been extremely busy here. Lots of long(and useless) meetings after classes. the logistics/planning of this camp have been really bad, but the students are so cool. We are having a fantastic time with them. As for the admin side, we are taking everything in stride.

I have been called Santa Clause(b/c of my stomach) by a student. This is b/c the shirts they have for us are Korean XXL, but they fit like an American XL. Nothing says fun like a tight t-shirt and heat & humidity.

It is required that students have an English name. Most are pretty generic like Peter or John or Sally(lots of Anna, Amy, Judy), but I also have a boy named Money, a girl named Ice Cream, and another boy named Hamburger. It makes for great entertainment.

Me and 2 of the other teacher went to a Korean rest. last night. We each had 2 beers and shared a bunch of chicken. Total was 18000 won, or less than $18 dollars. Very good beer called Hite, tastes like Molson Canadian. The other male american teachers have been calling me "the tryer" b/c I will try any food or drink. Beverages are not great, but the beef and chicken have been way above expectations. Had a shrimp flavored potato chip the other day(not on purpose) and some great onion ring chips. Did a shis-kabob in the market tonite. Very good, very spicy.

The Busitel(very nice high rise apts. on w/ a ground floor of businesses) we live in is in a very rich area. Very close to shopping and tons of rest. services.Overwhelming lights and signing. The lights here are like the carnival came to town, but never left. All the while maintaining cleanliness. Also, this apt. in nicer than any I have ever seen. Great use of space, very modern and stylish.

I have never been on a city bus in my life. Now it is everyday. Very inexpensive 1500won(about a $1.50 each way) and very clean. Our bus ride to work takes about 40 mins. but is an adventure in it self. It is like being in a race, except while on a bus. Traffic signals are not absolute here. More like a friendly suggestion. Red means keep speeding up and blow the horn. Don't even think about the term "yield" or using turn signals.

Always entertaining to look at crazy signs & pictures w/ westernized influence. We pass the Washington Hotel everyday. It has a picture of Ben Franklin. Too many like that to count.

I still having a great time. I am drinking the water, eating the local food, and actually using the chopsticks without poking my eye out. I actually was able to eat rice with them today.

I gotta run, laundry to do. Oh yeah......the washer and dryer in the apt. is the same machine. You put the clothes in, add soap on top, then it washes and swithches to dry mode. We had one of the Korean teachers come by and show us how to use it b/c all of the instructions are in Korean.

Well, I finally worked everything out and I am headed to S. Korea for 1 month. I will be working with middle/high schools students in an ESL summer camp setting on a university campus.

I leave Sat. July 23rd and come back August 26th.My flight will take me to NY(2hrs flight time), then Alaska(7.5 hrs), then onto Seoul(8.5hrs). I am really excited about the trip, as I have not travelled internationally. I dont think I could ask for a bigger trip. I am really jumping in with both feet!

I will be using this blog(time permitting) and doing some emails to maintain contact. I will also will try to get a phone card, but I am going to wait until I meet up w/ other teachers who have been living in the country. I am sure their experiences will be beneficial in easing my transition.Talk to you soon

Summer Plans Finalized! (Kind of)

I finally made my decisions regarding my summer and fall plans as well as my overseas teaching plans.

I will be returning to NC for July and most of August. I will return to Denver for the fall to work at both schools until Christmas time. When school ends in December, I will return to NC to see friends and family before I move overseas for a year. I still have not decided which country, but I have eliminated Taiwan. This is due to the combination of a very tropical climate and very heavy amounts of pollution. Now the big decision is between S. Korea and Japan. We are weighing options regarding both. Freida and I are planning on leaving in the first part of 2006.

New Mexico Camping trip

We went to Elephant Butte, New Mexico and camped for a few days. Elephant Butte is in the southwest part of New Mexico near the town of TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NM. Very cool name for a town, but very small and desolate. A simple grocery store and a few of the chain fast food stores.

The state park was formed by a dam built in the 1940's. It is now a huge boating and swimming destination. There were great little shelters that were vital for shade in the midday.

