ABROAD...again


Well, I am living abroad...yet again. After Singapore, Spain, Turkey, Korea the Netherlands (and returning to Spain for a Masters) I've unpacked my backpack a little closer to home in Mexico. I live in Culiacan where I am trying my hand at teaching English to University and high school students. Below you'll find random updates as I go to festivals, explore my city or just feel like sharing a random story.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Free Hugs!

Free What?

In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

Says Who?
A man had been living in London when he got kicked out and had to to return to Sydney. He had no one to welcome him back, no place to call home.

As he stood there in the arrivals terminal, watching other passengers meeting their waiting friends and family, with open arms and smiling faces, hugging and laughing together, he wanted someone out there to be waiting for him. To hug him.

So he got some cardboard and a marker and made a sign. He found the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city and held that sign aloft, with the words "Free Hugs" on both sides.

Everyone has problems but to see someone who was once frowning, smile even for a moment, is worth it every time.



Why do I hug?
Back when I worked customer service I was often told "thank you." For what? For asking how people were and sounding like I meant it (I usually did), for wishing they would have a nice day and smiling.

People have become robots...we are becoming more and more like the electronics we are addicted to. And maybe, if we could get back those feelings (good, bad, everything) then we would have less problems...and if not, well its a great place to start trying :)






Saint Patrick's Day Seoul

Saint Patrick's day in Seoul we went to the parade...it ended up being a lot of fun even though the parade was not quite up to San Diego standards!

Just some pictures:



YUMMMYYY!!!!!!! Noodley goodness

Thursday, March 12, 2009

EVERLAND

Rated one of the eight best theme parks in the world Everland is located about 40 minutes from Suwon Station.




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Everland Zoo

So, I recently went to Everland and had a BLAST rollercoasters, silly people dressed up great friends...oh...and a zoo...how does it compare to the WORLD FAMOUS San Diego zoo? Obviously it doesn't...but it was still pretty darn cool.

Here's a few of my favorite photos:

The AMERICAN beavers...much to the contempt of my Canadian brethren

MONKEY VILLLAGE
GOOOO MONARCHS!!!



The Polar Plunge is soooo much cooler :-)


Overall a pretty nifty setup and one you should feinitely check out if you're in Everland
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Hello New Teachers!!!

So after graduation we had a week break and then new teachers showed up. This was a dinner we had at a traditional Korean house.




A few of my teachers


The new teachers are cutting the ribbon to enter (the one on the far right iss the music teacher, black jacket is science tecaher, my two new office mates)

The principal's speaking...he's allegedly good...I don't understand much


NOREBANG (kareoke)! Luckily the songs were only in hangul(the Korean alphabet) so I was able to not sing
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How to eat duck in Korea

Step 1: Hot grill
Step 2: Add duck
Step 3: Prepare Sesame leaf
Step 4: Add veggie and meat goodness and ENJOY
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Not really a PG post

SO I recently went to Gangwando and hung out with Patrick. We went to Haeshindang Park in Sokcho (about...2 hours away from him after a few busses. This park has a pretty good story and an even better nickname

So a long time ago a man and a woman were supposed to be married. She said goodbye one day and he went fishing. He promised he'd be back in a week to marry her. Every day she went out to gather seaweed and wait for him. On the day he was supposed to return the weather was so bad he couldn't. While waiting a wave came and swept her off to sea ... killing her....bummer

The next few years the town had very bad fishing. So they finally realized, "Ah! Her spirit is cursing us"

and since Korean's know how to handle a woman...they knew exactly what they needed to do

Obviously the woman was upset she wasn't getting laid!

So they built this park with all these giant phallic symbols (some very details with the veins and stuff)

and then voila good fishing...


Sooo, yes we went to "Penis Park" ummm...should I put photos up??? Can we tell the kids I was looking at??? Ummm... Bananas?

A WHOLE new meaning to "getting nailed"

Quite intricate, yes?
Since this is all about good fishing after all
Hmmm, I wonder why they call it Penis Park?


Scary man/penis

Yeeeowzers!
A statue of her...with penises behind her of course
A memorial to her :(
The bridge (observe UNDER the bridge)
The beautiful beach...aka where she died

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