Making Money with Games

It's been an awesome few months working for OGPlanet, an online free-to-play games publisher. They are a Korean run company based out of Los Angeles, CA with another office here in Vancouver (where most of the magic happens) and one in Korea. Basically what my company does is takes games that were created in foreign countries (usually Korea) and "Americanizes" them for the western world. Translations, technical changes and basically an overall marketing transformation is needed to capture a new audience for the games. After testing and making sure the games will be successful, OGPlanet will transform these games and put them on the market for the ever-increasing amount of players who take part in online gaming. We make our money through micro-transactions by selling virtual items in our games for small amounts of money. With the hundreds of thousands of players we have, you can see that this type of business model would be successful.

Over the years, video games have evolved from playing very simple games such as tetris, pac-man and other single-player games to massive multiplayer online games where millions of people from around the world can simultaneously play with each other and interact on a social level as well. From playing with your best friend right beside you to playing with someone you don't know from Germany or China or South Africa really makes you think about how far we have come with technology.

In my job, my responsibility is to make sure as many people as possible are seeing our games, thinking about them, and eventually trying them out. We display banners of our games on websites that the types of people who generally play our games go to. This could be video game fan sites, blogs, review sites or any others we feel may get visitors who might like to play our games. I am in charge of a budget and am constantly talking with AdNetworks who display our banners, making sure that everything is running smoothly and I also assist our design team with the creation of these banners. I come up with the words and phrases and they do all the fancy stuff. I also work with websites to come up with other promotional ideas such as prize giveaways and ways to increase the attention on our games.

To keep our players with us we do lots of things to make sure they are happy and involved. We have lots of fun events for people to participate in and I generally organize a lot of the material and communication necessary to run these events. Research is also an important part of my job as I am constantly seeing what the current trends are in the gaming market, what our competitors are doing and look into better ways we can promote our games.

Overall I'm having a great time here and learning a lot every day. Doing something that I love makes waking up early and going in every day not feel so bad. Being by a computer all day really gets me motivated to do active things though. I go to the gym most days at lunch and soccer takes up at least 3 nights a week. One after-work thing that has very much declined since I've been working here, can you guess? Gaming...

Downtown Living!

It's been about 2 months now that we moved into our new place in the West End of Downtown Vancouver. On the corner of Davie and Bidwell, our 31 floor apartment building stands well above the rest. A one minute walk to the English Bay beaches and a 5 minute walk to the famous Stanley Park, the worlds largest urban park. On the 28th floor our view is amazing, facing the downtown area to the east and the mountains to the north, it really can't get any better. Who needs a TV when we have a view like that?

We have everything within walking distance which is a great change from what I was used to and especially Rach having to drive at least 10 minutes to the nearest stores. Groceries stores, produce, restaurants, beer store, theatres, arena and clothing stores literally right outside our door. A quick run to get some milk for cereal suddenly doesn't seem like too much of a chore.


It's been great so far to experience this type of living. It's exciting to see the busy stream of people, cars and buses all making there way around frantically in such a dense area. The nightlife is big and seems like there's never a dull moment. If you can get over the consistent stream of sirens that can be heard at any hour, the crammed buses and be able to resist the urge to go in every store you see, downtown living may just be for you!

Wild Mushroom Picking

While up at Uncle Bernd and Auntie Karen's in Pinecrest (10 min south of Whistler) for Thanksgiving I had the unique chance to harvest some local fungi. While ATVing we noticed people with buckets around the area searching for the strange things growing out of the ground. We then thought it would be interesting to look for ourselves knowing we could venture deeper into the backwoods. With the knowledge that some types of mushrooms were being sold at $40-50 a pound, my business savvy nature immediately was sparked. Without knowing what colour, size or shape we were looking for we snatched up every different kind we could find to do some research later. Upon returning it was straight to the computer to see what the valuable mushrooms looked like. Turns out that there are two main types that are sought after. The Tricholoma Magnilivare aka Matsutake aka Pine Mushroom is one kind. The other is the Chanterelle. Both are worth some decent money is you can find enough of them.

After knowing what we were looking for and some time to kill while the turkey dinner was being made we had a successful attempt at Mushroom Hunting. Finding our first Pine Mushrooms was exciting and as we went, found lots more along the way. Not being fully sure if it was the real thing, we decided not to snack as we went but had a heaping load when we returned.

