011-82-17-525-1976 (that is the country code, and phone number and overseas dialing code all together. If you call and get a very nice person explaining something to you in Korean just try again. I'm not sure what she's saying, but apparently the number will eventually work.)

Anyway, yesterday for me was quite uneventful, which was actually quite nice. I wandered out, spent 20,000 on some speakers that will plug into my cd player (and subsequently listened to allot of Madonna, I don’t' know why) read allot of Dune, had some Bibimpap for lunch, and walked up the mountain to home. I went out in the early evening for some ice cream, and had several people grabbed my little Korean phrase book and flipped through it as I was counting out 100 won coins to pay for my cold treat.

Ice cream bars seem to be very popular here and you can get them in just about any flavor, although I have to admit I haven't seen squid pops yet, but I wouldn't be surprised. I've successfully learned how to use a coffee vending machine, although I was quite worried about it the first time.

I still find that for the most part people are always trying to help me in Korean which is very confusing.

I was reading over my last little story and realized I left out a very interesting happening on the way to the temple, so I thought I would relate it here.

To get to the Buddhist temple you must go up a mountain. At the bottom of the mountain are a number of little stands, people selling fruits and vegetables, and what not. Mr. Kim pointed out to us several small stands where they were selling mountain root juice. Apparently there is a particular kind of mountain root that grows at the bottom of most mountains; most Koreans believe that the root aids in stomach problems and generally makes you healthier. Upon suggestion by Mr. Kim we pulled off to the side and decided to sample some mountain root juice.

The root itself is long and winding and thick, it looks like a tree root, really, a giant tuber.  The juice is a very thick brown, muddy color served out of recycled juice bottles. The hajma's serve the juice in paper cups. It has no real discernable smell, but the flavor is very interesting. There is no real taste up front, but as you are sipping you suddenly get a bitter, barky flavor, and the drink has an earthy muddy finish. Jenny (new teacher) referred to it as "log juice" which is a fairly accurate description. Mr. Kim's wife explained to use that it would make your stomach "feel good". I think he meant it would settle the stomach, and it did leave one feeling a bit refreshed in the body if not in the mouth.

It was not unpleasant, kindly of like a thickly raw potato shake or something similar to that. Jenny pointed out that it tasted like the root looked, which I thought was probably a fairly apt description. I liked it, and I'm not sure if it actually had any special healing or health properties, but I have yet to be sick in Korea and I'm rather happy about that.

In classes here, all the students have little blank books for taking notes and doing written homework. I noticed a note on one of the journals that said this "you fill me with complete happiness, you are the source of my desire" I thought that was a very nice thing for a notebook to say, and wonder if kids in the states wouldn't enjoy school more if their journals were as inviting.

Well, off now to prepare for my classes, I'll let you know if anything exciting happiness after the Korea/US World Cup Match today.