The Longest Ride

Friday, July 22, 2005

So I'm here now in Shanghai and still all smiles, despite recently losing a battle with stomach flu/food poisoning/tummy-not-liking-China. Ugh...

Anyways, last we left off Michael and I had arrived in Xi'an and were all stoked to see the Terracotta Warriors. We took a package tour thru our hostel that was easy and convenient, but - unsurprisingly - also involved two 'extra stops' on the way to the Warriors. One of them was at a "terracotta factory" (read: gift shop) and the other was a "museum" (read: an old pagoda with like maybe eight cultural relics = bore.) It was a hot and smoggy day and both of us were feeling rather lethargic. Xi'an is rated as one of the Top Ten Most Polluted Cities on the planet, and judging by today's thick choking haze suffocating the entire city and region, I'd have to say I'd agree with that ranking.

The Terracotta Warriors are quite the wonder to behold, and when we finally arrived there we were really eager to check them out. A little background and history for ya first! The Terracotta Warriors were built about 2000 years ago (I think) by this crazy Ming Dynasty Emperor who spent 38 years (and over 700,000 slaves) building his own mausoleum. Part of this massive project involved constructing his own private army that he would rule over after death. He had *several thousand* life-size soldiers constructed out of clay, complete with horses, weapons, and even individual facial features for each of the soldiers. Unfortunately, only four years after his death, the locals were pretty pissed off about how much money/resources/human lives had been invested in the mausoleum, and hordes of angry rioters destroyed the entire complex. Many of the Terracotta Warriors were destroyed and their broken remains were left buried and forgotten for two millennia. Fast-forward to the 1970's, and a peasant farmer digging a well in his field one day discovers a piece of pottery under the ground. Who knew that the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th Century lay right beneath his feet? Since then they've excavated over 2000 of these Terracotta Warriors in three pits, and they suspect there's another 4000 or more waiting to be discovered. Pretty cool stuff!

We spent the afternoon wandering around these three pits (you're not allowed to get too close to them) gazing at the soldiers. In Pit 1 most of them stand in perfect military line, on-guard, ready and waiting for battle, completely untouched. However, a good chunk of Pit 1, and in pretty much all of Pit 2 and 3, only fragments remain. I enjoyed my afternoon with the Warriors, but the experience actually left me feeling a little saddened. Staring at all these broken Warriors, the shattered bodies, the severed limbs, the slaughtered horses, you kinda have to feel bad for them. Yes, they're only made of clay, but they're just so *life-like*, and you stare at them knowing that for the rest of eternity they'll lie there, alone and confused in the rubble amongst their fallen comrades.

The next day we caught our train to Shanghai. You know the expression "the slow boat to China?" Well Michael and I were on "the slow train THROUGH China!" The train itself was not actually slow, it was just that every so often we'd stop at a station or siding to let one of the faster express trains pass us. Sometimes we'd even just sit there for like half an hour! It was a long, long 31-hour ride, but we tried to make the most of it. We got A LOT of reading done, caught up on some sleep, and made some new friends (a Chinese guy from the Northeast of China, and two very friendly girls from the States.) And hey, I kept reminding myself that this trip is not just about the destinations, but also the journey along the way.

The scenery consisted mostly of rolling green farmland, and we were both surprised at how modern rural China looked from the windows of our train. Finally, after a day and a half of being confined to one train, we rolled into Shanghai at 11pm at night. Excited to be in the big city - and off the train - we took a cab to our hostel, which ended up being a sight for sore eyes for us two tired boys.

Our hostel in Xi'an was rather drab and damp, but the Captain Hostel in Shanghai was anything but. We were right off The Bund in downtown Shanghai, and the hostel was a new, modern facility with clean rooms and a fantastic bonus for guests... The hostel has a rooftop terrace, which we immediately ran up to as soon as we had checked in, and were rewarded with a stunning view of the Shanghai skyline across the river. The gigantic skyscrapers of Pudong were lit up like a Christmas tree, and it was such an unbelievable sight that all we could do was just stand and stare in awe. Staring back at us, rising high above the surrounding forest of high-rises, soared the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Jinmao Tower.

The Oriental Pearl Tower is Shanghai's signature landmark - a HUGE communications/observation tower consisting of one smaller and two giant purple baubles speared on a massive rod, held up by a concrete tripod. Intriguingly garish, it's undoubtedly the strangest building that I have ever seen in my life. And the Jinmao Tower, checking in as the fourth tallest building in the world, glimmers like a mountain of sparkling glass and steel, the unabashedly immodest Granddaddy of all of Shanghai's vertical monuments.

We sat and had a drink to enjoy the magnificent view, and then were really eager to hit the hay - and enjoy a non-moving bed. I can't wait to explore this futuristic city! :-)

The Outpost Of Xi'an

Sunday, July 17. 2005

So I'm here in Xi'an now, with big-city Beijing behind me as a fond memory, and nothing but wide open desert surrounding this quiet, one-horse outpost-of-a-town to keep me company. Actually, not quite... ;-)

So I spent the remainder of my time in Beijing being a very lazy boy and loving every minute of it. My job/life status is currently Blissfully Unemployed, (a title that I broadcast loudly to pretty much everyone I meet) and I'm as happy as a jobless clam with this new life. This new lifestyle involves a lot of sleeping, but only when I want (and as much as I want.) And eating, again only when I want (and definitely as much as I want!) And oh yeah, seeing some pretty spectacular sights inbetween. The new chilled-out life fits me like a glove and I haven't felt this relaxed since.... well, I honestly can't even remember!

On one of my last days in Beijing I spent an afternoon wandering around The Temple of Heaven all by myself, and it was one of my most enjoyable experiences. The Temple of Heaven is a beautiful temple complex laid out across sprawling green parkland in the southern area of Beijing. (and really, with a name like The Temple of HEAVEN, you really can't go wrong, can you?) It was quiet, peaceful, and full of green grass, colourful flowers, and hundreds and hundreds of pine trees that really did smell like heaven to me. Living in Korea, you're just so starved for greenery and open grass, that upon seeing the abundant fields of open grass I had to use all my self-restraining power NOT to strip down and roll around and around and around over all that soft green lusciousness!! As fun as that would've been, it *may* have scared some of the locals.

The temples themselves were pretty cool as well, including the Echo Wall, the Seven Star Stones, and Temple of Good and Bountiful Harvests. I was really impressed - and envious - of Beijing to have such a great haven of solitude that all of its citizens can enjoy, right in the middle of all its madness.

Saturday was a bit of sad day cause it was the day I left Beijing (and my little hostel family), but also a great one cause I got to meet up with Michael! He flew in to Beijing that morning and surprisingly managed to find the hostel on his own, and I was thrilled to have my best buddy meet up with me for the trip. We made our way to Beijing West Train Station and had a really delicious meal of Peking Duck - the most famous of all local dishes - before getting on our train.