What I learned was that all species descriptions are based on features of the cap, hymenium and stalk. The gills, folds, pores or spines are attached to the stalk in a variety of ways and takes some time to recognize the differences. In Asia, mushrooms have been used for centuries for culinary, medicinal and aphrodisiacal purposes. The amount of different species is incredible. Every colour, shape and size grows out here in British Columbia. Amazing to see.

Looking forward to hunting for more!

Rocky Mountains

Coming out here and seeing the mountains to the north everyday is something everyone should get to experience. It's such a amazing thing to think about, knowing that millions of years ago they were formed and then through millions of more years, sculpted by glaciers and water to make them what they are now. When originally discovered they were abundant with rich minerals and furs which drove people to live here. Now, the things keeping people here is the amount of fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, skiing and snowboarding you can do on them. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 4,830 km from the northernmost part of British Columbia to New Mexico. The highest peak is Mount Elbert located in Colorado at 14,440 feet above Sea Level.So far I have climbed two of the more popular mountains in the Vancouver area. The Stawamus Chief or "The Chief" which is located about an hour north in Squamish, BC was my first. The Squamish people considered this mountain to be very spiritual. At an elevation of 2,297 ft I found it does get you a lot closer to the gods and towers above you as you drive up the Sea to Sky Highway. Most of the day was used to climb this monster. A lot tougher then most mountains I've been on.
The second was Grouse Mountain located in northern Vancouver and is even accessible by bus. This mountain features a 2.9km almost vertical trail known as the Grouse Grind, also dubbed as "Nature's Stairmaster" is well known to Vancouverites and carries the motto "it's all about the time". Getting a good climbing time on "the grind" is grounds for bragging. Knowing this, it instantly sparked my competitive nature and gave me the motivation to do it as fast as I could. Not fully understanding the degree of difficulty this trail carried I sped off at the beginning, doing exactly what was considered the wrong approach. Within minutes I found out the true meaning of the trails nickname "the grind". I severely underestimated the toughness of it and was a few steps away from re-seeing my lunch at the top. With a time of 43 minutes, it was considered amazing for a first-timer but I sure did pay for it. The mountain also has skiing in the winter and has a grizzly bear park at the top. The best part of the experience may just be the Gondola ride down with amazing views of the city and surrounding area.

I'm really going to enjoy having these around me while living here. Looking forward to exploring and conquering more of them.

Moving out West

So I've just survived the first week of life on the west coast. Deciding to come out here has been great so far. Just taking the Skytrain from the airport was awesome to see such a beautiful city surrounded by ocean and mountains. It is a pollution free city with a a very clean feeling to it. Although I have no comparison, I can tell that the improvements made for the Olympics have no doubt increased the value of this place. New buses, fresh paint jobs and major construction are evident as I get my first real glimpse. With a population of just over 2 million people in Vancouver and the surrounding area it really doesn't feel that compact. Most people use public transportation or ride bikes to get around which really helps not only the pollution factor but the crammed feeling of thousands of cars around anywhere. If Toronto could develop this type of mindset and public transportation system, it would really benefit. Toronto Olympics 2030?

The area we are currently residing in is Kitsilano. A short bike ride south west of downtown on the south part of the English Bay.We are staying with a friend for the time being and has been great as its a perfect location to live. Right on the Kitsilano Beach we have an amazing view of the English Bay, Downtown Vancouver and the Rocky Mountains to the north. The area is vibrant with many different types of people, mostly young, coffee shops, sushi bars, restaurants and new age stores. The area is all slanted downhill with a San Francisco feeling and being at the bottom makes for quite the hike up to the main streets of 4th ave and Broadway (worth it though!)

So far I have been all around the city with a guided tour by our new friend Ben and have been shown all the different areas in Vancouver. In a small area, there are drastically different parts with their own unique feeling to them. I have climbed 2 mountains in the surrounding area and biked around Stanley Park. Although its been a beautiful and active week, the stress with looking for a job and a permanent place is still there. Can't wait to finally settle in, fully unpack and enjoy this place even more.

