WOW!!!

Last night was the big fireworks show at Gwangan Beach. Bob, Will, Aaren and I ventured out to the show and man was it worth it! We arrived about 3 hours early to get a good spot on the sand. We spread out a few beach mats and played cards while we waited. They estimated about 1.5 million people attended the show. That's about 1/3 of the entire city!

It was the most spectacular fireworks show any of us had ever seen. It was an hour straight of fireworks set to music. There were three big barges in the bay shooting off the display. Here's a picture Will took. Look at how tiny the bridge looks in comparison to the fireworks! Fireworks Photos

The theme of the show was different places around the world. There was Asia, Europe, United States, Africa and then the final portion was about Korea. They used the bridge as a great prop for the show. They shot a lot of fireworks off the bridge and also had a feature where the fireworks "rained" off the bridge. There were also remote control airplanes shooting off fireworks and parachute fireworks with strands of lights that burned as they floated down to the water.

More photos to come soon!

***Bob and Lindsey***

A Bird's Eye View of Busan

Just finished another great weekend here in Busan. On Saturday we went to Nampo-dong, a HUGE outdoor shopping area about 30 minutes from home. This is not fancy department store shopping, but rather a large street market district where you can find anything and everything. I'm not sure how big the whole area is, but I think you could get lost for days in it (at least I could!)

We mostly did souvenir/Christmas shopping, and got some really beautiful pottery pieces. There seems to be a "department" for everything you can imagine. We turned one corner and found three blocks of nothing but lighting fixtures and lamps. Turn another corner and the streets are lined with men's clothing and accessories. There's also a furniture section, and sections for children's clothes, cooking and housewares, electronics - you name it. It's a great place to spend the day!

On Sunday we took a cable car up a nearby mountain for a truly spectacular view of Busan. You can almost see all the millions of people in the city from the top. The mountain park also featured a small amusement park with a carousel, swings and snacks and toys for the kids. More photos

The next few weekends are going to be busy too. Next weekend is an annual fireworks festival at the beach. Bob was so excited that we postponed our trip to Seoul so we wouldn't miss the show. We'll be heading to Seoul the week after that, October 30-31. Photos and details of all that to come!

***Bob and Lindsey***

Day 100

Yesterday was day 100 in South Korea...hard to believe isn't it?!

It was a great day that we'll remember for a long time. We had a beach picnic with the other English teachers at school and it was a blast! The weather has taken a definite turn for Fall in the past two weeks, so we put on our jeans and sweaters and went to our favorite beach, Gwangan. We spread out our beach blankets and feasted on wine and mandu (Korea's version of an eggroll) while we laughed and talked the night away.

We had fun people watching and halfway through the night a lady approached us selling some small fireworks. We figured since we missed 4th of July this year, we'd give it a whirl. Bob had a lot of fun lighting off fireworks into the water.We finished the evening with desert waffles, coffee and a round of the card game UNO at one of the many coffee shops along the boardwalk.

Day 99 was pretty special too. Bob and I went to lunch with the other married couple at Corem, Kadie and Ryan. The four of us usually eat lunch together on Tuesday and Thursdays, but this Thursday we went to a new Chinese restaurant up the hill from school. It was delicious and there was even a cute stray cat hanging around the front of the restaurant. I managed to capture a GREAT picture of him!

On the way back from lunch we cheered Ryan on while he played an arcade game on the street and won a small robot toy from one of those claw machines. (FYI: it is just as impossible in Korea as it is at home to win anything from those claw machines, so it was super exciting when he did!).

Then the four of us discovered a pottery shop with all kinds of handmade vases, pots, plates and other very beautiful crafts. It's the perfect place to find some unique and traditional Korean souvenirs. To top it all off, it was a PERFECT Fall day - warm, breezy and sunny!


***Bob and Lindsey***