Freida, Chris, and I spent time swimming, napping, and cooking over a fire. We also had our new dog, Nello with us. He is a Basenji and Chihuahua mix and only weighs about 15lbs. He had an awesome time eating scraps, chasing waves, and riding in the SUV. When we first brought him down by the water, he immediately went into attack mode. Wherever there was a wave breaking, he would meet it with barks and bites. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

His approach to swimming was not aggressive. He was absolutely terrified to be put in the water. We put him in and he frantically swam back to shore. The water was warm but when he got out, he was shivering and digging in the hot sand.

We saw a few cool animals. Their were fish and ducks in the water. Near our campsite we saw a few roadrunners and one strange looking rodent. It was about the size of a gerbil. One night we were sitting around the camp fire relaxing when Nello started barking non-stop(very unusual for him b/c he is a quiet dog) at the surrounding darkness. Chris said he had seen a bunch of mule deer run near our campsite. Apparently Nello was more alert than us. The next night he started barking at the darkness again. No dear this time. We used the flashlights and spotted the intruder. The small rodent was approaching our shelter. Everytime we spotted him with the lights or threw something at him, he would dart into the bushes. Fortunately he did not enter our shelter(as far as I know) and Nello was calm throughout the night.

Overall, the trip was very relaxing. The cooking, napping, and swimming is perfect antidote to the daily noise and hustle of Denver. Sleeping at night in the fresh air with crickets chirping is very peaceful.
The drive back to Denver takes 9 hours, but it went pretty quickly. Between stops for gas, making lunch, walking Nello, and switching drivers, it took about 9.5 hours.

Yellowstone was great

We went to Yellowstone Nat. Park during Memorial Day weekend. We left Denver about 2am and arrived around 1130am. Driving through western Wyoming was a beautiful experience. Canyons, cliffs, and rapids made the morning drive quite enjoyable.

When we actually arrived at the park, I was amazed at the beauty and size of the park. There were so many scenes that no camera could do it justice. Hot springs, geysers, mountains, huge open grass spaces, and tons of wildlife(buffalo were everywhere) make it a glimpse into the past.

Upon arrival, the park staff mentioned all of the safety tips that had to be followed. We were told to put all of our food in our vehicle when we were not eating. They also have food storage containers near campsites and a dumpsters that are designed to be bearproof. There were many animal droppings around all of the campsites. No bad smells, just part of being outdoors.

During our stay there, we managed to see Old Faithful. THere was a large crowd gathered around the viewing area. They say that the water shoots out as high as 180 feet in the air. While we were waiting for it to erupt, the wind was blowing about 10-20 mph. As the big moment arrived, the gusts of wind blew the water directly on the area where we were sitting. People's reactions were so funny. They were running from the water as if it would burn them. It was actually cool from being exposed to the air. It was a pretty entertaining experience. How many people can say they got sprayed by the Old Faithful geyser?

When were driving from Old Faithful over the continental divide, we came around a corner and came face to face with a buffalo. From the car, we got a few great pictures from just a few feet away. They are really big(they get up to 1200 lbs) and have complete freedom throughout the park.

The camping was very fun, but cold. On our second night, I went to bed fully clothed and also had on gloves and a winter hat. I also took my coat and used it to cover my head and shoulders. Two cold nights of camping made me appreciate the bed I sleep on.

Overall, it a was a great experience. THe park is so big that you could spend a week there and not see all there is to offer.

YELLOWSTONE!

Me and Freida are headed to Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming. We are heading out on Friday night to arrive on Sat. AM. It is about a 9hour drive from Denver. We are gonna camp and chill. It should make for an outstanding weekend.

also........
I was having trouble w/ my phone + voicemail for the last 2 days. I could call out, but could not receive calls or check my voicemail. Got that taken care of today. Sorry if I missed any calls.

Only one more day of school for me!
I will finish cleaning my classroom in the AM. My afternoon school is already cleaned up and ready for summer. I want to leave both in great condition for whoever follows behind me.

Talk to soon.
Mark

Senator concerned politics played role in base closings; Pentagon denies any outside role

Blues States hammered by base closings.

States that supported President Bush's reelection (red states) had a net job gain of 11,000, while states that opposed Bush (blue states) lost nearly 25,000 positions.

http://rawstory.com/exclusives/byrne/lautenberg_brac_base_closures_520