Deokjeokdo

So here's the thing about living in Korea, when there is a holiday it is either extremely expensive to get off this peninsula, or everyone goes to the same domestic destinations so things are sold out, crowded and more expensive. This past weekend was Buddha's birthday which is one of the biggest holiday weekends of the year. People had been telling me for months that if I planned to go anywhere this weekend to book in advance. Well Erin and I decided on an island vacay one week prior. After a false invite and the fact that I am putting all my money towards Mom's visit in July I really wasn't planning on doing anything. Then Erin suggested going to an Island. There is a chain of islands near Incheon (where the main airport for the greater Seoul area is) on the western coast of Korea. It was a slightly arbitrary choice as there are many islands so we just took a suggestion from a local and made the decision. We (meaning Erin) booked accomodations. Note: I hate booking hotels and whenever given the opportunity am happy to let my travel buddy take the lead. She found a fantastic split level place that was available for the first two nights, but sold out the third. The rest of our choices looked like they had bed bugs so we went with the best of those which ended up having moldy walls, 21 soju shot glasses and only one regular cup in it's kitchen, and not enough buckets to catch the rain seeping through for 24 hours. NBD I have stayed in worse. With our accommodations booked and pick up times set we headed off early Thursday morning to catch the 9:30 am ferry. As I mentioned it is near the airport which usually is about 45 minutes by bus from Ilsan. We left our apartments at 7:15 and had to take a bus to dongincheon station and then a cab from there to the ferry port, or so we thought. About an hour into the bus ride the driver told us to get off at a random stop and get onto another bus, to go to the station, to catch a cab. We knew we were in Incheon so decided to just get a cab. Keep in mind the scale of Seoul, so even though we were in the vicinity it was still quite a distance. Hailing a cab proved to be very difficult in this particular area and we spent a good 20 min trying to flag one down. Finally Erin asked a local woman to help us and we managed to catch a driver's eye. This was at about 9am. We were relieved and figured we would still make the ferry in time. Wrong. Traffic was gnarly and we arrived at the port at 9:40 am. We missed the boat. Already knowing the next ferry was at 3pm we bought tickets and stored our things in a locker. While buying our tickets we discovered that all the return ferries for Sunday were sold out besides the first leaving at 9:40am. Then we discovered that all the ferries for Friday were sold out as well. Our good friend Michael aka Buddha was supposed to come join us Friday to Sunday as he had to work on Thursday. It was a big bummer to find out that there was no way he could come, and a reality check that we should have booked everything in advance. The day prior our Chinese teacher at school had randomly mentioned to me as I was leaving work that there is a China Town in Incheon. Lucky we had this convo because with 5 hours to kill Erin and I hopped in a cab and spent the morning wandering around it. Turns out it is very quaint and has a beautiful park at the top of the hill with a temple that overlooks the area. We had a nice lunch at a very friendly local joint and headed back to the port with plenty of time to spare. The journey to the island was only an hour and ten minutes and a breeze. We were picked up by the woman who runs the hotel we were in. We got checked in, stopped by the local store, took a walk down on the beach, and settled in for the night. The next day we had planned to take a boat trip to see the smaller surrounding islands and some beautiful rock formations that Deokjeokdo is known for. Heading down to the dock at 9 am we expected no problems booking a tour or chartering a boat for the morning. Wrong again. We arrived only to find out that every boat and tour had already been booked for Friday and Saturday and we were out of luck. Well our lovely hostess was not having it. She began running around frantically talking to all the locals and captains trying to get us a spot on a boat, any boat. She even flagged down two foreigners who were leaders waiting for their own tour group to arrive and had them explain the situation to us. A bit defeated but willing to just roll with it, we decided we would hit up another beach on the way back. I had to make a pit stop and as I closed the stall door Erin came running into the bathroom hollering at me that we were being summoned. We ran down the dock and boarded a ferry with two Korean men waiting. There was a lot of conversation back and forth and we finally gathered that she had convinced them to let us on by just paying the regular passenger rate each way (W11,500), about 12 bucks. We were told we would arrive back at 4:30pm and there was something in there about 3pm but we didn't really understand. We didn't care. We were just stoked on it and along for the ride. We boarded and were given a coffee for free which in Korea they call "service." The ferry filled up and about 20 min after we departed one of the men came down and showed me his phone which read "I will show you calibration." I had no idea what this meant but he wanted us to follow him, so we did. He took us up into the deckhouse and introduced himself as Mr. Yun, second officer. The other man's name was Mr. Lee, first officer. The captain never said anything he just chain smoked and gave us a few wayward glances. We were given more coffee and as Mr. Lee handed it to us he said, "Coffee, American style." We giggled and were excited to have such a great view from the top of the ship. They showed us all the equipment, gave us snacks and binoculaurs and we talked about the NY Yankees. Around noon we were summoned down to their cabin where they had prepared to share their lunch with us. Unprepared for an entire day on a boat we were hungry and grateful. We were almost finished eating when we were rushed off the boat onto a practically uninhabited island and told we were getting a "free tour" and to be back at the dock by 3pm for pick up. With no hesitation we gladly obliged and as the boat pulled away a small group of men were loading camping and fishing gear into the back of a pick up truck. We decided to stand and wait to see if anyone said anything as we had no idea if there was a plan. They offered us a ride just as they pulled away and we hopped on in. We drove for just a few minutes until they stopped in town. I use that term loosely as it consisted of a handful of houses and a goat. They informed us they would be going on to the other side of the island to go fishing and "hilling" (hiking). One man said we should walk along the road and turn back after an hour to make the ferry in time. We thanked them and waved as they drove off. This is when we realized where we were. A beautiful isolated island with emerald waters, rocky shores and no tourists in sight. I think most of the first hour was spent conversing about how amazing it was. We made it to the end of the road on that side and headed back catching our ferry with no problems and plenty of photos. The trip back was a bit silly we met a 50 year old man who would not take no for an answer on the offer to buy us a beer, and told us how to say island and seagull in Korean about 46 times. By the time we made it back to our hotel it was almost 6pm and our little quiet peaceful town was overrun with drunken sunburned foreigners. The decision was made to eat dinner and stay in for the night. We were both exhausted and only in the mood to socialize with each other after so many new friends on the boat. Plus Erin got me hooked on the first season of Homeland. The two officers from the ferry had invited us to meet for beers and we were able to move the plan to the next night. Saturday morning we got up and packed up to move to the next hotel. Our wonderful lady drove us there even though it turned out to be just down the road. We thanked her profusely for everything and plan to send her a translated thank you note. Check in was a little confusing but we ended up with a bed for the night. The plan for Saturday was to hike the peak and then lay on the beach as a reward. We asked the man at the hotel where to go to find the trail head and he mumbled something in Korean and pointed to the top of the mountain. I simultaneously mumbled some smart ass remarks in my own head and we set off to find the trail head unassisted. The hike was about an hour and absolutely beautiful. You get a 180 degree view of the island and surrounding smaller ones. We took our time and eventually headed down and stopped for some lunch. After a nice chat with some people from the large tour group it started to rain and we knew the beach wasn't going to happen so we went back to the room for a nap feeling satisfied with our accomplishments. Later that evening we met the guys from the boat for a beer and some Chinese. The entire weekend all I wanted was fresh seafood and every single meal was Chinese or kimchi something. It was alright though because there was this very round man who ran the restaurant in town and he was exceptionally talented. Some of the best handmade noodles and sweet and sour I have ever tasted. We spent about an hour exchanging broken Korean and English. Mr. Lee played us some Celine Dion from YouTube and we were on our way. The rain never let up and the next morning we realized the buckets were insufficient for catching the rain water which had made various puddles among cords and furniture. Everything went smoothly getting on the ferry. Even misty and rainy the island was beautiful. Arriving back home in Ilsan about 1pm on Sunday we promptly got cheeseburgers and indulged in laying in our own beds for the afternoon. I am excited to live in a country that is a hidden gem in itself. Next trip is Jeju Island with Mom and possibly China or the Phillippines. For now I will take a weekend away anywhere in our region. I didn't realize how much I needed a break from the city until I took a 7 am walk our first morning. The birds, fresh air, and even roosters which I always hated in Thailand, made me smile. A little simplicity can do wonders for our sanity and it turns out I needed the reminder.