We took a night train from Beijing to Xi'an and it was a pretty cool experience. We had two bunks in the 'hard sleeper' class which is the second best class on the train. Our car was full of a big group of very friendly Dutch travellers, and a few Chinese who I think were quite taken aback to see so many whities in one single train car! Each hard sleeper car has bunk beds stacked as three on top of each other in one long row, with nice big windows and too-small seats. I had the middle bunk and Mikey got the top bunk. We stayed up and chatted for a while, enjoying the green countryside whip past us as we journeyed inland across China. The farmland was pretty to look at, but I wasn't *blown away* by the scenery or anything like that (it had a strange familiarity a-la-Saskatchewan about it.) The lights in the train went off at 10pm and it was time for bed.

Sleeping on the train was fun, as the gentle rocking motion of the train actually sorta lulls you into a deeper comfort state. Well, at least it does for me! The beds were small but comfortable and before falling asleep I took a moment to stop and think "Wow! You're sleeping on a TRAIN in CHINA on your way to Xi'an!!! How cool is that!" :-)

The train rolled into Xi'an at 7am and our free pickup to the hostel was already there waiting for us. Xi'an was not at all how I expected it to look. Xi'an is a 'smaller city in China' (small being only about 8 million people!) and is at least 4000 years old. Not only was itthe capital of various empires for a while, but it also used to be a prominent trading post on the famous Silk Road connecting traders from Europe all the way to Asia. It's a walled city that is supposed to be known for its ancient historical relics, and its proximity to the world-renowned Terracotta Warriors.

Expecting a quiet, dusty, one-horse outpost in the middle of the desert (like a Chinese version of America's Wild West or something) I was actually greeted by a bustling, modern Westernish city, complete with giant traffic roundabouts, new shining highrises, and plenty of trees and gardens. Whoa, my guess was way off on that one! We were driven to our hostel where we had a reservation but had to wait til noon to get into our room. Like the one I stayed at in Beijing, this hostel is also in an old Chinese courtyard hutong that is several centuries old. Very cool.

Our next two days should be rather interesting indeed. Tomorrow we're off to see the Terracotta Dudes, and then Tuesday we're heading out on a train to Shanghai. Getting tickets for that train turned out to be even more of an ordeal than what we experienced trying to book tickets for the train to Xi'an. It's high season right now so it's very competitive to find vacancy on the sleepers on any of the trains on any of the major routes. Combine that with the fact that flooding in southern China is sending many backpackers up this way instead, and you've got a tricky situation.

At Xi'an Train Station Michael and I went to the wrong window like four or five times before finally finding the right line to buy train tickets, and when we did were informed that our first few choices for Shanghai trains were booked up solid. We managed to squeeze into two hard sleepers on a train that leaves the day after tomorrow, however there's a catch... It's not an express train, but rather one of the regular slow ones. And slow it is indeed! Our train ride to Shanghai is going to take us THIRTY-ONE HOURS!!! Egad!!! What the hell!!?? Is the train being pulled by fricken' *pandas* or something!!??

It'll be an interesting adventure for sure! Wish us luck! :-)

The Boy In Beijing

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Alright, alright, alright. I know. It's taken me far too long to start writing about my trip! I'm sorry, really, but actually not cause I've been having such an amazing time! Hehe! I've been here six days already but it honestly feels more like six weeks. Time has become a bit of a blur, and I often forget what day it is. It took me less than 24 hours to "decompress" from Korea and get into The Backpacker's Groove, and I'm absolutely lovin' it. Let me tell you about my trip so far. :-)

I arrived mid-afternoon on Saturday and recall that the first thing I saw in the airport when I stepped outside the security area was a Starbucks and a KFC. Hmmm.... Welcome to the socialist/free-market economy, eh? Being the brave little soldier that I am, I just plunged head first into public transit and luckily found my way to the hostel. After a ride on a bus, and then a swing around the subway, and then meandering through the streets I finally found my hostel. Beijing is hot and crowded and dirty and smelly and loud and humid and chaotic and more than just a little overwhelming at first. I love it. :-) Seoul feels calm and quiet and clean and orderly and very, very Western in comparison.

The great thing about Beijing is that it really lets you know where you are. This is a city that truly feels like a CAPITAL city, and not just any capital, but *The* Capital of a Great Empire. The city is one perfect giant grid with the Forbidden City - the heart of the universe according to the Chinese - right in the exact centre. Enormously wide tree-lined boulevards branch out in every direction, and all the major streets are flanked with colossal monuments, mammoth hotels, and gigantic, imposing government buildings that are specifically designed to make the visitor feel small and intimidated.

And the little side streets! Wow! That's where the 'real life'of Beijing truly thrives. The little side streets and alleys are exactly how you would imagine China to look and smell and feel. The streets are all ripped up, there's piles of garbage all over the place, old men with horribly crooked teeth sit and chat with each other, buildings are decrepid but bursting with activity and life, mothers push their giggling children in wooden strollers up and over the dirt, vendors are selling strange food out of their little stands or holes-in-the-wall with makeshift menus just scribbled on pieces of cardboard, armies of rickshaws ply through the noisy chaos, bicycles zip past you, music blares out of every store, eager salespeople clap and call out to try and tempt the passerby into giving up a few of their hard-earned yuan, and everybody just carries on their way.

I arrived at The Far East Youth Hostel and booked myself a bed in the dormitories. My hostel is built around a three-hundred year old "hutong"coutyard that used to belong to a Chinese warlord. There's a great gathering place right in the middle of this courtyard where everyone hangs out to have drinks and share stories. I share a room with two Korean guys and Cam, a really nice girl from London. On my first night she took me out for dinner with a Dutch girl named Rosa and we had a delicious meal at one of those little random makeshift restaurant/kitchen/so-not-sanitary-but-completely-delicious eating spaces you find on the streets.

Later, after dinner, I went out on the town to a Chinese night club with a group from the hostel. The club was loud and busy and fairly crowded with Beijing yuppies all dressed to impress, angry-looking security men clad in black, and plenty of friendly call girls eager to talk to the foreign boys. I had an interesting experience, to say the least, later in the men's room....

I was there in the washroom at one of the urinals just doing my business, when all of a sudden I felt hands on my shoulders... I jumped and turned to see that it was a male 'service attendant' giving me a complimentary massage while I urinated away. Being of the "Pee Shy"type, I found this to be rather distracting! However, not wanting to be rude, or mostly not really sure what to do at all, I continued peeing while the guy rubbed my shoulders and pounded my back with his fists. When I finished he ran to the sink to turn it on for me, and then eagerly handed me paper towel when I was finished washing. At this point I felt compelled to tip him cause he had been just so enthusiastic during this whole escapade that I felt kinda bad if I didn't. I tried to pee as little as possible the rest of the night.

