man even changed his mind about salmon. Ahh the power of guilt.

Lucky that Ellen's place is so big. We had over 20 people there for Thanksgiving. So much food!!

Those would be Ellen's fingers.