South Korea :)

October 11, Pusan/Busan South Korea

Today we had an impromptu show of Dancin’ Fool, so we had to rehearse and do our tech early in the morning, but you better believe I was out there quick as I could so I could see this awesome port in South Korea. Luckily, they had a free shuttle that could take us on into town from the port. A few of the cast members went out together and started to marvel at this different land. The first stop we made was at a lookout point where you could get a ticket to go up really high onto what looked exactly like Seattle's space needle. Even being up there, I thought it looked so much like seattle. The day was gorgeous, about 70 degrees and crisp and it all felt so new. We got down from the space needle and an adorable woman stopped Jess to tell her something and Jess could not understand her at all because she spoke korean. But after a while, she spelled it out and was telling her she was pretty. I thought it was such a testament to their culture that they pay compliments until someone gets it, no matter what, AND they don’t accept tips. It’s so different from our culture. After the space needle- ma- jig, we walked into town to the fish market. On our way to the market, we saw the MOST adorable little puppies in a shop and we had to stop to pet them, but the owners said NO TOUCHY! I surely hope those puppies weren’t meant for Korean Barbeque.:) When we got to the market, I was stunned. I have never in my life seen so many exotic fish and sea creatures being sold on the street. It was an aquarium. We all wondered, how do they sell this many fish in a day? Wouldn’t it go bad? There were Giant King crabs, slippery eels, squids of all shapes and sizes, sea cucumbers that squirt, and every fish imaginable. I was in awe and wonder. And it didn’t smell as bad as I thought a fish market would smell haha. After the market, we were running out of time, so we searched for a tea house. I wanted to have some tea here in Korea, so we split up and Jess, Eli and I went to a cute cafe and Brad and David went to the nicest Pizza Hut they had ever been in. At the tea house, we walked up some stairs and into a room where no one spoke any english. They took us into a little nook in the corner with a curtain. It was adorable, each room decorated uniquely and we got to sit on the side with a window to view the outside. Outside of our window was a precious town full of tiny people. It looked like an outdoor mall, but miniature and cuter....I can’t explain it. But when we wanted our tea, we buzzed our waitress in and she gladly came to serve us. It was so nice. Everyone was incredibly sweet, and I truly did not want to leave. And neither did 3 of our crew member who missed the boat and had to fly to the next port ahhh!

October 12- Jeju city, South Korea

Today I had no idea what to expect. So far, I loved my day in South Korea, Pusan, and I had overheard that there were pretty beaches here in this port. So, I out on some sunscreen (50, no tan lines, they’re tacky) and a group of us wandered into port. We took a taxi to Dragon rock, where there was a beach, but not really the kind you lay out at. Tons of rocks, including one that looked sort of like a dragon. It reminded me of Laguna beach a little, the rocky area, and the fact that there were Koreans bbq-ing on the beach. :) After exploring that area, we asked an information lady where we should go next. With the little english she spoke, she sweetly told us to go to Hella Arboretum, which was an outdoor free plant area?...I guess....haha. Basically there were a ton of gorgeous trees and nature. I was happy I got to see that. The cab ride was cheap, but took longer than I expected. So, with the limited amount of time we had, we needed to head back early. At the park, there were a ton of adolescent boys who marveled at the girls in my group, giving us high fives as they said, “you’re pretty”....it was really cute and funny. The Koreans were really welcoming and we had a blast in their land. Today we are in Incheon, and it’s near Seoul, but I have IPM.....but tomorrow, CHINA!!!!! We begin that adventure! I have a tour tomorrow with the guests, and I need to rest up for that. We hit Beijing the next day for an overnight where we will be seeing the Great Wall, The Forbidden City and staying in a hostel overnight (and more)......looking forward to some good fun and stories. Catch ya’ll later!