Birthdays in Busan!!!!

This past weekend was my birthday! And we celebrated accordingly. Friday when I got to school Sun Ja told me I could leave at 1:30 because it was "same grade teachers' cultural education day", but we didn't have a plan for cultural education so we all just left early; of course it was! Thanks for the birthday present Dong Cheon! I went home, straightened up for the eminent arrival of Chelsea and Erin, and then wined myself silly til Brian came home.

Then we subwayed to the 7 Luck Casino where we met David and Duck and I met with 20,000 more than I'd walked in with at the roulette table. Free dinner, free drinks, even a free tooth brush if you request it, which we didn't, and free money, not a bad start to the night.

We met Ryan and Shannon on our way back to Kyungsung where we tried out a Japanese bar we'd been eyeing for a while. There we did presents (thanks everyone!) and played a rowdy little game of drinking Jenga which Brian had gifted me earlier.

Me and my birthday hat Shannon made me.

The mini drinking Jenga Brian made.

The penalty for demolishing the jenga tower was to eat 3 bondaegi. Bondaegi are either cocoons or larvae, we don't know which, we've heard people swear to both, that are steamed and served with no sauce or flavoring of any kind. They smell absolutely foul and I was the only one with enough sense not to try one. And no, I don't regret that decision as Shannon and Duck tried to convince me I would.

...Bondegi

Our new friend Will met up with us too, and at some point we moved on to an arcade where by some miracle we were able to fit 6 people, including David, Brian, and Duck, into a 2 person noraebang (kareoke room to all you waegooks). We sang old favorites like I Like to Move it Move it and that stupid Rick Ashley song I can never remember the name of. We all emerged unscathed somehow, and straggled on to an interlude at the Family Mart (a 7-11-esque convenient store with a random patio and seats) but not before a quick girl fight.

I blame the heels for that awful performance. We eventually met back up with Will at Zorba Buddha, a cozy little hookah place, where we stayed until the drinks and plush pillows lulled the night to an end.

Saturday it was birthday time again! Brian and I met Duck at Haeundae Beach were a pod of foreigners was basking and volleyballing. We soaked it in for a while before adventuring towards Dalmaji (that means moon hill) in search of the famed cherry blossoms there. We took an unorthodox route in some back streets past backwash waters and on through somebody's vegetable garden, across some railroad tracks and then we saw them! The streets were blooming all round with cherry blossoms, or cherry flower trees as Sun Ja calls them. We even found a short woods walk where we overheard a group of people singing traditional Korean songs. Have a listen.

Cherry flower trees!

These birds were drinking from the flowers.

The woods walk reminded me of Myst. I was awful at that game.

On the top of the hill we dined on makulli and popcorn under the cherry trees before deciding once again that it would be a good idea to get free food and drinks at the Haeundae casino. And once again I walked out with 20,000 won from the roulette table. Improbable, but true. On the subway back to our place we met a group of kindred spirits and decided to go with them to O'Briens, the Irish bar in which we'd celebrated St. Patrick's day. That night they had a great band, cheap drinks, and we ended up playing darts until strangers became friends.

Sunday was a day for recovery, and I'd just finished The Kite Runner (great story, but reading it concurrently with Ulysses made the writing seem a bit wanting, though that would probably be true of most books) (thanks Margo!) and was craving Indian food so it was birthday time again! And we ate at a place with an open kitchen where we watched the Indian chef make our naan fresh and delicious. I don't really miss the food in America so much as I miss the variety of foods available all at around the same price. There's Italian and Indian and Vietnamese food here, but if it's not from Korea, it's at least 3 times as expensive, and usually not that good. But the food at Shabana was delicious, though still not cheap.

And now the weekend's over but tonight Chelsea and Erin arrive in Pusan and I can't wait for all the gallivanting to come. AND Brian's school and mine have the same founding day, which is this Wednesday. So we've both got the day off to carouse with the visitors! And to sweeten the whole sweet deal, Da Bin, one of the third grade girls who cleans the English room, gave me a notebook for my birthday and the note on it said "My best friend Jess (heart drawn here) happy birthday! -from Da Bin-". I love this job and I love these kids even more. As the drunken man in the first Korean restaurant we ever ate at once said, Korea number one!

And to put some faces to the third grade girls who clean the English rooms' names...

From left to right there's Da Bin, Min Su, Ji Eun, and Hye Jin. They're eating chocolate covered cookies sticks with sprinkles - YUM. They're so cute and sweet and I love them so much.