On Vacation

Its Korean Thanksgiving and I've had the last 5 days off. Its been great. The city has totally emptied out and its a bit eerie with the streets being so vacant. Denise's (friend/co-teacher) friend Shelby is visiting from Kuala Lampur, and Leesa arrived last week. We've all been playing tourist and enjoying the lazy days.

I went to Leesa's house on Saturday. She lives in an older part of Seoul, on the other side of the city from me. As I have seen more and more of the city, I realize that the area I live in is very unique. It is the second richest neighbourhood in the city. The streets are clean and safe. The parks are always full of children and families playing and getting their excercise. Expensive boutiques line the streets and large 40 storey apartment buildings are everywhere. Most of the kids I teach have only their fathers working and their mothers stay at home. This environment has jaded my view of the city and is not completely representative of Seoul. Leesa's neighbourhood has winding alleyways and older apartment buildings. Stores are tucked everywhere. There is less affluence and less extravagance. I love her neighbourhood because of the character. Two blocks away is one of the best markets I've been to since I've been here. With only a few clothing stores, most of the shops sell live seafood, kimchi, steamed dumplings and other delicacies for immediate consumption, bottled ginseng and every vegetable imagineable. There is a university near her also.

In our adventures, we have spent lots of time in the foreign area, Itaewon. People from all over the world live and work in that neighbourhood. Leesa and I had dinner at a french bistro one night and an Indian one the next. Nightclubs and bars are everywhere. The US Military base is close by too so GIs spend lots of free time there. Last night we went to the Canadian pub, the Rocky Mountain Tavern, for wings and beer. It felt like home. I met up with my friend Craig who has lived here for the last 4 years. He loves it and can't see himself moving back to Vancouver. After 4 hours at the pub, it almost felt like we had left Seoul altogether.

Denise and I have been biking lots. There is a great pathway system that runs along the river, through the parks, and along most of the canals that run through the city. It was busy one morning and every single person stared at us like we were freaks. In fact wherever I go I am stared at. When a group of us are out its even worse. It gets quite uncomfortable when we're on the subway and men won't stop staring at us. Yesterday we had to change seats because it was so bad. But most of the time an assertive "what are you looking at?" quite loudly puts them back in their place.

Today Leesa and I are going to the War Memorial Museum. Most people have to go back to work tomorrow, but I have one more day off. Back to work on Friday and then another weekend. Life is tough. However this is the last hilday we have until Christmas Day, and then it is only the 25th that we have off.

Mom and Dad booked their tickets to come and visit me on March 5th. I'm very excited and can't wait to show them the city.