A Year of Teaching in South Korea

Well it has been one year now since I arrived at Incheon Airport in Seoul about to embark on one of the most interesting, challenging and fun 12 months of my life. I knew very little about this country, thinking that it will still a war torn third world country only beginning to rebuild. I was amazed at how developed, modern and westernized it was upon arriving. Seeing a McDonalds a not far away was comforting, yet a little disappointing. I now realize that it will be a constant where ever I visit in this day and age.

My first weeks adjusting to the lifestyle, foreign culture, new job and jetlag was a little difficult but I seemed to quickly grow accustom to these things as well as the food, people and language barrier. Having 8 other foreign teachers in my school helped by having them offer their experience and tips as well was just nice having people there to relate to. It was not long before we all became good friends and I felt like I had a second family (this is one thing for people considering teaching abroad, as teachers at schools with no other foreigners can feel pretty isolated). Shortly after I had found a soccer team to play on and I was off running. With so much to see and do in this country the weeks were flying by with something going on every weekend. There really is something for everyone here from clubs, teams and activities to museums, scenery, and travel destinations. There is a very large ex-pat(foreigners) community in Korea so there are always things being organized to appeal to them. There are many foreign owned bars and restaurants although I personally have really enjoyed Korean food here. Not only is it good but cheap and a lot healthier than back in Canada. Going out for meals is really common as there isn't high mark ups that you see back home and NO TIPPING! (actually considered an insult as it implies that they don't make enough).

Throughout my year I have experience all of the good things here but also all the bad things and I wanted to compile a list of the pros and cons for people thinking of coming to teach in South Korea. All I can say is that if your the kind of person who can look past some of the downfalls and dont mind being away from friends and family for a year, it is one experience you'll never forget because I know I certainly won't.

PROS:

- Highest pay amongst countries you can teach English
- Flight and Housing paid for
- Large foreigner community
- Lots of activities, clubs, organizations to join
- Great life experience
- Food is amazing and cheap if you don't mind trying new things

- Great transportation system
- Lot's of places to travel and see (beaches, palaces, mountains, etc.)

CONS:

- Away from home for a year

- Don't speak the language and can find it difficult at times
- Constantly being stared at
- Apartments are generally very small
- Jobs can be long hours and lots of work if you find the wrong one

- Can be lonely if your away from Seoul with no other foreign teachers.
- Culture barrier sometimes hard to get used to

Korean New Years

The most important and celebrated holiday has just passed here in Korea. It is different to the one I know for more reasons than just the date. Although Koreans also celebrate the Solar New Years (January 1st) this one is far more important to them. Korean New Year, commonly known as Seollal is the first day of the lunar calendar. This is generally the same day as Chinese New Year which is more recognized and generally falls on the day of the second new moon after winter soltice (occurs when the earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun, which is known as the first day of winter).

New Years as I know it is filled with parties, loud music, countdowns, streamers, confetti and lots of friends. Here, it is very much a family-oriented holiday. The three-day holiday (four for me!) is used by many to return to their home towns to visit their parents and other relatives where they perform the ancestral ritual known as charye. Many Koreans dress up in colorful hanbok (their tradional clothing) and serve traditional dishes such as rice cake soup. This is for good luck in the year to come. One important part of the day is that children wish their parents a happy new year by performing one deep traditional bow and the words saehae bok manhi badeuseyo which translates to please receive many blessings in the new year. This is one thing that my students love about the day as in return for the bow is usually money (lots of it!).

Many family games are also played during this time, where ussually all the men play one game while all the women play a different one. Over the weekend, I witnessed a big family tug of war challenge in the park. This was weird due to the fact that most families leave Seoul and head for the country to where they grew up. The subways were empty and all the stores and restaurants were closed. All in all it was great to witness a new holiday for myself and see once again the cultural differences in the way we celebrate our special days of the year.

Thailand Adventures

Where to start? The past week on vacation in Thailand was something out of a movie. Just the whitest, smoothest sand beaches with the most turquoise clear water I've ever seen. I haven't seen too many places mind you, but it's gonna have to be something special be nicer than what I just experienced. For anyone who hasn't been, it's an absolute must.

