| September 6th, 2001 Life has been confusingly busy lately. It seems that I've gone from having nothing better to do than sit inside a PC room and waste time doing things like working on a website, to always thinking "I'm really getting behind on my journal entries". It's a good thing. I've become a tourist, I'm teaching private classes for extra cash, and I've made a few new friends in Suwon. A few weeks ago I went to Taehan Haean National Park and spent a great weekend on the beach swimming in calm, clear, cool water and getting terribly sunburned. It was fantastic. The beach wasn't very crowded and even if it had been, it wouldn't have mattered. All you have to do is swim out over your head here and you're the only person around--Koreans aren't big on swimming and I spent a considerable amount of time fetching beach balls for middle-aged men that lost them from shallow waters. National Parks in Korea are very different than those in the States. There's simply no escaping convenience stores here and there was a mini-carnival, complete with the swinging dragon (anyone who's attended "the greatest fair on Earth" knows what I mean) and game booths. I'm not complaining--convenient stores are pretty convenient and there was lots of stuff to do after dark. On Sunday we rented bikes and had a look around the area. I finally saw one of the vast rice fields up close, which really made me happy because I was beginning to think they would only exist for me on postcards. Last weekend I went to the mammoth World Ceramics Festival, about an hour and a half away from Suwon in Iechon, and it was absolutely terrific. There was a huge museum there with pieces on loan from all of the world, showing the history of pottery from the Neolithic Age. Doesn't sound too thrilling but I never knew I was such a pottery freak; I might even go back again. Along with the museum there were about a dozen huge, pole-barn like structures selling more ceramics than you can imagine. Korean pottery is beautiful and I went on a big coffee cup craze, buying four. It's just so hard to say no to people who made the stuff which you think is so phenomenal--and don't even think about me trying to barter. I'm not all that good at it in the first place and it just seemed so insulting. Next weekend I begin my Traditional Korean Dance lessons. They're free and just for foreigners so I won't have to disgrace myself, at least in the beginning, in front of the Koreans whom I'm convinced have grace, style, and musical talent built right into their gene pool (I'm yet to meet a Korea woman who won't stop your heart at the Nori-bahn). Regardless, I'm really excited about it and figure that one way or another it'll be very entertaining. The rumor is that at the end of the class there's a big recital where everyone gets to dress up in hanbok (the major selling point for me) and perform in (what is rumored to be a televised) recital. Hopefully none of the dish networks will pick that up in the States. Life at work is clipping right along. I hate my kindergarten class this week but since tomorrow's Friday I'm beginning to think I might survive. The weather is finally becoming really pleasant....not exactly fall but close enough to enjoy a difference. My life is quite dull in comparison to the excitement over the new baby at home but I'm enjoying it. A happy birthday to the new addition, Peyton Grace, and to my brother Tommy. I hope both celebrate with their own forms of gusto. |