The next day I set out to explore the city on my own. First stop was Tiananmen Square, which is just around the corner from my hostel. Tiananmen is the largest public square in the world and it really is a giant sea of concrete. It's also full of some of Beijing's greatest monuments, including the South Gate, Mao's Mausoleum, a requisitive ginormous penis-shaped obelisk in the middle, and blazing red Tiananmen Gate beckoning onlookers to tread forward towards the Forbidden City.

Next to Tiananmen Square I noticed a giant countdown for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics and so I wandered over to have a look at it. (Only 1125 days left!) There I was approached by a friendly Chinese girl who told me that she was an art student at a university and that her class was having a free exhibition showcasing their work. She invited me to come have a look, and so I did. I ended up spending over an hour in the gallery with Lulu and really enjoyed chatting with her, as she showed me the various pieces of work, told me about the different art techniques that they learn, recounted the stories behind the faces and landscapes of China in the artwork, and discussed life as a student in China. It was really interesting!

I then proceeded on toward The Forbidden City. A lot of people have said that they're disappointed when they see The Forbidden City (which used to be called The Great Within, by the way), but I was anything but. I was blown away by the sheer size, majesty, and planning behind a palace that is truly fit only for an emperor. I took the self-guided audio tour and was led through the sprawling city-within-a-city by none other than Roger Moore - on my headphones - who was more than eager to point out various points of interest. "Look at the ceiling inside this temple. Notice the splendid colours and the magnificent workmanship. Isn't it fabulous?" in his trademark 007 voice. I had to laugh. :-)

I spent at least two and a half hours wandering through the palace, and after taking way too many photos of the beautiful grounds I crossed the street to visit a neighbouring park. In the middle of this park is a large hill overlooking the city. I climbed to its top and was rewarded with a breathtaking bird's eye view of The Forbidden City laying out before me, and the hustle and bustle of Beijing sprawling in every direction. It was too cool to be true!

Since then I've been busy seeing many other sights, including the beautiful Lama Temple, (home to a gigantic wooden Buddha made out of a single sandalwood tree trunk), the famous Beijing Silk Market (not what I expected, actually. It's all indoors and is basically a cleaner, less crowded, but more persistent version of Seoul's Dondaemun Market), and the majestic Summer Palace (a grandiose weekend retreat for the Empress consisting of colourful temples surrounding a large lake on the city's outskirts.) I also went to see the famous Chinese acrobats one night and was blown away by their gravity-defying performance (picture a guy walking across stage holding a spinning, open umbrella, and on top of the umbrella is a woman balancing on a unicycle, and she's got like 20 spinning plates whirling furiously on her fingers...how the hell!!!???)

As incredible as all of that has been, nothing can even come close to comparing with my day spent on The Great Wall of China. The Great Wall is another place that you hear other travellers whining about in disappointment, as most of them only visit the Badaling portion that is notoriously over-crowded, covered in the most persistent hawkers known to mankind, and has actually been restored so that it has nearly completely lost any feeling of historical authenticity. This was NOT my experience.

On Tuesday I went on a four-hike, ten-kilometre hike ON The Great Wall and it was, without doubt, the most amazing experience of my entire life. EVER. It was so incredibly beautiful and magical that words really cannot describe how unbelievable it was. I went on a tour organized through my hostel that took us on a part of the wall that is a good four hours away from Beijing, up in the mountains to the north. Here we hiked from Jinshanling to Simitai, and it was more amazing of a Wall experience than I ever could have dreamed of.

The Wall was still fairly busy, but not enough that you ever felt crowded or herded through. It was a very hot day, but despite the heat I never stopped smiling from ear to ear. Picture me clambering along the Wall as it snakes like a sleeping dragon up and over the crests of the steep terrain, the gentle wind blowing through my hair, the warm sun on my face, and being surrounded by lush, green hills with nothing but the Chinese countryside to my left and the distant whispers of Mongolia to the right. Incredible!

The beginning and ending portions of the Wall, on this hike, were in fact restored as well, but most of the hike was along unrestored, original stretches which have not been touched for at least four hundred years. In parts it really is crumbling apart with toppled bricks and half-collapsed guard towers, ruins lying scattered on the ground exactly where they fell. It really doesn't get any more atmospheric than this! The Wall is extremely steep in places, requiring you to climb and pull yourself up staggering inclines and tread cautiously down slippery, jagged slopes. I loved every single second of it and truly wish I could have stayed there forever.

What was strange, and a little distracting at times, were the hawkers which still exist (although in smaller numbers than at Badaling) despite the remote location of this part of The Wall. For the first *two hours* I had several of them follow me along, all the way, as I hiked on the Wall. They were actually really friendly and offered up some interesting facts about the Wall as I hiked along, but it was odd to have your own little personal entourage as you sweated along. There were 32 guard towers along this portion and almost every one of them, during the first half, had vendors inside selling water, Coca Cola, postcards, and T-shirts. It does take away a little from the general atmosphere of one's Wall Experience, but China is a poor country and most of these vendors are farmers who rely on us tourists to put food on their tables.

When you reach the 'half-way point' they turn back and leave you on your own, but not before giving you the mother of all sales pitches in the hopes that you'll buy one or more of their souvenirs. Most hikers, after spending half the day with these univited guides, do end up buying a "I Hiked The Great Wall" T-shirt cause they feel bad for them. I didn't want to buy anything, so instead I shared part of my lunch with my guide, giving her a peach and a box of Ritz crackers. She was none-too-pleased with this compromise of mine, but took the food anyway.

By the time I reached the end of my hike I was completely soaked in sweat and really exhausted, but absolutely in love with the Wall. I was really tired but was actually rather sad when I saw the end in sight. My afternoon spent hiking on The Great Wall was one of those amazing, surreal moments where it's so incredible you feel like you have to pinch yourself to check if it's real. I really feel like I got to *know* the Wall on my hike, like I spent some quality time with it and that we 'bonded', became friends for a day, and then had to say a sad goodbye. It was an experience that I'll remember for the rest of my life, and even just thinking about it now brings me back to that blissful Cloud 9.

So that's six days in China for you! As I said before, I feel like I've been gone for so much longer, and am having a truly fantastic time. Beijing has been a wonderful host to me, and thus kick-started Project Wanderlust with an incredible, memorable start. Bring on the rest! :-)

Day 512: Heart And Seoul

What a long, crazy day. Ugh. I'm exhausted just thinking about it again!

