a pretty good 36 hours

SO I proved I can still stay up all night. I wasn't sure I still had it in me.
It all started Friday night. I knew the Korea game wasn't til 4am and I knew I wanted to see it. I had a couple of choices. Eat dinner in Bongguk, go home and go to sleep, wake up and meet friends for the 4am game.
OR what actually happened. Have a drink with Christa, slowly b/c I assumed this would be the path I would take, then go eat gimbop. Back to Greg and Bryan's for a couple more slow drinks and to decide where we would watch the game. Christa and I were leaning towards downtown but the rest of the crew wanted the stadium. Since I hadn't seen a game at the stadium and since I did'nt know when I would have another chance to watch Korea in the world cup at a stadium in Korea...we went there. Walking in all you could see was a sea of red. Red horns, red shirts, red balloon bangy things. And lots of chanting and drumming. We were hemhawing over where to sit when I saw Greg being pulled up onto the balcony by 2 Korean men in flags. Beard was next so Alice and I decided to find some stairs up. Easy enough. Christa, Rory, Bryan and Tina came up a bit later. There was much drinking--me still at a medium pace--and cheering with the drummers who eventually made their way up.
We sat on the railing for a bit but sat down eventually. We were staring directly at the huge screen. One dude who drank too much kept leaning on Christa. Bryan came over to tell us that Rory had given him a shot of "the creature" and then decided to nickname him '20 minutes'. After seeing the condition he was in while leaning on Christa the name was changed to '5 minutes'.
The Bongguk crew left a little after Switzerland scored the second goal. Beard and I stuck it out til the end. Then it was time for the walk home. Beard was kind of pushing for a taxi but it was going to be difficult finding one and it was a beautfiul morning. We walked threw some back streets and then up a little hill that led us to some fields and paddys. Got to see some ajummas picking/tending their crops--and got plenty of stares from them too. How often do you see 2 waegooks in your garden at 6am? I would have stared, too. I even got to stand in a Korean corn field--if 6 stalks is considered a corn field.
We made it home and Beard put up the net and crashed. I drank my coffee in a can, made and ate an egg sandwich, took a shower, talked to Joan(Beard's mom, not here Joan) on the im. Around 840 I sent a text to Joan to make sure she was still leaving at 915. If she had decided to go later I was definitely going to bed. I was drinking mt. dew at this point and seeing Beard sleeping peacefully in the bed made me want to join him. She replied and I left the house with my backpack. I wasn't entirely sure what I had in it but it was a lot.
Met her, Rob, and Will at ss mart and were OFF. Got to the stdium and there were only 3 or 4 of our team members there. Not looking good. By the time the game started we had just enough for a game. Slowly the others arrived. They had stayed up to watch the game, too but had opted to sleep--suckers.
This was the tournament, there was a trophey at stake--and a bbq. There were other waegook teams from Seoul and one from perhaps Nigeria. I don't know. Joan had persuaded me to start drinking again--and was pushing beer but I resisted that much--so I don't know if Nigeria is correct. By the last game we were all hammered. Well, most of us anyway. There was a lot of cheering and general mayhem.(Shab, "so it's M-A-M-A?") We lost but we tried hard and drank harder.
After the games we stood/sat around talking. When it started to get dusky I hopped on the bike with Beard (he hadn't drank at all. He doesn't fancy the soju and with the no beer drinking he's not imbibing much these days) (AHH THESE DAYS I HATE THAT TERM) and Rob, Joan, and Christa in a taxi, Will on his bike and we headed for takgalbi--spicy chicken. YUM.
Came home after Will said we could all take short naps and he would call at 11 and we would meet at psycho. Got a text from him at 10something this morning, shortly after we had woken up saying he just woke up and is it too late to go to psycho. Christa made it though--GOOD JOB!!
And now--it's almost noon. I'm going to hop in the shower, eat some lunch, and go to Daegu with Christa and maybe Beard to get a travelbook. I can't wait to start planning our vacation.