Me and Rach headed out on boxing day bound for Bangkok. Friends who had been there told us to get out of the city and head for the southern islands. We found out later how good of advice that was. After a brief layover our destination was Koh Samui. Thailand's third largest island located on the south eastern coast. Previously just a small fishing community that was self sufficient from mainland Thailand has now grown over the last few decades through tourism and now is a popular destination. Filled with palm trees wherever you look, it had the laid back appeal that I found awesome. We had accommodations for 3 nights at Mae Nam Beach which is quieter than some of the more popular ones. Relaxing was a top priority. The rest of our trip was open for adventure. We enjoyed three days of tanning, great curry and pad thai dishes and of course Thai Massages on the beach. I would go back for the food and massages alone. 300 Baht ($8 or 9) for hour long sessions keeps you going every day. Our little cabin was great and right by the sea. Breakfast on the beach and warm nights were a welcomed change from the winter jackets and cold apartments back in Seoul.

Our next plan in mind was to head to the island that was to the east of us, Koh Phangan. This island is home to the famous Full Moon Parties at Haad Rin Beach. We were told this is an absolute must attend event if you are in Thailand. They are held every full moon and the biggest of all is on New Years Eve. What perfect timing for us! We had a few days until the big party and decided to check out the less crazy parts of the island as we didn't like the idea of thousands of people cramming the beaches. We were told of a lesser known beach located on the other side of the island, Bottle Beach (Hadd Khuat). After going online to try and book a place to stay we found that every was fully booked due to New Years. There are only a couple places to stay at this particular beach. We decided to try our luck anyways and turned out to be the best gamble ever. After a bus, two planes, a taxi, a ferry, another taxi and a Long Boat ride to get to this secluded place, it was worth all the trouble in about 5 seconds. This was my idea of complete paradise. The sand and water were unbelievable matched with our bungalow right on the beach, massages, great food, perfect weather and of course my love, I couldn't have been a happier man during my time there.

On the 31st it was time to check out this Full Moon Party everyone was raving about. We hired a pick up truck to take us through the bumpy, dirt, winding, hilly back roads of Koh Phangan which was fun on its own to take us to the other side of the island. Here I witnessed the most insane scene of my life. Thousands and thousands of young, party hungry people jammed into this small town and beach. Instantly I could see why this event was so popular. Really an exciting place filled with bars, restaurants, shops, massage parlours, hotels, cabins, and about a billion street vendors. The group of us wandered the streets until deciding to endure the beach. 60,000 people were said to of covered this few kilometer long beach. Tons of fire shows, a big fire jumping rope (which I tried and inevitably sinched my legs hairs off, but much worse for others), DJ's, music, and alcohol flooded this place. A great way to count down to 2010. This party lasts through the night into the next day but we decided to head out around 3am. We had a ferry booked for the next morning to take us back to Koh Samui. Unbelievably hard to leave Bottle Beach, but we agreed it wouldn't be the last time we saw that place. On the 1st we were back on a plane to Bangkok.

We had a day to explore the capital of Thailand and were kind of glad we didn't stay long than that. It really is a dirty, rough, and crowded city. We got the feeling that there was extra pressure on getting the most out of tourists there. I had the constant looking over my shoulder feeling that wasn't pleasant. An endless scheme of tourist traps, people coming up to you, sales pitches and shady cab drivers to only drive you mad. I understand it's these things that make Bangkok what it is, and for that it was good to experience it, but not a place I want to stay for long. What was great though, was the Grand Palace and infamous Golden Buddha. We took a tour of these places and WOW were they ever cool to see. The palace was extremely large and beautiful. The Thai type buildings are flashy and impressive. Our tour guide told us lots of information on the Thai people, culture and facts about these places. The Golden Buddha was a 2000kg pure gold sculpture. It had only been open 2 days after 2 years of construction for a new building to house it. That night it was back on the plane headed for Seoul.

Can't say enough about Thailand. Was one of the best vacations ever and if you have not been, you have to check it out. I recommend the southern islands and not to spend too much time in Bangkok. Year round nice weather, beaches and amazing scenery is my kind of place. Where to next???

Khristmas in Korea

"Will they celebrate Christmas in Korea?" I thought to myself before coming out here. "It's a Buddhist culture, will it be recognized? Will I see the many lights that I've become so accustomed to over the years?"

With a long history of Buddhism in Korea, it's clear Christmas will never be the same as it is back home. With the growing number of Christians though, it's also clear that this holiday is generating a lot more attention then it used to. A Buddisht household will have no celebration or even acknowledgement of the holiday, as the birth of christ doesn't mean anything to them. The others would though.

