Exploring South Korea

First day at my new gym.
Running shoes, check. Water bottle, check. Fluency in Korean... Negative. Upon arriving I was led into a gym class and was given a mat, still not sure what class it was going to be. About 30 seconds in I came to the conclusion that it was a core body class. The great part of all this is the trainer would explain what was to happen next in Korean, then he would come over to me and move each of my limbs into the right stretch!- Kinda felt like being a play-dough man. The funniest part was when i had my head turned the wrong way and he turned my head "for me"! I think I thoroughly entertained everyone in the class and I can also now count down to zero in Korean. Win win:P

I have found this true for many of the Koreans I have meet so far, they can't speak a word of English but they will go out of their way to find other ways to help you, one stretch at a time.

Do Koreans Eat Dogs?
By a 5th grade student, unedited

"In 1988, Korea hosted the Summer Olympic games. The country not only tried hard to hold the games successfully but also concentrated a lot on introducing the excellence of Korean culture to the whole world. However, many Western people criticized Korean people as barbarians for eating one of the Korean traditional food, Bosintang(dog meat).

Bosintang, is know as nutritional food. According to the Donguibogam, it is able to prevent out body from diseases. Also, it tastes really good so that some Koreans love to eat Bosintang. However, there is a reason why it is criticized as a uncivilized dish. The main ingredient of it is dog.
For Western people, it doesn't make any sense that Koreans like to eat what is like their family. Really, it must be so that most Koreans care dog as part of their family, but the culture of eating them is because of difference in the environment. In Western area, there are widely extended plain let them raise livestock easily. They could add protein by means of eating those stocks such as cows. However, in Korea, there aren't wdie and suitable plain to farm livestock, but hunting for everyday was limited as to what they could do. Yet, dogs are easy to raise in harsh environments. As a result, ancient Korean subsisted on dog meat.

In some Arab countries, monkey are considered a delicacy and very expensive. Some people enjoy eating baked cockroaches. There are many ways to enjoy grasshoppers, eyeballs, and even juice from sheep's brain. Though it may come off as disgusting and awkward to some cultures, I think we should all care to other cultures, especially food as unique and valuable. The culture has a significant meaning to those in that culture and we should all learn to respect others."

-Great contribution to the English Speech Competition!

Across the road from my new apartment is an eel restaurant. The tank of eels is on the street, so is the BBQ! "Eel skin willy" as we have decided to call him skins live eels on the street to entice patrons into his establishment! He seems to time skinning the eels perfectly with my exit/entrance into my apartment! The eels are still alive as he puts them on the BBQ after being skinned...

Eels, for your information are apparently great for male stamina..