Sunday, June 12, 2005

Rounding out the Year

Well, it's been a great ride, but the Korean fun-train is finally coming to a stop. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and will be buying another ticket to ride soon enough, but for now, I need to get off for a while, rest, and then I'll be back in August.

I was thinking about the past year and wondering what my most memorable moments were. Here are just a few, in no particular order:

1. The mud festival in Boryeong
2. Cherry blossoms and kitchen party in Cheong-ju
3. Everland
4. Tasting Korean food for the first time
5. Weekend in Gyeong-ju to see the royal tombs, and watching the drummers in the park
6. Eating oysters on the beach in Anmyeon-do
7. All the lovely people I've met

This will be my last post for a while. However, I realize that not all the people reading my blog are situated in Saskatoon. Therefore, I will be also continuing a new blog while I'm in Canada - Ben's Excellent Canadian Respite. Look for it in theatres soon!
************************************************************************************

Anyway, the following pictures are from the past few weeks. They are in reverse chronological order. Most recently, Jo, Erika, Joey, and I went to Everland - Korea's most famous amusement park. It was a blast. The only drawback was that we went late and didn't have enough time to really enjoy it all.

Prior to that, last weekend, Kay invited Jo and I to go to Pusan - the second largest city in Korea, located near the southernmost point of Korea. We stayed with her family on Saturday night, then drove all day on Sunday to get there. Kay's family were invited to a wedding which we missed by an hour or so. However, we made it in time for the wedding buffet, which was tasty. We had a brief time on the beach, then we returned home to Bundang. It was a loooooong trip. About 12 hours of driving and 4 hours of seeing Pusan. The pictures that follow are of her family's farm, and areas around there. We got up early and saw the rice fields and ginseng plants. Apparently, ginseng is a very very expensive plant, and takes between 3 and 7 years to grow. Roots can sell for as high as $500 per pound for high quality ginseng.

Lastly, I have some pictures of various things in and around Bundang. One night a long time ago, we went to Chung-Ang Gong-Won (Bundang's Central Park) and played badminton.

That's about all I have for now! For those of you who have followed my blog this year, thanks for reading! I hope you've enjoyed it! I've enjoyed your responses, and plan on continuing a new Korean blog next year, when I come back for Round 2!

Hanguk, Annyeonghi Kyeseyo! Chokum itabanayo!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey, ben! i stop by and read your blog every so often...always interesting to hear about your adventures. a long way from wal-mart's photo lab, eh?
so do you think you'll return to korea for another year of teaching?

Ben Norris said...

Heya Carmen!

Wow! Blast from the past! It's good to hear from you! What are you up to these days? I will indeed be coming back for another year, although I may not be teaching young children this time around - I'd like something a little bit more challenging! Thanks for reading, and double thanks for the comment! I appreciate it!

Cheers,
Ben

Anonymous said...

well, i've got my fingers in all kinds of pots right now. still living in vancouver, going to lots of rock shows, making art, having fun. right now i work at a flamenco dance studio and as a typesetter/designer at a print shop. i'm going to san fran at the end of august - my first holiday in forever. should be good!
hey, remember that "change the world" thing you, me and mike had. i think you've probably accomplished that...teaching is a big deal!
c

Anonymous said...

Reading your blog and I figured you'd be interested in advancing your life a bit, call us at 1-206-339-5106. No tests, books or exams, easiest way to get a Bachelors, Masters, MBA, Doctorate or Ph.D in almost any field.

Totally confidential, open 24 hours a day.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Anonymous said...

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through your blog. Thanks for the great information. I will visit on a regular basis.

I have a Car Auction site. It pretty much covers Car Auction related items and services. You may find some of my content of interest.

Drop by my site some time and see what you think.

Anonymous said...

Great blog Ben Norris. I'm glad I stopped for a moment to read what you have to say :-)

REPLACEMENT SHOWER FILTER.COM

Anonymous said...

Hi Ben Norris. I am constantly on the lookout for more information about water related posts. I know this post isn't totally related to my site KDF WATER FILTERS.COM,but you have great information. Keep up the great posts and I'll stop by again.

Anonymous said...

Although I was searching for information for REPLACEMENT SHOWER FILTER.COM, I ended up staying for a while. You have a great blog Ben Norris. Keep it up.

Anonymous said...

I like your blog Ben Norris and the info you have. I am constantly on the lookout for more info on
BATH WATER FILTER.COM