If you follow my blog posts, you will have seen the climbing videos I posted in which I take a walk around the area where Jo and I used to climb. YOu can see that the monk is long since gone, as are most of the tents he used as his housing.
"May 14, 2005
HAPPY B-DAY BUDDA
Yesterday was Friday the 13th. I would like to blame something miserable or otherwise on the day but nothing really comes to mind. Even my conversation with Isabel was not a total flop. We basically have had the same conversation that we have been having for the past three months. No better and not worse. I seemed to have upset her quite a bit. What else is new. Day at work was normal. Some classes and kids were great others were just kids. Either way its great being amongs all the rag rats. Working with kids, or perhaps just being amongst kids is therapeutical. Makes me want one of my own, as scary as that may sound.
Just got back from climbing with Jo. Good day and some good climbs. The mountain was completly devoit of people. Tomorrow is supposed to be the praying day for buddas B-day, which explains the absence of all climbing Koreans. The monk was there though, and as always greeted us with a warm hello and a warm smile. You can see a lot of lanterns hang out all over the city, along highways, side roads and the mountains. Monks in the Temples have festivals and people celebrate the day by praying and Buddist rituals. All along the mountain where we climb, I believe the name is Munsu mountain but don't quote me on that one, within the shelter of the four or five caves, the monk has set up little temples, which are frequently visited by the locals for praying ceremonies. They caves, are fully equipped with candles, which burn every single time we are up on the mountain, little statues of budda, small pools of water, incense and other worshipping artifacts. Today I have witnessed a woman being wrapped up in a white bed sheet like material, but did not stick around long enough to look or find out more about the ceremony. I thought it may have been rude to just intrude like that, especially being a foreigner.
Tonight we are heading out to Pusan to stir some shit up. Hopefully. I guess well be spending the night someplace since the factor of driving back to Ulsan after a good nights drinking is completly out of the question. The weather is warm enough for a pleasant ride down there."
"May 15, 2005
A NIGHT IN PUSAN
Spent most of the weekend in Pusan. Jo and I made our way down to the Hyunday beach late on saturday. We picked up some soju, which is THE cheapest way to get drunk as the localy made rice spirit costs about 1$ per 250ml bottle and has an alcohol content of 21%, in one of the local markets, and went down to the beach to chill out for a while. Two small bottles were enough to get both of us on the tipsy side of things. The water front was packed with people. Groups of kids were sitting out on the beach in circles surrounded by empty paper cups and bottles. To my surprise some of them were swimming in the ocean. I am saying surprise cause the weather seems way to cool for me to even consider going into water. Some were throwing up, I assume the weekend does have the enticement of a day off work, or school and the potential fun involved in the excessive consumption of alcochol.
A second after we sat down on some stairs in order to enjoy our cheaply acquired soju, I was attacked by a young man with a hello. I say attacked cause he just appeared from nowhere. All of a sudden he was just there sitting to my emediate right. He asked me a copule of questions, where I was from, if I was for visit here, and than after finding out that I was working here, where I worked. He dissapeared as suddenly as he appeared. Jo and I finished our bottles and went down the beach in search of some food. After satisfying the munchies, we headed towards the University of Pusan, and the cluster of bars filled with drunk stumbling foreigners. The bars were hot and had a clammy feeling to them.
The beach front is filled with older ladies selling fireworks and all kinds of cheesy looking twinkling and music playing little gizmos. I have seen similar things being sold in the subway passages of Paris. Never really thought much of them, other than simply being a waste of money and resources.
After seeing the ladies at the beach front, my mind has not changed althoug the fireworks are a nice change, even though that they are being sold for twice their value."