Michael had spent the night over last night so that he could help me get the boxes over to the post office today. Getting the four boxes together and 'ship-shape' for their big journey turned out to be quite the task. Two of the boxes had to be transplanted into other stronger boxes, and then they all had to be wrapped in brown paper and then *covered* in tape. Man, those babies are sure sealed up now!

After the post office I had to finish packing my backpack (I'm bringing way too much crap, I'm sure, as my bag is full to the brim) and then clean my very dirty apartment. This all took longer than I expected and it wasn't until late afternoon that it was all done. I gave my empty apartment one last look and then it was time to say goodbye and close the door forever.

I went to POLY to drop off my test scores and give Keith my keys, as well as say goodbye to my coworkers and bosses. This took quite a while as well and I didn't end up getting out of there until nearly 5pm. I was supposed to go to the clinic in Itaewon to pick up the rest of my malaria prescription but I couldn't get there in time before it closed. Looks like I'll have to do that on the way to the airport tomorrow.

I went to Pauline and Tim's and we sat around chatting before it was time for my big going away dinner. I had booked a reservation at Ruby Tuesday's and had all my friends show up to send me off. I had 21 people come in total and it was great to see almost all of my friends together in one place. We made a great meal while I made the rounds and tried to socialize with everyone. After dinner about half my friends went home, while the other half decided to take me out for a drink. We went to this WEIRD but cool bar that had an underwater mushroom theme going on. The walls and ceiling were all decked out to look like giant mushrooms and there were little 'rivers' of water running along the ceiling. Strange!

We had a couple of drinks and then I was feeling rather tired and though I should head to bed at a reasonable hour since I have a big day tomorrow. It's weird...up until today I still hadn't really felt that first wave of excitement yet about the trip. Maybe it's cause I've been thinking about it and planning it for SO LONG that it just never felt like it was actually going to come. Now -finally- on the eve of my departure I started to get that rush of exhiliration that comes just before a trip. I'M GOING TO BE IN CHINA TOMORROW!!! HOLY FUCK!!! Wow, that's amazing, and for most of the night I had a huge grin on my face. My dream trip has become a reality and tomorrow Project Wanderlust is launched. AWESOME!

It was still a really sad night, having to give goodbye hugs to so many dear friends. I've met a lot of truly wonderful people here in Korea who I love very much. My 512 days in Korea (513 if you count my half-day tomorrow as well) has been a true adventure with a lot of ups and downs, and now that I'm at the end of it I can say that it was a fantastic choice and a truly enjoyable experience. I'm *so glad* I took that plunge a year and a half ago and left Canada to go out and live the life abroad. Just look at all the great times I've had!

And it really is just beginning. Because of Korea, I've been able to experience life in a foreign country, have gotten to know another culture inside and out, have opened up new ideas and concepts and ways of thinking within me, changed my conceptions about the world and blown away all my expectations, added quite a few stamps to my passport, gained the financial means to pay off a good chunk of my debt, *and* now I get to go on an incredible trip! The friends I've met have truly been the 'Heart and Soul' of my time here in Korea, but this country has been a great host too. I really feel like I've conquered Korea and have seen that I really wanted to. It's been a great run but it really does feel like it's time to move on. I'll look back on Korea with great memories and this country will always hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life.

So, now it's time to leave and begin something new. Goodbye Korea, Hello World. Project Wanderlust begins tomorrow and it's gonna be quite the ride. Stay tuned for more adventures, truckloads of too-crazy stories, unpredictable excitement and drama, revelations and discovery filled with awe and wonder and inspiration, and an even greater love for life. (Sometimes I think I need to pinch myself cause it's like my life is too good to be true some days.) I promise to never take anything for granted, will stay true to the heart of what is me, and will attempt to convey to you my excitement and passion and curiosity and love for this planet and all the places that I'm about to visit. I feel very lucky and privileged to live this life of mine, and I hope you're getting a kick out of it too.

Ahnyonghe Kaseyo Korea, and Komapsumnida! :-)

Day 511: War Of The Worlds

This title is more than appropriate for today's blog entry. Tonight I had plans to go and see this movie with Michael, Addie, and Katie, and it was mere minutes before the movie started that Michael received a text from Eric informing him of some sort of disaster in London. He then started to get other texts from other friends and it was then we found out about the bombing in the British capital. Who needs to see a movie when our world is already at war with itself? It was rather surreal, wondering what was going on in England while watching a movie about the Earth being attacked.

Despite the somber mood, we all REALLY enjoyed the movie. It's a spectacular film and one of the best that I've seen in a long, long time! Besides having incredible special effects, the movie keeps you in tense suspense for the entire duration of the film. You're literally on the edge of your seat the whole time and are never given a chance to breathe or relax or feel safe. It's a great movie and to watch it is an intense experience, and when it was over well felt rather shell-shocked actually. Trust me, if you haven't seen this movie already you really do need to!!

After the movie we moved my couch, chair, automan, and book shelf into Addie's apartment. She's buying them off of me and when all of that furniture was removed my place looked so empty and lonely. *sigh* The dismantling continues...

Day 510: Pack Rat

I've got three days until I leave Korea, but damn I've got a lot to do! I gotta empty out my apartment (Keith's gonna move in on Saturday), mail stuff back home, pack my backpack for the trip, buy a few more things for the trip, get my money taken care of, close my bank account here in Korea, finish my blog, email everyone...oh I'm gonna be a busy boy!

I went and got all of my banking done today and it was a relief to get that out of the way. I've got all my traveller's cheques for my trip now, sent the remainder of my account here back to Canada, and took care of some final bills. DONE!

Later in my apartment I began the dismantling. It's always kinda hard to take apart your home and know that very soon you'll never live in that space again and it'll be out of you life. It is just four walls, a floor, and roof, but becomes so much more with the life you've breathed into it and all the memories you've had there.

It also reconfirmed the already solid fact that I'm a notorious pack rat. Fuck, I keep all kinds of shit! Why do I do it!!?? My apartment is quite small and I have very little storage space in it but somehow I've still managed to accumulate all kinds of crap over the last year. I came to Korea with only two suitcases and a carry-on, but will be going back with all of that plus four giant heavy ass boxes that I gotta mail off. The Korean postal system is about to make a pretty penny off of me! Really, every time I live in a new place I always promise myself that 'this time it'll be different' and I won't be such a pack rat, but yet time after time I stay true to my roots. Still I was a bit proud of myself today cause I threw away all kinds of 'sentimental shit' that I normally would've held onto. Living overseas, thankfully, sorta limits you what you can keep. Soon I'll be a nomad but I'm sure somehow I'll find ways to stay a pack rat as I wander through Southeast Asia!

