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We’ve had a handful of emails from family, friends, debt collectors and bounty hunters asking for some substantial update as of late, but truth be told, we’ve been so busy with life in Korea it’s been hard to take a break and write something substantial about our existence among the land of Kimchi and Kalbi. So consider this scattered update about as good as it gets until the good lord grabs me and spirit possesses me and I pen a Korean War and Peace-thesis on the dangers of sidewalk mopeds.

The big news in Bundang is we bought a set of Rollerblades. We’d been meaning to put our feet in some sort of wheels, be it moped, motorcycle, bicycle or blades, so we settled on a pair of Solomons at our local E-Mart.

Now if you’ve never been to an E-Mart in Korea, you’re in for an experience. It’s Walmart done Korean style, complete with several massive floors of items ranging from Sega to Soju and bins of bargain clothes where you’ll get elbowed out of the way by old ladies who power sort through the stacks for deals faster than Park Tae Hwan wins a gold at the Beijing games. None the less, we’re now happy waegooks as we speed down the river road on our daily route home from school with four wheels strapped to our feet.

And speaking of Olympics, we watched the incredible Opening Ceremony courtesy of the amazing rooftop theatre screen on our Starus Offictel in Ori. It was surreal watching 10,000 Chinese drummers bang away in unison while the thunder and lightning cracked off in the distance and a very light rain offered relief from stifling summertime humidity. We cheered for the U.S., and we cheered for Korea, and truth be told, few moments we’ve had out here were as exciting as sitting with a crowd of Koreans watching the start of the Beijing games knowing that we’ll be four years older and maybe many miles away the next time we see the games again in 2012.

We’ve also been going to a lot of Norebangs recently. What are norebangs? Glad you asked! They’re small rooms you rent (no, not brothels) where they provide you with a TV, a microphone, and a karaoke machine loaded up with a wide variety of K-Pop and a questionable selection of western music. It’s a much more private version of singing in public, which is wonderful because I can’t carry a tone and only sing when in trouble, intoxicated, and usually…both.

Koreans take these places seriously, and it’s not uncommon to see American Idol style shows on TV with old ladies and little kids singing in front of thousands to some version of Peter Gabriel. None the less, they’re wonderful fun for a group of waegooks to go belt out tunes such as Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun followed by Epik High’s One.

Like most foreigners, one of our most common hang outs is the GS 25 out in front of our building. It’s odd what a magnet a few plastic tables can be outside a place that sells beer and popsickles, but it’s like those little blue tables can’t be without a white ass in them anytime they’re out there, especially when we’re playing Liar’s Dice.

Sometimes I feel like Silent Bob outside the Quick-E-Mart but I’m sure my girlfriend would argue I’m more like Jay since I never shut up. One of my 7 year old students drove past in her parents car and saw us out late one night. Upon arriving at class the next day she asked: “Teach-uh, I saw you last night with your friends! But…what were you all talking about? It looked VERY interesting!“

Thankfully, she’s one of the good students so it probably wasn’t about her.

We’ve even met a few foreigners who’re married and met their husbands or wives while hanging out on those crummy blue chairs in the afternoon air.

And when you do need to use the bathroom, they have a hand dandy picture that show’s you how to use a urinal, in case, you know…you’ve lived on an island for the last 50 years.

And as always, the highlight of our time out here continues to be the time spent in the classroom, teaching kids. It’s not an easy job, but it it has its moments, such as getting them excited about reading…

…or having one of your students borrow another’s earrings and gleefully display them like Rupaul.

Like this sign, we hope you’re having a…

…feeling fine day!

~cheers!

-D-