towards economic integration 00:38

Busan, South Korea and Fukuoka, Japan have decided to create an economic zone that will become, hopefully, the seventh largest economic hub in Northeast Asia. For those of you that don't know how close these cities are, a speed boat will get you across the strait in less than three hours. I've done it once but I got real seasick on the way back to Busan. Going to Fukuoka was fine though...

This would be the first step towards full economic integration of Korea and Japan. (Or at least they would hope.) The democratic party of Japan winning a majority seat in parliament just recently could, however, make this a reality. The beginnings of an East Asian Union?

over-the-top with amusement parks? 08:38

In the next five years, we should see four new, large-scale amusement parks operating in Korea. I wonder though if this is sustainable, as there are already two amusement parks in existence in a country with only 48 million people. Koreans must love amusement parks!

The first amusement park in the works is the "Paramount Movie Park Korea" which is scheduled to open in 2011 in Incheon. Themes from the movie Titanic, Tomb Raiders, and Mission Impossible are to be included in the park. The second is an MGM theme park also in Incheon. This will be MGM's first ever amusement park. Can't think of exactly what movies they made at the moment but I'm sure they'll have rides themed after them. Universal Studios will open their fourth park in 2012 after Hollywood, Florida, and Osaka, Japan. The fourth will be a Marvel Superheroes theme park in Busan, Korea. This one, I'm actually excited for. I would actually visit this one since I was and still am a huge fan of Marvel.

will's last weekend 10:11

     This passed weekend, Will, Rachel (Will's friend), and I went to Busan to hangout for the last time before he left for America. A couple of weeks prior to this weekend we had thrown around the idea of going to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tsushima, or Tokyo but it just didn't seem to work out. So we ended up in Busan... again. While in Busan, we decided to go check out if there were any tickets to Fukuoka, Japan on the ferry. I honestly didn't think there would be any left because this was a prime weekend for Koreans to travel. Miraculously, there were tickets left, and that morning we left for Japan for two hundred bucks! 

Will and I in Busan posing in front of an image used by the kings of Korea for their throne room. 

A park in Fukuoka

When we arrived, I got hassled by the customs guy saying that I needed a specific address on my customs form. I told him that we were just going to find a hotel but he kept insisting that EVERY hotel in Fukuoka was going to be booked. Luckily, I spoke enough Japanese to whisk my way out of there. Right when we entered the city, I was determined to prove him wrong. How could EVERY hotel/motel/inn be booked?! And it turned out he was wrong. We easily found housing and spent the rest of the time enjoying Fukuoka. 

Fukuoka is known for its canal and ramen. Canals are nice and ramen is very good. They have "yatai" (street vendors) that serve delicious ramen and yakisoba. Would go back just for the food. 

One of Fukuoka's many canals.

Ubiquitous ramen shops of Fukuoka

      An older lady started talking to Rachel about something in Japanese but she had no idea. Around that same time, Will got in trouble for shooting a video of a Buddha statue and touching all the merchandise. Right then, she took us into the back and started talking to me. She was very warm-hearted and personable. We chatted for a while. We told her that we were tourists from Korea and she told me that she would be delighted to take us around for a bit. She bought us subway tickets, we talked some more, and she guided us to some ancient castle ruins and a beautiful park. And she told me that I spoke very good keigo (Japanese honorifics). It made my day. 

busan in april 18:25

     Beomeosa, a temple founded in 678. It has been destroyed several times but its always been reconstructed. One thing that caught my attention at this temple was that Koreans actually let nature and architecture coexist. Let me explain. Traditionally, Koreans never destroy mountains, hills, trees, and plants but instead they build around them. And then once these buildings are in place, they let nature take its course. One will see trees and plants growing from the most random spots because the people will not uproot them. This is one of the stark differences between Korean and Chinese/Japanese architecture. In Chinese architecture, projects start after an entire area is razed. Buildings are then built to impress people with their enormous size. "Nature" is then brought in after the buildings are finished. The same goes for the Japanese but to a lesser degree. Buildings are not as grand and they usually try their best to fit it in to its surroundings. Initially, one will notice that traditional Korean buildings are not as grand or gaudy as Chinese and Japanese buildings are but one will definitely get the sense of nature and humans coexisting. There's something really peaceful about being in a temple in Korea. 

Will, Meredith, Emily, and I with our new British friend Phil. 

Will and I also bought these sweet shoe/sandals in Busan. Greatest buy ever. They are so comfortable!

the great city of busan 05:12

I spent the past weekend with my friends Will, Tim, and Kim down in Busan. It's Korea's second biggest city with about four million people. Everyone speaks in the Gyeongsando accent so it was kind of difficult to understand things. Generally, people down there are kinder and warmer than the people here in Daejeon.

On the shores of Haeundae, we met an old man who insisted he was Son O-gong (손오공, そんごくin Japanese) and if anyone knows who that is, he the monkey-king hero from Chinese mythology. If you ever watched Dragonball, you'll get an idea of who this is because the main character is based on the hero. He did though, take this picture of us.

We also visited what I thought was one of the most beautiful temples because it was right next to the ocean.

My friend Tim wanted to see if he could get his hands on oatmeal and so we went grocery shopping. It was there that we met a Canadian-Middle Eastern English teacher. He had a lot of hair sticking out of his ears and it really distracted Kim and I. We couldn't stop laughing. Tim and Will on the other hand got into an interesting conversation that ended with him advising us to go wine tasting in the wine section. He insisted that the Chilean wine was the "sexiest" and if we told the sample lady to fill up a glass, she would. We went, tasted, and left to find oatmeal. I didn't find it too sexy. By chance, we bumped into the English teacher again and he dragged us all to go and try some more. When the sample lady saw him coming, she rolled her eyes, sighed, and knew what he wanted. We knew he had frequented the wine section. She then poured full cups for us. Quite hilarious.

The last day, Tim, Will, and I went to "the best sauna in the world." Unfortunately, Kim had to go back to Jeju Island that morning. In Tim's own words, it was the most naked bodies he had ever seen since Schindler's List. We got to enjoy the Jasmine Tea baths, cherry baths, outdoor baths and salt baths. We were a little disappointed though because the Strawberry Milk bath that were supposed to be there weren't there. Nonetheless, a very relaxing time.