Life in Korea: Ten Things I Want You to Know

1. My perspective of a big city has now been permanently altered. I used to think Bangkok was a big city but it is completely dwarfed when compared to Seoul and it’s outlying areas. Imagine taking a cab for over 30 kilometers and seeing skyline after skyline after skyline. When we did the math a friend and I discovered we live 71 km away from each other in different suburbs of Seoul. The scale of things here is mind boggling. 2. The food is delicious and can be very cheap. Rotisserie chicken trucks are my favorite. You can buy two whole chickens for ten bucks from an old man, out of the back of a truck, on the street. 3. Women wear 4 inch heels, including sling backs, on the icy sidewalks. You see a lot of people with broken ankles and arms during this time. 4. There is vomit on the sidewalk, and in stairwells, and in the street, every day of the week. The locals like to party. 5. Old ladies body check you in the subway. If you are claustrophobic do not ever move to Korea. Or Asia for that matter. Your bubble of personal space does not exist here. 6. Korean is fairly easy to read. With a small amount of effort just about anyone can learn the alphabet in a short amount of time. 7. The other night I got off the bus at 10:30 pm on a Sunday. There was a drunk man in the bus lane stumbling around on the road. The bus driver patiently inched forward. No horn or anything. My best guess is he sees this all the time. Eventually the drunk guy saw the bus and moved out of the road. The following Sunday I got body checked by two different men reeking of alcohol on the bus. 8. Korean people are very kind and friendly. If you ask a stranger for help they will often lead you to your destination. The only people I find intolerable in this country are cab drivers. 89% of the time they just suck. I find that I am far more trusting of people on this side of the pond than back home. I would never buy chickens from an old man with a dirty truck in America. 9. There is a large population of foreign expats here and it is very easy to meet people and make friends. It’s kind of like bein in college all over again, but with salaries. I have lucked out in the social department as I have the most amazing friends as well as a wonderful boyfriend. 10. I have completely fallen in love with Korea and the people here. It’s a harsh realization that this life I have built here is temporary, and will not last forever but all the more reason to enjoy it while we can. People will move, things will change, and contracts will end. In the mean time I choose to focus on the good and build relationships with people that will continue. And hey, we will always have Korea.

Japan

Let's start out with a few fun facts about Megan that not everyone knows. First off I have a history with Japan although this was my first time actually traveling there. My Mother was born in Okinawa and my family lived there for some time in the 1950's. Growing up we often had Japanese exchange students stay with us. They would leave gifts and magazines. I have one particular memory of a Japanese fashion magazine that I would spend hours looking over and imagining outfits in my head. When I was in third grade my mother enrolled me in Japanese classes. She was convinced that Japan would become what China is now to the world. This also led to a round of "head, shoulders, knees and toes" where I lost most of my front tooth which to this day is actually a fake. I also have loved sushi since I could eat solid foods, and by the age of 3 would sit at the sushi bar with my mom happily consuming anything put in front of me (often from other patrons who were just amazed that this small child voluntarily ate raw fish). I have always dreamt of a trip to Japan, and although it's rather obscure, have always felt a connection to the culture. A cheap, direct flight to Osaka from Seoul, combined with virtual tour guides (as I have friends who have lived/ traveled there in recent years) made this trip just fall into place. And of course when I found out about the whale shark... well that just sealed the deal! I arrived on a Saturday in the evening and had 3 full days to explore. I took a bus to Kyoto and arrived at my hotel with a pretty high fever that night. I had opted to stay in a "capsule hotel" which was originally created for business men and literally just enough room to crawl into and sleep, kinda like a coffin. Sounds appealing right?! Now some have been modified for tourists and the one I stayed in had it's own television, universal adapter and plenty of room to sit up and move around. This was about half the price of the cheapest hotel I could find. It had a big cozy blanket and a door that closes shut so it's somewhere between a hostel and hotel setting. I slept wonderfully both nights and the third opted to upgrade to my own private room since I was under budget. The first morning I was still quite sick but got up and found myself some udon noodles, yummm. Then promptly took a bus to Kinkakuji, more commonly known as "The Golden Temple." It appears to be sitting on water and is as beautiful in real life as the photos suggest. It was peaceful and I even saw a few cranes among the rocks on the pond. From there I walked a short distance to Ryoanji, a very famous zen rock garden and temple. Walking around the grounds here was beautiful as well. To end my day in the northern part of Kyoto I took the train to Arashiyama, a well known historic area situated on the edge of the city next to the mountains. As soon as I stepped off the train I