With the weeks leading up to the big day, it's hardly been a typical Christmas. Rare lights (often blue) will scatter the buildings that I see, but no real sign that my favourite holiday is on the horizon. Conversations with the Korean teachers at my school and others have told me that while people celebrate it, it's not overly big here. With the Korean culture mimicking Western styles and cultures, it's obvious that it has grown in popularity over the years, but no where near what I am used to. It is a holiday that is gernerally celebrated with friends and not a family gathering type day. The common christmas present is money which is also the main gift for New Years (the biggest holiday for Koreans). Maybe being so close in date just overshadows christmas ?

Christmas food in Korea is pretty interesting and nothing like back home. You won't find many traditional foods but loads of kimchi, noodles, hot peppers, and bean paste. Our plan on the 25th is to check out a Western style christmas buffet at one of the hotels or bars in downtown seoul. Apparently one of the few places for foreigners to find some familiar grub during the festive season. A christmas without family I will have to bear, but the absense of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy is something I cannot do. With the presents that have been sent from home that are waiting to be unwrapped on the 25th, I'm hoping to salvage this holiday as best I can. Merry Khristmas!

"A Drinking Club with a Running Problem"

Over the past few months I've become involved in a club that is unlike any other I've encountered before. The "Hash House Harriers" is a running and social club. With the slogan (title) that is used to represent this club I was instantly excited. Physical activity and beer was a winning combination in my books. What I found out is that this is not just unique to Korea. There are over 1,700 groups (Kennels) around the world and has been around since 1938.



There are multiple kennels in South Korea and mine happens to be "Southside Hash House Harriers". We meet Sunday mornings at a selected location south of the Han River at 11am. After introductions, songs and a warm up the 'pack' begins the Hash. Whether your a runner or walker it's friendly to all levels of fitness. Each "Hasher" attempts catch the 'Hares' who have left 15 minutes before everyone else. They leave a series of hashes (X's, arrows, check points, etc.) that everyone must follow. Some lead you off the trail, confuse you and direct you over obstacles including walls, water, mountains and through busy streets. Catching the Hare or "Snaring" one as it is called in Hashing lingo requires a fast pace, determination and sometimes luck. It is rarely accomplished but isn't the real goal of the Hash at all. After completing the trail the pack gathers for "Circle" where a series of celebrations, songs, awards, food and of course the Hashes beverage of choice, Beer.

Since joining back in August, I've really had a blast meeting the great people that make up my Kennel. Although it's not for everyone, with such a diverse demographic of people that make it up and the amount of new people that join each week there's gotta be something appealing about it. It's certainly made my experience of Korea that much better. Knowing that you can find a Hash anywhere in the world, lets me safely say I'll be doing it for some time to come.

Chuseok

This past weekend was the celebration of Korea's second largest holiday (after Lunar New Years) and is the Korean equivalent to our Thanksgiving. Originally known as Hangawee, Chuseok is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea (4 days off! wooo) celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calender. The meaning of the word Chuseok in Korean is "Great Day". Like many other harvest festivals, it is held in Autumn. As a celebration of the good harvest Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food. If certain areas did not recieve a good harvest, they wouldn't celebrate this day.


On the morning of Chuseok Day, Songpyeon (a type of Korean rice cake) and food is prepared with the year’s fresh harvest are arranged to give thanks to ancestors through Charye (ancestor memorial service). After Charye, families visit their ancestors’ graves and engage in Beolcho, where weeds around the burial grounds are removed. As the night nears, families and friends enjoy the beautiful view of the full harvest moon and play folk games such as Ganggangsullae (Korean circle dance).

Traditionally on Chuseok, the head of the household would buy new clothes for everyone, including the servants. This custom was known as Chuseokbim. Usually, a traditional hanbok is worn, but nowadays new clothes are not limited to hanbok. Hanbok is the traditional wear of Koreans. Ussually made of fine material it is worn only for formal occasions.

It was quite an experience this past couple weeks as you could see the excitement within Korea. At my school we made Songpyeon and took part in other traditional Chuseok activities. The students all dressed in Hanbok's one day and looked really amazing. They learned how to bow properly and were told stories about Chuseok. I think it's great how a country with so much history that has changed so much over the last couple hundred years still instills all of the values and pride of their country into the children.

