Letters From Abroad: 2002-2004

I awoke to the pattering of rain on my window.  This is the rainy season in Central Vietnam, where Hue is located, and it’s something I guess I’ll have to endure.  I mean, I want perfect weather for my travels, man!  Come on.  Nothing less!  Well, bad weather is all part of the adventure.  Having…

“The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.”  -Frances Willard I had arrived at the airport after a grueling day involving two flights, shuttle buses and your average run-of-the-mill bullshit.  But I had arrived.  It’s hard to put into words just how I…

I was able to enjoy a couple of days off last week. I was originally going to go up north to a small town near Daegu.  In the end, however, I decided against it because it was Chusok.  I’ve read that this holiday can be a crazy time to travel here.  Imagine a population larger…

Well, yet another month has passed in Busan.  The time seems to really be speeding along, although in retrospect in seems like an eternity.  It’s funny how that works sometimes.  I guess when you’re fully occupied it doesn’t drag along.  Anyways, I didn’t really want to dwell on the meaning of time, or anything quite…

What a crazy place!  Korea hasn’t stopped surprising me since I arrived here.  What is this insane place of cell phones, bad fashion, too many cars, cheesy pop music, neon lights slicing into my brain, awful food, and a language that is both piercing and whiny at the same time?  Yet, there are mountains full…

Well, I don’t know how the weather is back home, but we’ve been inundated with rain over here.  It’s been pouring non-stop for 10 days, with no end in sight. Apparently the flooding in Seoul has shut down parts of the city, and here in Busan there’s been close to a dozen deaths related to…

Well, I’ve finally adjusted to living in this crazy town.  Everywhere you go its insanity here.  There are so many stores, bars and restaurants here that it’s almost as if the entire city is a downtown core.  The crazy thing about this place is that there isn’t any kind of zoning.  Light industrial, commercial, and…

It still seems like it was yesterday that I embarked on a mission that would take me to the other side of the planet.  Even though it was only a few weeks ago, it has been a crazy head trip since I arrived here in Busan.  The flight to get here, including the layovers at…