immediately followed one of my golden rules for travel: if you see locals waiting in line for any kind of food it must be good. This happened to be a delicious spongy cake and mine had white chocolate in it. I wandered around, went to a few gardens and temples, bought a few presents and souvenirs and made my way back to the hotel. Still not well and wanting to pace myself I relaxed for about an hour then headed over to Kyoto station to enjoy a dinner of sushi and the best shrimp tempura I have ever had. Again selecting the restaurant by where the locals were lined up in wait. The next morning I felt a bit better and decided to make my way to the southern part of Kyoto. First stop was the Fushimi Inari Shrine. You walk through a bright orange maze of tunnels and the grounds are littered with large and small buildings in the same color pallet. It's beautiful. It was very touristy so it took some patience, but I managed to get the photos I wanted. As I left I decided to try "octopus balls" for the first time. These are fried up dough balls with cooked octopus inside and a very common street food in the area. It must be only brave tourists who try these because as I sat down to enjoy them an old woman flashed an approving smile and nod my way. It was only about noon and I was already on the same train line that runs to Nara. A small city about 50 min from Kyoto with lots of history and white spotted deer you can feed by hand. I decided to go for it even though that same day my plan had been to hit up Kiyomizudera temple as well. This proved to be a good decision as while I was on the train the weather turned a bit stormy and Kiyomizudera is at the top of a hill. I arrived in Nara and was surprised that it was a bigger city than I expected. A very friendly tourist information guide explained to me how to use the bus system and off I went. I would also like to mention how many friendly, helpful, and kind Japanese people I met on this trip. Even a few Koreans too! I walked around Nara Park, fed the deer, and went to see the HUGE Buddha that is housed in an amazing shrine of a temple. Towards the end of the afternoon I made my way back to Kyoto. I was determined to make it to Kiyomizudera as I was leaving for Osaka the next day. Well I did make it, but just barely. Literally running up the hill coughing my lungs out, I got to the top just in time for sunset but was not allowed entrance into the actual temple as it was closing time. Happy to see the sunset, but feeling a bit defeated for missing out on the rest of the grounds, I headed back to my hotel. That evening is when switched over to a private room from my cozy little capsule. Let's talk about the bathrooms for a second. When you walk into the toilet room the light automatically switches on and the toilet seat pops up. Not only are the seats heated but there are digital buttons for everything you could need from a bidet to a "hip wash" with a little drawing of a bum. The shower in the shared portion of the hotel was just like a regular bathroom where you lock the door and take your shower. However, in the private rooms the shower is something like a cross between a spray tanning booth and time machine. It's literally a complete standing capsule with a rain and side spray function (be sure to close the capsule door before using!). The best way to sum up the bathrooms is that they are just really cool. On my last day I resigned to head back up to Kiyomizudera early in the morning after checking out of the hotel, and then on to Osaka to visit my whale shark friend. I made it up to the temple early enough that there were very few tourists and it was so beautiful overlooking the city! I am not sure if it is always open, but there is a graveyard on the side of the hill. I wandered down through it all alone which is not something I usually make a habit of, but I had seen other graveyards and was intrigued by how different they looked. While walking around I was acutely aware of the fact that it felt peaceful and beautiful and in no way eerie. Like most things in Japan the headstones are side by side and are all very close together. It made me think of my Grandpa who used to say we should be buried vertically because it would save a lot of space. The train ride to Osaka was about an hour. I had all my stuff with me which was just a duffle bag and purse, but still lots to carry while touring around town. Luckily the aquarium had lockers. If you have me on facebook you are probably painfully aware by now of the level of obsession I have for sharks, and if you know me well already then that is just old news. When I entered the area with the whale shark I just about lost my mind. No one told me they had adult hammerheads in the same tank?!! (which are my very favorite species of shark) Trying to contain my excitement but standing in awe like a giddy child I spent more time circling that tank than I care to admit. Let's just say I kept thinking "Megan, you have a plane to catch you need to leave now..." Then 20 more minutes would go by, then 30, and so on. On my way out I purchased the souvenir professional photo AND the largest stuffed whale shark in the gift shop. To say that this experience fed my obsession might be a slight understatement. My shark came in handy as a pillow on the plane ride home. I made it back that night to Seoul with a slight delay due to stormy conditions in Osaka. Everything went smoothly and I really didn't want to leave. Upon return home I was happy to see my friends but I had just enough time in Japan to fall in love a little, and it left me wanting more.

