We're on a Trip, not a Vacation!

I took this week off to spend some time with Bryce. We also couldn't sign him up for SFS since the middle school program is 2 weeks long, and we are leaving on Sunday. In addition to surfing and luge carting, we spent some time on the beach with Benji and his family on our last day in Busan. Since Bryce wasn't hungry, I went to get some odeng, or fish cakes, from a store and brought back one with rice cakes and sausage, which Bryce enjoyed. The store is one of several in Busan and has huge fish cakes on a stick outside. You can chose the fish cakes you want, place them on a tray with tongs, and then heat them up and eat them along with hot broth, after you've paid for them. Even though it was raining, Benji and Bryce jumped the waves and body surfed while I sat under an umbrella with Benji's mom and chatted. Our hotel had stations near the beach with high-powered air nozzles to clean the sand off our shoes and feet, which is something I haven't seen elsewhere. Our h...

By Bryce Mommy and I woke up at five and finished packing up. We left the Paradise Hotel and had to walk in the rain to get to the metro. Then, we rode the metro to a stop, where we got off and walked to the train station. But then we had to wait because Mommy thought she forgot the tickets but then the people in the information center found them for her. Then, we got on the train and I played Minecraft where I mined some sheep. I also watched Star Wars Visions and Arcane. Then, we got off, and took a bus to the town near the temple and then we got a ride from a driver in a van. We went to our room and set up our mattresses. We couldn’t figure out why the key card wasn’t locking the door but later we found out that you need to insert a battery that they provided into the lock. So after that, we went to another building and watched two videos about the monks. After that, we went upstairs and a guy named Mr. Kim taught us about Buddhism and we made necklaces out of one hundred and eight ...

Sho, me on da bush and me get off 3 shtop rite? But me look and wait for parent gesh wut? Day weren’t dare! Sho me go back on bush and go awl da way to da lasht shtop, en den back to da 3 shtop! Lucilly dis time day were dare.                       🚌                  Da End 

During cooking class, we made kimbap and gakdoogi which is radish, spicy sauce, sugar, and salt. For the gakdoogi, we first cut the radish, then put it into a bag, added sugar and salt, shook it up, and finally added spicy sauce. For the kimbap, we got a roller and some seaweed on it. Then, we added rice with a 5-cm gap with no rice. We had to add the stuff inside next, and then roll it up and cut it.

We had to take a super early train at 5:57 am from Seoul to Busan on Saturday b/c we waited too long to reserve our tickets. The journey takes about 2.5 hours via high speed train. Upon arrival, we dropped off our things at our hotel and then headed to Jalgachi Market, the largest fish market in the country. We saw so many different types of seafood, including some that I've only seen in Korea. We saw octopuses trying to escape on the ground as the vendor showed a customer the different options and then rip their ink sacs off as soon as she had selected two and throw them into a plastic bag. Another vendor was skinning eels alive, and their bodies were still wriggling afterwards. It was very unsettling, and I don't blame Acadian for losing his appetite. I told Kyusik I didn't want to eat any octopus. We settled on one vendor, from whom we bought a whole fish, abalone, shrimp, and some other creatures. There are different businesses upstairs that run the restaurants that pre...

 Today I went to the gym and we played 4-way speedball which is basically 🏀 + ⚽️ = speedball. Then we went to class. We went to a room and made catapults and flung/ate marshmallows and Pom-poms. Then, we went to have lunch. We had sweet & spicy chicken, corn cream chowder, & rice. Then, we went to our next class where we started making 📄💡. While we were waiting for them to dry, we had apples for snack. ( luckily 할아버지 was there in time.)

     Today we went surfing. We took the bus to the beach and checked in to the surf shop. They gave us wetsuits and then we had some miyeok guk for breakfast. When we got back, we changed into our wetsuits and walked to the beach. They gave us surf boards to use and the instructor taught me how to paddle and how to get up. Then, we practiced in the ocean and I  stood up a few times. Then, we returned our gear, and Daddy had to go to catch a train. Mommy and I ate dumplings and noodles for lunch. The dumplings were the best part. For dinner we met up with Benji at an Italian restaurant and ate pizza. After dinner, we walked in the street food aisle and got some honeycomb ice cream.  

    Today I woke up and got some milk tea shake with Mommy from a place called A Twosome Place. She got a peach drink. Then, we met up with Benji and drove to a racing cart place called Skyline Luge. In the car ride Benji and I played Battle of Polytopia. We resumed the game we were playing when we last saw each other. When we got there we thought about getting a five ride ticket, but then we realized that only one of the four courses was open. So instead we bought the three ride ticket. We took the chair lift up to the top, and they showed us how the carts worked. Then we went down to the bottom and back onto the chair lift two more times. It was really fun. We went back to the car and drove back to the hotel.

    On the first day, we took a long bus ride to the first camp, and when we got there we ate some kimbap for lunch. We were split into two groups, A&B. I was put into group B and was separated from my friend Benji. They taught us how to use the cooking materials, set up the tents, and tie different knots. Next, we played a game where we had to use map orienteering skills. For dinner we ate pasta, and we slept inside a room.      On the second day, we drove to the next campsite and set up tents. They taught us how to use the kayaks and raft and let both groups try them. I liked kayaking better because the raft is slower, and everyone was uncoordinated. With kayaking it was faster and more fun. For dinner we had Korean noodles.     On the third day, Group B rafted to the next camp and group A kayaked there. We set up tents and took showers. For dinner we cooked bulgogi. I helped fry the onions, mushrooms, and cook some of the beef. We had a bonfire ...