day 5

shared a bottle of soju and 2% with Christa last night outside of e-time. she wanted beer but fought the urge. we are now cheap dates--grand total, with cups...2,400 won. half the price of a pitcher in her neck of the woods.
came home and watched world cup and played cards. went to bed. ho hum.
time to try pictures again!
wait! i almost forgot the most important part. beard and i stood side by side and its official--his belly is bigger than mine. YEE HAW! i was never worried but he seemed to think i had surpassed him. ha ha to you!
ok, back to trying pictures....

beard and i at anjopi pond near gyeongju


koreans in geese boats. on a lake in gyeongju.


cairns at buguksa temple, gyeongju. they were everywhere. well, in this one little area. if you can add a rock to the top w/o it falling, your wish comes true.

Day 4

Today starts day 4 without beer. WHAT WAS I THINKING? i LOVE beer! and its SUMMER! I'm an idiot. ok, not really. Giving up beer isn't that hard. But man oh man when i go to the mart after work, it's SO tempting. It's not like I'm giving up any special beer--it's only Korean lager. Beard, Will and I decided we should give up beer til the world cup final. On that night we can have a beer again. So far so good. Friday night we tested out which mixers went well with soju. My favorite is the 2% peach water. Lemonade comes in a close second, with Cider in third.
Woke up not as hungover as expected--even went to the gym after a ride with Beard.
Daeyoung picked us up at 7pm for a camping trip with his climbing club. Arrived at the destination around 9:30 and were fed shot after shot of the rotgut. Ate some good chicken and rice and tons of cherry tomatoes. Even tried a piece of pork b/c it smelled so good. By piece, I mean one the size of my thumbnail. Went to bed on a raised platform after unsuccessfully putting up the tent at 2:30. Woke up to dogs barking WAY too early--7:45. Were dragged to breakfast of soup and rice. Some of the climbers were trying to get us to drink "korean milk" and "korean water" with our breakfasts. the first is makali and the second is soju. not thanks, it's not even 8.
we were on the trail by 9. these guys know how to get going. up up up and there we are. i was at the stopping point twice but daeyoung kept shaking his head and beard grabbed my hand and pulled me along. we got to the top and after sitting for a bit i found a nice place in the shade and took a nap leaning against hte tree. it was a beautiful sight. when we first got there i felt a bit dizzy b/c we were pretty high up and surrounding us were all green peaks. amazing really. the nap treated me well.
beard didnt do as well as he had hoped climbing but he still had a good time. we threw leaves at a little kid for a while and i think he's beard's new best friend.
Beard and I left shortly after the first group headed down. I'm REALLY slow going down b/c of the faulty eyesight and just being unsure. we got down to the creek much faster than expected. walked along hte creek--wishing we had one near our apt in gumi--and then climbed the fence to get back to the road.
Back to the restuaurant and ate some delicious noodle soup and bibimbop and tofu with some greens. offered beer--refused. the pain, the agony. sat in the shade some more, drank a little makali, took pictures and time to go!
ended up sleeping in the van on the way home. got home, showered, called dad, ate chicken, and was in bed by 10. woke up at 4 for korea game. 1:1 vs france. WOO HOO. that means they go on to the next round--I think.
now--time for work. again no pictures. patience grasshoppers

I'm Back!

