Domo Arigato Nippon

Kelly and I took advantage of our recent Chuseok vacation and spent 6 action-filled days in Japan. I say, "action filled" because we travelled to 4 different cities in 6 days. This definitely had me wondering if we bit off a little more than we could chew. We went to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, and Tokyo. Despite my apprehension of covering so much ground in so little time, I feel like our trip couldn't have gone better (except for my Karaoke singing).

We both really enjoyed Japan... but I must admit that after living in Korea for this long it becomes all the more difficult to find the unique and bizarre in a place that at first glance, seems so similar. With that said, Japan is different than Korea, and the 6 days spent there only had me wanting to see and discover more. Highlights included watching the Sumo championships in Tokyo, the sheer beauty of Kyoto, and the tranquil temples at Nara.

For some reason, the photos I are uploading are not the ones that I'm choosing from the folder. I am frustrated and going to bed.

Happy New Year?

Yeah, it was inevitable that I would stop blogging, at least for a while. Being relativley new to both Facebook and blogging, I didn't know how unbelievably self-centered and annoying these people of the world really were (though I had always suspected this), and I was completely turned off by the idea of blogging for sometime.. Granted, most of the people I am meeting while living and traveling in Asia are younger than me, yet I still find their, "I'm the most special and creative person that has ever walked the Earth" attitudes very annoying. While I skim through some of their blog posts on Facebook, it makes me never want to be witty or sarcastic or creative ever again. They do the opposite of inspiring me. I guess that would be uninspiring. They uninspire me.

Anyway, here's what's new with me... Kelly and I took a trip to Southeast Asia in the Spring (Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam). I have no reason to run back to Cambodia but I hope that I make it back to Vietnam and Thailand some day. It is hard for me to remember scenery more beautiful than those of Pha Ngan Bay and the islands around Phuket. And as the trip becomes more and more a part of the past, I am constantly reminded of the amazing food. Buying a $10 bowl of pho in Seoul just seems like a crime. Ho Chi Minh was a fantastic place and it made me want to see more of Vietnam... someday.

Teaching is still going well. I was approached by an official at Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and she said she really loved how I teach and asked if I would be willing to transfer to "one of the best schools in Seoul" next semester. I'm not sure if I will because it depends on location and some other factors, but that's more of a compliment than I received in 6 years of MPS. So that was nice.

I am really looking forward to heading home for three weeks in August!

So, that's enough for now. I'll try to write more regularly, but if I'm sure I'll fall off the wagon again at some point. Apologies in advance to my thousands of adoring fans..