Charpie's Travels

My school had an all-day Halloween party.  Halloween

Chuseok Flood

Another Seoraksan album... Sorak

Thanks to Buddha, we had a long weekend. A couple coworkers and I took a 3 1/2 hour bus trip to the East Sea. Should you ever decide to do the same thing, take note that the travel time can double on holidays. We spent nearly 7 hours on the bus. Sokcho Beach

I walked out of work tonight with my bundle of gifts accumulated over the last two days. Today is Teachers' Day in Korea. A few presents trickled in during the week, but the bulk of them came in Friday. My first Teachers' Day gift was Chanel lip gloss from Henry. If you know me, I hope you see the irony in that. A couple classes later, Jason presented me with a tin of cookies. Other gifts included flowers made of soap, a Hilfiger shirt, lotions, more Chanel and Mary Kay, spiffy pens, Tazo tea, more cookies, and a $100 gift certificate. Some parents, instead of buying for one or two teachers, get something for everyone. One mother went to the coffee shop in our building and ordered iced coffees for all the Korean and foreign staff. That's a LOT of iced coffee. More bottled beverages, donuts, and rice cakes appeared on our desks, and our boss brought in pizza. I only recently learned that the US has a Teachers' Day. I do believe those teachers get the short en...

Now that we've even passed the Lunar New Year, I noticed that I uploaded a December 31 album ... and then never did anything with it. These aren't by any means amazing photos, and they don't necessarily have much to do with the new year. They are, at least, proof that I was in Seoul when 2009 ran out and 2010 began.  New Years Eve

I did an interview for a Korean radio station today. Why? Because now I can say I was interviewed on Korean radio. And because I don't have to worry about anyone I know hearing it.  I stopped to study a neighborhood map, and a man with a microphone asked if I could spare two or three minutes for a radio interview. I gave him all the sensible reasons I could think of for why that was a bad idea, but he wouldn't hear it. What's more, I still hadn't figured out where I was supposed to be headed, and Radio Man promised to help me with that if I'd do the interview. (That was an easy enough promise, since he only had to tell me "go straight until you get to the big intersection with the Kyobo building and then go down the stairs on the right.") What, you ask, was the interview about? It was about the upcoming Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day. Of course, I am an expert on both. I have increased sympathy for interviewees. Really...what should I have said...

I am not in South Korea today.  'Tis true. The original plan was to be there by now. I am, however, still in English-speaking, hotdish-eating Minnesoh-tah. Hopefully we'll hear back about a visa later this week. I'm very excited to go, but I'm also not complaining about the delay. It means I have a few more days with family and friends here. It means I'll be able to see a good friend who was supposed to come to MN the day I was supposed to arrive in Korea. It means I'm home for Thanksgiving Day (we celebrated early, so I have two Thanksgivings this year).  Someday I'll make it to Korea. Stay tuned....