We will be sure. . .

As soon as I sort out my recently arrived goods and determine how many trashcans I need, this one will belong to me.

Overheard at Korea Burn

Guy: How was your night?

Girl (tearfully): The other girl didn't want to share her body with me.

Share your body, eh? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

Mmmmmmmmm. . .

You know I love that special bland coffee.

I Love It When I See A Store Name I Recognize!

My Favorite Merry-Go-Round

All-you-can-eat sushi carousel at dinner last night. Nomnomnom.

Awwwwwww

Last night we discovered Sweetboxes at the IMAX theater in Suwon.

Also, the "Couples Coke" is pretty brilliant.

Why don't they have these things back home?

Dear Awkward Boy At Burning Man,

Before you push through a group to hit on a girl, using the line "I'm just saying this because I know I will never see you again - you are the most beautiful girl I have seen on this beach", you should check to see if girl you are saying this to has a wedding ring on. If she does, you should assume the guy sitting next to her, also wearing a wedding ring is her husband.

Love,

Rachel

Dear Drunk Girl At Burning Man,

When I helped you get up off the ground and walked you to the first aid station, it's because I'm a nice person who saw that you were bleeding. Not because I wanted to make out with you. When I said "that's my husband right there", I meant "not interested", I did not mean "later".

Love,

Rachel

Peace, Love, and Camping

This weekend we "experienced" Korea Burn - South Korea's smaller version of Burning Man.

The Burning Man mission statement has a lot to say about "radical community", "touchstones of value", and "worlds of nature beyond society", but essentially it boils down to a giant beach party where nothing is for sale - sharing is caring! - with lots of sparklers and booze, and where picking up your own garbage is mandatory.

It was a people-watchers' paradise.

I'm going to call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was fun, but I just don't see myself going back. I like money, wearing clothes,  taking showers, and not listening to random people get it on, way too much for this lifestyle.

Hint Hint

Today I accidentally joined a gym.

I thought I joined the indoor golf range, in building 106, but no. When I went to check it out, my new clicker gives me access to the GYM and denies me at the golf door.

At first I thought it was a misunderstanding, but now I'm wondering if it was a hint.

"Did you see the size of her? We should sign her up for Korean Biggest Loser. That will be a real challenge for them. Better give her a gym key - golf doesn't burn that many calories."

"Closet" Space

In the absence of hangers, I've come up with a truly revolutionary clothing storage system.

Brandon keeps his clothes here:

and I keep mine here:

This Car. . .

. . .is giving my husband bad, bad ideas for pimping out our ride. 

Please, no.

One of the great advantages of living overseas

All the people I order from on eBay are throwing in freebies and nice notes thanking me for my service.

Score!

Detox

I've decided to go through a detox.

With THESE:

I know people (and by "people", I mean "medical researchers") scoff at them, and call them mean names like "completely useless", but I'm telling myself that those namby-pamby FDA approved ones we get back home are of course no good - these ones I can get in Korea are the REAL DEAL.

I've put them on for an afternoon of steam-mopping (YES!!!), and we shall see what the results are.

Also, it is really, really difficult to take a photo of the bottom of your foot with a cell phone.

Moment Of Silence

The UN Memorial Cemetery honors the fallen soldiers of the sixteen nations who helped to defend South Korea in "The Forgotten War".

FOR LOVERS ONLY

As we checked into the last two rooms in the "ON" hotel (also pretty much the last two rooms in the city), I noticed a sign that said "best place for lovers". I snickered at it, thinking how I could blog about "lost in translation" later on.

AND THEN I SAW THE ROOM.

The photos kind of speak for themselves.

The mirrored, lighted ceiling above our bed.

Biggest tub I have ever seen. 

WITH A TELEVISION!

This attractive woman gazing at us.

Not pictured are the completely glass bathroom,  middle-of-the-room shower, and bedside table "supplies".

The mural on the wall of the two single guys with us. 

Clearly the desk clerk knew what two men checking in together want.

Tanked

The Jagalchi Fish Market is Korea's largest, and a wonder to behold. If it swims in the sea, you can buy it here. It's like going to the aquarium, if the aquarium was also an all-you-can eat seafood buffet.

After wandering through the main floor of the market, gaping at some creatures I've never seen, and witnessing a brutal yet fascinating octopus slaughtering, we headed upstairs to the "food court".

For 80,000 won (we thought it was a little steep, until we saw the vast amount of food being paraded out to our table), we bought ourselves two freshly slaughtered fish - one cooked, one raw - some delicious sides (including a pile of tasty sea snails), and finished off the meal with a steaming pot of fish head soup.

Nomnomnomnomnom.

Busan/Pusan/Fusan/Husan

The lovely city of Busan/Pusan/Fusan/Husan sits on the southeastern side of South Korea, and is home to the UN Memorial Cemetery, the Jagalchi Fish Market, The Most Cringe-tastic Hotel Room On Earth, and many other things that I did not have the opportunity to see in our two day visit.

Here are some highlights of our three-day weekend road trip:

Lovely scenic drive

Sombering cemetery visit

Lots of sea creatures

Sketchy hotel room wall murals

*All of these spellings are considered correct. An official map might show it as "Busan", and then have an inset street map calling the same city "Pusan".

Korean Culture Tip

If someone invites you to see a Korean movie called “The Neighbor”, you should politely decline.

Unless, of course, you like semi-horror movies with impressively unlikeable characters and absolutely no resolution at the end.

Rain Rain Go Away

Today was another blustery day, but post-typhoon cabin fever got the best of me. I put on my trusty rubber ballet flats, grabbed my $6 CVS umbrella, and headed out into the storm for a hot tea latte.

Fun Fact: Every time I pull out this beast of an umbrella, I get sad, pitying looks from Koreans. Look at this poor megook with her tiny umbrella. She won't get ten steps before that thing goes inside-out. A large woman* like that needs a large umbrella. These people know nothing of our weather.

The Green Tea Latte is my newest obsession. It tastes way less like grass than I expected it to.

Um, how adorbs is this cup cozy?

*I watched Korean Biggest Loser the other day, and none of these people would have made it through the application process in the states. I swear one of the women was about ten pounds lighter than I am. What a fatty.