Let's go for a drink...

It's a Monday night and my roommate asks me if I want to go for a drink. I am not doing anything too critical so I agree. This resulted in quite the night with hitting a number of places and consuming quite a bit of beer and soju. I still haven't wrapped my head around the fact that "let's go for a drink" actually means, let's drink lots! hahaha

It was an interesting evening, and we started by going with a friend of Kelly's to Jinha. The first place we went to we had some raw fish. Nothing wrong with that, I've had raw fish before, but this time it was a little different. The fish were still MOVING! This I had not experienced before and it took a few moments of me watching the food in front of me move before I built up the courage to eat some of it. Among the fish there was some long tentacle octopus, and penis fish. Penis fish are actually called urechis unicinctus, and it is a species of marine spoon worm. I was really hesitant but I tried it all and it wasn't all that bad. Maybe a little chewy. In Korea you never have a dry glass, so the alcohol kept on flowing without really realizing it.

Our second stop was a beach front patio and the sound of the waves was very comforting. And it was very cool. Kelly and I were dreaming of living on the beach because of how hot our apartment is without A/C. Our brand of beer changed to Cafri, and I must say I wasn't a huge fan of it. By this time we had had quite a bit to drink and Kelly's friend had driven so I assumed they were calling a taxi, but I was wrong! They have a service here you can call to get a driver dropped off to take your car to where you need it to stay for the night. It was brilliant! It's like a taxi service and car transportation all in one shot! We ended up going to a Karaoke room and another bar at home in Namchang, where I thoroughly embarrassed myself with my awful singing voice.

We finally made our way home at about 3am. This was a little much for me on a weekday, even if I don't start work until 1:30 pm. I will have to remember to keep a little bit of my drink left in my glass so I am not given a full one when I am finished. Eventually I'll get it right. It was a fun evening, but maybe not so fun morning haha.

Unfortunately I was too stunned to take a picture or video of the moving fish, but perhaps I will go again and remember next time!

        Here is Kelly and I having some fun.

It's All About the Mamas and the Papas

Recently I was lucky enough to be blessed with a visit from my parents. It is quite the trek over here so I was really grateful they were able to make the journey abroad.

After counting the days until their arrival, they finally made it and it went by like a flash. It was hard to believe.

It all Started in Seoul. It took me a while to locate our hotel, but once I did my parents came running in after me to greet me with hugs and kisses. It was after midnight but we were all pretty hungry so we found a "street restaurant" and had some delicious food. My mom was enjoying the beer and soju and the culture of it all. Dad was too. We had quite a lie in the following day and then started our Seoul experience for the next 4 days. I love Seoul and being there in the spring/summer as opposed to the winter was a nice contrast. We saw some things that I went to in January, and also places I haven't seen before. It was a nice trip.

After Seoul, we made it back to Ulsan, where my parents headed to their pension in Jinha, about a ten minute drive from where I live, and I headed home. Unfortunately the pension was a bust so we had to arrange for other accommodations and my parents decided to stay in Haeundae, Busan for their week here. It's only a 40 minute train ride away so it was really convenient. The week was very busy with them coming to my school for a couple days, and they headed to Gyeongju for a day trip. Gyeongju is a beautiful city and has a lot of historical landmarks and roots in Buddhism. I also went there in the winter time. The students loved having them visit and partake in their classes. Some even tell me that they have to come at least one more time while I am still here (hint hint).

For their last weekend, we headed to Busan and stayed right next to Busan Station. It was a great location and fairly easy to get everywhere. I hadn't explored Busan at this point yet, so it was as new for me as it was for them. My favourite place was the Younggungsa Water Temple which is right along the water and is absolutely beautiful. Busan is nice because it is similar to Seoul but not as crowded or busy. There is really so much to see in this country, that there is no way to see it all.

After all was said and done and their stay went by like a memory, I was so happy they made it over and were able to see where I live and work and who I spend my time with. I think it will give them a little more peace of mind until I make my way home. As much as I loved having them come, it was really hard to say good-bye again, knowing it will be quite some time until I see them again. I am one lucky girl!

I have posted photos on Facebook, and for my non-facebook friends, you can check them out here, although they aren't organized in any fashion, so my apologies.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/108080094162280120728/albums/5897172030059692497