Jamaica has been good to us

When Ryan and I came to Korea, we joined a fitness center called Jamaica Fitness. Because gym memberships in Korea can cost around $1000/year, we opted to join for six months. Gyms also tend to close unexpectedly leaving people hundreds of dollars out. Our gym membership was due to expire at the end of February, but we weren't sure when. So, we decided we would continue to go to the gym until they stopped us. We went in February, and March and April and May . . . and now it's June and they have never said anything to us. Everyday we scan our membership cards and everyday the people at the front desk just smile at us and let us through. We're not sure if it is a glitch in the system or if they don't speak enough English to tell us our membership is expired so they keep letting us go through. Either way, it's saved us about $600 so no complaints here. I love Jamaica!

Mmm, Smell that Fresh Air

Weather forecast today from Weather.com:
St. Louis: 75 F Partly Cloudy
Honolulu: 78 F Sunny
Boulder, CO: 65 F Sunny
Seoul: 81 F Widespread Dust

Ruff, ruff, ahhhhhhh

Ryan and I watch the dogs on the rooftop next to us when they're playing. The other morning we were watching the 3 dogs playing with each other. They looked so happy.

A little while later, we noticed the owners were on the rooftop and one of the dogs was really still. He suddenly lit a torch and started burning the dog . . . but the dog didn't move. He flipped the dog over to do the same on the other side. As he flipped the dog over, we saw that the dog was completely stiff. He was puppy meat for another Korean soup. It was awful.

Sun, Sand, & Still in Korea

We spent last weekend in Busan. Busan is a city in the south of Korea on the coast. It has beautiful beaches and plenty of things to do. We went to the aquarium, hung out on the beach, went for a hike, visited the APEC 2005 building, went on a cruise, watched fireworks and visited some ancient tombs. We also stayed in an awesome hotel with real beds and a shower room that doubles as a sauna with a jacuzzi tub.

I'm glad we went to Busan because it changed my perceptions of Koreans. Most of the people on the streets in Seoul are rude. They try to run into you, elbow you, kick you, push you, slam doors on you and beat you down with their oversized purses and bags. They stop in the middle of a crowded street and look at you like you're crazy for trying to walk around them. They are also heavily involved with cell phones, video games, books and anything that keeps them from actually paying attention to people around them while they're walking.

Busan was different though. The people were very kind. They were polite and opened doors for people. We even had Koreans stop to ask us if we were lost or needed help finding anything. The atmosphere was peaceful and calm. If I ever come back to Korea, I'm going to Busan.

Teacher's Day

May 15th is Teacher's Day in Korea. My students brought me flowers, chocolates, tea and body lotion. They also took me out for dessert and coffee in my last class. Ryan's students . . . well, Ryan's students bought him a can of orange juice from the vending machine after he made them feel guilty for not bringing him anything.