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

Almost caught up: RoadTrip (June 30-31st)

Turns out the license process is really expensive in the Netherlands compared to Korea (and San Diego's even cheaper) but if they got them over here they could exchange them for Dutch licenses when they get back home. Soo...the 29th my good friend Jasper got his drivers license and we went...well on a road trip.

I was pretty confident...until we got in the car and he couldn't figure out how to put it in drive. And then he put on the windshield wipers instead of the headlights, and then he went the wrong way in the parking lot, and finally as we'r epulling out of the parking lot he couldn't roll the window down...

Oh dear!

But we manage to get on the freeway with (few) problems and all limbs in tact.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2137871&l=ffadd&id=24606699

I am too lazy to insert pictures right now so follow along later

Picture 1 Charlotte being afraid...or happy...not sure. and then we head to Picture 2! Our first toll booth! Then there' picture 3! A windmill. I had to take a picture I was in Korea on a roadtrip with two Dutch and I see a windmill...what are the odds.

Well Jasper is a typical male and seems to think any car in front of him is questioning his masculinity. So after convincing him passing every car was NOT neccassary things were ok.

We passed by picture #4 a truck that had a big stciker on the back reading "UFO+DNA=Human" LOVE IT!

Oh in addition to being smart enough to go driving with two people who have never driven alone before I was also smart enough to trust them to have a fully charged phone....erm...no

So, yeah their phone died and we had to pull over and get directions from ... someone... we bribed them with chocolate.

We met up with Aaron and had dinner with him (lots of pictures) and talked him into coming with us to Patricks that night.

Oh my LORD! They'd never driven at night. As Aaron put it, "There were no Atheists in the backseat of that car" we were scared for our lives! Because people who love me and worry too much already are readng this I'll leave out the specifics but let me say Aaron actually kissed the ground when we got to Patricks (oh the one picture of Aaron with a wine bottle outside the car was him trying to direct Jasper into reverse....yes we had a wine bottle with us, not for the drivers for me and Aaron it calmed our nerves!)

Next picture is Patrick making breakfast!!! I have stayed with Patrick...twice now? (both times with Aaron!) and he makes awesome brekkie! I helped!! I cut the sausages...YAY cooking!

From there we went to the caves really close to Patrick's house (once again we prayed a lot due to driving) and I got to wear the sexy yellow helmet Korea seems so insistent on putting on me (rafting, subs, caves etc) granted Patrick did hit his head a lot, so I suppose better safe than sorry. Lots of cool rocky cavey stuff (caves are over 500 million years old!) and the picture of Charlotte and I in our hats, we're near a sign that says watch your head...or something

And because it is just SOO easy here's a video I snagged from Patrick's page



Then we went to the beach...Charlotte and I tried to be good, we tried to just put our feet in...but...we ended up swimming!!! And I resuced a kiteboard that had floated astray YAY me! (and those are bathing suit bottoms...not just random undies)

From there we dropped Patrick off (he didn't want to hang with us anymore) and headed to the Unification Park. It had a sub that was from when North Korea tried to invade South Korea, but the sub got stuck, oh and bunnies.It had bunnies...check out the bunnies (rabbit in Korean is Toki by the way).

Then there's us in the sub, we went the wrong way since we found helmets at the end...ooops...oh well Aaron and I took an "oops" picture for the fun of it! And then there's my beautiful picture with the blow fish...I am trying to be blow fishy..

From there we dropped Aaron off I feel asleep inthe back, we stopped and got dinner and then dropped me off at my place! YAY for a fun filled weekend with good friends!

Rafting

OK so I am late I know but this weekend has been HECTIC!!!

We went rafting last weekend here's a video my friend Patrick made:


It was really fun! When they talk about the wonderful jumper, that was my friend I got to jump off the rocks with me! I was really happy. No peer pressure I just jumped first and egg beatered in the water until she jumped in and then helped her swim to shore! YAY lifeguarding (kinda) and taking water polo wayyy back when I was younger

Later that night we headed to Aaron's house. His landlord used to have a restaurant so we all sat outside in the backyard where it used to be. We got him to come out and turn the lights on. Turns out its a norebang (karaoke bar)! So a disco ball dropped down and we all started singing!

Kyoo and Craig

Patrick and Me


Craig and Me

Aaron and Me

The next day we took a short hike which was nice walked around town and headed back to our respective cities. When I arrived in Suwon I did a quick load of laundry and then went to sleep on Monday I headed to Yongin where I would have my week long orientation :-)

But more on that later, its almost midnight on Sunday andI have school tomorrow, so I hope everyone is doing well!!!

Hiking, Festivals and More

This weekend was INTENSE!

I have about 5 minutes and then I need to leave for work so this is the cliffsnotes version.

First photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/CarissaPeck/Festival

OK, so Friday was a holiday (Memorial Day!) so Thursday night I went over to Ansan (about an hour away) to visit my friend (yep another couchsurfer, I know that post is coming too). I got a little lost, wondered around the streets for a while found a random B-Boy competition (umm...dancing) a bonfire at a school, and some other fun stuff. Finally hopped in a cab met up with her at an Indian food place (Taj Mahal...they're always called Taj mahal)

We took the subway into Seoul together stopped at a coffee bar, did silly things on the internet and then met up with my friend for the WORST Long Island Ice Tea's I've ever had! Cheryl and I walked Vincent home and then headed to OI (a really cool cave bar) while heading there Cheryl points to a guy and says, "That's my wallet" he hands it over. It had money and everything, she had NO idea she lost it, weird eh?

OK, so we stay out a bit more and finally around 5:00am we get noodles!!! Take the subway to the bus station and I get the 7:30 bus to Donghae-si (it means East Sea-City). Sleep on the bus and arrive at Patrick's(Canada) at like Noon. Have brekkie and then take a bus on an AMAZING hike! Met up with his monk friend (Buddhist monk f 15 years thinks I am charming...probably one of the best compliments I've ever had)

Head back to Patrick's where out friend Aaron meets up with us. Have noodley breakfast play cards and then sleep! The next morning Richard and Anne(England/Australia) come over and we all head to the bus station together.

This weekend there's a festival and the tourism board gave native teachers a discounted price so we went and saw fun things! (More about the history and mystical stuff when i have time). Walked to the beach later that night and then came home and slept.

Sunday we went on another GORGEOUS hike! Had great Italian pasta and I got to meet Patrick's co-teachers!! Which is honestly the BEST part! I love locals! So with them we painted masks, got my hair washed in iris water and saw some cool miming, swinging and dancing.

Then I took a night bus to Seoul arrived just as the subways were closing, but made it to my friend Vincent's house. Slept there midnight to 5 woke up and 5 and took the subway to Suwon. Took a bus to my house, washed my face, called Anessa and Brandon to wish them happy birthday, brushed my teeth and ended up at school 5 minutes early.

EXHAUSTING!