Day 509: We're All A Bunch Of Criers!

So this was it. My last day. The Big Goodbye.

And what a sad one it was....

My morning with the Parrots went as usual actually, until the last period where Barbie had secretly planned a little surprise goodbye party. I came in to the class and all my kids were standing there, each holding up a different letter that said "WE LOVE SCOTT"! It was so cute and it totally caught me off guard!! We then had a cake and some pop and Barbie presented me with a special goodbye card that the kids had put together for me. There was little pictures and signatures from each child, and then all of the Korean staff had written goodbye messages for me as well. It was really sweet and a very touching gift.

I was feeling really sad but wasn't going to cry cause I almost never ever cry (like not even once a year!) and I didn't want to get too emotional in front of the kids. Barbie had already started to cry even before the end of the party and I thought that one of us should be strong so I tried to play it cool. But then the end of the day came and slowly I started to break down. I had to give goodbye hugs to each of them as they left to go get on their bus and that's when I started to choke up. I was doing pretty good with holding in the tears until Isabelle came by. She gave me a big hug and told me she'd never forget me cause I'd always be in her heart and that's when the waterworks began. I started to cry and once I started it was damn hard to stop I tell ya! All my kids had left and I just looked at my empty classroom and I felt so sad that I'd never be their teacher again and then I really started to cry. I was all alone in my room so it wasn't too bad but then Katie and Addie came in to give me a big hug. Yeah....Scotty's a big softie!!!

A few minutes later I noticed that Isabelle was still in the library and she said her mom was coming by to pick her up and say goodbye to me. When she came in she even had a present for me, and told me how much it meant to her that I was her child's teacher (even though I haven't taught her since Feb!) and that I'd always be remembered by her and her family. Well then next thing you know she started to cry too! Oh boy! Everyone's a crier around here it seems. The teachers are crying, the moms are crying, I'm crying...what the hell? ;-)

The rest of the afternoon was much less emotional, but still really sad. I had snack parties again with all my classes and then next thing I knew the day was done. 6:40 had arrived and my teaching career at POLY was officially over. Done. It was a really strange feeling...

I cleaned off my desk for Barb, took my photos and other personal items home, and then that was it. It was all over. Luckily I had plans for after work so I didn't really have the chance to just sit and feel sad. Addie and I went and saw 'Sahara' and it was an alright movie. I went home after the movie with the great feeling inside that I was now officially blisffully unemployed. Sad to say goodbye to my kids, but damn happy to have the next few months off of work!

Day 508: Snack Party Overdose

Today was Monday, the last day that I get to teach my Returnee kids. It was a good afternoon that flew by even though I was really tired and felt like I was running on only one cylinder. Barb was with me all day so that she could become familiar with the classes and meet all the kids. She's a really nice lady and I'm so happy that she's the teacher that's replacing me. You develop such a bond with your kids that you worry about them after you leave, if they're going to be in good hands or not. But she's a great teacher, I can tell, and I know that my kids will be in good hands.

I had snack parties all afternoon as part of my going away celebrations, and it was fun for the first little bit but the fact that I had SIX SNACK PARTIES in one afternoon was just a bit much for me. A boy can only handle so much coke, shrimp crackers, and elementary kids in a day, ya know!

Some of my kids were really sad to see me go, especially the Grade 3's. There's a lot of them that I've taught for the entire year I've been at POLY cause I was their Grade 2 teacher as well. I gave all my kids a little card with my email address on it so they can write me if they feel like it. It would be great to stay in touch with them over the years, for sure.

Day 507: Afternoons & Coffeespoons

I was quite the social butterfly today.

We all slept in late today, and then had a huge ginormous brunch all together. Omelettes, hashbrowns, toast, juice, coffee from Tim Hortons....oh yummy in my tummy! It was still raining cats and dogs today and I actually just felt like doing nothing but lying on Pauline and Tim's couch watching movies, but it's my last full day in Korea on a weekend and I should use this opportunity to visit with as many friends as I can.

I met up with Meghann in the afternoon for a coffee date at Starbucks. Given that I'm a corporate whore now who's (temporarily) abandoned his independent coffee house roots you think I'd feel at least a *little* guilty about spending so much time with that evil green mermaid coffee bitch, but alas, too much time has passed and I'm numb to it all now. I've become Starbucks' more than willing eager-beaver bitch, and can't seem to stop throwing my hard earned won at them. There's a special place in hell reserved for treasonous coffee sluts like myself, haha!!

It was great to hang with Meghann (future mom of my son, Charlie) and then afterwards I had dinner with Marshall. We ate at Ruby Tuesday's and before I knew it it was time to run off again to my next engagement. I met the girls at LaFesta and we went to go see Batman Begins. It was actually really good - I thought it was well done and this one had returned the Batman series to its dark, creepy, twisted Gotham roots. Good stuff.

Day 506: Hot Sticky Nights

Even though this was my last weekend in Korea, I didn't actually plan a whole lot. I'm going to have a going-away dinner with some friends maybe next Friday, but no giant party or anythign like that this weekend. Perhaps I should've planned something like that, but I just didn't feel all that inspired to, and there was a few events already going on this weekend that I don't want to compete with.

In the afternoon I went with Michael, Pauline, Tim, and Michael's friend Chang to go to a museum exhibit. The British Museum has a cultural treasures tour going on with some of their pieces, and its in town for a few months at one of the local museums. We thought it would be cool to go and hang out there for the day, especially since it was a rainy afternoon.

Overall, I had mixed emotions about the experience. Firstly I was put off by the cost. It cost 15,000 won to get in (like $18 Cdn) for only a smattering of pieces. I've been to the actual British Museum in London, have seen the entire collection, and its free to go there. The pieces they had on display were actually pretty cool. They had mummies from Egypt, statues from Ancient Greece, stone pillars from Mesopotamia, necklaces from the Incas, among other things. However, it was difficult to be able to enjoy the displays as there was like a billion people there!! It was like being in one long line the whole time, like when you're waiting to get on a rollercoaster at a theme park. People were pushy and there were tons of loud children running around and it was really hot and stuffy in there.... I dunno....just not my ideal museum experience. I like to go to museums by myself, spend all day wandering around at my leisure, pondering different pieces in quiet solitude - not feeling like I was trapped at the mall during Christmas time. *sigh* Welcome to Asian museums, I guess?

We had a really nice dinner at Nolita Garden in Kangnam though, and after that we all felt relaxed and comfortable again. After dinner we parted ways. Chang went off to go visit some of his friends. Pauline and Tim went to Ilsa for Jake & Shannon's going away, and Michael and I went to Sinchon to meet Ailish at a new bar that was opening that night. The bar was called Watts On Top and it was a pretty cool place actually. It had a big rooftop patio, and 5 DJ's and a dancefloor on the second floor. And drinks were CHEAP too! I hadn't seen Ailish in a really long time so it was great to hang out with her for the night.

