My subconscious is homesick...but I'm still having a ton of fun!

Yesterday after school I decided to check out the little town of Haman. It's nestled in the mountains and apparently I would have seen it from the top of the mountain when I was hiking the other day. As far as I can tell, it's roughly 15km from where I live. So, I went to the bus station and waited for the bus...114-1 or 252-2. And waited. And waited. And listened to the two young Koreans next to me hack up a lung and spit up a storm. And waited. And the bus didn't come. So, I decided to take the 252 when it came. Big mistake. It went up the highway two or three kilometres and turned around, so I got off. Thinking I'll bump into another bus or something I started walking. No bus stops...anywhere. So, two hours (roughly 12km at my pace) later I made it into Haman. The walk was nice, but it was REALLY smoggy yesterday, even worse than usual. I'm sure some of it is also Yellow Dust. Yellow Dust comes down from China...when their ice/snow melts in the spring, all the dust left behind is blown south to Korea.

I went by a huge provincial park that has a nice lake (didn't go to it, though, it was already getting dark), but definitely going to go back there...there were some decent views from the highway, though...

However, all that pollution makes for nice (if a little surreal) sunsets:

A few things along the way...highway sign hidden behind rows of trees...I'm not sure whose brilliant idea this was, but it's pretty funny:

Good Service. Not great. Definitely not fantastic. But it's good enough for the likes of you:

Koreans love public art (at least around here), and that's just fine by me...most of them are interesting modern/abstract creations. This was randomly beside the highway at what appeared to be a rest stop...to me it looks like a giant metal slice of watermelon...

Anyway, once I got into Haman, I was tired (including my morning walk to school I was up to 15km of walking and I'm on my feet all day teaching) and hungry (only had a bowl of cereal and it was 8 p.m.) so I got some directions (with plenty of gesturing and a few Korean/Konglish words here and there, since they spoke NO English at all) to the bus stop and headed home. So, I only got to see Haman in the dark and for a few minutes...initial impressions: looks like a neat little town...smaller than where I live and, from what I've seen anyways, perhaps a little poorer, but a neat town nonetheless...I'll give it another go next week, I think...but this time going to catch the right bus.

Also...I think my subconscious is homesick. Which is pretty funny because I'm not. At all. I'm really having a lot of fun here and I get to talk to my friends/parents on a nearly daily basis and I know it's only temporary, so I'm enjoying the ride and I'll see them soon enough. However...two nights ago I had a dream that I was hanging out with my parents and brother. Last night I had a dream that Jon, Mark and I were exploring around and then, dodging deadly traffic (Korea), got to a beautiful green field and rolled around in the grass, hugging the ground and everything...no surprises, grass was the first thing I noticed I was missing from home.

Okay, that's all for today. I'll be back again on Monday...I think on Saturday I'm going to head into Masan and explore with Des and Dawni (two teachers I have been talking to since back when I was still in Canada, so a hangout session is definitely in order!). Sunday...I'm not sure yet...maybe heading into Changwon or taking the train somewhere new :) 

But, before I go...I'll leave you with this...car customizing is alive and well around here, though sometimes it's hilarious...what's better than a Kia minivan with a hood scoop? A Kia minivan with a hood scoop and a spoiler on the front...

Have a great weekend, everyone! Talk to you soon :) 

T