Five days in Nippon-koku.

It was an inevitable journey that I had to take. I knew for sure that I would one day set foot onto the islands of Japan. There is a mysterious aura that I associate with Japan. It’s fascinating history and curious people aren’t comparable to any in the world. They are distinct behaviorally from other Asian cultures. Long isolated to their islands until the 19^th Century they have cultivated themselves into something beautiful. As a yonsei or 4^th generation Japanese-American I was drawn to what my family was and where they came from. It was one my pilgrimages in life, albeit a very short one. For five days of overload travel I was able to soak in the Japanese culture, barely enough to satisfy my craving for Japan.

From the end of July through the first three days of August I was able to cram in a summer vacation to Japan. When all was said and done it turned into the most expensive five days of my life. I wouldn’t trade those days back though. My journey covered primarily Tokyo, five days is hardly ample time to travel around Japan without mental breakdown. I was able to spend most of my time with my college friend, Matt Henry, who lives and works in Tokyo. Between traveling it was nice to catch up with an old friend and watch some Kurosawa films and catch up.

It would be too long to talk of all my travels in Tokyo. I did most of the touristy things that any foreigner would. I walked through the Shinjuku electric city, the intensely packed streets of Shibuya and its famous crosswalk. I walked through the beautiful Ueno and Meiji Parks and walked the perimeter of the Imperial Palace. I braved the sardine-like subways and melted into crowds in Asakusa. I was just one person in a sprawling city thirty million or so active people.

It was a place so distinctly different than Korea. The people look different, the people act different, the food, the religion, the city life and hundreds of little differences caught my eye. After living in Korea for over six months sensitivity has grown into my perception of culture. We Americans and other Westerners often mesh all Oriental cultures into one homogeneous blob. The reality is far different than the simple stereotype. Each Asian culture is incredibly different than it’s neighbors. The past six months in Korea and those 5 days in Japan are truly invaluable. It is something I wish everyone could experience. The importance of travel and experiencing worlds outside our own little bubbles cannot be overlooked.

More to come on Japan and Korea...

Mokpo, Cyclist Heaven

Avid bikers be aware, Mokpo and most of Korea is a haven for those aching to get out and explore on their bicycles. Perhaps one of the most convenient aspects of living in Mokpo is it's accessibility for cyclists. Virtually every road has a bike line on it's sidewalks. With low pedestrian traffic this makes Mokpo incredibly easy to travel around via a bicycle. For a city of a quarter million it makes a daunting task less threatening and very enjoyable. It will take 30-45 minutes to bike from one end of Mokpo to the other on mostly flat terrain. If you are longing to see the countryside of Korea it is not difficult to hop on you bike and head in any direction to see the beautiful Korean countryside dotted with small villages and plenty of rice paddies. My favorite route takes me east through Namak and Muan along the waterside and onto a highway under construction. Construction continues into weekends so it is wise to head out early in the morning to avoid being yelled at by the construction workers which of course happened last time. This route takes me along the water front and through Korea's rolling hills. It's a beautiful refresher and escape from the repetitive life in the city.
I typically go for 25 miles or so and this takes about 3 hours. One of many things I have found that I enjoy is cycling. I have easily put two or three hundred miles onto my bike the past 5 months I have had it. I definitely plan on continuing cycling when I get back to the states.

Halfway There

It's been way too long since a post, way too long.
Typhoon Muafi is blowing through Mokpo at the moment so I have had ample to time to sit down and be unproductive today. It's been an odd past few weeks or so. I have been busy as ever and struggling to find time to slow down and catch my breath. I am about halfway through my contract and have reached that midway slump where time seems to freeze and you feel a little trapped. I have kept plenty busy with travel and fun but two of my close friends I made here in Mokpo have left there jobs and moved on from ESL teaching in Korea. So here I am, given a new start. Not sure it was the kind of start I wanted to the second half of my contract but I will roll with the punches and look to an even brighter future. Here's to the next six months and many more posts coming ASAP!