H1N1 (Influenza A) in Korea

Now there are a lot of stereotypes about Asian culture that I have witnessed here and also been surprised at how untrue some of them have been. One though, that really can't be argued with is the level of paranoia they have about things. When I first arrived, I thought that the fact they wore masks around was a bit strange. Apparently it is due to the "Yellow Dust" which is pollution from China that is sent over the sea in dust storms from the Gobi Desert. It is recommended that you stay indoors during these times (usually spring) and not do any physical activity.
Although you can see some fine yellowness on black cars, I don't see it as that big of a concern.
South Korea is a very health conscious society that prides itself on its nutritious food. You can see it in the streets with the vast majority of Koreans being fit and rarely seeing any overweight. They must be doing something right, as even the kids tell me that they don't like junk food because "it's not good for the health".

Recently the country has been in panic over the new scare from the infamous "swine flu". If you think it's big back home, it's exponentially worse here. The minimal cases of people getting it here (only the old or very young with pre-existing health conditions) have made it a big cause for concern. During a foreigners convention for teachers a little while back, it was said that a dozen showed signs of the flu. This sparked a big report that foreigners had been spreading the flu from abroad. Some English schools have been closing do to this alone, where parents don't want to send their kids to foreigner present places. One of the teachers was required to stay in "quarantine" when she arrived before joining my school. This meant having her stay in her hotel and only going around her area by herself for the first 4 days in Korea until it was clear she had no symptoms of the flu. Pretty harsh... glad i didn't come then.

Our school has now been taking the temperature of all people that come into the building to check for high fevers. Anything over a certain degree and you get sent home (have been running up the stairs in hopes to achieve this... no luck yet). Also each child and teacher must receive hand sanitizer multiple times a day and mouthwash. I feel it's been pretty over the top and unnecessary to do all this. On the other hand if anyone is diagnosed with the flu, the school would have to shut down and it would be detrimental, so it's hard to complain. This blown out of proportion "epidemic" will hopefully soon pass.

Summer Vacation

Ah.. the life of a teacher. A couple months off from school to relax and take it easy... oh wait... we only get 2 weeks off a year. The Korea school system is go, go, go.. and finds that if students are given too much time off that they unlearn the material during the year. It's actually proven that asian students do much better than their western coutnerparts for this fact alone.

A bunch used our week off and headed for the much famed Jeju Island just off the south coast of South Korea. It is also known as the "Island of the Gods". The island was created thousands of years ago from a massive volcano (Halla Mountain). It is a super popular vacation spot for Koreans and many Japanese. It is also one of the top honeymoon destinations for Korean newlyweds. Some of the main activities for tourists are hiking, catching sunrises and sunsets over the ocean, seeing one of the many waterfalls, riding horses, or just relaxing on the beaches. One of the things we wanted to do was to rent scooters as it was fairly popular to do so as their isn't much local traffic. Unfortunately due to not having insurance and an international liscence it wasn't realistic to risk the cost of crashing, although they still would of rented them to us.

We arrived on the Saturday afternoon and quickly made our way down to the southern part of the island to Seogwipo. After unpacking at the hostel, we visited a waterfall and had a great dinner, then met up with some other teachers. We spent the next day on Jungmun Beach, just sun tanning and getting thrown around by the huge waves crashing on the beaches.

We made our way to the Eastern part of the island to Seongsan where we stayed in the best hotel you could imagine. For 60,000 won ($60) between the four of us we were on the ocean with a great view and right beside was Sunrise Peak, a massive crator promising amazing views. Of course we climbed it in pouring rain and didn't exactly get any of those great views though. In the bay we were looking out into what was a popular spot for the famous haenyeo ("sea women"), who were often the heads of families, because they controlled the income. They earned their living from free diving, often all year round in quite cold water, without scuba gear in order to harvest shellfish, sea cucumbers and other marine products. It is thought that women are better at spending all day deep-water diving because they resist cold better. They were known to hold their breaths for up to 2 minutes. Nowadays these woman are the last of their kind and are 65-70 years old and still going at it. Quite a site to see.

The next day we made our way to the famous Lava Tubes. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest in the world of it's kind. Once flowing with magma through them, they are now these huge cave-like channels. Only going in a kilometer or so was enough to see why these tubes are so popular.

