I mentioned a few entries ago about the Fringe festival going on in Daegu this month. Well, tonight John and I stumbled upon it in the middle of the downtown area. We took it in for a couple of hours and I snapped some photos of the break dancing / hip hop opera. Earlier in the day we took in a DaeguFC football game at the World Cup Stadium. Daegu are ranked fifteenth (out of fifteen teams) and lived up to their reputation with a 3 - 1 loss, but it was a good time and afterwards we went out for some Japanese food. It was a great Sunday.

I'm writing down a list of food I want to eat when I'm back in Canada... Tim Hortons hot chocolate is at the top of the list (I don't care that it'll be mid July), Honey Nut Cherios are also essential. They have Honey Nut here but they have to be imported so the price is just ridiculously high. I also want a big greasy slice of pizza from JR's in Cornwall and a fruity smoothie from the Farmer's Market. More to come...

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I got a nice post card from my bff Aileen the other day. She's living in Australia these days. She's amazing. I'm really proud of her. We'll be going to South East Asia together this fall. The picture above is from the cover of the post card. It was snapped at the Sydney Opera House the day after she stepped off the plane. It reminded me of the first time I arrived in Korea. I'm looking forward to my two transpacific flights in July and the ensuing jetlag.

I finally found myself at one of the infamous Korean singing rooms / Karaoke last night. It was a surprisingly good time; I just may have to look into going again in late August...... hmm, yes, late August sounds good..... did you hear that Meghan?

I enjoy the music of Good Luck. Here's a little song of theirs called Man on Fire:

I got together with my friend John a couple of times this week. First we went to Keimyung University and toured the campus with his friend Robin. Robin is also from Daegu but he's been living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the past year. It was really nice to meet him; he gave me a souvenir of 10 Dirhams (around $3 Canadian) which I used in class the next day with my students. We were doing a lesson on different cultures and just what culture is so I used the example of money as it incorporates certain images about the country, as well as the language and so on. I also showed them the five dollar Canadian bill which I found nestled away and forgotten near the end of the current Hemmingway I'm reading. They were fascinated by the Arabic writing on the UAE bank note and got a good laugh out of the hockey players on the $5 Canadian bill as we had discussed cultural sports in a number of different countries in the previous lesson.

Anyway, the university campus was beautiful and we made new friends at the Traditional Folk Village located on the campus and went out for food and a few drinks. Many pictures were taken (evidence above) and it was a nice evening.

Last night John, Robin and I took in a baseball game. The Samsung Lions of Daegu vs The Hanhwa Eagles of Daejeon. It was a very entertaining game as the Lions just edged out the Eagles in a slugfest 9 - 7. Here are a few photos from the week:

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I got together with my friend John last night and we enjoyed a bit of the infamous Korean nightlife. We spent the evening drinking and eating and bitching about work woes and politics. I got to hear John's Hugh Grant impression which was quite the sight. We ran into Mr Park who was at a nearby night club. It turned out he was friends with the manager of the place we were at (pictured above) so we got a few dishes on the house. It was a good night. I have one more week of classes. I have plans to go to a DaeguFC soccer game at the World Cup stadium next weekend & not too long after that there is talks of taking in another Samsung Lions baseball game, going fishing, and going to the beach in Pohang. It's going to be a very full two final months in Korea + my visit home in just four weeks time. Bring it on.

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The first nine days of June have been a little rocky. As I prepare for my exodus from Korea I've found myself hitting the burocratic wall as it were as I've been trying to get together the appropriate forms and requests before I leave... Severance pay forms... tax refund forms... plane ticket booking and payment details... letters of recommendation requests; the latter proving to be a huge pain in the ass as the concept of reference letters is completely foreign to my employers but after some gentle pushing and not so gentle prodding I've finally got just about everying squared away.

In the last nine days I've defintely felt out of my comfort zone though. The fact that I'm not Korean and can't fully speak the language was painfully made clear as even the simplest of tasks seemed monumental. But the good news is that I'm pretty much through it and I have what I need.

Thoughts of my trip home to PEI kept my spirits up during the stressful process; thoughts of Hula Hooping with Meghan (pictured above) for example helped me through. It's definitely crunch time; everyone is stressed as the semester nears its end. Just a few more weeks, remember to breathe. John and I are going to have a beer when this week is over and collectively bitch about the system.

Biking really helps me get out my frustration. The past nine days I've been averaging 30km's a night. I've had a fair amount of stress to work off but I'm feeling good and my spirits are high. It also helps that this country is so damn beautiful. I did some hiking this past weekend; here's a video from Mt Palgongsan. This video isn't from last weekend but from a few weeks ago:

It's June and Watermelons are back in season and cheap as hell. Life is wonderful. I remember when I first came to Korea last August I practically lived off of the watermelons. They were so cheap and delicious. Now that they're back I feel more and more like I'm on the final stretch before I leave these mountains behind and begin the next adventure.

I've been in contact with CBC Radio in regards to the show I'm putting together for July 24th when I'm back on Prince Edward Island. It looks like Island Morning will be helping me with some promotion. They'll mention the show closer to the date and are even going to play a few songs from the bands. Matt Raine and CBC Mainstreet are also eager to help me out with getting the word out and they even suggested possibly interviewing me about it. I'm absolutely thrilled.

Oh, and about the flag in the photo above. I brought a Canadian flag with me from home and I got my winter camp students to sign their names in Korean. It was a thrill for the students and it's a nice keepsake to bring back home with me. Thanks for the idea, mom.

It hit me today; I've been in Korea for just over nine months. I went for the greatest bike ride tonight. I like to go along the main road in Daegu which has all of the subway line two stops on it. Tonight I followed the road east and it led me right out of the city limits. Before long it was just me and the mountains and the stars and the cool summer air. I took a few moments and looked back at the glow of the city at my back. I'm going to take that route more often I think. There are a few steep climbs through the hilly countryside but it's well worth it.

The route takes me out past the World Cup Stadium where the DaeguFC Football team plays. Having fullfilled my plans to watch a Daegu Samsung Lions baseball game my sights are now set on a DaeguFC game. Other plans for June include a trip to Andong, a traditional Korean town with tonnes of history. I'll be visiting it with Mr Oh and his family.

I have one more month of a full schedule of classes at school. Exams begin on the 30th of June so I expect my classes will be cancelled during the final week leading up to them as teachers like to make up for lost time and to give students a chance to study and review. Before I know it July will be upon me and I will be back on Prince Edward Island for a much welcomed rest & re-fuel.

I should mention that I took the picture you see above after my bike ride tonight. The record isby one of my favourite bands "This Bike is a Pipe Bomb" --it seemed rather fitting. I picked the record up in Tokyo, Japan during my visit there not so many months ago. I swear this bicycle of mine has been my salvation this year.