I was having some technical difficulties--still am--but I really should post again.
Last night I ordered a mac laptop. I have a feeling it's going to be one of the best things I've done electronics wise. We'll see. I am very excited. Jen is going to bring it here with her when she comes and is going ot take the old one home when she leaves. THANKS JEN!! I owe you. You will be handsomely rewarded.
Goings on here--not much. It rained all day yesterday. Korea Times says monsoon season (yes, I said monsoon season) will start next week and continue for about a month. That should be fun.
Last weekend we went to a mountain called juwangsan for a short hike. It was NICE. no people! well, 3 or 4 people, but dispersed! not in huge groups listening to their cellphone mp3s! happy day! even better is that it's in gumi and a short ride. downside, on the walk up you can hear the dog farms. i hate that.
I tried posting a picture--didn't work. I'll try again later.
We've been watching world cup. Psycho has the big screen which is nice. During the week we watch at home. First match begins at 10pm, last one starts at 4am. I'm usually asleep half way into the second and have to check the stats in the morning.
I've started going back to the gym. I really do like going, I just hit a lazy patch. I have also made 2 batches of potato salad. We could live off that stuff. I took some into the teachers, they weren't quite sure what it was but liked it. These were the same ladies who were surprised cauliflower tasted good raw.
I hate to see just writing but the pictures wouldn't load--it's not my fault!
More to come.

computer

I shipped my computer to Seoul today. A man came to my house in a samsung truck, filled out a form and took it away. All for 8 bucks. Most people would thinkg 8bucks! sweet! I'm worrying that it's not enough. Shouldn't I have had to sign something? What about insurance? Pak just says, yeah, it's ok. super.
yesterday we had off work. i was supposed to ride with beard and will to juwangsan park but my butt was still hurting a bit from the last time and i didnt think i was quite ready for anohter long ride. Beard's director's mother passed away. She had been ill for some time. Beard and the Prime crew went to her funeral, I slept in. He said there was some bowing, money giving, and then a lunch. all the the hospital. i guess they dont do funeral homes. he said no one was crying either. christa asked her kids about it and they said it's more of a celebration of the life, not the mourning of the death. i dig it.
i met up with christa for some rooftop sunbathing. however it was EXTREMELY hot on that roof so we headed into her airconditioned apt to shoot the shit for a while. we decided we needed out of the house so we made our way to etime to have a beer and think about what to do next. saw bryan, rory, and tina playing in the park. they have so much energy! it was all i could do to cross the street and theyre playing basketball and some sort of soccer, volleyball, tennis game.
next was gimbop where christa informed me she was ditching me to go to the gym! our our day off! i called joan and met her and beard and will at her apt. from there we went to lotte mart to pick up goodies for grilling.
joan and i made kabobs while the guys got the grills going. we sat out back and had a great time. we left the grills out htere to cool off thinking we would just get them this morning--but they're gone. ill have ot ask the guy in the box if he knows where they are. although i dont like inviting him to speak b/c then he wants to talk every time i walk by. it wouldnt be so bad but its always the same. hello! what's your name? where are you from? where is your apartuh? you like gumi? you teach english? over and over.
today is eungyungs birthday==30 korean age. still gorgeous as ever though. i was thinking of staying in tonight but if she wants to go out, ill definitely go with her.
ok--off to get a cake and talk to the guy in the box.

much better

last night was much better.
after teaching i met christa in bongguk, ate some gimbop and walked around the park. then beard came over and we sat down to have a beer out side of e-time. greg, bryan, tina, rory, and jason met us a bit later.
had a couple beers, chatted, and came home. very relaxing and enjoyable.
today--possibly shopping and a barbeque.

bad morning

I have to send in my laptop to get it fixed. I don't want to and have been putting it off for over a week. Beard took me to the post office--where I was told they would box it up and ship it. I went in, stood in the foreigners only line-i was hte only foreigner. The woman said it was dangerous and I shouldn't send it. She calls DHL, they won't ship it either. I try calling Angie--no answer. I try calling Eungyung--no answer but a text 2 seconds later just saying why. I was very frustrated and confused. I called Pak and he talked to the woman. Then to me--she can't understand your speaking. I can't understand her either, hence calling you. He talks to her again. Then back to me. I just keep saying my computer is broken, I need to send it to seoul. she said its too dangerous and tells me to go to another place but she isn't telling me where it is. He talks to her again. Back to me. you have to go to anohter place. um yes, i just told you that. do you know where the place is? does anyone know where this place is. pak says he will send it. i think he can sense my pending tears of frustration. the woman gives me a phone number--uselesss since i don't speak korean.