The Holidays

When I first arrived to an empty apartment with only a mini fridge and foam mat on the floor, I thought to myself "This sucks and is not what I expected..." Immediatly followed by telling myself, "don't rush it, buy a few things at a time and by Christmas time you will make this feel like your home." Well that time has arrived faster than I imagined and I do indeed feel at home. Christmas Eve I came back after a nice dinner with friends and snuggled up with my new pajamas from my Mom, my Christmas tree lights on, and a movie playing in my cozy bed just as snow began to fall at midnight. This is about as good as it gets when you can't be with your family. One glass of red wine, and a steak dinner prior to this made it all that much better. This is my second holiday season away from home and what I have learned about myself is I don't care about presents, just people. I was very lucky this year to have a turkey dinner but the tree and the food don't matter if you are lonely or don't have loved ones to be with or even miss. Christmas Day some of us met up to see the Tim Burton Exhibit which just opened at the Seoul Museum of Art. I had brought it up to my friends and coworkers Erin, Ian and Paige and we decided on it. We invited some of our other friends, Tiffany and Michael. Recently my friend Meryl who I met while traveling in Bangkok arrived in Korea so she came too and even brought along a few new faces which was nice. The museum was packed but the exhibit was awesome and we were there for hours. It is divided into three parts and very well curated in my opinion. After a short walk in the bitter cold we found a Vietnamese restaurant to warm up in. This is where I parted ways to catch a taxi and head to a dinner party (with an actual turkey!) hosted by our friend Na and her boyfriend Ahmed. More often than not when us foreigners try to get a cab if it's even the slightest inconvenience the driver waves us off and says "get out". I walked out of the restaurant and a cab driver stopped. I showed him the address in korean but it wasn't easy to read on my phone. He took the time to find his magnifying glass and enter it into his GPS. Normally I take the metro or bus or just walk, but in this bitter cold weather I splurged for the cab. I was so thankful that he helped me instead of kicking me back out into the cold. A small Christmas miracle perhaps? I made it just fine to the dinner party and was so delighted to be a part of it. Did I mention there was a turkey?! After two plates of mashed potatoes, corn, turkey and a few glasses of red wine I snuggled up on the couch to enjoy the wonderful company and conversation. Eventually Paige and I made our way home and I immediatly crawled in to bed wishing I didn't have to work the next morning but content on a very lovely Chirstmas full or fun, food, and great company. The rest of the week was a little tedious as most people have it off, but we do not. Mentally it was hard to get back into the swing of things, especially knowing that as soon as the weekend came again it was 4 days off and New Years. Most of the weekend I spent relaxing and grabbing a bite to eat with friends. Gearing up for the big day I suppose. New Years turned out to be a blast and exactly the opposite of last year where I was in the moutains in a tiny Burmese town drinking whisky and dancing my ass off to Shakira. This time it was the same thing in a club full of Koreans in one of the biggest cities in the world, complete with a headbutt to the face. Followed immediatly the next day by one of those hangovers where you swear you will never drink again. Now it's back to work and that feeling you get on January 2nd with the realization that the holidays are officially over. It's back to the grind. I am thankful to have my birthday in February to look forward to and a long weekend in Kyoto/ Osaka. I don't believe in New Years resolutions, so I will just leave you with this: 2012 was an amazing year, and all I can hope is that 2013 will be even better. To my friends all over the world I wish you only the best in the year to come! OH and in Korean years I am officially 29 years old now ;)