Our next mission was to hike up another World Heritage Site, Halla-san (Halla Mountain). It is the highest peak in Korea at 2000m above sea level. We started early in the morning as it was said to be a 8-9 hour climb. The rocky and damp terrain made it difficult at certain points to climb efficiently but we slowly creped our way up the 9.6 km East course. Climbing through the clouds was an exciting experience. Exhausted, we finally made it up to the summit to enjoy breathtaking views of the volcano at the top. Looking down at the clouds had to of been one of the best sites I've seen in my life. We snapped a few pictures, had a bite to eat and headed down the 8.7km North course. None of us were looking forward to it...

After another day on the beach, we took a flight to Busan to meet up with some of the other teachers at our school. This is the second biggest city in South Korea and another major location for foreigners teaching english. Although the beaches were far more crowded, it was a great place to visit as there was lots to do. The weather seemed a lot fresher than Seoul with the ocean air blowing over the city. We only had a couple days there and as soon as we got there it felt like we were heading back for Seoul. Had a great vacation but the fact that we were right back in the classroom the next day after only a week off just wasn't fair.

Boryeong Mud Festival

I've never felt more like a kid than the time I had this past weekend in Boryeong, South Korea. It was the venue for the Boryeong Mud Festival which is held every July just a couple hours south of me. On the Daecheon Beaches lies this towns greatest export... Mud. Boryeong mud is rich in minerals and good for one’s skin. The high quality sea mud is famous enough to make mud cosmetic products such as mud packs, mud soaps, etc. It's rich in Germanium and other minerals known for their skin revitalizing properties. The festival was originally started with intentions to promote cosmetics manufactured from local mud but the popularity of the festival skyrocketed because of the fun that all the mud activities involve.The festival is one of the most popular events for the expatriate (foreign teachers) community in Korea. It attracts over 30,000 visitors from all over the world each year, lasts for 9 days and is basically one huge mud flinging party.

Our first stop was to the Military Training grounds where various exercises and games took place. We got into army gear and headed out to the mud field. Instantly we were being shouted at by this Korean dude to get down, crawl, squat and roll around in the mud. This was our first taste of the skin revitalizing substance and automatically turned a bunch of mature, respectable young men and women into five year olds. It was great! We also divded into teams, played some mud rugby and had a big battle royal to cap off the event.

After a quick stop off at the hotel to drop our stuff off, we made our way to downtown Boryeong where the main festivities took place. The main entertainment included mud pits, mud painting, mud climbing, a mud jail and the “Mud Super Slider”, a massive bouncy inflatable slide that stretches 25 meters on the beach. Needless to say there was a lot of mud. In the night they had fireworks, good food and a big concert on the main stage.

The Boryeong Mud Festival was definitely one of the best times I've had so far in Korea. 100% recommened to anyone who gets the opportunity to go. Only if you don't mind finding bits of mud in mysterious places for the next few days after that is...

The Korean Language

Learning Korean isn’t what I thought it would be. I figured, you know, just live in a country for a while and you will somehow absorb it. I mean, it’s being spoken all around me constantly every day, how could I not eventually just one day start speaking it? Well, it’s been difficult so far. They language is so far from English or French in terms of phonetics and the structure of sentences. Not to mention one of the oddest parts of Korean language and culture is that there are many differently levels of respect and thus politeness in their speech. No less than five different levels (three or four commonly used) in they way you would talk to someone.

A lot of the culture is based upon Confucianism where it is very hierarchal. Knowing your place and respecting social status plays a large role from what I have understood. Someone talking to the their boss or teacher or father is very different from talking to their friend or co-worker. It makes learning the language slighty confusing and will be a while until I can hold a decent conversation. I have met both ends of the spectrum in terms of foreigners speaking korean. Some have made an honest attempt at learning the language and know quite a bit after a year here and I've met others who've been here for 3 or 4 years and can hardly order at a restaurant. I guess its all in how you value learning it.

I am proud to say that I have now learnt Hangul which is the Korean alphabet. It's actually rather easy to learn and only takes a few hours of practise and memorization. It consists of 14 consonants and 10 vowels which represent the way your mouth, tongue or teeth look when saying the letters. I can now spell or read any Korean words or signs I see. The only problem... understanding any of it. Oh well, got 8 months to go.