Michael and I stayed until around 2:30am or so and then walked on home to Pauline and Tim's to sleep. It was soooo hot and humid and sticky tonight that I had to literally peel off my shirt before bed. It was soaked with sweat and clinging to me like a second skin. Eww. Gotta love Asian humidity during the monsoon season, eh? ;-)

Day 505: Damn Unions!

So I've been hearing in the news lately that the pilots of Asiana might be going on strike soon! SHIT!!! I'm flying on Asiana to Beijing next week and a strike would totally screw things around... I guess the negotiations between the employer and employees are not going well so they're threatening a 24-hour strike that could begin next week. If it's just for one day, that might be alright, provided it's not the day I fly out on. But even so, one day of strike would totally mess up the flights, I imagine, with passengers getting put onto other planes instead, causing a domino effect of delays and being bumped. I don't know what airline policies are like for this sorta thing....but I just wanna get to China! Please!

Keep your fingers crossed that Asiana doesn't strike!

Day 504: Sorry, Taiwan

So there's been a change in plans with Project Wanderlust.

I was supposed to be going to Taiwan in the first week of August to visit my friends who teach there - Laura in Taipei, and Ryan and Christine in Kaohsiung. Well that's no longer going to happen. I got an email from Laura the other day informing me that she's going to be deported from Taiwan! It's not as bad it sounds, actually. Her work visa is about to expire and her university didn't send the Taiwanese Immigration office some documents soon enough, so she has to leave earlier than originally planned. That means that she'll be gone from Taiwan by the end of July, and I'll miss her entirely.

And then Ryan told me that he's actually going to be in Shanghai the same time I am! Rather than forking out all the extra cash to fly to Kaohsiung, I'm going to spend time with Ryan on the mainland instead. The whole reason for going to Kaohsiung was not to see the city, but to see them, and if I can save myself the time and money and see them in Shanghai instead, then that's even better. I'll use the extra time and money instead somewhere else, probably by adding a week in Indonesia.

So sorry, Taiwan - I won't be visiting you this time around.

Day 503: Justin's New Endeavor

I had the strangest dream last night, and I gotta tell you about it!

In my dream I was just hanging out in some city, when low and behold, I ran into Justin Timberlake. Asking him what he was up to these days, he informed me that his latest project was that he was now in the cookie-making business. But not just *any* kind of cookie. Oh no, Justin's lastest thing is making these chocolate cookies that are shaped like characters...from bible stories. And because he wants these cookies to be popular, he's decided that he's going to just give them away. Millions and millions of boxes of cookies to be given out all around America. He's not in it for the money, but rather the morals. By doing this, he said, his hopes was to share with America the joys of Christianity and teach people about morality and virtues from the bible.

Feeling curious about the cookies, I opened a box and bit into one. OH MY GOD! They were freaking delicious! After eating the whole box I just had to have another! And then another! And then some more! They were the best fucking bible cookies that I've ever had! Damn boy, you've got a great product! These are gonna be a hit!

So later on I was in this room in a house, gorging myself on these chocolate bible cookies, sitting next to my friend Kara who was also enjoying the Christian treats. Suddenly I looked over at Kara and she changed into...Jennifer Aniston. Actually it was more like that Kara had *always been* Jennifer Aniston, but I just didn't realize it until now. Hmmm....interesting.

So I'm sitting there with Kara, ummm....Jennifer, when all of a sudden Cameron Diaz walks into the room. (We weren't surprised at all, I mean she's still dating Justin, right?) Well Cameron then lets us in on a little secret of Justin's. Wanna know why those cookies are just so goddamn delicious and why we can't get enough of 'em? Well there's a special ingredient that Justin puts into the cookies....and that ingredient is....heroin!!! Well maybe it was crack or cocaine or whatever, but it was some illegal addictive narcotic either way! Holy fuck! That makes so much sense now! I had gotten addicted to these bible cookies! Cameron told us that this was Justin's way of guaranteeing that the cookies would be a smash success. By getting all of America hooked on these bible cookies he was confident that Americans would return to a more 'virtuous, Christian way of life', one that was 'less sinful than today's evil-doers.' She then tossed us a couple more boxes and bounced on out of the room to go and meet up with Justin.

Wow....I was warned that a side effect of my malaria medication would be vivid dreams. And this dream sure was damn vivid!!! Haha!!! ;-)

Day 502: (Re)Connected

I woke up today still feeling pretty crappy, so I decided to call in sick again. Taking two days off in a row is a pretty big deal, but working a job like POLY requires *a lot* of energy. Energy that I just don't have right now. Preschool alone would kill me, never mind all the afternoon classes. Better to stay home and rest some more and get rid of whatever it is that I have.

I had my first proper meal today and that helped immensely. Feeling a bit of an energy spurt in the afternoon, I decided to give my buddies Greg and Liz in Vancouver a call. I haven't talked to them in ages and ages, and I'm home and have the time so why not? With my trip coming up fast it'd be nice to chat with them one last time before I disappear off the map for a while.

I ended up talking with Greg for almost three hours and it was a really great conversation. After many months we certainly had a lot of news to catch up on. We spent almost a full hour just talking about my trip, and Greg even broke out his atlas so he could find the places on the map where I'll be going. (Yeah, we're Geography geeks! haha!) It was so great to hear his voice and chat just like old times.

Yesterday I had also spent quite some time chatting with friends back home on Messenger. I talked to a bunch of people who I hadn't talked to in a very long time, and did a lot of catching up then too. Between today's phone call and yesterday's afternoon on Messenger I was able to reconnect with a lot of friends that I had sorta felt that I had lost touch with. A few months ago I wrote an entry in my blog called "Disconnected" and it was all about my sentiments regarding the space I was feeling with most of my old friends back in Canada. Well the last two days has helped to disprove that original theory. Not all is lost, not everyone feel a million miles away. People still care about me back home, and when we chat it doesn't feel weird or awkward or forced. I'm really lucky that I do have some great friends who, even when months and months pass, when we chat it's like I hadn't even left. Those are pretty special people, and the kind of friends who you really do end up having for life.

By the end of the day I was feeling much better, both physically and emotionally. Nothing like having two days off to help put things back in order, eh?

Day 501: Sick Days

I woke up this morning around 5am with the sudden, incredible sensation that I was about to throw up. I ran to the bathroom and made it just in time to begin violently vomiting into the toilet. I don't know if it was last night's pizza, heat exhaustion from the last couple of days, stomach flu, or what, but whatever it was it sure the hell pissed off my stomach.

