We love our Dong!

I've been getting a bit of grief for slacking on the blog front... just been a little busy livin' the good life !

Here's a few glimpses into what we've been up to.

Now that summer is in full swing, our neighbourhood, or dong as it's called here, has been getting cooler and cooler.  I mean the random statues have always been charming but now the mysterious holes in the sidewalks have turned into fountains and splash pads.

This first building in the back there of the next photo is ours!  Great spot.

Ben enjoyed a personal victory becoming the office video game challenge champion winning the large bowl of ramen! He has also been celebrating the victories of those Colombians winning games at 5am.

We'll be spending Canada day at our fav spot, Pub 210, where I am proud to announce I have a burger named after me and my girlfriends!! (BIG THINGS!) Introducing the G.R.A.B. burger! Inspired by Garbrielle, Rebecca, Annie (not pictured) and Brooke!  One of the owners is from Sudbury, it really is such a small world.

We're still really enjoying our jobs.  Everyday is a new adventure and there are a lot of laughs. A few weeks ago the shocking news that Teacher Brooke and Teacher Brian are "a couple" got out and we've been receiving fan mail ever since.

***WARNING: DOG MEAT CONTENT***

(no close ups or photos of the actual meat)

Today, I went to a traditional Korean market, Moran Market.  These markets are only open on days ending in 4 or 9 for reasons that are unclear to me.  This was an experience that I was thankfully warned about before I hopped on the subway.  Okay, so, technically, the selling of dog meat for consumption IS illegal in Seoul but it is just one of those laws that isn't enforced. You can find this meat if you look hard enough and in the right places.  Going to this traditional market...I did not have to try hard at all.  I love to eat and I'm not a fan of dogs, but this was still a very strange and unsettling experience. The rest of the market was awesome, although it was probably a good idea that Ben stayed home...I don't know if he could have stomached some of the smells.

Here are caged dogs for sale for consumption...steps away from dogs for sale for loving.  

VERY STRANGE CONCEPT.

Here's my haul, I didn't buy too much... unlike these three who just shopped til they dropped.

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES!  xoxoxox

Busan, Round One!

Friday was a holiday and this long weekend brought me to the beach! Ben actually stayed home to play 3 baseball games... sad, but true.

Two of my friends have Korean drivers' licenses so we rented a car and headed to Busan.    Five of us piled into the rental Thursday night for the 4ish hour drive.  Thank the lord we did too, driving to the beach the next day had UNBELIEVABLE traffic.  There are A LOT of people in this beautiful county. For real, it was worth it though.  Busan is a blast.  Can't wait to hit it up again with Ben and say hello to our buddy Scott who is lucky enough to actually live there, but was also tied up with baseball this weekend.

Hotel!

Haeundae beach!  PACKED! Rows of umbrellas 6-8 deep the whole way down.  Surprisingly not many people in the water though.  I was the only one from our group to take a dip.

Geoje Island!  We had to take an underwater tunnel to get here.  This was a whole new world compared to the day before.  I bet the people on this island haven't seen too many white people venturing to their beaches.  We almost had the whole place to ourselves on a long weekend.

This is around when I remembered the fabulous camera my parents got me for this adventure is waterproof.  This is the best I could do, imagine the ones I deleted.

Back to Haeundae beach for the night life.

It was a loooooong weekend.

Bundang Cubs

After a fabulous night out with some of our new crew on Saturday...

Sunday brought us to the baseball field for Ben's FIRST official practice/ practice game with his new team, The Bundang Cubs.  The team is absolutely thrilled to have Ben and showered him with compliments in very broken english all day.  Everyone is so kind and very welcoming. Lookin' good in the Red, White and Blue!

Can you spot the odd man out?

After laying in a tiny patch of grass for 3 hours in 30 degree weather the only other girlfriend there must have recognized my struggle and picked these berries from a nearby tree.  The Korean magic continued... these little things CURED by hangover.  100% true story! I spent the last hour with her on her blanket.  

Afterwards, the whole team went out for dinner and drinks at the team manager's restaurant. A tasty ginger pork with ICE NOODLES and all the sides.

Ben has been telling me since he first started trying out for this team that there is a man on it that is my dad's Korean twin... I finally got to meet him and here he is!  

LOL LOL LOL  HEY DAD, MISS YA!