I called in sick and spent most of the day just lying in my chair. I felt sooooo tired and dizzy and weak and completely unmotivated to do anything but just sit and rest. Any time I tried to get up I felt like I was going to pass out or throw up again. I tried to have some breakfast but that didn't stay in me for long either. I felt kinda bad calling in sick cause Renee had called in sick too, but there was no way I could work feeling like this. And hey, in a year of working at POLY I had only ever taken one sick day, so I can afford this.

I ended up watching a lot of daytime TV, and thankfully it was actually pretty good. 'On Style' kept me entertained most of the day with Oprah, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, Gilmore Girls, and Newlyweds. By the end of the day I was feeling a bit better but still very, very drained. Ugh. Don't think I'll be back at work tomorrow either...

Day 500: Constants In Life

HOLY FUCK! 500 days in Korea??? WOW! I just completed the Korea Indy 500! ;-)

So today's lesson was all about constants in life. There's some things in life that you can always count on. We all have to pay taxes, we'll all die one day, and moving day is always hell on earth. And Michael's moving day today proved to be no exception. Today Michael is moving in with Pauline and Tim! He's leaving Guro and his fantastic apartment with the psycho neighbour behind to live with our two good buddies in their spacious apartment in Hongdae. He's only gonna be with them for the summer anyway, and it'll save both him and Pauline and Tim some money. I was actually a little envious, it sounds like that apartment's gonna be the happenin' place!

Well about mid-afternoon today the skies opened up, and it began to P-O-U-R! Yes, that's right, Monsoon Season has officially arrived. Descending upon the Korean peninsula one day earlier than predicted, the annual torrents of rain are here. And once they're here, that's it. You can kiss sunny skies and pleasant weather goodbye for quite some time. Yes, it's a good time to be leaving Korea soon... What a day to have to move! Ugh!

Nick, Pauline, Tim, and I all volunteered to help Mikey move, so we met up at his place around 6pm to move all the boxes downstairs. Michael had called a moving service to come at 6:30pm and move all of his belongings in a truck to Hongdae. Well the driver started calling around 5pm saying that he was in the area early and wanted to move right now instead. Ummm....how about no? We made a reservation for 6:30, and we're not gonna be ready until then. You can wait buddy!

So 6:30pm comes and we've moved all of Mike's stuff down itno the lobby of his building. We go out to look for the truck and Mr. Impatient Truck Driver, only to see no one at all. What the hell....where is he? So Michael phoned him and, much to his horror, was told by the guy that he had left. He went hom!!!. I guess, according to Mr. Asshole, he didn't feel like moving in the rain so he just left. And didn't even fucking phone us to let us know that he was abandoning us! So there we were, with all of Michael's stuff, out in the lobby, with no moving truck and no driver cause the fucking jerk was pissed that he had to wait til 6:30 and didn't like the rain. Well buddy, it's your fucking job to move us!! We had a goddamn reservation!!! Fuck, sometimes the people in this country make me so mad!

Not knowing what to do, as it was Sunday night and raining cats and dogs and we had everything already moved out of the apartment, we all just sat there in stunned silence while Michael cursed up a storm at the driver. Wow, I've never seen him that angry before! It was kinda scary!! Luckily things worked out in the end. Michael phoned one of his students who was able to get us a truck and driver from another moving service. We had some time to kill before they arrived, so Mike ordered some pizzas and we had that and beer while camped out on his furniture out on the landing. Oh, crazy times, I tell ya! And the movers that came later to help us were the nicest Korean couple you could ever meet. What a difference from the last guy!

Thakfully Michael's building has an overhang, so we were able to get the truck all loaded up (a pick-up truck with a tarp) without getting wet. We drove on over to Hongdae and when we got to Pauline and Tim's the rain was still coming down like the end of the world was coming or something. Should we have called Noah to come help us move instead? Hoping that the rains would slow down we waited a while, as there was no protection from the elements at their apartment, and moving would mean that not only us, but all of Michael's stuff would get absolutely drenched.

We waited and waited but then realized it wasn't going to let up. So, we stripped down to shorts and bathing suits, and began what must've been the fastest move in history! That tar went up and we had shit *flying* up the stairs into their place. Forming a chain-gang we were a wet but incredibly speedy flurry of flying furniture and cardboard boxes. We were amazing! In ten minutes we had that whole truck emptied and moved into the apartment with very minimal contact with rain water! Couches, TV's, suitcases of clothes and boxes of fragiles, all made it in safe and sound. Wow! That's gotta be some record!

We were soaked and dirty and sweaty and exhausted, but feeling pretty damn proud of ourselves. It had been a shitty night and we had been presented with a dismal situation, but we made it through. And actually kinda had fun with it by the end. You know you've got great friends when! Never a dull moment here...

Day 499: No Busan

So I woke up at the crack of dawn today (7am!) cause this morning Addie, Katie, and I were supposed to get our butts down to Seoul Station so that we could get on the KTX and fly on down to Busan for the weekend. As part of our 'last weekend away together' we were all really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, this weekend was not meant to be. I got a call at 7:30 from Katie saying that Addie had been up all night sick with migraines and nausea and that she couldn't go. Katie and I hummed and hawed and then decided to just postpone it til next weekend. There's no point just the two of us going.

So there I was, up and showered and all dressed, but with nowhere to go. And what exactly is one supposed to do with themselves at 7:30am on a Saturday? I ended up just dicking around my apartment for a few hours doing nothing productive at all, and then decided that yes, I really do need a haircut quite badly. I went to LaFesta and had to wait til 11am for my salon to open. And then the guy who usually cuts my hair (aka: the only person who hasn't given me a *horrible* haircut in Korea) was busy with another client so I had to get my hair cut by some other dude. I was totally nervous the whole time. I don't trust people in this country to cut my hair! Well the haircut turned out...alright. It's not horrible, but I've had better. I can deal with it, anyway.

Michael and I had lunch at EuroCafe, and then Y-S joined us for coffee at Starbucks around the corner. After that Michael went and met Meghann for a late afternoon snack at an Egyptian restaurant in Itaewon. We hung out with her and her two friends for a bit, and then went to a DVD bang to kill some time before dinner. We watched 'First Daughter', and it really blew. Man, that's two disappointing movies in a row now! After the movie we grabbed some Subway for dinner and then ate with Y-S and two of his friends in Itaewon. And then after dinner we had drinks with Nick, Pauline, and Tim at Bar Nana just down the street. Quite the day of socializing actually!

I went and crashed at Pauline and Tim's and was sooooo tired by 1am. I guess getting up at 7am on a Saturday will do that to ya!

Day 498: Melting

Work conditions have been really shite all week long at school. We found out that our air conditioners are leaking and causing a mess on floors below us, so we had to have them off all week long for repair. I don't know why it takes so fucking long to fix them, but they've been out of commission for forever it feels. And what a week to have no aircon. It's been SO BLOODY HOT AND HUMID, you can't even imagine how disgusting the weather is right now.

Our classrooms get so hot it's like trying to teach in an inferno. The kids are whining all day, the teachers are bitchy, everyone's literally dripping in sweat, the school reeks, everyone's cranky and irritable...it's not a very pleasant environment at all. And it can't be healthy to work in such extreme heat. Standing on your feet all day in ridiculous heat...yeah, that's so not my idea of fun! This is a country where you NEED aircon in the summer time. I feel like I'm working in a third world country this week! This is Korea, not Sudan for christ's sake!

Ugh. To quote the Wicked Witch Of The West, "I'm melting...."

Day 497: Y-S

We had another Thursday Night Out a-la Sinchon tonight, and we had extra incentive to get down there as fast as we could. Tonight joining us for dinner was Michael and....Young-Seok!!! Yes, Michael's sweetheart boyfriend who was stolen from us by the Korean military a few months ago is out for a few days break. And will be with us tonight, in the flesh, for a few hours!

It was so exciting to see him again, and he looked healthy and tan and all buff and in-shape thanks to boot camp. And hey even with his short military buzz haircut he was still looking as handsome as ever. Over dinner at Ruby Tuesday's he told us all that he's been up to since joining the military. Yes, it sucks and he doesn't like it, but it's bareable and he'll survive. He's working in Supplies in the military, which seems like a safe enough job I guess. He's also going to be moved to a base near Suwon, just south of Seoul, so when the rare occasion comes up of him having time off he'll be close to visit his friends and family.

The one thing that really makes life difficult for him right now is how all the "first year's" get shit on by those in senior positions. Korea's military service is two years, three months long, and everyone in their second year gets to boss around all the newbies, order them around to do all the crap jobs that no one wants to do, and generally make their life difficult. It's stupid and it makes me pissed off, and I'm not even in the military! Y-S says he'll be alright, but we still worry about him. He's such a nice guy I can't imagine why fucked up seniors feel like they need to shit all over him just to make themselves feel cool. I'm so thankful I was born in a country that doesn't have required military service or a draft, or even a need for having a large military. Hooray for Canada!

Anyway, it was great to spend some time with Y-S and I hope I get to see him again before he has to go back. Take care, buddy!!! Only two years left, stay strong, chin up! :-)

Day 496: Save Your Money

After work tonight Addie and I went and saw the movie 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith.'

Don't bother going to see it, it's not very good.

The plot is actually rather boring, even though it was made to look like an exciting action in the movie trailers, there are no surprises or twists or suspenseful moments to keep you on the edge of your seat, and despite the fact that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie probably are the two most beautiful people in Hollywood today, they have little-to-no chemistry together on-screen.

Save your money, and wait til it comes out on video if you really wanna see it. Or save your money for a better movie, like War Of The Worlds. Or just save your money for something more worthwhile, like laundry detergent, extra coat hangers, or spare batteries for the remote control.

Day 495: Being Missed

I got my Preschool report cards back today so that I can write up this month's scores and comments for each of the Parrots. It's kinda exciting to get them back cause there's always comments on the back from the parents, and I'm always really curious as to what they have to say. I'm really lucky this year in that all my parents are really friendly, easy-going, understanding, and totally trusting of me (unlike last year where I felt like most of the moms didn't like me.)

I got some great comments back from the parents. They all said how happy their children are and how pleased they are with their child's development and growth in English. It makes me feel really happy and proud to be a teacher when I get positive feedback like that. Some of the parents even go as far as to praise me for teaching their child good manners and how this has been noticed at home too.

The parents just found out the date that I'm leaving POLY and so a lot of them wrote comments saying how much their child is going to miss me once I'm gone, and how thankful they are that I was their child's teacher. Laney's mom said Laney was crying the other day because she knows I'm going to be leaving, and Colin's mom wrote that Colin says he doesn't wanna go to Preschool once I leave. Awww, shucks guys! You sure know how to make a guy get choked up. I'll miss all those little buggers when I leave, and it's nice to know that I'll be missed as well.

Day 494: Isabelle

One of the best things about being a teacher... No, actually let me rephrase that... *The* best thing about being a teacher is the really close relationships that you can build with your students. I love all of my children, but some of them you just end up bonding with more than others. With the exception of Brittany who's left to go to an international school in Seoul, all of my Parrots from Season 1 are still in POLY's kindergarten. I see most of them on a regular basis, exchanging hellos and high-fives in the hallway or bathroom.

But the student I miss the most, and who I'm still close to, is Isabelle. She's in the top class and I get to see her almost everyday when she's in line for the bus that's shared with two of my current Parrots. She always gives me a big hug, tells me how much she loves me, and lately she's starting to say "Don't go to Canada, Scott Teacher!" It's so cute and sweet it could break your heart. I'm gonna miss her soooo much when I leave Korea.

And even her mom too! At least once a month or so her mom comes by my classroom to say hello, see how I'm doing, and tell me how much Isabelle still cares for me and how sad she'll be when I leave. She's such a genuinely nice lady and it's always pleasant to talk with her. She's a mom that I'm not afraid of, unlike most of the parents that come in! haha... It's just really cool cause I still feel close to them even though I don't teach Isabelle anymore.

I'll be really sad to say goodbye to both of them when that time comes....

Day 493: Phantom

Despite only having a few drinks last night (okay, maybe more than a few...) I woke up today feeling sooooo slow and tired and sluggish and just very unmotivated to do a whole lot. Pauline made some French Toast for breakfast, and then I spent most of the afternoon in the Starbucks in Sinchon just reading my book and relaxing.

Later on I went and met Addie for dinner at Tony Roma's out near Nambu Bus Terminal. It's around the corner from the Seoul Arts Centre and tonight the three of us (Katie too) hav tickets to go and see Phantom Of The Opera!!! Dinner was alright and then it was time to meet up with Katie and go and watch the show.

It ended up being a truly spectacular performance. I love Phantom!! The music, the story, the set, the costumes, the effects....all amazing. The scene where the Phantom drags Christine down into the bowels of the Opera House and they float along the underground canals, filled with clouds of dry ice, glowing green light, and dozens upon dozens of long burning candles rising up out of the fog...wow...it sent chills down my spine. I've actually seen Phantom before but that was way back on the Grade 8 Toronto Trip. The show was even more beautiful than I remembered. All in all, an excellent show that all three of us loved through and through. I'd go and see it again and again.